We've been studying 1 Thessalonians the past couple of days, and it's been so rewarding in the vision that Paul gives for pastoring and church planting. Reading this book has made us more excited for getting into ministry. Particularly in chapter 2, Paul seems to set forth a progression that is really amazing. He writes, "we were gentle among you, like a mother caring for her little children" (2:7). A few verses later, he says, "For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children,
encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory" (2:11-12).
There seems to be a progression here. He's saying that initial he loved the fledgling believers like a mother loves her children full of grace, compassion, gentleness and tenderness. There came a time when Paul realized that simple gentleness wasn't going to cut it - that a father was needed. Someone who not only loved but encouraged and urged them onto maturity.
Finally, Paul refers to these beloved people as brethren or brothers and sisters - the goal of any pastor. It's my heart that we get to see people grew so much in Christ that they become true brothers and sisters.
That's just a snippet of how sweet this epistle is.
We met with a local pastor the other day who recently took a trip to Turkey to meet with church planters from around the Middle East. He was talking with one particular native missionary from Iran, and he asked him what he thought about Western Christians. Thinking that he would criticize Western avarice or laziness, instead the Iranian simply said, "Westerners makes things too complicated."
He decided to illustrate his point. They went to a local restaurant, and the Iranian warned the pastor that the waiter would invariably ask them where they were from and why they were here. The Iranian told our pastor friend to answer honestly - that he was American and a missionary. This spawned a whole conversation with the waiter, in which the Iranian finally and simply asked, "Who do you think Jesus was?" This opened the door for this waiter to here about Christ.
In this country, we have so volumes of books on how to do evangelism. In reality, I think God wants us to approach evangelism like anything else - as a child. We make things too complicated. The Gospel, in it's essence, is simple. This story has given us a renewed desire to share the simple faith of Jesus with people.
