Learning from the Church at Thessalonica (Pt. I) I. Introduction. A. Reference to Series on The Pattern of the New Testament Church. 1. Has been about three weeks since last lesson. 2. Looking at individual congregations that we are told about in the New Testament. such as Corinth, Ephesus, and Philippi. 3. Examining their actions and pointing out their pattern. 4. So that we will know how we ought to conduct ourselves today in this congregation. B. Introduction to the church at Thessalonica. 1. Acts 17. 2. Paul enters the city and begins to preach in the synagogue on the Sabbath as was his custom. 3. Verse 4 points out the initial success that Paul had. And some of them were persuaded; and a great multitude of the devout Greeks, and not a few of the leading women, joined Paul and Silas. 4. But, as you remember, in the next several verses the situation changes. a mob is raised, Christians are arrested, and Paul is run out of town. 5. Probably the most familiar verse to us about the city of Thessalonica is in verse 11, These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so. not a good statement about Thessalonica. C. But the church at Thessalonica is a wonderful story. 1. We learn the bulk about them in Paul s two letters to them. 2. There are several great lessons we learn from them. 3. If we could imitate them, we would be doing very well. II. Determination to Serve God no matter what. A. The church at Thessalonica did not start under good circumstances. 1. Consider the situation in Acts 17. 2. Could you imagine a worse situation for new Christians to be thrown into? 3. They hear the truth, become Christians, and immediately their faith is tested. 4. What would you expect might happen in a situation like that? 5. Paul was very worried about them in this difficult situation.
6. Look at what he says in the first epistle to the Thessalonians. 1 Thess. 2:17-18, But we, brethren, having been taken away from you for a short time in presence, not in heart, endeavored more eagerly to see your face with great desire. Therefore we wanted to come to you even I, Paul, time and again but Satan hindered us. 1 Thess. 3:5, For this reason, when I could no longer endure it, I sent to know your faith, lest by some means the tempter had tempted you, and our labor might be in vain. B. But the Thessalonians were not only not deterred by the persecution, the church thrived under these adverse circumstances. 1. 1 Thessalonians 1:6-8, And you became followers of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Spirit, so that you became examples to all in Macedonia and Achaia who believe. For from you the word of the Lord has sounded forth, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place. Your faith toward God has gone out, so that we do not need to say anything. having received the word in much affliction. became examples. from you the word of the Lord sounded forth. 2. 2 Thessalonians 1:3-5, We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is fitting, because your faith grows exceedingly, and the love of every one of you all abounds toward each other, so that we ourselves boast of you among the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that you endure, which is manifest evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you also suffer. Paul and his companions bragged on the Thessalonians. Why? Because of their patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations. C. The lesson from the Thessalonians is one of determination to serve God no matter what. 1. They were willing to risk their lives to serve God. 2. Are we willing to sacrifice in order to serve God? 3. What stops us from serving God? 4. We need to develop the attitude of the Thessalonians. Nothing is going to stop me from serving my God. III. The church should set a good example for others. A. We often talk about the importance of an individual s example. 1. That we light our light shine to those around us. 2. We talked about that this morning.
3. It is part of the way that we teach. B. We also should talk about our example as a congregation. 1. What do people see when they look at us? 2. How do people describe this congregation? C. The Thessalonians were a good example to churches and Christians all over the world. 1. Notice first of all in 1 Thessalonians 2:14 that Paul says the Thessalonians learned from the example of other churches. For you, brethren, became imitators of the churches of God which are in Judea in Christ Jesus. For you also suffered the same things from your own countrymen, just as they did from the Judeans. the churches in Judea had set a good example, and the Thessalonians followed it. 2. Next notice the importance of setting a good example. 1 Thessalonians 4:10-12, But we urge you, brethren, that you increase more and more; that you also aspire to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you, that you may walk properly toward those who are outside, and that you may lack nothing. we must be careful of our conduct toward those who are not in the church. it is part of our responsibility as a church. 3. Finally, notice at the beginning of the letter, the commendation that Paul bestows upon the Thessalonians. 1 Thessalonians 1:6-7, And you became followers of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Spirit, so that you became examples to all in Macedonia and Achaia who believe. D. We need to be an example. 1. To this community. 2. To the churches in this town. 3. To churches across North Alabama. 4. To churches across this country and across the world. 5. We may not be the biggest, but we can have a big impact on the world. if we want it. IV. Evangelism of the church. A. The mission of the church is to seek and to save that which is lost. 1. Same mission of Jesus. 2. Same mission of the apostles. 3. Same mission as New Testament Christians. 4. Same mission as the churches we read about, like the Thessalonians.
B. The Thessalonians are a supreme example of a church fulfilling their responsibility in the area of evangelism. 1. 1 Thessalonians 1:8, For from you the word of the Lord has sounded forth, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place. Your faith toward God has gone out, so that we do not need to say anything. 2. This is an incredible statement when you consider it. the word was preached in Macedonia and Achaia. the word was preached in every place, across the world. who did this? who contributed to this phenomenon? it was the Thessalonians. 3. Two ways that they did this. through their example. and through preaching and teaching. C. How does a church fulfill its command to spread the gospel? 1. Preaching in the assemblies. 2. One on one studies with people in the community. 3. Through their example. 4. By supporting men, such as Paul, to go out and preach. 5. One more way that I would like to emphasize that it appears the Thessalonians did: they developed men to go out and preach. In Acts 20:4, on Paul s third missionary journey, several men accompanied him: notice that one of them is Secundus of the Thessalonians. Also in Acts 27:2, on Paul s journey to Rome, he was accompanied by a man named Aristarchus, a Macedonian of Thessalonica. And even Demas in 2 Timothy 4:10 appears to be a Thessalonian. He had been with Paul, helping him with the spread of the gospel. 6. I think that it is more than a coincidence that all of these men were from the city of Thessalonica. It is apparent to me that the church at Thessalonica encouraged these men to go out with Paul and help him in spreading the gospel. 7. We should follow this example. we need to encourage men to preach. D. We must learn the lesson of evangelism from the church at Thessalonica. V. The need for growth in the church. A. From what we have learned thus far, the church at Thessalonica was an incredible congregation. 1. Paul doesn t just hand out compliments just to say something nice. look at the 1 Corinthian letter or the Galatian letter.
2. But in both of the letters to the Thessalonians, Paul is highly complimentary of them. 3. We might get the picture that they were perfect, that they didn t have any areas in which they needed to improve. 4. But that is not the case. B. As good as they were, Paul exhorts them to do better. 1. 1 Thessalonians 3:12-13, And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love to one another and to all, just as we do to you, so that He may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints. Paul is asking God to help them increase and abound in love. 2. 1 Thessalonians 4:1-2, Finally, then, brethren, we urge and exhort in the Lord Jesus that you should abound more and more, just as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God; for you know what commandments we gave you through the Lord Jesus. Paul is encouraging them to continue their growth as Christians and as a church. 3. 1 Thessalonians 4:9-10, But concerning brotherly love you have no need that I should write to you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another; and indeed you do so toward all the brethren who are in all Macedonia. But we urge you, brethren, that you increase more and more. Never rest on your laurels. Need for continued growth. C. Never stop growing. 1. Go a little farther. 2. Keep on trying to improve. 3. There are areas in all of our lives that we need to improve. 4. There are areas that we need to improve as a congregation. 5. We may do many things right, but we need to continue to increase more and more. VI. Conclusion: The coming of the Lord. A. Picture of Christ s coming in the 1st letter. Read 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17. B. Picture of Christ s coming in the 2nd letter. Read 2 Thessalonians 1:6-10. C. Quite different pictures, but they give a complete version. Both picture ought to motivate us.