ChosenRebel's Blog

Thursday is for Discipleship

Excerpt from a message on 1 Thessalonians 2:1-8

Context for these comments is verses 5-8 where Paul speaks of the integrity, tenderness, and purity of his motives in preaching the gospel.

John 14:21
21 “He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him.” 

Jesus will keep His word. He will disclose Himself to us.

And that friends, is a great promise.

One final comment related to the verses I didn’t cover in this message, vss. 5-8.

There is a tenderness in these verses but a tenderness that is rooted in both the truth of the gospel and a hard-won authority of personal integrity.

5 For we never came with words of flattery, as you know, nor with a pretext for greed–God is witness. 6 Nor did we seek glory from people, whether from you or from others, though we could have made demands as apostles of Christ. 7 But we were gentle among you, like a nursing mother taking care of her own children. 8 So, being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you had become very dear to us. (1 Thess. 2:5-8)

Don’t forget this. Truth is always poured through personality and example. Live for Christ in a way that matches your words about Christ. If you do that, you will find your words carrying much more weight with everyone you know.

If you don’t you will diminish your effectiveness with everyone and everything you care about and will eat a lot of humble pie.

Don’t discredit your own message. Worst of all, to live and speak in a way that does is to systematically live in such a way that Jesus will not disclose himself to us.