WEBVTT

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 1 Thessalonians chapter 2, 1 through 4.

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 For you yourselves know, brothers, that our coming to you was not in vain.

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 But though we had already suffered and been shamefully treated at Philippi, as you know,

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 we had boldness in our God to declare to you the gospel of God in the midst of much conflict.

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 For our appeal does not spring up from error or impurity or any attempt to deceive.

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 But just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel,

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 so we speak, not to please man, but to please God who tests our hearts.

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 Let's at least read verses 5 and 6.

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 For we never came with words of flattery, as you know, nor with a pretext for greed.

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 God is witness.

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 Nor did we seek glory from people, whether from you or from others,

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 though we could have made demands as apostles of Christ.

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 Well, not to beat a dead horse, but just a couple of days.

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 Millions of Americans will head to the polls to cast their vote for who they think should be the next president of the United States.

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 And unfortunately, as you know, we live in a so-called battleground state

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 where candidates continue to spend millions and millions and millions of dollars

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 on the relentless barrage of political ads and emails and text messages.

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 And if you are like me, you cannot wait for it to be over.

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 I would almost vote for any candidate who promises to never text me again or send me another email.

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 But have you noticed that in most commercials and mailers, and this is always the case,

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 and it makes sense why it's the case, that in most of these advertisements,

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 little is actually said about policies.

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 Little is conveyed about plans for what a particular candidate envisions for their potential ascension to the throne,

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 if we can call it that, in the United States.

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 That's not really typically the focus, is it?

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 The vast majorities of the ads instead are focused on attacking the character of the opposing candidate.

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 And the reason for it is easy enough to see, isn't it?

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 If we call a person's integrity into question,

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 it works toward discrediting their message and their fitness for the role that they desire.

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 Now, that's just true, which is why typically in situations like this,

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 a campaign is not always so much for something as it is against someone,

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 and that's the shape that the advertisements take.

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 It's the same reason why character witnesses are so vitally important in lawsuits and in prosecution.

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 If a lawyer can persuade a jury to question the integrity of a defendant,

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 it will work in their favor even if their arguments against the defendant are weak.

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 Right?

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 So, on one hand, you could have a political candidate who has amazingly strong arguments for what should be done,

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 but with questionable character comes the diminishment of those good arguments.

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 And on the other hand, you can have someone with a really weak argument,

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 but because they're able to defame the character of another person,

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 their arguments look a little bit more enticing,

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 though they are not actually enticing or accurate or right.

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 We understand how it works.

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 That's the way of life, isn't it?

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 Well, the Apostle Paul was no stranger to these kinds of tactics from his enemies.

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 In almost every letter that we have of his preserved for us in the New Testament,

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 at some point, he defends his apostolic ministry,

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 and it appears that that is what he's doing now in the second chapter of 1 Thessalonians.

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 Now, why would he be doing this, and what's actually the motive behind this defense?

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 Now, if you're not careful to really see what he says

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 and to understand the context in which he says these things,

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 you might would be led to believe, well, Paul is just so self-obsessed.

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 Here he is, he's writing to these other people,

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 and all he wants to talk about is himself, and he wants to defend himself.

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 It's almost as if either he's just got such a big ego that,

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 and perhaps there's a piece of that that's true.

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 After all, it was Paul that wrote to the Corinthians and said that,

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 God has given me the messenger of Satan lest I get too big of a head, right?

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 Perhaps that was a temptation for him, but that's not why he does this.

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 His motivation in defending his apostolic ministry in all of these letters

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 was not to make himself look better just to make himself look better.

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 It was actually to build up the credibility of the gospel.

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 He understood what politicians understand.

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 He understood what lawyers understand,

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 that even though the gospel message is wonderful, and it's accurate, and it's true, and it's right,

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 that if his opponent could successfully diminish his character and defame his integrity,

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 it would actually work toward the discrediting of the message of the gospel,

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 and Paul did not want that.

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 So over and over and over, he defends his apostolic ministry.

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 He defends the way that he carried out that ministry,

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 not to build himself up, but to build Jesus up,

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 to make sure that people understood that the gospel was true.

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 Because, of course, one of the quickest ways to turn people away from the gospel

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 is to expose the seedy character of those who proclaim it.

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 And if we've learned anything in the last few years in the so-called exvangelical world,

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 this deconstructionist movement, it's that.

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 That the arguments that are coming from the deconstructionist movement

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 are not typically good arguments against the gospel or the credibility of the scriptures

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 or the validity of truth in Christianity.

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 The arguments are always against the character of those who have abused them,

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 even using the scripture and right theology for that abuse.

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 Well, as we launch here into the second chapter of 1 Thessalonians,

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 we find a noticeable change in the content.

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 Now, Paul's not changing the subject.

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 He's continuing in the subject of the church's founding,

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 but he shifts the perspective, whereas in chapter 1,

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 the perspective was focused in on the Thessalonian church's spirit-empowered conversion,

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 their spirit-enabled perseverance.

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 Everything was zeroed in on them.

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 This is what God was doing in them.

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 He's not leaving the subject altogether,

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 but he is shifting the perspective away from the Thessalonians

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 and the effect of the gospel on them to his ministry to them

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 and what his ministry to them was like.

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 And it would seem that the enemies of the gospel in Thessalonica,

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 which we know were many,

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 that they had charged Paul and Silas and Timothy with some impropriety

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 as it related to their motives for ministry.

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 And though the Christians in Thessalonica,

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 those who belonged to the church, were not persuaded,

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 by those accusations,

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 Paul still felt it was necessary for their sake

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 and for the sake of the gospel

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 to reflect on the true nature of his entrance to them

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 or his coming to them.

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 And we praise the Lord that he did this

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 because we are greatly benefited by what he writes in this chapter,

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 not just in these four verses,

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 but as he continues on in chapter 2 and chapter 3,

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 we see really a wonderful portrait

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 of what a pastor is supposed to look like,

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 what a minister of the gospel is supposed to portray.

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 And in the first few verses of this section,

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 we have this snapshot of faithful gospel ministry.

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 Faithful gospel ministry.

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 This is the model that the Thessalonian Christians imitated.

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 Paul mentions that in verse 1.

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 They became imitators of Paul and Timothy and Silas

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 and ultimately of the Lord.

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 And it is precisely the pattern that we must follow as well.

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 If we and all of us,

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 I don't just mean those who would be in vocational ministry,

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 I mean all of us are giving a ministry of the gospel.

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 If you are a Christian, you have a gospel ministry.

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 It may be different in scope than mine or someone else's,

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 but you have it.

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 You have a gospel ministry to your children if you're a parent.

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 You have a gospel ministry to your spouse if you're married.

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 You have a gospel ministry to your neighbors

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 and to your coworkers and to your friends and to our community.

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 We all have a gospel ministry.

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 If we are going to live out that gospel ministry faithfully,

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 this is the pattern that we need to follow.

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 This is what we must imitate.

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 Now, regarding the structure of these four verses,

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 there are three not-but statements.

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 Not-but statements.

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 And I want to use them as a guide.

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 In fact, so if we're going to use something

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 to kind of trace our way through the argument here,

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 that's the way that I would like for us to do it this morning.

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 These three not-but statements.

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 Each contains a negation, what faithful ministry is not,

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 and each contains an affirmation, what faithful ministry is.

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 And in these three statements, I think we can discern

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 the manner of faithful gospel ministry,

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 the motive of faithful gospel ministry,

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 and the mission or the goal of faithful gospel ministry.

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 So the first thing I want you to see is the manner of faithful gospel ministry.

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 Look with me again at verses 1 and 2.

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 Paul writes,

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 Now, the first negation comes in verse 1.

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 Paul wrote that their coming to Thessalonica,

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 their entrance, you might say, into Thessalonica,

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 was, quote, not in vain.

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 Not in vain.

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 Vain here is used in the sense of empty, hollow, wasted.

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 Our coming to you was not empty.

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 Our coming to you was not wasted.

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 It was not vain.

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 And at first glance, we might suppose that Paul refers to the fact

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 that their coming to Thessalonica was effective,

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 that it wasn't in vain because it was effective

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 in that many who heard the gospel were actually converted.

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 And that indeed happened,

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 but I don't think that's what his emphasis is here.

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 It's not what he's intending to communicate,

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 at least as a matter of first importance in the text.

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 And we know that because the affirmation that pairs with the negation,

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 the but statement here,

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 does not focus on the effect of Paul's ministry,

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 but on the reality of God's work in his own life.

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 So that the not emptiness has to do with the manner

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 in which Paul and Silas and Timothy ministered in the city.

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 Now let's put it together.

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 There's all these different phrases, right?

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 Let's take the two main phrases, the not but statement,

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 and put them together.

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 Our coming to you was not in vain,

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 but we had boldness in our God to declare to you the gospel.

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 Do you see what I'm getting at?

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 Of course, this was effective.

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 That's a part of it.

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 His ministry was not empty because it was effective.

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 That's certainly a part,

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 but that's not what he intends to communicate

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 as the primary issue here.

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 He's saying that our coming to you was not in vain,

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 but we, not you, we,

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 we had boldness in our God to declare to you the gospel.

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 So what was this manner like?

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 What was his manner of gospel ministry?

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 Well, in a word, boldness was bold.

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 And the context of Paul's boldness was suffering,

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 shameful treatment, much conflict.

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 And he cites his experience in Philippi.

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 Acts chapter 16, verses 11 through 40,

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 they tell us about Paul's experience there.

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 You know the story well, probably.

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 He and Silas, after having success initially

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 in gospel preaching,

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 were dragged into the marketplace,

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 stripped naked before the people and the magistrates,

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 beaten almost to death,

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 and thrown in prison.

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 That's pretty extreme.

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 Can you imagine?

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 You decide this afternoon, you know what?

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 I'm gonna go where people are lining up to vote,

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 and I'm gonna just,

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 I'm gonna preach the gospel,

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 and initially, as you're preaching that gospel,

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 you see wonderful fruit of it.

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 There's this lady over here named Lydia,

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 and she, the Lord opens her heart to believe,

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 Acts 16 tells us,

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 and she trusts in Christ,

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 and you rejoice with her.

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 And then you've got this other girl over here.

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 She's being abused.

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 She's being abused by people

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 who are making money off of her.

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 She's possessed by a demon,

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 and people are taking advantage of her.

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 And so you preach the gospel,

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 and the Lord delivers her,

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 and she comes to faith in Jesus Christ.

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 And then, because those people get mad at you,

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 they just lost their income.

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 They were abusing this girl.

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 They just lost their income.

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 And their response then is to take you

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 and drag you in the town hall in Cornelius,

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 strip you naked before everybody that's there,

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 beat you almost to death,

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 and then cast you in prison for the night.

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 Now, would you say that's a pretty successful day?

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 The next day, the magistrates,

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 they should have done their homework first.

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 They didn't do that.

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 They realized the next day,

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 Paul's actually a Roman citizen,

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 which means what they did was illegal.

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 And they were the ones who were gonna

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 face a significant punishment

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 if they didn't try to right the ship.

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 So they come to Paul,

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 and they say,

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 sorry,

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 but we want you to leave.

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 You can't stay.

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 So Paul goes where?

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 Thessalonica.

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 Now, he's got an opportunity here.

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 When he gets to Thessalonica,

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 he can do the same thing that he did in Philippi.

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 Now, can you imagine the anxiety

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 that you would feel in that situation?

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 Chris goes to Cornelius.

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 All this stuff happens to him.

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 The next day,

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 Woody Washam comes to Chris

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 and says,

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 Chris, sorry,

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 shouldn't have done that to you yesterday,

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 but we'd like for you to just go

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 and take your message to Davidson.

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 Just leave us alone here.

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 And Chris says,

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 okay, and he walks to Davidson.

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 Now, what do you think the anxiety level

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 is gonna be like for Chris

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 when he is presented with an opportunity

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 to preach the gospel there?

00:16:26.059 --> 00:16:27.139
 Or he's gonna think,

00:16:27.219 --> 00:16:28.639
 oh man, I don't know if I can go through that again.

00:16:29.399 --> 00:16:30.039
 That was hard.

00:16:32.179 --> 00:16:33.419
 That's suffering.

00:16:34.019 --> 00:16:35.039
 That's shameful treatment.

00:16:35.219 --> 00:16:36.639
 That's much conflict.

00:16:39.339 --> 00:16:41.039
 And when he got to Thessalonica,

00:16:42.039 --> 00:16:43.859
 it wasn't really much better, was it?

00:16:43.859 --> 00:16:45.879
 We read in Acts chapter 17

00:16:45.879 --> 00:16:49.039
 that eventually the effectiveness of his gospel

00:16:49.039 --> 00:16:51.379
 made the Jews in the synagogue mad.

00:16:51.459 --> 00:16:52.539
 They became jealous of him

00:16:52.539 --> 00:16:55.019
 because people were converting to Christianity

00:16:55.019 --> 00:16:55.899
 and they didn't like that.

00:16:55.899 --> 00:16:57.059
 So they wanted to punish Paul.

00:16:57.259 --> 00:16:58.019
 So what they did is

00:16:58.019 --> 00:16:59.480
 they made up some lies about him

00:16:59.480 --> 00:17:01.439
 and they incited a riot,

00:17:01.559 --> 00:17:04.059
 a bloodthirsty riot in the city.

00:17:04.700 --> 00:17:06.259
 That's much conflict, isn't it?

00:17:07.359 --> 00:17:08.299
 Think about that.

00:17:09.000 --> 00:17:12.599
 Can you imagine what Paul and Silas looked like

00:17:12.599 --> 00:17:16.460
 when the Thessalonians first met them?

00:17:16.460 --> 00:17:22.259
 Undoubtedly, they were bearing fresh wounds.

00:17:23.880 --> 00:17:29.000
 The fresh marks of their experience in Philippi.

00:17:31.000 --> 00:17:34.299
 For Paul's coming to have been in vain

00:17:34.299 --> 00:17:38.720
 would mean that his suffering

00:17:38.720 --> 00:17:40.840
 caused him to shrink back

00:17:40.840 --> 00:17:43.460
 from preaching the gospel message in Thessalonica.

00:17:43.460 --> 00:17:44.019
 Thessalonica.

00:17:44.180 --> 00:17:45.500
 I think that's what he means.

00:17:46.680 --> 00:17:49.019
 That though we had this experience in Philippi,

00:17:49.279 --> 00:17:50.579
 though this was our experience,

00:17:50.740 --> 00:17:52.259
 even when we came into you,

00:17:52.620 --> 00:17:54.779
 our coming to you was not in vain

00:17:54.779 --> 00:17:58.819
 because we were still faithful to do it.

00:17:59.700 --> 00:18:01.039
 We were still bold

00:18:01.039 --> 00:18:03.579
 and it took great boldness and courage

00:18:03.579 --> 00:18:06.900
 to do what they did after what they experienced.

00:18:06.900 --> 00:18:10.700
 That's not what happened, is it?

00:18:10.740 --> 00:18:12.220
 He didn't shrink back.

00:18:13.780 --> 00:18:15.680
 Despite the reality of persecution,

00:18:15.940 --> 00:18:17.519
 Paul and Silas and Timothy,

00:18:17.940 --> 00:18:22.460
 they dared to proclaim the gospel of Jesus anyways.

00:18:24.840 --> 00:18:25.360
 Why?

00:18:27.220 --> 00:18:29.440
 Why would they go through all of this?

00:18:30.000 --> 00:18:33.300
 That's really what this set of verses answers,

00:18:33.740 --> 00:18:34.840
 is the why question.

00:18:34.839 --> 00:18:37.099
 But we can't escape the fact

00:18:37.099 --> 00:18:42.500
 that their confidence in the gospel message itself

00:18:42.500 --> 00:18:44.059
 drove them to this.

00:18:46.519 --> 00:18:49.139
 Why would they subject themselves

00:18:49.139 --> 00:18:51.879
 to such difficulty

00:18:51.879 --> 00:18:55.359
 knowing that there is an inherent offensiveness

00:18:55.359 --> 00:18:57.299
 to the gospel message?

00:18:57.359 --> 00:18:58.159
 You know that, right?

00:18:58.659 --> 00:18:59.459
 Of course you do.

00:19:00.740 --> 00:19:02.579
 There is an inherent offensiveness.

00:19:02.699 --> 00:19:03.939
 Now we understand it as Christians.

00:19:03.940 --> 00:19:04.740
 We look at the gospel

00:19:04.740 --> 00:19:06.320
 and we see the glory of the gospel.

00:19:07.299 --> 00:19:08.559
 Unbelievers do not.

00:19:09.740 --> 00:19:11.539
 They do not see the glory of the gospel.

00:19:11.660 --> 00:19:13.180
 They see the offense of the gospel.

00:19:13.279 --> 00:19:16.320
 You're telling me that God will not accept me?

00:19:16.380 --> 00:19:17.360
 I'm not that bad.

00:19:17.440 --> 00:19:18.799
 You're telling me I'm that bad?

00:19:20.779 --> 00:19:22.320
 And the Bible's answer is,

00:19:22.580 --> 00:19:24.100
 you don't even know how bad you are.

00:19:26.299 --> 00:19:27.059
 It's deep.

00:19:27.880 --> 00:19:28.700
 It's rooted deep.

00:19:28.740 --> 00:19:29.799
 But we have the answer, right?

00:19:29.799 --> 00:19:31.139
 And we want to take that to people.

00:19:31.859 --> 00:19:33.079
 Paul and Simon and Timothy,

00:19:33.200 --> 00:19:35.579
 they're so confident in the gospel message

00:19:35.579 --> 00:19:38.819
 that they were willing to preach this truth to people

00:19:38.819 --> 00:19:41.659
 even though they knew of its inherent offense

00:19:41.659 --> 00:19:45.399
 and that this was probably going to be their experience

00:19:45.399 --> 00:19:46.740
 almost everywhere that they went.

00:19:46.819 --> 00:19:47.799
 And yet they still did it.

00:19:47.799 --> 00:19:52.480
 The effects of the gospel

00:19:52.480 --> 00:19:55.180
 are not favorable to the world.

00:19:56.119 --> 00:19:57.000
 In Thessalonica,

00:19:57.379 --> 00:19:58.740
 it was jealous Jews.

00:19:58.940 --> 00:20:00.740
 Their egos took a shot

00:20:00.740 --> 00:20:01.879
 when people in the synagogue

00:20:01.879 --> 00:20:03.519
 started converting to Christianity

00:20:03.519 --> 00:20:04.599
 and following Paul

00:20:04.599 --> 00:20:05.779
 and Jesus.

00:20:05.779 --> 00:20:08.619
 In Philippi,

00:20:09.379 --> 00:20:10.740
 it was the pocketbooks

00:20:10.740 --> 00:20:12.379
 of the people

00:20:12.379 --> 00:20:14.059
 that were abusing this girl

00:20:14.059 --> 00:20:16.619
 that incited the violence.

00:20:16.759 --> 00:20:17.899
 Same thing in Ephesus.

00:20:18.700 --> 00:20:19.379
 In Ephesus,

00:20:19.539 --> 00:20:20.859
 Paul comes preaching the gospel

00:20:20.859 --> 00:20:21.720
 and what do people do

00:20:21.720 --> 00:20:23.019
 when they believe the gospel?

00:20:23.119 --> 00:20:24.059
 They turn away from idols.

00:20:24.359 --> 00:20:26.000
 Well, that was big business in Ephesus.

00:20:27.399 --> 00:20:28.200
 You can go back,

00:20:28.279 --> 00:20:29.379
 you can read in the book of Acts,

00:20:29.720 --> 00:20:31.259
 the whole riot in Ephesus

00:20:31.259 --> 00:20:32.359
 had everything to do

00:20:32.359 --> 00:20:34.480
 with the silversmiths losing money.

00:20:36.279 --> 00:20:38.099
 The gospel effect

00:20:38.099 --> 00:20:40.160
 is not favorable to the world

00:20:40.160 --> 00:20:41.339
 in this world system.

00:20:43.259 --> 00:20:45.779
 And when you start hitting people's pocketbooks

00:20:45.779 --> 00:20:47.420
 and you start hitting their power,

00:20:48.759 --> 00:20:50.059
 they get angry about that, don't they?

00:20:50.899 --> 00:20:51.420
 Let me tell you,

00:20:51.460 --> 00:20:53.339
 you preach the gospel long enough,

00:20:53.899 --> 00:20:56.240
 the effect of that gospel preaching,

00:20:56.500 --> 00:20:57.920
 it's going to offend somebody

00:20:57.920 --> 00:20:59.660
 and it's going to offend somebody

00:20:59.660 --> 00:21:00.440
 in such a way

00:21:00.440 --> 00:21:01.660
 that they're going to come after you.

00:21:01.660 --> 00:21:06.040
 And what's to be our response

00:21:06.040 --> 00:21:08.380
 when the world does come after us?

00:21:10.060 --> 00:21:12.580
 How can we manage to be so bold?

00:21:14.900 --> 00:21:16.180
 Well, the same spirit

00:21:16.180 --> 00:21:17.100
 that was at work

00:21:17.100 --> 00:21:17.940
 in the conversion

00:21:17.940 --> 00:21:19.040
 of the Thessalonians

00:21:19.720 --> 00:21:20.580
 was at work

00:21:20.580 --> 00:21:21.040
 in the evangelism

00:21:21.720 --> 00:21:23.400
 of Paul and his team.

00:21:25.340 --> 00:21:26.380
 Isn't that his point here?

00:21:26.380 --> 00:21:29.880
 We were bold.

00:21:31.140 --> 00:21:32.460
 But we must not miss,

00:21:33.120 --> 00:21:34.840
 we were bold in our God.

00:21:35.760 --> 00:21:37.320
 We were bold in our God

00:21:37.320 --> 00:21:39.780
 to proclaim the gospel to you

00:21:39.780 --> 00:21:42.540
 in spite of the conflict.

00:21:43.240 --> 00:21:44.520
 Now let's think about this phrase,

00:21:44.640 --> 00:21:46.660
 we had boldness in our God.

00:21:46.680 --> 00:21:48.040
 What does he mean by that?

00:21:49.420 --> 00:21:50.460
 I think it's layered.

00:21:50.960 --> 00:21:52.620
 I think there's at least three senses

00:21:52.619 --> 00:21:54.699
 in which we can glean

00:21:54.699 --> 00:21:56.019
 from this phrase.

00:21:56.179 --> 00:21:56.500
 First,

00:21:56.879 --> 00:21:58.019
 he was bold,

00:21:58.419 --> 00:22:00.779
 his boldness was from God.

00:22:01.579 --> 00:22:03.099
 His boldness was from God.

00:22:05.099 --> 00:22:06.619
 So lest anyone think Paul

00:22:06.619 --> 00:22:07.579
 is taking credit

00:22:07.579 --> 00:22:08.799
 for what happened

00:22:08.799 --> 00:22:10.119
 in the Thessalonian Christians,

00:22:10.519 --> 00:22:11.799
 he was quick to say

00:22:11.799 --> 00:22:12.719
 right off the bat

00:22:12.719 --> 00:22:13.819
 that their boldness

00:22:13.819 --> 00:22:14.919
 was sourced

00:22:14.919 --> 00:22:16.439
 in the grace of God.

00:22:17.159 --> 00:22:17.839
 Do you see that?

00:22:18.679 --> 00:22:19.619
 He doesn't say,

00:22:20.019 --> 00:22:20.839
 I was bold,

00:22:20.839 --> 00:22:22.720
 there ain't nobody like me.

00:22:22.980 --> 00:22:23.859
 If you want somebody

00:22:23.859 --> 00:22:24.519
 to come in

00:22:24.519 --> 00:22:25.539
 despite the struggle,

00:22:25.959 --> 00:22:27.000
 you better call Paul.

00:22:28.480 --> 00:22:29.259
 That's not what he says.

00:22:29.299 --> 00:22:29.519
 He says,

00:22:29.599 --> 00:22:29.859
 no,

00:22:30.139 --> 00:22:32.299
 I didn't want to do it probably.

00:22:33.319 --> 00:22:34.500
 I was aching,

00:22:34.919 --> 00:22:35.319
 hurting

00:22:35.319 --> 00:22:36.759
 from Philippi.

00:22:37.679 --> 00:22:39.259
 But God's doing something in me

00:22:39.259 --> 00:22:40.179
 that I can't explain.

00:22:40.299 --> 00:22:42.759
 My boldness was from God.

00:22:43.519 --> 00:22:44.599
 He's crediting God

00:22:44.599 --> 00:22:45.559
 for the work that's happening.

00:22:45.799 --> 00:22:46.899
 Now we know that's the case

00:22:46.899 --> 00:22:47.980
 because he's already done that

00:22:47.980 --> 00:22:49.359
 so many times in chapter one.

00:22:49.359 --> 00:22:50.599
 And he hasn't left

00:22:50.599 --> 00:22:51.579
 that subject altogether.

00:22:51.859 --> 00:22:53.479
 He's just shifted the perspective.

00:22:54.000 --> 00:22:55.000
 It is God's grace

00:22:55.000 --> 00:22:55.719
 that was at work

00:22:55.719 --> 00:22:56.399
 in the conversion

00:22:56.399 --> 00:22:58.699
 of the Thessalonians

00:22:58.699 --> 00:22:59.819
 and it was God's grace

00:22:59.819 --> 00:23:00.479
 that was at work

00:23:00.479 --> 00:23:01.419
 in Paul and his team

00:23:01.419 --> 00:23:02.519
 as they had boldness

00:23:02.519 --> 00:23:03.299
 to preach the gospel.

00:23:03.819 --> 00:23:04.279
 So his boldness

00:23:04.279 --> 00:23:05.079
 was from God.

00:23:05.419 --> 00:23:06.779
 I think there's a second way

00:23:06.779 --> 00:23:07.839
 for us to understand this.

00:23:08.379 --> 00:23:09.179
 Their boldness

00:23:09.179 --> 00:23:11.799
 was toward God.

00:23:12.619 --> 00:23:14.179
 Boldness was toward God.

00:23:15.259 --> 00:23:16.179
 And what does that mean?

00:23:16.180 --> 00:23:18.460
 God's grace

00:23:18.460 --> 00:23:19.580
 had produced in them

00:23:19.580 --> 00:23:20.480
 a confidence

00:23:20.480 --> 00:23:22.320
 in the gospel

00:23:22.320 --> 00:23:24.259
 that could not be shaken

00:23:24.259 --> 00:23:25.100
 by conflict.

00:23:26.539 --> 00:23:27.740
 They were bold

00:23:27.740 --> 00:23:29.360
 because they were convinced

00:23:29.360 --> 00:23:31.960
 that Jesus really is

00:23:31.960 --> 00:23:32.560
 the Messiah.

00:23:34.500 --> 00:23:36.279
 That he really is

00:23:36.279 --> 00:23:37.900
 the sinless son of God.

00:23:39.120 --> 00:23:40.799
 That he really did die

00:23:40.799 --> 00:23:42.360
 as a propitiation

00:23:42.360 --> 00:23:43.279
 as we read earlier

00:23:43.279 --> 00:23:44.160
 for the sins

00:23:44.160 --> 00:23:45.440
 of the elect.

00:23:46.120 --> 00:23:47.400
 That he really did

00:23:47.400 --> 00:23:48.660
 raise from the dead.

00:23:49.279 --> 00:23:50.279
 That he really does

00:23:50.279 --> 00:23:51.100
 invite all

00:23:51.100 --> 00:23:52.080
 to come and believe

00:23:52.080 --> 00:23:53.360
 and receive salvation

00:23:53.360 --> 00:23:53.960
 from him.

00:23:54.080 --> 00:23:54.640
 They believed.

00:23:54.820 --> 00:23:56.320
 They were fully convinced.

00:23:56.440 --> 00:23:56.980
 Their confidence

00:23:56.980 --> 00:23:57.900
 came from God

00:23:57.900 --> 00:23:59.560
 and that grace of God

00:23:59.560 --> 00:24:00.259
 at work in them

00:24:00.259 --> 00:24:01.279
 produced a confidence

00:24:01.279 --> 00:24:02.740
 toward God.

00:24:03.120 --> 00:24:04.220
 Toward his gospel.

00:24:05.380 --> 00:24:06.300
 And it motivated

00:24:06.300 --> 00:24:06.900
 their preaching.

00:24:07.800 --> 00:24:09.019
 But there's a third way here

00:24:09.019 --> 00:24:10.400
 and we'll get to this

00:24:10.400 --> 00:24:11.900
 a little bit more

00:24:11.900 --> 00:24:12.680
 towards the end

00:24:12.680 --> 00:24:14.019
 but at least it's worth

00:24:14.019 --> 00:24:14.500
 noting here

00:24:14.500 --> 00:24:15.539
 that their boldness

00:24:15.539 --> 00:24:17.320
 was before God.

00:24:18.100 --> 00:24:19.000
 It was in the presence

00:24:19.000 --> 00:24:19.539
 of God.

00:24:19.640 --> 00:24:20.840
 That's their mindset here.

00:24:20.940 --> 00:24:21.580
 God is watching.

00:24:22.240 --> 00:24:23.220
 Everything that we're doing

00:24:23.220 --> 00:24:24.539
 is before his face.

00:24:26.420 --> 00:24:27.700
 It was his call

00:24:27.700 --> 00:24:28.680
 on their lives

00:24:28.680 --> 00:24:30.000
 that produced

00:24:30.000 --> 00:24:30.720
 such courage.

00:24:31.920 --> 00:24:32.480
 You say,

00:24:32.560 --> 00:24:32.980
 well what does

00:24:32.980 --> 00:24:33.799
 faithful ministry

00:24:33.799 --> 00:24:34.360
 look like?

00:24:34.799 --> 00:24:35.060
 Well,

00:24:35.640 --> 00:24:36.820
 at its heart

00:24:36.820 --> 00:24:38.019
 is the gospel message,

00:24:38.100 --> 00:24:38.519
 isn't it?

00:24:38.519 --> 00:24:40.660
 If you're not

00:24:40.660 --> 00:24:41.539
 proclaiming

00:24:41.539 --> 00:24:42.639
 the gospel of Jesus

00:24:42.639 --> 00:24:44.099
 then you don't

00:24:44.099 --> 00:24:44.799
 have a ministry.

00:24:46.119 --> 00:24:46.879
 But once you've

00:24:46.879 --> 00:24:47.680
 got that settled

00:24:47.680 --> 00:24:48.440
 and that's assumed

00:24:48.440 --> 00:24:49.200
 here in the text,

00:24:49.420 --> 00:24:50.259
 once you're preaching

00:24:50.259 --> 00:24:50.700
 the gospel,

00:24:50.799 --> 00:24:51.460
 what does it look like

00:24:51.460 --> 00:24:52.619
 for that to be faithful?

00:24:52.779 --> 00:24:52.960
 Well,

00:24:53.039 --> 00:24:53.519
 you're going to have

00:24:53.519 --> 00:24:54.220
 to be bold

00:24:54.220 --> 00:24:55.480
 when it's not real easy

00:24:55.480 --> 00:24:56.059
 to do it.

00:24:56.799 --> 00:24:57.539
 And there will come

00:24:57.539 --> 00:24:58.139
 a time where it's

00:24:58.139 --> 00:24:58.700
 not very easy

00:24:58.700 --> 00:24:59.240
 to do it.

00:25:01.460 --> 00:25:02.500
 All of these things

00:25:02.500 --> 00:25:03.400
 working together

00:25:03.400 --> 00:25:04.559
 in Paul and Silas

00:25:04.559 --> 00:25:05.019
 and Timothy

00:25:05.019 --> 00:25:06.279
 produced this boldness

00:25:06.279 --> 00:25:06.980
 that resulted

00:25:06.980 --> 00:25:07.960
 by God's grace

00:25:07.960 --> 00:25:10.119
 in effective ministry

00:25:10.119 --> 00:25:11.079
 in Thessalonica.

00:25:12.779 --> 00:25:13.799
 We know that

00:25:13.799 --> 00:25:14.920
 suffering is guaranteed

00:25:14.920 --> 00:25:15.660
 in the scriptures

00:25:15.660 --> 00:25:16.799
 for those who are

00:25:16.799 --> 00:25:17.599
 faithful to Christ

00:25:17.599 --> 00:25:19.000
 and faithful ministry

00:25:19.000 --> 00:25:20.000
 in the name of Christ

00:25:20.000 --> 00:25:21.420
 is bold

00:25:21.420 --> 00:25:22.779
 through the conflict.

00:25:23.019 --> 00:25:23.119
 Okay,

00:25:23.139 --> 00:25:23.799
 so what's the manner

00:25:23.799 --> 00:25:24.940
 of faithful ministry?

00:25:25.039 --> 00:25:25.119
 Well,

00:25:25.119 --> 00:25:25.519
 it's bold.

00:25:25.899 --> 00:25:26.779
 It's bold even when

00:25:26.779 --> 00:25:27.480
 things are hard.

00:25:27.960 --> 00:25:28.079
 Okay,

00:25:28.599 --> 00:25:29.160
 number two.

00:25:30.119 --> 00:25:31.019
 Notice the motive

00:25:31.019 --> 00:25:33.119
 of faithful gospel ministry.

00:25:34.259 --> 00:25:35.000
 The motive.

00:25:35.000 --> 00:25:37.579
 Look at verse three

00:25:37.579 --> 00:25:38.259
 and the beginning

00:25:38.259 --> 00:25:39.720
 of verse four.

00:25:42.019 --> 00:25:43.380
 For our appeal

00:25:43.380 --> 00:25:45.039
 does not spring

00:25:45.039 --> 00:25:45.720
 from error

00:25:45.720 --> 00:25:46.799
 or impurity

00:25:46.799 --> 00:25:48.839
 or any attempt

00:25:48.839 --> 00:25:49.359
 to deceive.

00:25:50.859 --> 00:25:51.259
 But,

00:25:51.599 --> 00:25:53.119
 just as we have

00:25:53.119 --> 00:25:53.680
 been approved

00:25:53.680 --> 00:25:54.380
 by God

00:25:54.380 --> 00:25:55.559
 to be entrusted

00:25:55.559 --> 00:25:56.259
 with the gospel,

00:25:57.119 --> 00:25:57.900
 so we speak.

00:25:58.660 --> 00:25:59.359
 This is the issue

00:25:59.359 --> 00:26:00.339
 of motive here.

00:26:01.759 --> 00:26:02.079
 Now,

00:26:02.380 --> 00:26:04.039
 it is entirely possible

00:26:04.039 --> 00:26:06.299
 it may even

00:26:06.299 --> 00:26:06.980
 in some cases

00:26:06.980 --> 00:26:07.639
 be common

00:26:07.639 --> 00:26:09.819
 to engage

00:26:09.819 --> 00:26:11.019
 in gospel ministry

00:26:11.019 --> 00:26:12.899
 sinfully.

00:26:14.839 --> 00:26:14.940
 Now,

00:26:15.000 --> 00:26:15.759
 think about that.

00:26:15.879 --> 00:26:16.379
 Process that

00:26:16.379 --> 00:26:16.899
 for a second.

00:26:19.599 --> 00:26:20.519
 We use phrases

00:26:20.519 --> 00:26:21.180
 like the ends

00:26:21.180 --> 00:26:21.779
 don't justify

00:26:21.779 --> 00:26:22.240
 the means,

00:26:22.319 --> 00:26:22.500
 right?

00:26:22.619 --> 00:26:22.819
 Well,

00:26:22.859 --> 00:26:23.200
 most people

00:26:23.200 --> 00:26:23.940
 don't live that way.

00:26:25.059 --> 00:26:25.599
 Most people

00:26:25.599 --> 00:26:26.420
 live as if

00:26:26.420 --> 00:26:28.119
 if the result

00:26:28.119 --> 00:26:28.599
 is good,

00:26:28.599 --> 00:26:29.220
 then it doesn't

00:26:29.220 --> 00:26:29.639
 really matter

00:26:29.639 --> 00:26:30.420
 how you got it.

00:26:30.420 --> 00:26:32.740
 And as sinful

00:26:32.740 --> 00:26:33.120
 people,

00:26:33.279 --> 00:26:33.900
 we bring that

00:26:33.900 --> 00:26:34.840
 into our faith

00:26:34.840 --> 00:26:35.220
 as well.

00:26:35.320 --> 00:26:35.740
 We bring that

00:26:35.740 --> 00:26:36.360
 into our gospel

00:26:36.360 --> 00:26:36.759
 ministry.

00:26:37.200 --> 00:26:37.920
 It is entirely

00:26:37.920 --> 00:26:38.580
 possible

00:26:38.580 --> 00:26:39.920
 to engage

00:26:39.920 --> 00:26:40.420
 in gospel

00:26:40.420 --> 00:26:40.900
 ministry

00:26:40.900 --> 00:26:42.100
 sinfully

00:26:42.100 --> 00:26:43.240
 with sinful

00:26:43.240 --> 00:26:43.680
 motive.

00:26:45.519 --> 00:26:46.039
 And that is

00:26:46.039 --> 00:26:46.380
 the issue

00:26:46.380 --> 00:26:46.720
 I think

00:26:46.720 --> 00:26:47.100
 that Paul

00:26:47.100 --> 00:26:47.620
 takes up

00:26:47.620 --> 00:26:48.080
 in this

00:26:48.080 --> 00:26:48.519
 second

00:26:48.519 --> 00:26:49.860
 not-but

00:26:49.860 --> 00:26:50.460
 statement

00:26:50.460 --> 00:26:51.360
 of the text.

00:26:52.200 --> 00:26:52.300
 You know,

00:26:52.340 --> 00:26:52.700
 apparently

00:26:52.700 --> 00:26:54.240
 it was common

00:26:54.240 --> 00:26:54.640
 for there

00:26:54.640 --> 00:26:55.300
 to be

00:26:55.300 --> 00:26:56.100
 itinerant

00:26:56.100 --> 00:26:56.900
 philosophers

00:26:56.900 --> 00:26:57.920
 at the time

00:26:57.920 --> 00:26:59.120
 of Paul's

00:26:59.120 --> 00:26:59.780
 life

00:26:59.780 --> 00:27:00.420
 and ministry.

00:27:01.820 --> 00:27:02.460
 And according

00:27:02.460 --> 00:27:03.320
 to scholars,

00:27:03.560 --> 00:27:04.180
 they were known

00:27:04.180 --> 00:27:04.800
 for entering

00:27:04.800 --> 00:27:05.700
 cities with

00:27:05.700 --> 00:27:07.080
 great pomp

00:27:07.080 --> 00:27:07.780
 and circumstance.

00:27:08.519 --> 00:27:09.180
 And the reason

00:27:09.180 --> 00:27:09.720
 for that

00:27:09.720 --> 00:27:10.680
 is so that

00:27:10.680 --> 00:27:11.320
 they might gain

00:27:11.320 --> 00:27:11.660
 a greater

00:27:11.660 --> 00:27:12.240
 following.

00:27:13.100 --> 00:27:13.900
 Because their

00:27:13.900 --> 00:27:14.380
 following,

00:27:14.519 --> 00:27:14.860
 the greater

00:27:14.860 --> 00:27:15.460
 it was,

00:27:16.100 --> 00:27:17.340
 the result

00:27:17.340 --> 00:27:18.220
 meant more

00:27:18.220 --> 00:27:19.040
 notoriety,

00:27:19.420 --> 00:27:20.080
 more power,

00:27:20.600 --> 00:27:21.180
 more honor,

00:27:21.720 --> 00:27:22.440
 more money,

00:27:22.960 --> 00:27:23.180
 right?

00:27:23.940 --> 00:27:24.600
 And at our

00:27:24.600 --> 00:27:24.820
 hearts,

00:27:24.900 --> 00:27:25.440
 that's really

00:27:25.440 --> 00:27:26.120
 what we're chasing

00:27:26.120 --> 00:27:26.800
 most of the time

00:27:26.799 --> 00:27:27.180
 isn't it?

00:27:27.379 --> 00:27:27.839
 We're chasing

00:27:27.839 --> 00:27:28.200
 money,

00:27:28.419 --> 00:27:28.799
 we're chasing

00:27:28.799 --> 00:27:29.279
 sex,

00:27:29.440 --> 00:27:29.839
 we're chasing

00:27:29.839 --> 00:27:30.399
 notoriety

00:27:30.399 --> 00:27:30.819
 and power.

00:27:31.619 --> 00:27:32.159
 And that was

00:27:32.159 --> 00:27:32.539
 no different

00:27:32.539 --> 00:27:33.079
 for the people

00:27:33.079 --> 00:27:33.899
 of Paul's

00:27:33.899 --> 00:27:34.099
 day.

00:27:35.039 --> 00:27:35.559
 According to

00:27:35.559 --> 00:27:36.339
 some ancient

00:27:36.339 --> 00:27:36.779
 sources,

00:27:37.000 --> 00:27:37.779
 among the

00:27:37.779 --> 00:27:38.659
 plethora

00:27:38.659 --> 00:27:39.159
 of greedy

00:27:39.159 --> 00:27:39.779
 motivations,

00:27:40.019 --> 00:27:40.720
 sometimes people

00:27:40.720 --> 00:27:41.339
 just simply

00:27:41.339 --> 00:27:42.639
 desired to

00:27:42.639 --> 00:27:43.379
 deceive people.

00:27:44.019 --> 00:27:44.220
 They were

00:27:44.220 --> 00:27:45.059
 sociopaths,

00:27:45.099 --> 00:27:45.700
 psychopaths,

00:27:45.759 --> 00:27:47.480
 they literally

00:27:47.480 --> 00:27:48.180
 made up things

00:27:48.180 --> 00:27:48.779
 that they knew

00:27:48.779 --> 00:27:49.319
 were wrong

00:27:49.319 --> 00:27:50.039
 just so that

00:27:50.039 --> 00:27:50.359
 they could

00:27:50.359 --> 00:27:50.899
 assert some

00:27:50.899 --> 00:27:51.859
 type of power

00:27:51.859 --> 00:27:53.019
 over other

00:27:53.019 --> 00:27:53.379
 people.

00:27:53.680 --> 00:27:54.059
 Now that's

00:27:54.059 --> 00:27:54.599
 just as common

00:27:54.599 --> 00:27:55.159
 today as it

00:27:55.159 --> 00:27:55.659
 was then.

00:27:56.799 --> 00:27:58.019
 And so

00:27:58.019 --> 00:27:58.599
 when Paul

00:27:58.599 --> 00:27:59.359
 comes preaching

00:27:59.359 --> 00:27:59.919
 the gospel

00:27:59.919 --> 00:28:00.879
 and people

00:28:00.879 --> 00:28:01.500
 begin to

00:28:01.500 --> 00:28:02.639
 turn to

00:28:02.639 --> 00:28:03.299
 the gospel

00:28:03.299 --> 00:28:04.440
 in Thessalonica,

00:28:04.859 --> 00:28:05.639
 the enemies

00:28:05.639 --> 00:28:06.399
 of the gospel

00:28:06.399 --> 00:28:07.339
 in Thessalonica

00:28:07.339 --> 00:28:07.899
 began to

00:28:07.899 --> 00:28:08.680
 accuse Paul

00:28:08.680 --> 00:28:09.399
 of being such

00:28:09.399 --> 00:28:10.200
 a charlatan,

00:28:10.919 --> 00:28:12.000
 saying that he

00:28:12.000 --> 00:28:12.639
 was preaching

00:28:12.639 --> 00:28:13.359
 this gospel

00:28:13.359 --> 00:28:14.619
 for personal

00:28:14.619 --> 00:28:15.099
 gain.

00:28:16.559 --> 00:28:16.980
 And there's

00:28:16.980 --> 00:28:17.859
 three sinful

00:28:17.859 --> 00:28:20.119
 motives that

00:28:20.119 --> 00:28:21.460
 Paul enumerates

00:28:21.460 --> 00:28:22.460
 here for us.

00:28:22.460 --> 00:28:23.100
 first he says

00:28:23.100 --> 00:28:23.960
 our appeal,

00:28:24.400 --> 00:28:25.079
 our preaching

00:28:25.079 --> 00:28:25.660
 of the gospel,

00:28:26.140 --> 00:28:27.279
 it did not

00:28:27.279 --> 00:28:28.059
 spring from

00:28:28.059 --> 00:28:28.840
 error.

00:28:29.480 --> 00:28:30.319
 Error is the

00:28:30.319 --> 00:28:30.900
 first sinful

00:28:30.900 --> 00:28:31.279
 motive.

00:28:32.079 --> 00:28:32.539
 Error here,

00:28:32.740 --> 00:28:34.100
 in this case,

00:28:34.299 --> 00:28:35.620
 it suggests

00:28:35.620 --> 00:28:36.660
 fraud,

00:28:37.539 --> 00:28:38.240
 fraudulence,

00:28:38.319 --> 00:28:38.740
 so like a

00:28:38.740 --> 00:28:40.740
 knowing error.

00:28:42.259 --> 00:28:42.920
 And that's

00:28:42.920 --> 00:28:43.819
 further confirmed

00:28:43.819 --> 00:28:44.519
 in verse 5

00:28:44.519 --> 00:28:45.259
 where Paul says,

00:28:45.400 --> 00:28:45.960
 he kind of

00:28:45.960 --> 00:28:46.819
 reiterates these

00:28:46.819 --> 00:28:47.240
 three things.

00:28:47.360 --> 00:28:47.640
 He says,

00:28:47.840 --> 00:28:48.900
 I did not

00:28:48.900 --> 00:28:49.460
 come with

00:28:49.460 --> 00:28:51.000
 flattering words.

00:28:51.000 --> 00:28:51.940
 I didn't come

00:28:51.940 --> 00:28:52.440
 to you with

00:28:52.440 --> 00:28:53.599
 fraudulent

00:28:53.599 --> 00:28:55.259
 flattery.

00:28:56.299 --> 00:28:56.900
 No, how did

00:28:56.900 --> 00:28:57.460
 Paul come?

00:28:57.960 --> 00:28:58.700
 Well, Acts 17

00:28:58.700 --> 00:28:59.519
 tells us.

00:29:00.160 --> 00:29:00.880
 Acts 17

00:29:00.880 --> 00:29:01.680
 verses 2 and 3,

00:29:02.059 --> 00:29:03.039
 Paul went in

00:29:03.039 --> 00:29:04.019
 as was his

00:29:04.019 --> 00:29:05.079
 custom on

00:29:05.079 --> 00:29:05.819
 three Sabbath

00:29:05.819 --> 00:29:07.079
 days, he

00:29:07.079 --> 00:29:08.420
 reasoned with

00:29:08.420 --> 00:29:09.700
 them from

00:29:09.700 --> 00:29:10.279
 the scriptures.

00:29:11.539 --> 00:29:12.180
 He didn't say,

00:29:12.380 --> 00:29:12.839
 sit down, let me

00:29:12.839 --> 00:29:13.460
 tell you something,

00:29:13.579 --> 00:29:14.359
 don't talk back.

00:29:15.019 --> 00:29:16.180
 He reasoned

00:29:16.180 --> 00:29:16.579
 with them.

00:29:17.940 --> 00:29:18.900
 That's not a

00:29:18.900 --> 00:29:19.680
 sign of impure

00:29:19.680 --> 00:29:20.240
 motive, is it?

00:29:20.240 --> 00:29:21.120
 He's reasoning

00:29:21.120 --> 00:29:21.400
 with them.

00:29:21.500 --> 00:29:22.099
 And what is he

00:29:22.099 --> 00:29:22.759
 reasoning with

00:29:22.759 --> 00:29:23.180
 them about?

00:29:23.480 --> 00:29:24.539
 He reasoned

00:29:24.539 --> 00:29:25.099
 with them

00:29:25.099 --> 00:29:27.359
 from the

00:29:27.359 --> 00:29:27.880
 scriptures.

00:29:28.819 --> 00:29:29.359
 This wasn't

00:29:29.359 --> 00:29:30.259
 Paul's idea.

00:29:30.920 --> 00:29:31.480
 This wasn't

00:29:31.480 --> 00:29:32.240
 Paul's opinions.

00:29:32.900 --> 00:29:33.299
 He was

00:29:33.299 --> 00:29:34.579
 reasoning with

00:29:34.579 --> 00:29:35.400
 them about

00:29:35.400 --> 00:29:35.920
 the text

00:29:35.920 --> 00:29:36.539
 itself,

00:29:37.079 --> 00:29:38.559
 explaining and

00:29:38.559 --> 00:29:39.960
 proving that it

00:29:39.960 --> 00:29:41.099
 was necessary for

00:29:41.099 --> 00:29:41.819
 the Christ to

00:29:41.819 --> 00:29:42.940
 suffer and to

00:29:42.940 --> 00:29:43.640
 rise from the

00:29:43.640 --> 00:29:44.819
 dead, saying,

00:29:45.039 --> 00:29:45.720
 this Jesus whom

00:29:45.720 --> 00:29:46.539
 I proclaim to

00:29:46.539 --> 00:29:48.039
 you is this

00:29:48.039 --> 00:29:48.940
 Christ.

00:29:50.240 --> 00:29:52.359
 Paul's gospel

00:29:52.359 --> 00:29:53.019
 was rooted in

00:29:53.019 --> 00:29:53.460
 the scriptures,

00:29:53.819 --> 00:29:54.200
 not in

00:29:54.200 --> 00:29:56.220
 flattery, not

00:29:56.220 --> 00:29:56.920
 in fraudulent

00:29:56.920 --> 00:29:57.440
 opinions.

00:29:58.519 --> 00:29:59.079
 This was his

00:29:59.079 --> 00:29:59.400
 appeal.

00:29:59.720 --> 00:30:00.180
 In fact, that

00:30:00.180 --> 00:30:00.980
 word appeal is

00:30:00.980 --> 00:30:02.839
 unique here.

00:30:03.039 --> 00:30:04.160
 In fact, if you

00:30:04.160 --> 00:30:05.059
 make it on

00:30:05.059 --> 00:30:06.120
 Saturday night

00:30:06.120 --> 00:30:06.779
 to Laurel, I

00:30:06.779 --> 00:30:07.400
 might just come

00:30:07.400 --> 00:30:07.880
 back to this

00:30:07.880 --> 00:30:08.480
 text and really

00:30:08.480 --> 00:30:09.200
 just focus on

00:30:09.200 --> 00:30:09.880
 this one word,

00:30:10.039 --> 00:30:10.400
 appeal.

00:30:11.400 --> 00:30:12.160
 This urgent

00:30:12.160 --> 00:30:13.059
 request, that's

00:30:13.059 --> 00:30:13.720
 what the gospel

00:30:13.720 --> 00:30:14.680
 preaching actually

00:30:14.680 --> 00:30:15.700
 ultimately is.

00:30:15.700 --> 00:30:17.080
 It's not just a

00:30:17.080 --> 00:30:17.900
 dissemination of

00:30:17.900 --> 00:30:18.400
 information.

00:30:19.400 --> 00:30:20.000
 It is an

00:30:20.000 --> 00:30:20.580
 appeal.

00:30:21.360 --> 00:30:21.900
 It is an

00:30:21.900 --> 00:30:22.799
 urgent request

00:30:22.799 --> 00:30:23.340
 that people

00:30:23.340 --> 00:30:24.440
 would act

00:30:24.440 --> 00:30:25.680
 upon this

00:30:25.680 --> 00:30:26.180
 information.

00:30:26.880 --> 00:30:27.180
 And that's

00:30:27.180 --> 00:30:27.740
 what Paul was

00:30:27.740 --> 00:30:28.080
 doing.

00:30:28.380 --> 00:30:29.080
 He wasn't just

00:30:29.080 --> 00:30:29.660
 preaching a

00:30:29.660 --> 00:30:30.180
 philosophy.

00:30:30.539 --> 00:30:31.539
 He was calling

00:30:31.539 --> 00:30:32.360
 for people to

00:30:32.360 --> 00:30:33.019
 respond.

00:30:35.340 --> 00:30:36.580
 And he was

00:30:36.580 --> 00:30:37.259
 calling for them

00:30:37.259 --> 00:30:37.980
 not to respond

00:30:37.980 --> 00:30:38.460
 to him.

00:30:39.559 --> 00:30:40.400
 He wasn't

00:30:40.400 --> 00:30:41.059
 building his own

00:30:41.059 --> 00:30:41.480
 following.

00:30:41.880 --> 00:30:42.759
 He was calling

00:30:42.759 --> 00:30:43.440
 for them to

00:30:43.440 --> 00:30:44.059
 follow the

00:30:44.059 --> 00:30:44.580
 Christ.

00:30:44.579 --> 00:30:46.159
 to follow

00:30:46.159 --> 00:30:46.659
 Jesus.

00:30:47.179 --> 00:30:48.000
 That's a key

00:30:48.000 --> 00:30:48.779
 difference between

00:30:48.779 --> 00:30:49.339
 him and the

00:30:49.339 --> 00:30:50.019
 charlatans of

00:30:50.019 --> 00:30:50.500
 his age.

00:30:51.000 --> 00:30:51.439
 These other

00:30:51.439 --> 00:30:51.939
 people coming

00:30:51.939 --> 00:30:52.799
 into Thessalonica

00:30:52.799 --> 00:30:53.079
 and they're

00:30:53.079 --> 00:30:53.759
 saying, follow

00:30:53.759 --> 00:30:54.179
 me.

00:30:54.279 --> 00:30:54.779
 I've got great

00:30:54.779 --> 00:30:55.159
 ideas.

00:30:55.259 --> 00:30:55.939
 I've got wonderful

00:30:55.939 --> 00:30:56.419
 charisma.

00:30:56.859 --> 00:30:57.679
 You follow me.

00:30:57.759 --> 00:30:58.339
 You'll be safe

00:30:58.339 --> 00:30:58.659
 with me.

00:30:58.799 --> 00:30:59.439
 Paul comes in

00:30:59.439 --> 00:31:00.059
 and he says,

00:31:00.399 --> 00:31:00.899
 I'm not coming

00:31:00.899 --> 00:31:01.419
 with flattering

00:31:01.419 --> 00:31:01.939
 words.

00:31:02.599 --> 00:31:03.299
 To the

00:31:03.299 --> 00:31:03.879
 Corinthians, he

00:31:03.879 --> 00:31:04.139
 said, I

00:31:04.139 --> 00:31:04.599
 didn't come

00:31:04.599 --> 00:31:05.859
 with this

00:31:05.859 --> 00:31:07.000
 lofty speech.

00:31:07.559 --> 00:31:08.299
 No, I just

00:31:08.299 --> 00:31:08.720
 want you to

00:31:08.720 --> 00:31:09.339
 follow Jesus.

00:31:09.500 --> 00:31:09.879
 It doesn't

00:31:09.879 --> 00:31:10.339
 matter about

00:31:10.339 --> 00:31:10.480
 me.

00:31:10.539 --> 00:31:10.960
 Just follow

00:31:10.960 --> 00:31:11.379
 Jesus.

00:31:11.919 --> 00:31:12.379
 He's the

00:31:12.379 --> 00:31:12.859
 Christ.

00:31:13.259 --> 00:31:13.699
 He'll save

00:31:13.699 --> 00:31:14.279
 your soul.

00:31:14.579 --> 00:31:15.199
 That's not

00:31:15.199 --> 00:31:15.579
 error.

00:31:15.980 --> 00:31:16.699
 That's truth.

00:31:17.279 --> 00:31:17.779
 And that's what

00:31:17.779 --> 00:31:18.379
 his appeal was

00:31:18.379 --> 00:31:19.039
 based on.

00:31:19.659 --> 00:31:20.240
 There's a

00:31:20.240 --> 00:31:21.039
 second sinful

00:31:21.039 --> 00:31:21.619
 motive here

00:31:21.619 --> 00:31:22.439
 though, and

00:31:22.439 --> 00:31:22.740
 that is

00:31:22.740 --> 00:31:23.399
 impurity.

00:31:24.240 --> 00:31:24.720
 Impurity.

00:31:26.299 --> 00:31:27.240
 Every other

00:31:27.240 --> 00:31:28.439
 time Paul uses

00:31:28.439 --> 00:31:29.119
 this word in

00:31:29.119 --> 00:31:29.480
 his letters,

00:31:29.740 --> 00:31:30.619
 every single

00:31:30.619 --> 00:31:31.439
 time except for

00:31:31.439 --> 00:31:32.000
 this one,

00:31:32.559 --> 00:31:34.039
 it's always used

00:31:34.039 --> 00:31:34.819
 in reference to

00:31:34.819 --> 00:31:35.740
 sexual sin.

00:31:35.740 --> 00:31:35.799
 sin.

00:31:37.220 --> 00:31:38.160
 So why is he

00:31:38.160 --> 00:31:38.940
 using it here?

00:31:40.559 --> 00:31:40.940
 What he

00:31:40.940 --> 00:31:41.579
 means is that

00:31:41.579 --> 00:31:42.240
 he did not

00:31:42.240 --> 00:31:43.279
 prostitute the

00:31:43.279 --> 00:31:44.000
 gospel message

00:31:44.000 --> 00:31:44.620
 for personal

00:31:44.620 --> 00:31:44.980
 gain.

00:31:46.420 --> 00:31:46.720
 He wasn't

00:31:46.720 --> 00:31:47.799
 prostituting the

00:31:47.799 --> 00:31:48.039
 gospel.

00:31:48.279 --> 00:31:49.000
 He wasn't

00:31:49.000 --> 00:31:51.120
 preaching the

00:31:51.120 --> 00:31:51.620
 gospel in

00:31:51.620 --> 00:31:52.339
 order that he

00:31:52.339 --> 00:31:53.019
 might get

00:31:53.019 --> 00:31:53.660
 something from

00:31:53.660 --> 00:31:54.160
 the people

00:31:54.160 --> 00:31:55.539
 that believed

00:31:55.539 --> 00:31:55.799
 it.

00:31:57.120 --> 00:31:57.819
 Whether that

00:31:57.819 --> 00:31:58.359
 be glory,

00:31:59.099 --> 00:31:59.539
 whether it

00:31:59.539 --> 00:32:00.079
 be money,

00:32:01.079 --> 00:32:01.680
 or sex,

00:32:01.759 --> 00:32:02.099
 whatever it

00:32:02.099 --> 00:32:02.380
 might have

00:32:02.380 --> 00:32:02.640
 been.

00:32:03.100 --> 00:32:03.420
 And again,

00:32:03.540 --> 00:32:04.259
 he restates

00:32:04.259 --> 00:32:04.720
 this in

00:32:04.720 --> 00:32:05.180
 verse 5.

00:32:05.280 --> 00:32:05.720
 He says that

00:32:05.720 --> 00:32:06.000
 when they

00:32:06.000 --> 00:32:06.360
 came, they

00:32:06.360 --> 00:32:06.860
 had no

00:32:06.860 --> 00:32:08.259
 pretext for

00:32:08.259 --> 00:32:08.640
 greed.

00:32:10.480 --> 00:32:11.060
 Later in

00:32:11.060 --> 00:32:11.460
 the chapter,

00:32:11.580 --> 00:32:11.980
 he even

00:32:11.980 --> 00:32:12.740
 recalls how

00:32:12.740 --> 00:32:13.300
 they refused

00:32:13.300 --> 00:32:13.700
 to take

00:32:13.700 --> 00:32:14.280
 money from

00:32:14.280 --> 00:32:15.020
 the Thessalonian

00:32:15.020 --> 00:32:16.320
 Christians for

00:32:16.320 --> 00:32:16.759
 this very

00:32:16.759 --> 00:32:17.120
 reason.

00:32:17.240 --> 00:32:17.460
 They didn't

00:32:17.460 --> 00:32:17.960
 want to be

00:32:17.960 --> 00:32:18.720
 accused of

00:32:18.720 --> 00:32:19.780
 being like

00:32:19.780 --> 00:32:20.440
 the philosophers

00:32:20.440 --> 00:32:21.020
 who were

00:32:21.020 --> 00:32:21.420
 known to

00:32:21.420 --> 00:32:21.700
 come to

00:32:21.700 --> 00:32:22.060
 the city.

00:32:23.220 --> 00:32:23.620
 There's a

00:32:23.620 --> 00:32:24.360
 third sinful

00:32:24.360 --> 00:32:24.960
 motivation.

00:32:26.320 --> 00:32:26.960
 Deceive is

00:32:26.960 --> 00:32:27.400
 the last

00:32:27.400 --> 00:32:27.720
 thing.

00:32:28.720 --> 00:32:29.300
 Our appeal

00:32:29.300 --> 00:32:29.759
 does not

00:32:29.759 --> 00:32:30.200
 spring from

00:32:30.200 --> 00:32:30.820
 error or

00:32:30.820 --> 00:32:31.720
 impurity or

00:32:31.720 --> 00:32:32.560
 any attempt

00:32:32.559 --> 00:32:33.579
 to deceive.

00:32:34.079 --> 00:32:34.419
 This is

00:32:34.419 --> 00:32:35.000
 trickery.

00:32:37.099 --> 00:32:37.240
 It's

00:32:37.240 --> 00:32:37.819
 baiting

00:32:37.819 --> 00:32:38.539
 somebody is

00:32:38.539 --> 00:32:39.319
 the idea

00:32:39.319 --> 00:32:39.819
 behind this

00:32:39.819 --> 00:32:40.019
 one.

00:32:41.460 --> 00:32:41.899
 It wasn't

00:32:41.899 --> 00:32:42.379
 a made-up

00:32:42.379 --> 00:32:43.079
 story meant

00:32:43.079 --> 00:32:43.659
 to deceive

00:32:43.659 --> 00:32:44.179
 people into

00:32:44.179 --> 00:32:44.940
 following Paul.

00:32:45.200 --> 00:32:45.659
 He says in

00:32:45.659 --> 00:32:46.099
 verse 6,

00:32:46.220 --> 00:32:46.799
 we did not

00:32:46.799 --> 00:32:47.440
 seek glory

00:32:47.440 --> 00:32:48.359
 from people.

00:32:48.940 --> 00:32:49.480
 That's not

00:32:49.480 --> 00:32:50.440
 what he was

00:32:50.440 --> 00:32:51.440
 motivated by.

00:32:53.200 --> 00:32:53.759
 Now,

00:32:54.000 --> 00:32:54.539
 let's look at

00:32:54.539 --> 00:32:55.019
 the big picture

00:32:55.019 --> 00:32:55.299
 here.

00:32:57.139 --> 00:32:58.099
 Though this

00:32:58.099 --> 00:32:58.759
 isn't unheard

00:32:58.759 --> 00:32:59.279
 of and it's

00:32:59.279 --> 00:33:00.039
 certainly possible,

00:33:00.559 --> 00:33:01.460
 it's very

00:33:01.460 --> 00:33:02.119
 unlikely

00:33:02.119 --> 00:33:04.859
 that these

00:33:04.859 --> 00:33:06.219
 motives would

00:33:06.219 --> 00:33:06.739
 have produced

00:33:06.739 --> 00:33:07.179
 the kind

00:33:07.179 --> 00:33:07.979
 of boldness

00:33:07.979 --> 00:33:09.639
 that we see

00:33:09.639 --> 00:33:10.179
 in Paul

00:33:10.179 --> 00:33:11.019
 in Thessalonica.

00:33:13.019 --> 00:33:13.959
 If you're a

00:33:13.959 --> 00:33:14.539
 charlatan

00:33:14.539 --> 00:33:17.079
 who is beaten

00:33:17.079 --> 00:33:18.099
 nearly to death

00:33:18.099 --> 00:33:19.259
 and shamed

00:33:19.259 --> 00:33:20.059
 in front of

00:33:20.059 --> 00:33:20.919
 an entire city

00:33:20.919 --> 00:33:21.559
 in Philistine

00:33:21.559 --> 00:33:24.919
 and you know

00:33:24.919 --> 00:33:26.139
 that what

00:33:26.139 --> 00:33:26.539
 you're doing

00:33:26.539 --> 00:33:27.139
 isn't real,

00:33:27.139 --> 00:33:28.879
 why do you

00:33:28.879 --> 00:33:29.599
 just subject

00:33:29.599 --> 00:33:30.199
 yourself to it

00:33:30.199 --> 00:33:30.799
 all over again?

00:33:30.799 --> 00:33:31.899
 That just

00:33:31.899 --> 00:33:32.759
 doesn't logically

00:33:32.759 --> 00:33:33.220
 make sense.

00:33:33.279 --> 00:33:33.740
 I think that's

00:33:33.740 --> 00:33:34.240
 what Paul's

00:33:34.240 --> 00:33:34.740
 saying here.

00:33:35.200 --> 00:33:35.500
 There is

00:33:35.500 --> 00:33:36.379
 credibility to

00:33:36.379 --> 00:33:36.779
 the gospel

00:33:36.779 --> 00:33:37.480
 message because

00:33:37.480 --> 00:33:38.059
 he did not

00:33:38.059 --> 00:33:38.599
 come as a

00:33:38.599 --> 00:33:39.159
 charlatan.

00:33:40.599 --> 00:33:41.299
 So then what

00:33:41.299 --> 00:33:42.200
 was his true

00:33:42.200 --> 00:33:42.500
 motive?

00:33:44.099 --> 00:33:44.819
 The true

00:33:44.819 --> 00:33:45.299
 motive for

00:33:45.299 --> 00:33:46.019
 Paul's ministry

00:33:46.019 --> 00:33:46.960
 to the Thessalonians

00:33:46.960 --> 00:33:47.740
 was very simple

00:33:47.740 --> 00:33:48.159
 actually.

00:33:48.720 --> 00:33:49.099
 Look at verse

00:33:49.099 --> 00:33:49.399
 four.

00:33:50.039 --> 00:33:50.399
 But,

00:33:50.500 --> 00:33:50.879
 here's the

00:33:50.879 --> 00:33:51.519
 affirmation,

00:33:52.899 --> 00:33:53.480
 just as we

00:33:53.480 --> 00:33:53.779
 have been

00:33:53.779 --> 00:33:54.460
 approved by

00:33:54.460 --> 00:33:55.180
 God to be

00:33:55.180 --> 00:33:55.859
 entrusted with

00:33:55.859 --> 00:33:56.319
 the gospel,

00:33:56.700 --> 00:33:57.299
 so we speak.

00:33:58.500 --> 00:33:59.099
 What's his

00:33:59.099 --> 00:33:59.359
 motive?

00:33:59.359 --> 00:34:00.119
 Simple.

00:34:01.099 --> 00:34:01.619
 God has

00:34:01.619 --> 00:34:02.119
 called me to

00:34:02.119 --> 00:34:02.559
 do this.

00:34:04.599 --> 00:34:05.259
 He was

00:34:05.259 --> 00:34:05.959
 motivated

00:34:05.959 --> 00:34:07.439
 entirely

00:34:07.439 --> 00:34:09.119
 by God's

00:34:09.119 --> 00:34:10.239
 call on his

00:34:10.239 --> 00:34:10.679
 life.

00:34:11.500 --> 00:34:12.579
 That's amazing.

00:34:14.460 --> 00:34:15.480
 He wasn't

00:34:15.480 --> 00:34:16.199
 motivated by

00:34:16.199 --> 00:34:17.119
 money or

00:34:17.119 --> 00:34:18.119
 power or

00:34:18.119 --> 00:34:18.539
 sex.

00:34:18.980 --> 00:34:19.480
 He was

00:34:19.480 --> 00:34:20.259
 motivated by

00:34:20.259 --> 00:34:21.159
 a desire to

00:34:21.159 --> 00:34:21.739
 fulfill his

00:34:21.739 --> 00:34:22.019
 call.

00:34:23.400 --> 00:34:24.059
 And he was

00:34:24.059 --> 00:34:24.719
 far more

00:34:24.719 --> 00:34:26.219
 concerned with

00:34:26.219 --> 00:34:27.019
 obeying God's

00:34:27.019 --> 00:34:28.099
 call than

00:34:28.099 --> 00:34:29.019
 even preserving

00:34:29.019 --> 00:34:29.500
 his own

00:34:29.500 --> 00:34:29.839
 life.

00:34:31.759 --> 00:34:32.579
 And since

00:34:32.579 --> 00:34:33.099
 God had

00:34:33.099 --> 00:34:33.920
 entrusted the

00:34:33.920 --> 00:34:34.639
 gospel message

00:34:34.639 --> 00:34:35.259
 to him,

00:34:36.219 --> 00:34:36.759
 Paul was

00:34:36.759 --> 00:34:37.719
 then entrusting

00:34:37.719 --> 00:34:38.239
 his own

00:34:38.239 --> 00:34:38.940
 life to the

00:34:38.940 --> 00:34:39.619
 sovereign will

00:34:39.619 --> 00:34:40.880
 of God.

00:34:42.539 --> 00:34:43.199
 Faithful

00:34:43.199 --> 00:34:44.739
 ministry is

00:34:44.739 --> 00:34:45.619
 motivated by

00:34:45.619 --> 00:34:46.360
 God's truth

00:34:46.360 --> 00:34:47.799
 and it is

00:34:47.799 --> 00:34:48.699
 motivated by

00:34:48.699 --> 00:34:50.219
 God's call.

00:34:51.179 --> 00:34:51.759
 Which,

00:34:51.940 --> 00:34:52.460
 by the way,

00:34:52.519 --> 00:34:53.059
 is something

00:34:53.059 --> 00:34:53.819
 that all of

00:34:53.819 --> 00:34:54.279
 us have.

00:34:54.280 --> 00:34:57.380
 my call as

00:34:57.380 --> 00:34:57.840
 a pastor

00:34:57.840 --> 00:34:58.440
 might be

00:34:58.440 --> 00:35:00.000
 unique in

00:35:00.000 --> 00:35:00.780
 its scope

00:35:00.780 --> 00:35:01.800
 and in

00:35:01.800 --> 00:35:02.519
 its context.

00:35:04.100 --> 00:35:04.680
 But that

00:35:04.680 --> 00:35:05.180
 doesn't mean

00:35:05.180 --> 00:35:05.660
 that I'm the

00:35:05.660 --> 00:35:06.160
 only one in

00:35:06.160 --> 00:35:06.580
 this room

00:35:06.580 --> 00:35:07.040
 that has a

00:35:07.040 --> 00:35:07.600
 call of God

00:35:07.600 --> 00:35:08.040
 to proclaim

00:35:08.040 --> 00:35:08.519
 the gospel.

00:35:09.019 --> 00:35:09.580
 That belongs

00:35:09.580 --> 00:35:10.080
 to all of

00:35:10.080 --> 00:35:10.340
 us.

00:35:11.380 --> 00:35:11.680
 We've already

00:35:11.680 --> 00:35:12.180
 mentioned the

00:35:12.180 --> 00:35:12.920
 various ways

00:35:12.920 --> 00:35:13.440
 that that will

00:35:13.440 --> 00:35:14.100
 be lived out

00:35:14.100 --> 00:35:14.680
 in your life.

00:35:15.280 --> 00:35:16.080
 But it belongs

00:35:16.080 --> 00:35:16.600
 to each and

00:35:16.600 --> 00:35:17.040
 every one of

00:35:17.040 --> 00:35:17.140
 us.

00:35:17.400 --> 00:35:17.960
 Now, how

00:35:17.960 --> 00:35:18.580
 will you be

00:35:18.580 --> 00:35:19.420
 motivated to

00:35:19.420 --> 00:35:20.000
 fulfill that

00:35:20.000 --> 00:35:20.360
 call?

00:35:20.880 --> 00:35:21.340
 Or do you

00:35:21.340 --> 00:35:22.100
 even care that

00:35:22.100 --> 00:35:22.660
 the call is

00:35:22.660 --> 00:35:23.040
 there?

00:35:24.280 --> 00:35:25.600
 If it's for

00:35:25.600 --> 00:35:26.000
 any other

00:35:26.000 --> 00:35:26.680
 reason than

00:35:26.680 --> 00:35:27.300
 simply to

00:35:27.300 --> 00:35:27.840
 obey the

00:35:27.840 --> 00:35:29.300
 Lord, then

00:35:29.300 --> 00:35:29.680
 you will

00:35:29.680 --> 00:35:30.600
 inevitably fall

00:35:30.600 --> 00:35:31.260
 into error

00:35:31.260 --> 00:35:33.300
 and impurity

00:35:33.300 --> 00:35:35.880
 and deception.

00:35:38.140 --> 00:35:40.120
 Third, I

00:35:40.120 --> 00:35:40.420
 want you to

00:35:40.420 --> 00:35:40.800
 see the

00:35:40.800 --> 00:35:42.240
 mission, or

00:35:42.240 --> 00:35:42.760
 what I mean

00:35:42.760 --> 00:35:43.220
 by mission

00:35:43.220 --> 00:35:43.640
 here, because

00:35:43.640 --> 00:35:44.160
 I just needed

00:35:44.160 --> 00:35:44.860
 another M.

00:35:45.100 --> 00:35:45.880
 It made me

00:35:45.880 --> 00:35:46.320
 think better.

00:35:47.380 --> 00:35:48.019
 I mean the

00:35:48.019 --> 00:35:48.640
 aim or the

00:35:48.640 --> 00:35:48.960
 goal.

00:35:49.200 --> 00:35:49.760
 What was

00:35:49.760 --> 00:35:50.460
 Paul's ultimate

00:35:50.460 --> 00:35:51.200
 goal here?

00:35:51.460 --> 00:35:51.880
 He and

00:35:51.880 --> 00:35:52.460
 Silas and

00:35:52.460 --> 00:35:52.780
 Timothy.

00:35:54.280 --> 00:35:54.780
 The last

00:35:54.780 --> 00:35:55.120
 part of

00:35:55.120 --> 00:35:55.540
 verse 4.

00:35:57.120 --> 00:35:57.600
 So we

00:35:57.600 --> 00:35:59.280
 speak, not

00:35:59.280 --> 00:35:59.700
 to please

00:35:59.700 --> 00:36:01.900
 man, but

00:36:01.900 --> 00:36:02.400
 to please

00:36:02.400 --> 00:36:04.320
 God, who

00:36:04.320 --> 00:36:04.880
 tests our

00:36:04.880 --> 00:36:05.260
 hearts.

00:36:05.980 --> 00:36:06.720
 He doesn't

00:36:06.720 --> 00:36:07.420
 just see what

00:36:07.420 --> 00:36:07.980
 we do, he

00:36:07.980 --> 00:36:08.400
 knows our

00:36:08.400 --> 00:36:10.019
 hearts, and

00:36:10.019 --> 00:36:10.820
 we desire to

00:36:10.820 --> 00:36:11.300
 please him.

00:36:13.000 --> 00:36:13.820
 This third

00:36:13.820 --> 00:36:14.260
 not-but

00:36:14.260 --> 00:36:14.780
 statement, it

00:36:14.780 --> 00:36:15.200
 gets to the

00:36:15.200 --> 00:36:15.560
 heart of the

00:36:15.560 --> 00:36:16.160
 matter, revealing

00:36:16.160 --> 00:36:16.640
 that the

00:36:16.640 --> 00:36:18.120
 ultimate goal of

00:36:18.120 --> 00:36:18.880
 Paul's ministry

00:36:18.880 --> 00:36:19.840
 in Thessalonica

00:36:19.840 --> 00:36:21.360
 was to

00:36:21.360 --> 00:36:23.380
 please God, not

00:36:23.380 --> 00:36:24.100
 men.

00:36:24.980 --> 00:36:25.720
 Which is

00:36:25.720 --> 00:36:26.579
 instructive for

00:36:26.579 --> 00:36:27.019
 us, isn't

00:36:27.019 --> 00:36:27.260
 it?

00:36:28.300 --> 00:36:29.059
 When our

00:36:29.059 --> 00:36:30.019
 primary objective

00:36:30.019 --> 00:36:30.740
 is to please

00:36:30.740 --> 00:36:32.480
 men, we

00:36:32.480 --> 00:36:33.460
 will succumb

00:36:33.460 --> 00:36:33.840
 to the

00:36:33.840 --> 00:36:34.460
 pressure to

00:36:34.460 --> 00:36:35.059
 diminish the

00:36:35.059 --> 00:36:35.840
 gospel message.

00:36:36.360 --> 00:36:36.980
 Do you not

00:36:36.980 --> 00:36:37.660
 feel that?

00:36:39.440 --> 00:36:40.420
 I feel

00:36:40.420 --> 00:36:40.840
 that.

00:36:44.079 --> 00:36:44.800
 That if

00:36:44.800 --> 00:36:45.420
 there's a way

00:36:45.420 --> 00:36:46.100
 to water it

00:36:46.100 --> 00:36:46.920
 down so people

00:36:46.920 --> 00:36:47.900
 aren't so hateful,

00:36:48.280 --> 00:36:48.800
 we're tempted

00:36:48.800 --> 00:36:49.340
 to it, aren't

00:36:49.340 --> 00:36:49.519
 we?

00:36:49.840 --> 00:36:53.960
 No, if

00:36:53.960 --> 00:36:54.480
 we're aiming

00:36:54.480 --> 00:36:55.000
 to please

00:36:55.000 --> 00:36:57.280
 God, we

00:36:57.280 --> 00:36:57.660
 will not

00:36:57.660 --> 00:36:58.100
 succumb to

00:36:58.100 --> 00:36:58.620
 that pressure.

00:36:59.900 --> 00:37:00.559
 We'll be

00:37:00.559 --> 00:37:01.019
 bold in the

00:37:01.019 --> 00:37:01.660
 conflict, right?

00:37:03.800 --> 00:37:04.460
 When we

00:37:04.460 --> 00:37:04.920
 aim to

00:37:04.920 --> 00:37:05.720
 please men, we

00:37:05.720 --> 00:37:06.360
 will inevitably

00:37:06.360 --> 00:37:07.220
 engage in

00:37:07.220 --> 00:37:07.840
 fraudulent

00:37:07.840 --> 00:37:08.640
 flattery, we

00:37:08.640 --> 00:37:09.440
 will prostitute

00:37:09.440 --> 00:37:10.280
 Christianity for

00:37:10.280 --> 00:37:11.640
 personal gain, and

00:37:11.640 --> 00:37:12.059
 we will

00:37:12.059 --> 00:37:13.680
 willingly deceive

00:37:13.680 --> 00:37:15.200
 for our own

00:37:15.200 --> 00:37:15.559
 glory.

00:37:17.220 --> 00:37:18.039
 However, when

00:37:18.039 --> 00:37:18.720
 our sole

00:37:18.720 --> 00:37:19.780
 mission is to

00:37:19.780 --> 00:37:21.220
 please God, we

00:37:21.220 --> 00:37:21.920
 test our

00:37:21.920 --> 00:37:23.580
 hearts, we'll

00:37:23.580 --> 00:37:24.160
 proclaim the

00:37:24.160 --> 00:37:24.540
 truth in

00:37:24.540 --> 00:37:26.040
 conflict, and

00:37:26.040 --> 00:37:26.860
 we'll avoid the

00:37:26.860 --> 00:37:27.800
 sinful motivations

00:37:27.800 --> 00:37:28.519
 that take so

00:37:28.519 --> 00:37:29.100
 many captive.

00:37:29.840 --> 00:37:30.820
 Now, is

00:37:30.820 --> 00:37:31.780
 this not why

00:37:31.780 --> 00:37:32.380
 at the end of

00:37:32.380 --> 00:37:34.200
 his life, Paul

00:37:34.200 --> 00:37:34.900
 writes one more

00:37:34.900 --> 00:37:36.960
 letter to

00:37:36.960 --> 00:37:37.320
 Timothy?

00:37:37.900 --> 00:37:38.760
 And what is it

00:37:38.760 --> 00:37:39.300
 that he says?

00:37:39.420 --> 00:37:40.860
 Timothy, I

00:37:40.860 --> 00:37:43.160
 charge you, in

00:37:43.160 --> 00:37:44.060
 the presence of

00:37:44.060 --> 00:37:45.280
 God, who

00:37:45.280 --> 00:37:45.880
 test our

00:37:45.880 --> 00:37:47.700
 hearts, in the

00:37:47.700 --> 00:37:48.519
 presence of God

00:37:48.519 --> 00:37:49.059
 and of Christ

00:37:49.059 --> 00:37:49.900
 Jesus, who is

00:37:49.900 --> 00:37:50.759
 to judge the

00:37:50.759 --> 00:37:51.900
 living and the

00:37:51.900 --> 00:37:53.079
 dead, and by

00:37:53.079 --> 00:37:54.039
 his appearing in

00:37:54.039 --> 00:37:54.559
 his kingdom.

00:37:55.599 --> 00:37:56.320
 Preach the

00:37:56.320 --> 00:37:57.119
 word, Timothy.

00:37:57.440 --> 00:37:58.119
 Just be

00:37:58.119 --> 00:37:58.599
 faithful.

00:37:59.219 --> 00:37:59.699
 Preach the

00:37:59.699 --> 00:38:00.099
 gospel.

00:38:01.539 --> 00:38:02.420
 Do it when it's

00:38:02.420 --> 00:38:03.219
 in season, he

00:38:03.219 --> 00:38:03.579
 says.

00:38:04.719 --> 00:38:05.739
 When people are

00:38:05.739 --> 00:38:07.539
 believing, and

00:38:07.539 --> 00:38:08.239
 they're friendly to

00:38:08.239 --> 00:38:09.280
 it, and God is

00:38:09.280 --> 00:38:11.039
 working, do it when

00:38:11.039 --> 00:38:12.099
 it's out of season,

00:38:12.480 --> 00:38:13.460
 when people are

00:38:13.460 --> 00:38:14.280
 unfriendly to it,

00:38:14.300 --> 00:38:14.980
 and you suffer

00:38:14.980 --> 00:38:15.840
 because of it.

00:38:17.219 --> 00:38:19.019
 Reprove, rebuke,

00:38:19.619 --> 00:38:20.380
 exhort with

00:38:20.380 --> 00:38:21.500
 complete patience

00:38:21.500 --> 00:38:22.199
 and teaching,

00:38:22.619 --> 00:38:23.099
 patience there

00:38:23.099 --> 00:38:24.300
 being endurance,

00:38:24.579 --> 00:38:25.340
 enduring what may

00:38:25.340 --> 00:38:26.219
 come as a result.

00:38:27.099 --> 00:38:27.980
 For the time is

00:38:27.980 --> 00:38:29.019
 coming, Timothy,

00:38:29.900 --> 00:38:30.740
 when people will

00:38:30.740 --> 00:38:31.740
 not endure sound

00:38:31.740 --> 00:38:32.059
 teaching.

00:38:32.280 --> 00:38:32.980
 Now, it's amazing

00:38:32.980 --> 00:38:33.820
 that Paul says the

00:38:33.820 --> 00:38:34.639
 time is coming as

00:38:34.639 --> 00:38:35.079
 if it's something

00:38:35.079 --> 00:38:35.460
 future.

00:38:35.719 --> 00:38:36.340
 He's the one getting

00:38:36.340 --> 00:38:37.219
 beaten near to death,

00:38:37.920 --> 00:38:40.119
 which only means that

00:38:40.119 --> 00:38:41.380
 there's no end to

00:38:41.380 --> 00:38:42.260
 this, not until the

00:38:42.260 --> 00:38:42.820
 Lord returns.

00:38:42.820 --> 00:38:44.539
 It should be our

00:38:44.539 --> 00:38:45.580
 eager expectation

00:38:45.580 --> 00:38:46.960
 that this would be

00:38:46.960 --> 00:38:47.760
 the result of

00:38:47.760 --> 00:38:48.580
 faithful ministry,

00:38:48.680 --> 00:38:48.920
 right?

00:38:49.720 --> 00:38:50.360
 Having itching

00:38:50.360 --> 00:38:51.220
 ears, they will

00:38:51.220 --> 00:38:52.160
 accumulate for

00:38:52.160 --> 00:38:53.160
 themselves teachers

00:38:53.160 --> 00:38:54.760
 to suit their own

00:38:54.760 --> 00:38:56.260
 passions, and will

00:38:56.260 --> 00:38:57.140
 turn away from

00:38:57.140 --> 00:38:57.880
 listening to the

00:38:57.880 --> 00:38:58.640
 truth and wander

00:38:58.640 --> 00:38:59.480
 off into myths.

00:39:00.480 --> 00:39:01.800
 But as for you,

00:39:01.960 --> 00:39:05.039
 Timothy, keep your

00:39:05.039 --> 00:39:06.920
 head, be sober

00:39:06.920 --> 00:39:08.920
 minded, endure

00:39:08.920 --> 00:39:11.059
 suffering, do the

00:39:11.059 --> 00:39:11.660
 work of an

00:39:11.660 --> 00:39:12.360
 evangelist, preach

00:39:12.360 --> 00:39:13.880
 the gospel, and

00:39:13.880 --> 00:39:14.820
 fulfill your

00:39:14.820 --> 00:39:15.200
 ministry.

00:39:15.460 --> 00:39:15.900
 Do you see what

00:39:15.900 --> 00:39:16.820
 he's telling young

00:39:16.820 --> 00:39:17.079
 Timothy?

00:39:17.300 --> 00:39:17.820
 This is going to

00:39:17.820 --> 00:39:18.440
 get worse and you're

00:39:18.440 --> 00:39:18.720
 going to feel

00:39:18.720 --> 00:39:19.240
 pressure.

00:39:19.700 --> 00:39:20.220
 You're going to

00:39:20.220 --> 00:39:21.120
 feel pressure from

00:39:21.120 --> 00:39:22.019
 people who say that

00:39:22.019 --> 00:39:22.640
 they're Christians.

00:39:23.220 --> 00:39:23.780
 You're going to feel

00:39:23.780 --> 00:39:25.180
 pressure to water

00:39:25.180 --> 00:39:26.420
 down the gospel, to

00:39:26.420 --> 00:39:27.519
 soften it up a bit,

00:39:27.860 --> 00:39:28.920
 to not be so

00:39:28.920 --> 00:39:31.039
 demanding of people

00:39:31.039 --> 00:39:33.740
 to believe and to

00:39:33.740 --> 00:39:34.340
 be faithful.

00:39:35.460 --> 00:39:35.980
 They're going to

00:39:35.980 --> 00:39:36.880
 have itching ears.

00:39:37.460 --> 00:39:37.840
 They're going to

00:39:37.840 --> 00:39:39.260
 want you to preach

00:39:39.260 --> 00:39:39.860
 to their own

00:39:39.860 --> 00:39:40.240
 passions.

00:39:40.239 --> 00:39:42.079
 and they're going

00:39:42.079 --> 00:39:42.759
 to threaten you in

00:39:42.759 --> 00:39:43.199
 the process.

00:39:43.419 --> 00:39:44.079
 Don't do it,

00:39:44.179 --> 00:39:44.399
 Timothy.

00:39:44.759 --> 00:39:46.019
 Just be faithful

00:39:46.019 --> 00:39:46.739
 because that's what

00:39:46.739 --> 00:39:47.919
 faithful ministry is.

00:39:48.339 --> 00:39:49.039
 It endures.

00:39:50.219 --> 00:39:51.239
 Why does it endure?

00:39:52.979 --> 00:39:53.779
 Because we're not

00:39:53.779 --> 00:39:54.939
 trying to please men

00:39:54.939 --> 00:39:56.679
 who just want to hear

00:39:56.679 --> 00:39:57.919
 a particular thing.

00:39:58.599 --> 00:39:59.259
 No, we're trying to

00:39:59.259 --> 00:40:00.000
 please God who has

00:40:00.000 --> 00:40:00.899
 actually put a call

00:40:00.899 --> 00:40:02.279
 on our lives to take

00:40:02.279 --> 00:40:03.379
 his message, not our

00:40:03.379 --> 00:40:05.259
 own, or one that may

00:40:05.259 --> 00:40:06.279
 be suitable for the

00:40:06.279 --> 00:40:06.659
 hearer.

00:40:07.259 --> 00:40:08.079
 No, we take his

00:40:08.079 --> 00:40:08.439
 message.

00:40:08.440 --> 00:40:09.960
 It's his call that's

00:40:09.960 --> 00:40:11.000
 on us, and it's his

00:40:11.000 --> 00:40:11.860
 power that goes with

00:40:11.860 --> 00:40:12.119
 us.

00:40:12.860 --> 00:40:13.340
 You want to finish

00:40:13.340 --> 00:40:13.780
 this way?

00:40:14.700 --> 00:40:15.780
 In light of

00:40:15.780 --> 00:40:16.559
 Reformation Week

00:40:16.559 --> 00:40:17.320
 last week, perhaps,

00:40:17.380 --> 00:40:17.940
 if you want to think

00:40:17.940 --> 00:40:18.420
 of it that way.

00:40:18.880 --> 00:40:19.940
 There was a Latin

00:40:19.940 --> 00:40:20.579
 phrase.

00:40:21.159 --> 00:40:22.340
 I think Luther might

00:40:22.340 --> 00:40:23.059
 have been the one

00:40:23.059 --> 00:40:24.280
 that really popularized

00:40:24.280 --> 00:40:24.480
 it.

00:40:25.039 --> 00:40:25.840
 Corum Deo.

00:40:26.000 --> 00:40:26.679
 You've probably heard

00:40:26.679 --> 00:40:27.700
 it before if you've

00:40:27.700 --> 00:40:28.559
 studied much about

00:40:28.559 --> 00:40:29.139
 the Reformation.

00:40:29.340 --> 00:40:29.840
 Corum Deo.

00:40:30.019 --> 00:40:30.960
 It's a Latin phrase

00:40:30.960 --> 00:40:32.079
 that means before the

00:40:32.079 --> 00:40:32.840
 face of God.

00:40:33.179 --> 00:40:34.119
 And it was used by

00:40:34.119 --> 00:40:35.340
 the Reformers to

00:40:35.340 --> 00:40:37.500
 describe the essence

00:40:37.500 --> 00:40:38.360
 of the Christian

00:40:38.360 --> 00:40:39.679
 life, that all of

00:40:39.679 --> 00:40:41.219
 life is lived before

00:40:41.219 --> 00:40:43.000
 the gaze of God,

00:40:43.199 --> 00:40:43.400
 right?

00:40:43.860 --> 00:40:44.280
 R.C.

00:40:44.340 --> 00:40:45.119
 Sproul said it this

00:40:45.119 --> 00:40:46.420
 way, to live

00:40:46.420 --> 00:40:48.320
 Corum Deo is to

00:40:48.320 --> 00:40:49.599
 live one's entire

00:40:49.599 --> 00:40:51.699
 life in the presence

00:40:51.699 --> 00:40:53.579
 of God, under the

00:40:53.579 --> 00:40:55.940
 authority of God, to

00:40:55.940 --> 00:40:56.920
 the glory of God.

00:40:58.079 --> 00:40:59.059
 Now, I think that's a

00:40:59.059 --> 00:40:59.500
 pretty good summation

00:41:00.059 --> 00:41:02.239
 of the model of

00:41:02.239 --> 00:41:03.000
 faithful ministry

00:41:03.000 --> 00:41:03.900
 presented in these

00:41:03.900 --> 00:41:04.420
 four verses.

00:41:04.420 --> 00:41:07.280
 Paul and Silas and

00:41:07.280 --> 00:41:08.079
 Timothy understood

00:41:08.079 --> 00:41:09.579
 that all of life is

00:41:09.579 --> 00:41:10.619
 lived before the face

00:41:10.619 --> 00:41:11.019
 of God.

00:41:12.519 --> 00:41:13.760
 And their supreme

00:41:13.760 --> 00:41:15.960
 desire was to glorify

00:41:15.960 --> 00:41:16.920
 God in what they did.

00:41:18.180 --> 00:41:19.220
 That's why they were

00:41:19.220 --> 00:41:20.659
 bold in conflict.

00:41:21.099 --> 00:41:22.079
 That's why they avoided

00:41:22.079 --> 00:41:23.159
 sinful motivations.

00:41:24.440 --> 00:41:25.800
 Their lives were

00:41:25.800 --> 00:41:27.500
 oriented to the glory

00:41:27.500 --> 00:41:29.579
 of God, so their

00:41:29.579 --> 00:41:31.000
 gospel ministry was

00:41:31.000 --> 00:41:31.659
 as well.

00:41:31.659 --> 00:41:33.899
 And if we are going

00:41:33.899 --> 00:41:35.299
 to be faithful in the

00:41:35.299 --> 00:41:36.699
 gospel, if we're going

00:41:36.699 --> 00:41:39.339
 to be fruitful in just

00:41:39.339 --> 00:41:42.819
 our Christianity, then we

00:41:42.819 --> 00:41:44.779
 must also learn to live

00:41:44.779 --> 00:41:47.359
 all of life Corum Deo,

00:41:48.940 --> 00:41:51.679
 recognizing that we live

00:41:51.679 --> 00:41:52.759
 before the face of God,

00:41:53.299 --> 00:41:55.619
 that we are his people,

00:41:56.119 --> 00:41:58.879
 and that our aim in all

00:41:58.879 --> 00:41:59.960
 of life, the very purpose

00:41:59.960 --> 00:42:01.440
 for our being and

00:42:01.440 --> 00:42:03.539
 existence is his glory.

00:42:05.019 --> 00:42:06.099
 And we should let that

00:42:06.099 --> 00:42:07.119
 be the motivation of

00:42:07.119 --> 00:42:08.699
 what we do, even when

00:42:08.699 --> 00:42:09.340
 things are tough.

00:42:09.940 --> 00:42:10.780
 I think that's what

00:42:10.780 --> 00:42:11.740
 faithful ministry looks

00:42:11.740 --> 00:42:11.960
 like.

00:42:11.960 --> 00:42:11.960