1st Sunday in Advent
November 27, 2005
1 Thessalonians 1:1-10
No Pessimism.
This year Donnie Hatt from the Chester Basin donated the Christmas tree that Nova Scotia sends to Boston every year to thank them for their help after the 1917 explosion. Mr. Hatt was no doubt very proud to donate the tree--a 14 metre white spruce. But now he is quite upset because Boston is calling it a "Holiday" tree instead of a Christmas tree. Mr. Hatt said that if he had known that he’d "have just cut it down and put it through the chipper!"
The Boston parks commissioner said that "the term ‘holiday’ is being used because it is more inclusive for those who enjoy the lights but don’t celebrate the Christian religious holiday." Translation: "Christ is out; it’s just a holiday." This is certainly not the end of the world. But it is one more subtle way in which our North American culture, which has abandoned the Christian Faith, is making it difficult for those of us who still hold that faith to express it.
This year there were other more serious developments that are putting more and more pressure on Christians. For example, Lutherans for Life Canada was denied tax exempt status because it’s biased! But what about abortion counselling in our public schools? Isn’t that biased? Speaking out against sexual orientation can now be interpreted as a hate crime and marriage has been redefined for us. Clearly our culture has rejected Christianity and is slowly but surely silencing us. That might make us pessimistic. We might get a gloomy attitude and even withdraw from the world to some extent. But that would be a serious mistake.
We need instead to reflect on the letter Paul, Silas and Timothy sent to a very young church in Thessalonica. It’s a very positive, encouraging and uplifting message. These new Christians were coming under intense social pressure to abandon this new faith. But the letter does not dwell on those troubles. It focuses instead on the power of God at work in these Christians and in their apostles. In the midst of persecution they are happy and full of faith, love and hope. They have even become missionaries and models of the Faith to the world around them.
Since we find ourselves more and more in the same situation, we will do well to listen to this part of God’s word so that we too may be strengthened for the troubles ahead of us.
Paul, Silas and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace and peace to you. We always thank God for all of you, mentioning you in our prayers. We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labour prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, because our gospel came to you not simply with words, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction. You know how we lived among you for your sake. You became imitators of us and of the Lord; in spite of severe suffering, you welcomed the message with the joy given by the Holy Spirit. And so you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia. The Lord's message rang out from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia--your faith in God has become known everywhere. Therefore we do not need to say anything about it, for they themselves report what kind of reception you gave us. They tell 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--Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath. (NIV).
Paul, Silas and Timothy went to the city of Thessalonica in Macedonia about the year 50 during Paul’s second missionary journey. This was new territory for them, part of the Western world, what would become Greece and Europe. They landed first in the city of Philippi. Things were going well until Paul cast a demon out of a slave-girl. The demon had enabled her to tell fortunes which made money for her owners. When Paul’s exorcism ended their business they stirred up a crowd and started a small riot. Since Paul and Silas were foreigners, they were assumed to be guilty, were beaten and thrown in jail. But God intervened. An earthquake got them out of jail and moved the jailer to repentance and faith in Christ. Paul and Silas were released and asked to leave the city, which they did.
Then they went down the road to Thessalonica. Again things were going well until some Jews got jealous. They gathered a mob and started a riot. This time Paul and Silas avoided jail time because one of the believers named Jason posted bail for them. The believers sent Paul and Silas to Berea, a small town off the main road. But it wasn’t long before the Jews of Thessalonica found this out. Then they went to Berea and stirred up trouble there too.
After Paul, Silas and Timothy left Thessalonica, things didn’t get better for the believers they left behind. Paul says that in spite of severe suffering, you welcomed the message with the joy given by the Holy Spirit. A little further along in the letter Paul writes, For you, brothers, became imitators of God’s churches in Judea, which are in Christ Jesus: You suffered from your own countrymen the same things those churches suffered from the Jews. (1 Thessalonians 2:14).
Now that persecution could have so discouraged these new Christians that they would have given up the faith. Or it could have made them timid or bitter. It might have made them doubt God. But instead this persecution did just the opposite! Instead of speaking of their fear and despair, Paul thanks God for your work produced by faith, your labour prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. Like athletes who improve and gain from hard training, these Christians grew in faith, love and hope because of their trials!
The apostles’ faith, love and hope rubbed off on the Thessalonians who became imitators of them and of the Lord. If ever anyone suffered for the Christian faith, it was the apostles. In 2 Corinthians, Paul gives a whole list of things he suffered as an apostle. He had been beaten and stoned and left for dead. He had been shipwrecked and lost at sea. He had been homeless, hungry and naked. But all these things he gladly to suffered so that Christ’s power would work through him. For example, when Paul and Silas spent the night in that Philippian jail, they didn’t call a lawyer or a human rights activist. They sang hymns of praise to God and God sent an earthquake!
That same spirit took hold of these new believers in Thessalonica and they became the ones to tell others about Jesus. You became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia. The Lord's message rang out from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia--your faith in God has become known everywhere. . . . They tell 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--Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath.
We have much to learn from the Thessalonians’ example for we may soon have to endure a little suffering of our own. At our Pastoral Conference a couple weeks ago, we discussed some of the implications of the new laws here in Canada concerning same-sex marriage and hate crimes. Our speaker pointed out that while clergy have some protection under the law to teach and govern the church according to church doctrine, we don’t have that privilege in public life. You cannot discriminate and refuse public services to groups identified by the law. So say you manage a restaurant. Just as you cannot refuse to serve someone because of his or her sex, race or religion, so you cannot refuse to serve someone because of his or her sexual orientation. It doesn’t matter what you believe about that. The speaker gave an example of a case in Ontario in which a printer refused to print wedding invitations for a gay couple because he didn’t want to promote something he believed was wrong. He was fined $5,000!
When that kind of pressure hits us, how will we respond? Will we adopt the world’s beliefs? Will we be quiet, maybe fearful and timid, and keep our faith private, at home and in the church? Or will we be bold like the Thessalonians and proclaim the truth in spite of suffering?
The answer depends largely on two factors. What we believe about Jesus and how sure we are that God has chosen us. Here’s what the Thessalonians believed about Jesus. They 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--Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath.
Idolatry is often politically correct. In Paul’s day Roman citizens had to recognize the divinity the emperor. There were sometimes public offerings to be made to demonstrate one’s allegiance. Today we have to be tolerant and inclusive. People expect us to demonstrate our tolerance by affirming homosexual orientation or liaisons with consenting 14 year olds or whatever. But when we affirm such things, that is agree that they’re morally right, we fear and serve our culture instead of God. We have slipped into idolatry. The Thessalonians turned from idolatry to serve the living and true God. Can we do any less?
Because of idolatry, God’s wrath is coming. There is a day when God will come to avenge himself and his people. He will save his people but his enemies he will destroy. Jesus is the one who saves us from this wrath. The proof of that claim is his resurrection. We now await his advent, his coming. Convinced that the day of vengeance is indeed coming and that Jesus will save us, we turn our backs on all form of idolatry and serve the only true and living God. If we suffer for that, so be it. We shall be in good company!
That’s what we believe, but are we sure that we are among those whom Jesus is coming to save? We don’t have Paul or one of the other apostles here to work miracles and give demonstrations of the Spirit’s power. But we do have the Word and the promise made sure to us through Baptism and the Lord’s Supper. The Holy Spirit has seen to it that we have these constant witnesses to our salvation. He who believes and is baptized shall be saved! We believe and we have been baptized. We have received Christ’s body and blood. There is no reason to doubt that Jesus is coming to save us from the coming wrath of God.
With that assurance, we can’t help but do as the Thessalonians did and spread this faith in Christ. And really, persecution helps us do that. When things are going well, people give little thought to God’s Word. But when things get shaky, when the world you thought you knew starts changing and turning against you, then you are interested in truth and the power of God. And when we are faithful under such pressure, God acts and delivers his people. Oh surely he doesn’t deliver all of us from every little inconvenience. He doesn’t even save all of us from death. But he will intervene enough so that the truth will be known. He will give clear signs of his presence so that those who will, can turn to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead--Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath.
Brothers and sisters, as this age comes to a close and the day of Jesus’ Advent draws near, we will encounter increasing opposition to our faith be it taking Christ out of Christmas or making us accept immoral practices. But there is no place for pessimism or unbelief. For God does not change. The words of the ancient Psalm are still true. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Learn from the Thessalonians. Trust in Jesus and you will live a life of faith, love and hope.