Feeding the Flock

"Navigating a Hostile Culture: Courage, Composure and Commitment"
 
The Outline: 
Salutation   (1:1-2)
  I.  PERSECUTION: WAITING with COURAGE (1:3-12)
Thanksgiving (1:3-4)
Encouragement (1:5-10)
Prayer(1:11-12)
 I.  PROPHECY: WATCHING with COMPOSURE (2:1-17)
Gathered to the Lord Jesus Christ (2:1-2)— The “Day of the Lord”: NOT YET
Unalarmed by the Day of the Lord (2:3-12)— The “Man of Lawlessness”: REVEALED
Saved through the Work of the Spirit (2:13-17)— The “Gospel”: STAND FIRM
III.  PRACTICE: WORKING with COMMITMENT (3:1-15)
Confidence(3:1-5)
Command(3:6-10)
Confrontation(3:11-13)
Consequences(3:14)
Caution(3:15)
Signature  (3:16-18)
***
Chart: The Rapture and The Revelation
By William MacDonald*
 
      The Rapture                                     The Revelation
Christ comes in the air                  Christ comes to the earth     (1Thess 4:16-17)                                  (Zech 14:4)
Christ comes for His saints           Christ comes with His saints         (1Thess 4:16-17)                        (1Thess 3:13; Jude 14)
          Unknown in the                                Predicted in the           Old Testament                                  Old Testament             (1Cor 15:51)                          (Psa 72; Isa 11; Zech 14)
Not preceded by any signs                  Proclaimed by signs                                                                      (Matt 24:29-30)
        The Day of Christ                           The Day of the Lord(1Cor 1:8; 2Cor 1:14; Phil 1:6, 10)          (2Thess 2:1-12)
                Blessing                                            Judgment            (1Thess 4:18)                                  (2Thess 2:8-12)
  In the twinkling of an eye                      Visible worldwide             (1Cor 15:52)                    (Zech 14:1-5; Matt 16:27; 24:30)
              The Church                              Israel and the Nations(John 14:1-4; 1Cor 15:51-58;                 (Matt 24:1-25:46)         1Thess 4:13-18)
Christ comes as the bright               Christ comes as the sun         and morning star                   of righteousness with healing              (Rev 22:16)                                          (Mal 4:2)
 
* Believer's Bible Commentary: Old and New Testaments, William MacDonald; Thomas Nelson Publishers, Nashville, TN, 1995, page #2050.
 
 
 
 

"The Busybodies"
 
The Outline: 
Salutation   (1:1-2)
  I.  PERSECUTION: WAITING with COURAGE (1:3-12)
 II.  PROPHECY: WATCHING with COMPOSURE (2:1-17)
III.  PRACTICE: WORKING with COMMITMENT (3:1-15)
Signature  (3:16-18)
***
III.  PRACTICE: WORKING with COMMITMENT (3:1-15)
Confidence(3:1-5)
Command(3:6-10)
Confrontation(3:11-13)
Consequences(3:14)
Caution(3:15)
***
C.  Confrontation(3:11-13)
The Busybodies Exhorted (3:11-12)
The Breadwinners Encouraged (3:13)
***
Signature  (3:16-18)
A Benediction: “The Lord of Peace”
A Greeting: “A Distinguishing Mark”
A Closing: “Grace”

"The Disciplined Life"
 
The Outline: 
Salutation   (1:1-2)
  I.  PERSECUTION: WAITING with COURAGE (1:3-12)
 II.  PROPHECY: WATCHING with COMPOSURE (2:1-17)
III.  PRACTICE: WORKING with COMMITMENT (3:1-15)
Signature  (3:16-18)
***
III.  PRACTICE: WORKING with COMMITMENT (3:1-15)
Confidence(3:1-5)
Command(3:6-10)
Confrontation(3:11-13)
Consequences(3:14)
Caution(3:15)
***
B.  Command(3:6-10)
The Tradition (3:6)
The Example (3:7-9)
The Rule (3:10)

"The Spread of the Word"
 
The Outline: 
Salutation   (1:1-2)
  I.  PERSECUTION: WAITING with COURAGE (1:3-12)
 II. PROPHECY: WATCHING with COMPOSURE (2:1-17)
III.  PRACTICE: WORKING with COMMITMENT (3:1-15)
Signature  (3:16-18)
***
III.  PRACTICE: WORKING with COMMITMENT (3:1-15)
Confidence(3:1-5)
Command(3:6-10)
Confrontation(3:11-13)
Consequences(3:14)
Caution(3:15)
***
A.  Confidence(3:1-5)
The Word of the Lord (3:1-2)
The Faithfulness of the Lord (3:3)
The Confidence in the Lord (3:4)
The Direction of the Lord (3:5)

"The Truth and the Glory"
 
The Outline: 
Salutation   (1:1-2)
  I.  PERSECUTION: WAITING with COURAGE (1:3-12)
 II.  PROPHECY: WATCHING with COMPOSURE (2:1-17)
III.  PRACTICE: WORKING with COMMITMENT (3:1-15)
Signature  (3:16-18)
***
 II.  PROPHECY: WATCHING with COMPOSURE (2:1-17)
Gathered to the Lord Jesus Christ (2:1-2)— The “Day of the Lord”: NOT YET
Unalarmed by the Day of the Lord (2:3-12)— The “Man of Lawlessness”: REVEALED
Saved through the Work of the Spirit (2:13-17)— The “Gospel”: STAND FIRM
***
C.  Saved through the Work of the Spirit (2:13-17) — The “Gospel”: STAND FIRM
The Truth (2:13-14)
The Teachings (2:15)
The Strength (2:16-17)
***
The Content of the Gospel:
1Corinthians 15:1-8 (NASB95; Emphasis mine)
“Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand, 2 by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. 3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 and that          He was buried, and that          He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that          He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 6 After that          He appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom remain until now, but some have fallen asleep; 7 then          He appeared to James, then to all the apostles; 8 and last of all, as to one untimely born,          He appeared to me also.”

"The Deception and the Delusion"
 
The Outline: 
Salutation   (1:1-2)
  I.  PERSECUTION: WAITING with COURAGE (1:3-12)
 II.  PROPHECY: WATCHING with COMPOSURE (2:1-17)
III.  PRACTICE: WORKING with COMMITMENT (3:1-15)
Signature  (3:16-18)
***
 II.  PROPHECY: WATCHING with COMPOSURE (2:1-17)
Gathered to the Lord Jesus Christ (2:1-2)— The “Day of the Lord”: NOT YET
Unalarmed by the Day of the Lord (2:3-12)— The “Man of Lawlessness”: REVEALED
Saved through the Work of the Spirit (2:13-17)— The “Gospel”: STAND FIRM
***
B.  Unalarmed by the Day of the Lord (2:3-12)— The “Man of Lawlessness”: REVEALED
The Apostasy (2:3a)
The Audacity (2:3b-4)
The Restrainer (2:5-7)
The End (2:8)
The Deception (2:9-10)
The Delusion (2:11-12)

"The Restrainer Removed"
 
The Outline: 
Salutation   (1:1-2)
  I. PERSECUTION: WAITING with COURAGE (1:3-12)
 II. PROPHECY: WATCHING with COMPOSURE (2:1-17)
III. PRACTICE: WORKING with COMMITMENT (3:1-15)
Signature  (3:16-18)
***
 II.  PROPHECY: WATCHING with COMPOSURE (2:1-17)
Gathered to the Lord Jesus Christ (2:1-2)— The “Day of the Lord”: NOT YET
Unalarmed by the Day of the Lord (2:3-12)— The “Man of Lawlessness”: REVEALED
Saved through the Work of the Spirit (2:13-17)— The “Gospel”: STAND FIRM
***
B.  Unalarmed by the Day of the Lord (2:3-12)— The “Man of Lawlessness”: REVEALED
The Apostasy (2:3a)
The Audacity (2:3b-4)
The Restrainer (2:5-7)
The End (2:8)
The Deception (2:9-10)
The Delusion (2:11-12)

"The Man of Lawlessness"
 
The Outline: 
Salutation   (1:1-2)
PERSECUTION: WAITING with COURAGE (1:3-12)
PROPHECY: WATCHING with COMPOSURE (2:1-17)
PRACTICE: WORKING with COMMITMENT (3:1-15)
Signature  (3:16-18)
***
 II.  PROPHECY: WATCHING with COMPOSURE (2:1-17)
Gathered to the Lord Jesus Christ (2:1-2)— The “Day of the Lord”: NOT YET
Unalarmed by the Day of the Lord (2:3-12)— The “Man of Lawlessness”: REVEALED
Saved through the Work of the Spirit (2:13-17)— The “Gospel”: STAND FIRM
***
B.  Unalarmed by the Day of the Lord (2:3-12) — The “Man of Lawlessness”: REVEALED
The Apostasy (2:3a)
The Audacity (2:3b-4)
The Restrainer (2:5-7)
The End (2:8)
The Deception (2:9-10)
The Delusion (2:11-12)

"Prayer for Desire and Power"
 
The Outline: 
Salutation  (1:1-2)
  I.  PERSECUTION: WAITING with COURAGE  (1:3-12)
 II.  PROPHECY: WATCHING with COMPOSURE  (2:1-17)
III.  PRACTICE: WORKING with COMMITMENT  (3:1-15)
Signature  (3:16-18)
***
  I.  PERSECUTION: WAITING with COURAGE (1:3-12)
Thanksgiving (1:3-4)
Encouragement (1:5-10)
Prayer(1:11-12)
***
C.  Prayer(1:11-12)
Worthy of God’s Calling (1:11a)
Power for Your Purpose (1:11b)
Glorified in Our Lord Jesus (1:12)

"Marveling at His Revelation"
 
The Outline: 
Salutation  (1:1-2)
  I.  PERSECUTION: WAITING with COURAGE  (1:3-12)
 II.  PROPHECY: WATCHING with COMPOSURE  (2:1-17)
III.  PRACTICE: WORKING with COMMITMENT  (3:1-15)
Signature  (3:16-18)
***
  I.  PERSECUTION: WAITING with COURAGE (1:3-12)
Thanksgiving (1:3-4)
Encouragement (1:5-10)
Prayer(1:11-12)
***
B.  Encouragement (1:5-10)
God’s Judgment: Right (1:5)
God’s Temperament: Just (1:6-7a)
God’s Punishment: Sure (1:7b-10)

"Thanksgiving for Growth"
 
The Outline: 
Salutation  (1:1-2)
PERSECUTION: WAITING with COURAGE  (1:3-12)
PROPHECY: WATCHING with COMPOSURE  (2:1-17)
PRACTICE: WORKING with COMMITMENT  (3:1-15)
Signature  (3:16-18)
***
Salutation  (1:1)
From: “Paul and Silvanus and Timothy”
To: “The church of the Thessalonians”
Blessing: “Grace and Peace”
***
  I.  PERSECUTION:       WAITING with COURAGE (1:3-12)
Thanksgiving (1:3-4)
Encouragement (1:5-10)
Prayer(1:11-12)
***
A.  Thanksgiving (1:3-4)
Growing in Faith (1:3a)
Increasing in Love (1:3b)
Enduring in Perseverance (1:4)

"Navigating a Hostile Culture"
 
The Outline: 
Salutation  (1:1-2)
PERSECUTION: WAITING with COURAGE  (1:3-12)
PROPHECY: WATCHING with COMPOSURE  (2:1-17)
PRACTICE: WORKING with COMMITMENT  (3:1-15)
Signature  (3:16-18)