1 Thessalonians 1:6-8 (Part A)

He was telling Agrippa and had brought about his conversion of the Lord came and intercepted him as he was on his way to persecute Christians because of his contempt and disgust with the belief in the Savior would die, place of sinners and be righteous nonetheless and rise again from the dead.

He hated that till he met the same set I saw the light wobbles and thus microsatellite to this is cross reference radio with our pastor and teacher Rick Gaston. Ricky is the pastor of Calvary Chapel Mechanicsville. Pastor Rick is currently teaching through the book of first Thessalonians. Please stay with us after today's message to hear more information about cross reference radio, specifically how you can get a free copy of this teaching, and now here's Pastor Rick as he continues teaching verse by verse through the book of first Thessalonians. Today he'll be in chapter 1 we are back in verse Thessalonians. So if you have your Bibles.

Please open to the first chapter. I am really excited about what is here.

I hope I can bring it out. Kind of a bummer if I just enjoyed it. My study time and got here and proof. This is one of those great churches of the New Testament. Paul had not spent much time with them physically maybe six months before he was chased out of Thessalonica. That's the name of the city that he's writing to this church located there in Macedonia. Modern-day Greece and when he was chased out even ended up in Corinth. Word had gotten to him that the believers in Thessalonica was still true to the faith, even though they were being persecuted and so he took to writing this letter, he answers questions and then he will write a second letter to answer yet more questions and comfort them and assure them in the faith we left off at verse six. That's what we will begin but I just want to read verse five to come to set it up for us. It says for our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also empower in the Holy Spirit and in much assurance. As you know what kind of men we were among you for your sake.

Verse six and you became followers of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Spirit you became followers of us now as I mentioned, it is much to cover here that I think will serve to keep us real in the faith we begin to look at these Christians in Thessalonica. One of the goals is to look at them and say well how to live lineup with them. How do how what I have behaved where I in that church and what is God doing in that church was he doing in this church was he doing in their lives with doing in my life.

That's the whole purpose of going to the Scripture to make it connect us to God in the time that we live in. Many of you young Christians. I mean, younger than 20.

I hope no higher you are still being greatly influenced by the world they're trying to tell you what life is all about how you should live it. The danger is in the seduction. This process is a seduction. The danger is you try to make it work with Christianity.

What I would say that you should do is know your Christianity and live it. The end world give you nothing concerning your eternity serve will take everything away from you and be on guard against these things. This is not something that you should beat this appointed with hearing, she should understand what your response to it must be and how God plans to use you nonetheless. Well what he says you became followers of us and of the Lord. The Greek word for followers is translated imitators in first Corinthians. You imitated us and the Lord Jesus Christ. Let's discipleship. That is, if any man is in Christ is a new creation holdings pathway. All things become new. This was happening in the church of Thessalonica should be happening in every church. Unfortunately, we have churches that are loaded with Christians who are insecure about their faith who really have gotten sidetracked have majored in minors have taken elements of the Christian faith and run away with it and are no longer behind. The Lord really know I'm not saying they're not saved, but the question is, is my sidetracked RMI following the shepherd in my behind him. Or have I gone off to the side doing my own thing in the next verse will find out that not only imitators will followers but they are types of Jesus Christ it's going to be an interesting use of the Greek word there to parse we get our English word type is the same word that was used concerning the prints on the hands of Jesus Christ left by the nails when they crucified him, but this apostle Paul was writing the letter of Paul that name does not mean much to you, then maybe Christ doesn't mean much to you, because the Lord Jesus invested so much in this man that the New Testament church. You could not imagine it without him just his life the way he lived there sermons within this along, and it is something very beneficial to all the Christians to be familiar with such a man as Paul and the slide on some of the other men in the Scripture such as Peter, such as Isaiah etc. what this man Paul at his conversion when he was on trial because of a right that he started in Jerusalem he said I lived a Pharisee. I was a teacher of the Jewish law.

Judaism well these in Thessalonica could now say I lived in idolatry. No more see they were following Paul. Paul said this is from the 26th chapter of acts. He said I saw the light he was telling Agrippa and Herr Rod about his conversion how the Lord came and intercepted him as he was on his way to persecute Christians because of his contempt and discussed with the belief in a Savior who would die in place of sinners and be righteous nonetheless and rise again from the dead. He hated that until he met the Savior that I saw the light, while those in Thessalonica, saw the light to.

Then he said in his confession. I heard the voice I live the Pharisee saw the light I heard the voice is describing this transition from a wasted life powerful life life that was hard for Christ. I saw the light I heard the voice they heard the invitation to, and he goes on. Paul does in this address to Agrippa. These leaders and and Herr Ruddy since I was not disobedient.

What I saw what I heard what I knew not disobedient.

A lot of Christians cannot say that they can they treated. They treat the word of God like a buffet will pick and choose what they want to put on the plate. The rest you can do that whatever you'd like. And then get angry at a man of God when he stands a decision being disobedient. Many times her disobedience actually may lead to the question of your own salvation you like to die with? Over your head, and honor the Lord. I get to that. But right now he says I was not disobedient. They were not disobedient and then Paul says I stand to this day, witnessing when he was given the testimony before this court. When Paul was there in the book of acts many years at Passionist Christianity. Many beatings, many sufferings. Many letdown many things that would make the rest of us say I've had enough pieces stand to this day where you going to be in 10 years you still going to be standing in Christ, your feelings when you get hurt in the runoff going to stand witnessing is that's what he said. I stand to this day, witnessing they stood witnessing is very significant to this church in Thessalonica. I hope I don't have anyone sitting here listening.

This is, I'm a Christian and feasting so boring.

If they are your fault or my fault but I rather blame you. So this powerful section I want to take it from acts 20 6X 26 verse 17 there listen to Paul as he's finishing up his telling about what Jesus did to him and said to him, verse 17, I will deliver you from Jewish people. Paul talking about what Jesus told him at his conversion, as well as from the Gentiles, to whom I now send you, you mean you're saving me and you're sending me, me. I just can't be saved in calyx stay the way I am continues to open the eyes in order to turn them from darkness to light from the power of Satan to God, they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in me you can't do this self-centered cannot do these things, the power of Satan is not only real, it is fierce. What he finds assisting him as a traitor inside of each and every one of us our own carnal nature of sinful nature. Our fallen nature that old man that does not remain dead to leave this life, the entity series businesses. It is not for the squeamish, the cross of Christ should speak to us. It's not for chumps. That's what the cross says you able to die on this you able to carry it into you do die on it. Are you able to have God appear that there is no hope still trust in him because you saw him heard the voice not disobedient and you stand that's what they were saying. That's what I'm planning St. my life in Christ also. So they knew the message they knew the message of the fake religions that they belong to in Thessalonica before Paul shows up with his aching back and reminding you through this, that he took a beating before he got to Philippi, so when they heard this message of Christ. He said this is not only different, it is better the observed the idolatry that the embraced before Paul got there and they observed observed the life that Paul was preaching to them and they became imitators of that instead of this conversion, they abandon stinking and sinking ship things from Satan in the world to embrace what God has such as we who have been converted.

Some of you have not really been converted. You've been exposed to been raised in a Christian home was the only life that you really know you think you really think Satan's going to say want to with that is going to come after you guaranteed and you should be ready. You should prevail because you are not alone. Do you believe it or do you just find it easier to repeat.

You know what I have found it. I have found it easier to repent and pray than it is to obey and are satisfied with and it is my intention to go to my grave dissatisfied with that sort of arrangement. So my plan is to draw closer to the Lord all the time so that as the years roll by Adam Sable of what has gotten me I'm not what I thought I would be when I first started out being a Christian set of thinking like that I'm going to keep swinging but God sort out all the other details but this one thing he will say with his help. Only by his help. Well-done.

What I wanted I wanted you to persevere and you did it so he says, having received the word in much affliction did not come to Christianity because it was easy. They know when they were turning their back on idolatry. What this meant in their society places that they work Masters whom they served the people whom they did business with received in spite of the persecution that followed and they remained with it. Once the persecution was on something marvelous had to happen to these people forget to get them to respond that way to persecution.

How could they stand is especially so early in their walk after living their adult lives as idolaters to come into Christianity to be abused, and to remain. You would think they would resent this man, Paul, and come preaching the Savior who doesn't say from the troubles in the neighborhood. Women again Paul came there saying look on my back.

I bear on my body the marks of Christ because I saw him I heard his voice not disobedient. Not only do I stand sometimes I limp but I limp in faith and hope.

You cannot have no sane person can have joy without hope.

That's for the insane, the insane can have hope.

Rather, joy with no hope convince themselves outside of reality. The Christian says I joy is beyond bee stings, and it can't be touched and so their remarkable response to hardship is not to punish God for letting them down as people do. I trusted you and you let this happen in my life.

You took us away from me, you know, the prophet Ezekiel was told by God.

He said God said to Ezekiel. I am going to take your wife from you this day I don't want you to weep in front of the people and this was a wife that he loved for a man to respond the way. Ezekiel responded was to have had a view of the throne of God with him on it, not just all visible throne gold look at that work. The front is not the object of our attention. It is the one on the throne and he doesn't have to be on the throne for him to be my king. All he has to do is be my king, so they redirected this newly found hardship. The top of the all the problems in life that were already a part of life. Because the unbeliever go through the drudgery of this life under the curse, the sweat of the brow also because they're not believers is neither outside the curse. Quite the contrary, they redirected spirit of resentment found in this hardship to spirit perseverance away from blaming God did not see their faith is a failure because they knew that what they had left behind.

That was failure.

This is just a new way. But the effective way that would bring change. Long-lasting change of the next life we call it faith.

Without faith it's impossible to please God. You want to please God and you don't believe, to forget about. It's not going to happen. Doubt was bested doubt was shut up by faith made. We use the word faith too much. Made in the sense that it's it we doesn't hit its mark in with us a dozen movers anymore trust Peter Simon Peter Lord, that is you walking on the water call to me to let me come walk on it with you. The Lord says, wait a minute. How about well Peter, let's talk about this. I'm going to make sure I hold you up if anything goes wrong I'm going to be here doesn't do any of that doesn't says Simon, a set nobody else would get out the boat. Simon gets out. You look at the stories in the Bible as you go through life in the Holy Spirit will allow things to put you in a place where you say, do you believe it will you receive it. Will you do something with it or are you just self-centered. While Lord I am self-centered. That's what sin has done to me, but by your Holy Spirit contest is on and I will vanquish the enemy within. So trust in the midst of anything not resentment, not confusion. Though those things show their face, they don't win they don't prevail and one read this from second Corinthians chapter 4.

This is when Paul was in car and talking about his experiences in other places for the ministry of Christ did had not yet happened to Paul as he is writing to these Thessalonians. This was later on in his life he would go through these things and write about them, he says, but we have this treasure in urban vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.

We are hard pressed on every side, yet not crushed were perplexed, but not in despair persecuted, but not forsaken, struck down, not destroyed, always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. So you remember that story about the plane crash in the Andes many years ago and the soccer players on the plane. Some of them had taken to cannibalism my views this illustration before, of course, whenever you mention gory things. Everybody wakes up but here some of them engaged in cannibalism. I like to think. I mean I have a tough time just many other meats and cheeses, some Jesus is like. I'm not eating, let alone Nicholas, Lenny, whatever is now not going to eat the guy so we can't draw a line in the sands and I passing this. Even if I die, I'm not doing that. In fact, there was another ship stranded off the coast of Mexico somewhere on the Pacific and there were some that died because they would not subject themselves eating raw pigeons or booking a pigeons Eagles receipt of a pigeons a month.I kicked butt up so they died, what my point is this, there are some things in life that you don't do and one of them is forsaking Jesus because of the hardship in your life no matter what it is I draw a line here not going to eat seagulls raw and inequity people that I was just a passenger with nothing to say Christ that's it. I don't care what happens would doesn't happen. I'm not going to for say Christ. This is where the Thessalonians were they had a good teacher that the apostle Paul and so he says is right of them will get back to some of this, he says, with joy of the Holy Spirit.

Again, the same soul cannot have joy without hope. We are supposed to not suffer as others do, have no hope. We believe in something we are just not our heads, and why agreement that makes sense to me is beyond making sense. I've seen it heard Jesus speak his mind, and I am his. So this is how they met the opposition. This is how Paul lived his life.

It's been done before. There is precedence for this, are you good with it.

Is it who you are. You have become again verse five for our gospel did not come to you in word only the head of the come. This is also came with the word.

In addition to the word power and in the Holy Spirit in much assurance, you know what kind of men we were among you for you, for your sake. That's why took a beating in Philippi was for somebody else was of him. He was already safe was beaten because he was upholding things of Christ when there were things that were left unsaid that needed to be said.

He said them. Regardless of the consequences. He didn't do it just once I tell you I would send this getting old. I had enough way more this is not what Paul did.

Neither did Peter. Peter was told you know you going to die following me Peter when you are old they are going to take you, you're going to stretch out your hand and you will be killed on the Burdette that's what he did.

So when Jesus said to Peter come Peter did all of his life and so affliction and joy as we know are not supposed to go together according to the natural view of things. The view that has not seen Jesus. This is why when Agrippa and Herat were listening to Paul, they couldn't identify with him. They didn't want to. They were not about to give up their lifestyle. No matter how rich and wonderful and superlative things Paul was saying was, they just were going to take it. Some of you have met people like that admire the gospel message but not giving up their lifestyle. Jesus not as some of them go further than I can give you the satisfaction of converting them. Shrugged his shoulders with else can you do X, chapter 5, verse 21 so they can water from the presence of the Council rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name. I'm telling you, I think shame is worse than physical pain move.

Thanks for tuning in to cross reference radio for this study in the book of first Thessalonians cross reference radio is the teaching ministry of Pastor Rick Gaston of Calvary Chapel Mechanicsville in Virginia to learn more information about this ministry. Visit our website cross reference radio.com once you're there you will find additional teachings from Pastor Rick. We encourage you to subscribe to our podcast. When you subscribe, you will be notified of each new edition of cross reference radio. You can search for cross reference radio in your favorite podcast app as well.

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