Welcome to PowerPoint with Jack Graham. Pastor, as we wrap up our series Distinctives for Disciples, what is your topic today? In our message series, Distinctives for Disciples, I want to talk to you today about what makes a church truly amazing, truly great in God's eyes. You see there are buildings with church written on the outside of them. But what does a real New Testament church look like and act like?
What do they do? Today we're going to discover in 1 Thessalonians chapter 1 what makes God's people truly amazing. It's when we have faith that works, a love that labors, and a hope that endures.
So let's open our Bibles today. And let's see what a truly amazing church looks like. And then let's be a part of God's great work through his church.
Now, here's Dr. Graham with his message, God's Amazing People. The only organization that Jesus began was his church. And Jesus established the church from generation to generation. And it is the church of the Lord Jesus Christ.
functioning properly and flourishing. A Jesus-loving Bible Committed. Spirit-filled church that changes the world around. And I'm so grateful for the privilege that I have. To be the pastor of a local church.
That's really all I've ever done all my life. is to be a preacher and to be a pastor. In our Distinctives for Disciples series. We should say that When we know what we believe and why we believe it. We learn this and we live this through the ministry and the mission.
of God's church. The church. And if you are a disciple, a follower of Jesus. You will be committed, devoted. and dedicated To the fellowship of God's church.
True disciples are. devoted to the church.
Now of course the question is, what is a church? Because there are a lot of buildings that have the name church on them that may not be a church. What do real churches look like? What do churches, churches of the Lord Jesus Christ, New Testament churches? What are they like?
What do they do? In the scripture, There is a parallel and a model for us in 1 Thessalonians chapter 1. If you would take your Bibles and turn to 1 Thessalonians chapter 1. And we're going to meet the people of God at Thessaloniki. But Thessalonica.
The church there, established, planted by Paul himself, and a band of believers. And it is a Model church, a mentoring church, if you will, for all churches given to us in the New Testament. And when we read this passage, You're going to see that the Apostle Paul was like me this morning Fill with thanksgiving to God. for this church. And he just overflows.
There's an outburst of praise to God. For The amazing people of God at this. congregation in Thessalonica.
So I want us to read the first ten verses. Paul Sylvatus and Timothy to the church. Of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace to you and peace. We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly mentioning you in our prayers.
Remembering before our God and Father, your work of faith and labor of love, and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. For we know, brothers, loved by God, that He has chosen you. Because our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction. You know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake. And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you received the word in much affliction with the joy of the Holy Spirit.
So that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia. For not only has the word of the Lord sounded forth from you in Macedonia and Achaia, but your faith in God has gone forth everywhere, everywhere, so that we need not say anything. For they themselves report concerning us the kind of reception we had among you and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God. And to wait for his son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus, who delivers us from the wrath. to come.
So Paul Pouring out his praise to God. It says, I give thanks for you, the church of the Lord Jesus Christ. And He sets the pace in everything for us in verse 2 when he says, We give thanks to God always for you, constantly praying for you, constantly mentioning you in prayer. Prayers of gratitude. Prayers.
of joy in Jesus. Why? Because These men and women at Thessalonica had turned from their idols to serve the one and true living God. They turned to God from their idols. It's impossible.
to turn from idols until you turn to God.
So you turn to God through Jesus Christ, and then you lay down your idols. They had received. The gospel. They had heard the word of God. They were redeemed, and therefore they were reflective, resilient.
in overcoming every obstacle. Paul spoke of them in chapter two as being my crown of rejoicing. My hope, my joy, my crown. You are my glory and my joy. In verse 20.
He identifies the church of Jesus. In the very first sentence. To the church of Thessalonica in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. There is a little word there, I am, in, that says so much. The church is in God and in the Lord Jesus Christ.
And this is always, always the basis. The foundation of the Christian and of the Christian church. In Christ, in God. We are in vital, essential connection, union, and communion with Him. And so to be in God's church.
You are to be in Christ. You are to be saved. In a relationship with Christ that is real, that is. authentic. And the result of this is What Paul describes as grace and peace, always in this order.
In Scripture, grace produces peace in our lives. You know what grace is? Grace is the goodness of God, the grace of God, the salvation, the gift of God that He has provided freely at the cross by the power of the resurrection. We do not earn or deserve salvation. Grace is what we have been given.
It is not what we have earned or deserved. This is grace, and this grace produces peace. Not only peace with God, the battle is now over, the conflict between the soul and God.
Now we have been forgiven.
Now we have been fulfilled in Christ, and we are living. In peace. I've been thinking a lot about peace lately. In the midst of a chaotic world, a world filled with war, I can tell you. That while I'm concerned about what's going on around us, and certainly there are problems that we all face.
But yet, there is an indescribable, indisputable peace in my life. And this peace. fills me with great joy. This peace that comes from God's grace. We.
Are fulfilled. and thankful. He reminds me When he writes of this church of you. Of you. the people.
of God. Not because of our greatness. but because of his grace. And We are the fellowship of the forgiven. And then he says, You have been an example.
A sample, my pastor, Fred Swite, Used to illustrate this by using a sample that you might get at a grocery store. You could get a full meal deal right there. Just with the samples. And of course, the idea is that you taste it and you want more, and you will buy more.
So he said, You are a sample. You are an example. And how are we doing this? In verse 3. There is the sermon in a sentence.
And there are three If you're outlining it, there are three points that come right out of verse 3 that comprise what I want to say to you today. Remembering before our God, one, your work of faith, two, your labor of love, and three, your steadfastness of hope. And there's that word again: in. The Lord Jesus Christ. First of all, The church You people in Christ.
You have a faith That works. A faith that works, a working faith. Salvation produces works. We are not saved by works. Works do not save, they don't even help to save.
We're not saved by faith plus works. There is no work that we can bring. That would satisfied A holy God. Christ has accomplished the work, he finished it on the cross, so it is in his work. His finished work that we trust.
But The faith that saves Works. Over and over again in the scripture, we're told that the just shall live. By faith. There is a lifestyle that Faith produces. We're not saved.
By works, but we're saved unto good works, so clear in the New Testament. Ephesians 2. For by grace are you saved through faith, not of yourselves. It is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. But verse 10 of that same chapter says, But you are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which the Lord has prepared for you before time began.
Faith without works is dead. The book of James tells us. And James went on to say, don't only be hearers of the word, but be doers of the word. When Jesus was describing what it's like to be his follower, he says, by their fruits you shall know them. In other words, Your example, your testimony.
Is the witness that you belong. to Christ. And when you belong to Christ, you... You show up. And you serve.
and you make a difference in the world. You're listening to PowerPoint with Jack Graham and the message: God's Amazing People. Pastor, there's an upcoming opportunity for our listeners to join you on the trip of a lifetime. Can you tell us more? I want to personally invite you to join me for something very special.
It's the Patriot Tour to Washington, D.C., April 22nd through 27th, 2026. As we celebrate the 250th birthday of the United States, we're going to visit some of the most powerful and historic places in our nation's capital, like the U.S. Capitol, Arlington National Cemetery, the National Monuments, Mount Vernon, and the Museum of the Bible. This won't be just a tour, it will be a spiritual journey. Really, I'll be opening God's Word along the way, teaching us about the spiritual foundations, the biblical foundations of our nation, and the hope that we have for the future.
So, registration is now open, and I'd love for you to be a part of this unforgettable experience. For more information and to reserve your spot today, text Patriot to 59789. Can't wait to see you there. As you're enjoying this week of Thanksgiving, we all know Christmas is right around the corner. During this Advent Christmas season, will you join Dr.
Graham in preparing our hearts to celebrate the arrival of King Jesus? If you're up for celebrating the reason for the season with us, just take your phone and text the word ADVENT to 59-789. Again, text Advent to 59789. In a time marked by confusion, anxiety, and spiritual compromise, your support of PowerPoint helps point millions of people to the one source of unshakable hope and truth: God's Word. Through your generosity, you are helping proclaim the gospel across the globe.
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Now let's get back to today's message, God's Amazing People. I came across this Little thing this week about 12 reasons Christians don't attend sporting events. You know why? Number one, the coach never came to visit me. Every time I went, they asked for money.
The people sitting in my row didn't seem very friendly. The seats were very hard. The referees made a decision I didn't agree with. I was sitting with hypocrites. They only came to see what others were wearing.
Some games went into overtime, and I was late getting home. The band played some songs I'd never heard before. The games are scheduled only On my only day to sleep in and run errands. My parents took me to too many games when I was growing up. And since I read a book on sports, I feel that I know more than the coaches anyway.
And I don't want to take my children because I want them to choose for themselves what team or sport they like best. And the pity of the you Find that to sound familiar. We hear these kinds of things all the time. Why church isn't important? Why I don't go.
All kinds of excuses. But when you love the Lord, you love what the Lord loves, and Jesus loves his church and gave himself. For it.
So We have a faith that works. It's the evidence of our salvation. You are not only a witness. But you are part of the evidence. We are examples to a world, and there's nothing more contagious, infectious.
Than a Christian living like Jesus. And loving like Jesus and serving like Him. This church at Thessalonica was. productive. The salvations.
The love, the kindness, the grace, the generosity. The service, the witness, the exercise of spiritual gift, all the teaching and the training of God's word, the helping and the ministering, the volunteers. Why do we do this? Because we do believe in Christ and we want everyone to know him and we want to serve people in Jesus' name. Secondly, he mentions a love that labors.
Now, he uses a word labor here that's a little different than the word work. And this word labor has to do with working to the point of exhaustion. It means toil. Maybe you could use an athlete that is spent on the field after a game. It is to spend and be spent in service of the Lord and this labor of love.
There is a love that labors, intense toil to the point of exhaustion. And what motivates us to do this is the love of Christ. Because We have been loved. We want to return that love to him and... to others.
There's the power. of God's love. And while it is hard and we labor in this. Really the labor is is easy in the sense that it just flows from a heart. that is given to Christ.
You do it because you love the Lord. You're not paid to do it. You just do it. Because we know we are compensated. By the Lord.
Who rewards the work of faith and the labor of love? Who sees those little things that you do that maybe no one else really noticed? You're not on the stage, you're not on the platform. But God knows and God sees when you exercise your gifts, your spiritual gifts, when you give to the Lord. A labor of love, a work of faith.
Lives are changed, and the church is blessed. One final thing.
So we have the work of faith we have The labor of love, and we have the steadfast hope. A hope that. endures. He's talking about heaven here. He's speaking of the hope that is Also described in 1 Thessalonians, which is all about the return of Jesus, the rapture, and the return of Jesus.
And in fact, every chapter in 1 Thessalonians ends with something about the second coming of Christ. And it's sad when too few churches in our generation are preaching the return of Christ because it was a constant, constant theme in the New Testament church. And so he speaks of heaven and hope. And in the midst of this church at Thessalonica, living in a very secular culture. Lived In a place filled with idols and false religion and all the rest, and persecution by even a religious crowd.
They endured and they were resilient and they were faithful and they persevered because they were steadfast. in hope. They had staying power. The word steadfast here means to remain under. is to remain under the pressure.
And when you are a follower of Jesus and a servant of the Lord, you don't cry. Quit. You never stop, regardless of the pressure, regardless of the requirements, you just keep going. Life can be hard. And the story of your life doesn't always fit the script that you may have written.
And yet, in the midst of all of this. We are sustained steadfast in Hope. Yes, we have struggles. Of course, there are hard times. There is a price to pay when you are a follower of Jesus.
There is a commitment that we make. It costs to serve Jesus.
Now, it pays to serve Jesus. But it will cost you as well. But what it costs us cannot compare what life may do to us, cannot compare. The sufferings of this present world cannot compare to the glory that will be revealed when we see Jesus. This is why we stay with it.
This is why we keep going. This is why we work and labor and never stop. Even though we have questions that we cannot answer, and even though sometimes in life we get knocked down, but we keep getting up. because we live with a steadfast hope. And our hope is heaven, and our hope is him, the one who's coming again.
And a big part of this hope is a hope that is shared. One of the reasons that we keep going is because of one another. When I can't go anymore, you lift me up. You pray us up. And so we need each other.
We have an enduring hope that sustains us and This blessed hope. We wait for the sun. Look at verse 10. We wait for the sun from heaven. That's the hope.
We wait for the sun from heaven. That's the hope. And so we keep working, we keep loving. We keep hoping. You know what hope is?
Hope. is the presence of the future. in your life. Hope is the reality, the presence of the future in your life and mind. Hope means that we know because of what Christ has done and what He has promised.
We know. That we will be with him. And our future is brighter than the best. Yeah. And so there it is.
A faith that is real. In Christ. A love that is radical. relentless in service and a hope that is reliable. in the midst of Everything we experience, an indomitable, unstoppable hope.
We take the long look. We take the long look. And we live for what matters. based upon what Christ has done and what Christ will do. when he takes us home.
to be with him. You're listening to PowerPoint with Jack Graham and the message: God's amazing people. It's easy to get caught in the cycle of always trying to do more, be more, and carry it all by yourself. As a result, so many people battle stress and anxiety, especially around the holidays. But that's not God's heart for you.
And in his booklet, Breaking Free from Stress. Dr. Jack Graham speaks directly to the anxious heart. Offering biblical hope to those who feel weighed down and wrung out by stress. Drawing from Psalm 23 and real-life stories, he reminds you that while stress is inevitable, living enslave to it is not.
Breaking Free from Stress is our thank you for your gift of $10 or more to help proclaim the gospel through PowerPoint. And when you give, know that your support helps take God's word across the airwaves, into homes, prisons, and hearts all over the world. To request your copy of Breaking Free From Stress, text Stress. That's stress to 59-789.
As you're enjoying this week of Thanksgiving, we all know Christmas is right around the corner. During this Advent Christmas season, will you join Dr. Grant in preparing our hearts to celebrate the arrival of King Jesus? If you're up for celebrating the reason for the season with us, just take your phone and text the word ADVENT to 59-789. Again, text Advent to 59789.
Pastor, what is your PowerPoint for today? Uh So, as we wrap up today, I want you to imagine for a moment what would happen if every believer in every church truly embodied these three characteristics that we've talked about today. Picture communities transformed by congregations filled with people whose faith actually works. whose love compels them to labor in the Lord, and whose hope keeps them steadfast and strong. The world is watching.
They're looking for real people, not perfect people, but authentic people. People whose lives have been genuinely changed by the power of Jesus Christ. When people see believers roll up their sleeves and get involved in messy, difficult situations because their faith demands action. That gets people's attention. When they witness Christians who sacrifice their comfort and time and resources, not for recognition or applause, but simply because love, the love of Jesus, compels them, well, that speaks the.
volumes. and perhaps more importantly, When they observe followers of Jesus who don't crumble under the pressure, who don't walk away from their posts when circumstances may be difficulty, when They maintain joy and purpose even in extreme suffering. This is what demonstrates the hope that this world desperately needs to seek.
So will you be a part of God's amazing church? Will you allow your faith to work through your hands? Will you let love compel you to labor for others and share your faith and talk about Jesus and be bold and courageous in standing up for the Lord? The world needs to see God's amazing people, God's church, in action. Not because we're amazing, but because we serve a great God who is amazing and who transforms ordinary people into extraordinary witnesses of his grace, power, and love.
And that is today's PowerPoint. Remember, when you give a gift of $10 or more to PowerPoint, we'll send you a copy of Dr. Graham's booklet, Breaking Free from Stress as Our Thanks. Just text the word stress to 59-789. And join us again next time as Dr.
Graham brings a message about how you can build habits for an abundant life. That's next time on PowerPoint with Jack Graham. PowerPoint with Jack Graham is sponsored by PowerPoint Ministries.
