Not In Vain? (1 Thessalonians 2:1-2)
GIST: Impactful Christian living has a boldness that isn't circumstantial but is God-created and gospel-driven.
This morning, we’re continuing our study of 1 Thessalonians, but we’re cracking into chapter 2! ☺️ Really, most of this chapter continues a thought Paul left us with at the end of chapter 1. He has just told the Thessalonians they had a faith that was real and vibrant and, what we discussed last week, reverberating. The picture there was of Paul and his companions taking their faith seriously, which the Thessalonians observed and then imitated as they took theirs seriously, and the impact of that echoed throughout the region. And its in this context that we read these verses→
“1 For you yourselves know, brothers, that our coming to you was not in vain. 2 But though we had already suffered and been shamefully treated at Philippi, as you know, we had boldness in our God to declare to you the gospel of God in the midst of much conflict.”
In vain. Without purpose. Empty. Fruitless. Futile. Meaningless. A dud. There are so many wonderful words that could be engraved on a tombstone in an attempt to summarize the legacy of a life. None are in that list. We all want to live lives that matter, that make a difference, that leave an impression. Interestingly, that’s exactly what Paul is describing here.
Chapter two of 1 Thessalonians specifically describes Paul’s ministry in this town and gives us some insights into why it was, in fact, not in vain. There are broad implications we can then make about effective ministry. However, if I use that word, most of us will immediately assume it only applies to “ministers” (whatever that term means to you), and is, therefore, irrelevant to the general populace. Yet, we’re all called to serve Jesus with our lives, so this is a picture of impactful Christian living.
There is too much here to unpack in one week, so we’ll take this a piece at a time over the next couple weeks. For today, let’s just break these first two verses. Paul says, “[Coming to you wasn’t in vain], but though we had already suffered and been shamefully treated at Philippi, as you know, we had boldness in our God to declare to you the gospel of God in the midst of much conflict” (1 Thessalonians 1:2).
We’re going to spend some time covering a little bit of context this morning to more fully paint this picture. See, Paul and his companions left hardship and came into hardship, yet in the midst of it all, they remained bold in their resolve to share the life-changing message of the gospel. This boldness is a centerpiece of impactful Christian living for at least three reasons. Here’s our gist: impactful Christian living has a boldness that isn't circumstantial but is God-created and gospel-driven.
I. Boldness That Isn’t Circumstantial
Paul’s life was surrounded by hardships. In fact, when he and his companions came to Thessalonica, they had just left a turbulent situation in Philippi. While ministering there, they encountered a demon-possessed slave being exploited by her masters as a fortune-teller (probably not something you encounter every day!). Casting the demon out of the girl infuriated these owners because it hurt their bottom line, so they stirred the city up. This resulted in Paul and Silas being brought before the magistrates where they were then publicly stripped and beaten before being thrown into prison. There, they continued to worship God, despite the injustice they faced. God then sent an earthquake which provided them an opportunity to leave…but it was also an earthquake strong enough to shake the foundations of the prison (Acts 16), so it was probably a fairly jarring experience. Rather than escape though, Paul and Silas stayed and witnessed to the jailer—leading him and, later, his family to Jesus. After one more encounter with the city leaders, they were asked to leave—surely physically and emotionally drained.
What do they do next? Walk for sixty or more miles to the next town with a synagogue—Thessalonica. Things weren’t without conflict here either. After three weeks of intentional ministry, a jealousy-driven riot broke out. The rioters accused them of “turning the world upside down” and drug their new friends before the authorities forcing them to pay “securities” before they were released. It was so heated, in fact, Paul and his companions were urged by these new Christians to leave town under the cover of night for their own safety.
So that brings us ☺️ to our first point: it’s not circumstantial. This is probably an obvious application at this point, but I’ll hit it just in case. If circumstances were driving boldness here… it wouldn’t have happened. Think about the intensity of the opposition Paul and his companions encountered. We get upset when people don’t like us, or if we’re told we can’t do something. They were stripped, beaten, and ran out of town. Still, what did they do as soon as they arrived in the next city? They started all over with the same message of hope because it ran deeper than their scars!
II. Boldness That Is God-Created
That is precisely because this boldness is God-created. I actually listened to a preacher teach these verses and use them as an opportunity to justify what really amounted more to his brazenness than boldness inspired by the compassionate Savior of the world. Boldness from God is directed away from ourselves because it is driven not by a need to be heard nor a desire to speak without concern for the reaction of others, but by a heartfelt longing to shine the truth and light of Jesus while striving to show His life-transforming love. This won’t always be well received, but keeping a stiff lip in the face of that isn’t our motivation. Instead, we should first and foremost honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense for the hope that is in us but ready to do that with gentleness and respect (paraphrase of 1 Peter 3:15).
III. Boldness that Is Gospel-Driven
That’s because this God-created boldness is 100% gospel-driven. Again, it isn’t a boldness that toots its own horn or pushes for personal gain. It is a boldness that cares enough about people to point them to the hope of Jesus’ salvation. It’s a boldness that says: “I need Jesus. You need Jesus. Let me tell you about the One who took Hell in your place and rose again to provide the rescue we all so desperately need.”
TAKEAWAYS
Pray for boldness fueled by a love that isn’t circumstantial.
Pray for boldness that reflects its source. A desire to carry the truth in love. This kind of boldness leaves an impact. I don’t want my life to be in vain. I want it to boldly project hope. How about you?
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