Sermon Category: Countercultural

The race may be long but his grace is enough. In this final section, Paul encourages the Thessalonians to stay faithful to the end holding fast to their faith, hope, and love trusting in the power of God’s grace to fully sanctify their lives.

This world tells us that death is the end of all things. Not so for believers in Jesus Christ. In these verses, Paul tells us the gospel is the good news proclaiming that death itself will one day be undone. This hope, bound to the return of Jesus Christ is the essence of the promise of the resurrection. Encouragement, not despair, is what waits Christians for their future. In a world that is hopeless and dark, the gospel is the light that paves our way home.

What is God’s will for my life? Every believer has to wrestle with this question in the course of life. In this passage, Paul answers this question unequivocally by saying that God’s will for our lives is sanctification. Sanctification is the process by which we are set apart to live lives that are pleasing to God and are lived according to his revealed word. Several areas will be addressed here (sexuality, marriage, community, employment) all of which are important to be the kind of people that can turn the world upside down.

Our growth in Christ will not go unnoticed by Satan and the world. Because we are in a spiritual battle, every time we affirm our hearts to follow Christ there will be pushback from the enemy seeking to discourage us. When we face pushback, we have a choice to make. We can either pull away from God or we can draw closer to him. The testing of our faith will show the reality or lack thereof of what we truly believe. In this passage, Paul reveals the attitudes of a victorious church in the midst of trials.

Trust is the currency of leadership. Easy to lose and difficult to keep. What makes for a good leader in the local church? In 1 Thessalonians 2, Paul describes the nature of Christian catalytic servant-leadership highlighting three main components. 1. Courageous integrity (our motivations0, 2. Tender instruction (the quality of our relationships), 3. Bible-centeredness (the source of our authority).

There are no perfect churches but there are healthy ones. What are the marks of a healthy church? In 1 Thess. 1, Paul paints a picture of the transformation the gospel had produced in the lives of Thessalonian believers. They went from a lifestyle of idolatry and immorality to a faithful, hopeful, and loving lifestyle grounded in the very life of the Triune God.

According to Paul, the gospel is the message of God’s power for salvation. There is new life wherever and whenever the gospel is understood, believed, and lived. This new life, however, sometimes bring pushback from the world. Acts 17 is the context and background of Paul’s ministry to the church in Thessalonica. God brought the gospel of Christ with power to that city and produced a radical life change in those who believed in it. The unbelieving world, on the other hand, responded by persecuting the church and accusing them of “turning the world upside down” Acts 17:6. What the world meant as an offensive statement turns out to be a compliment. When the church is doing its work and joining the Lord in mission. This world will be turned upside down because upside down is what the world needs to be made right with God.