2/20/12 FAITH, LOVE, AND HOPE IN ACTION

Kevin jesmer NIU UBF Monday, February 20, 2012
1 Thessalonians 1:1-10                     Key Verse: 1:3
“We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Dear Lord heavenly Father, thank you for helping me to know who I am, a child of God and a servant of God’s word. A mentor and shepherd for the flock of God. Thank you for helping me to focus on my task and helping me to grow spiritually. Please make me and mold me after thy will. Create among us a community of believers who can share the love of Jesus amongst each other and with the world. Please grant me your word in my heart to guide and strengthen me in my walk with you. I pray in Jesus’ name. Amen!

1. Faith, hope, and love (1-3).

Verses 1-3 read, “Paul, Silas and Timothy. To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace and peace to you. 2 We always thank God for all of you and continually mention you in our prayers. 3 We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.”
The believers in Thessalonica lived in a dog-eat-dog world, but they were full of joy. God had chosen them to be his own people. They accepted the word of God, and the Holy Spirit worked in their hearts. Their faith produced work; their love was expressed in labor; and their hope in Jesus enabled them to endure trials.

It is enlightening to know that our Christianity goes beyond being armchair Christians. We just do not just think about it and feel things. These are important, but things go far beyond that. Faith should produce work in the Lord. This may be a lot different for different people. We are all called to unique task. But it should be work in the Lord. For me it includes Bible teaching and preaching, mentoring others and being a father, a husband and a nurse and the pastor of a small house church ministry.

Then motive of all I do must be motivated by love. So often my motive is personal interest or trying to do something meaningful in my life or doing some good in the community (without love). But all that I do for Jesus and for others must be motivated by love..love for God and love for others.

Hope should inspire endurance. Hope should not just inspire us to hope to get something only. (although that is part of it). Hope gives us endurance. As soon as you take away hope then the wind suddenly comes out of our sails and we no longer feel like carrying on. We need hope. We thrive on hope. Jesus gives us hope. Hope in ministry and hope in work and hope for our family. My live is full of hope because of the Gospel. I can keep on going to work as a nurse, keep on with ministry, keep on loving my wife and raising my kids and mentoring people because of the hope God gives me. Otherwise, I would give up. There is an article today about suicides among Chinese workers making Apple products. They commit suicide because they are in a hopeless situation and exposed to exploitation and pollution and a harsh work environment. There is no hope to change. They only way out is to quit or die. I pray that the gospel may come into their hearts and they will find great joy even if they remain on the assembly line.

2. A Joyful Model (4-10).

Verses 4-10 read, “For we know, brothers and sisters loved by God, that he has chosen you, 5 because our gospel came to you not simply with words but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and deep conviction. You know how we lived among you for your sake. 6 You became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you welcomed the message in the midst of severe suffering with the joy given by the Holy Spirit. 7 And so you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia. 8 The Lord’s message rang out from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia—your faith in God has become known everywhere. Therefore we do not need to say anything about it, 9 for they themselves report what kind of reception you gave us. They tell how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, 10 and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead—Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath.”

Paul and his co-workers had lived sacrificial lives among the Thessalonians, and the Thessalonians imitated the lives and faith of these spiritual leaders and they imitated Jesus. In spite of suffering, they welcomed the word of God with the joy given by the Holy Spirit and they welcomed servants of God. So they became models of faith for other believers. Because of their changed lives and courage to witness to Jesus, the Lord’s word rang out from them to be heard throughout the world. They overcame everything to turn from idols and serve the living God. They put their hope in God and waited for Jesus to come again.

What a beautiful fellowship of believers. It is so wonderful to see changed lives in the Lord and to have changed lives affect the world around them. I pray for such a fellowship among us, here at NIU. God is forming bonds of love among us. It is growing…slowly…but it is growing. It is growing organically and from God. Who would believe a top notch accounting student would make our fellowship his spiritual home? Who would believe that another person would be transformed in his mind through the gospel. Who would think that all my kids participate in ministry and believe in Jesus? Who would think that Julie and I can be one in the Lord. Koinina (Christian fellowship) is forming among us. It is slow and it is small but it is happening. Praise the Lord.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for growing faith, hope and love in us. Let your message ring out from our changed lives.

One Word: Faith, love, hope, and joy