Introduction To 1 Thessalonians Series

You see Paul expected that faith would work, that love would labour and that hope would endure. They were, and are, signs of a Christian life. You see faith without love has no integrity, faith without hope well it loses direction and love without faith slips into sloppy sentimentality. All three are productive in the life of the Christian believer. Paul is impressed by their active Christian living and for this he gives thanks to God for them.

Then in verse 4 he reminds them that God has chosen them. He is confident that God has chosen them because he sees the evidence of Christian faith in their daily living. Transformed lives are one of the undeniable evidences of election. How did this change come about in their lives?

Verse 5 the gospel came to them in words but not simply words. It came in power. They knew it was no emotional trip which they were on. No the gospel came to them not just in words but in power. Words were essential but not sufficient. Think about it for a moment. They heard the gospel, many people do, but they could not respond unless the gospel came in power to them. The plain words of the gospel came with power to their hearts, to their ears, to their eyes, to their minds and they were transformed by the gospel. It came in the power of the Holy Spirit. The word was not only divine it came to them with a deep conviction that it was the Word of God, it was the gospel of Life. Power of the gospel did not depend on the eloquence of Paul, nor on his wisdom but on the power of the Holy Spirit. God had spoken and they knew it full well. And we know that experience also. You have had that experience haven’t you? When someone spoke the gospel and you knew it was God’s Word to you there and then. You were reading your bible and you heard the Word of God speak to you and your condition, situation. The Thessalonians heard the gospel – it was transmitted by word, but it came in power with the Holy Spirit. The result of this Paul outlines in the last four verses of this chapter.

Receivers had become transmitters.

Read verses 6 and 7. They were not just listeners to the gospel. The Christian church is full of sermon tasters. Lots of people will travel miles to hear a speaker and leave the church commenting on the sermon but go straight back to their sinful and sin filled lives – sermon tasters. They are listeners but the Thessalonians were more than listeners. They became imitators first of Paul and then examples of the Lord Jesus Christ. The gospel had come to them and they received it with joy. They were transformed by its power and they first became imitators of the life of those who led them to faith. Let me ask you a question – are you willing to allow someone to model their lives on yours as a Christian. Paul was – he did not see anything wrong with this. Why? Because his life was one of consistency and persistence in the things of Christ. But much more than imitating Paul the Thessalonians modelled their lives on that of Christ and in so doing they became examples to those around them. Look at verse 7 and what Paul says about them – they became an example, a model to all those around them of what it meant to live as a Christian people, to be a Christian church. Would not that be a wonderful thing to have said of you and of this place. That we were an example of living Christian lives and being a Christian church in this community. I want it – don’t you? The gospel came in power and they became changed people. They changed and became imitators. Then they changed and became examples to others. Is that the process in your life and in the life of this church?