D3: The Ministry – The example of Paul, 1 Thes 2:1-12 (Part 2)

D3: The Ministry– The example of Paul, 1 Thes 2:1-12. (Part 2

6 Gospel-Centered Truths for Ministry

I. Ministry must be concerned first and most with engaging people with the gospel, 2:1-2.

Three fundamentals of a gospel-engaging ministry:

1. Gospel ministry is never hollow or found wanting, 2:1.

• ‘Vain’ (2:1) = hollow, empty, found wanting in purpose, found wanting in earnestness. Their time together was marke fullness, not by an emptiness. Why? The gospel made all the di erence.

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Q: What would happen to your ministry if the gospel is not central in your relationships?

• The reality is there is an emptiness, a wastefulness in our relationships if the gospel is NOT central.

2. Gospel ministry requires boldness when surrounded by opposition, 2:2-3.

“we had already su ered/been mistreated”

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Sandwich #1: “boldness in our God to speak the gospel of God”
“amid much opposition”

- The story of Paul’s gospel, missionary career: Preach the gospel, soon be surrounded by oppositi

• See Acts 16:19-17:10 (in Philippi). Comfort in relationships is not driving Paul. The gospel is! A rmation is also no ffi Paul.

Q: How much trouble exists in your relationships because of the gospel?

Q: What might be some reasons for the absence of trouble in our relationships?

• Not extending the gospel; not close enough to the lost to see a clash of kingdoms; the gospel is a satellite, n center of gravity for us in relationships.

Q: What happens when opposition comes in your gospel ministry to someone?

3. Gospel ministry finds its boldness in God alone, 2:2.

• ‘boldness’ = literally, ‘all speech’. Denotes the state of mind when the words flow freely, the attitude of feeling quite a with no sense of stress or strain, an attitude that includes both boldness and confidence; no restraints. . . Always con proclamation of gospel in NT. . . Despite the trouble, Paul still felt quite easy about opening his mouth freely.
• ‘in our God’ = Not natural ability to be bold. Because Paul lived ‘in’ his God he was always at home, no matter what circumstances, and thus he always had that attitude of ready speech. No hardship and no opposition were able to ta confidence and his courage. The eyes of his heart could see God more clearly than the opposition.

Q: What needs to happen daily to increase your God-given boldness to speak the gospel?

• This is what D1 is all about; this is how D1 makes the greatest impact on D3. Live with greater awareness that I and God dwells in me; be more aware of that than man. . .

II. In a gospel-centered ministry, God is the primary audience and influence, 2:3-6.

• First - walk through 2:3-6 thinking about how God is the primary audience, and then we’ll walk back through 2:3-6 thinkin how He is the primary influence in gospel ministry.

4 proofs that God is the primary audience in gospel ministry:

1. God is the origin of our message and mission, 2:3, 6.

• Point 1 = book ends on the passage Message = 2:2b (“the gospel of God”), 3 (“our exhortation”). Mission (“apostl of Christ”) = 2:6b. NOT originate from? = 2:3 (message - “not from error or impurity or by way of deceit”). Paul was a one” of a di erent quality and kind and equipping.

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2. God tests us to entrust us with His gospel, 2:4

• ‘Approved’ (perfect tense = the testing isn’t over; it’s refinement has ongoing implications) and ‘examines’ (both doki proven to be genuine upon testing; demonstrates genuineness; testing to show worth; not testing to cause failure.

“we have been approved by God”
Sandwich #2: “entrusted with the gospel, so we speak”
“God who examines our hearts”

Since the gospel is of divine origin, no one may take it upon himself to proclaim it.

God chooses His messengers, and He tests them before committing the gospel to their trust. Morris, 63

• Do you want to be entrusted with the gospel? Prepare for testing. . . And God is not testing to advertise your failure refine and bring out the best for His sake.

3. God watches us; is always present, 2:5

• “God is witness” = see 2:10. If God is the primary audience (main point II. above), then:

4. We won’t use authority to gain praise for ourselves, 2:6.

• Paul’s just not driven by what man might think is acceptable in ministry, to flex some muscle. Paul’s not driven in min make a name for himself.
• And secondly:

4 proofs that God is the primary in uence in gospel ministry: (walk back through 2:3-6)

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1. He purifies my exhortations, 2:3. Remember – it is the gospel OF GOD.
2. He opens my mouth, 2:4. We won’t be able to be silent; we will speak.
3. He drops my mask in ministry, 2:3-5. “In deceit,” 2:3; “Flattery,” 2:5; “pretext for greed,” 2:5 = “I really want something see. I’m all about something you can’t see yet; don’t want you to see it. . . BUT God is witness.
4. He humbles my use of authority, 2:6. “Apostles of Christ” with the “gospel OF GOD.” = authority! (Paul has it!) BUT, seek glory from anybody.” Paul had weightiness to assert, but didn’t.

Any authority I might possess in ministry is not about me.

Authority in ministry is always to be exercised under the ‘approval’, ‘pleasure’, and ‘witness’ of God. Our first resort in ministry must not be the exertion of our authority for authority’s sake.

• My temptations: I want man’s eyes on my gospel ministry. I can be too quick to make my authority the f point or felt in conflict. But this wasn’t the case for Paul.

III. A gospel-centered ministry is characterized by a motherly gentleness, 2:7.

• ‘gentle’ (2:7) stands in contrast to (“But”). . . 2:6 (the ‘burden’ or weightiness their asserted authority might have been). A mother weigh her baby down; burden her baby.
• ‘gentle’ = could be. . . ‘babies’, but most likely “nursing mother.” Again, in stark contrast to ‘men with authority’, they were like ge who have no agenda to prove authority. It is a strong expression for the extreme lengths to which they went to meet the needs o hearers to avoid being authoritative or heavy. This verse could seriously test your manhood with the gospel.

‘The idea is the condescension of the true Christian. . .
who is willing to put himself on the level of others,
which is the essence of sympathy.
It is the application of the principle of the Incarnation itself.’
Hiebert, 99

‘A mother in nursing her children manifests a certain rare and wonderful a ection,
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inasmuch as she spares no labour and trouble, shuns no anxiety,
is never wearied out by her constant diligence and attention.’
Calvin, 252

• A nursing mother doesn’t set a table and expect her infant to figure out a way to get up to the table. The mother makes herself a the sweetest, most tender, loving and humble way. Nursing is about mom being down on the same level as the child. . .

Q: How well are you, not only assessing the spiritual level of another, but then gently stepping to their level to build them up? currently any new believers or ‘not-yet-believers’ in your life to step into?

• Paul didn’t/couldn’t restrict his interaction to people who were just like him spiritually.

IV. A gospel-centered ministry will be satisfied with nothing less than deep a ection for people, 2:8.

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“having so fond an a ection for you”

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Sandwich #3: “well-pleased to impart to you the gospel. . . and our lives”
“you had become very dear to us”

• Tie this back to 2:1-2 (2:1-2 might make you conclude: “proclaim the gospel no matter what you or anyone thinks”). But th completes the picture of Paul’s ministry. Goal is the gospel, BUT the gospel is never disconnected from what 2:8 teache for people).
• ‘very dear to us’ = ‘This is the specifically Christian quality of love; love that is self-giving. It is NOT a desire to possess th but a desire to give.’ Morris

Q: How is our e ectiveness with the gospel impacted by the level (or absence) of a ection for others? Are there any relatio ff ff your love must be rekindled? How do you rekindle your a ection for someone?

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• 2 inseparable prongs: gospel content and gospel care. Don’t sacrifice the care, being satisfied with content only.

V. A gospel-centered ministry keeps the path to the gospel clear, 2:9.

• Paul was the one willing to sacrifice, take on hardship. He didn’t want them to bear any hardship when the gospel came to them. financially?? Frontier missions especially benefits from this. . . .

Q: Can you recall how an older, wiser believer personally made sacrifices so you could keep growing in the gospel? For wh do the same?

VI. A gospel-centered ministry’s primary goal is transformation of life that is worthy of God, 2:10-12.

Transformed life - Paul, 2:10 Sandwich #4: “Fatherly pursuit of transformation of life. . . wouldn’t play leapfrog over his own life”

Transformed life - theirs, 2:12

• Like a father with children, Paul went after transformation of life without playing leapfrog over himself. Paul didn’t ignore holiness of life as he exhorted them to holiness of life.

CONCLUSION: The bigger picture of a Gospel-centered ministry:

The inseparable, unbeatable combination in a gospel-centered ministry, (1:5-2:12):

1. Proclamation !

• Paul drew heavy attention to the gospel itself in his ministry. - 1:5 ‘gospel. . . word only. . .’ - 1:6 ‘received the word. .’ - 1:8 ‘for the word of the Lord. . .’ - 2:2 ‘speak the gospel. . .’ - 2:4 ‘entrusted with the gospel, so we speak. . .’ - 2:5 ‘never came with flattering speech. . .’ (stated negatively) - 2:8 ‘impart not only the gospel’ - 2:9 ‘we proclaimed the gospel of God’

2. Incarnation/demonstration !

• And Paul equally drew heavy attention to the life-on-life aspect of his gospel ministry. His life interaction with the measurable. “You know.” - 1:5 ‘you know’ and ‘proved to be among you. . .’ - 1:6 “you also became imitators of us. . .” - 1:7 “you became an example to all the believers. . .”

- 1:9 ‘they themselves report about us what kind of reception we had with you. . .’

- 2:1 ‘our coming to you (entrance). . .’

• 2:2 ‘as you know. . .’
• 2:5 ‘as you know. . .’
• 2:7 ‘gentle among you. . .’
• 2:8 ‘impart to you our own lives. . .’
• 2:9 ‘you recall, brethren,. . .’
• 2:10 ‘you are witnesses’ and ‘behaved toward you’
• 2:11 ‘as you know’ and ‘each one of you’

Q: How would you rate your own life on this combination (proclamation-incarnation/demonstration)? Where are you strong? weak? Why have you become weak there? What must happen to become stronger in that area?

Q: How would you rate our church on his combination? Where are we strong? Where are we weak? Why have we become must happen to become stronger in that area?