Book of 1 Thessalonians - Ch. 1, Vs. 1-3 (10/05/2003)

We're ready to begin. We're going to open the study this morning of first Thessalonians. First Thessalonians one. Paul is the writer and he says Paul and Silvanus. Who was Silvanus Greg? Joy, who was Silvanus?

All right. We don't know a lot about him. He's called Silas at other places and Silas his nickname was Woody. Woody was a Roman citizen the companion of Apostle Paul on several of his missionary journeys.

The Believer's Life Hidden in God

And Timotheus unto the church of Thessalonians which is in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace be unto you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ now. In God. Joy in God everything was first as We humans know it.

That's as far as we can go. But it was in God literally. If you can picture God. Don't don't picture him as a man but in God literally. David we must put time to everything and anything. Is that true?

We cannot think without thinking time. That's the only way we can speak. But in the beginning. And by that statement I have injected time. There was only God only. Let us look at some scripture that explains it from God's viewpoint first.

God the Father Needed something or someone. To stand between himself and man. Greg why was that needed? All right, so there was Jesus the Christ for that purpose. He God could no longer come down and walk with man because man was sinful.

I think in the Genesis account. We see where he walked. Adam walked with the Lord. It is my belief that that was Christ incarnate. God has never Taken on a human form as God the Father but in 1st Samuel 2316.

Now I'm going to try to read all of these scriptures and you're going to have to just follow along. And Jonathan Saul's son Arose and went to David into the wood and strengthened his hand in God in God.

His hand drew the strength from God because he was in God. Psalm 627. In God is my salvation and my glory the rock of my strength and my refuge. Is where in God? David knew where his strength was located.

It was as long as he was God. And How long is that joy? As long as God is God, how long has that been? Say right there. It blows my mind. David in Psalm 63 11. But the king shall rejoice in God. Everyone that swears by him shall glory but the Mouth of them that speak lies shall be stopped.

Now it seems as though the king himself. But the king shall rejoice in God. No rejoicing out of God, but in God. Psalm 78 7. That they might set their hope in God and not forget the works of God. But keep his commandments.

Again, we find in God. Their hope was even in God. Now are you beginning to get the idea that we are in God, I hope so that's where we're headed. Bob you're in God. You're sitting here physically, but it isn't physical in God.

Acts 16 34 and when he had Brought them into his house He set meat before them and rejoiced believing in God with all his household. There is no belief except in God. He was in God while believing. Romans 5 11 and Not only so but we also joy in God.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ, but whom we have now received. By when by whom we have now received the atonement in God. All of our joy comes while in God. Are you beginning to get switched around in your mind and thinking of this from God's viewpoint?

2nd Corinthians 1 9 But we had the sentence of death in ourselves that we should not trust in ourselves but in God. Which raises the dead. We are in God now that we trust there is no trust outside of God.

Ephesians 3 9 and To make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery? Which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God. Who created all things by Jesus Christ all things Are hid and were present in God.

By the way, is there anything that God has not thought of that you can think of Bob. How about you joy? Well, I'm sure David has thought of something. Yes. Yes, that's right. That's right. You hang on to that thought.

Colossians 3 3 For ye are dead and your life is hid with Christ in God. Look. Look at where we're hid and we have Christ also. It is in God. We have been in God all of the time first. Timothy 5 5 now she that is a widow indeed and Desolate trusteth in God and Continueth in supplications and prayers night and day.

So again to trust you've got to be where Bob in God. Not outside not around not beside. You've got to be in him. Titus 3 8. This is a faithful saying and These things I will that thou affirm constantly That they which have believed in God Might be careful to maintain good works.

These things are good and profitable unto man. Now to believe Greg you have to be in God. You cannot believe outside of him to do good works. You've got to be aware in God. First Peter 1 21 who By him do believe in God That raised him up from the dead and gave him glory that your faith and hope might be in God.

First you had to believe in to God this from our view not from God's to believe in to. That's from our view. Then we find faith and hope is in God. You cannot find faith and hope and trust and belief While you're outside of God.

This morning. I want to open your minds to the fact that you are in God. I Hope you'll never forget it. You are in God first. Peter 3 5. For after this manner in the old time the holy women also Who trusted in God?

Adorned themselves being subjection subject Being in subjection unto their own husbands. So we find the women of old of the Old Testament were In God when they trusted first. John 4 15 whosoever Shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God.

God dwelleth in him and he in God. A person Cannot confess that Jesus is the Son of God unless he first be in God. This brings up a question When did you trust? Was it before you were saved or after you were saved Greg?

Bob. This morning. We're looking at everything from God's view. Joy, all right. When were you saved before you trusted in God or after you trusted in God? What if I was to tell you you was never saved?

That's right. Well see how the mind tricks us. We have always each one of you have always been in God now from the human standpoint. We were lost and we were saved now. David. Did God ever lose us? No any questions, that's right.

That's right. David yes, that's right. So from a man's view, it's after we trust after we hear and trust and we're saved from God's view. None of that happened. You were always his First John 4 16 and we have known and believed the love that God hath to us.

God is love and he He that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God and God in him. Comes down to the fact that we are in God and we have always been in God. Yes, it's always all been in God. It came out from inside of God and it's displayed to the world, but it's still in God.

We have always been in God. We are now in God and we shall always be in God now. Let us look at the name of Jesus. Jesus Christ let us take note of where we are and That's in Jesus now. I've placed you in God and I hope that's become well, I can't say firmly planted but You're thinking about that.

I've got your mind turned a little bit from God's viewpoint and in Romans 3 26 To declare I say at this time is righteousness. That he might be just and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. Now we've injected a new name so we find that we who believe must believe in to Jesus.

You cannot just believe in God you must believe in his son Jesus the Christ. Galatians 2 16 knowing That a man is not justified by the works of the law but by the faith of Jesus Christ. Even we have believed in Jesus Christ that we might be justified By the faith of Christ and not by the works of the law.

For by works of the law shall no flesh be justified. It is Jesus's faith. We gain access to it by being in him. So we find out that we're not in God only but there's an intermediary. That we are in Jesus the Christ.

Galatians 5 6. For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth anything nor uncircumcision. But faith which worketh by love. It is the faith that is worked by love unless we are in Jesus Christ. We do not have faith.

For we do not have love. You cannot have love outside of Jesus. Ephesians 4 24 4 4 21. If so be that you have heard him and have been taught by him as the truth is in who? In Jesus Christ. Unless we have heard him and there's the ear that David was talking about.

And have been taught by him each one of us. We cannot have the truth. For it is him. Philippians 1 26 that you're rejoicing may Be more abundant in Jesus Christ for me by my coming to you again. The world may have joy.

But not like you and I do. Because we're in Jesus first. Thessalonians 4 14. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again even so then also Them also which sleepeth in Jesus will God bring with him.

Now, I know not where I will be after death. Because I haven't been there yet. But this one thing I know I'll be with Jesus. Because I'm in him and in Jude 1 1 Jude the servant of Jesus Christ the brother of James to them that are sanctified by God the Father and preserved in Jesus Christ and called.

We are the called we are preserved in Jesus. We're even sanctified in him. So we find that we are called by God the Father. And we are kept by Jesus the Christ. It is just like this little clown. This is God the Father.

If we have to have something to look at and I'll open it up and there's Jesus Jesus of the Christ and I open Jesus and there you are Bob. This represents each and every one of us. We are in Christ In God forever now, there are many many more places in the Bible that we could look at.

But I think this gives you a pretty good idea when you are in God. Now, is there any questions? Do I think of what? Yes, it's shouting time. You're in God. But first you were in Jesus because that's the one God made to deal with us.

What if he had not made him now understand. Jesus the Christ is the personification of God the Father. But he's not God the Father. He is God, but not God the Father. David what if Christ had never Assumed a body and been born well.

Did God oh I always hesitate when I say he had to do something. But for it to work like it was like it did. There had to be Jesus the Christ, is that right. David because if he had never made a an intermediate Person We'd still be under the law.

But the law speaks of Jesus. It's all so wonderful. All right. Are you ready? Yes. Yes. Yes. Great. Could there have been some other plan? Bob was Adam made Mortal. Yes. That's just well the question is was Adam made Mortal what does mortal mean?

What does immortal mean have I got him turned around David? No. Was Adam made mortal? He would not have lived forever. Now. He could have lived forever had he not sinned, but the fact that he could sin.

Proves that he was not mortal proves that he was not mortal. Adam was not made mortal. That's right. Because there was a choice with him. Yes now was Jesus. Jesus made mortal David. Well, I'd start back with Bob if that was true, that's right.

They were both made innocent. Now, what's the difference in being made innocent? Greg, that's right. We were not made innocent. We were born with the sin nature. Now we come we go through all of this exercise.

And it was good whether you think is good or not. But being in God In Christ We are saved Forever and the word saved puts time in it. We cannot get away from time. We try to look at things from God's view and there is no time.

But we're doing it with a mind that is geared to time very very difficult for me to Look back from God's view and erase time. Because we're each made with it. Well, let's look at the second verse. We give thanks to God always for you.

Making mention of you in our prayers remembering without ceasing your work of faith labor of love and the patience of hope In our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of God and our Father Paul is telling them.

I couldn't forget you if I wanted to the work of faith. We cannot hope to Work the work of God to any benefit unless we are in God by Jesus the Christ. You see how God Had to Produce Jesus the Christ which produces you and I.

Because you and I cannot be in God unless we are first in Jesus and He is by nature in God. My voice is giving out. Is there Your work of faith your active ever working faith is in Jesus the Christ. Well, we'll start here next week.

I'm sorry that I Can't go anymore. Let me hear some of you what. Those that are going to believe. Yes, the good point. That's right. I just saw two people come in and there may be some more next Sunday.

We may repeat this lesson next Sunday. We'll see because I want everybody to get it. Is there anything else? Be good for me, too. Although I've been living with it for two or three weeks. And it all comes down to you're in God.

Have always been in him we come there had to be a division of the way. If you will go back and read Genesis, I Think it's the third chapter in verse 14 15. The only people that would have been born had there not been sin.

Where was us? Christians those that believe in God but there had to be a division of way because there is In the world a line of people that will never be saved. And if it were not for them, we wouldn't grow.

So anyway, I look at it. It's perfect. God did fine. Yes David you have anything? Well Greg were you dismiss us, please.