Our Motive to Please God

Page 1186 if you're using a red covered Bible.

It's on page 1186 through these summer months.

It is summer. Yesterday was summer.

And we're going through this great letter.

And Ralph started us off and Kevin continues in chapter 2.

So we're going to read from chapter 2 verse 1 through to verse 12 of 1 Thessalonians.

On page 1186.

Let's hear God's word.

You know, brothers and sisters, that our visit to you was not a failure.

We had previously suffered and been insulted in Philippi, as you know, but with the help of our God, we dare to tell you this gospel in spite of strong opposition.

For the appeal we make does not spring from error or impure motives, nor are we trying to trick you.

On the contrary, we speak as men approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel.

We are not trying to please men, but God who tests our hearts.

You know, we never used flattery, nor did we put on a mask to cover up greed.

God is our witness.

We were not looking for praise from men, not from you or anyone else.

As apostles of Christ, we could have been a burden to you, but we were gentle among you, like a mother caring for her little children.

We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God, but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us.

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.

You are witnesses, and so is God, of how holy, righteous, and blameless we were among you who believed.

For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children, encouraging, comforting, and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who called you into his kingdom and glory.

Kevin, when you come up, Yelena, can I ask you just to get some pens while I'm talking to Kevin here?

Yelena's going to be passing out pens.

It's an opportunity.

You can take notes on the back of the news sheet.

Kevin will welcome any feedback afterwards, encouraging ones first, isn't that right?

Exactly.

This is Kevin O'Connor.

He's studying in CIT, just completed your degree, and going on to a master's.

Is that right?

No.

No?

Well, tell us.

I was considering a master's.

I was offered a master's, but I'll be pursuing four years of theological training with a correspondence course with the evangelical movement of Wales.

There's another man in my church, Danny McAllen, who's doing that at the moment.

So it involves going over for one week in August and another in Easter for intensive lectures.

And then what you do is they send you less essays and reading assignments then to do then via correspondence.

So it allows me to serve in my church, work a full-time job, save up to get married to that girl.

And so that's what I want to do the next four years anyway.

Okay.

Excellent.

And you were just on camp as well?

Yep.

Had the hard job of looking after my son for a week?

That's good.

You beat him at table tennis?

I did, just about.

It wasn't good.

It wasn't good.

But welcome here today.

And yeah, I'm going to pray for you and for us.

Okay, so let's pray.

Father, thank you for your gifts to us.

Thank you for people.

And thank you for Kevin.

Thank you for his love for you.

Thank you for making him a child of your family.

Thank you for the love that you have given to him to serve your church and your people.

We pray for him in this coming year as he settles into theological education, that you would help him in his reading, in his essay writing.

You would guard him from just making it an informational exercise, but that you would use it all to change his life, to change him to be more like Christ, to be better equipped, to be a servant of the gospel as one, as we've just read, who is entrusted with the gospel.

So we pray for him and we ask for your help upon him now and upon us all, your Holy Spirit to be at work amongst us, we pray in Jesus' name.

Amen.

Thanks, Kevin.

Thank you.

Good morning, everybody.

So, let's get myself ready here now.

It's a privilege to be here.

And I'm just amazed at the grace of God that I can stand before his people and open his word to you.

So I just thank you so much for this invitation.

And thank you to my God for letting me stand here.

And so, I know you started Thessalonians already as a church.

And so you've seen that it's a letter written by Paul from Paul, Silvanus and Timothy.

They were fellow missionaries.

It was on Paul's second missionary trip.

He did a big circle kind of around the place, around two different countries.

And he landed, towards the end of it, he ended up in Thessalonica, which is in modern-day Greece.

And he arrived from persecution.

And he arrived from out of the frying pan into the fire, as it were, and planted a church there by God's grace.

And it was a persecuted church.

And so Timothy had visited the church in the meantime, so they moved on.

Timothy went back and visited the church in Thessalonica.

And he reported back to Paul.

And so, concerning their faith and example, which he looked at last week.

And so this letter was written by Paul in light of this report.

So it's kind of Paul's response, after Timothy had given a report to them, of how the Thessalonians were doing.

And so, when we're looking at the book of Thessalonians, its parallel passage is in Acts 17, verses 1 to 9,

Acts 17:1–9

which outlines the actual first visit that Paul and his entourage made to the Thessalonians.

And so Paul is speaking to them as brothers.

And he goes on as well to use paternal language, that he is their father in the Lord.

And also, he describes himself as a mother, as we'll see later.

So Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy came from Philippi to Thessalonica to preach the gospel.

That was their goal.

And this was the end of Paul's second missionary trip, as I said, from 49 to 52 AD.

And today, what we'll be looking at is chapter 2, verses 1 to 12 specifically,

Isaiah 2:1–12

where Paul outlines how he ministered among them and why.

And so, I know preachers like fancy ways of saying things, so here's my shot of this.

The content and the intent of their ministry.

There you go.

I thought that was good enough.

So the content and the intent of their ministry.

And so today, for us as people in 2012, we're not in a persecuted church.

We're not in Thessalonica.

But we are God's people.

And so scripture always comes to bear to us.

And by the Holy Spirit, we will realize that in our individual lives.

And so today, God's word reminds us that our motives for Christian living,

our motives for ministry as well, are so important.

And they will shape and define the legacy that we leave behind for God's kingdom

and how we labor for him.

And we don't have long.

It feels like I entered college like four weeks ago, and now I'm finished.

I think once you leave secondary school, it's just like a shotgun.

I don't know.

I feel like my life's going to fast forward.

So I just realized that our time is limited as Christians.

So let us labor under the right motives.

And so let's begin in verse one.

We're just going to go down through it verse by verse and just expand on what Paul is speaking about.

And he says, you know, brothers and sisters, that our visit to you was not without results.

And so Paul begins reminding them of the obvious.

The very fact that he's writing to them is proof.

If there's someone there to write to, that's a good thing,

because the church took ground.

They took root.

And so he says, you know, he casts their mind back to their visit.

And in one verse five, Paul said that the gospel didn't just come to you.

So chapter one verse five, he said the gospel didn't just come to you in word.

It came to you in power and the Holy Spirit.

And I know I've shared the gospel with people before,

and I've asked them, do you understand what I'm telling you?

And they go, I get it.

But you see the spirit is not at work and that power is not there.

And it's a sad thing.

But you also see those times when you share the gospel and the power is there

and the Holy Spirit is there to open their eyes to the gospel.

And such is the case here in the Thessalonians.

And Paul is reminding them.

He said, look, I didn't come to you just with a message.

I came to you and the Lord came in power and the Holy Spirit.

And that is why he has someone to write to.

And so in Acts 17, we read about this actual visit.

So I'm just going to give you a brief overview.

You can look at it yourself in your own time, but Acts 17, 1 to 9.

And it says that basically what Paul used to do, his style of ministry,

was to go to the synagogue, open up the Old Testament,

and prove that Jesus was the Christ.

And it says in Acts 17 that he proved to them, explained and proved to them,

so it's possible to prove from the Old Testament that Christ had to suffer and rise again.

Because the Jewish understanding of the Messiah was that he was going to be a king

that was going to come along and basically kick the Romans to touch

and bring in this earthly rule.

Whereas what Paul was saying, he reasoned with them.

No, it was actually necessary for the Christ, the Messiah, the chosen one of God,

to suffer, which doesn't sound very kingly,

to be humbled and suffered and die on a cross

and then be risen again.

And so he reasoned with them.

And some Jews believed, many God-fearing Greeks believed,

and some influential women also believed.

So influential women would be essentially wives of prominent men,

as the society was then.

But what happened is, after a couple of weeks of this,

it says about three Sabbaths, about two weeks,

but it must have been, it was a good bit longer than that.

So a good few weeks, the Jews got sick of it,

and they'd got some, basically some wasters from the marketplace,

started up a riot, dragged them,

they couldn't find Paul and Silvanus,

or Silas or Silvanus, it's the same guy.

They couldn't find them,

so what they did is they dragged Jason,

who was their host for the week,

or for their time, their visit in Thessalonica,

dragged them before the magistrates,

and said that they're committing treason against King Caesar.

And so Jason is forced to pay bonds,

he's basically forced to pay money as a guarantee

that he won't put these people up again.

And as soon as night falls, Paul and Silvanus,

they continue on and they head off to Berea.

And so you can see that it was,

you can imagine the stress of that,

imagine ministering among the Jews,

and then suddenly there's a riot,

you've got to leave as soon as there's night cover.

I mean, that was a pretty stressful visit for them.

And so he left the church in persecution,

the Jews were giving them hassle

because they had left as they saw the way of God

to follow this carpenter from Nazareth.

And so in verse 2 then,

Paul goes on to give them a little background.

So if that was bad, he says,

okay, go back to before I even arrived there.

I came from Philippi,

and that was just another bad time,

it was really difficult for him.

He said, we had previously suffered,

verse 2,

and been treated outrageously in Philippi,

as you know,

but with the help of God,

we dare to tell you

his gospel in the face of strong opposition.

And this outrageous treatment

that Paul was referring to

was the fact that they were arrested and beaten,

they were put in shackles,

and as their Roman citizens,

basically the magistrates there got egg in their chin,

they sort of threw them in prison,

realized they're Roman citizens,

and said, okay, you can go.

And Paul was like,

well, hey, you don't get off that lightly.

So they had to apologize to them

and send them on their way.

But you know,

when Paul was in prison

in Philippi,

I think this is amazing,

when Paul was in prison,

with Silvanus as well,

they sang in their prison cells.

And I think this morning

of people in Eritrea,

in containers,

and I wonder,

I think they're singing,

I hope they are in their hearts,

and we pray the Lord will be with them.

But as they sung,

and as they prayed,

there was an earthquake,

and the prison basically

was just rocked to pieces.

Paul comes out,

the door swings open,

Paul comes out,

the guard is ready to kill himself,

because he knows it's better to kill himself

than stand before his authorities,

knowing that the people

that he's been entrusted with

have now gone free.

And then the jailer gets saved.

He goes,

what must I do to be saved?

And so his whole house is saved

and baptized,

and so Paul leaves them in Philippi there,

the church,

and goes on his way.

He greets Lydia as well,

another woman who was converted.

And so you can see,

you've got the frying pan,

and the fryer.

So Paul,

wherever he seems to go,

there's persecution,

there's persecution,

persecution.

And I think it's just,

it's really,

it's really evident in Acts

to see that

as the Lord's church is expanding,

it is always under fire.

And I know that mightn't be

a very comforting thought to us,

but we see the places in the world

where the Lord's church,

where God's people are oppressed

in their worship of him.

And we see how God blesses them,

and how the church spreads

in spite of it.

And I love that.

Not that we don't love the fact

that we have freedom here as well.

We shouldn't seek persecution as such.

So verse 3,

he goes on to talk about motives.

That's what we want to look at this morning.

So there's the background.

He says,

remember what I did when I was there?

Here's the background

for what I did when I was there,

before we came there.

And he goes on,

he says,

verse 3,

for the appeal we make

does not spring from error

or from impure motives,

nor are we trying to trick you.

And he says,

look,

I have no hidden agenda here.

And as Christians,

we should just have a simple agenda,

is to please God

and to bring people the gospel.

And it's almost deceptively simple.

But Paul says,

I don't have any trick up my sleeve.

I'm not trying to get money out of you.

I'm not trying to be greedy.

I'm not trying to flatter you.

I came.

And I just want you to know

that I'm not trying to trick you

and that my motives for this are pure.

And it's also possible as well,

if you read Paul's writings,

Paul oftentimes had to address

critics in the church.

What happens if Paul would plant a church?

I'd say he just got sick of it

by the end of it.

He'd plant a church,

leave,

and then you'd have someone going like,

I don't know about that Paul fellow.

They'd undermine his authority.

And I actually looked it up.

Paul wrote 13 epistles, okay?

Not including Hebrews,

but most people don't believe

that he wrote Hebrews.

Out of the 13 epistles,

nine of them start off

with Paul asserting his apostleship.

And I think that's telling.

And so it could be the case,

now not explicitly,

but it could be the case

that in the Thessalonian church

that Paul is addressing

maybe local critics

or people who are sort of

giving out about Paul,

saying, you know,

he came there now

and he only did that

because he was greedy

or he wanted to get money out of it.

He'll be back now

and he'll give you the bill

for what he did.

And he's saying,

look, that's not happening.

I'm not going to come back

and do that.

And so although it's not

explicitly mentioned,

it could be the case

that he's addressing those things.

And so regardless,

Paul is just saying,

our motives are pure.

He was transparent before them.

And so in verse 4,

he gives the actual motive itself.

And this is the crux

of the passage,

I think, for us

as Christians today.

On the contrary,

verse 4,

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.

And so Paul here

states plainly

their motive

to please God.

It's so simple.

I just,

I love how scripture

is just like,

it's like having a shower

for your mind.

It just gets rid of

all the dirt,

all the buildup.

And sometimes

when I go out

in passage,

I was speaking to people

about the gospel

or I was in college,

I get all wound up.

And you think,

well,

why am I doing this

and all these things?

Why do we serve tea

from the hatch?

Why do we play guitars?

Why do we set up mics?

Why do we come here

every Sunday morning?

Why do we minister

in MTC camps

or in camps

for children

with hard of hearing?

To please God

because of what

he has done for us.

And here is the purest

and highest motive

for Christian ministry.

And there are

other motives as well.

I mean,

I got onto passage

because,

or we share the gospel

with people

because we want them

to be saved.

I want everybody

in my extended family

to become Christians.

And it pains me

that so far

very few of them

have it.

None.

That is a perfectly

good motive

but that must come

under the highest motive

which is the pleasure

of God in all things.

To please him,

to obey him.

And by pleasing him

we obey him

and by obeying him

we exalt him.

It's all wrapped up

in one sort of

huge motive.

And so we must love

people absolutely.

And so I think

if you look at

remember when Christ

was asked

what's the greatest

commandment?

What did he say?

He said to love God

essentially.

And he said

and the second

is like it.

And I can kind of

see your man

kind of going

I didn't ask you

about the second

commandment.

But you see

what Jesus was doing

there.

He was saying

there is a very

tight relationship

between these two.

I mentioned the first

and it is first.

But I will also

mention the second

because there is

such a close

relationship.

And so it is

with our motives

as Christians

our highest motive

ought to be

the pleasure of God

but linked to it

is the pleasure

of people in God.

And he said

it's not to please man

so Paul states

in the negative sense

that I didn't come

here to please you.

I've said it to

many of my friends

before.

I think you get

this as Christians.

If I wanted to be

a people pleaser

I'd have picked

a different religion.

You know

or else I'd preach

some sort of

false gospel

about how God

will make you rich

all the time.

And you know

there's an awful

lot of better religions

if your goal

is to make people

feel happy

about themselves

you know

in a cheap sense.

Christianity of course

does bring much joy

when we receive Christ.

But you know

Paul stated

in Galatians 1.10

he said

you know

for am I now

seeking the approval

of man

or of God

or am I trying

to please man

if I were still

trying to please man

I would not be

a servant of Christ.

He says

you're going to

serve Christ

he says

you can give up

you can give up

that motive

of just trying

to please men.

you serve Christ

and let men

think what they will.

And he said

I did not change

our message

to please people

the gospel divides

it offends people

it's awkward

to bring up

in conversation

it started a riot

in Thessalonica

quite literally

wherever Paul went

it was just like

an explosion

but it offends

and it's awkward

it's really awkward

sometimes to bring up

the gospel.

I went up to my

neighbor the other day

because I realized

I'd never actually

gone to my neighbor

about the gospel

and it was one of

the most painfully

awkward conversations

of my life.

I'm just being honest

with you

but now she has

a gospel of John

she has a tract

and it's something

more than she had

the week before

when I didn't

tell her anything

and so I trust

God for that

but I just want

to remind us

that it's okay

for it to be awkward

but let's go anyway

and it says here as well

Paul reminds them

God who tests

our hearts

and he doesn't say

God who tested

our hearts

or God who will

test our hearts

on that great day

of judgment

he could have said

something like that

but he says God

who tests our hearts

on a continuing

ongoing basis

and so we see

we know that God

often comes to us

sometimes when we're

lying in our beds

at night

and he convicts us

where we've gone

astray

or where our motives

maybe have gone off

or where we need

to look in our lives

and we see that God

tests our hearts

and that he keeps us

on the narrow path

with that singular motive

the pleasure of God

and he says in 5

you know we never

use flattery

nor do we put on

a mask to cover up

greed

God is our witness

and flattery

we know from

scripture is sin

I looked up a

definition of flattery

in the dictionary

and it says to

ingratiate yourself

with another

by means of

excessive compliments

so in other words

just trying to

butter somebody up

by telling them

they're great

but flattery

never works as a

means of spreading

the gospel

what we know

from scripture

about man

in his fallen state

is that he is

in love with himself

he is a hater of God

and if you tell him

that he's great

he's bound to agree

and so the main message

of the gospel

is not that you're

a fantastic person

it's that God

is a great God

and that he has come

to save sinners like us

and greed is likewise

a sin

and Paul is well aware

that there are many

ministers around

in that time

as there are now

who use the gospel

or a sort of gospel

and use the scripture

to make money

and that is a shameful thing

Paul addressed that

in Romans 16

he said

for such persons

do not serve

our Lord Jesus Christ

with their own appetites

and by smooth talk

and flattery

they deceive the hearts

of the naive

and you know

we are sure from scripture

they will be numbered

among those

who stand before the Lord

on that day

and the Lord will say

I never knew you

away from me

you workers of lawlessness

and so

Paul is saying

I'm not like those

I did not come to you

to flatter you

or to get money

out of you

and he says

we were not looking

for praise

verse 6 and 7

and 8 as well

he says

we were not looking

for praise

from people

so again

he's saying the same thing

a lot of the time

over and over again

the same thing

not from you

or anyone else

even though

as apostles of Christ

we could have asserted

our authority

instead we were like

young children among you

just as a nursing mother

cares for her children

so as apostles of Jesus

as apostles of Jesus Christ

as ones who received

their ministry

directly from the Lord

they could have made

legitimate requests

he was an apostle

that was a privilege

and he could have made

legitimate requests

without sinning

and the only thing

I can think of at the moment

would be that

they would ask for

financial support

ask for bread and board

as it were

but Paul said no

we were sensitive

towards you

and they did not have

a sense of entitlement

so they didn't walk in

and go like

we're apostles

you know

we're the big Jesus

we'll tell you how it's done

he shared the gospel

with them

they discipled them

but they did not lean on them

or become a burden to them

and he says

as a mother

as a nursing mother

cares for her children

and so mothers

ask for nothing

from their children

really

they don't try

and make a profit

off their kids

if they do

they're mixed up

mothers want to see

their kids

to grow up

and be healthy

and Paul is saying

that's what I want for you

I'm like a mother

nursing you

I want you to grow up

and be healthy

that's my desire

and so we care for you

he says

because we loved you

so much

we delighted to share

with you

not only the gospel

of God

but our lives as well

and so Paul said

I didn't just give you

the gospel

and kind of step back

I wasn't standoffish

I gave you my very self

we shared our lives

with you

we ate with you

we worked in the same

areas as you

we shared ourselves

with you

so it wasn't a sort

of impersonal

here is the gospel

and we'll be over here

we'll come back tomorrow

and tell you more

they share the gospel

with them

they share their lives

and that brings validity

and I think there's surely

a good principle

to be observed here

that by giving of ourselves

we reinforce the message

of the gospel

as it says in Titus

that our good works

they adorn

the doctrine of God

our saviour

and so our good works

are not the gospel

they are a result

of the gospel

they are an outworking

of the gospel

but what they do

is they point towards

the gospel

and so Paul

shared with them

their very lives

and this reinforced

how genuine

and sincere

he was

to them

surely you remember

brothers

verse 9

it says

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 preach

the gospel of God

to you

and so they sought

to avoid being

a burden financially

and we all know

that Paul had a trade

what was his trade

he made tents

I'm intimately aware

of the need for good tents

having spent two weeks

living in one

we had army tents

they're really good tents

but we had really good

rain as well

so I woke up one night

and it was just like

just like a bucket of water

had been sloshed

into our tent

but that was fun

I had to laugh

it was good fun

but Paul

I'd like to think of this

sometimes we think of Paul

like this

and we ought to think

of Paul highly

I was just thinking

on the way down

I'd like to imagine

Paul just sitting there

making a tent

I know we always think

of Paul like standing

in the middle of

you know

the Coliseum

like roaring

you know

and having this

massive point to make

and preaching Christ

but remember

Paul sat down sometimes

for the whole day

and made tents

I think

I've never actually

thought about that before

I knew he made tents

but I never actually

pictured him sitting there

you know

getting the cuts right

or getting one wrong

getting frustrated

selling them

and just dealing day to day

and I think that is

that's a nice thought

to dwell on I think

to see that even Paul

the great Paul

just to see him

making tents

and that gives me hope

for a guy who works

in a shop

I sell you know

computers and laptop cases

and all that

I can do all things

for the glory of God

and so can you

there is no separation

between secular and holy

all of our lives

are worshipped towards him

and finally in 10

just going towards

the end of it

he says

you are witnesses

and so is God

of how holy

and righteous

and blameless

you were among you

and he appeals

to their consciences

he says look remember

just think

you can pick

what we did apart

just look at what we did

it was before you all

it was transparent

and it was clear to you

that we had no false motives

and just going back

as well sorry

just to verse 9 there

while we preach the gospel to you

I just want to pick up

on that very last phrase

it says

while we preach the gospel to you

and so

he doesn't say like

when we preach the gospel to you

it wasn't just a one off event

as I said remember

that it didn't just hit them

with the gospel

and leave for the next town

he worked in the

in the synagogue

Paul did

for three weeks

three sabbaths

so two weeks

inclusive

but he stayed with them

a lot longer

and he discipled them

and so the gospel

this is something that is

that is really important

I think for us to understand

is the gospel is simple enough

to be outlined

in a few phrases

or even a few paragraphs

in a few minutes

you can give someone the gospel

you can start off with

the holy and righteous God

the fall of man

the Messiah

the sent God

that God sent us

a solution

he sent us to atone for sins

he sent his own son Jesus Christ

and that by simple faith in him

we can join

in his resurrection life

and be forgiven of our sins

there's lots of ways

you can say

the message of the gospel

but it's simple enough

to be outlined in a few minutes

but it is deep enough

and it is deep enough

to be thought of

for eternity

we will spend eternity

glorying in the gospel

of Jesus Christ

we will not arrive at heaven

and realize that there's

you know

another gospel

there is one gospel

and we will

we will glory in that forever

it says that angels

long to look into these things

that is an amazing thing

to think of isn't it

that is how amazing

the gospel is

the fact that

I was just thinking about this

over the week

that God

infinite God

of all creation

who existed in perfect communion

in the Trinity

before the world began

became a baby

he became a baby

God became a baby

he grew up

and when he was

33 years old

he was crucified on a cross

naked

shamefully

for my sin

and for your sin

what a wonderful

wonderful gospel

it's amazing to think of

and Paul stayed there

and he explained it

he discipled them

and so he didn't

as I said

he didn't just give them

the gospel as it were

in a couple of points

and leave them

he explained it to them

and I have no doubt

that Paul would have taken them

because they didn't have

the New Testament

at that time yet

he would have taken them

to the Old Testament

I would like to guess

at the passages

he would have used

you see Isaiah 53

or Ezekiel 46

he was talking about

the new heart

you see all those

Old Testament passages

that speak of Christ

and how Paul would have

shown them from the scriptures

that Jesus was the Messiah

and that he was the way

the truth and the life

and finally in verses 11 and 12

he says

for you know we dealt

with each of you

as a father deals

with his own children

encouraging

comforting

and urging you

to live lives

worthy of God

who calls you

into his kingdom

and glory

and he says

as a father

deals with his own children

and I think

the picture of fatherhood

is a perfect blend

of authority

and love

I'm glad

that I have a father

and he's not a perfect father

by any means

but I'm glad

I have a father

and I'm glad

that God has given him

authority over me

and I'm glad

that he loves me

and I think

if you have all love

but no authority

no discipline

you get

mixed up kids

but if you have

all authority

and no love

it's a sterile

relationship

with your father

but our father in heaven

he's a perfectly loving father

and he disciplines us

because he loves us

and Paul goes on

and I want us to just dwell

on this as we finish

he says

I want to

he encouraged you

comforted them

encouraged them

and urged them

to live lives

worthy of God

who calls you

into his kingdom

and glory

and I was thinking

like it says that

in Philippians

in chapter 1

of Philippians

or chapter 2

it's in Philippians

anyway definitely

where it says

that we are to live

in a manner

worthy of the gospel

I was thinking

how can you live

a life worthy of that

how can you live up

to this amazing calling

that God has brought us to

that God has become man

that he has humbled himself

that he has died

under the curse

of the law

and that he has redeemed us

from out of the law

into the gospel of grace

how can I live a life

that even

what does worthy mean

in that case

there is no life

that deserves the gospel

that's not what Paul

is getting at

he's not saying

live a life

to earn your gospel

there's none of us

in this room

that deserve

the grace of God

the mercy of God

as revealed to us

through our Lord Jesus Christ

I know I don't

I deserve hell

it took me a few years

to really be able to say that

and mean it

but having seen more

of my sinful nature

I realize now

that I deserve the wrath of God

apart from Jesus Christ

I really do

I'm not saying that

because I'm standing up here

I'm saying that

because I know myself

and I realize from scripture

that all men

are just like me

and so apart from God's mercy

and forgiveness

through the Lord Jesus Christ

all men deserve

God's wrath

and judgment

but it is an unearned gift

God has lavished

his love upon us

as it says in 1st John

what manner of love

is this

that we should be called

children of God

it's an amazing thing

so there is no life

that deserves the gospel

there's no one

that ever God

came along to and said

he's really good

I think he deserves

the gospel

it is all of grace

in fact the gospel

is good news for us

because we don't deserve it

if our salvation

was contingent

upon our performance

I'd have been disqualified

years ago

but thank God

that it depends

not on man who wills

but on God

who has mercy

and boy does he have mercy

boy is he patient

and I just

I revel in that

I thank him

every day for it

and so when he's saying

is live a manner worthy

of the gospel

here's what I think he means

is live a life

that points

and reflects the fact

that God has undeservingly

showed his mercy upon you

he's not calling us

to

to

sort of try and earn

our salvation at all

that's a works gospel

and Paul has spent

a lot of time in Galatians

and many other epistles

trying to

dismantle that

he's saying

live a life

that reflects

the mercy

and glory

and forgiveness

of Jesus Christ

I think the nicest people

to talk to in the world

are people

who are humble

and people who are forgiven

remember Jesus said

you know

if you're forgiven little

you love little

isn't that what he said

but he's forgiven much

and so the more we dwell

on the gospel

the more we realize

how God has had mercy on us

the more happy we are

to put up with other people

to put up with our own

sinful nature

to serve in a church

humbly

to go out and talk to people

about the gospel

and if they spit in our face

or if they just

give us some really weird

sort of awkward response

like I got during the week

to just say

that's okay

because you know what

it was awkward for God

to come to earth

to become a child

to grow up

God went through

such persecution

and he endured

the shame of the cross

from me

the least I can do

is go to my neighbor

and have a bit of

an awkward conversation

so long as

they know the gospel

and I'll let God

take care of which soil

that seed falls on

and Paul is calling them

to a life of holiness

he's calling them

to sanctification

that's the fancy word

for holiness

becoming more like Jesus

even in the midst

of persecution

and finally he says

the motive for this

call to holiness

is the end result

of our faith

the kingdom of God

and the glory of God

and so may we be people

who are busy

readying ourselves

for that kingdom

as it comes

here on earth

and eternally

on that great day

of judgment

let me pray for us

Father I thank you

for your word

and Lord I pray

that you take

these sort of broken

thoughts about your word

Lord and I pray

Lord that

that your gospel

Lord would hit us afresh

I thank you for Paul

who gave us a good example

and for Silvanus

and for Timothy

I thank you Lord

for the reminder Lord

that your persecuted church

will flourish

and that no power of hell

no scheme of man

will ever come

above them

all authority

on heaven and on earth

has been given to you

Lord whether we are

sharing the gospel Lord

or making tents

or whatever our calling is

I pray Lord

that we would do it

Lord

with the motive

of pleasing you

Lord that you would be

pleased in our rising up

and in our lying down

in our drinking

and in our eating

in our silence

and in our words

I thank you for the Lord

Jesus Christ

I thank you for

his people

that is here in this room

I thank you for his church

and as we labor

as we seek to fulfill

the great commission

here in Carragalline

or in Balanchalec

or if it's in Eritrea

or in North Korea

Lord

may your people

Lord labor

under the pure motive

it is

to labor for the pleasure

of you

to obey you

and to see your kingdom

come here

it is a privilege

to be a Christian Lord

it is all of grace

and we thank you

for this time Lord

around your word

in Jesus precious name

Amen