Date: 10 Oct 2002
Time: 03:21:05
Title: The Clarion Call of the Gospel
Theme: The clarion call of the Gospel is heard when the word is backed by actions.
1. Gracious Greetings (v. 1).
a) The team: Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy. Ministry is not a one person band. . .
b) The church: rooted in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
c) Grace (embodying the whole of God's gracious act of love towards us in Jesus Christ) to you and peace (wholeness).
2. Gratefully remembered (v. 2-3)
a) remembering your work of faith.
b) remembering your labour of love.
c) remembering your constant hope.
JB Phillips translation is very good on these verses.
3. Certainly Chosen (v. 4-5)
a) We know you have been chosen because of our message of the Gospel which came to you. . .
i) in word
ii) in power
iii) in the Holy Spirit
iv) with full conviction (worth dwelling on particularly in Western contexts where we have lost confidence in the Gospel, the Scriptures, and the working of God outside the box of scientific explanation).
b) You know our message was backed by our deeds - we proved ourselves among you. You are chosen because you believed our message because which was backed up by our lives.
4. Keen learners (v. 6-7), learning from our example and the example of the Lord. In spite of persecution you received the word with joy.
5. Clarion call (v. 8)
The Thessalonians have made the transition from learners to proclaimers (the fruit of successful discipleship).
6. Glowing report (v. 9 - 10)
a) report of a warm welcome
b) report of a living, vital faith which began with
i) repentance (turning from idols to living God)
ii) service
iii) hopeful victory
Christs' coming is guarenteed in the victory of the resurrection.
Conclusion
Here are some of my musings. I'm going on holiday this weekend and thought I would get a head start on the coming text. The thing that impresses me about this text is the life of the Thessalonian church so clearly arose out of its life in God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The word had come to them in power, the Holy Spirit, and with conviction and in turn this was the nature of their witness. I wonder if this can be said of many modern day churches? How many gratefully remember us in their prayers? How many of our churches are confident of their chosenness by God. . .not because they are deserving - but merely because they are objects of God's unmerritted grace? How many churches have such a witness that it need not be told where their reputation goes without saying? Does my own life in the context of my church life tell a story of 'turning', 'serving', and 'hopeful waiting'?
Some very early thoughts from A Canadian in Scotland going on holiday to England. Yeh!!!!!! Eh?!!
Date: 14 Oct 2002
Time: 09:50:36
This passage is a good one to preach on, encouraging the faithful servant when fell down. This ties in with Gospel lesson, too. What belongs to God thinking...These people are totally submitted, imitating The three guys and Jesus... 100% God's Hold nothing back, even in persecution... we can think of the sudanese christians and and others also. Ladypreacher in ohio
Date: 15 Oct 2002
Time: 12:28:21
1:7 so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia.
Dare we be examples? Most people tell us "don't worry about what others think!"
Not Paul - he puts himself out there to be emulated, and asks others to do the same. I'm preaching with a children's school theme. Who are the role models, and do we have a choice in the matter anyway?! Craig Miami
Date: 17 Oct 2002
Time: 13:34:09
According to the Children's Defense Fund, Sun. Oct. 20th is Children's Sabbath Sunday. I thought that 1 Thessalonians was very appropriate becuase it is so pastoral - so I thought I'd go with a Children of God theme as in we are all children of God, still learning, still growing, still struggling in our faith and we need all the love and encouragement that we can get. Paul is loving and caring for the congregation in Thessalonia, this Children's Sabbath Sunday, we can also speak how we are called to love and care for each other, for ourselves, for our communities, for our children, for our world, etc. All the while lifting up the good that we have done "Work of faith, labor of love, steadfastness of hope" and then reminding/encouraging all the work still to be done, with the help of God "not in word only but also in power and the holy spirit". In other words we do not do any of this alone or of our own power. We are God's chosen, Grace and Peace in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Rev. Laura in Rosendale