The Victory community of faith, love and hope

“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” (1 Thessalonians 1:2-3).

Today, I want to give thanks to God for the 30th anniversary celebration of our Victory Presbyterian Church.  As we worship God together, I want to think about what kind of victory community we should be.  I would like to receive three lessons from 1 Thessalonians 1:2-3.

First, the Victory community must become a community of faith.

What kind of community is the community of faith?  The community of faith is the community that hears the word of Christ.  Look at Romans 10:17 – “Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.”  Faith comes from hearing the word of Christ.  I hope an pray that all of our Victory community members grow in faith as we al hear the word of Christ.  Our Victory community must become a church that does not shake in many afflictions (1 Thess. 3:3).  The community of faith is a church that receives the word of God in much tribulation with the joy of the Holy Spirit, just like the Thessalonians church saints.  Look at 1 Thessalonians 1:6 – “You also became imitators of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much tribulation with the joy of the Holy Spirit.”  Like the Thessalonians church saints who faith in God had become known everywhere (v. 8), I hope and pray that our faith becomes known not only in this city but wherever we go.

Second, the Victory community must become a community of love.

What kind of community is the community of love?  The community of love is a community in which brothers and sisters in Christ love each other with the love of Jesus Christ.  Also, the community of love is the community in which the people accept one another just as Christ accepted them.  Look at Romans 15:7 – “Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.”  Victory church must be a church that maintains unity in diversity.  Although we have three different ministries (Korean, English and Hispanic Ministries), we have become one with the precious blood of Jesus Christ.  And we should keep on striving to keep the unity of the Spirit even though we are different in terms of counties, cultures, languages and so on.  We must accept each other as Jesus accepted us in order to keep the unity of the church.  The community of love is also a community that encourages, comforts, and urges each other.  Look at 1 Thessalonians 2:11-12: “For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children, encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory.”  Paul, with his co-workers Silas and Timothy (1:1) who served the Thessalonian church, dealt each of the Thessalonians church saints by encouraging, comforting and urging them (2:11-12).  Likewise, the Victory community members should labor in love by encouraging, comforting, and urging each other.   We should love each other as we have been taught to do so (4:9).  I hope and pray that the Lord continually build His church as the community of love.

Third, the Victory community must become a community of hope.

What kind of community is the community of hope?  The community of hope is a community that waits for Jesus' return.  Look at 1 Thessalonians 1:10 – “and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead--Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath.”  The Thessalonians church was the community awaiting Jesus' return.  So Paul wrote the church saints and told them “about those who fall asleep” that is ‘those who died in Jesus Christ’ in 4:13.  The reason was because Paul didn’t want them to grieve like the rest of men, who had no hope (v. 13).  Paul also told the Thessalonians church saints “about times and dates” (5:1ff.).  The reason was because Paul wanted to prepare them for the return of Jesus Christ.  So Paul said to them, “So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be alert and self-controlled.  For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night.  But since we belong to the day, let us be self-controlled, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet” (vv. 6-8).  Like the Thessalonians church, I hope and pray that the Victory community can become a community that waits for the Second Coming of Jesus.

The Victory Presbyterian Church is the Lord’s church and the Lord is building His church as the community of faith, the community of love and the community of hope.  I hope and pray that the Lord continually build the Victory community so that our faith becomes known everywhere, we may love each other with His love and we may prepare as we hope for the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.