"A Shining Example" - a Sermon on 1 Thessalonians 1

Introduction

Doesn’t this text warm your heart! This level of commendation and encouragement is just so beautiful to hear. A people so tuned into God, each other and the community that they are referred to in such glowing terms. Paul writes concerning what he has heard about the church in Thessalonica, and it is all good. Paul is thankful to God for all the active faith, practical love and steadfast hope that these people have shown. Despite the level of persecution they experienced, Paul is able to remark upon this congregation’s fine example to all other believers and to all the citizens of the province in which they live and beyond.

Background

Paul and his colleague Silas visited Thessalonica in modern day Northern Greece around the year 50 or 51 CE. Thessalonica, the then capital of the Roman province of Macedonia, was an important commercial centre and a great seaport. This visit is briefly written about by Luke in Acts 17:1-9. Due to there being a colony of Jews living there, there was a synagogue. Paul attended this synagogue on three (probably consecutive) Sabbath days and debated the Scriptures with those gathered there. Paul had the right to do so through his own training in the Jewish religion, yet he sought to turn minds and hearts of all those present towards an acceptance that Jesus was the Messiah and that he had suffered on he cross and risen from the dead for them.

Let us read from Acts 17. As reported in verse 4, some Jews, many Greeks (who had become interested in the religion of the Jews and thus attended the synagogue) and also some “leading” women became believers. As we see from 1 Thessalonians, these ones would have been those who formed the church community to which Paul later wrote. But, we can also see from Acts 17 how these new believers who bonded together at Thessalonica would have been under persecution.

In verse 5 we read of jealous Jews who pursued anyone who had entertained Paul and Silas (and showed any signs of joining this new Jesus movement). Indeed such opposition meant that Paul and Silas, although undoubtedly wanting to spend more time with the new believers, had to move on, probably to protect the lives of those who had been harbouring them. As R. P. Martin comments (and this was certainly true with Paul), “Christian preaching is not a sedative, but social and spiritual dynamite”.

We could well understand the jealousy of the leaders of the synagogue, when their latest potential adherents (the “devout Greeks”) crossed over to the Jesus movement. However, we could even more understand the decision of these “Greeks”, as now, instead of being treated as second-class citizens due to not being circumcised, they could be fully accepted as equals (without having to adopt Jewish customs). From being merely tolerated outsiders, within the Jesus movement such people would be wholly accepted.

Positive Reflections

Paul was unable to return to Thessalonica, but sent a young co-worker Timothy there to encourage the fledgling church and see how they were going (refer chapter 3). Timothy would have brought back his report to Paul, who in turn composed this letter around the year 51 (probably while residing in Corinth). [This is likely to be the first written of all the New Testament books.] According to D.J. Williams, this letter was, “addressed to a small church in a large and overwhelming pagan society, a church under constant pressure to conform to the norms of society”. So how good were these words of commendation written by Paul to the ears of the young church in Thessalonica!

Paul commends the young church in Thessalonica for their character qualities (v.3) – those in this church were known for their active faith, practical love and steadfast hope. This despite the danger involved in being connected with Paul or Jesus. They were out and about living the faith that they carried within, caring for those in need, without being discouraged or diverted. The ‘enduring hope’ referred to here suggests that these Thessalonian Christians were courageously unswerving in purpose. In this way they had begun to resemble Paul himself with their missionary commitment (v.6). And of course they came to be regarded as true disciples of Jesus as they heard, believed and applied God’s word to everyday circumstances with joy and in the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.

Clearly these people were on fire and this was noticed near and far. One point of imitation is clear from verse 5 i.e. sharing the gospel with “full conviction”, as Paul had done with them. As Paul was, these new believers in Thessalonica were excited and enthusiastic in dealing with the good news of Jesus. In the book “The Gospel Blimp”, the story is told of Christian people who thought it would be a good evangelistic strategy to hire a ‘blimp’, get up a bit of height, and then toss gospel tracts out so they would float over all the backyards of their suburb. What is wrong with this strategy?? [Well, apart from the litter!] It doesn’t connect at all with the Jesus way or the Paul way of getting ‘up close and personal’ in sharing the gospel.

The Jesus following life was so effectively lived out in Thessalonica, that there was hardly need for words anymore. How exciting is verse 8! People from near throughout Macedonia and then further down to the south in Achaia, looked at this congregation, and said that certainly these people serve the living and true God … just look at them! Now, we would want to try to get into the minds of those making such statements. On what basis would they say the words in verses 9 & 10? Perhaps they would be thinking something to the effect of – ‘We might not know much of that God ourselves, but surely if there is a God, these are the ones serving that God’! And having made that acknowledgement, they can then make some further discoveries about Jesus.

We see in this text people who speak and act consistently, care for others without any thought of gain, and do so without complaining. Somehow, unbelievably, even though they have hard lives, and there are threats of violence against them, they are joyful! This is all very relevant is it not! This shining example was being offered in the context of complete ignorance about the grace of God as revealed in Jesus. Is this not a similar context to what we live in now – one of basic ignorance about the grace of God revealed in Jesus!

Our Challenge

Would we not want to be the sort of shining examples we read of in 1 Thessalonians, both individually and collectively! This is about how we carry ourselves in life … do we shrink under the burdens or blossom through God’s Spirit? We don’t need to be super-spiritual, particularly mature or, dare I say, even that knowledgeable about the Bible. We just need to live out our lives with credibility under the sway of God’s Holy Spirit.

There is something else to remark upon here! The impact being made that Paul was referring to in this letter, originates not through mature Jesus followers in an established church. These were recent converts in a small emerging church. We shouldn’t wait to grow to a certain level of Christian maturity, or a certain corporate strength, before we put ourselves out there for the world to see our light – in Thessalonica, these were very new believers in a very undefined movement. Actually it works the other way … we don’t grow spiritually in a vacuum … we put ourselves out there, and through this commitment to the cause and through some uncomfortable risk-taking – this is how we really gain our growth.

In verses 9 & 10 we have the dual and complimentary strategy of ‘serving’ and ‘waiting’. We are proactive in seeking to ‘serve’ the living God in the context of our local community in general terms, while at the same time ‘waiting’ to see Jesus and how he leads us into specific opportunities of ministry (involving active faith, practical love, and steadfast hope).