It’s a great joy to hear in the words of the apostle the
love he had for this church. His time at Thessalonica had been bountiful, and
the reports he had received since he left revealed the impact of his ministry.
The people were thriving spiritually, so much so that Paul let his gratitude
flow freely. This was a church whose work continued to be strong as evidenced
by what he was grateful for:
·
Work of faith – this is important. Following
their conversion, they decided that they weren’t going to do what lots of
Christians do after they have been saved for a while (sit, soak, and sour like
an old soggy sponge). They worked to reach people for Jesus and to minister to
the needy. They understood what we all must understand: we are not saved by
works, but we do work for the Kingdom because we are saved.
·
Labor of love – this is agape love, sacrificial
by nature and it truly is laborious. The word that Paul uses describes a hard
kind of labor that wears you out. For Paul, love was not an emotion; it was
doing what needed to be done even when you are too tired to do anything else.
·
Patience of hope – patience often makes us think
of sitting back and waiting. Paul wasn’t that kind of man. This kind of
patience is about manly/womanly endurance in the face of persecution. This is a
picture of a soldier who endures his opponent’s attacks but holds back enough
strength to counterattack and conquer. Do you know what Paul is talking about?
Enduring in faith till Jesus returns (one of his and my favorite topics.)
So here is the message, my friends. We must wait patiently
and work fervently to bear fruit for our Savior because He is coming again to
claim His bride. And that is what it takes to be a great church because that is
what we have been chosen to do!
No comments:
Post a Comment