This is a part of a sermon series in the book of 1 Thessalonians. You can watch more here.
Introduction:
As I have mentioned before, I grew up in Taiwan. During my 5 th and 6 th grade, I attended an
American Christian school in Taiwan, even though I was not a Christian back then. A number of
my classmates there had parents who were missionaries. Most of these kids were very nice.
But I remember one boy in particular, who was also from a Christian family. He was very serious
about his beliefs and wanted to spend his life serving the Lord. The problem was, he was not a
nice boy.
He was ultra-competitive in games and sports we played. He always had to win and was often
not fair about it. He was selfish, had a bad temper, and was not considerate of others. He was
also proud, letting people know how many times he had read through Bible from beginning to
end.
Having had little exposure to Christianity, I thought to myself. Is that how he is going to serve
God? Is that what a servant of the Lord looks like?
This is a question we are going to look at today. How we should serve God?
“What should a servant of God driven to fulfill a divine mission look like?”
This is not just an abstract idea we are considering. We, as believers in Christ, are all
commissioned servants of the Lord.
Read Ephesians 2:10 (NASB95) 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good
works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.
God has prepared specific good works beforehand for us to do. Each one of us has a divine
mission assigned to us, to which we are to devote our lives. Well, how are we to serve in our
ministry? God has supplied a template for us in his word. Two weeks ago, Pastor Michael talked
about how the Thessalonians became imitators of Paul. We can look at Paul’s ministry and
become imitators in how we carry out our own mission from God.
Before we look into God’s word, let’s ask him to guide our minds and our hearts.
A Man on a Mission
Read 1 Thessalonians 2:1–2 (NASB95) 1 For you yourselves know, brethren, that our coming to
you was not in vain, 2 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.
Paul begins this section of his letter by appealing to the Thessalonians as witnesses. “For you
yourselves know, brethren,” he says, “Our coming to you was not in vain.” You, Thessalonians,
more than anyone else, can testify, that our visit to you was not a waste of time. It was not empty
of purpose or results. The Thessalonians experienced how Paul ministered among them. They
themselves, as new believers in Christ, are the fruits of that ministry. They are the most reliable
witnesses that his coming to them was not in vain.
And Paul reminds them, this was after what happened to us in Philippi. You might remember
what we discussed a few weeks ago. Before Thessalonica, Paul and his team visited Philippi,
where many came to follow Christ through their preaching. But opposition arose and Paul and
Silas were beaten, thrown into prison, and then told to leave the city.
This prior persecution did not deter Paul. In Thessalonica he continued to proclaim the gospel of
God with boldness. He spoke openly and fearlessly, because he was speaking through God’s
guidance and God’s power. We know that Paul eventually had to flee Thessalonica as well
because of persecution. Yet Paul was never one to cower in the face of opposition.
Throughout Paul’s ministry, he repeatedly faced opposition and physical deprivation. But the
persecution and suffering never deterred him from preaching the gospel. He was a man on a
mission, compelled to carry out his assignment from God.
There is a common understanding among people in general that having purpose is important to
living a meaningful life. As Christians, we know that just having a purpose is not adequate for
living a life of significance. Rather, we must commit to a worthy purpose, a God-given purpose,
to truly live the meaningful life God intended for us. We study Paul’s life and see how whole-
heartedly he committed himself to his divine mission, and how many lives he impacted among
his contemporaries, as well as throughout the generations. We can understand why God’s word
points to Paul’s ministry as an example for the Thessalonians, as well as for us, to imitate as the
way to live for the Lord.
Let’s look further into how Paul carried out his divine mission.
Faithful to God’s Truth
Read 1 Thessalonians 2:3–4 (NASB95) 3 For our exhortation does not come from error or
impurity or by way of deceit; 4 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.
First of all, Paul emphasized his faithfulness to God’s truth. He said that his preaching did not
originate from error, impurity, or deceit. The Greek word that’s translated error is πλάνης, from
which we get the English word planet. Because it conveys the idea of wandering around, being
led astray. It is error, in contrast to truth, which is fixed and sure.
When I first became a Christian in college and I attended a church in Boston. I remember once in
Sunday School, we had a new teacher. He started saying some things that were in error, which
did not agree with the Bible. Among us was a fellow college student who was a more mature
Christian with some teaching experience. He stood up, walked to the front, and asked the teacher
to sit down. He corrected the error and continued teaching the lesson. It was an uncomfortable
moment for everyone, but so necessary. Boldness in God was called for, because teaching the
truth of God is crucial.
We were discussing 1 Peter 4:11 a couple of weeks ago in Community Group, where Peter said,
“Whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God.” I think it was Brandon who pointed out
that you have to be pretty serious and careful about what you are saying when you are speaking
oracles of God. And Rhesa mentioned James 3:1, which says that one who teaches will incur a
stricter judgment. When we are speaking the word of God, it is very important that we speak it
truthfully. Because God is a God of truth. God’s word is powerful and impacts people’s lives.
The Apostle Paul took this very seriously. His exhortation does not come from error.
Neither does it come from impurity. Impurity refers to personal immorality. When speaking
God’s word in ministry, it is essential that not only the words and concepts are truthful and
accurate, but also the speaker be ethical and moral. Biblical teaching is different from academic
lessons in that way. A chemistry teacher can be a liar or a thief, but he can still do a good job
explaining chemistry. Not so with sharing God’s truth. The moral state of the teacher matters.
Jesus said, “How can you, being evil, speak what is good? For the mouth speaks out of that
which fills the heart.” (Matt 12:34) A corrupt heart sprouts out corrupt truth, which distorts and
discredits the gospel message.
The third word Paul uses is deceit. His exhortation does not come by way of deceit. That’s
actually a Greek term used for catching a fish with bait. Now being a fisherman, I don’t like to be
thought of as a deceiver. But you know, when I go trout fishing, I take this brightly colored
chartreus Power Bait. I shape it to look like a worm that would wave enticingly in the water. And
I lather on some garlic-flavored fish attractant. And then I bury a hook into it, hiding it so that
the fish cannot see. What am I doing? I am trying my best to deceive the fish. Oh, that’s a
yummy piece of food. You are going to be glad you swallowed it.
Do you know that there was a cult in the 1970’s called the Children of God? The women in the
group were trained to practice flirty fishing, where they would combine sexual attraction with
scriptural discussion to lure men into the cult. Talk about a blatant form of evangelism through
deceit. And there are other groups which are not as obvious but engage in related practices.
While I was in college, the Boston Church of Christ was active on campus. They would shower
home-sick students with attention, assistance and support and then withhold friendship whenever
someone wandered from their strict instructions. Manipulation is deceit. It is never acceptable to
use trickery to draw people to the faith. Because our God is a God of genuineness, sincerity, and
truth. Paul says his exhortation does not come by way of deceit.
Instead, he is a messenger approved by God, says verse 4 in our passage. The word approved
conveys the sense of something that has been tested and approved as a result of the test. Paul is
someone who has been tested by God and found to be trustworthy, someone who can be
entrusted with the gospel message. Someone who can communicate the message of God without
error, impurity, or deceit. That is also the model and the standard for our ministry and our
message from God.
And because Paul has been tested and approved by God, therefore he speaks, not as to please
men, but to please God who examines his heart. Man sees outward appearance and public
actions, but God sees the heart. God comprehends our innermost reason for doing things.
This brings us to our next point. Not only is Paul faithful to God’s truth in his ministry, but he
also insists that his ministry is fueled by godly motives.
Operating on Godly Motives
Read 1 Thessalonians 2:5–6 (NASB95) 5 For we never came with flattering speech, as you know,
nor with a pretext for greed—God is witness— 6 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.
Paul stated that his aim is to please God, not to please men. In these two verses, he further
explains his central motivation. He said that he did not come with flattering speech. The word for
flattering refers not just to insincere complements. It speaks of cajoling or enticing. Using sweet-
talk to gain influence over someone for selfish ends. Telling people what they want to hear in
order to win their admiration and support.
I like to read classic British novels. A character type that surfaces in some of these novels is the
smooth-taking clergyman. One example is Obadiah Slope in Barchester Towers. He is described
in the following way.
“He can reprove faults with so much flattery and utter censure in so caressing a manner that the
female heart, if it glows with a spark of Low Church susceptibility, cannot withstand him. In
many houses he is thus an admired guest.”
That’s what flattering speech sounds like. If we are to preach the gospel with honesty and
sincerity. If we are to be used by God to convict people of their sinfulness and need for Christ.
We cannot be employing flattery speech with the aim to gain people’s favor.
Furthermore, unlike Obediah Slope, who was motivated by the desire to find a wife with wealth,
Paul says that he did not come as a pretext for greed. In the ancient world influenced by Greek
oration, itinerant speakers are often paid for their services. And outstanding speakers were
rewarded handsomely. Paul emphasized that greed was not his motivation and he called on God
to be his witness. In fact, a few verses later, he reminded the Thessalonians that he labored night
and day so that he would not be a burden to them. Paul went above and beyond what would be
expected of him, so that there would be no questions regarding the purity of his motives.
If we look around in American, we can find so many examples of ministries that have strayed
from the biblical model exemplified by Paul. We hear prosperity gospel messages proclaiming
that God wants everyone to be wealthy and to drive expensive cars. We hear preachers promising
wonderful blessings if only we would unlock them with the proper donation. There are many
examples of flattering speech that tickle people’s ears and feed the speakers’ greed. Those are the
type of speech Paul is speaking out against.
Finally, Paul asserts that he did not seek glory from men, even though as an apostle of Christ, he
might have asserted his authority. This sentence in the original language is interesting. Literally,
it says,
Nor as ones seeking glory from men, either from you or from others, though we are able
in weight as apostles of Christ.
In weight as apostle of Christ. The word “weight” calls to mind the gravity and significance of
the office of an Apostle. The twelve Apostles and Paul are especially chosen representatives of
Christ – charged with establishing the new church, empowered to perform validating signs,
inspired to write God’s word. They were key figures in the pivotal transition to the church age of
salvation history. In their divinely assigned office, apostles had legitimate claim to authority and
respect among the people of God’s kingdom. Yet Paul did not insist on this right, regardless of
what was properly due to him as an Apostle.
My professor told us of a time when he visited a church. A beautiful, gleaming building with
perfectly manicured lawns. He pulls up to the front. Right by the entrance, there were two
parking spots marked with placards: Head Pastor and First Lady. That tells you a lot about the
church right there, doesn’t it. Well, that was not Paul’s way. Though he rightly deserves
reverence and respect, Paul does not throw his weight around as an Apostle. Because Paul did
not seek affirmation or praise from men. Because it is only God whom he sought to please.
One of the pre-eminent evangelical theologians of late 1900’s was George E. Ladd. His book, A
Theology of the New Testament, was used by thousands of seminary students world-wide and
was ranked as one of the most influential Christian books of the century. His works on
eschatology was especially influential. You might have heard “already but not yet” used to
describe the coming of the End Times. That expression originated from Ladd’s writing. I love
reading Ladd’s work, because he thinks so deeply and insightfully and explains so clearly and
succinctly.
And yet, Ladd had a key flaw. Throughout his career, he sought to engage with mainstream
critical scholarship, striving to show that evangelical biblical studies is every bit as academically
rigorous as the biblical research being done in non-evangelical divinity schools in the world’s top
universities. Later in his career, George Ladd completed what he viewed as his seminal work,
which was put into print by Harper and Row, a mainstream publisher. Ladd was expecting praise
from other scholars. Instead, a respected University of Chicago Divinity School professor wrote
a scathing review which marginalized the book among mainstream scholars. Ladd was so
disappointed and disillusioned, he sunk into depression and alcoholism. Here was a scholar who
knew God’s word so well, who was strongly committed to God’s truth, who helped so many to
comprehend theology. And yet he cared too much, he sought too eagerly, praise and affirmation
from other scholars.
We ourselves, as we live the Chrisitan life and engage in ministry, we all know how difficult it is
not to be affected by people’s praise. We need to ask ourselves. When we engage in serving
ministries, are we energized by complements of our dedication, friendliness, and hospitality? Or
are we focused on following our Lord’s lead in washing the disciples’ feet? When we serve in
speaking ministries, are we uplifted by accolades of how engagingly or eloquently we speak? Or
are we intent on explaining God’s word clearly, faithfully, and relevantly?
We are by instinct such people-pleasers. We care so much what other people think of us and our
work. Mutual encouragement is not a bad thing; we are to encourage each other. But when we
seek praise from people, when complements become the motivation and validation for what we
do, we go down the wrong path.
Yet, we cannot course-correct by forcing ourselves to disregard what other people think of us.
Because we are powerless to rectify our own motives. This is a constant reminder to me that we
need to preach the gospel to ourselves every day, because we cannot cleanse our own deceitful
hearts. In Psalm 51:10, David cries out, “Create in me a clean heart, O God.” On a daily basis,
we need to confess that we are selfish and proud and hungry for man’s praise and affirmation. It
is only Christ who can recreate our hearts. It is only Christ who can purify our motives. Christ is
the one who can shape us into people who desire to please God.
Not only did Paul remain faithful to God’s truth, not only did Paul maintain godly motivations,
but also, Paul was driven primarily by his selfless love for others.
Driven by Selfless Love
Read 1 Thessalonians 2:7–8 (NASB95) 7 But we proved to be gentle among you, as a nursing
mother tenderly cares for her own children. 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.
Paul says that not only does he share the gospel, but he shares his own life with the
Thessalonians, because they have become very dear to him. He invokes the analogy of a nursing
mother tenderly caring for her own children. Pastor Michael spoke about his verse last week on
Mother’s Day. Here is imagery that we can relate to, which personifies selfless love.
I remember clearly when our daughter Noel, our first child, was a baby. She was not an easy
baby. She was colicky and very sensitive, super attached to my wife. My wife had a sling and
had Noel right up against her the whole day every day. It was really like a mama kangaroo with a
joey living in her pouch. That’s because anytime Noel was away from mama, she would cry and
scream. As you can imagine, my wife had no life of her own. She shared her whole life with my
daughter. Though she was prevented from doing many things, my wife never showed any sense
of deprivation or dissatisfaction. I don’t think she even viewed it as sacrifice, because my
daughter is very dear to her.
And this selfless love continued as our kids grew. Because of her health condition, my wife is
sensitive to high salt intake. And she is good about avoiding excess salt. But our kids noticed that
whenever we are eating something extra yummy, my wife’s sensitivity to salt becomes extra
acute. We would be eating lamb chops, which my kids love. My wife would say to the kids, you
need to eat more of it, it’s too salty for me. We think maybe it’s subconscious, but she so desires
the kids to eat the good things and not to feel like they are depriving her, that her salt sensitivity
adjusts to the situation. She denies it vehemently, but it has become a runny joke between my
kids. If something is really yummy, it’s too salty for mama.
That’s what selfless love looks like. That’s the kind of selfless love, the kind of life sharing, Paul
is referring to in his ministry to the Thessalonians. Not only sharing the Gospel of Christ, but
also sharing his very life, because they were very dear to him.
When we hear of others going through suffering. We offer godly counsel, supporting
encouragement, and earnest prayer on their behalf. Our words and our prayers are important. But
a nursing mother does not stop at soothing words and concerned prayer, she does all she can to
help her children, she share her whole life with them. God calls us to be selfless and sacrificial in
sharing our lives with others. I am speaking to myself, because I know this is an area I need to
grow in. God calls us to selfless sharing of our lives, to want what is best for others so much, we
fail to even see it as sacrifice. That’s how we want others to love us. That’s how God wants us to
love others.
We have seen from our passage, Paul was a man on a divine mission. His fixed purpose was to
fulfill God’s assignment for his life, undeterred by persecution and suffering. As he carried out
his ministry, we see how he remained faithful to God’s truth, strove to please God, and served
with selfless love. With God’s help, we can all learn from Paul and seek to carry out our own
missions with similar attitude and commitment.
Conclusion
You know, we live in a performance-based society, where our labor and our endeavors are judged
primarily by the results we manage to achieve. In businesses, for example, excellence is defined
by how many units we sell, how much profit we make, or how well we hit our budget targets. It
is only the final results that truly matters. Consequently, in our society, the ends justify the
means.
In Silicon Valley, where we used to live, the prevalent culture among many high-tech startups, is
to fake it until you make it. You spiff up headquarters to mimic success. You stretch financial
reporting to attract investment. You oversell the capabilities and features of your product. You
attack competitors with half-truths. You exaggerate future prospects of your business. It is all fair
game, as long as you are able to raise the venture capital to keep going and able to cover up the
warts long enough to sell your company for a big profit.
Because we exist in this results-oriented culture, God’s people are often sucked in to the same
type of thinking. We see this focus on results among Christians on a national scale. Does it
matter what tactics we utilize, what political theater we engage in, how we attack our opponents,
what kinds of politicians we support, as long as we are getting the desired laws implemented,
seeing the right judges appointed, winning the culture war? Just like the NBA playoffs that have
been going on. All that matters is you win, it doesn’t matter how rough and sloppy you play. That
is the epitome of our society.
The problem is, we are not playing a basketball game. We are not remaking a nation. We are not
fighting a cultural war. We are following Christ.
Churches are getting caught up in this same result-oriented mindset. While I was serving in our
church in California, a strategic plan for church growth was presented to us. It was a well-
prepared package. Detailed plans for how to attract newcomers. Specific steps for exuding
warmth in the initial greeting. Assigned personnel to chat with visitors. Methods and schedules
for follow-up and visitation. Clear goals for various stages of integration. It was as impressive a
presentation as any we might find in the business world. And graphs of such impressive results –
how churches were able to double and triple in size after implementing this program. As we
listened to the sales pitch, we were thinking, wait, so where is Jesus Christ and gospel message
and love for people in all this? Yeah, but look at the impressive result of church growth this
program brings. Think of all the things you can do for God after you have added many new
members and raised much more money. If we are able to gain the ends we are looking for, how
much do the means really matter?
1 Samuel 16:7 says, “God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but
the Lord looks at the heart.” People think a church is succeeding if it has a large and growing
congregation, if it has a nice and spacious church building, if it has a lot of financial resources, if
it is running multiple programs with many participants. Instead of these outward appearances,
God sees the congregation’s commitment to the truth, their desire to please him, their love for
people.
God doesn’t need our money; he owns all things (Exod. 19:5). God doesn’t need our services; he
can raise an army from dry bones (Ezek. 37:1-10). God doesn’t need more participants; he can
have stones singing praises to him (Luke 19:40). Yet he invites us to join him in his work,
because his capacity to use flawed people like us glorifies him. Because his ability to shape us
into useful vessels demonstrates his power. And ultimately, because he loves us. And
engagement in his divine assignments trains and forms us into the people he wants us to become.
As the people of God, we are all active participants in God’s work on earth. We are all people on
a mission, all people with divine assignments, to do the good work he has prepared beforehand
for each one of us. And what really matters is not how much we accomplish, but how we go
about our work. What God cares about is that we are faithful to his truth, that we are motivated
to please him, and that we are driven by love for others. These are the ways of the faithful
servants of God. These are the marks of the people on divine missions.
Let us imitate Paul as we join in the work of God’s people. Let us pray.
North Village Church
This sermon is brought to you by North Village Church, a non-denominational church in Austin. established in 2009 and built around Jesus and Bible teaching.
Are you looking for a church in Austin? At North Village Church we put Jesus at the center of our church family. We worship together every Sunday at 10:30am, encourage Christ centered fellowship through groups, and host special events such as Bible studies and Theological Training, to ensure that we are rooted in in God’s Word. We also serve our local community in association with several Austin based organizations.
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