The Book of First Thessalonians:
Message Fifteen
By Dr. Michael
Guido, D.D.
Vito Mati, a
student in Barcelona, Spain, was writing his thesis
for his Doctor of Philosophy degree. While reading
some very old books in the library he came onto one
by a famous philosopher. In his book he left a will,
and the will gave his property to the first man who
read the book. This 24-year-old student took the will
to the courts, and he received a $250,000 estate.
Wasn't that wonderful? But there's something much
more wonderful than that! If you'll receive and read
the Bible, if you'll hear and head the Bible, you'll
find hope, help and heaven.
Let's look at
the word. In 1st
Thessalonians 2:13 it's called "the word of
God." Why? Because it wasn't thought up by man.
It had a divine source. The Bible originated from
God. He caused consecrated men to write down exactly
what He wanted written. It's recorded in 2nd
Timothy 3:16, "All Scripture is given by
inspiration of God." "The five words,
'given by inspiration of God,' said Guy Kring, 'are
one word in the Greek, which means, 'God-breathed.'
When you speak, your word is 'you-breathed' - your
breath, conditioned by the shape of your mouth, the
set of your lips, the state of your teeth, the size
of your lungs, and even, in some parts of the globe,
by the interference of your nose. All which is a
figure - only a figure, remember. God's word is
God-breathed, through human instrumentality,
conditioned by the shape and size and sort of the
human medium...But it's always God's breath, God's
word, but shaped by man's gifts and qualities - Moses
and Amos are so utterly different, the style of Paul
and John could never be mistaken for another. Yet
each of these, and all of them, are but the vehicles
of God's voice, God's message." For God
superintended the choice of words.
Let's look at
the working. It's written in 1st
Thessalonians 2:13, "For this cause also thank
we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the
word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not
as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word
of God, which effectually worketh also in you that
believe." It's one thing to admire the Bible as
the word of God, but it's another thing to accept it
in your heart. Water undrunk quenches no thirst. Food
not eaten appeases no hunger. Clothes not worn give
no warmth. Medicine not taken heals no sickness. Just
so, the Bible will do you no good unless you'll
receive it and believe it. One day a nurse found a
bundle of rags on the steps of the St. Thomas
Hospital in England. On looking inside the rags she
found a baby boy. So she called him Thomas. But a boy
must have two names, and since the hospital was close
to a bridge, she called him Thomas Bridges. He became
a hale and handsome boy who loved the Lord and His
word. One day he heard Charles Darwin tell of an
island that he visited. One sentence that stirred his
heart was, "I'd rather try to civilize the dogs
in the streets than those people." Answered Tom
silently, "I know what will uplift and civilize
those people. I know of a Book that has transformed
my life, and taught me of the Savior who can save to
the uttermost." And God called him to that
island. He went there with the Bible. He preached it
and practiced it. The people heard it and heeded it.
Twelve years later Charles Darwin visited that
island. He found the people clothed, not unclothed;
tamed, not untamed; civilized, not uncivilized; kind,
not cruel; believers, not barbarians. What brought
about the miracle? The Lord used a man, with the love
of Christ in his heart and the word of God in his
hand. The people accepted the Scriptures and the
Savior and they were triumphantly transformed!
In closing,
let's look at the wounding. When the people of
Thessalonica put their trust in the Lord they were
persecuted. That's why it's written in verse 14,
chapter 2, "you have suffered." Many times
a call to salvation is a call to suffering. It's not
a soft job to be a Christian. It takes a real person
to stand up for Jesus! A boy got saved, and he read
the Bible daily. One day his father said to him,
"I don't want to see you reading that Bible any
more." So the boy slipped it aside and kept on
reading it. But his father caught him, and he took it
from his hands and threw it into the fire. He saw,
however, that his boy was smiling. "Why?"
he demanded. "I was just thinking," he
answered, "you can't burn this in here,"
and he pointed to his heart. That's the best place to
keep your Bible. Keep it there, won't you!
copyright 2000 Guido Evangelistic
Association
All Scripture verses are
quoted from the New King James Version.
Click here to go
to the next message in this Sower Scripture Study on
the book of First Thessalonians.
This series of messages on the
books of the Bible were originally written for
broadcast on Dr. Guido's radio program, "The
Sower." They are collected and reprinted here
for your enjoyment and spiritual edification.
