I wanted to share an insight that I received this morning in my devotions with you...
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Passion and vision spark me - they excite me. You show me somebody who is passionate and has vision, and I will show you somebody who has the firstfruits of being a great leader. Reading today in I Thessalonians 2, two statements Paul makes get me excited. One is his response to the church, and the other is the church's response to him.
1) His response to the church - vs. 8 "We loved you so much that we gave you not only God's Good News but our own lives, too." This is passion. The job was to preach the Gospel. But the ministry and passion was that Paul and his leaders gave so much more - they gave themselves, too. These weren't hired hands, denominational appointees, traveling evangelists with an eye on the money - these were men who told people that God loved them and then demonstrated that love. YOu see, preaching is the easy part. If all there was to pastoring was preaching, then the best pastors would be the best teachers and most intelligent communicators. But that's not it. The pastor's heart and feet are just as important as the pastor's mouth, if not more. Ok - he preaches really good. In what ways is he invested in his people. The message isn't the only part of the investment, the only part of pastoring. It's giving our lives for people.
The people at Thessalonica were no different than people today (outside of cultural differences). They laughed and loved; they experienced pain, hardship and death; they struggled with the government and taxes and making a living; they had to trust God with their finances and life situations; they could get bad attitudes and question authority - they were normal regular Joe's and Jane's just like we have today - although back then they were regular Justus's and Priscilla's.
2) The church's response to Paul - Paul's investment of himself and the Gospel message brought about a response that every pastor would KILL for, but few are willing to PAY for. Notice verse 13 - "And we will never stop thanking God that when we preached his message to you, you didn't think of the words we spoke as being just our own. You accepted what we said as the very word of God--which, of course, it was. And this word continues to work in you who believe." The response of the people was to accept the words of Paul and the leaders who surrounded him as the very word of God! But that acceptance was due to the initial investment. The church there trusted Paul because they saw his compassion for them, his labor for them, and his desire for them to grow. It wasn't only that his words were authoratative, but his life was authoratative!
But lest we get some who doubt and say that their acceptance of his words "as the very word of God" was extended because of Paul's apostleship, note that Paul uses the words "we" - he is not speaking only of himself. The letter of 1 Thessalonians was from Paul, Silas, and Timothy (see 1:1) - one apostle and two pastors! The words of Pastors Silas and Timothy were accepted as the very word of God!
Lord, as I invest my life into my people, may they receive the words You give through me without question and as being from You!
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1 Thes 2:13 And we will never stop thanking God that when we preached his message to you, you didn't think of the words we spoke as being just our own. You accepted what we said as the very word of God--which, of course, it was. And this word continues to work in you who believe.(NLT) We are way beyond sitting in a seat and listening politely to a sermon. THANKYOU LORD !! He has blessed us as a people by giving us shepherds after His own heart that speak a "living word" to us. As Hebrews says, that word is alive! active,sharper than any 2 edged sword. As we open our hearts to His word coming from His mouth piece,it begins to divide soul from spirit, joints from marrow (sounds a little uncomfortable to me) but that's what the Word of God does,It continues to work in us long after the initial; voicing of it.The Lord God wants to accomplish much more in us than just saving us from hell fire. He wants HIS kingdom established on this earth and it's the one prayer that Jesus taught His diciples to pray. In the beginning was the WORD and the Word was with God and the Word was God." The Word of God is eternal.The grass withers the flowers fade but the word of God endures forever.Jesus is forever. Eph. (somewhere ?) Do not say who will asscend into heaven that is to bring Christ down or who will descend...... but the W_O_R_D is near you ,in your heart and in your mouth . Faith comes by hearing and hearing and hearing the word of God. May the people of the Journey continue to "receive" the Word,embrace the Word,love the Word and have a deeper and deeper revelation of the Word. I say Amen !! to your prayer pastor Rob. Amen !! I stand with you to loose the living word throughout the Rochester area and all of New England .... Amen
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