The Impact of the Gospel

 ⁴For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, ⁵because our gospel came to you not simply with words, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction. You know how we lived among you for your sake. - 1 Thessalonians 1:4-5

Paul had only been with the church for a couple days but they already had faith, hope, love, and endurance in Jesus Christ. Paul explained to them why it was that he was so certain about their eternal position in the Lord.

V4 The believers were chosen by God: Jesus loves us and His love doesn’t end. It continues day by day. The love of God is irrevocable. Under that perfect and fathomable love, he has chosen us. He chose us out of a divine election because of his love; Deuteronomy 7:6-8. He predestined the day that we would receive the gospel of Jesus Christ. He chose us before we were even born.

V5 The believers had power to preach: Paul was sure of the election from God of the church of Thessalonica because they had come to know Jesus Christ through the sharing of His word. They were chosen by God because when the gospel came to them, they ran with it. They didn’t receive the gospel merely with words, but with the power of the Holy Spirit. When the spirit moves, empowers, and anoints, the words we preach are not only words. We need Spirit lead preaching that only comes to us through prayer. When this happens, the word becomes power.

The Word of God is power. Let it speak for itself. Let the message be significant and the messenger be insignificant. We should preach the Gospel with passion and conviction. When we do, it is not words; it is the Holy Spirit speaking.

1 Thessalonians 1:1-3

 ¹Paul, Silas, and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace and peace to you.²We always thank God for all of you, mentioning you in our prayers. ³We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.

-1 Thessalonians 1:1-3

V1 These were the people that God had called at the moment.

Paul was regarded as small person with a very big heart. He wasn’t the most handsome man in the world. In fact, he wasn’t attractive at all. He was a man who truly understood the meaning of God’s calling and God’s Power.

Silas was a prominent leader among the leaders of the early church. He volunteered to go into the missionary field with Paul. He sang praises to God in the prison the cold prison cell that lead people to faith in Christ.

Timothy was a timid and shy person who would rather hide in the crown then stand among thousands preaching. It’s amazing to see him stand next to Paul in the ministry.

Sometimes we’re so into the physical appearance of a person that we neglect people who are small. If we allow ourselves to be stuck in the mentality of this world we can lose out on the calling of God for our lives. Paul, Silas, and Timothy were small people who did great things despite their physical flaws.

V1 The church in Thessalonica didn’t exist by man but by God the father and Jesus Christ. It was a church built in God. Paul greeted the church with grace and peace.

V2 Paul was thrilled to hear from the church. He had missed them a lot and longed to learn of their well being. When he discovered that the church was thriving, he thanked God and prayed continuously for them.

V3 When thinking about the church in Thessalonica he was thankful for their:

1.       Faith: Paul thought about the warm faith that was in action and the fruits that were produced by it.

2.       Labor: He thought about the labor they went through because of their love for God. It wasn’t small labor; it was hard, bloody, sweaty labor. These people were burnt out for the cost of the Gospel. These people loved God unconditionally.

3.       Endurance: They endured if the face of difficulty. They rose above the storms and pressed forward in the hope they have in Jesus Christ.

Backround of The Church of Thessalonica

Lessons to Learn in Thessalonians

Sunday Morning Chu Thanh 10/17/10

Background of 1 Thessalonians (References found in: Acts 16-17)

The region of Thessalonica was named after Thessalonica, the half sister of Alexander the Great and the wife of the general. It was at wealthy city with many roman officers. The location of commerce attracted many Jewish merchants. They took advantage of the commercial trading. The harbor attracted a lot of evil and immorality because of the links it had to other regions.

During Paul’s second missionary trip, he saw a vision of a man in Macedonia. He was weeping for Paul to come and evangelize to the city. Paul, Timothy, Titus, and later Luke, sailed across the Aegon Sea to Europe. They first stop at a powerful well established city. Paul casted out a demon from a girl and this landed them in jail. Paul traveled to Thessalonica and went into the synagogues to preach. Paul’s central message was that Jesus Christ was crucified and resurrected. The Greeks in the synagogues heard Paul’s message and received Christ. The Church of Thessalonica came into existence. This church would not have come into being without the divine intervention of the Holy Spirit in Paul.

We are a Pentecostal church seeking the power of the Holy Spirit. However, God has already given us the power but we are not doing anything with it. The church would not have come into being without the deep guidance from God.

The Jews that kicked Paul out of Thessalonica followed Paul and tried to stop him from preaching. Paul went south to Corinth and continued preaching. Paul looked back and his heart yearned for the church back in Thessalonica. Timothy later gave word to him that the small church was still thriving and growing.

Paul was impressed to write to Thessalonica:

1)      He encouraged the new believers to stay faithful in spite of trials and persecution.

2)      He wrote to refuse the false charges that were put against him.

3)      He wrote to talk to them about the returning of Jesus Christ and the last days.

 Christians who are expecting the return of the Lord Jesus Christ we shouldn’t have room for:

1)      Idols in our heart, 1 Thessalonians 1:9

2)      Slackness on service, 1 Thessalonians 2:9

3)      Division in fellowship

4)      Depression 1 Thessalonians 4

5)      Sin

We don’t want Jesus to come and see us indulging ourselves in these things. If he does, we will bring shame to Him.

What will be written on your tombstone?

Sunday Mornings Chu Thanh 10/10/10

2 Timothy 4:6-8

" ⁶For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time has come for my departure. ⁷I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. ⁸Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing."

Paul’s final words give us a guideline of how to live and how to die.

3 Perspectives Paul looks from

1) The present V6: Paul saw his death as a last sacrifice to God. Paul was saying that he lives to declare the love the God gives and will die as a sacrifice to God. Every step that Paul took was devoted to God. His life was given unto God even as he took his last breathe. Paul said that his death was nothing more than a departure. He was leaving this world behind but setting off into eternity. He knew that being absent from the body was to be present with the Lord. Paul faced death with great courage, as much as he faced life with it. There was no fear. He looked at the present and saw that he had given his whole life to God. There were no regrets.

2) The past V7: Paul looked at his past with satisfaction. He had given every effort for the kingdom of God. He lived according to the calling God set forth before him. A lot of us fight and quarrel over useless issues. This is worthless. The spiritual battle is the thing worth fighting for. Paul had lived his life with the full armor of God on. Paul stood upon grace and acted upon faithJ. He was able to build the church, cast out demons, heal the sick, and bring multitudes to Christ. No enemy could touch him because of this armor he had put up. He had fought the good fight victoriously and noblely.

Paul now was alone, sitting in a cold sell with no one. Perhaps he heard the whispers of the enemy. He didn’t listen to those voices. Paul didn’t stop midway and chase other things. He never forgot about God. All that God had given him to do, Paul had done. He had finished the race.

The messages that Paul preached, he had lived out. He had no regrets about it.

3) The future V8: Paul looked toward the future. His life devoted to God will bring him great reward as God crowns him with the crown of righteousness. Many people don’t look forward to the appearing of God because they don’t know anything about it. The crown of righteousness is ready in heaven for those who love the Lord and have patiently waited and longed for His appearing.

When Paul died, his tombstone would probably have read “Paul fought a good fight, he finished the race, and he kept the faith”.

When we die, what will be written on our tombstones? We need to look ahead of us and examine the direction we are going toward. When we arrive at our destination, will we be able to say that we had given our entire heart to Jesus?

Paul's Charge

Sunday Mornings: Chu Thanh, 10/3/2010

2 Timothy 4:1-4

 ¹In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: ²Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. ³For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. ⁴They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.

These are the last inspired words written by Paul the Apostle as he prepares to be executed.

Paul’s Charge

V1. The seriousness: the charge that Paul gives is in all seriousness. He is bringing us to Heaven’s courts, charging us to do this charge under the witness of Jesus Christ. This is a commission handed to us by God in a strict and serious manner.

The honor: Because it is from Heaven’s courts that we receive this charge, it should be the highest honor for us. Being an ambassador of God is the most honorable thing above all else.

The focus: Spiritual focus is what Paul had in prison as he sitting along in a cold cell, awaiting his death. “Paul did not focus on the visible success of Timothy’s ministry but on the excellence of his service” –John MacArthur. It’s not about us, how prominent we are, how powerful we are, or how big our church becomes. It is about the excellence in our faithfulness to the calling in which we were charged.

V2 Preach the Word: We can’t make excuses saying that only pastors and preachers preach. Preaching only means to announce the good news. All of us are called to preach. Every genuine believer in Jesus Christ has a message to proclaim. God didn’t give all of us the ability to preach in front of thousands of people with efficiency and fluency. However, our abilities shouldn’t be our focus. We are to preach the Word of God regardless of our talents. The focus is that the Word of God will speak for itself and change people’s lives. The wisdom and ability of man only goes so far. God’s word is powerful.

Be ready: Be prepared in readiness, urgency, and vigilance. Preaching the Word is not a light matter, but a matter of life and death, redemption and condemnation. We should preach the Word in season and out of season as fountains of living water for people to draw from whenever they walk past us.

Relevancy and Practically: We should preach the Word to correct, rebuke, and encourage. Some people ask for apologetics and proof for God’s existence so we need to know the Word well. Others have been living in sin their entire lives and only need to hear that they are heading in the wrong direction. We should be able to preach to each person according to their circumstance.

Be Patient: No one comes to God unless the Holy Spirit intervenes in their heart. We need to be patient and wait upon the power of God.

Reason for Paul’s Charge

V3-4 People only listen to what they want to hear. They will create their own teachings. They will gather people around themselves so they would be told what they want. They will start to turn their ears from sound doctrine and listen to myths. We need to bring light to their ears.