2nd Sunday in Advent
December 4, 2005
1 Thessalonians 2:1-16
You know, brothers, that our visit to you was not a failure. We had previously suffered and been insulted in Philippi, as you know, but with the help of our God we dared to tell you his gospel in spite of strong opposition. For the appeal we make does not spring from error or impure motives, nor are we trying to trick you. On the contrary, we speak as men approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. We are not trying to please men but God, who tests our hearts. You know we never used flattery, nor did we put on a mask to cover up greed--God is our witness. We were not looking for praise from men, not from you or anyone else.
As apostles of Christ we could have been a burden to you, but we were gentle among you, like a mother caring for her little children. We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us. Surely you remember, brothers, our toil and hardship; we worked night and day in order not to be a burden to anyone while we preached the gospel of God to you.
You are witnesses, and so is God, of how holy, righteous and blameless we were among you who believed. For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children, encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory.
And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is at work in you who believe. For you, brothers, became imitators of God's churches in Judea, which are in Christ Jesus: You suffered from your own countrymen the same things those churches suffered from the Jews, who killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets and also drove us out. They displease God and are hostile to all men in their effort to keep us from speaking to the Gentiles so that they may be saved. In this way they always heap up their sins to the limit. The wrath of God has come upon them at last. (NIV).
2nd Sunday in Advent
It bothers me a great deal to see people reject or abandon the Christian Faith because they have embraced some other faith such as Islam or Buddhism or Scientology or atheism. This bothers me because I am convinced that they have traded truth--both the natural and the revealed knowledge of the true God--for some empty, man-made belief system. As Paul said, Although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. There is usually little one can do about for such people since they reject the Word of God and the truth they know.
But what bothers me even more is when people leave the Faith because they have been offended by the words and behaviour of its clergy or members. Sometimes the clergy, the shepherds, seem too greedy and unconcerned about the sheep. They’re after money or some personal gain. Or maybe they make off with one of the female sheep and shatter the confidence of the rest. Other times it’s another believer who offends the person. Maybe he criticised you or disagreed with your idea at a congregational meeting. Such casualties are tragic first, because these offences within the Body of Christ can and ought to be avoided, and second, because even if an offence has occurred, it can be worked out. But as we all know, people too often simply do not want to repent, forgive and be reconciled.
In our reading from 1 Thessalonians, we have a great example of the way things are supposed to be with in the Church: shepherds who set a perfect example and sheep who follow that example. We dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children, encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory.
And through that same word God is dealing with each of us as a father deals with his own children, encouraging, comforting and urging us to live lives worthy of God, who calls us into his kingdom and glory. What I mean is this If first of all, we will look to the ministry of Paul, Silas and Timothy, then we will not give up the faith because of some greedy or unfaithful pastor today. And if our pastors will follow their example, then they will not offend others. And second, if we will look to the example of the Thessalonians, then maybe we will not abandon the Faith just because someone offends us. And if we will follow their example, we will not be the ones to offend others.
Since at least the time of Noah, God has always dealt with people through men and women he called and sent as his representatives. Today’s lessons remind us how God called and sent the prophet Isaiah, John the Baptist and the apostle Peter. In the same way God called and sent Paul, Silas and Timothy to Thessalonica. Through his living word, today he them to us! They bring us the Good News that Jesus is coming back to save us from the coming wrath of God. And they urge us to lead lives worthy of God’s kingdom so that we will not be rejected because of unbelief.
It is important that we understand that God speaks to us through Paul, Silas and Timothy. These men were strong, sincere, and self-controlled, perfect examples of the grace of God. You know, brothers, that our visit to you was not a failure. We had previously suffered and been insulted in Philippi, as you know, but with the help of our God we dared to tell you his gospel in spite of strong opposition. I explained last week how Paul and Silas had been beaten and jailed in Philippi and then escorted out of town. I also explained how in Thessalonica, jealous Jews opposed them and eventually stirred up a mob that ran them out of town.
But Paul, Silas and Timothy didn’t give up. In fact, while all of this was going on, they worked to provide for themselves. That was Paul’s habit. He was a tentmaker and worked to provide his own needs. They didn’t earn a dime from their work as missionaries. They were never greedy and never asked for any support from the people whom they served even though Jesus had given them the right to earn their living through preaching the Gospel. As apostles of Christ we could have been a burden to you, but we were gentle among you, like a mother caring for her little children. We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us. Surely you remember, brothers, our toil and hardship; we worked night and day in order not to be a burden to anyone while we preached the gospel of God to you.
Their motives were pure. They never tried to trick anyone. You know we never used flattery, nor did we put on a mask to cover up greed--God is our witness. We were not looking for praise from men, not from you or anyone else. . . You are witnesses, and so is God, of how holy, righteous and blameless we were among you who believed. These are the men who represented Christ and who brought the Gospel of God. They caused no scandal and gave no one reason to reject Christ.
Their conduct was significant. Imagine what they could have done for their own gain! Paul worked extraordinary miracles. He mentions none in Thessalonica, but surely they all heard of the miraculous earthquake in Philippi. Just a few weeks later he was in Corinth where he did the things that mark an apostle--signs, wonders and miracles. (2 Corinthians 12:12). In Ephesus on the third missionary journey Luke says that God did extraordinary miracles through Paul, so that even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick, and their illnesses were cured and the evil spirits left them. (Acts 19:11-12). Not long after he raised Eutychus from the dead!
That kind of power, Paul could have used to his advantage. But he did not. Neither did his associates. Remember Elisha’s servant Gehazi when Naaman was healed of leprosy? Elisha wouldn’t take a cent from Naaman after the miracle. So Gehazi ran after him and got something for himself. Like Elisha, Paul and his associates only had one goal: we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children, encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory.
Their behaviour was completely consistent with the Gospel of God. By grace, without any worthiness or merit in anyone, God gave Christ as our Saviour. By grace, of his own initiative and at the cost of his own life, Christ lived and died for us. By grace, he now prepares a place for us in heaven and will come to save us from the day of God’s vengeance. In the same way, the apostles of Christ proclaimed this Gospel of grace. At their own expense they traveled and lived for no purpose other than to proclaim the great news about Jesus’ death and resurrection. They suffered and gave themselves so that others who didn’t know and didn’t care could know the truth that sets us free from all futility and especially the fear of death.
As Paul left on his fateful trip to Jerusalem where he was arrested, and nearly lynched, he bid adieu to the pastors in Ephesus. He said, I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears. (Acts 20:29-31). That’s what happened. Here and there greedy, insincere men looking only for their own pleasure and gain have slipped into the church of God and ruined the faith of many people. It is still going on today. And that is why it is imperative that we, brothers and sisters, base our faith on the words and lives of the Apostles and not on some pastor today.
Christ himself called and sent the Apostles. They spoke and lived the word of Christ. Even if a pastor today commits a terrible sin and denies the Faith, as has happened, that in no way undermines the witness of the apostles. God preserved their word and witness so that we would always have a pure witness to his love and grace in Christ. And as we seek to proclaim the Gospel to others, especially pastors, we have the apostolic example to guide us. We should proclaim the Gospel not for gain, but freely. We must be sincere, having only the goal to encourage, comfort and urge others to live lives worthy of God who calls them into his kingdom and glory.
But we must look to ourselves too. And a great way to do that is to look at the Thessalonians. And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is at work in you who believe. For you, brothers, became imitators of God's churches in Judea, which are in Christ Jesus: You suffered from your own countrymen the same things those churches suffered from the Jews, who killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets and also drove us out.
The Thessalonians did especially two things that enabled them, like the apostles, to endure harsh opposition. First, they accepted the Gospel message as the word of God. Great as Paul, Silas and Timothy were, the believers understood that the word was God’s. The Gospel was God’s announcement. Jesus, the Son of God, died and rose for them! That makes a huge difference. If today you take what I say as only my word or only Paul’s word, it will make little impact in your life. But if you are convinced that what Paul said and what I am saying is what God has said, then you take home something quite different. For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account. (Hebrews 4:12-13).
The Thessalonians knew that they were hearing God’s word. Paul, Silas and Timothy were men entrusted with the Gospel who sought not to please men but God. So they responded like the very first Christians in Judea who devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. (Acts 2:42).
When we recognize the word as the Word of God, we have access to the power of God. The Gospel is the power of God for the salvation of all who believe. Through the Word, the Holy Spirit makes us strong both to accomplish great things and to endure great things. That’s because when other people do not recognize the Gospel as God’s word, they become irritated with it. They don’t want to hear about Christ who saves us from the coming wrath. They begin to hate Christ and those who proclaim him. And when they are able, they violently oppose the Gospel.
In Thessalonica it was some Jews who rejected the Gospel who became violent. That’s understandable. They felt Paul and these misguided Christians were blaspheming God and had to be silenced! Today it is not a group of Jews who oppose the Gospel, at least not here in Dartmouth. It’s other people with many other ideas yet with the one, common conviction that the Gospel is not God’s word. We can therefore expect opposition, mostly non-violent attempts to discredit or silence the Gospel. But remember, they do not reject us; they reject the word of Christ.
If we will do as the Thessalonians and accept God’s word and devote ourselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer, then we will not be destroyed by some offensive Christian. Nor will we give offense to others. And if we do, we will repent and be reconciled.
In this season of Advent, as we prepare to mark and celebrate the amazing grace of God in the birth of his Son Jesus the Christ, know that through the word of his apostles, his word, God is encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory.