The Pastor's Joy-Filled Heart

PASTORAL PRAYER

Gracious and Holy God, We come before You this morning with humble hearts, lifting our eyes to You— the One who knows our struggles, hears our cries, and strengthens our faith. Lord, as the psalmist prayed, Let not those who seek you be brought to dishonor because of me. We confess that at times our witness has faltered under pressure, and our courage has wavered when the world mocks our devotion. Yet even in our shortcomings, You remain our refuge and our song. Strengthen us, O God, to stand firm in faith and love, that our lives might honor Your holy name. Father, we remember those who, like David, feel worn by the weight of contempt and loneliness. Comfort them with Your presence. Remind them that You see every tear, You hear every sigh, and You redeem every sorrow for Your glory. And Lord, we thank You for the joy that comes from faith that endures. Just as Paul rejoices at the steadfastness of the Thessalonian believers, we give You thanks for the faith of this congregation— faith that grows even in trial, love that overflows, and hope that keeps looking to Jesus. We pray, Lord, that You would increase our faith and deepen our love for one another. Knit our hearts together in the unity of Your Spirit, that when we gather, our fellowship might be a living testimony of Your grace. Grant that our worship today would refresh weary souls, renew our strength for service, and remind us that in every hardship, You are working to make us more like Christ. And now, Father, may the joy of Your presence fill this place, the peace of Christ guard our hearts, and the power of the Spirit be evident in us— so that our lives bring glory to You, now and forever. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

INTRODUCTION

Over the course of the past few weeks, we have gotten a glimpse at the Pastoral heart of the Apostle Paul.

We know from his own testimony that all the churches that he was responsible for planting were on his heart and mind daily.

2 Corinthians 11:28 ESV

And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches.

This is a reminder to us that a Pastor’s job is not 9-5.

The care and concern for the sheep in his fold oftentimes carries over into the later “relaxing hours” of the evening or even the “sleeping hours” of the night.

Last week, Paul made evident the longing and sacrifices that come with Pastoral Concern (v.1-5).

when we could bear it no longer… (v. 1a) A pastor longs to see the people in his care. He wants to know what is going on and how they are faring. He wants to be assured of their spiritual safety and nourishment.

we were willing to be left behind at Athens alone… (v. 1b) When the pastor reaches a point of agony in not knowing the welfare of the sheep, he must make necessary sacrifices to find out their condition. Maybe it’s a sacrifice of time. Maybe it’s a sacrifice of resources. Maybe it’s a sacrifice of convenience.

we sent Timothy… (v. 2) There are occasions in the Pastor’s life when he cannot be personally present, so he calls on others to lend a hand. Other Elders and Deacons are an invaluable resource. Other members of the church can assist in these things as well. (doesn’t have to be a leader!) No church should have a “one man show.” The ministry of the gospel is too big for any one person to accomplish on their own.

Romans 12:4–5 ESV

For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.

Today, we are going to get a small portrait of The Pastor’s Joy-Filled Heart.

Read 1 Thessalonians 3:6-10

The Pastor’s Delight

verse 6

He delights in their faith and love

The Greek word for good news is the same exact word that we translate as gospel.

There is the same thrust of joy and hope and excitement in the news that Timothy reported to Paul as in the preaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

In fact, the report from Timothy was rooted in the gospel, as all things in the church should be.

The gospel is not simply a means of eternal salvation. The gospel is the means of eternal life.

John 10:10 ESV

I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.

1 Timothy 6:11–14 ESV

But as for you, O man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who in his testimony before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, to keep the commandment unstained and free from reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ,

Timothy reported to Paul about the life that the Thessalonian believers were living… the life rooted in the gospel of Jesus Christ.

[Timothy] has brought us the good news of your faith and love…

A faith rooted in the gospel: repent and believe in Jesus. Repentance brings about change in life because it is a change of mindset, and belief brings about new purpose and direction. It’s no longer about you.

A love that is the outworking of the gospel in their lives.

Psalm 1:2–3 ESV

[the righteous man’s] delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.

The faith and love of the Thessalonians are a result of the Holy Spirit working through the Word of God in their lives.

He delights in their thoughts and longing

Timothy reported that they always remember them kindly and long to see them.

Even though Paul was forced out of Thessalonica early, being persecuted for the faith

They most likely had the Jews come in and tell them how wrong (and awful) Paul was, and that Jesus was not the Messiah

Despite the opposition, they hand fond memories of Paul and his companions. They, too, longed to fellowship with Paul and to learn from him.

It is a great delight to a Pastor when they hear from the saints their desire to see him.

The encouragement to Paul is enormous to know that they thought kindly of him and wanted to see him again.

Pastor’s do not have an enviable task in preaching (accurately) and living (boldly) the gospel of Jesus Christ. Many times, we step on toes and get people upset with us because of what we are sharing from the Word.

John 3:19 ESV

And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.

People loved the darkness so much, they crucified the Light. People are still living in darkness, and a pastor’s job is to shine the light on that darkness. Nobody likes to be told they are wrong or that they are sinners.

The Pastor’s Gratitude

verses 7-8

Paul’s anxiety and stress was turned to comfort when he heard the report from Timothy.

As mentioned before, Paul had the daily anxiety of all the churches

We know that he longed to see the Thessalonians, but we in other letters that he also longed to see the Romans, Philippians, Colossians, Corinthians, and Timothy.

The only hope for relief from the anxiety is to receive the report that Timothy brought.

The Thessalonians were true believers in the faith, who have stood firm in light of the persecution.

Paul, at one time, had become so distressed (possibly by ministry) that he lost interest in preaching the gospel.

2 Corinthians 2:12–13 ESV

When I came to Troas to preach the gospel of Christ, even though a door was opened for me in the Lord, my spirit was not at rest because I did not find my brother Titus there. So I took leave of them and went on to Macedonia.

Yet, with the report from Timothy, it was an injection of life to him (we live!).

There is no greater joy for a pastor than to know that their people are walking with the Lord

3 John 3–4 ESV

For I rejoiced greatly when the brothers came and testified to your truth, as indeed you are walking in the truth. I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.

How can you let your pastor know that you are healthy in your walk?

Ask questions about your quiet time, or simply let him know what you are learning

Ask questions about the sermon or lesson he just did

Tell him you are praying for him and his family

Ask him who needs encouragement in the church, and go encourage them

It is a great joy to a pastor to know their people love the Lord, love the saints, and are seeking to serve them.

The Pastor’s Intercession

verses 9-10

We are going to dig into The Pastor’s Prayer next week, but here is a snapshot look at it from Paul.

CONCLUSION

May we, like the Thessalonians, bring joy to our pastors and other believers by standing firm in the gospel and seeking to grow in it.

Romans 12:4–5 ESV

For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.