1 Thessalonians 2:5-7 (Part A)

In say things about what I just made up.

I just felt this was the way it should be a big issue with is called idolatry is the first sin is the most hated sin because it is single-handedly this sin damns you to hell not checked. So this world. It wobbles because it is famished famished for God's word. 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 for his continuing teaching through the book of first Thessalonians chapter 2. This edition cross reference radio.

Let's open our Bibles to Thessalonians 1st Thessalonians chapter 2 first Thessalonians chapter 2.

I'll not get beyond verse 12 this morning because verse 13 must not be rushed. It's merits are particular and they must have special care and so I'm almost wishing we would hurry up and get to next week so we could get the verse 13 but first things first, I want to review before we start in verse five verses one through four. All writing to this church of converts new converts. Loving the Lord.

They were persecuted for loving the Lord, and he says in the first verse for you yourselves know, brethren, that our coming to you was not in vain.

But even after we had suffered before we 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 or exhortation did not come from era or uncleanness, nor was it in deceit.

But as 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. How powerful is that not as pleasing men, and that is something that every person you know Solomon says in in Ecclesiastes 5 before you go walking into the house of God, you better check yourself coming into his house and you coming into the presence of the God of the universe. Genesis 11 in the beginning God created and we hold these truths to be self-evident, that in the beginning God created everything from nothing and he did it in phases and he enjoyed it and at the end he said yeah that's it. The Bible says that all things good, but we know what he meant and so here Paul says we have been approved by God.

We've given you the gospel in conflict. We took a beating in Philippi now here in Thessalonica we were chased out for allies who want to Berea, they chase us from there for all as he landed in car there in more trouble all because he stuck to what God said in the face of culture who hated what God said and loved what they were doing and had nothing to show for except buildings history books law books without end God's word. How wonderful how special it is and so verse five is when we resume, he says, for neither at any time did we use flattering words, as you know, nor a cloak of covetousness God is witness and so this for neither at any time did we use flattering words, Paul did not say to the people what they wanted to hear in order to gain a following trying to build the church or occult or group coming to share a message so he says to them I did not come to you and say what nice fellows you are what outstanding people you are. You don't need the gospel if you're doing fine without Jesus Christ continue to serve your man-made gods and I'll just leave it alone is not what happened did not complement their character destroyed, but right at it: the things that nobody else was going to tell them except God.

Your parents like that on the not what we get a little tired of him sometimes get to be an adult.

You think you're free and mom and dad come close, even aware that work or I don't believe you said that or they make some comment that's right we don't want to hear it. God is like that show. This is the parents. In that regard.

Like God.

Paul told them the truth when we admire him if he lied to them we would not said that they were not only sinners but they were lost it would doom they were going to a very real hell you do not believe in a real hell. How can you believe in real salvation was the point of it all. There's no God of his word is not true. Let's eat drink and be merry for tomorrow we die. All a big joke, but it is not so. They were bound for hell. According to Paul this summer again re-comes up to Philippi. They've heard about him taking a beating for preaching these things and he starts telling them your gods are wrong from childhood and get what you bet, parents believe they're wrong and here's the proof that's exactly what he did. He gave them the proof they need a Savior and they need one, desperately, and they know it. That's why they were converted to say to someone their religion is not right. It's a failure. You usually go beyond the individual that you're speaking to, and you're messing now with his parents, his mom and dad's grandparents's heritage is identity, and either they going to respond to the truth. Going to try to tear you apart in one way or another. So he said I did not come to flatter you, I came to deliver a message from God. And this is the way it is for all Christians were disciples of Jesus Christ, not just pastors, they needed Christ needed his glorious salvation just as much then as people do to this day, so no flattery was in his words of nothing that he said that flattered them. But everything that he said was on their behalf for their benefit.

The truth, the truth will set you free in the fact that they received it and that this letter has survived these 2000 years says something all by itself continues in this verse. He says as you know I like that very much. Again, you hold these truths to be self-evident.

You've seen this, you are a witness and a participant. You were there when I came to Thessalonica and preached it like it is this man Paul lived to morally sound for them to attack him as a moral or an immoral attack cannot charge him with yellow leaves a drunk is a liar is womanizer neglects his family. Nothing they could say first Peter writing about the 70 same thing you know, Peter said to have a defense for everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you with meekness and respect. Meekness is strength held back like I had to really let you have it, but I'm not going to describe not trying to destroy you, and then he says Peter in that same verse of first Peter chapter 3 having a good conscience that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be a shame they got nothing. The trucks they want you to be wrong. They want you to be this and that so they don't have to repent do not have to be confronted in their own conscience by the sin that they engage in post to theologically balance to be ignored. In other words, when he spoke, things they were reasonable they were rational they made perfect sense. In fact, when he challenged other religions.

His challenges made sense. It will begin to say you know you got a good point there while we bowing down to this figurine again. We talked about the gods of the Greeks and the Romans they were sinners. They carried on like human beings with extra power to hate each other. The jealousy and backbiting, their infighting, the pettiness and these of the gods he destroyed and then he was too anointed to be denied. Just couldn't deny them hand the power that belongs not only to his preaching, but to his life now as we look at the world and its heroes look at the entertainment industry. We look at the universities again and honest not a a slight on education.

I think all sensible people believe in education. What we do not believe in is indoctrination.

I think sensible people are this way in the church. The church is not seeking to indoctrinate anyone with wheat we present the truth we preach the gospel as we understand it you take it all. You leave it and that's the end of it with the world world is that system or that collection of human beings who have rejected Jesus Christ world wobbles before him, is spiritually gaunt and ugly. I think of those hideous cows and Pharaoh spoke about such ugliness have not seen in Egypt. This is man morally now before or next to himself may disagree and be right MSA are not as bad as so-and-so, you're right.

But before God morally. Your puny, morally you are gaunt and ugly because you are a sinner and he is not in the distraction distinction is stark. The contrast is inescapable. There's no way to bridge the gap unless God does it. You can't do it. You cannot earn favor with God on your own. You cannot do it your way said this often if someone began saying things about you that were not true, whether they were good or bad, you would hopefully have protest with that. Don't say those things about me but people do that with God all the time. Say things about him that are truly comely. We would get this well.

I just made up. I just felt this was the way it should be as I have a big issue with is called idolatry is the first sin, it is the most hated sin because it is single-handedly this sin damns you to hell if not checked, so this world wobbles because it is famished. It's famished for God's word and Mr. Proffitt talked about this very thing to the people who were supposed to uphold righteousness. You know what happened to Judaism outside of the Old Testament account outside of the idolatry that crept in God. God cured them of their idolatry sent them to Babylon for 70 years. But then he picked up also to skills. There some came back, others dispersed throughout the Gentile world and there gave rise to rabbinical Judaism. The Talon mood, the Telemundo, the writings, the traditions of the Jews that replace the Torah replace God's word in the name of God, so that when Messiah come the great scholar Gamal EL could not recognize that this was indeed the Messiah, their hatred for the Gentiles was so deep that anything short of wiping out Rome and her empire and authority.

Anything short of that was unacceptable they had made up their minds that this was going to be how it should be godless to dance to their tune. They never come out and say to you, God is going to dance to our tune, but that's what they were doing.

That's what people do to this day. While I think God is about. How about you, lining up with what he has said, thus says the Lord well the Bible was written by men. When did you get that from what you saying you dictating terms to God. Are you saying that God cannot write through men because you don't like it because you don't want it because you must conform in this the very thing you don't want to do it is the mark of a sinner rebellion. We all have we all are satisfied with this many of us come to Christ. So when Paul says to them you know you saw this, you lived.

We Christians were not saying I hope not saying that with suitable super moralist not saying we always get it right. We can always live up to the things we preach, but that we fail doesn't mean the things we preach our failures. That's why when you say here is what he died for us. Do the math. Connect the dots figured out, but we are super right minded. I mean there's no second place is not almost rights in this category. God is merciful. He is totally capable of doing what he does. God is God, not applying for the job. He's got it know it's taking there a lot of people in this world right now. I'll name for you. Be a long time you think Chronicles is bad anyway one of you mice what he did and I don't believe a how to prove.

Anyway, let's get back to the message that a lot of people in this world and I mean billions.

You can even get it. Get your head around how is God going to judge them all in the did dying all the time is like the new ones are coming inch, and in God is that could total control is good thing that is on have got it I got this on the control, but we like to assign our weaknesses in our impossibilities to God.

That's a mistake. God is not us. Not even when I did like a little bit like him were in his image, to some degree, even though that image is been destroyed by the fall of man. Original Sin, but he is so far greater than us. He is so capable of the judgment. He will administer there will not be a created anything anywhere that will be able to charge him with unfairness or not being right, every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess who can pull that off. But God so he comes along and he says this is my word. I have given it to man. He backs it up all those who are willing to intellectual with intellectual honesty. Examine it to let them do it, and he'll meet them there and so he says to his believers. Payday is coming to paydays one for the righteous one for the unrighteous got the righteous of those who submit who have tapped out when I put them in that arm lock they tapped the unrighteous a bonehead I can break thereon, that will not break the other one you here in this speech. When I would get into this next session next next time we are in Thessalonians, will talk about France and what happened right before the reign of terror. The French Revolution with Voltaire and his cronies were doing and how they paid for it dearly.

The grotesque mess of human nature while they were enjoying the Renaissance they want telling you about how many dead babies they were fishing out of the sewers daily in the interests of this newfound light that they had but I'll get back to that. But here comes the payday for the righteous. Revelation 22 verse 12 behold I am coming quickly and my reward is with me to give to everyone according to his work last of the righteous primarily because this is for the unrighteous. Proverbs 1016 the labor of the righteous leads the life the wages of the wicked, to sin. Now Paul finishes at this up with the commentary he says in Romans 623 for the wages of sin is death.

Wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. God is very capable of all that he is started out to do, and you have to come to these realizations through faith. Faith again is not born of irrationality is born of reason. God says come let us reason your skins are read as scarlet, I can make them white as snow all do that for you if you come, you know, come and get it you will not have when I beg you, but I will die for you world mocks him Christians, we are left to sort it out to persevere in the messed up. We forget sometimes the patience of God with us.

We show impatience with others is very easy to know because we still have a sinful nature does mean we excuse it.

So he says to them, he says, nor a cloak of covetousness here in verse five that I didn't have this came over me and trying to rip you off selling your magic prayer clause in source, even faith brother. That's what they say give this church $100 in God going to bless you with a thousand semi-awash that persons face mouth out with the Scripture that's alive and then the people in the bugle of the look of their greedy they want to be rats. They don't want to be rich in the spirit rich in faith.

They want to line their pockets and we all live like that in a society would we have we have neighbors like Solomon and deal with, you know the one you slip on the child and claim the other one court. All the other two.

Are we a thorn in the mood when he double in the next day what People of these think because we live in a fairly civil society that the rest of the world is is in lockstep with options not some dark places in this country all over the place of things that are happening in back alleys are unspeakable.

Cover our eyes not see them so he's not coming to them trying to sell them a relic or line his pockets were under the guise of religion since the beginning there have been those false prophets that have come to try to line their pockets at the expense of others in the name of God, but there also has been from the beginning.

Those who have not those who were straight also told it like it wasn't lived and died for this apostle Paul himself admitted that he broke 1/10 of the law and that 1/10 damned him and it was covetousness, sin of the heart.

Something on the inside. No I did not sleep with his neighbor's wife know he did not lie or make a practice thereof in the didn't have idols. The bow down to, but he did covet wanted what others had wanted in the way that God said this is out of bounds and if you step over that you are trespassing you're standing where you do not be long before me and that is a sin, and if you got away with it and I allowed you into heaven, we have Helen heaven in five minutes has to be dealt with now in this lifetime, one lifetime you get not one day, one lifetime someone produce a word about what I what we already have established God is able to deal with everything child born with a severe handicap for example, mentally, physically, God's going to deal with. I don't know how I was going to do Y is allow this or that and in detail. Overall I do, but not in detail, but I'm good with it because I know him and I know he'll fix this flat tire and it will be good. And when we get to heaven. I like it when the roll is called called on your name Rick Pierce or when that moment comes, it will be God is all things good. It will be all silence in heaven. Nothing you can say Kimberly from here. Kimberly, my wife here getting a saw the shot I took it but anyway Romans chapter 7, he says, what shall I say, then announced in Romans seven he's talking about the weakness of the flesh and brominated is gives us the cure for it doesn't say what shall savings is who shall save me as was Christ Jesus. What he says in Romans and what shall we say then, is the law sin, certainly not on the contrary, I would not have known sin except through the law.

The law is that test is the microscope. It pointed out. That's what the law of God is this is perfection. This is what I demand from you and if you get it wrong you separated yourself from me. We'll get it will got civilly only way to fix that is through Savior Christ Jesus Lord by taking your punishment and then making opportunity to fill you with my spirit. So we say quoting Alan Redpath conversion of the soul, the conversion of the soul when he taps out that is a miracle of the moment. It's a miracle because most don't do it, and is a God done thing. Then he goes on to say Redpath does the manufacturing of a saint is a task of lifetime his whole lifetime to develop sainthood discipleship not sainthood is not defined by religious group will vote on it see it.

In how arrogant St. in the Scripture is defined as anyone who is separated themselves from the world system and have come under the system or the kingdom of heaven in Jesus Christ separated is the definition of the word sink.

Humana learned that all you like even more. Maybe your daughter 140 years old and you walking around thinking this from the time you were to and you come here you hear me said you don't like it, move 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.

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