What Do People Say About Your Faith? 1st Thessalonian 1:1-10

Title: What Do People Say About Your Faith?

Text: 1st Thessalonians 1:1-10

Introduction: What will you be known for after you die?

Better yet what will be written on your gravestone?

I’m reminded of Joshua known as a servant of the Lord after he died in Joshua 24:29.

That would be something good to be known for, being known as a godly person, as a person of good works, as a Godly husband, as a godly dad, as a godly Christian.

One who fears God and lives a Christian life all the time.

One that is always spreading the good news.

As Christians we know that we are to be the salt and the light of the world as seen in Matthew 5:13-16.

But, can our brethren, family, or community really see us living the Christian life? Or do they know us as hypocrites? Are we one who is joyful to be around or are people joyfu when we leave the room?

Once we are added to The Church, we have work to do!!!!

We have work for the Kingdom of God.

We see throughout Scripture: Jesus’ laboring for the kingdom, we see the apostles laboring for the Kingdom, and we see all the disciples laboring for the Kingdom, in the OT we see the prophets laboring for God.

Some of these people left their jobs and everything they had to work full time for the Kingdom of God.

But when it comes to a Church as a whole known for their faith and works, I think of the Church at Thessalonica!!

In 1st Thessalonians chapter 1, we will see a people’s faith which is known everywhere. We will look at three points in 1 Thessalonians chapter 1.

First, we will see a working faith (1st Thessalonians 1:1-3).

Second, we will see a known faith (1st Thessalonians 1:4-8).

Finally, we will see a changing faith (1stThessalonians 1:9-10).

Thesis: As Christians we need to have a working faith, a laboring faith, and a changing faith.

I. A working faith (1st Thessalonians 1:1-3).

a. Vs. 1 The Greeting.

i. Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy to the Church at Thessalonians.

ii. Grace and Peace from God or Father and Jesus Christ.

b. Vs. 2 The Thanksgiving.

i. Paul thanks God for them always.

ii. Paul mentions them in his prayer always.

iii. Background: Acts 17:1-10- We see where Paul was preaching there for three weeks where many devout Greeks, and women believed the Gospel but the Jews made the people in uproar and they got Paul quickly out of town by night!!

iv. Paul did all he could while there laboring for three weeks; he had continued praying for that work nonstop. It would be like us praying for a work we have been laboring for, we would be praying without ceasing..

v. One work we need to all be praying for is the work going on here at_________ Church of Christ!!

vi. We need to be Thanking God always as well, and especially thanking God for our Church family. We always praying for the things going on in our physical families which is good but what we should be praying for even more is our church family. Praying for those who we get to spend eternity with, those who care for our souls.

vii. Quote “If you woke up tomorrow morning with only the things and people you have been praying for then what would you have.”

viii. That’s pretty powerful but eye-opening statement because we should be praying to God without ceasing, praying for our brethren, praying for the work of the congregation, the elders, deacons, their families.

ix. We have so much to pray for, but half of our prayers should be of thanksgiving. A lot of times we pray for things we want or need; but do we go to prayer to God in thanksgiving after those prayers are answered?

c. Vs. 3 The Working faith.

i. These things were apart of Paul’s prayers!!!

ii. Remembering without ceasing their working faith.

iii. Remembering without ceasing their labor of love.

iv. Remembering without ceasing their Patience of Hope in Jesus Christ.

v. Patience in hope Paul mentions in Rom 12:12 where we are to rejoice in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer. What Paul is praying for is that they will be patient, able to endure when tribulation comes and that they would turn to God in prayer when faced with these trials.

vi. We have hope in Jesus Christ, but that does not stop the suffering and tribulation that comes with life. But it is our hope that can get us through those trials.

d. Application: vs 1-3 As Christians we need to always greet and be thankful for our brethren, always showing brotherly love.

e. We also need to give thanks where thanks is due and that is to God. We should thank God for our brethren and always mention them in prayers.

f. We should pray for our brethren at all times and praying for their work, labor, and faith to continue.

II. A known faith (1st Thessalonians 1:4-8).

a. Vs. 4 The known Love.

i. Their love is known by God since their election.

ii. Being when they accepted the Gospel.

iii. We need to realize how much God truly loves us; so much while we were yet sinners Christ died for us because like John 3:16 God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son!!!!

iv. God loves the world, His creation, but especially His people, the ones that obey His Word and choose Him.

b. Vs. 5 The Known Word.

i. They received the Gospel:

1. In Word

2. In Power

3. In the Holy Ghost

4. In Assurance

a. Many want to know how the HP works in us??? 1 Thessalonians brings light to the HP working in us!!

iii. It is the Gospel

1. that we today receive the Word,

2. That we receive the Power Rom 1:16,

3. That we receive the HP, 1Thess 2:13.

4. and that we receive the assurance,

c. Vs. 6 The Known Joy.

i. They became followers of us and the Lord.

ii. They received the Word during affliction with joy.

5. it is obeying the Word where:

a. we become followers of God.

b. we become followers of Jesus.

c. and where we find joy.

iv. We see here how the Gospel is to be spread: It must be brought to the lost! The lost has to receive the truth by reading the Word, not just listening to someone giving a commentary on what the Bible says.

d. Vs. 7-8 The Known faith.

i. They were examples: to all that believe in Macedonia and Achaia.

ii. They were examples: to every place.

iii. They were known examples: of their being followers or (imitators) vs 6A.

1. 1 Cor 11:1 “Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.”

2. How great it must of felt for Paul that they were following His example he left there in Thessalonica.

3. Its like a parent looking at their children and seeing them following their footsteps. A lot of children want to be like mom and day.

4. Should also keep us humble of how do our children look at us?

5. How does the congregation see us?

6. Are we leaving the right example?

a. Will we be known as:

i. One a good example to follow,

ii. one known for spreading the good news,

iii. one known for being a godly person,

iv. perhaps one known for being a servant of the Lord like Joshua (Joshua 24:29).

iv. The Thessalonians were known by how they accepted the Word back in Acts 17 in affliction. But they received the Word with Joy.

v. Their faith in God was spread everywhere, so much they did not have to tell anyone.

vi. Wouldn’t it be nice to run into someone in Houston, or Dallas, or some big city and the first thing they tell you is how thankful they are for the brethren and their work at this congregation.

vii. Paul did not have to mention the congregation because their work was so well known all over.

viii. I have got to experience this at Southwest- Ill be traveling preaching and people are always talking about the work at Southwest.

1. The preaching school- young preachers preaching the Word.

2. But also the evangelism that has been going on in Austin. In the last year Southwest has had 40 baptisms, so many that the evangelist they hired last year has been told he is speaking at PTP next year. How great is that?

e. Application: vs 4-8 As Christians we need to know we are Gods elect once we have received the Word of God. and not ias man’s word.

f. It is the Word of God which we received the power.

g. It is the Word of God which we receive the Holy Spirit.

h. It is the Word of God which gives us of the assurance.

i. It is the Word of God that makes us followers of Him.

j. And once we believe the Word,

i. we need to go to work for the Lord:

ii. having a working faith.

k. How nice would it be to know our faith is known all over Town, all over the county, or better yet all over the state.

l. How great would it be to know that the congregation you grew up in somewhere else is known all over for their great faith, for their great work in the Lord.

III. A changing faith (1st Thessalonians 1:9-10).

a. Read 9A- The entering in was back to vs 5-6!!!

b. Their faith was known of how the Word had changed them from serving idols to serving God.

c. It was the Word of God that turned them from the idols to God!! The HP works in us through His Word!!! The Word has changing power.

d. The Word also is what gives us Hope. Notice vs 10. The hope of waiting on the Son from Heaven.

e. The Assurance we have from verse 5 is seen at end of verse 10 The Son was raised from the dead which delivered us from the wrath to come!!

f. Their faith was known how they waited for the return of Jesus Christ.

g. Their faith was known how they waited to be delivered from the wrath to come.

h. Application: As Christian’s we need to have a faith that is not only known. But our faith needs to be shown to the world in how we have changed.

i. People should see a change in our life of how we used to be a people of this world and walking after the flesh, but now are a people seeking things from above like seen in Colossians 3.

j. Our faith needs to show we are following the spirit and not the flesh. We are changed through the Word of God which has the power. Let us get into the Word until the Word gets into us. Let Gods Word change us and form us into the Christians we need to be.

Conclusion: We see that the Church in Thessalonica received the Word with power, which they studied to the point it transformed them into God people. They became followers of God and they labored for His Kingdom.

They labored to the point their working faith was known everywhere.

We as Christians have been given marching orders in Matthew 28:18-20,

we have been given a job to go into all the world making more disciples.

We have also been commanded to be the salt and light of the world that the world may see our good works and give glory to God.

We cannot let our lights shine if we are not out doing good works for our brethren and for our community.

First, we saw a working faith.

Second, we saw a known faith.

Finally, we saw a changing faith.

Is your faith known in the congregation, in the town, in all the area? If not let us change and start laboring for God.

It starts by getting into the book until the book gets into us, so it can transform us into the Christians we need to be.