‘A Sign of Christ’s True Followers’
1 Thess 2: 1 – 8, Matt 22: 34 – end

Our Thessalonians reading today has a very important message for us to take on board, it gives us crystal clear indications of how God wants us, the followers of His Son to behave – no deceit, no falsehood, or ulterior motives or trying to be someone else. Love each other unconditionally being the underlying principle we heard in our Gospel today.

So, what is the context of Paul’s thoughts to his friends in Thessalonica? Their recent visit had been brought to a sudden end, when the Jews decided to oppose the Gospel – they stirred up a public riot and brought charges against the two of them, baying for their blood, so Paul and Silas were helped to escape. They could have just disappeared, having no further contact, giving their enemies the opportunity to discredit them, sneering and saying things like: “you can now see what they’re like, they fled and abandoned you and the church they started.” But Paul was aware of this danger and wrote this letter attempting to remove all possible misconceptions. Explaining why they were forced to leave and reminding them of what happened and how they behaved while among them. Yet emphasising their longing to return. He wrote: “After we were separated from you for a little while (though our hearts never left you), we tried very hard to come back because of our intense longing to see you again”. V 17

As I thought about this situation, I felt it described Paul’s example for us in two words, they are INTEGRITY and AUTHENTICITY.  There was nothing false, or fake about him.

So, what can we learn from this?  Paul was an open book, to them. They heard the good news of the Gospel from him, but they also saw the way he lived.  What is it Kim Cooper often quotes? “The only Gospel many people read is our way of life”

Paul hadn’t used “words of flattery” or wanted to burden them.” He said, “Night and day we toiled to earn a living so that we would not be a burden to any of you” Then another wakeup call in v5 “God alone examines the motives of our hearts”. He is saying God sees what other people cannot see. His conduct among them was open and transparent. Both the people and God witnessed it. His transparency was like our Lord while He was here on earth. That’s why they had to find people to lie at His trial; that’s integrity. I was reminded of what Peter said in his first letter: if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it. But do this in a gentle and respectful way. Keep your conscience clear. Then if people speak against you, they will be ashamed when they see what a good life you live because you belong to Christ.

Some years ago, the New York Herald Tribune showed a picture of the Statue of Liberty, taken from a helicopter. From that angle, it showed the top of the statue’s head. They commented on the sculptor having done a painstaking job with the lady’s face, arms and clothes. But he must have thought that the only eyes that would ever see the top of her head would be seagulls. Because he couldn’t have conceived of anyone flying over its head. Yet he took as much care sculpting the hair, scalp and shoulder folds as he had to all the areas people would easily see from their viewpoint on the ground. Christians, acknowledge God is always watching and sees everything, but does it make a difference?

Paul sets a very high benchmark, but this is what we ought to strive for – to be open,

truthful and transparent in life and witness. That’s only possible with the Holy spirit’s hourly help, but it’s the mark of a true disciple and follower of Christ. So how does this apply to us? The late John Stott commented: “No church can spread the gospel with any degree of integrity, let alone credibility, unless it has been visibly changed by the gospel it preaches. We need to look like what we are talking about. It is not enough to receive the gospel and pass it on; we must embody it in our common life, our love, our joy, our peace, and hope.”

Earlier, we used the word AUTHENTICITY—meaning the opposite of fake. Before coming to Thessalonica, Paul and Silas had suffered persecution in Philippi. They had been beaten, insulted and thrown into prison into stocks. But we know they were praying and singing at night when an earthquake struck and then the jailor and his family accepted Christ, directly because of the authenticity of Paul and Silas’s Christian life. Similarly, when they came to Thessalonica, they met again with strong opposition. Yet eventually there were many believers and the young church grew. Paul said, “…God gave us the courage to declare his Good News to you boldly” (2:2). He couldn’t control the circumstances of how people responded to the Gospel, but he could decide how he approached sharing it.

Paul boldly shared the Gospel and lived it, nothing more, nothing less, so he could say: “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes.” Rom 1:16. Paul didn’t try to mince his words, or avoid the core good news by sugar-coating it, or tricking people into believing. He did nothing out of selfish ambition; his motive was a genuine love and wanting the best for the people. Nothing false, nothing fake. That’s the sign of a faithful disciple of Christ, who follows his Lord’s example and takes his responsibilities seriously.

IN CONCLUSION Paul is here modelling for us the example of a true follower of Christ, seeking only to please his Lord, not his friends or peers.He Presented the truth of the Gospel with no compromises, no fear, no impure motives, no personal agenda. He alone knows the true motivations behind our words and actions.Our integrity and authenticity are what matters most to Him, not how others perceive us.This must ultimately define the outworking of our faith, which others see. Amen                                        

 Rev Paul Pritchard