ECHO, Echo, Echo

250. "ECHO, Echo, Echo"                May 4, 2011           

1 Thessalonians 1-Part 5
For the word of the Lord has sounded forth from you, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith toward God has gone forth, so that we have no need to say anything.
For they themselves report about us what kind of a reception we had with you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve a living and true God,
And wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, that is Jesus, who delivers us from the wrath to come.     1 Thess. 1:8-10 NAS


LET IT GLOW

In the cool summer mornings last year, my granddaughter and I would often sit on the front porch swing. Though she wasn't saying a lot of words at the time, she could make sounds. She enjoyed yelling them to the woods in front of our house. You see, her words or sounds would echo back to her. Thus she would hear what she has said. It was a simple fun time as we, I joined her, kept up the procedure.  Probably, we will do it again this year.

Paul used the words sounded forth in our scripture. I found out that the Greek word is execheo, which means "bounce off" and is the word from which we get the English word  echo. The Thessalonians became a sounding-board from which the gospel would echo across the world. Paul states hyperbolically that he hardly needed to preach where people had heard of the faith of the Thessalonians; he had only to ask, "Have you heard what happened?" The fantastic story of the conversion from idols to God was known everywhere.
(Liberty Bible Commentary)

Is my life a witness around the world? Originally, I began this blog as a study through the New Testament, wanting to leave a legacy to my children and grandchildren the Word of God applied to my life's experiences. Also, I hoped to have others join me in discussing what passages meant to them, but few have responded. That's all right. Little did I dream of the impact of this, but it is being read throughout the world. So far, people from over 20 countries have visited here. Glory is given to my God. It is written for encouragement to others and to share the gospel to the world from my country road. I am privileged to think God could use me as a missionary, home and foreign.

So that is what the Thessalonians were experiencing, missionary work without them even knowing it. They were spreading the word of Jesus, the Messiah, the Risen Savior, had come.

The MacArthur Bible Commentary says, "Though it may appear that this church developed such a testimony in only three Sabbaths of preaching (Acts 17:2) spanning as little as fifteen days, it is better to understand that Paul preached three Sabbaths in the synagogue before he had to relocate elsewhere in the city. In all likelihood, Paul spent months, not weeks, which accounts for :
1. the two collections he received from Philippi (Phil. 4:16),
2. the time he worked night and day (2:9),
3. the depth of pastoral care evidenced in the letter (2:7-8, 11).

At any rate, the Holy Spirit was working through Paul's missionary team and through the newly founded church at Thessalonica. Is my witness for Jesus affecting others in my neighborhood, city, state, nation, and world? How about yours? What kind of echo do I have?


LET IT GROW

In verse 9, Paul uses the word turned. The Greek word is epistrepho, which is "conversion" in English. The Thessalonians turned from idol worship (dead gods) and pagan religions to Christianity, worshiping the True Living God through Jesus Christ. Salvation comes through the turning from our sins, in repentance, to Christ.

We know what they turned from. What did they turned to? They began serving the only real God, Jehovah. The word serve means literally to be a slave to. We belong to Him through a bondage of love, wanting to do only His will.

In verse 10, Paul uses the word wait. In Greek, the word is anameno, which means more than just wait; it emphasizes an expectant and active attempt to live for His glory in the meantime. We believe in Jesus' resurrection and hope in His Second Coming. The "wrath to come" may mean either eith God's temporal wrath to come on the earth (Rev. 6:16-17) or eternal wrath (John 3:36) in hell.
[Resources: Liberty Bible Commentary, The MacArthur Bible Commentary]

Have I turned to god through salvation in Jesus? Yes, I have, how about you?
Am I waiting for His return, serving Jesus while I wait? Doing my best?


LET IT GO

Let the love and Word of Jesus Christ echo around me.

Serve Jesus while waiting for His return.