1 Thessalonians chapter 5, the last four verses.
!
We're reminded again that what we've been studying here is actually a very personal letter between Paul and the Thessalonian congregation.
However, personal correspondence does not necessarily equate to private correspondence, and we know that to be the case in these New Testament letters.
Paul's letters bear the marks of intimacy between friends, between a spiritual family, even with a shortened time that he had with this church.
He sees them, and this letter, again, it bears the marks of closeness and intimacy and love.
And yet, his writings, including 1 Thessalonians, were meant to be publicly read, copied, and then distributed to other congregations.
We even see that intention stated somewhat in verse 27.
The letter circulation is evident in that we still have it today.
And here again, in 2025, in a place very far from Thessalonica, we are reading Paul's letter publicly before the brothers and sisters in Christ,
seeking to understand God's will for us and to be transformed by the working of his word.
And I actually think this is quite amazing for us to think about, just the means by which God has given us his word.
The means by which he inspired and preserved his word for us is, it's amazing, it's kind of beautiful.
God gave us so much of the New Testament in this form, in this letter form.
Through the ordinary means of discipling Christians, helping one another faithfully follow Jesus
as we await Christ's return.
That's how God gives us his word.
That's how he preserves his word for us.
That's the picture here.
Even as we come to just a simple salutation at the end of the letter,
we're just reminded, how has God given us his word?
Well, much of it in the New Testament has just come through the faithfulness of discipling relationships.
Paul and his team seeking to help the Thessalonian Christians be faithful followers of Christ.
And he writes his letter and God inspires the writing and preserves the writing so that today,
we can take it and disciple one another.
Christ's command to make disciples is baked into the very format in which 1 Thessalonians was written.
The letter, as you've seen, it follows the typical apostillary structure of the first century.
It opens with the names of the authors and the recipients.
It follows that up with an offer of thanksgiving for the church.
All of that's common in the letters that we see from the New Testament and other letters from that time.
The primary content, it comes through the main body of the text.
And then a few final words of personal greeting, instruction, and blessing bring it to a close.
Nothing really unusual about that as far as the structure is concerned.
But it's in these few final words that we find our place today.
If you're like me, when you get to places like this in your reading,
you may be tempted to kind of rush through them, right?
To my shame, to be honest with you,
I spoke to Julie earlier in the week.
We were talking about this text.
And I told her, I'm thinking about just moving on to something different in preparation for Easter.
And as you might imagine, the Lord rebuked me for that in my spirit.
Why?
Not all scripture is equally impactful.
But it is all inspired by God and profitable.
If all God intended to use to accomplish his work in us was the most impactful text,
then that's all he would have given us.
But that's not what he has done.
Not every meal you eat in your life will impact you in the same way.
In fact, most of them you'll never even remember.
And yet each one of them sustained you.
Each one of them nourished you.
Each one of them shaped you.
In some cases, literally.
Well, it's the same with God's word.
Yeah, it's a simple greeting at the end.
But it's an inspired greeting.
Yeah, it's basic instruction.
But it's instruction from God.
To my shame, I wanted to skip it.
God has something to say to us here.
And we need to hear him.
You've heard sermons that consist of three points in a poem.
Here in the final words of 1 Thessalonians, we have three instructions and a blessing.
They're simple.
They're straightforward.
But I think what you will find is that they are so very necessary for us as well.
Let me give you the three instructions and then we'll wrap it up with the blessing, okay?
Instruction number one, pray for gospel ministers.
Pray for gospel ministers.
Verse 25 is straightforward, isn't it?
It's only four words.
Brothers, pray for us.
Pray for us.
Now, we can take time to think and meditate generally on the necessity of prayer.
After all, if we're going to call ourselves Christians, it means we're going to follow in the footsteps of our Lord.
And if we're going to follow in the footsteps of our Lord, we will pray as he prayed.
We will pray as he taught.
We will pray as he modeled.
We will pray as he commanded.
All of that's true.
But here, Paul has a particular application of prayer in mind.
Two pieces of it, I think, are useful.
First, he was focused, I think, on corporate prayer in this case.
In fact, all three of the instructions, as we come to them in this text, Paul is thinking about what Christians do together,
not merely what Christians are to do in private.
And we understand that somewhat in his repeated use of this term, brothers.
Brothers.
It's used 17 times in this letter.
That's a lot for a little letter like 1 Thessalonians.
17 times he uses brothers.
In Greek, the difference between brothers and sisters is really just the ending of the word.
But whenever it was being used to speak generally like we would say siblings, it was always in the masculine form.
And as we work through 1 Thessalonians and we're looking at each instance of brothers, what we come to understand contextually is that Paul is not highlighting a group in the church.
He's not addressing only the men.
He's addressing the entire congregation.
We might read it, and some of your Bibles might actually interpret it this way or translate it this way.
Brothers and sisters, pray for us.
He's addressing the whole congregation.
And his instructions seem aimed at what they do together.
And what is it that we do together most fundamentally?
We worship.
And I think we see that coming through in the three instructions, including this one.
So that's part of the focus.
He's not thinking of only private prayer, though we need to care about that.
But here, he's especially concerned with what we're doing in prayer when we are together.
But then there's a second focus.
He was also focused on instructing a particular subject for their corporate prayer.
Notice what he says.
Pray for us.
Pray for me, Timothy, our companions.
His expectation and request was that they continue in prayer for him and his team as they did gospel work.
Hence the instruction, as I've put it in the heading.
Pray for gospel ministers.
The specific application, I think, here is that we pray together for those serving in gospel ministry.
Perhaps especially doing so and intentionally doing so in the regular worship gatherings of the church.
Notice that the instruction, it isn't to pray for gospel ministry in general.
Though we should certainly do that.
We want to pray for the gospel's advancement in general across the globe.
But that's not what he's aimed at here.
He says pray for people.
Pray for us.
Those who are doing the gospel ministry.
Pray for missionaries like Val and Angela.
Pray for missionaries like the Howard family whom you'll meet in just a few weeks.
Pray for pastors.
And by the way, pray for one another.
Pray for prayer.
Because aren't we all to be doing this gospel work?
But what exactly are we meant to be praying for these people?
Paul doesn't elaborate on that here, does he?
And there could be a few reasons for that.
Certainly the Thessalonians were familiar enough with his circumstances that he didn't need to say anything more.
They've just finished a really fruitful visit from Timothy,
who I'm sure was open with them about all these things.
And Paul doesn't feel the need to elaborate any further than what he does.
But Paul actually routinely asked for churches to pray for him.
And if we just take a quick look at some of the occasions that he does that in the New Testament,
I think it will help us better understand how we should be praying for one another
and praying for those who are serving in gospel ministry in other ways around the world.
There are many.
I want to show you three, maybe four.
First one, just flip over a page.
It's the 2 Thessalonians.
2 Thessalonians chapter 3, verses 1 and 2.
Notice what Paul says here.
Finally, brothers, pray for us.
Pray what for us?
That the word of the Lord may speed ahead and be honored as happened among you,
that we may be delivered from wicked and evil men.
Three things stick out here to me.
What is he asking them to pray for?
We are to pray that the word of God will do its work.
That the word of God will do its work through these people who are ministering the word to others
in evangelism and in further discipling.
Pray that the word does its work.
As you pray for Val and Angela and others,
pray that God's word would go forth,
that it would speed ahead through their ministry.
We're to pray that what God has done in us,
he'll do in others.
Isn't that what he says?
As has happened in you.
Well, what had happened in 1 Thessalonians?
We know what happened.
The Holy Spirit came and empowered the gospel preaching of Paul and his team
so that they, despite significant persecution,
were not only converted,
but persevered and continued longingly in faithfulness to the Lord.
And he says, Thessalonians,
pray that God will do that same thing in other places.
What else?
Oh, pray that God will deliver gospel ministers from adversaries.
Not for their own sake, but for the sake of the gospel.
I think that's the implication there.
So what should we pray for?
Pray that the word will do its work through God's people,
through his instruments.
Pray that what's happened in your life will happen in others
through this work of the gospel.
Pray that God will overcome the adversaries for the sake of his gospel.
Would you turn to Ephesians 6?
Maybe just a few pages to the left.
Ephesians 6.
And look with me at verses 18 to 20.
Chris is in a series with us right now on the armor of God.
That's what's coming just before this.
I'm picking up just on the tail end of that.
Paul says, pray at all times in the Spirit.
This is verse 18.
Pray at all times in the Spirit with all prayer and supplication
to that end.
Keep alert with all perseverance.
Making supplication.
That's just another term for prayer.
For all the saints.
And then notice, and he says, and also for me.
But he gives a specific thing for them to pray about for him.
Pray for me that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly
to proclaim the mystery of the gospel for which I am an ambassador in chains
that I may declare it boldly as I ought to speak.
What do we gain from this?
What should we be praying for ministers of the gospel?
Well, one, we should pray that God will give gospel ministers exactly what to say.
Oh, isn't that the hard thing to do in our evangelism sometimes?
It's just know what to say and how to appropriately glorify
and accurately give the gospel of God to other people
based on their unique circumstances and their unique questions.
Isn't that hard to do?
In their preaching.
Lord, give me the words to say.
Would you pray for me?
Pray for me, Paul says,
that God would give me exactly what I need to say in any given moment.
Whether that be in the synagogue on a Saturday in any given city
or whether it's in the Arapagus in Athens
among all the philosophers and leading philosophers of the day.
Pray that God will give me what to say.
And then notice the second thing.
Pray that God will give me boldness to say it.
Boldness to say it.
That's what we should pray.
Turn now to 2 Corinthians chapter 1.
2 Corinthians chapter 1.
Just one verse here.
I think is a helpful note on the goal of our prayer.
2 Corinthians 1.
Verse 11.
You also must help us by prayer
so that many will give thanks
on our behalf for the blessing granted to us
through those prayers.
That's interesting, isn't it?
Paul doesn't say,
look, you know, I'm getting beat up everywhere I go.
Will you just pray that it'll hurt a little bit less?
No, he says, will you pray a lot?
And will you recruit others to pray for us
so that when we see God's work accomplished through us,
we can then turn around with you
and glorify him
that we may give thanks
thanks because he is the one who has done this work
and he's used your prayers to do it?
That's amazing.
Can I just show you one more?
You're close enough to it.
Romans chapter 15.
And there are many more.
You can search them out on your own.
Romans chapter 15.
Verses 30 to 32.
Paul says,
I appeal to you brothers
by our Lord Jesus Christ
and by the love of the Spirit.
That's an authoritative charge.
That's what's happening there.
To strive together with me
in your prayers
to God
on my behalf.
So again, he's asking for them to pray for him.
But then again,
he gives them a specific thing to pray for.
That I may be delivered
from the unbelievers in Judea.
We've seen him ask for that already.
This one's unique.
That my service for Jerusalem
may be acceptable to the saints.
You know, Paul wasn't the most popular figure
among Christians in Jerusalem.
What's he asking?
Lord, would you just pray
that God would spare me
from the unbelievers
that want to kill me?
And would you pray
that God would so work
in the hearts of the saints
to which I endeavor to minister
that my service to them
will be acceptable.
That they'll understand my love.
And then notice what he says
in verse 32.
And then pray
that by God's will
I can come to you.
That I can come to you with joy
and be refreshed in your company.
Now he gets to them
but he gets to them
via a four year prison sentence.
But what's he asking them to do?
Pray for more opportunity.
How are we to pray
for gospel ministers?
All of these ways
that gives us
a pretty good place to start
doesn't it?
Paul utterly depended
on God for all things.
He knew
that prayer
is one of God's
ordained means
for accomplishing
his divine work.
So he constantly
asked the churches
to pray for him.
Not for prosperity
and health
in and of himself
but for his faithfulness
and the work
of the gospel
through him.
An American pastor
once asked
Charles Spurgeon
about the quote
secret
of his great influence
in London
and throughout Europe.
you've probably
heard this story
before.
After a brief pause
Spurgeon says
simply
my people
pray for me.
There was a
designated place
in the church
that he referred to
as the boiler room.
It's where people
would gather
and they would do
nothing but pray.
They'd pray for him.
They'd pray for the
elders of his church.
They'd pray for the
gospel ministry work.
We trust God
to do
his sovereign work
according to
his good pleasure.
Prayer is not
in opposition to that.
But what prayer does
is it acknowledges
that prayer
is actually
a means
by which
God determines
to do that work.
God not only
ordains the ends
he ordains
the means.
And so he says
come
pray
ask me
commune with me
and I think
we must give
ourselves to this.
I think the instruction
here for us church
is that we must
especially give
ourselves to doing
this for those
we know who are
laboring in the
gospel.
We should do it
in Sunday morning
gatherings.
We should do it
when we gather
for our Christ
from beginning
to end study
this summer
for our first
principles class
this summer
when we're getting
together over coffee
we should be
readily prepared
to pray
for those
who are
ministering
the gospel.
Brothers pray
for me.
Brothers pray
for those you know
in this community
and around the world
who are laboring
in gospel ministry.
Pray for one another
all of these things
as we endeavor
to obey
the great commission.
That's instruction
number one.
The other two
will be a little bit
quicker.
Instruction number two
greet
all the brothers
with a holy kiss
he says.
What's the instruction?
I think it's this
express
Christian
affection.
expression.
Express
Christian
affection.
Greet all the brothers
with a holy kiss.
Now let's be honest
that's weird.
It's not only weird
because kissing's weird
certainly not sanitary
it's weird because
it actually seems
a bit trivial here
doesn't it?
Why would Paul
be concerned
about instructing
Christians
on how to greet
one another?
But this is not
an unusual command
in the scripture
actually it's
repeated quite often.
Paul issued it
in at least
three other places
to varying churches.
So did Peter.
The exact command
Peter makes
one change
rather than
a holy kiss
he says
the kiss
of love.
When Paul
met with the
Ephesian elders
for the final time
in Acts 20
it says that
they fell
on him
that they
embraced him
that they
kissed him.
When Jesus
told the parable
of the
prodigal son
as the
prodigal
is still
a great distance
off
the father
sees him
and what
does the
father do?
Jesus uses
this language
he says
the father
ran to
him
and embraced
him
and kissed
him.
So what
seems a trivial
thing to us
had an obvious
meaning and
purpose to
these early
Christians.
I don't want to
overtax what
Paul instructed
here but I
don't think we
can quickly
dismiss this
either.
So let's
meditate on it
for a moment.
Culturally
speaking the
kiss was
used to
demonstrate
familial
affection
or to
symbolize
peace
between two
parties.
Now I
don't think
Paul's purpose
in this case
was to
institute a
kiss as
the standard
and universal
greeting for
Christians.
I think that
would be too
rigid of an
interpretation
but I don't
think that what
Paul is
instructing here
is merely
politeness.
He's not just
simply saying
make sure that
you give a
good nod or
smile or
handshake or
say hello
whenever you
see another
Christian.
I think it's
more than that.
I don't think
that it's just
politeness.
I think that
would be too
loose of an
interpretation.
The command
is about
intentionally
and genuinely
expressing
familial
family
affection
to one
another
in the
church.
It's a
call to
outwardly
demonstrate
toward fellow
believers
the heart
level affection
that you
possess
inwardly
for them.
It's
working
something
from the
inside
to the
out
in a
physical
expression.
It is a
call not
only to
love each
other
but to
express
that
love
in the
way
that
we
interact
on an
ongoing
basis.
But why?
Why give
this
command?
Well in
doing so
not only
do we
edify
one
another
once we're
able to
move past
perhaps the
potential
awkwardness
of the
act.
We edify
one another
but what
else do
we do?
We
demonstrate
something
here.
We
demonstrate
our
gospel
union
to the
watching
world.
A
people
who
most
often
in a
church
setting
have no
other
commonality
with one
another
expressing
a kind
of affection
that is
typically
only seen
in blood
relatives.
I think
that's what's
meant here.
I think
that's what's
at the
heart of
what Paul
is saying
here.
He's not
concerned for
us to kiss
as we
greet.
I don't
think that's
the primary
concern
here.
I don't
need Josh
laying a
wet one
on me
after service
today.
But he
isn't just
speaking about
an inward
disposition
either.
I think
we need to
understand this
as a
physical
yet appropriate
action
that expresses
real affection
for brothers
and sisters
in Christ.
And can
we just
acknowledge
that's not
an easy
thing to
do.
I'm not
real touchy
feely just
kind of by
nature.
I fell
in this
often
to just
brother I
love you.
Sister I'm
praying for
you.
We need
to remember
what's at
the heart
of this
instruction.
It's not
about the
act.
There's
something
under the
surface
here.
How do
you love
the ones
who drive
you crazy?
Ask my
wife.
Let alone
express that
love.
After all
to do it
disingenuously
would mean
that it's
not a
holy act.
let us
not forget
that Jesus'
very betrayal
came at
the sign
of a
kiss.
The
showing of
affection
without the
possession of
affection.
So we need
to think
about this.
How do we
actually love
and express
that love
for people
that we
actually
struggle
quite a lot
with feeling
affection for?
And the
answer is in
the gospel.
Isn't it?
Christ
and Christ
alone
is our
bond.
Our
fellowship,
our affection
with one
another in
this church
is based
on nothing
else.
It should be
based on
nothing else
than Christ
and Christ
alone.
Our
unity
with one
another
is based
entirely
on our
union
with Christ.
We see
that in
1 John 1.
We see
it in
Ephesians 2.
We see
it in
John 13.
Over and
over and
over,
the affection
that we
are to
hold and
the affection
that we
are to
express
is not
feigned.
It's not
manufactured.
It is a
genuine
affection that
does not
come from
any
commonality
save the
Lord Jesus
Christ.
Our
spiritual
union
with Him,
a divine
miracle that
takes place
at the
moment that
Christ saves
you,
that union
is what
unites you
with everyone
else who
is also in
union with
Him.
That's what's
at the heart
of this.
It's the
gospel.
But as
long as we
attempt to
center our
relationships on
any other
potential
commonality,
whether it
be our
race,
or whether
it be
our family
situations,
whether or
not you
have a
kid or
you don't
have a
kid,
whether or
not you're
married or
unmarried,
whether or
not you're
in the
older generation
or the
younger
generation,
whether or
not you
live in
this place
or that
place,
whether you
eat this
food or
that food,
whether you
do this
job or
that job,
if it's
trying to
base it on
anything
else,
anything
other than
Christ,
you will
never fully
possess and
express the
kind of love
that is behind
this command.
It can be on
nothing else
and it is on
nothing else.
Our affection
for one another
is rooted in
Christ's affection
for us.
Your affection
for me and
my affection
for you and
your affection
for every other
Christian is
rooted in the
fact of
Christ's affection
for that
person.
And how
was his
affection
displayed?
Romans 5a.
But God
demonstrated his
love to us
in that while
we were yet
sinners,
Christ died
for us.
That's his
affection.
That's the
extent of his
affection.
And it is as a
result of his
affection for that
person that drives
you crazy or
perhaps has
significantly hurt
you.
That you
actually not
only have the
power but the
command to
love them.
You are to
love that
Christian that
drives you crazy
because Jesus
loved him enough
to bear God's
wrath in his
place.
I had a
conversation with
Julie one time.
This just tells
you how messed
up I am.
We were talking
about something
like this and
I said,
how could
Jesus love a
person like
that?
And you
know how God
works.
You know what
I am about to
say almost
immediately.
It is like God
says, how could
anybody love you
like that?
That is what
this love is.
it is not about
anything else
than that.
It is about the
gospel.
Why does Paul
use brothers
17 times in a
short letter that
even in your
double columned
Bibles takes up
two and a half
pages?
17 times.
Why?
Because in
Christ we
truly are a
family with an
eternal bond that
cannot be broken.
We can sense
estrangement but it
will not be
broken because
Christ will lose
none who
belongs to him.
And we need to
endeavor to
express that
blood-bought
affection in our
interactions with
one another.
Instruction
number three.
We need to
recognize the
authority of the
scriptures.
We need to
recognize the
authority of the
scriptures.
Look at verse
27.
I put you under
oath before the
Lord to have
this letter read
to all the
brothers.
Simple.
Yeah.
Important.
Very.
Now many have
suggested perhaps
you've had this
thought before that
the apostles
were unaware that
what they were
writing was the
inspired word of
God.
Passages like this
prove otherwise.
It may not have
occurred to Paul at
any given moment
that this letter
would eventually be
added to a
collection of
apostolic writings
and then bound in a
codex in the first
and second century and
developed through time
and passed on 2,000
years later in the
form that we have it
today.
That may not have
occurred to him.
Who would ever
think of that?
Right?
But that's not the
point.
He clearly understood
what he was writing
to bear the authority
of the Lord Jesus.
Peter himself in
2 Peter 3
literally calls Paul's
writings scripture
and puts them equal
to the Old Testament
scriptures.
So this was not a
secret to them and it
was not a secret to the
early church.
The apostles understood
themselves to be
communicating God's
inerrant truth to the
church and the
Thessalonians through
this instruction were
to consider the letter
as coming from God
to them not merely
from Paul and his
team.
The oath language here
might be a little
confusing.
Neither Paul nor the
congregation is agreeing
to an oath in this
instance.
The verb it just means
to adjure.
I adjure you.
It means to bind.
It's an expression of
authority.
So that speaking with a
unique apostolic
authority given to him
by the Lord Jesus
Christ, Paul bound
these Christians.
He charged this church
to ensure that the
letter was read in the
public gathering and
that each believer would
be held accountable to
what it says.
That's what this
instruction is about.
In other words, the
final instruction is
that the church
recognizes the
apostolic scriptures,
that the church
holds them as its
supreme authority,
and that the church
keeps them at the
center of their
worship.
Remember, it seems
that everything Paul's
instructing here really
has kind of a bent
toward their public
gathering, what they're
doing together.
Now, why would Paul
bind them to such a
command?
Because he understood
that what he was
writing was from God,
and as he said in
chapter 2 in verse 13,
it is the word of God
given through the
apostles that is,
quote, at work in us.
How are they to
persevere?
Through the word.
How are they to grow in
holiness and sanctification?
Through the word.
How are they to know
how to pray?
Through the word.
How are they to know
how to love?
Through the word.
The Spirit uses the
word to do his work.
Paul knows it, and so
he binds the church to
this.
And we know any church
that diminishes in any
way.
The authority and the
centrality of the Bible
will eventually lose the
gospel.
At first, it may just
seem like a minor change
in hermeneutic principle
as we see happening all
over the place right now
in American churches.
to say, well, God only
meant this instruction to
be applicable to us.
This instruction only
meant something to them.
That's a bad hermeneutic
that diminishes the
authority of the
scripture.
It diminishes the
centrality of the
scripture, and it sets a
church on the path to
apostasy.
They will lose the
gospel.
And historically, look
around you at the
churches in this
community.
Those who started on
that path do not
have the gospel.
Julie and I took Ashlyn
to a concert the other
day at a church in our
community.
She was playing with the
orchestra.
And in their lobby, I
could have picked up a
pin, a button, to put on
my shirt that says, what
are my pronouns?
Just ask me.
A church that Sunday by
Sunday proclaims to know
Christ and to preach his
gospel.
They've lost the gospel.
gospel.
Why?
Because at some point
along the way, they've
moved away from the
authority and the
centrality of the
scriptures.
Churches that do not
have a pulpit at the
center, that are not
preaching sermons from
the Bible, but homilies
from movies or personal
anecdotes.
They will lose the
gospel.
We must not do that.
We can't.
This is just another
reminder why here in this
instruction.
We need to keep the
scriptures at the center of
all that we do.
We must preach the Bible.
Bible.
We must read the Bible.
We must pray the Bible.
We must sing the Bible.
And all of that in our
worship services.
That's what should be at
the heart of what we're
doing.
Letting God work through
his word.
All our beliefs and
behaviors must be weighed
against the word of God.
And anything found in
opposition to it must be
repented of.
And we must be submitted to
the scriptures.
As God's people, we must
hold a high view of God's
word.
And we cannot waver on
this.
The New Hampshire Baptist
Confession of Faith so
helpfully tells us it is the
perfect treasure of heavenly
instruction.
It has God for its author,
salvation for its end, and
truth without any mixture of
error for its matter.
It reveals the principles by
which God will judge us.
And therefore is and shall
remain to the end of the
world the true center of
Christian union and the
supreme standard by which
all human conduct, all human
creeds, and all opinions
must be tried.
What does Paul mean when he
says, I bind you to read
this letter to everybody.
Don't leave anybody out.
He means this is the
authoritative word of God.
It must hold supreme
authority over your life, and
it should be at the center of
everything you're doing as a
church in Thessalonica.
And that truth holds true for
the church in Cornelius as
well.
Now that's the three
instructions.
Let me close with the
blessing, and it's simple.
Verse 28.
The grace of our Lord Jesus
Christ be with you.
The grace of our Lord Jesus
Christ be with you.
unsurprisingly, Paul officially
ends the letter on a note of
grace.
The unmerited favor of the Lord
Jesus Christ found supremely in
the gospel of his death and
resurrection and lordship.
Paul brought that grace, quote, to
them in chapter 1, verse 1.
He says, Paul, to the Christians in
Thessalonica, I bring grace to you
from God the Father and the Lord
Jesus Christ.
When he closes the letter, he
changes it just a little bit,
doesn't he?
Now, as he signs off, he prays
that the grace of Jesus will go
with them.
It's grace from beginning to end.
That's what Christianity is.
It's grace from beginning to end.
And that's my prayer for you
today.
That you will know the grace of
God in the gospel of the Son and
in the power of the Holy Spirit.
And that the outpouring of his
grace will go with you until he
comes.
He who calls you is faithful.
He will surely do it.
Let's pray.