Sunday, May 3, 2020 - 10:15 AM
COVID Worship Week Seven—Sunday, May 3
Preparatory content
Read through 2 Th 2:1-12
2 Thessalonians 2:1-12 New International Version (NIV)
Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him, we ask you, brothers and sisters, not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by the teaching allegedly from us—whether by a prophecy or by word of mouth or by letter—asserting that the day of the Lord has already come. Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God.
Don’t you remember that when I was with you I used to tell you these things? And now you know what is holding him back, so that he may be revealed at the proper time. For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it back will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way. And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming. The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with how Satan works. He will use all sorts of displays of power through signs and wonders that serve the lie, and all the ways that wickedness deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness.
Worship service
View the worship service on YouTube
Align time
Connect with your group for discussion of our text together.
Questions to probe our text and live it:
- Welcome anyone new to our group!
- Updates about your work, our health, your plans, your needs?
- We still have no word when large group meetings including worship services may return. When we know something, you’ll know something. Watch the GCC Facebook page, group emails, and www.hhgcc.org . You can see our weekly bulletins at https://www.hhgcc.org/weekly-bulletins.
- You get to interview a New Testament person! Who do you choose and what do you ask?
- Would you say now you are closer/farther/about the same in terms of your own distance with God since the start of COVID? Why that answer?
- Re-read 2 Thess 2:1-12.
- What signs of spiritual deception to you see on Planet Earth today? What kinds of spiritual deception are at work in our passage?
- In your humble opinion, why do some people get all hung up on identifying the antichrist? Is this important to our faith?
- How have you seen God’s word attacked as unreliable and/or non-authoritative in your lifetime? Any changes over the years in those attacks?
- Focus on 2 Th 2:9-12.
- Compile a list together of the stated characteristics or choices of unbelievers.
- Remember S P E C K – Sin Promise Example Command Knowledge (of God or myself)?
- Paul lists these Examples to avoid as he describes the choices of unbelievers will judged for. (These would also fit as Sins to confess or avoid).
- Review your list above. What are behaviors or choices we should make instead of following the examples of these sins of unbelief?
- Is there one area where you feel particularly under attack recently?
- Complete this sentence with as many things as you like: “When this COVID shelter in place order is done I want my “new normal” to include more __________ and less ___________.”
- Please share your prayer requests for the group.
- Pray together and include prayer for our leaders as they make difficult decisions about how much we should return to normal and how soon with the coronavirus still active. Pray too, for those you know without Christ as savior.
- What has helped you get through the past week? Any cool phone calls come your way?
- Any other updates or news to pass along?
- Thanks for the great job you are doing to encourage others by phone calls and acts of service. Thanks, too, for your faithfulness in giving and praying for each other.
