I Thessalonians 1
Introduction: I want to begin with 3 stories this morning that each make the same basic point…
Story 1- In his book, Masterplanning, Bob Biehl visits behind the scenes at an Arizona circus with a man who trains animals for movies. He’s curious how a 10-ton elephant could be tethered to the same kind of stake that was used for a baby elephant of only 300 pounds. The trainer tells him. 'It’s easy. When they are babies, we stake them down. They try to tug away from the stake maybe 10,000 times before they realize that they can't possibly get away. At that point, their 'elephant memory' takes over and they remember for the rest of their lives that they can't get away from the stake.'
Biehl writes: "Humans are sometimes like elephants. When we are teenagers, some unthinking, insensitive, unwise person says, 'He's not very good at planning,' or 'She's not a leader,' or 'Their team will never make it,' and zap, we drive a mental stake into our minds. Often when we become mature adults, we are still held back by some inaccurate one sentence 'stake' put in our minds when we were young.
I want to suggest to you that these wonderful organisms we call “church congregations” can be much like those big circus elephants -- tied down by the stakes of the past, with powerful elephant memories - hindered from doing the great things the Lord knows they could; but never moving away from some of their unnecessary stakes driven long ago.
Then there are people and churches who move…just not in the right direction…
Story 2 - New Year's Day, 1929, Georgia Tech is playing UCLA in the Rose Bowl. In that game a young man named Roy Riegels recovers a fumble for UCLA. Picking up the loose ball, he loses his direction and runs 65 yards toward the wrong goal line. One of his teammates, Benny Lom, chases him down and tackles him just before he scores for the opposing team. Several plays later, the Bruins have to punt. Tech blocks the kick and scores a safety. It demoralizes the UCLA team. Riegels had made progress. He just made progress for the wrong team!
Not so in Thessalonica. Their progress in Christ was encouraging to Paul, and he was encouraging them in this letter we call I Thessalonians. We heard chapter 1 earlier. Paul was pleased. They’ve brought him all sorts of happiness because they’re a congregation, in spite of pressures, that’s moving ahead for the right reasons
Story 3 - John Claypool - The Future and Forgetting - years ago a thunderstorm blew through the southern KY farm where the Claypool family had lived for 6 generations. It blew over an old pear tree that had been there as long as anyone could remember. His grandfather was grieved to lose the tree – he’d climbed in it as a boy and eaten from it all his life…
A neighbor came by and said, "Doc, I'm really sorry to see your pear tree blown down."
My grandfather said, "I'm sorry too, it was a real part of my past."
The neighbor said, "What are you going to do?"
My grandfather paused for a long moment and then said, "I'm going to pick the fruit and burn what's left."
That's such a wise way of working with the past. We need to pick its fruit. We need to learn its lessons. Amnesia is a sickness, not an asset, but having learned what the past can teach us, we need to pick the fruit, burn what's left, and go on. We need to move on ahead.
These 3 stories remind us of the need to be progressive; to make progress, forgetting some of the past, and to move in the right direction. Understand when I use that word I’m not talking about a particular political philosophy that is being adopted and labeled by some today. I’m talking about being a Church that is making progress – moving forward.
The believers at Thessalonica were moving ahead.
Let’s talk for just a minute about the city of Thessalonica. Not much of the ancient city has been excavated, because most of it is located underneath the modern city of Greece called Thessaloniki. Thessalonica was a capital of Macedonia, a city of many false gods. It provided a connection between important land routes and a sea route at its harbor. It had a famous amphitheater, and a circus for public games. It also had what was probably the only Jewish synagogue of Macedonia. That’s where Paul and Silas preached on the 2nd missionary journey. It was in the agora, the marketplace, that jealous Jews rounded up a bunch of no-accounts and incited a riot against Paul and the other believers. Paul and Silas ended up making a getaway at night. So, a young church got underway, right in the middle of a hotspot, and it grew into a solid family of believers. In fact, the church of Thessalonica grew into a model that we can use this morning for the kind of church that moves ahead.
If we were to ask "What kind of a church moves ahead? (and we ought to) one answer would be “a Thessalonian kind of church.” Paul highlights some reasons they did so well.
So, we’ll talk about how you can be a part of the church that’s moving ahead. What kind of people are in it? What about the Thessalonian church made them so worthy of praise and recognition? What would we need to do, what changes might we need to make to receive such a complimentary letter if Paul were to write to us today, CCC?
The marks of a church that is progressing were there. Let’s highlight 5 of them:
Here are 5 marks of a church that moves ahead:
I. They were Mimics (v.6)
-The word used here is where we get our word “mimic.” Our daughter and son-in-law were in town for a day this week. We took them out to eat, and after stuffing ourselves, both my daughter and my wife leaned back with a sort of half-yawn, half-stretch, with both hands behind their heads. They didn’t realize they were both doing exactly the same thing at exactly the same time. I looked at them and said, “Are you 2 related?” Without realizing it, we mimic the lives of influential people around us.
Howard Hendricks - Every man should seek to have 3 individuals in his life: a Paul, a Barnabas, and a Timothy.
A Paul is an older man who is willing to mentor you, to build into your life. Not someone who's smarter or more gifted than you, but somebody who's been down the road. Somebody willing to share his strengths and weaknesses everything he's learned in the laboratory of life. Somebody whose faith you'll want to imitate.
A Barnabas is a soul brother who will just be honest with you.
A Timothy is a younger man into whose life you are building. This is what Paul did, the mentor, building into the life of his protégé Timothy affirming, encouraging, teaching, correcting, directing, praying.
There’s nothing wrong with imitating...depending on who it is. There are at least 6 other places in the NT where Paul said "follow my example.” Do you realize what that means? It means Paul was confident that if they followed his example they’d be in good behavior! How many of us could wish that for the people we care about?
These people held to the gospel under real pressure because they followed the example of good teachers!
Being a good imitator of the right person can be a good thing. Paul said they were imitating Paul and Jesus.
Here’s where it gets real personal: What if your friend, your neighbor, were to come here this morning and become a member of this congregation? Oh, that’d be great – I’ve been praying for that to happen for quite some time now. I’ve been praying that this person would come here and become part of this church family. OK. What if that person became a member just like you? Go ahead. Ask yourself: “What would happen if that person were to become the kind of member I am?” Find a good example and follow it. And set a good example along the way. In fact, that’s the next mark of a progressive church:
II. They were a Model (v.7)
The word is "type" – like the impression made in a piece of wax or clay when someone places a seal in it. The Thessalonian church bore the imprint of Jesus. Everyone could see it. So they had become a model for other congregations to follow.
Ill - In High School, a well-disciplined band on their way to a competition, used our band room. You would think that our band director would want to make sure we were all cleared out and not there to bother them. Uh-uh. Our director made sure we were all there. He had us watch them. He wanted us to see their attention to detail. He wanted us to see how each individual took responsibility for being able to play his part. They were an example to follow, so our director wanted us to see them.
Paul encouraged the Thessalonians just by telling them: “Hey, you’re a help to other Christians because you’re being a healthy church.” Don’t you hate when you hear news about another church congregation that’s going through a split or some other tough event? Doesn’t it dishearten you to hear when other congregations are having problems?
On the other hand, don’t you like to hear the good reports of churches that are doing well?! When we do well, and that news gets around to other churches, it’s an encouragement to them.
Won’t it be something when we have people from other congregations coming to see how we’re doing things at CCC, visiting us, asking us what we’re doing? Along with the tasks we carry, we need to remember that we’re to set a good standard for others to follow!
Let’s make this a little more personal, again. What if every church congregation were like ours? What if every other congregation were to take on the same attitudes and mindsets, the same level of participation, the same fervor? What would be happening to the church worldwide in outreach? Staff? Ministries? Learning? Giving? We need to consider what it means to be a model for other churches to look at.
III. They were Missionaries (v.8)
" The Lord's message rang out from you" Same word as:
Luke 21:25- roaring of waves
Acts 2:2-the sound of rushing wind
I Co. 13:1- resounding gong
Hebrews.12:19- the trumpet blast from Sinai
Whether they’re percussion or wind instruments, it’s hard to play brass softly!
Do you see the point of v8? Everyone had heard of them! As he traveled to Berea, Paul didn't need to say as "You should see the faith of the Christians in Thessalonica." Everyone already knew! And this was during a time when it really wasn’t always smart to make a lot of noise about being a Christian! That’s like wearing green in the Chicago Bears cheering section -- only with a lot more serious consequences!
I want to dispense with a couple of missionary myths this morning:
Myth #1: a missionary is only someone in a faraway country. That’s just not true. In fact, we’re having them sent here to the US now!
Myth #2 - if a church becomes too outwardly focused, too missions-minded, we’ll neglect ourselves and lose ground because of it. A church can’t be moving ahead and be self-centered! It will be world-focused! Churches that are doing a good job at focusing outside the walls are typically doing well inside as a result!
I can just hear God now: “Well, there goes that Central Christian again, going overboard on outreach and missions. I was going to bless them, but I don’t think I will now!”
Once again, let’s make this closer to home. Ask yourself, "What if the world were depending on this congregation for it to ever hear the gospel?" What if it was up to CCC for people to hear the gospel in places both far off and far removed from our usual comfortable settings? What if? It does! It is!
The Thessalonians were missionaries -- and that’s a mark of a church that moves ahead.
IV. They were Ministers of God (v.9)
2 Corinthians 3:6 - He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant--not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.
The word translated “minister” in the NT is the same word that’s translated servant. It’s not reserved to some particular group of Christians – it’s what happens when you become a Christian: You become a minister of God’s work.
Apparently, the Thessalonians had taken that seriously! They’d given Paul, Silas, and Timothy such a good reception, they had been so kind and hospitable, that even the news of that had gotten out! That news wasn’t just that people in Thessalonica were hospitable people, the news was that Jesus had transformed the lives of people there, and now the way they were living was showing it! They’d made a change of loyalty in their lives.
v9 says they had “turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God.”
Let me show you what that looks like: (photos from India on Powerpoint)
These are people who have made their choice. They have spent the first part of their lives as servants to gods that are no god at all. They were enslaved to stone and wood. Now they’ve become servants for the Lord.
The Thessalonians had made their choice, and it made a difference in their lives. They turned from an old way of life to become servants for God! There’s a big difference between idol worship and God worship. The Thessalonians had turned. They were different from before.
To make this a little more personal, ask, “What if everyone in this church served with the same attitude I have about serving? What if everyone volunteered their time and abilities just like I do? What would it be like? If we’re serious about reaching people for Jesus here, that’s going to take people being ministers for the Lord. That’s going to take making yourself available where there are needs to be met in this church family. When you signed on with this team, you signed on to be a servant. That’s what makes the church move forward – the lack of it will keep it from moving forward.
In Thessalonica, they were ministers for God. The idea that every member of the church is a minister is nothing new!
V. They were Migrators (to heaven) (v.10)
There are some members here who don’t live here year round. Some of them are starting to get ready to leave for the winter. They’ll take off for Arizona, Texas – you know, places where it’s warm. Oh, they’ll be back in the spring, but come next fall, they don’t live like they’re going to stay here. They winterize their homes. They get their vehicle ready to travel. They pack their shorts and T-shirts. You can tell about them that they’re migrators - Travelers, nomads, pilgrims itinerants, wanderers, aliens, sojourners. They’re here now, but they’re not staying forever!
That’s another quality of the church that moves ahead. The people of that church don’t live like they have every reason to stay around.
Hebrews 11:13-16 - All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth. People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. Instead, they were longing for a better country--a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.
How about you this morning? Do you admit to being a stranger and an alien on earth? Are you longing for a better country – a heavenly one?
2 Peter 3:11-12
Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat.
Doesn’t sound like a place I want to stay in! That climate sounds a little warm for me! I want to go north from that – Waaaaaay north! I’m a migratory creature! I’m made to be somewhere else. So, if you look into the suitcase of my life, you’ll see that it’s packed as if I expect to live somewhere else. You won’t find everything I hold valuable in a safe deposit box. What you will find is that I expect to one day be leaving this place to go to the place where I really belong.
The only way the Church moves ahead is if the people of the church are of a mindset to move at all. When we become too content with life like it is here, we cease to move ahead.
The next to the last verse of the Bible ends with these words, “Come, Lord Jesus!” Why is that? Because things here aren’t good enough! We’re ready to leave it all! Beam us up, Lord!
That’s the attitude of the church that moves ahead. They’re migrators.
Ask another question of yourself this morning: "If Jesus' return depended on how much I’m anticipating it, would He ever come again?" This one doesn’t depend on us, because, ready or not, He’s coming! Are you ready to go?
Conclusion:
History is being made all around us. And I wonder, what will the books show about our generation? What will our grandchildren think of the world we shaped?
I’m asking a similar question this morning: what will mark this time in history as the time the Church was progressing to where God wanted it? What will it take?
Imagine Paul writing:
Dear CCC:
Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. I thank God every time of think of you, because you are imitating the things you have seen in me and in Christ. I’m encouraged, because you have become an encouraging model for the churches around you. Now they have something to strive for and aspire to. Your reputation for being a people who are spreading the gospel is well-known. People speak of you, because you aren’t just looking inwardly, you’re looking outside as well. You’re like a loud speaker in Rockford, with God’s word blaring through you. When people become a part of the CCC family, the change in their lives is obvious. You’re all servants - servants of God whose care for other people is obvious. Still, you manage to not be tied to this world. You live like the aliens you are, with your feet not bound to the earth.
Remember “Wrong Way Riegels”?
That wrong way run was during the first half of the game. At halftime, the UCLA players filed off the field and into the dressing room. Others sat down on the benches and the floor, Riegels put a blanket around his shoulders, sat down in a corner, and put his face in his hands.
Usually a coach has a lot to say at halftime. That day Coach Price was quiet. He was trying to decide what to do with Riegels.
The timekeeper came in and announced that there were 3 minutes before playing time. Coach Price looked at the team and said, "Men, the same team that played the first half will start the second." The players got up and started out, but Riegels didn't budge. The coach looked back and called to him. Riegels didn't move. Coach Price went over to where Riegels sat and said, "Roy, didn't you hear me? The same team that played the first half will start the second."
Roy Riegels looked up, with tears. "Coach," he said, "I can't do it. I've ruined you. I've ruined the university's reputation. I've ruined myself. I can't face that crowd out there."
Coach Price reached out, put his hand on Riegels' shoulder, and said, "Roy, get up and go on back. The game is only half over."
Riegels finally did get up. He went onto the field, and the fans saw him play hard and play well.
All of us have run a long way in the wrong direction. But because of God's mercy, the game is only half over. It’s time to move ahead now. Not just this congregation, but you, personally, who have been running the wrong way. Get back up today. Move ahead!
