Sermons on 1 Thessalonians 1

Studies in 1 Thessalonians Ch.1.
The Marks of a Miracle and Mighty Church!

Every true Church of Jesus Christ is a Miracle Church and should therefore be a Mighty Church!
I mean,the Lord Jesus takes sinners who are at a distance from God and turns them into onderful
Miracles of Grace. They are changed from the inside out,never to be the same again. God then laces such into a fellowship of his people and intends that they live lives on the Miracle level,thus becoming a Mighty people for God and his Glory.
The evidences that this infant Church in Thessalonica is both a miracle and a mighty Church are very real and worthy of some consideration.
It is without doubt A Miracle Church , Paul has gone into Thessalonica, a large city of about 200,000 People,a noted centre of trading in the then known world, and infect, still exists and thrives today.
As was Paul’s habit he searched out the local synagogue and began reasoning with the people and before he concluded he began to preach Christ unto them. The result of such reasoning and
preaching we discover, a body of new Christians were formed into a fellowship and became known as Paul declares in Ch.1v1 “Unto the church of the Thessalonians which is in God, the Father, and in the Lord Jesus Christ.”
We soon discover, that this infant church has it’s roots firmly based in the truth and teaching of the Apostle’s doctrine as indeed all churches should.
As Billy Graham,in his earlier days became well known in his preaching ministry around the world
another well know preacher was asked what he thought of this new evangelist,”Billy Graham has set the church back two hundred years” was his retort. Some years later when Billy Graham was being interviewed by the same reporter he mentioned the preacher’s comments, “Oh,” said Billy, “I am greatly saddened by that comment,you see I had wanted to set the church back two thousand years that we might re-discover our roots from which we seem to have wandered.”
That remark of course was exactly correct, a church is intended to have its bedrock in the teaching and truths of the Apostles doctrine,just as with the apostle,our preaching is to be Apostolic, Authoritative, Absolute, Affectionate and Apocalyptic.
Not only was this infant church a miracle church but without doubt,it was A Mighty Church.
That becomes clear as we read through the first chapter,although they had no resident Pastor, no
Teaching Elders as yet,they followed closely the directives of the Scriptures,the Spirit,and the Servant of God who,although having been with them such a short time left them with a good foundation upon which to build. There was no setting out their own stall here,no laying down their own criteria or power base. I heard Dr.Martyn Lloyd Jones preach many years ago in the Wellington Hall Belfast on the subject of the church he said,”there is but one way to build a true church for Jesus Christ, that is a church that will stand the test and become effective, such a church must be built on “The Preaching of the Scriptures, The Power of the Spirit, and The Prayers of the Saints.”

Through out the whole of this first epistle we see the reality of a church that is set to stay the course and become powerfully effective.
In Chapter one they display themselves as a mighty people.
In Chapter two they take direction from a mighty Pastor.
In Chapter three they get involved in a mighty Spirit filled program.
In Chapter’s four and five they determine a mighty practice.
Beloved,whatever we might think of our selves,no matter how highly we rate ourselves,one thing is sure,a true people of God will always display clearly the marks of reality, surely that is the exercise the Apostle is about here,he is taking the lid of this church and displaying them in all their wonderful reality,just as we must do to the dark world around us.
When I was a boy there was a little rhyme often quoted! This is the church,this is the steeple,open the door and there are the people. In effect,that is what Paul is doing, he is opening this infant church up to the eyes of the present day to show us those things that mark them out as true believers lest we are guilty of having moved away from early beginnings or forgotten in the midst of all that’s new, our New Testament roots.
Now at once you will notice in v3, three very familiar words, Faith, Hope, and Love. As we read those words surely the best-known text springs to mind,1 Cor.13v13. “Now abPS

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