A Testimony of the Gospel’s Impact

Transcript

GRM 796
06/23/2002
A Testimony of the Gospel’s Impact
I Thessalonians Overview
Gil Rugh

This morning in our study of the book of Acts, we were in chapter 17, talking about Paul’s ministry at Thessalonica, then at Berea. I want to direct your attention to Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians in I Thessalonians.

Do something a little different than we usually do. Basically, I just want to overview this letter. The particular interest, because it was a letter written back to the church at Thessalonica within a matter of months of Paul having been there and having established a church. Remember, Paul went from Philippi and the difficulties of the ministry at Philippi and came down to Thessalonica. In fact, he refers to this in chapter 2 of I Thessalonians, verse 1, “For you yourselves know brethren, that our coming to you was not in vain, but after we had already suffered and been mistreated in Philippi, as you know, we had the boldness in our God, to speak to you the gospel of God amid much opposition.” So, he went from one hard ministry to the other hard ministry. But the boldness he had in God was to speak to them the gospel of God. A message, a good news message that came from God Himself. He had opposition at Thessalonica, and as a result of that opposition, he had to leave that city after a ministry there and he went down to Berea. And there was a response to the gospel, but it ended in opposition, and he had to leave Berea. And he journeyed down to the southern part of Greece and went to the city of Athens. We haven’t studied that yet in our progress in the book of Acts, but he has a ministry in Athens. Then he will move to the city of Corinth. He spends a year and a half in Corinth in ministry. While he is in Corinth, he writes a letter back to the church what was established in Thessalonica. In fact, during that 18 month stay in Corinth, he wrote both letters, the first and second letters to the Thessalonians. His letters are of interest because of their proximity to the time the churches were established there. Paul addressing issues that are very much before him in the light of establishing that church. So, help us appreciate something of what was going on in the ministry there, as he established the church that we only have a summary of what took place.

What happened when he was in Athens, and we’re most familiar with Athens, because there he gave his address at Mars Hill. But in chapter 3 of I Thessalonians, “we could endure it no longer. We thought it best to left at Athens alone, and we sent Timothy our brother and fellow worker in the gospel of Christ, to strengthen and encourage you as to your faith.” So, you remember Paul left Timothy and Silas in Berea, and he went down to Athens. Then he had word sent to Silas and Timothy to join him in Athens. But while he is in Athens in ministry, he has such a burden for the people in Thessalonica that he had to leave rather quickly, he sends Timothy back to encourage them and to find out exactly how things are going.

In verse 6 of chapter 3, “But now that Timothy has come to us from you and has brought us good news of your faith and love and that you always think kindly of us, longing to see us just as we long to see you. For this reason, brethren, in all our distress and affliction, we were comforted about you, through your faith. For now, we really live if you stand firm in the Lord.” It just brought such joy to Paul’s heart to know that the Thessalonians remained faithful. This letter, written to the Thessalonians then, is a response to what he had learned from Timothy. Basically, he writes to encourage them, and sad to say, he has to write and defend himself. Everywhere Paul went, the false teachers came in afterwards and they attacked his character. They attacked his motives. They tried to corrupt the doctrine. We find Paul having to defend himself and his motivation, motives in ministry. Think a man suffering like he is, sacrificing like he is for the ministry, would be above this kind of attack. But the Devil is not kind, he is ruthless. His soul purpose is the destruction of the work of God and the servants of God. He will have to address the subject of purity of life and sanctification. And you know what? He constantly draws their attention; the Lord is coming. Because he starts out having to address the issue of their suffering. But every chapter in this relatively short letter ends with an emphasis on the coming of the Lord. So, through this letter, he draws their attention, the Lord is coming. The Lord is coming. We persevere in light of the fact; the Lord is coming.

So, let’s just read through some sections of this letter, in light of our study on the establishing of this church. It comes from Paul and Silvanus. Silvanus, remember another name for Silas, and Timothy. These three traveling together. Written to the church of the Thessalonians, in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. So, a relatively brief ministry. Three weeks in the Synagogue, perhaps a total ministry of a few months. We’re not told how long after the three weeks in the Synagogue, but a church has been established. A church that has leaders and teachers in place, already as Paul writes. Because he refers to that over in chapter 5:12-13. To appreciate those who diligently labor among you, have charge over you in the Lord. There was order and structure, leaders in place, teachers in place. So, it’s a young church, it’s a church that has come into existence and had its initial growth in the fires of persecution and suffering. And according to the second letter that Paul writes to them. It was not too long a time after the first, in light of the content, things are going to get even worse. If fact, by the time the second letter, the persecution has been so relentless and so intense, some of them are beginning to lose heart. Paul writes to encourage them.

Paul is writing to the church of the Thessalonians, “in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. We give thanks to God, always for all of you. And we make mention of you constantly in our prayers. Bearing in mind your work of faith, labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the presence of our God and Father.” Young church, but they have a strong testimony already. We noted this in Paul’s ministry, the gospel changes lives. There is a lot of room for growth when we’ve trusted Christ. But even that initial salvation is dramatic and life changing. Part of what has led to the corruption of the church in our day, is the concept that you can believe the gospel, but nothing really happens. Except now, you’re assured that you won’t go to hell. But your conduct and practice and character and conduct, well they may not change for a long time, if they ever change. But here, he can write of their work of faith. The demonstration of their faith and the way they are living. What they are doing. The works that come out of their faith. Their labor of love. Love drove them in their toil and service. Their steadfastness of hope. They are having opportunity to demonstrate that steadfastness, that faithfulness under pressure. But it’s a steadfastness of hope. Their hope produced that steadfastness. Here’s a young church, not even two years old in the Lord, as these letters will be written. The church in Thessalonica may not even be a year old when the first letter is sent to it. Yet Paul is going to have much to say to them. It seems like they’ve already had a lot of input on the return of the Lord. Some people think, with the pressures of life and all that we’ve got to work on today, we don’t need to be studying prophecy and things related to the future. Let’s leave that in the Lord’s hands. Just concentrate on living. But Paul says it was the hope of the Thessalonians that gave them steadfastness. John wrote in his first Epistle in chapter 3, “let everyone who has their hope fixed on Christ, purifies himself even as Christ is pure.” But we don’t need less preaching and teaching on the coming of Christ, we need more. We have an impure church that’s reflective of perhaps a lack of fixed hope. And here, they are steadfast to hope. They are standing firm. What’s keeping them firm in the face of the fires of persecution and opposition? They have their hope fixed on Jesus Christ.

Knowing brethren, beloved by God. Now, note verse 4, His choice of you. Now when Lydia was saved at Phillipi, in Acts 16, the scripture tells us that the Lord opened her heart, so that she received the truth, she believed in Christ. At Thessalonica, you don’t have that clear statement. But here, Paul tells us what happened at Thessalonica. I know, brethren beloved by God, He has elected you. You are the chosen. That’s our word “choice”. His choice of you, His election of you, basically. You see, Paul recognized the sovereign hand of God. That’s what kept him from falling into that technique-oriented kind of ministry. Oh, if we can only touch the need, we will reach the heart. Anybody can be converted if we just make this relevant. You know what Paul’s approach was? I present Jesus Christ. God does a work in the heart. When I begin to try to manipulate the heart, I really tell God, I don’t need Him in the ministry, I can get it done. Paul says to the Thessalonians, God chose you. I know that what’s the evidence? Knowing, beloved brethren, his choice of you, for, let me explain to you about knowing that He chose you.

“For our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power, with full conviction. Just as you know what kind of men, we proved to be among you, for your sake.” So, here’s what I came up with. I came with a message, but it just wasn’t words. It was the power of God. Remember the gospel is the power of God; and with the gospel, comes the ministry of the Spirit. So, you have the word, which is alive and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword, really in the hands of the Spirit of God. “It is piercing to the heart of the elect, to open their hearts to believe and receive the gospel.” That’s the ministry.

What’s Paul? He’s just a preacher. He just tells you a message. He says, it’s not just words, the gospel isn’t just words, it’s power. Where the gospel is presented, the Holy Spirit works. It came with full conviction. The result, you became imitators of us and the Lord. You see the change? You know, He chose you. You became imitators of us and the Lord. Paul didn’t see a difference. He told the Corinthians; you imitate me as I imitate Christ. That’s not pride or arrogance. Would we be afraid to tell our children, you follow me like I follow Christ? Oh, I wouldn’t want to tell them that. I hope they follow more than I do. Well then, we better make the change. I’m not saying we’re perfect. But Paul wasn’t embarrassed to say, you became imitators of us and of Christ. There ought not to be a big difference. I realize I’ve got a lot of growing to do. But when they became an imitator of Paul, what was Paul like? He was committed to the truth of the gospel. He was committed to faithfully serving and following Jesus Christ. Life is changed and conformed, and so is theirs.

“You became imitators of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much tribulation, with the joy of the Holy Spirit.” They received the word, and it was in the context of difficulty and trial. Most of these were saved after his three weeks synagogue ministry, as we’ll see in a moment. Opposition already building, persecution is already underway, and you received the word from us. In much tribulation, with the joy of the Holy Spirit. That paradox, humanly speaking, things have gotten worse for these people. But they’ve gotten better, they now have the joy of the Holy Spirit. One of the fruits of the Spirit, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy. You received the word in much tribulation, but you have the joy of the Holy Spirit now. Isn’t that the way, the opposite of what the world is? They have everything. Nobody is persecuting them, and they are miserable. They’ve taken drugs to try to bring some relief from the discouragement and depression and gloominess of life. And on it goes and yet, here those who are saved, they have the joy of the Holy Spirit.

“You became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia, for the word of the Lord is sounded forth for you, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but in every place your faith toward God has gone forth.” So, we don’t even need to tell people about you. I mean, tell me this is not remarkable. Here’s a church that is already developing a testimony across northern and southern Greece, Macedonia and Achaia. Macedonia being the northern part of Greece. Where Phillipi and Thessalonica were located. Achaia, the southern part where Athens and Corinth are located. You know what? Your testimony is resounding and even beyond that. Paul was hearing already, reports of people who were encouraged. You know, we don’t know the impact of a life that’s faithful. Now you see in these Thessalonians, they are just hanging on. The fires of persecution are burning, and they are losing so much and what? Their testimony is encouraging believers in other places. You don’t know the impact of being faithful and how God is using that.

They themselves report, so the testimony went out. I’m not going into the details, just to draw your attention to it. People are talking about how you received the word from us. They themselves report about what kind of reception we had from you. How you turned to God from idols to serve a living and true God. You see, joined with their response to the gospel, is the changed life. You turn from idols to serve a living and true God and to await His Son from heaven. Raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from wrath to come, the present suffering. Keep in mind, we’ve been delivered from the wrath to come. That’s the great deliverance. You turn from idols, to serve the living God. I would say that it seems the bulk of the church at Thessalonica was made up of pagans that hadn’t been part of that synagogue fellowship, but were idolators, and by the grace of God had turned from their idols to serve the living God.

Then the verses we already read in verses 1 and 2, as Paul tells how he came to them. Our exhortation, verse 3, does not come from impurity by way of deceit. Now you get an insight into what Timothy brought back. There are false teachers that came in, they are attacking your motive. You’re not genuine, you’ve created a lot of trouble for them, but where are you? Your concern wasn’t really for their good, and their salvation already. One of the vices of the Devil is to attack the servant. You experience that in your neighborhood or at your job. What do they want to do? Run down your character, attack your motives. Try to show you’re not genuine. Why do they want to do that? To discredit the message, you preach. To cast a cloud over the Christ that you represent.

Our exhortation does not come from error and impurity, by way of deceit. But just as we have been approved by God, to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak. This is a serious matter with Paul. We have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. A matter of utmost seriousness. Then the claim to be speaking the truth of God or corrupting the truth. We’ve been entrusted with the gospel. This is not ours to play with. We are simply heralds to give it forth. Pass the truth on, that our King has placed in our hands.

“So, we speak. Now note this, not as pleasing men, but God.” This drove Paul.
II Corinthians 2:14-17, Paul says, “we are not hucksters with the word of God. We don’t adulterate, corrupt, alter the word of God, to make it more pleasing, saleable, but we speak in the sight of God.” What he’s saying here. I didn’t come to preach a message that would be pleasing to you. I came to preach a message that would be pleasing to God. The same thing he said in that passage in Corinthians. “We give off that fragrance of Christ, which is a pleasing fragrance to God Himself. He’s the one who examines our heart. We never came with flattering speech as you know, nor with the pretext for greed. God is witness, we didn’t seek glory from men, either from you or from others. Even though as apostles, we might have asserted our authority. We might have declared ourselves apostles, worthy of respect and special treatment. No, that’s not the way we came. We came to present simply the gospel of Jesus Christ. Then when you believed that we poured our life into you. We proved to be gentle among you, as a nursing mother cares for her children, having a fond affection. We were pleased to impart to you, not only the gospel of God, but our own lives, because you had become very dear to us.” It wasn’t just preach the gospel and get on. “We preached the gospel and you believed, and you became our children, spiritually. And we just poured our lives into you. You recall brethren, how our labor and hardship,” now note this. We referred to this in our study in Acts, “how working, night and day, so as not to be a burden to any of you, we proclaimed to you the gospel of God.” Amazing to find out the apostle Paul was making tents. Working, all so that he could present the gospel to them. Now you begin to appreciate it when you see the attacks that come, why he wouldn’t take money from one of these false teachers and those who would attack him, to have any grounds to say he was in it for the money. Take money from the Philippians, for the ministry in Thessalonica. But he didn’t take money from the Thessalonians, no, he went to work. He worked day and night so he wouldn’t be a burden to you. “And we proclaimed the gospel of God to you. You are witnesses, so is God. How devoutly, blameless we behaved toward you believers. Just as you know who we were exhorting, encouraging, imploring each one of you, as a father would his children, so you may walk in a manner worthy of the God who called you to His own kingdom and glory. And for this reason, we also constantly thank God, that when you received from us the word of God’s message, you accepted, not as the word of men, but for what it really is, the word of God, which also preforms it’s work in you who believe.” You see there, how God works. So important we don’t clutter the ministry of God’s truth with our ideas, our techniques, our cleverness, so that we’ve just found that spot in the heart. When we find that need, then anybody can be converted. And that’s, where’s God in all this? I don’t doubt that men are clever. But only God can save a soul. Only God can work in a heart, and Paul tells us how it happened here.

What happened? You received the word of God from us. And it was what? The work of God and they recognized it as the word of God. They didn’t say, this is just your idea. You received it as the word of God. It’s that word that performs its work in you who believe. Our salvation is the beginning, a marvelous, shattering beginning, as we are made new. But just the beginning, the word of God continues to work. The power of God for salvation. That work in salvation is not yet done. As God continues to work to conform us and mold us and shape us.

“For you brethren, became imitators of the church of God in Christ Jesus, that are in Judea. You endured the same sufferings at the hands of your own countrymen as they did from the Jews.” Paul, here he’s on a different continent, dealing with different people. Again, another indication that the church at Thessalonica, was primarily Gentiles. He contrasts that with the church that was primarily Jews in Judea. But you know what? Opposition still comes, comes from the Jews in Judea, and you get it from your countrymen, fellow Greeks in Thessalonica. We know that the Jews were key in that. Evidently, the persecution has moved far beyond the Jews. Paul doesn’t view them as the central players as he writes here, your own countrymen now that are after you. Characteristics of both churches, why? “Whether it’s in Judea or Greece, you both received the gospel, you both became imitators and you’re both suffering. And the Jews who killed the Lord Jesus and the Prophets, and drove us out, they are not pleasing to God. They are hostile to all men. Hindering us from speaking to the Gentiles, that they might be saved. With the result that they always fill up the measure of their sins. That wrath has come upon them to the utmost.” Jews had led persecution at Thessalonica. Jews are relentless in opposing the word of God. People who claim to be the guardians of the word of God, are the greatest opponents of the word of God. In one sense, the Jews are closer to the message that Paul preached, that any other people on the earth at that time, and at the same time, they are the farthest away. Because they are the most vehement in their opposition.

“But, we brethren, having been bereft of you for a short time, in person, not in Spirit, were all the more eager with the great desire to see your face. We wanted to come to you more than once. Satan thwarted us.” Couldn’t get back. “Who is our hope, our joy, is it not even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus at His coming?” I mean, what do we look forward to? What will give us joy when we stand in the presence of Christ? YOU! I mean, they are the fruit of his ministry. He’s not their enemy, he loves them. They will be precious to him on the greatest of days, when they stand in the presence of Christ. And He will be there beaming. That they are his joy and glory. Because they’re being there, a testimony that he has proclaimed the truth.

“Therefore, then he goes on to say, I sent Timothy to you,” I couldn’t take it any longer. I want to encourage you. Verse 3, “so that no man may be disturbed by these afflictions.” Now note this, “for you yourselves know that we have been destined for this.” We saw in the book of Acts, it’s through many tribulations we must come to the kingdom of God. Paul taught on his first missionary journey, he revisited the churches in southern Galatia, reminded them, it’s through many tribulations, we’ll enter the kingdom. What did he do to encourage them? “You know that we have been destined for suffering. For indeed, when we were with you, we kept telling you in advance, that we were going to suffer affliction. So, it has come to pass as you know. Paul is suffering in ministry, they are suffering. Be of good cheer, this is not a surprise. We expected it. Told you it would be so. For this reason, I couldn’t endure it any longer. I sent Timothy to find out how you’re doing. He’s brought a good report. We are comforted in our distress,” verse 7, “in all our distress and affliction, we were comforted about you, through your faith.” You know, one thing that characterizes Paul’s ministry is trouble, affliction, stress. You know, somehow, we have come to be the church of Laodicea in this country. And we just think it’s wonderful. That’s our model. What church would you like to be like? Laodicea, prosperous, in need of nothing, successful and sickening. What Paul is like, affliction and stress. So, let me write to you when you’re distressed, you’ve comforted me in my distress. Paul, you’re in Corinth, yes, distressed down here too. Affliction down here too. Not a cause for discouragement, but encouragement.

Verse 9, “For what thanks can we render to God for you, in return for all the joy we rejoice before our God on your accounts. As we, night and day praying most earnestly, that we may see your face, and may complete what is lacking in your faith.” All the good things he said, they haven’t arrived yet. He’d like to get together with them, help accelerate their growth. There is still more to grow, there are still things lacking. It doesn’t blind him to all the good things. Encourage them, strengthen them, hold them up as a model. But still says, I’d like to be there to help you develop in the areas that are still lacking. Sometimes we find one thing lacking, that’s all we can see. If he hadn’t mentioned it here, you’d think the Thessalonians had grown to perfection awfully quickly. They hadn’t, but they are a faithful church, they are a growing church. So, he asks that God would bring them to them. At the end of the chapter again, “so that He may establish your hearts, unblameable in holiness, before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus, with all His saints.” Constantly reminding, the Lord is coming. The Lord is coming. The Lord is coming. What do we say to one another? Things are difficult, hard things, all we have to do is hang onto the Rapture. We just have to make it until the return of the Lord, right? Just want to hang onto the Rapture. Another way of saying what? The Lord is coming.

We come to chapter 4, and chapter 4 begins to deal. The first three chapters cover matters of his ministry. Chapters 4 and 5 deal with matters of their conduct.” Finally, brethren, we request and exhort you in the Lord, that as you received instruction from us, as how you ought to walk and please God, just as you actually do walk, that you may excel still more. You know what commandments we gave you, by the Lord Jesus. This is the will of God, your sanctification. You abstain from sexual immorality.” You know, we’re never in a time when we can say, well the pressures the church is enduring now are so great, there are just certain things we can’t, we just let them slide. I mean, we can’t get entangled in issues of morality now. I mean, the church is in the fires of persecution. Yes, and you have to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord and sexual immorality is a denial of the truth and the gospel that we preach.

A warning in verse 6, that you transgress in this matter, the Lord is the avenger. Nobody gets away with anything. Sometimes we think, because the punishment is delayed, that we have escaped. The writer of Hebrews says, “marriage is honorable, the bed is undefiled in marriage.” Adulterers and fornicators, God may judge. God will judge. Adulterers and fornicators, God will judge. People today, you’ll see movie stars, whenever being interviewed, living together, you going to get married? Well, we don’t see any reason to get married. I see one good reason, coming judgement. Coming judgement. So, he warns them about a serious matter.

“God has not called us for the purpose of impurity, but in sanctification,” verse 7. “Consequently, he who rejects this, is not rejecting men, but the God who gives His Holy Spirit to you.” There’s no middle ground here. You either submit to God’s truth or you reject God’s truth. You’re not rejecting man, you’re rejecting God. And say, well this is your idea, this is your interpretation, this is God speaking. You reject this, you reject God.

“Now as to the love of the brethren, you don’t even need me to say anything about that. You yourselves are taught by God to love one another. And for indeed you do practice it, toward all the brethren who are in Macedonia.” You’re doing great! You are displaying God’s love and that’s wonderful. “But we urge you, excel more.” Paul gave his testimony, writing to the Philippians, and he said, you know, "forget the things that are behind, I press on. I haven’t arrived, but this one thing I do, forgetting what is behind and pressing on to what is before,” it’s what is. You’re doing good, and you’re demonstrating love, and that’s a great testimony. Excel even more. You know, we seem to plateau and level off and say, well you know, I’ve come to a good level, I’m not perfect but, you know, I don’t think it’s worth a lot of energy to get more. What does Paul tell them? “Excel more. Make it your ambition to lead a quite life. To attend your own business, work with your hands, just as we commanded you. So, that you may behave properly toward outsiders and not be in any need.” You know, you always have problems come in. There are people there that want to twist it up, we’re waiting for the coming of the Lord. You know, I decided to quit my job, it was hard anyway, they weren’t treating me well. I had a lot of trouble there. I decided, look, the Lord is coming, there’s no need to put up with that. You’ve got to behave properly toward outsiders. You have to be a hard worker. You mind your own business in that sense. You know, Christians cause trouble over things they don’t have any business causing trouble over. And they don’t cause trouble where they ought to. I mean, the gospel is the trouble we have. And the gospel may get me into trouble. But there are a lot of things I can keep my nose out of and not be in trouble about. Believers like to play around, so proud, I’m in trouble. But we’re standing for this. Well, the bible says, “mind your own business. Lead a quite life. Tend to your own business. Get about to making, providing for the needs you have, and your family have. Behave properly toward unbelievers.”

“But we don’t want you to be uninformed brethren about those who are asleep.” This great passage we come to so often. Especially if we’ve lost a loved one. Evidently was concerned, some believers had died in Thessalonica. Perhaps as a result of the persecutions. What about my loved ones now? They didn’t live to see the return of the Lord, what do they have? Don’t grieve as those who have no hope. It doesn’t say don’t grieve. Doesn’t mean we’re not allowed to weep and mourn over the loss of a loved one. But we don’t grieve as those who have no hope. Because those who have died in Christ, are coming again and there’s a reunion. So, there’s sorrow in parting, but this is a temporary separation. “For there is coming a time when the Lord Himself,” verse 16, “will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, the trumpet of God. The dead in Christ shall rise first, we who are alive and remain, shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Thus, we shall always be with the Lord. Comfort one another.” You know what? There is coming a day when separation will be over, and the reunion will be permanent. Because we will always be with the Lord. Who are the we? Our loved ones who have died in Christ, that are caught up. Then we who are alive are caught up, and we will always be with the Lord. So, I miss them, I hated to see them go. Grief, sorrow, but I’m not without hope. There is coming a reunion. So, a word of encouragement to them.

A church in the fires of persecution. Remember Jesus said, Matthew 10,” don’t fear those who kill the body, they are not able to kill the soul. Just fear Him who has power over the soul after death.” We have hope. The world has no hope. So sad, easy for us as believers to forget the empty, hopelessness of the world. You realize they have nothing, and they mask that and go on until something shattering comes into their lives, and there’s no reason to go on.

Now as at the times and the epochs, so he’s talked about what we call the rapture of the church. He goes on to talk about the day of the Lord. That becomes an issue in his second letter. We don’t have time to go into that. Where some of them thought they might have been in the tribulation. By the time they get to the second letter, things have gone from bad to worse as far as persecution goes. And Paul has to explain to them, the day of the Lord. Here he touches on that. What the day of the Lord will be like and its impact. “But for us, we are sons of light, sons of day” in verse 5, “we’re not of the night, not of the darkness. Let us not sleep as others do, let us be alert and sober.” Verse 8 says, “we are of the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love. And as a helmet, the hope of salvation.” You know, the armor of the believer that is developed more fully in Ephesians 6. Here, you need, put on these pieces of armor, they sustain you. “We are children of the day. We’re living in a day of darkness.” That’s alright, and He has provided for us. “God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ who died for us. That whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with Him. Therefore, encourage one another, build up one another, just as you’re doing.” Keep on, even do it better. “We’re not on our way to wrath. We’re enduring wrath now, as men oppose us, but we’ve been delivered from the wrath to come. And the wrath that will be poured out on this world in the day of God’s wrath, the day of the Lord.” No, won’t be for me. I’m looking forward to glory.

“But we request of you brethren, appreciate those who labor among you, have charge over you in the Lord. Give you instruction, you esteem them very highly.” It doesn’t take long, same problems, aren’t they? Like we said, the same sins, church has the same problems. Fussing over the leadership, and we have to submit to them. And on and on. Just get on with it. Already this young church has leaders and teachers. “Live in peace with one another. We urge you brethren, admonish the unruly, encourage the faint hearted, help the week, be patient with all men. See that no one pays one another evil for evil. Seek that which is good for one another, for all men. Rejoice always, pray without ceasing. In everything give thanks. This is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. Do not quench the Spirit. Don’t despise prophetic utterances. Examine everything carefully. Hold fast to that which is good. Abstain from every form of evil. Now, may the God of peace, Himself sanctify you entirely. May your spirit, soul and body be preserved completely, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is He who calls you, He will bring it to pass. Brethren, pray for us.” Verse 27, “Have this letter read to all the brethren.”

Now you come to the church at Thessalonica, go to the meetings they’d have been reading what Paul said. Read it, we just overviewed it quickly. You get some sense of the context of the church in Thessalonica. Paul could only spend, at most, a few months there. But oh, what happened with the word of God in those months. A church is established. The opposition doesn’t go away. Those who oppose the message haven’t quit. They have turned up the heat. The Devil is relentless. Over time, that wears on you. The second letter even makes that clearer. We appreciate the Thessalonians, their testimony continues. Did they have any idea that their being faithful was going to impact all of Greece in that day as Paul says it was, and even beyond Greece to other places? And then beyond that, how would they know that 2,000 years later, you know our faithfulness is going to be encouraging people in a place on a continent we know nothing about? Just remarkable that they can’t make their decisions. Look, this isn’t worth it. You know, Paul was here, and he’s gone, and we’re left holding the bag and enduring the fire. Paul felt for them. Paul wanted to encourage them to keep on standing. Paul never saw the opposition as a result of them not presenting the truth properly. Don’t say, well you know we’re too hard with the truth, we’re too direct with the truth. We haven’t given them a chance; we should have approached them from where they felt their need. What Paul did, is saw his responsibility, is turn the gospel loose, let it do its work; and it does. It’s the power for salvation. It is the stone of stumbling and rock of offence.

We praise God, Paul praises God for what? The privilege of turning the word of God loose. We are the proclaimers, give it forth. You say, yes but it’s stirring up opposition. Let it be. Paul says, “I’ll endure all things for the sake of the elect, that they might come to the salvation which is in Jesus Christ.”

Let’s pray together. Thank You Lord, for the church at Thessalonica. Thank You for Your servants, Paul, Silas, Timothy, for coming from circumstances which could have been discouraging, were bold with the gospel. Again, as opposition arose, persecution came, they were bold with the gospel. Thank You for these believers at Thessalonica who turned from idols to serve the living God. Whose testimony resounded in the world 2,000 years ago. And it resounds today. Lord, may we be encouraged. May our hearts rejoice as Paul’s did over this testimony. And may it stir us to desire to have that same testimony. To be imitators of Paul. Imitators of our Savior. To manifest to the world that we belong to the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. He has changed us and made us new and given us a joy that no one can take away. We have a message that is from the living God that changes lives and we are faithful to that message, bold with that message. Use our testimony. We’re spread throughout this city and other places in the days of this week, to make Jesus Christ known. May You be pleased to use that message to draw many to Christ. In His name we pray. Amen