Don’t see the audio player? Click here.
Years ago, someone started a false report that cost a company millions of dollars. The story spread that in order to settle a lawsuit, the company would pay $500 to every family with children. The story was false, but before it subsided, the company had lost millions of dollars trying to correct the report. Inaccurate rumors can ruin a company, a church, or an individual. The Apostle Paul had to deal with false reports. We learn from 1 Thessalonians that a rumor was out that the Day of the Lord had arrived. It upset many believers, and even led some to quit their jobs. Paul dealt with the rumor by giving them the facts. Here is what he wrote: “Dear brothers and sisters, let us clarify some things about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and how we will be gathered to meet him. Don’t be so easily shaken or alarmed by those who say that the day of the Lord has already begun. Don’t believe them, even if they claim to have a spiritual vision, a revelation, or a letter supposedly from us. Don’t be fooled by what they say.” The apostle tells them to expect false predictions to precede Christ’s return. To counteract false stories, he urged them to rely on what God has revealed in his word about Christ’s return. The apostle’s advice for dealing with rumors is still valid today. Ignore the hearsay, and get the facts from God’s word.
