Paul’s first stop on his second missionary trip was Philippi. It was there that the Lord opened Lydia’s heart as she received the words of Paul (Acts 16: 14-15). After that, Paul walks into Philippi where a young girl with the spirit of divination begins following them. Through demons, she predicts the future. She is a slave and her owners make money off of her ability. For the next few days, this young girl follows Paul and his companions through the city saying, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to you the way of salvation” (Acts 16:16-18). Paul casts out this demon for two reasons: 1) to relieve the woman of the demon and 2) to make sure others knew she was not a gospel partner (Acts 16:18-24). Following this, while in jail with open wounds, bloodied back and feet in stocks, Paul and Silas begin to worship with song and prayer. While doing this before the other prisoners, there was an earthquake that opened the prison doors and unfastened the stocks which holds the prisoners. Everybody is stunned and the jailer pulls his sword to kill himself. It was his responsibility to keep them in jail and he knew the consequences if even one escaped. Paul cries out, “Do not harm yourself for we are all here”. The jailer then calls for a light and asks, “What must I do to be saved?” Paul’s response: “Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved” (Acts 16:19-32). It really is that simple.
Now, the above narrative about Paul’s time in Philippi sets us up perfectly to understand 1 Thessalonians 2:1-2. The question is this; What motivated Paul to stay true to his faith during the trials he faced in Philipi? Likewise, what motivated the Thessalonians to endure as they experienced intense persecution and suffering (2 Thessalonians 2:14)? In today’s culture, what motivates a Christian to be honest at work when pressured to cheat to secure a deal? What motivates a teenager facing intense peer pressure to identify with Jesus instead of running with the wrong crowd? What motivates a young adult to pursue sexual purity in an over-sexed culture or a grandparent to routinely pray for her grandchildren? In today’s text from I Thessalonians 2, Paul identifies four motivations for ministry. The first is….
To Please God
“First century Roman cities were full of traveling philosophers, magicians, and religious enthusiasts who gained their livelihood from public teaching. They amassed wealth and notoriety through their fine-sounding rhetoric. Some happily argued both sides of a debate, indifferent to the truth…. Their teaching could shift according to the audience’s desires. Often they behaved poorly – mocked their opponents, winning over the weak-willed, engaging in sexual relations with followers, and sponging off the rich” (Chapman, 272). But Paul says that we speak not to please man, but to please God. Christian, the motivation that fuels us is an internal desire to please God. Why do we see so many Christian denominations, ministries and pastors changing their positions on essential Christian doctrines? Part of the answer is a desire to please man. Brothers and sisters, suffering, public humiliation and conflict will not halt our desire to please God. Why? Because the Salvation that comes through Jesus Christ alone changes both one’s eternal destiny and one’s internal desires.
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