“And you became followers of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Spirit, so that you became examples to all in Macedonia and Achaia who believe. For from you the word of the Lord has sounded forth, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place. Your faith toward God has gone out, so that we do not need to say anything. For they themselves declare concerning us what manner of entry we had to you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.” (1 Thessalonians 1:6-10)

Paul was a missionary, church planter, and powerful gospel communicator. I believe he does not get enough credit for being a strong encourager of the saints. He lets the Thessalonian church know that he has heard positive things about them through the region. The testimony of their faith was strong and he wanted them to be encouraged. This was especially important since they had received the gospel themselves, “in much affliction.” This lets us know that the Thessalonian Christians lived and ministered in a difficult setting. I believe that you cannot encourage a person enough. To let another person know how much they are appreciated, respected, and loved is critical in our care for one another. A positive word, delivered at just the right time, may mean the difference between someone giving up or moving forward. Our goal as Christians should be to see our fellow brothers and sisters move forward.

Reflection Questions.

Can you remember a time in your life where you benefited from a word of encouragement? How did that make you feel?

How many different ways can you think of to show encouragement to someone else?

A little over a month ago I completed my final DMin ministry project. Included in this project were 20 devotionals (five per week for four weeks) I wrote which  were distributed to the adult Sunday School classes. The devotionals served to reinforce the four purposes of Sunday School (reaching, teaching, caring, serving). This week’s the focus in on caring for people.

“Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. For if anyone thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. But let each one examine his own work, and then he will have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another. For each one shall bear his own load.” (Galatians 6:1-4)

Each one of us has a burden to bear. The word “bear” in verse two communicates the idea of giving a hand to someone carrying a heavy load. There are some burdens that can be shared: stress, finances, grief, etc. Some burdens are heavier than others. The word Paul uses for burden in verse five is different than in verse two. This word “bear” in verse five communicates a load impossible to share. It literally means, “a soldier’s pack.” A soldier’s pack must be borne by the soldier alone. Some burdens that can’t be shared include: suffering, death, sin, judgment. Caring for people means involving yourself in their lives. Burden bearing is simply love in action and it is the fulfillment of Christ’s command to love our neighbor as ourselves.

Reflection Questions

What do you believe to be the number one reason why Christians do not step in and help carry another’s burden(s)?

Do you know of someone who is struggling with a burden that you may be able help carry?

“I have declared my ways, and You answered me; Teach me Your statutes. Make me understand the way of Your precepts; So shall I meditate on Your wondrous works. My soul melts from heaviness; Strengthen me according to Your word. Remove from me the way of lying, and grant me Your law graciously.” (Psalm 119:26-29)

 The Psalmist begins by confessing his sins to God, believing God has heard and cleansed. He then goes on to ask God to teach him, using language such as, “teach me,” “make me understand,” and “strengthen me.” On display here is a teachable spirit. He wanted to know more about God’s ways and His statutes, understanding strength is found in them. However, there is a pre-requisite to a teachable spirit; a repentant spirit. Before any blessings from God’s teachings could be experienced, his sin needed to be reconciled. God is the foremost teacher. His Word is the primary source of our instruction. His children need to be taught by Him, led by Him, encouraged by Him, and strengthened by Him. Each one needs to seek Him through a teachable spirit and repentant heart.

Reflection Questions:

To be teachable means to have the capacity to receive instruction. Would you say that you are in the best position to receive instruction from God? If not, what is in the way?

Is there a time in your spiritual walk with the Lord that you know for a fact you missed the opportunity to be involved in something He wanted you to do? What did you learn? Are you more teachable as a result?

“Then the brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea. When they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews. 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. Therefore many of them believed, and also not a few of the Greeks, prominent women as well as men.” (Acts 17:10-12)

Once Paul arrived in Berea, as was his custom, he made his way to the local synagogue and preached Jesus Christ to the Jews. Contrary to negative reception by the Jews in Thessalonica, the Bereans welcomed him and the Word. We are told that the Bereans received Paul’s instruction with “readiness.” They did not receive God’s Word with an implicit faith. They devoted themselves to reading and searching the writings of the Old Testament, to see whether the things which he preached concerning the Messiah, His incarnation, sufferings, death and resurrection from the dead were true. They were ready to reject his teachings if it did not align with what God had spoken. This they did continually day after day. Their example to us is a powerful one. Every Christian has the responsibility to search and study God’s Word to ensure what is being taught is aligned with God’s truth. In our day, we can never assume that simply because someone says, “The Bible says ________” that they are being truthful. Investigation is the key to combating false teaching. Personal study of the Bible is a tremendous luxury that has been afforded to us. Let’s not waste it.

Reflection Questions:

What does it mean to you to receive the Word, “with all readiness?”

Upon their investigation of the Scriptures, many people in Berea trusted Jesus Christ for their salvation. Imagine for a moment that every copy of the Bible you own has been taken away from you. Do you know enough without it to lead someone to Christ?

“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17)

The Bible was written by men divinely inspired by God and is the revelation of Himself to man. It is a perfect treasure of divine instruction. It is profitable, meaning it is beneficial or useful. It comes from a root word that has the idea of heaping up or accumulating something that will give you a benefit or an advantage. The Bible provides everything necessary to make you the person God wants you to be. There is an accumulating benefit that comes from the regular study of God’s Word. It builds into your life day by day, things that are beneficial to becoming a mature person in Christ. That’s how education works. Take math for example. First you learn basic math, then algebra and trigonometry, and finally – calculus. It all accumulates to making you a competent mathematician. God’s Word functions the same way. Paul states that God’s Word is profitable in four areas of life: doctrine (what is right), reproof (what is not right), correction (how to get right with God), and instruction in righteousness (how to stay right with God). One piece builds upon the other, equipping you to be a well-rounded and faithful Christian. The more you study, the more profitable it will be.

Reflection Questions:

Do I have a plan as to how I am going to study God’s Word? (reading plan, morning, evening, etc.)

Do I have a period of time that I will spend in the study of God’s Word?

Do I have a person whom I have given permission to hold me accountable in my study of God’s Word? If no, why not?

“Oh, how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day. You, through Your commandments, make me wiser than my enemies; For they are ever with me. I have more understanding than all my teachers, For Your testimonies are my meditation.” (Psalm 119:97-99)

Love is complex, meaning that love involves many things. To love someone means that you also love the things about that person. This is most true of our love for God. We love Him, and that leads us to love everything about Him. One of the many treasures to love about God in His Word. The Psalmist used words such as, “law,” “commandments,” and “testimonies,” to refer to God’s teachings. His attitude toward God’s Word is interesting. He acknowledged the benefits of His Word, saying they made him, “wiser” than his enemies” and they were, “ever with” him. The Psalmist thought about God’s Word, made it a part of his day. He loved it for what it would produce in his life: wisdom, boldness, and understanding. Do we love God’s Word the same way? Do we allow ourselves to be taught His ways? God’s Word can produce lasting results. Have you given Him permission to change your life through His Word?

Reflection Questions:

Which passage of Scripture that means the most to you as a Christian. Why is that passage so important to you?

One of the benefits of God’s Word is that it convicts the individual of sin in his/her life. Is there an area of your life that God is convicting you of through His Word?

“For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12)

“So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.” (Isaiah 55:11)

As a New Testament church, the source of our instruction is not driven by social commentary. The source of our instruction is not personal agendas or platforms. The source of our instruction is not past personal experiences. The source of our instruction is God’s Word. Why? It is God’s Word that reveals man’s condition, as well as the remedy for that condition. It is God’s Word that searches, convicts, and cleanses the heart of man. It gets down to the “joints and marrow” of our bodies and shines a light on the places in our hearts we like to keep hidden. The lost person does not need to hear what we think. The lost person does not need to hear a softened, watered down version of the truth. We owe them more than that. His Word is living, it is active, and it has a definite and determined plan. The Christian has the promise that as God’s Word goes out, it will not come back void. Although we may not see immediate fruit from our teaching and evangelism, we can trust that God will do a great work within the hearts and lives of the people who hear. There is no such promise if we make our instruction about us or about things that will not last. This world needs the unchanging, truthful, and living Word of God. Anything else is an injustice to the hearers whose spiritual lives depend upon it.

Reflection Questions:

In your opinion, what does the writer of Hebrews mean by saying that God’s Word is, “a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart?”

What challenges exist today that make it more difficult for the church to keep the Word of God as the focus of our instruction?

“Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him when he saw that the city was given over to idols.  Therefore he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and with the Gentile worshipers, and in the marketplace daily with those who happened to be there. Then certain Epicurean and Stoic philosophers encountered him. And some said, “What does this babbler want to say?” Others said, “He seems to be a proclaimer of foreign gods,” because he preached to them Jesus and the resurrection. (Acts 17:16-18)

While in Athens, Paul’s spirit was burdened by the idol worship and diverse religious beliefs he witnessed throughout the city. In the verses above, we can see the different kinds of people that Paul encountered. Those caught up in the ancient Greek religions of mythology regularly worshipped idols of their gods. There were Jews who worshipped in the synagogues, along with Epicurian and Stoic philosophers sharing their thoughts in the public square. These two groups were followers of early philosophers and believed that if there were, in fact, gods, they are remote and uninterested in the affairs of men. The phrases, “and some said,” and “others said,” indicate there were additional religious beliefs held by the people of Athens. The same thing is at work today. Wherever we go, there are people who believe something altogether different than what we do. People are becoming increasingly “spiritual and religious,” but are unaware of the One True God and His Son. The remainder of Acts 17 describes how Paul reached the people of his day with the gospel, but did so in a context and manner they would understand. This is our challenge today in evangelism: presenting the unchanging message of the gospel in a way that the Honduran sugar cane farmer and the CEO of a Fortune 500 company can understand and embrace. Reach them where they are.

Reflection Questions:

How might you change your gospel presentation to fit the lives of the farmer and CEO   mentioned above?

What are your thoughts on the planting of churches to reach specific groups of people?