Week 3 in this series through 1 Thessalonians.
Every chapter ends with the promise of Jesus’ return, and chapter 4 has probably the most important section in the epistles about the end times. But besides that also has this very warm, affectionate side as Paul shares with these new believers how we should walk in the meantime.
I told you last week, it’s always difficult for me to find the right title and graphics for a series. Finalized it at last this week:
Preparing to Welcome the Coming King: Walking Side by Side in First Thessalonians
Haven’t really given you an outline of the book, because there’s not much of a discernible outline. Like any good conversation, it moves from one topic to another easily.
The most obvious thing is that it splits into two basic sections: Paul’s narrative about his time in Thessaloniki, and then on to teaching them knew stuff. Descriptive in chapters 1–3, prescriptive in 4–5.
We’ll move much quicker through the first section than we will the second, but that doesn’t mean there’s nothing for us to learn in the first three chapters. On the contrary.
You teachers know this: we remember stories way easier than we remember facts. Stories have a huge role in shaping how we think and interpret the world around us. If you don’t believe me, talk to someone obsessed with Star Wars for about 5 minutes, you’ll see what I mean!
Paul’s not just reminiscing about a good time. He’s helping them understand what happened during that time, not just the what but the “why” behind it.
Before we jump into the text, need to lay the groundwork for where we’re going. Matthew 28, Great Commission:
Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you.”
Matthew 28:19–20
Who is that commission for, just pastors and leaders? No, of course not, you know the right answer. It’s for every believer.
Reality Check
Never fun, but necessary. This task is not going so well in the West (North America & Europe). That’s just reality.
Lifeway Research released study in May 2020 across 39 Protestant denominations, 3,000 churches started (praise God!). 4,500 closed.
And the same is true of Southern Baptists as well. 2020 saw the largest membership decrease in decades, down 4 million people (to be fair, the FBI couldn’t find some of those members! 14 million members, 4 million average attendance). Baptisms in 2019 were the lowest since WWII. And all of that is pre-pandemic.
We have more freedom, more training, resources, convenience, more opportunity than any generation before us in 2,000 years of church history and we’re not getting it done.
Meanwhile, Paul, Silas, and Timothy are in Thessaloniki for less than 90 days, and when they check back in a few months later, there’s a thriving church there.
We have to ask, “What’s the difference? What are we missing here?” Of believers in the rest of the world, but most of all from God’s Word itself.
This is really the first of a three part message.
You know how we lived among you for your benefit, and you yourselves became imitators of us and of the Lord…
1 Thessalonians 1:5–6
1. Paul knew people learn best by example.
Ever read about how to do a task, seemed undoable… until someone who knew what they were doing actually showed you, and then you go, “Oh, that’s so easy!” We learn best by example.
If you have kids, you know this is true. They will mimic you, both good and bad. One of my hobbies is going to estate sales, mainly looking for vintage fountain pens to restore, but you find a lot of interesting stuff along the way.
Last year my then 8 year old told me his favorite show, do you know what it was? American Pickers.
We say things like, “the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree”, but he didn’t come out of the womb liking antique electronics. That’s not nature, that’s nurture. That’s something that he’s picked up by example.
Did you know that babies will start to mimic adult’s faces as soon as 45 minutes after birth? Amazing. It seems that we are hardwired by our Creator to imitate people that we respect.
The way that Paul explained to these new believers what happened at conversion is (a) you believed the message, which we’ll talk about next week, and (b) you started imitating the way we live and walk with God.
This is not unusual in Paul’s teaching. Six times this word imitate or imitators is used in the NT, all of them are Paul. One of the most insightful is in Philippians 3:
Join in imitating me, brothers and sisters, and pay careful attention to those who live according to the example you have in us. For I have often told you, and now say again with tears, that many live as enemies of the cross of Christ.
Philippians 3:17–18
He broadens it out to be not just him, but other believers who are faithfully following Christ.
And he gives the reason why we need to imitate other believers: because “many live as enemies of the cross of Christ.”And you don’t want to be one of them.
We all imitate people. It’s how we learn language, pick up accents. The question is, who is it, and are they someone really worth imitating. Are they people who are actually passionate followers of Jesus Christ? Do they just talk the talk, or do they walk the walk? Be intentional about who you imitate.
2. Paul invited people into his life.
I’m convinced that this is at the core of our discipleship failures.
We cared so much for you that we were pleased to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own lives, because you had become dear to us.
1 Thessalonians 2:8
ASIDE: Key Verse Memory Cards
Idea I’ve had for a long time, but I’d always think of it about halfway through a series. Thankfully, God brought it to mind at the beginning of this year!
So on the offering table as you leave there’s a stack of 4×6 cards that look like this, our key verse for the week, every week. And I’ll also post a link to the image here so that if you’re not local, you can still download the image and save it to your phone, print it off, post it online, etc.
I remember this verse from Bible Drills when I was a kid:
Thy word have I hid in mine heart,
Psalms 119:11, KJV
that I might not sin against thee.
I wrote a shorthand version on my hand, went into physical therapy and left my phone in my coat pocket. So instead of mindless browsing, I used my mind and worked on memorizing this verse. PT knew what I was doing, I told her, “Had I not left my phone in my coat pocket, I wouldn’t have been doing that.”
Think about when you’re most often bored, put it there. Stick it on the dash of your car, in your pocket throughout the day.
The goal is not necessarily to be able to quote it word for word, unless you want to make that your goal. The goal is to keep it in your mind and heart, meditate on it. And if you do that, you’ll be surprised when you can actually quote it. And when we get to the end of this series, you’ll be surprised how well you know 1 Thessalonians, not for bragging rights but for heart transformation.
Back to this verse:
We cared so much for you that we were pleased to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own lives, because you had become dear to us.
1 Thessalonians 2:8
“We cared so much for you”
This is where we have to start. Sounds so simple and so normal, but this kind of care is actually anything but normal for us. Truth is, inviting people into your life is inevitably going to be messy and inconvenient. You have to care enough about their spiritual growth—and you’re own—if you’re going to invite people into your life.
“not only the Gospel but also our own lives”
That’s the baseline, the minimum. That should always happen. But that’s not enough to actually make disciples.
“because you had become dear to us”
There it is again, just in case it didn’t sink in the first time.
My dad is a master at this; always said that one of his main spiritual gift was hanging out.
Making maple syrup last year, guy I’d never met before there. Not unusual.
There’s nothing particularly spiritual about making maple syrup (although tasting the first batch over pancakes will definitely make you break out into spontaneously worship, make Baptists speak in tongues!) What is spiritual is inviting people along to do stuff you’re already going to do anyway, with gospel intentionality.
Helped build tree house, became part of each other’s lives. Just a few weeks ago, his wife left him, who’s there to minister to him?
3. Paul treated people like family.
What’s the phrase we say? “We’re a family of missionary servants sent by Jesus as disciples who make disciples in all of life.”
Like Brothers and sisters
Said last week, 18 times in the book.
That puts them on equal footing—the ground is level at the foot of the cross. Different gifts, different calling, not different value.
Like a Mother
…we were gentle among you, as a nursing mother nurtures her own children.
1 Thessalonians 2:7
I remember Kay talking about the connection she felt with each of our babies in nursing. She was glad they were done so she could get some sleep, but mourning the end of that unique, gentle, nurturing bond.
That’s Paul’s comparison
Some older versions might say, “like children” or “like infants”. Moms get down on their level.
Like a Father
As you know, like a father with his own children, we encouraged, comforted, and implored each one of you to walk worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory.
1 Thessalonians 2:11–12
There are some good lessons about fatherhood there, dads, but that’s not the point of today’s message.
Notice how these are the best side of parenting. His answer isn’t “Because I said so!”
See how personal it is—every child is different.
4. Paul expected people to reproduce.
That’s what healthy families do. Kids grow up, from milk to meat.
As a result, you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia.
1 Thessalonians 1:7
Assessing our Reactions
The fact that Christians often have such visceral reactions to this topic shows how well we’ve been discipled wrongly in this area!
“Isn’t saying ‘follow me’ prideful?”
Could be. Like most things, depends on the attitude behind it.
Remember someone, often a grandma/grandpa figure in your life, gently showing you how to do something in a way where it seemed in the moment like you were discovering it for yourself? And then you look back and realize that they were guiding you the entire way?
Just now, when you remembered that, did you think, “Ugh, how dare they! Who were they, telling me to follow their example. So full of themselves!” Of course not. They are the people that we’re most grateful for, would give anything for another few minutes with sometimes, because a lot of them are gone now.
We’ve all known the opposite, maybe a terrible mid-level manager, someone who’s clearly more concerned about showing off their vast knowledge and exerting their authority over you than actually teaching you anything?
I also fear sounding proud to others. Telling people to look at me as an example sounds pompous. However, if there is something in my life that is exemplary that might help you, but I don’t say anything because I’m more concerned with how you view me than with helping you increase your joy, that’s just pride borrowing humility’s clothes. I love me more than I love you.
John Bloom
“I don’t know enough.”
(a) that (right) assessment proves just the opposite!
We know that “we all have knowledge.” Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up. If anyone thinks he knows anything, he does not yet know it as he ought to know it.
1 Corinthians 8:1–2
If you think you know enough to be worthy, you don’t know as much as you think. And people pick up on that attitude fast—they won’t be lining up to learn from you, I can tell you that!
(b) life-on-life discipleship is more about the practical than theoretical.
Obviously there is a necessary element of teaching them what God’s word says. I promise I’m not down-playing that aspect at all… just saving it for next week!
Most Christians are educated way beyond their level of obedience.
John Maxwell
We’ve been taught so thoroughly that the answer to our problems is always more knowledge, that many brothers and sisters go through the Christian life obsessively looking for the next thing, the next book, next program, next preacher, next church, that will change everything.
If you think about your own spiritual growth, would you be farther along if you had spent more time faithfully applying what you’ve learned? Yeah, me too.
When you fall into that trap, there’s usually only a couple of different places it ends up: they’ll either (a) live their whole live in the shallow end of the pool, or (b) they’ll catch on at some point and end up feeling disillusioned and cynical about anything/everything.
Unless, (c) someone older and wiser in the faith comes alongside them and says, “Come on, buddy, walk with me. Follow me as I follow Christ.”
You know what will help you with that?! The understanding that you are responsible for others spiritual growth!
The quickest way to learn a topic is to have to teach on it!
(c) you’re teaching them how to learn AND how to apply
Isn’t that one of the most essential things you could possibly know? How to wrestle through a problem, in Scripture and in community, and then do the real hard work of turning that theory into practice day to day?
Not sure that there’s a more critical skill for growing the Christian life than that.
“Who am I?”
Again, that exactly the right attitude to start with.
You’re his child, called to be his missionary, empowered by the Holy Spirit to make disciples. That’s who you are!