Chapter 1
And you became imitators of us and of the Lord…1 Thessalonians 1:6a – Would this statement be a contradiction if this was said by you? Meaning here Paul is sharing that the people he is writing to were imitating Jesus’ life and imitating his life and those two worked together. Them imitating Jesus and them imitating Paul didn’t lead them in two different directions because Paul’s life was following Jesus too. So for you, if this was asked of your life and you were to have someone imitate your life, would them imitating you and Jesus work together or contradict each other? We have to realize that in whatever setting we are in in life people are looking up to us and if we profess to be a Christian they are examining our life to see what a Christian life is like. Let’s make sure our life is imitating Jesus’ life so if someone chose to imitate us, they too would be imitating the life of Jesus. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac
And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you received the word in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit, so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. 1 Thessalonians 1:6-7 – There is only one way that they could be imitators of those speaking here and also imitating the Lord in the way they live their life. That only way is if the ones writing, who set the example for them, were first imitating Christ themselves with their life. We need to live such a life that if someone were to fully imitate us they would be imitating the life of Christ. I know, that’s a huge undertaking and may highlight a few areas that need changing. But that’s the point of this journey isn’t it? To day by day grow more into imitating the way our Savior lived so others can get a glimpse of who He is. So ask yourself what areas of your life if someone were to imitate them wouldn’t help them be living more like Jesus? Begin seeing how you yourself can live more like Jesus in those areas so when people see those parts of your story it only helps them draw that much closer to Jesus. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 1268
We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly mentioning you in our prayers, 3 remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Thessalonians 1:2-3 – Paul is writing a letter to a church that he planted in Thessalonica after hearing of some of the concerns they are having. One unique thing that I missed in my first read through, but noticed after a commentary pointed it out, was that Paul’s three virtues that we find at the end of 1 Corinthians 13 are found here within this church. Faith, Hope, and Love. This church had a faith that was spurring them to good works for the Lord. This church had a love that was willing to labor after the harvest and one another. Finally, this church had a hope in the Lord that was steadfast even through the afflictions they were facing. Their faith, hope, and love were evident and was having an impact on those around them. Let’s be a church today that such things are evident within us as well. That when our city and families think on us, they remember the works we did that were spurred on by our faith in Jesus and how deeply we showed loved to one another and them. Let us be a church that our hope in the Lord is clearly seen by others through how we handle the hardships that come our way. Having faith, hope, and love active and displayed within this church not only had an impact on the neighboring lands that didn’t know the gospel, but it also was an encouragement to those in the faith like Paul. Let’s say yes then to the work our faith in God leads us to, let’s say yes to the opportunities to show love, and let’s say yes to placing our hope in Christ even when the season seems hopeless. Such a “yes” will have a greater impact than you may ever know. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 2772
Chapter 2
So, being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you had become very dear to us. 1 Thessalonians 2:8 – A passion for seeing the lost coming to know Jesus begins with you growing a love for the lost. We see Paul opening his own heart to these people saying because he loves them so much he wanted them to know about the Gospel and was willing to give up everything he had, even his life, in order for them to hear about Jesus’ love for them. Paul’s gospel centered life began with a love for the people he was sharing it with. Do you love the lost like that? The people that are different than you because they don’t know about Jesus and know how to live for Him, does your heart ache for them to know Jesus not only because you know they need Him but also because you have chosen to love them? When you love someone, it changes how much you’re willing to give up in order for them to be rescued. If you want to see the people around you coming to know Jesus, begin with choosing to love them. Let that love propel you to do what’s necessary in order for them to hear the Good News of Jesus’ love for them. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac
But though we had already suffered and been shamefully treated at Philippi, as you know, we had boldness in our God to declare to you the gospel of God in the midst of much conflict. 1 Thessalonians 2:2 – Don’t let past let downs of when sharing the gospel didn’t go so well hold you back from future sharing. Here Paul speaks about how badly they were treated in Philippi, yet steps up and says that even with that in the rearview mirror they chose to boldly continue sharing the Gospel to the Thessalonians. I betcha you as well have stories of when you’ve tried to talk about Jesus with someone yet the end result wasn’t pretty. If you don’t yet, you will when you start talking about Him with others! So how we choose to react after those times really matters. Do we shut down saying we’ll never do that again or choose to accept not everyone will listen but some will so I’ll keep talking? It’s hard when people respond badly to you just trying to share God’s love, but remember there are hearts out there ready to receive it. Keep sharing and know God will lead you to one of those open hearts and all the struggle will be worth it after that! I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 1269
…because we wanted to come to you—I, Paul, again and again—but Satan hindered us. 19 For what is our hope or joy or crown of boasting before our Lord Jesus at his coming? Is it not you? 20 For you are our glory and joy. 1 Thessalonians 2:18-20 – Paul is now speaking directly to the church in Thessalonica about his time with them and his pleasure in them. He recalls and he reminds them that when the gospel was shared to them, it was done so in a pure way, and this church embraced it wholly from God. This full acceptance of the Gospel by the Thessalonian church was a joy to Paul and was victory for him within mission work. The hope for us today is to read this chapter and be spurred to find our same joys within the repentance of the lost. Luke 15 reminds us how all of Heaven, even the Father Himself, rejoices when one lost soul repents. Yet, a chapter like this could turn us away from the gospel mission. Clark writes it this way, “Every man who preaches the Gospel should carefully read this chapter and examine himself by it. Most preachers, on reading it conscientiously, will either give up their place to others, or purpose to do the work of the Lord more fervently for the future.” For while joys are available to be found within the mission, so is Satan and his hindering. Are we willing to say yes to our God in our calling, knowing that Satan and his forces will seek to hinder us each step of the way? All for the sake of even just one person turning to follow Jesus? Know the joys that comes from embracing the great commission is greater than anything this world can offer and greater than any pushback our enemy gives. Share the gospel and taste the joy that comes with such a choice. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 2773
Chapter 3
That no one be moved by these afflictions. For you yourselves know that we are destined for this. 1 Thessalonians 3:3 – As Christians we can’t hope that our lives will be free of struggle and persecution. If our Savior went through all that He did, why would we expect if we are following His lead we’d face anything different? In fact in John 16:33 He even tells us “In this world you will have trouble.” But why would Jesus tell us that? Why would Paul tell us this as well? So that the afflictions that arise in our story wouldn’t cause us to be surprised and stumble. What we face a Christians, whether it’s friends mocking us or enemies hating us, is a part of the story that God wants us to be aware of. Not that He wants that for us, but He wants us to expect it if we are truly following after Him. So if God Himself knows persecution is coming for you, why should we fear it? Do you really think God would let His faithful follower go through all that without walking through it with you? Don’t let the struggle make you stumble. Expect it to come, but expect even more that God will be with you through every moment of it. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac
For this reason, when I could bear it no longer, I sent to learn about your faith, for fear that somehow the tempter had tempted you and our labor would be in vain. 1 Thessalonians 3:5 – You have an enemy who is trying to tear you away from your walk with God. Here Paul is speaking of the affliction that can come in life and how he was concerned that possibly the enemy had been using this to push his brothers and sisters in Christ away from the faith. Just be aware this is happening in your walk. That there is an actual enemy who doesn’t want you walking in hope, peace, trust, and love. This enemy doesn’t want you sharing the love of Jesus with people. We though don’t have to buckle under the attacks. Like we see in our passage, we can face affliction yet not be stopped from moving forward in our walk. Our choice is whether we lean on the strength God is giving us to move through the future affliction or let it stop us. Just know you don’t have to stop your faithful pursuit of Jesus just because things get hard. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 1270
For this reason, brothers, in all our distress and affliction we have been comforted about you through your faith. 8 For now we live, if you are standing fast in the Lord. 1 Thessalonians 3:7-8 – Paul had been unable to return to visit in person the Thessalonian church and he was worried that their faith had crumbled as a result of the hardships the church was facing. So he sent Timothy to check in on the church and see if they were still faithfully following after the Lord. To Timothy and Paul’s pleasure, the church had not crumbled due to the struggles it was facing, but instead was growing in faith and love and praying dearly for Paul. What stood out this morning to me was Paul’s line in verse 8, “For now we live.” The church’s steadfastness in their faith, despite the hardships, gave life to Paul and Timothy. It was such an encouragement to them knowing that their brothers and sisters were remaining faithful. Today, please know your faithfulness, especially when it is tested and remains through trials, is such an encouragement to the other believers around you. Your faithfulness is pleasing to the Lord, but it’s also life to the church body around you. As a pastor, seeing those within the flock I’m over faithfully serving, studying scripture, praying, and sharing the gospel is such and encouragement. Yet so is the opposite such a hard blow to take. Know when you are continually saying yes to the Lord, you are continually being a blessing to the church around you. Your faithfulness encourages their faithfulness. Be dwelling on today how your faithfulness to the Lord has been either encouraging or discouraging the church around you. Let each of us strive to have a life of faithfulness that is not only pleasing the Lord, but brings life to our brothers and sisters around us. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 2774
Chapter 4
For this is the will of God, your sanctification…1 Thessalonians 4:3a – Sanctification is the process of making something holy. How that works with us it is shows that our life is meant to be increasing becoming more usable to God for the intended purpose He has for us. God’s work is holy work and for us to be a part of that work we to need to be holy. Thankfully we find our holiness in not of ourselves but through our relationship with Jesus, but our lifestyle can become one where God’s holiness isn’t able to work through. This is where sanctification comes in. It is our growing in our lives of allowing everything of ourselves to be usable for God’s holy work. This is going to require change from us. Unholy to holy doesn’t happen without change. Be open then to the changes God is leading you to in your story. It’s not to punish you, He’s shaping you into the disciple that is holy and ready to be used for His purpose. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac
For God has not called us for impurity, but in holiness. 1 Thessalonians 4:7 – Paul was reminding the church how they had been called to live. Not allowing things like lustfulness and sexual immorality to taint their life with sin, but to live a pure and holy life. We though know that things like lust aren’t the only ways to live an impure life. We can taint our life with sins such as worry or anger or selfishness. Impatience, greed, and pride as well. See Paul was speaking to a certain church with certain temptations, but we can cloud our life with sin in so many other ways. Be aware then of the certain temptations that are a struggle for you. We each deal with different struggles in our walk, it’s important then we realize them, lean on God with them, and even be vulnerable enough to share them with trusted brothers and sisters in Christ. We all have struggles, but we don’t need to self identify with them or live by them. Accept the freedom from sin that God has given you and live in the holiness you’ve been called to. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 1271
Finally, then, brothers, we ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God, just as you are doing, that you do so more and more. 1 Thessalonians 4:1 – The Greek word used for “do so more and more” is “perisseuete” and it means to abound, to exceed the ordinary. As he gets closer to ending his letter, Paul tells the church to exceed the ordinary effort given in one thing, in walking in a pleasing to God way. They learned from him how to walk in a pleasing to God way, now they were being called to do so more and more, always striving to exceed yesterday’s walk. He reminds them of two ways specifically on how one can walk pleasing to the Lord. To abstain from sexual immorality and to love one another. I think for us today as believers, seeking to remain faithful to the truth of God’s word in a world that rejects God’s word, this passage is our answer. We live in a world where sexual immorality is everywhere, we even just had a month currently seeking to celebrate pride in doing the very thing God in His word directs us away from. We also live in a world where loving another person comes after loving one’s self, and if you happen to have anything to spare, you might show love to another person as long as it benefits you. God, knowing His followers are existing in such a world, is calling us to not live like the world. To abstain from the sexual immoral things God’s says to stay away from and to love others deeply, even before yourself. And to do so “perisseuete,” to do so more and more. Let today be a day you walk in a pleasing way to God more than yesterday. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 2775
Chapter 5
Do not quench the Spirit. 1 Thessalonians 5:19 – Make sure your life isn’t putting out the work of the Holy Spirit within your life. We can think of this like a fire and pouring water on it to put it out. That our sinful behavior can put out the work the Spirit wants to do in our life. Yet what’s another way you can quench a fire? How about not giving it the fuel it needs. The fuel that keeps the work of the Spirit in our life is our daily devotional life to Him. Yes, you choosing to follow after sin can quench the work the Spirit is wanting to do within you, but also refusing to daily follow God in your life can quench that work too. Your life with God is more than just turning away from sin, it’s also about turning to follow Him. Following means doing what it takes to keep in step with God like having Christian community, an active prayer life, and a scripture study life. Our life needs to be more than just an avoidance of sinning. It’s about an all in daily devotion to God. When we really step into that, the avoidance of sin comes along with that step. I love you, but Jesus loves you more- Mac
Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing. 1 Thessalonians 5:11 – Our role in each other’s life is to encourage and build up one another.
When we read further on we see things being said like don’t repay evil for evil or rejoice always or pray without ceasing. Yes, these thing are meant to encourage your personal walk with Christ, but they also deeply help those around you to walk well. Imagine a person who is seeking to find the joy in every circumstance and you know is a strong prayer warrior, doesn’t being around someone like this encourage you and help you in your walk with God? Scripture isn’t simply giving us a to-do list with verses 12-22, it’s telling us how we can encourage and build up the lives of those around us. Realize that you have a role to play in other people’s walk with Christ. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 1272
Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 – Today you are to rejoice. Today you are to pray. Today you are to give thanks. Always, without ceasing, and in all circumstances. Now while short in length, these verses are not always easy to follow because not every circumstance we find ourselves within fosters ease to follow such things. So how can we follow these scriptures here even when life isn’t making it easy to? We can rejoice for despite the lack and death we find from the world, we always have blessing and life from the Lord that is ever-present in our story. We have been blessed with an open line of communication with God through prayer, with no need to be in a certain building or posture to speak with Him. As for giving thanks, Spurgeon puts it this way, “When joy and prayer are married their first born child is gratitude.” For thanks isn’t always easy to give, nor is prayer always easy to make, nor is rejoicing always the thing we want to do. Yet each is a choice we can make today. For the choice to groan always, never pray, and give complaints in all circumstances, is also just as available to you. Yet which is going to be the most pleasing to the Lord, healthy for your walk with God, and will give the best witness to the lost? Choose to rejoice, choose to pray, and choose to give thanks. While difficult, your life will find blessing as a result of this choice for you are following the will of God for your life. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 2776
Daily DEVO 