The Context of Thessalonica

Today I’m starting a three-week series called Standing Firm. It’s based on one of Paul’s letters in the New Testament. Paul wrote about half the books in the New Testament, and one of those was to a church located in northern Greece, the city of Thessalonica, and he wrote some words to really encourage them to stand firm in their faith.

I was thinking, you know, today is Father’s Day, and this book is so relevant because one of the metaphors, one of the images that Paul uses to describe his investment in the church there—him and Paul and Timothy and Silas—he said that when we were with you, we were like a mom and we were like a dad to you. And both of these are images showing that we were there, we mentored you, we invested our lives, our hearts with you to really encourage you and to have this lasting legacy, which we’re going to hear about, in Thessalonica that began with Paul’s ministry there.

What happened is Paul went to Thessalonica and preached the gospel, and there was a mix of people who accepted Christ. There were some Jews, there were some God-fearing Greeks, and there were some very prominent women that Luke describes in Acts who came to faith. They became sort of the nucleus of the new church in Thessalonica. And Paul, I’m sure, would have wanted to stay a little bit longer, but there was a riot, there was a mob scene that took place, and because of his faith and his message, they ran him out of town. And so, he left quicker than he had hoped. He was burdened with wondering, how are they doing? Are they still standing firm? Because, sort of as their spiritual father, he was no longer physically present with them.

It’s kind of like some of us can relate when you send your kids off to university for the first time, and they’re navigating a new environment, and they don’t have your physical presence there in their life, and you’re just wondering, you know, how are they doing? Are they standing firm in the midst of that new environment? Some of you have immigrated to Canada, and you’ve left homes and family back home, and I’m sure your folks are wondering, how are they doing? Are they standing firm? That’s sort of the thrust of what we get in this particular book.

Today I’m going to talk about how we stand firm like Paul. I just kind of want to be like Paul as Paul was following the Lord. I want to talk about investing in a legacy that really lasts. We’re going to discover that legacy isn’t so much what we leave for people; it’s what we live in people that’s living and breathing in their hearts, their soul, their faith, their vision, courage, and believability.

Then next week, I’m going to talk about how to stay grounded, because Paul was so concerned that people not only began, but they continued in a life-changing relationship with the Lord. We’re living in a time when there’s a real discipleship crisis in the church, capital C, throughout North America. I just really want to help us do a little assessment: what are some of the marks of being an authentic disciple, an authentic follower of Jesus Christ, and how can we stay grounded in him?

And then the final week, I’m going to talk about grieving well. The topic is Grieve Well. Paul, with a real pastoral heart, wanted to answer some questions that he was being asked by the church there in Thessalonica. One of the questions they had is: what happens when a believer dies? What about the hope of the second coming of Jesus? When is all that going to come? How do we experience hope in the midst of sadness and loss in our life? So I’m going to talk about what the scriptures teach us in this book about grieving well.

The Backstory: The Walking Wounded

But now let’s just sort of jump in. If you have your notes there in the next step guide, Paul jumps in in chapter 2 and verse 1. He said, “And you know, brothers and sisters, that our visit to you was not without results.” It may have been shorter than we had hoped because of persecution, but it was not a failure, right? Let’s not just sort of jump over these words here. Paul identifies them in a very meaningful way: he calls them brothers and sisters. In other words, what Paul wants them to understand is that when you’re a believer in Christ, regardless of your background, you are part of God’s forever family. You are brothers and you are sisters in Christ. Paul is saying, “I’m your spiritual father and I’m away from you now, but you’re not alone. You are part of God’s family.” The church is not a building; the church is not an institution. The church is a family where we have this relational connection, encouraging one another as we seek to do something great in what God is doing.

And so then Paul goes on and he says, “We had previously suffered and been treated outrageously in Philippi, as you know, but with the help of our God, we dared to tell you his gospel in the face of strong opposition.” It is very important for us to understand that notice Paul says “in Philippi.” In other words, before he got to Thessalonica, he brought the gospel to a city just a little bit north of Thessalonica, in Philippi. Many of you are familiar with what happened there. He came to Philippi, preached the gospel, and there were many people who received Christ. There were some Jews, and there was a prominent businesswoman by the name of Lydia who opened up her home to the Lord. The church was getting started there, but again, Paul was persecuted. In fact, the Bible says he was severely flogged. He was publicly, brutally tortured and flogged and beaten, and then he was thrown in prison.

Remember what happened when he ended up in prison? Instead of complaining, he worshiped the Lord at midnight. And he led the Philippian jailer and his wife and family to the Lord. The jailer, it says, bandaged Paul’s wounds and gave him a meal, but then Paul had to leave because of all the persecution going on there. And so what we need to understand is that by the time Paul hobbled into town in Thessalonica, his next stop, he was like the walking wounded, right? He wouldn’t have healed up immediately from some of the beatings that had taken place while he was in Philippi. And yet, in the midst of being sort of amongst the walking wounded, Paul came. And with courage and passion and conviction, he was not dissuaded from the mission of sharing the good news that Christ had called him to. You can read about the backstory of what happened when he visited Thessalonica in Acts chapter 17, verses 1 to 9. I’ve got that in your notes, and I hope that you’ll take the time to read the summary of his visit there.

Footsteps of Paul: A Travel Update

I brought a map here that’s going to come up on the screen just to kind of give you a little context of what’s going on. This is part of Paul’s second missionary journey. In the bottom right-hand corner, if you follow the green arrows, you see, of course, there’s Jerusalem. North of Jerusalem is Antioch. At that particular time, Antioch had become the center of global Christianity. This mission-sending church in Antioch commissioned Paul and the others to go out and share the gospel. So Paul went north—you see Tarsus here, which was a world-class city in Paul’s day, and that’s his hometown. Paul was very learned, very well trained, cultured in Judaism and philosophy and just the learning of his day.

When Paul went up there, he wanted to actually stay in what is now modern-day Turkey. In that day it was called Asia. He actually wanted to go to Asia, not meaning China and India—that would come later with other believers. But Asia was the Roman province in a lot of what is modern-day Turkey. So he kind of wanted to go there, right? Sort of go east. But the Lord actually wanted him to go west to bring the gospel into Europe for the very first time. And so a man appeared to Paul in a dream one day, and he was from Macedonia. He said, “Would you come over here and help us?” Just a little reminder that it’s always good to be sensitive to the leadings and the promptings of God when making major decisions and initiatives. So he went, and then he crossed over into Philippi and then down to Thessalonica. Then they went from Thessalonica eventually down to Athens in the south, Corinth, and then eventually Paul, after spending 18 months in Corinth, took a ship over to Ephesus, and his ministry carried on from there.

Now these are all real places you can visit today. Karen and I just got back a couple weeks ago from a trip to Greece, which was just incredible. So I got a few pictures here, kind of walking in the footsteps of Paul. This is one day of just a spectacular afternoon: we’re actually standing at Mars Hill at the base of the Acropolis in ancient Athens, which was kind of like the citadel of the city, and Paul proclaimed Christ on that particular hill, Mars Hill, as recorded in the book of Acts.

The next day we took a day trip over to Corinth. We had a tour guide and did a deep dive on this city where Paul spent eighteen months. A lot of archaeological ruins have been unearthed there. Here’s a picture with our tour guide, which is an outside mural of Paul and his conversion. Then you’ll see him standing on a platform—that’s the Bema, the judgment seat that we visited and got pictures of in ancient Corinth, where he gave a public defense of his faith in the midst of just a busy life going on in the center of Corinth. In fact, when we first went to Corinth, we made a stop at Cenchrea, which was the port where Paul would have arrived by ship. I’ve got a little video clip there to show you of this:

“Well hello friends, I’m here, Karen and I, with a wonderful tour guide here in the port in the ancient city of Corinth where the Apostle Paul would have come and made some visits back in the first century. And right here I’m on the site of a church that has a baptistery that dates back 1500 years to the 5th century A.D., where followers of Jesus were professing their faith in the Lord, the same Lord that Paul came to bring the gospel here, along with Priscilla and Aquila, as we know recorded in the Bible in Acts chapter eighteen. And so we’re just so grateful for the historicity of the Bible and for the life and ongoing influence of Paul’s life that we see here in the remains of this ancient site again dating back to fifteen hundred years ago, A.D. What a wonderful day. Thank you.”

It was nice to be in Corinth, and we also, as part of our tour, actually got to Ephesus, just again experiencing some of the archaeological work that has been done there. I’ve got a picture of the ancient library of Ephesus, which would have been one of the most prestigious libraries in the day, because Ephesus back then was a world-class city. Just down the road from the library is the outdoor amphitheater that sat 24,000 people, literally on the ground where Paul would have given a defense of the gospel in the middle of a riot that broke out because of the good news that he was sharing about Jesus Christ. Then, you know, we were on a cruise, so we actually got to some islands that were amazing, and one of those was Crete, which is another place that Paul visited, and just some really great scenic things there. We had a great visit with the church there in Crete, a nice little chat with one of the young adults who works at that particular church. If you’re ever visiting any of the Greek islands, sort of the crowning jewel of the islands is the island of Santorini, just so scenic. Karen and I were able to spend some time there, which was remarkable. But again, just the historicity of Paul and the New Testament writings is incredible.

The Heart of a Father

Jumping back in, in 1 Thessalonians 3, Paul goes on and says in your notes: “So when we could stand it no longer, we thought it best to be left by ourselves in Athens,” because Paul’s in Athens now, right? And he said, “but we’re going to make some sacrifices and we’re going to send Timothy up your way. We sent Timothy, who is our brother”—now, how old was Timothy? Well, he was a whole generation younger than Paul, but yet again, he called him our brother—”and co-worker in God’s service in spreading the gospel of Christ, to strengthen and to encourage you in your faith so that no one would be unsettled by these trials. And for this reason, when I could stand no longer, I sent to find out about your faith. I was afraid”—we see the humanity of Paul—”that in some way the tempter had tempted you, and that our labors might have been in vain.”

Next week I’m going to talk about how to stay grounded in Christ; there will be spiritual attacks, trials, and temptations, and we need some wisdom around that. This is what Paul was concerned about, but then he said this: “But here’s the good news: Timothy has just come back. We sent him up to you, now he’s come back, and he’s brought some good news about your faith and your love.” In other words, you’re standing firm! And he said, “He has told us that you always have pleasant memories of us, and that you long to see us just as we long to see you.” So you see this warm relationship between Paul and the church that’s growing in Thessalonica.

And so it leads to kind of the theme verse of this short series I’m doing, and it’s chapter 3 and verse 8, where Paul says: “For now we really live,” in other words, this is why we do what we do, this is what brings us real joy, “since you are standing firm in the Lord.” I love those two words: standing firm. Nothing means more to us than to know that you’re not wavering, unstable, or shaky, but you are strong and stable in your faith. And really, isn’t that what we want for ourselves, for our loved ones, for our kids and grandkids, and for people who are taking next steps? New believers in our congregation—we want to be standing firm in our faith, in our biblical convictions, and in our relationship with Christ. We want to stand firm in our marriage and firm in our relationships with others.

Well, how do you do that? How do you actually stand firm in the insanity of the culture in which we’re living today? And the answer is this, the big idea: To stand firm, you must build your life on God’s unchanging purposes. You need to build your life on God’s unchanging purposes, not yours, and not the shifting values of the culture. You need to build it on God’s unchanging purposes. And that’s exactly what Paul did. It wasn’t an easy assignment, and it won’t be an easy assignment for us, but it’s the best way to live our lives to stand firm.

I did a little summation of this Macedonian vision in northern Greece. He went to Philippi and what happened? Many came to faith, the church got started, but also there was torture, a time in jail, an earthquake, and then he escaped. Then he went down to Thessalonica. What happened there? The church got started, but also there was a mob, a riot, and he had to escape from Thessalonica after a few weeks. Then he went down to Berea and he almost hit repeat, right? Same deal: mob scene, riot, escape. What is it that kept Paul going and kept him strong and firm in his life? It’s because he had built his life on God’s unchanging purposes.

What makes what was relevant for Paul relevant for us? The answer is that we’re called as well to live a life on purpose—to know Christ and to make him known to others, to live a kind of life that points other people consistently to Jesus Christ. So I hope you’re taking notes this morning because here’s God’s purpose. If we’re going to stand firm, we need to know what our purpose is. Here it is: God’s purpose is that you know, love, and serve Jesus Christ. God’s purpose for every one of you is that you would know Christ personally, and not just cognitively and intellectually. To love him with our mind, but to know him and to also love him—to get more and more acquainted with him, to spend time with him, to get to know more of his heart, his whispers, his leadings, his promptings in your life. The more that you learn about him, spend time with him, and grow in him, the more clarity it’s going to give you about how you can serve Him and make a difference in the world in which you live.

Pastor J.D. Greear summarizes what this means beautifully. He said, “Following Jesus means doing whatever you do, whatever you do vocationally—whether it’s in the school system, as a healthcare worker, an accountant, an artist, or in your home, family, or community—whatever you do, do it well for the glory of God and do it somewhere strategic for the mission of God.” In other words, you don’t just go to church, you are the church. As you live out your life with excellence, commitment, and integrity, you shine your light. Pastor Leonard Anderson eloquently challenged all of us at the Coliseum to turn our light on in the midst of the darkness and let it shine. You live for the glory of God. You do it well for the glory of God and to continue the mission of Jesus Christ in the world where God has placed you.

How do we do that? How do we bring the best out of each other when life is not the best? How do we be like Paul? He was a walking wounded man, and yet he still was able to pour into people this great legacy. Here are three ways:

Step 1: Exemplify a Growing Faith

First, exemplify a genuinely authentic and growing faith. Faith often is not simply taught—although it does need to be taught and truth and the Bible are a part of that—but it also is caught. That’s what happened. They saw in Paul his passion, his courage, his integrity. It says here in chapter 1 and verse 6 that Paul said: “You became imitators of us and of the Lord.” In other words, they saw something in Paul’s life, his commitment, and his passion for the truth that they wanted to imitate, to become like him as he followed the Lord. And he said, “You welcomed the message in the midst of severe suffering and in the joy given by the Holy Spirit. And so you became”—I love this—”you actually became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia.” In other words, both in the northern part of Greece and then down to the southern part, people were hearing the news of your faith in Christ.

Friends, this was in a time where there was no technology, right? There wasn’t social media, there wasn’t Instagram, there wasn’t TikTok or any of that, and yet the message went out because of the transformation that was taking place in their life. It was a very, very powerful thing. Author Chris Hodges puts it this way: “The life you live today becomes the legacy that you leave tomorrow.” The life that you and I live today becomes the legacy that we leave for tomorrow. And so let me ask you: I wonder, is your faith something that’s worth modeling to others? Is your faith, your heart for God, your integrity, and what you represent pointing people to Jesus? Are you an example—albeit an imperfect one—where someone can look at you and say, “I see something of Jesus in your life”?

As your new teaching pastor, I want to really encourage all of us to continue using our next steps guide every Sunday to help us take next steps. I want to bring some resources to your mind that will help you continue to know and to love Christ so you can serve Him more effectively in the world. I want to encourage a little summer reading list. First, read 1 Thessalonians—there are five chapters, so you can read one chapter a day this week, and then take a little time to reflect on the weekend. If you want to read more about the second missionary journey, go to Acts 16 to 18. Then I want to mention three books that I’ve read in recent months that I think would be really great; you can cherry-pick one for summer reading:

• Chris Hodges has a brand new book called Legacy Letters. Chris has written about 32 principles that he has learned and lived and wants to pass on to others that are really quite transformative.
• Another book is by a pastor named Matt Smethurst, who has done an incredible amount of research on all of the writings and sermons of Tim Keller. Many have compared Tim Keller to the C.S. Lewis of our time. Tim was promoted to heaven a couple of years ago, and this book synthesizes his teaching on the Christian life in a very readable and engaging way.
• I mentioned J.D. Greear. He has a newer book called Everyday Revolutionaries. That’s where we are all supposed to be as we live out the Great Commission—everyday revolutionaries knowing how to transcend and not get wrapped up in culture wars, but living as salt and light to transform the world around us.

Step 2: Prioritize Blessing and Encouraging Others

Number two is to make it your life’s priority to truly bless and encourage others. Again, I want to be like Paul, because you know what I see in Paul? The reminder that you can’t lead people unless you love people. Unless you really love them, are interested in them, and care about them. What’s so amazing to me about Paul is that Paul probably didn’t even have any biological children, right? There’s no mention of Paul’s family or kids in the New Testament. And so, even though he did not have biological kids, he had scores of spiritual children that he poured into. I’m so grateful that in our church we are a community of so many mentors—people who have a spiritual influence not only on your own kids, but on other kids. I just want to cheer you on.

Think about the kids we’re commissioning to summer ministry, summer camp, the team going on a mission trip to El Salvador, and Vacation Bible School. Let’s continue to be the kind of church that our kids, grandkids, and their friends really love to attend because we’re taking the time to pour into them. Here’s how Paul describes it in 1 Thessalonians chapter 2 and verse 8: “We loved you so much that we shared with you not only God’s good news, but our own lives too.” And then he said, “And you know how we treated each of you as a father.” Earlier Paul said we were like a mother who was nurturing and encouraging you, now he says we’re like a father who treats you as his own children. “We pleaded with you, encouraged you, and we urged you to live lives in a way that God would consider worthy for the Lord that He called you to His kingdom and His glory.”

How do we do that? How do we live in a way that prioritizes people?

• Be more present. Take the time to slow down and create margin in your life, because there’s nothing more important than pouring into and encouraging other people to live out God’s best version for their life. You know what I’ve discovered with margin? You not only become more productive, but you become more present. With margin in your life, you become more present, more aware, because it takes time to listen, to remember, to celebrate, and to notice. A few days ago, I had a conversation with a wonderful mentor of mine—a guy who has been in ministry for 50-plus years and has incredible faithfulness to the Lord. We had a great chat, and later that night he sent me a text message: “Jerry, I always enjoy our chats. Call again.” I love those two words: call again. In other words, call anytime; I’m here to bless you, encourage you, pray with you. I wonder if there are some people in your life who would benefit if you took time to notice them, reach out to them, and be an encouragement to say, “Hey, reach out anytime. I’m here for you.”
• Prayerfully help them with their next step. Notice Paul goes on and says in chapter 3 and verse 9: “How we thank God for you! Because of you, we have great joy as we enter God’s presence.” In other words, they were on Paul’s prayer list. He was praying for them. And he said, “Night and day we pray earnestly for you, asking God to let us see you again to fill the gaps in your faith.” I love that: fill the gaps. Did you know that all of us have gaps in our faith—areas where we need to still grow? We need to be praying, “God, as I mentor and pour into others as a spiritual father or spiritual mother, what are some of the gaps, some of the ways that I could help them, resource them, and encourage them in their life?”

Step 3: Remain Steadfastly Faithful

Finally, point number three: Never minimize the importance of remaining steadfastly faithful, even on hard days. Really stand firm because life is hard. It was hard for Paul. He was amongst the walking wounded, and yet I’m so grateful because of Paul’s faithfulness in building his life on God’s unchanging purposes. We actually have three letters now in the New Testament that come out of that Macedonian mission: we have the book of Philippians, which is an incredible book, and we have 1 and 2 Thessalonians as well.

My challenge to all of us is to make a commitment to stand firm. Because it’s only when we stand firm that we’re able to really build our life on those unchanging purposes of God. Paul goes on in chapter 4 and verse 1: “Finally, dear brothers and sisters,”—here’s that affectionate term again because the church is a family, brothers and sisters—”we urge you in the name of the Lord Jesus to live in a way that pleases God, as we have taught you, as we’ve modeled for you, we’ve instructed you. And then he said, you live this way already, and we encourage you to do so even more.” In other words, don’t stop growing; don’t stop learning. Because your purpose is to know, love, and serve Jesus Christ with your life.

One of the other experiences Karen and I had during our time away was getting down to The Cove, which is the Billy Graham Training Center in North Carolina. We love getting there for a pastors’ retreat. Our speaker at this particular event was a guy named Dr. Don Wilton. Don’s claim to fame is he was actually Billy and Ruth Graham’s pastor for the last 25 years of their life. He helped to organize their funerals and was very close to the family. A lot of Saturdays he would hang out with Billy and Ruth in their home up along Black Mountain. He shared a lot of incredible stories with us, but one of the key takeaways that really impacted Karen and me came when he spoke about retiring from the church he had served in Spartanburg for many years.

He said that he and his wife, into his 70s, got down on their knees one day at home and recommitted the rest of their life to serving the purposes of God. He said essentially what we did is made this prayer to the Lord: “Lord, my prayer is not just, ‘Yes, I will serve you.’ My calling is, ‘Yes, I will never stop serving you.'” They made a commitment that as they headed into their 70s and 80s, they didn’t just want to serve, they made a commitment to never stop serving the Lord.

I wonder if there are some of you here today who have been walking with Christ for some time, but maybe you’ve become the walking wounded, or other things in life have distracted you. Maybe it’s an opportunity for you to make that renewed commitment to Christ: “I’m not just going to serve the Lord, but I am never going to stop serving the Lord.” When you make that kind of decision, that’s what will enable you to stand firm and to invest your life in a legacy that lasts well beyond your time.