Fellowship
1 Thessalonians 2:17-20

I know it’s been a couple of weeks
Since we were in this letter that Paul wrote to the Thessalonians.

But you will recall that it is a letter all about encouragement.

After starting the Thessalonian church, Paul was abruptly forced to leave,
But never lost his concern for this young church.

When Paul finally received word from the Thessalonians
It was that they stood strong, and this encouraged Paul.

His ministry was not in vain.
The Thessalonians really did get saved.

And in turn Paul has written this letter to encourage them.

And we have already seen several aspects of that encouragement.

• There has been the gentle encouragement of a mother that seeks to pick up when one is down.

• There is the strong encouragement of a father that seeks to push one forward.

• There has been the discerning encouragement of a brother in Christ, relaying how he sees God at work in them.

And we have learned not only how to encourage, but the importance of it.

Tonight we continue in our study of this letter.
And we are faced with another sort of defense text.

Throughout chapter 2,
While Paul has been encouraging the Thessalonians,
There has also been an obvious element
Where Paul has been defending his ministry.

No doubt the people who ran Paul out of town, are now doing everything they can to undermine him, so as to destroy the faith of the Thessalonians.
And Paul has been addressing those accusations.

In our text tonight it is apparent that one of the accusations against Paul
Was that he simply did not like or care for the Thessalonians.
You can almost hear the questioning of their opponents.

Where is Paul in all of this?
Why did Paul leave so fast?
Why won’t Paul come back?
And that is an issue that Paul is addressing.

For us, we also learn some facts about fellowship.

It is overly obvious to realize that
Fellowship is an integral part of encouragement.

And so fellowship is an important function of the church.

In fact, that is one of the things we are the most impressed with in regard to the early church.
Acts 2:42-47 “They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone kept feeling a sense of awe; and many wonders and signs were taking place through the apostles. And all those who had believed were together and had all things in common; and they began selling their property and possessions and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need. Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved.”

There are obviously many noteworthy attributes about that early church,
But it is hard to read without being amazed at their degree of fellowship.

They wanted to be around each other, even if it meant financial sacrifice.
They wanted to learn together, They wanted to grow together,
They wanted to worship together, They wanted to serve together.

Fellowship was a vital part of the early church.

And we know that fellowship is important to us as well.

When Jesus prayed for His church on the night before He was crucified.
John 17:20-21 “I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word; that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me.”

When Paul wrote to the Ephesians he said:
Ephesians 4:1-6 “Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.”

And when fellowship fell out of order,
Paul wrote to challenge churches to repair it.

Philippians 4:2-3 “I urge Euodia and I urge Syntyche to live in harmony in the Lord. Indeed, true companion, I ask you also to help these women who have shared my struggle in the cause of the gospel, together with Clement also and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life.”
And so we know that the church was meant
To work under an umbrella of healthy fellowship.

None of us are independently the body of Christ,
But corporately we are the body,
And we must learn to fellowship together with one another.

Psalms 133 “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is For brothers to dwell together in unity! It is like the precious oil upon the head, Coming down upon the beard, Even Aaron’s beard, Coming down upon the edge of his robes. It is like the dew of Hermon Coming down upon the mountains of Zion; For there the LORD commanded the blessing — life forever.”

The interesting thing in this letter is that
It was Paul’s desire to fellowship that was called into question
By those who sought to undermine his ministry.

They were accusing Paul of not being concerned with the Thessalonians,
With not caring to spend time with them,
With not being interested in unity, and with not desiring fellowship.

And so as Paul writes to defend himself against this claim,
We also learn some facts about fellowship.

There are 4 things I want to show you in our text tonight in regard to fellowship.
#1 IT IS DESIRED IN OUR SPIRIT
1 Thessalonians 2:17

We know based on reading the book of Acts that
Paul was forced to leave Thessalonica prematurely.

And now it is obvious that the accusation was that Paul wanted to leave
Because he didn’t care about the Thessalonians.

Paul says nothing could be further from the truth.
“But we, brethren, having been torn away from you for a short while”

“torn away” comes from a word
That was used to speak of a parent who lost a child.

It was a separation that no one wanted.

And Paul said that is the type of separation I had from you.
I didn’t willfully leave.
I didn’t want to go.
I was “torn away from you”

They forced me to leave, but it was not what I desired.

As happy as Carrie and I are to be in Spur,
There will always be some in Crawford
To whom we have this same sentiment towards.

We didn’t want to leave then, nor were we trying to, but someone else forced it to occur, and there are those whose fellowship we still miss.

And to this day, if someone calls me with questions about that church,
I find that my heart in some regards is still there.

That is what happened to Paul.

But even though Paul was torn away, he wants them to know that it was “in person, not in spirit”

In other words, the only thing gone is our body,
You can rest assured that our heart remains.

It is similar to what Paul said to the Philippians.
Philippians 1:7-8 “For it is only right for me to feel this way about you all, because I have you in my heart, since both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, you all are partakers of grace with me. For God is my witness, how I long for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus.”

It further indicates an unnatural separation.

Circumstances did not allow Paul to remain in Thessalonica,
But he still cared about the direction of that church.

Furthermore Paul said that he is
“all the more eager with great desire to see your face.”

Now I wouldn’t lie, there are some in Crawford
That I don’t particularly desire to run in to,
But there are some, that I would absolutely love to see.

And this is what Paul reveals as well.
“I was forced to leave, but my spirit remains,
And I would love to see you again.”

Contrary to the reports that Paul didn’t care,
He assures the Thessalonians that this was not true.

And from Paul’s example we learn our first attribute of fellowship,
And that is that it is desired in the spirit of true believers.
One of the attributes of a genuinely saved person
Is a desire to fellowship with other believers.

Love of the brethren is one of the indicators of saving faith
Leo let me listen to Jerry Clower’s “Ain’t God Good”.
“I cannot conceive of a Christian not going to church.”

True believers ought to desire the company of other true believers.
There is a bond, there is a fellowship there.

WHY DO THEY DESIRE IT?

I think Paul states that pretty well in his letter to the Romans.
Romans 1:8-12 “First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, because your faith is being proclaimed throughout the whole world. For God, whom I serve in my spirit in the preaching of the gospel of His Son, is my witness as to how unceasingly I make mention of you, always in my prayers making request, if perhaps now at last by the will of God I may succeed in coming to you. For I long to see you so that I may impart some spiritual gift to you, that you may be established; that is, that I may be encouraged together with you while among you, each of us by the other’s faith, both yours and mine.”

Paul said I want to come to you to encourage you,
And I want you to encourage me.

Proverbs 27:17 “Iron sharpens iron, So one man sharpens another.”

Colossians 3:16 “Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God.”

It wasn’t all about saving the lost, or pushing the Romans to greatness. Paul also wanted them to help him in his endeavor to serve Christ.

He needed them as well.

Romans 15:32 “so that I may come to you in joy by the will of God and find refreshing rest in your company.”

It is obvious that fellowship is important,
And it is the desire of true believers.

It is desired in our spirit
#2 IT IS LIMITED BY OUR MISSION
1 Thessalonians 2:17

This is the other side of the equation.
And that is there are times when faithfulness to our mission
Requires that there be a momentary separation.

The reason Paul could not continually
Fellowship with the Thessalonians
Was because there was still a mission to accomplish.
A couple of weeks ago in Sunday school we studied the book of Acts
And how it was Paul’s intent to return to all the cities
They had formerly ministered to and fellowship with them a while.

However:
Acts 16:6-10 “They passed through the Phrygian and Galatian region, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia; and after they came to Mysia, they were trying to go into Bithynia, and the Spirit of Jesus did not permit them; and passing by Mysia, they came down to Troas. A vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of Macedonia was standing and appealing to him, and saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” When he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.”

And of course there you notice that it was not the devil
Who hindered the plan of Paul, it was Jesus.

• The reason of course is because there was a Philippian woman praying at the riverside who needed Christ.

• There was a Philippian jailor who was also ripe for harvest.

And someone had to go and share the gospel with them.

And this is one fact that we also learn about fellowship.
Sometimes it is limited, but not because we don’t desire it.
It is limited because our ministry takes us away.

I’m reminded of Paul’s final meeting with the Ephesian elders.
Paul gave them his final exhortations, and also revealed
That they would not fellowship again this side of heaven.

Acts 20:36-38 “When he had said these things, he knelt down and prayed with them all. And they began to weep aloud and embraced Paul, and repeatedly kissed him, grieving especially over the word which he had spoken, that they would not see his face again. And they were accompanying him to the ship.”

Did they desire fellowship?
Absolutely.
Was it possible?
No, Paul still had a mission.

It is indeed a difficult thing that occurs in our church life today.

We have had to say good-bye to some good friends and faithful servants
That God has moved to other places.

I left Chad & Dianah Lewis in Crawford.
I left Chuck & Missy Johnson
I left Dennis & Angela Westerman
I left Scott Dosier
I left Roy & Jean Smith
I left John & Linda Heaton
And even serving in Spur, separation comes.
Jason & Laura Mayfield
Bobby & Gerri Azam
Linda Wyatt
And lots of young men and women who moved off to go to school

And if we had our way, we would keep them all right here
And fellowship with them forever.

We realize God never intended for us to stay in one place.
God has told us to “Go” and sometimes fellowship is the casualty.

Paul also wanted the Thessalonians to understand that as well.
He didn’t want to leave, but he had to leave.

And that is true about fellowship.

It is Desired in our Spirit It is Limited by our Mission
#3 IT IS OPPOSED BY SATAN
1 Thessalonians 2:18

There are some times when it is obvious that God has brought about
The separation for the purpose of His mission.

And yet other times someone else
Throws the monkey wrench into the plans.

That is the devil, and that had also happened to Paul.
“For we wanted to come to you – I, Paul more than once – and yet Satan hindered us.”

I don’t want to give the devil more credit than he deserves,
But it also doesn’t do any of us any favors to sell him short.

I’m always amazed at this movement of binding Satan
And rebuking Satan and running Satan off,
As though he were some sort of weak intimidated foe.

It begs the question why Paul didn’t just bind Satan and walk on by.

The fact is that the church has a great arch-enemy, and he is powerful.
Is he defeated? Yes.
Can he condemn us? No.
But does he still muck things up? Absolutely.

He did for Paul here, and he does for us.

And one of the things Satan hates is fellowship.
WHY?
Well, it is the old “divide & conquer” scheme.

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 “Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor. For if either of them falls, the one will lift up his companion. But woe to the one who falls when there is not another to lift him up. Furthermore, if two lie down together they keep warm, but how can one be warm alone? And if one can overpower him who is alone, two can resist him. A cord of three strands is not quickly torn apart.”

Satan knows you are easier to defeat when you are alone.

1 Peter 5:8 “Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.”

And the lion always seems to try and segregate sheep from the fold.

And we know this is obvious.

In fact, the ultimate punishment that a church
Can inflict upon a sinning brother is what?

Remove them from fellowship.
Matthew 18 says, “let them be to you as a Gentile or a tax collector”
1 Corinthians says, “do not even eat with such a one”

The ultimate punishment the church
Can inflict is to remove a person from fellowship.

WHAT GOOD DOES THAT DO?

Well, listen to how Paul phrases the disfellowshipping of a person.

1 Timothy 1:20 “Among these are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan, so that they will be taught not to blaspheme.”

1 Corinthians 5:5 “I have decided to deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of his flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.”

There is a protection to being in the fellowship,
But being removed makes you vulnerable to the affliction of the enemy.

And that is also why Satan loves to separate us from fellowship.

Do you remember the children’s song that used to be taught?
“Excuses, excuses, you hear them every day,
The devil will supply them, from church you’ll stay away”

He loves to stop the fellowship.
He loves to get you on your own.
He loves to keep you from encouraging others.
And that is why he tries to stop it.

And he did Paul in more places than this:
Romans 1:13 “I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that often I have planned to come to you (and have been prevented so far) so that I may obtain some fruit among you also, even as among the rest of the Gentiles.”
You see what Satan is up to.

That is yet another indicator as to how badly we need it.

Perhaps the greatest passage on the necessity of fellowship is:
Hebrews 10:24-25 “and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.”

We need to encourage each other,
But it is awfully hard to do if you don’t go to church.

Later the writer makes a similar statement.
Hebrews 12:15 “See to it that no one comes short of the grace of God; that no root of bitterness springing up causes trouble, and by it many be defiled;”

It’s all about encouragement.
And fellowship is necessary if you are to give it.

And that is why Satan loves to hinder the church’s fellowship.

And it grieves me.
We are lucky if people will give us 2 ½ hours on Sunday morning.
Anything more just requires too much time.

“I’ve got to go to Lubbock”
“I’ve got to get ready for work”
“I’ve got this project to finish”

It is sad, because it indicates Satan succeeding
In stifling the fellowship of the church.

We all know church attendance won’t get anyone to heaven.
We are not saved by such works.

But friend skipping church
Is one of the most selfish things you can do.
It doesn’t just affect you.

Sure you need it.
You need the time of praise.
You need the time of prayers.
You need the time of Bible study.

But other people need to see you.
They need your hugs
They need your smiles
They need your encouragement.
And it is awfully hard to give it when you skip the fellowship.

It is important.
And that is why Satan fights it.

Fellowship:
It is Desired in our spirit
It is Limited by our mission
It is Opposed by Satan
#4 IT IS ENJOYED FOR ETERNITY
1 Thessalonians 2:19-20

Fellowship is important
And ought to be enjoyed every time we get the chance.

But as we already noted there are times when it is not possible.

Sometimes because our mission separates us.
Sometimes because the devil hinders us.

And so while we desire fellowship,
And we strive to make it a reality whenever possible,
We know that in this life we may never fully enjoy it.

But we will in heaven.

And Paul wanted to remind the Thessalonians of this truth as well.

Right now we are separated for reasons beyond our control,
But there is coming a day when we will fellowship.

“For who is our hope or joy or crown of exultation? Is it not even you, in the presence of our Lord Jesus at His coming? For you are our glory and joy.”

Some see it is as strange that Paul would not say
That Jesus was his hope and joy and crown.

They see it as strange that Paul would indicate the Thessalonians
As his “glory and joy”

But it’s not strange when you understand
The context of where Paul said it.

Paul wants the Thessalonians
To know that he has no lack of devotion to them.

He loves them, and just as he longs to be with Christ,
He longs to be with them as well.
And on the day when Christ returns,
The Thessalonians will be a source of glory and joy for him.

In one sense because they are a sort of fruit of his labor.

Similar to the Corinthians.
2 Corinthians 3:1-3 “Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, as some, letters of commendation to you or from you? You are our letter, written in our hearts, known and read by all men; being manifested that you are a letter of Christ, cared for by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.”

Just like the Corinthians, the Thessalonians are a sort of resume for Paul.
And in glory, they will be credentials to the effectiveness of his labor.

But beyond that, they are also a source of joy.

I certainly don’t want to diminish that Christ is the main attraction of heaven, or to take away from the worship that will occur there.

But even now we know that fellowship makes worship even sweeter.

And this won’t be lost in heaven.

Only in heaven there will be no devil to hinder it.
In heaven there will be no mission to delay it.

And this is the final encouragement that Paul gives.

“I know we are separated, and that is not my desire. I desire to be with you, but circumstances and the devil have prevented that. But don’t for a second assume that it indicates a lack of love on my part. In fact I long for eternity where we can fellowship forever.”

HOW ENCOURAGING IS THAT!

It feels good to know other believers
Long for your company and desire your fellowship.
Be sure and give that encouragement to someone else as well.

Be faithful in fellowship.
Attend church.
Spend time with your brothers and sisters in Christ.

Use that time to let iron sharpen iron

And even when that fellowship is not possible,
Then look forward to glory where the fellowship will never end.

Psalms 133 “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is For brothers to dwell together in unity! It is like the precious oil upon the head, Coming down upon the beard, Even Aaron’s beard, Coming down upon the edge of his robes. It is like the dew of Hermon Coming down upon the mountains of Zion; For there the LORD commanded the blessing — life forever.”

Opposition, And What it Says About You
1 Thessalonians 2:13-20

As you know we are presently studying this wonderful letter
That Paul wrote to the Thessalonians.

It is a letter dripping with encouragement.
The Thessalonians had encouraged Paul through their obedience,
And now Paul writes to encourage them to continue.

And so we have not only seen some truths about accurate Biblical living,
But have also learned quite a bit about encouragement.

• Encouragement Begins with Holy Lives
• We encourage doubters by reminding them why they believe. (mother)
• We encourage those who have stopped, they have a job to do. (father)

And all of these are tremendous elements of Christian encouragement,
And elements that we seek to practice toward others on a daily basis.

TONIGHT WE LEARN ANOTHER ONE.

Tonight we learn about opposition and what it says about you.

And we even gain the unique privilege
Of seeing this from two very different perspectives.

What opposition says about you When you are the one who faces it.

What opposition says about you When you are the one who gives it.

And then we get to see the encouragement that Paul has in the midst of it.

Let’s get started as we look at the first of two points.
#1 TO THOSE WHO RECEIVE OPPOSITION
1 Thessalonians 2:13-14

Now I do have to tell you from the outset, that when we are talking about opposition, we do have to set a parameter, or a foundation point.

HERE IT IS.
The opposition we are speaking of is opposition to the truth of God.

Obviously not all opposition is wrong.
Jesus was opposed to the Pharisees.
We are called to be opposed to wickedness.

So it is not that opposition is a bad thing, in and of itself.

But here we are talking about opposition to the truth.
So we are looking at opposition in a negative sense.

And first of all those who receive it.

So we are dealing with people who are believing the truth,
Obeying the truth, and proclaiming the truth,
But who are facing opposition for their stance.

And this was obviously the Thessalonians.
“For this reason we also constantly thank God that when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but for what it really is, the word of God, which also performs its work in you who believe. For you, brethren, became imitators of the churches of God in Christ Jesus that are in Judea, for you also endured the same sufferings at the hands of your own countrymen, even as they did from the Jews,”

Now through a surface reading of that text, two things are very clear.

The Thessalonians had accepted the truth of Christ,
And they were facing opposition because of it.

HAVE YOU EVER BEEN THERE?
I truly hope so.

Not because I long for you to face opposition,
But because Scripture is clear that opposition is the natural consequence
Of one who truly accepts the truth.

We just studied the beatitudes in Matthew.
Matthew 5:10-12 “Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. “Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

Opposition is so definite in the life of the righteous,
That Jesus included it among the list of attributes of a righteous person.

Not only is a righteous person, poor in spirit, mourning over sin, meek, hungering for righteousness, merciful, pure in heart, and a peacemaker.
But if a man is all those things, then you can bet he is also persecuted.

Scripture is clear, you don’t get righteousness apart from opposition.
And so opposition is the clearest of indicators
That you are living like Christ.

2 Timothy 3:12 “Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.”

Listen to what Paul says to the Philippians.
Philippians 1:27-28 “Only conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or remain absent, I will hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel; in no way alarmed by your opponents — which is a sign of destruction for them, but of salvation for you, and that too, from God.”

Listen to what Paul says to the Corinthians.
1 Corinthians 11:18-19 “For, in the first place, when you come together as a church, I hear that divisions exist among you; and in part I believe it. For there must also be factions among you, so that those who are approved may become evident among you.”

It is clear that opposition is a tremendous indicator of God at work.

And so, while I do not wish hardship on you,
I do sincerely hope that you have faced opposition for your faith,
For those who have never faced opposition
Have much more explaining to do than those who have.

But if you have faced opposition,
Then you can identify at least to some degree with the Thessalonians.

Facing opposition is not fun, and it can even rattle you a little.

This is a little different than the suffering
We spoke of the last couple of weeks.
Sometimes suffering can cause us to doubt God, or God’s work in our lives, and for that we need others to remind us why we believe.

This is different.
This is opposition to our ministry.
And this doesn’t make us doubt God
So much as this makes us doubt ourselves.

When you step out and try to serve God to the best of your ability
And someone tells you how wrong you are for it,
It can really throw you into a tail spin.

You will sit up wrestling with questions like:
Am I really serving God like I thought?
Am I doing this wrong?
Do I really know what it means to serve Jesus at all?

And while I am always a fan of self-evaluation,
Sometimes our own honest evaluation is taken over by the enemy
Who turns it into blatant false accusation.

And before you know it, the opposition that should confirm you
Actually causes you to condemn yourself.
This is why Scripture speaks so much to the concept of suffering,
Continually reassuring those who are persecuted
That this is indeed a good thing.

1 Peter 4:12-13 “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you; but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that also at the revelation of His glory you may rejoice with exultation.”

1 John 3:13-14 “Do not be surprised, brethren, if the world hates you. We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love abides in death.”

It is why Jesus continually forewarned His disciples.
John 16:1-4 “These things I have spoken to you so that you may be kept from stumbling. “They will make you outcasts from the synagogue, but an hour is coming for everyone who kills you to think that he is offering service to God. “These things they will do because they have not known the Father or Me. “But these things I have spoken to you, so that when their hour comes, you may remember that I told you of them. These things I did not say to you at the beginning, because I was with you.”

All of these writers were saying the same thing.
DO NOT BE SURPRISED

They knew that the first time you or I stepped out in obedience to Christ
And faced opposition for it, that we would question if we did it wrong.

Did I do something wrong, why do they all hate me?
Did I fail to show the love of Christ, why are they so angry?
Is Christ even in me at all?

Unlike general suffering,
Opposition does not makes us question God,
It makes us question ourselves.

It is at this point we desperately need input from another source.
We need someone else, who has also seen our lives,
Who can step in and encourage us that we are on the right path.

That is precisely what Paul does here for the Thessalonians.

He actually reminds the Thessalonians
About four tremendous credentials that he sees at work in their life.

And by the way, the fact that Paul lists specifics
Indicates to us that our encouragement
Must also include Biblical specifics.

When a person is truly beaten down by opposition,
They don’t just need you to say, “I think they are wrong.”

They need you to show them,
Why you see the evidence of Christ in their lives.

That is what Paul does here.
Let’s look at them.
1) ACCEPTANCE OF THE WORD (13a)
“For this reason we also continually thank God that when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but for what it really is, the word of God,”

Here we have a group of believers, who because of the opposition,
May have even been questioning if they knew Christ at all.

And Paul here reminds them of what he saw when he came.

I saw a group of people who “received the word of God”.
And you didn’t accept it “as the word of men, but for what it really is, the word of God,”

It’s as if Paul is saying, “I’ve preached in a lot of places, and not only do I know what it looks like when people reject God’s word, but I also know what it looks like when people are just polite accepting what I say out of kindness.”

But that wasn’t you.
You knew these weren’t my words.
You knew I wasn’t speaking from myself.

You believed that I was speaking the word of God.
You believed that God was speaking to you.
And that is why you accepted it.

That is why you turned from those idols.
That is why you faced the initial opposition.

He saw them accept God’s word.

Acceptance of God’s Word
2) SUBMISSION TO GOD’S WORD (13b)
“which also performs its work in you who believe.”

Now you remember that Paul did see their initial response to the gospel,
And he thought it was legitimate.

But you will also recall that after Paul left, even he was concerned about their faith, feeling the need to send Timothy to check on them.

And so, the fact that they accepted God’s word,
Would not be enough by itself.

But that is not all they did.
They also submitted to God’s word,
As evidenced by the fact that it was performing its work in them.

We call this SANCTIFICATION

We saw it in chapter 1
1 Thessalonians 1:8-10 “For the word of the Lord has sounded forth from you, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith toward God has gone forth, so that we have no need to say anything. For they themselves report about us what kind of a reception we had with you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve a living and true God, and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, that is Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath to come.”

And because God’s word was at work in them,
Paul knew that their acceptance of that word was legitimate.

That is why in chapter 1, and here in verse 13, Paul said
“we also constantly thank God”

Based upon their obedience, Paul was convinced
That God had truly saved these Thessalonians.
Which also indicates that these Thessalonians did truly accept His word.

We don’t know what all their opponents were accusing them of,
But Paul writes to make sure they know that when he saw them,
He saw people who really did accept God’s word,
And who really did submit their lives to it.

Acceptance of God’s Word Submission to God’s Word
3) DEVOTION TO PLEASING GOD (14a)
“For you, brethren, became imitators of the churches of God in Christ Jesus that are in Judea,”

What a great statement.

We are not the first church who ever read about
The church in the book of Acts and thought it best to copy them.

Remember what we read about them?
Acts 2:41-47 “So then, those who had received his word were baptized; and that day there were added about three thousand souls. They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone kept feeling a sense of awe; and many wonders and signs were taking place through the apostles. And all those who had believed were together and had all things in common; and they began selling their property and possessions and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need. Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved.”
We read about that church and say,
We need to be a church more like them.
Well, the Thessalonians did the same thing.

They didn’t have a New Testament.
How to do church was a new and foreign thing.

All they had to go on was the reports of Paul, Silas, and Timothy,
As to what that church looked like.

And this church determined that they were going to do church like them.

In short, they had a desire to do it right and to please God.

This may indeed be a vanishing concept in our churches today.
We see a whole lot of a desire to please self.

What with our multiple services to cater to various musical preferences,
And our trendy sermons meant to amuse without lasting too long.

But the Thessalonians didn’t operate like that.
They wanted to please God,
And so they set out to copy the only pattern they had.

And based upon that devotion Paul says, “I don’t know what they are accusing you of, but let me tell you what I see. I see a church that accepted God’s word, submits to God’s word, and one that desires to please God.”

4) ENDURANCE THROUGH SUFFERING (14b)
“for you also endured the same sufferings at the hands of your own countrymen, even as they did from the Jews.”

And here Paul makes it full circle.
See, your opposition is not some strange thing.
See, your opposition does not indicate that you are wrong.

Your opposition indicates that you are doing it right.
For you are only receiving what other true believers are receiving.

Your opposition is not a mark against you,
It is a jewel in your crown!

And the fact that you endure through that opposition
Is a great indicator that you really do want to serve God.

Who among us, if suffering opposition for their obedience,
Wouldn’t want to hear encouragement like that?

“Hey I know you, and I know you accepted Christ, it is evident in the way God’s word has changed you. I also see how badly you want to please Christ, so don’t let this opposition get you down, that just means you are doing it right.”

That is tremendous encouragement.

And that is what Jesus meant!
Matthew 5:10-12 “Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. “Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

1 Peter 3:14 “But even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed. AND DO NOT FEAR THEIR INTIMIDATION, AND DO NOT BE TROUBLED,”

That is great encouragement,
And it is important that we give it to our fellow brothers and sisters.

The fact is:
If you are suffering, be prepared to stand alone,
But live so as to make sure that no one else has to.

Encourage them, not with sympathetic words of what you think,
But with evidence of biblical fruit that you see in their lives.

And so first we see what opposition says about those who receive it.
It is a great indicator of Christ-likeness and obedience,
Make sure you encourage those who are opposed.

But there is a flip side to this concept of opposition.

To those who receive it.
#2 TO THOSE WHO GIVE IT
1 Thessalonians 2:15-16

Now, we won’t spend nearly as much time on this portion of the text,
Except to reveal why Paul knew they weren’t accurate.

This person, stood up and opposed you for reasons of their own,
Not only did Paul want to show you why you were right,
But he also seeks to show why they are wrong.

This is a double side of encouragement.
And so lets examine those who oppose the truth.

1) REJECTION OF GOD’S WORD (15a)
“who both killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and drove us out.”
We know it was the Jews who were giving the opposition,
And that makes it sting a little worse.

When a religious person who claims to love God
Tells you that you are wrong, it really can hurt a little worse.

Paul says, not to read too much into their attacks,
For they have always hated God’s word.

• They silenced those who spoke God’s Word.
• They killed the incarnate word.
• And it was even them who ran us out of Thessalonica.

Don’t be surprise that they oppose you,
Instead you should be concerned if they didn’t.

If men who would kill Jesus have no problem with you,
Then there is a problem with you.

So Paul says don’t mind them, they always reject God’s Word.
2) HOSTILITY TOWARDS EVERYTHING (15b)
“They are not pleasing to God, but hostile to all men,”

Remember what Jesus said to His disciples?
John 16:1-5 “These things I have spoken to you so that you may be kept from stumbling. “They will make you outcasts from the synagogue, but an hour is coming for everyone who kills you to think that he is offering service to God. “These things they will do because they have not known the Father or Me.”

They think that by persecuting you, they are pleasing God.
They may even tell you that it is because of God that they oppose you.

Paul says, don’t listen to them.
“They are not pleasing to God”

They are “hostile to all men”; they are just unhappy individuals.

And Paul should know, he used to be their leader.

They think they are right to do what they do, you just know that they aren’t.

3) OPPOSITION TO SALVATION (16a)
“hindering us from speaking to the Gentiles so that they may be saved;”

And Paul says, you ought to know what type of people they are,
When you see that they don’t care about the salvation of the lost.

They would just as soon that people go to hell.

They hate the truth, and in reality they hate other people,
Otherwise they would love what you are doing
In trying to lead others to Christ.

But the fact that they oppose you, should be all the evidence you need.

4) STUBBORNNESS IN SIN (16b)
“with the result that they always fill up the measure of their sins.”

This simply means that they continue without recourse.

The Jews weren’t happy until Jesus was dead.
• It wasn’t enough to simply reject Him, they had to kill Him.
• It wasn’t enough to ignore the prophets, they had to kill them.
• It wasn’t enough to ignore Paul, they had to run him out of town.

This explains their opposition.
They are not complacent people, they are wicked people.

A complacent person would ignore you, and that is bad enough,
But these people are full-blown wicked,
And so they can’t stop until they stop you.

And by the way, they won’t stop until they stop you.

Even Jesus said:
Matthew 10:21-23 “Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death. “You will be hated by all because of My name, but it is the one who has endured to the end who will be saved. “But whenever they persecute you in one city, flee to the next; for truly I say to you, you will not finish going through the cities of Israel until the Son of Man comes.”

They are just people committed to their sin,
And their sin requires that they oppose you even to the death.

And again you can hear Paul saying, “Don’t sweat them, or what they say, they are just angry people who love their sin.”

5) JUDGMENT FROM GOD (16c)
“But wrath has come upon them to the utmost.”

And please notice, Paul DID NOT say “Wrath will come on them”.
Paul said, “wrath has come upon them to the utmost.”

They are already under judgment.

With Israel we know that they have been broken off.
Romans 11:7-10 “What then? What Israel is seeking, it has not obtained, but those who were chosen obtained it, and the rest were hardened; just as it is written, “GOD GAVE THEM A SPIRIT OF STUPOR, EYES TO SEE NOT AND EARS TO HEAR NOT, DOWN TO THIS VERY DAY.” And David says, “LET THEIR TABLE BECOME A SNARE AND A TRAP, AND A STUMBLING BLOCK AND A RETRIBUTION TO THEM. “LET THEIR EYES BE DARKENED TO SEE NOT, AND BEND THEIR BACKS FOREVER.”

Israel was already under judgment.
They couldn’t see the truth, and there is no greater judgment than that.

And that is true for many who oppose the truth today.
They do so because they have hardened their heart
So that they refuse to see, and the only recourse now is to oppose it.

It is a sad reality, but a reality none the less.

And here Paul is encouraging the Thessalonians
Not to be too concerned about their opposition.

What does the opposition to the truth say about those who receive it?
It says that you must actually look like Christ.

What does the opposition to the truth say about those who give it?
It says that you are deceived and in great danger before God.

And Paul writes to encourage the Thessalonians with these facts.

 

 

And so we learn another important aspect
Of Christian encouragement.

When you see a brother or sister attacked for his or her faith,
Don’t just assume they are strong and will handle it fine.

Satan loves to play mind games of self-doubt and disillusionment.

• You make sure and help them see what you see in them.
• You be sure to help them see their biblical fruit.
• You be sure to help them see the biblical perspective to persecution.
• You be sure to help them see why they are hated.

It is vital encouragement to keep a brother or sister
Standing strong in the midst of opposition.

1 Thessalonians 5:11 “Therefore encourage one another and build up one another, just as you also are doing.”

Remembering Why You Believe – part 2
1 Thessalonians 2:9-12

As you know the letter of 1 Thessalonians is all about encouragement.
Paul is encouraging the church that so greatly encouraged him.

Their obedience encouraged Paul.
1 Thessalonians 3:8 “for now we really live, if you stand firm in the Lord.”

And in turn Paul writes this letter to encourage them.
1 Thessalonians 4:1-2 “Finally then, brethren, we request and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us instruction as to how you ought to walk and please God (just as you actually do walk), that you excel still more. For you know what commandments we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus.”

And as we said last Sunday night, encouragement is vitally important.
Anyone who has ever faced hardship or difficulty, or suffering, or persecution knows the value of encouragement.

You simply cannot overstate the significance of a brother or sister Who comes to you in the midst of your hardship,
And reminds you of the truth, and encourages you to fulfill it.

Those types of people are absolutely invaluable.

For, as we said last week, suffering can be a great discourager
In our walk with the Lord.

(WE TALKED ABOUT JOHN THE BAPTIST)
But I would also tell you that John is not an isolated incident.

Let me remind you of a few other pillars of the faith
Who also fought bouts of discouragement.

Remember this fellow?

One day:
1 Kings 18:21 “Elijah came near to all the people and said, “How long will you hesitate between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him.” But the people did not answer him a word.”

Just a few days later:
1 Kings 19:4 “But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree; and he requested for himself that he might die, and said, “It is enough; now, O LORD, take my life, for I am not better than my fathers.”

1 Kings 19:9-10 “Then he came there to a cave and lodged there; and behold, the word of the LORD came to him, and He said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” He said, “I have been very zealous for the LORD, the God of hosts; for the sons of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars and killed Your prophets with the sword. And I alone am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.”

And of course you remember from our study of this text,
That similar to John the Baptist, Elijah was thrown a curve ball.

He didn’t get what he “expected”, and it derailed him
And caused him to doubt everything he believed.

To which God encouraged Elijah.
1 Kings 19:15-18 “The LORD said to him, “Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus, and when you have arrived, you shall anoint Hazael king over Aram; and Jehu the son of Nimshi you shall anoint king over Israel; and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah you shall anoint as prophet in your place. “It shall come about, the one who escapes from the sword of Hazael, Jehu shall put to death, and the one who escapes from the sword of Jehu, Elisha shall put to death. “Yet I will leave 7,000 in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal and every mouth that has not kissed him.”

Perhaps you remember Jeremiah and his doubt against God.
Jeremiah 15:18 “Why has my pain been perpetual And my wound incurable, refusing to be healed? Will You indeed be to me like a deceptive stream With water that is unreliable?”

Maybe you remember Asaph as he saw the wealth of the wicked.
Psalms 73:12-14 “Behold, these are the wicked; And always at ease, they have increased in wealth. Surely in vain I have kept my heart pure And washed my hands in innocence; For I have been stricken all day long And chastened every morning.”

The point is even the strongest of the strong can be blindsided by adversity and need encouragement to keep them going.

(And we likened that encouragement to giving them Jesus all over again)

And although we have no record of the Thessalonians doubting God
Paul knows that based upon their trials it is a real possibility.

So he writes to encourage them to push on even in the face of opposition.

Now when you read this text at first glance
It appears to be a simple defense of Paul’s ministry.

And it is a defense of his ministry.
But Paul is not defending his ministry
Simply because he hates for people to speak evil about him.

Paul knows if he is discredited, so is his message.
If his message is discredited, so is their faith.

That is why Paul doesn’t write to his accusers to defend himself.
Paul writes to the Thessalonians because he wants to encourage them
As to why they can know what they believe is the truth.

And so while it appears to be a defense of himself,
It is really better seen as a confirmation to the Thessalonians
That what they initially believed was right.

Last week we saw the first five characteristics of Paul’s ministry.
1) Courage (1-2)
2) Conviction (3-4)
3) Contentment (5-6)
4) Compassion (7)
5) Consistency (8)

And in all of those statements Paul revealed things
That he DID NOT do, or would not do.

For example.
He didn’t come for his own enjoyment.
He didn’t come telling lies or made up stories.
He didn’t come seeking money or glory or even sex.
He didn’t come bullying or brow beating people.
He didn’t come in arrogance, but practiced what he preached.

These last three work in opposite fashion.
They reveal how Paul DID act among them.

Just as there are some attributes that should not be a part of a true ministry, there are some attributes that must be a part.

Courage, Conviction, Contentment, Compassion, Consistency
#6 COMMITMENT
1 Thessalonians 2:9

And here again we get Paul’s statement of reminder. “For you recall”

(and indeed he will remind them like this two more times)

“For you recall, brethren, our labor and hardship, how working night and day so as not to be a burden to any of you, we proclaimed to you the gospel of God.”

And obviously that is a tremendous statement of commitment.

Paul was absolutely committed to preaching the gospel to them.

And it didn’t matter if he had no support,
He would simply work at night and preach during the day,
Or work during the day and preach at night.

But nothing was going to stand in Paul’s way
Of preaching the gospel to these people.
And what a great way to be remembered!

When the Thessalonians thought about what mattered most to Paul, they would remember, “Paul wanted us to hear the gospel”.

1 Corinthians 9:16-18“For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for I am under compulsion; for woe is me if I do not preach the gospel. For if I do this voluntarily, I have a reward; but if against my will, I have a stewardship entrusted to me. What then is my reward? That, when I preach the gospel, I may offer the gospel without charge, so as not to make full use of my right in the gospel.”

Paul was committed.
You might say he had tunnel vision.

So Paul says, you know I am real, you know I was committed when I came

Courage, Conviction, Contentment, Compassion, Consistency, Commitment
#7 CONSECRATION
1 Thessalonians 2:10

And here again we a statement of reminder.
“You are witnesses”

Paul was not asking them to take his word for anything,
He was just simply reminding them of what they saw.

“and so is God”
And even if the Thessalonians doubted what they saw,
Paul took comfort in the fact that before God he had a clean conscience.

Paul was saying, “You know what the truth is”
“how devoutly and uprightly and blamelessly we behaved toward you believers.”

There you will notice that Paul uses three words
To describe the way in which he behaved toward the Thessalonians.

“devoutly” translates HOSIOS (piously)
“uprightly” translates DIKAIOS (righteously)
“blamelessly” translates AMEMPTOS (without blame)

Paul was not giving three separate descriptions,
But one description enforced with three synonyms

When we lived among you
We were pious, we were righteous, we were without blame.

Paul asks the Thessalonians to jog their memory and see
If they can find anything corrupt or carnal about the way Paul lived.

There was not, he was wholly consecrated to the Lord
As a holy example of how to live.

And again we cannot stress how important this is.

When Jesus sent out the twelve He said:
Matthew 10:16 “Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents and innocent as doves.”

And the point is “Don’t give the devil a stick to beat you with.”

Now he is more than willing to lie in order to condemn you,
But make sure he has to lie to do it.

If you or I live in a carnal or sinful way,
It only gives the enemy all the evidence he needs to discredit us.

(The Smokescreen or The Magnifying Glass)
I mean just ask yourself,
Which type of news spreads fastest; good or bad?

Paul knew it so he walked in purity.
And he uses that purity to remind the Thessalonians that he was real.

Courage, Conviction, Contentment, Compassion, Consistency, Commitment
Consecration
#8 COACHING
1 Thessalonians 2:11-12

And this is where the whole point of the first twelve verses
Really comes to fruition.

One more time gives that reminder phrase.
“just as you know”

“how we were exhorting and encouraging and imploring each one of you as a father would his own children,”

Earlier Paul said we were gentle as a mother,
Now he uses the illustration of a father.

We all know why we love our mothers.
She is gentle, she coddles us, she pampers us, she kisses it when it hurts.

Dad however is a whole different story.
His message is “Get up, shake it off, dry it up, be tough”

AND TRUE CHRISTIAN ENCOURAGEMENT ENCOMPASSES BOTH.

Let me give you an example of this.
In Sunday school recently we saw where John Mark
Deserted Paul and Barnabas on their first missionary journey.

Acts 13:13 “Now Paul and his companions put out to sea from Paphos and came to Perga in Pamphylia; but John left them and returned to Jerusalem.”

Later when it came time for the next missionary journey
We have a problem.

Acts 15:36-40 “After some days Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us return and visit the brethren in every city in which we proclaimed the word of the Lord, and see how they are.” Barnabas wanted to take John, called Mark, along with them also. But Paul kept insisting that they should not take him along who had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not gone with them to the work. And there occurred such a sharp disagreement that they separated from one another, and Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed away to Cyprus. But Paul chose Silas and left, being committed by the brethren to the grace of the Lord.”

There you have Barnabas as gentle as a mother.
There you have Paul as stern as a father.

BOTH were needed encouragement in Mark’s life.
He needed to feel compassion and forgiveness,
But he also needed to know that his prior decision was unacceptable.

And together Paul and Barnabas would encourage Mark
In how to rightly live the Christian life.

So much so that at the end of his life, Paul wrote:
2 Timothy 4:11 “Only Luke is with me. Pick up Mark and bring him with you, for he is useful to me for service.”

Sometimes the sternness of a father is necessary.

We did more than just coddle you and goo over you.
We also pushed you to be more than you presently were.

“we were exhorting and encouraging and imploring each one of you.”

“exhorting” translates PARAKALEO – to come along side to encourage.

It is also translated “imploring” in other passages.
The Holy Spirit is the PARAKLETE

“encouraging” translates PARAMUTHEOMAI – to come along side to comfort.

“imploring” translates MARTUROMAI – to summon as a witness

It is where we get our word for martyr.
It is a living witness for Christ.
And Paul said this is the goal we had for you.

We stood beside you and cheered you on.
We stood beside you and encouraged you.
And all the while we kept before you the ultimate goal of Christlikeness.

That is what a coach does.
He verbally encourages, he reprimands, he even comforts,
And all with an eye to the prize.

WHY DID PAUL COME LIKE THAT?

WHAY WAS PAUL Courageous, Convicted, Content, Compassionate, Consistent, Committed, Consecrated, and Coaching?

WHY DID HE DO ALL THOSE THINGS?

(12) “so that you would walk in a manner worthy of the God who calls you inot His own kingdom and glory.”

And now all of a sudden it makes sense.

Yes Paul was defending his own ministry,
But not just because he wanted to save face.

Paul knew that the attacks weren’t really meant to hurt him.
The attacks were meant to hurt the Thessalonians.

Those persecutors were trying to discredit Paul
So that they could get the Thessalonian believers to stop believing
And return to their former life of sin.

This was really an attack on their faith.

When Paul writes defending himself,
He does so, so that they will remember why they believed
And stand strong despite the opposition.
And ultimately achieve the goal that Paul still has for them.

Which is that they “would walk in a manner worthy of the God who calls you into His own kingdom and glory.”

CAN WE SUM UP THE CHRISTIAN GOAL ANY CLEARER?

First we notice that God has “His own kingdom and glory”

It is not ours, it is His.
“For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen”
It is His kingdom. It is His glory.
Yet, God has called us into it.

We were invited.
We were called.
We were drawn.

We are like guests at a banquet.

And Paul says, since you have been invited to God’s banquet
i know that it is important that you “walk in a manner worthy of the God who calls you”

In other words, you are invited guest so act in a proper manner.

Psalms 96:9 “Worship the LORD in holy attire; Tremble before Him, all the earth.”

Walk in holiness when you claim to serve God.

This is God’s intention.
Ephesians 2:8-10 “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.”

Titus 2:11-14 “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds.”

God’s desire is that we would walk blameless before Him.

And this is why Paul writes.

There are those in your midst who would undermine my ministry,
Solely so that they can turn you from the faith
And lead you back into a lifestyle of idolatry.

But if you do that,
You will be insulting the God who called you into His kingdom.

So before you get deceived.
Take a walk down memory lane, and remember why you believed.
And then remember what God expects from you.

AND STAND STRONG AND FULFILL IT AMIDST THE OPPOSITION.
And yet again
We see an important type of Christian encouragement.

First we said that our obedient lives encourage others.
Those who teach us that their lives are not in vain.
Those who serve with us, to keep going.

Next we said that when brothers or sisters are struggling we remind them why they believe, and encourage them not to stray from the truth.
Here that encouragement reaches a new level.
Where not only do we gently comfort them not to leave the faith,
But remind them even in the midst of those difficulties
That their responsibility is still to please God.
We don’t just give them a pat on the back,
We give them a push.

We help them up, but we also encourage them to keep going.

The goal for a Christian is not just to refrain from denying Christ,
The goal of a Christian is to confess Christ;
To glorify Christ;
To honor Christ;
To walk in a manner worthy of Christ.
And so we encourage each other to “walk in a manner worthy of the God who calls you into His own kingdom and glory.”
As I told you at the beginning of our study.
All Christian encouragement has this goal,
If it does not, then it is not Christian encouragement.
So this week, make a point to encourage another brother
To walk in a manner worthy,
Even if he faces opposition in the race.

It is an important part of Christian encouragement.

1 Thessalonians 5:11 “Therefore encourage one another and build up one another, just as you also are doing.”

Remembering Why You Believe – part 1
1 Thessalonians 2:1-8

If you were with us two weeks ago, you know we began our study
Of this wonderful letter that Paul wrote to the Thessalonians.

And just to make sure our minds are again fresh in regard to this context, let’s review a little.

• As you will see again in a moment, Paul actually traveled to Thessalonica after being persecuted in Philippi.

• He went to the synagogue and started having huge success, not only among Jews, but also among the Greeks.

• However, the Jews became jealous and literally formed a mob to have Paul, Silas, & Timothy arrested.

• However they never found these men, and instead the mob arrested on of the local church members.

• The church then helped Paul and his companions escape to a town called Berea, which is about 50 miles away.

• And as Paul was preaching there, it wasn’t long before some of the angry Thessalonians tracked him down and began causing trouble for him in Berea as well, so that he was forced to flee again.

• This time Paul found himself alone in Athens (and you are familiar with what occurred there).

But always on his heart was this new young church at Thessalonica.
How were they doing?
Did their faith continue?
Had they stood strong?

1 Thessalonians 3:1-2 “Therefore when we could endure it no longer, we thought it best to be left behind at Athens alone, and we sent Timothy, our brother and God’s fellow worker in the gospel of Christ, to strengthen and encourage you as to your faith,”

Paul wanted to make sure that the Thessalonians were standing strong.

However, Timothy never really did have to encourage the Thessalonians,
For in fact they encouraged him.

1 Thessalonians 3:6-8 “But now that Timothy has come to us from you, and has brought us good news of your faith and love, and that you always think kindly of us, longing to see us just as we also long to see you, for this reason, brethren, in all our distress and affliction we were comforted about you through your faith; for now we really live, if you stand firm in the Lord.”

And so it is obvious that this new church
Had served as an encouragement to Paul.

That was what the entire 1st chapter was about.
• Since the Thessalonians stood strong.
• Since their faith was heard about in the whole region.
• Since they served God, loved people, and persevered in hope:

Paul knew that true salvation had occurred
And Paul fell to his knees and thanked God.

1 Thessalonians 1:2-4 “We give thanks to God always for all of you, making mention of you in our prayers; constantly bearing in mind your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the presence of our God and Father, knowing, brethren beloved by God, His choice of you;”

And as we said then, Paul was thankful to God because
Their perseverance in the faith revealed two things.
God really did choose you.
God really did change you.

And that of course meant that God really was using Paul.

It is the greatest encouragement a preacher of the gospel can receive.
3 John 4 “I have no greater joy than this, to hear of my children walking in the truth.”

This is the type of encouragement Paul received from the Thessalonians.

And we said then, that as a believer you should go out and live
In such a way that it encourages other believers to do the same.

Let your lifestyle of obedience be an encouragement,
Not only to those who teach you, but also to those who serve beside you.

And that is one type of encouragement.
THAT WE SAW TWO WEEKS AGO

Tonight we see a second type of encouragement.
It is the type of encouragement that Paul gives to the Thessalonians.

WHY DID THEY NEED IT?

Put yourself in the shoes of the Thessalonians.
• Paul came in, stayed a short while and started a church,
• And then he had to flee.
• You were left behind, with the hot-headed mob.
• And not only do they hate Paul, but now they hate you as well.

And this might have been fine at first, or even for a while,
But when that type of hostility endures it can ware on you.

We all know that suffering and hardship and opposition
Can cause us to question what we thought we once knew.
To give you an illustration:

TURN TO: MATTHEW 11:1-6

You could easily make an argument that no one ever lived
Who was more bold or passionate than John the Baptist,
And yet here even he is in doubt.

Did he forget what God had told him?
Did he forget the dove at the baptism?
Did he forget his specific role from God?

It’s amazing what spending time in prison will do to a man.
And so he needed encouragement from Jesus to see
That his prior convictions were still accurate,
And he simply needed to hold on to what he knew was true.

That is the same type of encouragement Paul is giving here.
No, we have no record that they were in denial,
But certainly Paul knows it is a temptation.

And so Paul writes this letter.

WHAT IS THE POINT OF THIS 2ND CHAPTER?
On one hand, it is a defense of his own ministry.

You have to know that those Jews who ran Paul out of town
Are doing everything they can to undercut and discredit his ministry.

Paul even speaks a little of this opposition later in the chapter.
1 Thessalonians 2:15-16 “who both killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and drove us out. They are not pleasing to God, but hostile to all men, hindering us from speaking to the Gentiles so that they may be saved; with the result that they always fill up the measure of their sins. But wrath has come upon them to the utmost.”

And so we know Paul and the Thessalonians had opposition.
In fact, in our text tonight it is heavily implied
That the Jews were accusing Paul of being:

Wrong about the truth (3)
An impure man seeking sex (3)
Even a flat out liar (3)
Some may have accused him of being in it for the money (5)
Others accused him of being in it for the glory (6)

And so certainly Paul would be defending his own ministry, just as Jesus did to John the Baptist when he said, “the blind receive sight and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them.”

So there is definitely a “defense” element here.
But more so than that this is a passage about encouragement.

Jesus concluded to John by saying,
“and blessed is he who does not take offense at Me.”

It was a form of encouragement for John
To come to his senses and stand strong for Christ.

And that is what Paul is really doing here.
Paul knew that the attacks weren’t just to discredit him
But were intended to destroy the faith of the Thessalonians.

And so by defending his own ministry
He is simultaneously establishing the faith of the Thessalonians.

Just as Jesus called John back to his senses,
So Paul does here with the Thessalonians.

3 times in these 8 verses we see Paul use the phrase “you know”.
That is clearly a statement to help the Thessalonians
See past the difficulty and past the deception
And take hold of what they know to be true.

Paul is saying, “You remember what we taught you, you remember how we lived, you know it was the truth, now stand strong in it.”

It is very similar to the encouragement Paul gave to a struggling Timothy.
2 Timothy 3:14-15 “You, however, continue in the things you have learned and become convinced of, knowing from whom you have learned them, and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.”

That is what Paul is doing here as well, and really even through verse 12,
But we will only make it through verse 8.

But tonight we see the first 5 of eight reminders Paul gives about his ministry,
So that he may encourage the Thessalonians to follow his lead.

#1 OUR COURAGE
1 Thessalonians 2:1-2

There we see our first reference to their memory.
“For you yourselves know, brethren”

This is not new information,
Paul is simply reminding them of what really happened.

WHAT DO THEY KNOW?
“that our coming to you was not in vain,”

Even though it is true that Paul was effective in Thessalonica,
He is not here saying that he had a good showing.

Instead he is reminding the Thessalonians that when he came
It wasn’t just on some sort of sight-seeing tour.

We didn’t just come to be able to say we came.

(2) “but after we had already suffered and been mistreated in Philippi, as you know, we had the boldness in our God to speak to you the gospel of God amid much opposition.”

When we came it wasn’t a token trip, and it wasn’t an easy trip.
We came to you having just been persecuted,
But that didn’t stop us from speaking the truth to you.

We faced persecution and opposition, but still we spoke the truth.

And of course you remember what occurred to them in Philippi.
(Acts 16)
• Paul cast a demon out of a fortune-telling girl.
• They were beaten.
• Publicly humiliated.
• Thrown in jail and chained in the inner cell.
• (But at midnight an earthquake from God set them free)

And after that many preachers
Would have given second thought to their approach.

“On second thought maybe we shouldn’t be so direct.
Maybe we shouldn’t be so confrontational.”

But not Paul, we came to Thessalonica and did the same thing, and
When opposition arose we still didn’t quit.

WHY?
“we had the boldness in our God to speak to you the gospel of God”

2 Timothy 1:7 “For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline.”
The only reason he did it is because
God had given him the boldness to do it.

You see the Spirit of God replaces cowardice with courage.

And by the way, Jesus expects this type of boldness.
Matthew 10:28-33 “Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. “Are not two sparrows sold for a cent? And yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. “But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. “So do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows. “Therefore everyone who confesses Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father who is in heaven. “But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven.”

I know it is hard.
I know it is dangerous.
Confess Me anyway.
PAUL DID

Paul says you can be certain that we were the real deal
Because we had the boldness of God to speak
Even when it wasn’t in our best interest.

Paul said that is what we did, and not only should that prove to you that we are legitimate, but you should follow our example.

Our courage
#2 OUR CONVICTION
1 Thessalonians 2:3-4

It is not hard to imagine that those same Jews
Who succeeded in running Paul out of Thessalonica
Would also be at work to undo all that he accomplished.

And based upon Paul’s defense here,
It is fairly obvious what they said about him.

“For our exhortation does not come from error”
• And so obviously there were those who accused him of being theologically mistaken.

“or impurity”
• This is a term denoting sexual immorality.
• Many of the pagan religions thrived based upon sexual immorality, where having sex with a priest or priestess actually led you closer to God.
• No doubt the Jews accused Paul of being that type of occult leader.

“or by way of deceit”
• Others obviously accused Paul of just being a flat out liar, making up his doctrine to suit his own needs and to gain the approval of men.

Paul sternly refutes all three notions.

“For our exhortation does not come from error or impurity or by way of deceit; but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God who examines our hearts.”

If the Thessalonians would remember clearly,
They would remember Paul’s motives to come and preach to them.
• Paul didn’t preach a “user-friendly” message.
• Paul was no people pleaser.
• Paul was no ear tickler.

It was clear Paul saw himself as a steward of the mysteries of God
And it was God and God alone that Paul wanted to please.

You may remember his statement to the Corinthians.
1 Corinthians 4:1-4 “Let a man regard us in this manner, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. In this case, moreover, it is required of stewards that one be found trustworthy. But to me it is a very small thing that I may be examined by you, or by any human court; in fact, I do not even examine myself. For I am conscious of nothing against myself, yet I am not by this acquitted; but the one who examines me is the Lord.”

It was abundantly clear that Paul could (for all practical purposes)
Care less what people thought.

He wanted to please God, and if the Thessalonians would remember correctly that was obvious in the way he preached.

• People who want to please men don’t tell them to leave their family religion of paganism.
• People who want to please men don’t tell them to lay down all their idols.
• People who want to please men don’t tell them that everything their daddy taught them about religion was wrong.

AND YET PAUL TOLD THEM TO DO ALL THESE THINGS

Point being Paul’s conviction was obvious.
(The Thessalonians had no reason to question Paul’s motives)

And this by the way is the example they should also follow.
Don’t be swayed here and there by every wind of doctrine,
Nor give too much credence to what men think.

Set your heart on pleasing God
And strive to be found faithful to Him at all times.

That is what Paul did and it’s what he challenges the Thessalonians to do.

Our Courage, Our Conviction
#3 OUR CONTENTMENT
1 Thessalonians 2:5-6

And again it is easy to see some of the false reports
That must have been circulating about Paul.

“He’s just a prophet for profit”
And Paul says, you know that wasn’t the case.
“For we never came with flattering speech, as you know, nor with a pretext for greed – God is witness – nor did we seek glory from men, either from you or from others, even though as apostles of Christ we might have asserted our authority.”

We just finished studying 2 Peter and we know that
One of the chief characteristics of false prophets is their greed.

2 Peter 2:13-14 “…They count it a pleasure to revel in the daytime. They are stains and blemishes, reveling in their deceptions, as they carouse with you, having eyes full of adultery that never cease from sin, enticing unstable souls, having a heart trained in greed, accursed children;”

And Paul said you know that wasn’t us.
We didn’t flatter you.
We didn’t ask for money.

And even though we are apostles,
We did not put our authority on display
So that you would be enamored with us.

We didn’t “Throw our weight around” so to speak.

Now, had we come in our festive robes with our apostleship credentials,
Taking up offerings and flattering you just before we passed the plate,
Then you might think we were up to something.

But we didn’t do any of those things.

In fact, Paul would remind them later that they worked for all they got.
1 Thessalonians 2:9 “For you recall, brethren, our labor and hardship, how working night and day so as not to be a burden to any of you, we proclaimed to you the gospel of God.”
Paul was not the type of person
Who did what he did to make a prophet or to get famous.

2 Corinthians 2:17 “For we are not like many, peddling the word of God, but as from sincerity, but as from God, we speak in Christ in the sight of God.”

Their ministry was not only marked by courage and conviction,
But also contentment.

And not only was Paul reinforcing what he taught them,
But he is also encouraging them to follow his example.

1 Timothy 6:9-12 “But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. But flee from these things, you man of God, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance and gentleness. Fight the good fight of faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.”

That is the example Paul gave the Thessalonians.

Our Courage, Our Conviction, Our Contentment
#4 OUR COMPASSION
1 Thessalonians 2:7

You may also remember that false prophets are antagonizing.

2 Peter 2:10 “Daring, self-willed, they do not tremble when they revile angelic majesties,”

False prophets brow beat people and manipulate people.

But Paul said, if you will remember we didn’t do that either.

“But we proved to be gentle among you, as a nursing mother tenderly cares for her own children.”

We didn’t have any huge emotional alter calls.
We didn’t try to use scare tactics.

Paul might even say, “We determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. We were with you in weakness and fear and much trembling, and our preaching was not in persuasive words of wisdom but in demonstration of the spirit and of power. So that your faith would not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.”
We weren’t coming trying to badger you into results.
We were coming simply letting God work through us.
We were gentle.
We were patient.

This was Jesus.
Matthew 12:15-21 “But Jesus, aware of this, withdrew from there. Many followed Him, and He healed them all, and warned them not to tell who He was. This was to fulfill what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet: “BEHOLD, MY SERVANT WHOM I HAVE CHOSEN; MY BELOVED IN WHOM MY SOUL is WELL-PLEASED; I WILL PUT MY SPIRIT UPON HIM, AND HE SHALL PROCLAIM JUSTICE TO THE GENTILES. “HE WILL NOT QUARREL, NOR CRY OUT; NOR WILL ANYONE HEAR HIS VOICE IN THE STREETS. “A BATTERED REED HE WILL NOT BREAK OFF, AND A SMOLDERING WICK HE WILL NOT PUT OUT, UNTIL HE LEADS JUSTICE TO VICTORY.”AND IN HIS NAME THE GENTILES WILL HOPE.”

The truth may indeed be scary to some,
But Paul didn’t intentionally scare them.

He was compassionate, he was gentle.

And there again is not only a proof, but also an example to follow.
Colossians 3:12-14 “So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity.”

Follow our example.

Our Courage, Our Conviction, Our Contentment, Our Compassion
#5 OUR CONSISTENCY
1 Thessalonians 2:8

When Paul came he didn’t just give you the truth, he gave you his life.

“Having so fond and affection for you, we were well-pleased to impart to you not only the gospel of God but also our own lives, because you had become very dear to us.”

We call it consistency in the Christian life.

It is the works that go hand in hand with our message
And give us credibility.

“People don’t care what you know until they know that you care.”

Scripture says it like this:
James 2:14-17 “What use is it, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but he has no works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and be filled,” and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that? Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself.”

If there isn’t a consistency in your life that matches the message Then your message is in vain.

And Paul tells the Thessalonians to stop and ask themselves.
Did Paul practice what he preached?
Did Paul exhibit the love he was promoting?

And if the Thessalonians looked back, they would know that he did.

And this encouragement stands to remind them that
The truth they accepted from Paul was THE truth,
Even if momentary hardship was causing them to question it.

Furthermore they are reminded that the example Paul gave
Is the example they are to follow.

And so Paul sets out to encourage the church
Who so greatly encouraged him.

And with this we learn another aspect of encouragement.

Sometimes (as we saw in chapter 1)
We encourage by living an obedient life
And therefore encouraging those who instruct us,
But also challenging those around us.

Other times we encourage by reminding people
Why they know Christ is real, and the gospel is true.

In those moments of hardship and suffering
We remind them why they believe,
And that sort of encouragement is equivalent
To giving them Christ all over again.

When you remind a discouraged brother why he believes in Christ,
He leaves with a renewed hope and a renewed joy
As though he just found Christ for the first time.

And in our world of disillusionment and chaos,
It is so important to continually remind one another
Why we believe.

And so this week, not only do I encourage you to live an obedient life as a form of encouragement to others.

But also, if you see a down-trodden brother,
Verbally remind him/her why they believe,
And why Jesus is just as good a decision today
As He was on the day they first accepted him.

And through that encouragement help them stay the course.

1 Thessalonians 5:11 “Therefore encourage one another and build up one another, just as you also are doing.”

The Encouraging Church at Thessalonica
1 Thessalonians 1:1-10

Well tonight we begin a new book study.
(A book I’ve never preached through before,
But one I have thoroughly enjoyed studying thus far in preparation)

So let’s begin by taking a COMPREHENSIVE VIEW

If I were to give you an overall theme of the book, it would be:
Being an Encouraging Christian

And while that is not necessarily a complex concept,
I do think we all have things to learn
About being more encouraging in our Christian walk.

It is true that there are many ways to encourage
(Many of which we will see manifested throughout our study)

• Whether it is a word of comfort
• Whether it is a word of exhortation
• Whether it is a word of recognition
• Whether it isn’t even a word at all

We understand that encouragement comes in many forms.

But one thing as Christians that we must remember is that Christian encouragement always comes with a goal in mind.

There is a definite aim to our encouragement.
We are not simply patting people on the back
To make them feel better about themselves,
We are pushing people towards a definite end.

WHAT IS THAT END?
To be like Christ.
To be Sanctified
To be Holy

True biblical encouragement has to be that
Which not only affirms people on the right path,
But also pushes them to be more like Christ every day.

Another word for encouragement is “EXHORT”
It is to heavily encourage a person to move in a certain direction.

And this is very much a call of the Christian life.

2 Timothy 4:2 “preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction.”
Hebrews 10:24 “and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds,”

You ladies that went on the women’s retreat understand this.
Titus 2:3-5 “Older women likewise are to be reverent in their behavior, not malicious gossips nor enslaved to much wine, teaching what is good, so that they may encourage the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be sensible, pure, workers at home, kind, being subject to their own husbands, so that the word of God will not be dishonored.”

And so we know that encouragement is far more than just
An emotional pick-me-up, or even a pat on the back of approval.

Encouragement is an essential tool that one believer uses
To push another believer towards the goal of Christ-likeness.

And so we are aware that encouragement is important.

SO, HOW DO I BECOME AN ENCOURAGING CHRISTIAN?
How do I better exhort others?
How do I better stimulate others to love and good deeds?
How do I better encourage others to be obedient?

That is precisely what we will learn
As we study this book of 1 Thessalonians.
This book is all about encouragement.

Let me give you the background.

TURN TO: ACTS 17:1-15

We learn a little about the town of Thessalonica.
They were not very “noble minded”
They were hot-headed, they were irrational, they were mob-like.

And because of that it was hard to become a Christian in Thessalonica
And it was hard to live as a Christian in Thessalonica.

• And when Paul went there to minister he did so under difficult circumstances.
1 Thessalonians 2:2 “but after we had already suffered and been mistreated in Philippi, as you know, we had the boldness in our God to speak to you the gospel of God amid much opposition.”

• And not only did they minister amid opposition, but those who believed the message did so under opposition.

1 Thessalonians 1:6 “You also became imitators of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much tribulation with the joy of the Holy Spirit,”

And so this was a rough place to minister and a rough place to live.
It even caused Paul and his companions to abruptly leave
This new church of persecuted believers.

And as Paul moved on and continued to suffer persecution, he knew that the same must be occurring for this new church he had left behind.

• This fact caused Paul to try and return to Thessalonica several times to no avail.

1 Thessalonians 2:18 “For we wanted to come to you — I, Paul, more than once — and yet Satan hindered us.”

• And this fact may have only served to heighten Paul’s concern even more.

You can imagine what Paul must have been thinking.
Did they still stand strong?
Had their faith overcome?
Was Satan able to devour them?

• And these types of questions obviously led Paul to a decision.
1 Thessalonians 3:1-5 “Therefore when we could endure it no longer, we thought it best to be left behind at Athens alone, and we sent Timothy, our brother and God’s fellow worker in the gospel of Christ, to strengthen and encourage you as to your faith, so that no one would be disturbed by these afflictions; for you yourselves know that we have been destined for this. For indeed when we were with you, we kept telling you in advance that we were going to suffer affliction; and so it came to pass, as you know. For this reason, when I could endure it no longer, I also sent to find out about your faith, for fear that the tempter might have tempted you, and our labor would be in vain.”

Paul was afraid of what might have happened to this young church
And so he sent Timothy to find out.

• But when Timothy returned to Paul, it was evident that Timothy had not encouraged the Thessalonians, they had encouraged Timothy.

1 Thessalonians 3:6-8 “But now that Timothy has come to us from you, and has brought us good news of your faith and love, and that you always think kindly of us, longing to see us just as we also long to see you, for this reason, brethren, in all our distress and affliction we were comforted about you through your faith; for now we really live, if you stand firm in the Lord.”

It wasn’t what they said, it was how they lived.
When Paul received word that the Thessalonian church stood strong
He was encouraged.

It sort of reminds of what John the apostle said:
3 John 4 “I have no greater joy than this, to hear of my children walking in the truth.”

This was Paul’s joy.

The Thessalonians had encouraged him.
And now, he writes this letter to return the favor.

He writes to encourage those who encouraged him.

And his encouragement is easy to spot.

Paul spends some time in review in this letter.
That is especially evident in chapter 2.

(7 times he makes reference to things they already know)
(2:1) “you yourselves know”
(2:2) “as you know”
(2:5) “as you know”
(2:9) “for you recall”
(2:10) “You are witnesses”
(2:11) “just as you know”
(3:3) “you yourselves know”

Paul spends a great deal of time reminding them
Of the things he taught them when he was there.
And not only what he taught, but how he lived among them.

And the concept is to remind them to imitate him as he imitates Christ.
It is a soft encouragement
To remember how to walk and to continue to do it.

And then he takes that encouragement even to a higher level
As we see at the end of chapter 3 and in chapter 4.

1 Thessalonians 3:11-12 “Now may our God and Father Himself and Jesus our Lord direct our way to you; and may the Lord cause you to increase and abound in love for one another, and for all people, just as we also do for you;”

1 Thessalonians 4:1 “Finally then, brethren, we request and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us instruction as to how you ought to walk and please God (just as you actually do walk), that you excel still more.”

1 Thessalonians 4:9-10 “Now as to the love of the brethren, you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another; for indeed you do practice it toward all the brethren who are in all Macedonia. But we urge you, brethren, to excel still more,”

Paul’s encouragement is far more than “You are doing great!”
Paul’s encouragement is “You are doing great, now do even better!”

He wants them to go all the way to be like Christ.

But even then his encouragement is not finished.
We also see that “Consolation” type of encouragement.

As I said the Thessalonians were persecuted,
And so it is possible that even some were martyred,
And if not they certainly faced the threat of martyrdom.

And this concern would weigh heavy on their minds
So Paul sought to defuse that fear
By giving the truth about those who are dead in Christ.

1 Thessalonians 4:13 “But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope.”

And Paul then closes the letter
By encouraging them to continue encouraging each other.

1 Thessalonians 5:11 “Therefore encourage one another and build up one another, just as you also are doing.”

And so it is obvious that throughout this study
We will learn how to be an encouraging Christian.

And tonight we begin our study with the first chapter of this great letter.

(1:1) “Paul and Silvanus and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace.”

At one point in Paul’s life it is clear that he was concerned
Whether or not there was even a church left to write a letter to,
But they had endured and now Paul writes to encourage them.

As we study this first chapter it opens in a VERY OPTIMISTIC way.

(2) “We give thanks to God always for all of you”

And there we understand that when a church begins
And when a church remains, all credit and thanksgivings go to God.

God is the author of salvation, God is the sustainer of our faith,
So while Paul is encouraged by the Thessalonians, he is grateful to God.

And in this first chapter we see two main reasons why Paul is grateful to God.
#1 GOD CHOSE YOU
1 Thessalonians 1:1-5

When you read those first 5 verses we see that
There are actually numerous reasons why Paul is thankful.

As he looks at the faith or the love or the hope of the Thessalonians
All of these are reasons why Paul is grateful.
But in reality all of those are a byproduct of something else.
Those things exist because God chose them,
And that is the point Paul makes in verse 4.

(4) “knowing, brethren beloved by God, His choice of you;”

And once again we cannot escape
The absolute sovereignty that surrounds salvation.

If we had time we could again go in and through the doctrines of grace
And the sovereignty of God.

And regardless of what you believe about those doctrines,
There is no denying it here.

It was not the Thessalonians who chose God,
It was God who chose the Thessalonians.

It was God who sent Paul.
It was God who opened their heart to believe.
It was God who opened their eyes to see.
It was God who gave enough life for them to respond.

If God hadn’t chosen them, they would not be saved.

John 6:44 “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day.”

And we are again reminded of that powerful chapter in Ephesians 2
In which we were dead in our transgressions and sins.

“But God, because of the great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead, raised us up”

Men can’t come to God apart from God’s choosing.
And so Paul is write to give the credit for the Thessalonian church
To God and God alone.

He chose them for salvation.
And it is because of God’s choosing that they live the way they live.

In fact Paul actually gives three ways that he knows that God chose them.

1) Evident in your SERVICE (3a)
“constantly bearing in mind your work of faith”

The Thessalonians were serving God.
They were consistent in Christian service and ministry.

They had not retreated from their responsibilities,
They were determining to live the Christian faith.
2) Evident in your SACRIFICE (3b)
“and labor of love”

We know that love is a sacrifice of self for the good of another.

Not only did the Thessalonians exhibit this
By helping Paul and his friends escape the city,
But by their willingness to cover for him.

They gave of themselves for the good of others.

3) Evident in your STEADFASTNESS (3c)
“and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ”

Simply put, they did not give up.
They did not quit just because it was difficult.
They did not stop even though there was opposition.

And even without Paul there to guide them,
They had remained faithful on their own.

And so Paul says we constantly pray to God the Father,
Thanking Him for His choosing you,
And it is evident that He has chosen you and saved you
Because you have faith, hope, and love.

The presence of these three attributes in their lives help Paul to know
That what occurred in Thessalonica was true salvation.

That is what he means in verse 5
(5) “for our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction; just as you know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake.”

And that is an interesting statement.

Paul is saying we know now that your acceptance of our gospel
Was more than just lip service.

We know that you accepted our gospel
Because the Holy Spirit was convicting you
And because the power is evident in your transformed lives.

“Timothy told us about your faith, hope, and love and now we are convinced that you really did come to a true saving faith in Christ.”

And that is a huge encouragement to Paul.

Do you remember when Paul gave his list of sufferings?

Do you remember the last hardship he listed?
2 Corinthians 11:28-29 “Apart from such external things, there is the daily pressure on me of concern for all the churches. Who is weak without my being weak? Who is led into sin without my intense concern?”

Paul had the heart of a true minister of the gospel.
He wasn’t just blowing into some city trying to get results so that he could go to the next city and say, “Had 1,500 conversions in Thessalonica”.

Paul was concerned that every one of those conversions was real,
And this was always his concern.
That is why he kept writing letters and returning to visit.

In fact, it was the churches who failed to demonstrate true faith
That grieved him the most.

We are all familiar with the concern the Corinthian church caused him
What with all of their immorality and lack of love.

Remember the Galatians?
Galatians 1:6 “I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel;”

Galatians 4:11 “I fear for you, that perhaps I have labored over you in vain.”

Galatians 4:19-20 “My children, with whom I am again in labor until Christ is formed in you — but I could wish to be present with you now and to change my tone, for I amperplexed about you.”

Or how about the Ephesians?
Ephesians 4:17-24 “So this I say, and affirm together with the Lord, that you walk no longer just as the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their mind, being darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart; and they, having become callous, have given themselves over to sensuality for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness. But you did not learn Christ in this way, if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught in Him, just as truth is in Jesus, that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.”

Paul would travel and plant these churches and witness a huge response.
But his heart never rejoiced fully at the initial response.
Paul rejoiced years later when they were still walking in truth.

That was how Jesus responded as well; remember?
John 8:31-32 “So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”
Certainly these guys were pleased
To see so many make a profession of faith,
But it wasn’t until their lives bore fruit
That they were convinced that true salvation had occurred.

And when Paul received news that the Thessalonians stood strong
He was overjoyed and knew that salvation was real,
God really had chosen the Thessalonians,
And God really had used Paul to reach them.

WHAT ENCOURAGEMENT!

God had actually used him to draw out His elect,
And it was certain as evidenced by their fruit.

3 John 4 “I have no greater joy than this, to hear of my children walking in the truth.”

God Chose You
#2 GOD CHANGED YOU
1 Thessalonians 1:6-10

Down in verse 9 we read that
The Thessalonians were formerly idol worshipers.

We already know they came from a
“hot-headed” “narrow minded” “mob-forming” town.

And apparently one which was steeped in pagan idolatry.

BUT NOT ANY MORE.
God had changed these people.

2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.”

Paul even lists 5 characteristics of the Thessalonians
That reveal their change.

1) THEIR OBJECTIVE (6a)
“You also became imitators of us and of the Lord”

That was certainly different.
Before they lived for themselves and worshiped idols.

Now they were actually doing everything they could to be like Jesus,
And to follow Paul example.

This is not the passion of a lost person.

2) THEIR OBSTACLE (6b)
“having received the word in much tribulation with the joy of the Holy Spirit,”

And this makes their objective even more impressive.
They didn’t just go with the crowd or the mob in accepting Christ.

These people actually lived out their goal by swimming upstream.

That is not the attitude of a lost man.

3) THEIR OBSERVERS (7-8)
“so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. For the word of the Lord has sounded forth from you, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith toward God has gone forth, so that we have no need to say anything.”

What an impressive resume.

Paul sent Timothy to the Thessalonians to find out how they were doing,
But Timothy didn’t have to make it all the way there to learn.
The Thessalonians faith was famous.

The Macedonians knew about it.
Those from Achaia knew about it.
And people in many other places knew as well.

This church had developed a reputation
As those who obey God even in the midst of tribulation.

Wouldn’t that be great?

We all know that everywhere you go, someone has heard of Spur.
Wouldn’t it be great if what they heard
Was that the Christians there are the real deal?

What if people said, “Don’t stop in Spur unless you want a sermon”?
What if people said, “Those Spur Christians love Jesus”?

That is what happened to the Thessalonians.
People knew about their faith everywhere.

And Paul was encouraged at the change in their lives.

4) THEIR OBSESSION (9)
“For they themselves report about us what kind of a reception we had with you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve a living and true God,”

I hope you caught what Paul said there.

Paul said, that when we visit with those people who have heard about you, they tell us “what kind of reception we had with you”

In other words, they tell us,
“Boy you sure made a difference in that town”.

And then they go on to tell us “how you turned to God from idols to serve a living and true God.”

In other words, it was obvious to all that the Thessalonians
Were far more than just marginal Christians.

Those guys were obsessed.
They were passionate.
And they left an impression.

And the people who hear their testimony
Go away convinced that those guys are for real.

5) THEIR OUTLOOK (10)
“and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, that is Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath to come.”

They also know that you are looking for the return of Christ.

When they see the suffering you endure, it is obvious that you tell them,
“It won’t always be this way” “Soon, Jesus will return and deliver us.”

Because they are convinced that you are eagerly waiting for Jesus.

And the point being, that the Thessalonians were on fire for God
And in love with Christ, to the point that everyone knew it.

That’s quite a change over an idol worshiping, hot-headed, mob.

These guys were different.
Not only had God chosen them, but God had changed them.

And Paul was encouraged.

Tonight, just let me challenge you to be that type of an encourager.
Let your obedience to Christ inspire other Christians to be obedient.

One friend of Adrian Rogers spoke “I think about a lot of the sacrifice and the trouble that he went through; people criticizing him. He just really had to turn the whole situation over to the Lord. I know by watching his example, it grew my faith.”

We aren’t talking about the lost here.
“Make them want what you have”

What we are talking about
Is challenging and encouraging fellow believers.

You follow Christ in such a way
That it encourages others to follow your lead.

That is how you encourage as a Christian.

1 Thessalonians 5:11 “Therefore encourage one another and build up one another, just as you also are doing.”