1 Thessalonians 1 It is a wonderful thing when a pastor can think of his church and say, We give thanks always for all of you! Paul loved the church at Thesssalonica; these people were on his heart, and he was concerned for their spiritual welfare. In this chapter, Paul tells us what kind of a church he left in that wicked city. When we see the characteristics of this church, we should examine our own lives and ask, Am I helping to make my church a model church in the Lord? I. They Were an Elect People (1:1-5) The word church in the Gk. is ekklesia, which means a called-out group. The church is not a social club; it is a spiritual organism, an organization composed of people whom God has called out of darkness into His marvelous light (1 Peter 2:9). This calling is purely of grace (Eph. 1:3ff). Though we are in the world physically, we are not of the world spiritually (John 15:19). These saints lived in Thessalonica but dwelled in Christ. Paul explains the miracle of this calling in 2 Thes. 2:13-14. God sent Paul and Silas to Thessalonica with the Word of God. The people heard the Word, believed, and were saved. After receiving Christ, they discovered that they had been chosen in Him by God through grace! Read also 1 Peter 1:1-4. The mystery of Gods election and mans decision will never be fully explained this side of heaven. Just keep in mind that the Bible teaches both. How do you reconcile these two truths? a man once asked Spurgeon. The preacher replied, I never try to reconcile friends. These twin truths of election and decision are not contradictory; they are complementary. As far as God the Father is concerned, we were saved when He chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world (Eph. 1:4); as far as the Spirit is concerned, we were saved when we responded to His call and received Christ; as far as the Son is concerned, we were saved when He died for us on the cross. How did Paul know these people were saved? Because of the evidences in their lives: A. Work of faith. When people honestly trust Christ, that faith will be shown by works. Works will not save, but faith that does not lead to works is not saving faith. True Christian faith results in a changed life. See James 2:14-26. B. Labor of love. Unsaved people live for themselves (Eph. 2:1-2), but the true believer is willing to toil because of love. He has a new motive for living; he loves Christ and loves others. See Heb. 10:24-25; also Rom. 8:35-39. C. Patience of hope. The lost are without hope. Believers have endurance in lifes trials because they know Christ is coming again. Believers need not give up in times of trial because they know the Savior is coming to deliver them (1 Peter 1:1-9; 4:12-16). It has been pointed out that vv. 9-10 parallel these three evidences of salvation: the work of faith (they turned to God from idols); the labor of love (they served the living God); the patience of hope (they waited for Christ to return). Faith, hope, and love are evidences of true salvation (Col. 1:4-5; Rom. 5:1-4). II. They Were an Exemplary People (1:6-7) It is wonderful when hearers become followers! These people heard the Word, welcomed it, believed it, and suffered for receiving it into their lives. The Word imparts faith (Rom. 10:17) and brings joy (Acts 8:8, 39; Jer. 15:16). Having believed, these new Christians followed Paul, associated themselves with a local fellowship, and became examples to all around them. They were not only followers of Paul, but also of the churches (2:14); for in the NT, Christians were expected to be a vital part of the local fellowship. Their testimony reached throughout the whole area and helped lead others to Christ. III. They Were an Enthusiastic People (1:8) These people had been saved just a few months. They did not have the instruction most saints today have, yet they were enthusiastic in their witness for Christ. They witnessed by their walk (examples in v. 7) and by their talk (v. 8). The verb sounded out has the idea of blowing a trumpet. While these saints were waiting for the trumpet to blow to call them home (4:16), they were trumpeting the Gospel loud and clear to all their lost friends. Too often we are like the Pharisees, blowing our own trumpets, instead of trumpeting for Christ and the Gospel (Matt. 6:1-4). IV. They Were an Expectant People (1:9-10) The second coming of Christ is a basic theme in this book. Each chapter relates Christs return to a basic Christian truth (see the suggested outline). In this chapter we see that Christs coming is the blessed hope of the saved. While the lost are blindly worshiping and serving their idols, the saved are serving the living God and rejoicing in the living hope that Christ will come again. How are Christians supposed to wait for Christs return? By being busy when He comes (see Matt. 24:44-51). In 5:1-11, Paul warns the saints to be awake and alert, and not to sleep and be drunken, like the people of the world. The blessed hope of Christs return must be more than a doctrine in our creed: it must be a dynamic in our lives. How do we know Christ is coming again? God proved Christ is His Son by raising Him from the dead. Read carefully Acts 17:22-34 for Pauls argument. Christ could not come again if He were dead and His body decomposing in a Jewish tomb. We cannot separate the living hope and the living Christ (1 Peter 1:1-5). Paul had instructed these people concerning the return of Christ and the time of tribulation that God has promised would come on a Christ-rejecting world. But he is careful to point out that the church will not share in that tribulation. The verb deliver in v. 10 is present tense—who delivers us; or it could be recast as a title—Jesus, the Deliverer. The church will not go through the Tribulation. Read 1:10 and 5:1-9, as well as 2 Thes. 1 and 2. The next event on Gods calendar is the return of Christ in the air, at which time the church will be caught up to meet Him. Then will follow seven years of tribulation on earth. When the cup of iniquity on earth starts overflowing, Christ and the church will return to defeat Satan and His hosts and usher in the 1,000-year reign of Christ (see Rev. 19:11-20:5).
Posted on: Wed, 05 Mar 2014 00:04:24 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015