Acknowledging the Good
1 Thessalonians • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Call to Worship
Call to Worship
In You, O Yahweh, I have taken refuge; Let me never be ashamed; In Your righteousness protect me.
Incline Your ear to me, deliver me quickly; Be to me a rock of strength, A fortress to save me.
For You are my high rock and my fortress; For Your name’s sake You will lead me and guide me.
You will bring me out of the net which they have secretly laid for me, For You are my strength.
Into Your hand I commit my spirit; You have ransomed me, O Yahweh, God of truth.
My times are in Your hand; Deliver me from the hand of my enemies and from those who pursue me.
Make Your face to shine upon Your slave; Save me in Your lovingkindness.
First Reading
First Reading
like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation,
if you have tasted the kindness of the Lord.
And coming to Him as to a living stone which has been rejected by men, but is choice and precious in the sight of God,
you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
For this is contained in Scripture: “Behold, I lay in Zion a choice stone, a precious corner stone, And he who believes upon Him will not be put to shame.”
This precious value, then, is for you who believe; but for those who disbelieve, “The stone which the builders rejected, This has become the chief corner stone,”
and, “A stone of stumbling and a rock of offense.” They stumble because they are disobedient to the word, and to this stumbling they were also appointed.
But you are a chosen family, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;
for you once were not a people, but now you are the people of God; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
Second Reading
Second Reading
“Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me.
“In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you.
“And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.
“And you know the way where I am going.”
Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going. How do we know the way?”
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father but through Me.
“If you have come to know Me, you will know My Father also; from now on you know Him, and have seen Him.”
Philip said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.”
Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you all so long and have you not come to know Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?
“Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me? The words that I say to you I do not speak from Myself, but the Father abiding in Me does His works.
“Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me; otherwise believe because of the works themselves.
“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do because I go to the Father.
“Whatever you ask in My name, this will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
“If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it.
Intro:
Intro:
AG: Power of praising God
Da-lah is a Hebrew word that is used in verse 1 of Psalm 30:1 It means to draw/lift up & to save.
I will exalt You, O Yahweh, for You have lifted me up, And have not let my enemies be glad over me.
Like a bucket drawn up from a well, God lifts us up when we are feeling down. God gives us life and hope and strength.
That often comes as we Praise Him and show gratitude.
TS: Paul was a master at thanking God in spite of the circumstance
V. 2 Paul begins spelling out his practice of praying for the flock. Paul specifies that he gives thanks for the characteristics of the church in Thessalonica.
RS: We should follow both Paul’s example of gratitude and the church’s example of serving.
I. IT IS AN ENERGETIC CHURCH (1:2–3)
I. IT IS AN ENERGETIC CHURCH (1:2–3)
We give thanks to God always for all of you, making mention of you in our prayers;
remembering without ceasing your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ before our God and Father,
Paul ties his favorite 3 fold combination of spiritual attributes: faith, hope, and love
They energetically carried out their ministry duties which grew from these 3.
Paul said this in 1Cor 13:13
But now abide faith, hope, love—these three; but the greatest of these is love.
Paul gives thanks to God.
A. For their strong faith (1:2–3a)
They served in faith.
Not just saving faith, but living faith. They trusted God enough to live the way He demanded.
They knew and trusted in the truth.
It was not formal, barren and dead, but activily working. James 2:20
But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is useless?
For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.
They were brining their will under submission to God.
through whom we received grace and apostleship for the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles for the sake of His name,
B. For their labor of love (1:3b)
remembering without ceasing your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ before our God and Father,
They served in love
They had genuine heartfelt concern for others and it manifested labors of love.
They were concerned for the welfare of others.
C. Steadfast Hope (1:3b)
Their hope in Christ for the future kept them steadfast in life’s trials and tribulations.
Knowing the final outcome can help us in the present.
Their hope sustained their souls.
This equipped them to endure persecution.
The three graces of faith, hope, and love manifested themselves, and thus displayed their renewal through Jesus Christ
AP: Faith, hope, and love are essential in our walk.
We should be an energetic church.
It is not enough to possess faith, hope, and love, we must PRACTICE them!
A. Faith
Real faith works!
2226We believe that men are saved by faith alone, but not by a faith which is alone. They are saved by faith without works, but not by a faith which is without works.—21.25, 26
Charles Spurgeon
Faith in God will change how we walk.
We will obey Him, trusting that His way is the best way.
We will Worship Him, knowing that He alone is worthy
In Faith we can please God
And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who draws near to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.
B. Love
We too should be known for our labor of love.
SLIDE:
Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle.
Steve Jobs
There can be no greater labor, than serving others.
We are to be known by our love.
Paul so believed in the importance of love, we have 1 Cor 13 discussing it.
Notice:
If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.
And if I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.
And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing.
That is an impressive list!
Yet Paul said the deeds themselves are nothing if they aren’t done with love.
Love must be a part of all we do.
C. Hope
We can continuously endure the difficulties of this life when we can keep our blessed hope in mind.
We have hope because of Jesus Chirst.
Power of Hope
Clement of Alexandria
If you do not hope you will never discover what is beyond your hopes.
II. IT IS AN ELECT CHURCH (1:4)
II. IT IS AN ELECT CHURCH (1:4)
knowing, brothers beloved by God, your election,
Paul often used the term “elect” when referring to believers and churches.
Scripture teaches that we are chosen and called by God.
Their faith, love, and hope demonstrated they were genuinely chosen by and believed in God.
But we should always give thanks to God for you, brothers beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you as the first fruits for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth.
It was for this He called you through our gospel, that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Man’s will participates in response to God’s promptings as Paul makes clear when he says the Thessalonians received the Word (v. 6) and they turned to God from idols (v. 9). These two responses describe faith and repentance, which God repeatedly calls sinners to do throughout Scripture
AP: God still calls people to faith and repentance.
Elect
Two lines of truth seem to run parallel in the Bible: one, that God has chosen His “elect” from eternity, and two, that these “elect” have made a responsible decision to trust Christ.
Warren W. Wiersbe
He calls us and saves us
He calls us to service
But you are a chosen family, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;
III. IT IS AN EXEMPLARY CHURCH (1:5–7)
III. IT IS AN EXEMPLARY CHURCH (1:5–7)
A. Paul’s example to the church (1:5–6)
for our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full assurance; just as you know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake.
You also became imitators of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction with the joy of the Holy Spirit,
Paul refers back to himself and their response
Paul:
1. His preaching (1:5).
Gospel in power and Holy Spirit
Our gospel- the only gospel there was for all sinners!
for “Whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher?
And how will they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who proclaim good news of good things!”
However, they did not all heed the good news, for Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our report?”
So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.
Not just his words, but anointed by God.
God convicts and calls people to Himself.
We do not have to persuade people, that is God’s business!
Paul’s preaching of the gospel was powerful!
2. His personal lifestyle (1:6).
They had been upstanding men among the Thessalonians
The quality of the message was confirmed by the character of the messengers.
Paul’s life was an example to all.
It impacted them! Notice next
Their Response
v. 6 Thessalonians imitated Paul, Timothy, and Silas
The applied the teaching and example by living it!
they were 3rd generation
Christ> to Paul > to them
B. They then became an example to the world (1:7)
They are a model to all the believers in Greece.
so that you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia.
MODEL: The Gr. word was used to describe a seal that marked wax or a stamp that minted coins. Paul commended the Thessalonians for being model believers leaving their mark on others.
The Thessalonians realized and leveraged the power of their testimony.
AP: We must be an example.
As Christians, we are called to serve as a living example. This role involves acting as a "living epistle" that makes Jesus visible and accessible to the world,, setting a model of selfless love, forgiveness, and obedience
Serve others as Jesus did
Offer grace and forgiveness to others
Be a peacemaker
Integrity: be consistent in character.
IV. IT IS AN EVANGELISTIC CHURCH (1:8)
IV. IT IS AN EVANGELISTIC CHURCH (1:8)
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.
Their faith in God has become known everywhere.
Sounded Forth:
The message reverberated through the region.
Wherever the believers went, the gospel was heard
They reached out locally and nationally.
They proclaimed the gospel and lived changed lives leading Paul to have no need to say anything further to prove their genuineness.
AP: We should be the same.
“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,
teaching them to keep all that I commanded you; and behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
While going
everywhere we go we are on mission.
Make disciples
Share the gospel
Through Deeds
Through words
Baptize them
Immersing them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit
Teach them
Train them to obey the Lord
V. IT IS AN EXPECTANT CHURCH (1:9–10)
V. IT IS AN EXPECTANT CHURCH (1:9–10)
For they themselves report about us what kind of an entrance we had with you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve a living and true God,
and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath to come.
Their repentance
turned from idols to serve a living and true God.
They are looking forward to the return of Jesus from heaven.
This isn’t possible with idols
They cannot do anything for us.
“Bring near your case,” Yahweh says. “Bring forward your mighty arguments,” The King of Jacob says.
Let them bring it forth and declare to us what is going to take place; As for the former events, declare what they were, That we may establish our heart on them and know their outcome. Or cause us to hear of what is coming;
Declare the things that are to come afterward, That we may know that you are gods; Indeed, do good or evil, that we may anxiously look about us and fear together.
Behold, you are nothing, And your work is non-existent; He who chooses you is an abomination.
Awaiting The Son
And after He had said these things, He was lifted up while they were looking on, and a cloud received Him out of their sight.
And as they were gazing intently into the sky while He was going, behold, two men in white clothing stood beside them.
They also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking toward heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven.”
That day, believers begain awaiting Christs return
He is preparing a home for us with Him and the Father. (Jn 14)
much like a groom would add on rooms to family home and then go get his bride.
“Heaven is a prepared place for a prepared people.”
Charles Spurgeon
Rescues us from the wrath to come.
Our shared hope as believers is Christ’s return.
Deliverance is secured through faith in Jesus' resurrection and sacrificial death, which provides protection from the divine anger due to sinful humanity.
Conc.
Conc.
Citations:
John F. MacArthur Jr., The MacArthur Study Bible: New American Standard Bible. (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2006), 1 Th 1:4, 1 Th 1:7, 1 Th 1:10.
The Outline Bible (Section Outline One (1 Thessalonians 1))
