An Upside-Down Life
1 Thessalonians 1:1-10
Acts 17:6b–7: “These men who have turned the world upside down have come here also, and Jason has received them, and they are all acting against the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus.”
Main Idea: The gospel empowers us to live an upside-down life that bears witness to Jesus as King.
I. Faith That Works (1:1-5a)
Paul encourages the church in Thessalonica that they should be commended for their “faith, love, and hope.” These often ‘abstract’ qualities are actually tangible evidences of the gospel at work: it is their work of faith, their labor of love, and their steadfastness of hope
None of these come naturally, however. Faith, love, and hope are the fruit of being “loved by God” & “chosen by him” (1:4). This occurs because the Holy Spirit takes the words of the gospel and turns them into eternal power that results in a “full conviction” of faith.
Ephesians 1:4b-5: In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ
Deuteronomy 7:7-8a: It was not because you were more in number than any other people that the Lord set his love on you and chose you, for you were the fewest of all peoples, but it is because the Lord loves you and is keeping the oath that he swore to your fathers…
There are two errors & dangers when we consider “faith that works”:
We can too heavily focus on what we are supposed to “do” in the Christian life
We can fail to be moved by grace toward action
“One of the most striking evidences of sinful human nature lies in the universal propensity for downward drift. In other words, it takes thought, resolve, energy, and effort to bring about reform… People do not drift toward holiness. Apart from grace-driven effort, people do not gravitate toward godliness, prayer and obedience to Scripture, faith and delight in the Lord.” ~ D.A. Carson
II. Joy In Affliction (1:5b-8)
The church in Thessalonica was planted in the midst of suffering, affliction, & adversity (cf. Acts 17:1-6) which has continued. The Scriptures over and over again tell us to expect suffering, persecution, and affliction (cf. Jn 16:33; 1 Pet. 4:12-13; 1 Thess. 3:3).
Joy in suffering produces an “imitation” (lit. “a mold”) of Paul and the apostles, but most importantly, “of the Lord '' himself, as the Holy Spirit conforms us to the image of Christ.
Joy in the face of suffering, persecution, and affliction is a powerful & undeniable witness to the hope of the gospel. As this church had joy in their affliction, the “word of the Lord sounded forth from them” throughout the surrounding region. Ordinary Christians facing suffering yet filled with joy of the Holy Spirit is a powerful witness to the extraordinary gospel.
III. Serving While Waiting (1:9-10)
The Thessalonians had a reputation for having “turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God.” By implication, this means that idols are “dead” and “false.” Idolatry is not just a 1st century issue; an idol is something you’ll either sin to get or you’ll sin if you don’t get it.
As we continually turn from idols, we are to “serve” while we “wait” for Jesus to return. In this paradox of “serving” and “waiting,” we must realize that this is not a “passive” waiting. Because Jesus has been raised from the dead & one day will return, we actively wait & look forward to the hope of his return.
“Christians are to live in such a way that, as men and women look at us, we become a problem to them. They will ask ‘What is it? Why are these people so different in every way, different in their conduct and behavior, and different in their reactions? There is something about them which we do not understand, which we cannot explain.’ And they will be driven to the only real explanation, which is that we are the people of God, the children of God.” ~ D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
