Studies in 1 Thessalonians #2- What Did We Respond To?

Text: 1 Thessalonians 2:1-12

We want to welcome all of you today and thank you for sharing with us this time where we assemble as God's church to praise and remember His great works.
Please turn in your Bibles to 1 Thessalonians 2:1-12 and read with me…

We began a couple of weeks ago looking at this marvelous church and seeing where we as the church today can model ourselves after the church that made the apostles thankful to God for. (1:2)
We saw in the first chapter that this church had a great reputation and it basically consisted of them being so persuaded by the gospel that they turned from former objects of devotion to become slaves of God. Someone asked me how do we rank ourselves today and this is important:
what are we gearing our lives around?
The second part of their reputation was they waited for Jesus from heaven. They lived their lives in constant expectation and hope for his return. Does that describe the way we are living today?
Or, if there were a possibility in our minds that Jesus could come back in the next week, what changes would we make in our lives, homes and churches? Would we feel more joy than nervousness at the thought that everything under my control is going to be brought to light in front of King Jesus?
This is why it is so important to really respond to the powerful gospel message and know that the Jesus who died for you is some day coming for you and it could be today and if you are truly living for him you don't need to see God's wrath! (1:9,10)

Now, in chapter 2 Paul goes a little deeper into some of the background or history that he had with this church whom he would call great.
I don't know how many of us have had an experience like this or not but I'm guessing quite a number of us have. Have you ever had someone who comes to you with a life saving, changing or exalting message or product and really makes you believe that you just got to have it?
Then after a little while you are going along and then 'BANG' it hits you! They weren't interested in you at all but they were using you for their own personal gain!
Now, after a realization like this, how do you feel about the message or product they sold?
Usually not very good and in fact, you begin to remove yourself from it!

It's very important that this can happen in Christianity. We have to be very careful that we don't become proclaimers of a life-saving, life-changing or life-exalting message or ministry just for our own gain!
We don't look for people to minister to who will boost us up. We certainly don't try to convert people so somehow they become a number or a notch on our personal counting board.

This type of thing is what Paul is talking about in chapter 2!

Vs.1,2- Paul brings to their memory the beginnings of this great church and how they knew from their own observation how it all began. Now, remember from chapter 1 and verse 9 that other churches had spread there reputation but these are the ones who actually knew about it.
Paul says, our visit had meaning. We came and preached the gospel and bang the power of the cross had broken through the hearts of you and the church of the Thessalonians was born.
It was more than that though, we preached under heavy conflict.
Go back to Acts 16 & 17 for a moment. 16:37- they were beaten in Philippi, asked to leave to avoid a political scandal and then came to Thessalonica in 17 and in verse 5- Jews opposed them. When they came, how do you suppose Paul & Silas would have appeared? (16:22,23)
These guys are not in the best shape and yet they continued to preach and Paul says we spoke boldly in our God. So, he says you know this was not without meaning!
Note what type of message they preached:
the gospel of God! The word gospel is used some 100 times in the New Testament but only 7 times is it used in this sense, the gospel of God!
Note, three times in this chapter alone! (vs.8,9) Why does Paul use that phrase? Paul says we preached unto you the good news of God!
Remember there reputation: they turned from idols to serve the true and living God and they now wait for His Son from heaven who will deliver us from the wrath to come!
The fact that God is living and true is good news! Notice my friends God is gospel! God is good news to us today!
The Thessalonians responded first of all to the message of good news of God the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ! God is good news to a lost and confused and dying world.

Vs.3-7- in what manner did the gospel of God come to them?
Paul says, we didn't try to pull one over on any of you. Hey, would we really have suffered so much to try to trick you?
First of all, the reason we preach is not to try to please people at all, but to please God! (Galatians 1:10)
Our primary goal is simply to do what God says is good to do!
As churches today, we need to be reminded of this. We need to teach and model before others that joy does not necessarily come from what tickles our senses but from doing what God says is good to do. God tests our hearts so we only seek to please Him!
Try to remember this now, did we convert you by flattery? Notice Paul says you can tell if we did or not!
Then he says God can tell if our motives were wrong! We don't preach or act in such a way that we pretend to love men's souls when in actuality all we are are covetous.
My friends, the world is sick and tired of churches and Christians who are doing ministry purely out of self-interest! What in the world are we doing when we are using the name of Jesus and compassion solely out of interest for ourselves? (Matthew 6:1-4)
There is a big dark dying world out there that is the object of God's love and the church and her ministers cannot be concerned about self!
Paul says we weren't covetous, we weren't trying to win by flattery, and then he says we didn't use our positions as apostles to gain your respect!
We simply did it out of a motive to serve our God and because we honestly believe that God is good news to the world (John 5:41,44)! This is what we were:
gentle among you as a mother cherishes her own children! We did not seek to be great, chief or master but your nurse!
The one who soothes the pains, rubs ointment on the sore, and bandages up the weak!
That's what we were! Oh, if we all would seek to be nurses of others how better our churches would be!

Vs.8-10- Paul says because of our work as nurses, we have strong feelings for you. Remember how Paul and the others, the 'fathers' of this church had to leave it in an infant stage? (Acts 17:1-11)
Paul says we affectionately longed for you! Like the young man in Vietnam whose pregnant wife was home and he longed to see her and his new child, Paul felt this for this church.
Paul says we gave you not only the good news about God, but also our own lives!
Notice, again he says remember what we did! We were so caring for you that we moonlighted to not be a burden to you. We wanted nothing to interfere with your acceptance of the gospel!
You know we weren't after anything from you, accept that gospel might be clearly seen! In all of our plans and goals and budgets, we must never look at a lost soul as a potential contributor to a plan!
Must we give? Yes! That is never our motivator!
How did Paul preach? This is a high calling:
I was devout! Dedicated to the service of God.
I was Just! Conformed to the standard of living for God's people.
I was blameless! Absence of all reproach.
You heard our message and then you saw it in us. Or, you saw it in us and then you heard it. Whatever way I guess is okay.

Vs.11,12- what does this all mean then?
If the motives are right and the message is that great, what does this mean?
Paul says, now we went from being a mother to being a father! We were gentle as a mother, but we also behaved as a father! How did they act as a father?
They exhorted, comforted and charged each individual there! Paul & Silas did some one on one work didn't they?
He says, we exhorted or admonished you then we encouraged or comforted you. Why would they need to be comforted? (1:6) they in the midst of conflict needed comforting words that a father can give.
Sometimes there is difficulty in living the Christian life and a father figure needs to come in and comfort or encourage. Then we charged you. This is more serious, we insisted upon you! We told you seriously. We weren't just buddies, but true leaders!
What was it that they said: live worthy of God!
Listen, the gospel message of God is not just a means men use to get people to boost them up. It is a dynamic, life-giving, saving and now should be life changing message.
Now, as respondents to the gospel, walk worthy of God! (Ephesians 4:1) Surrender your will to the will of the Almighty Father. Jesus did it, Paul & Silas did it and now you were told to do it. As his church today we can do no less.
We must turn from our idols and serve the living and true God and wait for His Son from heaven to deliver us from the wrath to come!

Why? God calls us into His kingdom and His glory. If we want to participate in His glory and kingdom, we need to walk worthy of Him (2 Peter 1:10,11)!

Now what have we responded to?
Were we pawns in someone's game to get a name?
Are we being ministered to because someone needs that recognition?
Or, have we responded to the call of God in His Son Jesus Christ?
Is the plain truth of Jesus' death/burial and resurrection the truth that we obeyed?
Then walk worthy and understand that God is calling you to share in his eternal kingdom and glory.

What about you?
Do you still feel that the gospel is simply a way for people to feel good about themselves?
Do you feel that churches and preachers just use that as some kind of ego trip?
It does happen, but I'm telling you today, that message is the message of God!
God is good news and if you will do what He wants you to do today, He will prove to be good news for you! God gave us His Son in the most unselfish plan of eternity. That could only be good news to mankind who was destined to die.
Won't you grab hold of God's good news?
Won't you turn to Jesus in faith and be baptized and then live faithfully to him?
Wouldn't you rather live your life in such a way that when you looked up into the sky and if you saw the king coming in the glory of his angels it would be a welcome and not a scary sight?
Come today as we stand and sing!

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