Idea: We find from Paul that a church is a group of people called by God, led by Christ through pastors, marked by acceptance of sound doctrine, receiving and ministering God's grace and peace.
Intro: The book of 1 Thessalonians is a letter from Paul, Silas, and Timothy to the church in Thessalonica. He begins with a typical greeting as might be used in letters of his day. Yet there is actually quite a bit that can be learned from this greeting so it warrants that we take just this one verse today. Just to let you know, I don't intend to take just one verse at a time. But for today I will focus on Paul's greeting to the church in Thessalonica.
The Church is: 1. A people called by God 2. Led by Christ through pastors (Note: There are other means of grace and other gifts to be used in the church but this passage calls attention to the role of pastors.) 3. Marked by acceptance of sound doctrine 4. Receiving and ministering God's grace and peace |