LETING DOWN YOUR SLEEVES IS GREAT

Brief Summary of Sunday's Message from charles e. whisnan t on Vimeo.

The video is from this morning at the church, (I did not have the lights on)

THE JOY TO BE ABLE TO LET DOWN YOUR SLEEVES WITHOUT BEING MISUNDERSTOOD.
TAKING A LOOK INTO THE EMOTIONS OF PAUL
I THESSALONIANS 2:13-14
Pastor/Teacher Charles E. Whisnant

PAUL seems very much at home when he is writing to the church at Thessalonica. In his letters to that favored people he unveils his inmost feelings. He is rather apt to do so when he feels himself quite at ease: for Paul is by no means a man shut up within himself, who is never at home to any one. When he is in a drawn-out conflict with an unappreciative people he keeps himself to razor-sharp words and strong arguments; but when he is writing to a loving, attached, affectionate church, he lets them have the explanation of his heart, and he lays exposed before them his secret emotions. I feel as if we were interviewing Paul today as if we were all sitting in a room with him, and Silas, and Timothy, and were hearing their private conversation. We are come to a round-table conference with them, and we are listening to their talk about the ministry which God had committed to them.

Even in these two verses we hear of how these holy preachers loved the gospel, told out the gospel, and saw that gospel take hold of their hearers' hearts.

When you look back over the places of ministry in the pastorate, as my mind brings up those places of service, it’s with joy that I don’t need to be restrained about my conduct in those places. In each place the experience with friends still fill my soul with joy. The experience with the youth, the children, and adults are so good. I love to tell the stories. To be able to the connections we had with friends in Roanoke, Virginia, Bible Baptist Seminary in Arlington Texas, Wooster, Ohio, Minford, Ohio, West Portsmouth, Ohio, Connersville, Indiana, Mansfield, Ohio, Altoona, Kansas, and perhaps in Lexington, Kentucky.

It is with a joyful enthusiasm to be the pastor of a church where one may be able to speak with some transparent, as a pastor, to be able from the beginning to open your heart without fear that you are going to be wounded.. Pastors usually have to be like a man who wears an armor throughout life, who hardly is able to move his plate of steel, unless somebody should wound him in an unguarded place.

There is not place better than have a church were you can feel yourself at home as a brother among brethren, and as safe as a father among his sons and daughters since he is not afraid of being misunderstood.

To be able to let your sleeves down a while is a joy.

Paul was like that here in our text. He was able to feel at home, he was able to freely speak with peace, and with pleasure his thoughts about the folks at Thessalonica. He could from the first day to his last day, just say, “As you know,” and they did know.

AND FOR THIS REASON WE ALSO CONSTANTLY THANK GOD THAT WHEN YOU RECEIVED FROM US THE WORD OF GOD'S MESSAGE YOU ACCEPTED IT NOT AS THE WORD OF MEN:

This Sunday at Rivers of Joy Baptist Church, in Minford Ohio the message from I Thessalonians 2:13