Untitled Sermon (79)

SERMON: A GOSPELIZED CHURCH

Don’t forget that these missional virtues flow out of being in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ

TO UNDERSTAND WHAT PAUL IS TEACHING WE HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THESE VERSES BACKWARDS

TENTATIVE FLOW

- Logical direction of Paul

THEY ARE THE ELECT OF GOD

1 Thessalonians 1:4 ESV

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

1 Thessalonians 1:5 ESV

because our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction. You know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake.

o THE FACT - You are Elect and loved by the Son

· Elect means …

o Hence v 1: “in God the Father”

Elect conveys the awesome and astounding reality that, conversion means the impartation of the life of God into the life of the believer

2 Peter 1:3 ESV

His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence,

2 Peter 1:4 ESV

by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.

Thus, to be elect is to be a person whose life is

God-shaped

Christ-Shaped

Gospel shaped

IN ESSENCE, PAUL IS TEACHING US THAT THE ELECT ARE PEOPLE WHOSE LIFESTYLES CONFORM TO AN ETHIC THAT IS DIFFERENT THAN WHAT THEY WERE BEFORE.

IT IS ESSENTIAL FOR US TO KNOW AND UNDERSTAND THAT THE GOSPEL IS A MESSAGE ABOUT

A DIFFERENT KING

A DIFFERENT KINGDOM

A DIFFERENT LIFESTYLE

· Why is this important?

Because salvation is not simply about Going to Heaven

Salvation is about bringing heaven down to earth

Exposing the darkness of the enemy by Expressing the light of the Lord

THE WAY THIS HAPPENS - your life models and mirrors

Transition thought – 2nd Peter 1:10

2 peter 1 10

2 Peter 1:10 ESV

Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall.

How were they reflecting their election? State the three ways then add

TO BE THE ELECT OF GOD IS PROVEN WHEN WE ARE ON MISSION WITH AND FOR GOD

MISSIONAL VIRTUES OF THE TRANSFORMED

§ Paul knew they were loved by God because their life demonstrate a love for the Lord who loved them!!! They were all about the gospel because they were gospelized – transformed by the gospel

1 Thessalonians 1:3 ESV

remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.

WORK OF FAITH

§ Faith

· Not merely intellectual assent or heartfelt conviction: it must be those things – but for Paul, faith means more than this: it is a response, an activity

· Heartfelt emotions and concrete commitment and obedience

· Faith not simply the initial response to the gospel but a person’s ongoing posture of devotion and commitment

(Gorman, 92)

WORK OF FAITH

Work of faith = believing allegiance

· Faith that is Active

· Faith that is Practiced

· Faith that Proves

Summary of the word Work as related to Faith

· Their work is the result of their faith

· Their work shows that they have faith

· A new life empowered by the Holy Spirit that is characterized by conformity to the gospel and the faith

· Literally: Paul is highlighting their faithfulness: their commitment to confOrming to the life of Christ in their own lives

o Faith expressed as service to the true God

o A faithful living before this true God

o A faithful expression of God in the public square

§ This faithfulness looks like

1 Thessalonians 4:7–8 ESV

For God has not called us for impurity, but in holiness. Therefore whoever disregards this, disregards not man but God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you.

WHAT DOES WORK OF FAITH LOOK LIKE, PRACTICALLY?

· Being loyal to Christ

· Developing their spiritual lives

· Helping needy people

Labor of Love

§ Labor means

· Activity

· Toil

· Exertion

· To be unsparing

Labor of Love

Agape

o Helping others in spite of their response or their willingness to return it to you and regardless of how they treat you

1 Thessalonians 5:15 ESV

See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone.

Self giving practices

More Importantly

Laboring in love is not doing what you feel, but doing what Christ would do

They labored because they loved people

§ We love people in a gospel way by seeking to have them saved from wrath of God that is coming

§ We love them this way because we have been loved this way by Christ

1 Thessalonians 1:10 ESV

and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.

They labor and we should labor because we love Jesus and we are loved by Jesus

1 Thessalonians 1:4 (ESV)

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

His love for us is constant and every moment and, thus, we labor to love at any given time because we are always wrapped in love

STEADFASTNESS OF HOPE

§ Work, labor steadfastness: energy terms:

The certainty about the future based on the what God has told us, that enables a certain kind of life in the present

LIVE A PREPARED LIFE

1 Thessalonians 1:2 ESV

We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly mentioning you in our prayers,

THESE MARKS - THESE MISSIONAL MARK - PROVE TO PAUL THAT THE THESSALONIANS HAD ACTUALLY RECEIVED THE GOSPEL IN POWER (TRANSFORMING POWER)

· The Character of the Messiah

· The Content of the Gospel

o For those reasons we give thanks and constantly mention you in our prayer

§ We are constantly praying for more fruit because more fruit -faithfulness, love and hope – means the expansion of the glory of God

· Show more love (see verse related to that) also Philippians 1:9