Compelled By Faith, Love and Hope

Compelled By Faith, Love and Hope
1 Thessalonians 1:2 – 2:12
January 25, 2026

Today we start our study in the book of 1 Thessalonians. This is the letter that Paul wrote to the church in Thessalonica, which many scholars believe is one of the first, if not the first, letters Paul wrote to the churches. It was written only about 20 years after the resurrection of Jesus.

But first, some background on why Paul is writing this letter. The story of Paul planting this church is found in Acts 17. Paul had just left Philippi where he was terribly mistreated by the city officials. They had Paul and Silas stripped of their clothes, beaten with rods, and thrown into jail. But then, as they were praying and worshipping God, God miraculously set them free and many were saved following this miracle.

From there, Paul and Silas traveled to Thessalonica. Paul was only in the city for three to four weeks and a major revival broke out. He established the church, appointed elders and went on to Berea, after which he went on to Corinth.

While Paul was ministering in Corinth, he was worried about this young church and sent Timothy to go check on their progress and encourage their faith.

Timothy returned with a wonderful report of their steadfastness, but they had some very important questions about the return of Christ.

What is very interesting is to see that Paul in this letter refers back to the things that he taught them already, showing that even as young Christians, he taught them deep doctrinal truths, which many people today think might be too much for young Christians or too difficult to understand.

Paul writes to them about the rapture of the church, the Antichrist, the great tribulation that is coming upon the world, and how to prepare your life as the end of the age draws near.

Jesus said to be on the alert spiritually and to watch for the “signs of the times.” Paul’s answers are key pillars in our understanding of end-time events.

This is one of the reasons this letter has so much application today. Many are looking for answers today. There is great need to understand about the latter-day events and the return of Jesus Christ.

But it’s not just about understanding prophecy and the unfolding of prophetic events, it’s about what you do with your life as you see the day drawing near.

That’s why these verses are so important. It’s about how you live, it’s about your faith, it’s about living the life that pleases God as you wait for His return. It is interesting to see that every chapter in this letter refers to the second coming of Christ.

This first section is heavily focused on exhortation to holiness; being set apart, and Paul starts off addressing three things: their work of faith, labor of love, and steadfastness of hope, which we will see speaks to their past, present, and future.

These three principles echo throughout Chapter 1 as it weaves into a beautiful synergy in how to live a steadfast, faith-grounded, God-focused life.

I. Do Works of Faith

• Paul starts of by saying that he gives thanks to God for them, constantly reminded of their work of faith.
• It is important to remember that it is not faith in works, in other words, doing works so that one can be acceptable to God. The works we do is because of our faith and what Christ has done for us.
• We Look to Jesus, Author and finisher of our faith…

A. Faith has to do with looking back

Illus – When I look back over my life….(song)

• Faith is built on something. It rests on the past. But faith doesn’t look back on one’s own works, failures, or successes, because in that there is only despair. No, faith looks back to what Jesus did and accomplished on the cross.
• Faith looks back at the evidence of God’s faithfulness. Faith looks back at fulfilled prophecies and sees them fulfilled in Jesus.
• Faith looks back on God’s saving grace, God’s unfathomable love towards us, and the peace that our reconciliation with God brings to the heart.
• Faith looks back over the failures of your life and see it covered by the blood, washed away, wiped clean.
• It is putting your faith in the grace, good news, and the goodness of God.

B. This faith moves into action

• This faith and good news move one to action.

Illus – Let’s say it is your birthday and you love donuts… You need faith in good news based on evidence which moves to action. And then you tell everybody, because the good news is free. You are not paying for it when you pay it forward.

• This faith becomes the foundation for the actions of the present.

II. Continue in Labor of Love

• Your service is the now build on faith, flowing from faith, energized by Spirit.
• Flowing from the love of God, the faith you are built on affects your actions in the now. Not seeing something as good news doesn’t really activate you to labor of love.
• But good news does activate labor of love.

Verse 7-8, But we proved to be gentle among you, as a nursing mother tenderly cares for her own children. Having so fond an affection for you, we were well-pleased to impart to you not only the gospel of God but also our own lives, because you had become very dear to us.

• When you experience the love of God and His Spirit changes you to see others as God sees them, you are moved to labor of love.

Ilus – A loving parent will go to great lengths to do something for their kids…

• When you understand the good news and grace, then you labor in love because you see what the end result will be. You can love people graciously because you see the potential in them and what God sees them as. You can see the beautiful gem that is hidden by the mud and dirt of this world.

2 Corinthians 5:14,  For the love of Christ controls and urges and impels us (AMP)

• Impelled implies a deep internal urge, and motivation that drives to action.

A. He is Lord giving direction

• Again – look to Jesus the author and the finisher of our faith.
• Now, because of your faith built on looking back to the sacrifice of the Savior on the cross (past), you now work in the present looking to Jesus – Look up to the Crowned Savior.
• The crowned Savior represents that HE is LORD of my life. Then…

Philippians 2:13, for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.

• Don’t grow tired of doing good. If you are tired, wait on Him to restore. Don’t let worry and stress occupy your life (refer to peace.)
• You cannot pour from an empty cup.

Illus – 1 Kings 19 – Elijah had to eat rest, be restored before he could continue on the journey.

• When you are at peace, grounded in faith, you can labor in love.

B. Be an example

• V7 – They were an example to the churches around them. We are called to be an example. But not by trying hard to be perfect in our own power, but examples of what God does as we surrender to Him and He changes us from the inside out.
• V6 – They became imitators of Paul and the Lord. People become imitators of us AND the LORD. They were not FORCED to become imitators, they were invited to it. They chose to become imitators, of them and of Christ, because there was life.
• The person you are aligning with first is Christ. We follow others who have walked the road before us, but they are not your primary model. Jesus is.
• Still, we are called to model Christ with the realization that others are, to a degree, modeling us.

Illus – The  word used for example in the Greek can be used in stamping an image on a coin, an impression.

• We are leaving impressions in and on the lives of people. This is a powerful picture to think about. God give me grace to leave the image of you behind, and erase what is not of you.
• Another perspective is that Paul says he carries the mark of Christ. When he was with them, he still had the bruises and the wounds of the lashings physically on His body because of resistance to the gospel.
• We will have much hostility in this world. The Gospel challenges human pride and self-indulgence, and sometimes that can impact us.
• But how you deal with it becomes a witness to others.

Illus – Paul and Silas started worshipping in prison and many lives were impacted by it.

• Do you bear the marks of standing for Christ? Are you sometimes ridiculed? Do you sometimes stand alone against a crowd?
• Paul says then we should rejoice! When you join Him in His suffering you will join Him in His resurrection. What a glorious Hope!!

James 1:12, Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. 

• That brings us to the last point.

III. Hold on to hope

• If faith rests on the past, and labor of love is active in the present, then hope is the anchor in the future. But it is an anchor with an elastic cord attached to it, pulling forward. We look to the future, to the Coming Savior.
• What energized them in the now? It was the foundation of faith (past), and the Hope of the future.
• This hope is a very specific hope, an unwavering hope in the return of our Lord Jesus Christ.
• That frames our life purpose. It puts everything we do into perspective. It should be the paramount driving/ pulling force in our lives.
• This is not eternity. The things we most of the time spend our energy and time on are fleeting. We should always have in clear focus what has eternal impact.

A. Break down the idols

• V9 – Paul says that they had the wonderful report that they have turned away from idols to wait for His Son from Heaven.
• What is an idol? It is anything that is more important than God.

Illus- When Paul got to Athens, he found that they had many idols. Researchers believe there were around 30 000 idols set up to thousands of gods. They had gods for everything. Aphrodite, goddess of sensuality and lust, Bacchus – god of partying, having fun, drinking, addiction, Hermes – god of trade and finance, also of athletic contests, etc. etc.

• What is a god (idol) in your live? What is more important than God? Your career, work, money, sport, fame, acceptance, patriotism, fun?
• Has it slipped almost unnoticed into the primary position in your life? Does it affect your peace, your love, your faith, your view of other people? Does it consume your time, all your energy?
• This is why sin is a personal thing. Only you know what has become an idol in your heart and has become more important than God or His will in your life. Even a good thing can be an idol if not in the right position.

Illus – Loving and caring for your kids…

• Every idolator is a prisoner. They become prisoners of their own design.

Psalm 135:18, Those who make (them idols) will be like them, yes, everyone who trusts in them.

• You design your captor. The enemy comes with temptation, but you create it. You have power to create. You create the trap that imprisons you. If God isn’t Lord in it, you create the business empire that suffocates. You create the sport drive that destroys. You create the casual sexual encounters that kills your soul.
• And it doesn’t happen quickly. It is like death by a thousand paper cuts.
• Want death? Serve a dead god or the god that leads to death. This world is cold, materialistic, unforgiving.

Illus – I have seen or been in some of the most affluent places, yet there is no life. It is all dead things. ( Cars, houses, hotels, palaces, casinos, lights.) Dead things cannot bring life.

• Want life? Serve the living God.
• This is why we follow Christ. You become more alive the more you become like Him.
• What can replace Jesus? We ask this question in the light of our blessed hope. Can anything give you blessed eternal hope besides Him?
• This should shape your values, which should shape your life.

B. Wait for the Son of Heaven

• 1 out of every 13 verses in the New Testament exhorts us towards this, pointing to the return of Christ.
• This is the motivation driving our priorities. It drives you to personal holiness and sharing, living the gospel, keeping in mind that He is coming back ( May I find you busy at my return.)

C. He delivers from wrath to come

• V10 – This faith, hope and love rescue us from the wrath to come.
• The great tragedy in our time is the societal absence of fear, reverend awe, of God.

Illus – In the past all civilizations feared gods. The Greeks, for example,  were so fearful that they might offend a god that they might not know, and that is why they had an idol to the god without a name whom Paul then introduced to them.

• When then encountering the true God, they had a healthy fear of God, because they understood God is Holy and, Eventually, holiness demands justice.
• We are now in a dispensation of grace, but a day is coming when the wrath of God will be poured out; the revulsion of God against anything contrary to His nature.
• Jesus saves us from that wrath.

1 Thessalonians 5:9, For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ

• 2:12, Paul urged them to walk in a way worthy of the Lord.
• We are called out to be holy. When we look to our past, we are called to make a decisive break with idols. This is done by putting out faith in Christ.
• In the present we are called to active service to God: Fruit of Love.
• Then we look to the future: Patiently waiting for the coming blessed hope.
• In short: Turn, serve, wait.