April 1, two of our deepest needs.

To the Church of the Thessalonians, in God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.

2, Thessalonians 1-1.

We as a church are in a Father and in a Lord. What does that mean? The word Father implies primarily

care and sustaining and protection and provision and discipline. So to be in the Father

would mean mainly to be in the care and under the protection of God

as our Heavenly Father.

The other designation is Lord. We are in the Lord Jesus Christ.

The word Lord implies primarily authority and leadership and ownership.

So to be in the Lord means mainly to be in the charge under the authority,

in the possession of Jesus as our supreme Lord.

So Paul greets the Thessalonian Church in such a way as to remind them that they are a family

in the care of a father, and they are servants in the charge of a Lord. These two descriptions

of God as our father and Lord, and thus of the Church as family and servants

correspond to two of our deepest needs.

Every single one of us has a need for rescue and help on the one hand, and the need for purpose and meaning on the other.

One, we need a heavenly Father to pity us and rescue us from sin and misery.

We need His help every step in the way because we are so weak and vulnerable.

Two, we also need a heavenly Lord to guide us in life and tell us what is wise

and give us a great and meaningful charge to fulfill and reason for existence,

some usefulness for the way God made us. We don't just want to be safe in the care of a father, as precious and needed as that is.

We want a glorious cause to live for.

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