Faith in our Witness

Paul was speaking as a missionary in the first chapter but here he changes his tone to that of a pastor.

We find that the persecution became so strong that Paul had had to flee from Thessalonica.

The heart of Paul was concerned for them that they suffering and trials would stop the gospel.

As we mentioned last week we have been blessed with relative peace in the church. However, the times are changing and the world we live in today is not the America that I grew up in and persecution is coming for the child and follower of God.

The Equality Act presents a real and present danger to religious liberty and to the church.

The day will come when to follow Christ will be to suffer for His name.

In verse 4 we see that Paul is telling the Thessalonians that they must have faith but also that their faith must be in God.

It is not enough to have faith, we must alas place our faith in the right source.

Paul says that they would live to please God and not man. Who we seek to please is of the upmost importance. Jesus must be the source of our faith and our desire.

Real, genuine, model faith is one that looks to God and not to men.

Paul says that He has been intrusted with the Gospel. The Gospel is our mission it is our motto, and battle cry.

“Only one life twill soon be past; only whats done for Christ will last.” C.T. Studd

What we do with the Gospel will be the rod by which we are measured.

What we possess in life, the ministries that we operate, the numbers we grow to, and the fame that is accrued will not matter when we stand before a righteous God. What He will judge this church by is our investment in the Gospel.

We need to evaluate what we are doing as believers and as a church. Ministries, resources, or anything that consumes energy and time should be evaluated to see if it is pushing us towards the furtherance of the Good news.

As Paul saw thee suffering of this body of believers he desired that they would remember the goal of the church.

The church is the group but it is mad eu of the individual believer. The Gospel is a personal command for each and everyone of us. If you are not a missionary sharing the gospel then you are not fulfilling our duty as a member of Armuchee Baptist Church or as a child of God.

The persecution comes because it is not our Gospel but rather t is the Gospel of Jesus. This is a Gospel that transforms and changes the heart to go against the flow of secular society.

The suffering that comes is because of the hatred of the things of God.

This is proven by verse two when Paul says that the Gospel was given in much contention.

The Gospel was given but it was not accepted by the community where the message was preached.

Often the reason we do not share the gospel is because we are afraid that people will not want to hear or that it will be offensive to them.

For anyone living contrary to the teachings of Jesus the gospel will be offensive. What caused this church to have power is that they were more concerned with offending God than offending the world.

When we desire the approval of God more than that of men we will shout it from the roof tops.

Someone said that it takes a mess to have a testimony and it takes a mess to have a message.

The truth is is that we can have a message with out going through a mess and we can have a testimony with our test and trials. However, God can use the test, and mess’s in our lives to bring out a greater reliance upon Him and a greater love for His redemptive work in our lives.

Our trials may allow us to relate to others who are going down the road that we have traveled ourselves.

Some of you have had spouses walk out and desert you and your children. Others have had children walk away and forsake you. Others have had to hear a Dr. give you the news that you or a loved one is facing an incurable cancer, and others will face this news in the future.

These moments will make us bitter or better.

The trial that we face should cause to lean upon Him with a greater faith, reliance, and adoration.

We can not hide the gospel when we are right with God. It is part of our being and in separable from our lives.

The joke is said, “How do you tell who a vegan is; don’t worry they will tell you.”

How sad that vegans are more passionate about vegetables than Christians are about Christ.

Christ is worthy for the work that He has produced in our lives. The problem is not with Him but rather it lies within us when we can not recognize and give Him the credit He deserves.

In verse 9 Paul lays out the work and labor that is required.

As we celebrate Memorial day tomorrow, we take this time to remember the soldiers who have sacrificed their lives so that we may have the freedoms of religion and and all other right grated us by our constitution.

However the same liberty and victories that we celebrate as Americans we are loosing in our churches because the soldiers of God are not willing to make the same sacrifices that have been made by the American soldier.

We desire the blessing and liberties found in Christ but are not willing to pay the price to have them.

That means that we do not turn from truth but rather we turn to truth and let the chips fall where they will.

Paul had been forbid to preach unto the gentile sin verse 16 yet he carried the gospel and the Lord was the judge.

Let us walk with boldness and faith, trusting in him. Unshaken by the consequences knowing that it is the Lord that fights with us and is the giver of life, and liberty.