Message Notes

1 June 2014

June 2014 Theme: Walk in Him

Text: 1 Thessalonians 2:12

WALK WORTHY OF GOD WHO CALLS YOU INTO HIS OWN KINGDOM AND GLORY

(I) THE DEFINITION OF WALKING WORTHY OF GOD

“That you would walk worthy of God…” 1 Thessalonians 2:12

1. God sets a standard for all to meet

a) To love Christ more than family (Matthew 10:37)

b) To take up His cross and follow after Him (Matthew 10:38 cf. Mark 8)

c) To suffer for Him that we may be counted worthy of the Kingdom of God (2 Thessalonians 1:5)

2. God evaluates whether a person meets that standard

(II) THE REASONS FOR WALKING WORTHY OF GOD

1. Great sense of calling from God

a) Calls us to salvation

i) Entrance into His own kingdom (1 Thessalonians 2:12)

ii) Election (1 Thessalonians 1:4)

b) Calls us to glory (1 Corinthians 2:12)

i) Call to holiness (1 Thessalonians 4:7)

ii) Call to be like Christ (Romans 8:29)

iii) Call for the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ – Christ’s second coming (2 Thessalonians 2:14)

2. Great accountability to God

a) God’s approval (1 Thessalonians 2:4)

b) God testing the heart (1 Thessalonians 2:4)

c) God as witness (1 Thessalonians 2:10)

(III) COMPARISON AND CONTRAST OF WALKING WORTHY OF GOD

1. As a Contrast – Those not walking worthy of God

a) In deceit (1 Thessalonians 2:3)

b) In a cloak of covetousness (1 Thessalonians 2:5)

c) In pleasing men and seeking glory from them (1 Thessalonians 2:4, 6)

d) In making demands (1 Thessalonians 2:6)

2. As a Comparison – Those walking worthy of God

a) In boldness sharing the gospel despite suffering (1 Thessalonians 2:2)

b) In gentleness as a nursing mother (1 Thessalonians 2:7)

c) In affectionately longing for each other (1 Thessalonians 2:8)

d) In labouring night and day (1 Thessalonians 2:9)

e) In behaving devoutly, justly and blamelessly (1 Thessalonians 2:10)

(IV) EVERY ENCOURAGMENT TO WALK WORTHY OF GOD

1. Encouragement from a spiritual father

a) Exhorted (1 Thessalonians 2:11)

b) Comforted (1 Thessalonians 2:11)

c) Charged (1 Thessalonians 2:11)

2. Encouragement from the Example of the Thessalonians in walking worthy of God

a) Receiving the word (1 Thessalonians 2:13)

b) Seeing and Knowing how others walk (1 Thessalonians 2:1, 2, 11)

c) Remembering (1 Thessalonians 2:9)

d) Imitating (1 Thessalonians 1:6)

3. Encouragement from prayer (2 Thessalonians 1:11)