Paul and his team had come to Troas when Paul had received a vision at night in which he saw a man from Macedonia pleading with him to come and help them. Immediately they went to Macedonia concluding that the Lord had called them to preach the gospel to them. They went through Philippi where Paul and Silas were jailed and released. Then they went on to Thessalonica. Paul preached in the synagogue there three Sabbaths and probably stayed longer because he received two offerings from the church in Philippi. The Jews caused an uproar and they had to leave suddenly. Some of the new church were probably concerned about his quick departure so this is the first letter he wrote back to them after his sudden departure to comfort and instruct them. We will focus on verses 5-10 to see what we can of what makes a vibrant church.
What makes a vibrant church? Well, it begins with the powerful conviction of the Holy Spirit. That is what Paul said here in verse 5. That is where church life begins. Without the convicting work of the Holy Spirit that leads to salvation there can be no church. The Thessalonians knew this power. This is exactly what Jesus said in John 16:8-11. The Holy Spirit comes to convict the world of sin, righteousness and judgment. When they heard Paul preach the gospel they were convicted and were converted. They first knew this conviction and assurance in salvation. Secondly they knew it in their proclamation. What is the most powerful thing we can tell someone today? Well, if we are Christians we have the powerful assurance that the gospel message, that Jesus died and rose again for our sins according to the scriptures, is the most powerful message of all! Paul said in Romans 1:16, “For it is the power of God to salvation to everyone who believes.” We don’t just have some fairy tale made up a long time ago we hope is helpful to some people. We have in our possession the message of God Himself for the salvation of man. In 1 Corinthians 1:18 Paul said that the message of the cross is to those who are perishing foolishness, “but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” Friend, our message is not out dated. Our message is not out of touch with reality. Our message is the only hope for a world lost and without hope headed toward a Godless eternity!
Let us look at verse 6 for our next aspect of what makes a vibrant church. We see here in verse 6 that the Thessalonians became followers of Paul and of Jesus. How often have we ever said for someone to follow us, to do as we do? I remember when I was young my mother and father would tell me not to do something, but they were guilty of doing the very thing they told me not to do! This made me somewhat confused and irritated. But this is not the case with the apostle Paul. When he said in 1 Corinthians 4:16 “Imitate me” he wasn’t joking. He was a committed follower of Christ and he knew that what he preached and practiced was right. Did you know, or do you remember that we are called to imitate God? In Ephesians 5:1 it says, “Therefore be imitators of God as dear children.” We use to dress up and pretend to be our parents. But now we are to grow up into the image and likeness of Christ and thus imitate God by so doing. Jesus said, “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.” Matthew 5:48
Verse 7 gives us our next aspect: They became examples to all the world. The word for example here is “tupos” that is, the impression that is made from a die. These believers were the impression from the die (which was Jesus) that the other believers were to be patterned after. Not only believers in their hometown, but in their country and abroad. This is the mark or an aspect of a vibrant church, that they can be imitated as being a godly, loving, Spirit-filled, group of believers. Fast forward to 2007-what if Paul were writing today, could he say, “IBC or WHFBC (or your church) became examples to all in your county and state who believe?”
The next aspect of a vibrant church is their sounding forth the Gospel as in verse 8. We already said in a previous point that our gospel is the power of God. So, it is no wonder that these Thessalonians were letting their voice be heard. The Greek here for sounding forth means to sound forth like a trumpet. I played trumpet in high school and now when I’m asked. My son will ask me to play for him and he will accuse me of blasting my notes or playing to loud. I explain to him that is because when I was in band the band director would order us to, “BLOW!!!” Then at football games when our 125-piece band tilted our horns up at the stadium and marched toward it blowing with all our might, the crowd would stand to their feet and cheer! That’s because they could not ignore us. If there was ever a time in history when we needed to sound forth the gospel like that, it is today! The Greek there also tells us that it was continually. They didn’t just do it once or twice, but every day, at every opportunity. Are we?
The Thessalonian believers did something that many people who profess Christ never do: demonstrate true repentance. They, “Turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God.” V9 Now, we must ask of ourselves, what idols have I turned from? What Idols do I need to turn from? The answer to the last question is what I would like to focus on. I know, you are probably saying, “He’s going to say, money, boats, houses, fine cars and the such.” But that is not what I’m going to say. In fact I’m going to let someone else say something about two things that may plague your heart or mine.
The person that will speak is Robert Murray M’Cheyne. He was a Scottish minister around 1838. He died at the tender age of 28. He was very effective in his ministry and revival broke out in his church (even without a guest preacher!). Well, that is to say, that we should consider what he says and weigh it against what we know to be true according to the word of God. He closed a communion service with this sermon, “What have I to do any more with idols?”-Hosea 14:8. In the sermon he pointed out seven idols that we may have. I’ll only quote from two of them, and that only partially: Self Righteousness and Darling Sins.
Self Righteousness-This is the largest idol of the human heart, the idol which man loves most, and God hates most. Dearly beloved, you will always be going back to this idol. You are always trying to be something in yourself, to gain God’s favor by thinking little of your sin, or by looking to your repentance, tears, prayers, or by looking to your religious exercises…Beware of false Christs. God hates this idol more than all others, because it comes in the place of Christ; it sits on Christ’s throne. Just as the worship of the Virgin Mary is the wo4rst of all kinds of idolatry, because it puts her in the place of Christ, so self-righteousness is the idol God hates most, for it sits on the throne of Christ. Dash it down, dear friends; let it never appear again. If you feel God’s love freely by the righteousness without works, then why would you go back to this grim idol?
Darling Sins—Every man has his darling sins. Long they kept you from the Lord Jesus. You have this day declared that you were willing to leave them all for Christ. Go home then, and perform your vows…Dash down secret idols in your own heart. Leave not one. Remember, one Achan in the camp troubled Israel, and they were smitten before their enemies. So, one idol left in your heart may trouble you. Let Achan be slain if you would go on your way rejoicing. “What have I to do any more with Idols?” “If thy right hand offend thee, cut it off.”
The final aspect of a vibrant church that we shall consider is this: They waited eagerly for the Lord’s return. The Greek here means that they were waiting for someone (The Lord Jesus) whose coming is expected with patience and confidence. They knew by the Spirit of God that Jesus was coming again and they were confidently waiting for Him to return at any moment. They also knew that He was not coming for them in wrath or judgment. But rather He was coming to catch them away, to right social wrongs, and take vengeance on their adversaries.
But not everyone holds this expectation. There are two groups that do not look with hope toward the day of Christ’s return, they are: The demons, and the lost. First let’s take a look back in the Gospel account to see what we can as to how the demons look at Jesus return. Go back to Matthew 8:29, there you will find the story of Jesus passing by some tombs and two demon possessed men coming out to meet Him. Instantly the demons know who He is and this is what they say, “29: And, behold, they cried out, saying, “What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? art thou come hither to torment us before the time?” From this we can tell that they know of a time in which there will be a punishment of torment. Are they looking forward to Jesus coming at that time? We must say emphatically, No! These demons knew, whether two or 2000, that Jesus coming again would mean certain judgment for them.
The next group is the unsaved or lost. We get a picture of the true nature of the lost man, what he truly thinks of Jesus when he sees Him on His throne. That picture is in Revelation 6:15-16. Upon seeing the Lord they begin to cry out for the rocks and mountains to, “Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb.” They do not cry for mercy. They do not seek pardon for their sin. They want to hide. They even want to die, just to get away from the Lord Jesus. Let this be a lesson, lost man does not seek after God, just as the apostle Paul said in Romans 3:10-17. The lost man will not love God upon seeing Him, (not the True God). Without the quickening power of the Holy Spirit of God showing us our need of Christ, then giving us the faith to turn from our sin to Christ to be saved, we would all be lost just as these illustrated previously in Revelation.
There is a final group that looks to that day of Christ’s return: Those are the saved, the redeemed. There is promised to us who look to that day with anticipation and love a crown of righteousness. 2 Timothy 4:8: “Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.” Peter in his Second Epistle has a lot to say about that day. Just look in 2 Peter 3:9-14 there you will find that the length of time the Lord is taking coming back is because He is giving us time to repent. He goes on to tell us that the heavens will melt and asks since things things are so, “what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness…?” 2 Peter 3:11. We should be examples, holy people, righteous people, and people without blame v14. We look forward to that day with the same patience and confidence as the Thessalonian believers. We also are told that to look for that day means that there will be judgment for the lost, and that it should mean righteous living for us in the present.
Let us examine these points and not miss the fact that although I applied it toward the church, it must also be applied toward the individual Christian.
Here are the points in brief:
1. They had great conviction and assurance. v5
2. They became imitators of Paul and Jesus. v6
3. They became examples to the world v7
4. They sounded forth the Gospel v8
5. They had true repentance v9
6. They waited for Christ’s return v10
So my friend, are you saved? Are you an example for other believers? Do you wait with expectation for the Lord’s return? Today is the day to come to Christ and get your heart right, to be saved or to live holy perhaps as you once did. Do not turn away from the Lord. Rather, RUN to Him. He will pardon, cleanse and deliver you. Amen! Come Lord Jesus.
