The Origin of the Message

We know from reading 1 Thessalonians that the Thessalonians believed and obeyed the message of the Gospel of Christ. After all, they are called “the church of the Thessalonians” in the very first verse of the book.

But think closely for a moment: What happened in their minds just before they believed it and obeyed it?

What was the thing that caused the Thessalonians to receive the message, to believe and respond to the message which then, as you can read in 2.13, began to be “at work” within them?

What was the thing that led the Thessalonians to regard this message as they should, to be baptized, to become imitators of the brethren in Judea, enduring persecution and becoming examples for other nearby Christians?

The answer is found in chapter 2:

“And we thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us,

you accepted it not as the word of men,

but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers.”
(1 Thessalonians 2.13 ESV, emp. KS)

Friends, the Thessalonians heard the gospel message, and the first thing they did was realize and admit that it didn’t come from people. They accepted Paul’s message as having come from God, and that made all the difference.

This is something that is very easy to take for granted but it is the all-important first step to responding to the Gospel message. We do this sort of thing in all sorts of contexts: We will answer (or block) phone calls based on who is calling, right? We sort through our mail based on who the senders are, correct? We judge the necessity of responding to what we are sent based on who sent it.

The notion of recognizing the divine origin of the Gospel message is found throughout the New Testament. Let’s consider a few examples.

When Philip went into Samaria in Acts 8, Philip “preached good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. Even Simon himself believed, and after being baptized he continued with Philip.” (12-13a). Notice in v.14 what that message was: “Samaria had received the word of God”.

The message of Philip, the letter, the gospel, had a very specific origin, or address: “of God”. Philip’s message about Jesus, as well as that of Peter, and James, and the rest of the apostles, had a single source: “of God”.

Jesus stated in Matt. 10.40: “Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives him who sent me.”

Jesus said this in the context of describing the effect of the gospel upon family members, where even members of the household would be on opposite sides of the message of the gospel. But did you notice the origin of the message of the gospel in v.40? Not from the church. Not from the apostles. Not from Christ. Ultimately, this good news comes from God, and the one who would reject this message ultimately would reject God as the source of that message.

When we hear this good news, this gospel message, we aren’t responding to the preacher or Christian, nor to the members of a congregation, nor to the church as a whole. We respond to God. Why? Because the message comes from God! This is partly why Peter describes baptism as the “appeal to God for a good conscience” in 1 Peter 3.21.

Why is the appeal made to God? Because the original message of sinfulness and salvation came from God!

Earlier in 1 Peter 1.22-25, notice all the descriptions of what a person does when they acknowledge the message’s address and respond in keeping with the sender:

• “Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth…you have been born again…” (v.22)
• Now notice where it comes from: “the living and abiding word of God”, which “remains forever”. (v.23-25)
• V.25b.: “And this word is the good news that was preached to you.”

This good news from God tells us that we are in sin, but that sin has a solution, and the solution is found in obeying the gospel of Christ!

Lastly, consider two passages from Hebrews:

1 Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. 3 He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, 4 having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs. (Heb. 1.1-4 ESV)

A long time ago, God sent messages by the prophets. (Again, the 2-fold root of preaching) However, “in these last days” God has spoken to us through Jesus. This last messenger is the greatest of all time, and bears the greatest message of all. Jesus fulfilled His role as sacrifice and redeemer, and the message of His work to save us from our sins now constitutes the Gospel message.

Now, let’s read Hebrews 2.1-4:

“Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it. 2 For since the message declared by angels proved to be reliable, and every transgression or disobedience received a just retribution, 3 how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? It was declared at first by the Lord, and it was attested to us by those who heard, 4 while God also bore witness by signs and wonders and various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will.”

What happens if we ignore THIS message? If the messages of those who came before “proved to be reliable” (i.e. those of the prophets), how much more so will the message of the One who “upholds the universe by the word of His power”?? This message was so important that God Himself “bore witness” or demonstrated by signs, wonders, and miracles that THIS MESSAGE, this good news, was legitimate and trustworthy.

The Gospel is spiritually certified mail, and it’s addressed to you!

We recognize the peril of ignoring certain items in the mail. You can toss, burn, or shred credit card offers, political fliers, or any number of other pieces of junk mail. But what happens when we ignore mail from utility companies, lenders with whom we have accounts, or even the IRS? Eventually, our stubbornness to respond to these ultimately meets with serious, even painful consequences. If you ignore enough mail from your mortgage company, you could lose your home. If you ignore the bills from the utility companies, you could find yourself shivering or sweltering, depending on the weather.

What do you suppose is going to happen if we ignore the most important message of all time, from the Creator of all things? Will He tolerate our indifference?

The Hebrew writer certainly didn’t think so:

“See that you do not refuse him who is speaking. For if they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape if we reject him who warns from heaven.” (Heb. 12.25 ESV)

Pharaoh ignored Moses, and it cost him his firstborn son.

Israel ignored the prophets, and it cost them their nation.

What do you risk by ignoring the message of Jesus?