# 10 2019. Dev. I Th.2:3-4. “Approved by God!” Read all of Ch. 2.The purpose of these devotionals is to draw Gremar and I closer to God and grow spiritually by applying His Word to our daily living. All passages are taken from the NIV.
Thessalonians 2:3-4 “For the appeal we make (The Gospel) does not spring from error or impure motives, nor are we trying to trick you. 4 On the contrary, we speak as those approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. We are not trying to please people but God, who tests our hearts.”
Paul had been in Thessalonica for only a short time (see Act 17 :1-9). He wrote to encourage them and to continue explaining the message of the Gospel of Christ. There was opposition from the Jews living there and they stirred up the people against Paul and the new converts. Paul also teaches us today about ministry and about outreach. The first and perhaps the most important aspect of ministry is that as heralds of the Gospel Paul and his fellow workers were approved by God. It is God who calls, equips and empowers ambassadors of the Gospel with the Holy Spirit. Today, those who follow Jesus are called, equipped and empowered.
Second, they connected with the people they reached out to: “Because we loved you so much, we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well.” Promotion of the the gospel is most affective in the context of relationships.
Third, hard work: “we worked night and day in order not to be a burden to anyone”. Church planting and evangelism takes a maximum effort of those involved.
Fourth, we must be good examples: “You are witnesses, and so is God, of how holy, righteous and blameless we were among you who believed.”
Fifth, we must be filed with compassion for those turning to Christ: “For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children, 12 encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory.”
Sixth, thank God daily for the people He brings to you: “And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as a human word, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is indeed at work in you who believe.”
Seventh, depend on the Holy Spirit, be still for a time daily and listen to his voice; He is at work in you who follow Jesus and in the people God wants you to direct to Jesus.
Called by God, love for the lost, hard work, be a good example, be compassionate, be thankful and be dependent on the Holy Spirit. Admittedly, evangelism is a difficult task but the blessings and the satisfaction if only one convert is worth every effort we put forth. believe me, I speak from experience and I thank God daily, praise be to God!
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