Sex, Sanctification, & Salvation…1 Thessalonians 4:3–8

   Yesterday in church we discussed 1 Thess. 4:3-8 which deals with the moral standards that God sets forth for His people regarding sex.  As promised I wanted to give you a little more background on the sexual climate that the people of Thessalonica found themselves in as they read this letter from Paul.  We did not have time yesterday to discuss the context of these words as much as I would have preferred so below I have included an excerpt from John MacArthur's commentary on the subject.  I would also encourage you to read the sermon transcripts from two messages he preached on this same passage if you have the time.  They are entitled Abstaining from Sexual Sin--Part 1 and Part 2.  In the coming days additional information will be posted to this blog on how to talk to your children about sex.

The following observations come from The MacArthur New Testament Commentary

                 Since the 1960s, when the modern sexual revolution really accelerated, Western society has had fewer and fewer rules governing sexual attitudes and behaviors. Freedom of sexual expression has in many ways become the cultural god that rules over all the other idolatrous gods of postmodern culture. People want the right, for themselves and others, to express their sexual desires at any cost, even if that means aborting the unwanted child resulting from a sexual union or risking a sexually transmitted disease.

                  Several obvious tenets constitute the world’s immoral, unscriptural outlook regarding sex. First, people are basically good and all but the most heinous activities should be tolerated. Therefore, virtually any kind of consensual sexual activity is good (except for child molestation), especially if one views sex as merely a way to personal gratification. Second, since sexual activity is only a biological function (cf. 1 Cor. 6:13), it is normal and necessary to engage in it without placing on it any moral restrictions. Third, since “casual” sex is just another form of fun and pleasure, it is permissible to enjoy sexual activity recreationally any time with any consenting partner. Fourth, fulfilling one’s sexual desire is a major goal in life, more important than developing meaningful personal relationships. Fifth, instant gratification is more important than delayed satisfaction. Therefore, having premarital sex is legitimate and preferable to waiting until marriage to have sex. Sixth, enjoyable sexual intercourse is the most important factor in establishing a good marital relationship. Therefore, the early stage of every romantic relationship should include sex. The couple should live together to determine sexual compatibility and fulfillment before they marry.

                  Christians understand that those are the dogmas of society’s permissive sexual outlook. The apostle Paul could have recognized the same tendencies in his day because, if anything, the utterly pagan Greco-Roman culture he ministered in was more sexually perverse and debauched than contemporary Western culture, which for centuries has had the beneficial influence of Christianity on its institutions. Thessalonica was part of that debased Greco-Roman culture. The city was rife with such sinful practices as fornication, adultery, homosexuality (including pedophilia), transvestism (men dressing like women), and a wide variety of pornographic and erotic perversions, all done with a seared conscience and society’s acceptance, hence with little or no accompanying shame or guilt. Unlike people in Western nations today, the Thessalonians grew up with no Christian tradition to support laws and standards that forbid the grosser manifestations of immorality. Pagan Greek society apparently did not have civil laws to prohibit immoral behavior.

                  Further contributing to the sexually permissive environment in Thessalonica was the influence of the mystery religions that advocated ritual prostitution. They taught that if a follower engaged with a temple prostitute, he would be communing transcendentally with the deity the prostitute represented. For example, the Temple of Aphrodite on the Corinthian acropolis employed one thousand priestesses who were essentially religious prostitutes. Thus people did not consider fornication and adultery illegal or immoral; the idolatrous religions actually condoned them.

                  For the Thessalonians, then, sexual sin was more customary and more tolerated than it is even by today’s standards. That reality provides a clearer perspective of Paul’s ministry at Thessalonica. When he, Silas, and Timothy planted the church there, they rescued people out of that pornographic society. Many of those new converts, who had lived in immorality, no doubt had mistresses, and many of the women likely engaged in harlotry. Their rather sudden entrance into the kingdom of God required the Thessalonians to break with their pagan background. That requirement presented them with strong challenges—old habits and the pressures from a wicked culture would seek to draw them away from their new life and back to the old. Paul, as their pastor, was concerned enough to begin the exhortation portion of this epistle with commands regarding immoral conduct.

                  Though the surrounding culture continually lowered its moral standards, the Thessalonians could not lower theirs. Paul’s requirement that the Thessalonian believers abstain from sexual sin did not involve a relative morality; it encompassed an absolute standard. Such an unambiguous command, however, did not single out—the way Paul would with the Corinthians—specific groups or individuals within the church who were committing certain sins (cf. 1 Cor. 5:1–13). But that lack of specificity in no way mitigated Paul’s concern for the Thessalonians’ purity. That this general, preventive exhortation to sexual morality began his list of practical instructions in the final two chapters of 1 Thessalonians highlights Paul’s major concern for sexual fidelity in Thessalonica. With this background in mind, one can examine this passage by asking three questions: What kind of sexual conduct does God require? How can a believer be sexually moral? Why should a believer be sexually moral?^[1]

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^[1]John MacArthur, 1–2 Thessalonians, The MacArthur New Testament Commentary. Accordance electronic ed. (Chicago: Moody Press, 2002), 101.

 

Pain from the Past 1 Thessalonians 2:

1 Thessalonians 2:2 NIV We had previously suffered and been insulted in Philippi, as you know, but with the help of our God we dared to tell you his gospel in spite of strong opposition.  

   Many cite their past as their reason for not sharing the gospel.  They had a bad experience, or they suffered some kind of humiliation, or the sense of failure is simply to much for them to overcome.  As a result they decide to not share the gospel with those they love.  Paul speaks directly to this point in the text above.  

   Even if they couldn't see the bruises, the scars, the blood they would have received from that beating in Philippi, certainly this was so fresh on Paul and Silas' mind, they told the Thessalonians about it. Certainly, as the opposition arose in Thessalonica, Paul would have warned the people of Thessalonica and would have said, "Things like this may happen to you as well" pointing to his past suffering.

   But yet, it says, "He dared to preach the gospel in Thessalonica." He dared, after all of that in Philippi, he dared to walk down the road and show up at the next town because God had called him to go and tell somebody else. The two words…suffered and insulted… in our text are important. They're two different words in the Greek, and they mean two different things.

   The word suffered refers to physical abuse. It refers to a beating, a severe beating.  It refers to being pummeled, getting the snot beaten out of you.  The word insulted refers to public humiliation. It refers to being treated badly. It refers to being made a public spectacle. It refers to being humiliated in front of your peers, or being humiliated in front of other people, being treated like an animal, being degraded and brought down, being shamefully treated. Paul says, "We weren't just physically battered, but we were shamefully treated us as well. They humiliated us in public. They stripped us down naked when they beat us. They put us in stocks in the inner cell. We weren't just beaten, but we were insulted. We were humiliated in front of everybody while we were there."(See Acts 16:19-40)

   Despite the physical abuse, despite the public humiliation, despite the insults, despite all they endured in Philippi, they still decided to show up in Thessalonica and they still dare to tell them about the good news of Jesus, despite knowing the persecution could very easily happen again in that city.  Despite their past, they continued to tell people about the good news.

   I wonder how many times we don't share because of our past. We've tried it. We did it once. But we didn't have a good experience. They laughed at us. They told us it was a waste of time. They told us, "Aw, that's just for wimps. I don't need that." They told us they didn't care.

   Whatever your past is, it's not nearly as colorful or nearly as painful as the things these men suffered in their past, yet they still dare to go to tell them the gospel. The people who opposed Paul and the gospel he proclaimed didn't just laugh at them. They didn't point fingers and call them names. They didn't refuse to sit with them at the dinner table. No, they severely beat them as they were chained up like animals, naked in front of everybody, then put them in the inner cell, and chained them up once again like dogs, yet they dared to tell the people of Thessalonica the gospel.

  He points to the past, and he says, "It didn't stop us." And whatever your past maybe I pray it does not stop you from daring to tell someone about the Gospel as well. 
 

Timothy (1 Thess. 3:1-3)

This weekend in our study of 1 Thessalonians we learned that Timothy’s primary mission was to be a positive blessing and help to the Thessalonian Christians. He was to strengthen (sthri√zai; cf. v. 13) them, to make them firm and solid in the faith. He was also sent to encourage (parakale√sai; cf. 2:12) them by providing what they needed to fight the good fight of faith, individually and collectively. Much of the ministry of the apostles was devoted to grounding new converts in the faith, a ministry as necessary today as it was in the first century.^[1]  Great sacrifices were made to ensure that follow up and true discipleship took place in the early church and I challenged our church to be willing to do the same.  I am pleased at how many of you have taken that challenge and already begun to implement the things God has laid on your heart.

The fact of the matter is that Paul’s ministry was bigger than Paul.  Without people like Timothy, Paul would have never been as successful in planting churches and building the Kingdom.  Paul mentions Timothy in six of his thirteen[2] books (2 Cor. 1:1; Phil. 1:1; Col. 1:1; 1 Thess. 1:1; 2 Thess. 1:1; Philem. 1. Paul also wrote two letters ( 1 & 2 Timothy) directly to Timothy.  Therefore; we see the presence of this young leader in eight of Paul’s thirteen New Testament letters.  We also know that Paul sent Timothy on some of the most important, and difficult missions his worldwide ministry had to offer. He sent him to:

  

1)   Asia- Acts 20:4

2)   Ephesus- Acts 19:22

3)   Rome- 2 Tim 4:9

4)   Philippi- Phili 2:20-22

5)   Berea- Acts 17:14-15

6)   Macedonia- Acts 18:5; 19:22

7)   Corinth- 1 Cor. 16:10, 2 Cor 1:19

8)   Thessalonica- 1 Thess 3:2

9)   We also know that he went with Paul in his journey through Phrygia, Galatia, and Mysia; also to Troas and Athens[3]

The message for believers today is simple.  Each of us play an important part in God’s Kingdom.  Will we all be famous and well known like the Apostle Paul?  Of course not!  But there are no small ministries in God’s Kingdom.  Timothy used his God given gifts and faithfully fulfilled the mission he was given.  Even though Timothy is not the first person you think of when the New Testament is mentioned, without people like Timothy it is doubtful that we would recognize Paul’s name either.  God is glorified and the Kingdom benefits when we all work together for the greater good.  Do your part, use your gifts, strengthen and encourage those in your circle of influence, and share your faith with as many as possible and you will be amazed at what God can do through you.  If you would like to listen to this message click here and search in the media player for "Timothy"

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^[1]John F. Walvoord and Roy B. Zuck, eds. The Bible Knowledge Commentary: New Testament. Accordance electronic ed. (Wheaton: Victor Books, 1983), n.p.

[2] There is a great deal of debate about how many books Paul actually wrote.  Numbers range from 7-14 books.  For this post Romans, 1 & 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 & 2 Thessalonians, 1 & 2 Timothy, Titus and Philemon are considered to be Paul’s writings.  Some include Hebrews in the list as well. 

[3] Easton’s Bible Dictionary, s.v. “Timothy,” n.p.

Doing Things For God 1 Thessalonians 2:2

1 Thessalonians 2:2 NIV ...but with the help of our God we dared to tell you his gospel...

   When you consider the extreme suffering, persecution, pain, and torment that Paul has faced just before his arrival in Thessalonica one question naturally arises. Why in the world would Paul go to Thessalonica? Why would he go to proclaim the good news and risk more pain, humiliation, or possibly death? Then we naturally think "he must have really loved God to go do this for God." What makes peole like Paul do what they do?  

   The answer is simple, Paul did not do anything for God, instead he did things with God, there is a huge difference between the two.  When I think back on my past and I began to think about all the things I've attempted for God, it is clear that some of them have worked out, but on the other hand many of them have failed miserably as well. When I consider the things I have done with God it is easy to see that not a  single one has ever failed.
    There is a difference between doing things for God and doing things with God. We go out and we think we just need to just go do stuff for God. Wrong. We need to do things with God. Paul says, "With the help of God, we dared to tell you the gospel." Without God's help, these men wouldn't have gone to Thessalonica. If they didn't believe God was in the middle of this mission, and that God wanted them to be in this city, they wouldn't have packed up and headed to the next city. They would have instead gone home, but with the help of God and because God was in it, and because they wanted to participate with God, they went and they dared to tell these people in this new city the gospel.

   May we never go out and try to tell somebody the gospel for God. May we never go out and try to do it because our pastor said we need to or we have to. Instead, we need to go out and do it with God. We know God wants us to do this. We know that Jesus wants all men to be called unto Himself to be saved. That's what's happening here in Thessalonica. The church of Thessalonica, what set them apart was they weren't doing these things for God; they were doing these things with God. May we never forget the difference between the two.

Is The Devil In Your Church?

For some reason many church leaders and church members have incorrectly assumed that just because the church belongs to God the devil will leave it alone.  They are wrong.  In fact, this makes the church even more likely to be attacked because the devil is opposed to all things that are Holy, right, pleasing, and praiseworthy.  He wants to destroy your church I promise.  Others know he is there, they see him working but they refuse to confront the issue or admit that there is a problem, once again incorrectly assuming that the devil will just get tired and leave.   The fact of the matter is, the devil is either in your church or trying to get in. Scripture declares that he was present and at work in no fewer than 7 New Testament churches. Paul also indicated that there was a good possibility that he was at work in an eighth church as well.    

1)   Jerusalem Acts 5:1–10

2)   Corinth 2 Cor. 2:1–11

3)   Ephesus 1 Tim. 3:6–7

4)   Smyrna Rev. 2:9–10

5)   Pergamum  Rev. 2:13

6)   Thyatira Rev. 2:24

7)   Philadelphia Rev. 3:9
8)  Thessalonica- 1 Thess 3:5- He knew that “the tempter” (i.e., Satan; cf. Mt 4:3) had been at work among them and that God permits the enemy this activity. What Paul did not know about the Thessalonians, however, was whether or not the tempter’s solicitations had been successful, making his work and that of his colleagues “useless.”1

   If he attacked and attempted to destroy these churches why would he not attack yours?  The fact of the matter is, the devil is at work and he will destroy not only individual believers, but the churches that seek to honor God as well.  Be on your guard, help protect your church, because the enemy is on the prowl.



1. Kenneth L. Barker and John R. Kohlenberger, eds. Zondervan NIV Bible Commentary. Accordance electronic ed. (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1994), n.p.

Do it all... Genesis 6:22

 Genesis 6:22 NIV   Noah did everything just as God commanded him.

From the Life Application Study Bible:
 Noah got right to work when God told him to build the huge boat. Other people must have been warned about the coming disaster (1 Peter 3:20), but apparently they did not expect it to happen. Today things haven’t changed much. Each day thousands of people are warned of God’s inevitable judgment, yet most of them don’t really believe it will happen. Don’t expect people to welcome or accept your message of God’s coming judgment on sin. Those who don’t believe in God will deny his judgment and try to get you to deny God as well. But remember God’s promise to Noah to keep him safe. This can inspire you to trust God for deliverance in the judgment that is sure to come.



Life Application Study Bible, Accordance electronic ed. (Carol Stream: Tyndale House Publishers, 2004), n.p.

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Brokeness Nehemiah 1:4

 “When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven.” Nehemiah 1:4 (NIV)

This text calls attention to several questions every true believer must dare to answer.  First, what breaks your heart?  Nehemiah was not just moved when he heard about the plight of his country and countrymen, he was broken.  His heart was not just touched, it ached with pain.  His spirit was not just stimulated, it was shattered.  He sat down and wept bitterly over the things he had just heard.  The Hebrew text implies that this horrific news caused him to abruptly become torn and broken before God.  Have you experienced this same brokenness as you passed a homeless man on the street or witnessed a single mother struggle to feed her children?  Has your heart been shattered at the news of children who drink contaminated water, die of hunger, or remain uneducated in third world countries?  What have you seen or heard that caused abrupt and sudden brokenness in your life?
             The second question is what will you do about that which breaks your heart?  Nehemiah sat down and wept, he prayed and fasted continually for some time, through his shattered heart.  He was immediately moved to become spiritually involved.  His spiritual involvement then lead him to approach the king for permission to become physically involved in the situation.  Brokenness is worthless if we refuse to act.  Your shattered heart is God’s prompting for action.  Certain cases will demand only spiritual action such as praying and fasting for that which breaks your heart.  However, at times God will demand that you act physically as well.  This may entail going, giving, recruiting, fund raising, leading, serving, or even moving among other things.  There is no greater tragedy in all the world then a broken heart that is wasted when one refuses to respond with the action that God desires.       
    

Comfort (2 Corinthians 1:3–5)

 "Blessed is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our troubles so that we may be able to comfort those experiencing any trouble with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. 5 For just as the sufferings of Christ overflow toward us, so also our comfort through Christ overflows to you."   2 Corinthians 1:3–5 NET

 Life Application Study Bible

Many think that when God comforts us, our troubles should go away. But if that were always so, people would turn to God only out of a desire to be relieved of pain and not out of love for him. We must understand that being “comforted” can also mean receiving strength, encouragement, and hope to deal with our troubles. The more we suffer, the more comfort God gives us. If you are feeling overwhelmed, allow God to comfort you. Remember that every trial you endure will help you comfort other people who are suffering similar troubles.

^[1]Life Application Study Bible, Accordance electronic ed. (Carol Stream: Tyndale House Publishers, 2004), n.p.

The Method Pt. 3 The Life That Wins 1 Thessalonians 1:1–5

The Life That Wins

God's Method starts with Him seeking us, then we see the role the message of the Gospel plays in the process.  Today we will examine the third part of God's method which is the life that wins. This is the main role we play in the method God uses.  When I say "The life that wins" I'm not talking about a life that gets an award for being the best missionary or saving the most souls. I'm not talking about a life that wins for itself. No, instead I'm talking about a life that wins for God. It is so easy to overlook the last part of verse 5. I cannot tell you how many times I have read these verses and read this passage and read this book of 1 Thessalonians, and never even seen the last part of verse 5. I got so wrapped up in the God who seeks, in verse 4. I got so wrapped up in the gospel that saves in the first part of verse 5 that I forgot about the third part of the method.

  Paul says this, "You know how we lived among you for your sake." This is such a simple statement. It is so easy to overlook, but this statement carries so much power and so much impact. The apostle Paul lived his life in a way that was so holy and so pure and so open and so transparent, he could look at people, or he could write to people and he could say, "You know how I live my life. I have nothing to hide. There are no skeletons in my closet. There is nothing about me you have not seen. I have lived it out in front of you, and I've done the best I can."
  Paul said this in the most humble way, for it was Paul who said, "I am the worst of all sinners." He didn't think he was above anybody. He lived his life in such a way where other people could see him striving toward the goal. Paul, time and time again, tells people, "You know how I live my life. Imitate me."

  In the book of Philippians, he says it two times, in chapter 3, verse 17, "Join with others in following my example," he says. "Join with others in following my example brothers." In the book of Philippians, chapter 4, verse 9, he says, "Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice." In the book of 1 Corinthians, chapter 4, he says in verse 16, "Therefore I urge you to imitate me." Paul lived his life in a way that won. It won souls.

  He lived his life in a way that as he encountered people, he could look them in the eye and say, "Just imitate me." Not in a bold way, not in a cocky way, not in an I'm better than you way, just in a way that said, "I'm doing the best I can as a man to follow Christ, and you can follow me, and imitate me." That's the life that wins.

  Let me ask you this, when it comes to those you love, your family, your friends, your coworkers, your aunts, your uncles, and anyone else you care for, can you look them in the eye and say, "Imitate me?" Could you stand before those people and say, "Just follow my example, and live the way I do"?

 Personally I want to be the kind of man who can stand before my children as they grow up, and say to my son and daughter, "You can just follow my example. You can just imitate me. Don't worry about what the world is telling you. Don't worry about what your friends are telling you, just imitate me." But if I don't live my life in a way that wins, I can't stand before my children and say that, or my wife, or my parents, or my grandparents, or my friends, or anybody else.

  Paul lived his life in such a holy, and pure, and amazing way that he could say with confidence, "Just imitate me. Live the way I live."  Here's the problem for us today. If we don't live our lives in a way that wins, people will probably never experience the gospel that saves or the God who seeks because we're all they see. If we come to church on Saturdays and Sundays and we act one way, and we go out into the world the rest of the week and we act another, if we come in here and we stuff all of our skeletons in the closet for an hour and ten minutes on Sunday or Saturday night, and then we go out and we let them all out all over the place the rest of the time, we have failed.

  God's method involves you. It involves your life, not an hour on Sunday. It involves 24 hours, seven days a week, your entire life and living it in a way that wins where other people can look at you and you can look at them and say, "Imitate me." If we don't live our lives in a way that wins, they will never experience the gospel that saves or the God who seeks.

  The fact is I am a believer today , not just because God sought me, and not just because the gospel saved me, but because there were people in my life that I could look at and I could imitate. I saw something in them I wanted. It wasn't until I saw that, that I gave the gospel and the God who seeks a chance.
All those times I turned away from the gospel, do you want to know why I did it? Because I looked at the people who were telling me about it, and I said, "Your life doesn't match up. You're telling me one thing over here, and then I see you act in another way over there. What do I want to be a part of that for? I'd rather just be true to who I am. I'd rather just be a pagan and be a good one. I'd rather just be the best heathen I can be, I guess. That's just the kind of person I am. Why do I want to act one way here and be another over there?"

  You see it wasn't until I encountered a man who acted one way and was one way everywhere he went and everywhere he went. I said, "There might be something to this God who seeks and this gospel that saves." We need to live lives that win. We take and have a great part in the method God uses. We're a part of it, and this is plan A, and it's the only plan. Let's be a part of it.  May we all excel in being the kinds of people who strive to live the life that wins.

The Method Pt. 2 The Gospel That Saves 1 Thessalonians 1:1–5

1 Thessalonians 1:1–5 NIV   Paul, Silas and Timothy,  To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:  Grace and peace to you. 2 We always thank God for all of you, mentioning you in our prayers. 3 We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. 4 For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, 5 because our gospel came to you not simply with words, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction. You know how we lived among you for your sake. 

  In my previous post I discussed the Method God uses by focusing in on the God That Seeks.  God's method begins with Himself and His divine love for humanity.  However the second part of Gods Divine plan is The gospel that saves. Paul does a great thing here in verse 5. He says, "Because our gospel came to you not simply with words, but also with power with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction," He breaks it down into the different parts of the gospel. However before we examine the different ways the Gospel came to these people let's look at what Paul means when he says  "Our gospel."

  He wasn't saying our gospel because this was the gospel of the apostle Paul, he wasn't saying our gospel because he believed he was the one who made the gospel up. He wasn't saying our gospel, taking possession of it because he was the one who was saving people through his own gospel, no, he was saying our gospel because he believed in what he preached. Do you? Do you believe in what you preach to others? Do you believe in what you read in the Bible? Do you believe? Is it your gospel? Have you taken possession of it? Do you believe it is the core of who you are? Down deep, do you know it to be true?

  The apostle Paul certainly did because he takes ownership of it, and he says, "Because our gospel came to you." This wasn't his daddy's gospel. It wasn't his momma's gospel. It wasn't his grandpa or his grandma's gospel. This wasn't his preacher's gospel or his priests' gospel, or his pastor's gospel. He said, "This is our gospel. We believe it. We know it to be true. We've experienced it. Our gospel came to you." They took ownership of it. They believed in it. We must as well if we're going to be effective. The method depends on it.

  Then he tells us how the gospel came. He says, "Not simply with words." Not simply with words…he uses a negative here in the Greek. What he is saying is that it came with words, but not just with words. He doesn't want anybody to be confused. He doesn't want anybody to say, "Well, you know the reason all these people were saved in Thessalonica is because the apostle Paul showed up. That guy, he is a crafty teacher. He is a great preacher. He somehow convinced them to give their lives to Christ. It was his great sermons and his great teachings, and his great writings that brought the people to Christ."

  So, he says, "The gospel came not simply with words." He wants to make sure everybody knows and everybody understands the gospel came with words because we must verbalize the gospel, but it did not come simply with words. We know words are important when it comes to the gospel. I'm not going to read the entire passage to you. Words are important when it comes to the Gospel and Paul certianly beleived that.  Just look at what he says in 10:14 "How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard?" Paul penned these words, "And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?" Paul believed in the power of words when it came to the gospel, but he says, "The gospel does not come simply with words, or only with words." We must be careful as we're out there preaching the gospel and telling people about the good news of Jesus in two areas…two things we must be careful of.

  First, we must be careful that we do not rely on words alone. We must be careful we do not think because we can explain it well, or because we can talk really well, or because we have a great illustration, or because we have an evangelism cube, or because we have the next greatest track in the world, that we can just go up and by our own power and our own will and convince people to give their lives to Christ. That's the first thing we must watch out for.

  The second thing is that we don't keep our mouths shut and we don't just walk around and say, "You know what? It's not my job to tell people about the gospel because it doesn't come just with words." No it doesn't come just with words, but words are a part of it. It's the only part we get to play in the gospel…using our words to verbalize it. These next three areas we have nothing to do with them.

  He then says, "It came not simply with words, but it came with power." It is not within the scope of this post to analyze this one word in the Greek, but you should know that it comes from the Greek word we get the word dynamite from. This power Paul speaks of is a huge power. This isn't like a power drink. It's not like a powerade. It's not like a boost you get in the morning from a power breakfast, or it's not like how you feel after taking a power nap, man. This is some powerful stuff. It's an overwhelming power.  It's a mysterious power. It's a power that can't be comprehended. The only thing I can even think we might even be able to relate this to is the power of nuclear weapons.

  Sometimes I fear that Christians forget that it was the power of the gospel that transformed their lives, that caused them to go from the old to the new. We forget the power of the gospel, the power to save us of our sins and cast them as far as the east is from the west, we forget the power to take that load off of our shoulders and get rid of it all. We forget the power of the gospel when it came into our lives and filled that hole that we had lived with for so long. We forget we lay in bed that night, or we went through that day wondering, Where did this awesome power come from, and how did it find its way to me?

  Well Paul says, "The gospel came not simply with words, no, it came with power…a great power." Not just with power, it also came with the Holy Spirit, he says. The Holy Spirit plays a major role in the work of the gospel. We forget this all the time, too. We treat the Holy Spirit kind of like a redheaded stepchild, as they say.  Paul says, "The Holy Spirit plays a great role in the gospel." He doesn't just say it here, he says it in the book of 1 Corinthians, chapter 6 verse 11.  "And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God."

  The book of Ephesians, chapter 1, verse 13 and 14 says, "And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in Him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession—to the praise of His glory."

  Paul says, "The Holy Spirit was at work in your life when the gospel came to you. It's part of the method."
  Then he lists the last one…deep conviction. The conviction in question here is not that of Paul, Timothy, and Silas. We know they were convicted. They didn't stop when they were shipwrecked. They didn't stop when they were beaten. They didn't stop when they were in prison. No, when all that happened, they just prayed, "God, where do we go next?" We know they were convicted. We know they believed in the gospel. Paul says the conviction came to the Thessalonians. They were convicted of their sins. They were convicted of their shortcomings. They were convicted of their evil ways. They were convicted of their ungodly lives because when the gospel comes, it comes in power.

  When the Holy Spirit begins to move, you begin to get convicted. It came with deep conviction. This wasn't a decision the Thessalonians made on a whim. It wasn't just because Paul showed up and preached good sermons. Remember, it wasn't simply with words. No, it came from their deep conviction. As they pondered their lives, and what was going on, as they searched the Scriptures, they came to the conclusion through their conviction that Christ was the only way. The method beings with the God who seeks and it moves to the gospel that saves. We must never forget that it is the Gospel of Jesus Christ that saves and God is still using that message as part of His Method today.

The Method Pt. 1 The God That Seeks 1 Thessalonians 1:1–5

1 Thessalonians 1:1–5 NIV  Paul, Silas and Timothy,  To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:  Grace and peace to you. 2 We always thank God for all of you, mentioning you in our prayers. 3 We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. 4 For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, 5 because our gospel came to you not simply with words, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction. You know how we lived among you for your sake.

Paul says in  verse 4, "For we know, brother loved by God, that He has a chosen you." Understanding this text starts with being able to comprehend that our God is a personal being of purpose and plans.  God has a plan and purpose for our lives.  There simply is no denying that, He is a God of purpose, a God of plans. So Paul says, "He has chosen you." He has sought you. He is the God who seeks. He is the God who was in control of Thessalonica long before Paul showed up. He is the God who had chosen, or sought these people at this church before Paul had ever even arrived on the scene. Therefore Paul contends, "We know brothers, loved by God, that He has chosen you."

  Wow, what an incredible thing! As I think back to the time before I was a Christian, I am so thankful that God continued to seek me despite the fact that I rejected Him the first time, and the second time, and the third time, and the fifth time, and the tenth time, and the twentieth time, and the thirtieth time, and the fortieth time, and the fiftieth time. I kept walking away but He continued to pursue me. I had heard the gospel and my friends had told me about Jesus. They had invited me to youth group. They had invited me to church camp. I thought, Oh rubbish. That's a bunch of foolishness. Who needs all that stuff?
I walked away time after time after time. I am so thankful that God continued to seek me. He continued to pursue me. He continued to stay with me. I'm thankful that, as the book of Ephesians says, "Even when I was an enemy of God, He continued to love me, and He continued to seek me, and He continued to pursue me."

  Paul wanted these people in Thessalonica to know that he (Paul) loved them.  Twenty eight times, in the book of 1 and 2 Thessalonians, Paul greets these people as brothers, brothers in God, or brothers in the faith, and things like that…28 times. It's remarkable.
But more than that, he wants to remind them that God loves them. He says, "Brothers loved by God."  You will only find this phrase two other times in the New Testament. Once in the book of 2 Thessalonians, the letter he wrote to this same church. The second is in the book of Romans. Paul doesn't use this phrase often. It is the most affectionate and loving phrase you can pen whenever you want to tell somebody in the Greek language that they are loved by God.

He wanted to remind them that he (Paul) loved them and God loved them as well because they served a God who seeks, and a God who loved them despite their deficiencies, a God who loved them despite their moral shortcomings, a God who loved them despite their evil ways, a God who had been seeking their very souls from the beginning of time. He wanted to remind them they were loved by God. And the message is the same for believers today.  God loves you, and He is seeking your soul.

 It is so good to know that there is a God who is a God of plans and purposes, and He seeks our souls. No matter how many times we run, no matter how many times we hide, no matter how bad we've been or how far we've gone, He continues to pursue us. His method begins with His love for us and His desire to have a relationship with his most treasured creation.  No matter who you are or what you have done God is pursuing you not for vengeance or revenge, but instead for relationship.

Abundant Life

Do you want to have an abundant life? Scripture is clear that we can have a full and abundant life here on earth if we want it. I suspect, like me, most of you would desire a full and abundant life over an empty, meager one. Jesus said this in John 10:10 (NIV) “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” Most churches and pastors do a good job of telling you that you can have an abundant life, but never really tell you how. For this newsletter I want to share a few things that I have learned over the years that lead to a full and abundant life.
To live abundantly you have to take responsibility for your life. People who complain, pass blame, look for ways to get around the system, and just in general put all of their problems on others or society will never have the full abundant life that God promises. To experience that life you have to step up and take responsibility for your life. God set it up this way from the start. Genesis 1:28 (MSG) says this, “God blessed them: Prosper! Reproduce! Fill the Earth! Take charge!” To have a full and abundant life you need to take charge, and take responsibility for your life! Stop blaming others. Stop complaining and whining about everything. Take responsibility for your life!
If you want to live abundantly you must also be willing to confront your sin. The Bible is clear that our sins will find us out. The question is are we willing to confront them before they do? The full and abundant life that God promises will only be realized when we confront our sin. We must confess our sins to God and to our fellow men. We must be willing to confront sin and then repent if we are to ever have a full and abundant life.
Next, you must learn to love! In Colossians 3, the author describes what we as God’s people are supposed to look like and be like. In verse 14 he says this, "And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.” Love is a key ingredient for abundant living. Jesus commands us to love John 13:34-35 (NIV) “A new command I give you Love one another…By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." The world is looking at you and I and they expect to see love. Sadly however, many of us only desire to experience love from one side of the coin, our side. We want to be loved, we want to feel loved, but we don’t want to make the effort, and expend the time and energy it takes to love one another. If you want to experience abundant living, you must learn to love, deeply and dangerously. You must learn to love your friend and your foe. You simply must learn to love.
Finally, you must learn to follow Jesus if you want to have the abundant life that scripture talks about. Abundance cannot be found, and does not exist, outside of following Jesus. He is the source of hope, love, life, and all good things. We must be willing to follow him with all of our being, if we desire the abundance he promised. Are we willing to risk it all? Are we willing to carry the cross? Are we willing to join Him? Are we willing to sacrifice our everyday existence, for the glory, honor, and fame of the KING? If we are not willing to follow Jesus, our lives will never overflow with the promised abundance we read about in scripture.
There are so many other things that we must excel at in order to live abundantly. We should be in church, we should be in the Word, we must pursue and trust God and the list goes on. The bottom line is the abundant life scripture speaks of is not of this world, but can be experienced in this world. You won’t find it in money, power, or fame, it can only be found in the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. I pray that you will experience the abundant life that scripture promises each and everyday.

What A Church - 1 Thessalonians 1:3 Pt. 3

3. Their endurance which was inspired by their hope. Some translations say, "steadfastness," and that's a good translation as well because the idea that Paul is trying to get across here is they have stood strong under extreme pressure. One definition of the word said standing strong while bearing a heavy load. He is trying to get across the idea they are carrying a heavy load on their shoulders, yet they have planted their feet and they have stood strong. They have not been moved. They have not been changed, as we talked about just a few weeks ago.

No, this church has stood strong and they have stood the test. We don't know the exact details of their persecutions. We don't know the exact details of all they have had to stand strong through, but Paul is excited that whatever it was, they have stood strong. Time and time again, throughout 1 and 2 Thessalonians, he says, "Congratulations on standing strong through your difficult trials and your persecutions." How were they able to stand strong? Because they had put their hope in the right place.

He says, "In your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ." If you put your hope any place other than in Christ, I promise it will fail you. I promise it will fade. I promise it will spoil. I promise it will crumble in your hands, and it will disappear as fast as it came. These people had not put their hope in anything material. They had not put their hope in a pastor. They had not put their hope in a building. They had not put their hope in a budget. They had not put their hope in anyone other than Jesus Christ. Paul is going, "That is why you've stood the test because you've put your hope in the right place." Wow! What a church! A church whose endurance was inspired by their hope in Jesus Christ.

First Peter says it this way, we're not promised perfect lives, people, "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In His great mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade—kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time."

Look at verse 6, "In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory, and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen Him, you love Him; and even though you do not see Him now, you believe in Him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls."

Where is your hope? Church, where is our hope? If we want to be this kind of church, if we want to be a what a church, we better not put our hope in anything or anyone or any place other than in Jesus Christ alone, and our personal lives and our corporate lives together.

Do you know what made this church so special? I was thinking about it. I was going, "Man, Paul, you are so excited." I tried to put myself in the shoes of Paul. I tried to imagine I was Paul and I was there, and I saw that vision and God called me to go to Macedonia, and I went to Philippi and I was beaten and put in prison, and I had to flee from there to Thessalonica. Then I had to flee from Thessalonica to Berea. Then I had to flee from Berea to Athens. Then I had to leave Athens and go to Corinth. I tried to imagine that I'm sitting in Corinth after all of this, and I send Timothy back. Timothy comes and he brings me this report about all of the great things this church is doing. I just said, I would have gone, "Whoa, what a church!"

What would have excited me the most, what made this church so special, what got Paul going was that what made them special wasn't their building. Timothy didn't come back and say, "Oh Paul, man, they have built an incredible facility. They have a huge campus and a huge building. They have air conditioning in it and everything, man. It is so cool!" He didn't come back and say, "Man, Paul, you will not believe this. That church has secured the best location in town. It's on the corner of Main and First. Everybody passes by there and they have a big sign up that says, 'Come join us on Sunday for worship.'"

Timothy didn't come back and bring Paul a budget and go, "Look how much money these people have." Timothy didn't come back and say, "Paul, you are never going to believe it. These guys went to a church conference in Jerusalem last month and they read this book that gave them this new church model and they are doing an incredible thing." Timothy didn't come back and say, "Man, Paul, you have to hear about this children's program they have going. The kids are memorizing Scripture and stuff is going really, really well. They have awesome children's and youth stuff going on at their church."

I don't think any of that stuff would have excited Paul the way this did. Timothy didn't come back and say, "Man, Paul, they have hired the best preacher in all the land. He gets up and he inspires people week after week after week." He didn't come back and say, "They have a great leadership team, and they have a great leadership structure, and boy you would be so proud of the way they've organized the church." I don't think any of that would have excited Paul and caused him to say, "Wow, what a church," because none of those things make a church.

Paul was excited because of what the people were doing because the people are the church. A building is not the church. A location is not the church. A pastor is not the church. A budget is not the church. A program is not the church. A model is not the church. A structure is not the church. The people are the church. Paul gets word that the people, the individuals, the families, the people just like y'all, the people who are coming to that church every single week were willing to work.

They were saved. They knew they were going to heaven, but they were still willing to work. Their work was produced by their faith. That stirred his soul and caused him to go, "What a church!" He was excited because they excelled in loving people, not just the people they liked, and not just the people they loved. They excelled in loving everyone. He was excited because they had put their hope in Christ, and they had stood the test and they had stood strong. He was excited because the people had done it.

As I got to about this point in my thoughts, one verse popped into my mind, 1 Corinthians. Paul is in Corinth as he is writing this letter to the Thessalonians. He hasn't written the letter to the Corinthians yet, but in 1 Corinthians, chapter 13, verse 13, Paul declares that there are three things that are eternal. Do you remember what they are? Faith, hope, and love. Do you know what excited Paul? The people were doing the three eternal things. They were loving people. Their works were produced by their faith. They were loving people and they had put their hope in Christ. This church was focusing on the eternal not the earthly, and Paul said, "What a church!"

What A Church 1 Thessalonians 1:3 Pt.2

2. Your labor that is prompted by love. He is excited about their labor, which is prompted by love. Underline that in your Bible.

There are two different words he uses here for work and for labor. They sound very similar, but they have two very, very different meanings. The words are ergou and kopou. I liked it…I'm going to keep kopou. I was reading that in the Greek, and I thought, Ergou and kopou. I'd heard of ergou, but I couldn't remember what kopou was. So I went and I looked up kopou, and I noticed there was a big difference between ergou and kopou. Ergou is a work that is focused on a task. It's a work that's focused on accomplishing a certain deed or a certain thing. It's a work that says, "I'm going to go and I'm going to do this, and I'm going to work hard at this."

Kopou, on the other hand, is more about the energy that is expended in doing the task. Think of it as giving labor or giving birth to a child. It's not as much about the task as it is about doing the work to get to the end of the task.

Paul is excited, not only because their working, not only because they're focused on the task and focused on doing the deeds their faith compels them to do, but he is excited because they are expending all kinds of effort to accomplish the task as well. He is excited because they are straining under great persecution, and they are carrying a heavy load and a heavy burden. They are straining and giving everything they have to love people because loving people is hard.

If loving people isn't hard, you're not trying, I promise you. If loving people isn't hard, you're not loving people the way the Bible calls you to love people. This church in Thessalonica, these Thessalonians were loving people the way the Bible called them to love people. Paul is excited. He says, "Kopou that you are straining, that you are working, that you are putting forth all of your effort and all of your energy, not in the deed itself, but just in trying to accomplish the deed because loving people is hard." Yet they are sticking with it.

Here's what the Bible says about love, Matthew 5:44-45, "But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you." Tell me love is not hard. "That you may be sons of your Father in heaven."

First Peter 1:22, "Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart."

John 13:34, "A new command I give you: Love one another." Catch this next part, "As I have loved you," tell me love is not hard, "so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."

Galatians 5:22, "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law."

Paul goes further than just saying, "Kopou," he says, this is "agape love." That was the kind of love this church was exhibiting. Agape is the highest form of love. It's the purest form of love. It's the love we relate to only from the way God loves us. It's a love with no strings attached to it. It's a love with no conditions, no circumstances, no ifs, ands or buts about it. It's a love that just says, "I love you because you're you. I don't love you because you love me. I just love you."

Paul is excited because this church is doing everything they can to love people around them. See real Christianity, authentic Christianity, true Christianity, has always been defined by love, not just the way we love each other, not just the way we love our Lord and Savior, but the way we love those around us, the way we love those who persecute us, the way we love those who hate us. This church was doing it, and Paul is doing somersaults, man. He is doing back flips. He had to leave in a hurry when he was run out of town. He didn't have time to get everything in place and make sure they had a great preacher and good elders and all this other stuff.

What A Church 1 Thessalonians 1:3 Pt.1

In the third verse of the book 1 Thessalonians Paul outlines 3 specific things that have excited him about this church.  His disciple Timothy has recently come back from a trip to check on this church and the report that Paul received was extremely encouraging.  Paul writes in 1Thessalonians 1:2-3   We always thank God for all of you, mentioning you in our prayers.  3 We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.

1. Work produced by faith. Great churches always have a great work ethic. Paul is excited to hear from young Timothy that this church is working hard. Great churches have always had to have a great work ethic because getting the gospel to people is not easy. Getting the gospel to people isn't always fun. Getting the gospel to people isn't always the easy road. Great churches have to work hard if they want to win people to Christ because it's hard work.

 Yes, the fields are ripe for the harvest (John 4:35), but somebody has to go out there and do the work. If you've ever worked in a field, it's hard work. Paul is excited to learn this church and these people have continued to work hard. Now Paul isn't saying their works are somehow getting them into heaven. Paul isn't saying their works are good because they're being drawn in closer to God. Paul is not preaching works are important when it comes to salvation. In fact, we know the apostle Paul, above many others, said it's not about works.

 In fact, if you read from the book of Ephesians, for example, chapter 2, verses 8-10, "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."

 He says, "Yeah, God has given us good works to do, but these works are not what gets us into heaven. It's through Christ and through Christ alone." We read time and time again as we go through and as we read the book of Romans, for example, that Paul says over and over and over again, "It's not about works. Works will not get you into heaven." He is not saying their works are getting them into heaven. Instead, he says, "Their work was produced by their faith." He did not say, "Their faith was produced by their works." There is a great difference in the two. He says, "Your work is produced by your faith."

 So many times in America, so many times all around the world, so many times in our lives, we flip this thing around and it perverts our theology. Too many times it's not our work produced by our faith, we believe it's our faith that is produced by our works. That is not what is happening in this church. When Paul gets word their work is produced by their faith, he is excited because he understands the Thessalonians know it is Jesus Christ alone who saves them. He understands they realize it's not about how hard they work, or how much they work, or what they do, none of that will get them into heaven. They realize that and yet they still continue to work. Their faith compels them to work.

 Their work is produced by their faith. Their faith is not being produced by their works. He says, "That is the way it's supposed to happen." He says, "What a church! A church that is ready to go out there and is willing to work, not for the salvation of their own souls." They weren't working for their own salvation, but for the salvation of the souls of those who lived around them. Their faith compelled them to work. It called them to work. They could not help but get out of bed and go to work for Jesus every single morning because they had it in the proper context and perspective.

 The book of James says it this way in chapter 2, verse 18, "But someone will say, 'You have faith; I have deeds.' Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do. You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder."

 James 2:26, if you jump down a few more verses, "As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead." Our faith compels us to work, not for our own salvation, not for our own sake, but for the sake of others and salvation of others because great churches understand that doing the work of the gospel is indeed hard work. They don't do it for themselves; they do it for those around them like the Thessalonians were doing.

 See, we have to understand the world around us, the world at large, the people we pray for, the people we talk about, the people we long to be saved, they will never understand our faith, they will never understand our reasoning, they will never understand what compels us to work so hard until they first see our passion and the urgency in our lives that says we are willing to go out there and work not for our own salvation but for the sake of others. We're saved by grace, not by works. We understand that, yet we still go and work not for our sake, but for yours so that you can receive the same thing we have; that our work would be produced by our faith, and that we would not try to make our faith be produced by our works.