If you knew you had only minutes left, what would you say to the people closest to you? Those who called from the hijacked planes on September 11 all said the same thing: I love you. This sermon turns to the second and third chapters of Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians, where the apostle, aware that eternity is near, asks his friends about one thing only, their faith (1 Thessalonians 2-3). Listen, and consider whether the people around you even know that your relationship with Jesus matters most to you.
Discussion questions
For your small group or for personal reflection after the sermon.
- In 1 Thessalonians 2:17-20 and 3:1-13, Paul cannot visit, so he sends Timothy. What exactly is he concerned about, and what does that concern reveal about his relationship with the Thessalonians?
- The passage begins and ends with the coming of Jesus. How did the sense that the Lord's return was near, along with persecution, shape what Paul considered most important in this letter?
- Paul writes, "now we really live, since you are standing firm in the Lord." Why can news about someone else's faith bring such deep joy?
- The sermon contrasts wishes for "health, happiness and all the best" with the perspective of eternity. What topics fill your conversations with people close to you, and what would change if you saw them in light of eternity?
- The speaker tells of a moment at a checkout when he missed the chance to say, "If it weren't for Jesus, I wouldn't have come back." What most often keeps you from mentioning your relationship with Jesus in everyday situations?
- Who among the people God places in your path could you show or tell this week, in a simple way, that your relationship with Jesus matters most to you?
