LifePoint Church of Elizabethtown
LP05\31\2026 Graduation Sunday

      • John 3:16NIV2011

      • Psalm 92:1–5ESV

  • Great Things
  • Standing on the Promises

      • Ephesians 2:1–7ESV

  • Love Lifted Me
  • Glorious Day (Living He Loved Me)
  • 1 Thessalonians 2:17–3:10 NKJV
    17 But we, brethren, having been taken away from you for a short time in presence, not in heart, endeavored more eagerly to see your face with great desire. 18 Therefore we wanted to come to you—even I, Paul, time and again—but Satan hindered us. 19 For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Is it not even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming? 20 For you are our glory and joy. 1 Therefore, when we could no longer endure it, we thought it good to be left in Athens alone, 2 and sent Timothy, our brother and minister of God, and our fellow laborer in the gospel of Christ, to establish you and encourage you concerning your faith, 3 that no one should be shaken by these afflictions; for you yourselves know that we are appointed to this. 4 For, in fact, we told you before when we were with you that we would suffer tribulation, just as it happened, and you know. 5 For this reason, when I could no longer endure it, I sent to know your faith, lest by some means the tempter had tempted you, and our labor might be in vain. 6 But now that Timothy has come to us from you, and brought us good news of your faith and love, and that you always have good remembrance of us, greatly desiring to see us, as we also to see you—7 therefore, brethren, in all our affliction and distress we were comforted concerning you by your faith. 8 For now we live, if you stand fast in the Lord. 9 For what thanks can we render to God for you, for all the joy with which we rejoice for your sake before our God, 10 night and day praying exceedingly that we may see your face and perfect what is lacking in your faith?
    Introduction: We have been pursuing the theme of new life as we consider the resurrection of Jesus Christ. I figured it would be fitting to let this last message before my sabbatical to be on this same topic.
    I want us to think about this morning the joy of new life. It is interesting that Paul writes in this passage about a present joy that is attached to a future rejoicing. Point in case the present joy of the Christians in Thessalonica. How they received the faith, grew in the faith, and shared the faith.
    Just knowing this caused great joy for Paul in the present, but also their appearance before Jesus at HIs coming would be Paul’s hope, crown, and rejoicing.
    Now, its important that we understand something about the book of 1 Thessalonians.
    First, the resurrection is a major question for the Thessalonians. Paul takes a lot of time explain the order of the resurrection in chapter 4.
    Second, the resurrection, in 1 Thessalonians and in Jewish belief is deeply connected to the Day of the Lord or the 2nd coming of Christ. I want to show you two passages of scripture that make this point.
    First, right here in 1 Thessalonians 4:14-15
    1 Thessalonians 4:14–15 NKJV
    14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus. 15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep.
    If we believe that He was raised then we must believe that He is coming again.
    Second, in John 11:23-26
    John 11:23–26 NKJV
    23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” 24 Martha said to Him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.” 25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. 26 And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?”
    Not to labor this point too much but one more passage 1 Corinthians 15:20-23
    1 Corinthians 15:20–23 NKJV
    20 But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. 23 But each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ’s at His coming.
    Paul recognizing these correlating truths has a present joy and a future hope in rejoicing before the Lord that is based on this new life in Christ. He is involved in this new life and is experiencing three types of joy. I think it is important that we realized that we can experience these joys for ourselves and through others. Experiencing through others is exactly what Paul is doing.

    The Joy of Knowing

    What do I mean by knowing? There is a real joy in knowing that the truth of the Gospel has been grasped.
    On a personal level you know when you really get it. When the Gospel becomes truth for you.
    Now, I must say, the Gospel is truth whether we get it or not, but there is this moment when we grasp it and welcome it in. New life come in by the way of the Gospel.
    Many of you remember Dr. C. Everett Koop. He was the Surgeon General during the Reagan presidency. He was a Christian, but not always, and not a willing convert. He began to go to church to appease his wife. And, he recalls that when he first started, the messages by the pastor made him mad. He thought they were ridiculous. But, as he continued the message began to resonate with him, and eventually he came to the realization that he was a believer. He had fully embraced the truths of the Gospel.
    What a joy to know the truth and experience New Life, but I want you to think about helping someone you know welcome the truth and experience new life. Now, here is where I’m gonna surprise you, I hope. I’m not gonna talk about sharing the Gospel right now.
    How can we help someone grasp the truth of the Gospel and experience new life?
    This is hard for us to think about because we have been taught that through confrontation evangelism we win the lost. It has its place and I enjoy it personally, but its not everyone’s style, nor is it always the best style in every situation.
    If we survey the rest of Chapter 2 we see that Paul boldly spoke the Gospel to the Thessalonians, but he also shared his life with them. Listen to 1 Thessalonians 2:7-8
    1 Thessalonians 2:7–8 NKJV
    7 But we were gentle among you, just as a nursing mother cherishes her own children. 8 So, affectionately longing for you, we were well pleased to impart to you not only the gospel of God, but also our own lives, because you had become dear to us.
    Paul came there to dig in, get to know them, invest in them, share himself with them, walk with them. And, when they got it, grasped it, he rejoiced. It brought him great joy.
    It was relational and it was deeper than getting someone to make a decision.
    What would it look like if each of us over the course of this year met one new person or what if we met three, and one of those by our lives, love, and investment of the Gospel really got it?
    If just LifePoint Church did that it would change the demographics of Hardin county by 3/4 of a percentage. It would go from 87.5 percent out of church to 86.7. If we did the same thing in year two it would change the demographics by 1.5 percent. If 1,200 Christians did that it would change the demographics by 10%.
    I would ask, how is our current method working?
    Paul, had a vested interest in Knowing that the Thessalonians grasp the truth. This is the main purpose of the epistle. It brought him incredible joy to know they had.
    As usual I got carried away on the first point. Here’s the second:

    The Joy of Growing

    Not only had they grasped the truth of new life, they were growing in it. Listen to 1 Thessalonians 3:1-7
    1 Thessalonians 3:1–7 NKJV
    1 Therefore, when we could no longer endure it, we thought it good to be left in Athens alone, 2 and sent Timothy, our brother and minister of God, and our fellow laborer in the gospel of Christ, to establish you and encourage you concerning your faith, 3 that no one should be shaken by these afflictions; for you yourselves know that we are appointed to this. 4 For, in fact, we told you before when we were with you that we would suffer tribulation, just as it happened, and you know. 5 For this reason, when I could no longer endure it, I sent to know your faith, lest by some means the tempter had tempted you, and our labor might be in vain. 6 But now that Timothy has come to us from you, and brought us good news of your faith and love, and that you always have good remembrance of us, greatly desiring to see us, as we also to see you—7 therefore, brethren, in all our affliction and distress we were comforted concerning you by your faith.
    Paul got better news than he was expecting. The evidence of their faith was visible.
    Now, let’s just take a moment and think about this. It is a source of great joy when we can look over our lives and see how we have grown in our faith. But, do you know what is extraordinary? When you look at the faith of someone you have invested in and see them growing.
    When I look at Draydan, I see a different person than the one that walked through these doors 4.5 years ago. I see a different person than last year.
    We know what the joy of growth looks like. Do you remember when your children said their first words, or took their first steps.
    For many of us, the joy of watching our children grow is over, but we can still experience the joy of growing through the lives of those we invest in.
    Paul says their perfection or maturity will be his crown of rejoicing on the Day of Christ’s return. One last thought before we close:

    The Joy of Sharing

    This all began with Paul’s joy for sharing the Gospel.
    Paul believed that a proper understanding of the Gospel was source of new life and joy.
    He believed that wasn’t just the entry point of Christianity, but the whole point of Christianity.
    Within the Gospel is the power for new life and the hope to maintain it through every trial.
    By God’s grace through faith in Christ’s sinless life, sacrificial death, and victorious resurrection, humanity can have a life transforming relationship with God. This reconciled relationship brings the only thing that truly satisfies our deepest desire, because this is purpose we were created for.
    We have the privilege of sharing message and changing lives by pointing people to Jesus.
    Do you find joy in this message?

      • Titus 3:9–15ESV

      • 2 Timothy 2:23ESV

      • 1 Corinthians 1:10ESV

      • Deuteronomy 34:9ESV

      • Acts 13:1–3ESV

      • Titus 2:13–14ESV

  • I Have Decided to Follow Jesus

      • John 3:16ESV

      • Matthew 28:20ESV

LifePoint Church of Elizabethtown
louie@lifepointchurchetown.com
1-270-317-7861
http://lifepointchurchetown.com
7 members