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1 Thessalonians 1:1-3

INTRODUCTION: We are starting a new message series this morning called “Lessons from a Growing Church.” The book of Thessalonians is actually a letter that Paul wrote to the church in Thessalonica. And what’s really impressive about the Thessalonians is they are a brand-new church. They’re just getting started! And sure, they have some things wrong just as with any church, but overall they are doing things right, and there is so much we can learn from this new and growing church.

1 Thessalonians is one of Paul’s earliest letters and one of the earliest of all the books written in the New Testament. It is also one of Paul’s most personal letters. Paul had an extraordinary ministry among the Thessalonians, and he loved them dearly. He longed to see them again, but his continuing missionary work made this impossible.

Timothy had just brought him a good report about the church, and so Paul wrote this letter to encourage them, to affirm them of his love and to instruct them in several key matters. The church was less than a year old, composed entirely of new Christians recently converted from Judaism or paganism. They were experiencing persecution, and yet they still were growing by leaps and bounds. Today we will look at the birth of this amazing church as well as the centrality of the gospel in the life of the church. (Read 1 Thessalonians 1:1-3)

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Every birth is a miracle, whether the birth of a child, a puppy or a church. I was present at the births of all three of my boys, and those were three of the most memorable days of my life.

Spiritual birth is also a miracle. One of the most thrilling experiences in life is to be present when someone comes to know Christ. A person crosses over from death to life, from darkness to light, from condemnation to forgiveness – it is absolutely incredible.

But another wonder we don’t get to see as often is the birth of a church. We sometimes forget that churches just don’t pop out of thin air. They must be planted, nurtured, birthed and established. And so it was with the church at Thessalonica.

Paul wrote this letter around the year 50 A.D. He couldn’t have written it the year before. You know why? Because the church didn’t exist then! It was a brand-new church. The church at Thessalonica had just been birthed into the world a few months before. First there wasn’t a church, and then there was a church. How does that happen? Money doesn’t grow on trees, and neither do churches.

So, this morning we are going to look at the birth of the Thessalonian church together. And as we look at the birth of this new church, I want you to see how absolutely essential the gospel is to the church. The gospel creates the church. The gospel sustains the church. And the gospel defines the church’s identity and mission. The church does not exist apart from the gospel of Jesus Christ. The gospel is absolutely central to the life of the church.

I. The gospel creates the church (Acts 17:1-4)

First of all, the gospel creates the church. We read about the birth of the Thessalonian church in Acts 17. The year was A.D. 49. Thessalonica was a bustling port city located along a major trade route called the Egnatian Way. It was a city with a rich history. It was founded in the year 315 B.C. by an officer named Cassander. It was in a prime location with a natural harbor and well-suited for a major city. Cassander named it after his wife whose name just happened to be … Thessalonica! She was the half-sister of Alexander the Great, and Cassander was a general in Alexander’s army. Thessalonica soon grew to be a prominent city, later becoming the capital of the entire Roman providence of Macedonia. Even today it is considered the second most important city in all of Greece.

Paul had just begun the first part of his second missionary journey. His traveling companions for this journey were Silas, Timothy and Luke, although we only read about Paul and Silas at Thessalonica. They had just come from Philippi where they successfully planted the first church in all of Europe. In fact, this missionary journey marks the first time the gospel was ever preached in Europe. The journey from Philippi to Thessalonica was about one hundred miles, a five-day journey by foot. Paul and his companions would have traveled along the Egnatian Way, the trade route we mentioned earlier.

   A. Paul preaches the gospel to the Thessalonians (1-3)
      – Romans 1:16

And when they get there, Paul preaches the gospel to the Thessalonians. We read in Acts 17:1:

When they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue. (Acts 17:1)

Once again, this was a major city full of politics, people, religion and trade. There were plenty of pagans, a strong Jewish presence with the synagogue, but there were no Christians yet, and there was no church. That was all about to change.

Paul and Silas were just ordinary men. I’m sure no one even noticed them as they entered the city that day. But they carried with them a message so powerful that within weeks it would rock the whole city, as it continues to the rock the world today. That message was the gospel, and it is absolutely essential to the birth of a church. Look at verses 2 and 3 with me now:

As his custom was, Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and proving that the Christ had to suffer and rise from the dead. “This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Christ,” he said. (Acts 17:2-3)

Notice Paul’s approach. He began in the synagogue. This was his usual practice when entering a city. Paul was a trained Pharisee with a thorough knowledge of the Scriptures. And so, for three weeks, on three successive Sabbaths, he entered the synagogue and demonstrated from the Hebrew Scriptures how the Messiah had to suffer and then rise from the dead. I’m sure he pointed them to passages such as Isaiah 53 and Psalm 16 and Psalm 22 among others.
His strategy was first to show them from their own Scriptures that the Messiah would suffer, die and then rise again. Next, he told them about Jesus. He shared how Jesus suffered, died and rose again from the dead. Finally, he proclaimed to them that this Jesus was indeed the Messiah, that Jesus was the Christ foretold in their Scriptures.

Basically, Paul shared the gospel. That’s how you do it. That’s how you plant a church. Paul would later write to the Romans: “I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.” (Romans 1:16) And so Paul went to the synagogue, and he preached the gospel. He went first to the Jews because this was their Messiah. And he told them: “This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Christ.”

   B. The Thessalonians respond to the gospel (4)
      – Acts 17:17; Acts 9:15

We read the people’s response to the gospel in verse 4:

Some of the Jews were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a large number of God-fearing Greeks and not a few prominent women. (Acts 17:4)

First, some of the Jews responded. As Paul opened the Scriptures up to them and showed them Jesus, they responded in faith and received Jesus as their Messiah and Savior. A large number of God-fearing Greeks responded also. These were Gentiles who believed in God but didn’t necessarily want to become Jews. The gospel was wonderful news to them. At last, they could worship the one true God without all the trappings of Judaism. Through Christ they could worship God as Gentiles without first becoming Jews. A number of prominent women in the city also embraced Christ and so Paul makes mention of these as well.

Now, although Acts doesn’t state it directly, we can assume Paul also went to the pagan Gentiles in the city. We see in verse 17 that he did this in the city of Athens: “So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the God-fearing Greeks, as well as in the marketplace day by day with those who happened to be there.” (Acts 17:17) This was Paul’s pattern in every city where he evangelized. Jesus was the Messiah for the Jews, so he shared the gospel in the synagogue first. But Jesus is also the Savior for all. And so, Paul also shared the gospel with the Gentiles as well.

This was after all Paul’s main commission in life. He was the apostle to the Gentiles. When Christ confronted Paul on the road to Damascus, he told Ananias: “This man (Paul) is my chosen instrument to carry my name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel.” (Acts 9:15) As we read through the letter to the Thessalonians, it becomes clear that many of the new believers came from pagan backgrounds and the worship of idols. These also came to Christ through the gospel

And so, the church at Thessalonica was birthed. There were some Jews, a large number of God-fearing Greeks, a number of prominent women, as well as Gentiles from pagan backgrounds. A strange mixture, but that’s what the church is all about. Jews, Gentiles, pagans, Greeks, men, women, slave and free all worshiping together, all one body of Christ, all brought together by the power of the gospel. The gospel is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes. The gospel creates the church.

II. The gospel sustains the church (Acts 17:5-9)

Not only does the gospel create the church – the gospel also sustains the church. The gospel brings life, but it also sparks opposition.

   A. The gospel sustained the church at Thessalonica
      – Acts 17:5-9

It was the gospel that sustained the church at Thessalonica. The church was only several weeks old when the persecution began with a vengeance. (You can read all about it in Acts 17:5-9.)

The Jews did not like this new assembly of believers in their city, so they stirred up trouble. They started a riot and dragged some of the new believers before the city officials. They accused them of causing trouble all over the world and defying the laws of Caesar. The crowd and the city officials were thrown into turmoil, and the stage was set for the ongoing persecution of the church in Thessalonica. Those who had been arrested were forced to post bond before they were released. Paul and Silas escaped from the city during the night.

When Paul wrote the letter of 1 Thessalonians, the church was still experiencing persecution. This was a young church. These were new believers. How did they keep going in the face of opposition? How do churches and Christians today keep their faith in the midst of persecution? How will you persevere when persecution comes your way?

   B. The gospel sustains the church today
      – John 16:33; Hebrews 13:5-6

The same gospel that created the church, also sustains the church. The gospel is the good news that Jesus Christ has risen from the dead. We do not serve a dead founder of a false religion. We serve the living Christ who strengthens us and gives us hope. That is the gospel. That is what sustains the church in the midst of persecution. Christ is with us. And if Christ is with us, who can be against us?

Jesus told his disciples, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33) We read in Hebrews 13:5-6 these words of God: “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?” (Hebrews 13:5-6)

The gospel gives us hope in the midst of trouble. Christ is risen; Christ is with us; Christ is coming again. And so, we have the hope of Christ’s return and eternal life in God’s presence where there is fullness of joy. As we study the letter of 1 Thessalonians in the coming weeks, we will see that hope is one of the major themes of the letter. How appropriate. The church was facing opposition. And so, Paul reminds them of the hope that is held out in the gospel, the hope that is found in Christ.

III. The gospel defines the church (1 Thessalonians 1:1-3)

The gospel creates the church. The gospel sustains the church. And then, finally, the gospel also defines the church. The gospel defines the church’s identity and mission.

   A. The gospel defines the church’s identity (1)

First, the gospel defines the church’s identity. Let’s turn to the first chapter of 1 Thessalonians now where we read Paul’s greeting in verse 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. (1 Thessalonians 1:1)

Notice how Paul addresses them. They are “the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” He is speaking here of their identity. Their identity as a church rests completely in God the Father and Jesus the Son. Apart from the Father sending Jesus, there would be no church. God sent his Son into the world to die for sin, and now the Thessalonians have been called out of the world to live in and for Christ. They have been set apart as a church by the gospel of Christ. The gospel defines the church’s identity.

Notice how Paul speaks of God and Jesus together in one breath. They are identified together and put on equal terms. Even in the earliest letters of the New Testament, the apostles give ample testimony to the deity of Christ. Notice the titles ascribed to Jesus. He is Lord – that means he is God. His human name is Jesus – that means Savior. He is the Christ – that means he is the Messiah. The Lord Jesus Christ is the Messiah of God, the infinite God-man who was sent by the Father to accomplish the salvation of the world. The church exists in him and in God. The gospel defines the church’s identity. So, Paul in his greeting not only identifies the recipients of the letter, but he gets in some teaching as well. Sneaky guy – he would have made a great pastor!

He goes on to greet them in typical Pauline fashion: “Grace and peace to you.” Grace is the very heart of the gospel; peace is the wonderful result of the gospel – peace with God, peace with each other, one day all of creation reconciled, “whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.” (Colossians 1:19)

   B. The gospel defines the church’s mission (2-3)

The gospel defines the church’s identity. And then, the gospel also defines the church’s mission. Look at verses 2-3 with me now:

We always thank God for all of you, mentioning you in our prayers. 3 We continually 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 Thessalonians 1:2-3)

Paul immediately launches into thanksgiving for the Thessalonians. And he tells them there are three things in particular which he remembers before God in prayer: 1) your work produced by faith, 2) your labor prompted by love, and 3) your endurance inspired by hope. These three things describe the church’s mission, and all three relate directly to the gospel.

      1) “your work produced by faith”
         – Ephesians 2:8-10

First, Paul says, “I remember your work produced by faith,” literally “your work of faith.” You are saved by faith, but salvation results in good works in your life. We read in Ephesians 2: “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” (Ephesians 2:8-10)

What was the good work that the Thessalonian church was doing? They were spreading the gospel. They were fulfilling the Great Commission. The church was doing a good work – but only because it was based on faith. Remember, the gospel defines the church’s mission. The church’s mission is to spread the gospel. It is a work produced by faith.

      2) “your labor prompted by love”
         – 1 Corinthians 13:3

Next Paul says, “I remember your labor prompted by love” or once again, literally, “your labor of love.” The word “labor” emphasizes the cost of the work to the worker. It is the word for toil, pain, sweat, hardship, exhaustion, sacrifice. Jesus commanded his disciples, “Love one another as I have loved you!” How did Jesus love us? He gave up everything; he labored to the point of exhaustion; he laid down his life for his friends.

Just as our work must be produced by faith, so also our labor and sacrifice must be prompted by love. As Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 13: “If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.” (1 Corinthians 13:3) Love is what drives the Christian to labor and sacrifice for others. Paul writes of “your labor prompted by love.”

      3) “your endurance inspired by hope”
         – Titus 2:13

Finally, Paul says, “I remember your endurance inspired by hope,” or literally, “your endurance of hope.” This relates back to the second point from our message, that the gospel sustains the church in times of difficulty. Trials, hardship and persecution may come, but the gospel still holds forth hope.

This is not a wishful thinking kind of hope, but the absolute certainty that God is working all things together for the good of those who love him, that no trial is wasted in the life of the believer, that Christ is returning for his church and that every Christian has a bright future which will never be taken away. Titus 2:13 tells how “we wait for the blessed hope – the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.” (Titus 2:13) That’s the kind of hope that inspires endurance through the hard times.

Notice that this hope is “in our Lord Jesus Christ.” Your hope is only as good as the one in whom you are hoping. Christian hope is hope in the person of Christ. Therefore, our hope is perfect, certain, unshakeable.

The gospel defines the church’s mission. Paul says, “I remember your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.” John Calvin called this verse “a brief definition of true Christianity.” Work, labor and endurance – those are the things the church does. Faith, love and hope – these are the motivations for what the church does. Faith in God leads to good works; love for others leads to sacrificial service; hope in Christ leads to faithful endurance. Faith works; love labors; hope endures.

These three all relate to the gospel, just from different time perspectives. One commentator put it this way: “Faith rests on the past; love works in the present; hope looks to the future.” (Lightfoot) It is really a description of the gospel in past, present and future tense. We are saved by faith to serve in love until Christ comes to take us home. The gospel defines the church’s identity and mission.

CONCLUSION: And so, this morning we have been privileged to witness through the Scriptures the birth of a church. In A.D. 49 there was no church in Thessalonica. By A.D. 50 the church was alive and growing. There was a time when our church did not exist either. Today by the grace of God our church is here. And today by the grace of God we are firmly rooted in the gospel of Christ. Praise God!

The gospel is central to the church. The gospel creates the church; the gospel sustains the church in times of difficulty; the gospel defines the church’s identity and mission. When a church lets go of the gospel, it ceases to be a true church. It loses its roots, it forfeits its power, and it abandons its true identity and mission.

God has great things in store for us as a church. I’m excited about all that God is doing here. But in all that we do, in all that we plan, we must never lose sight of the gospel. The gospel is central to all that the church is and does.

© Ray Fowler

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