The Bible is full of instructions to love one another. It is not something we should need reminding of and yet we need to be reminded, don’t we? Paul commended the Thessalonians for their love but encouraged them to do so more and more. He encouraged them to grow in their love in a few interesting ways:
Live a quiet (restful) life. Don’t be frantic and always on the move. A peaceful person is a blessing to those around them.
Mind your own affairs. Don’t meddle in other people’s business. Don’t let your love overwhelm others by constantly being in their space (Prov 25:17).
Work with your hands. This refers to any type of productive work whether it’s a trade or an office job. Work is the primary means God uses to supply most of our needs. We should work to supply our own needs and not be dependent on others (don’t be a leech).
All of this is a good testimony to unbelievers who are outside the church.

Love is your primary testimony to those outside the church. Love is not found in the words you say but shown in the way you live.

The Thessalonian believers were living lives that pleased God and yet Paul writes to them to encourage them to grow more in their walk with God. Every believer has scope to grow in godliness every day. God’s will is our sanctification, that is that we grow in holiness and become more and more like Christ every day. Paul focuses on sexuality. We should abstain from every form of sexual immorality. Any sexual practice outside of a marriage between one man and one woman is immoral. As believers, we must control our bodies (and we have the Holy Spirit inside us to help us). Our bodies should be dedicated to God in holiness and honour. Unbelievers may carry on without any sexual constraint but they do not know God and are not living to please God. We must be different. The world around us is pushing for a sexual “revolution” in which all forms and expressions of sexuality are considered acceptable. We cannot live like that. We cannot allow sexual perversion into the church. When believers engage in these practices we harm each other. God has called us out of impurity towards holiness. To ignore this is to ignore God Himself who has given us his Holy Spirit to live inside us (1 Cor 6:18-20).

As the world gets louder and louder about freedom of sexual expression and lifestyle we will get caught up in it if we are not fully convinced about God’s view and rules for our sexuality. God created sex but He confined it to a very specific context—marriage between a man and a woman. We need faith in this area. We need to fully trust God that His plan is best. Only if we believe Him will we live right in this area. How convinced are you that God knows best in the area of your sexuality?

Timothy had returned to Paul and Silas with the good news of the Thessalonians church’s faith and love as well as their longing to see Paul again. Knowing that the church was doing well was a great source of comfort to Paul as he and Silas endured the persecution they were facing. Paul gave his life for the gospel and now felt that his life was fuller because the believers were standing fast in their faith in the Lord. They continued to pray earnestly for the opportunity to return and continue teaching them to “supply what was lacking in their faith.” This does not mean there was some deficiency in their belief in Jesus for their salvation. There is always much to learn about God. The more we learn about Him, the greater our faith will grow. Paul wanted to be there to teach them more so their faith would grow. If you feel your faith is lacking then you need to spend more time in the Word and make sure you are sitting under good Bible teaching.

Paul continued to pray that they would have the opportunity to return to Thessalonica. He also prayed that they would increase in their love for each other and for those around them just as Paul had expressed his deep love for them. He prayed that they would be found blameless and holy when Christ returns. Growth in love for one another means we are quick to repent and forgive resulting in living a blameless life. Love for God means we separate ourselves from sin and sinful habits and live for Him. Both of these will result in us being well received and rewarded when Christ returns.

Paul’s love for the believers in Thessalonica made it hard for him to be apart from them. He had been driven off sooner than he wanted to leave. He got to a point where he couldn’t bear it any longer and sent Timothy to go and help establish the church. Paul wanted to make sure their faith was well-grounded and that they would not be moved by the afflictions they faced. He had previously warned them that they would be persecuted for their faith and it was happening as predicted. Paul was deeply concerned that every believer lived a life that bore fruit. If that didn’t happen then he considered his work to be in vain.

Just like the parable of the sower (Mark 4:3-8), Paul wanted the seed he had sown to be growing on fertile ground, not choked by the weeds of their afflictions. He wanted all believers to grow to produce a harvest of thirty or a hundredfold. How is the soil of your heart? Is the seed of the gospel in your heart growing up into fruitfulness or is it battling to grow well? There are people around you who, like Paul, want to see you grow to spiritual maturity. Reach out for their help especially when you face challenges as you grow.

The believers in Thessalonica became imitators of the churches in Judea because the Jewish Christians were being persecuted by the Jews and the Gentile believers in Thessalonica were being persecuted by their own countrymen, the Gentiles. Paul points out that the Jews (primarily the Jewish leaders) were the ones who killed Jesus and the prophets and then drove Paul and his fellow believers out attempting to prevent the gospel from being spread to the Gentiles. Their opposition was to all mankind because they tried to prevent the gospel from reaching all those who don’t believe. Their sins were filling up like a cup that when full would bring about God’s wrath on them. This happened in the Jewish wars which happened shortly after the writing of this letter. The world’s sins are again stacking up until they reach a point when God will finally bring his wrath on the whole world in the time of tribulation.

Paul and Silas were taken away from the Thessalonians believers (Acts 17:10) and longed to return. While they were apart physically, they continued to remember them in love and prayer. While they wanted to return, Satan somehow hindered their return. Paul sees Satan as the power behind all persecution of believers.

When Jesus returns, Paul knew that the only thing of value he would have at that time was the believers he had the privilege of introduction to Jesus. When you die, or Jesus returns, what will you have of lasting value? Nothing you accumulate here on earth will continue to have any value. The only things we can take with us are fellow believers we have introduced, or helped to introduce, to Jesus. Where is your glory and joy?

Paul and his companions literally worked night and day. This can be seen as an expression of continual work but that’s not what Paul means. Paul worked as a tentmaker to earn a living and then worked to minister to the Thessalonians. He worked a day job and then gave his evenings and weekends to minister and share the gospel. He did this so he wouldn’t be a burden to any of them. All he wanted was for them to hear the pure gospel without any taint that might come from having to support him at the same time. His motive was pure. He was like a father who did everything he could to encourage and exhort them to live lives that were worthy of God. God deserves us to serve Him with everything we have. Paul showed this by working to support himself as well as evangelising, discipling and church-planting. The gospel was his life. He was incredibly thankful that they received the word of God, not as ideas from men, but what it really is, the word of God.

If we’re going to live lives worthy of God, then ministry shouldn’t be something we just fit into our spare time, it should be something of utmost importance. To really live lives worthy of God should result in our jobs existing to help us in ministry.

Do you view the Bible like the Thessalonians did? If you just see it as the ideas of men, then you might think it contains some truths. But if it is the word of God, then everything in it is truth and therefore we should do everything it tells us to do.

Paul writes in defence of his ministry, not necessarily to answer a specific accusation but as a general reminder of his ministry among the Thessalonians. Paul lived a life of good character. How he lived backed up his message.

Paul’s ministry in Thessalonica had not been in vain. They had received the gospel message by faith and gone on to live transformed lives. Paul had come to them from conflict in Philippi and had preached in the face of further conflict in their city. Knowing they were approved by God to deliver the gospel, they preached with boldness, not from some false motive or intent to deceive. They always spoke with the intention of please God, not man. They did not preach for personal wealth or personal glory even though they had every right to make a living from the gospel as apostles.
They were gentle like a nursing mother taking care of her children sharing not only the gospel but their own lives in love for them.

What a beautiful model of ministry for us to follow. Paul, Timothy, and Silas ministered to others with no selfishness at all. They were courageous and gave up comfort to spread the gospel in the face of conflict. They spoke the truth with no false motive. They always sought the good of others instead of themselves. They were never a burden on others. They loved those they served with gentleness and personal investment. Does the way you live back up the gospel message you are sharing?

One of the things Paul thanked God for when he remembered the Thessalonian church was their example and witness. They had received the gospel message and undergone persecution as they began to live according to the teachings of the Bible. They followed Paul and his missionary partners’ example by going through that affliction with the joy of the Holy Spirit who ensures that believers never go through affliction alone. They went on to be an example to other believers in Macedonia and Achaia. Their example and testimony was so well known that when Paul began to speak about them, their story was already known. Their story was one of turning from idols and serving the living and true God with a focus on Christ’s imminent return.

How strong is your life testimony? If you began a conversation with someone about Jesus, would your reputation precede you? Would they immediately know that you are a Christian and expect you to be speaking about Christian things? If you spoke to them about Christ, would they already recognise the change that took place in your life? If not, perhaps you need to follow the example of the Thessalonians and turn from whatever idol captures your time and attention and serve God while you eagerly wait for Jesus to return.

Paul writes a letter of encouragement to the church at Thessalonica. He gives thanks to God for them and he praises their example. He tells them that when he is praying for them he remembers their work of faith which is the work they have done as a result of their faith. This is the work that will be rewarded when Christ returns. Our faith should drive us to service. Their labour was motivated by love, both their recognition of Christ’s love for them and their love for Christ. Finally, they remained steadfast because of their hope in Christ, specifically his imminent return. Notice Paul’s thankfulness is based on the three things that should mark every believer: faith, hope and love (1 Cor 13:13).
Paul is motivated to pray because they were chosen by God. What were they chosen by God for? Probably to suffer for Christ as will be seen as the letter unfolds. These believers were living a life of faith, hope, and love because they had received the gospel, not as mere words from men but as the truth of God that convicted them by the Holy Spirit.
The gospel is not just the message of salvation but also the very thing that should be our motivating force in living lives for God, serving Him in faith, working in love, and persevering in hope.

The demons named Legion (because they were many) had begged Jesus not to send them out of the country. They begged Him to rather allow them to possess a local herd of pigs which He permitted them. They entered two thousand pigs and sent them all rushing into the sea and they drowned.
It must have been quite a scene. You’re a herdsman looking after the town pigs. There’s a crazy man in the cemetery nearby but this is where the pigs need to eat. Then a man gets out of a boat, talks to the crazy guy, they both point to your pigs, then suddenly all your pigs rush into the water and drown. No wonder they ran to the city to tell the people what had happened.

The townsfolk come out to see what had happened. They see that the demon-possessed man is sitting calmly, clothed, and in his right mind and they are afraid. The herdsman give their side of the story and the people beg Jesus to leave. This is a very sad story. These people were more concerned about the death of their pigs than they were about the release of a man from the bondage and torment of demons. What is the value of one human life? What should we be willing to give up to reach one person for Jesus? Before they were afraid of the demon-possessed man, now they were afraid of Jesus who had the power over the demons. They would rather live with demons in their country than Jesus.

As Jesus was leaving, the sane man wanted to go with Jesus. Jesus didn’t let him but told him to go and tell his friends about all that the Lord had done for him and how he had been shown mercy, and he did. Not only did he tell his friends, but he shared his message in the whole region of Decapolis. We have been shown the same mercy. We may not have been out of our right mind but we were on a path to eternal torment when Jesus saved us from our sins. We too should be quick to tell others about the mercy God has shown us.