The Kind of Church God Wants
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
In the beginning of this passage, we find that Paul, Silvanus (Silas), and Timotheus (Timothy) are writing a letter unto the Church in Thessalonica. It says they are thankful for the Thessalonians and for the faith they so clearly and openly display. It’s obvious from reading this passage that this church made an impact in their day, but their devotion to Christ still speaks today.
In moving into 2021, I want to remind you of the type of church that God wants, and the Church in Thessalonica was the model church. I want Shining Light Baptist Church to be the kind of church God wants, and I believe if you’ll listen to me today, you’ll see that there are some areas we need to improve on and even change.
With the help of the Lord, I want to get things right! He has given us examples in the Bible; examples of what to do, and what not to do, examples that we are not to just read over and go on with our lives, but to read, to learn, to be convicted by, and to change us so that we can glorify and honor God!
The church in Thessalonica was a God honoring church.
God has a pattern for what He desires in a church, and we can see that pattern here…Notice first:
The Format of the Church
The Format of the Church
Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father;
Work of Faith
Work of Faith
Faith reaches upward and lays hold upon God.
Labour of Love
Labour of Love
Love reaches outward and lays hold onto others.
Patience of Hope
Patience of Hope
Hope reaches forward and lays hope onto the future.
The Formation of the Church
The Formation of the Church
God Calls A Man
God Calls A Man
The men mentioned at the beginning of the letter, Paul, Silas, and Timothy; had been in the beginning weeks of their second missionary journey, and their arrival in Thessalonica had not been by accident.
Behind the scenes, God had been supernaturally preparing the way and through divine intervention, Paul had experienced the unmistakable call of God to take the gospel to the cities of Macedonia...
Now when they had gone throughout Phrygia and the region of Galatia, and were forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia,
After they were come to Mysia, they assayed to go into Bithynia: but the Spirit suffered them not.
And a vision appeared to Paul in the night; There stood a man of Macedonia, and prayed him, saying, Come over into Macedonia, and help us.
And after he had seen the vision, immediately we endeavoured to go into Macedonia, assuredly gathering that the Lord had called us for to preach the gospel unto them.
God Confirms His Message
God Confirms His Message
For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance; as ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake.
The gospel is not a matter of mere words. In modern culture there is an overflow of information or entertainment that often only amounts to mere words. Yet the Gospel is more than words, it also has power. The verse says it came in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance! God confirms His message!
God Collects His Members
God Collects His Members
He Saves Them
He Saves Them
Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God.
Very simply, the church must have a saved membership! If we don’t have salvation, nothing else matters!
We were unclean, unworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unthankful, ungrateful, and we were blatant and evil sinners. God in His mercy chose to save us, His loved reached down when He sent Jesus, His love reached out when they nailed Jesus to the cross.
Don’t get scared of that word election there; it means “selection, chosen, a picking out, or choosing.”
Who are the elect? According to the Bible, it’s whosoever believes in the Lord!
He Stabilizes Them
He Stabilizes Them
For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance; as ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake.
A.W. Tozer wrote, “The truth received in power shifts the basis of life from Adam to Christ, and a new set of motives goes to work within the soul. A new and different Spirit enters the personality and makes the believing man new in every department of his being. His interests shift from things external to things eternal, from things on earth to things in heaven. He loses faith in the soundness of external values; he sees clearly the deceptiveness of outward appearances; his love for and confidence in the unseen and eternal world become stronger as his experience widens...”
He Subjects Them and Satisfies Them
He Subjects Them and Satisfies Them
And ye became followers of us, and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Ghost:
We can have joy in the midst of trials. Our light can shine the brightest in the darkest as long as we stay close to Jesus.
Have you received the word of God?
Jimmy Draper wrote, “Joy and affliction do not go together in our thinking. When we are afflicted, we are not happy about it. When we have great pressure brought upon us, it is not natural to have joy. But if Jesus Christ lives in our lives, he wants the gospel to progress in us until we receive the affliction, the persecution, the pressure, the discouragement, the frustration with joy. It is unnatural for us to react to pain with joy. Only the working of the Holy Spirit can produce it. The Holy Spirit is the reason we can have pressure and be happy.”
So now that we understand how this church was formed, let’s look at:
The Function of the Church
The Function of the Church
The Church of Thessalonica was:
A Shining Church
A Shining Church
So that ye were ensamples to all that believe in Macedonia and Achaia.
Ensamples means “The mark of a blow, An impression, impress” - They were examples…They made an impression...
The result of the Thessalonians faith in Jesus was that they became examples in the world. We can be the kind of people other people want to be, or the kind of people other people don’t want to be.
What kind of example are you?
The Thessalonians were walking with the Lord and they were witnessing for the Lord.
Just as the church in Thessalonica had a responsibility to proclaim the word of the Lord, so too does every member of every church in this world.
We need to ask ourselves on a daily basis the following questions:
"What are we going to do to be a better Christian?
What are we going to do to make our homes happier?
What are we going to do to make our church better?
What we are going to do to help our community?"
In other words, "What's Our Game Plan?"
If we try this positive approach we will see how much better life can be!
A Sending Church (8)
A Sending Church (8)
For from you sounded out the word of the Lord not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith to God-ward is spread abroad; so that we need not to speak any thing.
The word of God “echoed” throughout the region and extended beyond Macedonia and Achaia, even to the far regions of Christianity. The testimony of this church had reached far and wide. The impact was so prevalent that Paul and his group could add nothing to what others had heard.
This is as good as any testimony could be, in that it spread like wildfire and had no need of anyone to add to its content.
A Separated Church (9)
A Separated Church (9)
For they themselves shew of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God;
These people had abandoned the heathen worshipping of idols and had turned to serving God. Those lost heathens recognized many false Gods but upon being saved they realized there was only one true God and they strove to serve him.
Notice, they did not turn from idols to God, but they turned to God from idols. There's a difference. Many in the world try to clean themselves up before coming to God. The Bible is clear we are to come just as we are and allow the Lord Jesus to clean us. We are to turn to God from idols not turn from idols to God. When a person turns to Jesus from sin there will be immediate changes in that person's life.
A Satisfied, Scriptural, and Secured Church (10)
A Satisfied, Scriptural, and Secured Church (10)
And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.
A God honoring church is one that is patient in their waiting for Jesus. Paul lived out his life working for Jesus and waiting for Jesus.
All true saints will be living for Jesus and longing for Jesus to come. If we will live our lives one day at a time patiently waiting for Jesus, knowing that at any time He can come again, it will change the way we think, the way we speak; it will change our motives, change our actions, and it will change every area of our lives.
The Thessalonians realized that God had delivered them from hell and they lived their lives for the glory of God. A church will never honor God if they don't lift up the Lord Jesus and proclaim that He is the only One that can save.
Jesus delivers from the wrath to come. That means He sets us free from wrath, He sets us free from the penalty of our sins.
Conclusion
Conclusion
No church will be a happy and blessed church until they realize and practice these truths...
As individuals today, do we see ourselves doing these things?
Does Shining Light Baptist Church have room to improve in 2021?
It’s going to take all of us working together with the power of the Holy Ghost for this church to be the kind of church God wants.
I’m wondering today if you want it?
What are you willing to sacrifice to get there?
The main requirement today is that we are saved! Are you saved today? If you’re not, you’re in the right place to meet the Savior! Are you right with God? If not, you in the right place to get back into fellowship with Him!