1 Thessalonians – The Model Church – 1 Thessalonians 1:2-10

Last week started new series – many missed last weeks introduction – sure you’ve listened online

In case you didn’t, a brief review on the origin of the church

Paul’s 2nd missionary journey along with Silas (end of Acts 15)

Intention was to visit churches from 1st missionary journey– picked up Timothy on Lystra

Started that then had a vision – a man from Macedonia, “Come here.”

Paul is obedient and makes his way westward

First stop is Philippi (Acts 16) – meets a woman Lydia (she and her house are baptized). Encounters a slave girl who has a spirit that enables her to predict the future – she becomes a distraction to Paul so he casts out the spirit which angers the slave girl’s owners who have been making money off of her – they bring up all these false accusations against Paul and eventually Paul and Silas end up in prison

In prison he and Silas are singing and praying – earthquake throws open the gates – their chains fall off – the jailer is terrified – they go to his house, have a Bible study and the jailer and his household are baptized as well

The officials release Paul and Silas but they are asked to leave the city

That brings them to Thessalonica (Acts 17)

Paul has some success – some Jews, a large number of God-fearing Greeks, and quite a few prominent women are converted – things are going well

Trouble breaks out again with false accusations and once again Paul and Silas are forced to leave

How long they stayed is debated – at least three weeks, maybe a few months – but in any case it wasn’t as long as they wanted and their departure was abrupt

This seems to have caused some anxiety among the Christians there – did Paul really care, is this guy legit. It also seems that Paul is worried about the church there as he has to move on so quickly. Here is a reference to that in the letter he writes them:

1 Thessalonians 2:17–18 (NIV) — 17 But, brothers and sisters, when we were orphaned by being separated from you for a short time (in person, not in thought), out of our intense longing we made every effort to see you. 18 For we wanted to come to you—certainly I, Paul, did, again and again—but Satan blocked our way.

So, on his next stop, Athens, he sent Timothy to check on them

1 Thessalonians 3:1–2 (NIV) — 1 So when we could stand it no longer, we thought it best to be left by ourselves in Athens. 2We sent Timothy, who is our brother and co-worker in God’s service in spreading the gospel of Christ, to strengthen and encourage you in your faith.

At some point, probably when he was at Corinth, Timothy arrived with this report:

1 Thessalonians 3:6 (NIV) — 6 But Timothy has just now come to us from you and has brought good news about your faith and love. He has told us that you always have pleasant memories of us and that you long to see us, just as we also long to see you.

That report may have prompted Paul to write this letter to the church at Thessalonica.

After a brief introduction in 1:1-2 Paul writes these words to the brothers and sisters there:

1 Thessalonians 1:2–10 (NIV) — 2 We always thank God for all of you and continually mention you in our prayers. 3 We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. 4 For we know, brothers and sisters loved by God, that he has chosen you, 5 because our gospel came to you not simply with words but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and deep conviction. You know how we lived among you for your sake. 6 You became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you welcomed the message in the midst of severe suffering with the joy given by the Holy Spirit. 7 And so you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia. 8 The Lord’s message rang out from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia—your faith in God has become known everywhere. Therefore we do not need to say anything about it, 9 for they themselves report what kind of reception you gave us. They tell how you 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—Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath.

That is a great beginning to a letter. This is a great church.

This is like when your teachers email parents bragging on them. This is like getting a letter from your boss praising how well you do your job. I still remember my senior year in high school on awards night I was chosen as the top history student. I received a book and my teacher wrote in it – “To one of the most deserving students I’ve had in all my years of teaching, Mr. Whiting.” I still remember. Imagine how these believers must have felt to hear these words from Paul, Silas, and Timothy.

I want us to especially look at verse 7-8:

1 Thessalonians 1:7–8a (NIV) — 7 And so you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia. 8 The Lord’s message rang out from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia—your faith in God has become known everywhere.

Paul is over the moon and Paul was not one not to call people out if he had a problem with them:

Galatians 3:1 (NIV) — 1 You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified.

1 Corinthians 11:17 (NIV) — 17 In the following directives I have no praise for you, for your meetings do more harm than good.

1 Corinthians 14:20 (NIV) — 20 Brothers and sisters, stop thinking like children. In regard to evil be infants, but in your thinking be adults.

Paul is not one to hand out compliments willi-nilly

This is a good church – they are a model for others

I played a lot of sports growing up and it reminds me of times when the coach would be trying to teach us something and then ask one of the star players to come out front and show them how it’s done.

The message rang out – everyone knew about their faith.

Wouldn’t you love to be a member of a church like that?

Wouldn’t you love the PACOC to be a church like that?

I believe we are one. I see God working through all of you in so many ways. I will always remember when our Barnabas Center opened and the news did a little story on it. One of my son’s friend’s parents saw that and in the following days she told me she said when that story began she knew it was the Park Avenue Church behind it. I hear it often in our community.

And I say these things with no intention to brag on you or me or anyone. I say these things because when God works through a church it brings glory to Him and if that’s not why we are here, then why are we here? Now, I’m no Paul, Silas, or Timothy but let me thank you for your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.

But let me also warn you – it doesn’t take long for a good church to go bad.

The book of Revelation is written to seven churches not far from Thessalonica, and for some of the churches the news is not so good:

To Ephesus:

Revelation 2:4 (NIV) — 4 Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first.

To Laodicea:

Revelation 3:15–16 (NIV) — 15 I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! 16So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.

As I am reading through 1 Thessalonians I am bring reminded that I want us to be a model church – a church where the gospel of Jesus rings out and we must realize that this has to be an intentional desire – one we are reminded of often – because it is so easy to be slip into complacency or to be negatively affected by our culture. So let’s look at some of the things that characterize the church in Thessalonica that has elicited this high praise from Paul and remind ourselves to have the same commitments.

(Credit to Michael Holmes – 1 & 2 Thessalonians – New International Application Commentary notes these traits.)

A model church is rooted in God’s grace

1 Thessalonians 1:4 (NIV) — 4 For we know, brothers and sisters loved by God, that he has chosen you.

We have done nothing to deserve God’s love – and the fact that we are his children is based solely on him choosing us. We have all made a choice – to sin and separate ourselves from God, but God has made the choice to remedy that sin in sending Jesus Christ to die for us.

A model church is characterized by faith, hope, and love

1 Thessalonians 1:3 (NIV) — 3 We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.

Even though Paul is known as the apostle of grace for him faith is busy.Love – they will know you are my disciples if you love one another.

1 Corinthians 13:1–3 (NIV) — 1 If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.

Hope – the unfailing confidence that Christ is coming back

1 Thessalonians 1:9b–10 (NIV) — 9 They tell how you 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—Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath.

A model church is empowered by the Holy Spirit

1 Thessalonians 1:5 (NIV) — 5 because our gospel came to you not simply with words but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and deep conviction.

This is more than just affirming doctrines and memorizing scripture – which are helpful. This is about allowing and cultivating life that accesses the power of the Holy Spirit. We cannot be a model church apart from the power of the Holy Spirit.

I know this is a controversial point in Christianity especially in relation to whether or not the miraculous manifestations of the Spirit are present today – talk to me. There doesn’t seem to be any mention of the miraculous gifts in Thessalonians, yet their fervent faith and evident transformation through the gospel could be seen as a reflection of the Holy Spirit's work in their lives. Let me share what Holmes says:

It is important to note that the answer to this question is not as simple as charismatic versus non charismatic, as if the exercise of a few particular spiritual gifts, or their corresponding absence, can indicate whether we are open to the power and leading of the Spirit. It is just as possible for a church that exalts speaking in tongues and prophecy to miss the leading of the Spirit as it is for a church that thinks all the sign gifts ceased in the 1stcentury. A more reliable indicator is the presence of the fruit of the Spirit and the exercise of those spiritual gifts intended for the building up of the body of Christ.

A model church bears witness to the Gospel

1 Thessalonians 1:8–9 (NIV) — 8 The Lord’s message rang out from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia—your faith in God has become known everywhere. Therefore we do not need to say anything about it, 9 for they themselves report what kind of reception you gave us. They tell how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God.

The message rang out. Of course we need to verbally proclaim the Gospel of Jesus but the primary way them message rang out was from transformed lives – they turned from idols. People not only heard the message – they saw it.

No church can spread the gospel with any degree of integrity, let alone credibility, unless it has been visibly changed by the gospel it preaches.

J.R.W Stott

This is why it is so critical that we seek to be more and more holy – not to earn our salvation but to be more convincing witnesses to the gospel. People could see changes in these people. They were different.

I was one way, and now I’m completely different. And the thing that happened in between was him.

Mary Magdalene, The Chosen

May the message of Jesus Christ ring out from this place by our words of proclamation and by the witness of our transformed lives.

Two categories of people here:

Those who have not need transformed and those who have been. To those who do not know Jesus, we are glad you are here and we want to be a church that helps you know him. We would love to talk to you more – please seek out one of us. To those who have been transformed, praise God and may each of us continue to allow the Holy Spirit to produce fruit in our lives so we can live more fully into the abundant life Jesus has promised and so that by our words and by our lives the message of God’s grace rings our loudly and clearly.