Thessalonians Series (Part 4)
The Model Church: A Strong People - 2:13-20

1 Thessalonians 2:13-20: "For this reason we also constantly thank God
that when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you
accepted it not as the word of men, but for what it really is, the word
of God, which also performs its work in you who believe. {14} For you,
brethren, became imitators of the churches of God in Christ Jesus that
are in Judea, for you also endured the same sufferings at the hands of
your own countrymen, even as they did from the Jews, {15} who both killed
the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and drove us out. They are not pleasing
to God, but hostile to all men, {16} hindering us from speaking to the
Gentiles so that they may be saved; with the result that they always fill
up the measure of their sins. But wrath has come upon them to the utmost.
{17} But we, brethren, having been taken away from you for a short
while--in person, not in spirit--were all the more eager with great
desire to see your face. {18} For we wanted to come to you--I, Paul, more
than once--and yet Satan hindered us. {19} For who is our hope or joy or
crown of exultation? Is it not even you, in the presence of our Lord
Jesus at His coming? {20} For you are our glory and joy."

It was not easy to be a Christian in Thessalonica where believers faced
persecution and suffering. Their situation explains Paul’s choice of
words: affliction (1 Thes. 1:6; 3:3), which means "pressure from
circumstances"; suffered (1 Thes. 2:14), the same word used for our
Lord’s sufferings; persecuted (1 Thes. 2:15), meaning "driven out and
rejected"; contrary (1 Thes. 2:15), used of winds that blow against and
hinder progress; and hindered (1 Thes. 2:18), which pictures a road so
broken up that travel is blocked.

Yet in the midst of suffering, the Thessalonian Christians experienced
joy. They received Paul’s ministry of the Word "in much affliction, with
joy of the Holy Spirit" (1 Thes. 1:6). Paul certainly was burdened for
his brethren who were going through suffering, and yet he also had joy (1
Thes. 2:19-20). It was a fulfillment of our Lord’s promise, "In the world
ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the
world" (John 16:33).

Churches do experience "growing pains" as they seek to win the lost and
glorify the Lord. We may not experience the same kind of political and
religious persecution that the early Christians suffered (though in some
parts of the world today the persecution is just as intense as it was
then). Yet if we are living "godly in Christ Jesus," we will suffer for
His sake (2 Tim. 3:12).

(2:13-20) Introduction: a strong church is a church of strong people, a
people who have trusted Jesus Christ and been baptized into His spiritual
family....and who are continuing stedfast in Him. This passage covers the
traits of a strong people.
    1.    They received the Word of God as the Word of God (v.13).
    2.    They became followers of strong churches: stood fast despite severe
persecution (v.14).
    3.    They escaped the Jews’ guilt (v.15-16).
    4.    They possessed a strong fellowship (v.17-18).
    5.    They were destined to bring glory and joy (v.19-20).

1. (2:13) Word of God: a strong people receive the Word of God as the
Word of God. Note three facts.
1. The Thessalonian believers had received the Word through the
preaching and teaching of men. Paul, Silas, and Timothy had carried and
proclaimed the Word of God to them. They or some other believer had to
take the Word to the Thessalonians, for there was no other way they could
have received it. It takes people to communicate the Word of God.

Their acceptance of the message:
1. They received the message as the word of God.
2. They became imitators of God’s churches in Judea.

If believers did not speak and share the Word, then it would never be
heard or received. It would stop dead in its tracks and no one would ever
again be reached for Christ. There would never again be a branch added to
the tree of life. The only way the Word of God can go forth is for
believers to share it. The point is this: proclaiming and bearing witness
to the Word of God is God’s ordained way to reach the world for Christ.
He has ordained the mission of proclaiming it to men, not to angels nor
to any other creature.

The duty to proclaim and bear testimony to the Word of God lies in the
lap of believers. For this reason, we must proclaim and bear witness to
God’s Word every day of our lives.

The very life of every soul upon earth rests in our hands. Paul knew
this; that is the reason he had carried the Word of God to the
Thessalonians.
   
2. The Thessalonian believers had received the Word not as the word of
men, but as it is in truth, the Word of God. What a phenomenal statement!
Paul unequivocally declares that the Word he proclaimed was not the word
of men, but the Word of God Himself. He further adds that "it is in
truth, the Word of God."

Remember: what Paul preached was the Old Testament Scriptures and the
mysteries of Christ which God had revealed directly to him. Most
people—by far most—do not believe that the Word of God (the Bible) is the
Word of God. They receive the Word of God only as the word of men.
Þ    They think that the Word of God is only of men.
Þ    Some think that the New Testament is only what the early apostles and
believers could remember about Christ and conclude from His teaching.
Þ    Some think that the Old Testament is only the religious book and
religious fables of the Jews, written by their great religious leaders.
Þ    Some think that the Bible is the great religious book chosen by God to
use in the lives of people when it is proclaimed. Sitting on the shelf,
they say that the Bible is not the Word of God, but when it is read or
proclaimed, it becomes the Word of God; God uses its message to move upon
the hearts of people and convict them.

However, note a critical point, a point so critical that it can be the
determining factor that affects a man’s eternal destiny: both the Bible
and Paul claim that the Word of God is not the word of men, but the Word
of God. "It is in truth, the Word of God." And the Thessalonian church
and its believers received it as the Word of God.

3.    The Thessalonian believers received the Word so that it could work and
operate in their lives. The verse says that it is God who works in us
that believe. But what is it that we believe? The Word of God. If we do
not believe the Word of God, there is nothing left to believe but the
word of men. And the best that men can give us is messages and words that
stir us to greater...
·    self-improvement    ·    self development    ·    self-image    ·     justice   
·    equality    ·    works     ·    goodness    ·     morality    ·    commitment

All of this is good, but it has one terrible flaw: it ends. Everything
about man ends when man dies. The messages and words of men can do no
more than what man can do, and man can do no more than die and continue
in his terrible separation from life and God.

Man cannot save himself. This is the reason man must hope and trust that
God is love and has loved us enough to speak to us—speak accurately and
clearly. If God cares no more than to leave us in the dark about how to
become acceptable to Him, then we never want to have to face Him. Why?
Because He could not be a God of love—not if He has left us in a dark,
evil, and destructive world—left us groping and grasping to find our way
to Him.

A God of love would love and speak to us clearly and accurately, without
any error, so that we could unmistakeably know Him, ourselves, and the
world:
Þ    who we are
Þ    why we are here
Þ    why things are the way they are
Þ    where we are going

This is the glorious gospel: God has loved us and has given us His Word,
the very Word of God itself, the Holy Scriptures. Some of the
Thessalonians believed in the Word of God. Therefore, God worked in their
hearts and lives, converting and growing them to be more and more like
His dear Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.

(2:13) Word of God: the Bible claims to be the Word of God (see 2 Tim.
3:16; 2 Peter 1:19-21 for more discussion).

Þ    The unity of Scripture indicates an origin that could come only from
one mind, God’s mind.
Þ    Scripture has changed millions of lives for God.
Þ    Fulfilled prophecy and archeology substantiate a divine origin.

The way a Christian treats his Bible shows how he regards Jesus Christ.
He is the living Word (John 1:1, 14), and the Bible is the written Word;
but in essence they are the same. Both are bread (Matt. 4:4; John 6:48),
light (Ps. 119:105; John 8:12), and truth (John 14:6; 17:17).

The Holy Spirit gave birth to Jesus Christ through a holy woman (Luke
1:35), and He gave birth to the Bible through holy men of God (2 Peter
1:20-21). Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God forever (Rom. 1:25), and
the Word of God will live forever (Ps. 119:89; 1 Peter 1:23, 25).

In fact, the unique feature of the Bible is that it has always been
exhaustively substantiated to be the Word of God by any approach of
investigation that is serious and honest. But note: both seriousness and
honesty are necessary for the truth to be received. No less evidence
could be expected from the mind and providence of God. For God can speak
only the truth, and any pure investigation of truth can only substantiate
His Word.

But in saying this, it is necessary to recall that faith is an element in
substantiating anything. Therefore, in accepting the Bible as the Word of
God, faith is involved; it is one of the elements required.

However, the supreme authority for accepting the Bible as the Word of God
is Jesus Christ. If we believe in the divine mission of Christ and His
apostles, then we must believe that the Bible is the Word of God (John
5:39).

That Jesus Christ was a historical person is fact.
Þ    That Jesus Christ claims to be the Son of God is fact.
Þ    That Jesus Christ is the Son of God is faith.

That the Bible is an historical book is fact.
Þ    That the Bible claims to be the Word of God is fact.
Þ    That the Bible is the Word of God is faith.

The Lord Jesus repeatedly warned people about the wrong kind of hearing,
and His warnings are still needed. "Who hath ears to hear, let him hear"
(Matt. 13:9). In other words, "Take heed that you hear." Use every
opportunity you have to hear the Word of God.

But He gave another warning in Mark 4:24: "Take heed what ye hear." How
often believers hear the Word of God in Sunday School and church, and
then get in their cars, turn on the radio, and listen to programs that
help erase the impressions made by the Word.

Our Lord’s third warning is in Luke 8:18: "Take heed therefore how ye
hear." Many people are careless hearers and cannot apply themselves to
listen to the teaching of God’s Word. These people have "itching ears"
and want religious entertainment (2 Tim. 4:3). Some of them are "dull of
hearing" (Heb. 5:11), too lazy to apply themselves and pay attention. One
of these days our churches will be hungry because of a famine "for
hearing the words of the Lord" (Amos 8:11). Too many churches have
substituted entertainment for the preaching of God’s Word, and many
people no longer welcome the Word of God.

How do we appropriate the Word? By understanding it and receiving it into
our hearts, and by meditating on it so that it becomes part of the inner
man. Meditation is to the spiritual life what digestion is to the
physical life. If you did not digest your food, you would die. It takes
time to meditate, but it is the only way to appropriate the Word and
grow.

They obeyed the Word by faith, and the Word went to work in their lives.
It is not enough to appreciate the Bible, or even to appropriate the
Bible. We must apply the Word in our lives and be hearers and doers of
the Word (James 1:19-25).

The Word of God has in it the power to accomplish the will of God. "For
nothing is impossible with God" (Luke 1:37, NIV). It has well been said,
"God’s commandments are God’s enablements." Jesus commanded the crippled
man to stretch out his hand—the very thing the man could not do. Yet that
word of command gave him the power to obey. He trusted the word, obeyed,
and was made whole (Mark 3:1-5). When we believe God’s Word and obey, He
releases power—divine energy—that works in our lives to fulfill His
purposes.

The Word of God within us is a great source of power in times of testing
and suffering. If we appreciate the Word (the heart), appropriate the
Word (the mind), and apply the Word (the will), then the whole person
will be controlled by God’s Word and He will give us the victory.

2. (2:14) Church: strong people become followers of strong churches. They
stand fast in Christ despite trials, even when facing severe persecution.
Note that it was their own countrymen who were persecuting them, both Jew
and Gentile, but the instigators were the Jews.

This is exactly what was happening with the Judaean churches. It was
their own countrymen who were persecuting them. Therefore, Paul was able
to say to the Thessalonian believers that they were following the great
example of the Judaean churches: they were standing fast for Christ even
as the Judaean churches were.

Thought 1. Note two lessons.
1)    Nothing cuts and threatens us like the opposition from those who are
closest to us: our family, friends, neighbors, and countrymen. When those
whom we love the most oppose us, the temptation to give in is strongest.
But we must never give in, for our eternal destiny is at stake. We must
continue on with Christ, trusting Him to take care of us and to win many
of our persecutors to Christ through the testimony of our stedfastness.

    This was what the Judaean believers did, and it was what the
Thessalonian believers did. It must also be what we do: stand fast for
Christ no matter what opposition may confront us.

2)    One of the strongest helps when facing persecution is to look to the
example of others who have stood strong against opposition. This is what
the Thessalonian believers did: they followed the example of the Judaean
churches. The faithfulness of both the Judaean and Thessalonian believers
stands as a strong example for us.

In our Christian work, we often find that suffering people can become
very self-centered and think that they are the only ones going through
the furnace. Everyone goes through the normal human suffering such as
sickness, pain, and bereavement. But I am referring to the suffering we
endure because we are Christians.

Perhaps your family has disowned you because of your faith; or perhaps
you have been bypassed for a promotion at work because you are a
Christian. These experiences hurt, but they are not ours alone. Other
Christians are going through the same trials, and many, in other parts of
the world, face much greater difficulty.

Not only were the Thessalonian saints imitators of the Lord and of Paul
(1 Thes. 1:6), but they also became imitators of the Jewish believers in
their experience of persecution. The saints in Judea suffered at the
hands of the Jews, and the saints in Thessalonica suffered at the hands
of the Gentiles. But keep in mind that even this Gentile persecution was
encouraged by the Jewish unbelievers (Acts 17:5, 13). Jesus promised that
this would happen (John 15:18-27).

Was Paul giving evidence of "religious bigotry" when he accused the Jews
of killing Jesus Christ and persecuting the Christians? No, he was simply
stating a fact of history. Nowhere does the Bible accuse all Jews of what
a few Jews did in Jerusalem and Judea when Christ was crucified and the
church founded.

The Romans also participated in the trial and death of Christ, and, for
that matter, it was our sins that sent Him to the cross (Isa. 53:6).
There is no place in the Christian faith for anti-Semitism. Paul himself
loved his fellow Jews and sought to help them (Acts 24:17; Rom. 9:1-5).

God called Israel to be a blessing to all the world (Gen. 12:1-3; 22:18).
Through Israel He gave the promises and the covenants, and the Word of
God; and through Israel, Jesus Christ the Saviour came into the world.
"Salvation is of the Jews" (John 4:22). The first Christians were Jews,
as was Paul, the greatest Christian missionary.

Why, then, did the leaders of Israel officially reject Jesus Christ and
persecute His followers? They were only repeating the sins of their
fathers. Their ancestors had persecuted the prophets long before Jesus
came to earth (Matt. 5:10-12). They could not see that their Law was only
a temporary preparation for God’s New Covenant of grace. By rejecting
God’s truth, they protected their man-made traditions (Mark 7:1-8). Our
Lord’s parable in Luke 20:9-19 explained their sinful attitudes.

The sad thing was that Israel was filling up their sins (1 Thes. 2:16)
and storing up wrath for the day of judgment. This image is used in
Genesis 15:16, and Jesus used it in His sermon against the Pharisees
(Matt. 23:32). God patiently waits as sinners rebel against Him, and He
watches as their measure of sin and judgment fills up. When the time is
up, God’s patience will end and judgment will fall.

In one sense, judgment had already fallen on Israel; for they were a
scattered people, and their nation in Palestine was under Roman rule (see
Deut. 28:15ff). But an even greater judgment was to fall in the future;
for in A.D. 70 the Roman armies besieged Jerusalem, destroyed the city
and the temple, and ended the period of God’s patience with His people
during the ministry of the Apostles (see Matt. 22:1-11). It is tragic but
true that the righteous suffered because of the sins of the wicked.

Paul encouraged the suffering Christians by assuring them that their
experiences were not new or isolated. Others had suffered before them and
were even then suffering with them. The churches in Judea had not been
exterminated by suffering; if anything, they had been purified and
increased. But the persecutors were filling up the measure of wrath to be
heaped on their heads. Saints have been saved to the uttermost (Heb.
7:25), but sinners will experience wrath to the uttermost (1 Thes. 2:16).

Here is one of the great values of the local church: we stand together in
times of difficulty and encourage one another. It was when Elijah
isolated himself from the other faithful Israelites that he became
discouraged and wanted to quit. One reason Paul sent Timothy back to
Thessalonica was to encourage the believers (1 Thes. 3:1-4). A lonely
saint is very vulnerable to the attacks of Satan. We need each other in
the battles of life.

3. (2:15-16) Jews, Sins of—Persecution—Church: a strong church escapes
the guilt of the Jews. This may seem like a strange way to word this
point, but what is in mind is this.
Þ    A person either stands in support of Christ or in opposition to Christ.
Þ    A church either stands in support of Christ or in opposition to Christ.

The Jews’ hardness and opposition:
1. they killed the Lord Jesus (see Acts 2:23, 36; 3:15; 7:52)
2. they killed the prophets (see Acts 7:51-52; Matthew 23:37).
3. they ‘drove us out’ (Acts 13:50)
4. they displease God and are hostile to all men
5. ‘in this way they always heap up their sins to the limit’
6. the wrath of God will come upon them at last

The Jewish persecutors stood in opposition to Christ, in opposition to
God’s very own Son. And remember: they were religionists, a body of
religious people who were set on destroying the Christian church in the
name of religion. But the Thessalonian church and its believers stood in
support of Christ; therefore, they escaped whatever guilt hangs over a
person’s head for opposing God’s Son. The Thessalonian believers were
free of the terrible sins and guilt that the Jews had committed in the
name of religion. What were the sins and guilt of the Jews? Paul lists
them, and the indictment is one of the most terrible ever drawn up
against man.
    1.    They killed the Lord Jesus. Note the title "Lord." They thought they
were killing only a man, only a carpenter from Nazareth, but they were
actually killing the Lord. By Lord is meant all that is included in the
title: the Lord God, the One who came out of heaven itself, the very Son
of God Himself. The terrible guilt is clearly seen:
Þ    the guilt of killing a person.
Þ    the guilt of killing the Lord Himself.
    2.    They killed their own prophets. This was a charge that has often been
leveled at the Jews.

    3.    They persecuted Christian believers. They not only rejected the
gospel, but they wanted to destroy the message and those who followed and
proclaimed it. They did not want anyone following Christ.

    4.    They did not please God. No person can please God if he stands in
opposition to Christ. The only way a person can please God is to
surrender his life to Christ—to give all he is and has to Christ. The
Jews were not about to do this. Nothing was going to break them away from
their own religious ceremonies and ideas about religion.

    5.    They were contrary to all men. They opposed and hated anyone who did
not believe as they did. They should have loved those who differed, but
instead they bitterly despised them. This is the difference between
Christianity and Judaism and so many other religions. We who believe do
claim that Christ and the Holy Scriptures are the truth, but we do not
hate and oppose those who differ with us. We love them and do all we can
to reach out and help them. We help to meet the needs of every man, even
if he goes to his grave never accepting Christ. We love him; therefore,
we want him to know the truth. But if he rejects Christ, we do not cast
him off. We will continue to help him any way we can—in love.

    6.    They tried to stamp out the Word of God lest some person be saved.
Just imagine trying to stop God’s Word. How in the world can a man stop
the Word of God? The answer is self-evident. Even a world of men could
not stop God’s Word. This is the foolishness of men, and it was the
foolishness of the Jews.

Now, note the results of the sins of the Jews. First, they filled up
their sin; their sin became full and overflowed and kept on overflowing.
What a terrible indictment. The idea is that they sinned so much that
they reached the point of no return. Returning to God was impossible
(Leon Morris. The Epistles of Paul to the Thessalonians. "Tyndale New
Testament Commentaries," p.57).

Second, the wrath of God is come upon the Jews to the uttermost. The idea
is that the judgment of God upon the Jews was certain, for they had...
·    killed His Son, the Lord Jesus.
·    killed His prophets.
·    persecuted His church followers.
·    stood against all men.
·    tried to stamp out His Word so that other people might not be saved.

Think for a moment: if Jesus Christ is truly God’s Son, then the judgment
of God upon the Jewish unbelievers is inevitable. In fact, His judgment
upon any person or people who stands in opposition to Christ in
inevitable. No man shall be able to escape His judgment.

4. (2:17-18) Church—Fellowship: a strong church possesses a strong
fellowship. The fellowship of the Thessalonians was so strong that Paul
just longed to return to them. Remember: he had been forced to flee the
city because his life was being threatened by the persecution that had
risen against the gospel.

The ache of Paul’s heart for the Thessalonians and their fellowship is
seen in his emphasis:
Þ    he had been taken from them in presence, but "not in heart."
Þ    he "endeavored" (spoudazo) to return: eagerly sought to return; made a
serious, concentrated effort to return.
Þ    he "abundantly" or exceedingly sought to return.
Þ    he sought to return "with great desire": with zeal, with intense
longing, with strong passion.

Just imagine a fellowship of believers so strong that such effort is
exerted by Paul to be present with them. What a fellowship they must have
had—even in the face of persecution.

However, note: Paul’s return to the Thessalonian believers had been
hindered by Satan. The word "hindered" means to cut in a road; to make a
road impassable (A.T. Robertson. Word Pictures in the New Testament,
Vol.4, p.24). It means to put up a roadblock for the purpose of stopping
an expedition (William Barclay. The Letters to the Philippians,
Colossians, and Thessalonians, p.225). When a church is as strong as the
Thessalonian church, Satan is bound to do all he can to weaken it and
stop its growth. One of the primary ways to weaken a church is to attack
the minister of the church. This was his strategy in Thessalonica. What
was the roadblock that Satan threw against Paul?
Þ    Was it some illness? (2 Cor. 12:7; Galatians 4:13).
Þ    Was it some serious problem in Corinth where Paul was ministering—some
serious problem that had been stirred up by Satan to keep Paul there and
to prevent his return to Thessalonica? Remember: Corinth was full of
carnal believers, prime prospects for Satan’s attack (1 Thes. 3:1).

Just what the hindrance was is not known. But the point to note is the
strength of the believers’ fellowship in Thessalonica—a fellowship so
strong that Paul longed to return and share in it with the believers.

(2:18) Satan—Paul, View of Satan: Paul never downplayed the work and
activity of Satan. He recognized the existence and activity of some
terrible force of evil—some terrible supernatural spirit of evil—some
terrible person in the spiritual world who is revealed in Scripture as
Satan or the devil. Paul saw Satan...
·    as the tempter who tempts men (1 Thes. 3:5).
·    as the "evil one" (Greek, Matt. 13:38; 2 Thes. 3:3).
·    as the god of this world (2 Cor. 4:4).
· as the prince or ruler of the power of the air (Ephes. 2:2).
· the devil (1 Peter 5:8)
· the prince of this world (John 14:30)
· the serpent (2 Cor. 11:3)
· the dragon (Rev. 12:9)

We are not told exactly how Satan hindered Paul’s return to Thessalonica.
Some have suggested that it was the ‘bond’ posted by Jason and others
which meant Paul could not return during a certain time, but the
Thessalonians would have been aware of this. Whatever it was, Paul
attributed it to the power of Satan.

Paul was not ashamed to state his affection for the Thessalonian
Christians. He felt as though he had been "orphaned" from them (1 Thes.
2:17) since he was their spiritual mother and father (1 Thes. 2:7, 11).
Paul wanted to remain there longer to help ground them in the faith, but
the enemy drove him out. However, his absence was only physical; he was
still with them in heart (see Phil. 1:7).

Paul made every effort possible to return to them, though Satan was
"breaking up the road and putting up obstacles" (literal meaning of
"hindered" in 1 Thes. 2:18). Paul had the same kind of deep desire to be
with them as Jesus had to be with His disciples before His death (Luke
22:15).

But Paul did not look back and give in to regret and remorse. Instead, he
looked ahead and rejoiced. For the Christian, the best is yet to come.
Paul looked ahead by faith and saw his friends in the presence of Jesus
Christ in glory.

In times of trouble and testing, it is important that we take the long
view of things. Paul lived in the future tense, as well as in the
present. His actions were governed by what God would do in the future. He
knew that Jesus Christ would return and reward him for his faithful
ministry; and on that day, the saints from Thessalonica would bring glory
to God and joy to Paul’s heart. As the familiar song says, "It will be
worth it all, when we see Jesus."

The fact that we shall one day stand at the Judgment Seat of Christ ought
to motivate us to be faithful in spite of difficulties. We must remember
that faithfulness is the important thing (1 Cor. 4:2). At the Judgment
Seat of Christ, our works will be judged and rewards will be given (Rom.
14:10-12; 1 Cor. 4:1-5; 2 Cor. 5:9-10). In his letters, Paul often
pictured these rewards as crowns. The word used signified the "victor’s
crown" at the races, not the royal crown of the king. It is the word
stephanos from which we get the names Stephen and Stephanie.

Paul did not say that he would receive a crown, though this is suggested.
He said that the saints themselves would be his crown when he met them at
the Judgment Seat. To be sure, some of the believers in the church were
not living as they should, and some were a burden to Paul. But when he
looked ahead and saw them in glory, they brought joy to his heart.

This joy of greeting believers in heaven also brings with it a solemn
warning: we will lose joy if we go to heaven empty-handed. The Christian
who has not sincerely tried to win others to Christ will not experience
this glory and joy when Jesus Christ returns. It is not enough to "wait
for His Son" (1 Thes. 1:10). We must also witness for God and work for
His Son, so that when we get to heaven, we will have trophies to present
for His glory. There is a special joy and reward for the soul winner
(Dan. 12:3).

There is also a crown for the believer who subdues his body and keeps it
controlled for the glory of God (1 Cor. 9:24-27). Self-control is
produced by the Spirit (Gal. 5:23). Since our bodies are God’s temples,
we must be careful not to defile them. The ultimate in giving the body to
God is dying for His sake; and for this there is a crown (Rev. 2:10).
Those who lovingly look for Christ’s appearing will receive the "crown of
righteousness" (2 Tim. 4:8). The faithful minister can anticipate the
"crown of glory" (1 Peter 5:4).

We must never look on future rewards as a means of showing up the other
saints. Like the elders described in Revelation 4:4 (a picture of the
glorified church), we will worship the Lord and lay our crowns at His
feet (Rev. 4:10). After all, our work was done in his power and for His
glory, so He deserves all the praise.

The fact that God promises rewards to us is another evidence of His
grace. God could demand our service simply on the basis of all He has
done for us. Our motive for serving Him is love. In His grace, He gives
us rewards so that we may have something to give Him in return.

When the Christians at Thessalonica read this letter, it must have
encouraged them tremendously. They were going through intense persecution
and suffering, and perhaps some of them were tempted to give up.
"Don’t give up!" Paul encouraged them. "Lay hold of the spiritual
resources you have in Jesus Christ. You have the Word of God within you,
the people of God around you, and the glory of God before you. There is
no need to give up."

5. (2:19-20) Witnessing: a strong church is destined to bring glory and
joy. To whom? To the believers...
·    who founded the church.
·    who reached the believers for the Lord.
·    who ministered and taught the church.
·    who carried on the work of the church.
    Paul clearly says that the Thessalonian believers were his hope and joy
and crown of rejoicing. When? In the day when the Lord Jesus Christ will
return and they will all stand in His presence.
Þ    What a hope! The return of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Þ    What a joy! Joining the Lord Jesus Christ with all the believers whom
we have known, reached, and grown in Christ down here on earth.
Þ    What a crown! To offer to Christ all the dear people we have had a part
in reaching and growing for the Lord.
    Note the word "crown" (stephanos). It is the victor’s crown, the crown
worn by the athlete after he has won the contest. The picture is that we
are in a contest, a spiritual struggle against Satan for the souls of
men. Therefore, we must strain and struggle and fight for the souls of
men. A crown awaits us, a crown that we will miss unless there are souls
to present to Christ.

Thought 1. Have you ever won a soul to Christ? A single soul? How many?
Þ    Ten souls?
Þ    Twenty souls?
Þ    Fifty souls?
Þ    One hundred souls?
    The crown of rejoicing awaits the person who will be able to present
souls to the Lord in that day. Let us all ask God to touch our hearts and
help us to win souls for Him. He will if we will only ask in sincerity.