Please take your Bibles and turn with me to 1 Thessalonians. 1 Thessalonians 1. Each week I've been reading this brief chapter, 10 verses, and I'm going to do so again. Be reminded that as we're reading this chapter, we are seeing how these lives have been changed by the power of the gospel. We see evidence of that in verse three. They are bearing the fruit of work of faith, labor of love, and steadfastness of hope. And therefore, the apostle Paul is convinced of their election, that God indeed has chosen them. And then he begins to give evidence of that in verse 5, when he says, for, or because, our gospel did not come to you in word only. And so, as we read through it, I want you to be looking in particular, verses 5 through 10, of the evidences of election. the fruit of election. What evidence of their election and thus their salvation do you see? And that's what we began last week and will continue this week and in the weeks to come. Hear the Word of God, 1 Thessalonians 1. Paul and Silvanus and Timothy, to the church of the Thessalonians, in God the Father, in the Lord Jesus Christ, grace to you and peace. We give thanks to God always for all of you, making mention of you in our prayers, constantly bearing in mind your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the presence of our God and Father, knowing, brethren, beloved by God, His choice of you. For our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit, and with full conviction, just as you know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake. You also became imitators of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much tribulation with the joy of the Holy Spirit, so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. For the word of the Lord has sounded forth from you, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith toward God has gone forth, so that we have no need to say anything. For they themselves report about us what kind of a reception we had with you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve a living and true God, and to wait for His Son from heaven. whom he raised from the dead, that is Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath to come. In my messages so far in chapter one, we have considered how the lives of these believers in Thessalonica were changed by the gospel. And so I entitled that sermon based primarily on verse three, lives changed by the gospel. Then we considered how their relationships were changed by the gospel. And that sermon was based just on the word brethren in verse 4, that he addresses them as brethren as he does throughout this letter. That here is a Jew, former Pharisee, A self-righteous man, saved by the grace of God, and now brought into fellowship with God through faith in Christ, but also into fellowship with other believers. Even in this church, Gentile believers, those he once considered unclean, pagans, idolaters, as he describes them, or what they previously were in verse 9. but now they're together in the one family of God. And so we see relationships changed by the gospel. And all this change was because of God's sovereign grace. They were changed because they were chosen. And we saw that in verse four, knowing brethren beloved by God, his choice of you. They were changed by the gospel because they were chosen by God. And so we consider it again briefly, this doctrine of sovereign grace, sovereign election, that God chooses to save certain and specific individuals, even before the foundation of the world. He chooses them to be saved by his grace. Christ comes, accomplishes that redemption by his life and his death, and then the Holy Spirit applies that redemption to them. So as the Apostle Paul remembers these believers, he's confident that they are among the chosen of God. He says, knowing in verse four, brethren beloved by God, his choice of you. His confidence didn't come from a claim to know the hidden eternal counsel of God. His confidence wasn't because he had seen them or prayed the sinner's prayer or walked down the aisle at an invitation. No, the apostle Paul's confidence that they were among the elect of God was because of the fruit he saw in their lives. He saw evidence of their election. God chooses to redeem sinners before the foundation of the world, but the application of that redemption to the sinner bears fruit and is observable. Election itself is hidden from us. We don't know who the elect of God are. It was decreed in eternity past. But at God's appointed time, it is manifested by its marks. And so last week, we began to consider the evidence of election that the Apostle Paul saw in their lives. Now, as I read through this, I observe eight evidences of election in chapter one. Last week, we considered three of them. This week, we'll consider two of them. And then in the weeks to come, one or two weeks after that, we'll consider the rest of them. Now I called the first three evidences of election last week. First, gospel proclamation in verse five, gospel reception in verse six, and gospel discipleship in verse six. These are evidences of election. First, it was gospel proclamation. God chooses to save sinners, but God also sovereignly chooses to send missionaries, proclaimers of the gospel to the elect. And so God sent them missionaries to proclaim the gospel to them. And so here we see the necessity of the elect hearing the gospel. The elect are not saved any other way. They must hear the gospel. The God who sovereignly and graciously chose them also sovereignly and graciously sent them messengers who would proclaim the gospel to them. And so we saw that in verse five, when he speaks of the gospel, not coming to them in one particular way in word only, but coming to them in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction. The gospel came to them. So God chose them before the foundation of the world, but the gospel then comes to them. So Paul was confident that they were elect because God had sent them to preach to them. And these men sent by God to proclaim the gospel, preached in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction, and then the gospel did its work in them. So it came to them, that's gospel proclamation. But then we see in verse six, they received the word preached to them. And you see that in the phrase in the middle of verse six, having received the word. So here we see gospel reception. It was proclaimed to them, but it must be received. And they received the message of the gospel. So at God's appointed time, the elect receive and believe the gospel. Hearing the gospel, they believed it. God graciously drew them to Himself. Remember Jesus said in John 6 verse 37, all that the Father gives to me, that's the doctrine of election, will come to me. They will receive the gospel, believe the gospel. And they came because the Father who sent the Son drew them, John 6 verse 44. And the Holy Spirit made them alive in Christ and granted them the gift of faith, Ephesians chapter 2. As Jesus said in John 10 verses 26 and 27, but you do not believe because you are not my sheep. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. So he speaks to those who are not his sheep, and he says they don't believe because they're not his sheep. But those who are his sheep, he says they hear my voice, I know them, and they follow me. Faith is the inevitable evidence of election. So there was gospel proclamation, but there was also gospel reception. So verses five and six, it says, the gospel came to them in power and the Holy Spirit with full conviction, and they received and believed the gospel, but it didn't end there. There was more evidence of their election. There was also gospel discipleship. Verse six, you also became imitators of us and of the Lord. They became imitators of Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, the messengers, and of the Lord Jesus. And we saw that the word here to imitate or to be imitators means to follow the example of another, to consider the actions, ways, and character of another in order to follow them. And this is really discipleship. We follow after Christ. We imitate his ways. We mimic Him. We learn of Him. And we follow His commandments and His ways. Now we see that these first three evidences of election are really a part of the mission of the church. The Great Commission, found in Matthew chapter 28, where Jesus spoke to his disciples and said, all authority has been given to me in heaven and in earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations. Well, how were they to make disciples? They had to go and preach the gospel. They must proclaim the gospel. That's gospel proclamation. And then he says, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Those who receive and believe the gospel are baptized. That's gospel reception. And then in the Great Commission it says, teaching them. Teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. Those who believe then follow Christ. They become imitators of Christ, disciples of Christ. This is gospel discipleship. So we see this in the Great Commission. We see it here in the life of the church at Thessalonica. So these are evidences of election. And by the way, Jesus is with his church in order to enable her to fulfill this commission, that all the elect of God will be saved. He says, and lo, I'm with you always, even to the end of the age. So those were the first three evidences of election that we saw. Gospel proclamation, gospel reception, and gospel discipleship. That's where we ended last time. Now, consider more evidence of their election. Paul had confidence of God's choice of them, that is their election, because of, we'll consider today just two more of them, because of their gospel perseverance and their gospel joy. Gospel perseverance and gospel joy. Consider this evidence of their election, namely their gospel perseverance in verse six. He says, you also became imitators of us and of the Lord, gospel discipleship, having received the word, notice the phrase, in much tribulation, in much tribulation. The apostle was confident of their election, God's choice of them, because they received and believed the gospel in much tribulation. And they were continuing to believe the gospel with much ongoing tribulation and suffering and persecution because of the gospel. And this gave him confidence that they were the elect of God. Because they didn't quickly receive it with joy, But then, because of persecution, because of the Word, fall away. But instead, they persevered. There was gospel perseverance. Now, when we read about the birth of the church in Thessalonica, in Acts 17, verses 1-9, we see that the church was born among much affliction and persecution. They were persecuted because of their faith in Christ from the very beginning. From day one, we might say. They heard the Word. It was proclaimed to them. They believed it. But then there was immediately tribulation. They were persecuted because of their faith in Christ. And the persecution continued. But it didn't dissuade them. It didn't turn them away from Christ. Instead, they continued in the faith, persevered in the faith, even in much tribulation and persecution. Now, believing the gospel. One thing we just need to be reminded of here. Believing the gospel often brings persecution and tribulation for Christ's sake. The Apostle Paul often taught that faith in Christ would bring tribulation. It would bring persecution in various forms and to varying degrees. And that's why he wrote to Timothy in 2 Timothy 3 verse 12. Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. He needed to remind Timothy of this, who was struggling with timidity and fear. He needed to remind him, Timothy, All who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. And he goes on to tell them in 2 Timothy 3, but you followed my example. You've seen how I persevered in the midst of persecution for Christ's sake. You do the same. The Apostle Paul wrote to the church in Rome in Romans 12, verse 12, encouraging them, persevering in tribulation. Persevering in tribulation. The Apostle Paul himself knew how faith in Christ and following Christ would bring persecution and suffering. You remember when God saves him on the road to Damascus, that in Acts 9, word comes to a man named Ananias. And the Lord said to Ananias, go to the Apostle Paul, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to bear my name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel. For I will show him how much he must suffer for my namesake. So the apostle Paul understood this personally, that he came to faith in Christ and he was called to proclaim this gospel to the Gentiles, to kings, to the sons of Israel. And that as a result, he must suffer for the sake of Christ. Now notice, it doesn't say how much you will prosper for my namesake. or how famous you will be for my namesake, or how loved you will be by the world for my namesake. No, he told the Apostle Paul, or at least the Lord told Ananias about the Apostle Paul, how much he would suffer, suffer for his namesake. And the Apostle Paul suffered much tribulation, didn't he? In 2 Corinthians 11, Verses 23-27, Paul speaks of some of those sufferings, the tribulation he endured because of his faith in Christ and proclaiming the Gospel. He speaks of imprisonments. He speaks of being beaten times without number. Often in danger of death, he said. Five times, he says, I have received from the Jews 39 lashes. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. And he goes on to speak of dangers from my countrymen, dangers from the Gentiles, dangers among false brethren. I have been in labor and hardship through many sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. And what he means by that is for the sake of the gospel, he often was in hunger, destitute, sometimes in prison. Paul understood the tribulation that came from being an apostle of Christ and a preacher of the gospel. The tribulation for Christ's sake and for the gospel was not reserved for the apostles alone. All believers need to prepare for the tribulation, the persecution, the suffering that would inevitably come because They were followers of Christ. And that's why Paul says in Philippians 1, verses 29 and 30, for to you it has been granted for Christ's sake, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake, experiencing the same conflict you saw in me. So he's talking to the whole church there. He is saying it's been granted to you. It's actually, you've heard me say this before, the word granted there is the word to be graced to you. It's the root word for grace. It's been granted as a gift in a sense, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake and to experience the same kind of conflict for the gospel that Paul himself experienced. The apostle Peter understood this too. When he wrote in 1 Peter 4, beginning in verse 12, Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though something strange were happening to you. But to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, So that also at the revelation of his glory, you may rejoice in exaltation. If you're reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed because the spirit of glory and of God rests on you. Make sure that none of you suffers as a murderer or a thief or evildoer or troublesome meddler. But if anyone suffers as a Christian, he's not to be ashamed, but is to glorify God in this name. Peter understood. That being a Christian meant there would be tribulation, persecution, suffering for Christ's sake. And he is now exhorting believers, not just apostles or church leaders or preachers, but believers to suffer with joy for Christ's sake. Now this was a frequent theme in the teaching of the Apostle Paul. It was a part of his discipleship ministry. making his rounds through Lystra and Iconium and Antioch in Acts 14. Paul was, as it says in Acts 14 verse 22, strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, persevere, gospel perseverance, and saying, through many tribulations, we must enter the kingdom of God. So this was a part of his teaching and not in one little church over here or maybe an isolated place over there. No, this is as he goes through Lystra, Iconium, Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples, helping them to grow, exhorting them to gospel perseverance. He kept saying, through many tribulations, we must enter the kingdom of God. the church needed to prepare for tribulation, which would come because of their faith in Christ, because they serve the Lord Jesus. So accepting that tribulation and persevering in tribulation and persecution, not being ashamed of Christ, not wavering, but continuing even in the midst of persecution for Christ's sake is evidence of election. In this sense, this gospel perseverance in tribulation is closely tied to gospel discipleship. It's evidence of election. We imitate the Lord Jesus. We follow after him. Well, he suffered greatly. Jesus was persecuted. Jesus was hated. And he taught that those who would be his disciples would also suffer. So to suffer for Christ is to follow in the steps of Christ and to follow his teaching. For Jesus himself prepared his disciples for this. They were to prepare the believers who would come after them. Turn for a moment to John chapter 15. Let me just show you this because there's a connection here. They became imitators of Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy. And part of that imitating them and following their example in discipleship was learning how to persevere in tribulation. And they were imitators of the Lord Jesus. They were disciples of Christ. And Jesus himself taught his disciples that they would suffer for his sake. So John chapter 15, look at verses 18 through 20. John 15 verses 18 through 20, the words of Jesus, if the world hates you, you know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world will love its own. But because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you. So now he's recalling to mind something he's already said, a saying that on other occasions with maybe differing application, depending on the context, a slave is not greater than his master. So in this case, he says, if they persecuted me, they also will persecute you. If they kept my word, they will keep yours also. So here Jesus speaks of hatred from the world and he's teaching his disciples that during his earthly ministry just before he is about to die. And then they would go and teach those that would believe on Christ through their word the same thing. So Jesus speaks of hatred from the world. The word here, translated hatred, means to abhor, to detest. It is a strong word, therefore it's translated hatred. It speaks of hostility. And when Jesus says if, he doesn't mean that it might or might not happen. There's no uncertainty to his words. It really can be read this way. If the world hates you, and it will. This is certain and sure. Jesus said in John 7, verse 7, the world hates me because I testify of it that its deeds are evil. In Matthew 10, 22, he says you will be hated by all because of my name. And in Matthew 5, verse 11, Jesus said, blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. So he's been preparing them and now just before he dies, he's preparing them again. They're gonna hate you. They hated me because I testified that their deeds were evil. They're gonna insult you. They're gonna persecute you. They're gonna slander you. They're gonna say all kinds of things falsely against you to try to discredit you. But ultimately he says, because of me. So, in 1 John 3 verse 13, John says, Do not be surprised, brethren, if the world hates you. Do you see the theme Paul is teaching the churches? Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God. The apostle Peter says, Don't be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you. And then the Apostle John says, do not be surprised, brethren, if the world hates you. And the word surprise means amazed. Don't be amazed. Don't be astonished. Therefore, don't be caught off guard. So Jesus himself sought to prepare his disciples for a certainty, namely the reality of the hatred of the world. Now, why was he trying to prepare them for this? Well, he would later say in John 16 verse one, these things I have spoken to you so that you may be kept from stumbling. He didn't want them to stumble. He wanted them to persevere in tribulation. And he wanted them to be prepared. Now, as the disciples walked with Christ, they had seen glimpses of this hatred before, where people would pick up stones to stone him. They hated him. They had seen it. But when Jesus spoke these words in John 15, they were about to witness intense hatred that they had never seen before and had never experienced before in all their lives. That evening, they would be witnesses to an unjust arrest And then Jesus will be slandered, falsely accused, mocked, spat upon, beaten, flogged, crucified, all because of hatred beyond degree. And Jesus wanted them to be prepared, not only to be prepared to witness such hostility toward him, the Lord Jesus, but also then in the future to be recipients of that same hatred. Now, where does this hatred come from? John 15 verse 18. comes from the world, if the world hates you. If the world hates you. Now in the context of these verses, the world is in contrast to the disciples of Jesus, those who have been chosen out of the world to be saved by his grace. And therefore the world here, in general, refers to those who are still dead in their trespasses and sins, those who are still unbelieving, still in the domain of darkness, who hate the light, and hate the light of the world. So this hatred and persecution would come from unbelievers in the world. Sometimes it would be from the Jews, sometimes from Gentiles, sometimes from both. Sometimes the hatred would come from the governing authorities. Sometimes it would come from religious people, even those who might have said they were disciples of Jesus at some point. And that's still true today. Sometimes it may even come from family, parents, children, or siblings. But it will be directed toward believers because they bear the name of Jesus. And so this is the reality of hatred and persecution from the world. If the world hates you, you know that it hated me before it hated you. Why such hatred? Well, Jesus says because They hate me. The world hates Jesus. I'm not talking about the so-called Jesus which has been created by men. Some in the world have no problem with Jesus because the Jesus they have in mind is not the real Jesus. It's not the Jesus of the Bible. It's not the Jesus who came into the world to save sinners. It's a Jesus made up by the imagination of men. Nothing more than an idol. However, it is true that the world hates the true Jesus. And they can do nothing but hate Jesus, for they are, as Romans 1 verse 30 says, haters of God. They hate Jesus because He is Lord. They hate Him because of His righteousness. They hate Him because of His words that convict of sin. They hate Him because He exposes their sins as the light of the world. They hate Him because He is the only way to heaven, and they want to get to heaven Their own way. And the reason why they hate Christians is because true Christians remind them of Christ. So Jesus is saying, it's not because of you. Ultimately, it's because of me. Bring this to your mind. Remember this. Know that if the world hates you, it hated me first. You see, when we're persecuted because we're Christians, it's easy to wonder if we're the problem. And certainly we don't want to give just cause for this animosity. However, if we're living as those who love Jesus Christ, love his gospel, and we're walking with him, and we're persecuted for that, it's helpful to be reminded that Jesus received the same response. It has hated me, Jesus said, before it hated you. If Jesus had never been persecuted and hated, then we would rightly think that we must not be following in his steps if we're persecuted. But the world did hate him first, and therefore the world will inevitably hate his disciples. So one reason why the world hates Christians is because the world hates Jesus. But another reason is because Jesus said, you're not of this world, verse 19. If you were of the world, the world will love its own. But because you're not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this, the world hates you. He says, you're not of the world. And what he means by that, you're no longer slaves of sin. You're no longer driven by the same principles, the elementary principles of this world. You're no longer driven by the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, the boastful pride of life that characterizes the world. Now, while we have remaining sin and we battle against our sin, it's also true that we're born again. We have spiritual affections. We have godly desires. And we're under a new Lord and Master, the Lord Jesus Christ. And as we live lives which are opposite the world, this will bring hatred. Now that's hard to believe sometimes, isn't it? You would think that those who are seeking to practice righteousness as followers of Christ would not be hated or persecuted. But yes, the presence of those who've been saved by the grace of God out of the world is a reminder that they are in their sin, and that's convicting. And as we live to the glory of God, the world is convicted that they're living for their own glory. And they're lovers of self. And as we love one another, the world is convicted that they're filled with self-love. And as we cease to participate in the deeds of darkness that we once walked in ourselves, the world is now exposed for what it is. So Jesus says, if you were of the world, the world would love its own. But because you're not of the world, But I chose you out of the world. Look, there's the doctrine of election. Because of this, the world hates you. So you hear this phrase often, I think it's right, understood rightly. The Christian is in the world, but not of the world. We are to live in this world as a Christian, but we're not to be of this world, we are to be changed. Now, I just wanna pause and ask you, when someone looks at your life or you consider your life, are you of the world? And does the world love you because you're like one of their own? Or does the world hate you because you're not like them? So the world will hate you, Jesus says, because the world hated me. And because you're not of this world, but thirdly, the world will hate you, Jesus says, because you're recipients of sovereign grace and you proclaim the gospel of grace. He says, but I chose you out of the world because of this, the world hates you. See, we understand grace, that we've been chosen out of the world. We understand that we have no righteousness of our own that could reconcile us to God. That is completely counter to those still dead in their trespasses and sins, who make light of their sin, who think they can do something to earn their salvation. And we're saying, no, you can't. You're a sinner through and through. But we as Christians understand that if anyone is to be saved, God must choose to save them. It is all of grace. And so we proclaim this gospel of grace. And you know what? The world hates the truth of sovereign grace. The idea that God would have mercy on some but not all is odious to them. Because they want God to save everyone. When God can do as He pleases, for He is holy, holy, holy. And no one thwarts His sovereign will. Because He chooses to show grace to some does not make Him unjust. That makes Him gracious. And it's especially odious, this idea that God chooses to save some out of the world. It's especially odious to religious people in the world, even to professing Christians who are not really Christians. They despise sovereign grace. It's offensive to them because it kills their pride. It demonstrates their inability to save themselves. It exposes the futility of their false gospel. So Jesus says, because you're not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, Because of this, because of what? Because I chose you out of the world, the doctrine of election, the world hates you. Now, back to 1 Thessalonians 1. These believers were experiencing tribulation because of their faith in Christ. Jesus taught it to his disciples. Peter, John, the others taught it to the churches, to believers. The apostle Paul understood it. It was a part of his calling as an apostle to suffer for Christ's sake. And so he is teaching believers that you must persevere through many tribulations. That's how you enter the kingdom of God. It's not going to be this easy path. We're to now proclaim the gospel, the same gospel that came to you, that you believed, And now you're following Christ, that's what you must proclaim to the world. And that's going to bring persecution. That's going to bring tribulation. But they were persevering in tribulation. In chapter 2, verse 14, He says, for you brethren became imitators of the churches of God in Christ Jesus that are in Judea. For you also endured the same sufferings at the hands of your own countrymen, even as we did from the Jews. So Paul is saying the Jews were out for me. And now you're experiencing the same sufferings from your own countrymen. Would they persevere? Well, we'll see in chapter three, Paul is concerned about this, so he sends Timothy to check up on them. How are they doing? He's concerned. He had taught them in chapter 3, verse 3, he says, you yourselves know that we were destined for this, for these afflictions for Christ's sake. And then he tells them in chapter 3, verse 4, that they, as they knew, it came to pass that they would suffer this affliction. But as you read through the chapter, they got the good news from Timothy. They're persevering. They're persevering in the faith. And Paul says in verse 8 of chapter 3, for now we really live if you stand firm in the Lord, if you continue to persevere. And did they continue to persevere? Well, in 2 Thessalonians 1, verse 4, he says, we ourselves speak proudly of you among the churches of God and of your perseverance and faith in the midst of all your persecutions and afflictions which you endure. They were continuing to persevere. So Paul had confidence that they were the elect of God because their faith was persevering and enduring even in persecution and tribulation and affliction for Christ's sake. Now, I made reference to what we know as the parable of the sower or the seeds. You remember in Matthew chapter 13, verses 20 and 21, Jesus interpreting that parable says, the one on whom seed was sown on the rocky places, this is the man who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, yet it has no firm root in him. He has no firm root in himself, but is only temporary. Now listen to this phrase, and when affliction and persecution arises because of the word, immediately he falls away. So there are some who will hear the word, the word of truth, the gospel, and they'll immediately seem to receive it. And with joy, my sins can be forgiven. And they profess Faith in Christ. But then affliction, persecution comes because of the Word. And immediately they fall away. Now, a true believer can shrink back and even deny Christ temporarily out of fear of consequences, out of the fear of man. We know that from Peter himself. He denied Christ three times. But he repented. He repented. A true believer will repent. If in a moment we sin and we deny Christ, in tribulation, affliction because of the word, we will repent. But the true believer will not ultimately and finally deny Christ. And so they were persevering. They were bold. And this is what you see of the church, the true church of Jesus Christ. The early church, one of the things they prayed for was boldness. Remember in Acts chapter 4, they're gathered together, and here's what they pray in verse 29. Now, Lord, take note of their threats, they're being persecuted, and grant your bondservants that we may speak your word with all confidence. Now, who gives boldness and enables the elect to persevere when persecuted? It's the Holy Spirit. Remember Jesus sent His Spirit and in Acts 1 verse 8 He says, you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you and you shall be my witnesses. And ultimately to the uttermost parts of the earth that you're going to be my witnesses and the persecution will come, the tribulation will come because of the word, but the Holy Spirit is going to embolden you and empower you And this leads to the next point in evidence of their election. It's closely related to their gospel perseverance, even in tribulation. They didn't just endure, but there was gospel joy. So notice in verse six, having received the word in much tribulation, and don't overlook this phrase, with the joy of the Holy Spirit. They didn't just endure it, as we use the word endure sometimes, you just get through it. They were persevering with the joy of the Holy Spirit. Joy in tribulation, isn't that an oxymoron, joy in tribulation? No, not if you have the Holy Spirit. If you belong to Christ, if you're the elect of God, yes, joy even in tribulation. And so here's another evidence of election that the Apostle Paul observed in their lives. They were not only willing to suffer for Christ's sake, but they suffered tribulation for Christ's sake with joy, with the joy of the Holy Spirit. Remember in Acts chapter 5 when the apostles were being persecuted because of their faith and they were told not to preach Christ anymore and they said, we must obey God, Peter said, rather than man. And when they left, it says they went on their way from the presence of the council rejoicing that they had been considered worthy to suffer shame for his name. They weren't going back and saying, we got some trouble. And we're depressed and we don't know what to do about this. No, they left rejoicing. They heard what Jesus taught them. They believed it. And they were following the example of Christ. And they were even rejoicing. They would be considered worthy to suffer shame for His name. Remember when Paul and Silas were in prison in Philippi in Acts chapter 16? It says, when they had been struck with many blows, they threw them in the prison, commanding the jailer to guard them securely. And he having received such a command, threw them into the inner prison, fastened their feet in stocks. But about midnight, Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns of praise to God. Joy, even in tribulation. in persecution. And this is what was taking place in the church at Thessalonica. They just weren't getting through it. They were persevering in tribulation with the joy of the Holy Spirit. because they knew God was working out His sovereign will in these tribulations for the furtherance of the gospel and conforming them to the image of Christ, working this in them for their spiritual good. God who has sovereignly chosen, who has sovereignly brought the word to them, who had opened their eyes to believe, now is at work, even in this, for His glory and for their spiritual good. They were bearing the fruit of those chosen of God. Jesus Himself commanded us to rejoice when suffering tribulation for His namesake. Remember in Matthew 5, in the Sermon on the Mount, verses 10-13, blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great. For in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. People insult you. It's not my nature when someone insults me for Christ's sake even. persecutes me or slanders me because I'm a believer in Christ. It's not my first response to just rejoice and be glad. You just don't go home to your family and say, guess what? Rejoicing, it's been a good day, it's been a great day. I've been insulted, slandered for Christ's sake. That's not our reaction. How can we do this only if it's the joy of the Holy Spirit? This can't come from me. It can't come from you. It must be the work of the Holy Spirit in you. What passage of scripture comes to mind when you think of joy in the Holy Spirit? Galatians 5, 22 and 23, the fruit of the Spirit. Fruit of the Spirit is love, joy. Peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. The Holy Spirit brings and cultivates joy in the believer. This can only be the work of the Holy Spirit. And so again, the Apostle Paul saw that they were not only persevering in tribulation, gospel perseverance, but they were persevering with the joy of the Holy Spirit. They had gospel joy. And the Holy Spirit gave them boldness. and gave them joy in the midst of their tribulation. And this too was evidence that they were the elect of God. So, gospel proclamation, gospel reception, gospel discipleship, but gospel perseverance and gospel joy. Now, let me just close in this way by just giving you some points of application. I've done this before on other occasions, some of you may remember, but let me just remind you of some things. First of all, the world is not neutral toward Jesus. They're not neutral toward Jesus, the gospel, or the word of God. And our witness to the world is not trying to convince morally neutral people of the advantages of following Christ. That's not preaching the gospel. Here's what Jesus will do for you. and just say, you know, P, we're just morally neutral. And you just convince them of all the benefits of following Christ. What if you just say to them, you come to faith in Christ, the world's gonna hate you. No, they're not morally neutral. You see, we're not called to be witnesses for the gospel in a favorable environment. No, the message is offensive to those we're seeking to reach. However, we know that God has graciously chosen to save some for salvation. And they come to faith in the same way we did, gospel proclamation. And they'll bear the same evidence of election, gospel reception, gospel discipleship, and gospel perseverance. Secondly, much of the hatred and persecution will come from those who are religious, It will even come from those who are religious in your own family. It will even come, this persecution, even within the so-called visible church. Why is there so much conflict in churches today? One reason is because the visible church is filled with unbelievers. And when you preach the gospel, live the gospel, and try to have fellowship based on the gospel, There's often conflict because that's really not what they believe or how they want to live. So just be prepared. Much of the hatred of the world is really the world that has so infiltrated churches today. Thirdly, the goal of the church and the Christian is not acceptance with the world. If that's the goal, we want to be accepted, then we'll compromise the truth. And many have sacrificed the gospel and the altar of acceptance and a desire to please men. The goal is not to make the message more palatable. The goal is not to gain acceptance by acting and looking like the world. Now, we're not out to be offensive, but we're out to be faithful. To imitate Christ, to be his disciple, and to proclaim the true message of the gospel. And so be content to be faithful, even if it brings hatred and persecution. But then lastly, this hatred should it be a one-way hatred of them to us, not us to them. The world may hate you, but Romans 12 verse 14 says, bless those who persecute you. Bless and do not curse. Romans 12 verse 17 and following, never pay back evil for evil to anyone. Never, it goes on to say, take out your own revenge. If your enemy is hungry, feed him. If he is thirsty, give him a drink. And in so doing, you will heap burning coals on his head. Probably there, a picture of repentance, that was one of the ways, sackcloth and ashes, and burning coals upon your head, but he says, do not be overcome by evil. When they hate you, don't be overcome by it, but overcome evil with good. And Peter said, follow the example of Jesus, who committed no sin, nor was any deceit found in his mouth, and while being reviled, he did not revile in return. While suffering, he uttered no threats, but kept entrusting himself to him who judges righteously. And in this way, we'll bear the fruit and evidence of election, by persevering in the Gospel, even in the midst of tribulation, and doing so with the joy of the Holy Spirit, having been counted worthy to suffer for His name's sake. Let's pray together. Father, we thank you that your work of salvation, decreed in eternity past, accomplished by Christ and applied by the Holy Spirit, has ongoing effects in the lives of believers so that we see the evidence of it. So may we examine ourselves and see if this fruit is in our own lives. And all to the glory and praise of your Son, the Lord Jesus. In his name we pray. Amen.