Pt. 2

“Night and day praying exceedingly that we might see your face, and might perfect that which is lacking in your faith?” 1 Thessalonians 3:10 (KJV)

“Perfect” = fit together in proper succession, mend Matt.4:21 - mending their nets

Galatians 1:23 (ESV) “They only were hearing it said, “He who used to persecute us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy.”

in God’s existencein God’s Son as our Lordin God’s Word to direct our lives

NKJV = “perfect what is lacking in your faith”

Faith must be developed Gradually

Resistance to Temptation Perfects Faith

Stability in Trials Perfects Faith

Fellowship Perfects Faith

Steadfastness in the Christian Life

“For now we live, if you stand fast in the Lord.” 1 Thes. 3:8

To cause a thing to be in placePersevering in a given activity

Gal. 5:1 “Stand fast therefore in the liberty…

I Cor 16:13, “Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong.”

1 Cor. 15:58 “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.”

Phil 4:1 “Therefore, my brethren dearly beloved and longed for, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, my dearly beloved.”

Status

Possessions

Intelligence

Steadfastness in the Christian Life

Prayer Perfects Faith

Exercise of faith - we pray because weBelieve in God

Where there is much faith, there is much prayer

As we exercise our faith,then faith grows !

“For what thanks can we render to God again for you, for all the joy wherewith we joy for your sakes before our God;” 1 Thes. 3:9

1 Thes. 3:10 “Night and day praying exceedingly that we might see your face, and might perfect that which is lacking in your faith?”

1 Thes. 3:11 “Now God himself and our Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ, direct our way unto you.”

Prayer Perfects Faith

Christian Virtues Perfects Faith

1 Thes. 3:12 “And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men, even as we do toward you:”

1 Thes. 3:13 “To the end he may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints.”

2 Peter 1:5-7 ¶ And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;

6 And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;

7 And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.

Christian Virtues Perfects Faith

Love

Paul prayed that their love would “increase and abound”

News of their faith and love spread – 1 Thes. 1:8

“And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment;” Phil.1:9

Christian Virtues Perfects Faith

Love Toward Each other1 Thes. 4:9-10 – they loved one another

John 13:34,35 - “by this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.”

1 Pet. 1:22 “…unfeigned love of the brethren…”

1 John 4:10,11 “beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.”

Christian Virtues Perfects Faith

Sincere

Awareness of Second Coming

Paul came to Thessalonica and taught them about Jesus - Acts 17:2,3

Faith in Jesus also relates to the future….

1 Thes. 3:13 “To the end he may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints.”

Awareness of Second Coming

Hope in return of Jesus gives strength to our faithAll history is moving toward the final destruction

“But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.” 2 Peter 3:10

2 Peter 3:11 ¶ Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,

12 Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?

13 Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.

Fellow Christians

Enduring trials

Overcoming temptations

Prayer

Christian Virtues

Remember next coming of Jesus

Faith = Believe

Repentance = Change

Confession = Admission

Baptism = Remission

"He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.”

Mk.16:16

Sermon by Arthur Pigman

Evans Church of Christ

515 Gibbs Road

Evans, Ga. 30809

706-855-1249

evanscoc@bellsouth.netevanscoc@bellsouth.net

www.evansgachurchofchrist.orgwww.evansgachurchofchrist.org

Sunday Morning August 12, 2012