Pastor Mike Impact Ministries

For several days we've been looking at some very seriousprophetic truths in 2 Thessalonians chapter 2. Paul has talked about rebellion,the man of sin, Satanic deception, and people who reject the truth. Butbeginning in verse 13, the whole tone changes. Paul says: “But we arebound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren beloved by the Lord.” Ilove those words: “Beloved by the Lord.” Aftereverything Paul has said about what is coming upon this world, he reminds thesebelievers who they are. They belong to Jesus. They are loved by God. And if youknow Jesus Christ as your Savior today, so are you. Sometimes we need to stopthinking about everything happening around us and simply remember: I amloved by God. Not because I've earned His love. Not because I've alwaysdone everything right. But because of His grace. Paulcontinues by speaking about God's work in their salvation—through thesanctifying work of the Spirit and “belief in the truth.” Noticehow that contrasts with yesterday's passage. Those who perish rejected thetruth. These believers believed the truth. And what is the truth thatsaves us? The Gospel. Paul says in verse 14 that God called them: “by ourgospel.” The Gospel is the good news that Jesus Christ died for oursins, was buried, and rose again. That's the message Paul preached inThessalonica. Some rejected it. Others believed it. And those who believed werenever the same again. That'sexactly what Paul had said in his first letter to them. He said the Gospel cameto them not merely in word, but “in power, and in the Holy Spirit.” That'swhat happens when someone truly receives the Gospel. The Holy Spirit beginstransforming that person's life. And then Paul says something remarkable aboutwhere all of this is headed. God has called us: “for the obtaining of theglory of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Think about that! We began thischapter talking about our gathering together to Jesus. Now, near the end of thechapter, Paul reminds us that God's ultimate purpose is for us to share in theglory of Christ. Romans8 says that those whom God justified, He also glorified. One day this salvationGod began in us will be complete. No more sin. No more temptation. No moresickness. No more pain. No more aging. No more funerals. No more death. We willbe with Jesus and made like Him. John wrote: “When He is revealed, weshall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.” That's where we'reheaded! And that's why Bible prophecy should give believers hope. We're notsimply waiting to see what happens to the world. We're waiting for Jesus. Anduntil He comes, remember who you are. You are beloved by the Lord. Maybeyou're going through a difficult season today. Perhaps you feel forgotten. Perhapssomeone you loved is no longer here. Perhaps your health isn't what it oncewas. Perhaps circumstances have changed in ways you never expected. But thishas not changed: You are beloved by the Lord. The God Who loved youenough to send His Son to die for you hasn't stopped loving you. The Savior Whosaved you hasn't forgotten you. The Holy Spirit Who began His work in youhasn't abandoned you. And the God Who called you through the Gospel will finishwhat He started. Paulwrote in Philippians: “He who has begun a good work in you will complete ituntil the day of Jesus Christ.” So today, whatever is happening around you,rest in this wonderful assurance: I belong to Jesus. I am loved by Jesus. Andone day I will be with Jesus. That's a pretty good way to start your day! Let'spray. Father, thank You that those of us who have trusted Jesus Christ arebeloved by You. Thank You for calling us through the Gospel, for thesanctifying work of the Holy Spirit, and for the wonderful promise that one dayour salvation will be complete and we will be with Jesus. Help us live todaywith gratitude, confidence, and hope, remembering how deeply You love us. InJesus' name, Amen.

Yesterday we looked at one of the most sobering statements in2 Thessalonians chapter 2. Paul said that people will be deceived because: “theydid not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved.” Today,verses 11 and 12 tell us what happens when people persistently reject God'struth. Paul writes that because of their rejection: “God will send themstrong delusion, that they should believe the lie.” Those are seriouswords. Atfirst, they may even trouble us. Why would God send a strong delusion? Theanswer is found in the context. These people have already been given the truth.They have rejected it. They have refused to believe it. They have chosenunrighteousness instead. Verse 12 says they: “did not believe the truthbut had pleasure in unrighteousness.” God isn't preventing sincerepeople from believing. These are people who have heard truth and deliberatelychosen the lie. Thereis a biblical principle here that appears throughout Scripture. When peoplecontinually reject God's light, eventually God allows them to experience theconsequences of the darkness they have chosen. Romans chapter 1 describespeople who knew God but refused to glorify Him as God. Three times in thatchapter we find the sobering expression: “God gave them up.” Theychose their way. And eventually God allowed them to have what they had chosen. Wesee something similar with Pharaoh in Exodus. Pharaoh repeatedly hardened hisheart against God. Eventually Scripture tells us that God hardened Pharaoh'sheart. That'swhy we should never treat God's truth casually. Every time God speaks to usthrough His Word, we have a choice. We can say: “Yes, Lord.” Or we canresist Him. And every “yes” makes it easier to say yes again. But everydeliberate “no” can make the next “no” easier too. Hebrews says: “Today,if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts.” Notice thatword: Today. Not tomorrow. Not someday. Today. Thereis also an important lesson here for those of us who already know Christ. Welive in a world filled with information. We can turn on television or open ourphones and within seconds hear hundreds of voices telling us what to believe. Buttruth isn't determined by popularity. Truth isn't determined by opinion polls. Truthdoesn't change because culture changes. God's Word is truth. Jesusprayed to His Father in John 17:17: “Sanctify them by Your truth. Yourword is truth.” Sohow do we protect ourselves from deception? Know the Word. Read the Word. Studythe Word. Believe the Word. Obey the Word. The best protection against acounterfeit is becoming thoroughly familiar with the genuine article. Paul'swarning about future deception should cause us to love God's truth even moretoday. And there is one phrase in verse 12 that especially challenges me. They “hadpleasure in unrighteousness.” The problem wasn't simply intellectual. Itwas moral. Sometimes people reject God's truth not because there isn't enoughevidence, but because accepting God's truth would require them to change theway they live. Paulwrote in Romans 1:18-19: “For the wrath of God is revealed from heavenagainst all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth inunrighteousness ..."  Noticethat they suppressed the truth in unrighteousness. This means because of theirunrighteous or immoral and sinful living they refused to listen to the truth ofthe Gospel and Jesus and even attempted to destroy it.  Jesussaid in John 3 that men loved darkness rather than light because their deedswere evil. So today let's ask ourselves: Do I really love the truth? DoI want God to show me where I'm wrong? Am I willing to change when His Wordcorrects me? That's evidence of a heart that loves truth. My friend, truthmatters. And the greatest truth of all is Jesus Christ. Let's love Him. Let'slove His Word. Let's walk in His truth. And let's share that truth with a worlddesperately in need of it. 

Welcometo Pastor's Chat. Today we continue our journey through 2 Thessalonians chapter2, looking at verses 9 and 10. Yesterday we saw that the coming lawless one,whom I believe to be the Antichrist, will ultimately be destroyed by the LordJesus Christ at His coming. But before Paul tells us more about hisdestruction, he tells us something about the source of his power. Verse 9 saysthat the coming of the lawless one will be: “according to the working ofSatan.” That tells us immediately who is behind him. The Antichristwill be Satan's counterfeit Christ. AndPaul says his coming will be accompanied by “power, signs, and lyingwonders.” That is very important. We sometimes assume that if somethingsupernatural happens, it must be from God. But the Bible warns us that Satan isa deceiver. Not every miracle proves that the person performing it representsGod. Not every supernatural manifestation comes from God. Our standard mustalways be: What does the Word of God say? Paulcalls these things “lying wonders.” The wonder may appear real,but it is being used to promote a lie. Satan has always been a counterfeiter. Godhas truth. Satan has lies. God has Christ. Satan will present Antichrist. Godhas His children. Satan has those who follow him. God performs signs andwonders. Satan will have his counterfeit signs and lying wonders. That is whyspiritual discernment is so important. Butthen Paul tells us why people will be deceived. And I believe this is the mostimportant statement in these verses. Verse 10 says they perish: “becausethey did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved.” Noticethat Paul doesn't merely say they didn't know the truth. He says theydidn't love the truth. There is a tremendous difference between knowingsomething about the Bible and loving the truth of God's Word. A person can knowBible stories. A person can attend church. A person can know the plan ofsalvation. A person can even agree intellectually that Jesus lived, died on thecross, and rose again. But salvation involves personally receiving the truth ofthe Gospel and receiving Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. Jesussaid in John 14:6: “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” Ultimately,receiving the truth means receiving Jesus. Years ago, I heard someonesay: “The same sun that melts the wax hardens the clay.” The differenceisn't in the sun. The difference is in what is exposed to it. And the same istrue of God's truth. When we hear God's Word and respond to it with faith, itchanges us. But when we continually hear God's truth and reject it, our heartscan become hardened. That's why whenever God speaks to our hearts, we shouldrespond. Maybeyou've heard the Gospel hundreds of times. You know John 3:16. You know Jesusdied for your sins. You know He rose again. But the important question is: Haveyou personally received Him? Paul says these people did not receive thelove of the truth “that they might be saved.” God wants people tobe saved. Jesus went to the cross so that we could be saved. The Gospel isstill being proclaimed today so people can be saved. And that is why we shouldshare it while we have opportunity. Myfriend, don't simply admire the truth. Don't merely study the truth. Don't justlisten to the truth. Receive the truth. Believe the truth. Love the truth. Andmost importantly, receive the One Who said: “I am…the truth.” Let'spray. Father, thank You for giving us the truth of Your Word and the truth ofthe Gospel. Protect us from deception and give us spiritual discernment. May wenot merely know Your truth intellectually, but love it, believe it, obey it,and share it with others. And if someone listening today has never personallyreceived Jesus Christ, may today be the day they place their faith in Him andare saved. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Today we continue our study of 2 Thessalonians chapter 2, andwe're going to focus primarily on verse 8. In the previous verses, Paul hasbeen describing a coming world ruler whom he calls “the man of sin,” “the sonof perdition,” and now in verse 8, “the lawless one.” Fora period of time, which I personally believe will be in the 7 Year Tribulationafter the rapture of the church, this man will exercise tremendous power andinfluence. The world will look at him and see someone who seems unstoppable. ButPaul doesn't leave us wondering how the story ends. Listen to the rest of verse8: “whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroywith the brightness of His coming.” I love that! After everything Paulhas said about this man of sin, we might expect some enormous battle betweentwo equally powerful forces. But that's not what Paul describes. The Antichristmay appear powerful to the world. But he is no match for Jesus Christ. Paulsays the Lord will “consume” him with the breath of His mouth. Thinkabout that. Jesus doesn't need an army to defeat him. He doesn't need somesophisticated weapon. He simply speaks. And it's over. That reminds me of howthe Bible begins. Genesis 1 says: “Then God said, ‘Let there be light';and there was light.” God spoke creation into existence. Psalm 33 says:“By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, and all the host of themby the breath of His mouth.” The God Who spoke this universe intoexistence certainly has no difficulty defeating the forces of evil. AndRevelation 19 gives us another picture of this same glorious victory. John seesJesus returning from heaven as the King of kings and Lord of lords. The armiesof the world gather against Him. The beast and the false prophet stand inopposition to Him. But there is never any question about the outcome. Jesuswins. And my friend, that's something Christians need to remember today. Sometimeswe look at our world and become discouraged. We see evil seemingly increasing. Wesee people rejecting God. We see biblical truth mocked. We see injustice. Wesee wars and violence. And sometimes we wonder: “Where is all of thisheaded?” TheBible tells us. It's headed toward the return and ultimate triumph of JesusChrist. Evil will not have the last word. Satan will not have the lastword. The Antichrist will not have the last word. Jesus will have the lastword. Paul says the Lord will destroy the lawless one with “thebrightness of His coming.” I love that expression. Think about thecontrast. The Bible describes this present world as being under the influenceof spiritual darkness. But when Jesus appears, darkness cannot remain. Youdon't have to fight darkness. You simply turn on the light. And when the Lightof the world, Jesus Christ, appears in His glory, the kingdom of darkness willfall before Him. Thereis another truth here that I think is important. The word translated “coming”is the Greek word parousia. It speaks of an arrival or presence. Thesame word was used back in verse 1 when Paul spoke about “the coming ofour Lord Jesus Christ.” Jesus really is coming again. His first comingwas in humility. His second coming will be in glory. The first time He came, Hewas wrapped in swaddling clothes. When He comes in glory, Revelation picturesHim clothed with majesty and authority. The first time He came, He was placedin a manger. When He comes again, He comes as King of kings and Lord oflords. The first time He came, men placed a crown of thorns upon His head. WhenHe comes again, every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that JesusChrist is Lord. Andthere's an important encouragement here for us today. We don't have to waituntil that future day to recognize His authority. We can bow before Him now.We can acknowledge Him as Lord today. We can surrender our lives to Himtoday. And we can live every day with the confidence that our King is coming.

Inverse 5 he asks: “Do you not remember that when I was still with you Itold you these things?” I find that verse interesting. Remember, Paulhad not spent years with these believers. His time in Thessalonica had beenrelatively brief. Yet while he was there, he taught them about the return ofChrist and the prophetic events surrounding it. That tells me that Bibleprophecy isn't something we should ignore. Some people say, “Prophecy is toocomplicated. Let's just talk about practical Christian living.” But Paulapparently didn't separate the two. He taught new believers about the return ofJesus. And when properly understood, prophecy is very practical. If I believeJesus could come again, it should affect the way I live today. It should affectmy priorities. It should affect how I use my time. It should affect how I treatpeople. It should affect my desire to share the Gospel. And it should cause meto live with my eyes toward heaven. ThenPaul says in verse 6: “And now you know what is restraining, that he maybe revealed in his own time.” That word “restraining” isvery important. Something—or Someone—is presently holding back the fullmanifestation of evil and preventing this “man of sin” from being revealedbefore God's appointed time. Notice those final words: “In his own time.”The Antichrist cannot simply appear whenever Satan chooses. Satan isnot controlling the prophetic calendar. God is.  ThenPaul says in verse 7: “For the mystery of lawlessness is already atwork.” Paul wrote those words nearly two thousand years ago. Lawlessnesswas already working in Paul's day. And it is still working today. The spirit ofrebellion against God has been present throughout human history. John expressedsomething similar when he wrote in 1 John 2:18 that many antichrists hadalready come. The final Antichrist had not yet appeared, but the spirit ofopposition to Christ was already operating in the world. We certainly don'thave to look very far to see that spirit today. ButPaul says something is restraining it. And then he makes this remarkablestatement: “Only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out ofthe way.” Now we come to a question Bible students have discussed forcenturies: Who is the Restrainer? Paul doesn't specifically identify Himhere. There have been several interpretations. But I personally believe Paul isspeaking of the restraining ministry of the Holy Spirit working through theChurch. Think about what Jesus said to His followers. He said: “Youare the salt of the earth.” Salt in the ancient world was used as apreservative. It slowed corruption. Jesus also said: “You are the lightof the world.” Light pushes back darkness. Everywhere genuine believerslive for Jesus Christ, preach the Gospel, pray, stand for truth, anddemonstrate the love and righteousness of Christ, there is a restraininginfluence against evil. Not because we possess that power ourselves. It isbecause the Holy Spirit lives within us. AndI believe there is coming a day when the Church will be caught up to meet theLord in the air. When that happens, the Holy Spirit's present restrainingministry through the Church will be removed, allowing the man of sin tobe revealed in God's appointed time. Now, that does not mean that theHoly Spirit will cease to exist or cease working on the earth. God the HolySpirit is omnipresent. He was working in the world before the Church began atPentecost, and He will continue working according to God's purposes. Whatchanges is His particular restraining ministry through the Church.  Sometimeswe look around at our world and become discouraged. We see evil. We seeviolence. We see immorality. We see people rejecting biblical truth. And wemight wonder: “What difference can one Christian possibly make?” Morethan you think. Jesus didn't ask us to remove all the darkness. He told us to shinein it. He didn't ask us to stop all the corruption. He told us to be salt.

When it comes to Bible prophecy, therehas always been the danger of deception and speculation. Through the yearspeople have predicted dates for the return of Christ. Others have confidentlyidentified particular individuals as the Antichrist. ButPaul says: “Let no one deceive you.” Our confidence must alwaysrest in what God has revealed in His Word. Paul goes on to say that the Daywill not come unless there first comes what the New King James Version calls “thefalling away,” and: “the man of sin is revealed, the son ofperdition.” The expression “falling away” comes from the Greekword apostasia. It carries the idea of a departure or rebellion. ManyBible students understand Paul to be describing a great end-time spiritualrebellion against God. Then Paul introduces one of the major personalities ofBible prophecy: “The man of sin…the son of perdition.” Ibelieve Paul is speaking here of the individual we commonly call theAntichrist. The Bible gives this coming world ruler several names anddescriptions. Daniel speaks of a coming ruler who will make a covenant andlater break it. John describes the Beast in Revelation 13. First John tells usabout the coming Antichrist. And here Paul calls him: “The man of sin” and“the son of perdition.” The word perdition carries the idea ofdestruction or ruin. Interestingly, there is only one other person in the NewTestament whom Jesus specifically calls “the son of perdition.” That wasJudas Iscariot in John 17:12. Judas appeared to be one of the disciples.For three years he traveled with Jesus. The other disciples apparently didn'trealize what was really in his heart. But eventually his true character wasrevealed. Ina similar way, I believe this future Antichrist will initially appear to theworld as someone with answers.  AndPaul tells us exactly what is in his heart. Verse 4 says that he: “opposesand exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped.” Thereis the heart of sin. Self-exaltation. From the beginning, Satan haswanted the place that belongs only to God. Isaiah 14 records those terriblewords: “I will ascend…”“Iwill exalt…” “I will be like the Most High.” And throughout human history, sin hasessentially repeated the same thing: I want to rule my own life rather thanallow God to rule it.  ThenPaul says something even more astonishing. He will sit “as God in thetemple of God, showing himself that he is God.” That immediatelyreminds us of Daniel's prophecy concerning what Jesus later called “theabomination of desolation.” There will come a point when this rulerwill no longer merely oppose God. He will demand the worship that belongs toGod. And that reveals something important about Satan's program. Satan hasnever simply wanted people to stop worshiping God. Ultimately, he wants to takeGod's place. Buthere is something we must remember as we study these frightening events. TheAntichrist does not win. Paul is going to tell us later in this verychapter what happens to him. Verse 8 says that the Lord Jesus will destroy himwith the breath of His mouth and with the brightness of His coming. Think aboutthat. The world will look at this man and see enormous power. People willbelieve he is unstoppable. He will exalt himself. He will demand worship. Butwhen Jesus Christ appears, his kingdom will collapse. Butbefore we finish today, there is a personal application in these verses that weshouldn't miss. We may never bow before the Antichrist. But every one of usmust deal with the spirit of self-exaltation. Every morning we face a basicdecision: Who is going to sit on the throne of my life today? Will Isay: “Lord, what do You want?” Or will I say: “I will do what Iwant”? The spirit of Antichrist says: “I will exalt myself.” The spiritof Christ says: “Not my will, but Thine, be done.”

Today we begin the second chapter of 2 Thessalonians, and weare entering one of the most interesting and, at times, difficult propheticpassages in the New Testament. So as we go through this chapter, we're going totake our time. There are some things in these verses that Bible-believingChristians have interpreted differently through the years. We don't need to beafraid of that. Where the Scripture is clear, we want to be clear. Where goodBible teachers have understood some of the details differently, we want to becareful not to say more than the Bible itself says. Butwe don't want to miss Paul's main purpose. Paul wasn't writing this chaptermerely to give the Thessalonians a prophetic timetable. He was writing tocomfort troubled believers. Listen to the opening words of 2 Thessalonians2:1–2. Paul writes concerning “the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ andour gathering together to Him.” Then he tells them not to be “soonshaken in mind or troubled.” Those two thoughts belong together. Christis coming—and therefore God's people don't need to live shaken and troubledlives. Rememberwhat had happened in Thessalonica. These were relatively new Christians. Theywere already experiencing persecution and suffering. Paul had taught them aboutthe return of Jesus when he was with them, and he had written extensively aboutit in his first letter. In 1 Thessalonians 4, Paul had given them thatwonderful promise that the Lord Himself would descend from heaven, the dead inChrist would rise, living believers would be caught up together with them, and:“Thus we shall always be with the Lord.” And then Paul said: “Thereforecomfort one another with these words.” The return of Jesus was supposed tobring comfort. Butsomething had happened. Instead of being comforted, these believers had become confused.Instead of looking for Christ with hope, they were becoming frightened. Someoneapparently had convinced them that the Day of the Lord had already arrived—or,as the NKJV expresses it, that it “had come.” Perhaps they looked at thepersecution around them and thought: “Are we already experiencing God'send-time judgment?” “Have we missed something?” “Were we wrong about what Paultaught us?” And Paul says, in effect: Don't panic. Don't be shaken. Don't betroubled. Noticethe beautiful expression he uses in verse 1:“Our gathering together toHim.” Ultimately, that is the Christian's hope. Our hope isn't merelyan event on a prophetic calendar. Our hope is a Person. Jesus is coming.And we are going to be gathered to Him. That's what makes the return ofChrist so precious. I enjoy studying Bible prophecy. I believe we shouldunderstand what Scripture teaches about the things to come. But sometimes wecan become so interested in when things will happen and howeverything fits together that we lose sight of Who is coming. Jesus saidin John 14: “I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am,there you may be also.” That's the heart of our hope. Jesus wants uswith Him. Paulthen tells the Thessalonians not to be “soon shaken in mind or troubled.” Thepicture behind that word “shaken” is something being moved from its place. Thesebelievers had been grounded in the truth Paul had taught them. But then someonecame along with another message, and suddenly their confidence was shaken. Andisn't that still possible today? We hear predictions. We see frighteningheadlines. Someone posts something on social media. Someone claims they'vediscovered exactly when the Lord is returning. Someone takes a propheticpassage and confidently announces that a particular current event absolutelyfulfills it. And before long, Christians can become anxious and afraid. ButBible prophecy was never given to God's people to make us live in panic. Jesustold us to watch. Paul told us to comfort one another. And herePaul tells us: “Don't be shaken.”

Aftertalking about the glorious return of Jesus Christ, Paul brings everything backto the way we should live today. That's an important principle. Bibleprophecy isn't given merely to satisfy our curiosity about the future. What webelieve about tomorrow should affect the way we live today. Paul says: “Whereforealso we pray always for you.” Once again we see how important prayerwas in Paul's ministry. Paul couldn't be physically present with theThessalonians. He couldn't remove their persecution. He couldn't solve everyproblem they faced. But he could pray for them. Neverunderestimate what God can do through your prayers for another person. Thennotice what Paul prayed: “That our God would count you worthy of thiscalling.” Paul isn't saying we somehow earn salvation by becomingworthy. Salvation is entirely by grace. Rather, because God has called andsaved us, Paul prays that our lives will become consistent with that calling. Inother words: Live like who you are. If we belong to Jesus Christ, ourlives should increasingly reflect Him. Paulwrote something similar in Ephesians 4:1: “Walk worthy of the vocationwherewith you are called.” That raises a good question for each of us today. Doesthe way I live reflect the Christ I say I believe in? Does my attitude reflectChrist? Do my words reflect Christ? Does the way I treat my family reflectChrist? Does the way I respond when someone mistreats me reflect Christ? Paulthen prays that God would: “Fulfil all the good pleasure of His goodness,and the work of faith with power.” I especially like that phrase: “Thework of faith with power.” Remember what Paul wrote back in 1Thessalonians 1:3? He spoke about their “work of faith.” True faith producesaction. We aren't saved by good works. But when we are genuinely saved, ourfaith should produce good works. Ephesians 2:8–9 tells us clearly that we aresaved by grace through faith, “not of works.” But the very next verse says: “Forwe are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works.” Goddidn't save us simply so we could go to heaven someday. He saved us so He couldwork in us and through us today. And notice where the power comes from. Paulprays for the work of faith “with power.” We cannot live theChristian life successfully in our own strength. We need God's power. We needthe Holy Spirit working in us. And then Paul gives us the ultimate purpose ofit all in verse 12: “That the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may beglorified in you.” There it is. Thatis the goal of the Christian life. That Jesus might be glorified in us. Notthat people would notice us. Not that people would praise us. Not that we wouldbuild a reputation for ourselves. But that when people look at our lives,somehow they would see something of Jesus. John the Baptist expressed itbeautifully when he said: “He must increase, but I must decrease.” Maybethat would be a good prayer for us today: “Lord,let Jesus be seen in me.” Let Him be seen in my words. Let Him be seen in myattitude. Let Him be seen in the way I treat people. Let Him be seen in how Ihandle difficulties. Let Him be seen in my home. Let Him be seen in everythingI do. And Paul closes by reminding us that even this is possible only: “Accordingto the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.” We begin withgrace. We continue by grace. And one day we will stand in His presence becauseof grace. So until Jesus comes, may we live lives worthy of His calling andseek one great purpose: That the name of our Lord Jesus Christ might beglorified in us. Let'spray. Father, thank You for calling us to Yourself through the Gospel. Help usto live lives that are consistent with that calling. Work in us and through usby Your power. May our faith produce works that honor You, and above everythingelse, may the name of our Lord Jesus Christ be glorified in our lives today. Weask it in His precious name, Amen.

Today we come to one of the more sobering passages in 2Thessalonians. Paul has been encouraging believers who were sufferingpersecution. He reminded them that Jesus Christ will one day be revealed fromheaven. Now in verses 8–10, Paul tells us what that day will mean. Speaking ofthe return of Christ, he says: “In flaming fire taking vengeance on themthat know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Whoshall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord,and from the glory of His power; When He shall come to be glorified in Hissaints, and to be admired in all them that believe.”  Theseare serious words. We love to talk about the love of God—and we should. TheBible tells us that “God is love.” We love to talk about God's mercy, grace,forgiveness, and compassion. But the same Bible that teaches us about God'slove also teaches us about God's holiness and judgment. And we need bothtruths.Ifthere were no judgment, there would ultimately be no justice. Paul tells usthat when Jesus returns, He will deal finally and completely with sin andunbelief. Noticethat he describes those who face judgment in two ways. They “know not God,”and they “obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.” The Gospelisn't simply information to be admired. It is good news that calls for aresponse. The Gospel tells us that we are sinners. It tells us that JesusChrist, God's Son, came into this world. He lived a sinless life. He died onthe cross for our sins. He was buried. And on the third day He rose again. AndGod offers salvation to everyone who will repent and place their faith in JesusChrist. John 3:16 says: “For God so loved the world, that He gave His onlybegotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but haveeverlasting life.” But if we reject God's provision for salvation, there isno other provision. Thatis why Paul's words here are so serious. He describes eternal separation “fromthe presence of the Lord, and from the glory of His power.” My friend, hellis real. Judgment is real. Eternity is real. And that is exactly why the Gospelis so important. But then notice the dramatic contrast in verse 10. The sameJesus Who comes in judgment upon unbelief will: “Be glorified in His saints,and to be admired in all them that believe.” What a day that will be! Todaythe world often misunderstands Jesus. Some reject Him. Some mock His name. Somesimply ignore Him. But there is coming a day when Jesus Christ will be revealedin all His glory.Philippians2 tells us that: “At the name of Jesus every knee should bow.” And everytongue will “confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God theFather.” Forthose of us who know Christ, His coming is not something to fear. It issomething to anticipate. We will see the One Who loved us. We will see the OneWho died for us. We will see the One we have prayed to and trusted even thoughwe could not see Him. Peter wrote in 1 Peter 1:8: “Whom having not seen, youlove.” But one day we will see Him. And Paul says we will “admire”Him. I imagine that when we finally see Jesus in all His glory, we'll realizethat He is infinitely more wonderful than anything we ever imagined. Butuntil that day, we have a responsibility. We have family members, neighbors,friends, and people all around us who need to hear the Gospel. The reality ofeternity should never make us proud or harsh. It should make us compassionateand urgent. There is still time today. The invitation of the Gospel isstill open. Jesus still says, “Come unto Me.” And everyone who comes toHim in faith can receive forgiveness and everlasting life.Godbless, and may you have a wonderful, wonderful day!

Today we come to 2 Thessalonians 1:5–7. Paul has justcommended these believers for their patience and faith during persecution. Nowhe reminds them of something they desperately needed to remember: God seeswhat is happening, and one day God will make everything right. Paul speaksof their endurance as: “A manifest token of the righteous judgment of God,that you may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you alsosuffer.” Then he continues: “Seeing it is a righteous thing with God torecompense tribulation to them that trouble you; And to you who are troubledrest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with His mightyangels.” These believers were suffering because they followed Jesus Christ.From their perspective, it probably looked as though the people persecutingthem were getting away with it. Haveyou ever wondered why God allows injustice? Why do people sometimes seem tosuffer for doing what is right while others prosper while doing what is wrong? TheBible never pretends that injustice doesn't exist. But Scripture repeatedlyreminds us that God has the final word. Paul calls God's judgment righteousjudgment. God never makes a mistake. Human judges can misunderstandevidence. People can misjudge motives. We can even misunderstand one another. ButGod knows everything. He knows every action. He knows every motive. He knowsevery secret. And therefore His judgment is always perfectly righteous. Abrahamasked in Genesis 18:25: “Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?” Andthe answer is absolutely yes. Notice also that Paul isn't telling thesepersecuted Christians to seek revenge. He is telling them to trust God. Romans12:19 says: “Vengeance is Mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.” Thattakes an enormous burden off our shoulders. You and I don't have to settleevery score. We don't have to make everyone pay for every wrong done to us. Wecan place those things into the hands of a righteous God. ThenPaul gives these suffering believers a beautiful promise. He says: “And toyou who are troubled rest with us.” I love that word—rest. TheThessalonians were under pressure now, but the pressure wouldn't last forever. Therewas coming a day of rest. And notice when Paul says that ultimate rest willcome: “When the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven.” Paul keepsbringing these believers back to the return of Jesus Christ. Their presentsuffering had to be viewed in light of eternity. And that is still true for us.Whatever burden you are carrying today is temporary. Whatever heartache you areexperiencing is temporary. Whatever injustice you may have endured istemporary. But our relationship with Jesus Christ is eternal. Thereis coming a day when Christ will return and everything will be seen from God'sperspective. That doesn't mean our suffering isn't real. The Thessalonians'suffering was very real. But it means that suffering doesn't get the lastword. Jesus does. Perhaps today someone has treated you unfairly. Maybeyou've been misunderstood. Maybe you've experienced something that you cannotfix. You don't have to carry the burden of making everything right yourself. Placeit in God's hands. He sees. He knows. And He will always do what is right. Untilthen, we keep trusting Him. We keep loving others. We keep doing what is right.And we keep looking for Jesus. Because one day our faith will become sight, ourstruggles will be over, and we will enter into the rest He has promised. Let'spray. Father, thank You that You are a righteous and faithful God. When weexperience injustice or difficulty, help us not to become bitter or seekrevenge. Help us place those things into Your hands and trust You to do what isright. Give us grace to remain faithful while we wait for the day when our LordJesus Christ will be revealed from heaven. In His name we pray, Amen. Godbless, and may you have a wonderful, wonderful day!

Today we continue our study of 2 Thessalonians chapter 1 bylooking at verses 3 and 4: “We are bound to thank God always for you,brethren, as it is meet, because that your faith grows exceedingly, and thecharity of every one of you all toward each other abounds; So that we ourselvesglory in you in the churches of God for your patience and faith in all yourpersecutions and tribulations that you endure.” When Paul wrote his firstletter to these believers, he had commended them for their faith, love, andhope. Now some time has passed. And Paul has received another report aboutthem. The persecution hasn't stopped. Their problems haven't disappeared. Butsomething wonderful has happened. They have grown. Paulsays, “Your faith grows exceedingly.” I love that expression. Theirfaith wasn't standing still. It was growing! And interestingly, their faith wasgrowing while they were suffering. Sometimes we think spiritual growthoccurs when everything is going well. But often our greatest spiritual growthtakes place during the most difficult seasons of our lives. When everything isgoing well, it is easy to say we trust God. But when we don't understand whatGod is doing, when our prayers don't seem to be answered the way we hoped, andwhen the road becomes difficult—that is when our faith is tested. And testedfaith can become stronger faith. James1:3 says: “Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.” Perhapsyou are going through a trial today. Don't automatically assume that somethinghas gone wrong. God may be using that very difficulty to develop something inyour life that could never develop any other way. But Paul noticed somethingelse. Not only was their faith growing, but their love was growing. Hesays: “The charity of every one of you all toward each other abounds.” Theword “charity” here means love. Their growing faith in God was producing agrowing love for one another. And that is an important measurement of spiritualmaturity. Aperson may know a great deal about the Bible. They may be able to explaindoctrine. They may attend church faithfully. But one of the clearest evidencesthat we are growing spiritually is that we are becoming more loving towardothers. Jesus said in John 13:35: “By this shall all men know that you areMy disciples, if you have love one to another.” And notice Paul's language.Their faith “grows exceedingly.” Their love “abounds.” Thesebelievers weren't satisfied with yesterday's faith or yesterday's love. Theywere continuing to grow. ThenPaul mentions a third quality: Patience. He says they demonstrated “patienceand faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that you endure.” Theword patience here carries the idea of steadfast endurance. They were stayingfaithful under pressure. They didn't quit. They didn't abandon their faith. Theycontinued trusting God even when following Christ was costly. And Paul was soencouraged by their testimony that he told other churches about them. Thinkabout that! This young church that had experienced so much difficulty became anexample to other believers. Their suffering became a platform for theirtestimony. Myfriend, we don't always get to choose what happens to us. But by God's grace,we can choose how we respond. Our trials can make us bitter, or they can makeus better. They can drive us away from God, or they can drive us closer to Him. Andperhaps today would be a good time for each of us to ask ourselves threequestions: Is my faith growing? Is my love increasing? Am I learning topatiently endure the difficulties God allows in my life? The Thessaloniansremind us that spiritual growth isn't measured by how easy our lives are. Sometimesthe strongest faith grows in the hardest soil.

Yesterday we began our journey through the little book of 2Thessalonians. Today, let's begin looking at the first chapter, starting withverses 1 and 2: “Paul, and Silvanus, and Timotheus, unto the church of theThessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, andpeace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” These words mightsound like a simple greeting, but there is a great deal of truth packed intothese two verses. Paul begins by mentioning Silvanus, whom we usually know asSilas, and Timotheus, or Timothy. These three men had been together when thechurch in Thessalonica was established. Ifyou remember from our study of 1 Thessalonians, Paul had only been inThessalonica for a short time before persecution forced him to leave. Yet inthat brief period, people believed the Gospel, their lives were changed, and achurch was born. Now Paul writes to them again. And notice how he describesthem: “Unto the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and theLord Jesus Christ.” They lived physically in Thessalonica, butspiritually they were in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ.  Whata wonderful description of every believer! We live in a particular town. Wehave an address. We belong to a family and a community. But if we have trustedJesus Christ as our Savior, our true spiritual position is in Christ. Andthat was especially important for these Thessalonian believers because theywere experiencing persecution. Their circumstances were difficult. Theirenemies were real. Their suffering was painful. Butnone of those things could change their position in Christ. And neither can thecircumstances you and I face today. You may be going through disappointment. Youmay be dealing with sickness. You may be carrying a burden that nobody elseknows about. You may be facing uncertainty about tomorrow. But if you knowChrist, you can remind yourself: I am in Christ. My circumstances maychange, but my relationship with Him does not. ThenPaul gives them two wonderful words: “Grace unto you, and peace.” Graceand peace. Notice the order. Grace comes first, and then peace. We cannotexperience the peace of God until we have first experienced the grace of God. Graceis God's undeserved favor toward us. We could never earn salvation. We couldnever deserve forgiveness. But God loved us and sent His Son to die for us. Paulwrote in Ephesians 2:8: “For by grace are you saved through faith; and thatnot of yourselves: it is the gift of God.” And once we have received God'sgrace, we can experience God's peace. Romans 5:1 says: “Therefore beingjustified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” First,we have peace with God through salvation. Then, as we walk with Him, wecan enjoy the peace of God in the circumstances of life. Thatis exactly what these Thessalonian believers needed. They couldn't control thepersecution around them. They couldn't control what others said about them. Theycouldn't know what tomorrow would bring. But they could know the grace andpeace that came “from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” And so can we.Maybe today you are facing something you cannot change. Instead of allowingfear to control your heart, remember who you are and where you are. If you knowJesus Christ, you are in Him. You are surrounded by His grace. And youcan rest in His peace. The world may be troubled around us, but Jesus said inJohn 14:27: “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give unto you.”  Let'spray. Father, thank You for Your amazing grace that saved us and for the peacethat we have through the Lord Jesus Christ. Help us today to remember thatregardless of what happens around us, we belong to You and we are secure inChrist. May Your grace strengthen us and Your peace guard our hearts as we walkwith You today. In Jesus' name, Amen. 

Inmany ways, the message of 2 Thessalonians can be summarized in four words: Standfirm while waiting. These believers were waiting for Jesus to return. Butwhile they waited, Paul wanted them to remain faithful. That is still ourresponsibility today. We believe Jesus is coming again. But until He comes, wehave work to do. We are not called to sit around trying to calculate dates. Weare not called to withdraw from life. We are called to remain faithful, servethe Lord, love one another, live holy lives, and continue sharing the gospel. Thefirst chapter begins with encouragement. Paul tells these believers that their faithwas growing exceedingly and their love toward one another wasincreasing. That is remarkable because they were growing spiritually whilethey were suffering. Sometimes we assume that spiritual growth happens onlywhen life is going well. But often some of our greatest growth takes place inthe hardest seasons of life. Trials have a way of driving our roots deeper intoGod. Paul was so encouraged by these believers that he said he boasted abouttheir patience and faith in all their persecutions and tribulations. Theircircumstances were difficult. But their faith was strong. Thatgives us one of the first great themes of this letter: Standing firm insuffering. Then, in chapter 2, Paul addresses confusion concerning thecoming of the Lord and the Day of the Lord. Apparently, some people had becometroubled and shaken. There may even have been claims that a message or lettersupposedly from Paul had taught that the Day of the Lord had already come. Paulwanted to settle their hearts. He did not want them living in fear orconfusion. He reminded them that God is still in control of history. There areevents that will take place according to God's sovereign plan. And even whenevil appears powerful, it will not have the final word. Jesus Christ will. Thatgives us another great theme: Standing firm in truth. Paul tells them inchapter 2: “Therefore, brethren, stand fast and hold the traditions whichyou were taught.” In other words: Don't be shaken by every new claim. Don'tbelieve every rumor. Don't abandon the truth you have already received. That iscertainly a needed message today. We live in a world filled with information. Everyday we hear new opinions, predictions, theories, and claims. But God's peopleneed to stay anchored in something that does not change: The Word of God. Thenchapter 3 becomes very practical. Paul talks about prayer. He asks thesebelievers to pray that the Word of the Lord would spread rapidly and beglorified. He talks about God's faithfulness. He tells them: “The Lord isfaithful, who will establish you and guard you from the evil one.” And thenhe addresses another problem. Apparently, some believers had misunderstood theteaching concerning Christ's return so badly that they had stopped working. Theymay have thought: “If Jesus is coming soon, why bother with ordinaryresponsibilities?” Paul strongly corrects that idea. Waiting for Jesus does notexcuse laziness. In fact, one of the marks of faithful Christian living isdoing our everyday work responsibly. Paul had already told them in 1Thessalonians to “work with your own hands.” Now he reinforces thattruth. Thatgives us another major theme: Standing firm in daily faithfulness. So aswe begin 2 Thessalonians, I believe there are several questions we should keepbefore us. How do we remain faithful when life becomes difficult? How do weavoid being shaken by false teaching or spiritual confusion? How should thereturn of Jesus affect the way we live today? And how can we continue servingfaithfully while we wait for Him? Those questions are just as relevant now asthey were nearly two thousand years ago. We also need to remember that thesetwo letters belong together.

Today we come to the final verses of 1 Thessalonians. We havetraveled together through this wonderful letter and seen Paul's love for theseyoung believers, their faith in the midst of persecution, their hope inChrist's return, and Paul's repeated challenge for them to continue growing inholiness and love. Now Paul closes with a beautiful prayer and a wonderfulpromise. Verse 23 says: “Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify youcompletely.” Notice who does the sanctifying. “The God of peaceHimself.” Throughoutthis letter Paul has repeatedly called believers to holiness. But now hereminds us that spiritual growth is ultimately a work God does in us. Wecertainly have responsibilities. We obey. We surrender. We read His Word. Wepray. We turn away from sin. But it is God who is working within us to make uslike Jesus. Paul continues: “And may your whole spirit, soul, and body bepreserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Paul'sconcern is for the whole person. God is interested in every part of ourlives. Our inner spiritual life. Our minds and emotions. And even what we dowith our bodies. There is no part of us that should be excluded from God'ssanctifying work. Thenverse 24 gives us one of the great promises of Scripture: “He who callsyou is faithful, who also will do it.” What a wonderful statement. Godis faithful. Our faithfulness may sometimes fail. Our strength may fail. Ouremotions rise and fall. But God never changes. Paul does not say: “He whocalled you is faithful, so you had better somehow finish the work yourself.” Hesays: “Who also will do it.” Philippians 1:6 says the same thing:“He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day ofJesus Christ.” God finishes what He starts. The same God who saved youis working in you today. And He will continue that work until one day you standcomplete in the presence of Jesus. That doesn't make us passive. It makes ushopeful. When we become discouraged with our spiritual progress, we canremember: God isn't finished with me yet. ThenPaul says simply in verse 25: “Brethren, pray for us.” I lovethat. Here is the great apostle Paul asking ordinary believers: “Pray forus.” If Paul needed prayer, surely we need prayer. Never underestimatethe ministry of praying for other people. Pray for pastors. Missionaries. Churchleaders. Family members. Friends. Those carrying the gospel around the world. ThenPaul says: “Greet all the brethren with a holy kiss.” In theirculture this was an appropriate expression of warm Christian affection. Thespecific cultural expression may differ today, but the principle remains: God'speople should genuinely love and warmly receive one another. Paul then commandsthat this letter be read “to all the holy brethren.”  Why? Because this wasn't merely a privatenote for a few church leaders. Paul wanted everyone to hear the Word ofGod. The letter ends exactly where the Christian life begins and continues:Grace. Verse 28 says: “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be withyou. Amen.” Grace saved us. Grace keeps us. Grace teaches us. Gracestrengthens us. And grace will bring us safely home. What a wonderful way tofinish this letter. When we look back over 1 Thessalonians, we have seenseveral great themes. A work of faith. A labor of love. A patienceof hope. Standing fast in persecution. Growing in holiness. Loving oneanother. And living every day in expectation of Jesus Christ's return. Butultimately, none of that is possible apart from God's grace. Andso perhaps the verse we should carry with us as we finish this letter is verse24: “He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it.” Myfriend, whatever God has called you to today, you can trust Him. He isfaithful. Whatever trial you are facing— He is faithful. Whatever burdenyou are carrying— He is faithful. Whatever weakness you are strugglingwith— He is faithful. And whatever work He has begun in your life—Hewill complete it.

Today we come to four short instructions that are especially important in a time when we are constantly surrounded bycompeting voices and spiritual claims. Paul writes: “Do not quench theSpirit. Do not despise prophecies. Test all things; hold fast what is good.Abstain from every form of evil.”  FirstPaul says: “Do not quench the Spirit.” The word “quench” is normallyused of putting out a fire. The Holy Spirit is often pictured in Scripture inconnection with fire. Paul is saying, “Do not resist or suppress the work ofGod's Spirit in your life.” How can we quench the Spirit? We can ignore Hisconviction. We can knowingly hold on to sin. We can refuse to obey somethingGod has clearly shown us in His Word. We can become spiritually cold andindifferent. The Holy Spirit desires to work in us and through us. Paul tellsus: Don't put out the fire. Thenhe says: “Do not despise prophecies.” In the early church, before theNew Testament Scriptures were completed, God used prophetic utterances in aspecial way to communicate His truth. But Paul immediately gives an importantbalance. Verse 21 says: “Test all things.” In other words: Don't believeeverything simply because someone claims it came from God. That is tremendouslyimportant today. Just because someone says: “God told me…” does notautomatically make their words true. Just because a preacher says somethingwith confidence does not mean it is biblical. Just because something appears onthe Internet, television, or social media doesn't mean we should accept it. Paulsays: “Test all things.” Whatis our test? The Word of God. The Bereans in Acts 17 were commended becausethey received Paul's teaching eagerly but then: “Searched the Scripturesdaily to find out whether these things were so.” Think about that. Theyeven checked the teaching of the apostle Paul against the Scriptures! That is awonderful example for us. Don't simply ask: “Does this sound good?” Ask: “Is itbiblical?” Don't ask only: “Is this preacher popular?” Ask: “Is what he issaying consistent with God's Word?” Don't accept a teaching merely because itmakes you feel good. Test it by Scripture. ThenPaul says: “Hold fast what is good.” Once something has been tested andfound true, don't let it go. There are some truths we should hold with a firmgrip. Jesus Christ is the Son of God. He died for our sins. He rose bodily fromthe grave. Salvation is by grace through faith. The Bible is God's Word. Jesusis coming again. Hold fast. Our culture changes rapidly. God's truthdoes not. Thenverse 22 says: “Abstain from every form of evil.” The Christian lifeinvolves both holding on and letting go. Hold fast to what is good. Stay awayfrom what is evil. Sometimes we ask, “How close can I get to something sinfulwithout actually crossing the line?” That is the wrong question. Paul says: “Abstain.”Move away from evil. Joseph demonstrated that in Genesis 39 when Potiphar'swife tempted him. He didn't stay there and discuss the situation. He fled. SecondTimothy 2:22 says: “Flee also youthful lusts.” There are times when themost spiritual thing we can do is simply get away from the temptation.  Thesefour instructions give us a wonderful pattern for spiritual discernment: Don'tresist the Holy Spirit. Don't reject truth merely because it challenges you. Testeverything by God's Word. Hold tightly to what is good and stay away from whatis evil. We desperately need that kind of discernment today. Let'spray. Heavenly Father, thank You for giving us Your Holy Spirit and Your Word.Help us not to resist or quench the work of Your Spirit in our hearts. Give usdiscernment so that we do not believe every spiritual claim we hear. Teach usto test everything by the truth of Scripture. Help us hold fast to what is goodand faithfully reject every form of evil. In a world filled with confusion andcompeting voices, keep our hearts and minds anchored firmly in Your truth. InJesus' name, we pray. Amen.

Today we come to three of the shortest verses in the NewTestament. But although they are short, they contain enough truth to challengeus for a lifetime. First Thessalonians 5:16–18 says: “Rejoice always, praywithout ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God inChrist Jesus for you.” Three commands: Rejoice always. Pray withoutceasing. In everything give thanks. Let's look at them one at a time. First:“Rejoice always.” Paul does not say rejoice only when everything isgoing well. He says always. How is that possible? Because Christian joy is notbased primarily upon our circumstances. It is based upon the Lord. Paul wrotefrom prison in Philippians 4:4: “Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I willsay, rejoice!” Circumstances change. Our health changes. Our financeschange. Relationships change. But Jesus Christ does not change. Hebrews 13:8says: “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” So evenwhen we cannot rejoice in what is happening, we can rejoice in the Lord. We canrejoice that our sins are forgiven. We can rejoice that God loves us. We canrejoice that He will never leave us. We can rejoice that heaven is our home. ThenPaul says: “Pray without ceasing.” Does that mean we should spend everywaking moment on our knees? Obviously not. Paul himself worked, preached,traveled, and ministered. The idea is that prayer should be the continuingattitude of our hearts. Our communication with God should never be permanentlydisconnected. We can pray while driving. We can pray while walking. We can praywhile working. We can whisper a prayer before a difficult conversation. We canthank God when something good happens. We can ask for wisdom the moment we needit. Prayer should become as natural to the Christian as breathing. ThenPaul says: “In everything give thanks.” Notice he does not necessarilysay for everything. There are painful things in life for which we do notnaturally give thanks. We do not call evil good. But in everything, we canstill find reasons to thank God. Why? Because we know God is still with us. Weknow He still loves us. We know He can work even through difficultcircumstances. Romans 8:28 says: “And we know that all things work togetherfor good to those who love God.” It does not say all things are good. ButGod can work through all things for our ultimate good and His glory. Andthen Paul makes a statement we should not overlook: “For this is the will ofGod in Christ Jesus for you.” People often ask: “What is God's will for mylife?” Here is part of the answer. God wants you to be a rejoicing Christian. Apraying Christian. And a thankful Christian. That doesn't require discoveringsome hidden secret. God has clearly revealed it in His Word. Sometimesgratitude changes our entire perspective. We can become so focused on what wedon't have that we forget what God has already given us. Perhaps today weshould stop and count some blessings. The gift of life. Family. Friends. Oursalvation. God's Word. The privilege of prayer. The promise of heaven. Andabove everything else: Jesus Christ. Nomatter what today holds, if we belong to Christ, we have reasons to rejoice,reasons to pray, and reasons to give thanks. So maybe we can carry these threeshort commands with us all day: Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing. Ineverything give thanks. Let'spray. Heavenly Father, thank You for these simple but powerful instructions.Teach us to rejoice not merely in favorable circumstances but in You. Help usto develop a continual attitude of prayer so that throughout the day our heartsremain in fellowship with You. And Lord, make us thankful people. Even indifficult circumstances, open our eyes to Your goodness, faithfulness, andpresence. Help us to live today according to Your will—rejoicing, praying, andgiving thanks through Jesus Christ our Lord. In His name, we pray. Amen. Godbless, and may you have a wonderful, wonderful day!

Yesterday Paul spoke about our relationship with spiritualleaders. Today, in 1 Thessalonians 5:14–15, he reminds us that ministry is notsomething that belongs only to pastors. Every Christian has a ministry to otherbelievers. Paul writes: “Now we exhort you, brethren, warn those who areunruly, comfort the fainthearted, uphold the weak, be patient with all.” NoticePaul is speaking to the brethren. These instructions are for the whole church. Thennotice something very important: Paul does not tell us to treat everyoneexactly the same way. Different people have different spiritual needs. Firsthe says: “Warn those who are unruly.” Some people need correction. Theword “unruly” was sometimes used of a soldier who was out of line. There aretimes when a believer begins walking in a direction that is spirituallydangerous. Love does not simply ignore that. Galatians 6:1 says that if someoneis overtaken in a fault, spiritual believers should seek to restore that person“in a spirit of gentleness.” Correction should never come from pride. Itshould come from love. ThenPaul says: “Comfort the fainthearted.” Some people do not needcorrection. They need encouragement. The fainthearted are those who have becomediscouraged, fearful, or overwhelmed. Maybe life has hit them hard. Maybe theyhave suffered a loss. Maybe they are battling anxiety about the future. Maybethey simply feel like giving up. Paul says: Comfort them. Come alongside them. Remindthem of God's promises. Sometimes the greatest ministry we can give someone issimply being present and saying: “I'm here, and I'm praying for you.” ThenPaul says: “Uphold the weak.” Some believers are spiritually weak. Perhapsthey are new Christians. Perhaps they struggle with temptation. Perhaps theirfaith has been shaken. Paul doesn't say criticize the weak. He says: “Uphold”them. Hold on to them. Support them. Help them keep standing. Then comes aphrase that probably applies to all three groups: “Be patient with all.” Thatmay be the hardest part! People don't always change as quickly as we wouldlike. Spiritual growth takes time. And we need to remember how patient God hasbeen with us. Second Peter 3:9 speaks of the longsuffering of God. If God hasbeen patient with me, surely I should learn to be patient with others. Thenverse 15 says: “See that no one renders evil for evil to anyone, but alwayspursue what is good both for yourselves and for all.” Our natural reactionwhen someone hurts us is to hurt them back. They criticize us—we criticizethem. They say something unkind—we respond with something unkind. They mistreatus—we want to get even. But Paul says: “Do not render evil for evil.” Jesustaught the same thing. He told us to love our enemies and pray for those whomistreat us. Romans 12 says: “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evilwith good.” That is completely contrary to our natural instincts. Itrequires the grace of God. Paul says instead:“Alwayspursue what is good.” The word “pursue” is strong. Don't merely wait for anopportunity to do good. Go after it. Look for ways to bless people. Look forways to encourage. Look for ways to restore. Look for ways to strengthen. Lookfor ways to respond to hurt with grace.  Thinkabout the different people God may place across your path today. One may need aloving warning. Another may need encouragement. Another may need someone tohold them up. And all of them need patience. The Christian life was neverintended to be lived alone. God has placed us in a spiritual family where weare to help one another keep walking with Jesus. So today ask: “Lord, who needsme to come alongside them?” And when He puts someone on your heart, don't justthink about it. Call them. Visit them. Pray with them. Encourage them. Ministerto one another. Godbless, and may you have a wonderful, wonderful day!

As Paul begins the closing section of 1 Thessalonians, hegives a number of short, practical instructions about relationships within thechurch. Today we begin with verses 12 and 13: “And we urge you, brethren, torecognize those who labor among you, and are over you in the Lord and admonishyou, and to esteem them very highly in love for their work's sake. Be at peaceamong yourselves.” Paul begins by talking about spiritual leaders. Hedescribes them in three ways. First,they “labor among you.” Ministry is work. The word Paul uses carries theidea of working to the point of weariness. Faithful ministry requirespreparation. Prayer. Teaching. Counseling. Visiting. Encouraging. Correcting. Caringfor people in times of sickness, grief, family difficulty, and spiritual need. Muchof that ministry happens where nobody else sees it. Then Paul says theseleaders are “over you in the Lord.” That speaks of spiritual leadershipand responsibility. A pastor is not called to dominate people. Jesus said thatleadership among His followers should not imitate the authoritarian leadershipof the world. A pastor is a shepherd. He leads. He protects. He feeds the flockwith God's Word. And he understands that ultimately the church belongs to JesusChrist. ThenPaul says they “admonish you.” Sometimes spiritual leadership requiressaying things people may not necessarily want to hear. The word admonishincludes warning, instructing, and correcting. A faithful pastor cannot simplytell people what makes them comfortable. Paul told Timothy to: “Preach theword!” And then he added: “Convince, rebuke, exhort, with alllongsuffering and teaching.” So how should believers respond to faithfulspiritual leadership? Paul says: “Recognize” them. That means appreciatethem and understand the responsibility they carry. Thenverse 13 says: “Esteem them very highly in love for their work's sake.” NoticePaul doesn't say esteem them because they are celebrities. Or because they haveimpressive personalities. Or because they preach in large churches. He saysesteem them: “For their work's sake.” The honor is connected to the workGod has called them to do. I have had the privilege of serving in pastoralministry for many years, and I can tell you that one of the greatestencouragements a pastor can receive is simply knowing that his peopleappreciate him, pray for him, and support the work of the ministry. Hebrews13:17 reminds us that spiritual leaders “watch out for your souls, as thosewho must give account.” That is an enormous responsibility. Pastors willanswer to God for how they shepherd His people. That ought to make us pray forthem. Your pastor needs prayer. He faces temptations. He experiencesdiscouragement. He carries burdens that he often cannot share publicly. Hefeels deeply the hurts and struggles of the people he serves. And sometimes asimple word— “Pastor, I'm praying for you.”—can mean more than you realize. Butnotice how Paul ends verse 13: “Be at peace among yourselves.” Thattells us something else about healthy churches. They should be places of peace.Churches are made up of imperfect people. That means disagreements will happen.People will have different opinions. Different personalities. Differentpreferences. But our unity in Jesus Christ should be greater than ourdifferences. Jesus said: “Blessed are the peacemakers.” Paul wrote inRomans: “If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably withall men.” What would happen if every member of every church determined: “Iwill not be a source of unnecessary conflict.” “I will pray for my leaders.” “Iwill encourage them.” “I will support the work of the gospel.” “And I will doeverything I can to promote peace among God's people.” That would make atremendous difference. Sotoday perhaps we can do two simple things. First, pray for your pastor andspiritual leaders. And second, ask: “Am I helping create peace in my churchfamily?”

Verse 7 says: “For those who sleep, sleep atnight, and those who get drunk are drunk at night.” Paul is drawing aspiritual contrast. Night is the natural setting for sleep and drunkenness. Butbelievers belong to the day. Therefore verse 8 says: “But let us who are ofthe day be sober.” ThenPaul uses a picture that he often used in his letters—that of a soldierpreparing for battle. He says we should put on: “The breastplate of faithand love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation.” Those three familiarwords appear again: Faith. Love. Hope. We saw them in the very first chapter ofthis letter: A work of faith. A labor of love. And a patience of hope. Now Paulpictures faith and love as a breastplate protecting the heart, and hope as ahelmet protecting the mind. The Christian life is a battlefield. We have anenemy. Satan attacks our faith. He wants us to doubt God's goodness. He attacksour love. He wants bitterness, anger, and division to enter our hearts. And heattacks our hope. He wants us to become discouraged and believe that ourcircumstances will never change. So Paul says: Protect your heart with faithand love. Protect your mind with hope. And then he reminds us what our hope isbased upon. Verse9 says: “For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvationthrough our Lord Jesus Christ.” What an encouraging promise. God's purposefor those who belong to Christ is not wrath but salvation. Why? Because Jesustook the judgment for our sins upon Himself at the cross. Verse 10 says thatJesus: “Died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live togetherwith Him.” There is the heart of the gospel: Christ died for us. Jesus didnot die merely as a martyr or a great example. He died for us. He took ourplace. Isaiah said: “The LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.” Petersaid: “Who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree.” Paulsaid: “Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures.” Oursalvation rests entirely upon what Jesus accomplished for us. Andnotice again Paul's wonderful promise: “We should live together with Him.” Whetherwe are alive when Jesus comes or whether our body has been laid in the grave,our destiny is the same: We will live with Jesus. That is Christian hope. ThenPaul says in verse 11: “Therefore comfort each other and edify one another,just as you also are doing.” This sounds very similar to the final verse ofchapter 4: “Comfort one another with these words.” Christian truthshould produce Christian encouragement. Paul doesn't want prophecy to make usargumentative. He wants it to make us encouraging. The word “edify” means tobuild up. Every day we are either building people up or tearing them down. Ourwords can encourage someone. Or they can discourage someone. Our attitude canstrengthen someone. Or it can weaken someone. Paulsays: “Build one another up.” Maybe there is someone God has placed onyour heart today. A friend who is struggling. A family member who isdiscouraged. Someone at church carrying a burden. Maybe God wants you to callthem. Send them a message. Pray with them. Remind them that God is faithful. Sometimesa few words of encouragement can change someone's entire day. And remember whatPaul says our encouragement is based upon: Jesus died for us. We belong to Him.We are not appointed to wrath. Our salvation is secure in Christ. And one daywe will live together with Him. So today: Stay awake spiritually. Put on faith,love, and hope.  HeavenlyFather, thank You that Jesus died for us and that our hope of salvation restsin Him. Help us to put on the breastplate of faith and love and the helmet ofthe hope of salvation. Guard our hearts from doubt and bitterness, and guardour minds from discouragement. Lord, show us someone today whom we canencourage and build up. May our words bring hope, strength, and comfort tothose around us as we look forward to living forever with Jesus. In His name,we pray. Amen.

Verse 4 says: “But you, brethren, are notin darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief.” Notice againthe contrast. In verse 3 Paul spoke about “they” and “them.” Nowhe says: “But you, brethren.” Why is there a difference? Becausebelievers belong to Christ. Paulsays in verse 5: “You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are notof the night nor of darkness.” Throughout Scripture, light and darkness arepictures of two completely different spiritual conditions. Darkness representssin, ignorance, and separation from God. Light represents truth, holiness, andlife in Christ. Jesus said in John 8:12: “I am the light of the world. Hewho follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.” Whenwe trusted Jesus Christ, we were brought out of spiritual darkness and into Hiswonderful light. Peter described believers as those whom God has called “outof darkness into His marvelous light.” SoPaul says: “You are children of light.” That tells us who we are. Andthen verse 6 tells us how we should live: “Therefore let us not sleep, asothers do, but let us watch and be sober.” In this verse, sleep is notreferring to physical death as it did in chapter 4. Here sleep picturesspiritual carelessness and indifference. Paul says, “Don't live as thoughnothing important is happening.” Wake up spiritually. That is a messageChristians need in every generation. It is possible to know Christ and stillbecome spiritually sleepy. We can become comfortable. We can lose our sense ofurgency. Our prayer life can become routine. Our Bible reading can becomemechanical. We can become so occupied with this present world that we forgetJesus is coming again. Paulsays: “Let us watch.” To watch means to stay spiritually alert. Jesusrepeatedly used the same word when speaking about His return. He said: “Watchtherefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming.” Watchingdoesn't mean standing outside staring into the sky. Watching means living everyday in readiness. It means keeping short accounts with God. It means staying inHis Word. It means maintaining a faithful prayer life. It means using ouropportunities to serve Christ. It means refusing to become comfortable withsin. ThenPaul says: “And be sober.” The idea is being clear-minded, disciplined,and spiritually self-controlled. A sober Christian sees life from God'sperspective. The world says, “This life is all there is.” The Christian says,“Eternity is coming.” The world says, “Live for yourself.” The Christian says,“I belong to Christ.” The world says, “Gather everything you can here.” Jesussays, “Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven.” Being a child of lightshould make a difference in how we live. Ephesians 5:8 says: “For you wereonce darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light.” NoticePaul doesn't say we merely have light. He says we are children of light. Ouridentity should affect our conduct. Sometimes we approach the Christian life bysaying, “Here is a long list of things I shouldn't do.” But Paul startssomewhere deeper. He reminds us who we are. You belong to Jesus. You are achild of God. You are a child of light. Therefore, live like who you are. Maybetoday would be a good time for a spiritual wake-up call. Has something causedyou to become spiritually sleepy? Have you lost some of the excitement you oncehad about serving the Lord? Have the things of this world crowded out yourawareness of eternity? Heavenly Father, thank You that through Jesus Christ You have brought usout of darkness and into Your marvelous light. Help us to remember who weare—children of light and children of the day. Guard us from becomingspiritually sleepy or careless. Wake our hearts to the reality of eternity.Help us to watch, to be sober, and to live every day in fellowship with You.May the light of Jesus shine through our lives so that others may see Him inus. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

In chapter 5, Paul turns from the comfort of Christ's coming for believers to theseriousness of “the day of the Lord.” He writes: “But concerning the timesand the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you.”Apparently, Paul had already taught them about these things. Notice that Pauldoes not give them a date. Throughout history, people have tried to calculatethe exact time of Christ's return. But Jesus said in Matthew 24:36: “But ofthat day and hour no one knows.” Our responsibility is not to set dates.Our responsibility is to be ready. Paulcontinues: “For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord socomes as a thief in the night.” A thief does not normally send a noticesaying, “I'll be at your house tonight at 2:00.” The point is unexpectedness.The day of the Lord will come suddenly upon a world that is unprepared. Thephrase “day of the Lord” is used throughout the Bible to describe a timewhen God directly intervenes in human history in judgment and ultimatelyestablishes His righteous rule. The Old Testament prophets spoke repeatedlyabout it. Joel called it “the great and terrible day of the LORD.” Isaiah,Zephaniah, Amos, and others warned of a coming day of divine judgment. ThenPaul says in verse 3: “For when they say, ‘Peace and safety!' then suddendestruction comes upon them.” Notice the words “they” and “them.”Paul is describing unbelieving humanity. The world will believe thateverything is secure. People will be saying, “Peace and safety.” Yet suddenlyGod's judgment will come. Paul compares it to labor pains upon a pregnantwoman. That illustration tells us two things. First, the event is certain. Oncelabor begins, the birth is coming. Second, the event becomes inescapable. Paulsays: “And they shall not escape.” That sounds serious because it isserious. The Bible presents the return of Jesus Christ as both a wonderful hopeand a solemn warning. For the believer, Christ's coming means reunion,resurrection, transformation, and being forever with the Lord. But for theunbelieving world, the day of the Lord means judgment. And that raises the mostimportant question: Are you ready? Not, “Do you know all the prophetic charts?”Not, “Can you explain every detail of Revelation?” But: “Do you know JesusChrist as your Savior?” Jesus came the first time to provide salvation. He diedon the cross for our sins. He was buried. He rose again. And today He offerseternal life to everyone who will trust Him. SecondPeter 3:9 tells us that God is “not willing that any should perish but thatall should come to repentance.” God's warning of judgment is actually anexpression of His mercy. He warns us because He wants us to turn to Him.Perhaps there is someone listening today who has never personally trusted JesusChrist. You may know about Him. You may attend church. You may be a good personby human standards. But have you received Christ? The question is not whetherwe know when Jesus is coming. The question is whether we are ready when Hecomes.  Andfor those of us who know Christ, these verses should cause us to live withurgency. There are people around us who are not ready. Family members. Friends.Neighbors. Coworkers. We should pray for opportunities to share the good newsof Jesus Christ with them. The day of the Lord will come. God's Word says it iscertain. So today, let us make sure that our hearts are ready and that ourlives are faithfully pointing others to Jesus. Let'spray. Heavenly Father, thank You for the promise that Jesus is coming again.Thank You also for the warning in Your Word concerning the day of the Lord.Help us not to become distracted trying to determine dates and times, but helpus to live ready. For anyone listening who has never trusted Jesus Christ, maytoday be the day they turn from sin and receive Him as Savior. . InJesus' name, we pray. Amen.

Today,in verses 15 through 18, Paul gives us more details about what will happen whenJesus comes again.Paulbegins in verse 15: “For this we say to you by the word of the Lord.” Ilove that expression. Paul wants them to understand that what he is about totell them isn't speculation. It isn't Paul's personal theory about the future. Hesays it is “by the word of the Lord.” Then Paul says: “That we whoare alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precedethose who are asleep.” Verse16 says: “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, withthe voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God.” The Lord Himself is coming! The same Jesus who left this earth is comingagain. Acts chapter 1 tells us that when Jesus ascended into heaven, two angelstold the disciples: “This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven,will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.”  Thensomething incredible happens: “And the dead in Christ will rise first.”  ThenPaul says in verse 17: “Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught uptogether with them in the clouds.” That expression “caught up” means to besuddenly seized or taken away. It is from the Latin translation of thisexpression that we get our familiar word “rapture.” Someone might say, “Theword rapture isn't in my English Bible.” That's true, but the truthdescribed by that word certainly is. Paul says believers who are alive whenChrist comes will be “caught up.” First Corinthians 15:51–52 describesthe same wonderful event: “Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not allsleep, but we shall all be changed—in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye.”  Butnotice something else that I especially love. Paul says we will be caught up “togetherwith them.” Remember what the Thessalonians were worried about? Their lovedones who had died. Paul says there is going to be a reunion! The dead in Christwill rise, living believers will be changed, and together we will meet theLord. I've often thought about what that reunion will be like. Parents reunitedwith children. Husbands reunited with wives. Brothers and sisters togetheragain. Friends and fellow believers separated by death embracing once more. Whata day that will be! Butas wonderful as that reunion will be, it isn't even the greatest part of thepromise. Paul continues: “To meet the Lord in the air.” We are going to seeJesus! The One we have believed in but never physically seen. The One we haveprayed to. The One whose Word we have read. The One we have worshiped. The Onewho loved us and gave Himself for us. One day, we are going to see Him face toface. And then comes what I believe may be the greatest phrase in this entirepassage: “And thus we shall always be with the Lord.” Forever withJesus. Never separated again. No more death. No more funerals. No more hospitalrooms. No more cancer. No more heartache. No more goodbyes. No more temptation.No more sin. Forever with the Lord. Andnotice how Paul finishes this great prophetic passage. He doesn't say: “Therefore,argue with one another about these words.” He doesn't say: “Therefore,speculate about dates and times.” He says in verse 18: “Therefore comfortone another with these words.” Bible prophecy isn't given merely to satisfyour curiosity. It is given to produce hope, holiness, faithfulness, andcomfort. When we stand beside the grave of a believer, we can comfort oneanother with these words. When the world seems increasingly uncertain, we cancomfort one another with these words. When our bodies grow older and weaker, wecan comfort one another with these words. When we miss those who have gonebefore us, we can comfort one another with these words.Jesusis coming again. The dead in Christ will rise. We will be caught up together. Wewill see Jesus. And best of all: “We shall always be with the Lord.”

Today we come to one of the most comforting passages in allthe New Testament. Apparently, the Thessalonian believers had questions aboutChristians who had already died. They believed Jesus was coming again. Paul hadtaught them to expect His return. But some of their loved ones had died beforeJesus returned. So naturally they wondered: “What happens to them? Will theymiss the coming of Christ?” Paul writes in 1 Thessalonians 4:13: “But I donot want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep,lest you sorrow as others who have no hope.” First,notice that Paul doesn't tell them not to sorrow. Christians grieve. Whensomeone we love dies, it hurts. Death separates us from someone whose presencehas been woven into our lives. Jesus Himself wept at the tomb of Lazarus. Sotears are not a sign that we lack faith. Grief is the price we pay for lovingsomeone deeply. But Paul says there is a difference between Christian grief andthe grief of those who have no hope. We sorrow—but not without hope. Pauluses the beautiful expression “fallen asleep” to describe believers who havedied. He isn't teaching that the soul becomes unconscious. Scripture teachesthat the believer who is absent from the body is present with the Lord. Rather,sleep is a beautiful picture of what death means for the believer's body. Whensomeone goes to sleep, we expect them to wake up. And when a Christian dies,their body is laid to rest with the expectation that resurrection morning iscoming. ThenPaul tells us why we have hope. Verse 14 says: “For if we believe that Jesusdied and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus.”Our hope is rooted in two historical realities: Jesus died. And Jesus roseagain. Notice that Paul says believers “sleep,” but when speaking of Jesus hesays Jesus died. Jesus experienced death in all its terrible reality. He boreour sin. He endured death. He went into the grave. But on the third day, Hecame out victorious! And because Jesus lives, those who belong to Him will livealso. Jesus said in John 14:19: “Because I live, you shall live also.” Thatis our hope. Our hope isn't wishful thinking. Our hope isn't simply thateverything somehow works out after death. Our hope rests upon an empty tomb. JesusChrist conquered death. And therefore death does not have the final word overanyone who belongs to Him.  Paulthen says something wonderful: “God will bring with Him those who sleep inJesus.” Think about those words: “Bring with Him.” When Jesusreturns, He will not come alone. Those believers who have gone to be with theLord are with Him. That means when a Christian loved one dies, we have not lostthem forever. We have simply been separated for a little while. There is areunion coming. Ihave stood beside many graves through the years. As a pastor, I have watchedfamilies say goodbye to people they dearly loved. And one of the greatestprivileges I have ever had is to remind grieving believers: This grave is notthe end. Because Jesus died and rose again, resurrection is coming. Maybe todayyou are missing someone you love. Perhaps it has been many years, but there arestill moments when the memories bring tears. Those tears are all right. Pauldoesn't say, “Don't sorrow.” He says: Don't sorrow like people who have nohope. Forthe believer, death means absent from the body and present with the Lord. Andone day Jesus is coming again. The graves will open. The dead in Christ willrise. We will be reunited. And, as Paul will tell us in the verses that follow:“So shall we ever be with the Lord.” My friend, wehave hope beyond the grave. Let'spray. Heavenly Father, thank You for the wonderful hope we have because Jesusdied and rose again. We pray today especially for those who are grieving andmissing someone they love. Comfort their hearts and remind them that for thosewho are in Christ, death is not the end. In Jesus'name, we pray. Amen.

Sometimes we think the Christian life is demonstrated only in the big moments. Preaching a sermon. Going on a mission trip. Leading someone to Christ. Making some great sacrifice for God. But today Paul reminds us that some of the strongest testimonies for Jesus Christ are found in the ordinary routines of everyday life. First Thessalonians 4:11–12 says: “That you also aspire to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you, that you may walk properly toward those who are outside, and that you may lack nothing.” Paul gives these believers some very practical instructions. First, he says: “Aspire to lead a quiet life.” Interestingly, the idea is almost, “Make it your ambition not to be ambitious for attention.” We live in a culture where people often want to be noticed. Social media can tempt us to think everything we do needs to be seen, liked, shared, or applauded. But there is something beautiful about a quiet, faithful Christian life. A person who loves God. Loves their family. Goes to work. Keeps their word. Helps their neighbor. Serves faithfully. And doesn't need recognition. Then Paul says: “Mind your own business.” That's still pretty good advice! It is easy to become overly concerned about what everyone else is doing. Jesus addressed something similar with Peter in John 21. After Jesus told Peter something about his future, Peter looked at John and asked, “Lord, and what shall this man do?” Jesus essentially replied, “What is that to you? follow Me.” Sometimes we spend too much time examining someone else's walk and not enough time examining our own. Paul says, in effect: Take care of the responsibilities God has given you. Then he says: “Work with your own hands.” Paul believed in the dignity of work. Remember, Paul himself worked as a tentmaker. He was not ashamed of manual labor. Work existed before the fall. God gave Adam responsibility in the Garden of Eden. Work is part of God's design for our lives. Certainly, there are times when illness, age, disability, or circumstances prevent someone from working as they once did. This passage isn't condemning people who genuinely cannot work. Paul is addressing the attitude of someone who can work but refuses responsibility. Then verse 12 tells us why this matters: “That you may walk properly toward those who are outside.” “Those who are outside” refers to unbelievers. In other words: The world is watching us. People may never read the Bible, but they are reading our lives. They notice whether Christians work honestly. They notice whether we pay our bills. They notice whether we keep our promises. They notice how we treat coworkers. They notice whether our Christianity works on Monday as well as Sunday. Our everyday conduct can either strengthen or weaken our testimony for Christ. Paul then says: “That you may lack nothing.” God desires that, as we are able, we take responsibility for ourselves rather than unnecessarily depending upon others. There is dignity in responsibility. So today's passage may not sound as dramatic as some others, but it is tremendously practical. Live quietly. Mind your responsibilities. Work faithfully. Walk honestly. And remember that people are watching. Sometimes the most powerful sermon you will ever preach is simply a faithful Christian life lived consistently before others. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, thank You for reminding us that our everyday lives matter to You. Help us to live quietly and faithfully, to take care of the responsibilities You have given us, and to do our work as unto You. Guard us from becoming unnecessarily involved in the affairs of others while neglecting our own responsibilities. And Lord, help us remember that unbelievers are watching our lives. May our honesty, faithfulness, work ethic, kindness, and integrity make Jesus attractive to those around us. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen. God bless, and may you have a wonderful, wonderful day!

Welcometo Pastor's Chat. Today we move from Paul's teaching about holiness to anothergreat mark of the Christian life—love. First Thessalonians 4:9 says: “Butconcerning brotherly love you have no need that I should write to you, for youyourselves are taught by God to love one another.” The word translated“brotherly love” is philadelphia—the affectionate love that should existbetween brothers and sisters. Paul uses it to describe the relationshipbelievers should have with one another because, through Jesus Christ, we havebecome part of the same family. When we trusted Christ, God became our Father. JesusChrist became our Savior and Lord. And every other believer became our brotheror sister in Christ. The church isn't merely an organization we join. It is afamily into which we have been born. ButI especially love Paul's statement: “You yourselves are taught by God tolove one another.” How does God teach us to love? First, He teaches us byHis own example. First John 4:19 says: “We love Him, because He first lovedus.” We learn love by looking at the cross. God didn't simply tell us thatHe loved us. He demonstrated it. Romans 5:8 says: “But God commended Hislove toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” Ifyou ever wonder what love looks like, look at Jesus. Love gives. Lovesacrifices. Love forgives. Love serves. Love seeks the good of another. ThenGod teaches us to love through His Spirit living within us. Galatians 5:22says: “The fruit of the Spirit is love.” Love isn't something wemanufacture by trying harder. As we yield ourselves to the Holy Spirit, Heproduces the love of Christ through us. And apparently these Thessalonianbelievers had learned that lesson well. Paul says in verse 10: “And indeedyou do so toward all the brethren who are in all Macedonia.” Their lovewasn't confined to their own congregation. It had spread throughout Macedonia. OtherChristians were experiencing their love. What a testimony! Wouldn't it bewonderful if our churches were known primarily for how deeply we love oneanother? Jesus said in John 13:35: “By this shall all men know that you areMy disciples, if you have love one to another.” Butthen Paul adds something very important: “But we urge you, brethren, that youincrease more and more.” There is that expression again! “More and more.” Paulsays, “You are already loving people—but don't stop there.” There is alwaysroom for our love to grow. Maybe we love those who love us. Can we learn tolove those who irritate us? Maybe we love people who agree with us. Can we lovethose who disagree with us? Maybe we love people who have treated us well. Canwe forgive and love someone who has hurt us? That's where God's supernaturallove becomes evident. Yousee, Christian maturity isn't simply measured by how much Bible knowledge wehave. It is also measured by how much we love. First Corinthians 13 reminds usthat we can speak with eloquence, possess knowledge, exercise faith, and evenmake great sacrifices, but without love we are nothing. So perhaps our prayertoday should be very simple: “Lord, teach me to love.” Teach me to love myfamily better. Teach me to love my church family better. Teach me to lovedifficult people. Teach me to love the lost. Teach me to love the way Jesusloves. And even if we are already doing well, Paul's challenge remains: “Increasemore and more.” Let'spray. Heavenly Father, thank You for loving us when we were unlovely and fordemonstrating Your love through Jesus Christ on the cross. Thank You forplacing us into Your family. Teach us to love one another as You have loved us.Forgive us for the times we have been impatient, critical, bitter, orunforgiving. Fill us with Your Holy Spirit and produce the love of Christ inour hearts. And Lord, even where love is already present in our lives, help usto increase more and more. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

Welcometo Pastor's Chat. Yesterday we looked at one of the clearest statements inScripture concerning God's will: “For this is the will of God, yoursanctification.” Today Paul continues that thought in 1 Thessalonians 4:6–8and reminds us that holiness isn't simply about our personal relationship withGod. It also affects how we treat other people. Paul warns: “That no oneshould take advantage of and defraud his brother in this matter.” Sin neveraffects only the person committing it. That is especially true of sexual sin. Ourculture often says, “What consenting adults do privately is nobody else'sconcern.” But God's Word reminds us that sin has consequences. It affectsmarriages. It affects children. It affects families. It affects churches. Itaffects our testimony. And most importantly, it affects our fellowship withGod. Paulsays we must not “defraud” another person. To defraud someone is to takesomething that rightfully belongs to another. Sexual immorality takes what Godhas reserved for the covenant of marriage and violates the trust, purity, anddignity of others. Then Paul gives a serious warning: “Because the Lord isthe avenger of all such, as we also forewarned you and testified.” Thoseare strong words. God takes holiness seriously. We sometimes emphasize—andrightly so—that God is loving, merciful, gracious, and forgiving. But the sameBible that teaches God's grace also teaches God's holiness. God loves us toomuch to simply ignore sin that destroys us and hurts others. Thenverse 7 gives us one of the great statements in this chapter: “For God didnot call us to uncleanness, but in holiness.” Think about that. When Jesussaved us, He didn't simply save us from something. He saved us for something. Hesaved us from the penalty of sin, but He also called us to a new way of life. Wehave been called to holiness. Holiness doesn't mean that we walk aroundpretending to be better than everyone else. It doesn't mean we becomeself-righteous or judgmental. Biblical holiness means that we belong to God andincreasingly reflect His character. Peter wrote: “But as He which hathcalled you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation.” Whyshould we desire holiness? Because our God is holy.  ThenPaul concludes in verse 8: “Therefore he who rejects this does not rejectman, but God, who has also given us His Holy Spirit.” That is powerful. Paulsays, “These aren't merely my standards.” Rejecting God's call to holinessisn't rejecting Paul's opinion. It is rejecting God's authority. And then Paulreminds us of something wonderful: God “has also given us His Holy Spirit.” Godnever commands us to live the Christian life in our own strength. He gives usHis Spirit. The Holy Spirit lives within every believer. He convicts us. Heteaches us. He strengthens us. He produces His fruit in us. And He gives us thepower to live differently from the world around us. Sometimespeople say, “I just can't live the Christian life.” And in one sense, they areright. We cannot live it in our own strength. But God never intended for us to.The Christian life is Christ living His life through us by the power of theHoly Spirit. So today remember: God has called you to holiness. But He has alsogiven you His Holy Spirit to enable you to live that holy life. Let'spray. Heavenly Father, thank You that You have not called us to uncleanness butto holiness. Help us to understand that our choices affect not only ourselvesbut also those around us. Give us a holy fear of sin and a greater love forYou. Thank You especially for giving us Your Holy Spirit. Fill us, guide us,convict us, and empower us to live lives that reflect the holiness of JesusChrist. May our lives bring honor to You today. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen. Godbless, and may you have a wonderful, wonderful day!

Have you ever wondered, “What is God's will for my life?” Christiansoften ask that question when facing major decisions. “Lord, whom should Imarry?” “Where should I live?” “What job should I take?” “What ministry shouldI pursue?” Certainly, we should seek God's guidance concerning those things. Buttoday Paul tells us something that is unmistakably God's will for everybeliever. First Thessalonians 4:3 says: “For this is the will of God, yoursanctification.” You don't have to wonder about this part of God's will. God'swill is that you and I become holy. The word sanctification means being setapart unto God. When we trusted Jesus Christ as our Savior, we belonged to Him.Now God is working in us so that our daily lives increasingly reflect thecharacter of Jesus Christ. Sanctification is both a position and a process. Wehave been set apart as God's people, and now throughout our lives He is makingus more like His Son. ThenPaul immediately applies sanctification to a very practical area. He says: “Thatyou should abstain from sexual immorality.” Thessalonica was part of theGreco-Roman world, where sexual immorality was common and often sociallyaccepted. These new believers had come out of that culture. Paul reminds themthat following Jesus meant they could no longer allow the culture around themto determine their standards. And that certainly speaks to us today. Ourculture may redefine morality. Society may call something acceptable that God'sWord calls sin. But God's standard has not changed. God created human sexualityas something beautiful and good within the boundaries He established for it. Theproblem isn't sexuality. The problem is taking God's gift outside of God'sdesign. ThenPaul says in verses 4 and 5: “That each of you should know how to possesshis own vessel in sanctification and honor, not in passion of lust, like theGentiles who do not know God.” Whatever interpretive nuance we give theword “vessel,” Paul's central message is clear: A believer should exerciseself-control and live in holiness and honor. The world says, “If you desiresomething, pursue it.” Hallmark say, “Follow your heart.” The Bible says thatthrough God's grace and the power of the Holy Spirit, we don't have to becontrolled by our desires. FirstCorinthians 6:19 reminds us that our body is “the temple of the Holy Ghost.”Our bodies belong to God. Our minds belong to God. Our eyes belong to God. Ourrelationships belong to God. Everything about us should be surrendered to Him. Andnotice how Paul describes those who live only according to uncontrolledpassions: “The Gentiles who do not know God.” That is the difference. Weknow God. Because we know Him, we should live differently. Holinessisn't simply following a list of rules. Holiness grows out of a relationshipwith God. We love Him. We belong to Him. We want to honor Him. And therefore wedesire purity in our lives. Maybe someone listening today is struggling in thisarea. Remember, temptation itself is not defeat. Jesus Himself was tempted, yetwithout sin. When temptation comes, we can turn to God's Word, flee fromcompromising situations, guard what enters our minds, and depend upon the HolySpirit. And when we fail, we can confess our sin and receive God's cleansing. FirstJohn 1:9 promises: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just toforgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Sowhat is God's will for you today? Certainly, He has individual plans for yourlife. But one thing we know for sure: “This is the will of God, yoursanctification.” God wants us to become more like Jesus. Godbless, and may you have a wonderful, wonderful day!

Welcometo Pastor's Chat. Today we begin 1 Thessalonians chapter 4. The first threechapters have been very personal. Paul has talked about his ministry among theThessalonians, his love for them, his concern about their faith, Timothy'svisit, and the wonderful report that they were standing fast in the Lord. Now,beginning in chapter 4, Paul turns his attention more directly to howChristians should live. He writes: “Finally then, brethren, we urge andexhort in the Lord Jesus that you should abound more and more, just as youreceived from us how you ought to walk and to please God; for you know whatcommandments we gave you through the Lord Jesus.” Iwant you to notice Paul's expression: “How you ought to walk and to pleaseGod.” The Bible often uses the word walk to describe the Christian life. Ourwalk is the way we live every day. Christianity isn't merely something webelieve on Sunday morning. It affects Monday morning. It affects our marriage. Itaffects our family. It affects our work. It affects our finances. It affectswhat we watch, what we say, where we go, and how we treat people. OurChristianity should affect our entire walk. ButPaul gives us the great goal of that walk: “To please God.” That raisesa very important question: Who am I trying to please with my life? Most of usnaturally want people to approve of us. We want our family to be pleased withus. We want our friends to like us. We want people to think well of us. But thehighest ambition of the Christian should be: “I want my life to please God.”Paul said in Galatians 1:10: “For if I yet pleased men, I should not bethe servant of Christ.” There will be times when pleasing God means wecannot please everyone around us. Sometimes obeying God will be unpopular. Sometimesstanding for truth will cost us something. But when this life is over, theopinion that will ultimately matter is God's. Andnotice something else. Paul tells these believers that they were alreadywalking in a way that pleased God, but then he says they should “abound moreand more.” We keep seeing this theme in Thessalonians. Paul doesn't say,“You're doing well, so you can stop growing.” He says, in effect: “You're doingwell—now keep growing.” That is spiritual maturity. No matter how long we haveknown Christ, there should always be an “abound more and more” in our lives. Wecan pray more. We can love more. We can know God's Word more. We can serve morefaithfully. We can become more like Jesus. I have been walking with the Lordfor many years, but I still need to grow. And so do you. None of us hasarrived. Thenverse 2 reminds us that Paul's instructions were not merely his personalopinions: “For you know what commandments we gave you through the LordJesus.” Paul's authority came from Christ. That is why the Word of God mustbe the standard for our lives. Our culture constantly changes its ideas aboutwhat is right and wrong. Public opinion changes. Social standards change. ButGod's Word does not change. So today, perhaps we should ask ourselves a simplequestion: “Is the way I am walking pleasing to God?” Not, “Does everybodyapprove?” Not, “Is this popular?” Not even, “Does this make me happy?” But: “Lord,does this please You?”  Whata wonderful way to begin every morning: “Lord, today I want to walk in a waythat pleases You.” And when tonight comes, may we be able to look back over ourday and know that, by God's grace, we sought to honor Him. Let'spray. Heavenly Father, thank You for reminding us that the Christian life is adaily walk. Help us not merely to profess our faith with our lips but todemonstrate it by the way we live. Lord, deliver us from living for theapproval of people and give us a sincere desire above everything else to pleaseYou. Help us to abound more and more in faith, love, obedience, andChristlikeness. May our decisions, words, relationships, and actions todaybring honor to Your name. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

Today we come to the final verses of 1 Thessalonians chapter3. Paul has just told these believers that he is praying “night and dayexceedingly” that he might see their faces again and help perfect what islacking in their faith. Now Paul actually tells us something of what he ispraying. Beginning in verse 11, he says: “Now may our God and FatherHimself, and our Lord Jesus Christ, direct our way to you. And may the Lordmake you increase and abound in love to one another and to all, just as we doto you, so that He may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before ourGod and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints.” Thereare three wonderful requests in Paul's prayer. First,Paul prays for God's direction. “May our God and Father Himself, and ourLord Jesus Christ, direct our way to you.” Remember, Paul desperatelywanted to return to Thessalonica. Back in chapter 2, he said that Satan hadhindered him. But Paul didn't try to force the door open. He prayed for God todirect his way. There is an important lesson here. Sometimes we know what wewould like to do. We have plans. We have desires. We may even believe thosedesires are good and God-honoring. But ultimately, we need God to direct oursteps. Proverbs 3:5–6 tells us: “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; andlean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and Heshall direct thy paths.” Maybe today you are facing a decision. Ask God todirect your way. ThenPaul prays for abounding love. Verse 12 says: “And may the Lord make youincrease and abound in love to one another and to all.” Notice those words:increase and abound. Paul wasn't suggesting that these believers didn't loveeach other. Timothy had already brought good news about their faith and love. Theyhad love. But Paul wanted them to have more love. That reminds us that there isalways room for growth in the Christian life. Our faith can grow. Our knowledgecan grow. Our prayer life can grow. And certainly, our love can grow. Noticealso the direction of their love. Paul says, “to one another and to all.”It is one thing to love our Christian brothers and sisters who believe like wedo and treat us kindly. But Christian love reaches beyond that. Jesus told usto love even our enemies. The love of Christ should overflow from our lives toeveryone around us. ThenPaul's prayer reaches its great conclusion in verse 13: “So that He mayestablish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father.” Thereis our word again—establish. We saw it at the beginning of chapter 3 whenTimothy was sent to establish them concerning their faith. Now Paul wants theirhearts established in holiness. Holiness simply means being set apart for God. Godisn't merely interested in changing what we do on the outside. He wants tochange our hearts. And notice the motivation Paul gives: “At the coming ofour Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints.” Paulnever gets very far from the return of Jesus. Every chapter of 1 Thessaloniansends with some reference to Christ's coming. Paul wanted these believers tolive every day with the realization: Jesus is coming again. And that truthshould affect the way we live. First John 3:3 says: “And every man that haththis hope in Him purifies himself, even as He is pure.” If we reallybelieve Jesus could return, it should make a difference in our priorities, ourrelationships, our attitudes, and our conduct. Soas we finish chapter 3, Paul's prayer gives us three wonderful requests we canmake our own today: Lord, direct my steps. Lord, increase my love. Lord,establish my heart in holiness. And may we live today remembering that Jesus iscoming again.Godbless, and may you have a wonderful, wonderful day!

“For what thanks can we render to God for you, for all the joy with which we rejoice for your sake before our God?” Paul did not congratulate himself. He thanked God. Paul understood that although he had preached the gospel, taught the Word, prayed, and labored among these people, ultimately it was God who was working in their lives. That is something all of us who have had the privilege of ministering to others need to remember. Maybe you taught a Sunday school class. Maybe you witnessed to someone and saw that person trust Christ. Maybe you raised children who are now serving the Lord. Maybe you encouraged someone during a difficult time, and today they are still walking faithfully with Christ. Certainly, we can be thankful that God allowed us to have a part in their lives. But ultimately, the glory belongs to God. Paul had already told them back in chapter 2, verse 13, that the Word of God “effectively works in you who believe.” Paul planted the seed, but God gave the increase.Then notice Paul's joy. He says, “For all the joy with which we rejoice for your sake before our God.” There are many things in life that can bring us happiness, but I believe one of the greatest joys a Christian can ever experience is seeing someone we have invested our life in continuing to walk with God. The apostle John expressed the same thought in 3 John 4: “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.” I think every Christian parent understands something about that. We want our children and grandchildren to be healthy. We want them to succeed. We want them to have good jobs, good marriages, and good lives. But our greatest desire should be that they know Jesus Christ and walk in truth. And the same should be true in ministry. Our greatest joy should not simply be large crowds, successful programs, beautiful buildings, or recognition. Our greatest joy should be changed lives—people growing in Christ and standing fast in the Lord.Then Paul tells us something else about his relationship with these believers. Verse 10 says: “Night and day praying exceedingly that we may see your face…” Paul wasn't merely thinking about them. He was praying for them. And notice the intensity of his prayer: “Night and day praying exceedingly.” The word translated “exceedingly” carries the thought of something beyond measure or extraordinarily great. Paul prayed earnestly and continually for these people. What a wonderful reminder that one of the greatest ministries we can ever have for another person is the ministry of prayer. Sometimes we cannot be physically present with someone. Sometimes we cannot solve their problem. Sometimes we don't even know exactly what to say. But we can always pray. You may have children or grandchildren living hundreds of miles away. You may have a friend going through something you cannot fix. You may know someone who has wandered away from the Lord. You may feel helpless to change their circumstances. But you are never helpless when you can take their name before the throne of grace.Then Paul tells us specifically what he was praying for: “That we may see your face and perfect what is lacking in your faith.” Now that is interesting. Timothy had just reported that their faith was strong. Paul had just rejoiced because they were standing fast. Yet Paul says there was still something “lacking” in their faith. Was Paul criticizing them? Not at all. He was reminding us of an important truth: No matter how much we have grown spiritually, there is always room to grow more. Someone said: “The biggest room in all the world, is the room for improvement”. The word translated “perfect” has the idea of completing, equipping, or supplying what is needed. Paul wanted to return so he could continue teaching these young believers and help them become more mature in Christ. They had genuine faith. They had strong faith. But they did not yet have perfect or complete faith. And neither do we.

Paul says in verse 6: “But now that Timothy has cometo us from you, and brought us good news of your faith and love…” Thatlittle phrase “good news” is interesting. It comes from the same basicGreek word from which we get the idea of gospel or glad tidings. Timothycame back with good news! And what was the good news? It wasn't that thepersecution had stopped. It wasn't that all their problems had disappeared. Itwasn't that their circumstances had suddenly become easy. The good news wasthat their faith was still strong and their love was still evident. I thinkthere is a wonderful lesson here. Sometimes we measure God's blessing bywhether our circumstances have improved. We pray for God to remove the problem,change the situation, heal the hurt, or open the door. And certainly, it isappropriate to pray for those things. But sometimes God's greatest work is notchanging our circumstances—it is changing and strengthening us in the midst ofour circumstances. The Thessalonians were still experiencing trouble, but theywere still believing. They were still trusting. They were still loving. Theywere still standing! Noticeagain those two words: “faith and love.” We have seen them before. Backin chapter 1, verse 3, Paul remembered their “work of faith, and labor of love,and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.” Now, after everything they haveendured, Paul hears that their faith and love are still there. That is evidenceof genuine spiritual growth. Trials had not destroyed their faith. Instead,their faith had endured the trials. Timothy also reported that they had “goodremembrance” of Paul and greatly desired to see him, just as Paul desired tosee them. Remember, Paul's enemies had probably tried to discredit him after heleft Thessalonica. They could have said, “Paul doesn't really care about you.If he cared, he would have come back.” But the Thessalonians knew better. Theyremembered Paul's love for them, and they wanted to see him again. ThenPaul says in verse 7: “Therefore, brethren, in all our affliction anddistress we were comforted concerning you by your faith.” Think about that.Paul himself was going through affliction and distress. Yet what encouragedPaul? Their faith! Here is the great apostle Paul, the missionary, preacher,church planter, and spiritual leader—and he says that the faithfulness of theseyoung believers encouraged him. That reminds us that encouragement works bothways. Pastors encourage their people, but faithful people also encourage theirpastors. Parents encourage their children, but godly children encourage theirparents. Teachers encourage their students, but students who take God's Wordseriously encourage their teachers. You may not realize how much yourfaithfulness encourages someone else. When you continue serving God throughdifficulty, somebody is watching. When you keep trusting God afterdisappointment, somebody notices. When you remain faithful when it would beeasier to quit, your life becomes an encouragement to others. ThenPaul makes an amazing statement in verse 8: “For now we live, if you standfast in the Lord.” I love that phrase: “Stand fast in the Lord.” Paulwas saying, “When I hear that you are standing firm in your faith, it puts newlife into me!” This wasn't merely Paul's profession. These people were hisheart. Their spiritual welfare mattered deeply to him. And notice that Pauldoesn't simply say, “Stand fast.” He says: “Stand fast IN THE LORD.” Thatmakes all the difference. We don't stand in our own strength. We don't standbecause we have all the answers. We don't stand because life is easy. We standin the Lord. Our strength is in Him. Our hope is in Him. Our confidence is inHim. Our security is in Him. The storms of life may blow. Circumstances maychange. Friends may disappoint us. Our health may fail. Plans may fall apart.The world around us may become increasingly uncertain. But the Lord neverchanges. That is why we can stand fast.

“For,in fact, we told you before when we were with you that we would suffertribulation.” Notice that Paul had warned them ahead of time. When Paulpreached the gospel, he did not promise people that if they trusted Christ alltheir problems would disappear. He did not tell them that following Jesus wouldguarantee an easy life. Actually, he told them just the opposite. He said, ineffect, “If you follow Christ, you should expect opposition.” Paul hadlearned this personally. Everywhere he went preaching the gospel, there seemedto be opposition. He had been beaten and imprisoned in Philippi. He was drivenout of Thessalonica. He faced opposition in Berea, and eventually he foundhimself alone in Athens. Paul knew from experience that living for Christ doesnot exempt us from trouble. And neither does it today. Sometimes we get theidea that if we are walking with the Lord, praying, reading our Bible,attending church, and trying to live right, then nothing bad should happen tous. But the Bible never promises that. In fact, sometimes our troubles comebecause we are faithfully following Christ.  ThenPaul adds an interesting statement in verse 4: “just as it happened, and youknow.” In other words, Paul said, “I told you it was coming—and now youhave experienced it for yourselves.” But notice what concerned Paul most. Itwasn't simply that they were suffering. His greatest concern was what thesuffering might do to their faith. Verse 5 says: “For this reason, when Icould no longer endure it, I sent to know your faith.” Paul wanted to know,“Are they still trusting God? Are they still standing? Are they still believingthe gospel?” And then Paul tells us why he was so concerned: “Lest by somemeans the tempter had tempted you.” Here Paul calls Satan “the tempter.”That immediately reminds us of Matthew 4, where Satan came to Jesus in thewilderness and tempted Him. Satanis still the tempter today. And one of his favorite opportunities to tempt usis when we are going through difficulty. When we are hurting, Satan whispers,“If God really loved you, why did He allow this?” When our prayers seemunanswered, he whispers, “God isn't listening.” When something doesn't turn outthe way we hoped, he says, “You can't trust God.” When we become discouraged,he whispers, “What's the use? Just give up.” That is why we need to understandsomething very important: The trial itself is not necessarily the temptation.The temptation is how we respond to the trial. God can use a trial tostrengthen our faith, while Satan wants to use that same trial to destroy ourconfidence in God. Remember Job? Satan believed that if Job lost hispossessions, his family, and his health, Job would turn against God. But in themiddle of his suffering, Job could still say, “Though He slay me, yet will Itrust in Him.” That is faith standing in the storm. Paulfinishes verse 5 by saying that he was concerned that “our labor might be invain.” Paul wasn't suggesting that his ministry had been meaningless. Hewas expressing the heart of a spiritual father. He had invested his life inthese people. He had preached Christ to them, prayed for them, loved them, anddiscipled them. Now he wanted to know that they were still standing. Today,maybe you are facing a trial. Remember this: Your trial does not mean God hasabandoned you. Don't listen to the tempter. Instead, listen to the promises ofGod's Word. Satan says, “God has forgotten you.” God says, “I will never leavethee, nor forsake thee.” Satan says, “You cannot make it through this.” Godsays, “My grace is sufficient for thee.” Satan says, “Give up.” God says,“Stand fast in the Lord.” My friend, the enemy may use the storm to try toshake your faith, but God can use that same storm to strengthen your faith. Sotoday, keep trusting Him. Keep believing His Word. Keep standing on Hispromises. The tempter may come, but our God is faithful!

Thewords “could no longer endure it” reveal Paul's heart. He had beenforced to leave Thessalonica because of the persecution there. He wanted toreturn, but as we saw yesterday, he said, “Satan hindered us.” So Pauldid the next best thing. He sent Timothy. And notice how highly Paul speaks ofthis young man. He calls Timothy “our brother and minister of God, and ourfellow laborer in the gospel of Christ.” Timothy wasn't being sent merelyto check on them and bring back a report. He had a spiritual assignment. Paultells us exactly what that assignment was: “to establish you and encourageyou concerning your faith.” Those two words give us a wonderful picture ofwhat Christian ministry should accomplish. First,believers need to be established. The idea is to strengthen, support, or makesomething firm. Paul knew these Thessalonian believers were young in the faith.They had received Christ only a short time before, and already they wereexperiencing opposition and persecution. Paul wanted them to have a faith thatwould stand. It reminds me of what Paul would later write in Colossians 2:6–7: “Asyou therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted andbuilt up in Him and established in the faith.” My friend, it is not enoughsimply to begin the Christian life. God wants us to become established in ourfaith—rooted in His Word, grounded in His truth, and growing in ourrelationship with Jesus Christ. ButPaul also sent Timothy to encourage them. Sometimes even strong Christians needencouragement. There are times when we know what we believe, but thecircumstances around us begin to wear us down. The trials continue. The prayersdon't seem to be answered as quickly as we would like. The burden becomesheavier. And we simply need another believer to come alongside us and say,“Keep trusting the Lord. Don't give up. God is still faithful.” That's one ofthe wonderful purposes of the church. We need each other! Paul then tells uswhy this establishing and encouraging was so important: “That no one shouldbe shaken by these afflictions.” The word “shaken” carries the ideaof being moved or disturbed from a settled position. Paul knew that sufferingcould shake these new believers if they were not spiritually prepared for it. Andthat is still true today. Sometimes we get the mistaken idea that if we arewalking with God, everything should go smoothly. But Jesus never promised us atrouble-free life. Jesus said in John 16:33: “In the world you will havetribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” Paulsays at the end of verse 3: “For you yourselves know that we are appointedto this.” That's a remarkable statement. Paul had taught them thatsuffering was not necessarily evidence that something had gone wrong. Sometimessuffering comes precisely because we are faithfully following Christ. TheChristian life is not about avoiding every storm. It is about having a faiththat stands firm in the storm. A tree that has deep roots can withstand windsthat would uproot a shallow tree. In the same way, God wants our faith tobecome so deeply rooted in Christ and in His Word that when the winds ofadversity begin to blow, we are not shaken. And maybe that is the messagesomeone needs today. You may be going through an affliction that you didn'texpect. You may be wondering why God has allowed it. You may even feel thatyour faith is being shaken. Remember this: God has not abandoned you. He canuse the very trial you are experiencing to establish you more firmly in yourfaith. AndGod may also want to use you as a Timothy in someone else's life. Maybe thereis someone around you who is discouraged. Perhaps they don't need a sermon or along explanation. They simply need someone to call them, visit them, pray withthem, and remind them that God is faithful. Paul couldn't go to Thessalonicahimself, so he sent Timothy. And today, God may be sending you.

In verses 17 through 20, Paul gives us a beautiful glimpse into theheart of a true servant of God. He reminds us that ministry is not primarilyabout programs, buildings, crowds, or accomplishments. Ministry is aboutpeople.He says, in effect, “We may have been separated from you physically,but you have never left our hearts.” That is one of the wonderful things aboutChristian fellowship. Distance may separate us physically, but it does not haveto separate our hearts. Over the years, God brings many people into our lives.Sometimes circumstances move us apart. We may live hundreds or even thousandsof miles away from each other. We may not see one another for years. But whenour hearts have been joined together in Christ, there remains a bond thatdistance cannot destroy. ThenPaul says in verse 18: “Therefore we wanted to come to you—even I, Paul,time and again—but Satan hindered us.” Paul wanted to return. He tried morethan once. But he says very plainly, “Satan hindered us.” That reminds us thatSatan is real, and spiritual opposition is real. Whenever God is doing a greatwork, we should not be surprised when the enemy attempts to hinder it. Now, weneed to be careful. We should not blame Satan for every inconvenience or everydifficulty that comes into our lives. Sometimes God Himself closes a door. InActs 16, the Holy Spirit prevented Paul from going into certain areas becauseGod was directing him somewhere else. So there are times when God redirects us,and there are other times when Satan resists us. We need spiritual discernmentto know the difference. But I love this thought: Satan may hinder the servantof God, but he cannot stop the work of God. Satan hindered Paul from returningto Thessalonica, but he could not stop Paul from writing this letter. And herewe are nearly two thousand years later, still reading the letter Satan couldnot prevent! Sometimes what appears to be a hindrance in our lives may becomean opportunity for God to accomplish something even greater.ThenPaul tells us why these people meant so much to him. Verse 19 says: “Forwhat is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Is it not even you in thepresence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming?” What a wonderfulstatement! Paul looked beyond the present difficulties to the day when JesusChrist would return. He pictured himself standing in the presence of the Lord,and he said that these believers would be his “hope,” his “joy,” and his “crownof rejoicing.” The word “crown” here refers to the victor's crown—the wreaththat was given to someone who had successfully completed the race. Paul wassaying, “When I stand before Jesus, one of my greatest joys will be seeing youthere!” That should cause every one of us to ask an important question: Whowill be in heaven because God used my life to point them to Jesus? Whenwe stand before the Lord, the things that seem so important today will notmatter very much. Our possessions will be left behind. Our houses, cars, bankaccounts, awards, and earthly accomplishments will all stay here. But peopleare eternal. Think of the joy of standing before Jesus and seeing someone whomyou led to Christ. Maybe it was a child you taught the Word of God. Maybe aneighbor with whom you shared the Gospel. Maybe someone you encouraged during adifficult time. Maybe someone whose life was changed because you faithfullyprayed for them. Paulfinishes the chapter in verse 20: “For you are our glory and joy.” Noticehe did not say, “My accomplishments are my glory.” He did not point to thechurches he planted, the sermons he preached, or the miles he traveled. Hepointed to people. One day, when the Lord Jesus Christ comesagain, what a joy it will be to discover that God used our lives—our prayers,our witness, our encouragement, our giving, and our faithfulness—to helpsomeone come to know Christ and grow in Him. The greatest investment we canever make is an investment in the eternal souls of people.

Paul says in verse 14: “For you, brethren, became followersof the churches of God which in Judaea are in Christ Jesus.” The wordtranslated “followers” carries the idea of becoming imitators. The Thessalonianbelievers had never visited those churches in Judaea, but they had somethingvery important in common with them. They were suffering because of their faithin Jesus Christ. Paulcontinues: “For you also have suffered like things of your own countrymen.” Rememberwhat happened when Paul first came to Thessalonica in Acts chapter 17. Paulwent into the synagogue and for three Sabbath days reasoned with them out ofthe Scriptures, explaining and demonstrating that Jesus was the Christ. Somebelieved. A great multitude of devout Greeks believed. And a number of theleading women believed. But almost immediately, opposition arose. A mobgathered. Jason's house was attacked, and eventually Paul and Silas had toleave the city by night. But the persecution did not end when Paul left. Thenew believers were left behind to face it. Think about that. These were youngChristians. They had not known the Lord for many years. They didn't havedecades of Christian experience behind them. Yet when opposition came, theystood firm. That teaches us something very important. Genuine faith is notproven merely by how loudly we praise God when everything is going well.Sometimes it is proven by how faithfully we continue to trust Him whenfollowing Jesus becomes difficult. Paul says in verse 15 concerning those whoopposed the Gospel: “Who both killed the Lord Jesus, and their own prophets,and have persecuted us.” Paul then tells ussomething particularly serious in verse 16. Their opponents were: “Forbiddingus to speak to the Gentiles that they might be saved.” Thatwas the heart of the problem. They weren't satisfied simply to reject theGospel themselves. They wanted to prevent others from hearing it. And noticePaul's words: “That they might be saved.” There is the heart of theGospel! Why did Paul endure beatings, imprisonment, rejection, persecution,hunger, weariness, and eventually martyrdom? Because people need to be saved. Whydo we preach the Gospel? Why do we support missionaries? Why do we send theGospel around the world? Why do we share Christ with our neighbors, ourfriends, our children, and our grandchildren? Because people need to be saved. Paulunderstood that the Gospel is “the power of God unto salvation to everyonethat believeth.” Then Paul closes this section with a very solemn warning.He says that these opponents continued: “To fill up their sins alway: forthe wrath is come upon them to the uttermost.” Persistent rejection ofGod's truth has consequences. God is patient. God is longsuffering. God ismerciful. But God's patience should never be mistaken for God's approval. Therecomes a point when persistent unbelief and rebellion bring judgment. Thisshould not make us proud or self-righteous. It should make us compassionate andurgent about sharing the Gospel. We should never look at someone who rejectsChrist and think, “They deserve judgment.” Instead, our hearts should say,“They need Jesus.” Because apart from God's grace, every one of us would belost. AndI believe there is a wonderful connection between yesterday's verse and today'spassage. Verse 13 tells us that the Word works in those who believe. Verses 14through 16 show us what that working Word can produce. These Thessalonians hadreceived God's Word so deeply that when persecution came, they would notabandon their faith. Their circumstances changed. Their friends may havechanged. Their neighbors may have turned against them. But the Word of God wasstill working in them. Maybe today you are facing opposition or difficultybecause you have chosen to follow Jesus. Remember the Thessalonians. Rememberthe believers in Judaea. Remember Paul. And most importantly, remember Jesus.

Paulwas thankful because when these people heard his preaching, they recognizedthat there was something different about his message. They realized that thiswas not merely Paul's opinion. It was not simply another philosophy. It was notanother religious theory. They received it “as it is in truth, the word ofGod.” And then Paul tells us what happened: “Which effectively worksalso in you that believe.” I have often used this verse over the yearsbecause it reminds us of a wonderful truth: When we receive the Bible as theWord of God and believe it as the Word of God, it begins to work in our lives. Thereis transforming power in God's Word! Notice the progression in this verse. First,they heard the Word. Paul says, “the word of God which you heard of us.”Romans10:17 tells us: “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word ofGod.” Somebody has to proclaim the Word before people can hear it. That iswhy preaching and teaching the Scriptures is so important. That is why weshould share God's Word with our children and grandchildren. That is why weshould send it around the world through missions. And that is one of thereasons I enjoy sharing these Pastor's Chats every day.  Buthearing the Word alone is not enough. Second, they received the Word. There isa difference between hearing something and receiving it. You can sit in churchand hear the Bible preached every Sunday without allowing it to change yourlife. You can read your Bible every morning and close it without responding towhat God has said. James 1:22 reminds us: “But be you doers of the word, andnot hearers only, deceiving your own selves.” The Thessalonians didn'tmerely hear the message. They welcomed it into their hearts and lives.Butnotice something even more important. Third, they recognized it as God's Word. Paulsaid they received it: “Not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, theword of God.” That makes all the difference. If I believe the Bible ismerely the words of men, then I can take what I like and reject what I don'tlike. I can say, “I agree with this part, but I don't agree with that.” Butwhen I believe that this Book is God's Word, my attitude changes. Instead ofstanding in judgment over the Bible, I allow the Bible to judge me. Instead oftrying to change the Scriptures to fit my life, I allow the Scriptures tochange my life to fit God's will.  Thennotice the final truth. Fourth, they believed the Word. Paul says that the Word“effectively works also in you that believe.” That little phrase is soimportant—“in you that believe.” The Bible sitting unopened on a shelfwill not transform your life. Even knowing Bible verses intellectually will notnecessarily change your life. The Word becomes effective in us as we believeit, receive it, obey it, and allow the Holy Spirit to apply it to our lives. I haveseen this truth demonstrated countless times over the years. I have watchedpeople hear the Gospel, believe the Word of God, trust Jesus Christ as theirSavior, and become completely different people. I have seen marriages changed. Ihave seen families restored. I have seen people delivered from destructivehabits. I have seen discouraged people find hope. I have alsoseen grieving people find comfort. I have seen believers discover God's willand give their lives to serving Jesus Christ. And it wasn't because of theeloquence or ability of the preacher. It was the Word of God working in thosewho believed! Thatis why, as a preacher, I have always believed that my primary responsibility isnot to entertain people or impress people with my knowledge of the deepermeaning of the Scripture. My responsibility is simply to faithfully give themthe Word of God. Because my words cannot change a heart. But God's Word can! Myopinions cannot produce spiritual life. But God's Word can!   

Yesterdayin verse 10, Paul reminded the Thessalonians how he and his companions hadlived among them: “holily and justly and unblameably.” Now in verses 11and 12, Paul says: “As you know how we exhorted and comforted and chargedevery one of you, as a father does his children, That you would walk worthy ofGod, who has called you unto His kingdom and glory.” Earlier, in verse 7,Paul compared himself to a nursing mother who tenderly cherishes her children.Now he changes the picture and says, “as a father does his children.” Whata beautiful picture of spiritual ministry! A godly father doesn't simply tellhis children what to do. He walks with them. He encourages them. He teachesthem. He corrects them when necessary. And most importantly, he wants to seethem grow and become everything God intends for them to be. Paulgives us three words describing what he and his fellow co-workers did for thesenew believers. I trust that you have noticed that Paul hasn't been saying “I”,when addressing the people at Thessalonica, but he acknowledges his companionsas he says, “we”. He first says, “As you know how we exhorted.” Toexhort someone means to come alongside them and encourage them to keep going inthe right direction. Sometimes we need someone to say, “Don't quit. Keep going.Stay faithful. God is with you.” Then Paul says, “We comforted.” Thereare times when people don't need a lecture—they need comfort. Life has itsdisappointments. There are heartaches, losses, illnesses, broken dreams, andunexpected difficulties. A loving spiritual father knows when someone needsencouragement and when they simply need an arm around their shoulder. Then Paulsays they “charged every one of you.” That word is stronger. It carriesthe idea of giving a solemn testimony or urging someone with seriousness. Thereare times when we need encouragement. There are times when we need comfort. Butthere are also times when someone who loves us needs to look us in the eye andsay, “This is the way you need to go. This is what God wants you to do.” Andnotice something else that I love in this verse. Paul says they did this for “everyone of you.” Paul wasn't merely interested in crowds. He was interested inindividual people. Every person mattered. That is a wonderful lesson forministry. We can become so concerned about numbers that we forget that everynumber represents a person—a person with a name, a family, a burden, and aneternal soul. Jesus ministered that way. He preached to the multitudes, but Healso had time for Nicodemus. He had time for the woman at the well. He had timefor blind Bartimaeus. He had time for Zacchaeus. Every person matters to God.  Butwhat was Paul's goal in all this exhorting, comforting, and charging? Verse 12tells us: “That you would walk worthy of God.” That is the goal ofChristian discipleship. The word “walk” in the Bible often refers to the way welive our everyday lives. Paul is saying, in effect, “Live your life in a waythat is worthy of the God who saved you.” Andthen Paul gives us a wonderful reason: “Who has called you unto His kingdomand glory.” Think about that! God has called us out of darkness and intoHis marvelous light. He has called us out of a life of sin and given us eternallife. He has made us His children.Andone day, we will share in His kingdom and His glory. If that is our calling andthat is our destiny, then surely it should make a difference in how we livetoday. After54 years of marriage, I can look back and see many times when Edith and Ididn't know what the future held. But we knew Who held the future. And that isstill true today. Whether we are talking about marriage, raising children,ministry, friendships, or simply living the Christian life, we need the graceof God every day.

Paulwas willing to put his life on display and say, in effect, “You watched us. Yousaw how we lived. And not only did you see us—God saw us too.” There are twoaudiences watching our lives: people are watching us, and God is watching us. Paulbegins by saying, “You are witnesses.” The Thessalonians had been closeenough to Paul to see what he was really like. They didn't simply hear himpreach a sermon on the Sabbath. They watched him day after day. They saw himwork. They saw how he treated people. They saw how he responded to opposition.They saw what he was like when things were difficult. And Paul could say, “Youare witnesses.” But then he adds something even more important: “and Godalso.” People can only see the outside. God sees the heart. We might beable to fool people for a while, but we can never fool God. He knows ourmotives. He knows our thoughts. He knows what we do when no one else iswatching. That is why character is so important in the Christian life. Someonehas said that reputation is what people think you are, but character is whatGod knows you are. Paul was concerned about both. He wanted his publictestimony and his private character to agree. Noticethe three words Paul uses to describe their behavior: “holily, justly, andunblameably”. First, Paul says they behaved “holily.”  This speaks of their relationship withGod. To live a holy life does not mean that we are sinlessly perfect. Paulwasn't claiming perfection. Rather, holiness means that our lives are set apartfor God. There is a desire to please Him and to live differently because webelong to Him. The question for us is not simply, “What can I get away with?”The better question is, “Does this please the Lord?” When we remember that webelong to God, it changes the way we live.  Second,Paul says they behaved “justly.” This speaks of our relationship withother people. The idea is that we treat people rightly, honestly, andfairly. A person can claim to love God, but one of the greatest evidences ofour relationship with God is how we treat the people around us. Are we honestin our dealings? Do we keep our word? Do we treat others with kindness andrespect? Are we fair even when it costs us something? Our Christianity shouldaffect the way we treat our spouse, our children, our neighbors, our coworkers,our friends, and even those who might oppose us. Third,Paul says they lived “unblameably.” This speaks of their testimonybefore the world. Again, Paul wasn't saying they were perfect. He wassaying that there was nothing in their conduct that could justly be used todiscredit their testimony or the Gospel they preached. That is especiallyimportant because people often judge the message by the messenger. We mightwish they wouldn't, but they do. People are watching to see whether what webelieve on Sunday makes any difference in the way we live on Monday. Our livesshould never contradict our message. In fact, one of the greatest arguments forthe truth of the Gospel is a changed life. Jesus said in Matthew 5:16, “Letyour light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorifyyour Father which is in heaven.” Notice Jesus didn't say, “Make your lightshine.” He said, “Let your light so shine.” When Christ is living His lifethrough us, people should be able to see something different. Paul could pointto the Thessalonians and say, “You heard what we preached, but you also saw howwe lived.”Our message is not merely what we say with ourlips. Our message is also what people see in our lives. And sometimes the lifespeaks louder than the sermon. Paul had already said in verse 4 that God hadentrusted him with the Gospel. If God has entrusted us with the Gospel, then weshould desire to live in such a way that we never bring reproach upon thatGospel. None of us will do that perfectly. We all stumble. We all fail. Andwhen we do, we should be quick to confess it, make it right, and receive God'sforgiveness.  

Noticethose words: “Our labor and travail.” Paul was reminding theThessalonians that his ministry among them had cost him something. The word“labor” speaks of hard work and weariness. And “travail” carries the idea ofdifficult, strenuous effort. Paul wasn't sitting back and expecting everyoneelse to take care of him. He says they were: “Laboring night and day.” Weknow from Acts 18 that Paul's trade was tentmaking. He knew how to work withhis hands. Apparently, while he was preaching the gospel and establishing thechurch at Thessalonica, Paul was also working to help provide for his ownneeds. Think about what his days must have been like. He was preaching. He wasteaching. He was discipling new believers. He was encouraging those who weresuffering. He was answering questions. He was praying for these believers. Andsomewhere in the middle of all that, Paul was also working with his own hands. Why?Paul tells us: “Because we would not be chargeable unto any of you.” NowPaul certainly believed that those who preach the gospel have the right toreceive support. In 1 Corinthians 9:14 he wrote: “Even so hath the Lordordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel.” SoPaul was not teaching that pastors, missionaries, or other servants of Godshould never receive financial support. Instead, Paul was voluntarily giving upa legitimate right because he didn't want anything to become an obstacle to thegospel. He didn't want anyone to be able to say: “Paul is only here because ofthe money.” Paul wanted the Thessalonians to understand that he wasn't tryingto get something from them. He wanted to give something to them.  What did he want to give them? He tells us at the end of the verse: “Wepreached unto you the gospel of God.” There it is again. The gospel of God.That was Paul's passion. That was his calling. That was his treasure. And Paulwas willing to inconvenience himself, exhaust himself, and sacrifice personallyso that nothing would hinder someone from hearing about Jesus Christ. Thatchallenges us today. We live in a culture that often asks: “What's in it forme?” How will this benefit me? What will I receive? How much will it cost me? Butgenuine Christian service asks a very different question: “What can I give?” JesusHimself gave us the greatest example. Mark 10:45 says: “For even the Son ofman came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give His life aransom for many.” Jesus didn't come to see what He could get from us. He came to give Himself for us. Andif we are going to follow Jesus, there will be times when serving Him costs ussomething. It may cost us our time. It may cost us our convenience. It may costus financially. It may mean changing our plans. It may mean staying when wewould rather leave. It may mean going when we would rather stay. Sometimes itsimply means being available when someone needs us. You see, ministry isn'talways convenient. Love isn't always convenient. Serving others isn't alwaysconvenient. There is another important lesson here. Paul didn't separate what wemight call “secular work” from serving God. Paul could make tents and still beserving God. He could preach a sermon and serve God. He could sit down with anew believer and serve God. He could work with his hands and serve God. WhateverPaul was doing, his life belonged to the Lord. And that should be true for us. Colossians3:23 says: “And whatsoever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and notunto men.” You don't have to stand behind a pulpit to serve God. You canserve God at your workplace. You can serve God in your home. You can serve Godwhile helping a neighbor. You can serve God by caring for someone who ishurting. You can serve God by giving your time to someone who needsencouragement. The question isn't simply, “What am I doing?” The question is: “Whoam I doing it for?” Paul worked night and day because he wanted nothing in his life to hinder the gospel.

Paulbegins by saying: “We were gentle among you.” Paul was certainly acourageous man. He was bold enough to preach the gospel even after being beatenand imprisoned at Philippi. He was bold enough to stand before kings andrulers. He was bold enough to confront false teachers. But Paul understood thatboldness and gentleness are not opposites. You can be strong in yourconvictions and still be gentle with people. You can stand firmly for truth andstill speak that truth in love. ThenPaul gives us this beautiful picture: “Even as a nurse cherishes herchildren.” The word translated “nurse” here carries the idea of a nursingmother caring for her own children. Think about a mother holding a little baby.That child is completely dependent upon her. She doesn't handle that babyroughly. She holds the child close. She feeds the child. She protects thechild. She comforts the child. She patiently cares for the child. And Paulsays, “That's how we treated you.” These Thessalonians were new believers. Theyhad only recently turned from idols to serve the living and true God. Theyneeded someone who would patiently teach them, encourage them, love them, andhelp them grow. And that is exactly what Paul did. Butverse 8 takes us even deeper into Paul's heart. He says: “So beingaffectionately desirous of you…” Paul didn't simply tolerate these people. Heloved them. And then he makes one of the most remarkable statements aboutministry anywhere in the New Testament: “We were willing to have impartedunto you, not the gospel of God only, but also our own souls.” Paul gavethem the gospel. But he gave them something else too. He gave them himself. That'swhy I like the thought for today's Chat: “More Than a Message.” Thegospel is the greatest message in the world. But God never intended for ussimply to hand people a message and then walk away. The gospel should comethrough a life that genuinely loves the people receiving it. Paul didn't lookat the Thessalonians as numbers. They weren't statistics. They weren't simplyconverts he could report to someone else.  Paulsays: “You were dear unto us.” That is the heart of genuine ministry. Andreally, that is the heart of Jesus.WhenJesus looked at the multitudes, Matthew 9:36 tells us: “He was moved withcompassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheephaving no shepherd.” Jesus didn't merely see a crowd. He saw people. He sawindividuals. He saw their hurts. He saw their needs. He saw their loneliness. Hesaw their spiritual condition. And He loved them. My friend, sometimes it iseasier to tell people the truth than it is to genuinely love them. We can givesomeone a Bible verse. We can give them a gospel tract. We can invite them tochurch. We can tell them what they ought to do. But Paul reminds us thateffective ministry involves more than simply giving people information. Itmeans giving them our time. Our attention. Our prayers. Our compassion. Sometimeseven our tears. It means allowing people to become “dear unto us.”  Thereis an old saying that people don't care how much you know until they know howmuch you care. And there is certainly a great deal of truth in that. Paul hadtremendous knowledge. He was one of the greatest theologians who ever lived. Godused him to write a large portion of the New Testament. But when Paul describedhis ministry among these believers, he didn't first point to his education, hisintelligence, or even his preaching ability. He said: “We were gentle amongyou.” And: “You were dear unto us.” That challenges me. It ispossible to become so busy doing ministry that we forget that ministry isreally about people. Every person we meet is someone for whom Jesus died. Everyperson has a story. Every person has burdens we may know nothing about. Everyperson needs someone who genuinely cares. And sometimes the greatestopportunity we will ever have to influence someone for Christ begins simply byloving them.  

Paul understoodsomething that every believer needs to remember: The purpose of our lives isnot to bring glory to ourselves. It is to bring glory to God. Jesussaid in Matthew 5:16: “Let your light so shine before men, that they may seeyour good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” Notice Jesusdidn't say that people should see our good works and glorify us. He said theyshould see our good works and glorify our Father which is in heaven. That's animportant distinction. There is something in our human nature that enjoys beingrecognized. We like to be appreciated. We like someone to tell us that we did agood job. And there is nothing wrong with encouraging someone or expressingappreciation for what they have done. The problem comes when the praise ofpeople becomes the reason we do it. Jesuswarned about this in Matthew chapter 6. And Jesus repeatedly warned about doing spiritualthings “to be seen of men.” It is possible to do the right thing for thewrong reason. We can serve and secretly hope someone notices. We can give andhope someone recognizes our generosity. We can sing, teach, preach, or serve inthe church and become disappointed when no one thanks us. We can even becomediscouraged when someone else receives recognition that we thought should havebeen ours. That's when we need to ask ourselves a very important question: Whoseglory am I seeking? Paulsaid: “Nor of men sought we glory.” Paul knew that the approval thatultimately mattered was not the approval of people, but the approval of God. InGalatians 1:10, Paul wrote: “For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seekto please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant ofChrist.” You see, if our primary goal is to please people, eventually wewill be tempted to compromise what God has called us to do. But if our goal isto please God, we can remain faithful whether people applaud us or criticizeus. Whether people notice us or overlook us. Whether someone says “thank you”or no one ever recognizes what we have done. That is especially important inChristian service. Many of the greatest acts of service for God are probablythings that very few people ever see. Someone quietly praying for anotherperson. Someone giving to meet a need without telling anyone. Someone visitinga lonely person. Someone faithfully teaching a small group week after week. Amother or father faithfully teaching their children about the Lord. Someonesharing Christ with a neighbor. Someone serving behind the scenes at churchwhere hardly anyone knows their name. The world may never recognize thosethings. But God sees them. And ultimately, His approval is the only approvalthat really matters. Paulcontinues in verse 6 by saying: “When we might have been burdensome, as theapostles of Christ.” As an apostle, Paul could have asserted his authorityand demanded certain rights and privileges. But he chose not to make himselfthe center of attention. Instead of asking, “What do I deserve?”, Paul wasasking, “How can I serve?” That reminds us of Jesus Himself. Jesus said in Mark10:45: “For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but tominister, and to give His life a ransom for many.” If anyone deserved to beserved, it was Jesus. If anyone deserved recognition, honor, and glory, it wasJesus. Yet He humbled Himself and became a servant. And that should be ourattitude as well. My friend, we live in a world that constantly encourages usto promote ourselves. We are told to make ourselves known, build ourreputation, gain followers, and make sure people recognize what we haveaccomplished. But the Christian life points us in another direction. We are nothere to make ourselves famous. We are here to make Jesus known. Johnthe Baptist expressed it beautifully in John 3:30: “He must increase, but Imust decrease.” What a wonderful motto for every believer! He mustincrease. Jesus should become more visible in our lives.

There are two very important statements in this verse. Paulsays, first, “Neither at any time used we flattering words.” And then hesays, “Nor a cloak of covetousness.”  Paulis reminding these believers that when he came to Thessalonica, he wasn'ttrying to manipulate them with his words, and he wasn't trying to get somethingfrom them for himself. Let's think first about “flattering words.” Thereis a difference between encouragement and flattery. We should encourage people.We should express appreciation. We should tell people when we are thankful forthem. There is nothing wrong with giving an honest compliment. But flattery isdifferent. Encouragement is given for the benefit of the other person. Flatteryis often given for the benefit of ourselves. Flattery says something nicebecause we want something in return. We may want someone's approval. We maywant their support. We may want them to like us. We may even want to influencethem for our own advantage. Paulsays, “That wasn't how we ministered among you.” He wasn't trying to tellpeople what they wanted to hear. He was telling them what God wanted them tohear. That's an important distinction. Paul would later write in 2 Timothy 4:3:“For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but aftertheir own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears.” Therewill always be a temptation to change the message so that people will like themessenger. But if God has put us in trust with the gospel, as we saw yesterday,we don't have the right to change the message simply to make it moreacceptable. Sometimes God's Word comforts us. Sometimes God's Word encouragesus. But sometimes God's Word convicts us. Sometimes it tells us something wewould rather not hear. A faithful servant of God doesn't ask, “What will makepeople happy?” He asks, “What has God said?” ThenPaul mentions something else: “Nor a cloak of covetousness.” A cloak issomething that covers something else. Paul is saying, “We didn't use religionas a covering for greed.” He wasn't preaching the gospel because he wanted toget rich. He wasn't serving these people because he wanted their money. Hewasn't using ministry to advance himself. Paul's ministry wasn't about what hecould get from people. It was about what he could give to people. And what didhe want to give them? The gospel of Jesus Christ. Unfortunately, through theyears there have always been people who have used religion for personal gain.Butthe problem isn't only money. Covetousness is the desire to have more forourselves.  That'swhy Paul's final statement in this verse is so important. He says: “God iswitness.” Earlier in the verse Paul said, “as you know.” TheThessalonians knew how Paul had lived among them. But when Paul talked aboutthe motives of his heart, he said: “God is witness.” People can see ouractions. But only God can completely see our motives. People hear what we say. Godknows why we say it. People see what we do.Godknows why we do it. We might be able to hide our motives from other people, butwe can never hide them from God. Hebrews 4:13 reminds us: “Neither is thereany creature that is not manifest in His sight: but all things are naked andopened unto the eyes of Him with whom we have to do.” Myfriend, there is tremendous freedom when we can live with nothing to hide. Wedon't have to manipulate people. We don't have to flatter people. We don't haveto use people. We simply need to love people, speak the truth, share thegospel, and seek to please God. And at the end of the day, we should desire tobe able to say with Paul: “God is witness.” God knows my heart. Godknows my motives. God knows why I am doing what I am doing. So today, let's askthe Lord to search our hearts and keep our motives pure. Let's speak words thatare true rather than flattering. Let's serve because we want to give ratherthan because we want to get.

“For our exhortation was not of deceit, norof uncleanness, nor in guile: But as we were allowed of God to be put in trustwith the gospel, even so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, who test ourhearts.” Paul was concerned not only about what he preached, but also whyhe preached it. Inverse 3, Paul tells us three things that were not true about his ministry. First,it was “not of deceit.” Paul wasn't preaching something he knew wasfalse. His message wasn't based upon error. He was convinced that Jesus Christwas the Son of God, that He had died for our sins, that He had risen from thedead, and that salvation was found through faith in Him. Second, Paul says hisministry was not “of uncleanness.” His motives were not impure. Hewasn't using religion as a means of satisfying some selfish or sinful desire.His life and his message were to be pure before God. Third, Paul says it wasnot “in guile.” That means Paul wasn't trying to trick or manipulatepeople. He wasn't using the gospel to take advantage of them. There was nohidden agenda. Andthen Paul tells us why. Verse 4 says: “But as we were allowed of God to beput in trust with the gospel, even so we speak.” I love that expression: “Putin trust with the gospel.” Paul understood that the gospel did not belongto him. God had entrusted it to him. Think about that! The message that JesusChrist came into this world, died on the cross for our sins, was buried, roseagain, and offers eternal life to everyone who will believe—that message hasbeen entrusted to us. What a privilege! And what a responsibility! If someoneentrusted you with something extremely valuable, you would take great care ofit. If someone handed you something precious and said, “I'm trusting you withthis,” you would feel a tremendous responsibility to protect it and faithfullydeliver it. My friend, God has entrusted us with something far more valuablethan silver or gold. He has entrusted us with the gospel of Jesus Christ. Paulwrote in 1 Corinthians 4:2: “Moreover it is required in stewards, that a manbe found faithful.” A steward doesn't own what has been placed into hishands. He simply has the responsibility to faithfully care for what belongs tosomeone else. That's what we are with the gospel. We didn't invent the message.We don't have the authority to change the message. We don't have the right tomake it more acceptable to the culture around us. Our responsibility is simplyto faithfully proclaim it. But Paul goes even deeper. He says: “Not aspleasing men, but God, who test our hearts.” There is the key to puremotives. Who are we trying to please? Itis very easy to become concerned about what people think about us. We like tobe appreciated. We like to be accepted. We like people to approve of what wesay and what we do. But Paul reminds us that ultimately there is only OnePerson we must please—and that is God. People see what we do. But God sees whywe do it. People hear our words. But God knows our hearts. Paul says that God “testour hearts.” That means He examines and tests our motives. And that shouldcause every one of us to ask ourselves: Why am I doing what I'm doing? Why do Iserve? Why do I give? Why do I witness? Why do I teach? Why do I preach? Is itso that someone will notice me? Is it so that someone will praise me? Or am Idoing it because I genuinely want to please God? That applies not only topastors and missionaries. It applies to every believer. My friend, what a privilege it is thatGod would trust ordinary people like you and me with the greatest message theworld has ever heard! So today, let's ask God to keep our message true, ourlives pure, and our motives right. Let's remember that we are not hereprimarily to please people. We are here to please God. And may we faithfullyshare the precious gospel that He has entrusted to us.

“For yourselves,brethren, know our entrance in unto you, that it was not in vain: But evenafter that we had suffered before, and were shamefully entreated, as you know,at Philippi, we were bold in our God to speak unto you the gospel of God withmuch contention.” Paulbegins by saying, “For yourselves, brethren, know.” In other words, Paulcould point to their own personal experience. They knew what kind of man he wasbecause they had watched his life. They had seen his character. They had heardhis preaching. They knew that his ministry among them had been genuine. ThenPaul says that his coming to Thessalonica “was not in vain.” That meansit was not empty, useless, or without results. And certainly it wasn't! Achurch had been established. Lives had been transformed. People had turned fromidols to the living God. And now their testimony was spreading throughoutMacedonia and Achaia. Butwhat makes this even more remarkable is what Paul and Silas had experiencedimmediately before coming to Thessalonica. Paul says they had “sufferedbefore, and were shamefully entreated... at Philippi.”Youcan read about that in Acts chapter 16. At Philippi, Paul and Silas had beenfalsely accused. Their clothes were torn from them. They were beaten with rods.They were thrown into prison, and their feet were fastened in the stocks. Yetat midnight, instead of complaining, Paul and Silas prayed and sang praisesunto God. Then God sent an earthquake, the prison doors opened, and eventuallythe Philippian jailer and his family trusted Christ. Butthink about this. After Paul and Silas were released from prison, they didn'tsay, “We've had enough. Maybe we should take a break from preaching.” Theydidn't say, “If this is what happens when you preach the gospel, perhaps weshould find something safer to do.” No! They traveled on to Thessalonica andpreached the gospel again! Paul says: “We were bold in our God to speak untoyou the gospel of God.” I love that phrase: “Bold in our God.” Theircourage did not come from themselves. Paul wasn't saying, “We were naturallybrave men.” He said they were bold in God. There is a tremendous difference. Christianboldness is not arrogance. It isn't being loud, argumentative, or offensive.Biblical boldness is having such confidence in God and His Word that wefaithfully speak the truth even when it might cost us something. Andnotice something else. Their suffering did not silence them. They had beenbeaten for preaching the gospel, but they kept preaching. They had been put inprison for preaching Christ, but they kept preaching Christ. They had beenpublicly humiliated, but they kept telling others about Jesus. Why? Becausethey knew that the gospel was worth suffering for. Paul later wrote in Romans1:16: “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power ofGod unto salvation to everyone that believes.” My friend, we live in aworld today where it is becoming increasingly unpopular to stand for biblicaltruth. We may sometimes be tempted to remain silent because we don't want tooffend someone. We don't want to be criticized. We don't want someone tomisunderstand us or reject us. But we need the same prayer today: “Lord, makeus bold in You.” Not bold in our opinions. Not bold sothat we can win an argument. But bold in our God to speak the gospel of God.  Andthere is another wonderful encouragement in these verses. Paul says theirentrance into Thessalonica “was not in vain.” Sometimes we may wonderwhether our witness is making any difference. We share Christ with someone, andwe don't immediately see a response. We pray for someone for years, and nothingseems to happen. We teach God's Word, encourage others, give out a gospeltract, invite someone to church, or simply try to live a faithful Christiantestimony. And sometimes we wonder, “Is it really accomplishing anything?” Paulreminds us that when we faithfully serve the Lord, our labor is never wasted.

Paul says they were waiting “forHis Son from heaven.” The word “wait” does not mean that they were sittingaround doing nothing. Biblical waiting is an attitude of expectation. It meansliving every day with the realization that Jesus Christ could return. Remember,these Thessalonian believers were young Christians. Paul had only been withthem for a short time. Yet one of the truths he had already taught them was thereturn of Jesus Christ. That tells us something about how important thisdoctrine is. In fact, the return of Christ is mentioned in every chapter of 1Thessalonians. At the end of chapter 1, we are waiting for His Son from heaven.At the end of chapter 2, Paul speaks of being in the presence of our Lord JesusChrist “at His coming.” At the end of chapter 3, he speaks of “thecoming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints.” Chapter 4 containsthat wonderful passage where Paul tells us: “For the Lord Himself shalldescend from heaven with a shout…” And in chapter 5, Paul speaks againabout “the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” So the return of Jesus isnot a minor subject in this letter. It is woven throughout it. But notice Who we are waitingfor. Paul does not say we are waiting primarily for an event. He says we arewaiting for “His Son from heaven.” We are waiting for a Person. We arewaiting for Jesus. The One Who loved us. The One Who died for us. The One Whorose again. The One Who promised, “I will come again.” Paul then remindsus that God “raised Him from the dead.” Our hope in Christ's return isconnected to the resurrection.Jesus is not in a gravesomewhere. He is alive! The same Jesus Who died on the cross and rose from thegrave ascended into heaven, and one day He is coming again. In Acts chapter 1, as thedisciples watched Jesus ascend into heaven, two angels said: “This sameJesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner asye have seen Him go into heaven.” My friend, Jesus is coming again. Wedon't know the day. We don't know the hour. But we know Who is coming, and thatshould affect the way we live today. If we really believe Jesus could return,it should encourage us to live holy lives. It should cause us to forgivequickly. It should motivate us to share the Gospel. It should remind us not tobecome too attached to the things of this world. And it should give us hopewhen life becomes difficult. Then Paul closes the chapterwith these wonderful words: “Even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrathto come.” There is judgment coming upon sin, but for those who have trustedJesus Christ, there is wonderful assurance. Jesus has delivered us. Oursalvation rests not in what we have done for Him, but in what He has done forus. He took our judgment upon Himself on the cross. He paid the price for oursins, and because we have trusted Him, we can face the future not with fear,but with hope.  I love how this entire firstchapter fits together. These believers had a work of faith, labor of love, andpatience of hope in verse 3. They received the Word in verse 6. They becameexamples in verse 7. They sounded out the Word in verse 8. They turned to Godfrom idols to serve the living and true God in verse 9. And now, in verse 10,they were waiting for Jesus to return. What a testimony! And what a pattern forus today. Receiving the Word. Living the Word. Sharing the Word. Serving theLord. And waiting for Jesus. My friend, perhaps today would be a good day toask ourselves: Am I living as though Jesus could come today? Because oneday—perhaps sooner than we think—our waiting will be over. Jesus is comingagain!

“For they themselvesshowed of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how you turned toGod from idols to serve the living and true God.” In verse 9, Paul tellsus what people were saying about them. They were talking about the tremendouschange that had taken place in the lives of these Thessalonian believers. Paul describes theirconversion with three simple words: “turned to God.” I think it isimportant to notice the order. Paul does not say they first cleaned up theirlives, got rid of all their idols, and then came to God. He says they “turnedto God from idols.” They turned to God, and when they did, they were ableto turn from their idols. My friend, that is what genuine salvation does. Christianityis not simply trying to make ourselves better. It is not merely giving up a fewbad habits or attempting to live a more moral life. Salvation begins when, byfaith, we turn to the Lord Jesus Christ. When we truly turn to Him, somethingbegins to change within us. Remember that Thessalonica wasa pagan city. Idolatry was everywhere. These people had grown up worshipingfalse gods and participating in pagan religious practices. Their idols were notmerely decorations sitting on a shelf. Idolatry was woven into their culture,their families, their social lives, and even their businesses. So when thesepeople turned to Jesus Christ, it cost them something. They were leaving behinda way of life they had known for years. Yet they discovered something fargreater than the idols they left behind.  Paul says they turned “toserve the living and true God.” I love those words: “the living and trueGod.” Their idols were dead. Their idols could not hear them. Their idolscould not answer their prayers. Their idols could not forgive their sins. Theiridols could not give them eternal life.  But now the believers atThessalonica had met the living God! And they had discovered the true God. Wemight look at this verse today and say, “Well, I don't have any idols. I don'tbow down before a statue or worship an image.” But an idol can be anything thattakes the place in our lives that belongs to God. An idol can be money. It canbe possessions. It can be pleasure. It can be a career. It can be anotherperson. It can even be our own plans, ambitions, or desires. Anything thatbecomes more important to us than God has the potential to become an idol. Thequestion is not simply, “Do I have a statue that I worship?” The betterquestion might be, “What has first place in my life?”  Notice also that theseThessalonians did not simply turn from something; they turned to Someone. Sometimeswe think the Christian life is mostly about what we give up. But Christianityis really about Who we receive. We turn from the emptiness of this world to thefullness of Jesus Christ. We turn from darkness to light. We turn from bondageto freedom. We turn from death to life. And then Paul says that they turned toGod “to serve” Him. Their conversion produced a new purpose for living. Before,they had served their idols. Now they served the living and true God. That word“serve” carries the idea of serving as a bondservant—belongingcompletely to another. That is a beautiful picture of the Christian life. Wehave been saved by grace, and because we belong to Jesus Christ, we now desireto live for Him. We don't serve Him in order to be saved. We serve Him becausewe have been saved. That takes us back to verse 3and their “work of faith, and labor of love.” Their service was evidence thatsomething real had happened in their hearts. And my friend, that should causeeach of us to examine our own lives today. What have we turned from? What havewe turned to? And whom are we serving? The Thessalonians had a testimony thateveryone could see. They had turned to God from idols to serve the living andtrue God. May that be our testimony too.

Think about what happened inThessalonica. Paul had not been there very long. According to Acts 17, tremendousopposition arose against him and his companions. Paul eventually had to leavethe city. You might have thought that once Paul left, the Gospel witness wouldbecome silent. But it didn't! Paul left Thessalonica, but the Word of Godstayed there. And those new believers began sounding it out everywhere theywent. Paul says it sounded out “not only in Macedonia and Achaia.” As wesaid yesterday, Macedonia was the northern region of Greece where Thessalonicawas located. Achaia was the southern region where cities such as Athens andCorinth were located. But Paul goes even further. He says, “but also inevery place your faith to God-ward is spread abroad.” Their testimony hadtraveled far beyond their own city. People were talking about what God had donein Thessalonica! That reminds us that a genuinework of God cannot easily be hidden. When Jesus Christ truly changes a life,somebody is going to notice. And when a church is filled with believers whoselives have been transformed by the Gospel, its influence should extend farbeyond the walls of its building. My friend, the church was never intended tobe simply a place where we come together once or twice a week to hear the Wordof God. We gather to hear the Word, but then we scatter to sound out the Word. Wetake it into our homes. We take it into our neighborhoods. We take it into ourworkplaces. We take it into our communities. And wherever God gives us anopportunity, we share the wonderful message that Jesus Christ saves. Notice something else. Pauldoes not simply say that their words were spreading. He says, “your faith toGod-ward is spread abroad.” Their message was supported by their lives. Peoplewere not only hearing what these Christians said; they were seeing what theseChristians believed by the way they lived. That is one of the greatestchallenges for us today. Our lives should give credibility to our message. Ifwe tell people that Jesus changes lives, there should be evidence that Jesushas changed our life. If we tell people that Jesus gives peace, they should seeHis peace in us. If we tell people that Jesus teaches us to love, they shouldexperience His love through us. If we tell people that Jesus gives hope, theyshould see hope in the way we face the difficulties of life. Remember what Paulsaid back in verse 3: their work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hopewere visible. Now their testimony was sounding out everywhere. And then Paul makes an amazingstatement at the end of verse 8: “So that we need not to speak anything.” Paulwas basically saying, “When we arrive somewhere and begin telling people aboutwhat happened in Thessalonica, they already know!” Can you imagine having thatkind of testimony? Paul didn't need to advertise the church at Thessalonica.Their transformed lives were advertising the power of the Gospel. That causesme to ask myself a question today: What kind of sound is coming from my life? Allof us are sounding out something. Our attitudes sound out something. Our wordssound out something. Our reactions to difficulties sound out something. The waywe treat people sounds out something. Our priorities sound out something. Thequestion is: Are we sounding out the Word of the Lord? Over the years, I have oftenreminded people that you don't have to be a preacher or missionary to be awitness for Jesus Christ. You simply need to be willing to tell someone whatJesus has done for you. And today we have opportunities that the Thessalonianscould never have imagined. Through a telephone, a text message, an email, asocial media post, a conversation with a neighbor, or a simple word ofencouragement, the Word of the Lord can sound out from our lives to people nearand far.

“So that you were examples to all that believe in Macedoniaand Achaia.” Yesterday we saw in verse 6 that the Thessalonian believershad become followers of Paul and of the Lord. They had received the Word in themidst of much affliction, but they received it “with joy of the Holy Spirit.”Now Paul tells us what happened next. They went from being followers tobecoming examples. I love that progression. First, we follow the rightexample. Then, as we grow in Christ, we become the right example for someoneelse. Paul says, “So that you were examples to all that believe.” Theword translated examples has the idea of a pattern, a model, or animpression that can be reproduced.  Then in verse 6, they receivedthe Word despite affliction and persecution. And now in verse 7, otherbelievers were looking at them and saying, in effect, “That's what followingJesus looks like.” What an amazing testimony! Notice also how far theirinfluence had spread. Paul says they were examples “to all that believe inMacedonia and Achaia.” Macedonia was the northern region of Greece whereThessalonica and Philippi were located. Achaia was the southern region wherecities such as Athens and Corinth were located. So their testimony had spreadfar beyond their own city. They probably never dreamed that people hundreds ofmiles away would hear about their faithfulness to Christ. And there is a lessonhere for us. You never know how far theinfluence of a faithful Christian life will reach. Sometimes we think thatunless we have a large ministry, preach to thousands of people, or accomplishsomething that receives public recognition, our life doesn't make muchdifference. But that's not how God measures influence. A faithful mother orfather can influence generations of a family. A faithful Sunday school teachercan influence a child who someday influences thousands. A faithful pastor maynever have a large church, but the people he disciples may carry the Gospelaround the world. A faithful Christian neighbor may quietly demonstrate thelove of Christ to someone who desperately needs hope. We may never know on thisside of eternity how far our influence has reached. There is another importanttruth here. The Thessalonians didn't set out to become famous. They simply setout to be faithful. Their influence was the result of their faithfulness, notthe goal of their faithfulness. That is important in our day when so muchemphasis is placed on being noticed, gaining followers, and building anaudience. The Christian life isn't about people noticing us. Jesus said inMatthew 5:16: “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see yourgood works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” The purpose of ourinfluence is not that people would say, “What a wonderful person.” It is thatthey would say, “What a wonderful Savior!” Paul could tell the Thessalonians,“You followed us, and now others are following your example.” That isdiscipleship. Someone helped us follow Jesus, and now we should be helpingsomeone else follow Jesus. So today, maybe we should askourselves a simple question: If someone followed my example, where would myexample lead them? Would they learn to pray? Would they learn to love God'sWord? Would they learn to forgive? Would they learn to serve? Would they learnto trust God during difficult circumstances? Most importantly, would our livespoint them to Jesus Christ? My friend, you may never stand behind a pulpit. Youmay never teach a Bible class. Your name may never be widely known. But you canlive such a faithful Christian life that someone else sees Jesus in you andwants to follow Him. First we become followers, and then, by God's grace, webecome examples. 

Rememberwhat Paul had just said at the end of verse 5: “You know what manner of menwe were among you for your sake.” Their message and their manner of lifeagreed. That is important because Christianity is not simply learning a set ofdoctrines. Certainly, doctrine is essential. We must know what we believe. ButChristianity is ultimately about following a Person—the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesusrepeatedly said to His disciples, “Follow Me.”  Butthen Paul reminds us of the circumstances in which these Thessalonians receivedthe Gospel. He says they had “received the word in much affliction.” Rememberwhat happened in Acts 17. Paul came to Thessalonica and preached Christ. Somebelieved, along with a great multitude of devout Greeks and a number ofprominent women. But almost immediately opposition arose. A mob was gathered.The city was thrown into an uproar. Jason's house was attacked because Paul andSilas had apparently been staying there. Eventually Paul and Silas had to leaveThessalonica during the night. These new believers had barely begun theirChristian lives before persecution came. Think about that. They did not hear aGospel that promised them that if they trusted Christ, all their problems woulddisappear. Actually, their faith in Christ created some new problems! FollowingJesus cost them something. And yet they stayed faithful. Thatis one of the strongest evidences that something genuine had happened in theirhearts. Jesus spoke about the seed that falls on stony ground in the parable ofthe sower. Some receive the Word with joy, but when tribulation or persecutionarises because of the Word, they fall away. But that did not happen inThessalonica. Affliction came, but they continued following Christ. And then wecome to what I believe is one of the most beautiful phrases in this verse: “Withjoy of the Spirit.” Notice those two things together: Much affliction—andmuch joy. Humanly speaking, those things do not seem to belong in the samesentence. We usually think, “When the affliction is gone, then I can have joy.”“When this problem is solved, then I'll rejoice.” “When my circumstancesimprove, then I'll be happy.” But these believers teach us something veryimportant:Christianjoy does not depend upon favorable circumstances. They had affliction on theoutside, but they had joy on the inside. Why? Because their joy came from theHoly Spirit. Thisreminds us of something we learned together in Philippians. Paul wrote thatletter from prison, and yet over and over again he talked about rejoicing. Theworld gives us happiness when circumstances are good. But Jesus gives us joyeven when circumstances are difficult. There is a tremendous difference. Happinessis often determined by what is happening around us. But spiritual joy comesfrom knowing Who is living within us.Jesussaid in John 16:33, “In the world you shall have tribulation: but be of goodcheer; I have overcome the world.” He did not promise a life withouttribulation. He promised His presence and His victory in the midst of it. Maybetoday you are going through some affliction. Maybe there is a burden in yourfamily. Maybe there is a physical difficulty. Maybe you have experienceddisappointment, loneliness, financial pressure, or uncertainty about tomorrow. Thisverse does not tell us to pretend those things do not hurt. Affliction is real.But it reminds us that our affliction does not have to steal our joy. Why? Becauseour joy is not rooted in our circumstances. Our joy is rooted in Christ.

Now,the Gospel certainly must come to us in words. Romans 10:17 tells us, “Sothen faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” Someone musttell us the wonderful story that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, came into thisworld, lived a perfect and sinless life, died on the cross for our sins, wasburied, and rose again on the third day. The Gospel has a message, and thatmessage must be proclaimed. The word“power” reminds us that the Gospel is not merely information to be considered;it is the power of God that transforms those who believe. Paul said in Romans1:16, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power ofGod unto salvation to every one that believes.” Thinkabout that. The Gospel can take a sinner and make him a saint. It can takesomeone who is spiritually dead and give him spiritual life. It can break thechains of sin, give hope to the hopeless, peace to the troubled heart, andcompletely change the direction of a person's life. I have seen that power overand over again through the years. Programs can help people. Education caninform people. Good advice can encourage people. But only the Gospel of JesusChrist can give a person a new heart and make him a new creation. SecondCorinthians 5:17 says, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creation:old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” Butnotice where this power comes from. Paul says the Gospel came “in the HolyGhost.” Paul understood that he could preach the truth, but only the HolySpirit could take that truth and apply it to the human heart. Jesus said inJohn 16 that the Holy Spirit would convict the world of sin, righteousness, andjudgment. That should be a great encouragement to those of us who want to shareChrist with others. Sometimes we become concerned that we do not know exactlywhat to say. We worry that we will not have the right words or be able toanswer every question. But remember, we are not the ones who save people. Goddoes. Our responsibility is to faithfully share the Gospel. The Holy Spirittakes the Word of God and works in the heart. That is why prayer is soimportant when we witness. We should pray, “Lord, give me the words to say, andHoly Spirit, take those words and use them to touch this person's heart.” ThenPaul adds another phrase. The Gospel came “in much assurance.” There is a tremendous differencebetween speaking about something we merely know intellectually and speakingabout something that has become a reality in our own lives. Paul could preachChrist with assurance because Paul knew Christ personally. And theThessalonians could see that conviction in him. Noticethe final part of the verse: “As you know what manner of men we were amongyou for your sake.” Paul is reminding them, “You not only heard ourmessage—you watched our lives.” That is so important. The Gospel should notonly be heard from our lips; it should be seen in our lives. People arewatching us. Our family watches us. Our neighbors watch us. The people we workwith watch us. The people we go to church with watch us. They want to knowwhether the Gospel we talk about on Sunday makes a difference in the way welive on Monday. Paul could say, “You know what manner of men we were amongyou.” What a testimony!Hewas not saying that he and Silas were perfect. But their conduct was consistentwith the message they proclaimed.AndI believe this verse gives us a wonderful pattern for effective Christianwitness. We need the Word of God— “not in word only.” We need the powerof God— “but also in power.” We need the Spirit of God— “and in theHoly Ghost.” We need the assurance of God— “and in much assurance.” Andwe need a life that demonstrates the reality of the Gospel— “what manner ofmen we were among you.” My friend, the world does not simply need morereligious talk. The world needs to see the Gospel demonstrated by lives thathave been transformed by Jesus Christ.

Thinkabout that today. If you know Jesus Christ as your Savior, you are loved byGod! The Bible does not teach us that God loves us because we are good enough,religious enough, or deserving enough. God loves us because of Who He is. John3:16 reminds us, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begottenSon.” Romans 5:8 says, “But God commended His love toward us, in that,while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” God did not wait until wecleaned ourselves up before He loved us. He loved us while we were sinners, andHe demonstrated that love at the cross. ButPaul goes even further. He says, “Knowing, beloved brethren, your electionof God.” Now, the word “election” sometimes becomes the subject oftheological debates. Good and sincere Bible-believing Christians have disagreedover exactly how God's sovereignty and human responsibility work together. ButI think sometimes we can become so occupied with the questions surroundingelection that we miss the wonderful encouragement Paul intended these believersto receive from it. The word simply carries the idea of being chosen to loveand serve God and others. Paul was reminding these Thessalonian believers thattheir salvation was not an accident. God had a purpose for them. God had calledthem to Himself through the Gospel. Andnotice something very important. Paul said, “Knowing… your election of God.”How could Paul know? He could not look into the secret counsels of God ineternity. He could not see their names written in the Book of Life. But hecould see what had happened in their lives. And that becomes especially clearwhen we read the next verse. Verse 5 says: “For our gospel came not unto youin word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance.”Paul knew something genuine had happened because he had seen the evidence. Rememberwhat we learned yesterday. Their faith was working. Their love was laboring.Their hope was enduring. In other words, their changed lives gave evidence ofthe reality of their salvation. Jesus said in Matthew 7:20, “Wherefore bytheir fruits you shall know them.”  Weare not saved by our works, but when we are truly saved, there should be a workof God taking place in our lives. Ephesians 2:8-9 makes it very clear: “Forby grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is thegift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” But we sometimesstop there. Verse 10 continues: “For we are His workmanship, created inChrist Jesus unto good works.” We are not saved by good works, but we aresaved unto good works. That is exactly what Paul was seeing in Thessalonica. Thinkabout what had happened there. Paul had only been with these people for arelatively short period of time. He preached the Gospel to them. They receivedthe Word. They turned from idols to serve the living and true God. Then almostimmediately, persecution came. Yet they remained faithful. Paul could look atthem and say, in effect, “I know God has done something in your lives because Ican see the evidence of His grace.” AndI believe there is a very practical application for us today. What evidence isthere in my life that God is at work in me? Not, “Have I joined a church?” Not,“Have I been baptized?” Not even merely, “Did I pray a prayer sometime in thepast?” Those things may have their proper place, but the question is: Has JesusChrist changed my life? Is there a work of faith? Is there a labor of love? Isthere a patience of hope? Is there a growing desire for the Word of God? Isthere a desire to please the Lord? Is there a love for God's people? When Isin, does the Holy Spirit convict me and draw me back to fellowship with theLord? Do I desire to share Christ with the lost? These are evidences of thework of God within us.