Faith Community Fellowship
Pressing On
New message series starting, Sunday April 10th
Locations & Times
Faith Community Fellowship
1303 9th St SW, Massillon, OH 44647, USA
Sunday 8:45 AM
Introduction: How do you respond to the daily grind of life? When you get tired and weary? How do you keep pressing on?
Some Background: New believers, I mean really new, in a city called Thesslonica were challenged with the same thing. They are proselytes (a new convert to a faith or cause), coming from a pagan faith into following Jesus. Their whole lives and world is transforming. They are facing a tough change from how they used to live from those who are seeing the change in them, in their daily lives. Paul, inspired by God, is encouraging them to keep pressing on, keep remaining faithful, do not turn back in his first letter to them.
Acts 17:1-10 will give more background as to what was going on in the city of Thessalonica on Paul's 2nd missionary journey.
Some Background: New believers, I mean really new, in a city called Thesslonica were challenged with the same thing. They are proselytes (a new convert to a faith or cause), coming from a pagan faith into following Jesus. Their whole lives and world is transforming. They are facing a tough change from how they used to live from those who are seeing the change in them, in their daily lives. Paul, inspired by God, is encouraging them to keep pressing on, keep remaining faithful, do not turn back in his first letter to them.
Acts 17:1-10 will give more background as to what was going on in the city of Thessalonica on Paul's 2nd missionary journey.
I Thessalonians 1:3
3 items he is especially thankful for in the lives of these believers:
1) work of faith - how they have labored and lived out what they believe about Jesus
2) labor of love - they lived out their faith in love toward each other in the church and outside the church
3) They are remaining steadfast, firmly fixed on the hope they have because of Jesus. Their lives have been changed because of coming to know Jesus and they are facing opposition from their neighbors and people around them
How are these items played out in your life?
This is the first of 3 triads (a group or set of 3 connected people or things) in this chapter. (v. 5 and 9-10 are the other 2)
I Thessalonians 1:5
The triad of power, Holy Spirit and deep conviction is probably related to the triad of 1Th 1:3, since the external work, labor and endurance of 1Th 1:3 appear to have their source in the internal, effective working of God's word that was active in the proclamation and carried over into the hearts of those who received the message. We can expect to have no works of faith, labor of love or endurance of hope without the gracious work of God's Spirit in our lives, as 1Th 1:6 also makes clear.
So, is it possible to be a Christian and not to bear significant evidence of it? Why or why not?
I Thessalonians 1:6
The Thessalonians needed this exhortation because they had undergone and were undergoing persecution (Act 17:1-9; 1Th 2:14-15; 1Th 3:3-4; 2Th 1:4-7). They had begun to respond to persecution in the right manner, and Paul wanted them to continue to do so. How had they responded properly in the face of suffering? They had received God's word with joy, not because they were able to draw from their own innate resources but because they were the beneficiaries of divine resources: their joy was given by the Holy Spirit. Just as faith is a gift of God (Eph 2:8; Php 1:29), so is the joy that Christians are able to display, even when they are suffering. Indeed, suffering itself is a divine gift (Php 1:29) that God plans for his people (1Th 3:2-3).
How do you find joy in the midst of your struggles?
I Thessalonians 1:7
The word spread to Macedonia and Achaia, which shows how far the reports went, namely, the northern and southern areas of Greece. No doubt the wide circulation of their faith was facilitated by Thessalonica's possession of a significant Mediterranean seaport and by its location on the Via Egnatia, the main road from Rome to the eastern part of the empire.
I Thessalonians 1:8
The word exēcheō occurs nowhere else in biblical literature, but its related form, ēcheō, carries connotations of a loud, resounding noise, whether of ocean waves, howling dogs, the uproar of a crowd or the repeated blowing of trumpets (see Schneider [1964] pp. 954-55). Stott, who notes that ēcheō can refer also to rolling thunder and to a resounding gong (1Co 13:1), explains that the good news announced by Paul's readers was like "a loud noise, which seemed to reverberate through the hills and valleys of Greece" (Stott [1991] p. 35) In short, the gospel "echoed" forth far beyond Thessalonica (Hendriksen [1979] p. 53; indeed, a common meaning of the verb and its noun form is "echo").
How does our witness (as a church) echo in this community?
How does your (personal, individual) witness echo wherever God has placed you?
I Thessalonians 1:9-10
Among major cults in Thessalonica were the Egyptian cults of Serapis and Isis, as well as those of the more traditional Greek gods like Dionysus.
This is a threefold description (another triad) of the genuine Christian life: turning from earthly idols to serve God and to wait for Christ's deliverance of his people from final judgment at his second coming.
In fact, they were suffering severely for this change of faith and life (1Th 1:6). The impact of this may slip past modern ears. The idols, the Greek “gods,” were considered to be extremely powerful. For these Thessalonians, living barely 50 miles from Mount Olympus where the Greek gods were said to live, to “turn from” their many false idols to the one true God had caused significant change in all areas of their lives. No wonder they faced persecution.
Paul emphasized Christ’s Second Coming throughout this book. Because the Thessalonian church was being persecuted, Paul encouraged them to look forward to the deliverance that Christ would bring. A believer’s hope is in the return of Jesus, the great God and Savior (Tit 2:13). Just as surely as Christ was raised from the dead and ascended into heaven, he will return (Act 1:11).
How do you hold on, wait in exception with patience and strength to the hope you have because of Jesus no matter the circumstances?
3 items he is especially thankful for in the lives of these believers:
1) work of faith - how they have labored and lived out what they believe about Jesus
2) labor of love - they lived out their faith in love toward each other in the church and outside the church
3) They are remaining steadfast, firmly fixed on the hope they have because of Jesus. Their lives have been changed because of coming to know Jesus and they are facing opposition from their neighbors and people around them
How are these items played out in your life?
This is the first of 3 triads (a group or set of 3 connected people or things) in this chapter. (v. 5 and 9-10 are the other 2)
I Thessalonians 1:5
The triad of power, Holy Spirit and deep conviction is probably related to the triad of 1Th 1:3, since the external work, labor and endurance of 1Th 1:3 appear to have their source in the internal, effective working of God's word that was active in the proclamation and carried over into the hearts of those who received the message. We can expect to have no works of faith, labor of love or endurance of hope without the gracious work of God's Spirit in our lives, as 1Th 1:6 also makes clear.
So, is it possible to be a Christian and not to bear significant evidence of it? Why or why not?
I Thessalonians 1:6
The Thessalonians needed this exhortation because they had undergone and were undergoing persecution (Act 17:1-9; 1Th 2:14-15; 1Th 3:3-4; 2Th 1:4-7). They had begun to respond to persecution in the right manner, and Paul wanted them to continue to do so. How had they responded properly in the face of suffering? They had received God's word with joy, not because they were able to draw from their own innate resources but because they were the beneficiaries of divine resources: their joy was given by the Holy Spirit. Just as faith is a gift of God (Eph 2:8; Php 1:29), so is the joy that Christians are able to display, even when they are suffering. Indeed, suffering itself is a divine gift (Php 1:29) that God plans for his people (1Th 3:2-3).
How do you find joy in the midst of your struggles?
I Thessalonians 1:7
The word spread to Macedonia and Achaia, which shows how far the reports went, namely, the northern and southern areas of Greece. No doubt the wide circulation of their faith was facilitated by Thessalonica's possession of a significant Mediterranean seaport and by its location on the Via Egnatia, the main road from Rome to the eastern part of the empire.
I Thessalonians 1:8
The word exēcheō occurs nowhere else in biblical literature, but its related form, ēcheō, carries connotations of a loud, resounding noise, whether of ocean waves, howling dogs, the uproar of a crowd or the repeated blowing of trumpets (see Schneider [1964] pp. 954-55). Stott, who notes that ēcheō can refer also to rolling thunder and to a resounding gong (1Co 13:1), explains that the good news announced by Paul's readers was like "a loud noise, which seemed to reverberate through the hills and valleys of Greece" (Stott [1991] p. 35) In short, the gospel "echoed" forth far beyond Thessalonica (Hendriksen [1979] p. 53; indeed, a common meaning of the verb and its noun form is "echo").
How does our witness (as a church) echo in this community?
How does your (personal, individual) witness echo wherever God has placed you?
I Thessalonians 1:9-10
Among major cults in Thessalonica were the Egyptian cults of Serapis and Isis, as well as those of the more traditional Greek gods like Dionysus.
This is a threefold description (another triad) of the genuine Christian life: turning from earthly idols to serve God and to wait for Christ's deliverance of his people from final judgment at his second coming.
In fact, they were suffering severely for this change of faith and life (1Th 1:6). The impact of this may slip past modern ears. The idols, the Greek “gods,” were considered to be extremely powerful. For these Thessalonians, living barely 50 miles from Mount Olympus where the Greek gods were said to live, to “turn from” their many false idols to the one true God had caused significant change in all areas of their lives. No wonder they faced persecution.
Paul emphasized Christ’s Second Coming throughout this book. Because the Thessalonian church was being persecuted, Paul encouraged them to look forward to the deliverance that Christ would bring. A believer’s hope is in the return of Jesus, the great God and Savior (Tit 2:13). Just as surely as Christ was raised from the dead and ascended into heaven, he will return (Act 1:11).
How do you hold on, wait in exception with patience and strength to the hope you have because of Jesus no matter the circumstances?
Pressing On: Going Deeper
In verse 1, Paul wrote to the church in Thessalonica. The Greek word for church is ekklesia, meaning “assembly.” These people were part of the assembly in Thessalonica that belonged to God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. This set them apart from all the other “assemblies” that may have been meeting in Thessalonica.
In a subtle way, we see right out of the gate, Paul setting them apart by where they worshipped, the community they were a part of.
How does what we believe set us apart from what other faiths believe, what the world believes? (ex. Mormons believe Jesus is a god not God in the flesh - a very important distinction)
Google a couple different belief systems and look at some of their core beliefs - how are they different from what God’s Word teaches? Where would you find a verse to refute or provide a defense for what you believe in God’s Word?
In verse 1 and 3, we see the point of Paul's close connection of God and Jesus Christ is to point to the deity of the latter, which is further suggested by calling Jesus Lord (kyrios). The clear implication is that the Father and Son are two divine persons (later clarified in church history as two divine persons subsisting in one divine being).
This will connect with verse 9-10 in chapter 1, where they turn from idols to serve the living and true God.
What verses in the Bible can you find that state that Jesus is God?
In verse 4, Paul uses the words "choice of you." The Greek word means the act of choosing out, election, the elect. That God “chooses” his people forms the basis of the doctrine of election—defined as God’s choice of an individual or group for a specific purpose or destiny. The doctrine of election teaches that believers are saved only because of God’s grace and mercy, not because of their own merit (works, what we do). God does not save anyone because that person deserves to be saved; rather, he graciously and freely gives salvation to whomever he chooses. Keep in mind, God is the one who does the drawing and saving. He alone knows.
You could do a word search on elect and see how many times it shows up in the Bible and the context for deeper study. A Bible dictionary can also provide some information.
2 verses which lend support to this view. Both of them have Jesus speaking these words:
John 6:44 "No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day.
Matthew 11:27 "All things have been handed over to Me by My Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father; nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.
What do you believe about the doctrine of election?
How does this effect how we share the gospel with others?
What does this mean for us?
In the context of the passage, we see the result that the people in Thessalonica were chosen as we see their response to the message they heard (v. 6).
In verse 5, Paul's described his readers as brothers (brethren) and loved by God, which shows that Christians are part of a family with God as their Father (see 1Th 1:1). Family members resemble one another, especially children their parents. One of the telltale signs that children are members of a family is that they have physical features resembling those of their parents. In addition, children often mimic their parents' habits and character traits. Brothers and sisters also resemble one another in the same ways. It is no different in the family of faith. If we really are part of God's family, then we will reflect God's love. We will be like Jesus, the Son of God, the perfect model of faith, love and hope when he lived on this earth. We will be like other Christian brothers and sisters who reflect these godly qualities. Paul sums it up well when he says: "you became imitators of us and of the Lord;... you welcomed the message with the joy given by the Holy Spirit" (1Th 1:6; see also 1Th 2:13-14).
How do you resemble your mom and dad?
How do you resemble you Heavenly Father?
I Thessalonians 1:7
The Thessalonians became a model to others by imitating their spiritual leaders (1Th 1:6). The word model (typos) refers not merely to "being an example which others are to follow but also a pattern which influences them" (Marshall [1983] p. 55). This word can sometimes be rendered "mold," which is a pattern of something that has the purpose of reproducing more identical patterns (a star-shaped cookie mold is designed to reproduce many star-shaped cookies). Our lives have a purpose oriented beyond ourselves, beyond our own holiness and well-being. We are to become "molds" for others who are not Christians or who are younger Christians than we are. The essence of discipleship is imitation. As we become more conformed to the image of Christ, we are to live in such a way that others would be influenced by our lives and so become conformed also to Christ's image. We need to remember that people learn from models caught as well as ideas taught.
How are we “molds” of Jesus? How do we influence people to show them Jesus?
Modeling is the greatest form of teaching.
A little more on the gods that would have been in the area of Thessalonica from vv. 9-10.
Among major cults in Thessalonica were the Egyptian cults of Serapis (Greco-Egyptian deity of the Sun, thus, he was meant to form a bridge between the Greek and Egyptian religion in a new age in which their respective gods were bought face to face with each other, so that both Egyptians and Greeks could find union in a specific supreme entity. and Isis (Isis was a protective goddess. She used powerful magic spells to help people in need), as well as those of the more traditional Greek gods like Dionysus (the god of fertility and wine, later considered a patron of the arts. He created wine and spread the art of viticulture. He had a dual nature; on one hand, he brought joy and divine ecstasy; or he would bring brutal and blinding rage, thus reflecting the dual nature of wine); some of the upper class sponsored the cult of Cabirus from the Aegean island of Samothrace.
How do you know what you believe is true? The believers in Thessalonica knew God was true because of how they heard the word (v. 6). These were people who were proselytes (coming from a faith other than knowing Jesus). They knew what they believed was true. Their experience from what they had believed previously left them empty. What they found in Jesus was transforming their lives so much so they were willing to endure being persecuted because of what they believed.
Knowing what you believe is important. As an example, if I were to ask you what you believe about Jesus, what would you say? Where would your take me in the Bible?
We need to be sure what we believe is backed up by what God says in His Word.
Create a definition of what you believe about Jesus from the Bible. Use direct wording from the Bible.
Then, how does what you believe transform your life, your mind, your heart, no matter the outcome of what you ask for or the circumstances you face?
What you believe should transform your whole life inside and out. If it does not, do you truly believe it, do you truly trust Him?
In verse 1, Paul wrote to the church in Thessalonica. The Greek word for church is ekklesia, meaning “assembly.” These people were part of the assembly in Thessalonica that belonged to God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. This set them apart from all the other “assemblies” that may have been meeting in Thessalonica.
In a subtle way, we see right out of the gate, Paul setting them apart by where they worshipped, the community they were a part of.
How does what we believe set us apart from what other faiths believe, what the world believes? (ex. Mormons believe Jesus is a god not God in the flesh - a very important distinction)
Google a couple different belief systems and look at some of their core beliefs - how are they different from what God’s Word teaches? Where would you find a verse to refute or provide a defense for what you believe in God’s Word?
In verse 1 and 3, we see the point of Paul's close connection of God and Jesus Christ is to point to the deity of the latter, which is further suggested by calling Jesus Lord (kyrios). The clear implication is that the Father and Son are two divine persons (later clarified in church history as two divine persons subsisting in one divine being).
This will connect with verse 9-10 in chapter 1, where they turn from idols to serve the living and true God.
What verses in the Bible can you find that state that Jesus is God?
In verse 4, Paul uses the words "choice of you." The Greek word means the act of choosing out, election, the elect. That God “chooses” his people forms the basis of the doctrine of election—defined as God’s choice of an individual or group for a specific purpose or destiny. The doctrine of election teaches that believers are saved only because of God’s grace and mercy, not because of their own merit (works, what we do). God does not save anyone because that person deserves to be saved; rather, he graciously and freely gives salvation to whomever he chooses. Keep in mind, God is the one who does the drawing and saving. He alone knows.
You could do a word search on elect and see how many times it shows up in the Bible and the context for deeper study. A Bible dictionary can also provide some information.
2 verses which lend support to this view. Both of them have Jesus speaking these words:
John 6:44 "No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day.
Matthew 11:27 "All things have been handed over to Me by My Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father; nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.
What do you believe about the doctrine of election?
How does this effect how we share the gospel with others?
What does this mean for us?
In the context of the passage, we see the result that the people in Thessalonica were chosen as we see their response to the message they heard (v. 6).
In verse 5, Paul's described his readers as brothers (brethren) and loved by God, which shows that Christians are part of a family with God as their Father (see 1Th 1:1). Family members resemble one another, especially children their parents. One of the telltale signs that children are members of a family is that they have physical features resembling those of their parents. In addition, children often mimic their parents' habits and character traits. Brothers and sisters also resemble one another in the same ways. It is no different in the family of faith. If we really are part of God's family, then we will reflect God's love. We will be like Jesus, the Son of God, the perfect model of faith, love and hope when he lived on this earth. We will be like other Christian brothers and sisters who reflect these godly qualities. Paul sums it up well when he says: "you became imitators of us and of the Lord;... you welcomed the message with the joy given by the Holy Spirit" (1Th 1:6; see also 1Th 2:13-14).
How do you resemble your mom and dad?
How do you resemble you Heavenly Father?
I Thessalonians 1:7
The Thessalonians became a model to others by imitating their spiritual leaders (1Th 1:6). The word model (typos) refers not merely to "being an example which others are to follow but also a pattern which influences them" (Marshall [1983] p. 55). This word can sometimes be rendered "mold," which is a pattern of something that has the purpose of reproducing more identical patterns (a star-shaped cookie mold is designed to reproduce many star-shaped cookies). Our lives have a purpose oriented beyond ourselves, beyond our own holiness and well-being. We are to become "molds" for others who are not Christians or who are younger Christians than we are. The essence of discipleship is imitation. As we become more conformed to the image of Christ, we are to live in such a way that others would be influenced by our lives and so become conformed also to Christ's image. We need to remember that people learn from models caught as well as ideas taught.
How are we “molds” of Jesus? How do we influence people to show them Jesus?
Modeling is the greatest form of teaching.
A little more on the gods that would have been in the area of Thessalonica from vv. 9-10.
Among major cults in Thessalonica were the Egyptian cults of Serapis (Greco-Egyptian deity of the Sun, thus, he was meant to form a bridge between the Greek and Egyptian religion in a new age in which their respective gods were bought face to face with each other, so that both Egyptians and Greeks could find union in a specific supreme entity. and Isis (Isis was a protective goddess. She used powerful magic spells to help people in need), as well as those of the more traditional Greek gods like Dionysus (the god of fertility and wine, later considered a patron of the arts. He created wine and spread the art of viticulture. He had a dual nature; on one hand, he brought joy and divine ecstasy; or he would bring brutal and blinding rage, thus reflecting the dual nature of wine); some of the upper class sponsored the cult of Cabirus from the Aegean island of Samothrace.
How do you know what you believe is true? The believers in Thessalonica knew God was true because of how they heard the word (v. 6). These were people who were proselytes (coming from a faith other than knowing Jesus). They knew what they believed was true. Their experience from what they had believed previously left them empty. What they found in Jesus was transforming their lives so much so they were willing to endure being persecuted because of what they believed.
Knowing what you believe is important. As an example, if I were to ask you what you believe about Jesus, what would you say? Where would your take me in the Bible?
We need to be sure what we believe is backed up by what God says in His Word.
Create a definition of what you believe about Jesus from the Bible. Use direct wording from the Bible.
Then, how does what you believe transform your life, your mind, your heart, no matter the outcome of what you ask for or the circumstances you face?
What you believe should transform your whole life inside and out. If it does not, do you truly believe it, do you truly trust Him?