1 Thessalonians 1 (ESV)

1 Paul, 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, constantly mentioning you in our prayers, 3 remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. 4 For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, 5 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.

6 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, 7 so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia.

8 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, so that we need not say anything. 9 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, 10 and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.

The church that genuinely receives the gospel doesn’t have to promote its impact—people will report it.

Paul points to three realities that no marketing campaign can create.

#1) EVIDENCE— A Church Worth Talking About Has Visible Fruit (vv. 1–5)

1 Thessalonians 1:1-5 (ESV)

1 Paul, 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, constantly mentioning you in our prayers, 3 remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. 4 For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, 5 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.

You cannot see faith with your eyes, but you can see what faith produces.

1 Corinthians 13:13 (ESV)

So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

Work of faith = ergon pisteos = active labor produced by faith.

James 2:22 (ESV)

You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works;

Romans 1:8 (ESV)

First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is proclaimed in all the world.

A church can manufacture activity, but only the Holy Spirit can produce fruit.

Matthew 7:16-20 (ESV)

You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.

John 15:16 (ESV)

You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.

#2) ENDURANCE— A Church Worth Talking About Receives The Word Under Pressure (vv. 6–7)

1 Thessalonians 1:6-7 (ESV)

6 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, 7 so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia.

Joy doesn’t wait for pressure to leave. It learns to live beside it.

1 Peter 4:13 (ESV)

But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed.

Colossians 1:24 (ESV)

Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church,

Pressure doesn’t create character—it reveals it.

James 1:2–4 (ESV)

Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

Faith is not proven by what we say in comfort but by what we cling to in pressure.

#3) MISSION— A Church Worth Talking About Has A Clear Direction (vv. 8–10)

1 Thessalonians 1:8-10 (ESV)

8 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, so that we need not say anything. 9 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, 10 and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.

Mark 16:15 (ESV)

And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.

Acts 1:8 (ESV)

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

A transformed life is the loudest sermon most people will ever hear.

What were they reporting?

1. They turned from idols.
2. They served the living and true God.
3. They waited for His Son from heaven.

Salvation is not adding Jesus to your life. It’s surrendering your life to Jesus.

CONCLUSION

The best advertisement for the gospel is a life changed by it.

The goal of Sinai Church is not to become famous. The goal is to become faithful.

Your goal should not be to work on your reputation. Your goal should be to let God work on your transformation.