Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10
Theme: Faith - Love - Hope
Title: "The Big Three"
Paul shares 3 Major Things Every Church Needs to Be Successful in Christ : 1. Lives of Faith 2. Lives of Love 3. Lives of Hope
INTRO:
The NBA basketball season is just around the corner. Already, the teams are busy playing some pre-season games and doing all they can to fine tune their teams. During the off season there was a lot of changes happening all over the league with every team doing its best to get better. Every team wants to be able to not only run with the Golden State Warriors but to beat them and lay claim to the 2018 NBA Championship. Right now, the Golden State Warriors seem to be the team to beat.
Every team is doing its best to get three great superstars to play together hoping that the formula of "THE BIG THREE" is the perfect formula for success. They point to teams of the past who had three great superstars and who were able to win multiple championships. Teams like the Boston Celtics who had Larry Bird, Kevin McHale and Robert Parrish or the Chicago Bulls who had Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman.
Right now it is the Warriors whose "Big Three" includes the likes of Kevin Durant, Stephan Curry and Draymond Green. Just recently the Celtics assembled what they hope will be a "Big 3" that will be able to beat the Golden State Warriors in Kyrie Irving, Gordan Heyward and All Horford while at the same time the Oklahoma City Thunder is hoping that their new "Big 3" of Carmelo Anthony, Russell Westbrook and Paul George will be able to do the trick. Only time will tell.
The Apostle Paul knew something about the importance of a Spiritual "Big 3". However, his "Big 3" didn't involve basketball but it did involve three major things that he believed would lead every congregation to be a powerhouse for the LORD. Paul believed that if every church would concentrate on growing and maturing in the areas of Faith, Love and Hope, they would not only grow in grace and be restored into the image of Jesus, they would also be able to enjoy all the blessings and fruit of the Holy Spirit in this present age.
While Paul looked forward to the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, he focused the majority of his attention on how to live the life of Christ in this present age. Paul was dedicated to helping people be freed from a life of sin and experience a life of salvation. Paul was determined for people to hear the message of Jesus, repent of their sins and be filled with His Holy Spirit. Paul knew that it was only through Jesus that a person could enjoy the life of being a genuine human being. A human being who not only was worshipping and serving the true God but a human being who was enjoying an abundant life here on earth and looking forward to an everlasting life on the New Heaven and New Earth.
Our passage this morning (1 Thessalonians 1:1-10) is a part of Paul's first letter to his friends back in the city of Thessalonica. The Church of Thessalonica was Paul's second European Church and it was an amazing church:
+It was a church that had come together in a matter of 21 days. Acts chapter 17 tells us that Paul spent three Sabbaths around the area of Thessalonica doing his best to reach out to Jews, devout Greeks and anyone else who would hear the message of Jesus being Messiah, Lord and Savior of the world. The Bible tells us that the LORD worked through Paul in a mighty way. The Holy Spirit convicted people of their sins, cleansed them, renewed them and infilled them with His power and presence.
+It was a church that was birthed out of the midst of some major spiritual battles. It had been Paul's intention to spend a great deal more time in Thessalonica but after about 21 days, he and the young church came under some intense spiritual attacks. These attacks were so intense that Paul's friends thought it would be best if Paul would take refuge in the nearby town of Berea.
If you remember, just a few days before arriving in Thessalonica, Paul and his missionary team had spent some time in the nearby city of Philippi. Philippi was where Paul was able to establish the first European Church. It was also the place that Paul and Silas were arrested, beaten and put into prison. So, when the attacks started happening in Thessalonica, Paul's friends thought it would be best for the Apostle to find some safe haven.
It appears that there was a combination of spiritual forces that joined together in a concentrated attempt to destroy this young church in Thessalonica. These forces included:
+ Those who were passionately worshipping the pagan gods of Greece, Rome and Egypt
+ Those who believed that all a person should do is to worship the flesh - to live a life of sensuality and immorality - to eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow you may die - in other words a life of hedonism
+A group of radical Jews who vehemently denied that Jesus was the Messiah and did their best to destroy any work surrounding his name
+A group of Roman authorities who were eager and ready to persecute anyone who believed that someone besides Caesar was the Son of God and King of the earth. They believed that the Early Christians were guilty of both treason and blasphemy and should be imprisoned, beaten or killed.
This little group of faithful Thessalonians found themselves on the receiving end of all kinds of demonic attacks. But even though they were only a congregation of 21 days they were a congregation that had been birthed and infilled with the power and presence of God's Holy Spirit. They were a congregation that had the right stuff. They were a congregation that held fast and grew deeper and richer in their faith in Jesus, their love for God and for one another and in their hope for everlasting life.
By the time we get to chapter 1 (one) a few months have passed from the time Paul had helped start the Church. He had left behind Silas and Timothy with the task of helping these young converts get grounded in the faith and be more prepared for demonic attacks. Paul is now writing to them congratulating them on how well they were doing and to help them better understand even more what it meant to be a disciple of Jesus.
In our passage Paul shares with those three major things that they already possessed and that they needed to continue to possess in order to be a victorious body of Christ. These three things are what we need to make sure that we possess this morning as the Body of Christ.
I. The first one is a Life of Faith
In verse 3 Paul refers to the steadfast faith of this group of believers. He tells them that he is praying for their faith, he rejoices in their faith and he gives praise for their faith. Paul wants them to know how proud he is of their steadfast stand for Jesus and wants to challenge them to continue in a walk of faith that grows deeper and deeper.
Faith for Paul is an ACTIVE word. It is not a passive faith or an inactive faith that Paul is interested in promoting. For Paul, if you have faith in Jesus then you go into action. Paul would have agreed with the Apostle James in stating that faith has to be surrounded by works. Not that works in any way will bring salvation. Paul knows that we are all saved by grace through faith alone. But Paul also knows that faith propels one to action.
It had been their faith in Jesus that had caused the Thessalonians to go to prayer during their times of attack. It had been their faith in the leadership of the Holy Spirit that caused them to help Paul find some safe haven. It had been their faith that had enabled them to not only survive but thrive. By the time this letter had reached them they had not only established their roots deeper but wider as well.
Faith will never sideline us. Faith will never cause us to go into retreat mode. Faith will never make us lazy. It is the opposite of faith that will do those things. Doubt will cause us to stay on the sidelines. Doubt will cause us to go into protective mode first and then retreat mode soon afterwards. Doubt will cause us to stay on the sidelines.
Instead of doubting the Bible tells us to have faith:
Proverbs 3:5-8 ESV (Paraphrases mine)
5 Trust (HAVE FAITH) in the LORD with all your heart,
and do not lean on your own understanding.
6 In all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make straight your paths.
7 Be not wise in your own eyes;
fear the LORD, and turn away from evil.
8 It will be healing to your flesh[a]
and refreshment[b] to your bones.
James 1:6 ESV
6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind.
+By faith Abraham left his mother and father and sent out to the Promise Land because he had faith in the LORD GOD ALMIGHTY.
+By faith Moses leaves the burning bush and walks approx. 400 miles to the land of Goshen and then on to the city of Pharaoh to tell Pharaoh that God wants His People to be free
+By faith Joshua and the People of Israel march around the walls of Jericho 13 times
+By faith David faces a man that was no doubt 3 or 4 feet taller than him and at least 150 to 200 pounds heavier than him.
+By faith Elijah builds an altar in the midst of the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal and the four hundred prophets of Asherah to proclaim the God of Israel - Yahweh as the One and Only True God
+By faith Esther goes before the King to save her people from annihilation
+By faith Nehemiah begins to build the walls of Jerusalem even though he and the people of Israel were under a death threat by Israel's surrounding enemies
+By faith Peter, James, John, Andrew and Philip all leave their fishing business behind to follow Jesus
+By faith Mary carries the Christ Child
+By faith the Early Church gathers together in the Upper Room and waits for the Outpouring of the Holy Spirit
The truth is this morning very simple. We cannot live a successful Christian life without faith. Faith is one of the key bedrock stones of our foundation. We have to have faith in God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.
If Jesus showed us anything and if you have read the Gospels then you are aware that Jesus showed us a great deal, Jesus showed us what faith looks like When Jesus took on humanity he did so by faith to live a life of faith. All of his miracles were done by faith. He relied on the power and presence of the Holy Spirit to do His ministry. When it came to lay down His life on a cross Jesus did it by faith that His Father - the LORD GOD ALMIGHTY - God the Father would have the power to raise God the Son back to life.
"Father, into your hands I commend my spirit" Jesus breathed as His last act of faith.
Our life, our church life has to be one built on faith. Not faith in our money or in our own power or even in the power of our denomination, fellowship or association. Not in our own talents or resources. Not in our intellect our skill levels. Our faith must be that we are here doing God's Work by faith. We live by faith. We breath by faith. We exist by faith.
This morning, how is our faith? Can we let go and let things be in God's hands?
+Can we let go of a relationship if it is bringing dishonor to our LORD?
+Can we let go of a habit if it is bring dishonor to the LORD?
+Can we let go of our money or do we have to hold on to with clenched fists?
+Can we let go of our power and position and take up a towel and serve?
+Can we let go and bow at the feet of King Jesus?
+Can we let go our disobedience?
+Can we let go and simply allow Jesus to our Messiah, Lord and Savior?
For you see that is what true faith is - it is letting God be God. It is us giving up our control, our power, our egos, our money, our reputations, our pride and putting all the chips in God's hands.
II. Secondly, Paul tells us we must have love - Agape Love - A Life of Agape Love
Why Agape Love? Why must we have "agape love"?
Because it takes Agape Love for us to learn how to forgive, to bear one another's burdens, to be a servant to one another and to sacrifice for one another.
Paul commends this young group of followers for their agape love. It was their agape love that enabled them to do the hard work - what Paul calls a "labor of love".
A lot of people can start a project but we all know what happens when that project gets to be a little too hard or is taking more time that we originally thought. We all know what happens when it becomes back breaking work. A thinning process happens. Not in every case but in most cases the only thing that keeps people going is love - either love for their family, love for the project or love for the LORD.
This morning, we all know that Abraham had great faith. We all know that because we can read his story. We know that it took great faith to obey the voice of God telling him to leave his home country and his family and set out for what would become the Promise Land. But Abraham had something that was greater than faith and that was his love for God. His love for God far surpassed his faith in God. It was His love for God that enabled him to take the Promise Child (Issac) up the mountain to be a sacrifice to the LORD (Genesis 22). Abraham loved God more than he did his own son. Abraham loved God more than he did his own flesh and blood.
Now, God was never going to allow Abraham to go through the sacrifice. We must understand that in reading the story after the effect. But Abraham did not know that. He had not walked that long with the LORD. But His love for God was so strong that He trusted God to bring a deliverer and God did.
It was because of David's great love for the LORD that he spent the last years of his life getting all the supplies that his son would need to build God's Temple ( 1 Chronicles 22 - 23). Even though David would never see the Temple or step inside of it he spent his last years collecting tons of building materials and amassing millions of dollars to help build the Temple.
Why did King David do this? It was because of his love for God.
It was because of their love for God that the 3 Hebrew Children defied the order of the King to bow down to His image (Daniel 3). They told the king that they would rather die than disobey the LORD GOD ALMIGHTY. Their love for God was greater than their love for their own lives.
It was because of love that Mary anointed Jesus' head with a flask of very expensive oil ( John 12). It was her love offering to her Lord, Savior and King. Even though at the time she did not fully understand all of it she so loved Jesus that she wanted to do all she could to show him that she loved him.
It was love that caused the 120 to spend 10 days waiting on the outpouring of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1-2). They didn't even know it was going to happen in 10 days. For all they knew it could have been 1 day, 5 days or even 30 or 40 days. But their love for Jesus and their faith in Jesus caused them to bring their whole lives to a halt just so they could spend time in fellowship and prayer.
It was a love that enabled this small group of believers to stand fast and to become a model for all the believers around them. How they did church and how they followed Jesus was making some noise. People all over the area where hearing about their faith and their love for God and for one another.
The Apostle Paul was overjoyed! He didn't have to do or say anything about this church. They were saying everything that needed to be said by the way that they were living. People were talking about them because of their faith in the midst of persecution and the way they were living out their love through the hard work of sharing, caring, forgiving, encouraging, praying and worshipping. They didn't need a growth campaign or an advertising campaign. Their faith and their works of love was leading the way.
III. Finally, this morning Paul tells us we must have Hope - Lives of Hope
In his book, Faith and Doubt, John Ortberg says the following -
"We are all hopers. We are creatures who cannot stop wishing. We are four leaf collectors. We wish on the evening star. We tell stories about genies coming out of a bottle to grant three wishes. After a turkey dinner, my cousin Danny and I used to grab the ends of the wishbone from the turkey and break it in the belief that whoever got the longer piece would get his wish." (page 83)
John is right. We all hope. We all need to hope. We all need hope to stay alive. Without hope we begin to despair, we become despondent and fall into the trap of depression. We find ourselves growing inward, becoming withdrawn and isolating ourselves from the rest of the world. Without hope we shrink. Without hope we shrivel. Without hope we die.
Sadly, this is what is happening all of over our nation in many of our churches. People are losing hope. They have come to believe that evil ( the Devil) has won and that the age of Christianity is over. They have come to believe that the cause of Christ is lost. They have come to believe that over the next few decades the Church in America will shrink, shrivel and eventually die.
Now, I wonder who is promoting that agenda and promoting those lies? Could it be that the Devil is once again lying to us? Could it be that the Devil knows that Jesus defeated him once and for all on the cross and that it is only through lies, deception and trickery that he can be victorious? Could it be that the Devil is putting out some "FAKE NEWS" that really he and his demons are still in charge? Could it be that he is just telling lies and leading all of us astray?
Could it be that what is happening in churches all over our land is that we have forgotten what has been called "THREE DAY" hope. God's Word is full of "THREE DAY" hope stories. Stories like those which surrounded Joseph, Moses, Joshua and Jonah.
Listen to the words of the Prophet Hosea - "Come let us return to the LORD, for he has torn us, that he may heal us; he has struck us down, and he will bind us up. After two days he will revive us; on the third day he will raise us up, that we may live before him." (Hosea 6:1-2)
And of course this morning we all know the greatest 3 Day Hope story. Actually, we only know it because of what happened on THE THIRD DAY. It's the story of Jesus and His Resurrection. It's the Story of Easter Sunday.
At first no one knew it was going to be a three day story because no one listened to Jesus when he told them about it before his death. Time after time he told his disciples that he would be killed but on the third day he would rise again. He wanted them to be ready for the THIRD DAY and to have THIRD DAY HOPE.
So, when he was crucified they all gathered together and waited for day 3 right? They all got together and prayed and fasted and worshipped and knew that within 72 hours everything was going to turn out okay? Didn't they arranged to have a resurrection party outside the tomb?
No, the Bible tells us that they all lost hope. They became despondent and fell into the trap of depression. They all began to turn inward and isolated themselves. Listen to the words of the two men who left Jerusalem in Luke 24:21
"But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all of this, it is now the third day since these things happened."
Those two people had given up all hope. They were headed back home. The Jesus mission was over. It had all come to an end on the cross and was buried in a tomb that Pilate had sealed up forever. There was nothing for them to do but to begin to pray and look for another Messiah. Who knows how long that will take or if it will ever happen in their life time. Until then it was time to get back to life as normal.
I love that story because the God of Hope joins them in their walk and conversation. They don't see Jesus because when we lose Hope we don't even know that we have the Miracle Making God walking right beside us. When we lose Hope we can't even feel the power and presence of the Risen Lord. When we lose hope we can't feel the supernatural power and presence of God. That is why we must have HOPE!
They needed their eyes open. They needed to see, touch, experience and be with Jesus.
This is what this little group of believers were doing back in Thessalonica. They were in the midst of a great spiritual battle. At first it looked like they would not survive. But their faith held true. Their agape love put them into action and their hope sustained them day by day. They knew that they had found the answer - the true God not a fake god of clay. They placed all their Hope in Jesus and in the power and presence of His Holy Spirit.
Isn't it time we discover that hope once again? How do we do that?
+Perhaps it's time that we do what the ancient Israelites did in Exodus chapter 19 before the received the Ten Commandments. The LORD instructed them to consecrate themselves today and tomorrow and on day three be ready for the LORD will arrive.
+Perhaps it's time that we do what Esther did - fast and pray for three days and then experience God's deliverance
+Perhaps it's time for us to spend three days repenting, confessing and getting ourselves right with God like Jonah did and then be ready for the new doors of ministry and opportunity that will open.
You never know what can happen after three days. The Bible tells us this:
-After three days the world was given God's Instructions. We call them the Ten Commandments.
- After three days the Children of Israel were rescued from annihilation.
- After three days Jonah was back right with the LORD and headed for a mighty Revival.
-After three days the stone was removed and the New Age of Salvation and the Holy Spirit began.
I wonder today what would happen if we decided to give three days to the LORD? I wonder if we could fast and pray for three days just to see what God would do in our midst? Could we consecrate ourselves to the LORD for three days? Could we get alone with God for three days and allow Him to search our hearts and our souls? Could we wait for three days on the LORD?
Or would we rather live in a world without hope? Would we rather just blame it on the spirit of the age that is against the cause of Christ? Would we rather just wring our hands and say that the time for Christianity has come to an end? Would we rather just believe the lie that says that the Devil has won and our only hope is some kind of escape from this world?
The Church at Thessalonica was only 21 days old when Paul had to leave town. But in that 21 days and in the days, months and years that followed under the leadership and direction of Silas and Timothy and others this little church understood the truth. The truth that in God nothing is impossible. The truth that the Holy Spirit can give them the power of possessing a faith so strong that nothing can defeat it. The truth that if they allow God's agape love to flow through them they will be the talk of the town and of the surrounding area. The truth that they serve a "third day" Savior, Messiah and King.
In the Church we sometimes talk a good game. We find ourselves gathered in small groups, drinking a cup of coffee with one another or standing around talking to one another. We find ourselves wondering what we can do in this time and age. We find ourselves wanted to turn inward, to become isolated and allowing the spirits of despair and depression to come into our midst. We find ourselves trying to convince ourselves that nothing can be done in this day and age. We find ourselves listening to the seductive lies of Satan rather than the Golden Truths of God.
If anyone had a chance to just fold the tents and call it a day it was the Church at Thessalonica. It was surrounded by all kinds of pagan temples who were promoting worship and praise to such pagan gods and goddesses as Jupiter, Zeus, Apollo, Aphrodite, Bacchus, Anubis and Cabirus. The Church at Thessalonica had to fight against the Imperial Cult of Rome which proclaim Caesar as the Son of God and High Priest of the Land. It had to fight against the Jews who were denying that Jesus was Messiah, Lord and King. It had to deal with slander and intense persecution. In Acts 17 we read where one of its leaders by the name of Jason was dragged out of his house to be persecuted, jailed and most like murdered.
It had become dangerous to follow Jesus. And yet, this Church not only followed Jesus it grew and became one of the focal points of reaching the world for Jesus.
How did it do it?
+By having faith and living out that faith.
By believing in God so much that their faith caused a change in their the way they thought, in how they treated people and how they lived their lives. Their faith led them to walk in new paths. Their faith led them to stand up against persecution. Their faith led them to bow down at God's altars and ask for the fire of the Holy Spirit to renew them. Their faith helped them rebuild their society based on the true God of the Universe. Their faith caused them to put everything at the feet of Jesus.
+By having a love that compelled them to do the hard work - the hard work of prayer and fasting.
The hard work of reaching out to others unlike themselves - Jews and Gentiles worshipping and serving together. People of different cultures, different colors and even speaking different languages coming together and loving one another. The hard work of seeing who they could love - giving of their time, their talents and resources. The hard work of providing funds for Paul and his workers to be able to do their ministries. The hard work of agape love finding ways to reach out in love to those around them.
+By keeping their hope alive in Christ.
By hanging on the "Third Day Hope of God". By knowing that they could put all their hope in Jesus. Knowing that if they dedicated themselves to the LORD, consecrated their hearts and lives and spent time in God's Presence they would see amazing things happen.
Today, right now, are we people of faith, love and hope? Are we the kind of people that God can look at and say that God is pleased with our work of faith, our labors of love and our steadfastness of hope?
This morning as we close how is our faith today?
How are our labors of love?
How is our hope?
I believe that the faith, the love and the hope that this young church possessed is something that the LORD seeks for all of His Churches to possess. This "BIG THREE" can make all the difference in the world - in our lives and in the life of our congregations. Today, as we close let's allow the Holy Spirit to search our hearts and our souls - do we need to ask the LORD to help our faith to grow. Do we need a more active faith, a faith that compels us to labors of love? Are we people of hope or do we think all is lost? Can we envision God doing something supernatural in our lives and in the lives around us?
Today, more than ever we need to be a people of faith, a people of love and a people of hope.
Closing hymn/open altar/prayer time
