Kress Biblical Resources :: Paul’s Practical Instruction—Revealing Specific Ways to Excel Still More in Holiness, Hope, and Love (1Th 4; 1Th 5:1-22)

Detailed Outline of 1 Thessalonians

The Coming of Christ for His Church Calls Us to Excel Still More in Holiness, Hope, and Love

4. Paul’s practical instruction—revealing specific ways to excel still more in holiness, hope, and love (1Th 4; 1Th 5:1-22)
   1. Practical instructions concerning living out holiness (1Th 4:1-12)
      1. Believers must excel still more in obedience to the Lord (1Th 4:1-2)
         1. Obedience to the Lord is a family privilege (1Th 4:1a)
         2. Obedience to the Lord is a blessed obligation (1Th 4:1b)
         3. Obedience to the Lord can always increase still more (1Th 4:1c)
         4. Obedience to the Lord cannot be separated from God’s Word and the Person of Jesus (1Th 4:1-2)
      2. Believers must embrace sexual purity as God’s will for them personally (1Th 4:3-8)
         1. Purity starts with a real desire to please the Lord and do His will (1Th 4:3)
         2. Purity demands that you continually keep away from sexual sin (1Th 4:3b)
         3. Purity continues as you live by the faith-conviction that you can control your body in holiness and honor (1Th 4:4)
         4. Purity requires cultivating a different passion than unbelievers—the passion to know God (1Th 4:5)
         5. Purity involves an ongoing choice to love others, rather than take advantage of them (1Th 4:6a)
         6. Purity must be viewed in light of God’s judgment, God’s purpose, and God’s indwelling Presence (1Th 4:6b-8)
            1. Remember God’s judgment (1Th 4:6b)
            2. Remember God’s purpose for your life (1Th 4:7)
            3. Remember God’s indwelling Presence (1Th 4:8)
      3. Believers must excel still more in love for one another, and work hard as a testimony to unbelievers (1Th 4:9-12)
         1. Love other believers still more and more (1Th 4:9-10)
            1. Love for other believers is a sovereign gift (1Th 4:9-10a)
            2. Love for other believers is our responsibility, and should be increasing more and more (1Th 4:10b)
         2. Lead a quiet life and attend to your own business [as far as it depends on you] (1Th 4:11a)
         3. Labor with your own hands and be a good testimony to unbelievers (1Th 4:11b-12)
            1. Believers are commanded to work hard (1Th 4:11b)
            2. Believers should be concerned about their testimony even in financial matters (1Th 4:12)
   2. Practical instructions concerning living in light of our hope (1Th 4:13-18; 1Th 5:1-11)
      1. Encourage one another concerning the return of the Lord, the resurrection, and the rapture (1Th 4:13-18)
         1. The resurrection and return of the Lord bring hope to our grief as believers (1Th 4:13-14)
            1. If a believer dies, we ought not grieve as those who have no hope (1Th 4:13)
            2. If we believe in the gospel, we have the promise of resurrection glory with Jesus (1Th 4:14)
         2. The return of the Lord, the resurrection, and the rapture guarantee our eternal fellowship with one another and Christ (1Th 4:15-17)
            1. The dead in Christ will not miss the return of the Lord (1Th 4:15)
            2. The details of the Lord’s return guarantee our glorious reunion and fellowship (1Th 4:16-17)
               1. The return of the Lord (1Th 4:16abc)
               2. The resurrection of the dead in Christ (1Th 4:16d)
               3. The rapture and reunion of the saints (1Th 4:17ab)
               4. The realization of our eternal hope (1Th 4:17c)
         3. The reason for biblical eschatology is encouragement—not debate over timing (1Th 4:18)
   3. Encourage one another concerning the Day of the Lord (1Th 5:1-11)
      1. The coming Day of the Lord will be a day of sudden and total destruction for unbelievers (1Th 5:1-5)
         1. The chronology of the Day of the Lord (1Th 5:1-2)
            1. It cannot be specifically dated (1Th 5:1-2)
            2. It is sure (1Th 5:2a)
            3. It will come unexpectedly (1Th 5:2b)
         2. The character of the Day of the Lord (1Th 5:3)
            1. For unbelievers, it will be a day of unexpected destruction (1Th 5:3a)
            2. For unbelievers, it will be a day of inescapable destruction (1Th 5:3b)
         3. The comfort for believers concerning the Day of the Lord (1Th 5:4-5)
      2. The coming Day of the Lord exhorts believers to stay spiritually alert and look for salvation of the Lord (1Th 5:6-10)
         1. Keep spiritually alert (1Th 5:6-8)
         2. Keep looking for the rapture [or keep trusting in God’s promises of salvation in Christ] (1Th 5: 9-10)
      3. The coming Day of the Lord should be a subject of encouragement and edification for believers—not speculation and fear (1Th 5:11)
5. Practical instructions concerning living together in harmony (1Th 5:12-22)
   1. Pursuing peace relationally (1Th 5:12-15)
      1. We must choose to recognize and respect our shepherds (1Th 5:12-13a)
         1. Recognize their labor, their leadership, and their counsel (1Th 5:12)
         2. Regard them very highly in love (1Th 5:13a)
      2. We must choose to live in peace with one another (1Th 5:13b)
      3. We must choose to minister to others with wisdom and patience (1Th 5:14)
         1. Admonish those the unruly (1Th 5:14a)
         2. Encourage the fainthearted (1Th 5:14b)
         3. Help the weak (1Th 5:14c)
         4. Be patient with everyone (1Th 5:14d)
      4. We must choose to overlook offenses and seek the good of others (1Th 5:15)
   2. Pursuing peace personally, altogether (1Th 5:16-22)
      1. You must choose to rejoice at all times (1Th 5:16)
      2. You must choose to pray without ceasing (1Th 5:17)
      3. You must choose to give thanks in everything (1Th 5:18)
      4. We must choose to be submissive to the ministry of God’s Spirit [listen to God’s Spirit] (1Th 5:19)
      5. We must choose to cherish to the ministry of God’s Word [love God’s Word] (1Th 5:20)
      6. We must choose to be discerning in all things, holding on to what is good, rejecting every form of evil [learn to live with discernment] (1Th 5:21-22)