1 Thessalonians 2 – (Kate and Eleni)
- Teaching 4.5.11
- Back then, there were no buildings
- Everything was not structured and strict
- People passed on the Word by mouth
- They told their friends and families
- They were so excited to talk about the Word
- Church was a very organic thing
- 1 Thessalonians 2 = “The Handbook on Revolutionary Christianity”
- 1 Thessalonians 2:1-4
- “For you yourselves know, brethren, that our coming to you was not in vain, but after we had already suffered and been mistreated in Philippi, as you know, we had the boldness in our God to speak to you the gospel of God amid much opposition. For our exhortation does not come from error or impurity or by way of deceit; but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God who examines our hearts.”
- Paul knew he was not a failure
- Paul is talking about the Gospel or the Good News
- Talking about Reconciliation
- Going back to God and repenting and asking forgiveness
- You were born into a world of sin
- You decide to have a relationship with the Lord
- You accept God’s grace and Jesus’ relationship and your sins are forgiven
- God will love us forever!
- You start to make sense of life and why we are here and what our purpose is
- When you know this Good News, you share it with everyone
- Friends and family
- Some will accept and others will deny
- We cannot make them believe in God
- They have to realize it themselves
- When you speak to your friends and family, you are speaking to please God
- Declaring the Good News requires strength and courage
- Go in there with diligence and joy
- People will actually listen
- “For you yourselves know, brethren, that our coming to you was not in vain, but after we had already suffered and been mistreated in Philippi, as you know, we had the boldness in our God to speak to you the gospel of God amid much opposition. For our exhortation does not come from error or impurity or by way of deceit; but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God who examines our hearts.”
- 2 Thessalonians 2:5-6
- “For we never came with flattering speech, as you know, nor with a pretext for greed–God is witness– nor did we seek glory from men, either from you or from others, even though as apostles of Christ we might have asserted our authority.”
- Flattering speech: going out and people pleasing
- Not always a good thing
- People will get the idea that they can take advantage of you
- You are not going to people to manipulate them
- There should be joy when you talk about Jesus and everything He did for you
- Even when people turn you down, you feel this lasting joy
- You will get persecuted
- But it is not necessarily a bad thing
- It means you are impacting people and you are doing something right
- Not about greed
- You are not manipulating people
- You are not all about you and being selfish
- We are meant to go out to the world and speak the truth
- We are not trying to trick people
- Even if it means you will get persecuted
- We are not out there for our own glory
- We are not trying to dominate or force people into a belief
- We are out there to go and love people
- Tell them the truth and let them make the decision on their own
- Ephesians 4:14-15
- “As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ,”
- We are not tricking people or deceiving them
- “As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ,”
- Flattering speech: going out and people pleasing
- “For we never came with flattering speech, as you know, nor with a pretext for greed–God is witness– nor did we seek glory from men, either from you or from others, even though as apostles of Christ we might have asserted our authority.”
- 1 Thessalonians 2:7
- “But we proved to be gentle among you, as a nursing mother tenderly cares for her own children.”
- We have to have compassion for our friends
- Like a nursing mother
- This is how Paul loved the Thessalonians
- He was run out of town and they hated him
- He was a fool in their eyes
- But he still loved them
- That is pretty difficult to do
- We have to have compassion for our friends
- “But we proved to be gentle among you, as a nursing mother tenderly cares for her own children.”
- 1 Thessalonians 2:8
- “Having so fond an affection for you, we were well-pleased to impart to you not only the gospel of God but also our own lives, because you had become very dear to us.”
- A mother’s love for her child is also sacrificial
- Paul was willing to go so far as to give up his life for the Thessalonians
- He hardly knew them but he still loved them this much
- Going out and sacrificing for people is REVOLUTIONARY LOVE
- It is that powerful
- And when you combine it with truth, it is unstoppable
- “Having so fond an affection for you, we were well-pleased to impart to you not only the gospel of God but also our own lives, because you had become very dear to us.”
- 1 Thessalonians 2:9
- “For you recall, brethren, our labor and hardship, how working night and day so as not to be a burden to any of you, we proclaimed to you the gospel of God.”
- Right here he is describing the father
- The father is not a burden on his people
- He does not make his friends serve him
- He is doing everything possible to make sure that they are getting the love and truth without any manipulation
- He is going to contribute to people
- He is not going to use this as an excuse to do poorly at work
- He is going to provide for his family and friends
- He is going to excel so he can contribute even more to this revolution
- “For you recall, brethren, our labor and hardship, how working night and day so as not to be a burden to any of you, we proclaimed to you the gospel of God.”
- This mother and father love is supposed to be in each of us
- Paul did this!
- He used these to proclaim the Good News to the Thessalonians
- How do we do this?
- We speak with love and truth
- Paul did this!
- 1 Thessalonians 2:10-12
- “You are witnesses, and so is God, how devoutly and uprightly and blamelessly we behaved toward you believers; just as you know how we were exhorting and encouraging and imploring each one of you as a father would his own children, so that you would walk in a manner worthy of the God who calls you into His own kingdom and glory.”
- Paul is going around persuading all the Thessalonians to join him in the Good News
- He knows personally how much joy he gets out of seeing people’s lives transforms
- He does not manipulate but let’s them make their own choice
- “You are witnesses, and so is God, how devoutly and uprightly and blamelessly we behaved toward you believers; just as you know how we were exhorting and encouraging and imploring each one of you as a father would his own children, so that you would walk in a manner worthy of the God who calls you into His own kingdom and glory.”
- You cannot have truth without love and you cannot have love without truth
- You cannot have successful revolutionary relationships
- You cannot change people’s lives
- You need to have LOVE and TRUTH to impact people’s lives
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