CHOSEN FOR A PURPOSE
I Thess. 1: 1-10
Proper 24

Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father, and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen. Our text for this mornings meditation is recorded in Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians, chapter 1, verse 1 through 10, particularly these words: “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. 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, and to wait for his Son from heaven whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.” This is our text.

In the name of our blessed Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, dear Christian friends. Paul, Silus, and Timothy wrote a letter to their Christian friends who were members of the Church at Thessalonica. Thessalonica was a very prosperous city. It was an important town on the trade routes across northern Greece. They had a very busy harbor for shipping — it brought them great wealth. But with the wealth it also brought crime and immorality of all kinds. Because it was a shipping crossroads, Thessalonica had a mixed population, mostly Greeks of course — but there were also a lot of Jews and a strong garrison of Romans within the city.

Paul visited Thessalonica on his second missionary journey. The Proclamation of the Gospel message bore fruit there. And a small congregation was begun. But Paul was a traveling missionary, and in time he had to move on.

Some time later, Timothy goes back to Thessalonica to visit and see how things were going. He returns to Paul and gives his report. Then following Timothy’s report Paul writes this first letter to the Thessalonians. Martin Luther said of this epistle: “St. Paul writes out of special love and apostolic solicitude. For in the first two chapters he praises them because they received the Gospel from him with such earnestness that they remained steadfast in it despite suffering and persecution, and became a beautiful example of faith to all congregations everywhere, and suffered persecution from their own kinsfolk like Christ and His apostles did from the Jews — as St. Paul by way of example had himself also suffered and led a holy life when he was with them. For this he thanks God, that his Gospel had borne such fruit among them.”

This was a very warm letter written by one friend to a group of friends. Paul wanted to comfort, to strengthen, and to encourage the Thessalonians in their life of faith for the Lord.

The words of Paul in this letter were important to the Thessalonians – for they needed Christian guidance and nurture in a very sinful, cruel, crime filled world that surrounded them – Just as you and I today need these words also in our very sinful, cruel, and crime filled world.

Paul very quickly gives the people a very assuring word. He tells them, “We know, brethren, beloved by God, that he has chosen you.”

Have you ever gotten involved with a real difficult job, or possibly with some kind of community work, or a specially appointed committee, and after a few meetings or days you get totally frustrated with what is going on and you ask yourself, “What am I doing here?” Maybe you said something like, “I don’t understand what is happening, and maybe I don’t belong here.” Paul wanted the Thessalonians to know for sure that they belonged. He told them, “God has chosen you.”

Those words are important for us to remember as well. We belong to God – not because of our great goodness, not because we chose God or decided for God – but because God chose us, and we belong to Him.

When Peter wrote to another group of Christians he told them, “You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” Again the emphasis is on God’s act – God has chosen those who are his. And Jesus himself told us in John’s Gospel, “You did not choose me; I chose you, and appointed you to go and bear much fruit.”

God has chosen us. What a great feeling it is. Too often we get the idea that what we have done is more important than what God has done. We like to remember all that we have done for God. We like to point out the good things we have done. But, then our conscience reminds us of our sins and our shortcomings as well. We remember that God’s law demands more than just being good – God’s law demands that we be perfect. God’s law tells us that the only acceptable standard of what is good, is God himself. If we want to earn God’s favor, then we are going to have to be holy and perfect – even as God himself is holy and perfect – in thought, in word, and in deed. We look at our own sinful lives and cry out as Paul did, “O Wretched man that I am…”

But then comes those comforting words of Paul – “God has chosen you.” God sent his only begotten son to die on a cross for your sins. God’s own son has paid the price for you sin so that you again belong to God. God has made you one of his children. Even with all your sins – God loves you and has made you his own dear child. Our sins are washed clean in God’s grace and mercy through Jesus Christ our Lord.

So, How do you know for sure that you are a child of God? It is really quite simple. Paul told the Thessalonians what their proof was. He said, “Our Gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction.”

Were you baptized? Do you receive God’s Holy Supper? Do you believe in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior? Do you regularly read and study the Scriptures? If you answered “no” to these questions, then there is room for doubt! But if you answered “yes” to these questions, then the Holy Spirit is at work in your life through these means of grace. And through that Spirit, God is at work in your life and God has chose you as his own. When God is at work in your life, it will show. When God takes over a person’s heart, everything else takes second place. When God chooses someone to be his, he doesn’t allow that person to belong to anyone else. And so the total life of God’s people is proof of the action of God in their lives.

It was true of the Thessalonians. Paul tells them, “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.”

The life of a Christian will always be proof of God’s action in the life of His people. The good works that we as God’s people are able to accomplish is really God working through us. Our Scriptures remind us, “No one can say that Jesus is Lord but by the Holy Spirit.” And Jesus himself said, “Without me, you can no nothing.” But in Christ, we can do all things!

So the next time you ask yourself – “Do I belong here?” The answer is yes. You belong because God has chosen you and made you his own. God has chosen you and given you a purpose in this life. God has chosen you so that you might give glory to his holy name. And he gives you the strength and will to accomplish his will through His means of grace, through Word and Sacrament.

You were chosen by God for a purpose – to bear fruit – so that men might see your good works and give glory to your Father, who is in heaven. To God alone be the glory, now and always. Amen.

May the peace of God which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus unto life everlasting. Amen.