1 Thessalonians 1

1:1-3:13 I. EXAMPLE OF THE PAST: THE WORK OF FAITH.

A. THE OF THE . 1:1-10 1. The Evaluation of Paul. 1:1-4 2. The Evidence of Life. 1:5-7 3. The Explanation of the Evidence. 1:8-10

1. The Energetic Church. v.1-3
2. The Elect Church. v.4-6
3. The Exemplary Church. v.7
4. The Evangelistic Church. v.8
5. The Expectant Church. v.9-10

1 Thessalonians 1:1-4

1. The Evaluation of Paul. 1:1-4 V.1 a) Grace and peace From God -

I. It was Paul and Silas (Silvanus) that had established the Church and Timothy was sent to them later to bring them further in the Lord.

II. 1 and 2 Thessalonians are the only epistles of Paul without any further explanations about himself or his workers in the intro. (Hebrews also has no intro)

III. Grace is the Greek way of saluting and Peace is the Hebrew way of saluting.

V.2 b) Prayer To God -

I. Paul begins the letter with thanksgiving and prayer.

II. Paul thanked God for the Thessalonians:

1. Work of Faith, Labour of love, patience of hope. v.3

2. Followers, examples and preaching. v.6-8

3. Receiving the Word of God. 2:13

4. For the joy Paul, Silas and Timothy had for them. 3:9

V.3 c) Works in the sight Of God -

I. Faith, hope and love. 1.Cor.13:13 II. He begins with these 3 virtues but he also ends with them. 5:8

III. Here they are described as Acts but in 5:8 they are Armour.

V.4 d) Elected By God -

They were beloved brethren, this letter describes the family aspect of the church. 15 times brethren occurs in this letter (¼ of N.T) and 60 times in N.T. God was their Father 1:1 and Paul was their father and mother 2:7, 11 and they were children. 2:7

1 Thessalonians 1:5-7

2. The Evidence of Life. 1:5-7 V.5 a) Signs Followed the Gospel -

I. The evidence of the Gospel of Christ’ s life was followed by power, Spirit and assurance.

II. The evidence of Paul and Silas life was that they followed the Gospel.

V.6 b) Seekers Followed Paul, companions and the Lord -

I. They received the word and therefore they became followers.

II. They followed in afflictions and in joy. The two experiences that the world cannot link together - affliction and joy. V.7 c) Sample Followed by All -

Because of their response even through sufferings they became examples

1 Thessalonians 1:8-10

3. The Explanation of the Evidence. 1:8-10 V.8 a) Word has Sounded -

I. Sounded forth (Gr. execheomai) means to echo, to resound. The Word was not kept secret but sounded forth like an ongoing echo.

II. As they were waiting for the trumpet of God to sound 4:16, they were sounding forth as a trumpet for God.

III. Their faith were not hidden but released, it went out. V.9 b) Works of Service -

They Received God’ s Servants and their Speech, They Repented and to God Surrendered, The Real God they Sought and Served. 1.John 5:20-21 V.10 c) Waiting the Son -

I. They waited for the coming of Christ - The rapture.

II. The wrath of God is a holy response to the evil and rebellion of man.

III. Believers are delivered from the wrath of God. John 3:36; 5:24; Rom.5:1 IV. One of the purposes of the rapture is to deliver us from the wrath to come -

The tribulation: Meaning that rapture happens before the tribulation. Luke 21:23, 36; Rev.3:10; 6:16-17; 16:1 V. Paul explains how this deliverance from wrath will occur in 4:13-5:10.

VI. In every chapter of 1.Thessalonians the coming of Christ is mentioned at the end of the chapter: Salvation and the coming of Christ.1:10 Service and the coming of Christ. 2:19, 20 Stabilized holiness and the coming of Christ. 3:13 Soundness and the coming of Christ.4:16, 17 Sanctification and the coming of Christ. 5:23

VII. The 3 tenses:

1. You turned v.9 - Past tense. (Their work of faith v.3)

2. To serve v.9 - Present tense. (Their labour of love v.3)

3. To wait v.10 - Future tense. (Their patience of hope v.3)