Cause for Commendation
1Thessalonians 1:1-10[1]
10-10-04
Intro
If God were writing a letter to us this morning, what do you think He would say? What would He commend and what would He correct? In the first few chapters of Revelation Jesus is walking among the candlesticks. His eyes are as a flame of fire and His countenance is as the bright shining sun. John is completely overwhelmed by His presence. There Jesus sends a personal letter to each of the seven churches in Asia. For each church there were things He commended and things He condemned. What He said to those churches is very instructive for us. For the things He looked for in those people He still looks for in us. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
As we consider Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians, we want to ask ourselves what God would be saying to us in some of the areas touched upon in chapter one.
The church at Thessalonica--does anyone know how this city got its name?
In 323 BC Alexander the Great died in Babylon. His kingdom was divided up by four warring generals. One of those generals was named Cassander and he ruled Macedonia. In 315 BC Cassander established his capital at an ancient city named Therma or Hot Springs. He then renamed that city Thessalonica after his wife who was Alexander’s step sister. Today the name has been shortened to Salonia or Saloniki.[2]
In Paul’s day this capital city was the most important commerce center in the region. It was situated on the Via Egnatia (the great Roman road from west to east) and its harbor was strategically located at the head of the Aegean Sea. It was a thriving metropolitan area full of vice, full of greed, and full of false religion. The home of the gods, Mt. Olympus was located at Thessalonica.[3]
On his 2nd missionary journey Paul had left Philippi and gone to Thessalonica to preach the gospel. His campaign there was very successful. People were getting saved. Great things were happening. A church was being established in a matter of weeks. But all that success was also stirring up opposition and persecution especially from the Jews. In Acts 17 we learn that a mob went to Jason’s house where Paul and his companions had been staying. When they couldn’t find Paul they dragged Jason out of his home and brought him before the city leaders bringing their accusations against the whole movement. With all of that going on some of the brothers persuaded Paul to flee to Berea. When we get into this epistle we will see the importance of knowing that background.
Paul later had to flee from Berea to Athens. There in Athens he sent Timothy to check on the Thessalonians and then went to Corinth. At Corinth Timothy brought Paul news of how the church at Thessalonica was doing. This epistle is Paul’s response to that report. It was written in about 50 AD which makes it one of the first letters Paul wrote.[4]
Although there were issues that needed to be addressed, Paul was greatly relieved to hear that these young converts were remaining faithful in the midst of all their trials and tribulation. In this first chapter he commends them their continued efforts in the work of the Lord, the example they have become to others, and the expectation they have maintained toward the coming of the Lord. The commendation they receive is quite remarkable.
First they are commended for
I. Their Faithful Service to the Lord.
1 Thess. 1:2 “We always thank God for all of you, mentioning you in our prayers.”
Now the reason for his thanksgiving—verse 3 “We continually remember before our God and Father...”. And now he mentions three hallmarks of their walk with God.
1st Your work produced by faith. These Christians had the kind of faith that produced good works in their lives. It was not just a lot of talk. It was a lot of positive action. The Bible clearly teaches that we are not saved by works. We are saved by faith in the work Christ did for us on the cross. We are saved by faith in Him.[5]
Heb 11:6 “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” NKJV
Do you believe that God is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him? What happens in our lives when we really believe that? We will diligently seek Him. We will seek to do those things pleasing in His sight. The obvious evidence of faith is a person’s actions.[6] For the man who has no faith in God, he sees no reason to work for the Lord. In his mind it’s all going to end the same either way. Why not just pursue pleasure and ease? But for the person who believes there is a God and there is a day of reckoning —that person will seek to maintain good works. He doesn’t do it to get saved. He does it because he is saved and He believes that the Lord is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
In 2 Cor 5:9-10 Paul writes, “Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him. 10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.” (NKJV) That’s a powerful motivation. Do you ever think about what it’s going to be like the day you stand before God and give account for your life? A faith that believes that will indeed happen is a faith that produces “ergon” (work). I could easily say concerning many of you here today, for your work produced by faith.[7]
2nd your labor prompted by love. The word for labor here is koros. It is different from the word for work in the previous phrase. Ergon emphasizes the result of the effort while koros emphasizes the pain and weariness involved in the effort.[8] Love motivated them to work hard and serve even when they were weary. We talked about this love last week from John 21.[9] It begins with a love for the Lord which then overflows in a love to what he loves—people. “Do you love me? Feed my sheep.” Love suffers long. Love endures the pain. Love continues even when the work is difficult and discouraging as it was for the Thessalonians. Without love we are reduced to basic animal instincts. Without love we will always try to get the most for ourselves with the least amount of effort.
How do you nurture that kind of love? You ponder, you meditate, you consider the love God has shown toward you. When the reality of that grips your heart then you will want to respond in love. Has someone offended you or done you wrong? Take time to think about God’s mercy toward you. Linger long in your meditation of your sin and the sufferings of Christ. Hear Him speak from the cross, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.”[10] When the reality of all that grips your heart, forgiveness toward others will come much easier.
3rd your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.
Paul will speak much about hope in this letter. Hope is a powerful factor in our lives. It’s amazing what we can endure if we know that tomorrow will be better—and the next even better—and the future is bright. Take hope away for a person and his strength is gone.
In Lamentations 3 Jeremiah talked about hope. Lam 3:21-26 "This I recall to my mind, Therefore I have hope. 22 Through the LORD’s mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not. 23 They are new every morning;Great is Your faithfulness. 24 "The LORD is my portion," says my soul, "Therefore I hope in Him!" 25 The LORD is good to those who wait for Him, To the soul who seeks Him. 26 It is good that one should hope and wait quietly For the salvation of the LORD.”NKJV
How did Jeremiah nurture hope? “This I recall to mind”! He disciplined his thought life to ponder the Lord’s mercies and goodness. If God is good and is ultimately in control—if the Lord is my portion then I have every reason to hope.
Hope gives us the will to carry on when we would otherwise give up. Peter wrote these words to a group of Christians who needed to be reminded of their future in God.
1 Peter 1:3-4 “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade-kept in heaven for you”
These Christians at Thessalonica put forth a valiant effort in the face of great opposition because these three elements were at work in their hearts—faith that produced works, love that produced labor, and hope that inspired endurance.
From that commendation Paul moves toward
II. Their Open Receptivity to the Lord.
It began with God. God reached out to these people in His love and grace. Verse 4 “For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, because our gospel came to you not simply with words, but also with power, and with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction. You know how we lived among you for your sakes.” God had sent Paul and his team to them with the word of the Lord.[11] When Paul preached the Holy Spirit moved in power and demonstration. Paul is reminding these people of how God came into their lives—how God moved upon their hearts and made himself known to them.
Paul is saying something about how he ministered but is also saying something about their receptivity.[12]
They saw God working in Paul and they followed his example. You became imitators of us. That is part of the discipleship process—seeing God at work in someone else and hungering for more of God ourselves and choosing to follow the example God has given us. Notice how Paul says you became imitators of us and of the Lord. In another place Paul said “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.”[13] We dare not tell people to follow us if we are not following Christ. That would simply be the blind leading the blind.
But God’s call on your life and my life is that we follow good example—we learn from those who are sincerely following the Lord—we don’t just listen to their words as some interesting suggestions—we set our course in the same direction they are going toward the Lord. The key is to follow those who follow the Lord not just charismatic personalities that tickle our ears and suit our fancies.
Hardship, persecution, suffering did
3. not harden them toward the word of the Lord.
“...in spite of severe suffering, you welcomed the message—logos —with the joy given by the Holy Spirit. When life does not go the way we want it to—when there are disappointments and discouragements—there is the temptation to close our hearts to the word—to wallow in self-pity and wonder why God allows such things.
These Thessalonians were paying a heavy price for their faith. They were being ostracized by their friends, it was probably costing them financially, and their families may have been rejecting them. But instead of becoming bitter they just got better. They received the word of the Lord and in their receptivity toward God the joy of the Holy Spirit flooded their souls. It is a paradox the world can not understand. In the midst of pain and suffering the Holy Spirit can give a joy that carries us through it all.
They allowed themselves to be mentored and then became mentors. Paul commends them for
III. Their Evangelistic Influence for the Lord.
Verse 7, “And so you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia.” They followed Paul’s example as he followed the Lord. Now they have become an example for others. They were motivated by faith, love, and hope and that caused them to be a living testimony of the grace of God. Their life-style was evangelistic. People see they were people of faith by the way they lived.
But it didn’t stop there. They were also proclaiming their faith to others—testifying of what God had done for them. Verse 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”. Evangelistic zeal has two sides to it. On the one hand, we believe the message strongly enough that it motivates the way we live. People can tell by the way we live that we genuinely believe the word of God. The other side is this. We “sound forth” the testimony of God’s grace. “The Lord’s message rang out from you...” At some point we have to say to others what it is we believe and why. If we just try to live it without ever saying it we will have admirers perhaps but few converts. For this gospel is a message that is to be proclaimed or preached.
If we preach it but don’t live it we will have little credibility. These Thessalonians are commended for both living it and telling it.
Look at their Testimony in verse 9-10, “ 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.”
What did conversion produce in them?
1. They turned from something. If your experience in Christ does not turn you from something, there is real cause for concern. It’s not enough to just assent to Jesus’ resurrection. Biblical belief produces change. It will cause us to turn from. These people turned from their idols. There are things we need to turn form.
2. They turned to God. There was a commitment of their lives to a person—to the Lordship of Christ. They were not just trying to get God’s support for their dreams and plans. They were dedicating themselves to God’s will for their lives.
3. Their life was characterized by an expectant waiting for his Son from Heaven. Do you live looking forward to the coming of the Lord? I wonder if this commendation could be said of you and me. I wonder if it is true of the American church in general.
Are we waiting, hoping, expecting the coming of the Lord or are we just looking forward to a better house, a happy retirement, a new car, or our next vacation.
I have heard the arguments against the imminent return of Christ—the concern that we are just thinking in terms of escapism. We there are some things I would just as soon escape from. Look closely at Paul’s description of Jesus in this context, “who rescues us from the coming wrath.” Jesus is our rescuer.[14] We certainly have a work to do under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. We are to be about our Father’s business. We are to be pursuing the Great Commission. But the future Paul depicts in this epistle is not one where we rescue the world and prepare it nice and pretty for Jesus. No Jesus will come and rescue us from the coming wrath. It is a wrath that is coming.[15] According to Paul there is a coming wrath. But, praise God, there is also a coming Rescuer!
Are you living in anticipation of His glorious coming? Are you longing for the day when your precious Bridegroom and King will receive the glory and honor He is due. Philippians 2 talks about the way He humbled Himself even to the death of the cross. But God has highly exalted Him and given Him a name that is above every name. At the name of Jesus every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that He is Lord.
Conclusion
In these commendations we have some standards that we can measure our lives by. Does my life cause others to thank God? Do they see in me work produced by faith , labor prompted by love, and endurance inspired by hope? Am I an example to others? Have turned from those things God would have me turn from? Have I turned to God will whole-hearted commitment? Am I longing for His appearing or distracted by all kinds of other things?[16]
Invitation
TEXT 1 Thess 1
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. 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. 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. 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, 10 and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead-Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath. (from New International Version)
Richard Tow
Grace Chapel Foursquare Church
Springfield, MO
www.gracechapelchurch.org
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[1] Text which was read earlier in the service is provided at the end of this manuscript. All quotes are from the New International Version unless otherwise specified.
[2] THESSALONICA (from International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia, Electronic Database Copyright (c)1996 by Biblesoft)
[3] Henry Halley, Halley’s Bible Handbook (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1965) P.625. We also showed a map of the area on the LCD projector so the congregation could see the relative locations of these cities. Halleys is a good quick reference for the distances between them.
[4] Leon Morris, The First and Second Epistles to the Thessalonians (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1979) p. 26.
Also see Acts 16-81.
[5] Eph. 2:9-10; Rom. 3-5; Gal. 2-3.
[6] James 2
[7] I have concluded that pisteoos, agapees, and elpidos in verse three are genitives of production (Daniel Wallace, Greek Grammar Beyond the Basics (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1996) p. 104). The NIV seems to reflect a similiar conclusion.
[8] Cleon Rogers, The New Linguistic and Exegetical Key to the Greek New Testament (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1998) p. 471
[9] Richard Tow, sermon preached 10-03-04 available at www.gracechapelchurch.org
[10] Luke 23:34
[11] Morris p. 61 points out that the genitive “ho logos tou Kuriou” is subjective—“the word which comes from the Lord,” rather than “the word which tells of the Lord.”
[12] Leon Morris, pp 56-58
[13] 1Cor. 11:1
[14] The participle “hruomenon” is an adjectival attributive modifying Jesus.
[15] Ercomenees is present participle indicating something is in motion.
[16] In our first service we use a shorter version of the message. The scene from the movie About Schmidt (Begin in Ch 25 (01:53:39) End in Ch 26 (2:00:02 at end of movie) is a good contrast to these believers at Thessalonica. About Schmidt is produced by MMII New Line Production 1999. However, the movie is rated R and contains objectionable scenes and language.
