Evening Sermon

September 21, 2008

God Has Spoken

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Flattery will get your everywhere, so we are often told. Just say good things about people, and they will be your friends for life. Butter people up, and they will do whatever you want them to do.

Maybe we could even put it in terms of positive thinking. Just think positive thoughts. Say positive things. Avoid anything negative. And all will be well. Relationships will be healed. We have all heard of the power of positive thinking.

Modern preachers are trained in this, too. Don't say anything negative, we're taught all too often. Be positive. Put everything in a positive light. So many preachers entirely refuse to preach on subjects like hell, or wrath, or judgment, or sin, or, for that matter, the need to obey the law. It seems that the Apostle Paul is following that advice. He really does seem to be flattering these Thessalonian people, utilizing the power of positive thinking. We read in,

1Ths. 1:2 "We give thanks to God always for you all." And, v.6 "And you became followers of us and of the Lord..."

v.7 "so that you became examples to all in Macedonia and Achaia who believe."

He continues that theme in our text this evening, speaking of the people and saying, 1Ths. 2:13 "For this reason we also thank God without ceasing..."

But there is no flattery here. Paul specifically renounces such deceptive tactics, as we studied last week from verse 5. There was no desire to win them over. He is genuinely praising them. Thanking God for them. Giving God the glory for the work which he has done in them. And it was a very good work. v.13

In chapter 1:7, he said these wonderful people had become examples to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia, and because their example is recorded in Scripture, it is an example for us too. Perhaps the greatest element of their example was that they believed the truth of God's word. They believed what the Apostles' taught them. They accepted it as the Word of God.

They looked beyond the messengers to the author. They looked beyond the instruments to the source. And so must we.

I. BY FAITH, WE EMBRACE THE TRUTH OF GOD'S WORD. That's where we start. That's where I start, in my preaching. That's where I have to start. It's the firm foundation upon which I stand, the only foundation that could possibly enable me to speak to you as I do. My own personality is characterized by a natural shyness. I can easily become timid.

But when it comes to preaching, I can have great boldness and fearlessness. Why is that? Because I embrace the truth of God's word. By nature I might be shy, but when I can stand upon the sure and solid ground of biblical truth, I can be very bold. Even courageous.

This word is truth. Every word in this book is true. Every doctrine in this book is true. I will stake my life on that. I will live, and I will die, for that conviction. I will proclaim it as long as God gives me breath.

Such a conviction is the essence of faith.

Let me read a great sentence from our Westminster Confession of Faith, a great definition and explanation of faith. Or, as the chapter heading defines, "saving faith."

WCF 14:1 "By this faith, a Christian believes to be true whatsoever is revealed in the Word, for the authority of God Himself speaking therein."

The proof-text they provide is verse 13. "By this faith, a Christian believes to be true whatsoever is revealed in the Word."

Other proof-texts are given, 1 John 5:10 "He who believes in the Son of God has the witness in himself; he who does not believe God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed the testimony that God has given of His Son."

The fullness of that testimony is the Holy Scriptures.

As an example, listen to this defense by the Apostle Paul before the Roman governor,

Acts 24:10 Then Paul, after the governor had nodded to him to speak, answered: "Inasmuch as I know that you have been for many years a judge of this nation, I do the more cheerfully answer for myself, 11 "because you may ascertain that it is no more than twelve days since I went up to Jerusalem to worship. 12 "And they neither found me in the temple disputing with anyone nor inciting the crowd, either in the synagogues or in the city. 13 "Nor can they prove the things of which they now accuse me. 14 "But this I confess to you, that according to the Way which they call a sect, so I worship the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the Law and in the Prophets. 15 "I have hope in God, which they themselves also accept, that there will be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and the unjust. 16 "This being so, I myself always strive to have a conscience without offense toward God and men."

"...believing all things which are written in the Law and in the Prophets." People of God, that's the substance of faith.

Too often, we think of faith subjectively. That is, as an experience. As a feeling. An emotion. Something that overcomes us, or overwhelms us. We wish we had more faith, meaning that we want to feel stronger or more secure. And those things can be elements of true faith. But the essence of faith is objective. The essence of faith is what you believe. If you want more faith, then believe more. The very deepest essence of faith is to believe everything that is written in the law and the prophets. And to believe the testimony God has given about his Son. That is, to believe in the Bible. To embrace the truth of God's word.

That is the message we must proclaim to this world in which we live, for our age has all but given up the whole concept of truth. When Pontius Pilate asked Jesus, "What is truth?," he verbalized a question that perplexes and confounds many, if not most, people in our culture today. People today simply don't believe in absolute truth. They don't embrace the concept, the doctrine, of truth. And therefore "everybody does what is right in his own eyes."

But as verse 13 makes so crystal clear,

A. The Bible must never be considered as the word of men, but the Word of God. And that's what Paul is specifically praising the Thessalonians for. v.13

The words literally read, "you received the word of God's message from us," I believe referring to the message preached by the apostles. It was God's message.

So it is with application to my own preaching. If I am doing my job, which is to preach the Bible and not preaching "cleverly invented stories" as Peter writes about, then what I preach is also the word of God's message. Not in any infallible way such as that proclaimed by the Apostles, but as I preach the Bible, it is God's message to you.

For the Bible is not the word of men. We know that so clearly, don't we?

2Pet. 1:16 "For we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty. 17 For He received from God the Father honor and glory when such a voice came to Him from the Excellent Glory: "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." 18 And we heard this voice which came from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain."

2Pet. 1:19 "And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts; 20 knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, 21 for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit."

Can it be said any clearer? The words of Scripture do not originate in the will of a man. Instead, men spoke from God. Men who were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

Or in the words Paul wrote to Timothy, 2 Tim.3:16 "All Scripture is God-breathed." Given by inspiration. Breathed out by the breath of God. Inspired. And therefore true, because God is truth, the very definition of truth.

I believe that is your faith, and I thank God for you. That is the faith proclaimed by this local church and by our denomination. That is the faith defined by our confessional standards. And that is the faith we must proclaim to a world which calls into question the truthfulness of the Bible at every turn.

The Bible must never be considered as the word of men. It is the Word of God. There is nothing more important that I will ever preach from this pulpit.

But we need to take the next step. The Bible is true. So what? What difference does that make?

I have to tell you, I have met many people that seem to say that it doesn't matter. That usually comes in this form, "I know that the Bible says I shouldn't do this, but...." You can fill in the rest of that sentence however you want. You see, there are lots of people willing to give lip service to the idea of the truth of the Bible, but who are unwilling to apply it to our lives. They want their family to have enough religion to keep their children out of trouble, but they don't want to take the Bible seriously. I mean seriously. They don't want to actually do what it says.

A number of years ago I counseled a couple wanting to get married. They were living together, and I ended up marrying them in a civil ceremony. But in our first conversation, they proclaimed faith. They believed in God, and in salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. So I challenged them. I challenged them repent of their sin and to abstain until they got married. And they appreciated my challenge. I doubt anyone had ever said to them, "Stop."

Sadly, they didn't. They wanted to say they believed the Bible. But they didn't want to do what it said. Not so the Thessalonians. Their example at this point is also praiseworthy.

B. The Bible must be put work within us. v.13b

If you believe that the Bible is true, then you need to live by. You need to conform your life to what it says. You need stop doing what it forbids.

Radical obedience. But simple faith.

The Bible is to be at work within us. That means changing us. Transforming us. From the inside out! Because it is true, because it is the word of God, the Bible has the power to transform your very heart.

Hebr. 4:12 "For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart."

And when the heart is transformed, so is the life. 2 Cor.3:18 "But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord."

Transformation. That's the work of the Bible. That's the work of God. In theological terms, we call that sanctification. The process of being made more and more holy, more and more obedient, the process of putting sin to death more and more. That's what the Bible does when it is put to work within you.

Let me go back to, 2 Tim.3:16 "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work."

Beloved, embrace the truth of God's word. The infallible, inerrant truth of God's own revelation. Believe it, and as the present tense of verb in verse 13 indicates, continue to believe it. Believing is not something you did in the past. It's something you do anew every day of your life. Believe the Bible. Embrace the truth of God's word. And let that word change your life.

That might include being willing to suffer, as it did for the Thessalonians. Their example for us is that,

II. BY FAITH, WE WILLINGLY ENDURE WHATEVER SUFFERINGS MAY COME. v.14

And, A. We may well suffer at the hands of our own people. And what a grievous thing that is. Those closest to us might be the ones who cause harm.

Paul certainly experienced that, suffering at the hands of his own people, the Jews. And he writes to encourage the Thessalonian believers, suffering from their own countrymen, perhaps referring to Gentiles in general. v.14-15a

Contrary to our experiences in this country, persecution in some form is the common lot of Christians. Bearing up under persecution is one real evidence of genuine Christianity. It is the proof of discipleship, demonstrating from the examples of Jesus parable of the sower, that you are part of the seed sown in the good soil. We read that,

Matt. 13:20 "But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; 21 "yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles."

Why this suffering? What explanation can we make of it? Why is it so sure and certain to come? Let's go back to Genesis.

Persecution is the inevitable consequence of the conflict established by God's curse upon Satan after Adam and Eve fell into sin. Gen. 3:14 "So the LORD God said to the serpent: "Because you have done this, You are cursed more than all cattle, And more than every beast of the field; On your belly you shall go, And you shall eat dust All the days of your life. 15 And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise His heel."

There is an irreconcilable war going on between Satan and Christ, and irreconcilable war which Satan wages against the people of God. Therefore, it ought to surprise us when we face persecution. In fact, we should expect it.

In that persecution,

B. We may well face hostility in inviting men to salvation. Notice how Paul describes the Jews who persecuted him, in this the most severe denunciation of the Jews that we find in Paul's writings. v.15b-16a

That is a vehement condemnation. A powerful indictment against the Jews. They killed the Lord Jesus. And they drove us out. They were hostile. Murderous.

All in an effort "to keep us from speaking to the Gentiles so that they may be saved."

There are lots of people today who don't mind having religion around, even Christianity. They don't mind having Christians around. As long as you don't proselytize. That is, evangelize. As long as you don't tell people about what it means to be saved, or how to be saved.

The message of salvation is the offense, because people don't want to admit that they are lost. Indeed, those who make it there ministry to evangelize among the Jews are often attacked mercilessly. Anyone who would dare say what Paul says here about the Jews would be accused of being anti-semitic. We would be accused of hatred.

Paul doesn't hate the Jews. He loves them. He loves them so much that he wants them to be saved. He loves them so much that he writes in,

Rom. 9:2 "...that I have great sorrow and continual grief in my heart. 3 For I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my countrymen according to the flesh, 4 who are Israelites, to whom pertain the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the service of God, and the promises."

But in that love, in that loving zeal for their salvation, he faced great hostility.

People of God, the message of the cross is an offense. And when you invite others to salvation, you will incite hostility. By faith, however, you willingly endure whatever sufferings may come.

And you can be sure of something, even as you endure that suffering.

III. BY FAITH, WE UNDERSTAND THAT GOD'S JUDGMENT IS SURE. In other words, those who persecute will face judgment. God's judgment. And that goes back to Genesis as well, for God not only decreed an irreconcilable war, but he also decreed the outcome of that war.

Victory for Jesus Christ. Gen. 3:15 "And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise His heel."

He will bruise your head. He, Jesus, the seed of the woman, will crush your head. And you will die. In eternal judgment and condemnation.

And so, the encouragement to us is that,

A. Those who oppose God's people oppose God. Those who oppose us, oppose God. v.15b "They displease God and are hostile to all men."

Those two things are necessarily joined together, aren't they? Because we, as God's people, are united with God. We have been raised with Christ.

Eph.2:6 "and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus."

We're joined with Christ. So if people persecute us, if they oppose us, if they are hostile to us, they are opposing God himself. And there is the great blessing for us, the blessing to share in his sufferings with him!

So there should be rejoicing! Paul writes in,

Col. 1:24 "I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for the sake of His body, which is the church."

Such suffering is further evidence and proof of our salvation, giving assurance that we are God's children.

Romans 8:16 "The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs--heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together."

So be encouraged, especially when you face hostility in inviting men to salvation. And you ought to be bold and confident, for although you will face that hostility, still the gospel is the power of God unto salvation.

Notice what Paul says about these hostile people, particularly about their own sinfulness. v.16b "...so as always to fill up the measure of their sins."

The NIV puts it, "In this way they always heap up their sins to the limit." But what does that mean? Basically that,

B. Those who oppose God's people demonstrate their utter sinfulness. "They always fill up the full measure of their sins." And the idea is that they continue along the process of filling up the cup of their guilt. Drop by drop being poured into the cup. Drop by drop filling up the full measure of their sins into that cup of guilt.

That image and those words imply that at some point the cup will be full. And at point, God will bring his judgment.

That's helps us understand why it seems that people can sin with impunity. It helps us understand why some people can just go on sinning without being called to account. They just keep getting away with it. God doesn't seem to do anything about it.

The answer to that struggle is simple. God will do something about it. When their sinfulness has reached its full measure.

Remember Abraham? In that great covenant ceremony of Genesis 15, God promised Abraham that his descendants would be enslaved and mistreated in a foreign country for 400 years. But why would such terrible times last so long? Abraham was told.

Gen. 15:12 "Now when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and behold, horror and great darkness fell upon him. 13 Then He said to Abram: "Know certainly that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, and will serve them, and they will afflict them four hundred years. 14 "And also the nation whom they serve I will judge; afterward they shall come out with great possessions. 15 "Now as for you, you shall go to your fathers in peace; you shall be buried at a good old age. 16 "But in the fourth generation they shall return here, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete."

God often withholds his judgment and condemnation until sin reaches its full measure. In a real sense, you ought to be thinking that that is precisely what he is doing with our own country. If there is not repentance in our country, if God doesn't pour out his spirit unto revival, we can well expect that someday that cup will become full, that we will fill up the full measure of our sins. And face God's judgment in a very specific way.

I'm not intending to be a doomsday prophet, but it could happen. In our own self-satisfied, self-absorbed and proud country.

But the encouragement still comes to us who have to endure such sinfulness.

C. Those who oppose God's people will face God's sure and certain condemnation. v.16b "...wrath has come upon them to the uttermost."

The wrath of God has come upon them. In fact, it is resting upon them. They are already being held for judgment, as we read about Satan's fallen angels in,

Jude 6 "And the angels who did not keep their proper domain, but left their own abode, He has reserved in everlasting chains under darkness for the judgment of the great day."

God's forbearance does not mean sin will go unpunished. Just the opposite. God's forbearance emphasizes that judgment will come. For there is a limit to that forbearance. There is a limit to what level of sinfulness the Lord will endure. The cup is defined, and when the full measure of utter sinfulness fills that cup, the wrath of God will be revealed. It will be the wrath of eternal condemnation.

So, how does that affect all of us? Several applications. First of all, don't be surprised when you face opposition or persecution for the sake of Christ. In fact, be thankful when you do. It means God is at work and Satan is attempting to thwart him.

Be courageous and bold. Be faithful, even unto death. And be thankful, that you are joined with Christ, as Peter writes,

1Pet. 4:12 "Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; 13 but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ's sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy. 14 If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. On their part He is blasphemed, but on your part He is glorified."

May we experience that blessing! And when that suffering comes to you, let it strengthen your faith. Let whatever sufferings you have to endure build your faith.

And especially when you suffer, embrace the truth of God's word. Let that word go to work in your life. Transforming you. Even as you look forward to your future glory.

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