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Authentic Faith


The Apostle Paul writes back to a church that he began to encourage them about remaining faithful amidst opposition and persecution. He celebrates what he’s hearing about indicators that mark their faith as authentic and genuine. Faith lived out loud will have signs of authenticity and will have an impact that radiates outward.


Authen c Faith

In these works, he inspires a people that are living in uncertainty, to keep living by a

dynamic faith in Christ and to persevere with hope, even as they were facing

opposition and pressure from a culture that didn't believe or so much care for their

beliefs. Followers of Jesus Christ should live with one foot in this world and the other in

the world to come. We should be fully engaged with this life AND we should also live

with an awareness of eternity. Having this double perspective - gives us wisdom for

our 'here and now'. It shapes our priorities, impacts our schedules, influences our

dreams and our decisions. It fuels our hearts for the gospel and for people around us

to know and experience Jesus.

Followers of Jesus Christ should live with one foot in this world and the other in the

world to come. We should be fully engaged with this life. But we should also live with

an awareness of eternity. One day—Jesus Christ will break through the sky, and He will

make all things new - set all things right! But until then we’re to navigate with wisdom

and influence. Having that double perspective of this world and the world to come can

grow us in living wisely for God…

Date: First and Second Thessalonians may be the earliest of Paul’s letters, written

shortly after the evangelization of the Thessalonians, hence by about a.d. 50, within

two decades of Jesus’ resurrection. Situation. While preaching Jesus as Messiah (the

Jewish king) in Thessalonica, Paul had been accused of preaching another king

besides Caesar (Acts 17:7). “Jesus is Lord” > Caesar is Lord”. The very young

Thessalonian church continued to experience persecution after Paul’s departure, but

he encourages them with the promise of a future hope.

1 Thessalonians 1:1-10 NLT

1 This letter is from Paul, Silas, and Timothy.We are writing to the church in Thessalonica,

to you who belong to God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.May God give you grace and

peace. 2 We always thank God for all of you and pray for you constantly. 3 As we pray to our

God and Father about you, we think of your faithful work, your loving deeds, and the

enduring hope you have because of our Lord Jesus Christ. 4 We know, dear brothers and

sisters, that God loves you and has chosen you to be his own people. 5 For when we brought

you the Good News, it was not only with words but also with power, for the Holy Spirit gave

you full assurance that what we said was true. And you know of our concern for you from

the way we lived when we were with you. 6 So you received the message with joy from the

Holy Spirit in spite of the severe suffering it brought you. In this way, you imitated both us

and the Lord. 7 As a result, you have become an example to all the believers in Greece—

throughout both Macedonia and Achaia. 8 And now the word of the Lord is ringing out from

you to people everywhere, even beyond Macedonia and Achaia, for wherever we go we find

people telling us about your faith in God. We don’t need to tell them about it, 9 for they keep

talking about the wonderful welcome you gave us and how you turned away from idols to

serve the living and true God. 10 And they speak of how you are looking forward to the

coming of God’s Son from heaven—Jesus, whom God raised from the dead. He is the one

who has rescued us from the terrors of the coming judgment.

v3 As we pray to our God and Father about you, we think of your faithful work, your

loving deeds, and the enduring hope you have because of our Lord Jesus Christ.v7-8a

As a result, you have become an example to all the believers in Greece—throughout

both Macedonia and Achaia. 8 And now the word of the Lord is ringing out from you to

people everywhere,...

Authentic believers communicate their faith. These new believers embodied the truth—

acted on the truth. They also communicated the truth. They openly announced the

news of the gospel. “Rang out,” which translates a term related to our English word

“echo.” It is used for trumpets or thunder or other loud sounds as they echo across

space. Q) does the gospel 'echo' from your life and how you talk, how you live for

others to hear, bump into and experience?

Q) is your faith in Jesus authenticated? Are you aligned with Jesus to live out his ways

more and more this year than last? Are you allowing Him to grow you and thus to

radiate His love outward so others can see it - do you talk about Him and your hope in

him with others?

Domino Effect:As Christians, we are all dominoes in the chain reaction set off by Jesus

2,000 years ago. The amazing thing about dominoes falling is that the chain reaction

always starts small—with just one, seemingly insignificant domino.…we have no idea

what or how big the impact will be as God multiplies your faithfulness friend. Live an

authenticated faith in Jesus - out loud for others to see, bump into and

experience…and watch what God can do...



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