Focus:
Sacrifice
Function:
To help people live sacrificial lives.
Form:
GOK
Intro:
I
love
the
introductions
to
the
letters
that
Paul
writes
to
the
Church.
He
always
finds
such
good
things
to
say
about
them
Almost
every
epistle,
or
letter,
is
written
to
help
correct
some
problem
that
is
hurting
their
church.
In Philipi, there were two women who were fighting. In Corinth, there
was feuding over the gifts of the Holy Spirit, plus some other sin
going on, believers suing each other, immorality, etc. In
the
Church
in
Thessaloníki,
the
problem
is
that
they
are
so
excited
about
their mission that
way
to
many
people
had
stopped
working
in
order
to
preach
the
gospel.
It
is
from
these
books
that
we
get
the
phrase,
if
a
person
doesn't
work,
they
shouldn't
eat.
He
wasn't
talking
about
lazy
people.
He
was
talking
about
people
who
had
so
much
zeal
to
share
their
faith
that
they
were
placing
a
burden
on
the
rest
of
the
church
who
were
supported
them.
They
had
too
many
evangelists.
It
is
not
a
bad
problem
to
have.
Most
pastors
in
Western
Churches
have
a
hard
time
getting
people
involved
in
outreach.
It isn't that people don't love the Lord. But people are
always
to
busy
with
other things.
These believers were
busy with one thing, sharing their faith with others.
From his introduction,
our passage this morning, we see that Paul is writing this letter to
a group of people who have
a
strong
and
sincere
faith.
In
the
opening
verse
of
this
passage,
the
author
of
the
paraphrase
“The
Message”
says
this
cool
phrase:
“the
Holy
Spirit
put
conviction
of
steel
inside
of
you.”
Conviction of Steel.
When I think of that
phrase, steel, I recognize that their conviction, the way they were
convinced about what it means to follow Jesus, placed them in a
mindset that even if they had to face steel, the persecution of a
sword, they were not going to waver.
Those are some pretty
good complements.
And in many ways, that
is what you all are.
Verse 5 “5because
our
message
of
the
gospel
came
to
you
not
in
word
only,
but
also
in
power
and
in
the
Holy
Spirit
and
with
full
conviction;
just
as
you
know
what
kind
of
persons
we
proved
to
be
among
you
for
your
sake.”
The verse tells us
where they got this strong faith, these strong convictions. They did
not plant it in themselves.
When Brother Paul is
complementing them, he is quick to point out that their convictions
of steel did not come from inside them. It came from God.
Brother Paul and his
group spoke the words. They merely said them. But the Holy Spirit
drove those words home into their hearts.
They have a strong
faith, and it is because God placed it there.
Listen, the Holy Spirit
is responsible for the strength and nature of our conviction. If we
have strong faith, it isn't something that we did. It isn't something
that we can boast about.
But did that mean the
Holy Spirit was stronger in them than other people?
No, it is the same Holy
Spirit. But they responded. Apparently, there was some sort of
Catalyst that made this work in them.
And we see it in verse
6. “6And
you
became
imitators
of
us
and
of
the
Lord,
for
in
spite
of
persecution
you
received
the
word
with
joy
inspired
by
the
Holy
Spirit,”
First, they were aware
that Paul was persecuted for preaching Jesus. But they didn't leave
it to the preacher. They choose to endure as well. They too, didn't
let persecution stop them.
How do we feel about
the idea of being persecuted?
Well, it isn't anything
any one of us jumps into line to sign up for. If there is a line for
persecution and a line for blessing, we are going to jump into the
blessing line. We want blessings, and God promises to bless us are
true.
Political persecution
is foreign to us. We live in a country where we can freely worship,
speak our minds and express ourselves without fear of imprisonment by
civil authorities.
Freedom. Religious
freedom is one of our ideals and we need to thank God for it. So we
are protected.
But let us remember
that God can use trials and persecutions to make us stronger.
We looked a couple of
weeks ago in Philippians were Paul mentions a significant source of
persecution as coming from other Christians. Christians who were
becoming religious instead of trusting Christ.
There are things we
preach which are unpopular, even among other Christians.
The message that we are
called to turn the other cheek is not at all popular. The message
that we are to forgive without condition goes against everything our
culture teaches us.
Listen, the message
that the meek shall inherit the earth is a foolish message to the
people who live by worldly standards.
And the sad thing is
that there are many people who claim Christianity who also mock these
principles.
If we are not being
criticized for having a value system that treats the poor like kings,
that gives grace to people the world wants to condemn, then we are
not following Jesus.
Listen to Jesus'
mission statement: Luke 4:18:19: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon
Me. He has anointed me to preach the good news to the poor, to set
the prisoner free, to heal the sick, to help the blind see again, to
proclaim the times that God will forgive.”
Those are Jesus'
marching orders.
Friday night, in team
preparation for the Kairos weekend in prison, one of the men was
sharing how Kairos is going into Uganda.
The prisons there are
nothing like here. The prisoners get no food, unless a family member
brings it to them. They get no medical attention unless a family
member brings them medicine.
The man was sharing it
in the context of someone in his church complaining about him asking
for cookies for prisoners.
He said, in Uganda, 4
out of 5 prisoners die in their prisons.
Contrast that with the
report that prisoners here in the United States are catered to.
Listen, the name of the
Prison is Warren Correctional Institute. I did Bible Study back in
Pendleton Indiana at the Pendleton Reformatory.
Because as a society,
we try to be just and God fearing people, our goal goal is to reform,
to correct. Our goal is to help the prisoner integrate back into
society as a useful functioning part of it.
The punishment is the
sentence. They are denied freedom. They are cut off from their
families. They eat prison food. They cannot go out for a hamburger
whenever they feel like it. That is their punishment. When we enter
the prison and the heavy metal door slams behind us, it feels
strange. When the guards refer to call the men by their name, instead
they call them by a number, they are reminded of just where they are.
We have the chance,
from God, to share the love of Jesus with them.
So what if worldly
minded people want to criticize us for doing what Jesus called us to
do?
You know the passage in
Matthew 25. Jesus said: “When you visited the prisoner, you visited
me.” And Jesus also said: “if you refuse them, you refuse me.”
Jesus loves prisoners.
And that is contrary to
the world's attitude. Christians loving prisoners? What about justice
for the families? People ask.
They are not catered
to. The Prison we are serving in is an harsh environment. It is a
dangerous place.
But it isn't Uganda.
Don't raise your hands, but how many of you know someone you care
about who made a mistake and is now in prison?
How would you feel if
that person had a 1 in 5 chance of surviving like they do in Uganda?
How would you feel if
your son, or your daughter, got bad advice from their accountant and
ended up in jail for fraud and that jail term became a death
sentence?
And, there are people
who say “Well, what if they committed involuntary manslaughter
while driving under the influence? Then why should they get off when
someone else died?”
But if it was your
child. Your child. Could you say that they deserve to die for a death
they caused that was not premeditated?
So, Kairos is working
to change the prison environment in Uganda. And Guess what? They are
being persecuted for it.
But listen, God loves
the prisoners. And God can change hardened hearts.
There were studies done
in Russia, when Christians were imprisoned for being Christians that
the survival rate of the rest of the prisoners was raised
dramatically if the prisoner had a Christian Roommate.
Jesus' mission
statement: “I came to set the prisoner free is also our mission
statement.”
So this man, after
telling us how we are making a difference for the Kingdom of God went
on to tell me that a man in his church told him that the prisoners
were getting what they deserved and he would never make cookies for
them.
You people are
different! Thank You!
And Jesus said if they
persecuted me, they will persecute you. We may be criticized for
supporting a ministry that cares for prisoners. But when we do it, we
support Jesus Himself.
Listen, the sentence,
being cut off from freedom is their punishment. But they are just as
loved by God as you and I.
And my friend, a day to
day Christian who attends his particular local church is being
persecuted.
And here is the neat
thing: It makes his faith stronger, not less. When he is criticized,
he trusts God more.
These Christians in
Thessaloníki had deep convictions as a result of persecution.
I am preaching to
myself here as well. What would happen if when we have an hard time,
instead of whining and complaining, we practice the scripture, In
everything give thanks for this is the will of God.
Why were these
Christians model Christians? Because their faith had a catalyst,
something to make it stronger. It was persecution, the thing Jesus
said would happen to us if we are indeed His followers. They were
persecuted and God made them better for it.
Perhaps it is time for
us, as a Church, to seriously consider if comfort and security is
more important than being faithful.
Now I refuse to preach
shame. I refuse to guilt people into motivation.
Listen, it takes a
gift, a calling from God to go into a prison. It isn't for everyone.
As a matter of fact, it is just for a few. I was called to this
ministry by Brother Dan Patterson. And right after I said yes, Sister
Mary Taynor, not knowing that I was signed up, started talking to her
Sunday School Class about these Christians who make thousands of
cookies for prisoners. I took that as a witness, a reassurance by the
Holy Spirit, that this is what God us to.
But it is not a safe
place. It is a ministry that only a few people can do. Your ministry
does not have to be Kairos.
But God may be calling
you to risks. God is calling all of us to do is to be willing to take
risks in order to be faithful.
These Christians saw
their pastor take risks, verse 6: “you imitated us...”
And then they prayed
and God lead them into their own ministries.
And I mean it. This is
the kind of people that you are. I remember coming to Bear Creek
Church. At my former Church I begged them to send a mission team down
to Tijuana MX because I believed in the ministry and work of my good
friend Gilbert Romero.
And this is the answer
I got: “we are afraid...”
But I came here and
before I was here two weeks it was “Pastor, we are going to
Tijuana, you should go with us.”
Listen, I don't want
anybody doing anything foolish in order to prove something to someone
else.
But we are called to
live by faith. We are called to be available, even for persecution.
And it was this
attitude that made them model Christians.
I
am not making this up. (READ)
the next verses.
That is exactly what
happens to these Christians. All of a sudden, they become an example
to churches in cities all over the Mediterranean about what it means
to have the zeal to preach Jesus.
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