Pleasing God

We have had quite an extraordinary week. Last Sunday. We were worshipping, knowing that hurricane Ida. And yes, I did. I'm sorry. We're using your name again. That hurricane Ida was coming ashore in Louisiana. And then later that week, we were treated to the horrific images as I'd has remnants devastated. The Northeast. We found in the descriptions and in the pictures that the reporters still struggled to convey to us. What was happening? It was as if the words and the images were not enough. And I Remember full. Well Suzanne and I were watching live on the National Weather Service that National Weather Channel.

A car float down the street in which we used to live.

It was astounding, certainly astounding for those who live there. They could identify the buildings, they could identify the streets and be amazed, but for the rest of us, we struggled, we struggled to understand what we were seeing all we've seen flooded homes before, and we've seen floods before, but it was hard to take in. And so I noticed a shift to place among the reporters. A shift in which they moved to a language of comparison and pictures of comparison. They started to treat us to this comparison to help us fully grasp. Consider these words that came from the New York National Weather Service. As it is an issue. An emergency flash flood warning. Maybe they'll be on the screen here for you. The New York National Weather Service said to be clear. This particular warning for New York City, is the second time we've ever issued a flash flood emergency. Is the first one for New York City? The first time we've issued a flash flood emergency was for Northeast, New Jersey an hour ago.

In other words, they've never done this before. It was a category outside of the realm of categories. I remember my son rushing upstairs and say you don't understand this category. They've never used before.

And then the rest of us were began to be treated to the side-by-side images, as they showed us the devastation and then they showed us pictures from Google Earth. As to what it was supposed to look like.

Sometimes, we need comparison in order to fully understand to fully grasp. What is going on?

Last week, we began a study of what it means to be a disciple or what it is to disciple others.

And we find that to explain disciple lane or being disciple or being a disciple, really comes down to a language of comparison, what it was to be, what it was beforehand and what it is after. In other words, how is it that being a disciple looks any different from anyone else?

And so we find ourselves journeying through this time. These several weeks on discipleship by looking over the shoulder the shoulder of Apostle, Paul. And looking as he writes his letter to the church in thessalonica.

As your rights to them, and helps to describe to them, who they are to be, who he is. And how that looks different.

Particular. He's writing this in the context of a large amount of conflict that is existing there in the Church of thessalonica or thessalonica, depending on how you want to pronounce it. The struggle they have with all the people around them. The persecution. They are enjoying. We want to pay attention to that conflict because it starts to lift up for us. What it is to be a disciple. So listen, now as we prepare for reading that letter to the church in thessalonica the first, the first letter, the second chapter, let us pray that God would open it to us.

Oh Lord, help us.

Help us with the before and after.

Help us with comparison.

Help us to see who you are calling us to be.

And how you are calling us to work with others. That others might become a disciple as well.

May your spirit work in your word in such a way that we hear it a fresh and a new and find ourselves changed. Find ourselves Place back on the path of following you.

Precious Jesus, in your precious name. Amen.

when the second chapter of the first letter, beginning at versuri, reading to versus Paul writes for our appeal, his appeal, being the word of God. The grace of God, for our appeal, does not spring from error or impurity or any attempt to deceive. But just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. So we speak not to please men or man, but to please God, who tests our hearts. I read it once more. For our appeal, the word of God God's good news of Grace. Our appeal does not spring from our error or impurity or any attempt to deceive but just as we have been entrusted, a better proved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. So we speak not to please men but to please God, who tests our hearts. This is the word of the Lord. Thanks be to God. I mentioned persecution before we read this portion of the letter and I I want to maybe clarify what I mean by that, when I speak of persecution were used to hearing that word persecution in the Christian church and thinking of severe hardships. I'm thinking of people being chased down Christians being chased down by lions. Or being impaled and set on fire as torches in Rome. We have horrific images of what persecution looks like in in the United States. It's really hard for us to relate to that but really where that may have taken place in various locations. There was a larger part of persecution that most Christians were experiencing. It was a persecution of fresher.

Pressure from the community. It was the first, it was a persecution of being ostracized of being separated and put out of the community. That was the vast majority of what Christians experience as persecution this public ever-present. Pressure. As well as being ostracized. And the reason for that were simple. In the Roman Greek culture, there were many gods were worshipped. A typical person might worship of vast majority of gods and a real quick summation of what that relationship was. I like to describe it as a you scratch. My back. I'll scratch yours. In other words, if I do this for you or God of Agriculture, then please give me a good crop. If I do this for you, oh god of love. Please. Give me a good mate. This back-and-forth you scratch my back. I'll scratch yours.

And in a culture that was filled with that, anytime something went wrong. People would look around to see which God had not been appeased. And who is responsible for that God's disappointment? Well, you can see the problem. Catch you early Christians. Now worship only one God, the one true God and they've abandoned all these other gods. All these Idols as Paul describes them that they've otherwise worshipped. And suddenly, if a crop fails, or if it rains too much, now it is the problem to look around and say who's responsible. You see how Christians were receiving pressure? And even being ostracized, they were a quick and easy target. Is a, Paul is writing to this small Church in thessalonica, that is experiencing tremendous pressure. This pressure to return to the way it was to go back to adopting all these idols. This pressure of ostracization, then you can't be part of us. Then if you're going to be like that.

And an additional item to place in this pressure and Oster ization. What do you do when there's a problem you attack the person who introduced the problem? Like the body attacking a virus. It's introduced to the body, the whole body starts to attack the virus and soap all as the leader is the one who brought this message to the people in the mountain. Now that Paul has left this one. I can no longer there, the undermining of his character begins. The community begins to come alongside these Christians and say, you know, that Paul he had motivations that were not on the up-and-up. They begin the Assassin, ate his character. Nothing's changed has it. We see it every night on the evening news. As politicians assassinate one another's character because there can't possibly be a good politician out there. They all must be selfishly motivated.

Last week, we began the study of discipleship by looking at what it means to be bold. What it means to be both? we looked at it from the perspective of ones. Position. That the confidence that comes from both the confidence that undergirds of boldness, doesn't come from one's ability. But rather comes from one's position, namely, as a child of God, now being welcomed into the kingdom. As a prince or princess in the Kingdom that position changes, one's Outlook changes one's Behavior. Changes the way one operates. The last week we looked at the position that were in and the boldness that comes from that this week. We are looking at, not so much position but motivation.

Those on the outside outside the Christian Church were coming and attacking that church saying that Paul's motivations were not on the up-and-up their assassinating his character. And so as we look over the shoulder to Paul, as he's writing this letter to the church, we get a window into that time and we get to see his defense. How he tries to defend himself against the various accusations that have been laid At His Feet. Those accusations that are meant to separate the church from the church's founder of Paul. And if you can make that separation, maybe you can begin to undermine the church as a whole and get all those people to get back into walking in the flow of what it is to be in community.

That's always Paul. Makes his defense. We get to see that he's accused of three separate items.

He's accused of being an error. He's accused of impure motives.

And is accused of Deceit. He's accused of error, impure motives and deceit. It's a Paul begins his defense by addressing each of those items.

And it begins by saying our appeal. You may have noticed, what? I read the letter, when he says for our field does not spring from error or impurity or any attempt to deceive when he begins. And says, for our appeal, you may have noticed. I said another word for the word of God, the grace of God, the good news of Jesus Christ. That's what he means by a peel. And yet even their, he's carefully, crafting rather than saying where you otherwise would talk about the grace of God or the good news of God. Here uses the word appeal because he even now shaping his argument his defense and he's using a word that conveys all manner of comfort. It's a word that if you were to look it up and use that, look at its multiple uses. You would see it's most often used as comfort. It's second greatest, your use is encouragement.

Is third greatest year. Use is an exhortation. This kind of you can do this, you go and do this. Go and do it.

So you may ask, why is it that it's a translated here as appeal rather than comfort for a comfort? Does not. Because Paul uses a word. Does bet the capture that comfort that encouragement. Even that exhortation?

Well, really using it as a euphemism for the grace of God.

We use euphemisms all the time in our lives. When someone dies, we say they passed away. How's it going on to be with the Lord? Paul is using a euphemism here to talk about the grace of God. The good news of Jesus Christ, any places it in a place of comfort and encouragement. Does that sound like someone who has bad motives? Of course, not. Even the language of his defense begins with. Hey, look, I'm trying to do something beneficial here.

Those three things. He's accused of the first one is error. Isn't that the one we are afraid of his? Well? Isn't that the one that keeps us from speaking with others? And sharing? The good news is that we've discovered in Jesus Christ? That's the accusation laid at the feet. It's an error. You see the pressure that was coming from. The community was coming, not only from the Greeks. What is also coming from the Jews in the synagogue? Those from whom those first Christians were separated, and came out? The Jews are saying, this is an error. The Messiah has not yet come this man is reading this all wrong. This is an error. And they're undermining the position. Nowadays, we have other ways of defining, whether something is true or an error. We have science as the great hallmart that tells us what is right and what is wrong? And science is to listen abundance of things that are absolutely true. Butters not good for you. Margarine is

Now, margarine is not good for you. Butter is.

Masks, you don't need them. Masks, you need them. On. And on, we go. Are we in are or are we not?

The great concern. The undermining to be what it is to be in Fault, to be right or wrong. What do we appeal to? What is our final place in which we can rest? And be certain Paul says, I'm not relying on anything else, but that God has revealed to me. Jesus Christ has spoken to me and has empowered me to take forth his message of good news.

And the truth is you have been the inheritor, the inheritors of that spreading of good news.

Call puts it in such a way that he recognizes that he's been found. Able. Equipped. The God has discerned, that Paul can do this. That whole discernment process looking to the heart and saying, you know what, Paul, you're going to be my instrument. we all remember the days of the, The Paperboy and I don't mean to be sexist, there the paper boy or the paper girl, remember that, it's for that whole system to exist and I was a paperboy which means I'm probably praising myself here in the next few moments, but that whole process there was a group above them. There were people who work for the paper who went out looking for these young boys and girls who could deliver a paper. Then just take anyone they were trying to find that one who had a strong work ethic. Ability to be dependable. Not only dependable and a strong work ethic, but also that one who is willing to sacrifice and give up other things to still make sure that that paper was on the doorstep in the morning for everyone. That person was willing to get up in the rain and the snow in the freezing, cold temperatures, sounds like we should have gone on to work with the postal service, right? There's a discernment process that went into finding these young boys and young girls to deliver the paper. Paul is saying, look, God determined that I was able to do this.

I'm not doing this out of an error. I'm doing this because God has placed it upon me to do. Which brings us to the second accusation? That Paul's motivation was for impure motives.

It literally is a word that kind of comes out of the trash Heap. It's the complete opposite of good. It's every way of speaking bad. And so the best way translators have for that. It's just a hey they were impure motives. In other words, there was something underhanded at all. There was something in it for Paul. Paul was somehow manipulated in maneuvering, these simple-minded people. And, and bringing them on to his way because he must have some other motive. Think about it. We still approach people in the same way. When you get a call later today on the phone. Telling you, you've just won a cruise. How many of you going to say? Great. Here's my credit card.

Whenever somebody offers you something, you're wondering what's in it. What, what do you want? Speaking of being in all these Northeast. I still remember driving into the City and the next thing, you know, my windshield. Is being cleaned by someone at a traffic stop. And I'm told that it's free. It's a free service and yet they've got a, can they're full of cash that motivates me to donate to that free service.

What people offer a stuff for do good things for us? We wonder what, what's the catch? What's going on here? There's an empty or motivation because there's a selfishness that we understand that is in each of us. When we get to the question of motivation, when we ask them, why we realize that there's so much in life that we do without asking that why anymore we just do it. It's only when someone who's new to our culture or a young child, ask the question, why that we have to stop and ask. I don't know because we've always done it that way.

The motivations within us, we don't want to look at that because we might find out that our motivations are more selfish than we want to admit.

And so Paul is being attacked here. The church is being undermined here because people are beginning with the Assumption. They know that is true in the heart of every individual. There's got to be something in this for Paul. We just haven't figured it out yet, but there's got to be some reason he's doing this.

Paul says our appeal. Is not out of there. It's not from impure motives. And it's not an attempt to deceive. Hearing is that third one? That's that idea of deception? That idea of look over here, while I go over here.

We are familiar with the idea of Deceit.

Wheel of magicians, an Illusionist. We love seeing them do tricks that make us. Ask how in the world did they do that? Oh, that's got to be a camera trick. We tell ourselves. But what is right in front of us. When they pull that card out that we are certain. There's no other way for them to do that. After we saw them, tear it up into a million pieces. We do like that. That's kind of exciting. We wonder how

What curious?

But then were Furious. When we encounter the con, man. The person who plays Upon Our good will our well-intentioned to be a good person, plays upon that and deceives us. And the next thing we know we've been robbed.

Paul is being accused of having a motivation of Deceit. That he's Gathering these people together. He's got some other motive pretty soon. He's going to be asking them for money. We just know it.

There's the seat, there's the third accusation. And if we think about all three of these accusations for what motivates us as Christian, nothing has changed. Show the world has advanced with technology and all sorts of life-saving events. We've done all so many good things. But at the heart of the matter, when we're dealing with an individual, these three items.

Are the three items that were checking off in. Every relationship, we have To make sure. That that person across from us is genuine.

How many times have we been in error? That we thought we were very much alike or that we had a good understanding with that friend or family member only to find out that were far more Divergent than we ever thought.

Or the times in which we found out. There's someone we cared about a thought, well, of has been Twisted in their own mind and now they've taken operations to a place that they're operating from an in pure motivation.

That the whole decision was really about what they wanted. That we've been manipulated in maneuvers. An imp your motive was involved.

And then we are of all the more careful with the outsider. We just simply don't want to be deceived.

We do not want to be taken advantage of and for that reason we keep our world largely and closed protected. These three things have not changed. They continued to be the use of the evil one throughout the generations to undermine the Church of Jesus Christ.

And you may be asking yourself as we're looking over the shoulder of Paul. Why in the world are we talkin about all of this? When we're here supposed to be talking about what it is to be a disciple or even discipling? Someone else. How does this all relate? What were last week we talked about our position giving us confidence allowing us to be bold in Christ. Our position as sons and daughters. Acquisitions as brothers and sisters of Jesus Christ. Composition of princes and princesses. Allows has to be something that we weren't before today. We are discussing our motivation.

And where we talked about all three of these items. And how we handle them. The whole world is looking at us through those same three items. How much are those Christians in the error?

They're only doing this because they really just want to keep their own little nucleus of who they want to be in how they want to behave and they want to force other things on us. They have in pure motives. Or be careful of them when they knock on your door when they talk to you. They're just trying to rope you in.

Paul is making his defense saying I am not any of these things. I did not bring this message of comfort. This message of good news. This message that is for you. That is God's message. Not mine. God's message that. He loves you beyond understanding that. He loves you so much. No matter how much you been running from him. No matter how much you've neglected him. No matter how much you cursed him. He loves you so much that he gave his son, Jesus Christ to die on the cross for you. Amen.

The motivation is not ours. The motivation is gods. And he wants the world to know that he is ready to love and forgive.

And welcome people home.

Saint Paul in writing against these three accusations then leaves us waiting for the why then if those aren't your motivations, then what is your motivation?

And Paul puts it very simply.

But just, as we've 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? His motivation is not for others. His motivation is to, please God. Is he Paul recognizes that God saw in him? Not a spectacular ability, but God saw that he was able. To deliver God's message. Not as some superhero super equipped, but God saw that like so many. He was equipped.

Paul head, God had made Paul and instrument. But that's not where it ends. Paul, realizes that, because God believed in him. The Paul, at every step that he lived out, that belief was actually pleasing. God put you differently When someone tells you you're good at something. You're really happy to do that. Something to get in front of that person and they're pleased, and you're pleased, because they're pleased. You know, you're really good at barbecue. I mean, you really know how to grill. How many of us just steal? His men were so vulnerable to such compliments? Now we're at the grill and this is going to be our best grilling. Yeah, you know. We're happy to please people when they say, we're good at something. And God is pleased. When we use the gifts that God has put within us to the glory of God.

Whatever it is, you are good at doing. That is good. The more you do it. The more God is pleased. You want to be a disciple of Jesus Christ? Do what God has made you good at. Well, that's Midwestern to end with it at. And I'm good at it.

Eric little Eric little Runner. That. A missionary.

Turn of the previous Century actually little later than that. But the one of these people that was lifted up in the movie Chariots of Fire. Dramatic missionary, who lost his life in a concentration camp in Japan.

Fantastic Runner. What does China's are not Japan. China lost his life, in China. Fantastic Runner.

He said. That when he runs.

The gift that God has given him when he runs. He feels God's pleasure.

Did the captive bead ever run really fast? And if you ever watch them run he has none of the right mechanics. And yet he could run so fast.

And he said, when I run, I feel God's pleasure.

What is it that you are good at doing that? God has gifted you with. This is how we give God pleasure. This is one of the ways in which we become a disciple. Following Christ will use the gifts that God has placed in us and Paul is point Outlook. There are many gifts that we have been given and we can do those to the glory of God, my motivation and bring you the word of God is not out of any of these selfish items. It comes to you because I desire to please God. And you're hearing the good news of Jesus Christ. God is pleased. May we all desire to please God. Let us pray.