If we go back, we find a model church meeting in Thessalonika. Paul says that this church had become a model for all the believers. I would like to look at some basic ingredients of this model church. I want to see how we might have more success in our fellowship here at LMC.
1 Thessalonians 1 (NIV)
SAVED
It is no surprise that the church should be made of the saved. The interesting thing here is that Paul gives us an analysis of the Thessalonian's conversion. Look at vss.9b-10. They tell how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, {10} and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead--Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath.
Paul tells that believers outside of Thessalonika had told him of the process of the Thessalonians conversion. Verses 3 has basic steps that are involved in our conversion.
1 A decisive break with idols.
It is difficult to exaggerate how radical this change is in the lives of those believers. They left their dead idols to worship the living God. They left the false to accept Him who is true. They rejected their idols, and accepted God. They let go of the visible and tangible, to grab a hold of the God who is invisible and intangible. They quit worshiping idols made by human hands. They fell down at the feet of the One who created them.
Salvation still demands a decisive break with idols. In America there are not many idols -- if you mean a god made out of wood, stone, or metal. But what is an idol? - A "God-substitute". Anything that takes the place of the worship of God is idolatry. People can worship at the altar of: money, power, fame, Careers. Some pray to the god of sports, food, alcohol, or sex.. Paul uses the word "idolater" in Eph. 5:5 to describe the "immoral, impure, and greedy."
There is no true turning to Christ until we have turned away from our idols. We cannot turn from idols until we have turned to Christ. When we meet Jesus we realize that the idols we have been worshiping keep us in bondage. Jesus wants to set us free.
2. Active service to God.
They didn't just turn away from idols they "turned to God" in order to "serve" Him. When we get rid of the substitute, the idol, we are ready to take on the real thing. If we have truly turned away from idols we will find ourselves given to serve the living and true God
3. Patiently waiting for Christ.
Serving is active. Waiting is passive. Serving is being busy for Christ. Waiting is looking for Christ to come. These two things balance one another. No matter how hard we work there are limits to what will be accomplished. We can not perfect society -- only improve it. We can't build utopia. Complete justice and peace will only come from Jesus Christ.
As we wait for Christ's return we are constantly working on His behalf. We live in service to God. While we serve we await Jesus' return. The two go hand in hand.
LIVE IN COMMUNITY
The church is a community. We live in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ (vs.1). Verse.1 Paul, Silas and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace and peace to you.
What is special about the church at Thessalonika? It is IN the Father and the Son. Jesus in John 15 said His disciples were "in" Him as branches are "in" the vine. In 1 Cor. 12 Paul, says that Christians are "in" Christ as limbs are "in" the body. In Col. 3:3 our new Christian life is described as being "hidden with Christ in God".
The relationship between the church, God, and Christ is a vital one. It is an dependent relationship. We derive our life from it. We being "in" God and "in" Christ means: we are "living in", "rooted in", "drawing our life from them". The church is a community that lives in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
The church is a community which is distinguished by faith, hope, and love.
Verse 3 We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.
Faith, love, and hope are 3 qualities of the model church
There are two aspects of these qualities we need to pay special attention to:
1. They are outgoing.
Faith is directed towards God. Love is directed towards others. Hope is directed towards the future.
Another way of putting it is: Faith rests on the past; love works in the present; hope looks to the future. These qualities are evidence of Salvation When these 3 come together they completely transform our lives. Faith draws us closer to God. Love draws us out into the world. Hope leads us to focus on the future. John Calvin said these qualities are "a brief definition of Christianity."
2 Each of these qualities is productive.
As a member of the community of faith God expects us to be productive. Faith works; love labors; and hope endures. A true faith in God leads to good works, and without works faith is dead. A true love for people leads us to labor for them. And a true hope, which looks expectantly to the future and leads to endurance, in the face of opposition. These are things that distinguish us as a Christian community.
A community, Paul says in vs.4, that is loved and chosen by God. 4} For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, The church is a community loved and chosen by God. The church is drawing its life from Him. This life of God is a faith which works. This life is a love that labors and a hope which endures.
The true church is completely God-centered. It is not a human institution, but a divine community.
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