Tonight's message is called Followers
of God. Tonight we will continue our
study through this wonderful epistle, which Paul wrote to
the saints at Thessalonica. We have seen in the study of
the second chapter of the book of Thessalonians, how Paul, Silas,
and Timothy came to the saints at Thessalonica, having been
sent by God. This is still true today as God
sends his ordained preachers to where he wants. and he sends
them there to preach the gospel, to preach and proclaim Christ
and Him crucified. We also have seen how the life-giving
power of the Holy Spirit of God was at work in heaven some chosen
sinners being regenerated and receiving the Word of God, not
as the Word of man, but as it is in truth, the Word of God.
And this occurred because God, the Holy Spirit, made the Word
of God preached effectual to them, and they received the Word
of God with joy. Isn't it wondrous and marvelous
to see the truth that salvation is of the Lord brought forth
from the scriptures each time the gospel is preached and proclaimed? Now let's read verses 9 to 16
of the second chapter of the book of Thessalonians. For 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. Ye are witnesses, and
God also, how wholly and justly and unblameably we behaved ourselves
among you that believe. As ye know how we exhorted and
comforted and charged every one of you as a father doth his children,
that ye would walk worthy of God, who hath called you unto
his kingdom in glory. 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
man, but as it is in truth, the word of God which affectionately
worketh also in you that believe. For ye, brethren, became followers
of the churches of God, which in Judea are in Christ Jesus. For ye also have suffered like
things of your own countrymen, even as they have of the Jews,
who both killed the Lord Jesus and their own prophets, and have
persecuted us. And they please not God, and
are contrary to all men. Forbidding us to speak to the
Gentiles, that they might be saved, to fill up their sins
all way, for the wrath is come upon them to the uttermost."
Tonight we'll be looking at verses 14 to 16 of this chapter, beloved
of God. Now in verse 13 it is made evident
that salvation is of the Lord. We looked at that last week more
in depth. Let's read that verse again before
we read verse 14. For this cause also thank we
God without ceasing, because when you receive the word of
God, which he heard of us, you received it not as the word of
man, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which affections
we worketh also in you that believe. Now let's look at verse 13, keeping
in mind that Paul is writing to those who by the grace and
mercy of God have received the word of God in power, all by
the power and might of God the Holy Spirit. Now they have faith
in Christ and repentance before God and this is all a result
of the regenerating power of God the Holy Spirit. This is
the meaning in the latter part of verse 13, when the scriptures
proclaim that the word of God works effectively in them that
believe. Beloved, that same life-giving
power of God, the Holy Spirit, has worked in every one of God's
people. As the scriptures declare by
the words of the master himself, you must be born again. Now with
this in our minds, let us look at the next three verses where
we are going to see some consequences which occur after the saints
at Thessalonica are born again by the Holy Spirit of God. And
remember that this still occurs today to the true believer in
Christ. Look at verses 14 to 16. For
ye, brethren, became followers of the churches of God, which
in Judea are in Christ Jesus. For ye also have suffered like
things of your own countrymen, even as they have of the Jews. who both killed the Lord Jesus
and their own prophets, and have persecuted us. And they please
not God, and are contrary to all men, forbidding us to speak
to the Gentiles, that they might be saved, to fill up their sins
always. for the wrath is come upon them
to the uttermost." Now take note of the words in verse 14, For
ye brethren, once again we see that the letter is written to
those brethren who have been gathered out of the world by
the grace of God at Thessalonica, and they are united in the fear
of God That's a reverent, holy fear of God, having been born
again by the Holy Spirit of God. For ye, brethren, those who are
the called out, became followers of the churches of God, which
in Judea are in Christ Jesus. For ye also have suffered like
things of your own countrymen, even as they have of the Jews. So again, Here before us, we
see a record of the consequences of hearing, believing, and declaring
the gospel, declaring the truth of the gospel of salvation in
and through the Lord Jesus Christ in Him alone. The truth declared
in verse 13, the truth that asserts that the elect hear the truth
and understand even though it's a man who speaks to them it is
in truth the word of God as if God had personally spoken to
them and we will see now what are some of the consequences
of that occurring. Now two consequences we see quite
clearly here being bought forth of hearing the truth and believing
the truth are brought forth before us in this verse. First, they
became followers of the churches of God, which in Judea are in
Christ Jesus. And number two, they suffered
for their faith. It goes on to say, for ye also
have suffered like things of your own countrymen, even as
they have of the Jews. Now we see very clearly from
these verses, and the ones which we will look at again, some consequences
of hearing the truth and believing the truth. And these will give
the believer in Christ who's tried and tempted in this world,
which every one of us are, this will give us an unshakable confidence
in our Lord Jesus Christ, who we know is our great God. He is Elohim. He is Jehovah. He is God incarnate in the flesh. And his name is the Lord Jesus
Christ. Now this unshakable confidence
does not sit well with those whose religion is based upon
their works, whose religion is steeped in traditions of man
and doctrines of man. This unshakable confidence does
not sit well with them at all. And what we believe, beloved
God, divinely loved ones, that is who you are, if you are one
of God's people, you are a divinely loved one, What we believe is
based upon the scriptures, as set forth in God's holy word,
the Bible. I was listening to a dear brother,
David Pledger, down in Texas today. And what he brought forth
was, we are repeaters of what the word of God says. We just
proclaim. what the Word of God says. He
said we don't even have to explain it and all we have to do is proclaim
it. I agree, that's wonderful, that's
wonderful. God's people, God's preachers,
God's preachers are sent to proclaim the report that is in Scripture.
We will see that the words of this passage reveal two things.
First they are a reiteration of the effect that the Gospel
has on the people of God, those who are born again by the Holy
Spirit of God. And next that they are a recollection
of the price that the people of God pay for being believers,
as we see they suffer for their faith. And at the same time as
the believer has the unconditional love and support of other believers
manifested, also at work is the indignation and hatred of those
who understand what the believer is declaring and they hate it.
Let's look closer at the two consequences of hearing the truth
and believing the truth, which are brought forth in verse 14.
For ye, brethren, became followers of the churches of God, which
in Judea are in Christ Jesus. There's a key right there in
this verse right here, in Christ Jesus. For ye also have suffered
like things of your own countrymen, even as they have of the Jews.
Now remember, in chapter 1, Paul, by inspiration of the Holy Spirit
of God, brought forth how these Gentile believers, by the power
and grace of God, turned away from idols to serve the living
and true God. And we see here that Paul reminds
those in the faith that part of the proof that they were the
elect of God is that they have become followers of the churches
of God in Judea. Now this does not mean that they
were following man-made doctrines or that they were following men.
No, they followed the churches which is the Ekklesia, which
in the Greek means a calling out, called out people. They
followed those people in their faith in Christ Jesus. Hence
the key in verse 14 where it says, for ye brethren became
followers of the churches of God which in Judea are in Christ
Jesus. They became followers of the
churches of God in Judea which followed Christ. They were a
people just like the Ekklesia in Judea. They were a people
chosen of God, redeemed by the precious blood of the Lord Jesus
Christ, called by His grace, and regenerated by the Holy Spirit
of God. And they have been born again
by the same Spirit, and they have the same Father and the
same Redeemer as their dear brethren in Judea." Then Paul brings forth
in this verse, he brings it right down to the local church to whom
he's writing, saying that they too suffered for the cross of
Christ, just as other believers do as well. They suffered for
their faith. For ye also have suffered like
things of your own countrymen, even as they of the Jews. So
Paul's bringing forth that the believers in Judea have suffered
at the hands of the Jews, just as the Thessalonian believers
are suffering at the hands of the Gentiles, at the hands of
their own countrymen. Let's read verse 14 again, For
ye, brethren, became followers of the churches of God, which
in Judea are in Christ Jesus. For ye also have suffered like
things of your own countrymen, even as they have of the Jews.
Now the word followers carries with it an idea of being equal
or being like them. This brought forth, beloved of
God, that the churches in Macedonia were on the same footing as those
in Judea who had suffered before them. Isn't it comforting, beloved
of God, to know that we are not alone in tribulation and not
alone in the trials that we face regarding our faith in Christ? Listen to the words that Paul
penned to the Philippian believers in Christ at Philippi. Philippians
1.27-30 Only let your conversation be as it cometh the gospel of
Christ, that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I
may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit,
with one mind, striving together for the faith of the gospel.
and in nothing terrified by your adversaries, which is to them
an evident token of perdition, but to you of salvation, and
that of God. For unto you it is given in the
behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer
for his sake, having the same conflict which ye saw in me,
and now here to be in me. Listen to what Brother Tim James
brings forth about verse 14 here. He says, There is also here a
reminder of the church as the world is aware of it, that the
world is aware of the church locally. Paul speaks not of the
entire complete body of Christ, but rather of local churches,
which are a microcosm of that spiritual body. The concept of
state or national churches or giant denominational conventions
are inventions of men, and are intended to acquire power and
influence by sheer numbers. But the church is in the world
only in insignificant pockets of believers, small remnants,
tiny scraps of redeemed humanity, and therein by the gospel resides
the power of God. So we see in verse 14 again that
by the grace of God the believers at Thessalonica became followers
of the churches of God which are in Judea and which are in
Christ and also they suffered for their faith because it says
for ye also have suffered like things of your own countrymen
even as they have of the Jews. So the churches in Judea had
suffered both from within and without and they were persecuted
by their own countrymen as well as the world. Now the Gentile
believers here at Thessalonica were also persecuted at the hands
of their countrymen because they saw that the gospel of the free
grace of God in Christ rejected their gods. And what did that
do in the long run? Well, it hurt the idol manufacturers'
pocketbooks, didn't it? It harmed their industry of idol
manufacturing. And so the churches in Judea
had suffered at the hands of Judaizers, and we know that even
the Gentile churches suffered at the hands of the Judaizers.
And these Judaizers believed that Gentiles had no place in
the economy of God. And these Judaizers were ever
about the business of trying to get believers to convert and
become proselytes of theirs by diminishing the gospel of salvation
in Christ alone with the institution of the law and circumcision.
Also, let us remember that if anyone knew how the Judaizers
ticked, it was Paul, because he was once a Pharisee. Listen
to what he wrote by inspiration of the Holy Spirit of God in
Philippians chapter 3 to the dear saints at Philippi. He writes
this of himself. Circumcised the eighth day of
the stock of Israel, the tribe of Benjamin, in Hebrew of the
Hebrews, is touching the law of Pharisee. Concerning zeal,
persecuting the church, touching the righteousness which is in
the law, blameless. And then he writes this in verse
seven. But what things were gained to me, those I counted loss. He continues in verses eight
and nine. Yea, doubtless, and I count all things but loss for
the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus, my Lord, for
whom I have suffered the loss of all things and do count them
but dung that I may win Christ and be found in him, not having
mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which
is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of
God by faith." Again, we see in verse 15, which we'll look
at next, that Paul describes these Jews, and think upon this,
that if anyone might understand the physique and the arrogant
mind of the Judaizer, it was Paul the Apostle. He was once
a Pharisee. He once went around to slaughter
the Church of God, and now look what he pens by inspiration of
the Holy Spirit of God in verse 15. He writes of them, who both
killed the Lord Jesus and their own prophets, and have persecuted
us, and they please not God, and are contrary to all men.
Now remember this, the true author of the Scriptures is the Holy
Spirit of God. And through the writings of the
Apostle Paul, our great God was letting the saints at Thessalonica
know that their sufferings were for the glory of Christ and for
His Gospel. And He was letting them know
that the sufferings for Christ was not unique to them. because
of their calling, because Christ and His gospel had been revealed
to them, because they dared to make a stand for the truth and
for the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ, they had suffered persecution
from their own countrymen. Now many of those who persecuted
them were probably members of their own family, or close relatives,
or maybe even near kinsmen. But Paul told them that this
very same hatred was manifested by the unbelievers toward the
churches of God in Judea. And by the time of the writing
of this epistle, the church which was established at Jerusalem
had spread to different parts of Judea. And many churches had
been established by our great God under the preaching of the
gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. Now Paul, when he was known as
Saul of Taurus, was instrumental in the establishing of these
churches. Have you ever thought of that? Not by his preaching,
no, but by his veminate hatred of Christ and his gospel. By
trying to destroy Christianity, Saul caused many of God's saints
in Jerusalem to flee to different parts of the country. And this
too, beloved of God, was all part of God's ordained plan,
all for the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ, all for our great
Savior. But these churches in Judea were
persecuted by Christ-hating Jews who were guilty of killing the
Lord Jesus Christ and killing many of His own prophets. We
know that our Lord laid down His own life. No man took it
from Him. No, He laid it down. And even though it was by the
determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, the Word of God says
that these wicked men, the wicked hands, had crucified Christ and
killed the Prince of Peace. Listen to this in Acts chapter
3 verses 14 and 15. and the just, and desired a murderer
to be granted unto you, and killed the prince of life, whom God
hath raised from the dead, whereof we are witnesses." Therefore,
it shouldn't surprise us when we're persecuted by the false
religionists of this world, because we know if they hated Christ,
which they did, and his true prophets, they're also going
to hate us, beloved. Our text tells us those wicked
Jews who persecuted the early New Testament churches, it says
they please not God and they're contrary to all men. Let's read
verse 15 again. Who both killed the Lord Jesus
Christ and their own prophets and have persecuted us and they
please not God and are contrary to all men. Though our Lord Jesus
Christ allows all things, He's not pleased with all things.
He is not pleased with those who persecute and harm His precious
saints. We know Paul was referring to
the Jews when he said that they were contrary to all men. Our
next verse evidences that very thing. Look at verse 16. What
did they do? What did these Jews do? Well,
they forbid us to speak to the Gentiles, that they might be
saved, to fill up their sin always. For the wrath is come upon them
to the uttermost. We see here, beloved of God,
that the enemies of God did all that they could do to prevent
the preachers of God from proclaiming the word of life, the Lord Jesus
Christ, and his precious gospel of salvation in and through him,
the good news of salvation in Christ and Christ alone. and
the ransoming of our eternal souls by the precious, precious
life-giving blood which washes away all our sins, beloved. And
the Jews called for the death of Christ, who was sent by God.
They killed their own prophets, who were sent by God. And they
persecuted Paul, who was sent by God, holding to their own
self-righteousness and doctrine of works. Now, this statement
forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they might be saved
brings forth The fact that the Jews saw what was happening among
the Gentiles when they were born again by the Holy Spirit of God,
when they received the gospel with great joy. Now there was
a great freedom and joy among the Gentile believers and the
enemies of God saw unity in Christ that they knew nothing of. And
remember that you had the Pharisees and the Sadducees who did not
agree even among themselves. So this is a very telling statement.
The Jews sought to deny our brethren to preach the gospel. The Jews
believed that the Word of God was theirs, and that the Gentiles
had no right even to read it. I learned this while studying
for this message. Brother Tim James brought this forth, that
the traditions of the Jews held that if a Gentile read the law,
the Old Testament, he was to be put to death. So think upon
this, that the legalist or works monger cannot stomach the fact
that salvation is, as Brother Tim James says, from pole to
pole. Think upon this, that the legalist
or any worksmonger cannot stummas the fa... Oh my. Think upon this,
that the legalist or any works monger cannot stomach the fact
that salvation is of the Lord, as brought forth by brother Tim
James, from pole to pole. Well beloved, this means that
salvation is of the Lord, period. And the legalist cannot stand
this truth also, that holiness has nothing to do with works,
has nothing to do with conduct or character, but is entirely
based on the Lord Jesus Christ and His finished complete work. Now does that give us a license
to go crazy? Absolutely not! And we won't,
beloved, because we are kept by the power of God. Now do we
sin? Oh yeah, all the time, unfortunately.
Unfortunately we do. We sin more than we want to,
don't we? But do we repent before our great God? Yes, we do. So
we see then that the Jews could not and would not accept that
the law from Sinai had nothing to do with their salvation, especially
a salvation that included the Gentiles. Also, now this is where
the hammer hits the nail, beloved. This is where the hammer hits
the nail. If this gospel that Paul, Timothy,
and Silas preached brought about salvation for the Gentiles and
the Jews, and it was only through Christ and Him alone, then they
knew that they were not saved, even though they were the elect
nation. They, the Jews, after all, had
proof that they were God's people, didn't they? One may ask, how
did they have proof? Well, they had the law, the ceremony,
the oracles, the fathers, and the promise of the Messiah, and
God delivered them time and time and time again, didn't he? And
they could not believe, beloved, that those Gentile believers,
all they had was faith in the record, in the person, in the
work, of Jesus of Nazareth, and that they were saved just by
believing on Him. And they, the Jews, they did
not believe this. They did not believe this. You
know what? There's nothing new under the
sun, is there? This is always the case among legalists, and
the reason for their contrary attitude towards those who love
the gospel of God's grace in and through the Lord Jesus Christ.
And notice at the end of this verse, verse 16, they will not
escape the wrath of God Almighty. Look what it says, Forbidding
us to speak to the Gentiles, that they might be saved, to
fill up their sins always, for the wrath is come upon them to
the uttermost. Now, I want us to think upon
this. Right now, the people, those Jews that Paul was writing
about in these verses, the Jews who forbid them to speak to the
Gentiles right now, and since they have breathed their last
breath, and if they breathe their last breath outside of Christ,
Then right now, and for all of eternity, the wrath of God has
come upon them, completely and forever. And zealous religionists
who deny the free grace of God, they're special objects of God's
wrath. Listen to what's penned in 2
Thessalonians 2, verses 10-12. About them, and with all deceivableness
of unrighteousness in them that perish, because they receive
not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for
this cause God shall send them strong delusion that they should
believe a lie, that they all might be damned who believe not
the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness. Beloved of God,
what a day it will be when the harlot church Babylon, the great
whore who despised the day of small things, will be made to
bow the knee to the Lord Jesus Christ. and his numerous little
bodies of believers, when they are gathered on that great day,
when Christ will judge the colossus of natural man-made useless religion,
and they will be damned. Divinely loved ones, remember
that wherever you find the children of God, whether in Judea, Thessalonica,
or America, these things they have in common. 1. They agree
on the depravity, inability, and sinfulness of the flesh. 2. They ascribe all the glory
for salvation and providence to God alone. 3. They rest in
the person and work of Christ alone for all their salvation
and for all things. 4. Their only rule for faith
and conduct is the word of God. Number five, Christ is the object
of faith, the glory of God, the object in life. Number six, the
last point, they endure persecution and ridicule from a world of
unbelievers, both in religion and in the world. Oh, beloved,
to God be the glory, great things yet done. Amen and amen.