mission minded

1 Thessalonians 1 — Paul encourages the church in Thessalonica by reminding them WHO they belong to and HOW they’re demonstrating to whom they belong. The top three attributes of Christianity are called up as Paul praises the church’s work produced by faith, their labor motivated by love, and their endurance inspired by hope. In the middle of Paul’s prayer of thanksgiving is the Holy Spirit and His work in producing joy through suffering, bringing assurance of their salvation. The chapter climaxes with praise for the church’s testimony among the believers in the region of Macedonia and Achaia, so much so that they out witness the missionaries!

There is a two-part mission statement given at the end of the chapter: to serve and to wait. We’ll keep an eye on this idea as we go through the letter (I’m thinking it’s a kind of motif throughout). But think on this for a moment. Their calling is to serve and to wait. Simple yet profound.

To serve. It’s the duty of every believer to live out the Gospel according to the principles described at the beginning of the chapter: faith, hope and love. The way Paul uses these terms suggests active personal ventures. They’re doing something with their doctrine as evidenced by their actions, and it’s known throughout the region.

To wait. Specifically in this text, they’re waiting for the return of the Lord Jesus. Yes, He is coming again; we can rest assured that Jesus will return even as He promised! Christians the world over eagerly wait for His return wherein the world will be free of sin’s curse, justice will reign and we will forever be with our Lord.

Where the Thessalonians excelled, we are called to follow their example, to be diligent in serving and eager in waiting. They were a galvanized faith community that put the Good News of Jesus Christ on display, free of factions and distractions. May your church and mine be defined by the same singular uniformity of missional minded clarity.

[ See you next week for 1 Thessalonians 2. ]