Face to Face

GATHERING TOGETHER

Welcome one another, catch up with one another and share personal stories to encourage, strengthen, and support at a time of isolation and discouragement.

PRAYING TOGETHER

Share your needs, and pray for one another.

IN THE WORD TOGETHER

Learning the way of apprenticeship together.

SERVING TOGETHER

Identify a service project to participate in together.

Starter Question

What is something about physical presence with family, friends, or other people you’re in community with that makes it essential to you?

IN THE BOOK

Below there are three different types of questions, so we encourage you to seek a balance if possible. In addition, there is a Leader Study Notes section for further study!

  1. The Understanding questions are designed to refresh your group's memory about the text. These can be answered fairly briefly without a need for a longer discussion. (What does it mean?)

  2. Application questions are structured to draw out the ways the text, as preached, calls us to live. You should make a strong effort in your group to point people to Scripture as they’re discussing these. (How should I live?)

  3. We’ve built out Personal Sharing questions that connect with the sermon but make a more conscious effort to allow the members of your group to know each other better. These help to build a sense of trust by giving people a chance to share their lived experiences. (What is my experience?)

We pray that as you consider which of these questions work best for your group that God blesses your time together so that the Word of Christ “dwells in you more richly” and you become “knit together in love” as a community.

Receiving the Word

READ: 1 Thessalonians 2:17-3:5

UNDERSTANDING:

Ch. 2 v. 17-18 - Why were Paul and his missionary companions “torn away” from the Thessalonians? (See Notes)

Ch. 2 v. 18-20 - What tactic does Satan use to undermine Paul’s missionary work?

Ch. 3 v. 3-5 - Why does Paul send Timothy, and why is this significant to Paul?

APPLICATION:

What is significant about the Greek word for “torn away” - aporphanizo? (See Notes)

How can we combat Satan’s divisive work on believers? (See Notes)

What are some ways we can live out face-to-face love for others? (See Notes)

How does the word “coming” in chapter 2, verse 19, illustrate the ultimate importance of the physical world? (See Notes)

PERSONAL SHARING:

When you look at either the body or God’s physical creation, where do you see the beauty of his design? Why do you think people tend to focus on the spiritual more than these?

What are you willing to give up to encourage and strengthen others that they might flourish through face-to-face fellowship?

Summary

Let us double down on gathering together, crucifying our tendency to let convenience, preferences, or our rights to steer our actions.

Face-to-face fellowship is not easy or expedient, but it is good. Make every effort to lean into physical presence.

LEADER NOTES

  • “Torn Away”

    • Recall that Paul and friends went to Thessalonica around 49-50 AD, arriving bruised and battered from persecution in Philippi. They faced similar affliction in Thessalonica for preaching the good news that Jesus is King. Because of the severe persecution, Paul and his friends had to leave Thessalonica under cover of darkness.

    • Hear that word in the middle: Ap-orphan-izo. It literally means to make an orphan. Paul was orphaned in this separation from them. This word can refer to a child separated from a parent, but it is also used to mean a parent separated from a child—which seems to be the usage here given Paul’s earlier statement about his mother-like love for them. This separation was one of physical presence only, not of care, concern, love, or affection. Out of sight did not mean out of mind! In fact, the love was so strong that Paul tried and tried again with more and more zeal to go and see them—to be with them face to face.

  • Satan’s Divisive Work - Divide, disembody, and conquer is a key scheme of Satan.

    • Make you feel alone. Isolate you.

    • Make you feel like no one shares your struggles.

    • Make you feel like you can’t share your struggles.

    • Segregate you by shame.

    • Segregate you into narrower and narrower birds of a feather flock together identity groups.

  • Face-to-Face Love for Others - One of the most potent ways to resist the many temptations that work to disembody, divide, disrupt, and devalue face to face fellowship is to:

    • Give up our preferences.

    • Crucify convenience.

    • Lay down our rights.

    • Count others as more significant—Seek the flourishing of others.

  • His “Coming”

    • 19 For what is our hope or joy or crown of boasting before our Lord Jesus at his coming [Parousia]? Is it not you? 20 For you are our glory and joy.

    • See that word “coming”/Parousia? That was the word used for the coming of a king or an emperor to a city that he had given resources to build and honor him. At his arrival, the leaders of the city would come and display the work they had done through the emperor’s resources and for his glory. Sometimes physically giving the emperor a precious crown, signifying victory.

    • Paul is saying that Jesus will come again to the earth. And he will be with his people, face to face. We will dwell physically with Jesus in the new creation.

ONE ANOTHERING:

Whether you are meeting together or not, check in with one another to make sure that everyone is cared for and has what they need. Does someone in your group need help with grocery shopping, childcare, or caring for themselves? Keep a list of the ways you can provide care as a comGroup.

Remember that the Benevolence Ministry is a resource for our comGroups.

  • How can we love or serve one another this week?