Up, Up, and Away: Viewing Your Struggles from 10,000 Feet

Sermon Notes:

1. When things start to go wrong, it doesn’t mean God’s plan has failed. God’s plan for us includes difficulties. (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18)
2. If we look ahead to God’s plan, we are reminded why we should not live like those in the darkness but instead be ready. We have a destiny ahead, long after this world is gone. (1 Thessalonians 5:1-8)
a) Stay sober.
b) Put on your armor.
3. When things are hard, it doesn’t mean God is punishing us or has forgotten us. God will rescue his people (both alive and dead) from the coming wrath. (1 Thessalonians 5:9-11).

Follow-up Questions from Sunday:

Quick Review:
Looking back at your notes from this week’s teaching, was there anything you heard for the first time or that caught your attention, challenged, or confused you?

Digging Deeper:
1. Read John 14:2-3. Given the events that lie ahead, why are Jesus’ words a comfort to his disciples? Read 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18. Paul instructs the Thessalonian church on the moment Jesus will return for the church, whether we are alive or dead. As you read through this passage, list the things that are a comfort to you, and why.
2. In his letter to the Corinthian church, Paul returns to the same topic as in 1 Thessalonians 4 but for a different purpose. Read 1 Corinthians 15:50-58. What additional information does Paul give the Corinthians than the Thessalonians about this event, and how is this an added encouragement (v. 58)?
3. Read Isaiah 13:9-11 and Revelation 6:12-17. The Day of the Lord is spoken of many times in the Old Testament as a time when God finally judges sin on the earth. What are some characteristics of that day, according to the prophecies in Isaiah and Revelation? Is there going to be a safe place on earth during this time frame?
4. Read 1 Thessalonians 5:1-3 in combination with 1 Thessalonians 5:9. Now read Romans 8:1 and Romans 8:18-21. What are God’s plans for those who trust in Christ, regarding the wrath that lies ahead? Do Christians need to be afraid of God’s judgment against sin?
5. Sometimes we mistake suffering in life as God’s punishment, but Scripture indicates that suffering is part of a process that God can use in our life. Read Hebrews 2:10-15. What do we learn from the suffering Jesus endured? How can this comfort us at times when, like the Thessalonian church, we go through difficult times?