10-2 BOOK – THE BIRTH OF A CHURCHJANUARY 6, 1963
PASTOR HENRY F KULP
I Thessalonians 1: 1 - 5 Paul, and Silvanus, and Timotheus, unto the church of the Thessalonians which is in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ. We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers; Remembering 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 Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God. For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance; as ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake.
As we start this epistle, there are a number of reasons why I Thessalonians is of special interest to believers in Christ today. One of the important reasons is that it is the first inspired letter written by the Apostle Paul. We want to give you a very simple outline of the book. There are five chapters to Thessalonians.
The first chapter unfolds the great theme of the Lord’s appearing in relation to salvation.
In chapter two it is the Lord’s appearing in relation to Christian service.
In chapter three, it is the Lord’s coming in relation to sanctification.
Chapter Four, the Lord’s coming in relation to the resurrection of those who have died in Jesus Christ.
Chapter five, which concludes the epistle deals with the safety of the believer in the days of wrath just proceeding the appearing of Jesus Christ.
1/ Then there is another point in Thessalonians that is very important to realize. These people in Thessalonica were young Christians with less than a year of Christian experience. Nevertheless, they were familiar with great and deep truths of the Christian faith. Such as sanctification, assurance, the trinity, resurrection, and the Day of the Lord. So, it shows us what can be done with someone who is really interested in the things of the Lord Jesus Christ.
2/ It is also necessary to see that this church was important to Saint Paul. It was as important to him as the new born babe is to the parents of the child. In fact, he compares himself to a nurse cherishing her own children.
3/ This epistle was written a little less than twenty years after the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
4/ As we look at this church at Thessalonica, we see the way that God founds churches. How a church is born, and of course, by the church, we mean an assembly.
5/ Notice in I Thessalonians 1: 5 For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance; as ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake.
Our Gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power and the Holy Ghost and in much assurance.
The results of the preaching of the Gospel were phenomenal, and in a course of a few weeks a church was founded that was established and able to stand against all manner of persecution.
6/ In 315 B.C. Cassander, one of the generals of Alexander the Great rebuilt this city and named it after a sister of Alexander, who happened to be his wife, Thessalonica. Like Esther and Ruth in the Old Testament, the Thessalonian epistle traces its name to a famous woman.
7/ Paul came to this city on his second missionary journey. Paul and Silas were in Philippi, and their ministry was ended by a severe beating and imprisonment and a delivery from jail, and an invitation to leave their city. And from Philippi, they went to Thessalonica.
I would like you to notice, I Thessalonians 2: 2 But even after that we had suffered before, and were shamefully entreated, as ye know, at Philippi, we were bold in our God to speak unto you the gospel of God with much contention.
Paul declares he preached the Gospel unto them in much agony. It is quite evident that he was still lame from the severe treatment he had suffered at Philippi. He still had unhealed cuts on his face and his head, and his clothing was torn and needed much mending. So, Paul didn’t let things bother his preaching. Other folks would have said, I just can’t serve the Lord in this condition, I’m going to have to take it easy. But, Praise God the Apostle Paul was not like this, he didn’t go to his bed. He didn’t say, I don’t have the physical strength to serve the Lord, but he found strength and he went forth for the Lord.
8/ And you will notice where Paul went first of all, Acts 17: 2 For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, To The Unknown God. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you.
He entered the synagogue on the Sabbath Day. There is one thing we have to understand here first of all. He reasoned with them out of the Scriptures. The Scriptures were the sole guide. Some folks who call themselves Christians would say they didn’t have a Bible at this time. They didn’t have a Bible until the Church gave them the Bible. Don’t you believe it.
Notice what happened at Berea in Acts 17: 11 These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.
Here we read the people at Berea were more noble than those in Thessalonica in that they received the Word—that is the Bible—with all readiness of mind, and searched the Scriptures daily. A church has to be founded on the Scriptures, not on tradition—not on anything else but the Scriptures.
9/ There is another thing we must understand very clearly at this point. These Thessalonians were part of the church which was the Body of Christ. We have the others who come along and say the CHURCH was not founded until after Acts 28: 28 Be it known therefore unto you, that the salvation of God is sent unto the Gentiles, and that they will hear it.
And this, of course, is sheer nonsense. What do you think Paul preached to these people at Thessalonica? And at Berea? Did he preach the Kingdom Gospel to them? Absolutely not. The Bible gives not one shred of evidence that Paul ever proclaimed the Gospel of the Kingdom, or the Gospel of circumcision at any time.
Just let me read for you Galatians 2: 7 But contrariwise, when they saw that the gospel of the uncircumcision was committed unto me, as the gospel of the circumcision was unto Peter;
Here Paul states emphatically. This is in the beginning of his ministry—you will notice this—this is not after Acts 28: 28, the Gospel of circumcision had been committed to Peter as the Gospel of uncircumcision had been committed to Paul. It is not said that he had the Gospel of circumcision for a while, and then went and preached the Gospel of uncircumcision. No, Peter, and the rest of the Apostles knew at this time that Paul had the Gospel of uncircumcision. He never preached the Gospel of the Kingdom. He preached only about Jesus Christ and the fact that He died for their sins. And the fact that they could be saved by believing on Him.
10/ Let me show you that Paul never preached two points that Peter preached. And I want you to see the difference between the ministry of Peter in the Kingdom Gospel, and the ministry of Paul in the Grace Gospel. First of all, he did not call upon Israel to repudiate the nation’s part in the death of Jesus Christ, as Peter did.
Notice Acts 2: 23 – 36, 38 Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain: Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it. For David speaketh concerning him, I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved: Therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad; moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope: Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. Thou hast made known to me the ways of life; thou shalt make me full of joy with thy countenance. Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day. Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne; He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption. This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses. Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear. For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, Until I make thy foes thy footstool. Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made the same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ. Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
Notice, Paul never preached these words.
Then, secondly, he did not here, or anywhere offer the return of Jesus Christ and the establishment of the Kingdom as Peter did.
Acts 3: 19 – 21 Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord. And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you: Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.
11/ What a wonderful preaching mission this must have been. One can easily see the crowds thronging the synagogue, the excitement caused by the new doctrine. The result of his ministry was that a number of the Jews believed, and in all these Jewish synagogues were Gentile proselytes. A multitude received this testimony, and there were quite a few well-known women who were willing to receive Christ as their Saviour. From Paul’s epistles to the Thessalonians, it is evident that the church was made up from the beginning mainly of converts from idolatry, rather than from Judism.
For notice, I Thessalonians 1: 9 For they themselves shew of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God;
12/ Then some other religious leaders, who would not believe, and it was most of the religious people who refused to believe, moved with envy, took unto them certain lewd fellows of the baser sort.
The words, of the baser sort, are literally, market loungers, and a good rendering would be rowdy group. And they got the whole city in an uproar, and they assaulted the house of Jason, where Paul and Silas had been staying, and then they said in verse 6 that they have turned the world upside down. That was a real accomplishment. I wish it could be said of us today. For the world is certainly wrong side up. However, the charge as they meant it was not true. But Paul and Silas finally found it necessary to leave Thessalonica and go to Berea. But what a glorious church had been founded here in this city.
13/ Paul wrote the first epistle to the church at Thessalonica from Corinth. It was near the end of his second missionary journey. Timothy had just returned from a mission of consolation and instruction to this infant church, and he brought news of its condition back to Paul.
I Thessalonians 3: 6 - 7 But now when Timotheus came from you unto us, and brought us good tidings of your faith and charity, and that ye have good remembrance of us always, desiring greatly to see us, as we also to see you: Therefore, brethren, we were comforted over you in all our affliction and distress by your faith:
They desired to see him, and he was glad to know that they were holding fast, even though they were passing through seasons of great distress, through great affliction. They were still suffering for their belief in Jesus Christ.
14/ I Thessalonians 1: 1 Paul, and Silvanus, and Timotheus, unto the church of the Thessalonians which is in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Here we have the epistle opening with an invocation of grace upon the infant church at Thessalonica. Grace is more than mercy, it is more than tender mercy, it is more than a multitude of tender mercies. Grace is more than love. Grace is God giving us everything for nothing. Then notice, grace is from God the Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ. Not from the Apostles, not from any earthly means. Then notice, peace. Their can never be peace among men or in men’s hearts unless it is by divine grace. For notice the order.
15/ Verse 2 We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers;
Then notice Paul’s faithfulness in prayer. I wonder if we pray one for another, and for all our needs, and for the needs of those about us, for here was a helpless church without teachers. They only had a few weeks of instruction, in a land filled with idolatry, with impurity, and with hatred toward the Gospel.
16/ Notice, Paul did not pray in generalities, for to pray in generalities is not to pray at all. He prayed for them, I believe definitely in prayer lists.
17/ Then notice, we give thanks to God always for you all. A person who prays and gives thanks for others in his life is not a self-centered individual. The one who is a self-centered individual—the one who is self-centered doesn’t have time to thank God for others in his life.
18/ Then in verse 3 Remembering 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;
There are three famous words in this verse: Faith, Hope and Love. Paul is not just thanking the Lord Jesus Christ simply because these folks had faith, love and hope, but he is thanking God for what these three things had produced. Now it is impossible to see faith, hope or love. They are immaterial things. But they can be manifested in a very definite physical way. But now notice, these three things are permanent.
I Corinthians 13: 13 And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.
There are many things that do not abide. Youth, health, opportunity, friends, loved ones. Some pass away gradually, others are passed away all too quickly. But then notice of the three permanent things, one thing excels and that is love.
Let us contrast these abiding things with verse 8 Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.
Prophecy shall fail, tongues shall fail, knowledge shall vanish away. But now these things are able to produce physical things in the believer’s life. Faith produces works, just as sure as an apple tree, if it is healthy and gets enough water and is in good soil will produce apples. Just so, faith will produce works, and Paul is thanking God that their faith has produced works.
Then he talks about a labor of love. That word, labor, means toil fatiguing work, exhausting service. Love goes beyond just faith producing work. It causes us to labor until we are ready to fall over. Many believers never really reach this point. They never want to labor for the Lord to the point that they are literally exhausted, and if they do, they complain and say, we are going to have to cut something out. But in these Thessalonians, love was a driving force that caused them to be spent for the cause of Jesus Christ. Then we have hope, not simply hope but that hope produced patience. I am firmly convinced this is a much needed thing in the believer’s life. Patience in our day and age seems to be a missing ingredient in all our lives. But God expects patience out of us, and here is the way to have patience. It is through hope.
19/ But notice, verse 3 concludes with something that is most significant. Remembering 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 is not a matter that Paul saw these things, faith, love and hope. But it was in the sight of God our Father. This brings us to a very pointed question which everyone can ask himself. What does God see in our hearts? A real trust in Him? A real love to serve Him? A real hope that brings patience in our lives? It is true that God looks at our hearts, and He keeps records of our hearts. Men think that it is important what other men think about them, but it is not. You can put a good front on, and God knows whether you are really laboring to the point of exhaustion driven by love, to serve Him. He knows whether you have a real hope in your life, and that is has caused you to be patient with other people, other believers.
My mind goes back to Exodus 32: 9 And the Lord said unto Moses, I have seen this people, and, behold, it is a stiffnecked people:
Here we have the children of Israel. They were just plum out of patience. Moses had gone up on the mountain to receive the law of God. And while he was gone they became restless, and they said, something has happened to this man, Moses, he is not coming down. So they told Aaron—You make us a god that will go before us. And when Moses came down from the mount, God spoke to him and said, I have seen this people, and behold it is a stiff-necked people. God saw them, God knew their hearts, God knew what had caused them to reach this point in their experience for Him. It is important what God sees, and what God thinks. So, remember, it is important what God sees. Does He see you have faith, love, and hope?
20/ And then, we know we can love and have patience. In other words, endure, because we know the Lord Jesus Christ is coming back. For He is going to appear in the Heavens for us. This is the thought that enables us to labor, to work, and to have patience. This thought should be ever before us.
I Thessalonians 1: 10 And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.
AMEN
Ref: 01/06/1963 / 10-2 BOOK - THE BIRTH OF THE CHURCH / 10/26/2020
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