A Faith Worth Praising

Introduction

Forty Roman soldiers in the 4th-century Armenia disobeyed the emperor’s order. These brave Christians stood firm, refusing to offer a pagan sacrifice. They were imprisoned and tortured, stripped, and herded onto a frozen pond. Warm baths were offered to anyone who would deny their faith. But as the sun set, the men sang hymns, refusing to disgrace their savior! Their martyrdom is a dramatic example of the strength of biblical hope. “What is death for us but an entrance into eternal life?” they asked. This was not wishful thinking or human optimism. This is a rock-solid standing firm on the character of God–true biblical hope.

That is a faith that was tested and one that is praiseworthy. These men were in a tough spot. They had to do something. They could have renounced and not froze to death. Or stay faithful and not renounce. They had faith in The one true Savior and they stood fast in their faith. They knew who their savior was and they believed in Him for their eternal salvation.

That is what we are to do. We are to believe the gospel and rest in that. It is worth it. It is what will give you the power to stand in dire circumstances. It brings about a major change in us.

When we turn to the Lord through faith in Christ others ought to be able to see that change in us. A change marked by our faith and hope in Jesus, our selfless labor to serve one another and to spread the gospel.

This is what people should see in us.

So, a couple of questions before we get into the text.

Are you a person who is known for your faith, joy, and steadfastness of hope found in Jesus Christ?

Are you a person that others see and say, “that is a Christian, they are always so full of hope and joy even in despair?”

This is what the text today will answer for us. It will show us how to be this type of believer.

We will turn to the book of 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10.

I have decided to take us through this book for the next few weeks because I believe it is very appropriate for this time of year. It is a book full of hope, joy, love, and peace. What this time of year is all about. Not only this but every chapter is about the return of Jesus Christ. We are celebrating now the first coming but we are always looking to the second. The second coming is our blessed hope as Paul says in Titus 2:13.

If we place our hope in that, we will have joy, peace, and love like crazy. All our hope rests in Jesus and when we rest in Him we will have a Faith Worth Praising.

Let us read the text now. Turn if you will to 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10.

Dedicated Christian–Be Someone Others are Thankful for.

We see that the apostle prayed for Grace and Peace for the believers at Thessalonica. As one commentator stated it, “There can be no real peace until grace has been experienced in the heart.” No grace and peace is to be in utter poverty.

This is what the church at Thessalonica had. They were strong believers that received this grand expression of genuine feeling from the apostle Paul.

They were faithful and dedicated believers.

Paul always constantly gave thanks for them and constantly mentioned them in his prayers.

Why? Why did he do this for this church? What made them so worthy of this grand expression of love and feelings from the apostle?

It is their Dutiful Faith:

Their work of faith. This is their conversion and that they have demonstrated their deep faith in Christ through their dedication.

We see in John 6:28-29 that faith is an act not a work by us but to experience it is to experience a work of God. Our faith is a Holy Spirit driven aspect. It is what we exercise but it is brought on by the Spirit drawing us and God working in us to be a new creation.

It makes us to labor in love too. We love and we seek to show this love to others by laboring for them. And we have a steadfastness of hope because of who our hope is in.

See Christianity is not a life to be endured for duty sake, but a person to be served for loves sake.

This is what the Thessalonian Christians did and why they received such a strong commendation.

They had endurance in all things because their hope rested in Jesus Christ. You can stand fast in the face of persecution because of this hope.

How? You may ask.

It is because of your faith in Christ. A full faith. A faith that is fully assured that Christ has performed all the work necessary for your salvation. A faith that knows He is returning for you. You have a patient trust a calmness, surety, hope in Christ because you know this hope will be fulfilled in Christ. This hope and faith gives you the willingness to work where it is difficult, the willingness to labor for others even when it is hard, you will be willing to bear the burden of whatever comes because your faith rests in Christ alone.

Know that as a believer you are God’s chosen. God loves you. This love is shown in Jesus Christ and His coming into this world. It is shown stronger in that He is coming again. This is love from the Father that you can exert to the world. We love others because we have been loved by the ultimate lover: God the Father (1 John 4:19).

This is confirmed in that you have a Power-filled Faith:

This is a faith full of conviction. This conviction is from the Holy Spirit that you have fully received upon your salvation.

This power is fully yours. You have the joy of the Spirit in you.

You have the ability to express your faith, love, and hope.

Paul has elsewhere stated that “God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control” (2 Timothy 1:7).

This is what you have received. This is what the Thessalonians had received. Jesus has sent the Spirit to all who have believed.

That is the question for you. Have you truly received the Spirit, or have you just had an emotional experience?

Emotion will leave you and you will not have faith, hope, joy, love, or peace. You will be left trying to prove you are saved by your works. You will be left fearful in all circumstances. Your emotions will play tricks on you, but the Holy Spirit will not.

When times are tough and hard there will be a deep down feeling that all will be okay. You may stress but deep inside you will know all is well.

This power will cause you to move for the Lord. It will cause you to serve Christ in love. You will exude hope in times that seem hopeless. Christ has given you the same conviction and power that the Thessalonians received and were commended by Paul for having. You have this love and power if you have believed. It is yours take it and grasp onto it. Shine that light for Christ and become a...

Discipling Disciple

We see in this section (vv. 6-7) that the Thessalonians became imitators (disciples) of the apostle. Not only did they do this but they became an example to others (disciplers).

They were Faithful in Affliction:

When they were tested or tempted they imitated the example set by Paul and from the Lord.

There was no wavering or turning, but faithful duty to the Lord.

These believers had turned from an extensive idol filled culture to the one true God.

That is very similar to what we have in this culture.

Do you have an idol? If so what is it?

Is it your job? Your money? Your children? Your status? Sports? Hunting? Sex? Greed? Politics? Whatever it is give it to the Lord and turn to Him completely as did the Thessalonians.

Receive the Word of God completely regardless of what the world says. The word of God is the steadfast word that is your guide. The world will lie to you and deceive you. It will tell you that all other things are more important than a God you have never seen and is probably a lie. This is what they will say. And this is what you must overcome. It is affliction because you may not be persecuted as the early church was but you have persecution. You may lose friends, family, coworkers, even your job. But stand fast with the word of God as your guide.

Fully embrace the word know it is Christ speaking to you as you should live. Be fully dedicated to the Lord and follow His word completely. It is true and it will strengthen you when the idol filled world will bring you down.

You can do all this because you have been Filled With the Joy of the Spirit:

This Joy will enable you to turn away from idols and realize that the world is empty without Christ.

You know this life is not something you do alone. You have the Holy Spirit inside you. He will strengthen you and enable you to be an example to the world.

When you believe you receive the Spirit. He brings Joy, comfort, and peace as Christ promised in John 14-16.

Faith in affliction is possible because of this promised Spirit and His strength.

You alone cannot do it. It takes the Spirit of God to keep you steadfast and focused.

He gives you power to love those who hate you. He gives you power to care for those who you otherwise would not care for. He gives you the ability to show love when the world only shows hate and bitterness. That is how you become a disciple that disciples.

Where are you at now? Who is around you?

Do you shine joy, hope, love, and peace?

Are you that light of hope that that person about to commit suicide needs to see? Are you the light to a depressed and down individual?

Be that example. Be the one that your life and actions draws people because they want to experience that joy you have.

Shine Christ. Be that example to a dead and dying world.

Have the faith that precedes you.

Have...

Distinguished Faith

Distinguished faith is a faith that people know about you before they know you.

It is like that of a famous singer, or actor. You know their talent and skills so much that you feel like you know them.

Have that type of faith. Have the type that people know so much that they know you before they know you. But let your faith be authentic and not like how many actors and singers are.

This is what we see in the text. In 1 Thessalonians 1:8-10.

In verse 8 we see that Paul said that not only had the word of the Lord sounded forth from them but that their faith has gone forth everywhere.

Their words were heard around but their faith spoke louder than their evangelism.

It was known because of their turning from idols to the one true God, and that they had their faith resting in Him alone.

This hope is resting in His return for us, that He has conquered death, and that through Him we are delivered from God’s wrath that will be poured out on those who are not His.

Our faith is to be a well of water springing up for eternal life it is to be life streams of water that flow from deep within us to others (John 4:14; 7:38). It is this when we rest in Him alone and trust that He will deliver us from anything the world can through at us. We are His and by that we are eternally secure and we know this because God raised Him from the dead and He has promised to return for us.

In John 14:1-3 Christ tells us that if He goes and prepares a place for us He will return for us. That is a promise that He will keep. We know that Christ is true because His word tells us that he will never leave or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5).

What is so amazing about all of this is that Christ is the Second Person of the Trinity. He is the only begotten Son of God. He came and took on flesh and suffered horrendously for us. He took our punishment so we can be with Him and have eternal life. That is something worth resting in and trusting fully. It is something worthy of placing your faith in. It is also something that once you have done so

You can be known for your faith, you can have a distinguished faith, be a disciple maker, and a dedicated believer because you have rested in Christ completely.

This is what we do. We rest in Christ and His return. We rest in Christ and His salvation He has provided. We rest in Christ, Him, not the event or the gift, but the Man Christ Jesus. When you have rested in Him totally, then you will have joy, hope, love, and peace. You will be His faithful servant and will exude a Faith Worth Praising.

Conclusion

Oh that we would all rest fully in the return of Christ knowing that because He came and said He was going to come again we can rest in that. We know He will come for us, we know that we are His regardless of what the world says or does. We can love a world that hates and persecutes us because we have the greatest love of all as ours. Jesus Christ is ours and He has given us the Holy Spirit to strengthen and guide and give us Joy.

When you place your faith and complete trust in Jesus over everything else, you too can have A Faith Worth Praising.

Maybe you are not sure if you have believed upon Christ for eternal life. Maybe you are not sure that you have believed or just had an emotional experience.

Paul has given us the way to know this. Are you joyful even in hardships? Are you faithfully working for Jesus because you love Him and desire others to love Him also? Or are you working trying to earn Hi favor? Or have you gave up because you have so much despair that it does not matter?

Know that Jesus has given you the power to overcome all of this if you have believed upon Him for eternal life. You have the Holy Spirit in you. Know that Jesus is coming again and you will not experience the wrath to come. Know that regardless what the world throws at you, Jesus has overcome the world and you have too through Him.

Jesus is faithful to keep His promises and His promise is to come again for those who are His. You can have this type of faith when you place it all completely upon Jesus Christ. He wants you and wants you to do so. Please today if you have not believed believe on Jesus for eternal life. If you are struggling seek Christ for the power He has given you, seek Him for the peace He has offered, seek Him for the Joy that is yours in the Holy Spirit.