Mothers Not Manipulators

As Greg was praying earlier, I was reminded, as he reminded us, that our VBS is a service to our community. We need to remember that. It's the way we can really help our community. There are other ways we do it. We do it in blood drives and so forth, but this is a way that we can really serve in a way that will have eternal consequences. So you be praying about that.

You know what we tend to do is VBS is something we do every year. We just plan it. We do it. And we need to remember to pray for it. If you're not going to be here, if you can't be here, pray for it, all right? And the rest of us who are involved, we need to do that as well.

I'm going to ask you now to take your Bibles and turn to 1 Thessalonians chapter 2. 1 Thessalonians chapter 2. You follow as I read verses 1 through 12. For you yourselves know, brothers, that our coming to you was not in vain. But though we had already suffered and been shamefully treated at Philippi, as you know, we had boldness in our God to declare to you the gospel of God in the midst of much conflict.

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 man, but to please 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 have made demands as apostles of Christ 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 lives because you had become very dear to us for you remember brothers our labor and toil we work night and day that we might not be a burden to any of you while we proclaim to you the gospel of God you are witnesses in God also how holy and righteous and blameless was our conduct towards you believers for you know how like a father with his children we exhorted each one of you and encouraged you and charged you to walk in a manner worthy of God who calls you into his own kingdom and glory Father now take this text of scripture and open it to us Penetrate our hearts with its words Penetrate us with power from above Help us to see what we ought to see in this text Remind us again, this is not just words on a page.

This is the very living word of God. This is just your words intended to change us, empower us, to give us life. so we pray that you would help us to give attention to it careful attention to it that your spirit might work in us and we'll thank you in jesus name amen i came to larue 33 years ago 1985 to minister the word of god to the members and attenders here at LaRue Baptist Church. I was excited at the opportunity to preach and to teach the Word of God.

I was going to seclude myself in my office with all my books to read and study and then compose great gems of oratory. Then I would emerge to minister God's Word. We would all be happy, and the church would grow. You would see me on Sunday, and I would see you. from the pulpit as I ministered the word of God because all you needed was the preaching of God's word and all would be well.

What's wrong with that picture? What's wrong with that picture? It does not fit the description of a proper ministry of the word of God that we have read about in these 12 verses. As you see, the ministry of God's Word is a very personal ministry. It's not merely dispensing the Word of God. It requires personal investment and personal integrity.

Not just sharing the Word, but sharing your life. The messenger must also have a certain character. Now let's recall what's happening here. The Thessalonians are beginning to some degree harboring some doubts about the character of the mission team's ministry. There was a nagging suspicion that maybe these guys were like all the other itinerant teachers that they were used to They come to town they gather a following they gain a certain amount of celebrity they get some money, and then they hit the road.

Because that's what it looked like to them. It looked like at least these guys came, a riot erupted, and they left. Are they just like every other teacher? And so there's nagging suspicions there. They haven't given themselves completely over to those doubts. but there's something going on and so the apostle Paul challenges them to reflect on the kind of ministry that he and his associates Silas and Timothy had amongst them you see that as we noted last week in verse 1 for you yourselves know verse 5 as you know verse 9 for you remember brothers verse 10 you are witnesses and God also verse 11 for you know how we ministered and so in all of this he's saying look you have these doubts look at what our ministry was like let's look at it let's reflect on it and in the process of defending the ministry of the word what emerges from this text are the contours, if you will, of a proper ministry of the Word of God.

In this text, we find what a proper ministry of the Word of God looks like, what it should be. Now, we see four prescriptions for proper ministry in these 12 verses. We saw two last week. You must minister the Word of God with boldness. Verses 1 and 2. You must minister the word of God with fidelity.

Verses 3 and 4. Minister as not those who please men, but those who are commissioned servants of God, faithful to what God has called them to. Now in the remaining portion of the text in verses 5 through 12, which we look at today, you will see that you must minister the word of God with selfless love. And secondly, you must minister the word of God with integrity, verses 5 through 9, in terms of our love, verses 10 through 12, in terms of integrity.

Now be assured of something. You must know that last week's sermon and this week's is a fearful thing for me. because I am talking to you about what a proper ministry of the Word of God is like fully aware of the fact that I talking about my ministry of the Word to you and as well, Greg's ministry of the Word to you. As shepherds, this describes for us what a proper ministry of the Word of God looks like.

And so we need to look at it and understand that. the first is this verses 5 through 9 minister God's word with selfless love let's look at the text again verses 5 through 9 in the ESV the paragraph break is between 8 and 9 make it between 9 and 10 because as you're going to see that's where the break ought to be in my estimation at least 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 have made demands as apostles of Christ 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 for you remember brothers, our labor and toil. We worked night and day that we might not be a burden to any of you while we proclaim to you the gospel of God. Minister God's word with selfless love.

Look what the apostle Paul says. He says, we did not come seeking fame or fortune. We came to serve you. Not seeking, but serving. Not manipulating, but loving. He says, recall how we did not come to you.

He begins with the negative. He begins by saying, you know that this wasn't true. Verse 5, you surely remember that we did not flatter you in order to get into your pockets. We did not come with flattering words or pretext of greed. We did not come and minister in such a way so that we would make some money they ministered the gospel which if ministered accurately will never flatter anyone isn't that true if you minister the gospel flat um accurately it will not flatter anyone the gospel says hey you're a rebel you're a sinner you're in trouble you're under the wrath of god I remember my philosophy professor, Jim Greer, coming into class one day and saying, this was back in the 70s now, mind you, when Coke had that, or when it was popular, had the smiley face.

I hate those things, that smiley face, you know? And it says, smile, God loves you. I remember him coming into class one day and thundering to the class saying, I wish someone would make a frowning face that would say, frown, you're under the wrath of God. You know? That's the gospel. We're under the wrath of God until we come in faith to Jesus and rest on His payment for sin and rest on the fact that He paid the price that we owe.

You see, the gospel will never flatter anyone because it says you're under the wrath of God and there's nothing you can do about it. But Jesus has done everything about it and you just have to rest in him. That's not a very flattering message, is it? Now, you can minister a pseudo gospel that can easily get money into your pockets. A couple of weeks ago when I was in Kennewick at Grace Baptist with my friend Pastor Bill Dupinyak, just a great testimony of the grace of God in his life.

But we're passing a local mega church in Kennewick. It's a big church. I asked him about it, and he says, yeah, that's an interesting church. They have a kind of gospel there. I said, a kind of gospel? What do you mean?

He says, well, you know, some of our folks have been there, and I've talked to other people who have been there. And, you know, it's a church where they tell people all the time, you know, God really loves you, and God wants you to succeed. And the cross is not an instrument to paying for sin, because they really don't mention sin that often. really.

It's crossed as an instrument to help you become what God wants you to be. Now, I'll tell you what, that's a big church. That's a big church. Given the size of the church, I can tell you that the pastor of that church was making a whole lot more money than Bill, right? But that's a flattering gospel. And Paul says, look, we did not come to flatter you in order to gain some money That wasn our intention at all A true minister of the word does not flatter anyone for the sake of gain Turn over what Paul will say later in 1st Timothy chapter 6 And I want to impress this upon you because he is saying here we didn flatter you as a pretext for greed.

We didn't flatter you to get into your pockets and get some money. In fact Paul is later going to say a decade or so later when he writes 1st Timothy that indeed anybody who uses the gospel to gain money as a false teacher this is what he says first timothy 6 beginning in verse 3 if anyone teaches a different doctrine and does not agree with the sound words of our lord jesus christ and the teaching that accords with godliness he is puffed up with conceit and understands nothing he has an unhealthy craving for controversy and for quarrels about words which produce envy dissension slander evil suspicion and constant friction among people who are depraved in mind and deprived of the truth, imagining that godliness is a means of gain. Godliness is a means of gain.

Right? That's the sign of a false teacher. So, he says to them, we didn't come as a pretext. We didn't come to say to you things that would gain us money. In fact, if reminding them of that is not enough, he says, God is our witness. That is a pretty serious thing.

When you call God as a witness, that is serious business because you're saying, let God judge. And if I'm wrong, let me suffer what God has to give. And so he's serious about this. Our ministry cannot be characterized by trying to get money. He says in verse six, you surely recall that we did not seek celebrity status either. Verse six, he talks about we did not seek glory.

Again, remember the rock stars of that day were these itinerant teachers who were going around and they would teach and gather people, live off them and get money and then leave town. He says, we weren't there to get glory from anyone like these other kinds of teachers. We did not use you. We did not use those in the city in order to gain a following and become famous.

Paul's goal was not to gain a reputation as a successful evangelist, nor did they have the desire to be known as leaders of a school which could boast a large number of disciples. Sadly, this is too common in the Christian world today, isn't it? Some can minister the Word of God Some can minister the Word of God with such flash and with such skill that they can gather a great number of people who love to hear that preaching and they get famous for it.

Now that's not to say that every big church is because the guy wants to become famous. But that can happen. That can happen. I'm going to preach well. I'm going to get a lot of people love to hear the preaching and get famous, right? God's word becomes a means of gaining celebrity status.

He says that's not what we're about. How can you know that for sure? Well, when you look at what Paul says here, notice what he says then at the end of verse 6. Though we could have made demands as apostles of Christ. We could have made demands as apostles of Christ. This is how they could know it was true. because the mission team did not even insist on the honor due them because of their position.

They were apostles. Now, Paul is using the term here in a non-technical way. The term apostle means someone who's commissioned and sent out. There's a technical term, the apostles. The apostles are the ones who witnessed the resurrection of Jesus or they witnessed the resurrected Christ, right? There are 12 apostles.

That's the technical term. But it's also used in the scripture. It's not always translated as apostles, but the apostle Paul calls other people that he writes about in different places as apostles, meaning people who had been commissioned by a church and sent out with the gospel. And that's the way he uses it here. He says, as those commissioned to take the gospel, they deserve to be honored for their position. and Paul will later insist on it in this congregation if we just turn over to to chapter 5 of this notice what he says in chapter 5 verse 12 we ask you brothers to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you so there he says as he's established the church make sure you respect those who minister the word of God to you but he says we didn't even insist on that.

You can't say that we're after celebrity status because we didn't even insist on the honor due us as apostles. You know, my mom was married to a pastor, my dad. My mom was married to a pastor right And because of that she thought that people should always refer to my dad as Pastor Pasmo because of the office. In fact, my mom would never, ever in public call my dad by his first name.

When my mom referred to my dad in public, she would always say the pastor or Pastor Pasmo, right? Now, there's nothing wrong with that, okay? Don't get me wrong. There's nothing wrong with that. That's an attempt to honor the office. But what Paul is saying here is we didn't even insist on that.

You can't accuse us of seeking glory and fame because we didn't even insist on you calling us, hey, sir. We didn't even insist on that. So you can't say that we are after fame and celebrity. You can't accuse them of seeking glory. Well, then he goes on to say, if that's what our coming was not like, then what was the character of our ministry? Right?

He picks that up then in verse 7. You did not see status seekers. You saw gentle, generous servants. now he's contrasting what he says in verse five right or he's contrasting now what he had said just said in verse six in verse seven so so we weren't celebrity seekers we weren't after fame we weren't after any of that but instead we were gentle among you like a nursing mother taking care of her own children we weren't status seekers right so what he says in verses seven and eight oh in verse 8 too I'm sorry so being affectionately desirous of you we are ready to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves because you had become very dear to us so he says we weren't status seekers we were gentle generous servants the proper ministry of God's word is a ministry that is selfless it's a ministry that is gentle it's a ministry that is generous you see he says we were like nursing mothers among you what a what a picture to draw of the powerful ministry of the word of god a nursing mother are you kidding what are you trying to say here paul what he's trying to draw is a picture of gentleness and tenderness nursing mothers are not glory hounds Right?

You know, it's not like being a celebrity. It's just being alone with your baby, feeding the baby. And when these guys ministered the word, they didn't harangue these people with the truth. They didn't argue and debate, and they didn't intimidate, and they didn't fight in order to convince them of the truth. When you tenderly, gently minister the word of God, folks won't say, he just wants to prove he's right.

Instead, they're going to say, he really cares for me when he brings the word of God to me. So, we're not status seekers. We're gentle, tender ministers of the word of God. He says them in verse 8, we didn't just share God's gospel with you. We shared our lives as well. NIV has, we shared our lives.

That's much better. We shared our lives with you. We didn't just share the gospel. We shared our lives. That's generous, wouldn't you say? Gentle and generous.

We had such affection for you like a parent. We are so desirous and affectionate of you that we shared not only the gospel, we shared our lives as well. they loved those people. And that love was born out of the intense experiences of suffering alongside them so that they came to love them. Have you ever wanted adventure? Have you ever said, let's move.

Let's go somewhere else. Let's start over. Let's do something different. You ever felt that way? I have. There have been times I can still see Beck and I in the kitchen saying, let's go somewhere else.

Let's just do something. Let's go somewhere else and do this somewhere else. and then we would say, yeah, if only we could take everybody with us. If only we could take all of you. I'm not making this up. I'm really not. Becca has said more than once, you know what, I would love to do that, but we'd have to take everybody with us.

Do you think we'd get everybody to move with us? Everybody quit your jobs, come move with us because we don't want to leave you. That comes from the ministry of the word where you're in it together. That kind of affection grows But listen to what he saying here A ministry of the Word of God means not just sharing God Word It means sharing your life. It means sharing your life.

That young pastor who thought that he just needed to show up on Sunday to share the Word of God was dead wrong. the word of God is powerful but that life changing power of the word of God travels over the bridge of relationships you don't just share the word of God you share your life what does that mean? it means you share your time you're not going to be able to do all the things you want to do there are people to love You're not going to be able to buy all the things you want to do, because when you love people, that means when you're sitting around your table, you've got to buy extra food. Right? It means all of those things.

It means you're sitting with people. You're taking time with people. It means that you're weeping with people. It means that you're laughing with people. It means that you model the Word of God. It means that you show them.

This is what obedience to the word of God looks like. You live it before them. You personalize it for them. You say, here's what God says. Here's what God says to do. And this is how we did that.

This is how we obeyed that command. This is the way that we did it. You see? That's sharing your life. Those who minister God's word should not be celebrities. They should be servants. gentle generous servants verse 9 he said you did not see manipulation but self-denial now when you look at verse 9 okay so verses 7 and 8 are a contrast with verse 6 we weren't glory seekers we weren't seeking fame we were servants gentle generous servants now verse 9 is contrasting with what he said in verse 5 He said, we didn't come with words of flattery as a pretext for greed to get your money.

Verse 9 is a contrast to that. What did they do? For you remember, brothers, our labor and toil, we work night and day that we might not be a burden to any of you while we proclaim to you the gospel of God He says you can possibly believe that we were out to fleece you Why? Because we never asked any money from you. We supported ourselves. What we know, the Apostle Paul, he was a tent maker or a leather worker.

And so they would spend crazy hours, he says, night and day in labor and toil. Those two words have the idea of exhausting labor. They worked crazy hours at exhausting hard labor. Why? So that they would never, no one could ever say, we came to get money from you. They supported themselves.

They weren't after getting a bunch of patrons. See? Now you say, well, is Paul then insisting that if you are a pastor and minister of the Word of God, you have to get another job? Right? you know side this has nothing to do with this i just want you to know you know what part of the life of a pastor is is going down to the post office and i'm saying hey pastor tim how you doing man i wish i had a job like yours showing up for an hour a week that's a dream job you go yeah i know it right he's not you know or you say this is what pastor's kids go through right What does your dad do?

He's a pastor. Really? What else does he do? Now, the Apostle Paul is not saying, go get another job. Why do you know that? Well, in 1 Corinthians, now I'm not trying to fry my own bacon here, okay?

I'm not trying to, but let's understand what Paul is saying. 1 Corinthians chapter 9, all right? Important passage because the same thing happened in Corinth. All right, he wanted to make sure the Corinthians didn't think he was ripping them off either. In 1 Corinthians 9, beginning in verse 3, he writes this. This is my defense to those who would examine me.

Do we not have the right to eat and drink? Do we not have the right to take along a believing wife, as do the other apostles and the brothers of the Lord and Cephas? Or is it only Barnabas and I who have no right to refrain from working for a living? Who serves as a soldier at his own expense? who plants a vineyard without eating any of its fruit or who tends a flock without getting some of the milk do i say these things on human authority does not the law say the same for it is written in the law of moses you shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain is it for oxen that God is concerned Does he not speak entirely for our sake It was written for our sake because the plowman should plow in hope and the thresher thresh in hope of sharing in the crop.

If we have sown spiritual things among you, is it too much if we reap material things from you? If others share this rightful claim on you, do we not even more? Nevertheless, we have not made use of this right. but we endure anything rather than put an obstacle in the way of the gospel of christ do you not know that those who are employed in the temple service get their food from the temple and those who serve at the altar share in the sacrificial offerings in the same way the lord commanded that those who proclaim the gospel should get their living by the gospel so paul is not saying okay boy if you really want to minister the word of god effectively get another job he's saying you cannot accuse us of trying to rip you off because we supported ourselves he wanted to eliminate all excuses in galatians 6 6 earlier he had written one who has taught the word must share all good things with the one who teaches in first timothy 5 17 he makes the same argument that the ox should be able to eat the grain that is threshing so pay those elders who minister the word of god the point is he does not want anyone to ever think that he's in it for the money and so those who minister the word ought to live in such a way that they cannot be accused of ministering for the sake of money we're not after we're not after fame and fortune we're servants and we're going to live in such a way that no one could ever say he's in it for the money.

Those who minister God's word should minister that word with selfless love. They should minister without any thought of fame or fortune. Rather than thinking of themselves they give themselves to you and they live self-denying lives. Now don't just think this always applies just to those who stand in the pulpit. All of you minister the Word of God in one way or another, especially if you're walking along someone and trying to help them.

Listen to me now. Are you sharing your life? discipleship which is what happens here my goal as i preach is to help people become disciples that is people are translating truth into life people who follow the commandments of jesus that's what your goal is to remember this you'll be effective when you share your life are you avoiding people do you ever say to folks come on over let's sit down around the kitchen table let's let's talk about these things do you ever put out the money to say hey let's meet together at Bob Evans let's talk do you ever share your life you've got to share your life if you want an effective ministry of the word of God share your life by the way that goes to you parents you know what you can do oftentimes is say look let's memorize these verses let's read the bible together, but you never share your life. You're never saying to your kids, this is what we do, because God says.

You don't enter into their world. You see, there's a lot of application here, isn't there? If you want an effective ministry of the Word of God, it's got to be personal. It's got to be personal. You've got to be doing it in selfless love. Loving others in a selfless way is a key to the ministry of God's Word.

Well, then in verses 10 through 12, he says, minister God's Word with integrity. Let's look at it. 10 through 12. You are witnesses in God also how holy and righteous and blameless was our conduct toward you believers. For you know how, like a father with his children, we exhorted each one of you and encouraged you and charged you to walk in a manner worthy of God who calls you into His own kingdom and glory.

He says in verse 10, we ministered with integrity when we were there. You know that. We ministered with integrity. God expects those who minister his word to have a good and a godly reputation. Now the terms holy and righteous are talking about a solid testimony that this ministry conforms to God's law and human law. Okay?

Remember, they've been accused of preaching rebellion against the emperor by preaching about King Jesus. And they're saying, no, we did not. Our goal was never to cause civil strife. Our goal was never to cause someone to rise up against the government We ministered in a way that conformed to the laws of the land and we ministered in a way that conformed to what God commands And therefore, it is blameless that is a ministry that faithfully fulfills all its obligations to both man and God.

We're blameless, he says. And then he calls them and God as witnesses to their integrity. He says, you know that's true. and if that's not enough God is a witness as well God is a witness of the inner motives that you cannot see so we'll call on God to judge us there but you look at our conduct among you and you know that we were holy and righteous and blameless by the way I'm asked to testify to blameless conduct a lot phone rings, I answer it it's one of you saying, Pastor I got this job offer and they need a letter of recommendation from someone, will you do it?

I've done that many, many, many times. That's me testifying to your blamelessness, to the fact that you live a life that's consistent with what the law requires and what God requires. And then verses 11 and 12, look at what he says here. In this whole matter of integrity, he says, we ministered like a father. Not only does he say we're tender like a nursing mother, right?

But they also ministered like a father with personal caring authority. Personal caring authority. Dads have authority. But they should never exercise that authority in a tyrannical manner. Fathers, here's a great example. If this is what the ministry of the word is in the church, that's the way it ought to be at home.

Fathers never have tyrannical authority. rather they come alongside their children in loving concern to help them be and do what God wants them to be and do you use your authority to help you use your authority to guide you use your authority to shepherd and he says use your authority as ministers of the word of God to be like fathers. To be like fathers. I remember one time when one of our Bible conference speakers was here and we were it was before no it might have been after I don remember It was probably after the service and we sitting in my office the door is open and he and I are talking And all of a sudden the flood a bunch of the young people come flooding into the office I think this is about the time when my girls were in the youth group then.

And all these kids come flooding into my office, and we're talking for a while and everything and so forth, and then they leave. and the speaker looked at me and said, wow, it looks like you're a grandpa around here. Alright? And I'm thinking, that's the way it should be. That's the way it should be. You should be like a grandpa. You should be like a spiritual father.

Not a king and not a boss. Right? That's what he's saying here. If you're going to minister the Word of God, you minister like a father does, not like a king. You don't beat people over the head and say, hey, the elders are the ones in charge here. Get in line.

No. You're like fathers. And you come alongside. And you minister and help and guide. And you start, they start looking at you like a father. My friend Dave Durnland, whom I call the master pastor, has always talked about the fact that you want to be spiritual grandpa.

That's what you want to be. And so that's what he says here. And notice this. They were fathers to every member of that congregation. Do you see that? We're like a father to what?

Each of you. Each of you. those who minister the word of God should not be just concerned about the congregation as a whole, but every member of that congregation. Every member with their struggles and their joys and everything that goes with it. And that authority is expressed in exhortation to urge you to particular behavior. Encouragement, that is to persuade you to pursue a course of action. charging you, insisting, requiring that you do what God says, you see.

And that father the authority also has a goal. Do you see what it is To walk a manner in the worthy of God walk in a manner worthy of God who calls you into his own kingdom and glory He does not mean listen he does not mean that you ought to be urged encouraged and charged to become worthy of God kingdom and glory That not what he saying Listen, when a recruit graduates, graduates from boot camp, right? And the commanding officer says to the troops there, you wear the uniform of the country, so act in a manner worthy of the uniform.

What is he saying? He doesn't mean you've earned, you earn the right to wear the uniform. You already got it, right? What is he saying? That the way you act ought to reflect the respect that you have for that uniform and your country. And that's what Paul's saying. that's what Paul's saying those who minister God's word should call you to live in a manner that reflects your relationship to a holy God to a glorious God in his glorious kingdom the good news of the gospel has brought you into this glorious kingdom it's transferred you from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of light so live like children of light you see the gospel produces a desire in you that you ought to live for the God who loves you in Jesus with a desire to live in such a way that people see the glory and the joy of his kingdom that you live a life of righteousness because of the righteous God who rescued you That you live a life of joy because He has rescued you.

That you live a life that perseveres in suffering because you have a Savior who persevered in His suffering to save you. You see? Live in a manner worthy of God and of His kingdom and glory. And so, the Apostle Paul says, minister God's word with integrity. if you're going to produce champions that finish well just preach the word right no no absolutely not you preach and you teach god's word you share the gospel with tender concern you share the word of god and you share your life and it must be done with integrity and fatherly concern.

The gospel, by transforming us, transforms the way we minister the word of God so that we can pursue a proper ministry of God's word. Father, thank you for the glorious descriptive power of your word. Now work the truth in us, we pray. Help us. Help us to live in the way that this says. Help us to minister the word of God in the way that is described here. we thank you for the glorious gospel that changes us that wipes away our guilt that gives us not only a new record but a new heart thank you in Jesus name Amen