Care Rendered

Acts 18:13-14

Saying, This fellow persuadeth men to worship God contrary to the law.

Nor it seems is Paul yet done. In 1 Thessalonians 4:11-18 he gives the additional instructions for what is to come. First the church should "study to be quiet. In effect, hush all that noise, clamor, and confusion; as for the others, don't be like them. In other words, keep your own house, mind "your own business," and continue the work of the Lord by hand if necessary. For so has the Lord and his apostles commanded through both the Word and their testimony. To this end might the believers conduct themselves as they ought towards the unbeliever and the lacking alike. So do that the God of grace may keep also from want or lack of any good thing. See, when the law came it demanded actions and justice. Yet what it could not do was bring true peace to change the situation. For indeed, it brought all men as guilty before God. But when you go to walk away from God there was nothing there. Then as a sinner of that day you were left with naught but yourself and what you had done. These Jews got one thing right with all their public noise and confusion. So yes, such things indeed are "contrary to the law" as advertised. For in Christ is all that condemnation business fulfilled. When you appear before him as a sinner, he makes you walk away sinless. When you come with a situation, he makes you walk away victorious. When you come offended, he makes you to have justice. Not only that but now will you also be in peace and safety which you had none of before. Now I only wish I knew what events had transpired which led Paul to such conclusions. Now, so soon. He should be merely a young man in his prime of life, not some aged father giving advice unto his spiritual children in preparation for his departure. Now if not for the first time you see how deeply unfair the situation is to Paul. He is expecting a life-time of service to Christ. Yet he has only just departed from Lydia a few short years before. Now it seems his soul also has been left in the faithful keeping of these Thessalonian believers. What this soul would look like is unknown to me. Yet from Paul's writing it is clear that such was dear to him. Perhaps some such has died, for here he writes of their being ignorant of the sleeping ones. Nor should these brother believers also sorrow as those without hope. Yet when Paul has no one and knows not what to do, he still has the Lord. Oh dear believers, if only you had known. How much better then would have been the comfort and the journey. Then would your minds be eased concerning the matters of the tent-making, the couple co-laborers, and these new living quarters with Justus. Or maybe as these here found this only added unto their sorrow.

And when Paul was now about to open his mouth, Gallio said unto the Jews, If it were a matter of wrong or wicked lewdness, O ye Jews, reason would that I should bear with you:

Now that we have seen about Christian living, let us examine the other matter of judging rightly. There is another issue too, that of the right perspective. How important it is in all these things, dear believer, that you have Heaven's point of view. I hear some of you saying, 'don't grieve much? Man, you must be mad.' Since the text is unclear, maybe someone else near and dear to them all has passed. But one thing is not however. That is the certain hope of the resurrection. Even that truth of Jesus dying and rising again for those sleepers in him one day to arise. Nor does it yet appear when it will be. For one day now or in eternity we will see them in the great bringing again with him as it were. For just as surely as he takes so will he also return even that which was lost. Notice then the created order of this return. There are those "alive and remaining" until he comes. Nor will the living prevent those that be sleeping. Look with me now at such an awakening. See, the story begins and ends with God. Oh little church, cease all your striving and your fretting. Then will be his voice with the archangel and the trumpet sound of God. There the dead rise first. Note how Paul says naught of the sleeping here. Scripture then promises a meeting in the clouds and of the air for those that are alive and remaining. What then you wonder of the sleeping. I suppose these have all pretty well awakened by now. If the Lord did not do so, the archangel might have done the trick. But if not, there is always the trumpet blast of God much like that of a train heading into the station. Now rest, little church, forever in the Lord. With this Word comfort yourselves and Paul also for surely he must be in need of such at a time like this. See the protective nature and righteous ruling of this one Gallio. He suffers not the crowd's complaints nor yet bears with their twisted theology. For indeed naught remains to be seen here aside from these many complaints. For my, what complaints these are named here. Now let us see what our God will do for such. Now it has come to my attention that certain believers have used these verses down throughout the years to justify exactly when they believe Christ will return. In my opinion that is the one of the greatest disservices done to the church. Well, aside from denying the work and the gifts of the Spirit that is. Some of you might be familiar with a little known passage in Matthew that discusses how no man knows either the day nor the hour of his return either. Save only that the master's servants really ought to watch and be ready. Now I am not saying that God cannot keep you from the hour that is to try the world. Rather he is able both to keep you in it and to keep you from it. So then some of you really ought to rest in him more. Remember, there is no place God will call you that the grace of God cannot keep you.