Vital Signs
1 Thessalonians 1:1-10
Intro: (Play Clip: Stethoscope Man: Christ Lives in You)
This book of 1 Thessalonians is thought to be one of Paul’s first letters written to a young church he and his ministry partners had started earlier. He is writing to encourage the believers there to keep growing in their faith and to let them know how proud he is of them. As we look at qualities in the Thessalonian church and in the lives of Paul and his companions, we can see what it looks like when people are spiritually alive. I’d like to look at chapter 1 in this light. We can identify several vital signs that should be evident in our lives.
1. Identity- We know who we are in Christ
1 Thessalonians 1:1 Paul, Silas and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace and peace to you.
-When we come into a right relationship with God through faith in Jesus, it changes us! Our life takes on new purpose and meaning. Here is one way Paul describes it in another letter of his: NKJ 2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
NLT 2 Corinthians 5:17 What this means is that those who become Christians become new persons. They are not the same anymore, for the old life is gone. A new life has begun!
-As Paul wrote to this young church he reminds them who they are in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ.
-First, they are the church, the ekklesia. The called out ones. God has called to them and they have answered His call. God’s call is a call to come and worship Him, but that is only possible when we put our faith in Jesus and God transforms us by His Holy Spirit on the inside. And this is what it means to be in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ. We have the life of God in us! We are in Him and He is in us! We are forgiven and free from the chains of sin that held us down.
[Play clip of Who I am in Christ]
-The believers at Thessalonica had embraced their new identity in Christ and had begun their new life with Him! Let’s look at another vital sign that can reflect as well as impact the spiritual health of a Christ follower.
2. Prayer
1 Thessalonians 1:2-3 Paul, Silas and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace and peace to you. 2 We always thank God for all of you, mentioning you in our prayers. 3 We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.
-There is no mention here of the Thessalonians praying, but we know that they did! Prayer is how they maintained their relationship with God. Paul and his companions are the ones doing the praying here, but as we’ll see a few verses later, they imitated Paul. Paul said they thank God for them always, mentioning them in their prayers. They thanked God for their work and labor of love, along with their endurance – hanging in there even through the hard times!
-Prayer is something a Christian does, not because they have to, but because it is our lifeline! How can we possibly get to know God w/o talking to Him? And prayer accomplishes much! James 5:16 The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. This is basic but so important!
3. Effective Evangelism
1 Thessalonians 1:4-5 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.
-Notice the reference to lifestyle here. But also notice the reference to words. Great evangelism requires both! It is not an either/or proposition.
-The gospel is preached verbally. Acts 17:2 tells us that Paul “reasoned with them from the Scriptures.” Paul and his team used words to communicate the truth but they recognized that it wasn’t their eloquence that would bring people to faith.
-The gospel came with power. Never forget that the Word of God has the power to change lives! Romans 1:16: “I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes…” When the Bible is faithfully proclaimed, it is the most powerful force in the world.
-The gospel came with the Holy Spirit. When we share words of life with someone who needs to hear them, they are not just words; they are filled with the power that only comes from the Holy Spirit. Acts 1:8: “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you...”
-The gospel came with deep conviction. This has two possible meanings. When we share the truth verbally with someone, we can be confident that the Holy Spirit will give us the strength, courage, and power to do so. It can also refer to the deep conviction that comes over people when the gospel penetrates their hearts. (Brian Bill)
4. Leading by Example
1 Thessalonians 1:6-9 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,
-Paul and his team led by example, and the Thessalonian believers did the same. Their actions and their enthusiastic response to the Good News became legendary! You know, genuine enthusiasm is often contagious. People can get excited about what you’re excited about!
-Enthusiasm comes from the Greek words ‘en theos’ = in God, which they were!
Ill.—A bee’s stinger is 1/16th of an inch long...the rest of what you feel is enthusiasm!
Ill.—a man w/ too much enthusiasm: the storekeeper had only 1 fish left in his icy barrel. A lady asked for a big fish and he reached in and showed it to her. She wanted a bigger one so he reached in and grabbed it again and said w/ enthusiasm, how about this one?! She wanted something bigger so he grabbed it again and jumped up and down w/ his find. She said, they’re all a little small...I guess I’ll take all 3! (Brian Bill).
-So, genuine enthusiasm (not simply hype) is part of leading by example. It is a sign of life. It is contagious as people begin to see how GOOD the GOOD NEWS really is!
-Much of discipleship is imitation! Look at a parent/child relationship. Originality is highly overrated. There is nothing new under the sun. Live and learn from other believers and be an example to those watching your life.
5. A Sense of Expectancy
1 Thessalonians 1:10 and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead-- Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath.
-Jesus is coming back from heaven to rescue us from the wrath that is coming. Some might call this “escapism,” but that’s okay. There are things that will happen on this earth that we will need to escape from! Paul also calls this our blessed hope! We believe that Jesus is coming back for us! It doesn’t really matter if you are pre-trib, mid-trib, or post-trib in your understanding of the timing of Christ’s return. As long as you are watching and waiting when the bus comes, you’ll be on it!
-Jesus wants us to eagerly expect His return! Are we living as if Jesus could come back at any moment of any day? I remember as a child viewing the Lord’s return with a sense of fear and dread. What if I was not ready? What if I was doing something bad when the Lord returned? There was some validity to my concerns since Jesus warned His followers to be ready for His return.
2 Peter 3:11-12 11 Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives 12 as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming.
-But we do not have to live in uncertainty regarding our readiness to meet the Lord. As long as our faith is in Him, we can eagerly anticipate His return rather than dreading it.
-We will be looking at this theme in more depth as we go through Thessalonians. The important thing to remember is that Jesus is coming back for all those who have joined their lives with Him and are trusting in Him for their forgiveness and grace.
John 14:1-3 “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. 2 In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.”
Conclusion: How are your vital signs? Are you thriving spiritually, or barely hanging in there? Is the life of God flowing through you? We’ve talked about identity, knowing who we are in Christ. We’ve talked about prayer- staying connected with God. Evangelism, using words, lifestyle, and being empowered by the Holy Spirit. We talked about how important our example is. Lastly, a sense of expectancy for the return of Jesus, who will come back to this earth and take us with Him so we will always be together with Him.
-If there were such a thing as a spiritual stethoscope, how would your checkup go? That’s really what this is intended to be today – a spiritual checkup. Maybe the Lord has spoken to your heart about one or more of these areas. I encourage you to set aside some time today to talk with Him about it. Ask Him what He wants you to do about it. When you dialogue with God with the intent to obey and honor Him, that is a sign that you are on the road to spiritual health and vitality.
