Prepare your heart for the Sermon by looking through these suggestions that will assist you in making the most of our time together hearing God's Word.
You will find suggestions for thinking more critically through the passage, meditating more intently on the text, and prayerfully seeking wisdom to deepen your understanding of the passage to be preached this Sunday.
Carefully Think
- Read 1 Thessalonians 5:12-13
- How do vs 12 and following relate to the previous discussion in the book?
- Who are the different groups being addressed in these verses?
- What are the believers to do to their leaders?
- What does it mean to “appreciate” them?
- What are the leaders to be doing for the believers?
- What does “labor among you” mean?
- What does “charge over you” mean? In what way are these leaders over the believers?
- What does “instruction” or admonishment (depending on translation) reveal about their role?
- What about among the brothers? How should they live?
- Verse 11 in chapter 5 started a series of commands. There appears to be an increasing amount of them as chapter 5 progresses. How many can you find?
Prayerfully Meditate
- How is the authority of leadership in the church described?
- How does this passage describe the relationship between church leaders and members?
- How does God’s authority important in the conversation here about church authority?
- How does one go about esteeming leaders? What does that process look like?
- How are they to esteem their leaders?
- What does peaceable living look like?
- Why does Paul point to peace here? Why is this attribute being highlighted?
- Why might there be so many commands showing up now in the letter? What is Paul doing with them?