Thank you for reading the sermon this week. I was not able to post anything for awhile due to the fact that I've been very sick. I thank the Lord that I am doing much better now. I hope that you are all doing well.
Before I had to take a break due to illness, we had been in the midst of a study in the book of I Thessalonians. We made it through the first chapter, and we will cover most of chapter 2 in today's message.
One of the things we learned is that Paul's ministry to the people in Thessalonica is covered in the book of Acts. As he mentions in our text today, Paul and his ministry companions faced opposition in their ministry in Thessalonica. However, there were people in the city who were receptive to the message Paul was bringing, and they believed in the Lord Jesus Christ.
What I want to focus on today is how Paul speaks about the way that he and his companions ministered to the people. It is a pattern for those in ministry to follow today.
First of all, Paul said that they were working to please God and not people. That should be the first priority of anyone who is preaching the Gospel. Those of us who preach and teach are called by God to bring His Word to others. We have the obligation to preach as we are led by the Holy Spirit. We are not simply to preach what people want to hear.
I have an example of this from my ministry here on the blog. Some of you may remember that a couple of years ago I went through a series of messages on the book of Malachi. Malachi has some hard things within it that some people don't want to hear. I lost a lot of sermon readers while I was going through that series. However, I knew then that God wanted me to bring those messages at that time.
In verse 5, Paul said that they were not ministering out of greed. This is very true of the Apostle Paul. He worked as a tent maker in order to support himself in the ministry. He wasn't preaching in order to enrich himself. He knew that this world was not the place in which to lay up treasure. He was more interested in laying up treasure in heaven as we are instructed by the Lord Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount.
In our day and age, many Christian ministers are giving the church a bad reputation because they are seen by those who are not in the church as being motivated by money. This is really causing a lot of people to not want to become Christians. It needs to stop.
In verses 7 through 12, Paul tells of how he cared for those in the church in Thessalonica as a parent would care for their children. Part of his ministry was to encourage the people to keep living for Jesus in the midst of hardships and persecutions. His ministry included comforting the people in times of sorrow and loss. That is a big part of what a good minister needs to do today. We have to be there when people need us. We have to provide the comforting words of the Savior to those who are going through difficulties. Also, Paul urged the people to live for Jesus. He wanted their lives to count for both time and for eternity.
The people responded positively to Paul's ministry. They imitated the life of Christ even in the midst of persecution. That is what it truly means to be a Christian. It means that we imitate what Jesus did. We seek to follow His teachings and commandments and to be His light to illuminate the darkness that is in this world. Amen.
Prayer Requests
I am doing a lot better, but I am still very fatigued. Please pray that I will continue to feel better in the coming days.
Please continue to pray for an end to the coronavirus and monkeypox outbreaks. Pray that those who are sick will recover quickly.
We need to pray for those suffering as a result of the floods in Pakistan. Pray that they will receive that aid that they need. We also need to keep praying for those in Kentucky who are still dealing with the aftermath of the floods.
Continue to pray for peace. Libya, Ukraine, Ethiopia and Yemen all need our prayers.
For our prayer focus countries this week, let us pray for those who live in the nations of Mauritania and Uzbekistan. Pray that many will come to know Jesus.
Next week, we will continue in our current study. I will post the verses on Monday, and I hope to post something midweek. May God bless you all.
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