1 Thessalonians 1:6-10 Their Good Example Good Morning, Church. It Is Wonderful to Be Here with You All This Morning

P a g e | 1 1 Thessalonians 1:6-10 Their Good Example Good morning, church. It is wonderful to be here with you all this morning. This morning we will continue our study of first Thessalonians, we will finish chapter 1. If you do not have a Bible this morning, there are some in the Pews in front of you, please grab one. If you do not have a Bible at home, please take one of those Bibles home. Last week we ended our time together in verse 5 of the first chapter, where Paul speaking to the church of the Thessalonians says… 1 Thess. 1:5 For our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit and in much assurance, as you know what kind of men we were among you for your sake. P a g e | 2 Paul calls the reader in Thessalonica to remember the gospel that he and his associates Silas and Timothy brought with them into their city. How this message of Jesus of Nazareth dying in their place for their sins and was only One Way to Salvation and into a relationship with God Almighty. Paul reminds them that their gospel was not in Word only but it also came in Power, with the Holy Spirit, and with much assurance. As each Jew and Gentile took by faith the message that Paul, Silas and Timothy preached, the Holy Spirit immediately filled each believer with His Power. Their eyes were open and they immediately saw the deception that they were in bondage too, and the Truth set them free, and their New Lives brought them much assurance. You know many today, come forward at an altar call or at a great crusade in response to an emotional plea. Some are genuine in their response, but many people are simply caught up in the moment. P a g e | 3 I remember taking a family member to the Harvest Crusade, it was a wonderful night, Leeland was playing their worship songs, and the weather was perfect, as an ocean layer of mist came over Angel’s Stadium. The atmosphere was energetic, and when Greg Laurie took to the stage, our hearts were so hopeful for our family member and his friends. I remember the message was clear and clever. Then Pastor Greg gave the invitation. And one of our family member’s friend was overwhelmed with emotion. And he stood up boldly and declared “I am going down there.” Then as Jess and I were praying, it happened, our prayers were answered, her family member got up, and followed his friend. We were so overwhelmed with emotion, and thought, “This is it! He is coming to Jesus.” We went to search out our group after all was said and done. P a g e | 4 And we had so much hope this was the end of a destructive lifestyle for our loved one. And we found him there on the field, and we hugged and congratulated him. The prayer was said, and our hope was now the Holy Spirit would fill his life. As we strolled out the gates, he revealed his real reason for going down on the field. He had a pocket full of grass, and informed us, “The Angels were World Champions a couple years back, I went down to grab some of the grass from the field, so I can remember when I stood on the field of the World Champions.” Our hearts sank, he only went forward to grab grass, his friends that went forward were stirred by the emotion of the night, but nothing ever took root in their lives. Every one of them continued in their lives of sin. The message that night came to them in Word only, their hearts never fully surrendered. P a g e | 5 But this was not the case in Thessalonica, when the message reached their ears, they were moved by the Holy Spirit, and their lives were changed, and as we will see this morning the evidence was in the fruit of their lives. They were in fact the Elect of God, because they chose to believe on the Good News of the Gospel, and received by faith what it required of them. A heart totally surrendered to their Lord Jesus, and His Will. You see, it is not a magical prayer that someone recites that saves a soul, it is a life that is completely dead to our own will and desires, as we yield to God’s desire for our lives. This is the point of conversion. If you read Christian writers throughout the 1800s and early 1900s, they seem to separate conversion from coming forward at an altar call. Many men have responded to the altar calls throughout the ages but failed at the conversion. P a g e | 6 I remember while stuck in my addictions, I responded to many, many altar calls, and gave many halfhearted commitments to the Lord, but never fully surrendered my life. I remember the day of my conversion, when the Holy Spirit came upon me, and I fully handed Him the keys to my life. It was not in a church, it was not at a crusade, I was trying to score dope from my friend who was mourning the death of his mother, and I went to the funeral selfishly to get a baggy. I sat in the back of the funeral home, I saw my friend crying, and I thought, “What kind of man have I become, I have no heart.” In that moment, the Lord illuminated the wickedness in my heart, and I was disgusted with myself, I felt so dirty and ashamed. And I fled the funeral home across the street, to the Black Bear Diner, there in Havasu, and I remember P a g e | 7 looking up into the Blue Sky, and I surrendered finally to my Lord Jesus. In that moment, I literally felt free, I felt a Power that was beyond my capability, a Divine strength, and I knew my life was different, I was converted to Christ, and His Spirit took residence in my heart. Those demonic addictions that once controlled my life were defeated by the Power of God’s Spirit, and in a moment my life was changed. The Thessalonians were converted, they received the message of Paul and were given Power and the Holy Spirit. Paul explains at the end of verse 5, that they knew what kind of men Paul, Silas and Timothy were. Paul, came from the beating in Philippi and there was no hiding the fact that with this message came hardships and tremendous trials. Paul gave them the honest truth, “If you receive by faith this message that I preach, hardships like mine will come upon you.” P a g e | 8 But as we will see this morning the hope of Jesus’ soon return, and their future heavenly residence would be enough for them to withstand the satanically fueled persecution. Paul did not mask anything, but gave them the whole truth. Many today give the gospel without the whole truth, they try to sell it as though it was another product or another healthy prosperous way of life among others. They promote it as a cure all, “you will be financially secure, and healthy if you just believe.” They present it with a glowing smile, and as means for selfish gain. They proclaim, “It is a way to unending happiness and pleasure.” But that is not an accurate gospel. Paul presented his wounds and explained this truth will come at a cost. P a g e | 9 This God hating world will immediately reject you because of your association with the One True God. You will immediately be turned into a square peg in a world designed for round pegs. You will not fit, and yet this is the price for ultimate truth. Paul brought this message as we read last time, and this week we will see their response to this message… Let us read our portion and then come back through a verse at a time. 1:6 And you became followers of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Spirit, 7 so that you became examples to all in Macedonia and Achaia who believe. 8 For from you the word of the Lord has sounded forth, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place. Your faith toward God has gone out, so that we do not need to say anything. 9 For they themselves declare concerning us what manner of entry we had to you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the P a g e | 10 living and true God, 10 and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come. Let’s pray… Well let us look to the Thessalonian’s example this morning. It says here in verse 6… 1:6 And you became followers of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Spirit, This Gospel that came in Power, and with the Holy Spirit, was received as Paul presented it. Those who put their faith in Jesus then followed Paul’s example. They saw in him, a passion to preach even under such hostility. They witnessed Paul’s sacrifice to bring them this message and they became followers of Paul, Silas and Timothy.

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