Friday, October 26, 2012

1 Thessa.; Faith, Love and Hope to serve the Lord

1 Thessalonians 1:1-10
Paul thank God for all of them in the church of the Thessalonians. Their work produced by faith, their labor prompted by love and their endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.
Our gospel came to you not simply with words, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction.
You became imitators of us and of the Lord; in spite of severe suffering, you welcomed the message with the joy given by the Holy Spirit. And you became model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia.
The church was founded about AD 50 after Paul left Philippi on the second missionary tour. According to Acts 17:1-9, Paul did not stay in Thessalonica long.
Paul was acutely anxious to know what had become of the little group of Christians He was in Corinth by the time Timothy returned with good news.
Paul's first letter to the Thessalonians was written at this point. It is full of relief and joy.
Why?
This little group of Christians has endured persecution. They were deprived of their teachers far too soon. Yet they have stood firm. More than that, within months they have become an example of unwavering faith to the rest of Greece, spreading the Good News far and wide by word and life.
Serve the Lord need 1) work produced by faith, 2)Labor prompted by love 3) endurance inspired by hope. Faith, Love and Hope are the essential factors.
Gospel spreading is the message with not only 1)words but also with the 2)power, with the 3)Holy Spirit and 4)deep conviction. It is the work generated from Christian and the Lord.
How?
Do not afraid to preach Gospel and serve the Lord, what I need is the faith, love and the hope. Serve God with joy.



No comments: