Better to Please God Than Other People
Better to Be Vilified for Telling the Truth Than Be Loved For Telling Lies
(1st Thessalonians chapter 2 part 1) by Minister Paul J. Bern
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Last week when we concluded chapter one of 1st Thessalonians, the apostle Paul was telling the church that “your faith in God has become known everywhere”. You will also recall that I urged all of you to live the same way. I hope everyone was successful in that regard. Even if you were not, I encourage you to keep on trying. As we’re doing that, today as we move on to chapter two, Paul continues his commentary regarding the evidently unshakable faith of the Thessalonian church. There are, however, a couple of differences between the apostle Paul’s description of his ministry at that time and that of many modern churches. With that in mind, let’s plunge into 1st Thessalonians chapter two in search of Spiritual treasure and enrichment.
Part One of This Week’s Bible Verses for Study and Memorization
“You know, brothers, 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. 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 to please 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. As apostles of Christ we could have been a burden to you, but we were gentle among you, like a mother caring for her little children. We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the Gospel of God but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us. Surely you remember, brothers, our toil and hardship; we worked night and day in order not to be a burden to anyone while we preached the Gospel of God to you.” (1st Thessalonians chapter 2, verses 1–9)
Encountering Resistance When We Share the Gospel
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“… with the help of our God we dared to tell you his Gospel in spite of strong opposition.” How many of us are doing this today? I run into this sort of thing all the time when I try and share my Christian faith. Sometimes I get grief from the atheists, other times from the Muslims or those who fancy themselves as mystics and “healers”. I do not let this bother me, in fact I have gotten used to it. When it comes to ministry, I have learned to accept this fact of life as going with the territory. But I dare not back down because of the teachings of Christ when He said, “If anyone is ashamed of me and neglects to make mention of me, I will not mention their name to my Father who is in heaven”. If there is anyone who professes belief in Jesus and yet is reticent to talk about their faith, then the faith of that individual immediately becomes superficial at best, and counterfeit at its worst. Never be like any of those kinds of people.
We Should All Be Good Witnesses for Christ
“We are not trying to please men but to please God, who tests our hearts.” The apostles didn’t care about rejection or being ostracized for their beliefs. On the contrary, it made them more bold and determined than ever to get the Gospel to the masses for whom it was intended. Again, we as faithful Christians must busy ourselves with telling as many people as we can about Christ and how He transforms people’s entire lives. This doesn’t mean you must transform yourself into a Billy Graham, T. D. Jakes or anyone else. It simply means we should all be good witnesses for Jesus Christ. As you do so, never fear rejection or ridicule because we are talking about Christ the Lord.
If Your Pastor Wears a Mask to Conceal Greed, Go Find a Better Church
However, the apostle Paul does tell them one thing they shouldn’t do. “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…”. How many others besides myself does this look familiar to? Plenty, I would think. Putting on a mask to cover up greed was evidently already occurring in Paul’s day, and today it is more prevalent than ever. I saw this stuff on Christian TV all the time, which is why I stopped watching it — all of it. The rest of it is a bunch of religious junk as far as I’m concerned.
Come On Back Next Week For Part Two of This Message
For example, there is mention in the four gospels of forgiveness when Peter asked Jesus, “If my brother sins against me, how many times should I forgive them? Up to seven times?” Jesus replied, “Up to seventy times seven”. In this case the topic is forgiveness, but that’s not how they teach it in these “money churches”, as my own pastor calls them. Come on back next week to find out what to watch out for, and for more of the teaching of Paul the apostle.
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