1 Thessalonians 1:7-10

1 Thessalonians 1:7–10 KJV (WS)

7 So that ye were ensamples to all that believe in Macedonia and Achaia. 8 For from you sounded out the word of the Lord not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith to God-ward is spread abroad; so that we need not to speak any thing. 9 For they themselves shew of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God; 10 And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.

Introduction - SLIDE #2

When we really love something or someone we typically want to share that thing we love with other people. - Point #1

I love Cafe Rio.

I would love a chance to take all of you to Cafe Rio and show you how good it is.

The closest one is in Colorado, so that’s probably not going to happen.

Let me tell you I could talk for awhile about how good their food is.

Their sweet pork barbacoa…their chicken tortilla soup, their queso, mmmmmm!

I hope my love for Cafe Rio pails in comparison to my love for Jesus. - Point #2

Jesus saved me from an eternity in Hell.

He has been good to me throughout my life.

So much so, that I want to share him with others.

I want other people to know how good he has been.

I want other people to expereince what I have experienced.

How can I best do that?

Just tell them, you might say.

That’s true.

But I want them to see it.

Well Paul gives us an answer here as to how we can magnify Jesus through our lived testimony.

The Thessalonians had a wonderful testimony beyond their city. - SLIDE #3

Paul begins verse 7 by calling them ensamples. - Point #1

Ensamples is not a word we use very often.

It sounds like examples.

And that’s not too far off.

But there is a slight difference.

Ensamples is the Greek word TUPOS.

It’s where we get our word for type.

TUPOS means a person or thing by which is prefigured that which under the influence of the divine purpose some other thing or person will be or ought to be.

TUPOS = the mark of a stroke or a blow. - Point #2

Something had left it’s mark on the Thessalonians. - Point #3

They would never be the same because of the impact and influence of the Gospel!

Look at where they were ensamples to. - SLIDE #4

Macedonia, which is where they were. - Point #1

Achaia, which is where Paul was.

Others had noticed the influence of the gospel in their lives.

Their change of character was known far and wide.

Their testimony was an encouragement to other churches.

What effect does the success of another church have on us?

Churches must never compete with each other, but they should provoke each other to love and good works.

Vs 8 gives us an illustration as to how much of a testimony they were.

Paul says that the Thessalonians sounded out the word of the Lord.

Sounded out means to make oneself felt or heard with the sound of a trumpet. - Point #2

It could also mean that reports are spreading.

Thessalonica was a seaport city.

This would have contributed significantly to the spread of their testimony.

Paul says that their faith was known in every place.

So much so that Paul didn’t need to tell people about them, they already knew.

This was because of the buy-in of the congregation.

Too many congregations are content to pay staff to do the witnessing and the soul-winning.

In the NT the entire congregation took part in spreading the good news.

We have a church like that too.

I believe it’s because so many of our members have not forgotten what the gospel did for them.

For the Thessalonians, the gospel had changed their life.

If anyone ever doubted the efficacy of the gospel, the Thessalonian church dispelled those questions.

Paul was the gospel’s number one human spokesperson of that day.

He faced significant opposition from Jews and gentiles.

Even among some of the believers, Paul found himself defending the message and his tactics for communicating it.

Anytime he faced this kind of argument, he could always point people to the people of Thessalonica.

Not just the preacher or the leaders but the whole congregation.

The measure of a sermon is determined as much by the congregation as it is by the preacher.

Strong congregations make strong preachers.

The Thessalonians, by the quality of their response to the gospel, extended Paul’s preaching throughout Greece.

We see again in these verses the evidence of their conversion.

They had turned from idols to God. - SLIDE #5

The gentile Thessalonians, like most Gentiles of the day, were pagans.

They worshipped not only the pantheon of roman gods, but also clung to local deities.

These false deities could do nothing to actually help anyone.

Instead, their worship rituals led people to inflict great harm upon themselves through their perversity.

In turning from these idols and their worship, two things happened. - Point #1

The Thessalonians became servants of the living and true God.

A negative attitude towards idols is not enough.

It must be joined by a positive attitude of service toward God. - Point #2

It’s like when we try to remove something unhealthy from our life.

If we only take out the unhealthy habit, then there will be a hole where it had been.

We must fill that hole with something healthy.

If we don’t, something will eventually fill that hole, it will probably be unhealthy.

The Thessalonians divested from their service to idols and invested in the service of God.

Not a bad trade.

Dead idols unable to appreciate or reward service.

Living and true God that rewards those who seek him.

Which leads in nicely to vs 10.

They started waiting Jesus to come back. - SLIDE #6

To serve God and to wait for Jesus go together.

Not just thematically, but grammatically.

They are both connected to the fact that they turned from their idols.

The fruit of that decision was service and waiting.

To wait means to await someone with patience and confidence, expectantly. - Point #1

They lived with the assured conviction that Jesus would return.

They expected Jesus to come back for them.

They believe that Jesus would return from the heavens to collect his saints.

Jesus’ resurrection was the advance installment of all the righteous dead.

The return of Christ is all throughout this letter.

Here Paul is referencing it and he gives us a glimpse into God’s plan for us that extend beyond this life.

We are protected from the wrath that God will pour out on the world.

This is a reference to the fact that we, as believers will not have to go through the tribulation.

His resurrection gives us the power to serve and to wait. - Point #2

Here, in this passage we see the key to a church’s testimony bringing the maximum amount of glory to God.

Christians believe that Jesus was raised from the dead.

This makes Him the true and living God.

This belief should lead to two evidences in the lives of believers.

Since we believe that Jesus is God, we glorify him by…

Turning from idols.

Serving God.

Waiting for Jesus.

Application - SLIDE #7

This formula still works today.

Do we want to glorify God throughout the world?

Should the testimony of the Baptist Tabernacle be spread?

Should our story be told to others to point them to Jesus?

Yes.

If that is going to happen, them we must do what they did.

We must turn from our idols. - Point #1

An idol is something you turn to expecting it to give you what only God can give you.

Our idols look very different than the idols of old.

They are just as prevalent and dangerous as they have ever been.

We must serve God. - Point #2

Service to God is meant to be expressed through your local church.

It can take on many forms.

You should seek for a means to use your gifts for the glory of God.

We must wait expectantly for Jesus to return. - Point #3

Waiting expectantly means letting Jesus’ imminent return affect our daily lives.

It means not pretending that we get to live however we want without fear of consequences.

Jesus will come back and we must answer the question, what will he find us doing?

This is not a verbal answer, it is an answer of our actions.

Conclusion - SLIDE #8

I believe we should want our church to expand its reach through its testimony as a source of the trumpeting of God’s word. - Point #1

If that is going to be a reality, we must turn from idols, serve God, and wait expectantly for Jesus to return.

Do we believe in Jesus? - Point #2

Let’s make Him known through the evidence of a changed life. - Point #3