Modeling the Way

Today, we begin a brand new study in the book of First Thessalonians. In fact, I've even broke out my new Bible for First Thessalonians because every five years I have to get a new Bible.

So because the other ones wear out. So because this is year 30, this is Bible number six that I've used in the time that I've been here. And it's just it's just thin now.

But by the time I get to the next five years, it'll be three times as thick as this, because they have so many writings in them and so many notes in them that they just get thicker and thicker and thicker to the point where I can't read anything in them anymore because they are so overwrought with notes and everything else. So every five years I break out a brand new Bible. I broke this out last Sunday for Resurrection Sunday, but specifically for our study of the book of First Thessalonians.

It's about modeling the way it's a it's a great study. It's going to enlighten us to the things that the Lord wants us to learn, that we might be a church that that models the way the church of Thessalonica was a a model church and they were able to follow the model of the Apostle Paul because he set a pattern of godliness for them. And they, in turn, would be able to set a pattern for godliness for those who would follow them. They became the quintessential church in the New Testament. Outside the Jerusalem church, the church of Thessalonica became the greatest church ever born.

Yes, the church of Ephesus was great. But if you read through the book of Revelation, you see where they lost their first love.

But the church of Thessalonica is a great and astounding church, and it falls on the heels of our study of the last six months of the church's meaning, mission and ministry. And now we're going to look at a church that fulfills all those principles in one and that we will be able to ask and answer the question, are we the kind of church that models the way for other believers, for other churches that we, in turn, might do the things that Christ wants us to do?

I want to begin our time by quoting from you for you for the poet Edgar Guest. Edgar Guest was the people's poet. He died in nineteen fifty nine. He was one of the great poets of the 20th century. He was called the people's poet simply because the words that he wrote rang true with the common man. And this is what he says about modeling the way he says, I'd rather see a sermon than hear one any day. I'd rather one walk with me than merely tell the way the eyes of better people and more willing than the year.

Fine counsel is confusing, but example is always clear. The best of all the preachers are the men who live their creed for to see good in action is what everybody needs. I soon can learn to do to do it. If you will let me see it done, I could watch your hands in action.

Your tongue too fast may run. The lectures you deliver may be very wise and true, but I'd rather get my lesson lessons by observing what you do. I may not understand the high advice you give, but there's no misunderstanding how you act and how you live. So true. And that's what the Church of Thessalonica was. They lived out Christianity, so much so that their Christianity was was extremely contagious. In other words, there were there were people that that wanted to to follow their example because of the contagiousness of their of their Christianity.

So I want to briefly go through five points with you this morning out of verse number one of First Thessalonians chapter one, and that is we want to first of all, cover the overview of the mission and then look at the broad view of the men.

And then we're going to look at a preview of the model and then we'll see a proper view from the master.

And then point number five, a new you in the making. OK, first of all, an overview of the mission. You know, it's hard to introduce a book without helping you understand all the situations surrounding the details as to why it was written. And I'm not going to go into grave detail with you because you can read it in Acts 15, 16 and 17. But the Church of Thessalonica was born on Paul's second missionary journey.

He and Silas, Paul and Silas would set forth on their second journey from Antioch, and they would go through Syria and Cilicia on through Derby, strengthening the different churches until they came to Lystra.

And in Lystra, they'd pick up young Timothy. So there'd be Paul, Silas and Timothy. And they would make their way, encouraging the different churches that were birthed on their first missionary journey.

And then they came to a seaport village called Troas on the Aegean Sea. And there Paul received the vision of a man in Macedonia. Act 16, verse number nine, calling, come over to us. And so Paul, Silas and Timothy set sail across the Aegean Sea to Macedonia. The first place they came to was to Philippi.

And then the second city was Thessalonica. Philippi was the largest city in Macedonia. Thessalonica was the capital and the second largest city in Macedonia.

And the great thing about Thessalonica is that it was the central point of the Via Ignatia, the very first freeway ever organized.

It was organized by Rome. It was a great highway to the east. And therefore, because Thessalonica was strategically located on the Via Ignatia, it had a great opportunity to impact many people who were coming through that city for trade or for travel, that they might hear the gospel. In fact, he would say, we'll look at it next week, that the word of the Lord would sound forth from you all the way to Macedonia, to Achaia and all the surrounding region.

We've heard nothing but good reports because everybody speaks so well of how you spread the gospel. So they were used in a great and mighty way for the Lord. But Paul, Silas and Timothy would arrive in Thessalonica and Acts 17 is a record of their arrival. And it says this in Acts chapter 17, verse number one.

These words already, my Bible is sticking together. See that because of all the cough drops I use and they I spit so much when I speak that my pages stick together. So I spent all of Monday unraveling the stickiness of my Bible. Anyway, verse number one.

Now, when they had traveled through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. And according to Paul's custom, he went to them and for three Sabbaths reason with them from the scriptures, explaining and giving evidence that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead and saying, this Jesus whom I am proclaiming to you is the Christ. And some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, along with a large number of the God fearing Greeks and a number of the leading women.

So Paul would do as he normally does. He would go to the synagogue. He'd reason with them for three Sabbaths. It does not mean that Paul was in Thessalonica for only three Sabbaths. How do we know that? Because of chapter two. In chapter two, he developed his tent making business in Thessalonica. Also, we had a great impact on many people's lives through a discipling ministry. So he was there a lot longer than just three weeks. But there were three Sabbaths in which he ministered in the synagogue.

And notice we said to you last week that the risen life point number two instructs and inspires others about the Christ.

That's exactly what Paul did. His whole life was about instructing people about the Messiah. So he reasons with them, explaining to them that Jesus is the Messiah, that he is the Christ that everyone was looking forward to. He came. He ministered. He died. He rose again. He's coming again. Everything about his ministry was focused on the Christ. And many people believed some of the God fearing Greeks believed. And so the church was birthed in Thessalonica. Then you come to verse number five and it says.

But the Jews, becoming jealous and taking along some wicked men from the marketplace, formed a mob and set the city in an uproar and attacking the house of Jason. They were seeking to bring them out to the people. When they did not find them, they began dragging Jason and some brethren before the city authorities, shouting, shouting. These men have upset the world, have come here also. And Jason has welcomed them. And they all act contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus.

Isn't it interesting that they're characterized as turning the world upside down in an age where there was no social media, in an age where there were no phones that you could call someone and tell them what was happening in Jerusalem. But the word has spread so far from Jerusalem, all in the surrounding region there in the eastern part of the country that they had come to know that these men, Paul, Silas, Timothy, were turning the world upside down because they're saying there's another king. We think Caesar's the king.

They're telling us there's another king and it's King Jesus. And so they're overwhelmed because they've turned the world upside down. They come now to our city and these Jews were angry. And so they run Paul, Silas and Timothy out of there. They go to Berea, as you read on through Acts 17, and they begin to preach in Berea, the same thing they preached in Thessalonica. And the Jews would follow them from Thessalonica to Berea and run them out of there as well. But the point of the point of message is this, is that they came to preach the gospel and faith cometh by hearing and hearing by word about the Christ.

And the church was born in Thessalonica. So that's the overview of the mission. Let me give you a a broad view of the men.

The text begins this way. Paul and Silvanus and Timothy. That's how it begins, right? Verse one, very, very important. What is stated? Remember now, the word of God is inspired word of God. All of it's God breathed. So everything that's stated is implicit. Everything that's that's stated is important. Everything is stated rings true. So what is the spirit of God teaching us? Well, there are three men, Paul, Silas and Timothy. You know a lot about the Apostle Paul. But your ideas of the Apostle Paul are probably disjointed.

You think of the Apostle Paul as type A personality. He walks into the room. He lights up the room. He's the kind of guy that controls the room, that everything about the room centers around the Apostle Paul, that he's an eloquent speaker, that he's a great debater. But none of that is true. None of that's true. He was just a normal guy. If you read 2 Corinthians 7, it tells us that he was filled with many fears. Many fears. It also tells us in 2 Corinthians chapter 10, verse number 10, that his letters are weighty and strong, but his personal presence is unimpressive and his speech is contemptible.

So his presence is unimpressive. It wasn't like he was six foot six walking to a room. He was a buff looking guy and everybody laid eyes on thought, wow, this man is massive. No, no. He was very unimpressive in his presence. His speech was contemptible. In fact, it says in 2 Corinthians 11, verse number six, that he was untrained in speech. In other words, he wasn't an eloquent man at all. So when you begin to study the Apostle Paul, you realize he's a pretty much a normal guy like you and me. But yet he was used in a powerful way by God.

Why is that simply because we're on the road to Damascus? But he say, Lord, what will you have me to do? That was his mantra throughout his entire ministry. Lord, what do you want me to do? Where do you want me to go? What do you want me to say? I'll do it. He was at the Lord's disposal. That's why he was using such a great and powerful and mighty way. You see, we we we don't put ourselves at the Lord's disposal. We want to hold ourselves back. Paul was like, you know, whatever you want me to do, I'll do.

I'm crucified with Christ. I'm living for Christ. Where do you want me to go? What do you want me to say? What do you want me to do? He lived by the power of the Lord. He walked in the spirit. He didn't fulfill the lust of the flesh. That's why he was used in such a mighty way. Not because he was an eloquent man. Not because he was an impressive man. Not because he was a well-educated man. Although he was not because he was anything other than the fact that he wanted to be used by his God and God used him in a powerful way.

So when he writes these words over in 1 Corinthians chapter one, beginning with verse number twenty six, he says, For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble. But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise. And God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong. And the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen the things that are not so that he may nullify the things that are said, no man may boast before God.

When Paul writes that. I'm sure he's writing a lot about himself. God has chosen just normal everyday people. Didn't say he didn't choose any wise people or any noble people or any strong people. He did. Just didn't choose very many of them. Why? Because he doesn't want anybody to boast in the fact that. I am this way or that way, and that's why God chose me. No, God chose him simply because God had a plan for Paul and used him in a great and mighty way. And I want you to know what it says, because he only does it twice in the 13 epistles that he writes.

First Thessalonians and second Thessalonians. He doesn't use the word apostle, doesn't use the word prisoner and doesn't use the word bond slave. He just says, Paul, Silas. Intimate. Which I think is very important. Why? Because you see, he wasn't elevated himself above. Silas and Timothy, who were not apostles. He could have very well done that. Paul, the apostle along with Silas and Timothy. No, it was just Paul, Silas. Intimate. Why? Because Paul was a very humble man. He was interested in defending his apostleship because that wasn't even in question.

But he wanted to show you that he was on the equal plane with Silas and Timothy, that he wasn't any better than they were. Or that they were beneath him. But they were on the same plane, doing the same thing, serving the same God. That speaks volumes about the apostle Paul. I bet if if Paul had an office, you would never walk into his office and see his degrees hanging on the wall. You ever walk into an office, the guy's got all these degrees hanging on the walls, you know, as if they're going to tell you how great they are.

Right. That's because they're probably not that great after all anyway, because they got to tell you how great they are. But he didn't have to list his credentials. Why? Because you see, he was just a servant of the Lord along with Silas and Timothy. That's just the way he was. And so we learn a lot from the apostle Paul just by reading Paul, Silas. Intimate. Silas was a Roman citizen with Paul in the second missionary journey.

He was instrumental in the Jerusalem church. And Timothy was that that great protege of the apostle Paul. He had become the pastor at the Church of Ephesus after the apostle Paul and was used in a mighty way for the glory of his kingdom. He was the one whose name means one who honors the Lord. And he was a unique individual in and of himself because he was the kind of person that Paul would send to other churches because there was no one else like Timothy because everyone else was searching for their own interests, but not Timothy.

He was only interested in God's purposes. So Timothy learned a lot from the example of the apostle Paul and followed his footsteps. That's the that's the broad view of the men. How about a preview of the model? Let me give it to you.

The preview of the model. Chapter one is all about the model church. We're going to learn about what it means to be a model church. They were they were an excellent church when it came to their ministry. They were an elected church because God had chosen them. They were the kind of church that was used by God in a mighty way because they were steadfast in their in their in their hope and labor and work. And they were used by God. And so they're the model church. And we're going to look at what it means to be a model church and examine our life in light of the church at Thessalonica and say, hey, are we these kind of people?

And then we'll go to chapter two and look at the model leader. That's in verses one to twelve. The model leader, because Paul was the quintessential leader. And so you learn that he's truthful. You learn that he's tough. You learn that he's tender. You learn that he's tenacious. You learn that he's transparent. All that in the first twelve verses of chapter two.

And you learn how to be the leader of your home, how to be a leader in the marketplace, how to be the leader in your school because he's the model leader. And then from the model leader, you move to the model friend. The model friend, excuse me, I'm sorry, the model follower, the model followers next. And what does it mean to be a follower? Of of Christ, and they were exemplary in their submission and they were exemplary. In their suffering. And then you come to the chapter three, and there you have the model friend, the model friend.

And we're going to ask an answer, are you the kind of friend? That others can follow your example. Are you the model friend? A lot of us look at ourselves as being friendly kind of people.

But are you the model friend? Because the model friend gives the model, model friend guides and the model friend grows. And we'll explain all that to you when we get into chapter three. And then after the model friend, we're going to come to chapter four and we're going to look at the model life and the model life takes you from chapter four, verse number one, all the way to the end of chapter five.

And then you're going to ask yourself this question. Does my life model the right things? Why? Because the model life, number one, abstains from sexual immorality.

That's chapter four versus one to eight. The model life, number two, aspires to a life of charity. That's in verses nine to 12 of chapter four. And then in verses 13 to 18, the model life anticipates the return of deity. And then in chapter five, the model life is alert to the world's destiny. And then in chapter five, verses 12 to 15, the model life adapts within God's family. And lastly, the model life in verses 16 to 22 of chapter five, adores God continually. So we're going to look at the model life, the model friend, the model follower, the model leader, the model church all over the next several months and measure our life against the church at Thessalonica because that's the the model church in Scripture.

And then I want you to notice point number four. Point number four is simply a proper view from the master. So go back to chapter one, verse number one, where it says, Paul and Silvanus and Timothy, that says this to the church of the Thessalonians in God, the father and the Lord Jesus Christ, grace to you.

And peace. Notice how he says it. Because he only says it two times in his epistles. He says. The church of the Thessalonians in God. The father. In other words, he always talks about being in Christ. But here he says that the church is in God, the father only here and second Thessalonians chapter one, first number one.

Does Paul use that phrase in God, the father and Lord Jesus Christ? That's important because in chapter one of second Thessalonians, he says, Paul, Silvanus and Timothy to the church of the Thessalonians in God, our father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

And then in chapter two, he explains to you what that means. First number 13. But we should always give thanks to God for you, brethren, beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the spirit and faith in the truth. It was for this. He called you through our gospel that you may gain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. They are in God, the father and the Lord Jesus Christ, because they are beloved by God. Therefore, they are chosen by God.

And therefore they are called by God into his glorious kingdom. This is this is so important because there's a proper view that Paul wants them to understand at the very outset. That they are in God, the father and the Lord Jesus Christ. You are in union. You are an intimate union with the God of the universe. Now, we know that Paul would use the phrase in Christ all the time. In fact, he says in Colossians 127, that Christ in you is the hope of glory. And that's the great mystery, he says in Colossians 127.

Remember the Jews, they all knew that God was above them and God was around them and that God would one day be with them. Isaiah seven, verse number 14. The Messiah is going to be named Emmanuel. Emmanuel, translated, God is with us. So they knew that God was going to be with them. That's why they celebrate the Feast of Booths every year, the Feast of Tabernacles, celebrate the fact that God will one day be with them and among them. But God in them? No, they had no idea of that. Why? That's the mystery.

And Paul says it in Colossians 127. This is something that was concealed in the Old Testament, but now is revealed in the New. That Christ is actually going to be in you. You can read about it in 1 Corinthians 6, excuse me, 1 Corinthians 3, 16. Romans chapter eight, verse number one, Romans chapter 16.

You can read about it in Galatians chapter two. It's all about Christ in you, the hope of glory. That Christ actually resides within you. The Bible says that the Spirit of God resides within us.

John 14, 23 says that the Father makes His abode with us. In other words, because in Christ, the fullness of the Godhead dwells within Him, and He dwells in us, then the triune God dwells within us. In other words, He tells them from the outset. He tells them this because Paul wanted to get back to Thessalonica, but he was unable to. Why? Simply because of 1 Thessalonians 2, verse number 17. We brethren, having been taken away from you for a short while in person, not in spirit, we're all the more eager with great desire to see your face, for we wanted to come to you, I, Paul, more than once, and yet Satan hindered us.

Wanted to come, just was unable to come because Satan hindered us. He would end up sending Timothy back, and Timothy would encourage those in Thessalonica, come back and report to Paul in Corinth, and Paul would write 1 Thessalonians from Corinth, and 2 Thessalonians shortly after that. But he would write to them and encourage them, and to remind them, because you are in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, you have everything that you could possibly ever need. We are complete in Christ. Which leads us to this, point number five, a new you in the making, a new you in the making.

All throughout the book, we're gonna realize that every time we gather together, there's something new we're going to learn, and it's gonna make us brand new. I love what it says in chapter two, verse number 13, when Paul says this. He says, for this reason, we also constantly thank God that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but for what it really is, the word of God, which also performs its work in you who believe. For you, brethren, became imitators of the churches of God in Christ Jesus that are in Judea.

In other words, he says, when you heard the word from us, you accepted it truly as the word of God. And the word of God, he says, always works in those who believe. That's just a powerful statement. See, God's word doesn't work in those who don't believe, but it does work in those who do believe. So if you're hearing the word of God, and you're reading the word of God, and nothing's changing, it's probably because you don't believe. It works in those who believe. You see, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creation.

If he's in Christ, he is a new creation. Old things are passed away, build all things that become new. So the word of God is actively working through the agency of the spirit of God to grow you in the ways of God. That's just the way it works. And so Paul says, look, I wanna commend you because when you heard the word, you received it as it truly is the word of God, and it powerfully works in those who believe. It doesn't just simply work in those who believe, it powerfully works in those who believe.

Great things take place in the life of the person who is willing to hear the word of God, submit to the word of God, and follow the word of God. And so what do we learn from verse number one?

We learn this. We learn about the identity of the church. It's possessed by God. He purchased you. Christ is in you, right? And from just verse one, you learn about the identity of the church. We are who we are because we've been redeemed by the blood of the lamb. We are who we are because we are in Christ. We are who we are because we are one with Christ in God. That's our identity. That's our identity. That's why the church doesn't have an identity crisis. The church knows exactly whose it is because of the one who purchased them and bought them.

So therefore, we are in Christ. In fact, if you go back to 1 Corinthians chapter one, where we were reading earlier, it says this in verse number 30, it says, but by his doing, you are in Christ. Because of what God did, you're in Christ. Not because of what you did, but because of what God did. That's how you get in to the kingdom. Not by works of righteousness, which you have done. It's by the washing of regeneration, by the renewal of the spirit of God. It's what God has done that puts you in the kingdom.

You're in intimate union with the King of kings and Lord of lords. So, 1 Thessalonians one, verse number one, you learn about the identity of the church.

Second thing you learn is about the priority of the church. The priority of the church is to preach the word. How was the church born? How did the church ever grow? Because of the word of the living God. Paul went and he preached the gospel. He went and reasoned with them for three Sabbaths. He continued to invest the word of God into them and they were born again and they began to grow. Why? Because he preached the truth of the living God. And when persecution broke out, where did he go? He went to Berea and preached the word of God again.

And when persecution broke out, what did he do? He went on in his mission trip. Why? He never changed his message. He never changed his methods. It was always the same. No matter which city he was in, no matter which country he was in, it was always the same, preach the word. That's why he told Timothy, give attention to the reading, to the exhortation and to the instruction or explanation of the word of God. Because if you do, you'll save both yourself and your hearers. That's 1 Timothy 4, 13, 1 Timothy 4, verse number 16.

Why? Because he wanted them to understand that you give your entire attention to one thing, the instruction of the word of God. Because that's the priority of the church. So at the end of 2 Timothy 4, verse number two, he'd say, Timothy, preach the word, in season and out of season.

Endure hardship. Why? Because it's not easy. Just keep preaching the word. That's the priority. That's what you learn from verse number one of chapter one by reading about Paul, Silas, Timothy, how they got there, why they went there, and that the church was in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Third thing you learn is about equality in the church. That is, all of us are equal. None of us is any better than anybody else. That's why Paul doesn't introduce himself as an apostle or prisoner or bond slave, just Paul, Silas, and Timothy. Why? Because he saw himself as an equal. Didn't see himself better than anybody else, just on the same plane as Silas and Timothy. That's why Paul would write in Galatians chapter three, verse number 28, there is neither Jew nor Greek, neither slave nor free.

There is neither male nor female, for you are all one in Christ. He would say in Philippians chapter two, verse number three, let nothing be done through selfish ambition, conceit, but a lowliness of mind, let each esteem others better than themselves.

That's what Paul did. He esteemed the other men. He would say in Romans chapter 12, verse number three, I say to every one of you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think.

Why? Because we are all one in Christ. We all had the same father. We're all part of the same body. You're all the bride of Christ, right? And therefore we are all one in the body of Christ. So you learn from verse number one, not just about the identity of the church and the priority of the church, but you learned about equality in the church.

And then number four, you learn about consistency in the church. In other words, you ought to be consistent model, and Paul was that. He was very consistent in his approach to ministry. He was very consistent in the way he preached and the way he lived. That's why he told Timothy in 1 Timothy 4, verse number 12, Timothy, set yourself up as an example of your life and your faith and your purity and your speech. You need to make sure that people see you for who you are, that you're the same on Monday as you are on Sunday, because that's what makes people believe, because you set yourself up as a consistent example.

There's one author who said that consistency is the jewel worth wearing. It's the anchor worth weighing. It's the thread worth weaving. It's the battle worth winning. Another author said, consistency, how much we need to walk a measured pace, to live the life of which we speak until we see his face. That was Paul. That was Silas. That was Timothy. And that became the church at Thessalonica, a model of consistency. Lastly, stability in the church. Stability in the church comes because of grace and peace.

That's how Paul begins his introduction. Grace and peace to you. Oh yeah, they were saved by grace. And because they were reconciled to God, they had peace with God. But he wanted that grace to be able to sustain them, that peace to be able to encompass them, because they would face much persecution. We'll see this in the weeks to come. They would face much tribulation, and they receive the word with joy amidst that tribulation. And that's because of the grace of God that doesn't just save you, it actually sustains you.

And sanctifies you and strengthens you, while the peace of God comes along and soothes the spirit of man, because you're at peace with God. And God's peace encompasses you. Because you're intimate with him, you experience the peace of Almighty God. And that's where the stability of the church lies, in the grace and peace of our Lord Jesus Christ. My prayer for you and me as we embark on this journey, for however long it takes us, I'm hoping to get done by Christmas, but you know what? That's probably a far stretch, but who knows, right?

But the fact of the matter is that there's so much to learn about the church of Thessalonica. Because they were the model church. Let's see if our lives, our church, can model up to the biblical standard. Let's pray. Father, thank you for today. Thank you for the things you teach us. Thank you for this brief moment that we have spent in your word. And just ask that, Lord, you would use it to strengthen us and encourage us that we might live for your glory until you come again, as you most surely will.

In Jesus' name, amen.