Power Being the Power to Others

Power

Being the Power to Others

When we live out the Gospel and share our testimony we do it

With Words

With Power

With the Holy Spirit

With Deep Conviction

The results are

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. 7 And so you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia.1 Thessalonians 1:6,7

They “became imitators”

Live the powerful life full of the Spirit rejoicing in all things

Even suffering and others will want to imitate you

Paul said be imitators of me as I am of Christ 1 Corinthians 11:1

That is powerful!

Being the Power to Others

Have you ever felt God was

calling someone to become His child?

That feeling that you have when talking

to someone and you get excited about

telling them about Christ’s love for them.

You know God is reaching

out to draw them to Himself.

That is what Paul is talking

about in 1 Thessalonians…

For we know, brothers loved by God,

that he has chosen you

1 Thessalonians 1:4

How did Paul know God was

calling these people to Himself?

…because our gospel came to you not simply with words,

 but also with power, with the Holy Spirit

and with deep conviction.

1 Thessalonians 1:5

Paul says “our gospel”.

The Gospel of Jesus Christ must be

personalized in order to have power.

The other day I was talking to a man and

felt the eagerness to share Christ with him.

I found myself telling him I was 64 years

old and I was raised in a Christian home.

In 64 years I have found many things

that I was interested in but many of

those things only lasted a short time.

But Christ is more wonderful today

than He was when I was a child.

Nothing in my 64 years can

compare to Christ in my life.

It seemed as if out of all the other things I said to him

this had a powerful impact in his heart and mind.

You see our gospel is not just words they are

powerful and the Holy Spirit uses your

experiences to work conviction in the lives of others.

Paul also goes on the say…

You know how we lived among you for your sake.

1 Thessalonians 1:5

I try to live as a good example in everything

I do but after talking to this man I am

compelled to see the power of the Holy Spirit

draw him into the joy of salvation.

Later that day when I went out to

get lunch I picked up a meal for him.

I felt the power of God reaching out to

this man and it changed my schedule.

 I did not have time to talk, but I took the

time, I used my money to help feed him.

I realized that I have to be

the power of the Holy Spirit.

My life and the way I live

 around others is powerful.

No wonder Paul starts by saying…

“For we know, brothers loved by God’.

You and I meet and know people

every day that are loved by God.

People God has chosen.

Live your gospel, tell your testimony.

Paul said he came to them…

With Words

With Power

With the Holy Spirit

With Deep Conviction

The results are…

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. 7 And so you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia.

1 Thessalonians 1:6,7

They “became imitators”

Paul was not a casual Christian

and neither were his followers.

Live the powerful life full of

the Spirit rejoicing in all things…

Even suffering and others

will want to imitate you.

Paul said be imitators of me as I am of Christ.

1 Corinthians 11:1

That is powerful!

Scripture Reading

1 Thessalonians 1:4-2:1 NIV

4 For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, 5 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. 6 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. 7 And so you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia. 8 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, 9 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, 10 and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead — Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath.