Open your Bibles back up to 1 Thessalonians 1. Thankful for the simple message of the gospel. Paul writing in 2 Corinthians, he said, I fear lest by any means as the serpent beguiled Eve through its subtlety, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity, the simplicity that is in Christ.

In another place, Paul wrote, he said, brethren, when I came to you, I came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God. For I determined to know nothing among you. Nothing, save Jesus Christ and Him crucified. He said, I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling.

Simplicity, simplicity, just one thing, just one person. I want to know one thing and that is the Lord Jesus Christ. Him and Him alone, Jesus Christ and Him crucified. The pure and simple doctrine of the gospel. It's the person and work of Christ. Just one thing, one plain vital truth. Salvation alone by Christ.

Now, verse 10 will serve as our text this morning, but I want us to look at these verses leading up to verse 10. First Thessalonians 1. Look at verse 1. Paul and Silvanus and Timotheus unto the church of the Thessalonians. The church. The church at Thessalonica.

Back in Acts 17, we won't turn there, but listen, we read this, it says, when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, I don't know why, I don't know why, the Lord's will, but they passed through those other cities. But then they came to Thessalonica. I'm so thankful that the Lord, in his mercy, was pleased to raise up a church, not just in Thessalonica, but here, here.

He said he came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews, and Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them. And three Sabbath days, he reasoned with them out of the scriptures, opening and alleging. that Christ must needs have suffered and be risen again from the dead, and that Jesus, this Jesus whom I preach unto you, he is the Christ. And being led by the Spirit of God, Paul preached in Thessalonica. And in time as we read that, the Lord was pleased to raise up a group of believers.

Paul and Silvanus and Timotheus and the church of the Thessalonians, which is in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace be unto you and peace from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ. Verse two, he said, we give thanks to God always for you, all making mention of you in our prayers.

Remembering without ceasing, you know by nature, we tend to remember those things that offend us. Those things that ups, those are the easy things to remember, aren't they? Someone who wronged us at a certain time, somebody who did us wrong. Often it's easy to remember the bad things and the hurtful things. I think that's not just true of me. I believe that's probably true of most of us.

But Paul says, I remember, this is what I remember without ceasing. These things are marks of the true believer. Look what he says, he said, I remember your work of faith, a work of faith. True faith is working grace. Faith that does not produce good works and obedience is not saving faith. Turn with me to James chapter two. Again, these things are evidence. Chapter two. Look with me beginning at verse 14.

What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and he have not works? Can faith save him? Can that kind of faith save him? And he gives an example. He says, if a brother or sister be naked or destitute of daily food, and one of you say unto them, well, depart in peace, be ye warm and filled, Notwithstanding, you give them not those things which are needful to the body. What does that profit? Those are just empty words, aren't they?

Even so, faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. Yea, a man may say, thou hast faith and I have works, show me thy faith without thy works, and I'll show thee my faith by my works. Thou believest, there's one God, and thou doest well. The devils also believe and tremble. But wilt thou know, oh vain man, that faith without works is, it's dead.

He said, I remember. I remember without ceasing your work of faith. And then he says this, he said, I remember your labor of love. A labor of love. You know, labor means to toil. It's a reference to pain and weariness. A labor of love. Not of, listen, not of duty. It's not a labor of duty. It's not a labor for a wage. It's not I'll do this to get this in return. It's a labor of love. love to Christ, love one for another, love that engages the believer in worship, in prayer, in the needs of others.

And then read on. He said, this is something else I remember. He said, you're patience of hope. What is patience of hope? It's resting in Christ. It's resting in Christ and Christ alone. Patience of hope. Patience in tribulation. It's something that we're not always real good at. Waiting and waiting on the Lord. Waiting upon Him. Continuing. Continuing in the gospel. Continuing in the faith. Grounded. Settled.

Not being moved away from the hope that is the gospel. You know there are those who come and go, but not God's people. Not God's people. Remembering without ceasing your faith, your labor of love, your patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. in the sight of God and our Father.

Verse 4, knowing, brethren, beloved, your election of God. Now first he says here, brethren, he's not ashamed to call them his brethren. Why would we? If the Lord's not ashamed to call us his brethren, why would we be ashamed to say that of our brethren? And then Paul says this, he said, knowing brethren, beloved, those that are loved of God, knowing your election of God. You know, that's a pretty bold statement. That's a strong statement, isn't it? He said, I know. I know you're God's elect. I know that God has set his favor upon you. How can Paul say that?

Well, obviously, he saw some evidence in those folks, and he mentions that in these next few verses. Verse five, he said, our gospel, it came not unto you in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Ghost and with much assurance as you know what manner of men we were among you for your sake. The gospel came to them, listen, not just as some kind of a lecture, not just in word, but in power, in the power of the Spirit of God. The word preached and it was made clear to them by the power of God, by the power of His Spirit. And he said, verse six, he said, you became followers of us. followers of us.

Now for a man or a woman or a young person to hear the gospel, they're going to hear it through the words of a man. That's what God's word is. It says, how shall they hear without a preacher? God sends forth his word through the preaching of the gospel. And we see that throughout, that's revealed throughout scripture.

Remember that eunuch? That eunuch that was sitting there, he'd returned from some kind of religious activity, but the Lord in mercy sent Philip to him. And Philip preached to him the gospel. Cornelius, there was a man named Cornelius. He heard the gospel through Peter. He heard it through a man. Lydia, that Philippian jailer, they both heard the word from Paul and Silas. The Lord sends forth his word through the preaching of the gospel. They all heard the word from a man.

And they followed those men. But those men, listen, they were following Christ. Followers of us, that's what, if you read on in there, he says, followers of us and of the Lord. Followers of the Lord Jesus Christ. That's what the Lord commanded Simon Peter. Remember those two words? He said, follow me. Follow me. Our Lord's speaking in John 10,

27. He said, my sheep, they hear my voice. I know them and they follow me. He said, you're followers of us, followers of the Lord. Having received the word in much affliction and with joy in the Holy Ghost. Listen, not only does the child of God follow Christ, he follows God and will follow despite the consequences.

Paul writing to the Philippians, he said, doubtless, I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ. The knowledge of Christ Jesus, my Lord, for whom I have suffered. He said, I've suffered the loss of all things. And he wasn't whining about that, was he? He said, I count those things, but done. He wasn't saying, I lost all these things, have some pity on me. He said, none of these things, none of these things matter.

You know, some we read in scripture, some have forsaken home. They've forsaken families for this reason, for the sake of the gospel. Some we read were tortured, not accepting deliverance. Others were... and scourged and imprisoned, stoned, sawn in two, slain with the sword.

They received the word in affliction. And you know what Paul calls it? He says it's light, light affliction. He could say that, couldn't he? Paul certainly knew something of affliction. And he said this, he said, our light affliction is for just a moment, but it worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. He said God's elect here, he said he identifies them as those who have suffered for the sake of the gospel.

Verse seven, he said, you were examples to all that believe in Macedonia and Achaia. Examples, examples to all that believe. Examples in worship, examples in faithfulness, in holiness, in conversation, in conduct. He said you were examples. Verse eight, for from you, from you sounded out the word of the Lord, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith to God is spread abroad so that we need not to speak anything. To sound out the word. You know, that's not limited to those who preach the gospel, those who are sin of God to preach. But listen, also by our daily conversation, our conduct, Psalm 66 verse 16, you read this, it says, coming here, all ye that fear God, and I will declare what he hath done for my soul. Can't we all say something of what the Lord has been pleased to do for us in mercy? Sounded how? By telling others what great things the Lord has done for us. You know, in the New Testament, the Lord saved that man of the Gadarenes. We remember that story, right?

That gathering man that was running around naked in the cemetery, that cut himself, that couldn't be bound with chains. The Lord saved him. The Lord was merciful to him. And afterwards, he went to the Lord and he desired to follow after him. And this is what the Lord told him. He said, go home. Just do this, you go home, go to your friends, go to your family, go to your friends, and tell them, just tell them this, tell them what great things the Lord hath done for thee. And that he's had compassion on thee. And we read that that man, he departed. And he began to publish in Decapolis how great things Jesus had done for him.

And all men marveled. We're told to be ready. Be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you. Asketh what? The hope. The hope that is in you. And to do it with meekness and fear. Not arguing and disputing and debating, but just to tell it. What's the hope that's in you? And to tell it with meekness and fear. Witnessing. Witnessing to others, and listen, in supporting gospel in supporting the ministry.

Verse 9, for they themselves show of us what manner of entering in we had unto you and how you turn to God from idols to serve the living and true God. Here's another evidence of God's electing love. He said, you turned to God. You turned from your idols to serve the true and living God.

And I tell you, we have a big long list of those idols. To turn from self, to turn from ambition, to turn from rebellion, and submit to His will, to submit to Him. What about these idols, huh? False ideas of who God is. No longer thinking of Him as such a one as ourselves, but to see Him as the true and living God who is sovereign over all. To turn from religious ceremony to turn from the things of this world. You know, an idol doesn't have to be, it doesn't have to be dipped or covered in gold to be an idol. An idol is anything or any person that would hinder our walk with Him. All of these things, all these things written here, evidence of God's elect, of his election.

Now look with me now at verse 10. I believe we can, I pray the Lord would enable us to see this, but here in this one verse of scripture, we have the gospel. We have the gospel. Here we read how God saves sinners. These things that we've read of in these past verses, these are, listen, those are evidence of salvation. That's not a checklist of, well, if I do all these things. No, those are evidence of salvation. Look here at verse 10.

It says, to wait, to wait for his son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come. Just listen to these words. It says, he delivered us from the wrath to come. Who did that? He did. He, his son from heaven. Jesus Christ, the Son of God. He who became flesh. He became a man. He took upon himself human nature. And as a man, he obeyed God's law. He did that which none of us could ever do. He obeyed God's law and he obeyed it perfectly.

And then he suffered. The Lord Jesus Christ suffered. He suffered unto death. He suffered being made sin. He suffered and he died. He died for the sins of his people. The wrath of God, it fell upon his son. The wrath of God for sin fell on Christ. And as a result, he was punished for that sin.

Isn't that what we read in the Old Testament? He was wounded for my transgressions. He bore my sin. He bore it there on the cross. He died the just For the unjust, he died. And then we read that God raised him from the dead. He was satisfied with that sacrifice.

Turn with me to Acts chapter 10. Acts chapter 10, look at verse 29. Acts 10, 29, when they had fulfilled all that was written of him, they took him down from the tree and laid him in a sepulcher, but God raised him from the dead. He raised him from the dead without sin.

The Lord Jesus Christ completely paid the debt for sin. He met the demands of God's holy justice, of God's law. He paid for them. And as a result of that, they are remembered no more. The believer has no sin. No sin. Because the Lord Jesus Christ took my sin and He paid for it.

He bore it in His body on the tree. Let me ask you, do you believe that? Do you believe that to be true? Do you believe that God raised His Son from the dead, that he raised the Lord Jesus Christ, his only begotten son, from the dead. You know what scripture says? It says this, if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, to confess him as Lord, and shall believe in thine heart that God raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. Verse 10, to wait from his son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, the Lord Jesus Christ, he who is God and man.

Yet one, one. Great, great is the mystery of godliness. God was manifest in the flesh. God became a man. That's a great mystery, isn't it? And yet the two are still one. He's a God man. And God's a man, and that man is God. Perfect God and perfect man, even Jesus. Listen to the words of our Lord.

He said, neither pray I for these alone, but for them which shall believe on me through their word, that they all may be one. One. as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us, that the world may believe that thou hast sent me, and the glory which thou gavest me I given them, that they may be one, even, even as we are one, even as God and his Son are one, so are his people. I in them and thou in me that they may be, listen to this, made perfect in one. And that the world may know that thou hast sent me and hast loved them as thou hast loved me.

Jesus, who delivered us. Delivered us from so great a death. Delivered us from the power of darkness. He delivered us. He delivered his people. Another way to say that is he rescued his people. What did he deliver us from? Read on, it says, he delivered us from the wrath to come.

I don't care what you see on a bumper sticker or on some of these billboards. God is angry with the wicked. He's angry with the wicked every day. Go back and look through God's word. Look at Sodom and Gomorrah. Look at this world. He destroyed it by flood. Look at what happened at Calvary. Is God angry with sin? Look what he did when he found it on his son. He slew his son. Full display at Calvary. when the Lord Jesus Christ died for the sins of his people.

God's righteousness, it must be honored. His justice, it must be satisfied. He's a just God, but listen, he's a just God and a savior. That's how God can be God and still justify The sinner. Scripture says this, there is therefore now no condemnation to them that are in Christ. He delivered us from the wrath to come. That's past tense, isn't it? That's already done. It's finished, delivered. He's delivered us. There is therefore now, right now, no condemnation to them that are in Christ. Delivered by the death of another.

Back in Genesis 22, remember that when Abraham, God told Abraham to offer up his son Isaac, to offer him up as a burnt offering. And Abraham, he was obedient. He went to the place that God commanded him. And he built that altar. And he laid the wood in order. And he brought his son Isaac and he laid him on that altar.

And then Abraham stretched forth his hand. He took that knife to slay his son and God stopped him. The Lord called unto him out of heaven and he said, lay not thy hand upon the lad, for now I know you fear God, seeing that you've not withheld your son from me. And right at that time, Abraham lifted up his eyes.

And he looked. And behold, behind him, what did he see? A ram. A ram caught in the thicket by his horns. And Abraham took that ram and he offered it up in the place, in the stead of his son Isaac. I tell you, that was good news for Abraham, but that was certainly good news for Isaac, wasn't it?

Delivered. Delivered. Delivered from the penalty and punishment of sin. How? By the sacrifice of another. What do we read here? To wait for his son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, even the Lord Jesus Christ, which delivered us, delivered us from the wrath to come. I pray the Lord bless his word. And let us see that. Cause us to see he's delivered, he's delivered his people. Delivered from the wrath to come. All right.