Men's Devotional....2018

Good morning men, I’m so thankful that you guys are here.

I would like to speak to our hearts this morning as men from this passage of Scripture from 1 Thessalonians.

The letter of Thessalonians is a letter of thanksgiving, encouragement, exhortation, and information for some very recent believers in Christ.

The emphasis is Paul’s loving concern for his brothers and sisters who were suffering as part of Christian life.

So here in I’d like to draw out some application for us as men.

Paul begins with thanksgiving to God.

— We always thank God for all of you, making mention of you constantly in our prayers.

Paul is about to mention some things that were a matter of joy to him and highly praiseworthy in them.

And he thanks God for those things.

God is the object of all our worship, of prayer and praise.

(let’s read the passage together)

I’d like to draw your attention to v5.

The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit Sermons, Vol. LXIII The Gospel in Power (No. 3,551)

“Eternity! eternity! eternity” ringing in their ears, and it startles and awakens them. They

— because our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power, in the Holy Spirit, and with full assurance. You know how we lived among you for your benefit,

Working men love to see results. It’s pretty discouraging to work and to toil and see nothings been done by the end of the day.

We can certainly know that if any good is done in ministry, that it is God who has done it.

To not speak of what God has done would be ingratitude.

And Paul is speaking about this church and their

good character and the

good fruit which they have bore, and

the way that the gospel has been spread abroad by them.

So chapter one is about what God had done at Thessalonica.

Look at how the gospel came...

First he says (v5), “because our gospel did not come to you in word only”

For some here this morning, I know that you’ve heard plenty of words.

For most it’s a hearing towards gaining wisdom and understanding and putting the Word of God into action.

But it is to be feared for some that that’s all they’ve done is heard words.

Some only here words.

This is devastating that the life-giving Word should only be a word.

It’s a sad thing to only hear a message.

If that’s you, may it be you no longer! Not a single day longer! May the Word come to you another way.

Second, It didn’t come to these folks in word only, “but also in power” . For others it comes with arousing power.

They hear the word “eternity, eternity, eternity!!” ringing in their ears and it awakens and startles them.

Remember dear brothers, how you couldn’t be at ease while you knew that you were at war with God?

The Word came to you in power! It had a crushing effect. The Word had smitten you and dashed all your hopes in yourself!

The Word came a third way. “in the Holy Spirit”

Ah, here is the blessed way because if the Word comes in any other way, it comes in vain!

“in the Holy Spirit”

But if it comes in the Holy Spirit it will show you a 1,000 truths that you never saw before.

Those who’ve had the Word come in the power of the Holy Spirit are those who’ve entered into a whole new world, passing from darkness into marvelous light.

The Spirit empowered Word has a purifying effect.

It purges sin from your life, refines and renews your soul, bringing comfort, joy, and peace, uplifts them above their cares.

Then fourth, “and with full assurance.”

“and with full assurance.”

This is an even greater degree of Spiritual power!

Then is when the Word is received and accepted as a matter of firm, solid, indisputable fact and they grab it with an iron hand.

They know in Whom they have believed and are persuaded that God is able to keep that which has been entrusted to them.

May there be many more; for you that possess full assurance are the men that are strong for service.

Having the joy of the Lord in your own souls, it becomes your strength as you go forth to fight the Master’s battles, because you feel the Master’s love.

The Lord give us many, many such in the church, to whom the Word of God shall come

with the Holy Spirit and with much assurance.

Now this is how the Word of God came to them.

So what was the results of God’s Word coming to them in this manner?

First of all they became followers.

Spurgeon, C. H. (1917). The Gospel in Power. In The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit Sermons (Vol. 63, p. 78). London: Passmore & Alabaster.

You know how we lived among you for your benefit,

You know how we lived among you for your benefit,

— and you yourselves became imitators of us and of the Lord

The army doesn’t take raw recruits and make them captains.

They are drilled first and made to go into the rank and file for a bit.

So one of the first things that grace does, is to make a man a disciple, a learner.

He begins to learn, from God’s Word, what his life and conduct should be.

They began to follow God’s servants. Following them, so long as they are following Christ.

Not just followers, but leaders to. — and you yourselves became imitators of us and of the Lord when, in spite of severe persecution, you welcomed the message with joy from the Holy Spirit. As a result, you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia.

Now certainly believers ought to be an example to lost people.

I’d say if you’re not an example to lost people, you may not even be saved.

But here the text is actually talking about becoming examples to believers.

This is grace upon grace!

Paul says of these former idolators, to whom he had preached the gospel to first followed him and the Lord and afterwards grew in grace, so that they stood in the front to become and example to other believers.

Let me try to challenge some of you. Get rid of the term, “typical Christian”.

Let none of us be content with that!

This is the poor and lukewarm Christianity of this era.

When the Lord comes, shall he find faith on the earth?

May God kindle a zeal in our hearts for our brothers and sisters and the lost!

My brothers, if these are found no where else, let them be found in your soul!

Ask the Lord, that you’ll be compelled to not be content or complacent to watch other believers decline, when you can be the example to them.

We’ve been bless to observe this right here in our own fellowship!

Men not content to watch the precious church of the Lord Jesus to decline and to watch God raise them up in the midst and soon they become examples.

Oh on the day of account, that service to the Lord shall be remembered!

I’m not going to bring up their work here, but they have with

prayers,

stress,

miles,

devoted themselves to Christ and served Him well, and He will remember them on that final Day.