Living in Light of Jesus' Return

 

“But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief. For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness. So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, are drunk at night. But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation. For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him. Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.”

1 Thessalonians 5:4-11

 

Many of us, who profess faith in Christ, live a contradiction. While we confess faith in Jesus, and while we confess faith in his promises, we live like those who surround us. We live like those who have no faith in Jesus whatsoever.

 

Our life is not one of repentance, nor is it one of faith. It’s a life of sin and rebellion. It’s a life of depravity and immorality.

 

Earlier in the fifth chapter of 1 Thessalonians, Paul discussed the return of Christ. He recounted the fact that we do not know the day of Jesus’ return. But he drew a distinction between people of faith and those who are without.

 

This day, he said, should not surprise us. And it should not surprise us because we’re not of the night or of the darkness. In other words, we aren’t living in unrepentance. We are not living in sin. Although we still commit acts of sin, our life is not one of ongoing rebellion against the Lord.

 

For this reason, he calls us to keep awake. He calls us to remain sober. And he calls us to do so because God has not destined us to wrath, but to salvation.

 

In this way, Paul is calling us to live in light of Jesus’ return. After all, his return is our hope. And, believing his promise, we’re to live in this world expecting his coming.

 

What this means for us, as believers, is living a life of constant contrition and faith. It means doing so, knowing that he died on the cross for our salvation. It means doing so, knowing that he gave his life to free us from sin and its consequences and to bestow upon us redemption and life.

 

What does this mean for us, practically? It means a constant acknowledgment and confession of our sin. It means looking always to Jesus for forgiveness and mercy. And it means, by his grace, living according to his will.

Ready or Not

 

“Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need to have anything written to you. For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, “There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief.”

1 Thessalonians 5:1-4 ESV

 

The end will one day come. Jesus will one day return. And this will be a time of blessing for believers in Jesus.  But, at the same time, it will be a time of judgment for those who do not trust in him.

 

However, that being said, we don’t know when this will take place. Jesus stated very clearly that no one knows the day nor the hour of his return. And, for this reason, he taught that we must we watchful. He taught that we must anticipate his coming.

 

What we do know is that it will be sudden. Paul, in the above passage, tells us that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. He compares it to labor pains coming upon a pregnant woman. When people feel that all is well, when they believe that they are secure, this day will abruptly come upon them.

 

That being said, there is a distinction between believers and unbelievers in this regard. We are not in darkness for that day to startle us. Even though Christians are equally unaware of when the Lord will return, his coming should not surprise us.

 

It should not surprise us because we are expecting it. It should not surprise us because we are watching for it. It should not surprise us because the return of Jesus is our hope.

 

We long for it as, at that time, our sinful nature will be no more. We long for it as, at that time, the consequences of sin will be a thing of the past. And we long for it as it marks the beginning of an eternity in the presence of the Lord.

 

Unbelievers, however, will be caught completely off guard. When they feel that all is right with the world, sudden destruction will come upon them. When they feel that they have all they need, the wrath of God will fall upon them.

 

Trusting in Jesus, then, we will remain watchful. We’ll anticipate the Lord’s return with a confident expectation. We’ll long for that day because of the blessing it will bring.

 

It will also motivate us to share the gospel with those who are perishing. It will motivate us to share our hope with those who have none. It will motivate us to do so that they also might look to Jesus in faith and receive the grace and mercy available to all who believe in him.

Why This Church?

 “But as for you, teach what accords with sound doctrine.”

Titus 2:1 ESV

What is it that draws you to a particular church? What is it that convinces you to remain with a particular church? And what is it that leads you to leave your church for another?

I realize these are heavy questions. But I believe they’re important for us to consider. They’re important to consider because they reveal what we believe to be the most important aspects of church life.

As we look at the above passage, the word that stands out to us is doctrine. As Paul instructs a young pastor, named Titus, he tells him to teach what accords with sound doctrine. In other words, his focus and his mission was to faithfully and accurately teach the Word of God.

For most, in the church today, doctrine has become a dirty word. Doctrine is synonymous with boring. It’s synonymous with a dead and a dry spiritual atmosphere. And, for this reason, people shun doctrine.

What leads many of us to join a particular church or to leave a particular church, today, is not doctrine. It may be that our family goes to that particular church. It may be that grandpa shingled the roof of the church building so long ago. It may be loyalty to a particular pastor, or our hatred of another. It might be the worship style. It might be that you hate a structured liturgy, and prefer a worship service that is more informal. Or, perhaps, the opposite is true. You hate the perceived lack of reverence you see in so many churches today, and you long for that which is more structured and seemingly respectful. It might also be the music. You may hate hymns, believing them to be old-fashioned. You may hate music that’s played on the organ or simply on a piano because it seems dull. And you prefer the upbeat contemporary music, with drums, electric guitar, bass, and incredible vocals. Or, once again, this modern music may seem to you to lack reverence, and so you are drawn to the old hymns. It might be the size of the youth program. It might be the activities that are offered. 

There are a whole variety of things that either draw us to a church or that lead us to leave it behind. However, the thing that should lead us to join or to leave a church is nothing less than doctrine. After all, doctrine is simply right teaching. It’s teaching that’s in accordance with the Word of God. 

Please don’t misunderstand me, when I say this. Each of us is certainly entitled to our preferences. But if the choice is between a church that caters to my preferences while the doctrine is questionable, and another where the doctrine is good but not all of my whims are satisfied, I’ll choose the church with right doctrine every time. I’ll choose the church that is going to faithfully proclaim to me, as well as to my family, the Word of God so that we are sustained and built up in the faith.

Perhaps you are fortunate enough to have found both. However, let us never forget what is truly important. More than any other element of the worship service or of church life, it’s doctrine that must be prioritized.

Heaven and Earth

 

“But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. Therefore encourage one another with these words.”

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 ESV

 

It’s interesting to hear the views that many express when it comes to the afterlife. It’s even more interesting when these people are professing Christians. And it quickly becomes clear that we’re missing something.

 

So many of us, today, tend to think of our eternal existence as something that is purely spiritual in nature. We believe that, when we die, our spirit goes to heaven to be with Christ. And that’s the end of it.

 

When it comes right down to it, we’re unsure of what eternal life will look like. Some view it as an endless church service. Others imagine that we’ll be forever sitting on a cloud, strumming our harp. But, whatever the case, we imagine ourselves to be spirits. We don’t envision any physical aspect of this existence whatsoever.

 

Although it’s true that, when we die in faith, our spirit goes to be with Christ, this is not how it will be forever. Our existence in eternity will not be purely spiritual. We will exist as the physical and the spiritual beings that God created us to be.

 

We see, in the above passage, that those who have passed on in faith are indeed with Christ. They are with Christ, away from the body. And, when Jesus returns, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep.

 

At that time, Paul tells us, they will rise from the grave. In other words, their spirit will rejoin their now perfected body. And those of us who are still alive will be caught up together with them in the air. We will join them with our body as well.

 

We learn from this, as well as from other passages of Scripture, that our eternal existence will take place in the body. It will take place in the body, which has been delivered from sin. And we’ll live forever in a physical world.

 

The difference between the world in which we live now and the one in which we will live is that, as there will be no more sin, the consequences of sin will be no more. Suffering and death will be a thing of the past. And we will always be with the Lord.

Be Quiet!

 “Now concerning brotherly love you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another, for that indeed is what you are doing to all the brothers throughout Macedonia. But we urge you, brothers, to do this more and more, and to aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you, so that you may walk properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one.”

1 Thessalonians 4:9-12 ESV

As Christians, we are certainly called to share the gospel. We’ve been called to bear witness for Christ. And we’ve been called to make disciples.

We also have a civic duty to vote. We have the duty to cast our ballot for representatives who will best represent our values. We have the duty to vote for candidates whom we believe will best serve our nation.

We ought to take both of these responsibilities very seriously. We should do them diligently. However, there’s another side of this that we must consider.

Here, in the United States, we have the freedom to say what we want. We have the freedom to voice both our beliefs and our opinions. However, that being said, many of us have become quite obnoxious in doing so. We’ve become obnoxious as we constantly feel that we must make our voices heard.

This is true when it comes to interpersonal conversation. But it’s even more true when it comes to social media. As we hide behind the computer screen, we’re emboldened to say what we will in a way that is both tactless and insensitive.

As we see above, this is not God’s will for us. Paul urged the Thessalonians to love one another. And he encouraged them to do so more and more. However, he then went on to tell them how they were to live within society.

They were to aspire to live quietly, and to mind their own affairs. In other words, they were to be at rest. They were to stay home and mind their own business. And they were to hold their peace, they were to say little to nothing, as they went about their lives.

They were also to work with their hands. They were do so that they might walk properly before others, or win the respect of others. And they were to do so that they might be dependent upon no one.

As we carry out our call to proclaim the gospel and to make disciples, and as we carry out our civic duty to vote for our representatives, we would do well to cultivate these other character qualities as well. We would to do well to love one another more and more. We would do well to hold our peace and to say little. We would do well to stay home and mind our own business. And we would do well to work hard to both support ourselves and to win the respect of others.

Disregarding God

 

“Finally, then, brothers, we ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God, just as you are doing, that you do so more and more. For you know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus. For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality; that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God; that no one transgress and wrong his brother in this matter, because the Lord is an avenger in all these things, as we told you beforehand and solemnly warned you. For God has not called us for impurity, but in holiness. Therefore whoever disregards this, disregards not man but God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you.”

1 Thessalonians 4:1-8 ESV

 

Many of God’s commands are ignored or disregarded today. They are explained away that we might do as we please. And many of these commands concern our sexuality.

 

Living together outside of marriage is prevalent and even accepted among the church. The hook-up culture has found its way into the church and is practiced by many of its members. Divorce for any and every reason is common and accepted. And homosexuality is both practiced and accepted within the church.

 

As Paul makes clear in the above passage, this is not to be the case among the people of God. God’s will for us is our holiness. His will for us is our sanctification. His will for us is that we learn to control our body. His will for us is that we express ourselves sexually only within the bond of marriage.

 

As this is taught and enforced within the church, today, many see it as old-fashioned. They see it as out of touch. The believe that it’s not in keeping with the times in which we live.

 

They, then, disregard these words as the opinion of man. The disregard them as the teaching of man. They disregard them as the teaching of a man who didn’t know any better. And, doing so, they live as they please.

 

Truth, for so many of us, is defined not by God’s Word, but by experience. It’s defined by our feelings. And it’s defined by the feelings and practice of those who are dear to us.

 

Paul, however, makes the point that whoever disregards this directive disregards not man, but God. In this way, he’s making it clear that this is not simply the will or the teaching of man. These commands have come from God himself.

 

This tells us how serious we must take these words. Few of us have a problem dismissing the teaching or the opinion of a man. We have little problem doing so even if he’s extremely educated and cultured. However, even those who have a more liberal interpretation of Scripture are much less willing to disregard God and his direct commands.

 

We must, then, receive these commands for what they are, the very Word of God. And, knowing this, we must conduct our lives accordingly. We must refrain from sexual immorality in all of its forms. And if we’ve fallen short, we must repent and seek the forgiveness that was won by Jesus on the cross.

Growth - A Gracious Blessing

 

“Now may our God and Father himself, and our Lord Jesus, direct our way to you, and may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, as we do for you, so that he may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.”

1 Thessalonians 3:11-13 ESV

 

As Christians, we know and believe that our forgiveness and salvation were provided for us by Jesus. We know and believe that he made these blessings possible by his death on the cross and his resurrection from the grave. And we know and believe that these blessings are received as a free gift through faith in Jesus.

 

As we reach out to unbelievers, this is the message that we proclaim. This, we know, is the message of the gospel. It’s the good news of what God has done for us.

 

However, after we receive the gospel, after we receive God’s forgiveness and salvation, our understanding and our message suddenly change. Instead of trusting in Jesus for the blessings that he provides, we look to our own efforts to produce growth in our faith. And instead of proclaiming the gospel, we instead proclaim a message of law, a message of what must be done in order to achieve growth.

 

Just as there’s nothing we can do to receive the forgiveness and the salvation of God, there is nothing we can do to attain growth in our faith. This too is a blessing received only by grace. And it’s a blessing that is received through faith.

 

We see this as we look at the above passage. Paul had been expressing his concern for the believers at Thessalonica, and his desire to see them. And he looks to God to provide that opportunity for him.

 

He then goes on to express hope that the Lord would cause their love for one another to abound. He expresses hope that the Lord would cause their love for all people to abound. And he expresses hope that the Lord would establish their hearts blameless in holiness before God.

 

In this statement that we tend to read over as nothing more than a personal sidenote, Paul makes it clear that Christ alone is the source of this blessing. It’s the Lord who causes our love to abound. And it’s the Lord who establishes our hearts blameless in holiness before God.

 

We, then, must not look to ourselves for our growth in faith nor in our love for others. We must understand that, just as we are saved by Christ alone, so too do we grow in faith. It is his work as we look to him. It’s his work as we trust in him.

 

The changes that we see in our life, then, are the fruit of this work. It is something that’s produced not by our efforts. It’s something that’s produced by the Lord’s work in our life.

One in Christ

 

^“But now that Timothy has come to us from you, and has brought us the good news of your faith and love and reported that you always remember us kindly and long to see us, as we long to see you— for this reason, brothers, in all our distress and affliction we have been comforted about you through your faith. For now we live, if you are standing fast in the Lord. For what thanksgiving can we return to God for you, for all the joy that we feel for your sake before our God, as we pray most earnestly night and day that we may see you face to face and supply what is lacking in your faith?”

1 Thessalonians 3:6-10 ESV

 

As believers, we will sometimes receive news that causes us great distress. We may have a conversation with our child, in which they tell us that they have left the faith behind. We may receive news that someone we’ve taught or discipled has fallen into unrepentant sin. We may hear that a well-known or well-respected pastor has abandoned the faith or been seduced by his sinful nature. Or we may hear of a scandal that has been uncovered in the larger Church and that is being widely reported in the news.

 

Even if we are firm in our faith, and even if we possess a strong assurance of our salvation, this news is very distressing. It’s very upsetting to us. And it may even cause us a great deal of stress.

 

Recognizing that we’re saved through faith in Jesus, and that these events taking place in the lives of others have no bearing on our salvation, we might wonder why this is so. We might wonder why these reports weigh on us so heavy. We might wonder why they bother us so much.

 

We can understand the reason for this as we look at the above passage. Paul had been extremely concerned for the believers at Thessalonica. He feared that they may have fallen from faith in response to the persecution they had suffered. And, for this reason, he had sent Timothy to check on them.

 

Now, Timothy had returned and his report was good. They were firm in their faith. Their love was intact. They remembered Paul kindly and longed to see him again. And this report gave to Paul great comfort.

 

Paul then makes this interesting statement. He says: “For now we live, if you are standing fast in the Lord.” What Paul means is that, before the good news had come to him concerning their faith, there was deadness. His heart was heavy. But now that he’d received this encouraging report, there was life.

 

As believers, our hearts are bound with one another. They are bound as we are the body of Christ. They are bound as we share together in faith as well as the call God has entrusted to us.

 

As a result, as Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 12:26, when one part of the body suffers, all suffer together. And if one member is honored, we all rejoice together. We cannot separate or isolate ourselves from the rest of the body.

 

The same reality plays itself out in our life, in our congregation, in our association or denomination, and in the larger Church as a whole. Because we are members of one body, we are affected by the events happening in the life of the church as a whole. We can be filled with great joy or sorrow depending upon the events taking place.

 

And this is not something that we should strive to undo. We shouldn’t seek to become unbound from the body that we might escape this entanglement. It’s a blessing as we seek the edification of the church. And it’s a blessing as we ourselves are built up by the rest of the body.

The Easy Life?

 

“Therefore when we could bear it no longer, we were willing to be left behind at Athens alone, and we sent Timothy, our brother and God’s coworker in the gospel of Christ, to establish and exhort you in your faith, that no one be moved by these afflictions. For you yourselves know that we are destined for this. For when we were with you, we kept telling you beforehand that we were to suffer affliction, just as it has come to pass, and just as you know. For this reason, when I could bear it no longer, I sent to learn about your faith, for fear that somehow the tempter had tempted you and our labor would be in vain.”

1 Thessalonians 3:1-5 ESV

 

Christians in America are conditioned to believe that we should have it easy. And we have, in fact, had it easy throughout our nation’s existence. We’ve been able to worship freely and to live out our faith without any real challenges or difficulties.

 

We’ve had it so easy that we’ve come to believe this is the way it’s supposed to be. We’ve come to believe that an easy life is the blessing of God that results from our faithfulness. We will sometimes go as far as equating the ease of our life with our level or strength of faith.

 

Nothing, however, is further from the truth. Although an easy life is certainly a blessing, in a sense, it is not indicative of our spiritual maturity. Nor is it a sure sign of God’s blessing.

 

Paul mentions in chapter 2 of 1 Thessalonians that the believers in that city had been suffering for their faith. They had been suffering for their faith just like the believers in Judea. Suffering was something that automatically went along with faith in Christ.

 

We see this truth in the above passage as well. Paul had sent Timothy to the Thessalonians to check on them. He had sent Timothy to strengthen them in faith. And he did so out of fear that the enemy may have lured them from faith by way of their affliction.

 

He recalls how he’d shared with them that they were destined to suffer affliction. They had been appointed to suffering. And this suffering had come to pass.

 

Everywhere the church has existed, suffering has typically come to those who believe in Jesus. And this has been true not only in history, but also today. Our brothers and sisters in Christ all around the world are well-acquainted with suffering.

 

As we read the words of Jesus, particularly in the gospel of John, he makes it clear that this is normal for the believer in Jesus. It results, he tells us, from our association with him. As the world responded to him, so does it respond to us. And as the world treated him, so will it treat us.

 

This, then, is something that we must expect. It isn’t something that we should find unusual or abnormal in any way. As believers in Jesus, we too are destined to suffer affliction.

Our Only Boast

 

^“But since we were torn away from you, brothers, for a short time, in person not in heart, we endeavored the more eagerly and with great desire to see you face to face, because we wanted to come to you—I, Paul, again and again—but Satan hindered us. For what is our hope or joy or crown of boasting before our Lord Jesus at his coming? Is it not you? For you are our glory and joy.”

1 Thessalonians 2:17-20 ESV

 

We live in a very selfish culture. We live in a culture of self-seeking people and behavior. We live in a culture where the ultimate goal of most is both status and recognition.

 

For this reason, we boast in our accomplishments. We brag about our successes. And we put our achievements on full display.

 

We boast, for example, in our education. We boast in the awards and honors we’ve received. We boast in our wealth. And we boast in our status, in relation to others.

 

As believers, this tendency to boast doesn’t seem to fade. It remains. We maintain a continuing desire to boast before both God and man.

 

We boast most often about our behavior. We boast most often about our obedience. And we tend to boast about our perceived status.

 

We boast in the fact that we don’t smoke, drink, or chew, and that we don’t go out with girls who do. We boast in the fact that we attend church every week and that we read our Bible daily. We boast in the fact that we teach Sunday School, that we’ve assisted with the youth group, and that we serve on the church council.

 

However, as believers, our boasting should be found not in our perceived successes.  It should not be found in our perceived obedience. And it should not be found in our perceived spiritual maturity.

 

As we look at the above passage, we see the source of Paul’s boasting before Jesus. We see the source of his joy, as he stood in the Lord’s presence. And it didn’t have anything to do with his own personal sense of righteousness.

 

The source of his boasting was the Thessalonians, themselves. The source of his joy was the Thessalonians, themselves. The source of his hope was their faith and salvation.

 

When I say this, I don’t mean to imply that he was taking the credit for their salvation. He rejoiced in the fact that they had received the salvation of the Lord. And they were dear to him as they had done so through his ministry.

 

In the same way, when the Lord comes, we cannot boast in ourselves. When we stand before the Lord, we cannot boast in any of our perceived accomplishments. We can boast only in the salvation that God has provided. We can boast only in the salvation he’s granted to others. We can boast and rejoice only in the work that he has accomplished through us for the salvation of the lost.

Receiving the Word

 

“And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers. For you, brothers, became imitators of the churches of God in Christ Jesus that are in Judea. For you suffered the same things from your own countrymen as they did from the Jews, who killed both the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and drove us out, and displease God and oppose all mankind by hindering us from speaking to the Gentiles that they might be saved—so as always to fill up the measure of their sins. But wrath has come upon them at last!”

1 Thessalonians 2:13-16 ESV

 

 

When someone shares an idea that is different than our own, or when someone shares an idea that makes us uncomfortable, we respond by saying: “Well, that’s your opinion!” We simply dismiss them. We dismiss them, telling ourselves that it’s only the idea of a man.

 

This makes virtually any idea easy to dismiss. Man, after all, is fallible. Man, after all, is imperfect. And, for this reason, any idea that comes from man is likely to be wrong.

 

This is something that can hinder the work of ministry, as well as the work of God in our own life. As the Word of God is proclaimed, it is often dismissed as nothing more than an opinion. It is often dismissed as nothing more than the teaching of man.

 

For this reason, it’s viewed as something that is fallible. It’s viewed as something that’s potentially flawed. It’s viewed as something that is deficient and lacking.

 

However, as we see in the above passage, it was received differently by the believers at Thessalonica. When Paul and his companions brought to them the Word of God, they received it as just that. They received it not as the word of man, but as the Word of God himself.

 

And this was not only something that they confessed. It’s something that was expressed in their lives. Believing it to be the Word of God, they became imitators of the believers of the congregations in Judea. Believing it to be the Word of God, they suffered for their new faith, just like the Jewish believers.

 

This leads us to ask ourselves an important question: How do we receive the Word of God? Do we receive it as the word of man? Do we receive it as the opinion of man? Or do we receive it as the Word of God himself?

 

If we receive it as the word or opinion of man, we’ll continue to dismiss it. This is especially true when it contradicts something that we already believe to be true. And it’s especially true when it makes us uncomfortable.

 

But when we receive it as the Word of God, it’s able to transform our lives. It will do so because, only then will we receive the conviction it brings. It will do so because, only then will we receive the hope that it gives.

Don't Be Their Excuse

 

“For you remember, brothers, our labor and toil: we worked night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you, while we proclaimed to you the gospel of God. You are witnesses, and God also, how holy and righteous and blameless was our conduct toward you believers. For you know how, like a father with his children, we exhorted each one of you and encouraged you and charged you to walk in a manner worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory.”

1 Thessalonians 2:9-12 ESV

 

As Christians, and as congregations, we have a tendency to shoot ourselves in the foot. As a people who sincerely desire the salvation of the lost, and as a people who are making every effort to reach out to them, we have a tendency to put off those to whom we’re ministering. We have a tendency to be demanding of those who have come to learn more about Jesus and the gospel we proclaim.

 

When I say this, I’m not referring to the preaching of the law. I’m not referring to the fact that we talk about sin. We must, after all, present both the law and the gospel if people are to receive Jesus in faith. I’m talking, rather, about things in our behavior that turn them away.

 

We often seek to burden those new to our congregation. We push giving too hard and too soon. And we push them too hard in terms of involvement in the church.

 

In addition to this, our behavior is often unbecoming to those who have yet to receive the gospel or are new to our faith. In some cases, we are abrasive in terms of our behavior. And, in others, it seems to them that the faith which is displayed in our life doesn’t match that being proclaimed to them.

 

As we look at the words of Paul, above, we see that these are things he avoided. He worked night and day that he might not be a burden to them while he proclaimed the gospel of God. He didn’t seek financial support from those to whom he was reaching out. In addition to the support he received from congregations that were already established, he worked quite literally as a tentmaker to make ends meet. This, of course, is the source of the term “tentmaker” that we use today, referring to those in ministry who are bivocational.

 

He also says that his behavior, along with that of his companions, was righteous and blameless. In saying this, Paul is not claiming to be without sin. He is saying, however, that they were in no way hypocrites. They authentically lived out the faith that they proclaimed to the people.

 

These are things that we must consider as we reach out to the lost. It must not appear that we are trying to gain at the expense of those with whom we share. And, at the same time, the faith that is seen must match that which we proclaim.

 

Although we must take care to proclaim both the law and gospel in all their purity, we must make sure that we do not come off as selfish or greedy. We must also live a life of ongoing repentance and faith before those to whom we are ministering. We must do all that we can to ensure that we are not the reason that others reject the message of Christ.

The Nature of Ministry

 

“For we never came with words of flattery, as you know, nor with a pretext for greed—God is witness. Nor did we seek glory from people, whether from you or from others, though we could have made demands as apostles of Christ. But we were gentle among you, like a nursing mother taking care of her own children. So, being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you had become very dear to us.”

1 Thessalonians 2:5-8 ESV

 

We tend to think that ministry means giving to people what they want. We think that it means telling people what they want to hear.  And we think that it means telling them what they want to hear in the way they want to hear it.

 

We also think that it means seeking our own gain from it. We think of it as a job or a profession. We think of it as a means that we can use to gain for ourselves the things that we desire.

 

And we tend to think that it means growing and building our own influence.  We think that it means building a following for ourselves. We think that it means encouraging a devotion in others to ourself.

 

This, we believe, is how we build the church. This, we believe, is how we reach people for Christ. It’s all a numbers game. As someone once told me, it’s all about butts in the pews.

 

These things, however, completely contradict the true nature of ministry. We can see this above, in the words of Paul. He tells us that neither he nor his companions came with words of flattery. They did not come with a pretext for greed. And they did not come to the Thessalonians seeking glory from people.

 

Even though they did have a measure of authority, as apostles, they did not use that for their own advantage. Instead, their reason for coming was to serve. And the way that they conducted their ministry was in love.

 

Paul says that he and his companions were gentle among them. He compared their ministry to that of a nursing mother, taking care of her own children. They lovingly nurtured and tended to the people.

 

Because they affectionately desired the people of Thessalonica, they shared with them not only the gospel, but their very selves. They shared with them their very lives. In other words, ministry happened in the context of relationships.

 

This is something that’s largely missing in the church of America today. Church, for most of us, is about fulfilling our obligation. It’s about attending worship, but getting out of there as quickly as we can and interacting with as few people as we can. There is little, if any, desire for relationship with the other members of the church.

 

We, then, wonder why we leave church feeling so empty. We wonder why our attendance at church seems so meaningless. And it becomes easy for us to remain absent from the church.

 

Yes, it is by our faith that we are saved. Our forgiveness isn’t dependent upon church attendance. However, that being said, we both receive ministry and minister to others only in the context of relationship. We both receive ministry and minister to others only in the context of love.

The Source of Our Message

 

“For you yourselves know, brothers, that our coming to you was not in vain. But though we had already suffered and been shamefully treated at Philippi, as you know, we had boldness in our God to declare to you the gospel of God in the midst of much conflict. For our appeal does not spring from error or impurity or any attempt to deceive, but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not to please man, but to please God who tests our hearts.”

1 Thessalonians 2:1-4 ESV

 

Although we like to think of it as a peaceful work, the simple reality is that ministry often brings conflict along with it. It can be conflict from the outside, from unbelievers to whom we seek to minister. But it can also be conflict from within, among the church itself.

 

Although we hate to admit it, this conflict can change the way in which we seek to minister. And it tends to do so not for the better, but the worse. What I mean is that we begin to neglect or even forsake our God-given duties in an effort to avoid conflict.

 

If anyone had reason to do so, it was Paul. We see in the above passage that he had suffered and been shamefully treated in Philippi. And it stands to reason that this could cause him to be a bit gun-shy as he stepped into the next community. 

 

However, Paul said, he and his co-workers had boldness as they came to Thessalonica. They had boldness in God to declare the gospel even in the face of conflict. And they had this boldness due to the source of their appeal.

 

Their appeal, he explains, did not spring from error or impurity. Nor did it spring from any attempt to deceive. It came from the fact that they had been entrusted with the gospel by God.

 

For this reason, they spoke not in an effort to please man. They rather spoke to please God who tests our hearts. In other words, regardless of the response they received, they sought only to faithfully carry out their calling which had been given to them by God.

 

What an example this is for us. After all, like Paul, we too have been entrusted with the gospel. And we too have been commissioned to proclaim this message to the world.

 

However, that being said, as we face conflict, we often tend to modify either our approach, our message, or both. We often approach ministry for our own sake, seeking to gain from it personally. And, in this way, the gospel and our ministry are corrupted.

 

As God is the source of this message, as well as our hope, we must not waver even in the face of conflict. We must deliver this message not in an effort to please man. We must seek only to please God who entrusted to us this great work.

A Sincere Faith

 

“For not only has the word of the Lord sounded forth from you in Macedonia and Achaia, but your faith in God has gone forth everywhere, so that we need not say anything. For they themselves report concerning us the kind of reception we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.”

1 Thessalonians 1:8-10 ESV

 

One of the primary accusations thrown at believers today is that of hypocrisy. And while we sometimes dismiss these accusations, citing our sinful nature, while we often write them off because it’s impossible to live a perfect life, they are not unfounded. It’s true that many of us, who profess to be believers in Jesus, are hypocrites.

 

It’s true that we are actors. It’s true that we are posers. It’s true that we don’t sincerely believe the faith that we proclaim.

 

Those making these accusations do not expect perfection. Believers and non-believers alike understand that no one is perfect. They do, however, expect to see evidence of the faith we confess.

 

If we proclaim the Word of God, it should be evident that we receive the Word of God. If we proclaim the Word of God, it should be clear that we’ve turned from the false gods we once served and that we now serve the Lord. And if we proclaim the Word of God, it should be clear that we are sincerely awaiting the fulfillment of God’s promises, that we’re awaiting the return of Jesus along with the blessings this will bring.

 

When our life fails to align with the faith that we confess, it affects our witness in a negative way. However, when the two match up, it has the opposite effect. It creates a strong witness that can have a powerful impact.

 

This is exactly what was going on among the believers in Thessalonica. Paul says that the word of the Lord had sounded forth from them. In other words, they were faithfully proclaiming the Word of God.

 

However, in addition to this, their reputation was known everywhere. The faith of the Thessalonian Church was well known. It was reported how they had received Paul. It was reported how they had turned away from idols to serve the living and true God. And it was reported how they awaited the return of Jesus.

 

In the same way, when our life matches the message we proclaim, it will certainly have this effect. It becomes clear that our confession is not empty or hollow.  It is clearly seen that our faith is genuine. It’s clearly known that we believe and hold to the faith that we declare to the world.

 

That being said, if it becomes clear that we are hypocrites, the answer is not for us to try harder. The answer is not for us to conform our life to the message we proclaim. We must, rather, trust in the message we proclaim. We must receive the salvation that God has provided for us in Jesus, and offered to us in the gospel. And the rest will come naturally. The evidence of our faith will flow naturally from our belief.