Modeling our Faithfulness (pt.2)

The second way we can model our faithfulness is by announcing our Savior. (v.8)

Verse 8 states that we are called to announce to the World that Christ is our Lord and Savior. The Greek word for “sounded forth” literally meant “to sound like a trumpet.” These people not only spread the word of God, they sounded it out like a trumpet. And what this means it that people knew what the Thessalonians were about. They not only walked the walk, they talked the talk. You know that phrase “you have to not only talk the talk, you have to walk the walk?” Well the reverse is true: you not only have to walk the walk, you’ve got to talk the talk. All of us as believers have reservations about talking to others about Jesus. We desire to be liked, we don’t want to be ridiculed or risk being made fun of. Talking the talk can be scary. Thessalonica was very conveniently situated for traffic, many merchants traded through Macedonia, Achaia, and different parts of Greece. If you worked at the ports then you had access to all types of people from all parts of the country, not to mention other countries. Look at the next part of the verse: Paul says “your faith toward God has gone out.” The believers were doing such a good job of evangelizing that Paul didn’t need to tell them to do it..

Imagine what it was like to live in that time. Picture a hardworking Thessalonian. He lives in a major trade hub. His job is to receive shipments down at the dock. This man meets all types of interesting people. He meets people from all over Greece: Athens, Corinth. Over time relationships develop with these people. The same people come ever so often to deliver and trade goods back and forth. “How’s your family doing?” They know each other’s family. A certain trust develops. One day the traveler from Athens isn’t doing so well. He’s lost hope in this life. There is a family tragedy. He doesn’t know how to deal with it. The man introduces his friend to Jesus. “I’ve heard about this Jesus he says, I don’t need him. What can he do?” The man tells him what Jesus has done for us. We can apply this in our town as well. Maybe you work on the factory line and you stand by the same people every day and hear of their problems and know that they need Christ. Maybe you are a schoolteacher and your fellow schoolteacher friend has problems that can only be cured by placing their faith in Christ. Maybe you are a truck driver and you know other truck drivers who live the lonely life of driving rigs thousands of miles. God will always give us an opportunity to tell others about Christ. We can model our faithfulness to Christ by announcing Him as our Savior to our community and the rest of the world.

(part 3 to be continued)