Well as God may be pleased to
help us once again we'll continue our meditation in the first epistle
of Paul to the Thessalonians chapter 2 and this evening we'll
just read one verse and that's verse 13. So the first epistle
of Paul to the Thessalonians and chapter 2 and verse 13. For this cause also thank we
God, without ceasing, because when ye received the word of
God, which ye heard of us, ye received it, not as the word
of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God. which effectually
worketh also in you that believe. Well we should be thankful that
the Apostle was able to write in such a free way to the church
at Thessalonica and to be honest in his statements as he always
is and how often he brings statements to us so that we can read them. They are the great truths of
the Word of God. And so he commences by saying
this, for this cause also thank we God without ceasing. And he's referring really to
the previous verses that we meditated on last Tuesday. We're thankful to know that we
have that great God who does give cause to be thankful. And to not forget, here the Apostle
says that he thanks God without ceasing. Another time, writing
again to the Thessalonians, he advises to pray without ceasing. Really, he directs us to the
needs to continually be in contact with our God. In one way or another,
prayer or thankfulness. we forget to thank God. And it's really good to have
such a position before us to realise how important it is for
this cause also. Thank we God without ceasing. And he tells us then why he's
so thankful. Because when you receive the
word of God which he heard of us, that's the preaching, that
the Apostle and Timotheus and Silvanus were able to preach. When they heard it, they received
it, not as the word of man, but they received the word of God,
which he heard of us. And it's a very important consideration
because we often come and we hear the gospel preached Sometimes
we can be critical, but we should realise that those who are called
to preach the Gospel are only the mouthpiece of Almighty God. They speak the words that the
Holy Spirit directs them to speak. And therefore it's good to recognise
such a truth as this when you received the Word of God. They didn't reject it. They weren't
critical of it. They received the Word of God
which ye heard of us. We've just read in that chapter
to the Corinthians, that first chapter, again how the Apostle
speaks about the preaching of the gospel and he tells us so
clearly, he said, God sent him to preach not with wisdom of
words, lest the cross of Christ should be made a none effect.
The great danger is that a poor sinful man should be elevated,
but no, God does choose such to declare the unsearchable riches
of Christ and as we go on in this same first chapter we're
told that God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to
confound the wise and God hath chosen the weak things of the
world to confound the things which are mighty and base things
of the world and things which are despised hath God chosen,
yea, and things which are not, to bring to naught things that
are. It reminds me of an experience
I had on one occasion when I was in South Africa and we had a
court case which we were fighting and we'd had a very able Queen's
Council to represent us on a certain day and the day finished and
I went to my hotel and in the morning I got up and sat in the
dining room having breakfast and I was thinking of the great
ability this man had and the thought came into my mind I wish
I had the same ability as that man. And then these words dropped
in. God has chosen the foolish things
of this world. You see that put everything in
a different context. And what he did was to elevate
God, to realize that he was the almighty one. He was the one
that gave the wisdom. He was the one that gave the
words. And how wonderful it is then
to realize that The Apostle Paul writes to the Corinthians in
this vein, to convince them of the vitalness of preaching the
gospel and the words that God gives to them, the preachers
to preach. And so here we read that when
you receive the word of God, the word of God which had been
preached to them, when they heard it, they received it. not as
a word of men, but as it is in truth. It was, of course, the
great and glorious truth of God. He didn't despise it when we
turn to the Galatians. The Apostle wrote to the Galatians
in a similar vein, really. And he says in the fourth chapter,
and the 14th verse, and my temptation, which was in my flesh, ye despised
not, nor rejected, but received me as an angel of God, even as
Christ Jesus. Where is then the blessedness
you spake of? For I bear you record, that if
it had been possible, you would have plucked out your own eyes,
And given them to me, am I therefore become your enemy? Because I
tell you the truth. Again, you see, it's good to
be reminded of these things and to recognize that we should bless
God for his truth. And sometimes his truth may be
repeated. The glorious truth of the gospel
may be repeated. And sometimes we might think,
well, I heard that last Sunday. Surely the preacher's not going
to repeat what he said last Sunday. Well, you might just be reminded
of what the apostle tells us in writing the Acts of the Apostles. And in the 13th chapter, in verse
42, we're told, And when the Jews were gone out to the synagogue,
the Gentiles besought that these words The words they had heard
might be preached to them the next Sabbath. They weren't tired
of it, they didn't rebel against it. They wanted to hear the great
and glorious truth of the Gospel. You know, the true believer never
tires of hearing the truth of the Gospel. What a wonderful
thing it is. And so it was received, not as
a word of men, but as it is in truth, truth from God, not the
truth of a mere man, the truth of God. It is the truth, the
word of God, the word of God. And what is this word of God?
Which effectually worketh Also, in you that believe. Surely the
consideration must be that if this word, when it's preached,
doesn't enter into our heart, and if we reject it, the reason
is because we're not amongst those who are believing. which
effectually worketh also in you that believe." What a great blessing
it is to be a true believer. Well, it's a wonderful favour. Just one or two points that I'd
like to bring to your attention. First of all, when the book of
the Chronicles was written, you may remember there were just
a few verses just one verse almost, verse 10 in the fourth chapter
of the first book of Chronicles about a man called Jabez. Someone
who is referred to sometimes and is well worth referring to
because we're told about him. And Jabez called on the God of
Israel saying, A very simple prayer, but a very true prayer. Oh, that thou wouldest bless
me indeed and enlarge my coast. That was his spiritual desire. He didn't dictate to God what
should be preached. He didn't dictate to God how
it should be preached. His concern was that he would
be blessed indeed. and that his soul would be enlarged
through the preaching of the gospel, and that thine hand might
be with me, and that thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it may
not grieve me. And we're told, and God granted
him that which he requested. It's wonderful really that we
have a very simple statement like that to encourage us and
to direct us in what we should do and what we should say. And
then we have another example. When the people gather together
in Nehemiah's day. You remember the people have
come back from Babylon. And there they were in Jerusalem,
and Nehemiah had erected a pulpit, and the people gathered together,
young and old, and the little ones, and he preached the gospel. And we're told how it occurred
in the eighth chapter to Nehemiah, verses eight to 12. And this
is what it says. So, they read in the book, in
the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense and caused them
to understand the reading." How important it is that you and
I understand the reading. Often people just rush over something,
a great important statement. And yet here they were. They
were caused them to understand the reading. And Nehemiah, which
is the Tertiary And Ezra the priest, the scribe, and the Levites
that taught the people said unto all the people, this day is holy
unto the Lord your God. Mourn not, nor weep. For all
the people wept when they heard the words of the law. Then he
said unto them, go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet,
and send portions unto them of whom nothing is prepared. For
this day is holy unto our Lord. Neither be ye sorry, for the
joy of the Lord is your strength. And my friends, what reason we
have to joy in the Lord with the glorious gospel. How often
we find we're looking down rather than looking up. What a blessing
it is when we look up. So the Levites stilled all the
people saying, hold your peace for the day is holy. Neither
be ye grieved, And all the people went their way to eat and drink,
and to send portions, and to make great mirth, because they
had understood the words that were declared unto them. Well, that's a great and wonderful
blessing, isn't it? And so we have this statement
here before us today, that the word of men, but as it is in
truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you
that believe. So it's a great blessing if when
we hear the gospel preached, It is effectual. It has a good
effect upon us. We profit from it. We benefit
from it. We realize it is the great and
glorious Word of God to our souls. And then coming back to this
chapter, part of, we read this 1 Corinthians where the Apostle
says, for after that in the wisdom of God, the world by wisdom knew
not God, Please God, by the foolishness of preaching, to save them that
believe. And then he goes on, as I've
already commented, that God has chosen the foolish things of
the world to confound the wise. God has chosen the weak things
of the world to confound the things which are mighty, and
base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath
God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to naught things
that are. Well, surely this is a very wonderful
verse that the Apostle wrote to the Church of Thessalonica. It may be a wonderful verse to
our souls to remember and to meditate upon for this cause
also. Thank we God, without ceasing,
brethren, When you receive the word of God, which he heard of
us, you received it not as the word of men, but as it is in
truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you
that believe. Well, may God bless his word.