The Model of Christ

1 Thessalonians 5:15 – The Model of Christ

More exhortations (see yesterday). Remember this: Paul is writing to Christians. Why is that important? Because it is too easy to convince ourselves that he was addressing someone else so that means it couldn’t apply to us. Oh, but it does. “See to it that no one renders evil for evil to anyone.” Let’s break that down just a bit:

*See to it – this means that it is our responsibility to keep an eye on our brothers and sisters in Christ to be sure that they do not stray into unacceptable behavior. Understand, this lesson is taught in many of Paul’s letters and is part of Jesus’ teachings as well. We are told to remove the log from our own eye before we try to remove the speck from a brother’s eye, but we still have the obligation to help them live a righteous life.

*No one renders evil for evil – I’ve heard many Christians (including pastors) say, “Jesus said that we are to turn the other cheek, but He never tells us what to do after that.” Most of the time, people are just trying to get a laugh by saying this, but I fear that too many of us are all about retaliation. Revenge. You wrong me, and you can bet I will get you. We forget that Jesus told us that we are to forgive 70 times 7 times. Our response – “I’ll forgive if I believe they are sincere in their apology!” We miss the point. I didn’t hear the Roman soldiers apologize as they nailed Jesus to the cross, but still He prayed, “Father, forgive them….” And we should be just like Him.

*Finally, we are not to return evil for evil to anyone. That means Christian or lost person. We are to live a life of forgiveness towards all – the model of Christ – while pursuing what is good for ourselves and all others. That’s what the Christians life is all about. 

Christian Duties

1 Thessalonians 5:14 – Christian Duties

Closing exhortations – that’s what we call these final phrases of the apostle as he fills his page with wisdom. These particular words are greatly needed today. In an age where “tolerance” is the byword (at least we are commanded to be tolerant of everything other than Christianity), Paul reminds us that we have a responsibility to be true to those around us. By that I mean that if we truly love people, we need to act as if we do. Look at what Paul says:

            *Warn those who are unruly. The word “warn” means to reprove gently or to caution. So again, lovingly tell those who are being insubordinate to stop being insubordinate. In the church it is vitally important to follow God-ordained leadership – but it must be God-ordained.

            *Comfort the fainthearted. No doubt many in the church were troubled by the circumstances facing them. They needed someone to come alongside them and let them know that they are in God’s hands, and everything would be fine.

            *Support/uphold the weak. The word can be translated either way, but a better understanding of Paul’s intention was “to hold to.” Imagine someone who is so weak that his legs give out. He cannot stand. We are to grab hold of them and lift them up. No doubt there is a spiritual connotation as well. Lift up those who have no strength. Encourage those who are about to fall. Even care for the sick is part of this list of Christian duties.

            *Be patient toward all men. Longsuffering is a good word, and it is hard work. We are called to put up with a great deal of nasty stuff, and we cannot pick and choose to whom we will be patient. Our goal is to draw others to Christ and to help Christians to grow in their faith. That requires being patient. It requires perseverance. Our calling as Christians is to never give up on anyone until God leads us to “shake the dust” from our garments and move on. My personal opinion: as long as there is breath in their bodies, there is hope!

Love Your Pastor

1 Thessalonians 5:12-13 – Love Your Pastor

As Paul brings this letter to a close, he fills the parchment with as many words of wisdom that he can. His desire is to see the church continue to prosper, to receive God’s blessings, and to reach lost people with the gospel. To do that, these Christians needed to follow the godly leadership in their church. At no time should Christians follow blindly; that is how false prophets cause so many problems. But when God places His man as the undershepherd of the flock, the people must follow his leadership. Not only are they to recognize the man as the leader, but also they are to “esteem them very highly in love….”

When I started out in ministry 36 years ago, pastors were highly esteemed. They were respected. Honored. I don’t know if they did polls like they do today, but back then a pastor would be considered one of the most trustworthy persons in the community. He would probably rank as number 1. Pastors were always highly regarded. Not any more. Pastors rank much farther down. I know that it is because of so many pastors falling from grace. Sadly, these stories spread rapidly, but the truth of the matter is that we all sin and fall short of the glory of God. Not even Paul was perfect. So it isn’t that we are to expect our pastors to live sinless lives, but they are to demonstrate godly living and follow the practices of the Bible: godly sorrow that leads to repentance when we sin, humility before our people, a willingness to turn the other cheek. Too many Christians, including pastors and denominational leaders, are willing to ignore these principles when they are “hurt.” Too many immediately consider the legal system as an option to get their pound of flesh. And Jesus told us not to push back. When He was crucified, He could have spoken a word and destroyed His enemy. Instead, the words He spoke were words of forgiveness and grace. We need to be like Him.

It is too easy to become disenchanted when we see men who are supposed to represent Christ living in sin. But Paul says to honor and follow these men God has placed in spiritual leadership over us. In other words, just because there are some pastors who do horrible things, it doesn’t mean all of us do. Give your pastor the respect he earns.

Appointed to Salvation, Not Wrath

1 Thessalonians 5:9-11 – Appointed to Salvation, Not Wrath

I love to read about the rapture of the church because of the promise it represents: that God wants to be in relationship with me for eternity. But there is more to it than that. Death has the same result as the rapture. Why does he add this extra bonus? Why not just say that everyone is going to die and that will be that? Because of v. 9. God did not appoint us to wrath, and wrath is coming. No, that doesn’t mean that He doesn’t discipline His children – He does. It doesn’t mean that we aren’t going to go through difficult times – we will. The wrath that Paul is referring to is the Tribulation I mentioned before. Seven years of God pouring out His wrath on a sinful, rebellious world. But Christians will not be forced to endure this horror because we were not appointed to wrath (Read Revelation 3:10, too).

I know that there are lots of people who are much smarter than I who will tell you otherwise. And I refuse to debate the issue. I will tell you what I believe and why I believe it, and you can tell me what you believe and why you believe it. I guarantee you that I have already heard it or read it. I have been taught it by professors I love dearly. I have even embraced the possibility (for a brief period in my life) that the rapture could take place mid- or post-tribulation. But my personal study has brought me back to this fact: God did not appoint us to wrath, but to salvation. When you study the topic you will discover that God’s purpose in pouring out His wrath is to shake the people of Israel and draw them to Himself. As you read the prophecies and the apocalyptic literature, you see that this happens (a discussion for another date).

That doesn’t mean that we won’t experience the beginning of tribulation – what Jesus called the “birth pangs” or “the beginning of sorrows” in Matthew 24. I want all Christians to know that difficult days are here. Look around the world and see Christians persecuted as never before in history. Even in our great nation, religious liberties (especially Christian liberties) are being restricted every day. We are living in the days of Noah, and we need to be ready. But don’t be afraid! Take comfort – and tell everybody the good news – Jesus is coming soon!

Watching and Waiting

1 Thessalonians 5:3-8 – Watching and Waiting

Going back to my previous post, no one knows the day of Christ’s return. We long for it. We wait for it. We even pray for it. But no one knows because it comes as a thief in the night. In fact, when the day comes, everyone will be saying, “Peace and safety!” It’s going to be a time when people are living their lives as if everything is going well. They will be going about their daily business with no thought for the future. And then it happens! Sudden destruction.

Wait a second. Weren’t we just talking about the rapture of the church? Christians going to Paradise? Yes, we were. But when the rapture occurs, billions of lost people will be left behind to endure tribulation. Seven years of tribulation. And the Bible calls the last 3 ½ year Great Tribulation. Read about it in Daniel and Revelation. This is the four horsemen of the apocalypse. Hail stones as big as a truck. And so much more. Billions of people will die, and there will be no escape.

Look at v. 4 in 1 Thessalonians again. “But you, brethren, are not in darkness….” This day, even though we don’t know when it will be, will not overtake Christians as a thief. Why? Because we are watching and waiting. Because we know the signs of the times (Read Matthew 24 and following). Because we are called to be ready for that day. What do I mean by that? We are sons and daughters of the light, not darkness. Of the day, not night. In other words, every day of our lives should be lived walking in holiness – living for Jesus. So when the day comes, we will hear the shout and the trumpet blast, and then we will be changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye. And we will join our Messiah in the sky.

Paul describes this in a way as watching and waiting with all of our senses keenly aware that at any moment Jesus will return. And what should we be doing? Living lives of faith and love, filled with hope because we are the sons and daughters of God.

Be Ready!

1 Thessalonians 5:1-2 – Be Ready!

These people knew it! They understood what Paul was writing because he had no doubt taught them these truths. Take note, pastor! If Paul teaches new converts the joy of looking for the rapture, we should, too. Even more than that, we can learn from just this one verse. Paul says, “I don’t need to tell you about the times and seasons.” In other words, you know that I am not going to set a date for all of this to happen. Isn’t it interesting how we try to do the very thing that the great apostle refused to do? I read an article a while back that said the world was coming to an end in September of this year. They even had the day, but I won’t even mention it. What I will mention is that I guarantee you – yes, I GUARANTEE you – that it will not happen on that day. First, I guarantee it because the Bible says that there are lots of years that have to pass by before we get a new heaven and a new earth. Now, I know that what they were scheduling for us was not the actual destruction of the earth. They were talking about the rapture, but even in that area I will give you a guarantee. How? Because the Bible says that not even Jesus knew the day. The Son of God chose to not know the day of His return, so do you think God is going to give that information to one of us? I don’t think so. That means that if someone sets a date for the rapture or the Second Coming of our Lord, you can bet that it will not happen then.

But to the point of Paul’s letter: there was no need to address the issue because these Thessalonican Christians were ready. They knew that the day of the Lord comes as a thief in the night. In other words, it will not be scheduled by us in advance. God knows; we don’t. Can you imagine this? Some guy wants to break into your house and steal all of your possessions, so what does he do? He calls you up and schedules the entire event. “I’m going to be in your neighborhood on Monday between the hours of 10 and 12 p.m. Would that be a good time for me to burglarize your home?” Uh, folks, if that happens, I’m going to make sure that I am sitting in my living room with one hand on my Glock and the other ready to dial 911. Can I get a witness?

Listen, what Paul is saying is that when it happens, no one will be expecting it. But true Christians are always ready. Looking eagerly for the day to come because we have been promised that he comes to take us to Paradise. Even so, Lord Jesus, come quickly!

What A Day That Will Be!

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 – What A Day That Will Be!

Not knowing the truth causes sorrow because there is no hope in the world’s view of death, but knowing the truth brings joy and excitement. Why? Because it is a win-win situation! If we die, we immediately enter God’s presence. We go to heaven. Now some of you might be saying, “Pastor, you said if we die. Last time I checked the statistics, the death rate for humanity is 100%!” Well, that is not quite accurate. Enoch and Elijah never died according to Scripture. They were “taken” into heaven. You might even say that they were “raptured.” And guess what? Paul says that one of two things is going to happen to every Christian: either we die and go to heaven, or if we are alive at the right time, we will be “taken/raptured” into heaven, too. You see, at some point in God’s heavenly timetable (and I believe it is very soon), Jesus is going to step away from His throne in heaven and begin to descend just as the angels in Acts 1 said He would. At that same moment, the archangel is going to shout and the trumpet of God is going to sound the most beautiful note that we Christians have ever heard. Suddenly, Jesus will appear in the sky above the earth – only Christians will see Him; only Christians will hear the shout and the trumpet blast. When He comes, Jesus will bring with Him the souls/spirits of all the saints in heaven, and they will somehow come to earth and reunite with their physical bodies (this one is beyond my comprehension so I won’t even try to explain it). Bodies and souls/spirits reunited will somehow become like Jesus’ resurrected body, and they will ascend to Jesus in the sky. And then, praise God, Christians who are alive at that moment are going to be changed into those glorified bodies, and we will be caught up/taken/raptured into the clouds with Jesus and the saints who have gone before us. And at the end of that glorious moment, we will enter heaven to be with Jesus forever. Hallelujah! Praise God! Even so, Lord Jesus, come!

But know this. You need to decide right now to trust Jesus as your Lord and Savior. Many Bible scholars teach varying timetables as to when these events may occur. Some say that the new Jewish temple must first be built. Others say there are other signs that need to be fulfilled. All I know is that Paul expected Jesus to return at any moment, and we should, too. It could happen today. Are you ready?

Death Is a Doorway

1 Thessalonians 4:13 – Death Is A Doorway

"I would not have you ignorant," Paul says, "concerning those who die." Would you bear with me for one more day? You see, there are lots of wrong ideas about what happens after death. Some believe that when you die, you die – that there is nothing. That leads to such hopelessness that many cannot bear the thought, so they spend their days afraid of death. Some believe in purgatory – a place you go to pay penance until you have worked off your sin debt, or someone has prayed enough, that you can go to heaven. Some believe that our heaven is here on earth. Some believe in soul sleep – that when you die, you are in a state of limbo until the final resurrection. None of these beliefs is biblical, and none of them provides true hope.

This is what the Bible says: “absent from the body; present with the Lord” (2 Corinthians 5:6-8). I believe that at the moment we die, we find ourselves in the presence of Jesus. Often, when I am preaching the funeral of a Christian, I use John 14:1-3. This is the passage where Jesus tells His disciples, “I go to prepare a place for you; and if I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again to receive you to myself….” Many believe He is talking about the rapture of the church – the very thing Paul refers to in this passage. And I agree that this is true. But I also believe that it is the experience of Christians when they die. The psalmist said, “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints” (Psalm 116:15). God loves His people so much that His eyes are on us all of the time. But the death of His people is precious to Him, and I believe that it is so precious that Jesus comes into the room and escorts us home. Our new home. Eternity. In Heaven. With God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

You see, death is a doorway. For the child of God, it is a doorway to our eternal reward. For those who do not accept Jesus as Lord and Savior of their lives, it is a doorway to eternal damnation. But remember this: it’s your choice. Please make the right one. Chose to enter the doorway to life.

What You Don't Know Can Hurt You! (Pt. 2)

1 Thessalonians 4:13 – What You Don’t Know Can Hurt You! (Pt. 2)

I would not have you ignorant, Paul says. Too many people don’t understand death and life. Paul told the Corinthian Christians that death was necessary (1 Co. 15:50f). This body of ours can only last a short time. Even though people can live over 100 years, their bodies begin to deteriorate long before. However, Paul teaches us that there is a purpose in death: we die so that we can be changed – changed so that we can live for eternity.

This is true for all people – lost and saved alike. Remember the parable I mentioned about the rich man and Lazarus? It’s found in Luke 16:19-31. In this parable, both men died. The rich man was lost in his sins, and Lazarus was declared righteous because of his faith. I say that without hesitation because that is how all people are declared righteous – from the Old Testament to the New.  When the rich man died, he went to a place of torment. Several different words are used in the Bible to describe this place. We call it Hell. The rich man was so miserable that he begged for a single drop of water. Jesus told the rich man that no one can ever leave that place of torment (v. 26). Jesus also taught in Mark 9 that the torment never ends. Paul said in Hebrews 6:2 that judgment is eternal. Isaiah 66:24 pictured hell as a place where bodies are being consumed but never die. Folks, Dante’s inferno doesn’t do justice to the reality of Hell.

That is why Jesus taught that anything that would prevent a person from coming to Christ should be “cut off.” Everything that prevents us from living in His righteousness should be removed from our lives (Mark 9:42-48). Nothing is worth spending eternity in hell. Nothing.

On the other hand, Paul says, I would not have you ignorant – and I would add, “About heaven.” In the parable of Luke 16, Lazarus was a righteous man. In spite of the suffering he had experienced in life, he had maintained his faith in God. Like Abraham and all the Old Testament saints, he believed God, and God counted his belief to him as righteousness. When Lazarus died, he went to the place called Abraham’s Bosom where he was comforted – this was just the beginning of his eternity. This place was not heaven; it was the place reserved for the righteous dead in the Old Testament. You see, there is only one way to heaven. There is only one way to see God face to face, and that is to place your faith and trust in Jesus as your Lord and Savior. (If you haven’t already done so, read my post from yesterday, and make that decision today.) Until Jesus died on the cross, Old Testament saints went to this place of comfort, and when Jesus died, He did, too. Read 1 Peter 3:18-19. Jesus “descended” into Abraham’s Bosom and revealed Himself to these Old Testament saints as the Messiah. Undoubtedly, because these were men and women of faith, they believed in Him and accepted His sacrifice as the atonement for their sins. And so then, Jesus took them to Paradise/Heaven (Ephesians 4:8-10).

My friends, nothing is worth spending eternity in Hell. Everything in this life pales in comparison to heaven. Won’t you place your faith in Jesus today?

What You Don't Know Can Hurt You!

1 Thessalonians 4:13 – What You Don’t Know Can Hurt You!

What you don’t know can hurt you! Uncertainty often leads to anxiety and anxiety leads to worry and worry causes all kinds of problems both physical and spiritual. Ulcers, high blood pressure, heart disease. Decreased faith, insecurity, fear.

For the Thessalonican Christians, the problem was what happened to those they love when they died. No doubt they had heard from false teachers the same lies that Satan has propagated from the beginning of time. “When you die, you’re dead.” Or “when you die, your soul sleeps until God decides to resurrect your body.” Or “only certain people get to go to heaven, and the rest remain in some sort of purgatory.” There is no joy in those teachings. No hope to be found.

In other passages of Scripture, we are taught that to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord (2 Co. 5:6-8). Jesus told the parable of the rich man and Lazarus which clearly reveals that death does not result in sleep or nothingness for either the Christian or the lost person.

So over the next several days, we are going to journey through the process of death, life, and the rapture because, like Paul, I do not want anyone to be ignorant concerning those who have fallen asleep. Let me begin by saying this: those who have trusted in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of their lives receive life abundantly on Earth and eternally in heaven. Those who do not accept Him receive enslavement to sin on Earth and eternity in Hell. Every human being makes the choice and reaps the consequences. My prayer for you is that you will call on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ through prayer and repentance of sin. Paul tells us that “godly sorrow produces repentance” (2 Co. 7:10). When we truly are sorry, broken-hearted over our sin, we cry out to God admitting our sin and asking for His forgiveness. John tells us that if we confess our sin, God is faithful and just and He forgives us (1 Jn. 1:9). Paul then tells us that if we confess with our mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in our hearts that He died on the cross as the sacrifice for our sin, and on the third day rose again, we are saved (Ro. 3:23; 6:23; 5:6-8; 10:9-10).

Would you do this today? If so, let me know. Call me or e-mail me. I would love to sit down with you or send you some information to help you become a faithful follower of Jesus.

Mind Your Own Business

1 Thessalonians 4:10b-12 – Mind Your Own Business

It’s never enough for Paul. He is never satisfied. “You love each other a great deal,” he says, “but you need to love each other more!” Gee, thanks, Paul. But think about it for a minute. Isn’t that the way of true love? Its nature is to grow like all living things. When we talk about the people we love, don’t we always say that we love them more today than we did when we first met? So in essence, Paul is simply encouraging the natural progression of love. However, as Christians, too many of us tend to forget and allow things to stop that progression. We need those reminders from time to time, so it is imperative that you listen to Paul’s exhortation. Love more.

But love isn’t all there is. Paul says that we should aspire to live a quiet life and to mind our own business. How can we do that and still be the salt and light that we are called to be? Christianity is all about getting involved in people’s lives, right? Yes it is, but what Paul is saying is simply this: “Don’t be an agitator!” Some people seem to have the spiritual gift of stirring things up. Let me issue a disclaimer here – this is not a true spiritual gift. Okay, it is a spiritual gift – just not from the Holy Spirit! You’ve met people like this before. They can walk into a quiet room where everything is running smoothly, and in a matter of minutes, they can have everyone stirred up. Our goal as Christians is to live at peace with all men as much as possible. Having said that, there are times when we need to get in other people’s business. Times we need to take a stand! There are times when we need to stir things up, but we should choose our battles wisely. Actually, we should follow Scripture and only stand against those things that God stands against.

So Paul says that we should mind our own business and get along with those outside the church. That doesn’t mean that we condone sinful behavior, but it does mean that we should love people enough to draw them into the church and teach them what it means to be a follower of Christ.

Love is the Theme

1 Thessalonians 4:9-10a – Love is the Theme

Back to love! Have I ever told you that love covers a multitude of sins? That is not original with me, but it is a true statement – from the Bible, actually. When you love someone dearly, two things happen. Often you are blinded to their faults and flaws. Early on in a love relationship, the other person can do no wrong. However, when we finally become aware of these flaws, we readily forgive. That’s what true love does. What I have discovered is that when we have love for our brothers and sisters in Christ, the same things happen.

Look at how Paul says this. “I don’t have to teach you this because God has already done it.” It is part of what God instills within us when we become Christians. The apostle John tells us that if we don’t have love for one another then we don’t know God. The Thessalonican Christians understood this. Their love went beyond the walls of the church. Paul said that it encompassed all the Christians in Macedonia.

Wouldn’t it be great if we had that kind of love just for the Christians in Decatur (or wherever you are)? Instead, we have jealousy because someone else’s church is doing better than ours. Bitterness because some of our members started going to their church. Anger because…. Well, there are just so many reasons. That’s why we have so many churches and denominations – we can’t get along with each other. Why? Because we don’t have LOVE for one another. Shame on us! Is there any wonder as to why lost people aren’t interested in our churches? Why would they want to join a group that is as miserable as so many of our churches seem to be? Jesus said, “By this shall all men know that you are my disciples: that you have love one for another.” And not only did the lost world notice this attribute, but also they were attracted to the love of Christ. That’s what it’s going to take to reach lost people today, so let’s love one another as Jesus loves us.

Saint or Sinner?

1 Thessalonians 4:1-8 – Saint or Sinner?

We are not what we once were, but we are also not what we are going to be. Paul tells us that God did not call us to uncleanness but to holiness. I listened to a message not long ago from a long-time minister of the gospel who placed a great deal of emphasis on the fact that we are all sinners and worth nothing. And he was talking about Christians – specifically the group of pastors that he was addressing. I think that maybe he was trying to get the point across that we were all as “bad” as he was. And folks, please don’t misunderstand. We are all sinners even after we become Christians, but sometimes I think that our perception of who we are often becomes the reality of what we do. Let me explain! I grew up being taught that Christians are sinners saved by grace. And that statement is true. However, the emphasis here is on the fact that we are sinners, and too many times, we use this as an excuse. “Well, I’m only human so I’m going to sin.” Yes, but we cannot be so casual about it that we allow that to become who we are. Twenty years ago (or so), I started thinking a little differently. Instead of a sinner saved by grace, I am a saint who sometimes sins. Do you see the difference? I have been saved by grace which makes me a saint, but sometimes I stumble into sin. The perception is just slightly different, but what a difference that perception makes. NO excuses. When I sin, I break the heart of God, and as His child, that breaks my heart.

Day by day, hour by hour, even minute by minute we are to be progressing toward holiness – being conformed to Jesus’ image. Some like to talk about holiness as being “set apart by God” and that is part of the meaning. Others say it just means that God has pronounced us clean through the shed blood of Jesus, and that is another statement of fact. But to Paul, it wasn’t all that the word means.

Look at our verses again. Paul says that we are to abound more and more (in love) and walk/live the way that we have been taught by him. We please God by doing so. That verse alone tells us that there is a behavioral element involved in holiness. And then he begins to lay it out for us. He talks about commandments and sanctification – the act of God pronouncing us holy that continues as an ongoing process. In what way? Abstain from sexual immorality. Our bodies are to be kept holy to honor God.

And look at v. 5. Our lives are supposed to demonstrate that we are different. We are not to live, act, or talk like the lost world around us. Be holy as God is holy. That is our calling.

Holy and Blameless

1 Thessalonians 3:11-13 – Holy and Blameless

If it were not for the people, this job would be perfect! How many times have I heard that statement made by people working in retail sales or at restaurants or at church! Yes, at church. I may have even been guilty of saying this a time or two, always with a chuckle in my voice. But let’s be honest. Most of the time when we say these things, we aren’t kidding. And that is sad because the most important part of being a Christian is our relationships. First, our relationship with God must be the priority of our lives. That’s what Jesus meant when He told us to love God with all our hearts, souls, minds, and strength. Nothing is more important to Christians. Second, our relationship with our brothers and sisters in Christ must be a priority. We could spend a great deal of time on this because if our relationships with each other are not right – if there is conflict, turmoil, bitterness, and anger in the church – why would lost people want to join us? They get that in the secular world.

But look at what Paul says. It isn’t just about reaching the lost. Paul says that we need to abound in love for each other so that God may establish our hearts blameless in holiness. The implication is that if we aren’t abounding in love for our fellow Christians, God can’t/won’t establish our hearts blameless in holiness.

 
It is love that causes us to live in holiness, or in other words, like Christ. Paul says that we are predestined to be conformed to the image of Christ in Romans 8. That will not happen completely until we are at home with Him, but it is love that makes it happen, and without love, we cannot be holy and blameless.

See You In Church!

1 Thessalonians 3:5-10 – See You In Church!

So Timothy left Paul and returned to Thessalonica. What do you think he found? He found these Christian men and women standing strong. Their faith had been tested, but they were the victors. So very often, new converts fall into temptation when there are no mature Christians to disciple them. Even mature Christians find themselves giving in to the tempter when they isolate themselves from brothers and sisters in Christ. Tempted to return to their old lives and idols, giving in to the pressure of family and friends. And while those who are truly saved can never lose their salvation, they find themselves weak and powerless.

I am reminded of the story I heard years ago and I have used it often. It seems that a Christian man had become depressed and discouraged and had stopped attending church. His wife was concerned and asked the pastor to stop by and visit him. It was a cold blustery day when the pastor rang the doorbell. The man answered the door, and when he saw the pastor, he said, “You can come in, but I don’t want to talk about church!” The pastor entered the house, and they sat down in front of the fire. Neither man said a word. After several minutes had passed in silence, the minister took the fireplace tongs and grabbed a large chunk of wood that was fiery red. He set it apart from the fire, and soon the glowing ember changed from fiery red to grayish black as it cooled. After a few minutes, the pastor returned the ember to the fire, and almost immediately the ember caught fire and turned bright red. As the pastor got up to leave, the man said, “See you in church this Sunday.”

The moral of the story: the fire dies in our hearts when we isolate ourselves from our brothers and sisters in Christ, but it can be rekindled by spirit-filled worship. See you in church!

Tribulation

1 Thessalonians 3:1-5 – Tribulation

What an interesting word – tribulation. It brings to mind apocalyptic images fueled no doubt by the movies we watch and the books we read. The Bible tells us of a day when Great Tribulation will come upon the earth, and I have no doubt that it will be far worse than any movie or book can portray and even worse than our minds can imagine. I also have no doubt that this Great Tribulation will come soon, but this is not what Paul is talking about in this passage. The tribulation to which he refers is the persecution these Christians would face because of their decision to trust in Jesus as Lord and Savior of their lives. Their families rejected them. Their communities turned them into outcasts. In other areas of the world, some had been arrested, beaten, imprisoned and killed. We have all heard the stories of the Roman emperors throwing Christians to the lions, burning them as torches for their garden parties, or making them fodder for the gladiatorial games. And even though the worst of these tribulations had not touched the Thessalonican Christians, they were being afflicted by the enemies of God. Only the strongest of Christians can stand in the face of these attacks that come wave after wave after wave and not become discouraged. These were young-in-the-faith Christians, and Paul was concerned for their spiritual welfare, and well he should have been.

Even after being a Christian for 36 years, a preacher of the gospel for 36 years, and a pastor for almost 30 years, I sometimes have to fight discouragement. There are times when I just want to throw my hands up and quit the ministry. There are times when, like Job, I question God. It does not help that over the years I have seen so much suffering, so much bitterness, so much division within the church. But yesterday, I buried a dear friend, Bro. Tom Ford. When Bro. Tom prayed, you thought God had entered the room and was speaking directly to you. He had that kind of voice and that kind of prayer life. He called me “Rabbi” and always greeted me with these words: “Hello, my friend.” And he was a friend who constantly told me, “Rabbi, you’re doing a great job.” A few weeks ago, I buried a dear Christian lady, Mrs. Faye Smith. She was a lady with a generous spirit and a kind heart. If she knew of a need, she did her best to meet it. She had been known to send me a text message during or after certain football games, and all they said was “Roll Tide!” She was an encourager. There have been many others along the journey that God has sent my way to encourage my faith and to keep me going. Some of you fall into that category. I hope that in some way, I am doing the same for you. Don’t give up!

The Good Shepherd Cares

1 Thessalonians 3:1-5  - The Good Shepherd Cares

Sorry I missed yesterday. We left the house early and didn’t stop all day, but praise the Lord, He is at work doing miraculous things. Now on to Thessalonians.

Jesus tells us the difference between a good shepherd and a bad one. The bad one runs for his life and never looks back when the wolves attack. The good one risks life and limb to rescue the sheep and keep them safe. Paul was a good shepherd because even when he was forced to leave the flock in Thessalonica, he couldn’t rest. He longed to be with them, and when he could stand it no longer, he sent Timothy to check on them. When he could stand it no longer, he chose to be left alone. No one to help him. He sent Timothy to continue to nurture the Christians there. His concern was not for himself but for these new converts because it was so easy to become discouraged when they faced this persecution and when they knew what Paul was going through.

Then Paul reminded them of a truth that we must understand: we are appointed to this. Christians need to remember that we are not promised an absence of conflict in this life – only peace in the midst of the storms. That’s what we get. It’s like the song says. Sometimes God calms the storms. Other times He calms His child. We often find ourselves lulled into a false sense of security when things go well, but we need to realize that we are at war. Satan will use every weapon at his disposal to discourage or destroy God’s people. Too many times, we go down in the battle because we aren’t ready to fight. We are not trained, and we fail to equip ourselves with our weapons of warfare: prayer and Bible study are key, but according to Ephesians 6, our weapons are truth, righteousness, the gospel, faith, and salvation.

Look at those weapons in reverse order for just a second. We are saved by the grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ. Faith means that we are totally dependent on Him. The gospel is what we heard that leads us to faith, but Paul says that we are to use it as a weapon to attack the enemy. We will never win the battle by huddling together in our sanctuaries. We must become the pursuers with the gospel of Jesus. Then, while we are pursuing the enemy, while we are storming the gates of hell snatching lost people from the grasp of the devil, we must live righteous lives and ALWAYS speak truth.

The Pursuers

1 Thessalonians 2:18 - The Pursuers

“Satan hindered us.” What a statement! And this is the only time in all of his letters that Paul penned these words. They are interesting words. Paul said that he had a great desire to return to Thessalonica, but Satan hindered them. The concept is not that unusual because everywhere Paul went, opposition mounted. Once he had been in a city for a while, preaching in the synagogues as was his custom, the Jews would rise up against him. He would leave the synagogues – and usually have even greater success – and the Judaizers would rise up against him. These were the professing Christians who claimed that you had to practice Judaism in order to be a Christian. Often these folks would stir up trouble inside and outside the church. And sometimes, even the pagans would rise up against Paul to the point that he would find himself imprisoned or running for his life. And in none of those instances did he point the finger at Satan as he does now. Why?

Look at the verse again. When he wanted to return to Thessalonica, he says that Satan hindered them. Perhaps Satan used one or more of the groups above to prevent his return. However, the word Paul uses for “hinder” comes from a Greek word with an interesting definition. The root of the word has to do with mourning, but its usage has to do with a military practice of making slits in a road to hold up a pursuing enemy. Some believe that the “authorities” were preventing Paul from returning. Now, maybe I am reading too much into this, but look at the definition again. Read it slowly. Read Paul's statement again. Do you see it? Paul is the pursuer, and the “authorities” are running for their lives, throwing up obstacles to keep him away. Folks, that is the way that it is supposed to be. We should have Satan on the run trying to keep us from winning people with the gospel of Jesus. Wouldn’t it be great if the church of the 21^st century would once again become the pursuers? God, make it so!

The Greatest Joy

1 Thessalonians 2:17-20 - The Greatest Joy

I apologize for the layoff over the last few days. Our family celebrated Christmas over the New Year’s Holiday, and we were quite busy. Know that I am praying for you that God would grant you a blessed new year. Please join me as we continue our journey through Thessalonians. Take the time to read these verses today.

Paul told the Thessalonicans that they were his glory and joy, his hope and crown. Can you imagine the apostle Paul saying that about your church? It would be the equivalent of Billy Graham saying that your church was his favorite. “Oh, preacher,” you say, “that was just ministerial exaggeration. It was just a little flattery to make them feel good.” No, I don’t think so. Paul may have been accused of pulling punches when he was face to face with some of his adversaries (2 Cor. 10:10), though I find that hard to believe, but he was never accused of writing anything but truth. Paul had a longing deep in his heart to return to Thessalonica. These people were like his own children from whom he had been separated. They were his hope, joy, and crown of rejoicing. It wasn’t that he loved his other churches less. He was closely connected, bound to all to whom he had ministered.

So why did this church and these Christians mean so much to Paul? Because they were like the victor’s wreath given to the athlete who had won the race. They were his prize demonstrating the fact that he had not run in vain. And one day it would be his privilege to present them to the Lord as his dearly loved children. That is in every pastor’s heart: a great desire to see those men and women that he has led to Christ become disciple-makers, to see them run the race in the power of the Holy Spirit leading others to faith in Jesus.

It should be the cry of every believer’s heart! Is it yours?