The church in Thessalonica is presented as a model assembly, demonstrating a genuine faith, labor of love, and patience of hope, all rooted in their conversion from idols to serve the living God. This foundational chapter of Paul's first letter highlights the missionaries' humble service, the believers' imitation of both Paul and the Lord, and their transformation into examples for other churches. Their lives exemplified a deep assurance in Christ's coming, a sacrificial labor fueled by love, and a steadfast endurance in hope, all under the Father's watchful care. The sermon emphasizes that true conversion leads to serving God and eagerly awaiting His Son's return, a hope that profoundly shapes the believer's life and actions.
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Thessalonians chapter one, please. First Thessalonians chapter one. First Thessalonians chapter one. Reading together from verse one. First Thessalonians chapter one and verse one. Paul and Silvanus, Joseph, unto the church of the Thessalonians, which is in God the Father, and in the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace be unto you, peace from God our Father, the Lord Jesus Christ. We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers, remembering without ceasing your work of faith, labor of love, patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father.
knowing brother beloved your election of God for our gospel came not unto you in word only but also in power and in the Holy Ghost and in much assurance as you know what manner of men we were among you for your sake he became followers of us and of the Lord having received the word and much affliction joy of the Holy Ghost. So that you were examples or examples to all that believed in Macedonia and Achaia. 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 word is spread abroad. So we need not to speak anything. They themselves show us what manner of entering in we had unto you, how you turn to God from idols, to serve the living and true God, and to wait for His Son from heaven, when we raise from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from wrath to come. I trust God will bless this portion. Tonight I want to try and look at this first chapter the only assembly that the Spirit of God the Lord Jesus Christ God Himself called a pattern they must have been doing something right to be called a pattern assembly as far as I know this is Paul's first letter This is the first one that he wrote.
Some feel that probably this is the first New Testament letter, even before the four Gospels. That may be so, but we know for sure that this is Paul's first letter. And you'll notice the order it comes. First written, but it's last in order. Paul gives us seven church letters. You have Romans, Corinthians, Galatia, Ephesians, Letter to the Philippines, Colossians, and then there's two letters here making seven church letters.
John gives us seven church letters also. Revelation chapters two and three. Paul in his seven church letters brings before us the duty of the church to creation. The church's responsibility to the world. When John gives us his seven church letters, he brings before us the thought of the devotion of the church to Christ. Paul, in his letters, brings before us the church's calling.
John, in his letters, brings before us the character of the church. So this is Paul's first letter. Though it is the last in order, there's no other church letter after this one. You have Timothy, Titus, Philemon, but they are personal letters. Oh yes, there's church teaching in them, but they are personal letters. There's nothing after, no church letter after the Thessalonians. In Romans, we have the foundation of the church brought before us.
You have the gospel. You have the thought of redemption. You have sanctification. Those are the foundation truths of the church. Then when you come to Corinthians, you have the thought of the fellowship of the church. You see the church in action, living every day, working together, good and bad. You've got it in me. two letters to the Corinthians. Galatians, it's the freedom of the church that it brought before us. Paul, his whole Christian life, he was plagued by evil wicked men, Judaizing teachers.
They dogged his footsteps. So much so when you come to Galatians chapter six, he says, leave me alone. For I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus. They dug this footsteps. And so the teaching in Galatians is the freedom of the church. They wanted to bring in law. A little law, a little grace. Paul wouldn't have it. If you come to Ephesians, it's the feeling of the church. that is brought before us.
This church is likened to a body. Bright. Every part of that body is working together. It's essential to each part. The Philippines, it's the fidelity of the church that is brought before us. Colossians, I think the thought there is a full message. This statement you have it, I think twice over, that in all things he might have preeminence. And then when you come to Thessalonians, it's the final glory of the church.
You see, you've got the Lord's coming in Thessalonians. It's stressed. That's why it is the last church epistle. We have the Lord coming and nothing follows the coming of our Lord. The church is gone and you and I will be home, we will be like him for all eternity. Paul made three great missionary journeys, at least three. You'll read about the first one in Acts chapter thirteen and fourteen. That journey took him into Galatia.
The second journey, you'll read about it in Acts fifteen, sixteen and probably seventeen. And that journey took him into Macedonia. The third journey takes him into Asia Minor. You read about that in Acts chapter eighteen. Now it was on his second missionary journey that Paul visited Philippi, Thessalonica, Berea, Athens, Corinth. Paul went to Philippi and you remember God and His kindness came in and saved.
But the enemy and Satan behind him raised up the people. Finally, Paul was beaten and cast into prisoners. Paul and Silas at midnight they sang. Then they were put out of Philippi. They walked about a hundred miles and they came to Thessaloniki. We're told that Paul preached for three Sabbaths in the temple. Short time. God again saved. The enemy again worked. Dear Paul, Timothy and Silas had to leave.
Do you have the coming of the Lord suggested in each chapter? I probably should say, you'll find that Paul had to leave. That's the idea. He goes to Athens and he couldn't bear to the thought of those dear. little children, new converts, being left alone. Timothy goes back and then finally Timothy meets Paul and he tells them that they're going on. He writes this letter probably from Corinth about eighteen months after the first time he says it's a dinner.
Now let's look at the coming of the Lord and I'm only going to throw out a few headings that you try to put meter on these bones chapter one the coming of the lord in chapter one is seen as a personal hope in chapter two verse nineteen the coming of the lord is seen as a practical hope chapter three and verse thirteen coming of the Lord is seen as a powerful hope chapter four verse sixteen the coming of the Lord is seen there as a precious hope and in chapter five verse I think it's verse twenty three the coming of the Lord is seen as a present hope let's go down that again in chapter one The Lord's coming is linked with salvation.
In chapter two, the Lord's coming is linked with service. In chapter three, the Lord's coming is linked with strength. And in chapter four, the Lord's coming is linked with sorrow. And in chapter five, coming is linked with sanctification. Now any one of those would be a theme in itself. Please go home and enjoy them, for he is coming. As we'll see later on in our chapter.
Now chapter one, please. I have divided this into six. Verse one. You've got the missionary, Paul, Silvanus, Timothy. Verses two and three, you've got the memory. We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you all in our prayers, remembering without ceasing your work of faith and so on. What memory?
Verse three to five, you've got the members. You see them toiling, working, serving, going on for God. Verse six, you became followers of us. The word followers there is many. In verse seven and eight, it's the thought there of The word example is actually model. Paul held this assembly up as a model, as a pattern to all the churches that would follow.
And lastly, verses nine and ten, you've got the master. Let's look at these briefly. The missionaries. Paul, Silas, Timothy. Paul, his name means little, humble. Silas, his name means considerate, considerate. Timothy, honored of God. Lovely man to be with, wouldn't it? Men who were humble, men who showed consideration.
Men who honored God. It would be lovely to be working with those men, humble people, men who didn't want first place, men who honored God to matter the cost. Paul was a Jew. Silas was a Roman. Timothy was a Greek. And they all got along good. No rhyme. No personality. Not fighting over personality.
You see, the grace of God welding these men together from different walks of life. And the grace of God has seen taken a Jew, a Roman and a Greek, putting them into happy service for God. There was no complaint. A couple of weeks ago, after one of the meetings, a brother came up to me and he said, what nationality are you? He said, are you a Jew? He was looking at my nose. I'm not a Jew. These dear people got along fine.
I think we should aim for that. Not too long ago, I was asked by the overseers in this assembly where I was asked if I would sit in on their business meeting. There was seven of them. Before we started, they said, let's pray. Like those men, pray. Ten minutes each. Some took eleven. Ten sevens is seventy. Oh, they prayed. I kept saying, Lord, this business meeting will go smooth.
It'll be a real breeze. No hitches. These people, they had a meeting with God. So we started the business meeting seventy minutes late. Nate, one of brothers, said we have two things to decide tonight. said, one, we've got a back door. We want to know if we should put a screen door on. One business me. I think I could have solved that without a seven-minute prayer.
But then the other one was more difficult. They wanted to put carpets on the floor. And after quite a few theories of color, one brother came up and he said, I think purple would be a nice color. Of course he was asked why. He said, well, it was a nice warm glow in the preacher's late days. The other brother didn't like purple. And there was quite an argument. All spirituality went out through the window. Those men that prayed so good, or could they fight? One brother said, well, I want purple.
The other brother said, well, he'll be over my dead body. The other brother looked at him and he said, well, that could be a range. I have weighed a little bit of stylus about it. show consideration. Humble. Honoring God. That's why the work went on. That's why God could honor these three men. They acknowledged God and he gave peace to one another. Paul had no need to put in Silvanus and Timothy's name here.
He was the Apostle Oh, the grace, Paul said, Paul, Silvanus, Amosius. Here you've got age and youth working together. No disagreement. You have got the union of spring, time and autumn going hand in hand together. Enthusiasm, Wisdom joined together. Impulse and experience working together. I could go on and speak a little about Silas, Timothy.
Timothy has the distinct honor in the New Testament. The only one that's called a man of God. I call it that. You'll notice Paul writing this letter. He writes it to the Church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ. Why did he do that? I think in those days the word church or assembly, in that time when Paul was living, was used to describe the word assembly the word church was used to describe many things you read Acts chapter nineteen verse thirty nine it is used there of a body of citizens in Acts seven it is used of Israel in Acts chapter I think it's nineteen thirty two it's used there of a mob a riotous mob So when Paul writes to them, he wants to make
sure that they are the church. Not a heathen assembly, not a riotous moron, but they were the church of God in holy relationship with God. On to the church. In God the Father. The fatherhood of God is not a universal title. Matthew thirteen and verse thirty-eight we read. Children of the wicked one.
John eight we read, ye are of your father the devil. But here they were in God the Father. It's only those who are born again, saved by matchless grief, can say our Father. Four things link to the fatherhood of God. Number one, Malachi chapter one, verse six. If I then be your Father, where is my honor?
That's the first thing that's linked with the Fatherhood of God. His honor. He's precious. We have to respect Him. We have to esteem Him. We have to value Him. That's the song of honor. Secondly, Matthew chapter six, verse twenty-five, Verse twenty-six, the thought there is confident. Your Heavenly Father know us.
Isn't that confident? Look at the sparrow, look at the lily. You're more precious to your Heavenly Father. Thirdly, John sixteen, verse twenty-seven, love is linked with the fatherhood of God. The Father Himself loveth you. And lastly, Psalm one hundred and three, verse thirteen and four, the thought of pity. As a father petties his children, so the Lord petties them that fear him.
He knows their sins at Bethlehem they hear. You and I hear tonight. Those four things are true of us. We owe God honor. We can have complete comfort. He loves you. He pays us. He remembers we're but done. He's not harsh. In God. And in the Lord Jesus Christ. What does it mean in? I think the thought here is, just as a bird is at home in the air, just as a fish is at home in the water, just as the tree's roots are at home in the soil, so you and I are in Christ.
What air is to the bird, what fish is to the water, what soil is to the roots of a tree? That's what Christ is to you and I, everybody. Grace, peace, they're mighty oceans aren't they. Grace, peace are like mighty rivers flowing from a fountain that cannot be exhausted. This supply is inexhaustible.
It comes from God, the Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ. This is heart peace, the peace for the heart. There's no condemnation nor between God and the soul. This is peace of conscience. no controversy between God and the soul. The memory. Verse three, remembering without ceasing. Paul looked back what memories he had of that little company.
He thanked God for that. You and I differ. But you and I should be able to see something of Christ in each other. Thank God for that something. We're all different. Paul said, I remember him without ceasing. We give thanks to God always for you all. You know what, it's hard to get thanks for everyone and all.
There's some people and it's hard to get along with them. But all that I thank is God for you all. He could say to the scenes of Philippi, He said, I have you all on my heart. Not on his nerves. on his heart. He loved us. You see, he was their father. You can thank the God that was for them all. But look at verse three to five. Remembering without ceasing your work of faith.
Your labor of love, patience, and hope. These are three things that should mark each one of them. Face looks backward. Love looks upward. And hope looks downward. Faith appropriates our Lord Jesus Christ. Love appreciates our Lord Jesus Christ. And hope anticipates our Lord Jesus Christ. Faith looks back. to a crucified Savior.
Love looks up to a crowned, exalted Christ. And hope looks for a coming, glorified Lord. Faith accepts Him. Love respects Him. And hope I was in a home on Grand Rapids, dear Mr. Pail's home. In the morning, he looked over at the breakfast table at me and he said, Joe, are you disappointed?
About six-thirty in the morning, it's hard to think. So I didn't know what he was getting at a job. And he saw the puzzle look in my face and he said, Joe, Are you disappointed? And I thought I had some sort of an unusual expression on my face. Again I didn't get it. And finally said, Julie didn't come that much. That's the way Wilts Hill lived. He expected. He expected him. This is your brother I know. Every night... Everything has to be in it.
He said, my Lord could come. And I don't want things lying about us. I just leave. The work of faith. Faith to Paul is a warm, personal trust and a living, loving, coming Savior. The thought here of faith, your work of faith, It's the thought of complete assurance. These dear saints toiled with complete confidence that Jesus was coming. And they worked.
They toiled with that thought. Labor of love. Labor means toil. Wearingness. Peed. Sweat. It suggests that their strength was spent. The coming of the Lord stole grip them, that they were laboring. This word labor means fatigue. It carries a thought of cost, intense later to the point of exhaustion.
Does that characterize me? These dear saints were working. Paul said, I have no need to preach. In that verse, verse eight, from you sounded at the word. They themselves show up at verse nine. No call to preach. These dear things got a grip of this truth. This truth got a grip of them. Jesus was coming. And they were spent and being spent. Patience of hope means manly endurance.
Strong-hearted steadfastness. spirit that could bear all things. You see, these dear sins were being persecuted. Oh, they had turned to God, and God had won their heart. The thought of cheerfulness marked their service for God. Look at verse three, please. Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, the labor of love, patience of hope, in the of God our Father. Paul wasn't trying to tear these people up.
He said, this is how God sees you. Not Paul. God saw him working, toiling, laboring, suffering. He wasn't a dear, godly man writing to encourage them. He said, this is God's thought. The Spirit of God conveyed the message to Paul. Paul put it on the paper. This wasn't someone flattering the saints of Thessaloniki. Paul says, this is how God sees things. Verse six, please.
Followers, he became followers of us and of the Lord. See, these were hidden. And Paul said, you became followers of us. Is there sin? They saw Paul, they imitated us. And then afterwards they developed and they imitated the Lord. Be followers of me as I am of Christ. This word means mimic.
You and I parents who have little ones, they imitate us. They mimic us. I can go back to my little boy. He'd love to wear my boots, wear my hat. It came right over his eyes, but he thought it was tremendous. He wanted to imitate. Do our little ones hear us praying? Do our little ones see God in us? Parents, in God's name, start early in life.
Set the example. You're going to be little ones damned because parents had a poor example. I think of it. Absalom. Absalom should never be born. Oh yes, David cried. Oh, Absalom. Absalom would to God and it died in your place. David, you're too late. He should never be born. You parents in God's name tonight. Vow to yourselves. you will not let your little ones die.
If they followed you, where would they pick? Where would they go? What would they turn out to be? Am I scolding tonight? I'm talking to myself. I've got a boy. One time Paul said to me, when he's a little guy, he said, Dad, I want to be like you. No dear ones, that drove me into my bedroom, onto my knees. And I said, God makes Paul a thousand times better than me. But dear ones, let me tell you, your little ones can be no better than you. Paul can be no better than me.
Let me copy. copy the Apostle Paul. As you and I saturate our minds in the Scripture, as you and I live in the Scripture, unconsciously this Spirit of God can mold us. reproduce the Lord Jesus in our life.
If as we glean in the scriptures, the Spirit of God can unconsciously mold us, make us like the Lord Jesus. Verse seven, you are in vampal example. The word is model. The thought of a type. A mark left by a blow. As you use the typewriter, you hit a key and it leaves its mark upon the paper.
That's the word here. It means a mold, a pattern. And as you and I allow God to work in our lives, trial, reading the scripture, God can chisel the lightness of Christ in all our lives. Signed it out in verse eight.
This word signed it out means a roll of thunder. The signing of a trumpet, the rolling of a sea, their lives and their lips corresponded. There's no use talking if our lives are not right. If we're not living Christ-like... I'm going to say shut up, but that may be rude. But young people are middle-aged or old ones.
If our lives are not for God, keep quiet. We will do more harm than good. But these sins... They were still in love with the figure. Their lives had been so changed that their lips and their lives corresponded. Look please at verse ten. Verse nine. For they themselves show of us what manner of entering we had in unto you. I have turned to God from idols the true and living God.
You turn to God from idol, that conversion. To serve the living and true God, that consecration. And to wait for a Son from heaven, that's exactly. Time's gone. I looked up the meaning of this word, wait. I think you've got about six words in the New Testament. I've just thought of waiting. But this is a special word, only found here.
In Luke chapter twelve, verse thirty-six, there the word wait is to wait with patience. First Corinthians one, seven, it is the weightless expectation. It's the weightless complete assurance. The thought here is of a state of intense expectation.