Christian Virtues Physically Displayed

Introductions

Most of what we discussed this past Sunday regarding prerequisites and initial expectations was fairly cut and dry, but I do want to take a moment to deal with and explain the modes in which local churches should accept new members.

Public declaration of Faith followed by baptism

This occurs when a person commits their life to Christ, and makes that decision public in a local church and in good faith soon followed up with scriptural baptism by emersion. As stated in our first point of the sermon, both Salvation and Baptism are prerequisites for church membership.

Letter from previous like faith and practice local church

This occurs when an individual moves their membership from one church of like faith and practice to another. This letter will signify that this specific individual is a member in good standing. This process happens both ways. We will only request letters from like faith and practice churches and will only send/grant letters to other local churches of like faith and practice.

Statement of faith when previous membership records cannot be attained from a church of like faith and practice

This is unique but occasionally happens. Some churches do not keep good records and if major gaps exist in a persons membership history

1 Thessalonians 1:1–4 “Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace. We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly mentioning you in our prayers, remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you,”

Acts 17:1–9 ESV

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, 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. 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.

Work of Faith in our Lord Jesus Christ

Labor of Love in our Lord Jesus Christ

Steadfast of Hope in our Lord Jesus Christ

1 Corinthians 13:13 “So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.”

The Church at Thessalonica was a young Church when this letter was written. 1 Thessalonians was most likely one of the first letters written to any of the newly founded 1st century Churches by the Apostle Paul. Paul’s initial time in Thessalonica was short lived, only 3 weeks, before being driven out by persecution. As that pattern continued for the next several months, the Apostle’s mind wandered back to these newly formed churches and whether or not they were doing well. This is where we pick up…

Christian Virtues

1. Faith

2. Love

3. Hope

Physically Displayed Through

1. Work

2. Labor

3. Steadfastness / Patience

Revealing

1. Christ Jesus

2. His love for us

3. His choosing of us

1 Thessalonians 1:3–4 “remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you,”

Romans 5:1–5 “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.”

Romans 8:18 “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.”

1 Thessalonians 1:3 “remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.”

1 Thessalonians 5:8 “But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation.”

Ephesians 3:17 “so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love,”

Colossians 1:4 “since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints,”

Romans 5:2 “Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.”

Romans 5:5 “and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.”

2 Corinthians 10:15 “We do not boast beyond limit in the labors of others. But our hope is that as your faith increases, our area of influence among you may be greatly enlarged,”

Colossians 1:23 “if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister.”

Galatians 5:5 “For through the Spirit, by faith, we ourselves eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness.”

1 Timothy 1:14 “and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.”