paulvisits

If Paul were to visit our churches today…….

Paul in his epistle to the church of the Thessalonians firstly reminds them of the afflictions through which they received the gospel and of the spread of the gospel through them to the other places like Macedonia and Achaia. He appreciates them, saying "ye were ensamples to all that believe in Macedonia and Achaia" (I Thes.1:7). Through his apostolic ministry, the church of Thessalonians became a witnessing church. He then proceeds to tell them how he suffered for the sake of the gospel; how he loved them. If Paul were to visit our churches and to inspect our ministries today, he would find our churches and ministries as money making business establishments; he would call our ministers as hypocrites because they quote from his epistles but do not follow the same. The churches of today are not witnessing churches because these churches are not involved in evangelism. Where are the ministers of God like Apostle Paul who would transform these churches into the likes of the church of Thessalonians? In I Thes.2:4-6, he tells them that he and his co-workers were "allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, which trieth our hearts.

For neither at any time used we flattering words, as ye know, nor a cloak of covetousness: God is witness;

Nor of men sought we glory, neither of you, nor yet of others, when we might have been burdensome, as the apostles of Christ".

God has to allow a person to be put in trust with the gospel. God tries a person for His ministry and then entrusts him with the gospel. It may take years for God to entrust that person with His ministry.

Paul preached the gospel to the Thessalonians not "in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance...." (I Thes.1:5).

Preachers preach the gospel in flowery languages and exhibit their oratory but not in the power of God. Oratory takes the place of the power of God. Gospel is preached from the church pulpits as a matter of routine, at times, mostly from texts already prepared. The power to convict the hearers of their sins and iniquities is missing. Flattering words are used just to please the parishioners. Fear of losing pulpits makes the preachers dilute the gospel. Gospel should proceed from the heart of the preachers, and not from their heads. Preachers come to the pulpit to seek recognition from men. They do not have a burden in their hearts for the lost souls.

Preachers use the cloak of covetousness. They covet offerings from the sheep they are supposed to serve and tend for. Evangelists expect offerings of those people that have been blessed by their ministries. Paul made God a witness to his apostolic ministry. If we conduct an evangelistic meeting in a town, the servants of God in that town covet the chief places on the dais and want to be honoured by the organizers. They expect praises of men before preaching the gospel. They make elaborate advertisements for their products but do not allow other servants of God to sell their products.

Paul never sought the glory of men, including the Thessalonians to whom he was ministering. All the people whom he served were equal in his eyes. He never preferred a particular person to another person. In the churches of today, the glory of men rules the roost. Men with good family background or rich men are honored when commonplace people are shown the backseats. The churches do not call "poor saints" or evangelists with poor financial background for giving messages but prefer only "renowned" evangelists.

Paul did not want to burden the church of the Thessalonians for ministering to him. He said in I Thes.2:9 that he and his team laboured and travailed night and day so that they "would not be chargeable unto any of you" for preaching the gospel of God. This is the true sign of a minister of God. These days, we find the ministers of God covet "service" from the people whom they are supposed to serve. They boast that they had resigned from their secular jobs to serve God but expect offerings from the people whom they serve. They do not work with their own hands even in their own offices established by them for running their ministries. They want "service" from the staff working in their offices.

Paul boldly told the church of the Thessalonians, "Ye are witnesses, and God also, how holily and justly and unblameably we behaved ourselves among you that believe...." (I Thes.2:10). He behaved himself as a nurse that cherished her children and as a father that cared for his children.

Oh, how Paul loved them! He wanted to see their "face with great desire" (I Thes.2:17). He knew their sufferings and persecutions for the gospel of Christ. A minister of God or an apostle should know the sufferings and the persecutions of the people to whom he is supposed to minister. What happens to day? The minister of God concerned does not want to know the sufferings and the persecutions of the sheep under him but wants to tell them about his own sufferings and persecutions in order to earn their sympathy. Paul and his co-workers desired to see the faces of Thessalonians whereas the modern ministers expect their sheep to see their faces.

According to Paul, "ye are our glory and joy" (I Thes.2:20). For Paul and his team, Thessalonians were not merely believers or supporters but were their glory and joy. In other words, Paul's glory was not his ministry or his spiritual gifts but was the very sheep he was serving. Paul's joy did not emanate from the offerings and the love he received from Thessalonians. His very joy was Thessalonians.

- Job Anbalagan