I'm reading from the book of
1 Thessalonians chapter 2 this morning, if you would like to
follow along in your Bible. I hope you will. I hope you open
a Bible and look at it with me as I attempt to preach from God's
Word. You need to know that the man
you're listening to is in fact preaching and teaching from God's
Word and not his own thoughts or the thoughts of men. I read
in 1 Thessalonians 2, verse 1, 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
you know, at Philippi, we were bold in our God to speak unto
you the gospel of God with much contention. For our exhortation
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. For
neither at any time used we flattering words, as you know, nor a cloak
of covetousness. God is witness. Nor of men sought
we glory, neither of you nor yet of others, when we might
have been burdensome as the apostles of Christ. But we were gentle
among you, even as a nurse cherisheth her children. So being affectionately
desirous of you, we were willing to have imparted unto you not
the gospel of God only, but also our own soul, because you were
dear unto us. You remember, brethren, our labor
and travail, for laboring night and day, because we would not
be chargeable unto any of you. We preached unto you the gospel
of God, your witnesses, and God also, how holily and justly and
unblameably we behaved ourselves among you that believe." End
of reading. Now, this is a vital, vital subject
and passage to look at. Knowing the True Preacher of
God. If you go to a church and listen
to a man who calls himself a preacher, you need to know that he is indeed
a true preacher sent by God. A true preacher. This is so necessary
in these last days and perilous time, Scripture calls them, when
so many evil men and seducers wax worse and worse, Scripture
said. The Lord Jesus Christ warned
that In the last days, there would be many false prophets
arising and deceiving many. He said, many will come and say
that Jesus is the Christ. But he said, I never sent them. The apostles warned in every
epistle of false prophet. So we must look at it. We must
examine those that preach to us. When you look around at all
the corruption in religion and what you're seeing reported on
the news is just a fraction of what really goes on. All of the
perversion and corruption that we've seen in Catholicism today,
over 300 men charged with child abuse. Why do people continue
to follow such corruption and such evil men and women and put
their children in danger? Because the scripture says that
in the last days they will turn away their ears from the truth
unto fables, that they will heap to themselves teachers having
itching ears. That is, they want men and women
to tell them what they want to hear. Smooth thing. Prophets
that prophesy lies. And scripture says it's amazing
that the people would want this to be. But not God's true people. They are told in 1 John 4 to
try the spirits. 1 John 4. Now the reason they're
called spirits is because a man is led by and influenced by one
of two spirits, the Holy Spirit or an evil spirit. There's no
middle ground. There are three ways that we
see here in this chapter in which a man may be known as being a
true preacher as opposed to a false one. Now let me say this, women
are forbidden in the scriptures to preach or teach, to usurp
authority over the man, to hold a position in the church as pastor
and preacher. They are completely forbidden
in the scripture. That's what God's Word said,
and anyone who does so is a rebel against God and a false prophet
or prophetess. Scripture says it's not permitted
for a woman to speak in the church, period. Well, 1 Thessalonians
chapter 2 gives us the message, the methods, and the manner of
the true preacher of God. He says in verse 1, my entrance
in unto you, our entrance, speaking on behalf of Silas and Timothy
who were his constant companion. He said, our entrance unto you
was not in vain. One time Moses told the people
in Deuteronomy 32, these words are words of life. They're not
vain words, they're words of life. The message of the preacher,
the true preacher of God is a message from God's word and are words
of life, life and death. Paul one time said, God always
makes manifest the savor of His knowledge by us in every place. To the living, it's a savor of
life. To the dead, it's a savor of
death. In other words, those who have
life, eternal life, recognize, receive, believe the Word of
God and the true preacher of the Word as being words of life.
but to the dead, those dead in trespasses and sin, there's nothing
in it, nothing for them. Well, he said in verse 2, we
suffered before and were shamefully entreated, as you know, at Philippi,
but we were bold in our God to speak unto you the gospel of
God with much contention. Persecution and hatred always
follows the preaching of the truth. Those who preach the truth
are hated by the world and by those who do not believe the
truth. The Lord Jesus Christ said this to his disciples, you
shall be hated of all men for my name's sake. If there's no
persecution, no hatred, there's generally no truth in print.
Well, the apostles were all hated, the prophets were all hated,
all the prophets were killed, except Elijah, and all the apostles
were killed except John. Persecution and hatred always
follows preaching of the truth. Our Lord said this, blessed are
you when men shall revile you and persecute you and say all
manner of evil falsely against you for my name's sake, for the
glory of God, for the glory of Christ, for the glory of His
Word, for the preaching of the truth. And He said we're bold,
that is courageous and preaching with authority dogmatically unashamedly,
unabashedly, boldly preaching in our God the gospel of God. Now here is the message and the
method of God's true preacher. Paul said in Romans chapter 1,
I'm called to be an apostle separated unto the gospel of God. It is God's gospel. How dare
we, how dare anyone preach anything else? Add to it. Take away from
it. How dare anyone say anything
that God did not say in His Word. This is God's gospel. This is
God's Word. I see everywhere, you see everywhere,
billboards beside the highway with statements that God did
not make, and His name is at the end of it. This is the so-called
God campaign that's supported by modern religion all over,
and they're thinking they're doing God a service, when in
fact they're taking God's name in vain and saying what he didn't
say, such as, God loves you. Nowhere in this Bible does it
say that. Nowhere in this Bible does it
say Jesus loves you. Nowhere. None of the prophets
ever said that to a crowd of people. None of the apostles
ever said that to a crowd of people. Jesus Christ, the Son
of God, came on this earth. He was a preacher. If anybody
would tell a group of people that God loves them, surely he
would. He did not. Not once. Never did
he say that. God loves His people. God loves
His chosen people. God loves those who love Him,
who love Jesus Christ, who love His truth. God is angry with
the wicked every day. God hates all workers of iniquity. That's what the Bible says. The
gospel of God is the good news that God is God. God reigns and
rules among the armies of heaven and among the inhabitants of
the earth, and none can stay his hand or say unto him, what
doest thou? That's the God of the Bible,
reigning, ruling, doing as he will with whom he will, because
he will, everything working according to his will, not man's will. A God who wants to and can't,
who tries and fails, who's a bystander in the affairs of men, who's
standing on the sideline, hoping, wishing, wanting man to do something
for him, who doesn't want things to happen, but they happen anyway,
is not the God of the Bible. What good news is there in a
God who is a bystander, who doesn't want bad things to happen, they
happen anyway? Why would you need a God like
that? Well, I'm here to tell you, and the true preacher of
God preaches the gospel, the good news that God reigns, that
God is God. He's not running for election.
He does the electing. He's not trying to be God. He
is God. He doesn't try to tell anyone
anything. He speaks and things happen. People move. And this is the
gospel that says concerning His Son in Romans 1, concerning God's
Son, Jesus Christ the Lord, declared to be the Son of God with power. How much power does Jesus Christ
have? All power in heaven and earth,
Christ said, is given unto me. All power over all souls, over
devils, men, elements, everything. He has the keys of hell and death
at His side. Good news for helpless, hopeless,
repentant sinners, that Jesus Christ has all power, power to
kill, power to make alive, power to wound, power to heal, all
power, power to save, power to damn, and all those who ask Him,
He will save them. And He's the Son of God, the
only bodily manifestation or appearance of God who is invisible,
who is Spirit, Jesus Christ. Paul said, we're bold to speak
the gospel of God. Now this gospel, what I've just
said to you, is hated by many, but it's the truth. And Paul
said, we preach this gospel of God with much contention. And
he said, our exhortation was not of deceit, not deceiving
anyone, telling the truth, nor of uncleanness, no wicked and
perverse motives behind it, trying to lead captive silly women,
nor in guile, the scripture says. No, open up front, honest before
all, look at the word of God, examine the man, and examine
his message by the word of God. See if what he's saying is so.
He said, as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the
gospel, even so we speak, not pleasing men, but God, which
trieth our heart." This is the message, this is the method,
and this is the manner of the true preacher of God. He's a
preacher, and what he does is preach. He's not a socializer,
an organizer, a programmer, a back scratcher, an ear tickler, but
a preacher of the Word of God, a preacher of the Gospel of God,
a preacher of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. That's what
the preacher does, and that's what he preaches. That's who
he preaches. What about your preacher? Examine him by these
things. You may know them. You may know
them by God's Word. Until next Sunday, may the Lord
bless His Word. Amen.