Well, a little warmer today, a little nicer out there. Walk outside and kind of brace, and then it's not there, so that's nice. We're beginning in earnest our study of 1st Thessalonians this morning. We had kind of an introductory message last week, and now we're going to dig into verses 1 to 10. 

We're going to talk about God's salvation plan and purpose in the church, and we have before us this morning really an amazingly rich and full text. It's Paul's words of thanks and his words of record concerning the preaching of the gospel and the establishment of the church in Thessalonica. It is an example to us of a biblical church, a solid church the way God intends for the church to be. 

And it's also a tremendous doctrinal statement on God's salvation plan and purpose for the local body of believers. It's an example, a picture of how God brings salvation, establishes a church, and the fruit that is a result—the holiness and witness that he intends. 

We're going to look at some of the most important and some of the more difficult doctrines concerning salvation this morning. But here's a church founded and empowered by the plan of God through the preaching of the gospel who received the Word of God with joy and bore fruit—fruit of a changed life, the labor of love, and patience of hope through trial and tribulation because of their genuine faith in Jesus Christ.

This church became a powerful witness to the world around them, an encouragement to all the other Christians, and a strong evangelical influence on the lost. There's a great profundity in God's salvation plan for sure, but there's also a great simplicity. Both of these we see in the church in Thessalonica and the story of how Paul brought the gospel to this place, and God saved out of people for Himself.

He recreated them. He made them new men in Christ. He gave them a new heart and a new passion, as it says: they turned from idols to serve the living God. What a beautiful picture of repentance—turning from idols to serve the living and true God. 

And in this, we see the power and grace of God, the plan of God, and the life-transforming work of the gospel of Jesus Christ—the fruit that results for the purpose and glory of God. Let's look at our text in 1st Thessalonians 1:1.

Paul, Sylvanus, and Timothy, to the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers, remembering without ceasing your work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of our God and Father. 

Knowing, beloved brethren, your election by God. For our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit and in much assurance, as you know what kind of men we were among you for your sake. And you became followers of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction with joy of the Holy Spirit, so that you became examples to all in Macedonia and Achaia who believe. 

For from you, the word of the Lord has sounded forth not only in Macedonia and Achaia but also in every place. Your faith toward God has gone out so that we do not need to say anything, for they themselves declare concerning us what manner of entry we had to you and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God. 

And to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus, who delivers us from the wrath to come.

I've given you five points on your outline. First, we're going to look at the elect of God. Second, the power of the gospel. Third, receiving the word. Fourth, fruit of salvation. And fifth, witness to the world. 

I'd like to begin in verse 4 in a statement that Paul makes concerning the beginning of salvation: "Knowing, beloved brethren, your election by God." This is one of the doctrines that I probably get the most questions on, that people have the most concern about. When you hear the word election—election by God—what thoughts come to your mind? How does it make you feel? 

Does this doctrine intimidate you? Does it make you squirm a little bit somewhere deep down inside? Well, my friend, I'm here to tell you this morning that the doctrine of election is where salvation begins, and it should not be something that troubles us, but something that encourages us. 

The words used at least 15 times in the New Testament to speak of the church, of the saints, of the saved, of God, but it's always used as an encouragement to believers. That’s so important to understand. It's always used as an encouragement to believers and most often in the epistles. It's meant to give comfort and encouragement to the saints, particularly those who are suffering or persecuted, such as here in Thessalonica or in Peter's epistles. 

Turn over to Romans 8 with me, please. Romans 8:28, a favorite verse. Paul writes, "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover, whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified."

What then shall we say to these things? Now look at this beautiful statement: "If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?" What things? Things necessary to bring us to glorification. That’s the promise in the context. It's not Cadillacs and mansions there, right? Things necessary to bring us to salvation. 

"Who shall bring a charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?" Here are these words of comfort, these words of assurance, these words of confidence in the salvation God provides through Christ. 

Turn over to 1st Peter 1 with me also, please. 1st Peter, chapter 1, at verse 1: "Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the pilgrims of the dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in sanctification of the Spirit for obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace be multiplied. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you."

"Who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time." And this you greatly rejoice. 

So now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials. 

The gloss over that statement, you know what's happened to these people? They've been dispersed by persecution—persecution possibly started by Saul of Tarsus in Jerusalem. It says in Acts 8 that he was tearing at them like a wild beast, committing them to prison, bringing them out of their homes. These are the Jews who were dispersed by tremendous persecution. 

And Peter says, "If need be, you've been grieved by various trials." 

That the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 

"Whom having not seen, you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, receiving the end of your faith—the salvation of your souls." 

Here, as in Thessalonica, we have saints who have been heavily persecuted. Peter writes to them, these Jews dispersed by persecution, and he encourages them concerning their great salvation—the power of God to save them, keep them, and bring them fully and finally to glorification in heaven with Him. This is the purpose of the doctrine of election—always tied to believers—always meant to encourage.

One more passage, Ephesians 1 at verse 3. Ephesians 1:3, which is really Paul just laying out the tremendous nature of the salvation that God provides in Christ—what we have in Him: "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved."

"In Him, we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of His grace, which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence, having made known to us the mystery of His will according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself, that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times, He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth in Him."

"In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory. In Him you also trusted, look at this, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession to the praise of His glory." 

Notice the encouragement! Notice the great and lofty position that we have in Christ! The full salvation that God has conceived in His plan before time began and has brought to pass in the person and work of Jesus Christ, and has accomplished in those who have heard, who have received—that is believed on Him. 

And notice that the emphasis in these passages is the election of God, the sovereignty of God, and that the doctrine of predestination is focused on sanctification—that is, conforming us to the likeness of Jesus Christ. But even in all of these passages, we see that receiving the word with joy, believing the gospel, is not absent from God's saving plan and purpose. 

Those who are saved—who are in the body of believers—have heard the gospel, and they have turned from idols to faith in Jesus Christ and have chosen to believe in Jesus and His saving work on the cross alone. There are many more passages that emphasize the human responsibility aspect of salvation, and we see it even in our text in 1st Thessalonians. In fact, there are 157 verses in the New Testament that say that a man is saved by believing. 

He's not saved unto believing, you understand that? 1st Thessalonians 1:6: "And you became followers of us and of the Lord, having received the Word in much affliction with joy of the Holy Spirit." They were the elect of God, yes, this is the sovereign side of salvation. 

What I want you to see from the scriptures is that this doctrine is taught always as a doctrine of inclusion, not exclusion. It's always written to encourage the believers, to give assurance and confidence of their eternal hope. Many times we see the scriptures lay these two truths of God's sovereignty and man's responsibility side by side. 

Acts 2: God predetermined Jesus would die on the cross, and “you by lawless hands have taken him and crucified him.” It lays right side by side. 

The Bible has no problem. John 6:37: "All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out. For I have come down from heaven not to do My own will but the will of Him who sent Me. This is the will of the Father who sent Me: that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing but should raise it up at the last day." 

And this is the will of Him who sent Me: that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life, and I will raise him up at the last day. We see the election of God and the will of man in harmony at ease in the Word of God, if not at ease in our minds. 

These are amazing verses—so deep, so profound, yet so simple in that they state the truth of God's sovereignty in salvation, and at the same time, in fact, in a single verse such as verse 37, offer salvation to every man, if he will only come in faith. 

John taught this at the beginning of his gospel: John 1:11: "He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, that is, to those who believe on His name." 

He came to His own, Israel, and His own did not receive Him. Why? Was it because He predestined them to eternal judgment in the lake of fire, as Augustine taught? Was it not God's will that Israel receive His Son, believe on Jesus, and be saved? 

What was the issue? God's willingness, or man's willingness? Jesus explains in Matthew 23:37: "Looking over that great city, Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her. How often I wanted to gather your children together as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing." 

Does Jesus mock Israel here? As He looks out over that city, is He mocking them? Some will say, "Well, He's addressing the leaders." Is the individual salvation of all those Jewish souls in Israel that day dependent on the leadership of Israel? Is Israel receiving Christ? Jesus weeps over His own who would not receive Him, and never a clearer statement was made than right here, how often I wanted to gather your children together as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings. 

Is Jesus mocking them? Does He say this, having predestined these men to hell? Or is He genuine as He weeps? Does He really desire them to come to Him, to believe Him? And why are they not saved? Because God does not desire them to be saved? Because it is not His will?

That's not what I read in the Scriptures. What does Jesus say here in this verse? "You were not willing." 

Listen to Romans 9 at verse 30. "What shall we say then? That Gentiles who did not pursue righteousness have attained a righteousness, even the righteousness of faith. But Israel, pursuing the law of righteousness, has not attained to the law of righteousness." 

Why? "Because they did not seek it by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumbling stone, as it is written: Behold, I lay in Zion a stumbling stone and rock of offense, and whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame." 

What was it that Israel did not...why was it that Israel did not receive her Messiah? Because God did not elect them? Was this the cause? Is there a causal relationship here? 

Do individual men have no choice? Is Luther right when he wrote "The Bondage of the Will?" Or is the responsibility on men? Is the issue men's willingness? "They did not seek it by faith," the way God prescribed, just like Cain in the garden. For they stumbled at Jesus. 

My friends, the words of Scripture consistently lay the responsibility at the feet of men, and the unwillingness is never on God's part, but always it is the unwillingness of man to believe. "Whosoever will may come." 

Turn to John 3:16. You know this passage. You love this passage. I want you to pay special attention to verse 18: "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved." 

"He who believes in Him is not condemned, but he who does not believe is condemned already, why? Because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God." 

"Whoever believes in Him." When God calls men to believe, does He mock them in their inability? You better be careful here, for what you believe defines who God is. 

Why are men condemned? Because they're not elected? That's not what the Scriptures say. This is a faulty conclusion of men and their systems. It says because they do not believe in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 

And I know there may be some listening today who do not give a lot of weight to what I say, and that's fine, and that's okay. So I think it's valuable to quote a more respected preacher concerning these things. Because I believe this is one of the most important doctrines in the Bible to get straight in your mind—to settle once and for all. 

And I would submit to you that it is at our peril that we adopt a system of men that we try to explain these great truths of election and the free will of man to our own satisfaction, but rather we should do as we do with the deity and the humanity of Christ, with the Trinitarian nature of the one true God, and all the secrets that belong to God. We should believe them—believe them both with equal faith—and do not try to unscrew the inscrutable, for we will necessarily do damage to one doctrine or the other in this vain attempt. 

Now listen to the words of Charles Haddon Spurgeon and his wisdom on this issue. I want to read you three quotes from the Prince of Preachers. And quotes are dangerous, right? So pay attention. 

First quote: "Mark that in the Father's drawing there is no compulsion whatever. Christ never compelled any man to come to Him against His will. If a man be unwilling to be saved, Christ does not save him against His will." 

Second quote: "They love the doctrine of election, but there's one doctrine they love better, and that is the doctrine of exclusion. They love to think that they are shut in, but they feel quite as much delight that others are shut out. May we never come to that point, my friends." 

And a third quote: "Listen carefully. in their own eyes, and very well assured of their own intellects, who while palpably ignorant of everything that is rational, are conscious that they know everything that is spiritual. Their acquaintance with theology is thoroughly exhaustive. They have learned long ago to count to five, to reckon them at their fingers' ends. One, two, three, four, five. These mystic figures comprise all the doctrines of the gospel. They know them, and they are ready to fight anybody about them. They are men of a great deal of wisdom, seeing men, Spurgeon says. But I think a man that gets a little nearer to God discovers that he does not know everything, and he's quite clear that he can no more compass the whole of divine truth than he can hold the ocean in the hollow of his hand." 

"I have long felt that I shall never understand where the two great truths of free agency and predestination meet. I believe them with equal faith, but how to reconcile them I no longer wish to know because I do not think that God intends we should know." 

Here's the wisdom, my friend. I believe in the doctrine of election because the Bible teaches it. I believe in the doctrine of the free will of man because the Bible teaches it. How to reconcile the two I do not wish to know because I do not believe God intends we should know. 

You say, "Well, I can't wrap my mind around that." No, neither can I, and neither should we try. Therefore, I cannot be an Arminian, and I cannot be a Calvinist, because both of these systems of men do violence to the revelation of God in His Word. 

I'd also encourage you to search on your computer or your phone for Spurgeon's sermon called "The Warrant of Faith." Not now. And read it. It has much more... I see people reaching, you know. It has much more depth and insight into these truths—it’s called "The Warrant of Faith." 

Well, I hate that we have to spend so much time on this, but I think it's so important that we come to understand that the doctrine of election in the Scriptures is not for our distress, it's not for our heartburn. No, it's for our encouragement, for our assurance, and it in no way violates the doctrine of the free will of man and the responsibility of man to believe. 

And the ability of man to receive the gospel as faith comes by hearing. So we see election, we see gospel power, and next we see receiving the word. 

Verse 5: "For our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit, and in much assurance, as you know what kind of men we were among you for your sake, and you became followers of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction with joy of the Holy Spirit." 

We've looked in depth at the sovereign election of God and salvation, and here we see the human side—the responsibility of man to believe, to those who receive Him. What's that mean to receive Him? John 1 makes it clear: those who believe on His name. 

To them, He gives the right to become children of God. Men are condemned because they have not believed on the name of the only begotten Son of God, John 3:18. 

Listen to verse 36 of that chapter: "He who believes in the Son has everlasting life, and he who does not believe in the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him." The last verse of our text this morning says that Jesus is going to deliver us from the wrath to come. 

If you believe Jesus, you will not experience the wrath of God. If you don't believe Jesus, the wrath of God abides on you. 

So clear if we just take what God says at face value and believe Him. A man must hear the message, the truth, the gospel. He must believe to be saved, which is the receiving, the believing, the turning from idols. 

People talk a lot about repentance, right? What's a biblical definition of repentance? Does it mean that I quit sinning? I repent of my sins? That means I have to live up to some standard, move up from where I was? 

2 Corinthians 3 says when the heart turns to the Lord, that's repentance. Here in Thessalonians chapter 1, it says when we turn from idols to serve the living and true God. That's repentance. 

Repentance is turning from what we've been trusting in to Jesus, and the important part of that is that we're turning to Jesus. And there will be in God's plan and purpose holiness in our lives—we're going to talk about that—but don't get the cart before the horse, right? Salvation is by believing; it's turning to Jesus. 

In Romans 4:3, what does the Scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness." It's imputation—our sins imputed to Christ on the cross, His righteousness credited to our account. 

This salvation is planned, brought to pass, and fully accomplished by the power and grace of God and the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit, and it is the transformation, the recreation, and the life of Christ in us, producing abounding fruit for His glory. 

Turn over to Romans 6 with me. Romans 6:2: "In light of this salvation that Paul's preaching and this transformation, this grace of God, he says, 'Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?'" 

And he says in verse 2: "Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? Or do you not know that as many of us were baptized into Christ, that word there means to be placed into, immersed into—it’s a dry verse—placed into Christ Jesus? We're placed into His death. Therefore, we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life." 

"For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him for the express purpose that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin." 

This is what happened at regeneration when we believed Jesus. Second Corinthians 5 tells us that anyone who is in Christ is a new creation. Peter tells us, "Be holy for He is holy." 

Why? Because you've been born again, recreated, made new. This is who you are. You should now walk in consistency with who you are—the new creation, the new heart, quickened spirit, the promise of the Holy Spirit indwelling in the new covenant, the life of Christ in us—this is the basis for a new kind of living. 

The believers in Thessalonica had experienced the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit when they received Jesus by faith, and the evidence was a transformed life. Verse 2 of our text: "We give thanks to God always for you all." One of my brethren from down south, you see that, right? 

"We give thanks always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers, remembering without ceasing your work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of God our Father." 

In verse 8, "For from you, the word of the Lord has sounded forth—not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place. Your faith toward God has gone out so that we do not need to say anything. For they themselves declare concerning us what manner of entry we had to you and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God." 

"And to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus, who delivers us from the wrath to come." 

The wrath to come is going to be a major theme through this epistle; we'll get more into that later because we can only do so much this morning. Remember this city, this place, Thessalonica, was a pagan place with no Christian foundation, no morality before Paul came, and yet when he came preaching the gospel by the grace of God, by the power of the Holy Spirit, and the people there received this good news message by faith, there was a transformation that was evident to the whole world. 

And they continued in the faith. They were abiding in Christ through much persecution, trusting Him, depending on His grace, His comfort, His consolation. And this walk by faith, one day at a time, was resulting in abounding fruit and a powerful witness. 

That's what we want, isn’t it? This church was an example to the believers everywhere, and it was a witness to the lost as well. Paul says, "We don't need to say anything." He didn't say that about Corinth. 

"We don't need to say anything." Your life, your testimony—it's a clear witness to all. They received the message and power. They've been transformed into new creations, and now by faith they were living in light of who they were, consistent with who they were. 

And even in great persecution, they were patiently, in hope, waiting for Jesus to come. Their hope, their focus, their anticipation was for the coming of Jesus Christ for the deliverance from all of the trials and troubles of this corrupt world. 

But their lives, in the meantime, as they waited in patient hope, were to be an example to the church and a witness to the world so that men might be saved. 

Now, brothers and sisters, this is God's salvation plan for the church. This is His intention in saving us and bringing us together in this local body. And this truth lived out in the church body in Thessalonica was a tremendous encouragement to Paul as well. 

He says, "We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in prayers." Paul was thankful. He was thankful for the work of salvation that God did in that place. He was thankful for the faithfulness of the believers there and their right doctrine and right focus. And he was thankful for the fruit that God was producing through them for His glory. 

This is how it's supposed to be. This is God's intention in saving us. This is what the church should look like: the simplicity of Christ, preaching the gospel, salvation by grace through faith, knowledge, and belief of the truths of our salvation and who we are in Christ. 

And living in light of these truths by God's grace and power through faith. And the result is fruit, is holiness, is glory for God in the church. If there's no fruit, my friends, if there's no holiness, if that's not important to us, if there's no transformation outwardly and no witness for Jesus and His saving gospel in our communities from this place, then there's something very wrong. 

God saved us to bear fruit, to be holy, to bring Him glory, and to be witnesses. I know that's your heart, and it's my heart. Our prayer here at Living Hope Church is that we'll never lose sight of this simplicity, this daily focus in abiding in Jesus. 

And that we'll be thankful, we’ll be thankful no matter what comes. And that we'll be witnesses, we'll be witnesses so that men might believe and be saved. 

Let's close in prayer. 

Father, we thank You for this wonderful, refreshing little epistle, this church in Thessalonica. Such an encouragement when we see Your grace and power at work in the lives of people. There's so many of us here in this place who can remember who we were and where we were when You brought the gospel to us through faithful witnesses and how You changed us when we believed, when we received that message and how You've worked in our lives and produced fruit.

And Father, we just desire that. We desire to be fruitful. We desire to be holy. We desire to fulfill Your will in our lives—to be witnesses as You've commanded to every creature. Help us, Lord, to remember these simple truths and to trust You with all that we can understand in this world. In Jesus' name, amen.