1Thessalonians 2:1
Outline:
I. \\#1:1\\ Salutation
II. \\#1:2-2:12\\ Remembering
A. \\#1:2-3\\ Remembering Their Devotion
B. \\#1:4-5\\ Remembering Paul’s Confidence
C. \\#1:6-10\\ Remembering Their Character
D. \\#2:1-12\\ Remembering Our Labor
III. \\#2:13-3:10\\ Knowing
A. \\#2:13-16\\ Knowing How the Gospel Changed Them
B. \\#2:17-20\\ Knowing How Much Paul Want to See Them
C. \\#3:1-5\\ Knowing Why Paul Sent Timothy
D. \\#3:6-10\\ Knowing How Thankful Paul Was for Timothy’s Report
IV. \\#3:11-13 \\ Desiring
A. \\#3:11-13\\ Desiring That God Would Establish Them
B. \\#4:1-12\\ Desiring That You Would Walk in Christ
V. \\#4:13-5:22 \\ Teaching
A. \\#4:13-18\\ Teaching about the Dead In Christ
B. \\#5:1-10\\ Teaching about the Day of the Lord
C. \\#5:11-22\\ Teaching About How We Should Live
VI. \\#5:23-28\\ Closing
I. \\#1:1\\ Salutation
II. \\#1:2-2:12\\ Remembering
A. \\#2:1-12\\ Remembering Our Labor
1. \\#1-6\\ What their labor was NOT.
a. \\#1\\ It was not vain labor. They worked with diligence
and effort to accomplish some things.
b. \\#2\\ It was not compromised labor, even though they had
suffered in Philippi.
(1) \\#Acts 16:12-40\\ - We did not read that but that
was a short time before they came to Thessalonica.
(2) \\#Acts 16:16-19\\ A demon possessed woman followed
them, probably mocking them; so after a few day,
Paul cast the demon out. When her masters saw her
ability to divine and channel was gone, they drug
Paul to the marketplace to have their own trial.
(3) \\#Acts 16:11-24\\ They people beat them with many
stripes, then locked them in stocks in the inner
prison.
2 Timothy 3:12 Yea, and all that will live godly
in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.
(4) \\#Acts 16:25-34\\ The Lord sent an earthquake to
open the doors and to unlock the prisoners chains
were opened, but no one left. When the keeper came,
he figured all had left and was about to kill
himself when Paul stopped him. The keeper trusted
Jesus as his Savior, took Paul and Silas home with
him, washed their wounds and the whole household
saved.
(5) But Paul said that even after being treated so badly,
the Thessalonians knew they were bold to preach to
them.
c. \\#3\\ Their labor was not deceitful labor.
(1) The idea of DECEIT is error or the notion of trying
to deceive with error.
(a) Of course, that is what the Jews would charge
them with doing, teaching lies and doing so by
using their own Old Testament.
(b) However, there is one thing that the gospel of
Jesus Christ can never be, and that is deceitful.
i. If proclaimed as the Bible teaches it, the
gospel is always true.
ii. In fact, the whole Bible is above board,
no magnifying glass required, no
detectives needed, no sleight of hand or
misdirection within its pages.
(2) They did not come with uncleanness.
(a) These men did not come for any immoral or
fleshly pleasure.
(b) It is sad but true that some pretend to be
preachers to satisfy their flesh.
i. There is a certain authority that comes
with pastoring and some crave such power.
ii. It is also true that a carnal person could
use such a position to create immoral
situations.
(c) May such wolves perish who would use and abuse
a position of trust created by God in such a
way.
(3) They did not come with guile.
(a) That is, they did not use trickery.
(b) A truth that some do not understand is that it
DOES matter how you present the truth.
(c) A person cannot be tricked, bullied, or
manipulated into being saved.
(d) God’s command is that we teach and preach the
truth, then let each individual make up his
or her mind as to whether they want Christ or
not.
d. \\#4\\ Their labor was not to please men.
(1) This is such a difficult truth for so many today.
(2) Most people confuse a business with the church.
(a) The goal of any good business is to please the
people who use it so they will return.
(b) The goal of the church is to please the God who
created it so that He will be honored.
(3) If these two objects happen to run parallel to each
other, well and good.
(4) However, if there is any divergence, the true church
will seek to please the Father.
(5) For the most part, preaching at Green Pond Baptist is
easy.
(a) The reason for that is, at least in my opinion,
what pleases God pleases the people also.
(b) That has not always been the case with everyone
in the church.
(c) It is a blessing that should neither be taken
for granted nor given up.
e. \\#5\\ Their labor was not with flattering words.
(1) Paul no doubt knew how to flatter.
(2) He just chose not to.
(3) Paul called himself "rude in speech."
2Cor 11:5 For I suppose I was not a whit behind
the very chiefest apostles.
6 But though I be rude in speech, yet not in
knowledge; but we have been throughly made
manifest among you in all things.
(4) Since God makes it clear that He hates human pride,
playing to a person’s ego is not the way to build a
church.
f. Their labor was not covetous labor.
(1) The goal of these church planters was not what they
could gain but what they could give.
(2) Like so many who start in a noble work, many who
present the gospel become consumed by greed.
(3) Such preachers look at the people of God like a meat
market and not as a place to serve.
(4) The Apostle Peter tied several of these thoughts
together.
2Peter 2:3 And through covetousness shall they
with feigned words make merchandise of you:
whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not,
and their damnation slumbereth not.
(a) Notice that he ties the covetous heart with the
false words of the those who want to line their
wallets.
(b) Peter also pronounced judgment on those who are
guilty of this behavior.
g. \\#6\\ Their labor was not to seek personal glory.
(1) The work of God was not for self-promotion.
(2) The glory was to go to the Lord not to men.
h. Their labor was not to burden the people.
(1) Paul and the other church planters could have
expected this infant church to care for them.
(2) But Paul purposed in his heart to be nothing but a
blessing to those to whom he was ministering.
2Cor 11:8 I robbed other churches, taking wages
of them, to do you service. 9 And when I was
present with you, and wanted, I was chargeable to
no man: for that which was lacking to me the
brethren which came from Macedonia supplied: and
in all things I have kept myself from being
burdensome unto you, and so will I keep myself.
2. \\#4-11\\ What they were.
a. \\#4\\ They were "entrusted with the gospel."
(1) Paul consider his ministry a scared "trust," and he
carried out his duties accordingly.
(2) To handle the gospel IS a holy trust.
(3) This is a lost truth to many preachers today.
(4) This Book is the Key to Heaven and the Lock to Hell.
(a) Does it matter what kind of conduct those who
carry it have?
(b) Does it matter how those who profess to believe
it live?
(c) You bet your life and the eternal lives of
those who need it that it does!
(5) Do not break this holy trust!
(a) When someone is made the guardian of a trust,
they may either honor the trust placed in them
or rob the trust blind.
(b) There are very few safeguards which one can
place on such a situation.
(c) That is why they call it a TRUST.
(d) We must be honorable enough to honor the trust
God has placed in us.
b. \\#7-8\\ They were gentle, even as a caretaker would care
for her children.
(1) Gentleness is not typically how we think of Paul—or
even Jesus Christ for that matter.
(a) We think of both of them standing up against the
enemies of the gospel.
(b) And they did.
(2) But to the majority of people, both those who
accepted their message AND those who listened and
simply rejected it, they were gentle and loving.
(3) Why? Because love not wrath is the spade God has
given us to plant the gospel!
(4) Parts of the message of Christ are difficult and
should not be compromised.
(5) But the message need not be made more difficult by
the harshness of those who bear the gospel.
c. \\#9\\ They worked to present the message by day and to
provide for themselves by night.
(1) For those who will not make God’s people a source of
revenue, there is little alternative but to work.
(2) It is not wrong for God’s people to provide for God’s
servants. In fact, it is the right thing to do.
1Cor 9:4 Have we not power to eat and to drink?
5 Have we not power to lead about a sister, a
wife, as well as other apostles, and as the
brethren of the Lord, and Cephas?
6 Or I only and Barnabas, have not we power to
forbear working?
7 Who goeth a warfare any time at his own
charges? who planteth a vineyard, and eateth not
of the fruit thereof? or who feedeth a flock,
and eateth not of the milk of the flock?
8 Say I these things as a man? or saith not the
law the same also?
9 For it is written in the law of Moses, Thou
shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that
treadeth out the corn. Doth God take care for
oxen?
10 Or saith he it altogether for our sakes? For
our sakes, no doubt, this is written: that he
that ploweth should plow in hope; and that he
that thresheth in hope should be partaker of his
hope.
11 If we have sown unto you spiritual things, is
it a great thing if we shall reap your carnal
things?
12 If others be partakers of this power over you,
are not we rather? Nevertheless we have not used
this power; but suffer all things, lest we
should hinder the gospel of Christ.
(3) Paul just wanted to give the churches he started
every opportunity possible to be a holy, righteous,
faith-based church.
d. \\#10\\ They walked righteously.
(1) In my opinion, this verse contains the best
definition of righteousness in the Bible.
(2) They behaved…
(a) "holy"-Without blame before God
(b) "justly"-Without blame before the Law
(c) "unblameably"-Without blame before any person
e. \\#11\\ They preached and taught faithfully, as a father
teaches his son.
(1) These ambassadors of the gospel not only walked
right, but they proclaimed the truth as well.
(a) "exhorted"-taught
(b) "comforted"-encouraged
(c) "charged"-passed the responsibility to
(2) Notice the tenderness of how they did this-"as a
father doth his children."
B. \\#12\\ They did all of these things, although they could have
made things easier on themselves with moral short cuts, that
they might make know to these converts how to walk worthy of
God and His calling.
1. Whether one agrees with the way Paul conducted his
ministry or not, it worked.
2. While Paul was concerned about the Thessalonians, the
news he heard about them, as well as, the reputation that
their lives gave to them, prove it.
III. \\#2:13-3:10\\ Knowing
A. \\#2:13-16\\ Knowing How the Gospel Changed Them
1. \\#13\\ "For this cause"
a. For what cause?
b. Because Paul and his troop had worked so hard, so
carefully, and so spiritually despite the
persecutions.
2. Paul knew at least three powerful things had happened in
Thessalonica.
a. The Thessalonians received the word of truth, that is,
the word which Paul preached to them.
b. They received it AS the Word of God.
(1) Truth is always important but there is a
difference in receiving something as true and
receiving it as God’s Word.
(2) One plus one equals two.
i. That is an important truth.
ii. But that mathematical truth does not hold the
degree of respect and obedience that the
Word of God holds.
c. They let that Word EFFECTUALLY WORK in them.
(a) The word means "to produce an effect."
(b) The Word of God took hold on the Thessalonians
and changed their lives.
3. \\#14\\ Paul then illustrated one effect that he knew
had taken place.
a. They become followers of the church of God in Judea.
b. Then he described what he knew had happened to them
BECAUSE they had followed the Lord.
(a) Like Paul, they had suffered by the hands of
their own countrymen.
(b) \\#15\\ Referring then to the Jews, he described
them:
i. They killed Jesus.
ii. They had and were killing their own prophets.
iii. They had and were persecuting Paul and his
group.
iv. Such actions clearly did not please God.
v. \\#16\\ Even the supposedly saved Jews had
and were forbidding the gospel to be
preached to the Gentiles.
(aa) This was an issue that Paul and the
church had to deal with after Paul
returned from his first missionary
journey.
(bb) We have read of Paul founding this
church in Acts 17, and of the
shameful way Paul has been treated in
Philippi in Acts 16. We can find the
church settling this issue in
Acts 15.
4. \\#16\\ Paul knew the Jews were building up the wrath of
God upon them.
1Thess 2:16 …for the wrath is come upon them to
the uttermost.
a. I do not know if Paul knew what was going to happen to
the Jews or not, but he certainly knew they were
working hard to earn the "uttermost" of God’s wrath.
b. So many Jewish heartbreaks had not yet even begun to
happen to them.
(1) The temple had not been destroyed.
(2) The Jews had not revolted and Rome had not yet
taken their land and scattered them.
(3) The Jews had not yet gone 1700 years without a
homeland or a national identity.
(4) The Catholics, the Muslims, and the Hitlers had
not been born yet.
B. \\#2:17-20\\ And Paul wanting to know more
1. \\#17\\ Paul, being removed from the Thessalonians so
quickly after starting the church, desired to know how
they were fairing.
a. \\#18\\ He wanted to return but Satan kept stopping
him.
b. I suppose it was like today and the squeaky wheels got
most of his attention too.
2. \\#19\\ But Paul had hope in them, received joy from them,
and expected a crown because of them.
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