THE ROLE MODEL CHRISTIANS
(1Thessalonians 1:2-10)
IN THIS DAY AND AGE WHEN THERE IS HIGH INTEREST in the subject of prophecy and the end times, that Christians would view the Thessalonian letters as reference for eschatology. When Christians talk about the doctrine of the Second Coming of Jesus Christ this is often the place where they go and we tend to overlook the richness of the doctrines contained in this letter. To treat it this way is not being truthful in our approach to the Word of God.
This early letter of the apostle Paul supply important insights into the life of a first-century Macedonian congregation that was primarily Gentile. In the centuries that followed, the city remained as one of the major strongholds of Christianity (Ilumina Bible Dictionary) which led us to believe the Thessalonians were role model Christians that we, Stocktonian believers ought to follow. I am not saying that dogmatically as if they are the only ones to follow but rather their commendable attitudes are valuable lessons for us today.
Silas who was also called Silvanus, was Paul’s companion at the beginning of his second missionary journey (Acts 15:40) generally dated around A.D 51. Silas later on became a scribe for Peter (1Peter 5:12). Timothy on the other hand joined Paul and Silas when they came to Lystra where he was a resident. From Philippi, they passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia then Thessalonica. Paul, Silas and Timothy apparently did not preach in Amphipolis and Apollonia because there were no Jewish synagogues there.
Thessalonica was the capital city of Macedonia, which was a Roman province at the time of Paul. Being the most important city in the northern part of modern Greece, its population was around 200,000. This first letter was written around A.D. 51 and sent by Paul from Corinth.
“As his custom was, Paul went into the synagogue and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and proving that the Christ had to suffer and rise from the dead.” (Acts 17:2,3)
Some Jews and a large number of Gentiles believed and received his message. But there were Jews who got jealous of Paul’s success in winning the Gentiles to Christ, who stirred up a riot that forced them to depart and moved on to Berea (Acts 17:10).
Paul, unlike his usual greetings in his other epistles, did not acknowledge himself as the apostle of Christ. This non-identification of his apostleship did not in any way suggest that his apostleship in Macedonia was in question. In his letter to the Philippian church, Paul also did not identify himself as an apostle of Christ. Paul simply humbled himself. He put himself equal with his co-laborers, Silas and Timothy.
Paul commends the Thessalonian believers for their genuine faith. As Paul prayed for them, he is always reminded of their work of faith, labor of love and steadfastness of hope in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Sidenote: In First Corinthians 13, Paul mentioned these gracious gifts from God: “And now these three remain: Faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” (1Cor 13:13) Why did Paul say that love is greater than the other two which overall are gifts from God too?
- At Christ’s great Comeback which will lead to the Great Consummation: that all He promised shall come to pass and be fulfilled. The objects of our faith and hope will be satisfied and will be brought to actuality. The things that He said He will do (Heb 11:1,2) will be actualized before our very eyes:
• we will be taken up to heaven
• we will be glorified
• we will reign forever and ever
NOW, when our faith and hope has been actualized will we still have hope in heaven? Will we still have faith in heaven? But love continues on. In heaven there will be love forever and ever and ever. That is why of these three virtues, love is the greatest of all.
- beloved brethren of God
- chosen by God. You did not choose God but He chose you to be:
- role models of faith in the provinces of Macedonia and Achaia
1. Genuine Acceptance of the Gospel (v.v. 6-7)
The mark of the Thessalonians’ genuine acceptance of the Gospel is their joy in believing the Gospel message inspite of severe suffering from the Jews who got jealous of Paul’s success in winning the Gentiles to Christ (Acts 17:5-10). These Jews stirred up a riot and had forced Paul, Silas and Timothy to leave the city. The power of the Holy Spirit graciously prompted them to receive the message that Jesus is the Christ (Acts 17:3).
Most likely, the unbelieving Jews intensified their assault against the Thessalonian believers even after Paul, Silas and Timothy were long gone,
“For you brothers, became imitators of God’s churches in Judea, which are in Christ Jesus: You suffered from your own countrymen the same things those churches suffered from the Jews, who killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets and also drove us out.” (1Thes 2:14,15)
Human joy will not endure persecution. But the joy that comes from the Holy Spirit will transcend every trial and tribulation. The words “severe suffering” here means “intense pressure” from the original language (thlipsis). As joy is the fruit of the Holy Spirit, all believers are called on to pursue greater joy.
“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice.” (Phil 4:4)
Their genuine acceptance of the Gospel of Christ brought about an attitude in their hearts to be the beacon of light in the midst of persecution. They became the “example” a “model” to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia.
The word “examples” here in the original text means “tupos” a die, a stamp, a pattern used for minting coins. The Thessalonians being role model Christians, bore “exact reproduction” of the kind of faith on other believers around the provinces of Macedonia and Achaia. I know we have touched this during our Stewardship series, that in the area of giving, the Thessalonians became the “exemplar” as Paul said,
“And now, brothers, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. For I testify that they gave as much as they were able and even beyond their ability.” (2Cor 8:1-3)
- Do you have a mentor you imitate?
- Is there someone whom you want to imitate? or become when you grow up?
- what about you? Have you become an example to others? Your children and friends who wanted to become like you when they grow up—faithful and steadfast?
- “exemplar” one that is worthy of imitation
- the media nowadays they glorify the serial killers and rapist and the racist. They spend a lot of air time featuring these unholy characters.
Illustrations:
• Tiger Woods said, “I think it’s an honor to be a role model to one person or maybe more than that. If you are given a chance to be a role model, I think you should always take it because you can influence a person’s life in a positive light, and that’s what I want to do. That’s what it’s all about.”
• Stop being late to work Tom had this problem of getting up late in the morning and was always late for work. His boss was mad at him and threatened to fire him if he didn’t do something about it. So Tom went to his doctor who gave him a pill and told him to take it before he went to bed. Tom slept well and in fact beat the alarm in the morning by almost two hours. He had a leisurely breakfast and drove cheerfully to work.
"Boss", he said, " The pill actually worked!"
"That’s all fine" said the boss, " But where were you yesterday?"
• Mel Gibson influenced some of his colleagues in the film industry. When “Passion of the Christ was made, no Hollywood producer want to touch it. But when the film was shown people come to see it. This December “The Nativity Story” and “The Resurrection” will be released.
2. Genuine Proclamation of the Gospel (v. 8)
The one who receives the message of the Gospel with joy will also proclaim the message to others with joy because he experienced that joy first hand. That was the case with the Thessalo-nians. The term “sounded out” in the KJV or “rang out” in NIV (exechetai) means “to blast forth” or “to sound out very intensely.” The term refers to a blaring trumpet or rolling thunder.
The Thessalonians proclamation of the Gospel was like a blaring trumpet, that echoed not only in Macedonia and Achaia but everywhere. Apparently people who traveled to Thessalo-nica to do business heard the Gospel. And these people have come from different places and carried the Gospel message with them as they went back to their respective places.
It was the town that never slept in so far as evangelism was concerned. They were always sounding forth the message that Jesus is the Christ, the Living God.
3. Genuine Conversion Through the Gospel (v.v. 9-10)
Their genuine conversion was greatly demonstrated in their lives.
3.1 Genuine Faith - They Turned to God from their idols (1:3a; 1:9a)
Being a Gentile nation, they were pagan worshippers. They engaged in idolatry. They gave up what they used to believed for the truth. They have put their faith in the God of Israel.
Repentance is turning the opposite direction. In the lives of the Thessalonians, there was genuine repentance. They turned from their false belief to the True God. They turned from believing in the creating things to the Creator.
“The Lord’s hand was with them, and a great number of the people
believed and turned to the Lord.” (Acts 11:21)
“My brothers, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring him back, remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from
the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins.” (James 5:19,20)
3.2 Genuine Love - They Serve the Living and True God (1:3b; 1:9b)
Genuine conversion can only be demonstrated by a person’s genuine service to God prompted by love, for God is love. Not only a person’s understanding or belief that is changed but his genuine faith or conversion results to actions. His service means “douleuein” to serve as bond-slave.
The Bible says that whatever you obey, whether God or the system of this world, you become a slave to it.
If your obedience is to God, you are committed with all your soul and with all your heart to put into practice his command. It is the kind of obedience that will lead to righteousness. But if your obedience is to satisfy the lustful desires of the flesh like:
- spend more time in attending to your worldly business making money than spend time reading God’s word, or attending Bible study, spending time teaching your friends or children the Word of God, then you become a slave to the things of this world.
All of us have the same amount of time in our hands. No one has more than 24 hours or less. The question is what do you do with your time? Let us try to account for the 24 hours you have in your hand in terms of your daily activities:
Sleep = 7 x 7 = 49 29 %
Eat = 2 x 7 = 14 8 %
Work = 10 x 7 = 70 43 %
Read = 0.5 x 7 = 3.5 2 %
Kids = 2 x 7 = 14 8 %
Watch TV = 2.5 x 7 = 17.5 10 %
____ _____
24.0 168.0 100 %
The bulk of your time is given to “work.” There is nothing wrong with working. In fact Paul reminded the Thessalonians, “ . . . we worked night and day in order not to be a burden to anyone while we preached to gospel of God to you.” (1Thes 2:9)
To provide for your family is good. To spend more time at work than with your family is not healthy relationship.
Maybe you say, “but pastor I balance my time well.” Ok first of all define to me balance. In accounting parlance, “balance is the difference between totals either debit or credit side.” But the other meaning is “to bring into or keep in equal or satisfying proportion or harmony.” In the chart shown do you think there is balance?
The key principle to follow is this: make time for you and your family to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Whether by reading or studying. You can do your own reading but part of growing up in the faith and serving God is to be involved in the ministry in the church not only during Sunday, more so when it seemed like you have no the time or simply for any of the church’s activities like Bible study or prayer meeting that you must make the time to go.
The Thessalonians became a willing slaves to the True and Living God inspite of suffering and hardship.
3.3 Genuine Hope - They Eagerly Await for the Coming of Jesus Christ (1:3c; 1:9c) With endurance and hardship they eagerly wait for the coming of the Lord knowing that His coming is fulfillment of God’s saving grace for the believers. The Second Coming of Jesus Christ is a recurring theme in this letter.
Those who love Christ will long for and anticipate His return. This is genuine hope that emanates from the love Christ has for every believer.
Illustration:
A servant whose master was away was uncertain when he would return. A friend visited the servant and feeling rather tired he went in to rest. When he got up he saw that the servant had gone to all kinds of trouble to lay the table for tea and meal as if his master was coming home that hour. The friend questioned the servant, “Is your master coming home today?” the servant answered, “I have not heard, but as the time is uncertain, I always have everything ready each day.”
CONCLUSION:
Are you a model in the making? or are you your child’s role model? Whether you know it or not live your life worthy of imitation. Be Christ-like in thoughts, words and deeds influencing others with the love of God. Let us begin at home and we shall carry it over to the church. They say if the current trends of the teens in this generation will continue, only 4% will be evangelical believers by the time they become adults. We are on the verge of catastrophe:
• church attendance will dwindle
• massive increase in negative influences on our teens
• more porn and violence on TV and internet invading the homes
• the decay of our christian nation
Unless we influence the teens in our generation with the truth, we will lose them sooner or later.
PRAYER:
Our Father in heaven thank you for the Thessalonian church that even in this present generation we can follow their examples. They have have become role model christians to their neighboring cities and provinces because of their genuine love for you. Help us to be role model christians to the people around us starting with our children, in the work place, to our neighbors, and to the unbelieving community that by our examples of faith, love and hope they will come to know and receive Christ as Lord and Savior. We pray this not by might nor by power but by Your Spirit, in Jesus name. Amen.
