1 Thessalonians 1

Be a Good Example

Intro: What makes a good example? Is it someone you want to be like that possesses traits you wish you had or think you can get? or maybe it is Something you would like to make, like a table you see in a store and instead of buying it, you say I could make that.

Read Verses:

MP: The Thessalonian church was known as an example of God’s power

I. Examples are meant to be Remembered (1-3)

We have Paul’s letters that he wrote to several churches or pastors, in the case of Timothy and Titus. These churches are as far as history can be discerned or tradition is correct, Paul founded or planted all the churches, with the exception of the church at Rome for sure. Those churches were his children in a sense. And the church at Thessalonians, was possibly one of them first churches he founded and this letter may be the earliest letter that we have from Paul.

It is thought that the letter was written about 50 AD, so less than 20 years after Christ’s death Paul was establishing churches and then staying in contact with them.

It is completely plausible that Paul wrote more letters to more churches, but not all of them survived, and one of the criteria for being considered for being placed in the New Testament, was that it had to be widely used.

In his introduction to the letter Paul is telling the Thessalonians that He, Silvanus, and Timothy are all sending them the letter. It is a standard Greek letter greeting.

Verse 2 is the thanksgiving which Paul is both thanking God for all of the church members, but also he is telling them that he prays for them. He remembers them at least as. Church that he is praying for their success. He remembered the city and the church, but why?

In , Paul stayed in Thessalonians for at least three weeks, because Luke tells us he preached in the synagogue for three sabbaths. Reason with the Jews from the scriptures explaining and proving that it was necessary for the Messiah to suffer and Rise from the dead. Some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas including a large number of God fearing Greeks as well as a number of the leading women. But then the Jews of the city became jealous and they formed a mob and started a riot. The riot leads through the streets and they drag some of the brothers before the city officials. Listen to the charge they bring against Paul and His friends recorded in , “These men who have turned the world upside down have come here too. And Jason welcomed them.” Everyone is allowed to go home,

To avoid any other trouble or death probably Paul and Silas leave at night so the can make it out to go to Berea.

Causing a riot and having to sneak out of the city because of your teaching is quite a cause for remembering.

Verse 3 Paul gives us some more reasons why he remembers the church. Their work produced faith, their labor was motivated by love and their endurance was inspired by their hope in Jesus Christ.

In our lives we have situations that we remember with crystal clarity. It might be when you first saw your wife or husband. Or When your children were born. September 11th or when Kennedy was shot. Those days or events are burned into your brain.

What do you want to be remembered for. What do we as a church want to be remembered for?

As a church and an individual, I want to be remembered by the things Paul lists in verse 3.

Application We can continually remember that our example is Christ.

And what we should be remembered for is our complete dependence on Christ as our example.

“Paul understands that the Visible Christian deeds and perseverance in spite of difficulty give witness to a genuine and enduring faith. The perseverance, and faith is what turns the world upside down.

But guess what? People no matter how good, are fallible and we make mistakes there are things in my life I do not want to remember and I don’t want others to remember either.

So as good as it is to look at Paul or Peter or the person who brought you to God, they are human. And so they only person to look toward for our true example is Jesus.

When God was building his nation with Israel his commandments were different than what people believed in the ancient near east. As he is building the church, he uses the same formula. That God has saved His people through the second person of the Trinity, who by being offered as a sacrifice was made a propitiation for our sins.

says This is the message of faith that we proclaim: 9 If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 One believes with the heart, resulting in righteousness, and one confesses with the mouth, resulting in salvation.

Believers are able to endure because of the hope they have in the Lord. “Hope” does not express a baseless wish but a confident expectation of the Lord’s future work.

TS: This message of salvation is not just for one group in the first century, it is for all time until the Lord returns, which by the way, is a main theme of this letter. But you see this example of endurance is meant to be replicated until we are no longer on Earth

II. Examples are meant to be Replicated (4-8)

How many of you have done a puzzle? Do you just look at the box cover once and then start putting the puzzle together or do you keep the box right in front of you so you can know exactly what you are looking for when it comes to the pieces? Or how cruel would it be for most of us , if we just got a blank box with all the pieces and we had to put the puzzle together just by stir love ya fitting the pieces together.it would take a lot longer if all you see is fuzzy kitten fur and a random eye here and there.

The same thing is going on here. Paul says you were chosen by God and you became imitators of us. God chose the church at Thessalonica to be there to fulfill His purposes. Paul and his companions were the picture on the box that needed to be put together.

But it was not just words, but God showed them the gospel in the power, in the Holy Spirit and with full assurance.

The word used for “power” (dunamis) is also one of the words used in the Gospels for Jesus’ miracles. It was God’s power, not Paul’s, that was demonstrated among the Thessalonians.

The Holy Spirit is convicting the people. Paul is not just convincing people to follow him, The Holy Spirit is convicting people to become followers of God.

Some people hear the Gospel message every Sunday and are not convicted of their sin But al of a sudden, on the 1000th time they hear the message all of a sudden they respond to the altar call, or they just give their life over

They lived among the Thessalonians for their benefit, not just telling them the gospel,but showing it to them. Their words matched their deeds. Paul and Timothy did not waiver under persecution and so it seemed to motivate the new church to be like them,

Application: Give the people around you a good Gospel example to copy, Give them Jesus.

Jesus is the picture that we are building the puzzle to look like. When we do it wrong, it looks like a Picasso painting. You can usually tell what the artist was painting but it looks very different from the real thing.

People see how you handle problems, or handle leadership situations, if you handle them differently than most people would if they ask you why it is different, you should be able to say, because I am a Christ follower. I not only believe in God, but I believe God. I believe that Jesus died for my sins and his death justified me before God. I know I am forgiven, I know that I have eternal life waiting for me. My faith is the motor that moves the car.

When you do this, Paul says that in verse 7 and 8 As a result, you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia. 8 For the word of the Lord rang out from you, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but in every place that your faith[c] in God has gone out.

People from all over knew where the Thessalonians were so strong in their faith. Why were they chosen by God? Quite probably because they were to play their role in reaching the believers in Macedonia and Achaia and every place your faith in God has gone out.

It can be the same with Red Oaks. In a 2015 study about 900 SBC Churches closed and the numbers stay about the same number. Every year. New churches start up so we are still in the growth side, but it is a reality. But here we are, back from the dead So to speak.

TS: And that message of resurrection works for he church,but more importantly applies to each of us as believers because each of us who are believers, have been rescued from death and wrath that awaits the non believers at the end times.

III. Examples show that you have been Rescued (9-10)

for they themselves report[d] what kind of reception we had from you: how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God 10 and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead—Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath.

The Thessalonians went against the grain and turned from idols, a thing that was very big in the Roman world. And started to worship this Jesus who did not have a statue, but did have an empty cross.

The Thessalonians also went against the grain for the Jewish community. By the account in Acts, we can see that there must have been a lot of Jewish people or they at least had a lot of sway to start a riot. So now, the new Christians are fighting against both sides ina sense. They could have kicked Paul out and been done with the whole situation. They welcomed Paul and protected Paul. They turned away from idols and toward Jesus Christ. This action quite possibly could mean their livelihood and business, Remember sad not a few of the prominent ladies Ladies converted. There was a great risk both socially and professionally for these new Christians.

Why risk everything? Because what they were going toward was much better, much stronger. They realized that the idols. Bring nothing bu death an destruction, but Jesus brings life. The father raised the Son an so when we are made new and become followers, we too are rescued ad raised from the dead as well. We have been given new life.

In the heyday of the enlightenment where man was replacing God and theology with science and reason, one man made a shift across the fence back to God. Blaise Pascal, who was a prodigy of science and intelligence, was set to be a rock star in the field of science and math. “He developed the theory of probability, which is still used today. He invented the syringe, the hydraulic lift, and is credited with inventing the wristwatch and mapping out the first bus route in Paris. It is said that Pascal was embarrassed by his multiple talents.” He still was a scientist, but he also became a man of God. At about age 30 or so. And he wrote numerous articles and books about Christianity.His fellow scientists thought I’m to be a crackpot. Because he placed Christ above Reason. When reason asked who needs God, man can do everything, including getting themselves to God. Pascal denounced the idea that reason and science alone can lead a person to God. Only by experiencing Christ can people know God.

He risked everything and he actually only lived to be 39 so he was only a Christian for about 9 years or so. But he stood in the flood of the mainstream.

And so do we. All because we have been rescued. And we stand as an example of what happens when we are living a new life.

Application: Don’t waste your new life on trying to get back to the old.

Keep looking forward look to Christ. have the endurance to keep going, not because you lose your salvation, but because People are looking to you as their example. it becomes a monkey see, monkey do situation.

Conclusion:

The Thessalonians were one of the first churches established by Paul. They were the trend setters and they were the example to follow.

We should strive to be a church like Thessalonica, where people know us because our love and faithfulness to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It is not because of the programs that we will make disciples, but because of the example we set by ur. Faith, not by our own power, but by God’s power.

Are you looking toward Christ for your example and are you showing that example for others to see?