Giving Thanks for God’s People

When I think over the past six and a half years as teaching elder of First Presbyterian (Evangelical Presbyterian Church) in Redding I give thanks to God for pouring out His blessings. Paul did the same thing as he thought and prayed for the church in Thessalonica:

“We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly mentioning you in our prayers, remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, because our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction. You know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake.” (1 Thessalonians 1:2–5, ESV)

When I think of the people I love that make up the congregation of First Presbyterian, like Paul, I thank God.  God is the source of all life in your midst. Your faith and the labors to gather regularly for worship, equipping the saints for ministry in the north state, loving God and neighbor, and sharing the good news of Christ’s saving grace are works of faith.  Regular gathering of the people in the face of keeping the building up, facing the challenges of Covid19, the crime surrounding the church campus, the need for Christ-centered, theologically astute elders and the need to grow by sharing the gospel are works of grace that flow from faith in the living God our Father, Son and Holy Spirit. It was no different in Thessalonica; forces having always been at loose in the world attacking the growth of the people of God.

Paul enumerates for us what makes for a vibrant thriving people shaped by God’s presence. Faith in God that works out in action.  There is no such thing as being a vital member of the Body of Christ without faith working out in action of witness, stewardship, and service.  You are all saints called by God.  Your election before the foundation of the world is for service.  There is no retirement in the Living Church of Jesus Christ.  We serve in some way, and not the least is praying for your pastor and elders.  You have a gifted man coming your way just as Paul had sent Timothy.  Andy Van Arsdale wants to serve you to the glory of Jesus Christ.  He is a human being who will need your love, encouragement, and support.  He is not Jesus, but he will point you to Him.  Don’t criticize him; pray for him and respect him for the office he fills as your God-ordained teaching elder worthy of special honor. Paul had sent Timothy because he was not able to come to them.  I am no longer able to keep up the pace of driving from Lake Shastina, spending nights with family and friends in order to serve as I would love to do. I want to thank Jeanie and Stan and especially my brother Ron and Kathy for being a home away from home as I served in Redding. This all was a labor of love. 

Now is the time to remain steadfast in hope in the Lord Jesus Christ.  Covid19 is being used by spiritual forces to further dull our commitment to Christ. Stand firm in Christ. Put your hope in him as you have shown in the past.

The proof that you are “the real deal” is demonstrated in how you received the Word of God preached from your pulpit.  Hang on every Word of the gospel that your new young pastor preaches from the >Bible.  When he speaks, it is the Word of God that comes forth to you.  Stir yourself to grow in your hunger for the Word of God.  Don’t shut down the reach of God’s Word in your mind or heart. Quit looking at the clock and look to Jesus Christ; let the Holy Spirit make it live in you.  Don’t search for an easy little religious thought because if you do, all you will get is a little imitation of “jesus.” Lose yourself in worshipping Jesus as he leaps from the page as Andy preaches the Bible.  Let Jesus Christ walk among you and the Spirit will keep his light shining at First Presbyterian Church. What made the church in Thessalonica thrive?  Paul tells us:

“because our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction.” (1 Thessalonians 1:5a, ESV)

Many of you know that God has touched you with His Word because it came with power.  The Holy Spirit took what I preached and blew through your heart and mind. Power was unleashed to mobilize you to gather in homes, at Bible Study Fellowship, in a women’s Bible study or with the men.  There are some who are yet to know the regenerating work of the Spirit.  You may have been going to church all your life, but God is far from you.  Call out to Him and He will hear you.  Christ will come in and live in you.  You will learn to love the Word of God and hunger for it as spiritual food without which you cannot live.   That is my prayer.  Knowledge of God, His Bible, and good theology can create a platform from which to be equipped to the real work of the Church.  If this dream is fulfilled, I know you will thrive together.  News will break out in the city and people will join you to find out who this God is.  Youth will become more than camp goers; they will become Christ followers and faithful members of the church. Adults will become more than religious consumers; they will be mentors of youth, young couples and witnesses to the gospel.  The elderly will be honored for their wisdom and relied upon for their prayers and example of courageous faith. People like Bud Hancock who model faith that acts will be encouraged and workers will flock to the labor of faith in touching the homeless with the gospel. Safe adults will be trained to love the children of the congregation, to walk alongside parents to raise children in the faith who know what it is to worship with us.  The outreach committee will equip us to share the good news in Redding and enlarge our commitment to bring the gospel to those without the gospel in their culture. All of this will come from listening to God speak in the proclamation of His Holy Scriptures in the power of the Holy Spirit.

That is what happened in Thessalonica.  Their faith was genuine and news of their changed lives made the message flourish so much so that Paul didn’t have to speak the gospel in areas where their witness was known.  May you be “the real deal”.  May your combined faith in God and His Word fill you with such power that Andy Van Arsdale’s ministry is made joyous and filled with grace.  None of this can be done merely by human strength, but with Christ’s Word, and His Spirit, the promise of His blessing is with you.   

This song is a bit different than you are used to, but is a faithful rendering of the great hymn, “The Church’s One Foundation,” by Indelible Grace, a group of young Presbyterian song writers.  I hope you soak up this truth and have communion with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit as we join together in Holy communion this coming Sunday, my last Sunday with you as your pastor:

The Church’s One Foundation https://youtu.be/j44-l71jTFI

Father, bless your people.  Lift up, your Son in our midst Sunday after Sunday as we faithfully gather to worship so that we go out to serve by the Spirit’s power.  Drive away our fears and anger over Covid19 so that we worship in Spirit and in truth. Make of us a people who are truly one in Christ so that the world sees the power of Christ to break down racial, economic, political, and social barriers as the gospel changes us. In Christ’s name. Jim

Living in Unprecidented Times 1 Thessalonians 1:1

Living in Unprecidented Times

I Thessalonians 1:1

By Jim Howe

In the continuing saga of Covid19, social unrest and cancel culture, I have found great comfort and encouragement in Paul’s First letter to the Thessalonians.  It is not a mere Christian manual for life.  It is an extremely personal letter for socially isolated times. Paul was kept from visiting for reasons we will explore, as we are kept from visiting and interacting in the fashion of Christian embrace because of the need for “social distancing”.  Paul greeted others with a kiss; we are cautious not to even shake hands.  He lived with an awareness that the times were under the shadow of dark forces of evil, but more importantly, Jesus Christ was ushering in an era of salvation for all who believe in Him.

There are apocalyptic winds in the air as there were in Paul’s day.  But Paul did not give himself to exaggerated speculation, restraining himself instead to the view of the end of time in terms clearly prescribed by the Old Testament prophets and directed by the Spirit of God through Jesus Christ.  It is important to understand that the Bible does not tells us to await the end times, but rather to recognize that we are in them so that we live by faith in the hope of Christ, and not in despair.   

First Thessalonians has the end times in view in a way that views the Christian era as the end. Christian people use this word often very differently than it is used in the Bible.  We often speak of the final chapter of history in this way rather than recognizing that the Church has existed at the end of time since its inception.  The “end time” is rooted in the Old Testament phrase “the latter days”.  G.K. Beale explains the Bible’s perspective and how it differs from the use given the phrase by many popular books and movies. The Old Testament speaks of “a tribulation for Israel… persecution… false teaching… deception and apostasy”.[1]  He continues:

…Old Testament prophecies of the great tribulation, God’s deliverance of Israel from oppressors, God’s rule over the Gentiles and the establishment of his kingdom have been set in motion by Christ’s death, resurrection formation of the Christian Church. The resurrection marked the beginning of Jesus’ messianic reign, the Spirit at Pentecost signaled the inauguration of his rule through the church (Acts 1:6-8; 2:1-43), and persecution of Jesus and the church indicated the beginning of the final tribulation.[2]

His explanation helps us to see that the “kingdom and the tribulation …coexist at the same time (see Rev. 1:9).”[3] The events of our time are spoken of by many as paving the way to a future tribulation, but the Bible clearly understands that the tribulation has already begun.  How could the tribulation be worse than that the Messiah was crucified, and the people of God were driven from Jerusalem?  The Biblical understanding of the “end time” will not yet be completed until Christ returns and the resurrection of all people.   Why is this important? Because the contemporary understanding of the “end times” as a future event encourages fatalism and lack of engagement with our neighbors and world.  But, knowing that the tribulation of the Church is ongoing encourages faith, action and endurance as Christ restores lives and changes whole societies.

Beware; don’t allow the current events of racial unrest, threats to Police, covid19 and the turmoil in America to encourage an escapist mentality.  Rather, the nearness of Christ’s return ought to mobilize us in witness and serving Christ as He expands the kingdom.   Our whole culture is pessimistic.  Fear is the dominant, understandable consequence.  Many have retreated into their homes and dropped out of the whole mess.  But we see Paul encouraging the Thessalonians to a deep encounter with the Father and more profound involvement in community, not less. But, how do we do this with face masks required by the governor and churches reeling immobilized, rather than engaged to develop the deep sense of community Paul describes?  American churches have focused for too long on growing bigger and better when Paul encouraged growing deeper by intentionally being more involved on the most intimate level.  This focus on American standards of success keeps us from being a cell group movement that is unstoppable because Christ is in our midst. The depth of faith of the Thessalonians exploded with evangelistic effect throughout the Greco-Roman world, one person to another.   In contrast I wonder if people could come to faith in Christ based on my witness?  Is Jesus in my conversation and displayed in my actions? Is there anything beautiful about the circle of closest fellow disciples that attracts notice of the watching world? Will the Church multiply because we have been praying for the lost, making friends with unbelievers and telling them about what Christ has done in our lives? 

The Thessalonians had no “church buildings,” but instead met in home groups like some of you have experienced. Only twenty years (1 Thessalonians was written around 49 or 50ad), after the end times began when Jesus was crucified, dead and risen, Paul was witnessing the expansion of the Church. How? Through the deepening community centered in Jesus Christ and small groupings of people worshipping Him and witnessing about Him. These small groups were small enough that they endured persecution.  They had no overhead costs but devoted all their energy and resources on caring for one another and promoting the expansion of the kingdom in the face of intense pressure.  The church in China has understood this.  Small house churches have multiplied even in the face of the most intense government opposition.  Tribulation is an ongoing reality for the Chinese church, but it has not stopped the growth and mission of the church. Christ blesses the church that deepens in faith and expands in influence for Christ. The coming of the kingdom is a force at work in God’s people to rescue people from sin.  The Bible sets us in a world where the tribulation and the end times are an ongoing present reality.

There are no wasted, throw away words in this most intimate of Paul’s letters as he calls the people to enter God’s presence. Separation and isolation had forced him to write, otherwise he would have done this all face to face. That is the way the good news of Jesus went viral.  Paul, of course, writes this letter, but he does with the recent report of his coworkers Silvanus (also known as Silas) and Timothy:

“Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace.” (1 Thessalonians 1:1, ESV)

It cannot be emphasized enough that the church to which he writes is not a building; it is the called out people of God. They have their existence “in” God who is their Father.  This often-overlooked reality should not be missed. God exists and He makes himself known as the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ.  The events surrounding the coming of Messiah (Christ) Jesus inaugurated both the tribulation of a suffering church and the expansion of a new order ruled by the Father.  People faced false teachers and persecution even while the kingdom of God spread from one person to another.  The gospel was carried along by the real experience of such grace.  Sinners who were undeserving of salvation were brought into relationship with God as Father, not through Caesar as the world at that time believed, but through another leader, the Lord Jesus Christ. The world was filled with violence, but the believers were brought into such peace and new life through the work of Christ upon the cross, as they were >forgiven freely.  Peace was more than the end of conflict; it was the beginning of a new wholeness that echoed the power of resurrection.

Together in genuine community, here were signs of their being in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ that were undeniable.  Their joy in the face of trials was contagious. Their faith was contagious and despite the winds of change they were unmoved from the hope that God was doing the most amazing work in the face of the totalitarian Roman Empire so that they displayed an alternative.  We can believe God is with us and live in His presence.  God is God. He is fulfilling His saving purpose through his Word and Spirit-filled community.  We can display the touch of Christ by believing. We can take up the challenge to be more involved in real community by not letting in these socially isolating times cut us off from God and one another. Paul was concerned about Satan preventing him from visiting them.  We are concerned about what months of church closure will do to the American church.  It is time to think outside the box.  The building isn’t the only place we can gather.  Small and regular gatherings of believers to pray, study the Bible and fellowship can continue.  Surely, we can be the family of God and rise up to face the challenges of this time. Christ’s new kingdom is more powerful than all our fears.  We need more of this kind of community not less. Find a way in person to develop more Christian community with social distancing and see what God does to you as you trust him and obey. Take a friend out to coffee.  Sit outside and share what God is doing in your lives.  Pursue more community with one another.  Share your joys and struggles.  Pray for one another and invite others to join you.

Father, you opened the heart of your Son to us.  He invites us to come to him with our labors.  He offers rest for our souls.  We long to be together more.  Turn our longing to action.  Give our elders and the new pastor Andy Van Arsdale the ability to equip us to lead small home  groups.  Teach us to worship, study the Bible, pray, fellowship and share our faith with others. Help us to be honest and open with one another so that Christ shines through in our actions. Maranatha, Come Lord Jesus, come.

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[1] G. K. Beale, 1-2 Thessalonians: The IVP New Testament Commentary Series, pp. 19-20.

[2] G. K. Beale, 1-2 Thessalonians: The IVP New Testament Commentary Series, p. 20.

[3] G. K. Beale, 1-2 Thessalonians: The IVP New Testament Commentary Series, p. 20.