1 Thessalonians 2:4 On the contrary, we speak as men approved by God to be

entrusted with the gospel. We are not trying to please men but God, who tests our
hearts.

I must confess it – I really like Paul’s writing, especially when he is candid about the
Christian faith. He reminds his readers that Christians are not meant to be crowd-pleasers
or popularity-seekers. We have been given the Gospel because this is the last and best
opportunity that humankind has in order to be saved. If we diminish the message because
it will either fall upon deaf ears or we will be ‘not liked, then so be it. The Church was not
established by Christ to be like the world; it is meant to disturb the people on this planet.

This is why, in despotic nations who are ruled by tyrants, Christianity is oppressed. Evil
people like their easy evil ways; when the Church confronts them with the Truth, tyrants
and dictators will eventually fall. Christianity is not a cozy religion, it’s a radical faith.

I must also confess that this is why I dislike Christians attacking the Church for being
outdated, unhip, and irrelevant. They should do more reading of Church history, for they
will soon discover that the Church is anything but outdated, unhip, and irrelevant. Post-
modern people may like to delude themselves about how ineffective the Church is, but
post-modern people only see what they want to see and are largely very narrow-minded,
self-centered, and hopelessly insecure.

As Paul states, the purpose of our faith is to please God, not other people. If our hearts are
full of ourselves, then we will have no room for God, which would be a total shame, for God
created our hearts to be filled with His love, so that we could enjoy Him forever.

Questions for personal reflection

What have I done with the Gospel that God has given me? What have I still to do with
it?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, Your Life is the Gospel, so we are thankful for learning of, knowing,
and loving You. Our lives would be totally different without Your presence and influence. Our
hope and salvation, as well as our happiness and restoration all depend upon You alone.
Thank You, Jesus, for being our Savior and for giving us Your Gospel. In Your Holy Name, we
pray. Amen.

Submitted by Gary Chang, Gracepoint Hsinchu

1 Thessalonians 2:4 In defending his ministry to the Thessalonians, Paul here goes into length to tell the
people that his ministry among them was not to please people or to curry their favors, but to please God,
because he speaks as a man “approved by God to be entrusted with the Gospel.” Again and again
throughout the Epistles, we see that behind his labors of love, prayers and burden for each of the churches
that he writes to, sufferings that he undergoes, and false teachings and problems which threaten the
spiritual well-being of the church body that he confronts – as a consistent driving force behind his
activities was Paul’s view of himself as an emissary from God “entrusted” with the mission to preach the
Gospel. (E.g. “And of this Gospel I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher…” 2 Timothy
1:11.) I was reminded of last week’s Koinonia Bible Study as I noticed that Paul once again used the word
“entrusted” to describe himself. Whether it is before the Corinthians or the Thessalonians, Paul lives with
a clear understanding of himself as someone who is given the responsibility and the charge from God to
preach the Gospel to those who have not heard.

The Giver in the Gift

A

Scripture Reading — 1 Thessalonians 2:1-12

We were delighted to share … not only the gospel … but our lives as well …
1 Thessalonians 2:8 —

Paul's words remind us that the greatest blessings we receive from others are found not so
much in the gifts they give but in the people they are. They invest themselves in us, and in
so doing some of their own good character rubs off on us. In one of his books Lewis
Smedes writes about the time he and his wife came home and found a package on their
front porch. They opened it and found inside a beautiful afghan that someone had knitted
for them. It was a gift from a woman who had been a member of Smedes's congregation
many years before and who had stayed in touch with them over the years. Smedes writes
poetically about how the gift they received was much greater than the afghan. It was as if
the person who made it had stitched compassion right into it. The love and kindness of
their friend's gift made Smedes and his wife feel warmer than the warmth any afghan
could provide. When we invest ourselves in the lives of other people, we give them greater
help than any mere gift can supply. Every gift is but an extension of the great gift of
ourselves. That's why helping others must include more than just praying for them. When
we ask God to help others, the intersection of our lives with theirs may be the best answer
to our prayers.
Prayer

Lord, you have given yourself so fully to us. Help us to follow your example by
investing ourselves in the lives of others. Teach us to be humble, and show us how to
serve. Amen.