If you have ever gone to physical therapy for an injury or to recover from a surgery, you might have had the therapist show you how to do specific exercises. Then you are instructed to do the exercise. Sometimes the therapist will watch as you do the exercise and encourage you to do one more or to stretch a little further. He is doing this for your own good because he knows that you can’t be satisfied with your current physical condition. You must progress further. The Explore the Bible Study: Demonstrated, examines 1 Thessalonians 4:1-12 as the Apostle Paul challenges the Thessalonian believers to, “do this even more.” He knew the believers needed to continue to grow, exercise, and stretch their faith. 

First, one should strive to live and please God even more. – 1 Thessalonians 4:1-2

It’s one thing to receive instruction. It’s still another thing to actually apply instruction. For example, would you feel comfortable flying in a plane where the pilot had read all the instruction manuals but had never practiced flying a plane? Of course not! 

The Thessalonians had received instruction from Paul and his coworkers during their stay in Thessalonica. Timothy had shared even more during his stay with them. But head knowledge was not enough. They needed to apply this information if they wanted to live and please God. As young believers, they had only scratched the surface of their spiritual potential. By rejecting complacency, the Thessalonians could become even more like Jesus.

Because pleasing God should be our primary goal, we should strive to do even more with what we know or have learned about Christ. We have been blessed with a wealth of knowledge concerning God’s commands. That knowledge comes at us from so many channels we sometimes experience information overload. Therefore, our knowledge needs to be at the heart level and not just the head level, so that it becomes a natural part of who we are.

What is one thing you learned about living for Christ that you know you need to simply start doing even more?

Second, we should avoid unholy lifestyles even more. – 1 Thessalonians 4:3-8

Paul told the Thessalonians that:

• They should keep away from sexual immorality: Sexual immorality was first on Paul’s list then and it would most likely be first on his list today. Sexual immorality has been the destroyer of lives, families, marriages, and children, since the fall of man in the Garden. 
• They should avoid lustful passions. Lustful passions is more of a broad term. It manifests itself in the form of greed, jealousy, and vengeance.
• They must not transgress against or take advantage of a brother or sister in this manner. "In this manner" points back to what he previously described. Imagine the heartache brothers and sisters in Christ experience when someone whom they trusted, served alongside, or followed commits sexual immorality or allows lustful passions to violate that relationship.

When one is saved, they are sanctified (positionally; set apart; made holy) before God, by God, and through Christ —See 1 Corinthians 1:30. However, there is also the process of sanctification. Believers are in the process of being made holy until they meet Christ face-to-face. They are constantly being drawn toward the unholy lifestyles Paul describes in this passage. Therefore, Paul continues to emphasize they should continue even more to live in holiness.

Sanctification is God’s will for us. Knowing God’s will is less about DOING God’s work and more about BECOMING like God’s Son. Sanctification IS God’s will.

Notice how Paul describes God’s response to those who commit these offenses -- He is an avenger. Notice also how Paul describes one who doesn’t avoid these lifestyles -- He rejects God and the work of the Holy Spirit.

Is Paul alluding to the fact that one who willingly continues to live as those who don’t know God without ever striving to live a holy and sanctified life has rejected God and doesn’t have the Holy Spirit residing in them? Can someone live in this manner if the Holy Spirit is in his heart?

We are to control our bodies instead of our bodies controlling us. When our bodies control us, then we act like those who don’t know God. The process that results from sanctification is something our bodies will fight tooth and nail because of the sin broken world in which we live.

Finally, one should demonstrate God’s love even more – 1 Thessalonians 4:9-12

The Thessalonian believers were not only expressing sacrificial love to one another but toward the brothers and sisters in the entire region of Macedonia. This region encompasses the upper half of the country of modern-day Greece. Their reputation for loving others was known throughout Macedonia. Paul said they were to do this even more. 

If a church already felt it was loving as Paul described, and he said, “do this even more,” how could it determine how else to demonstrate brotherly love? Perhaps the explanation is found in verses 11-12. Paul stated in these verses that they could demonstrate God's love even more by:

• Leading a quiet life
• Minding their own business
• Working hard
• Behaving properly toward outsiders
• And, not being dependent on anyone

Which of these actions do churches find most difficult to practice?

Which of these actions do you find most difficult to practice?

How would the communities in which we reside change if our churches sacrificially loved those around us even more, as described in verses 11-12?

Following these commands is vital because it is a Christian’s calling to behave properly in the presence of outsiders – those who do not know Christ. Outsiders should be able to look at the life of a Christian and see a marked difference. Christians are to be different in how we love one another and live out our daily lives. 

Reflect upon your growth in Christ. What habits does God want you to embrace or discard even more as you pursue Him daily?

The downloadable teaching helps provide more details for this study, along with some tools you can use in guiding a group Bible study. Be sure to use this as a supplement to your study of the Explore the Bible Study resources provided by LifeWay.

All of us have faced a situation in which we desired to hear a good report. Usually that desire was prompted by the fact that we knew the report might not be so good. Perhaps it was as simple as a report regarding car repairs, or something major like a medical report, or perhaps the news of how a family member or friend is doing. Anticipation or concern drives our emotions to hope for the best report possible. The Apostle Paul desired a good report regarding the church at Thessalonica because he loved them as a parent would love a child. The Explore the Bible Study: Encouraged, will focus on the report he received and the encouragement it gave him as-well-as the encouragement he gave in return.

While Paul was ministering in Athens, he sent a letter of encouragement along with Timothy to the Thessalonians. He desired for Timothy to bring back a report  regarding how things were going. Timothy returned with a report that was even better than Paul could have expected. The Thessalonians had remained strong in their faith, despite ongoing persecution. They had not forgotten Paul, and they wanted him to return as much as he wanted to rejoin them (1 Thessalonians 3:6-7). This prompted Paul to express even more encouragement to the believers in Thessalonica.

1 Thessalonians 3:4-13 reveals the heart of one who truly cared for others. We can learn from Paul’s actions and response to a good report regarding how to be an encourager of others and how encouraging reports from others can be an encouragement to us.

Concern Should Prompt Encouragement – 1 Thessalonians 3:4-5

Paul begins 1 Thessalonians 3:1 with the phrase, we could no longer stand it. He repeats it again at the beginning of verse 5. Paul truly cared for the Thessalonian believers, and he did not want them to be shaken by the pressures being exerted upon them. It appears that Paul was so distressed that it weighed upon his heart heavily. Perhaps he had lost sleep and felt the continuous burden of worry over what they might be facing. He was so concerned that he desired to send Timothy to both offer encouragement and to bring back a report.

How would you feel if someone personally asked, emailed, texted, or called you and asked how things were going with your walk with the Lord? Or if you have been shaken by your afflictions or been tempted by the tempter? Would you be offended or encouraged? What kind of report would you give them? 

Have you ever felt this concerned about another believer? How did you respond to them?

Hopefully, if someone were to receive a report from you regarding your walk with the Lord, it would be similar to what Paul heard. Let’s see how Paul responded to the good report.

A Good Report is Encouraging – 1 Thessalonians 3:6-8

Timothy’s report contained good news! Their faith and their love had grown. Not only did they grow spiritually, but relationally they still had an unfading love for Paul and his companions. Paul wanted to see these believers, and they wanted to see him. All this encouraged Paul and his companions as they faced distress and affliction themselves.

What would a report of your walk with the Lord include? Are you growing in your faith in Christ? Do you love brothers and sisters in Christ so much that you long to see them? Would a report about your faith encourage others to remain strong and continue living their faith?

This good news from Thessalonica not only encouraged Paul but also prompted more actions of encouragement.

Response When We are Encouraged – 1 Thessalonians 3:8-13

Encouragement produces more encouragement! The encouraging report encouraged Paul and his companions, resulting in their hearts being filled with joy. It wasn’t a selfish joy but a joy that was raised in worship before God in prayer because they recognized it was God’s work and not their own that produced such fruit.

In addition to praise, the encouraging report prompted Paul to pray more earnestly night and day for them. 

• His prayer included a request to God to see them face to face and to continue to help them grow in their faith. 
• He prayed God would cause them to increase and overflow with love for one another and for everyone. The word "increase" means to have more than enough. He was praying that there would be more than enough sacrificial love to sustain them through the persecutions they might face. He also prayed that their love would overflow—would be excessive or exceed beyond measure. Paul was praying that the sacrificial love this church expressed for one another would be of such significance that no one would be able to measure it.
• He prayed their hearts would be made blameless in holiness. To be holy means to be set apart or to be unique. We are called to be different from the surrounding culture. 

Paul’s prayer was intended to express his desire to strengthen and improve their spiritual condition, not to give them something that was missing.  The Christian life is an ongoing process of sanctification—becoming more and more like Christ. The Thessalonians’ salvation was secure, but Paul was concerned about their continued transformation. The hope of Christ’s return provided the motivation for Paul’s prayers and for the Thessalonians’ spiritual growth. At the coming of our Lord Jesus, our sanctification will be complete as we stand before the Savior.

Which element(s) of Paul’s prayer speak to you personally and why? How would you respond if you knew someone was praying for you as Paul prayed for these believers?

All believers need encouragement to remain faithful to Christ. We live in a time where criticism is more prevalent than encouragement and where relationships are more conditional than sincere. It seems we can easily walk away from others, even in the church, without ever considering how we could encourage one another. Perhaps it’s time we consider how we can encourage one another for the sake of the gospel. Take time this week to reflect on this encouraging report Paul received, and how he responded. Pray that the Lord will cause you and your church to increase and overflow with love for one another and for everyone and that your heart will be made blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.

Who could you encourage this week? If you don’t feel your walk with Christ is something that would encourage others, what needs to change?

The downloadable teaching helps provide more details for this study, along with some tools you can use in guiding a group Bible study. Be sure to use this as a supplement to your study of the Explore the Bible Study resources provided by LifeWay.

The words, "accept or reject," are used in a variety of ways. For example, when reviewing a document in a word processing program, you can accept or reject all changes in a document. The terms are used in organ transplants to describe how the body responds to a transplant. When a product is being examined for quality control, it can be rejected or accepted. Perhaps you have had an application rejected or accepted. In all these cases, a decision is made. The Explore The Bible Study: Confronted, will address the actions of those who reject or accept the gospel.

When Paul visited Thessalonica, many made the decision to accept Christ, and he urged them to continue to accept the teachings of Christ so they could grow in their new relationship with Him. While Paul was grateful for the Thessalonians’ positive response to the gospel, he grieved over those who rejected the message.

How would you describe the way you received the gospel? Think of  believers who you respect because of the way they demonstrate their acceptance of Christ. What characteristics in their lives do you strive to imitate?

Knowing what we know regarding God’s judgment on those who reject Christ, how should we respond to them, even when they express that rejection in ways that mistreat believers?

Imagine Paul is writing to you. How would his words in this passage encourage you if you had accepted Christ because of his ministry? In what ways would writing this letter bring encouragement to you if you were Paul?

Try to recall some of the people who encouraged you after you accepted Christ. Describe the ways in which they encouraged you.

Can you think of someone who recently accepted Christ? Perhaps you played a major part in them coming to Christ. In what ways could you encourage them this week?

As I mentioned earlier, every minute of every day, all around the world, people are either deciding to accept or reject Christ. Pray God will open doors for all of us to share Christ as Paul did, and then to continue to offer encouragement to those who have accepted Christ.

The downloadable teaching helps provide more details for this study, along with some tools you can use in guiding a group Bible study. Be sure to use this as a supplement to your study of the Explore the Bible Study resources provided by LifeWay.

The first word is persistence – 1 Thessalonians 2:1-2

Paul and his companions’ journey to Thessalonica was down the path of persecution that originated in Philippi. They had been wrongly accused, beaten, and imprisoned. As Paul noted, they had been treated outrageously. The Greek word Paul used here described insults, abuse, and shaming. It included not only physical attacks against Paul’s body but also attacks against his reputation and dignity. The mistreatment did not stop the gospel. Paul and his coworkers were more emboldened by God to share the gospel. 

Paul’s ministry to the people in Thessalonica was not wasted.  The Thessalonians’ spiritual transformation demonstrated the truth of the gospel message. His response became an example to the believers in Thessalonica, giving them the strength to not slow down but to actually accelerate their efforts to share the gospel in spite of persecution. In fact, they had become an example for other Christians in Greece and around the Roman Empire (1 Thessalonians 1:7-8).

Had you experienced what Paul experienced, would you have been "emboldened by our God to speak the gospel of God . . . in spite of great opposition"? What could remaining quiet about our faith when faced with difficulties reveal about what we believe about God and the gospel?

Integrity is the second word that describes how one should persistently share the gospel - 1 Thessalonians 2:3-7

Even though Paul, Timothy, and Silas were emboldened by persecution to share the gospel, their actions were taken with integrity.

Paul and his companions demonstrated integrity by:

• Not teaching error.
• Not teaching with impurity.
• Not coming with an intent to deceive.
• Speaking to please God and not people.
• Not using flattering speech.
• Not having greedy motives.
• Not seeking glory from anyone.
• Not trying to be a burden to anyone.
• Being gentle.

While false teachers and hucksters in Thessalonica might have been more concerned with large followings and healthy profits, Paul and his coworkers cared more about the people and their response to the gospel. Manipulation had no place in the gospel.

As you consider all the acts of integrity Paul and his companions demonstrated, what wisdom do you need to apply to your own life as it relates to sharing and showing the good news of Jesus?

This leads us to a final word that describes Paul’s exhortation to remain faithful to sharing the gospel: Selflessness - 1 Thessalonians 2:8-12

Paul said he cared so much. When we hear someone say this we sometimes wonder what that means, but Paul details how he selflessly gave himself to caring for the believers in Thessalonica.

Paul cared so much that he and his companions:

• Were pleased to share the gospel.
• Were pleased to share their own lives.
• Labored and faced hardships.
• Worked night and day.
• Preached God’s gospel (They didn’t hold back the message of the gospel).
• Conducted themselves devoutly, righteously, and blamelessly.
• Encouraged, comforted, and implored them to walk worthy of God as a godly father would invest in his own children.

How would you complete Paul’s statement about yourself as it relates to sharing the gospel: “I cared so much for you that I . . .”? Which part of Paul’s selfless actions would you include in your statement?

Just as Paul had lived a selfless life among them, giving all he had to them for the sake of the gospel, they needed to live beyond reproach. They needed to become more like Jesus and live out an accurate reflection of the One who pursued them and redeemed them.

What About You?

We began this session with how the gospel is being shared in the Ukraine in spite of the difficulties the Ukrainians are facing. Their witness is having an impact on churches and the gospel beyond the borders of the Ukraine. Baptist Press reports, “The church in Ukraine is thriving and doing great." Churches ministering to refugees in Poland pray that, "not only the believers and the churches in Ukraine come out even more strong and on fire, but the Polish churches . . . would catch that and grow. The Lord can do great things out of destruction.”

Perhaps we should take lessons from the believers in Ukraine. It seems that God is using the persecution to embolden believers to share the gospel persistently and selflessly with integrity.

How are you responding to your difficulties? Are you complaining, running scared, or sharing and showing the good news of Jesus to others?

Persistence, Integrity, and Selflessness outlines Paul, Silas, and Timothy’s exhortation to the young believers in Thessalonica to remain faithful in sharing the gospel no matter the difficulties one faces. These characteristics must be prevalent when one faces persecution if we are to continue to share and show the good news of the gospel.

A Bonus Testimony: Take some time to view this video of how God is giving strength to believers from Psalm 31.

Psalm 31 from Ukraine from Premier on Vimeo.

The downloadable teaching helps provide more details for this study, along with some tools you can use in guiding a group Bible study. Be sure to use this as a supplement to your study of the Explore the Bible Study resources provided by LifeWay.

Who has helped you become the person you are today? In what ways did they help you? We all have people who have pointed us in the right direction, given us chances, helped us, encouraged us, or been a source of inspiration to us. We have an example of how believers should encourage one another in the life of the Apostle Paul. One such example is how he encourages the young church in Thessalonica (modern day Thessaloniki, Greece). The Explore The Bible Study: Commended, will focus on Paul's opening words of encouragement to this young congregation.

Paul and his companions spent three Sabbaths teaching in the synagogue of Thessalonica (1 Thessalonians 17:2). While they were able to establish a church in the city, they had little time to take them deeper into the faith because devout Jews began stirring up trouble (1 Thessalonians 17:5-9) leading to Paul having to escape the city in the night.

These young believers’ lives had been transformed by Christ because of Paul’s ministry of teaching and encouragement. Word had come to Paul that these believers desired to grow more in their young faith. Paul once again desired to take time to invest in the believers, resulting in him composing 1 and 2 Thessalonians.

We can both be encouraged and learn how to encourage others as we examine Paul’s loving and wise instruction to a group who owed so much to him for bringing them the good news of Jesus Christ.

We Should Make Every Effort to Encourage Other Believers – 1 Thessalonians 1:1

There are churches and individual believers all around the world who need our encouragement. Today we have heard numerous reports regarding the difficulties the church in the Ukraine is experiencing since Russia has invaded. In what ways have you seen other believers encourage the church in Ukraine?

God had assembled (or “called out”) a group in Thessalonica. Some had rejected Jewish legalism, while others had escaped pagan idolatry. But every member had embraced God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.  Paul’s introduction emphasized that both grace and peace were gifts from God. God’s grace is the foundation of our salvation, providing spiritual relief that we could not earn. Grace gives us a new standing with God, while peace reflects our new relationship with Him.

How is God’s grace and peace manifested in your life each day? How could you use the grace and peace given to you to encourage others?

We Should Pray Believers Will Continue to Produce Good Fruit – 1 Thessalonians 1:2-5a

Paul had heard they were producing good fruit. In his prayer he would recall what he had heard, prompting him to thank God for them and to make mention of them constantly in his prayers. Paul gives three ways in which this fruit was evident – their work, their labor, and their endurance.

• Paul declared that their faith had produced the fruit of work. If we profess a faith in Jesus Christ, we will desire to do good works because of that faith, not to earn anything, but out of a grateful heart because of God’s gift of salvation.
• Paul declared that their love produced the fruit of labor. Our professed love for Christ and His church will produce labor that is motivated by that love and not obligation.
• Paul declared that their hope produced the fruit of endurance. Endurance points to persistence in the face of difficulties. Their confidence in God’s presence and their hope for His future return strengthened their commitment and kept them on the right track spiritually.

God had produced fruit through the Thessalonica church – both as individuals and as a congregation. Paul had shared the gospel, but he reminded them that it wasn’t his words that were the driving force behind this good fruit. It was Christ alone Who provides salvation and enables believers to carry out their mission on earth through the indwelling work of the Holy Spirit.

God had given them proof of His work in their lives, and they were living proof to the world that salvation in Christ was real.

What do your actions tell the world about your faith?

We Should Challenge Believers to Imitate Christ and Our Own Lives – 1 Thessalonians 1:5b-8

The Thessalonians had watched Paul, even though the opportunity was somewhat limited. They saw Paul’s faith in good times and in bad times. During his brief time in the city, Paul experienced severe persecution (1 Thessalonians 3:2-4). Antagonistic Jewish leaders followed him from city to city and even sparked a riot in Thessalonica. It is reasonable to assume that the Thessalonians had faced similar suffering.  

Yet, in response, the Thessalonians became imitators of Paul’s way of life—and of Christ.

During the first century, Greece was essentially divided into two major areas. The northern half was called Macedonia, where Thessalonica was located. The southern half was known as Achaia and included the major cities of Athens and Corinth. Paul’s affirmation of the Thessalonians indicated that their gospel influence had spread across hundreds of miles and essentially covered the entirety of ancient Greece.

What does this communicate about how God can use any church congregation to share and show the good news of Jesus? What does it communicate regarding how God could use you?

Finally, We Should Celebrate the Stories of God’s Work in Other Believers' Lives – 1 Thessalonians 1:9-10

Paul wanted them to know the gospel impact their testimony was having throughout the region. They had turned from their old life of idols and had focused on a new life based in the resurrection of Christ. They understood the promise of Christ’s return and the consequences of rejecting Him. This was the message of salvation spreading out from Thessalonica. Paul’s affirmation of their faithfulness must have encouraged the Thessalonians to press on in their faith walk.

It may be that, in our daily efforts to follow Christ, we feel alone, as if it is all up to us to grow, serve, give, pray or endure. By taking a closer look at the interaction between God and these believers in Thessalonica—real people, in a real time, in a real city—we can be assured that we are never alone, God is always at work, and we have the indwelling power and presence of the Holy Spirit to guide and strengthen us.

We are surrounded by people who demonstrate obedience and relationship with God—people who can help us along the way, and others who we can help as well. 

What kind of encouragement could you offer to someone this week? In what ways could you encourage churches or believers. 

How could you offer encouragement to believers you may not know, like the believers in Ukraine, as they face an invasion and possible persecution? 

What has the Lord revealed to you through this study that needs to be corrected in your own life so you can become an encourager to others?

The downloadable teaching helps provide more details for this study, along with some tools you can use in guiding a group Bible study. Be sure to use this as a supplement to your study of the Explore the Bible Study resources provided by LifeWay.