Well, good morning, everyone.
I've met you before, my name's Steve, lead pastor here at St Paul's,
! and we're continuing on in our series in Thessalonians.
You may have heard a statement, you hear it in social media,
in the media a little bit nowadays.
The statement, the question is, where are all the leaders?
Where have they gone?
In fact, it's a statement which has been given a rise really since the 1990s
as people, there's this perception as you look out in society,
you look in business world, other things like that,
is where are the leaders in a traditional sense, the leaders,
people of integrity, people of vision,
people who actually are not in the position of leadership,
a personal gain, but for the overall good of society,
where are those leaders?
You look in the political realm, there's a great deal of distrust
in institutions and the political realm because of the sense
that we're in this role and the extent of our vision
is the next election campaign to ensure that we stay in power.
Where are the leaders?
And that's certainly the case as well when you look at the Christian church.
Where are the leaders in the Christian church?
In fact, in recent weeks, a Christian pastor and his wife in Denver, Colorado,
have been accused of a cryptocurrency scam
and using the proceeds to pay for home renovations and vacations.
The couple were indicted on 40 counts of theft, security fraud and racketeering.
Prosecutors in Colorado say that the couple solicited $3.4 million, US dollars,
from investors for a business venture that they'd set up,
but only a very small amount of that money actually went to the business venture,
which actually failed.
Instead, they spent at least $1.3 million on personal expenses, home renovations,
because in their words, to their defence, God told them to do it.
They spent the money on airline tickets, hotel rooms, high-end merchandise
and other personal expenses.
Where are the leaders?
You see, when Christians, let alone Christian leaders,
when Christians live lives that is inconsistent with what they believe,
they believe this great stuff and yet they behave in this particular way,
what it does is it drags the credibility of not just the Christian church,
but in particular the Christian faith, into the gutter.
And it weakens the faith of so many people.
So you may recall from last week,
the Apostle Paul took the message of Christianity to the city of Thessalonica
about 20 years after the crucifixion of Jesus.
People became Christians and the city went into a riot.
And so Paul and his team had to escape under the cover of darkness for their life.
And so what this did was, Paul's gone,
small church in Thessalonica is being hammered,
and it gave Paul's opponents some ammunition.
They attempted to undermine the faith of these new believers
by discrediting Paul.
And so reading between the lines,
you can imagine them saying something like,
Paul, really?
You want to believe what he'd said to you?
He ran.
Haven't heard from him since.
He wasn't sincere.
He was just one of those phony philosophers
that come through Thessalonica
as part of the empire,
dropping in.
He's a charlatan.
He's in it for what he gets out of it.
He was looking to raise funds from you.
He was looking for sex,
for prestige,
for power,
for money.
And at the first sign of trouble,
he's gone.
On to the next town to do exactly the same thing.
He doesn't care about you at all.
Why would you give yourselves to the message
that he brought
when he himself is gone?
And so what we have here
is Paul's defence
of his ministry and his gospel.
So three points up there on the screen,
Paul's argument,
Paul's appeal,
and Paul's approval.
That's what we're going to journey through
in the first 12 verses here.
So as Paul defends himself,
and he's doing it really in chapters 2 and 3,
what he's doing here,
he's not just giving us
a philosophy of Christian ministry
and what might be expected
of those in Christian service,
but he's also giving us
a pattern for the Christian life.
You know,
as I go through this,
and you know,
I already feel
this passage challenges me a lot
and in the past week,
but it's not just about,
ah,
that's what we expect
of our pastors.
It's also a challenge
for all Christians.
They have a lot to say
of what it means
to live the Christian life.
Now,
the way he defends himself here,
his argument
is simply by reminding
the Thessalonians
what they already know.
Six times,
verses 1, 2, 5, 9, 10, and 11,
Paul says,
you know,
you remember,
you are witnesses.
He is simply reminding them
of what they actually saw,
what they heard,
what they experienced from Paul.
A life that was in fact consistent
with the message
that he proclaimed.
He is open,
he's transparent.
So,
there's three things.
So,
the first thing we notice
in terms of his argument,
he really points to three things
in terms of consistency.
Number one,
his courage.
Verses 1 and 2,
you know,
brothers and sisters,
that our visit to you
was not without results.
We had previously suffered
and been treated outrageously
in Philippi.
As you know,
with the help of our God,
we dared to tell you
his gospel
in the face
of strong opposition.
The word dared there
means that he spoke
freely,
openly,
and fearlessly.
It is to be outspoken.
It is to be frank.
It is to use clarity
in his speech.
That is,
it is to speak
with courage
regardless of consequences.
He courageously spoke
the gospel of Jesus Christ
to them
and he did it
despite,
in his words,
previously suffered
and being treated
outrageously
in Philippi.
So,
what he's saying here is,
when I turned up
in Thessalonica,
as you know,
I was bruised,
beaten.
He would have had
potentially broken bones.
The bruises,
the damage to his body
were obvious
because he was humiliated.
He was stripped naked.
He was beaten.
He was flogged.
He was thrown into prison
in Philippi.
He would have turned up
with the damage
to his body
and he preached
the gospel to them
again and again.
The thing that,
that caused him
so much pain
and humiliation
in Philippi,
he turns up
to Thessalonica
and does it again.
And when he left there,
he did it again.
There's his courage.
That's against the accusation
that he's in it for himself
and as soon as trouble hits,
he's gone.
The second thing
that Thessalonians
know about Paul
is that he did not
exploit them
for personal gain.
Verse 3,
for the appeal we make
does not spring
from error
or impure motives,
nor are we trying
to trick you.
He did not call them
to faith in Jesus Christ
to gain a following
for himself,
to mislead them,
to get sexually involved,
which is what impure motives
means here,
to get sexually involved
with anyone
or to try and deceive them
in any way
to make him feel like
he's more powerful.
He gave the truth
and he kept himself pure.
He wasn't driven
to please people.
Verse 4,
we're not trying
to please God
who tests our hearts.
Verse 6,
we were not looking
for praise
praise from people,
not from you
or from anyone else.
You see,
people pleasing
usually comes
from a place
of deep insecurity.
A people pleaser
won't give themselves
freely to others.
they only give
an angle
of themselves
in the hope
that the angle
that they give
would result
in them
receiving
some form
of approval.
And therefore,
as a people pleaser,
you never really know them.
You only know
what they want you
to know about them
in order to extract
praise from them.
And a people pleaser
therefore uses people.
They exploit people
so that they feel
approved of themselves,
pleased with themselves.
And so Paul
did not flatter
or position himself
for money.
Verse 5,
you know we never
use flattery
nor did we put
on a mask
to cover up greed.
God is our witness.
Flattery is using language
not for the sake
of truth
but for the sake
of manipulation.
You want something
and in this case
Paul's being accused
of buttering up
the Thessalonians
in order to extract
money from them.
The accusation is
that Paul wanted
their money
not their souls.
And according to verse 9
that's not the case.
Surely you remember
brothers and sisters
our toil
and our hardship
we work night
and day
in order
not to be a burden
to anyone
while we preach
the gospel
of God to you.
He was not
after their money.
He was after
their souls
for their good.
So the Thessalonians
know of his courage.
They know
that his pattern
of life
was not to
exploit them.
But thirdly
it wasn't just
the things
that he did
not do.
it's what
he did
do
in his
pattern
of life.
He gave
himself
in the
service
of others.
Verses
6
to 8
even though
as apostles
of Christ
we could
have asserted
our authority
instead
we were like
young children
among you
just as a nursing
mother cares
for her children
so we care
for you
because we
loved you
so much
we were delighted
to share
with you
not only
the gospel
of God
but our
lives
as well.
What they
knew of
Paul
is he
exchanged
a
relationship
of
authority
and
power
that is
the
apostle
to
a
relationship
of
no
rights
surrendering
of rights
a relationship
of gentle
tender
affection
and service
instead of
wielding
authority
he became
like a
child in
the first
century
without
rights
he didn't
just come
to them
with a
message
but he
also gave
himself
to them
the
messenger
not just
words
but a
life
not just
doctrines
but a
heart
what he
says in
verse
7
is quite
startling
just as a
nursing mother
cares for her
children so
we cared
for you
not just
the reference
to any
mother
it's
specifically
nursing
mother
the breastfed
infant
is
dependent
on the
mother's
milk
for
nourishment
of life
it's a
very
powerful
image
that Paul
uses
of
Christian
ministry
but also
the
Christian
life
the
nursing
mother
is an
all
consuming
role
baby
requires
milk
six to
ten times
a day
and
we're
not
feeding
the
child
the
mother
is
caring
for
the
other
needs
of
the
child
and
refueling
herself
for the
next
round
of
feeding
it
requires
around
the
clock
personal
sacrifice
diet
time
physical
discomfort
sleep
deprivation
emotional
strain
24 hour
commitment
gives
herself
away
mentally
physically
emotionally
and so
what Paul
is saying
here is
they know
this
the
Thessalonians
know of
his
gentleness
his
tenderness
his
love
and his
care
for them
was so
deep
you see
the
Thessalonians
are not
just a
set of
employees
that need
to be
trained
not just
a group
of friends
that he
needs to
he has
some shared
experiences
with
he
empties
himself
for the
sake
of these
new
disciples
in
Jesus
that
they
might
grow
and
flourish
and so
verse 9
again
surely you
remember
brothers and
sisters
our toil
and our
hardship
we work
night and
day
in order
not to
be
burdened
to any
of you
while we
preach
the gospel
to you
and then
he
summarizes
his
defense
in verse
10
you are
witnesses
and so
is God
of how
holy
righteous
and
blameless
we were
among
you
who
believed
and so
with that
statement
he raises
the bar
of
Christian
discipleship
and ministry
don't balk at
this
as though
he was
saying
you know
Thessalonians
that I'm
completely
sinless
that's not
what he's
saying
here at
all
that's
not
what he
means
what he
means
is
we
honoured
God
in
boldly
courageously
preaching
the truth
of the
gospel
we
treated
people
rightly
with
the
gospel
and
we
gave
no
one
a
legitimate
reason
to
accuse
us
of
bad
behaviour
or
lacking
in
integrity
what we
said
we
believed
and the
way
it
enacted
and lived
out in
our life
were
consistent
he was
above
reproach
that's
his
argument
which
then
leads
us
to
his
appeal
he
was
courageous
not
for
personal
gain
he
answered
himself
for
them
now
the
most
common
way
that
these
verses
are
replied
when
you
look
at
commentators
and
others
is
this
get
preached
at a
clergy
conference
for instance
these
are
words
for
the
pastor
these
are
words
for
Christian
leadership
and
pastoral
ministry
and
anyone
involved
in
ministry
at all
and
it's
true
there
is an
awful
lot
to be
said
here
and
great
insights
not
just
in
the
manner
of
Christian
ministry
but
the
motives
of
Christian
ministry
but
also
the
manner
and
motive
of
the
Christian
life
you
know
just
leaving
it
with
the
pastoral
staff
and
Christian
leaders
is
not
the
only
application
here
Paul
is
writing
these
words
to
a
bunch
of
new
Christians
under
the
sway
of
people
who
wanted
them
to
abandon
their
trust
in
Jesus
and
they
were
doing
that
by
undermining
the
person
who
brought
the
gospel
to
them
and
he
is
writing
this
letter
because
he
is
concerned
that
it
will
be
in
vain
if
they
believe
the
lies
and
give
in
to
the
pressure
it
would
be
a
vanity
empty
of
no
value
if
they
not
only
believed
the
scandal
makers
but
if
they
didn't
follow
his
pattern
of
life
that
would
be
a
vanity
that
is
it
would
be
a
total
vanity
just
to
say
I
believe
in
Jesus
but
I
don't
live
like
Jesus
so
having
laid
out
his
defense
this
is
my
life
you
seen
it
then
he
calls
them
to
follow
suit
verse
11
for
you
know
that
we
dealt
with
each
of
you
as
a
father
deals
with
his
own
children
encouraging
comforting
and urging
you
to live
lives
worthy
of
God
who
calls
you
into
his
kingdom
and
glory
again
it's
a
first
century
image
of
the
father
son
relationship
where
in
the
first
century
sons
followed
their
fathers
into
the
family
business
if
the
father
was
a
farmer
so
was
the
son
if
the
father
was
a
carpenter
so
was
the
son
until
you
become
the
Messiah
so
was
the
son
that
you
followed
in
the
family
business
and
so
Paul
saying
to
the
Thessalonians
I
am
your
father
you
follow
me
he
was
tender
as he
encouraged
and
comfort
these
new
believers
faint
hearted
under
pressure
but
he
was
also
uncompromising
!
his charge
to them
is to
live
lives
worthy
of
God
who
calls
you
into
his
kingdom
and
glory
Paul's
appeal
here
is
exactly
the same
as
what
he
wrote
in
chapter
1
verse
6
we
looked
at
last
week
you
became
imitators
of
us
and
of
the
Lord
and
in
these
last
two
verses
here
he's
appealing
to
them
to
continue
to
imitate
lest
their
faith
be
in
vain
and
he's
appealing
to
his
pattern
of
life
as
the
very
thing
that
they
should
be
imitating
not
the
thing
that
they
should
be
the
reason
to
reject
him
but
the
reason
that
they
should
imitate
him
he
has
lived
amongst
them
in
such
a
way
that
he
can
point
to
his
life
and
he
can
say
I'm
following
the
pattern
of
Jesus
he's
saying
to
them
that
his
pattern
of
life
is
a
life
that
is
shaped
by
in
step
with
the
gospel
that
brought
them
into
God's
kingdom
this
is
crucial
for
us
because
for
decades
in
the
western
world
as
the
gospel
has
been
preached
there
has
been
this
assumption
I
suppose
or
one
of
the
consequences
is
that
the
gospel
of
Jesus
Christ
the
good
news
of
Jesus
Christ
is
a
message
of
sin
management
come
to
Jesus
have
your
sins
forgiven
and
get
heaven
a
gospel
of
sin
management
you've
been
what
Paul's
saying
here
is
the
Christian
has
been
rescued
from
the
kingdom
of
this
world
and
its
future
judgment
and
brought
into
the
kingdom
of
God
you
haven't
just
had
your
sins
forgiven
and
you
get
the
promise
of
consolation
prize
of
heaven
at
the
end
you
have
transferred
from
one
realm
to
another
from
one
rule
to
another
from
one
allegiance
to
another
you
have
turned
away
from
serving
idols
to
serve
the
living
God
the
Christian
is
in
Christ
which
means
they are
wrapped up
in him
in his
kingdom
a new
creation
and waiting
the final
glory
of it
to be
revealed
and the
life we
now
live
is the
life
of
Jesus
Christ
being
lived
out
in
us
and
so
if we
make the
assumption
well I
become a
Christian
have my
sins
forgiven
and all
this other
stuff
about
you know
rhythms
of patterns
of life
and discipleship
and that's
just all
optional
extra
you have
a gospel
of sin
management
and it's
not
the
Christian
gospel
it's
significant
that Paul
writes to the
Thessalonian
Christians
and says
to them
God
calls
you
into
his
kingdom
and
glory
he's
writing
to
Christians
and he
says
God
calls
you
into
his
kingdom
and
his
glory
in the
original
language
that
is in
the
present
tense
in
other
words
to the
Christians
in
Thessalonica
to you
at
St.
Paul's
Chatswood
who are
in
Christ
God
calls
you
into
his
kingdom
oh
hang on a bit
aren't I
already
in
his
kingdom
it's
in
the
present
tense
in
other
words
God
never
stops
calling
both
the
non
Christian
and
the
Christian
into
his
kingdom
he's
called
to you
right
now
as the
text
of
scripture
is
opened
by
his
Holy
Spirit
into
his
kingdom
he's
calling
you
into
his
kingdom
and
that
call
never
ceases
and
it's
a
call
that
means
to
consistently
live
lives
worthy
of
the
kingdom
every
moment
to
know
who
your
king
is
he's
calling
you
into
his
glory
true
glory
ultimate
glory
2
corinthians
4
we
looked at
this
very
briefly
last
week
that
the
gospel
of
Jesus
Christ
displays
the
glory
of
Christ
in
other
words
the
sacrifice
of
Jesus
displays
the
glory
of
Christ
the
glory
of
God
the
word
glory
means
weight
it
means
value
it
means
magnificence
it
means
worthiness
of
Jesus
Christ
and
to
have
glory
is
to
have
prestige
to
have
power
to
have
influence
you
see
the
reason
why
Paul
did
not
see
glory
from
others
is
because
he
already
had
ultimate
glory
in
Jesus
and
the
constant
call
of
God
in
all of
our
lives
is
to
enter
his
spectacular
glory
under
the
rule
of
Christ
that's
the
essence
of
his
appeal
in
verse
12
to
live
lives
worthy
to
call
that
literally
means
walk
worthily
!
17
he
didn't
say
to
Abraham
somersault
before
me
Abraham
do
gymnastics
in
front
of
me
he
didn't
even
say
Abraham
run
a
marathon
in
front
of
me
he
called
him
and
this
is the
first
words
of
calling
walk
before
me
faithfully
walking
is day
in
day
out
praying
it
is
day
in
and
day
out
hearing
from
God
in
the
scriptures
it
is
day
in
and
day
out
obeying
building
and
loving
Christian
friends
it
is
corporate
worship
it
is
committing
yourself
fully
completely
participating
in the
life of
the
church
it
is
generosity
it
is
service
it
is
entrusting
the
gospel
to
others
it
is
rhythmic
and
it
is
on
and
on
and
on
to
walk
with
God
is
a
metaphor
that
symbolizes
slow
and
steady
progress
walking
with
God
means
it's
treating
God
as
God
and
as if
he is
there
walking
with you
day
by day
and so
I
commend
to you
our
seven
rhythms
of
grace
as
our
expression
here
at
St.
Paul's
of
Christian
living
to see
each
other
please
God
worthy
of
him
to
live
lives
worthy
of
him
and as
we
practice
these
seven
rhythms
they
both
remind us
of the
gospel
and
cause
us
to
walk
with
the
God
in
a
gospel
shaped
life
so
God
is
calling
us
together
at
St.
Paul's
into
the
life
of
courage
of
sacrifice
and
service
that
Paul
models
you see
his
life
of
integrity
is
not
just
in
his
courage
and
his
life
of
integrity
is
not
just
in
what
he
refused
to
do
in
terms
of
he
didn't
exploit
people
he
didn't
treat
people
badly
his
life
of
integrity
is
also
reflected
in
what
he
did
in
walking
with
Christ
a
gospel
shaped
rhythmic
life
he's
calling
us
here
at
St.
Paul's
into
these
kinds
of
relationships
not
only
because
of
our
need
to
get
these
relationships
but
also
of
our
calling
to
give
these
relationships
a
life
of
Christian
integrity
is
to
give
yourself
away
to
put
away
all
deceit
and
exploitation
to
renounce
people
pleasing
to
be
done
with
flattery
and
greed
to
be
radically
generous
with
our
resources
of
money
and
time
and
energy
to
express
tender
mother-like
affection
and care
for all
people
to be
holy
righteous
and
blameless
in our
conduct
to
take
the
risk
of
sharing
our
souls
with
each
other
and
to
build
spiritual
friends
to
encourage
and
comfort
and
urge
each
other
to
heed
the
call
of
God
to
walk
worthy
of
and
so
if
you
have
a
gospel
of
sin
management
you
will
say
things
like
I
don't
rob
anyone
I
pay
my
taxes
that's
not
Christian
integrity
Christian
integrity
is
I
don't
rob
anyone
I
pay
my
taxes
and
I
give
generously
radically
generously
this
brings me
to the
final
point
the
picture
we
have
here
of
Paul's
openness
his
tenderness
his
care
his
self
sacrifice
is
not
how
we
would
imagine
the
apostle
Paul
to
be
Paul
was
an
extremely
devout
religious
man
whose
zeal
led
him
to
savagely
persecute
Christians
in the
early
church
he
was
a
religious
man
who
destroyed
lives
he's
the
great
intellectual
and for
many
in church
history
regard
Paul
to be
the
man
who
was
a
great
thinker
but
just
a
hard
man
a
hard
man
so
what
empowered
Paul
to live
courageously
and
sacrificially
to give
himself
away
for the
sake
of
others
to be
so
tender
and
open
to
others
he
tells
us
in
verses
1
8
and
9
the
gospel
the
gospel
is
the
message
as I
said
last
week
that
God
out
of
his
unconditional
choosing
love
has
given
his
only
son
the
Lord
Jesus
Christ
to be
a
substitute
for
all
of
humanity
Jesus
lived
a life
of
absolute
integrity
sinless
blameless
perfect
in
every
single
way
impeccable
flawless
one of
the things
that often
brought
people
to the
Christian
faith
and still
does
today
is when
you
investigate
the life
of
Jesus
to try
and pull
his
character
apart
is
absolutely
impossible
and yet
in his
own
time
he was
considered
mad
by his
family
he was
slandered
as a
lawbreaker
by the
religious
elite
accused
of being
in cahoots
with Satan
with evil
charged
with blasphemy
!
And he
died in
full public
display of
Jerusalem
the death
of crucifixion
the worst
death
reserved
for the worst
of criminals
humiliated
in every
way
treated
as if
we
as if
he's
us
and it
was the
plan
of God
as 2
Corinthians
5 21
tells us
God made
him who
had no
sin to
be sin
for us
so that
in him
the sinner
the flawed
one
the ones
lacking
every form
of integrity
might become
the righteousness
of God
as if we
are completely
right
Jesus
was despised
rejected
so that
we might
be
approved
he left
aside his
glory that
we might
be made
glorious
Paul's
pattern of
life
comes
from a
place of
certainty
and security
in Jesus
he tells us
in verse 4
where does
his power
come from
he's
approved
by God
that's
his power
the gospel
means he's
approved
by God
he is
loved
accepted
approved
by God
in Jesus
Christ
the
praiseworthy
one
Paul is
approved
he has
received
the praise
of the
praiseworthy
the glory
of the
glorious
one
Jesus
glory
became
Paul's
glory
he didn't
need to
build his
reputation
he didn't
need to
prove his
worth
he didn't
need to
exploit
others
in order
to
advance
himself
he already
had it
they couldn't
give him
anything
he was
settled
he was
secure
he was
loved
and so
he gave
himself
away
because he
was free
to do
so
in
Jesus
he was
free
he gave
himself
away
to
please
God
in the
service
of the
gospel
and in
sacrificial
love
for people
and so
Paul's
call
is our
call
to us
heed the
call of
God
in these
verses
to live
lives
worthy
of the
God
who gave
everything
for you
everything
for you
take your
next step
not to
seek his
approval
but to
enjoy his
approval
come under
his rule
and experience
his glory
more and more
do what
Paul did
and the
writer to
the Hebrews
calls us
to and to
fix our
gaze on
Jesus
the
pioneer
that is
the one
who sets
the pattern
for us
and the
perfecter
of the
one who
fulfilled
our walk
with God
for the
joy that
was set
before him
Jesus
endured
the cross
he scorned
at shame
and he
sat down
at the
right hand
of the
throne
of God
consider
him
who
endured
such
opposition
from
sinners
so that
you will
not grow
weary
and lose
so that
you will
continue
your walk
and to
the degree
that we
look to
Jesus
and the
gospel
of Jesus
Christ
seeing him
doing all
of that
for us
is the
degree
that we
will live
lives
worthy of
him
lives
of gospel
integrity