Friday 7th February
Read 1 Thessalonians 1:6-10
“You became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you welcomed the message in the midst of severe suffering with the joy given by the Holy Spirit. 7 And so you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia. 8 The Lord’s message rang out from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia—your faith in God has become known everywhere. Therefore we do not need to say anything about it, 9 for they themselves report what kind of reception you gave us. They tell how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, 10 and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead—Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath.” (NIVUK)
Some find it arrogant that Paul often calls believers to ‘imitate’ him. Yet, if Paul’s actions are those of one who loves and serves his Lord faithfully and passionately, regardless of the circumstances and sufferings that entails, to charge him with arrogance is foolish indeed.
When writing to the Thessalonians he observes that they have instinctively ‘imitated’ him (v6). There was no request necessary. What they imitated was quite simply the enthusiasm to tell others that Jesus is Lord. We know the gist of Paul’s message to them and their message to others, because Luke tells us. When he arrived, he met with the Jews in Thessalonica and explained that “‘This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Messiah’”, and those in the city heard that ‘‘These men who have caused trouble all over the world have now come here, 7 and Jason has welcomed them into his house. They are all defying Caesar’s decrees, saying that there is another king, one called Jesus.’” (Acts 17:3, 6-7) (NIVUK).
Messiah to the Jews and King to the Greeks.
Blessed by this good news, the Thessalonian believers imitated Paul, Silas and Timothy, and continued to proclaim Jesus as Lord of all, Jew and Greek. The overflowing joy of the Holy Spirit meant they could do no other.
What would it mean for us to joyfully proclaim that Jesus is King in Armidale?
