The book called “To The Golden Shore” is one of my favourite Christian biographies. It is the life story of Adoniram Judson. A according to the dictionary, a biography is “an account of the series of events making up a person’s life.”

Your biography may not be written in a book, but you still have a biography. If you are a true Christian, your biography will include details of your conversion (i.e., when you repented and trusted Christ and the change Christ made in your life).

Transition

In our text this morning, Paul describes four details of the Thessalonian believer’s conversions that ought to be part of your biography if you are a true Christian.

They Heard the Word of God

  1. They heard it with their ears
    1. This required a preacher. Someone had to tell them the Gospel. (Romans 10:14) How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?
    2. Before a person can become a Christian, he must in some way hear the Gospel. It may be with his ears or with his eyes as he reads a tract. If he is blind, it may be with his fingers. (2 Corinthians 4:3) But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:
  2. They allowed it to enter their thoughts
    1. Hearing the Gospel message of God’s Word is more than just having it presented to the ears or eyes. The sinner then must choose to allow it into their minds.
    2. Jesus described this in his Parable of the Sower. It that parable He said that the farmer was the witness. He was sowing or spreading the seed of the Gospel. Some fell on the hard path where it could not sprout and was eaten by the birds. This pictures those who are offered the Gospel but with no interest they refuse to hear it. No farmer will stop sowing seed just because some of it never sprouts. He just keeps on sowing.
      ☆ The missionaries presented the Gospel to the Thessalonians and some of them chose to hear what they had to say. They let the Gospel into their minds where it began to work.
      ☆ As we share the Gospel with others, many seeds will fall on the hard ground and will never sprout. That was true during Jesus’ ministry. It was true during Paul’s ministry. If you have shared the gospel with others, you know it is true today as well. We must not let rejection cause us to quit sowing.

They Recognized the Word of God

  1. They received it not as human words
    1. We find the word “received” twice in this verse. Let’s look first at the second word “receive” which means to take with the hand or to welcome a visitor.
    2. They could have rejected Paul’s words as simply words of a teacher. Instead, they welcomed his words as more than human stories and opinions of men.
  2. They received it as Words from God
    1. The Thessalonians welcomed the missionary’s gospel message as words of truth. They welcomed them as words from God Himself.
    2. If a person refuses to welcome the gospel as God’s inspired Word, he cannot be saved. If he thinks gospel is just a fairytale, a nice philosophy or one of many ways to heaven, he cannot be saved.

They Received the Word of God

  1. They took it to themselves
    1. The first time “received” is used in this verse it means to accept, to take to one’s self, to receive something from another. It is like accepting a gift from a friend.
    2. Some of the Thessalonians accepted the Gospel message. They received it as truth and received Christ as their Saviour.
    3. In Jesus’ Parable of the Sower, some of the seed fell on stony and weedy ground. There the seeds sprouted and began to take root, but soon were hindered by the stones and weeds. They never produced any fruit. The unfruitful seeds were no better than the seeds that the birds ate.
    4. Sometimes people appear to accept the gospel, but not with a repentant understanding heart. After a time when they begin to face opposition and the pleasures of the world pull them their excitement about Christianity fades and they turn from it. They did not lose their salvation. They never truly had it to begin with.
  2. They believed it
    1. Those who truly receive the gospel also believe the gospel. In John 1:12-13, we see these words used interchangeably. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
    2. The Thessalonians truly received and believed the gospel and were wonderfully saved. They were like the good ground in Jesus’ parable. They did not all bear the same amount of fruit, but they all bore fruit. (Matthew 13:23) But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.
    3. True life in Christ will always produce some fruit that will last more than a few weeks. That fruit should include a love for God, a desire to read the Bible and pray, and a willingness to obey God.
      ☆ If you have received the gospel and believed on Christ to save your soul, your life should show evidence of it. There ought to be fruit of change. If during the week you think very little about God, you have no real desire to daily read the Bible and pray, and it doesn’t really bother you to do things you know displease God, your life lacks basic fruit of a true Christian. Very likely, you may not be saved. You cannot fake fruit. If fruit is lacking in your life, you need to examine your hope of salvation.

They Suffered for the Word of God

  1. The Word did a work in their hearts
    1. Note the words “which effectually worketh”. Another way of wording this phrase is “which is displaying its activity”.
    2. The word of God was doing a work in hearts and was displaying its activity in the believers.
  2. They endured persecution as other saints
    1. The display of activity caused by their conversion to Christ enabled them to endure persecution. They soon began to follow (imitate) the Christians in Israel who were suffering for Christ (2:14).
    2. The change in their lives soon began to irritate others.
      1. Religious people were irritated because they no longer believed as they used to believe.
      2. Some who heard their testimonies were irritated because they did not want to hear the gospel message.
    3. Those who rejected and killed Christ, now were against all who trusted Christ (2:15). They forbid (hinder) the preaching of the gospel that could save their soul from hell (2:16).
      ☆ Here in Australia, we know very little about suffering for Christ. However, if the Lord has changed your life, you will be like a square peg in the world’s round hole. You just won’t fit in. You will not enjoy the sinful activities of the world and the world will not like your testimony for Christ.

Conclusion

What is your Christian biography like? Does it include 1) Hearing the Word of God with an open heart, 2) Receiving the Word of God as God’s inspired Word, 3) Receiving and believing the gospel message of the Word of God as your only hope of eternal salvation and 4) Suffering for the Word of God?

If this is not truly an accurate biography of your life it ought to greatly concern you. You may not truly be saved. Heaven may not be your eternal home. I urge you not to ignore this.

If this is your biography, press on for Christ. Do not get weary in witnessing when people reject the truth. Keep seeking to bear more fruit for the Lord. We will never be perfect until heaven, but that needs to be our constant goal.

Song: Are You Washed in the Blood – 208
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A Christian’s Biography
14 February 2016 AM – 1Th 2:13-16 – 1Th2016 – Scott Childs