Valley View Baptist Church Pastor Curt Audet
6N656 Route 25 April 26, 2026
St. Charles, IL 60174 vvbcil.com
“Salvation Is God’s Power For You” (1 Thessalonians 1:1-10)
Preacher: Daniel Geddam
Message 1 in the series Salvation To Sanctification
BI: Our salvation begins in God’s sovereign grace and is brought to completion through His sanctifying work.
1“Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace.
2We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly mentioning you in our prayers, 3 remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. 4For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, 5because our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction. You know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake. 6And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you received the word in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit, 7so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. 8For not only has the word of the Lord sounded forth from you in Macedonia and Achaia, but your faith in God has gone forth everywhere, so that we need not say anything. 9For 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, 10and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.” (1 Thessalonians 1:1-10)
Introduction: Valley View Baptist Church, it is such a pleasure to come back and meditate on God’s Word with you today. Thank you so much, Pastor Curt, for this opportunity. I am truly grateful to be here again. This year, every time I come, I am going to preach from 1 Thessalonians, one chapter at a time. So, by God’s grace, I will be preaching five times this year from this beautiful letter.
Chapter 1 – Salvation
Chapter 2 – Service
Chapter 3 – Sanctification
Chapter 4 – Sorrow
Chapter 5 – Sobriety
And today, we begin with chapter 1 – Salvation. Church, there are some books in the Bible that do not merely teach doctrine; they breathe life, strengthen faith, and lift the eyes of believers toward Jesus Christ. First Thessalonians is one of those letters. In fact, this letter describes itself as a letter of exhortation, a letter written to warn, urge, encourage, and move believers toward faithful living. It is a pastoral letter and a deeply personal letter, and at the same time a powerfully practical letter. The first three chapters look back, reminding and encouraging the saints, while the last two chapters look forward, requesting and instructing them. This letter even shows us that chapters 1–3 deal with past salvation, and chapters 4–5 deal with present sanctification.
Now when we come to chapter 1, we are not entering a cold theological lecture, we are stepping into the heart of Paul. Verse 1 tells us this letter comes from Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, and while all three names appear, Paul is the true author, seen especially in his use of the singular “I.” Silvanus and Timothy were not random names; they were trusted fellow laborers in the gospel, closely connected to the founding of the Thessalonian church. To understand this chapter, we must see the background: Paul came to Thessalonica during his missionary journey, and the gospel made such an impact that opposition immediately arose. Acts records unrest and agitation in that city. This was not easy ground; it was contested ground. Yet in the middle of that pressure, God planted a church. That is what makes this letter so beautiful. Paul writes to a young church born in pressure, surrounded by hostility, yet shining with genuine faith. This letter was meant to encourage and comfort believers in tribulation and affliction, while continually reminding them of the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, the blessed hope that runs through Thessalonians like a golden thread.
So why begin with salvation? Because chapter 1 shows us what real salvation looks like. Not as a dry formula, but as a transforming reality. It shows what happens when the gospel truly enters a life, when grace is not just heard, but received. Paul thanks God because their conversion was real, visible, and powerful. Salvation here is not empty religion, it is not merely joining a church or changing habits. It is the work of God that turns people from idols to serve the living and true God and to wait for His Son from heaven. That is why chapter 1 is foundational: before service, sanctification, sorrow, or sobriety, there must be salvation. Before growth, there must be new birth; before steadfastness, saving grace. Salvation is the root, and everything else grows from it. And that is why this matters today, many know church language, but do they know salvation? Many appear religious, but have they truly turned to God? Many know about Jesus, but have they been changed by Him? As we move forward, we will see a salvation that is unmistakably real, rooted in God’s choice, revealed in transformed lives, and centered on Jesus Christ. So, the question is not only what happened in Thessalonica long ago, but this: Has that same saving power of God truly transformed us?
Salvation begins in God’s sovereign grace and is brought to completion through His sanctifying work.
- SALVATION IS INITIATED BY GOD (vv.4–5)
When Paul comes to verse 4, he makes a powerful and deeply comforting statement: “knowing, brethren beloved by God, His choice of you.” This is not guesswork. This is not assumption. Paul says, “we know.” This is settled assurance. He looked at their lives, their response to the gospel, their transformation, and he knew these were truly God’s people. Because true salvation is not just claimed, it is seen. He calls them “brethren,” reminding us that salvation brings us into a family. Christianity is not just personal, it is communal. We are brothers and sisters, united in Christ. Then he says, “beloved by God.” Before we ever loved God, God loved us. His love is not based on performance, it is unchanging and initiating. That means salvation does not begin with us, it begins with God. And from that love flows this truth: “His choice of you.” Salvation is rooted in God’s sovereign grace, not human merit. God did not choose us because we were worthy, He chose us because He is gracious. This humbles us, removing all pride, and at the same time it secures us, because what God begins, He sustains.
Now Paul explains how he knows this is true. Verse 5 begins with “for”, this is the evidence: “For our gospel did not come to you in word only…” The gospel is not just information, it is transformation. It is not mere speech; it is divine power. Many hear words, but not all are changed. But when the gospel truly comes from God, it does not remain at the ears, it reaches the heart. Paul says it came “in power.” The gospel carries the power of God to change lives, to break sin, to bring new life. It came “in the Holy Spirit.” The Spirit is the one who makes the message alive, who convicts, draws, and regenerates. And it came “with full conviction.” There was deep assurance, the message was believed, received, and embraced with certainty. And Paul adds that they knew “what kind of men we proved to be among you.” The gospel was not only preached, it was lived. Their lives matched their message, and the transformation was visible.
So here is the truth: salvation begins with God’s love, and is confirmed by His power through the gospel. And that leads us to ask, has the gospel in our life remained only words, or has it come with power? Because when God truly saves, He does not leave a person unchanged.
- SALVATION PRODUCES A CHANGED LIFE (vv.6–9)
Now in verse 6, we move from the preaching of the gospel to the response of the people. Paul says, “You became imitators of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much tribulation with the joy of the Holy Spirit.”
This is what true salvation looks like in real life. First, Paul says, “you became imitators.” Salvation is not just believing something, it is becoming someone. Their lives changed. They didn’t just hear the gospel; they started to live it. They followed the example of Paul and his team, and through them, they began to reflect Christ Himself. Because many times, people see Jesus through us before they understand Him. That means our lives matter, someone is always watching what Christianity looks like through us.
Then Paul says they “received the word.” They didn’t resist it, they welcomed it. They embraced it as the Word of God. True salvation begins when the Word is not just heard but received deeply in the heart. But here is what makes this powerful, they received it “in much tribulation.” Their faith was not formed in comfort, but in pressure. From the beginning, following Christ cost them something. Persecution came. Opposition came. Yet they did not turn back. Why? Because they received it “with the joy of the Holy Spirit.” This is supernatural. Joy in the middle of suffering is not natural, it is spiritual. It does not come from circumstances, but from the Spirit within. A true believer can have affliction on the outside and joy on the inside at the same time. And because of this, Paul says in verse 7 that they became an example. They started as receivers, then became imitators, and now, they became models for others. Their lives became a pattern that other believers could follow. And this was not a mature, long-established church, they were new believers. Which shows us: impact is not about how long you have been saved, but how real your walk with God is. Their influence spread across Macedonia and Achaia. Their faith was visible. Their testimony traveled. Not through platforms or programs, but through transformed lives. Then Paul says in verse 8, “the word of the Lord sounded forth from you.”
That means their lives became an echo of the gospel. Like a trumpet, like thunder, their faith was heard everywhere. They were not just receiving the gospel; they were releasing it. Not just leaders, every believer became a witness. Because when the gospel is real, it cannot stay silent.
And finally, verse 9 shows the heart of it all: “how you turned to God from idols to serve a living and true God.” This is true conversion. They turned, a complete change of direction. Not improvement, not religion, but transformation. They left their idols behind and turned fully to God. Because when you truly see the living God, everything else loses its value. And they didn’t just turn, they began to serve. They were no longer serving dead things, they were now serving the living God. Their lives had a new direction, a new purpose, a new master.
- SALVATION SECURES OUR FUTURE (v.10)
Paul now brings everything to a climax in verse 10: “10and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.”
This verse completes the picture of salvation. True conversion is not only seen in what we turn from (idols) and what we turn to (the living God), but also in what we now look toward, the return of Christ. Paul begins with “to wait for His Son from heaven.” This is not passive waiting, it is active, expectant living. The idea is eager anticipation, like someone waiting for a loved one to arrive at any moment. The early church did not treat Christ’s return as a distant doctrine, they lived under its reality. Their priorities, their endurance, and their decisions were shaped by the certainty that Jesus is coming again. And notice, Paul says they are waiting not just for an event, but for “His Son.” Christian hope is personal. We are not waiting for something; we are waiting for Someone. The same Jesus who came once will come again.
Then Paul anchors this future hope in a past event: “whom He raised from the dead.” The resurrection is the foundation of our hope. It proves that Jesus is who He claimed to be, and it guarantees that His promises will be fulfilled. If God raised Jesus from the dead, then His return is not speculation, it is certainty. The empty tomb guarantees the coming King.
Paul then names Him clearly: “Jesus.” This reminds us that the coming King is also the crucified Savior. The One who will return in glory is the same One who died for sin. His identity has not changed, only His glory will be revealed. And then comes the climactic truth: “who rescues us from the wrath to come.” This introduces a serious reality, there is a coming judgment. God’s wrath is His holy and just response to sin. But here is the gospel:
Jesus rescues us. Not we rescue ourselves. Not religion saves us. Not effort delivers us. Jesus rescues. He delivers us from future judgment because He already bore that judgment on the cross. The wrath that was coming upon us was placed upon Him. That means for the believer, the future is not defined by fear, but by hope. So this verse gives us the full picture of salvation: We are waiting for Christ, Our hope is grounded in the resurrection, Our future is secure from wrath, And this leads to one question, are you living in light of His return? Or are you settled in a world that is passing away? Because the same Jesus who was raised from the dead… is coming again. And for those who belong to Him, that day is not judgment… it is glory.
CONCLUSION: Church, as we come to the end of this message, I don’t want us to just understand this, I want us to feel it and respond to it. This chapter is showing us what real salvation looks like. Not empty religion, not just coming to church, not just knowing Bible words, but a real work of God that begins in His love, changes our life, and secures our future. So let me ask you honestly, not about someone else, but about you: Has this happened to you?
First, think about your foundation. Salvation is initiated by God. Have you truly experienced the power of the gospel, or has it only been words to you? It is very possible to sit in church, hear sermons week after week, and still remain unchanged. But when God truly saves a person, something happens. There is conviction. There is change. There is evidence.
Second, think about your life. Salvation produces a changed life. Are you growing to look more like Christ? Are you receiving God’s Word
with an open heart? Even in trials, is there a deep joy that comes from the Holy Spirit? And let’s be real, are there still idols in your life? Things that are taking God’s place in your heart? Because real salvation turns us from those things to the living God.
Third, think about your focus. Salvation secures our future. Are you living with eternity in mind, or are you caught up in things that won’t last? The early church lived every day knowing Jesus could come at any moment, and it shaped how they lived.
So here is my heart for you, church: don’t settle. Don’t settle for a Christianity that is just words without power, belief without change, or hope without expectation. Come to Christ fully. Turn from idols completely. Live for Him faithfully. And wait for Him expectantly. Because the same Jesus who saved you… is coming again.
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