1 00:00:03,000 --> 00:00:08,039 When I was a kid, it was like clockwork when the sermon came. 2 00:00:08,039 --> 00:00:11,680 I'd wait till about 10 minutes before I thought it'd be the 3 00:00:11,680 --> 00:00:14,840 end. And I'd get up and I'd go 4 00:00:14,840 --> 00:00:17,840 straight to the bathroom, head down, no eye contact, straight 5 00:00:17,840 --> 00:00:19,240 to the bathroom. I didn't actually have to go to 6 00:00:19,240 --> 00:00:22,640 the bathroom. It was my creative way of trying 7 00:00:22,640 --> 00:00:27,440 to endure a long sermon. And I'm not not trying to give 8 00:00:27,440 --> 00:00:31,400 anyone ideas here, but I am shocked my parents never figured 9 00:00:31,400 --> 00:00:35,160 out what I was doing. You know, Sunday after Sunday. 10 00:00:35,920 --> 00:00:39,000 Somewhere along the way, my appetite changed. 11 00:00:39,960 --> 00:00:44,360 I started listening to the sermon, hearing the preaching. 12 00:00:44,760 --> 00:00:48,480 I started reading the Bible on my own outside of Sundays. 13 00:00:49,280 --> 00:00:53,880 I started devouring more sermons on podcasts. 14 00:00:54,000 --> 00:00:59,840 It's like I couldn't get enough of the Word, you know? 15 00:00:59,840 --> 00:01:06,680 I was hungry for the Word, and I saw God's Word began changing my 16 00:01:06,680 --> 00:01:09,560 heart. I wonder if you've experienced 17 00:01:09,560 --> 00:01:14,440 that as a Christian. There are countless times I can 18 00:01:14,440 --> 00:01:21,000 think of since then when God's Word has caught me off guard and 19 00:01:21,000 --> 00:01:25,800 captivated me. One time I remember 2021, I was 20 00:01:25,800 --> 00:01:27,880 sitting at the prayer meeting of Covenant Hope Church. 21 00:01:28,400 --> 00:01:32,280 My friend John Pentecost was preaching and Pentecost, that's 22 00:01:32,280 --> 00:01:36,840 a powerful preacher name. He was preaching from Proverbs 9 23 00:01:37,960 --> 00:01:44,160 and that text says reprove a wise man and he will love you. 24 00:01:45,560 --> 00:01:50,280 And I was sitting there. It felt like John had taken aim 25 00:01:50,280 --> 00:01:55,240 at my heart, read my mail, and was convicting me with those 26 00:01:55,240 --> 00:01:57,800 words. And I realized it clicked for 27 00:01:57,800 --> 00:02:02,080 me. People who love me enough to 28 00:02:02,080 --> 00:02:05,680 critique me are people I should love myself. 29 00:02:07,320 --> 00:02:09,000 Sometimes the word does that work. 30 00:02:09,000 --> 00:02:13,400 I remember 2016, sitting at University Baptist Church, first 31 00:02:13,400 --> 00:02:16,160 time. I was sitting under the regular 32 00:02:16,160 --> 00:02:19,560 diet of expositional preaching, where the main point of the 33 00:02:19,560 --> 00:02:22,760 sermon is the main point of the passage. 34 00:02:22,760 --> 00:02:25,160 And Brad Wheeler was preaching through First Samuel. 35 00:02:26,360 --> 00:02:30,200 And I had heard many sermons in my Christian life about how you 36 00:02:30,200 --> 00:02:33,520 look at a character in the Old Testament and you consider ways 37 00:02:33,520 --> 00:02:35,400 to follow them and ways you shouldn't. 38 00:02:36,240 --> 00:02:40,160 There's a place for that. I had heard few sermons that 39 00:02:40,160 --> 00:02:44,880 consider a man like King David and say the King we long for, 40 00:02:45,160 --> 00:02:51,800 Brad said, is Jesus Christ. And I remember hearing that good 41 00:02:51,800 --> 00:02:57,880 news again and marvelling at my great Saviour Christ. 42 00:02:59,160 --> 00:03:01,960 I remember also a year later, I was sitting in the West Hall, 43 00:03:02,240 --> 00:03:06,400 Capitol Hill Baptist Church and Bobby Jameson sitting right over 44 00:03:06,400 --> 00:03:09,880 there was service leading. He was service leading, which is 45 00:03:09,880 --> 00:03:11,920 what Brian Miller did moments ago. 46 00:03:12,360 --> 00:03:15,040 And he started with the gospel. He just shared the gospel. 47 00:03:15,840 --> 00:03:18,600 And then he said, friends, that's the best news you're 48 00:03:18,600 --> 00:03:22,880 going to hear all week. And something in my heart broke 49 00:03:23,920 --> 00:03:30,560 that was so good to hear that the gospel, the best news you're 50 00:03:30,560 --> 00:03:34,240 going to hear all week. Something in my heart flooded 51 00:03:34,240 --> 00:03:37,400 with the love of Christ. I will never forget that day. 52 00:03:39,200 --> 00:03:41,040 Here's the thing. I don't remember every sermon 53 00:03:41,040 --> 00:03:45,360 I've heard. Sometimes I'm reading my Bible 54 00:03:45,680 --> 00:03:49,440 and I lose my bookmark in my morning devotions and I realise 55 00:03:49,440 --> 00:03:51,920 I've reread the passages that I read the day before. 56 00:03:52,280 --> 00:03:58,920 And I forget sometimes, but over and over again, consistently, 57 00:03:59,440 --> 00:04:04,920 week after week, as the words preach and as the Gospels 58 00:04:04,920 --> 00:04:08,360 proclaimed, the Lord has changed my heart. 59 00:04:08,360 --> 00:04:15,040 He's convicted me, strengthened me, transformed me by the 60 00:04:15,040 --> 00:04:21,040 gospel. What about you, friend? 61 00:04:21,040 --> 00:04:24,280 Have you graduated from hearing the gospel? 62 00:04:26,000 --> 00:04:29,560 Or is that good news still sweet to your ears? 63 00:04:30,200 --> 00:04:34,960 The gospel is good news. God made us to walk with him and 64 00:04:34,960 --> 00:04:39,400 to please Him, but we walked away from him and we pleased 65 00:04:39,400 --> 00:04:41,680 ourselves. The Bible calls that sin. 66 00:04:42,680 --> 00:04:49,600 Most of you, most people know they're sinners, but most people 67 00:04:49,600 --> 00:04:52,200 think their sin isn't a big problem. 68 00:04:52,200 --> 00:04:57,960 Most people hope that in the end the good will outweigh the bad. 69 00:04:58,200 --> 00:05:01,000 Friends. That is the biggest lie on the 70 00:05:01,000 --> 00:05:06,880 planet, that at the end if you're try your best that God 71 00:05:06,880 --> 00:05:13,160 will embrace you with open arms. Here's the truth, the depth of 72 00:05:13,160 --> 00:05:17,320 our sin runs deeper than we can fathom and the cost of our 73 00:05:17,320 --> 00:05:21,120 forgiveness was greater than we can comprehend. 74 00:05:21,360 --> 00:05:26,880 What did it cost us? The only good man to walk this 75 00:05:26,880 --> 00:05:32,200 earth, the only innocent man, perfect man, was the God, man 76 00:05:32,440 --> 00:05:37,240 Jesus Christ sent from the Father, God's only Son. 77 00:05:37,560 --> 00:05:44,520 And he came to die on the cross for sinners to bear the wrath 78 00:05:44,720 --> 00:05:47,840 that they deserved. And he rose again. 79 00:05:49,480 --> 00:05:52,800 And that message must be responded to. 80 00:05:54,040 --> 00:05:57,360 You have to respond to that good news. 81 00:05:58,400 --> 00:06:03,720 You don't respond by trusting in your own goodness along with 82 00:06:03,720 --> 00:06:08,000 Christ's righteousness. You can't respond by marvelling 83 00:06:08,000 --> 00:06:10,480 at Christ and thinking, well, I just need. 84 00:06:10,600 --> 00:06:12,800 That's a great example for me to follow. 85 00:06:13,600 --> 00:06:18,720 You must respond by forsaking all attempts at your own 86 00:06:18,720 --> 00:06:24,120 goodness, forsaking your sin, and trusting that what He did on 87 00:06:24,120 --> 00:06:27,360 the cross is sufficient. It's enough. 88 00:06:27,360 --> 00:06:33,680 As He said, it is finished. You need to respond by trusting 89 00:06:33,880 --> 00:06:37,320 in Christ and His finished work on the cross. 90 00:06:37,440 --> 00:06:43,520 Friends, that is the best news you're going to hear all week. 91 00:06:44,320 --> 00:06:47,880 That's the gospel. If you're not a Christian, I 92 00:06:47,880 --> 00:06:52,200 pray that by the end of this sermon you believe that good 93 00:06:52,200 --> 00:06:58,320 news that you see your life changed and transformed and 94 00:06:58,320 --> 00:07:01,880 turned upside down by that very gospel. 95 00:07:02,560 --> 00:07:05,960 And if you're a Christian, if you're a member of Trinity 96 00:07:05,960 --> 00:07:12,400 Baptist Church, that same gospel that's at work in our church was 97 00:07:12,400 --> 00:07:16,520 at work at that first church in Thessalonica. 98 00:07:16,520 --> 00:07:20,320 If you have your Bible, open up to the book of First 99 00:07:20,320 --> 00:07:22,480 Thessalonians. If you don't have a Bible, maybe 100 00:07:22,480 --> 00:07:24,280 you didn't come on with one. Maybe you left at home. 101 00:07:24,520 --> 00:07:25,640 Maybe you don't even own a Bible. 102 00:07:25,640 --> 00:07:29,320 Just raise your hand. Somebody would be glad to bring 103 00:07:29,320 --> 00:07:31,720 you a Bible right now so you can follow along. 104 00:07:32,160 --> 00:07:35,880 Just raise your hand. First Thessalonians In the New 105 00:07:35,880 --> 00:07:40,400 Testament, in First Thessalonians, Paul and his 106 00:07:40,400 --> 00:07:43,600 missionary team brought the gospel to Thessalonica. 107 00:07:44,240 --> 00:07:45,880 They planted the first church there. 108 00:07:47,600 --> 00:07:52,920 But when the gospel comes to town, trouble comes to and Paul 109 00:07:52,920 --> 00:07:56,640 and his missionary team were run out of town after just a few 110 00:07:56,640 --> 00:08:01,760 weeks or few months of ministering there, meaning they 111 00:08:01,760 --> 00:08:05,000 were forced to leave this month's old church plant. 112 00:08:05,480 --> 00:08:09,560 They had to flee 250 miles of Berea, but the same people that 113 00:08:09,560 --> 00:08:12,680 persecuted them in Thessalonica followed them to Berea. 114 00:08:12,840 --> 00:08:16,560 They had to flee all the way, even onto Athens. 115 00:08:17,640 --> 00:08:21,960 Yet even in their absence, in this new church plant in 116 00:08:21,960 --> 00:08:25,960 Thessalonica, God's Word was at work. 117 00:08:25,960 --> 00:08:31,080 So listen as I read 1st Thessalonians 213 to 16. 118 00:08:34,760 --> 00:08:40,120 And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you receive 119 00:08:40,120 --> 00:08:46,160 the Word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it not as 120 00:08:46,160 --> 00:08:53,080 the Word of men, but as what it really is, the Word of God which 121 00:08:53,080 --> 00:08:59,560 is at work in you believers. For you brothers became 122 00:08:59,560 --> 00:09:03,240 imitators of the churches of God in Christ Jesus that are in 123 00:09:03,240 --> 00:09:06,280 Judea. For you suffer the same things 124 00:09:06,280 --> 00:09:11,200 from your own countrymen as they did from the Jews, who killed 125 00:09:11,200 --> 00:09:15,280 both the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and drove us out and 126 00:09:15,280 --> 00:09:22,440 displease God, and oppose all mankind by hindering us from 127 00:09:22,440 --> 00:09:27,760 speaking to the Gentiles, that they might be saved, so as 128 00:09:27,760 --> 00:09:30,360 always to fill up the measure of their sins. 129 00:09:30,360 --> 00:09:35,040 But wrath has come upon them at last. 130 00:09:38,160 --> 00:09:40,880 Friends, did you notice the two fold pattern in the passage? 131 00:09:42,520 --> 00:09:44,200 Look at what Paul thanks God for. 132 00:09:44,200 --> 00:09:48,920 Verse 13, the Word at work within them. 133 00:09:50,200 --> 00:09:54,920 Verses 14 to 16, the world at work against them. 134 00:09:56,320 --> 00:09:58,520 What should we do with this passage? 135 00:10:00,640 --> 00:10:07,000 Follow the pattern, receive the Word, then be rejected by the 136 00:10:07,000 --> 00:10:13,840 world friends, we need to follow that pattern, receive the word, 137 00:10:15,400 --> 00:10:20,000 then be rejected by the world. Two points to the sermon. 138 00:10:20,000 --> 00:10:23,440 Here's the first one, the words reception. 139 00:10:24,240 --> 00:10:28,160 The words reception verse 13. Look at verse 13. 140 00:10:30,040 --> 00:10:34,360 And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you receive 141 00:10:34,360 --> 00:10:38,480 the word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it not as 142 00:10:38,480 --> 00:10:43,560 the word of men, but as what it really is, the word of God which 143 00:10:43,560 --> 00:10:47,720 is at work. And you believers, Paul thanks 144 00:10:47,720 --> 00:10:51,840 God, he thanks God again, remember how the letter began, 145 00:10:51,840 --> 00:10:56,360 chapter one, verse 2. We give thanks to God always for 146 00:10:56,360 --> 00:11:00,520 all of you constantly mentioning you in our prayers. 147 00:11:01,560 --> 00:11:03,840 Now Paul, Silas, and Timothy wrote this letter. 148 00:11:03,920 --> 00:11:05,760 They likely wrote it from Corinth. 149 00:11:06,160 --> 00:11:13,000 They're separated by 250 miles. But with Paul, it was not out of 150 00:11:13,000 --> 00:11:16,720 sight, out of mind. He couldn't be present with 151 00:11:16,720 --> 00:11:21,640 them, so he presented them to God in his prayers. 152 00:11:22,720 --> 00:11:26,040 Every Monday at 1:00 PM, if you came by the church office, which 153 00:11:26,040 --> 00:11:29,840 is currently located in the Haas's kind of basement, 1:00 154 00:11:29,840 --> 00:11:34,080 PM, you'd see the staff reading the sermon passage and then 155 00:11:34,080 --> 00:11:36,360 praying for a page of the membership directory. 156 00:11:36,360 --> 00:11:40,040 Many of you pray for a page of the membership directory in your 157 00:11:40,040 --> 00:11:46,320 morning quiet time. Picture Paul, Silas, Timothy 158 00:11:46,960 --> 00:11:51,400 sitting around turning over the pages of their mental membership 159 00:11:51,400 --> 00:11:55,520 directory of the Church of the Thessalonians, thanking God. 160 00:11:57,760 --> 00:12:02,720 Lord, thank you for Jason, how he opened up his home to a bunch 161 00:12:02,720 --> 00:12:07,640 of strangers. Lord, thank you for Alexander 162 00:12:08,480 --> 00:12:11,680 and how he received the word in much affliction. 163 00:12:11,680 --> 00:12:16,360 He turned from idols, his very livelihood, because he believed 164 00:12:16,360 --> 00:12:19,280 the gospel. Lord, thank you for Chloe, for 165 00:12:19,280 --> 00:12:23,520 her steadfastness of faith and her hope in Jesus Christ. 166 00:12:24,760 --> 00:12:26,120 Lord, thank you for these Saints. 167 00:12:26,120 --> 00:12:30,960 That's what Paul and Silas and Timothy were doing, and we can 168 00:12:30,960 --> 00:12:34,720 always be discipled from Paul in our own prayer lives. 169 00:12:35,920 --> 00:12:40,720 Paul constantly thanked God for God's grace in other people's 170 00:12:40,720 --> 00:12:43,560 lives. In other words, when he looked 171 00:12:43,560 --> 00:12:50,640 around the church heads up, he saw God's grace at work in the 172 00:12:50,640 --> 00:12:52,440 lives of his brothers and sisters. 173 00:12:53,760 --> 00:12:58,720 Do you? And if you do, do you say 174 00:12:58,720 --> 00:13:02,440 something about it? Married couples in the church, 175 00:13:04,200 --> 00:13:06,560 what do you want your marriage to feel like? 176 00:13:09,920 --> 00:13:12,520 Like your spouse is always under the microscope? 177 00:13:14,280 --> 00:13:17,400 Like they never measure up? Like there's always room for 178 00:13:17,400 --> 00:13:22,400 improvement? Or that they're always being 179 00:13:22,400 --> 00:13:27,760 refreshed by your private prayers for them and your public 180 00:13:27,760 --> 00:13:32,160 encouragement of them? Will you be their biggest 181 00:13:32,160 --> 00:13:35,920 cheerleader before the Lord and before your family? 182 00:13:36,400 --> 00:13:41,680 Make it a habit to thank God privately for your spouse and to 183 00:13:41,680 --> 00:13:44,800 tell them about it publicly. Let God know what you're 184 00:13:44,800 --> 00:13:48,040 thankful for, what you see His work in their life. 185 00:13:48,400 --> 00:13:52,120 Then tell your spouse. If you have kids, let your kids 186 00:13:52,120 --> 00:13:54,960 eavesdrop on your encouragement to your spouse. 187 00:13:55,200 --> 00:13:57,920 Maybe even do it on the drive home from church today. 188 00:13:59,320 --> 00:14:02,840 Brothers and sisters, members of the church, let's not be a 189 00:14:02,840 --> 00:14:06,600 church where Thanksgiving goes without saying. 190 00:14:07,600 --> 00:14:11,720 Oh, they know I'm thankful. Surely let's be a church that 191 00:14:11,720 --> 00:14:14,400 shares Thanksgiving to God, to one another. 192 00:14:14,800 --> 00:14:17,920 Now, if that's something that's difficult for you, if you're 193 00:14:17,920 --> 00:14:22,920 someone who can only see opportunities for growth and 194 00:14:22,920 --> 00:14:28,400 areas to criticize, start by first praying and asking God for 195 00:14:28,400 --> 00:14:34,840 a heart that is easily edified. Mature Christians are easily 196 00:14:34,880 --> 00:14:36,760 edified. Pray for that. 197 00:14:36,760 --> 00:14:41,760 There's times to critique, of course, but if God is at work at 198 00:14:41,760 --> 00:14:46,720 all, then we should point it out for his praise and for one 199 00:14:46,720 --> 00:14:50,400 another's encouragement. Members of Trinity Baptist 200 00:14:50,400 --> 00:14:53,080 Church, I'm thankful to God for you. 201 00:14:54,720 --> 00:14:58,240 I'm thankful to God that so many of you are studying God's Word 202 00:14:58,360 --> 00:15:01,840 together throughout the week. I can't even keep track of how 203 00:15:01,840 --> 00:15:05,400 many people are opening up the Scriptures together and reading 204 00:15:05,400 --> 00:15:08,160 the Bible together. Praise God. 205 00:15:08,600 --> 00:15:13,320 I'm thankful that after the service you stick around because 206 00:15:13,320 --> 00:15:16,240 you love one another and you want a fellowship with one 207 00:15:16,240 --> 00:15:18,760 another. And even that sometimes Bobby 208 00:15:18,760 --> 00:15:21,560 and I stand back there by ourselves twiddling our thumbs 209 00:15:21,840 --> 00:15:24,920 because you're here fellowshipping with one another. 210 00:15:25,400 --> 00:15:29,960 Praise God. I'm thankful when you pray in 211 00:15:29,960 --> 00:15:35,640 the evening service, so many of your prayers are saturated with 212 00:15:35,640 --> 00:15:39,840 Scripture. Praise God, I'm thankful to God 213 00:15:41,320 --> 00:15:45,480 for you, the church. Father Augustine comments on 214 00:15:45,480 --> 00:15:49,080 verse 13. He says why does he give thanks 215 00:15:49,080 --> 00:15:52,960 to God here? Agustin says certainly it would 216 00:15:52,960 --> 00:15:56,880 be vain and meaningless if the person to whom he gives thanks 217 00:15:56,880 --> 00:16:02,200 to is not the person who did it, who is at work in our church. 218 00:16:03,840 --> 00:16:07,160 It's God's work. So give thanks to God that will 219 00:16:07,160 --> 00:16:10,440 keep our hearts humble and encouraged. 220 00:16:10,760 --> 00:16:14,040 He deserves all the credit. He's the one doing all the work. 221 00:16:14,520 --> 00:16:19,240 Look back at verse 13. What does Paul thank God for? 222 00:16:20,880 --> 00:16:24,920 Specifically for how they received the word of God? 223 00:16:25,920 --> 00:16:30,280 The Thessalonians heard the word from men, from Paul, from Silas, 224 00:16:30,520 --> 00:16:35,680 Timothy, but they accepted it as what it really was, the word of 225 00:16:35,680 --> 00:16:39,880 God, and that word was at work in them. 226 00:16:40,800 --> 00:16:45,120 Now from this one verse, verse 13, we learn what the Word is, 227 00:16:45,840 --> 00:16:49,720 what we do with the Word, and what the Word does to us. 228 00:16:49,720 --> 00:16:53,360 So what is the Word specifically the word of God? 229 00:16:53,360 --> 00:16:56,280 Here Paul speaks of is the gospel. 230 00:16:57,320 --> 00:17:00,480 He says in chapter 1 verse 5 our gospel came to you. 231 00:17:00,800 --> 00:17:04,680 Chapter 2 verse two, he says we had boldness in our God to 232 00:17:04,680 --> 00:17:08,640 declare to you the gospel. Chapter 2, verse 9, right before 233 00:17:08,640 --> 00:17:12,839 our passage, Paul says we proclaim to you the gospel. 234 00:17:13,720 --> 00:17:18,599 Paul was commissioned by God to preach the gospel to the 235 00:17:18,599 --> 00:17:21,960 Gentiles. The Thessalonians received the 236 00:17:21,960 --> 00:17:27,920 gospel directly from an apostle. And today we receive the same 237 00:17:27,920 --> 00:17:32,080 gospel through God's Word, through the Scriptures. 238 00:17:33,080 --> 00:17:38,520 Now the very first attack against God's people back in the 239 00:17:38,520 --> 00:17:43,280 Garden of Eden was first an attack on God's Word. 240 00:17:44,760 --> 00:17:49,560 Eve. Did God really say first attack? 241 00:17:50,560 --> 00:17:55,400 And so from the Garden, we need to be ready for God's Word to be 242 00:17:55,400 --> 00:17:57,880 attacked. One way to get ready is to just 243 00:17:58,000 --> 00:18:01,920 prepare yourself. Here's 2 important theological 244 00:18:01,920 --> 00:18:04,560 terms briefly. Both start with I. 245 00:18:04,920 --> 00:18:06,280 This will help you defend your faith. 246 00:18:06,280 --> 00:18:12,960 One inspiration, God's Word, all of Scripture, Old and New 247 00:18:12,960 --> 00:18:19,360 Testaments, written by men who are divinely inspired by God. 248 00:18:19,360 --> 00:18:25,080 In other words, Scripture is breathed out by God himself. 249 00:18:25,520 --> 00:18:29,840 It's not the word of man, it's truly the word of God. 250 00:18:30,160 --> 00:18:34,720 It's inspiration. Also, second inerrancy. 251 00:18:34,960 --> 00:18:39,240 So inspiration, inerrancy. Inerrancy simply means without 252 00:18:39,240 --> 00:18:42,200 error, as our statement of faith says, which we just read. 253 00:18:42,480 --> 00:18:47,880 It's truth without any mixture or of error in its contents. 254 00:18:47,880 --> 00:18:50,440 Meaning the scriptures can never be proven wrong. 255 00:18:51,440 --> 00:18:57,200 The scriptures can never falter. They can never err, just as God 256 00:18:57,200 --> 00:19:02,960 himself can never err. So anyone who denies inerrancy 257 00:19:03,800 --> 00:19:07,160 places some other judge over scripture. 258 00:19:08,280 --> 00:19:13,760 They become the judge, not God. If you're ever at a church, or 259 00:19:13,760 --> 00:19:16,960 if you ever hear a pastor deny one of these doctrines, 260 00:19:17,640 --> 00:19:23,200 inspiration, inerrancy, do not be surprised if they deny the 261 00:19:23,200 --> 00:19:26,960 gospel next. Inerrancy goes, inspiration 262 00:19:26,960 --> 00:19:32,160 goes, the gospel soon follows. And sadly, many churches in our 263 00:19:32,160 --> 00:19:34,560 very area have followed that trajectory. 264 00:19:35,640 --> 00:19:40,840 God's words always under attack, but God's word can defend 265 00:19:40,840 --> 00:19:43,800 itself. Here's a few snapshots of the 266 00:19:43,800 --> 00:19:45,960 word. This is what the word says about 267 00:19:45,960 --> 00:19:48,840 the word. It's sharper than any 2 edged 268 00:19:48,840 --> 00:19:53,680 sword. It cuts deeper than the 269 00:19:53,680 --> 00:19:55,880 surgeon's scalpel. That's the picture. 270 00:19:55,880 --> 00:19:59,200 Hebrews 412. It's a hammer. 271 00:19:59,200 --> 00:20:03,720 Jeremiah 2329. A hammer that breaks rocky 272 00:20:03,800 --> 00:20:07,800 hearts to pieces. It is a fire. 273 00:20:08,440 --> 00:20:14,000 That consumes everything and even positively Psalm 1910. 274 00:20:14,000 --> 00:20:20,600 The word is more precious than the finest gold, sweeter than 275 00:20:20,600 --> 00:20:25,440 honey. The word is the most powerful 276 00:20:25,440 --> 00:20:29,440 force in the universe, effectual. 277 00:20:30,120 --> 00:20:37,040 It never returns void Frank. If you're a Christian, you can 278 00:20:37,040 --> 00:20:41,720 have confidence in God's Word. We heard about this a little bit 279 00:20:42,520 --> 00:20:44,440 in our Sunday school class, if you missed that. 280 00:20:44,800 --> 00:20:49,440 But during the Reformation, again, the world clashed with 281 00:20:49,440 --> 00:20:53,360 the Word. Martin Luther was sitting at his 282 00:20:53,360 --> 00:20:58,760 trial in the Diet of Worms 1521. He's on trial for attacking 283 00:20:58,920 --> 00:21:03,120 things that he says are not in the Word, like penance, 284 00:21:04,200 --> 00:21:10,400 purgatory, papal supremacy. At the trial sat the Cardinals 285 00:21:10,640 --> 00:21:15,720 judging him, and even Charles the 5th, the Holy Roman Emperor, 286 00:21:15,880 --> 00:21:20,680 the man who held Luther's life in his hands, who could put him 287 00:21:20,680 --> 00:21:24,960 to death. And his accuser, Johann von Eck, 288 00:21:25,080 --> 00:21:27,880 asked him. Luther, will you recant? 289 00:21:29,680 --> 00:21:31,120 And we heard this in Sunday school. 290 00:21:31,360 --> 00:21:33,400 It's worth repeating, Luther responded. 291 00:21:33,760 --> 00:21:37,840 Unless I'm convinced by the testimony of the Scriptures or 292 00:21:37,840 --> 00:21:41,600 by clear reason, for I do not trust in the Pope or the 293 00:21:41,600 --> 00:21:45,760 Council's alone, since it is well known that they often err 294 00:21:45,960 --> 00:21:50,680 and contradict each other. I am bound to the Scriptures, 295 00:21:51,360 --> 00:21:54,720 and my conscience is captive to the Word of God. 296 00:21:55,080 --> 00:21:58,920 I cannot do otherwise. Here I stand. 297 00:21:59,600 --> 00:22:03,360 May God help me. Brothers and sisters, you can 298 00:22:03,360 --> 00:22:08,680 stand on God's Word. It doesn't matter if a smart 299 00:22:08,680 --> 00:22:14,200 professor or a pastor or a podcast picks apart Scripture, 300 00:22:14,520 --> 00:22:18,440 puts it on trial. You can trust the Word, come 301 00:22:18,440 --> 00:22:22,240 what may, you can stand on it. Take confidence in it. 302 00:22:22,560 --> 00:22:27,080 What should we do with the Word? Look at verse 13. 303 00:22:28,200 --> 00:22:35,080 The Word was preached and received, preached and received. 304 00:22:35,080 --> 00:22:38,720 I was at a pastor's conference once in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 305 00:22:39,120 --> 00:22:43,920 and I heard one of the pastor's share his bright idea for how he 306 00:22:43,920 --> 00:22:47,000 had done away with sermon preparation and the sermon 307 00:22:47,000 --> 00:22:51,840 entirely. Seriously, he said. 308 00:22:52,040 --> 00:22:56,240 You know, we all have the Spirit and you know, people really 309 00:22:56,240 --> 00:22:58,640 don't learn by monologues anymore. 310 00:22:58,840 --> 00:23:01,800 People learn by dialogues. So at our church, we've cut the 311 00:23:01,800 --> 00:23:04,960 sermon out and we sit in a circle and we have a Bible 312 00:23:04,960 --> 00:23:07,480 discussion. That's the sermon. 313 00:23:08,560 --> 00:23:13,040 Can you imagine if you showed up hungry for the Word and that's 314 00:23:13,040 --> 00:23:16,320 what you got? Not only is that a bad idea, 315 00:23:17,200 --> 00:23:19,400 it's actually against what the Word says. 316 00:23:20,400 --> 00:23:24,440 In our gathering today, if you've noticed, the Word is 317 00:23:24,440 --> 00:23:27,080 central. Our service began today with 318 00:23:27,080 --> 00:23:30,880 God's Word calling us to worship Psalm 23. 319 00:23:31,160 --> 00:23:36,080 Then the Word dwelled richly among us as we sang Scripture, 320 00:23:36,080 --> 00:23:40,040 saturated songs together to God and to one another. 321 00:23:40,160 --> 00:23:44,000 Colossians 316. We devoted ourselves First 322 00:23:44,000 --> 00:23:48,720 Timothy 413 to the public reading of Scripture as Brian 323 00:23:48,720 --> 00:23:52,640 read Psalm 81. We even exhorted one another 324 00:23:52,840 --> 00:23:56,960 about the nature of the Word as we read to one another from 325 00:23:56,960 --> 00:24:00,760 Isaiah 40. And that was all before the Word 326 00:24:00,760 --> 00:24:05,000 now is being preached. And that is not Bobby and I's 327 00:24:05,000 --> 00:24:07,160 idea. We didn't come up with that. 328 00:24:07,280 --> 00:24:08,840 The elder board didn't come up with that. 329 00:24:09,000 --> 00:24:12,760 That is because God tells us to do that in His Word. 330 00:24:13,560 --> 00:24:19,440 We submit all our cleverness to God's Word, and so every church 331 00:24:20,600 --> 00:24:24,960 across all time should do the very things that we do in our 332 00:24:24,960 --> 00:24:28,520 gathering today, which is read the Scriptures, sing the 333 00:24:28,520 --> 00:24:33,280 Scriptures, hear the Scriptures, preach, see the Word, come alive 334 00:24:33,280 --> 00:24:36,080 at the ordinances of baptism in the Lord's Supper. 335 00:24:36,920 --> 00:24:42,000 Every church, Paul charged Timothy, in the presence of God 336 00:24:42,280 --> 00:24:46,560 and of Christ Jesus, preach the Word. 337 00:24:47,320 --> 00:24:51,680 Second Timothy, 41 to 2. The preacher's job is serious, 338 00:24:53,280 --> 00:24:57,600 but it's very simple. A preacher is like a mailman. 339 00:24:58,840 --> 00:25:02,480 What does your mailman do? He just delivers you the mail, 340 00:25:02,760 --> 00:25:05,320 other people's mail. He doesn't write you his own 341 00:25:05,320 --> 00:25:07,000 letters. That would be weird. 342 00:25:07,200 --> 00:25:11,360 He just brings you mail. That's the preacher's job, The 343 00:25:11,360 --> 00:25:14,840 preacher's herald. The herald doesn't write the 344 00:25:14,840 --> 00:25:16,360 message. That's the King's job. 345 00:25:16,600 --> 00:25:18,640 The herald just preaches the message. 346 00:25:18,800 --> 00:25:22,040 They proclaim it. That's the preacher's job. 347 00:25:22,040 --> 00:25:25,200 And when the preacher does that faithfully, when they unpack 348 00:25:25,200 --> 00:25:28,800 God's Word and the main point of their message is the main point 349 00:25:28,800 --> 00:25:32,280 of that passage, you're hearing from God. 350 00:25:34,920 --> 00:25:38,600 We should preach the Word. We also need to receive the 351 00:25:38,600 --> 00:25:41,720 Word. Here's a few quick tips for 352 00:25:41,720 --> 00:25:44,280 receiving the Word. 1 Listen carefully. 353 00:25:45,160 --> 00:25:47,800 Any spouse can tell you, especially husbands. 354 00:25:47,800 --> 00:25:52,160 Sorry husbands, that you can be present and not listening. 355 00:25:52,960 --> 00:25:57,520 Anyone ever been guilty of that? God lamented in Psalm 81. 356 00:25:57,520 --> 00:26:01,920 Oh, that my people would listen to me. 357 00:26:03,800 --> 00:26:07,360 Now elders have been entrusted by God to teach God's Word to 358 00:26:07,360 --> 00:26:11,120 the congregation. We try to make our sermons clear 359 00:26:11,560 --> 00:26:14,080 and substantial. We want a hefty meal. 360 00:26:14,640 --> 00:26:18,800 Ji Packer, one faithful brother, he used to preach 17 point 361 00:26:18,800 --> 00:26:23,600 sermons. 17 I just have two today, 17 points. 362 00:26:23,800 --> 00:26:27,240 You've got to work hard to hear God's Word. 363 00:26:28,160 --> 00:26:29,640 You need to search the scriptures. 364 00:26:29,640 --> 00:26:32,640 That's why we encourage you to bring a Bible, to take a Bible, 365 00:26:32,800 --> 00:26:35,040 to open your Bible. That's why we say things like 366 00:26:35,040 --> 00:26:37,560 look at verse 17, open the Bible. 367 00:26:37,560 --> 00:26:41,480 We want you to confirm that what we're saying to you is actually 368 00:26:41,480 --> 00:26:44,680 what God is saying. You need to listen carefully. 369 00:26:45,360 --> 00:26:48,360 Also, come hungry. Hearing the word is not like 370 00:26:48,360 --> 00:26:52,400 going to a fancy dinner where you, you know, choose not to eat 371 00:26:52,520 --> 00:26:55,480 to kind of save up your appetite for that feast. 372 00:26:56,720 --> 00:27:00,960 I'm afraid many Christians are on spiritual calorie deficit 373 00:27:00,960 --> 00:27:04,240 diets. They need more of the word. 374 00:27:04,480 --> 00:27:08,120 Prepare to feast on the Word. How do you prepare? 375 00:27:08,120 --> 00:27:10,720 You could read the sermon passage during your family 376 00:27:10,720 --> 00:27:13,640 devotions. You could listen to it while you 377 00:27:13,640 --> 00:27:16,640 wash the dishes or while you go on a walk. 378 00:27:17,000 --> 00:27:21,680 Whatever you do, just marinate in the Scriptures all week. 379 00:27:21,680 --> 00:27:25,360 Prepare your heart to hear. Listen for yourself. 380 00:27:26,480 --> 00:27:29,720 Not much on this, but we've all sat in a sermon and while it's 381 00:27:29,720 --> 00:27:34,200 being preached thought, man, I really hope so and so is 382 00:27:34,200 --> 00:27:37,320 listening right now. Or nudged somebody, Hey, did you 383 00:27:37,320 --> 00:27:39,720 hear that? Listen for yourself. 384 00:27:39,720 --> 00:27:45,680 Come ready to be confronted. Sometimes the Bible bites and it 385 00:27:45,680 --> 00:27:48,920 stings. If you're never convicted 386 00:27:49,480 --> 00:27:52,400 listening to the word, either the words not being preached or 387 00:27:52,400 --> 00:27:56,520 you're not listening. Sometimes the word sneaks up on 388 00:27:56,520 --> 00:28:01,960 us, like the prophet Nathan to King David where he tells him 389 00:28:01,960 --> 00:28:04,520 this little parable about a little lamb that was slain and 390 00:28:04,520 --> 00:28:06,360 David. So it's giving him advice about 391 00:28:06,360 --> 00:28:09,000 what to do. And the prophet Nathan's like, 392 00:28:09,000 --> 00:28:11,560 I'm talking to you, you're the man. 393 00:28:12,360 --> 00:28:15,920 Sometimes that happens as you're sitting there hearing the word. 394 00:28:16,640 --> 00:28:21,720 Come ready to be confronted here, then do good. 395 00:28:21,720 --> 00:28:25,280 Soil hears the word and then it bears fruit. 396 00:28:26,760 --> 00:28:28,800 Friends, don't waste your sermons. 397 00:28:30,000 --> 00:28:33,160 Steward them well. Put them to good work. 398 00:28:34,640 --> 00:28:39,280 Pray for your preacher. The Puritan Thomas Watson says 399 00:28:39,680 --> 00:28:43,480 this may be one reason why the word preach does not profit more 400 00:28:44,040 --> 00:28:48,000 because people do not pray more. Perhaps you complain the tool is 401 00:28:48,000 --> 00:28:50,360 dull, the minister is dead and cold. 402 00:28:50,680 --> 00:28:55,200 Thomas Watson says you should have wedded and sharpened him by 403 00:28:55,200 --> 00:28:59,080 your prayer. Pray for Bobby as he preaches. 404 00:28:59,480 --> 00:29:02,200 Pray for me. Pray for anyone who's preaching 405 00:29:02,200 --> 00:29:05,440 the word to you. Finally, let the sermon shape 406 00:29:05,440 --> 00:29:08,440 your conversations after the service. 407 00:29:09,080 --> 00:29:13,800 Picture the Word going forth, reverberating through this very 408 00:29:13,800 --> 00:29:19,040 gym after the service as you ask one another, how did God speak 409 00:29:19,040 --> 00:29:25,320 to you through His Word today? That's what the Word. 410 00:29:26,240 --> 00:29:27,440 That's what we should do with the Word. 411 00:29:27,440 --> 00:29:32,080 What does the Word do to us? Verse 13? 412 00:29:34,200 --> 00:29:38,680 It works in US. God is a gardener. 413 00:29:39,920 --> 00:29:44,800 He plants His Word in our hearts, and yes, he needs to 414 00:29:44,800 --> 00:29:49,640 pluck out some weeds and that's painful, but he's intending to 415 00:29:49,640 --> 00:29:54,040 build a masterpiece as His Word takes root in our lives. 416 00:29:55,640 --> 00:29:59,000 Listen, how important this is. Verse 13, the word at work in 417 00:29:59,000 --> 00:30:00,560 US. Paul had to leave. 418 00:30:00,800 --> 00:30:04,360 They had an apostle plant their church, but he had to go. 419 00:30:04,560 --> 00:30:08,240 He couldn't stay with them, but the Word remained. 420 00:30:09,120 --> 00:30:10,600 You don't need me to preach to you. 421 00:30:11,040 --> 00:30:12,640 You don't need Bobby to preach to you. 422 00:30:13,040 --> 00:30:18,000 You need the Word. And the Word always works 423 00:30:19,440 --> 00:30:25,280 because it's God's Word. The grass Withers, the flower 424 00:30:25,280 --> 00:30:30,560 fades, but the Word of our God will stand forever. 425 00:30:31,840 --> 00:30:38,040 Have you received the Word? Then be ready for the world's 426 00:30:38,040 --> 00:30:42,520 rejection .2 The world's rejection. 427 00:30:48,120 --> 00:30:52,840 I want you to notice this. Receiving the word and being 428 00:30:52,840 --> 00:30:57,160 rejected by the world are tied together in the text. 429 00:30:58,640 --> 00:31:02,200 Look at verse 14. Paul says the reason he knows 430 00:31:02,480 --> 00:31:07,680 the word was at work. Verse 14 For you brothers became 431 00:31:07,680 --> 00:31:11,880 imitators of the churches of God in Christ Jesus that are in 432 00:31:11,880 --> 00:31:14,800 Judea. For you suffered the same things 433 00:31:14,800 --> 00:31:17,640 from your own countrymen as they did from the Jews. 434 00:31:18,800 --> 00:31:23,000 That's Paul's proof. It's their imitation. 435 00:31:23,480 --> 00:31:28,240 Chapter one, verse 6, Paul said they imitated Paul and the Lord. 436 00:31:29,040 --> 00:31:33,160 Here he says they imitate the churches in Judea. 437 00:31:34,200 --> 00:31:38,840 Now, it's not that the church in Thessalonica consciously pattern 438 00:31:38,840 --> 00:31:41,600 themselves after the churches in Judea. 439 00:31:41,840 --> 00:31:45,120 It's more that he's saying they resembled those churches. 440 00:31:45,840 --> 00:31:49,880 They looked alike. I have two sisters, one of 441 00:31:49,880 --> 00:31:52,240 them's in this room. Wonder if you could spot her. 442 00:31:52,880 --> 00:31:56,520 If we're together, it does not take long for people to know 443 00:31:56,760 --> 00:31:59,880 that we're family. They see the resemblance, facial 444 00:31:59,880 --> 00:32:04,760 features, mannerisms. We look alike because we're 445 00:32:04,760 --> 00:32:08,200 family. Paul's saying the Thessalonian 446 00:32:08,200 --> 00:32:10,440 church bore the family resemblance. 447 00:32:11,040 --> 00:32:16,520 How could you tell? Verse 14 They're suffering. 448 00:32:18,600 --> 00:32:22,080 They suffered the same things from the Gentiles as the 449 00:32:22,080 --> 00:32:24,840 churches in Judea suffered from the Jews. 450 00:32:26,000 --> 00:32:29,920 These churches were separated by over 1000 miles. 451 00:32:31,080 --> 00:32:35,360 They shared the same Father. They had many cultural 452 00:32:35,360 --> 00:32:40,240 differences. They worship the same Saviour. 453 00:32:40,480 --> 00:32:47,080 They both received the word and suffered for it, Paul later 454 00:32:47,080 --> 00:32:50,840 wrote Timothy. All who desire to live a godly 455 00:32:50,840 --> 00:32:54,960 life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. 456 00:32:56,240 --> 00:33:03,600 Persecutions are, John Calvin says, seals of adoption to the 457 00:33:03,600 --> 00:33:10,320 children of God. Now how is endurance through 458 00:33:10,320 --> 00:33:14,200 persecution a mark of a Christian? 459 00:33:15,000 --> 00:33:18,120 How does that work? Jesus actually gave us a parable 460 00:33:18,120 --> 00:33:20,280 to understand this mark chapter 4. 461 00:33:20,560 --> 00:33:23,400 For some, the word is sown on rocky ground. 462 00:33:23,400 --> 00:33:27,400 Jesus said these are the ones who hear the word and 463 00:33:27,400 --> 00:33:32,240 immediately receive it with joy. It seems like they've become a 464 00:33:32,240 --> 00:33:35,080 Christian. They're convicted by a sermon, 465 00:33:35,840 --> 00:33:38,840 they walk an aisle, they join a church. 466 00:33:39,320 --> 00:33:46,880 They endure for a while. Then Jesus says when persecution 467 00:33:46,880 --> 00:33:53,800 arises on account of the word, immediately they fall away. 468 00:33:55,960 --> 00:33:59,920 They immediately receive the Word with joy. 469 00:34:01,160 --> 00:34:05,520 They immediately fall away in trials. 470 00:34:06,920 --> 00:34:11,440 How can you tell a true believer from a false professor? 471 00:34:12,960 --> 00:34:16,400 A true Christian not only receives the word at some time, 472 00:34:16,679 --> 00:34:21,880 but they continue when the world turns against them. 473 00:34:23,600 --> 00:34:26,080 How can you tell a true church from a false church? 474 00:34:26,400 --> 00:34:32,239 A true church begins preaching the gospel and continues even 475 00:34:32,239 --> 00:34:38,480 when cultural pressures come, come what may. 476 00:34:40,400 --> 00:34:42,120 That was the Thessalonian church. 477 00:34:43,480 --> 00:34:46,400 They proved to be a true church because they began with the 478 00:34:46,400 --> 00:34:50,080 gospel and persevered despite the persecution. 479 00:34:50,400 --> 00:34:54,280 And Paul draws their attention to a pattern that they're 480 00:34:54,280 --> 00:34:58,560 following that's woven into the very fabric of Christian 481 00:34:58,560 --> 00:35:00,760 history. Look at verse 15. 482 00:35:01,040 --> 00:35:04,680 He says it's a pattern not only seen in the churches of Judea 483 00:35:05,320 --> 00:35:09,640 who suffer the same things from the Jews, but verse 15, the Jews 484 00:35:09,640 --> 00:35:14,040 who killed both the Lord Jesus and the prophets and drove us 485 00:35:14,040 --> 00:35:19,320 out and displeased God and oppose all mankind by hindering 486 00:35:19,320 --> 00:35:23,840 us from speaking to the Gentiles that they might be saved. 487 00:35:24,920 --> 00:35:29,600 This is a pattern that culminates in the Saviour in 488 00:35:29,680 --> 00:35:34,280 Jesus Christ himself, but then it matches all God's people 489 00:35:34,280 --> 00:35:37,800 before him and God's people after him. 490 00:35:38,320 --> 00:35:45,160 Trials, troubles, tribulations for following Jesus. 491 00:35:46,600 --> 00:35:51,120 Some wonder because of Paul's strong language here, you know, 492 00:35:51,120 --> 00:35:54,400 the Jews did this, they killed Jesus, the prophets drove us 493 00:35:54,400 --> 00:35:56,400 out. They've wondered, is Paul being 494 00:35:56,520 --> 00:35:58,440 anti-Semitic here? Is he? 495 00:35:58,760 --> 00:36:01,200 Is this hate speech? But here's the thing. 496 00:36:01,400 --> 00:36:05,320 Paul was a Jew. Paul longed for the salvation of 497 00:36:05,320 --> 00:36:08,400 the Jews. Paul even said that if he could, 498 00:36:08,560 --> 00:36:11,840 he wished that he wouldn't be saved so that they could be 499 00:36:11,840 --> 00:36:14,800 saved. Paul loved the Jews. 500 00:36:14,840 --> 00:36:18,520 He does not indict all the Jews across all time. 501 00:36:18,680 --> 00:36:23,320 He's indicting the ones who killed Jesus, the ones who 502 00:36:23,320 --> 00:36:26,280 killed the prophets, the ones who drove him out of 503 00:36:26,280 --> 00:36:31,160 Thessalonica, the ones who displease God and are opposed to 504 00:36:31,160 --> 00:36:33,160 the gospel getting to the Gentiles. 505 00:36:33,920 --> 00:36:38,040 That's who Paul's talking about. And that actually was Paul. 506 00:36:39,800 --> 00:36:42,800 Paul himself was one of those Jews. 507 00:36:43,360 --> 00:36:47,640 In Acts a three, Paul ravaged the church, dragging out 508 00:36:47,640 --> 00:36:51,440 Christians from their home, throwing them into prison. 509 00:36:52,400 --> 00:36:56,520 He reflects in Acts 26 on his own persecution. 510 00:36:56,520 --> 00:37:00,800 He says, I not only locked up many of the Saints in prison, 511 00:37:01,360 --> 00:37:06,520 but when they were put to death, I cast my vote against them. 512 00:37:08,160 --> 00:37:11,600 That was Paul. Paul was one of those who 513 00:37:11,600 --> 00:37:17,960 opposed all mankind, displeased God, rejected Christ, and drove 514 00:37:17,960 --> 00:37:22,160 out Christians from their home. But his world was turned upside 515 00:37:22,160 --> 00:37:27,000 down by the living God when he met the living Christ on the 516 00:37:27,000 --> 00:37:31,520 road to Damascus. Friend, if you're a Christian, 517 00:37:32,040 --> 00:37:37,000 do you remember when the Word met you when you became a 518 00:37:37,000 --> 00:37:39,840 Christian? When Christ met you, when the 519 00:37:39,840 --> 00:37:44,480 Word bore fruit in your heart, When you realize that gaining 520 00:37:44,480 --> 00:37:49,120 Christ was actually worth losing everything. 521 00:37:51,520 --> 00:37:56,080 Do you also remember when you first felt the cost? 522 00:37:57,720 --> 00:38:01,960 The cost of following Christ? One of the brothers I respect 523 00:38:01,960 --> 00:38:05,240 the most in ministry pastors a church in northern India. 524 00:38:06,880 --> 00:38:09,720 I was texting yesterday, checking up on him, seeing how 525 00:38:09,720 --> 00:38:12,640 he's doing in in the church I used to work at in Dubai. 526 00:38:13,040 --> 00:38:16,400 Most of our interns that we had came from his church in northern 527 00:38:16,400 --> 00:38:18,400 India. They come with us for 10 months 528 00:38:18,400 --> 00:38:20,920 for training and then we'd send them back to him. 529 00:38:21,240 --> 00:38:24,680 I saw a first hand this brother's influence on a 530 00:38:24,680 --> 00:38:28,480 generation of men aspiring to pastor churches in some of the 531 00:38:28,480 --> 00:38:34,400 hardest places on the planet. And that does not come without a 532 00:38:34,400 --> 00:38:37,800 cost. In the last couple of years, 533 00:38:38,080 --> 00:38:41,960 persecutions increase significantly in northern India. 534 00:38:42,320 --> 00:38:46,200 Over this past year, his church has been kicked out of meeting 535 00:38:46,200 --> 00:38:50,000 place after meeting place. This month, they cannot gather 536 00:38:50,000 --> 00:38:52,280 as a church. No one will rent them. 537 00:38:52,280 --> 00:38:56,720 They're praying that next month, somebody will rent them space to 538 00:38:56,720 --> 00:39:01,840 meet as a church. If that was you, if you were in 539 00:39:01,840 --> 00:39:05,480 that situation, what would be your prayer request? 540 00:39:08,720 --> 00:39:10,520 Here's my friend's prayer request in order. 541 00:39:13,160 --> 00:39:15,840 Perseverance in the face of all adversity. 542 00:39:16,480 --> 00:39:28,560 It's #1 joy in the Lord, always Willingness to pay any price, to 543 00:39:28,560 --> 00:39:35,280 sacrifice everything #4 protection from the Lord. 544 00:39:37,360 --> 00:39:38,920 I think I would have put that number one. 545 00:39:40,400 --> 00:39:42,120 I think that's many of our postures. 546 00:39:43,360 --> 00:39:48,000 He cares more about perseverance than protection. 547 00:39:48,000 --> 00:39:51,720 It's not that he doesn't care about protection, but 548 00:39:51,720 --> 00:39:54,720 perseverance first. The last request he sent was 549 00:39:56,200 --> 00:39:59,520 fearlessness to never compromise. 550 00:40:02,560 --> 00:40:05,520 Brothers and sisters, pray for persecuted Christians, 551 00:40:06,200 --> 00:40:10,760 persecuted churches like that, and follow Paul's prayers. 552 00:40:12,040 --> 00:40:16,160 Notice Paul in this passage doesn't pray first for their 553 00:40:16,160 --> 00:40:18,680 protection. He first thanks God. 554 00:40:19,520 --> 00:40:23,320 He thanks God that they're suffering well for the sake of 555 00:40:23,320 --> 00:40:27,200 Christ. Pray for your own participation 556 00:40:27,200 --> 00:40:32,400 in the sufferings of Christ. It is love for Christ and love 557 00:40:32,400 --> 00:40:37,720 for Christ's name that puts us into positions where persecution 558 00:40:37,720 --> 00:40:40,640 is possible. Who would choose that? 559 00:40:41,880 --> 00:40:46,120 Those who love Christ and want to see the gospel go to places 560 00:40:46,680 --> 00:40:50,440 It's never gone. If you're faithfully following 561 00:40:50,440 --> 00:40:56,240 Jesus Christ, do not be surprised when the world rejects 562 00:40:56,240 --> 00:40:57,680 you. They will. 563 00:40:58,040 --> 00:41:04,880 Suffering for Christ is our family history, and it's good to 564 00:41:04,880 --> 00:41:08,880 suffer for Christ. It's better to have Christ than 565 00:41:08,880 --> 00:41:14,640 to keep your immediate family. He is worth your own family 566 00:41:14,640 --> 00:41:18,520 disowning you. It's better to have Christ than 567 00:41:18,520 --> 00:41:23,720 to keep your closest friends. He's worth your own friends 568 00:41:23,720 --> 00:41:28,800 rejecting you. It's better to have Christ than 569 00:41:28,800 --> 00:41:33,040 to keep your dream job. He's worth more than every 570 00:41:33,040 --> 00:41:36,640 possession then all the kingdoms of this earth. 571 00:41:38,040 --> 00:41:43,080 It's better to have Christ than to gain the whole world. 572 00:41:45,360 --> 00:41:54,800 Christ the Word made flesh. They mocked him, mistreated him, 573 00:41:56,280 --> 00:42:05,880 misquoted him, spat on him, slapped him, scourged him, beat 574 00:42:05,880 --> 00:42:16,160 him, bruised him, betrayed him, crucified him, killed him. 575 00:42:19,400 --> 00:42:24,560 They crowned him with thorns. They will not crown us with 576 00:42:24,560 --> 00:42:29,320 roses. Friend, if you're a Christian, 577 00:42:29,320 --> 00:42:34,240 that's who you are. You're those who've received the 578 00:42:34,240 --> 00:42:37,240 Word and been rejected by the world. 579 00:42:38,640 --> 00:42:44,000 But what happens to those who've rejected the Word and been 580 00:42:44,000 --> 00:42:50,040 received by the world? Verse 16 Paul says, verse 16 All 581 00:42:50,440 --> 00:42:56,880 who reject God and his people are in a sense, filling up the 582 00:42:56,880 --> 00:43:02,400 measure of their sins. Throughout Scripture, God's 583 00:43:02,400 --> 00:43:04,800 enemies, those who oppose God, have a due date. 584 00:43:05,120 --> 00:43:08,960 In Genesis 1516, the same language is used to describe the 585 00:43:08,960 --> 00:43:11,840 Amorites. Paul tells Abraham, Your 586 00:43:11,840 --> 00:43:15,920 descendants won't get into the land for four generations until 587 00:43:15,920 --> 00:43:20,560 the sin of the Amorite has filled up until it's complete in 588 00:43:20,560 --> 00:43:24,920 Daniel 823 to 25. Judgement will come at the end 589 00:43:24,920 --> 00:43:29,560 of the age when sins have reached their limit. 590 00:43:30,240 --> 00:43:35,200 Paul encourages these persecuted Christians of God's wrath that's 591 00:43:35,200 --> 00:43:42,480 coming at the end. He says verse 16, wrath has come 592 00:43:42,480 --> 00:43:48,440 upon them at last. In other words, Paul's saying 593 00:43:48,640 --> 00:43:52,560 that those who keep rejecting God's Word and God's people, 594 00:43:52,840 --> 00:43:56,320 they're like those who keep ignoring the past due reminders 595 00:43:56,480 --> 00:44:00,760 on their bills. You can ignore them for so long, 596 00:44:00,760 --> 00:44:04,160 keep spending however you want. You think everything's fine, 597 00:44:04,200 --> 00:44:07,360 just delete the emails. But eventually there's no more 598 00:44:07,360 --> 00:44:09,760 notices. It's collection time. 599 00:44:11,000 --> 00:44:15,600 They're taking everything. There's only two responses to 600 00:44:15,600 --> 00:44:20,440 God's Word. 1 you receive it, the other you reject it. 601 00:44:20,600 --> 00:44:26,000 Right now, in this sermon that is happening in your hearts, 602 00:44:26,560 --> 00:44:29,600 you're either receiving God's word or rejecting it. 603 00:44:29,720 --> 00:44:32,640 No middle ground. It demands a response. 604 00:44:32,840 --> 00:44:37,240 And all those who reject God's word will find that on the last 605 00:44:37,240 --> 00:44:41,840 day, they themselves are rejected by God. 606 00:44:43,200 --> 00:44:47,560 And instead of the beauty of the gospel, where Christ himself 607 00:44:47,760 --> 00:44:51,880 bears the wrath that sinners deserve, they'll find that they 608 00:44:51,880 --> 00:44:58,800 have to bear God's wrath in full measure, full measure, full 609 00:44:58,800 --> 00:45:00,120 strength. Think about the flood. 610 00:45:00,400 --> 00:45:04,840 Not even the flood was God's wrath poured out in full measure 611 00:45:04,920 --> 00:45:08,520 when he wiped out all humanity except a man and his family. 612 00:45:08,920 --> 00:45:16,080 Not even the flood, but hell will be God's wrath in full 613 00:45:16,080 --> 00:45:19,480 measure. Hell is a place of conscious 614 00:45:19,480 --> 00:45:24,800 torment. You'll be able to feel fully and 615 00:45:24,800 --> 00:45:28,280 think clearly, but you won't be able to escape. 616 00:45:31,960 --> 00:45:41,550 Hell is a place of eternal punishment, George Whitfield 617 00:45:41,550 --> 00:45:45,590 once said. Consider the torment of burning 618 00:45:45,590 --> 00:45:51,720 like a livid coal, not for an instant or a day, but for 619 00:45:51,720 --> 00:45:55,680 millions and millions of ages. And when that's over, you'll 620 00:45:55,680 --> 00:45:59,880 realize you're no closer to the end than you were when you 621 00:45:59,880 --> 00:46:06,120 began. Friend, flee the wrath that is 622 00:46:06,120 --> 00:46:09,840 to come. Turn to Christ. 623 00:46:11,720 --> 00:46:16,480 Let him bear God's wrath in your place before it's too late. 624 00:46:20,200 --> 00:46:25,000 Brothers and sisters, hell is what we deserve, but it's what 625 00:46:25,000 --> 00:46:30,480 we'll never receive. Because God has not destined us 626 00:46:30,480 --> 00:46:35,760 for wrath, but for eternal life. Because if you've embraced the 627 00:46:35,760 --> 00:46:42,600 Gospel, if you've received the Word, though you suffer now, one 628 00:46:42,600 --> 00:46:47,360 day soon the world's rejection will end and Christ will return 629 00:46:47,360 --> 00:46:51,080 in wrath and he will vindicate you forever. 630 00:46:52,800 --> 00:46:55,800 Friends, until that day, follow the pattern. 631 00:46:56,880 --> 00:47:00,120 The pattern for the churches of Judea, the pattern for that 632 00:47:00,120 --> 00:47:02,360 months old Church of Thessalonica. 633 00:47:02,600 --> 00:47:06,520 The pattern of the apostles and the prophets before them to 634 00:47:06,600 --> 00:47:10,760 receive the Word and be rejected by the world. 635 00:47:11,720 --> 00:47:16,200 And as you do so, watch the word work.