Transforming Power-1 Thessalonians 1:1-10

“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.” (vs. 4-5a)A lot of people take the church and Christianity lightly. To some, church is a place to meet friends, find a companion/spouse, and enjoy potlucks and free lunches.  To others it’s a place where I should at least go to once a week (or at least on Easter and Christmas) because  the Bible tells me to do so. What about Christianity? Some think that Christianity is just another religion among many other religions. Others think that it’s something that their parents are, so perhaps they are too. Then there are those who call themselves Christians because they want something from God. They want to be happy, they want a job, they want money, they want so and so to like them. But what exactly is a church? What distinguishes it from other gathering places? Why should I want to go? And what exactly is a Christian? What does it mean to be a Christian? Why should I even want to become a Christian?

1 Thessalonians 1  is a great chapter to study for it answers all these questions. 1 & 2 Thessalonians was written by Paul. Acts 17 tells us that Paul went to Thessalonica, a city named after Alexander the Great’s half sister. It was a well established city. Both Jews and Greeks lived there. What’s remarkable about Paul’s missionary journey to Thessalonica is, in 3 short Sabbath days many accepted the gospel of Jesus Christ. God’s work was so successful there, that the Jews of Thessalonica became so jealous of Paul that they wanted to kill him. So Paul had to leave. The Thessalonian church was a very young church. Paul, who loved them dearly, was eager to know how they were doing. So he sent Timothy who came back and gave Paul a very good report. The Christians were growing, but of course, there were some small problems that had to be worked out. One was their mis-conception about Jesus’ 2nd Coming. So Paul wrote this letter to address their growing faith and to help them with some moral issues and to explain further about Jesus’ 2nd Coming.

Today we’re going to look at three questions; 1) Why should I want to go to church?, 2) Is church only for me?, 3) Why would anyone want to  be Christian/how can I become one? I pray that God may open up the eyes of your hearts to see the transforming power of the gospel.

I.  Why Should I Want To Go To Church (verse 1)?  I remember as a very young kid that I really hated going to church. Instead of listening, I would always fight with my sisters. When I became a H.S. student, I would ditch Sunday classes. And one Sunday I was so bored by the sermon that I snuck out and went into the bathroom and almost burnt down the entire church by lighting  paper towels in the trash can.  Why should we go to church? What’s the whole purpose in gathering together each Sunday? The Greek word for church is ekklesia, which literally means “an assembly”. In Paul’s days, ekklesia was used in a variety of ways, not just for Christians. Secular people would also assemble together and meet. What then makes a Christian church different from other gatherings? Paul says in verse 1, “To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace.” So many people look for peace, happiness, stability, and security by assembling together in many different ways: clubs, bars, sports games, family, marriage, Facebook, and even going to church. These are good, but they all have their limitations. Some think their pastor, their church members, or their church environment will help them find peace and stability too. But when they find out otherwise, they become depressed, disappointed and leave. True peace and stability does not come from this world or from man. Paul says, “To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace.”  What this means is, we derive our life, our peace, our strength, and stability only in God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ. God is the only one who can give us the grace we need. And Jesus is the only one who can give us the peace we need because he died for our sins and rose again from the dead. This is the gospel. Church is an assembly of people who gather and worship God together, knowing that God is the only one who can truly satisfy all of our needs.

II. Is Church Only For Me (verses 2-3)?  Verses 2-3 say, “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.” Church is a place not only where the gospel is preached and accepted, but where it is also spread. When God and Jesus are in the church, not only are we satisfied, but God works in us to spread this grace and peace to others. Paul recognized that this is what the Thessalonians were doing and he was thankful to God for them.  He was thankful for their work of faith, their labor of love, and their steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.  A great transformation had happened in the Thessalonian church. They were once a people only concerned for themselves. Their faith was once in manmade idols that did nothing for them (9a). Their love was for themselves. And their hope was in this life. But now their faith was directed towards God. Their love went out to others. And their hope was in the 2nd Coming of our Lord Jesus Christ (10). The Thessalonians held the 3 evidences of a life completely changed  by the gospel: Faith, love, and hope. It’s important to point out that these are not the result of mankind. We cannot make ourselves have faith, to love others, or to have hope. We also can’t make others do the same. Philippians 2:12-13 say, “Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.” And 1 Corinthians 15:10 says, ”But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.” Faith, hope, and love are the result of the power of the gospel, of God working in us.

III. Why Would Anyone Want To Be  A Christian/How Can I become one (verses 4-10)?   Why in the world would anyone want to become a Christian? In Muslim and Hindu countries, people beat and murder their own family members simply because they became a Christian. In Paul’s day becoming a Christian was suicide. Jason, a Thessalonian who gave Paul and his companions a place to stay, was attacked by a mob who came looking for Paul. In verse 6, Paul writes that the Thessalonian Christians received the word in much affliction. They too were persecuted. A lot of people today think that Christianity is for the weak or for the old people who are about to die. They think Christianity is a waste of time. So why would some Jews in Thessalonica, many devout Greeks, and a few leading women want to accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior (Acts 17:4) knowing that only trouble would lie ahead? What convinced these people to want to join Paul? What was the process that took place that caused the Thessalonians and even followers of Jesus today to become Christians?

First, God chooses us (4). Verse 4 says, “For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you.”  God choosing us is the first step in becoming a Christian. A lot of people think that they are the ones who choose God. But in reality, it’s God who chooses us. Jesus says in John 6:44, “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him.” And also in John 15:16a he says, “You did not choose me, but I chose you.”  In college, I was filled with depression. I was somewhat of an atheist not knowing if God existed or not. On the night that I felt like I could take it no more, I suddenly found myself coming to God in prayer. I didn’t know what caused me to do that, but I did.  That night I prayed for a very long time. I  didn’t accept Christ into my heart, but somehow I knew God was real and that God would heal me of all my problems and sins. Amazingly, a few months after that, I received Jesus Christ into my heart and I became a Christian. I didn’t choose God, but God used my circumstances to draw me to him.

Second, by hearing the gospel (5). Verse 5 says, “Because our gospel came to you not only in word…” What is the gospel? Paul says it’s a message. The literal translation is “Good news”.  No one in this world can become a Christian simply by loving others or by striving to be a good moral person. Christianity comes when we first hear the gospel. Romans 10:14 says, “How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?” For someone to know something or someone, they must first hear about it. Lady Gaga became  a famous singer in 2008. For nearly 2 years, she was singing hit songs. Somehow she slipped over me. I had no idea that she was even alive until just 3 weeks ago. In order to become a Christian, we must first hear the gospel, the good news. Someone must tell us about Jesus. Someone must tell us who he is. They must tell us why he came from heaven and why he died for our sins and rose again from the dead. Without hearing how are we to believe?

Third, through the Holy Spirit who convicts us (5). Verse 5 says, “Because our gospel came to you not only word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction.” Hearing the gospel is important.  But there has to be more. Many people in this world have heard the gospel. Charles Templeton, who was once a Christian Evangelist, became an atheist. He not only heard the gospel, but preached it. Richard Dawkins is an evolutionary biologist and popular science author. Although he has heard and continually hears the gospel, he still isn’t a Christian. So clearly there has to be something more than just hearing the gospel. Again Paul says in verse 5 that “our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit…”  In order to became a Christian, the Holy Spirit must come to us in power. The gospel has power to change. Nobody in this world can change themselves, no matter how hard they try. And I promise you that nobody can change their spouse. If they try, they are in for a big fight. No one can make themselves believe in Jesus and no one can make others believe in Jesus either. No one can change the sinfulness and corruption of their hearts. No one can overcome insecurity, fear, depression, or any kind of problems by themselves. Only the gospel, which has power, can. Romans 1:16 says, “I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.” The gospel is like a living being. Paul says it comes us. It has power. It has its own life. It comes and works in us. It comes and convicts us. It radically transforms us into new human beings. From 1976 to 1977, David Berkowitz, a.k.a. Son of Sam, killed 6 people and wounded 7 others. He claimed that he was commanded to kill by a demon who possessed his neighbor’s dog. Obviously, Son of Sam was a very disturbed person. His father wanted him to be aborted, but his mother went through the birth anyway and put him up for adoption. At the age of 13, his adoptive mother died. At the age of 21, he found his mother who told him about his birth. This disturbed him greatly. Not long after that, he joined a cult and began his attacks and killings.  In 1978, he was imprisoned for 365 years. 10 years later, an amazing thing happened. After reading Psalm 34:6, he accepted Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior. He repented of his sins, sought forgiveness and says that he doesn’t want parole because of the crimes he committed. Clearly, it was the power of the Holy Spirit who transformed this man into a Christian. The gospel can change anyone, no matter who you are or what you have done.

Fourth, because Jesus delivers us from the wrath to come (9-10). Verses 9-10 say, “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.” We human beings think we can find things in this world that can save us, help us, and make us happy. Last month, my wife and I took a cruise to the Bahamas. To me, it was a glimpse of paradise. There was nothing at all to worry about. Our meals were cooked, other people cleaned up our mess, and  our kids were at their grandma’s house. At one of the ports we visited, there was an island called “Paradise Island”. So many celebrities, like Clint Eastwood, were caught up by this island that they purchased or built multi-million dollar homes there. Even though they have everything, they felt they needed more. One celebrity however found out that this island was only a false rescue, Nicolas Cage. Due to bankruptcy, he was selling his home. We come up with so many false idols in this world – our family, parents, spouses, children, money, jobs, girlfriends, boyfriends, vacations, and so on. For some reason or another, we think that these things can save us and make us happy. But in our hearts, we know it’s not true. But for some reason we still put our hope in them. Some of you might be saying, “No. I don’t have any false rescues or idols.” But let me ask you a question. What happens if you lose any of these things? What if you lose your job? What if you lose a parent? Even worse, what if you lose one of your own children? Will you become so mad and so depressed that you feel like you can’t move on anyone?  If you feel like you need anything in this world to live, to rescue you, save you, make you happy, or help you, then it’s clear where your hope is centered on.  The Thessalonian Christians once worshipped and put their hopes in idols. But clearly they were not happy. After receiving the gospel, Paul says that they turned to “God from idols to serve the living and true God.” No idol in this world can make us happy. Maybe for the time-being, but not permanently. When I came back from the Bahamas I was depressed for a week. Idols of this world are either not real or cannot give us the satisfaction we need. But the gospel shows us that there is someone who can completely satisfy all our hopes, longings,  and needs.  It is God who is living and true, and it is his Son, Jesus whom he raised from the dead. Jesus is the only one who can rescue us. Why is this? Paul says in verse 10 that Jesus was raised from the dead and that he delivers us from the wrath to come. The only thing we need in this world is Jesus. Jesus Christ rescues us. He saves us. Jesus  died for our sins. He heals us from all of our sin-sickness, loneliness, and broken-heartedness. He saves us from hell and gives us hope. Revelation 21 tells us that when Jesus comes again, he will wipe away every tear from our eyes. There will be no more death, morning, crying, or pain. He will make a new heaven and new earth.

The gospel of Jesus Christ is the only thing that can transform us and make us into the human beings that God intended us to be. When you read Genesis, you see that God made man to be happy, joyful, and peaceful. He made man for his own glory. Church and Christianity go hand in hand. When we come to church, we can see God and worship him together. When we become Christians, we can see life in a new perspective. No longer do we despair and hate others, but now we have faith, hope, and love. And all this is given to us and done through God the Father, his Son Jesus, and through the Holy Spirit. I pray that you may receive the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit and that you may be transformed into the person that God intended you to be.