Participants: Tony Moore
Series Code: IFP
Program Code: IFP000008
|
01:36 Paul and Silas were rejoicing over the
01:38 church that they have planted in Macedonia 01:41 and they were bearing in their bodies 01:43 the marks of their ministry. 01:45 We don't know how long they stayed 01:46 at the house of Lydia after they were 01:48 released from prison, but we do know 01:51 the journey they took when they left the 01:52 Roman colony of Philippi. "When they had 01:55 passed through Amphipolis 01:57 and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, 01:59 where there was a Jewish synagogue." 02:01 Yes, Paul and Silas would have walked 02:04 the 30 miles from Philippi down to 02:07 Amphipolis, a city surrounded by water 02:10 on three sides. I have often wondered what 02:13 they have talked about as they walked along 02:15 that journey. They must have rejoiced at 02:17 how God had worked miraculously to save 02:20 that Spirit possessed girl and how he turned 02:24 the tables in the very jailor that had put them 02:26 in prison had become a believer in Jesus. 02:29 Yes, they were rejoicing as they walked along. 02:32 I wondered, was it easy for them to walk 02:35 after receiving such a severe beating. 02:38 They didn't tarry here at Amphipolis, 02:40 they must have left the next morning 02:42 because it was not a Jewish Synagogue here. 02:45 They were headed down to the great port city 02:47 of Thessalonica. And as they left the city 02:50 they walked under the watchful gaze 02:53 of this magnificent lion statue. 02:57 This statue had been carved perhaps to 03:00 commemorate a military victory of 03:02 Philip of Macedonia. They walked under 03:05 its watchful gaze heading down to the 03:08 great port of Apollonia. It was here at this port 03:12 that Alexander the Great's wife and son 03:15 were murdered after his death. 03:18 But, they didn't tarry in this city either 03:19 because that was not a Jewish Synagogue. 03:22 Instead they pressed on down to the 03:24 great port city of Thessalonica. 03:29 This city was built by Cassander 03:32 and named after his wife who was the daughter of 03:35 Philip of Macedon and the sister of 03:37 Alexander the Great. This was a 03:40 tremendous city, built along the Coast at the 03:43 Northern end of the Thermaic Gulf. 03:45 Today the Gulf is known as the Gulf of Salonika 03:49 as the name of the town has been shortened. 03:52 This was a great city and very strategic 03:55 for the Roman province of Macedonia. 03:58 It was the capital of that province in 04:00 Paul's day and had a commercial success 04:04 approaching that of Ephesus and Corinth. 04:07 Strabo referred to this city as the 04:10 most important of Macedon. 04:13 The white tower behind me is a very important 04:16 landmark for the modern city of Salonika. 04:19 But, that tower will be built over a 04:21 thousand years after Paul visited the city. 04:24 Also the Arch of Galerius is a very 04:27 important monument. There still on the 04:30 Egnatian way. But, this will be built 04:33 several centuries after Paul as well. 04:36 Yet, is a powerful testimony to the 04:38 presence of Rome in this the capital of 04:41 Roman province of Macedonia. 04:45 This was the great commercial shipping 04:47 center in Paul's day as it is in ours. 04:50 But, Paul was not attracted to this city 04:53 because of its commercial success 04:55 or because it had a great port. 04:58 He was attracted here because there was a 05:00 Jewish Synagogue. "As his custom was, 05:04 Paul went into the synagogue, 05:06 and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with 05:08 them from the Scriptures, explaining 05:11 and proving that the Christ had to suffer 05:13 and rise from the dead. This Jesus I am 05:16 proclaiming to you is the Christ, he said." 05:19 He attended the Synagogue on the 05:21 Sabbath and there he reasoned with them 05:23 from the Scriptures. For three Sabbath days 05:26 proving that Jesus was the Christ. 05:30 Do you notice it says, his source of authority, 05:33 he was proving to them from the Scriptures. 05:36 What Scripture do you think he used? 05:38 Matthew? Romans? Galatians? 05:42 No, that had not been written yet! 05:45 His source of authority was appealing to 05:48 the Scriptures the Hebrew Scriptures 05:50 what we call today in the Christian world 05:52 the Old Testament. Proving from them 05:55 that Jesus was the Christ that is 05:57 that Jesus was the Messiah. 06:01 We've come up here to the upper part 06:04 of the city. Where I am standing on the 06:07 Byzantine walls part of the ancient defenses 06:10 of the city. This spot provides a tremendous 06:13 view of the harboring city below. 06:17 And it's a wonderful place where I can 06:19 open to you the Scriptures as Paul was 06:22 doing to the Jews in the Synagogue 06:25 thousands of years ago here in this city. 06:28 It said that he was explaining and proving 06:32 or opening and alleging. This word opening 06:36 is a very special word, very rich in its usage 06:39 in the New Testament. It was used by Luke 06:42 to describe Jesus walking on the road 06:45 to Emmaus. They ask each other, 06:47 "Were not our hearts burning within us 06:50 while he talked with us on the road 06:53 and opened the Scriptures to us?" 06:54 Jesus walked with the two disciples 06:57 on the road to Emmaus and as he walked with 07:00 them their hearts were downcast, 07:02 their hearts were sadden and Jesus opened 07:05 the Scriptures to them and they said our hearts 07:08 are burning inside. Luke used it again 07:11 to describe when Jesus met with the disciples 07:14 in the upper room. "He said to them, 07:17 this is what I told you while I was 07:19 still with you: Everything must be 07:21 fulfilled that is written about me in the 07:23 Law of Moses, the Prophets and Psalms. 07:26 Then he opened their minds so they could 07:30 understand the Scriptures. 07:31 He told them, This is what is written, 07:33 that Christ will suffer and rise from the dead 07:36 on the third day, that repentance 07:37 and forgiveness of sins will be preached in 07:39 his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem." 07:43 Jesus opened the Scriptures to the 07:45 disciples and then he opened their 07:47 understanding about those Scriptures. 07:50 Paul followed the same process here 07:52 in Thessalonica. He went into the Synagogue 07:54 and he opened the Scriptures before the 07:56 Jews and the God fears who had gathered 07:58 for the Sabbath. And then he opened 08:01 their understanding by explaining how 08:04 those passages had been fulfilled in the Messiah. 08:07 Yes, Paul followed the same process 08:09 that Jesus did. This word explaining 08:13 or proving is also very, very important, 08:16 it means to commit before someone, 08:19 to place before someone. Paul read the text 08:23 and then he placed along side of it the 08:26 fulfillment in Jesus. Acts 17, verse 3, 08:30 "Explaining and proving that the Christ 08:32 had to suffer and rise from the dead." 08:35 Was Christ his name? No, that was his title! 08:39 The word Christ is the Greek word for 08:42 anointed one. It is the equivalent of the 08:45 Hebrew Messiah. Paul came into the Synagogue 08:49 and was alleging and proving from the 08:51 Scriptures that Jesus was the Christ that is 08:54 that Jesus was the Messiah. 08:56 The problem was at this time the Jews commonly 09:00 believed that the Messiah would come 09:02 and would deliver the nation from the 09:04 occupation of the Romans. They believed 09:07 the Messiah would be a liberator. 09:09 Paul came to show that the Messiah would 09:12 actually come and not liberate his people from 09:16 the Roman bondage, but liberate them from sin. 09:18 That he would not be the great victor 09:20 but he would be the one who would actually die 09:23 for the sins of the people and indeed 09:25 the whole world and then come back to life. 09:28 Paul following the principles that 09:31 Jesus used, began at Moses and all the 09:35 prophets and worked through the passages 09:37 and then place along side those messianic 09:41 prophecies the fulfillment in Jesus 09:44 of Nazareth. I wonder what prophecies 09:47 are used. I think he probably started 09:50 with the first messianic prophecy we read about 09:52 in Genesis chapter 3 and verse 15. 09:56 "And I will put enmity between you 09:58 and the woman, and between your offspring 10:00 and hers; he will crush your head, 10:03 and you will strike his heel." 10:05 Yes, here we have the first promise 10:07 of Messiah. The Messiah was to be born 10:10 in the seed of a women and then the Messiah 10:13 would crush the head of the serpent, 10:15 a deadly wound is here, predicted to take place 10:19 to the old serpent that deceived them 10:21 there in the garden Eden. But, in the 10:23 process the Messiah's heel would be crushed. 10:27 We share with them Genesis chapter 49 10:30 verse 10, where Jacob on his death bed is 10:33 blessing his sons and as he comes to Judah 10:36 he makes this messianic prediction. 10:40 "The scepter will not depart from Judah, 10:43 nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, 10:46 until he comes to whom it belongs 10:48 and the obedience of the nations is his." 10:51 Yes, the old patriarch Jacob predicted 10:55 that the scepter would not depart from Judah, 10:58 that the rule of authority would continue 11:01 through Judah until the Messiah would come. 11:04 The King James uses the word Shiloh, 11:07 this was considered to be the Messiah 11:11 by the Jews of Paul's day. Yes, it's predicted 11:14 that Judah would continue on the other 11:16 tribes that largely disappeared, 11:17 Israel had gone into oblivion but Judah had 11:21 continued until the Messiah would come. 11:24 Then Paul read to them the passage from 11:27 numbers 21 and verses 8 and 9. 11:30 Where Moses is instructed by the Lord 11:34 to place a serpent upon a pole. 11:36 "The Lord said to Moses, Make a snake 11:39 and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten 11:42 can look at it and live. So, Moses made a 11:45 bronze snake and put it up on a pole. 11:48 Then when anyone was bitten by a snake 11:50 and looked at the bronze snake, he lived." 11:53 Did Paul share this passage with the Jews 11:56 in the Synagogue? Of how in the wilderness 11:59 when the snakes were coming out and biting 12:01 the people that the Lord instructed him 12:03 to put a snake up on a pole, to lift the snake 12:07 up from the earth and that people who looked 12:09 at that snake would look and live. 12:12 Jesus had applied that passage to himself 12:15 and in his conversation with Nicodemus, 12:18 as the serpent was lifted up in the 12:20 wilderness he said: So, the son of man 12:22 must be lifted up and all who would look at 12:25 Jesus would live. Yes, Paul was placing 12:29 before them the text and explaining 12:31 how they were fulfilled in Jesus. 12:32 There was a misconception that the 12:34 Messiah would come and would destroy 12:36 the deliberately occupying armies of Rome. 12:40 Paul was showing that indeed the Messiah 12:43 would come and he would destroy the very power 12:45 of sin by giving his own life. 12:48 He would be lifted up from the earth 12:50 and all who look would live. 12:53 Certainly Paul would have shared with them 12:54 the great passage of Isaiah chapter 53. 12:58 Isaiah is called the Gospel prophet 13:00 because he points forth to the Messiah 13:02 so eloquently. "He was despised 13:05 and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, 13:08 and familiar with suffering. Like one from 13:11 whom men hide their faces he was despised, 13:15 and we esteemed him not. Surely he took up 13:18 our infirmities and carried our sorrows, 13:20 yet we considered him stricken by God, 13:22 smitten by him, and afflicted. 13:24 But he was pierced for our transgressions, 13:27 he was crushed for our iniquities; 13:29 the punishment that brought us peace 13:31 was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. 13:34 We all like sheep have astray, each of us has 13:37 turned to his own way; and the Lord has 13:40 laid on him the iniquity of us all. 13:42 He was oppressed and afflicted, 13:44 yet he did not open his mouth; 13:46 he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, 13:49 and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, 13:51 so he did not open his mouth." 13:55 What a tremendous prediction of the 13:58 suffering Messiah that would come. 14:00 Yes, he suffered for our sins he was bruised 14:05 for our iniquities, he was pierced. 14:08 Certainly Paul would have read this passage 14:10 and explained how it was directly fulfilled in 14:14 Jesus death on Calvary's cross. 14:18 Yes, the suffering serpent is portrayed 14:21 here like a lamb led to the slaughter. 14:24 Jesus died for us! Jesus gave his life 14:29 that we might have life and it says 14:32 by his stripes referring to the lashes 14:34 he received on his back by his stripes 14:37 we are healed. Certainly Paul represented 14:42 this tremendous passage before the Synagogue 14:44 here in Thessalonica. Did Paul read to them 14:49 Daniel chapter 9. Daniel chapter 9 14:53 verses 25 to 27, is one of the greatest 14:55 prophecies in the Bible. Revealing that Jesus of 14:59 Nazareth is the Messiah. Some believed to be 15:03 the greatest prophecy in the Bible, 15:05 pinpointing that Jesus of Nazareth 15:07 was the Messiah. It was so powerful 15:10 that there was a rabbinical curse placed 15:13 upon that portion of the Scripture. 15:15 It went cursed be the finger of the hand 15:18 of the arm of the man that studies 15:21 the times of Daniel 9. Why such an incredible 15:25 curse? Cursed to be the finger, 15:27 the hand of the arm of the man. 15:29 Because this prophecy pinpoints 15:33 beyond the shadow of the doubt that 15:35 Jesus of Nazareth was indeed the Messiah. 15:38 Let me read it to you Daniel 9 15:40 verses 25 through 27, "Know and understand 15:44 this; From the issuing of the decree to restore 15:47 and rebuild Jerusalem until the Anointed One, 15:49 Hey, we read that before! 15:51 The Anointed One the Messiah the Christ! 15:53 "Until the Anointed One the Christ the Messiah, 15:57 the ruler, comes, there will be seven 'sevens,' 16:00 and sixty-two 'sevens. It will be rebuilt 16:03 with the streets and a trench, 16:05 but in times of trouble. And after the 16:07 sixty-two sevens, the Anointed One that is 16:10 Christ will be cut off and will have nothing." 16:12 Cut off means he would be killed he would 16:15 have nothing, the same language 16:17 that we read there are in Isaiah chapter 53, 16:20 "The people of the ruler who will come 16:22 will destroy the city and the sanctuary. 16:24 The end will come like a flood: 16:25 War will continue until the end, 16:27 and desolations have been decreed." 16:30 And then we come to verse 27, 16:33 He that is the Messiah, the Christ. 16:36 The Anointed One will confirm a covenant with 16:38 many for one seven. And in the middle 16:41 of the seven he will put an end to sacrifice 16:43 and offering." Yes, I'm certain that 16:46 Paul would have read this text, 16:48 for in the Galatians chapter 4, verse 4 16:50 he said, When the fullness of time 16:52 would come God sent forth his Son, 16:54 born of a woman born under the law 16:56 that he might redeem those under the law. 16:59 Yes, Paul believed the foulness of time had 17:04 come the great prophetic clock of 17:06 Daniel chapter 9 had struck. 17:08 The time had come for the Anointed One 17:11 the ruler to be presented before 17:14 the people of Judah. And indeed this prophecy 17:19 was fulfilled in a beautiful way 17:21 in the life of Jesus. There are so many other 17:25 fantastic prophecies that Paul would have 17:28 set before the people there. 17:30 Prophecies like Isaiah chapter 9 17:33 and verses 6 and 7, "For unto us a child is born, 17:37 to us a son is given and the government 17:39 will be on his shoulders. And he will 17:41 called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, 17:44 Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 17:46 Of the increase for the government 17:48 and peace there will be no end. 17:49 He will reign on David's throne 17:51 and over his kingdom, establishing 17:53 and upholding it with justice 17:54 and righteousness from that time on 17:56 and forever." Yes for onto us a child is born 18:01 and onto us a Son is given. Paul would have 18:04 revealed how Jesus was born of the Virgin Mary. 18:07 How that he was born miraculously conceived 18:11 of the Holy Spirit. He would share with them 18:13 the story of what had happened with the priest 18:16 there in the temple how the Angel Gabriel 18:18 appeared to them and said, you will have a 18:20 son in your old age and your wife was bearing 18:22 all these years she will become pregnant 18:24 and you give a birth to a son 18:26 and you won't call him Zachariah, 18:27 you call him John. For he will make the way 18:31 for the Messiah, he will prepare the road 18:34 for Messiah to come. Certainly Paul would 18:36 have shared that story with them 18:37 he would have shared how that the angel appeared 18:40 to Mary there in Nazareth. And how 18:42 that is a virgin she gave birth to Jesus. 18:46 He would have continued by sharing 18:48 the 16th Psalm that describes how 18:51 the Messiah would be resurrected 18:52 from the death that he would not be left 18:54 in the grave that his body would not suffer 18:57 corruption that he would come forth 18:58 from the grave. They be resurrected back 19:01 to life, certainly he would have shared 19:03 with them the 22th Psalm that describes 19:05 how he would be pierced and describes 19:07 the details of how his life would be taken. 19:11 Yes, Scripture was full of prophecies predicting 19:15 the suffering aspect of the Messiah. 19:17 One day He will come as the conquering king, 19:20 one day He will come as the delivering king 19:22 but that will be as a second coming 19:24 not his first coming. Paul would have 19:26 explained all of the passages were 19:29 fulfilled in Jesus of Nazareth. 19:32 And it was quite successful as Luke 19:34 notes in Acts chapter 17 and verse 4 19:37 where he says, "some of the Jews were persuaded 19:39 and joined Paul and Silas, as day a large 19:42 number of God-fearing Greeks and not a few 19:45 prominent women." Yes there were number of 19:47 Jews who believed in Jesus as their Messiah 19:51 here in this city. And a large number of God 19:54 fearing Greeks. Remember when we looked 19:57 at the God fearing Greeks we were back in 20:00 Asia minor and we discovered that the God 20:02 fearing Greeks were people who had not 20:04 be circumcised, they had not gone all the way 20:06 to become Jews but they preferred 20:09 the monotheistic religion of the Jews. 20:11 They were supportive, they were sensitive 20:14 they preferred this religion, but did not go 20:17 all the way to become Jews. 20:20 Well, a number of the God fearing Greeks 20:22 here in this city a large number became 20:24 believers in Jesus as their Messiah. 20:27 And then Luke notes that a number of prominent 20:31 women of this city also believed. 20:33 Yes, it was a powerful experience, 20:36 a wonderful experience, a successful experience. 20:39 We don't know how long Paul 20:41 stayed here in the city. Luke records that he 20:44 taught for three Sabbaths 20:45 in the Synagogues. Apparently then he 20:48 moved to the house of Jason. 20:50 For in Philippians chapter 4 the apostle 20:54 remembers how that the church of Philippi 20:57 sent financial aid to him on two separate 20:59 occasions while he was here in this city. 21:03 Probably Paul had spent several months teaching 21:06 the new converts, nurturing the 21:08 young church. Yes, a large number of God 21:12 fearing Gentiles and not a few prominent women 21:16 believed in this city along with many Jews. 21:18 This was powerful, it was tremendous; 21:21 it was exciting to see a church developing 21:24 here in the Macedonian capital of Thessalonica. 21:28 And yet the Devil was not excited, 21:30 he was threatened. "But the Jews were jealous; 21:34 so they rounded up some bad characters from the 21:36 marketplace, formed a mob and started 21:39 a riot in the city. They rushed to Jason's house 21:42 in search of Paul and Silas in order to 21:44 bring them out to the crowd. 21:45 But they did not find them, they dragged Jason 21:49 and some other brothers before 21:50 the city officials, shouting: 21:51 These Men who have caused trouble over all 21:53 the world have now come here, 21:55 and Jason has welcomed them into his house. 21:57 They're all defying Caesar's decree, 22:00 saying that there is another King, 22:02 one called Jesus. When they heard this, 22:04 the crowd and the city officials were thrown 22:06 into turmoil. Then they made Jason 22:09 and the others post bond and let them go. 22:13 Satan's kingdom was threatened here in the 22:15 Roman capital of Macedonia. 22:16 So, he stirred up the people against 22:19 Paul and Silas here in the city. 22:22 It's interesting that in Philippi was the 22:25 Roman citizens who accused Paul and Silas 22:28 of being Jews and have coming in to their city 22:31 advocating customs not lawful for Romans 22:34 to accept. You see, it was not permissible for 22:37 Jews to proselytize Roman citizens 22:41 and thus they were accused of proselytizing 22:44 in the city of Philippi. But, here in 22:46 Thessalonica it was the Jews who accused 22:49 Paul and Silas of advocating a King 22:55 other than Caesar. Yes, that's right they were 22:57 accusing them of sedition of presenting 23:00 another King other than Caesar. 23:03 It is very interesting that the 23:05 public officials see beneath their 23:09 base accusations. They recognize that 23:12 this envy that is motivating the Jews 23:14 here in the city to reject the teachings of 23:17 Paul and Silas. So, they allow Jason 23:20 and some of the other believers who had been 23:22 brought before them to post bond and to leave. 23:25 It's very interesting that the tactic 23:28 used before Pontius Pilate against 23:32 Jesus worked. But, it did not worked here 23:36 in the city of Thessalonica. 23:38 "As soon as it was night the brothers sent 23:41 Paul and Silas away to Berea. 23:43 On arriving there, they went to the Jewish 23:45 synagogue." Luke says that they had to live 23:49 the city of Thessalonica under 23:50 the cover of darkness. And they had traveled 23:53 the 50 miles in land to Berea. 23:55 This was the area of the home of Philip of 23:59 Macedonia and Alexander the Great. 24:03 Here they received a very different reception 24:06 than they received here at Thessalonica. 24:08 As we shall see in the future episode. 24:12 Paul left Timothy here in the city to encourage 24:16 the new church, to strengthen 24:18 the new church. He loved this church, 24:21 later he would talk about when he had to 24:23 live prematurely that it was like being orphaned 24:26 because he was taken away from his children. 24:29 When Paul and Timothy were down in Athens, 24:33 Paul's heart was concerned about the 24:36 church here in this city. And he had 24:39 Timothy return here to capital of Macedonia, 24:42 to be with the church even though it meant 24:45 that Paul would be alone there 24:47 in the great city of Athens. 24:48 Paul writes to the church and reminds them 24:51 of this in First Thessalonians chapter 3 24:54 verses 1 through 3. "So when we could stand it 24:58 no longer, we thought it best to be left by 25:00 ourselves in Athens. We sent Timothy, 25:03 who is our brother and God's fellow worker 25:06 in spreading the gospel of Christ, to strengthen 25:08 and encourage you in your faith, 25:10 so that no one would be unsettled 25:12 by these trials. Paul was concerned 25:14 about the church and so he sent Timothy 25:17 from Athens back up to the city here in 25:20 Macedonia to encourage the church, 25:23 to pastor and nurture the church. 25:24 This meant that Paul would be alone in the 25:27 Great University City of Athens. 25:29 Where he would witness there on the Areus Pagus 25:31 the supreme court of Athens where his faith, 25:35 he would be alone there but he was 25:37 encouraged to know that Timothy was here 25:39 in this city with he young church. 25:41 Yes, Timothy returns from Thessalonica to 25:46 join Paul in the great city of Corinth 25:49 and there he brings a report of how God 25:52 had blessed the church here in this city. 25:54 Paul is so encouraged that he takes out 25:56 of his pen and his paper and he writes a letter 25:59 a pastoral letter to the church here. 26:02 This would be the first of Paul's 26:05 thirteen Pastoral Epistles. 26:07 And many believed that there would be the 26:09 first document of what we know today 26:11 is the New Testament. Yes, this church where 26:15 Jews had accepted Jesus as their Messiah. 26:18 This church where Greeks had turned from idols 26:23 to accept Jesus as their Messiah. 26:25 This city had been transformed by the 26:28 power of the Gospel as people had accepted 26:31 Jesus as their Christ, as their Messiah. 26:36 Like Paul we've gone back and looked at 26:38 many of the great prophecies 26:40 of the Messiah. Found in the Hebrew's Scriptures 26:43 and we've seen how they had been minutely 26:46 fulfilled and the life death 26:48 and resurrection of Jesus. I wonder perhaps 26:52 for the very first time you've seen 26:54 this prophesies filled in Jesus. 26:58 And perhaps the Holy Spirit had spoken 27:00 to your heart and it's prompting you to accept 27:03 Jesus as your Christ as your Messiah. 27:07 For some of you, this may be the very 27:09 first time, you made a choice like that. 27:11 For others you reaffirming a choice 27:13 that you've made before. But, I want to encourage 27:16 all of you to take this most important step 27:19 of all to accept Jesus as your Christ 27:22 as your Messiah and as your Lord. 27:25 Join me as we pray! Father in heaven, 27:29 we thank you so much for the tremendous story 27:31 of Paul and Silas coming down from Philippi 27:34 to the Roman capital of Macedonia 27:36 and how they presented in the Synagogue 27:39 that Jesus of Nazareth was indeed the Christ, 27:42 the Messiah. And like those early believers 27:45 we want to accept you as our Messiah 27:47 as our Lord and we pray that you will bring 27:50 to us the same joy that you brought to them. 27:52 Thank you for this wonderful confidence 27:55 that we could have in you, 27:56 we pray in Jesus name, amen. 27:59 Yes, it's thrilling to have confidence in Jesus 28:02 as our Messiah, our Christ, our Lord. 28:05 Timothy had brought an encouraging report to 28:08 Paul down in Corinth of the church 28:10 here in this city. But, he also shared a concern 28:13 tragedy had taken place here in this city, 28:16 one of the early believers had died 28:18 and it shattered the peace and security 28:21 of the community. Paul from his pastor 28:24 heart writes a beautiful teaching 28:26 about the blessed hope that the believers 28:28 have in Jesus, that even death can not take 28:33 that hope away. The next episode would be 28:35 "The Blessed Hope" that Paul shares 28:38 with the church here in Thessalonica. |
Revised 2014-12-17