WHERE HAVE BEEN?

1 Thessalonians

Whenever I begin a study of a letter written to a church, I have a lot of questions about the church…for example:

Is the congregation mostly Jew or Gentile?

Are they having some problems?

What is their history?

What sort of preacher has been teaching them?

This morning I want us to spend a little time looking at Thessalonian's history and at the same time thinking of our own.

When we think about our history it helps us measure how far we have become. It helps us to see who we are now, and It also helps us to see where we need to go.

THE CITY

Thessalonica is a very old ancient city that still stands today (called Salonica today)

The city was apart of the Greek-speaking province of Macedonia

It was founded in 316 or 315 BC by Cassander who named it after his wife Thessalonica who was Alexander the Great’s half sister. He brought 26 villages together to make up the city

Thessalonica was a “free city” granted by Octavian & Cassius - this brought forth the priveldge of being self governing, Rome did not interfere.

PAUL’S FIRST VISIT

Acts 15 Paul and Barnabas went to Jerusalem to meet with the apostles and elders about the gentiles being baptized. With the help of the H.S. the church came to the conclusion that nothing should be bound on them except what God binds on them.

after this Paul wants to revisit the churches he and Barnabas established on the first missionary journey Barnabas wants to take alone his cousin Mark there arises a sharp disagreement Silas goes with Paul on we now call the 2nd missionary journey. Timothy joins them in Galatia and Luke joins them in Troas

Acts 16:9 Paul receives the Macedonian vision so they cross the Aegean Sea and are immediately arrested in Philippi. City officials ask them to leave and so they begin their journey to Thessalonica

They travel the Via Enatia or now know as Via Egnatia

Acts 17:1-11 Read

THE CHURCH BEGINS

Paul begins in the synagogue which is his custom and scripture tells us he reasons with from the scriptures for 3 sabbaths explaining & giving evidence that Jesus is the Messiah.

THERE IS A POSITIVE RESPONSE TO PAUL’S PREACHING!

some of the Jews were persuaded

great multitude of God-fearing Greeks

a number of leading women

evidently Paul was working thru the week 1 Thessalonians 2:9 “For you recall, brethren, our labor and hardship, how working night and day so as not to be a burden to any of you, we proclaimed to you the gospel of God.” 2 Thessalonians 3:8 “nor did we eat anyone’s bread without paying for it, but with labor and hardship we kept working night and day so that we would not be a burden to any of you;”

Gentile conversion happened as well 1 Thessalonians 1:9 “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,”

THERE IS A NEGATIVE RESPONSE TO PAUL’S PREACHING!

Acts 17:5 Jews become jealous and the formed a mob

They go to Jason’s house and the preachers are not there so they drag Jason out

accusations

these men who have upset the world have come here.

they act contrary to the decrees of Caesar

receive a pledge and the brethren and were asked to leave. So they go to Berea Acts 17:11 “Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so.”

RESULTS

Preaching convinced people of the Truth. It was an intellectual decision not an emotional one. Emotions come and go. The word of the Lord stands forever! The reason this is so important is because of what happened in Thessalonica. Persecution comes.

Persecution instantly raised its ugly head. if you respond just to excitement of it all when the heat is turned up and you are challenged you will give up. you must be convicted of the truth.

The Thessalonians were fully convicted of the truth, they received the word with much tribulation, and they became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia

ARE WE...

fully convinced of the truth, are we an example to all believers? Has the truth lead us to be convicted to grow, give, go? Has it convinced us to love the brethren appropriately. And the question we will explore next week. Will we work?