1 Thessalonians 1 Part 3 Pursuing The Things That Matter To God

God's standards were upheld by the Thessalonians.

1 Thessalonians 1:1-4  Paul, and Silvanus, and Timotheus, unto the church of the Thessalonians which is in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ. 2)  We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers; 3)  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; 4)  Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God. 

Paul begins his first letter to the church at Thessalonica with words that show his love for all the saints in that place.

The Thessalonians remained faithful Christians even though the city erupted in turmoil due to Jewish jealousy and opposition to the gospel.

Paul commended them for their gospel ministry, love for God and obedience. 

Oh, that this testimony was true in all churches today, that every Christian is ready and willing to obey God and live according to His Word. 

I continually pray for that the standards of His Word about holy living, faithful preaching, godly worship and strong families, would be thoroughly adhered to by all who profess faith in Christ.

The Word came with the transforming power of salvation.

1 Thessalonians 1:5  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. 

Paul preached the gospel to them and the Holy Spirit worked mightily on their hearts and many people responded with repentant faith in Christ.

The gospel of Jesus Christ came to them not just with words only, with human oratory or logical reasoning seeking to persuade them. 

The Word came in power. The Spirit of God took the Word of God and did saving work in the hearts of those who believed the gospel.

They heard the words preached by Paul for faith comes by hearing the Word of God. 

They received full assurance of salvation when the Holy Spirit regenerated their hearts and came to dwell in them.

They willingly submitted to the power of the Word that said "Repent and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ!"

Finally, they saw the godly lives of Paul and Silas. Some false teachers were self promoters seeking to gain control over people or to enrich themselves.

Many waste valuable time trying to discover worthless worldly wisdom.

Acts 17:17-21  Therefore disputed he in the synagogue with the Jews, and with the devout persons, and in the market daily with them that met with him. 18)  Then certain philosophers of the Epicureans, and of the Stoics, encountered him. And some said, What will this babbler say? other some, He seemeth to be a setter forth of strange gods: because he preached unto them Jesus, and the resurrection. 19)  And they took him, and brought him unto Areopagus, saying, May we know what this new doctrine, whereof thou speakest, is? 20)  For thou bringest certain strange things to our ears: we would know therefore what these things mean. 21)  (For all the Athenians and strangers which were there spent their time in nothing else, but either to tell, or to hear some new thing.) 

The Word of God preached did not merely pique their interest like the Athenians who sought to hear something new each day. 

The Athenians are like people today who relentlessly spend hours on social media, following people, trying to learn everything about other people's business, instead of attending to the business of their own soul.

Much activity on social media is time wasting, and intellectually frivolous. People are addicted to it just as they become addicted to gaming. 

Like the Athenians, many people want to hear or tell some new thing about someone else. 

There is no eternal value in being on social media platforms for a Christian, unless you are sharing truth from God's Word, as this blog always seeks to do.  

Time is passing Dear Readers, and I urge all of us, myself included, to always be busy about the things of God and His Kingdom. 

Living for Christ and being His witnesses is what matters for eternity and we will be judged by God for our faithfulness or lack thereof.

The Word preached by Paul as the Spirit guided him, profoundly affected the Thessalonians hearts. 

Divine power came with the Word preached, convicting their consciences and transforming their lives.

1 Thessalonians 1:6-7  And ye became followers of us, and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Ghost: 7)  So that ye were ensamples to all that believe in Macedonia and Achaia. 

The Thessalonians became followers of Paul and Silas, because these men exhibited a pattern of godly living and holiness. 

The word "followers" means to sincerely imitate the example of Christian living set forth by the apostle. 

1 Corinthians 4:16  Wherefore I beseech you, be ye followers of me.

1Corinthians 11:1  Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.

Ephesians 5:1  Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children;

Philippians 3:17  Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample.

Paul always stressed that he was following Christ and that the Lord made him an example for other Christians to imitate or pattern their own lives after. 

Paul followed hard after Jesus Christ and believers who follow his example will also be following hard after the Lord. 

These texts show the similar exhortation given by the apostle to the Corinthians, Ephesians and Philippians. 

We must strive to live a holy life and honor God with all that we say and think and do. 

This is the path to blessing and maintaining joy even though the culture is collapsing or we face tribulation.

Paul tells us that the Thessalonians were on fire for Christ, to the degree that this church served as an example to all other churches.

The word "ensamples" is from a word that has to do with metal working. It refers to a die that is used to stamp out parts from sheet metal. 

I once worked in a factory where large stamping presses took a square of sheet metal and made auto parts.  After the press came down with strong hydraulic pressure, a perfect automotive hood was stamped out. 

This is the idea of the word "ensamples" that each believer in Christ is being stamped with the imprint of His likeness.

Thessalonica was a model church, waiting, watching and working for the Lord. 

1 Thessalonians 1:8-10  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. 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; 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. 

Christians at Thessalonica quickly began telling other people about saving faith in Jesus Christ, the new birth and a new life. 

Their witness went from their own community, to the province of Macedonia and into all of Achaia. This would include most of modern Greece. 

They became followers of the apostles and Paul did not need to prod them to do the work of evangelizing and living for Christ. 

These were pagans who were brought up in idolatry, immorality and depravity. The power of the gospel liberated them from their old life of sin.

They turned from idols to serve the One, True Living God!

They learned to wait for the second coming of Jesus Christ, and to be fruit producing Christians while they patiently waited. 

May these things be said of us. MAy the Lord help us to grow in our faith and impart His strength so that we can live by the gospel.

Bob