Beloved friend, do you and I really value the spiritual history that is described in the first chapter of First Thessalonians concerning the young church in Thessalonica? Paul, the beloved apostle by the Holy Spirit, has written this inspired letter and within the first chapter he has given the history of a believer from the election of God in ages past, right down to the coming of the Lord, when the believer will be glorified with Christ in a future day. We have already studied five of the spiritual truths regarding the historical record of these early Thessalonian converts. But now let us consider the remaining two. The sixth one is found in verses eight. and through the first half of verse nine, and it is in regard to the preaching of the Thessalonian saints themselves. They all became preachers, not from the seminaries, nor from the Bible institutes and schools, but they became preachers of the gospel. Listen to the word. For from you sounded out the word of the Lord not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but in every place your faith to God will is spread abroad, so that we need not to speak anything. For they themselves show of us what manner of entering in we had unto you. This is a remarkable testimony. Could you tell me how many converted Thessalonians were preaching the good news of the gospel and heralding forth the word of the Lord? Please let me also remind you, they did not have a complete Bible such as you and I have today. Very little of the Scriptures may have been in their possession. and cheaply it was from the scriptures of the Hebrew Old Testament that the beloved apostles had to preach. But the message of the gospel that they preached, the truth of the Lord's death, burial and resurrection that they told it, and its living effect and eternal effect upon the believers of Thessalonica. Today the average local church is willing and expects one man to do all the preaching and the evangelizing. This indeed is the travesty and the disgrace when we look at the old believers of Long ago in the early church. The new converts at Thessalonica, they all felt the responsibility and they all sounded out the word of the Lord. They had no seminaries to enroll in. They had no Bible institutes to attend, but in their work of faith, everyone, did their part to spread the gospel and preach the word. Doctorate degrees and diplomas they knew nothing about, but within their hearts was burning the fire of holy zeal, to make Christ known to others so that souls were converted through their own testimony. Paul's convict became preachers. Known also, that the convicts they brought to Christ did the same. For in verse nine Paul declares of the converts of the Thessalonian believers, those convicts of yours, they themselves show of us. They tell us of what manner of entering in we had unto you. What tremendous blessing attended the witnessing by the Thessalonian saints. Paul actually is saying, we're speechless. We do not need to say a word. Your Christian conduct and your testimony in the whole region of Macedonia and also Achaia speaks for us, proving how effective our short ministry was when we were in your midst. Oh, beloved friend, Let me say again that this was a sample of primitive Christianity in the days of the church's early history. This was the scriptural method, if you please, by which the Gospel and the Word of God were spread and magnified in the days of that early church. We are so far away from primitive Christianity today and from its power and its work through the ordinary saints. unnamed believers who through suffering much affliction outwardly yet were inwardly filled with the joy of the Holy Ghost and they reached out in every direction from their locality through Asia and spread the word mouth to mouth person to person no great highly organized organizational effort was made under the leadership of a great evangelist my beloved it is a shame that the gospel today is not being carried by every believer, but these simple, spirit-filled believers of old who desired all others around them to hear and receive the good news of salvation, they heralded the truth. You ask, but did they not have someone to lead them? Did they not have some organization to sponsor them? Bless your heart, never. There was no earthly There was no ecclesiastical control over them. Except they had the risen head of the church, the Lord of Glory, in heaven above before their hearts. They had the Holy Spirit of God within their hearts. They had the Word of God before their hearts, as they well knew it, as much as they knew it. And what a fire of zeal and love it produced, for the gospel spread like a prairie fire. across the region of that part of the world where they live. Let me repeat again without apology. This was original Christianity in the days of the Apostles. It would be a wonderful thing if God was able to repeat in our days the same kind of preaching and the same kind of witnessing. I define you to find a name of one of these converts in these old letters that Paul wrote to the Thessalonians. No one of them is named, but every one of them were working. Every one of them were carrying out the will of God. Every one of them were seeking to make Christ known throughout the whole region. Truly, it was indeed a work where each saint was energized, was controlled as well as guided by the Holy Spirit of God himself. What a testimony. There is one more reference, and it's a final one, in this record of their spiritual history, to make it a complete one. It's found in the last part of verse nine, and through verse ten, where we read, And how ye turn to God from idol, to serve the living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven, even Jesus, our deliverer, from the coming wrath. Now here are two blessed facts regarding these Thessalonian saints revealed. First, they were serving God. Second, they were waiting. Do you remember the parable the Lord once told in his exhortation when he gave commandment to his servants saying, Occupy till I come, Occupy till I come, keep busy in my service until I get back till I return. The Thessalonians say, fulfill the Lord's request, occupy till I come. How wonderful to be so doing. I think of an incident, very happy incident in the experience of a fellow laborer, when he had one convert, who in the midst of that campaign, with many others too, but this one convert, was a man that determined immediately to do something for the Lord, and the campaign was being held in a gospel tent. The man that was converted said, I'll make sure that all the lights are provided with oil, for it was in the day, long before electricity was too available. And he said, I'll keep the lamps filled with oil, so that they'll be preaching every night, and there'll be light every night. And so he did. Week by week went by, and the gospel campaign kept on. The men constantly and faithfully kept the oil supplied. On one occasion, after many days, as he went to the filling station to get the supply of oil again, he was asked by the attendant, Is that fellow still preaching? Down there? Yes, he said he's still preaching. How long is he going to preach? He was asked. said the convert in all the zeal of his newfound faith. He says, fill up the can. We're going to preach till Jesus comes. That's a wonderful spirit. Occupy till I come. And these two responsibilities join together, serving the living and true God, and waiting for the Lord to return. My beloved, there are many saints today that are waiting for the Lord to come, I know. I know many saints that long for the Savior to return. But not too many of them are serving him. We should do both. Serve him and wait for him. For his coming will deliver us. His coming will deliver his own people from the wrath to come in this world. What a joy to realize this wonderful fact. My beloved friend, let me speak clearly to your hearts about these closing words, our deliverer from the wrath to come. Divine judgment is coming upon this ungodly world. Ungodly persons and unsaved souls will be the visitation of divine wrath. But for those who are saved, there is a deliverer from that wrath that is to come. It is even Jesus our Savior. And may I, if I am speaking to a soul that knows not the Lord Jesus, will you not realize as a repentant and as a guilty sinner, you should by faith receive the Lord Jesus today and make him your own personal Lord and Savior as you confess your sinfulness and acknowledge his work on the cross alone can save you and then receive him. For as many as received him, to then give him the power, the right, the privilege to become the sons of God. And when you receive him, then you can begin to serve him. You can not only serve him, but you can be waiting for him to come from heaven above. Beloved, let's please note carefully that in the chapter, the historical record of a believer's story is history before God is revealed. beginning with his election before time ever began, but concluding with the glorification that will be his or hers at the coming again of our Lord Jesus Christ. May God bless this account of the history of a believer from beginning to the end. Now we commence the study of chapter two in this first epistle of the Thessalonians. In this chapter we shall learn some valuable and practical truth concerning the experiences of the missionaries, the beloved Apostle Paul and his companions, when they came into the city of Thessalonica to preach the good news of the gospel. These experiences that we find revealed that the Apostle and his friends endured, they should be a pattern for all of us, and especially for all missionaries and servants of the Lord. This is a pattern that we can follow at all times. How well it would be for preachers and teachers of the Word of God to study the methods of the early apostles as they fulfill their responsibilities in the work of the Lord. May I say that again in substance? You know, we devise many books, we write many books, we devise many methods. How to do the work of the Lord? How to do the work of God? Beloved, look, if you'll take your Bible, and if you and I would only see and read and note how these early missionaries and preachers of the Word of God did their work we'd learn some valuable lessons now let us see first of all in verses one and two of this second chapter of the first epistles of the Thessalonians first the character of the missionaries when they entered and came into the city not only why they went but particularly how, and in what spirit, they came into the new work. Now here are the words the Apostle has written. For yourselves, brethren, know our entrance in unto you, that it was not in vain. But even after we had suffered before, and were shamefully entreated, as ye know, at Philippi, We were bold in our God to speak unto you the gospel of God with much contention. We may well know that it was from the city of Philippi. These missionaries had come. This we may read in the book of the Acts, chapter sixteen, that in Philippi they suffered much for the sake of the gospel. We may remember that Paul and Silas were thrust into jail. We know the story of the conversion of the Philippian jailers. We know how the missionaries were beaten with many strikes. But did their sufferings discourage them when they go further on to spread the glad tidings? No. Their sufferings and affliction never discourage them. They were more determined to carry out the program of God. For they knew that it was the purpose of God to tell the glad tidings everywhere. And they were confident... that as God had blessed their efforts at Philippi, which He did, through much suffering, He would also do the same again. With holy boldness, with holy confidence, they knew they had God's message and God's approval and God's power when they came into Thessalonica. They entered there and knew that it would not be in vain, though they had suffered much and had been shamefully entreated or treated at Philippi before. But their boldness was just as great to make the message known. Now, look at the second fact. In verses three through six, we go further and find the character of their preaching when they were in Thessalonica. Very instructive to note this step by step. First of all, in verse three, we are told that their preaching was without deceit. They were not teaching or preaching error. Their message they knew was the true and the pure, unadulterated gospel. It was not a message of deceit. Oh, that this were true today everywhere. Where professing preachers are holding forth. Preaching without deceit. This should also be true today. Second, you will note, their preaching was also without impurity. It was not of uncleanness, writes Paul. So often preaching of error can be associated with unclean living. I just commend to you the reading of Second Peter II in verse eighteen, where Peter declares that those that teach and preach false messages often live unclean lives. Paul also speaks of this in Second Timothy three in verse thirteen, and even the Apostle Jew does the same. when referring to apostate teachers that preach error. But in the lives of these missionaries, Paul and Simon and Timothy, their lives were clean and testified to the divine message that they preached. They were not unclean in their conduct, they were not impure. This should be true today. Then also, if you will note, and we have it in verse three also, that their preaching was without guile. without subtlety. They not only denied preaching from a wrong source using error, they not only denied preaching with a wrong motive, and that would be a motive to deceive and guile, but also they denied using a wrong method. How important is this point, one which Paul enlarges upon in II Corinthians chapter four in verse two, please may I note the words that he once wrote to the Corinthians. In preaching to the Corinthians, he said, We have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty. We are not walking in craftiness. We are not handling the word of God deceitfully. But by manifestation of the truth, commending ourselves to everyone's conscience in the sight of God. This verse in second Corinthians four, verse two, completely corroborate. the statements of Paul in First Thessalonians two and verse three, regarding the preaching and its character in relation to the apostle and his companion. How carefully the servant of God should be doing the same today. But then there's a fourth thing that we find regarding their preaching. In verse four, another quality of their preaching is emphasized. They were not novices in preaching. Paul says, but as we were allowed, and the word means as we were approved of God, to be put in trust with the gospel even so we speak. They were men who were approved of God as preachers. They had no degree of theology from any seminary or any secular school. They had divine approval, God's approval. Think with me of Paul the Apostle. If you have noted the scriptures carefully, It was ten years after his conversion before Paul began his public ministry in the city of Antioch, as you may read in chapter eleven of the book of Acts. He spent three years teaching in the city of Antioch when he was there. And behind him, before he went on this missionary journey with Silas and Timothy, behind him were fourteen years of experience. as they began the particular journey of missionary effort that brought them to Thessalonica. He was approved of God. Then think of Silas, one of his companions. In Acts chapter fifteen and verse twenty-two, it is written of him, he was one of the chief men among the brethren of that early day, who with others had risked his life for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. As you may read in Acts fifteen verse twenty-six, his life, his ministry was approved of God. May I ask and raise the question, how many preachers today, myself included, could say, I'm approved of God? Timothy was approved, as you may read in Acts, verse one and two. First Thessalonians three and verse two. Second Timothy three, fourteen. These men were not novices. They had proved themselves workmen that needeth not to be ashamed. Strange. They were of different ages. Perhaps Paul was the oldest, then came Silas, and Timothy was a younger believer, but none of them were novices. They were entrusted by God with the gospel. Then God approved, or may I say it with earnestness, would to God that every preacher of the word of God was a man, that God said, I approve of him. Oh, may God speak to our hearts and to our consciences in this regard. But then there was a fifth fact. And they also, perhaps, this perhaps passed the greatest test for them in their preaching, in verse four. Not as pleasing men, but God, which tried at the heart. When it came to their preaching, they were not trying to please men. Oh, beloved, what a testimony. And what a temptation it is for a man that preachers trying to please the people. I want to tell you very frankly, Paul said in Galatians one, if I please men, then I'm not always pleasing God. But this was the greatest test of heart that they passed. Their preaching was pleasing to God, and to please God in preaching is a solemn and abiding principle. As true and important today as in the days of Paul, God's servant cannot serve two masters. Let me suggest. that this should be faithfully realized by the preacher today. For the best of friends, may I speak carefully but plainly, the best of friends and even the congregation of saints could be a snare to the servant of God. Oftentimes the servant of God desires to be influential with the people. He dreads to have their disfavor. He seeks to show partiality. He also is concerned about ecclesiastical authority, as I remember and remember many years ago, a dear brother saying to me of one preacher, to whom he went regarding the character of his preaching, it was away from the Word of God, and he was answered by the preacher, do you want me to lose my job? My beloved, let's be thankful, let's be fair, let's be true. The desire of influence, the dread of disfavor, and the increase of partiality, as well as the fear of ecclesiastical authority, may interfere with allegiance to God. And when these things exist in the preacher's ministry, then the preaching is going to suffer, and righteousness and truth will suffer. This is Satan's way to dishonor the Lord Jesus Christ. Oh, beloved, what a responsibility to please God. Let me summarize this principle. We should realize that the least, not just the greatest, but the least of God's servants, has the same responsibility as the greatest apostle to please God, to maintain his glory, and to give sincere obedience to him. Please let me note the sixth thing that we have before us. Let me consolidate verses five and six together. The first fact in this section telling us that their preaching was without flattery. You know this is the only time the word flattery is used in the New Testament. Oh, how many people like to be flattered by the preacher. Oh, I think of the words of Daniel Webster. I thank God for the words of Daniel Webster, the great statement of our country many years ago. We know that he was a great statesman doing his work for the country that he served in Washington, D.C. But Daniel Webster never attended very often the churches in Washington. He went out into a country church outside the city to listen to the preacher of that place. He was once asked, Mr. Webster, why do you go out into that country place to listen to that country preacher when we've got churches and big ones in the city of Washington. He made confession like this. Never will I forget reading the word. He says, when I go to listen to the preachers in the churches of this city, they preach to Daniel Webster the statesman. But when I go out into that country church, that country preacher, he preaches to Daniel Webster the sinner. Thank God for the discernment of a man of such character. It was Daniel Weston that said, When asked, Do you believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God? He made reply to say, Knowing my absolute sinfulness, the great need of my sinful soul, to have a Savior, and to need a superhuman Savior, a supernatural Savior. He said, I'm bound to believe that Jesus Christ, who is my Savior, is a supernatural one, none other than the Son of God. Yes, beloved, many preachers seek to flatter the people, but all you cannot serve to, masters. And this is the only time the word flattery is used in the New Testament. And then the second fact in these verses five and six is to preach without covetousness. The snare of mammon, the love of money exists. The preacher cannot please God or write when he loves money or material gain. When this covetous spirit is in evidence, it misleads others to the real motive of the preaching. And then third, without seeking self-glory, for Paul says not of men, thought we glory. Neither of you nor yet of others. We may avoid the preceding dangers that we have mentioned, but we may perhaps still be self-ambitious. The glory of self can be in our ministry. When the Lord Jesus was upon the earth, the greatest of all servants, the greatest of all ministers, he said, I seek not my known glory, but the glory of him that sent me. And my beloved, you and I should follow him. How searching of these principles! Let me repeat them. The servant of God is to please God. The servant of God is not to use flattery, nor love money for his preaching, nor seek self-glory. Beloved, we can raise the question very earnestly in heart and conscience. Why do men preach? Oh, the responsibility. And in the day of judgment, when Christ comes, we shall give an account of our ministry. But it is required of us to it that a man be found faithful. wrote the beloved Apostle Paul. Shout out. We continue our study in the second chapter of First Thessalonians. We have noted from verse one and two the character or the manner of entrance which Paul and his companion manifested and also from verse three through six the character of their preaching when they went into Thessalonica. Now let us consider another important truth of importance. The character of the preacher's conduct when they were in Thessalonica. This we can find from verses seven through twelve in this second chapter of First Thessalonians. Our preceding study in the chapter regarding God's servants and their ministry in the Thessalonica has really been on the negative side, showing what they did not do or how they did not operate. But now the Apostle turns to the positive side of their walk and their work. First, please notice the gentle and the parental conduct of the missionaries when they preached and worked amongst the Thessalonians in verse seven. We were gentle among you, even as a nurse cherishes her children. As a concerned nursing mother over her own children, the conduct of these missionaries was of a parental character. What a wonderful spirit. What a wonderful attitude of heart towards The newfound converse, gentle as a nursing mother, cherishing them as a mother would cherish her children. The second thing to note was that their ministry was one of unselfish love. In verse eight, so being affectionately desirous of you, we were willing to have imparted unto you not the gospel of God only, but also our own souls, because ye were dear unto us. I trust that my hearers have not forgotten that Paul and his companions were only able to stay in Thessalonica no more than two or three weeks at the most before being persecuted and driven out of the city. But during that brief time of ministry, they unselfishly persevered. In love and faithfulness, they were willing to spend and be spent on the behalf of their converts. Then we note a third fact. In verse nine, we learned that their ministry was one of self-sacrifice. Note the words of Paul saying, For ye remember, brethren, our labor and travail. For laboring night and day, because we would not be chargeable unto any of you, we preached unto you the gospel of God. Here we find, please note it carefully, they were self-supporting. They worked with their own hands to provide for their own necessities of life. rather than to impose upon their converts, we would not be chargeable unto any of you. May I raise a very solemn question, earnestly? How many missionaries today? How many preachers today do the same? What a travesty we can now see in Christian service today. How many workers are demanding and seeking to have a guaranteed support and even beyond what they may need to be their support, even before they may even leave the home to do the work of the Lord, whether at home or abroad. How the conduct of these servants of God in this respect may certainly condemn many of us today. whether evangelists, preachers, or missionaries. Beloved, may I repeat what we have stated in the past in these messages? This was primitive Christianity. How very little of it we know today. Then a fourth thing we may note in verse ten, and it is a threefold proof of the godly character of these preachers, Paul and Silas and Timothy. Paul writes to say, Ye are witnesses, and God also, how holily and justly and unblameably we behaved ourselves among you that believe. Their conduct amongst these young believers was holy in character. Their conduct was also righteous, which means the same as justly. Their conduct was unblameable. There was nothing in discreet. There was nothing improper in their conduct. Not at all. The convicts, and not only they, but even God above, knew of their upright, their dignified, and their unblameable conduct. No charge of impropriety. No charge of improper conduct could be laid against these preachers. Please let me pause. I need it for the examination of mine own art. What about today? May I say very earnestly, how careful a servant of the Lord should be in reference to behavior and conduct amongst God's own. I'm sure it has happened, and I know that it has, that many a good sermon by a preacher may have been spoiled by his conduct. God forbid that this should be. How terrible have been the actions of misconduct and questionable morality amongst many professing Christians since the days of Paul. May God be merciful to us. And those of us who represent his gospel let us seek to be like the servants of God long ago. Then in the eleventh verse we have a fifth fact. It reveals that not only was their ministry like a mother's toward her children, but it possessed a fatherly character. As ye know, says Paul, how we exhorted and comforted and charged every one of you as a father dot his children. Note particularly that this was done, as Paul says, for each individual believer. Every one of you, we minister to you as a father would to his children, and they received the fatherly counsel and exhortation of the missionaries. Let me reemphasize this section again as being an example. of the preacher's conduct so important, for there was a definite and a divine objective for it. And that we now note in verse twelve, our sixth point. This gives us the objective, the divine purpose for the matter of entrance unto them, the divine purpose for the character of their preaching to them, the divine purpose for the character of their conduct amongst them. Now listen to it carefully. as we read the twelve verse. In order that she would walk worthy of God, who has called you unto his kingdom and glory. This is the great objective, that the converts would live the ideal Christian life. In three ways this was to be done. But this was the objective of Paul and of Silas and of Timothy together in their ministry. that these converts would walk worthy of God, who had called them unto his kingdom and his glory. Now please note the three things that were to be done. First, they should live lives that were worthy of God. They now belong to God. They should so live to prove themselves worthy of being his children. What a great objective this is to live worthy of God. My beloved Christian friend, Can you and I say today that we are walking worthy of God? This is the responsibility of a believer, and how particularly the servants of God should ever keep this objective before them as they serve the Lord and minister to His people. Then second, they should also prove by this they were genuinely the subjects of God's kingdom. For they had been translated out of the kingdom of darkness, They were now in the kingdom of God's light. They no longer belong to the kingdom of Satan. But now they were in the kingdom of God's dear son. What a translation the gospel had made for them. What a translation it has made for every believer today. We are no longer associated and belonging to the kingdom of Satan, the devil. But we are now in God's kingdom. This has to be shown by conduct and behavior. And third, they also were the objects of God's glory. They were not only called to His kingdom, but they were called to share His glory. All the words of Romans chapter five, verses one and two, come in so fittingly here. Let me quote the words of Romans five, verse one and two. Therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. by whom we have access into this grace wherein we stand and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God we rejoice in hope of the glory of God according to Romans three and verse twenty three my beloved once the believer was short of that glory for in Romans three verse twenty three you may remember we are told all have sinned and come short of the glory of God But now when saved, justified, brought to Christ, and through Christ brought to God, we rejoice, we have the assurance of someday we shall be with God in his glory, and behold the glory of God and enjoy the glory of God forever. Know all these truths concerning the character of the missionaries when they came to Thessalonica? Should be the aim of every true workman of Christ today? There is no lovelier picture anywhere to be found than appears in the simple account given by the Apostle Paul in this section that we have covered from First Thessalonians two verses one through twelve to reveal to us the character and the quality of the testimony that should be ours as we seek to live in a day so difficult I know but so important that we should pattern ourselves in our character, in our conduct, as did these missionaries of long ago. But let us continue the study of this epistle and this second chapter, after learning much in regard to the experiences of Paul and Silas and Timothy when in Thessalonica, we now can obtain knowledge concerning the experiences of their converts. from verses thirteen through sixteen. Very valuable, as well as instructive lessons, can be found in the words that tell the results of the missionary's work during their short stay in Thessalonica that certainly brought to pass the experiences of the believers who trusted and took the message to heart and became Christians. Now let's consider the experiences of their converts. First, the opening verse of this section, verse thirteen, declares, For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because when ye received the word of God which he heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God which effectively worketh also in you that believe. There is a note of unceasing thanksgiving to God, introduced by Paul, because of the experimental result of their preaching, namely, how the Thessalonian saints received the message of God from them, which they preached. First they heard it by the ear, the word of God which ye heard of us. Suddenly, once again we must say, faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God, according to Romans ten and verse seventeen he that appears to hear said the Lord Jesus let him hear how many people really we would ask have genuine ears to listen but though they may have ears they may never listen may never pay attention to the message one of my fellow preachers many years ago once said that some people sit in the congregation to whom he has preached as if They had a sign hanging around their neck with the words upon it. Please do not disturb. Ears they have, but they hear not. Oftentimes people can be like dumb idols of the heathen. Though they may have ears, they hear not, nor will they listen to the message. But not so the Thessalonians. Their ears were open. They heard with their ears. It had the next effect upon them. The word reached their heart. Oh, may I point out, from the ear gate, the word went down into the gate of the heart, to the heart gate. Yes, my beloved, God wants to reach the heart and reach through the ear. And thus they received it in their heart. They accepted the message. Tis well to know in what way they received the message of redemption, the glad tidings of God's power to save the soul. They did not receive it as the word of mere men, but they received it as it is in truth, the word of God. The power is not in the preacher's words, but in the word of God, God's word. I will never forget the advice of an esteemed and notable Bible teacher when he gave advice to young preachers who may have been in his audience. He told them and said, God has not promised to bless your words, but he has promised to bless his words. Put the words of God as much as possible in your message, said he. This is very practical and very sane spiritual advice to any who preached the word. Why, to Timothy Paul said in Second Timothy four, preach the word in his farewell letter to his dear son in the faith. Now note the Apostle's words at the end of verse thirteen. The Word of God which effectually worketh also in you that believe. The Word of God, as we have often said and repeat, is living and effective, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of the soul and spirit, the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and the intents of the heart. Hebrews four twelve. What a sword, what a weapon it is. in the hands of a consecrated and faithful servant of God, to the Thessalonian saints it effectually gave them salvation. And everyone that believed it had the blessing of salvation, as thus they received it. But note a second fact. Yet this was also but the commencement of their experiences that were shared by all the Thessalonian believers. Verses fourteen through sixteen continue to unfold that they also experience much suffering and persecution. And why? Because they had believed on the Lord Jesus. Please listen to the words in the account the Apostle gives concerning this. For ye brethren became followers of the churches of God which in Judea are in Christ Jesus. He makes a reference to the churches that were in Judea, back in the Palestine. For ye also have suffered similar things of your own countrymen, even as they have of the Jews, who both killed the Lord Jesus and their own prophets, and have persecuted us, and they pleased not God, they are contrary to all men. forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they might be saved, to fill up their sin all way, for the wrath is come upon them to the uttermost. My beloved, these are solemn words. We would not gloss over them. After the conversion of these believers at Thessalonica, there came a great outburst of intense suffering and intense persecution that Paul likened it, to the experiences of the early churches of God in Judea. When fanatical Jewish opposition was poured out on those early Jewish Christians, there is no servant of God, I believe, who suffered so much persecution and violence from his Jewish countrymen, as did the Apostle Paul. Let me solemnly affirm And it is true the account in the Scriptures given. Everywhere Paul went his persecutors followed him, seeking his life, doing him harm. And if you wish to read of some of the fanatical hatred that the Jews of his day manifested against this great servant of God, read chapter twenty-two and twenty-three of the Book of the Acts. Did many early Jewish Christians suffer, as we well know, even at the hands of Saul of Tarsus before his conversion? But I particularly would like to refer very solemnly to the terrible indictment and condemnation that Paul lays at the feet of his own countrymen of that day. Noted carefully, he begins by saying, They killed the Lord Jesus. Now this charge has also been made by Peter. Peter made it to his own nation in Acts chapter three, verses fourteen and fifteen. He speaks of the murdering that just one. Please let me say, don't take it too lightly. If you have often wondered at the suffering, the chastening that God's earthly people have endured throughout the ages, throughout particularly this age, of so many centuries, This is one of the great reasons. They killed the Lord Jesus. And then may we go further to find Paul saying in all of this, as Paul says, they also committed this. They slew the prophets. My beloved, you've got the record before you in the word of God. They also committed this same crime against many, if not all, of his prophets. and then of course followed their persecution of the Christians in the days of the early apostles. And in all of this, Paul says of them, They pleased not God, and they are contrary to all men. Now I know this is not true today, but in the early days of Christianity the greatest opposition and persecution was instigated by Paul's own countrymen against them. as he sought to go out with the gospel of God's grace to the nations of the world. And note what Paul concludes by saying in verse sixteen, they are forbidding us to speak to the nation that they might be saved. Oh, beloved, let's be very careful. Let me recapitulate the solemn charges in their order. First, they killed the Lord Jesus. Second, They slew their own prophet. Third, they persecuted us, says Paul. Fourth, they please not God. Fifth, they are against all men. Six, they forbid us to speak unto the Gentiles that they might betray. What a category of charges. In other words, what Paul is stating, they continually keep filling up their sins. and building those sins against God higher and higher, greater and greater, so that God is justified when in righteous judgment he visits his earthly people with punishment. How many scriptures, both in the Old and New Testament, reveal God's great displeasure upon his earthly people? It was about twenty years later, after Paul wrote these words that we have touched on, that the city of Jerusalem was destroyed together with the temple? And note the solemn closing words of this sixteen verse. Paul says, Rap has come upon them to the uttermost. I would carefully observe with you, my friends, the intense judgment that God brought to pass upon his own earthly people, and justly so. Now may I say, whether Gentile or Jew, Whatever punishment, whatever retribution may come upon us from God, it's fully deserved. And yet when you think of these earthly people of God, and may I please close with the reference of the fact, what a day is coming for them, when someday it will be revealed that the very Messiah that should have been received, but who was rejected, he will appear again. in power and great glory. Do you remember the words of Revelation chapter one and verse seven? Behold, he cometh with clouds and every eye shall see him, and they that pierced him. And all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him, even so are men. Oh, how we must realize that the day coming when Israel God's godly remnant of Israel will see their own Messiah once more, the one that was crucified. They will see him coming from heaven with power. They will see him coming in great glory. They will look upon me, says the prophet Zechariah, and the Lord says through the prophet, they shall look upon me whom they have pierced. And in repentance and godly sorrow, that godly remnant will acknowledge their great confession concerning their sin? As they look upon Him, what sorrow will be theirs in that day? As the remnant who shall be delivered from out of the great tribulation will then acknowledge and own their pith and Messiah, and acknowledge that they need to be washed in His precious blood. For a fountain will be opened in that day for cleansing. to the very people of God, the earthly people who will be in that day's span. What a day it will be. May I point out to my hearers, if you want to really read and understand their confession and repentance in words, in that coming day when they see the Messiah whom they pierce, you read Isaiah chapter fifty-three. We call it the crucifixion chapter of the Old Testament. Rightly. It certainly depicts the crucifixion of the Savior from beginning to the end. But may I point out to you, that chapter will be the godly confession of Israel when restored to acknowledge that they esteemed and stricken and smitten of God and afflicted. And when they saw him, there was no beauty about him that they desired him. And they'll make the confession. But think of these words that they'll confess. They were confessed, but he was wounded for our transgressions. He was bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement of our peace was upon him, and with his stripes we are healed. All we, like sheep, have gone astray. We've turned everyone to his own way. And Jehovah at length on him, the iniquity of us all. Please let me say, they're going to see him the only way any sinner must see him. And confess him, the Savior who died and bore the judgment of their sins. What a day that will be. Now the beloved Apostle Paul, in writing to the Thessalonians, reminds them how much they suffered similar things from their own countrymen, because the same Jesus was believed and received as their Savior. My friend, may we raise the question, what have you done with Christ? If you're unsaved, what will you do with it? How necessary to come to Christ now? Guilty, lost and helpless? how deserving yet, but confessing his death alone can save you, and receiving him as your Savior, the Son of God, and trusting in his atoning blood for your salvation, God grant that you will. But oh, let we who are the people of God be reminded that we are called not only to believe, we are called to suffer for his name's sake. Shall we pray? Blessed God and Father, Again we turn to the primitive pages of thy precious word that tell us the story of Christianity in the days of the early church. Lord, make us more like these early believers, we pray, asking it in the name of the Lord Jesus for his glory. And if any person listening to the message is not saved, may the Holy Spirit convict them and bring them to the Savior now. We ask it in the Savior's name. Amen.