The Gospel never has been or will be popular, but it is authoritatively true.
Read / Listen to the chapter:
Read the chapter in an outlined format
Previous DIG DEEPER posts on 1 Thessalonians
1 Thessalonians 1 Summary
It's important to understand that Christianity is not now, and has never been, a 'movement.' Movements are not in and of themselves bad (think of the Civil Rights Movement for example), but by their very nature movements depend on getting large masses of people to actively support a particular idea and goal.
For a movement to be successful, it must first be popular. Even movements that begin with noble goals often implode because they are fueled by words of flattery or with a pretext for greed (v5).
Paul reminds the Thessalonians and us that the Gospel was anything but popular. Quite the opposite: it resulted in suffering, shame and conflict for those who were convicted by it (v2).
Rather than being a movement requiring popularity, the gospel is a divine announcement of good news. It's true and valid not because of the people who believe it, but because it is the word of God which is at work in you believers (v13). This means that these words have authority like nothing else in the world.
But the Gospel is never presented as just plain, cold, objective truth. Paul uses the metaphor of a gentle mother caring for her own children (v7). This means two things for you: imitate this gentleness as you share the gospel, and just like people never outgrow their need for their mother's love, you'll never not need to hear the gospel preached to you regularly.
Dig Deeper
We've heard this phrase dozens if not hundreds of times the last few months: 'America is the most divided it's ever been.' People are coming to conclusions diametrically opposed to each other but yet everyone is convinced they are right.
One of the best ways to determine your own rightness is to check your motivation. Verse 4 reminds you that your motivation must always be to please God, not necessarily to please people. What is the motivation for your political & social positions? If your first goal is not pleasing God, it's likely that you're coming to the wrong conclusions.
AAA Prayer :
ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who has revealed Himself to us in His holy Word
ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that God's Word will continue to be at work in your life
ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED:
