1 Thessalonians 2:1-4 (Part A)

I'd rather be a little inconvenience and read the hard thing from Scripture knowing that they are edifying, they will build us up if we would receive them as just take away from me.

The noise of your song, so I will not hear the melody of your stringed instruments. What is what he wants that justice run down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream. You tell someone the truth today and they get offended at all that think you're being harsh since when did telling the truth be calm, harsh, 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, but for now let's join Pastor Rick in the book of first Thessalonians chapter 2 with today's edition of cross reference radio turn to Thessalonians. Paul's first letter to the Thessalonians chapter 2, I suppose so. Historian, so tell us much about what Paul looks like, though there is one.

One statement mentions that he was sure rather bald with both legs and thick eyebrows but he was one tough servant of the Lord is just phenomenal. I get so much from this man and Jeremiah their stick to witness for Christ well of the three churches in the region of the world at Thessalonica was in that pole started. They were all a success good ministries he had come into Europe. What is now the country of Greece. The northern section known as Macedonia. At that time.

Some still call it Macedonia, but Gary was the start of the church and Macedonia onto Berea and worked his way down to Corinth and the successes of these churches answer for us why it is that God allowed Paul and Silas, who was with him to suffer the beatings that they took in Philippi and for Timothy to witness the beatings and still stay with them see Satan's resistance sprung up from people devoted to wrong things.

Often times things poorly thought out foolish things, harmful things doesn't seem to stop wickedness just keeps right on going causes us great amount of concern. As a matter of fact, what he was chased from this region from Macedonia where God sent him so let me get this right, God, you are sending me to Macedonia to start a church to preach Christ and I've succeeded in doing that, but I had to take a heavy beating in the process. Yes, it's a mess right God would answer and then you going to chase me from those places to other places. Even though the work is doing well. Yes that is exactly what I'm going to do and then going to take another beating and ship rack and all sorts of markings and middle people laughing at me and all these other things just to preach the Christ takes away sin that that's what's going on with you, God, right, that is exactly it will have but I pray you protect me from the beatings. You can pray, but that doesn't mean I'm going to do it. You are my servant, I need you to do these things or they will get done. I find somebody else don't know. I'd rather do it myself.

You having to go look for somebody else, then this is how it turns out to be in.

This is why it's so shocking and disappointing and striking that Christians get so upset over a piece of lint comparatively. That's out of place in the church volunteer were going out of here is a loving spirit. I understand that the truth is not being given. I'm talking about, and the truth is being given from the pulpit that is the main part of the church. Why did God ordained preaching because we needed this what it takes.

Just go on for a while. Without it, and watch what happens to you much a week. You become something God has done, not man, so how did Paul arrive in this hot zone. As I said it was led by the Holy Spirit of God. How did God do that will got close doors. That's how he led Paul we read about it in acts chapter 16 verse you have to have a servant that is looking for what God wants, not with they want in acts 16 in verse nine. This is before he gets to to Thessalonica. We read and a vision appeared to Paul in the night a man of Macedonia.

That's where he's going to end up getting that beating in Philippi, a man of Macedonia stood and pleaded with him, saying, come over to Macedonia and help us know after he had seen the vision immediately we sought to go to Macedonia, concluding that the Lord had called us to preach the gospel to them. So off he goes to Philippi, where again he had great success. You know the Philippian letter is a beautiful letter.

Every Christian should read at least once a year.

Why was he sent there while he concluded, this is the Lord's leading why did he go because there were converts in waiting. In other words, there were people there that were going to get saved, but only if God servants got there to share the gospel with them. Paul did not know who they were. He thought there were people in Bithynia. That's where he wanted to go in the God shut the door.

There and then he wanted to go to Asia.

God said no that's not where I want you to go either… This is Asia minor.

What we now call in modern-day Turkey, not Asia such as China and Japan that part of the Orient, but he's forbidden to go to these regions. He will end up there later, at least in Asia minor, Peter will preach to those in Bithynia and all the saints will travel around, but at this time in history, God is closing because I don't want you to go where you think you want to go, I want you to go where I know there are converts who are ready. That's what I'm sending you. So that's the story surrounding this church and in Thessalonica, Philippi, Thessalonica, Berea, the churches and in Macedonia that was very successful, he will end up being chased from Berea down to Athens and into Corinth and then he'll have more troubles. That's life and ministry is what it takes to be effective in verse one. Now we look in first Thessalonians chapter 2 it says for you yourselves know, brethren that are coming to you was not in vain. So he started testing out coming to you was not for nothing.

Even though we were chased out in time meant something to God, faith, exercise, demonstrated that God was not unmindful of people who he wanted to save from a short judgment is no different for us today so this indisputable meaningful force that goes behind the gospel. Real religion is a post false religion when read from Amos, the book of Amos chapter 5 Amos chapter 5 here this prophet Amos who found himself having to deal with a priest who was corrupting the priesthood that supported the corruption.

Amos was a prophet and he came to preach God's word in the midst of this religious corruption that you might find yourself in today. You may find yourself around people's I go to church. I believe in the Bible. They just care nothing about what it says and what it means is, so to just check the box and go on with their lives and expect God to bless them and and many times the practicing things that bring the wrath of God. And so here you come and say listen, this is an right well that's now you're in the office of a prophet in that sense.

And so this is God addressing this corrupt priesthood through Amos the prophet he's talking to the false leaders and he says God speaking through the prophet I hate. I despise your feast days and I do not savor your sacred assemblies will you offer me burnt offerings and your grain offerings.

I will not accept them nor will I regard your fatted peace offerings take away from me. The noise of your song. I don't hear you singing to me because you don't mean it, it's false.

It's a lie and I will not honor it in yet we have this practice going on today as though this is wonderful thing is what God wants wants us to sing to him even though we don't mean it. This is what the Bible teaches and continues to study the comfortable for me to stand and read.

But this is God's word is more of a it is rather greater. Just pleasure for me to skip over it though, so I'd rather be a little inconvenience and read the hard thing from Scripture knowing that they are edifying, they will build us up if we would receive them as a racist take away from me. The noise of your song, so I will not hear the melody of your stringed instruments. But that is what he wants that justice run down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.

You tell someone the truth today and they get offended at all that think you're being harsh since when did telling the truth become harsh to say it in the wrong way could be for sure but it still does not remove the guilt of those who are in violation continues in verse 25 of Amos chapter 5 did you offer me sacrifices and offerings in the wilderness 40 years old house of Israel.

Remember when Moses was leaning around doing all these miracles that you really worship me. Then God says. You also carried sick truth, your king and chew on your idols stars of your gods which you made for yourselves. So God says I was on to you the whole time you're pretending to follow me.

But really, you still had these for God's with you now. Wasn't all the people, the guilty would know who they were and the innocent would know who they were. They were to respond accordingly and so God always has a concern for his ministers that they would be effective even in the midst of persecution. As Paul was Galatians chapter 3 verse four is what Paul expresses to another church earlier on his concerns that he wasted his time with them first before I read from Galatians 3. Again, our verse chapter 2 verse one for you yourselves know, brethren, that our coming to you was not in vain. Paul wanted meaningful ministry is beatings I took in Philippi. I didn't take them for effort, just for the sake of it needs to come out of these things and so he says have you suffered the rights of the Galatians so many things but nothing if indeed it was in vain.

See in the church at Galatia.

Paul was concerned that the Christians were going away from Christ and moving into the system of checks and balances. This merit system of legalism you have to do this and you must do that and put your head this way and where these kind of shoes and face this way when you pray in all these rules and rituals and Paul was saying, hey, Christ took away all that he brought you in by love. You do decent and write things according to his word. Based on love, not because you think you're better than someone else prefer that you can earn favor with God can earn favor with God and who needs to cross of Christ. Just go work hard it would be a cruel thing to have Christ crucified.

There was some other way for you to be right with God. Legalistic mind there. The Judaizers of Galatia was saying well yet. We need Christ blood but you also need to hear they come.

Jesus said is one sin that I can't forgive, that is rejecting the Holy Spirit where the Holy Spirit is bring you to Christ but the legalist said there's 1 million sins that you need to watch out one things you have to do never say that with continues English, he says, I'm afraid for you Les, I have labored for you in vain so twice he said to them, have you suffered so many things in Maine if indeed they were vain.

I'm afraid for you Les, I have labored for you in vain. While Christ comes along. The Holy Spirit comes, he says do you have you been a Christian all this time for nothing. What is your understanding of the faith what's going on between you and I do you love me and my worthy of your time just like a little bitty a time each day. Is that too much to ask. Could you just sit down and read something from the Scripture from my word.

Could you just pray to me, while I would but I don't get the change that I want, so why bother praying God. That's why I choose not to answer your prayer.

You being the servant are supposed to say that I am worthy.

And if I choose not to answer. It's my prerogative.

Well, to get to that that place. You have got to have a relationship with Jesus Christ personally and has to be special and has to last not just a little while your entire life matter how old you get, or how young you are is so difficult to talk to the young Christians and have them nod their heads up and down and then go to opposite of what they were told so difficult to find the same thing taking place in the old Christians.

Some of you say we have heard this one before.

While not all of you act like you have so attributed then sometimes I say to myself the very same things. You know better. You know God's word.

How come you're not doing it because I am weak. God loves me anyway he picks me up. He says get back in there say yes Lord is great difference between being a hypocrite and a weakling. God can work with a weakling. Any weakling can take a punch on the chin and get up and take another one hypocrite not much God can do so it is again as though Paul has said of God had said to Paul, I will not waste the suffering you've done in my name that would make God indebted to Paul would not God will not, there will be no IOU handed to God. You cannot step forth rose as my oh you.

You owe me, look at all the things I did for you.

This money is fortunately those who go to heaven. Don't think that way.

In verse two he continues his but even after we had suffered before and were spitefully treated at Philippi, as you know we were bold in our God to speak to you the gospel of God in much conflict. So you see why introduce this by talking about the churches in Macedonia, the beating that we been stabbing this in front of us since we began the Thessalonian letter, he says, but even after this proves he was a bronco Buster type cowboy that they would throw them off you get back on it and throw them off you get back on it. What happens to us something bad happens to us why God did you allow it. You love me you said right here. I will never leave your number and we go on and on. While I don't think the Lord blames us for that. I just think that if we let it go too far.

It is not much more. He can do with us what would make me say that looking at life at the life of a man like Paul, I am still we just finished the book of Jeremiah and I'm still bothered by that that seen in the book of Jeremiah where pieces of the Babylonian army goes away because they have to deal with Egypt and so Jeremias is fine.

I'm going home had enough of the city life in Jerusalem and all of this bickering and fighting in the treatment I was going to go home and take some some days off and on his way out of the city. He gets arrested and accused of being a traitor and a defected to the enemy and so they put him in prison and he would've died there. Had it not been for 41 servant of the Lord was moved by the messages of Jeremiah went to the king, risking his own life on his on Jeremiah's behalf and bothered icy unity was that close to getting out of the city and having to put up with this stuff by these numbskulls you all feel that you read a news you check the news. Let's find out what they're up to now and you get off hi Jan, I can anybody be that wicked and stupid at the same time they can so Jeremiah continues to follow the Lord got thrown off the horse, he still falling.

Paul from off the horse still following great lessons, profound lessons or listen to this next thing that is six pieces, but even after we had suffered after we have suffered what can you say that going to suffer. This is what we can save you going to suffer. Make it count. See you young you younger Christians.

You may not have had enough failures to understand just how difficult it is to accomplish something for Christ. You're now you why. When I get that I get driving. I get my license. I get I'm on the do this and I'm gonna do this for Christ numbers and you get out and you start you find all the things that are thrown in your way by people you thought going to help you and as usual by you now are susceptible to bitterness. Can't believe it. Why bother. I been through this before joy. They wanted to some disgusted with God secretly but then I go to the description. If other men have gone before me have taken more than I have taken and they got back on the horse and they wrote others after we have suffered. We continued to serve the Lord with and I have a choice. My older years at choose sides.

My going to follow me to follow the Lord as examples an easy choice.

We're singing, I decided to follow Jesus, no turning back, no turning back world behind me, the cross before me who has a good place to be. As between a rock and a rock star place to be.

It's easier to go to the world and in the house. Vince joined the ranks they will crucify you like that Christian doesn't have that option. So he says again. But even after we had suffered before and were spitefully treated at Philippi, so having suffered at Philippi more shame, more suffering moves on. This was the case with the Lord Jesus himself.

He too suffered shame and the markings of people left it as an example for us there and get Dara there was a madman who was locked away from the people no one wanted be anywhere near the sky, the Lord goes there and delivers him from his madness in the process he destroys 2000 swine me.

There was Billy Graham that we first heard refer to them as deviled ham because it sent the demons into the pigs and they couldn't handle it.

One of the outstanding lessons of that story is one human being can hold more demons in 2000 pigs pretty powerful. Their people as a pigs song playing on. I never eat it.

Why is it unclean. I mean of using chickens healthy like you have been to a chicken farmer commercial game three before you get like 2 miles before you get there. Get your breath taken oxygen tank with you but anyway the people wanted Lord to get gone. After that, yet we see you helped him, but we lost our income. You're not good for the economy instead of saying you know this is incredible really need those pigs but would get to that in a minute. Lord you deliver this guy.

If you do that can you give us a pigs back to it's not healthy. They thought of it and so hardship in Christ is not mean we took a wrong turn often means we took the right turn and because that was the turn that we were directed to take. We engage the enemy so I did not go to Bithynia I did not go. Daisy goes to Philippi, he catches a beating because that was the plan of God.

And so we turn to Isaiah chapter 58 Isaiah 58, most of us know this verse, beginning in verse eight. My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are my ways, nor are your ways my ways, says the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, my thoughts than your thoughts. That's the reality of it.

God's ways are much higher than ours them much greater than ours and so we line up with them to be led by him and we don't slow down because of the setbacks spiritually, physically, we may have to but spiritually we don't so he says, as you know, because it was public knowledge. Again, Thessalonica was on the same nation way that Philippi was on. That's the major trade route were traveled fast from one city to the other if you were all along that route, and so the people in Thessalonica heard the morning news that what happened in Philippi, Depaul, and so when he got there he started preaching and they put two and two together and realize this was that man was beaten in Philippi. They were very attentive to what he had to say.

Imagine a sermon concluding by palling take sufficient to let me show you what I got.

The city just down the road before I got here for preaching the same thing in preaching to the fact he received the beating because he delivered a young lass from demon possession and he began to make converts.

That's why he got the beating in Philippi, but nowadays in our country. We don't take physical beatings.

We take verbal beatings were afraid of rejection I would share the gospel but I don't want to go through that line, you know, here comes what you believe what you want to believe and I believe what I want to believe and I don't want to hear we don't have that parts of the gospel. Look at the church in Pakistan. Imagine suicide bombers, so that's not listed.

It's not right. Demonic bombers, people who were possessed by Satan, who think they're serving God by slaughtering in us who have no concept of what it means to be and how what love means you see when Islam speaks of love this saying it this way.

I love those who hate like I that's their love.

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