1 Thessalonians 1:1-10 - The Best Leaders Follow Well
1 Thessalonians • Sermon • Submitted • Presented • 35:55
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Introduction:
We live in a world that loves to produce leaders. If you go by one of our local elementary schools you will see a huge sign in the fence that says growing leaders. It sounds good doesn’t it? But the real question that comes to mind is - what kind of leaders are we growing? What kind of leaders are we producing? And are they worthy of being followed and emulated?
Today we are going to learn how the best leaders are also the best followers.
Let us pray.
Prayer.
Before getting into our points today, I want us to look at this greeting from Paul:
Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace.
We start off here with Paul and his traveling companions on his second missionary journey. For the record, Silvanus is another name for Silas. We see him mentioned as one of Paul’s traveling companions throughout his second missionary journey.
We see Paul plant the church of Thessalonica in Acts 17 on that second missionary journey (see the map that shows this second missionary journey). It is notable that he doesn’t start off this letter with any background about himself or his companions. This is likely because they knew them well. They had spent time together as they worked to share the Gospel and establish the church there. It also is likely because this letter was written not too long after Paul had started this church. Most scholars think that this letter is the earliest of Paul’s letters in the Bible.
1 Thessalonians 1:1 (ESV)
Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace.
Moving forward in verse 1, Paul calls this group the church of the Thessalonians in God. I love that phrase ‘in God.’ The don’t just know about God, they are in Him. It reminds me of a great parallel passage in 2 Corinthians 5:17:
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
This church is in Christ. They are a new creation. Paul reminds them of this from the beginning of this great letter.
1 Thessalonians 1:1 (ESV)
Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace.
Next he wishes them grace and peace. He reminds them of the relationship that they have with God. They have peace with God because of the grace given to them through the sacrificial atonement of Jesus Christ.
In verse 2, Paul starts off his thanksgiving for this beloved church:
We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly mentioning you in our prayers,
Letters in the time of Paul usually consisted of an opening which contained a greeting, a body, and a closing. Paul adds an area of thanksgiving after his opening in his letters. And his thanksgiving in this letter goes on for 9 verses (ranging from verses 2-10) and will finish out our chapter!
Something that we can learn from Paul here is how important thanksgiving is for our prayer life. Thanksgiving helps us grow in contentment and joy as it reminds us of the blessings in our lives. Paul knew what it was like to suffer persecution. After he had planted this church in Thessalonica, he got thrown out of the city. But he had a lot to be thankful for because of the word that Timothy brought to him later - The the church was doing well (1 Thess 3:6).
1 Thessalonians 3:6a (ESV)
But now that Timothy has come to us from you, and has brought us the good news of your faith...
Paul had a lot to be thankful for when it came to the church in Thessalonica. As we go through this section of thankfulness, we are going to see four ways that we are encouraged to follow in their example.
The first is:
Scripture References: 2 Corinthians 5:17, 1 Thessalonians 3:6
I. We, as the Church, Should… Be Living Well (3-5a)
I. We, as the Church, Should… Be Living Well (3-5a)
1 Thessalonians 1:3–5a (ESV)
remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, because our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction.
We have three different phrases in verse 3 that show us how we should be living in Christ. They are the threefold signs of a believer - faith, love, and hope.
1. Work of Faith
The first is work of faith. This should not be misunderstood as salvation through works. It means that true faith does work. And this true saving faith works itself out in acts of love as we see in Galatians 5:6.
Galatians 5:6b (ESV)
....but only faith working through love.
This verse in Galatians brings us right into the second phrase:
2. Labor of Love
The Greek word for labor here, kopos (koe-pose) is a bit stronger of a word than the word work, ergon (err-on) that we saw in relation to faith. The reason for this should not be overstated but likely stems from the fact that the Greek word for love here is agape - which is sacrificial love. Per theologian Jeffrey Weima -Thus, the labor of love means that there is an element of discomfort and hardship.
I am sure that we can all agree that loving the unlovable can feel like hard labor at times! But as true believers, we can do just that by the power of the Holy Spirit working in us.
Finally we see...
3. Steadfastness in Hope
This word steadfastness also means to persevere. The only way we can really persevere is when we do so in hope for an eternal reward with Christ in heaven. We can remain steadfast when we know that the war has been won, death has been defeated, the grave has been overcome - and this all completed by the blood of Jesus Christ on the cross.
I’m sure most of us have some difficult things going on in our lives right now. Some are obviously harder than others. Some may have lost a loved one. Some may have been hurt by someone. Some may have lost a job. Some may have gotten a difficult medical diagnosis. And the list goes on.
But the way that we can stay steadfast in hope is focusing on the one thing that never changes - more accurately the One Who never changed - namely Jesus Christ. We can focus on Him and the hope and assurance that we have in the cross. We can remain unmoveable only by His strength and power.
The next verse and a half gives further confirmation and assurance for believers:
1 Thessalonians 1:4–5s (ESV)
For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, because our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction.
Paul calls these believers ‘brothers loved by God.’ This is actually the only place in the Scriptures that we see this intimate phrase used. And he goes on to remind them that they have been chosen by God Himself. This election, or choosing, has been confirmed by the Holy Spirit and with the conviction that comes through the Spirit.
There is a lot to unpack here but I think it is great to go back to Acts 16:6-10:
And they went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia. And when they had come up to Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them.
So, passing by Mysia, they went down to Troas. And a vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of Macedonia was standing there, urging him and saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” And when Paul had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go on into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.
We know that all believers are chosen by God and that this has been done before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:4-5). We also know that God died for the sins of the whole world (John 3:16) but that only those who put their faith in Christ will be saved (Acts 4:12). This difficult understanding of God’s sovereign election and man’s responsibility has been debated for centuries. But in the case of this church in Thessalonica we have a very amazing account of God sovereignly working!
In Acts 16, we have seen God literally change Paul’s direction (twice!) and give him a vision to go to Macedonia. For those of you may not be up on Biblical geography well - check out this map that we looked at earlier again:
In Acts 16 we see Paul go to Derbe and then to Lystra (where he met Timothy). He then goes on to Iconium and moves toward Phyrgia (because he was forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia). Once he gets to Mysia he tries to go into Bithynia but then the Spirit of Jesus does not allow them to go there either. At last, Paul sees a vision of a man in Macedonia urging them to come that way. He then moves toward Philippi to plant a church there followed by ending up in Thessalonica as we saw in Acts 17.
Talk about God’s sovereignty. This is God sovereignly working in an amazing way. We don’t know why God directed Paul away from Asia and Bithynia. But we know that God is good and that He was working out everything for the good of those who are His and called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28). And we see Paul’s words spelled out perfectly here in verse 4:
For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you,
If you are in Christ, those same words are for you my friends. He has chosen you. And you can know He has chosen you if the beginning of verse 5 is true for you as well.
1 Thessalonians 1:5a (ESV)
because our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction.
If the Gospel has come to you in the power of the Holy Spirit and with conviction to follow Christ then you can be assured that you are a brother or sister in Christ loved by God! You can be assured if you have been born again and filled with the Holy Spirit who convicts believers and directs their lives. The evidence of the power of the Holy Spirit and full conviction is the evidence of a changed life. You have been made new. Your old self has been removed and your new self has been put on (Ephesians 4:22-24). Yes, there is still the battle of the flesh - but your new self desires to please the Father.
Is there anything in the world to be more thankful for my friends? To be called loved by God and chosen by God is the most wonderful thing in the world, church. I pray that each of you can confidently identify with the church in Thessalonica here.
Because we are chosen, we should live for Christ well.
Next...
Scripture References: Galatians 5:6, Acts 16:6-10, Ephesians 1:4-5, John 3:16, Acts 4:12, Acts 17, Romans 8:28, Ephesians 4:22-24
II. We, as the Church, Should… Be Led Well (5b-6)
II. We, as the Church, Should… Be Led Well (5b-6)
1 Thessalonians 1:5b–6 (ESV)
You know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake. 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,
They became imitators of Paul, Silas, and Timothy. This is important because mentoring and discipleship is important. Having godly people in our lives that we can learn from and imitate is paramount to us growing. God will definitely grow us through His Holy Spirit and through His Word, but He will also grow us through fellowship with His people - Proverbs 27:17:
Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.
We grow a lot by doing life together. This is why church attendance, membership, and fellowship is so important. We are not able to sharpen one another if we aren’t doing life together in fellowship. I hear many people talk about their spiritual life being dry. Most of the time, I find that these people are not plugged into a local church well. They may go a couple of Sundays per month - but they aren’t in consistent fellowship and contact with fellow believers. We need that fellowship in order to grow.
Just this past week, I recieved a text from a brother in this church about how he had just finished reading the book of Genesis. He talked about certain parts of the book that really pointed him to Christ and helped open his eyes to the richness of the Word of God. Friends, we need to encourage one another in this way and sharpen one another in this way. If you don’t have people you can call or text when God reveals something to you, then you need to step out of your comfort zone and make connections.
1 Thessalonians 1:5b–6 (ESV)
You know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake. 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,
This section also lets us know the importance of godly leaders. We live in a world that spends far too much time making idols of men and women. We even have a show called American Idol. Obviously the Scripture is clear that idols are sin (Exodus 20:3-4).
We have seen this idolatry of idols in our churches as well. We have acclaimed television pastors and megachurch pastors who are practically worshiped by their followers. They can say something that is obviously Biblically errant but still be believed because of their power and platform.
Yet, I think that in many of our theologically stronger churches we can struggle with the opposite side as well.
Leon Morris said the following:
1–2 Thessalonians The Marks of a True Messenger of God Should Be Observable (1:5)
“while many in modern times will feel hesitant about directing attention to their own lives, it yet remains true that no preacher can expect a hearing for his gospel unless it is bearing fruit in his own life” (Morris 1959:58).
There is a strong importance of godly leadership in the church. My prayer is that the leadership of CrossPointe is worthy of emulation. I pray that we live our lives in such a way as to spur others on toward Christ and good works. Yes, I pray that there is grace that covers our many flaws and struggles. But I pray that our church is led well. In order for us to have a healthy church, we need to have healthy leaders.
We also...
Scripture References: Proverbs 27:17, Exodus 20:3-4
III. We, as the Church, Should… Be Leading Well (7-9)
III. We, as the Church, Should… Be Leading Well (7-9)
so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. 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. 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,
According to theologian Gene L. Green, verse 7 is the only place in Scripture where an entire church congregation is viewed as a model for other churches to follow. This church was exemplary in the way that they responded to the persecution mentioned at the end of verse 6. They suffered afflictions and yet responded with godliness.
This word translated example in verse 7 is the Greek word typos (too-pose) which referred to a mold for producing a wooden stamp used in making an imprint in clay. Dr. Jeffrey Weima stated that this word was ‘was used to refer to a model or pattern for ethical conduct.’ In other words, they were to be emulated by other churches.
Interestingly, Paul mentions quite a large area that news of their faith and steadfastness had traveled. It had traveled throughout Macedonia and Achaia and then he even states that it had gone forth everywhere. Obviously, this was a figure of speech that Paul was using, but I am sure that he was surprised to find people who knew of their faith in far away places!
In fact, he likely wrote this letter in Corinth and was around 250-300 traveling miles away from there. Because of Timothy’s report, he was hearing of their faith there as well.
(See map) God was able to move the news of the faith of the Thessalonians by the Roman road system created by the Roman Empire. The Via Egnatia was one part of that road system that went through both Philippi and Thessalonica and stretched some 700 miles from the Adriatic Sea to Byzantium (modern day Istanbul).
This Roman road system aided Paul in his missionary journeys as well. God providentially had this road system formed in the first and second centuries BC which provided a convenient form of travel for Paul and his companions.
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,
Verse 9 shows us that this church was made up of predominately Gentiles. Although Acts 17:4 does show that some Jews were converted as well, it was the Gentiles who turned away from idols. Historical records suggest that there were at least 25 deities worshiped in Thessalonica. Thessalonica was the capital city of Macedonia with some 200,000 people and was a hot spot for worshiping these false gods. Knowing the culture at that time, we see that going from 25 gods to the one true God was quite a leap of faith for them.
This counter-cultural movement for them showed great leadership of that church. They were an example for others to follow because making this leap of faith and denying that any other deities were to be worshiped meant political, social, and financial ostracizing.
You see, the Romans were pluralistic in their thinking. They loved new ideas. But these new ideas were to be added to what was already existent.
They practiced something called Syncretism - which was the fusing of multiple religions. The Romans frequently borrowed religious ideas from the cultures around them and blended them into their own religious rituals.
We see strong examples of this in how they incorporated the Greek gods and goddesses in their own religion by changing their names.
Yet, Christianity stood right in the way of this cultural pride of pluralism. Christianity stood on objective truth and called everything else a lie.
You shall not add to the word that I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God that I command you.
And then even Jesus was direct in this as we have mentioned many times:
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
The Thessalonians led well by rejecting syncretism. And because of this, God was glorified.
Brothers and sisters. Does this idea of syncretism and religious pluralism sound familiar?
Sadly, our culture has become quite like the Roman culture by valuing postmodern thinking and rejecting objective truth claims.
We must lead well by sharing the truth of God’s Word through the Gospel. However, it was both the message and the righteous living that went along with the message that made this church such a great example for other churches.
We cannot spread the Gospel in our area with any success or credibility unless we are practicing what we preach and leading well.
May we lead as a church by individually proclaiming the truth of the Gospel through Jesus Christ as the exclusive and only way to God - all the while being living examples of lives changed and shaped by that very Gospel.
Yes, it will bring persecution and ostracizing. But may we count it all joy to suffer for Christ (James 1:2).
Finally…
Scripture References: Acts 17:4, Deuteronomy 4:2, John 14:6, James 1:2
IV. We, as the Church, Should… Be Longing Well (10)
IV. We, as the Church, Should… Be Longing Well (10)
and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.
I love how Paul ends this section on thanksgiving. He has just praised the church in Thessalonica for their steadfastness under affliction and persecution and encouraged them to keep leading by example in verse 6 (1 Thess 1:6).
But he ends this section with the reason why they can continue remaining steadfast and hopeful. He ends this section with the hope of eternal life. He reminds them that the Messiah is coming back. And he reminds them of the truth of the Gospel - that because of Christ’s work on the cross, they have been delivered from the wrath of God.
I entitled this last point that we should be longing well.
We are able to long for our future with Christ all the while we work through the power of Christ in our lives. And we can do this with confidence as believers.
We can be confident because we see that Christ, who was crucified for our sins some 2000 years ago, was raised from the dead and has delivered us from the wrath to come. He paid our penalty on the cross. Wrath is to come to those who are not in Christ. God is just and will punish all sinners who are not covered by the blood of Christ.
If you have not placed your faith in Jesus Christ and turned from your sins, God’s wrath will certainly fall on you at the judgment. There is no amount of work that you can do to avoid God’s wrath. It is only by repentance (turning from your sin) and faith and trust in Jesus Christ along for salvation that one may be saved.
Ever known for his preaching intensity, Charles Spurgeon said the following:
If you turn the Lamb of Zion into the Lion of the tribe of Judah, beware, for He will tear you in pieces, and there shall be none to deliver....It is the sacrifice of Christ that arrests the axe of justice, which else must execute you.
Charles Spurgeon
Praise God that we can have our sins covered by the sacrifice of Christ which does not only arrest this axe - but fulfilled all justice because of the one who bore our punishment on the cross - Jesus Christ. And by faith in Him, we can have peace with the Lamb and be protected by the Lion.
I pray that each of you have placed your faith in Christ alone. If not, I’d love to talk after the service about what it is to follow Jesus.
If you have, I pray that you are longing well. Walk and work by the power of Christ as you wait for the coming of Christ.
Scripture References: 1 Thessalonians 1:6
Conclusion:
As we come to a close:
May we be a church that… Lives Well - by being obedient to God’s commands.
May we be a church that… Is Led Well - with leaders who follow Christ and lead by example
May we be a church that… Is Leading Well - with an entire congregation worthy of emulating
And May we be a church that… Is Longing Well - as we await the coming of our glorious Savior who has saved us from the wrath to come and given us eternal life through Jesus Christ.
May We Be a Church That:
Lives Well
Is Led Well
Is Leading Well
Is Longing Well
Let us pray.
Prayer
If you would like to learn more about salvation through Jesus Christ or want to obey Jesus by obeying the first commandment of a believer in going through the waters of baptism - please let me know.
Have a blessed week.