"Real Witnesses"

Last week we looked at “The Work of the Gospel”. We talked about how it was a work of Liberty, Loyalty and Love… When talking about how it was a work of loyalty, we saw that it required Sincerity and Integrity.

As I studied this mornings passage I was reminded again of the need for sincerity and genuineness among the church. We live in a day plagued with hypocrisy. One of the most offered arguments against attending church in our generation is the presence of hypocrites within the church. Many on the outside believe no one is real or sincere in the church. Our younger generation especially is looking for something real.

The lack of sincerity and genuineness has been a problem as long as men have lived upon the earth. Christ dealt with hypocrisy throughout His earthly ministry. Many times, our Lord confronted and called out the hypocrites that tried to challenge Him. A hypocrite was viewed as one who was “an actor, a stage player, one who hid behind a mask, or a pretender.”

We, as believers of the Lord Jesus, have not been called to a life of hypocrisy. We have not been called to be actors or pretenders... but we have been called to be imitators of our Lord, revealing our faith in Him. 1 Pet.2:21 “21 For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps:” : 1 John 2:6 “6 He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.”

We will read our passage for today in just a minute… but the first 3 words of our passage says “You are witnesses...” and that got me thinking… What is a witness?… A witness is “Someone who gives testimony about something they heard or saw.”

Y’all are witnesses to the fact that I am wearing a (Color) shirt and tie today… that is as long as you are not color blind...

And that is exactly how this word “witness” is used here, in this particular passage.

However, it also struck me, because there is another meaning or use of this word “witness” and even though it is not necessarily the way it is used here in this passage, the message is still the same.

The word witness also means to “testify, to declare,” it is “The act of making a declaration on the basis of personal knowledge.” The majority of instances of the word “witness” being used in this way are found in the book of Acts, where it usually refers to the apostles (including Paul) testifying about Jesus and the gospel.

We as believers need to be witnessing to people, sharing with them the Gospel of Christ, declaring to them “What a wonderful change in my life has been wrought Since Jesus came into my heart;”… … Testifying “I have light in my soul for which long I have sought, Since Jesus came into my heart.”

I know that this is not the way that it is used here in our passage today, but this is the use that I have based my title on… “Real Witnesses”… The verses we are about to look at are an exhortation to live a godly life before men. Paul, Silas and Timothy wanted theses Thessalonian Believers to stand firm in their faith, follow the Lord, and provide a good example for others who had not yet come to Christ. They wanted these believers to be “Real Witnesses”…

Lets look at 1 Thessalonians 2:10-13. (Read)

Meat:

The first thing that I want you to see is the…

1. The Leaders’ Example

Leaders’ of course being Paul, Silas and Timothy… v.10 “You are witnesses, and God also, how devoutly and justly and blamelessly we behaved ourselves among you who believe;”

The Thessalonian believers were all witnesses to behavior of these Model Leaders. Paul, Silas and Timothy, as I stated in a previous sermon, didn’t hold to the “do as I say; not as I do.” mentality. They faithfully modeled Christian behavior that could’ve been and should’ve been, imitated by others. They lived a...

1.1 Holy Lifestyle

The word “devoutly” can also be translated as “Holy”… and for these men, it was a “lifestyle”, it was not just for a few hours on a Sunday morning, it wasn’t just when they were around certain people… it was their lifestyle.

Paul, Silas and Timothy lived a devoted and holy life before men. Every morning when they woke up, they sought to live holy before God. They lived a separated life from the world, and they lived a life totally set apart to God. Their lives were not dictated by the pleasures of sin; but they actively sought to walk with God each and every day.

You would have to agree that we are in need of those who will live holy before the Lord. You cannot fake “Holiness”. You either live for God or you don’t… Many see folks who claim to love the Lord on Sunday, but their lives don’t reflect that love throughout the week… that is not being a “Real Witness”, that is not living out what you say you believe… We need to be separated, set apart unto the Lord. We are “to be in the world but not of the world”…

These men also lived a…

1.2 Righteous Lifestyle

The word translated as “justly” literally means “righteously, properly, upright;” dealing righteously with both God and man. Paul, Silas and Timothy always treated men fairly and compassionately. They sought to treat others as they themselves wanted to be treated…

Ps. 15:4 describes a righteous person as one “who keeps his oath even when it hurts.” The brilliant Christian scholar and writer C. S. Lewis took that truth seriously. His biography tells of the suffering he endured because he kept a promise he had made to a buddy during World War I.

This friend was worried about the care of his wife and small daughter if he should be killed in battle, so Lewis assured him that if that were to happen he would look after them. As the war dragged on, the man was killed. True to his word, Lewis took care of his friend’s family. Yet no matter how helpful he tried to be, the woman was ungrateful, rude, arrogant, and domineering. Through it all, Lewis kept forgiving her. He refused to let her actions become an excuse to go back on his promise.

Even after the beating that Paul and Silas took in Philippi, for preaching the gospel, they, along with Timothy still went to Thessalonica to continue preaching the gospel… and they did it, knowing that they may receive the same treatment that they suffered in Philippi… A righteous person is one “who keeps his oath even when it hurts”...

Paul, Silas and Timothy lived a Holy Lifestyle, a Righteous Lifestyle and a...

1.3 Blameless Lifestyle

Literally, this word means “ Sincere, not able to find fault in.” It has the idea of being “judged by sunlight; or without wax.”

In the days when art flourished in ancient Greece, it was the common practice to repair with `invisible’ wax any vase or statue that had, as a result of carelessness or misadventure, been damaged.

A rich man or a person of high rank might employ a sculptor to chisel his bust in marble. Sometimes, if the chisel slipped, the end of the nose would be chipped off. Rather than go to the trouble of making a new bust, the sculptor would so mend the features with wax that the flaws could not be detected unless by very close scrutiny, and pawn off on the customer his defective workmanship.

If the client happened to be a knowing person, he would carry the finished statuette out of the studio into the open before paying for it, and examine it carefully in the sunlight: otherwise in the course of time, he would have the unfortunate opportunity of seeing the nose drop off his statuette in the heated room of his house. The statue was not `sincere’, not `without wax’, and could not bear careful scrutiny in the sunlight.

Phil.2:15 “15 that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world,”

When we look at the lifestyle of these men… we often think of these characteristics as being specifically for deacons and pastors, but in reality, all Christians have an obligation of living blamelessly before men. We are to live in such a way that even if charges are brought against us, they will have no chance of “sticking.”

May we look at these examples and see them as examples to live by, examples to imitate as we move forward as “Real Witnesses”...

The Second thing that I want you to see this morning is…

2. The Leaders’ Exhortation

vv.11-12 “as you know how we exhorted, and comforted, and charged every one of you, as a father does his own children, 12 that you would walk worthy of God who calls you into His own kingdom and glory.”.

The first thing that I want you to notice about this exhortation is that it is...

2.1 An Encouragement

Paul said “We Exhorted… you”. This word exhorted means “To Encourage”… Paul is literally saying “We came along side of you, we encouraged you…” Paul, Silas and Timothy knew of the difficulties and the burdens that the Thessalonian believers carried… And so, their goal was to exhort them, encourage them, and even instruct them. They didn’t want these new believers to wander aimlessly, seeking to serve the Lord. They wanted to make sure that these believers were equipped for service.

This is part of being a “Real Witness”… We need those who will come alongside new believers and encourage them in their faith. We need those who will share the great truths of Christ and seek to instill them in the hearts of people.

What Paul is teaching here, is discipleship. I fear this is one of the areas where churches fail the most. We rejoice over their salvation and yet many times we never seek to encourage them in the faith. We fail to instruct them in the great doctrines of Scripture...

Secondly, this exhortation was…

2.2 A Comfort

Paul, Silas and Timothy sought to comfort these new believers. They sought to “calm and console them.” Many of these new believers faced adversity that is foreign to our understanding. Many of them were persecuted for their faith physically and emotionally. Many were excommunicated from their families and their loved ones. This exhortation was a comfort to those who faced such opposition.

We need to develop a heart for comfort. We seem to get so wrapped up in our own lives that we fail to see the needs and hurt of others. We need to take the time to listen sympathetically and comfort the hurting.

I’ve shared this with some of the folks that have been recently going through some different struggles… It is a simple truth, but sometimes can be difficult to accept.... However, there will be times that we go through difficulties so that we may share with others what the Lord has done. 2 Corinthians 1:4 speaking about God, says… “4 who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.”

I am grateful for the folks here at Pierson Bible Church that are great comforters and encourage-rs to those that may be hurting. That is exactly what Paul, Silas and Timothy did… They not only comforted and made people feel better, but they also encouraged them and made them want to do better.

Next, this exhortation was…

2.3 A Charge

Paul says we “Charged every one of you as a father does his own children”

This is an interesting aspect of ministry that is, unfortunately, not used much anymore today… and If it is, it is often handled in the wrong way.

The word charged means “to witness or testify; it carries the idea of admonishing.” Paul was loving and compassionate, but he was also bold. He sought to lead the Thessalonians in the right path. He clearly defined the gospel and the expectations for all who follow Christ. He warned of the dangers in straying from fellowship with the Lord. The Thessalonians knew that Paul would confront any error among them.

We need those who will speak the truth from a heart of love… Even when the truth hurts… Many have developed the mindset of “anything goes.” They certainly wouldn’t want to offend anyone. I don’t like to offend folks either, but we need to stand for truth and be willing to confront error. Much of the trouble we are experiencing today is a result of churches being unwilling to confront issues that are contrary to the Word of God.

Our goal in sharing the truth with people is not to get them to run away from the church, rather, it is in hopes that they would see the error of their ways and have a desire to make things right.

Finally, this exhortation was…

2.4 A Challenge

What was the challenge?… “that you would walk worthy of God who calls you into His own kingdom and glory.”

Paul encouraged and challenged the Thessalonians to walk in a way pleasing to the Lord. They have been called out of sin and darkness into the glorious light. They now have an obligation to bear witness to their relationship with Christ.

Paul is basically challenging them to live a Holy, Righteous, and Blameless Lifestyle…

We need to heed that challenge as well, if we are going to be “Real Witnesses”. 1 Peter 1:15-16 says...

1 Peter 1:15–16 NKJV

15 but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 16 because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.”

If we are to imitate the example Christ left us, we must walk worthy of our calling...

The final point that I want you to notice this morning is…

3. The Leaders’ Exam

Paul, Silas and Timothy had examined the church in Thessalonica and are ready to share the things that they had observed…

v.13 says “For this reason we also thank God without ceasing, because when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which also effectively works in you who believe.”

Notice that Paul, Silas and Timothy had a…

3.1 Continual Gratitude

“For this reason we also thank God without ceasing”… What was the reason? We will answer that in a minute… but nonetheless, these men are clearly thankful unto the Lord for the church. The fact that it was mentioned at the very beginning of this letter and now is repeated again, reveals the continual gratitude, these men had, for the church.

We too need to be reminded and challenged in regard to our thanksgiving for the church. We are not here by accident. God saw fit to save us and place us within this fellowship of believers. We need to be thankful unto the Lord for allowing us to be a part of His family among the local church! Thank the Lord for the help, encouragement, and support we receive from being a part of a local body of believers!…

Are you thankful for Pierson Bible Church?? I know I am, and I thank God every morning for calling us here and allowing us to minister to and serve along side such wonderful people...

What was the reason for their continual gratitude???… A

3.2 Responsive Understanding

“because when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God”

The Thessalonian believers didn’t just hear the gospel… but they received it and they had embraced it as truth. There was no question or debate when it came to the Word of God. Their hearts were settled. They had heard it, and after hearing it, they believed it, and upon believing it, they understood it… and so began their spiritual growth…

As I look at Pierson Bible Church I am thankful for the growth we see. I sense a love and appreciation for God’s Word. I sense a hunger to learn more of Jesus and our relationship with Him. I see those who are comforted, challenged, and changed by God’s Word as they study and apply it to their lives… and that is something in which to rejoice. May we never depart from making the teaching and preaching of God’s Word the priority!

Finally this morning, after their responsive understanding, came a...

3.3 Consistent Growth

“For this reason we also thank God without ceasing, because when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which also effectively works in you who believe.”

Paul, Silas and Timothy witnessed a wonderful thing in Thessalonica… God’s Word was effectively working within their hearts. They were growing in their faith. They were learning more and more of God’s Word. These spiritual Fathers were beginning to see their spiritual Children live out what they claimed to believe. The church was steadily growing in the Lord.

If we want our church to grow spiritually and numerically, we need to be “Real Witnesses”.

Closing:

The church in Thessalonica was not made up of actors, stage players or pretenders... It was filled with enthusiastic imitators, it was filled with “Real Witnesses”...

They sought to live their lives according to the example of Christ. They followed the teachings of Paul, Silas and Timothy, and they had a hunger to study, understand and apply the Word of God. These “Real Witnesses” made a “Real difference” in the world around them.

As we close today I have to ask...

Where we are with the Lord?… … What are our desires and commitments? Are we sincerely seeking to imitate the life that Christ lived or are we casually going through life pretending in the faith?

If we truly have a desire to be a “Real Witness” … We need to imitate Christ in all that we do… That being said, I also have to say… one cannot imitate something in which they are unfamiliar. You cannot imitate Christ if you have never met Him.