Transfromation 1 Thess 1 1-10

Transformation

Introduction:

How many of you have written a letter in the past month?
Many people would say that letter writing is a dying habit!

With e-mail, internet and Cell Phones, writing a letter with a pen or pencil is just harder and more time consuming.
The last time I wrote a letter was to my brother probably close to a year ago (that is because he is in the Military).
But writing letters just isn’t as common as it was in days gone by.

The Apostle Paul was a very effective letter writer.

He wrote 13 out of the 27 books in the New Testament and they are called the Pauline Epistles (Letters)
This makes up about half of the N.T.
1st and 2nd Thessalonians together only have 8 chapters but there is a lot of interesting insight into the lives of 1st century Christians and a lot for us to learn.

So what was His primary purpose in writing these two “Letters”?

To offer encouragement to new believers – facing opposition.
To defend himself against false accusations – attempting to discredit him.
To address doctrinal error – circulated by “false teachers.”
To correct specific misconduct within the church.

Briefly let’s look at some interesting facts concerning Thessalonica…

Thessaloniki (as it is known today) is one of the very few first century cities that have lasted to this day.
Where is it? (Show map on Screen)
Population around 300,000 today, compared to about 200,000 in Paul’s.

· Making it the largest city in Macedonia and the capital.

Ancient Thessalonica was a major seaport serving the Roman Government

i. Occupied by a large Jewish population maintaining their worship services in the synagogue.

ii. The spiritual climate was a mixture of new Christian converts among Greek, Jews, and Roman citizens right smack dab in the middle of a huge polytheistic culture common among Greeks and Romans.

I Thessalonians was probably Paul’s first canonical letter with the possibility of Galatians maybe predating Thessalonians but regardless this is one of his first letters we have in the Bible. Dating A.D. 51 #. 2 Thessalonians was written not more than a year later.

Read 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10

Paul Deals with four Issues concerning Transformation here in Chapter 1

Verse 1 is a typical greeting for the epistles.

Outline:

I Transformation Praised – vs. 2-3

A Paul praised the Thessalonian believers for three things:

1 “Work of Faith”, “Work produced by Faith” – Meaning that their work was produced by their Faith in Jesus Christ.

a James 2:14-18 “14 What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? 15If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, 16and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? 17So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

18But someone will say, ‘You have faith and I have works.’

Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.”

i This is a real working faith that has produced works

ii It isn’t the works that save you… it is just what (should) happen because you have been saved.

b Eph. 2:8-10 “8For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”

c Works are what should flow out of our lives and that is exactly what Paul had noticed in these believers and he praises them for it.

d Their Faith was producing Works, Amen!

2 “Labor of Love”, “Labor Prompted by Love” – Meaning that what they did was motivated by love.

a The form of Love used here is the Agape Love – the sacrificial form

b What they did they did because of their love for Christ.

c Christ said in John 14:15 “If you love me, keep my commandments.”

d They loved Christ and proved it by their “Labor of Love”

3 “Endurance Inspired by Hope”, “Patience of Hope” – Even though they were being persecuted for their faith they held onto their Hope and Endured.

a This hope is the same Hope we have today – that is the blessed hope (expected imminent return of Christ) He can and may come back at any second.

b They knew this and heard this teaching from Paul and they were waiting patiently.

c They knew that whatever they were facing would soon be gone and they would be with the Lord in heaven soon.

i If you have ever heard of and or listened to Mark Lowery you know that he has said that he Favorite verse is… “And it came to pass.”

ii No matter what is happening in your life right now, “It came to pass.”

d The Thessalonians must have understood that fact too.

B So we have seen their Transformation Praised

1 Aren’t these the kinds of traits you would want to be said about you?

· Faith, love and hope.

C But where do these traits come from?

II Transformation Source – vs. 5

A It was the Gospel message; the good news of God’s salvation of man made possible by Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection.

B There was a praise song which came out a few decades ago that said, “I will serve Thee, because I love Thee, You have given life to me…” (It goes on)

· But are you motivated to serve Jesus because you love him, b/c He loves you?

C Paul preached the Gospel message in this way: vs. 5

1 “Not simply with words.”

a Paul was a well educated man and could have preached with fancy words that would “tickle their ears”.

b He could have devised clever sermons of his own imagination just to entertain or manipulate an audience.

c Paul wrote in 1 Cor. 2:1-2 “And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. 2 For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.”

d Paul knew that the only message that saved souls was the truth. So that is what he preached, the truth.

2 “With power.”

a Hebrews 4:12 says, “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”

b God’s Word whether spoken or read has the power to change lives!

c Paul knew that any preaching done without the power of God would cause people to trust in the person and not on the power of God.

3 “With the Holy Spirit.”

a The Holy Spirit is that Power that draws men through the Word.

b Paul relied on the Holy Spirit of God, NOT his own words or power, to draw men.

4 “With deep conviction.” “Much assurance”

a How could Paul, Silas and Timothy preach so boldly, when they were chased out of every town and threatened?

b Because they were confident in the power of the Gospel to change lives.

· They experienced it first hand and couldn’t wait to share it with others.

D We all have friends and or relatives who have not yet experienced this type of transformation by placing their faith in Christ.

1 Are you, am I, burdened for them that they don’t seem to understand or even show an interest in God’s message of salvation?

2 We have all heard the old adage “You can lead a horse to water but you can’t make them drink.”

a This is true of Salvation. You can’t save anyone in your own power. You can lead them right there but then the rest is up to the Holy Spirit.

b So don’t get frustrated or give up, it isn’t our responsibility to get them saved just to share with them the way to Salvation. And then to let it in God’s hands.

c When we look and see how God has changed our own lives that should spur us on towards wanting others to experience that same transformation that we have.

E The Transformation Source is the Gospel Message:

III Transformation Evidenced – vs. 6-8 Read

A “You became imitators of us and the Lord.” Vs. 6

1 In other words they became true disciples of Paul and his companions, who were faithful followers of Christ.

2 So by following Paul and doing what he did they were following Christ.

3 Paul was such an example of Christ that for someone to do what he did they would be doing what God had commanded them to do.

B “You became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia.” Vs. 7

1 They encouraged Paul by their outward demonstration of their inward commitment to Christ.

2 They served as an example to the people around them and some of those people followed the Thessalonian model.

C “The Lord’s message Rang Out from you… everywhere.” Vs. 8

1 The idea of a clear distinct sound of a trumpet, the repetition of an echo.

2 Everywhere the Thessalonians traveled the message spread from ear to ear.

3 They weren’t “Secret Service Christians” everybody knew where they stood.

4 Just think how quickly the Gospel would spread in our towns, workplaces and schools if only we were like the Thessalonians in this area.

a Maybe some of here this morning are still in the Secret Service.

b Maybe you aren’t even in His service yet.

c Go to the Lord this morning even before you leave and get your life (walk) right with the Lord.

d Let the Gospel “Ring Out” of you everywhere you go.

D We have looked at the Transformation Praised, Source, Evidenced and finally:

IV Transformation Explained – vs. 9-10

A They “Turned to God from idols.” Vs 9

1 Remember that the Thessalonians were Greeks and Romans who had turned to God from a lifetime of worshipping many gods (Polytheists).

2 Their transformation came when they heard the message from Paul and repented of their sins and gave their lives over to God.

3 Isn’t it interesting to see that your life transformed in just the same way

a Although you didn’t hear Paul preaching, you heard the message and repented of your sins and gave your life to God?

b You may not have had carved images or stone images that you bowed down to and worship as god.

c But prior to giving your life over to the Lord you served yourself as god.

B They “Serve the living and true God.” Vs 9

· They turned their back on many useless and lifeless idols to serve the true and living God. The Only God!!!

C They “Wait for his Son from Heaven.” Vs 10

1 Back in vs. 3 Paul praised them for their “Endurance inspired by Hope,” or their “Patience of Hope.”

2 This was demonstrated by their endurance even in the midst of persecution.

3 Read Poem “Still Waiting”

Conclusion:

When you turn to God from idols (vs. 9), your life becomes a work of faith (vs.3). #. When you serve the living and true God (vs. 9), you demonstrate a labor of love (vs. 3)
When your faith motivates you to wait for His Son from heaven (vs. 10), you model patience of hope (vs. 3).
How has the New Life in Christ Transformed your life?
Now as we Patiently await for the Lords return He has left us with a specific ordinance to follow “The Lords Table” “Communion”
So as the Men are preparing Please turn with me in your Hymn Books to:

Hymn # 760 “While We Are Waiting, Come”