This is a part of a sermon series in the book of 1 Thessalonians. You can watch more here.
Here’s a question for us this morning, “Is it wrong for the follower of Jesus to
call someone to turn from their beliefs and their culture to follow Jesus?”
Some of those beliefs might be shaped by religion, some of those beliefs might
be shaped by family, but how do we know what to reject and what to embrace
in culture?
This might be tough for some of us, because our secular education has taught
us, “It’s wrong for one person to tell another person to turn from their beliefs
and follow Jesus.” Our secular education will say, “It’s wrong, because it’s
exclusive.”
But this is very confusing because our secular education is making a dogmatic
statement “It’s wrong to tell someone what to do” by making a dogmatic
statement “It’s wrong to tell someone what to do.” That’s not helpful.
This morning we are going to look at 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10, and we are
going to see God’s Word speak to this tension and provide direction on what it
looks like practically for us to live out our faith in Jesus today in 2025. Let’s
look at verses 1-2:
1 Thessalonians 1:1-2, “1 Paul and Silvanus and Timothy, to the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father
and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace. 2 We give thanks to God always for all of you, making
mention of you in our prayers.”
First, Jerry walked us through verses 1-5 last Sunday. Didn’t Jerry do a great
job? We are going to move through these first 5 verses, because of last
Sunday, but I just want to give us some quick context.
1 Thessalonians is written by the Apostle Paul. Paul’s life has been radically
transformed in Jesus (Acts 9) so that Paul is declaring and demonstrating the
name of Jesus all over the Roman Empire.
In Acts 17 Paul, Silas, and Timothy roll into Thessalonica, a modern city in
Greece. A city thriving in commerce, diversity, influence, and Paul, Silas, and
Timothy start talking to people about Jesus, so that people come to faith in
Jesus, and a new church is started. Praise God!
Having spiritual conversations with other people might be uncomfortable for
some of us, but in the first century, it was normal to discuss matters of faith,
philosophy, and belief all the time, so that as a result new churches were being
started.
Now, I don’t want to shock anyone, I think our culture today is becoming like
the first century, so that it will become increasingly normal for people to
discuss matters of faith, philosophy and belief all the time.
We see this already taking place in long-form discussions on podcasts. We see
young people being exposed to complex ideas. Our city is thriving in comedy,
a collection of ideas being presented, so that our hope is that the Spirit of God
would use this season to draw people to Himself. Look at verses 3-5:
1 Thessalonians 1:3-5, “3 constantly bearing in mind your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of
hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the presence of our God and Father, 4 knowing, brethren beloved by
God, His choice of you; 5 for our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit
and with full conviction; just as you know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake.”
Again, we’re moving fast, because last Sunday Jerry did a great job of walking
us through the call of faith, hope and love in verses 3-5, but I want us to focus
on the little phrase “our gospel did not come in word only, but also in power.”
Do you see it that in verse 5?
Write this in your notes, “The gospel is personal and powerful.” The gospel is
personal, it is “our gospel.” And the gospel is powerful, “not come in word
only, but also in power.”
The word “come” in verse 5 is an active verb, so that the author is writing “the
gospel comes with a powerful word, and the power of the Holy Spirit.” It’s like
power on power. Does that make sense?
Practically it might make some of us uncomfortable to think spiritual
conversations, so that we want to be gentle or subtle, but God’s Word is
teaching us the gospel is “personal and powerful.” Does that make sense?
The gospel doesn’t ask for permission. The gospel doesn’t ask, “Is this a good
time?” The gospel walks into our soul and starts flipping tables! The gospel
grabs you. The gospel sifts you. The gospel dismantles you, because the
gospel is personal and powerful.
Therefore, we need to make sure we are all the same page about the word
“gospel.” Take a moment now, and think to yourself, “What is the gospel?”
If someone asked you that question at work tomorrow, if one of your children
asked today, “What is the gospel?” How would you respond? What would you
say? (Pause) Write that down in your notes. Here’s the short answer.
The gospel is that Jesus is God in the flesh, lays down His life at the cross to
take our sin, conquers death in the resurrection, so that all who trust in Him
might be eternally forgiven.
This is the message of the gospel. It is so important in our day to be clear on
the gospel because there are people in the Republican party and the
Democratic party who are using the name Jesus, but they aren’t talking about
the gospel.
There are groups of people today in our city who gather on Sunday morning,
sing songs, put a cross on their building, talk about the name Jesus, but they
are not talking about the gospel.
The Thessalonian church has received the gospel that is personal and
powerful, so that it produces in them “full conviction.” Do you see that in
verse 5? Look at verse 5 again:
1 Thessalonians 1:5, “5 for our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit
and with full conviction; just as you know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake.”
The word “conviction” in verse 5 means “complete certainty.” These men and
women weren’t just listening to a sermon in Thessalonica. These men and
women were completely certain about the gospel, because we will see in verse
9 that the gospel is calling men and women to turn from the idols, cultures
and beliefs of our day, and turn to serving the living and true God, so that we
need to be clear on the gospel.
This is why we are meeting in groups right now throughout the week to learn
how to study the Bible. We want to help one another learn how to read the
Bible, study the Bible, so that we might know the gospel.
We want to know what we believe, what’s the gospel, what’s not the gospel, so
that we can articulate those things to other people, because we are in a unique
place as a city.
Austin, TX has a sprinkling of bible belt in our culture, so that you can pick up
a little Jesus in a country song. You can pick up a little Jesus around
Christmas. You can pick up a prayer at a football game on Friday night, so that
if we’re not careful our faith in Jesus could come across as a cultural artifact.
But, God’s Word never describes the gospel as a cultural accessory. The
gospel isn’t interested in a
nice little spot on the shelf with other ideas and beliefs of the world.
The gospel says, “There’s only One who is worthy! There’s only One who is
glorious! There’s only One who offers forgiveness! There’s only One who
conquered death!” His name is Jesus! That’s the gospel! Look at verses 6-7:
1 Thessalonians 1:6-7, “6 You also became imitators of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much
tribulation with the joy of the Holy Spirit, 7 so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and
in Achaia.”
In verse 6 we see the phrase “became imitators of us” because in Acts 17 Paul,
Silas and Timothy are proclaiming the gospel in Thessalonica, people are
responding to follow Jesus, and in Acts 17 it tells us that an “angry mob
formed against them and set the city in an uproar.”
So, that back in verse 5 Paul writes, “You know what kind of men we proved to
be among you” and in verse 6 Paul affirms the Thessalonians so as to say, “You
too…have received the word in much tribulation.” Do you see that in verse 6?
The Thessalonian church received the gospel in a season of great hardship,
difficulty and pain. It wasn’t easy for them. It wasn’t culturally acceptable. It
didn’t help their career, but they received the gospel with the “joy of the Holy
Spirit.” Do you see that in verse 6? How did that happen?
It’s because the gospel was personal and powerful for the Thessalonians. The
gospel upending their ideas, beliefs and cultures that were not of this world,
and we will see this in verse 9, the Thessalonians were turning from idols of
this world that are deaf, dumb and blind, and the Thessalonians were turning
to the living and true God, so that there was a joy in them that went beyond
their circumstances. Do you see that in verses 6-7?
In fact, the gospel was working in the life of the Thessalonian’s to such a
degree, their lives were echoing out to the surrounding cities (Macedonia and
Achaia: 200, 600 miles.) This is like followers of Jesus in Dallas and El Paso
saying to one another, “Have you heard about what Jesus is doing in the lives
of His people in Austin?”
Listen to me, this is why we exist at North Village Church in Austin. We are a
people who have seen the gospel become personal and powerful in our lives.
I am sure all of us could share stories of much tribulation. It might be the
pressure of political conversations on your family. It might be our personal
finances. It might be the tragedy of our past. It might be visits to the doctor’s
office. Difficulty and challenges are not unique to the first century in
Thessalonica, right?
But, we are a people of great joy from the Holy Spirit, because our hope is not
in the idols of our day, but our hope is in the living and true God. Amen?
It’s possible you are here this morning and you can’t relate to the
Thessalonians, then you need to know it’s possible you haven’t come face to
face with the gospel in a personal and powerful way.
There aren’t two gospels. There aren’t regular gospel for cultural accessory,
and super gospel for people who are really serious. There is one gospel that is
personal and powerful, so that our lives are turning from the idols of this
world and turning to the living and true God.
I know this happened in my life when I was 18-years old. I didn’t grow up
around the Bible. I didn’t grow up around the church. I thought this whole
Jesus thing was stupid until a friend started to talk to me about the gospel
In the beginning, I thought I was the one investigating the gospel to see if it
was worthy of my time, but at some point, the gospel began to investigate me.
Does that make sense?
The gospel started to expose my limitations and what this world had to offer.
The gospel started to expose my fears. The gospel started to expose my
inconsistencies. The gospel started to expose my brokenness and the gospel
started to shine a light on the glory of God, so that tables were getting flipped
over and over and over, and it’s still happening today.
Therefore, we need to ask ourselves this morning, “Have I had that type of
interaction with the gospel?” Am I having that type of interaction with the
gospel.
If not, and I say this in the most loving way, it’s possible you have just done
some religious things in Texas. It’s possible you have just read about the
gospel or listened to others talk about the gospel, and that’s great, but the
gospel is never presented as something to observe from afar. The gospel is
always presented as a truth that drills into the core of our soul. Look at verses
8:
1 Thessalonians 1:8, “8 For the word of the Lord has sounded forth from you, not only in Macedonia and Achaia,
but also in every place your faith toward God has gone forth, so that we have no need to say anything.”
Isn’t that good? In verse 8, the gospel had become so powerful and personal
in the lives of the Thessalonians that other nearby cities had heard about what
Jesus was doing in them and through them.
Instead of people whispering about a pastor getting fired or a worship leader
having an affair, there are men and women talking about followers of Jesus
living in harmony with one another to God’s glory.
Just dream with me for a second…men and women who are laying aside their
beliefs, cultural preferences, and praying for one another. There are married
people who love being married. There are single people who love being
single.
There are poor people sitting down with the rich, and there are educated
people sitting down with the uneducated like they actually care about one
another. They are discipling one another, correcting one another,
encouraging one another, strengthening one another in the Lord! Wouldn’t’
that be amazing?
Anyone can put on a great performance of music on a Sunday morning.
Anyone can gather a bunch of people in the room to take some radical
perspective and get people riled up!
But only the gospel can upend lives, so that we turn from the beliefs and
cultures of our day to follow the living and true God. Amen?
Listen to me church family in Austin, this is the opportunity we have with one
another. It’s more than a worship service. It’s an opportunity for us to live
out what we are reading in God’s Word. Look at verses 9-10:
1 Thessalonians 1:9-10, “9 For they themselves report about us what kind of a reception we had with you, and
how you turned to God from idols to serve a living and true God, 10 and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom
He raised from the dead, that is Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath to come.”
We finally made it! Look at that phrase “turned to God from idols to serve a
living and true God.” That’s the gospel! We might not resonate with that
phrase “turned to God from idols” very much, because we don’t think of
ourselves as “idol worshippers.”
We think of “idols” like statues or temples where people would go and pray,
but you need to understand all of humanity is worshipping some type of idol
on some level.
Some of us worship money; the more money we have the safer we feel. Some
of us worship acceptance; the more friends we have the more loved we feel.
Some of us worship power; the more power we have the more in control we
feel. These are all forms of idolatry.
When we obsess about our physical appearances it can become a form of
idolatry. When we focus on recycling and green energy and taking care of
creation it can become a form of idolatry.
Look at what happened last week when our stock market dropped 30%.
Everything on the news was like, “Oh, no, we’re going to die!” It’s idolatry!
In verse 9, when the Apostle Paul writes, “You turned from idols” the word
“turn” means to change direction by going one-way and then turning back to
go in a different direction. It is to die to one thing and be made alive to
another. That’s the gospel!
When we talk to our friends about Jesus we aren’t inviting them to turn to a
group of great people in a worship service. It isn’t turning to some great
music on Sunday morning. It isn’t turning to a really good looking and funny
pastor. You don’t need to laugh that hard. It is turning to serve the living and
true God!
The word “serve” doesn’t mean “doing ministry.” The word “serve” in the
original language means to come under “new ownership.” It is to turn from
being owned by the idols of this world that are deaf, dumb, blind, and turn to
the ownership of the true and living God.
The actor Will Smith has been in the news recently and during an interview he
said, “I have found it isn’t just hitting rock bottom in life, but you can also hit
cliff top.”
Will Smith was speaking of his own life saying, “You can get to the top of
money, top of pleasure, top of acceptance and still not find satisfaction in life.”
Isn’t that interesting? It’s idolatry. It doesn’t satisfy.
Now, the only thing Will Smith has to offer is to look within and find peace
with yourself, but the gospel tells us that looking within will lead to emptiness
also.
The gospel is an invitation to look to Jesus. The gospel is an invitation to turn
from yourself, turn form this world, and turn to the living and true God.
One pastor said, “Turning is in the past tense, serving is in the present tense,
and then waiting is in the future tense.” Do you see that in verse 10?
It is waiting with patience and confident expectation that Jesus will return. It
is an active waiting. It is a personal waiting, based on the Holy Spirit’s work in
our life that Jesus will return to rescue us from the wrath that is to come.
This is the focus of every message from Jesus. This is the focus of every book
of the Bible. All of humanity was created to be with Him, but because of our
sin we are going to chase after the things of this world, but the things of this
world will never satisfy. The things of this world will always let us down,
therefore, turn to serve the living and true God!
North Village Church
This sermon is brought to you by North Village Church, a non-denominational church in Austin. established in 2009 and built around Jesus and Bible teaching.
Are you looking for a church in Austin? At North Village Church we put Jesus at the center of our church family. We worship together every Sunday at 10:30am, encourage Christ centered fellowship through groups, and host special events such as Bible studies and Theological Training, to ensure that we are rooted in in God’s Word. We also serve our local community in association with several Austin based organizations.
North Village Church is made up of professionals, married couples, singles, and families who are wanting to experience the life-transforming power of Jesus. If you are a family with children or teens, we can support you with either or both our Kids Ministry and Youth Ministry.
You are welcome to contact us if you would like more information.
NVC Online
Unable to attend this Christian Church in Austin? Don’t worry, because, through God’s provision, we have created NVC online, an Online Church streaming a worship service every Sunday from 10:30am Central Time. You can also watch our short, powerful sermons on demand and follow us on Instagram for daily Christ centered content.