1 THESSALONIANS (4)

INTRO: WE HAD A LOT OF ANNOUNCEMENTS SO LET’S GET RIGHT INTO IT. WE ARE STARTING ON VERSE 4 TONIGHT!

We have talked about have a works of faith and last week doing the works that we do out of love for God and others.

INTRO:

Sometimes it is hard to know where to start to be a better and more active servant. Now you will have consistent opportunities to serve in different ways.

PRAYER CHALLENGE: Every week we have been taking up the challenge to do as Paul, Silvanus and Timothy did and pray for our fellow followers of Christ and specifically here in the UCSC.

Q: HOW DID THIS LAST WEEKS CHALLENGE GO? DID YOU ASK THEM FACE TO FACE HOW YOU CAN PRAY FOR THEM?

Q: What impact did it have to know that you were being prayed for? What about on those praying? Q: Any stories about how this made a difference?

Q: Any stories about how this made a difference?

(Someone texted me and asked if we could continue to do this prayer things throughout the year, not just this semester because it has been awesome!)

RENEW THE CHALLENGE THIS WEEK: Let’s renew this challenge for this week. Look round and pick a different person to pray for than last time. Tell them in person or by message that you are praying for them this week. (And if you are really bold tell them why you are thankful for them.) (Got it?)

OPENING ACTIVITY: PICK SOMEONE WHO YOU KNOW WELL HERE AND USE ONE WORD TO DESCRIBE WHO YOU THINK IS PART OF WHO THEY ARE. BE ENCOURAGING, PLEASE! That is the point. (I’ll start to give you a chance to think and to give you an example;)

(I’ll start to give you a chance to think and to give you an example;

THERE ARE A FEW WORDS THAT GOD USES IN VERSE 4 TO DESCRIBE THE THESSALONIANS TO ENCOURAGE THEM! Read verse 4:

OK So let’s move on to verses 4 AND FOLLOWING! read verse 4.

YOU ARE LOVED AND CHOSEN BY GOD!

1 Thessalonians 1:4 ESV

For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you,

Q: DO YOU KNOW YOU ARE LOVED AND CHOSEN BY GOD? IF YOU DO HOW WILL THOSE TRUTH ABOUT YOU CAUSE YOUR LIVE DIFFERENTLY? (Let’s start with love)

A: If we truly believe that we are loved by God we will understand our worth and live out of that worth. (Not seeking to establish our worth through other things.) We will not listen to the messages from the enemy that tell us we are anything different. We are loved despite our mistakes, flaws, difficulties and relationship statuses.

HOW DO YOU KNOW YOU ARE LOVED BY GOD? (Your daily life. How God is working in other your life, blessing your life, listening, helping you, encouraging you…)

Q: WHY DO YOU THINK THE HOLY SPIRIT THROUGH PAUL TOLD THEM THEY WERE “LOVED BY GOD?” Let’s just go ahead and eliminate the obvious that He told them because He loved them. What other reasons? (1) Even if they knew it, they needed to hear it! (We need to hear it as well.) (2) We can easily forget and need to recognize His love)

(ill: If you struggle with remembering or feeling God’s love for you I want to challenge you to take time at the end of every day to recognize what happened during the day because of a direct result of God’s love. You were encouraged, had food, had a laugh, etc.)

Trans: now we are also chosen as they were. If you truly believe you are chosen then how will that affect your life?

A: If we truly believe that we are chosen we can believe what God has chosen us to be and do is who we are to be and His purposes are great and worth living for. We are chosen for His purposes and plan. We can look at that briefly...But first we need to understand how?

HOW ARE WE CHOSEN BY GOD?

Let’s

Q: HOW ARE WE CHOSEN BY GOD? If God has chosen us then does that mean that He did not choose others? And if God has chosen some and not others, how is He not a God of favoritism?

A: To understand how we are chosen by God we have to look at both the context of the passage that talks about it and the context OF all scripture so that we do not come up with something that is beyond scripture (such as Calvinism). So verses 4 and 5 together...

1 Thessalonians 1:4–5 ESV

For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, because our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction. You know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake.

Q: WHAT CAN WE LEARN FROM THESE VERSE ABOUT HOW WE ARE CHOSEN BY GOD?

A: notice the word right after “ we know he has chosen you” is “because.” Because…why? Because the gospel came to them (1) in word, () (2) in power, (the message of the gospel is powerful to save (), (3) in the Holy Spirit (the Holy Spirit helping the messengers to speak and (4) with full conviction. (The full conviction of the messengers which lead to the full conviction of those who were saved.)

How God calls us and how He chooses us can be understood (as it is referenced here through the gospel) without getting wrapped up in all the confusion when we look at what scripture says about how God calls us. For example: Let’s look at

Let’s look at

2 Thessalonians 2:13–14 ESV

But we ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the firstfruits to be saved, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth. To this he called you through our gospel, so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Verse 13, says they were chose them then verse 14 goes on to say that He not only chose them but called them to what He chose for them (sanctification).

Q: HOW DOES THIS VERSE SAY THEY WERE CALLED? Through the gospel. Now that is important because it helps us to understand who God has chosen. It helps us understand:

(1) How God can chose people and not be a God of favoritism? (Those who are chosen are the ones who respond to the gospel.)

(2) How God can chose and call people without taking away our free will? (God calls us through the gospel and we must choose to follow Him.)

God is sovereign but God is also loving a gives us choice. God chooses that those who respond to the gospel are saved and His people.

Q: WHO ALL DOES GOD WANT THE GOSPEL TO GO TO? Obviously everyone in the world hence the commands we have ( ) and His patience () but what?

Israel was God’s chosen people but it was (1) not because God wanted them to be saved more than others or (2) because they were inherently or intrinsically better. We know this because:

(1) Israel was supposed to be a light to the nations so that others would come to know God as , , and other verses say. (Which tells us that God loves and wanted the other nations to be saved as well) Also (2) tells us that God did not choose them because they were more in number or better but because He promised Abraham.

What we should really be concerned with in reference to being chosen is beyond how we are chosen (or elected) (which is through the gospel and our own decision to obey it) but what it means that we are chosen. (What we are chosen for!)

Q: WHAT SHOULD THAT MEAN TO YOU THAT YOU ARE CHOSEN BY GOD?

A: We should understand that it means that we are chosen to be and to do what God has planned for us. It is something special that we should take seriously and be thankful for. Not in a prideful way but in humility giving ourselves over to Him as one of His chosen.

It should mean that God has a purpose for you just as He had for Israel (as His chosen people). You are a member of His church (God’s chosen people today.)

1 Peter 3:9–10 ESV

Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing. For “Whoever desires to love life and see good days, let him keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit;

1 Peter 2:9–10 ESV

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

1 Peter 3

Q: SO WHAT DOES THIS VERSE SAY THAT OUR PURPOSE IS AS GOD’S CHOSEN PEOPLE?

A: That you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who called you out of darkness. (How? through the gospel, just as He calls everyone who hears the gospel, except many to not answer the call.)

So are called and chosen for a very important purpose the most important purposes! The question is are you living for God’s purposes or the worlds.

That is an important question because if you have given you life to Christ then you should be living for His purposes and everything else in your life be backing up those purposes. We cannot live for our own first and have his in the background.

SO THIS ONE VERSE (VERSE 4) GIVES A HINT OF ONE ASPECT OF OUR IDENTITY (LOVED BY GOD) AND (CHOSEN) FOR VERY SPECIAL PURPOSES.

Q: WHAT WILL HAPPEN IF YOU DO NOT BELIEVE THAT YOU ARE CHOSEN FOR A SPECIAL CALLING BY GOD?

PLEASE BELIEVE IN THESE TWO THINGS THAT YOU ARE LOVE BY GOD AND THAT YOU ARE CHOSEN BY GOD TO BE AND DO IMMEASURABLY IMPORTANT THINGS FOR HIM! IF YOU DON’T YOU WILL GO AFTER THE PURPOSES OF THE WORLD…AND GODS PURPOSES WILL GO UNDONE OR BE A SIDE POINT IN YOUR LIFE!

THE PEOPLE IN YOUR LIFE DON’T NEED ANOTHER PERSON WHO IS GOING AFTER THE PURPOSES OF THE WORLD THEY NEED YOU TO BE DIFFERENT!

HOW THE GOSPEL CAME TO THEM SHOWS US HOW WE CAN BRING IT TO OTHERS

Trans: Before we move on the verses 6-8 let’s stop and look at what we learn from the example of Paul and His companions about sharing the gospel in verse 5. before we do...

Q: HOW MANY OF YOU BELIEVE THAT PART OF THE PURPOSE THAT GOD HAS CHOSEN US FOR IS TO SPREAD THE GOSPEL? Q: HOW MANY OF YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE BETTER AT?

A: Me too. So let’s read verse 5 about how the gospel came to them at Thessalonians through Paul and his companions. As we do try to answer this question:

Q: HOW CAN WE BRING THE GOSPEL TO PEOPLE EFFECTIVELY? (READ VERSE 5)

1 Thessalonians 1:5 ESV

because our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction. You know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake.

(1) in word, (you have to speak it…yes you need to establish relationships/friendships, serve people, etc…but you have to eventually share the gospel with them.) It does not have to be eloquent/perfect…with the realization that (2) “power of the Holy Spirit” is helping you powerfully…and while it does not have to be eloquent you can share it will (3) “full conviction” which comes from having it on your mind and in your life.

(2)

THE FAR REACHING IMPACT OF ONE FAITHFUL GROUP OF CHRIST FOLLOWERS

The Thessalonian church was different and it showed and they were making a huge impact.

What I love so much about 1 THESSALONIANS is that is shows what a far reaching impact one group of Christ followers can make when they are living as God’s chosen.

Trans: if we do we can do what the Christ followers in Thessolonica did which is shown in the next few verses: Let’s read verse 6-8. As we read seek to answer this question:

1 Thessalonians 1:6–8 ESV

And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you received the word in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit, so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. For not only has the word of the Lord sounded forth from you in Macedonia and Achaia, but your faith in God has gone forth everywhere, so that we need not say anything.

Q: WHAT STANDS OUT TO YOU ABOUT WHAT THEY WERE DOING RIGHT THAT WE ALSO NEED TO BE STRIVING TO DO? (If we are deeply convicted, living for God’s purposes!)

(*GET A VOLUNTEER TO WRITE) AS YOU ANSWER WE WILL WRITE THEM ON THE BOARD:

(1) They recieved the word, (with joy in the Holy Spirit) and they were willing to suffer for it (2) they were imitators of Christ following His example of suffering, (3) they became examples themselves to a lot of people including the churches and (4) THEY SHARED THE TRUTH WITH OTHERS....God’s message rang out from them…everywhere!

Q:WHICH ONE OF THESE THINGS STANDS OUT OT YOU THE MOST AND WHY?

A: Each one of these things is connected and they all go together. Actually as you read through the passage you see a flow from one to the other. Let’s start at the end.

Q: SO HOW DID THE SUCCESSION GO? DO YOU SEE IT?

A: (2) They became “imitators of the Lord” for (1) “you received the word with the Joy of the Holy Spirit” so that (3) “you became an example” to all the believers!

SO THE GREATER MESSAGE HERE IS THAT IF WE WANT TO MAKE AN IMPACT FOR CHRIST AND BE AN EXAMPLE FOR GOOD WE HAVE TO IMITATE CHRIST…BUT TO IMITATE CHRIST WE HAVE TO BE IN AND ACCEPT HIS WORD AND BECOME LIKE CHRIST.

As they were being all these things their IMPACT AND FAITH WAS KNOW ALL OVER THE PLACE.

THAT IS WHAT WE SHOULD WANT FOR THE UCSC TO BE ON CAMPUS, THAT WE ARE EXAMPLES TO OTHERS AS WE IMITATE CHRIST AND THAT THE WORD OF GOD WOULD SOUND FORTH FROM US ALL OVER CAMPUS!!

Trans: There is something else to recognize here in the text and that is…

IF WE ARE DOING ALL THESE THINGS WE WILL (LIKE THE THESSALONIANS) BE THE LIGHTS GOD HAS INTENDED FOR US TO BE.

TRANS: If we do think of how far reaching our impact could go. There example and message was reaching all over the region and beyond...

Q: where did it all start? Where did the example begin?

THE POWER OF POSITIVE EXAMPLE:

THE POWER OF POSITIVE EXAMPLE

Do you see the ripple of effect of example in these verses? Who was an example first? Paul and his companions! Then as the Thessalonians followed their example and Christ’s they became and example to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia.

Do you see the ripple of effect of example in these verses? Who was an example first? Paul and his companions! Then as the Thessalonians followed their example and Christ’s they became and example to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia.

Do you see the ripple of effect of example in these verses? Who was an example first? Paul and his companions! Then as the Thessalonians followed their example and Christ’s they became and example to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia.

Verse 5 says, “You know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake.”

Their lives backed up their message but not for their own personal glory but so those they shared the gospel with would benefit.

Q: SO WHAT CAN WE LEARN FROM THAT?

(ill: of far reaching example...

A: That if your life does not match up with your message then neither will make an impact! But if your example is like Christ then...

But if your example is like Christ then...

Your example may go further than you may think

IN WHAT WAYS CAN OUR EXAMPLE GO FURTHER THAN WE EXPECT? To those who we know and live with to those we have never met .

To our children, spouse, grandchildren…etc…our examples can outlive us. (Not that we should want to do it for that but just so that people will come to know Christ…)

To our children, spouse, grandchildren…etc…our examples can outlive us. (Not that we should want to do it for that but just so that people will come to know Christ…)

We should not underestimate how far reaching our example can go. If you are being an example do not give up or give in, keep up the good work! Even if it is causing you to suffer. God was telling them about the difference they were making because they were suffering and it can be easy when we are suffering to tone down our efforts.

Your example is powerful and needed in the world and especially in the church! Notice that one main group that benefited from their example were Christians! (Verses 7 and 8) they became “a model to all the the believers in Macedonia and Achaia” then verse 8 “your faith in God has become known everywhere”

THERE EXAMPLE INCLUDED REPENTANCE AND LOOKING FORWARD TO CHRIST RETURN.

1 Thessalonians 1:9–10 ESV

For they themselves report concerning us the kind of reception we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.

So people heard of their life change and what they turned from. This is hard because it is much easier to fit in and do what everyone else is doing (especially in college) but now is also especially a time where you can be a light by have a life that is different.

Q;WHAT HAVE YOU TURNED FROM, WHAT IDOLS HAVE YOU LEFT BEHIND?

Q: OR WHAT IDOLS DO YOU NEED TO TURN FROM?

ANYTHING THAT YOU ARE PUTTING IN FRONT OF GOD WHETHER SINFUL OR SOMETHING YOU JUST TRUST IN MORE.

TRANS:ONE MORE THING that the Thessalonians were known for is might seem a little out of place but it really isn’t; it was how they “wait for his Son from heaven.”

Q: HOW DO YOU THINK WAITING FOR CHRIST FACTORED INTO TO EVERYTHING ELSE THEY WERE KNOWN FOR?

IF CHRIST IS THE ONE WE LOVE THE MOST. IF WE LOVE HIM MORE THAN ANYTHING IN THIS WORLD THEN WE WILL WANT TO BE WITH HIM MORE THAN ANYTHING IN THIS WORLD. (IF THAT IS TRUE THEN WE WILL BE WAITING FOR HIM TO RETURN)

WHEN THAT IS OUR NUMBER ONE GOAL EVERYTHING ELSE IN OUR LIVES IS INFLUENCED BY THAT. HEAVEN IS OUR NUMBER ONE GOAL.

Q: ARE YOU KNOWN FOR WANTING CHRIST TO RETURN? WHY ARE WE NOT AT TIMES?

How can you be such a good example?

Paul followed Christ and was an example (how? - by how he lived among them - V5). Imitating Christ.

It is not just in what we do here or there or just deeds here or there but how we live every day. Our words, attitude, actions, love for Christ, etc.

trans: (another point: you can be an imitator of Christ if you constantly place Christ example (and those who are following Him) in front of you.)