Good morning.
Today we're going to start in the middle of verse 13 of chapter 2 of first
Thessalonians: You accepted it not as the word of men, but for what it really
is, the word of God, which also performs its work in you who believe. Wow! This
word that we are looking at every morning is not man's word but God's word.
This is not the word of some philosopher, but the word of the living God. Not
only is God living but also His word is living as we know from verse 12 of
chapter 4 of Hebrews. It is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the
heart. I'm sure we will look at that again when we get to Hebrews. Back to
Thessalonians: we need to allow this word of God to perform its work in us. We
resist because we don't like what it shows us about ourselves. We want to do
our own thing. We don't want someone or something telling us not to do
something; or telling us to do something. It's hard to stop resisting and allow
the Holy Spirit to work in us; to use that word that we know is true. Today
allow that living word of God to do its work in you. I know that you will be a
success!
Therefore I exhort you, be imitators of me
Good morning. Paul then gives a list of a lot of things that he has gone through as an apostle. I do not write these things to shame you, but to admonish you as my beloved children. For if you were to have countless tutors in Christ, yet you would not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel. There could be many people that you listen to either in church or through the Internet or other means; but there was only one person (as a general rule it was a person) that lead you to Christ. Therefore I exhort you, be imitators of me. He was saying that just like a child imitates his or her father, they were to imitate him. He says that again seven chapters later. Since it is easy to forget some things about people we have not seen in a while, Paul says that he sent Timothy to them to remind them of his ways which are in Christ, just as he taught everywhere in every church. Some have become arrogant, as though I were not coming to you. I shall find ou...
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