1 Thess 2:9-12

SCRIPTURE

1 Thess 2:9-12

For you remember, brothers, our labor and toil: we worked night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you, while we proclaimed to you the gospel of God. You are witnesses, and God also, how holy and righteous and blameless was our conduct toward you believers. For you know how, like a father with his children, we exhorted each one of you and encouraged you and charged you to walk in a manner worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory.

COMMENT

How opposite is this of the church today. Today, preachers sit on pedestals. We honor (dare I say worship?) them. They are our Christianity. What they say is what we believe. What they do is what we do. Yes, we expect a lot out of them. But that is the result when they are your belief system. So we treat them gingerly. At least until they offend us. What should the church look like? Here are some thoughts.

Rather than one individual studying the Scriptures to tell us how to believe, maybe everyone studies them. Wouldn't that be novel? I recall taking a survey for a game we were going to play with the youth, a Family Feud type of game. We surveyed the congregation for answers. One question was, "Who is your favorite Bible King?" Number one answer was King James. I was talking with someone the other day who stated, "Well Jesus was not perfect either. He must have sinned as a child." Yet the Bible says that in order for Him to be the atonement for our sins, He must be perfect. But let's forget about the average pew-warmer for a moment, let's talk about preachers and what they sell. Things like "Your Best Life Now" clear the shelves and build mansions for the author. Want a better prayer life, then pray in Circles, just like Mark Batterson does. I am not only offended by the people who write this trash, but by the preachers to promote it, help sell it, hold "Bible" studies around it or preach from it.

What if preachers were just one of us? What is we didn't have extravagant buildings and budgets and programs to sell Jesus to the masses? What if we were all in the trenches and just needed someone more experienced to encourage us, rather than live it our for us? What would a church like that say to the world?  What if we did it like it was written in the book of 1 Thessalonians?

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COMMENT
I plan to use a portion of this in a lesson I am preparing. I know that it might take some people by surprise, because I have heard the name Batterson in the class before. In fact, I believe that at one point when I was not there, they used some of his material for teaching.

One thought that has often struck me is this, if 20 to 40 years after Christ's resurrection, Paul had to spend time correcting doctrinal issues, how can we, 2,000 plus years later, think we have it right? But there is an inherent danger in being open minded. That danger is that maybe you were right in the first place, but now are wrong! But I think that is a risk that one must take, because being right by accident is more about being lucky than it is about being right, and if we are going to earnestly search the Scriptures to learn more, that is a risk we must take.

Or not, because I have met some who think they are right because that is the way their church believes, and they refuse to search any farther. Trust can be a dangerous thing.