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1 Thessalonians 1:4-10

INTRODUCTION: Our message series is called “Lessons from a Growing Church,” and we are studying Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians to see what we can learn from this amazing church that was brand new and yet growing by leaps and bounds. Last week we studied the birth of the Thessalonian church, and we saw how the gospel is absolutely central to the church of Jesus Christ. In today’s passage Paul continues to explore the role of the gospel in the life of the church and the believer.

He particularly writes about the Thessalonians’ response to the gospel and the results of the gospel in their lives. As we study this passage we will see how these two aspects, response to the gospel and results of the gospel relate to the whole matter of assurance in the believer’s life. How can you know for certain that God has chosen you to belong to him? Let’s find out! (Read 1 Thessalonians 1:4-5 and pray.)

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Our message today is called “Chosen by God” because our passage deals with a challenging doctrine in Scripture called election. The doctrine of election is an important doctrine throughout Scripture. There’s a mystery in all this, but the Scriptures clearly teach that God chose you for salvation before you were born, before he even created the world! The doctrine of election brings great assurance of salvation, because if you were chosen by God for salvation, then you know that your salvation is secure.

Why did God choose us for salvation? The Bible makes it clear that God did not choose us because of our good works or because we were somehow better than others. The only reason ever given in Scripture is God’s love for us. Why did God choose us for salvation? Because he loves us. I like the way one person put it: “God chose us because he loves us, and he loves us because he loves us.” (John Stott) It’s that simple.

However, this morning we want to focus not so much on why God has chosen us, but rather on how can we know that God has chosen us? It is a vitally important question. What could be more important than knowing whether or not you are saved, knowing whether or not you are going to heaven when you die? And if your salvation is mysteriously wrapped up in God’s electing power before the creation of the world, then the most important question you can ever answer is, “How can you know if God has chosen you?”

Paul says in verse four: “Brothers loved by God, we know that he has chosen you.” Well, how did Paul know? Isn’t God’s choice supposed to be a secret, known only to God and God alone? After all, the Bible says, “The Lord knows those who are his” (2 Timothy 2:19) Yes, it is a secret belonging to God alone, but the secret becomes known as the gospel goes forth and works its power. Election takes place in the past but reveals itself in the present through the working of the gospel.

Paul gives us two reasons how we can know that God has chosen us, and they have to do with your response to the gospel and the results of the gospel. How do you know if God has chosen you? You can know by your response to the gospel and by the results of the gospel in your life.

I. Your response to the gospel (4-7)

So, first, let’s look at your response to the gospel. You know that God has chosen you when you respond to the gospel in faith and with joy.

   A. You know that God has chosen you when you respond to the gospel in faith (4-5)
      – John 6:44; Romans 1:16; John 3:5

First, there is the response of faith. Look at verses 4-5 where Paul writes:

Brothers, loved by God, we know that God has chosen you because our gospel came to you not simply with words, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction. (1 Thessalonians 1:4-5)

Paul is speaking here of a believing response to the gospel. You know that God has chosen you when you respond to the gospel in faith.

Not everyone responds to the gospel in faith. Remember the parable of the sower? The sower scatters the seed, but not all the seed grows, because not all the seed falls in good soil. The seed represents the gospel, but not all the seed grows, because not everyone responds to the gospel in faith. Paul says that the gospel came to the Thessalonians with more than mere words. It came with power, with the Holy Spirit, and with deep conviction.

Power here refers to the saving power of God triggered by the sharing of the gospel. Apart from this power no one would ever come to Christ. Jesus said: “No one can come to me unless the Father draws him.” (John 6:44) This is the power Paul spoke about when he said: “I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes.” (Romans 1:16)

The gospel also came with the Holy Spirit. The Spirit calls, convicts and breathes new life into a person. Jesus said in John 3:5: “I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit.” (John 3:5)

The gospel also came with deep conviction. This conviction is a profound assurance given by the Holy Spirit concerning the truth of the gospel and your new standing in Christ. When God saves you, you have this conviction deep in your heart that God is your Father, that all your sins have been forgiven, that you are a new creation in Christ, that you now belong to God and his people for all of eternity.

When the gospel comes to you not simply with words, but with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction, you hear the message, and you believe. That’s the first way you know that God has chosen you. You know that God has chosen you when you respond to the gospel in faith.

   B. You know that God has chosen you when you respond to the gospel with joy (5-7)
      – Philippians 4:4; Hebrews 12:2; Psalm 35:9, 40:16, 95:1

Another sign that God has chosen you is when you respond to the gospel with joy. Back to 1 Thessalonians, look at the end of verse 5 now and on through verse 7. Paul writes:

You know how we lived among you for your sake. 6 You became imitators of us and of the Lord; in spite of severe suffering, you welcomed the message with the joy given by the Holy Spirit. 7 And so you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia. (1 Thessalonians 1:5-7)

The Thessalonians knew how Paul and his companions lived among them. They knew of Paul’s love, sacrifice and unselfishness. But they also knew of Paul’s joy. Paul had just come from Philippi where he and Silas had been stripped, beaten, flogged, and thrown into prison for their faith. What did they do that night as they sat in the inner cell, their feet fastened in stocks? They prayed and sang hymns to God. Paul would later write to the Philippians from another prison cell: “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again. Rejoice!” (Philippians 4:4)

Paul brought a testimony of joy to the Thessalonians even in the midst of persecution. It was a testimony that Paul had learned from Jesus. Hebrews 12:2 speaks of Jesus: “who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame.” (Hebrews 12:2) And so, the Thessalonians became imitators of both Paul and Jesus. In spite of severe suffering, they welcomed the message with the joy given by the Holy Spirit.

This is the second reference to the Holy Spirit in just a few verses. Joy is both a fruit of the Spirit and a result of conversion. When a person is saved there is rejoicing in heaven among the angels and joy on earth among God’s people. But there is also joy in you!

Salvation is all about rejoicing. Psalm 35:9 says: “My soul will rejoice in the LORD and delight in his salvation.” (Psalm 35:9) Psalm 40:16 says: “May all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you; may those who love your salvation always say, ‘The LORD be exalted!’” (Psalm 40:16) Psalm 95:1 says “Come, let us sing for joy to the LORD; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation.” (Psalm 95:1) The Scriptures know nothing about a joyless salvation.

What was truly remarkable about the Thessalonians’ joyful response was that they were suffering. We saw last week how persecution of the church began almost immediately.

Conversion to Christ comes with a cost. Yet the Thessalonians welcomed the message with the joy given by the Holy Spirit. Only the Holy Spirit can give joy in the midst of trial. Happiness depends on circumstances, but joy transcends our circumstances. The Holy Spirit is our comforter, counselor, giver of peace and giver of joy.

In this way the Thessalonians became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia. Notice the progression here: Jesus was the model for Paul; then Paul became a model for the Thessalonians; and now the Thessalonians became a model to the others in their region.

The regions of Macedonia and Achaia covered a lot of territory. Macedonia was the northeast section of Greece and included the cities of Philippi, Thessalonica, and Berea. Achaia was the region directly south of Macedonia and included the cities of Athens and Corinth. Altogether this was an area several hundred miles long from north to south and contained all the churches established on Paul’s second missionary journey.

The Thessalonians became an example of remaining strong and rejoicing even under persecution. In spite of severe suffering, they welcomed the message with the joy given by the Holy Spirit.

You know that God has chosen you when you respond to the gospel in faith and with great joy. You are saved by faith, but true faith is always accompanied by joy. If you make a profession of faith without any sense of joy, then either you don’t really understand the gospel, or you don’t really believe. It’s not enough just to believe with your mind; you must believe in your heart! A believing, joyful response to the gospel is part of knowing whether God has chosen you for salvation.

II. The results of the gospel in your life (8-10)

But that’s only the first part of the test. You must look not only at your response to the gospel, but also at the results of the gospel in your life. In verses 8-10 Paul describes two results of the gospel which take place in every person who has truly placed their faith in Christ: 1) there is a verbal witness to Christ in your life, and 2) there are life-changes which bear testimony to your faith in Christ.

   A. You know that God has chosen you when the gospel results in verbal witness to Christ in your life (8)

First, you know that God has chosen you when the gospel results in verbal witness to Christ in your life. Look at verse 8 with me now:

The Lord’s message rang out from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia – your faith in God has become known everywhere. (1 Thessalonians 1:8)

The Thessalonian church was not only an example to other believers in the area. They were actively spreading the gospel. They were giving verbal witness to Christ in their lives.

True faith will always speak out. It’s not a matter of personality or style. It’s simply a matter of sharing with others the joy of your salvation. Christ saved you, and you want to tell others. The good news is too good to keep to yourself.

Paul says the Lord’s message “rang out” from the Thessalonians. The word translated “Rang out” is a word that means “resounded or sounded forth.” It was used of thunder rolling around the mountains or the loud sound of a trumpet cutting through the air. So, Paul is saying that the Lord’s message sounded forth like a trumpet; it resounded like thunder in their community.

In other words, the Thessalonian church was making some noise with the gospel. That’s what God wants for us. God wants us to make some noise in the community. There are people all around you who are spiritually dying, and they need Jesus. They need the gospel. They need spiritual mouth-to-mouth resuscitation – sharing the gospel with them one on one.

What do you share? You share what you know. You tell them that God loves them and sent his Son for them that they might be saved. You speak the truth in love. That’s the first result when you truly believe in Jesus. You tell others! You know that God has chosen you when the gospel results in verbal witness to Christ in your life.

   B. You know that God has chosen you when the gospel results in life-changes which bear testimony to your faith in Christ (8-10)

And then the second result is this: you know that God has chosen you when the gospel results in life-changes which bear testimony to your faith in Christ. True faith bears fruit for God. Look at the rest of verse 8 now and down through verse 10:

Your faith in God has become known everywhere. 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.” (1 Thessalonians 1:8-10)

For the Thessalonians, the testimony of their lives matched their verbal witness. Their walk matched their talk. The story of their faith was traveling faster than an internet rumor. Paul was receiving reports even outside of Macedonia and Achaia. Their faith in God had become known everywhere!

Remember the city of Thessalonica was the capital of Macedonia. It was a port city with a major trade route. People were coming and going, and the word was spreading. The riot itself may have drawn more attention to this new struggling church. If so, then God used it for good, as he always does. We never pray for persecution – we pray against it and for relief. Nevertheless, God often uses persecution to make his church strong and to spread the gospel even further.

Paul says, “Your faith has become so well known that we don’t need to say a word.” I like how the Jerusalem Bible translates this: “We do not need to tell other people about it: other people tell us . . .” Wouldn’t it be wonderful if the people in our community were talking about our church in such positive ways? If they were talking about our faith so much, that we didn’t really need to say anything about it, because they already knew!

That’s what Paul is saying about the Thessalonians. “We don’t need to say anything about you, Thessalonians – by the time we get anywhere, it’s already old news. The message is traveling faster than we are. People tell us about you. What do they say? They talk about the radical life-changes which have come about in your life as a result of the gospel. They tell how you turned from idols in order to serve the living and true God and to wait for his Son from heaven.”

You know you have been chosen by God when the gospel results in life-changes which bear testimony to your faith in Christ. These changes can be summed up by the report which was spreading about the Thessalonians: “They turned to God from idols.” The Thessalonians turned away from their idols. They did an about face, and they made a decisive break with the past.

You may not have any statues in your home, but do you serve any of these other modern-day idols – such as money, power, fame, addictions, greed, immorality, another person, perhaps your own children – anything you hold so dear to your life that you place it before God?

It’s tough to break with idols. They have power over your heart, mind and life. But fortunately, the process of conversion is not only negative, that is, turning from idols. That would be next to impossible. But it is also positive. It is a turning to God. It is turning to the one, true, living God who calls you to himself. He is the one who gives you the power to break free from the past.

There is a purpose behind this turning to God from idols. We turn in order to serve and to wait. First of all, we turn in order to serve. There is only one being in the universe worth serving and worshiping – and that is the one true, living God who created you for himself. He is genuine. He is the real thing. All other gods are counterfeits, false idols competing for your attention. Only God can satisfy you. Turn to him. Serve him with your life.

And then, we turn to wait. Paul says they turned from their idols “in order to serve the living and true God,” and then also “to wait for his Son from heaven, Jesus who rescues us from the coming wrath.” Paul uses an unusual word for wait here. It includes the idea of patience and trust. In other words, we wait patiently for Christ in full trust that he will return as he promised.

This holy expectation is part of the radical change in our lives. We no longer live for the present. We live for the future. Waiting for Jesus is the only proper Christian stance in this world. One out of every thirteen verses in the New Testament refers to Christ’s second coming. The message is clear: don’t get too comfortable here; this world is not your home; you’re only passing through.

Notice how Paul describes Jesus here. He is the Son from heaven – that means he is the exalted Lord. He is the one whom God raised from the dead – that means he is the conqueror of sin and death. He is the one who rescues us from the coming wrath – that means he is our Savior and deliverer.

It’s interesting, back in verse one Paul called Jesus the Messiah, the Christ. Here in verse ten, he calls him the Son of God and the rescuer or Savior. You may be familiar with the ICHTHUS – the fish symbol for Christianity. ICTHUS is the Greek word for fish, and the Greek letters together stand for – Jesus Christ, God’s Son, Savior. And that is exactly how Paul has identified Jesus in this first chapter of Thessalonians. He is Jesus Christ, God’s Son, Savior. He is the one for whom we wait from heaven.

CONCLUSION: Has God chosen you? You don’t have to wonder. You can know. First, look at your response to the gospel. Have you responded to the gospel message in faith believing in Jesus? Does your salvation bring you joy? Then, look at the results of the gospel in your life. Do you share your faith in Christ with others? Has the gospel resulted in life-changes which bear testimony to your faith in Christ?

That’s how Paul knew that God had chosen the Thessalonians, and that is how we can know that God has chosen us. I encourage you to examine your own life to see if these things are true for you. Faith, joy, witness and godly change – these are the marks of a true believer. These are how you can know that you have been chosen by God.

© Ray Fowler

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