The Hallmarks Of A Faithful Pastor’s Heart

Tremendous. We're going to read God's Word

returning to Paul's epistle to the Thessalonians, the first

epistle, and we're reading from chapter 2, and we'll read again

chapters one through to 12, sorry, verses one through to 12,

First Thessalonians chapter 2, verses one through to 12.

1 Thessalonians 2 · chapter mention

Let's hear the word of God. We're reading, of course, from

the authorised version. I'm having a wee chuckle to

myself because when we was sort of varnet on Sunday night, they

had a little plaque just on the pulpit and it said only the

authorised version is to be read from this pulpit.

And I made mention of that and the man says to me at the end,

do you know why he says no, He said well there's a retrapped

door in the pulp and if you hadn't have said that we'd have

pulled the lever and you'd have been gone.

So I had a chuckle at that. David McCann has a sense of

humour, right? Thessalonians chapter 2, verses

one through to 12. Let's hear God's word for

yourselves. Brethren, know our entrance in

unto you, that it was not in vain, but even after that we had

suffered before, and were shamefully and treated.

As you know, at Philippi we were bold in our God to speak unto

you the gospel of God with much contention.

For our exhortation was not of deceit, nor of uncleanness, nor

in guile. But as we were allowed of God to

be put in trust with the gospel, Even so we speak not as pleasing

men, but God, which triath our hearts.

For neither at any time used we flattering words, as you know,

nor a cloak of covetousness. God is witness nor of men

sought. We glory neither of you, nor yet

of others, when we might have been burdensome as the apostles

of Christ. But we were gentle among you,

even as a nurse cherisheth her children.

So being affectionately desirous of you, we were willing to have

imparted unto you not the gospel of God only, but also our own

souls, because you were dear unto us.

For you. Remember, brethren, our labour

and travail for labouring night and day, because we would not be

chargeable unto any of you. We preached unto you the gospel

of God. Ye are witnesses, and God also,

how holy and justly and unblameably we behaved ourselves

among you that believe, as you know how we exhorted and

comforted and charged everyone of you, as a dear Father doth

His children, that you would walk worthy of God, who hath

called you unto his Kingdom and glory.

Amen to the Lord of Stamp, with his own approval and blessing,

this reading of his own precious and infallible word.

Now this morning I want to ask you this question.

What do we need here in carried off FPC?

Let me spell it out one thing that we need very much the

presence of God. Moses said to the children of

Israel, If thy presence go not with us, then carry us not up

hands. And if we meet here Lords day,

by Lords day, morning and evening, if we meet for our

times of prayer, if we meet for our various other meetings and

don't have the presence of God with us, then I have to say

ashamedly, I would believe that our meeting together would be in

vain. We are not just a social club,

we are meant to be a spiritual club tied into meeting with God

and him coming amongst us. So that's the first thing.

The second thing we need of course, is we need the power of

God. We need the power of God's

Spirit to work so that the word of God that's preached is taken

by the Spirit of God and applied into our hearts and lives so

that we profess this is not only what we believe, but this is

impacts upon our behaviour. You see, I was interacting with

some people through the week and I was trying to say to them, you

know, it's not about being a fan of Jesus.

Oh, I can tell you there's hundreds of people in Northern

Ireland and they're fans of Jesus, but they're not true

followers of the Lord Jesus Christ.

And there's a vast difference, a vast difference.

We're called not to be fans. We're called to be followers of

Christ. That's the second thing we need.

We need the power of the Spirit. And I would urge you, I would

ask you coming into the autumn and into the winter work when

you're praying for this church, you're praying for the gospel

ministry here. You pray for the power and the

presence of God. The third thing we need is

people. And I've had the joy, as you

know, over the years, we've seen people come and we've seen

people go And, and we're, we're, we're thankful to everyone that

the Lord has brought in. We're thankful for souls to be

saved. Last week I had a middle-aged

man tell me that he'd come to faith in Christ through

listening to my testimony. On Sunday night, when we were

revived, a young man told us that he had also come to faith

in Christ through listening to my testimony.

And that was, of course, a, a, a joyous thing, a thing that

filled me with great delight. But our great need is for people

to come from within our community and join us as part of

God's family. And that's very, very important.

This fourth thing that we need, and I'm only speaking from my

heart, is we need pounds. Let me tell you a little story.

Whenever I got converted, I I went along having been invited

to the Presbyterian Church in Bally Sally.

That was my first visit to the church and the minister preached

for 20 minutes on the subject of giving money to God's work.

Now I didn't know they were in a building programme and going out

the door I was asked what I thought of the service and I

said, well, Reverence, I think you've got things wrong a wee

bit. You preach 20 minutes about

giving money and 5 minutes for the gospel and of course he get

very upset and he get annoyed and he said all sorts of things

that would be a bit off the cuff and a bit hasty about my

attitude. I was only speaking from my

heart, but looking back now after being so long amongst you

these 26 years, I realise now that when you're in a resident

ministry, that part of that resident ministry does involve a

call for giving. And he was calling his people to

give because there was a special need for his building work, and

he wanted to see that need met to the glory of God.

Now, you've heard what I've said.

I've got 4 PS for you. So you want to remember we're

talking just about what we need, right?

And we're talking about the giving of God.

God giving himself by his presence, God giving us his

power by his Spirit. God giving us people in

salvation, bringing in the lost and converting them.

And you have a role to play in that.

But also God giving us pains. And I would love to take the

rest of the service just to tell you how the Lord has supplied

the need right up to the present time.

Maybe we'll write a little booklet sometime, the giving of

God and explain some of that. But anyway, on Sunday night I

received a little gift which I have here for the building fund

of 25 lbs. And you see, the Lord has has

people everywhere. And this dear lady came and she

said she had found this in her husband's Bible.

If she's listening, she knows who she is.

And she gave this little gift to our church building fund.

And then I had the joy then through the week of going to the

bank, and this time it wasn't worth £25 inside this envelope

as evidence of a gift that totals the sum of 31,000 pounds

500. Where's Graham?

Shout. Amen, Graham.

Amen. Let's all hear you saying Amen,

Amen. You see, God again has met the

need. So whether it's £25 or whether

it's in total of a gift and the gift date of 31,000 pounds 500,

God is meeting the need. So we have reason to be

encouraged and reason to be thankful.

But we've got to of course pray on.

We need to get outside finished. There's other things that we

want to do and need to do as a church if we want to grow and if

want to expand. So I I just bring those few

thoughts to you. They're really unprepared.

They're off the cuff, but I had thought about them just that

little bit this morning and I pray that the Lord will help us

in our giving. Of course, you can give like

these others, A1 off gift. You can give regularly to the

building fund. Remember the building fund in

your prayers. You can give a gift in your will

or you can give a legacy that could be put into some sort of

trust form and then used for the well-being of the church in the

future. These are all ways to give

because that minister that day in Bally, Sally preached about

this. Why give?

He preached about what to give and he preached about the way

that you give. Whatsoever you do, he emphasised

do it with all your heart as unto the Lord.

And that's true about us and our attitudes, in our announcements,

in our actions, whatever we we do, let's make sure I'm doing

this to the glory and the honour of God.

And I want to thank the donors today, the donor of this gift

and the donor of this very large, substantial gift.

Really tremendous humbling, but we're so thankful to God and we

trust and pray that the Lord will have many more gifts to add

to the story. So when the story of Carrie Duff

was written up, then we'll be able to testify.

The Lord has done great things for us for off we are glad.

Amen. Now this morning we are

continuing with our studies in the book of Thessalonians.

And today my text is taken from First Thessalonians chapter 2,

1 Thessalonians 2:7

verses 7 through to 12. And I want to deal with a follow

up message. Last week we dealt with the

features of a faithful ministry. Today we're dealing with the

hallmarks of the heart of a true minister of the Gospel.

I told you chapter 1 and 1st Thessalonians is all about Paul

as a preacher. Remember we read there in

chapter one, verse 5. For our gospel came not unto you

in Word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in

much assurance, as you know what manner of men we were among you

for your sake. Well, if that's true, and it is,

then chapter 2 has to deal with Paul the pastor.

Remember in chapter 2, Paul is defending himself against the

critics who were attacking his motives.

They accused him of deceit. They accused him of uncleanness.

They accused him of guile. These false critics who were

attacking her motives were saying this.

And I'm paraphrasing, This religious huckster ran away

suddenly in the night. Remember, they came to attack

Paul. Have not heard from him since.

He is guilty of using religion to take your money, seduce your

women and your children, and exalt themselves as a Lord and a

master over you. He's not sincere.

He's not true and genuine. And when we aim to expose him,

well, he ran away showing himself that he doesn't care

about you now. That's what they were saying.

So Paul had to defend his motives and his ministry, not

because he wanted to look good, not because he even wanted to

feel better, but because he knew what this accusation meant.

It was undermining the gospel, and because it undermined the

gospel, then he began to open up his heart and mind and show him

true self unto the people. And when we look into his heart,

when I look into his heart, I see the hallmarks of the heart

of a faithful man of God. There's three things here that I

want to leave with you. As a good minister.

He had a genuine love for the gospel.

Listen to verse 9. Because we would not be

chargeable unto any of you, we preached unto you the gospel of

God. You see, when you examine this

portion of Scripture, you notice the word gospel.

It's mentioned in chapter 1 verse five that I've already

read. It's mentioned in Tutu.

He says, as you know, at Philippi, we were bold in our

God to speak unto you the gospel of God with much contention.

He mentions it in verse 4. But as we were allowed of God to

be put in trust with the gospel, Even so we speak.

He mentions it in verse 8. So being affectionately desire

of you, we're willing to have imparted unto you, not the

gospel of God only, but also our own souls, because you were dear

unto us. He mentions it in verse 9.

Be chargeable unto any of you, as we preached unto you the

gospel of God. And he mentions it again in

chapter 3, verse 2, and sent Timotheus, our brother and

minister of God, and our fellow labour in the gospel of Christ,

to establish you and to comfort you concerning your faith. 6

times he's mentions the gospel in this first epistle.

Now 6 is the number of man. Why mention the gospel 6 times?

Here's the answer. Because Paul knew that the

gospel is the foundation of the Christian life.

It's the foundation upon which everything else is built and

based. And remember what the gospel is.

The gospel is a message from God.

He calls it the gospel of God. It begins with God.

It's a message from God. It's God's good news.

And Paul proclaimed that message.

How did he proclaim it? He said we preached unto you the

gospel of God. And that word preached means we,

we acted as an herald. Think of the old days.

Think of the days when kings and Queens ruled the land, and the

king would have a message and he wanted that message to go out

into the cities and the towns and the villages of his Kingdom.

They didn't have telephones, young people, they didn't have

e-mail. They didn't send letters,

carrier pigeons. That came later.

In the early days. They had a herald and he went

from one city to another and he heralded forth the message that

the king wanted to be heard. He didn't deviate from the

message. He didn't add to the message,

didn't modify the message, didn't take away from the

message. He wasn't free to.

He couldn't add to it. He couldn't dilute it.

What if the messenger was unpopular?

What if they threw tomatoes at them?

What if they threw lettuces? What if they threw eggs?

What if they threw stones and attacked them?

He was still not free to modify, add, or to delete any of the

message. He didn't originate the message.

It wasn't his message. It was the message of the king.

Just like the gospel is the good news of God.

And he had to proclaim it just as the king had given it.

And you see the gospel of God, it's from God.

It's produced by God. The gospel of God that comes

from God because he produced it. Paul didn't make it up.

Paul didn't invent the gospel. He didn't dream it up in bed.

He didn't get it out of a library book.

He didn't learn it in a school or university.

It wasn't part of the collective thinking of wise men.

No, it came from God himself. It was divinely revealed to

Paul. It was directly revealed to

Paul. It was deliberately revealed to

Paul as the gospel of God. It was a message from God and

not grip Paul. I'll tell you something else.

That's a message from God that reveals God's remedy for human

sinfulness. Remember Romans 3 and 23?

For all of sin and come short of the glory of God.

The reality is we are sinners by nature and practise.

We were born in sin and we were shapen in iniquity and that's

something that we should bear in mind.

And we know that that hurts our pride.

We know that that humble us before God, but that's the place

that every individual has to come to, that we are guilty

political sinners before a holy God.

The gospel is also a message that centres in the personal

work of Christ. Remember Acts 4 and verse 12.

Peter said neither is there salvation and any other, for

there's no other name under heaven given among men whereby

we must be saved. Remember again the Lord Jesus

said to Thomas in the upper room.

Jesus saith unto him, I am the Way, the Truth, the life.

No man comes unto the Father, but by me.

You see, you and I need a perfect righteousness to live in

God's holy presence, and that perfect righteousness that is

provided in the person and work of the Lord Jesus.

Paul says this being justified freely by His grace through the

redemption that is in Christ Jesus and God have set forth to

be a propitiation through faith in His blood to declare His

righteousness for remission of sins that are passed through the

forbearance of God. Are you dressed in that

righteousness this morning? That righteousness that was

earned by the personal word of Christ in the sinless life and

atoning death, that that righteousness that can be yours

but must be received. You see, in the gospel, it's not

only good news from God and it's not only about his remedy for

human sinfulness and not only centres in the personal word of

Christ, but the gospel is a call for repentance toward God as

well as faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Acts 3 verse 19, repent ye or Matthew 3 verse 17 repent ye and

Acts 3:19 Matthew 3:17

believe the gospel. It's a message that calls us to

a life of holiness and loving obedience.

And that call to a life of loving obedience and holiness is

not the ground of our salvation. That's where many go wrong.

It is but the evidence. When we're born of God, He

enables us to live a life of holiness under God.

That's our motto, a life of loving obedience.

We love Him because He first loved us.

And in the gospel message, there's a warning about hell and

eternal punishment. It's also a message about heaven

and home. Remember the psalmist?

Psalmist David in Psalm 23, verse 6 closed with this

Psalms 23:6

thought. Surely goodness and mercy shall

follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the

House of the Lord forever. Now that's the gospel.

That's a summary of the gospel. That's really the substance of

the gospel in a nutshell. And all of that message can be

found in many wonderful texts in the Scripture, including John 3

and 16. For God shall love the world

that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in

him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Now the gospel today is under attack as it was in Paul's day.

Why is it under attack? Because the gospel is

foundational. And the question is asked by the

psalmist, and we'll look at it in Psalm 11, verse 3 something

Psalms 11:3

if the foundations can be destroyed, what can the

righteous do? And if the gospel is destroyed,

if it's diluted, if it's modified, if it's added to, if

there's a subtraction from the gospel, then you've got a a

false and faulty gospel message. Paul knew that it was

foundational to the whole of the Christian life.

And then he said this to the Philippians.

I am set for what? I am set for the defence of the

gospel. See there's so many false

gospels today. I think that during COVID

Brother Mark and I through the websites set out maybe 8

possible little things to do with false gospels.

The health and wealth heresy that's alive and well.

Northern Ireland, the United Kingdom, especially the United

States of America. What about the self esteem

gospel? Popular popularised by Robert

Schuller. He said this you don't have to

fear pride, even though the Bible teaches the praise of sin.

He says that we're not to see ourselves as sinners, that

that's too harsh. Being born again is is not being

regenerated by the Spirit of God.

Being born again means you set aside all that negative image

about yourself and adopt the positive image so you go from an

inferior feeling to full self esteem.

I'm proud of who I am. And we're living in a day when

people are proud that they're murderers, people are proud that

they're adulterers, people are proud that they're thieves,

people are proud that that they're they're homosexuals,

that that's what pride is all about.

But that's not what the new birth is.

Then you of course you've heard of the cheap grace Gospel

redefined repentance. Just a change of mind, not a

change of behaviour. That's why we've got so many

people that are fans of the gospel and not true followers.

You see what we're called to turn from a lifestyle of sin

where we no longer live a life of sin and wickedness.

We live a life for God and for God's grace and for God's glory.

What about the works righteousness gospel?

Paul was conscious that there was those that are using the law

to tell people here's how you earn righteousness to be

acceptable and pleasing to God. Paul was different.

Paul's heart was gripped by the gospel.

Paul had a genuine heart for the gospel.

It gripped him and he had a grasp of the gospel.

Now here's a revelation of the nature of a God-given pastor

that churches need. God give us men gripped with the

gospel, men set for the defence of the gospel.

This is the kind of man that we need in every generation.

Paul was a faithful stall work of the gospel.

He was a faithful steward. As I've said, this is the kind

of man, the type of man that we need today, and we should pray

that God would give our churches such men that God would send us

labourers. We need labourers in our own

church, we need labourers in the foreign field, in the home

front, but men who would labour in Word and doctrine for the

glory of God. Paul was a good minister with a

genuine love for the gospel. That's a revelation of his

heart. That's the hallmark of a

faithful pastor. Secondly, and quickly, Paul was

a gentle mother who had a godly life for the gospel.

If you go back there to Thessalonians, I wonder if you

picked it up in the verse 7. But we were gentle among you,

even as a nurse cherishes her children.

Can you feel the weight of that? Listen again to verse 6.

Not of men sought to be glory, nor of you, nor yet of others,

when we might have been burdensome as the apostles of

Christ. You see, He had authority as an

apostle of Christ. He could have commanded these

people do this and go that, give this and give that.

But he didn't. But here's the contrast.

We were gentle among you, even as a nurse cherishes her

children. See Paul was conscious that

godly integrity, a godly example is handed on and through a godly

life. He says in verse 7, but we were

gentle among you even as a nurse cherishes her children.

He says in verse 10, ye are witnesses and God also how holy

and justly and unblameably we behaved ourselves among you not

believe. He says in verse 11, as you know

how we exhort it and comfort and charge every one of you see, he

was thinking that as a pastor, he behaved as a gentle mother

who had a godly life for the gospel.

Her godly influence would impact upon our own children.

So what's Paul saying in verse 7?

He's saying this I was like a nursing mother among you who

lived for her children. Notice the word we not just

Paul, but Paul's team, Timothy and Silas and others who were

with them. So, so think for a moment of a

nursing mother. He says here's how we behaved.

How did he behave amongst them? He was gentle like a nursing

mother. He had a gentle, mild manner.

Now you think of a nurse not in the hospital could apply there,

but in the home and a nursing mother with little children at

home. Mother knows that at times the

children can be difficult times. The children will not listen,

they'll not behave. They're may be disruptive,

they're unwilling to learn, they've no real interest and

their little mind is wandering. They might even have a bad

attitude, but that nursing mother in the home, because

they're her children, knows how best to get their attention so

she can stamp upon them her influence at lifetime and the

way that she does. That is, we were gentle among

you as a nurse cherishes her child.

The word nurse here is not young people in the hospital.

And I think of a nurse and that's what I wear.

I read it, but it has to do with a nursing mother at home looking

after the children. In other words, she goes about

her work of raising and rearing her children with a spirit of

gentleness. Now this word gentle is a common

word. Paul used it in Second Timothy

2 Timothy 2 · chapter mention

chapter 2 and verse 24. It says, and the servant of the

Lord must not strive, but be gentle unto all men, apartment

to teach and patient. In other words, he's saying to

Timothy, here's how to conduct yourself as a pastor in the

church at Ephesus. You strive to be gentle even in

the midst of those that are opposing you as you stand for

the gospel. Don't strive with them, don't

fight with them. Be gentle.

You see, that's what Christ likeness is all about.

Did you know that gentle Jesus making mild is not just part of

a hen? The Bible talks about the

gentleness of Christ. Listen to this word with Paul.

But now I, Paul myself, beseech you by the meekness and

gentleness of Christ. 2nd Corinthians 10 verse one, The

gentleness of Christ. Christ was not harsh.

Christ was not cruel. He didn't pedal with people in a

harsh, cruel manner. No, he, he behaved himself with

a spurt of gentleness. So there's the pattern here.

Notice something else As you look back at Thessalonians, if

we think of the word, it says in verse 7, even as a nurse,

Cherith, as her children, her children, speaks of birth.

And that's tremendous to think about children born into the

family. It's a reference to a mother

giving birth to children and being tasked with a keeper at

home. And her aim and object is to

nurse those children and look after those children and impart

her own life to the children. And that means making

sacrifices. That means manifesting patience.

That means giving nourishment to the children.

A mother has time and energy for her children.

She's not just turning them over to the television or to the

babysitter, to a book. And Paul is using that as an

illustration. You see, Paul had been

sacrifices. Paul had cared for these

believers in Thessalonica as as if he was their father and he

was their spiritual father. But he was amongst them not just

as a father, but as a nursing mother.

He listened to their fears. He listened to their worries.

He listened to their stories. He he was give himself by way of

his personal time and energy for them to help them unto God.

He displayed tremendous patience.

He knew children don't grow up instantly.

He knew that they have grown pains.

He knew that they would encounter problems.

He knew that they would soil themselves, but they have sin

and guilt. Paul had tremendous patience as

a nursing mother. He he cherished them in in fact

he he tells us here so being affectionately desires.

If you were willing to have imparted unto you not the gospel

of God, only listen to these words, but also our own souls.

Why? Because you were dear unto us.

He was willing to impart even his own life.

A mother protects your children. A mother so loves her children

that she would die for her children.

I, I read a very sad story very quickly of a mother in the park,

some park in England. Her husband maybe had other

children. The husband was slightly, a bit

in front and she was coming behind with the pram and the

little baby in it and, and as she walked there was some sort

of accident, a Beech tree, a big branch of the Beech tree fell

off and she pushed the pram forward.

She was crushed under that Beech tree branch and the little child

received her immediate reaction, the husband said was to protect

the child from the falling branch got the child away.

She hadn't time to get herself out of the way and sadly she

lost her life. Remember in the days of King

Solomon First Kings chapter 3 there was two women and they had

1 Kings 3 · chapter mention

both children. One child died, and one of the

woman then took the other woman's child, and there was a

bit of dispute as to who owned the child.

And what did Solomon say this was?

This was Solomon's speak. And the king said, divide the

living child and two, and give half to the one and half to the

other. Then speak the woman who the

living child was under the king for her bowels yearned upon her

son. And she said, Oh my Lord, give

her the living child, and in no way slain.

But the other said, let it be neither mine nor thine, but

divided. Then the king answered and said,

give her the living child in a no wise sled.

She is the mother thereof. You see, the one who didn't want

their child put to death was the one who really loved and cared

for the children. And I know it's a difficult

topic, but for those mothers in Northern Ireland who have

conceived little babies and carrying them are their womb, I

want to tell you, you should never, never feel or satisfy

that urge to to abort your little baby.

Why? Because it's a life given by God

and and out of love for that child, you should not wish it

any harm or any ill to it. Could you think for a moment of

Paul when he gave the gospel? He gave his own life also.

Why? Because he saw himself not as a

good minister of the gospel only, but also as a nursing

mother who had a godly life as she lived out the gospel, a

mother who was full of love for the offspring that were born

from her. See, all true children,

remember, are born born of God, born of the Holy Ghost Very

quickly. Think of the word cherisheth

there in verse seven. That is tremendous.

Do you know what that word cherishes means?

It means brooding over them. Think of a mother hen.

I think of Wolver Garrett and his hens.

She's sitting on the eggs. She's seen her brood hatch and

she's sitting brooding to keep the chicks warm.

That's the meaning of that word cherisheth.

So it's not only a mother who's given birth to the children, but

a mother who's brooding over them to keep them warm and to do

them good. And Paul had a warm ministry in

the gospel. That's the night.

Nothing harsh, nothing uncaring, nothing unloving.

A heart full of the warmth of Christ and Calvary love, A

ministry that did the people good, a ministry that warmed

people, a ministry that told people the truth, a ministry

that put hate even into people's souls.

Because Christ remembers so cherishes the church.

It's not what Paul could say in Ephesians 5 verse 29.

Ephesians 5:29

For no man ever yet hated his own flesh, but nourish and

cherishes it even as the Lord, the church.

What did the Lord do for the church?

He cherishes that. He nourishes it.

Why? Because it's born of him and he

broods over it to bring his own provision and protection and

everything else that's needed very quickly.

And thirdly, this morning in the hallmarks of the heart of the

pastor, there's not only a a good minister with a genuine

love for the gospel, and there's not only a gentle mother with a

godly life of the gospel, but there's also a gracious master

who had a great lifestyle of the gospel.

See, Paul presents himself not only here as he opens his heart

as a good minister and a gentle mother who gave birth to the

children and bruised over her children, but he was a gracious

master. Notice this as we finish, he

says in verse 11, For ye know how we exhorted and comforted

and charged everyone of you as a father doth his children that

you would walk worthy of God hath called you into his Kingdom

in glory. Think of the Father's work.

He begets the children. Like the mother, he too cares

for the children, He provides for the children.

He he defends his children. He's in the home as a prophet, a

priest, a king. He works to support his family.

You've got the words here, verse 9 for you.

Remember, brethren, our labour and travail for labouring night

and day, because we'd not be chargeable unto any of you who

preached unto you the gospel of God.

The word labour and travail means hard work.

The word travail has to do with struggles.

You've got to think of toil and hardship.

Wasn't easy for Paul to make tents and work from home and do

the Lord's work and fest and thank you at the same time.

But he did it. He laboured night and day.

Why? Because he loved these

believers. He wanted to be relinquished

from the charge of being chargeable unto them.

There's his work. Think of his walk.

He he, he says that you would walk worthy of God.

He wanted to set them an example.

He wanted to be a good example as a father is to his children.

He comforted them. He charged them.

Notice the word witness here. It was exemplary.

It wasn't a pure example. It was a good example of

dedication, dedication to the church family, dedicated to live

a holy life, dedicated to and be careful to fulfil his duties

according to the mind of God, knowledge that he was

accountable to God. All that he did in his walk, he

did for the good of the work of God.

And I would urge you to do the same.

Pray for me that I'll be enabled to do the same.

Not only will we work and walk to worthy of the calling of God,

but we'll we'll witness by we have an exemplary example and

think of his closing word. He said exhorted and ye know how

we exhorted and comforted and charged Everyone of you feel the

weight of those words. The word exhorted means an

appeal. He taught by good example, but

he appealed by speech. He had good exhortation that

they might learn to walk worthy of their calling of God.

He comforted them in all their struggles and fears and cares.

He he charged them in the knowledge that they were

accountable to to God to walk worthy of God.

When you pledge to walk worthy of God, will you aim to be a

gracious master fathers in the home, and you'll work and you'll

walk and you'll witness and your words will be to the glory of

God for the well-being of your family in relation to the Lord's

work. Here's the hallmarks of the

heart of a good pastor. May the Lord help us to follow

in Paul's example. At this time, we're going to

close. We'll sing a few verses of hymn

#409. I would encourage you to study

as much as you can in this passage of Scripture.

I'm only giving you highlights. I can't deal with every verse

and every word because we'd be here for weeks and end.

So I'm trying to incorporate a broader picture.