Receiving the Word of God

1 Thessalonians 2:1-13

The letter to the Thessalonian believers begins with thanks to God for the huge change in their lives because of Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 1:8 expresses the impact of this change when it says:

1 Thessalonians 1:8 (NKJV) For from you the word of the Lord has sounded forth, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place. Your faith toward God has gone out, so that we do not need to say anything.

Those who believed in Jesus were so transformed that people were talking about it, even in faraway places.

In the second chapter, once again, gratitude is expressed to God. This time, the thanksgiving is for the way the Thessalonians received the word of God. 1 Thessalonians 2:13 says:

1 Thessalonians 2:13 (NKJV) For this reason we also thank God without ceasing, because when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed [it] not [as] the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which also effectively works in you who believe.

Looking at this verse, notice that the thing the authors are thankful for is that the Thessalonians received the word of God for what it was in truth, i.e., the word of God. The authors express gratitude that those who believed recognized the truth.

Before this thanksgiving is expressed, twelve verses describe how the messengers were received and how they conducted themselves. Three things stand out. First, the messengers were bold. Second, the messengers were sincere. And third, the messengers were loving.

Verse 13 says that the word of God “effectively works in you who believe.” According to Hebrews 4:12, the word of God is “living and powerful,” i.e., it is effective. In Isaiah 55:11, God says:

Isaiah 55:11 (NKJV) So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper [in the thing] for which I sent it.

Clearly, then, the word of God is powerful! This is why the boldness, sincerity, and love of the messengers are so significant. The focus was not the messengers; the focus was the message. The messengers were not powerful and effective; the message was powerful and effective.

Consider their boldness. Look at 1 Thessalonians 2:1-3.

1 Thessalonians 2:1-3 (NKJV) 1 For you yourselves know, brethren, that our coming to you was not in vain. 2 But even after we had suffered before and were spitefully treated at Philippi, as you know, we were bold in our God to speak to you the gospel of God in much conflict. 3 For our exhortation [did] not [come] from error or uncleanness, nor [was it] in deceit.

As you look at these verses, notice that the authors say, “we were bold in our God to speak to you the gospel of God in much conflict.”

They mention how they were “spitefully treated in Philippi. They were beaten so that their backs were torn up and bloody, and they were put in stocks overnight. This beating was illegal, and so the city leaders begged them to leave and not press charges. Then the people who had stirred up trouble for them in Philippi followed them to Thessalonica. Looking back at verse 2, the authors say, “…in much conflict.” This is a kind way of saying that the message was violently opposed. It took a lot of courage to speak out when their lives were on the line! That is what boldness means. They were not rude. They were not obnoxious or offensive. They were not angry, but with the threat of death facing them, they spoke clearly, simply, and convincingly so that people could decide for themselves if what they were hearing was true.

If they had not summoned enough courage to face the consequences, the Thessalonians would not have heard the message, and we would probably not be here today. If threats of death had stopped people from speaking the truth, the gospel would have been stopped. 

How do we do with speaking the truth?

I confess that my cowardice has often stopped me from speaking when I should. Boldness must accompany the message, and in the same way, sincerity must accompany the message.

In verses 4 through 6, they point out three ways in which their sincerity showed itself.

1 Thessalonians 2:4-6 (NKJV) 4 But as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, even so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God who tests our hearts. 5 For neither at any time did we use flattering words, as you know, nor a cloak for covetousness--God [is] witness. 6 Nor did we seek glory from men, either from you or from others, when we might have made demands as apostles of Christ.

 

First, their sincerity showed itself in the fact that they did not try to please men. Looking at verse 5, we see that they did not use flattering words. They did not try to “butter people up.” People pleasers and con artists have many approaches, and as we get older, we start to believe we have seen them all. We become jaded so that everyone is suspect, and we think those who get taken in are gullible or naive. We look for and expect the con, but no one spotted any people pleasing in Paul, Silas, and Timothy. Even now, in their words, we do not see that they are trying to trick us.

Power or money are usually tied to the con. Power and money are the second and third ways in which their sincerity showed itself. Looking at verse 5 again, notice they did not use words as a “cloak for covetousness.” That is a fancy way of saying, “We did not try to get money from you.” Looking at verse 6, notice that they did not seek glory or make demands. That is another way of saying, “We did not try to get power.”

Their sincerity showed itself because they did not benefit in any way by speaking the truth. The benefit they received was pleasing God and seeing the Thessalonians turn from idols to serve the living and true God. This is what love does, and love is that third thing that stands out about how the messengers conducted themselves. We see love demonstrated in verses 7 and 8.

1 Thessalonians 2:7-8 (NKJV) 7 But we were gentle among you, just as a nursing [mother] cherishes her own children. 8 So, affectionately longing for you, we were well pleased to impart to you not only the gospel of God, but also our own lives, because you had become dear to us.

Looking at these verses, we see that Paul, Silas, and Timothy were tender and gentle with the people. A mother would never scold a nursing baby. When I have seen mothers nursing babies, they always seem to be staring at them adoringly. It is a precious and tender thing to behold. Along with this, there are few things as scary as a mama when her baby is threatened. Generally speaking, mothers will die for their babies without a second thought. That is how these three men were with the Thessalonians. Quite literally, they put their lives on the line to give them the gospel.

How do we do in these departments? Are we courageous? Are we sincere? Are we loving?

When we get angry because someone has a different view, are we not trying to get our own way?

As a church loses attendees, offerings fall off, and it becomes difficult to keep the doors open. At that point, it becomes difficult to be bold, sincere, and loving for the sake of our neighbor. Instead, it becomes paramount to keep the doors open. People don’t come to church to keep the doors open. People come to church because the message is life-changing, powerful, and effective. We want our children to grow up in the church because we want them to grow up knowing the life-changing, powerful, effective message. We want them to grow up knowing the joy of the Lord, so we make sure to get them to church. Do we want the same thing for our neighbors?

Faith, Love, and Hope

1 Thessalonians 1:1-3

We have been considering 1 Thessalonians, and so far, we have looked at the letter writers, how their lives were transformed, and how their relationship with the Thessalonians began. A key point is that Paul, Silas, and Timothy were in Thessalonica for a very short time. In view of the short time, the results of their ministry in Thessalonica were astounding. Many people believed in Jesus and turned from idols to serve the living and true God.

Having been forced to leave after such a brief time, the three men wrote to confirm the Thessalonians in their new faith. In verse 4, they affirm the Thessalonians and state their confidence that they were chosen by God.

Here is the question I want us to consider: How did Paul, Silas, and Timothy know that God chose the Thessalonians?

We find the answer in verses two and three. Let’s look at these verses.

1 Thessalonians 1:2-3 (NKJV) 2 We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers, 3 remembering without ceasing your work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of our God and Father,

They knew God chose the Thessalonians because of their work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope. These three things were the evidence that showed God chose them. These three things are mentioned in other Scriptures. Let’s look at a couple of these other Scriptures.

Colossians 1:3-5 (NKJV) 3 We give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, 4 since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of your love for all the saints; 5 because of the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, of which you heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel,

In Colossians, Paul gives thanks for the Colossians in the same manner in which he gave thanks for the Thessalonians. These three things are also listed in 1 Corinthians 13.

1 Corinthians 13:13 (NKJV) And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these [is] love.

Here in Corinthians, Paul emphasizes the importance of love over faith and hope. But in 1 Thessalonians and Colossians, he gives them in the order they are built. 

I want to examine the way these three things are built because, as 2 Peter 1:8 says, “if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

First, then, let’s look at faith.

1 Thessalonians 1:3 says “work of faith.” Faith is the foundation upon which our relationship with God is built. John 3:16 establishes this with the simple statement, “whoever believes in Him will not perish but has everlasting life!”

Jesus said to those who sought to follow Him,

John 6:29 (NKJV) Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.”

Hebrews adds to this thought when it says,

Hebrews 11:6 (NKJV) But without faith [it is] impossible to please [Him,] for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and [that] He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

Faith works. I do not mean by this that we need to work to be saved, but just the opposite. We are saved by faith. 

When we believe that God is and that He rewards those who diligently seek Him, we will diligently seek Him. This belief will change our lives; the most significant change will be love.

We are talking about faith, love, and hope, and now we have come to love. The source of love is faith, and love is the source of hope. Romans 5:5 says,

Romans 5:5 (NKJV) Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

The greatest commandment is to love God with all our hearts. We cannot do this by concentrating on loving God. However, we can do it by focusing on God’s love for us. 1 John 4:19 says,

1 John 4:19 (NKJV) We love Him because He first loved us.

The source for us knowing the love of God is the sacrifice of Jesus. 1 John 3:16 tells us,

1 John 3:16 (NKJV) By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us.

We develop faith by focusing on God's word and meditating on it day and night. 

The world understands that what we think is very important. Many teachers and counselors teach us that we must be mindful of what we think and take time to reflect. In relation to this mindfulness, we must think positive thoughts.

This principle of mindfulness and positive thinking was brought home to me when a friend suggested I recite the Serenity Prayer every day. I often hear this in connection with battling addictions. The Serenity Prayer goes like this:

God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.

However, I was working on something else at the time and decided to recite Psalm 23 every day. Wow, what a difference it made in my life! That’s all I can say: “Wow!”

Over and over and over, the Bible tells us to meditate on the word of God. Talk about life-transforming power!—If your thoughts trouble you, if you cannot sleep at night, if you need courage to face tomorrow, if you want to know true success, if you want to be happy, if you want to have hope for tomorrow, do this! Find a Scripture that appeals to you or fits your need and recite it every day, even multiple times throughout the day.

The result of this will be:

1. Your faith will grow
2. Your love for God will grow
3. You will find hope

Hope is the third evidence that we are chosen by God. We have hope in all our labors and even in suffering that God is present with us. We have hope that, as our Father, He is taking care of us. We are certain that the future is bright even in the darkest time, even when we are walking through the valley of the shadow of death. We know that if our body is broken and we die, we will be present with the Lord and we will find comfort, peace, and joy in His presence.

This unshakable hope has sustained Christians in all ages. This hope sustains those who give their lives for their faith. This hope sustains those who suffer from incurable diseases. This hope sustains those who battle depression. This hope inspires those who serve others.

This simple plan can be implemented in your life with only minimal effort. Pick a Scripture and recite it every day. If the Spirit leads you to a different Scripture, recite that one. I find it convenient to recite my passage when I get up in the morning and before I go to bed at night.

As always, if you want to talk about this, I am always happy to make time for you.

The Brotherhood of the Saints

 The Brotherhood of the Saints

1 Thessalonians 1:1

Let’s begin with a quick review. Paul is credited with writing 1 Thessalonians, but the greeting includes Silas and Timothy. This is because these men were brothers, and as brothers, they shared in the writing of the letter.

Some churches use the word ‘brother’ as a formality, but with Paul, Silas, and Timothy, it was the real thing.

Let’s look at the evidence. 

To begin, let's look at how Paul teamed up with Barnabas.

After his conversion, Paul preached for three years and then had to flee to his hometown, Tarsus. Paul assumed that because the Jews in Jerusalem and Judea knew him, they would be open to his message. Contrary to what he thought, the Jews in Jerusalem and Judea wanted their old friend and brother dead. As a result, Paul spent about 14 years hidden in Tarsus. (We know about the 14 years from Galatians 1 and information from Acts.)

Let’s fast forward about 14 years. During those 14 years, the persecution of Christians in Jerusalem continued. Acts 11:19-26 tells us what happened at the end of those 14 years.

Acts 11:19-26 (NKJV) 19 Now those who were scattered after the persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching the word to no one but the Jews only. 20 But some of them were men from Cyprus and Cyrene, who, when they had come to Antioch, spoke to the Hellenists, preaching the Lord Jesus. 21 And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number believed and turned to the Lord. 22 Then news of these things came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent out Barnabas to go as far as Antioch. 23 When he came and had seen the grace of God, he was glad, and encouraged them all that with purpose of heart they should continue with the Lord. 24 For he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great many people were added to the Lord. 25 Then Barnabas departed for Tarsus to seek Saul. 26 And when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. So it was that for a whole year they assembled with the church and taught a great many people. And the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.

Barnabas knew about Paul because he, too, was from Jerusalem. Because he was aware of Paul’s tremendous knowledge, passion, and ability, Barnabas brought Paul to help with the teaching of the Christians in Antioch. Antioch was the first Church in which Gentiles and Jews were integrated, and the new Gentile believers needed someone with Paul’s knowledge. What they didn't need was Paul’s hard-nosed approach. Paul was a zealous personality who tended to be harsh and legalistic.

Though we often think of Paul as the leader, Barnabas, being older, was actually mentoring Paul, not in theology, but in how to lead with grace. Barnabas was gentle, even his name means encourager. Please remember, Paul started out as a bully and God shut him down for 14 years. Younger Paul had tried to lead Jews away from converting to Christ by threatening, beating, imprisoning, and killing them. 

As we follow the story in Acts, we see that Barnabas and Paul went together on a journey to preach the gospel. During this time, Barnabas continued to mentor Paul in leading with grace. 

They returned to Antioch and reported on their mission trip, but they encountered a problem in the Antioch church. Some Jewish men from Jerusalem went to Antioch and began teaching that the Gentiles had to convert to Judaism if they wanted to follow Jesus. 

Paul, Barnabas, and some others went to Jerusalem to consult with the Apostles. The counsel of the Church leaders clarified that no such thing was required. They sent a letter back to Antioch to clarify this issue. Along with the letter, they sent a mature man with Paul and Barnabas to confirm both the letter and Paul and Barnabas. That man was Silas.

When Paul and Barnabas decided to go back and visit the churches where they had been before, they had a sharp disagreement. Barnabas wanted to take along a young man named John Mark. However, Paul refused to include John Mark because John Mark had joined them on the first journey but had quit partway through. Remember, Paul tended to be hard-nosed, and Barnabas was an encourager. 

Consequently, Barnabas took John Mark, and Paul teamed up with Silas and set out on what we know as his second missionary journey. Once again, Silas was a mature man like Barnabas. Perhaps he was there to help Paul not be too severe. By this time, Paul was in his 50s. He may not have needed teaching, but he still needed partnership. This is an essential part of being brothers. There is a Proverb that says, 

Ecclesiastes 4:12 (NKJV) Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him. And a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

In all his ministry, Paul never traveled alone, and neither did Jesus. Jesus was setting an example for us.

Never traveling alone serves any number of purposes, but I  am only going to look at three.

First, Jesus used companionship for teaching and training, and so did Paul. We should follow their example. You have much to pass on to your children and grandchildren.

Second is safety. The roads were not necessarily safe all the time. Whatever happened, they were able to help each other. It is the same for us. Cars break down, and people get sick. Stuff happens.

Third, and just as important as the others, is temptation. If you have someone with you all the time, you are less likely to do sketchy stuff or give up. Of course, this works even for those who are evil. Outlaw gangs keep each other in line, but not for good purposes.

If you are at all familiar with the ministry of Paul, you know a lot of things happened to him. He was stoned, beaten, imprisoned, and shipwrecked. And he was not alone for any of these things.

Let me encourage you. As much as possible, don’t travel alone. Many temptations can be avoided this way. For example, I might not stop as often for a milkshake if someone is with me. If a person is tempted with alcohol, having a partner helps. Of course, the wrong partner can make it worse.

We are called a brotherhood for a reason. We are to encourage each other and lift each other up. To do this, we have to be together. Older men as much as possible can take younger men with them so that the young ones can learn. How else are we going to help our teenagers grow? Of course, this is a father’s job, but what if the father can’t be there or isn’t there at all? Yes, it takes effort and can be inconvenient. But real brotherhood was never meant to be easy. However, if Jesus is our example, it is the way to be fruitful as far as our faith is concerned.