NOT SOMEHOW. . . but victoriously! 1 Thessalonians 1.1-4

Paul, 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. 4Brothers loved by God, we know that he has chosen you. 1 Thessalonians 1.1-4, NIV

Good Morning,

In the first century, folks did not have to go to the end of the letter, or check the return address on the envelope. . . the sender announced himself first in the letter. So, Paul sends greetings to the Thessalonian church from himself, and his ministry partners on this second missionary journey—Silas and Timothy. (In some translations, it is “Silvanus” rather than the Hebrew “Silas”—same guy)

He immediately makes it clear that the young believers raised their foundational banner high: “We honor and serve God, and the Lord Jesus Christ.” Notice with me a couple things about the focus of their beliefs—
simple and clear; there are no other denominational, cultural, or religious qualifications listed. That’s it: God the Father, and the redeeming work of His Son, Jesus Christ. I can’t help but think about how our focus has shifted, even within the Christian church, in the last decade or so—somewhere along the line, we have gotten it backwards, I think. Church attenders have become consumers who want to pick and choose the beliefs they will hold; they have developed consumer mentality about styles of worship that ‘work’ for them; many have dropped much of any commitment to one church body. Here at the dawn of the 21st century, as the world around us becomes more and more narcissistic, instead of being God-focused, we are viewing “church” in terms of what it can do for us. What happened to going to church with the desire to WORSHIP God? What happened to going to learn from His Word, and bless the people around us, whether or not they raise their hands or sit on them?! “What stands out of Paul’s vision of the church is its God-centredness.”*

And, then, I love how Paul expresses his tender heart toward the Thessalonians. . . letting them know how they not only thank God for them, but pray for them and the continuing work there. He reminds them that God loves them, and has chosen them for His own.

Then, we see the beautiful triad of faith, love, and hope highlighted . . . as Paul comments on their ‘work produced by faith’, ‘labor prompted by love’. . . why, how very different are our works when they are done because of our faith in Him! How beautiful the labor born out of our love for God! Let me give you an example of these. A couple years back, when Southern California seemed to be on fire, I got a call from the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, asking if Women of Passion would be willing to go and serve some churches that were housing and feeding fire evacuees. I took it to the women, and their response was immediate and sure. Do you know that within two hours, we formed a caravan of cars loaded with cleaning supplies, cases of water, clothing, diapers, and a host of willing hands?! That alone brought tears to my eyes. We drove south, and then split to a couple different sites, and unloaded, doing whatever needed to be done. As I walked by with an armload of ‘stuff’, I looked over to see one of my friends on her hands and knees scrubbing the toilet. Why? Because her love for God caused her to want to labor for His children.

Finally, Paul mentions their ‘endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ’. Recently, I heard a speaker talking about her need to ‘endure’ in spite of her very real hardships, but listen to me—we are not called to simply ‘endure’ or even ‘persevere’. . . we are called to be filled with hope as we do so! My friends, if you—like the Thessalonians have said ‘yes’ to God the Father, and Jesus Christ, you are an overcomer. You are not called to just eke out your existence. . . because He is the lifter of your head. . . and greater is He that is in you than he who is in the world! Endure then. . . not somehow, but victoriously.

Yes, Paul, we want to serve because of our faith in God and our love for Him, and we want to endure with triumphant hope! Amen.

Grace and peace to you this day~
Christine