The Continued Resistance

You can listen to the podcast for this message here.

Last week we looked at Paul’s viral message. The message of Christ’s  transforming power is supposed to run swiftly through our neighborhoods and communities with the goal of infecting everyone it touches. If we want to be authentic Christians, we must be engaged in this process.

2 Thes. 3:2 says, “and that we will be rescued from perverse and evil men; for not all have faith,”

There is a reason for Paul’s final request. Paul prays that they, “Will be rescued.” Now here is a very interesting word. Rescued here means saved from severe and acute dangerous situations. Paul wasn’t looking at being called names; he wasn’t talking about losing friends or alienating family. Paul was talking about real, imminent danger from the religious crowd. Look at Acts 17:5-9. The mob was looking for Paul and his companions. When they couldn’t find them, the mob grabbed hold of Jason. Acts 21:27 says, “When the seven days were almost over, the Jews from Asia, upon seeing him in the temple, began to stir up all the crowd and laid hands on him.” Verse 30 goes on to tell us that Paul was dragged out of the temple. Look at one more passage in 2 Cor. 11:24-29. The dangers Paul faced because of his devotion to Christ and the Word of God were frequent, real, and life threatening. Paul wasn’t so much concerned for his personal safety – he wanted the Gospel to spread unhindered to the people that desperately needed to hear it. He wasn’t going to let a little thing like physical assault stand in his way of fulfilling the mission God had for him.

We should be no different than Paul. He had a calling of God on his life, and so do we. We were given the same mandate found in Matt. 28:19 to make disciples. Most of us are willing to share what it means to be a Christian if someone asks us, but are we willing to take the first step? Remember the emphasis on the Great Commission is to make disciples, not go. It is on teaching and following the commandments of Christ. Building relationships and making disciples is hard and time consuming. If that means we must be in danger, then so be it.

So Paul asks to be rescued, but rescued from what? He asks to be rescued from people. I think this is really ironic. Paul asks that the Thessalonians pray that they would be rescued, “From perverse and evil men.” Paul wants the Gospel to spread, but why not to the perverse and evil men? Can’t they be saved? Sure they can, but they haven’t. Perverse means showing a deliberate and obstinate desire to behave unacceptably. They are morally corrupt. Perverse and evil seem to be synonymous in this passage. Perversity is their goal.

So who are these men specifically? We can’t be exactly sure, but we do know that in the Acts account of the 2^nd missionary journey, there were Jews and Gentiles attacking Paul. One thing is for sure; these perverse and evil men were dead set against the spread of the Gospel and were willing to do whatever it took to stop it, even if it meant bringing harm to Paul and his companions. Did it deter Paul? Remember that he is writing this letter from Corinth because he was run out of Thessalonica. This persecution didn’t deter Paul, but sometimes it caused him to change his plans.

Remember when Paul left Thessalonica, he went to Berea where he preached and, “Many of them believed, along with a number of prominent Greek women and men.” (Acts 17:13) From Berea he went to Athens where he spoke at the Areopagus. Dionysius and Damaris are named among those that believed the Gospel message. Paul used every opportunity to speak the truth. We should be no different.

These men were perverse and evil, “For not all have faith.” Faith is the Greek word pistis that we talk about so much. It means complete trust or confidence and in this context, Paul is talking about saving faith. There is a direct connection between evil and faithlessness. The implication is that it is the faithless people that oppose the Gospel are evil people. It wasn’t just that these evil men happened upon Paul and his associates, the evil men pursued the righteous. They were evil not because they pursued Paul, but because they did not have faith. Paul and the others were righteous because they did have faith.

Faith can and must change a person. “Without faith, it is impossible to please God.” (Heb. 11:6) No matter how perverse and evil someone may be, salvation brings about the most miraculous transformation possible. 2 Cor. 5:17 says, “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.” The good news of the Gospel is that no one has to stay the way they are.

As long as people are in the world, there will be continued resistance to the Gospel. The Gospel is offensive to people because it reveals the truth of their hearts. It reveals the lack of hope someone has. The Gospel reveals the truth that you can’t do it on your own and you can’t make your own way. Don’t be surprised when lost people act like lost people. Without the influencing power of Christ, they can’t change.

No Excuse Sunday

To make it possible for our folks to attend church on Sunday, the Elders have proposed we take the following actions:

1. Cots will be available in the foyer for those who say, “Sunday is my only day to sleep in.”
2. Kevlar helmets will be available for those who say, “The roof will cave in if I ever came to church.”
3. Blankets will be available for those who say it is too cold and fans for those who say it is too hot.
4. Kayaks will be available in the pond for those that enjoy boating on Sunday.
5. Tree stands will be located at the edge of the church property for those that enjoy deer hunting. Rifles may be rented with a valid ID.
6. There will be hearing aids for those that believe I speak too softly and ear plugs for those who believe I am too loud.
7. Scorecards will be available to those that would like to document the hypocrites present.
8. There will be MREs available for those that are not able to cook and and participate in our services.
9. There will be golf clubs available for practice swings for those that prefer to golf on Sundays.
10. The current game scores and NASCAR race leaders will be scrolled on the sanctuary wall to ensure you keep up with the latest scores.
11. Wake up calls will be available for those that tend to over sleep.

Wordless Wednesday

Paul’s Viral Message

Listen to the podcast here.

Last time we were in Thessalonians we looked at Paul’s prayer for the Thessalonians.

We saw the gift of eternal comfort and good hope by grace simply because of God’s great love for us. Paul prayed for them and this morning Paul makes a very specific prayer request for his associates and himself.

2 Thes. 3:1 says, “Finally, brethren, pray for us that the word of the Lord will spread rapidly and be glorified, just as it did also with you.”

As we have seen in the past couple of messages, Paul was a prayer warrior. He told the Thessalonians that he prayed for them. He said the same thing to the Corinthians, Ephesians, Galatians, Romans, and Colossians. Now Paul makes one final request and asks this young church to pray and he is specific about it too. Biblically, prayer requests are fairly straight forward. Who to pray for. What to pray, etc. But like everything else, it seems we in the modern church have complicated even this basic principle of Christianity. Think about how you pray compared with the prayers found in Scripture.

1 Tim. 2:1-4, says that we are to pray for all men, especially those that are in authority. But the request specifically states to pray for, “A tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity.” The idea is that when there is peace, those godly people are free to spread the Gospel. But as we’ve seen from 2 Thes. 1, the Gospel spreads even amid persecution. In fact Paul’s prayer in 2 Thes. 1:5 was that they be, “Considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which indeed you are suffering.” He is essentially praying that the Thessalonians would continue to spread the Gospel, and all other goodness.  This was in the midst of persecution and suffering from the ungodly people that surrounded them. The result of that prayer is found in v. 12, “So that the name of our Lord Jesus will be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.”

Do our prayer requests sound like that? Or are our requests somewhat selfish? Healing, financial provision, job promotion, for our spouse to straighten up, kids, etc. The end result of those requests is generally for personal gain. Often prayer requests digress into no more than gossip. When you look at Paul’s requests throughout Scripture, you don’t see that. That doesn’t mean he didn’t want people to pray for him, but the emphasis was always that the Lord give him the power and ability to spread the Gospel, that the work of the Lord would continue. Even when we pray and ask for personal growth, it is for growth in the Lord that we would be able to live a life that is pleasing to Him. This always involves spreading the Word. This always involves Christian authenticity. This always involves obedience. I wonder how the power of God would be unleashed if we simply changed our prayer focus from personal gain to Godly gain. Paul’s prayers were always that believers would stand firm in Christ no matter the circumstances; that their faith and love would grow to each other and to all people, and that their love would be manifested in actions that glorify Jesus Christ.

Paul asks the Thessalonians to pray that, “The word of the Lord will spread rapidly and be glorified.” The Word of God was so central in Paul’s ministry. That may seem obvious, but it’s not always like that today. The Word of God has been put on a shelf in many people’s doctrinal positions. It is no longer our primary source of direction. You see it in how they live their lives. You hear it when you talk to people. For the Thessalonians Paul said that, “The Word of the Lord sounded forth from you in Macedonia and Achaia, but your faith in God has gone forth everywhere.” (1 Thes. 1:8) 1 Thes. 2:13 says that the Thessalonians received the Word of God from Paul, they received it for what it was – the Word of God.

Paul wanted the Word to spread. In Col. 4:2 Paul asked them to, “Pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ.” Paul knew that the Gospel message was the only hope people had and we have the same secret Paul had. Paul wanted the Word to, “spread rapidly.” Literally it means run; to open out; to increase surface area at a great rate of speed. Paul is not talking about running in place. Running means moving forward. Ps. 147:15 says, “His word runs very swiftly.” The Word ran fast to Thessalonica and it ran fast out of Thessalonica to Macedonia and Achaia. It spread everywhere and affected everyone. We would call it a viral spread today. There wasn’t anyone in that area of the world that wasn’t exposed to the life changing Word of God. That doesn’t mean everyone got saved, but they heard it. In Rom. 10:15 Paul says, “How will they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news of good things!” Paul quotes Is. 52:7. Paul didn’t just live a life of holiness, he talked about Christ and we need to do the same thing.

Paul’s desired goal for his request is found at the end of this first verse. “That the Word of the Lord would spread rapidly and be glorified.” Be glorified or attribute high honor and status. In Acts 13:48, “When the Gentiles heard [the Word], they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord; and as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed.” Paul desired that the gospel be honored; that it be seen as valuable and for its inherent transforming power. Paul mentions the Thessalonians as proof of the transforming power of the Word. The Word should always be glorified in our lives. The Word is glorified when we live by it. John 14:15, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” The Word is glorified when it runs swiftly from us just like it did in Thessalonica.

When you pray, do you pray for personal gain or for God’s gain? Are you a part of the viral spread of the message of the Bible? Are you glorifying the Word?

Wordless Wednesday

God is the Lord of Life

The podcast for this sermon can be found here.

Today is sanctity of human life Sunday. The one day of the year where preachers, pastors, and teachers of God’s Word will make an argument about why abortion is wrong. It will be no different here this morning. God is the Lord of my life. He directs my life, and only He can tell me when my life is over.

Look at Romans 14:8.

All across our country the sanctity or value of life at every stage is being undermined and eroded at an alarming rate. The decline of life became official on January 22, 1973 when Roe v. Wade was decided by the U. S. Supreme Court. The decision of the court overturned a Texas law prohibiting abortion citing a violation of the 14^th Amendment guaranteeing a right to privacy. In the lesser known companion case of Doe v. Bolton, the Georgia law prohibiting abortion was overturned the same day. Norma McCorvey (“Roe”) never had the abortion and has since become a strong pro-life advocate. Sandra Cano (“Doe”) says that her lawyer lied to her in order to get her as a plaintiff.

Since that January 22, 1973 decision, over 50 million unborn babies have lost their lives in America. 50 million; it’s hard to comprehend a number like that. That’s the population of FL, GA, SC, LA, AL, MS, AR, and KS combined. In recent years the battle has shifted to the opposite end of life. Assisted suicide and euthanasia have become hot topics for debate. In 1994, Oregon became the first state to legalize physician-assisted suicide. Since the law was enacted, 401 people have died as a result (through 2008). Washington State approved Initiative 1000 in 2008 allowing assisted suicide. Since this passed, the number of deaths has not been totaled, but six lethal prescriptions have been written. In the Netherlands, euthanasia is considered a medical treatment and is also an inexpensive treatment. In many cases, these physician assisted suicides are a financial decision – the people cannot afford to be treated since they will die anyway. Those in favor of assisted suicide argue that it gives terminally ill patients the freedom to bring their suffering to an end and die in a dignified manner. Those who oppose the idea assert that it undermines the sanctity of human life.

So who’s right?  How do we make a decision on this issue?  Do we put it to a November vote? As I have so often encouraged you to do so in the past, we must look to God’s Word for direction and guidance. God has not changed His mind because of new information or research. So what’s the Bible say? I think Paul sums it up pretty well in our text, “For if we live, we live for the Lord, or if we die, we die for the Lord; therefore whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s.” It should be noted that the word for die here means from a natural death. It’s not the same word used for kill or murder.

God is the Lord of my life. I am not the Lord of my life. The U. S. government is not the Lord of my life. The popular vote is not the Lord of my life. God is the Lord of my life. He is the one who gives me life. He is the one who directs my life. Only He can determine when my life is over.

No life is an accident. No matter what the circumstances of conception is, the simple fact that we are on this planet is not the result of some weird twist of fate or some random result of billions of years of evolution. We did not just happen to develop from a blob of tissue in our mother’s womb. God gave us life. Speaking to God David says, “For You formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother’s womb.  I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Your works, And my soul knows it very well.” (Ps. 139:13-14)

Have you ever been in the room when a baby was born? It’s a pretty incredible experience as you watch a new life enter the world. With babies, no assembly is required. There are no little parts that might be lost. They come with hands and feet, tiny little toes and fingers. They have hearts that pump their own blood. They have lungs that breathe and ears that hear and vocal chords that never tire. A new born baby is incredible. No group of scientists – no matter how smart or sophisticated they might be can duplicate the miracle of life. Every birth is a testimony to the wisdom and power of our heavenly Father, the one who gave us life. This didn’t take Paul by surprise. Speaking to the people in the city of Athens in Acts 17:25 Paul says, “He Himself gives to all people life and breath and all things.”

Life is a gift from God just like everything else I have. No matter what society may dictate, no matter what our spouses may say to us, no matter what I may think, my life does not belong to me, it is not my own. Life belongs to God. He is the Lord of my life. Besides giving me life, God also directs my life. The Apostle Paul was not always a Christian. Paul started out as Saul – a great persecutor of the Church. When he was on the road to Damascus, he was on his way to gather up all the Christians, “That he might bring them bound back to Jerusalem.”Saul’s plan was to destroy the Church – God’s plan was for Paul to reach the world for Christ.

Martin Luther started out to be a lawyer, but God changed that. It was Luther that began the Protestant Reformation in 1517 when he posted his 95 Theses on the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany. It was Luther that brought Scripture back to the forefront as the foundation for doctrine. He broke from the Catholic Church and taught that salvation was by grace, not by works.

D. L. Moody started out as a shoe salesman and became the greatest evangelist of the 19^th Century.

God has a plan for my life and a plan for your life. Ps. 23:3 says that, “He guides me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.” You may have plans to be a doctor, or lawyer, or government worker, or whatever. But what about God’s plans? Are your plans the same as God’s? Regardless of whether my plans turn out or God redirects my life in some other direction, I must trust that God will lead and guide me in the way that is truly best for me and fulfills His plans for me. He is the Lord of my life. And He is the one who determines when my life is over. Hebrews 9:27 says, “And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment.”Appointed comes from the word that means reserved for one. God is the one that makes the reservation. God is the one who gives life and God alone has the right and authority to end life. That’s why murder is wrong. That’s why suicide is wrong. That’s why assisted suicide is wrong.  That’s why abortion is wrong. David understood that when he said, “My times are in Your hand.” (Ps. 31:15)

Many people don’t have a high regard for the sanctity of human life. You see that in TV and the movies and particularly in video games. People today really think they’re the ones in charge of their lives including many Christians. They make decisions and God’s plan is never consulted, God’s Word is never scrutinized, and people carry out their plans then wonder what in the world went wrong when it doesn’t work out the way they thought it would. Society reasons that if a woman gets pregnant and doesn’t want to have a baby then she should be able to make the decision to terminate the pregnancy. Society reasons that if someone is terminally ill, their life should be allowed to end. There are Christians that believe the same thing. I just don’t see that reasoning in Scripture.

When you look at life through God’s eyes, you get a different perspective. God is a God of incredible, nearly indescribable love. You see that love demonstrated over and over again. Not only is God a God of love, but He is a God of forgiveness. 2 Peter 3:9 says God is, “Not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.”There are about 125 direct references to forgiveness in Scripture and nearly all of those references are divine references. They are references about God’s forgiveness of our sin.

Abortion is a sin, but in God’s eyes, it is no different than lying, or stealing, or gluttony, or gossip, or any other sin that God is not only able to forgive, but wants to forgive. If you have had an abortion, God wants to forgive you.

• Is. 1:18 sums it up.  “Though your sins are as scarlet, they will be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they will be like wool.”

• Ro. 5:20. “The Law came in so that the transgression would increase; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more.”

• Ps 51:7, “Purify me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.”

• Eph 1:7-8, “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace which He lavished on us. In all wisdom and insight.”

Abortion is wrong. Life is sacred to God and it should be sacred to us. Don’t live in the past, allow yourself to be bathed in the love and forgiveness that is found in Jesus Christ.

If you’ve had an abortion, God is able to forgive you, He wants to forgive you. He wants to help you to live for Him. He is able to comfort you from the pain of regret, from an overwhelming sense of sorrow and guilt.

Special thanks to the Life Issues Institute and Pastor Martin Bentz for the outline of this sermon.

Wordless Wednesday

Paul’s Prayer

You can listen to the accompanying podcast here.

Last week we looked at the importance of sticking to the traditions first given by the apostles that have been recorded in the N.T. A firm devotion to the Scriptures will help keep us on the path of righteousness and will help us identify false teaching. This morning we’ll look at Paul’s prayer for the brethren.

Look at 2 Thes. 2:16-17 for today.

Paul thanked God for choosing the Thessalonians in 2:13, he encouraged them to stand firm in 2:15, and now Paul shifts to a prayer. Prayer is a vital aspect of Paul’s relationship to the Lord. Paul told these believers in 1 Thes. 5:17 to, “Pray without ceasing.” He prayed in 2 Cor. 13:7 that those believers would do no wrong. He also prayed that they would be made complete two verses later. Paul prayed for believers in Rome, Ephesus, and Colossae. He prayed for Timothy, and Titus, and Philemon. He asked for prayer from the Ephesians and the Thessalonians. Clearly Paul spent a lot of his time devoted in prayer. Prayer should be a regular part of your daily routine. Not just before meals. Not just at bedtime with the kids. Not just when you’re in crisis. Not just when you need something.

In verse 16 Paul says, “Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, who has loved us and given us eternal comfort and good hope by grace.” It’s the Father and the Son again just like in 1 Thes. 1:1 and 1 Thes. 3:11only this time Paul lists the Son first. The Father and Son is a plural subject, but Paul uses the singular pronoun “who” and the singular verb “loved.” This may not seem like a big deal, but Paul is saying that Jesus and God are separate yet equal and unified. Everything that comes from God is because of His great love for us. Remember in John 3:16 that, “God so loved the world . . .” 1 John 4:9 says, “By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him.” And John 3:35 says, “The Father loves the Son and has given all things into His hand.” The word for love is the same in these verses. God has the same love for you that He has for His own Son. Try and wrap your brain around that.

Look at v. 16 again, “Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, who has loved us and given us eternal comfort and good hope by grace.” There are two elements of the gift: eternal comfort and good hope. God is the source of unfailing comfort in all your trials, in all your circumstances, in all your failings. In 2 Cor. 1:3, He is the, “God of all comfort.” Phil. 2:1, “if there is any consolation,” it is in Christ. This eternal comfort is a gift based on unmerited favor. The only hope we have is because of God’s gift. It is eternal comfort by grace.

The second element of the gift is good hope. Hope comes from the Greek word that means confidant expectation. It is a good hope because of its source. It is a good hope because it is built on the foundation of grace. 1 Peter 1:3 calls it a living hope. Paul says hope does not disappoint in Rom. 5:5. It is the hope of the Gospel in Col. 1:23. It is  a blessed hope in Titus 2:13. In Romans 8:24 Paul asks the rhetorical question, “For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for who hopes for what he already sees?” Why would you have hope in something that is in front of you? He answers the question in the next verse, “But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it.” That terrible combination of words: persevere and wait. That waiting is an eager wait – an apparent contradiction and oxymoron. This is, “The hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised long ages ago.” (Titus 1:2) Eternal comfort and good hope, all bestowed on us by grace because of God’s great love.

While God gives us eternal comfort and good hope by His grace, in v. 17 Paul directs us to, “Comfort and strengthen your hearts in every good work and word.” Is this the same as eternal comfort by grace? Remember what was going on in this letter. They are in the midst of persecution and suffering, but they are persevering. Their faith is growing; their love toward one another is growing, but there was false teaching out there that caused them confusion and concern. So why is it that so many Christians are unsettled? Why are so many Christians wavering? Why do so many Christians seem to go in spurts? Why are so many Christians controlled by their emotions? They don’t feel like God is there. They don’t think that God cares. Have you ever noticed that those times only come when things are going bad? When things are good, you don’t hear Christians walking around thinking God doesn’t care about them. It is when the troubles or bad times come that people waver. They waver because their faith is not built on the firm foundation of God and His Word. James 1:8 says, “A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.” There are no, “I know, but . . .” statements. Matt. 12:34, “For the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart.” Real comfort gives you strength. Even in the most difficult circumstances, the comfort of God washes over you. You are firmly established in God’s love because you know God and His Word.

Now do understand that doesn’t mean you’ll never have trouble or trials, but your response will be biblical and not emotional. God does not waver and neither should you. Pr. 16:3 says “Commit your works to the LORD and your plans will be established.” He is the Rock.  He is the firm foundation.  He is the unchanging.  He is the hope.

Haiti (from Precept Camden)

My heart is broken for Haiti. This picture says it all for me. Want to help? The EFCA Crisis Response is in the process of mobilizing teams to go. They need money to do it. Go here to donate. I did.

One of my favorite blogs, Cake Wrecks , also has some great ways to donate here. I especially like texting the Red Cross to donate $10. It automatically shows up on your cell phone bill. A painless way to give. I did that, too.

Pray? Yes. Of course. Absolutely. But let’s face it. They need money to help with this crisis. The need is urgent. So pray and GIVE.

Wordless Wednesday