1 Thessalonians #03: an exposition of 1 Thessalonians 2:1-20. This message by Pastor Rod Harris was delivered at Trinity Baptist Church on Sunday morning, October 7, 2012.
Intro:
We, as a church, have been called to a glorious, demanding, joyful and impossible task! We’ve been given an assignment by our Lord and Master that we cannot possibly complete. We’ve been called to impact the world. We, you and I, have been called to take the Gospel to the ends of the earth. We are to make disciples of all the nations. We are to engage our Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and the nations. All the while remembering that we are to glorify God in everything we do. Oh, and love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength – all the time! How are we doing? I don’t really want to see the scorecard.
Wait a minute. God has promised to empower us and equip us for the task assigned. That’s good news. Further the standard of measurement is obedience and not results. Well, maybe I wouldn’t mind looking at that scorecard. Of course as God examines our obedience He is also considering our motives, our character and our conduct. Well, maybe I don’t want to see it after all.
Ministry, God-honoring ministry, is the toughest job you’ll ever love and every believer is called to ministry. From time to time we have to stop and take stock of where we are and how we are doing. At times the process is painful. Just what am I doing and why am I doing it? In our text this morning the apostle Paul takes stock of his ministry to the church at Thessalonica. As we explore his words we get some insight as to what goes into a ministry that honors God.
Text: 1 Thessalonians 2:1-20
This whole section is among the most autobiographical of all of Paul’s writings.
Keep in mind he had been run out of Thessalonica by those who were threatened by his ministry.
No doubt after he was gone his critics slandered his character and his work.
They accused him of being just another religious charlatan making the rounds.
The fact that he left town in the middle of the night (due to the threat) was used against him.
“He doesn’t care about you. He left town in the middle of the night. He’s made no attempt to come back to you. Oh, he was with you until there was trouble. Now he’s nowhere to be found. We heard he did the same thing over in Berea.” Such attacks called into question both Paul’s character and his message.
In considering Paul’s response we discover that…
Thesis: God-honoring ministry demands adequate motivation and produces appropriate fruit.
There are three things I want us to note along the way.
- The desire to please God is the only adequate motivation for ministry. (2:1-12)
- Such a ministry produces God-honoring lives. (2:13-16)
- Such a ministry creates a unique, unbreakable bond. (2:17-20)