Well, I might please God this
evening to help us as we continue our meditation in the first epistle
of Paul to the Thessalonians. And this evening, we'll speak
on the first four verses in chapter two. First epistle of Paul to
the Thessalonians, chapter two, and the first four verses. I'll
just read them. For yourselves, brethren, know
our entrance in unto you that it was not in vain, But even
after that we had suffered before and were shamefully entreated,
as ye know at Philippi, we were bold in our God to speak unto
you the gospel of God with much contention. For our exaltation
was not of deceit, nor of uncleanness, nor in guile. But as we were
allowed of God to be put in trust with the Gospel, even so we speak,
not as pleasing men, but God, which trieth our hearts. We see in these few verses as
the Apostle addresses the Thessalonians how he is able to declare unto
them how the Lord was with him and as he says, for yourselves
brethren know our entrance in unto you that it was not in vain. How wonderful to know that God
blessed his ministry and of course those that were also with him
from time to time and we're thankful that he is able to acknowledge
that it was not in vain. We know that the Apostle had
much opposition but nonetheless he's able to be able to give
this good testimony that that which was set before the people
was not in vain. And then he says, but even after
that we had suffered before and were shamefully entreated as
you know at Philippi. You may remember of course how
they were shamefully entreated at Philippi, especially as we
may realise that They followed the word of God. They did God's
will. They did God's bidding. And yet
we see how they had to face much opposition and much evil. And we're told in the 16th chapter
of the Acts of the Apostles, how the multitude rose up together
against them. And the magistrates rent off
their clothes and commanded to beat them. And when they had
laid many stripes upon them, They cast them into prison, charging
the jailer to keep them safely. And what was that which aggrieved
the people? It was really the preaching of
the Gospel. And yet it's wonderful, isn't
it, to realise that the Apostle obeyed the call of God went to
Macedonia, we're told, and in a vision appeared to Paul in
the night. There stood a man in Macedonia
and prayed him saying, come over into Macedonia and help us. And after he had seen the vision,
immediately we endeavored to go into Macedonia, assuring the
gathering that the Lord had called us for to preach the gospel unto
them. good isn't it to know that they
were obedient, exactly the same as we considered on the Lord's
Day. Abraham obeyed, obeyed God and
to take and offer up his son. Initially it seemed favourable
and then what difficulty occurred but the Lord was gracious to
him and blessed him in the end. And so here we see Paul willing
to go into Macedonia and to go into Philippi and to preach the
Gospel. And of course initially there
was blessing when they came to the river where prayer was going
to be made and we're told, and a certain woman named Lydia,
a seller of purple of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped
God, heard us, whom heart the Lord opened. that she attended
unto the things which were spoken of Paul. And it's good often
to read accounts like this to see that the work of God in this
woman's heart was so great and so wonderful and yet so simple. The Holy Spirit opened her heart
to receive the things that the Apostle had spoken. The effect
was that she was baptised and her household. What a mercy then
the Gospel was preached. But then of course they came
to Philippi and there they didn't have the blessing that they perhaps
anticipated. But there was indeed at that
place a damsel possessed with the spirit of divination. that
met us, which brought her masters much gain by her soothsaying.
The same followed Paul and us, crying, saying, These men are
the servants of the Most High God, which shine to us the way
of salvation. That woman was also changed in
her ways. And that, of course, brought
anger from so many. And the effect was that Paul
and Silas were then cast into prison. beaten. Many stripes
laid upon them but again God was gracious to him. He and Silas
were blessed to be able to sing praises to God at midnight. The
prisoners heard him and then there was that earthquake and
the jailer was moved to come and to cry out He came trembling
and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe
on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved and thy house. So there we see what the Apostle
is referring to here. But even after that, we had suffered
before and were shamefully entreated, as you know at Philippi, we were
bold in our God to speak unto you the Gospel of God with much
contention because after they left Philippi they went to Thessalonica
and there the Lord was with them and the Lord blessed the word
and he tells them how they preached. For our exhortation was not of
deceit, nor of uncleanness, nor in guile. They didn't pretend
anything that was not true. They desired to speak the truth. There was no deceit, there was
no guile, there was no uncleanness. And so as they were faithful
in that, He was able to express to them. But as we were allowed
of God to be put in trust with the Gospel, which of course they
were, And what a wonderful privilege that was. No greater privilege
than we put in trust with the Gospel. We put in trust with
the Gospel, that great and wonderful Good News. Even so, we speak. And then he says, not as pleasing
men. He had no desire to just do those
things which men wanted, that men perhaps wanted to hear. No.
Even so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God, which trieth our
hearts. They had a message from God. The message from God they preached. God was very gracious and blessed
the Word. It may have been not what the
people expected, not what the people wanted, but that wasn't
the concern of the Apostle. The concern of the Apostle was
to speak the Word of God. Indeed he was as the mouthpiece
of God. And indeed all his servants are
the mouthpiece of God. And it's a wonderful blessing
to be the mouthpiece of God and therefore to do God's bidding
because we are to please God. We're not to please men. We could
try and please men. wouldn't be successful. We have
to do as Paul did. He preached the gospel as the
Lord directed him. The Lord gave him the words to
speak. And he spoke those words. And God blessed those words. Well, what a wonderful thing
it is to read such an account, a testimony of the Apostle Paul,
that man of God who wasn't afraid of what men said or thought or
desired. He was only concerned to do the
will of God and to speak that which God spoke into his heart. Well, we should be thankful the
Lord in his love and mercy has given us his word, his truth
to consider and to trace out wonderful testimony of the saints
before and as we thought here tonight upon the words of the
Apostle Paul and how he was faithful in all that he said and did. Well we'll leave it there may
God bless these few words