Walking Worth of God (1 Thes. 2:1-13) (9/20/26)

Let us now pray and ask for the Lord's blessing

on the preaching of his word Heavenly father

we give thanks unto you that once again you have

guided us safely Joyfully through all the tribulations

of this world We thank you that in all these

things you have been at work making all things

work together for good for us in Christ Jesus

Give us therefore we petition you grateful hearts

the day by day. We thank you as we ought that

we might know that we are surrounded not by a

world full of evil, but surrounded by your grace

and your providential care, by your mercy and

love. We ask now that you let the words of my

mouth and the meditations of all our hearts be

acceptable in your sight, O Lord Jesus, our incarnate

Redeemer, full of grace and truth. Amen. Our

passage today is from First Thessalonians. Chapter

1 Thessalonians 2 · chapter mention

2 beginning in verse 1 For you yourselves know

brethren that our coming to you was not in vain

But even after we have suffered before and were

spitefully treated in Philippi as you know We

were bold in our God to speak to you the gospel

of God in much conflict For our exhortation did

not come from error or uncleanness nor was it

in deceit But as we have been approved by God

to be entrusted with the gospel, even so we speak,

not as pleasing men, but God who tests our hearts.

For neither at any time did we use flattering

words, as you know, nor a cloak for covetousness.

God is witness. Nor did we seek glory from men,

either from you or from others. when we might

have made demands as apostles of Christ. But

we were gentle among you, just as a nursing mother

cherishes her own children. So affectionately

longing for you, we were well pleased to impart

to you not only the gospel of God, but also our

own lives, because you had become dear to us.

For you remember, brethren, our labor and toil,

for laboring night and day, that we might not

be a burden to any of you. we preach to you the

gospel of God. You are witnesses, and God also,

how devoutly and justly and blamelessly we behaved

ourselves among you who believe. As you know,

how we exhorted, comforted, and charged every

one of you as a father does his own children,

that you would walk worthy of God and who calls

you into his own kingdom and glory. For this

reason, we also thank God without ceasing. Because

when you received the word of God, which you

heard from us, you welcomed it, not as the word

of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God,

which also effectively works in you who believe.

These are the words of Almighty God. Receive

them in your hearts. Now as we go through this

passage today, I want you to think through three

ideas. Three ideas. There are righteous ministry

motives. That is to say, not multiplying gold,

glory, and girls. Righteous ministry motives,

not multiplying gold, glory, or girls. That we

are to disciple, or Paul discipled them as a

nursing mother and charged them as a father.

So Paul discipled them as a nursing mother but

also charging them as a father. And then God

calls and effectively works in you all who believe.

God calls and effectively works in you all who

believe. Now we're continuing our study from

First Thessalonians. And as you know, every fall

we study an epistle. We are the church. We need

to understand what the church is to be, who we

are, what Christ has done for us, and what actions,

therefore, we should take. And so as we continue

in this season after Pentecost, where the church

grows, we desire to mature as the church into

the Lord Jesus. Now I say this to you all in

this way, right? Your elders desire that you

grow into maturity in Christ Jesus. And it should

be that all of you in this church desire to grow

into maturity. Many of you are parents. I know

that you desire that your children grow up into

the maturity of Christ Jesus. So we need to see

what God's word tells us what it means to grow

up into the maturity of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Last week, we took notice that this letter was

to the church in Thessalonica, and it follows

in the events in Acts chapter 17, where Paul,

Acts 17 · chapter mention

having just weeks in Thessalonica, reasoned with

them from the scriptures in the synagogue that

Christ had to suffer and rise again from the

dead. And most importantly, Paul declared that

Jesus is the Christ. Acts tells us that some

of the Jews were persuaded and a great multitude

of devout Greeks were also converted including

many of the leading women in the city but we

were also reminded of the Jews who were not persuaded

and became envious just like the Jews who crucified

Christ in Jerusalem and who like the Jews in

Jerusalem went out and got the rent -a -mob and

with that rent -a -mob They in turn stirred up

the whole city and then sought after Paul and

Silas. And when they did not find them, the envious

mob drug a number of the new converts to the

magistrate who would penalize them with great

fines. That night Paul and Silas were smuggled

out of Thessalonica. And this leads us to chapter

one. which we find Paul giving thanks for the

church there. Paul, as we talked about last week,

Eucharistios, he gave thanks, right? We get nervous

in Protestant circles when we hear the word Eucharist,

but it is the word of giving thanks in a memorializing

way. And so Paul memorializes God's grace, his

faithfulness, his goodness, even in much affliction,

and God given. much assurance. Why? Because God

does not fail. Among the lessons we were reminded

of last week was that God chooses His people

and so we can be assured of His faithfulness

even in much affliction. God desires that we

mature into the Christian life giving thanks

in all things. So we should. Ask questions like

how can my response to this hardship this persecution

this difficulty or this wicked person? Right,

how can this thing my response to this be a continuing

witness? to the goodness faithfulness and justice

of God Here in chapter 2 Paul begins with a solid

recollection of God's faithfulness He says, for

you yourselves know, brethren, that our coming

to you was not in vain. He was reminding them

that they are brethren together, that Paul and

Silas and Timothy, they're actually brethren,

brothers and sisters in the Lord, to all those

who came into the church. They are one people.

And Paul and his team, his coming to Thessalonica

was not a wasted or unproductive trip. But they

were added to the brethren because the word of

God, the gospel of Jesus Christ was declared

to them. And Paul explains to them and reminds

them of his persecutions and hardships in his

ministry. He references right before, that time

of right before he came to Thessalonica, that

he had just been, he and his team had just been

in Philippi and that they had been falsely accused.

They had been beaten and imprisoned. And Paul

points out that this did not dissuade them from

declaring the gospel truth to those in Thessalonica.

Think about this, for many of us we walk daily

and we have difficulties and we have hardships,

we have sickness, we have things where we see

people being hard on us, unjustly so, and it

causes us to draw back. And here we learn from

the example of Paul and Silas and Timothy, no,

no. Wherever God places you, remain steadfast

and be faithful right where you are. In verse

two of chapter two, Paul says these things, but

even after we had suffered before and were spitefully

treated in Philippi, as you know, we were bold.

our God to speak to you the gospel of God in

much conflict You see conflicts will come earlier

this summer we talked about the reasons for marriage

and Following Christ and his bride the church

that is to glorify God and to benefit the world

So too is the calling of each of our marriages

to glorify God and to benefit the world Of course,

I'm not losing track here. Your world begins

where in your own household and it moves out

as you take dominion But you see They trusted

God they stood at their post to make others fruitful

in Christ Jesus Paul turns next to a simple defense

and the way in which they conducted their ministry

to the Thessalonians Satan and his slippery serpents

that are in this world always want to bring about

doubt Right a lot of times. We think the doubt

is just like this internal thing like this. They're

whispering in your ear causing doubt here But

it's more than this It is doubt Caused frequently

by jealousy and here we see that these Jews they

were jealous of Jesus and they look for ways

to sow doubt and suspicion in the church concerning

the motives of its pastors and elders and So

Paul is responding for those serpents who sneaking

into the church Those who are trying to divide

the church who are enemies of God and they say

you need to be suspicious of your elders and

pastors Paul addresses this. Of course we can

also look at other portions of the scripture

such as Psalm 12 verse 2 and it says this, they

Psalms 12:2

speak idly everyone with his neighbor with flattering

lips and a double heart they speak. You see Satan

desires to cause the church to look upon its

pastors and elders with squinty eyes. So Paul

wants to shore up the Thessalonian Church from

such doubts by providing them with an outline

of faithful ministry. Now one thing to note here

is that this ministry evaluation certainly is

for elders and pastors, but I would also argue

can and should also be used in our own homes

as you are the chief disciplers in your households.

Your elders? are charged with discipling you

and teaching you and leading you in the truth.

But you too are also the chief disciplers inside

your home. So as we go through these things,

yes, please apply those to us. But also, review

to yourselves. How are you behaving? So Paul

says in verse three of 1 Thessalonians chapter

two, for our exhortation did not come from error

or uncleanness, nor was it in deceit. So an exhortation

is an instructive, admonition, and conciliatory

thing. Now, that's an old word. Most of you guys

go, OK, what's going on here, pastor? This is

really important. To be conciliatory is to bring

peace. Now, not a passive peace, but a godly

steady peace. So one of the things your pastor

should be doing your elders should be doing and

you should be doing in your household as You

preach the gospel of Jesus is are you bringing

about peace? By speaking the truth firmly in

love mercy and grace Paul also mentioned that

they were not coming from error They were not

teaching them or proclaiming the gospel from

deceit or delusion but rather centered on the

work of Jesus. You want to have peace in your

household? You want to have peace in your life?

And as your elders, we want to see peace in the

church. Our lives must be centered upon Christ

Jesus. Paul goes on to say that they did not

come with uncleanness. Now this word uncleanness

in the Greek, you know, it's not that they were

dirty, but rather it is about sexual immorality.

and selfish pleasures. They didn't come to them

to seek out and have all their pleasures met.

That's important for elders, and it's important

for you and your household. It also says, Paul

goes on and says, they didn't come with deceit.

And this word really is guile. Again, it's an

old word. We don't know what guile is. But that

is They didn't come to them to manipulate them.

In other words, I've got an agenda that's serving

me. And so I'm going to do things and speak of

the things of God to extract what I want out

of you. You see, extracting is destructive. Or

it can be. And in most cases, for manipulation,

extracting for what I need. Right, that's sinful.

But what are we supposed to be doing? We're supposed

to be making others flourish in Christ Jesus

so that the fruit of the Spirit abounds in them

All of this could be summed up is that they did

not come for gold girls or glory Many a ministry

has been pulled down by any one of these but

in many cases It is two or even all three And

you know what? So too, in our own households

this is true. As you know, God in his instruction

for kings warns about these in Deuteronomy 17,

prohibiting kings from multiplying horses, that

is trusting in their golden glory, multiplying

wives, that's what, multiplying women, sexual

immorality, and multiplying gold for their own

selfish benefit. Paul continues in verse 4 and

says, but as we have been approved by God to

be entrusted with the gospel, even so we speak,

not as pleasing men, but God who tests our hearts.

For neither at any time did we use flattering

words, as you know, nor a cloak for covetousness.

God is witness. Nor did we seek glory from men,

either from you or from others, when we might

have made demands as apostles of Christ. First

notice that Paul here declares that God is their

witness. That is to say, he is not blaspheming

God. He says, no, no. God is my witness. This

is a righteous swearing. I know that I'm going

to stand before God and be judged. Your elders

will stand before God and be judged. So too,

you as parents. In your households, you will

stand before God. So here, Paul declares that

God is their witness, and he goes on to say that

he was entrusted with the gospel, or better translated,

they were in trust with the gospel. They had

both fidelity to the gospel, and they were held

in the gospel. Both things. They were called

to fidelity in it. They had this. but they were

also held in that gospel parents do not lose

sight of the fact that you are given a call to

fidelity that is faithfulness to the gospel as

well as you yourself are held by the gospel so

how then should we act with gratitude humility

mercy and justice must flow from your throne

Which as we've already discussed in previous

weeks should be as Christ's a throne of grace

And it should flow as as God's Grace has flowed

to you So it should flow to your family or in

the case of elders to the church Paul then emphasizes

that they did not use flattery or the cloak of

covetousness at any time In our time, there's

this huge idol of niceness, only telling people

what they want to hear so as to please men. The

scriptures warn us in several places, including

2 Timothy 4, where Paul is speaking to Timothy.

He says, I charge you therefore before God and

the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living

and the dead at his appearing in his kingdom,

preach the word. be ready in season and out of

season, convince, rebuke, exhort, with all long

-suffering and teaching. For the time will come

when they will not endure sound doctrine, but

according to their own desires, because they

have itching ears. And because they have those

itching ears, it goes on to say they will heap

up for themselves teachers, and they will turn

their ears away from the truth, and be turned

aside to fables. But you be watchful in all things

endure afflictions and do the work of evangelists

and fulfill your ministry And where this certainly

does apply to your elders And we understand that

it applies to you and your household Don't simply

be nice. Don't simply Give your children flattery

You want to give them encouragement, but don't

tell them lies in trying to be nice. Don't affirm

them in simpleness or call that little disobedient

act as cute. Tell them the truth. Love them.

Encourage them. Remember their frame. What I

might tell a three -year -old in terms of the

picture they draw as good. It may not be the

same thing if I'm getting the exact same thing

from a 15 -year -old. I know there's some art

out there that people pay a lot of money for

that looks like a three -year -old, but I think

that's just the delusion that exists in our world.

Isaiah chapter 30 verse 9 also tells us this.

Isaiah 30:9

This is God speaking that this is a rebellious

people, lying children. Children who do not hear

the law of God that is they are they're not in

submission to it Who say to the seers do not

see into the prophets do not prophesy to us write

things Speak to us smooth things and prophesy

deceits You see niceness and flattery. It's wickedness

Paul knows that the teachers and elders hearts

will be tested and examined by God. We know in

James chapter 3 that there is a greater judgment

James 3 · chapter mention

upon those who are elders and deacons. We certainly

understand that. If we return back to verse 6

of 1 Thessalonians chapter 2, we see this. Paul

1 Thessalonians 2 · chapter mention

says, nor did we seek glory from men, either

from you or from others, that we might have made

demands as apostles of Christ. They didn't come

in seeking glory from the church or others or

demanding what could have been theirs as apostles.

They were great men. They were apostles. They

could have said, take care of us. Honor us. After

all, Jesus thought so much of me that he came

down just for me, right? He didn't do his normal

work that he did with the other apostles. No,

Paul could have been saying, hey, look, look

at this. Jesus made a special appointment with

me. So you really ought to listen. No, he didn't

do that. This is true for elders and pastors

and it is true for you as parents Right you do

have authority But do not be demanding simply

for the sake of your authoritative position by

the way who gave you that authoritative position

God gave you your wife men Right moms and dads

who gave you a child? God So where does your

authority emanate from? From Him. Make sure that

you are exercising it accordingly. Now in all

these demands that Paul is talking about that

he did not receive, we do need to take note that

Paul does not place a restriction for a pastor

being paid. But rather, he is doing this for

purposes about qualifying himself, right? He

had a special ministry of things he was doing.

But in other letters, we see both in 1 Timothy

5 and in 1 Corinthians 9 that Paul does say that

pastors should be paid. He says in 1 Timothy

5, for as scripture says, you shall not muzzle

an ox while it treads the grain. And he's quoting

Deuteronomy 25. He also says, the laborer is

worthy of his wages. And there he's quoting Jesus

from Luke 10. Later on in 1 Corinthians 9 he

says, even so the Lord has commanded that those

who preach the gospel should live from the gospel.

I just wanted to bring that clarity there because

sometimes people see what Paul is saying and

they don't understand what his motive is right

there. His motive is, in this particular case,

not in an established church, but in this missional

work that he's doing, he's making no demands

to those with whom he's bringing the gospel.

And now we see that Paul moves to a more familial

argument in his ministry to the Thessalonians,

right? And that was that they would, and this

was also that they would receive his exhortation.

He's trying to remove, all of the doubts that

the slippery serpents have brought in. He's just

reminding them of the facts. And he has said,

remember, God's our witness in these things too.

He says in verse seven, but we were gentle among

you, just as a nursing mother cherishes her own

children, so affectionately longing for you.

We were well pleased to impart to you not only

the gospel of God, but also our own lives because

you had become dear to us. For you remember,

brethren, our labor and toil for laboring night

and day that we might not be a burden to any

of you. We preached to you the gospel of God.

Paul makes the point that their care towards

these converts to Christianity was not just Job

done. Well, we did it. I fulfilled my obligation

But one that was like a nursing mother who knows

that the newborn cannot express their needs or

wants But must be nurtured and cared for Paul

Silas and Timothy were affectionately longing

to care for them not only for the gospel But

also by their own lives Much like a mother who

would give all for the nurture of her child He

even says that they labor day and night for the

good of the church. So it was not to be a burden

and This is certainly a call for your elders,

but I want to remind you as parents Right. I

know that you're laboring day and night Sometimes

you feel weary in that work But this is God's

call. And why are you doing this? Well, we all

have different kinds of motives, but ultimately

it should be to glorify God and see our children

flourish in Christ Jesus and flourish in the

fruit of the Spirit. He continues and says this.

Well one more thing here one other thing I want

to explain about this it's very important that

That what Paul is trying to tell them in this

nurturing admonition here Is that it wasn't for

their glory? Right but for the glory of God now

I think this does two things just thinking it

practically both as a as elders, but also as

parents right Do we murmur and complain? Right?

What is murmuring and complaining about? If we're

murmuring and complaining about our church, or

you as parents are murmuring and complaining

about what God has placed in your life as you

parent, what are you saying? Two things. One,

I'm charging God for the hardship in my life.

And two, hey, Look at the great work that I've

done. Look at all the things that I have had

to suffer. And in some ways, I'm suffering to

my glory alone. That is not glorifying God. That

is not remembering our call. So we're to grow

up in maturity in Christ Jesus and put these

things away. He goes on in verse 10 and says,

you are witnesses and God also how devoutly and

justly and blamelessly we behaved ourselves among

you who believe as you know how we exhorted and

comforted and charged every one of you as a father

does his own children that you would walk worthy

of God who calls you into his own kingdom and

glory. Paul again appeals to God as their witness.

as well as to the Thessalonian Church that they

were piously devout, justly righteous, and were

blameless. That is to say that they did it for

their benefit and not their own. Paul is saying

that they firmly stood at their post and truthfully

worked to produce the good fruit in the Thessalonians.

And note, for a second time in this passage,

he says he's talking about his exhortation. So

what is he doing with this exhortation? As a

father does, he's encouraging them and charging

them that they walk worthy of God. And this is

certainly for elders and parents alike. We need

to act. as both mothers and fathers. And God

has particular roles. Men, you ordinarily, in

most situations, not the nurturing type. You

don't get it. That child wasn't formed in your

womb. Thank goodness you have no womb. There's

some confusion out there, but not in God's word.

There's no confusion on this issue. But you don't

nurture. And by the way, usually what you find,

you find the kids naturally know this because

what? When they fall down and scrape their knee,

both parents are standing there. Even sometimes

to the exasperation of mom, the kid says, mom.

And sometimes we think, well, dad's right there,

right? There's a softness. There's a nurturing.

There's a goodness. Now you can be firm in those

things. I'm not saying that you're not important.

You're very important to the bringing up of your

children. But we need both nurturing and charging.

Dads need to exhort in such a fashion that is

encouraging, even if it's holding a hard line.

We're charging them. We're imploring them to

walk worthy of God. By the way, in both cases,

this has an implication to us, right? This has

an implication. Walk worthy of God. And if you're

not walking worthy of God yourself, guess what?

Your children, even when they're young, they

might not know the word. They might not know

the word. But they know that you're a hypocrite.

And that undermines their faith in Christ Jesus.

So this is very clear here. You've heard me say

this many times. When you recognize parents that

you're a hypocrite, Confess your sins before

God, confess it to those you sinned against,

your wife, your children, your husband. So here

that we need to see that this motherly and fatherly

care is not motivated by what is easy or comfortable

or convenient. When Paul is doing these things,

it's not easy, comfortable, or convenient. Discipling

folks as elders or as parents should not be done

for our glory or acceptance by men, but to the

glory of God and the benefit of the world. We

need both the gentle nurturing of mothers and

the bold charging of fathers. Now do not neglect

to notice that the call to walk worthy of God,

it is God who made the call. He's the one that

called the church in Thessalonica and now even

all of us into his kingdom and glory When we

consider the attacks to Christ in his church

both from without and within We can be much assured

in the love of God in Christ Jesus to us God

is faithful Jesus is the faithful husband to

the church who does not love us as we are but

rather what he is making us in to be Which is

a bride that he might sanctify and cleanse with

the washing of water by the word So that he may

presents her to himself a glorious church without

spot or wrinkle. Holy and unblemished Dearly

beloved God God calls us his own cling to Christ

As you stand at your post, faithfully seeing

others flourish in Christ and the fruit of the

Spirit. You know, it's interesting as we come

to the close of this, verse 13, after all this,

qualifications of ministry in difficulty, in

strife. Paul turns once again to giving thanks

verse 13 for this reason We also thank God without

ceasing because when you receive the word of

God what you heard from us You welcomed it not

as the word of men, but as it is in the truth

the word of God Which also effectively works

in you who believe? So Paul for the second time

in reference to living in much affliction states

that he is Eucharist owing He is giving thanks

in a memorial way without ceasing for what God

is doing. When Paul and his associates fled from

Thessalonica, they did not yet know the fruit

of their efforts. But they boldly went to Berea

and then to Athens. And Paul continues in this

very personal letter to emphasize the church's

need to live in thankfulness to God without ceasing.

As we mentioned last week, this thanks is to

be memorialized in our lives in both peace and

trouble. Again, I ask a couple of the questions

I submitted last week. How can I incorporate

this thing or experience, good or bad, this person,

good or bad, to a recital of God's great acts

for me and His people? How can my response of

this thing experience? or person be a continuing

witness to the goodness and faithfulness and

justice of God and Ask how can I receive this

thing? experience or person So as to break it

and distribute it for the nourishment edification

and joy of others now we talked about that in

some detail last week. But I'm trying to remind

us of what this is. The Christian life is one

lived in thankfulness, in hardship, in difficulty,

and nothing is happening to you outside of God's

providence. Not a thing. So how do we turn all

the difficulties, sickness, health, vicious attacks

from the world, vicious attacks from inside the

church? How do we address that? We go to God

with a sense of thankfulness, and we memorialize

these things. We say, okay, what hardships am

I in right now? How do I go to God and thank

Him for it? What is He doing to us and for us

for His glory and the benefit of the world? Dearly

beloved, like many in the Thessalonican Church,

right? This type of unceasing giving thanks may

feel very overwhelming, but it is not so. God

calls us, Paul says, and effectively works in

all you who believe. And then, of course, that's

when the other piece of doubt slips in. Yeah,

but do I really believe? Romans chapter 5 starting

Romans 5 · chapter mention

in verse 6 tells us this please listen to these

words of God Accepting in much affliction much

assurance For when we were still without strength

in due time Christ died for the ungodly For scarcely

a righteous man will one die yet perhaps for

a good one someone might even dare to die But

God demonstrates his own love towards us and

that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for

us. Much more than having now been justified

by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through

him. For if we were enemies, we were reconciled

to God through the death of his son. Much more,

having been reconciled, we shall be saved by

his life. And not only that, but we shall also

rejoice in God. through our Lord Jesus Christ,

through whom we have now received reconciliation.

What a wonderful promise that we hear as we're

charged with all these things, as we take in

consideration the work of Christ on our behalf.

We're going to move to the table here in just

a moment and we're going to rejoice in the great

work of Christ. When we were helpless, when we

were without strength, Christ died for us. And

now we're reconciled to God. Let us now pray.

Heavenly Father, we thank you for your grace,

assurance, and the call that you have delivered

to us in Christ Jesus. Help us, we pray, to disciple

those who you have given to us out of humble

gratitude to your glory and their benefit. Oh

Lord, in time of prosperity, fill our hearts

with thankfulness. and the day of trouble suffer

not our trust in you to fail by memorializing

thanks to you for your glory and the edification

and joy of the world. All this we ask through

Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.