Our Gospel Came in Power: 1 Thessalonians 1:1-5 Explained

Scriptures for Today:

1 Thessalonians 1:1-5 Paul, and Silvanus, and Timotheus, unto the church of the Thessalonians which is in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ. 2 We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers; 3 Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father; 4 Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God. 5 For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance; as ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake.

Introduction

We are starting the book of 1 Thessalonians. The 52^nd book of the Bible. It has 5 chapters and takes a little over 10 minutes to read the entire book.

After Jesus died on the cross, rose again, and ascended into Heaven, the disciples were filled with the Holy Ghost and received power and boldness to start preaching the gospel throughout the entire world.

As the gospel spread, people believed on Jesus Christ, and many churches were started all over the mediterranean region. A foundation was being laid. The church of the Thessalonians was one of those early churches.

This church was in the city of Thessalonica. Thessalonica is a city in the country of Greece which still exists today and is known as Thessaloniki.

So this letter to the Thessalonians was written by Paul, who was an Apostle ordained by Jesus Christ to be a minister and a witness to the gentiles.

In Acts 17 we see that Paul spent a short time in Thessalonica reasoning with the Jews in the synagogue.

Many people believed on Jesus Christ at that time, but the Jews who did not believe stirred up the people against Paul and he had to flee the city.

The church of the Thessalonians was a young church, but they faced persecution and affliction early on.

Just like here at True Words Baptist Church, we are a young church. We’ve only been established for a little over a year.

Imagine if we faced great persecution and affliction.
What if people in this city were actively trying to stop us from preaching the gospel?
What if the government told us we could no longer assemble together as a body of believers?  

Paul was concerned that the Thessalonians would be shaken and moved by the afflictions they were facing. He sent Timothy to go and check on them and to bring back a report on how they were doing.

If we were facing those kinds of trials and tribulations, would we continue to be grounded in faith?
Would we continue to gather together and preach the gospel?

If someone was sent to check on us, What would the report of this church be if we faced all of the hardship that the Thessalonians were facing?

Timothy did come back with a report and it was a good report.
The Thessalonians were continuing to stand strong regardless of the affliction they were facing.

How does a young church that was persecuted from the start stay strong and stedfast?

There are many churches failing today.
Throughout this entire city you will find dozens if not hundreds of churches that have closed their doors.

What allowed the Thessalonians to keep going?
Did they have a Charismatic leader that drew large crowds?
Did they have a talented worship team and high quality productions with lights and smoke machines?
Was it programs that they offered and entertainment that kept people coming back?

Let’s take a look at this passage and see why did the Thessalonians have such a good report?

1 Thessalonians 1:1

1 Thessalonians 1:1 Paul, and Silvanus, and Timotheus, unto the church of the Thessalonians which is in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Here we see Paul’s opening greeting. He lets us know where this letter is coming from.
Paul himself, Silvanus (aka Silas) and Timotheus (Timothy). These were Paul’s fellow servants and co-laborers.

It’s very important to have people in your life that you can rely on and who you can serve the Lord with.
Silas suffered with Paul in Phillipi (Acts 16)
Timothy was like a son to Paul. Paul entrusted him with the task of obtaining a report of the Thessalonians and to comfort and encourage them.

Imagine how hard it would be if Paul had to do the work of the Lord by himself.
It would be very difficult, and the spreading of the gospel would have been slowed down and greatly limited if Paul was on his own.  

Here at this church we need you to be co-laborers with us. We are fellow servants. We are co-preachers of the gospel. The more people that we have doing the work, the more we can accomplish for God in the short amount of time that we have left on this earth.

1 Thessalonians 1:1 Paul, and Silvanus, and Timotheus, unto the church of the Thessalonians which is in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ:

Notice this key phrase “which is in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ”

The church of the Thessalonians was IN Jesus.

Last week we talked about being IN Jesus Christ. What does that mean?

Galatians 3:26-27 For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. 27 For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.

We are in Jesus Christ by putting our faith and trust in Him to save us. The moment that we believe in Him we are baptized into Jesus, (Baptized with the Holy Spirit) John the Baptist said…

Mark 1:8 I indeed have baptized you with water: but he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost.

At that very moment that you believe and put all your faith and hope in the Gospel of Jesus Christ, He comes and dwells in you and we are in Him.

Ephesians 1:13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,

So we are in Jesus Christ when we place our faith in Him. How are we in God the Father?

John 17:20-21 Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; 21 That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.

We are baptized into Jesus Christ by the Holy Spirit of God through Faith. God the Father is in Jesus Christ and Jesus Christ is in the Father. We are all unified as one. We are safe and secure in the almighty creator of all things. The only one who is from everlasting to everlasting.

That should bring you great comfort. Especially if you are seeking to please your Father in Heaven.

But if you’re going against the one who is in you. If you continue to defile the temple which is your body. Things are not going to go well.

1 Corinthians 3:16-17 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? 17 If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.

The Thessalonians were believers who were in God the father and in Jesus Christ.

1 Thessalonians 1:1 Paul, and Silvanus, and Timotheus, unto the church of the Thessalonians which is in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.

1 Thessalonians 1:2

1 Thessalonians 1:2 We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers;

Paul reminds the Thessalonians that they are always giving thanks for them and mentioning them in their prayers.

We can easily just read that and just keep moving forward without realizing how important this actually is.

People overlook the importance of prayer all the time. For example, this church would not be here today if no one ever prayed for this church.

If we all stopped praying and asking God to help us here, do you think things would get better or worse?

God wants us to have a close relationship with Him. If you completely stopped talking to your kids, or your spouse, that relationship would start to break down badly.

God wants you to ask him for things and to talk to Him every single day.

1 John 5:14-15 And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: 15 And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.

As a child of God, you have a direct line of communication with God the Father through Jesus Christ.

Hebrews 4:16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

Paul, Silas, and Timothy were consistently praying for the Thessalonians. That is a huge deal.

All of us here need to be praying for this church to stand firm in faith and to continue in the work of preaching the gospel. Question: Is it God’s will for us to stand firm in faith and to reach this entire city with the Gospel and that thousands upon thousands of people are saved?

If all of us are earnestly praying for that every single day, do you think God is going to listen?

This is one of the reasons why the Thessalonian church was continuing even in persecution and hardships, because they had faithful people praying for them daily.

Let’s start praying for this Church more and more, let’s start praying for each other more. Pray that the Holy Spirit will convict us all of sin in our lives.

The more we get things right in our lives, the more we walk in the Spirit of God, the more God can use this Church in ways that you can’t even imagine.

1 Thessalonians 1:3

1 Thessalonians 1:2 We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers;

1 Thessalonians 1:3 Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father;

What were the Thessalonians at this time being remembered for? Their work of Faith, labour of love, and patience of hope in Jesus Christ.

Work of faith does not mean that Faith is a work. It means that the Thessalonians were showing their Faith by their works.

If we never go out and preach the gospel, if we never show love and kindness to others, if we have no patience when going through trials and tribulations, how will anyone ever see our faith?

The Thessalonians had Faith, and the works that they were doing were an outward expression of that faith. They chose to yield to the Spirit of God.

We have that choice as well. We are justified before God by Faith alone. Not by Works.

Ephesians 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

We SHOULD walk in the works that God has ordained us to walk in. But do we walk in them all the time?

Understand if you believe in Jesus Christ and you feel empty and unfulfilled in life, it might be because you’re not walking in the works that God has ordained you to walk in.

During this time, the Thessalonians were walking in those works. They were standing in Faith, they were laboring in love.

If a church stops having love for eachother, then it will stop having love for the lost, and that church will cease to exist.

How can we show love to those who are outside of Christ if we can’t show love to those who are in Christ?

Ephesians 4:2-3 With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; 3 Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

If someone here does something wrong against you, we are supposed to forbear one another in love.
How do you do that? You think about what you did to Jesus Christ.

You’ve done worse things to Jesus than anyone will ever do to you. Your sins nailed Him to the cross. He was very longsuffering with you. He died and went to hell in your place.
Can’t you forbear others the same way Christ did you?

The Thessalonians were labouring in love. So much so that they were a great example to all believers in that region. That example was preserved for us in the Word of God.

Imagine how great of an example we can be if this church can labour in love in the same way.

John 13:34-35 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. 35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

When people come here, we want people to know that we are disciples of Jesus Christ because of our love for each other. We keep the commandments of God together as a church. That love will overflow outside of this church and into the streets.

1 Thessalonians 1:4

1 Thessalonians 1:3 Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father;

1 Thessalonians 1:4 Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God.

Ultimately all of these things that the Thessalonians were being remembered for,
their work of faith, labour of love, and patience all comes down to them being elected of God.

You are the elect of God through Jesus Christ if you believe in Him.

1 Peter 1:2 Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ…

It’s through the obedience of Jesus Christ and His blood that was shed that you are elect according to the foreknowledge of God.

Paul was reminding the Thessalonians of their election, the fact that they are chosen by God in Jesus Christ the same way that he reminded the Ephesians and many of the other churches during that time.

As I mentioned earlier, Timothy brought back a good report to Paul about the Thessalonians. Remember they were being persecuted, they were afflicted, they were going through tribulations.

Many young churches who are under such pressure would collapse or give up very quickly.

Even though they were going through all of those things they still maintained a good report and were continuing in faith, in love, and patience.

So the question is, how was this possible?

1 Thessalonians 1:5

1 Thessalonians 1:5 For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance; as ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake.

1 Thessalonians 1:6 And ye became followers of us, and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Ghost:

1 Thessalonians 1:7 So that ye were ensamples to all that believe in Macedonia and Achaia.

Understand that the Thessalonians did not maintain a good report because of physical things, like a charismatic preacher, programs and ministries, worship teams with lights and smoke.

The Thessalonians maintained a good report because of the power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

When Paul first went to Thessalonica, it wasn’t his enticing words that caused people to be saved.

When we go out here and preach, we have no power in our personality, There is no power in our personally crafted presentation, the power is in the gospel.

1 Corinthians 2:4-5 And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: 5 That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.

When people are saved, it’s because they have placed their faith in the power of God. Not in the power of man.

This is what kept the Thessalonians standing even in affliction. The gospel came to them in power and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance.

If this church ever moves away from the gospel, if we pollute the gospel with false teaching, there will be no power here. There will be no assurance. This church will disappear. Our candlestick will be removed. There will be no more light shining from here.

God forbid that will ever happen. By the grace of God, as long as Josh, Gary, and I are here we will not let that happen.

As long as we continue in the gospel. We will continue to stand.

1 Thessalonians 1:8 For from you sounded out the word of the Lord not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith to God-ward is spread abroad; so that we need not to speak any thing.

This is what we want this church to be known for and remembered by. From this small church, we want the word of the Lord to be sounded out not only in West Louisville, but in all of Kentucky and the rest of the world.

That can and will happen because our gospel, the gospel of Jesus Christ, will come in power of the Holy Spirit.

Conclusion

Here is what I pray you take away from this passage:

Our work in the Lord is a team effort. We are a body of believers. We need your help just like Paul needed help from Silas, Timothy, and many others.

We all need to be praying fervently for this church to continue in the work of faith, labour in love, and patience of hope in Jesus Christ. Just like Paul did for the Thessalonians.

The more people that are praying for this church the better. Pray for each other.

And remember this church will only stay here as long as we are planted in the power of the Gospel. If our focus starts to shift even slightly, we are in big trouble.

When affliction comes to this church, and it will come, what will our report be?

Will other believers be able to look at us as an example? Let’s be that example.

Let’s Pray