Faith That Changes the World / 1 Thessalonians 1:2-10

I asked Kristen, my wife, “Who are you rooting for in the Super Bowl?” I was expecting her to say, “Well, who are you rooting for?” and then agree with me. Instead, she said she is rooting for Justin Timberlake. Some of you agree with her, so that is good!

Welcome, church. I am so glad you are here this morning. Hopefully, you were here last week as Mike Sladen—affectionately known as “the Mike with hair,” and some of you caught that—walked us through the history leading into the book of 1 Thessalonians. He did a fantastic job lining up the context of what was happening with Paul, how he was expelled from Thessalonica, and how he looked back on the church he planted with so much admiration, love, and a true pastoral heart. Paul sent Silas and Timothy back to Thessalonica to report on what was happening in the church. When they returned, they gave him an incredible report: the believers were thriving, and their faith was on fire. Today, we are going to be in 1 Thessalonians 1:2–10. What we will see is Paul’s love and his pastoral heart overflowing into this letter.

I was talking with Kristen earlier this week, struggling a bit to figure out how to open this message and grab your attention. I always like to start with a personal story. I asked her, “Kristen, you are with the kids more than I am. Is there any story of our kids stealing from each other and taking whatever they have into a different room to hoard and enjoy it?” She said, “There are lots of stories like that!” She sat there thinking for a second, and then she looked up at me with a big smile on her face. I could almost picture a light bulb above her head. She looked at me and said, “Well, I don’t have a story about our kids, but sometimes I tell them they can’t have cookies before dinner, and then I go into a different room and eat those cookies myself.”

That is her confession, but I feel like that connects directly with what I want to share with you today. Sometimes as Christians, we come to that moment where we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, and we immediately start hoarding that salvation to ourselves. We are grateful, we receive salvation, we love it, we cling to it, we are full of hope, but then we hide it away. We tell everyone else they cannot have cookies while keeping the faith completely to ourselves.

Salvation brings so many incredible blessings. For some of you, you are profoundly grateful that through salvation you have the assurance of who Jesus is and the promise that you never have to face hell. For others, it is the hope that salvation brings, or the comfort and peace in the midst of trials. Those things are all good; in fact, they are wonderful. But what if God had a bigger plan for our salvation than just keeping it to ourselves? What if God looks at our salvation and says, “Now that you have it, go give it to someone else”? What if salvation was meant for so much more, and we are missing it?

Sometimes we look at our faith, we are grateful for what God has done, and we treat that as the end of the story. But God has another chapter for you to live. Today, we are going to look at what that means in the context of the Thessalonians. Paul pulls back the curtain of salvation to show what it looks like to live out our faith daily and make our salvation count in a world full of darkness.

A Living, Active Faith

Paul opens his letter by expressing deep gratitude for the Thessalonian believers.

1 Thessalonians 1:2-3 (NASB)

We give thanks to God always for all of you, making mention [of you] in our prayers; constantly bearing in mind your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the presence of our God and Father,

What I find fascinating as I read this is that Paul does not thank the Thessalonians for their faith. He does not say, “Thank you for doing such a good job producing works of faith, labors of love, and steadfastness of hope.” He thanks God, because he recognizes that God is the causal source of everything happening in these verses. Without God, those works of faith, labors of love, and steadfastness of hope are completely empty. Paul gives thanks to God because God is the one working through them.

I love how Paul links faith, love, and hope together, just as we see so many times throughout the New Testament. Faith, hope, and love are consistently connected as the essentials of Christianity. The New Testament authors are showing us that if you possess genuine salvation, then faith, hope, and love should be overflowing out of your life.

Paul uses a specific Greek word for “labor” that signifies a toil of love—an unceasing hardship. When we look at the Thessalonians enduring labors of love, we see a self-denying, sacrificial love. They looked at other people, denied themselves, and sacrificed so that others might know the love of Jesus Christ.

The word “steadfastness” is equally fascinating. It carries the idea of rugged, unwavering endurance. When I used to read the word endurance in these letters, knowing the intense persecution they faced—where people were being beaten, flogged, and killed for their faith—I pictured believers wilting in a corner, locking their doors, and hiding their faith, saying, “Jesus, I’m trying to hold on, just have mercy on me.” But Paul paints the exact opposite picture through his language. He depicts a group of believers who are immovable, refusing to budge from the faith they proclaim. It is an active endurance. It is as if they are looking at the enemy and saying, “Satan, is that all you’ve got? Because I am going to keep standing; Christ is everything to me.”

Have you ever wondered what it looks like to have faith without works? Have you ever received an email from a “Nigerian prince”? You know the one: “I have all the wealth and riches in the world, but I just need a thousand dollars from you to unlock access, and then I will bless you beyond your wildest dreams.” Some of you are thinking, “Where do I sign up?” We will talk later! But we all know that email is fake. It is completely empty and devoid of substance.

In the exact same way, faith without deeds is fake. It is empty, and it leads others astray. All across America, churches are full of people who profess faith in Jesus Christ, yet their lives remain as spiritually dead as if they had never met Him. Church, let us not be that kind of church. Let us be a congregation that realizes true faith naturally produces works of faith, labors of love, and steadfastness of hope.

Beloved and Chosen by God

In verse four, Paul reveals a second reason for his thanksgiving.

1 Thessalonians 1:4 (NASB)

knowing, brethren beloved by God, [His] choice of you;

Paul is grateful that God has chosen his Thessalonian brothers and sisters, and that they are beloved by God. I am not going to spend all day debating the theology of predestination versus free will—I will leave those deep theological debates to Shay! What I will tell you is that Paul’s purpose in using the word “election” here was not to spark a theological debate, but to provide profound assurance and comfort to a suffering church.

I want to camp on that word: beloved. Paul is grateful that they are loved by God in a very special way. One of the greatest myths in the world today is that God loves everyone the same way. God certainly loves the whole world.

John 3:16 (NASB)

’For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.

God has a general love for the world. But when you flip over to Ephesians, Paul writes about a distinct kind of love.

Ephesians 5:25 (NASB)

Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her,

I love all of you in this room very much, but I do not love you the same way I love Kristen—and that is a good thing for you and for me! Nine years ago, Kristen and I stood on a stage before a pastor, made sacred vows, and entered into a covenant relationship. That covenant means no matter what happens, we are united as one, bound together with no out, because we have covenanted with each other. In Ephesians 5, Paul explains that Christ has that exact covenant relationship with His church.

God loves everyone, but He loves His covenant people in a uniquely intimate way. If you are a believer in this room right now, no matter what trial you are walking through—whether it is cancer, a broken relationship, or severe hardship—your God is bigger than your trial. Not only is He bigger, but He loves you with an everlasting covenant love. He will never leave you nor forsake you.

If you are here and you are not yet a believer, I am so grateful you are here with us. I hope you feel welcomed, valued, and at home. While God’s covenant love is specific to His church, that love is freely available to you today. Through a relationship with Jesus Christ, you can enter into that covenant relationship and experience the fullness of His love.

The Power of the Gospel and Real Transformation

Paul continues his letter by instilling deep confidence in the Thessalonians. Remember, these believers were facing severe persecution. Not only had an angry mob driven Paul out of town, but the believers who remained were being beaten and facing life-threatening hostility. They were suffering so much that they even began to wonder if they had somehow missed the second coming of Christ—wondering if Kirk Cameron and his friends had been raptured while they got left behind!

Paul writes to reassure them of their salvation based on how the gospel came to them.

1 Thessalonians 1:5 (NASB)

for our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction; just as you know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake.

It is fascinating that Paul uses the phrase “our gospel.” Throughout Scripture, we usually see “the gospel of God” or “the gospel of Jesus Christ.” But in the Roman world, the imperial cult had begun calling the emperor’s life story, decrees, and speeches “the gospel.” The Thessalonians were familiar with that term. Paul makes a sharp distinction: the emperor’s gospel is made of empty words with no power, but the gospel brought by the apostles is backed by the living God, filled with the power of the Holy Spirit, and accompanied by full conviction and divine completeness.

In verse six, Paul highlights their response as the primary evidence of their transformation.

1 Thessalonians 1:6 (NASB)

You also became imitators of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much tribulation with the joy of the Holy Spirit,

Paul says there is tangible, observable evidence of life change. Who you were before Christ is not who you are after Christ. The Thessalonians became imitators of the apostles and of the Lord. They imitated them morally, making wise choices and centering their lives on Jesus through works of faith and labors of love.

Even more remarkably, they received the Word in the midst of severe affliction with the joy of the Holy Spirit. Paul looks at their supernatural joy in the middle of suffering and recognizes that it could only come from God.

As Paul penned those words, he likely had Jesus’ words in mind from the parable of the soils.

Mark 4:1-20 (NASB)

He began to teach again by the sea. And such a very large crowd gathered to Him that He got into a boat in the sea and sat down; and the whole crowd was by the sea on the land. And He was teaching them many things in parables, and was saying to them in His teaching, ’Listen [to this]! Behold, the sower went out to sow; as he was sowing, some [seed] fell beside the road, and the birds came and ate it up. ’Other [seed] fell on the rocky [ground] where it did not have much soil; and immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of soil. ’And after the sun had risen, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away. ’Other [seed] fell among the thorns, and the thorns came up and choked it, and it yielded no crop. ‘Other [seeds] fell into the good soil, and as they grew up and increased, they yielded a crop and produced thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold.’ And He was saying, ‘He who has ears to hear, let him hear.’ As soon as He was alone, His followers, along with the twelve, [began] asking Him [about] the parables. And He was saying to them, ‘To you has been given the mystery of the kingdom of God, but those who are outside get everything in parables, so that WHILE SEEING, THEY MAY SEE AND NOT PERCEIVE, AND WHILE HEARING, THEY MAY HEAR AND NOT UNDERSTAND, OTHERWISE THEY MIGHT RETURN AND BE FORGIVEN.’ And He said to them, ’Do you not understand this parable? How will you understand all the parables? ’The sower sows the word. ’These are the ones who are beside the road where the word is sown; and when they hear, immediately Satan comes and takes away the word which has been sown in them. ’In a similar way these are the ones on whom seed was sown on the rocky [places], who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy; and they have no [firm] root in themselves, but are [only] temporary; then, when affliction or persecution arises because of the word, immediately they fall away. ’And others are the ones on whom seed was sown among the thorns; these are the ones who have heard the word, but the worries of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. ‘And those are the ones on whom seed was sown on the good soil; and they hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold.’

In the rocky soil, the seed sprouts quickly, but because it has no depth of root, the scorching sun and trials wither it away. But in the good soil, the seed takes deep root, absorbs nutrients, and withstands the wind and storm. Paul saw that their joy was not washed away by circumstance, proving their roots were anchored deep in Jesus.

Real, saving faith produces fruit. Mature fruit trees produce abundant fruit, and mature Christians ought to produce more and more spiritual fruit. Some of you accepted Christ just last week—hallelujah! We celebrate with you as God begins producing fruit in your life. Others of you have been in church your entire life. Maybe at one point you produced a lot of fruit, but over time, your branches have grown barren. It is not too late to allow the Lord to prune those branches so you can bear fruit again. Jesus is the vine and we are the branches; when we abide in Him, we bear much fruit, but apart from Him, we can do nothing.

Dispersal Units for the Kingdom

Paul moves from celebrating the internal fruit in their lives to highlighting the external impact of that fruit.

1 Thessalonians 1:7-9 (NASB)

so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. For the word of the Lord has sounded forth from you, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith toward God has gone forth, so that we have no need to say anything. For they themselves report about us what kind of a reception we had with you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve a living and true God,

The fruit of their faith turned them into a living example across Macedonia and Achaia. Their testimony was ringing out so loudly that Paul said the missionaries hardly needed to speak—the transformed lives of the Thessalonians were preaching the message for them! They openly turned from dead idols to serve the living and true God, unashamed and unwavering in a culture where that stand could cost them their lives.

Have you ever thought about why a tree produces fruit? It is a little intimidating talking about agriculture here in Fresno when you are from Southern California, but I will give it a shot—just do not stand up and correct me if I get it wrong! A tree produces fruit because the fruit contains the seed; the fruit is the dispersal unit designed for the tree to reproduce.

One of my favorite places in the world is Hume Lake. I have been going there for fourteen straight years, and I always see God move in powerful ways. One of the best parts is the drive up the mountain into the high elevation, seeing those massive, towering sequoia trees. A single, fully grown giant sequoia can produce over 400,000 seeds in a single year. That blew my mind, and it got me thinking: what would happen if our church produced even a fraction of that? What would it look like if the churches across Fresno joined together to release spiritual seeds like the giant sequoias?

Trees produce other trees. When Jesus uses fruit to describe our faith, it means disciples are meant to produce other disciples. It is the principle of spiritual multiplication. What would happen if we became the dispersal unit of the gospel in our city? Disciples making disciples, ensuring our fruit never just rots on the ground.

Living in Expectation

Paul concludes this section by turning our focus toward our ultimate hope in Christ.

1 Thessalonians 1:10 (NASB)

and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, [that is] Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath to come.

I love the picture Paul paints here of believers actively, eagerly waiting for the return of Jesus Christ. They were not merely going through the motions of life; they lived with an expectant mindset: “What do I want my life to look like when Jesus returns? What do I want to be doing when He comes back?”

Church, I ask you that same question: what do you want your life to look like when Jesus returns? Too often, we treat the return of Christ as something far off in the distant future, but living expectantly drives us to produce fruit and make disciples today. Jesus has rescued us from the wrath to come. Because of our salvation, we have no fear of ultimate judgment. We can stand firm against the enemy and say, “Is that all you’ve got? My God is bigger, and I will worship Him no matter what comes my way.”

Faith That Changes Our City

Paul wrote to the Thessalonians saying, “I am thankful for your faith—not just because you possess salvation, but because your faith is actively changing the world.”

If Paul wrote a letter to our church today, what would he say? He might say, “I am grateful you have salvation in Jesus,” but would he be able to add, “I am grateful that your faith is transforming the culture of Fresno for the kingdom of God”?

I know many of you are already living this out. I know individuals in this room who go out every single week to witness outside the abortion clinics. I see students who boldly share the gospel at Fresno City College. Others of you are regularly ministering to families down at Martin Park, alongside countless other faithful ministries throughout our community.

My prayer is that every single one of us would catch this vision. Let our salvation produce fruit that changes our world, so that this time next year, Fresno looks different because we stepped out as faithful disciples of Jesus Christ. We have it in us through the Holy Spirit, and God will do it as we abide in Him.

Let us pray.

Father, we love You. We know that as we abide in You, You will produce much fruit in and through our lives. Let that work begin in our hearts today. Connect us deeply to the true Vine. We pray that You would take the seeds of our faith and scatter them across Fresno County, Madera, and everywhere we live, work, and play. Use the fruit of our salvation to make disciples who make disciples, multiplying Your kingdom. Work through us in power to shape and transform the culture around us. Empower us to be faithful ministers of Your gospel. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.