1 Thessalonians 2:1-4 (Part B)

Goggles how to influence us to do what he wants us to do is is it did not exultation did not come from arrow. Paul's opponents were accusing him of being wrong in his theology of being deceitful, even trying to get other things from people by preaching, telling them what they wanted to hear. Who doesn't want to hear that God loves me and will receive me even if I'm a sinner who doesn't want to hear that.

Why is why is something not well let me put it this way. Not every time something too good to be true. 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 the second chapter of the book of first Thessalonians in Christianity in many circles, and so damn sure witness that many folks are actually saying. I'd rather destroy Christianity and be destroyed by Islam than to gives Christianity to satisfaction of being right, they don't word it that way but that's what's going on just going to Wikipedia look up anything scientific or religious, and listen to the lies and the hatred in their.and that I was just you looking at some things you know we think about how largest universes we have Genesis Genesis 1 in the beginning God created you think about how big space is first of what is space what is the gas is what is space anyway.

It's a place for my wife to put things man you want to laugh louder but you're afraid and I have great regret that I said that out loud. But anyway you can put earth you can put it in the moon.

I don't know a million times a dominant son part of the moon, the sun is like a million times bigger than the earth, then you could take the sun and you can put it in some of the other sons*that out there like Absalom like 3000 times or more Hastings a huge and then the space in between them.

Light years apart. This greatness of God. How can someone write the things they write in these articles, some fact checking on checking some facts I have to swim through all of billions and billions of years ago the print out sheet on that yet. The timestamp, if you found witnesses made our crew are involved in my mind.

19 billion years ago. They don't but they're so turned off to Christianity there willing to believe any lie they can get their hands on.

As an alternative to Christianity and this is the cause of persecution against Christ because who out there is saying who out there is preaching. God loves you so much is willing to die for you. In fact, he did and even though you are a sinner of the worst sort, no matter what kind you are still take you in and he'll make you his own. Who else is preaching this who will would reject this.

Yet it is being rejected. Paul was able to understand early on you.

This is incredible.

I been part of Judaism, but the development of my own religion is so wonderful in Christ but are announced at all. In fact, I counted as trash. That's what he said, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward all of his education and universities. He had to toss away.

Moses did the same thing when Moses writes Genesis. He was educated. Incidentally, in the schools of the Egyptians, but doesn't write about the theories of creation about all turtles swimming through space, holding up your doesn't write that stuff he told all the way in rather than human reason he goes with divine revelation begins to share with what God told him were supposed to learn from these things. So in verse three where he says for our exhortation did not come from error or uncleanness, nor was it in to see what that exultation is preaching and is preaching the very things that Moses preached that Jeremiah live Christ came and developed and revealed to us. Our exhortation not an exhortation to good to be true, one with false promises and mistakes and lies is true through and through. So what about all of that you know and are there many great meaning scholars out there. Listen, just because a person is a scholar doesn't mean he knows everything, even about the subject. He claims to be a scholar in imagine if I your pastor you you asked me a question and I gave you the answer you did like these and I said to you. I'm a pastor you have to agree with me you would laugh at that. I hope you would. Well, just because a person is an expert doesn't mean they know what all will.

Who doesn't know God does but the individual that we, the individual must approach knowledge cautiously, humbly, not looking for a fight with an attitude and understand when they can't go any further that they just don't have the go any further. God is taking them as far as any.

There will be a lot of men and women and children in heaven who did not know half the things I know about the Scripture, and may have been better served instantly. I'm sure I'm sure there I know you say no. No way, pastor's be humble when my humble badge, but they took it from me when I said I wasn't aware anyway.

This I exhorted you from a man who had every natural right to charge God with letting him down and he did not. I repeated that several times that organisms in different ways because that's what we do as you get older we charge God.

If God says you know what I would come down and hit you upside your head next time you do that would stop doing it, but he doesn't do it that way. He wants us to follow out of love, Jonah, for example.

That was an exception God pretty much. Instead of smacking upside his head. Hence the whole head and body swallowed by a whale. But it didn't do that every day to Jonah happy, a bit much goggles how to influence us to do what he wants us to do this.

Is it did not exultation did not come from error.

Paul's opponents were accusing him of being wrong in his theology of being deceitful, even trying to get other things from people by preaching, telling them what they wanted to hear. Who doesn't want to hear that God loves me and will receive me even if I'm a sinner who doesn't want to hear that. Why is why is something not well me put it this way. Not every time something too good to be true is sometimes a telemarketer on the other end of the phone is too good to be true okay nevermind must back to this I want to read from charts Charles Spurgeon here.

Spurgeon wrote this in October 1888 almost 125 years ago to the month.

It says I have preach God's truth so far as I know it and I've not been ashamed of its peculiar at peculiarities that I might not cause ridicule to my testimony. I have cut myself clear of those who era from the faith, and even from those who associate with them to me.

One of the strongest parts of this quote is where he says I've cut myself clear of those who era from the faith, and even those who associate with this disfellowshipped that's what he saying so he saying that I really don't spend a lot of time with Christians or people who claim that the Christians and one with those who violate Christianity. I just separate from the Scripture teaches that was the whole idea behind God thing. Watch your alliances with the people in the land that I'm bringing you to you not to have ungodly alliances with them. They have been judged you not to get close and chummy with them because they will defile you now every parent you know that there are other children that you said yourself well you know I don't know if I want my child around the child is I don't want certain things to rub off. You have that right as a parent.

Incidentally, you don't have a right to do is belittle the others and take away from them their right to say the same thing about your case, but we understand the concept that there are influences out there that are harmful just because we are adults does not mean we are excused from practicing these very things. So Paul's motives, his methods, his message were unassailable. No one could come against what he was saying what he was doing and how he was doing it so this sought to hurt him. EM bounds wrote, perhaps one of the most definitive works on prayers first volume to six volume set.

But I first volume you get the whole thing. I don't know that I would follow his type of prayer amusement was up at 4 o'clock in the morning every day would pray for two hours I will have things to say that I fall asleep actually but but still it's a it's a good read for all Christians. And he certainly was a great Christian man and he says his men are looking for better methods.

God is looking for better men somewhere else to find better men see makes them lead us in men is in crisis a new creation holdings pathway. All things become new anybody here been dealing with the same problem for years. All right, that's understandable. What's not understandable is it you go from the faith because of it. In fact, should be the other way around. Should attack the problem continuously in Christ.

Do what you know is right.

You are a person of principle. If you know what you believe and why you believe it and stick to it no matter what the alternative is to be tossed to and fro by every wind of doctrine, have you ever met that person to go to one church like a flood want to go off to another church like a flip off and just never stop, tossed to and fro, never can stick their stake in the ground is safe. Here is where God has planted me, and here's where I will labor we call the place on the wall.

The castle wall place to be part of the fight against the devil. It is not good for Christians to be Rolling Stones. It is not good for us to be restless to a fault. Some can do it wisely. They are gifted in that way Paul was one Paul could not stay in one place long. If he wasn't driven out of the cities that we know what I pretty much got everything stabilized here. I need to take what God has given me and created somewhere else, so he would move on to the next town next place and then do it. There are those today that are the same way, but their motives, their motives are right there to the glory of God and not because they are simply restless in a sort of worn out their welcome. Some people have this feeling you know if I stay anywhere too long. People will be on to me to find out that I'm a fake. To find out that on this well if you keep that attitude, you will always first alter your first love you always see yourself that way, which is probably not the whole story probably destroy Satan's soul to you sometime back, and you've latched onto it. There may be parts of it that's true but it's not the whole truth, and secondly you're burying your talent. That way, how can you ever invest in something if you do not stay long enough to see its return. What if you had a pastor that the first time he was disgusted with somebody's treatment of him in the church that he left what they all did that you have no pastors. Satan would've one because God could not save that church. I have given some to be pastor teachers for the work of ministry, for the edification of the body of Christ needs people that stick to it because they know him, not simply because they've gotten a pep talk is a great difference between a coach in the locker room for giving his team a pep talk versus a pastor under the anointing of the Holy Spirit, telling it like it is you and the pew process is seeing it filtering out what might not apply to you and lay hold of that which God is given to you and then going off and doing something with it. This is the story of Christianity. This was the story of the those in Thessalonica when he came to the synagogue, he began to preach the most. Much of the Jews rejected him. Many of the Gentile said we want more. And that became the church in Thessalonica, choices, nor was it in deceit so beguiling Paul. He was not trying to manipulate people into the faith bait and switch. Not trying to line his own pockets. Second Corinthians chapter 7 verse to open your hearts to us. He wrote to this church was giving him grief. We have wronged no one, we have corrupted no one, we have cheated no one because there was a great group. There trying to undo everything that he said so every one of us who shares the gospel who teaches whether it's in the children's ministry, whether it's in a pulpit whether it's in the workplace and the community where or wherever you are. Everyone who teaches or shares the gospel must decide if the going to do it with deceit or not your decision, tell it like it is going to cover it up because you're afraid feelings getting hurt is not mean you want anybody is allocated gospel of Jesus Christ. When you want to hear it or not, that is not being led in the spirit. But when you know God is saying, tell them what you believe they have.

They want to come into the workplace. It will tell you about all the drinking that they've done in the party arousing in the fornication they want to boast of all at both the righteousness counter strike or just sit there at all that would happen. Verse four, but as we have been approved by God.

What is the first of the one you get to since we started gospel of Matthew.

As we have been in terms gotten serious.

I mean this is a one of those Jim verses in Scripture, but we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, even so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God who tests our hearts in the sink only.

We have been approved by God is not at all saying that is actually saying women approved by God in the way can be approved.

So can you. This is the prophet seminary and it doesn't cost cash is cost devotion to Christ. The ABG approved by God. University that's the shirt. The T-shirt that I want back to Amos when he standing up to those false priests and Messiah was the priest at the time Amos chapter 7 he says. Amos answered and said to Amazon, I was no prophet, nor was I a son of a prophet but I was a sheep breeder and a tender of sycamore fruit. Then the Lord took me as I followed the flock and the Lord said to me, go prophesy to my people Israel got the same thing he says to you, go speak to that person because that might be a convert in waiting, you don't know they've heard enough wrong things out there now in America again.

I say this all the time when you sharing your faith much of your work is first excavation you have to dig out of the way. All the junk and the debris that is false and fake and misguided and without the spirit that's in their head about Christianity.

One of my children was telling me about sharing the faith with someone and what they were. The other person was saying things about the Christianity that were just like who told you that kind of response you get.

What will that's not Christianity that's a lie where you think it's a truth and therefore you think you're justified in rejecting Christ and therefore you will be rejected by Christ because it is your responsibility to familiarize yourself with the laws and will of God Almighty, if you were to go to England and get in the car and drive on the right side of the street. He arrested stand before the magistrate and he would say well in America we drive on the wrong right side of the street you guys drive on the side.

I didn't know that you did this. He's going to say to you, you didn't know, it is up to you to familiarize yourself with the laws of the land so we have a bunch of dumb domes out there. We undo that suss said to be little venison.

This is how it is they know nothing about Jesus Christ and what they know. So often is false now also in that number are apostates. They know the truth, they have decided they don't like it, they have rejected it.

How many of you have that are going to the universities. How many of you have Prof. wag Tom who thinks they know what is all about, and it is in use and in just sit there in your guard is down. If you're not careful you going in there just downloading into you lie after lie after the lesson signal Prof. I signed up to this course to study English literature or whatever it is I did not come here for you to preach to me. I go to my church for that and you should come with me.

Nine is not probably not going to happen that way. But what if it did, what if you got a club can even draw a picture of the club anymore. That's a little Marguerite what does the finish this verse. So Paul says we been approved by God.

That's the seminary we've attended. We have his approval. That's called anointing. Each Christian should have that when you preach the gospel. The anointing is upon you nephew have motives. If you have sinister motives. There are some that when they preach Christ to try to indoctrinate them to assist them. That is not the Scripture, the trying to get them to a lifestyle. What were supposed to do is to get them to Jesus Christ, not our church that would be good to know we getting them to Jesus Christ and so the truth is truth. We have a mandate to never water it down, never water down the truth to please men he's gonna later on say that he was gentle towards them.

If you tell the truth to those who don't want to hear it they going to say your harsh oh okay so a lie to you. I'll tell you a lie and you'll feel better about things and I'll feel worse about things and will both be worse off as a little children's book. I don't remember the name of it but I love reading this to my daughter.

The older one that the younger Mackey anyway.

This is little poodle and she gets this hat and she comes up to this other dog. She's do you like my hat is no good story moves on.

Throughout the whole book she's coming this one in the know know and finally at the end of course because of that I like and he likes that what my point is not lying to her use children books to make these points. You think the Bible would be enough to point is the telling the truth is not the spirit of meanness simply because it's not pleasant to those who are listening so he says, even so we speak, and he spoke and what he spoke and how he lived, deepened his message and that is what will happen to you if you become in your workplace the best at what you do or close to being the best. Just because you execute your job with with your utmost when you speak what you say will go deeper than what it would have gone had you been a lazy slob in the workplace. I have proven this my own when I worked in the steel industry had no friends rented to an industry that was very clan dish if you want part of the clicks you are an Irish Catholic or Mohawk Indian.

You better know somebody else.

You just want going to be taken under someone's wing you want to find jobs good jobs, but if you weren't and you work hard and didn't get anybody killed or hurt a respected you, take you under their wing. So I preach the gospel in that industry.

Men listen to me when I grill rose to the high is as high as I was going to go as a worker in that industry. When I was coffee break and I sat down and we would engage in conversation when I got the conversation to Christ they would listen to me because they respected me as a man I look back at those days I don't want to go back to them. I look back at those days I said what I got.

Some of them right.

But this is today. I can live in the strength of yesterday. I have to move forward and have to make sure none messing it up now forget those things which are behind in that sense reach forward to those things which are ahead. While there is life in me. Listen if you are strong enough to sit in service to hear the gospel your strong enough to preach it to someone does life still in you and if you've wasted decades. So what they gone move forward their converts and waiting. So I'm going to stop remote would just take his last two verses and brush up, not as pleasing men. As I mentioned last week. If you have a pastor friend of anybody in the congregation get a new pastor is not he supposed to fear God before he fears anyone else, so here's the strength of such a statement, not as pleasing men was not a popularity contest. Many pastors here Jesus warns us, don't be like the Pharisees go to the marketplace and look for people to say all odds Rabbi so and so you're not a celebrity. One of the flock through the shopper teeth. The only difference in your teeth are only sharp as I've done it to you access what I need you to be a need to be part sheepdog part sheep. So you're like one of the sheep, but of one of them says something that is blasphemous. You can't let it pass. You got a deal with it. That's the way supposed to be with all of us who in Christ Jesus. God will test our hearts is the ultimate test for every message altering alternate rendering is God who approves our hearts. One is just as strong as the other.

But let's read from Jeremiah chapter 17. The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked who can know it. I the Lord search the heart, I test the mind even to give every man according to his ways. According to the fruit of his doings. Someone said when someone says bless your heart. That hardest seed desperately wicked above all things, no man can know I the Lord search the heart, when he searches it revealed that heart is in a writing to us to not mess it up later. 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 Pastor Rick. We encourage you to subscribe to our podcast. When you subscribe, you will be notified of each new edition of cross reference radio.

You can search for cross reference radio in your favorite podcast app as well.

That's all we have time for today, but we hope you'll join us next time. As Pastor Rick continues to teach through the book of first Thessalonians, right here on cross reference rate