A SUPREME EXAMPLE

I Thessalonians 1:3-4

A strong church is a church that is stirred up and aroused to work. Three things stir and arouse the church to work.

I.             Faith stirs the church to work. When a person truly believes in Jesus Christ, he is stirred to work and serve the Lord Jesus. The same is true with the church. The stronger the belief of the people in Christ, the stronger they will work for the Lord. A strong faith stirs, arouses, activates, and energizes believers to work and carry out the mission of Christ.

II.             Love stirs the church to labor. The word "labor" (kopou) means to toil; to labor to the point of exhaustion. When a person truly loves Christ, he is prompted and driven to labor for Christ without regard as for difficulty.

A.       Notice that the believer who is driven by love is the believer who has really seen the love of Christ. He is always conscious that Christ has taken his sins upon Himself and borne the punishment for them. The believer knows that he is ever so short of the glory of God, and that he deserves to be punished as the transgressor of God's law.

B.       But he also knows and walks around with the deep sense that Christ bore his punishment for him. It is the wonderful love of Christ that stirs the believer to love Christ so much.

C.       Therefore, he does all he can to please Christ and to fulfill the joy of Christ. This is what Paul meant when he said "the love of Christ constrains me" to serve Him

III.             Hope in the Lord Jesus Christ stirs the church to endure in its work and labor. The word "patience" (hupomones) means endurance, stedfastness, perseverance. Our hope is in the Lord Jesus Christ: we know He will guide and provide, deliver and strengthen, sustain and bless.

A.       We know that that Lord is going to transfer us into heaven at the end of this life and reward us according to our labor here on earth. Therefore, strong believers and churches are driven to endure in hope—to continue on in their comitted labor for Christ.

B.       There are several reasons why a man works.

1.      There is forced labor: a man is forced to work.

2.      There is a sense of duty: a person feels obligated to work.

3.      There is the need to meet necessities: a person has needs that have to be met.

4.      There is the wish to gain more: a person works to build up wealth.

C.       When a person accepts Christ his motive for working changes. His faith in the new world Christ is creating stirs him to work for Christ. His love for Christ and for others stirs him to work in order to share the gospel with the world. His hope in the return of Christ to set up His kingdom causes him to labor patiently.

IV.            A Supreme Example in Assurance (“Knowing Your Assurance”)

A strong church is seen to be elected by God. The word "election" (eklogen) means that the church has been selected and chosen by God. This means two things.

A.       Believers are elected and chosen by God to be His beloved people. God has called believers out of the world and away from the old life which the world offered, the old life of sin and death. He has called believers to be separated and set apart to Himself and the new life He offers, the new life of righteousness and eternity.

B.       Believers are elected and chosen to be beloved brothers; they are called to hold one another ever so closely to their hearts and to count one another as precious and deeply loved.

1.       The proof that a church is truly elected by God is that...

1)     The members act like the beloved people of God.

2)     The members treat each other as beloved brothers.

2.       A people can show that election is only a false profession...

1)      By acting like they are not the beloved of God—living in sin and shame, dirt and pollution, worldliness and greed.

2)     By treating one another as anything but beloved brothers: being critical and divisive, prideful and arrogant, angry and hurtful, envious and prejudiced, superior and super-spiritual