The transformative power of conversion, emphasizing the immediate and decisive act of turning to God from idols. It highlights that this turning involves a change in attitude towards Christ, a reevaluation of sin and self, and a deliberate break with the past, resulting in a new identity as a new creature in Christ. The message contrasts the vanity and emptiness of idols with the reality, genuineness, and truth of the living God, urging listeners to abandon worldly pursuits for Him. It concludes by underscoring the importance of believing in Christ's imminent return and living in light of that expectation, applying the principles of conversion to a life of service and holiness.
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second sorry first Thessalonians chapter one verse nine first Thessalonians chapter one and verse nine first Thessalonians chapter one and verse nine for they themselves show of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how you turn to God from idols to serve the living and true God, to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from that to come.
For yourselves, brethren, know our entrance in unto you, that it was not in vain. But even after we had suffered the poor, and were shamefully entreated, as you know, at Philippine, we were bold in our God to speak unto you the gospel of God with much contention, for our exhortation was not of deceit, nor uncleanness, nor in guile. But we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the Gospel, even so we speak.
Not as pleasing men, but God which triumph our hearts. Neither at any time use we flattering words, as you know, nor a cloak of greediness, God is witness. Nor of men sought we glory, neither of you. or yet a father's, when we might have been burdensome as the apostles of Christ. But we were gentle among you, even as a nurse cherished her children. Verse seventeen, chapter two. But we, brethren, been taken from you for a short time in prison, not in heart.
Endeavour the more abundantly to see your face with great desire. Wherefore we could, wherefore we would have come unto you, even I, Paul, once and again, thus Satan hindered us. For what is our hope, our joy, our crown of rejoicing, are not ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming? For ye are our glory and joy. I trust God will bless this reading. This chapter is little more difficult than chapter one.
In chapter one, we have the hand of God seen in blessing. In chapter two, it is the heart of the great Apostle Paul. And chapter one it is God working. When you come to chapter two you'll find Satan is working. Last night we looked at the saints in the little assembly at Bethlehem. We noticed that In verse one, we looked at the missionaries who had come, Paul, Silas and Moses.
Then we looked in verses two and three at the memory, the memories that Paul had of the short visits he had with them. Then we looked at the members, how they were working. They sought to mimic the great apostle Paul and the Lord. They were modeled and patterned to other Christians. First they mimicked the Lord. Then in turn they were modeled that others may copy them.
We saw them as messengers carrying the gun. from you sounded out the word of truth. And then we left off. They were sitting up late, waiting on their master to come back again. You turn to God from idle. That is conversion. To serve the living and true God, that is consecration. to wait for a sun from heaven, the thought of expectation. You turn from God, you turn to God from idle.
The word turn here has the thought of immediate change. The word turn is to turn one and head in another direction. That is conversion. You see, these dear people, they were heading to a lost eternity. They heard about the Lord Jesus. They heard about His death. They heard about His blood that washes us from all sin. They heard that He was coming back again.
They accepted the Lord Jesus as their Savior. What does it mean, this conversion? It's a change of attitude towards Christ. Once they had no desire for Him. But conversion is a change of attitude to the Lord Jesus. My thoughts are different. Once I saw no beauty. Now He's altogether lovely. Once he was the root out of dry ground, no form, no beauty that we should desire him.
But now he's everything. It's a change of mind about sin. It's a change of mind about ourselves. You see, conversion, I look within myself. I see that I'm a sinner. I look off onto Christ and see in Him the Savior. I met a dear man one time. He told me that He was saved by His good looks. I threw away half-grinned, for He was ugly.
I think He enjoyed the expression on my face. I asked him, what did he mean? He said, I had a good look at myself. I had a good look at the Lord Jesus. He was saved by his good look. He saw himself as a sinner and he saw Christ dying for sinners. Isn't that what the Bible says? Look unto me and be, you see. Come unto me. this turning it was a single definite act it was once and for all the moment you place your confidence your trust in the Lord Jesus that is a definite single act never to be repeated it was a deliberate choice that's how anyone gets They make a deliberate choice.
Christ for me. It's a deliberate break with the past. The moment that the person, fellow or girl, man or woman, places their trust in the Lord Jesus, the Bible says we are new creatures. Old things have passed away. All things become new. And their conversion involved the change of direction.
Now they turned to God from idols. They didn't turn from idols to God. They didn't get second with idols and sin, but they turned to God from idols. They saw in God something far more precious than they ever found an idol. When they saw God's idols drop, The word God here is powerful, preeminent, infinite knowledge, absolute holiness.
That's the word God here. This is a God of power He's able to see. This is a God of preeminent. He has to be first. This is a God of infinite knowledge. He knows all about you. And best of all, he loves you. This is a God of absolute holiness. You say, how can God save me? God can save you. He doesn't have to lower his standard of holiness. Why?
Because the Lord Jesus took your place. He bore your sins. in his own body in the tree. He satisfied the claims of God. And God can come out on that grind. And say to the sinner, I love you. Idol has a thought of vanity. Vain thing. Shams. Dead, Jeremiah called them scarecrows. Shadows, false, counterfeit.
Is that what you're going in for tonight, dear soul? If there's one not saved, listen to the language of God here. You're running after idols. They're empty. They're shallow. They're sham. They're dead. They're mere shadows. They're false. They're counterfeit. There's no pleasure. No lasting joy. But these dear ones turn to go. Living.
Real. Alive. Warm. Serve the truth and living, God. The word true means genuine, real. Will you drop whatever you have, Henry? Do you? The sham, the idols, the emptiness, the bubbles, the froth of this world, and turn to that which is real, genuine, true, living, These dear ones were setting up me, waiting on God's Son, the Lord Jesus.
Do I believe that, do I believe that He is coming back to you? You know, if I believe that, honestly, sincerely, If you believe this honestly, in theory yes, but has it gripped my soul that Jesus is coming? They were not waiting on some doctrine, some prophecy to be fulfilled. For as I know in my Bible, there is nothing to be fulfilled.
Nothing holding them. just one thing is wrong not, not willing that any should perish, and you may be the hindrance, if you would trust Christ in us, Jesus could come. If you could be the last stone in God's building, and once interplayed, the heavens would open and would hear the show. rise up my love my girl from away do I believe it if I really believed it and if I knew there was one unsaved in this place I would probably go darn unspended me before you and say You see the possibility of you being lost.
You're not saved and Jesus would come. Hell, the lake of fire. Weeping, wailing, gnashing of teeth. Forever. I wouldn't want a dog to go to hell. So I thought there was one... Dear auntie, stolen this nation, I would preach my heart. Wouldn't Christians settle their difference? Wouldn't there be letters written? Wouldn't there be apologies made?
We don't believe. Wouldn't things be made right? We truly believe Jesus could come to the fourth life after him, and it's possible. I wouldn't go to sleep tonight if I truly believed it. If this truth gripped my soul, I wouldn't go to sleep tonight. I'd be knocking every door in this neighborhood. telling them that Jesus is coming. God loves him.
Christ died. And now is the day of salvation. Now is the accepted time. Tomorrow could be true. There is a possibility some dear soul would waken up tomorrow. Mother and Father's God. Their bed. You're left. Left or only left. You say, well, I have another chance. No. No more chance. Once the Savior comes, the door is shut.
You're as good as Lord. Oh, show to me. Dear not. You say, how do I come just as you are, just as I am, willing not to rid my soul of wonder. To the old Lamb of God I come, come as you are. For Christ died for you just as you are. He loved you just as you are. Come, come, believe. come to the Savior.
See we suggested last night that coming up the Lord is mentioned in every chapter. Chapter one, coming up the Lord is seen as a personal hope. That personal hope is linked with salvation. In chapter two, It is a practical hope, and that practical hope leads us in the service for God. Chapter three, thirteen is a powerful hope. And that powerful hope produces and brings us strength for the day and for the chore that lies at our hands.
Chapter four, sixteen, come into the Lord at a precious hope. And that precious hope brings comfort to those that are sorry. Chapter five is the present. Expecting our sanctification. Now when you come to chapter two, You could divide it probably in a simple way like this. You've got the man called it.
Paul's heart is told out in chapter two. You've got the message. The gospel of God is seen in verse two, verse eight and verse nine. This is what this man preached was the gospel of God. You have the ministry scene. Paul made no attempt to pickle the ears of his audience. He sought rather to please God.
Amen. Galatians chapter one verse ten. If I yet please men, I should not be the servant of God. You've got his manner brought with the Lord in this chapter. He was gentle. He was willing to not only impart the gospel, but he said my life. He was holy in verse ten.
He was tireless. Night and day he worked in verse nine. That they may have the gospel free. That it caused him something. His motives are seen in chapter two. Then you have the manifestation. In verses nineteen... Paul says, what is my hope? What is my joy? What is my crown of rejoicing? Are ye not in the presence of God? Wasn't it Murray McShane who wrote that prayer?
Oh, if there would be one soul, meet me at God's right hand. my heaven will be to heaven in Emmanuel's land. This dear man, Paul, he was out for stone. That's all that matters. So in chapter one, you've got the fruitful message of the gospel. In chapter two, you've got the faithful messenger. In chapter one, you've got the character of the saint brought before us.
In chapter two, you've got the character of the servant brought before us. Probably I should explain to the younger ones. You see, Paul went to Philippians, preached the gospel. God saved so. And Judaizing teachers could not stand the success. They caused an uproar. They got Paul beaten, flogged, stripped, thrown into prison.
He leaves Philippi. He walks with a hundred miles or so. to Thessalonica. In Acts chapter seventeen we read that he spent three Sabbath days preaching and teaching in the synagogue. This effort was all too successful and the people who stirred up the trouble at Philippi followed Paul to Thessalonica. They stirred the people up again. You see, Satan is busy.
And if he cannot stop the preaching of the gospel, he will seek to stop the servant of God. He's going to attack. the servants of God. These evil Judaizing teachers came to Thessalonica, stirred up. Dear Paul had to leave. You say, why did Paul leave? I think for one reason. You see, the fact of his presence there brought persecution.
on the news, they saved people. And as long as he stayed there, this persecution would get hotter and hotter. Paul wisely, Timothy and Silas, they left. They feared Stephen. They didn't want to cause any more trouble for them. And so these evils ungodly creatures came and they said, they told the Christians and the citizens of Thessalonica that all sudden appearance onto the scene and then he suddenly believed that he was crafty, cowardly and greedy.
And you'll find the second chapter is an actual self-defense by Paul. You see, these people brought a seven-fold charge against Paul. Chapter two is Paul's own defense against those seven charges. Verse eighteen, Paul clearly and boldly says Satan hindered us. In chapter two, verses fifteen and sixteen, Paul lays the charges right at Satan's doorstep.
Satan actually hindered Paul from coming back to Thessalonica. I think we should remember that Satan is the enemy of God. He's the enemy of Christ. He's the enemy of Christians. He's the enemy of the poor sinner. He didn't want the gospel preached. He didn't want any more people saved. He's still the enemy of the poor on faith. Oh, he will tell you anything. He will do his evil work to stop you from being saved.
If he could hinder the greatest servant of God, he's going to hinder you and I. And you will find in First Timothy chapter four, verse one, as the day comes closer to the coming of the Lord, Satan is going to step up his evil work. But you know, I think, one thing that Satan cannot stop. No power on earth, no power in him can stop.
My Lord, for the coming. He could stop Paul, yes, from coming back to settlement, but he cannot stop the Lord Jesus from coming back. I'm going to skip a few verses. In the first twelve verses of chapter two, Paul rebuked the short time that he stayed at the Thessalonica. Paul was maliciously slandered.
Paul could say, dearly, I have the care of all churches upon my heart. And as I have suggested, These evil men, backed by Satan, charged all with seven crimes. Please look at them very, very briefly. I'm just going to throw them out. You'll find that he was charged with deceit. In verse three, deception. You'll find in verse three that he was charged with uncleanness. moral impurity, sensuality.
Verse three, he was charged with guile, craftiness. In verse four, he was charged as being a man pleaser. In five, he was charged with greediness. a love for money. In verse six, prime. Verse six speaking, material gain. These are the charges. I'm not going to go into them tonight. But I want to look at Paul as he contradicts those charges.
Paul with skill and honesty. He conducts his own case. He called two witnesses. Look at verse one. The first witness he called to the sand with a steam. Verse one. For yourself, brethren, no. Look at verse five. As ye know. Look at verse nine.
Ye remember verse ten. Ye are witnesses. You know the second witness he calls with God himself. Look at verse five. God is witness. verse ten God also you see God was the only one who could read the motives of Paul's heart every servant of the Lord Jesus has to suffer criticism Hebrews chapter twelve verse two he endured contradiction of sinners against themselves.
John fifteen, verse eighteen to twenty. The servant is not written, Lord. Our Lord Jesus was criticized, ridiculed, and I have to expect, and you have to expect, the same. But let's look at verse two, please. Look at Paul's defense now, his qualification. We were shamefully entreated at Philippi. The word shamefully there has the thought of physical hardship, grievously insulted.
See, Paul arrived at Thessalonica, this poor vacuum, still bleeding. He was flogged. He was swift. He was beaten at Philippine. I guess the shirt was still sticking into his back. The blood would not be drying. They were shameful injuries. I'd have went to some hospital or went to bed. Look at verse two. We were bold to speak unto you the gospel of God with much contention.
The word bold there is without stress, without strain, with confidence. We were at home talking about the Lord in the gospel. no hardship no opposition was able to take away Paul's confidence in God and his confidence in the gospel Paul said I was at home speaking about God there was no strain for me to preach the gospel there was no fear he could have died And he did die for us.
You see what we see in Paul, I ought to see in myself. You ought to see in yourself. See, I'm not standing up here, giving out a fuse, kidding. These things that I see in Paul should mark Job and should mark every brother and every sister here. Am I ashamed of my Lord? If my back was bleeding, would I stand up with all confidence? Talk of us to wonders and the beauty and the power of the gospel.
Paul said we were bold in speech. Look at verse four, please. We were a Lord of God. I'm told that's unmedical. Paul was approved of God. He had went to the great position, and the great position passed him as fifth. That's the word. Paul was approved of God. Men may criticize him, but he said, my God has approved me. He has declared me fifth.
Man can say what they wish. But God tested me. God proved me. Thus approved me. Paul, when this God's pastor says, Galatians tells us, Paul gives us conversion there. He got saved. Ten years, he disappears. into Arabia. He walked alone with God in the desert for almost ten years. Oh, what holy, holy fellowship he had with God in Arabia.
He conferred not on flesh and blood, but got alone with God. And those ten years He got to know God. God given His approval. Oh, young people today, get alone with God. Get to know God at your bedside on bandit knees. Get his approval. You can look at the world straightened. a great position to all things past the expense.
Oh yes, they can lay their charges, but God has approved me. This word also has the thought of a coin being passed as genuine. It has the thought of a scale were you way things upon it was passed as accurate the plea that verse four we speak not as pleading men but i want to jump down this chapter a little verse seven we were gentle among you even as a nurse cherishes her children.
The word gentle there carries the thought of baby. I was a baby enough. What do you mean? In my great genes, in my service among you, there was no errors among me. I didn't lord it over. I didn't look down upon you. There was tenderness here. No trace of superiority. Our deportment was mild. Quiet.
Honest to me. Lord, where are those men today? I was as a believer. Where are those children? Do you want to become as a little child? No heirs of superiority. He stood as their equals. He didn't say I'm an apostle. He said I was a beaver. Look at verse three. We were willing to impart unto you not only the gospel, but our own soul.
Paul said, I would have died again where are those overseers? Who will lead, who will feed, who will bleed for the flock of God? Paul said I would impart even my own light. You know, I think I'm playing this game of preaching. And just play. I wouldn't die for any one of you. Paul, my Lord did. That's how far we should go.
Young man, if you're inspiring to be a preacher, there's a distance not only would I am part of the gospel but it is my own body my own soul verse nine we were not chargeable you tell Paul is defending himself these wicked men said Seven things, my poor. Paul goes right down, each one fiddled into nothing.
We were not charged. Amen. Do you remember, brethren, our labour and travel, the labouring night and day, because we would not be chargeable unto any of you. Oh, if they, these hands have ministered unto my needs, unto my wants, and the needs of others. Look at verse ten.
We behaved ourselves. Holy! That's my conduct before God. Justly. That's my conduct before me. I'm blimble. That's my conduct my own eye. The best sermon is a holy life. Verse eleven, we exhorted you. Dear one, we'll try and then take the rest up tomorrow night here's the one that these dear ones mimics who the god is starting with you right down to the last