Church Order: Preaching and Pastoral Ministry

Dead Letter Christians

Transcript: AI Transcript

Professor: John Weaver

Subject: Church Government

Genre: Sermon

Dictation Name:

Date: 2016-11-17

Synopsis: John Weaver examines 1 Thessalonians 1:5 to diagnose the problem of 'word only' or 'dead letter' Christians—those who profess faith but lack the transformative power of the Holy Spirit. He contrasts mere intellectual assent with genuine conversion evidenced by a work of faith, labour of love, and patience of hope, urging self-examination to ensure one's faith is not in word only but in the power of God.

[John Weaver] Let's open our Bibles, if you would please, tonight to 1 Thessalonians chapter 1. 1 Thessalonians chapter 1. I preached a message in the last two weeks that I think I want to share with you tonight. I had really thought about preaching from the book of Mark, but this passage is, I think, important, and I've gotten an email from another good friend who was asking me questions in the same line and in the same vein of the teaching that I'm going to be giving. So I thought, well, this will be important that we might be able to share this with others. So I'm going to bring a message which I preached to our people just recently called Dead Letter or Word Only Christians. So if you look in First Thessalonians chapter one, there are only 10 verses there. So let's read the entire passage. Paul and Silvanus and Timotheus and to the Church of the Thessalonians, which is in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace be unto you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

[John Weaver] We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers, remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of God and our Father, knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God. For our gospel came not of you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance, as you know what manner of men we were among you for your sake. And you became followers of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy in the Holy Ghost.

[John Weaver] so that you were examples to all that believe in Macedonia and Achaia. For from you sounded out the word of the Lord, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith to God were to spread abroad, so that we need not to speak anything. For they themselves show of what manner of entering in we handed to you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus, who delivered us from the wrath to come.

[John Weaver] I've been asked repeatedly in the last number of years what in the world is wrong with Christians. Occasionally, it's asked a different way, what in the world is wrong with the church? And I do not think that anyone would disagree with me tonight that there are problems, in fact, many problems in most churches and among most professing Christians. We could use terms like apathetic, indolent, lethargic, sluggish, unconcerned, unprincipled, and unethical. would be just a few of those terms which would characterize Christendom as a whole.

[John Weaver] Now I understand that there are exceptions But applied across the board, these terms would certainly apply. And we could probably also add several other terms like unregenerate, unconverted, and unrepentant.

[John Weaver] Now, I want to call your attention, if you would please, to what the Apostle Paul said in verse 5 concerning these Thessalonians. He said, For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance, as you know what manner of men we were among you for your sake." Notice if you would, he's emphasizing the fact that our gospel did not come unto you in word only. So there are individuals who know only the Word, or have what they would call an experience with Word only, or what I would designate as dead letter Christians. If you would hold 1 Thessalonians 1, but look in your Bibles to 1 John 3, 1st John 3 and notice if you would in this passage John the Apostle also picks up on word only Christians look what he says 1st John 3 beginning there with verse 16 he says hereby perceive we the

[John Weaver] love of God because he laid down his life for us and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? Now watch. My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue, but in deed and in truth. And hereby we do know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him. For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things. Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then we have confidence toward God." Now the interesting thing is, John says, my little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue.

[John Weaver] In other words, it cannot be just simply word only. Do you realize the two greatest examples of love are given to us right here. For instance, he said, Hereby perceive we the love of God. How do we perceive? How do we grasp? How do we lay hold on the love of God? Well, it's the fact that God did not just simply tell us, I love you. He gave his only begotten Son. And when the Lord Jesus Christ demonstrated his love. He did not just simply say, I love you.

[John Weaver] He laid down his life on our behalf. And so, love, according to the Bible, is always demonstrable. It cannot be just simply in word or in tongue. So, if some of our brethren have needs, we do not just say, be ye warmed and filled, and may the Lord bless you, or I'll pray for you. No. If we have whatever they need, we supply that need. We take care of it. So we demonstrate we love by actually doing something and taking care of the needs.

[John Weaver] So conduct and action really reveals the heart. Now unhappily, that is not the way it is with most churches today. That is conduct and action. It's not even that way with most professing Christians. Most professing Christians in most churches just simply go merrily on their way without the least bit of concern, without the least bit of compassion or compulsion. And I don't know if you're aware of this or if you've ever noticed it, but usually the average professing Christian and the average church, nothing ever bothers them. Nothing ever upsets them. Nothing ever turns over their apple cart. I mean, they just go merrily on their way. And the answer as to why is because they're simply word-only professors.

[John Weaver] William Booth was the founder of the Salvation Army. I want you to listen to this quote. William Booth said, The chief danger that confronts the coming century will be religion without the Holy Ghost, Christianity without Christ, forgiveness without repentance, salvation without regeneration, politics without God, and heaven without hell. But notice first, he said, the chief danger that's going to confront the coming century will be religion without the Holy Ghost. And what we've done today in Christianity is just simply this. We have reduced Christianity to a ritual, to a ceremony. we reduce salvation to a sinner's prayer. Millions of individuals who profess to be Christians have prayed a sinner's prayer, but they've never been convicted by the Holy Spirit. They've never been converted. They've never repented of their sins.

[John Weaver] They've been led down a primrose path and now think that everything is settled for them for eternity and their eternal home is secure regardless of how they act and regardless of how they live. So the truth of the matter is this, they've been saved by preachers or by their own decision. They have not been saved by the Lord Jesus Christ because they've not been convicted by the Holy Ghost.

[John Weaver] It's kind of like the old drunk who was stumbling down the street and he saw Billy Sunday. Billy Sunday was a Presbyterian evangelist in the 1930s and a very powerful preacher. But the old drunk saw Billy Sunday and he stumbled up to him and he said, Mr. Sunday, Mr. Sunday, don't you recognize me? He said, I'm one of your converts. Billy Sunday said, bless God, you must be. You're certainly not one of God's.

[John Weaver] And that's exactly where we are today. The truth of the matter is this. Men cannot regenerate themselves. They cannot repent in and of themselves. Salvation is of the Lord. Let me give you one of the clearest passages in the Bible. I want you to turn, if you would please, to Mark chapter 10. Mark chapter 10. And let's begin reading there. And let me just tell you, and we won't read the whole thing, but in Mark chapter 10 we have here the rich young ruler. You remember how the rich young ruler came running to Jesus Christ, and he knelt before him, and he said, good master, what must I do that I may inherit eternal life?

[John Weaver] And of course, our Lord said, well, you know the commandments, do not kill, do not steal, honor thy father and thy mother. And what did the young man say? All these have I observed from my youth up, what lack I yet? And our Lord said to him, Well, if you would be perfect, go and sell everything that you have, and give to the poor, and come take up your cross and follow me.

[John Weaver] And if you look in verse 22, the Bible says, that's Rich Young Ruler, Mark 10, And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved, for he had great possessions. Now, let me ask you a question. How many of you sold everything that you had and gave to the poor when you were saved? And the answer is not one of you. Have you ever wondered why Jesus Christ told this rich young ruler, go and sell everything you have and give to the poor and take up your cross and follow me? And the answer is very simple.

[John Weaver] Because our Lord had just said, You know the commandments. Do not steal, do not kill, honor thy father and thy mother. And his response was, all these have I observed from my youth up. What lack I yet? And when Jesus Christ said, there's one thing you lack. You go and sell everything you have and give to the poor and take up your cross and follow me. He was making application of the law. And he was demonstrating the fact that this young man who thought he had kept the law perfectly had not even kept the first commandment.

[John Weaver] Thou shalt have no other gods before me, for his money was his God. And so he went away, grieved.

[John Weaver] Now, look at verse 23, And Jesus looked round about, and said unto his disciples, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God. And the disciples were astonished at his words. But Jesus answered again and said unto them, Children, how hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God? It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. Now watch verse 26, And they were astonished out of measure, saying among themselves, Who then can be saved?

[John Weaver] Note, if you would, what the question revolves around. It revolves around salvation. Who then can be saved? Verse 27, And Jesus looking upon them, saith, With men it salvation is impossible, but not with God. For with God all things are possible. So our Lord is saying that man cannot save himself. He cannot convict himself. He cannot convert himself. He cannot even repent in and of himself. That is why in 1 Thessalonians 1, verse 5, the Apostle Paul is thanking God that when the Word of God came to these Thessalonican Christians, it did not come in word only, but in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance. So, what is Paul saying? Paul is saying, I'm so thankful that when you heard the Word of God, it was not just simply oratory. It was not wisdom and cunning craftiness of men. No, no, no. He said, when you heard the Word of God, it came with power and with the Holy Ghost and much assurance. Now, the word power there is the Greek word dunamis.

[John Weaver] It's where we get our English word dynamite. So he said, when the gospel came to you, it came with dynamite. It came with the power of the Holy Ghost.

[John Weaver] Now, we understand that the Word of God is powerful in and of itself. I want you to look in your Bibles to the book of Hebrews, chapter 4, and notice, if you would please, verse 12. Hebrews, chapter 4, and verse 12, because the Bible has this to say about the Word of God. Hebrews 4 verse 12, For the word of God is quick and powerful, and sharper than a two-edged sword, piercing even the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Notice if you would, for the word of God is quick and powerful, and certainly the word of God is that, but one thing you must remember, That which makes the Word of God quick and powerful is the ministry of the Holy Spirit. And without the ministry of the Holy Spirit, the Word by itself is a dead letter. Let me show you. Look in your Bibles to 2 Corinthians 3. 2 Corinthians 3, and let's begin reading there with verse 5.

[John Weaver] 2nd Corinthians chapter 3 and watch verse 5 here it is the Apostle Paul said 2nd Corinthians 3 verse 5 not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think anything as of ourselves and remember he's an apostle but he said our sufficiencies of God who have made us able ministers of the New Testament not of the letter but of the Spirit For the letter killeth, but the Spirit giveth life. So what is he saying? The Word of God by itself kills. It is the Spirit that gives it life. Did you know that our Lord said essentially the same thing in John 6 and verse 63? He said, It is the Spirit that quickeneth. The words that I speak unto you, they are Spirit and they are life." So he said, it's the Spirit that quickeneth. So when our Lord spoke, you must remember, He had the Spirit without measure. So the words that He spoke were Spirit and were life.

[John Weaver] Now, I want to call your attention and ask you to turn to Isaiah 55 because I want you to understand that God's Word never returns void, and it does indeed accomplish that, whereunto He sends it. Now, I want you to think with me just momentarily, as we look at Isaiah 55, beginning there with verse 10. Isaiah 55, verse 10. For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth in bud, that it may give seed to the sword, and bread to the eater," here's what he says,"'So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth. It shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereinto I sent it. So God is saying that His Word never returns to Him. Boy, but it's important that you understand that His Word, whether in the letter or whether in the Spirit, always accomplishes that which He pleases, and it always prospers in that which He sends it.

[John Weaver] Now, here is our problem. I want you to look in your Bibles to 2 Corinthians 2. You see, we tend to think that oftentimes that God's Word is sent only for reconciliation. But that's not true. There is an entire ministry of condemnation. God can send His Word either for condemnation or for reconciliation. So if you look in 2 Corinthians 2, beginning there with verse 14, look what the Apostle Paul says. 2 Corinthians 2 verse 14, Now thanks be unto God, which always causes us to triumph in Christ. In other words, the word never fails.

[John Weaver] And make it manifest the savor of His knowledge by us in every place. Now, the word savor refers to a smell. It's a sweet smelling savor. So watch this. He says, Now thanks be unto God, which always causes us to triumph in Christ, and make it manifest the savor of his knowledge by us in every place. For we are unto God a sweet savor of Christ in them that are saved, and in them that perish. To the one we're the savor of death unto death, and to the other the savor of life unto life, and who is sufficient for these things. So the Word of God can go for condemnation as well as reconciliation. In fact, in 2 Corinthians 3, the Bible even talks about the Old Covenant being a ministry of condemnation. Because the Old Covenant could not really truly redeem. It could not give life. So it was called a ministry of condemnation. Now, it is true that anyone who hears the Word of God is responsible to heed the Word of God.

[John Weaver] You're responsible to apply it. Our Lord said, he that hath ears to hear, let him hear. You have a responsibility. And the truth of the matter is, you will be judged by the word that you hear. Our Lord said in John 12 in verse 48, He that rejected me and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him. The word that I have spoken shall be the same that judges him in the last day. So whether you hear the word of God and are converted, or whether you hear the word of God and are condemned, it is going to be the word of God that is going to judge you.

[John Weaver] Now, why did I call this message dead letter or word only Christians? Because word only professors are those who are resting in their decisions. They're resting in something other than the power of God in salvation. And those individuals who are resting in their decision, and their church membership, and their baptism, and their good deeds, they're going to be in for a real rude awakening on Judgment Day.

[John Weaver] For those who trust in those things are deceived. They are word only professors. Now J.H. Merrill Daubigny, a Frenchman who was a historian and a godly man, he has a whole set on the history of the Reformation. If you do nothing but get his two volumes on the history of the Reformation in England, I would encourage you to do so. There are two volumes that you cannot possibly put down.

[John Weaver] They are very, very fine works. But Daubigny said this in the history of the Reformation in England. He said, to believe in the power of man in the work of regeneration is the great heresy of Rome. And from that era has come the ruin of the church. Conversion proceeds from the grace of God alone. And the system which ascribes it partly to man and partly to God is worse than Pelagianism.

[John Weaver] Now Pelagius even taught that man comes into the world as his own Adam. He has absolute free will and he comes in sinless. He comes in with a blank tablet, so to speak. He denied total depravity. He denied everything. So, what is Daubigny talking about? He says, conversion proceeds from the grace of God alone, and the system which ascribes it partly to man and partly to God is worse than Pelagianism.

[John Weaver] You've heard preachers say this, I've heard it. God has done his part, now you need to do your part. That's Synergism. That is Semi-Pelagianism. That is not salvation. And what many people have done is they are trusting in their part and their decision. One of the greatest American theologians, Charles Hodge, who died in 1878, pointed out the danger of synergism and semi-Pelagianism. He said this, No more soul-destroying doctrine could well be devised than the doctrine that sinners can regenerate themselves and repent and believe just whenever they please.

[John Weaver] as it is a truth both of scripture and of experience, that the unrenewed man can do nothing of himself to secure his salvation, it is essential that he should be brought to the practical conviction of that truth. When thus convicted, and not before, he seeks help from the only source from which it can be obtained." So he's saying, if a man does not understand his inability If he doesn't understand 1 Corinthians 2 and verse 14, the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, neither can he know them, because they're spiritually discerned, they're foolishness unto him. If he doesn't understand Romans 8, so then they that are in the flesh cannot please God, then he's never ever going to seek help from the Lord Jesus Christ. So now you're beginning to understand, I hope, why the Apostle Paul said in 1 Thessalonians 1 and verse 5, For our gospel came to you, not in word only, but in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance.

[John Weaver] Now obviously, it did come with words. It could not come without words, because there is no interpretation of Scripture There is no preaching of the gospel. There is no hearing of it without words, without articulate sounds. But, if that is all that you have, it's a dead letter. Let me show you. Look in your Bibles to 1 Corinthians 2. 1 Corinthians 2. The Apostle Paul is telling why, in this passage, that his testimony was in Christ and in Christ alone. In 1 Corinthians 2, verse 1, he said, And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with the excellency of speech or wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.

[John Weaver] And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and much trembling. And here's what he says,"...and my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power..." Why?"...that your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God." So Paul says, when I came to preach to you, it was not wonderful oratory that overwhelmed you with, It was not heart-wrenching illustrations.

[John Weaver] It was not emotional deliveries. It was not enticing and exciting words. It was not trying to fool you and deceive you and make you make some decision. No, no, no, no. He said, when I came to you, my preaching was in the power of God and in the Holy Ghost. Why? Because he said, I want your faith to stand in the power of God and not in man.

[John Weaver] Now, let me tell you something, folks. I preached for over 50 years. And I can assure you, if all a preacher wants is decisions, he can get them. I can give you some of the most heart-wrenching stories you've ever heard in your life. I can make you cry. I can make you laugh. I can do whatever I need to do to make you come to Christ with a decision.

[John Weaver] But all it is doing is making it stand in the wisdom of man and not in the power of God. And it's useless, and it's worthless, and it's fruitless. And that's exactly what the Apostle Paul is saying. So he said to these Thessalonians, the Word of God came to you. The gospel came to you, not in word only, but in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance.

[John Weaver] So, the pressing questions that we would need to ask would be these. How can you be sure that you are not a word only Christian? Or a dead letter professor? Ask another way. We could ask, how is it that you could be absolutely certain that you are a genuine Christian? Or ask another way, what was it in these Thessalonican Christians that set them apart so that they knew absolutely that they were God's elect?

[John Weaver] I want you to turn back to 1 Thessalonians chapter 1. I want you to see this. Look, if you would please, at verse 4. Notice what the Apostle Paul says, knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God. He said, you know you're God's elect. I know you are God's elect. Well, how did Paul know that they were God's elect? He didn't climb up into heaven and look at the Lamb's book of life. Neither could these Thessalonians. How did they know that they were God's elect? Because in verse 5 he said, For our gospel came not in human word only, but in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance. They knew they were God's elect because of what God had done in them, and for them, and through them. So here's my question. What is there in your life that can only be there because of the supernatural work of the Holy Spirit. What is there in your life that can be there only because of the supernatural work of the Holy Spirit? So, let's see what set these Thessalonian Christians apart where that they knew for sure that they were God's elect.

[John Weaver] and that they were genuinely saved. If you look in verse three, the Apostle Paul gives us three areas. He gives us three things that set these Thessalonian Christians apart. He says, remembering without ceasing your work of faith and labor of love and patience of hope and our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of God and our Father. I want to give you a quick quote by John Calvin. Listen carefully to what he said about verse 3. He says, The statement should be explained to mean that Paul remembers their patience in hoping for the coming of Christ.

[John Weaver] From this we may gather a brief definition of true Christianity. that it is a faith that is lively and full of vigor, so that it spares no labor when assistance is to be given to one's neighbors. But on the contrary, all the pious employ themselves diligently in offices of love, and lay out their efforts in them, so that, in tin upon the hope of the manifestation of Christ, they despise everything else, and armed with patience, They rise superior to the wearisomeness of the length of time, as well as

[John Weaver] to all the temptations of the world." So Calvin said, really and truly, verse 3 should be a brief definition of true Christianity. Their work of faith, their labor of love, and their patience of hope. So I want to take the time tonight just to break these three things down for you. First of all, a work of faith. Now notice if you would what he says in verse 3, remembering without ceasing your work of faith. I find it interesting that the Apostle Paul speaks of your work of faith.

[John Weaver] Now obviously he does not contradict himself. He knows that he wrote in Ephesians 2.8.9, for by grace are you saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it's the gift of God, not of works lest any man should boast. Now, if faith is God's gift, and it is, how can he say in verse 3, remembering without ceasing, your work of faith? How is it, if it is God's gift, Can it be ascribed as a work of faith in the believers in this passage?

[John Weaver] Well, there's a good, excellent answer. If you would just turn back a few pages to the book of Philippians, chapter 2. Philippians, chapter 2. And notice if you would, verses 12 and 13. Philippians 2, verse 12. Notice he says this, Wherefore my beloved, As you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence." Look at this amazing statement. Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. Why does Paul tell these Philippians to work out their own salvation with fear and trembling? Well, look in verse 13. For it is God which worketh in you, both to will and to do his good pleasure." So, here's what Paul is saying, and he's saying this in Philippians 2, and he's saying it in 1 Thessalonians 1, verse 3. God worked it in you. It's your responsibility to work it out. That is, we're to exercise it, and it is called a work. It's not that we're earning it. It's not that we're meriting it.

[John Weaver] It has already been given to us. It is a gift. Faith is His gift. When I exercise that faith, it is called my work, because it is my responsibility. God works it in. It's my responsibility to work it out. So let me put it to you like this. When God gives me faith, that is His gift, and when I believe in Him, I'm exercising the gift that He gave me. And by the way, God may give the gift of faith, but He's not going to believe for you. That's your responsibility. You must work out that faith. God may give you the gift of repentance, and repentance is God's gift, but God's not going to turn from sin for you. That is your responsibility. God works it in. You must work it out.

[John Weaver] Moreover, you have to remember this. All of the results, all of the evidences and manifestations of God's gift of faith are always seen in terms of biblical obedience. For instance, let's go back to Ephesians 2.89. Let me just quote it. For by grace are you saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it's a gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast. But now let's go to verse 10. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath foreordained that we should walk therein. So, real saving faith always has biblical works.

[John Weaver] If you would turn in your Bibles very quickly to the book of James. Hebrews, James. Look in James chapter 2, if you would. James chapter 2. And James is telling us the same thing. Watch verse 14, James 2 verse 14, What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? Can faith save him, or can that kind of faith save him? If a brother or sister be naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you say to them, Depart in peace, and be ye warmed and filled, notwithstanding you give them not those things which are needful for the body, what doth it profit? Even so, faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works. Show me thy faith without thy works, and I will show thee my faith by my works."

[John Weaver] So, the truth of the matter is this. God may be able to see our faith, but men cannot. And the only way that we can demonstrate our faith is by biblical obedience and biblical works. And what James is teaching is that biblical works evidence our faith. We are biblically obedient.

[John Weaver] Now, I want you to go back to 1 Thessalonians 1 because you have to use Scripture to interpret Scripture. I want you to look in verse 3. He says,"...remembering without ceasing your work of faith." How does Paul describe their work of faith? Well, skip down to verse 9. Here is their work of faith. For they themselves show of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how you turned to God from idols. May I point out the fact again that God is not going to turn from idols for you. He's not going to turn from sin for you. He's not going to believe for you. So here it is called their work of faith because they turn with their whole heart.

[John Weaver] It was not a half-baked turn, but it was one that was real and genuine and true. They forsook their idols, they forsook their false gods, they forsook their sins, and in that forsaking, it is called a work of faith. If we believe and if we confess and acknowledge that our God is absolutely sovereign, that He is the ultimate, that He is the supreme one, that He is the absolute, Then we also acknowledge we must turn from anything and everything else and worship and serve Him alone, because He alone would deserve our worship, our honor, and our adoration.

[John Weaver] We have to submit to Him totally and completely. So when the Apostle Paul says, remembering without ceasing your work of faith, He explains that work of faith, how they turn from idols to the one true and the living God. So, one thing that set these Thessalonians apart was they actually turn from idolatry. They actually turn from sin. But there was another thing. Look in verse 3. He says,"...remembering without ceasing your work of faith and labor of love." So, they not only had a work of faith, they also had a labor of love. So, how do you explain the labor of love? Well, skip down to verse 9 again. He says, For they themselves show of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how you turned to God from idols, here is their labor of love, to serve the living and true God.

[John Weaver] So, let me ask you a question. How do you serve the living and true God? Well, you could answer and say, well, pastor, we could serve him by prayer. We could serve him by worship. We could serve him by tithes and offerings. We could serve him any number of ways. Well, that is true. But let me point something out. It is true that we are to fear God Yet it is our love that motivates us to serve Him. Our fear of Him holds Him in reverential awe and honor, but our love drives us. Now, what I just said, we could serve Him by prayer and by worship and by giving. Yes, that's true.

[John Weaver] And you have to understand this. Many people profess to serve God when in reality they do not serve God. They end up serving themselves. But when we're talking about serving God, I hope you understand what I'm trying to say when I say this. In reality, God does not need serving. Because God doesn't need anything. God is already absolutely perfect. He's already absolutely blessed. The only thing that we can give Him is what He's already given us.

[John Weaver] So, that brings me back to this question. How do we serve Him? And what really counts as a labor of love? Because in 1 Thessalonians 1 and verse 3, He says, Remembering without ceasing your work of faith and labor of love. I want you to turn in your Bibles to the book of Hebrews chapter 6. Hebrews chapter 6. And I want you to see a labor of love. Hebrews chapter 6.

[John Weaver] This may surprise you, but here it is. Hebrews 6, notice verse 10. Hebrews 6, verse 10. For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labor of love, which you have showed toward His name. In that you have ministered to the saints, and do minister. Did you hear that? He says, here is your work and your labor of love toward His name in that, in that you have ministered to the saints and do minister. We minister to God and we have a labor of love as when we minister to each other and love each other as He commands us.

[John Weaver] Now, Let me show you. I know that there are some Christians that are unlovely. I know there are some that are hard to get along with. I understand that. The scripture says, as much as life in you, live peaceably with all men. But if someone is a real, genuine saint of God, regardless of how stubborn and hard-headed they are, And regardless of how lovable they are, we are still required to love them and minister to them. Let me show you.

[John Weaver] Look in your Bibles to Matthew chapter 25. Here's a passage I'm sure that you remember. Here's the passage concerning the sheep and the goats. Matthew chapter 25, and let's begin reading there with verse 33. Look at what our Lord says, Matthew 25 verse 33. He says, And he shall set the sheep on the right hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the king say to them on his right hand, Come, you blessed of my father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.

[John Weaver] For I was a hunger, and you gave me meat. I was thirsty, and you gave me drink. I was a stranger, and you took me in, naked, and you clothed me. I was sick, and you visited me. I was in prison, and you came unto me. Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when shall we be a hundred, and fed that you are thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in, or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? And the king shall answer and say of them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

[John Weaver] Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me ye cursed, and everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was a hungred, and you gave me no meat. I was thirsty, and you gave me no drink. I was a stranger, and you took me not in. Naked, and you clothed me not. Sick and in prison, and you visited me not. Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee a hungred, or a thirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? In other words, Lord, if we had seen you, surely we would have done this to you. Then shall he answer them, and say, Verily I say unto you, inasmuch as you did it not to one of the least of these, You did it not unto me. And these shall go away in everlasting punishment, but the righteous into life eternal.

[John Weaver] Is it not obvious to you that our labor in love and the way we serve God is by serving each other and all the saints of God? Whatever we do to each other, we do to our Lord. Whatever we do not do to each other, we do not do unto the Lord.

[John Weaver] Now, I want you to look in Galatians 5, if you would, because I made a statement earlier, and I want to show you this statement from the Scripture. If you'll look in the book of Galatians chapter 5, I said, the fear of God means that we hold Him in reverence and awe, but love It's what is to motivate us and to drive us. So if you look in Galatians chapter 5 and verse 6, notice Galatians 5 verse 6, For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision, but faith which worketh by love. If you'll skip down to verse 13, He says, For brethren, you've been called unto liberty. Only use not liberty for an occasion of the flesh, but by love serve one another. Did you know that John said in 1 John 5 and verse 2, By this we know that we love the children of God when we love God and keep His commandments. So if we're going to serve God, it is by serving each other. Now, I want you to look back in 1 Thessalonians 1 in verse 3, because here's the third thing that set these Thessalonican Christians apart and let us know that they were genuinely saved.

[John Weaver] He said in verse 3, remembering without ceasing your work of faith and labor of love and Patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father. So the patience of hope, first of all, is in the Lord Jesus Christ. It is found only in Him, and it is in the sight of God and our Father.

[John Weaver] Now, let's talk about patience just for a moment. And especially patience of hope. We may have patience of hope in trials and tribulations and persecutions. That is true. I tell people one of my favorite phrases in the Bible is this.

[John Weaver] Now it came to pass. So whenever you're in a test, whenever you're in a trial, tribulation, persecution, just stop and think, it came to pass. Didn't come to stay, thank God. It came to pass. And it will pass. It will go away if you will be patient and if you do what is right. So we can talk about patience in trials and tests and tribulations and that kind of thing. But if you look in verse 10, the Apostle Paul interprets this patience of hope. He said, and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus who delivered us from the wrath to come." So when we wait patiently in hope, it means that we are hopefully and patiently waiting for the accomplishments of God's promises and God's purpose.

[John Weaver] Counterfeit hopes give up, give in, quit, fail, and falter. Christian hope never fails and never falters. Why? How can I say that? Because of 1 Timothy chapter 1 and verse 1. Listen to this. Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, by the commandment of God our Savior and Lord Jesus Christ, who is our hope. Jesus Christ is our hope. Jesus Christ is our hope. I want that to sink in. Jesus Christ is our hope. I want you to listen carefully. I'm going to give you a quote from Albert Barnes. I do not see how you could almost refrain from shouting if you really understand what Barnes is saying. Listen carefully. He says, it is a hope which we have for the merits of the Redeemer and which we are permitted to cherish before God.

[John Weaver] That is in His very presence. When we think of God, when we reflect that we must soon stand before Him, we are permitted to cherish this hope. It is a hope which will be found to be genuine even in the presence of a holy, heart-searching God. This does not mean that it had been merely professed before God, but that it was a hope which they might dare to entertain in the presence of God, which could bear the scrutiny of His holy eye." What is he saying? Jesus Christ is my hope. And when I stand before God in judgment, if God in His piercing holiness asks me, Why should I let you into my eternal home? And I can say, because of my hope, and my hope is nothing else and no one else than Jesus Christ and Jesus Christ alone. And I'm permitted to cherish this hope in the very presence of God Himself. Yes, Paul, an apostle, By the commandment of God our Savior and the Lord Jesus Christ, who is our hope?

[John Weaver] Can you imagine standing before God? You say, well, I can't imagine that right now. Well, wait till you get older. It won't take long and much to imagine it. Because you will stand before God. And I trust that your hope will be Jesus Christ and Jesus Christ alone.

[John Weaver] Now, I want you to note, the Bible says in verse 10, And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, who delivers from the wrath to come, Waiting for his son from heaven does not mean that we sit idly by twiddling our thumbs, whiling away the time. No. If you look down to verse 6, you'll find that these Thessalonian Christians were not inactive at all. Verse 6, the Bible says, and you became followers of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction with joy of the Holy Ghost. It wasn't easy for them, but yet they followed the apostles, they followed the Lord, they were persecuted, but they had the joy of the Holy Spirit.

[John Weaver] Now watch, verse 7, so that you were in samples or examples for all that believe in Macedonia and Achaia. For from you sounded out the word of the Lord, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith to God were to spread abroad, so that we need not speak anything. Can you imagine that? Paul said, when we came into that entire area, we didn't even have to preach. You had spread the Word.

[John Weaver] Everyone knew your holiness and your godliness and your obedience. You were examples to everyone in Macedonia and Achaia. We didn't even have to speak when we came there. Because you had shouted out and trumpeted out the Word of God. So these Christians had an active faith a laboring love and a patient hope which enable them to endure and persevere and remain faithful to the end. So, let me come back to my original questions that I began with. What's wrong with Christians? What's wrong with the church? And the answer is, We have too many dead-letter Christians. We have too many word-only professors. We have church members that have never been regenerated, never been convicted, never been converted, and never repeated. They've never turned to God from their idols. They've never turned to God from their sins. And moreover, they're not interested in the Word of God. They're interested in entertainment and amusement.

[John Weaver] I told Mark, I saw an ad in the shopper in Coffey County, Douglas, Georgia. And I may not be getting the ad exactly right, but here it is. We're starting a new church. We're putting the fun back in Christianity. Parties every month, singing and dancing. Call us if you want to join us. Fun in Christianity? Where's the offense of the gospel? Where's the preaching of the Word of God?

[John Weaver] The truth of the matter is this, folks. The average professing Christian knows nothing of humility, sacrifice, lowliness, godliness, and holiness. And they don't want it. They have itching ears, and they want pastors to scratch them and to tickle them and entertain them. We've come to the place where Ezekiel was. Ezekiel was a priest turned prophet whom God used to preach to those people who were already in Babylon.

[John Weaver] And oh, they were coming to him. And here's what God said in Ezekiel 33 and verse 32. He said,"...Lo, thou art unto them as a very lovely song, or as one that has a pleasant voice, and can play well on an instrument. For they hear thy words, but they will not do them." He said, Ezekiel, all you are is entertaining them. They don't care about you. They don't care what you're preaching, what you're teaching. They're coming to hear you for entertainment.

[John Weaver] They have nothing else to do. Dead letter professors. You have to examine yourselves. And you have to ask, is there really genuinely work of God in my life? Is there something in my life that could not possibly be there because of me? Is there something in my life that has to be there because of the work of God? Have I really had a work of faith? Have I really turned to God from idols? Have I really turned to God from sin?

[John Weaver] Do I have a labor of love? Am I really interested in serving the saints and being a servant? Do I have a real passion of hope? Can I cherish Jesus Christ and His great salvation now and in the very presence of God? Can you say with the Apostle Paul, In 2 Timothy 1 and verse 12, for the witch cause also suffered these things. Nevertheless, I'm not ashamed for I know in whom I have believed and am persuaded that he's able to keep that which I've committed in him against that day. Can you say that? Paul had a genuine hope. These Thessalonians had a genuine hope to you.

[John Weaver] Are you a dead letter or word only professor? Or have you been powerfully convicted and converted by the Holy Spirit? I want you to turn to one last passage. I want you to look in 1 Corinthians chapter 12 and verse 3. I want you to see a truth that's clearly enunciated in this verse. Look in 1 Corinthians chapter 12 and verse 3. The Apostle Paul says it like this, Wherefore I give you to understand that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed, and that no man can say that Jesus is Lord, but by the Holy Ghost. So he says anyone who curses the Lord Jesus Christ, It's certainly not speaking in the Holy Ghost. And then he goes on to say that no man can say that Jesus is Lord, but by the Holy Ghost. Now, I could walk out on the street tonight and anyone that has a tongue and the ability to say words could say, Jesus is Lord. He could mouth those words, but that does not make him saved.

[John Weaver] The only way a man can savingly say that Jesus Christ is Lord is by the Holy Ghost. So let me put it to you like this. Man may imitate, but only the Holy Spirit can authenticate. Man may imitate. Man may take his words and his tongue and pray the sinner's prayer and even say Jesus is Lord. But if the word has not come to him in power and in the Holy Ghost. He's not saved. He's a word only or dead letter professor. That's all. The truth is, if God does not save us, we're not saved, no matter what we do or where we go. Salvation is of the Lord. And Paul said that these Thessalonians, for our gospel came not in your word only, but in power. and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance. And when God saves you, you will have the much assurance. Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we bow before Thee tonight. We thank You for Your Word. We thank You for Your truth. And we pray, Lord, that You would indeed be pleased to send forth these words with power and in the Holy Spirit.

[John Weaver] open hearts and penetrate them by thy grace and by thy mercy and help us, Lord, to rely solely and completely upon Jesus Christ, who is our Lord. We thank you for your grace and your mercy in Christ's name. Amen.

Dead Letter Christians

John Weaver | SermonAudio

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	SermonAudio
Media ID	1118161648390
Subject	Church Government
Course	Church Order: Preaching and Pastoral Ministry
Genre	Sermon
Date	2016-11-17
Dictation Name
Book	Book 039: Church Order and Worship - Volume 1 — Chapter 14
Source Timed Segments	79

Formatted Transcript

Opening

Let's open our Bibles, if you would please, tonight to 1 Thessalonians chapter 1. 1 Thessalonians chapter 1. I preached a message in the last two weeks that I think I want to share with you tonight. I had really thought about preaching from the book of Mark, but this passage is, I think, important, and I've gotten an email from another good friend who was asking me questions in the same line and in the same vein of the teaching that I'm going to be giving. So I thought, well, this will be important that we might be able to share this with others. So I'm going to bring a message which I preached to our people just recently called "Dead Letter or Word Only Christians." So if you look in 1 Thessalonians chapter 1, there are only 10 verses there. So let's read the entire passage.

Scripture Reading — 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10

"Paul, and Silvanus, and Timotheus, unto the church of the Thessalonians which is in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ." "We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers; Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father; Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God. For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance; as ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake. And ye became followers of us, and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Ghost:" "So that ye were ensamples to all that believe in Macedonia and Achaia. For from you sounded out the word of the Lord not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith to God-ward is spread abroad; so that we need not to speak any thing. For they themselves shew of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God; And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come."

Introduction: The Problem with Christians and the Church

Weaver opens by acknowledging widespread problems in the church, describing many professing Christians as apathetic, unregenerate, and word-only professors.

I've been asked repeatedly in the last number of years what in the world is wrong with Christians. Occasionally, it's asked a different way: what in the world is wrong with the church? And I do not think that anyone would disagree with me tonight that there are problems—in fact, many problems—in most churches and among most professing Christians. We could use terms like apathetic, indolent, lethargic, sluggish, unconcerned, unprincipled, and unethical. Those would be just a few of those terms which would characterize Christendom as a whole.

Now I understand that there are exceptions. But applied across the board, these terms would certainly apply. And we could probably also add several other terms like unregenerate, unconverted, and unrepentant. Now, I want to call your attention, if you would please, to what the Apostle Paul said in verse 5 concerning these Thessalonians. He said, "For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance; as ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake." Notice, if you would, he's emphasizing the fact that our gospel did not come unto you in word only. So there are individuals who know only the Word, or have what they would call an experience with Word only, or what I would designate as dead letter Christians. If you would hold 1 Thessalonians 1, but look in your Bibles to 1 John 3. 1 John 3, and notice if you would in this passage John the Apostle also picks up on word only Christians. Look what he says. 1 John 3, beginning there with verse 16, he says, "Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren."

The Gospel Not in Word Only

From 1 Thessalonians 1:5, Weaver emphasizes that the gospel came with power, the Holy Ghost, and assurance, not mere words. He contrasts this with dead letter faith.

Now, I want to call your attention, if you would please, to what the Apostle Paul said in verse 5 concerning these Thessalonians. He said, "For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance; as ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake." Notice, if you would, he's emphasizing the fact that our gospel did not come unto you in word only. So there are individuals who know only the Word, or have what they would call an experience with Word only, or what I would designate as dead letter Christians. If you would hold 1 Thessalonians 1, but look in your Bibles to 1 John 3. 1 John 3, and notice if you would in this passage John the Apostle also picks up on word only Christians. Look what he says. 1 John 3, beginning there with verse 16, he says, "Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren."

"But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth. And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him. For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things. Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God." Now the interesting thing is, John says, "My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue." In other words, it cannot be just simply word only. Do you realize the two greatest examples of love are given to us right here? For instance, he said, "Hereby perceive we the love of God." How do we perceive? How do we grasp? How do we lay hold on the love of God? Well, it's the fact that God did not just simply tell us, "I love you." He gave his only begotten Son. And when the Lord Jesus Christ demonstrated his love, He did not just simply say, "I love you."

Love Demonstrated, Not Just Spoken

Using 1 John 3:16-18, Weaver argues that true love is demonstrable action, not empty words, and that conduct reveals the heart.

In other words, it cannot be just simply word only. Do you realize the two greatest examples of love are given to us right here? For instance, he said, "Hereby perceive we the love of God." How do we perceive? How do we grasp? How do we lay hold on the love of God? Well, it's the fact that God did not just simply tell us, "I love you." He gave his only begotten Son. And when the Lord Jesus Christ demonstrated his love, He did not just simply say, "I love you."

He laid down his life on our behalf. And so, love, according to the Bible, is always demonstrable. It cannot be just simply in word or in tongue. So, if some of our brethren have needs, we do not just say, "Be ye warmed and filled," and "May the Lord bless you," or "I'll pray for you." No. If we have whatever they need, we supply that need. We take care of it. So we demonstrate we love by actually doing something and taking care of the needs.

So conduct and action really reveals the heart. Now unhappily, that is not the way it is with most churches today. That is conduct and action. It's not even that way with most professing Christians. Most professing Christians in most churches just simply go merrily on their way without the least bit of concern, without the least bit of compassion or compulsion. And I don't know if you're aware of this or if you've ever noticed it, but usually the average professing Christian and the average church, nothing ever bothers them. Nothing ever upsets them. Nothing ever turns over their apple cart. I mean, they just go merrily on their way. And the answer as to why is because they're simply word-only professors.

The Danger of Religion Without the Holy Ghost

Quoting William Booth, Weaver warns against religion without the Holy Spirit, reducing salvation to a sinner's prayer without conviction or regeneration.

William Booth was the founder of the Salvation Army. I want you to listen to this quote. William Booth said, "The chief danger that confronts the coming century will be religion without the Holy Ghost, Christianity without Christ, forgiveness without repentance, salvation without regeneration, politics without God, and heaven without hell." But notice first, he said, "the chief danger that's going to confront the coming century will be religion without the Holy Ghost." And what we've done today in Christianity is just simply this: we have reduced Christianity to a ritual, to a ceremony. We reduce salvation to a sinner's prayer. Millions of individuals who profess to be Christians have prayed a sinner's prayer, but they've never been convicted by the Holy Spirit. They've never been converted. They've never repented of their sins.

They've been led down a primrose path and now think that everything is settled for them for eternity and their eternal home is secure regardless of how they act and regardless of how they live. So the truth of the matter is this: they've been saved by preachers or by their own decision. They have not been saved by the Lord Jesus Christ because they've not been convicted by the Holy Ghost. It's kind of like the old drunk who was stumbling down the street and he saw Billy Sunday. Billy Sunday was a Presbyterian evangelist in the 1930s and a very powerful preacher. But the old drunk saw Billy Sunday and he stumbled up to him and he said, "Mr. Sunday, Mr. Sunday, don't you recognize me? I'm one of your converts." Billy Sunday said, "Bless God, you must be. You're certainly not one of God's."

Salvation Is of the Lord: Man's Inability

Through the rich young ruler (Mark 10) and Jesus' statement that with men salvation is impossible, Weaver teaches that man cannot save himself; salvation requires God's power.

And that's exactly where we are today. The truth of the matter is this: men cannot regenerate themselves. They cannot repent in and of themselves. Salvation is of the Lord. Let me give you one of the clearest passages in the Bible. I want you to turn, if you would please, to Mark chapter 10. Mark chapter 10. And let's begin reading there. And let me just tell you, and we won't read the whole thing, but in Mark chapter 10 we have here the rich young ruler. You remember how the rich young ruler came running to Jesus Christ, and he knelt before him, and he said, "Good Master, what must I do that I may inherit eternal life?"

And of course, our Lord said,

Scripture Reading — Mark 10:17-27

"Well, you know the commandments, Do not kill, Do not steal, Honour thy father and thy mother."

And what did the young man say?

Scripture Reading — Mark 10:17-27

"All these have I observed from my youth up: what lack I yet?"

And our Lord said to him,

Scripture Reading — Mark 10:17-27

"Well, if thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and come, take up thy cross, and follow me."

And if you look in verse 22, the Bible says, that's the rich young ruler, Mark 10,

Scripture Reading — Mark 10:17-27

"And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions."

Now, let me ask you a question. How many of you sold everything that you had and gave to the poor when you were saved? And the answer is not one of you. Have you ever wondered why Jesus Christ told this rich young ruler,

Scripture Reading — Mark 10:17-27

"Go and sell everything you have and give to the poor and take up your cross and follow me"

? And the answer is very simple.

Because our Lord had just said, "You know the commandments. Do not steal, do not kill, honour thy father and thy mother." And his response was, "All these have I observed from my youth up. What lack I yet?" And when Jesus Christ said, "There's one thing you lack. You go and sell everything you have and give to the poor and take up your cross and follow me," He was making application of the law. And He was demonstrating the fact that this young man who thought he had kept the law perfectly had not even kept the first commandment. "Thou shalt have no other gods before me," for his money was his god. And so he went away grieved.

Now, look at verse 23, "And Jesus looked round about, and saith unto his disciples, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God! And the disciples were astonished at his words. But Jesus answereth again, and saith unto them, Children, how hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God." Now watch verse 26, "And they were astonished out of measure, saying among themselves, Who then can be saved?" Note, if you would, what the question revolves around. It revolves around salvation. "Who then can be saved?" Verse 27, "And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible." So our Lord is saying that man cannot save himself. He cannot convict himself. He cannot convert himself. He cannot even repent in and of himself. That is why in 1 Thessalonians 1, verse 5, the Apostle Paul is thanking God that when the Word of God came to these Thessalonian Christians, it did not come in word only, but in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance. So, what is Paul saying? Paul is saying, "I'm so thankful that when you heard the Word of God, it was not just simply oratory. It was not wisdom and cunning craftiness of men. No, no, no. He said, when you heard the Word of God, it came with power and with the Holy Ghost and much assurance." Now, the word "power" there is the Greek word dunamis.

It's where we get our English word "dynamite." So he said, "When the gospel came to you, it came with dynamite. It came with the power of the Holy Ghost."

The Word and the Spirit: Letter Kills, Spirit Gives Life

Weaver explains from 2 Corinthians 3:6 and Hebrews 4:12 that the Word without the Spirit is a dead letter; the Spirit makes it powerful.

2 Corinthians chapter 3 and watch verse 5. Here it is. The Apostle Paul said, 2 Corinthians 3 verse 5,

Scripture Reading — 2 Corinthians 3:5-6

"Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; and remember he's an apostle, but he said, "

our sufficiency is of God; Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life." So what is he saying? The Word of God by itself kills. It is the Spirit that gives it life. Did you know that our Lord said essentially the same thing in John 6 and verse 63? He said, "It is the spirit that quickeneth; the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life." So he said, "It's the Spirit that quickeneth." So when our Lord spoke, you must remember, He had the Spirit without measure. So the words that He spoke were spirit and were life.

Now, I want to call your attention and ask you to turn to Isaiah 55 because I want you to understand that God's Word never returns void, and it does indeed accomplish that whereunto He sends it. Now, I want you to think with me just momentarily, as we look at Isaiah 55, beginning there with verse 10. Isaiah 55, verse 10. "For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater:" here's what he says, "So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it." So God is saying that His Word never returns to Him void. But it's important that you understand that His Word, whether in the letter or whether in the Spirit, always accomplishes that which He pleases, and it always prospers in that which He sends it.

The Word's Dual Ministry: Condemnation and Reconciliation

From 2 Corinthians 2:14-16, Weaver shows that God's Word always accomplishes its purpose, either as a savour of life or death, and that hearers are responsible.

Now, here is our problem. I want you to look in your Bibles to 2 Corinthians 2. You see, we tend to think that oftentimes that God's Word is sent only for reconciliation. But that's not true. There is an entire ministry of condemnation. God can send His Word either for condemnation or for reconciliation. So if you look in 2 Corinthians 2, beginning there with verse 14, look what the Apostle Paul says. 2 Corinthians 2 verse 14, "Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ." In other words, the word never fails.

"And maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place." Now, the word "savour" refers to a smell. It's a sweet smelling savour. So watch this. He says, "Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place. For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish: To the one we are the savour of death unto death; and to the other the savour of life unto life. And who is sufficient for these things?" So the Word of God can go for condemnation as well as reconciliation. In fact, in 2 Corinthians 3, the Bible even talks about the Old Covenant being a ministry of condemnation. Because the Old Covenant could not really truly redeem. It could not give life. So it was called a ministry of condemnation. Now, it is true that anyone who hears the Word of God is responsible to heed the Word of God.

You're responsible to apply it. Our Lord said, "He that hath ears to hear, let him hear." You have a responsibility. And the truth of the matter is, you will be judged by the word that you hear. Our Lord said in John 12 and verse 48,

Scripture Reading — John 12:48

"He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day."

So whether you hear the word of God and are converted, or whether you hear the word of God and are condemned, it is going to be the word of God that is going to judge you.

The Marks of Genuine Conversion: Work of Faith, Labour of Love, Patience of Hope

Weaver expounds 1 Thessalonians 1:3,9-10 to show that true Christians are marked by turning from idols (work of faith), serving the saints (labour of love), and waiting for Christ (patience of hope).

I want you to turn back to 1 Thessalonians chapter 1. I want you to see this. Look, if you would please, at verse 4. Notice what the Apostle Paul says, "Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God." He said, "You know you're God's elect. I know you are God's elect." Well, how did Paul know that they were God's elect? He didn't climb up into heaven and look at the Lamb's book of life. Neither could these Thessalonians. How did they know that they were God's elect? Because in verse 5 he said, "For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance." They knew they were God's elect because of what God had done in them, and for them, and through them. So here's my question: What is there in your life that can only be there because of the supernatural work of the Holy Spirit? What is there in your life that can be there only because of the supernatural work of the Holy Spirit? So, let's see what set these Thessalonian Christians apart where that they knew for sure that they were God's elect.

and that they were genuinely saved. If you look in verse 3, the Apostle Paul gives us three areas. He gives us three things that set these Thessalonian Christians apart. He says, "Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father." I want to give you a quick quote by John Calvin. Listen carefully to what he said about verse 3. He says, "The statement should be explained to mean that Paul remembers their patience in hoping for the coming of Christ." "From this we may gather a brief definition of true Christianity: that it is a faith that is lively and full of vigor, so that it spares no labor when assistance is to be given to one's neighbors; but on the contrary, all the pious employ themselves diligently in offices of love, and lay out their efforts in them, so that, intent upon the hope of the manifestation of Christ, they despise everything else, and armed with patience, they rise superior to the wearisomeness of the length of time, as well as"

"to all the temptations of the world." So Calvin said, really and truly, verse 3 should be a brief definition of true Christianity: their work of faith, their labour of love, and their patience of hope. So I want to take the time tonight just to break these three things down for you. First of all, a work of faith. Now notice if you would what he says in verse 3, "Remembering without ceasing your work of faith." I find it interesting that the Apostle Paul speaks of "your work of faith."

Now obviously he does not contradict himself. He knows that he wrote in Ephesians 2:8-9,

Scripture Reading — Ephesians 2:8-10

"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast."

Now, if faith is God's gift, and it is, how can he say in verse 3, "Remembering without ceasing your work of faith"? How is it, if it is God's gift, can it be ascribed as a work of faith in the believers in this passage? Well, there's a good, excellent answer. If you would just turn back a few pages to the book of Philippians, chapter 2. Philippians chapter 2. And notice if you would, verses 12 and 13. Philippians 2, verse 12. Notice he says this, "Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence." Look at this amazing statement: "Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling." Why does Paul tell these Philippians to work out their own salvation with fear and trembling? Well, look in verse 13. "For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure." So, here's what Paul is saying, and he's saying this in Philippians 2, and he's saying it in 1 Thessalonians 1, verse 3. God worked it in you. It's your responsibility to work it out. That is, we're to exercise it, and it is called a work. It's not that we're earning it. It's not that we're meriting it.

It has already been given to us. It is a gift. Faith is His gift. When I exercise that faith, it is called my work, because it is my responsibility. God works it in. It's my responsibility to work it out. So let me put it to you like this: When God gives me faith, that is His gift, and when I believe in Him, I'm exercising the gift that He gave me. And by the way, God may give the gift of faith, but He's not going to believe for you. That's your responsibility. You must work out that faith. God may give you the gift of repentance, and repentance is God's gift, but God's not going to turn from sin for you. That is your responsibility. God works it in. You must work it out.

Moreover, you have to remember this. All of the results, all of the evidences and manifestations of God's gift of faith are always seen in terms of biblical obedience. For instance, let's go back to Ephesians 2:8-9. Let me just quote it.

Scripture Reading — Ephesians 2:8-10

"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast."

But now let's go to verse 10.

Scripture Reading — Ephesians 2:8-10

"For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them."

So, real saving faith always has biblical works. If you would turn in your Bibles very quickly to the book of James. Hebrews, James. Look in James chapter 2, if you would. James chapter 2. And James is telling us the same thing. Watch verse 14, James 2 verse 14, "What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?" or can that kind of faith save him? "If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works."

So, the truth of the matter is this: God may be able to see our faith, but men cannot. And the only way that we can demonstrate our faith is by biblical obedience and biblical works. And what James is teaching is that biblical works evidence our faith. We are biblically obedient.

Now, I want you to go back to 1 Thessalonians 1 because you have to use Scripture to interpret Scripture. I want you to look in verse 3. He says, "Remembering without ceasing your work of faith." How does Paul describe their work of faith? Well, skip down to verse 9. Here is their work of faith. "For they themselves shew of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols." May I point out the fact again that God is not going to turn from idols for you. He's not going to turn from sin for you. He's not going to believe for you. So here it is called their work of faith because they turn with their whole heart.

It was not a half-baked turn, but it was one that was real and genuine and true. They forsook their idols, they forsook their false gods, they forsook their sins, and in that forsaking, it is called a work of faith. If we believe and if we confess and acknowledge that our God is absolutely sovereign, that He is the ultimate, that He is the supreme one, that He is the absolute, then we also acknowledge we must turn from anything and everything else and worship and serve Him alone, because He alone would deserve our worship, our honor, and our adoration. We have to submit to Him totally and completely. So when the Apostle Paul says, "Remembering without ceasing your work of faith," he explains that work of faith: how they turned from idols to the one true and the living God. So, one thing that set these Thessalonians apart was they actually turned from idolatry. They actually turned from sin. But there was another thing. Look in verse 3. He says, "Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love." So, they not only had a work of faith, they also had a labour of love. So, how do you explain the labour of love? Well, skip down to verse 9 again. He says, "For they themselves shew of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols"—here is their labour of love—"to serve the living and true God."

So, let me ask you a question. How do you serve the living and true God? Well, you could answer and say, "Well, pastor, we could serve him by prayer. We could serve him by worship. We could serve him by tithes and offerings. We could serve him any number of ways." Well, that is true. But let me point something out. It is true that we are to fear God. Yet it is our love that motivates us to serve Him. Our fear of Him holds Him in reverential awe and honor, but our love drives us. Now, what I just said, we could serve Him by prayer and by worship and by giving. Yes, that's true.

And you have to understand this. Many people profess to serve God when in reality they do not serve God. They end up serving themselves. But when we're talking about serving God, I hope you understand what I'm trying to say when I say this: In reality, God does not need serving. Because God doesn't need anything. God is already absolutely perfect. He's already absolutely blessed. The only thing that we can give Him is what He's already given us.

So, that brings me back to this question: How do we serve Him? And what really counts as a labour of love? Because in 1 Thessalonians 1 and verse 3, he says,

Scripture Reading — Hebrews 6:10

"Remembering without ceasing your work of faith and labour of love."

I want you to turn in your Bibles to the book of Hebrews chapter 6. Hebrews chapter 6. And I want you to see a labour of love. Hebrews chapter 6. This may surprise you, but here it is. Hebrews 6, notice verse 10. Hebrews 6, verse 10.

Scripture Reading — Hebrews 6:10

"For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister."

Did you hear that? He says,

Scripture Reading — Hebrews 6:10

"Here is your work and your labour of love toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister."

We minister to God and we have a labour of love when we minister to each other and love each other as He commands us.

Now, let me show you. I know that there are some Christians that are unlovely. I know there are some that are hard to get along with. I understand that. The scripture says, "As much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men." But if someone is a real, genuine saint of God, regardless of how stubborn and hard-headed they are, and regardless of how lovable they are, we are still required to love them and minister to them. Let me show you. Look in your Bibles to Matthew chapter 25. Here's a passage I'm sure that you remember. Here's the passage concerning the sheep and the goats. Matthew chapter 25, and let's begin reading there with verse 33. Look at what our Lord says, Matthew 25 verse 33. He says,

Scripture Reading — Matthew 25:33-46

"And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world."

"For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me." "Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?" In other words, "Lord, if we had seen you, surely we would have done this to you." "Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal."

Is it not obvious to you that our labour in love and the way we serve God is by serving each other and all the saints of God? Whatever we do to each other, we do to our Lord. Whatever we do not do to each other, we do not do unto the Lord. Now, I want you to look in Galatians 5, if you would, because I made a statement earlier, and I want to show you this statement from the Scripture. If you'll look in the book of Galatians chapter 5, I said, the fear of God means that we hold Him in reverence and awe, but love is what is to motivate us and to drive us. So if you look in Galatians chapter 5 and verse 6, notice Galatians 5 verse 6,

Scripture Reading — Galatians 5:6,13

"For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love."

If you'll skip down to verse 13, he says, "For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another." Did you know that John said in 1 John 5 and verse 2, "By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments"? So if we're going to serve God, it is by serving each other. Now, I want you to look back in 1 Thessalonians 1 in verse 3, because here's the third thing that set these Thessalonian Christians apart and let us know that they were genuinely saved.

He said in verse 3, "Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father." So the patience of hope, first of all, is in the Lord Jesus Christ. It is found only in Him, and it is in the sight of God and our Father. Now, let's talk about patience just for a moment. And especially patience of hope. We may have patience of hope in trials and tribulations and persecutions. That is true. I tell people one of my favorite phrases in the Bible is this.

"And it came to pass." So whenever you're in a test, whenever you're in a trial, tribulation, persecution, just stop and think, "It came to pass." Didn't come to stay, thank God. It came to pass. And it will pass. It will go away if you will be patient and if you do what is right. So we can talk about patience in trials and tests and tribulations and that kind of thing. But if you look in verse 10, the Apostle Paul interprets this patience of hope. He said, "And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come." So when we wait patiently in hope, it means that we are hopefully and patiently waiting for the accomplishments of God's promises and God's purpose.

Self-Examination: Are You a Dead Letter Professor?

Weaver challenges listeners to examine whether they have a supernatural work of God in their lives, or if they are merely word-only professors resting in decisions.

I told Mark, I saw an ad in the shopper in Coffee County, Douglas, Georgia. And I may not be getting the ad exactly right, but here it is: "We're starting a new church. We're putting the fun back in Christianity. Parties every month, singing and dancing. Call us if you want to join us." Fun in Christianity? Where's the offense of the gospel? Where's the preaching of the Word of God?

The truth of the matter is this, folks. The average professing Christian knows nothing of humility, sacrifice, lowliness, godliness, and holiness. And they don't want it. They have itching ears, and they want pastors to scratch them and to tickle them and entertain them. We've come to the place where Ezekiel was. Ezekiel was a priest turned prophet whom God used to preach to those people who were already in Babylon. And oh, they were coming to him. And here's what God said in Ezekiel 33 and verse 32. He said,

Scripture Reading — Ezekiel 33:32

"Lo, thou art unto them as a very lovely song of one that hath a pleasant voice, and can play well on an instrument: for they hear thy words, but they do them not."

He said, "Ezekiel, all you are is entertaining them. They don't care about you. They don't care what you're preaching, what you're teaching. They're coming to hear you for entertainment."

They have nothing else to do. Dead letter professors. You have to examine yourselves. And you have to ask, is there really genuinely a work of God in my life? Is there something in my life that could not possibly be there because of me? Is there something in my life that has to be there because of the work of God? Have I really had a work of faith? Have I really turned to God from idols? Have I really turned to God from sin?

Do I have a labour of love? Am I really interested in serving the saints and being a servant? Do I have a real patience of hope? Can I cherish Jesus Christ and His great salvation now and in the very presence of God? Can you say with the Apostle Paul, in 2 Timothy 1 and verse 12, "For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day"? Can you say that? Paul had a genuine hope. These Thessalonians had a genuine hope. Do you?

Conclusion: Only the Holy Spirit Authenticates

From 1 Corinthians 12:3, Weaver concludes that only by the Holy Spirit can one savingly confess Jesus as Lord; man may imitate, but only God saves.

Are you a dead letter or word only professor? Or have you been powerfully convicted and converted by the Holy Spirit? I want you to turn to one last passage. I want you to look in 1 Corinthians chapter 12 and verse 3. I want you to see a truth that's clearly enunciated in this verse. Look in 1 Corinthians chapter 12 and verse 3. The Apostle Paul says it like this, "Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost." So he says anyone who curses the Lord Jesus Christ is certainly not speaking in the Holy Ghost. And then he goes on to say that no man can say that Jesus is Lord, but by the Holy Ghost. Now, I could walk out on the street tonight and anyone that has a tongue and the ability to say words could say, "Jesus is Lord." He could mouth those words, but that does not make him saved.

The only way a man can savingly say that Jesus Christ is Lord is by the Holy Ghost. So let me put it to you like this: Man may imitate, but only the Holy Spirit can authenticate. Man may imitate. Man may take his words and his tongue and pray the sinner's prayer and even say "Jesus is Lord." But if the word has not come to him in power and in the Holy Ghost, he's not saved. He's a word only or dead letter professor. That's all. The truth is, if God does not save us, we're not saved, no matter what we do or where we go. Salvation is of the Lord. And Paul said that these Thessalonians, "For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance." And when God saves you, you will have the much assurance. Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we bow before Thee tonight. We thank You for Your Word. We thank You for Your truth. And we pray, Lord, that You would indeed be pleased to send forth these words with power and in the Holy Spirit.

Open hearts and penetrate them by Thy grace and by Thy mercy and help us, Lord, to rely solely and completely upon Jesus Christ, who is our Lord. We thank You for Your grace and Your mercy in Christ's name. Amen.

Study Guide

Major Themes

Word Only vs. Spirit-Empowered Faith

Summary: The central contrast between a dead, intellectual faith that rests on words alone and a living faith brought about by the Holy Spirit's power.

Evidence: 1 Thessalonians 1:5: 'For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance.'

The Necessity of Regeneration by the Holy Spirit

Summary: Salvation is not a human decision but a supernatural work of God; without the Spirit's conviction and regeneration, one remains a dead letter professor.

Evidence: Weaver quotes William Booth: 'The chief danger that confronts the coming century will be religion without the Holy Ghost...' and references John 6:63.

Man's Inability and God's Sovereignty in Salvation

Summary: Man cannot save himself, repent, or believe apart from God's enabling grace; salvation is of the Lord alone.

Evidence: Mark 10:27: 'With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible.'

The Evidences of Genuine Faith: Work, Labour, Patience

Summary: True conversion is evidenced by a work of faith (turning from idols), a labour of love (serving the saints), and a patience of hope (waiting for Christ).

Evidence: 1 Thessalonians 1:3,9-10: 'Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope...'

The Danger of False Assurance

Summary: Many professing Christians rest in a decision, prayer, or church membership without genuine conversion, leading to a rude awakening on Judgment Day.

Evidence: Weaver states: 'Those individuals who are resting in their decision... they're going to be in for a real rude awakening on Judgment Day.'

The Word's Dual Effect: Life or Death

Summary: God's Word always accomplishes its purpose, either bringing life to those who believe or condemnation to those who reject.

Evidence: 2 Corinthians 2:15-16: 'To the one we are the savour of death unto death; and to the other the savour of life unto life.'

Key Arguments

The gospel must come in power, not word only

Summary: Paul's thanksgiving in 1 Thessalonians 1:5 shows that genuine conversion involves the Holy Spirit's power, not mere human persuasion or intellectual assent.

Evidence: 1 Thessalonians 1:5: 'For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance.'

Love is demonstrable, not verbal

Summary: True love, like God's love in Christ, is shown in action; word-only love is empty and dead.

Evidence: 1 John 3:18: 'My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.'

Man cannot regenerate himself

Summary: The rich young ruler's inability to keep the first commandment shows that salvation is impossible with men; only God can save.

Evidence: Mark 10:27: 'With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible.'

The letter kills, but the Spirit gives life

Summary: The Word of God without the Holy Spirit is a dead letter; it is the Spirit who makes the Word effective for salvation.

Evidence: 2 Corinthians 3:6: '...for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.'

Faith without works is dead

Summary: Genuine saving faith always produces biblical works; a faith without works is not saving faith.

Evidence: James 2:17: 'Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.'

True Christians turn from idols and serve God

Summary: The Thessalonians' work of faith was evidenced by their turning from idols to serve the living God, demonstrating genuine conversion.

Evidence: 1 Thessalonians 1:9: '...how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God.'

Serving God means serving the saints

Summary: Labour of love is demonstrated by ministering to fellow believers; what we do to them, we do to Christ.

Evidence: Hebrews 6:10: '...your work and labour of love... in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.'

Only the Holy Spirit enables a saving confession

Summary: No one can genuinely confess Jesus as Lord except by the Holy Spirit; mere verbal profession is not enough.

Evidence: 1 Corinthians 12:3: '...no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.'

Scripture References

1 Thessalonians 1:1-10

Context: The entire chapter is read and forms the basis for the sermon, focusing on verse 5.

1 John 3:16-21

Context: Used to show that love must be in deed and truth, not word only.

Mark 10:17-27

Context: The rich young ruler illustrates man's inability to save himself and the impossibility of salvation apart from God.

Hebrews 4:12

Context: The Word of God is powerful, but its power is through the Spirit.

2 Corinthians 3:5-6

Context: The letter kills, but the Spirit gives life; the Word without the Spirit is dead.

John 6:63

Context: Jesus says the Spirit gives life; His words are spirit and life.

Isaiah 55:10-11

Context: God's Word never returns void but accomplishes His purpose.

2 Corinthians 2:14-16

Context: The Word is a savour of life or death, depending on the hearer's response.

John 12:48

Context: The word Jesus spoke will judge those who reject Him.

1 Corinthians 2:1-5

Context: Paul's preaching was in demonstration of the Spirit and power, not human wisdom.

Ephesians 2:8-10

Context: Salvation by grace through faith, not works, but we are created for good works.

Philippians 2:12-13

Context: Work out your salvation, for God works in you to will and to do.

James 2:14-18

Context: Faith without works is dead; works evidence genuine faith.

Hebrews 6:10

Context: Labour of love is shown by ministering to the saints.

Matthew 25:33-46

Context: Serving the least of Christ's brethren is serving Christ; neglect is judged.

Galatians 5:6,13

Context: Faith works by love; serve one another by love.

1 John 5:2

Context: We love the children of God when we love God and keep His commandments.

1 Timothy 1:1

Context: Jesus Christ is our hope.

Ezekiel 33:32

Context: People hear the word as entertainment but do not obey.

1 Corinthians 12:3

Context: No one can say Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit.

Historical References

William Booth (founder of the Salvation Army)

Context: Quoted on the danger of religion without the Holy Ghost.

Billy Sunday (Presbyterian evangelist, 1930s)

Context: Anecdote about a drunk claiming to be his convert; Sunday replied, 'You must be, you're certainly not one of God's.'

J.H. Merle d'Aubigné (historian of the Reformation)

Context: Quoted on the heresy of ascribing regeneration partly to man; his history of the Reformation in England is recommended.

Pelagius and Pelagianism

Context: d'Aubigné's quote references Pelagianism; Weaver explains Pelagius denied original sin and taught free will.

Charles Hodge (American theologian, died 1878)

Context: Quoted on the soul-destroying doctrine that sinners can regenerate themselves.

John Calvin (Reformer)

Context: Quoted on 1 Thessalonians 1:3 as a brief definition of true Christianity.

Albert Barnes (theologian)

Context: Quoted on the hope believers may cherish in the presence of God, based on Christ.

Important Quotes

The chief danger that confronts the coming century will be religion without the Holy Ghost, Christianity without Christ, forgiveness without repentance, salvation without regeneration, politics without God, and heaven without hell.

Significance: William Booth's prophetic warning summarizes the sermon's concern about empty profession lacking the Spirit's work.

Mr. Sunday, Mr. Sunday, don't you recognize me? I'm one of your converts. Billy Sunday said, Bless God, you must be. You're certainly not one of God's.

Significance: Illustrates the difference between human-made converts and those genuinely saved by God.

To believe in the power of man in the work of regeneration is the great heresy of Rome. And from that error has come the ruin of the church. Conversion proceeds from the grace of God alone.

Significance: d'Aubigné's quote reinforces the sermon's emphasis on monergistic salvation.

No more soul-destroying doctrine could well be devised than the doctrine that sinners can regenerate themselves and repent and believe just whenever they please.

Significance: Charles Hodge's warning against semi-Pelagianism supports the argument that salvation is entirely of God.

For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance.

Significance: The key verse of the sermon, defining genuine conversion as Spirit-empowered, not merely verbal.

Man may imitate, but only the Holy Spirit can authenticate.

Significance: Succinct summary of the sermon's thesis: outward profession is not enough without the Spirit's work.

Discussion Questions

What does it mean for the gospel to come 'not in word only, but in power'? How can we discern this in our own lives?

Context: Based on 1 Thessalonians 1:5 and the sermon's central contrast.

How does the rich young ruler's encounter with Jesus demonstrate man's inability to save himself?

Context: From Mark 10:17-27 and the discussion of the first commandment.

In what ways might modern churches promote 'word only' Christianity?

Context: Related to the critique of entertainment-focused churches and easy-believism.

What is the relationship between faith and works according to James 2? How does this relate to 'work of faith' in 1 Thessalonians 1:3?

Context: From the exposition of James 2:14-18 and Philippians 2:12-13.

How can we practically demonstrate 'labour of love' toward the saints?

Context: Based on Hebrews 6:10 and Matthew 25:33-46.

What does it mean to have 'patience of hope' in Christ, and how does it sustain us in trials?

Context: From 1 Thessalonians 1:10 and the quote from Albert Barnes.

Why is it dangerous to rest in a past decision or prayer for assurance of salvation?

Context: From the warning about dead letter professors and the need for self-examination.

How does 1 Corinthians 12:3 challenge the idea that anyone can simply 'accept Jesus'?

Context: From the conclusion that only the Holy Spirit enables a saving confession.

Applications

Examine your faith for genuine Spirit-wrought change

Summary: Weaver urges listeners to ask whether there is something in their lives that can only be explained by the supernatural work of the Holy Spirit.

Evidence: Weaver asks: 'What is there in your life that can only be there because of the supernatural work of the Holy Spirit?'

Turn from idols and sin as evidence of true faith

Summary: A work of faith involves actively turning from idols and sin to serve the living God, not merely professing belief.

Evidence: 1 Thessalonians 1:9: '...how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God.'

Serve fellow believers as a labour of love

Summary: True love for God is demonstrated by ministering to the needs of the saints, not just words.

Evidence: Hebrews 6:10 and Matthew 25:40: 'Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.'

Cultivate a patient hope fixed on Christ's return

Summary: Believers are to wait patiently for Christ, enduring trials with the assurance that He will deliver from wrath.

Evidence: 1 Thessalonians 1:10: 'And to wait for his Son from heaven... which delivered us from the wrath to come.'

Reject entertainment-driven Christianity

Summary: Weaver warns against churches that prioritize fun over the offense of the gospel, calling for a return to humility and holiness.

Evidence: Weaver recounts an ad for a church 'putting the fun back in Christianity' and contrasts it with Ezekiel 33:32.

Rest your hope solely in Christ for judgment

Summary: Believers can cherish the hope of Christ's merits even in God's holy presence, not in their own works.

Evidence: Albert Barnes quote: 'It is a hope which we have for the merits of the Redeemer and which we are permitted to cherish before God.'

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-05T23:44:49Z

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | weaver_study | 2026-06-06T14:35:26Z

Clean Transcript

Dead Letter Christians

Clean readable transcript. This view follows the Commentary.net cleaned segment text while preserving timestamps for audio follow-along.

Let's open our Bibles, if you would please, tonight to 1 Thessalonians chapter 1. 1 Thessalonians chapter 1. I preached a message in the last two weeks that I think I want to share with you tonight. I had really thought about preaching from the book of Mark, but this passage is, I think, important, and I've gotten an email from another good friend who was asking me questions in the same line and in the same vein of the teaching that I'm going to be giving. So I thought, well, this will be important that we might be able to share this with others. So I'm going to bring a message which I preached to our people just recently called "Dead Letter or Word Only Christians." So if you look in 1 Thessalonians chapter 1, there are only 10 verses there. So let's read the entire passage. "Paul, and Silvanus, and Timotheus, unto the church of the Thessalonians which is in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ."
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"We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers; Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father; Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God. For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance; as ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake. And ye became followers of us, and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Ghost:"
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"So that ye were ensamples to all that believe in Macedonia and Achaia. For from you sounded out the word of the Lord not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith to God-ward is spread abroad; so that we need not to speak any thing. For they themselves shew of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God; And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come."
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I've been asked repeatedly in the last number of years what in the world is wrong with Christians. Occasionally, it's asked a different way: what in the world is wrong with the church? And I do not think that anyone would disagree with me tonight that there are problems—in fact, many problems—in most churches and among most professing Christians. We could use terms like apathetic, indolent, lethargic, sluggish, unconcerned, unprincipled, and unethical. Those would be just a few of those terms which would characterize Christendom as a whole.
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Now I understand that there are exceptions. But applied across the board, these terms would certainly apply. And we could probably also add several other terms like unregenerate, unconverted, and unrepentant.
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Now, I want to call your attention, if you would please, to what the Apostle Paul said in verse 5 concerning these Thessalonians. He said, "For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance; as ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake." Notice, if you would, he's emphasizing the fact that our gospel did not come unto you in word only. So there are individuals who know only the Word, or have what they would call an experience with Word only, or what I would designate as dead letter Christians. If you would hold 1 Thessalonians 1, but look in your Bibles to 1 John 3. 1 John 3, and notice if you would in this passage John the Apostle also picks up on word only Christians. Look what he says. 1 John 3, beginning there with verse 16, he says, "Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren."
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"But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth. And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him. For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things. Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God." Now the interesting thing is, John says, "My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue."
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In other words, it cannot be just simply word only. Do you realize the two greatest examples of love are given to us right here? For instance, he said, "Hereby perceive we the love of God." How do we perceive? How do we grasp? How do we lay hold on the love of God? Well, it's the fact that God did not just simply tell us, "I love you." He gave his only begotten Son. And when the Lord Jesus Christ demonstrated his love, He did not just simply say, "I love you."
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He laid down his life on our behalf. And so, love, according to the Bible, is always demonstrable. It cannot be just simply in word or in tongue. So, if some of our brethren have needs, we do not just say, "Be ye warmed and filled," and "May the Lord bless you," or "I'll pray for you." No. If we have whatever they need, we supply that need. We take care of it. So we demonstrate we love by actually doing something and taking care of the needs.
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So conduct and action really reveals the heart. Now unhappily, that is not the way it is with most churches today. That is conduct and action. It's not even that way with most professing Christians. Most professing Christians in most churches just simply go merrily on their way without the least bit of concern, without the least bit of compassion or compulsion. And I don't know if you're aware of this or if you've ever noticed it, but usually the average professing Christian and the average church, nothing ever bothers them. Nothing ever upsets them. Nothing ever turns over their apple cart. I mean, they just go merrily on their way. And the answer as to why is because they're simply word-only professors.
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William Booth was the founder of the Salvation Army. I want you to listen to this quote. William Booth said, "The chief danger that confronts the coming century will be religion without the Holy Ghost, Christianity without Christ, forgiveness without repentance, salvation without regeneration, politics without God, and heaven without hell." But notice first, he said, "the chief danger that's going to confront the coming century will be religion without the Holy Ghost." And what we've done today in Christianity is just simply this: we have reduced Christianity to a ritual, to a ceremony. We reduce salvation to a sinner's prayer. Millions of individuals who profess to be Christians have prayed a sinner's prayer, but they've never been convicted by the Holy Spirit. They've never been converted. They've never repented of their sins.
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They've been led down a primrose path and now think that everything is settled for them for eternity and their eternal home is secure regardless of how they act and regardless of how they live. So the truth of the matter is this: they've been saved by preachers or by their own decision. They have not been saved by the Lord Jesus Christ because they've not been convicted by the Holy Ghost.
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It's kind of like the old drunk who was stumbling down the street and he saw Billy Sunday. Billy Sunday was a Presbyterian evangelist in the 1930s and a very powerful preacher. But the old drunk saw Billy Sunday and he stumbled up to him and he said, "Mr. Sunday, Mr. Sunday, don't you recognize me? I'm one of your converts." Billy Sunday said, "Bless God, you must be. You're certainly not one of God's."
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And that's exactly where we are today. The truth of the matter is this: men cannot regenerate themselves. They cannot repent in and of themselves. Salvation is of the Lord. Let me give you one of the clearest passages in the Bible. I want you to turn, if you would please, to Mark chapter 10. Mark chapter 10. And let's begin reading there. And let me just tell you, and we won't read the whole thing, but in Mark chapter 10 we have here the rich young ruler. You remember how the rich young ruler came running to Jesus Christ, and he knelt before him, and he said, "Good Master, what must I do that I may inherit eternal life?"
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And of course, our Lord said, "Well, you know the commandments, Do not kill, Do not steal, Honour thy father and thy mother." And what did the young man say? "All these have I observed from my youth up: what lack I yet?" And our Lord said to him, "Well, if thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and come, take up thy cross, and follow me."
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And if you look in verse 22, the Bible says, that's the rich young ruler, Mark 10, "And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions." Now, let me ask you a question. How many of you sold everything that you had and gave to the poor when you were saved? And the answer is not one of you. Have you ever wondered why Jesus Christ told this rich young ruler, "Go and sell everything you have and give to the poor and take up your cross and follow me"? And the answer is very simple.
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Because our Lord had just said, "You know the commandments. Do not steal, do not kill, honour thy father and thy mother." And his response was, "All these have I observed from my youth up. What lack I yet?" And when Jesus Christ said, "There's one thing you lack. You go and sell everything you have and give to the poor and take up your cross and follow me," He was making application of the law. And He was demonstrating the fact that this young man who thought he had kept the law perfectly had not even kept the first commandment.
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"Thou shalt have no other gods before me," for his money was his god. And so he went away grieved.
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Now, look at verse 23, "And Jesus looked round about, and saith unto his disciples, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God! And the disciples were astonished at his words. But Jesus answereth again, and saith unto them, Children, how hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God." Now watch verse 26, "And they were astonished out of measure, saying among themselves, Who then can be saved?"
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Note, if you would, what the question revolves around. It revolves around salvation. "Who then can be saved?" Verse 27, "And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible." So our Lord is saying that man cannot save himself. He cannot convict himself. He cannot convert himself. He cannot even repent in and of himself. That is why in 1 Thessalonians 1, verse 5, the Apostle Paul is thanking God that when the Word of God came to these Thessalonian Christians, it did not come in word only, but in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance. So, what is Paul saying? Paul is saying, "I'm so thankful that when you heard the Word of God, it was not just simply oratory. It was not wisdom and cunning craftiness of men. No, no, no. He said, when you heard the Word of God, it came with power and with the Holy Ghost and much assurance." Now, the word "power" there is the Greek word dunamis.
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It's where we get our English word "dynamite." So he said, "When the gospel came to you, it came with dynamite. It came with the power of the Holy Ghost."
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Now, we understand that the Word of God is powerful in and of itself. I want you to look in your Bibles to the book of Hebrews, chapter 4, and notice, if you would please, verse 12. Hebrews chapter 4 and verse 12, because the Bible has this to say about the Word of God. Hebrews 4 verse 12, "For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." Notice if you would, "For the word of God is quick, and powerful," and certainly the word of God is that, but one thing you must remember: that which makes the Word of God quick and powerful is the ministry of the Holy Spirit. And without the ministry of the Holy Spirit, the Word by itself is a dead letter. Let me show you. Look in your Bibles to 2 Corinthians 3. 2 Corinthians 3, and let's begin reading there with verse 5.
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2 Corinthians chapter 3 and watch verse 5. Here it is. The Apostle Paul said, 2 Corinthians 3 verse 5, "Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; and remember he's an apostle, but he said, "our sufficiency is of God; Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life." So what is he saying? The Word of God by itself kills. It is the Spirit that gives it life. Did you know that our Lord said essentially the same thing in John 6 and verse 63? He said, "It is the spirit that quickeneth; the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life." So he said, "It's the Spirit that quickeneth." So when our Lord spoke, you must remember, He had the Spirit without measure. So the words that He spoke were spirit and were life.
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Now, I want to call your attention and ask you to turn to Isaiah 55 because I want you to understand that God's Word never returns void, and it does indeed accomplish that whereunto He sends it. Now, I want you to think with me just momentarily, as we look at Isaiah 55, beginning there with verse 10. Isaiah 55, verse 10. "For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater:" here's what he says, "So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it." So God is saying that His Word never returns to Him void. But it's important that you understand that His Word, whether in the letter or whether in the Spirit, always accomplishes that which He pleases, and it always prospers in that which He sends it.
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Now, here is our problem. I want you to look in your Bibles to 2 Corinthians 2. You see, we tend to think that oftentimes that God's Word is sent only for reconciliation. But that's not true. There is an entire ministry of condemnation. God can send His Word either for condemnation or for reconciliation. So if you look in 2 Corinthians 2, beginning there with verse 14, look what the Apostle Paul says. 2 Corinthians 2 verse 14, "Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ." In other words, the word never fails.
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"And maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place." Now, the word "savour" refers to a smell. It's a sweet smelling savour. So watch this. He says, "Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place. For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish: To the one we are the savour of death unto death; and to the other the savour of life unto life. And who is sufficient for these things?" So the Word of God can go for condemnation as well as reconciliation. In fact, in 2 Corinthians 3, the Bible even talks about the Old Covenant being a ministry of condemnation. Because the Old Covenant could not really truly redeem. It could not give life. So it was called a ministry of condemnation. Now, it is true that anyone who hears the Word of God is responsible to heed the Word of God.
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You're responsible to apply it. Our Lord said, "He that hath ears to hear, let him hear." You have a responsibility. And the truth of the matter is, you will be judged by the word that you hear. Our Lord said in John 12 and verse 48, "He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day." So whether you hear the word of God and are converted, or whether you hear the word of God and are condemned, it is going to be the word of God that is going to judge you.
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Now, why did I call this message "Dead Letter or Word Only Christians"? Because word only professors are those who are resting in their decisions. They're resting in something other than the power of God in salvation. And those individuals who are resting in their decision, and their church membership, and their baptism, and their good deeds, they're going to be in for a real rude awakening on Judgment Day.
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For those who trust in those things are deceived. They are word only professors. Now J.H. Merle d'Aubigné, a Frenchman who was a historian and a godly man, he has a whole set on the history of the Reformation. If you do nothing but get his two volumes on the history of the Reformation in England, I would encourage you to do so. There are two volumes that you cannot possibly put down.
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They are very, very fine works. But d'Aubigné said this in the history of the Reformation in England. He said, "To believe in the power of man in the work of regeneration is the great heresy of Rome. And from that error has come the ruin of the church. Conversion proceeds from the grace of God alone. And the system which ascribes it partly to man and partly to God is worse than Pelagianism."
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Now Pelagius even taught that man comes into the world as his own Adam. He has absolute free will and he comes in sinless. He comes in with a blank tablet, so to speak. He denied total depravity. He denied everything. So, what is d'Aubigné talking about? He says, "Conversion proceeds from the grace of God alone, and the system which ascribes it partly to man and partly to God is worse than Pelagianism."
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You've heard preachers say this, I've heard it. "God has done his part, now you need to do your part." That's synergism. That is semi-Pelagianism. That is not salvation. And what many people have done is they are trusting in their part and their decision. One of the greatest American theologians, Charles Hodge, who died in 1878, pointed out the danger of synergism and semi-Pelagianism. He said this, "No more soul-destroying doctrine could well be devised than the doctrine that sinners can regenerate themselves and repent and believe just whenever they please."
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"As it is a truth both of scripture and of experience, that the unrenewed man can do nothing of himself to secure his salvation, it is essential that he should be brought to the practical conviction of that truth. When thus convicted, and not before, he seeks help from the only source from which it can be obtained." So he's saying, if a man does not understand his inability—if he doesn't understand 1 Corinthians 2 and verse 14, "the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned"—if he doesn't understand Romans 8, "so then they that are in the flesh cannot please God," then he's never ever going to seek help from the Lord Jesus Christ. So now you're beginning to understand, I hope, why the Apostle Paul said in 1 Thessalonians 1 and verse 5, "For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance."
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Now obviously, it did come with words. It could not come without words, because there is no interpretation of Scripture, there is no preaching of the gospel, there is no hearing of it without words, without articulate sounds. But, if that is all that you have, it's a dead letter. Let me show you. Look in your Bibles to 1 Corinthians 2. 1 Corinthians 2. The Apostle Paul is telling why, in this passage, that his testimony was in Christ and in Christ alone. In 1 Corinthians 2, verse 1, he said, "And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified."
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"And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God." So Paul says, "When I came to preach to you, it was not wonderful oratory that overwhelmed you. It was not heart-wrenching illustrations."
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It was not emotional deliveries. It was not enticing and exciting words. It was not trying to fool you and deceive you and make you make some decision. No, no, no, no. He said, "When I came to you, my preaching was in the power of God and in the Holy Ghost." Why? Because he said, "I want your faith to stand in the power of God and not in man."
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Now, let me tell you something, folks. I preached for over 50 years. And I can assure you, if all a preacher wants is decisions, he can get them. I can give you some of the most heart-wrenching stories you've ever heard in your life. I can make you cry. I can make you laugh. I can do whatever I need to do to make you come to Christ with a decision.
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But all it is doing is making it stand in the wisdom of man and not in the power of God. And it's useless, and it's worthless, and it's fruitless. And that's exactly what the Apostle Paul is saying. So he said to these Thessalonians, "The Word of God came to you. The gospel came to you, not in word only, but in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance."
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So, the pressing questions that we would need to ask would be these: How can you be sure that you are not a word only Christian? Or a dead letter professor? Asked another way, we could ask, how is it that you could be absolutely certain that you are a genuine Christian? Or ask another way, what was it in these Thessalonian Christians that set them apart so that they knew absolutely that they were God's elect?
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I want you to turn back to 1 Thessalonians chapter 1. I want you to see this. Look, if you would please, at verse 4. Notice what the Apostle Paul says, "Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God." He said, "You know you're God's elect. I know you are God's elect." Well, how did Paul know that they were God's elect? He didn't climb up into heaven and look at the Lamb's book of life. Neither could these Thessalonians. How did they know that they were God's elect? Because in verse 5 he said, "For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance." They knew they were God's elect because of what God had done in them, and for them, and through them. So here's my question: What is there in your life that can only be there because of the supernatural work of the Holy Spirit? What is there in your life that can be there only because of the supernatural work of the Holy Spirit? So, let's see what set these Thessalonian Christians apart where that they knew for sure that they were God's elect.
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and that they were genuinely saved. If you look in verse 3, the Apostle Paul gives us three areas. He gives us three things that set these Thessalonian Christians apart. He says, "Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father." I want to give you a quick quote by John Calvin. Listen carefully to what he said about verse 3. He says, "The statement should be explained to mean that Paul remembers their patience in hoping for the coming of Christ."
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"From this we may gather a brief definition of true Christianity: that it is a faith that is lively and full of vigor, so that it spares no labor when assistance is to be given to one's neighbors; but on the contrary, all the pious employ themselves diligently in offices of love, and lay out their efforts in them, so that, intent upon the hope of the manifestation of Christ, they despise everything else, and armed with patience, they rise superior to the wearisomeness of the length of time, as well as"
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"to all the temptations of the world." So Calvin said, really and truly, verse 3 should be a brief definition of true Christianity: their work of faith, their labour of love, and their patience of hope. So I want to take the time tonight just to break these three things down for you. First of all, a work of faith. Now notice if you would what he says in verse 3, "Remembering without ceasing your work of faith." I find it interesting that the Apostle Paul speaks of "your work of faith."
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Now obviously he does not contradict himself. He knows that he wrote in Ephesians 2:8-9, "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast." Now, if faith is God's gift, and it is, how can he say in verse 3, "Remembering without ceasing your work of faith"? How is it, if it is God's gift, can it be ascribed as a work of faith in the believers in this passage?
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Well, there's a good, excellent answer. If you would just turn back a few pages to the book of Philippians, chapter 2. Philippians chapter 2. And notice if you would, verses 12 and 13. Philippians 2, verse 12. Notice he says this, "Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence." Look at this amazing statement: "Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling." Why does Paul tell these Philippians to work out their own salvation with fear and trembling? Well, look in verse 13. "For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure." So, here's what Paul is saying, and he's saying this in Philippians 2, and he's saying it in 1 Thessalonians 1, verse 3. God worked it in you. It's your responsibility to work it out. That is, we're to exercise it, and it is called a work. It's not that we're earning it. It's not that we're meriting it.
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It has already been given to us. It is a gift. Faith is His gift. When I exercise that faith, it is called my work, because it is my responsibility. God works it in. It's my responsibility to work it out. So let me put it to you like this: When God gives me faith, that is His gift, and when I believe in Him, I'm exercising the gift that He gave me. And by the way, God may give the gift of faith, but He's not going to believe for you. That's your responsibility. You must work out that faith. God may give you the gift of repentance, and repentance is God's gift, but God's not going to turn from sin for you. That is your responsibility. God works it in. You must work it out.
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Moreover, you have to remember this. All of the results, all of the evidences and manifestations of God's gift of faith are always seen in terms of biblical obedience. For instance, let's go back to Ephesians 2:8-9. Let me just quote it. "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast." But now let's go to verse 10. "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them." So, real saving faith always has biblical works.
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If you would turn in your Bibles very quickly to the book of James. Hebrews, James. Look in James chapter 2, if you would. James chapter 2. And James is telling us the same thing. Watch verse 14, James 2 verse 14, "What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?" or can that kind of faith save him? "If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works."
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So, the truth of the matter is this: God may be able to see our faith, but men cannot. And the only way that we can demonstrate our faith is by biblical obedience and biblical works. And what James is teaching is that biblical works evidence our faith. We are biblically obedient.
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Now, I want you to go back to 1 Thessalonians 1 because you have to use Scripture to interpret Scripture. I want you to look in verse 3. He says, "Remembering without ceasing your work of faith." How does Paul describe their work of faith? Well, skip down to verse 9. Here is their work of faith. "For they themselves shew of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols." May I point out the fact again that God is not going to turn from idols for you. He's not going to turn from sin for you. He's not going to believe for you. So here it is called their work of faith because they turn with their whole heart.
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It was not a half-baked turn, but it was one that was real and genuine and true. They forsook their idols, they forsook their false gods, they forsook their sins, and in that forsaking, it is called a work of faith. If we believe and if we confess and acknowledge that our God is absolutely sovereign, that He is the ultimate, that He is the supreme one, that He is the absolute, then we also acknowledge we must turn from anything and everything else and worship and serve Him alone, because He alone would deserve our worship, our honor, and our adoration.
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We have to submit to Him totally and completely. So when the Apostle Paul says, "Remembering without ceasing your work of faith," he explains that work of faith: how they turned from idols to the one true and the living God. So, one thing that set these Thessalonians apart was they actually turned from idolatry. They actually turned from sin. But there was another thing. Look in verse 3. He says, "Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love." So, they not only had a work of faith, they also had a labour of love. So, how do you explain the labour of love? Well, skip down to verse 9 again. He says, "For they themselves shew of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols"—here is their labour of love—"to serve the living and true God."
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So, let me ask you a question. How do you serve the living and true God? Well, you could answer and say, "Well, pastor, we could serve him by prayer. We could serve him by worship. We could serve him by tithes and offerings. We could serve him any number of ways." Well, that is true. But let me point something out. It is true that we are to fear God. Yet it is our love that motivates us to serve Him. Our fear of Him holds Him in reverential awe and honor, but our love drives us. Now, what I just said, we could serve Him by prayer and by worship and by giving. Yes, that's true.
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And you have to understand this. Many people profess to serve God when in reality they do not serve God. They end up serving themselves. But when we're talking about serving God, I hope you understand what I'm trying to say when I say this: In reality, God does not need serving. Because God doesn't need anything. God is already absolutely perfect. He's already absolutely blessed. The only thing that we can give Him is what He's already given us.
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So, that brings me back to this question: How do we serve Him? And what really counts as a labour of love? Because in 1 Thessalonians 1 and verse 3, he says, "Remembering without ceasing your work of faith and labour of love." I want you to turn in your Bibles to the book of Hebrews chapter 6. Hebrews chapter 6. And I want you to see a labour of love. Hebrews chapter 6.
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This may surprise you, but here it is. Hebrews 6, notice verse 10. Hebrews 6, verse 10. "For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister." Did you hear that? He says, "Here is your work and your labour of love toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister." We minister to God and we have a labour of love when we minister to each other and love each other as He commands us.
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Now, let me show you. I know that there are some Christians that are unlovely. I know there are some that are hard to get along with. I understand that. The scripture says, "As much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men." But if someone is a real, genuine saint of God, regardless of how stubborn and hard-headed they are, and regardless of how lovable they are, we are still required to love them and minister to them. Let me show you.
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Look in your Bibles to Matthew chapter 25. Here's a passage I'm sure that you remember. Here's the passage concerning the sheep and the goats. Matthew chapter 25, and let's begin reading there with verse 33. Look at what our Lord says, Matthew 25 verse 33. He says, "And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world."
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"For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me."
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"Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?" In other words, "Lord, if we had seen you, surely we would have done this to you." "Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal."
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Is it not obvious to you that our labour in love and the way we serve God is by serving each other and all the saints of God? Whatever we do to each other, we do to our Lord. Whatever we do not do to each other, we do not do unto the Lord.
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Now, I want you to look in Galatians 5, if you would, because I made a statement earlier, and I want to show you this statement from the Scripture. If you'll look in the book of Galatians chapter 5, I said, the fear of God means that we hold Him in reverence and awe, but love is what is to motivate us and to drive us. So if you look in Galatians chapter 5 and verse 6, notice Galatians 5 verse 6, "For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love." If you'll skip down to verse 13, he says, "For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another." Did you know that John said in 1 John 5 and verse 2, "By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments"? So if we're going to serve God, it is by serving each other. Now, I want you to look back in 1 Thessalonians 1 in verse 3, because here's the third thing that set these Thessalonian Christians apart and let us know that they were genuinely saved.
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He said in verse 3, "Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father." So the patience of hope, first of all, is in the Lord Jesus Christ. It is found only in Him, and it is in the sight of God and our Father.
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Now, let's talk about patience just for a moment. And especially patience of hope. We may have patience of hope in trials and tribulations and persecutions. That is true. I tell people one of my favorite phrases in the Bible is this.
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"And it came to pass." So whenever you're in a test, whenever you're in a trial, tribulation, persecution, just stop and think, "It came to pass." Didn't come to stay, thank God. It came to pass. And it will pass. It will go away if you will be patient and if you do what is right. So we can talk about patience in trials and tests and tribulations and that kind of thing. But if you look in verse 10, the Apostle Paul interprets this patience of hope. He said, "And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come." So when we wait patiently in hope, it means that we are hopefully and patiently waiting for the accomplishments of God's promises and God's purpose.
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Counterfeit hopes give up, give in, quit, fail, and falter. Christian hope never fails and never falters. Why? How can I say that? Because of 1 Timothy chapter 1 and verse 1. Listen to this: "Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the commandment of God our Saviour, and Lord Jesus Christ, which is our hope." Jesus Christ is our hope. Jesus Christ is our hope. I want that to sink in. Jesus Christ is our hope. I want you to listen carefully. I'm going to give you a quote from Albert Barnes. I do not see how you could almost refrain from shouting if you really understand what Barnes is saying. Listen carefully. He says, "It is a hope which we have for the merits of the Redeemer and which we are permitted to cherish before God."
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"That is in His very presence. When we think of God, when we reflect that we must soon stand before Him, we are permitted to cherish this hope. It is a hope which will be found to be genuine even in the presence of a holy, heart-searching God. This does not mean that it had been merely professed before God, but that it was a hope which they might dare to entertain in the presence of God, which could bear the scrutiny of His holy eye." What is he saying? Jesus Christ is my hope. And when I stand before God in judgment, if God in His piercing holiness asks me, "Why should I let you into my eternal home?" I can say, "Because of my hope, and my hope is nothing else and no one else than Jesus Christ and Jesus Christ alone." And I'm permitted to cherish this hope in the very presence of God Himself. Yes, "Paul, an apostle, by the commandment of God our Saviour, and Lord Jesus Christ, which is our hope."
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Can you imagine standing before God? You say, "Well, I can't imagine that right now." Well, wait till you get older. It won't take long and you'll be able to imagine it. Because you will stand before God. And I trust that your hope will be Jesus Christ and Jesus Christ alone.
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Now, I want you to note, the Bible says in verse 10, "And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come." Waiting for his Son from heaven does not mean that we sit idly by twiddling our thumbs, whiling away the time. No. If you look down to verse 6, you'll find that these Thessalonian Christians were not inactive at all. Verse 6, the Bible says, "And ye became followers of us, and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Ghost." It wasn't easy for them, but yet they followed the apostles, they followed the Lord, they were persecuted, but they had the joy of the Holy Spirit.
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Now watch, verse 7, "So that ye were ensamples to all that believe in Macedonia and Achaia. For from you sounded out the word of the Lord not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith to God-ward is spread abroad; so that we need not to speak any thing." Can you imagine that? Paul said, "When we came into that entire area, we didn't even have to preach. You had spread the Word."
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Everyone knew your holiness and your godliness and your obedience. You were examples to everyone in Macedonia and Achaia. We didn't even have to speak when we came there. Because you had shouted out and trumpeted out the Word of God. So these Christians had an active faith, a labouring love, and a patient hope which enabled them to endure and persevere and remain faithful to the end. So, let me come back to my original questions that I began with. What's wrong with Christians? What's wrong with the church? And the answer is, we have too many dead-letter Christians. We have too many word-only professors. We have church members that have never been regenerated, never been convicted, never been converted, and never repented. They've never turned to God from their idols. They've never turned to God from their sins. And moreover, they're not interested in the Word of God. They're interested in entertainment and amusement.
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I told Mark, I saw an ad in the shopper in Coffee County, Douglas, Georgia. And I may not be getting the ad exactly right, but here it is: "We're starting a new church. We're putting the fun back in Christianity. Parties every month, singing and dancing. Call us if you want to join us." Fun in Christianity? Where's the offense of the gospel? Where's the preaching of the Word of God?
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The truth of the matter is this, folks. The average professing Christian knows nothing of humility, sacrifice, lowliness, godliness, and holiness. And they don't want it. They have itching ears, and they want pastors to scratch them and to tickle them and entertain them. We've come to the place where Ezekiel was. Ezekiel was a priest turned prophet whom God used to preach to those people who were already in Babylon.
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And oh, they were coming to him. And here's what God said in Ezekiel 33 and verse 32. He said, "Lo, thou art unto them as a very lovely song of one that hath a pleasant voice, and can play well on an instrument: for they hear thy words, but they do them not." He said, "Ezekiel, all you are is entertaining them. They don't care about you. They don't care what you're preaching, what you're teaching. They're coming to hear you for entertainment."
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They have nothing else to do. Dead letter professors. You have to examine yourselves. And you have to ask, is there really genuinely a work of God in my life? Is there something in my life that could not possibly be there because of me? Is there something in my life that has to be there because of the work of God? Have I really had a work of faith? Have I really turned to God from idols? Have I really turned to God from sin?
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Do I have a labour of love? Am I really interested in serving the saints and being a servant? Do I have a real patience of hope? Can I cherish Jesus Christ and His great salvation now and in the very presence of God? Can you say with the Apostle Paul, in 2 Timothy 1 and verse 12, "For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day"? Can you say that? Paul had a genuine hope. These Thessalonians had a genuine hope. Do you?
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Are you a dead letter or word only professor? Or have you been powerfully convicted and converted by the Holy Spirit? I want you to turn to one last passage. I want you to look in 1 Corinthians chapter 12 and verse 3. I want you to see a truth that's clearly enunciated in this verse. Look in 1 Corinthians chapter 12 and verse 3. The Apostle Paul says it like this, "Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost." So he says anyone who curses the Lord Jesus Christ is certainly not speaking in the Holy Ghost. And then he goes on to say that no man can say that Jesus is Lord, but by the Holy Ghost. Now, I could walk out on the street tonight and anyone that has a tongue and the ability to say words could say, "Jesus is Lord." He could mouth those words, but that does not make him saved.
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The only way a man can savingly say that Jesus Christ is Lord is by the Holy Ghost. So let me put it to you like this: Man may imitate, but only the Holy Spirit can authenticate. Man may imitate. Man may take his words and his tongue and pray the sinner's prayer and even say "Jesus is Lord." But if the word has not come to him in power and in the Holy Ghost, he's not saved. He's a word only or dead letter professor. That's all. The truth is, if God does not save us, we're not saved, no matter what we do or where we go. Salvation is of the Lord. And Paul said that these Thessalonians, "For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance." And when God saves you, you will have the much assurance. Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we bow before Thee tonight. We thank You for Your Word. We thank You for Your truth. And we pray, Lord, that You would indeed be pleased to send forth these words with power and in the Holy Spirit.
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Open hearts and penetrate them by Thy grace and by Thy mercy and help us, Lord, to rely solely and completely upon Jesus Christ, who is our Lord. We thank You for Your grace and Your mercy in Christ's name. Amen.
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deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-05T23:44:49Z

Dead Letter Christians

John Weaver | Freedom Ministries

John Weaver examines 1 Thessalonians 1:5 to diagnose the problem of 'word only' or 'dead letter' Christians—those who profess faith but lack the transformative power of the Holy Spirit. He contrasts mere intellectual assent with genuine conversion evidenced by a work of faith, labour of love, and patience of hope, urging self-examination to ensure one's faith is not in word only but in the power of God.

Opening

Scripture Reading — 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10

"Paul, and Silvanus, and Timotheus, unto the church of the Thessalonians which is in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ." "We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers; Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father; Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God. For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance; as ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake. And ye became followers of us, and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Ghost:" "So that ye were ensamples to all that believe in Macedonia and Achaia. For from you sounded out the word of the Lord not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith to God-ward is spread abroad; so that we need not to speak any thing. For they themselves shew of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God; And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come."

Introduction: The Problem with Christians and the Church

Weaver opens by acknowledging widespread problems in the church, describing many professing Christians as apathetic, unregenerate, and word-only professors.

The Gospel Not in Word Only

From 1 Thessalonians 1:5, Weaver emphasizes that the gospel came with power, the Holy Ghost, and assurance, not mere words. He contrasts this with dead letter faith.

Love Demonstrated, Not Just Spoken

Using 1 John 3:16-18, Weaver argues that true love is demonstrable action, not empty words, and that conduct reveals the heart.

The Danger of Religion Without the Holy Ghost

Quoting William Booth, Weaver warns against religion without the Holy Spirit, reducing salvation to a sinner's prayer without conviction or regeneration.

Salvation Is of the Lord: Man's Inability

Through the rich young ruler (Mark 10) and Jesus' statement that with men salvation is impossible, Weaver teaches that man cannot save himself; salvation requires God's power.

And of course, our Lord said,

Scripture Reading — Mark 10:17-27

"Well, you know the commandments, Do not kill, Do not steal, Honour thy father and thy mother."

And what did the young man say?

Scripture Reading — Mark 10:17-27

"All these have I observed from my youth up: what lack I yet?"

And our Lord said to him,

Scripture Reading — Mark 10:17-27

"Well, if thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and come, take up thy cross, and follow me."

And if you look in verse 22, the Bible says, that's the rich young ruler, Mark 10,

Scripture Reading — Mark 10:17-27

"And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions."

Scripture Reading — Mark 10:17-27

"Go and sell everything you have and give to the poor and take up your cross and follow me"

? And the answer is very simple.

It's where we get our English word "dynamite." So he said, "When the gospel came to you, it came with dynamite. It came with the power of the Holy Ghost."

The Word and the Spirit: Letter Kills, Spirit Gives Life

Weaver explains from 2 Corinthians 3:6 and Hebrews 4:12 that the Word without the Spirit is a dead letter; the Spirit makes it powerful.

2 Corinthians chapter 3 and watch verse 5. Here it is. The Apostle Paul said, 2 Corinthians 3 verse 5,

Scripture Reading — 2 Corinthians 3:5-6

"Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; and remember he's an apostle, but he said, "

The Word's Dual Ministry: Condemnation and Reconciliation

From 2 Corinthians 2:14-16, Weaver shows that God's Word always accomplishes its purpose, either as a savour of life or death, and that hearers are responsible.

Scripture Reading — John 12:48

"He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day."

So whether you hear the word of God and are converted, or whether you hear the word of God and are condemned, it is going to be the word of God that is going to judge you.

The Marks of Genuine Conversion: Work of Faith, Labour of Love, Patience of Hope

Weaver expounds 1 Thessalonians 1:3,9-10 to show that true Christians are marked by turning from idols (work of faith), serving the saints (labour of love), and waiting for Christ (patience of hope).

Now obviously he does not contradict himself. He knows that he wrote in Ephesians 2:8-9,

Scripture Reading — Ephesians 2:8-10

"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast."

Scripture Reading — Ephesians 2:8-10

"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast."

But now let's go to verse 10.

Scripture Reading — Ephesians 2:8-10

"For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them."

So, that brings me back to this question: How do we serve Him? And what really counts as a labour of love? Because in 1 Thessalonians 1 and verse 3, he says,

Scripture Reading — Hebrews 6:10

"Remembering without ceasing your work of faith and labour of love."

Scripture Reading — Hebrews 6:10

"For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister."

Did you hear that? He says,

Scripture Reading — Hebrews 6:10

"Here is your work and your labour of love toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister."

We minister to God and we have a labour of love when we minister to each other and love each other as He commands us.

Scripture Reading — Matthew 25:33-46

"And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world."

Scripture Reading — Galatians 5:6,13

"For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love."

Self-Examination: Are You a Dead Letter Professor?

Weaver challenges listeners to examine whether they have a supernatural work of God in their lives, or if they are merely word-only professors resting in decisions.

Scripture Reading — Ezekiel 33:32

"Lo, thou art unto them as a very lovely song of one that hath a pleasant voice, and can play well on an instrument: for they hear thy words, but they do them not."

He said, "Ezekiel, all you are is entertaining them. They don't care about you. They don't care what you're preaching, what you're teaching. They're coming to hear you for entertainment."

Conclusion: Only the Holy Spirit Authenticates

From 1 Corinthians 12:3, Weaver concludes that only by the Holy Spirit can one savingly confess Jesus as Lord; man may imitate, but only God saves.

Dead Letter Christians

John Weaver | SermonAudio

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	SermonAudio
Media ID	1118161648390
Subject	Church Government
Course	Church Order: Preaching and Pastoral Ministry
Genre	Sermon
Date	2016-11-17
Dictation Name
Book	Book 039: Church Order and Worship - Volume 1 — Chapter 14
Source Timed Segments	79

Lecture Guide

Outline

Introduction: The Problem with Christians and the Church: Weaver opens by acknowledging widespread problems in the church, describing many professing Christians as apathetic, unregenerate, and word-only professors.
The Gospel Not in Word Only: From 1 Thessalonians 1:5, Weaver emphasizes that the gospel came with power, the Holy Ghost, and assurance, not mere words. He contrasts this with dead letter faith.
Love Demonstrated, Not Just Spoken: Using 1 John 3:16-18, Weaver argues that true love is demonstrable action, not empty words, and that conduct reveals the heart.
The Danger of Religion Without the Holy Ghost: Quoting William Booth, Weaver warns against religion without the Holy Spirit, reducing salvation to a sinner's prayer without conviction or regeneration.
Salvation Is of the Lord: Man's Inability: Through the rich young ruler (Mark 10) and Jesus' statement that with men salvation is impossible, Weaver teaches that man cannot save himself; salvation requires God's power.
The Word and the Spirit: Letter Kills, Spirit Gives Life: Weaver explains from 2 Corinthians 3:6 and Hebrews 4:12 that the Word without the Spirit is a dead letter; the Spirit makes it powerful.
The Word's Dual Ministry: Condemnation and Reconciliation: From 2 Corinthians 2:14-16, Weaver shows that God's Word always accomplishes its purpose, either as a savour of life or death, and that hearers are responsible.
The Marks of Genuine Conversion: Work of Faith, Labour of Love, Patience of Hope: Weaver expounds 1 Thessalonians 1:3,9-10 to show that true Christians are marked by turning from idols (work of faith), serving the saints (labour of love), and waiting for Christ (patience of hope).
Self-Examination: Are You a Dead Letter Professor?: Weaver challenges listeners to examine whether they have a supernatural work of God in their lives, or if they are merely word-only professors resting in decisions.
Conclusion: Only the Holy Spirit Authenticates: From 1 Corinthians 12:3, Weaver concludes that only by the Holy Spirit can one savingly confess Jesus as Lord; man may imitate, but only God saves.

Major Themes

Key Arguments

The gospel must come in power, not word only

Paul's thanksgiving in 1 Thessalonians 1:5 shows that genuine conversion involves the Holy Spirit's power, not mere human persuasion or intellectual assent.

1 Thessalonians 1:5: 'For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance.'

Love is demonstrable, not verbal

True love, like God's love in Christ, is shown in action; word-only love is empty and dead.

1 John 3:18: 'My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.'

Man cannot regenerate himself

The rich young ruler's inability to keep the first commandment shows that salvation is impossible with men; only God can save.

Mark 10:27: 'With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible.'

The letter kills, but the Spirit gives life

The Word of God without the Holy Spirit is a dead letter; it is the Spirit who makes the Word effective for salvation.

2 Corinthians 3:6: '...for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.'

Faith without works is dead

Genuine saving faith always produces biblical works; a faith without works is not saving faith.

James 2:17: 'Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.'

True Christians turn from idols and serve God

The Thessalonians' work of faith was evidenced by their turning from idols to serve the living God, demonstrating genuine conversion.

1 Thessalonians 1:9: '...how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God.'

Serving God means serving the saints

Labour of love is demonstrated by ministering to fellow believers; what we do to them, we do to Christ.

Hebrews 6:10: '...your work and labour of love... in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.'

Only the Holy Spirit enables a saving confession

No one can genuinely confess Jesus as Lord except by the Holy Spirit; mere verbal profession is not enough.

1 Corinthians 12:3: '...no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.'

Scripture References

1 Thessalonians 1:1-10: The entire chapter is read and forms the basis for the sermon, focusing on verse 5.
1 John 3:16-21: Used to show that love must be in deed and truth, not word only.
Mark 10:17-27: The rich young ruler illustrates man's inability to save himself and the impossibility of salvation apart from God.
Hebrews 4:12: The Word of God is powerful, but its power is through the Spirit.
2 Corinthians 3:5-6: The letter kills, but the Spirit gives life; the Word without the Spirit is dead.
John 6:63: Jesus says the Spirit gives life; His words are spirit and life.
Isaiah 55:10-11: God's Word never returns void but accomplishes His purpose.
2 Corinthians 2:14-16: The Word is a savour of life or death, depending on the hearer's response.
John 12:48: The word Jesus spoke will judge those who reject Him.
1 Corinthians 2:1-5: Paul's preaching was in demonstration of the Spirit and power, not human wisdom.
Ephesians 2:8-10: Salvation by grace through faith, not works, but we are created for good works.
Philippians 2:12-13: Work out your salvation, for God works in you to will and to do.
James 2:14-18: Faith without works is dead; works evidence genuine faith.
Hebrews 6:10: Labour of love is shown by ministering to the saints.
Matthew 25:33-46: Serving the least of Christ's brethren is serving Christ; neglect is judged.
Galatians 5:6,13: Faith works by love; serve one another by love.
1 John 5:2: We love the children of God when we love God and keep His commandments.
1 Timothy 1:1: Jesus Christ is our hope.
Ezekiel 33:32: People hear the word as entertainment but do not obey.
1 Corinthians 12:3: No one can say Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit.

Historical References

William Booth (founder of the Salvation Army): Quoted on the danger of religion without the Holy Ghost.
Billy Sunday (Presbyterian evangelist, 1930s): Anecdote about a drunk claiming to be his convert; Sunday replied, 'You must be, you're certainly not one of God's.'
J.H. Merle d'Aubigné (historian of the Reformation): Quoted on the heresy of ascribing regeneration partly to man; his history of the Reformation in England is recommended.
Pelagius and Pelagianism: d'Aubigné's quote references Pelagianism; Weaver explains Pelagius denied original sin and taught free will.
Charles Hodge (American theologian, died 1878): Quoted on the soul-destroying doctrine that sinners can regenerate themselves.
John Calvin (Reformer): Quoted on 1 Thessalonians 1:3 as a brief definition of true Christianity.
Albert Barnes (theologian): Quoted on the hope believers may cherish in the presence of God, based on Christ.

Important Quotes

The chief danger that confronts the coming century will be religion without the Holy Ghost, Christianity without Christ, forgiveness without repentance, salvation without regeneration, politics without God, and heaven without hell.

William Booth's prophetic warning summarizes the sermon's concern about empty profession lacking the Spirit's work.

Mr. Sunday, Mr. Sunday, don't you recognize me? I'm one of your converts. Billy Sunday said, Bless God, you must be. You're certainly not one of God's.

Illustrates the difference between human-made converts and those genuinely saved by God.

To believe in the power of man in the work of regeneration is the great heresy of Rome. And from that error has come the ruin of the church. Conversion proceeds from the grace of God alone.

d'Aubigné's quote reinforces the sermon's emphasis on monergistic salvation.

No more soul-destroying doctrine could well be devised than the doctrine that sinners can regenerate themselves and repent and believe just whenever they please.

Charles Hodge's warning against semi-Pelagianism supports the argument that salvation is entirely of God.

For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance.

The key verse of the sermon, defining genuine conversion as Spirit-empowered, not merely verbal.

Man may imitate, but only the Holy Spirit can authenticate.

Succinct summary of the sermon's thesis: outward profession is not enough without the Spirit's work.

Discussion Questions

[Question]

What does it mean for the gospel to come 'not in word only, but in power'? How can we discern this in our own lives?

[Context]

Based on 1 Thessalonians 1:5 and the sermon's central contrast.

[Question]

How does the rich young ruler's encounter with Jesus demonstrate man's inability to save himself?

[Context]

From Mark 10:17-27 and the discussion of the first commandment.

[Question]

In what ways might modern churches promote 'word only' Christianity?

[Context]

Related to the critique of entertainment-focused churches and easy-believism.

[Question]

What is the relationship between faith and works according to James 2? How does this relate to 'work of faith' in 1 Thessalonians 1:3?

[Context]

From the exposition of James 2:14-18 and Philippians 2:12-13.

[Question]

How can we practically demonstrate 'labour of love' toward the saints?

[Context]

Based on Hebrews 6:10 and Matthew 25:33-46.

[Question]

What does it mean to have 'patience of hope' in Christ, and how does it sustain us in trials?

[Context]

From 1 Thessalonians 1:10 and the quote from Albert Barnes.

[Question]

Why is it dangerous to rest in a past decision or prayer for assurance of salvation?

[Context]

From the warning about dead letter professors and the need for self-examination.

[Question]

How does 1 Corinthians 12:3 challenge the idea that anyone can simply 'accept Jesus'?

[Context]

From the conclusion that only the Holy Spirit enables a saving confession.

Applications

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