Living for Today but Longing for Tomorrow

As an athlete, I will always be grateful for the influence that my coaches have had on my life. The life lessons that I learned from them, on and off the practice field, have proven to be invaluable tools in helping me to face life's many challenges. One particular lesson that my coaches taught me was, "little things make big things." My teammates and I were told repeatedly that if we paid careful attention to the little things of life, the big things would take care of themselves. We were thus challenged to be on time for meetings and class, to respect our classmates and professors, to study diligently, to take pride in how organized we kept our lockers, and to perform our practice drills with precision. Our coaches were careful to remind us that our performance during the big game on Saturday would only be as strong as our faithfulness to live with excellence throughout the week.

Mediocrity inspires no one, but those who pursue their lives with passion and excellence challenge and encourage others to do the same. It's no small thing then that Paul begins his letter by thanking God for the genuine commitment of the Thessalonians to the gospel (1:2-3). This church clearly lived for Christ with passion and expectancy. There 16was nothing mediocre about their faith, their love, or their hope. They were an inspiration to Paul and to the churches of Macedonia and Achaia (1:8-9). But despite the excellence of the Thessalonians' faith, God was ultimately the source behind every good thing that was happening among them. Hiebert makes this point:

Paul's heart was full of praise because of the good news concerning the Thessalonians, but he did not simply congratulate them on the success that had been achieved. He was well aware that the spiritual results evoking his gratitude were due ultimately neither to the preachers nor the converts. God Himself was the real cause of it all. To Him belonged the thanks for what had been wrought. (Hiebert, 1 and 2 Thessalonians, 47)

Because God transforms those whom He saves, we should expect that genuine conversion will produce visible results. As we explore this passage more carefully, we will see how Paul expresses gratitude to God for how the gospel has taken root in the hearts of the Thessalonians. He will identify three characteristics of their authentic faith: it was genuine, it was dynamic, and it was contagious.

A Genuine Church

1 Thessalonians 1:4-6, 9-10

After his customary greeting in verse 1, Paul's first words express his joy in hearing a good report from Timothy concerning the status of the church. The months of mental anguish, not knowing what had become of the church, must have been overwhelming. But when the news finally arrived, Paul could rejoice that their faith had proven to be real. If someone had accused them of being genuine followers of Jesus Christ, the evidence to convict them was apparent: they were guilty as charged. Their faith was working, their love was laboring, and their hope was enduring. Their Christianity meant something. Paul could thus say without equivocation that he "knew" their election by God (1:4).

Here is an important theological point: They were not the elect of God because they worked at their faith. Rather, because they were the elect of God they had a faith that worked. The distinction is very important. Election is not something that we earn. An earned salvation would destroy the doctrine of grace. However, while election and salvation are 17not earned, they without doubt produce evidence (Jas 2:14-26). Truly there are no Secret Service agents in God's kingdom. As noted, genuine conversion produces visible results. If someone followed us around for a week and observed our lives, would there be enough evidence to convict us of being Christians?

Genuine Conversion Changes Our Direction (1 Thess 1:4-6)

From the moment Paul set foot in the Thessalonian synagogue, his aim was to proclaim the good news. For Paul, there was no good news apart from the gospel, so the heart of his message focused on the Old Testament Scriptures that pointed to a risen Lord Jesus and on his own personal encounter with the Lord (Acts 9:1-9; 17:2). Luke gives a glimpse of Paul's preaching when he writes, "[Paul] reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and showing that the Messiah had to suffer and rise from the dead: 'This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Messiah'" (Acts 17:2-3).

While Paul opened the Scriptures and preached Christ to the Thessalonians, the preaching of the good news was only half the equation. For the gospel to take root, God's Spirit must intervene. Concerning this, John MacArthur insightfully notes,

Faith does not come by merely hearing those words of truth ... [for] if the truth spoken is not accompanied by the power of God, it accomplishes nothing. But when empowered by God as it enters the prepared soul, the gospel truth saves. (MacArthur, 1 and 2 Thessalonians, 22)

The gospel had come to Thessalonica not in word only but also with great power (1:5). Through the illuminating work of the Holy Spirit they were able to comprehend the gospel, and then by an act of saving faith, they embraced it. When the Holy Spirit opened their eyes to understand the gospel, they recognized its divine origin. This was no ordinary message; it was the Word of God (2:13). Their acknowledgement of the divine source of the message explains why, despite the high cost to their personal welfare, they received it with joy and therefore joined with Paul, Silas, and Timothy in following Jesus (1:6).

Genuine Conversion Changes Our Affection (1 Thess 1:9)

Verse 9 provides a vivid picture of what happens to us when we embrace the gospel: we turn from idols (repentance), turn to God (faith), and 18turn our lives over to God (service). The Thessalonians did not merely try on Jesus to see if He would fit into the wardrobe of their lives. Instead, they clothed themselves completely with Him (see Rom 13:14).

Turning from idols is not easy. Idols ostensibly give life security and meaning. We spend our time and money on them. They consume our thinking. They become objects of our worship. Our thoughts are drawn to them and they occupy our dreams. In Timothy Keller's words, "An idol has such a controlling position in your heart that you can spend most of your passion and energy, your emotional and financial resources on it without a second thought" (Keller, Counterfeit Gods, 13-14).

How can we break free from something that is deeply rooted in our lives? There is only one way. We have to turn to something better. We have to turn from what is false to what is true and from what is dead to what is living. That is what the Thessalonians did. They turned to the "living and true God" (1:9). They turned from being slaves to lifeless idols to being servants of the living God. God changed their affections.

Of course, such a transformation is the result of genuine conversion. Throughout history, countless numbers of believers have chosen, at great cost to their own personal welfare, to pursue Christ above all else. Writing about early Christian martyrs, MacArthur describes their devotion to Christ:

Following Jesus Christ was the sum of their entire existence. At the moment when life itself was on the line, nothing else mattered besides identifying themselves with Him. For these faithful believers, the name "Christian" was much more than a religious designation. It defined everything about them, including how they viewed both themselves and the world around them. The label underscored their love for a crucified Messiah along with their willingness to follow Him no matter the cost. It told of the wholesale transformation God had produced in their hearts, and witnessed to the fact that they had been made completely new in Him. They had died to their old way of life, having been born again into the family of God. Christian was not simply a title, but an entirely new way of thinking—one that had serious implications for how they lived—and ultimately how they died. (MacArthur, Slave, 9)

19The transforming work of Christ decisively and completely reoriented the lives of the Thessalonians. So apparent was their break from past pursuits that others took note of this transformation (1:9).

Genuine Conversion Changes Our Reflection (1 Thess 1:10)

One of my best friends once told me that that I should visit a cemetery before making all major life decisions. His rationale was that such an exercise would remind me that life is short and eternity is long. The Thessalonians learned from Paul that the Christian should view present circumstances in the light of eternal promises. During Paul's short stay in Thessalonica, he taught the people extensively about the return of Christ (2 Thess 2:5). He clearly wanted them to live their lives in light of the imminent return of the Lord and their promised future with Him. As we will see later, Paul devoted considerable attention to addressing the Thessalonians' lingering questions about eschatological matters. His goal in teaching them about Christ's return was always more pastoral than theological. His purpose was to build within them an expectant hope for the future. He also wanted to reassure them that despite their present persecution, God's "coming wrath" was not something to be feared. Rather, they could be confident and hopeful about their future and pursue their walk with Christ with an expectant anticipation of His return. When everyone else was looking around in confusion, Paul wanted them to be looking up in anticipation. That is the "blessed hope" of the Christian life (Titus 2:13).

A Dynamic Church

1 Thessalonians 1:2-3

There are two great independence days in the lives of Christians: the day that you follow Jesus Christ and are set free from the penalty of sin, and the day that you understand the present implications of your salvation. From the moment of a believer's salvation, God begins the process of transformation. As you surrender to God, He transforms your mind and teaches you His will (Rom 12:1-2). As you grasp His will, you begin to understand better His purpose for your life. But you will never understand His purposes for you until you completely surrender your life to Him.

20How then does this relate to the present passage? Remember that the letter begins with an expression of Paul's thankfulness (v. 2). Why was he so thankful? The Thessalonians had experienced their independence days. First, they were God's elect and the beneficiaries of His grace and peace (1:1, 4). Second, they understood His will and were living out their faith for God's honor and glory.

A Working Faith (1 Thess 1:3a)

God is not as interested in what we do for a living as He is in how we live in the midst of the work He is doing. The Thessalonians had a faith that was working. The visible manifestation of their inward transformation was a faith that was alive. Three times in this passage Paul points to their visible faith as proof of their genuine conversion: "The Lord's message rang out from you," "your faith in God has gone out," and "they themselves report" (1:8-9). They had a faith that showed. Although their active faith was not necessary for their salvation, it was most assuredly a testimony to their salvation. As he would later teach the Ephesians, God saves for the purpose of fulfilling His purposes through the way we are working (Eph 2:8-9). When God's people grasp this truth their lives are changed and their churches can be transformed.

A Laboring Love (1 Thess 1:3b)

According to Jesus, the disciples' genuine love for one another would send to the world a message that they were His disciples (John 13:35). The Thessalonians had a deep, genuine love for one another. This kind of love was greater than mere sentimentality. Paul emphasizes this point by using the Greek word kopos to refer to the manifestation of their love. This word refers to laboring to the point of weariness, sweat, or fatigue (Rienecker and Rogers, Linguistic Key, 586). Genuine love is willing to go the distance, even to the point of exhaustion and weariness. It is a love that knows no limits and finds its ultimate source in the love of God (Rom 5:8). This explains why the apostle John implores you and me to "love one another, because love is from God, and everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God" (1 John 4:7). Paul unpacks the essence of love by showing how its absence nullifies even the greatest of Christian virtues:

If I speak human or angelic languages but do not have love, I am a sounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and 21understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith so that I can move mountains but do not have love, I am nothing. And if I donate all my goods to feed the poor, and if I give my body in order to boast but do not have love, I gain nothing. (1 Cor 13:1-3)

Where there is no love it does not matter what we say, it does not matter what we know, and it does not matter what we do. That is how vital love is to the Christian faith.

An Enduring Hope (1 Thess 1:3c)

Paul commended the Thessalonians for their expectant and patient hope in Christ's appearing from heaven (v. 10). Later in the letter (and in 2 Thessalonians) he will address this theme in much greater detail. The hope that Paul mentions in verse 3 is a hope of endurance and perseverance. The Thessalonians had an unshakable confidence in the Lord regardless of their circumstances. They needed this kind of enduring hope in view of their adversity. As Barclay so aptly puts it, "A man can endure anything as long as he has hope, for then he is walking not to the night, but to the dawn" (Barclay, Letters, 218).

Indeed, times were tough for this young church. Satan knew the threat that this church posed to his kingdom, and he was doing everything possible to keep it from succeeding. A successful church plant in this city would open the door for rapid spread of the gospel throughout the Roman Empire. And just as Satan knew the threat of the Thessalonian church, you can be sure that he also knows the threat that all churches pose to his kingdom. He will do everything possible to hinder their success as well. When you declare your allegiance to Jesus Christ, you declare war on hell. When you declare war on hell, hell puts up a fight. If you don't like the sight of blood, you better stay out of the ministry. When I arrived at my first pastorate, I thought that the people would love me if I just loved them and preached the Bible. Less than three months into my ministry I learned otherwise. From lawsuits, false accusations, and personal attacks, I learned quickly that ministry was war. Without the "hope" of my calling, I would not still be in ministry today. This hope, as Leon Morris asserts, "is not a quiet, passive resignation, but an active constancy in the face of difficulties" (Morris, Epistles of Paul, 42). You don't curl up in the corner and "hope" that things will get better. You press on with confidence in the living God, the assurance of your salvation, and the certainty of your future in Christ.

A Contagious Church

1 Thessalonians 1:8-9

22

Think for a moment about how many churches you pass every day. What do you know about those churches? I am guessing that all you know about most of them is what you see from the outside. This is most unfortunate because God's plan for the church is not for people on the outside to wonder what's happening on the inside. His plan for the church is for the people on the inside to take the message to those on the outside. The great commission is not an invitation for outsiders to come and hear but for the church to "go and tell" (Matt 28:19-20). When Jesus ascended into heaven and the perplexed disciples gazed into the sky, the angel quizzically asked them, "Why do you stand looking up into Heaven?" (Acts 1:11). The implication of these words was a strong message to stop standing around. Jesus is coming back; it's time to get busy. People who grasp what it means to follow Christ are not content to stand around and do nothing. They know that their time is short. They want to make a difference. A contagious church recognizes that there is work to be done, and its people get busy with doing it. The Thessalonians have this kind of contagious enthusiasm.

Contagious in Our Proclamation(1 Thess 1:8)

Though a considerable distance from Athens, Thessalonica was not without its own philosophers and philosophies. To satisfy their religious cravings, the Thessalonians had much from which to choose—whether it be the synagogue, a temple, or an idol. But as Paul makes clear, the gospel was not just one philosophy among many. God was not just another god amid the gods of the Romans. The gospel of Jesus Christ was the "Lord's message" because it came from the one true God. The Thessalonians therefore had not imbibed the musings of some new philosopher. No, they had received a message of divine revelation from God Himself. The power of this message set them free from their sin and from their idols. Their natural response was to live it and to proclaim it. They could not be silent about the message that transformed their lives. All who are in Christ know from personal experience how profoundly life-changing the gospel message is. And we can recall how we longed to experience it from the first time we truly heard it with our hearts. Like the disciples who first witnessed the resurrection of Christ, we know what it is like to 23have our "hearts ablaze" as the Holy Spirit opens our eyes to understand the Scriptures (Luke 24:32).

Contagious in Our Passion (1 Thess 1:8-9)

Such good news needed to be shared. So from the Thessalonians, "the Lord's message rang out." It thundered forth with great intensity. If the Thessalonians had a church building, people would not be able to pass by and wonder what was going on inside. They could hear it for themselves. The gospel was being preached. Their influence was growing in Thessalonica and the regions beyond. People were talking about their message. Their congregation was not just another irrelevant church on the street corner; they were impacting their world. If you have ever been in a church like this, then you know how contagious its spirit can be. And if you have ever been in a church that is not like this, then you know as well how discouraging its attitude can be.

I can vividly remember my high school football coach taping a clipping from the local newspaper on my locker. A line from the article hit me like a laser beam. It said, "All-conference linebacker Mark Howell was ineffective." What? Of all the things that could have been said, that comment hurt the most. You see, while I may have played in the game that night, my presence on the field made no difference. The truth hurt, but it made a big difference in how I played the rest of the season. Here is the big question: When Jesus looks at how you and I "do church," is it possible that He would say that we are ineffective? We may be singing songs and preaching sermons, but are we really making a difference in our world? Is the "Lord's message" thundering forth from our pulpits to our people?

Conclusion

The greatest danger of any organization is to lose sight of its reason for existence. This is especially true for the church. A number of years ago someone posted on the front door of a Washington, DC area church a sign that read, "Going Out of Business." Not long after the sign was posted someone added these words, "We never really knew what our business was."

Though specific numbers are difficult to come by, conservative estimates suggest that between 3,500 and 4,000 churches will close their doors this year. This means that every week more than 70 churches will 24hang "going out of business" signs on their doors. Without question, such a trend is troubling and puzzling. After all, if the church is the only human institution that Jesus Himself promised to build and to bless, we should rightly expect it not only to survive but also to thrive.

Despite having access to dozens of helpful books, seminars, and conferences touting the latest church planting and missiological strategies, many pastors continue to struggle in leading their churches to grow. Perhaps we would do well to remember that apart from the gospel and apostolic instruction, the Thessalonian Christians had no materials or seminars from which to glean insight into how they should fulfill their calling. Yet, from Paul's own attestation, this church was a model church among the churches of Macedonia and Achaia (1:7).

What was it about this church that made them such an example? Let's recall three characteristics that made this church exceptional.

They were grounded in their relationship with Jesus. Regardless of its ideal location, innovative strategies, or charismatic leader, a church will never be what God intended for it to be if its people are not passionately in love with Jesus Christ and His glorious gospel. Yes, the church may grow in size and number, but unless it is grounded in the gospel, its people will never grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ (2 Pet 3:18). Millard Erickson is correct when he asserts,

Because the gospel has been, is, and will always be the way of salvation, the only way, the church must preserve the gospel at all costs. When the gospel is modified, the vitality of the church is lost. The church dies. (Erickson, Christian Theology, 1075)

The young Thessalonian church faced many challenges, but one challenge it never faced was concern about whether or not it would survive. Its future was not in question because its mission was not affected by external circumstances. Instead the Thessalonians were motivated by an internal conviction that Jesus Christ was the Son of God who died to set them free (cf. Rom 8:1-2).

They were passionate about their calling. The presence of the gospel in a person's heart will always be demonstrated by the power of the gospel in a person's life. The gospel is not something that we try on like a new pair of shoes. In fact, we don't "try on" the gospel at all. In a very real sense, when we embrace the gospel, the gospel embraces us. Thus the gospel does more than reform our behavior; it transforms our being. 25That is why true followers of Jesus do radical things like faithfully enduring persecution (1:6), boldly sharing the gospel (1:8), and completely walk away from idols (1:9).

They were hopeful about their future. As we will see in the remainder of Paul's letter, this church had its hope firmly fixed on the return of Christ (1:9-10; 2:19-20; 3:13; 4:13-18; 5:23-24). Indeed, the Thessalonian believers provide a fitting illustration for how the believer can live faithfully in the present while looking expectantly at the future. John Stott describes how serving and waiting work together:

"Serving" and "waiting" go together in the experience of converted people.... In Christian terms "serving" is getting busy for Christ on earth, while "waiting" is looking for Christ to come from heaven. Yet these two are not incompatible. On the contrary, each balances the other. On the one hand, however hard we work and serve, there are limits to what we can accomplish. We can only improve society; we cannot perfect it. We shall never build utopia on earth. For that we have to wait for Christ to come.... On the other hand, although we must look expectantly for the coming of Christ, we have no liberty to wait in idleness, with arms folded and eyes closed, indifferent to the needs of the world around us. Instead, we must work even while we wait, for we are called to serve the living and true God.

Thus working and waiting go together. In combination they will deliver us both from the presumption which thinks we can do everything and from the pessimism which thinks we can do nothing. (Stott, Gospel and the End, 41-42)

Reflect and Discuss

1. Of the three ways in which conversion to Christ changes you, which is most evident in your life?
2. What is the relationship between faith and works in the Christian life?
3. What are some idols to which you cling? How do these idols compete with your loyalty to Christ?
4. Why do so many Christians fail to grasp the significance of what God wants them to do with their lives once they are saved?
5. What does the "work of faith" look like in your life?
6. How can you labor in your love when it comes to your relationship with others in the church? What about those outside of the church?
7. 26Explain why hope is so important in the Christian life. How does your hope for the future influence how you live today?
8. What was it like the first time that you truly understood the gospel? How did you respond to the message?
9. Why are so many churches ineffective or irrelevant when it comes to impacting their world? What can be done to revitalize them?
10. Are you a contagious Christian? Would others look at your life and be inspired to imitate your devotion to Jesus? How can the faith of the Thessalonians inspire your faith?