Is your life an example to others of Bible based Christianity? Or, do you pursue the lie of holified hedonism?

God wants me to Become an Example to Others of Faith Toward God

1 Thessalonians 1:6-10

(Children's Sheet for Sermon Interaction is at bottom. Notes are throughout sermon.)

Pastor Kerry Kinchen, Bridgeway Bible Church

Please turn to 1 Thessalonians 1:6-10. We are gleaning some wonderful principles so far in the introductory comments of 1 Thessalonians. Coming into our passage this morning, Paul has explained that he, Silvanus, and Timothy give thanks to God specifically, and they thank Him always for the Thessalonian Christians. They pray often, knowing with certainty that God has love for the Thessalonian Christians, and that God has specifically elected them to salvation--thus the thanks to God alone and not to the Thessalonians themselves for becoming Christians. The apostles do this thanking and praying constantly keeping in mind the work of faith, labor of love, and the steadfastness of hope in the Lord that the Thessalonians have. Paul is assured of their election because of these things. Paul recognizes that the good news of Christ that he preached did not come to the Thessalonians in mere words only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit--the power that really did transform their souls. This is what Paul says, coming into our passage, where he continues. Please read the passage with me now, starting in verse 6,

"6 You also became imitators of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much tribulation with the joy of the Holy Spirit, 7 so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. 8 For the word of the Lord has sounded forth from you, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith toward God has gone forth, so that we have no need to say anything. 9 For they themselves report about us what kind of a reception we had with you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve a living and true God, 10 and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, that is Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath to come." 1 Thessalonians 1:6-10

Prepare your hearts to learn along with me from the preaching of God's word. The theme of the sermon this morning is,

God wants me to Become an Example to Others of Faith Toward God
[Prayer]

The theme of the sermon is that God wants us to be living examples of faith toward God. All of us are already familiar with what it means to be examples of lostness. We remember ourselves before being saved. Billions of examples of lostness populate the great classroom of the sin filled world. Everywhere, we are taught about lostness and the curse of sin. We see it every day after we wake up in the morning and venture out into the daily grind. The lost world culture is overflowing with examples of its sinful self. In the midst of this overflow, what God wants are shining examples of his miracle work. This means that God has created you in Christ Jesus to not only be saved, (where you experience the abundant blessing of eternal life with Him), but God has also created you to be an example to others of His miracle of grace. He created you to be a witness--a living letter of Christ that others read; and when they do, they are amazed, perplexed, curious, and oftentimes offended. They are either drawn by you in God's will, or they are repulsed by you in their hardened hearts. In this way, God created all of us to be ministers. The Thessalonians had some amazing examples of God's miracle work sent to them in the apostles. Paul says,

"6 You also became imitators of us

["us" means Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy]

and of the Lord, having received the word in much tribulation [affliction] with the joy of the Holy Spirit,"

1 God wants me to be an imitator of the apostles, and of the __________. (1 Thess. 1:6)

The Thessalonians manifested the fruits of the Spirit that accompany the miracle. One of the fruits of the Spirit, is that we recognize that God has called and anointed the apostles to be the teachers of Christian doctrine for us. So knowing this, we are to imitate God's servants that he has given to us in His word. This is what the Thessalonians thought they were supposed to do, and so they did it; and in so doing, they demonstrated that they were also being true servants of the Lord and King, Christ Jesus. This is part of the proof of true conversion. It is where you show the changed life in Christ through the willingness to be discipled by the men that God had called and anointed for this special task. In the context, the Thessalonians were being persecuted like the apostles, and also like Christ. It was not merely a brush aside kind of light persecution either. The Greek word that Paul uses for the tribulation that they experienced means extreme pressure. It is crushing. It is the Greek word that describes what grapes experience when they are being pulverized to make wine. In their extreme pressure from persecution, they manifested the same joy that the apostles expressed in the same Holy Spirit. It is the same joy that Christ had. One of God's primary ways of discipling us is through the lives of others who are manifesting the Spirit filled life, and godliness; especially those whom God called out and anointed to establish the church in the first generation. If you have not done so already, then you better start realizing the uniqueness of the apostles. You and I, and all Christians, are disciples of Paul, Silvanus, Timothy, Peter, John, Jude, James, and other godly men that God raised up for us to learn from. If we purposefully ignore those men, and their teachings, then we ignore God's word. If someone purposefully ignores God's word, then they ignore God. It is that simple. As we learn from God's prophets, preachers, and teachers of His word, and we seek to live according to the pattern, then we are not only growing in our own lives, but we are also becoming showcases of God. It is the theme of this sermon: God wants me to Become an Example to Others of Faith Toward God. And so this is what we want to do by the Spirit. So, keeping this in mind, there are some strong questions for us to ask ourselves:

In my endeavors lately--in my interests--in my sphere of social contacts, am I showing others what it means to be a Biblical Christian?

I said "Biblical Christian," because of the authentic pattern;

In my daily interactions in what is consuming my time, am I showing others what it means to be a disciple of the Lord?--hungering for Him, serving Him, loving with His love, in faith toward Him?

Here's another question that will help us out:

Am I joyous about my glorious salvation, like Paul, Silvanus, Timothy and the Thessalonians?

Being joyous about being saved is key. Being rejected by the world culture, and yet still receiving the word of our life, in joy, is also key, as the context is dictating. This is the example of imitation we are given by God. This is what Paul is saying, and yet there is something else that goes with this. It is the call to stay there abiding in the joy of our salvation instead of looking to something else to trump that joy as being something more satisfying. Let me explain where I am going with this:

Some people who profess Christ do not understand what it is like to be in tribulation because of their faith, so they may manifest joy, or they might not, but they have a hard time relating to what Paul is talking about in terms of imitation of the apostles, and the Lord. I'm talking about tribulation that comes in many packages because of being saved. I am not talking about, though, for example, Christians who experience tribulation and don't even realize it. Those people are already imitating God's people of His word, and so they already count it all joy when the encounter various trials--hardly even recognizing that it is a trial. What I am talking about, though, are others who are so lukewarm and impotent in their Christian walk that it is virtually impossible to tell them apart from the world. They are not imitating people of the word in spiritual joy. They are imitating people of the world in carnal joy. The consequence is that they have no idea what it means to be at odds with the lost because of living out true Biblical Christianity according to the pattern that God set. They look more like the lost than they look like the apostles and Christ. Why? Because it helps them to be more accepted, to be more comfortable, and to have peace. And when you get all this kind of feel good stuff, it equates to a kind of joy. It equates to carnal joy that somehow pampers the senses. I am also talking about folks who profess Christ, but because of bad discipleship, they are not mentally prepared for any kind of persecution, much less intense tribulation. They have not been discipled in the pattern of foundational, classic Christianity; and so when they experience some of the hostility of the world, they don't manifest the joy in the Lord that the Thessalonians did. Their joy is shown to be contingent upon their wrong, health, wealth, and prosperity, doctrines, which is a kind of shallow Christianity that is popular in our time and culture. It is a kind of doctrinal matrix that is based upon satisfying the flesh in attaining personal pleasures. And so when you talk about joy in the Spirit, and joy in the Lord, and joy in your salvation to these folks, this is what they think about. They think that real joy means nothing should feel bad. They think that the abundant life is when you have health, wealth, and prosperity in abundance. I think a term that fits this stuff is holified hedonism. The definition of hedonism is,

Noun: an ethical system that evaluates the pursuit of pleasure as the highest good.

The word holy means to be set apart, sacred, or sanctified. Holified hedonism is a man made doctrine that focuses upon pursuing man's happiness in being rich, famous, and healthy as if it is a Christian's doctrinal mandate. Because it is their goal in this life, they think it is God's goal in their life too. The pinnacle goal of the personal Christian walk in respect to this carnal way of thinking, then, is to pursue these things as one's pleasure, and God will give them as blessings to fulfill your joy requirement if you have enough faith--or you pray enough, or just do something that seems to be the right mystical practice. There are two problems with this unholy doctrine:

1) it is wrong.

2) if you start out with a doctrinal theory that God saved you to be rich, famous, and healthy, in respect to the temporal flesh, and you pursue this as your pleasure, and then you experience persecution, then you realize that your riches, reputation, and health are in jeopardy. So, what happens is that this does not fit into the doctrinal scheme, and so when trials from the lost world come, joy in the Lord as the manifestation of the Spirit, is a consideration that is very distant from the hearts of those who buy into this man-centered doctrine. It is as if Christians are fighting against God who is telling them to bear the true fruit of the Spirit anyway, and they are saying,

"No--give me something else too. Give me something that makes me feel joyful, and then I will really be joyful in the Spirit as I continue to receive the word."

Does this describe you? But, the Person of the Spirit is Who God has given you, and the Spirit gives joy in our salvation, and as we receive His word, and so there is something very wrong if you are not manifesting it. Spiritual confusion, frustration, doubt, and wavering, is always the result of those false doctrines and attitudes. Instead of holified joy in the Lord, lack of hope, and a shipwreck in the flesh permeates the soul. Paul warns Timothy that there are

"... men of depraved mind and deprived of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain. But godliness actually is a means of great gain when accompanied by contentment." 1 Timothy 6:5-6

... and I would put focusing upon the joy in your salvation right alongside contentment there.

By the way, there is an opposite road that Christians can go down, and it is just as wrong. What I mean, is that you can have the joy of the Lord and still grieve, or have a serious look.

What do I mean?

I mean that Jesus had the joy of Himself, and yet He grieved over the spiritual condition of people. Jesus also grieved when he arrived at the tomb where Lazarus had been buried for four days. Both of those instances are recorded in the Bible for us to understand the depth of the joy of the Lord as being more, and so very different, than bouncing around with a smile on your face. Think about how absurd it would have been for someone to walk up to Jesus and say,

"You know, Jesus, you should have really considered manifesting the joy of the Lord, instead of grieving."

Imagine how blasphemous it would have been for someone to see Jesus being somber, and serious, and say to Him,

"Jesus, I don't sense the Holy Spirit right now."

Remember when Jesus said,

"My Soul is deeply grieved to the point of death" Matthew 26:8, Mark 14:34

But Jesus had the joy of the Lord, because He always is the Lord. But it wasn't some kind of giddy feeling joy. It was divine, inner, secure, real, deeper, joy. The joy of the Holy Spirit is what we know as something deeper because of our rescue out of the bondage of sin, and the shackles of the domain of darkness. It is all of that even when the same Spirit would have you pray in somber travail over wayward souls. But, this is not what I am talking about. It is sad that today there are millions of people who claim to be Christians who are being told that being a Christian equates to achieving joy in the flesh if they would just believe God hard enough to get the things of the world that are supposed to bring them this kind of joy. They listen to the people who teach these things and try to imitate them based upon all kinds of coincidental testimonies.

Do you realize that just about every false doctrine imaginable has some kind of coincidental testimony claim to back it up?

What do you think happens when the things don't come, or they are touched by God's chastising hand, or even taken away? The source of joy is gone. And so, their attempts at mustering up enough faith or enough prayer, or enough whatever it is to make the things happen like health, wealth, and prosperity, failed. Their so-called holified hedonism turned into a hellish head game that they lost. They started out imitating the lost, and the value system of the lost, and so now they end up doing the same thing--imitating the lost. Their whole pursuit had them imitating a faith of the flesh, and so this is how they influenced others with their own lives. What a sorry example the church is becoming in our age and culture, to our age and culture. God wanted them to become an example to others of faith toward God, but instead, they became an example of another failed faith ambition of the flesh. It all started out from the flesh, from infecting discipleship that is fleshly, carnal, natural, and demonic. You and I must be careful.

Who is discipling you?

And who are you discipling with what you have been discipled with?

What is it that you are teaching others?

God wants you, and me, to become Biblical examples to others of real, authentic, tested, godly, Holy Sprit manifested, faith toward God. And so one lesson is that the joy of the Holy Spirit is different than joy of the flesh. It is the joy that the apostles had, the Thessalonians had, and Christ had. It is joy that recognizes how beautiful, different, lasting, and eternal our salvation is in the midst of the smallest trials of being a Christian in a sin filled world, no matter how tiny the trial is, and no matter how fierce the tribulation might be. Please listen to me; If salvation is all you ever have from this day onward till you die, then it is enough for you to overflow with the Joy that Paul is talking about.

Are you finding that you are starting to miss the joy of your salvation?

If you are really saved, then what you are missing is simply something that you are ignoring because of worldly distractions. Then get back to basics. Begin praising God for the main thing that the Holy Spirit is joyful about in you--which is your salvation, adoption, and creation into a member of the eternal body of Christ,

"16 we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. 17 For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, 18 while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal." 2 Corinthians 4:16-18

Back at the basics, not losing heart in momentary light affliction by looking at the eternal things, is the joy that comes from the Lord, and it is urged and taught, over and over again; and it is demonstrated in the fact that Paul says that the Thessalonians mimicked this joy, thus demonstrating their true conversion from idols to serve the living God.

I want us to notice something else about the examples that God has ordained. Paul also recognizes that the Thessalonians imitated the Lord. Imitation of the Lord is a sign of salvation. It is the substance of the pattern behind the royal law. Jesus said to His students,

"34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. 35 By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." John 13:34-36

2 Christ commands us to __________ one another. (John 13:34)

We find our life in Christ. Whenever you are imitating your spiritual life source, you are being an example to others of faith toward God. People will see a glimpse of Jesus when they see you. What they see is Christ in you coming out and dwelling among them, walking among them, working among them, and resting among them.

Yes, resting in Christ Who is our rest, is a huge example of faith toward God.

But the only way we are going to effectively manifest Christ is by knowing Him and His ways, and the only way we are going to effectively know Him and His ways is to be discipled from His word. Jesus suffered and did not utter threats, but what did He do? He forgave, and He loved, and He remained bold, faithful, and steadfast on the bigger picture of His ministry. His joy was in Himself. When we suffer for Jesus, we should look to Him as our example and seek to emulate Him. To do so is to be full of the Spirit. When all else hurts, our joy should be in Him. So what we want to know is:

How do I love as Christ loved the disciples?

The principles are easy to identify: His example is that He took on the form of a servant and counted others to be better than Himself. He was interested in the will of the Father. He looked at suffering in His love to be a temporary necessity that would quickly pass before eternal glory followed. He grieved over the spiritual state of His own people, rather than hold an elect brother or sister in contempt when they fail Him with lack of perfect actions. We imitate Christ by having the mind of Christ, and again, we only get it through proper discipleship in the truth. I want us to recognize something else that Paul writes in the same flow of thought. Paul recognizes that the Thessalonians became imitators of other churches that suffered,

"14 For you, brothers, became imitators of the churches of God in Christ Jesus that are in Judea, for you also endured the same sufferings at the hands of your own countrymen, even as they did from the Jews," 1 Thessalonians 2:14

The church is very important for so many reasons. There is fellowship in the church. There is supposed to be encouragement in a fellowship; There is supposed to be accountability in the local church; There is opportunity to experience body life where you manifest the gifts of the spirit to meet the needs of others in the body. The church is where you are stretched to die to yourself and stay committed to the other members, whether you like them or not, or whether you have been offended, or whether you feel like leaving. The local body is supposed to build you up, but it also tests your spirituality in perseverance. It is the place where iron is supposed to sharpen iron, and at the same time, it is the place where grace is supposed to beget grace--all should build up. There is Biblical preaching, and teaching in a proper local church. It is preaching and teaching that comes from men that God has called and anointed to be Pastors. The body of Christ is God's big focus in redemption, work, and love. The body of Christ is God's big project. He is more interested in the church, than any other aspect of creation. God says this about the local church,

"15 ... I write so that you will know how one ought to conduct himself in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and support of the truth." 1 Timothy 3:15

3 The church is the pillar and support of the ___________. (1 Timothy 3:15)

God's household is what He has designed to be the pillar and support of the truth. One huge aspect about the household of God, the pillar and support of the truth, is that it endures the onslaught of suffering it gets from the world. The world is opposed to the truth. Therefore the world is opposed to the pillar and support of it, which is the church. We should all imitate the apostles, Christ, and the beautiful witness of the early churches in respect to enduring the onslaught of the world around us that comes against us, against the truth, and against the Lord. We need to stand strong as a church in the broader church. We need to be faithful and joyous about our salvation, and proud of the Christ of our salvation. This is what the Thessalonians and the early churches did. They were attacked daily for the faith, and they stood as the living work of God in this world.

Okay, this leads us to something else we learn: It is that we go to the next level from being imitators of the apostles, the Lord, and the churches, to being those who are the ones who are imitated ourselves. Whether we consciously realize it or not, this is what you do when you are being an example to others of faith toward God. The Thessalonians were not just mimicking Christ and His body. The Thessalonians are also examples themselves,

"... having received the word in much tribulation [affliction] with the joy of the Holy Spirit, 7 so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia." 1 Thessalonians 1:6-7

The Thessalonians received the word in severe tribulation to the point of losing their jobs, families, friends, property, and even in some cases, their lives. These are the people that God has chosen to be our example for us today of proper doctrine. In the midst of the tribulation, they had the kind of joy that is not of the flesh. It is the joy that comes from the Holy Spirit, and is manifested in their faith toward God. It is example-Christianity, where the Thessalonians demonstrate what Paul said to the Philippians,

"29 For to you it has been granted for Christ's sake, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake," Philippians 1:29

Part of the privilege of being granted for Christ's sake to suffer is that Holy Spirit produces joy and faith in the Lord in us in the midst of the persecution. The testing of your faith produces endurance, so we don't like the pain, but we should welcome its perfect result, and then when we get the result, our example teaches others. What we want is the fruit of the Spirit in the midst of our trials so that we will be effective examples to others of faith toward God.

"22... the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness," Galatians 5:22

4 The fruit of the _________ is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness. (Galatians 5:22)

The fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22 should be read like one long word. If we want to be examples of these things, then we can not pursue carnal hedonism. If we are pursuing hedonism, then we are not pursuing the outgrowth of the inner Spirit's fruit that is from God. And, by the way, I am not talking about John Piper's Christian hedonism concept either. Piper's Christian hedonism concept is all about pursuing pleasure in God Himself in glorifying Him by bringing Him pleasure. The Thessalonians had the work of faith and labor of love, and the joy of the Holy Spirit made evident to such an extent that they had become living letters to people all over the place. The big point is that God has designed this method as a powerful work of the Spirit in you. So, when we start out patterning ourselves after the people of the Bible who have faith toward God, then we become a spiritual sermon to others of being people who are of faith toward God, and then, in turn, they follow our Biblical example, and it goes on and on. This is a true work of the Holy Spirit, where you don't need to be clever in opening your mouth to speak forth the oracles of God. Why? Because you are demonstrating your faith in simple terms. We remember that Paul urged this same principle among the Philippians.

"17 Brothers, join in following my example, and observe those who walk according to the pattern you have in us." Philippians 3:17

Also Timothy

"12 Let no one look down on your youthfulness, but rather in speech, conduct, love, faith and purity, show yourself an example of those who believe." 1 Timothy 4:12

This is what we want to be: examples of those who believe through our speech, our conduct, our love, our faith, and our purity. We want people to observe us. And so this means something else--

We should desperately want people to know we are Christians, and we should ambitiously want people to be effected by our example of faith toward God.

If this is not your ambition, then you are being led by carnal desires. You have a serious spiritual problem. You are either ashamed of your ministry, or you don't realize that you are a living sermon no matter what you do. Or worse, you may not be saved. It doesn't' matter if you are living for Christ, or you are living in sin, or if you think you are being neutral, because anything you do will be your example of faith coming from you as a living sermon anyway. And so our ambition should be to manifest Christ and have the word of the Lord sound out from our lives. Paul says,

"8 For the word of the Lord has sounded forth from you, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith toward God has gone forth, so that we have no need to say anything." 1 Thessalonians 1:8

What Paul seems to be saying here is:

1) The Thessalonians were already preaching the gospel in other areas outside of Thessalonica.

and

2) The fame of the Thessalonian's faith was becoming renown to the point that people were learning about the gospel from the story of the Thessalonians' miraculous transformation, and their faith in the midst of tribulation.

When we see this, what we are seeing is ministry. It is ministry that any of us can do. This is why I say that whether it is by preaching, or by reputation, God has designed us members of the body to be the shining lights of the glory of Christ. And so what I am trying to get across is that this is not accidental. It is not something that we fall back on, and merely say,

"Well, in the long run, I guess God can use everything for His glory--even little ol' me."

Our personal lives are a particular sermon ministry that God has ordained and designed from His word. But to accept this, your are going to have to believe it; which means that this is also a faith issue. Once you get this, then you will see how important the focus of this sermon is. For the Thessalonians, the word of the Lord, (which is the good news of Christ, the kingdom of God, salvation, the body, the resurrection, their changed lives, their steadfastness through the persecution, and much more)--is all the word of the Lord that has sounded forth from them like a trumpet announcement because of their faith toward God. What this means is that their example of salvation is so strong of a testimony, that the news when shared, actually carries the power of the Holy Spirit behind it, and the ministry of the gospel (the good news) with it. It is like what happened to Paul when he was imprisoned and wrote to the Philippians and he thanked God that the gospel was being preached by people in pretense who were simply trying to cause him distress. And what this means for you and me, is that the Holy Spirit uses the testimony of your life to bring the elect into saving faith toward God. So, what Paul is saying is that the testimony of the Thessalonian's had the power of the Holy Spirit behind it to change hearts, and the strong authentic faith is so powerful, that Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy don't need to say anything else for some folks, because enough had been said already. People, all over the place, had heard the details of the gospel. They know what happened. Ministry has already taken place by the time the apostles arrive. A lot of times, God will use our lives as part of the process, where He brings someone else along later to share the gospel by the same power of the Holy Spirit. It is team work, and our personal example is part of it. Paul is using exaggerated language, when he says that the apostles have no need to say anything. Paul's point is that the example of the Thessalonians is huge. This is what the Holy Spirit is telling us we should want to be part of. Our whole lives are living testimonies in our own generation. Our lives are God's examples of the changed life as a result of the power of the Holy Spirit. Don't ever take your own testimony for granted. Don't think it is so small that it is almost meaningless to people. Your testimony is God's gift. If we do not have a testimony, where we show a marked contrast from the lost in expressing our salvation, then we are not manifesting Christ in us, which means we are falling short of God's will for us as lights shining forth His glory. Then Paul says,

"9 For they themselves report about us what kind of a reception we had with you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve a living and true God," 1 Thessalonians 1:9

5 When people are saved, they turn to the living and ________ God. (1 Thess. 1:9)

This is the beauty of the powerful message we bring through example. Think about this: When you are the Holy Spirit's sermon illustration, then the world, which is your hearer, will talk about you. It might even be gossip. And then what happens is that they are sharing your living testimony to others, and so in a certain sense, they end up preaching you, which honors Christ in you who changed you into the miracle that they preach. And so a part of the gospel comes out in such a way as to express the fact (or results of the fact) that you have turned to receive Jesus Christ who was crucified, and is now risen from the dead, and has changed your life to follow Him. But if you and I want to purposefully get in on this kind of action, we are going to have to take seriously the fact that we are ministering at every moment with who, and what, we are, and then make it our ambition to minister in such a way that we are examples to others of faith toward God. People were telling the story that God's apostles came and preached in Thessalonica. There was a great harvest of the elect. Persecution followed, and the Thessalonians demonstrated that they had turned from their idols, and were different now. It was Paul's commission. Jesus said,

16 ... I have appeared to you, to appoint you a minister and a witness not only to the things which you have seen, but also to the things in which I will appear to you; 17 rescuing you from the Jewish people and from the Gentiles, to whom I am sending you, 18 to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been set apart by faith in Me.'" Acts 26:14-18

6 When people are saved, they turn from darkness to _________. (Acts 26)

Are you an eye opener? Or, do people look past you like you're just another number among them who goes through the paces of a futile existence where they don't see Christ coming out of you? Paul's commission is what happened in Thessalonica. Paul preached that they should turn to God from their dead idols, and the elect did. Then the Thessalonians were commissioned by the Holy Spirit to spread the gospel through their example, and probably did not even know to call it a commission. It was the power of the Holy Spirit at work to open eyes by using living illustrations of life. There is a veil that lies over the heart of the lost. While that veil is there, the lost can not see, nor understand the life giving truth of the good news of Christ crucified and resurrected. The Lord pulls it away, so that the elect can see with spiritual eyes,

"but whenever a person turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away." 2 Corinthians 3:16

That veil remains unlifted until it is removed in Christ, 2 Corinthians 3:14. The point is that your faith toward God is a huge example to others that God will use as he removes the veil from their hearts to see the example of His miracle in others for what it actually is--a true miracle.

Isn't it a great privilege to be used by the creator of the universe in this process?

It is one of the greatest privileges imaginable.

Something else that happened to the Thessalonians, is that they were now waiting for Christ to come again,

"10 and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, that is Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath to come." 1 Thessalonians 1:10

The Thessalonians know the fact that Jesus was resurrected three days after He was crucified. All truly saved people believe this fundamental fact of the gospel. It is part of our joy. And so now they are eagerly awaiting the miraculous coming of Christ to perform His days of vengeance, and deliver them from the wrath of God to come. The prophets of old foretold this. Jesus foretold His coming. The apostles repeated it, and taught it as a contemporary hope. There is a twofold interpretive understanding of this among the church today. Jesus and the apostles preached His coming to wipe away apostate Jerusalem and the Old corrupt temple system with any left over remnants of the Old obsolete covenant. This is the classic fulfillment understanding that the early church awaited. There is also the futuristic understanding, where this is also prophesying for future generations. We call this the end of all corruption, and the beginning of the rest of eternity with the King of glory reigning in glory over everything that is glorious. In this sense, the church is awaiting God's Son from heaven, who will rescue her from the wrath to come in the finalization of all things. There is a third sense to this too. Later, Paul says,

"9 For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 10 who died for us, so that whether we are awake [alive] or asleep [dead], we will live together with Him. " 1 Thessalonians 5:9

7 Jesus Christ died for us, and rose from the dead, so that we will _______ together with Him. (1 Thess. 5:9)

This is the hope of every Christian. In Christ, we are eternally spiritually saved. Whether we are alive at Christ's coming, or whether we are dead, we will all live together with Him forever and ever in a wonderful place of happiness. Paul said that for him, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. Either way, we are winners. The wrath of God is not against us,

"He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him" John 3:36

8 Whoever __________ in the Son, has eternal life. (John 3:36)

We glory in Christ. We glory in knowing that our future is secure, and in our glorying in these things, we are examples to others of faith toward God.

Brothers and sisters, while we await our meeting with the Lord when we leave this world behind to be together with Him forever, let us be living right now, in such a way as to be examples to others of faith toward God. Be remembering that whatever you do, your life is an example of something. Let's be examples of Christ right here and right now. Let's show Christ to others. Let's focus on Jesus and the things that He is interested in. When people see you this week, they should be seeing an example of Christian faith. If they don't, then you know what you need to do. You need to quit imitating the world. You need to start imitating the men and women who manifest the way that God has shown us in His word. Rely upon the joy of the Holy Spirit, instead of looking to the spirit of the world to dictate joy, or lack of joy. Pray with me now that we would all become more effective ministers in this world by demonstrating Christ in our faith toward God.

1 God wants me to be an imitator of the apostles, and of the __________.
1 Thess. 1:6

2 Christ commands us to __________ one another.
John 13:34

3 The church is the pillar and support of the ___________.
1 Timothy 3:15

4 The fruit of the _________ is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness.
Galatians 5:22

5 When people are saved, they turn to the living and ________ God.
1 Thess. 1:9

6 When people are saved, they turn from darkness to _________.
Acts 26

7 Jesus Christ died for us, and rose from the dead, so that we will _______ together with Him.
1 Thess. 5:9

8 Whoever __________ in the Son, has eternal life.
John 3:36