Many of us, at one time or another, have run across people at work, in the neighborhood, perhaps among some relatives, or even at church who try to curry favor with other, often supposedly more important people. They are sycophants, trying to gain favor or advantage with their obsequious behavior. They act servile and fawning, thinking that by pleasing the others they will gain the approval and support they so want. What if, though, the people we were toadying up to wanted us to do something that went against God and His Word? What if they wanted us to stop telling others about Jesus? Who would we listen to and follow, the people we were trying to please, or the Lord? This was a situation that the Apostle Paul sometimes found himself in. As we look at our portion of Scripture from his letter to the Thessalonians we can find out what he thought and did about that.
Prior to coming to the city of Thessalonica, Paul and his companions had been ministering in the city of Philippi. However, their enemies did what they could to get Paul and Silas arrested. Not only were they arrested, but prior to that they were stripped and beaten with rods, and then put into stocks in the prison cell (Acts 16:20-24). After their release they were strongly told to leave the city, and they journeyed on to Thessalonica. At Thessalonica Paul preached the Gospel message of Jesus for three weeks, when the unbelievers got all riled up and a mob ran him and his group out of town again (Acts 17:5-10).
What could Paul have said or done to make his message and his very presence more acceptable to the people in both of these cities, and in truth, wherever he went? Some people, when reading these accounts in Scripture, may think that Paul should have been more sensitive to his audience and the community at large, and tailored his message to not offend the people. We see that so much today, including in the pulpits of the majority of churches. The preachers are so careful not to step on anyone’s toes, to not offend or anger this or that person or group, that they water down the Gospel message. They won’t preach on this verse or that passage, can’t say this, and won’t say that. Did Paul do that? If he had, he may have avoided the many actual beatings he received, he may have avoided several imprisonments, and may have been invited to stay longer at certain locations.
Fear of imprisonment did not stop Paul from preaching the Gospel. He never changed his message to make it more acceptable. He did not just tell the audience what they wanted to hear in order to avoid offending anyone, especially super-sensitive people. Paul was not a smooth-talking preacher who tried to make a favorable impression in order to gain influence or selfish advantage, nor to spare himself from the ire of the crowds who may have disliked what he was saying.
Paul was also not motivated by money, so he didn’t tailor his message in order to get a bigger offering, or to try and get a promotion. He did not try to get rich in the ministry at the expense of the flock. Paul did not have any ulterior motives or impure motives, nor did he use trickery. He did not seek praise from people, or his own personal glory. His only motive was to preach the true and sincere message of God from the Scriptures, in order to see souls get saved, and bring glory to God.
Many people are people-pleasers, including many in the church today. They tippy-toe around when preaching a message, making sure that absolutely no one could possibly have their feathers ruffled, and the true Gospel is never preached, and the Blood of Jesus and salvation is never even mentioned. Was that what Paul did? And even more important, is that what Jesus did? Jesus certainly offended many, especially the Pharisees! If He had been more particular about His messages, He may never have offended the Pharisees and Sadducees, and they would never have sent Him to the cross. Then where would we be if that had never happened?! Jesus only cared about what One “Person” thought about Him, God the Father. Everything Jesus did revolved around what the Father wanted, what He liked, what He valued, and what He asked Jesus to do.
If I am pleasing God, if I am living for Him, if I am following His direction, then I don’t have to worry about whether people like me. When we seek God’s approval, like Paul did, we need to turn from the desire for the applause of others. We need to allow God’s Spirit to make us more like Jesus.
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