THE PASTOR’S POINTS
sermon ministry of
CEDAR LODGE BAPTIST CHURCH
Thomasville, NC
A fellowship of faith, family and friendships.
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August 24, 2003
For from you sounded out the word of the Lord not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith to God-ward is spread abroad; so that we need not to speak any thing. For they themselves show of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God; And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come. 1 Thessalonians 1:8-10 (KJV)
How would you describe an exemplary church? Does it have anything to do with buildings, budgets or programs?
In our study of Paul’s letter to the Thessalonican church last week (1:5-7) we noticed the apostle called them ensamples, or "example"; a "model" church. Paul had brought the gospel to Europe. He spoke words to the people who would become the church there in Macedonia. But while Paul spoke words to their minds, it was the Holy Spirit touching their hearts. This is how we are to receive God’s Word. An exemplary church receives God’s Word.
Despite severe suffering caused by their commitment, the believers at Thessalonica pressed on, becoming a model of gospel sharers. The word "ensample" (v.7) is, in the language of the New Testament, tupos, the word from which we get our word for "type" as in typewriter. The molded character on the typewriter key strikes the ribbon against the paper, and the symbol is reproduced. These people had accepted Christ, and His Holy Spirit impacted them like the key of a typewriter; it so mold them into His image that Paul called them the "prototype" for what a believing church ought to be. When the love of Jesus is first priority, ministry and missions will be the reputation of the church. This was the secret of Paul’s great love for the church at Thessalonica.
With that in mind, let’s look over the apostle’s shoulder and see the characteristics of an exemplary church. They were…
I. People who SPOKE-UP
Verse 8 is the key: "The Lord’s message rang out from you..."(NIV) These folks were living the gospel and telling the gospel. "Rang out" is exeôcheomai -- we get our word "echo". It means "THUNDERED"; it gives the sense of a late August thunderclap reverberating after the lightning hits.
A country preacher visited the mountains and went to see the famous "echo canyon". It had the reputation of being the one place on earth where you got the clearest and truest echo of any words hollered out. The preacher found he was alone, so he hollered "Hello". The canyon echoed back in clarity, "Hello". Again the preacher bellowed, "Goodbye"; the answer resounded in absolute clarity and true pitch, "Goodbye". Looking around to make certain he was alone, the preacher let it all out, "You are the greatest preacher that ever lived!" Came the answer - "Baloney!"
The message which rang out from Thessalonica was the gospel - the word of the Lord. It rang so clearly, was so evident in their lives, and constantly on their lips, that it was spread throughout the region. There is a good reason why this happened - actually two reasons:
a. Thessalonica was a port city, a hub for commerce. Many people came there from all over the world.
b. The enthusiasm of the new converts compelled them to speak-out the gospel.
I was in the service when Elizabeth and I married. Being far from home I told anybody I met about the beautiful girl back home who was wearing my ring. You would think that after nearly 37 years that would have died down some; the fact is I am still proud to introduce Elizabeth as my wife. In fact I’m prouder now than in 1967. After all she has put up with all these years, I’m more blessed to have her now than back then. The key is I got a full dose of marital bliss, and it stuck! In the same way, those Thessalonican believers got a full dose of Jesus, and it not only stuck - they couldn’t stop talking about Him to anyone who would listen.
There were a lot of sailors and merchants who arrived on those ships every day spiritually-dead; by the time they left for other parts of the world, they were on fire for Christ and telling everyone in sight. That is not a bad ministry. So often we are interested only in seeing our own church grow - sometimes the best ministry involves touching the lives of those passing-through, so they will tell others. That’s why the Gospel spread. In Jacksonville, Florida, the Baptist Association there had a Seafarer’s Ministry at the port. In much the same way as the Thessalonians touched the mariners for Jesus, many a merchant marine delivering cars from Japan or Germany has left the coast of Florida with a new destination for eternity.
I tell you, we don’t have a port in Thomasville, but there are plenty of truckers in and out of this place. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if those who know truckers began to develop a ministry to truckers?
Speaking-out is the key! We must do that. There is a sense in which you can be saved and also "sit." You might be content to keep your Christianity to yourself. But that is not what Jesus intended. That is not what the model church did. Their joy in telling what Jesus had done for them thundered out across Europe and Asia too. It is what Jesus told us we would be like when truly indwelt by His Spirit:
Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven. Matthew 10:32-33 (KJV)
In Paul’s travels he didn’t need to inform the Philippians or the Colossian church about what was happening in Thessalonica; their reputation beat Paul to every city. These folks had really spoken-out for Jesus; they were also:
II. People who were TURNED-AROUND
Paul tells us that the witness of the Gentile Roman pagans-turned Christ-follower was that they turned away from their idols to God. My friends, if you ever want a true definition of repentance, just re-read that phrase:
…ye turned to God from idols 1 Thessalonians 1:9b
The key word is "turned". Whenever you turn from one direction, you turn to another. I toyed with entitling this message "180o Christianity". Turning is the key. The old preacher J. Vernon McGee had a graphic way of illustrating that (1). Take your hand and hold it out in front of your eyes with the palm facing you. Your knuckles are facing away from you. Suppose your knuckles represent you, and your eyes represent God. You are turned away from Him. But, now turn that hand 180o and in so turning your knuckles towards your eyes, you have also turned your knuckles away from going away from God.
That’s the picture of faith and repentance. Faith is turning towards God; repentance is turning away from your sin. The moment you turn towards God believing He is God and you should turn to Him, you are placing your faith in God. At the same time you are turning away from your sins, the act of repentance.
True repentance always means change…you cannot turn without being turned around. In fact trying to be saved without being changed flies in the face of reason and Scripture. Some people depend upon their feelings so much they won’t ever accept the simple teaching of Scripture. Take a person who comes to the altar, weeps and thrashes about, calls upon God for salvation, and then goes back to doing whatever he was before the altar-trip; is that person saved? Not without changing; Godly repentance leads to a change in behavior. So, my friend don’t weep over your sins if you don’t intend to change! God won’t hear the first teardrop fall! However, if you’re willing to turn away from your sins, God has His loving arms outstretched as you turn to Him.
That’s what the Thessalonian believers did - they were speaking-out because they’d received the Word of God, and it turned them around, and they became…
III. People who were DIALED-IN
The people Paul loved were serving a living and true God (as opposed to a dead and false idol). The word "serve" in our text is from doulos, or "slave". The root of that word is de.o, a verb which means "to bind". Slaves are bound to their master for service. Dialing-in means binding service. As true repentance always means change, change in heart towards God always means gaining a lifes’ purpose - serving others.
In our text, serving and waiting are both in the present infinitive tense which denotes an action which never ceases. Serving and waiting upon the Lord until He comes is our meaning and purpose.
Our fellowship has a sweet spirit. We have a wonderful time together, and we enjoy each other’s company. It is tempting and altogether possible to get the wrong idea about why we are here. Worship that is meaningful and joyful can be attractive, and we can assume it is the main event - and to some degree it is; without worship our church would be little more than a social club.
However, we must also realize that worship and fellowship are only part of our purpose for being. The job of the church is not to impact the church, but to impact the world. It’s like a huddle in a football game. 67,000 people don’t pay $25.00 a ticket to watch the Titans huddle. What if you went to a Titans game and for 2 ½ hours you watched 11 men stand in a circle and talk? That’s not what you pay for!! 67,000 people pay $25 a ticket to see what difference the huddle makes. What they want to know is, having called the play in secret, does it work in public? The challenge for the church is not what we do when we call our Sunday morning huddle, but what we do when we break our huddle and head to our Sunday morning assignment. When Satan lines up against us, what difference does it make that we are Christians? (2)
The church at Thessalonica was…
Speaking out, and it was touching and changing lives.
Turned around, and it showed in their behavior and worship.
Dialed-in, and their service and waiting on Jesus changed the world.
What will be said in this area about the chruch at Thomasville?
Are you willing to speak out? Join in visitation this week.
Are you willing to be turned around? Join us at the altar in a moment.
Are you willing to dial-in? Commit your service to others through your church.
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ENDNOTES
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(1) J. Vernon McGee, Commentary: Through the Bible…Volume 5, (1983 Pasadena, Ca, Through the Bible Radio), p.377
(2) David Salisbury on SermonCental.com
