Dec 11, 2009

Like a Thessalonian

Like a Thessalonian? What does that mean?

I believe that I have been given the gift of evangelism by our Lord. Of course every man and woman who call themselves by the name of Jesus Christ for salvation are commanded to share the gospel, ...and He said to them, "Thus it is written, that the Christ would suffer and rise again from from the dead the third day, and that repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem." Luke 24:46,47, but there are a few who have been given a special gift of the Holy Spirit for evangelism, "And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers..." Eph4:11 . These are the servants of God who are ones who devote more of their time to go into streets and the market places to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ to the lost, and I am one of these.

The inspiration I find for my ministry comes from 1 Thessalonians 1:6-8; "You also became imitators of us and the Lord, having received the word in much tribulation with the joy of the Holy Spirit, so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonian and Achaia. For the word of the Lord has sounded forth from you, not only in Macedonian and Achaia, but also in every place your faith toward God has gone forth, so that we have no need to say anything."

That is an amazing commendation from the apostle Paul. The believers of the Church of Thessalonika are told that they are doing such a good job with what they have been entrusted with, the gospel, that Paul says that he doesn't even have to be there to preach it, and they are an example to all believers in Greece.

Nowadays it is common for many evangelical churches to try and entice the lost to come into our church where they might here about Jesus. This is usually done by striving to become "relevant" or "cool like them" so that they might think that we are cool and not like Ned Flanders and then maybe they might think Jesus is cool and want to maybe add Him to there lives.

Churches are constantly putting so much effort into trying to figure out what would be the next cool or entertaining event to lure the world into the church. They spend days doing natural church growth reports, and surveying the community asking those outside the church what the church could be doing, or how the church should be acting.

Have we forgotten that they are the unsaved haters of God? Rom 1:28-32; "And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper, being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful; and although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them."
Did not Jesus say that we would be hated because of Him? John 15:18-20; "If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you, 'A slave is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they kept My word, they will keep yours also."

Why then are we trying to gain the approval of the world and try so hard to get them to like us?

If we desire the church to grow, and not for pragmatic reasons, but sincerely desire the salvation of those of the world who are lost then we would forget all this foolishness and encourage and train evangelists to go into the streets and preach the gospel of Jesus Christ for that is how the gospel is spread through preaching. "How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher? How will they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, "HOW BEAUTIFUL ARE THE FEET OF THOSE WHO BRING GOOD NEWS OF GOOD THINGS!" ...So faith comes from hearing and hearing by the word of Christ."
Romans 10:14-15,17.


When I was saved, it was my desire to share the gospel with friends and family. My problem was that I didn't really know how, I did but I didn't. Sure I could share my testimony, but how do I put the gospel into more understandable words than "you have sinned against God, and you need to ask for His forgiveness and trust in Jesus Christ." I know most would say that that is not a terribly bad message, it is the truth, but I always thought that it needed a little more explanation. What exactly is "sin?" How do I explain it so that it would cut to their hearts and they would say 'yes I have done that?'

I was driving through Wisconsin one day listening to my Sirius satellite radio and I came across this program named "The Way of the Master Radio" with Todd Friel hosting and aslo with Ray Comfort and Kirk Cameron (yes the little 'Growing Pain'). What I heard has since opened my eyes to a full understandable reasonable presentation of the gospel. It is so simple I can't believe I didn't get it earlier, especially since it is repeated throughout the scriptures. For example; "Now we know that whatever the Law says, it speaks to those who are under the Law, so that every mouth may be closed and all the world may become accountable to God; because by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight; for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin...for the Law brings about wrath..." Romans 3:19-20,4:14

Of course. The 10 Commandments. Have you ever told a lie? Have you ever stolen anything? Jesus said that lust is the same as adultury, and of course everyone has worshipped other things rather than the true and living God.

Another thing that The Way of the Master emphazised that most churches do not is the supreme holiness of Almighty God. That is why even hell is reasonable for the crimes we have committed against Him. It's not exactly that all the crimes we have committed against Him are sooo spectacular but it's the One whom we have committed them against. God is so holy that lying lips are an abomination to Him, and a crime against an infinite God deserve an infinite punishment.

Thanks be to God that Jesus Christ came to our defense in this supreme court of God. He stepped in and took the punishment that we deserved in His own life's blood. The just for the unjust, and then three days later Jesus Christ rose again from the dead, proving His sacrifice as satisfactory to appease the wrath of God. Jesus Christ lived a perfect sinless life which is accredited to our account and our sins, past, present, and future, were put on Jesus Christ and payed for on the cross. We are fully justified in the eyes of a holy God, seen as righteous although not yet righteous.

And all we have to do is repent of our sins (not that that is such an easy thing to do, since you must die to yourself), and put our faith in Jesus Christ.

That is what we are to preach in the highways and byways. That is what will lead the lost sinners to God. "Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent, because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead." Acts 17:30-31

We do not need to conjure up some exciting new ways to try and sway people into making a feelings based desicion for Christ, but rather with the conviction of the law, the Holy Spirit is the One who convicts the world of sin, righteousness, and judgement and it the Holy Spirit who brings about repentance and conversion so that the sinner will cry out "God have mercy on me a sinner."

Let us go now and sound forth the word of the Lord like a Thessalonian.

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