3 Portraits of Effective Ministry: I Thessalonians 2:7-12

What this episode covers

1 Thessalonians 2:7-12 Blank Outline Completed Outline 1 Thessalonians 2:7-12 This is going to be from 1st Thessalonians chapter 2, verses 9 through 12. Words are on the screen, actually 7 through 12, and you can follow along as I read 1st Thessalonians 2:7 through 12. Here’s Paul writing to the church at Thessalonica. Instead, we were like young children among you. Just as a nursing mother cares for her children, so we cared for you because we loved you so much. We were delighted to share with you not only the gospel, but our lives as well. Surely you remember, brothers and sisters, our toil and hardship. We worked night and day in order not to be a burden to anyone while we preached the gospel of God to you. You are witnesses, and so is God, of how holy, righteous, and blameless we were among you who believed. For you know how that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children, encouraging, comforting, and urging you to live lives worthy of God who calls you into his kingdom. Well, we’re looking through the book of First Thessalonians and we gave an introductory message a few months ago or weeks ago actually. So, last week we looked at chapter one. And Paul’s writing to this church that he established in his second missionary journey. And he’s writing to encourage them. And the church at Thessalonica was a model church. And so, in chapter one we looked at three aspects of how the church in Thessalonica was a model and says they were an elect people. They were chosen by God. And we talked about this doctrine of election that’s all through scripture. They were also an exemplary people. It says, from you rang out the gospel to all the surrounding areas. And the church at Thessalonica became a model for other churches. But they were also an expectant people. Every chapter in the book of Thessalonians, all five chapters, ends with the Apostle Paul writing about the second coming of Christ. And so, that’s really the theme of this book of First Thessalonians is be ready. And what are we to be ready for? We’re to be ready for Christ’s any moment return. This morning we’re going to jump into chapter two and look at the first 12 verses of First Thessalonians chapter two. And the title of this is characteristics of an effective ministry. Characteristics or portraits of an effective ministry. And when you look at that title you might say, well that’s a good message for pastors who are in the ministry. But if you read your Bible carefully and you understand what the scripture teaches, if we know Christ as our Savior, every one of us is a minister. We have all been called to minister to one another and to minister to the body of Christ. We’ve all been given a spiritual gift. So, one of the responsibilities and jobs of a pastor, according to Ephesians chapter four, is what? To build up the body of Christ and to train them what? To be involved in ministry. And so, this isn’t a message and these aren’t portraits just for a pastor. This is a portrait for all of us as we minister to our family, as we minister to our surrounding community, as we minister in opportunities in our workplace, as we minister to one another within the body of Christ. And so, let’s look at three pictures or three portraits because Paul models an effective ministry. 1. a faithful steward And so, here’s the first picture that Paul gives us from 1st Thessalonians chapter two beginning in verses one through six. It’s the ministry of a faithful steward, of a faithful steward. Paul says that he’s been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. And so, it’s the stewardship of the gospel. And so, we’re going to get to verse four in just a little bit, but let’s start in verse one of chapter two. Paul writes, you know, brothers and sisters, that our visit to you was not without results. So, we go back to Acts chapter 17, when Paul visited Thessalonica, he ministered in the synagogue for three

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