Sermons by Todd Cravens (Page 13)
Devote Yourselves to Prayer
Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day’s journey away. And when they had entered, they went up to the upper room, where they were staying, Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot and Judas the son of James. All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the…
Wait for the Promise of the Father
“In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach, until the day when he was taken up, after he had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God. And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem,…
The Most High God Rules the Kingdom of Men
“The sentence is by the decree of the watchers, the decision by the word of the holy ones, to the end that the living may know that the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will and sets over it the lowliest of men.” Daniel 4:17
Abstain From Every Form of Evil
1 Thessalonians 5:22-24 22 Abstain from every form of evil.23 Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.
What is God’s Will for You in Christ Jesus?
1 Thessalonians 5:15-18 (ESV) 15 See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone.16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
The Responsibilities of Church Members and Elders
1 Thessalonians 5:12-14 Final Instructions and Benediction 12 We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, 13 and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves. 14 And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all.
The Suddenness of the Second Coming
Now concerning wthe times and the seasons, brothers,1 xyou have no need to haveanything written to you. 2 For you yourselves are fully aware that ythe day of theLord will come like a thief in the night. 3 While people are saying, “There is peace andsecurity,” then zsudden destruction will come upon them aas labor pains come upon apregnant woman, and they will not escape. 4 But you bare not in darkness, brothers, forthat day to surprise you like a thief. 5 For you are all cchildren2 of light, children of theday. We are not of the night or of the darkness. 6 So then dlet us not sleep, as others do, butlet us ekeep awake and fbe sober. 7 For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who getdrunk, gare drunk at night. 8 But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, hhaving put onthe breastplate of ifaith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation. 9 For God has notdestined us for jwrath, but kto obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 10 lwhodied for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him. 11 Thereforeencourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.
The Hope of the Resurrection and the Return of Jesus
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 13 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. 14 For since we believe that Jesusdied and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who havefallen asleep. 15 For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who arealive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallenasleep. 16 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and rwith the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead inChrist will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up togetherwith them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with theLord. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.
Love One Another and Mind Your Own Business
1 Thessalonians 4:9-12 9 Now concerning brotherly love you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another, 10 for that indeed is what you are doing to all the brothers throughout Macedonia. But we urge you, brothers, to do this more and more, 11 and to aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you,12 so that you may walk properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one.
Keep a Close Watch on Yourself and on the Teaching
11 Command and teach these things. 12 Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity. 13 Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching. 14 Do not neglect the gift you have, which was given you by prophecy when the council of elders laid their hands on you. 15 Practice these things, immerse yourself in them,[a] so that all may see your progress. 16 Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching.…
When We Could Bear It No Longer
I Thessalonians 3:1-5 3 So when we could stand it no longer, we thought it best to be left by ourselves in Athens. 2 We sent Timothy,who is our brother and co-worker in God’s service in spreading the gospel of Christ, to strengthen and encourage you in your faith, 3 so that no one would be unsettled by these trials. For you know quite well that we are destined for them. 4 In fact, when we were with you, we kept telling you that we would be persecuted. And it turned…
The Gospel of God & the Face of Jesus
1 Thessalonians 2:13-20 13 And we also thank God constantly[a] for this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men[b] but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers. 14 For you, brothers, became imitators of the churches of God in Christ Jesus that are in Judea. For you suffered the same things from your own countrymen as they did from the Jews,[c] 15 who killed both the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and…