1. The Church With the Right Stuff
I Thessalonians 1

2. Idealism? or Reality?
2 Cor. 10:10
“They say, “His letters are weighty & strong, but his personal presence is unimpressive & his speech contemptible.” 
In “The Acts of Paul & Thecla” is this description. “He saw Paul coming, a man small in size, bald-headed, bandy-legged, well-built, with eyebrows meeting, rather long-nosed, full of grace.”

3. Paul & Thessalonica are just places & people
Special only because they were touched by the Spirit of God.
It depends on whose hand it’s in!
Let’s put ourselves in God’s hands...
& our families, concerns, fears, hopes and dreams...

4. Patrick Henry wrote:
"My most cherished possession I wish I could leave you is my faith in Jesus Christ, for with Him & nothing else you can be happy, but without Him & with all else you will never be happy."

5. I. The Church in Thessalonica
Paul was the founder
1 Thes. 1:1 -  Paul & Silvanus & Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father & the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you & peace.

6. I. The Church in Thessalonica
1 Thes. 1:1 -  Paul & Silvanus & Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father & the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you & peace.

7. I. The Church in Thessalonica
1 Thes. 1:1 -  Paul & Silvanus & Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father & the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you & peace.

8. II. His Message
v. 2  We give thanks to God always for all of you, making mention of you in our prayers;

9. & steadfastness of hope
II. His Message
v. 2  We give thanks to God always for all of you, making mention of you in our prayers;
v. 3 ‘bearing in mind
(3 things)
your work of faith
& labor of love
& steadfastness of hope
in our Lord Jesus Christ’

10. Steadfast

11. Steadfast – overloaded but Still in the harness

12. Steadfast - Short on equipment & help ... but still in the harness!

13. vv. 4-5 — “...knowing, brethren beloved by God, His choice of you; 5 for our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power & in the Holy Spirit & with full conviction;”

14. 2:8 — “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.”
Friendship evangelism!

15. v. 5 — “...our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power & in the Holy Spirit & with full conviction; just as you know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake.”

16. vv. 6-7 — “You also became imitators of us & of the Lord, having received the word in much tribulation with the joy of the Holy Spirit, 7so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia & in Achaia.”

17. v. 8 — “For the word of the Lord has sounded forth from you, not only in Macedonia & Achaia, but also in every place your faith toward God has gone forth, so that we have no need to say anything.”

18. vv — “For they themselves report about us what kind of a reception we had with you, & how you turned to God from idols to serve a living & true God, 10 & to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, that is Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath to come.”

19. Let’s be a church with the right stuff.