The Encouragement of A Fruitful Church

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The Encouragement of A Fruitful Church

1 Thessalonians 1:1-10

April 28, 2024 • Richard Caldwell Jr. • 1 Thessalonians 1

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Introduction:

Many years ago, there was a young man that I had privilege of leading to Christ while he was working for his uncle during the summer. His uncle was not a professing believer at the time, and his aunt was recent professor of faith in Christ.

His family remolded and sold houses, they had sold us our house, and they were working on a new project next door to us.

On the weekend he was scheduled to go back home, to southern California, he gave his life to Christ.

I had no time to disciple him.

He only had a very small amount of teaching that I had been able to pass on.

He was going home to an unbelieving father — one who was involved in false religion.

And in a short time, he was to leave for the Navy.

When Nathan left, I prayed for him and my only hope was that I knew that if his conversion was genuine — he was the Lord’s. The Lord would not let go of him.

Sometime later (I think it was a year), Nathan pulled up in my driveway. His back seat was full of theology books — and they were sound.

He had formed relationships with believers — first during his brief time back in California — then during his time in the Navy. He was proving to be a serious student of theology.

That experience will forever stand in my mind as an example of the sufficiency of God’s saving work in a person’s life.

The church at Thessalonica stands as a great testimony of the sufficiency of salvation.

It stands as a testimony of the sufficiency of the gospel, the sufficiency of Christ, and the reality of the indwelling Holy Spirit.

It stands as a testimony of the reality of the NEW NATURE.

From what we can gather from the book of Acts (Acts 17:1-15), the ministry of Paul in the city of Thessalonica was very brief.

His premature departure from that city left him concerned for the believers there, and after a short time, he sent Timothy back to see about their condition.

PAUL WRITES THIS LETTER AS A RESPONSE TO THE REPORT THAT TIMOTHY HAD GIVEN ABOUT THEM WHEN HE MET WITH PAUL IN CORINTH.

What Paul had learned was that the Thessalonians were generally doing well but were also struggling in some areas.

They didn’t have a clear understanding of what happens with believers who die before the coming of the Lord.

It’s clear that they had not fully expected the kind of suffering and persecution they were facing.

It appears they were struggling for personal holiness — a right view of what it means to live in light of the return of Christ.

DESPITE THOSE STUGGLES, PAUL IS ENCOURAGED AND HE ENCOURAGES THEM.

When you read this letter there are several words that we can mention that come to mind.

1. Affection — Deep affection. The kind of affection that parents have for children (chapters 2 and 3).

2. Thankfulness — In the case of this letter, the thankfulness is specific. It is thankfulness for the spiritual fruit. It is thankfulness for spiritual steadfastness and growth. It is thankfulness for clear and undeniable evidences of genuine salvation.

To put it succinctly, it is thankfulness for God’s work in these people.

3. Longing and concern — Paul emphasizes, more than once, and in the strongest terms, that he desires to see these people face to face again. But until he can — and he prays that will be soon — he has still taken care of them and satisfied his concerns about them by sending Timothy to find out how they are doing and to bring him a report.

4. Instruction — We find instruction for doctrine and for duty. He addresses what they must know, and he addresses how they must live. He gives them vital truths to be sure that they are not uninformed, and he gives them commands meant to stir them to greater love, and holiness, and good deeds.

5. Encouragement — Paul doesn’t hesitate to tell them about the good that he and others see in them. He doesn’t hesitate to tell them about the power of their testimony. He is not afraid to command, he is not afraid to correct, but he is also not afraid to encourage — and it becomes plain that Paul LOVES to be an encourager.

Now, what I would have you think about tonight is the fact that this is not only the attitude, the atmosphere, that runs through this letter, THIS IS A MODEL FOR WHAT IT MEANS TO HAVE A REAL MINISTRY TO OTHER PEOPLE.

The Most Profound Cause For Thanksgiving

May 12, 2024 • Richard Caldwell Jr. • 1 Thessalonians 1:4–7

It was, perhaps, in the summer of the year 50 A.D. that Paul, Silas, and Timothy, arrived in the thriving, cosmopolitan city of Thessalonica. It was a city located on the Via Egnatia, the famous Roman road that connected Rome to the East. That road stretched from what is today, Albania, to Constantinople, Istanbul. It was a harbor city, and the only port that existed on this road, and so the city was very influential. It was a free city, allowed to manage its own political affairs in a way that few Roman controlled cities could. Fewer taxes, rulers that they chose for themselves, and a population that included all kinds of people. It was truly an international commercial city. It was one of the largest cities in the Roman Empire and the capital city of the Macedonian province. Population estimates for the time of Paul’s ministry range from 100,000 to 250,000 people. The missionary team that arrived in Thessalonica had just been beaten and imprisoned at Phillipi. God had miraculously delivered them from that prison and marvelously saved the jailor and his household through that deliverance. Earlier, Lydia had been saved, and there were others, but Paul was asked to leave town. NAS 1 Thessalonians 2:1 For you yourselves know, brethren, that our coming to you was not in vain, 2 but after we had already suffered and been mistreated in Philippi, as you know, we had the boldness in our God to speak to you the gospel of God amid much opposition. So, when he arrived in the city of Thessalonica, he had traveled 100 miles, shortly after being severely beaten. He had every reason to be timid and afraid, especially when trouble began to raise its head in this city also. Thessalonica, unlike Philippi, had a large enough Jewish population to have a synagogue. Paul began his ministry there. He reasoned with them for 3 weeks, and as a result, there Jews converted. But then his ministry moved outside the synagogue into the Gentile population, and there were many Gentiles converted. That sparked Jewish jealousy, and the conflict was on once again. Paul was torn away from them (ESV 2:17), and they were forced to flee the city (Acts 17:10). We can’t be certain of how long Paul was in Thessalonica, but several considerations indicate that it was longer than his 3 weeks reasoning in the synagogue. The Philippians sent support for him more than once (Phil 4:16). But regardless of how long he was with them, it was a relatively short amount of time, and he couldn’t give them a lot of teaching. Paul left Timothy and Silas in Berea after they were run out of Thessalonica, and he went on to Athens. Sometime after Paul was in Athens, Silas and Timothy met him there, and out of concern for churches Paul was willing to be left alone in Athens and dispatch them to find out about the churches. ESV 1 Thessalonians 3:1 Therefore when we could bear it no longer, we were willing to be left behind at Athens alone, 2 and we sent Timothy, our brother and God's coworker in the gospel of Christ, to establish and exhort you in your faith, It was after Paul was in Corinth, and reunited with Timothy, that this letter was written in response to Timothy’s report and Paul is rejoicing at what he has heard. Chapter 1 is a record of his rejoicing, as he tells them about what he has seen in them and heard about them. Chapter 2 is a reminder of his ministry among them. Chapter 3 is an explanation of his affection for them, why he sent Timothy to them, and his reaction to Timothy’s report. Chapter 4, he exhorts them to live holy lives, and follows that exhortation with comfort considering a true understanding of the return of Jesus Christ. Chapter 5 begins with explanations about the day of the Lord, and then ends with closing exhortations and a final desire for their blessing. Today we begin looking at this first chapter, and the chapter is amazing. The chapter can be divided into 5 sections. Verse 1 – How we regard you (Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy). Verses 2-3 – How we pray for you. Verse 4 – What we know about you. Verses 5-7 – Why we are certain about you. Verses 8-10 – What has become of you. We are going to look at each of those five sections, but as we do we need to notice what this chapter represents. It is Paul, on behalf of Silas and Timothy, telling this church what he believes about them and what he and others have seen in them.

The Supernatural Nature of The Church

May 5, 2024 • Richard Caldwell Jr. • 1 Thessalonians 1:1–3

Encouragement Through Prayer

May 5, 2024 • Richard Caldwell Jr. • 1 Thessalonians 1:1–3

Introduction: Paul is encouraging the Thessalonians. He is rejoicing over them and encouraging them at the same time. And as he does this, he tells them of his prayers for them. He tells them that he remembers them, he regularly prays for them, and that his prayers include GREAT THANKS for what he has seen in them and heard about them. He is thanking God because they are God’s work. He is thanking God because the work that he has carried out among them is proving to be fruitful. He is thanking God because God is glorified by what God has produced. A LESSON ABOUT PRAYER AND THANKSGIVING From what Paul writes we not only get insight into the apostle’s prayer life — how he prayed for others — we learn some valuable lessons about what should characterize our own spirit in prayer. EFFECTIVE PRAYER IS A MEANS OF MUTUAL ENCOURAGEMENT The first thing I want to point out is the most obvious. We asked in our first study why someone would begin a letter by telling others of what he has seen in them, heard about them, knows about them. We noted how it serves as a means of encouragement, and challenge, and protection (the devil’s work of convincing people we DON’T really care about them). Well, one of the ways that we encourage each other is by the ministry of prayer. Is there anything more encouraging than the knowledge that we are in someone’s heart, on someone’s mind, in the most effectual way they could ever participate in our lives — prayer? People cannot always be with us, but they can always pray for us. People cannot always identify with our challenges, but they can lift our needs before the throne of the one who PERFECTLY knows our challenges. People do not always have the resources to meet the needs represented in our lives, but they can beseech the one who owns all things and directs all things. One of the greatest ways that we could ever encourage each other, challenge each other, and protect each other, is by the knowledge that we pray for each other. EFFECTIVE PRAYER INVOLVES REMEMBRANCE Perhaps one of our real weaknesses in prayer is that we don’t take time to remember. We fall prey to the lie that activity is more meaningful than intercession. We get busy. We get moving. We don’t really think, we don’t really reflect. We don’t take the time to call the things to mind that SHOULD be in our prayer life, and that WOULD be in our prayer life, if we DID take time to remember. We should say with David the Psalmist: ESV Psalm 103:1 Of David. Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! 2 Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, 3 who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, 4 who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, 5 who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's. Why the exhortation not to forget? Because even God’s people forget. Question: Have you ever had the experience of watching someone who is oblivious to things they should recognize? Have you ever witnessed someone else’s disconnect with reality? DO YOU EVER RECOGNIZE THAT IN SOME AREA OF LIFE — THAT’S YOU? NAS Isaiah 1:2 Listen, O heavens, and hear, O earth; For the LORD speaks, "Sons I have reared and brought up, But they have revolted against Me. 3 "An ox knows its owner, And a donkey its master's manger, But Israel does not know, My people do not understand." We are not always in the dark in the rebellious way that Isaiah describes. Sometimes we are just insensitive in a way that is neglectful, in a way that is not circumspect and aware. One of the essential elements to the kind of prayer life that Paul knew is that we take time to remember PEOPLE. PAUL IS GIVING THANKS FOR GOD’S PEOPLE IN OUR VERSES. He is giving thanks for the fruit OF GOD’S OWN ACTIVITY IN THE WORLD. QUESTION: When is the last time you thought to praise God for what you see IN SOMEONE ELSE’S LIFE? So, effective prayer involves remembrance.