Yeargin- Getting people to grow past you (vs 12)

Intro

Getting people to grow past you

other’s Christianity cannot be live or die with you

What is Paul’s example so that they were not relying on him

2 Thessalonians 2:1–12 KJV 1900

Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things? And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

Defined- vs 12 That ye would walk worthy of God- God is who they walk with and God defines their worth

who hath called you- they are sensitive and answering to God’s calling and familiar with God’s voice

Not in vain-vs 1

How he created an environment for others to walk with God

Always a tendency in all of us; to love the people God gives us

but we do not Lord over them

and if God calls them to go we are okay to see them go

the will of God for the Christian in thessalonica is not always the will of God for Paul’s life

Does not mean one of us are wrong; we are not all called to pass out tracts

illustr- passing out tracts roe

PARENTS- OT did right all the days of the priest

TEACHERS- Masters Club, Sunday School, Nursery

DISCIPLERS-

Anyone who is working with people

Read

Guided to Go Beyond (vs 12)

Not in vain- Gained a brother

Our entrance in unto you

That it was not in vain

Made an impact, changed lives, started a church, gained brothers

I) He was Bold in the face of Opposition (vs 1-2)

“Bold in our God”

Bold in the face of opposition

Cowardice is contagious but so is courage

grew with the adversity and challenge

Overcame negative experiences

Did not allow how others treated them to determine their obedience to God

Slander, much contention (vs 15) persecuted us, forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they might be saved.

Text

Paul has just been whipped and imprisoned for his work in Phillipi

How does he respond to a city that desired him to depart ()?

How does he respond to a city that desired him to depart ()?

He finally makes it to the house of Lydia...

Paul what are you going to do; your wounds are still healing from those stripes from the Philippians magistrates whips, those Jews took you by force and convinced the Greeks to whip you and imprison you, saying you were anti government and anti-Rome

Well you know I think there is an opportunity at Thessalonica; there is a synagogue of the Jews there. ()

He says Let’s go to Thessalonica; theres a synagogue of the Jews there (Acts 17:1)

and comforted the brethren and departs

He grows in his boldness for Jesus Christ

Then went to Berea!

Paul’s ministry lasted not more than a month before persecution drove him out of Thessalonica

Acts 17:2 KJV 1900

And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures,

).

Acts 17:5–10 KJV 1900

But the Jews which believed not, moved with envy, took unto them certain lewd fellows of the baser sort, and gathered a company, and set all the city on an uproar, and assaulted the house of Jason, and sought to bring them out to the people. And when they found them not, they drew Jason and certain brethren unto the rulers of the city, crying, These that have turned the world upside down are come hither also; Whom Jason hath received: and these all do contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, one Jesus. And they troubled the people and the rulers of the city, when they heard these things. And when they had taken security of Jason, and of the other, they let them go. And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews.

Whenever God is doing a work, Satan will oppose.

It should not be surprising that persecution broke out in Thessalonica when Paul preached the Gospel, for the Gospel made some big inroads into the community and resulted in a group of strong believers—all of which greatly hurt Satan’s kingdom.

“Ye also have suffered” ()

records some of the suffering of the persecution. The saints were treated cruelly physically “assaulted … drew [dragged]”—,) and depleted monetarily (“taken security”—).

But note the response

Application:

Overcome Negative Experiences

Do not allow a bad experience to dictate obedience

Elevate God’s Word over my pain and suffering

I wonder; when set backs come

I wonder; when set backs come

when we get flak for the service and gospel of Jesus Christ

is that our response?

Paul here Did not allow how others treated him to determine his obedience to God

Bad:

Me; Angry at God

The temptation is too much GOd

You were the one that allowed that too happen; how could you

Divorce- Not going to church

Corruption- Pastor Potts and Mrs Potts and Son

keep the wounds clean

Ephesians 4:31 KJV 1900

Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:

mom- bitterness making the poison for someone else and drinking it

Betrayal- aaron sundstrom, Bob Murphy- betrayed by church members

Disappointment-

Good: Pastor Bez- had to overcome some harsh experiences

Well you know I think there is an opportunity at Thessalonica; there is a synagogue of the Jews there.

Roe Dudley

Sandra Mejia; lost her mother, lost her brother, lost her dad, her husband divorced her

serves,

Boldness is not always loud, sometimes it is quite and serves the Lord unashamed

Mom- how she raised my brother and I

Young lady had something horrible happen to her on a mission trip to mexico

God used her to see many children come to Christ and she has a family of her own and serves children ministry

Young man visited our church from Pakistan- going to RN School; he was jailed for his faith; he said he never considered that hard persecution

Ram Olanday- Pastor Demichelle

II) Be transparent without an Agenda (vs 3-6)

“Nor in guile”

bullying/guilt tripping

twist their will

Analytical Bible Expositor: Galatians–. His Ministry Was Proper ()

The use of flattery is common. Sometimes people say they are simply complimenting but it is more than complimenting, it is flattery, for it involves exaggeration. Flattery softens up people to make them victims. Flattery causes people to drop their guard and become vulnerable to evil. The use of flattery reveals a defective character. First, the condemnation of flattery. “Neither at any time used we flattering words.” Paul condemned the use of flattery by refusing to stoop to using it to promote the work of the Gospel. Second, the cognizance about flattery. “As ye know.” The Thessalonians could give testimony to the truthfulness of Paul’s statement here. They could verify his claim because they knew his actions.

“not as pleasing men, but God”

Genuine in motivation

Analytical Bible Expositor: Galatians–Philemon 8. His Ministry Was Pleasing (I Thessalonians 2:4)

Persecution showed that his ministry was not pleasing to men. Seldom will one please men if he is pleasing God. The goal of every preacher or missionary ought to be primarily to please God. Too many in the ministry try to please only man. Pastors often try to please their congregations rather than God.

“Nor of men sought we glory”

-pure noble

not distracted

not inflated

Analytical Bible Expositor: Galatians–Philemon 10. His Ministry Was Plebian (I Thessalonians 2:6)

Paul walked humbly in his ministry. He did not seek accolades and prestige. He was plebian in attitude, not proud. Pride seeks personal glory, but the plebian attitude does not. So many ministers in our day are unlike Paul, for they seek personal glory. They put their picture on almost every page of their magazines and they are the hero of most of the illustrations they use in their sermons. They like the limelight and manipulate church services and other meetings to exalt themselves.

Be Honest and Transparent with those God sends you

Analytical Bible Expositor: Galatians–Philemon 9. His Ministry Was Proper (I Thessalonians 2:5)

The use of flattery is common. Sometimes people say they are simply complimenting but it is more than complimenting, it is flattery, for it involves exaggeration. Flattery softens up people to make them victims. Flattery causes people to drop their guard and become vulnerable to evil. The use of flattery reveals a defective character. First, the condemnation of flattery. “Neither at any time used we flattering words.” Paul condemned the use of flattery by refusing to stoop to using it to promote the work of the Gospel. Second, the cognizance about flattery. “As ye know.” The Thessalonians could give testimony to the truthfulness of Paul’s statement here. They could verify his claim because they knew his actions.

application: sometimes we do have an alterior motive

their motive behind preaching the bible is attempting

agenda driven; forced and not of the Spirit

we can do things for the Lord under the umbrella of Christianity; but your motive may be to please people

Analytical Bible Expositor: Galatians–Philemon 6. His Ministry Was Plain (I Thessalonians 2:3)

Paul’s ministry was transparent. It was truthful, honest, upright, and noble. You could trust Paul. He did not lie or lead one down a path that would lead to corruption. Many preachers today are not of that caliber. Their mouth is full of lies (exaggerations) and their teaching and preaching caters to culture instead of holiness. They lower the standard instead of raising it.

two missionaries: we need this money; 100% true

things that are saying; in order for you to give them money; because they want the money to live on the mission field

more for self than

As a teacher is your goal for your class to walk with the Lord?

Seek glory

As a parent is your goal for your son or daughter to walk with God?

or would you rather tell them what they want to hear

As you work with people what are you looking for

am I looking to Get something from them

Application

Bad:

1. You measure your success by what you see and feel in the moment. (eg. If other’s don’t appreciate what you’ve done or your ministry isn’t flourishing, it must be a failure and not worth continuing.)

2. You are motivated and unmotivated in your work, friendships, church, etc., by the praise or lack of praise of those around you.

3. Your decisions are often driven by what others will think.

what will people think of me that used to be my drinking and partying buddies ; praise the Lord what a testimony

4. You are easily discouraged, irritated, or angry when your efforts are not appreciated by others or when others receive credit for something you have done.

5. When others praise you, you begin to feel self-confident in your own abilities, rather than relying on the Lord to lead and provide.

6. You are more drawn to the type of work and serving opportunities that will be noticed and praised by others.

7. You struggle with competitiveness and envy when someone else succeeds or is given praise (even within the body of Christ).

-Demichelle- it’s okay I will have him preach because he is all over the place and it makes me look good

8. You measure success with a short-term view, rather than an eternal one.

9. You spend less time in the Word and prayer and more time perfecting your craft, skill, job, or reputation.

10. You only portray the admirable aspects of your life to those around you (in church, on social media, etc.).

11. You find comfort in making sure others see your pain and shower you with attention because of it.

12. Your relationships only go so deep that your struggles are not revealed.

13. Your emotions and how you feel about yourself are constantly swayed by what you assume others think of you.

14. You only share a surface level of your faith out of fear of offending someone or giving the perception that you are weak, strange, or narrow-minded.

Seeking glory from men:

Good:

1. You find joy in Christ’s name being exalted, even if you receive no attention or praise in the process.

2. When others praise you, you feel genuinely humbled, undeserving, and overwhelmed by God’s grace in your life.

3. You persevere in doing good and find joy in serving Christ, even when it isn’t glamorous and goes unappreciated.

4. You find pleasure in exercising the unique gifts that God has given you, no matter the outcome or level of success it brings. On the other hand, you are able to let these gifts go if the Lord chooses to allow it.

5. You are excited for those who do well and compassionate and gracious towards those who fail.

6. You do not measure success by the world’s terms, but by the truth of God’s Word.

7. You are honest about your struggles, failures, and sin, recognizing that you are in the process of sanctification alongside every other Christ follower.

8. You do not feel the need to portray a certain type of life on social media and do not need a certain amount of likes, comments, shares, friends, or followers to feel good about yourself.

9. You respect church leadership (and others) with the goal of glorifying Christ, rather than needing to be seen and heard.

10. You seek to know and pursue what Christ values more than climbing the ladder of success and seeking what the world values.

11. You extend grace and forgiveness to those around you, seeking unity in Christ, rather than self-protection and  justice.

12. You do not feel threatened or intimidated by those who seem to be more spiritually mature than you, but you humbly desire to learn from others, resting in the knowledge that we are all saved by grace and in different places in our faith.

Pastor Bez Cummings; when I first came; how he operates

III) Be willing to pay the bill (vs 8-9)

you give to them more than you take

Text

Paul is saying hey guys I have the power

one of the reasons Paul went without a wife was so that he could go and not be a burden to the churches he started financially

he said there were sometimes he fasted out of necessity

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible Chapter 2

we might have been burdensome—that is, by claiming maintenance (1 Th 2:9; 2 Co 11:9; 12:16; 2 Th 3:8). As, however, “glory” precedes, as well as “covetousness,” the reference cannot be restricted to the latter, though I think it is not excluded. Translate, “when we might have borne heavily upon you,” by pressing you with the weight of self-glorifying authority, and with the burden of our sustenance. Thus the antithesis is appropriate in the words following, “But we were gentle (the opposite of pressing weightily) among you” (1 Th 2:7). On weight being connected with authority, compare Note, see on 2 Co 10:10, “His letters are weighty” (1 Co 4:21). ALFORD’S translation, which excludes reference to his right of claiming maintenance (“when we might have stood on our dignity”), seems to me disproved by 1 Th 2:9, which uses the same Greek word unequivocally for “chargeable.” Twice he received supplies from Philippi while at Thessalonica (Php 4:16).

2 Corinthians 11:9 KJV 1900

And when I was present with you, and wanted, I was chargeable to no man: for that which was lacking to me the brethren which came from Macedonia supplied: and in all things I have kept myself from being burdensome unto you, and so will I keep myself.

Philippians 4:16 KJV 1900

For even in Thessalonica ye sent once and again unto my necessity.

the believers in Philipi paid for Paul to live twice while he was there

Application:

Bad: Go to Malawi or Molokai and say hey guys I got bills to pay

Country Church paid me $50 did not cover the gas to get me out there; but that’s okay

Good: Pastor Doty- $500

HABC members paying for kids to go to camp

Montana church paying for my busted vehicle as I was there for a conference with 4 other guys

Spiritual- Pastor Potts- spent late nights teaching at the bible institute for me to learn the word of God after working all day- till 930pm 10pm

Invest in others- Josh Cormican- bought a brand new bible for a young man with rough background

Pastor Potts- BBq

Mom made sure her children were taught the bible and went to a good church no matter what

Father of Ji Seong Ho

Father’s dream for son to go to university and have freedom

ji seong ho- rescued 100 refugees from N Korea

Father made the crutches

IV) Treat them like family (vs 7, 11)

“Gentle as to Children”

A mother’s comfort and care

“as a Father”

Text

Faithlife Study Bible Chapter 2

2:11 like a father Paul considered himself to be a spiritual father to those he led to Christ (e.g., 1 Cor 4:15; Phlm 10). Drawing on this image, Paul describes how he played the role of a father by helping his children mature in the faith after their conversion.

1 Corinthians 4:15 KJV 1900

For though ye have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers: for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel.

Philemon 10 KJV 1900

I beseech thee for my son Onesimus, whom I have begotten in my bonds:

Still calls me son

Bad; Do not care for the people I serve or serve alongside

constructive, challenged, reproved, comforted

coached, held accountable

Guided to go beyond

beyond any kingdom or glory of paul and that of Jesus Christ

This was the goal

cared about them but did not make it about himself but the whole goal was to have them walk worthy in the Lord

Not in vain- Gained a brother

Our entrance in unto you

Not trying to make yourself the hero; making Jesus Christ the hero

Not trying to make yourself the hero; making Jesus Christ the hero

That it was not in vain

Made an impact, changed lives, started a church, gained brothers

remove all of the obstacles

the whole goal

Wyatt Madden,

vs 12

God is the King

Father of Ji Seong Ho

Father’s dream for son to go to university and have freedom

ji seong ho- rescued 100 refugees from N Korea

Father made the crutches