Page 1186 if you're using a red covered Bible.
It's on page 1186 through these summer months.
It is summer. Yesterday was summer.
And we're going through this great letter.
And Ralph started us off and Kevin continues in chapter 2.
So we're going to read from chapter 2 verse 1 through to verse 12 of 1 Thessalonians.
On page 1186.
Let's hear God's word.
You know, brothers and sisters, that our visit to you was not a failure.
We had previously suffered and been insulted in Philippi, as you know, but with the help of our God, we dare to tell you this gospel in spite of strong opposition.
For the appeal we make does not spring from error or impure motives, nor are we trying to trick you.
On the contrary, we speak as men approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel.
We are not trying to please men, but God who tests our hearts.
You know, we never used flattery, nor did we put on a mask to cover up greed.
God is our witness.
We were not looking for praise from men, not from you or anyone else.
As apostles of Christ, we could have been a burden to you, but we were gentle among you, like a mother caring for her little children.
We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God, but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us.
Surely you remember, brothers and sisters, our toil and hardship.
We worked night and day in order not to be a burden to anyone while we preached the gospel of God to you.
You are witnesses, and so is God, of how holy, righteous, and blameless we were among you who believed.
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 called you into his kingdom and glory.
Kevin, when you come up, Yelena, can I ask you just to get some pens while I'm talking to Kevin here?
Yelena's going to be passing out pens.
It's an opportunity.
You can take notes on the back of the news sheet.
Kevin will welcome any feedback afterwards, encouraging ones first, isn't that right?
Exactly.
This is Kevin O'Connor.
He's studying in CIT, just completed your degree, and going on to a master's.
Is that right?
No.
No?
Well, tell us.
I was considering a master's.
I was offered a master's, but I'll be pursuing four years of theological training with a correspondence course with the evangelical movement of Wales.
There's another man in my church, Danny McAllen, who's doing that at the moment.
So it involves going over for one week in August and another in Easter for intensive lectures.
And then what you do is they send you less essays and reading assignments then to do then via correspondence.
So it allows me to serve in my church, work a full-time job, save up to get married to that girl.
And so that's what I want to do the next four years anyway.
Okay.
Excellent.
And you were just on camp as well?
Yep.
Had the hard job of looking after my son for a week?
That's good.
You beat him at table tennis?
I did, just about.
It wasn't good.
But welcome here today.
And yeah, I'm going to pray for you and for us.
Okay, so let's pray.
Father, thank you for your gifts to us.
Thank you for people.
And thank you for Kevin.
Thank you for his love for you.
Thank you for making him a child of your family.
Thank you for the love that you have given to him to serve your church and your people.
We pray for him in this coming year as he settles into theological education, that you would help him in his reading, in his essay writing.
You would guard him from just making it an informational exercise, but that you would use it all to change his life, to change him to be more like Christ, to be better equipped, to be a servant of the gospel as one, as we've just read, who is entrusted with the gospel.
So we pray for him and we ask for your help upon him now and upon us all, your Holy Spirit to be at work amongst us, we pray in Jesus' name.
Amen.
Thanks, Kevin.
Thank you.
Good morning, everybody.
So, let's get myself ready here now.
It's a privilege to be here.
And I'm just amazed at the grace of God that I can stand before his people and open his word to you.
So I just thank you so much for this invitation.
And thank you to my God for letting me stand here.
And so, I know you started Thessalonians already as a church.
And so you've seen that it's a letter written by Paul from Paul, Silvanus and Timothy.
They were fellow missionaries.
It was on Paul's second missionary trip.
He did a big circle kind of around the place, around two different countries.
And he landed, towards the end of it, he ended up in Thessalonica, which is in modern-day Greece.
And he arrived from persecution.
And he arrived from out of the frying pan into the fire, as it were, and planted a church there by God's grace.
And it was a persecuted church.
And so Timothy had visited the church in the meantime, so they moved on.
Timothy went back and visited the church in Thessalonica.
And he reported back to Paul.
And so, concerning their faith and example, which he looked at last week.
And so this letter was written by Paul in light of this report.
So it's kind of Paul's response, after Timothy had given a report to them, of how the Thessalonians were doing.
And so, when we're looking at the book of Thessalonians, its parallel passage is in Acts 17, verses 1 to 9,
which outlines the actual first visit that Paul and his entourage made to the Thessalonians.
And so Paul is speaking to them as brothers.
And he goes on as well to use paternal language, that he is their father in the Lord.
And also, he describes himself as a mother, as we'll see later.
So Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy came from Philippi to Thessalonica to preach the gospel.
That was their goal.
And this was the end of Paul's second missionary trip, as I said, from 49 to 52 AD.
And today, what we'll be looking at is chapter 2, verses 1 to 12 specifically,
where Paul outlines how he ministered among them and why.
And so, I know preachers like fancy ways of saying things, so here's my shot of this.
The content and the intent of their ministry.
There you go.
I thought that was good enough.
So the content and the intent of their ministry.
And so today, for us as people in 2012, we're not in a persecuted church.
We're not in Thessalonica.
But we are God's people.
And so scripture always comes to bear to us.
And by the Holy Spirit, we will realize that in our individual lives.
And so today, God's word reminds us that our motives for Christian living,
our motives for ministry as well, are so important.
And they will shape and define the legacy that we leave behind for God's kingdom
and how we labor for him.
And we don't have long.
It feels like I entered college like four weeks ago, and now I'm finished.
I think once you leave secondary school, it's just like a shotgun.
I don't know.
I feel like my life's going to fast forward.
So I just realized that our time is limited as Christians.
So let us labor under the right motives.
And so let's begin in verse one.
We're just going to go down through it verse by verse and just expand on what Paul is speaking about.
And he says, you know, brothers and sisters, that our visit to you was not without results.
And so Paul begins reminding them of the obvious.
The very fact that he's writing to them is proof.
If there's someone there to write to, that's a good thing,
because the church took ground.
They took root.
And so he says, you know, he casts their mind back to their visit.
And in one verse five, Paul said that the gospel didn't just come to you.
So chapter one verse five, he said the gospel didn't just come to you in word.
It came to you in power and the Holy Spirit.
And I know I've shared the gospel with people before,
and I've asked them, do you understand what I'm telling you?
And they go, I get it.
But you see the spirit is not at work and that power is not there.
And it's a sad thing.
But you also see those times when you share the gospel and the power is there
and the Holy Spirit is there to open their eyes to the gospel.
And such is the case here in the Thessalonians.
And Paul is reminding them.
He said, look, I didn't come to you just with a message.
I came to you and the Lord came in power and the Holy Spirit.
And that is why he has someone to write to.
And so in Acts 17, we read about this actual visit.
So I'm just going to give you a brief overview.
You can look at it yourself in your own time, but Acts 17, 1 to 9.
And it says that basically what Paul used to do, his style of ministry,
was to go to the synagogue, open up the Old Testament,
and prove that Jesus was the Christ.
And it says in Acts 17 that he proved to them, explained and proved to them,
so it's possible to prove from the Old Testament that Christ had to suffer and rise again.
Because the Jewish understanding of the Messiah was that he was going to be a king
that was going to come along and basically kick the Romans to touch
and bring in this earthly rule.
Whereas what Paul was saying, he reasoned with them.
No, it was actually necessary for the Christ, the Messiah, the chosen one of God,
to suffer, which doesn't sound very kingly,
to be humbled and suffered and die on a cross
and then be risen again.
And so he reasoned with them.
And some Jews believed, many God-fearing Greeks believed,
and some influential women also believed.
So influential women would be essentially wives of prominent men,
as the society was then.
But what happened is, after a couple of weeks of this,
it says about three Sabbaths, about two weeks,
but it must have been, it was a good bit longer than that.
So a good few weeks, the Jews got sick of it,
and they'd got some, basically some wasters from the marketplace,
started up a riot, dragged them,
they couldn't find Paul and Silvanus,
or Silas or Silvanus, it's the same guy.
They couldn't find them,
so what they did is they dragged Jason,
who was their host for the week,
or for their time, their visit in Thessalonica,
dragged them before the magistrates,
and said that they're committing treason against King Caesar.
And so Jason is forced to pay bonds,
he's basically forced to pay money as a guarantee
that he won't put these people up again.
And as soon as night falls, Paul and Silvanus,
they continue on and they head off to Berea.
And so you can see that it was,
you can imagine the stress of that,
imagine ministering among the Jews,
and then suddenly there's a riot,
you've got to leave as soon as there's night cover.
I mean, that was a pretty stressful visit for them.
And so he left the church in persecution,
the Jews were giving them hassle
because they had left as they saw the way of God
to follow this carpenter from Nazareth.
And so in verse 2 then,
Paul goes on to give them a little background.
So if that was bad, he says,
okay, go back to before I even arrived there.
I came from Philippi,
and that was just another bad time,
it was really difficult for him.
He said, we had previously suffered,
verse 2,
and been treated outrageously in Philippi,
as you know,
but with the help of God,
we dare to tell you
his gospel in the face of strong opposition.
And this outrageous treatment
that Paul was referring to
was the fact that they were arrested and beaten,
they were put in shackles,
and as their Roman citizens,
basically the magistrates there got egg in their chin,
they sort of threw them in prison,
realized they're Roman citizens,
and said, okay, you can go.
And Paul was like,
well, hey, you don't get off that lightly.
So they had to apologize to them
and send them on their way.
But you know,
when Paul was in prison
in Philippi,
I think this is amazing,
when Paul was in prison,
with Silvanus as well,
they sang in their prison cells.
And I think this morning
of people in Eritrea,
in containers,
and I wonder,
I think they're singing,
I hope they are in their hearts,
and we pray the Lord will be with them.
But as they sung,
and as they prayed,
there was an earthquake,
and the prison basically
was just rocked to pieces.
Paul comes out,
the door swings open,
Paul comes out,
the guard is ready to kill himself,
because he knows it's better to kill himself
than stand before his authorities,
knowing that the people
that he's been entrusted with
have now gone free.
And then the jailer gets saved.
He goes,
what must I do to be saved?
And so his whole house is saved
and baptized,
and so Paul leaves them in Philippi there,
the church,
and goes on his way.
He greets Lydia as well,
another woman who was converted.
And so you can see,
you've got the frying pan,
and the fryer.
So Paul,
wherever he seems to go,
there's persecution,
persecution.
And I think it's just,
it's really,
it's really evident in Acts
to see that
as the Lord's church is expanding,
it is always under fire.
And I know that mightn't be
a very comforting thought to us,
but we see the places in the world
where the Lord's church,
where God's people are oppressed
in their worship of him.
And we see how God blesses them,
and how the church spreads
in spite of it.
And I love that.
Not that we don't love the fact
that we have freedom here as well.
We shouldn't seek persecution as such.
So verse 3,
he goes on to talk about motives.
That's what we want to look at this morning.
So there's the background.
He says,
remember what I did when I was there?
Here's the background
for what I did when I was there,
before we came there.
And he goes on,
he says,
verse 3,
for the appeal we make
does not spring from error
or from impure motives,
nor are we trying to trick you.
And he says,
look,
I have no hidden agenda here.
And as Christians,
we should just have a simple agenda,
is to please God
and to bring people the gospel.
And it's almost deceptively simple.
But Paul says,
I don't have any trick up my sleeve.
I'm not trying to get money out of you.
I'm not trying to be greedy.
I'm not trying to flatter you.
I came.
And I just want you to know
that I'm not trying to trick you
and that my motives for this are pure.
And it's also possible as well,
if you read Paul's writings,
Paul oftentimes had to address
critics in the church.
What happens if Paul would plant a church?
I'd say he just got sick of it
by the end of it.
He'd plant a church,
leave,
and then you'd have someone going like,
I don't know about that Paul fellow.
They'd undermine his authority.
And I actually looked it up.
Paul wrote 13 epistles, okay?
Not including Hebrews,
but most people don't believe
that he wrote Hebrews.
Out of the 13 epistles,
nine of them start off
with Paul asserting his apostleship.
And I think that's telling.
And so it could be the case,
now not explicitly,
but it could be the case
that in the Thessalonian church
that Paul is addressing
maybe local critics
or people who are sort of
giving out about Paul,
saying, you know,
he came there now
and he only did that
because he was greedy
or he wanted to get money out of it.
He'll be back now
and he'll give you the bill
for what he did.
And he's saying,
look, that's not happening.
I'm not going to come back
and do that.
And so although it's not
explicitly mentioned,
it could be the case
that he's addressing those things.
And so regardless,
Paul is just saying,
our motives are pure.
He was transparent before them.
And so in verse 4,
he gives the actual motive itself.
And this is the crux
of the passage,
I think, for us
as Christians today.
On the contrary,
verse 4,
we speak as those
approved by God
to be entrusted
with the gospel.
We are not trying
to please people,
but God who tests our hearts.
And so Paul here
states plainly
their motive
to please God.
It's so simple.
I just,
I love how scripture
is just like,
it's like having a shower
for your mind.
It just gets rid of
all the dirt,
all the buildup.
And sometimes
when I go out
in passage,
I was speaking to people
about the gospel
or I was in college,
I get all wound up.
And you think,
well,
why am I doing this
and all these things?
Why do we serve tea
from the hatch?
Why do we play guitars?
Why do we set up mics?
Why do we come here
every Sunday morning?
Why do we minister
in MTC camps
or in camps
for children
with hard of hearing?
To please God
because of what
he has done for us.
And here is the purest
and highest motive
for Christian ministry.
And there are
other motives as well.
I mean,
I got onto passage
because,
or we share the gospel
with people
because we want them
to be saved.
I want everybody
in my extended family
to become Christians.
And it pains me
that so far
very few of them
have it.
None.
That is a perfectly
good motive
but that must come
under the highest motive
which is the pleasure
of God in all things.
To please him,
to obey him.
And by pleasing him
we obey him
and by obeying him
we exalt him.
It's all wrapped up
in one sort of
huge motive.
And so we must love
people absolutely.
And so I think
if you look at
remember when Christ
was asked
what's the greatest
commandment?
What did he say?
He said to love God
essentially.
And he said
and the second
is like it.
And I can kind of
see your man
kind of going
I didn't ask you
about the second
commandment.
But you see
what Jesus was doing
there.
He was saying
there is a very
tight relationship
between these two.
I mentioned the first
and it is first.
But I will also
mention the second
because there is
such a close
relationship.
And so it is
with our motives
as Christians
our highest motive
ought to be
the pleasure of God
but linked to it
is the pleasure
of people in God.
And he said
it's not to please man
so Paul states
in the negative sense
that I didn't come
here to please you.
I've said it to
many of my friends
before.
I think you get
this as Christians.
If I wanted to be
a people pleaser
I'd have picked
a different religion.
You know
or else I'd preach
some sort of
false gospel
about how God
will make you rich
all the time.
And you know
there's an awful
lot of better religions
if your goal
is to make people
feel happy
about themselves
you know
in a cheap sense.
Christianity of course
does bring much joy
when we receive Christ.
But you know
Paul stated
in Galatians 1.10
he said
you know
for am I now
seeking the approval
of man
or of God
or am I trying
to please man
if I were still
trying to please man
I would not be
a servant of Christ.
He says
you're going to
serve Christ
he says
you can give up
that motive
of just trying
to please men.
you serve Christ
and let men
think what they will.
And he said
I did not change
our message
to please people
the gospel divides
it offends people
it's awkward
to bring up
in conversation
it started a riot
in Thessalonica
quite literally
wherever Paul went
it was just like
an explosion
but it offends
and it's awkward
it's really awkward
sometimes to bring up
the gospel.
I went up to my
neighbor the other day
because I realized
I'd never actually
gone to my neighbor
about the gospel
and it was one of
the most painfully
awkward conversations
of my life.
I'm just being honest
with you
but now she has
a gospel of John
she has a tract
and it's something
more than she had
the week before
when I didn't
tell her anything
and so I trust
God for that
but I just want
to remind us
that it's okay
for it to be awkward
but let's go anyway
and it says here as well
Paul reminds them
God who tests
our hearts
and he doesn't say
God who tested
our hearts
or God who will
test our hearts
on that great day
of judgment
he could have said
something like that
but he says God
who tests our hearts
on a continuing
ongoing basis
and so we see
we know that God
often comes to us
sometimes when we're
lying in our beds
at night
and he convicts us
where we've gone
astray
or where our motives
maybe have gone off
or where we need
to look in our lives
and we see that God
tests our hearts
and that he keeps us
on the narrow path
with that singular motive
the pleasure of God
and he says in 5
you know we never
use flattery
nor do we put on
a mask to cover up
greed
God is our witness
and flattery
we know from
scripture is sin
I looked up a
definition of flattery
in the dictionary
and it says to
ingratiate yourself
with another
by means of
excessive compliments
so in other words
just trying to
butter somebody up
by telling them
they're great
but flattery
never works as a
means of spreading
the gospel
what we know
from scripture
about man
in his fallen state
is that he is
in love with himself
he is a hater of God
and if you tell him
that he's great
he's bound to agree
and so the main message
of the gospel
is not that you're
a fantastic person
it's that God
is a great God
and that he has come
to save sinners like us
and greed is likewise
a sin
and Paul is well aware
that there are many
ministers around
in that time
as there are now
who use the gospel
or a sort of gospel
and use the scripture
to make money
and that is a shameful thing
Paul addressed that
in Romans 16
he said
for such persons
do not serve
our Lord Jesus Christ
with their own appetites
and by smooth talk
and flattery
they deceive the hearts
of the naive
and you know
we are sure from scripture
they will be numbered
among those
who stand before the Lord
on that day
and the Lord will say
I never knew you
away from me
you workers of lawlessness
and so
Paul is saying
I'm not like those
I did not come to you
to flatter you
or to get money
out of you
and he says
we were not looking
for praise
verse 6 and 7
and 8 as well
he says
we were not looking
for praise
from people
so again
he's saying the same thing
a lot of the time
over and over again
the same thing
not from you
or anyone else
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 as apostles of Jesus
as apostles of Jesus Christ
as ones who received
their ministry
directly from the Lord
they could have made
legitimate requests
he was an apostle
that was a privilege
and he could have made
legitimate requests
without sinning
and the only thing
I can think of at the moment
would be that
they would ask for
financial support
ask for bread and board
as it were
but Paul said no
we were sensitive
towards you
and they did not have
a sense of entitlement
so they didn't walk in
and go like
we're apostles
you know
we're the big Jesus
we'll tell you how it's done
he shared the gospel
with them
they discipled them
but they did not lean on them
or become a burden to them
and he says
as a mother
as a nursing mother
cares for her children
and so mothers
ask for nothing
from their children
really
they don't try
and make a profit
off their kids
if they do
they're mixed up
mothers want to see
their kids
to grow up
and be healthy
and Paul is saying
that's what I want for you
I'm like a mother
nursing you
I want you to grow up
and be healthy
that's my desire
and so we care for you
he says
because we loved you
so much
we delighted to share
with you
not only the gospel
of God
but our lives as well
and so Paul said
I didn't just give you
the gospel
and kind of step back
I wasn't standoffish
I gave you my very self
we shared our lives
with you
we ate with you
we worked in the same
areas as you
we shared ourselves
with you
so it wasn't a sort
of impersonal
here is the gospel
and we'll be over here
we'll come back tomorrow
and tell you more
they share the gospel
with them
they share their lives
and that brings validity
and I think there's surely
a good principle
to be observed here
that by giving of ourselves
we reinforce the message
of the gospel
as it says in Titus
that our good works
they adorn
the doctrine of God
our saviour
and so our good works
are not the gospel
they are a result
of the gospel
they are an outworking
of the gospel
but what they do
is they point towards
the gospel
and so Paul
shared with them
their very lives
and this reinforced
how genuine
and sincere
he was
to them
surely you remember
brothers
verse 9
it says
surely you remember
brothers and sisters
our toil and hardship
we worked night and day
in order
not to be a burden
to anyone
while we preach
the gospel of God
to you
and so they sought
to avoid being
a burden financially
and we all know
that Paul had a trade
what was his trade
he made tents
I'm intimately aware
of the need for good tents
having spent two weeks
living in one
we had army tents
they're really good tents
but we had really good
rain as well
so I woke up one night
and it was just like
just like a bucket of water
had been sloshed
into our tent
but that was fun
I had to laugh
it was good fun
but Paul
I'd like to think of this
sometimes we think of Paul
like this
and we ought to think
of Paul highly
I was just thinking
on the way down
I'd like to imagine
Paul just sitting there
making a tent
I know we always think
of Paul like standing
in the middle of
you know
the Coliseum
like roaring
you know
and having this
massive point to make
and preaching Christ
but remember
Paul sat down sometimes
for the whole day
and made tents
I think
I've never actually
thought about that before
I knew he made tents
but I never actually
pictured him sitting there
you know
getting the cuts right
or getting one wrong
getting frustrated
selling them
and just dealing day to day
and I think that is
that's a nice thought
to dwell on I think
to see that even Paul
the great Paul
just to see him
making tents
and that gives me hope
for a guy who works
in a shop
I sell you know
computers and laptop cases
and all that
I can do all things
for the glory of God
and so can you
there is no separation
between secular and holy
all of our lives
are worshipped towards him
and finally in 10
just going towards
the end of it
he says
you are witnesses
and so is God
of how holy
and righteous
and blameless
you were among you
and he appeals
to their consciences
he says look remember
just think
you can pick
what we did apart
just look at what we did
it was before you all
it was transparent
and it was clear to you
that we had no false motives
and just going back
as well sorry
just to verse 9 there
while we preach the gospel to you
I just want to pick up
on that very last phrase
it says
while we preach the gospel to you
and so
he doesn't say like
when we preach the gospel to you
it wasn't just a one off event
as I said remember
that it didn't just hit them
with the gospel
and leave for the next town
he worked in the
in the synagogue
Paul did
for three weeks
three sabbaths
so two weeks
inclusive
but he stayed with them
a lot longer
and he discipled them
and so the gospel
this is something that is
that is really important
I think for us to understand
is the gospel is simple enough
to be outlined
in a few phrases
or even a few paragraphs
in a few minutes
you can give someone the gospel
you can start off with
the holy and righteous God
the fall of man
the Messiah
the sent God
that God sent us
a solution
he sent us to atone for sins
he sent his own son Jesus Christ
and that by simple faith in him
we can join
in his resurrection life
and be forgiven of our sins
there's lots of ways
you can say
the message of the gospel
but it's simple enough
to be outlined in a few minutes
but it is deep enough
and it is deep enough
to be thought of
for eternity
we will spend eternity
glorying in the gospel
of Jesus Christ
we will not arrive at heaven
and realize that there's
you know
another gospel
there is one gospel
and we will
we will glory in that forever
it says that angels
long to look into these things
that is an amazing thing
to think of isn't it
that is how amazing
the gospel is
the fact that
I was just thinking about this
over the week
that God
infinite God
of all creation
who existed in perfect communion
in the Trinity
before the world began
became a baby
he became a baby
God became a baby
he grew up
and when he was
33 years old
he was crucified on a cross
naked
shamefully
for my sin
and for your sin
what a wonderful
wonderful gospel
it's amazing to think of
and Paul stayed there
and he explained it
he discipled them
and so he didn't
as I said
he didn't just give them
the gospel as it were
in a couple of points
and leave them
he explained it to them
and I have no doubt
that Paul would have taken them
because they didn't have
the New Testament
at that time yet
he would have taken them
to the Old Testament
I would like to guess
at the passages
he would have used
you see Isaiah 53
or Ezekiel 46
he was talking about
the new heart
you see all those
Old Testament passages
that speak of Christ
and how Paul would have
shown them from the scriptures
that Jesus was the Messiah
and that he was the way
the truth and the life
and finally in verses 11 and 12
he says
for you know 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
and he says
as a father
deals with his own children
and I think
the picture of fatherhood
is a perfect blend
of authority
and love
I'm glad
that I have a father
and he's not a perfect father
by any means
but I'm glad
I have a father
and I'm glad
that God has given him
authority over me
and I'm glad
that he loves me
and I think
if you have all love
but no authority
no discipline
you get
mixed up kids
but if you have
all authority
and no love
it's a sterile
relationship
with your father
but our father in heaven
he's a perfectly loving father
and he disciplines us
because he loves us
and Paul goes on
and I want us to just dwell
on this as we finish
he says
I want to
he encouraged you
comforted them
encouraged them
and urged them
to live lives
worthy of God
who calls you
into his kingdom
and glory
and I was thinking
like it says that
in Philippians
in chapter 1
of Philippians
or chapter 2
it's in Philippians
anyway definitely
where it says
that we are to live
in a manner
worthy of the gospel
I was thinking
how can you live
a life worthy of that
how can you live up
to this amazing calling
that God has brought us to
that God has become man
that he has humbled himself
that he has died
under the curse
of the law
and that he has redeemed us
from out of the law
into the gospel of grace
how can I live a life
that even
what does worthy mean
in that case
there is no life
that deserves the gospel
that's not what Paul
is getting at
he's not saying
live a life
to earn your gospel
there's none of us
in this room
that deserve
the grace of God
the mercy of God
as revealed to us
through our Lord Jesus Christ
I know I don't
I deserve hell
it took me a few years
to really be able to say that
and mean it
but having seen more
of my sinful nature
I realize now
that I deserve the wrath of God
apart from Jesus Christ
I really do
I'm not saying that
because I'm standing up here
I'm saying that
because I know myself
and I realize from scripture
that all men
are just like me
and so apart from God's mercy
and forgiveness
through the Lord Jesus Christ
all men deserve
God's wrath
and judgment
but it is an unearned gift
God has lavished
his love upon us
as it says in 1st John
what manner of love
is this
that we should be called
children of God
it's an amazing thing
so there is no life
that deserves the gospel
there's no one
that ever God
came along to and said
he's really good
I think he deserves
the gospel
it is all of grace
in fact the gospel
is good news for us
because we don't deserve it
if our salvation
was contingent
upon our performance
I'd have been disqualified
years ago
but thank God
that it depends
not on man who wills
but on God
who has mercy
and boy does he have mercy
boy is he patient
and I just
I revel in that
I thank him
every day for it
and so when he's saying
is live a manner worthy
of the gospel
here's what I think he means
is live a life
that points
and reflects the fact
that God has undeservingly
showed his mercy upon you
he's not calling us
to
sort of try and earn
our salvation at all
that's a works gospel
and Paul has spent
a lot of time in Galatians
and many other epistles
trying to
dismantle that
he's saying
live a life
that reflects
the mercy
and glory
and forgiveness
of Jesus Christ
I think the nicest people
to talk to in the world
are people
who are humble
and people who are forgiven
remember Jesus said
you know
if you're forgiven little
you love little
isn't that what he said
but he's forgiven much
and so the more we dwell
on the gospel
the more we realize
how God has had mercy on us
the more happy we are
to put up with other people
to put up with our own
sinful nature
to serve in a church
humbly
to go out and talk to people
about the gospel
and if they spit in our face
or if they just
give us some really weird
sort of awkward response
like I got during the week
to just say
that's okay
because you know what
it was awkward for God
to come to earth
to become a child
to grow up
God went through
such persecution
and he endured
the shame of the cross
from me
the least I can do
is go to my neighbor
and have a bit of
an awkward conversation
so long as
they know the gospel
and I'll let God
take care of which soil
that seed falls on
and Paul is calling them
to a life of holiness
he's calling them
to sanctification
that's the fancy word
for holiness
becoming more like Jesus
even in the midst
of persecution
and finally he says
the motive for this
call to holiness
is the end result
of our faith
the kingdom of God
and the glory of God
and so may we be people
who are busy
readying ourselves
for that kingdom
as it comes
here on earth
and eternally
on that great day
of judgment
let me pray for us
Father I thank you
for your word
and Lord I pray
that you take
these sort of broken
thoughts about your word
Lord and I pray
Lord that
that your gospel
Lord would hit us afresh
I thank you for Paul
who gave us a good example
and for Silvanus
and for Timothy
I thank you Lord
for the reminder Lord
that your persecuted church
will flourish
and that no power of hell
no scheme of man
will ever come
above them
all authority
on heaven and on earth
has been given to you
Lord whether we are
sharing the gospel Lord
or making tents
or whatever our calling is
I pray Lord
that we would do it
Lord
with the motive
of pleasing you
Lord that you would be
pleased in our rising up
and in our lying down
in our drinking
and in our eating
in our silence
and in our words
I thank you for the Lord
Jesus Christ
I thank you for
his people
that is here in this room
I thank you for his church
and as we labor
as we seek to fulfill
the great commission
here in Carragalline
or in Balanchalec
or if it's in Eritrea
or in North Korea
Lord
may your people
Lord labor
under the pure motive
it is
to labor for the pleasure
of you
to obey you
and to see your kingdom
come here
it is a privilege
to be a Christian Lord
it is all of grace
and we thank you
for this time Lord
around your word
in Jesus precious name
Amen