FAITH, LOVE, AND HOPE IN ACTION
1 Thessalonians 1:1-10
Key Verse 3
We 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.
The introduction of 1 Thessalonians
Paul wrote this letter to the church in Thessalonica probably in A.D. 49–51 from Corinth during his second missionary journey (Acts 18:1–18). The main theme of this letter is Jesus’ second coming. The hope that believers have is that the dead who have believed in Christ will rise and will join the living to meet the Lord in the air (4:15–17). Unbelievers will experience God’s wrath, while believers will inherit salvation (1:10; 5:2–4, 9–10). In preparation for that great day, Christians are called to be holy and blameless (3:11–4:8; 5:23). God, who is faithful, will produce in them the holiness he requires (5:24). Paul wrote this letter to Thessalonians to restore their hope. He reassures them that both the dead and the living believers will be safe at the second coming (4:13–5:11). In addition, Paul wants (1) to stress the authenticity of himself, Silas, and Timothy as preachers of the gospel (1:5; 2:1–12; 2:17–3:10); (2) to teach them that persecution is normal for Christians (3:3–4); and (3) to challenge them to take responsibility for earning their own living (4:9–12).
In today’s passage, Paul gives great thanks to God for the faith of believers in the church of Thessalonica. They accepted the gospel of Jesus despite of persecutions and did good work by faith and served others with love and endured suffering by hope. The message of the gospel rang out from them to many other places and their faith became known everywhere. We can find good model of faith from them.
1. Read verses 1-3. Who is the author of this letter? Who are the recipients of this letter? (1) What did Paul do for the Thessalonians? (2) How were their faith, love, and hope manifested? (3)
1-1 . Read verses 1-3.
Paul, Silas and Timothy,To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:Grace and peace to you.2 We always thank God for all of you and continually mention you in our prayers. 3 We 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.
1-2 . Who is the author of this letter?
· Paul, Silas and Timothy- Apostle Paul was the author of the letter. Paul greeted the Thessalonians together with his coworkers Silas and Timothy. He greeted in the same way in 2 Thessalonians.
- Silas was a leader in Jerusalem church and a prophet as well . Then the apostles and elders, with the whole church, decided to choose some of their own men and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. They chose Judas (called Barsabbas) and Silas, men who were leaders among the believers. (Acts 15:22) Judas and Silas, who themselves were prophets, said much to encourage and strengthen the believers. (Acts 15:32)
- Silas was put into prison together with Paul in Philippi during the mission journey. (Acts 16:23-25)
- Timothy was converted during Paul’s 1st mission journey in Lystra. He called him “my true son in the faith” (1Ti 1:2) He joined Paul for his 2ND missionary journey.
- When Paul and Silas left Thessalonians because of the persecution, Timothy remained in the city and serve the church and made report to Paul about the spiritual status of Thessalonians later. Paul wrote this letter after receiving the report.
1-3 . Who are the recipients of this letter? (1)
· To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace and peace to you.
· Recipients were the believers in Thessalonian Church.
· In God the Father and the Lord Jesus.
- It is an expression that believers are in God the Father and the Lord Jesus being united with them.
- God the Father- God is Father to us. We became God’s children through Jesus Christ and have close and intimate relationship with him. As Father God takes care of us with deep love and protects and provides us. We can call him “Father” and can come to him for his grace.
- Lord Jesus- Jesus is our Lord. We have to submit to him and live obeying his commands.
· Grace and peace to you. – Grace and peace come from God. We receive abundant grace from him Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. (Hebrews 4:16) and true peace come from Jesus. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. (John 14:27)
1-4. What did Paul do for the Thessalonians? (2)
· We always thank God for all of you and continually mention you in our prayers.
· Paul gave thanks to God for all believers in the church of Thessalonians.
- It was not habitual thanks but genuine thanks from his heart.
- Paul gave thanks to God considering what God had been doing for them. Even though the church had some issue and problem Paul still recognized God’s work for them and gave thanks to God for that. We should give thanks to God for brothers and sisters in the church, our church, and our children recognizing God’s work and grace for them.
- Paul continually mentioned them in his prayer – Paul supported Thessalonian believers through his continuing intercessory prayer.
- Paul had to leave Thessalonica after establishing the church because of the persecution. But he continued to pray for them. God does his work for people through our intercessory prayer. Sometimes we cannot do many things for someone’s spiritual life because of the limitations. But we can pray for them and God works answering our prayer.
- We need to pray continually by faith without being discouraged in the middle or being lazy.
1-5. How were their faith, love, and hope manifested? (3)
We 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, hope were mentioned as one set often in the bible (1Thess 5:8, Ro 5:1-15, 1Co13:13, Gal 5:5-6, Col 1:4-5, 1 Pt 1:21)
- Faith, love, and hope are the virtues of believers affecting all area of Christian life.
· Your work produced by faith
- Your work : the work to serve God’s salvation work.
- The source and cause of their work was faith. Their faith in God and their salvation led them to do God’s work.
- The genuine faith in the salvation of Jesus Christ changes a person and life and let the person do the work to serve God and his will.
- The work produced by faith can please God and Holy Spirit works through the faith.
- Faith is supposed to produce good work. Genuine faith produces action for work. Even though someone says that he/she has faith, but when no action follows it might not be genuine faith.
- You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. (James 2:22)
- As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.(James 2:24)
· Labor prompted by love – labor to serve others for their need and help others to accept the gospel of Jesus.
- Thessalonians did charity work for the people in need and preach the gospel despite of persecution.
- Through the gospel of Jesus, they realized God’s amazing love for them that was demonstrated through Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross. When they realized God’s deep love for them, the love prompted them to love others and do labor to serve them.
- The labor prompted by love of God is powerful and joyful and makes the labor valuable before God.
- When we serve others being prompted by love we can’t be proud or have sense of loss.
- Love prompts people to do labor to serve others. We can have tons of knowledge about love but having knowledge about love doesn’t mean that we have love in our heart. The genuine love prompts us to take action to express our love for someone.
- Jesus didn’t just say that he loved sinner but served the sinners, even sacrificed his life to save them.
- God wants us to believe his love for us and show God’s love to others. And people know God’s love when we do labor to serve them.
· Endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ
- Thessalonians kept their faith enduring persecutions and challenges from the world being inspired by hope in Jesus which is the hope of Jesus’ second coming and resurrection.
- The hope of Jesus’ coming and resurrection is the power source that empowers us to endure persecutions and temptation of this world and live holy life and serve God’s work.
- Without the hope we can’t truly live as God’s holy people and suffer for his kingdom. We need to be inspired by the hope in our Lord Jesus Christ every day.
2. Read verses 4-7. How did Paul know that God had chosen them? (4, 5a) How did the Thessalonians respond to the message? (5b, 6) What was their impact on other believers? (7)
2-1. Read verses 4-7.
For we know, brothers and sisters loved by God, that he has chosen you, 5 because our gospel came to you not simply with words but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and deep conviction. You know how we lived among you for your sake. 6 You became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you welcomed the message in the midst of severe suffering with the joy given by the Holy Spirit. 7 And so you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia.
2-2. How did Paul know that God had chosen them? (4, 5a)
For we know, brothers and sisters loved by God, that he has chosen you, 5 because our gospel came to you not simply with words but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and deep conviction.
- Paul knew that God had chosen Thessalonian believers.
- God chose His people based on his love not anything else.
· because our gospel came to you not simply with words but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and deep conviction. - When the gospel works on someone with power, with the Holy Spirit and deep conviction we can know that the person is chosen by God.
- To some people gospel comes just as knowledge without any conviction and work of Holy Spirit. Nothing happens to them when they hear the gospel. But for those who are chosen, the gospel works with the power of Holy Spirit and conviction.
- The power, Holy Spirit, and conviction are not separated but come together to save someone through the gospel.
- The Holy Spirit is the source of the power and conviction.
- When the gospel comes with the power of Holy Spirit, the gospel moves someone’s heart and change inner being and brings new life to the person, which is being born again.
- Salvation through the gospel can take place only through the power of Holy Spirit.
- When Holy Spirit gives conviction to someone, the person can believe the gospel and repent and accept Jesus.
- Salvation is the work of Holy Spirit. If the Holy Spirit doesn’t work, anything can’t work in spite of all efforts,. We have to pray for the work of Holy Spirit for someone’s salvation.
2-3. How did the Thessalonians respond to the message? (5b, 6)
You know how we lived among you for your sake. 6 You became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you welcomed the message in the midst of severe suffering with the joy given by the Holy Spirit.
· You know how we lived among you for your sake
- In the Thessalonian church there were some people who opposed Paul and his teaching.
- Paul reminded them how he and his coworkers preached the gospel with the power of Holy Spirit and served them with genuine heart so that the believers may not be deceived by the opponents.
· You became imitators of us and of the Lord
- After accepting the gospel, they became imitators of Paul and Jesus. It means they turned away from the past sinful life and started to live a new life imitating Paul and his coworkers and Jesus.
- They changed their life after accepting the gospel. It shows that they accepted and believed the gospel sincerely.
- When someone sincerely accepts the gospel and repents through the work of Holy Spirit we can see practical changes from the person’s life. When someone is born again the person gets the desire to live lives imitating Jesus.
· you welcomed the message in the midst of severe suffering with the joy given by the Holy Spirit.
- They welcomed the gospel despite suffering from persecution (Acts 17:1-10) with the joy given by the Holy Spirit.
- They were able to overcome the severe suffering with the joy from the Holy Spirit.
2-4. What was their impact on other believers? (7)
And so you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia.
- Their faith and life became a good example to other believers.
- When we live a good life of faith before God it can become great encouragement to other believers. We need to make effort to show good example to others instead of showing bad example.
3. Read verses 8-10. How had their faith become known? (8) What kind of faith did they have that others spoke highly of them? (9, 10)
3-1. Read verses 8-10.
The Lord’s message rang out from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia—your faith in God has become known everywhere. Therefore we do not need to say anything about it, 9 for they themselves report what kind of reception you gave us. 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.
3-2. How had their faith become known? (8)
The Lord’s message rang out from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia—your faith in God has become known everywhere. Therefore we do not need to say anything about it,
- The gospel rang out from them to many other places. The gospel was preached through their preaching and exemplary life of faith.
- Thessalonians’ faith became known everywhere. Their faith was so good and strong that people could hear about their faith everywhere.
- It was great benefit for others and revealed God’s glory.
- We can pray that the gospel may ring out from us to everywhere and our faith may become known everywhere.
3-3. What kind of faith did they have that others spoke highly of them? (9, 10)
for they themselves report what kind of reception you gave us. They tell how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God,
· they themselves report what kind of reception you gave us- Thessalonian believers accepted Paul and his coworkers.
· You turned to God from idols to serve living and true God.
- They used to serve idols. But through the gospel of Jesus, they knew true God and repented and turned to God. It was dramatic change.
- To serve living and true God: The God, the Father of Jesus is the living and true God.
- All idols are fake and can’t do anything.
- The God who sent Jesus Christ is alive and real. He is the only true God. There is no other God beside him.
- People can meet this living and true God only through the gospel of Jesus.
10 and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead—Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath.
They also wait for Jesus from heaven. They believed that Jesus raised from the dead and rescued them from the coming wrath.
They believed Jesus’ second coming as the Judge. Thanks to their faith and hope, they were able to endure all persecution. This is another clear evidence of their change in the Lord, the true and living God.
Conclusion
The Thessalonians had genuine faith in the gospel and Jesus through the powerful work of Holy Spirit. The gospel message was preached through their preaching and life of faith everywhere. Their faith and love produced good work and service and they endured all suffering by hope of Jesus’ coming. May God help us to learn their faith and produced good work so that the gospel of Jesus may ring out from us everywhere and people may hear about our faith.
One word : Faith, love, and hope in action.
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