Faith that Saves - 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10

People who Spark Joy?

We’ve all heard about Marie Kondo and her instructions that we should only keep those items of clothing that ‘spark joy’.

Well i wonder if you can think of people who spark joy in your life?

People whom you are just so incredibly thankful for?

People who have helped you grow

Who have taught you wise lessons

Who have supported you through thick and thin.

People who have grown because of your investment in them.

Who have outshone you and outgrown you but who you’ve helped along the way.

There are many people we can give thansk for. And for Paul, the people in the church in Thessalonica were such people. He was so thankful to God for them and their encouragment.

Thessalonians - Background and Context (1 Thes 1:1)

Who wrote it?

Paul (v1)

Who was it written to?

Church in Thessalonica. (v1)

Big town in Paul’s day, around 200,000 people!

Second biggest city in Greece today, with over 1 Mil.

What do we know about them?

Acts 17 tells us a fair bit of info.

The initial converts were made up of some Jewish converts, but mostly God fearing Greeks - those Gentiles who believed in the God of Israel, but who hadn’t gone the whole way - eg. circumcision - so were not full members of the Synagoge. And a notable number of ‘prominent women’.

The Jews got jealous of Paul, we can presume it was in a large part due to his success with some of their more wealthy givers, and so they seek to run them out of town.

When did he write it?

AD 51.

How do we know that? Luke recounts Paul’s time in Thessalonica in Acts 17. Then in Acts 18, Luke tells us that Paul went from Thessalonica to Corinth, via Athens. Paul was in Corinth when Silas and Timothy rejoin him. We know that when Paul was in Athens he sent Timothy back to Thessalonica (3:1-2) and it is his return to Paul with news that has prompted this letter.

Now Luke tells us a key historical fact about Corinth when Paul was there. Gallio was proconsul (ruler of the area).

Acts 18:12 NIV

12 While Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews of Corinth made a united attack on Paul and brought him to the place of judgment.

And Historians and Archaeologists have figured out from other historical work and information when that was very accurately. Between July 51 and June 52.

Why did Paul write it?

In response to the news Timothy has bought back to him regarding how the church in Thessalonica is going.

It seems if you read the whole letter through that Paul has gotten mostly good news from Timothy. They are doing ok, however they need encouragement in a few areas, as we’ll see as we work our way through the book.

What’s it got to say to us?

Paul wrote to a small church in a large secular city. Sound familar?

They were a church, like us under pressure to conform to the ways of society and Paul ultimately is writing to encourage them to not do that, and instead to dedicate themselves to living holy lives for God. Lives that set them apart from the world around them.

And for Paul, as for us, the reason we should do this is that Jesus will return. Which is what makes 1 Thes a good book for Advent.

Thessalonian Faith (1 Thes 1:2-10)

Paul Thanks God for the Thessalonians Faith (1 Thes 1:2-3)

Paul opens with thanksgiving

1 Thessalonians 1:2 NIV

2 We always thank God for all of you and continually mention you in our prayers.

Here we see Paul’s love and affection and care for those whom he has ministered too.

Whenever he prays he thanks God for the church in Thessalonica.

The Pastor’s heart for his people is on show here.

What is Paul thankful for specifically? We see that in v3.

1 Thessalonians 1:3 NIV

3 We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.

Work produced by faith

Like we saw last week in Luke. It goes faith first and then works in response. Not the other way around. Paul’s thankful that their faith in Jesus has lead them to live good lives.

Labor prompted by love

This again make the same point. They Thessalonians faith is working itself out. Here in probable active works of the church to love their neighbours.

Endurance inspired by hope in Jesus

They are able to carry on doing these good deeds, these labors of love, because they know what God has done for them through Jesus. They rely on his love and strength to keep on going, even when things are tough. And we know from Acts 17 and from places in this letter, it wasn’t easy being Christian in Thessalonica.

We too ought to be inspired to love and good works in our community because of what Jesus has done for us.

Would Paul be able to give the same thanksgiving prayer for you? For us? The Christian who has truely understood God’s grace and love will respond with a relentless effort to share that love with others.

Faith comes from God (1 Thes 1:4-5)

So Paul thanks God for their visible faith (vv2-3). Now lest they start to feel like they deserve special praise, Paul reminds them the source of their faith.

1 Thessalonians 1:4 NIV

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

God loved them first and chose them to be part of the church. It is God who has opened their hearts to be recpetive to the gospel.

How does Paul know this?

1 Thessalonians 1:5 NIV

5 because our gospel came to you not simply with words but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and deep conviction. You know how we lived among you for your sake.

Because when the word of God was preached to them it didn’t just bounce off them. But it convicted them and transformed them.

This God ordained faith of the Thessalonians is a further source of Paul’s thanksgiving to God.

Do you want to see your children saved?

Your spouse?

Your mum and dad?

Your siblings?

Your friends and neighbours?

Then you need to pray for God to open their hearts.

Part of the logic for Prayer Triplets is that we will start gathering together in small groups to pray not just for sick people, or for wars. But for the salvation of our loved ones. And this passage reminds us that’s never going to happen unless God opens their hearts. So let’s get praying, for God answers prayer!

Through Leaders (1 Thes 1:6)

Paul thanks God for their faith. He thanks God for working powerfully in the Thesalonians life.

Next he describes how the Thesalonians matured in their faith.

1 Thessalonians 1:6 NIV

6 You became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you welcomed the message in the midst of severe suffering with the joy given by the Holy Spirit.

Paul and his companions came to town with the good news about Jesus. People responded. And then Paul, Silas and Timothy taught them how to live like Jesus. It wasn’t easy for them. They were persecuted. In Acts 17 we read about how for one new believer called Jason, who gets his house raided and ends up having to bail himself and a bunch of other Christians out of jail. That’s suffering. But Paul has been there. And he taught them how to rejoice in their suffering in the power of the Spirit. They learnt and copied their leaders who were showing them how to live like Jesus.

We too, need leaders to help us learn what it looks like to follow Jesus.

If you’ve been a Christian for a long time you will be helping others learn how to be a Christian. And in doing so you will learn things from your younger brothers and sisters in Christ.

Discipleship, growing as Christian, requires training and development. We must be investing in people all the time helping them to grow.

That’s what church services are designed to do. That’s why I spend time working on my sermons. To help you learn. That’s what small groups/bible studies are for. Learning to live as Christians. It’s so vital.

Who are you imitating?

Who are you being imitated by?

To others (1 Thes 1:7-8)

So there is much for Paul to thank God for isn’t there?

These Thessalonian Christians have been saved by God, are living out their faith by loving their neighbours, they are seeking to learn from Paul and grow more like Jesus. And if that’s where it stayed we might think that was enough. But that isn’t all there is to this wonderful faith of the Thessalonians. No not content with just being disciples themselves, they are being used by God as encouragement to other Christians. Helping them in their faith.

1 Thessalonians 1:7–8 NIV

7 And so you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia. 8 The Lord’s message rang out from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia—your faith in God has become known everywhere. Therefore we do not need to say anything about it,

These other Christians in Macedonia and Achaia (Greece) are looking at the Thessalonians and they think, hey we should be like them.

Did you know that we are an encouragement to our brothers and sisters in the Anglican Church in Tasmania?

God has done a remarkable thing in the life of our church over the last 3 years as we’ve been obedient to him. 3 years ago our average age was 72. We barely saw new people. We were headed for certain closure. Guess what, so is much of the Anglican Church in Tasmania. We were normal. But now. There is life and hope. We have kids and a sunday school and we are engaging with our community from the littlest preschooler in Playgroup through to the 100 year old elder in a nursing home.

We haven’t done anything especially marvellous. We’ve simply tried to take God’s call to make disciples seriously and being willing to forgo our own comfort for the sake of the gospel.

And it’s an encouragement to our brothers and sisters and it gives hope.

Focused on Jesus’ comings (1 Thes 1:9-10)

Well, all this wonderful faith that God has worked powerful in the lives of the Thessalonians is ultimately because the Thessalonains have kept their focus on Jesus, his ressurection and his return.

1 Thessalonians 1:9–10 NIV

9 for they themselves report what kind of reception you gave us. They tell 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 gave Paul and his companions a warm reception as they bought the message of salvation to them because they saw Jesus.

They turned from their worship of created things (idols) and worshipped the living God instead.

And now they do all this wonderful stuff that Paul is so thankful for… their works of love in response to what God has done for them, their setting of an example to other Christians, they do all this because they’ve got their perspective right. They are looking at Jesus. Both at what he’s done and waiting for his return.

The Thessalonians have never lost sight, that their salvation is real. That one day God is going to deal with the sin of the world. And that the only way to survie that reckoning, is to be with Jesus.

The good news that Jesus died and rose again for our salvation is wonderful indeed. But it’s not the end of the story. Jesus will return. He will judge the world. And he will rescue those of us who have faith and we will spend eternity in the new heavens and new earth with Jesus.

Will Jesus return and rescue you?

If you’ve heard the story of Jesus. His life death and ressurection procliamed and you’ve responded to that by submiting your life to him. Just like how Paul describes the Thessalonians doing in v5

“… our gospel came to you not simply with words but also with power, with the Holy Spirit, and deep conviction...”

Then you will be saved.

And we will know and you will know because you now live your life inspired by your hope in what Jesus has done. The fruit of God’s salvation will be evident to all.

If you don’t think that describes your spiritual life to date. A powerful encouter with Jesus. A turning from sin to salvation. Then today is the day.

If you want Jesus to save you, then simply respond to him in faith today.

I’ll wait HERE at the end of the service today, and if you’ve never ever responded to Jesus before and you want to today. Come and see me.

For Jesus will return. And he will save you if you turn from your sin and your idols to him and live your life in service of him.

Jesus wants to rescue you. Will you recieve taht salvation today?