1 Thessalonians 1:4-5 (Part C)

Whitey why do you come to church hopefully to be built again like do that on my own that upside about systems been designed by the designer.

You come to Christ is no longer owned and operated by me is owned and operated by the Lord's concept that seems to be rejected by so many people sitting in pews that he is not my Lord is just my Savior. I preach on this all the time. This is cross reference radio with our pastor and teacher Rick Gaston. Ricky is the pastor of Calvary Chapel Mechanicsville. Pastor Rick is currently teaching through the book of first Thessalonians. Please stay with us after today's message to hear more information about cross reference radio, specifically how you can get a free copy of this teaching today on cross reference radio. Pastor Rick will continue teaching through first Thessalonians chapter 1.

I'm his slave. He can do or not do with me as he pleases. And they have been some intense times lesson. Why didn't you let me say that God is like what you stupid said I know what I asked you not say what doesn't work that way. Why does it work well you finding out how it works you like that, no I don't okay go get away from do that part he never does. So the next time I'm coming in sometime if I'm in the Lord, you know I've asked you to make sure I don't say silly things in the pulpit.

God says you know there's some things you ask for me to fulfill. I have to take you out of this world like that of a right now not to. We cross this bridge.

I want to go into the water known to so part of being a Christian servant is accepting decedent that he's God if he is let me this way. He's no less God of you in this way I wanted to be still, my God makes me his slave bondslave. See the difference between the bondslave and the slave and the Jewish mind was that the bondslave wanted to remain a slave.

That's what makes it love but in the world.

A slave has no choice has no rights is not love his chattel is just a piece of possession. See the difference when we go back to the free will I choose I choose to have him all my ear to the post because I love him enough and all of them anywhere nearly as much as he loves me.

I love them enough to make a difference in my life and this is power to be able to accept from the hand of God.

Harsh things and still preach with power is the mark of a believer. We judge God by how much pain he allows or disallows in our life. Who are we to judge God.

We are to accept it. Understand where he is going with it. This is why this man Paul was able to take the beatings that he took and still preach with the power that he had so he goes to Phil from Philippi to Ethel and I got still bruised and he preaches with power. So Christ came to Thessalonica to Paul never would've gone there without a man like Paul would've had to raise somebody else up. Paul was the one we speak of the coming of Christ, we speak again of his coming into view is always here when he comes he comes into view coming of Christ to earth his birth, his life, his death and resurrection the ascension. These are scriptural and Paul took advantage of that and so he had goes in the Thessalonica lid we read about it next chapter 17 in verses two and three, which is the account of him entering into the city. He says says Paul, as his custom was went into them, and for three Sabbath reasons with them from the Scriptures explaining and demonstrating that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead and saying this Jesus whom I preached to you is Messiah is reaching out to the Jews as this is the one that Isaiah talked about Christ is him to become Christ to us because that's the Greek for the Hebrew word Messiah. So the coming of Christ. Scripturally that's what we believe. That's what we preach. Whether the is through thick and thin inside the gospel is the coming of Christ when you preached God loves you your your preaching.

He really came here really suffered and died. God has one son, one child with no sin, this Jesus Christ.

He has no child without suffering that's us and that was him to coming of Christ is into my heart, that is salvation. So the preaching of Christ that Scripture, the coming of Christ in my heart that is salvation. That's what happened to the Thessalonians that twice its beloved brethren, you are elected could not say that before he got there and the coming of Christ is upon my life after I am saved. That is sanctification is a process that is all the difference between mature Christians and immature Christians. That is all the difference between mature Christians who have pockets of immaturity. Still working on still being worked out, then the coming of Christ upon my life goes from sanctification to through my life, which is service as we mature we not serving in God's house because we think we can do it all. That should be part of it. But if you come to church if you want to get involved because I like being active or because I have I can make this a better place. Those are good things, but they're not first the first thing is I am a slave of Jesus Christ. I am here to serve as a willful slave whatever he wants me to do this Thessalonian letter one and two is about the coming of Christ on all these levels scripturally salvation sanctification service. The coming of Christ for his church.

The rapture coming of Christ with his church to return of Christ. The second advent in the end all of this belongs to this Jesus Christ is come into view for us that we could do something with this information why he why do you come to church hopefully to be built up again like do that on my own. Never that's outside of how the system is been designed by the designer of the system you come to Christ is no longer owned and operated by me is owned and operated by the Lord. This is a concept that seems to be rejected by so many people sitting in pews that he is not my Lord is just my Savior.

I preach on this all the time very problematic. I would have to answer with. I don't want to stand before the Lord, and he says to me you saw the Christians that were brought into the presence of your speaking, you saw the problems and you ignore them. Why aren't you ignore on a planus I'm not going I don't want to. Given that shot, I don't want to be at last that of me want to be able to say Lord you put it on my heart those things that were unsaid that needed to be said were spoken. I want him to say well done. That's what I'm talking about. I don't want I can listen we cannot impress Jesus Christ, but we can try – with beauteous the pursuit of holiness when he said be perfect like I am perfect, be perfect like my father heard that heaven is perfect. They could sit there, that's too much standards too high would never do that when he said it. They stood for the challenge.

Writers go after it is the pursuit of righteousness. It makes us righteous is the going. It is the very thing that the unrighteous person will not do, they will not pursue righteousness. They will pursue some other lifestyle because there owned and operated by some other than God.

So when he says, but also in power to be successful in preaching the gospel. There has to be the power of the Holy Spirit in operation. Just go try to convert your community.

Find out Paul had caused a riot in Thessalonica, he would going to cause a riot in Ephesus and Jerusalem. I haven't started any riots that I've know about that like to do at least one have that on my resume cause a riot in your name Lord man that would be nice if I could just get a stunt double to take the beating for me and sorry cause a riot in Thessalonica which you know he leaves but he has at least three as I said to more ahead of him and he cause these riots because he went after the sacred cows. Is it did not go into the city send out you people believe in what is all wrong. Although that was true. He went into the sitting is that I want to tell you about Jesus Christ and I don't know what you've heard in the past.

Maybe you've heard nothing maybe heard the wrong things. But I'm going to tell you how it is from the Scripture that is what he did and there is where the power was now you may say listen pastor I have set two sermons and I have been moved in my heart to go out in this with this just an quest for Jesus Christ and then I get tripped up.

I fail of my own sin. Hound me like a dog it doesn't come out as wonderfully as it seemed when I was listening to in the sanctuary. That's your excuse. That's all you got all it didn't work out who Satan could beat you senseless with that kind of thinking is the kind of thinking that causes him to to get afraid when hear someone say he's getting up again all man that guy again.

That's what God wants from us. That's called perseverance, not hypocrisy. Not saying what you know is true and knowing you have no intention of following it through saying what you know is true and giving it everything you've got to make it so. In your own life, so it had not been just an emotional experience of these Thessalonians is not just hear the gospel is that while the oratory skills of the apostle Paul. They are splendid they listen to what he said Mrs. this is our God junk. These little fake ideas we've had and to make it authentic. They took a beat down, they took persecution. I got some junk mail the other day who doesn't write electronic junk mail from a church that was said to be in Pakistan. Now, if you know anything about Pakistan or if you know nothing about Pakistan.

Pakistan used to be part of India. But when Gandhi and Nehru broke from British rule. The deal was this that piece of land now known as Pakistan that footprint would be a separate country. It would be an Islamic country and so they forced they relocated the people that live in that territory came into India who the Hindus and Sikhs, and other faiths and the Muslims work went into any of the ones that wanted to go when into what is now Pakistan and that is the Pakistan nation of Pakistan, and here is this little church in Pakistan. Thriving amongst the outcasts and one on the website and symptoms of a chance, so long as so long as they're quiet and they're not making converts the freedom to exist the moment they step off the reservation moment they start making an impact on the surrounding state, and in that area is going to destroy. That's real faith, so their inviting passes, and you know I don't that every need need is not a calling. I don't believe just because somebody says, to go was one saying come has to be God.

And if you can discern the voice of Lord you shouldn't go well anyway and unfortunately pause there again.

Many people do go when they're not called by God were called by men, and it often ends disastrously. Much of what we call missions is another sacred cow which much of what we call missions is just a babysitting center for teens to go explore the world is nothing to do with the preaching of the gospel has everything to do would look what I did before I went to see my pictures of me real real missions involves the preaching of the gospel to a people that don't have. You want to get involved in real missions then get involved in a ministry like a far-reaching ministry of Asia get involved in the PTA. Better training of Asia far-reaching ministries of those of Africa, mostly African and Sudan okay got all these little letters in my head alphabet soup here. My point is I just just the other day I'm reading a letter from pastoral training of Asia Jim Davies this is a humbling great man of God goes into all these places I judge a man by what he eats. If he eats things that I would never eat.

I have allotted matter admiration for him just roll and cook for me. But anyway so he's in Vietnam and is preaching to the pastors there and everything there is a secret they condemning the communist will allow them so long as they do not make too much bring too much attention to themselves.

So he says will were in Vietnam, but the restaurant that sells only goat meat was closed so we had to go to another restaurant and there he had cow got soup the most truly is soup that is ever had. He says I am sure it would've been for me, but I would rather starve to death was and am a pastor. I'm doing my own service right now. Funeral service so that I really.so what my point is you and he says these things matter of fact he knew he eats.

Did you know the way you tell missionaries of new missionaries new missionaries pick out the bugs. These men are going into places where there's a hunger for God's word, the pastors that their teaching many of them don't know how to present a message. What they do is they memorize someone else's message and they just speak it well. They need to have homegrown messages from the Lord, and there in this closed system in these kind of men are going into this area and not just Amanda bringing their families with them in the going for short runs like to three months and they get out and to three months and they get out they going to places where no vehicle goes you take a donkey to get their own walk through the jungle. Another letter a few weeks back. He was talking about, that the church building wasn't finished and so part of the roof was still open and the end it was during rain season, so the congregation on the bedside at all over the others. I was quite crowded with chickens and goats moving through in the humidity that was killing them.

My point is that I don't remember my point is the power of the gospel and I listen to these I read these letters lose is just a part of me says thank you Lord for calling me to air-conditioned ministry coffee machine in the back running water, plumbing, nice truck than the other part amigos man this is painful but I have no right to say that service I'm doing that and then back up to 60 I'm heading out to cow got soup so I can validate my Christian ministry God calls God provides.

When he leads a person to do something. He's calling them to do. He gives them everything they need to do it not only the external tools but the internal resources, the desire, the passion for the people.

If you don't love the people in your workplace. Don't preach to them. If you don't love them in your community.

Leave them alone.

You don't understand the love of Jesus Christ, you got work to do on your knees, you need to's take a day and just call out to the Lord and ask him to rain upon you the love of Christ.

You have to love ugly people. If you're going to be effective. I don't mean physically ugly. I mean people who are mean, who are unforgiving or self-righteous or superstitious or wrong, misguided under the care of Satan owned and operated by the enemy. We have to love them and you know I've been for some time noticing Lord I want to be more tender in the pulpit and he hasn't said yes or no, you would have the judge that but I'm sorry I have this chip on my shoulder.

That is been put there by Christianity. I am offended at had how dull it is in preaching the truth that was leading me to hell I go to church and I get everything except the truth from God's word.

So now that it's my turn to be able to share the gospel. I don't ever want to lose sight of the things that hurt the gospel so I attack them, but I try not to attack the people, but it's not easy to come away feeling like they've been rebuked by the truth. Fine. But I don't want them to think that they been hated on by the pastor. Well, we need to finish this verse will only get this far here in verse five he says, and in the Holy Spirit and in much assurance in the Holy Spirit and in much assurance is what we're lacking brothers and sisters we lack assurance so many doubts. I did really, is that really into where is the authority that comes with being immersed in the Holy Spirit immersed soggy spilling over touching others. Where is this passion. Why is it missing takes problematic problem-solving steps to correct this herein, teaching them he introduces them to the Holy Spirit bites by the to the Trinity by speaking of the Holy Spirit and the father and the son giving them doctrine, don't you think for one minute that your passion will make up for doctrine and don't think that your doctrine will make up for passion.

If you have doctrine.

If you have solid teaching with no burden of love, then you're just in your nuisance to God.

What if you have all this love, but not passion is not obedient.

Love is not Christ given love. It's not agape it's something else have to have them both. You have to have knowledge of the Scripture without puffing up without trying to be the boss. Because you know more than the other guy staying under the leadership of God, ambitious souls in Christ's ache to be effective. If you if you've ever had a desire to minister and no opportunity you know it is physically painful is like missing someone. It is a form of grief that you, Lord, you've given me this desire but no outlet, no vehicle to do anything about it. While if I'm speaking to you. You are not give up on that. I can remember back in where I came from not begging the Lord leaning on him, God, you got to give this to you cannot leave me with a calling and nothing else. God knew what he was doing he didn't need me to say that what he needed me to say that he needed me to articulate what he was doing inside of me.

The only way to do that certain times in our walk is to have it expressed out of us to have it squeezed out of us very things that we don't want the very inconveniences that we work very hard to avoid a very things that he has to used to make us men and women of action who can go into a place where Jesus is not and bring Christ there and leave it with Christian not as exception. So this is where enclosing with this point.

You see Paul going in the Thessalonica see yourself going into your place of work or to your school to your wherever it is you find yourself is no different. Much of our work in America concerning preaching the gospel is to Christians who think they have it because they have the external word. Nothing on the inside. Then the other half are to those unbelievers who hate us because they been given the wrong information than are those that hate us, simply because there the devil's children. As Jesus said the devil spawn we go to talk about Jesus said, your children, your your fathers of the devil. And that's what it means when we talk about this love of Jesus understand it is not without boundaries. When Jesus dealt with people who were harmful spiritually.

He was fierce with them as I just said you're a brood of vipers. He said to them, your father is Satan.

Now how tough is that.

So don't think that this love this Christian love is this airheaded stuff that is useless in the face of a fierce devil Christian love is well thought out.

It is eternal. It is the most powerful force in the universe is able to take someone that is filthy and make them pure unlike anything else. So don't get tired of hearing about Christian love, so long as a defense way to not get tired of hearing about Christian love is to understand what that true love of Christ is about. Otherwise, the diverse God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son can become so overplayed that it has lost its effect among the righteous, and it should not, we hear that verse God so loved the world, I know what I say what help me as I have a hard time making when I find a decent one that's easy to love seems to fall out of love with them in the flesh because the rejection is not agape. Agape love is for your stuff moved. Thanks for tuning in to cross reference radio for this study in the book of first Thessalonians cross reference radio is the teaching ministry of pastor Rick Gaston of Calvary Chapel Mechanicsville in Virginia to learn more information about this ministry. Visit our website cross reference radio.com once you're there you will find additional teachings from pastorate. We encourage you to subscribe to our podcast.

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