The Pastor's Sacrifice for his People (1 Thess. 3:1b-2a)

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 4/28/2014 9:18 AM

My Worship Time                                                      Focus:  The Pastor’s Sacrifice for his People

Bible Reading & Meditation                                     Reference:  1 Thessalonians 3:1b-2a

            Message of the verses:  we thought it best to be left behind at Athens alone, 2 and we sent Timothy, our brother and God’s fellow worker in the gospel of Christ,”

            As I was reading the commentary that Warren Wiersbe wrote on the first verse in chapter three he focused in on the word “left” and has this to say about it.  “The word translated ‘left’ in 1 Thessalonians 3:1 means ‘to leave loved ones at death.’  In 1 Thessalonians 2:17 he said that he felt ‘orphaned’ from his friends in Thessalonica, and the Greek word can also mean ‘bereaved.’  Paul was not a ‘hireling shepherd’ who abandoned the sheep when there was danger (John 10:12-13).  To leave these new believers was like an experience of bereavement.”  I mentioned in yesterday’s SD that these kinds of feelings that Paul had for these people had to be of the Lord, and this surely demonstrated how God had changed the life of Paul from when he was known as Saul of Tarsus.  When I was working at my regular job a long time ago we had to listen to a motivational speaker who said that after so many years, something like 8-10 years that a person will not be able to change.  I surely disagreed with this in my mind as I knew that I was 26 years old when the Lord saved me and that changed my life forever.  Paul’s life was surely changed by the Lord for God told Ananias “11 And the Lord said to him, "Get up and go to the street called Straight, and inquire at the house of Judas for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying, 12 and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him, so that he might regain his sight." 13 But Ananias answered, "Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much harm he did to Your saints at Jerusalem; 14 and here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on Your name." 15 But the Lord said to him, "Go, for he is a chosen instrument of Mine, to bear My name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel; 16 for I will show him how much he must suffer for My name’s sake’ (Acts 9:11-16).”  We read about the suffering that Paul did for the Lord all throughout the book of Acts, but he also mentioned it in 1 Thessalonians and also in 2 Corinthians.  Paul truly did sacrifice many things for the people he ministered to, and he did this because of the great love that he has for his people.  John MacArthur writes “Strong affection always leads to sacrifice.  Love gives itself away for its object.  Selfless commitment to meet other’s needs is the measure of true care for others.” 

            We can see Paul’s love for the believers at Thessalonica by sending his best person to them, that being Timothy.  He could not come himself as we learned in the last chapter, but he had to know how these precious new believers were doing so he was left alone at Athens as seen in Acts chapter seventeen. 

            Paul not only called Timothy his brother in the Lord, but also “God’s fellow worker” and in some translations it is translated “minister.”  John MacArthur writes “That is a startling truth—that a man could be a fellow worker with the Holy One.  He worked with God because he, as Paul, faithfully proclaimed the gospel of Christ.”  He goes on to say that we see three times in 1 Thessalonians that we read “the Gospel of God” “because God provided it in and through Christ.” 

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  Being “God’s fellow worker” comes with much responsibility, but even more to be worthy of being called this is truly amazing to me.  This should be the desire of every believer, to be used of God to advance the cause of Christ.

My Steps of Faith for Today:  To be called a fellow worker with God.

Memory verse for the week:  Galatians 2:20

I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live I live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.

Answer to yesterday’s Bible question:  “Josiah” (2 Kings 23:29).

Today’s Bible question:  “In which book is this statement found ‘In those days there was no king in Israel:  every man did which was right in his own eyes’?”

Answer in our next SD.

4/28/2014 10:06 AM