The Gospel and Service

The Apostle Paul who wrote this letter is regarded as one of the most influential people in the history of humanity.

! He's often ranked up there in the list that the people make of these things.

He's in the top 50 or 25 or 10 and on some list he's regarded in the top five of the most influential people in human history.

What is remarkable about that is that Paul didn't have political power.

He didn't have armies at his command.

He wasn't a wealthy man. He had lots of money at his disposal.

He didn't have any position of authority and yet he changed the course of human history.

In fact he was the most significant Christian missionary in the first century.

So how did he become so influential even 2,000 years later when he had nothing of the trappings of power?

And in fact not just that but the content of the message that he spread as a missionary in the Roman Empire

was entirely unpalatable to both Jew and Gentile.

In other words it wasn't a message that anyone in the first century said,

Oh, that's a good idea. Yes, there's logic there. No one.

Richard Stengel was the managing editor of Time magazine from 2006 to 2013.

And in the introduction of Time magazine's 2007 list of the 100 most influential people in the world.

In that moment he actually gives us a clue as to the substantial influence of the Apostle Paul.

He wrote this.

Influence is hard to measure.

And what we look for is people whose ideas, whose example, whose talent, whose discoveries transform the world we live in.

Influence is less about hard power of force than the soft power of ideas and example.

Yes, there are presidents and dictators who can change the world through fear.

But we're more interested in innovators.

So what he's saying there is in the 2007 list of most influential people in the world is that power changes people from the outside in.

Conformity, coercion.

But influence through ideas and example changes people from the inside out.

And if you can change someone from the inside out, you get genuine change, not just compliance.

Genuine change happens from the inside out as a person's heart and mind and the driving force of their life is changed.

And we see in today's passage is that the startling endurance and influence of the Apostle Paul is a life of sacrificial service.

And a message that declares that Paul himself and all people have been served by God.

That's the astounding influence.

So I've got three points today.

And Paul here is defending his ministry amongst the Thessalonian church and giving us an example to follow in how we might follow in his steps and see more and more people influence for the sake of God.

And so three points, love deeply, speak the truth and receive the crown.

That's where we're heading today.

Now the first thing we learn here in Paul's defence to the Thessalonians is that he served them and others by loving them deeply.

The language is very strong.

Paul's life is bound up to their life.

He was so personally invested in them that when they were persecuted, when they were struggling, when they were hurting, so was he.

So was he.

It's sort of, you know, you put money into a business venture.

When it fails, when the business venture fails, you fail financially.

That is, you're bound to that business venture.

If it financially loses, you financially lose.

If it financially gains, you financially gain.

And Paul does the same here with the lives of these Thessalonians.

His investment to them is absolutely remarkable.

Chapter 2, verse 17.

Brothers and sisters, when we were orphaned by being separated from you for a short time, in person, not in thought.

That his concept here is he was torn.

He was torn away from them.

He was bereft of them.

He was orphaned.

He was ripped away from them in person, but not in thought.

Or quite literally, that I was ripped away from you in person, but my heart was still attached to you.

The image that he's using here is like the death of a loved one.

I lost your presence, but my heart and my life and my emotions is still bound to you.

That's the image here.

So strong.

That's the grief he is feeling.

And what he's expressing here is so rare these days when it comes to church.

We don't often even come to church with the longing expectations to see each other because we haven't done so in the last seven days.

It is possible, in fact, to have enduring connections with another person over a very long period of time,

but still have a barrier between your heart and theirs.

Too often our joy is not bound up in their joy, nor our pain in their pain.

It's much easier, I think, in today's day and age to, in fact, provide a meal than it is to give a heart.

To provide our hearts to bind our time for those who are suffering and afflicted.

Paul then adds,

Out of our intense longing, we made every effort to see you.

The statement there, our intense longing, literally means in the New Testament an over-desire.

It's normally translated in a variety of ways in the New Testament.

But the concept of an over-desire is the idea of an idolatry in the heart.

But the intense desire here expresses a very strong passion.

And virtually everywhere in the New Testament, this word, this statement is used negatively.

Only here and a couple of other places is it ever used positively.

And it's the word translated lust.

Lust.

He is so bound to these Christians that he is lusting after their personal presence.

There's more in verses 19 and 20.

For what is our hope, our joy, or the crown?

Is it not you?

Indeed, you are our glory and joy.

If their hope and joy is inhibited, so is his.

There's even more in chapter 3, verse 8.

You see, you read in chapter 3, verses 1 to 6, that Paul sent Timothy back to find out how they're getting on in the faith.

Since Paul and his team had to leave Thessalonica under persecution.

And Timothy comes back with a report that is so encouraging that Paul writes in verse 8,

For now we really live since you are standing firm in the Lord.

It was like a death thinking that you had died in the faith.

And now we really live.

When Paul thought it was all going wrong for them, and he thought they were turning away from Jesus,

he was like he was dying inside.

And the news from Timothy about their progress in the faith means that he really lives.

This good report has revived him.

What we are seeing here is just how closely Paul has bound himself to his fellow believers,

brothers and sisters in Christ.

He loved them deeply.

Now we exist in a time and a culture where everything is telling us to hold ourselves back.

The safest option for you in life is to not love anyone.

You don't want your heart broken, don't love anyone as C.S. Lewis said.

Hold ourselves back.

Protect your hearts.

Don't give yourself away.

And so we don't invest in others unless there is some level of personal benefit out of it.

And there's most likely a raft of reasons for it in Western culture.

We are encouraged again and again and again to pursue your self-actualisation.

It's about you achieving who you are, regardless of people.

It could be that there's past hurts from broken relationships.

Things like divorce do untold damage to our hearts.

Not just those who are being divorced, but everyone around them.

It means it's difficult to trust and invest in others.

The death of a loved one caused the heart not to want to hurt again.

It becomes so fragile to hurt again.

Cancer culture makes us fearful of getting too close and revealing our heart too much.

Our mobile society of people moving regularly.

Even if they don't move house, moving jobs, moving churches,

has taught us that people aren't going to be in my life for too long.

So don't invest too much.

There are so many reasons why we have developed Teflon in our hearts.

And so when we get too close to someone else, they just slip off.

Don't get too close.

Don't get too close.

Don't invest too much.

And it's self-preservation is the reason.

So many reasons why we should push against the trends of individualism

and transactional relationships and shallow interactions and isolationism.

One of the main reasons is because you need it.

Personally, we all need it.

That is, none of us will see any change in our lives at all

if we keep beating people at arm's length.

We need them as much as they need us.

No one changes, me or you, without others.

And unless we invest in others by giving self away to them

and loving them like Paul does, we ourselves will never change.

That's the first thing, love deeply.

That's the remarkable impact of Paul's influence

was his example in loving others sacrificially.

But giving himself to the Thessalonians were not the only aspects of his service

and remarkable influence.

He gave away his heart, but he also spoke the truth.

And this one, I think, when you put these two together,

it's very interesting.

It's rare, so rare.

Paul is clearly emotionally connected to them.

He's given his heart to them.

He wasn't disconnected from them relationally.

He wasn't just an academic or someone with their ideas.

He had example in his life.

But that in itself is not enough.

Sacrificial love for someone in itself is not enough.

And it does not explain in itself the remarkable influence of his life.

If that was it, you could conclude that Paul was emotionally reliant upon them.

That is, the reason he so gave himself to other people

was because his ego was so fragile,

he needed their affirmation and love back.

We see here that Paul gives them his heart and his life,

and he speaks the truth.

Someone with a fragile ego does not do that.

That's how he served them.

And it's the secret of his great influence.

Have a look at verse 10, chapter 3.

Night and day we pray most earnestly that we may see you again

and supply what is lacking in your faith.

New Testament scholar Leon Morris says the statement,

what is lacking, means quite literally deficiency, shortcomings.

He wrote,

in spite of his great enthusiasm for the spiritual achievement of these converts,

Paul recognises that they come short of what they should be.

Paul's saying here in this letter,

my heart burns, it burns to see you again

so that I can address your shortcomings.

How would you receive a letter like that?

We're longing to see you, Steve,

so that I can point out where you're wrong.

Delete.

That's the instinct of the heart, is it not?

Paul hasn't loved them in the hope that they're going to love him back.

He hasn't sacrificed for them

so that they could puff up his ego and make him feel important.

He is giving of himself,

is not hiding something of a deeper motive for their approval and affirmation.

He isn't afraid to bring feedback.

He isn't afraid to bring truth.

He isn't afraid to tell them,

you need to take your next steps,

to live what it is that you believe.

Crucially though,

it's not just his opinion.

It's not just his truth.

He's just not someone here who,

you know,

I'm loving you and you're not responding the way I want you to,

so let me just,

let me just shed some light for you.

He's not trying to attack them.

He's not trying to tear them down.

He's not trying,

it's not revenge.

It's not payback.

Back in chapter two,

verse 13,

he is thankful because the Thessalonians 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.

He wants to come to bring God's word to bear on their life,

that they might progress in the faith.

That's his service,

not just in serving and loving them,

with his life,

but with the gospel,

the word of God.

The late theologian J.R. Packer wrote that preaching is the event of God

bringing to an audience or a congregation,

a Bible-based,

Christ-related,

life-impacting message of instruction from himself

through the words of a spokesperson.

What he unpacked there was the preacher doesn't bring a message about God.

God brings a message to the people through the preacher.

That's what he's saying.

Every time the church gathers under God's word,

in corporate worship,

every time you meet together as a community group,

you are experiencing a word mediator encounter

between your soul and the living God

as the scriptures are open.

And the whole purpose of it is life-impacting instruction.

Transformation is the word that Packer would use.

Paul gave his life to them

and spoke the truth of God's word to them

for their progress in holiness and joy in Christ.

That is his remarkable service.

Not just an example,

but a message.

He wasn't seeking the transfer of information.

The goal was transformation,

bringing God's word to bear for progress.

I remember sitting on the bank of the Namoi River,

fishing one afternoon

with the pastor of the church in Narrabri

as I was a very young trainee under him,

talking loads of questions.

And he said to me,

Steve,

as a pastor,

if this is what you're going to do

for the rest of your life,

you really have one job.

And that is to bring God's word to bear

in the life of the people who are there.

And you do that,

not just through teaching,

but through a life that's living it.

I think that's what Paul's saying here to the Thessalonians.

Paul is modelling,

I think,

a very rare balance

in terms of personality.

Some of us like the first bit

about Paul loving people.

You know,

we have a natural disposition

towards kindness

and gentleness

and love

and compassion for people.

It's who we are.

And normally,

in that scenario,

those who have such a deep compassion

and forgiveness

find it hard to bring God's word to bear.

Find it hard to speak truth.

I find it hard to see someone

make actual progress.

You might be able to see error.

You might be able to see patterns of behaviour,

bad behaviour,

and say nothing.

It's just more loving to have compassion on the person

than to speak truth.

That is,

some of us are quick to compassion,

but slow to assessment

and seeking,

bringing God's word to bear for progress.

others have a natural disposition

towards logic and facts

and arguments

and truth and theology,

much slower towards compassion.

You need to know something.

There's something I need to tell you.

Quick on assessment,

but slow on compassion.

As I said at the beginning of this year,

King of Our Vision series,

that's my natural bent.

That's who I am.

God's working on me,

but it's my natural bent.

All of us are like,

I forget who used this illustration,

we're all like the drunk peasant.

We fall off one side of the donkey or the other.

None of us can stay up straight

on one way or another.

Whatever your natural bent is,

you need to be pushed in the other direction.

Love without truth

and truth without love

are both distortions.

And neither of them

brings about the change in life,

in our life or the life of others,

that the Apostle Paul had

on the Thessalonian church

and on human history.

One of the greatest examples

of someone who was closer

to staying up straight on the donkey

was,

and therefore a challenge for me personally,

the famous English pastor,

John Newton of Amazing Grace,

him fame.

He was a,

if you read his life,

he was a,

he was formerly a slave trader

and in fact,

a very cruel slave trader

who mistreated people brutally,

so badly.

And then he met Jesus.

And as a pastor,

people who,

not just his friends,

but people who disagree with him theologically

or thought he was weak personally,

they,

as a pastor,

he was described as someone

who had a theological backbone of steel,

so fixed on speaking truth,

but a heart of tenderness,

like clover,

described by one biographer

as a mighty,

you know,

the massive trees in California,

redwood,

massive redwood

of theological truth and conviction,

and yet like a field of clover

with a heart towards his pastor,

towards his people.

He did not string back

from proclaiming the truth

of God's word to correct,

but it came from a heart

and a life

and actions of compassion.

I want to be more like him.

I want us as a church family

to be more like that,

to be known for that.

Church that gives itself in love

for all,

the joy of all people

while speaking the truth

of the gospel

and not shrinking back

from that at all.

That brings me to the last point.

Why would we want to do that?

We actually sung it

in one of our songs,

I saw it there

right at the beginning,

about the world needs to know.

What is it?

Why would we want to

pursue such a life?

This is the fight.

What Paul had here

was he actually had a vision

for everyone's life,

for all relationships,

for all people.

He had a particular vision

for their life.

Chapter 2, verses 19 and 24.

What is our hope,

our joy,

or the crown

in which we will glory

in the presence

of our Lord Jesus Christ

when he comes?

Is it not you?

Indeed, you are our glory

and our joy.

When he writes,

you are our glory and joy,

he means that

the life that you are living,

Thessalonians,

are doing us credit.

You're imitating the gospel.

It means that they were clearly

a product not just of his life,

but also his message.

And it validated his service of them.

As I said last week,

we know that Paul is defending

his pastoral ministry

amongst the Thessalonians,

and he's setting an example

really for pastors in this,

but not just that.

We know it's crucial

that the life

of the pastor

matches the message

that they preach,

that they're in sync.

Belief and behavior must align.

But it's also

not just for the pastors.

He's writing to the Thessalonians church

that your belief

and your behaviors

are aligned.

So I want to ask you,

have you ever thought about that?

Have you ever thought

about how

you reflect the gospel

that is preached here

week in and week out

in this church?

When someone

not known to us

walks in amongst us,

is there sometimes,

and I do this myself,

I sometimes go,

I hope it's a good day.

Nothing goes wrong.

I hope the preacher,

normally me,

makes sense.

I hope the music's good.

I hope the video works

this week.

The slides appear

when they're made.

I hope it works well.

And the idea is,

behind all that,

that somehow that might be

an influence on those people.

Do you ever think

that maybe people

aren't just looking at me

and what happens

on the platform,

that they're actually

looking around at you too,

assessing you as well?

Do these people's lives

reflect the priority

of the gospel message

that's currently being preached?

Do their hearts appear

to be lifted to this message?

That's what Paul's

actually saying here

in verses 19 and 20.

There is a sense

where a church,

a congregation,

is the minister's glory

and joy.

And why should anyone

listen to

and honour the gospel

if the Christian community

does not reflect it

in any way?

Why would I believe that

when it doesn't seem

to impact here?

And he's saying something

even more than that.

He's saying that he

and his team

live

because the Thessalonians

stand firm

in the Lord.

Remarkable.

Absolutely remarkable.

Paul gives them his life

and God's word

for their progress

in the faith.

He is so bound up

in their life

that if they're not

progressing in their faith,

he himself is dying.

So discouraged.

There is,

I can tell you this

because I've done it

for three decades.

There is nothing

more discouraging

to a minister of the word.

Nothing more draining

than to preach

your heart out

week after week,

year after year

and see no change.

See no change.

I've been there.

I'm not there at the moment.

I want you to know

I'm not there

although I do have

fleeting moments.

Generally don't talk to me

until midday

Monday morning.

Please do though

if there is an emergency.

I'd be more than happy to.

But as a general rule,

there's a slump

on a Monday.

It's an all minister thing.

But I read during the week

a sermon

that Charles Spurgeon

once preached

on this passage.

And specifically

just on verse 8

of chapter 3.

For now we really live

since you are standing firm

in the Lord.

And he said this

to his church

in that sermon.

I live by your spiritual joy.

I suffocate

under your spiritual indifference.

I choke to death

on your spiritual misery.

I am tied to you.

I can't help it.

That is why Paul

calls the Thessalonians

his joy

and glory.

His service of them,

his vision

for them

to not just start

as Christians

but to make progress

in the faith

in such a way

that they

cross the finish line.

It's there

at the end of verse 19.

We will glory

in the presence

of our Lord Jesus

when he comes.

Paul there

is referring

to the future

when Jesus Christ

comes back,

breaks into human history

at the end of time

as we know it,

winds up things

as we know it.

Paul's vision

for the Thessalonians

is that they

would be his crown

on that day.

And he says

the same thing

at the end of chapter 3.

May he strengthen

your hearts

so that you

will be blameless

and holy

in the presence

of our God

and Father

when our Lord

Jesus Christ

comes with all

his holy ones.

Notice the word

blameless there.

That's his goal

for the Thessalonian church.

Blameless and holy

in the presence

of God.

And he uses

the same word

in Ephesians

Ephesians 5 · chapter mention

chapter 5

when he writes

to husbands,

husbands love

your wives

just as Christ

loved the church

and gave himself

up for her

to make her holy

to present her

to himself

as a radiant church

holy

and blameless.

so this passage

is not just about

you know

ministers be like me

pastors

do what I do

it's actually

about relationships

within the church

it's about every relationship

and it is

absolutely remarkable

that what Paul

does here

in using the word

blameless

he actually

connects

the goal

of

our relationship

as a church

family

with the goal

of Christian marriage

and that is

to present

each other

perfect in Christ

blameless

in Christ

has the same purpose

the same commitment

the same goal

the final glory

of each other

not my final glory

but the final glory

of each other

in the presence

of God

and so why

would Paul do that

why would he

serve the Thessalonians

why would he

give himself away

why would he risk

them being ticked

off with him

because he speaks

the truth of God's

word to them

as he has

suffered

persecution

throughout

the Roman Empire

already because

of this gospel

his life

of service

in love

and truth

was not

a principle

it was not

an ideal

he wasn't

brought up

by his parents

saying

Paul

when you grow up

be a person

of service

of others

it's not like

it was a value

that was instilled

to him

it was not

his natural

disposition

he was a lecturer

!

a lawyer

a legalist

he persecuted

Christians

he was brutal

he did not

have a victim

mentality

what drove him

the gospel

message

that he spread

throughout

the Roman Empire

it's about

what Jesus

has already

done for him

at the beginning

of chapter 3

Paul talks

about his loss

his pain

the great

risk he took

as he sent

Timothy

back to

the Thessalonians

to

as he says

to strengthen

and encourage

them in their

faith

in the hope

that it would

not be a

vanity

that their

faith in

Jesus would

not be a

vanity

Paul

Paul talks

about the

great loss

of sending

Timothy

so dear

to him

so loved

to him

and in

1 Timothy

1 Timothy 1:2

chapter 1

verse 2

he calls

him my

true son

in the

faith

and he

sent

Timothy

away

his love

for the

Thessalonians

sent him

away

sent Timothy

his son

away

and in

doing that

he's reflecting

the gospel

that saved

him

for God

so loved

the world

that he

gave his

one and

only son

that whoever

believes in

him should

not perish

but have

eternal life

it's the

sending of

the son of

God

Jesus Christ

as a

sacrifice

for the

sin of

all humanity

that changed

absolutely

everything

for Paul

Jesus

Christ

according to

Hebrews

Hebrews 12 · chapter mention

chapter 12

is the

author and

the perfecter

of our

faith

Jesus

has lived

the life

of trust

in his

father

that we

should have

lived

and he

died the

death

that we

should have

died

because we

have failed

to do

that

and as

Jesus

was crucified

on the

cross

his enemies

mocked

him

they mocked

him

for his

claim

to be

the king

of all

kings

and so

they

wound

together

a crown

of thorns

and stuck

it on his

head

there's your

crown

the king

of the

universe

the one

who owns

absolutely

everything

the one

who flung

stars into

space

and put

the planets

in their

orbit

the one

worthy

of all

praise

of all

honour

of all

glory

the one

who already

had

the ultimate

crown

the greatest

crown

surrendered

his hands

and his feet

to nails

on a cross

he lay

aside

his power

he lay

aside

his glory

he lay

aside

his crown

why

Hebrews 12

for the joy

that was set

before him

and the joy

that was set

before him

the vision

that was

before him

the goal

that was

before him

the aim

of his life

of his death

that was

before him

was to bring

us back

to God

holy and

blameless

that was the

goal

that was his

vision

that was his

joy

he gave

away his

life with

joy

so that we

might receive

forgiveness

his

approval

the presence

of the

holy spirit

eternal

life

and that

we might

receive

the crown

that will

never perish

spoil

fate

he lay

aside his

crown

that we

might have

his

see jesus

had a vision

for what paul

could be at the

throne of god

and that

broke into

the heart

of paul

and entirely

changed his

life

and paul

had a vision

for what the

thessalonians

could be

at the throne

of god

and paul

gave away

his life

for them

and our

vision for

each other

should be

the same

vision of

what we

could be

each of

us

before the

throne of

god

paul's

joy

and goal

is their

final glory

their

crown

he is so

filled with

joy

that they

make

that they

are making

progress

he is longing

for them

to see

them to

just continue

to take

their next

steps

next steps

and so

chapter 3

right at the

very end

there is

paul's

prayer for

the

thessalonians

it's a

summary of

his service

to them

and he

and he

prays that

they will

do the

same for

each other

may the

lord make

your love

increase

and overflow

for each

other and

for everyone

else

just as

ours does

for you

may he

strengthen

your hearts

so that

you'll be

blameless

and holy

in the

presence

of our

god and

father

when our

lord jesus

christ

comes

with all

his holy

ones

won't