Use Your Super Powers! (1 Thessalonians 1:1-5a)

Use Your Super Powers!
Sermon based on 1 Thessalonians 1:1-5a
Sunday, October 12, 2008 – Pentecost 22A 

Wouldn't it be great to be powerful? Right now my boys are going through that phase where they dream of being superheroes. They dream of having superhuman strength or the ability to fly or just to stand up and fight the bad guys. What power those heroes have!

As we mature, our view of power changes a bit. Maybe the ability to fly is replaced with dreams of running the company and having the ability to boss people around. Maybe superhuman strength is replaced with dreams of superhuman sums of cash, since, after all, "Money is power."

But as we mature as Christians, our image of power changes more drastically. Power is being confident of our salvation. Power is being bold in our witness. Power is in serving others humbly. And as we use these superhuman powers things will change for the better. They won't just appear to change outwardly, but will actually change—drastically—from the inside out!

This morning in the introduction to his first letter to the Thessalonians, the apostle Paul describes the power that that congregation had. And as we take a look at the church at Thessalonica, we see that our power source is the same as theirs. And we're encouraged to use our superpowers! Paul opens his letter… 

Paul, Silas^ and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace and peace to you. ^2 We always thank God for all of you, mentioning you in our prayers. ^3 We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by 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 simply with words, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction. 

Wow! What a powerful congregation Paul describes! The church was "in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ," and they had work, labor, and endurance! They were a church of more than just words, but one of power. They weren't just a lot of talk and no action. They weren't just saying the right things, but never living out their faith. They were powerfully active and gave Paul every reason to thank God for all of them continually.

Driven by their faith they produced good works of thanks and gratitude toward God. Experiencing the agape love that God gave them, one which finds no reason to love in the object of its affections, they were prompted to show the same undeserved love to the unlovable as they put that love into action in their labors. And with the certain hope of eternal glory just around the corner, they would endure whatever came their way in this short life.

Wow! What a powerful church! 

But this description of the Thessalonian congregation doesn't exactly encourage me. In fact, it saddens me. You see, when I compare my life to the Thessalonians, I'm put to shame. It seems that I don't have that kind of power displayed in my life.

"Work produced by faith"? Well, maybe sometimes. But more often my work is produced by a sense of duty or obligation, or out of a fear of embarrassment or punishment, but not by faith… not as often as it should be.

"Labor prompted by love"? Once in a while, sure. But more often my labor is prompted by a sense of pride in my accomplishments or in expectation of results or rewards, or, at the very least, expecting thanks expressed to me for my labor.

"Endurance inspired by hope"? Sometimes I hang in there, but usually by my own willpower. And when that gives way… forget it.

Bottom line: In my arrogance I all too often place my trust in my own power. But the problem is that that power is human and it's too weak. Trust in myself and I'm sure to fail… at my tasks, at life, and for all of eternity. Trusting in my strength is like trying to power a life support system with a couple of AA batteries. It just isn't enough power. And unless I find another power source—a superhuman power source—I will die… forever in hell. And so will you.

So how can we, miserable sinners that we are, possibly become powerful Christians? How do we become more like that Thessalonian congregation? Well, what made them so powerful? It wasn't their strength, their willpower, or their determination that made them so strong. The Thessalonians weren't like Superman who was born with his power. Instead they were like the superhero that comes into contact with a special meteorite or some radioactive material where their superpowers were conferred on them by some outside source.

Of course it wasn't some meteorite or radiation that gave the Thessalonians some fictional power. But they received real power from the gospel. And the contact they had with that powersource outside of themselves wasn't by their own efforts, their decision or even by chance or good fortune. Their power was conferred on them by God's choice.

Paul said, "For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you ^5 because our gospel came to you not simply with words, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction." 

So, how do we get the power we need? It's not in the so-called "Christian" self-help books because they're not really helping if they just tell you what you have to do. That power's not in the preacher on the radio when he's just telling you what a real Christian should be doing. NO! The power we have comes from outside of us.

So you want that power? Do you? Then I'll give it to you. Ready? Here it is: You are forgiven. You are! Every sin you've ever committed is gone. Every selfish action, every impure motive that's driven your work and labor, every time you've given up, every time you've trusted in your own power is gone! Erased! As if it never happened! And you believe that truth because God chose you to believe it! He sent his Holy Spirit into your heart—with all his power—making you believe what you didn't want to believe, what you could not believe, namely that in Christ, in the power of the cross, in the power of his resurrection, you are forgiven!

Do you feel that surge of peace wash over you? You are forgiven! You are "in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ." You have his grace! You are the object of his unfathomable agape love! You have peace with God! Now, let this good news—this gospel—jump start you again! Let it recharge you! Let it supercharge you with powers that aren't your own, that aren't natural to your old self! Because that gospel gives you supernatural superpowers! 

Now you have the supernatural ability to do many good works, produced not by fear of punishment or a sense of obligation, but produced by faith as you strive to thank God for that forgiveness he's given you! And as you grow in your faith through the power of the Word (cf. Romans 10:17), you will produce more good works day after day!

Now you have the supernatural ability to exert your effort in labors that won't benefit you in the least. You have the power to do these labors as you're prompted by love—love for God who's blessed you so much and love for your fellow man—a love others may not deserve, but one that you're eager to give anyway, because you have that power! You're a hero!

Now you have the supernatural ability to endure, no matter how sticky the situation, no matter how trying the times, no matter how painful the persecution, because you have the certain hope that through Jesus and the power of his resurrection, you will prevail.

If Batman, Superman, Spiderman, and all the so-called superheroes were all real, they'd still have no power at all compared to you. You have the real superpowers!

You may not be able to lift a car over your head, but you do have the supernatural ability to resist any temptation no matter how strong! You may not have x-ray vision, but you do have the supernatural ability to see through the false teachings of false prophets and recognize the truth! You may not be able to heal your body, but you do have the supernatural ability to heal relationships as you forgive others just as you've been forgiven! You may not have the power to save people from a an earthquake or a fire, but you do have the supernatural ability to save human souls from that super villain, the devil, not with any power of your own, but with the awesome, unstoppable power of the gospel—"the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes!" (Romans 10:16)

Thank God, dear friends, for the superpowers that he gives. Stay connected to the Word and to the gospel, always plugged-in, charged up, and ready to go. And put your superpowers into action with "your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ." In the name of him who gives you this power, dear friends, amen!