1 Thessalonians 2:8-13 (Part C)

Paul says to the elders of the church at Ephesus that big city would loading it with bacon as it is I command you to God to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified. I love it. I it's able to do this in spite of your hard times in spite of your failures in spite of your setback to save Pastor but I stumble. That's what the blood of Christ is born. 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, and now here's Pastor Rick in first Thessalonians chapter 2 with today's edition of cross reference radio when God starts doing the creation and he Steve B puts on record.

He says in the beginning God created from nothing. Everything you see and he separates himself with one stroke from matter from material things in the universe polytheism. God is in the wood of this pulpit and God is in my head and a look that dandruff on your your shoulders while have hair anyway so God is higher than all of these things. Satan is a created being, and he will be judged as a created being. Also, in all those who sided with him whether they did it by recognizing them into think Satanism is not the dumbest thing on and in way, let me get this right you worshiping an entity you were told about in the Scripture who loses in the end loses throughout, and you worship, you know what, if you are that bad.

I am going to the next person is only God can straighten that bent Road, verse 12.

He says that you would walk worthy of God who calls you into his own kingdom and glory how many problems with this solve someone comes up pastor can I do this, is it worthy of Christ is worthy of description worthy of holiness in what he calls us to do so, we must walk worthy not to be saved but is evidence of the salvation that is in us, who calls us into his own kingdom and glory. He says here in verse 12 oh Paul better not say that goes against the God of culture and demands of sinners who must be allowed to stampede into heaven on their terms. Whether God likes it or not, or else they gonna say he's not loving God. God is not moved by anybody's opinion again you go back to the Genesis record in chapter 1, you see this God is so big it's not even like Ike. I'm like in the wrong even though I'm created in his image and still a grain of sand in the universe, compared to his greatness. Isaiah chapter 8 verse 11 for the Lord spoke thus to me with a strong hand, and instructed me that I should not walk in the way of this people. Why can't Christians learn this. Why do Christians keep going to the world asked permission to live brass asked for instruction, how should we do our Churchill businessman tell us how we can bring a profit in something wrong with being a businessman, but of the businessman is going to serve in the church, you better forget the world's ways understand he's a child of God, born again, a new creation. And while there are the ways of stewardship that belong to business that the church has also they do not come from the business world come from God. Ephesians chapter 5 forces therefore be imitators of God's dear children that's a high standard. Imitate God. Such a wonderful impossibility that I'm commanded to go after and walk in love. Paul says in Ephesians 5 has Christ also has loved us and given himself for us in offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling aroma.

But here comes the disconnection with the culture, but fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not even be named among you don't even speak that way continues, as is fitting for the separated Saints once who was separated neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, of course, suggesting which are not fitting but rather praising the Lord is giving thanks that's what it means that the Christian life.

In contrast to the world. And so when you have the world trying to say we had these false prophets out there writing both people buying them. Not the writing books is bad. Like Saul, I always think of a solace in writing within, though it very few are worth reading.

Well, we have these false prophets out there who are endorsing sinful lifestyles because the culture does under the guise of a home else we going to reach them up appeasing them is not how again we would fall day. We didn't come to you flattering with you today.

Your sins fine you get all these things that you're doing. Please fake gods in the society and this case that all is wonderful. Jesus loves you came to see Jesus loves you and I'm here to tell you that.

However, he judges you, too. If you reject his love. Not because he's a jealous lover's feelings are hurt you, God Almighty, and the bigness of the definition of the deity of the word God cannot be measured.

That's the idea behind space being so big. No matter how big space is, God is bigger the vastness of our God.

So when you see him. Big big like a giant. He's big like Englishness so they committed eternal side.

It's like they think they killed their eternity. I made that word up front proud of myself and I didn't know the one that I find a lot of problems with language okay just a little humor verse 13 so little you can find it.

Verse 13 for this reason we also thank God without ceasing, because when you receive the word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God which also effectively works in you who believe efficacious is the big word that I think we should news I think effective, doesn't it says in the word of God. They received the Scripture as the truth, for it was again not appeasing society, not letting okay you know what you said is this make a deal with you have a compromise will give you this you give us that you come to our churches, and you type and will stop talking bad things about all the sin that's going on. Go back to the guys is, is there someone else out there that's with the world of that's what idolatry is, well, we got the answer from the only true God who could speak from the heavens. We didn't like what he said and so now were looking for somewhere where well at the time is running out because eventually you going to let go and perish because of your own folly because of your lack of faith. And so when he says, because when you received the word of God which you heard from us free will and no other way is how you receive God's word. None of this violates his sovereignty, but it does rule out his type of tyranny.

It does say God is powerful, awesome, big is not a meanie is not indifferent and there are many good otherwise good Bible teachers out there that they can't think they lose it right here. While there is no free will. Goddess also already going to this this trance and it's because look at who they read read the reformers and little else, and they go back further to the apostolic age" and salaam and all these other men who had good things to say I'm not taking away from all of them but what I am saying is that becoming rabbinical, concentrating more on the traditions of the pastors versus the word of God in its entirety and for someone to say there's no such thing as free will is the dumbest.

It's like saying is evolution is like come on, you have no facts. This is the something emotional listed in counterfeiting your intelligence, but is no point in trying to convert them.

I say that like that case you drift onto YouTube and watch some of their tirades how authoritative they are. God is sovereign and there is no free will while, then why am I free to turn you off, there is free will is everywhere and I'm grateful for it. Whosoever will let him what you do it that mirrors well you just insist it's not so okay. I didn't want to used to beat up on some of those groups a lot in earlier days, but I enjoy not still irritate me and in the Lord doesn't help me with that she irritated by that. You need to stop that.

I know feels so good, so the opportunity we only covered this quite a few times. The mythology that was dominating this world that Paul was in the scheming, the lustful quarrelsome warring fake gods that they made up a revengeful malicious cool week paranoid is the gods of the Jew of the art, not the Jews. The Greeks in the Roman and many other places. They were fabricated gods by sinners. Gods made by sinners and they were sick of it. Many of them so when the gospel came to gobbled up okay is a will that was those guys back then what about now well before we get to that than is again there was the Judaism that had become overrun by the rabbis and they had reduced the beautiful law of Moses and the prophets to just up a rulebook so self-centered they were.

As again is that they will legalist. That's what legalism does it make you think only of you criticize only others circumcision Sabbath some restrictions in animal sacrifice rules and regulations and in the direction that you face when you pray in rituals requirements. This is what Judaism had become the wonder when Jesus was healing and loving and preaching that wall over their heads same the way Christianity did that you got Christians of so caught up on rules in themselves that the grace of God is something they know nothing of and so Israel misted then there is the world without Christ are corruptions.

Corruptions are to corrupt to be denied.

You look in Washington DC. He said man, one of fill through a cesspool of human behavior too rotten to be defendant and the defendant.

Anyway, because they find people like you like the way you look. You must be right and care what you're saying.

I like the way you look at become a popularity contest/fashion show and so when you find a person with these two traits going for them. Honesty insanity you get something done of the problem is minimal will find them. Only God does.

But a this these folks when they are honest in saying they're the ones that receive the gospel. Now we come to the. The fourth one is long, you know, you didn't have to talk much about Islam. Decades ago, but now you do because they well you know why and if you don't, you got issues.

Everywhere you been, Satan is taking over the shop and you of the ship and you don't even know it. Have you noticed a diet change or no pork on the menu as a tip anyway. The Islamic hordes know again is at the puzzles meet you when you see for instance, when growing up in New York City in the 60s the black Muslims were a group sex from what we know is sharia and all his other laws of his love, while the other sex abuse.

Mainstream Islam anyway you you you think that it said you know it was the Moslems that were taking slaves from Africa, burning down villages horrific crimes wasn't once or twice going on for years, decades more, how do you find space to justify why would you want to belong to religion that does this, the founder of their religion. That has to be defended by them.

He was one of them was a slave trader.

How could you follow such things when you we would sit there semi-makes perfect sense to us but is no different for everybody else. Also, why would you want to belong to this pyramid scheme were all the two fees at the top are doing wonderfully and all the little minyan at the bottom was struggling.

I'm getting to a point here. The people who live in Islam the people the average people they live in terror.

They're afraid to say anything wrong must they be stoned in public and when the gospel comes.

They can't wait to receive it. Anything is better than this stuff. I want to read something that was in one of the news articles is as a member of Afghanistan's parliament has suggested that anyone who converts from Islam to Christianity should be executed in order to stop the rapid growth of Christianity among Afghans.

This is within the last month.

The declaration by nonzero element AL whoever is the latest in a series of anti-Christian statements by Afghan public officials and Afghan news service quoted Mr. Huff and off he is saying numerous Afghans have become Christians in India. This is an offense to Islamic law, and according to the Koran. They need to be executed peaceful religion if you think it's a peaceful religion. You are a dumb human being. I mean, I don't mean that in a insulting way, but you did work dumb like you don't know you do not know but in a big way and you know we Christians are vocabulary is limited to the course just thinking that Paul is talking about. If the watch how much passion you put into your disdain for something less you be sitting in cause trouble when my point is, this was recently written. You see, the Afghans are coming to Christ is sick of it. This is what was happening in Thessalonica. Do you not know there are people who get say because they're sick of the bar lifestyle in one saloon to the next saloon and you know the district dating any whoever non-that the STDs that are out there this sick of it and so the gospel comes they get converted and such are some of you, and that's why mean so much for Satan to shut you up and keep you from sharing your faith and mean so much to God for you to have a love for him and not share because you got some Gilboy got to share my faith but I love Jesus and let me tell you about him and if you follow him he wouldn't be as messed up as you are now, regardless of whether it is because you become an outcast of society or a model citizen of socialite.

So when he says, you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, we have to look at these churches today and say again tell me why there's not enough of the Scripture in your church that your congregation is about as smart as the donkey's foot when it comes to the Scripture is because of you, pastor's, because if you want to go become an auto mechanic or business or Dr. Ora you know will produce anything but get out of the pulpit and you people in the congregation who sit through this heresy wanted to just go become a Satan follower a Muslim or anything else but get out of God's house to arrest most of speech. If you're offended by that because you guilty. What should I say if you if you not preaching God's word of your telling lies to the people you telling their sins really aren't that bad. God's good with it. Stay in the pulpit, brother. If you're going to a church like that sit in the pew gobble that stuff up. Is that what I should be saying I don't think any of us. I think all of us should be carrying this message to the lost. What church you go to when was that churches endorsing abortions or some other madness out there and you and you saying you're Christian, I'm saying I'm a Christian and you want me to look at you with a straight face and on then and and that's the end of it going to talk about church, then let's do it, you not getting one side of the argument, I don't get the other. Okay I'm back. I don't know when I got say Beth I thought you know I was going to hell and I don't know how it happened but God got his hands on me and I was just so sick of Christians not telling me the gospel. So when I became when I started telling everybody the gospel first chance I get.

All of a sudden my friends were my friends anymore and I didn't care. Jesus was my friend. I was obnoxious and they brought the conversation. Aubrey got them you doing this anymore. I tell him why you never see him again. God brought me a lot more friends are better friends. I might also add in some of those in that number. God save and I moved on another people got saved and so you Christian so you gonna let the newspapers do all the preachings you going to let Islam have all the last word. So he says the word of God we learn a lot about a person from their word.

We learn a lot more about how they live. Paul says to the elders at the church in Ephesus that big city would load infested with paganism as I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified.

I love it. I it's able to do this in spite of your hard times in spite of your failures in spite of your setbacks safe pastor. But I stumble.

That's what the blood of Christ is for is not you know you get a new pacemaker put in and your good until you die. Not that way. It's all his mercies are new every morning because they need to be new every morning and I just like holiday out there with access to surplus and mercy.

God is an endless amount of mercy for his children.

There is therefore now no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus.

And when you've got this Gillick is a difference between fighting because you know Christ is right and send in this guilt driven fighting because you just have a sense of guilt. Guilt is not going to work.

Guilt like an alarm clock buzzes to wake you up and then it serves no other purpose. You now have to do something now that you are awake don't if you've done something wrong. You confess it you repent and you fighting and you punish the enemy by standing up for the faith.

I'm not telling you this because I read it in the book I'm telling you because I been trying to live this way all my Christian life. Before I came to Christ, not even worth talking about. So the Bible makes believers weep over sin and rejoice over grace.

That's what it does for us which powers force so I don't like it that your flesh and your spirit. At the same time you got a sorted out Psalm 119 verse 67 before I was afflicted, I want to stray but now I keep your word. While David that was a beautiful song I believe you wrote it with senior life David you had some hard times all the way through your life with the Lord even after your that song. Thank you God for your grace wherever you find a strong Christian you going to find a Bible reading Christian wherever you find a Bible reading Christian if the spirit is teaching them. They're not going to walk away, high-minded and self impressed criticizing everybody else, but they will not make a lie feel comfortable and they will speak the truth. DL Moody wrote this in about 1895 and for those of you who do not know where and who Moody was.

He was the Billy Graham of his day. Men like DL Moody Charles Finney Billy Sunday and there been many many others.

And that's just United States what this is what he writes in his book. I think the sowing and reaping is the name of the book he says with an open Bible. Our forefathers planted slavery, but judgment came at last you catch that with an open Bible. There was, not a family north or south that had not to mourn over someone taken from them. It is said that a century ago men were spending millions every year in France in the publication and distribution of infidel literature. Voltaire and his group what has been the harvest has France not reaped Mark the result.

The Bible was suppressed, God was denied.

Hell broke loose. Half the children born in Paris were Baxter's more than a million of persons were beheaded, shot, drowned, outraged and done to death between September 1792 in December 1795 nest before Napoleon continues. Since that time France has had 13 revolutions in 80 years, and in the Republic, there has been an overturn on the average, once in nine months, one third of the births in Paris are illegitimate 10,000 newborn infants have been fished out of the outlet of the city sewers in a single year. You reap what you sow you want to know what happens to people when they chucked the word of God. Want to know what happens when Christians won't preach the gospel in grace and in truth, under the power of the Holy Spirit. There is should not be leaving such a message for the sense of guilt, but with a mission. Your first step is to get to the Lord. What sort this out for me.

Here I am Lord, what do you want me to do opposes the Scripture verse three of them here and on which one should take Isaiah 819 and when they say to you seeking those who are mediums and wizards whisper and mutter should not a people seek God, should they seek the dead on behalf of the living 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. 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.

It's Pastor Rick continues to teach through the book of first Thessalonians, right here on cross reference rate