What Will People Remember ?

Alba 9-17-2023

WHAT WILL PEOPLE REMEMBER?

I Thessalonians 1:1-5

Do you ever have trouble remembering things? That is not a trick question. Someone said, “I always forget things at the grocery store. Maybe I should start bringing a list – oh wait, I always forget the list too.” Someone else said “I used to be forgetful, but now I can’t remember if I still am.”

I don't know if this actually happened or not, but I read that President George W. Bush decided it was time to do some public relations at a local Washington DC nursing home.

The President began his "tour" down the main hallway and passed by a little old man who didn't seem to notice him. Sensing this, President Bush backtracks to the resident and asks, "Do you know who I am?" The little old man looks up from his walker and says, "No, but if you go to the front desk, they will tell you your name."

Memory, it can get away from you. But when all is said and done, what will others remember about you? Will their memories be pleasant and good-natured, or disagreeable and unpleasant? It all depends on how we live and act around other people, doesn't it.

But here today, a better question may be, when all is said and done, what will others remember about our church?

Will it be, “There's a group of people who love the Lord and show that they want to serve Him”? Or will it be something less desirable that they remember? Hopefully we are leaving positive memories in the lives of the people with whom we come into contact.

I know that some of you who have been here a long time have good memories of people who are no longer with us. You remember there was something about the way they served, or the way they showed their love, or their knowledge of scripture.

I would hope that anyone who comes into contact with us will be able to say that what they remember is that we are a people who express faith, hope and love in a way that honors our Lord. And that we do our best to be true to His Word.

That is essentially what the apostle Paul remembered about the church in Thessalonica. He says as much as we begin a study of I Thessalonians in chapter one, verses one to five.

He writes: “Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

“We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers, remembering without ceasing your work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of our God and Father, knowing, beloved brethren, your election by God.

“For our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit and in much assurance, as you know what kind of men we were among you for your sake.”

Paul started the church in Thessalonica. It was during his second missionary journey and we read about his time there in Acts 17:1-9. Paul had received a vision of a man calling to him saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” At the time, he was in what we today call Turkey, and was being called to what today is the county of Greece.

He first went to the city of Philippi where eventually he and Silas were thrown into prison, where his testimony brought the jailer to faith, and the jailer and his household were baptized that very night.

Leaving Philippi, Paul arrives at Thessalonica and goes to the synagogue and begins teaching the Thessalonians right off the bat telling them that Jesus is the Christ who came into the world with the good news, the gospel.

This good news is essential for us to truly believe if we are going to be able to spend eternity in heaven and not in hell. That is because if we do not believe that Jesus came and became a man, and died on the cross for our sins, and rose again, then we are not a Christian. A Christian, by definition is someone who believes the gospel about Jesus Christ.

Acts 17:3 says Paul was “explaining and demonstrating that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead, and saying, 'This Jesus whom I preach to you is the Christ.'”

Paul preached to them on three sabbaths, but some Jews who were not persuaded became envious and caused an uproar. Paul and Silas were sent away for their protection. They went to Berea, where they again taught in the synagogue. Those Jews were more noble and they searched the scriptures to see whether or not what Paul was telling them was true.