0:12 Yeah. I want to praise the Lord for what we heard this morning. It's good for us to learn from this church at Thessalonica. This church was started by Apostle Paul. 0:30 And uh because he got in trouble, he had to leave them and go to some other place. But Apostle Paul was a true spiritual father and he was concerned as to how they doing. He was not like today's evangelists who just preach and go away to some other 0:50 place. After he preached the gospel because they persecuted him, he had to go to some other place. And it says he could not bear to see how is it going with them. And therefore he wrote two letters 1 1:07 Thessalonians and 2 Thessalonians. These are called letters of encouragement. You know you don't find so much of doctrine in these two letters. as a father. He wrote to encourage them and blessed them. 1:27 And you know this church was appreciated by Apostle Paul. I don't think Apostle Paul would have easily appreciated any church. But this church, it had some remarkable qualities 1:44 that made an impact on others. So this morning let's look at this church brothers and sisters. We already heard from brother Steven how they turned from idols to serve the living God. We already heard how they were very receptive 2:02 and they were examples reached out to others. And one more beautiful thing about this church, this church didn't think, oh this brother Timothy, he's a young brother. Who is he to tell us? No. When Paul sent Timothy to encourage them, 2:20 they valued a young brother like Timothy because I think they were humble. They didn't say we listen only to Apostle Paul. No, Timothy was even though he was young, he was a coworker of Apostle Paul and they valued Timothy 2:39 and not only that in 2 Thessalonians chapter 1 verse4 he says so that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that you endure. Apostle Paul 2:58 boasted in this church that mean it must have been really a good church and uh I want to highlight three things this morning from this church brothers and sisters chapter 1 Thessalonians chapter 1 verse three you 3:16 know when a Apostle Paul he loved this church so much he thanked God for them he prayed for them And when he remembered them, he says, "Remembering without ceasing your work of faith." And 3:34 verse 8, chapter 1:8, he says, "In every place your faith to God is spread abroad." Everybody was speaking about the wonderful faith Thessalonians were having. Yeah. Today most churches across the world, you know 3:53 what they boast, we have a grand building, we have a grand choir and we get so much offering and we are getting thousands of people in our church. If apostle Paul went to all those churches, he wouldn't be impressed 4:11 one bit. But this church, he said your faith is being spoken of everywhere. I praise the Lord for this church. And you see in chapter 1 testament chapter 3, see when apostle Paul had to go away 4:30 from Thessalonica and he says we couldn't endure. We wanted to know how was it going. So he sent Timothy to establish them to encourage them concerning their faith. Apostle Paul was always worried about the faith of people in the church 4:49 and verse 6 he says 2 1 Thessalonians 3:6 but now when Timothy came from you unto us and brought us good tidings of your faith Timothy came and told apostle Paul the brothers and sisters in Thessalonica 5:07 they're remaining in faith oh that encouraged Paul, you know, they received faith and their faith helped them to endure trials. So many people know small trials they can't endure. You know what they say? Why brother God has the Lord this 5:25 in my life? That shows you don't have faith. So many people today SMALL MOSQUITO BITES they can't bear. The Thessalonians they were enduring persecution. But I find so many people got complaints against the Lord. Some people ask why is 5:43 this for me? And some people are saying why is it that nobody's coming and visiting me? They got complaints against God and against others. Brothers and sisters, has your faith helped you to endure every trial? God in 6:01 his wisdom has allowed us to go through many, many trials. Can you say, "The word of God I heard in the church has given me faith. I know in our church, I know brothers and sisters going through many trials and difficulties. Some of them are doing 6:16 very well. I'm proud of them. I praise the Lord for brothers and sisters who are enduring many trials, enduring in faith without questioning the Lord, without going discouraged. and 2 Thessalonians chapter 1:3. You know 6:36 what Apostle Paul appreciate in this church. We are bound to thank God always for your brethren as his meat because that your faith grows exceedingly. What a fantastic church. Have you any time studied this church? 6:56 Apostle Paul never said a word about the music, about the number, about the many other gifts. He said your faith grows exceedingly and and he said you people are enduring in trials. And not only that, you know what apostle Paul said, he was saying, 7:14 brothers, keep it up. Your faith has got to grow more. It's like good teachers. When your children get 60% a good teacher will say good but you can get 75 you can get 90 brothers and sisters have you endure trials you got to endure more 7:31 endure till the end and that's what we should do when you come to the church yeah all of us are got many trials we should say brothers don't get discouraged god will see you through yeah sometimes I don't know why prayers 7:44 are not answered for long some people are sick and some people are still to get employment and some of our brothers and sisters are not married for long. Don't lose faith. Say God will see me through through it all. We used to sing a song 8:00 through it all. Through it all, I learn to trust in Jesus. I learn to trust in God. I want to say, brothers and sisters, let our faith grow and let it be strong. Let it bring joy to God. Let our faith bring joy to our elders. I hope all of 8:17 us will learn from Thessalonians and say Lord strengthen my faith that I will not only pass every test I shall also encourage others brothers hang on okay that's number one and you know same verse in 2 Thessalonians chapter 1 verse 8:37 three apostle Paul appreciate one more thing in this church he says we're bound to thank God always for your brethren as me shows that your faith grows extremely. Number two, and the love of every one of you all toward each 8:52 other abounds. I like that word. He looked at this church and he said, "You brothers here at Thessalonica, your love, you learn to love and your love is abounding. It's overflowing." What a fantastic church. 9:11 1 Thessalonians chapter 3 verse 12. And what is he telling to them? And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one to another and toward all men even as we do toward you. It's 9:29 exactly like saying you got 75%. You can get 90. Can you say after I came to the church I learned to love? I'm not waiting for anybody to come and visit me. I'm not waiting for anyone to come and give me some money. I learned to love the brothers and 9:45 sisters and my love is growing. My love is overflowing. Brothers and sisters, this is God's calling in the same chapter 3 verse 12 verse 13. To the end you may establish your hearts unblameable in holiness 10:04 before God even a father and the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints. You know what is true holiness? See in India we think you know if you're not married you're very holy. We think a sadhu means is very holy. 10:22 Some of us also it's possible to have some crazy ideas like that. But true holiness is you learn to love love and love and love and keep on loving. We rooted and grounded in love and you overflow in love. Never mind if you 10:37 don't have any gift to speak. You know in this church I don't hear much about their gifts BUT THEY LEARN TO HAVE FAITH IN GOD. They learn to love and therefore Apostle Paul appreciated them much. Again in 1 Thessalonians 10:54 4:9 he says as touching brotherly love you need not that I write unto you for yourselves or taught of God to love one another and not only that you know when you love you want to build 11:11 others you want to encourage others you want to comfort others and that's what this church learned 1 Thessalonians chapter 5:1 I I'll come to Later he says, "Wherefore comfort yourselves together and edify one another even as 11:23 you also do." This is an amazing church. They learn to encourage and comfort build up others. Some of us have been in the church for long. You see, I've been in the church for 10 11:39 years. You think you're a senior. Fine. Have you encouraged others? Senior brothers and sisters, how much have you encouraged others? How much have you strengthened, comforted? You know, all of you young people, 11:57 you may think you are young. You know, there are a lot of teens in the church struggling. Don't look for a ministry to come up here. Can I can I encourage some teens? You know, the teenagers are very difficult period in life. They say 12:11 that's one of the toughest and they're going through so many struggles. The all the teenagers think parents don't love them. They don't understand them. They're in a completely different planet and uh you young people maybe you are in 12:29 your late 20s can you look around some teens and say Lord I can't go and preach in the church but I can encourage some teenager or I believe if you look for opportunities to encourage there are so 12:48 many opportunities. Are you unemployed brothers and sisters? After the meeting, you can come and see me. I'll give you a ministry. You can have a ministry of encouragement. If you if you open your eyes and look around in 13:02 the church, so many people have got so much needs. There are older people. Some of them are sick. Maybe you are free. You can go and visit them. You can make a call. Call. Let's all be a church where we learn to love one another. Jesus said by 13:22 this shall all men know that you are my disciples. When you love one another, some of you say you want to be committed. Have you learned to love the brothers and sisters? The brothers and sisters are not perfect. Can you say but I love 13:35 them. I want to bless them. Oh, may God help us to love and abound in love and overflow in love. I'm really excited by that expression. overflow in love. We want such brothers and sisters in CFC. There's a great need for that. 13:53 And I hope you will volunteer. I want to be a brother who can love and love more and keep on loving till the Lord comes. Okay? We want such brothers to be part of this church to be committed members in the church. Okay? 14:13 These brothers in Thessalonica, they were outstanding in their faith, outstanding their love. And one more thing, they lived, they had great hope of the second coming of Jesus, you know this, I mean, we are studying about them 14:32 more than 2,000 years ago. And when Paul spoke to them about the coming of the Lord, they really believed that Jesus going to come soon. You know when I was small I was going to a church. They would preach about the second coming in such a way as 14:46 though Jesus is going to come tomorrow. I think some of us we feel the Lord's not going to come for a long time. I have a fear that some of us are taking it very cool. I want to say brothers and sisters we need to repent 14:59 of that wrong attitude. Oh, I want to be ready. I don't know when Jesus will come but I want to be ready when the Lord comes. And and you know some of them thought Jesus may come soon and probably they they they were not even working. So Paul had 15:16 to write to them and say no you mind your own business but in your heart keep your heart ready for the coming of the Lord. For example he not only that you know in this earth we all don't know how long we're going to live. I don't 15:36 know when Jesus going to come but we can all die anytime I want to say this morning if you die tonight will you be ready to meet the Lord are you ready to meet the Lord it's good to think about it and if you need any help 15:51 stay back after the meeting and meet the brothers who can help you should be able to say if the Lord if I die tonight I know I'll go to be with the Lord okay you know we have loved ones Supposing if it pleases the lord take our loved ones 16:10 I want to ask you can you take it let's say I don't know who your love supposing someone you love they die yeah we have sorrow all of us are human beings we have much sorrow but some people they cannot take it they cannot accept it I 16:27 remember once there was a young sister many many years ago she was not that mature her mom became sick and she died. She was telling, "No, I cannot live without my mom." I don't blame her. She was young. And you know, therefore, Apostle Paul here, 16:44 he spoke to them and says chapter 4:3, 1 Timothy 4:13, "I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are dead, that you sorrow not even as others which have no hope." Yes, we sorrow, but we don't sorrow like the 16:59 worldly people. We don't grieve without hope. We believe that Jesus died and rose again. And we believe that Jesus going to come again when the trumpet will sound. It says verse 16, the dead in Christ will rise first and then we which 17:14 are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord there. So we shall ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with his word. In other words, brothers, I want to help you this morning. Can you 17:29 say if the Lord takes one of my loved ones, I'm not going to grieve as the worldly people in despair without hope. I have a living hope. My loved one is going to be the Lord. And when Jesus comes again, they 17:47 will rise first and we were alive. We'll be caught up with the Lord. I want to ask you, brother, sister, do you have this living hope? Is it just a doctrine? Oh, may God help us to be ready. Be ready in case you have to meet the Lord 18:03 today. Be ready if your loved ones are taken away. And be ready to meet the Lord whenever he comes. Oh, I believe that's a wonderful thing to be to live in such a way that I don't have any attachment to this world that you're so 18:16 free from this world that when the Lord comes like a rocket you can be taken off because your mind was heavenly minded. Your mind was set on things above. Your mind was not set on things of the earth. And that's the kind of people the Lord's 18:30 looking for. Oh, may God give us grace to live in such a way that you can face any trial, you can face any situation, your faith will not waver. Okay. And uh one more thing I want to say, you know 18:50 this church, they had faith, hope and love. And this church, Apostle Paul not only loved them and encouraged them, this church encouraged Apostle Paul. What a blessed church. You know how Apostle Paul was encouraged by this church? They were steadfast. THEY 19:08 STOOD FIRM IN THE TRIALS. AND APOSTLE Paul went Timothy. And Timothy came and said, "Oh, all the brothers and sisters are steadfast. They are steady. They're not discouraged. What a fantastic church this is." And Paul says like we already 19:23 heard in all our trials we were comforted. Apostle Paul got tremendous encouragement when he heard the brothers and sisters in Thessalonica. They are wholehearted. They're not disturbed. They're not discouraged. They're not 19:37 backsliden. I hope you will encourage your leaders. Hello. Are you with me this morning? Will you encourage the elders by your steadfastness, by by your wholeheartedness, by your faithfulness, by your endurance, by your love, by your 19:57 strong hope in the Lord, if you walk like that, the elders will be encouraged. Okay? And such a church, Apostle Paul wrote, he wanted to give them a good exhortations. He said 1 Thessalonians 4:4, the will of God is the 20:11 sanctification. Be pure in the sexual area. Don't be defiled. And then he also told them in in chapter 5 verse 61 verse, rejoice always. Pray without ceasing. In everything give thanks for this is the will of God in 20:30 Christ Jesus. In other words, Paul wanted Thessalonians to be joyful, to be prayerful, to be thankful always. Brothers and sisters, this is what we preach. Can you say after I came to the church I become joyful. I feel sad when I see brothers and 20:49 sisters heavy. I want to say that means something is wrong. Learn from the test. They were joyful. They received the word we heard this morning with the joy of the Holy Spirit. Oh the Lord wants us to learn to be prayerful. Pray and pray and 21:05 pray and keep praying for many many many till the Lord comes and be thankful for this this is the mark of faith you become joyful you become prayerful become thankful and then Paul told them don't quench the spirit abstain from all 21:21 of it is evil and we already heard Paul also told them your calling is to gain the glory of Christ and in 2 Thessalonians chapter 2 I'll close with this verse 15 Therefore, brethren, stand fast and hold the traditions which you have been 21:38 taught whether by word or epistle. I want to encourage you. I want to give you some homework. Go home and study one and two Thessalonians. You'll be blessed. You'll be encouraged. And may God help us to follow the example. Amen. 21:54 I was blessed and um encouraged to read and hear about this wonderful church. this church which is so precious in the Lord's eye and also in the eyes of Paul. I was thinking who was building this 22:13 church? Suddenly we think maybe Paul but if you read in Matthew 16 Jesus said I will build my church. So it is such an encouraging thing to know that Jesus was building this church. Sometimes we may 22:32 think that church means many number of people. But you know Jesus doesn't work like that. Yeah, of course he's interested in the body but he takes care of every member. He individually works with every member. 22:51 When we think of our church, Jesus is interested in each one of you and he wants to build you. Building the church means building every individual and Jesus is interested in building each one of us. I I'm encouraged to look at that 23:08 way. When I look at Thessalonian church definitely church would have be uh been consisted of a wonderful brothers and sisters uh responded to God and God was preparing um platform. 23:25 So we read in Luke 1 where Mary said um God fills the hungry uh with good things and sends the rich empty. This is true. This is a basic principle. So as we heard from brother Steven, they were teachable because they were hungry. They 23:45 they longed to grow and to be uh set apart from the world. Like we heard from brother Newton the this is the will of God that our sanctification God wants to separate us make us holy and uh make us stand to that calling. So Jesus said in 24:05 another place uh you search the scriptures you think you have eternal life in that but uh they bear witness of me. So when I read about Thessalonians uh there is a testimony there was a witness I see that Jesus was building this 24:22 church and Jesus was building Paul also I we read that before Paul came Paul had to go through tribulation and persecution in Philippi we read that in chapter 2 two yeah 24:40 God was preparing Paul to meet these Thessalonians who were going through tribulation and sufferings. They were hungry because of their faith. They were going through the tough time. That time God prepared. In fact, Paul writes that 24:57 um I think in verse 5 and two verse two also he says that but after we had already suffered and been m mistreated in Philippi as you know we had the boldness in our God to speak to you the 25:13 gospel of God amid of um much opposition. That means God was preparing Paul to meet these precious uh suffering uh Thessalonians brothers and sisters. 25:29 So that uh that shows me that when we think about our elders, think about brother Zach, God was preparing brother Zach in secret to help us all. One day uh God God knew that one day you all 25:47 will be part here and God prepared brother Zach or our elders when we when we spend time with them we know that what and all they have gone through how they stood strong in the Lord through opposition persecution difficulties 26:05 uh the reproach so God prepared them so that they will minister to us that's what I see here Paul was prepared and Paul and Silas came here with uh experience so they could speak uh and encourage them. So even Timotei also 26:24 like that. Then later they they there also they had opposition and went to uh Berea. We see I was so encouraged by seeing this and I want to be gripped by this. Jesus is building the church and Jesus is interested in each one of us 26:38 and he wants to build us and he will give us brothers and sisters who uh whom he's he has already trained to help us. I'm encouraged by that. I mean the Thessalonians were a young church. This was, you know, when we read in Acts 26:54 chapter 17, we read Paul um he came to a small a group of Jews of God-fearing Greeks and he was teaching them from the scriptures. He was teaching them that Christ had to suffer and to rise from the dead. It's a wonderful and healthy 27:10 thing when uh wholehearted, sincere young people are taken up by the Lord. They may not be perfect or mature, but these young role models as this Thessalonian church uh Paul highlighted later in his ministry, he pointed out 27:27 their love, their hope, their faith. And these young brothers and sisters, they were proof that God is working in a new generation. Then some trouble happened. some prominent people among them uh came to them and the religious establishment 27:45 started the persecution of these Thessalonians. Um in in Acts 17:6 we read a wonderful testimony about what happened there. We read that these men who have upset the world have come here also and they act contrary to the 28:03 decrees of the world saying that there is another king Jesus that should be the testimony in our lives too. We should be able to to proclaim this other king that has come into our lives Jesus. This was a young church. Paul was hardly 28:18 here for one month and this persecution arose and he was wrenched away from the church. He had to leave. He had to leave. He could not come back. He he was so concerned about this church. He felt like a father and a mother to them. What 28:31 could he do? He sent another young person, another young role model. He sent Timothy to them. Timothy came with uh with a gr with came back to Paul with this one thing. He came and highlighted that this church their faith was 28:46 growing. You know, we heard who was building this church. Paul was not there anymore. God was building this church. And the and the mark that God was building this church was when they were alone, they responded in faith to God. 29:00 In the midst of their persecution, they responded with faith towards God. I wanted to look at what was I mean we heard so many from these brothers and brothers who spoke before. I wanted to uh point out what spoke to my heart. Few 29:17 areas what was special about this church. Three things came out to me. First is when they received the word from Paul, they didn't receive it as the word of as the word from men. In um if I if you read 1 Thessalonians chapter 2 29:36 verse3, Paul writes, "We constantly thank God that when you receive the word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but for what it really is, the word of God." The Thessalonians were not trying to please 29:55 Paul or trying to please any elder. They were primarily living before God. They were seeking the approval that comes only from God. And in this they imitated the faith of Paul and Silas and Timothy. We we heard 30:14 how in uh chapter 1 verse 6 Paul could testify of them. You have become an imitator of us and of the Lord Jesus Christ, having received the word in much tribulation and with joy in your hearts through the Holy Spirit. 30:31 There's a wonderful verse in verse 14. Sorry, in verse in chapter 1 verse4 and I believe this is the essence of how the Lord how the Thessalonians received the word knowing brethren beloved of God his choice of you. For our gospel did not 30:49 come to you in words alone but in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction. My brothers and sisters when we sit here week after week let us not hear a word from a man but let's come to hear a word from God. Let's allow the Holy Spirit to 31:07 work in our hearts with full conviction and we can see a transformation in our own lives. The second thing I'd like to see from the Thessalonian learn from this Thessalonian role models is that in their lives they had it was marked with 31:22 true repentance. True repentance. We read in uh chapter 1 verse 9. Incidentally this verse brother Zach says in through the Bible that this is one of the best definitions of what true repentance is. And it says that they 31:37 turn to God from idols to serve the living and true God. I've seen this when God calls us. It may not necessarily be physical or fleshly idols. It may be idols in the mind. It may be as we heard idols of comfort, of 31:55 entertainment, of eating, or of money, of ambitions, of the hold that loved ones have for us. But when we turn from them, when we turn from them to the Lord, then he is able to do a true work for us. One personal definition of uh of 32:12 repentance in my heart God has given me is from John 24:15 where Jesus says to Peter, Peter, do you love me more than this? And many times in life, God will ask us, do you love me more than these? And when we respond to that, that shows 32:27 us whether there is a manifestation of true repentance in our heart. A continual true repentance. The Thessalonians had it and then when Paul had left them and everyone had left them and then they were alone, still they 32:40 manifested that true repentance and God could connect him through connect them to Jesus to receive grace. The last thing I want to point out is the Thessalonians were not mature. They were not perfect, but they were sincere 32:54 and wholehearted. They came from a pagan culture. Paul had to remind them to to keep their bodies with in sanctification. Maybe they didn't have a perfect track record, but they were not double-minded. This is what they did. 33:09 You know, I I believe if you read in Hebrews 4:7, I feel this is the attitude that comes out from the Thessalonians. Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your heart. That was that desire. today God whatever you speak to me today 33:22 I don't want to harden my heart in Hebrews 4 uh 16 it goes on to say instead I want to draw near with confidence to the throne of grace so that I can receive mercy and find grace in the time of need today I want to have 33:37 my confidence before the Lord today if that if I fall or do anything I want to come God and ask quickly for his mercy and I want to receive grace and find strength in the time of need I want to just leave one thing with you. 33:52 Uh I believe these Thessalonians had this one motto. You know in this in the pillars in the front we see this poster which which came from the the uh summer camp that our young children had and it says a verse there Ephesians 5:10. I 34:06 want to leave that verse with you. It says uh trying to please Jesus in everything. In our version it says with the NASB version it says trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord. I believe that was the desire of the 34:20 Thessalonians. They wanted to be connected to the head. They wanted even if they are alone standing alone, I must be connected to the head because through the head, through Christ Jesus, I will receive grace and strength to hand to 34:33 stand. Today I want to learn to try to be pleasing to Jesus in everything. I want to imitate this Thessalonian church in their love, in their faith, in their hope. I praise God for them. Amen.
