Be Ready by Warren Wiersbe

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Be Readyby Warren Wiersbe

• A Church Is Born
• Chapter 1

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A Church Is Born

• Background
• Thessalonica (Thessaloniki)
• A capital of Macedonia
• Currently its an important
• industrial and commercial
• city
• Second to Athens in
• population
• An Allied base during WW II
• Captured by German army 60,000 Jews were
  deported and exterminated

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• First called Therma, an an-
• cient city with many hot
• springs
• In 315 B.C. renamed to
• Thessalonica after half-sister,
• Thessalonike, of Alexander the Great
• Became the capital of the province when the
  Romans captured Macedonia in 168 B.C.
• In Pauls days 200,000 lived there and most of
  them were Greeks although there were Roman and
  Jews communities. Today 300,000 live there.
• Paul came to Macedonia in response to a vision
  which a man from Macedonia who asked him to come
  over into Macedonia and help us (Acts169)

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• After Philippi Paul left for Thessalonica.
  Amphipolis and Apollonia were nearby, but Paul
  went to Thessalonica. Why?
• Paul believed that he should go to a large city
  and then the believers would go to smaller cities
  to reach out.
• Pauls commision was to take out the Gospel to
  the Gentiles, but he started with Jews at the
  synagogue.
• Paul used the Old Testaments Scriptures to
  explain the meaning with the reference to Jesus
  Christ.
• Pauls approach to evangelism he used Gods Word
  to declare Jesus as the Son of God.

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• Pauls approach evangelism to Gentiles he
  started with God of Creation because the Gentiles
  had no knowledge of Old Testament Scriptures.
• Paul ministered in the synagogue for 3 Sabbath
  days (Acts 172). Paul stayed longer because of
  home mission offering from
• Philippi (Phil 416) and tentmak-
• ing trade to support himself
• (I Thess 29 II Thess 36-15)
• Timothy Silas were left there
• while Paul went to Athens. Paul
• was hindered twice to go to
• Thessalonica (I Thess 217-18)

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• Lessons
• God used people not angels to evengelize
• The Gospel is still the power of god unto
  salavation (Rom 116). Not in words only, but
  also in power in the Holy Ghost (I Thess 15)
• Satan still opposes the Gospel and persecutes
  Gods people, however, persecution can be a way
  of growth.
• The Burden
• Why did Paul write I II Thessalonians
• Assurance of his love and concerns for his
  friends
• Pauls enemies attack on his character and
  absurd information to the new believers that Paul
  was preaching for money (I Thess 2)

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• Desire to ground the believers in the doctrines
  of Christian faith, especially with Christs
  return.
• Encouragement to live holy life.
• Straightening out the confusions
• Return of Jesus Christ
• Due to persecution, the thought that Day of the
  Lord had arrived.
• Correcting some weaknesses in the church
• Not honoring the spiritual leader
• Refusal to work
• Confusion in public services (I Thess 5 19-21)
• Confusions still exist
• Bible prophecy, practical holiness, lack of
  respect for spiritual leadership

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• The Blessing
• Every book written by Paul has a special meaning,
  or blessing
• Romans Righteousness of god dealing with both
  sinners believers
• I Corinthians The wisdom of god
• II Corinthians The comfort of God
• Galatians Freedom
• Philippians Joy
• Ephesians Wealth in Christ
• I II Thessalonians The return of Christ how
  this doctrine can affect our life church
• Paul looked at the doctrine not as a theory, but
  a truth to live by

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• I Thess II Thess
• Christ comes in the Christ comes to
• air for His church earth with His church
• (413-18) (110)
• A sudden secret A crisis that is
• rapture at any time part of predicted
• program
• Can occur today Can occur only after
• certain events
• The Day of Christ The Day of the Lord
• Be Ready