The Spirit and Power of the Gospel

Transcript

GR 1116
12/2/1984
The Spirit and Power of the Gospel
1 Thessalonians 1:5-7
Gil Rugh

In your bibles 1 Thessalonians. We are not proceeding rapidly through Thessalonians and the next section we want to look at is composed of 3 verses. Sometimes I like to look at for my own change of pace to change the procedure and in some of our studies we look at a little larger section. Some people think my larger sections are small sections. But for me I want even a smaller section sometimes so in 1 Thessalonians we are going to be doing some smaller sections and it will give us a time to look at some subjects or topics that come up in the word.

So part of our study we will from time to time be looking at topically as we did in verse 4 of chapter 1, where Paul spoke of the election of the Thessalonians. We looked a little bit as what is involved in the biblical doctrine of election where God has sovereignly before time, before creation of the world chose some in grace for salvation from among the rebellious multitudes of sinful humanity.

He is in a section, from verse 2 goes through verse 7 where he is offering thanks to God for the Thessalonians. He upholds them in prayer. He is faithful in remembering them before the Lord in prayers. He remembered in verse 3 their steadfastness, their faithfulness in labor or work, their labor of love which characterized them. Work, labor, and steadfastness characterized the Thessalonians as new believers. Paul also in his prayer was encouraged to pray for them because he knew of their election. When you talk about election you are talking about a sovereign work of God. How could Paul speak of knowing the election of the Thessalonians. That is what he is going to talk about in verses 5-7.

Why he had such confidence that they were the elect of God? There is going to be 2 sides of what he shares. In verse 5 he is going to approach it from his own side as a preacher of the gospel and included with him will be those who administered the gospel with him at Thessalonica. The confidence and assurance they personally had in the ministry at Thessalonica and then in verses 6 and 7 the conduct of the Thessalonians as a testimony that they are indeed the elect of God.

Verse 5 we read, for our gospel. Or as could be translated because our gospel giving the reason why he knows they are the elect of God because our gospel did not come to you in word only, but in also the power and in the Holy Spirit and will full conviction. Just as you know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake. Paul talks about our gospel coming to you. The gospel is always intentionally personal to the Apostle Paul. But this he did not mean that it was his a s a private possession or his as far as its origin. But it was his in that it was the gospel that he preached. This was the gospel that he had committed his life to. In effect that he staked eternity upon. This was our gospel, the message that we proclaimed to you. It’s a constant subject in his letter to the Thessalonians. Just look at the times he mentions the gospel and see that he does have a strong emphasis. It is God’s gospel that it is a message and the word gospel means good news. It is a message of good news from God entrusted to men.

In the book of 1 Thessalonians 2:2, but after we had already suffered and been mistreated in Philippi, as you know, we had the boldness in our God to speak to you the gospel of God the good news of God. We had the boldness to speak the gospel of God.

Look at verse 4. But just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, he viewed the gospel as a trust given to him by God. Verse 8 having thus a fond affection for you, we were well pleased to impart to you not only the gospel of God but also our own lives. We are going to see this connection in the section before us this evening that it is not only preaching the gospel. But it is the character and quality of life that God has used in the Thessalonians our lives, but it is the gospel of God.

Verse 9, the last statement in the verse, we proclaim to you the gospel of God. Paul continually iterated the message was the gospel. It is the gospel, the good news given by God.

Over in chapter 3 of Thessalonians verse 2, we sent Timothy, our brother and God’s fellow worker in the gospel of Christ, now it is the gospel of Christ because He is the subject of the good news. The good news concerns Jesus Christ, who He is and what He has done.\

In 2 Thessalonians 1:8, dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. Again it is the gospel of our Lord Jesus.

In 2 Thessalonians 2:14, it was for this He called you through our gospel, he is back to our gospel. It is interesting the first and last use of the gospel in the letters to the Thessalonians, Paul says our gospel, because it was the gospel from God about Christ that we were privileged to present to you that resulted in your salvation. The substance of the gospel as Paul preached it could be found in a number of places.

1 Corinthians 15 gives you a nice tight summary of Paul’s gospel. The gospel from God about Christ through Paul. 1 Corinthians 15:1, Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you which also you received, in which also you stand by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the Word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you what was the gospel what I preached to you, as of first importance what I also received. See the emphasis? This is what I received from God. This is what I delivered to you, Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the 12. He died and he was the proof of His death was His burial, the proof of His resurrection was seen by witness.

2 key facts about the gospel. The death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Isn’t that an amazing simple message? Here you think that the God of the universe an infinitely, intelligent being has communicated a message of overwhelming importance to man and you can summarize it in 2 points. Christ died, and Christ was raised from the dead. Isn’t that amazing? You can see is all that religion has done. All that men have done is taken the message and complicated it. It’s a message so simple anyone can understand it. You might think if God was going to communicate it would take tremendous intellect and great intelligence to unwind the intricacies to understand it. That is not the case.

So simple. Christ died, Christ was raised from the dead. This is the good news from God. And around this your eternal destiny is built. You either come to believe that message personally and trust the fact that Christ died for you, and was raised from the dead or you do not. On that basis your destiny for all eternity is settled. Now Paul took this message very personally, and since it was a message from God, it was set and unchangeable. This is why we can be sure the message that he gave 2000 years ago is the same today. Since God spoke it, it was unchanging and Paul takes very seriously any alternation of the any kind in the gospel message.

Over in Galatians 1, you see how Paul feels about the gospel and how strongly he opposes anyone who makes any changes in the gospel. Now you ought to know if anybody is going to change the gospel, because if there is any change in the fact that Christ died for your sins. You note, it is personal. Christ died for your sins. He was raised from the dead the third day. That is the issue. That is what you must believe to be saved.

Galatians 1:8, even though we, or an angel from heaven, now note this, Paul says if we knew it or an angle from heaving does it, or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to that which we have preached to you, let him be accursed. That is strong language. Yes, thank you, you are dismissed. Wait a minute, you don’t understand. An angel appeared to me. I think it was Gabriel, might have been Michael, not sure, and he gave me a different gospel. Understand it was an angel. Paul says, I don’t care. You are under a curse. You know that simplifies our life, doesn’t it? Every ding bat that comes down the religious pike who has new information and a new revelation, have to sit and say, mmm, maybe God has changed the gospel. Maybe He has altered it. No, I don’t. All I have to say is accursed on you, hey, got out of here. I say wait a minute, maybe he is an angel, so what? It doesn’t matter if he is an angel from heaven, if he changes the gospel he is under the curse.

Verse 9 in case you didn’t get it in verse 8. As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to that which you received, let him be accursed. Just that simple. You know we complicate matters. We like to think of extenuating circumstances. For Paul as far as the gospel is concerned there are not extenuating circumstances. Here is the gospel. Christ died for our sins, according to the Scriptures. He was raised from the dead the third day. Do you believe that? This is the issue. You say wait a minute, I think that you ought to believe in Christ plus be baptized. Or as the Galatians did, be circumcised. Plus join the church, plus observe the sacraments and then you will be saved. Paul says you are under a curse. You are not only not saved, you are under a curse because salvation is by the finished work of the Son of God alone. So when he talks about our gospel, for Paul it never because an academic matter, but was intensely personal. Here is truth…..And when someone corrupted the gospel it was a personal issue with the apostle Paul and a personal representative of Jesus Christ.

Come back to 1 Thessalonians 1. I take at that same kind of possessiveness on the gospel should characterize us as believers. Our gospel is the gospel we are privileged to know and believe and preach and we ought to stand for it and stand firmly on it and its clarity. Our gospel did not come to you in word only, as is so characteristic of the apostle Paul he picks up the negative first. He hasn’t learned to you are start on the positive so he starts on the negative. It didn’t come to you in word only.

In other words it just wasn’t with good speech, effective rhetoric, there was more to what I had to say then simply the words of the gospel. They were more than just words presented that Christ died for your sins. That Christ was raised from the dead. There was more to it than words being presented.

Paul makes 3 points about his preaching of the gospel to the Thessalonians. It wasn’t just in word only, but also in power. It was in word you note, not in word only, but also in power. Because faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. The word has to be presented, people have to have the words of God. The word has to be presented, people have to have the words of the gospel, whether they hear it or read it or whatever. They must come to hear the truth that Christ died for their sins, He was raised from the dead, but in addition to that come in power and Paul used this contrast between mere words and the words of the gospel present in power on several occasions. He is fond of stressing there is power in the present.

We looked a little bit at this in our study earlier. Now again he comes back to that them there is power in the gospel and it is not just mere words but it is words presented in power.

Look back in 1 Corinthians 2. You see this contrast between word only, and power. 1 Corinthians 2:4. See what Paul says about himself in verse 3. And I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling. You ought to take that verse as one of your life verses, because we always thin the apostle Paul was unique in that he never was afraid. He never shook, but here he says I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling. And my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power. You see the spirit in a moment in 1 Thessalonians. Paul says it wasn’t just in clever words, persuasive words, but it was in power that the message I preached came to you.

Still in addressing the Corinthians in chapter 4:19. But I will come to you soon, if the Lord wills, and I shall find out, not the words of those who are arrogant, but their power. Some opposed Paul’s ministry. Paul says, alright we’ll just find out who has some clever speech, some flowery rhetoric and we’ll find out who has the power of God in their ministry of the word of God. For the kingdom of God does not consist in words, but in power. So that there is a dynamic where we get the word dynamic from this Greek word. There is dynamic power in the ministry of the word of God as it is presented by the servant of God.

Back up to chapter 1 of 1 Corinthians. We looked at Romans 1:16 in the previous study today where we talked about the gospel is the power of God unto salvation. Same word. The gospel is God’s power unto salvation. There is power in the word of God. In 1 Corinthians 1:18, for the Word of the cross is to those who are perishing foolishness, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. Down in verse 24 but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. See Paul saw the power in the gospel so he was not intimidated because the people said that was moronic. That is stupid, that is foolishness. He said that is the power of God, dynamic of God, for accomplishing God’s purpose.

Over in 2 Corinthians 4:7 we see a beautiful picture the gospel is from God about Christ through human instruments and in verse 7 of 2 Corinthians 4 Paul says, We have this treasure, the treasure of God’s Word, the gospel of Jesus Christ in earthen vessels, that the surpassing greatness of the power may be of God and not ourselves. That is why God uses you and me in Spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ. That way He gets all the credit for what is accomplished. It is evident that you don’t have any power, but it is God’s power working in and through you for His purposes.

That is what religious people deny. This is what is missing in religion. The power of God. This is what the religious person denies by their failure to believe in the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Look over in 2 Timothy 3. Just after Paul’s letters to the Thessalonians he writes 2 letters to Timothy. And in 2 Timothy 3:5 speaking about godless people holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power. And avoid such men. See that? Now what does it mean to have a form of godliness but deny the power? What is the power of God? I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God unto salvation. Do you know what the religious person deny? He denies the power of God. He denies the gospel of Jesus Christ. You go around and talk to religious people of whatever faith and pin them down and see what they are trusting for their salvation, and it is not the finished work of Jesus Christ.

These are religious people. Those who have not come to trust in Jesus Christ but are pursuing religious activities. They deny the power and they den the gospel but they are going on. They want to have a form of godliness, but they deny the power. Do you see the responsibility of the believer? Avoid such men as these. There ought not to be one single true believers sitting in any church in this city that are pastored and led by individuals who do not believe in the gospel of Jesus Christ. Because the Word of God is clear. You avoid such men as these. They are denying the power of God which is the gospel. So it is very simple. There is no excuse, no reason for anybody, any true believer to have anything to do with those who deny the reality of the finished work of Jesus Christ as the only provision for sinful man.

Back to Thessalonians. Now what Paul is saying here when he talks about the power of God it didn’t come to you in word, but in power, he was conscious personally of the power of God at work in his life as he preached and shared the gospel with them. It is a subjectivity of what he is writing in verse 5. Paul is writing from his own experience and the experiences of Silvanus and Timothy as they shared together with him the ministry of the word at Thessalonica. They were conscious of the power of God at work in their lives. He mentions this in Colossians chapter 1 just before 1 Thessalonians.

Colossians 1:11. He speaks about being strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might. Now Paul was conscious of being strengthened with all power as he ministered the word. Have you ever been in a situation where you have been sharing the Scripture with someone? Sharing the gospel with them and you just knew that God was giving you an ability and a strength beyond yourself. That is what Paul is talking about here. He was aware of the power of God at work in his life.

Down in verse 29 of Colossians 1, for this purpose. Also I labor, striving according to His power, which mightily works within me. It’s amazing of that combination there. We don’t have time to look at it but Paul says I labor and strive. Paul was going at it like it all depended upon him. But it was God at work mightily in him. That didn’t mean he didn’t have to labor, he didn’t have to toil. He didn’t have to strive. But there would be nothing accomplished if it was not the power of God at work in Paul to produce the results. You do not accomplish the work of God by laboring and striving and giving it all you’ve got. You accomplish the work of God by laboring and striving and giving it all you’ve got in the power of the Spirit of God and that combination makes effective our ministry and service because it is the power of God that makes our work and labor effective in accomplishing His purposes.

Come back to 1 Thessalonians 1. Our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit. I take it that the Holy Spirit is the source of the power that Paul is talking about. But He’s more than just that power. He is the living person, a member of the triune God who personally lives and indwells in Paul, empowered him for service. This connection between the Holy Spirit and power is made repeatedly through the New Testament. An interesting connection is made concerning Jesus Christ. Look back in Act 10.

Peter says this concerning Christ in Acts 10:38. You know of Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and with power. You see that the Holy spirt and power are brought together even though they are separated. The Holy Spirit is a person and as He works in the life, power is the result to enable the purposes and plans of God.

You keep going past Acts to the end of the book of Romans 15:13. Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Now we are spending some time belaboring what we as believers sometimes take as obvious, but we don’t live that way. This was a dynamic that influenced the way Paul ministered. The recognition that the Holy Spirit was at work in his life accomplishing God’s purposes and empowering him to do God’s service. It is not enough for us to have a doctrine of the Holy Spirit, under the power of God, but that must be transforming our lives and the way we go about the ministry in representing Jesus Christ.

Ephesians 3:16. Paul prays for the Ephesians that God would grant you, according to the riches of His glory. Note. To be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man. That is what Paul wants to see accomplished. That they be strengthened with power in the inner man. Remarkable. Look at verse 20. Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly beyond all that we ask or think according to the power that works within us. That is what enables God’s purposes to be realized in our lives. To make us the people that He wants us to be, to enable us to do the things He wants us to do. You are in Ephesians. Look at Ephesians 1:18. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. He want them to realize the working of the power of God in their lives. Paul had a burden that the believers weren’t going to realize their potential. That is the tragedy ofr us as believers that we don’t realize our potential in Christ. That the Spirit of God resides in us to empower us and we muddle along and fudge by all that power. He wants them to experience that and to realize that, to know it, to live it in their lives.

Come back to 1 Thessalonians 1. The gospel came in power, and in the Holy Spirit, who was producing that power, and with full conviction. The expression full conviction links very closely with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit was producing full conviction, now not in the Thessalonians. But in Paul as he ministered, keep in mind the emphasis is what is going on in Paul, Sylvanus, and Timothy. The Holy Spirt gave them full conviction, full confidence in their ministry to the Thessalonians. They knew that God was working and using His Word in their lives. They had full conviction or confidence regarding that. This idea of full conviction, that word. We ought to look at that.

Back in Colossians 2:2. That their hearts may be encouraged, having been knit together in love, and attaining to all the wealth. I love the way that has been put, attaining to all the wealth that comes from the full assurance of understanding, that full assurance. Same word as we have full conviction in 1 Thessalonians 1:5. That full assurance that full confidence that is produced by the Spirit in our lives. God does not want us as believers to be mamby pamby, pieces of straw blown in the wind. But to have full confidence and assurance regarding our position in Christ and His work being accomplished in our lives. That is what the Holy Spirit is there to produce. He has not given us the spirt of timidity, is what Paul wrote to Timothy or cowardness. Rather He gives us full confidence and full assurance. That is what Paul had as he ministered to the Thessalonians. Keep in mind they ministered in the face of opposition, a resistance and rejection. But he said it was with full confidence that the Spirit of God was at work in our lives. That is a neat and exciting combination.

This word is used 2 other times, both in the book of Hebrews. Over in Hebrews 6:11. And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence so as to realize the full assurance. There’s our word. Expression, to words, full and the word assurance. Full conviction, full confidence, of hope until the end.

And again over in Hebrews 10:22, let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith that is the way to approach God, with full confidence in our faith in Him.

Come back to 1 Thessalonians 1. That is the way Paul ministered in Thessalonica in power, produced by the Holy Spirit, with the confidence that the Holy Spirit gives in the life as we represent Christ in the power of the Spirit in making us. It gives you a boldness and effectiveness in ministry that is not found in any other way in any other place. Paul offers himself here as an example. Just as you know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake. Paul was never ashamed to tell his converts to examine his life. As is often what happens to our confidence as believers the wicked flee when no one is pursuing them,. So here Paul says you know what kind of men we were, you can examine our lives, look at us. Our lives and character supported the gospel we preached. Now there are accusations being made against Paul by false teachers at Thessalonica, by the Jews, They say, look at our lives, and examine. You know what kind of men we were. You know our character and he is going to develop this somewhat in detail in Chapter 2 in the first 12 verses. He unfolds something of his character and his conduct while at Thessalonica.

Now there is another side. Paul was confident of the election of the Thessalonians because of his own experience in the work of the Spirit in his life in his ministry. The power of the spirit and the conviction God brought to him as he ministered the gospel. But on the other side there was the response of the Thessalonians to the gospel as it was ministered and that is in verses 6 and 7. You also became imitators of us and of the Lord. You because imitators of us. Another word. Mimetes. Recognize the word? We get the English word mimic from it. You became imitator of us. You mimicked us. Originally meant an actor, and means more than a follower. Someone who patterns his life after some else. It is used 6 times in the New Testament.

1 Thessalonians 2:14. 2 of these uses are in Thessalonians. For you, brethren, because imitators of the churches of God in Christ Jesus that are in Judea. The area here was their endurance and suffering and so on. You mimicked or patterned yourself after them.

Go back to 1 Corinthians 4:16. Sometimes I’m shocked at the boldness of Paul. It almost comes across as arrogance and this is one of those verses. I exhort you therefore, be imitators of me. Mimic me. Pattern your life after me. Not of this foolishness. Don’t look at me, look at the cross. Don’t’ look at my life, look at Jesus. Paul says who do you think you are looking at when you look at me. Mimic me. Because who do you think I am mimicking?

1 Corinthians 11:1. Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ. Of course, you are new converts. I led you to Christ. You ought to pattern your life after me. Know why? My life is patterned after Christ. Have no problem here. I don’t have to say don’t look at me, look at Christ. What is the problem in your life Gil? Well you know there is lots of stuff here. Well, get it out. The apostle Paul says mimic me. Pattern your life after me. Why? Because I am fully committed to becoming like Christ and following Him. So when you mimic me and pattern your life after me Paul is saying you are patterning your life after Christ. There is no problem there. That is the way you and I are to be. No wonder Paul had a confidence and a boldness in his ministry that we lack. We know there are things in our lives we don’t want someone else to pattern after. We don’t want some to conform their life to us and that intimidates us and keeps us from having an effective and powerful ministry. Not so with the apostle Paul.

Ephesians 5:1. Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. Pattern your life after God. In effect the character and conduct of my life is to be conformed to him and the outstanding illustration in the context would be holiness, being the pattern that is to be followed.

One other use is Hebrews 6:12 where we just were, that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises. In the context here pattern your life after those who are steadfast in the face of trial and opposition.

Come back to 1 Thessalonians 1:6. Paul said, You also became imitators of us and of the Lord. Almost shocking, Paul puts himself first, of us and of the Lord. That would be the natural pattern. He was the human instrument God had used in their lives. He was the contact point, they naturally looked at him so they began to pattern their life after him and the Lord. We saw there was not difference as far as Paul was concerned. Having received the word in much tribulation. Where tribulation is a strong word. It just doesn’t mean some mild discomfort, unsettling thing. It is heavy pressure. The word was used in a literal way in the Greek outside the Bible.

One example one person used was of grapes, and the pressure applied to grapes until the juice comes out. Severe, strong pressure. It came to be used in our biblical sense. That severe pressure. That is applied to the life. That is what he is talking about here. They received the word in much pressure. Very severe pressure and Paul was well familiar with it, and we don’t have time. I went through and traced the word tribulation to its passages. You ought to get a concordance and do that. Look at the word tribulation. See how Paul did and turned his tribulations around and you find he found out how to rejoice in tribulation because you find out what God is accomplishing in that.

Then you come to 2 Corinthians in chapter 4 and he writes to them about our momentary light affliction or tribulation is working for us a far great weight of glory. Interesting to see how Paul turned affliction and tribulation around to see a blessing from God. You know Christ promises us tribulation. I think it is important in the context we see here with the spirit of God empowering the believer and giving him confidence and ministry that it is in the face of severe pressure.

Now we sometimes think when there is severe pressure in our life something is wrong. God is not working. Paul says just the opposite that it is in the face of severe pressure that God can empower us in a special way. And our weakness to run and hide from pressure, to avoid it at all cost. I am afraid often forgoes the blessing of having the power of God operating in our lives in a unique and special way.

Jesus said in John 16:33 you will have tribulation and he used this word. You will have affliction, tribulation in the world. That is a promise to believers, but be of good cheer I have overcome the world.

So Paul says to the Thessalonians, you have received the word in much tribulation with the joy of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit produced joy in the midst of tribulation that is that seeming paradox and here in the midst of tribulation there is great joy. It’s amazing. More pressure being applied and yet there is that joy and peace and satisfaction that the Spirit of God brings to a life. Can’t explain it to the unbeliever. You have to experience it. The Thessalonians had and were experiencing it. Paul had an interesting way of looking at that. Talked about affliction, he wrote to the Philippians in 1:29 and said 2 privileges have been given to you. Number one, you have been privileged to suffer for him. What an honor. No wonder he could find joy because when he says I am suffering that is a privilege given to me and I would have joy when I am taking my privileges and you not that joy is one of the fruits of the spirit of God produced in the life.

So you have the joy of the Holy Spirit, Galatians 5 says, the fruit of the spirit is love joy peace. So it is the spirit of God Working in their lives that is doing this. So that result of this, you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia.

An example, the word tupos we get the word from that tupos, the word type, and it originally meant the mark from a blow. So like a coin that was truck, the image on the coin would be a type. So it is a pattern, and it is used here in the singular. You became an example, or a type, a pattern to be followed. You, the church at Thessalonica became an example to the believers all over Greece, in both Macedonia and Achaia, and all the way down to Corinth. They were an example, the power of God at work in the lives of a believer and they patterned themselves after the Apostle Paul and the Lord Jesus Christ and now other churches were patterning themselves after the Thessalonians. What a testimony. See how God is built in the pattern?

Just like our children, they need examples to follow, patterns, and they look to the older children in the family. Then they look to the parents so God has built it in for us, that we the older believers are to be a pattern for newer believers. We, as a church, are to be a pattern for other churches as they are getting started and growing and maturing. That happened to the Thessalonians. You became and example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. That word type is used 4 times in the New Testament. And it would not be fitting to close if we did not look at those.

Philippians 3. You know I am impressed how much wealth there is in the Scripture. You know we read so many of these words, and expressions are so full, and there is not time to delve into it all. Someday I am going to do a study of one of the books of the Bible, word, by word. I don’t know if I will preach it to you.

Philippians 3:17. Brethren, join in the following my example, and observe those who walk according to the pattern you have in us. See that? The apostle Paul says, here we are. I am a pattern to be followed and follow after those who are following after us. You see the line is established.

2 Thessalonians 3:9 Paul talks about how he conducted himself at Thessalonica. Not because we do not have the right to do this, but in order to offer ourselves as a model for you. That you might follow our example. Know what Paul said there? He guided his life in what he did and did not do in light of what kind of example will this be for the Thessalonians. I want them to be able to pattern themselves after me and if I do some things here they may be misunderstood, so he governed his conduct that way.

1 Timothy 4:12. Let no one look down on your youthfulness, but rather in speech, conduct, love, faith, and purity show yourselves as an example, a type, a pattern, of those who believe.

Then in Titus 2:7 in all things show yourself to be an example of good deeds, an example of good deeds, good conduct.

What has Paul said? He is full confident about God’s election of the Thessalonians. Why? He experienced the work of the Spirit of God empowering him in sharing the gospel and giving him confidence and full conviction as he shared the truth of the word of God with the Thessalonians and then he had seen the transformed lives of the Thessalonian believers. They became imitators of Paul and the Lord and in turn they became to the church a pattern for other believers to pattern themselves after.


That ought to be true of us in our ministry. Personally I want to have the kind of ministry that the spirit of God uses, works in my life, empowering me, giving me full conviction in my service for Him. That ought to be the goal for each one of us as believers. Evidence of that will be we pattern our lives after the Word of God. Mature believers in the Word, so that we as local church will be a pattern for others that they might grow and mature, by following the example and pattern we set down.