Having preached this Sunday on 3 lessons from the Thessalonian church in 1 Thess 2, I mentioned that there are actually quite a few lessons we could learn from the believers in Thessalonica. I have nine here, and would guess we could find several more. 

The gospel is flourishing in Thessalonica (1:8). Paul commends the believers there for their faithfulness. This is a church held out, in many ways, as an example for us to learn from, and through Paul’s description of the ministry that happened in their church, we can derive several lessons for our own church and lives.

While my Sunday sermon only covers 3 of these lessons, I thought it would be helpful to list some of the other’s here for your own personal consideration.

1. Where the Gospel Flourishes, Christians Expect Persecution (vv1-2)
2. Where the Gospel Flourishes, Christians Prioritize God’s Opinion (vv3-6)
3. Where the Gospel Flourishes, Christians are Gentle (v7)
4. Where the Gospel Flourishes, Christians Share the Gospel (v8)
5. Where the Gospel Flourishes, Christians Share Their Lives (v8)
6. Where the Gospel Flourishes, Christians Share Authenticity (vv9-10)
7. Where the Gospel Flourishes, Christians Expect to be Challenged (vv11-12)
8. Where the Gospel Flourishes, Christians Expect the Word (vv13-14a)
9. Where the Gospel Flourishes, Christians Expect Persecution (vv14-16)

Maybe in the future, each of these would make a good individual post, but until then, I would encourage you to think about each of the above lessons in your own life. Spend a moment praying about each one, asking the Lord to show you where you may need to adjust your life or your thinking accordingly. Do you expect persecution? Or are you surprised when someone is rude to you when you share the gospel? Whose opinion matters more to you? Your friends or your Lord’s? None of us have this all nailed down with perfection; we are all a work in progress. In what ways do the above lessons from the Thessalonian church stand as a good lesson for your life?