1 Thessalonians 1 v 9 - making your turns

Thirty five minutes from https://twitter.com/WelshRev at https://www.facebook.com/TyrBugail for https://www.facebook.com/Grace.Wales.online and https://yGRWP.com on repentance, faith, idols, genuine faith and authentic ministry ...

Show Notes

1 Thessalonians 1:9

•Introduction - Giving Glory to God for their Genuine Repentance

        •Reception of the Apostles, v. 9a

        •Repentance, v. 9b

                •To

                •From 

                •Idolatry - discern, expose, destroy  ... what?!

                •Being your own boss

Conclusion
Paul, Silas and Timothy rejoice in this letter over the visible, practical, costly repentance of these Thessalonian believers because THAT is definitive evidence of the miraculous transformation of the human will which takes place when God saves a person.

It is characterised not simply by remorse or regret, but turning Turning to God Turning from idols To serve the living and true God - not yourself.

These are very unnatural things, contrary to our sinful human nature. Evidence of the strongest kind that a person has taken their trust out of their own resources to place their destiny in other hands which is what saving faith MEANS. And it is accompanied MOST reassuringly by the miraculous work of God in human hearts that makes them PATIENT … But for the moment let’s concentrate on turning to God from idols … material ones, soul ones and selfish ones
To serve
... the ONE (there IS only one)
... True (the rest are false)
... Living (the rest are empty things, phantoms used as his tools by the destructive, violent Enemy of your soul) God
To serve the One Who has given HIS all, for us.
Discern those idols, expose them, destroy them
... the vital characteristic of Gospel ministry, and the joy-inducing evidence of real salvation.

A transcript can be found here:

https://welshrev.blogspot.com/2020/11/1-thessalonians-19-authentication-of.html