THREE PICTURES OF PAUL THE PASTOR
I THESSALONIANS 2:1-12
INTRODUCTION: A boy and his father were visiting a wax museum when the boy said, dad, lets go home where the people are real. Well this was a real Church with Real born again believers in Christ.
Chapter 1 introduced us to Paul the evangelist. This chapter introduces us to Paul the Pastor. In chapter 1 we saw the Church was born, in chapter 2 we see the Church nurtured.
When I went to Mobile College, they took three different pictures of us for the annual. One was a headshot with a Suit, one was outdoors in causal clothes, and the other was in a classroom setting. But they only put one in the annual, the outdoor one.
Well God put all of Paul pictures as a Pastor in our scripture reading tonight. So in these verses, three pictures of his ministry are shown to us.
I-WE SEE THE COMMITMENT OF PAUL AS A FAITHFUL STEWARD:
(V-4)
A steward owns nothing, but possesses and uses everything that belongs to his master. Joseph was a steward in the household of Potiphar. He managed his matter’s affairs and used all his mater’s goods to promote his master’s welfare.
A-HE WAS A COURAGEOUS STEWARD: V-1-2
He had been beaten and humiliated at Philippi; yet he came to Thessalonica and preached. Most of us would have taken a vacation or found an excuse not minister.
But Paul was courageous-he was not a quitter. He had a holy boldness that was born of dedication to God.
Just as you use a highlighter pen to make something-important stand out, God uses persecution to highlight the true character of a godly ministry. Persecution highlights supernatural boldness instead of hindering it.
Sharing Christ is one of the fundamental tasks God has called his church. Jesus’ final marching orders to his church were to share the message of Christ with all people everywhere.
An example of what it means to have your boldness in God is the Scots Covenanter Hugh Mackail. He was a Presbyterian in Scotland in a bloody decade (1660’s) when that was viewed as seditious. He was tortured with what they called the boot to force him to reveal other members of his band. His leg was inserted into an iron case and then a wedge of iron was inserted between his knee and the case snugly. When he refused to answer, the executioner struck the wedge with a mallet. Eleven times the mallet was struck until Mackail’s leg was shattered. He said, "I protest solemnly in the sight of God, I can say no more, though all the joints in my body were in as great anguish as my leg." The leg would not be much use to him anyway. He was sentenced to be executed. His final words were famous and became the cry of some of the later martyrs. Here’s what he said. And what these words illustrate is what Paul meant by having his boldness in God.
Now I leave off to speak any more to creatures, and turn my speech to Thee, O Lord. Now I begin my intercourse with God, which shall never be broken off. Farewell, father and mother, friends and relations! Farewell, the world and all delights! Farewell, meat and drink! Farewell, sun, moon, and stars! Welcome, god and Father! Welcome, sweet Lord Jesus, the Mediator of the new covenant! Welcome, blessed Spirit of grace, God of all consolation! Welcome, glory! Welcome, eternal life! Welcome, death! (Men of the Covenant, pp. 150)
Hugh Mackail’s life was not lived in vain. His death was not in vain. Because he had boldness in his God.
B-HE WAS A CREDIABLE STEWARD: V-3A
The NIV says, “for the appeal we make does not spring from error.”
Here he assured them that his message was true. Six times in this letter he mentioned the Gospel.
If you’ve ever been to a carnival where the carnies shout out at you as you walk by, trying to entice you to try their games, that’s similar to what the religious climate was like in first century Greece.
One historian says, "There has probably never been such a variety of religious cults and philosophic systems as in Paul’s day… ‘Holy men’ of all creeds and countries, popular philosophers, magicians, astrologers, crack-pots, and cranks; the sincere and the spurious, the righteous and the rouge, [all] jostled and clamored for the attention of the credulous and the skeptical."
But Paul Preached God’s Word in truth and not in error.
When I think of preaching God’s Word, I think of Pastor Henry Ward Beecher who preached a series of sermons on drunkenness and gambling. One day he met a man on the street that said, “take it back, right here or I will shot you right here on the spot.” Brother Beecher turned and walked away from him and as he did, he said, “Shoot away, I don’t believe you can hit this mark as well as I did.”
C-HE WAS A CLEAN STEWARD: V-3B
Some people in Paul’s day were using religion as a means for making money. (2:5)
This is the televangelist who pleads for money to send to the people starving from famine in Korea, but ends up using it to build a multimillion-dollar home. This is anyone who uses religion as a business to line his or her pockets with lots of money.
D-HE WAS A CANDID STEWRD: V-3C
The words for “trick” here was originally fishing term that described using a lure to entice fish to bite a hook.
I remember when my granddaddy took me fishing. He showed me how to bait my hook. In doing so, he said you always hide the hook. Be sure the bait covers the whole hook.
It is tricky like the man who put a sign in his café saying “T-bones”-25 cents”. But if you got close and resd the fine print, it said, “With Meat-5.00”.
II-WE SEE THE CONCERN OF PAUL AS A LOVING MOTHER: V-7-8
Paul uses an interesting expression. He says he took care of these new believers literally as a “nurse taking care of her own children.” He loved the people in Thessalonica.
A-THIS LOVE AS A MOTHER INVOLVES A PATIENCE:v-7
Sometimes love must be tough; sometimes it must rebuke, but at all times it must be gentle.
Children do not grow up instantly do they? Rhonda asked Patsy other day, when do the babies start sleeping all night?
The hardest time I had in raising my children was teaching to how to tie their shoestrings. That took a lot of patience. But one day they finally able to do it.
Christians also don’t grow into maturity over night. Sometime we don’t understand why some new Christians fall or stumble sometimes. Well doesn’t a child stumble or fall when they are young?
Rhonda started walking wide open but she fell many times, like the time she cut her mouth on the coffee table. Did I bless her out, or push her in a corner? No, I got her some help; I got her to the doctor.
It is the same way with new Christians, we must be patience with them, and when they fail, just get them to Jesus.
B-THIS LOVE AS A MOTHER INVOLVES A PROVISION:v-7
“Like a nursing mother caring for her own children.” “Nursing mother” is trophos, “a nurse, one who feeds.
It was used of birds covering their young or her eggs with their feathers (Deut. 22:6. A mother who is nursing her children does not and cannot turn the care of her child over to someone else. She feeds, loves, and protects her child.
You wouldn’t give a baby fired catfish but give them baby food. It would be something they could handle.
In the same way give them what they can learn and do. Don’t start them off in the Book of Ezekiel but steer them toward one of the gospels or the book of Acts.
C-THIS LOVE AS A MOTHER INVOLVES A PROTECTION:v-7
This care also involves “protecting her child”.
When I think of protection, I think of the story of the mother whose son was a boxer. In this certain match he was taking a beating. His mothers came out of the audience into the ring, took her shoe off and begin to hit the other boxer. She said later, “I was just trying to protect my son.”
Well this is a different kind of protection we are taking about.
It was this fact that enabled King Solomon to discover which woman was the real mother of the living Child. (I kings 3:15-28)
I think of the time that one of my preacher friends heard that a certain cult was out in his community in full force one Sunday afternoon. He went right away to the home of a new convert in his Church. When they knocked on the door, he answered it, and said let me share my testimony of how Jesus saved my soul. Needless to say, they left rather quickly. But he was protecting a new believer.
III-WE SEE THE CARE OF PAUL AS A COMFORTING FATHER:
(V-9-12)
Paul points out three of his duties of a spiritual Father to the Church
A-NOTICE PAUL’S WORK: V-9
The father works to support his family. He doesn’t wait for a handout but he works for a paycheck.
Every Jewish boy had to learn a trade, and Paul’s trade was tentmaking. Rather than take offerings from his new converts, he worked long hours into the night making tents. Perhaps, as they listened to him teaching and instructing them during the daytime, these Thessalonians noticed that Paul’s hands were not the cultured, soft hands of a rich man who had never worked. They were, rather, the horny hands of a laborer who worked hard at his trade, and they knew it was in order that he might bless them, and not be a burden on them.
Thomas Jefferson was upset when our country went to a 10-hour working day. He said they would too much idle time. But in Paul’s day, it was a 12-14 hours a day plus he also taught tool
B-NOTICE PAUL’S WALK: V-10
Fathers must live so they are good examples to their children.
I recall a time when Jack Edwards, A politician, gave a free fish fry for the community in Thomasville. I notice the way a group of children were eating; they used no forks, just grabing it and gobbling it down. There was one certain boy who sitting by his father. His daddy had set a good example, for he was eating in the proper way.
He does not suggest that he is sinless, but that he is honest, open transparent before God and men. He has dealt with all his sin the way God wants us to deal with it. As the Holy Spirit made him aware of it, he judged it the way God sees it, confessed it to Him.
We must have a worthy walk before a watching world. People are watching us all the time. They are asking what is authentic Christianity? What makes you different? What makes you tick? Let’s pray they do not look at any of us and say there is a hypocrite. There is one who wears a mask on Sunday at church and puts on another one on Monday at work.
Members of the United States armed services not only serve to protect our nation, but they are ambassadors for our country. When they do a great job, then other nations respect us. When they fail in anyway, they lose the respect of others, as well as our own citizens.
August 27th issue of Time magazine: Timothy Woodland is in a grave predicament. The 24-year-old Air Force staff sergeant sits in a jail cell in Okinawa, Japan charged with raping a young Japanese woman June 29th. Timothy Woodland could spend up to 15 years in a Japanese prison if he is found guilty. He goes on trial next month in a proceeding that could last as long as a year. Denied bail for now, Woodland can comfort himself with English-language books, a Bible, and American-style meals–but no cigarettes, TV, or air conditioning in heat that often-tops 100 degrees. He isn’t allowed to speak or write to friends and family.
"Bobby Dodd, Georgia Tech’s athletic director, tells of the coach who, with his team leading 7 to 6 in the last minute of play, carefully instructed his quarterback not to pass under any condition. But when the ball was carried within the opponent’s ten-yard line, the quarterback was overcome by temptation. He passed, and the ball was intercepted by the rival’s fleetest back, who broke into an open field and raced toward pay dirt. He was speeding past midfield when suddenly, out of nowhere; the quarterback who had passed overtook him and brought him down. After the game, the losing coach remarked to his barely victorious counterpart, ’I’ll never understand how your boy overtook my fastest back.’ ’Well, I’ll tell you,’ came the reply. ’Your back was running for touchdown - my boy was running for his life.’"
C-NOTICE PAUL’S WORDS: V-11-12
A father must not only support the family by working, and teach the family by being a good example. He must also take time to speak to the family members.
Paul encouraged them. The word “exhort” means to call one’s aside and encourage them.
Warren Wiersbe said he received a letter from a lady who was one of his radio listeners, which said, “When we go to Church, all our pastor does is scold us and whip us. We really get tired of this. It’s refreshing to hear some word of encouragement.
Paul also comforted them. It carries the same ideas as encouragement with the emphasis on activity. Paul not only made them feel better, but he made them want do better.
Paul dealt with them personally. NIV-“each one of you”
Dr. Stephen Hicks is a missionary to Mexico teaching the preachers in the Seminary. He said the best way to teach is not always in the classroom but one on one.
Paul also charged them. This word means that Paul testified to hem out of his own experiences with the Lord. His purpose in doing so was to teach them so walk worth of God.
The young preacher thrilled his congregation with his first sermon-a challenge to gird their loins for Christian service and living. Then, to their dismay, he preached the same sermon the following Sunday. When he confronted them with the same ringing message on the third Sunday, his flock felt something must be done. “Don’t you have more than just one sermon? Blurted a spokesman to the pastor. Oh yes, he said quietly. I have quite a number. But you haven’t done anything about the first one.”
CONCLUSION-Paul has shown us how to raise new converts. We must be faithful stewards, loving mothers and concerned fathers. If we are not faithful to do this, we have failed God.
Dr. Herschel Ford was visiting one of his Church members in the hospital who was dying. He said to Dr. Ford, I would give anything if I could go back to the Sunday school Class I teach and tell them about the things of Jesus one more time. That wanting to be faithful to God’s calling, and so was Paul.
Note-Commentary information and Illustrations helps were from Warren W. Wiersbe, various Sermon Central Preachers, Lifeway Extra, and Paul Lee Tan.
