THE THREE THREE S I Thess. 1:1-4

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1 THE THREE THREE S I Thess. 1:1-4 We re going to begin a study into the First Epistle of Paul to the Church meeting at Thessalonika, in the north-western coasts of the Aegean Sea. It was the largest city in the region and the capital of the province of Macedonia in which Paul, Silas and Timothy were instrumental in establishing a church. In trying to set out the background to the background let s read Acts 16:6-10, 6 Now when they had gone throughout Phrygia and the region of Galatia, and were forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia, 7 After they were come to Mysia, they assayed to go into Bithynia: but the Spirit suffered them not. 8 And they passing by Mysia came down to Troas. 9 And a vision appeared to Paul in the night; There stood a man of Macedonia, and prayed him, saying, Come over into Macedonia, and help us. 10 And after he had seen the vision, immediately we endeavoured to go into Macedonia, assuredly gathering that the Lord had called us for to preach the gospel unto them. The chapter begins in Derbe and Lystra (16:1), about 550 miles away from Thessalonika. At Derbe and Lystra they met with the family of Timothy where he joined Paul and Silas in the work of the Lord (v.4). As they travelled together through the regions of Phrygia and Galatia we discover that Luke in the Gospel of Acts recorded a very strange thing, v.6 they were forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia. Were there not lost souls in Asia to be preached to? Did they not have the right to hear the Gospel preached and be saved? Why was Paul, Silas and Timothy forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia? Now these men were serious about evangelism and telling the unsaved about Christ so how do you think they felt when none other than the Holy Spirit stopped them from preaching the Gospel of salvation to the needy people in the largely populated area of Asia? They moved to the northerly region of Mysia and they were planning to go out to the north-east, to the region of Bithynia but look once again, v.7 the Spirit suffered them not. Why not?! It wasn t pagan rulers or magistrates that set the bounds and limitations on their work it was the Holy Spirit who stopped them going into the provinces of Asia and Bithynia to preach the Gospel! If they had gone to those areas they would have been acting out of disobedience and would not have been accompanied by the Holy Spirit and therefore their ministry, - good and all as it might have seemed to be, - would not have been accompanied by the blessing of God.

2 D.G. 2 At the seaport of Troas, overlooking the stretch of water known as the Hellespont, Paul received a vision that God used to bring the Gospel to Europe. It was the vision of the man from Macedonia, Come over into Macedonia, and help us. It s always best to go where the Lord leads! So Paul, Silas and Timothy arrive in Europe. Let s now look at the first of the Three Three s THE THREE MISSIONARIES As they came upon the city of Thessalonika I m sure Paul s, Silas and Timothy s minds would have been racing with so many thoughts. I don t think it would have crossed their minds to go home, and give up because of their burden for the task. This was a magnificent city with a tremendous history. The great names of the Greek empire were very much still alive in Thessalonika. It had been known as the city of the Hot Springs, with a famous harbour where Xerxes had his naval base when he invaded Europe, - the same great harbour the Romans were using. In 315BC Cassander rebuilt the city and renamed it after his wife, the daughter of Philip of Macedon and the half-sister of Alexander the Great. It was a free city with its own assembly and magistrates, free from the Roman restraints. This was the place these three missionaries came to preach the Gospel of Saving Grace to its 200,000 inhabitants. How would you have felt in such a place as this if God had led you to preach the Gospel there? The first place these three missionaries visited was the Jewish synagogue for Acts 17:2 three sabbath days [and] reasoned with them out of the scriptures. Their evangelism began with a group of people who at least knew something of the God of the Old Testament. Now, what would they have preached? Paul would have been the main preacher and you can be very sure he didn t mince his words. Their message was clear and to the point, v.3 that Christ must needs have suffered, and risen again from the dead; and that this Jesus, whom I preach unto you, is Christ.

3 D.G. 3 There is no point in trying to dress the Gospel up in words that will be acceptable to the unsaved because no matter how you try their ears and their eyes are closed to its truth. However, as the Holy Spirit would have it, v.4 some of them believed, ; and of the devout Greeks a great multitude, and of the chief women not a few. But do you notice that when God is working so is the enemy! It s not a good sign when everything is going too well and too simply. It s always better if your work for Christ attracts the attention of the devil and those under his control. A number of the Jews hated this Gospel Paul, Silas and Timothy preached so they made every effort to stop it, vv.5,6. They absolutely hated the preaching of the Gospel of God s free and sovereign grace and they caused such a furore that it brought concern even to the rulers of the city, v.8. As a consequence, the three missionaries had to get out of Thessalonica such was the opposition to their preaching. Nevertheless, though, God had in His sovereign mercy saved out of the city a people who met together in the church. These three missionaries had been mightily used of God despite the opposition, and Paul, - on their behalf, - was now bringing opening greetings to a church that would have had the constant antagonism and hostility from the Jewish leaders bearing heavily down upon them. THE THREE PERSONS OF THE GODHEAD In I Thess. 1:1 Paul writes about God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ; in v.3 he turns the order round and writes about the Lord Jesus Christ and God our Father; and in vv.5,6 he writes about the third Person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit. Each person of the Godhead played an integral part in the work of the Gospel that Paul and his two friends were involved in. The three missionaries were led to that city by the Holy Spirit, when their own planning would have taken them to Mysia or Bithynia. Of course, Mysia and Bithynia needed to hear the Gospel but God s plan, - articulated by the Holy Spirit, - led Paul, Silas and Timothy to Macedonia. There, in Thessalonika, they preached the Gospel and where did they go first but to the synagogue of the Jews.

4 D.G. 4 In many ways it s harder to win those with whom you might have something in common. But it wasn t because Paul wanted an argument or a row amongst these Jews, he went and preached that which God laid upon his heart and you can be very sure that, - myself included, - when we preach what the Lord lays upon our hearts the kingdom of hell sets in motion its plans for opposition! When a preacher preaches faithfully the Word of God the devil moves in and causes harm! Pray in this our church that the operations of the devil will be defeated even before they have rightly begun and God will have the victory once again! And Paul preached and what do you think he preached? He gives us an indication here in v.4. Sovereign election has never been a favourite subject with the enemy and as Paul preached on this subject of election you can be sure the heckles on the backs of their necks were rising. Those Jewish leaders took an immediate hatred to Paul, - the substance of his preaching was foolishness to them and was a stumbling-block to their understanding of the Gospel. But you see, all of Paul s Gospel depended on God s election, - the work of salvation carried out in its various stages by the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. I would have loved to have been standing beside Paul and Silas and Timothy as he would have been preaching this great truth, the truth that sets our salvation firmly and securely in the hands of the three Persons of the Godhead. Martyn Lloyd-Jones and Whitefield and all the men who preached this Gospel Paul preached were castigated. Spurgeon was preaching to a packed hall, - about 10,000 people, - and those who hated the Gospel he preached began to shout Fire! Fire in one part of the building and then some more in another part of the building. There was fear and panic and seven people were trampled to death that night in the rush to get out of the building. They hated this Gospel Paul preached. It is a privilege to preach a Gospel the devil notices and hates!

5 D.G. 5 God led Paul and his friends to Thessalonika, and gave him the message to preach and the tenacity to hold on even in the face of such tremendous opposition. His is the only message that I dare preach today, - nothing of myself, nothing of theologians or professors of theology, - but Paul preached Christ in the fullness of the Gospel, in accordance with the Word of God. The three missionaries the three Persons of the Godhead THE THREE MARKS OF THE BELIEVER A believer is marked by God. You are marked. God has placed a seal upon you that no-one but He can see. The Bible tells us, Eph. 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. There is an indelible mark impressed into every believer and this mark is visible only to the eye of God and He sees it only on those whom He has saved. That mark will not be found on any false professor, - no matter how good their false profession is, it will not be found on any except those whom the Lord has saved. Even though you cannot see the mark there is evidence that it nonetheless is there. This evidence is due to the work of the Holy Spirit who has come to live within the true believer. We would put a lot of emphasis on what we consider constitutes a Christian but God can see into places we cannot see. Paul summarises it like this, - the three marks of the believer, - your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope (Doesn t he say the same thing to the church at Corinth? I Cor. 13:13 And now abideth faith, hope, charity.) Without these three characteristics there is an absence of the Godly character that constitutes a true believer. your work of faith, a consequence of the fact you belong to God. You are involved in a work for Him, along with other believers. Your responsibility is to Him and the means by which you carry out that work is in obedience to the Holy Spirit. It is Him Who leads and guides and Who needs to be satisfied with your labours. The work you do is for Him and not, - in any way, - must it be influenced by your desire to do things your way.

6 D.G. 6 Peter, sitting at the fire in the High Priest s garden, followed his own agenda,- we know the price he paid for that! The faith we have in God alone is saving faith, and we have the faith that He accompanies and blesses the work of every child of God that leans on Him for help and support. Work for Him is not simply our own feeble efforts but we are guarded, guided, directed, encouraged by the same Holy Spirit that came down upon the early Church on the Day of Pentecost. Your labour of love. Paul, Silas and Timothy were in that city of Thessalonika because of their love for those foreign people and their desire to see them saved. They had travelled many miles, over all types of terrain, through many difficulties to be there. To the Church at Rome Paul wrote, 10:1 Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved. That s why he went to the synagogue in Thessalonika. The pagan idolatrous city was heading towards a lost eternity and he went first to his Jewish brothers and sisters to tell them of Christ. He loved them for Christ s sake! He had no bitterness for them, even though the Jews had treated him badly in other places he went to You cannot be a child of God if you harbour within yourself hatred for your fellowman. You might hate their sin, and hate what they do or have done, but as a child of God in His service your motivation/driving force must be this labour of love Paul was writing about. And then he mentions something that kept his view clear and kept his eyes on Christ, patience of hope. Do you sometimes feel you are getting nowhere? You are seeking to be faithful in the true Biblical sense of the word, and you are working with the one aim in view that Christ s name would be glorified but it is all an uphill struggle and you are in danger of becoming weary spiritually weary. Well, the subject we are considering on a Thursday evening is the subject for you then the Sovereignty of God. Nothing can overtake His will. Nothing can spoil or hinder His plans and I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day. Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.

7 D.G. 7 Paul never swerves from this truth he preached. He was consistent throughout because he was patient in hope. I would love to see souls being saved in this place on such a grand scale but I need to be patient in hope. I daren t rush God (for He won t be rushed!). His Word teaches me to remember 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. It s not my responsibility to save the sinner, - I can only preach God s Word and show them how much God loves them. I can t hold the arm of a wayward believer up their back and make them do what they know they ought to be doing, - I can simply tell them and it s my responsibility to tell them. And when you believe that God has a plan and a purpose and that He is working all things out in accordance to His will I can be patient in hope. I don t rush it, - had the children of Israel rushed it during those 430 years of captivity in Egypt they would not have achieved freedom but instead greater burdens would have been heaped upon them. But God s timing for His purposes was and is always correct. That goes for when and how He will pour out His Spirit upon our Church in a mighty way, and that goes too for when He will visit our loved ones in saving power. The three missionaries, the three Persons of the Godhead the three marks of the believer, - your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope CONCLUSION Imagine listening to this epistle for the first time. You picture in your mind Paul saying these words but even more than that, I trust by faith - you are led to the altar in Heaven where you present yourself to God as a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. This is how Paul begins his epistle to a church in the midst of a city desperate to follow their own agenda. The gospel he preached didn t change any despite the opposition he received. He was convinced of his standing in Christ and the Gospel he preached and he had work to do for his Saviour and not all the plans of hell would hinder him in his progress.