Mark Hunnicutt

1 Thess 5:16-22 The work I’m suppose to do as I wait = God’s will!

Scripture

16 Always be joyful. 17 Never stop praying. 18 Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.

19 Do not stifle the Holy Spirit. 20 Do not scoff at prophecies, 21 but test everything that is said. Hold on to what is good. 22 Stay away from every kind of evil.

Observations

• What we do as we work and wait DO
• Have a perspective that births joy
• Pray without stopping
• Be thankful in all things
• I'm in God's will when I work at the above things
• Test everything that is said (hold it up to Jesus)
• Hold on to what is good
• Stay away from every kind of evil
• What not to do DON'T
• Stifle the Holy Spirit (complicate what God is doing)
• Scoff at prophecies (listen and test them)

Applications

• The work I'm suppose to do as I wait = God's will!
• Listen to prophecy but test it in light of Jesus
• If it is good hold onto it
• Stay away from the words that don't pass
• Is there anything in my life that is complicating God's work?

Prayer

Thank You God that I don't have to sit and wait for Your will. God empower me to look upward and not inward and birth Joy in my soul. I ask that my prayers be in the right context according to eternity. I need to allow this eternal perspective to drive me to thanksgiving. (Ps. 173). Give me the wisdom to discern between earthly words and eternal Words. Thank You Jesus for preparing the way of joy!

1 Thess 5:10-15 God, I pray you find me doing work WHEN You come and not doubting and whining IF…

Scripture

10 Christ died for us so that, whether we are dead or alive when he returns, we can live with him forever. 11 So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing.

12 Dear brothers and sisters, honor those who are your leaders in the Lord's work. They work hard among you and give you spiritual guidance. 13 Show them great respect and wholehearted love because of their work. And live peacefully with each other.

14 Brothers and sisters, we urge you to warn those who are lazy. Encourage those who are timid. Take tender care of those who are weak. Be patient with everyone.

15 See that no one pays back evil for evil, but always try to do good to each other and to all people.

Observations

• When, when, when not if, if, if!
• Jesus is going to return!
• Honor those that lead in God's work
• Honor those that give guidance
• Show them great respect and wholehearted love
• For Jesus and them live peacefully
• The work we do as we wait: warn those who are lazy, encourage those who are timid, care for the weak, be patient with everyone.
• Don't pay back evil but always do good

Applications

• Don't live in the if! Live for the when!
• Give honor and respect to those who lead
• Live with peace and patience
• Warn, encourage, care
• Do good always

Prayer

Since I don't know when You are coming to get me I need to get busy! Thank You for Your promises and empower me with peace and patience. God, I pray you find me doing work WHEN You come!

1 Thess 4:15-5:2 I don’t have to grieve like an unbeliever!

Scripture

15 We tell you this directly from the Lord: We who are still living when the Lord returns will not meet him ahead of those who have died. 16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the Christians who have died will rise from their graves. 17 Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever. 18 So encourage each other with these words.

5 Now concerning how and when all this will happen, dear brothers and sisters,we don't really need to write you.

Observations

• No opinion or personal reference
• Those (XNs) who have died will meet the Lord first
• Is this the rapture or the second coming?
• Jesus doesn't delegate
• Loud and in charge
• Knowledge fuels hope
• Died = asleep = earthly body
• At the second coming all will be caught up in the air
• Then! We will be with the Lord forever
• Not if but when!
• Could be today!

Applications

• Seek God's direction and not man's opinion
• God's direction gives peace and hope not fear and distraction
• Preach eternally not just earthly
• I am going to be with my Warrior King!
• Take comfort in knowing IT is going to happen not if IT is going to happen

Observations

Wow! God, I thank You for Your encouragement of hope. I don't have to grieve like an unbeliever because of Your revelation to me. Lord, indwell and empower me to live out hope.

1 Thess 3:2-7 May I speak words of strength and encouragement today…

Scripture

2 and we sent Timothy to visit you. He is our brother and God's co-worker in proclaiming the Good News of Christ. We sent him to strengthen you, to encourage you in your faith, 3 and to keep you from being shaken by the troubles you were going through. But you know that we are destined for such troubles. 4 Even while we were with you, we warned you that troubles would soon come—and they did, as you well know. 5 That is why, when I could bear it no longer, I sent Timothy to find out whether your faith was still strong. I was afraid that the tempter had gotten the best of you and that our work had been useless.

6 But now Timothy has just returned, bringing us good news about your faith and love. He reports that you always remember our visit with joy and that you want to see us as much as we want to see you. 7 So we have been greatly encouraged in the midst of our troubles and suffering, dear brothers and sisters, because you have remained strong in your faith.

Observations

• Co-workers are crucial
• They needed strength and encouragement
• People are destined for troubles
• Paul's Gospel was real
• Trouble is a test of faith
• Thess' faith and love stood
• Standing in the face of trouble is an encouragement

Applications

• Empower and equip people to go
• People need strength and encouragement. Are my words doing that today
• Preach troubles
• Trouble will be a test of my work
• Are the people around me expressing love and faith in troubles
• Let people know that their stand is encouraging

Prayer

God, I'm encouraged by the Gospel that Paul taught. It is almost like he tried to talk people out of becoming a Christian. Real! I'm promised trouble in this life and I pray that my stand would reflect the strength and encouragement of the Paul's in my life. I want to thank you for men that poured their lives into me. God I asked that you empower me to be a Paul in people's lives.

1 Thess 1:7-2:2 Hope’s product is willing service not sitting and waiting…

Scripture

9 for they keep talking about the wonderful welcome you gave us and how you turned away from idols to serve the living and true God. 10 And they speak of how you are looking forward to the coming of God's Son from heaven—Jesus, whom God raised from the dead. He is the one who has rescued us from the terrors of the coming judgment.

2 You yourselves know, dear brothers and sisters, that our visit to you was not a failure. 2 You know how badly we had been treated at Philippi just before we came to you and how much we suffered there. Yet our God gave us the courage to declare his Good News to you boldly, in spite of great opposition.

Observations

• The buzz was the exchange
• Paul evaluated ministry based on values
• He wanted sanctification, service and sight
• They didn't just turn away and wait. They turned away and served!
• Their anticipation was an advertisement
• Nothing earthly is as bad as eternal judgment

Applications

• Examine the buzz my life puts off
• Realign my values
• Is it about what I'm holding on to, or what I've let go of?
• When I look past earthly problems to eternal hope it sends a great message. So look past today!
• Embrace and be empowered with hope today!

Prayer

Jesus, thank You for being foundational to every aspect of life, You are life! Thank you for empowering me to do more than sit after salvation. Please pull me away from this world by giving me proper sight. I love you for giving me hope!

1 Thes 1:1-8 Living right usually has short term, negative, earthly benefits and long term, positive, eternal benefits…

S.O.A.P. 1 Thessalonians

Background

Curious about how the Thessalonians were doing, and wanting to encourage them concerning the Lord's coming, Paul writes the letters before us, wherein he:

•  Remembers the Thessalonians' past in chapters 1--3 as he recalls how he lived among them and shared with them in close communion;

•  Refocuses their present in the first part of chapter 4 as he encourages them to love with brotherly affection;

•  Reveals their future in the second half of chapter 4 and the first part of chapter 5 as he speaks to them of the Rapture and of heavenly expectation;

•  Refines their walk in the last part of chapter 5 through a series of practical exhortations; and

•  Reinforces his teaching concerning the Second Coming in 2 Thessalonians.

In these last days, as we study Paul's letters to the Thessalonians, may the Lord refocus our vision of the big picture—the hope of heaven. - Jon Courson's Application Commentary

Scripture

1 This letter is from Paul, Silas, and Timothy.

We are writing to the church in Thessalonica, to you who belong to God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. May God give you grace and peace.

2 We always thank God for all of you and pray for you constantly. 3 As we pray to our God and Father about you, we think of your faithful work, your loving deeds, and the enduring hope you have because of our Lord Jesus Christ.

4 We know, dear brothers and sisters, that God loves you and has chosen you to be his own people. 5 For when we brought you the Good News, it was not only with words but also with power, for the Holy Spirit gave you full assurance that what we said was true. And you know of our concern for you from the way we lived when we were with you. 6 So you received the message with joy from the Holy Spirit in spite of the severe suffering it brought you. In this way, you imitated both us and the Lord. 7 As a result, you have become an example to all the believers in Greece—throughout both Macedonia and Achaia.

8 And now the word of the Lord is ringing out from you to people everywhere, even beyond Macedonia and Achaia, for wherever we go we find people telling us about your faith in God. We don't need to tell them about it,

Observations

• In my background study I discovered this church plant all took place within 3 weeks
• Silas & Timothy are young ministry partners
• Thankfulness and prayfullness are foundational
• Hope!
• Love!
• The Good News usually has short term negative earthly benefits and long term eternal benefits
• An example models Jesus
• A life of eternal hope under earthly pressure rings righteousness

Applications

• Apply principles but not patterns
• Pray and thank God for young ministry starts
• Look through pressure by harnessing hope
• Model Jesus by leaning in, listening and loving people today
• Allow my circumstances to be a cry of hope

Prayer

Jesus I thank you for the people that have "come" after me. You are not finished working in individuals lives and it excites me. I want to thank You for these ministers and their ministries. I love You and ask that you empower me today to use my circumstances as cries of hope and not help. My help is not earthly it is eternal!

Titus 1 – Who I am is more important than what I do…

Background To Titus

Written in approximately A.D. 64, between his first and second letters to Timothy, Paul's letter to Titus was written to instruct and encourage this young man as he ministered on the island of Crete. Crete, an island in the Mediterranean 135 miles long and 30 miles wide, is a mountainous island and was quite heavily populated according to the demographics of Paul's day. As we shall see, the inhabitants of Crete were a difficult, problematic people. In fact, it's interesting to note that the Philistines—they who were always hassling the people of Israel—originally came from Crete. Crete was an island steeped in Greek mythology, Zeus having supposedly been born on Crete's own Mount Ida.

Commissioned to preach to a problematic people who were believers in Greek gods, Titus had his work cut out for him. – Jon Courson's Application Commentary

Scripture

5 I left you on the island of Crete so you could complete our work there and appoint elders in each town as I instructed you. 6 An elder must live a blameless life. He must be faithful to his wife, and his children must be believers who don't have a reputation for being wild or rebellious. 7 For an eldermust live a blameless life. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered; he must not be a heavy drinker, violent, or dishonest with money.

8 Rather, he must enjoy having guests in his home, and he must love what is good. He must live wisely and be just. He must live a devout and disciplined life. 9 He must have a strong belief in the trustworthy message he was taught; then he will be able to encourage others with wholesome teaching and show those who oppose it where they are wrong.

10 For there are many rebellious people who engage in useless talk and deceive others. This is especially true of those who insist on circumcision for salvation. 11 They must be silenced, because they are turning whole families away from the truth by their false teaching. And they do it only for money. 12 Even one of their own men, a prophet from Crete, has said about them, "The people of Crete are all liars, cruel animals, and lazy gluttons." 13 This is true. So reprimand them sternly to make them strong in the faith. 14 They must stop listening to Jewish myths and the commands of people who have turned away from the truth.

15 Everything is pure to those whose hearts are pure. But nothing is pure to those who are corrupt and unbelieving, because their minds and consciences are corrupted. 16 Such people claim they know God, but they deny him by the way they live. They are detestable and disobedient, worthless for doing anything good.

Observations

• Titus is a subordinate leader leading from the middle of the pack
• He is a developing, deepening leader where Paul was a designing leader
• He set up structures and systems and was in charge of recruiting and equiping
• Qualifications of Christian workers:

  Must Be - Blameless, Faithful, Good Parent, Hospitable, Love Right, Wise, Just, Devout, Disciplined, Apologetic, Exhort, Equip & Encourage.

  Must Not Be - Arrogant, Quick Tempered, Violent, Bad With Money

• Ministry context is huge. Corrupt Crete
• The way an Elder lives in a corrupt society preaches the loudest message

Applications

• Who is my Paul? My pastor! Submit to authority
• Work on "Do's" and stop the "Don't"
• Hospitality and equipping need the most work in my life
• Shine in the dark! Get with corrupt people to reveal Christ's character.

Prayer

God, again who I am in You is far more important than what I do. Reveal to me Your growth plan for my life. I ask that you help me be more hospitable and equip people. God You intend for me to shine in dark places that need your light. I confess my flesh likes the comfort of Christians and not the corruption of Crete. Empower me to shine!