1 Thessalonians

INTRODUCTION

Many outside the church wrongly think that Christians don’t have any struggles. That they are perfect, and are isolated from reality.

As Christians we make matters worse when we gather together in the church.

We tend to live according to some sort of unwritten rule where we are all supposed to try and pretend that we have it all together.

Of course we as Christians know that we do not have it all together.

We are real people, who live in a real world, and have real struggles.

The only difference is that we have had a life-changing encounter with a real God, Jesus Christ.

Once we embraced the gospel, our lives were radically transformed and changed.

We can see the fruit of this transformed life when we look at our actions (reading our Bible every day, praying, going to church, talking to others about God and the Bible, etc.), but all of these changes have come about as a result of a tranformed heart.

Thessalonica was a city in need of this kind of transformation.

Thessalonica had a population of more than 200,000 Romans, Greeks, and Jews.

It was a powerful commercial center because of it’s prime location on the Aegean Sea as well as the popular Roman Empire’s Egnatian Road.

This meant that many diverse cultures intersected in this city.

It was the New York, Houston, or Boston of its day.

Yet for all the benefits the city had, it was lost.

The Greeks filled the temples, the Jews filled the synagogues, the Romans paid homage to Caesar… there was a spiritual darkness in the city.

Paul knew that if the gospel was going to break through the religious darkness of the city, it needed to shine in the hearts of the people.

Paul knew this was a strategic location from which the gospel could go out to Rome in the West and to Asia Minor in the East.

The Gospel Motivates

As a child I remember hearing the words, “be careful” a lot, and as a parent I find myself saying them a lot as well. We do not want our children to take unneccessary risks.

Can any of you think of a time when you took a risk? Maybe it didn’t work out… or maybe it did.

Despite my parents warning me to be careful, I still managed to:

smash the back window of our car with a rock,

cut my finger trying to cut off the top of a sucker,

hit my sister in the face by taking a slap shot with a hockey ball after convincing her to play goalie.

We took a risk a few years ago by moving our family to Kentucky to attend seminary.

This involved lots of risk including:

selling our home,

quitting my job,

moving away from family/friends/church

starting over somewhere new,

depending on God

We consider that risk has paid off as we have now been serving as Associate Pastor couple of this church for over a year and a half now. I would never go back to life before now that we are on the other side.

WAIT FOR THEIR ANSWERS...

The truth is that the Christian life is has risk right from the very beginning.

Jesus put it this way in:

Luke 9:23-24 “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.”

This sort of life is not something we naturally want to pursue. We must have a supernatural motivation.

That motivation is the gospel, which motivated Paul to bring the gospel to Thessalonica.

Let’s begin reading in Acts 17:1-9.

The gospel motivates us to go and tell.

We remember that Paul had been saved by God while on his way to persecute Christians, but now he was the one being used by God to go and spread the message of the gospel around the world.

In Acts 16, we find out that Paul had a vision of a Macedonian man urging him to “Come over to Macedonia and help us”.

Paul, along with Silas and Timothy immediately traveled to that area.

They knew that it was a spiritually dark place, that was culturally diverse, but it would be a strategic location for further spread of the gospel.

We become passionate about the advancement of the gospel.

Acts 17:1-2 “Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. And Paul went in, as was his custom”

After leaving Philippi after having experiencing much hardship, rather than being discouraged and giving up, they continue and move on to Thessalonica.

Paul immediately goes into the synagogue in hopes of advancing the gospel.

His focus is not on his comfort or benefit, but advancing the gospel.

God honors some with great suffering and grants them the grace of martyrdom, while others are not tempted beyond their strength. But in every case it is one cross. It is laid on every Christian.

The first Christ-suffering that everyone has to experience is the call which summons us away from our attachments to this world. It is the death of the old self in the encounter with Jesus Christ. Those who enter into discipleship enter into Jesus’ death. They turn their living into dying… Whenever Christ calls us, his call leads us to death. — Dietrich Bonhoeffer

No matter what difficulties Paul suffered, he endured it because he knew the truth he had was greater than anything in this life.

Therefore, he was not ashamed of the gospel.

We become passionate about the proclamation of the gospel.

Acts 17:2-4 “And Paul went in, as was his custom, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and proving that it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead, and saying, “This Jesus, whom I proclaim to you, is the Christ.” And some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a great many of the devout Greeks and not a few of the leading women.”

There are no shortage of opinions of how we ought to live in our day, yet one thing that makes us as Christians distinct from the rest of the world, is that we do interpret the world through the lens of culture, or popular opinion.

We interpret the world through the lens of God’s Word.

Paul was not seeking to add another religious opinion to the mix, but to overturn everything they thought they knew to be true, and turn them to the One True God.

Notice he reasoned with them FROM the Scriptures.

He wasn’t just talking about the Bible, but talking from it.

He used the Bible to show them that Christ’s suffering and rising from the dead was prophesied from the Bible long before it happened, and was a part of God’s plan.

Jesus was the Messiah!

We see the impact of this message on those listening. We read that in verse 4, Acts 17:4 “And some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a great many of the devout Greeks and not a few of the leading women.”

The gospel had arrived in Thessalonica!

But it was about to present them with some problems…

AS YOU THINK ABOUT YOUR OWN LIFE, WHAT DO YOU THINK ARE SOME OF THE BIGGEST BARRIERS TO SHARING THE GOSPEL WITH OTHERS?

Despite these problems, we will see how…

The gospel motivates us to press on and persevere.

Acts 17:5-9 “But the Jews were jealous, and taking some wicked men of the rabble, they formed a mob, set the city in an uproar, and attacked the house of Jason, seeking to bring them out to the crowd. And when they could not find them, they dragged Jason and some of the brothers before the city authorities, shouting, “These men who have turned the world upside down have come here also, and Jason has received them, and they are all acting against the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus.” And the people and the city authorities were disturbed when they heard these things. And when they had taken money as security from Jason and the rest, they let them go.”

There are 3 basic responses to the preaching of the gospel:

People will get angry

Anger will give rise to persecution

Some will embrace it and be saved

The message of the gospel hit very close to home with the Thessalonians, and they didn’t like it.

If Jesus was the true King, then Caesar was not.

If Jesus was the only Saviour, then all the shringes and temples were worthless monuments built to worship worthless gods.

If Jesus was in fact the Son of God, then God must be real.

And if God was indeed real, then they were accountable to Him.

They were determined to stop this message from spreading.

When Jesus Christ is faithfully preached, you don’t have to go looking for trouble; trouble will often come looking for you. — Mark Howell

This persecution gave rise to concerns for the well-being of Paul, Silas, and Timothy, so the new believers in Thessalonica immediately sent them away .

This would have been incredibly difficult for Paul, who agonized in worry over the churches he planted.

All these new believers were left their in Thessalonica amid this persecution.

Paul would have greatly concerned about whether or not they were going to make it.

He writes about his concern later in chapter 3 of 1 Thessalonians:

1 Thessalonians 3:1-7 “Therefore when we could bear it no longer, we were willing to be left behind at Athens alone, and we sent Timothy, our brother and God’s coworker in the gospel of Christ, to establish and exhort you in your faith, that no one be moved by these afflictions. For you yourselves know that we are destined for this. For when we were with you, we kept telling you beforehand that we were to suffer affliction, just as it has come to pass, and just as you know. For this reason, when I could bear it no longer, I sent to learn about your faith, for fear that somehow the tempter had tempted you and our labor would be in vain. But now that Timothy has come to us from you, and has brought us the good news of your faith and love and reported that you always remember us kindly and long to see us, as we long to see you— for this reason, brothers, in all our distress and affliction we have been comforted about you through your faith.”

Despite Paul’s early departure, God was faithful to protect those new believers in Thessalonica.

This is a reminder to us that…

The church keeps going despite adversity .

This is far more than having:

the right leader,

the right leadership team,

the right building,

the right amount of money,

or anything else the world would tell us will guarantee our success.

The success of Christ’s church is due to the fact that Christ is keeping it, protecting it, and guaranteeing it’s success.

Not only does the church keep going despite adversity…

The church keeps growing through adversity.

All through Scripture we see how God uses difficulties, struggles, and less than ideal circumstances to cause His people to flourish.

This should cause us to trust in God’s ability to grow the church, rather than our own ingenuity.

Now would you turn in your Bibles with me to 1 Thessalonians.

As we begin the letter, we will see that…

The Gospel Transforms

1 Thessalonians 1:1 “Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace.”

After Paul had left he was concerned for the welfare of the new believers in Thessalonica, but he has now heard of the Thessalonians continued faith.

He now has opportunity to write to them and encourage them.

He addresses them as being “in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ”.

They now have this position before God because of their faith in Christ.

This position enables them to enjoy the blessings of God’s grace, as well as peace with Him.

Because God transforms those whom He saves, we should expect that genuine conversion will produce visible results. — Mark Howell

As we begin the body of Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians, we are going to see 3 characteristics of their authentic faith.

Let’s read… 1 Thessalonians 1:2-10

The first characteristic of authentic faith we are going to look at and take note of is…

A Genuine Church

Timothy came back and gave a report of how the church was doing, and there was lots of fruit!

There was evidence that they were genuine believers.

The very fact that they were still around amid all the persecution they were facing was evidence that they had genuine faith.

Let’s look more closely at the proof of their genuine conversion. First…

Genuine conversion changes our direction

READ VERSES 4-6

The Thessalonians had been following all those around them, being influenced by all sorts of different teachings.

But now, because of God’s work in their lives through the power of the Holy Spirit, they began imitating Paul, Silas, and Timothy, who were imitating Jesus.

They changed their direction.

LET’S PAUSE AND TALK ABOUT REGENERATION

If it’s in the Bible, it’s important.

I do not desire controversy or arguments, but to better understand God’s Word.

I do not want to pass over more difficult passages, but discuss them.

Let’s discuss this with grace and charity toward one another.

GOT QUESTIONS ARTICLE

The next proof of their genuine conversion is…

Genuine conversion changes our affection

READ VERSE 9

The Thessalonians turned from their idols (repentance), and turned to God (faith), and gave their lives over to God (service).

After coming to know the true God, they no longer desired idols.

They found the real thing!

We should not see this as a minor point. To turn from an idol is a big deal. This is they place they have life, security, and meaning.

They would have only turned away from them if they found something better.

True conversion changes our affections from the things of this world, to focusing on Jesus Christ.

He is the only thing that matters, since He is the way, truth, and the life.

The final proof of their genuine conversion is…

Genuine conversion changes our reflection

Reflection meaning how they think.

READ VERSE 10

Mark Howell said:

“One of my best friends once told me that I should visit a cemetary before making all major life decisions. His rationale was that such an exercise would remind me that life is short and eternity is long. The Thessalonians learned from Paul that:

the Christian should view present circumstances in the light of eternal promises. — Mark Howell

Paul wanted to encourage them to live in light of eternity.

Don’t focus on the things around you, but focus on the fact that Jesus is going to come back, and only the things done for Him will matter.

He also wants to assure them that because of their faith in Christ, they will be delivered from the wrath to come.

He writes to them about the second coming of Christ throughout the letter.

His emphasis is not to be theological, but to be pastoral.

He wants to Christ’s return to be a comfort and joy to them. Something they eagerly anticipate.

AS WE CONSIDER THE MARKS OF GENUINE CONVERSION, IT CAUSES US TO THINK ABOUT WORKS VS. FAITH.

HOW ARE FAITH AND WORKS RELATED TO ONE ANOTHER?

The second characteristic of authentic faith we see is…

A Dynamic church

READ VERSES 2-3

Paul expresses his thankfulness to God for how he has worked in the lives of the Thessalonians.

They were in God the Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.

God had chosen them and demonstrated His power and Holy Spirit among them.

But now he goes on to talk about the next important step in a believers life: understanding that means for you everyday life.

As we surrender to God, He transforms us, revealing His will for our lives.

The more we know His will, the more we understand His purpose for us.

But we will never understand His purposes unless we surrender our lives to Him.

Paul remembers that the Thessalonians had a…

A working faith

READ VERSE 3a

The Thessalonians had a faith that was working. It was visible on the outside.

3 times Paul mentions the outworking of their faith. Read vv 8-9.

This was a sign of the power of the Holy Spirit in their lives.

A working faith will change the individual, the church, and the community.

Next, Paul remembers they had a…

A laboring love

READ VERSE 3b

Paul speaks of the deep, genuine love that they had for one another. It was a love that laboured.

The word that Paul uses in reference to their love refers to laboring to the point of weariness, sweat, or fatigue.

Theirs was a love that was willing to go the distance. It was willing to sacrifice personal comfort for others.

Lastly, Paul remembers they had…

An enduring hope

READ VERSE 3c

The Thessalonians had a confident, unshakeable hope in Christ, regardless of their circumstances.

A man can endure anything as long as he has hope, for then he is walking not to the night, but to the dawn. — William Barclay

Satan knew the threat this church posed, and he was fighting hard against it.

The Thessalonians though, confidently pressed ahead not because of their strength ability, but because of Christ’s victory.

In the same way, Satan is fighting against the church and Christians today.

When you declare your allegiance to Jesus Christ, you declare war on hell. When you declare war on hell, hell puts up a fight. — Mark Howell

The assurance that we have in what Christ has done for us gives us the motivation to press on and fight by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Our hope is not a passive sitting back, hoping things will turn out. But confident hope in our future which is certain in Christ.

WHY IS HOPE SO IMPORTANT IN THE CHRISTIAN LIFE?

HOW DOES YOUR HOPE IN THE FUTURE INFLUENCE HOW YOU LIVE TODAY?

The third characteristic of authentic faith we see is…

A Contagious Church

READ VERSES 8-9

Think for a moment about how many churches you pass every day. On your way to work, school, the grocery store.

What do you know about those churches?

Chances are you only know what you see from the outside.

God did not intend the church to keep to itself while those in the community wonder about what goes on on the inside.

“His plan for the church is for the people on the inside to take the message to those outside. The great commission is not an invitation for outsiders to come and hear but for the church to “go and tell””. — Mark Howell

As the disciples gazed up into heaven, the angels asked, “Why do you stand looking up into heaven?”

The implication is that as believers in Christ, we don’t just stand around and do nothing. There’s work to do!

A contagious church recognizes this and gets busy!

A contagious church becomes…

Contagious in our proclamation

READ VERSE 8

Paul, Silas, and Timothy had not just brought news of yet another god for the Thessalonians to consider.

The message they brought was a divine revelation from God Himself, who had the power to free them sin and their idols.

Their natural response was to proclaim that message!

Their transformation was so unexpected, that news of their faith spread all around them.

Imagine in our day if a major city like New York, New Orleans, or Las Vegas had a massive revival. News of it would spread!

The Thessalonians were contagious in their proclamation.

They couldn’t help but tell of what Christ had done in their lives.

A contagious church becomes…

Contagious in our passion

Verse 8 “For not only has the word of the Lord sounded forth...”

Their passion caused them to enthusiastically sound forth the word of the Lord!

They did this so well that Paul says they didn’t even have to tell anyone about what happened in Thessalonica… they already knew!

Maybe you’ve been in a contagious church like this, or maybe you know a contagious Christian like this.

There’s something different about them, and it rubs off on you. You want to be like them.

This is what the Thessalonians were like!

WHAT WAS IT LIKE THE FIRST TIME YOU TRULY UNDERSTOOD THE GOSPEL? HOW DID YOU RESPOND TO ITS MESSAGE?

CONCLUSION

The greatest danger of any organization is to forget why it exists. This is especially true for the church.

It is estimated that on average between 3,500 - 4,000 churches close each year. That means more than 70 churches will close their doors every week.

This is difficult for us to understand when Jesus promised to bless His church, but we can learn from the Thessalonian church what our focus should be.

They were grounded in their relationship with Jesus.

We must be passionately in love with Jesus and His gospel.

Because the gospel has been, is, and will always be the way of salvation, the only way, the church must preserve the gospel at all costs. When the gospel is modified, the vitality of the church is lost. The church dies. — Millard Erickson

The Thessalonians faced many challenges, but they were rooted in Christ and holding fast to the gospel.

We must hold onto Christ and His gospel!

They were passionate about their calling.

The gospel was not something that they tried on. It changes us.

When it grabs hold of us is when we will do radical things for God.

They were hopeful about their future.

Paul is going to continue to encourage them to look to their future hope which has been assured by Christ.

This hope enabled them to live intentional lives in the present.

WHY ARE SO MANY CHURCHES INEFFECTIVE OR IRRELEVANT WHEN IT COMES TO IMPACTING THEIR WORLD?

WHAT CAN BE DONE TO REVITALIZE THEM?