Overview
I'm very thankful for the privilege to be able to teach God's Word to you this morning. It says in verse 9, 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 true God. It indicates 180 degree turn toward God and away from idols to serve the living and true God.
Transcript
1 Thessalonians Chapter 1: The Teaching in Context
I'm very thankful for the privilege to be able to teach God's Word to you this morning. Please take your Bibles and turn to 1 Thessalonians chapter 1. So after all this great teaching on the hope, now where do we go? Let's look further on how to practically apply the knowledge of the hope in our daily lives. We'll see the example of the Thessalonians in 1 Thessalonians chapter 1 verse 9. In light of the hope, they made a decision to change for the better.
It says in verse 9, 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 true God. They turn to God. That word turn is the Greek word epistrepo, which means to turn back.
It indicates 180 degree turn toward God and away from idols to serve the living and true God. They made a decision to change and they didn't go back. Epistrepo, this is an interesting word.
Keep your fingers in Thessalonians. We're going to go to the first use of this word and it explains it very clearly. We'll go to Matthew chapter 9. Matthew chapter 9 and we're going to start in verse 20.
And behold, a woman which was diseased with an issue of blood 12 years came behind him. It's talking about Jesus Christ. Came behind him and touched the hem of his garment.
For she said within herself, if I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole. Verse 22, but Jesus turned him about. That's the word epistrepo, turned about, turned him about.
And when he saw her, he said, daughter, be of good comfort. Thy faith or believing hath made thee whole. And the woman was made whole from that hour.
The Biblical Principle in Practice
Now it's interesting. It says that she came from behind him and that he turned about epistrepo. It didn't say that she came from in front of him, not even beside him.
It said specifically, and it's so cool how God does this so that we can understand these things. She came from behind him, 180 degree turn. Now we're going to have a little geometry lesson.
Okay. So if she came from beside him, it would be 90 degrees this way or 90 degrees this way. And it's not even 360 degrees.
Cause you end up right where you started with 360, right? So here's Jesus walking and she came from behind him. So he had to turn 180 degrees, turn complete opposite of the way he was going. You see the use of this word? Isn't that cool? So in first Thessalonians, we can go back there.
They turned from God to idols facing the complete opposite. It's the complete opposite from idols to God, 180 degree turn. What a change.
Verse 10 says to wait for his son from heaven, because that's where he's coming from whom he raised from the dead. Even Jesus was delivered us from the wrath that come to wait for his son from heaven. It doesn't mean that we just sit around and look up at the sky.
Okay. When is he coming? Okay. But we're encouraged to wait not only by walking and enjoying our fellowship with God now, but by serving with the knowledge that Christ is coming back because that's what strengthens our souls.
Peter 315: The Teaching in Context
Just like the Thessalonians did. They turned toward God from idols to do what? To serve, to serve the living and true God. That's it.
That's how we wait. We serve. And that word serve is the Greek word douleo, which is the verb form of the word doulos, which a lot of us are familiar with.
It means to be a sold out servant, a bond slave. You know, we only get one shot at life, right? So why not give it everything you got, every chance you get. That's being a sold out bond slave, a doulos.
And whom do we serve? The living and true God. And what do we serve? A message of hope. Look at first Peter chapter three.
This world is sorely lacking in the knowledge and power that we've been given. And we should be ever ready to let people know that there is hope in this life. It says in first Peter 315, but sanctify the Lord God in your hearts and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear, our respect and awe.
Isn't it interesting as we started to work on this subject that you're seeing this everywhere, that we should be ready to give an answer to everyone that asketh us the reason of the hope that is in us. It's fantastic. You know, many people are just filled with fear over the future.
And God certainly has answers for that too. In Hebrews chapter two, Hebrews 215 reads and deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. That word subject means to be held captive by.
Hebrews 215: The Teaching in Context
We can't live every day thinking, oh my gosh, I might die. I can't drive on the highway. I might die.
I can't do this. I can't do that because I might die. People are like that.
They're so fearful of doing things. The amplified of this, listen to this. This is really cool.
Hebrews 215 says, and also that he might deliver and completely set free all those who through the haunting fear of death were held in bondage throughout the whole course of their lives. That's a long time. The whole course of their lives, they were held in bondage because they were so afraid of dying.
God doesn't want us to live with that fear every day. That's no life. We're watchful, we're vigilant, but we just can't live each day like that.
God is bigger than that in his love and protection for us, his children. We can be completely set free from that haunting fear of death. Isn't it fantastic? We have hope, people, and we need to let others know that.
It says, this is one of my favorite verses. It says in Jeremiah 29 11 in the living Bible, listen to this. For I know the plans I have for you, saith the Lord.
2 Corinthians Chapter 4: The Teaching in Context
They are plans for good and not for evil to give you a future and a hope. Isn't that wonderful? That's what God wants for us, to give us a future and a hope. There's hope in this life.
Our future is bright, and when we have hope in the forefront of our minds, we can live freely without that constant fear of death, and we can serve without being faint-hearted. Let's turn to 2 Corinthians chapter 4. It says in 2 Corinthians chapter 4 verse 16, for which cause we faint not, but though our outward man perish, the inward man is renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, comparatively speaking, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.
In the ESV version, verse 17 reads, for this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison. Isn't that cool? Here's another one. In Bollinger's Figures of Speech, it says an excessively surpassing eternal weight of glory.
That's like this upon this upon this. Isn't that fantastic? It makes me realize that how we can be deal with challenges now, it's just all going to be worth it. That eternal weight of glory.
In 2 Corinthians 4 verse 18, it says, while we look not at the things which are seen, but the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal. You see, we look at the things that are not seen, and that's the hope.
We can't see it right now, but it's there. The hope of Jesus Christ's return impacted the Thessalonians in a relatively short period of time. I'm not sure how long Paul, Silas, and Timothy were there, but we can document the initial three-week period of time, three Sabbath days.
It says in Acts 17 verse 1, now when they had passed through Amphitholus and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews, or Judeans, and Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them three Sabbath days. That's a three-week period. Reasoning 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.
Acts Chapter 20: The Teaching in Context
So we see that it was a short period of time. They changed their lives dramatically in that short period of time, because the hope became the anchor of their souls, and it affected their lifestyle, and inspired and enabled them to serve the living and true God in greater and greater ways. And we can change for the better, too, if we want to.
In Acts chapter 20, verse 35, we see how blessed we become when we serve and we give, and it says in Acts 20, 35, I have showed you all things how that so laboring you ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said it's more blessed to give than to receive. And everybody wants to be happy and blessed, and that's how we do it. We give, we served, and we're more blessed to give than to receive.
And it says that I have showed you all things how that so laboring you ought to support the weak. That word support means to help or to be a help, and I also found another definition for it, which says to take a person in order, as it were, to be held or to embrace. Isn't that sweet? Isn't that very tender? You see, sometimes we all need that, but especially at times when we lose a loved one, we may need to just hold them and give them a hug and perhaps say, honey, I know this is hard, but we're going to get through this.
You know what? We have a hope. There's going to be a day in the future when there's going to be no more crying, no more death, no more sorrow. Every tear is going to be wiped dry, and when Jesus Christ comes back, the dead in Christ will be raised, and we will see our loved ones again.
Won't that be a glorious day? That's a hope. That's true comfort. That is true comfort.
It gives me no comfort to think that my loved ones are up there floating around watching me cry. That gives me no comfort, but this, God's Word says, and it's true, that's the true comfort, that we know that the dead in Christ will be raised, and we'll be a part of it, and we'll see them again. Isn't that fantastic? That's a hope, people, and we're more blessed to give than to receive, and let's look at one more section, Hebrews 6, Hebrews 6 10.
For God is not unrighteous to forget our work and labor of love, which we have showed toward his name, in that you have ministered the saints and do minister. See, God will not forget. People may forget, but God will never forget, and it's all going to be worth it for that excessively surpassing eternal weight of glory.
The Closing Charge
In verse 11, and we desire that every one of you do show the same diligence to the full assurance of the hope unto the end. That word diligence is a word that we're familiar with. It's spude, which comes from the root of the word spudaza, which means make haste to be earnest with the brevity of time, striving earnestly to the full assurance, a most certain confidence of the hope unto the end.
So while we're waiting and serving, we want to maintain that excitement, knowing that any day, any minute, he could come back, and it reminds me of this song, and the chorus goes like this, maybe he's coming back today. I look out my window, I'm bound to say, with the rising of the sun, Jesus Christ just might come, and maybe he's on his way, and maybe he's on his way today. Wouldn't that be a great cap to this weekend? He is coming back, and we can be like the Thessalonians and make a change in our lives to live and serve as we wait for his return.
The greatness of life, the fulfillment and satisfaction of giving of ourselves, that's the greatness of life. That's where we have great fulfillment and satisfaction, and it's all going to be worth it one day when we see him face to face. God bless you.
Key Takeaways
- I'm very thankful for the privilege to be able to teach God's Word to you this morning.
- That's how we wait.
- In the ESV version, verse 17 reads, for this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison.
- The greatness of life, the fulfillment and satisfaction of giving of ourselves, that's the greatness of life.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the central message of Hope Conference #7: Example of the Thessalonians?
I'm very thankful for the privilege to be able to teach God's Word to you this morning. It says in verse 9, 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 true God.
Which biblical passages are emphasized in Hope Conference #7: Example of the Thessalonians?
The teaching references 1 Thessalonians chapter 1, Matthew chapter 9, Hebrews 215, Jeremiah 29, 2 Corinthians chapter 4, 2 Corinthians 4, Acts 17, Acts chapter 20.
How can this teaching be applied in daily life?
So while we're waiting and serving, we want to maintain that excitement, knowing that any day, any minute, he could come back, and it reminds me of this song, and the chorus goes like this, maybe he's coming back today. The greatness of life, the fulfillment and satisfaction of giving of ourselves, that's the greatness of life.
Scripture References
- 1 Thessalonians chapter 1
- Matthew chapter 9
- Hebrews 215
- Jeremiah 29
- 2 Corinthians chapter 4
- 2 Corinthians 4
- Acts 17
- Acts chapter 20
- Acts 20
- Hebrews 6
Verification note: Scripture references were extracted from the transcript and should be checked against the audio and the preferred Bible translation before publication.
