Sermon Central
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The Model Church Series
Contributed by James Chandler on Feb 17, 2008 (message contributor)
Summary: What was it about the church at Thessalonica that made it a church worth modeling? In this study we will that the church had a blessed beginning, produced great fruit, and has a great future.
1 Thessalonians 1 The Model Church
The Lord wants to bless the church. He waits for the church to be what he wants it to be. A place of believers who want to live and serve and bring God glory and see lives transformed by the power of a risen Savior!
The church was a model and example for other believers because:
A. It had a blessing beginning.
Acts 17 tells us how the church began in Thessalonica.
Loved by God (v. 4)
God loved the people at Thessalonica, he sent
them Paul and Timothy and Silas.
If you are a Christian, God has loved you and
sent people into your life.
Chosen by God (v. 4)
You may have accepted Christ as your Lord and
Savior, but first he chose you.
He chose man, when he became a man.
He chose man, when he lived a pure life.
He chose man when in the garden he prayed
God’s will be done.
He chose man when on the cross he prayed for
their forgiveness.
He chose man when he didn’t go from the grave
to the throne.
The gospel came to Thessalonica with words (v. 5)
How can they believe, if they have not heard..
The message on day of Pentecost- spoken and
transformed
Today the message, the spoken word used.
The gospel came to Thessalonica with power (v. 5)
I am not ashamed of the gospel…
A song can stir powerful emotions.
A sermon can convict powerfully
A kind act can touch a life in a
powerful way.
The most powerful moment comes when the gospel
seed that has been planted grows and
produces something new.
The gospel came to Thessalonica with the Holy Spirit (v. 5)
The H.S. will not bring a false message.
The same Holy Spirit at work in Acts
works today.
The gospel came to Thessalonica with deep conviction (v. 5)
The difference between belief and conviction
Belief causes the Christian to say Amen, we
need to witness.
Conviction causes the Christian to get up and
witness.
Belief causes the Christian to have pity for
the lost.
Conviction causes the Christian to stop at
nothing for the lost.
Belief causes the Christian to promise God
they will share.
Conviction causes the Christian to repent and
be faithful.
Belief causes the Christian to know what needs
done.
Conviction causes the Christian to do it.
They turned from idols to serve the LIVING and TRUE God (v. 10)
What idols did you turn from?
No one or nothing can save you like God.
Jesus is the truth.
Jesus is the life.
B. It produced great fruit. (Slide #3)
Became imitators of Paul, Timothy, and Silas
We love imitations. I used to imitate E.T.
When a person does an imitation, you think
of the subject.
We are to imitate Christ so when people
see us, they think of Christ.
To imitate, you must intimately know who
you are imitating.
Even in suffering, welcomed the message with joy (v. 6)
Suffering exposes character.
Joy shows up out of place in suffering.
Joy is deeply composed of peace,
trust, and hope.
They had work produced by faith (v. 3)
You can have works without faith.
You cannot have faith without works.
God accepts offerings of faith over
offerings.
Is faith a lost component in the
church?
Does the absence of works indicate
absence of faith?
They had labor produced by love (v. 3)
Labor of love
Labor different from work, because of love
Endurance inspired by hope (v. 3)
Hope inspires a runner to train.
Hope inspires a runner to take care of himself.
Hope inspires a runner to enter the marathon.
Hope inspires a runner the first mile.
Hope inspires a runner the 10th, 17th, 21st,
and the 26th mile.
C. It has a great future. (Slide #4)
They were waiting for the Son from heaven
Most of the people did not see Jesus ascend
into heaven.
They went on the testimony of Paul, Silas,
Timothy.
But they believed and waited as though they
had seen.
“Waiting does not mean sitting and doing
nothing.”
“Waiting meant prepared and ready wanting, but
patient.”
They were waiting for Jesus’ rescue from the coming wrath (v. 10)
They never forgot who they used to be.
They kept in their minds the coming judgment.
They knew that the patience and mercy and
grace they had experienced, would one day
be anger, justice, and wrath.
The Peebles Church of Christ has the opportunity to be a church like the one at Thessalonica. We have the opportunity for our community to see how great God is by our faith and love and hope. Jesus is coming back, and every moment until his return is a chance to help others be rescued.
