1 THESSALONIANS 2:1-16
Introduction
How do you judge a ministry? Even more specifically than that, how do you judge a gospel minister?
That’s actually a very important question for you all to be asking – especially at this phase of your lives.
You’re between the ages of 18-23 – the prime time for beginning to engage in the life of a local church
as young men and women…no longer just as “extensions” of your parents. And, many of you are
attending church away from home; for the first time in your lives, you’re making choices on your own
about what church to attend, what pastor to follow, and what kind of preaching to listen to. You need
to know how to biblically evaluate a church…as well as a pastor!
But, you also need to get past this evaluation step – at least at some point. It’s good to evaluate pastors
and church ministries, but when you find a faithful gospel church (with a faithful and godly pastor who
preaches the gospel), there is a time for response and commitment as well. In other words, evaluation
can’t last forever. At some point, real Christians respond to true gospel ministry, and join up with other
gospel people in a local church.
The passage that we are looking at today deals with both of these “steps” – steps that you all need to go
through during these years. Paul is going to help you see how to evaluate gospel ministry; how do you
“check out” a pastor, and make sure that he’s faithful, godly, biblical, and worth following? Then, once
you find a faithful gospel ministry and minister, how do you respond to true gospel ministry? Answering
those two questions will, really, be the purpose of our time together in this text from 1 Thessalonians 2.
Outline
1. True Gospel Ministry (1-12)
How should you evaluate gospel ministry?
As we come to these first twelve verses of chapter 2, we have a few questions, which many
other students of this passage have asked. We wonder: Is Paul here giving a defense of his
ministry – perhaps against accusations that might come (we don’t know if any accusations
actually had come…)? Or, is Paul providing here a kind of “model” of ministry for others to
follow? Maybe – I think – he is doing both…giving a defense of his own gospel ministry, and also
providing a kind of “model” for true gospel ministry that will follow him in the years after his
ministry has ended.
This means, actually, that the first person who needs to hear the first 12 verses of this passage is
yours truly! And you can – and should – evaluate my gospel ministry in your midst on the basis
of all that Paul says in these verses. I’ll say more about this in a moment.
So, what does true gospel ministry look like, according to Paul? How has he been faithful in his
ministry, and how has he thus provided a model for true and biblical gospel ministry?
a. FIRST, Paul explains that true gospel ministry is ministry through suffering (1-2).
i. First, Paul mentions the shameful treatment he received in Philippi (probably
referring to the events recorded for us in Acts 16 – he had been imprisoned in
Philippi because of his faith and preaching about Jesus).
ii. He goes on to explain that he continued right on to declare the gospel boldly –
and faced more conflict in Thessalonica (you know about the opposition that he
faced there, according to Acts 17).
iii. True Gospel Ministry proves itself in times of suffering and hardship. This means
that, you should look very carefully at how a gospel minister responds to
personal tragedy, hardship, and suffering. If I break down emotionally in the
midst of trial, or if I stop boldly preaching the gospel when things get tough,
what will that say about me? True gospel ministry is proved in the face of
hardship and suffering.
b. SECOND, Paul will point to his gospel ministry as a ministry of truth – not deception (34).
i. Their goal is not deception – to get across some dubious agenda. It is to speak
exactly in line with the gospel that has been entrusted to them by God.
1. The goal is to please God, not men; this has been obvious in Paul’s sole
commitment to faithfully speaking about Jesus, without any deceitful or
impure motives.
ii. True Gospel Ministry is about speaking God’s truth only – for his pleasure only.
Watch carefully the words of your spiritual leaders. See what they speak. Do
your best to evaluate their goals. Who are they trying to please? Are they after
a certain agenda, or do they speak the words of the gospel and of
Scripture…even when that makes them unpopular? That, friends, is a mark of
true gospel ministry. Speaking God’s truth – no matter what – because the
minister is out to please God more than human beings.
c. THIRD, Paul will explain that his ministry was one of sharing – not of greed (5-8).
i. Paul didn’t seek money (5) – that wasn’t his main goal in gospel ministry.
ii. Paul didn’t seek glory or fame (6) – that wasn’t his main drive or purpose either.
iii. Paul was all about sharing the gospel – and even himself to the believers in
Thessalonica. His was a GIVING ministry of sharing, not of taking (7-8).
iv. True Gospel Ministry is not about what you can GET, but what you can GIVE.
There have been several issues with pastors, lately, who have been exposed as
having exorbitant salaries – mansions, sports cars, and over-the-top wealth. It is
OK to ask: What are you in ministry to GAIN? Are you in it to get rich? Are you
in it to get famous? Or, are you in it to give yourselves to the people of God?
Are you just as energetic in the hidden hospital room as in the pulpit in front of
thousands of people?
d. FOURTH and finally, Paul explains that his ministry was one of integrity – not of burden
(9-12).
i. They worked, so that they wouldn’t be a financial burden to the believers in
Thessalonica (9).
ii. They were like “fathers” in their faithful and righteous teaching and ministry
(10-12).
iii. True Gospel Ministry doesn’t burden the people, but helps them grow in
godliness. Now, I don’t think Paul’s making the argument here that no pastors
should be paid (if so, then I need to start looking for another way to support my
family!). In fact, in other places, Paul says very explicitly that churches should
provide for the needs of those who lead them and preach and teach to them.
Here, though, he is laying down a principle; he did not want to “burden” the
people in any way, so that he could be fully committed to doing his gospel
ministry with them without anything getting in the way. The question to ask,
here, is this one: Is the pastor/gospel minister doing everything he can not to
burden his people, but to lead them toward godliness in every way he can?
So, Paul is proving himself to the Thessalonians here – telling them that he is the “real deal” as a
minister of the gospel. He suffers; he speaks the truth for God’s approval; he shares himself,
and doesn’t take from the people; he refuses to burden the people he serves, and helps them
grow in godliness.
He’s also laying down the model for pastors in the generations to come. I’ve got a long list of
questions that I should be asking myself, as I evaluate my gospel ministry in relation to this
passage:
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Am I committed to going ahead with gospel ministry, even if it has a personal cost or toll on
me and my family?
Am I deceitful in any way in my teaching or ministry, or am I committed to always speaking
God’s full truth, hoping in his pleasure alone?
Am I out in any way to get rich – or to get famous – through ministry? Or, am I totally
focused on giving myself to the people I serve?
Am I focused, not on being a burden to the people I serve, but to faithfully teaching and
leading them so that they can grow in God more?
You get to hold your pastor to these standards. And you should! Ask these questions. Find a
good church, with a faithful pastor, who gives himself to the people in this kind of gospel
ministry. Evaluate ME on these terms!
This passage, though, should drive me to my knees. I can never perfectly live up to this calling.
There are times, I confess, when I am concerned with forms of “glory from people” in my
ministry (6). There are times when I am not ready to share my very “self” with the people I lead
and serve (8). There are times when I fail to “exhort and encourage” you as I should; I certainly
do it imperfectly (12). This is a passage that, personally, needs to drive me to my knees…and to
the cross of my Savior Jesus Christ. I need to often be forgiven not only for my sins, but for my
failures in gospel ministry itself! May God cover me with his grace, and make me a more faithful
servant of his gospel as I lead and serve all of you.
2. True Gospel Response (13-16)
How should you respond to faithful gospel ministry?
Next, though, there is what I have titled a “true gospel response” – what Paul is saying that he
has seen in the lives and hearts of the Thessalonians. If 1-12 is a model for gospel ministers to
follow – starting with ME – then verses 13-16 show how true Christians respond to true gospel
ministry.
There’s a time, in other words, when you’ve seen faithful gospel ministry. You’ve heard the
message of Christ faithfully preached (even though it’s always preached by imperfect men), and
it’s time to respond. So, how do you do it?
a. FIRST, you recognize and receive God’s true Word (13).
i. The believers in Thessalonica recognized the authority of the gospel Word
spoken by the Apostles.
ii. Paul says that this Word is “at work” in them as believers.
iii. Do you receive the Word of God as the Word of God?
1. Think about this for a moment: What sets you apart from any other
person who hears the Bible preached? What makes a Christian
different from a non-Christian – both of whom may hear a sermon or a
presentation of the gospel? It’s the response to the Word that is
preached. It’s receiving the gospel as the true Good News of God – not
a human word, but an authoritative and true Word from the God of the
universe!
2. When you hear the words of Scripture, I’m calling you to respond to
them as the very Word of God. Tremble at them. Believe them. Build
your life on them. Do what they say. That, Paul is saying, is the way to
respond to the true and right ministry of the gospel of God, as revealed
in his Word.
b. SECOND, you join in suffering for the gospel (14)
i. Paul points out that the believers in Thessalonica gladly joined in with other
believers who were being persecuted for their faith.
1. Are you following the example of faithful believers who have gone
before you – and laid down their lives for the gospel?
2. Or, let me ask that question slightly differently: Are you ready to jump in
and identify yourself with worshipers of Jesus Christ – as your PRIMARY
people? Are you willing to say of the Christians in the world – even
when they become very unpopular – “these are my people!”? This is
precisely what Paul says the Thessalonians had done. They had
followed the example of the other churches of God in their region, who
had begun to face terrible opposition and persecution because of their
faith.
3. There’s a huge application, here, for you all as you think about your
commitment to a local church during these young adult years. You
should evaluate ministries, churches, and their pastors; make sure you
find a faithful, Word-centered, and gospel-grounded leader! But, when
you do, COMMIT! Respond to the ministry, and give yourself to God
and to his people in the context of the church. Respond to the WORD;
join the PEOPLE of God.
ii. Paul goes on to end this passage by explaining that God’s people have always
been opposed by enemies of God and his people (15-16). In this instance, he is
speaking specifically of Jewish opposition to the gospel, which has existed in
many forms since the days of the prophets – and more recently – of Jesus Christ
himself.
1. He issues a final reminder of God’s ultimate wrath and judgment (16b),
which will come against these people. Paul probably isn’t referring to a
specific way that they have yet been punished, but simply the fact that
they are already beginning to suffer the effects of being under God’s
wrath – which will continue into eternity if they will not repent.
2. This leads us to another way to think about the right response to gospel
ministry. At the end of the day, you’re either with God’s people…or
against them. Yes, you may not literally be persecuting Christians or
beating worshipers of Jesus. But, if you haven’t accepted God’s Word as
what it truly is – and joined yourself with God’s people – then you might
as well be murdering the prophets and Jesus himself. I know those are
stern words, but there will only be two categories of people before the
judgment seat of Christ. Whose side will you be on at that day?
Conclusion
So, this passage lays out for us clearly a picture of true gospel ministry…and the right response to true
gospel ministry. Evaluate me, friends, against the standard that Paul lays down. And, please, pray for
me, that I seek to live up to this standard, even as I trust in the grace of God, through Christ, toward me
as a sinful and imperfect person!
But, for you, check yourselves – your hearts, minds, and lives – to make sure that you are responding in
the right way to the gospel ministry you have received – however imperfectly – from me, and many
others. Make sure you’re receiving God’s Word as all that it truly is. And, ask God for strength to
imitate and join his faithful people, who have clung to Jesus in faith through suffering for many
centuries. Believe the WORD; join God’s PEOPLE.