Message 1 - 1thessalonians Chapter 1 - A Church You’d Like To Belong To Series

MESSAGE 1 - 1THESSALONIANS CHAPTER 1 - A CHURCH YOU’D LIKE TO BELONG TO

{{1Thessalonians 1:1 “Paul and Silvanus and Timothy to the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace.”}}

INTRODUCTION

The opening verse of 1Thessalonians is so typical of Paul’s introduction in all his letters. His co-worker at the point of writing is mentioned and the two key words of Paul in every letter are mentioned as his warm greeting to the saints at each place. Those two words are grace and peace, Paul’s own personal signature.

I think the momentous impact of grace and peace in Paul’s life was such that they embraced him throughout his ministry as they reminded him of exactly what was done for him. A murderer of Christians was confronted by grace on the Damascus Road, a grace that overturned his whole life and turned it around. All his horrible sins were forgiven and Paul came to appreciate very early what immense grace was afforded to him, a man who did not seek it and did everything contrary to grace. That great, undeserved favour of God laid hold on him. Grace that forgave his sins and made him a child of God was paramount in his life and ministry.

The second word is peace. At Paul’s conversion this was said by the Lord – {{Acts 26:14 “and when we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew dialect, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’”}} The goads are the restraints for animals to keep them confined but they are not happy about it and keep kicking at the goads to seek their freedom. Paul was not at peace before his conversion and was like an animal kicking to find freedom and peace even though he was a Pharisee of the Pharisees. One’s education and bearing and position have nothing to do with finding peace and some of the most powerful men on earth are restless and miserable. It was at the same time as his conversion on the Damascus Road, that Paul found peace. That became so precious to him.

PAUL’S THANKFULNESS OF THE THESSALONIANS

{{1Thessalonians 1:2-4 “We give thanks to God always for all of you, making mention of you in our prayers, constantly bearing in mind your work of faith and labour of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the presence of our God and Father, knowing, brethren beloved by God, His choice of you.”}}

These three verses contain much about the close connection Paul had with the Christians at Thessalonica. Note the first line – “thanks to God ALWAYS.” That speaks of faithfulness and closeness as these saints were so engraved on his heart. It is useful to be reminded of the conversion of the Thessalonians. {{Acts 17:1-4 Now when they had travelled through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica where there was a synagogue of the Jews, and according to Paul’s custom, he went to them, and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and giving evidence that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead, and saying, “This Jesus whom I am proclaiming to you is the Christ.” Some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, along with a great multitude of the God-fearing Greeks and a number of the leading women.”}}

For three weeks Paul preached the gospel and there was much fruit, especially among the Gentiles. It is these people Paul speaks about in 1Thessalonians 1:2-4. The three Sabbaths is interesting for it covers a timeframe of 16 days minimum to 26 days maximum depending exactly on what day Paul arrived in Thessalonica and departed. In that time Paul taught these Jewish converts (a few) and the pagan Greeks (many) the fundamentals of the gospel and all the facts of eschatology as we will see later on. It must have been quite an intense period of preaching, teaching and establishing that assembly in the city.

Paul supported these believers constantly in his prayers while acknowledging their work of faith and labour of love and their steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. What a great example of a proper church these people were – faith, love and steadfastness. Their hope was steadfast and we will see in this letter, that hope was centred on the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ who would deliver them from the wrath to come. We call that deliverance, the Rapture.

Their connection with the Father and the Son was excellent, and God chose them (verse 4). I am not going to expand on this “choosing” here and I know that can be a contentious issue. What we do know, is this was a wonderful assembly of God’s people.