People are worth it - even when ministry is not easy
March 17th 2011 14:42
I Thessalonians 1:2 We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers
Interestingly enough, Thessalonica was one of the worst situations that Paul had ministered in. On Paul's second mission trip, he was thrown in jail and then miraculously set free - only to be kicked out of the city. From Phillipi, he went to Thessalonica where he preached for three short weeks.
Acts 17:2 Then Paul, as his custom was, went in to them, and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures.
Paul’s reasoning was effective and resulted in a harvest.
Acts 17:4 And some of them were persuaded; and a great multitude of the devout Greeks, and not a few of the leading women, joined Paul and Silas.
As usual, the religious crowd was unhappy with the results. They became an angry mob and drove Paul out of town.
Acts 17:5-10
5 But the Jews who were not persuaded, becoming envious,[a] took some of the evil men from the marketplace, and gathering a mob, set all the city in an uproar and attacked the house of Jason, and sought to bring them out to the people.
6 But when they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some brethren to the rulers of the city, crying out, “These who have turned the world upside down have come here too.
7 Jason has harbored them, and these are all acting contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying there is another king—Jesus.”
8 And they troubled the crowd and the rulers of the city when they heard these things.
9 So when they had taken security from Jason and the rest, they let them go.
10 Then the brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea. When they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews
Things went well in Berea and another revival broke out.
Acts 17:11-12
11 These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so.
12 Therefore many of them believed, and also not a few of the Greeks, prominent women as well as men.
Then “guess who” showed up?
Acts 17:13-14
13 But when the Jews from Thessalonica learned that the word of God was preached by Paul at Berea, they came there also and stirred up the crowds.
14 Then immediately the brethren sent Paul away, to go to the sea; but both Silas and Timothy remained there.
Paul’s next stop was Athens where he preached with mixed results. By the time he arrived in Corinth, he was in weakness, in fear and in much trembling 1Corinthians 1:23.
It is in this state of mind that Paul wrote I Thessalonians 1:2, We give thanks to God always for you all.
What was the key to being thankful for the Thessalonians when they had caused him so much trouble? Paul was not focused on what the religious Thessalonians had done to him – but on what Christ had done in the lives of those who had been saved. Paul’s focus determined his attitude and his attitude determined his actions.
Interestingly enough, Thessalonica was one of the worst situations that Paul had ministered in. On Paul's second mission trip, he was thrown in jail and then miraculously set free - only to be kicked out of the city. From Phillipi, he went to Thessalonica where he preached for three short weeks.
Acts 17:2 Then Paul, as his custom was, went in to them, and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures.
Paul’s reasoning was effective and resulted in a harvest.
Acts 17:4 And some of them were persuaded; and a great multitude of the devout Greeks, and not a few of the leading women, joined Paul and Silas.
As usual, the religious crowd was unhappy with the results. They became an angry mob and drove Paul out of town.
Acts 17:5-10
5 But the Jews who were not persuaded, becoming envious,[a] took some of the evil men from the marketplace, and gathering a mob, set all the city in an uproar and attacked the house of Jason, and sought to bring them out to the people.
6 But when they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some brethren to the rulers of the city, crying out, “These who have turned the world upside down have come here too.
7 Jason has harbored them, and these are all acting contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying there is another king—Jesus.”
8 And they troubled the crowd and the rulers of the city when they heard these things.
9 So when they had taken security from Jason and the rest, they let them go.
10 Then the brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea. When they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews
Things went well in Berea and another revival broke out.
Acts 17:11-12
11 These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so.
12 Therefore many of them believed, and also not a few of the Greeks, prominent women as well as men.
Then “guess who” showed up?
Acts 17:13-14
13 But when the Jews from Thessalonica learned that the word of God was preached by Paul at Berea, they came there also and stirred up the crowds.
14 Then immediately the brethren sent Paul away, to go to the sea; but both Silas and Timothy remained there.
Paul’s next stop was Athens where he preached with mixed results. By the time he arrived in Corinth, he was in weakness, in fear and in much trembling 1Corinthians 1:23.
It is in this state of mind that Paul wrote I Thessalonians 1:2, We give thanks to God always for you all.
What was the key to being thankful for the Thessalonians when they had caused him so much trouble? Paul was not focused on what the religious Thessalonians had done to him – but on what Christ had done in the lives of those who had been saved. Paul’s focus determined his attitude and his attitude determined his actions.
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