When You Started Out - 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10

It is a known fact that Paul established the church at Thessalonica during his second missionary journey that started in AD 50. Jewish history and the 17th chapter of the Acts of the Apostles both indicate that Paul and his helpers were only allowed about three weeks to preach, teach and establish the young church before they were forced to leave under pressure. [They preached three Sundays in a row in the Jewish Synagogue before the Jews became angry and organized a plot against them.] They left under pressure without time and opportunity to know how well the church was established. When Paul and Silas reached Corinth, Paul sent Silas back to check on the young church at Thessalonica; he wanted to know how successful they had been SINCE THEY STARTED OUT.

When Silas arrived he found the church growing. A few Jews had been converted to Christianity but there was a larger number of Greek, including women, who now belonged to the new church. They were doing great and growing, but had run into some problems regarding the question of death, and the return of the Lord. Silas rejoined Paul with the good news of growth and the need for instruction. So, about two to three years after the establishment of the church, Paul wrote this letter back to the church. His main intention was to encourage them and to help them know the truth about the return of Christ.

1:1 gives us the legal name of the church and the fact that it was originally established in the name of the Godhead, God, Father and Lord Jesus Christ. There were three men involved with the writing of this letter…on this missionary journey…they were Paul, Silas and Timothy.

The city of Thessalonica was the capital and largest city in the Roman Province of Macedonia. The population was about 200,000 at the time of this writing. Just as today, the life of any city depends upon its access to major transportation routes. Thessalonica was blessed with a thriving sea port and the most important Roman highway [The Egnatian Way] which extended all the way from Rome to the Orient in the East. The city was wealthy and kept their taxes paid to Rome and in turn they were left alone by the Roman Government. They were considered a free city with their own local government and were exempted from most of the restrictions that were place on other foreign cities under Roman rule. The people who lived there had come from many other countries and it had a foreign flavor, and that meant that there were many religions being practiced there that included many of the pagan gods. This foreign influence placed a major burden on the young church—and in the two years just passed they had already undergone dire persecution because of their stand for Christ. Silas reported this to Paul, and then Paul makes it one of his first priorities to encourage them and lift them up here in the first verses of his letter.

In v. 3, Paul commends these young Christians for their work produced by faith, labor prompted by love, and endurance inspired by hope. We should note that this is the same pattern for our productive service today.

Paul felt sure that these people had been chosen by God. Look closely at the thing that proved this to him. The gospel came with power because when they had heard, believed, and obeyed there was a change that took place in the new church. I sometimes wonder about the slow progress in our church and why we don’t see progress like this early church realized.

People [nearly 300 of us] are present on Sunday after Sunday, and we listen to our choir, hear or pastor preach, and we go home empty. The bible says that the Holy Spirit changes people when they believe the gospel. When we tell others abut Christ we must depend on the Holy Spirit to open their eyes and convince them that they need salvation. God’s power changes people—not our cleverness or persuasion. Without the work of the Holy Spirit, the messages in our songs and the pastor’s message are meaningless. The Holy Spirit not only convicts the lost of their sin but it also is the one that assures unbelievers of the truth of the gospel.

While the choir is singing and the pastor is preaching—WHAT ARE YOU DOING? Where is your mind and thoughts? I really wonder how few of us ever take time to become concerned with those present without Christ. How often do you ask the Holy Spirit to do his work in the hearts of lost people now as the pastor speaks the word of God to them? Fellow class members…let me ask you a question. Why is the Holy Spirit not working in our world today as He once did? What can you and I do about it? Then, may I also ask what we will do about it?

In the 5th verse Paul reminded the Thessalonians “You know how we have lived among you for your sake.” This is to remind us how important it is for us to set the example of a true Christian before our children, families, and especially around the saved and unsaved people in our church and community. There is no doubt that these people could tell a difference in the lives of Paul, Silas and Timothy while they were among them. Their life confirmed the truth of the message they were preaching. Does your life confirm or contradict what you say you believe?

This lesson surely brings us to a time of personal questioning about our Christian lives. Look at verse six. Paul says that the new members of the church at Thessalonica became imitators of us [Paul, Silas, and Timothy] AND OF THE LORD. What does he mean? Or, to what does he refer?

The message of salvation was welcomed by the new church with great joy and thanksgiving—but it brought the membership severe suffering because of misery and persecution even unto death for some perpetrated by both the Jews and Gentiles. The new church had somehow gotten the idea that they would not be put to death here for their belief—therefore when some actually began to die for their faith it caused others to start questioning their faith If you will study carefully the rest of this letter, you will find that Paul continues to address this misunderstanding as he explains what happens when believers die.

Read slowly and watch closely and you will find that much of gospel throughout this book has to do with the second coming of Jesus Christ simply because this early church was being persecuted. Paul emphasized the fact that they must look forward to the deliverance that Christ will bring at His second coming. We are believers and our only hope is in the return of Jesus Christ our Great God and Savior Titus 2: 13.

Our perspective on life remains incomplete without this great hope that we have…that we believe…through our faith. We know that if Christ died; if Christ was resurrected; if Christ ascended back into heaven; if he is in heaven at the right hand of the throne of God; then with all assurance we know that he will return to claim his own. See Acts 1: 11.