brothers beloved by the Lord (2 Thess. 2:13)
It is a wonder to note that, in the wake of describing the condemnation of those who have opposed the Lord, Paul would tell the Thessalonians that they are loved by God. John Calvin describes this in his commentary on 2 Thessalonians:
He calls them beloved of the Lord, for this reason, that they may the better consider that the sole reason why they are exempted from the almost universal overthrow of the world, was because God exercised towards them unmerited love.
The great joy that we have is not simply that of being rescued from destruction. No, our great joy is the fact that we are loved. In this world, we have many trials and troubles. In Ecclesiastes 2:24, Qoheleth remarks that, “There is nothing better for a person than that he should eat and drink and find enjoyment in his toil.” This is true of life under the sun but it makes for a life that is ultimately unsatisfying. Why? Because God has placed eternity in our hearts (Eccl. 3:11). We long for there to be something beyond, something “above the sun” so to speak.
In Christ we find the answer to this longing in our hearts and the way to having it met. Apart from Christ, our end is like that of the rest of the world. It is an end apart from God’s presence, away from the enjoyment of the source of life himself.
Yet in coming to Jesus, we come to the one who has conquered death. We come to the one who is the only way to receive life eternal. We come to the one who proves to us that there is more to life than what is under the sun.
May you seek him and share him this week.
Notices
Along with our normal midweek gatherings (Tuesday Night Prayer at 7:30pm on Zoom and The Journey on Thursdays at 7pm), we are on the cusp of the Advent season.
With that in mind, would you consider serving as a volunteer for our annual Blue Christmas service? This is an opportunity for us as a church to serve those who are mourning, struggling financially, or simply having a very difficult year. There are three ways that you can serve.
- Bring a friend – This is quite possibly the most important way that you can serve. It can be daunting and scary for someone to walk into a church for the first time. By offering to come with a friend, you are expressing love and care for them.
- Childcare – We don’t want a lack of childcare to be a barrier to anyone being able to attend and so we seek to provide childcare for those who come. There is no need to prepare a lesson, but working as a team to plan a fun craft for the kids who come can be a great way of helping us reach families in the area. (All those involved in children’s work must have a PVG with the church).
- Hospitality – This can either be welcoming people in and showing them to a seat or providing teas, coffee, hot chocolate and mince pies after the service.
If you are able to serve, please speak with Pastor Dan on Sunday or email at pastor@greenock.church.