I will never forget the love
letters I received from my wife. When
I worked underground in the mines I had to carry a lunch bucket. Lynn would
always pack my bucket. During
those years, I can never remember packing my bucket even once.
She always made sure that I had plenty to eat.
When it was dinnertime we would take 30 minutes to go to the dinner
hole and eat. I was always ready to eat.
I would open my bucket and immediately begin the search for my love
letter. It was always hidden
somewhere in the midst of the food. In
the sandwiches, under the cakes, or all the way on the bottom of the bucket it
was always there. It was more
like a note but it would always be there. These notes would always express her
feelings for me. They were full
of care and written with love. I
always got the message. Those
love letters were the highlight of my shift and I couldn’t wait to get home.
I kept them all and many years later I still remember those words that
were written to me. I knew she
loved me because she told and showed me.
This
is the Living Gospel of the Living God! It
comes in small packages of living flesh called human beings...
God has written many a love letter.
Did you get it? Here is an example of one of God’s Love Letters to
Thessalonica.
Scripture
Text: 1The 2:1 You know, brothers, that our visit to you was not a failure. 2
We had previously suffered and been insulted in Philippi, as you know, but
with the help of our God we dared to tell you his gospel in spite of strong
opposition. 3 For the appeal we make does not spring from error or impure
motives, nor are we trying to trick you. 4 On the contrary, we speak as men
approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. We are not trying to please
men but God, who tests our hearts. 5 You know we never used flattery, nor did
we put on a mask to cover up greed--God is our witness. 6 We were not looking
for praise from men, not from you or anyone else. As apostles of Christ we
could have been a burden to you, 7 but we were gentle among you, like a mother
caring for her little children. 8 We loved you so much that we were delighted
to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well, because
you had become so dear to us. 9 Surely you remember, brothers, our toil and
hardship; we worked night and day in order not to be a burden to anyone while
we preached the gospel of God to you. 10 You are witnesses, and so is God, of
how holy, righteous and blameless we were among you who believed. 11 For you
know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children,
12 encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who
calls you into his kingdom and glory. 13 And we also thank God continually
because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you
accepted it not as the word of men, but as it actually is, the word of God,
which is at work in you who believe.
God’s
Greatest Love letter was written in the Blood of His Son, Jesus.
Did you read God’s love letter?
Did you accept God’s Love Letter?
Do you love God?
Living
Testimonies are God’s Love Letters of the Gospel of God... Paul was one of
God’s love letters to the people of Thessalonica.
He visited them.
He took time for them. He
took a risk for them. He took a
chance.
He loved them.
Love is a decision not a feeling.
Paul decided to love them.
He showed them.
He told them and shared the gospel with them.
He was gentle and had compassion on them. He worked for them, so that he was self-supporting.
He encouraged, comforted, and urged them to live lives worthy of God.
He thanked God for them, because they received
the words and believed God.
Who
was God’s love letter to you? Aunt Alice Swartz, Rev. Houston Boothe, Ben
Johnson, and Ruby Beam are just a
few of those who were God’s love letters to me.
These folks loved me, taught me, put up with me, and told me about the
love of the Lord.
Would
you write God’s Love Letter? Would
you live God’s Love Letter?
Would
you give God’s Love Letter?
Yes,
but how?
Our
goal is to preach the Gospel to everyone that does not know Him...
Are we on trial? Is it the Good News?
Can people say they have seen the Good news in us?
Who
are the witnesses? The
people are the witnesses of God’s living testimonies.
A.
Will we labor in the Gospel? or Have we been a burden to anyone along the way or have we held up
our end of the load?
B.
Will we preach the Good News of the gospel of
God? It's
time to preach the Gospel.
C.
Will we live holy and righteous lives so that we have been blameless. We haven't been excuses for those
who haven't come to God.
E.
Will we give people a reason to believe in the living God?
Which people? The people in our lives are those that God is sending you to.
F.
Will we give each the Love and encouragement of the father for the
children in
exhortation and comfort that others may walk worthy of God who has called us
into his family this is the living love letters of God to his children in the
family of God.
G.
Have we thanked God for those who have received the Gospel
as the word of God as it is in truth. People
have heard and saw the Gospel in us. Jesus says you are in my family and I
have died that you may live and have this opportunity for change in this world
and hope in the world to come. We
don't have the power to save the lost but we have been given the opportunity
to become the living letters of love to those in and out of the family of God
so that they may hear, see, and believe in the Gospel of the living God!
You are the letter. What
have they been reading?
H.
Will we pray for God to write His letters of love through us?