SATURDAY August 26, 2023
The Call to Go!
Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. Then Paul, as his custom was, went in to them, and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and demonstrating that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead, and saying, “This Jesus whom I preach to you is the Christ.”
Acts17:1-3
On his second missionary journey, Paul and his co-laborers visited three other major areas: Thessalonica, Berea and Athens. They went to so many places, and for only one reason––to take the Gospel of Christ to people who were lost. That is the same purpose of the Church today.
Paul and his team had a heart for God and a heart for the lost––those who did not know Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior. They traveled hundreds of miles, no matter the hardship, to spread the Gospel message. They knew they might be killed for the sake of the Gospel, but they counted the cost. They feared God, not man.
Paul and his friends traveled 100 miles to get to Thessalonica. It was amazing how far Paul and his companions traveled. They did not have the opportunity to travel like we do––by planes or trains. Travel was difficult. They often traveled by ship. It could take weeks or months to get to where they were going. At other times, they rode horses or just walked long distances.
Once in Thessalonica, they established a church in only three Sabbath weeks! Paul founded one of the most effective churches in Greece. They were known for zealously preaching about the Second Coming of Christ. They lived each day in the hope of Jesus’ coming in their generation.
People need the same urgency to reach the lost. Jesus’ coming is closer now than ever before. People do not always walk into a church; we need to invite them. Then they will hear the Gospel and have the opportunity to respond. Will you invite a person to church this coming Sunday?
A charge to keep I have, a God to glorify: a never-dying soul to save, and fit it for the sky.
~Charles Wesley~
For more from Raul Ries, please visit SomebodyLovesYou.com!
