Before we get to today's message, I just want to acknowledge, you know, that there's, like, there always is, but especially now, there's a great deal of civil unrest in our country. Regardless of what opinion or what side you're taking on, whatever, it's clear more and more all the time that, man, we just. We long for the return of King Jesus. So let's just take a time to pray for our country, pray for our leaders. God, you.
You've set up countries and you've given borders, and you. You also see the different ways that humans work and violence, and you see unrest. And God, we just cry and say, come, Lord Jesus. We pray for the leaders of our country who, who are making decisions. We pray that you would bring them to faith.
If they're not in faith. We pray that you would protect those who are making decisions. God, we pray for those who are. Who are caught up in the midst of just everything that's going on with. It feels like there's never a rest.
And we know that one day we will be at rest. But until then, we ask for your help. We ask for your peace. It's in Jesus name we pray. Amen.
My first summer job was helping my dad's construction crew.
I did things like sweep floors and move boards, and I. I learned pretty quickly. I didn't like it, but I was making a crisp $7.25 an hour. And so the days when I didn't like it, I was able to kind of, you know, okay, I am getting paid, but I still would do things like take extended bathroom breaks. And I'll just be honest, I didn't work. I worked hard, but I did not want to be there.
And so the days when I'd wake up and the alarm clock's going off and it's like, I don't want to be here. I don't want to do this. I remember thinking, okay, why am I doing this? And it was an incredibly spiritual reason. It was because I really wanted to save up to buy a pair of custom Oakley sunglasses.
I wanted nothing more than to be able to design these things that you could have the specific color lens style if they're polarized or not. I mean, when I did not want to show up at work, the thought of looking cool, playing left field was a big deal to me. That kept me going back. Those custom Oakley sunglasses, to me, were worth laboring for, no matter what it costed. I thought, I quote, unquote, had to have them.
I had elevated these things to a status that Made them a need instead of a want. Which, yes, all of us here sitting. No, that's ridiculous. Nobody needs to have custom sunglasses. But I didn't like them.
I still have them, by the way. We say we need a lot of things. We say we need to do whatever it takes to win a game. We say we need to do whatever it takes to get our candidates in office. We say we need to do whatever it takes to make sure the bank account has the right number of zeros.
We say we need. We need this or we need a lot of things. There's very few things that we actually need, right? There's very few things we actually need. We need shelter, food, clothes, clothing, a place to sleep at night.
But more importantly, our ultimate or deepest need is to be made right with Jesus. There are very few things that we need. Actually. There's nothing we need more than that. And there's nothing that anyone else needs more than that.
The Gospel is ultimately our deepest need. And so that's why we'll see here that Paul, Sylvanus and Timothy worked like crazy. We'll use the word labored because that's the text language this morning to get to the church at Thessalonica. They worked tirelessly doing whatever it took to get the gospel to these people. The gospel is worth laboring for, no matter the cost.
That is our big idea this morning. The gospel is worth laboring for no matter the cost. This is something that Paul is trying to prove to his hearers then and his hearers then and us today. And it's trying to prove that to us. The tax offers serve three different proofs.
The first is that it's worth not seeking glory from people. This gospel is also worth putting the needs of others first. And this gospel is worth suffering through hostility. Again, the three proofs the text offers it's worth this gospel is worth not seeking glory from people. It's worth putting others needs first and it's worth suffering through hostility.
Our text as we continue through First Thessalonians is all of chapter two, First Thessalonians 2:1:20. It's on page 1046 of the Pew Bibles. One Thessalonians 2:01:20.
God's word here says, for you yourselves know, brothers and sisters, that our visit with you is not without result. On the contrary, after we had previously suffered and were treated outrageously in Philippi, as you know, we were emboldened by our God to speak the gospel of God to you, in spite of great opposition for our exhortation didn't come from error or impurity or an intent to deceive. Instead, just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the Gospel, so we speak not to please people, but rather God who examines our hearts. For we never used flattering speech, as you know, or had greedy motives. God is our witness.
And we didn't seek glory from people, either from you or from others. Although we could have been a burden as Christ's apostles, instead we were gentle among you as a nurse nurtures her own children. We cared so much for you that we are pleased to share with you not only the gospel of God, but also our own lives, because you had become dear to us. For you remember our labor and hardship, brothers and sisters, working night and day, so we do not burden any of you. We preach God's Gospel to you.
You are witnesses, and so is God, of how devoutly, righteously and blamelessly we conducted ourselves with you believers. As you know, like a father with his own children, we encouraged, comforted and implored each one of you to walk worthy of God who calls you into his own kingdom and glory, saying in verse 13, this is why we constantly thank God. Because when you received the word of God that you heard from us, you welcomed it not as a human message, but as it truly is, the word of God which also works effectively in you who believe. For you, brothers and sisters became imitators of God's churches in Christ Jesus that are in Judea, since you also suffered the same things from people of your own country, just as they did from the Jews who killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets and persecuted us. They displease God and are hostile to everyone by keeping us from speaking to the Gentiles so that they may be saved.
As a result, they are constantly filling up their sins to the limit and wrath has overtaken them at last. But as for us brothers and sisters, after we were forced to leave you for a short time in person, but not in heart, we greatly desired and made every effort to return and see you face to face. So we want to come to you, even I, Paul, time and again. But Satan hindered us. For who is our hope or joy or crown of boasting the presence of our Lord Jesus at his coming?
Is it not you? Indeed, you are our glory and joy. This is the word of the Lord. The gospel is worth laboring for, no matter the cost. One proof that Paul offers that it's worth not seeking the glory of people, he lists several things.
He kind of lists a laundry list of things that are worth that they did. So the gospel go forth. And he starts in verse one by saying, our visit to you was not in vain. In other words, your word returned good to you. Your word did what you set it out to accomplish.
This gospel is worth bringing to you. And we've seen the fruit. Last week we saw the tremendous fruit that's taking shape in the church because of their efforts to bring the gospel. And so he's setting the stage, reminding, verse one, we brought the gospel to you. It's worth it.
And then we shouldn't be surprised by this, friends, because God makes promises that his word won't return void. The most prominent, of course, is Isaiah 55:11. God says through the prophet Isaiah, so my word that comes from my mouth will not return to me empty, but it will accomplish what I please and will prosper in what I send it to do. And then we move to verse two. There they were able to get the good news of Jesus, even despite being publicly mocked, like, despite what was happening in Philippi.
This wasn't a casual name calling. You know, these guys would have suffered through what's like the modern equivalent of being defamed. Names would have been slandered, drugged through the mud. Physical torture is likely where we kind of have to rely on the historical context. Regardless of exactly what happened.
It says, outrageous. They were inhibited from taking the gospel in if the people there had their way. But they didn't stop because they said, I don't care what it costs, we have to keep going.
They realized how important this message is. And then we get their motives for why this is worth it. In verses three and four, it says, well, we didn't do this from a selfish desire. We didn't do this with wrong intent. No, we did this with the purest intention.
And then we see in verse four that they did it because they're improved by God or because they're approved by God. That's true for you and I too. If you and I know Jesus, we are approved of by God through faith, and we are entrusted with the gospel. And that's a weighty responsibility. Everyone who's a follower of Jesus is entrusted with the gospel.
Then what are we going to do with it? Are we going to keep it to ourselves? Are we going to live in step with the gospel? Are we going to enjoy the gospel? Are we going to take it to others?
That's a weighty responsibility that we should seriously consider how we're going to handle.
We keep reading in verse five, they didn't do this for selfish gain. They didn't use flattering speech or they didn't have greedy motives. And they say, and they're promising here with God as their witness. And there's not a higher calling that you can give. You can't go by a higher authority.
They're saying, God knows this to be true. You should, too.
In verse six, it says explicitly too, we didn't seek glory from people.
We're going to come back to that. But I think it's worth noting. We're going to put a pin in that. We're going to come back to it. Not seeking glory from people is a big deal.
It's a big deal. While it may seem strange that they would even make a note of it, I think a lot of us in here are starting to think, yeah, I really do probably live for applause of others. Let me Keep reading verse 7. The CSB uses the translation nurse. Other translations, maybe that you're looking down, say nursing mother.
They're really trying to communicate the same thing. And that might feel like a strange thing to have here. I don't use that analogy in my everyday vernacular. I don't know about you, but they're using it because they want to communicate this intense compassion that they have for the church. We love you in the same way that a nursing mother loves her own child.
That's how deeply they care. But also, too, we know that a nursing mother has to sacrifice some of herself for children. That's what this gospel does. That's what this gospel communicates. That's how worth it it is.
Paul is trying to communicate here just how much care and compassion they had for these people at a cost to themselves. Some of your translations might put this language about them being apostles in verse six, or they might put it in verse seven. It doesn't really affect the meaning of the text. It kind of just boils down to a difference in translation philosophy. But what they are trying to communicate is though, even though they had absolutely every right to ask for financial help, they didn't because they considered that, hey, we are willing to sacrifice everything of ourselves because this gospel is so important, we don't want there to be any reason that it can't come to these people.
Paul wants it to be abundantly clear that they will do and have done whatever it takes to get the gospel to them. The first proof he offers is the gospel is worth not seeking glory from people and friends. I think we know that it's not a small thing because you know what? People have struggled with since pretty much ever wanting people to like them. And sometimes people say, well, I don't care what others think.
Well, if you really believe that, you wouldn't be saying it out loud. We care a lot about what others want of us. And that's not a bad thing. We should want our boss or significant other or our friends to think well of us. That's not a bad thing.
But it gets into a problem when we elevate it above what God thinks of us. And the Bible's littered with all sorts of examples of people. We see Abraham, you know, saying, well, I'm afraid of what the Egyptians are going to think of me. And so I'm going to say, well, Sarah's actually my sister. Which I can't imagine that was a good conversation afterwards.
But we see Abraham doing that. We see David. He didn't want people to think or know that he was an adulterer, so he had Uriah murdered. And then we see Peter even denying Jesus. Like the night that Jesus was taken into captivity, Peter says, I didn't know him.
Just like them. We do this and we fail to recognize that God's approval is far more important than the approval of man. Paul is saying that he and those that are with him set aside this common desire of wanting to be approved of by others. They set it aside for the sake of the gospel. And then he gives a solution for how to do this.
You and I, we all know we have this common problem. But then he offers a solution. Let's read verse four again instead. Just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak not to please people, but rather God who examines our hearts. How do they know it's worth not seeking glory from people to friends because they have been approved by God.
That's part of the wonderful truth of the gospel, is that if he says God's never going to give us a task that he doesn't help us do, this gospel gives us the motivation. God also gives us the power to do these things. God doesn't say, go do this on your own. No, he says, I will do this with you. The same gospel that we're entrusted to labor for also empowers us to do the laboring.
It's not a work to get approved. It's you're approved by God through faith, so go do these things.
The gospel declares what is most deeply true of us in Christ. We are declared righteous. We are approved of by God the Father because of our union with God the Son, by the power of God the Spirit. In other words, we set aside the glory we desire from other people by remembering who we are in Christ. That is the absolute essence of the Christian life, friends, who we are in Christ.
It is our union with him that is at the very heart of the gospel. Reminding ourselves and one another that we belong to God. And we say it to ourselves. We have to. What's our application here?
We have to say this to ourselves until we believe it. Because man, we are so quick to forget, are we not? I'm paid to study God's word and to proclaim it to you and to do these things like it is my job. And I forget all the time.
I struggle to remember that God is going to provide, even though he's shown Himself faithful so many times. And we see the Israelites walking through the Scriptures, God reminds them, you are my people and I am your God. It's a constant repenting, but also remembering and rehearsing what is most deeply true of us. We are approved of by God. This gospel is worth it.
This gospel is worth fighting our innate sinful temptation. The gospel is worth laboring for, no matter the cost. It's worth not seeking glory from people. It's also worth putting others needs first. We shift our attention to verses 9 through 12.
The gospel is worth laboring for, no matter the cost. It's worth putting others needs first. And we're going to keep saying this. There is no obstacle that's not worth getting rid of. If it means that we or others get to know Jesus better.
There's nothing that we cannot remove. There's nothing that should stand in our way. This gospel must go forth. That's how important it is. Hopefully we're starting to understand this gospel is worth everything, no matter what it costs us.
In verses 9 through 12, Paul continues to build on. You've probably noticed in chapter one and on chapter two how deep his love for the church at Thessalonica is. And that's just a quick word to everyone here. That's why we're going through this book, because I believe we're doing a great job here at Lake Wisconsin. There's some things always, of course, that need to be correcting, but by and large this is supposed to be a deep source of encouragement.
Paul goes on to say that he shows how much they love them, but how he's continually put their needs ahead of his own. And he says they worked day and night and they didn't take up any money. They wanted to be a blessing. They did whatever it took they wanted to eliminate any reason for these people to not be able to hear. Paul says they go on to pull out all the stops in their living too.
They don't want anything in their life. How they talked, how they walked, how they ate, how they slept, how they treated anybody. They don't want that to be a reason, a stumbling block. A lot of times people will, and it's not. You understand what they're saying.
People will say, well, I can't go to church because full of hypocrites. Well, so is everywhere else. But we just know that. We know we're sinners and we're saved by grace. And that's something we need to work on for sure.
But a lot of times people will struggle to accept our Jesus because of, because of Christians. And that's kind of what Paul is saying here. He said, we cleaned up all of our living by the power of the Spirit so that we wouldn't even ourselves be a stumbling block because of our Jesus. We wanted this to go forth.
They didn't want to cause anyone to stumble and they wanted to set the best example possible. Again, he appeals to the fact that God could certify this to be true. They also supported them like a father. He goes on to say in verse 11, he talks about it in verse 11. He says, like our own children, encourage them where they need to be encouraged.
You know, they said the right thing at the right time. They brought comfort. Maybe it's quite literally a physical arm around the shoulder. But then they implored them. They said, walk worthy of God.
It's similar to what we read in 1st Peter 1:16. For it is written, be holy because I'm holy. That's what he's calling them to be. Like God, obey his commands and follow after him. Just simply.
They supported this church in a way that only a spiritual father can only, like the best kind of father can.
We're called to do some of these things too, aren't we? To put others needs ahead of our own. And especially when it comes to the gospel, we're called to put their needs ahead of us. We need to consider what might stand in the way of someone knowing Jesus. Like what is a physical barrier?
Maybe it's a mental barrier. What's the block? What might stop them from knowing Jesus? And then we should be at the front lines working, working to eliminate those things we look for. We ask the Spirit to reveal real needs, real things that we can do.
And then we pray and we look for them and we get to work. But Friends, I think if we can be honest, this flies in the face of our natural tendencies, doesn't it? Everybody in here, I love all of us enough to say we are naturally selfish people. We're naturally selfish people. We have these tendencies, you know, even if we are saved people, we are still saved sinners.
And some of those things are still in us. Even the most altruistic person, that's just the person who sacrifices themselves for the most still really worries about number one a lot.
We can do a couple litmus tests, I suppose, if you want. If you've been to the DMV and they send you back asking for four different forms and none of them's right, we've all done that. And if you have, and maybe you think of a scenario where somebody treated you poorly, or there was a big decision we made and they didn't ask you, even if the decision really does affect you, why does it bother us right away? Because the first thought we have is, this affects me negatively.
This affects me. Even if it's a small thing like that, natural selfishness quickly bubbles up over the surface, even if it's something that's a relatively small deal. Galatians 5 says, this is a fruit of the flesh, and if we're left to our own devices, we're going to seek what we want more than the good of others. And that is just what it means to be human.
Because I can promise you that every other human would have cunned away to climb down from the cross, but not Christ. Our only hope of defeating this selfishness is by trusting in him. Because he set aside his human desires for our sake. Of the only one who could say, yeah, this is not something that I have to do. Well, it kind of, you understand, there's a tension there too.
But nobody was making him. He gladly went to the cross. He put our needs ahead of his own. And so how do we put others needs ahead of our own? We have to.
We have to look to Jesus, because He alone can give us hope to do this well, because he frees us from having to do or take what we think is ours. Only the Gospel frees us from having to think we have to take care of ourselves or meet our own needs. Because of the hope we have in Christ, because of this Gospel, we can enjoy that we are no longer our own. But we belong mind, body and soul to Jesus. Jesus.
We no longer have to look out for number one because we now belong to Him. And I promise you that the good shepherd will take care of his own Paul David Tripp puts it this way. Yes, because you were purchased at the price of his blood, you don't belong to you anymore. But that is a good thing. The one who now owns you is a wiser and more powerful manager of your life than you ever would have been.
He cares for you with magnificent grace, incalculable wisdom and limitless power. Being owned by him means you are in the best of hands. It means you are no longer burdened by living. For you, a new owner has taken control of your life. And this new owner is more capable than anyone or anything you could give your life to.
The gospel is worth laboring for, no matter the cost. So much so that it's worth putting others needs ahead of our own. It's also worth suffering through hostility. Shift our attention to 13 through 20.
The gospel is worth laboring for, no matter the cost. One proof of that, it's worth suffering through hostility. In verse 13 the people are commended for receiving the word of God well and they themselves, they pose no objections. And we get kind of a callback. We see that it took a deep effect in them.
And also especially we see that back in chapter one it's taken a deep root.
They suffered through the same sort of things that the church in Judea suffered. And says that makes mention that the Jews persecuted Jesus and they've persecuted Christians at the time. And that's not to say that necessarily still applies. But this is who's doing the persecuting. It says they copy the church of Judea and they've suffered well because they realize this cause is worth everything.
Like these people, sorry Paul and Savannas and Timothy. They literally had people get in the way of them of going to share the gospel with the Gentiles. And the church of Thessalonica is run into the same thing. And this is this third time this has been pointed out like persecution and hostility has been pointed out three times already. And just shoot two chapters.
If something's in God's word one time, very important send God's word. It's in there multiple. And if it's repeated, especially if it's repeated in a short amount of time, it's like circle, highlight, underline this, don't miss it. It's get our attention, don't miss this. This matters a lot to what I'm saying.
There's a note here too about how these hostile people not only displease God, but also they face the consequences. As they filled up their sins, they were storing them up. I don't want to negatively pain my siblings. But like, I was a pretty good rule follower as a kid. I sinned plenty too, don't worry.
But they would argue with mom and dad about doing chores and it's like, hey, guess what? You're never gonna win. And so they just store up punishment for themselves. That's kind of what's going here. They're gonna face the consequences now.
But then also one day too. And Paul finishes this chapter with some remarks about man. He says, we just wish we could have seen you guys. There's a particular encouragement. He calls them a crown of joy worthy about boasting to Jesus for.
But back to this idea of hostility.
A lot of people, even if they really believe in something, a lot of people, if they really believe in something, are only going to put up with so much for it. And maybe that number is different and depends on the cause. But only going to put up so much emotional or physical or spiritual, like there's only going to put up with so much for the cause. If you twist somebody's arm hard enough, like really hard in a literal sense or in an emotional sense, there's only so much you can handle. But they're saying here, this gospel of Jesus worth all of it.
There is no limit to what it's worth walking through.
It's worth pressing through. And this hostility shouldn't surprise us either, because Jesus gives several warnings that it's coming. One prime example is John 15, 19, 20. There we read, if you were of the world, the world would love you as its own. However, because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of it, the world hates you.
Remember the word I spoke to you. A servant is not greater than his master. If they persecute me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. This gospel is worth laboring for.
So much so it's worth suffering through hostility. To just be really blunt, this gospel is worth dying for.
There's maybe right. The gospel in our family is about the only things worth dying for, and this supersedes all of that. That's not to say we should go unnecessarily seeking out death or trying to die. But if it comes between, if it gets to a point, and we're relatively cushioned and safe here in America for now. But if it comes to a point where we have to choose between obedience to Christ or death, we should always choose obedience.
Our late friend John Klingbeal went to Wheaton College with a man whose name Jim Elliot, maybe that name Jim Elliott. Well, hopefully John Klingbeal to a lot of us we're remembering. But Jim Elliot and four other missionaries went to the jungles of Ecuador and they went there with the idea that, hey, we are going to bring the gospel to the Harani tribe. It used to be known as Aqua, but we found out later that's kind of more of a derogatory term, but Harani. And they knew they were hostile towards outsiders.
So they said, we need to bring the gospel of these people. They need Jesus. And so they planned for months, quite some time learning the language as best as they're able to, to bring the gospel to them. And they knew like there was a pretty good chance that they would get killed if this interaction didn't go well. And so they brought guns.
The missionaries brought guns, but they said they determined ahead of time that they wouldn't use them except for to fire into the air. But they weren't going to use them in self defense because they went in with a mindset. And this is a direct quote from Jim's journal. He said, they're not ready to meet Jesus, but we are. And Jim and four other young men, most of whom are husbands and dads, died.
They gave up their lives trying to bring the gospel to these people.
Years later they asked Elizabeth Elliot, that's Jim's widow, they said, is it worth it? How would you describe Jim's death? And she said, is it worth it? How many things can you think of that are worth suffering for?
He being Jesus is Lord of my life. And when I asked him at the age of 12 to be Lord of my life, I turned over to him all the rights. There is nothing worth living for unless it's worth dying for.
Brothers and sisters, let us know the gospel is worth laboring for. Let us know the Gospel of Jesus Christ is absolutely worth it. It's worth laboring for, even suffering through hostility.
This morning we've covered that and we've established the fact the Gospel is worth laboring for, no matter the cost. The text offered three proofs. The first is that the Gospel is worth laboring for. It's worth even not even seeking the glory of people. It's not worth seeking the glory of people.
It's also worth putting others first. And it's worth to suffering through hostility. Some practical application. It's worth not seeking glory from people because we're already approved of in Christ. And this is a truth, something to do, to remember and rehearse.
I am approved of by God. I no longer belong to myself, but I belong mind, body and soul to Jesus. Romans 8 if God is for us, who can be against us? Remember and rehearse. We need to remember and rehearse this to be true.
The gospel is also worth putting the needs of others first. And Jesus led the way for us to do this. And if we want to put others needs first, we have to look to Him. We need his help. It's a continual, ongoing process of asking Jesus for help.
By looking to the example he said the gospel is also worth laboring for, even if it means suffering through hostility. Jesus Christ himself faced it, and so we shouldn't be surprised when it comes for us. And so let us resolve to know this gospel so deeply and so well and to be so convinced of it that whenever, whatever may come, we are okay with standing on and knowing that it is worth it.
This gospel is worth laboring for, no matter the cost. Well, we've given three reasons why.
But do you know the why behind those three whys?
Because Jesus is worth it.
Because we were blind but now we see. Because we were lost but now we're found. Because he gives real rest with an easy yoke and a light burden. Because he came for you and I. Because he is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.
Why is this gospel worth laboring for? Why is this gospel worth getting potentially spit on or even killed? Why is this gospel worth taking to the ends of the earth? Why is this gospel worth setting aside what others think of us? Why is this gospel worth putting ourselves second?
Because Jesus is worth it.
He's worth all honor and glory and praise. He is worth facing everything for in order to bring the gospel wherever he needs to go.
Brothers and sisters, Jesus is worth everything, no matter what it may cost.
As we get ready for the final song this morning, let's ask ourselves what needs to change if I want to live like this gospel is true, that's just a real simple what needs to change? Does it look maybe another way we could ask the question does it look like I believe this gospel is worth everything? Does that look true? Just studying my life. Maybe we could rephrase it.
What do I consider to be more worthy? Like what practically have I considered to be more worthy? And how does that need to be corrected during this last song is the worship team will come up here in just a moment. We're going to give you the chance to be still in response to God and to say, God, what is it that you need me to do this morning he doesn't need us to do anything but God, what do I need to do? How do I need to respond?
We invite you and we'll give you the chance to do business with God. As the worship team comes up, if you want to talk to someone, there'll be prayer team members in the back of the sanctuary. Would you join me in a word of prayer?
God, we love you and we need you. We thank you for today and your gospel that your gospel is worth it because Jesus is worth it. We pray that you would do in us what you need to do. We pray that you would stir in our hearts ever deeper affections for Jesus and realize that all this is really a labor of love. That there's nothing that should stand in our way of bringing the gospel deeper to ourselves and to others.
God, we pray that you would do here a mighty work. It's in Jesus name we pray. Amen.