Thank you, worship team.
That is a fitting song.
Heart of my own heart, whatever befall, Lord, be my vision, O ruler of all.
!
It really is the key.
That's the answer for how we can do what we're going to talk about this morning.
That we see that Jesus is not only the ruler of life, not only the one who calls the shots
in our life, not only the one who has supreme authority in life, but he's the one who governs
all of life.
Meaning, whatever happens to me, whether I think they're right or wrong, whether they
lead to a sense of hurt or injustice, that I see that Jesus, as the absolute ruler of
all, has all these things in order.
And he's working all of these things, not only for my good and for his glory, but for my best.
That's the key.
It won't happen any other way.
So before we even begin to talk about spiritual ministry, we have to really understand and orient
our heart towards the real motivation for spiritual ministry and what helps to anchor our soul,
anchor our activity in the midst of spiritual activity.
Because as we're going to see this morning, true spiritual ministry doesn't always lead us to happy places.
As a matter of fact, true spiritual ministry will lead you to some of the most difficult,
one of the most agonizing places of suffering and adversity and opposition and antagonism and criticism
and fill in the blank with any other word you want to use.
It is not a happy human experience.
So how do you go the distance if it is not for the stabilizing confidence in a God who is able to superintend
and rule over all of these things?
That's what grounds us in spiritual ministry that we've been called to.
Wherever that spiritual ministry might be.
That is the starting place.
And it's just not going to be worth it if Christ is not your supreme affection.
It is not going to be worth it.
So as I open us up this morning in prayer,
let's plead with God for he to be the supreme affection for our ministry.
Oh God, we come to you this morning as broken and desperate people.
Weak and frail and fractured in so many ways.
God, we need you to put those pieces together and forgive us even this week for the ways that we have not only displeased you,
but we have been rebels.
We have absolutely opposed the true word that we know in our hearts.
We know what you've called us to,
and yet we have decided to find pleasure in other things
and to gratify ourselves in other ways.
To have it now instead of having it later and having it in the best way that you choose for us.
So as a starting point, Lord, this morning, we just come and we pray for your forgiveness.
We pray for your mercy.
We pray for your cleansing and for your help on our time today.
We cannot be people who are involved in spiritual ministry without the God who creates spiritual ministry in us.
Who leads us to spiritual ministry.
Who makes us fit for spiritual ministry.
And then, by your grace, gives us the opportunity to be involved in spiritual ministry wherever we might be.
So, Lord, as we come to this passage, I pray that you would connect it to our hearts and our situations
in the specific ways that each person who is here this morning needs it applied.
What a diverse group that we have here.
Older and younger.
Those who are in school and those who are not.
Those who are working and those who are retired.
And those with families and those who don't.
And you know each situation this morning.
And you know how to connect this word to each individual.
And so I pray, Lord, that you would do that work.
Forgive us for the arrogance that would say that we have arrived.
Help us to submit ourselves, Lord, to the teaching of your word this morning.
So we can walk out of this place being refreshed, being renewed, being encouraged, being exhorted and challenged.
Inspired to represent you well in this world.
As representatives, as ambassadors of the only one that matters.
Ambassadors for Christ.
Lord, there are so many people this morning in this service who are wrestling with real and tangible hurts.
We need you to overcome our hurts.
Our pains.
Those are real pains.
Real hurts.
We need the comfort of God to comfort us.
So that we can have the ministry of comfort.
So that we can comfort others with the same comfort with which we ourselves have been comforted by God.
That too is a ministry.
That you use our pain to encourage others around us.
And Lord, you use your word.
The word that you have spoken to us directly and you have connected to our hearts.
You have used that as an opportunity for us to then encourage and exhort others as well.
Help us to be faithful to the word we know.
Help us to be ready vessels.
Ready for the ministry that you have placed right in front of us.
We pray in Jesus' name.
Amen.
I had a friend text me this week and ask me this question.
He said, what is a disciple?
What is a disciple?
That's kind of an important question, wouldn't you say?
Because if we're called to discipleship and we're called to be disciples,
then we kind of need to know the destination.
We kind of need to know where we're going.
We need to know how we, whether or not we're on the right road.
We need to know what sort of characteristics would be true of that individual so that we can help that person be a disciple.
My response to him was, well, a disciple is a Christ follower.
It makes sense.
We look in the gospel of Luke in particular and we see that Jesus is constantly saying to the people that he's in connection with,
follow me.
It begins with being a Christ follower and the consistent testimony of a life that is following Christ is certainly indicative of a disciple.
His question back to me then was, okay, what is a Christ follower?
Because that is so broad and so general.
And I sarcastically said, well, it's a disciple.
Shoot.
I guess it wasn't a very good answer.
I said, well, obviously you know what a disciple and a Christ follower is,
so help me overcome some of the Sunday school answers that we tend to have.
But I don't think it's complex.
I don't think it needs to be sophisticated.
Because the message of Christ is a message of simplicity.
It's a message that he advocates that even a young child should be able to understand this, these truths,
and yet deep enough to inform the heart of the strongest believer.
And it really boils down to, yes, this person is a Christ follower.
And the more you follow after Christ, the more you realize how difficult it is to do.
To really not only embrace Christ, but to reflect the heart, the actions, the attitude, the motives, the priorities,
and the faith of Christ to the world.
That's what we've been called to.
To be a Christ follower.
But how does that look?
What form does that take?
And I think Paul helps to fill that out for us in our study this morning.
But maybe to kind of summarize it in an encapsulating statement,
we find in Colossians chapter 3, verse 23, this verse.
Whatever you do, work heartily, ask for the Lord, and not for men.
Knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as you, your reward.
You are serving the Lord Christ.
That really is the anthem of the message this morning.
Your spiritual ministry is first ministry to God.
Be thou my vision, ruler of all.
Anchor my soul in the understanding, in the truth,
that everything I do and everything I am is first oriented to you.
That's the only way true spiritual ministry can happen.
But we get some details.
This morning in our passage in 1 Thessalonians chapter 2.
I see this breaking down in three different ways.
First, Paul gives us a testimony of spiritual ministry.
He gives us his personal testimony of what this looks like.
How can you begin to see and differentiate between true spiritual ministry and that which is false?
Because there are certain indicators that help us recognize what true spiritual ministry is all about.
What does a ministry that is oriented first to God look like?
So Paul gives us several verses that begin to talk about what his testimony of spiritual ministry is.
And by the way, although Paul is speaking from his own experience,
he's talking about what spiritual ministry looks like.
I want us all to recognize this morning that you are a spiritual minister.
Regardless of your title, regardless of your occupation, regardless of your social standing,
you are a spiritual minister today.
And that there is a ministry that only you can accomplish.
There is a ministry that God has ordained for you to do.
We find that in Ephesians chapter 2.10.
You are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works.
There is a work, a ministry that only you can do this morning.
So wherever you find yourself, God has called you to spiritual ministry in that context.
Maybe even as a young person in a family, God has called you to ministry in your family,
to your siblings, to your parents, to your friends in your community,
to your friends at school, wherever you might be.
God has called you, if you are a child of his, to a spiritual ministry.
But as Paul begins to describe this ministry, we begin to see how distinctive this ministry is.
How different that ministry is than what we would expect spiritual ministry to look like.
Let me just read the first couple of verses,
because Paul begins by calling attention to the commitment that is required in true spiritual ministry.
That's our first point this morning.
The commitment of true spiritual ministry, serving at all costs.
Let me read verses 1 and 2 of chapter 2.
I don't know about you, but this is not a great way to call people to ministry.
This isn't a good way to say, hey, this is really attractive.
You should try it too.
If you're going to be involved in spiritual ministry, it's going to require a bit of commitment.
Commitment at all costs.
Now, Paul here refers to his suffering in Philippi, because that's what would have been fresh.
That's what would have been familiar to the church of Thessalonica,
given the fact that Paul had just left Philippi to then make his way there to Thessalonica to serve there.
But make no mistake, in his first and second and third missionary journey,
every place, I can't think of any, and maybe you can help me,
every place that Paul went, he was met with opposition.
Every single place.
In his first missionary journey, he goes to Cyprus first.
And he's opposed by Elimus, the magician.
And God works there through the heart of the Pearl Council.
Does some work, but he's opposed.
Then he sets sail to Paphos and come to the city of Perga,
and he's abandoned by John Mark.
John Mark leaves the team.
So then they go to Antioch and Pisidia.
And the Jews oppose him there and contradict them
and incite high-standing officials and the people
and stir up persecution among the town and drive them out.
So Paul goes to Iconium.
Iconium and Lystra, the region where Timothy grew up.
The unbelieving Jews there were stirred up,
and the Gentiles as well,
and they tried to stone Paul and Barnabas and his team.
So then they come to Lystra.
And that's where Paul was actually stoned.
They didn't just attempt it.
They dragged him out of the city
and threw stones at him until they thought he was dead.
They returned back to Antioch and Jerusalem,
and then they go on their second missionary journey,
and it doesn't go very well then either.
Paul tries to go to Asia,
but he's forbidden by the Holy Spirit.
He attempts to go to Bithynia,
but the door is closed.
Then he comes and he's told to go to Macedonia,
and the first town of Macedonia is the town of Philippi.
And we all know what happens in Philippi.
Things begin to go well,
but once Paul casts out a demon from a slave girl,
he's hauled before the marketplace,
he's attacked by the crowd,
he's beaten with rods,
and he's put in prison.
They move to Thessalonica,
and things don't go much better there.
You see, the same in Berea,
and the same in every other location
that Paul sets his mind to serve.
The point is this.
Serving at all costs
is what spiritual ministry looks like.
And Paul would say,
suffering is not a mark of failure.
Hear it.
Suffering is not a mark of failure.
And suffering is not a mark of God's displeasure.
And suffering is not a mark
of the adversary getting the upper hand.
Rather, suffering is a means of God's power.
In a way for God to authenticate
his messenger and his message.
It is the way to crystallize
in the minds of the people
who are being served.
Ah, this is one who means what he says.
This is one who has the fortitude by God
to press on in the midst of adversity.
And as Peter would say in chapter 4
of his little letter,
don't be surprised by the fiery trial
when it comes upon you
to test you as though
something strange were happening,
but rejoice insofar
as you share Christ's sufferings
that you may also be glad
when his glory is revealed.
If you are insulted for the name of Christ,
you are blessed because the spirit of glory
and of God rests on you.
That's what suffering does.
Do you want the spirit of God
to rest on your life and ministry?
Do you want the power of God
to make your ministry,
your spiritual ministry to others
in your home,
in your school,
in your workplace,
in your community?
Do you want to make it efficient
and effective?
Then don't run from persecution.
Press in.
Press in and allow the spirit of glory
and of God to rest on you.
That is the promise.
That's pretty remarkable,
wouldn't you say?
The problem is that we so often
push against persecution.
We push against adversity.
We push against injustice in our lives.
We push against those things
and by pushing against those things,
we push against God.
That's the danger.
Suffering marked Paul's ministry
time and time again.
And through suffering,
God showed himself faithful.
And God made his gospel
effective and fruitful.
Suffering is a means
of seeing God do his work
for you
and in you
and through you.
Second,
Paul points to the motive
of ministry.
Not only his commitment
to ministry,
serving at all costs,
but his motive for ministry,
which is serving
to please God.
Let me read for us
verses 3 to 6.
It says this,
For our appeal
does not spring
from error or impurity
or any attempt
to deceive,
but just as we have been
approved by God
to be entrusted
with the gospel,
so we speak.
Not to please men,
but God
who tests our hearts.
For we never came
with words of flattery,
as you know,
nor with a pretext
for greed.
God is witness.
Nor did we seek glory
from people,
whether from you
or from others,
though we could be made,
have made demands
as apostles of Christ,
but we were gentle
among you.
And we'll get to that piece
in a second.
Paul begins to describe
the purity
of the ministry
that he had
among the Thessalonian church.
He commends it
in particular
because at this point
in time,
even at the very
beginning stages
of the development
of this church,
Paul was facing
significant criticism.
False teachers
assailed him,
as they often do
other faithful shepherds,
by impugning his character
and challenging
his authority.
Thus,
the opening statements
we find in chapter 2
is this polemic
that Paul gives
in defense
of his ministry
to the church
of Thessalonica.
In spite of the purity
of Paul's life
and the transforming power
of his message,
the enemies
of the gospel
were having some success
in convincing
the Thessalonians
that Paul
and his companions
were wicked
in their intentions.
So Paul needs
to go about
demonstrating
the purity
of his message
in the gospel
ministry
to this church.
He pushes
against
the accusations
that are being levied
against him
as a missionary.
He says in verse 3,
there is no error.
There was no impurity.
There was no deception.
There was no flattery,
no greed
or desire
for personal glory.
There were no demands
that we made of you
as we could have
as apostles.
Just the pure,
untainted,
radiant message
of the word.
There were no
ulterior motives.
Paul walks through
this piece by piece.
He says,
you may essentially
feel that we had
ulterior motives
but we have been
approved
by God.
Notice the number
of times
that he points
their attention
to the fact
that God
is at the front
and center
of their ministry
and he is at
the end point
of their ministry.
He's the one
who got this all going.
He's the one
who initiated this
to begin with.
We have been
approved by him
and entrusted
by him
to do the work.
We wouldn't be here
if it wasn't for the fact
that God had told us
to come.
We wouldn't be here
unless God had given us
the strength
to overcome
the adversity
that we had experienced
in every single place
that we have been.
He's the one
who gave us boldness.
He's the one
who fanned the flames
of our hearts
to serve in this way.
He's the one
who gave us endurance
to overcome.
He's the one
whose message
we bring to you.
He's the one
who sustains us
in this work.
We have been approved
by God.
And you may feel
that we had ulterior motives
but our primary aim
is to please God
and not
to please men.
I've recognized
in my own life
how difficult
that is
and how subtle
how subtle
the indications are
that my heart
and my desire
for ministry
is really
man-centered
rather than God-centered.
Oh, it is subtle.
To be involved
in ministry
and to walk away
feeling
as though
you didn't perform
the way you wanted to.
There is
a sense
that you didn't meet
your own expectations.
Well,
why would you be
concerned about that
if you are
trusting
in a God
who is able
to make
your ministry
successful
and fruitful
regardless of how
terrible you communicate
that God's
ministry
in the heart
will be effective
in spite of you
because of the power
of his word.
Who are you trusting in?
your ability
to
convey the truth
or God's ability
to make that truth
grow
in a life.
The
desire to be
up front
or
the
jealousy
that we feel
when others
get certain positions
that we want
or the
idea that
there's no way
we're going to serve
in a certain ministry
because it's just
not up my alley.
It's not my passion.
It's just
it's
children's
ministry.
I can tell you
that God
by his grace
has given me
more refreshment
in areas
of ministry
I didn't feel
like I was
inclined to
because it gave him
the opportunity
to show up.
it gave him
the opportunity
to demonstrate
to me
in my arrogant
heart
that it is
he
who creates
the ministry
work
not me.
It's not built
on my
personal
giftedness
but it's
based upon
the power
of God
alone.
We'll never
get there
if our
orientation
is to please
men
and not to
please God.
in his
mind
it is
offensive.
Paul
points to this
in Galatians
1.10
when he says
for am I
now seeking
the approval
of men
or of God
or am I
trying to
please men
if I were
still trying
to please
men
I would
not
be a
servant
of Christ.
You can't
have it
both ways.
maybe Paul
was also
saying this
you may
feel that
we had
ulterior
motives
but it
is God
who tests
our hearts.
He says
that
there in
verse 4b
God is
the one
who approves
us for
ministry
and God
is the one
who tests
us
throughout
the ministry.
ministry
we are
accountable
to him
and by
the way
God knows
the very
depths of
our hearts
doesn't he?
There is no
masquerade
with God
he sees
to the very
heart
of the matter
and Paul
says
I am open
and laid
bare
to the
penetrating
gaze
of God
and he
is the
one
who is
testing
our
ministry.
He is
the one
who is
approving
us
for
ministry.
And there is
a sense
of refreshment
in Paul's
heart
that says
whatever may
happen
in this
place
happens
because
God is
in control.
I am
trusting
in him.
Finally
you may
feel that
we have
ulterior
motives
but God
is witness
we see
that in
verse 5.
God
testifies
to the
authenticity
of our
faith
by doing
his work
in
lives
and
you
have
personally
witnessed
it.
He has
been
talking
about
that
since
chapter
1.
The
fact
that
they have
responded
to the
word
and the
Holy
Spirit
has
done
a
work
in
their
life.
And it
is
refreshing
for the
apostle Paul
to see
that God
is giving
witness
to the
authenticity
of the
ministry
that Paul
had
by confirming
that in
the work
of the
people
that Paul
was in
touch
with.
God
is witness.
Nothing
is hidden
from his
sight.
There is
no secret
motive,
no hidden
agenda,
no interest
in profiting
from you
or taking
advantage
of you.
God
has approved
us,
tested
us,
and given
witness
to the
purity
of our
ministry.
I would
say,
the
greater
the
purity
of your
ministry,
the
greater
the
effectiveness
of the
work
that God
can accomplish
through you.
Now
moving on
to verses
7 and
8.
That was
the testimony
of spiritual
ministry.
Now we
get to
see a
little bit
of the
tenderness,
the
tenderness
of spiritual
ministry.
The
tenderness
of spiritual
ministry.
Let me
read verses
7 and
8 to
you.
It says,
but we
were gentle
among you
like a
nursing
mother
taking care
of her
own
children.
So being
affectionately
desirous
of you,
we were
ready to
share with
you not
only the
gospel of
God,
but also
our own
selves,
because you
had become
very dear
to us.
Now,
I don't
know what
your
perception
of the
apostle
Paul is.
I think
of this
battle-weathered,
crusty,
bold guy
who's moving
from one
place to
the other,
and he's
got this,
I don't
know,
this courage,
this tenacity
that drives
him from
one city
to the
next.
And when
I think
of tenacity,
I think
of courage,
I think
of strength,
I don't
think of
tenderness.
And yet,
everywhere you
see the
apostle go,
there is
this great
affection for
the people
that he
serves.
There's no
wonder why
his ministry
was so
effective,
because he
didn't just
communicate the
truth to
them,
he gave
them his
very self.
There was
nothing that
was held
back from
you,
of me,
he says,
because I
wanted you
to have
it all.
I wanted
you to
have all
of me,
not just
my message,
but me
too.
I wanted
to invest
in your
life,
I wanted
to give
you what
you needed
most,
and that
is the
tenderness
and encouraging
ministry,
just like a
mother has
with a
child.
It's
interesting,
the play
on words
that Paul
uses here
in verse
7.
He says,
but we
were gentle
among you.
And there
are some
manuscripts
that would
use the
word
hapeoi,
which is
the word
gentleness,
or the
word
napioi,
which is
the word
infant.
And we
don't know
exactly which
one is
best here,
but they
both point
to the
same thing.
They both
point to
tenderness
and gentleness
and innocence
in ministry.
It's probably
actually best
to see this
as an
infant
among you,
because the
best manuscripts
use that
word,
and the
connotation
would be
we were
so innocent
and so
frail,
we came
without any
desire to
do anything
to you,
just to be
a blessing
to you.
And then to
move from
that metaphor
of being an
infant to now
talking about
being a
mom.
We're like
mothers to
you,
showing the
gentleness
and care
that only
comes from
a mom.
Any of you
who've had
kids,
and I'll
speak for
dads,
because that's
what I am.
You know,
the first couple
of days is
great,
you know,
so happy
to have this
little bundle
of joy
in your
house.
And the
couple of
sleepless
hours at night
is no
problem,
I can
handle it.
But then
after week
two,
it's like,
enough already.
But you
moms are
just amazing
because there
seems to be
this unending
affection and
gentleness for
your kids.
To the
extent that
the word
that Paul
uses here
of nursing
moms is
is the
word that
helps us
understand
the closeness
of a mom's
care for
her kids.
It's the
word that
is used
to describe
softness
and heat
to make
warm.
There is
this sense
of intimacy
and closeness
that can only
happen through
body heat.
It is the
sense that
Christ
communicates
when he
says,
follow me.
I don't
want there
to be
separation.
I want
there to
be
proximity.
It's the
same sense
we get
from John
chapter 15
where he
says,
abide in
me and
I in
you.
I want
there to
be
nearness.
I want
there to
be
intimacy.
I look
forward to
the opportunity
to know
you
intimately
and to
love you
completely.
It was
also marked
by affection,
not only by
gentleness but
also by
affection.
He says
that here in
verse 8,
so affectionately
longing for
you, this
word is only
used in the
New Testament
right here in
1 Thessalonians
chapter 2.
It is used of
grieving parents
whose child has
just died.
You can get a
sense of the
raw, emotional
grieving and
feeling of
Paul for this
church.
This emotional
outflow of
affection for
this group of
individuals, his
yearning for
them.
Paul would
say, this
affection led
us to give
you what was
essential for
spiritual life.
We gave you
everything we
had.
We gave you
what was best.
We gave you
what we knew
could lead to
ultimate joy.
Because that's
what spiritual
affection does.
Spiritual
affection understands
and discerns
between what is
good and what
is best.
What is
helpful and
what is
supreme.
Because we
understand as
parents that
sometimes our
kids ask for
things that
really aren't
very helpful in
the end.
But a truly
affectionate parent
will always give
their kids,
the people they
love, the very
best.
And that's what
Paul in his
ministry to this
church was
desiring to
do.
It was a
ministry that
pointed to
Christ because
it was a
ministry that
emulated the
love of Christ
to them.
I like what
one commentator
says when he
puts it this
way.
A gospel
messenger who
stands detached
from his
audience has
not yet been
touched by the
very gospel he
proclaims.
a gospel
messenger who
stands detached
from his
audience has
not yet been
touched by the
very gospel he
proclaims.
Maybe this
goes without
saying.
But you
cannot
communicate a
message effectively
without having
a heart that
truly loves the
audience that
you're speaking
to.
And so the
deeper the
relationships that
you have, the
deeper the
ministry that you
can participate
in with that
individual.
That's why we've
been talking about
the significance
of neighboring.
Having sincere
affection for the
people that God
has put in your
proximity, not only
in your community
but in your
workplace, wherever
you might be on a
regular basis
because the
ministry that you
have with them
will be dependent
upon a true
affection for
them that only
God can create
in your heart.
Paul uses these
endearing terms
throughout these
first three
chapters.
He says in
chapter 1,
verse 2,
we give thanks to
God for you.
In chapter 2,
verse 8,
so affectionately
desirous of you.
In chapter 2,
verse 20,
you are our
glory and our
joy.
In chapter 3,
verse 9,
for what
thanksgiving can
we return to
God for you,
for all the joy
that we feel for
your sake before
our God.
And there is no
other little
epistle that has
been written by
Paul that uses
the word brother
more than
first Thessalonians.
He had a heart
connection with
these people.
There's no wonder
why his ministry
to them was so
effective.
And finally,
we find in
verses 9 to 12,
we find a
ministry of
toil and
truth.
A spiritual
ministry of
toil and
truth.
It shows up in
three different
ways.
First, it shows
up through
personal sacrifice,
then through
personal holiness,
and finally,
through practical
teaching.
practical
teaching.
I got way
more than I
can say.
And so what I'll
probably do is
come back to this
portion later on,
because I think
this is really
significant.
But what I want
you to begin to
understand is what
makes this
ministry so
important,
is that it is a
ministry, not just
that emulates the
ministry of Paul,
but more importantly,
mimics the
ministry of the
Savior.
The Savior who
came in truth
and in grace
is the ministry
that we've been
called to emulate
in our own lives.
Maybe we can
close on just the
last chart that I
put together here.
It helps you see
the similarities.
authorities.
Maybe you can't
see that.
Shucks.
I want you to
know that verses
1 through 6,
or 1 through 8,
are parallel to
verses 9 to 12.
Okay?
The very things
you see in the
ministry of Paul,
like moms to the
church of Thessalonica,
are emulated by the
ministry that he has
just like dad to
the church.
So, he wants you
to understand that
they're inseparable.
That if you have the
one, that you're
going to have the
other.
If you have a
ministry of grace,
you're going to also
have a ministry of
truth.
If you're going to
look like moms in
your affection for
people that God has
put you in ministry
with, you're going
to look like dads
because that ministry
is going to be
bolstered and
strengthened by the
ministry of truth
and toil.
I mean, just for
your benefit, just
point some of these
things out.
Verse 1 says,
you yourselves
know.
Verse 9 begins
with, you
yourselves know.
In verse 2, it
says, we declare the
gospel of God.
In verse 9, we
proclaim the gospel
of God.
In verse 3, it's
our appeal, which
uses the word
periclesis.
In verse 12, it
says, we exhorted,
which uses the word
pericleo.
In verse 3, it
says, God tests
our hearts.
And in verse 5, it
says, God is our
witness.
And then in verse
10, you, our
witness, is in God
also.
In verse 3, we
didn't come with
impurity or
attempt to deceive.
In verse 5, we
never came with
flattery or with
greed.
And then in verse
10, we were
holy, righteous,
and blameless
towards you.
Verse 5, you
know how we
acted.
Verse 11, you
know how we
acted.
Verse 7, we
were like a
mother.
Verse 11 and
12, we were
like a father.
If you're going
to have true
spiritual ministry,
you need to be
like a mom.
You need to be
full of grace.
There needs to be
godly affection for
the people that God
has put you in touch
with.
But that can't be
lacking the spiritual
ministry like dad,
a ministry of toil
and truth.
The two go hand
in hand.
Because true
spiritual ministry
is a ministry
that emulates
our Savior,
a man of truth
and grace.
Oh, that we
would be like
our Savior.
Let's pray.
Thank you.