This week we start the second oldest book in the New Testament as recorded in its publishing. We began with James on our year-long journey chronological study of the New Testament. Hence the reason we are calling this message series Chronos. It's a word that means “time.” We will be journeying through time back to the start of the early church. For the next few months we will be walking through the books written to those in Thessalonica. We will take a few detours along the way for the major Christain holidays like we did for Easter. However, we will be opening up our bibles each week to unpack the scriptures as they were present in the early church so I encourage you to bring yours or a digitale version of yours.
The book of Thessalonians was written a few years after James.
It is one of the first books or letters written to this new ‘church’ or gathering.
It was written by the apostle Paul. A contemporary of James but someone who never met Jesus face to face.
It was written to the Messianic Jews and greek Gentiles who had come to believe Jesus was the Messiah
It was written for several reasons.
To express his gratitude for what God was doing in the lives of the Thessalonians (1:2-3),
To defend himself against a campaign to slander his ministry (2:1-12),
To encourage them to stand against persecution and pressure to return to their former pagan life-styles (3:2-3; 4:1-12),
To answer a question pertaining to the fate of Christians who had died (4:1-13)
To answer questions regarding the “Day of the Lord” (5:1-11),
And to deal with certain problems that had developed in their corporate life as a church (5:12-13; 19-20) that were stunting the movement’s growth.
Today, we open to the first chapter of this amazing letter to the church plant in one of the main travel junctions in all the Roman empire. A city of around 300,000 with some upper class but a great deal more working class people. The city was made up of Romans, Greeks and a powerful group of Greek speaking Jews.
To be a Christian believer in this community, it meant relinquishing the hedonism and paganism that was the mainstay of the population. As such, the temptation was high to recant one's commitment to Jesus to get back onto the graces of the majority. To become and remain a Christ follower meant ridicule and persecution, very much like many places in the world today.
In a study done recently, It was noted that Islam was the “Hotel California” of religions (“You can check-out any time you like, But you can never leave”), as it prohibits adherents from either declaring themselves atheists or members of another faith, which from the Islamic point of view amount to the same thing. This attitude goes back to the religion’s origins (a Hadith quotes Muhammad, “Whoever changes his religion, kill him”) and the sense that leaving Islam is akin to joining the enemy and, thus, equals betrayal. Additionally, to live as a proper Muslim has a powerful social aspect, participating in the maintenance of communal solidarity.
Accordingly, apostate Muslims everywhere face rejection by their families, social ostracism, and loss of employment; in Muslim-majority countries, additionally, their governments may well persecute, imprison, torture, and kill them. Skeptical Muslims historically have therefore overwhelmingly stayed within Islam’s boundaries; even new religions deriving from Islam (the Druze, Nusayri/Alawi, Alevi, Babi, and Baha’i) initially do the same and long retain a murky relationship to it.
https://nationalinterest.org/feature/perilous-path-muslim-christian-189544
Listen, All conversions require some form of sacrifice and for those brave enough to be public about their faith, it may cost friends, family, social status and even one’s life. While this may not be as prevalent in America, it is still the case for the majority of the world. So it was for those original hearers of this letter.
I want to take a moment of silence to contemplate the idea of giving up your family, your livelihood and maybe even your friends to gain your seat in this church. <PAUSE>
Let us begin with Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians.
(1:1-4)
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 and continually mention you in our prayers. 3 We 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.
4 For we know, brothers and sisters loved by God, that he has chosen you,
What a difference a heading makes in a scriptural letter than those of our day. Instead of “Hey, Good Morning or To whom it may concern,” the greetings of Paul’s letters offer us more information. In this case, the leadership collective (Paul, Silas and timothy), who had a relationship with this new church plant, were together reviewing the Christian movement.
As they were talking, they all remembered their time with the new church plant in Greece. Although it was a short time (Paul had spent only three to four weeks) at this house church, they all agreed the direct teaching had obviously been taken to heart. They were impressed with their willingness to live the mission when others would not.
When I was in the business world as a supervisor of new salespeople, I often wondered why some of the young men and women succeeded and others failed. The training was the same. I cared for them and did everything I could to help them. I pondered the question and once processed it aloud with another older manager. He gave me a succinct answer. There are people who can learn and implement and those who can’t or won’t. When you realize a person in the latter, move on.
The Thessalonians were the group who heard the message and put it into practice. They not only heard the good news, they believed it to be true, trusted the teacher, adhered to the process and kept working at it no matter the cost. The mission became their purpose.
Unlike the older manager, Paul believed there needed to be a third aspect present for people to succeed in the Christian mission.
Let’s keep reading
(1:5-7)
5 because our gospel came to you not simply with words but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and deep conviction. You know how we lived among you for your sake. 6 You became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you welcomed the message in the midst of severe suffering with the joy given by the Holy Spirit. 7 And so you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia.
The third aspect is the anointing of the Holy Spirit. It brings power, conviction and joy. It propels us when the culture, the community and our commitment begins to shake.
There are hundreds of stories of people who overcome terrible life circumstances and they are always encouraging. In America, we love the underdog story. We love to see the rag tag teams defeat the power teams. We love to see the 16 rank team beat number one. The small schools beat the big schools. It gives us hope.
In the same way, Paul is pointing to the Christian Thessalonians. They were at odds with the culture (an urban context with Roman gods on every corner), the community (the jewish leaders allowed the former Pharisee the ability to teach on only three sabbaths) and even common sense. They only had three to four weeks of christian education. The odds were stacked against them and yet, they would become the shining star for others.
(1:8-10)
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, 10 and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead—Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath.
The letter praises the upstart church’s shift from the culture, the community and then to full commitment.
Commitment involves dedicating yourself to something no matter the cost. Time, resources and talents are not an excuse. In the case of the Thessalonians, Paul offers a hint for a topic he will address in more detail - Waiting on the Lord to return.
The word translated “wait” here is “to await someone with patience and confidence, expectantly.”
Waiting involves activity and endurance. Some of the Thessolonians had quit their jobs and became idle busybodies who argued over when the Lord was returning instead of living the hope we have within us by loving others enough to help from the day of judgment, when all will be judged for their words and deeds. A concept many today don’t want to consider because it means we must get real about whether or not we will need a little help in getting over the “good enough bar” to enter heaven.
A standard not many, if any, could demonstrate without a belief in and the help of Jesus. If we believe the Lord could come at any moment, and He can, this thought should spark an urgency in us to live as he commanded everyday and in every way. To try and share the good news Jesus rising means to everyone and how best to invite the Holy Spirit to change them and their families.
Make no mistake: The presence of the Holy Spirit is the key to our ability to do God’s will in this life.
