1 Thessalonians Chapter 2 Verses 1 - 4

• What we’re going to see in this chapter is Paul answering formally and finally the accusations and complaints that had followed him from Philippi, to Thessalonica and on to Berea. As he and Timothy and Silas traveled through this region preaching truth and creating churches and making disciples, we know from Acts 16 and 17 that he made many enemies as well! Who were his enemies in Philippi? The merchants! And how did he make those enemies? By freeing a slave girl who was demon-possessed and being used by her masters for much profit by fortune-telling!
• It’s a crazy and most confusing scene…where the girl follows them around the city openly proclaiming, “These men are the servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us the way of salvation!” My heart breaks because this tormented girl was pleading for help with this proclamation! The demon no doubt thrashing about within her as she proclaimed this truth! And Paul being greatly moved by her cast out the demon and her masters had a cow!
• So they dragged them to the authorities and basically accused Paul of disturbing the peace! Paul was bringing the peace! So they beat Paul, Timothy and Silas…many stripes the Bible says, serious stuff and put them into prison. Paul leaves there…the merchants were happy…they were like, “Bye Felicia!,” and comes to Philippi where he makes new Christians, new disciples and new enemies! And who were his enemies there? The leading Jews!
• First it was the gentiles and now it’s the Jews! Eeeeeerybody hatin’ on Paul! I mean his back is still bleeding from the stripes he received in Philippi when he is run out of the city there in Thessalonica. And what was Paul’s response? We will see it in the coming verses…so be it! I cannot deny God to gain mans’ endorsement!
• From this chapter, the coming verses, Barclay records in his studies, he’s extracted that these were the haters claims, the false charges made evident by Paul’s defense. Paul is a criminal. He is delusional. His ministry is fake and he’s in it for himself. He deliberately deceives others. He preaches for popularity, not God. He only wants personal glory. And finally, this guy is a dictator! But Paul is not discouraged. He is not delayed. He is not hindered. He doesn’t slow down. He ratchets up…and faces this onslaught of charges boldly. Why? For him? NO! For them!
• He says there in verse 1, “You know that our coming to you was not in vain!” How? How does he know that? After all of this junk being spread about him? Because of one That’s it. If one person had given their life to the Lord, come alive in the knowledge and power of the gospel of Jesus Christ, then nothing is wasted!
• Folks in ministry, the people here in ministry, face discouragement all the time! It is not a time to delay. It is a time to ratchet up! Please hear me! Our ministry is from the Lord and for the Lord…Don’t allow yourself to get distracted by your desire for man’s approval! Please God! Man’s approval is fleeting! Ever changing. God’s Word doesn’t change!
• I was in the gym a few weeks back and there on all of the machines was cable if you wanted to plug your iphone in or ipod but guess what? It was the old plug! Companies all over the world invested in Apple’s design to create gain…you know what that is? That is the world investing in the world and here I am with a dead phone! (Welcome to the Emergent Church Movement!) God’s charging cable never changes! And so make sure all your ministry devices power off of that! Those who leave everything in God’s hand will eventually see God’s hand in everything! And then we will ratchet up!
• Folks have come and gone in the last 5 years of ministry here at Calvary.   Many with good intentions and many with malice of fore thought and brought great discouragement on the leadership and ministry leaders with their input to how things should be run differently and how I should mold their model into this ministry. Listen, I appreciate input, for sure…I’m not talking about that…I’m talking about insult (input without humility) and for me, it’s no big deal. This is the Lord’s ministry and He has chosen me to be responsible for it just as Paul wrote to Timothy in 1 Timothy 1:12.
• I like to simply welcome them to plant their own church and carry out God’s calling on their But that’s not what they want to do…they just want to take over where others have labored…and I see right through that…but the discouragement that is brought on my team at times in the last 5 years, I like to remind them…people are getting saved! Paul says that our coming to you was not in vain because there is one person, two people, even three that have been given life eternal! God is doing a new work through us and for us here in this place…and never forget that God is King.
• Never forget that He is the Builder. Someone walking by the house that God has designed and built and as they pass by pointing to the shutters and instructing you to change them? Why? So that their pass-by can be to their liking? HA! This is God’s house!   He directs the changes! And as they leave because they want blue and not brown, nothing is lost…stay the course. Be bold in the ministry!

1 Thessalonians Chapter 2 Verses 5 – 9

• We hear Paul’s heart for the people in that, but we also hear something I find quite interesting. Empirical fact. Facts and information and data that anyone reading this letter there in the city could corroborate! This is important! Why? To get everyone off his back? But so that his walk and message and ministry is not hindered by his own personal sub-conscience condemnation!
• He actually did these things! He was filled with authority by the Holy Spirit and by the message that he preached to completely direct folks to change but rather he held them and was gentle with them, encouraging them and even cherishing them. Working! Not just preaching and teaching but Adding practical value to the marketplace or to the economical system so that he could eat without burdening others!
• And so when the jabs come, they don’t hurt so bad…You’re not in this for God, you’re in this for you! Homie do you know me!? Obviously not! See what I’m saying!? His confidence was in- tact and it wasn’t his argument or defense it was I strive for that man! How? Why? Because man in ministry, your heart is soft and dangerously vulnerable. Your skin must be 10 miles thick. How do you get that!? Do you have that? Does your life so strictly align to your professed beliefs that you’re almost bullet proof? That’s how you get that confidence! Rhino skin.
• Paul does and here’s where it all comes from. Verse 4. His aim is to please God, not men. That is a winning recipe because God doesn’t change! Man changes at the drop of a feather thread! The confidence that floods when God is your sufficiency is a clear conscience and a running track! Ever picture a hot rod on a dirt road or rugged terrain? Broken in a mile…we gotta lay out the track man if we are to run…and that track is The Way…holler?

1 Thessalonians Chapter 2 Verses 7 – 12

• An amazing declaration by Paul right to our hearts this morning. That God, your Creator and Redeemer calls you today into His own kingdom and glory. He calls out to you. Wanting you to shed the weight of sin, the clothes of the common peasant, and receive His robes of righteousness…to be His princes and princesses…He is the King afterall…this idea that He calls you into His glory…that means into His own family…royalty. It’s up to you to answer that call or its just…well its missed.
• Have you ever missed a call? An important one. On March 3, 1847 when Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone, he had three missed calls from Chuck Norris! HA! Just kidding…but seriously…we could have thousands of missed calls from advertisers and who cares?…(the world trying to get something)…but a slew of important missed calls, stress…regret…despair…could it be that you have thousands of missed calls from God, when His is the most important in all of life and eternity? Would you answer today?