Arizona sun., 1946-11-15

salonians 1923.
MEMORY SELECuON-Be not weary
In welldeing.-u Thessalonians 1913.
A great city, commercially active,
religious to q high degree, mill
tary center and a harbor so fine
that it is important to this day
such was the city Of Thessalonica.
It presented a challenge to the
preachers of the gospel and, in the
name Of Christ, Paul accepted and
won a great victory.
In the face of persecution, bitter
and persistent, the believers in this
city remained faithful. The reason
for that appears in our lesson. Root.
ed and grounded in Christ, they
had brought forth the fruit Of real
Christian living under circum-
stances which were difficult and
trying. Our lesson tells of both the
preaching of the gospel by Paul
and the living of the gospel by the
Thessalonians.
i. The Gospel Preached-Accept.
ed and Rejected (Acts 17:1-O.
Paul began his long and success.
full ministry in Thessalonica in
the synagogue. It was to the Jews
who worshiped the one true God
that he came with his message
about their expected Messiah -
Christ the Lord. Here he estab-
ished q strong church.
What was the message which Sc
signally succeeded in this great
strategic center? Well, 1t was not
Gas some modern preachers in
large cities seem to think nec-
essary) a series Of social, politi-
cal, or literary discourses. Paul
preached Christ He reasoned with
them and presented the Saviour ".
81 as One who was
/. Dead for our sin. These people
were like us in that they needed a
solution for their sin problem.
Without the death of Christ there
is no salvation for any man. Only
through the shedding of blood can
there be remission Of sin (Heb.
0:22. Paul had no part in the folly
Of 'bloodless gospel - as though
there were any such gospel.
2. Raised for our justification. II
was not enough that Jesus died.
marvellous as that is in our sight.
For many a man has died for his
convictions, but none has risen
from the dead. Christ could not
be holden of the grave. He arose
the victorious Redeemer.
3. Declared to be the Christ. He
is more than a man, more than a
great leader and an earnest teach
er. He is Gods anointed One, him.
self divine-and our Lord
Some believed ". a., including
many devout Greeks, and not few
of the leading women. The gospel
does have life-giving power as the
Holy Spirit applies it to the hearts
Of willing men and women.
Others opposed (vv. S, g.. Note
that they were "of the baser sort -
They always are, even when they
appear to be cultivated and edu.
Gated, for there is something funda.
mentally wrong in a life which re.
jects Christ.
1t was serious charge they
made against the Christians ". y,
for it was treason punishable by
death to have any other king but
Caesar if one lived in a Roman
colony.
But the thing which they hated
worst in these Christians was the
fact that their topsy-turvy world
was in danger of being set right
(they put it the opposite way, v. g.,
and they did not want to be made
right. It is interesting to note thai
these early preachers had divine
power to turn over the social order
Would that we showed more of that
power in the church today!
Accepting the truth is good, but
it must 60 on in daily living. The
Thessalonians knew that and they
are models of
ii. The Gospel Lived - Followers
and Examples II Thess. 1929.
Paul. the missionary, was a cour.
teouS preacher. He recognized the
faithfulness of Christian brethren
and did not hesitate to commend
them. We could do more of that
when we meet true and faithful be.
levers.
They were followers of Paul, but
only because he followed Christ "
81. His power was from above ".
50, even as they also were chosen
from above ". A..
Following Christ meant ad1ictior
to them ". g., but it also meant
the Joy of the Holy Spirit, which is
entirely independent of the circum
stances of life-and above them.
These Thessalonian believers
were examples of what it meant
to be Christians. Wherever Pau
went their faith toward God was rec
ognized and he did not need to ex
plain or argue for his gospel. Peo
pie knew the Thessalonian Chris
tians, and thus they knew rea
Christianity.