This is the Truth Network. Forever thy word is settled in heaven. Psalm 119, verse 89. I'm Stu Everson. Welcome to this special Wednesday in the Word Leader podcast, where we prepare and equip our leaders of this special Bible study outreach breakfast.
Every week to teach through the scriptures. Thirteen Dario locations. There's a men's group meeting and several of the Locations host the women on Thursday morning. Stay tuned. Be encouraged as we jump into this week's Wednesday in the Word.
It's been said that there are two things that you can see with your eyes. that lasts forever. The Word of God and people. And these two things are right at the heart. of Paul's words to this church at Thessaloniki.
That we're covering this week in 1 Thessalonians 2, verses 13 through 20. I'm Stu Ebertson. Welcome to the Wednesday in the Word podcast. We do this every week. We go through books of the Bible, we help our leaders get equipped and get ready for teaching their groups at 13 different Darios.
We've got about 19 different groups, six women's groups going and 13 men's groups going. And we're just so glad you're with us. If you're a pastor just wanting to kind of beef up and bone up a little bit on the word to prepare you to preach your sermons, or if you just want to be encouraged by journeying through the Bible, I'm with Dr. Sam Horn. Dr.
Horne, 1 Thessalonians. Man, if you're not encouraged after reading these five chapters. And 89 verses, you might have some challenges. Like the old preacher said, if this doesn't light your fire, you got wet wood. What do you think, Pastor Horn?
Yeah, you know, those old preachers had a way, didn't they, of just capturing an idea. And putting it out there. And then you just remember that. I can remember hearing that many times as a over the years, preparing for ministry or being in a camp meeting or something. And there that would come out.
You know, every time we come to the word of God, it is so powerful. And it is so rich. And it goes right to where we need it. And it brings great blessing. It acts, you know, Hebrews chapter four.
talks about the word of God being powerful. It is living. It is. Energetic, it is, it is actually working, so it's never out of date. It is always relevant.
And the Holy Spirit takes that word. and uses it to bring life. and to sustain life and then to give us abundant life.
So I feel like every time we come to a passage. Uh we walk away saying that was awesome. I have never come to a passage that we've done together and thought, man, I wish we hadn't done that one.
So it's like that with this section in 2 Thessalonians chapter 2. We're in the last half of the chapter. And by the time you get to the end of that, Paul is saying some pretty amazing things about these people that would have been people he would formerly have despised. Pastor Horn, as we get into these eight verses, verses 13 through 20 of chapter 2. of uh first thessalonians We always like to do a little review of where we've come from and then a preview.
Of the eight verses, which I know you'll break down for us nicely in kind of what is going on with Paul, what's going on with his audience, and what's important for us to take away from this. Dr. Horne. Bring us up to date for those that maybe just jumped in, maybe just parachuted in.
Some might be just starting to study with us here, and they're finding themselves in verse 13 of chapter 2, and they're thinking, What happened before this? Can you take us back to Paul? He said some very gracious things. He's also. He's also, in a sense, kind of warned them and defended himself.
about uh You know, the attacks he's gotten. You know, some say it's Paul's apologetic here in the first few verses of. Chapter 2. I like to call that, I don't know if you've heard this before. Apologetics.
You like how I did that? Apologetics, anyway. Yeah, there you go. But yeah, to take us into kind of where we've been, set the tone up. This church, it's, you know, he was only there three weeks, and no doubt they're saying, hey, where is this guy?
He's got, you know, he's, he's. He's uh he's He's left this place. He blew the taco stand. If he really loved you guys, the false teachers might be saying, hey, where is he? Why isn't he showing up here?
But take us into the context, Dr. Warren, before we do a preview of what's coming. for our leaders to get ready for this week. I have been using, and I said this at the very beginning when we first started into 1 Thessalonians, that one of the more helpful commentaries. Is John Stott's little commentary on First and Second Thessalonians.
called the gospel. And the end of time. And it's really, particularly in 1 Thessalonians, very helpful. Because it it It brings us into the birth. of a brand new church.
In the first century. In Acts 17, as you reference, Paul and his team blow into Thessalonica. They come from Philippi. They have come across. From Asia Minor in response to the Macedonian vision, the call, the dream that God sent to Paul, and Paul responding to that vision comes over.
And ministers in Philippi faces great persecution. Sees great joy in the conversion of the jailer. And now he comes to. Thessalonica and in chapter one The word of God is received with power. I mean, when Paul opens up his mouth.
And gives the gospel, the good news about Jesus to these believers. I'm sorry, to these people who were living at Thessalonica. His preaching was accompanied with great power. And so in chapter one, we see the birth of a church through the power of Christian evangelism, the power of the gospel. uh the gospel did not come predominantly to address social needs It did not come to set all of the parts of the Roman Empire that were broken right.
This was not a political movement. This was not a social movement. This was a spiritual movement. that was invading the kingdom of darkness and bringing people into the kingdom of light. And now in Thessalonica, you have a church.
And so chapter one is all about Christian evangelism, how the gospel came. and brought forth life. and birth the congregation.
Now that you have a church. How does that church minister? How do the leaders of that church operate? And how do they serve the gospel and how do they serve the church? And that's chapter two and chapter three.
And so you'll see both of those here in this section. That's kind of where we are. And then the first part of chapter four is: as that word begins to do its work in the life of the people through the pastors and leaders that are ministering. How should it be reflected in the behavior of the congregation? How does the church live in light of the gospel?
And you see that in the first part of chapter four. And then what is the hope? the confident expectation. that sustains that kind of life. When it is approached, and when the cost is incredibly high in terms of in every area, including your light.
What is the hope that inspires the church to live this way and to herald out the gospel? To the rest of the world. And that's the last part of chapter four and the first part of chapter five. And then in chapter five, verses 12 through the end of the chapter, you have the idea of how the church. Operates in community.
How do we do life together? How do we mourn our dead? How do we grieve? How do we sustain ourselves? What has to happen?
How do we encourage, for example, faint-hearted people? What do we do with people who are caught up in idleness? And what do we do with people who are weak morally? How do we develop a gracious patience with all men? How do we seek to do good?
And how do we rejoice? And how do we pray without ceasing?
So, these are all things that happen in the context. Of the church as it does life together. And so there you have the idea of Christian community.
So that's a breakdown of the book. Christian evangelism in chapter one, Christian ministry, chapters two and three, Christian behavior, chapter four, first part, Christian hope, second part of four, and then Christian community in chapter five. We are right in the second part of chapter two, where we're finding out. What is the heart of a Christian minister? And that's relevant because even though we may not be pastors, all of us, we are, as we lead these Bible studies, and this is predominantly who this podcast is for, we are ministering a very powerful thing to people whose lives desperately need the truth that we're giving to them.
And so this is an incredible section of scripture. Good. You know, Dr. Horn, you have a a pattern too here. You know, we look at verse 5 where Paul says, Hey, this didn't come to you in word only.
These aren't just words like the rhetorical geniuses of Greek philosophy that just could wordsmith things together poetically and fluently and rhetorically. These aren't just words from my head to your head, you know, data, but we came to you with power. But then you have this great statement in. Chapter 2, verse 8, which we talked about last time, where Paul says, Hey, we have not just given you the gospel. Which is enough, which is powerful, which changes lives, is the power of God of salvation.
But we have also imparted you. Our very lives. Yeah. Then he builds in verse thirteen. To say, hey.
And this word didn't come to you. and word only. But it came to you in power Not just as the word of man, but as the word of God.
So there's some sh something infectious and there's something powerful. And there's something that's bigger than Paul, because Paul couldn't physically get there. And in a day and age where we have the cult of personality, The cult of maybe the megachurch pastors, like, if I can't be there, if I'm not there, it's not going to happen. If the pastor doesn't come visit my hospital, if I don't have Pastor Horn, the top guy there. Then it's not acceptable, you know, that I'm going to die early or whatever, you know, whatever, at that extreme, but being tongue-in-cheek, but there's a very real sense to which.
You know, Satan even thwarted.
Somehow, some way. Satan's hindered. Paul from coming to Thessaloniki. His critics were turning up the heat. They were dogging them.
On the left, on the right, they were dogging this church.
So, Pastor Horne. Give us a little, how would you approach these verses? You have a few themes going on from the word taught in verse 13, the word caught, the imitation in verse 14. Then you have this. Paul calling out and addressing the direct assaults on this church.
From within, from without, and then you have this language he closes with. in 17 through 20, which I've never heard kinder, warmer words toward a church, toward anyone before than when I studied this. The affection. The open heart of Paul, he just loves them.
So can you pray how should our teachers get their handle around this text as they go forward to prepare for this week? I think there's two big thoughts that come to mind. And one of them is in verses 13 through 16. And that has to do with the gratitude that Paul has. For something God has done in the heart of his hearers.
So that's the first thing. And then the second thing is a look into the heart of Paul. As he talks openly to them about his feelings for them. And so oftentimes, you know, as a pastor. You wish you could say certain things to your own congregation.
that other people can say better. But you wish. you could just exhort the congregation. To receive what you are saying to them because you know that it will help them. And yet, no matter how often you say it, you just have people.
That comes to you for counsel, and you give them good, solid counsel, and they look at you and they say, Thank you very much. We don't like this counsel. You're giving us this counsel because you don't want us to do this or that, or you don't want us to walk away, and you realize. This is a problem. I'll give you an example.
We recently had a conversation. With a young guy who was very kind. He's like, Pastor, I'm probably not going to stick around. And obviously, I want to know why. And he's like, Well, I don't really care for the teaching.
And I know what's going on in his life. I know exactly what's destroying him. I know there is a habit that has captured him. And we are right in the part of Romans where God actually gives the most concentrated truth that is designed to help somebody like him. conquer sins that Jesus canceled at the cross.
And so, looking at him and saying to him, I actually don't think that's a good idea. I think you are right where you need to be. And I think actually if you walk away, it's going to do a great deal of damage to you. And you know, just from his facial expression what he's thinking. He's like, well, you just don't want me to leave.
And you're going to guilt me into staying when actually you realize if I were Satan. And I knew that you were about to hear truth that was going to liberate you from the habit that has enslaved you. I would do anything in the world to get you out of here. And a good pastor who recognizes that and tries to give that advice. actually is dismissed.
And that happens to pastors everywhere. It's not unique. to to me it's it's it happens everywhere this is the story of the Christian ministry. And every once in a while, the Apostle Paul puts something in a text somewhere that is designed to help readers understand. Why they should be thankful for what they're hearing.
And it also is there for pastors to be thankful when their congregations do something.
So that's the first thing. And I want you to notice that that's where Paul starts. Paul says, I want to thank God for something. And the thing I want to thank God for is not something I could do. I could not produce what I'm thankful for.
In your life, only God can produce this. Only God is big enough and strong enough. And only his word is powerful enough. To produce what I'm thankful for. And so if you go up to verse nine, he says: Now I want you to remember, brothers, our labor and our toil.
So he's been working night and day.
So that we would not be a burden to you while we proclaimed to you the gospel of God. The word proclaim means herald. We herald it out. We trumpet it out. We announced.
the gospel of God. And you were witnesses of this. And then in verse 13, he says, now we thank God constantly or always. For this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as what it really is: the word of God, which is at work in you, believers. How do you know when somebody accepts the word of god How do you know that?
So Here we are on Wednesday morning, and you mentioned there are 19 different groups. that are going to be opening up. first thessalonians and they're going to be reading this section of scripture. And our prayer is that those of us who are part of the leadership of this would be able to say, We thank God that when you receive this word and what we told you about this word, you didn't receive it as the word of men, you received it because you recognized something about it, you recognized. that it was the word of God.
So the first thing I would say. When people receive the word of God, they recognize its source. They recognize that what is being said here is coming from a God who actually loves them. And has proven that love for them by sending his son to die for them. And so there is there is great benefit.
In the mind of God for the people to whom he addresses this word, he is not addressing this word to burden you and crush you and destroy you. He is actually bringing the word of God to bear in your life. To penetrate into the very depths of who you are as a person, so that he may give you life. And not just any kind of life, but an abundant life. Jesus said, 'I'm come to give you life.' and life's more abundant.
And so the abundant life that God intends for you to have is only going to come when you receive, when you welcome the word that is being given to you. By the messengers who are taking this word, Paul's going to say later to Timothy: that's why you got to rightly divide it. That's why you got to take the time to prepare. That's why you got to work hard to make sure you understand what I put there, right? because it counts.
People are going to hear it. And I want the people who hear it to welcome it, to receive it.
Now, how do you know they're actually doing that?
Well, the word of God is producing something in them. And you can see it. Um In verse 13, you received it for what it really is: the Word of God, which is at work in you. What is that work producing?
Well, back in chapter one, it is producing a work of faith. It is producing a labor of love. It is producing steadfast hope. in the life of the believer where did that come from Where did this labor of love and this work of faith and this steadfastness of hope, where did it come from? It came from the word of God that was at work in them.
If I hear the word of God and reject it, there's no place for that word to do any work in my life. The only way the word is going to produce things in my life is when I open up my heart and I let that word in and I say to God, this is. Your word to me, and whatever you need that word to address, whatever you need to change about me, whatever you need to confront in me, whatever weakness you need to strengthen in me, whatever redirection you need to bring about in my life, use that word to do that in me. And when the word is at work, you know that people. Are receiving it.
Well, which is also why it's so important to rightly divide. The word of truth, as we have in Timothy 2:15, Dr. Horne. So it's incumbent on the shepherd. While the false shepherds and the false prophets are sowing discord and twisting, and manipulating the word The true shepherd has got to feed the flock, preach the word.
And rightly divide that word of truth and accurately teach the word. with with with you know a bi with a thoroughly biblical Expositional approach. Yes, sir. Keep going. I want to interrupt, but man, I tell you, this is so important.
Well, the second thing that he does here in this little section where he expresses gratitude for something that God is doing in them he is helping these new believers Hear the word and receive it, and it's evident that the word is at work in them. But he also reminds them that there are other congregations who have gone before them. That they can look to, and as they look to those congregations. They can know that as they do the same thing, as they turn from idols to serve the living God and wafers coming from heaven. As they spread the word that has changed them to others in their city.
As they imitate the church's In Judea, they can expect the same response. And that's what happens in verse 14. For you, brothers, became imitators of the churches of God. in Christ Jesus that are in Judea. What happened to those churches?
Well, all you have to do is go back. and read the story of Acts. They suffered an intense and prolong persecution from the Jews. And those Jews were the people. who murdered and executed the Lord Jesus and the prophets before him.
They did not receive the gospel as the word of the Lord. They did not receive the messengers. who came they resisted the word And they persecuted and actually killed the prophets. And ultimately, they did the same to Jesus. Right.
And they drove us out. That's an interesting. Phrase there. Right, here they are. They displease God and they oppose all mankind and they hinder us from speaking to the Gentiles that they might be saved.
so as to fill up the measure of their sins But in driving us out where did we come How did we get here? How did we get to Thessalonica? And the answer is we were driven out. We were driven out of Philippi. We were driven out of Iconium and Derby and Lystra.
We were driven out of Ephesus. We were driven out. And the wrath of man that drove us out is the very thing that God used to bring us here. And everywhere we go, and the gospel is loose, there are people like you who hear it, receive it, are changed by it, and you become imitators of the churches that were being persecuted. And you too are going to be driven out.
And when you go to the place where you're driven to and you do what we're doing, this gospel is going to spread like wildfire. Hey, man, so it's not just. They're not experienced this in a bubble. Paul experienced it. Paul was the one who drove people out, Dr.
Horne. He was the one. That's right. who breathed out Attacks on the church. He came to He came to Uh Damascus.
Two Literally take and put in shackles, put in prison and stone kill. Christians and the guy who has become who is a murderer of Christians, became a missionary to non-Christians. And so he identified with this persecution firsthand. As a participant in it. a leader of it and then As the recipient of it, it's fascinating in Acts chapter 9, Dr.
Horn. You have Paul's remarkable conversion. In Acts 9. Opening that passage. At the end of the passage, you have Paul being driven out by the people he was in league with at one time.
So he's being he's preaching the gospel. He's driven out. And the the Thessalonians They can identify with it. They can say, this guy really understands this. Because they're under heat.
They're under heat from the Jews. They're under heat from the Greeks. Their own countrymen That worship this pantheon of gods, Mount Olympus, 50 miles away. You could see it. All these gods, Apollo.
Neptune, you've got Zeus and all these gods they worshipped, and now these Thessalonicans. The they have turned from their idols to follow the living God. And so they've made everyone mad. And Paul is Is comforting them right in the heart of their persecution. Who better to do that?
And of course, he points to Jesus. Dr. Horn, Jesus Christ. Is exhibit A when it comes to trials. He is ultimately the one that all of our trials come through.
He's the ultimately the one. Who suffered the greatest and identifies the most with everything we could ever experience or feel. And so I love how Paul points him out in the middle of this. And these important words. Yeah, so if you look at that section we've been looking at, I think you're right on the money, brother.
Verses 13 through 16, really the two big ideas there is the power of God's word when it is unleashed. And the beauty of that word, when it is embraced by the hearer and the work that it does, is produces this beautiful triad, right? This work of faith, this labor of love, this patience of hope in the life of a person who was not marked by those things. And then there is this persecution, this resistance that comes to the word, right?
So whenever you bring the word of God, Satan is always going to have people that are going to oppose it. And sometimes those people. are the very people to whom that word was originally given. I mean, if you think about the people that are opposing the gospel that is producing such life change in these Thessalonian believers, so that they are actually turning away from all of those idols he just mentioned and worshiping the true God of heaven, the God of Israel, you would think that all of Israel would be rejoicing. But they are the ones who are doing the persecuting.
And the persecuting that they are doing is coming because they cannot accept. The idea that Jesus of Nazareth is their Messiah and that he is the Son of God, and they are going to oppose that living word. Whenever you are not submitted to the living word, whenever you are not rightly related to the living word, you are going to struggle with the written word. And that is what happens here.
So there is this persecution. And those of us who teach. And those of us who preach need to understand that that is how ministry unfolds. There is this beauty and power in the word of God that we stand up and teach and preach, or we sit across the table and we put into somebody in a private conversation. And that word, when it is received, begins to do this beautiful work.
But when it is opposed, when it is rejected, it puts us in a horrible place. It puts us in a place ultimately where the anger and the wrath of God come against us. And the very people to whom God gave this beautiful word in the Old Testament through Moses. are the ones that we read here in verse 16. They are filling up the measure of their sins.
And wrath has come upon their heads at last. It's super interesting that there's like this little reversal that's going on here. You remember all the way back when God in Genesis 15 told Abraham, hey, I'm giving you a land and it's going to be like this. But Abraham, you're not going to get the land for 400 years. Because the people who are in that land now.
have not filled up. the measure of their sins. That same idea. That was used in Genesis 15 to describe the Gentiles in the land of Canaan is now being used. about the Jews.
Here. There is a measure of sin that God is allowing them. Because he wants them to come to repentance. But the wrath of God is over all of that.
So it's an incredible turn. How did these people go from being the people who had the truth and who possessed it? to being people who were opposing it. Uh and and the answer is they rejected the the the the work of that word in their heart when the living word showed up They did not want to submit to him. And when you and I are not rightly related to Jesus because of some sin in our heart, or we're not rightly related to God because of something we're holding on to, it shouldn't surprise us that the word of God loses its power.
in our life because there's no place for it. It doesn't do the work. and that labor of love and that. uh work of faith and that steadfastness of hope. Diminish and eventually they disappear.
And what takes their place are these works of the flesh that bring God's judgment in our life, not eternal judgment as believers, but certainly God's discipline. In our life, and that's why in 2 Thessalonians chapter 3, Paul is going to get real stern with this guy in their midst who will not listen to apostolic teaching, he will not listen and respond to apostolic instruction. that touches a part of his life that he doesn't think uh the apostles have any business addressing. And that's the way it is in ministry. There are people in our churches, and when you start going with the word of God to areas of their life.
They're going, you have no business coming into this area of my life. That's not your business, Pastor. Stick to Sunday. You stick to the good stuff. You talk about Jesus' love and Jesus' mercy and Jesus' kindness, but don't you come in here and talk to me about how I spend my money.
Or don't you come in here and dare to talk to me about how I should treat my wife? My marriage is just fine and it's none of your business. And don't come in here and talk to me about my drinking habit. And on and on it goes. And the next thing you know, there is this resistance to the word of God because they are actually resisting the God who gave them that word.
and they're relegating him to the safe parts of their life Sunday morning. And so this passage is huge, which brings us to the very end of the passage where Paul is so thankful, not just for the work the word is doing, but for them.
Sometimes I think we can be grateful because we see God doing a certain thing in our church or in the life of somebody. But Paul actually goes beyond that and he says, I am thankful for you. And you get a sense of the apostles' heart. We were torn away from you. You see that language?
It, you know, we had to leave. No, we were ripped away. The idea there's You know, two people in a locked-armed embrace, and somebody comes and just rips them away, right? We were ripped away in person, but not in heart. And we endeavored the more eagerly and with great desire to see you face to face because we wanted to come to you.
Well, who separated us? Who kept us apart? Who hindered us? And the answer is Satan.
Now, this is a really important point. I think Paul is wanting us to all see. There is an enemy. to the work of God, and it's not that human that's throwing stones at you. That human that's throwing stones at you needs to be saved.
That church member that's resisting needs the work of God to go on in his life. That's not the real enemy. The real enemy is the one who's manipulating all of that from behind the scenes. And that is Satan. I don't think we really understand how active Satan is in trying to destroy the work of the word in our lives.
I think we sort of think Satan is this being that's somewhere far away and we've escaped his notice. And maybe we get a junior demon somewhere along the way, but actually. Paul is really clear here. He is saying that in this war, there is a really, really powerful enemy, and he is coming against us. And he is the one that has created all of this, this unity.
And Paul says, no matter how painful the tearing away is, I want you to know something. It didn't tear our hearts away from you. We love you, right? You are our crown. You are our confidence.
You are our hope of joy at his coming. You are that. For you are our glory. You are our joy. I mean.
You know, if you get around People who minister word alike, you ask them, so what isn't? That makes, oh, brother, let me teach some our church. Man, we had a thousand people on Sunday. It was an awesome day. Or man, you wouldn't believe this.
This is, and it is the stuff of ministry that brings us joy. And Paul says, Let me tell you what brings me joy. It is the people.
Well it is the people. And you know this because he says. I pray for you without ceasing. How do I know that somebody is my joy? I think about them all the time.
They're always on my mind. And when somebody's always on my mind, I'm calling out their name to God. God bless them today. Lord, help them today. I don't know what's going on in their life today, but please help them.
You know, if every one of us, and this is a rebuke to me as a pastor, but if every one of our Bible study leaders could get this and just say, Lord, help the joy of my life to be those 25 people that come on Wednesday mornings. Help them to be my joy. Yeah, he called them this crown. I mean, he's saying, You're my crown. You're my reward.
You know, he wanted them to do more than him. And you have to, even to back up a second, Dr. Horn, you have to think. What was it about the effectiveness? the grace, the power.
of Paul's ministry that would attract Direct assault From Satan. You know, when he wrote Ephesians 6, 12, we wrestle not against flesh and blood. In all the strata of evil that the Christian encounters. Hey, he wasn't kidding. I mean, this is real stuff.
And it makes you think, do I have that kind of prayer life, do I have that kind of impact? that is a threat. Two. The forces of hell. That is a threat to the enemy.
And it's all connected because it's. You know, the devil Is a some pastors and some churches that really aren't churches because they don't believe the word. The devil doesn't mess with them. There's no warfare. There's no rub.
There's no friction. Because they're dead. They're not an impact and They're not. Reaching souls. They're not baptizing.
They're not taking on. A new ground for the gospel. They're not advancing the kingdom. In the power of the Holy Spirit, Dr. Horn.
You know, what is it about my life, my ministry, that I am attracting? The enemy's attacks. It's actually a badge of honor. It's a badge of honor for that to happen. Let me give you a really simple answer to that.
And I mean, I think you'll know from relationships why this is. But the reason that Satan hates you and he hates me is because he hates Jesus. You know, you can see this sometimes in human relationships. You walk up to somebody and say, Why do you hate me so much? I don't even know you.
I've hardly even met you. I mean, we. You know, I met you over here. I've never said a word to you. I've never done, and that person would look at you and say, The reason I hate you is because of your relationship to him, and I hate him.
Satan hates Jesus. And any believer who is advancing Jesus. and proclaiming Jesus and loving Jesus and causing other people to love Jesus, Satan hates Jesus and he's gonna hate them. But a believer who's not reflecting Jesus, a believer who's actually living in such a way that's causing people to walk away from Jesus, says like, leave that guy alone. He's actually doing my work.
Right. That believer who's doing that may not even realize if you talk to him, oh no, I love Jesus. You know, I'm not, I'm not doing. Not doing too well right now, but I really love him. And you know, I'm going to be with him one day forever.
And there's no opposition to him because he is living in such a way that when people run into his life or they encounter him, they are actually so repelled that they walk away from Jesus. We are, I think, this is the thing I'm coming to learn, Stu, from 1 Thessalonians, is that my life is not neutral. There is no Switzerland for me. I am either drawing people to Jesus or I'm repelling them. That's the bottom line.
I am either. Using my life and living my life in such a way that I am drawing people to Jesus, or I'm living my life in such a way that it's repelling people from Jesus. You're either a stepping stone or a stumbling block. You're either a missionary or a mission field. There's no middle ground, there's no neutral.
And Satan hates us both, right, because of our association with Jesus, but he's going to actively come against one and he's going to leave the other alone because the other one is actually accomplishing his big goal, and that is to get people to ignore Jesus, to resist Jesus. and to walk away from Jesus. And so that's a sobering thing that. When you read a book like this, Um When there is no satanic opposition.
Now, you know, I'm not talking about that I need to go out there and start figuring out ways to get people to hate me. But when I am living a beautiful life and there's no opposition, I ask myself. What am I doing wrong here? What part of Satan's work am I actually accomplishing? Yeah.
That's backwards. That's backwards how we think. If we're going through a tough time, we think, oh man, I must be in, and we may be, but I must be doing something wrong. But you actually. If you're under attack, you're doing something right.
Because the enemy does not like, in the case of Paul and Thessalonians, he doesn't like the unity. He doesn't like this deep agape love that was felt between Paul and this young flock of new believers. He doesn't like that. And he's gonna be every force in hell. Is gonna Amp up to take down.
The believer who is actively walking with Jesus and Advancing the gospel and in unity with other believers and holding hands. with others to reach our world because so many people haven't heard in That that's that's what That's what the enemy hates more than anything. He doesn't hate it. People just sitting on their blessed assurance doing nothing. Yeah, well, this is this.
I know we got to wrap up here, but this might be a good place to wrap up in chapter three, which we're going to get to next time. Paul says, Now, I'm eager to come to you because I know this enemy that we were just talking about. that's coming against you because the word of god is doing such a beautiful thing in your life He hates Jesus and that's why he hates you. Here's how he's going to do it. The tempter is going to come and tempt you.
And you can see that in verse five of chapter three, he said, I sent. For this reason, when I could bear it no longer, I sent to learn about your faith for fear that somehow the tempter had tempted you, and our labor would be in vain. That it would just be empty. And so we've got to be aware as we teach. That there is a real enemy who hates Jesus.
And when the word that we are teaching, like when this word that we're talking about gets in the heart of one of our leaders and they get it and they are like, I can't wait to put this in the heart of 25 people. Guess what? Satan's going to come against that leader somehow. They're gonna come they're gonna maybe something in their marriage Maybe there's a temptation that that person overcame years ago, and all of a sudden, there it is again. Or maybe there's just some person that's just going to oppose them.
And they're going to get discouraged and say, I don't know if I can do this anymore, Stu. I'm out. And you're like, dude, the tempter just got you. The tempter just got you. Or maybe it's a leader and he stands a temptation and he puts this beautiful truth in 25 people, and two of them are like, I'm done, I'm out.
And you start looking in and the tempter got him. There is a tempter. Who comes against God's people in whom this word is at work to tempt them? And that's why you find Paul saying, I give thanks to God for you, and I pray for you without ceasing. And I want you to pray for me without ceasing.
In fact, in 1 Thessalonians 5, verse 27, he's going to say, brothers, pray for us. And maybe that's what we need to do right now. We need to pray for one another as we wrap up. Amen.
Well, let's pray. A couple of questions, provocative questions that are healthy for all of us to go through. Here's a great question. You know, pa you see it full circle. Paul.
He he loves. God's Word, preaching God's Word, and He loves people. And those are the two things you can see with your eyes that last forever, God's Word and people. And then a great question: Who is your glory and joy? Who are you investing in?
your heart, your soul, to bring up in Christ, to build up, to bring closer to Christ. Go back and say thank you today. To someone who has invested in you, who has poured their life into you, who has taken you aside, maybe giving you some tough love that you needed, but in a loving way, they say, I'm still here at 10 o'clock tonight to love you, encourage you, pulled you up, picked you up. James chapter 5 pursued you when you had kind of fallen away. Who has done that in your life?
And who are you? Building up, who would say about you, hey, that guy right there, that gal right there? He or she is my joy and my glory. That's the kind of relationship. That's the body.
This is true affection. And, you know, that says the song we sing: They will know we are Christians. By our love. And Jesus said that the greatest sign you're my disciples is you love one another. You, you.
It's about towels. And foot washing, not trophies and accolades. It's about serving and sacrificing. And Paul said, I can't wait to see you at the coming of Christ. I know I'm going to see you at the coming of Christ.
I know that's going to happen. You know, verse 18, 19 in there. But In the meantime, I long to see you. And there's nothing like a face-to-face call, Dr. Horne.
I mean, there's nothing like when you and I meet in person. There's nothing like sometimes you got to say, hey, we could talk about this on the phone, but we really need to sit down and we need to look each other in the eye and deal with this. Paul longed for that, but he couldn't get there. But God's bigger than that because Satan, maybe he could thwart Paul's presence with them, but he could not thwart the presence of the Holy Spirit of God. and the power of the Word of God working effectively.
and powerfully in their life. And that is the the that's the way the gospel works. Dr. Horn. Close us out of here, brother, with any word you have and these key verses in.
in 1 Thessalonians 2, 13 through 20, and then get us a good prayer. Amen.
Well, let me correct. I said it was 1 Thessalonians 5.27, but it's actually 5.25 where Paul says, brothers, pray for us. And he actually gives us a prayer. in verse 23. And I want to pray that prayer for us, for you, for me, for our families, and for our Bible study leaders, and for everyone who will be next Wednesday opening up this wonderful part of God's word, 1st Thessalonians chapter 2, verse 13 to the end.
And that word would do a good work in them. Lord, we pray that as the God of peace, You yourself would do a work in each of us that would sanctify us and make us complete, make us whole in every area of our life. Lord, there are areas where we are weak. There are places where there are gaps in the walls of our life. And Satan, the tempter, comes and he knows exactly where to hit.
He knows exactly where to name or throw that dart or shoot that arrow. And so, Lord, we pray. that you would sanctify us completely. and that our whole spirit and our soul and our body would be kept blameless. that Lord, you would preserve us from sin.
that your word would be constantly washing us and cleansing us and growing us and giving us strength and nourishment. Lord, we pray that you would be at work in every part of us until the coming of your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. And we know that you who have called us You are faithful and we rest in that faithfulness and we thank you in Jesus' name. Amen.
Thank you, Dr. Horn, and thank you for joining us for this Wednesday in the Word podcast. Learn more at wedintheword.com. Follow us on YouTube. Facebook and all social media, including Instu Graham, and be encouraged, stay in the word, read it.
Share it, study it, memorize it, and meditate on God's Word. Every word of God is pure. He is a shield to those who put their trust in him. Proverbs 30 verse 5.
