Untitled Sermon (32)
Notes
Transcript
I want to welcome you again this morning.
First, to those joining us online, we are so thankful for our online technology that allows you to be a part of our church family today.
I also want to welcome those who may be joining us for the first time today. I hope your time with us today is encouraging and helpful, and I look forward to meeting you.
I would also say if you are new to our church today, it would be helpful for you to know that we practice a form of preaching called “Expository Preaching”.
What that means, is we believe the Bible is best taught by taking books of the Bible and then breaking them down from beginning to end, chapter by chapter, verse by verse. Our goal, to better understand not only what God’s Word says, but what it means in our lives today.
With that said, we are currently doing that through the NT book of Act. A book written by a First Century disciple named Luke, who wrote it for a couple of reasons:
First, to give us a history of the church. How it started, who was there, and the circumstances that surrounded it.
Second, to give us a template of sorts. A template that teaches us how to accomplish the mission Jesus gave us to take the Gospel into the rest of the world.
So, if you haven’t been with us, I would encourage you to go online to mcf.life where you can listen to all of the messages leading up to today.
That begin said, today we are picking back up with Paul as he continues his second missionary journey.
You may recall for the last few weeks we have been with Paul in the Roman Colony of Philippi.
And what we learned is while Paul’s time in Philippi was fruitful it was also met with many challenges and a great amount of persecution.
However, at the end of the day, because Paul had trusted the Lord, he left Philippi having led many to faith in Jesus while at the same time bringing great shame to his opponents.
It was a great reminder for us that when we face persecution, our first line of defense must always be our trust in the Lord, and as we do that four things will happen:
#1 - We will grow stronger in our faith, because when persecution doesn’t kill you, it only makes you stronger.
#2 - Through our weakness, the power of God will be made great in and through us.
#3 - People will get saved.
#4 - The enemy will be defeated.
Such was the case for Paul. And such will be the case for us as well.
So, if you missed last weeks message, I would encourage you to take some time and go back and listen to it.
Today however we are moving into a new chapter and a new city. Because following their release from prison in Philippi, Paul and Silas now continue their journey to a new city, the city of Thessalonica. Picking up in Acts 17, Luke writes:
1 Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews.
If you’ll notice on this map, after leaving Philippi, Paul begins a 95 mile journey to the West as he passes through the cities of Amphipolis, Apollonia, and then reaches his destination point of Thessalonica.
So, maybe a great first question would be, “Why does Paul travel to Thessalonica?”
He goes there for a couple of reasons:
#1 - in the first century Thessalonica was an influential and populous city. In fact, most historians agree the city probably had a population of around 200,000 people during this time. Which in that day was a large city.
What that means then is, there’s a lot of opportunity to share the gospel in Thessalonica, and if a church were established there, it could become ground zero for the planting of churches throughout the region.
In fact, we know that’s what happens because later on when Paul writes to the church in Thessalonica, he makes this observation:
7 so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. 8 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.
Paul says, “You have become an influential church not only in Thessalonica, but throughout the entire region.”
#2 - Not only was it an influential and populous city, Thessalonica was what was known as a self-ruled city, which meant it had its own coins and there wasn’t a Roman garrison there.
This would have been a significant privilege the city had been given by Rome, which made Thessalonica more of a diverse Greek city versus a Roman city.
Why’s that important? It’s important because the city would have been made up of different groups of people, ultimately making it easier for Paul to start a church.
Think of it like this. If you were going to start a church, do you think it would it be easier to start a church in Salt Lake City or New York City?
I would say New York City. You say, “Why New York City?” Because New York is made up of a diverse group of people from all types of ethnic, religous, and spiritual backgrounds. Whereas Salt Lake City is less ethnically diverse with about 50% of the population being Mormon.
Which means, not only are the people very similar in background, but half the people are already given to one specific belief system, making it more difficult to reach them.
Same with Thessalonica. Because of the size and diversity of the city, it would be easier to plant and start a church in Thessalonica than it would have been in Philippi. Because if you recall, Philippi was a Roman colony made up of mostly Romans who were given to Roman paganism.
All that to say, strategically Thessalonica is a great place for Paul to take the gospel and plant a church.
However, as we’re going to see in a moment, while Thessalonica has strategic potential, Paul will still face challenges. In fact I would say, the greater the potential for gospel impact, the greater the challenge.
Because as Paul enters this city and begins to preach the gospel, the enemy is waiting to fight back.
And so, to help us get an understanding of what is happening in this passage and what it means for us, I have two goals this morning.
First, we’re going to walk through the passage so I can give some explanation and make some observations concerning the persecution Paul faced in Thessalonica and why he faced it.
Second, I want to look at how the church in Thessalonica survived the persecution and became a thriving and impactful church.
And to do that, we are going to venture outside of the book of Acts to the book of 1 Thessalonians. A letter that Paul later wrote to the church in Thessalonica. A letter that gives us greater insight into how that church started and how it overcame the challenges it faced.
And what I hope we can discover as we look at the church at Thessalonica, is to answer the question, “What it would take for MCF or really any church to become an impactful and thriving church?”
Now, when I say that, some of you might be thinking, “But pastor, wouldn’t you say MCF is already a thriving and impactful church? I mean after all, we’ve grown in numbers, we’ve added to our building, and we’re redoing our parking lot. Aren’t we a thriving and impactful church?”
Well, that depends on how you define thriving and impactful. Because for me, thriving and impactful goes beyond numbers or the building and parking lot size. For me, thriving and impactful goes much deeper than that.
And so, I don’t know, are we a thriving and impactful church?
Because as we’re going to see in our passage, the church at Thessalonica wasn’t thriving and impactful because of it’s size, it’s building capacity, or it’s parking lot.
No, it was thriving and impactful for an entirely different reason. So, what was the reason? That’s what we are going to discover today.
And so, to get us started, let’s begin with our passage in Acts 17 as Paul enters the city of Thessalonica. Picking up again in verse 1, look at what Luke tells us:
1 Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. 2 And Paul went in, as was his custom, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, 3 explaining and proving that it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead, and saying, “This Jesus, whom I proclaim to you, is the Christ.”
What I want you to notice first, is as Paul enters Thessalonica, he does something that has become a common practice for him. And the practice was, if there was one, to find the Jewish Synagogue in the city he entered and go to it first.
Why did he go there first? As we’ve discussed before, he does it for two reasons:
#1 - Scripturally speaking, the gospel is to go to the Jew first and then to the Gentiles.
This idea is based on the scriptural fact that the promise of the Messiah was first given to Abraham, the father of the Jewish nation. And as a result, the Jewish people would be the first to receive the promise.
Think of it like this. If people were starving to death, and you had food, who would you feed first before anybody else? You’d feed your family, right? And then once they were fed, hopefully you’d feed others.
Same thing here. Mankind was dying spiritually, and so God provided a savior through a promise made to Abraham, the father of the Jewish nation. So who do you think gets the spiritual food first? The people of Israel do. And then once the people of Israel are offered the gospel, from there it’s to be distributed to the rest of the world. So Paul follows that Biblical pattern.
#2 - Strategically speaking, this is smart for Paul to do. Because if he wants to start a church in Thessalonica, his best bet is to start it with people who already worship the God of the Bible and have a Biblical foundation. And that’s what he will find in a Jewish Synagogue.
That’s why Luke writes:
2 And Paul went in, as was his custom, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, 3 explaining and proving that it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead, and saying, “This Jesus, whom I proclaim to you, is the Christ.”
You see by starting at the Synagogue, Paul didn’t have to lay a bunch of biblical groundwork. All he had to do was pull out his Bible and show them how the scripture they already believed in pointed to Jesus as the promised savior.
And so according to Luke, Paul spends his first three weeks in Thessalonica preaching and teaching at the Jewish Synagogue.
And apparently, Paul’s strategy pays off, because Luke says after 3 weeks, some believed. In verse 4 he writes:
4 And some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a great many of the devout Greeks and not a few of the leading women.
Luke says a handful of Jews, Greeks, and devout women believed and put their faith in Jesus. And this is good because now Paul has momentum and a solid foundation of people to begin to build the church in Thessalonica.
But, as you can already guess, the enemy isn’t going to just standby with no opposition. Because listen to what Luke says happened next as Paul started leading people to Jesus:
“But the Jews were jealous...” Acts 17:5a (ESV)
Luke says as Paul began to lead people to faith in Jesus, the Jews became jealous.
So, before we go any further, let me give some explanation as to what Luke means by “jealous” and why this is an important detail, because it tells us a couple of things about why the opposition arose:
#1 - While Luke doesn’t detail it here, this pushback from the Jews is something that happened after a period of time. In other words, after spending his first three weeks at the Synagogue, some time has now passed. How much time? We don’t know for sure, but enough time for Paul and these new believers to begin to make a significant and noticeable impact. Which is what leads to the jealousy part. Because:
#2 - Luke tells us as the church begins to grow, the Jews become jealous. So, a great question would be, “Why do they become jealous?”
They become jealous because as the gospel begins to spread, more and more people begin to put their faith in Jesus. And as a result, the little power and influence the Jews have in Thessalonica is now being threatened.
To be honest, it’s the same reason the Jewish leaders were jealous of Jesus prior. Why were they jealous? Because Jesus was stealing the people’s hearts from them. He was taking away what little power and influence they had over the people. And it made them jealous. Jealous enough to want to kill Him.
Same thing here. And so they did something very similar to what the religous leaders did to Jesus. Look at what Luke tells us:
5 But the Jews were jealous, and taking some wicked men of the rabble, they formed a mob, set the city in an uproar, and attacked the house of Jason, seeking to bring them out to the crowd.
Luke says in response to Paul’s influence and the growth of the church in Thessalonica, the Jews assembled some wicked men, formed a mob, got people all worked up, and attacked the home of a believer named Jason where they thought Paul might be staying. Their goal, to bring Paul out in front of the mob.
Now, think back to what the religious leaders did with Jesus. They accused him of false charges, they brought false witnesses in to testify against Him, and the the next day as Jesus stood before Pilate, they got the crowd all worked up against Him. In Luke 23 we read this concerning Jesus’s accusers:
4 Then Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowds, “I find no guilt in this man.” 5 But they were urgent, saying, “He stirs up the people, teaching throughout all Judea, from Galilee even to this place.”
And then the crowd joined in:
18 But they all cried out together, “Away with this man, and release to us Barabbas”—
You see, not much has changed. Because while these are different religous leaders and a different crowd, they are using the same tactics in Thessalonica.
Paul verifies this as he later writes to the church in Thessalonica. in 1 Thessalonians 2 he writes this:
14 For you, brothers, became imitators of the churches of God in Christ Jesus that are in Judea. For you suffered the same things from your own countrymen as they did from the Jews, 15 who killed both the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and drove us out, and displease God and oppose all mankind 16 by hindering us from speaking to the Gentiles that they might be saved—so as always to fill up the measure of their sins. But wrath has come upon them at last!
In this passage Paul confirms the kind of treatment the Thessalonians had received from these jealous Jews. The same treatment Jesus had recieved.
You know what that tells us? It tells us that Jesus wasn’t kidding when he said:
“Remember what I told you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also...” John 15:20a (ESV)
And you know what, the same thing still happens today. Because people who oppose the church still get jealous when it comes to the a thriving and impactful church.
They get jealous when a church grows in a community. They get jealous when a church begins to have impact in a community. Why?
Because that church is stealing their influence, stealing their power, and stealing their people.
They used to be the big dog in town, and now here’s this Bible thumping Jesus preaching church. Who do they think they are.
And so what do they do?
Well, some go on Facebook, get people riled up, and work to discredit that church.
Others sit around in coffee shops and spread rumors. They say things like, “I guess if you go to that church you have to give them your tax records.”
You see how that works?
You see, not much has changed. Because people still get jealous. And jealousy is a powerful tool the enemy will use to get people riled up, which then leads to persecution. And that’s exactly what a happened in Acts 17 as the mob now goes looking for Paul.
But apparently, by the time the mob goes looking for Paul, Paul had already left the city. That being the case, somebody has to pay. This is where a man named Jason comes in, who apparently was one of Paul’s disciples and owns the home where Paul had been staying. Luke goes on to write:
6 And when they could not find them, they dragged Jason and some of the brothers before the city authorities, shouting, “These men who have turned the world upside down have come here also,
Luke says having not found Paul, they dragged Jason and some of his friends out into the public square, and as they did, they were shouting, “These men who have turned the world upside down have come here also.”
So, what does that tell us? I tells us a couple of things:
#1 - It tells us the enemy is no respecter of persons. In other words, he doesn’t care who you are. If you’re a Christian making a difference in this world, then you’re on his hit list.
Which means, go ahead and substitute your name in there for Jason. Because it could just as easily be you.
#2 - It tells us is just how impactful Paul’s ministry in Thessalonica must have been. To stir this many people up and bring it to this point. Because this isn’t just about envy now, this is about the fact that Christianity has a strong foothold in Thessalonica, so much so that the people are worried it’s going to take over Thessalonica like it has in other places.
And in the mind of these Jews and this mob, the only way to stop it is to snuff it out.
So, how do they plan on snuffing it out? By making the most outrageous accusation they can against the church, because listen to what Luke says they accuse Jason and his friends of:
7 and Jason has received them, and they are all acting against the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus.”
What we need to understand is this is probably the worst thing you could be accused of in a city like Thessalonica. Because what they have just accused Jason and his friends of is treason. Because to say there is another king besides Caesar is a capital offense.
And again, this shouldn’t surprise us, because it’s exactly what they accused Jesus of doing. Listen to how Luke puts as the religous leaders bring Jesus before Pilate:
1 Then the whole company of them arose and brought him before Pilate. 2 And they began to accuse him, saying, “We found this man misleading our nation and forbidding us to give tribute to Caesar, and saying that he himself is Christ, a king.”
Notice, what they accused Jesus of saying. Of saying that he was a king,
So, again, not much has changed as the same charge is laid against Jason and his friends.
And what was true then is still true today. Except in our case Caesar isn’t a person, Caesar is our secular culture. A secular culture that doesn’t want to be dethroned. A secular culture that nobody better challenge, otherwise, it will seek to cancel you. It will seek to snuff you out.
Again, not much has changed.
So, how do the authorities respond to the charge? Luke writes:
8 And the people and the city authorities were disturbed when they heard these things. 9 And when they had taken money as security from Jason and the rest, they let them go.
Luke says they responded in a couple of different ways.
First, they were disturbed. Why were they disturbed? They were disturbed because if word got out that an anti Caesar movement was growing in Thessalonica, that could spell trouble for them. In fact it could lead to them losing their “Self Rule” status. And the last thing they want is a Roman presence in their city. So, they are disturbed.
Second, because they are disturbed, they respond by requiring Jason to make a pledge. That’s what Luke is referring to when he writes:
9 And when they had taken money as security from Jason and the rest, they let them go.
And what Luke is referring to here was a common practice in the 1st century when it came to legal matters. And in Jason’s case, it’s the idea that Jason will now be legally liable for Paul’s behavior should Paul return to Thessalonica.
This is more than likely what Paul is talking about in 1 Thessalonians 2 when he references his inability to return to Thessalonica. He writes:
18 because we wanted to come to you—I, Paul, again and again—but Satan hindered us.
And so Jason is forced to make this pledge. And because he agrees to make the pledge, he is set free. Luke writes:
9 And when they had taken money as security from Jason and the rest, they let them go.
Now, when we read and hear that, it would almost appear that Jason gave up and gave in. And maybe that the enemy won the battle in this case. That because Paul can’t return, the enemy has somehow won.
But nothing could be further from the truth. Because the fact is, the reason Paul can’t return is because there has been victory in Thessalonica. The victory being the planting of a church that would have a significant impact not only in Thessalonica, but in the entire region.
So, no, this wasn’t a loss. This was a slam dunk win. Because as we’re going to see, Paul’s absence didn’t stop this church from becoming a powerhouse for Jesus. In fact, it only increased it.
Which leads us back to the question, “What about this church made it so impactful? What caused it to become such a thriving church in the midst of such great persecution?”
With the remaining time we have today, that’s what I would like to focus on. And as I said, to do that, we are going to look to the book of 1 Thessalonians. And from that book I’d like to suggest there were two things that happened at the church in Thessalonica in order to make it a thriving and impactful church:
Here’s the first one.
The church at Thessalonica was a thriving and impactful church because:
They experienced a transformational work of the Holy Spirit in their life.
One of the things we need to understand about Paul’s ministry in Thessalonica, is that there was a great move of the Spirit that led to more than just a cognitive acceptance of the the gospel. Look at how Paul puts it in 1 Thessalonians 1:
“…because our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction...”
1 Thessalonians 1:5a (ESV)
What Paul is saying here is that the gospel was more than just words and head knowledge for the believers at Thessalonica.
In other words, it wasn’t just a bunch of good thoughts and ideas. It wasn’t just something that produced some temporary goose bumps during a certain song on a Sunday morning. No. It was an openness to truth that went beyond the physical, beyond the mind, and into the depths of their soul. A move of the Spirit that led to a transformational work in the deepest part of their being.
That’s what Paul means when he said it was met with “full conviction”. It’s the idea that they wholeheartedly accepted the gospel hook, line, and sinker.
And the result was a transformational work of the Spirit that literally changed them from the inside out. It’s the kind of work Paul was talking about in Romans 8 when he wrote:
11 If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.
Paul says when you put your faith in Jesus, the same Spirit that raised Jesus form the dead enters you and begins a transformational work in you as the old you dies and the new is born. A supernatural work that only the Holy Spirit can accomplish in us.
Why’s it so important we understand this? It’s important because if you want to be the kind of Christian that can endure whatever the enemy throws at you, then you have to be a transformed Christian.
Which means, your faith has to go beyond your head.
It has to be more than an understanding that Jesus died for you.
It has to be more than a commitment to go to church each week.
It has to be more than an acknowledgment that you need to be a better person.
It has be to be more than you getting baptized or completing a class.
Because while all that is great, head knowledge will only get you so far.
This is what Jesus was talking about in the parable of the sower. Because in this parable Jesus talks about how the Gospel is like a seed that is sown into a persons’ life. But unfortunately sometimes the seed doesn't take root. Jesus puts it like this:
5 Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil, 6 but when the sun rose they were scorched. And since they had no root, they withered away.
Jesus says some of the seed fell on rocky ground, and immediately it sprang up, but it had no depth of soil, and it withered away.
So, a great question would be, “What exactly does Jesus mean by this and what does this have to do with our faith?”
Thankfully Jesus tells us. Because later on He explains it. Look at what Jesus says:
20 As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, 21 yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away.
Jesus says the person with rocky soil is the head knowledge person. A person where the gospel never really went into the heart. And the proof of that comes when life gets hard. When the gospel begins to cost them something. When persecution comes their way. And then all of a sudden the person falls away because the gospel had never really rooted in.
To be honest, this is my concern for many in the church today. And when I say church, I’m talking about the church overall, big C.
And my concern is that too often the gospel falls on rocky hearts. Hearts that aren’t fully committed. Hearts that aren’t all in. Why aren’t they all in? I think it’s for a couple reasons:
#1 - They received bad teaching. In other words, they’ve gone to a church that doesn’t teach a Biblical gospel.
#2 - They’ve never fully committed to Jesus. In other words, Jesus is just an add on to their life and not somebody they’ve given their life too.
And the result is a shaky faith and a shaky foundation that can’t weather the test of time or circumstance.
I think that’s partly what we are seeing in the church today.
I thin that’s why 1 out of 3 church going Christians haven’t been back to church or even watched online since March.
I think that’s why nearly 1/2 of church going millennia's since March have stopped going to church altogether.
What’s causing it? I’d like to suggest it’s because the gospel fell on rocky soil. Soil that can’t withstand adversity.
So, maybe a great question would be, “How do you get rid of the rocks in your soil?”
Based on what we see in the church at Thessalonica, I’d like to suggest two things need to happen:
#1 - You need to have a move and work of the Spirit in your life.
In other words, Jesus needs to go beyond head knowledge.
You need the Holy Spirit to do a work of transformation in you.
How does that happen? It happens when you come to the end of yourself.
It happens when you finally acknowledge your need for a savior.
The point where you throw your hands up and say, “God I give up! God I’m done ignoring you. I’m done fighting you. God I’m done running from you. I’m done trying to figure it out and fix it myself. I’m tired of hitting dead ends. I’m tired of having no hope. God I’m ready to give up and give you my heart!”
It’s you coming to the end of yourself.
And the fact is, until you reach that point, it will be difficult for the knowledge of Jesus to move past your head and to your heart. Until then, your heart will be rocky and your faith will be easily scorched by the cares, concerns, circumstances, and opposition of the world.
And unfortunately, this is where I see a lot of Christians get stuck or flounder in their faith.
Yes, they understand who Jesus is. Yes, they believe He is Lord. Yes, they understand their need for Him. But the truth is, their heart isn’t there yet. Something is holding them back. Something is keeping them from giving their heart fully to Jesus. And as a result, the soil of their heart is rocky.
Which leads to a second thing you need to get rid of rocky soil:
#2 - You need to be willing to give up your old life.
Listen to what Paul goes on to say about the Thessalonians:
9 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,
Paul says not only did the Thessalonians give themselves fully to Jesus, but they were also willing to walk away from their old life. For them, it was their false gods, false beliefs, and sinful way of living.
And as they gave up their idols, it led to a change in behavior as they gave up their old life and embraced a new way of living. In fact Paul confirms this. He writes
6 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,
Paul says you became like us!
In other words, they ditched old habits. They ditched unhealthy friendships. They deleted the porn off of their phone. They stopped flirting with that person that wasn’t their spouse. they quit sleeping with their boyfriend or girlfriend. They changed the way they talked. They stopped gossiping on facebook. They became different people.
How did they do it? They did it by making a decision to go all the way in with Jesus. They opened their heart completely to the transformational work of the Holy Spirit. And the result was a changed life. Paul puts it like this in Ephesians 4:
21 assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, 22 to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, 23 and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, 24 and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.
What Paul is saying here is, if you want a transformational work of the Spirit in your life, you have to be willing to walk away from the old life.
You have to be willing to give up the idols. Give up the things that keep you from walking forward with Jesus. That’s the first step.
And until you do that, Jesus will only be head knowledge to you.
The church at Thessalonica experienced a transformational work of the Holy Spirit, why?
Because not only did they see their desperate need for Jesus , but they were willing to let go of the old life and embrace a new way of living.
This leads us to the second decision the church at Thessalonica embraced. Because not only did they experience a transformational work of the Holy Spirit:
2. They didn’t lose hope when the going got tough.
Listen to what Paul goes on to write to the church at Thessalonica:
13 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope.
What Paul is indicating here is that at some point the persecution got so bad in Thessalonica, that some of the believers had been killed for their faith.
Because that’s what Paul is talking about when he refers to those who “are asleep”. What he means by that is, “Those who have died”.
Because at Thessalonica, that’s what was happening to people who had put their faith in Jesus. They were being killed for their faith.
Which tells us, that’s how far they were willing to go for Jesus.
Now, you might be thinking, “Wow Pastor, that’s pretty radical. To be willing to follow Jesus to the point of death”.
Can I just tell you, while it may seem radical to us, it was common to them and it was just part of the package of following Jesus. Because they understood if it happened to Jesus, there’s a good chance it will happen to us.
And so when they signed on to faith in Jesus, they did it with the understanding that this could and probably would cost them their life. And they were ok with that.
Now, you might be thinking, “Pastor, how could they be ok with that?”
They could be ok with it because they knew what their hope was in. So, what was their hope in?
Hope #1 - They understood Jesus wasn’t a dead savior but a risen savior.
Paul goes on to write:
“For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again...” 1 Thessalonians 4:14a (ESV)
That’s an important fact that the Thessalonians held onto. The fact that their savior wasn’t a dead savior, but a living savior.
Hope #2 - They understood because Jesus was a risen savior, those who followed Him would rise as well.
Paul writes:
14 For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep.
The Thessalonians understood death wasn’t the end, but the beginning. And that if Jesus rose from the grave, then his followers would as well. And so for them, death wasn’t something they feared.
We talked a little bit about this last week. That if we’re going to survive persecution, we have to live with the understanding that for the Christian death is far better. That in death we will be with Jesus. Paul puts it like this in 2 Corinthians:
8 Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord.
Paul indicates here that when we die, when we fall asleep, we will be home with the Lord.
Again, the Thessalonians never lost sight of that.
Hope #3 - They understood no matter what happened, Jesus was coming back again
Paul writes:
15 For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.
Paul reminds us here that there is a day when Jesus will return. A day a trumpet will sound, the sky will crack open, and Jesus will come back for His church. John the Revelator describes it like this:
11 Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. 12 His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. 13 He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. 14 And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. 15 From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. 16 On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.
The fact is, Jesus is coming back someday and heaven with Him. And he will establish his rule and reign and we will be with him forever.
This is what the Thessalonian believers put their hope in. This is what they lived and died for. And as a result, no matter how bad it go, they never lost hope. Why? Because they lived for the future hope Jesus promises. And that made them an unstoppable powerhouse. Because how do you stop something that death itself has no power over. The answer is, you can’t.
And what was true for them can be true for us. But only if our hope is in Him. Only if we are willing to die to ourselves and live for Him.
Church, I don’t know about you, but that’s the kind of Christian and church I want to be. A Christian that has experienced a transformational move of the Spirit. A Christian whose hope is fully in the future hope that Jesus has promised us. And my prayer would be that you want that as well.
Because the fact is, if together we become those kind of Christians, MCF will become not only a thriving and impactful church in this region, but an unstoppable force that Jesus says the gates of hell cannot stand against.
So, if you want that for your life and this Church, then my challenge to you today is to let the knowledge of Jesus move beyond your head and into your heart.
My challenge to you today is to let go of the idols. Let go of whatever is creating rocky soil in your life.
My challenge to you is to make Jesus the hope you live for.
Worship Team:
Let’s Pray
