1 Thessalonians 1:11

Order of Service

• Call to Worship — Psalm 98:1-9
• Hymn — Sing a New Song to Jehovah (Psalm 98C)
• Prayer of Invocation
• Confession of Faith — Westminster Larger Catechism, Question 129
• Hymn — Jesus, My Cross Have Taken (#513)
• Pastoral Prayer
• Scripture Reading — 1 Thessalonians 2:1-12
• Sermon
• Hymn — Come, Ye Sinners, Poor and Needy (#439)
• Benediction — 2 Corinthians 13:14

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Sermon Title: The Marks of Genuine Gospel Ministry

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 2:1-12

I. Gospel Ministry Is Afflicted by Opponents

A. Paul, Silas, and Timothy suffered physically and socially at Philippi — Acts 16 B. Boldness in affliction comes not from the minister's strength but from God

1. 1 Thessalonians 2:2 — "we had boldness in our God to declare to you the gospel of God in the midst of much conflict"
2. A true gospel minister does not quit under social pressure or persecution C. The gospel belongs to God, not to the minister
3. It is God's Masterpiece; ministers have no right to tinker with it
4. False gospels and false ministers will be judged D. Affliction enhances, not silences, gospel proclamation
5. Paul and Silas sang hymns and prayed in prison at Philippi — Acts 16:25
6. The Philippian jailer and his household were saved as a result — Acts 16:30-34

II. Gospel Ministry Aims at God's Commendation

A. Itinerant sophists in Greco-Roman culture sought financial and social gain through oratory; Paul explicitly distances himself from this B. Paul, Silas, and Timothy worked night and day as tentmakers so as not to be a financial burden — 1 Thessalonians 2:9 C. The word "impure" in 1 Thessalonians 2:3 carries sexual connotations; Paul denies any such moral corruption D. The aim to please God rather than man produces moral integrity

1. 1 Thessalonians 2:4 — "we speak not to please man but to God who tests our hearts"
2. Sin is "missing the mark"; the mark is God — aiming at man leads to a morally debased life
3. The Spirit removes the blindfold so the believer can now aim rightly at God and His glory E. Flattery — saying what people want to hear for personal gain — is the opposite of genuine gospel proclamation; the true minister speaks both condemnation and commendation from a heart exposed before God

III. Gospel Ministry Accommodates Itself to the Church

A. 1 Thessalonians 2:7 — the oldest manuscripts read "like infants among you, like a nursing mother taking care of her own children"

1. Augustine: the apostles were like a nurse talking baby language to her children
2. Ministers get low with the people; they do not lord over them from a position of superiority B. God himself accommodates (or "prattles") to us in His revelation; ministers reflect this condescension — Calvin's concept of divine accommodation C. 1 Corinthians 9:19-23 — Paul becomes all things to all people in order to win some
3. Accommodation is not identification — the minister does not adopt the sin or false religion of those he seeks to reach
4. The "Insider Movement" controversy (particularly in Islamic contexts) misapplies this passage; Paul forbids sharing tables with pagans and demons — 1 Corinthians 10
5. Accommodation means meeting people where they are and speaking to their particular struggles with the gospel D. The gospel minister is not a "one-trick pony" — the body has many different parts (1 Corinthians 12); Islam imposes uniformity, Christianity embraces unity within diversity

IV. Gospel Ministry Is Affectionate toward the Individual

A. 1 Thessalonians 2:8 — "affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves"

1. Affection moves beyond broadcasting the gospel to a crowd; it involves sharing one's very life with the people
2. Accommodation naturally leads to affectionate, personal ministry B. 1 Thessalonians 2:11-12 — "like a father with his children we exhorted each one of you"
3. Personal, individual exhortation — not a general address to the masses
4. People are most receptive to correction from those who know them best C. Application to the whole congregation: all believers are called to admonish one another, but within deep ties of affectionate relationship
5. Accommodation to one another enables affectionate correction
6. The goal is mutual sanctification — killing the flesh, serving the Spirit, and seeking the glory of God