I Thessalonians 1: 5
INTRODUCTION:
Paul was very aggressive in sharing the gospel. For one thing, he was very
aggressive with whom he shared the gospel. Paul shared the gospel with all
who would give him a hearing. He went to the Jew first and also to the
Greek. Racial and social distinctions didn't keep Paul from sharing Christ.
He believed that Jesus had given him a command to preach the gospel to
every creature and he did his best to carry out that command. It didn't
matter to Paul if he shared Christ with a group of women by a creek or if he
shared with a group of intellectuals at Mar's Hill. Paul simply went where
the people were. In this, paul gives us an example. We can't wait for
people to come to church to hear about Jesus. We must go to them.
These Thessalonians were well aware of Paul's commitment to share Jesus.
Because Paul had shared Christ with them, they had been saved. Because of
paul's ministry in Thessalonica, there was a church in the city. And, as
paul looked back on his time in Thessalonica sharing Christ, he tells us
what happened.
THE GOSPEL CAME UNTO THE THESSALONIANS IN WORD
The gospel came in word by a God sent messenger. Notice that a God sent
messenger is one who has himself received the gospel message. Because Paul
had himself received the message he could say in v. 5, "for our gospel." It
is only when we have received the gospel that we can then encourage others
to receive it. Paul had received Jesus and as a result became His messenger
to share Jesus.
To be an effective messenger, we must feel a burden to reach out to lost
souls. The motivation for sharing the gospel is that of keeping lost souls
from spending eternity in hell. Only when we grasp that hell is real and
that lost people are going there will we get a burden for the lost. It was
such a burden for the lost that led Jesus to leave heaven to die on a cross.
It was a burden for the lost that led Paul to write, "For I could wish
myself accursed from Christ for my brethren, my countrymen according to the
flesh." Paul was a God sent messenger with a great burden for those he
spoke to.
To be a faithful messenger, we have to articulate the word. The word must
be articulated because faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of
God. In God's plan, people must hear the good news about Jesus and then
respond to it if they are going to be saved. If they do not hear, they will
remain lost. And, if we don't share the word with the lost, their blood
will be on our hands. The Word must also be articulated in order for us to
be obedient to God. Jesus told us to go into all the world and preach the
gospel to every creature. To refuse to do this is just as much of a sin as
any overt act we could commit. For people to be saved, those who know
Christ must tell them. The gospel must come in word.
THE GOSPEL CAME TO THE THESSALONIANS IN POWER AND THE HOLY GHOST
For the word to bear fruit, it must be empowered by the Holy Spirit. Paul
said that his message came not in word only but in demonstration of the
Spirit and in power. Unless the Holy Spirit empowers the word, preaching,
even the preaching of the gospel, will be lifeless and boring. Seeing
results in sharing the gospel is not a matter of our personality, education
or manner of delivery but it is a matter of the Holy Spirit empowering the
Word.
Notice what happens when the Holy Spirit empowers the word. When the Holy
Spirit empowers the word, there will be enlightenment. The Holy Spirit will
open the eyes of the spiritually blind to where they can see the truth about
themselves. This is a great work because man's nature is to close his eyes
to the truth and stay willfully blind. Jesus said this was the reason that
Israel's religious leaders would not be saved. They had eyes to see but
refused to do so. When the Holy Spirit empowers the Word, there will be
conviction of sin. Conviction is seeing that our sin makes us worthy of the
judgment and wrath of God. When Paul preached to Felix, he was so convicted
about his sin that he trembled. The Holy Spirit can so grip a person's
heart that they will quake with the fear of God. Then, when the Holy Spirit
empowers the Word, there will be quickening. The Holy Spirit will open a
person's heart to receive Jesus. This is what happened to Lydia. The Lord
opened her heart to receive Jesus. As He opens the heart, the Holy Spirit
will impart new life as he comes to take up residence in that person's life.
O how today, we need the Spirit to move in our midst and empower His
word!!
THE GOSPEL CAME TO THE THESSALONIANS IN MUCH ASSURANCE
These believers knew they were saved. Assurance is a part of the salvation
experience. When Jesus saved the thief on the cross, He gave that thief the
assurance he needed by telling him, "This day shalt thou be with me in
paradise." Paul also had the assurance of salvation. In II Timothy 1: 12,
he says, "For I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able
to keep that which I have committed unto Him against that day." Paul knew
that heaven was His home. That is why he could write, "I have a desire to
depart and be with Christ, which is far better." It was the disciples'
assurance of heaven that allowed them to preach with confidence. Their
confidence about what they preached made them effective preachers. They
could also face persecution and even death because of the assurance that
they had that heaven was their home.
The key to assurance is reliving our salvation experience. This is what
Paul did as he witnessed. He simply shared what God did in his life. All
salvation experiences have some common elements. That is why Jude talked
about the common salvation. In every salvation experience, there is a time
that we are under God's conviction and His drawing. In every salvation
experience, there is a decision to be made about accepting Jesus' offer of
forgiveness and salvation. In every salvation experience, there is a moment
when we receive or trust in Jesus as Savior. There comes that moment when
we cry out to Jesus, and the Bible says, "whosoever calls upon the name of
the Lord shall be saved." As we go back, relive and examine that salvation
experience, God will confirm His work and give us the assurance we need.
CONCLUSION:
Has the word been empowered in your life to the point that you have come to
know Jesus and His assurance? Is God's word being empowered in this
church? If not, seek His blessing through prayer.
INTRODUCTION:
Paul was very aggressive in sharing the gospel. For one thing, he was very
aggressive with whom he shared the gospel. Paul shared the gospel with all
who would give him a hearing. He went to the Jew first and also to the
Greek. Racial and social distinctions didn't keep Paul from sharing Christ.
He believed that Jesus had given him a command to preach the gospel to
every creature and he did his best to carry out that command. It didn't
matter to Paul if he shared Christ with a group of women by a creek or if he
shared with a group of intellectuals at Mar's Hill. Paul simply went where
the people were. In this, paul gives us an example. We can't wait for
people to come to church to hear about Jesus. We must go to them.
These Thessalonians were well aware of Paul's commitment to share Jesus.
Because Paul had shared Christ with them, they had been saved. Because of
paul's ministry in Thessalonica, there was a church in the city. And, as
paul looked back on his time in Thessalonica sharing Christ, he tells us
what happened.
THE GOSPEL CAME UNTO THE THESSALONIANS IN WORD
The gospel came in word by a God sent messenger. Notice that a God sent
messenger is one who has himself received the gospel message. Because Paul
had himself received the message he could say in v. 5, "for our gospel." It
is only when we have received the gospel that we can then encourage others
to receive it. Paul had received Jesus and as a result became His messenger
to share Jesus.
To be an effective messenger, we must feel a burden to reach out to lost
souls. The motivation for sharing the gospel is that of keeping lost souls
from spending eternity in hell. Only when we grasp that hell is real and
that lost people are going there will we get a burden for the lost. It was
such a burden for the lost that led Jesus to leave heaven to die on a cross.
It was a burden for the lost that led Paul to write, "For I could wish
myself accursed from Christ for my brethren, my countrymen according to the
flesh." Paul was a God sent messenger with a great burden for those he
spoke to.
To be a faithful messenger, we have to articulate the word. The word must
be articulated because faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of
God. In God's plan, people must hear the good news about Jesus and then
respond to it if they are going to be saved. If they do not hear, they will
remain lost. And, if we don't share the word with the lost, their blood
will be on our hands. The Word must also be articulated in order for us to
be obedient to God. Jesus told us to go into all the world and preach the
gospel to every creature. To refuse to do this is just as much of a sin as
any overt act we could commit. For people to be saved, those who know
Christ must tell them. The gospel must come in word.
THE GOSPEL CAME TO THE THESSALONIANS IN POWER AND THE HOLY GHOST
For the word to bear fruit, it must be empowered by the Holy Spirit. Paul
said that his message came not in word only but in demonstration of the
Spirit and in power. Unless the Holy Spirit empowers the word, preaching,
even the preaching of the gospel, will be lifeless and boring. Seeing
results in sharing the gospel is not a matter of our personality, education
or manner of delivery but it is a matter of the Holy Spirit empowering the
Word.
Notice what happens when the Holy Spirit empowers the word. When the Holy
Spirit empowers the word, there will be enlightenment. The Holy Spirit will
open the eyes of the spiritually blind to where they can see the truth about
themselves. This is a great work because man's nature is to close his eyes
to the truth and stay willfully blind. Jesus said this was the reason that
Israel's religious leaders would not be saved. They had eyes to see but
refused to do so. When the Holy Spirit empowers the Word, there will be
conviction of sin. Conviction is seeing that our sin makes us worthy of the
judgment and wrath of God. When Paul preached to Felix, he was so convicted
about his sin that he trembled. The Holy Spirit can so grip a person's
heart that they will quake with the fear of God. Then, when the Holy Spirit
empowers the Word, there will be quickening. The Holy Spirit will open a
person's heart to receive Jesus. This is what happened to Lydia. The Lord
opened her heart to receive Jesus. As He opens the heart, the Holy Spirit
will impart new life as he comes to take up residence in that person's life.
O how today, we need the Spirit to move in our midst and empower His
word!!
THE GOSPEL CAME TO THE THESSALONIANS IN MUCH ASSURANCE
These believers knew they were saved. Assurance is a part of the salvation
experience. When Jesus saved the thief on the cross, He gave that thief the
assurance he needed by telling him, "This day shalt thou be with me in
paradise." Paul also had the assurance of salvation. In II Timothy 1: 12,
he says, "For I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able
to keep that which I have committed unto Him against that day." Paul knew
that heaven was His home. That is why he could write, "I have a desire to
depart and be with Christ, which is far better." It was the disciples'
assurance of heaven that allowed them to preach with confidence. Their
confidence about what they preached made them effective preachers. They
could also face persecution and even death because of the assurance that
they had that heaven was their home.
The key to assurance is reliving our salvation experience. This is what
Paul did as he witnessed. He simply shared what God did in his life. All
salvation experiences have some common elements. That is why Jude talked
about the common salvation. In every salvation experience, there is a time
that we are under God's conviction and His drawing. In every salvation
experience, there is a decision to be made about accepting Jesus' offer of
forgiveness and salvation. In every salvation experience, there is a moment
when we receive or trust in Jesus as Savior. There comes that moment when
we cry out to Jesus, and the Bible says, "whosoever calls upon the name of
the Lord shall be saved." As we go back, relive and examine that salvation
experience, God will confirm His work and give us the assurance we need.
CONCLUSION:
Has the word been empowered in your life to the point that you have come to
know Jesus and His assurance? Is God's word being empowered in this
church? If not, seek His blessing through prayer.
MIKE HONZELL, PASTOR
COLLEGE AVENUE BAPTIST CHURCH
LEVELLAND, TEXAS
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