1 Thessalonians 1:6-10 - Joy and Tribulation

6 You also became imitators of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much tribulation with the joy of the Holy Spirit, 7 so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. 8 For the word of the Lord has sounded forth from you, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith toward God has gone forth, so that we have no need to say anything. 9 For they themselves report about us what kind of a reception we had with you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve a living and true God, 10 and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, that is Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath to come.

Target Date: Sunday, 6 March 2022

Word Study/ Translation Notes:

Became (3 forms) – γίνομαι – to come into being, to be, be made, become. Much depends on the verbal details and conjugation.

1096.γίνομαι ginŏmai, ghin´-om-ahee; a prol. and mid. voice form of a primary verb; to cause to be (“gen”-erate), i.e. (refl.) to become (come into being), used with great latitude (lit., fig., intens., etc.):— arise, be assembled, be (-come, -fall, -have self), be brought (to pass), (be) come (to pass), continue, be divided, draw, be ended, fall, be finished, follow, be found, be fulfilled, + God forbid, grow, happen, have, be kept, be made, be married, be ordained to be, partake, pass, be performed, be published, require, seem, be showed, × soon as it was, sound, be taken, be turned, use, wax, will, would, be wrought.

V5 – proved to be – First-person plural, aorist indicative, passive – the English word “became” is not really strong enough for this word here (perhaps nowhere is it really strong enough for the nuances). The passive voice indicates that it was not the team that was causing the “becoming”, but that they were “being made” into this kind if men.

V.6 – became imitators – Second-person plural, aorist indicative, passive – like v.5, this indicates that the Thessalonian believers received the action rather than causing it (which would be denoted in a middle voice – although the root ginomai is in itself a middle).

V.7 – became – infinitive, aorist middle – their actions produced a result in themselves, linguistically, not theologically. By the work of the Spirit in their lives and through their testimony, they became an example for other churches to follow.

6 – joy – χαρά – Calm delight, unperturbed cheerfulness

Joy is one of the marks of the believer, but it is not “joy” as the world knows it. It is not simply a uncaused happiness or blissful state, nor is it even a heightened excitement.

Joy, for the believer, is a delight IN GOD. Just like faith, which is useless without God as the object of our faith, so joy is useless unless it expresses our surpassing contentment with God.

In God alone.

In God above all.

In God despite circumstances.

7 – so that - ὥστε – adverbial result. Often translated “therefore”. This says that their becoming an example to the other believers followed as a result of their transformation in becoming imitators.

7 – example – τύπος – a pattern.

It could also denote the seal that leaves an impression or the mold by which some material, such as soft clay, was shaped.

This word is singular, so they are not providing multiple examples (for each individual believer), but a single example (as a church).

This passage can be seen as a group of bullet points:

Knowing…His choice of you

Gospel not in word only

But in power

And the Holy Spirit

And with full conviction.

You saw what manner of men we were

And you became imitators of us

and the Lord

Having received the word in tribulation

With the joy of the Holy Spirit

To the result that you became an example to all the believers around you,

And your example is still rippling out

They are proclaiming YOUR testimony (to God’s glory)

And you hope in the resurrection of Jesus Christ

You hope in the return of Jesus Christ

3 Great Evidences of God’s Election:

5 – Their faithful initial response to the gospel.

6-7 – Their faithful growth in the gospel.

8-10 – Their faithful proclamation of the gospel.

Thoughts on the Passage:

The gospel of Jesus Christ has ALWAYS meant leaving behind the material concerns, lusts, and faiths and living in trust, love, and glory to God alone.

These believers had been faced with this crisis, even when their own lives degraded – and they followed Christ.

5 – Paul explains that their own endurance of persecution in Thessalonica was for the sake of the Thessalonians.

They would have a godly example to follow.

They would have encouragement in their tribulation.

They would have the same hope of glory on the Day of the Lord.

Applications:

For the Christian:

You will be recognized as a child of God not by your great arguments or your great works, but by your abiding love for others.

For the Backslidden:

There may be some here who, once professing Christ have turned again, loving the things of this world. There is no greater danger for your soul than this. Wake up, and strengthen the things that remain, which were about to die; (Revelation 3:2)! Find that first love; judge the things of this world against the light of the grace of God, who gave His SON to die for your sin. Pray that God will turn your love continually to Him while you practice despising the attractions and comforts of this present life.

For the Unconverted:

You have before you the example of people just like you who once lived for the things they could see, feel, hear, and taste; and they turned to God, finding in Him something greater than they could even imagine before. What does it take to awaken your soul to God? The first step is to realize you are sinful. It is more than the fact you do the occasional sinful thing, but that your heart is foul with sin you have dismissed as normal. It is not normal – it is not the way God intended you to be.

Sermon Text:

We return this week to this rich paragraph in the first recorded letter of the New Testament.

Many of you will remember that we are in a section where Paul and his companions are describing the evidences that cause them to be confident in God’s election of these Thessalonian believers.

By election, a word we find in verse 4, we mean God’s sovereign choice of the people who will follow Him,

And His divine action to cause them to begin to follow Him.

Perhaps you recall from your memory or from notes that the evidences can be organized into three rough categories:

Verse 5 – They prove their calling through their faithful initial response to the gospel.

Verses 6-7 – They prove their election through their faithful growth in the gospel.

Verses 8-10 – They confirm their election by their faithful proclamation of the gospel.

This week, we will focus on the second half of verse 6: having received the word in much tribulation with the joy of the Holy Spirit…

I would like to spend a short time remembering the tribulation these missionaries are referring to in this letter,

And then to spend the rest of our time this morning looking at this vitally important matter of the joy of the Holy Spirit.

As we have looked at on a few other occasions, the events surrounding the first preaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ in Thessalonica were troubled.

We will not read again this week the tumultuous events in the first 9 verses of Acts 17, but I would remind you of them.

Paul, Silas, and Timothy came to Thessalonica, a leading city in the region, and, as was their habit, preached the good news that the Messiah, Jesus Christ, had come and accomplished everything He was supposed to.

But while some believed, many others hired ruffians to attack those who had turned to Jesus.

The uproar got so heated that they dragged a man named Jason, probably the man whose house the church met in, to court to try to force him to give the missionaries up.

Instead, he assumed full responsibility, paid a bond, and asked the missionaries to leave the city.

But they did all this without compromising their faith in Jesus Christ.

So when Paul says that they received the word in much tribulation, that is exactly what he means.

These young believers, who had only received the most rudimentary instruction in the gospel, were tested grievously.

Not simply in the measure that their new understandings would be able to easily handle –

They had REAL trials.

LITERALLY a TRIAL.

And notice that Paul and the other writers of this letter don’t compliment them on their diligent study or their rapid understanding of the great doctrines of the faith,

They say that the Thessalonian believers became IMITATORS of them and of the Lord.

They saw the way the missionaries endured tribulation, and they FOLLOWED WHAT THEY SAW.

These young believers, armed with only the most basic understanding of the faith and the example of Jesus Christ, Paul, and his companions to follow,

Armed with these things alone, they endured the most withering assault the enemy could throw at them.

I love doctrine, and I love the doctrines we examine and discuss week-to-week,

I think that nearly all the churches I have known could use twice as much doctrinal study, understanding, and obedience to those doctrines as they have.

These teachings ground us, grow us, and help us endure the battles we all face with temptation and sin.

But seeing these Thessalonian believers, armed only with their love of Jesus Christ and the worthy example of these evangelists –

Well, it reminds me of a very familiar story from 1 Samuel 17.

It is the story of a young shepherd boy that slays an armored giant with just a sling, a stone, and the giant’s own sword.

You remember the story – wearing no armor, not even carrying a sword, David walked out in front of the giant with a sling and five stones from the river.

And won.

But we have to be sure to take the correct application from the story of both David and the overmatched Thessalonian church.

Because some will make the ridiculous leap to the idea that we need to doctrine at all.

No creeds. No confessions.

Just love for Christ.

I would offer that is just as ridiculous as if King Saul had declared that all his warriors should strip off their armor, leave it behind, and learn how to sling stones.

Just walk away from all their training, all their discipline, and live David’s life, watching sheep and writing songs.

Not even David, when he became king, thought that was a good idea.

No, what the kings of Israel were looking for in their army were warriors who were trained and armed as heavily as possible – with the HEART of the courageous youth, and the FAITH in the unconquerable God.

God loves devotion and enthusiasm, but he also commands us to apply ourselves to learning, to study, and to understanding of His revealed word.

Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge - 2 Peter 1:5

For this reason I too, having heard of the faith in the Lord Jesus which exists among you and your love for all the saints, 16 do not cease giving thanks for you, while making mention of you in my prayers; 17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him. 18 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, - Ephesians 1:15-18

No, we are not called to replace doctrine with zeal, but to be mature in our doctrine and steadfast in our zeal.

THAT is a powerful combination.

The ability to bring the revealed word of God to bear on any situation,

And the reckless enthusiasm to do so.

It is reckless, as far as the world is concerned.

To be a servant so faithful to our Lord that there is no threat or obstacle that can stop you from accomplishing his mission.

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? 36 As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” 37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors [super-conquerors] through him who loved us. – Romans 8:35-37

That brings us to the second portion of this passage today, and, really, the heart of this piece of evidence.

Because anyone can be persecuted.

Anyone can experience tribulation.

And, even in some cases, men or women may perhaps endure for a season the tribulations brought upon them.

And they can do all these things through great strength, or great willpower, or abiding stubbornness.

Declaring that they will stand against this trial simply because they will not be proven wrong.

Tribulation doesn’t make you a believer.

Enduring the tribulation and remaining faithful to God in Jesus Christ is a stronger indicator.

And then we see the Thessalonian believers going one more step – enduring the tribulation in the joy of the Holy Spirit.

Joy is often a tough word to get a handle on.

Maybe because we know its presence in our lives or other peoples’ lives mostly by the fruit it produces.

Like “love” – defining it is tough.

Two of the better definitions I would like to suggest this morning for this great concept are:

Joy as calm delight.

And Joy as unperturbed hope.

One thing it is NOT is that ecstatic, plaster-a-smile-to-your-face at-all-costs counterfeit that so many Christians practice.

Because joy is not seeking the feeling,

Or fake it till you make it.

It’s not even telling everyone you meet that you are blessed or that they should have a blessed day.

Joy, Christian JOY, is satisfaction in the Savior.

It is calmness in the hand of God.

Above all, joy is important;

I might go so far as to say that joy is far more important than we give it credit for.

We can sometimes make a mistake by elevating one grace over another, but that is often what we do.

We look at faith, and consider it vital because we are saved by grace through faith.

That is certainly important.

And we look at love, and take note of all the commands to love one another,

Or love our neighbor as ourself.

Or love our enemies, praying for those who persecute us.

But somehow we look at joy and think of it as a secondary trait of the believer.

Something along the lines of reading the Bible through in a year.

Something we ought to do, but we may not be ready for yet.

We might even tell ourselves, “But I’m not a naturally happy person. Joy comes hard for me.”

But would you excuse yourself from being loving because you are a naturally selfish person?

Or excuse yourself from being generous because you are naturally stingy?

Joy is a mark of a believer just like love is.

When Paul described the fruit the Holy Spirit produces in a believer’s life in Galatians 5:22, he lists the first two things as:

the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy

Even as Reformed believers, we suffer from the mis-characterizations of the Puritans and other faithful believers who preceded us.

We think of them as dour, morose, even sad, as they slogged their way through their life of trials and tribulations.

And perhaps we think that we follow in their footsteps when we imitate that caricature.

These Thessalonian believers we are looking at this morning received the word in tribulation and in the JOY of the Holy Spirit.

That isn’t a dour, reluctant description –

That is the picture of a warrior who, rather than falling back out of fear,

Runs to the battle in faith.

Joyful in his commander and certain of His cause.

Rather than allowing the enemy to cause them to cower,

They stood up and praised God for the trials.

Joy is exactly the characteristic we should expect in ourselves as believers.

We have been saved from the sin of the world;

We have been freed from the slavery in which it held us.

But, and please hear this, we are not about to put the song “Don’t worry; Be Happy” in our worship hymn rotation.

Joy is not something we just “turn on” or “decide to do”.

Although there are some things we must do to BE joyful.

If I just stood up here and told you to be more joyful, that would be of little use.

The next time a difficulty or trial hit, you might slap a smile on your face or carry a platitude in your heart,

But does that make you joyful?

No – it simply makes you an actor, even a hypocrite.

We don’t smile because it makes God look good.

We aren’t to be joyful because it is a better advertisement for God or for our church.

God wants us, above all, to BE joyful, not merely ACT joyful.

So if we cannot work directly on being joyful, what are we to do.

I would like to suggest some things we can do from Scripture.

But remember, just like faith, having joy depends entirely on the object.

Just like it is not enough to just have faith, we must have faith IN GOD.

Likewise, joy is not a believer’s joy unless it is a joy in God.

A joy He dominates in our hearts.

A joy for things that honor and glorify Him and not us.

Too many false teachers are proclaiming that it glorifies God for His children to have nice things, to have everything given to them they ask for.

God is too good a father to ruin His children with the empty things of this world.

God is not glorified in our prosperity;

God is glorified in our faithfulness, obedience, love, and joy in HIM.

The first thing I would suggest from Scripture is that times of grief will come for each of us, and that emotion is entirely appropriate.

We see it in Ecclesiastes 3:4:

A time to weep and a time to laugh; A time to mourn and a time to dance.

We are not holier because we smile our way through tragedy.

But we are comforted in our tragedy as we are reminded of the truth spoken by the prophet Zephaniah in 3:17:

The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.

God does not fear your tears, but He would have you living in His comfort, peace, and joy.

These times of mourning will come, but his joy, even when briefly obscured, will shine again in the hearts of His children.

The second things I would suggest is that the opposite of joy may not be depression, but worry.

Perhaps the greatest call to leave the anxiety of the world behind is in Matthew 6:25-34. It has some length to it, but it is important we remember these things, so I will read it to you:

do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? 27 And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life? 28 And why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin, 29 yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith! 31 Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’ 32 For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. 34 “So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Worry borrows trouble from tomorrow and steals joy from today.

And this worry comes in so many forms, so many seemingly-holy costumes, that we might even think we are doing the right thing when we worry.

1. Current events can certainly cause us to worry. Whether the tragic war in Ukraine or the COVID response here in the U.S., we tend to be people who worry incessantly about “what-ifs”.

And we can imagine disastrous scenarios faster than we could even write them down:

What if we get sick?

What if the government turns against the church?

What if the prices get so high I can’t afford to live?

What if I lose my job?

What if … what if…?

And while we ponder these things, setting our hearts to worry over things, we have sacrificed today’s joy for a possibility in a future that has not yet come.

Joy and faith are tied together – joy is an evidence of faith.

Our worries for the things of this world rob us of joy because they weaken our faith.

I assure you of this: God will be in control of everything tomorrow.

God will be in control of everything a year from now.

And, please hear this word of comfort, no amount of your worry will help Him do any better.

2. Suspicions about others can cause us to worry.

We spend a great deal of time worrying whether we will be liked or rejected.

We waste a great deal of joy concerned over the opinions of others.

There is a simple rule I would like to offer you this morning:

Gossipers will gossip, and even if you give them no fat to chew, that won’t slow them down.

So why worry about it?

Why hand your joy over to a person who will not say a kind word about you?

Why would their opinion matter above God’s?

If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a bond-servant of Christ. – Galatians 1:10

3. Worry about the affairs of this life can rob us of joy.

Like we read a few moments ago from Matthew 6, we may feel like we lack something to MAKE us joyful.

“If I only had this, or that, I could be joyful.”

No – you wouldn’t.

No soldier in active service entangles himself in the affairs of everyday life, so that he may please the one who enlisted him as a soldier. – 2 Timothy 2:4

Even if you received everything of this world you wished for today, your wishes for the things of this world would simply grow bigger.

That is the problem with greed and covetousness:

The more you feed it, the hungrier it gets.

Finally, remember that the Thessalonians were commended for the joy OF the Holy Spirit.

It comes from Him – it is given to you.

Your sin, your disobedience, your selfishness will all separate you from His joy.

That is the negative side.

But, O believer, the wonder of the joy of the Holy Spirit when you abide in Him.

When you seek the things of God through Jesus Christ.

It is a joy that is filled up that cannot be diminished by any circumstance.

In His Upper Room Discourse, Jesus spoke of the joy he was giving to his disciples:

These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full. – John 15:11

He spoke to them about ABIDING in Him – being forever joined to Him.

Therefore you too have grief now; but I will see you again, and your heart will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you. – John 16:22

Though they would experience grief in His death and burial, and suffer great fear for themselves,

He promised that the joy they experience would eclipse any sorrow.

And it would endure forever.

But now I come to You; and these things I speak in the world so that they may have My joy made full in themselves. 14 I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. – John 17:13-14

And as He prayed to the Father for His church that would face resistance and temptation relentlessly from the enemy,

He still prayed for our joy in the midst of the trials.