Christianity's Next Top Model Series

Christianity’s Next Top Model

1 Thessalonians 1:4-10

Know if you are a Model of the Christian Life

Are you Chosen?

Have you believed the Gospel?

Has the Gospel affected your Life?

Know how to Model the Christian Life

We model the Christian life by

Following the Leaders

Finding joy in Suffering

Serving God

Waiting patiently for Jesus’ return

Slide

When I say the word “Model,” what do you think of?

Many people will think of women modeling clothes or some other product.

Maybe we think of a young lady walking down a runway showing off the clothes that a designer has created and wants to expose to others who will want those clothes.

Maybe we think of some pretty girl being a model to help sell perfume thinking that if you wear this perfume, you will look like her.

There is a TV show out right now called America’s Next Top Model that has girls compete to be a model for clothes and other products.

Well, I don’t know if you have ever thought about being a model, but I know that Jesus wants believers in him to model the Christian faith so today we are going to talk about that, in a message I have titled, Christianity’s Next Top Model.

Slide

In the text we are going to be looking at today, Paul calls the Thessalonian Church a model to others.

Are you a Model of the Christian Life?

It is an important question to ask and answer, and if we are a model, How do we model the Christian life well?

Let’s see if we can answer those questions today as we turn to 1 Thessalonians 1:4-10.

Slide

(Pause so they can get there.)

1 Thessalonians 1:4-10

4 For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, 5 because our gospel came to you not simply with words, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction. You know how we lived among you for your sake. 6 You became imitators of us and of the Lord; in spite of severe suffering, you welcomed the message with the joy given by the Holy Spirit. 7 And so you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia. 8 The Lord’s message rang out from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia-your faith in God has become known everywhere. Therefore we do not need to say anything about it, 9 for they themselves report what kind of reception you gave us. They tell how you 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 rescues us from the coming wrath.

Pray

Ok, let’s ask again the first question we want to answer.

How do you

Know if you are a Model of the Christian Life

Slide

Let’s take a look at what Paul says in verse 4.

1 Thessalonians 1:4 – “For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you”

Paul tells the Thessalonians that they have been chosen by God.

Election

Now there is a doctrine or teaching in Christianity known as Election.

What Election means is that God has chosen people, based on no merit or anything at all that they have done, to save them, completely as an act of His love and grace.

God didn’t choose you because you are nice, because you are good, or for any other thing from you. He didn’t even choose you because you responded to His call. He chose you simply as an act of His grace.

This becomes difficult for some because they question why we even evangelize people, if God has already chosen those who will be saved?

This is also sometimes difficult for people to understand because the Bible also seems to indicate that salvation is subject to man receiving Jesus Christ as Savior.

John 3:16 - "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

John 1:12 - Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God-

Romans 10:9 – “if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

So how do we reconcile this?

How do we reconcile the fact that Scripture seems to teach that Salvation is completely an act of God’s sovereignty and grace apart from anything we do or have done AND

the teaching in Scripture that says you need to believe in and receive Jesus Christ as Savior as an act of your faith?