By Jared Warner
Willow Creek Friends Church
October 18, 2026
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1 Thessalonians 1:1–10 (ESV)
1 Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace. 2 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. 4 For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, 5 because our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction. You know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake. 6 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, 7 so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. 8 For not only has the word of the Lord sounded forth from you in Macedonia and Achaia, but your faith in God has gone forth everywhere, so that we need not say anything. 9 For they themselves report concerning us the kind of reception we had among you, and 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 delivers us from the wrath to come.
Today we move away from Philippi and head north to the capital of Macedonia, Thessalonica. Thessalonica is an important city not only is it the capital but is was a free city, and remains even today as the second largest city in modern Greece. Interestingly the city is named after it’s founder’s wife, who happened to be the sister of Alexander the Great. This is a city that is different from Philippi because this is a port city, where Philippi was settled inland. This city also had a large Jewish population where Philippi did not. And unlike Philippi this city did have some issues that Paul needed to address.
In Philippians there really were not major moral failings for Paul to speak against. So he provided general guidance and warnings. He encouraged them to love one another, to continue being generous and to remember that we have grace not because of the things we did, but because God loved us first.
Thessalonica is different. It is a free city, which means that it is subject to Rome, but is not governed by it. This is how Judea was under Herod the great, it was subject to but not directly ruled by Rome. To be a free city has some benefits as well as some draw backs. A benefit is that you can make your own laws and print your own money, Generally you are your own nation and yet you are not fully independent. You remain free under certain conditions. You keep the peace.
In the empire, their main concern was to keep the people quiet. They did not want people upset or excited. As long as no one made a sound of protest or became too arrogant you were fine. But if Rome began to hear stories in the empirical court about a free city, they would send a legion to bring it back into compliance. Judea did not keep quiet. Judea had this independent streak. This was fine under Herod because Herod the great was a tyrant, he kept the people quiet and prevented Rome from hearing about that province. But when Herod died things began to change. Herod was known to be a master builder. He built a Temple for the Jewish God. He built fortresses and palaces. He made Judea into something to have pride in. When he died, there was not a clean line of succession. He had too much power, too much wealth, Rome needed to put Israel into its proper place, so they broke Herod’s puppet kingdom up among the sons, and placed a Roman governor over the main city.
Macedonia was similar to Israel. It had pride. This is the birth place of Alexander the Great and where he the Hellenistic conquest began. It was from Macedonia, this northern most province of Greece, that Greek language and culture was spread throughout the world. When we think of Greece we often do not think of Macedonia, we think of Athens and Sparta. Macedonia is like a third of fourth after thought, and yet it was Macedonia that took Greek influence beyond the Aegean out into Africa and Asia.
Because of this rich history Thessalonica needed to be careful. They could not draw too much attention to themselves because if they did Rome might over react. They might see them as reestablishing their former glory making them a direct threat to the peace of Rome. This is the society that Paul found himself in when he first visited this city on his missionary journeys.
Paul came to this city and as was his custom, he went to the synagogues and began to teach. Needless to say, his teaching sparked some controversy. People began to listen to Paul, both Jewish people and Greeks. They began converting to his way of thinking. They turned away from the gods of Thessalonica, and they began to proclaim Christ as their king.
As with many free port cities, there were many temples and many gods to be worshiped. And there are things to remember about the Greek gods that we do not often consider. All too often we think of the polytheistic religions as seeking divine favor, this is sometimes the case, but more often than not it is not favor they seek. Instead they did not want the gods to divert any attention to them at all. They wanted to keep the gods only close enough to not cause trouble, yet far enough away as to not attract attention. If your community attracted the attention of the gods, you might be called upon to fight in some war, or worse be a major site for the religious cult. But being a Roman free city, they also needed to keep another personality at bay, the emperor. The easiest way to keep an emperor from looking too closely at a community was to make a temple devoted to the emperor, and to make sure that the priests of that temple were well maintained.
Paul comes to this city. This port city with temples devoted to Aphrodite, Artemis. Poseidon, and the Caesar. The city of Philippi did not have the diversity of religious devotion that the Thessalonians had. You did not want too much attention but you also did not want to neglect attention. This community of diverse religions would have lavish activities at each of the temples to attract attention from the population, and much of the lavishness usually manifested itself carnally. When we look at the letters that Paul wrote to the churches you will notice that in most, whenever there are discussion of sexual immorality that community has a strong devotion to a goddess. The Ephesians were devoted to Artemis, and had the largest temple to that fertility goddess in the empire. Corinth was devoted to Aphrodite. Both letters to this church focused a great deal of attention to discipline our carnal desires. Thessalonians is similar. They too have devotion to the goddess of fertility, child birth, and the herds. They too devote much energy to the goddess of passion and lust. They too devote themselves to the deity of wine and chaos. They too devote much of their energy to fulfilling the carnal nature of humanity. They do this because they are a port city.
The port cities are often devoted to these things because the people coming into port have had the pleasures of life restricted while they were confined on a ship. They yearn for a good meal, they long for a strong drink, they want to just let loose for a while without any cares because while they are on that ship everything must be held in strict discipline or people will die. But most of all they lusted for human contact.
The Thessalonians met those needs. And they make a great deal of money in the process. Then Paul comes to town, preaching about Jesus. And the teachings of Jesus directly oppose much of the teaching of their society. And he goes as far as saying that Jesus is king.
This one statement is probably the one thing a free city in the Empire dreaded to hear. In their culture there is no king, no leader other than Caesar. People have asked me why the Romans even cared that some preacher at the edge of the empire was gaining attention, the reason Rome took an interest in Jesus was not because of his teachings. The reason they cared was that he did not deny that he was the King of the Jews. There can only be one emperor, only one king. And in Thessalonica they wanted to make sure that the priests in the Emperor’s temple knew that they only had one king, so they threw Paul out of their city.
This did not prevent the gospel from spreading throughout the city, Paul left but the people he met remained. He sent Timothy back and Timothy returned to Paul speaking about how the church, how the assembly of the followers of Christ were doing. And that report is what prompted this letter.
“Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy. To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: grace to you and peace.”
We rarely write letters today. And even when we did write letters, we rarely begin a letter like Paul begins his. But this was proper letter writing in ancient times. This first verse is the address, who is sending the letter and to whom it is sent. I have often wondered about that. I have sat thinking about this letter going out to the church and wondered if the scroll was rolled in such a way that the entire content of the letter was covered and just this first verse was visible on the outside, like a envelope. I think about weird things. But this was the proper way to write a letter in that time.
From, to, blessing.
We do not think much about that opening, but there is something important here. This letter is sent from Paul, Silvanus (Silas), and Timothy. Notice it is sent by three people. When Paul writes a letter to a church, it is usually sent by multiple people, with a couple exceptions Ephesians and Romans. This tells us something. The Church is sending the letter to the Church. It is not just one person’s ranting on a subject, but it is the consensus of the church.
But there are times where Paul send a letter only from himself. Like the letters to Timothy and Titus. These are important letters, but these letters are more personal. They are the advise of a wise master given to a student, not necessarily something that has been discussed among the elders and decreed to the larger church.
Which leaves the exceptions of Romans and Ephesians. Why did Paul send those letters from just himself? I really do not know, but my guess is that Paul wrote them to defend his personal standing among the leaders of the church, it is more of a personal testimony than a decree.
The church is sending this letter to the Thessalonians, the apostles Paul, Silas, and Timothy have been praying and discussing how to encourage the people living within this community. And they are in agreement.
“We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly mentioning you in our prayers, remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of 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 only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction.”
In just a few short verses, these three leaders of the church, have done a great deal. They have shown us Christian discipline. We give thanks, for You. We constantly mention you. We pray for you.
Gratitude, selflessness and prayer. These are very important disciplines for each of us to participate in. This is something often missing within our culture. We live in such a consumeristic society that it is difficult to be thankful for what we have, for who we are, and most of all thankful for those around us. Instead we are constantly informed of the things we do not have, and reminded of how amazing life would be if we only had this one product that could be ours with five easy payments of $29.95. We are reminded every day that our bodies are not exactly the greatest example of our species. And if we would just lose a few pounds, we might be more acceptable. And we are reminded of what we are missing out on because of our life choices.
We give thanks to God always for you. Paul and the others are not thinking about themselves, they are giving thanks to God for the people of Thessalonica. When they enter into that time of personal devotion to God, they are not only praying about all of their personal problems, their financial situation, or their health they are mentioning their thankfulness for this group of believers that live in that port city of Macedonia that had run them out of town. They want them to be filled with love for one another that they would work diligently to show that love to the people around them, and be empowered by the Holy Spirit.
Can you imagine if we as a church received a letter like this from three of our most respected leaders. Not just a letter seeking a contribution, but one that said we thank God for all the things you are doing right there in your community. We think it is awesome.
“For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you.” Not only do they thank God for them, but they have a pet name. “Brothers loved by God”. I quickly looked through the other letters Paul sent out, he does not address the other churches like this. He speaks of them well and with grace yes, but he does not call them brothers loved by God like it is some team nickname. But they have this nickname for the church in Thessalonica. They are the Brother loved by God.
Why do they get that name? Of course we are all siblings in Christ, but the people of Thessalonica needed this assurance. They eagerly embraced the gospel but the Jewish religious leaders rose up against Paul and drove him out of the city. And of those first to believe in that city was a man named Jason. When the crowds came demanding Paul to come out to face them, Jason stood firm protecting Paul and he stood trial in Paul’s place. This is a city that knew self sacrifice because they eagerly stood where Paul stood and they faced the fury of religious self-righteousness. Yet did Paul hold a grudge? Were they still accepted even though their community reacted in such a manner? “Brothers Loved by God.” You are not only accepted but you are chosen.
You have stood in the place that I stand. You know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake. 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.”
They stood where Paul stands. They suffered as Paul suffered. They had to make, in front of the religious and the pagan, a declaration of their faith mere moments after they believed. And they took that message out to the surrounding villages and community. They became the example for all believers in Macedonia and Achaia.
I thought about that term, “Brothers loved by God.” I thought about Jason who brought Paul and his companions into his home while the city filled with devotees of every temple including the Jewish people from the synagogue pounded on his door demanding the man that turned the world upside down to be released to them. And the amount of faith that it took to stay steadfast in the face of danger.
Would we stand? Would we speak with a voice that is seemingly overpowered by the voices of a mob? Would we open our homes up to the very people that seem to be turning our entire society upside down?
That is the power of the gospel, the reality of the risen Lord. Jesus came to live among humanity. The one that created all things that were created left the throne of heaven to be born of a young girl, from a town in the middle of nowhere. That young girl became the greatest woman among women and for thousands of years we praise her faith, and say blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb. She bore God, the creator of the universe held and knitted together in a womb. And was born as a helpless infant. The entire story is just ridiculous and yet compelling. Jesus grew within that community. He grew a member of the family and part of the larger community. He worked, worshiped, shared meals, wept, and laughed with his community. And then after he met his cousin at the river he went out into the wilderness for a month, and when he returned he began to teach.
And what he taught did turn the world upside down. Love your enemies. Do good for those that persecute you. Do not act like the leaders of the gentiles who lord it over them, but instead become a servant to all. He told us to stop thinking about ourselves and start building the community up for each other. And that threatened the kingdoms of the world.
The gospel threatens anyone and everyone that wants power because it tells us that to desire such a thing will send you to hell. And it will. Because when we take the power, when we take the knowledge of good and evil on ourselves instead of letting God give us that knowledge in his own time that is just what we will make of the world. We choose who has and who has not. And then we wonder why people get upset. Jesus said do not live like that. Instead give. Love God with everything and your neighbor with everything else.
Jason heard that message and it filled him with a power beyond himself. He stood in front of a city, in front of a government official that held his very life in his hands and Jason did not back down. He instead stood up for justice and truth.
The entire city was devoted to goddess and emperor worship, and Jason stood devoted to the teachings of Jesus. He stood as a Brother Loved by God, against the forces that opposed the ways of God.
Will we stand? Will we look at what is occurring in our community and speak up? Will we look at the injustice and stand in the place of the other because we know it is the right thing to do even if the entire city is against us? Will we become a people so devoted to living the love of Jesus with others that people on the other side of the empire will write letters thanking us for our faithfulness?
I close today with the ninth query of the Faith and Practice. Do you exercise your rights and duties as a citizen to vote, to fulfill jury duty, and in other ways to bring Christian influence in all levels of government? Do we bring a Christian influence? I want us to center on that word because I believe it to be the key of this query. Are we living our lives, are the words that we speak, and the things we support bringing a Christian influence? Will the people around us see Caesar or Christ? Let us become an example for the world to see, an example of the loving brother and cherished friend.
Previous Messages:
Misplaced Confidence
By Jared Warner Willow Creek Friends Church October 04, 2026 Click Here to Join our meeting for Worship Philippians 3:4–14 (ESV) If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: 5 circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of…
Being of the Same Mind
By Jared Warner Willow Creek Friends Church September 27, 2026 Click Here to Join our Meeting for Worship Philippians 2:1–13 (ESV) 1 So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, 2 complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the…
Transformed in Grace
By Jared Warner Willow Creek Friends Church August 23, 2026 Click here to join our Meeting for Worship Click to read in Swahili Bofya kusoma kwa Kiswahili Romans 12:1–8 (ESV) I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which…
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