A Few Final Words

1 Thessalonians chapter 5, the last four verses.

1 Thessalonians 5 · chapter mention

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We're reminded again that what we've been studying here is actually a very personal letter between Paul and the Thessalonian congregation.

However, personal correspondence does not necessarily equate to private correspondence, and we know that to be the case in these New Testament letters.

Paul's letters bear the marks of intimacy between friends, between a spiritual family, even with a shortened time that he had with this church.

He sees them, and this letter, again, it bears the marks of closeness and intimacy and love.

And yet, his writings, including 1 Thessalonians, were meant to be publicly read, copied, and then distributed to other congregations.

We even see that intention stated somewhat in verse 27.

The letter circulation is evident in that we still have it today.

And here again, in 2025, in a place very far from Thessalonica, we are reading Paul's letter publicly before the brothers and sisters in Christ,

seeking to understand God's will for us and to be transformed by the working of his word.

And I actually think this is quite amazing for us to think about, just the means by which God has given us his word.

The means by which he inspired and preserved his word for us is, it's amazing, it's kind of beautiful.

God gave us so much of the New Testament in this form, in this letter form.

Through the ordinary means of discipling Christians, helping one another faithfully follow Jesus

as we await Christ's return.

That's how God gives us his word.

That's how he preserves his word for us.

That's the picture here.

Even as we come to just a simple salutation at the end of the letter,

we're just reminded, how has God given us his word?

Well, much of it in the New Testament has just come through the faithfulness of discipling relationships.

Paul and his team seeking to help the Thessalonian Christians be faithful followers of Christ.

And he writes his letter and God inspires the writing and preserves the writing so that today,

we can take it and disciple one another.

Christ's command to make disciples is baked into the very format in which 1 Thessalonians was written.

The letter, as you've seen, it follows the typical apostillary structure of the first century.

It opens with the names of the authors and the recipients.

It follows that up with an offer of thanksgiving for the church.

All of that's common in the letters that we see from the New Testament and other letters from that time.

The primary content, it comes through the main body of the text.

And then a few final words of personal greeting, instruction, and blessing bring it to a close.

Nothing really unusual about that as far as the structure is concerned.

But it's in these few final words that we find our place today.

If you're like me, when you get to places like this in your reading,

you may be tempted to kind of rush through them, right?

To my shame, to be honest with you,

I spoke to Julie earlier in the week.

We were talking about this text.

And I told her, I'm thinking about just moving on to something different in preparation for Easter.

And as you might imagine, the Lord rebuked me for that in my spirit.

Why?

Not all scripture is equally impactful.

But it is all inspired by God and profitable.

If all God intended to use to accomplish his work in us was the most impactful text,

then that's all he would have given us.

But that's not what he has done.

Not every meal you eat in your life will impact you in the same way.

In fact, most of them you'll never even remember.

And yet each one of them sustained you.

Each one of them nourished you.

Each one of them shaped you.

In some cases, literally.

Well, it's the same with God's word.

Yeah, it's a simple greeting at the end.

But it's an inspired greeting.

Yeah, it's basic instruction.

But it's instruction from God.

To my shame, I wanted to skip it.

God has something to say to us here.

And we need to hear him.

You've heard sermons that consist of three points in a poem.

Here in the final words of 1 Thessalonians, we have three instructions and a blessing.

They're simple.

They're straightforward.

But I think what you will find is that they are so very necessary for us as well.

Let me give you the three instructions and then we'll wrap it up with the blessing, okay?

Instruction number one, pray for gospel ministers.

Pray for gospel ministers.

Verse 25 is straightforward, isn't it?

It's only four words.

Brothers, pray for us.

Pray for us.

Now, we can take time to think and meditate generally on the necessity of prayer.

After all, if we're going to call ourselves Christians, it means we're going to follow in the footsteps of our Lord.

And if we're going to follow in the footsteps of our Lord, we will pray as he prayed.

We will pray as he taught.

We will pray as he modeled.

We will pray as he commanded.

All of that's true.

But here, Paul has a particular application of prayer in mind.

Two pieces of it, I think, are useful.

First, he was focused, I think, on corporate prayer in this case.

In fact, all three of the instructions, as we come to them in this text, Paul is thinking about what Christians do together,

not merely what Christians are to do in private.

And we understand that somewhat in his repeated use of this term, brothers.

Brothers.

It's used 17 times in this letter.

That's a lot for a little letter like 1 Thessalonians.

17 times he uses brothers.

In Greek, the difference between brothers and sisters is really just the ending of the word.

But whenever it was being used to speak generally like we would say siblings, it was always in the masculine form.

And as we work through 1 Thessalonians and we're looking at each instance of brothers, what we come to understand contextually is that Paul is not highlighting a group in the church.

He's not addressing only the men.

He's addressing the entire congregation.

We might read it, and some of your Bibles might actually interpret it this way or translate it this way.

Brothers and sisters, pray for us.

He's addressing the whole congregation.

And his instructions seem aimed at what they do together.

And what is it that we do together most fundamentally?

We worship.

And I think we see that coming through in the three instructions, including this one.

So that's part of the focus.

He's not thinking of only private prayer, though we need to care about that.

But here, he's especially concerned with what we're doing in prayer when we are together.

But then there's a second focus.

He was also focused on instructing a particular subject for their corporate prayer.

Notice what he says.

Pray for us.

Pray for us.

Pray for me, Timothy, our companions.

His expectation and request was that they continue in prayer for him and his team as they did gospel work.

Hence the instruction, as I've put it in the heading.

Pray for gospel ministers.

The specific application, I think, here is that we pray together for those serving in gospel ministry.

Perhaps especially doing so and intentionally doing so in the regular worship gatherings of the church.

Notice that the instruction, it isn't to pray for gospel ministry in general.

Though we should certainly do that.

We want to pray for the gospel's advancement in general across the globe.

But that's not what he's aimed at here.

He says pray for people.

Pray for us.

Those who are doing the gospel ministry.

Pray for missionaries like Val and Angela.

Pray for missionaries like the Howard family whom you'll meet in just a few weeks.

Pray for pastors.

And by the way, pray for one another.

Pray for prayer.

Because aren't we all to be doing this gospel work?

But what exactly are we meant to be praying for these people?

Paul doesn't elaborate on that here, does he?

And there could be a few reasons for that.

Certainly the Thessalonians were familiar enough with his circumstances that he didn't need to say anything more.

They've just finished a really fruitful visit from Timothy,

who I'm sure was open with them about all these things.

And Paul doesn't feel the need to elaborate any further than what he does.

But Paul actually routinely asked for churches to pray for him.

And if we just take a quick look at some of the occasions that he does that in the New Testament,

I think it will help us better understand how we should be praying for one another

and praying for those who are serving in gospel ministry in other ways around the world.

There are many.

I want to show you three, maybe four.

First one, just flip over a page.

It's the 2 Thessalonians.

2 Thessalonians chapter 3, verses 1 and 2.

2 Thessalonians 3:1

Notice what Paul says here.

Finally, brothers, pray for us.

Pray what for us?

That the word of the Lord may speed ahead and be honored as happened among you,

that we may be delivered from wicked and evil men.

Three things stick out here to me.

What is he asking them to pray for?

We are to pray that the word of God will do its work.

That the word of God will do its work through these people who are ministering the word to others

in evangelism and in further discipling.

Pray that the word does its work.

As you pray for Val and Angela and others,

pray that God's word would go forth,

that it would speed ahead through their ministry.

We're to pray that what God has done in us,

he'll do in others.

Isn't that what he says?

As has happened in you.

Well, what had happened in 1 Thessalonians?

We know what happened.

The Holy Spirit came and empowered the gospel preaching of Paul and his team

so that they, despite significant persecution,

were not only converted,

but persevered and continued longingly in faithfulness to the Lord.

And he says, Thessalonians,

pray that God will do that same thing in other places.

What else?

Oh, pray that God will deliver gospel ministers from adversaries.

Not for their own sake, but for the sake of the gospel.

I think that's the implication there.

So what should we pray for?

Pray that the word will do its work through God's people,

through his instruments.

Pray that what's happened in your life will happen in others

through this work of the gospel.

Pray that God will overcome the adversaries for the sake of his gospel.

Would you turn to Ephesians 6?

Maybe just a few pages to the left.

Ephesians 6.

And look with me at verses 18 to 20.

Chris is in a series with us right now on the armor of God.

That's what's coming just before this.

I'm picking up just on the tail end of that.

Paul says, pray at all times in the Spirit.

This is verse 18.

Pray at all times in the Spirit with all prayer and supplication

to that end.

Keep alert with all perseverance.

Making supplication.

That's just another term for prayer.

For all the saints.

And then notice, and he says, and also for me.

But he gives a specific thing for them to pray about for him.

Pray for me that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly

to proclaim the mystery of the gospel for which I am an ambassador in chains

that I may declare it boldly as I ought to speak.

What do we gain from this?

What should we be praying for ministers of the gospel?

Well, one, we should pray that God will give gospel ministers exactly what to say.

Oh, isn't that the hard thing to do in our evangelism sometimes?

It's just know what to say and how to appropriately glorify

and accurately give the gospel of God to other people

based on their unique circumstances and their unique questions.

Isn't that hard to do?

In their preaching.

Lord, give me the words to say.

Would you pray for me?

Pray for me, Paul says,

that God would give me exactly what I need to say in any given moment.

Whether that be in the synagogue on a Saturday in any given city

or whether it's in the Arapagus in Athens

among all the philosophers and leading philosophers of the day.

Pray that God will give me what to say.

And then notice the second thing.

Pray that God will give me boldness to say it.

Boldness to say it.

That's what we should pray.

Turn now to 2 Corinthians chapter 1.

2 Corinthians 1 · chapter mention

2 Corinthians chapter 1.

2 Corinthians 1 · chapter mention

Just one verse here.

I think is a helpful note on the goal of our prayer.

2 Corinthians 1.

Verse 11.

You also must help us by prayer

so that many will give thanks

on our behalf for the blessing granted to us

through those prayers.

That's interesting, isn't it?

Paul doesn't say,

look, you know, I'm getting beat up everywhere I go.

Will you just pray that it'll hurt a little bit less?

No, he says, will you pray a lot?

And will you recruit others to pray for us

so that when we see God's work accomplished through us,

we can then turn around with you

and glorify him

that we may give thanks

thanks because he is the one who has done this work

and he's used your prayers to do it?

That's amazing.

Can I just show you one more?

You're close enough to it.

Romans chapter 15.

Romans 15 · chapter mention

Romans chapter 15.

Romans 15 · chapter mention

And there are many more.

You can search them out on your own.

Romans chapter 15.

Romans 15 · chapter mention

Verses 30 to 32.

Paul says,

I appeal to you brothers

by our Lord Jesus Christ

and by the love of the Spirit.

That's an authoritative charge.

That's what's happening there.

To strive together with me

in your prayers

to God

on my behalf.

So again, he's asking for them to pray for him.

But then again,

he gives them a specific thing to pray for.

That I may be delivered

from the unbelievers in Judea.

We've seen him ask for that already.

This one's unique.

That my service for Jerusalem

may be acceptable to the saints.

You know, Paul wasn't the most popular figure

among Christians in Jerusalem.

What's he asking?

Lord, would you just pray

that God would spare me

from the unbelievers

that want to kill me?

And would you pray

that God would so work

in the hearts of the saints

to which I endeavor to minister

that my service to them

will be acceptable.

That they'll understand my love.

And then notice what he says

in verse 32.

And then pray

that by God's will

I can come to you.

That I can come to you with joy

and be refreshed in your company.

Now he gets to them

but he gets to them

via a four year prison sentence.

But what's he asking them to do?

Pray for more opportunity.

How are we to pray

for gospel ministers?

All of these ways

that gives us

a pretty good place to start

doesn't it?

Paul utterly depended

on God for all things.

He knew

that prayer

is one of God's

ordained means

for accomplishing

his divine work.

So he constantly

asked the churches

to pray for him.

Not for prosperity

and health

in and of himself

but for his faithfulness

and the work

of the gospel

through him.

An American pastor

once asked

Charles Spurgeon

about the quote

secret

of his great influence

in London

and throughout Europe.

you've probably

heard this story

before.

After a brief pause

Spurgeon says

simply

my people

pray for me.

There was a

designated place

in the church

that he referred to

as the boiler room.

It's where people

would gather

and they would do

nothing but pray.

They'd pray for him.

They'd pray for the

elders of his church.

They'd pray for the

gospel ministry work.

We trust God

to do

his sovereign work

according to

his good pleasure.

Prayer is not

in opposition to that.

But what prayer does

is it acknowledges

that prayer

is actually

a means

by which

God determines

to do that work.

God not only

ordains the ends

he ordains

the means.

And so he says

come

pray

ask me

commune with me

and I think

we must give

ourselves to this.

I think the instruction

here for us church

is that we must

especially give

ourselves to doing

this for those

we know who are

laboring in the

gospel.

We should do it

in Sunday morning

gatherings.

We should do it

when we gather

for our Christ

from beginning

to end study

this summer

for our first

principles class

this summer

when we're getting

together over coffee

we should be

readily prepared

to pray

for those

who are

ministering

the gospel.

Brothers pray

for me.

Brothers pray

for those you know

in this community

and around the world

who are laboring

in gospel ministry.

Pray for one another

all of these things

as we endeavor

to obey

the great commission.

That's instruction

number one.

The other two

will be a little bit

quicker.

Instruction number two

greet

all the brothers

with a holy kiss

he says.

What's the instruction?

I think it's this

express

Christian

affection.

expression.

Express

Christian

affection.

Greet all the brothers

with a holy kiss.

Now let's be honest

that's weird.

It's not only weird

because kissing's weird

certainly not sanitary

it's weird because

it actually seems

a bit trivial here

doesn't it?

Why would Paul

be concerned

about instructing

Christians

on how to greet

one another?

But this is not

an unusual command

in the scripture

actually it's

repeated quite often.

Paul issued it

in at least

three other places

to varying churches.

So did Peter.

The exact command

Peter makes

one change

rather than

a holy kiss

he says

the kiss

of love.

When Paul

met with the

Ephesian elders

for the final time

in Acts 20

it says that

they fell

on him

that they

embraced him

that they

kissed him.

When Jesus

told the parable

of the

prodigal son

as the

prodigal

is still

a great distance

off

the father

sees him

and what

does the

father do?

Jesus uses

this language

he says

the father

ran to

him

and embraced

him

and kissed

him.

So what

seems a trivial

thing to us

had an obvious

meaning and

purpose to

these early

Christians.

I don't want to

overtax what

Paul instructed

here but I

don't think we

can quickly

dismiss this

either.

So let's

meditate on it

for a moment.

Culturally

speaking the

kiss was

used to

demonstrate

familial

affection

or to

symbolize

peace

between two

parties.

Now I

don't think

Paul's purpose

in this case

was to

institute a

kiss as

the standard

and universal

greeting for

Christians.

I think that

would be too

rigid of an

interpretation

but I don't

think that what

Paul is

instructing here

is merely

politeness.

He's not just

simply saying

make sure that

you give a

good nod or

smile or

handshake or

say hello

whenever you

see another

Christian.

I think it's

more than that.

I don't think

that it's just

politeness.

I think that

would be too

loose of an

interpretation.

The command

is about

intentionally

and genuinely

expressing

familial

family

affection

to one

another

in the

church.

It's a

call to

outwardly

demonstrate

toward fellow

believers

the heart

level affection

that you

possess

inwardly

for them.

It's

working

something

from the

inside

to the

out

in a

physical

expression.

It is a

call not

only to

love each

other

but to

express

that

love

in the

way

that

we

interact

on an

ongoing

basis.

But why?

Why give

this

command?

Well in

doing so

not only

do we

edify

one

another

once we're

able to

move past

perhaps the

potential

awkwardness

of the

act.

We edify

one another

but what

else do

we do?

We

demonstrate

something

here.

We

demonstrate

our

gospel

union

to the

watching

world.

A

people

who

most

often

in a

church

setting

have no

other

commonality

with one

another

expressing

a kind

of affection

that is

typically

only seen

in blood

relatives.

I think

that's what's

meant here.

I think

that's what's

at the

heart of

what Paul

is saying

here.

He's not

concerned for

us to kiss

as we

greet.

I don't

think that's

the primary

concern

here.

I don't

need Josh

laying a

wet one

on me

after service

today.

But he

isn't just

speaking about

an inward

disposition

either.

I think

we need to

understand this

as a

physical

yet appropriate

action

that expresses

real affection

for brothers

and sisters

in Christ.

And can

we just

acknowledge

that's not

an easy

thing to

do.

I'm not

real touchy

feely just

kind of by

nature.

I fell

in this

often

to just

brother I

love you.

Sister I'm

praying for

you.

We need

to remember

what's at

the heart

of this

instruction.

It's not

about the

act.

There's

something

under the

surface

here.

How do

you love

the ones

who drive

you crazy?

Ask my

wife.

Let alone

express that

love.

After all

to do it

disingenuously

would mean

that it's

not a

holy act.

let us

not forget

that Jesus'

very betrayal

came at

the sign

of a

kiss.

The

showing of

affection

without the

possession of

affection.

So we need

to think

about this.

How do we

actually love

and express

that love

for people

that we

actually

struggle

quite a lot

with feeling

affection for?

And the

answer is in

the gospel.

Isn't it?

Christ

and Christ

alone

is our

bond.

Our

fellowship,

our affection

with one

another in

this church

is based

on nothing

else.

It should be

based on

nothing else

than Christ

and Christ

alone.

Our

unity

with one

another

is based

entirely

on our

union

with Christ.

We see

that in

1 John 1.

We see

it in

Ephesians 2.

We see

it in

John 13.

Over and

over and

over,

the affection

that we

are to

hold and

the affection

that we

are to

express

is not

feigned.

It's not

manufactured.

It is a

genuine

affection that

does not

come from

any

commonality

save the

Lord Jesus

Christ.

Our

spiritual

union

with Him,

a divine

miracle that

takes place

at the

moment that

Christ saves

you,

that union

is what

unites you

with everyone

else who

is also in

union with

Him.

That's what's

at the heart

of this.

It's the

gospel.

But as

long as we

attempt to

center our

relationships on

any other

potential

commonality,

whether it

be our

race,

or whether

it be

our family

situations,

whether or

not you

have a

kid or

you don't

have a

kid,

whether or

not you're

married or

unmarried,

whether or

not you're

in the

older generation

or the

younger

generation,

whether or

not you

live in

this place

or that

place,

whether you

eat this

food or

that food,

whether you

do this

job or

that job,

if it's

trying to

base it on

anything

else,

anything

other than

Christ,

you will

never fully

possess and

express the

kind of love

that is behind

this command.

It can be on

nothing else

and it is on

nothing else.

Our affection

for one another

is rooted in

Christ's affection

for us.

Your affection

for me and

my affection

for you and

your affection

for every other

Christian is

rooted in the

fact of

Christ's affection

for that

person.

And how

was his

affection

displayed?

Romans 5a.

But God

demonstrated his

love to us

in that while

we were yet

sinners,

Christ died

for us.

That's his

affection.

That's the

extent of his

affection.

And it is as a

result of his

affection for that

person that drives

you crazy or

perhaps has

significantly hurt

you.

That you

actually not

only have the

power but the

command to

love them.

You are to

love that

Christian that

drives you crazy

because Jesus

loved him enough

to bear God's

wrath in his

place.

I had a

conversation with

Julie one time.

This just tells

you how messed

up I am.

We were talking

about something

like this and

I said,

how could

Jesus love a

person like

that?

And you

know how God

works.

You know what

I am about to

say almost

immediately.

It is like God

says, how could

anybody love you

like that?

That is what

this love is.

it is not about

anything else

than that.

It is about the

gospel.

Why does Paul

use brothers

17 times in a

short letter that

even in your

double columned

Bibles takes up

two and a half

pages?

17 times.

Why?

Because in

Christ we

truly are a

family with an

eternal bond that

cannot be broken.

We can sense

estrangement but it

will not be

broken because

Christ will lose

none who

belongs to him.

And we need to

endeavor to

express that

blood-bought

affection in our

interactions with

one another.

Instruction

number three.

We need to

recognize the

authority of the

scriptures.

We need to

recognize the

authority of the

scriptures.

Look at verse

27.

I put you under

oath before the

Lord to have

this letter read

to all the

brothers.

Simple.

Yeah.

Important.

Very.

Now many have

suggested perhaps

you've had this

thought before that

the apostles

were unaware that

what they were

writing was the

inspired word of

God.

Passages like this

prove otherwise.

It may not have

occurred to Paul at

any given moment

that this letter

would eventually be

added to a

collection of

apostolic writings

and then bound in a

codex in the first

and second century and

developed through time

and passed on 2,000

years later in the

form that we have it

today.

That may not have

occurred to him.

Who would ever

think of that?

Right?

But that's not the

point.

He clearly understood

what he was writing

to bear the authority

of the Lord Jesus.

Peter himself in

2 Peter 3

literally calls Paul's

writings scripture

and puts them equal

to the Old Testament

scriptures.

So this was not a

secret to them and it

was not a secret to the

early church.

The apostles understood

themselves to be

communicating God's

inerrant truth to the

church and the

Thessalonians through

this instruction were

to consider the letter

as coming from God

to them not merely

from Paul and his

team.

The oath language here

might be a little

confusing.

Neither Paul nor the

congregation is agreeing

to an oath in this

instance.

The verb it just means

to adjure.

I adjure you.

It means to bind.

It's an expression of

authority.

So that speaking with a

unique apostolic

authority given to him

by the Lord Jesus

Christ, Paul bound

these Christians.

He charged this church

to ensure that the

letter was read in the

public gathering and

that each believer would

be held accountable to

what it says.

That's what this

instruction is about.

In other words, the

final instruction is

that the church

recognizes the

apostolic scriptures,

that the church

holds them as its

supreme authority,

and that the church

keeps them at the

center of their

worship.

Remember, it seems

that everything Paul's

instructing here really

has kind of a bent

toward their public

gathering, what they're

doing together.

Now, why would Paul

bind them to such a

command?

Because he understood

that what he was

writing was from God,

and as he said in

chapter 2 in verse 13,

it is the word of God

given through the

apostles that is,

quote, at work in us.

How are they to

persevere?

Through the word.

How are they to grow in

holiness and sanctification?

Through the word.

How are they to know

how to pray?

Through the word.

How are they to know

how to love?

Through the word.

The Spirit uses the

word to do his work.

Paul knows it, and so

he binds the church to

this.

And we know any church

that diminishes in any

way.

The authority and the

centrality of the Bible

will eventually lose the

gospel.

At first, it may just

seem like a minor change

in hermeneutic principle

as we see happening all

over the place right now

in American churches.

to say, well, God only

meant this instruction to

be applicable to us.

This instruction only

meant something to them.

That's a bad hermeneutic

that diminishes the

authority of the

scripture.

It diminishes the

centrality of the

scripture, and it sets a

church on the path to

apostasy.

They will lose the

gospel.

And historically, look

around you at the

churches in this

community.

Those who started on

that path do not

have the gospel.

Julie and I took Ashlyn

to a concert the other

day at a church in our

community.

She was playing with the

orchestra.

And in their lobby, I

could have picked up a

pin, a button, to put on

my shirt that says, what

are my pronouns?

Just ask me.

A church that Sunday by

Sunday proclaims to know

Christ and to preach his

gospel.

They've lost the gospel.

gospel.

Why?

Because at some point

along the way, they've

moved away from the

authority and the

centrality of the

scriptures.

Churches that do not

have a pulpit at the

center, that are not

preaching sermons from

the Bible, but homilies

from movies or personal

anecdotes.

They will lose the

gospel.

We must not do that.

We can't.

This is just another

reminder why here in this

instruction.

We need to keep the

scriptures at the center of

all that we do.

We must preach the Bible.

Bible.

We must read the Bible.

We must pray the Bible.

We must sing the Bible.

And all of that in our

worship services.

That's what should be at

the heart of what we're

doing.

Letting God work through

his word.

All our beliefs and

behaviors must be weighed

against the word of God.

And anything found in

opposition to it must be

repented of.

And we must be submitted to

the scriptures.

As God's people, we must

hold a high view of God's

word.

And we cannot waver on

this.

The New Hampshire Baptist

Confession of Faith so

helpfully tells us it is the

perfect treasure of heavenly

instruction.

It has God for its author,

salvation for its end, and

truth without any mixture of

error for its matter.

It reveals the principles by

which God will judge us.

And therefore is and shall

remain to the end of the

world the true center of

Christian union and the

supreme standard by which

all human conduct, all human

creeds, and all opinions

must be tried.

What does Paul mean when he

says, I bind you to read

this letter to everybody.

Don't leave anybody out.

He means this is the

authoritative word of God.

It must hold supreme

authority over your life, and

it should be at the center of

everything you're doing as a

church in Thessalonica.

And that truth holds true for

the church in Cornelius as

well.

Now that's the three

instructions.

Let me close with the

blessing, and it's simple.

Verse 28.

The grace of our Lord Jesus

Christ be with you.

The grace of our Lord Jesus

Christ be with you.

unsurprisingly, Paul officially

ends the letter on a note of

grace.

The unmerited favor of the Lord

Jesus Christ found supremely in

the gospel of his death and

resurrection and lordship.

Paul brought that grace, quote, to

them in chapter 1, verse 1.

He says, Paul, to the Christians in

Thessalonica, I bring grace to you

from God the Father and the Lord

Jesus Christ.

When he closes the letter, he

changes it just a little bit,

doesn't he?

Now, as he signs off, he prays

that the grace of Jesus will go

with them.

It's grace from beginning to end.

That's what Christianity is.

It's grace from beginning to end.

And that's my prayer for you

today.

That you will know the grace of

God in the gospel of the Son and

in the power of the Holy Spirit.

And that the outpouring of his

grace will go with you until he

comes.

He who calls you is faithful.

He will surely do it.

Let's pray.