This week, we will take a peek into a church that is “doing church” right! The Thessalonians may be brand new believers, but they are on fire with the power of the Holy Spirit. Paul is thankful for their work, labor and endurance. They show evidence of their salvation in the power of the Holy Spirit at work through them. They have deep conviction. They have joy even in suffering. Because of this, they have become famous throughout Greece!
Paul wrote this letter to the Thessalonian believers somewhere around A.D. 50. Jewish persecutors, like cockroaches, just keep popping up. They could not leave Paul alone, and they ran him and Silas out of town. So Paul wrote this letter from the city of Corinth in southern Greece a few months later.
But the people of the church are still in Thessalonica, and they are suffering persecution. In the middle of their suffering, their faith, love, hope and joy have become well-known everywhere. In fact, Paul singles them out as a model for other churches.
Apparently, suffering and persecution cannot steal our joy! If the Thessalonian church is a model for us to follow, then suffering and persecution might even make us a better church! We don’t see anywhere in Scripture that these were a breed of super-Christians. We can assume they were regular people—working jobs, raising families, struggling to pay their bills. But they received the Gospel of Christ (even though they were worshiping idols!), and it radically changed their lives.
One of the great attributes of God is His immutability—He does not change! The Holy Spirit that fired up and empowered the Thessalonians two millennia ago, is the very same Holy Spirit that dwells in believers today. You can trust this One True God with your suffering and struggles. He is the Source of faith, love, hope and joy.
Memory Verse
“For we know, brothers and sisters loved by God, that he has chosen you, because our gospel came to you not simply with words but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and deep conviction.” —1 Thessalonians 1:4-5
Six daily lessons are available on this website and linked below, or you can download all 6 lessons in PDF format:
Commendable Christians 1-Week Study
Other content on this passage: "Proof of Life" sermon | "Proof of Life" Bible Study | "Pattern of Life" Bible study