REVOLUTIONARY COMMUNITIES 1 Thessalonians 2

It’s not that complicated!  Paul Was Excited! “These men who have upset the world have come here also!” Acts 17:6 “For our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction…You became imitators of us and of the Lord…so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia…so that we have no need to say anything.” - 1 Thes. 1:5-7 “And day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart, praising God, and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved.” Acts 2:46-47 “And all those who had believed were together, and had all things in common; and they began selling their propertyand possessions, and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need.” Acts 2:44-45 “And all those who had believed were together, and had all things in common; and they began selling their propertyand possessions, and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need.” Acts 2:44-45

It’s not that complicated!  Paul Was Excited! “These men who have upset the world have come here also!” Acts 17:6 No Armies! No Money! COMMON Joes! They Conquered ROME! How did they do it?

It’s not that complicated!  Paul Was Excited! “These men who have upset the world have come here also!” Acts 17:6 A Fantasy Today? The same Holy Spirit.The same Word of God.The same Community.The same Prayer.The same Process…?

It’s not that complicated! 2:1-6 You yourselves know, dear brothers and sisters, that our visit to you was not a failure. You know how badly we had been treated at Philippi just before we came to you and how much we suffered there. Yet our God gave us the courage to declare his Good News to you boldly, in spite of great opposition. So you can see we were not preaching with any deceit or impure motives or trickery. For we speak as messengers approved by God to be entrusted with the Good News. Our purpose is to please God, not people. He alone examines the motives of our hearts.

It’s not that complicated!  A Message: ‘Gospel’  There IS Good News! DECLARING “declare his Good News” “entrusted with the Good News” “declare his Good News” “entrusted with the Good News”

It’s not that complicated!  A Message: ‘Gospel’  There IS Good News!  Be Reconciled!  Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God! 2 Corinthians 5:20 DECLARINGDECLARING “declare his Good News”

It’s not that complicated!  A Message: ‘Gospel’  A Trust from God  It’s Not about ‘Me’ DECLARINGDECLARING “declare his Good News” “entrusted with the Good News” “declare his Good News” “entrusted with the Good News”

It’s not that complicated!  A Message: ‘Gospel’  A Trust from God  It’s Not about ‘Me’  Strong Medicine! DECLARINGDECLARING We never stop thanking God that when you received his message from us, you didn’t think of our words as mere human ideas. You accepted what we said as the very word of God— which, of course, it is. And this word continues to work in you who believe. (2:13)

It’s not that complicated!  A Message: ‘Gospel’  A Trust from God  With Courage!  Not People-Pleasers DECLARINGDECLARING we speak, not as pleasing men, but God who examines our hearts. we never came with flattering speech (v5)

It’s not that complicated!  A Message: ‘Gospel’  A Trust from God  With Courage!  Not People-Pleasers  Means Real JOY! DECLARING we speak, not as pleasing men, but God who examines our hearts.

It’s not that complicated!  A Message: ‘Gospel’  A Trust from God  With Courage!  Not People-Pleasers  Means Real JOY! DECLARINGDECLARING 1 Thess. 2:2 after we had already suffered and been mistreated in Philippi, as you know, we had the boldness in our God to speak to you the gospel of God amid much opposition.

It’s not that complicated!  A Message: ‘Gospel’  A Trust from God  With Courage!  Not ME-Focused  E.g., Benny Hill DECLARINGDECLARINGLOVINGLOVING 1 Thess. 2:5-6 …nor with a pretext for greed—God is witness—nor did we seek glory from men, either from you or from others...

It’s not that complicated!  A Message: ‘Gospel’  A Trust from God  With Courage!  Not ME-Focused  E.g., Benny Hill DECLARINGDECLARINGLOVINGLOVING Kosmos Tricks/Deceit Popular?? Christians Straight-Talkers Persecuted?? pretext for greed…glory from men

It’s not that complicated!  A Message: ‘Gospel’  A Trust from God  With Courage!  Not ME-Focused  NOT Dominating DECLARINGDECLARINGLOVINGLOVING 1 Thessalonians 2:6 nor did we seek glory from men, either from you or from others, even though as apostles of Christ we might have asserted our authority.

It’s not that complicated!  A Message: ‘Gospel’  A Trust from God  With Courage!  Not ME-Focused  NOT Dominating  Compassion Tender, affectionate DECLARINGDECLARINGLOVINGLOVING But we proved to be gentle among you, as a nursing mother tenderly cares for her own children. Having so fond an affection for you… (2:7-8) 2 Cor. 13:12 Greet one another with a holy kiss. (Ro.16:16; 1 Co.16:20; 1 Th. 5:26)

It’s not that complicated!  A Message: ‘Gospel’  A Trust from God  With Courage!  Not ME-Focused  NOT Dominating  Compassion Tender, affectionate DECLARINGDECLARINGLOVINGLOVING But we proved to be gentle among you, as a nursing mother tenderly cares for her own children. Having so fond an affection for you… (2:7-8) 2 Cor. 13:12 Greet one another with a holy kiss.

It’s not that complicated!  A Message: ‘Gospel’  A Trust from God  With Courage!  Not ME-Focused  NOT Dominating  Compassion Tender, affectionate & Sacrificial DECLARINGDECLARINGLOVINGLOVING 1 Thess.2:8 (NASB) Having so fond an affection for you, we were well-pleased to impart to you not only the gospel of God but also our own lives, BECAUSE you had become very dear to us.

It’s not that complicated!  A Message: ‘Gospel’  A Trust from God  With Courage!  Not ME-Focused  NOT Dominating  Compassion Tender, affectionate & Sacrificial DECLARINGDECLARINGLOVINGLOVING 1 Thess.2:8 (NASB) Having so fond an affection for you, we were well-pleased to impart to you not only the gospel of God but also our own lives, because you had become very dear to us.

It’s not that complicated!  A Message: ‘Gospel’  A Trust from God  With Courage!  Not ME-Focused  NOT Dominating  Compassion Tender, affectionate & Sacrificial DECLARINGDECLARINGLOVINGLOVING

It’s not that complicated!  A Message: ‘Gospel’  A Trust from God  With Courage!  Not ME-Focused  NOT Dominating  Compassion  Hard-Working! DECLARINGDECLARINGLOVINGLOVING 1 Thessalonians 2:9-11 For you recall, brethren, our labor and hardship, how working night and day so as not to be a burden to any of you, we proclaimed to you the gospel of God. You are witnesses, and so is God, how devoutly and uprightly and blamelessly we behaved toward you believers; just as you know how we were exhorting and encouraging and imploring each one of you as a father would his own children,

It’s not that complicated!  A Message: ‘Gospel’  A Trust from God  With Courage!  Not ME-Focused  NOT Dominating  Compassion  Hard-Working!  With Substance DECLARINGDECLARINGLOVINGLOVING 1 Thessalonians 2:9-11 …our labor and hardship, how working night and day so as not to be a burden to any of you, …how devoutly and uprightly and blamelessly we behaved …

Christian Revolutionaries  Compassionate  Investing  Concerned  Sacrificial  Hard-Working  Strong:Enduring Hardship!  Powerful: exhorting and encouraging and imploring each one Real MOTHERSReal FATHERS “Speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him, who is the head, even Christ.” Ephesians 4:15

Christian Revolutionaries Not a Dream Real MOTHERSReal FATHERS  “I myself am convinced, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, complete in knowledge and competent to instruct one another.” Romans 15:14