Jump Start # 3900
1 Thessalonians 1:9 “For they themselves report about us what kind of a reception we had with you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve a living and true God.”
With this Jump Start, we journey to yet another milestone, 3900. Never did I think that I would write so many and never did I think so many would continue to read these. I love fountain pens. They are my choice when writing. I sometimes think that God has used me as one of His fountain pens. Inspired, no. Gifted from the Lord way beyond my abilities, absolutely. Thank you for staying with these and reading these. I hope they help.
I tend to think that we give the Thessalonians a negative rap. This is all based upon that familiar Acts passage that tells us the Bereans were more noble-minded than the Thessalonians because they searched the Scriptures daily to see what they heard was true or not. The impression that leaves us is that the Thessalonians didn’t search the Scriptures daily. From that, we manufacture the idea that the Thessalonians were lukewarm, just nominal Christians. Weak, is what many would think of them.
But, when you run through the first couple of chapters of Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians, you sure don’t get that impression. Our verse today tells us that they turned from idols to serve the living God. That would be hard. Some may have lost jobs because of that. Some may have been cut off from the family because of that.
Notice what else we learn about the Thessalonians:
1. They became examples to all the believes in Macedonia and Achaia (1:7)
2. The word of God sounded forth from them (1:8)
3. They became imitators of the churches in Judea (2:14)
4. They accepted the preached word as the word of God (2:13)
5. They endured suffering from their own countrymen (2:14)
Those are amazing credentials. Most congregations would be pleased to have those things spoken about them. We know what the Thessalonians were doing. They were doing great. The Bereans must have been off the charts in their love for the Lord.
From this, there are some great lessons for us to learn:
First, it’s easy to make conclusions about others without knowing all the facts. Because the Bereans were “more noble minded” than the Thessalonians, we can assume that the Thessalonians were not hitting on all cylinders as they should have been. In school there may be several students with a 4.0 GPA, but one is named the valedictorian. Are we to assume that the other straight A students sluffed off and weren’t achievers? Absolutely not.
In any congregation, there are some who are more noticeable and often have a more recognizable presence than others. The preacher stands before the congregation every week. Everyone knows his name. Yet, is he more important than others? There may be that quiet widow who sends cards to so many, with heartfelt words of encouragement. There is the brother who gives up so many Saturdays to help others. He mows yards for those who can’t. He helps lift boxes when people move. Busy nearly every weekend helping his family in Christ, that’s his gift and his joy. Most in the congregation do not know about the good that he does. Most don’t know about how many cards that quiet widow sends out every month.
It’s easy to conclude that so few are doing anything, when that’s not the truth. They may be Thessalonians who are adding so much to the lives of others.
Second, it is also interesting that God has not told us much about the Bereans. The Thessalonians have two letters written to them. The Bereans don’t. Just what made them so noble? The context of Acts 17 reveals that troublemakers from Thessalonica came and caused trouble for Paul. That may be why the Bereans were more noble minded. It may have something to do with how Paul was cared for. The emphasis seems to be in the attitude of the Bereans to search the Scriptures. They didn’t just accept it because Paul said it. They knew to verify things by the word of God. That noble attitude is what caught Paul’s attention. It didn’t seem to bother him that people wanted to verify what he was saying with the word of God.
It’s easy to compare congregations and to make conclusions that really are not helpful. It takes the right vision, resources, personnel, and circumstances to do what many congregations are doing these days. Not all have those things. It’s easy to be jealous. It’s easy to overlook the years it took to get a leadership or vision to do what a congregation is currently doing. No one goes from 0 to 100 overnight. Many steps. Many challenges. Many little battles. Many changing attitudes. Many lessons taught. And, a lot of work and effort. When no one wants to be that engine to drive those things, then those things won’t get done.
Third, we learn so much from the Thessalonians. What a great example they are for us. Powerful and wonderful examples spill out of the Thessalonian letter. Comforting one another with these words, as Paul talked about the death of Christians. Pray without ceasing. In everything give thanks. Examine everything carefully. Abstain from every form of evil. Each of those great expressions come from Paul’s words to that church.
It is thought that Paul’s first letter of inspiration was the Thessalonian epistles. A young church experiencing the transition from a culture of idolatry to walking with the Lord was impressive. The Bereans were noble minded, that is certain. However, those Thessalonians certainly put a stake in the ground for the Lord.
Roger