... to Serve the Living and True God

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, 1 Thessalonians 1:6

1 Thessalonians 1:1–10 – … to Serve the Living & True God
Twenty-first Sunday after Pentecost – October 25, 2020 (am)
 

Can you imagine living in a time and place where the culture around you so misunderstands and disrespects your beliefs that they not only oppose them but try to prove them false, and even throw you off your game in how you live?

Sounds like a trick question, right? Why? We live in such a culture! As you hear my question you think: Why did you start with, “Can you imagine…”? We don’t need to imagine. What you just described is exactly where we live!

Well, my purpose in asking that question is not to miss the obvious but to let you know that, even though we live in such a culture, we’re not the first to do so, and especially not the first Christians to do so.

The second place Paul visited in Macedonia was the capital city, Thessalonica. Act.16:9 records that Paul had a vision one night in which a man was pleading with him: Come over to Macedonia and help us. This was at the beginning his second missionary journey which had gotten off to a slow start (Act.15:36-16:8), so they left for that region immediately, concluding that God had called [them] to preach the gospel [there] (Act.16:10).

The first city he visited in Macedonia was Philippi (Act.16:11-40). We heard last week what happened there. So, after Paul and Silas had been [beaten] and [jailed] due to the rioting of an angry mob of Jews, they were singing in the dark at midnight, sitting in stocks in the inner room of the prison. They were freed by a great earthquake that [shook] the foundations of the prison. They were then tended to by the grateful jailer. They shared the gospel with him and his whole family, and baptized them. Then after they were exonerated of wrongdoing by the city magistrates the next day, and apologized to, they departed for the next city, Thessalonica (Act.17:1).

Let’s read that story from Act.17:1-13, then read 1Th.1:1-10. Then, let’s ask our text three questions.

What Is Paul Saying to these Thessalonians?

In order to appreciate more fully what Paul is saying to these folk, we have to note that this is a church filled with pretty young believers. Thessalonica was a large city, 100,000 people (Thomas 363), the capital of Macedonia and a trade center (Marshall 1277), so it had a cosmopolitan population. But it also had a synagogue (Act.17:1) where Paul reasoned with the Jews from the Scriptures for three Sabbath days explaining and proving that it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and rise from the dead (Act.17:2-3). And even though a great many devout Greeks and [quite a] few of the leading women of the city were persuaded by Paul’s preaching, the Jews were jealous and stirred up significant opposition (Act.17:4-5).

But the point is, not only has it been just a few months at most since Paul planted this church of brand new believers, it’s quite possible that he was only in their city for three weeks while he was doing that work! (cf. Act.17:2)

Now, there are reasons to believe that he may’ve been there a little longer. For instance, we can see right here (9) that some people in Thessalonica turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, making it sound like they were neither Jews nor devout Gentiles (probably referring to Gentiles who were attracted to the Jewish faith and so may have been part of the synagogue). So, it seems like Paul must’ve also spent some time among those who were not part of a synagogue, just unconverted Gentiles caught up in Roman polytheism.

And we also see that he was there long enough for them to [witness] how holy and righteous and blameless [his] conduct was, and how he worked to support himself and the team (2:7-16) there in Thessalonica.

All this sounds like it would’ve taken more than three weeks. But still, there’s no indication that it was dramatically longer.

And we know his main concern, that these folk wouldn’t be moved by their afflictions (3:3), that they wouldn’t crumble under the opposition they were facing in their newfound faith.

So, what did he say to them? In essence, he’s underscoring to them that the faith they have embraced is fully a work of God. The fruit it has produced in them is proof of that. It’s the same fruit that was produced in Paul, Sylvanus (Silas [cf. Act.17:4; cf. 1Th.1:9]), and Timothy who are sending this letter. And it’s beautifully described here. 2 We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly mentioning you in our prayers, 3 remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. Saving faith, serving love, and enduring hope are responses only God can enable. They’re gospel virtues that display the life-giving presence and power of the Holy Spirit (5). And they’re showing themselves in the resilient life and service of these Thessalonians.

The heart of the matter is in vv.4-5: 4 For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, 5 because our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction. The gospel Paul preached changed their lives. They were granted saving faith by the sovereign grace of God and they received it with full conviction, just as Paul and the others had. You know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake. 6 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. In the midst of the affliction we read about in Act.17, they still received the word in faith, [accompanied by] the joy of the Holy Spirit! That suffering and opposition didn’t scare them off. In fact, 7 … you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia, your home Province as well as the neighboring one, the home of Athens and Corinth. 8 For not only has the word of the Lord sounded forth from you in [these regions], but your faith in God has gone forth everywhere, so that we need not say anything. There’s a witness!

Paul was reassuring this young church that the power of God had been unleashed among them such that, beyond any doubt, they had 9 … turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, 10 and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come. So, even though they were suffering now in this hostile, jealous setting, in Christ they had been delivered from the ultimate suffering to come that’ll be poured out on all who reject the reconciliation with God that He offers. Now, these are good reasons to press on in their newfound faith!

Why Did They Need to Hear It?

We’ve insinuated the answer to this question pretty clearly already. But just in case you missed it, it’s precisely because of the difficult situation they lived in that Paul felt the need to strengthen them with a reminder that the salvation they had received was a sovereign work of God. The work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ that it produced in them didn’t result from their own efforts and could not be removed or nullified or neutralized by their opponents! No matter how much opposition is raised against the gospel in this world, no matter what new angle someone takes trying to discredit it, the gospel is a sovereign work of God and the fruit it produces in the lives of His chosen ones is eternal fruit that will be rewarded by a reliable and complete [deliverance] from [God’s coming] wrath (10).

That was good news to the Thessalonians! Agreed? And Paul wanted to strengthen them in that assurance. He strengthens them in part by telling them that, for him, they are continually a source of [thanksgiving] to God (2). Then he reassures them that the qualities which move him to [thanksgiving] are not only reminders that God has chosen (4) them to be His children (2:7, 11), but that the good news of this relationship is spreading far and wide to the praise of God!

And all of this is needful because there are little evidences in this letter that the opposition and conflict are taking a toll on them, personally and in their relationships, in their walk of holiness as a church (3:13). Some of them were a bit confused about the [return] of the Lord (4:13-18; 5:1-11). Perhaps those who thought it was coming at any moment were being idle or a bit dependent (5:14a; cf. 4:11-12), and others who may have been weary of waiting were growing [morally] lax (4:3-7). But there’s also indication that these folk were losing [patience] with each other and starting to poke at one another (5:14-15).

We know how that can happen in hard times, when you start feeling weary of opposition of this world, forgetting who you are in Christ, forgetting the eternal fruit of the gospel that’s yours in Him. That was happening in Thessalonica. It doesn’t seem like it was marring their witness yet (cf. 4:1), but Paul still wanted to make sure it didn’t progress any further.

How Does This Benefit Us Today?

I believe these are good reminders to us right here in the present moment. No matter how much opposition is raised against the gospel in this world, no matter what new angle someone takes trying to discredit it, no matter what tactic is used to trip us up as Christians or prove some inconsistency in our beliefs, salvation is a sovereign work of God in us. So, the fruit He produces in the lives of His chosen ones is eternal fruit that awakens [thanksgiving] to God in one another here and now and will ultimately be rewarded with complete [deliverance] from [His coming] wrath (10) in the future.

Conclusion

Do you feel the weight of living in a time and place where the culture around you so misunderstands and disrespects your beliefs that they not only oppose them but try to prove them false, try to throw you off your spiritual game?

Are you weary of that? Does it feel overwhelming to you, especially with a global pandemic, an election, and racial riots added on—the isolation, the interference with the normal patterns of life, the incessant reminder that things just are not the way they’re supposed to be? Are you weary of that? I’d like to make three concluding recommendations, but first two observations:

·    First, we have to note that we’ve long known this world is not the way it’s supposed to be! It’s living in rebellious opposition to God. So, if we’re living in agreement with Him, we’re just going to feel the opposition of the world!

·    Second, though, as Paul gives instruction to these beloved and faithful Thessalonians who are feeling much affliction (6) in their day, he’s also showing us how we might encourage one another and press on in our similar day!

Now let me close with those three recommendations for us during these days:

·    Give thanks for the gospel fruit you see in one another… (2). Rejoice in the glories of the sovereign work of grace God has done in us, among us, through the gospel and give thanks.

·    Devote yourselves to the steadfast work, the labor, of faith, hope, and love (3), the heart of our gospel inheritance. Embrace the life we’ve received in Christ and live it here and now! 

·    Remember the [deliverance] that is ours in our [resurrected] Savior—from this world and then from the wrath to come (10). Suffering is short term. [Deliverance], [resurrection], is forever!

Next Sunday: Walk in a Manner Worthy of God, 1 Thessalonians 2:1–16