SERMON NOTES
The Joy of Life Together
1 Thessalonians 3:11-13
Dr. Taylor Mendoza, Associate Pastor
Introduction: Paul planted the church in Thessalonica during three weeks in the synagogue, only to be driven out by a riot that left Jason and others fined and suffering (Acts 17:1–9). He tried repeatedly to return, but Satan hindered him. So, he sent Timothy in his place, and rejoiced when good news came back: this young, persecuted church was standing firm (1 Thess. 3:1–10). Paul then transitions to a prayer for the community, asking God to work through them. He asks for three things: God’s leadership in gathering them again, their growth in love for one another, and their strengthening in holiness.
Outline:
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QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION & DISCOVERY
1. Hebrews 10:24–26 warns against neglecting the gathering. Be honest with your small group: do you show up because you’re convinced God is at work in the church, or because it’s simply your habit? What would change if it were the former?
2. Paul prays that love would “increase and abound” toward all, but with priority to the household of faith (Galatians 6:10; 1 Thessalonians 5:15). Who has God specifically placed in your path at Northpoint to love first?
3. In 2:1–12, Paul’s love for the Thessalonians looks like: suffering for them, boldness, purity, gentleness, and tireless labor. Which of these marks your love for someone in this church right now—and where’s the gap?
4. Calvin says the church’s holiness “is not yet complete … it makes progress from day to day.” If holiness is pursued together, not lone-ranger style, whose growth in holiness are you currently invested in—and who is invested in yours?
5. Verses 11–13 move as one: God gathers, so we grow in love, so we’re established in holiness. Which of the three feels weakest in you right now, and what’s one concrete step you’ll take this week with someone else in the church, not alone?
Recommended Reading: Bonhoeffer, Dietrich. Life Together. Translated by John Doberstein (San Francisco: Harper One, 1954).