Redeemer Church Champaign-urbana, Illinois

Lives transformed by the Gospel within the context of a transformed community can and will transform culture.

Jesus identifies eight characteristics present in all citizens of His Kingdom.

The faithfulness of God produces faithfulness in us so that we persevere in prayer, in loving others, in the Word, and in grace.

First Thessalonians 5:16-22 reveals what true worship is and what it isn't.

God has a clear expectation concerning how we relate to one another in His church. For many it will require a change of heart toward pastors and your fellow brothers and sisters in Christ.

Believers in Jesus Christ can come from very diverse backgrounds, yet all have the same biography. Who we were and who we are. We all were dead in our transgressions and sins, but now we have been made alive in Christ. By grace we have been saved. By grace we are united in Christ. Regardless of our geography or history, every believer has the same spiritual biography.

There's a right way and a wrong way to get ready for the return of Christ. The wrong way is to attempt to discern the day and hour of his return. The right way is to be alert. The reason believers get ready is because God has saved them. The intended result of our readiness is to encourage and build one another up to do the same.

In this passage, Paul seeks to comfort his readers over the loss of some of their brothers and sisters in Christ. For Christians, our hope is found in the resurrection of Christ and the promise of our Lord's return. Therefore we should encourage one another with these words.

We have been taught by God to love one another, but just because we've received God's instruction it doesn't mean that we do it perfectly. Anyone who has been around another believer knows firsthand that it's not. Brotherly love is progressive. As we apply God's instruction to love one another through His Word by the power of His Holy Spirit in the laboratory of His church our love for one another becomes evident and overflows to outsiders.

God's desire is for our sanctification. His call to be holy as he is holy is true. God couldn't be more serious about it. But for this to be a reality for us we must affirm the importance of sexual purity and fight for it by affirming God's design for sex, by pursuing holy and honorable relationships with one another, and by seeking to know Jesus intimately.

God's wisdom is most fully displayed when people from every tribe, tongue and nation are redeemed and brought into fellowship with one another through the Spirit of Christ.

Seeing one another persevere in the faith can bring us great relief, resulting in our encouragement, comfort, and gratitude. In response offer prayers and thanksgiving to our sovereign God and are inspired to pursue one another's progress in the faith. So in this way perseverance begets perseverance.

Whether present or in absence, the heart of a faithful pastor endeavors longingly for his congregation as he stands against Satan's devices in order to seek his glory and joy in Christ. This eager pursuit leads him to be willing to sacrifice by suffering discomfort, by embracing affliction, and by facing his fears in order to ensure his labor is not in vain.

To obey is better than to sacrifice.

When we go where Jesus calls us and engage people in gospel ministry, we will find times of difficulty and tribulation, Through those times we grow to know Jesus more.

When facing trials and tribulations, it is not by our own power that we stand, that we remain, that we persevere. The power is not found in ourselves, but in the living and abiding Word of God. When we receive it, the Word is at work in us. When it is opposed, God promises it will be vindicated. Therefore we can find boldness in God to persevere as we stand on the Word of God.

Christian leaders are not to abuse their congregation by seeking for personal gain or glory. Instead they are to be pure, innocent, gentle, harmless, and loving in order to serve and sacrifice for their congregation as a mother does for her child. And, like a father, Christian leaders are to provide for, model, instruct, and hold the congregation accountable before God.

All of us want to succeed. It is no different in ministry. In 1 Thessalonians 2:1-4 Paul wanted to assure the Thessalonians that his ministry to them was not in vain. As we examine his motivations for ministry we can identify 3 keys to a fail-proof ministry. Keys that if we embrace them, will redefine our service to God and guarantee that our labors are not in vain.Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 2:1-4Series: 1 Thessalonians: Life and Times

Our guest preacher is Teaching Pastor of the Summit Community Church in O'Fallon, MO and founder and executive director of His Voice, Vernon Burger. In his message, he challenged some of the misconceptions we have about mission. Missions, as he defines it, is to proclaim and to live out the gospel of Jesus Christ where the kingdom of God has not yet been fully realized. Listen and be challenged.Scripture: 2 Corinthians 5:14-15

This sermon is a follow-up to last weeks message that helps us define the church. The church is a redemptive community of Gospel-centered people. This week, we looked at 1 Thessalonians 1:4-10 in order to define what it means to be Gospel-centered. As Christians, we are all called to be Gospel-centered. Gospel-centered people recognize that they are called and chosen by God. They embrace the good news in word, in power, in the Holy Spirit, and with full conviction. Gospel-centered people become imitators of Christ and the apostles and they set an example in word and deed. And finally, they are characterized by repentance and faith.Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 1:4-10Series: 1 Thessalonians: Life and Times