PROCLAIMING THE REAL THING

Posted by Pastor Greg Allen on May 23, 2018 under PM Bible Study |

PM Bible Study Group; May 23, 2018 – Introduction; 1 Thessalonians 2:1-12

Theme: The manner in which we present the gospel should give proof that it is the real thing

(All Scripture is taken from The New King James Version, unless otherwise indicated).

In our last time together, we saw how the way that the gospel message came to the Thessalonian believers proved that their faith in it was a genuine faith (see 1 Thessalonians 1:2-10). When Paul and his ministry partners Silvanus and Timothy were able to look back on how the Thessalonians first received that message, he was able to give thanks for them, “knowing, beloved brethren, your election by God” (v. 4). We can learn much from those introductory words about how to receive the gospel of Jesus Christ for what it is—the real thing!

But Paul then goes on to speak about himself and his ministry partners. And what we learn from them is how we also prove the gospel to be the real thing by how we proclaim it.

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In another of Paul’s letters—the one that he wrote to Pastor Titus—Paul urged Titus to exhort and teach the people under his care to live in such a way as to “adorn the doctrine of God in all things” (Titus 2:10). And what a great and vital principle that teaches us! The success of the message of the gospel in changing the lives of others always depends ultimately upon our sovereign God—and not upon us. But Paul’s admonition to Titus reminds us that we can either live in such a way as to promote the advancement of that gospel, or in such a way as to hinder its acceptance and progress in the lives of others. If we are careful in how we live as ambassadors of the gospel, we can do much to help people receive it as ‘the real thing’.

In the passage before us—in 1 Thessalonians 2:1-12—the apostle walks his Thessalonian brothers and sisters back in time; and helps them to remember how he and his ministry companions made the preaching of the gospel so effective and helped to advance its impact among those who heard it.

Looking over this passage, you find lots of hints of how Paul calls the Thessalonians to ‘remember’ the manner in which he and the others brought the gospel to them: “For you yourselves know, brethren …” (v. 1); “as you know” (v. 2); “as you know …” (v. 5); “For you remember …” (v. 9); “You are witnesses …” (v. 10); “as you know …” (v. 11). This reminds us that people are indeed watching us as Christ’s ambassadors! But for Paul, it wasn’t all just in order to have an effect upon the Thessalonians. Those missionaries behaved as they did—first and foremost—in an attitude of reverence and faithfulness before God. He also wrote, “we were bold in our God to speak to you …” (v. 2); “as we have been approved by God …” (v. 4a); “not as pleasing men, but God who tests our hearts” (v. 4b). “God is witness” (v. 5); “You are witnesses, and God also …” (v. 10). If we are the real thing before God, then we will also be the real thing before people. If we are making sure that we are faithful in the sight of God in how we live and proclaim the gospel, then we will always end up ‘adorning the gospel’ before others.

So then; how did Paul and his partners faithfully proclaim the ‘real thing’ in a ‘real way’ before the Thessalonians? And how can we also learn to do so? As we look over Paul’s words, we see that they proclaimed the gospel …

I. AS EVANGELISTS WHO SUFFERED WILLINGLY (vv. 1-2).

Paul told them, “For you yourselves know, brethren, that our coming to you was not in vain. But even after we had suffered before and were spitefully treated at Philippi, as you know, we were bold in our God to speak to you the gospel of God in much conflict.” Paul called the attention of the Thessalonians to the fact that, before they brought the gospel to them, they had first brought it to the Philippians.

That story was told to us in Acts 16. In that passage, we read of how they were plagued by a slave girl who was possessed by an evil spirit of ‘divination’. She troubled them greatly as they sought to preach; and when Paul cast the demon out of the girl in the name of Jesus, those who were making money off of her had him and Silas beaten and thrown in prison. Then, as they prayed and sang hymns in prison, the prison doors were shaken, all the prisoners were set free, and the jailer became a baptize believer. After that, when the authorities of the city found out that Paul and Silas were Romans, they were afraid for having beaten and imprisoned Roman citizens without justification. The city leaders begged the missionaries to leave. It was a tough ministry in Philippi—one in which the missionaries suffered and were spitefully mistreated. Lesser men might have been tempted afterward to preach in a quite voice.

Paul reminded the Thessalonians of all that happened in Philippi. But he also told them of how, when they then next came to Thessalonica, the missionaries were not fearful or shy because of what might happen to them. They were bold—being willing to suffer – again! – to proclaim the message even in “much conflict”. Paul was “not ashamed” of the gospel he proclaimed—even though it caused him a good deal of suffering to preach it—because “it is the power of God to salvation” (Romans 1:16). When we are willing to proclaim Jesus to others—even when we must suffer for doing so—it shows that the gospel is ‘the real thing’.

II. AS STEWARDS WHO LIVED GOD-FEARINGLY (vv. 3-4).

A ‘steward’ is someone who is entrusted with something precious by another, and all in order to keep it faithfully and to be accountable for doing the right thing with it on behalf of the one entrusting it to them. Paul and his co-missionaries were good stewards of the gospel. He wrote; “For our exhortation did not come from error or uncleanness, nor was it in deceit. But as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, even so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God who tests our hearts.”

Paul talked in Ephesians 3:1-13 about how honored he felt to be entrusted with the responsibility of giving the message of the gospel to the gentiles. He referred to it as ‘the dispensation of the grace of God which was given to me for you” (Ephesians 3:2). The message he preached wasn’t something that he invented, but rather was given to him by God (Galatians 1:11-12). It did not come from ‘uncleanness’ or ‘deceit’—like the way that false teachers had developed their false messages for profit. Just as they were approved by God, so Paul and Silas and Timothy spoke. And they didn’t try to tailor the message to market it to people so as to gain approval from men; but they spoke the message in such a way as to please God—knowing that it would be before God that they must give an account.

A waiter or a waitress in a restaurant doesn’t tamper with the food that the cook prepared. He or she just brings it to the table. And that’s what we’re to do with the gospel. When we handle it as faithful stewards—proclaiming it with a sense of reverence to the God who gave it—we show that it’s the real thing!

III. AS PREACHERS WHO SPOKE FAITHFULLY (vv. 5-6).

In a similar way, Paul wrote, “For neither at any time did we use flattering words, as you know, nor a cloak for covetousness—God is witness. Nor did we seek glory from men, either from you or from others, when we might have made demands as apostles of Christ.” You might summarize this by saying that Paul and his co-laborers spoke with integrity. They were truthful—even faithful—in how they proclaimed the message.

It is sometimes tempting to make use of human ‘means’ in order to make the gospel more attractive to people. Paul didn’t use ‘flattering words’ or ‘seek glory from men’. Nor did they have hidden motives; using the holy message of the gospel as a covering for what they might gain from it. Nor did they make demands upon the people as ‘authoritative apostles’. In fact, in 1 Corinthians 2:1-5, Paul talked about how careful he was not to use impressive language or outward ‘razzle-dazzle’ to make the gospel more appealing; but rather used simple language so that the impact would be from the Spirit of God—and not from the skill of man.

When we proclaim the simple message of the cross of Jesus Christ—as offensive as it may be to the people of this world—and just let it come forth as God gave it with the confidence that God Himself to validate it, we’re showing the world that ours is the ‘real’ message.

IV. AS MINISTERS WHO CARED SACRIFICIALLY (vv. 7-8).

It wasn’t just Paul’s care for the content of the message that proved its reality. It was also the way he sincerely cared for those who received it. He wrote that he and the other missionaries didn’t make demands on the people as ‘apostles’; “But we were gentle among you, just as a nursing mother cherishes her own children. So, affectionately longing 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 dear to us.” The message came from a manifest heart of tender love.

It’s common for some preachers to present the message of the gospel with great harshness and condemnation. Now, of course, we need to be careful in saying this; because obviously, the message of the gospel involves a strong call to repent of sin along with the call to turn to Jesus. But when he wrote to Timothy in 2 Timothy 2:24-26, Paul said,

And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth, and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will (2 Timothy 2:24-26).

A nursing mother never scolds the child for having a need. Instead, she is tenderly willing not only to give the child whatever the child needs; but along with it, give her own self. And that’s how we should be in sharing the gospel. When we do so, we show needy people that it’s a real message from the God who loves them.

V. AS LABORERS WHO SERVED FREELY (v. 9).

Paul and his team really showed forth their willingness to sacrifice for the Thessalonian believers. Rather than place any kind of financial burden on them, these missionaries were willing to do whatever it took to present the gospel to them free of charge. “For you remember, brethren, our labor and toil; for laboring night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you, we preached to you the gospel of God.”

God has ordained in His word that, in spiritual things, the worker is worthy of his wages (see Matthew 10:10; 1 Corinthians 9:14; Galatians 6:6). But Paul found it to be a necessary expedient at times, in his proclamation of the gospel, to forgo his right to this and to minister the gospel free of charge. He did this with regard to the Corinthians. When he first came to them, he worked part-time as a tentmaker in order to pay his own way (Acts 18:1-3). He told them, “What is my reward then? That when I preach the gospel, I may present the gospel of Christ without charge, that I may not abuse my authority in the gospel” (1 Corinthians 9:18). In doing this, he wasn’t setting the standard for all ministers of the gospel with reference to their financial support; but was rather setting an example of how to take away the accusation from anyone that he was just in it for the money.

When we are willing to labor sacrificially in order to present the message of the gospel freely, we are showing to the world that the message of the gospel is ‘the real thing’.

VI. AS EXAMPLES WHO LIVED CAREFULLY (v. 10).

In keeping with that, Paul and his co-workers made sure that their conduct in everyday areas of life was above reproach. “You are witnesses, and God also, how devoutly and justly and blamelessly we behaved ourselves among you who believe …”

It’s interesting that he stressed “among you who believe”. Many times, those who attempt to proclaim the message of the gospel try to put forth an outward show of piety before non-believers; but then relax their conduct when they’re around believers before whom, they think, ‘they cannot harm their witness’. This is dishonestly. Charles Spurgeon told a story he heard once about a man who was dying. When a certain evangelist came to visit, the dying man told him about how he once heard him preach a great evangelistic message and was ready to receive Jesus. But on the way home that night, he walked along nearby the evangelist and could hear him telling an off-color joke to another fellow believer. As a result, the man rejected the gospel he heard; and told the evangelist so when he came to visit. According to Mr. Spurgeon, the man died in a state of rejection of the gospel because of the evangelist’s failure to be the real thing all the time—in all circumstances—to all people.

If we’re not the real thing all the time, then we’re not being the real thing at all. In verse 5, he had told the Thessalonians, “For our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit and in much assurance, as you know what kind of men we were among you for your sake.” May the people around us—including those who believe—know that we’re the real thing; and thus be assured that our message is the real thing too.

VII. AS FATHERS WHO EXHORTED LOVINGLY (vv. 11-12).

Perhaps most tenderly and heartfully of all, Paul told the Thessalonians of how he and the other missionaries behaved; “as you know how we exhorted, and comforted, and charged every one of you, as a father does his own children, that you would walk worthy of God who calls you into His own kingdom and glory.” In all of it, the Thessalonians felt the fatherly love of Paul for them.

A father isn’t afraid to be strong—when needed—in telling his children what to do and how to behave. A good father, of course, is careful to—in his own way of living—be true himself to what he tells them. If he doesn’t want his children watching certain things, then he doesn’t watch them either. If he doesn’t want them to talk in a certain way, then he doesn’t do so either. But in all of it, he is careful to instruct them with a balance of clear exhortation, and with loving comfort and tenderness, and with a charge to rise up and do what is right. And that’s what Paul and the others did. They exercised ‘fatherly authority’ in a spiritual sense to those that God had entrusted to them. That’s what a faithful minister does when he is convicted of the truth of the gospel. Paul told Pastor Titus;

For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works. Speak these things, exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no one despise you (Titus 2:11-15).

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So; the gospel message did not only prove the truthfulness of itself by the impact it had on the Thessalonians, but the missionaries also proved the truthfulness of it by the way they proclaimed it. The manner of both their ministry and their personal lives truly adorned the gospel and validated it as ‘the real thing’.

All around us are people whom God has placed in our spheres of influence. He wants us to let them know of His love through Jesus, and to help them grow in faithfulness to Him. But we must learn from the example of Paul and his co-workers; and live and work in such a way as to advance the cause of the gospel in the lives of others by the way they proclaim it.

May it be that we too, as people entrusted with the gospel, live carefully and faithfully; and so prove to the world that we are proclaiming the real thing!

EA