A Trio of Christian Harmony
lass=MsoNormal align=right style='text-align:right'>1) 8-12-07…..AM…..Southview 2)
“A Trio of Christian Harmony”
Introduction: Imagine a violinist…..
- not too pleasing to the ears at the beginning
- but then later as skills increase the noise turns to music
- then later when another violin is added, music, still being music, turns to harmony
- as beautiful as a single, well played violin can sound, it can’t compare to the beauty of multiple violin ricocheting notes off each other in perfect harmony
Ø In the first few verses of 1 Thessalonians, Paul directs a cantata in Christian Harmony
Ø He informs the readers that the musical notes that must accompany a Christian’s life are…
1) Harmonious Faith (that leads to)
2) Healthy Love (which results in)
3) Handfuls of Hope
Ø This morning we want to see that….
Purpose Statement:
True faith produces fruit, is prompted by love and perseveres to the end.
Follow along as I read 1 Thessalonians 1:2-5
&
Prayer
Greeting of verse 1-2
1- Paul wastes no time in this letter expressing gratitude to God for what he has done in the lives of the Thessalonians
2- Paul is expressing that he has given thanks to God in the past and is still giving thanks for what God accomplished in the life of this church
3- In his formal greeting to these believers, Paul ushers in his main theme of the book, a genuine appreciation for the faithfulness of the Thessalonians
4- Paul shows how what they thought (intellect) about God led them into how to feel (emotion) towards others, which in turn directed them to establish (will) confidence in God.
Transition: First we see that the Thessalonians were remembered for their…
1) Harmonious Faith v3
A- Paul was remembering them for what their faith produced (subjective genitive)
1- Their faith was in harmony with their actions
· if we were to spend time in the rest of this chapter we see that they were imitators (v6) and examples (v7) to all in Macedonia and Achai who believed
2- What was known about them was the product their faith displayed
a. just like when you go to the store and see the products of many manufacturers, the Thessalonians manufactured actions that matched their faith
3- When people honestly trust Christ, that faith will be shown by works. Works will not save, but faith that does not lead to works is not saving faith. True Christian faith results in a changed life. See James 2:14–26.[1]
Application:
To sanctification:
1- To those who have placed faith in Christ to save them from their sin – Do your day to day actions match up with the faith you lay claim to?
? – Is you life in harmony with God’s instruction book or is it like an out of tune piano?
1. What are you actions when you hit your thumb with the hammer? Do you actions reflect your faith then?
2. Do you kids watch your actions behind closed doors and still see someone who lives out their faith in private as well as public?
3. Are you actions in harmony with Spirit living (the fruit of the Spirit)
Galaitians 5:22 But athe fruit of the Spirit is blove, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, cgoodness, dfaithfulness, 23 7gentleness, self-control.[2]
To unsaved:
1- Maybe you are like a lot of people and are relying on your good deeds to get you into God’s heaven
2- The Bible makes it very clear that good deeds or actions is never enough to get into heaven
Ephesians 2:8-9 oFor by grace you have been saved pthrough faith, and that not of yourselves; qit is the gift of God, 9 not of rworks, lest anyone should sboast[3]
- the bible tells us something about ourselves – that we all sin
- Sin is any word, thought, or deed that is contrary to the character of God.
- Romans 3:23 – we have all done this in voluntary and involuntary ways
- Sin is the reason that we cannot reach heaven on our own- no good works are good enough because of our sin
- Because of this sin nature we deserve death – Rom 6:23
- If you would like to escape eternity in hell then stop trying to be a good person to get into heaven and place your faith in Christ and let Him change your life
Transition: Not only did this church’s walk match their talk, they also demonstrated
2) Healthy Love v3
A- Their actions of faith when seen in their daily lives was one of sacrificial love for others
1- By the “labour, or toil, of love” is not meant that love which is devoted to God, but that love which manifests itself in acts of kindness toward our fellow-Christians and toward the human race.[4]
2- the picture given here is of someone who works hard in their efforts to show their care and concern for others
a- it was not out of selfish motives – “If I help them move then they will owe me later.”
Philippians 2:3-5 eLet nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but fin lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. 4 gLet each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of hothers.[5]
b- the motives, just like Christ’s were pure and genuine
Illustration: At the conclusion of a concert two ushers were applauding harder than anybody else. People seated nearby smiled appreciatively at the two music lovers until one of them stopped applauding and the other one was heard to say, “Keep clapping, you dope. One more encore and we’re on overtime.”[6]
What is your motive for living? Is it to help yourself or to help others?
To believers: Have you shown sacrificial love to someone today?
To unbelievers: God demonstrated his love to you when Jesus died
on the cross for you. Will you accept him by faith today
or continue to live as if He doesn’t exist.
Transition: What they thought about God affected their actions toward God. And their actions resulted in selfless
love towards others. But it didn’t stop there either, their patience in all of this was due to…
3) Handfuls of Hope in Jesus Christ
A- v6 says that they received the word of Christ “in much affliction”
1- they had chosen to serve and live for God no matter what others might think of them
2- the writer of this book (Paul) was at one time to be in prison (stocks) and was found to be singing.
3- His trust was not in the circumstances that surrounded Him but in an all-powerful God that could save His life
B- The only way they could endure whatever hardship they were going through was because they kept their eyes on God through it all
Illustration: Like the captain of the boat fixes his eyes on the point of reference during a bad storm
1- The hope of the Thessalonians, the Bible says, was in God
Hope can be defined as: (not like a “lucky charms” kind of hope)
An expectation or belief in the fulfillment of something desired.[7]
To look forward with confidence to that which is good and beneficial, to expect[8]
In the Bible the expectation of a favorable future under God’s direction[9]
2- If hope is fixed on God, it embraces at once the three elements of expectation of the future, trust, and the patience of waiting.
Where does your confidence lie? In yourself or in God?
Conclusion:
1- These were spiritually healthy people in this church.
2- How healthy are you when it comes to obeying God’s Word?
To sanctification:
- Is your faith exercised by god-honoring actions that love others more than you love yourself?
- Where do you put your trust and confidence during the difficult times of life?
- Get healthy by getting in God’s Word and Prayer
To unsaved:
- if you have never put your faith in God today then you are not spiritually healthy
- you are actually very sick and it is only a sickness that can be cured by Jesus Christ
- give illustration of Pharmacist you don’t know and brakes on the car
- Don’t rely on your good works to get you to heaven – put your faith in Christ today and let him change you life so you may be healthy before God.
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[1]Wiersbe, Warren W.: Wiersbe's Expository Outlines on the New Testament. Wheaton, Ill. : Victor Books, 1997, c1992, S. 592
[4] Spence-Jones, H. D. M. (Hrsg.): The Pulpit Commentary: 1 Thessalonians. Bellingham, WA : Logos Research Systems, Inc., 2004, S. 2
e Gal. 5:26; James 3:14
f Rom. 12:10; Eph. 5:21
g 1 Cor. 13:5
h Rom. 15:1, 2
[5] The New King James Version. Nashville : Thomas Nelson, 1982, S. Php 2:3-4
[6]Tan, Paul Lee: Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations : A Treasury of Illustrations, Anecdotes, Facts and Quotations for Pastors, Teachers and Christian Workers. Garland TX : Bible Communications, 1996, c1979
[7]Elwell, Walter A. ; Comfort, Philip Wesley: Tyndale Bible Dictionary. Wheaton, Ill. : Tyndale House Publishers, 2001 (Tyndale Reference Library), S. 611
[8]Louw, Johannes P. ; Nida, Eugene Albert: Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament : Based on Semantic Domains. electronic ed. of the 2nd edition. New York : United Bible societies, 1996, c1989, S. 1:295
[9]Achtemeier, Paul J. ; Harper & Row, Publishers ; Society of Biblical Literature: Harper's Bible Dictionary. 1st ed. San Francisco : Harper & Row, 1985, S. 402