Good morning my “Walking with Jesus” friends on this the first day of a new month… June!
Summer is here and for many people that is exciting, bringing expectations of more time with family and friends, possibly some travel and maybe some significant changes in life! But before we rush forward, have you learned how important it is to pause, like a diver on the diving board, and reflect back on what you’ve learned in life, so when you push forward you will do so wisely? I just received a call from a friend I haven’t seen in 20 years, what a great moment of reconnection it was, even though much has changed in both our lives!
Join me again my friends as we watch the apostle Paul reflecting, listening carefully to the Holy Spirit, and dictating his first letter to the Christians in Thessalonica, a town in which he only spent three weeks, (Acts 17:1-10) but many people in that town had responded to the Gospel of Jesus Christ even though it was likely the first time they’d heard anything about Jesus!
Timothy has the parchments rolled out, his stylus and ink ready, and Paul is standing by the window looking out over the busy Corinth streets as he’s remembering his short time in Thessalonica. Paul takes a deep breath… here we go: “You know, brothers and sisters, that our visit to you was not a failure. We had previously suffered and been insulted in Philippi, as you know, but with the help of our God we dared to tell you His Gospel in spite of strong opposition.” (1 Thess. 2:1)
As Paul said these words, he may have looked at scars on his arms and legs from the beating he and Silas had received in the town of Philippi when arrested and beaten without a trial. Undoubtedly Paul and Silas had described their ordeal to the Thessalonians, but I’m equally sure they certainly told the victorious story of God sending an earthquake, the prison doors flying open, and the Jailor asking Paul and Silas to tell him how to know Jesus as they did! (Acts 16:16-40)
Paul considered these welts ‘scars of honor’ and I’m sure they reminded Paul of Jerusalem several years before and how the other apostles had considered their beating as recorded in Acts 5:40,41 which says: “The Sanhedrin called the apostles in and had them flogged. Then they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. The apostles left the Sanhedrin rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name of Jesus.”
I don’t know for sure my friends, but I believe it’s very possible Paul, who at that time was Saul Paulus of Tarsus, one of the most zealous, anti-Jesus Pharisees, may have been a member that Sanhedrin, and may have stood watch over the beating the apostles received!
But then came his encounter with the risen Jesus on the road to Damascus and everything changed for Paul. (Acts 9) Those apostles, who he wanted beaten to death, were now his friends, and now he, Paul, had on his body the same scars from beatings he had received just as they had.
May I ask, as you think back over your life journey, what are some of the tragedies, crisis which have occurred in your life and what scars, both physical and emotional, have those events left on you?
Here’s a far more important question for us to consider: How has God worked in your life through those painful, horrible events, to refine your character and develop your spiritual maturity? What wisdom have you gained in life through those experiences?
Have you found this powerful word Paul wrote to the Ephesian Christians to be true about your painful past: “In Him we were chosen…according to the plan of Him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of His will, in order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might BE for the praise of His glory!” (Eph. 1:11,12)
Can you see how God has worked in and through the circumstances and even tragedies in your life to accomplish His greater purposes in and through you which will bring glory to God and enable you to BE for His Praise? Now you might need to ponder that for a little while. You may even need to ask the Holy Spirit to help you see your life situations more clearly through God’s eyes, and to understand what God is accomplishing in His refinement of you! We should be able to see how our past is contributing to who we are today, my friends!
Paul is continuing dictating and Timothy is scribing: “For the appeal we make does not spring from error or impure motives, nor are we trying to trick you. On the contrary, we speak as men approved by God to be entrusted with the Gospel. We are not trying to please men but God who tests our hearts. You know we never used flattery, nor did we put on a mask to cover up greed – God is our witness. We were not looking for praise from men, not from you or anyone else…” (1 Thess. 2:3-6)
What is this appeal Paul is making? Is he selling something or trying to recruit people to something? The appeal from Paul, of course, is that the Thessalonians would consider the truthfulness of the Gospel and the falseness of their idol worship. Then, Paul advances the appeal to move from considering the Gospel to be true, to entrusting their lives to God, by repenting of their sin and asking God to save them from sin and transform them into new creations in Jesus Christ! (2 Cor. 5:17)
Paul has determined THAT is the only life purpose which gives his life significance. When writing to the Corinthian Christians Paul said it this way: “We are therefore ambassadors of Jesus Christ as though God were making His appeal [to the world] through us.” (2 Cor. 5:20)
And do you notice Paul wants to be very clear that his presentation of the Gospel of Jesus is not manipulative, not secretive, not in any way a distortion of truth, but rather Paul is confident he speaks as a man sent by God with a message given to him by God and therefore Paul is not concerned about his popularity nor his fame.
The only thing which matters to Paul is that people, any people, clearly hear, accurately understand and genuinely respond to God’s good news, the Gospel of the life, death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus and the dramatic life change that this Gospel can accomplish in any person.
Wow, I think we need to pause right here. I have three questions.
First... does your life have a clear purpose like Paul’s did? Regardless of your vocation, your education, your ambitions, does your life have God honoring, clear and fulfilling purpose?
Second, are you living your purpose to the full, empowered by God Himself? Is anything holding you back, anything distracting you from your God given purpose?
Third, as we leap into June, are you expecting this summer to be something special for you and those you love? Are you ready for God to invite you into an adventure He perhaps has been planning for you?
What might that be? Have you told God you’re ready to really ‘walk with Jesus’ every day of this summer, no matter what God might have in store for you?
And here’s a song to help us consider the exciting potential of those questions in your life and mine…
Today’s Scripture is 1 Thessalonians 2:1-6.
Choose below to read or listen.
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Bible images provided with attribution to www.LumoProject.com.
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Pastor Doug Anderson 262.441.8785
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
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