Studies in 1 Thessalonians #1- What is our Reputation?

Text: 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10

We certainly would like to welcome all of you who have gathered with us this day. No greater joy can be found than the joy of the Lord and that is why we are here today, to celebrate that joy.

Turn in your Bibles to 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10 and read with me…
Many of us when we know we are being talked about are more than interested in exactly what is being said. I don't believe there is anything wrong with this characteristic but the fact of the matter is that we do honestly care how we are being talked about.
Even Jesus wanted at times to know what people were saying about him! (Matthew 16:13)
The danger point comes when we care more what people think than what God knows!
Stories abound though, perhaps someone let you in on the fact that people were talking about you in a very negative way and that hurt you. Or, others spoke about you in an untruthful manner and you want to be able to somehow set the record straight!
It could also work the other way though, some people (and hopefully if they are fellow Christians they will do it) speak about you in a positive way and it makes you feel good knowing that people notice. Not that you are looking for that or thinking that is equal to the judgment of God but it is nice to hear.

The point is that most people care how others speak about them. With that knowledge, we need to remember how hurtful we can be with our lips, both in what is being said and what is not being said.

This morning I want us to look and see what type of reputation God says really counts for a church and how you and I at West Side should be ordering our lives for such a reputation.

Reputations can come from all sorts of areas in life. Joe is a real car buff, Bertha is a gossip, Sam is into sports, Murray slacks off at work, Dan is a real family man and so on. Although there are a lot of different areas we can get a good reputation; there is one area that God would like all His churches to concentrate in.
The church at Thessalonica was a great church wasn't it from our reading?
I mean this appears to be a church that really doesn't cause Paul any concern, except for their well being.

Before getting into their reputation this morning I just want to look at the beginnings of this great church and look at what Paul had to say about them in chapter 1.
The church with the great reputation!

Turn to Acts 16&17.
Now Paul in chapter 16 has just got done the dramatic conversion of the Philippian jailer and is asked to leave the city of Philippi. So, in chapter 17 he comes to Thessalonica and read with me vs.1-11.
Now it looks like you got a pretty successful beginning here doesn't it? Paul spends some 3 weeks preaching Jesus in the synagogue and he is demonstrating that Jesus is the Christ. Then, it says that although not many Jews believed, Paul persuaded many of the Greeks and leading women.
However, Paul had to leave the church in a very early stage of its development and this partly sets up Paul's letter that we read from just a minute ago.

Let's see what Paul had to say to this church that seemed to leave him only with good memories. Isn't it nice to know that it is possible to be a good church?
We understand that we're not talking perfection but despite what some people claim, a church can still be pleasing to God! Some would have us believe today that churches have all sold out and compromised the faith and are on their way to hell and bringing everybody they can with them. This doesn't simply have to be the case, but churches made up of imperfect people who still sin can be a group of people who bring good memories to mind of people who love the Lord!
What we are going to do over the next little while is look at this church from the first letter and see if we can model the church of the Thessalonians in our time.

Well what was so good about this church?
Vs.2-4- Paul begins by stating how in his prayers he is always thankful for these Christians and he speaks about three great efforts:

their work of faith.

Their labor of love &

their patience (or steadfastness) of hope.
Now we have seen these three things together before haven't we? (1 Corinthians 13:13- these are the three that remain.
I want to suggest that if we are going to make it in this world. If we are going to remain to be the city set on a hill that cannot be hidden we need to keep these three alive in our lives.
First they did not possess a dead or simply an intellectual faith. Paul remembers that these people had a living, active faith that was busy in the Lord's business. As James said, "I will show you my faith by my works." (James 2:18).
Secondly, Paul took knowledge of the fact they loved more than in word but also in deed. This church had such a deep love for Jesus that it spilled over in their love for each other and this caused them to work out of love! They would not do things grudgingly for one another, but cheerfully because of their common love in Christ.
Thirdly, they believed in the promises of Jesus and because of that they could continue despite their great difficulties.

We need these three qualities;
we need the faith that moves according to the words of Jesus.
We need the love that will allow us to do things for one another because we feel it necessary to do so.
We need the hope of Jesus or heaven to keep us going when life hits hard.
Paul says, brethren we know that you are the chosen of God!

Vs.5-7- Why were they the chosen of God? Paul says the message we preached was not just a message of words but one of power, Holy Spirit and confidence.
This is so important, the gospel message, the saving message of Jesus Christ and his death, burial and resurrection is not just a nice novel. It is power!
It is the Spirit behind the power and the evangelist who speaks this can have confidence in this. (1 Corinthians 1:18)
Now how did Paul know this message had power?
How do we know that it has this power today?
How does this have anything to do with the reputation that God wants us to have?
We are going to see this in a few minutes.
Paul goes on to say that they became followers of him (1 Cor.11:1) and of the Lord. Note the two things that accompanied them with the gospel:

much affliction &

joy in the Spirit.
As we saw in the book of Acts it is not hard to imagine that after they were converted to Jesus Christ they had to go through some heavy struggles for their faith!
What would that cause them to do?
What would that cause them to think?
What would that cause them to feel?
"This Christianity thing is not worth it."
"This can't be all that it is cracked up to be."
"I thought this was supposed to be the answer, but all it has done is cause more heartache."
Paul says, that's not what they did:
they still had great joy!
Now, this is not normal. Joy does not usually accompany affliction in our world, but friends the gospel is not a normal message it is a good message and because of that message we can still have joy in the midst of affliction!
That joy comes from above! Galatians 5:22, Acts 5:41, Acts 16:25

Because of this they have now become examples. Let's ask the question though, how genuine was their conversion and what did it result in?
How did Paul know that his message was that powerful?

Vs.8- Paul says and this is great, the reputation of this church went everywhere. Now, you can just imagine, Paul goes to another city and when he is rehearsing his missionary efforts about different places his eyes get a little wider and he's about to tell them a great success story and he says after Philippi we went and someone named Gaius or Demetrius stands up and says oh we can tell you about that place Paul, they have great faith and we already know about them.
Well, what is the report?
What would you like your (our) reputation to be?
How powerful has the gospel worked in their life?
Has it done the same in ours?

Vs.9,10- They have turned from idols to serve the true & living God!
They turned from pieces of art that were lifeless and couldn't do anything towards the God of all living who provides life and Himself lives!
Note: Paul's use of the word serve!
They chose because of the gospel to become a slave to God! This is the first part of their reputation:
they changed from whatever defined their lives before to being defined as slaves of God! They were freed by the gospel and chose to bind themselves by the love of Jesus.
The second part then was this:
they wait for His Son from heaven. Now that they have turned from idols to God, they can look upwards with faith and hope.

What is this hope?
Paul says as Jesus Christ was raised from the dead it is certain He will return! John 14:3. Now, to the Jews the resurrection was preached to prove Jesus was the Messiah and that he fulfilled all prophecy.
Now it is preached to show he fulfills all promises! (1 Peter 1:3)

Let us ask the question: where is our devotion today?
What is our object of service?
Notice that whatever your devotion is, you are it's slave!
Our idols could be anything today:
our jobs, our homes, our cars, our hobbies, money, people, or we could have the reputation that our devotion is towards God!

Let's ask this:
what else but God can give a man hope, rest & joy everlasting?
Only God & Jesus are deserving of man's utmost devotion! Romans 1:25, Revelation 5:12,13.
Do we see the gospel as having that same power today?
Is our reputation one that we have definitely turned from sin and all other items of devotion to serve the true & living God?
Or, is something keeping us from being able to look up to Jesus in faith & hope?
Are we simply Christians because it is the social, familial or whateverial thing to do?
Does the fact that Jesus Christ died for our sins, was buried and then rose from the dead make such an impact on us that we will put all other things secondary to the wonderful carpenter from Nazareth?
Will Jesus come before all other things and all others?
If he does, there is a wonderful conclusion to such a reputation:
Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come!
If Jesus died & rose again, He will return.
If He will return, He will deliver those who are his from the wrath to come.
Listen, God's wrath is going to come!
God's wrath is real!
God's wrath is against everything opposed to what is good!
What is God's wrath? Revelation 19:15, 20:15.
In Jesus, if he is the one you are looking to today, deliverance from the wrath of God is found!

What is our reputation?
Have we turned?
Have we turned from anything that might keep us from being slaves of God?
Have we made the decision that people can go and declare how we have turned and are now waiting for the day of salvation?

Listen my friends, the gospel message is clear:
all of men have fallen short of the glory of God because of their sin. Yet, God in amazing grace sent His Son to die in the place of you and he rose again the third day so that all who belong to Him can know their sins are forgiven. Since their sins are forgiven, they will be passed over when it comes to the day of God's wrath.

Can you love such a message?
Can you trust such a man?
I believe you can. I believe as well that you don't want to suffer God's wrath.
Why not turn to Him then in loving devotion and give your life to him by surrendering in baptism so that his blood can wash your soul clean? let's stand and sing...

Back to lessons page.
Back to home page.