October 22, 2001

Lessons for November 4

EXPLORE THE BIBLE:
Is your church worth recommending to others?
___ 2 Thessalonians 1:1-12
___By Pete Freeman
___First Baptist Church,
___The Woodlands
___The Baptist Standard has recently carried some helpful articles on the work of pastor-search committees. It became evident the work of a committee is a difficult task. Finding the right person, at the right time and for the right place is a challenge for every committee.
___Discerning the qualifications of some candidates is an easy task. All you have to do is to follow their ministerial trail. The same is true of pastors when they are considering a move. All they have to do is to check out the ministry trail of the church they're considering. The truth is pastors and churches build reputations. There are some pastors who are church-killers and some churches that are pastor-killers.
___The church at Thessalonica appears to be a church with a very good reputation. If they had to send out a pastor-search committee, they would have been way ahead of the game. Good pastors are attracted to good churches, and good churches are attracted to good pastors. The Lord doesn't always function by this formula, but generally it works that way. Paul, in writing his second letter to this group of believers, is actually supplying them a tremendous letter of recommendation. After sharing his usual words of greeting, he launches into a short but insightful description of this new and maturing church.
___Paul begins by thanking God for them. The words "ought" and "rightly so" shouldn't be taken as cold and formal greetings. We should remember in his first letter he gave thanks for their faith, love and hope. Two of those, faith and love, have now become objects of his thanks. He is commending them for the progress they have made in these areas of spiritual maturity. As we read the rest of this letter, it is evident the church at Thessalonica was not a perfect church. Yet their imperfection does not keep him from giving thanks for them. A church is made up of sinners.
___When I was pastor of a church that had a marquee-style sign, I tried to catch the attention of motorists with short and meaningful messages. The one that met with the greatest response read: "Now accepting new-members' applications. Only sinners need to apply."
___When we join both his "thanks" and his "boasting" together, we find four positive qualities worth mentioning. They possessed a maturing faith, a maturing love for each other, steadfastness and trust in the care of God.
___The first of these is expressed in the word "faith." It means to trust in the trustworthiness of God. Yet the key factor is not that they had faith, but their faith was "growing more and more." The verb used to translate this phrase is found only in this verse in the Greek Bible and speaking about a very energetic and dynamic growth. They were growing in leaps and bounds in their faith.
___Second, they were learning to grow in their "love for each other." The word for "increasing" is identical to the word he used in 1 Thessalonians 3:12 when he prayed, "May the Lord make your love increase and overflow." No wonder he was so ecstatic in his thanks. He was remembering the words of fellow apostle, John, as he spoke and later wrote about the importance of love among believers. He also remembered the prayer of Jesus for all believers. It stressed the relationship of love and unity and the impact both would have on non-believers.
___It is interesting how Tuesday, Sept. 11, has brought together differing and sometimes warring factions. For example, Republicans and Democrats have laid aside their partisan interests for the good of the country. It causes me to wonder what it will take for we Baptists to lay down our partisan interests for the good of the gospel. I suggest we need to experience the same kind of "growing love" these early Christians demonstrated.
___"Perseverance" can be translated as patience or steadfastness. The latter is preferred because it suggests activity rather than passiveness. Such steadfastness is demonstrated in the midst of spiritual warfare. In our day of "cafeteria Christianity" where many Christians jump from church to church in search of comfortable spiritual diets, we need to preach that "sticking through thick and thin" is a virtue, not a weakness.
___"Faith" mentioned here is related to these early Christians' practice of trusting God's faithfulness. Note it is connected to "persecutions and trials" and faith in God to come through. It does not refer to "faithfulness" on the part of these believers but is complementary of their faith in God. Paul is impressed that they trust God so much.
___It sounds to me like the First Baptist Church of Thessalonica was worth recommending. Is your church?
___In verses 5-12, the writer recaps the matter of "everlasting destruction." Such destruction is based on the fact that "God is just." From these verses, it is evident that God, as sovereign, holds everyone accountable to himself. Such justice involves both judgment and mercy.

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