Message 1 - Memories - Fond Memories

1 Thessalonians 1:1

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SPEAKER_02 0:13

Well, very good to see you, Church family. I have missed you. You sounded great today, Josh. Thanks for those worship songs, but uh sounded like a choir. Uh if if uh you're a guest today, and what you may say, well, I'm not a guest, I've been here the last two weeks where you've been. Okay, I've been away. Uh so if this is my first chance to get to meet you uh at the end of the service, uh make sure we we connect. And I'll try to give you a uh bag in the bag, is uh just some things from us as a church, but particularly there is a card in there called a connection card. And what we'd like you to do is before you leave, put at least get your email address on there because I will email you an invitation to a thing called Ride Now Media, which is a really cool resource. It's a gift from us to you as a church. It's kind of like uh Netflix, only for believers, lots of good studies. If you have children or grandchildren, there's a lot of stuff on there for kids. Uh, and that's just our gift to say to you that we were really good to have you today, and that you're glad that you're with us and give me a chance to meet you. Uh we were away, we're we were out east uh for our granddaughter's uh wedding, excuse me, 24 hours, 1,500 miles. Uh and uh so a lot of time on the road. We we drove out there. Uh and on the way out, we had two grandkids with us on our way back, it was just Mary Lynn Lou and I. And a lot of times when we're traveling like that, uh hours on the road, we'll like put Pandora on and listen to the good music, 60s and 70s. Uh and uh or or we'll we put on uh clean comedy channel and listen to that, or a lot of times we'll listen to a message, and actually on our way back to this week, Mary Lou said, Well, what are you gonna be preaching on when we get back? And I said, Well, we're gonna go into the book of First Thessalonians, which is where we are gonna go. So if you want to get in your Bibles, your devices there, chapter one will we'll go there in a little bit. So I said, we're gonna go into chapter one of uh 1 Thessalonians, and uh she said, Well, you want to listen to a message? Uh a good preacher preach it before we before we go. And and and I said, Yeah, that's a good idea. We do that a lot too. We'll listen to different passages. So she said, How about John MacArthur, one of my favorites in heaven now, but uh good preacher, good, especially when it comes to just digging into the word of God. I said, Yeah, that would be great. Let's listen to to John preach on uh that passage. And uh it was interesting because when we opened we got listening to his message, uh he he had he had just now John at he was at uh Grace Community Church out in California, Sun Valley, California. He he pastored for 56 years up until last year when he went home to be with the Lord. But this particular message, excuse me, he had just uh he was in his 39th year, I think it was, uh, of preaching. And it was a significant message because he had just completed preaching through the entire New Testament, verse by verse through the whole New Testament, uh, which I think during the next 56 years he preached through the whole Bible. But he just finished the New Testament. He also had just completed uh a New Testament his New Testament commentary on the whole Bible, which I have in my library because it's a wonderful research source. And so he spent an awful lot of that particular message bragging, but not bragging on himself, uh bragging about his church. And and he just kind of walked through some of the things that he was just uh so encouraged about when it came to Grace Community Church out in California. He bragged about the way that uh uh, first of all, he said he bragged about the fact that he says, I don't know too many churches in the world that would put up with the pastor preaching verse by verse through the entire Bible. He said, So thank you for your, he's thanked them for their patience and in walking with him through that. Uh and and then he bragged about how, as a church, how well they do at uh ministering to each other, loving on each other, and uh uh and on this in their surrounding community that uh you know that so many people were involved in community things as an outreach. So he bragged about that. He bragged about how they uh uh how hey they administered to pastors. I don't know if you know anything about that church, but every year they do what they call a shepherding conference. I've been to it uh two or three times. It's a wonderful conference, great teaching, and and uh uh and but that he's right. That that church family as a pastor, you go to that conference, man, they just they treat you like you're royalty. You just it's almost like they read your mind. That you, you know, it's you you're thinking, I would maybe I'd like a cup of, oh, here, you want a cup of coffee? You know, it's kind of like that. And uh not only that, uh for pastors, this is this is the ultimate of love. You go home with a stack of books, free books that they pastors love free books. And uh, but it's bigger than that, they they don't they say, you know, we know that you came here on airplanes and stuff, so you stop by, pick out your stack of books, bring them to us, we're gonna box them up and and uh address them, and we're gonna meld them to your home. They'll be at your home when you when you get home. Just I mean, and he was bragging on how well his church family does that and ministers to those pastors, which I would agree. Uh, and and just uh he just he just bragged about uh their faithfulness and the way they supported the ministry financially, and just ultimately just bragged about how they put up with him for for all those 39 years at that point. Uh and as I listen to that message, and I'm gonna get a little emotional, I know that's unusual. But I just had I thought of my church family. And the the things he said, I I just in my heart. I thought of you. This this is, uh, and that I could say without hesitation about about my my church family as as well. Uh just the I watch you and the way you minister to each other and and the outreach in the community, and and uh just uh, you know, uh I'm so encouraged. I haven't been here 39 years, but uh uh I would I've been here 10 years. That's hard to believe. Uh this church has been, well, actually, the Bible study that started at started 10 years this past February. I I couldn't believe that when I thought back through it, but uh we are up in the Harley dealership upstairs, and we started a Bible study back in February, uh, 10 years ago. In fact, this Christmas Eve will be 10 years in this building. That's that's an amazing thing. Uh but uh uh and and so I I think of all the things that God's blessed, but but I think about the blessing it's been to me personally to be a part of this church and and this church family. Uh and why that all came to mind and why actually MacArthur went this direction was because it's interesting that uh the first Thessalonians, it is a letter, and you'll see that in a moment. It is a letter that Paul sent to the church in Thessalonica, and it's particularly notary, uh, has an ariety, uh, the fact that it really uh you look through the New Testament. If you read my email yesterday, if you're on the email list, or if you uh uh read the bulletin this morning, there there were a number of churches by this point in New Testament times. We just finished a series looking at the very first New Testament church, the beginning of the church age, and and uh uh but by this point, and this and this is not very far in the beginning of church, the church history, uh, but already those churches, almost without exception, are they struggling? Well, they have issues. They're they're uh most of the letters in the New Testament is made up of a lot, a lot mostly of letters that uh that Paul or James or uh uh or the individuals have written to these churches, and almost every letter is written because there's a problem, there's a struggle. There, you know, uh something's going on. You know, we've talked a lot about the Corinthian church recently, uh, and and how just how unkind they were to each other. They would uh Paul could never brag to them about boy that you really love each other well. No, they didn't. Uh and and it was the same for with almost, without exception, almost every uh church. And then and you look at John in the book of Revelation, and uh and he writes in the uh chapter three and chapter four, or is it chapter two and chapter three, uh, to those seven churches and and uh seven contemporary churches in John's time, and almost every one of them, as you read through them, that there's a problem, there's a struggle. And Thessalonian, this church is the exception. They're an exception. It's they're just uh Paul, and you're gonna see it, he is just so encouraged by them because they're just doing it right. And and so that's why he writes this letter to uh to encourage them. Also, to we'll see to to warn them about days that are coming that are gonna be tough. Uh, and and and uh I don't know how much we'll get into that, but you'll you'll see that even as I read the chapter in a moment. Uh but so so that's that's what's uh encouraging about this letter. And we're gonna spend the next few weeks looking uh at least at this opening chapter, and uh then we'll kind of decide from there. But uh, so 1 Thessalonians uh chapter 1. Uh before we actually read the chapter, I'd like to read it in a moment. Let's let's pray together. Father, thanks for your love for us. Thank you for uh the privilege of being a part of this church, and Lord, that uh for these people who who love you and and are faithful. Uh and Lord, I pray that uh we're we're careful as a church family to uh keep moving in the direction that just lines up with your will. Uh that we continue to love each other well and do ministry. And and Lord, I thank you for this the privilege of being able to spend some time with my church family uh studying uh this this particular church, and I pray that our hearts are open and you're uh open to what you might want to teach us and to encourage us and to direct us regarding uh through the power of your Holy Spirit. And we just pray these things in your Son's name. Amen. Let me read the first chapter, and then we're gonna start talking through it together. Paul, Silas, and Timothy to the Church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. We always thank God for all you, all of you mentioning you in our prayers. We continually 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. For you know, brothers, loved by God, that He has chosen you. Because our gospel came to you not simply with words, but with, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit, and with deep conviction. You know how we lived among you for your sake. You became imitators of us and of the Lord. In spite of severe suffering, you welcomed the message with joy given by the Holy Spirit. And so you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia. The Lord's message rang out from you, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but your faith in God has become known everywhere. Therefore, we do not need to say anything about it, for they themselves report what kind of a reception you gave us. They tell how you turn to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for God from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath. All right, let's jump back to uh verse one. Paul, Silas Timothy, to the Church of Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, grace and peace to you. And you can tell by the opening of this is a letter. Uh, it is a letter that the Apostle Paul, as we've talked about, is sending to this church in Thessalonica. Uh, interesting, just a little background, and and you might want to check it out later on in your maps in the back of your Bible, or even now, but uh a little bit, a little bit about the area. Thessalonica sit on what is called the Thermaic Gulf. Uh it's in uh in the Asian Sea. Uh it was a hub for the world as far as uh uh bringing in goods and sending out goods. Uh it was a major shipping huh hub during the particular time. It also was interesting because it had right through the right through the middle of the city, ran what was called the Ignitian Way, which uh if you've ever heard about this, uh one of the remarkable things that the Romans did was they built, for the known world at the time, they built this highway system. And in fact, you can go there today and you can walk on part of the highway system. It's still there all these centuries later, and and it connected the world and it connected training, kind of like Eisenhower did back uh uh in uh 1956, which was a remarkable year, not because of Eisenhower. I was born that year, that's why it was remarkable, but uh, you know, he starts building this system, this highway system, uh uh partly for the protection of our country, which honestly that's why the Romans did it as well, uh, so that our the our military could get different places easily, but but also because to connect the United States and make it easy to travel. And and uh although uh you can tell it's been 1956 because I just traveled those highways on the East Coast, and you pay a lot of money to buy to drive on bad roads. So, anyway, uh just a little bit of gripe there as we we walk through this. But but so they built this amazing system and it ran right through this city, and so you had these ships come in with goods, it went out on these and uh uh highway systems, and they made it a powerful uh and and uh uh amazing place to be. Uh because of this, also, because there's so much influence of the world, there's a lot of idol worship, a lot of uh uh things that have come from different parts of the world that uh people got caught up in, uh, much like we're seeing all over the United States nowadays as well. But another thing about this that made it uh an ideal spot was it was an idle spot for the gospel to uh uh faithfully be preached, and then with the people that came to Christ, they started moving out and sharing Christ in the world. So a lot of a lot of amazing things. It was a very significant city as far as merchants and soldiers, and and it's a melting pot really of the of the world at that particular time. So you put all that together and you recognize uh uh the significance of this city and why it was so uh amazing and so wonderful that there was this powerful church, this this church sitting in this in this uh amazing city that was doing so well. And so Paul's writing this letter and saying, I'm so proud of you. I'm so encouraged by how well you're doing. And uh uh, and so he's that's the purpose and the heart behind behind the letter. So so it goes on, still still verse one. Then he goes on and says, In God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ, talking about them, and and in the God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. And there's some things that I I want to note here. Uh actually, a better translation would be in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ. And and you know, he's saying, in why it's a big word, honestly. Uh it's a little word in I in for us in English, but it's it's a big word because what's involved in this word is it's making a statement about the the people in this church and a position they hold, and it's telling them, it's reminding them you have a special place in the heart of God. You have a special connection to God because you are in Jesus Christ. Uh and and so he's he says, I want to remind you of that, because you know it's it's easy uh to you know, think about when you if when you first became a follower of Jesus. And I hope that everyone here is a follower of Jesus. If not, man, this is a great opportunity to make that decision to David. But if you if you remember back, and if you're like me, uh when when that decision was made, uh and you and and it and it kind of sunk in, wow, God is my father, he's my heavenly father. I have a relationship with him where I can uh uh the writer of Hebrews says, I I don't have to go through somebody else and say, hey, I don't have to go to Paul and say, hey Paul, will you talk to Jesus for God for me? No, I can talk to him. He's my father. And and Jesus, he he is my brother. Uh he he loves me so much that he died for me, and and all that comes in to uh a realization, and and you're just over. In fact, if some of you honestly, if you'll you're going back and you're a little embarrassed because it meets it was such an amazing revelation to you that you talked to everybody about it, and not ever and not everybody wanted to hear it, but you but you had to tell them because man, you you gotta hear what happened to me. And uh, you know, and so but you know what after time you goes by, we kind of lose track, don't we? It kind of becomes normal, commonplace. Not it's it's not that big of a deal uh anymore. And and so Paul's saying no. I just want to remind you who you are, and not just who Paul to them, to you, who you are. My father for a number of year years was uh a uh the head director of a mission organization that has uh ministries all over the United States and Canada. And uh so you know he traveled a lot, mom and dad traveled a lot, and and uh in fact we have funny stories because dad is direction uh limited, yeah, and he's gonna listen to this message, so uh, but he's direction limited. In fact, one time he pulled in a gas station and he pulled in and the gas station song, gas tent song come in, and he and he gets out. He says, he says, now I'm trying to get to so and so. I don't know where it was, uh, am I on the right track? He says, You're going the wrong direction, buddy. I don't know where you're going, but it's back that way. And so and and uh so anyway, but my dad's the there so but he was known all over the place. So once in a while this would happen, you know, you'd you'd get you're talking to somebody and uh in a in an area they'd never even been before, and and we get, you know, you get visited, and I and they say, Well, what's your name? I said, Well, my name's Paul Kennedy, and they say, Well, how do you spell that? And I'd say, Well, C-A-N-A-D-Y. And then they'd say, Are you by chance uh related to Dr. Jack Kennedy? And I'd say, Yeah. He's my dad. And uh proudly, I wouldn't put my dad. Paul's saying to these people, he's your dad. And don't forget that you are in the Father, and you are in Jesus the Savior, your family. And that's an amazing place to be. Uh so this that just that opening already just is uh a wonderful thing that he wants to remind them of and and remind us of uh if you know Jesus as your savior. Uh the one resource said that the word in, talking about this particular verse, uh said that the word in signifies vital spiritual union and relational belonging between believers and the Godhead. Vital spiritual union and relational belonging between you and the Godhead. And you know, it's interesting when he uses the term Godhead, it's not here in the scripture, but it's in that quote. You know, it's referencing God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. And you might say, well, the Holy Spirit isn't here, and and he is, uh, so often, as is in the case in Scripture, the the Holy Spirit, who is completely God, but uh his his ministry is is often invisible and in the background. Uh it it is here. Uh, because the reason we are in that position where we are part of God's family, uh, Paul wrote in Ephesians 6. Because I'm not going to have you, or in Ephesians, I'm not going to return to it. But Ephesians 1. But I'll read it to you. He says, To us, to you and me. He says, You also were included in Christ. There it is, in Christ. When you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, when you heard about God's love for you, and when you heard about that's why Jesus went the cross and that's why he died, and you responded to that message, you accepted Jesus' death on your behalf. So when you heard the gospel of your salvation, and having believed, when you put your faith in that good news, you, and here's where the Holy Spirit comes, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance. And so we the Holy Spirit's the one who made us aware of our need, of the fact that we have a sin problem that had separated us from God. You know, it's interesting over the years as I have shared Christ with individuals. The one thing every individual has to come to terms with is that they do have a sin problem. And that that sin has separated them from a holy God. And I've never yet, you know, I'm talking to someone and talking about that, and I'll say, Well, you know, you need you you do understand you're a sinner, don't you? And every once in a while you have someone kind of balk at that because they're thinking in their mind, you know, robber, murderer, uh, rapist, and they go then and say, and go, wait a minute, wait a minute, and I'll often do this, uh, I'll say, How many sins do you think it takes to become a sinner? And I'll go like that, and they're kind of like, oh, one? I said, Exactly. It's just one. And I don't know about you, but I'm way over that number. Uh and and so once they come to terms with that, then to be able to share the good news that that even though your sin has separated from you God, from God, God's offering by grace a gift of that sin being forgiveness, forgiven because of what Jesus Christ said on the cross. And if you accept that forgiveness, you're going to be adopted. And that's all what's talking about here. And it's interesting when it talks about that seal, uh, that seal which he says is a guarantee of your inheritance, eternal inheritance. And you probably know this, but it's it's it's picturing back in these times uh a king when if he was sending an important message, uh, a letter, a contract, uh, a treaty, uh, he would write this out, and then he would he would fold it, close it, and then they would melt some wax on on the place where it was sealed, and then he would take usually his ring, which had the king's insignia on it, and he'd stamp that. And the courier or the the deliverer of this, the one that was responsible to take this to the individual uh who it was it was written for, they would they were supposed to guard this with their life, and and that seal was not to be broken. If that seal was broken on the other end, that that meant somebody had looked at this, and uh the courier would could pay with his life if the king decided. And so he's saying that the Holy Spirit, when we and we talked about this when we were looking at the early church, the Holy Spirit comes and lives within us, and he's that seal, the king, our heavenly king's seal that that you are his, and that nobody can can touch that, interfere with that. It's it is guaranteeing your eternal inheritance. Uh someday you're gonna stand before the Father in heaven. So that's all wrapped up in what Paul is reminding them of and celebrating with them, and it's true for them. And it's true for you. Uh but I want you to look at how this verse ends, then, and this will be where we'll actually stop this morning in a moment. We're gonna celebrate, remembering all this uh through communion, like God has asked us to. But before we do that, look at the end of the verse, then he says, then finally, Grace and peace to you. Now the order is significant, because the first thing that we got we have to understand in that relationship with God, we got to kind of understand that our relationship with him, the fact that we can call him our Father, our Heavenly Father, uh, the fact that Jesus, the reason for him dying on the cross, is all about God's grace. I I have nothing to offer God. He doesn't need me. Uh He simply loves me. I do not deserve to ever have an I don't deserve to have this eternal inheritance, neither do you. It is all wrapped up in the grace of God, that that He loves us, and He paid all that was necessary for us to be forgiven and be adopted in His family. That's all about His grace. And and we one of the things I think we I so many of my of us struggle with is really understanding and resting in that grace. That it is the grace of God that He loves you and that He is watching over you, and that someday you're gonna step into His presence. You got nothing to offer. I don't it's simply the grace of God. But once you grab a hold of that and learn to rest in it, the the result is peace. It's peace. It's peace for this day. You know, I was talking to a friend of mine yesterday and about the world events. Uh, and you know, you wake up every morning and you wonder what's gonna happen today, you know. But if you're a follower of Jesus, you know ultimately God's in control. In fact, he's gonna go on in this letter into talking about the coming tribulation. But to begin with, he wants them as he starts this letter to rest in the peace. Our our father knows what's coming and he's in control, and he's gonna it's gonna happen according to his plan. And so once you and I grab on to the grace, it really brings to our heart peace, and we couldn't worry because we rest in the peace. All right, we're gonna stop there this morning. And uh, just like Paul started this letter reminding them of this, of these very important truths that they needed to grab on to. God also asks you and I on a regular basis to be reminded of his love for us, that established, that started all this, that put us in this position where uh he's our father and Jesus is our savior. Uh and so we in obedience are gonna share together, and we're gonna start with the bread, because that's when Jesus met with his disciples that night, that's where he started, and he told them that this bread represents uh my body, and my body is going to be torn apart, okay. But know this it's going, I'm allowing this to happen because I love you. And so you want a testimony, you want to want to know how much I love you. This is how much I love you. And so with his disciples, they ate the bread. Let's do the same. And then he took the cup and reminded them and us that the penalty, the requirement, the justice that had to be done for sin was death. And I needed to die for my sin unless someone took my place. And Jesus reminded his disciples that night, I'm gonna take your place. I'm gonna die, I'm gonna shed my blood, I'm gonna give my life for you, and for you, and for me. Let's rank it together. Father, thanks for your word and just for the opportunity to read this, just these opening words. Paul's letter to the church in Thessalonica. Thank you for this church that was such an outstanding testimony for you. Uh, such a such a strong church and in such an important area of the world at that time. Thank you for this church, True North, and for uh placing us on this corner in this city. And Lord, thank you for the way these folks minister to me, to each other, to this community. Help us, Lord, to continue to be a light shining on your behalf and pray these things in your son's name. Amen.

SPEAKER_01 31:18

We're gonna stand and sing one last chorus together as we do. Uh, Tom and Roxanne will be here up at the front. If you'd like some prayer this morning, someone to pray with, they'd be glad to do that. Let's sing this chorus together.