Is him now turn with me today to 1st Thessalonians and we're
going to read chapter 1 First Thessalonians chapter 110 verses
First Thessalonians chapter 1 Let's hear the word of God for
those on the Internet. The words will come up on the
screen and as we have said often, the worthy of much
repetition. We're reading from the
Authorised Version, the most reliable and faithful
translation of the Holy Scriptures, First Thessalonians,
Chapter 1, Paul and Sylvanus. Let me just point out that
that's a Latin word, Latin. Now it's Paul and Silas.
Silas is the Greek Paul and Sylvanus 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 your 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 you know what
manner of men. We were among you for your sake,
and ye became followers of us and of the Lord, having received
the word in much affliction with joy of the Holy Ghost.
So that ye were in samples to all that believe in Macedonia
and Ikaya. For from you sounded out the
word of the Lord, not only in Macedonia and Akaya, but also in
every place your faith to God were to spread abroad.
So that we need not to speak anything, for they themselves
show of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and
how you turn to God from idols to serve the living and the true
God, and to wait for His Son from heaven.
And he raised from the dead even Jesus, which delivered us from
the wrath to come. Amen.
We know God and stamp of his own approval and blessing.
This reading of his own precious and infallible word.
Man. Now my text today is taken from
First Thessalonians chapter 1 verses one to three, and I've
entitled this message, Godly Characteristics of a New
Testament Church. Now, years ago, a father took
his boy to the History Museum in New York.
And for two hours the wee boy walked about the History Museum.
And he huffed and he puffed, he sighed and he complained.
And at the end of the two hours, he said to his dad, Hey, dad,
let's get out of here. Let's go and see something
that's real. I don't want to see this old
stuff, the stuff that's dead, the stuff that's irrelevant.
Now of course the wee fella had a bad attitude, but that is the
kind of attitude that many have when they come to the God of the
Bible and the Bible of God. To them it's old, dead,
irrelevant stuff to life, things without meaning in a real what
they would call a a scientific world.
However, let me tell you this, nothing could be further from
the truth. The Bible is a real, living,
valuable book more relevant than up to date for life in the 21st
century than anything else you'll ever come across young
people or read. Someone has said a working
knowledge of the Bible is more valuable than a college degree.
It is not interesting because sadly today there are thousands,
maybe 10s of thousands of students at this time who are
getting their college degree, getting a degree from university
and this and that subject in another.
But those young people, they're leaving the university and they
have no working knowledge of the Bible.
You see, what scares me in the 21st century is this.
God said through Amos, there's a famine in the land.
Not a famine of bread, not a famine of water, but a famine of
hearing the word of God. Where's the thousands of young
university students leaving the university asking the question,
is there any word from God? Now this morning I want to
preach on some truths from Thessalonians.
This is begin a new series of messages for us.
And these truths, young people are real.
These young people are these truths.
Young people are relevant and up to date.
You see, when Paul wrote First Thessalonians and 2nd
Thessalonians, he was writing to real people, people who lived in
the very first century. And these 1st century people,
they had real problems and one of their biggest problems was
this, that they were suffering persecution for their faith in
Jesus Christ. Literally, they were living in a
world similar to our world despite the span of 2100 years.
Now, as we think about the truths to do with Thessalonians,
I want you to think of this. First of all, the background to
Thessalonians. See, the city of Thessalonanka
was an important city. It's still an important city in
a modern industrial setting in modern Greece.
Did you know that Thessalonanka was an important Allied base in
World War One? Did you know it was captured by
the Germans in World War 2? Did you know that there was a
Jewish community then in Thessalonanka in World War 2 of
60,000 Jews, they were deported. The majority were executed by
the Nazis, but this and I think it was not only an important
city in modern history and you can go and visit it today.
It's the second largest city in the land of Greece besides
Athens, but it was also an ancient city.
It was formerly called Thermos, known for its Hot Springs.
And then the name was changed in three, 14316 BC to celebrate the
birthday of the half sister of Alexander the Great.
That's why it'd be called the name Thessalonia.
And then of course, it was captured by the Romans in 168
BC. And in the days of Rome, when
they captured the city, there were some 200,000 people lived
there, Greeks, Romans and of course Jews.
Now you think not only of the background to the city today,
but think about the background to the church.
If you look at our text, it says Paul and Saldanis.
That's a Latin name for Silas and Timotheus unto the Church of
the Thessalonians. So we'll pause there.
The Church of the Thessalonians, think about the background to
the church. The formation of this church
started some time ago in AD 50. Paul, Silas and Timothy has
visited this city on their second missionary journey.
Paul and Silas remember we're in Philippi where they landed
first, having heard the call from the of Macedonia.
Come over and help us remember in that city they were unjustly
beaten, thrown into prison. God had used them to start the
first church in European soil. Think of the conversion of
Lydia. Remember the earthquake and the
Philippi jailhouse, the conversion of the Philippine
gaoler and his house. And then the city officials
there urged him to leave. So they left Philippi, and then
they went to Thessalonanka, which was 100 miles away.
And as I've already told you, this was a major city.
This was one of the capital of one of four districts in
Macedonia. This city enjoyed local autonomy
as a Jewish, as a Roman colony, and it was a very prosperous
city. And in Thessalonica was a Jewish
synagogue. And as a visiting rabbi trained
under Gamil, Paul was permitted to preach, and he did for three
consecutive Sundays. We read in Acts 17.
And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three
Sabbath days reasoned with them out of the Scriptures, opening
and alleging that Christ must needs have suffered and risen
again from the dead, and that this Jesus, whom I preach unto
you, is Christ. We read in verse 4.
And some of them believed and consorted it with Paul and Silas
and of the devout Greeks, a great multitude, and of the
chief woman not a few. So as a result of Paul
preaching, we can see some of the Jews and many God fearing
Greeks and a number of the chief women believed.
Acts 17 verse 4. And here now was the second New
Testament church formed on European soil.
Now we don't know how long Paul stayed in Thessalonica.
It could have been a short time, like say roughly a month, could
have been a few months, We don't know.
But we know this, that Paul worked at his trade when he was
among them. It says in First Thessalonians
chapter 2 and verse 9. For ye remember brethren, our
labour and travail for labouring night and day, because we would
not be chargeable to any of you. We preached unto you the gospel
of God. He did receive financial help
from the Philippine Church in the book of Philippians we read
there in chapter 4 and in the verse 6.
Remember what Paul tells us there in Colossians.
He, he, he, he, he tells us Philippians chapter 4 and in the
verse 16. For even in Thessaloniki he sent
once and again unto my necessity.
Now I'm putting it to you that that requires some time, OK?
If he worked at his trade, if he received gifts from Philippi, it
may have taken some time to get that all sorted out.
You take the depth of teaching here.
Seems too much to cram into one month, but it is possible.
He also appointed leaders to oversee them for Thessalonians
5, verse 12. And after a while, this is what
happened. The Jews who didn't believe,
they formed a mob. They sent the city an uproar.
The House of Jason it was attacked.
Jason was charged with welcoming strangers who preached another
king, but Caesar Acts 17 verse 7.
The church then asked Paul and Silas to leave so they set off
for Berea, 50 miles to the West of Thessalonia.
Paul, remember, set off then from Berea after a time to
Athens, and later on he sent Timothy back to Thessalonia to
see how the new converts were doing.
Whenever Timothy reported good news about the converts, Paul
sent them again, and this time he sent them back with the first
letter that was written probably about six months to a year after
he had left Thessalonians. The Second Thessalonians letter
was written about a year and a half after he left the first
time. So all of that there is
background information, background information to the
city and background information to the church.
Now I want you to think, thirdly, of the burden of the
Thessalonians. Why did he write this?
I believe he wrote it for five reasons.
One, to express his heartfelt thanks to God for their
conversion. They were his brothers and
sisters and the Lord. He wanted them to know that he
loved them and his heart felt compassion and concern for them.
That's the first reason. The second reason was to help
further grind them in the great doctrines of the faith.
The third reason was he was concerned for them because they
were enduring ongoing persecution, most of it from the
Jews. In fact, he tells us here in
First Thessalonians chapter 2 and verse 4.
For ye brethren, became followers of the churches of
God, which in Judea are in Christ Jesus.
For ye also have suffered like things of your own countrymen,
even as they have of the Jews. The fourth reason was to urge
them to holy living, and especially in light of the
Lord's return. Sadly, some had a lack of
respect for church leaders, and Paul wanted to correct that.
Here's the fifth reason to correct some confusion and
misunderstanding over matters connected to the Lord's return.
You see what had happened in Thessalonia.
Some had stopped working because they believed that the Lord's
return was so near that they didn't have to work.
And others in Thessalonia were grieving because their loved
ones had died and they were uncertain, unsure what was going
to happen to the dead bodies of our loved ones before the Lord
returned. What would they be left behind?
Paul writes about that in First Thessalonians chapter 413
through to 18. And some were also concerned
because of the misunderstanding as to the meaning of the day of
the Lord. Now much of First Thessalonians,
2nd Thessalonians, focuses on one theme and that's on the
Lord's return. So we've looked at the
background, We've looked at the burden.
Now let's look at the blessings of Thessalonians.
You see, the foundation and formation of a New Testament
church proves this, the life giving, transforming power of
the gospel. Paul and Silas came into a Pagan
city. No one for its idolatry, no one
for its iniquity. The inhabitants had No Fear or
thought of God. Here's a Pagan place with a
Pagan people enjoying Pagan practises.
We read about how they turn to God from idols to serve the
living and the true God. Verse 9.
I want you to think of this now. Think very carefully.
Here's where the Lord worked. Paul preached Christ and him
crucified, the Holy Ghost moved and lots of people got saved,
Jews and Gentiles and leading women and and and a New
Testament church was formed here in a most unlikely place for a
New Testament church. And yet it was here the Lord
planted a church. And why do I emphasise that?
I emphasise that for this reason, often times people
despair. Think of our own area of carried
off. This area's too hard, this
community's too dark and depraved.
Are we country of Northern Ireland?
Can it be changed and transformed?
Too sinful, too stubborn, impossible for God to work in
the midst of this darkness and doors and depravity.
And I want to say this morning, no, you see, our God is able.
God is unlimited in His power. In Acts 17, when Paul came
preaching Christ, expounding the Scriptures, exalting the
Saviour, explaining about the necessity of the new birth and
the blood sacrifice of Christ, the Lord worked.
The Lord saved hundreds and thousands.
Here's the means that the Lord has ordained the Bible tells us
there in Corinthians and 1st Corinthians chapter one for
after that in the wisdom of God, the word by wisdom you not God
and please God by the foolishness of preaching to see
of them that believe it is not tremendous.
This is written for our encouragement and we and carried
off. We have to be faithful in
expounding the Scriptures, in exalting the Saviour.
He said if I be lifted up, I will draw all men unto me, and
I've got to explain the necessity of the new birth and
explain the necessity of the blood sacrifice of Christ.
The gospel is the answer because the gospel's the power of God
unto salvation. You've heard me praying this
morning for Alcoholics. Can Alcoholics be saved?
Absolutely. Why?
Because the gospel's the power of God and that is true for the
drug addict and that's true for those that are mentally ill.
They can be brought to peace with God and have the peace of
God. That's true for those that are
struggling. The trauma of a very difficult
broken relationship that even has led to divorce and and many
are struggling with many, many issues at this time.
But the answer is Christ. The answer's the gospel because
the gospel's the power of God unto salvation.
It's not what Paul said, for I'm not ashamed of the Gospel of
Christ, for it's the power of God unto salvation to everyone
that believeth, to the Jew 1st and also to the Greek, for
therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith
as it is written, The just shall live by faith.
We could think about the background to this church, how
that's an important modern day city, how that's an ancient city
mentioned in the Holy Scriptures, going all the way
back to the times of Alexander the Great.
We could think about the burden of why Paul wrote to this city.
They've given you 5 reasons. There may be others.
And we can think about the blessing and the greatest
blessing that came to Thessalonica was the preaching
of the gospel. Because the gospel is the power
of God and the salvage. The gospel changed and
transformed these people from being idolaters and and living
in sin to to living for the Saviour.
Think about the battles of Thessalonians will underline the
word the Church of the Thessalonians once again, these
people, as have said, they're converted pagans and they're
living out the Christian life in a Pagan culture in the 1st
century and they were living a victorious, vibrant Christian
life facing hardship, facing persecution environment that was
very hostile to them, a hellish backlash from the devil in the
hordes of hell. But they had not gone back.
They had not given up on God. They had not denied the Lord
Jesus Christ. They held fast to to what they
had been taught that they had a vibrant Christian testimony and
this church made an impact in Thessalonica and not only in in
Thessalonica, but in the other districts in Macedonia and in
the IKEA as well as not what he said first, yet for from you
sounded out the word of the Lord not only in Macedonia and IKEA,
but also in every place your faith to God were to spread
abroad so that we need not to speak anything.
Here's the battles very quickly. I want you to think of the
beliefs in Thessalonica. They believed in a triune God.
Notice the words, which is in God the Father and in the Lord
Jesus Christ. There's two persons of the Holy
Trinity. If you come to verse 5, he
mentions the Holy Ghost. There's the third person of the
Trinity that these people were Trinitarian in their theology
and the word in God and in the Lord Jesus Christ speaks of
being in union and communion and and fellowship with God.
These people were in a right relationship with the Lord
despite the persecution, despite their difficult circumstances.
In fact, more than that, they don't only believed in a triune
godfather, Son and Holy Spirit, but they believed that God was
their holy and heavenly Father. In fact, as mentioned here,
which is in God the Father, Paul mentioned that and and and and
that that's important that you grasp hold of that.
He said the same in verse 3. Hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in
the sight of God and our Father. He emphasised the word Father
over and over and over and over again.
They believed in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Notice the full title here. Lord refers to his deity.
Jesus refers to his humanity. Christ refers to his ministry.
It was the Lord Jesus who founded the church.
He said I will build my church in the gates of hell to not
prevail against it. He purchased this church with
his own blood and they of course experience God's grace.
He says grace be to you and peace from God our Father and
the Lord Jesus Christ. Here's the true source of grace
and peace. Notice the order grace comes
first, undeserved, unmerited favour.
That's, that's the heart of the gospel.
And then this word peace, well, it's a beautiful word, of
course. It means be safe, be certain and
enjoy all that God has for you, peace with God and and the peace
of God. Here's the true source of this
grace. Here's the true source of this
peace. It comes from a triune God, God
the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit, he says in
verse 2, we give thanks to God always for you all, making
mention of you in your prayers and the word God.
Here we can underline that if you think about the whole
doctrine of God as revealed in the Holy Scriptures, He says
making mention of you in our prayers, we could talk about how
they believed in the new birth, believed in the blood sacrifice
of Christ, how they believed in preaching the Word, how they
believed in living and light of the Lord's return.
All of the major doctrines that we believe in are all found and
taught in this first epistle. So we could think about their
beliefs. We could ask ourselves, do we
know what we believe in and why we believe it?
But let me finish this morning, in the last 10 minutes that we
have, I want you to think of the behaviour of the Thessalonians
because it's one thing to grasp the background, understand this
is an important ancient city where a New Testament church was
founded and how it was founded through the preaching of the
gospel. It's one thing to not only grasp
the background and understand the burden of why Paul wrote
this and think about the blessing that came in the gospel
with a New Testament church and thinking about their battles and
thinking about their beliefs. But let's think for a moment
about their behaviour. Look with me at verse 3 and with
us. We'll finish today remembering
without ceasing your work of faith, the neighbour of love and
patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of
God and our Father. You see, here's genuine, real
evidence that they belong to Christ.
Now let me just pause for a moment.
If I was a psychologist and you were coming to me for an
interview and I was trying to analyse your need as a
psychologist, I would tell you that you need three things.
One, I would tell you you need something to believe in.
I would tell you, you need something to love.
I would tell you, you need something to look forward to.
That's what all the modern psychotherapists,
psychoanalysts, psychiatrists tell people today who are
struggling with mental illness. You need something to believe
and something to love and something to look forward to.
Well, you know what? The Bible's one step ahead,
young people in the very first century.
What does Paul say when he prays about Thessalonica and the
church there? He says we give thanks to God
always for your role, making mention of you in our prayers,
remembering. What does he remember without
ceasing one? Your work of faith.
Here's what they believed in and your labour of love.
Here's what they loved and patience of hope.
Hope for the future, and of course it's in our Lord Jesus
Christ, in the sight of God and our Father.
Here's genuine evidence that they belong to Christ.
Let's ask the question, is there genuine evidence in our lives
that we belong to Christ? Are we a real, true, healthy
church? How do you recognise a good
church? Here are the godly
characteristics, I believe, of a New Testament church as far as
their beliefs and behaviours concerned.
Here's what we believe in. Here's what we really love.
Here's what we look forward to. Three things as we finish.
One, they have a faith that endures.
Notice these words, your work of faith.
Let's define faith. Faith in Jesus Christ is a
saving grace whereby we receive rest upon Him alone for
salvation, as He's offered to us in the Gospel Ephesians 28 and
9. For by grace He is saved through
faith, and not not of yourselves.
It's the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should
boast. See, the gift of faith is
implanted in the soul in the new birth.
And we believe, of course, that salvation is by grace alone,
through faith alone in Christ alone as revealed in the
scriptures, alone to the glory of God alone.
Salvation is not by works of righteousness, which we have
done. Salvation is not by performing
religious ceremonies. It's not wrought by good
practises and making a payment or or doing penance.
No. Remember what Paul says in the
book of Galatians. In Galatians 2 and 16, he said
this knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the
law. In other words, it's not a
workspace righteousness, but by the faith of Jesus Christ.
Even we have believed in Jesus Christ that we might be
justified by the faith of Christ and not by the works of the law.
For by the works of the law should no flesh be justified.
Christ is the true object of our saving faith.
And young people saving faith is not our true faith is not the
just the decision of a moment. It's the principle of the whole
life. You see, we're not just saved by
faith, but we live by faith. The just shall live by faith.
The whole of the Christian life is a life of faith, and that's
how we define what faith is. Not only do we define faith
here, but we declare faith or display faith.
True saving faith is not a dead faith.
It's not something temporary, it's not something short term.
It's the principle of the life that leads to a godly practise.
Genuine faith is a faith that endures, a faith that continues,
a faith that receives Christ, a faith that rests in Christ, a
faith that has a regard for Christ, a faith that's an
ongoing, constant, living principle that's seen in our
actions, seen in our attitude, seen in our practise.
See, the New Testament knows nothing of people being saved
and continues to live an open sin and depravity and in
rebellion to God. There's many professors of
religion like that in Northern Ireland, but the bottom line is
they're not truly born of God. They've never been truly
genuinely converted and changed and transformed by the power of
God. They know nothing of this
principle of faith planted within them.
Many live in a state of open doubt and fear.
See, salvation is not just about being saved from hell and sin's
penalty. That's involved.
It's not just about being saved from the guilt and power of sin
that's involved, but it's about being saved also from sin's
pleasure. He takes the love of sinning out
of her heart. He breaks the power of
counselled sin. He sets the prisoner free.
We have a new life in Christ. We have a new love.
We have a new loyalty. We have a new likeness to Him.
I've often said the word believeth in John 3 and 16 is I
have believed, I am believing and I will keep on believing.
You see, it's it's not the decision of a moment.
It's the principle of a life, the whole life.
And how many of our young people have made an early profession
and yet today they're living far from the Lord, entangled in the
things of the world, and they don't have any sound or solid
evidence they were really born of God.
And yet they comfort themselves in their sin, comfort them in
their rebellion. That when I've made a decision
for Jesus as a child or as a young person.
But it's not about just making the decision, putting your hand
up, walking an aisle, praying a prayer.
It's about this principle of faith changing and transforming
and working within you, not only defining, displaying, but
declaring because this true faith enabled them to stand and
face persecution. Imagine somebody coming and
saying to you, deny Christ, or I'm going to murder you or deny
Christ and you're going to lose your job.
Deny Christ and I'm going to put you to your home and take all
your possessions. You see that was happening in
that day and they were facing a lot of hardship and trials and
troubles. This was the hottest of trials
that you could imagine. This is one of the biggest
battles that you could face. And yet here's these believers
in Thessalonica in the midst of this persecution.
And what did they do? They endured how the work of
faith. They did a great work for God.
They were in samples, not only received the word First
Thessalonians one in seven, but they evangelised.
They sounded the Word of Faith out first eight.
Let me ask this is your faith real?
Is it genuine? Have you got true saving faith,
a faith that endures? You can define that faith as the
gift of God. You can declare it.
You can display it very quickly here.
Not only have they a faith that endures, but they had a love
that evangelises. Notice the words labour of love.
Let me ask you this and I'll just go down this very quickly.
Have you a love for God this morning?
The Bible tells us they shall love the Lord thy God with all
thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and
with all thy strength. Matthew chapter 22, verses 37
and 38. You see, that's the proper
object of the Christian love, a love to God in the fullness
revelation of his person, but also a love to God as a holy
heavenly Father. It was Augustine that said I
would hate my whole soul if I didn't find it loving God.
Do you love God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength
more than anything else in the world?
Have you a love for the Saviour? First Corinthians 6/22 If any
man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be anathema.
That means let him go to the lowest hell.
Remember he asked Peter, lovest thou me more than these?
You see, Christ must be the object of that love you.
You can't have faith in Christ apart from loving him.
You can't have faith in Christ without loving him.
And if you love the Saviour, you'll love the Holy Spirit.
The Bible talks about the Holy Spirit shedding the love of God
abroad in our hearts. You love the Scriptures.
The psalmist said, Oh, how I love thy law.
Psalm 119, verse 97. And you can see a people here
how they received the word of God.
He says, For our gospel came not unto you in Word only, but also
in power and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance, as you
know what manner of men we were among you for your sake.
They had a love for the Sabbath day.
They had one day set aside for worship.
Exodus 20, verse 18. Remember the Sabbath day which
keepeth holy. They had a love for the
sanctuary. They had a love for the Saints.
Remember Jesus said, by this shall all men know you're my
disciples if you have loved one for another.
They had a love for the souls of men.
They had a burden and a passion for their fellow countrymen.
They didn't have a love for self or a love for sin.
Now let me ask you as I apply this, what do we love the most?
Look into your heart this morning.
What is your heart fixed on? How much do we love our God?
How much do we love the Lord Jesus Christ?
Love the Spirit? How much do we love the
scriptures? Not the wealth of the world, but
the Word. My greatest treasure is the Word
of God. Is our love for God rooted in
redemption on a relationship with God?
Have we got an Ida silver but but not the Holy Scriptures?
Have we have we a a a burning holy love for him and his
precious word? Has our love seen?
Has our love been shown to others in that we labour?
You see this word labour means in this exhausting type of love
it it controlled and motivated them.
Or have we left our first love? You see, if we say we love him,
we'll be happy to serve him. It means that Christ does
everything to us. So I asked the question, is this
the kind of love that we have? What do we really live for?
What do we love? Do we love anything more than
the things of God? Do we love anything more than
our love for the Lord and the Saviour and the Sabbath and the
sanctuary and the souls of men and the servants of God?
Do we seek to win the lost to Christ?
You see, they had a love that evangelises.
I finish with this. They had a hope that enjoys it
says in our text here. And patience of hope in our Lord
Jesus Christ. Patience of hope.
I hope that sure and certain. Not a hope that's going to rain
tomorrow. We're not really sure, but this
is sure and certain. There's a clarity here.
Remember, they're suffering great affliction.
It's a day of trouble. And the Lord comes in their
hardship and he comforts them, He sustains them.
He helps them to continue to go on at patience of hope.
They're waiting. They're waiting patiently.
They're enduring hardship. They keep in their mind we're
here to live. And light of the Lord's return.
We're not here forever. One day we'll die.
But Christ is in us the hope of glory.
That's the clarity here. Here's the certainty.
One day when their life will end, either by martyrdom or
natural death, they'll be with Christ, which is far better.
They'll see him as He is. And what a comfort here, not
only with Him and see him, but one day be like him and of a new
body, like unto his glorious body.
Because they believe not only in the Lord's return, but also in
the resurrection. This world was not their final
home. Now I am finished this morning.
But think of this in light of what we profess to believe.
How do we live? How do others see our behaviour?
Because people seen the believers here in Thessalonanka
as those who had a work of faith, a labour of love and a
patience of hope. Is that how the ungodly in the
world sees us living for our Saviour?
I leave it there this morning. I trust that the Lord will bless
this first study to us. I've taken a lot in this
morning. I don't want it to be a long
study, but I pray that these few highlights will be of help and
blessing.