This week we start the second oldest book in the New Testament as recorded in its publishing. We began with James on our year-long journey chronological study of the New Testament. Hence the reason we are calling this message series Chronos. It's a word that means “time.” We will be journeying through time back to the start of the early church. For the next few months we will be walking through the books written to those in Thessalonica.
Today, we open to the second chapter of this amazing letter to the church plant in one of the main travel junctions in all the Roman empire. A city of around 300,000 with some upper class but a great deal more working class people. The city was made up of Romans, Greeks and a powerful group of Greek speaking Jews.
The leadership collective (Paul, Silas and timothy), who had a relationship with this new church plant, were together reviewing the Christian movement and were sending this letter to the new church plant in Greece as encouragement and to correct some issues that had arisen.. Although Paul had only spent three to four weeks at this house church, he was impressed with the willingness of Thessalonians to live the mission when others would not.
Last week, we ended with the concept of waiting on the Lord. While many believe waiting is sitting idle, Waiting involves activity and endurance. In our case, waiting means:
Living the hope we have within us for Christ’s return
Joining God’s in trying to reach everyone
Sharing the revelation that we all have the ability to decide to be with Him forever.
Trying to bring a little bit of heaven to earth in all of our situations and relationships
We pick up the scriptures in 1 Thessalonians 2: 1. Before we begin, let me remind you that we don’t have all the correspondence between the new church plant leaders and Paul. However, we have enough to understand the issues at hand.
You know, brothers and sisters, that our visit to you was not without results. 2 We had previously suffered and been treated outrageously in Philippi, as you know, but with the help of our God we dared to tell you his gospel in the face of strong opposition. 3 For the appeal we make does not spring from error or impure motives, nor are we trying to trick you. 4 On the contrary, we speak as those approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. We are not trying to please people but God, who tests our hearts. 5 You know we never used flattery, nor did we put on a mask to cover up greed—God is our witness. 6 We were not looking for praise from people, not from you or anyone else, even though as apostles of Christ we could have asserted our authority.
This paragraph really shows Paul’s heart. Besides being a world class evangelist and teacher, these words demonstrate his humanness. He cared for those he shared the good news with, and loved those who accepted it. As with anyone who loves so deeply there comes a burden. It’s a heart easily prone to injury when others question our motives.
Paul must have received a report the new Christians were gossipping and insinuating he proclaimed the good news only as a way to make a living. In other words, he was a religious salesperson. A message he found offensive and probably heart breaking. Hence, the reason he reminds those he shared time with, of his motives. Paul had expected them to reciprocate His love without question.. After all, he lived his life to share God’s love freely while he was with them. How could they ever think of him as anything but a faithful servant? Right? Wrong.
Let’s continue with the scriptures,
7 Instead, we were like young children among you. Just as a nursing mother cares for her children, 8 so we cared for you. Because we loved you so much, we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well.
In addition to being a faithful servant, Paul reminds them of his gentleness. He uses the image of a mother to share the idea of:
making sacrifices for,
having patience with,
giving nourishment to
and providing protection for this new group of believers.
Let me reiterate: Paul loved these people. He took his responsibilities for their care and maturation personally. His reminders here were offered out of the pain of their questioning.
However, what a wonderful reminder to the rest of us to consider: how are we:
making sacrifices for,
having patience with,
giving nourishment to
and providing protection for the new and less mature Christians? Are we expecting something in return? Are we loving unconditionally? .
Let’s head to the next section:
9 Surely you remember, brothers and sisters, our toil and hardship; we worked night and day in order not to be a burden to anyone while we preached the gospel of God to you. 10 You are witnesses, and so is God, of how holy, righteous and blameless we were among you who believed. 11 For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children, 12 encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory.
In addition to being a faithful servant and a gentle leader, Paul reminds us we must be willing to be sacrificial for those we care for so they can grow without being worried or encumbered.
I will never forget the first moment I held my son, I knew I would do anything to protect him. I knew I would die for him if it meant he would be saved.
In the same way, Paul is telling us to care for one another sacrificially - work to support the Christian family and movement, walk through life remembering you’re an example (a little Christ) and finally, speak truth to those God has placed around you.
If this were the only message it would be enough for one Sunday but there is a warning also present at the end of this paragraph for us.
13 And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as a human word, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is indeed at work in you who believe. 14 For you, brothers and sisters, became imitators of God’s churches in Judea, which are in Christ Jesus: You suffered from your own people the same things those churches suffered from the Jews 15 who killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets and also drove us out. They displease God and are hostile to everyone 16 in their effort to keep us from speaking to the Gentiles so that they may be saved. In this way they always heap up their sins to the limit. The wrath of God has come upon them at last.
The warning is clear. Hostility is never far away and often comes from those closest. It is part of the refining process of becoming a mature Christian. While not pleasant, it’s the way of Jesus. The reasons it can happen are not entirely clear:
Pride that leads to arrogance.
Satisfaction that leads to complacency.
Fear that resists change.
Insecurity/doubt that leads to apathy.
Whatever the root, Paul wants us to be aware.as we learn to be an agent of Jesus in this life, we must be willing to be faithful, gentle and sacrificial in our lives and expect push back from outside as well as within.
The example of the last supper is a perfect example…
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