Introduction:     Review the planting of this Church in Thessalonica. Just like hardening of the arteries can choke off the blood supply to the heart, hardening of the attitudes can choke off the spiritual power source in our lives. Hard times can produce hard hearts and harsh attitudes. (1) Pessimism (2) Panic (3) Paranoia. I don’t want hardening of the attitudes. What are we to focus on to keep a good attitude in this bad attitude world?

I.          FOCUS ON LOVING (VV.7-8)

            A.        A Caring Love (v.7) - “gentle”

“cherisheth” = to brood, i.e. (figurative) to foster :- cherish. (Ills. Mother hen spreading her wings…) you will never be loving if you care only for yourself!

            B.         A Consuming Love (v.8) - “our own souls”

“affectionately desirous” = to yearn for. The Apostle wanted to see them saved! Looked upon them as his own children. Willing to do whatever it took. (Ills. Spending our life not arguing, not back-biting, not criticizing and complaining, not destroying, not envying, not fighting, not gripping and grumbling, not hating, not whining! I want to spend my life loving people out of hell and into heaven and loving God’s people that need help getting through a hard time!

II.         FOCUS ON GIVING (V.9
Living our lives so as not to take only, but to give ourselves to others.

            A.        Giving Of Our Energy (9a)

“labor” = to work to the point of exhaustion. “travail” = the conditions under which he worked (hostility).

            B.         Giving Of Our Time (9b) - “night and day”

            C.        Giving Of Our Money (9c) “not chargeable”

            D.        Giving Of The Gospel (9d) “preached unto you”

III.       FOCUS ON BEHAVING (V.10)
(Ills. Cleaning up in the last ½ hour) what good is a Christianity that doesn’t affect the way you behave?

            A.        Holy = separated to God to be used by God.

            B.         Justly = Righteously (seeking to be obedient to the will of God)

            C.        Unblameably = without accusation.

(A tarnished image or anything to bring disrepute to God)

Jesus is coming soon! It is about over. Don’t you want in these last days to walk, talk, look and behave like a Christian? There is no time for playing my friend this is the main event. Stop playing games with God and get on your knees and say, “Dear God in heaven, in these last moments I want to be clean, I want to be committed, and I’m leaving this place today to behave like a born-again, blood-washed saint!

IV.       FOCUS ON ENCOURAGING (VV.11-12)
Some here want to do better, but you’re discouraged. Satan smells discouragement like a shark smells blood in the water and moves in for the kill! We need encouragers in the Church of the Lord Jesus tonight! If we can cause folks to feel better, God can cause them to do better!

            A.        Exhorted = “comforter” (one called alongside to help).

            B.         Comforted = to encourage by giving a gentle nudge.

            C.        Charged = to testify (out of personal experience).

Out of my experience I can tell you Jesus works! (Expound)

Conclusion:       (Ills. President’s visit to fulfill a little boy’s dreams and dad was in dirty blue jeans. There was no time to get ready). One far greater than Eisenhower is coming and when He does there will be no time to get ready. But there is time right now!