4 Ways the Gospel Shapes the Church // 1 Thessalonians 1

4 Ways the Gospel Shapes the Church // 1 Thessalonians 1

 

#1.  MOTIVATION. (1:2-3)

• • • Paul is not silent about how important these three virtues are to those who choose to follow Christ. 
      • 1 Corinthians 13:13— “And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.”
      • Galatians 5:5–6 “But by faith we eagerly await through the Spirit the righteousness for which we hope… The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.”
      • 1 Peter 1:21–22 “Your faith and hope are in God… . Have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart”

 

• • • Faith, hope and love is what keeps us from being so heavenly minded we are of no earthly good, but it also, keeps one hand on God while the other hand is outworking itself towards people. 

 

• • • They do not work independently of each other, but rather are the ingredients that make up the quality of a Christian life.

 

• • • Two things I want us to note about these three ingredients of the Christian life.
      • First, each one is OUTGOING. 

1. Faith is always directed towards God, IT PULLS US UP towards God in faith //
2. Love is best expressed in a selfless manner and PULLS US OUT towards others,
3. Hope is the force outside of us that PUSHES US ON into God’s promises. 
4. These three cannot be found within yourself, when the gospel penetrates your life, it pulls you out of yourself, towards God expressing itself to others in love! 

 

• • • • The Second thing, is that each one is PRODUCTIVE. 

1. Paul emphasizes here that faith is “producing” something. Work is defined “as the application of energy, skills and knowledge to accomplish something”. 
2. The “labors of love” come from two greek words: 

• “labor” which means “kotos” =  is the fatiguing nature of what is done or the magnitude of the exertion required”
• “agape” and this term is best understood when contrasted with another biblical word for love called “eros”.  Eros is built on an idea of love that is expressed through the desire to take possession of something that looks to add value to our lives, where agape looks to give and add value to someone else’s life.  Agape is the inversion of Eros.  Our labors of love are meant to produce something of value in another human being. 

 

#2. TRANSFORMATION.  (v. 4-5)

• • • Paul reminds the believers of “their election by God”.  The doctrine of election can become something that is confusing and quite alarming to us…
    • Election is not privilege, or exclusivity…it doesn’t take away the responsibility of your free will, its not meant to bring despair or hopelessness that we didn’t make the cut, and its definitely not meant to illustrate the unjust quality of our God. 
    • But still no explanation of God’s election can be given without a deep understanding of God’s love:

1. 1. Salvation begins with God. 
   2. Salvation involves the love of God.
   3. Salvation is received through faith.
   4. Salvation changes and transforms your life.

 

#3.  TRANSMISSION. (v. 6-8)

• • • The Gospel shaped these believers in a way that made them examples beyond their own city into Macedonia and Achaia.  They became a “regional telecommunication satellite” transmitting messages of faith, hope and love in every place.
    • The greek term “execheo” which is the term “sounded forth” implies a sound that was continuing, it was not just a passing whim…it was reverberating and echoing out into the world. 
    • The word of the Lord “sounded forth” not only regionally, but in every place.   There was some “holy gossip” being spread in every place.
    • The believers did this in Thessalonica without Facebook , YouTube, instagram or TikTok.  They had no cell phones, no internet, no texting capability, no technology. 
    • It should make us think? What is the “sound” of our Church, or our faith? 

 

#4.  EXPECTATION. (v. 9-10)

• • • Lastly Paul ends this first chapter in the letter with a reference to the second coming of Christ which is a theological term called “Eschatology”
    • The second advent of Christ means that history is moving to a particular conclusion. That conclusion centers in the coming of Christ the King to establish eternally the kingdom of God which began with His first advent. The kingdom will be complete when, and only when, He comes again.” 
    • There are two main elements of His Second Coming:

1. 1. The Coming Wrath
   2. The Rapture

Ultimately, we have hope that there is a deliverer in whom you believe, there is a savior that covers your sin, that there is One in whom you believe died on a cross and was raised from the dead to give you full assurance of faith, a blessed hope of salvation from whatever and however that wrath plays out in the earth. You can have full assurance that regardless of the timing of the rapture, or the timing of your death.  You will be reunited with loved ones in the Fatih, you will have life beyond the wrath of sin and death.  You have eternal peace, joy and fullness of life forever more!  You will have no more sickness, no more pain, no more tears, no more crying, no more struggle…You will have life! Wait for that today.

 

Conclusion

 

What’s your response to the Gospel, how is it shaping your life?  Every believer and every church must embody the gospel, its not enough to receive it, we must pass it on, and embody it with our life through faith, joy, peace, love, righteousness and hope.

 

So three words to help you embody it… Paul says … TURN, SERVE AND WAIT!

 

• TURN:  We should turn from sin to God because Christ is coming to judge the earth. Have you turned to God? If so, from what? What difference has it made in your life?

 

• SERVE:  We should be fervent in our service because we have little time before Christ returns. Are you serving God? If so, how? Is he pleased with your work for him?

 

• WAIT:  We should be waiting for Christ to return and always be ready because we don’t know when he will come. Do you eagerly await the coming of Christ from heaven? Why or why not?