THE MINISTRY OF THE WORD

I. Proclaimed: The Gospel of God

A. 1 Thessalonians 2:9-12 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.

1 Thessalonians 2:9–12 ESV

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.

B. In this section of Paul’s letter, he is reinforcing the love he and his fellow workers had for the Thessalonian church.

C. It is the message of the gospel that is at stake. Any attempt to undermine Paul and his co-workers is designed by the enemy to arrest the spread of the gospel of Jesus.

D. In Paul’s words we see the character of these ministry workers and are challenged to see the Spirit produce those same characteristics in each of us.

E. We want those to whom we minister to be able to remember how we conducted ourselves while with them.

F. Paul used this ‘remembering’ to encourage the hearts of the Thessalonians that they had minister to them from love, not personal gain.

G. “…you remember …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.”

H. Paul indicated they conducted themselves in holiness, righteousness, and blamelessness.

I. It was like a father’s love for his children that shaped the actions of Paul and his co-workers in caring for the Thessalonians.

J. They exhorted them and encouraged them and charged them to walk in a manner worthy of God.

K. The gospel produced in Paul and his co-workers the very characteristics that helped reinforce that the message they were proclaiming was true.

II. Accepted: The Gospel of God

A. 1 Thessalonians 2:13-16 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!

1 Thessalonians 2:13–16 ESV

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!

B. Here we find a key ingredient for those who experience the power of the gospel.

C. It is comprised of two parts or maybe three.

D. First, they received the word of God.

E. Paul’s message was God’s message. God’s words are the words that are still at work accomplishing his purpose in the world.

F. They had the truth delivered to them.

G. There are many messages being delivered in our world today, but like Paul, we want to deliver God’s message.

H. They heard the word of God (vs. 13).

I. I immediately think of Romans 10:17 when I read verse 13.

J. Romans 10:17 (ESV) — So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.

Romans 10:17 ESV

17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.

K. Now here is the key point: They accepted the message, “…not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers” (vs.13).

L. This is the ministry of the word of God.

M. That message of the good news of God was working in them and sustaining them day by day as evidenced in their imitation of other brothers and sisters in Christ, who had also suffered in a similar way, at the hands of their own countrymen.

N. The gospel is not just for conversion or regeneration. It is not a mantra to be confessed as if magic. It is a life changing message that carries us throughout our present life and into the future kingdom of God.

O. It secures our identity in Christ Jesus and begins to liberate from the sin shaped pursuits that have imprisoned us and keep us bound in pride and self-sufficiency.

P. The greatest need of our world is to have the gospel of God shared and accepted as God’s very word.

Q. The greatest danger in our world is the opposition to the message of God concerning his Son.

R. 1 Thessalonians 2:14–16 (ESV) — 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!

1 Thessalonians 2:14–16 ESV

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!

S. May the gospel shape us as it continues to work in us all that is pleasing to God. May love, holiness, righteousness, and blamelessness be seen in our lives as the Spirit produced fruit that bear testimony to the genuineness of the message of hope found in Christ Jesus.