1 Thessalonians 1:4-10

A woman wanted the pastor to save her husband. Her pastor was not married to her husband, she was. The pastor did not ask her, but he wanted to, “If you are what a Christian is, why would your husband want to be one.” She may have been a Christian, but she was not a nice person. She took dissension, negativity and criticism to a whole new level. If she was in a relationship with God, he still had a long ways to go in teaching her how to have a right relationships with others. This is not gossip, I have not told you anything about who, where or when this happened. It as an illustration of a biblical truth, “If the world does not see the gospel at work in us, we will be very ineffective at sharing the good news about Jesus.”

Paul shared the gospel in Thessalonica, and they not only heard it, but they also saw it at work in his life. They witnessed the power of the Holy Spirit in him, and they witnessed his deep conviction. They saw how he lived among them and endured hardship for their sake. They saw his joy in the midst of suffering, and they wanted that joy in their own lives. Paul was what a Christian should be, and they wanted to be like him. They became imitators of both Paul and of Jesus.

When opposition forced Paul to leave Thessalonica, the church did not die, but grew strong. The Christians in the church became models to other believers who witnessed their faithfulness, and the Lord’s message spread forth everywhere. Their example of turning from idols to the one true God became an inspiration for believers all over the Empire.

As Christians we are to be witnesses to the gospel of Christ. If our witness is to be effective, our lives must be worthy of imitation. We should ask ourselves, “What about my being a Christian would make others want to be one?”