TONIGHT – Open

MONDAY – 2 Samuel 2

WEDNESDAY - Fast and PRAY

1 Thessalonians 2:6-12The Heartbeat of the Minister pt.2

REVIEW

In Chapter 2 we find Paul pouring out his heart in regards to ministry — “Ministry 101”

We have learned about the inseparable and crucial connection between the integrity of the minister and the integrity of ministry.

In Paul’s explanation and defense of his own ministry we found invaluable instruction concerning the character of the man or woman in ministry.

v. 3 – We learned about the INTEGRITY of the MESSAGE that he proclaimed.

There was the INTEGITY of the message

By virtue of its origins

There was the INTEGITY of the message

By virtue of the ones proclaiming it --- the message was not defiled by the spiritual and moral character of Paul.

Paul tells them that the message they heard was pure and that it came from a pure heart.

In Verse 4 Paul made it clear that he spoke and he served as a man conscious of the fact that –

God examines the heart ----- He examines the very origins of

WHY we speak and serve

And HOW we speak and serve.

Then we saw God the Holy Spirit ---- who examined and knew the heart of Paul ---- inspiring Paul to write to the Thessalonians about what was truly beating within the heart of Paul.

We saw that at the very core of Paul there was

ONE over riding desire ---- ONE thing for which his heart beat ---- The GLORY of God!

WHERE does this come from?

It does not spring from a mere acknowledgement of or agreement with Biblical truth – though it must always ---- and will always be in agreement with the Scriptures.

It can ONLY come from a life transformed by the indwelling life and power of Jesus ---- WHO as we saw last week ---- had a single agenda — the Glory of God the Father.

Gal 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

THIS is what separates Christianity from false religion! It is the very life of Christ in us.

It is the very heart of Jesus beginning to beat in us!

It is the life of a forgiven sinner lived in vital union with Jesus who IS our life!

John 15 - I am the vine and you are the branches – apart from Me you can do nothing!

Col 3 - When Christ who IS our life shall appear.

When you are born again we begin to participate in the very life of Christ!

In Philippians Paul refers to it as

a work that is begun.

God is at work in us both to will and to do of His good pleasure.

From the point of conversion forward ---- we are daily being conformed to the image of Jesus who LIVED for the glory of God the father.

The degree to which we yield our hearts and lives to Jesus ---- the degree to which we abide in Him --- is the degree to which we find our hearts beating for the Glory of God!

WHAT is it that your heart beats for --- Metro’s heart beats for?

The answer is found in your agenda!

What is YOUR agenda? What is OUR agenda?

WHAT is it that your heart beats for --- Metro’s heart beats for?

The answer is found in your agenda!

What is YOUR agenda? What is OUR agenda?

There was only ONE agenda for Jesus ----- ONE agenda for Paul.

There is only ONE agenda for the Church!

Ephesians 3:20-21 Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, 21to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

AS WE CONTINUE THIS MORNING

We find beating in the heart of Paul the very love of God for the men and women of Thessalonica.

For the sake of contrast I’m going to back up and read forward from Verse 5.

5For we never came with words of flattery, as you know, nor with a pretext for greed—God is witness. 6Nor did we seek glory from people, whether from you or from others, though we could have made demands as apostles of Christ. 7But we were gentle among you, like a nursing mother taking care of her own children. 8So,

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.

FIRST - THE CONTRASTS (they will become sharper as we define these terms.)

v.5 Words of flattery v.7 Gentle...tenderly cares

They did not use insincere speech or exaggerated praise for the sake personal gain or advancement.

Instead the were gentle – tenderly cared for them

v.5 Pretext for greed v.8 affectionately desirous of you

The preaching of the Gospel was not a “screen” to hide their selfish desires for financial or emotional gratification.

They were affectionately desirous of them --- their needs in Christ.

v.6 Seek glory from men 7. gave our own lives

They did not seek glory ---- instead they gave of themselves

THAT is the heart of Jesus — Philippians 2 - did not hold on to the expression of His divine glory --- but EMPTIED himself and became a servant.

v. 7 - But we were gentle

Gentle – Epios = placid, gentle, mild, easy

KEY INSIGHT: Epios was used to describe medicines that soothed or lessened pain.

Before Jesus the Thessalonians were dying of the disease of sin — with all of it’s pain and emptiness

Paul, Sulas and Timothy were LIKE a medicine that soothed

Among you - more literally, in the midst of you

Again – This is the heart of Jesus in the life of Paul.

Jesus did not come to the earth and stand aloof from lost mankind.

He was never isolated from the multitudes.

Luke 9:11 When the crowds learned it, they followed him, and he welcomed them (KJV – received them) and spoke to them of the kingdom of God and cured those who had need of healing.

It was the disciples who constantly said – “Send them away!”

He was constantly found in their midst.

Matt. 1:23 “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us).

Matt. 8:17 From then on Jesus began to preach, “Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near.

He so enjoyed being in the midst of people that he loved to sit down and eat with them.

By the way ---- There was no such thing as fast food in those days

He did it so often that his enemies had this to say about the FREQUENCY and the COMPANY

Luke 7:34 34The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Look at him! A glutton and a drunkard,

Luke 7:34 …. ‘a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’

We’ve seen that Paul was like Jesus in that his ONE agenda was thew Glory of God.

Now we see that Paul was also like Jesus in that he was in the MIDST of the Thessalonian people.

No doubt dining and conversing with them.

KEY APPLICATION #1 - Evangelism (Jesus style) is not just

an impersonal crusade (though God can use them) – come hear the evangelist – you can see his face on the jumbo-tron and buy his book –

an impersonal concert outreach (though God can use them) – come hear the band and buy the CD

KEY APPLICATION #2 - Are you in the MIDST of a lost world? Or are you isolated from it?

Think in terms of FREQUENCY and COMPANY.

SUGGESTION: Have a meal with someone who doesn’t know Jesus!

BY THE WAY – God so graciously directed us in the structure of our time together ----

the time we give here to be with one another

to eat with on another.

Paul is going to DESCRIBE this gentleness by way of a simile (= like something)

7But we were gentle among you, like a nursing mother taking care of her own children.

Before we get to the gentleness of this simile let’s not miss the selflessness that it depicts.

A nursing mother is NOT the receiver in the act of nursing.

She is the GIVER ---- In the act of nursing she only looks to give to her child.

No per-feeding charge to be collected.

No meter that starts running!

Not only nothing to gain ---- but there is personal LOSS: THINK of the countless hours of lost sleep!

Dad’s – How many times were stoked to be able to say - “Sorry hon! Wish I could help.

CRUCIAL POINT: Paul is saying that he didn't feed on them ---- he fed them.

NOW – Think of the GENTLENESS conveyed by way of that simile!

Like a nursing mother - trophos

PERSONAL - Watching my wife nurse our children was the definition of gentleness.

There was something so profound about the gentleness and tenderness of those moments!

This is a very tender ---- very vivid picture of Paul's heart for the church.

With the eyes of Jesus Paul saw them as precious children.

With the heart of Jesus Paul was GENTLE --- LIKE a nursing mother with her children.

Again – THIS is the heart of the Lord within Paul

“tender-mercies” used 12x (KJV) to describe the Lord’s care for us.

taking care of her own children

Thalpo - primarily means

to heat

to soften by heat

then, to keep warm, as of birds covering their young with their feathers.

HERE’S THE PICTURE of the love involved in Paul’s ministry to these men and women.

It is that of a

loving mother

who would take her infant in her arms to warm the child with her own body heat.

Here is the heart beat of Paul for them ----

He cherished them with a tender love

He fostered them in their spiritual development tender care.

CRUCIAL INSIGHT: Thalpo is used one other time in the NT by Paul

As we read this passage we see that Paul was ministering from a living relationship with Jesus.

Ephesians 5:29 describing Christ and the Church

29For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes (thalpo) it, just as Christ does the church,

Christians – THIS is your Jesus – taking us in His arms to warm us.

THE PICTURE IMPLIES

1.) The connection between Paul’s ministry and Paul’s personal walk with the Lord.

A nursing mother imparts her own life to the child.

The nursing mother eats food and transforms it into milk for the baby.

Even so ---- Paul’s ministry to them had to come from his OWN personal relationship with the Lord.

Paul himself FED on the Word ---- had FELLOWSHIP with Jesus

FROM that he then fed these spiritual children

.

POINT: The mature Christian feeds on the Word of God and then shares its nourishment with the younger believers so they can grow

BY THE WAY ---- A nursing child can become ill through reaction to something the mother has eaten.

The believer who is feeding others must be careful not to feed on the wrong things himself...

This picture fits so perfectly with Paul’s exhortation to the elders from the church in Ephesus

Acts 20:28-29 Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood.

THE PICTURE IMPLIES

2.) It takes time and energy to minister to the flock of God.

A mom can’t nurse or warm her child from a distance

Nurturing and fostering are personal by their very nature.

Paul did not turn his converts over to baby-sitters

He did not tell them to “read a book” as a substitute for his own personal ministry

He made sacrifices and cared for them himself.

I don’t think that we can conclude that EVERY single believer in Thessalonica had personal time with Paul

Paul could not be accessible to every believer

But his ministry was so sincere ---- so radiated the love of Jesus ----

that as he reasoned with them from the Scriptures

as he explained the Scriptures to them

They received it as from the Lord.

They received it as spiritual food lovingly prepared for them by a man who loved Jesus and loved them.

They were nourished and nurtured and fostered in a such a way as to warm their hearts with the love of Jesus.

8So, being affectionately desirous of you,

= A strong feeling intensified by an inner attachment

The inner attachment of a mom with her child

These were Paul’s children in the Lord!

That desire for them moved Paul to LIVE in a certain way

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.

we were ready = think well of, take pleasure in.

The love of Jesus in their hearts for these men and women made them take pleasure in --- think well of

Sharing with them the gospel of God (even after Philippi)

QUOTE: Albert Barnes (NT Commentary) - To be willing to communicate the knowledge of the gospel was in itself a strong proof of love, even if it were attended with no self-denial or hazard in doing it. We evince a decided love for a man when we tell him of the way of salvation, and urge him to accept of it. We show strong interest for one who is in danger, when we tell him of a way of escape, or for one who is sick, when we tell him of a medicine that will restore him; but we manifest a much higher love when we tell a lost and ruined sinner of the way in which he may be saved. There is no method in which we can show so strong an interest in our fellow-men, and so much true benevolence for them, as to go to them and tell them of the way by which they may be rescued from everlasting ruin. 

NOTE WELL: The BEST thing they had to give was the Gospel

In evangelism you can not give away that which you do not possess.

If you have received the gospel — you realize that it is the best thing you have to give.

You take pleasure in ---- think well of doing that.

but also our own selves,

Selves- Psuche

Denotes their entire personality.

Literally, they gave up their souls—their real inner beings—

CRUCIAL INSIGHT: The meaning here is not so much to die for them — but to live for the spiritual well-being of the Thessalonians.

There was nothing superficial or partial about their sacrificial service.

Everything about their ministry was an outpouring of their innermost self.

It sets the true standard of pastoral service

AGAIN — The Heart Beat of Paul’s ministry was actually the Heart Beat of Jesus for the Church.

Even in the Book of Revelation (ch.1) we find Jesus walking in the midst of the churches.

Jesus did coming to receive or be served

Instead He came to serve and give His life.

Think of the tenderness — the tender mercies of Jesus — towards the woman caught in adultery.

I don’t condemn you ----- go and sin no more.

Think of the tenderness of Jesus towards the man full of leprosy — Jesus TOUCHED him

Think of Jesus feeding ---- Jesus giving ---- Jesus serving ----

THAT is the HEART BEAT of ministry!

Is THAT heart beating in you and me?