This past Sunday, March 14 I began teaching a series titled Faith, Hope, and Love: Becoming the Church God Desires Us To Be. The series is based on 1 Thessalonians 1:2-10. Let me type it here so you may read it.
2-5Every time we think of you, we thank God for you. Day and night you're in our prayers as we call to mind your work of faith, your labor of love, and your patience of hope in following our Master, Jesus Christ, before God our Father. It is clear to us, friends, that God not only loves you very much but also has put his hand on you for something special. When the Message we preached came to you, it wasn't just words. Something happened in you. The Holy Spirit put steel in your convictions.Several years ago I was reading this passage, and I really felt the Holy Spirit leading me to take this passage as my personal vision as well as my vision for ministry. The Spirit of God brought to my attention several characteristics Paul praised the church of Thessalonica for; however, it was the impact the Thessalonian believers had on the surrounding areas and region that stood out to me most.
5-6You paid careful attention to the way we lived among you, and determined to live that way yourselves. In imitating us, you imitated the Master. Although great trouble accompanied the Word, you were able to take great joy from the Holy Spirit!—taking the trouble with the joy, the joy with the trouble.
7-10Do you know that all over the provinces of both Macedonia and Achaia believers look up to you? The word has gotten around. Your lives are echoing the Master's Word, not only in the provinces but all over the place. The news of your faith in God is out. We don't even have to say anything anymore—you're the message! People come up and tell us how you received us with open arms, how you deserted the dead idols of your old life so you could embrace and serve God, the true God. They marvel at how expectantly you await the arrival of his Son, whom he raised from the dead—Jesus, who rescued us from certain doom. (The Message)
As I pondered this more, it struck me the church of Thessalonica had such an influence because of three specific aspects. (1) They had works of faith, (2) they had labor of love, (3) they had a strong hope in the return of Christ. Then I felt the Spirit saying to me, "Brian, live your life focused on works of faith, labor of love, and hope in the return of Christ and your life will impact the lives of many, and as you live it yourself, teach others to do the same."
Works of faith are upward toward God and are an expression of our devotion to Christ as we are led by the Spirit. Our labor of love is an inward expression of our love toward other believers and our neighbors as we seek to build community, fellowship, and accountability with them. Finally, we give and tell others of the hope we have in Christ as we patiently endure our anticipation of his second return to set all things right.
This is exactly what this series is about --- works of faith, labor of love, and an endurance of hope. I want to inspire others to live by faith, be known by love, and to bring the world hope. I pray these series will begin to do just that. A "Faith that Works" is the first session of the series, and it will be followed by "A Love that Serves" on March 21 and "A Hope that Inspires" on March 28. Let me briefly discuss with you the first session.
The word work in "works of faith" is an aversion to most of us. We do not like work. Work entails sweat, dirt, and doing something we do not want to do. So, when we hear "works of faith," we often think to ourselves, "This is something I do not want. Keep me far away."
Yet, this is not what Paul is talking about. Paul is talking about works that begin internally and are expressed externally. Works of faith begin on the inside and then they manifest on the outside. When we allow God to work in us, he changes our hearts and passions. After this process begins, we begin to incrementally behave in new ways because we have become new creatures. Isn't this what Scripture teaches. We are a new creation in Christ born again into a new life. Works of faith are a result of the Spirit of God working in us and bringing actions out of us.
Very often, we protestants become extremely nervous when we begin talking about works. After all, we are saved by grace through faith. There is nothing we can do to earn our salvation. There is nothing we can do to cause God to love us more. This fact sometimes causes us to reject any talk about works because we do not want to make a mockery of God's grace; however, grace brings faith, and the faith that grace brings produces works in our lives. If we truly have faith, then there will be works in our lives. Here let me type a few more verses for you.
21-24Wasn't our ancestor Abraham "made right with God by works" when he placed his son Isaac on the sacrificial altar? Isn't it obvious that faith and works are yoked partners, that faith expresses itself in works? That the works are "works of faith"? The full meaning of "believe" in the Scripture sentence, "Abraham believed God and was set right with God," includes his action. It's that mesh of believing and acting that got Abraham named "God's friend." Is it not evident that a person is made right with God not by a barren faith but by faith fruitful in works?Wow! This is a very powerful passage of Scripture. "Faith and works are yoked together. Faith expresses itself in works." Faith and works can not be separated. Faith produces works, and works strengthen our faith. The reformers were known to say, "We are saved by faith alone, but not by a faith that is alone." Faith is the only basis of our salvation, but the faith that brings our salvation should produce works of faith in our lives. It is not that we are earning our salvation by works, but our salvation brings works. If the Spirit of God is working in our lives, he will propel us to works of faith. Our beliefs are proved by our actions. How can we say we believe if we do not act on our beliefs?
Our faith manifests itself first in our commitment to follow Christ, and in following Christ we become imitators of him. Paul writes to the Thessalonian believers, "In imitating us, you imitated the Master." This statement is life altering. I want to be a person who is following and imitating Christ so well that if people imitate me they imitate Christ. This should be a goal of all who are serious about being a disciple. A disciple is someone who has mad a commitment to follow and imitate Christ. By default a disciple is someone who has works of faith operating in her life. There is no way around it.
If there were no bibles in print, and you were the only bible someone could read. What would they read? If you were the only bible someone could read to learn about Jesus, what would they read about him? I pray our lives are filled with works of faith worthy of a disciple of Christ. A disciple is totally committed to the Master, and he gives all he is for all Jesus is.
As we grow in Christ, and the Holy Spirit produces works of faith in our lives, we as disciples become servants. Actually, their is no distinctions between a disciple and a servant. To be a disciple, is to be a servant. Jesus came not to be served but to serve. We as his followers are not above him. We too are called to be servants. If we are not serving, then we can not be called disciples of Christ. In the church, we have overused the word volunteer. The Kingdom of Heaven does not have volunteers it has servants. A volunteer works on their own time when they feel like it, but a servant works and serves on the Lord's time as the Spirit leads, guides, and teaches.
A disciple is an imitator of Jesus who is engaged in works of faith and is completely surrendered, committed, and called to be a servant to all.
Let me give you a list of qualities and characteristics of a disciple of Christ. Here are the works of faith that are minimal in the life of a disciple. Remember, our works of faith are upward toward God and are an expression of our devotion to Christ as we are led by the Holy Spirit.
A disciple:
Prays daily -- there is no substitution for prayer
Reads Scripture daily
Lives in community with other believers
Is a servant
Is a steward of all God has entrusted to her
Is is witness of the love of Christ in word and deed
Seeks to be held accountable
Worships corporately with other Jesus followers
A disciple seeks to imitate Christ by serving the world through the power of the Holy Spirit and in so doing lives by a faith that works!
Stay tuned for the next message of this three part series.
Hotmail: Trusted email with powerful SPAM protection. Sign up now.
