Thoughts on the book of 1 Thessalonians.

Where is the Holy Spirit in my church?

That’s a question I’ve asked myself often, for as long as I can remember understanding the purpose and power of the Spirit from Scripture. And I hear many other church people who are hungry for the Spirit in their lives and churches asking the same question.

Where is the boldness that’s supposed to come from the Holy Spirit?

That’s another similar question. Isn’t the Holy Spirit supposed to make a difference in our lives and in our churches? Why does it seem as though our churches are filled with people who are relatively the same as the non-believers around them? Where is that spiritual “oomph” that’s supposed to be evident in the lives of people who have received the Holy Spirit?

Where is the power of the Gospel?

Isn’t the Holy Spirit supposed to convict people’s hearts when the Gospel is preached, so that they are forever changed? Why so little transformation going on in our churches (even though 9 of 10 churches use that word in their mission statement)?

In 1 Thessalonians 1:5, Paul writes: “For our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction; just as you know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake.” I want to see THAT Gospel at work in our churches! Why don’t we see it that often?

Ironically, I think the solution to all these questions is: OPPOSITION.

We face very little opposition. Even the opposition we might face, we try very hard to avoid it. We are always asking, “Where is the moving of the Holy Spirit that we see in Acts?” But we seldom ask, “Where is the opposition that we see in Acts?”

But wait, Tim…we don’t want opposition to the Gospel…we want supernatural display of and reception of the Gospel! This is our very problem, in my opinion.

In our efforts to avoid opposition to the Gospel, we distort the Gospel into something more palatable for everyone to receive, so that the masses will respond favorably to it. Of course, we can all point to the prosperity gospel as an extremely exaggerated example, but how about looking at our very own churches and lives. How closely does our preaching of the Gospel match up to Paul’s: “Turn completely away from your idols to serve the true, living God, and wait for His Son to come from heaven–the Son God raised from the dead. Jesus will deliver us from God’s coming wrath.” (1 Thessalonians 1:9-10) This is very similar to Peter’s sermon in Acts 2, “Be saved from this perverse generation!” (verse 40)

We don’t like to put ourselves at odds with the world. We don’t want to tell anyone that God’s wrath is coming to humanity, or that our generation deserves it because it is perverse, or that faith in Jesus is our only means of salvation. Granted, there are some people who thrive on pronouncing judgment on others. That’s not what I’m saying here. What I am saying, however, is that we shy away from the truth, or spin it, so as to avoid any kind of opposition. However, it seems to me that opposition is precisely what we need to experience the boldness and power in the Holy Spirit we are longing for. When we suffer for Jesus, we cling that much tighter to whom and what we are suffering for. We make a decision as to whether Jesus is worth the opposition. If we determine He is worthy of it, we trust in Him and His message that much more.

Let’s remember that most of the time in the New Testament, the masses didn’t respond favorably to the Gospel (the day of Pentecost is the exception). Most of the time, Christians were running for their lives, and few pockets of people believed in Christ. These churches in the New Testament weren’t megachurches. They usually met in people’s homes, because they were so small. What happens in Acts 4, after the disciples are beaten for preaching the Gospel? They return home to pray fervently, and then in verse 31 it says, “And when they had prayed, the place where they had gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak the word of God in boldness.”

There’s that boldness and Holy Spirit we want! But it came after opposition/persecution that we don’t want.

When I stood up for the Gospel at my former church, I was mocked and labeled narrow-minded for believing that Buddhists, Hindus and Muslims, etc needed to turn from their idols/false religions to serve Jesus. Now, I wasn’t beaten by religious leaders like the disciples were in Acts. I was just perceived as being misguided and the anti-Jesus way. This was very minor “persecution” comparatively. But do you know what happened as a result of some minor opposition and some minor financial struggling? I became MUCH more emboldened about the Gospel. Something supernatural occurred inside of me. God instilled a faith disproportionate to the little bit I endured. You can read about that experience here. Now this was very tiny opposition compared to what so many Christians have endured for their faith–it’s not even worth comparing–but even with such little opposition, I have seen great faith and boldness come out of it.

Let’s look back at 1 Thessalonians. Paul tells them in chapter 2, verse 2: “But after we had already suffered and been mistreated in Philippi, as you know, we had the boldness in our God to speak to you the gospel of God amid much opposition.” And then in verses 4-6: “…we speak, not as pleasing men but God, who examines our hearts. For we never came with flattering speech, as you know, nor with a pretext for greed–God is witness–nor did we seek glory from men, either from you or from others…”

Opposition keeps us from the dangers in church of trying to please men, fixate on money, or increase our church’s status. (This is what I see in so many churches and denominations.) When we face opposition, we don’t have time to play those games any longer. But as long as we can find ways to avoid opposition, this is what happens: Rather than seeking God, we continue seeking after what is most beneficial (i.e. comfortable) for our lives and the growth of our church. And no surprise that very little boldness or power of the Holy Spirit ever shows.

Now, for all of Paul’s boldness, was he some mean, vindictive preacher to those Thessalonians when he arrived? On the contrary, in verses 7-8, he says: “But we proved to be gentle among you, as a nursing mother tenderly cares for her own children. Having thus a fond affection for you, we were well-pleased to impart to you not only the gospel of God, but also our own lives, because you had become very dear to us.”

We’re not talking here about trying to stir up opposition like those Westboro hatemongers from Kansas or an attitude that wants to send everyone to hell. We are talking about such a plain conviction in the Gospel message that our hearts are continually amazed and burning with the truth we see in the Gospel and we are eager to share it at all times and in all places. It becomes all we live for.

If you read the book of 1 Thessalonians, you will learn that as a result of Paul’s boldness and the power of the Gospel through the Holy Spirit:

The Thessalonians receive the Gospel as God’s words, not man’s words (When you received the word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but for what it really is, the word of God, which also performs its work in you who believe. -1 Thessalonians 2:13)

They suffer opposition for the sake of the Gospel like the apostles did (For you, brethren, became imitators of the churches of God in Christ Jesus that are in Judea, for you also endured the same sufferings at the hands of your own countrymen, even as they did from the Jews, who both killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and drove us out. -1 Thessalonians 2:14-15)

And they do not give in to the opposition ([We are] constantly bearing in mind your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope. -1 Thessalonians 1:3)

Now isn’t that the kind of life you wish you could see more often? Wouldn’t it be a great joy to know a church like this? Paul is overjoyed for sure. He writes this letter to tell them how thankful he is to hear that they are indeed strong in God in the face of great opposition, and to let them know that their testimony of standing strong is spreading throughout many other provinces.

The next time we ask the question, “Where is the power of the Holy Spirit? Where is this boldness that’s supposed to come?” …let’s ask ourselves, “Where is the opposition?”