The Marks of the Living Church - Part 1
Text: 1 Thessalonians 1:1-5
Core Idea: We can give thanks for the past, celebrate in the present, and look to the future with hope because we are rooted in God. In love, He chose us even before there was time so that we would be called the children of God. Then may that love inspire and move us to labor for Him as we aim to bring Him glory.
INTRODUCTION
In light of our anniversary, I thought that it would be beneficial for us to take a break from the Book of James and turn to the first letter to the Thessalonians to identify the marks of the living church. So, with that in mind, let’s open up our Bibles to 1 Thessalonians 1:1-5. Let me read this for us.
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. 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. 4 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.
Amen. This is the Word of God for you today.
Now, in order to fully understand and appreciate this passage, it’s important that we look at the context. This letter was written to a young church plant, set up by the apostle Paul during his missionary trip to the Roman province of Macedonia in 49 A.D. Thessalonica was the capital city of Macedonia – and it functioned as a major trade city with a population of over 200,000 people (which was considered quite big at that time). We read in Acts 17 that Paul went into this city to preach the gospel – and a large number of God-fearing Greeks and prominent women became Christians. So, Paul joyfully organized them into a church. But Luke tells us that the city was disturbed by this. Acts 17:5-9 says, “But other Jews were jealous; so, they rounded up some bad characters from the marketplace, formed a mob and started a riot in the city. They rushed to Jason’s house in search of Paul and Silas in order to bring them out to the crowd. But when they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some other believers before the city officials, shouting: ‘These men who have caused trouble all over the world have now come here, and Jason has welcomed them into his house. They are all defying Caesar’s decrees, saying that there is another king, one called Jesus.’ When they heard this, the crowd and the city officials were thrown into turmoil.” And as a result, Paul and his companions were forced out – having to leave this new church plant in conflict and hostility with many in the city. No wonder Paul was anxious and deeply burdened for this young community. So, he sent Timothy to check in on them and encourage them – and when Timothy came back with a report that they were holding firm to the faith, Paul was overflowing with joy and gratitude. Then out of this intense love that he had for this church, Paul wrote this letter to strengthen them and remind them of the hope they have in Jesus Christ.
Listen to what John Stott said about this letter, “1 Thessalonians opens a window onto a newly planted church in the middle of the first century AD. It tells us how it came into being, what the apostle taught it, what were its strengths and weaknesses, its theological and moral problems, and how it was spreading the gospel. What is of particular interest is the interaction which the apostle portrays between the church and the gospel. He shows how the gospel creates the church and the church spreads the gospel, and how the gospel shapes the church, as the church seeks to live a life that is worthy of the gospel.” One of the reasons why I chose this passage for today is because I wanted us to learn from this church – to be imitators of their faith so that we too would be shaped by the gospel and seek to live a life worthy of the gospel. Then let me share three marks of the living church from this passage – and we’ll look at three more next Sunday. So, this was a church that was:
· ROOTED IN GOD
· LABORING FOR GOD
· CHOSEN BY GOD
1) ROOTED IN GOD
Verse 1, “Paul, Silas, and Timothy, to the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” From the outset of this letter, Paul reminds them that they are in God – that they’re not just a random social gathering or a club that came together because of a similar interest but that they’re a community that is rooted in God, founded by God, and precious to God; a community that draws its life from God. And the implication of this truth is mind-blowing. Paul was basically saying to the Thessalonian Church, “Remember that once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God. Once you were dead in your transgressions, but now you are alive to God in Jesus Christ – which means that the Creator of the universe, the Giver of life, the King of kings, the Lord of lords is for you and with you. In fact, this omnipotent, omniscient God is your Father – which means that He cares for you and loves you. He will never leave you or forsake you. The mighty waters will not sweep over you and no flames will set you ablaze because He is the Lord your God. I know that you’re going through so much as a church. And it may feel like death is just around the corner. Some of you may even question the goodness of God. But whenever you’re tempted to doubt, remember that He is yours and you are His – which means that He will never give up on you. You are safe in His arms – and He will carry you to the end.” That’s what it means to be in God. But if that wasn’t enough, he reminds them that they’re also in Jesus Christ.
Now, what does it mean to be in Christ? The concept is so rich that it would be impossible for us to go through everything in this short period of time – but one of the clearest implications is that we cannot have life, we cannot have growth apart from our relationship with Jesus Christ. Jesus said in John 15:4-5, “Remain in Me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in Me. I am the Vine; you are the branches. If you remain in Me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing.” Or to put it differently, transformation is possible, growth is inevitable because of our union with Christ. Sure, growth can be slow and gradual, but He promises that it will certainly happen – we will bear fruit if we remain in Him.
Now, why did Paul remind them of these truths at the beginning of his letter? Because he wanted to reassure them that even in the midst of their suffering and persecution, they were secure in the hands of God the Father – that God will in fact use this opportunity to purify them, strengthen them, and shape them so that they would be made more like Christ. In other words, this was to remind them that nothing would hinder God’s plan for this community. No trials will be wasted – His purpose will be accomplished. Then Paul is telling them that this is where the Thessalonians should place their confidence in the midst of their difficult circumstances – not in their own strength, wisdom, or resources but in their vital union with God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. And this is where we should place our confidence as well as a young church learning to navigate our way in the place that God has called us to be. Brothers and sisters, remember that we are rooted in God and in Christ. Then no matter what happens, we can be sure that God will take care of us. Even if we lack many things, even if we face various storms of life, even if I am inadequate as your pastor, we’ll be alright because this is not my church – this is His church. Listen to what Jesus said in Matthew 16:18, “And I tell you that you are Peter, and, on this rock, I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.” Christ will build this church because this is His church. That is really good news to be reminded of this day. Then, as we celebrate this day, let us continue to center ourselves around Christ and lean on Him in all that we do.
2) LABORING FOR GOD
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.” Remember that Paul only spent a few months in this city – and yet what he remembered about this community was their zeal to serve the Lord in faith, love, and hope. Let’s quickly go through them one by one. First, their faith in Christ produced work. Some people falsely assume that work and faith cannot go together – that it goes against the very thing that the gospel and grace stand for. But we must remember that although salvation isn’t something that we can earn with our works, true faith always produces work. In fact, we learned from the Book of James that faith without works is dead because works actually demonstrate that we have faith. We don’t work to be saved but we work because we’re saved. And that’s what the Thessalonians did – despite the trials they were going through, they remained faithful to the Lord and gave everything they had to advance the Kingdom of God.
Second, their love for Christ prompted their labor. The word “labor” in Greek literally means “trouble themselves.” In other words, the Thessalonians in one sense went through a great deal of trouble to serve the King because of their overflowing love for God. They labored not to get God to love them more but because of their love for God. In fact, their laboring was not limited to God, but it stretched out to those around them – even their enemies. Why did they serve like that? Because God first loved them (1 Jn. 4:19). Love always begets more love. When we’re truly loved, we just can’t help but overflow with this love and serve out of that love. We just can’t contain it to ourselves – our love will spill out of us. I’ve shared this example before but let me share it again because he’s actually here today. My dad is someone who I love, respect, and look up to because he’s someone who truly aims to live a life worthy of the gospel. He loves God wholeheartedly and his love for God gets visibly expressed in the way he loves me and my brother. He finds great joy in spending time with us, and he genuinely wants to know what’s on our hearts so that he can pray for us and support us in any way possible. I know that my brother and I are greatly indebted to his love for us. Now, in many ways, the way that I love my two sons is the way that I have been loved by my dad. I’m just following his example. Just as I have been loved, I want to shower my children with so much love that they will be overwhelmed and overflowing with the same unshakable joy that I feel. And my prayer for them has always been the same – that they would know Jesus to be their Lord and Savior and that they would begin to joyfully share the love that they have received from me and Alicia. Love always flows outward – it always reproduces itself. Then let me ask you, “Is this the kind of love that’s characterizing you today? Are these qualities visible in the way you walk with other believers? In love, are you helping others move closer to Christ? Are you deliberately investing your time, money, and energy to disciple people?” This is what we should be known for – the thing that should mark us and identify our community must be our intense and sacrificial love for God and those around us.
Third, their hope in Christ cultivated endurance. In other words, they persevered because they were confident that Jesus was coming back. They persevered because they were confident that when He returned, everything would be made new – there would be no more pain, injustice, disease, sin, and death. They knew that this present suffering wasn’t the end. They knew that Jesus was coming back and that their stories would continue – so, they persevered. They pressed on. They stood their ground – and remained faithful. Then, in the same way, this truth should also bring hope to all of us today. The Thessalonian church is telling us, “Remember that Jesus is coming back for you. So, don’t give up and stand firm. He’s worth the wait.” Brothers and sisters, we’re called to hope in all circumstances knowing that this is not the end – our story will continue, and it will be glorious for those who trust in the Lord for He will bring us back to Him. This is the reason why we can persevere.
All that to say, the Thessalonian church was characterized by faith, love, and hope – their faith produced work, their love led to service, and their hope cultivated endurance in the face of opposition. Because the persecution was fierce, they could’ve stayed hidden – and it would’ve been completely understandable. But they faithfully served the Lord in all circumstances because of their love for the Lord, because of the hope they had in Christ. Then that’s what should characterize us as well – this should be the mark that defines us. Brothers and sisters, as we look forward to the future, let’s continue to fix our eyes on God as we work faithfully, love unconditionally, and press on joyfully as we place our hope in Christ our King.
3) CHOSEN BY GOD
Verse 4, “For we know, brothers and sisters loved by God, that He has chosen you.” Paul reminds them that the reason why they went from being idol worshipers to being people whose lives were transformed by grace is because they were chosen by God. They were saved not because they were better than others, wiser than others, humbler than others, more resourceful than others, more generous than others, or spiritually more sensitive than others – no, the only reason why they were saved was because God had chosen them before there was time, before they were even born.
Now, the doctrine of election is something that many people (even Christians) struggle with because it seems like there’s a contradiction with the doctrine of free will which is also taught in the Bible. Then it’s very important that we take some time to flesh this out and clarify all the misunderstandings that come from this – but today is not the day. I promise that I’ll dedicate some time to talk about this in the future – but let me just say this for now. The main reason why Paul mentions the doctrine of election at the outset of his letter is because he wanted to comfort the Thessalonians in the midst of their affliction and persecution. So, if you’re a Christian, don’t get distracted by all the questions you may have. Let God do what He intended to do with this truth – namely, to bring comfort to your hearts. Let this truth remind you that even before creation, God the Father set His affection upon you and purposed to save you in Jesus Christ. In other words, the doctrine of divine election reveals divine affection. J.I. Packer writes, “It is staggering that God should love sinners; yet it is true. God loves creatures who have become unlovely and (one would have thought) unlovable. There was nothing whatever in the objects of His love to call it forth; nothing in us could attract or prompt it. Love among persons is awakened by something in the beloved, but the love of God is free, spontaneous, unevoked, uncaused. God loves people because He has chosen to love them – and no reason for His love can be given except His own sovereign good pleasure.” There was absolutely nothing in us that inclined God to love us – in fact, we were morally unattractive and ungodly. But God set His love on us simply because He chose to make us His sons and daughters.
Now, there’s an important question that we need to ask, “How did Paul know that God had chosen the Thessalonian Christians?” That is a great question. If you want to know the answer, join us next week because we’ll have to stop here for time’s sake – I don’t want the food to get too cold. Then let me end this way.
CONCLUSION
Lighthouse family, we can give thanks for the past, celebrate in the present, and look to the future with hope because we are rooted in God. In love, He chose us in the eternity past so that we would be called the children of God. Then may that love inspire and move us to labor for Him today as we aim to bring Him the glory that He deserves.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1) What makes a healthy church? And what’s a church that you want to invest in – a church that you want to commit to?
2) What does it mean to be in God and in Christ? Why is this an important mark of a living church?
3) How does the doctrine of election bring comfort to our lives today (v. 4)?
4) How has God blessed you through the Lighthouse community? How is this community transforming you and growing your love for the Lord? How would you like to pray for this community? (Spend some time praying for the church at the end.)