Faithful Followers of Jesus

When I began to preach through 1 Thessalonians I told you the them could be you’ve done great so far, keep doing what you’ve been doing even more.

The verses we will study today really bear this out.

Remember that Paul had started the church in Thessalonica several months before writing this letter to them. He had been run out of town, persecuted because of Jesus Christ.

in the first part of chapter 2, Paul reminded them of what kind of preacher he was, now he is commending them for their faith.

Followers of Jesus should be identified by how we respond to the word of God and persecution.

Paul is thankful for the genuineness of their faith as he considered two pieces of evidence.

Christians show evidence of our faith in the way we respond to God's Word

1 Thessalonians 2:13 HCSB

This is why we constantly thank God, because when you received the message about God that you heard from us, you welcomed it not as a human message, but as it truly is, the message of God, which also works effectively in you believers.

In chapter 1.3 Paul prayed thankful for their fruitful faith, now he mentions thankfulness for their reception of the Word.

They responded positively to Paul’s preaching.

They recognized that the message was supernatural. It wasn’t the same as some lecture about any number of other things. The Christian Church must maintain that the Bible and the message of Christ is unique. Our Bible is inspired. It is living. The author (God, the Holy Spirit) uses the Living Word of God to speak into hearts in a way that no other book… no other “word” ever could.

They reflected ongoing change. “Works effectively” The Word of God was still changing them. Present tense. God was still working on and in them as believers.

We should be concerned about someone who understands faith in Jesus as an event to be checked off. I prayed, I was baptized… I’m good.

Is God still at work on you through His Word?

Here are some ways make that happen.

Read your Bible regularly.

Get in a Sunday School Class. discipleship is important.

Attend worship regularly.

God, like a good medicine, will continue to heal sin-sick souls so long as people receive it by faith.

Christians show evidence of our faith in the way we respond to persecution

1 Thessalonians 2:14–16 HCSB

For you, brothers, became imitators of God’s churches in Christ Jesus that are in Judea, since you have also suffered the same things from people of your own country, just as they did from the Jews who killed both the Lord Jesus and the prophets and persecuted us; they displease God and are hostile to everyone, hindering us from speaking to the Gentiles so that they may be saved. As a result, they are always completing the number of their sins, and wrath has overtaken them at last.

Those whose lives are being changed by God often find themselves the objects of criticism and attack by people in whom there is no divine life.

Frequently when Christians suffer persecution they are tempted to think God's blessing has departed. NOT SO.

(How easy we quit today)

I think in America, we have confused loss of Christian privilege with persecution.

For most of America’s History, Christianity has enjoyed and elevated status, often times at the hand of government.

As our nation has grown more secular, the church has struggled.

We hear a lot about how “if Christians don’t take a stand,, we are going to lose this Country, etc.” Let me remind you that our message is Christ died, and was buried, and rose again. We may speak to things like abortion, same sex marriage, and other issues because of our biblical worldview, but we must not equate “taking a stand” on and issue with our primary message of the Gospel. And the message of the Gospel is often met with hostility, scoffing, and push back.

Note that not once did Paul say “Stand up and have a protest or a rally at city hall or any such thing.” Here is what he did say.

1. Persecution connects us to the rest of believers. 14-15

The Thessalonians were united with the Mother church in Jerusalem. Because they both suffered because of the Gospel.

Paul connected them and us to the original church by stating that we receive the same persecution.

In Acts 15.8 there was a debate about Gentile and Jewish Christians. In particular the question was did Gentile Christians needs to be circumcised and keep the Jewish dietary law in order to be Christians. They answer was no.. and the reason given was that the Gentile believers who did not keep the law received the SAME HOLY SPIRIT as the Jewish believers who had kept the law. This unified the Gentile and the Jewish Church as one church. Here Paul argues that we are part of the original church as evidenced by the persecution we receive just as they did.

Acts 15:8 HCSB

And God, who knows the heart, testified to them by giving the Holy Spirit, just as He also did to us.

2. Persecution condemns the persecutors.

At the end of verse 15 he says that the persecutors displease God and are hostile to everyone.

Their sins are piled higher and higher to the point of being full and overflowing.

Their sins are prepared to be judged.

Wrath shows up three times in 1 Thess

1.10 Jesus delivers us from wrath to come.

2.16 Wrath comes on unbelievers.

5.9. God has not destined believers for wrath.

So how should we respond to persecution.

Example of cake baker:

Be prepared to have to go to court.

If Supreme Court upholds 1st amendment, enjoy the victory.

If Supreme Court rules against… Keep the faith.

In any circumstance seek to be winsome, if possible.