May 4,5 - 1 Thessalonians 1:4-5

We know that God has chosen you,

because our message of the gospel

came to you not in word only,

but also in power and in the Holy Spirit

and with full conviction.

1 Thessalonians 1:4-5

Paul preached. Then he traveled and preached again. Sometimes he’d come and go in a matter of hours or days. Other times, he’d stay for weeks, months, and years. Preaching and preaching and teaching.

• Some people were Velcro. The message of the Gospel stuck.
• Some people were Teflon. No matter what the Apostle said and how he said it, the Word of God seemed to bounce right off.

That’s what today’s lesson is about. In Thessalonica, the “message of the Gospel came … in word.” (How could it not?! Paul was preaching and preaching and teaching!)

But something different happened in Thessalonica that didn’t happen everywhere. When Paul preached, it wasn’t just words. The Holy Spirit showed up! There was a power at work. Maybe it shook the ground (like it did in Acts 4:31). Certainly it shook some hearts. In Thessalonica, the Spirit cracked open some hard and distant hearts, and – as evidence – people responded with “full conviction”!

It’s reminiscent of the Parable of the Sower. Some seed falls on ground as hard and rocky as Teflon. Other seed falls in shallow soil which never allows the plant – or the faith – to really take root. Other seed gets choked by the weeds and thorns. The word – the seed – “came to” all.

Thank God for good soil. It’s been prepared by the Spirit. But it’s also up to the person to embrace it with “full conviction” … or not.

In Christ’s Love,

a guy who doesn’t take it personally

when I encounter Teflon and thorns …

I just keep sowing and sowing

and praying for Spirit, power,

good soil, and velcro