It’s no surprise that Good News is to be told. Who wants to keep Good News to themselves?
In 1 Thessalonians 2, we see something of how the apostle Paul and his companions went about sharing the Good News, the gospel.
Did he behave like some kind of travelling salesman? I’ve spent quite a bit of time around sales people over the years. They’re taught all sorts of sales strategies. But in the end, the salesman isn’t your new best friend. We’re going to see how Paul shared the Good News in a way that was effective, and affected everyone deeply (including Paul).
These notes accompany a sermon on YouTube delivered at Bromborough Evangelical Church Wirral in November 2024. You can find more in the series in our sermon index.
Trust the Good News (1-6)
Remember that this is a letter from the Apostle Paul to the church (the people) at Thessalonica. In Acts 16, you read about Paul being thrown into prison in Philippi because he’d driven a demon out of a slave girl. A number of people became Christians, not least the prison jailor! After there, in Acts 17, Paul went to Thessalonica and preached God’s Good News for 3 weekends.
You might expect Paul to take a lower profile after Philippi. But in fact, he was emboldened by the experience! And again, some people became Christians: Read 1 Thess 2:1-2.
He was then run out of town by angry Jews. That’s the “great opposition”. Why did he press on? Why not just go home? Was he on some kind of commission for converts to Christ? Read 1 Thess 2:3.
If those had been his motivations he’d have been less happy about ending up in prison in Philippi – and quite keen to avoid it happening again. But in fact, for Paul it was all about the power of the Good News itself. And the reason for that is that it’s God’s Good News. Read 1 Thess 2:4.
The Gospel of God
What is “the gospel of God” (v2)?
“Gospel” just means “good news”. It’s the heart of Christian hope. God loves you. He always has. He is love and compassion.
You have sinned. You choose your way, not his, despite all his love for you. The universe is a monarchy; you rebel. Your sin demands punishment, because God is just. And yet… he loves you.
So he came into the world to take your punishment. Jesus is God the eternal Son who came into the world as a human specifically to die in our place.
Turn from your sin, turn to God, and ask for forgiveness. Then God will count your sins atoned for by Christ’s death. That’s Good News, because that means an eternity with God – the very blessing he wants to pour out on you.
So for yourself, trust the Good News. Trust in God for life. Do it today, if you’ve never done it. Eternal life starts today. Pray.
Trust it to save others
And if you have trusted that gospel, that Good News, trust it to save others too. Read 1 Thess 2:5-6. They used no “flattering speech” – something the Thessalonians would remember. Nor did they have “greedy motives” – you can’t see that, but God can, and he’s the witness.
Flattering speech can take many forms:
- Bluntly, “You’ll need special insight or a spiritual heart to understand all this. I think you’re special enough…”
- Or it can be really unhelpful flattery: “You believe your thing and I’ll believe mine” – as if people have the right to deny God’s truth. That’s damning flattery.
Equally, greedy motives aren’t always only about money:
- Some use religion to wield power or control.
- Others want a big church to match their ego, or need for reputation. Or, yet, just for more money.
But everyone needs the gospel. It’s to flow out. Trust its power.
So, are we back to the need for hard sell then?
Share with Care (7-12)
How Paul shared this Good News with them is lovely.
Now the Bible is crystal clear that those whose job it is to teach God’s truth (people like me) should be paid adequately by those they serve. But obviously there are always quacks and charlatans who peddle spiritual stuff for profit. Paul wanted to avoid any sense of that in Thessalonica when he first visited. Read 1 Thess 2:7-9.
No hard sell there: Gentle as a nursing mother – nurturing, caring, soothing. They shared the gospel by sharing their lives, working hard not to be a burden.
Situations differ for us all, but there are some things that are surely transferable:
- First, you do well to be gentle. It’s of no value if you win an argument by beating someone down. They might agree you’re right just to shut you up. You’ve won nothing.
- Second, in sharing God’s Good News you’re not to see people as ‘gospel projects’, like a salesman processing leads. Invest life and love into others, as God does for you.
- Third, there’s to be visible care – so much more than “hope all goes well” or even “I’ll be praying”. People won’t care what you know until they know you care. So show it.
How others saw Paul
How are these things seen by others? Read 1 Thess 2:10.
- Devout: A unique word in the New Testament meaning they were careful to attend religious service. Attendance at church (services and prayer meetings) is your way of telling unbelieving people what matters most. For those who pick and choose your attendance depending on what else you’ve got on, ask what you think that says to unbelieving people around you.
- Righteous: Constant in choosing to do good, do right.
- Blameless: Living without fault in speech, temper, action.
Paul and his companions lived like that before the young church to provide examples to young believers – and to witness to unbelieving people. You can’t do these things from a distance, or even online. Don’t come here to be a Sunday consumer, but a community member.
And be careful. People who carry unrepentant sin are usually the first to avoid being with God’s people.
And remember, Paul was gentle. He wasn’t battering them with hardline rules. This is encouraging you to fullness of Christian blessing in the fellowship of Christ’s church! So read 1 Thess 2:11-12.
It’s such a powerful model of how to share God’s Good News.
They didn’t retaliate under the fire of persecution. They persuaded by gently sharing their lives, acting as examples for others to want to follow to Jesus.
Does all that dull a sense of urgency in the gospel?
Remember the Authority of God’s Word (13-16)
To be like Paul, you’ll share God’s Good News with a caring heart. Gentleness is kindness. We all know how hard sell smacks of being ripped off or cheated.
But the word of God is truth. And because it’s God’s word, God’s Good News, it has power in itself.
- God is your eternal Judge. He has perfect knowledge of you. As your creator, he has the might and the right to determine morality – because he is infinitely perfect, there’s no other measure of morality you can use.
- God also became your Saviour. At Christmas we think about how the eternal Son of God – the one through whom and for whom everything was created – became a vulnerable human child. He did that to become your Saviour, if you will but repent of your offending sin and ask him for his forgiveness.
This is God’s Good News, God’s word. Not mine. Not Paul’s. Hear God: Read 1 Thess 2:13. If you do, people might well think you’re mad. You might attract negative words or actions – persecution.
The Christians at Thessalonica certainly did. Read 1 Thess 2:14.
Why would anyone put up with persecution? Two reasons: First, you know your eternity is secure in Christ. Second, your persecutors also need Christ. You’re not trying to persuade anyone like you might try to get someone along to a club or society. You’re to share the word of God, which is powerful.
Dangerous restrictions
In fact, there’s terrible danger in actually restricting the proclamation of God’s Good News. Read 1 Thess 2:15-16. Please don’t read that as anti-Semitic. It’s not. Jesus was a Jew. Paul was, and the other apostles.
But the Jews of that generation came under God’s condemnation for:
- They rejected the promised Messiah, the Christ, Jesus – they met God face to face and killed him.
- Then they worked hard to halt God’s Good News from being told to the world – even though Old Testament Israel were told they were supposed to be a light to the Gentiles.
In all that, they piled up God’s wrath against themselves.
Religious authorities still find ways of actually stifling the impact of God’s Good News. Such as:
- You may have seen the awful situation behind the resignation of the Archbishop of Canterbury. They tried to hide utter wickedness under the carpet, and more wickedness was the result.
- Some religious authorities take soft, liberal views on the Bible, redefining specific sins as normal human behaviour (or even human rights). That prevents people from seeing their own sin and repenting of it before God.
It’s possible for you even to prevent the Good News from reaching people by your own personal choices:
- You can’t share your life the way Paul did if you prefer an intensely private life. You need others to share life with.
- If you lack confidence in God’s Good News yourself, it’s unlikely you’ll share it. Get to know God in Christ better.
- Easiest of all, no-one will see the benefit of being a Christian if you’re slack in your devoutness, righteousness, or blamelessness. Examine your life under the searching bright white light of God’s word. Then embrace that word that brings you life and peace and forgiveness, and share it.
But you think this all sounds like work. You feel life is already full, and here’s another burden. But it wasn’t that for Paul:
Delight in God’s Work (17-20)
Paul was run out of town by an angry mob. Timothy and Silas went back to Thessalonica and spent time with them. The relationships weren’t kept at arms length, like a dispassionate ‘professional’. Read 1 Thess 2:17-18.
You know what it’s like to be separated from family for a period of time. Some of us have family living around the world. You long to be with them again. But Paul’s feelings towards the Thessalonians were stronger still: Read 1 Thess 2:19-20.
Paul knew that he’d been sent by Jesus, the living Son of God.
Paul wasn’t doing things in Jesus’ memory; Jesus was alive and had personally commissioned Paul to serve him. So his desire was to please Christ. This thriving, godly church, persevering under persecution, was wonderful! And Paul looked forward to a day when he would show them to Christ – with real joy!
Serving Christ today
We’re in a similar situation, you and I.
One day, I’ll give account to Christ for how well I’ve pastored this church. Paul knew he’d cared for the Thessalonians, sharing everything with them – and that they’d responded whole-heartedly.
How will it go for us, before the Lord? If he returned right now?
- I’ll say, “I know I should have done more for your people.”
- Maybe, “I did teach, and some listened, but many made no change in their lives at all. They didn’t even pray.”
- Together: “We can see how you gave us freedoms and opportunities to share the Good News, but we squandered them in selfishness and laziness.”
Don’t hear that as a guilt trip. We can do better.
Paul’s delight before Christ was that church in Thessalonica – because their delight was Christ and in doing his work together.
Summary
Trust the Good News
- Before you do anything else, trust God’s Good News (his gospel) for yourself, and live!
- And trust it to be powerful to save others.
Share with care
- The unbelieving people of this community are sleepwalking into hell. They won’t hear your hard sell fire & brimstone.
- Be as gentle as a nursing mother, as strong an example as a good father. Live your Christian priorities for all to see.
Remember the Authority of God’s word
- We’ve made none of this up. It’s God’s word. The Judge would be the Saviour. So don’t restrict the proclamation by laziness or ungodliness.
Delight in God’s work
- First and foremost by delighting in Christ, serving him.