Good morning. Today's Scripture is found in 1 Thessalonians 1 verses 6 through 10. Again, that's 1 Thessalonians 1 verses 6 through 10 in the Word of the Lord reads. And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you receive the Word in much affliction and with the joy of the Holy Spirit so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaea. For not only has the Word of the Lord sounded forth from you in Macedonia and Achaea, but your faith in God has gone forth everywhere so that we need not say anything. For they themselves report concerning us the kind of reception we had among you and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God and to wait for his son from heaven whom he raised from the dead Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come. Amen. Recently also in our world, the world lost one of its most adored heroes. He was born, Cassius Clay and Louisville Kentucky. He became the heavyweight champion of the world. He took unto himself the name of Muhammad Ali. He crowned himself the greatest of all time. When he retired in the early 80s, his heir apparent was a young boxer by the name of Larry Holmes. Larry Holmes was a great fighter in his own right. But he admired Muhammad Ali and they came to Larry Holmes one day and asked him, are you just trying to mimic? Are you just trying to be like Muhammad Ali? Larry Holmes looked at him instead, of course. Why not? He was the greatest of all time. Why wouldn't I like to be like him? Well, the Christian Beloved, there is no doubt who is the greatest. The greatest is our Lord Jesus Christ and therefore for the Christian. There is no question. We are desiring to be like him. This is our hope, this is our aim. In fact when Jesus called his disciples, when he called James and John, when he called Peter and Andrew, he called them with the same word. He said, come and do what? Follow me. Now when Jesus called his disciples to come and follow him, I hope you understand that that was not just a call for the disciples to come and to be where Jesus was. This was not just a call to come and live where I live. This was not just a call to come and go everywhere I go. But the idea here is that you would come and follow after me. When Jesus says, come and follow me. He not only says, come and be with me. He says, come and be like me. He called all of his disciples to come and follow me. This is the Christian witness in the world. This is the life of faith in the world, the life lived to glorify God. The life lived to glorify God is to know Christ and then by your life make Christ known. It is to come to Christ and then in coming to Christ seeking to reflect Christ to a world that others might seek Christ and they also come to Christ. This is the nature of the Christian life. According to our text this morning, it is accomplished by imitation and example. Our text here in the first Thessalonians is written as we saw last time. It is written to the church, the young church in Thessalonica. The church in Thessalonica was one of the first churches that Paul and Silas established on their second missionary journey. You can find the account there in Acts chapter 17. The Bible says to us and shows us here that as we saw last week, they were always praying for the health and the well-being of the saints that were in Thessalonica. And they were hoping to hear a good word and a good report from the saints that they had left back in Thessalonica, that the church's young church was growing and doing well and keeping the faith and walking in the word that was preached to them. And when Paul and Silas received word back concerning the saints in Thessalonica, they were strongly encouraged because they learned that those things were imitators and examples. They were imitators because as we have already said, following Christ is not just being with Jesus, following Christ is being like Jesus. Notice what the Bible says in verse 6, and you became imitators of us and of the Lord. For you received the word in much affliction with the joy of Holy Spirit. You became imitators of us and Christ. Paul and Silas were encouraged by the word they had received concerning the Thessalonians that they knew the value. These Thessalonians understood the value of Godly examples. They followed Jesus. They imitated Jesus. Beloved, there is nothing that you could say that would be more commendable of a Christian than you would say that Christian man or woman is imitating Jesus. They follow after Christ. Nothing that you could say more encouraging concerning a church than you would say there is a company and a communion of Jesus that is imitating Jesus. This is what made their only Christians rejoice. That they would be called Christians. That they would be called those who belong to Christ, that their lives and their witness would be such that the only word that people had for them, you are little Christ. So given to them as a term of derision became a term of endearment. You are Christian? Yes. If you put it that way, and not only follow Christ, beloved, but Paul says that they follow Paul inside. I think this is really interesting because if we are honest and we need to be this morning, if not with anybody else at least be honest with ourselves that we understand sometimes it's hard to follow Jesus. You read in the New Testament and how Jesus went about doing good all the time. You read in the Bible how Jesus tells you to turn the other cheek to give to those who asked of you. You read in the Bible where Jesus says forgive and you will be forgiven, but if you don't forgive, you won't be forgiven. And there are days, there are weeks, there are months where it is difficult to follow Jesus. Let you find yourself in a position where it's difficult to follow Jesus. Here's a word of encouragement. Why not close the own up next to somebody who is following Jesus and seek to follow him? You were followers, imitators of us. That's why Paul could say, beloved, follow me. I'm following Jesus and he's encouraged because they follow Jesus. And they follow Paul and silence. They follow them in that they receive the word in affliction. See that in verse 6 again. For you receive the word in much affliction. Like most of the early church beloved, if that's the Loneans, when they were coming to Christ, when they received the word of God, the Bible tells us that they were intimidated, they were harassed, they were extorted and even persecuted for their faith and this new public confession of Jesus Christ. And yet the trouble and the affliction did not cause them to draw back from the word, but for them to look to the word and stand strong in it. Affliction and trials, beloved, usually cause in us one of two reactions. Either we receive in the midst of affliction and troubles and trials, we receive their encouragement of the word or we reject the encouragement of the word. We either draw near unto God at those times or we draw back from God and Christ both receive the word in affliction. When the word comes to us in affliction and it seems to always come to us in affliction and body, affliction and soul, often beloved, has the testimony of the saints been that they came to know the Lord through a sickness or illness or trial at the word of the Lord came to them in the midst of an affliction. Often have those who have been on sick beds, those who have had their bodies right with pain, give the testimony that it was through that affliction that they received the word of the Lord. Affliction and body, affliction and soul, often have been the testimony of those who have lost love and gone through depression and fear and anxiety, find that it is often in this context that the word of the Lord first came to them. They found calls to grace. In fact, it is often not until we come to an end of ourselves that we begin with God. This is what God often does. He brings us to an end in ourselves. I don't know about you but personally, it was not until I saw my own end. Did I see the Lord? And it was the Lord who showed me both. Thomas Watson, a great writer who said, not until sin becomes bitter as Christ and his word becomes seed the word in affliction and yet how did they receive it? The Bible says that they received the word with joy, affliction and harassment. Affliction and harassment are often the sources in our lives of what? Anger, bitterness, frustration, even retaliation, but not for the desolation. But when the affliction came, they received the word and it was not unto anger or bitterness or retaliation or frustration, but it was unto joy. Nothing, nothing seems so counterintuitive. I understand that. Nothing seems so counterintuitive than to have joy in the midst of affliction and yet nothing glorifies or better yet exemplifies Christ or than having joy in the midst of affliction. Do you want to follow Jesus? There it is. And so if that's the lonesians, what did they do in the midst of their trouble and the midst of their affliction and their harassment and their extortion, what did they do? No, sir. No, ma'am. But like the disciples in Acts chapter 5 and verse 41, they rejoice to be counted worthy to suffer for Jesus. Hello? That they had been counted worthy to suffer for him. They chose not to love it. They simply look at themselves and their circumstances, but they chose to look to Jesus. Listen, listen, listen. The Bible and the Word of God does not come to us so that we might know how to get rich. The Bible and the Word of God does not come to us so that we might know how to make friends and to become famous so that we might know how to live a carefree life. The Bible and the Word of God comes to us so that we might know how to suffer with joy, how to faithfully endure affliction before lives in a faceless world. That's why you have that Bible in your hand. That's why we preach every Sunday. If you come here looking for what stacks to invest in, you've come to the wrong place. You've come. You know how to make sense of the slaughter in Emmanuel and May and Me Church? How to make sense of the sense of killing in Orlando this past week? How to make sense of the love and the frustration in your own life? You've come to the right place because you're going to receive the Word of God in the midst of that affection. Hopefully point you to Christ that you might have a joy at the world you can't understand. That's what it means to be imitated for the right of Hebrews and chapter 12. Looking to Jesus, seeing Jesus setting your focus on Jesus who is the author and the prefinisher of our faith who for the joy that was set before. It's set before him endured the cross, despite the shame affliction. Really what it means to imitate Jesus. Love it. The following Jesus is easy when it's easy. You know what it means to follow Christ? Paul tells Timothy. You want to imitate me, Timothy? Indoor hardship. You want to imitate me as I imitate Christ in door hardship. This is the testimony that the Christian has to the world. The Christian's testimony to the world is that the world is full of pain and affliction. The Christian knows how to endure. This is the testimony of the church. The world believes the testimony of the church. That the church tells the world how to gain money, how to gain fortune, how to be popular and powerful. You do know, beloved, the world lasts. They don't need you to tell them how to make money. They need us to tell them how to live in a world that's gone out to imitate. This is Christ to us, beloved. The joy he left heaven, with joy he humbled himself, with joy he took the beatings, with joy he took the shame, with joy he carried that cross up the counter. With joy he got up on it and with joy he proclaimed it is true. With joy the love of he paid and suffered for all our sin. They were imitators of Jesus and Paul and Silas, because they endured much affliction and they received the word. And then, beloved, it didn't just stop there, does it because those who imitated Christ then became worthy of being imitated themselves. See that in verse 7, as a result of imitating Christ, Paul says, you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in the care. You became an example. Those who imitated Jesus then became worthy of being imitated. Keep your eyes on Jesus. Why? Because there are others keeping their eyes on you. Apparently, beloved, the Thessalonians had acquired a reputation. You see that they had acquired a reputation. For Paul is writing to them from a care. And as he had left them and he had traveled all about everywhere he went, the testimony of the Thessalonians was well known. Their faith was their faith. See what it says in verse 8. Your faith in God has gone for everywhere so that we need not say anything. Your faith has gone before you. They had our reputation. They were known.
It was worth emulating. Their fellowship was worth following. Tell the Philippians chapter 3 and verse 17. Brothers and sisters, join in imitating me. And then he says, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us. And imitating me. But also keep your eyes on those who, by example, are imitating us. Keep your eyes on Jesus. But also keep your eyes on those who have their eyes on Jesus. But unfortunately, this is often not the case. Unfortunately, beloved, what we often have are blind leading the blind. Who's the up to people? Not who are following Jesus. We like to cozy up to people who can't even see Jesus. We have the blind leading the blind of the sheep. Just going off the cliff. One after the other. How many people struggle with their faith? And yet they spend most of their time with people who are struggling with their faith. And with people who can't see Jesus. Wonder why you can't see Jesus. Everyone said, I am not a role model. It's what most Christians want to say. I'm not a role model. I don't have to mean, Mr. Barkley. But their faithful Christians is a role model and it's glad to be one. Glad to point people to Jesus. I had to show people who Christ is. Are they perfect? No, but I'm not pointing people to them. But they are pointing people to Him. How do they do this, beloved? My text says, Joseph, right? What word of Thessalonians do? What were they doing that was worthy of their example? Well, they were doing at least three things. They were sounding out the word. They were repenting of sin and they were waiting on Jesus. This is simply what it means here in our text to be the example for others to follow. What are they doing? They are sounding out the word. They didn't just receive the word, but they sent the word as well. Verse 8. The word of the Lord sounded forth from you. The word sounded forth from you. It echoed. It reverberated. It resounded throughout the province. As the reputation that you are known as one from whom the word, we all are known for something. We are. Too many of us are not known for things that are worthy of calling ourselves Christians. There are things that resound from us all the time. You know it. It resounds from us in our conversations and personal communication on Facebook, on Twitter, on Snapchat.
Too much of it. It's frivolous. Too much of it. It's filled with selfish anger and bitterness and gossip times beloved. I'd be wanting to just pull out what little hair I have left. Well, I see some of the things that come across my Facebook feed from people who call themselves Christians. It's self-indulgence, gossip, vindictiveness, and rebound from us from the desolonia, but it was holy gossip. Talking, posting, concerning the word. They were posting, concerning the gospel. They were posting, concerning Christ. You want to tweet something, tweet that. Time somebody. Come here. They see you in their new feedictor. Oh, I know what he about to say. I know what she about to say. That's the lonely who set the example and sounding out the word. How about you this morning? They not only set the word in me, sounding out the word. They set the example and sounding out the word, but they set the example also in turning from sin. Turning from sin. They were also known. The Bible says here, turning away from idols and turning to God. The Bible says in verse 9, how you turn from idols to serve the living and true God. The conversion of the saints in Thessalonica was a big deal. The providence saw that when Paul went other places, he began to talk about it and they say, Paul, we already heard. They were posted and they turned to serve the living, the true and the one God. Consequently, beloved their salvation became well known and it became well known because it was real. It was a real turning that resulted in a real difference in their lives. But you see what the Bible says. Turn to the living God because they turned from idols. Do you understand what that is seeking to communicate to us? From the idols, turn to serve God. They didn't turn to serve God, bringing their idols with them. This is what? This is Paul's understanding. This is the Bible's understanding of conversion. It is a turning, the turning away, the things of the world and a turning to embrace Christ. This is repentance and faith and true conversion must have both. Not simply believe in Jesus' beloved. You got to believe in Jesus and then renounce everything else. When Jesus is walking by the sea of Galilee, he tells his disciples, you're drop those nets. Now you come follow me. He says, pick up the net and the fish and let's all go here. Come and follow me. Don't worry about it. We'll fish for some men. When the rich young ruler comes to Jesus, what is he to say to him? Oh yeah, you good. Come on. Get back tired. We are good. He says no. You want to enter the kingdom? Here it is. Sell all you have. Give to the poor. Now come and follow me. Choirs. You put down the idols. This was big news. This is not just some passing comment here, beloved. This is big news. For that was idols all over Thessalonica. That was idols all over Rome. For everything that you wanted to do there was an idol. You want to plant some seed in the ground. You go and offer to an idol. You want to have a child. You go and make offering to the idol. You want to start a new business. You go and make an offering to an idol. There was an idol for every aspect of your life. And here comes these Jesus people who come along and insist. There is only one true God and he has revealed himself in Jesus Christ through way everything else come and follow him. And if Thessalonica Christians did it, they did it. This is why it was so well known. They got saved in Thessalonica. This is what, this is what genuine salvation is. It is turning from light and turning to the truth. It is turning from disobedience and embracing obedience. It is turning from darkness and out walking in life. It is turning from death and walking in life. It is turning from self and turning to Jesus. Your Christian means to turn from the kingdom of this world and to turn to the kingdom of God. And our salvation, beloved, must be real. And not only must it be real, but it must be tangible because as it was for Thessalonians, that is the only way it becomes an example for others. Real change. It is a process. First Timothy, chapter 1, again in verse 15. This is a trustworthy statement and deserving full acceptance that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners of whom I am the foremost. But I received mercy for this reason that in me as the foremost Jesus might display His perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in Him to turn life. Paul said the salvation that was brought in me by the mercy of Christ is an example of what salvation looks like. For all those who believe. So what it looks like. So what happened to Paul? What it caused you? Are you going to read it in the Philippians chapter 3? All things that would gain to me, I counted its laws. Indeed, I count all things lost for the ecstasy of knowing Christ Jesus. Who I want to know Him in the power of His resurrection and I want to know Him in the fellowship of His suffering. Because nothing else matters to me. That's a man who got saved. That's a man who came to know Him. That's a man in whom the gospel made all the difference in the world. And that's a man who knew what it looked like. And that's a man who could confirm it in Thessalonians. For example, because they repented of his head. They turned the mites. They turned the servant of living God. And they were exempted because they were waiting on Jesus. Waiting on Jesus. And turning from idols, beloved and worshiping, they can tenant themselves to weight. It's so interesting how in the scriptures that serving God is tied to waiting on God.
Those who serve God, faithfully, are those who can tint themselves to weight on God. Notice what it says. They waited on Jesus in verse 10. And to wait. This is their testimony that they were to wait for his son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead. Jesus who delivers us from the wrath that come. They were waiting on the return of the Lord. This is the blessed hope of the Christian. This has always been the blessed hope of the disciples of Christ. Ever since the Lord ascended into heaven before the eyes, what has been their hope, that he would fulfill his promise in coming again till they weigh. They weigh. They weigh on him. But this waiting, beloved, is not a passive waiting. It is an active waiting, there's no mistaken love. When it says that they were waiting on the wall, they were waiting on the one who had come from heaven. They were waiting on the one who had died on the cross. They were waiting on the one who had been raised from the dead. They were waiting on the one who had promised to come again and it was an active. It was a waiting in which the Word of God was sounding forth from. It was a waiting in which they were seeking to live their lives according to the will and the ways of God. It was a waiting as first John says that all those who have this hope in themselves purify themselves. They live pure even as he is. To receive him, to receive them unto himself and to deliver them from the wrath that was to come. I'm beloved, you do understand. Everybody's waiting on Jesus, right? I know we tend to think about the church and we're in the church and we live in our Christian lives like we waiting on Jesus. But here's the reality, everybody's waiting on Jesus. The only problem is those of us who are in faith, we know it. There's a wrath coming. There's a wrath coming. Roman chapter 1 verse 18 tells us that this wrath is going to be revealed against all godliness and unrighteousness of men. In Ephesians chapter 5 and verse 6, this coming wrath is going to be coming against the sons of disobedient. In Colossians chapter 3 and verse 6, this wrath is coming against all sexual immorality, impurity, passion and evil desire, covetousness, and idolatry. The wrath of god is coming. This is why the people want to admit it or not or realize it or not everybody is waiting on Jesus. Because when Jesus comes, the wrath of god is going to be revealed. If you are in Christ, have not been appointed. This is not your portion. For he has promised to come to deliver you from that wrath. This is why the Christians can sit in the midst of their congregations and the midst of their fellowships and pray and cry out and sing. Come Lord Jesus, come. And I sing that everywhere. This is the Christians who want Jesus to come. Why? Because we know that when he comes from us, he doesn't come with wrath, he comes with reward. He doesn't come in righteous indignation. He comes to us with must be in Christ Jesus to be redeemed and rescued from this wrath that is to come. This is the portion of those who faithfully and patiently wait on Jesus. Is that your testimony this way? Are you waiting on him or are you getting impatient with his designs with his disposal of your life? Are you seeking to take things into your own hand and thereby killing the testimony that you have in Christ Jesus and the example that you are to be setting that those who are in Christ Jesus wait on the Lord.
In his time, in his way and in his will, when he finally does come, he comes with joy and he gives us the desires of our heart which is wait on the Lord. Wait on him. Show the world what it means by imitation.