Reward

1 Thessalonians 1:6-7 “And sye became followers of us, and of the Lord, thaving received the word in much affliction, uwwith joy of wthe Holy Ghost: 7 So that ye were xensamples to all that believe in yMacedonia and yAchaia.” [1]

 I.  Replace

     A. Leaders 

     B. Lord

II. Receive

     A. Truth

     B. Trial

III. Rejoice

     A. Spirit

     B. Siblings

Introduction: We just came through a week of revival meetings with a prophet.  Norman is sent to us for such a time as this to shock the senses of those who watch and imagine that following the world’s leadership is to somehow allow us a pass to disregard the Bible.

Prior to our revival meetings, we surveyed Paul’s letter to the Philippians.  We took a side trip into Luke’s account of the Acts of the Apostles and learned something of how Paul came to appreciate those in Philippi.  In that account in Acts we also heard of Paul’s visit to Thessalonica.  His meeting there was not such a joyful welcome in that place.

This week we will begin our series, “Traveling Through Thessalonica.”  Through this series of messages we will expose Paul’s two letters to the Thessalonians.  The first letter begins on a happy note.  The relationship between Paul and those folks is much different than you might expect.  There had been a shift in their relationship.  Paul’s letter begins the truth of that change.

The relationship that we have with God is a definite and personal relationship.  We are all different and Jesus changes us individually for His purpose.  The purpose is the same; bear fruit.  Lead sinners to the truth of the gospel and be fishers of men.  Some of us are fly fishers.  Some of us like to surf fish.  I enjoy salt water fishing but will fresh water fish when I can’t see the ocean.  God uses us all but we all have different little quirks if you will.  One of Norman pet things is to say, “You should have already known this!”   That might shock those who hear it.

I am not saying anything here that Norman has not heard me say because I have said it to him.  There are prophets that speak very boldly about things that they have witnessed in their own lives.  Our personal assignments from God are grounded in those things that Jesus has taken us through and from.  When The Holy Spirit leads us through the thing that Jesus has delivered us from we want for others to profit from the things that God has delivered to us.  Oftentimes we speak very boldly about those things that we want so much for others to not go through.

Back in Acts we all remember that one Saul who met the Risen Jesus on the road to Damascus.  Later after he became Paul he spoke boldly about that encounter.  Oftentimes people didn’t quite know what to do with Paul’s boldness.  As we continue to read Acts we learn of another man called Barnabas.  Acts 9:26 “And swhen Saul was come to Jerusalem, he assayed to join himself to the disciples: but they were all afraid of him, and believed not that he was a disciple. 27 But tBarnabas took him, and brought him uto the apostles, and declared unto them xhow he had seen the Lord in the way, and that he had spoken to him, and yhow he had zpreached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus.” [2]

Each relationship with Jesus is different.  Each relationship with each other Christian is different.  The man Barnabas introduced Paul to the apostles because the others did not trust Paul.  The name Barnabas means encourager.  He was commissioned by the church at Antioch to go with Paul on some of those first missionary journeys.  If there had not been a Barnabas there might not have been a missionary named Paul.  The two were not there to compete but to complete each other.  Last week in this pulpit you saw a representative of a Paul and a Barnabas.  I am so joyful to be on Jesus’ team.  His is the only winning team.

Scripture:  Today’s scripture is 1 Thessalonians 1:6-7.  When you have found it please rise to your feet for the reading of God’s written word.

Prayer: Please be seated

Message:  To understand the setting for the people of Thessalonica at the writing of Paul’s letter to them, we first must understand where they had come from.  Refusing to go back and allow the Holy Spirit to give you understanding of where someone came from will prevent you to understand the significance of where they are now.  It is easier to learn from the mistakes of others than having to repeat what they went through.  His Story is important; history!

Follow as we read Acts 17:1-10.

This passage speaks of Paul and someone named Silas.  Where is Barnabas?  If you skip through places in the Bible, you will miss some important truths.  Back in Acts 15 we learned of the breakup of Paul and Barnabas due to the difference in opinion of Barnabas’ young relative John Mark.  Paul didn’t want young Mark around him.  He was upset at his lack of faith.  Later, much later, Paul would understand how important Mark was for the Gospel of Jesus Christ but at this time the disagreement caused a separation of a ministry team.  Now it is Paul and Silas.

OK.  Now that we have covered history let us return to Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians.  First point in the outline, Replace.  And ye became followers of us and of the Lord.  As we read of their start with Paul, not many were persuaded to follow Paul and the others.  The so-called devout Jews persuaded them to stand by as they assaulted Jason and his family.  Those with Paul had to persuade him to leave that place for his own safety that the Gospel might spread.

Between the account in Acts and this letter from Paul, something changed these folks.  The Holy Spirit changed these folks.  When we allow and ask God to come in, He will replace our idea of who to trust with our decisions.  Does that mean we will never make mistakes about who to trust again?  Does that mean that we will all be in one accord in how to believe?  Does that mean that there should only be one denomination and those who don’t consider things in the exact same way that we do are wrong and should be ignored?  No!

Paul and Barnabas split up because of a disagreement of how to handle a youthful believer in Christ.  Thank God Barnabas didn’t give up on the guy who gave us the oldest gospel account.  Yes I know it’s Matthew then Mark in the New Testament but history shows that Matthew filled in some blanks in Mark’s earlier “Reader’s Digest” version.  Would Matthew have expanded his account had it not been for Mark writing his account through Peter’s eyes first?  I don’t know.  I only know that we have four accounts and Barnabas didn’t write any of the four.  His encouragement allowed Mark to write what he observed from Peter.

Had Paul not rejected Mark, would Barnabas have had such an effect on Mark?  All things do work together for those who love the Lord and are called for His purpose.  Doesn’t matter how!  It only matters that He is!  When we once and for all decide to trust Him and those who follow Him we will finally do that which will last eternally in His kingdom.

Next; sometimes the thing we receive is not what we thought we asked for but it’s always the right thing.  To understand what it is that the Thessalonians thought they wanted might have to wait until we get to heaven. 

Most of the things that I hear people pray for have little to do with wanting to know more about the Bible.  We just had a series of revival messages concerning this very thing.  How do we live content in the midst of all this contention?  Paul told the Philippians that he had learned to live content.  Remember that famous Philippians 4 quote, “11 Not that I speak in respect of bwant: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be ccontent. 12 I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed dboth to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. 13 I can do all things ethrough Christ fwhich strengtheneth me.” [3]

Paul mentioned that in all things he was instructed to be both full and hungry, how to abound and to suffer need.  How was Paul instructed?  The prophets tell us of their troubles in the ages that they went through and their words are there in the Bible.  The more time you stay in the truth of His Word, the less the lies and misdirection will lead you.  Without His Truth there is no spiritual way to live through the long and hard trial of this life.  Without the trial of this life, there would be no need to search for the truth that sets you free.  As a Christian receives the one they will receive the other.  The Thessalonians did indeed receive the word but it came through much affliction.  The Bible does this for us even now as we are living through this in this age.

So finally what is the reward?  Once a person finally decides to replace the things that once led him/her so that they accept Jesus and the teaching of their siblings in Christ, that person will graduate, if you will, to that place where contentment is found in the midst of contention.  So that is the reward that we receive from finally deciding to follow Jesus and become true disciples.  We receive the joy and the ability to rejoice in the Holy Spirit.

What does God expect back from us?  There it is in verse seven to the end of chapter one.  “7 So that ye were xensamples to all that believe in yMacedonia and yAchaia. 8 For from you zsounded out the word of the Lord not only in yMacedonia and yAchaia, but also ain every place your faith to God-ward is spread abroad; so that we need not to speak any thing. 9 For they themselves shew of us what manner of bentering in we had unto you, and how cye turned to God dfrom idols to serve ethe living and ftrue God; 10 And gto wait for hhis Son ifrom heaven, kwhom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, lwhich delivered us from mthe wrath to come.” [4]

We are His church.  We are His bride!  We are the family of Christ!  We have brothers and sisters in Christ!  Paul reminded the Thessalonians of those in Macedonia and Achaia and elsewhere.  The believers in those places saw the faith of the Thessalonians because of their ensample or example and they were encouraged to believe.

We have in our community many who may not understand even what we are doing here at Merry Oaks.  Someone told me the other day that they saw a bunch of cars and wondered what was going on.  I told them we were celebrating coming home and we were having revival services.  People are wondering why there are cars here.  There is a church here and we are enjoying each other.  That seems to be a strange thing in the midst of this contentious time.  With all that is going on they may think we are staging a rebellion.  Unless we answer the silent questions with love we will not be an ensample or example.  We must tell them of His love.

Prayer:

Invitation:  This week we saw the President of the United States taken to the hospital with this virus.  I might get it myself.  If God allows that trial, it will not take my life.  Jesus gave his earthly life for my eternal spiritual life and no virus will take that away.  I refuse to live in fear of a thing that separates people and brings us to a place of selfishness over selflessness.

But I’m not here in this pulpit protesting against anything.  If you are here to protest it’s the wrong purpose.  I’m here in this pulpit because I love this church and I trust God’s will in my life.  He might cause me to get sick.  He has allowed sickness to come before and unless Jesus takes me in the rapture, some sickness will take me from this planet.  I love you all more than I worry about me catching a really bad cold.

Surely we want us all to continue to be well and we are all praying for God’s protection that if we feel contagious we will separate from each other for a time.  The stakes are too great for Jeff and Joanna and the family.  We must continue in prayer for their wellbeing so that they can leave in God’s speed.  Others of us are more vulnerable.  If you feel sick and God is telling you to, separate yourself.  Otherwise, trust God.  I’ll see you here the next time the door is open.

We must stand firm in our love for each other and be ready to instruct others in God’s love so that we will be the example that the Thessalonians became as Paul commended them.  Pray that we might learn to follow Jesus in all that we are as we climb the slope of sanctification.  Climbing that slope takes us further away from the worldly traps each step of the way and closer so closer to the perfection that God requires.  He made our perfection possible through the blood of Jesus.  The Holy Spirit is guiding us further and further each step up the slope until we are there with Him.  Amen?  Consider and respond as we sing…

s See 1 Cor. 4:16. So 2 Thess. 3:7, 9. Comp. ch. 2:14.
t Acts 17:5–10.
u So Acts 5:41. Heb. 10:34.
w See Acts 13:52.
w See Acts 13:52.
x See 1 Cor. 10:6. So ch. 4:10.
y See Acts 19:21.
y See Acts 19:21.
[1] The Holy Bible: King James Version. (2009). (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., 1 Th 1:6–7). Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.
s ch. 22:17–20.
t See ch. 4:36.
u Not as Gal. 1:18, 19?
x ver. 3–6.
y ver. 20, 22.
z ver. 29. See ch. 4:29.
[2] The Holy Bible: King James Version. (2009). (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., Ac 9:26–27). Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.
b Mark 12:44.
c See 1 Tim. 6:6.
d So 1 Cor. 4:11. 2 Cor. 6:10. & 11:27.
e So John 15:5. 2 Cor. 12:9.
f 1 Tim. 1:12 (Gk.). 2 Tim. 4:17. Heb. 11:34. So Col. 1:11.
[3] The Holy Bible: King James Version. (2009). (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., Php 4:11–13). Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.
x See 1 Cor. 10:6. So ch. 4:10.
y See Acts 19:21.
y See Acts 19:21.
z Comp. Rom. 10:18.
y See Acts 19:21.
y See Acts 19:21.
a So Rom. 1:8. & 16:19. Comp. 2 Thess. 1:4.
b Acts 13:24. ch. 2:1 in the Gk.
c See Acts 15:19.
d See 1 Cor. 12:2. & Gal. 4:8.
e Acts 14:15. See Ps. 42:2.
f See 1 John 5:20.
g See 1 Cor. 1:7. So Rom. 2:7.
h So 2 Thess. 1:10. See Matt. 16:27.
i See ch. 4:16.
k See Acts 2:24.
l Col. 1:13.
m See Matt. 3:7. & ch. 5:9.
[4] The Holy Bible: King James Version. (2009). (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., 1 Th 1:7–10). Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.