You Received the Word
This is a transcript. It may contain small inaccuracies.
I trust you'll remember, week after week after week, we've stated that chapter 1 is basically Paul's paragraph of praise to God for that which God, in sovereign grace, has wrought amongst the Thessalonians in calling a people to Himself and informing them as an ‘ekklesia’, a church, which in its infancy had tremendous influence. Not only in its immediate environment, but wherever the apostle Paul went, he'd open up his mouth and begin to tell people, “You know. Let me tell you what God did there in that city in Thessaloniki,” and people would stop him and say, “You don't need to tell us, Paul. We've already heard. We've heard all about it. The report had gone out concerning the mighty works of grace, God's grace, there amongst the people there.” So, if we would know what really constitutes a true work of grace, we read the first chapter and we see all those marks of the work of the Spirit of God in turning people from idols to Christ, informing them as a church. And the cause of it all, Paul tells us. He traces it all back in verses 4 and 5 of chapter 1 to the eternal purposes of God as the outworking of eternal love, the eternal love of God to His people.
You get to chapter 2, Paul then shifts to defending, vindicating his ministry along with his associates, and he gives us a look at the kind of people through which God really accomplishes those mighty works described in chapter 1. And, in the first 12 verses of the second chapter and we studied those, you remember, under the heading, the general theme of the marks of a praiseworthy or trustworthy ministry, marks of a true minister, the marks of a true ministry. And having now concluded that section of the letter, we get to verse 13 in chapter 2, and that takes us back, as it were, into the first chapter in terms of thought.
For you will notice with me the first few words. Look at them. Look at what they are. "And for this reason, we also thank God without ceasing." Did you see that? He said back in chapter 1, verse 2, "We give thanks to God always"—right?—"for all of you, making mention of you in our prayers; remembering without ceasing," and so forth. And then all the way through to the end of chapter 1, he enumerates the different things which caused his heart to give thanks to God when he remembered the people there in Thessaloniki.
Then, he digressed into the area of his own ministry, vindicating his own ministry–the first 12 verses of chapter 2. And, now, in chapter 2, verse 13, he comes back to the thought of thanksgiving. And he says, “not only do we thank God for the fruit of His working in you,”-- referring to the work of faith, labor of love, steadfastness of hope. So he says, “not only do we thank God for the fruit of your saving response to the gospel,” but now in verse 13 of chapter 2, he says, “we thank God for the essence of that saving response.” We thank God for the essence of that saving response. The fruit of that response: faith, hope, love. But the essence of that response, he says in verse 13 of chapter 2, was your wholehearted reception of the Word of God as it is in truth the Word of the living God.
Now, setting this in its context of the second chapter, you see it's not only necessary that the church be blessed with true servants, faithful ministers, faithful servants, that a family be blessed with the true ministry of godly parents, that a Sunday school ministry would be blessed by a faithful teacher who is administering the responsibility as unto the Lord and so forth and so forth. But there also must be true hearers. True hearers. And here's the connection. For unless a true ministry is joined to true hearers, there will not be the effect that we find in the church at Thessaloniki.
So Paul, turning from himself and his associates as true ministers, he turns now to the Thessalonians and thanks God for them for being true, authentic hearers of the Word of God. And so the Apostle Paul brings these two things together, and having vindicated the true ministry, he now describes the essence of a true hearer and of a true ministry. And he does that—and I love it—he does it in the context of praise and thanksgiving to God.
And by way of introduction to this verse–our text–notice, first of all, the nature of His praise, the nature of His praise. Verse 13: "And for this reason we also thank God without ceasing." Under the heading, the nature of His praise, would you please notice with me that it was, first of all, it was continuous. It was continuous.
The word "without ceasing," ‘adialeiptōs’ is the Greek word, it means continually, incessantly. It means without intermission. Now, it doesn't mean that from the moment he got up in the morning, he started saying all day long, "Thank you Lord for the Thessalonians, thank you Lord for the Thessalonians, thank you Lord for the Thessalonians, thank you Lord for the Thessalonians." That's not what it means. It doesn't mean that at all. The same word you'd use when you say of someone, he was coughing nonstop, continually. You don't mean that he was coughing incessantly like all the time. Well, it means that he was coughing regularly, but that every few minutes he coughed, and then a few minutes later he coughs again—well that's the word he uses here, that's the meaning of it—"for this reason we also thank God without ceasing,"--that is, it is a continually recurring source of thanksgiving and praise to God in Paul's life.
In other words, what Paul describes in verse 13 is such marked evidence of the mighty work of God that Paul cannot forget it. It's always, every time it comes to his mind, he's just giving thanks to God for it. And may I say, wherever I find, wherever you find what's described in verse 13, it ought to be, beloved, a source of continuous praise to God because only God can bring this to pass. Only God can bring this to pass.
And, in the second place, His praise was not only continual, incessant, but it was theocentric. It was theocentric. It's another word of saying God-centered, God-centered. Verse 13: "For this reason we also"—what? Thank who? “God.” "We thank God without ceasing." In other words, he wants them to know that though he's describing what happened in them, what happened to them when the word of God came, he wants them to know that he does not trace the cause of it to them.
He said, now I'm going to commend you people, you people of God, for something that really brought great delight, joy to my heart. When you received the word, you received it not as the word of men, but you received it as the word of God indeed. But lest you go away and pat yourself on the back, I want you people to know that when I think of this, I don't praise you, but rather I praise God. For what happened in you was evidence of the working of Him, of God. And by inference, beloved, Paul is saying your praise ought to be directed where mine is directed. You give Him praise, give God praise, all of it.
So as we work our way through this text, seeking to consider what constitutes a right hearing and reception of the word, if you find that this is true of you, then beloved, your praise ought to be directed in the same direction as was Paul's praise, namely the living God Himself. Well, so much for that introductory thought on the nature of Paul's thanksgiving.
Now, look with me now, and this is the bulk of our study this evening. Look with me on the substance of his thanksgiving, the substance of his thanksgiving. What does he give thanks to God? For what does he give thanks to God without ceasing? Well, in the first place, beloved, he gives thanks to God for the initial reception of the word of God by these Thessalonians. Paul gives thanks to God for the initial reception of the word by these people in Thessaloniki.
Look at the text: "And for this reason we also thank God without ceasing, that when you received the word of God"—when you received, ‘paralambano’, so it's the word ‘lambano’ and they added ‘para’ alongside, and it's just to strengthen it more, ‘paralambano’, received. It means to take near with, to take near to oneself, alongside, to take to one side. When you took to your side, to your side the word of God—it's the word, the word of our Lord. It's the same word that the word—it's the same word that our Lord used in John 14 verse 3, that tremendous promise that has brought much comfort to the people of God through the centuries. Verse 3, John 14: "And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and”--‘paralambano’-- ”receive you,” “receive you to Myself.” I will take you to be with me, to be alongside of me–“that where I am, there you may be also." Now Paul thanks God that when the message came, these people took it alongside of themselves. In other words, they were interested in considering, in confronting, in facing the message of God.
Now, whose word was brought to them? Whose word? Well notice: "When you received the word of God." Well, what was that word of God? What does he mean, what was that word of God? Well, you go back to the account in Acts chapter 17, the account of really proclaiming the word there in Thessaloniki by the Apostle Paul and his associates, you will find that he is identifying the word of God with the written scripture of the Old Testament at that time. Acts 17, verse 2 and 3, we read: "And according to Paul’s custom, he went to them, and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and setting before them that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead, and saying, 'This Jesus whom I am proclaiming to you is the Christ.'" So he opened up the scripture. They had, of course, the deposit of the Old Testament scripture, and from the scripture he was reasoning and he was explaining and he was setting before them the Christ of scripture.
So Paul identifies the scriptures of the Old Testament as the word, the message of the living God, and he thanks God that when he brought that message, that inscripturated revelation of the word of God—not spewing out his own insight, he didn't bring his own insight, he didn't bring his own ideas, his own speculations and his own thoughts, but taking people to the scriptures and reasoning from the scriptures and opening and explaining and exegeting from the scriptures that Jesus was indeed the Messiah, the Christ. So he thanks God that they called that word alongside of them, that they ‘paralambano’, they received that word.
But notice he says, it did not come directly to them, but it's the word of God which you heard from us. It didn't come down through a revelation from heaven; it's that word that came from us. That word, the word of the living God, came through the human instruments. But, notice what these people did. Though the word of God came through a human vessel, and though there were probably things about the human vessel, the human instrument to which they did not naturally gravitate, he said, you did not reject the word of God because you didn't like the instrument. Paul says, "We also thank God without ceasing that when you received the word of God which you heard from us"—it came through human vessel, but you saw beyond the vessel, you saw beyond the instrument, and you called that word near to yourself, alongside of yourself, and you gave it a genuine hearing.
And that's the first factor in being a true hearer, beloved. When the word of God is proclaimed, when the word of God is taught, when there is faithful opening up of the scriptures regardless of the personality or the manner of the instrument through which it comes, you are a true hearer only so far as you receive that word, you call it alongside of you, and you give it serious, authentic consideration, regardless of the human vessel. That's the first step in being a true hearer of the word. Wherever this is absent, the word will never have a saving effect upon the heart and upon the life.
Notice several instances in the book of Acts where people did not do this—what Paul describes here with the word. We read in, for example, in Acts 7. In fact, turn with me there and I want you to see it. Acts chapter 7—you remember that scene—Stephen, the mouthpiece of the word of God to these Jews, and he's proclaiming the word of God, and the word begins to cut and wound and smite, and they begin to feel its pressure upon their hearts. And, in Acts chapter 7, verse 54 and following, we read, "Now when they heard this, they became furious in their hearts." Now, the minute the word came close, the minute the word came searching, they had to do one of two things—one of two things. They had to call it alongside of themselves and receive it, or they had to reject it and cast it from them. And it says that here in this instance, they did the latter. They began gnashing their teeth at him.
Verse 55: "But being full of the Holy Spirit, he gazed intently into heaven and saw the glory of God." Now notice verse 57: "But crying out with a loud voice, they covered their ears and rushed at him with one accord." Picture the scene and think of it. They covered their ears. They actually stop their ears. They stopped their—picture, picture little kids, you know, they stick their fingers in their ears. Well, people cover their ears: I don't want to hear it. I don't want to hear it. They covered their ears and they said, “we will hear no more.” What this word tells us about ourselves—oh no, it's way too devastating. It is too undoing, too humbling, too crushing, too wounded, too wounding—and they covered their ears. They don't want to hear it. They don't want to hear it. But I have to acknowledge, at least I have to acknowledge their honesty, that they did with their hands and fingers perhaps externally what they were doing in their hearts internally.
And I wonder, I wonder, beloved, when the word of God begins to come close and searching as it is proclaimed, and when God begins to touch us at our sore point, I wonder how many of us in our hearts have covered our ears. Hmm? How many? You see, if at any point you cover your ears to the word of God, regardless of who the instrument is conveying that word, you are not a right hearer of the word of God. A right hearing of the word—that for which Paul gives thanks as evidence to the Thessalonians—involves in the first place that initial reception of the word.
And notice in Acts 13, while we're in Acts, a similar instance with some of these Jews in the area where Paul was preaching. In Acts 13 verse 46, Acts 13 and verse 46, "Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly and said, 'It was necessary that the word of God be spoken to you first. Since you”–‘apotheo’, ‘apotheo’--“reject it.” The NASB puts it, "since you repudiate it." A stronger translation would be, “since you thrust it away from you, you thrust it away from you." Not you just push it—you thrust it away from you. You reject it vehemently—"since you repudiate it." These people, instead of receiving that word, they thrust it from them because it exposed them. It found them out and they could not stand that exposure, they couldn't.
How do you see the principle that speaks to each and every one of us this evening? Perhaps, you have been exposed to a true ministry either in this place or in other places–a ministry like the Apostle Paul's that he said was not according to error but according to the truth of God's word, rooted in the word of God, yet that word has come to us with its unpalatable doctrines telling us that our hearts are a veritable cesspool of iniquity, telling us that we as creatures of Adam, fallen sons and daughters of Adam, are capable of every foul iniquity that's ever been committed. It has come with its humbling doctrine that we are not only wounded and crippled but in a state, in such a state that we cannot even get ourselves to the remedy of God unless He by His grace enables us to. And that has been offensive to our human pride, and inwardly we have thrust the word of God away from us. Or perhaps as believers, the Spirit of God has come and touched us at a very sensitive point, and what have we done? We've thrust the word of God from us.
But Paul not only thanks God for that initial reception, but will you notice in the next place he thanks God for their hearty acceptance of the word as of divine authority. He thanks God for their hearty acceptance of the word as of divine authority. It's one thing to initially receive the word—that is, call it alongside of you, to give it a serious hearing, a serious consideration. Many go this far, but they stop short of the next thing. And that would be deficient. That would be defective.
Well, the Thessalonians didn't stop there. Notice the text. "And for this reason we also thank God without ceasing that when you”—‘paralambano’—“received the word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it”--accepted it–“not as the word of men." The word received in the first part of the verse is not as strong as the next word. The next word we've seen, we've come across this beautiful, powerful word, ‘dechomai’, ‘dechomai’. This word ‘dechomai’ means you accepted it with a hearty welcome, with a hearty embrace, with open arms, with joy, with a hearty welcome.
We've encountered this word back in chapter 1 verse 6. It's the same word used in Matthew 10 verse 14 where our Lord told His apostles, "Whoever does not”--‘dechomai’--“receive you, nor heed your words, as you leave that house or that city, shake the dust off your feet." How do you receive an apostle? You open your door and you give them a hearty welcome. This is the word used in Acts 3:21 where it says of our Lord after He was ascended that the “heaven must receive [Him]"— ‘dechomai’, receive Him with a hearty welcome—"until the period of restoration of all things." It's the word used consistently throughout the book of Acts whenever they are reporting that the word of God had indeed success in a certain area; they would report it in terms of so and so received—that's the word, ‘dechomai’—the word of God.
It speaks, for example, just to give you a few references, of the Gentiles receiving the word, Acts 11 verse 8, of the Samaritans receiving the word, verse 14 of Acts 8. It speaks of the Bereans in Acts 17:11 of receiving the word with this disposition of readiness and meekness and a hearty welcome. And of course, James 1:21, "in gentleness ‘dechomai’ the implanted word, which is able to save your souls." It's the word used throughout the scripture for that welcoming reception, that hearty reception into the heart and into the life.
And notice Paul says he's thankful that there was this welcoming reception of the word as it is in truth the word of God. He said, "you accepted it not as the word of men, but for what it really is, the word of God." When you welcomed it, you did not welcome it as the word of men. You see, if they did—if they did welcome it as the word of men—how would they have welcomed it? Well, the word of men, the word of one man that comes to you, another man, comes on the basis of what? Equal authority, right? It comes on the basis of equal authority. Therefore, it is debatable. It is debatable. Your opinion is as valid as mine. If you have a little more experience in the area we're debating, then your opinion is worth maybe perhaps a little bit more than mine. But that's all. It's still debatable, back and forth.
The word of a man that comes to another man is debatable. The word of a man that comes to another man is alterable. If you think you can make it a little bit more accurate, you could change a phrase here or a word there, and you could tweak it a little bit, and if it's the word of a man coming to another man, then it's your right to accept it or reject it. It's your prerogative.
Now Paul says, when we brought the word of God to you, you people welcomed it not as a word of men that was debatable, that was changeable, that was refusable, but he says you welcomed it with a hearty welcome as it is in truth the word of the living God. In other words, he said you welcomed it as a word of divine origin, divine authority. It didn't have its beginning in the head of the Apostle Paul, but in the heart and mind of God Himself, bearing the authority of God Himself. Though it came through the Apostle's head, though it came through the Apostle's mouth, you saw beyond the Apostle's head and mouth, you saw the mind and mouth of God Himself. You received it as a message of divine origin. And it came with a divine authority, and it was not up for debate, it was not up for discussion, it was not up for altering, it was not up for anything—you receive it, you accept it for what it is, the Word of God, inerrant, infallible, all-sufficient.
Paul said, when we gave you the Word, you not only called it alongside to consider it, but you then welcomed it into your lives, a hearty welcome, and with all that authority it ought to come to men who realize God, the Creator, the Sovereign God, the Creator of the universe, is speaking.
God the Preserver, God the Redeemer, God the Judge, and when God speaks, let all the earth be silent. Let all my objections and all my prejudices sink beneath the authority of the Word of God. They are null and void and mean nothing. Let all my so-called insights, all my so-called observations, all my so-called objections—let them all be sunk beneath the authority of the Word of God, for God has spoken. Let men be silent. I put my hand over my mouth. That's the attitude Paul describes amongst these people.
You received it. You received it not as the word of man, up for grabs, open to debate, but you received it as the Word of the living God. You received it, in other words, with reverence. God is speaking. Let the earth be silent. You received it with humility. God, who knows all, is speaking. I am but a mere creature of the dust. Not only am I limited in my knowledge and finite in my knowledge, but sin has stained my mind. I know nothing as I ought to know it. They received it with humility.
God has spoken. The God who cannot lie—therefore, that word was received with confidence. God has spoken, the God before whom I will stand in judgment—therefore, that word was received with holy fear and implicit trust. A beautiful description found in Isaiah 66–turn with me there–of what happens when people receive the Word of God as it is indeed and in truth the Word of God, and you're familiar with this text, but it bears repeating.
Isaiah 66, verse 1. What a glorious passage. "Thus says Yahweh, 'Heaven is My throne and the earth is the footstool of My feet. Where then is a house you could build for Me? And where is a place that I may rest? For My hand made all these things, Thus all these things came into being,' declares Yahweh. 'But to this one I will look, To him who is humble and contrite of spirit, and who trembles at My word.'"
Wow. See what God is saying? He says, what I speak, I speak as the God, Creator of heaven and earth. "The heaven is My throne and your little puny tiny earth is just My footrest. I rest My feet upon it." Now you people think because you've got a pretty temple, you've got Me. But hold on. You've forgotten who I am. I'm the mighty God, Creator of heaven and earth. I don't look down and assure My presence because you've got an ornate beautiful temple and a priesthood and a sanctuary. No, no.
He said there's one place where My presence is surely manifested—where there is a man of a poor and contrite spirit. And who's that? He's the one who recognizes, I'm a sinner. I'm a sinner. I'm a sinful creature and God is the great infinite Creator, Preserver, Redeemer. And then when that God speaks, this man receives His word not as the word of man but as the word of God. He receives it with trembling, with holy reverence. What does that mean? It's the trembling of reverence, of humility, the trembling of holy fear, of confidence, of awe that this God should speak to me, a nobody—a speck of dust in God's universe, a wretched rebel.
Now the apostle Paul thanks God that when the Word of God came to the Thessalonians, number one, they received that word initially. Then they heartily accepted it, secondly, as the Word of the living God. Now, why does he thank God for this? For the simple reason that only God, only God will bring a man to this place.
For the same word, by the way, is used in 1 Corinthians 2:14 where it says, "But a natural man does not"—what? ‘dechomai’—"does not accept"—with a hearty acceptance, with a hearty welcome—"the depths of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them because they are spiritually examined."
When Paul saw these people taking the word, that word which he was given from the Scriptures and receiving it in reverence, submitting to its statements, bowing in humility before its claim, receiving with holy trust its promises, Paul said, I know there's only one reason for that, only one reason, and that's the Holy Spirit has done a work of grace. For the natural man does not ‘dechomai’, does not accept, does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness unto him.
So Paul thanks God that these people thus accepted, thus received the word with its great themes of sin and judgment and atonement, the necessity of regeneration by the Spirit and justification by faith—all of these things that will be meaningless words, but when God is pleased to open the inner ear, there will be that hearty reception of the word.
But in the third place, Paul not only thanks God for initial reception and, secondly, a hearty acceptance as of divine authority—that word—but notice he closes with this phrase: "which also is at work in you who believe." Thirdly, he thanks God for a fruitful assimilation of the word of God, for a fruitful assimilation of the word of God.
You see the word "work," "which is at work in you." ‘Energeo’ is the Greek word from which we get our English word "energy," energy. It means to be effective. It means to be operative. You see, the word of God became operative. It was indeed working. It was producing effects in the lives of these people. What effects? Well, you have to wait until next week because that comes in verse 14. He tells us what those effects will be.
Look at verse 14 just to see them, but we won't open it up: "For you, brothers, became imitators of the churches of God in Christ Jesus that are in Judea, for you also suffered the same things at the hands of your own countrymen, even as they did from the Jews." He says, I know that this word was not only called alongside for consideration, warmly, joyfully embraced in a hearty welcome as the Spirit of God worked in you, but it was fruitfully assimilated into your life.
And the reason he says, I know that this is so, it's because of this: obedience to that word, faith in that word, led you straight into the crucible of suffering. Now, no man in his right mind embraces a word that's going to lead him into hardship and suffering and embraces it with a hearty welcome. But Paul says, that's exactly what you did. That's exactly what happened in your life and in your heart.
Everything was all right with you people there in that city, Thessaloniki, by the seaside. Business was booming, business going as usual, the bills were paid, neighbors smiling, everybody was having a great time, worshiping idols. But when I came and you received that word which I brought you as the word of God, it effectually worked in you in that though it led you out of a life of normalcy and ease right into the fires of persecution and suffering, you clung tenaciously to that word. Why? Because you knew it was the word of God, and suffering hardship, and persecution will never cause a man to relinquish what he knows to be the true and living word of God.
And, beloved, that's why God has always tested the profession of His church like this, with trials like this. Remember Matthew 13, the stony ground, receives the word with joy—wonderful, peace, eternal life, forgiveness, hallelujah, glorious, right? No. Receive is not ‘dechomai’, it's another word. But what does the Lord say? When affliction, persecution arise because of the what? Because of the word, immediately his true colors come to light. He falls away.
Well, if God knew that the tribulation, persecution was going to cause it to wither, why did He bring it to pass? For that very purpose—to separate the wheat from the chaff, the precious from the vile, to let a man know if his profession is genuine or not. And so Paul thanks God that these people were true, true hearers, for they not only called the word alongside to consider it, welcomed it into their hearts joyfully, but it was assimilated into the life. And though it led into paths of suffering, they maintained the stability in the midst of it because it was the word of God. And God's word is not relinquished simply because the pinch is felt.
Now, what is the cause of all of this? What made these people true hearers? Well, from the human side, Paul says, "which also is at work in you who"—what?—"who believe." You see it? “Who believe. This is what faith does, true faith. This is what genuine faith does. Faith makes you a true hearer.
What was the cause of these three things? Calling the word alongside, receiving it initially, welcoming it, and then assimilating it. He says this was the effect of faith. It is at work in you who believe. Saving faith, genuine faith, authentic faith, sanctifying faith.
Well, what does faith do? Well, faith, first of all, turns in the direction of the Word of God. Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the what? By the Word of God. But he not only turns in the direction of the Word of God to consider it, once considering it, faith then what? Embraces it joyfully, tenaciously, and having embraced it, faith clings to it even unto death.
That's why our Lord says to the church of Smyrna, "Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life." Revelation 2:10. If we will deny Him, He also will deny us. 2 Timothy 2:12. Why? Because a true believer does not deny His Lord as the deep-seated attitude of his heart. Of course, in a moment of weakness, he may fail to confess Him as Peter did and deny Him in that instance, but he will not deny in the sense that he repudiates Christ.
Why? Because authentic faith—faith being the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen—grasps eternal truths as expressed in the Word of God and clings to it no matter what the cost. You ask someone, do you believe the Word of God? Oh yes, I believe the Word. Okay, here's the proof. Here's the proof. If you believe the Word, then wherever and whenever that Word is spoken, faithfully, you say, ‘that's God's Word. That is God's Word. I must call that alongside to consider.” And then you cry to God for grace to welcome it into your heart and life and then tenaciously cling to it no matter what the cost.
And I think that may help open up for us even more, Hebrews 11. That's the chapter on faith and what do you find again and again in it? You find men and women going through difficulty, obstacles, hardship and you read, he says, "And what more shall I say? For time will fail me if I recount Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, as well as David and Samuel and the prophets," and then he says, "others experienced mockings and floggings, yes, also chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were tempted, they were put to death with the sword"—and what was the cause of all of this? What was the driving motive? Faith.
And what is faith? The reception of the Word of God, assimilation of the Word of God, tenacious clinging to that Word no matter what the cost. That's faith. And from the human side, the Apostle Paul says the reason you people were good hearers is because you were faithful hearers. The contrast of course is in Hebrews 4 where it says the word of God did not profit them not being mixed with faith. It was, to use the language of Spurgeon, it was unprofitable mixture.
Now let me get personal and practical as we close this evening. When you hear the Word of God in this place or wherever you hear it week after week, is this what you do to that Word? Is this what I do to that Word? Welcome it alongside, then enfold it into your own heart and life and then cry out to God to assimilate it, that you may be able to assimilate it and then follow its course no matter what the cost. If so, the Word of God then becomes that powerful sanctifying, transforming instrument in the life of the church, in the life of the believer.
But simply going the first step is not enough. It's not enough for you and for me to just come and expose ourselves to it week after week if that exposure does not lead, does not inevitably lead to enveloping, to assimilating the Word. Paul attributes this threefold response as the activity of faith on the human side.
Now looking at it from the divine side, what's the cause of this? It's the mighty, efficacious work of God. For He says, remember, He says, we thank God continually, incessantly, without ceasing, that these three things were true. It is the living God who brings this to pass. That's what He said back in chapter 1 verses 4 and 5, "knowing, brothers beloved by God, your election, for our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit." And He traces it from the divine perspective. The reason for true hearers being found at Thessaloniki and found anywhere for that matter is that Almighty God was operative in the hearts of these people.
A true story of a certain woman, many, many years ago, went to a church where they were having an inner church gathering. A few churches were coming together for the service, a communion service. And this woman, not knowing who was going to be the preacher, came eager, excited to hear the Lord minister to her heart. And she was greatly blessed. She was so blessed, greatly. And the preacher at that time was a man by the name of Ebenezer Erskine, obviously of a bygone day. You don't find a name like that floating around today.
And as Ebenezer Erskine preached, the Spirit of God ministered to this woman's heart, and she was absolutely blessed, tremendously blessed. Well, then she figured, if I'm so blessed under this man's ministry, I'm going to find out where his church is and I'm going to go there next week. And so she did. And she came to this man's church and she heard him preach, but she was terribly disappointed. So she went up to him after the service and she said, Mr. Erskine, here's my problem. I heard you preach last week at such and such a place and told the circumstances, and my, the Spirit of God ministered to my heart with such freshness, with such power, but having come to hear you today, nothing happened.
And Erskine heard her out, and after he'd done that, he said to her, Madam, the reason for your problem is this. Last Sabbath, you went to hear Jesus Christ, but today you've come to hear Ebenezer Erskine. See the difference? Not knowing who the instrument is going to be, she came hungry. She came hungry to hear the Word of God. She came with expectations. God is going to speak. Who the human instrument is, I know not. I care not. All I want to hear is the voice of God through the Word of God. And she became so enamored with the instrument, she went to hear the instrument and she never heard the voice of God.
Oh, beloved, what an exhortation to us. There's only one reason why these people received the Word as the Word of God. The Spirit of God was operative. And how you and I should cry before every Lord's Day, cry out to God, and should never enter that door, but that you've spent at least some time with God praying, O Lord, O Lord, may I receive Your Word as the Word of the living God. O Lord, enable me not only to call it alongside of me, but even when it bites and stings and wounds, to welcome it with a hearty welcome within, and then Lord, by Your grace, help me assimilate it and work it out in my own life. And as you come with that posture, God will never disappoint that longing heart.
But oh, if you begin to have some subtle confidence in the human instrument, whether it's this pastor or any other pastor, maybe your testimony is going to be like that woman: I heard the voice of God last week, but no blessing today. Don't ever get your expectation on a human instrument. Never place your confidence or expectation in the instrument. For remember, God said, "Thus says Yahweh, 'Cursed is the man who trusts in mankind And makes flesh his strength, And whose heart turns away from Yahweh.'" Jeremiah 17:5.
Oh, by the grace of God, may we be found reminding ourselves of this principle week after week, so that our expectation is from the Lord. Do you want a true ministry in this congregation in the years to come, if the Lord tarries, the kind of ministry described in chapter two, the first 12 verses? You've got no right to expect it or pray for it unless by the grace of God you are a true hearer described in verse 13. May God make us such so that in that blessed combination of a true ministry and true hearers, the Word of God will triumph and the glory of Christ will be manifested in this congregation and will reverberate in an ever-widening circle, that we might have a ministry of grace and mercy and salvation to the ends of the earth to the praise of His glory. And God's people say, Amen.
Let's pray.
You get to chapter 2, Paul then shifts to defending, vindicating his ministry along with his associates, and he gives us a look at the kind of people through which God really accomplishes those mighty works described in chapter 1. And, in the first 12 verses of the second chapter and we studied those, you remember, under the heading, the general theme of the marks of a praiseworthy or trustworthy ministry, marks of a true minister, the marks of a true ministry. And having now concluded that section of the letter, we get to verse 13 in chapter 2, and that takes us back, as it were, into the first chapter in terms of thought.
For you will notice with me the first few words. Look at them. Look at what they are. "And for this reason, we also thank God without ceasing." Did you see that? He said back in chapter 1, verse 2, "We give thanks to God always"—right?—"for all of you, making mention of you in our prayers; remembering without ceasing," and so forth. And then all the way through to the end of chapter 1, he enumerates the different things which caused his heart to give thanks to God when he remembered the people there in Thessaloniki.
Then, he digressed into the area of his own ministry, vindicating his own ministry–the first 12 verses of chapter 2. And, now, in chapter 2, verse 13, he comes back to the thought of thanksgiving. And he says, “not only do we thank God for the fruit of His working in you,”-- referring to the work of faith, labor of love, steadfastness of hope. So he says, “not only do we thank God for the fruit of your saving response to the gospel,” but now in verse 13 of chapter 2, he says, “we thank God for the essence of that saving response.” We thank God for the essence of that saving response. The fruit of that response: faith, hope, love. But the essence of that response, he says in verse 13 of chapter 2, was your wholehearted reception of the Word of God as it is in truth the Word of the living God.
Now, setting this in its context of the second chapter, you see it's not only necessary that the church be blessed with true servants, faithful ministers, faithful servants, that a family be blessed with the true ministry of godly parents, that a Sunday school ministry would be blessed by a faithful teacher who is administering the responsibility as unto the Lord and so forth and so forth. But there also must be true hearers. True hearers. And here's the connection. For unless a true ministry is joined to true hearers, there will not be the effect that we find in the church at Thessaloniki.
So Paul, turning from himself and his associates as true ministers, he turns now to the Thessalonians and thanks God for them for being true, authentic hearers of the Word of God. And so the Apostle Paul brings these two things together, and having vindicated the true ministry, he now describes the essence of a true hearer and of a true ministry. And he does that—and I love it—he does it in the context of praise and thanksgiving to God.
And by way of introduction to this verse–our text–notice, first of all, the nature of His praise, the nature of His praise. Verse 13: "And for this reason we also thank God without ceasing." Under the heading, the nature of His praise, would you please notice with me that it was, first of all, it was continuous. It was continuous.
The word "without ceasing," ‘adialeiptōs’ is the Greek word, it means continually, incessantly. It means without intermission. Now, it doesn't mean that from the moment he got up in the morning, he started saying all day long, "Thank you Lord for the Thessalonians, thank you Lord for the Thessalonians, thank you Lord for the Thessalonians, thank you Lord for the Thessalonians." That's not what it means. It doesn't mean that at all. The same word you'd use when you say of someone, he was coughing nonstop, continually. You don't mean that he was coughing incessantly like all the time. Well, it means that he was coughing regularly, but that every few minutes he coughed, and then a few minutes later he coughs again—well that's the word he uses here, that's the meaning of it—"for this reason we also thank God without ceasing,"--that is, it is a continually recurring source of thanksgiving and praise to God in Paul's life.
In other words, what Paul describes in verse 13 is such marked evidence of the mighty work of God that Paul cannot forget it. It's always, every time it comes to his mind, he's just giving thanks to God for it. And may I say, wherever I find, wherever you find what's described in verse 13, it ought to be, beloved, a source of continuous praise to God because only God can bring this to pass. Only God can bring this to pass.
And, in the second place, His praise was not only continual, incessant, but it was theocentric. It was theocentric. It's another word of saying God-centered, God-centered. Verse 13: "For this reason we also"—what? Thank who? “God.” "We thank God without ceasing." In other words, he wants them to know that though he's describing what happened in them, what happened to them when the word of God came, he wants them to know that he does not trace the cause of it to them.
He said, now I'm going to commend you people, you people of God, for something that really brought great delight, joy to my heart. When you received the word, you received it not as the word of men, but you received it as the word of God indeed. But lest you go away and pat yourself on the back, I want you people to know that when I think of this, I don't praise you, but rather I praise God. For what happened in you was evidence of the working of Him, of God. And by inference, beloved, Paul is saying your praise ought to be directed where mine is directed. You give Him praise, give God praise, all of it.
So as we work our way through this text, seeking to consider what constitutes a right hearing and reception of the word, if you find that this is true of you, then beloved, your praise ought to be directed in the same direction as was Paul's praise, namely the living God Himself. Well, so much for that introductory thought on the nature of Paul's thanksgiving.
Now, look with me now, and this is the bulk of our study this evening. Look with me on the substance of his thanksgiving, the substance of his thanksgiving. What does he give thanks to God? For what does he give thanks to God without ceasing? Well, in the first place, beloved, he gives thanks to God for the initial reception of the word of God by these Thessalonians. Paul gives thanks to God for the initial reception of the word by these people in Thessaloniki.
Look at the text: "And for this reason we also thank God without ceasing, that when you received the word of God"—when you received, ‘paralambano’, so it's the word ‘lambano’ and they added ‘para’ alongside, and it's just to strengthen it more, ‘paralambano’, received. It means to take near with, to take near to oneself, alongside, to take to one side. When you took to your side, to your side the word of God—it's the word, the word of our Lord. It's the same word that the word—it's the same word that our Lord used in John 14 verse 3, that tremendous promise that has brought much comfort to the people of God through the centuries. Verse 3, John 14: "And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and”--‘paralambano’-- ”receive you,” “receive you to Myself.” I will take you to be with me, to be alongside of me–“that where I am, there you may be also." Now Paul thanks God that when the message came, these people took it alongside of themselves. In other words, they were interested in considering, in confronting, in facing the message of God.
Now, whose word was brought to them? Whose word? Well notice: "When you received the word of God." Well, what was that word of God? What does he mean, what was that word of God? Well, you go back to the account in Acts chapter 17, the account of really proclaiming the word there in Thessaloniki by the Apostle Paul and his associates, you will find that he is identifying the word of God with the written scripture of the Old Testament at that time. Acts 17, verse 2 and 3, we read: "And according to Paul’s custom, he went to them, and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and setting before them that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead, and saying, 'This Jesus whom I am proclaiming to you is the Christ.'" So he opened up the scripture. They had, of course, the deposit of the Old Testament scripture, and from the scripture he was reasoning and he was explaining and he was setting before them the Christ of scripture.
So Paul identifies the scriptures of the Old Testament as the word, the message of the living God, and he thanks God that when he brought that message, that inscripturated revelation of the word of God—not spewing out his own insight, he didn't bring his own insight, he didn't bring his own ideas, his own speculations and his own thoughts, but taking people to the scriptures and reasoning from the scriptures and opening and explaining and exegeting from the scriptures that Jesus was indeed the Messiah, the Christ. So he thanks God that they called that word alongside of them, that they ‘paralambano’, they received that word.
But notice he says, it did not come directly to them, but it's the word of God which you heard from us. It didn't come down through a revelation from heaven; it's that word that came from us. That word, the word of the living God, came through the human instruments. But, notice what these people did. Though the word of God came through a human vessel, and though there were probably things about the human vessel, the human instrument to which they did not naturally gravitate, he said, you did not reject the word of God because you didn't like the instrument. Paul says, "We also thank God without ceasing that when you received the word of God which you heard from us"—it came through human vessel, but you saw beyond the vessel, you saw beyond the instrument, and you called that word near to yourself, alongside of yourself, and you gave it a genuine hearing.
And that's the first factor in being a true hearer, beloved. When the word of God is proclaimed, when the word of God is taught, when there is faithful opening up of the scriptures regardless of the personality or the manner of the instrument through which it comes, you are a true hearer only so far as you receive that word, you call it alongside of you, and you give it serious, authentic consideration, regardless of the human vessel. That's the first step in being a true hearer of the word. Wherever this is absent, the word will never have a saving effect upon the heart and upon the life.
Notice several instances in the book of Acts where people did not do this—what Paul describes here with the word. We read in, for example, in Acts 7. In fact, turn with me there and I want you to see it. Acts chapter 7—you remember that scene—Stephen, the mouthpiece of the word of God to these Jews, and he's proclaiming the word of God, and the word begins to cut and wound and smite, and they begin to feel its pressure upon their hearts. And, in Acts chapter 7, verse 54 and following, we read, "Now when they heard this, they became furious in their hearts." Now, the minute the word came close, the minute the word came searching, they had to do one of two things—one of two things. They had to call it alongside of themselves and receive it, or they had to reject it and cast it from them. And it says that here in this instance, they did the latter. They began gnashing their teeth at him.
Verse 55: "But being full of the Holy Spirit, he gazed intently into heaven and saw the glory of God." Now notice verse 57: "But crying out with a loud voice, they covered their ears and rushed at him with one accord." Picture the scene and think of it. They covered their ears. They actually stop their ears. They stopped their—picture, picture little kids, you know, they stick their fingers in their ears. Well, people cover their ears: I don't want to hear it. I don't want to hear it. They covered their ears and they said, “we will hear no more.” What this word tells us about ourselves—oh no, it's way too devastating. It is too undoing, too humbling, too crushing, too wounded, too wounding—and they covered their ears. They don't want to hear it. They don't want to hear it. But I have to acknowledge, at least I have to acknowledge their honesty, that they did with their hands and fingers perhaps externally what they were doing in their hearts internally.
And I wonder, I wonder, beloved, when the word of God begins to come close and searching as it is proclaimed, and when God begins to touch us at our sore point, I wonder how many of us in our hearts have covered our ears. Hmm? How many? You see, if at any point you cover your ears to the word of God, regardless of who the instrument is conveying that word, you are not a right hearer of the word of God. A right hearing of the word—that for which Paul gives thanks as evidence to the Thessalonians—involves in the first place that initial reception of the word.
And notice in Acts 13, while we're in Acts, a similar instance with some of these Jews in the area where Paul was preaching. In Acts 13 verse 46, Acts 13 and verse 46, "Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly and said, 'It was necessary that the word of God be spoken to you first. Since you”–‘apotheo’, ‘apotheo’--“reject it.” The NASB puts it, "since you repudiate it." A stronger translation would be, “since you thrust it away from you, you thrust it away from you." Not you just push it—you thrust it away from you. You reject it vehemently—"since you repudiate it." These people, instead of receiving that word, they thrust it from them because it exposed them. It found them out and they could not stand that exposure, they couldn't.
How do you see the principle that speaks to each and every one of us this evening? Perhaps, you have been exposed to a true ministry either in this place or in other places–a ministry like the Apostle Paul's that he said was not according to error but according to the truth of God's word, rooted in the word of God, yet that word has come to us with its unpalatable doctrines telling us that our hearts are a veritable cesspool of iniquity, telling us that we as creatures of Adam, fallen sons and daughters of Adam, are capable of every foul iniquity that's ever been committed. It has come with its humbling doctrine that we are not only wounded and crippled but in a state, in such a state that we cannot even get ourselves to the remedy of God unless He by His grace enables us to. And that has been offensive to our human pride, and inwardly we have thrust the word of God away from us. Or perhaps as believers, the Spirit of God has come and touched us at a very sensitive point, and what have we done? We've thrust the word of God from us.
But Paul not only thanks God for that initial reception, but will you notice in the next place he thanks God for their hearty acceptance of the word as of divine authority. He thanks God for their hearty acceptance of the word as of divine authority. It's one thing to initially receive the word—that is, call it alongside of you, to give it a serious hearing, a serious consideration. Many go this far, but they stop short of the next thing. And that would be deficient. That would be defective.
Well, the Thessalonians didn't stop there. Notice the text. "And for this reason we also thank God without ceasing that when you”—‘paralambano’—“received the word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it”--accepted it–“not as the word of men." The word received in the first part of the verse is not as strong as the next word. The next word we've seen, we've come across this beautiful, powerful word, ‘dechomai’, ‘dechomai’. This word ‘dechomai’ means you accepted it with a hearty welcome, with a hearty embrace, with open arms, with joy, with a hearty welcome.
We've encountered this word back in chapter 1 verse 6. It's the same word used in Matthew 10 verse 14 where our Lord told His apostles, "Whoever does not”--‘dechomai’--“receive you, nor heed your words, as you leave that house or that city, shake the dust off your feet." How do you receive an apostle? You open your door and you give them a hearty welcome. This is the word used in Acts 3:21 where it says of our Lord after He was ascended that the “heaven must receive [Him]"— ‘dechomai’, receive Him with a hearty welcome—"until the period of restoration of all things." It's the word used consistently throughout the book of Acts whenever they are reporting that the word of God had indeed success in a certain area; they would report it in terms of so and so received—that's the word, ‘dechomai’—the word of God.
It speaks, for example, just to give you a few references, of the Gentiles receiving the word, Acts 11 verse 8, of the Samaritans receiving the word, verse 14 of Acts 8. It speaks of the Bereans in Acts 17:11 of receiving the word with this disposition of readiness and meekness and a hearty welcome. And of course, James 1:21, "in gentleness ‘dechomai’ the implanted word, which is able to save your souls." It's the word used throughout the scripture for that welcoming reception, that hearty reception into the heart and into the life.
And notice Paul says he's thankful that there was this welcoming reception of the word as it is in truth the word of God. He said, "you accepted it not as the word of men, but for what it really is, the word of God." When you welcomed it, you did not welcome it as the word of men. You see, if they did—if they did welcome it as the word of men—how would they have welcomed it? Well, the word of men, the word of one man that comes to you, another man, comes on the basis of what? Equal authority, right? It comes on the basis of equal authority. Therefore, it is debatable. It is debatable. Your opinion is as valid as mine. If you have a little more experience in the area we're debating, then your opinion is worth maybe perhaps a little bit more than mine. But that's all. It's still debatable, back and forth.
The word of a man that comes to another man is debatable. The word of a man that comes to another man is alterable. If you think you can make it a little bit more accurate, you could change a phrase here or a word there, and you could tweak it a little bit, and if it's the word of a man coming to another man, then it's your right to accept it or reject it. It's your prerogative.
Now Paul says, when we brought the word of God to you, you people welcomed it not as a word of men that was debatable, that was changeable, that was refusable, but he says you welcomed it with a hearty welcome as it is in truth the word of the living God. In other words, he said you welcomed it as a word of divine origin, divine authority. It didn't have its beginning in the head of the Apostle Paul, but in the heart and mind of God Himself, bearing the authority of God Himself. Though it came through the Apostle's head, though it came through the Apostle's mouth, you saw beyond the Apostle's head and mouth, you saw the mind and mouth of God Himself. You received it as a message of divine origin. And it came with a divine authority, and it was not up for debate, it was not up for discussion, it was not up for altering, it was not up for anything—you receive it, you accept it for what it is, the Word of God, inerrant, infallible, all-sufficient.
Paul said, when we gave you the Word, you not only called it alongside to consider it, but you then welcomed it into your lives, a hearty welcome, and with all that authority it ought to come to men who realize God, the Creator, the Sovereign God, the Creator of the universe, is speaking.
God the Preserver, God the Redeemer, God the Judge, and when God speaks, let all the earth be silent. Let all my objections and all my prejudices sink beneath the authority of the Word of God. They are null and void and mean nothing. Let all my so-called insights, all my so-called observations, all my so-called objections—let them all be sunk beneath the authority of the Word of God, for God has spoken. Let men be silent. I put my hand over my mouth. That's the attitude Paul describes amongst these people.
You received it. You received it not as the word of man, up for grabs, open to debate, but you received it as the Word of the living God. You received it, in other words, with reverence. God is speaking. Let the earth be silent. You received it with humility. God, who knows all, is speaking. I am but a mere creature of the dust. Not only am I limited in my knowledge and finite in my knowledge, but sin has stained my mind. I know nothing as I ought to know it. They received it with humility.
God has spoken. The God who cannot lie—therefore, that word was received with confidence. God has spoken, the God before whom I will stand in judgment—therefore, that word was received with holy fear and implicit trust. A beautiful description found in Isaiah 66–turn with me there–of what happens when people receive the Word of God as it is indeed and in truth the Word of God, and you're familiar with this text, but it bears repeating.
Isaiah 66, verse 1. What a glorious passage. "Thus says Yahweh, 'Heaven is My throne and the earth is the footstool of My feet. Where then is a house you could build for Me? And where is a place that I may rest? For My hand made all these things, Thus all these things came into being,' declares Yahweh. 'But to this one I will look, To him who is humble and contrite of spirit, and who trembles at My word.'"
Wow. See what God is saying? He says, what I speak, I speak as the God, Creator of heaven and earth. "The heaven is My throne and your little puny tiny earth is just My footrest. I rest My feet upon it." Now you people think because you've got a pretty temple, you've got Me. But hold on. You've forgotten who I am. I'm the mighty God, Creator of heaven and earth. I don't look down and assure My presence because you've got an ornate beautiful temple and a priesthood and a sanctuary. No, no.
He said there's one place where My presence is surely manifested—where there is a man of a poor and contrite spirit. And who's that? He's the one who recognizes, I'm a sinner. I'm a sinner. I'm a sinful creature and God is the great infinite Creator, Preserver, Redeemer. And then when that God speaks, this man receives His word not as the word of man but as the word of God. He receives it with trembling, with holy reverence. What does that mean? It's the trembling of reverence, of humility, the trembling of holy fear, of confidence, of awe that this God should speak to me, a nobody—a speck of dust in God's universe, a wretched rebel.
Now the apostle Paul thanks God that when the Word of God came to the Thessalonians, number one, they received that word initially. Then they heartily accepted it, secondly, as the Word of the living God. Now, why does he thank God for this? For the simple reason that only God, only God will bring a man to this place.
For the same word, by the way, is used in 1 Corinthians 2:14 where it says, "But a natural man does not"—what? ‘dechomai’—"does not accept"—with a hearty acceptance, with a hearty welcome—"the depths of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them because they are spiritually examined."
When Paul saw these people taking the word, that word which he was given from the Scriptures and receiving it in reverence, submitting to its statements, bowing in humility before its claim, receiving with holy trust its promises, Paul said, I know there's only one reason for that, only one reason, and that's the Holy Spirit has done a work of grace. For the natural man does not ‘dechomai’, does not accept, does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness unto him.
So Paul thanks God that these people thus accepted, thus received the word with its great themes of sin and judgment and atonement, the necessity of regeneration by the Spirit and justification by faith—all of these things that will be meaningless words, but when God is pleased to open the inner ear, there will be that hearty reception of the word.
But in the third place, Paul not only thanks God for initial reception and, secondly, a hearty acceptance as of divine authority—that word—but notice he closes with this phrase: "which also is at work in you who believe." Thirdly, he thanks God for a fruitful assimilation of the word of God, for a fruitful assimilation of the word of God.
You see the word "work," "which is at work in you." ‘Energeo’ is the Greek word from which we get our English word "energy," energy. It means to be effective. It means to be operative. You see, the word of God became operative. It was indeed working. It was producing effects in the lives of these people. What effects? Well, you have to wait until next week because that comes in verse 14. He tells us what those effects will be.
Look at verse 14 just to see them, but we won't open it up: "For you, brothers, became imitators of the churches of God in Christ Jesus that are in Judea, for you also suffered the same things at the hands of your own countrymen, even as they did from the Jews." He says, I know that this word was not only called alongside for consideration, warmly, joyfully embraced in a hearty welcome as the Spirit of God worked in you, but it was fruitfully assimilated into your life.
And the reason he says, I know that this is so, it's because of this: obedience to that word, faith in that word, led you straight into the crucible of suffering. Now, no man in his right mind embraces a word that's going to lead him into hardship and suffering and embraces it with a hearty welcome. But Paul says, that's exactly what you did. That's exactly what happened in your life and in your heart.
Everything was all right with you people there in that city, Thessaloniki, by the seaside. Business was booming, business going as usual, the bills were paid, neighbors smiling, everybody was having a great time, worshiping idols. But when I came and you received that word which I brought you as the word of God, it effectually worked in you in that though it led you out of a life of normalcy and ease right into the fires of persecution and suffering, you clung tenaciously to that word. Why? Because you knew it was the word of God, and suffering hardship, and persecution will never cause a man to relinquish what he knows to be the true and living word of God.
And, beloved, that's why God has always tested the profession of His church like this, with trials like this. Remember Matthew 13, the stony ground, receives the word with joy—wonderful, peace, eternal life, forgiveness, hallelujah, glorious, right? No. Receive is not ‘dechomai’, it's another word. But what does the Lord say? When affliction, persecution arise because of the what? Because of the word, immediately his true colors come to light. He falls away.
Well, if God knew that the tribulation, persecution was going to cause it to wither, why did He bring it to pass? For that very purpose—to separate the wheat from the chaff, the precious from the vile, to let a man know if his profession is genuine or not. And so Paul thanks God that these people were true, true hearers, for they not only called the word alongside to consider it, welcomed it into their hearts joyfully, but it was assimilated into the life. And though it led into paths of suffering, they maintained the stability in the midst of it because it was the word of God. And God's word is not relinquished simply because the pinch is felt.
Now, what is the cause of all of this? What made these people true hearers? Well, from the human side, Paul says, "which also is at work in you who"—what?—"who believe." You see it? “Who believe. This is what faith does, true faith. This is what genuine faith does. Faith makes you a true hearer.
What was the cause of these three things? Calling the word alongside, receiving it initially, welcoming it, and then assimilating it. He says this was the effect of faith. It is at work in you who believe. Saving faith, genuine faith, authentic faith, sanctifying faith.
Well, what does faith do? Well, faith, first of all, turns in the direction of the Word of God. Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the what? By the Word of God. But he not only turns in the direction of the Word of God to consider it, once considering it, faith then what? Embraces it joyfully, tenaciously, and having embraced it, faith clings to it even unto death.
That's why our Lord says to the church of Smyrna, "Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life." Revelation 2:10. If we will deny Him, He also will deny us. 2 Timothy 2:12. Why? Because a true believer does not deny His Lord as the deep-seated attitude of his heart. Of course, in a moment of weakness, he may fail to confess Him as Peter did and deny Him in that instance, but he will not deny in the sense that he repudiates Christ.
Why? Because authentic faith—faith being the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen—grasps eternal truths as expressed in the Word of God and clings to it no matter what the cost. You ask someone, do you believe the Word of God? Oh yes, I believe the Word. Okay, here's the proof. Here's the proof. If you believe the Word, then wherever and whenever that Word is spoken, faithfully, you say, ‘that's God's Word. That is God's Word. I must call that alongside to consider.” And then you cry to God for grace to welcome it into your heart and life and then tenaciously cling to it no matter what the cost.
And I think that may help open up for us even more, Hebrews 11. That's the chapter on faith and what do you find again and again in it? You find men and women going through difficulty, obstacles, hardship and you read, he says, "And what more shall I say? For time will fail me if I recount Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, as well as David and Samuel and the prophets," and then he says, "others experienced mockings and floggings, yes, also chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were tempted, they were put to death with the sword"—and what was the cause of all of this? What was the driving motive? Faith.
And what is faith? The reception of the Word of God, assimilation of the Word of God, tenacious clinging to that Word no matter what the cost. That's faith. And from the human side, the Apostle Paul says the reason you people were good hearers is because you were faithful hearers. The contrast of course is in Hebrews 4 where it says the word of God did not profit them not being mixed with faith. It was, to use the language of Spurgeon, it was unprofitable mixture.
Now let me get personal and practical as we close this evening. When you hear the Word of God in this place or wherever you hear it week after week, is this what you do to that Word? Is this what I do to that Word? Welcome it alongside, then enfold it into your own heart and life and then cry out to God to assimilate it, that you may be able to assimilate it and then follow its course no matter what the cost. If so, the Word of God then becomes that powerful sanctifying, transforming instrument in the life of the church, in the life of the believer.
But simply going the first step is not enough. It's not enough for you and for me to just come and expose ourselves to it week after week if that exposure does not lead, does not inevitably lead to enveloping, to assimilating the Word. Paul attributes this threefold response as the activity of faith on the human side.
Now looking at it from the divine side, what's the cause of this? It's the mighty, efficacious work of God. For He says, remember, He says, we thank God continually, incessantly, without ceasing, that these three things were true. It is the living God who brings this to pass. That's what He said back in chapter 1 verses 4 and 5, "knowing, brothers beloved by God, your election, for our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit." And He traces it from the divine perspective. The reason for true hearers being found at Thessaloniki and found anywhere for that matter is that Almighty God was operative in the hearts of these people.
A true story of a certain woman, many, many years ago, went to a church where they were having an inner church gathering. A few churches were coming together for the service, a communion service. And this woman, not knowing who was going to be the preacher, came eager, excited to hear the Lord minister to her heart. And she was greatly blessed. She was so blessed, greatly. And the preacher at that time was a man by the name of Ebenezer Erskine, obviously of a bygone day. You don't find a name like that floating around today.
And as Ebenezer Erskine preached, the Spirit of God ministered to this woman's heart, and she was absolutely blessed, tremendously blessed. Well, then she figured, if I'm so blessed under this man's ministry, I'm going to find out where his church is and I'm going to go there next week. And so she did. And she came to this man's church and she heard him preach, but she was terribly disappointed. So she went up to him after the service and she said, Mr. Erskine, here's my problem. I heard you preach last week at such and such a place and told the circumstances, and my, the Spirit of God ministered to my heart with such freshness, with such power, but having come to hear you today, nothing happened.
And Erskine heard her out, and after he'd done that, he said to her, Madam, the reason for your problem is this. Last Sabbath, you went to hear Jesus Christ, but today you've come to hear Ebenezer Erskine. See the difference? Not knowing who the instrument is going to be, she came hungry. She came hungry to hear the Word of God. She came with expectations. God is going to speak. Who the human instrument is, I know not. I care not. All I want to hear is the voice of God through the Word of God. And she became so enamored with the instrument, she went to hear the instrument and she never heard the voice of God.
Oh, beloved, what an exhortation to us. There's only one reason why these people received the Word as the Word of God. The Spirit of God was operative. And how you and I should cry before every Lord's Day, cry out to God, and should never enter that door, but that you've spent at least some time with God praying, O Lord, O Lord, may I receive Your Word as the Word of the living God. O Lord, enable me not only to call it alongside of me, but even when it bites and stings and wounds, to welcome it with a hearty welcome within, and then Lord, by Your grace, help me assimilate it and work it out in my own life. And as you come with that posture, God will never disappoint that longing heart.
But oh, if you begin to have some subtle confidence in the human instrument, whether it's this pastor or any other pastor, maybe your testimony is going to be like that woman: I heard the voice of God last week, but no blessing today. Don't ever get your expectation on a human instrument. Never place your confidence or expectation in the instrument. For remember, God said, "Thus says Yahweh, 'Cursed is the man who trusts in mankind And makes flesh his strength, And whose heart turns away from Yahweh.'" Jeremiah 17:5.
Oh, by the grace of God, may we be found reminding ourselves of this principle week after week, so that our expectation is from the Lord. Do you want a true ministry in this congregation in the years to come, if the Lord tarries, the kind of ministry described in chapter two, the first 12 verses? You've got no right to expect it or pray for it unless by the grace of God you are a true hearer described in verse 13. May God make us such so that in that blessed combination of a true ministry and true hearers, the Word of God will triumph and the glory of Christ will be manifested in this congregation and will reverberate in an ever-widening circle, that we might have a ministry of grace and mercy and salvation to the ends of the earth to the praise of His glory. And God's people say, Amen.
Let's pray.
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