"Our Glory and Joy"_I Thessalonians 2_Sep 20 2020

Life Back Then

Bibles: I Thess 2

Continuing our series: "Becoming a Church of Faith, Hope, and Love" - I & II Thessalonians

Prayer...

Imagine you live in ancient Macedonia

You live with your wife, your teenage daughter, and your twin 4-year old boys. After your daughter was born, you had three sons - all of whom died at birth. But then you had your twin boys - who are still alive

Having a daughter is somewhat of a liability - you have been saving for a dowry for your daughter’s future husband whom you have already chosen for her

You are currently negotiating the financial details of the dowry which will go to the groom’s family - she is to be married next month

For now, she still lives with you and your wife and your two sons - your dad and your wife’s parents also live with you, as well as your sister-in-law. You have a small dog, and a goose for pets - your slave, Atticus also lives with you

There are ten of you all together in your cramped house, but you are used to it

Atticus teaches your sons and completes household chores

You are a blacksmith by trade - and you do well for yourself. Most of your business is from travellers and traders - many who are travelling from Athens, Northern Macedonia, Philippi, or from further east

Rome is proud to rule this well-situated city - and your city is free - free to submit to Rome

Your shop is well-positioned near the bay - customers come to you constantly - they mostly ask for repairs for parts on their carts, ships or farm equipment. Every now and then you craft a sword or knife

Business is busy - soon your boys will be old enough to learn your trade and will help earn their keep

You have a beautiful view of the Aegean Sea from where you work. Whenever work slows down, you daydream as you stare at the ships coming and going into port. You’ve been on ships before when you were younger - but not so much anymore. You wonder where they come from and where they are going

The fresh ocean air is a welcomed by your nostrils - it overrides the stench of human waste nearby where the public toilets are. Someday you need to walk down to the water again, but it’s been so busy at your shop

Around noon everyday, you begin to smell the fish and meats being cooked at the nearby marketplace. You generally skip lunch, but at the end of everyday, you stop at the marketplace to bring home supper for everyone

It’s about the eleventh hour when you decide to leave for the marketplace on your way home

When you get there, you see an interesting man who is speaking to a small crowd about his god. This is not an unusual sight for a public setting - many people openly discuss philosophy and about their gods and goddesses - but there is something different about this bald man - so you stop and listen to him

He is of short stature, with crooked legs and an even more crooked nose! He looks strong for his age & body size and is quite dark from the sun. He is intelligent and he seems to have a deep conviction for what he is saying. There is a crowd around him

As you walk up, you hear him say something about a “son of god” or something about a “son of man” who was crucified. And that’s when he stares right at you and says, “But the true and living God raised him from the dead three days later.”

At that, many people mocked him and walked away - you hear someone calling him a “crazy old man” and “stupid”

But you can barely swallow as your eyes are fixed on this strange man. He talks differently from the other philosophers and sages - he’s not talking about the deities of Rome - from what you gather, he is talking about the Jewish God

This man seems different from other philosophers you’ve heard speak at this same spot - you can tell that he isn’t saying all this for selfish reasons

He continues about this man crucified - and because of him, we can be forgiven of our sins if we just repent and place our faith in him. “But know this,” he says, “He is the only God, the Creator of everything who determined allotted periods and boundaries of our dwelling places.”

He goes on, acknowledging that we are all very religious, but that this true God commands everyone to repent - and that this true God, who is different from idols, is not far from each one of us. And that we should seek him and find him.

You notice that there are two Roman guards who have spotted this scene and are beginning to come close - but the man continues with a deep sincerity and boldness in his eyes

Your mind races - suddenly your household idols seem silly and the time spent in the temple, useless. You have questions - One God? What about Caesar? What will the Roman authorities do to me when I renounce Caesar as a god? What about my family? Why would this true God love me so much? Why did he die for me?

“Our Glory and Joy” - I Thessalonians 2

So that was a bit of my own fiction - to get us in the setting - Bibles: I Thess 2

English Standard Version Chapter 2

Paul’s Ministry to the Thessalonians

2 For you yourselves know, brothers, that our coming to you was not in vain. 2 But though we had already suffered and been shamefully treated at Philippi, as you know, we had boldness in our God to declare to you the gospel of God in the midst of much conflict. 3 For our appeal does not spring from error or impurity or any attempt to deceive, 4 but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not to please man, but to please God who tests our hearts. 5 For we never came with words of flattery, as you know, nor with a pretext for greed—God is witness. 6 Nor did we seek glory from people, whether from you or from others, though we could have made demands as apostles of Christ. 7 But we were gentle among you, like a nursing mother taking care of her own children. 8 So, being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you had become very dear to us.

9 For you remember, brothers, our labor and toil: we worked night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you, while we proclaimed to you the gospel of God. 10 You are witnesses, and God also, how holy and righteous and blameless was our conduct toward you believers. 11 For you know how, like a father with his children, 12 we exhorted each one of you and encouraged you and charged you to walk in a manner worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory.

13 And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers. 14 For you, brothers, became imitators of the churches of God in Christ Jesus that are in Judea. For you suffered the same things from your own countrymen as they did from the Jews, 15 who killed both the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and drove us out, and displease God and oppose all mankind 16 by hindering us from speaking to the Gentiles that they might be saved—so as always to fill up the measure of their sins. But wrath has come upon them at last!

Paul’s Longing to See Them Again

17 But since we were torn away from you, brothers, for a short time, in person not in heart, we endeavored the more eagerly and with great desire to see you face to face, 18 because we wanted to come to you—I, Paul, again and again—but Satan hindered us. 19 For what is our hope or joy or crown of boasting before our Lord Jesus at his coming? Is it not you? 20 For you are our glory and joy.

Last time, we learned from chapter one that this church Paul writes to, and the work of its people, all started because of the power of the gospel

We believe this is Paul’s first letter he wrote - and didn’t get very far in Chapter One from mentioning the gospel - and that this gospel came to these people “not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction” (1:5).

We talked about how the gospel is more than a sales pitch, or a feel-good plea - but that the essence of the gospel comes from the power of the Holy Spirit himself

The message of the gospel urges the listener to make a total life transformation - based on their faith of the unseen

The people at the church of Thessalonica came to a saving faith through hearing the gospel - but they received much affliction - AND - they matured so much in Christ that they became an example to other believers

Paul was so impressed by this church: “For you are our glory and joy” (v. 20). Title of this sermon

The change in the lives of these people was so dramatic, and so scandalous that this could only happen by the power of the Holy Spirit

I like to play a game when I read certain books of the Bible - I like to find THE key verse (main point) the author was driving at

Usually, smaller epistles

I’ve identified what I think is the key verse to I Thess

Hint: It’s after Chapter Two - and it has to do with looking toward the future

Feel free to leave your own ideas in the comment section

Have you noticed that for the most part, the first 2 chapters are looking back in the past?

Except for Paul’s mention of the “wrath to come” in 1:10

And the two times he mentions that he was “constantly praying” [1:2; 2:13] for this church

It’s all facing backwards in time - Paul is reliving how he brought them the gospel, how God intervened, and how they responded

And Paul doesn’t let up on the idea of the gospel - he mentions it four times in this chapter alone - my version: “gospel of God” 3X

I want us to look at this chapter from two perspectives

From Paul’s POV

From the POV of these people

In other words - the proper way to disciple people - and what true spiritual growth looks like

Every Christian should be interested in discipleship

And how to make disciples

We get the commandment to make disciples from Jesus’ own words in Matthew 28:

English Standard Version Chapter 28

Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.

We are to first MAKE disciples (from all around the world)

Then BAPTIZE them

Then teach them to OBEY, or OBSERVE the commandments of Jesus

The second thing every Christian should be interested in:

Spiritual growth

Each of us need to be growing

How do we grow in the Lord - what it looks like, etc.

I Thess 2 is a perfect example of both: discipleship & spiritual growth

Examples of Discipleship

I want to lay out the list of things Paul did to bring the gospel to disciple them: (When I say “Paul” I also mean his other companions with him)

Paul declared the gospel to them in much conflict and suffering - but declared it in the boldness of God - v. 2

Paul was entrusted with the gospel - so it did not come from devious means - and he meant to please God, and not man v. 2-4

Have you ever been afraid to declare the gospel? That’s because you’re trying to please man and not God

The church needs to declare the gospel in boldness - amen?

They declared the gospel with the right motive - v. 5

Paul didn’t even have works-based theology - “things” don’t impress God

He didn’t seek glory from people - v. 6

He was gentle like a “nursing mother” - v. 7

Later: He exhorted them like a father - v. 11

What do you think when you think of a nursing mother?

A father?

Verse 8 - He was willing to share not only the gospel, but share himself - the church needs to be transparent and real - if we can’t be real with each other, how can we be real with the world?

He worked hard day and night earning money so he wouldn’t be a burden to these new Christians - v. 9

Paul then calls them to “walk in a manner worthy of God”

Everything we do, we can ask, “Is this in a manner worthy of God”

That’s how to live the Christian life

Paul’s sincerity really comes through starting at 17 - after they parted ways - how he desired to see them face to face. He missed them - they were now family!

We don’t know the entire situation -

Paul had to leave them - persecution...

But despite what has happened - following up...

Examples of Spiritual Growth

And how did these people react?

They knew that Paul coming to them was not in vain - v. 1

They understood there was a purpose to all of this - even through adversity and suffering

They received the gospel as the word of God - not the word of men - v. 13

They became imitators of the Judean churches - v. 14. They looked up to other Christians more mature than they were. They respected the idea of having mentors - and if they were imitating those churches, they were discipling others

Finally - they endured suffering

If you’re willing to serve God with the threat of suffering - it means you’re living a worthy life

The goal is not for people to see what you’re doing for God - they should be seeing what Jesus is doing in you (through you)

Summary

Let me break this down - discipleship is spiritual growth - the church is growing when it makes other disciples and teaches them to obey the Lord

Spiritual growth means to make disciples

Before we go - Paul’s secret weapon: The Lord!

Three times in this chapter: “gospel of God” and then he uses the term, “word of God”

v. 2 - “boldness in our God”

v. 4 - “we have been approved by God”

v. 5 - “God is witness”

v. 6 - “apostles of Christ”

The church can’t expect the power of the Holy Spirit to be in our message if we’re not relying on him