This passage (familiar to most) describes and encourages living in a Kingdomly way that impacts every area of our life.
To encourage and equip people to love God, love our neighbors, and share the gospel of Jesus Christ.
To encourage and equip people to love God, love our neighbors, and share the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Sermons on Family of God
It is not all that uncommon for Paul to break out into prayer in his letters and/or to mention what he has been praying and continues to pray for these Jesus-followers he loves so dearly. Here he does just that. As a result, we can learn a thing or two from his prayer.
Without doubt, God has moved in the lives of these Jesus-followers in Thessalonica to encourage and sustain them in the midst of severe persecution. But that also moved Paul. He was moved to gratitude, to prayer, and to recognize a way he could serve a purpose among this fellowship.
Often, when we think of the biblical theme of “love” we run first to God’s love for us. That is good and right. Then perhaps we will mention our love for Him, which is also good and right. However, by His design, biblical love isn’t just defined as “His love for us” and “our love for Him.” It also includes our love for one another or, to put it another way, the church. Paul loved these people (the church at Thessalonica). Through the things Paul conveys here, it is clear that this love was not abstract but quite concrete.
(Romans 11:1-18)(Length 22:44/Size 8.32MB)