1 00:00:00,200 --> 00:00:03,800 You wouldn't want someone to teach you how to cook if there's 2 00:00:03,800 --> 00:00:05,760 someone who burns all their food. 3 00:00:07,680 --> 00:00:10,560 You wouldn't want someone to tutor you if they fail all their 4 00:00:10,560 --> 00:00:13,440 tests. You don't want someone to teach 5 00:00:13,440 --> 00:00:17,000 you how to hit a baseball. Who's the one known for striking 6 00:00:17,000 --> 00:00:21,320 out? Who would you want to teach you 7 00:00:22,440 --> 00:00:27,680 the Christian life? Who comes to your mind when you 8 00:00:27,680 --> 00:00:33,760 think of a model pastor? Maybe someone you had growing 9 00:00:33,760 --> 00:00:37,400 up, Maybe someone you got to see up close? 10 00:00:39,320 --> 00:00:41,560 There's many that come to mind for me. 11 00:00:43,120 --> 00:00:46,000 And John Bunyan's allegory of the Christian life, Pilgrim's 12 00:00:46,000 --> 00:00:48,960 Progress. The main character Christians 13 00:00:48,960 --> 00:00:54,480 LED into a room where he sees a portrait of a pastor hanging on 14 00:00:54,480 --> 00:00:59,760 the wall, Bunyan wrote. The man whose picture this is, 15 00:01:00,560 --> 00:01:05,239 is 1 of 1000. You see him with his eyes lifted 16 00:01:05,239 --> 00:01:10,360 up to heaven, the best of books in his hand, and the law of 17 00:01:10,360 --> 00:01:15,480 truth written on his lips. This shows that his work is to 18 00:01:15,480 --> 00:01:19,240 know and unfold dark things to sinners. 19 00:01:20,640 --> 00:01:26,600 You see him standing as if he was pleading with men, the world 20 00:01:26,600 --> 00:01:30,640 behind him, a crown hanging over his head. 21 00:01:31,720 --> 00:01:36,240 This shows that by neglecting and despising present things for 22 00:01:36,240 --> 00:01:41,760 the love that he has for his master's service, he is sure to 23 00:01:41,760 --> 00:01:45,680 have glory for his reward in the next World. 24 00:01:47,560 --> 00:01:52,160 Now Bunyan is presenting an allegory of a story of the 25 00:01:52,160 --> 00:01:56,000 Christian life. Why does he include this scene? 26 00:01:58,280 --> 00:02:03,000 Because on our journey from the city of destruction to that 27 00:02:03,000 --> 00:02:07,040 celestial city, we need faithful guides. 28 00:02:08,320 --> 00:02:10,600 We need faithful guides to glory. 29 00:02:11,000 --> 00:02:13,840 One of those guides was the Apostle Paul. 30 00:02:14,600 --> 00:02:17,320 If you have your Bible, turn to 1st Thessalonians. 31 00:02:17,320 --> 00:02:20,160 If you don't have a Bible, go ahead and raise your hand. 32 00:02:20,440 --> 00:02:22,520 Somebody will bring you a Bible right now. 33 00:02:22,520 --> 00:02:25,640 They're ready to go. Bible's at hand for anyone who 34 00:02:25,640 --> 00:02:28,080 needs one. First Thessalonians is in the 35 00:02:28,080 --> 00:02:30,920 New Testament near the end of the Bible. 36 00:02:32,800 --> 00:02:36,240 As we read the text before we get there, just a brief context 37 00:02:36,240 --> 00:02:37,600 which we discussed a little last week. 38 00:02:37,840 --> 00:02:42,640 This church was planted about 3 weeks long. 39 00:02:42,720 --> 00:02:45,680 That's how long the planting journey took the lead up. 40 00:02:46,240 --> 00:02:51,120 Three weeks of preaching in the synagogues on the Sabbath, and 41 00:02:51,120 --> 00:02:53,520 then the church in Thessalonica was born. 42 00:02:53,680 --> 00:02:57,400 Paul was with them for just a few months and then he was run 43 00:02:57,400 --> 00:03:03,000 out of town by the Jews. One day Paul was there teaching, 44 00:03:03,800 --> 00:03:09,640 preaching, meeting with members for discipling, and the next day 45 00:03:10,040 --> 00:03:14,320 he's gone, disappeared. Now we know in the book of Acts 46 00:03:14,480 --> 00:03:17,800 he travelled to Berea, which is about 50 miles away, and he did 47 00:03:17,800 --> 00:03:20,000 the same thing. He went to the synagogue, he 48 00:03:20,000 --> 00:03:25,200 preached the word, people came to faith and the Jews in 49 00:03:25,200 --> 00:03:29,920 Thessalonica heard about this and they hated Paul and his 50 00:03:29,920 --> 00:03:36,560 message so much that they too took that 50 mile trek, followed 51 00:03:36,560 --> 00:03:39,080 him to Berea, to persecute him there. 52 00:03:39,920 --> 00:03:43,320 This is what happens when you preach faithfully. 53 00:03:44,280 --> 00:03:48,400 When you preach faithfully, you are extending an invitation to 54 00:03:48,400 --> 00:03:52,720 your enemies. And that's what Paul did in 55 00:03:52,720 --> 00:03:56,400 First Thessalonians. It seems that Paul's ministry 56 00:03:56,400 --> 00:03:59,960 was under attack. He had just been ministering to 57 00:03:59,960 --> 00:04:02,960 these baby Christians and he's gone. 58 00:04:03,480 --> 00:04:07,040 It seemed that those Jews who could no longer attack him 59 00:04:07,040 --> 00:04:11,080 personally went after his followers. 60 00:04:12,000 --> 00:04:17,399 In chapter 1, if you remember, Paul presented a picture of an 61 00:04:17,399 --> 00:04:20,959 example church, the Church of the Thessalonians. 62 00:04:20,959 --> 00:04:26,760 In chapter 2, Paul presents a portrait of a model minister 63 00:04:27,400 --> 00:04:30,880 which is himself. Listen as I read First 64 00:04:30,880 --> 00:04:38,640 Thessalonians 21 to 12:00. For you yourselves, no brothers 65 00:04:39,720 --> 00:04:42,840 that are coming to you, was not in vain. 66 00:04:44,400 --> 00:04:47,080 But though we had already suffered and been shamefully 67 00:04:47,080 --> 00:04:52,000 treated at Philippi, as you know, we had boldness in our God 68 00:04:52,560 --> 00:04:57,800 to declare to you the gospel of God in the midst of much 69 00:04:57,800 --> 00:05:01,320 conflict. For our appeal does not spring 70 00:05:01,320 --> 00:05:06,000 from error or impurity or any attempt to deceive. 71 00:05:06,000 --> 00:05:10,000 But just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted 72 00:05:10,000 --> 00:05:16,600 with the gospel, so we speak not to please man, but to please God 73 00:05:17,200 --> 00:05:21,800 who tests our hearts. For we never came with words of 74 00:05:21,800 --> 00:05:26,440 flattery, as you know, nor with a pretext for greed. 75 00:05:27,120 --> 00:05:30,840 God is witness. Nor did we seek glory from 76 00:05:30,840 --> 00:05:35,440 people, whether from you or from others, though we could have 77 00:05:35,440 --> 00:05:37,680 made demands as apostles of Christ. 78 00:05:37,880 --> 00:05:43,400 But we were gentle among you, like a nursing mother taking 79 00:05:43,400 --> 00:05:47,320 care of her own children. So, being affectionately 80 00:05:47,320 --> 00:05:50,920 desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the 81 00:05:50,920 --> 00:05:56,800 gospel of God, but also our own selves, because you had become 82 00:05:56,800 --> 00:06:01,840 very dear to us for you. Remember, brothers, our labour 83 00:06:01,840 --> 00:06:06,760 and toil we worked night and day, that we might not be a 84 00:06:06,760 --> 00:06:10,440 burden to any of you, while we proclaim to you the gospel of 85 00:06:10,440 --> 00:06:14,280 God. You are witnesses and God also. 86 00:06:15,120 --> 00:06:20,280 How holy and righteous and blameless was our conduct 87 00:06:20,280 --> 00:06:24,080 towards you believers. For you know how, like a father 88 00:06:24,080 --> 00:06:29,400 with his children, we exhorted each one of you and encouraged 89 00:06:29,400 --> 00:06:36,760 you and charged you to walk in a manner worthy of God who calls 90 00:06:36,760 --> 00:06:40,640 you into his own Kingdom and glory. 91 00:06:43,720 --> 00:06:47,400 Brothers and sisters, that fruitful ministry you saw in 92 00:06:47,400 --> 00:06:53,240 chapter 1 was there because of faithful ministers. 93 00:06:55,040 --> 00:06:56,920 The point of the passage for us is this. 94 00:06:57,360 --> 00:06:58,880 If you're taking notes, write this down. 95 00:06:59,280 --> 00:07:06,320 Follow Paul to walk in a manner worthy of God to glory. 96 00:07:07,400 --> 00:07:13,920 Follow Paul to walk in a manner worthy of God to glory. 97 00:07:15,080 --> 00:07:18,320 On our journey to glory, we need faithful guides. 98 00:07:18,320 --> 00:07:23,800 Friends, Paul is a faithful guide to glory and there's three 99 00:07:23,800 --> 00:07:25,760 ways that we should follow him from the passage. 100 00:07:25,760 --> 00:07:28,680 The first way, his courage, that's verses one and two. 101 00:07:29,320 --> 00:07:32,240 Second, his character, verses three to six. 102 00:07:32,760 --> 00:07:36,360 And third, his conduct, verses 7 to 12. 103 00:07:36,360 --> 00:07:42,920 So courage, character conduct. First follow Paul's courage 104 00:07:42,920 --> 00:07:46,040 verses one to two. Look at verse 14. 105 00:07:47,360 --> 00:07:50,840 You yourselves know, brothers that are coming to you. 106 00:07:50,840 --> 00:07:56,880 Was not in vain. Why might the Thessalonian 107 00:07:56,880 --> 00:08:02,680 Church think that Paul and his missionary teams visit was in 108 00:08:02,680 --> 00:08:06,320 vain? As I mentioned earlier, it seems 109 00:08:06,320 --> 00:08:08,160 Paul's reputation was under attack. 110 00:08:08,920 --> 00:08:11,760 We know the Jews from Thesalonica were jealous of 111 00:08:11,760 --> 00:08:15,560 Paul. They even were so jealous when 112 00:08:15,560 --> 00:08:19,720 he was there ministering they formed a mob and attacked the 113 00:08:19,720 --> 00:08:23,120 house he was staying at. They ran him out of town. 114 00:08:23,840 --> 00:08:27,640 So it should be no surprise that they now attacked his very 115 00:08:27,640 --> 00:08:31,040 character. What else could undermine that 116 00:08:31,040 --> 00:08:34,240 new found faith of the Thessalonian church? 117 00:08:35,480 --> 00:08:37,960 In chapter 1, Paul already reminded the Thessalonians. 118 00:08:38,320 --> 00:08:42,679 Chapter one, verse 5, You know what kind of men we prove to be 119 00:08:42,679 --> 00:08:48,360 among you for your sake. Here he elaborates in chapter 2. 120 00:08:48,600 --> 00:08:53,640 Five times in these verses Paul repeats that the Thessalonians 121 00:08:53,640 --> 00:08:57,280 are his witnesses. Look throughout the passage. 122 00:08:57,320 --> 00:09:06,440 Verse one, you yourselves know. Verse 2 you know verse 5 as you 123 00:09:06,480 --> 00:09:17,960 know verse 9 for you remember verse 10 you are witnesses twice 124 00:09:18,960 --> 00:09:23,200 Paul even appeals to God as witness. 125 00:09:23,200 --> 00:09:30,120 Verse 5 God is witness. Verse 10, you are witnesses and 126 00:09:30,120 --> 00:09:34,600 God also. Sure there are charges against 127 00:09:34,600 --> 00:09:40,320 Paul, but despite the charges, Paul knows and they should know 128 00:09:40,880 --> 00:09:46,640 and God knows He's in the clear. And Paul points first to his 129 00:09:46,640 --> 00:09:47,880 courage. Look at verse 2. 130 00:09:49,840 --> 00:09:53,120 But though we had already suffered and been shamefully 131 00:09:53,120 --> 00:09:57,880 treated at Philippi, as you know, we had boldness in our God 132 00:09:57,880 --> 00:10:02,120 to declare to you the gospel of God in the midst of much 133 00:10:02,120 --> 00:10:06,280 conflict. You can imagine the scenario. 134 00:10:07,280 --> 00:10:10,760 Perhaps Paul's opponents called Paul a coward. 135 00:10:11,120 --> 00:10:14,000 After all, wasn't he smuggled out in the night in 136 00:10:14,000 --> 00:10:17,360 Thessalonica? Didn't he even have to flee as 137 00:10:17,360 --> 00:10:20,920 far as Athens to get away from these Jews? 138 00:10:21,600 --> 00:10:26,760 Where's Paul now, They ask. Paul responds. 139 00:10:27,640 --> 00:10:31,040 Church, remember my time at Philippi, right before I came to 140 00:10:31,040 --> 00:10:34,680 visit you? They tore off my clothes, they 141 00:10:34,680 --> 00:10:38,120 beat me with rods, they threw me in prison. 142 00:10:38,640 --> 00:10:41,120 That did not stop me from preaching the gospel. 143 00:10:41,240 --> 00:10:45,640 When Paul was in that jail cell in Philippi, he was preaching 144 00:10:45,640 --> 00:10:49,200 the gospel and a Philippian jailer and his whole household 145 00:10:49,200 --> 00:10:51,520 got converted and he baptized them. 146 00:10:52,240 --> 00:10:54,960 Paul was not ashamed of the gospel. 147 00:10:56,120 --> 00:11:00,000 He was not a coward. Even in Thessalonica, Paul 148 00:11:00,000 --> 00:11:05,120 reminds them he declared the gospel in the midst of much 149 00:11:05,320 --> 00:11:08,640 conflict. If Paul was scared of a beating, 150 00:11:09,280 --> 00:11:13,040 he would have quit preaching. He was no coward. 151 00:11:14,400 --> 00:11:18,880 He was courageous and perhaps Christian. 152 00:11:18,880 --> 00:11:23,320 You're sitting there thinking, wow, Paul is extraordinary. 153 00:11:24,120 --> 00:11:26,760 I, on the other hand, am ordinary. 154 00:11:27,240 --> 00:11:34,640 I could never be bold like Paul. Friend, don't miss the source of 155 00:11:34,640 --> 00:11:35,840 his courage. Look at verse 2. 156 00:11:36,960 --> 00:11:46,560 We had boldness in our God, boldness in God. 157 00:11:47,640 --> 00:11:49,920 Paul's boldness didn't arise from within. 158 00:11:50,760 --> 00:11:57,080 The source was external. It was supernatural from God. 159 00:11:58,600 --> 00:12:03,400 During the Reformation in England, Queen Mary required 160 00:12:04,840 --> 00:12:07,960 Thomas Cranmer not only to submit to the Roman Catholic 161 00:12:07,960 --> 00:12:12,080 Church's teaching, but to deny publicly the very Gospel he 162 00:12:12,080 --> 00:12:15,600 preached. She imprisoned him for 30 163 00:12:15,600 --> 00:12:20,960 months, 2 1/2 years, interrogated him often. 164 00:12:21,880 --> 00:12:24,480 He had to watch as his own friends were burned. 165 00:12:24,720 --> 00:12:30,320 His only way out, she told them, the only salvation was through 166 00:12:30,400 --> 00:12:34,800 recantation. Deny the gospel you've preached. 167 00:12:34,800 --> 00:12:41,480 Write it down on a letter. And after 30 months, Cranmer 168 00:12:41,480 --> 00:12:45,320 succumbed to the pressure. He signed the letter of 169 00:12:45,320 --> 00:12:48,640 recantation. It was when he was brought to 170 00:12:48,680 --> 00:12:54,120 the trial to read the document out loud that he shocked the 171 00:12:54,120 --> 00:12:58,960 crowd. In a moment of courage, he 172 00:12:58,960 --> 00:13:04,000 denied his recantation, and he affirmed the gospel once again. 173 00:13:04,600 --> 00:13:08,600 Immediately they seized Cranmer and they burned him at the 174 00:13:08,600 --> 00:13:15,480 stake, but not before he freed that hand, the hand which signed 175 00:13:15,480 --> 00:13:20,000 the recantation, and put it in the fire first. 176 00:13:22,320 --> 00:13:25,720 Friends, that's courage and conflict. 177 00:13:28,080 --> 00:13:34,120 How can we have this courage, this courage to declare the 178 00:13:34,200 --> 00:13:40,400 gospel boldly in the midst of much conflict? 179 00:13:42,240 --> 00:13:47,840 One way is just simple. Ask others to pray specifically 180 00:13:48,120 --> 00:13:51,680 for your courage. You might think that's so 181 00:13:51,680 --> 00:13:54,560 simple, but friend, in the Christian life you never 182 00:13:54,560 --> 00:13:58,080 graduate from needing courage to share the gospel. 183 00:13:58,280 --> 00:14:03,840 Paul himself didn't. He sent this prayer request off 184 00:14:03,840 --> 00:14:08,480 to the Church of Ephesus. He said, pray for me that words 185 00:14:08,480 --> 00:14:12,880 may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the 186 00:14:12,880 --> 00:14:17,160 mystery of the gospel for which I am an ambassador in chains, 187 00:14:17,160 --> 00:14:22,880 that I may declare it boldly as I ought to speak. 188 00:14:23,560 --> 00:14:28,280 Even Paul needed prayer for boldness. 189 00:14:28,960 --> 00:14:33,640 So friend, before you meet a Co worker, before you spend time 190 00:14:33,640 --> 00:14:37,840 with your neighbor or visit family or head onto campus, 191 00:14:38,120 --> 00:14:41,080 reach out to a member of the church, shoot off a quick text. 192 00:14:41,480 --> 00:14:47,160 Ask them to pray for your courage, to share boldly another 193 00:14:47,160 --> 00:14:49,800 way. Share the gospel together. 194 00:14:51,000 --> 00:14:53,960 Paul and Silas preached in Philippi together. 195 00:14:54,720 --> 00:14:57,840 They were beaten in Philippi together. 196 00:14:58,520 --> 00:15:02,120 You know if someone has a cold, you want them to keep their 197 00:15:02,120 --> 00:15:06,000 distance. If someone has courage, you want 198 00:15:06,000 --> 00:15:09,760 some of that to rub off on you. Courage is contagious. 199 00:15:10,640 --> 00:15:14,400 One of my dear friends, Welton, is a bold evangelist. 200 00:15:15,160 --> 00:15:18,040 When I'm with Welton, it's pretty much guaranteed. 201 00:15:18,040 --> 00:15:21,840 I know if we're at a coffee shop or we're at lunch, we're sharing 202 00:15:21,840 --> 00:15:24,520 the gospel with someone. Someone's here in the gospel. 203 00:15:24,960 --> 00:15:26,520 I love spending time with Walton. 204 00:15:26,800 --> 00:15:31,720 It emboldens me in my own evangelism, You know, in my own 205 00:15:31,720 --> 00:15:35,560 neighborhood. Hannan Eyes evangelism has only 206 00:15:35,560 --> 00:15:39,440 been strengthened as other Christian members of the church 207 00:15:39,440 --> 00:15:41,880 are involved. I walked to service today. 208 00:15:41,880 --> 00:15:45,320 Somebody handed me Bibles for my neighbor. 209 00:15:46,600 --> 00:15:49,560 We help each other do this. We help each other. 210 00:15:49,560 --> 00:15:53,080 We strengthen each other. Which church member can you 211 00:15:53,080 --> 00:15:56,320 recruit for your next evangelistic endeavour? 212 00:15:56,320 --> 00:15:59,680 As you share share the gospel in your neighborhood and at your 213 00:15:59,680 --> 00:16:04,360 workplace and at school, who can you recruit to join along? 214 00:16:06,360 --> 00:16:10,680 But what if you're in the midst of conflict right now because of 215 00:16:10,680 --> 00:16:17,000 the courage to share the gospel? What if you're facing opposition 216 00:16:17,000 --> 00:16:19,240 because you're preaching faithfully? 217 00:16:19,960 --> 00:16:23,240 Friend, if that's you, you're in good company. 218 00:16:24,480 --> 00:16:27,080 You follow Paul and the apostles. 219 00:16:28,080 --> 00:16:30,280 You follow the prophets who went before them. 220 00:16:30,280 --> 00:16:36,760 But most importantly, you preach in the presence of God. 221 00:16:38,520 --> 00:16:43,960 Who's with you at the workplace? Who stands by your side in your 222 00:16:43,960 --> 00:16:47,520 neighborhood? Who travels with you on that 223 00:16:47,520 --> 00:16:53,640 vacation to extended family? By the Spirit, Christian, you 224 00:16:53,640 --> 00:17:01,760 have boldness in our God. I hope you've seen Paul was a 225 00:17:01,760 --> 00:17:07,560 courageous preacher. It's because Paul was a man of 226 00:17:07,560 --> 00:17:13,119 character. And for us, we have to ask who 227 00:17:13,119 --> 00:17:20,560 are we on the inside? Point #2 Follow Paul's character 228 00:17:25,520 --> 00:17:30,000 verses 3 to 6. In verses 3 to 6, Paul opens up 229 00:17:30,000 --> 00:17:35,240 his heart for examination. He pops the hood open and he 230 00:17:35,240 --> 00:17:41,040 reveals his motivations. Paul denies that hiding behind 231 00:17:41,040 --> 00:17:44,480 the preacher was really just a man of vice. 232 00:17:45,640 --> 00:17:49,400 There are 6 vices listed in these verses, 2 sets of three. 233 00:17:49,880 --> 00:17:53,800 You can see the first set in verse 3, error, impurity, 234 00:17:54,320 --> 00:18:00,200 deception, and the second set in verses 5 to 6, Flattery, greed, 235 00:18:01,200 --> 00:18:06,080 Vainglory. If Paul's not motivated by vice, 236 00:18:06,080 --> 00:18:09,040 what motivates Paul? Look at verse 4, right in the 237 00:18:09,040 --> 00:18:13,960 middle of those two sets the driving motivation for Paul's 238 00:18:13,960 --> 00:18:15,800 missionary team. Verse 4. 239 00:18:16,160 --> 00:18:21,960 They speak not to please man, but to please God. 240 00:18:23,720 --> 00:18:29,800 How different were Paul, Silas and Timothy from the many 241 00:18:29,800 --> 00:18:33,080 travelling preachers that circulated the 1st century Roman 242 00:18:33,080 --> 00:18:35,080 world? The Thessalonians themselves 243 00:18:35,080 --> 00:18:38,600 would have heard brilliant speakers who gathered crowds 244 00:18:38,600 --> 00:18:44,000 with their Polish preaching. But if you got up close, if you 245 00:18:44,000 --> 00:18:49,960 listen carefully, if you examine their lives, you'd find they 246 00:18:49,960 --> 00:18:53,320 were frauds. Their message was a lie, their 247 00:18:53,320 --> 00:18:56,080 motives impure. They were often associated with 248 00:18:56,080 --> 00:18:58,800 sexual immorality. They tickled your ears with 249 00:18:58,800 --> 00:19:03,600 flattery. They were motivated by greed and 250 00:19:03,600 --> 00:19:08,040 glory and friends. You can find the same speakers 251 00:19:08,040 --> 00:19:12,120 today, sadly. Couple years ago, a celebrity 252 00:19:12,120 --> 00:19:14,760 pastor in New York City was caught in adultery. 253 00:19:15,840 --> 00:19:21,520 What was especially sad was the reaction from non Christians on 254 00:19:21,520 --> 00:19:25,480 a podcast with 14.5 million subscribers. 255 00:19:26,440 --> 00:19:30,080 One non Christian pointed out how he had already critiqued 256 00:19:30,080 --> 00:19:32,480 this preacher before on his podcast. 257 00:19:33,000 --> 00:19:38,480 He said I see what you're doing. You're pretending to be 258 00:19:38,480 --> 00:19:41,640 profound. You're pretending to be pious. 259 00:19:42,040 --> 00:19:43,720 You're pretending to be above it all. 260 00:19:43,960 --> 00:19:52,960 But you're not. You're just one of us friends. 261 00:19:52,960 --> 00:19:57,400 That was not Paul's ministry. There were no skeletons in 262 00:19:57,400 --> 00:20:01,880 Paul's closet. The man you saw was the man you 263 00:20:01,880 --> 00:20:03,440 got. Look at verse four. 264 00:20:03,440 --> 00:20:08,880 He says this is because. Paul was approved by God to be 265 00:20:08,880 --> 00:20:13,120 entrusted with the gospel. So when he preached, it was not 266 00:20:13,120 --> 00:20:17,480 to please man, but to please God who tests our hearts. 267 00:20:18,400 --> 00:20:23,200 Paul was approved by God, He was entrusted by God, and so his aim 268 00:20:23,440 --> 00:20:29,720 was to please God. His ministry and his motivations 269 00:20:30,480 --> 00:20:35,080 were all about God. He preached to men, but he 270 00:20:35,080 --> 00:20:40,640 didn't preach to please men. He knew he was accountable to 271 00:20:40,640 --> 00:20:50,000 the one who weighed his heart, his thoughts, his desires, his 272 00:20:50,000 --> 00:21:02,760 aspirations, his dreams. There's a God who knows you, the 273 00:21:02,760 --> 00:21:10,640 real you, the you you are. When no one's watching the you, 274 00:21:11,520 --> 00:21:15,520 no one else can see. Friend, if you're not a 275 00:21:15,520 --> 00:21:18,600 Christian, how does that make you feel? 276 00:21:22,040 --> 00:21:24,480 When the atheist Christopher Hitchens was asked about the 277 00:21:24,480 --> 00:21:27,800 possibility of God's existence, he said I think it would be 278 00:21:27,800 --> 00:21:32,000 rather awful if it was true. He said if there was a 279 00:21:32,000 --> 00:21:35,560 permanent, total, round the clock divine supervision and 280 00:21:35,680 --> 00:21:39,400 invigilation of everything you did, you would never have a 281 00:21:39,400 --> 00:21:42,800 waking or sleeping moment when you weren't being watched and 282 00:21:42,800 --> 00:21:47,440 controlled and supervised by some celestial entity from the 283 00:21:47,440 --> 00:21:53,600 moment of your conception to the moment of your death, Hitchens 284 00:21:53,600 --> 00:21:58,200 said. It would be like living in North 285 00:21:58,200 --> 00:22:06,880 Korea if you're not in Christ. The gaze of God can only be a 286 00:22:06,880 --> 00:22:12,760 terror because we've each done things that we know are wrong. 287 00:22:14,120 --> 00:22:18,360 We've each said things that we wish we could take back. 288 00:22:19,640 --> 00:22:23,520 We've each thought things we're ashamed of. 289 00:22:25,280 --> 00:22:29,840 But Paul was not afraid of God's gaze after his conversion on the 290 00:22:29,840 --> 00:22:33,800 road to Damascus. Paul knew he was approved by God 291 00:22:33,800 --> 00:22:35,480 because he had trusted in Christ. 292 00:22:36,080 --> 00:22:39,680 He knew that God isn't just aware of every waking moment, 293 00:22:39,880 --> 00:22:44,880 He's aware of every motivation. But he knew that God's not like 294 00:22:45,000 --> 00:22:49,440 some picky driving examiner eager to fail you for any error. 295 00:22:50,280 --> 00:22:55,480 It was because Paul was approved by God and entrusted by God that 296 00:22:55,480 --> 00:23:00,760 he sought to please God. It was the fear of the Lord that 297 00:23:00,760 --> 00:23:04,880 drove him to God, not away from God. 298 00:23:06,800 --> 00:23:11,480 Church, this is what you want your pastors to be made of. 299 00:23:13,400 --> 00:23:14,960 You don't want pastors who fear you. 300 00:23:16,280 --> 00:23:20,480 You don't want pastors that you can manipulate and control. 301 00:23:20,920 --> 00:23:24,480 You need pastors who fear the Lord more than they fear you, 302 00:23:25,040 --> 00:23:29,440 who care more about what the Lord thinks of their sermon than 303 00:23:29,440 --> 00:23:35,160 what you think of their sermon. You need men who can stand 304 00:23:35,160 --> 00:23:39,400 before the congregation with a clear conscience, men whose 305 00:23:39,400 --> 00:23:44,120 ministry flows from their pure motives. 306 00:23:44,120 --> 00:23:47,960 That's what you need. And I wonder, Christian, as you 307 00:23:47,960 --> 00:23:51,680 consider these six vices that Paul denies. 308 00:23:52,280 --> 00:23:54,320 He says I've had nothing to do with those. 309 00:23:55,960 --> 00:23:59,560 Are there any that you see that you need to confess? 310 00:24:00,960 --> 00:24:03,400 If they're our friend, talk. Talk to another member of the 311 00:24:03,400 --> 00:24:07,360 church about that. The Christian life until glory 312 00:24:07,600 --> 00:24:12,160 is character refinement. We're constantly seeing new 313 00:24:12,200 --> 00:24:17,880 aspects of us that we thought we had mortified and that we need 314 00:24:17,880 --> 00:24:20,960 to continue confessing and giving to the Lord. 315 00:24:22,880 --> 00:24:26,880 Brothers and sisters, members of this church, I wonder what your 316 00:24:26,880 --> 00:24:29,720 ministry in this church springs from. 317 00:24:30,000 --> 00:24:32,520 Look at verse 3. That's the the phrase he uses. 318 00:24:33,920 --> 00:24:36,360 His ministry didn't spring from error. 319 00:24:37,040 --> 00:24:41,520 In other words, why do you do what you do? 320 00:24:43,240 --> 00:24:48,160 Or more specifically, who do you do it for? 321 00:24:49,840 --> 00:24:55,840 Is your ministry in this church to please man or is it to please 322 00:24:55,840 --> 00:25:00,120 God? The Puritan John Flavell said 323 00:25:00,320 --> 00:25:02,440 the non Christian fears man not God. 324 00:25:03,320 --> 00:25:05,920 The strong Christian fears God not man. 325 00:25:06,680 --> 00:25:11,120 The weak Christian fears man too much and God too little. 326 00:25:12,560 --> 00:25:16,760 I wonder which one are you? How can you tell? 327 00:25:18,360 --> 00:25:23,640 Fear of man goes by many names. Kids, we often call it shyness. 328 00:25:24,480 --> 00:25:30,080 Teenagers goes by peer pressure. Adults we call it codependency. 329 00:25:30,840 --> 00:25:33,920 It has many disguises. What are the signs? 330 00:25:33,920 --> 00:25:38,040 Here's a few signs of fear of man from Ed Welch's book on the 331 00:25:38,040 --> 00:25:40,240 topic. When people are big and God is 332 00:25:40,240 --> 00:25:46,040 small, 1 is over commitment. Are you unable to say no? 333 00:25:46,440 --> 00:25:49,440 People would just look at you and think, wow, they are just 334 00:25:49,440 --> 00:25:51,560 serving the church. They never stop. 335 00:25:52,040 --> 00:25:54,800 But inwardly you are just caught up in it. 336 00:25:55,080 --> 00:25:58,280 You can't stop. It's a sign of fear of man. 337 00:25:58,640 --> 00:26:03,400 Do you fish for compliments? Do you ever make small 338 00:26:03,400 --> 00:26:06,880 compromises to fit in? Just little ones, little 339 00:26:06,880 --> 00:26:09,680 adjustments to your character just to be around the people 340 00:26:09,680 --> 00:26:15,440 you're with? Do you have a private life that 341 00:26:15,440 --> 00:26:20,480 differs from your public life? Do you have a fear that at any 342 00:26:20,480 --> 00:26:25,040 moment you'll be exposed as an impostor? 343 00:26:26,600 --> 00:26:29,600 Those are all signs of the fear of man. 344 00:26:29,760 --> 00:26:33,080 How can we find freedom from the fear of man? 345 00:26:34,840 --> 00:26:39,000 Freedom from fear of man is only found in fearing the Lord. 346 00:26:39,680 --> 00:26:43,480 The fear of the Lord is that fear that Spurgeon said that 347 00:26:43,480 --> 00:26:49,280 leans towards the Lord. It is only a fear that a 348 00:26:49,280 --> 00:26:54,400 believer can experience, a fear that marvels at God's goodness 349 00:26:54,400 --> 00:26:57,720 in the Gospel. A fear that knows that in Christ 350 00:26:57,920 --> 00:27:01,920 the sun has risen and God's face shines upon you. 351 00:27:02,240 --> 00:27:06,280 It's a fear that trust God, even though he knows the depth of 352 00:27:06,280 --> 00:27:11,240 your your darkness, He actually delights in you as one of your 353 00:27:11,240 --> 00:27:13,440 children, as one of his children. 354 00:27:13,840 --> 00:27:19,040 It's a fear that seeps into every aspect of the soil of your 355 00:27:19,040 --> 00:27:23,440 heart and produces good fruit like joy and peace and 356 00:27:23,440 --> 00:27:26,560 assurance. A fear that the psalmist says 357 00:27:27,320 --> 00:27:32,720 the Lord takes pleasure in those who fear him. 358 00:27:34,600 --> 00:27:41,360 Paul feared the Lord. He wasn't a flatterer, He wasn't 359 00:27:41,360 --> 00:27:44,400 greedy. He was a man of character. 360 00:27:45,320 --> 00:27:49,080 His courageous preaching was just the tip of the iceberg 361 00:27:49,320 --> 00:27:54,480 floating underneath. Paul was a man of substance, a 362 00:27:54,480 --> 00:27:58,640 man who could refer to his own character and write the 363 00:27:58,640 --> 00:28:04,480 Thessalonians in verse 5 and say, you know, God is witness. 364 00:28:05,760 --> 00:28:11,000 That was the apostle Paul and friends, he was an apostle, but 365 00:28:11,000 --> 00:28:14,080 there's principles we should derive from this for our own 366 00:28:14,080 --> 00:28:17,040 ministry church. This is the type of character 367 00:28:17,040 --> 00:28:18,760 you should expect from your pastors. 368 00:28:20,040 --> 00:28:23,360 If you join another church, if you ever leave this area, join a 369 00:28:23,360 --> 00:28:25,920 church across town. It's what you should expect from 370 00:28:25,920 --> 00:28:30,560 those pastors. Paul actually gave Timothy 15 371 00:28:30,560 --> 00:28:34,840 qualifications for pastors in First Timothy 3, 15. 372 00:28:34,960 --> 00:28:37,280 One is about the man's ability to teach. 373 00:28:38,760 --> 00:28:40,240 He doesn't need to be the best teacher. 374 00:28:41,480 --> 00:28:43,400 He doesn't even need to be a good teacher. 375 00:28:43,760 --> 00:28:49,120 Paul just says he needs to be able to teach, just able to 376 00:28:49,120 --> 00:28:50,960 teach. In other words, he needs to be 377 00:28:50,960 --> 00:28:55,640 able to open the Bible, read from it, explain it so that you 378 00:28:55,640 --> 00:28:59,240 understand it. He must do that. 379 00:29:01,040 --> 00:29:02,960 But friends, that's just one of the qualifications. 380 00:29:03,160 --> 00:29:10,480 The other 14 all concern character. 14 qualifications 381 00:29:10,480 --> 00:29:14,120 about character, one about teaching ability. 382 00:29:15,160 --> 00:29:19,480 Brother, if you're here and you aspire to be a pastor, let your 383 00:29:19,480 --> 00:29:22,240 training be appropriately weighted. 384 00:29:22,640 --> 00:29:26,520 Yes, you should aim to make progress in your preaching. 385 00:29:27,320 --> 00:29:35,360 Study theology, read good books. Do that, but don't mess with 386 00:29:35,360 --> 00:29:37,520 character. Don't miss that. 387 00:29:37,680 --> 00:29:39,840 Are there cracks right now that you're aware of in your 388 00:29:39,840 --> 00:29:43,000 character? How many are there? 389 00:29:44,760 --> 00:29:48,560 How deep do they go? Who knows about them? 390 00:29:49,840 --> 00:29:52,600 Can you say of those who know you best? 391 00:29:53,680 --> 00:29:58,840 If you're married, your wife, if you have kids, your kids, you're 392 00:29:58,840 --> 00:30:02,120 best friends. You know my character. 393 00:30:03,200 --> 00:30:06,920 Can you say before God you're my witness? 394 00:30:08,720 --> 00:30:13,680 That's what Paul did. He wasn't perfect, but there was 395 00:30:13,680 --> 00:30:17,520 no bait and switch. His motives were pure. 396 00:30:18,480 --> 00:30:22,280 He practiced what he preached. He was the same man from the 397 00:30:22,280 --> 00:30:24,520 pulpit as he was in your living room. 398 00:30:24,720 --> 00:30:30,240 He was a man of character, and his character could be examined 399 00:30:30,920 --> 00:30:36,920 on the basis of his conduct point #3 Third and finally, 400 00:30:37,800 --> 00:30:48,910 follow Paul's conduct. Paul uses 3 familial metaphors 401 00:30:49,470 --> 00:30:51,670 to describe his conduct in verses 7 to 12. 402 00:30:52,630 --> 00:30:55,270 And we're used to kind of pictures of a pastor in 403 00:30:55,270 --> 00:30:58,360 Scripture, a soldier. We're used to that one. 404 00:30:58,480 --> 00:31:01,520 We just read a few, a shepherd with their sheep. 405 00:31:02,280 --> 00:31:04,800 We're familiar with that. Even a father I think we can 406 00:31:04,800 --> 00:31:07,200 resonate with. But he uses 3 here. 407 00:31:07,480 --> 00:31:09,400 And I think the first two might surprise you. 408 00:31:09,600 --> 00:31:15,960 First he points to an infant, then a nursing mom, and then a 409 00:31:15,960 --> 00:31:18,040 father. You can see the last two pretty 410 00:31:18,040 --> 00:31:21,440 easily. Verse 7, nursing mom, verse 11, 411 00:31:22,160 --> 00:31:23,960 a father. But the first one takes a little 412 00:31:23,960 --> 00:31:25,320 more work. So look at verse 7. 413 00:31:26,560 --> 00:31:31,040 It begins with a contrast. But we were gentle among you. 414 00:31:31,720 --> 00:31:34,880 The word in the ESV translates it as gentle. 415 00:31:34,880 --> 00:31:38,320 We were gentle, but this could also be translated as infants. 416 00:31:38,840 --> 00:31:42,240 The difference is just one letter, 1 little letter in the 417 00:31:42,240 --> 00:31:46,560 Greek epioi or nepioi if you're interested. 418 00:31:47,040 --> 00:31:53,040 And the manuscript evidence for both suggests that nepioi infant 419 00:31:53,200 --> 00:31:55,000 is the earlier one that should be adopted. 420 00:31:55,000 --> 00:31:57,000 I think it fits the context better too. 421 00:31:58,200 --> 00:32:00,960 Infants. One reason because as you've 422 00:32:00,960 --> 00:32:04,560 already seen, Paul seems to love these sets of three throughout 423 00:32:04,560 --> 00:32:07,760 this passage. So this fits with three familial 424 00:32:07,760 --> 00:32:13,120 metaphors for the pastor. It also is a contrast to the 425 00:32:13,120 --> 00:32:15,000 previous section. So look at verse 7. 426 00:32:15,320 --> 00:32:19,120 But Paul's contrasting with what he just said. 427 00:32:19,360 --> 00:32:23,040 Paul wasn't greedy for money. He wasn't hungry for glory. 428 00:32:23,160 --> 00:32:27,480 He could have made demands. But verse 7, he was innocent 429 00:32:27,480 --> 00:32:32,520 among them like an infant. Paul's not saying infants are 430 00:32:32,520 --> 00:32:33,840 sinless. That's not his point. 431 00:32:33,960 --> 00:32:37,160 He's saying they're innocent. You know, we have many babies at 432 00:32:37,160 --> 00:32:40,440 Trinity Baptist Church. None of them yet are greedy for 433 00:32:40,440 --> 00:32:44,680 glory or gain. They mainly just want their 434 00:32:44,680 --> 00:32:47,560 mother's milk, and that's where Paul goes next. 435 00:32:47,560 --> 00:32:53,320 Verse 7, the second metaphor. Paul says like a nursing mother 436 00:32:54,040 --> 00:32:59,120 taking care of her own children. How is a nursing mother a 437 00:32:59,120 --> 00:33:03,040 picture of a faithful pastor? Have you ever thought about that 438 00:33:03,320 --> 00:33:07,920 before in your life? Nursing mother, faithful pastor, 439 00:33:08,280 --> 00:33:12,920 A nursing mom conforms her own life to meet the needs of her 440 00:33:12,920 --> 00:33:16,440 new child. Many of you have done this. 441 00:33:17,240 --> 00:33:23,760 She doesn't take, but she gives from herself during the first 442 00:33:23,760 --> 00:33:26,920 month of a baby's life, which, Lord willing, soon in October, 443 00:33:26,920 --> 00:33:28,800 we're going to experience that for the 4th time. 444 00:33:29,640 --> 00:33:33,640 Those sleepless nights. The baby demands milk at least 445 00:33:33,640 --> 00:33:36,200 eight times a day. If you're doing the math, that's 446 00:33:36,200 --> 00:33:41,400 every three hours. Every three hours the baby cries 447 00:33:41,400 --> 00:33:44,000 out. And though the mother is 448 00:33:44,000 --> 00:33:47,080 exhausted from sleep deprivation, she does not just 449 00:33:47,080 --> 00:33:51,320 feed the baby. She snuggles with the baby, she 450 00:33:51,320 --> 00:33:55,440 plays with the baby, she nurtures the baby, she 451 00:33:55,440 --> 00:34:00,320 sacrifices for that baby. And when that baby cries at 2:00 452 00:34:00,320 --> 00:34:05,800 AM, she gets out of bed or she elbows her husband. 453 00:34:06,280 --> 00:34:11,400 She says get out of bed, get the baby and she feeds that baby 454 00:34:12,480 --> 00:34:16,560 because she cares. That's the word Paul uses in 455 00:34:16,560 --> 00:34:21,040 verse 7 care. It's the same word in 456 00:34:21,040 --> 00:34:25,400 Deuteronomy 22 six to describe a mother bird warming her baby 457 00:34:25,400 --> 00:34:29,000 birds. A nursing mom loves her 458 00:34:29,000 --> 00:34:31,800 children. Paul says the Thessalonians, 459 00:34:31,800 --> 00:34:35,440 verse 8. So being affectionately desirous 460 00:34:35,440 --> 00:34:38,920 of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of 461 00:34:38,920 --> 00:34:43,880 God, but also our own selves, because you had become very dear 462 00:34:43,880 --> 00:34:47,800 to us. Paul gave the gospel. 463 00:34:48,880 --> 00:34:53,360 He gave his very life because he loved them. 464 00:34:54,320 --> 00:34:57,920 That's why verse 9, he laboured night and day. 465 00:34:58,320 --> 00:35:01,200 I think there's still some play on the nursing mother idea here. 466 00:35:01,480 --> 00:35:06,440 Night and day in Thessalonica Paul preached by day and he made 467 00:35:06,440 --> 00:35:10,240 tents by night. He laboured and toiled for them, 468 00:35:10,680 --> 00:35:14,680 so that even though he had the right to be paid as Christ 469 00:35:14,680 --> 00:35:18,440 commanded, he didn't make use of that right because he didn't 470 00:35:18,440 --> 00:35:22,600 want any confusion between them about his motives. 471 00:35:23,320 --> 00:35:27,560 He wanted to make it clear, verse 10, that before them and 472 00:35:27,560 --> 00:35:31,120 before God, His conduct was verse 10. 473 00:35:31,600 --> 00:35:40,360 Holy, righteous, blameless pastors must not only share the 474 00:35:40,360 --> 00:35:48,560 gospel, but themselves. Shepherds must smell like the 475 00:35:48,560 --> 00:35:52,200 sheep. Their life is show and tell. 476 00:35:52,560 --> 00:35:55,840 They open the Word, they open up their lives. 477 00:35:55,840 --> 00:36:00,000 They speak, they show, they say this is how to live. 478 00:36:01,440 --> 00:36:06,440 Then you watch them live. They must not only preach to 479 00:36:06,440 --> 00:36:10,760 you, but love you. Brothers and sisters, members of 480 00:36:10,760 --> 00:36:14,440 Trinity Baptist Church, on behalf of the elders. 481 00:36:14,440 --> 00:36:16,200 I didn't ask them, but I know it's true. 482 00:36:16,560 --> 00:36:21,240 We love you. You're very dear to us. 483 00:36:22,840 --> 00:36:26,000 So you should reach out to any of your elders, to Bobby, to 484 00:36:26,000 --> 00:36:29,440 Brandon right there, to Ashok, to myself. 485 00:36:29,720 --> 00:36:32,360 Reach out to us. You don't have to be in a crisis 486 00:36:32,680 --> 00:36:38,680 to spend time with your pastors. Reach out, we'd be glad to spend 487 00:36:38,680 --> 00:36:45,120 ourselves for your sake and brothers aspiring to pastoral 488 00:36:45,120 --> 00:36:47,880 ministry. Learn from the nursing mothers 489 00:36:47,880 --> 00:36:53,840 in the congregation. Watch them care for and nurture 490 00:36:53,840 --> 00:36:57,840 their children. See their sacrifice and their 491 00:36:57,840 --> 00:37:03,160 affection. Observe how dear their children 492 00:37:03,160 --> 00:37:06,800 are to them, and you're learning how to be a faithful pastor as 493 00:37:06,800 --> 00:37:09,320 you do so. Members of Trinity Baptist 494 00:37:09,320 --> 00:37:15,560 Church, this is how we should care for one another Now. 495 00:37:15,560 --> 00:37:19,240 Sadly, this type of care is increasingly rare in America. 496 00:37:19,600 --> 00:37:24,440 Sharing ourselves is not a strong American trait. 497 00:37:25,880 --> 00:37:27,760 Derek Thompson, who actually lives in Durham. 498 00:37:28,040 --> 00:37:31,680 Writing for The Atlantic, he describes what he calls the rise 499 00:37:31,680 --> 00:37:39,160 of social isolation in America. He said in 2020, 374% of all 500 00:37:39,160 --> 00:37:43,760 restaurant traffic came from off premises customers, that is, 501 00:37:43,760 --> 00:37:49,800 from take out and delivery. That's up 61% before COVID and 502 00:37:51,600 --> 00:37:53,960 according to data gathered by OpenTable. 503 00:37:54,440 --> 00:38:00,200 Derek mentioned that solo dining has increased by 29% in just the 504 00:38:00,200 --> 00:38:06,400 past two years and the top reason given was the need for 505 00:38:06,400 --> 00:38:16,080 more me time. More concern for me equals less 506 00:38:16,080 --> 00:38:18,800 concern for my brothers and sisters. 507 00:38:20,040 --> 00:38:24,360 So if our church is going to be a caring community, we must swim 508 00:38:24,720 --> 00:38:27,520 against the current cultural moment. 509 00:38:28,040 --> 00:38:32,560 Brothers and sisters, don't live a socially isolated life. 510 00:38:33,960 --> 00:38:37,680 Be someone who invites others into your daily activities. 511 00:38:38,640 --> 00:38:44,680 Be someone who opens up your home, your dinner table, your 512 00:38:44,680 --> 00:38:50,480 routines, your very life. And what you'll find is, as you 513 00:38:50,480 --> 00:38:56,480 pour yourself out for the sake of others, they become very dear 514 00:38:57,040 --> 00:38:59,640 to you. Friend, if you're a Christian, 515 00:38:59,640 --> 00:39:03,920 you're not a member of a church. You can't have this depth of 516 00:39:03,920 --> 00:39:07,960 community without commitment. Who do you belong to? 517 00:39:09,480 --> 00:39:15,080 Who's looking out for your soul? Who are you caring for? 518 00:39:16,360 --> 00:39:21,120 The church is a family. Who's expecting you at the 519 00:39:21,120 --> 00:39:24,320 dinner table? Who's waiting for you if you 520 00:39:24,320 --> 00:39:29,640 don't come home at 11:00 PM? We need to care for one another. 521 00:39:30,720 --> 00:39:36,200 The 3rd and the final metaphor Paul uses is in verses 11 and 522 00:39:36,200 --> 00:39:37,760 12. Look at verses 11 and 12. 523 00:39:39,160 --> 00:39:43,440 He says, For you know how like a father with his children. 524 00:39:43,440 --> 00:39:48,680 We exhorted each one of you and encouraged you and charged you. 525 00:39:49,480 --> 00:39:53,320 Here's Paul's depiction of a faithful father. 526 00:39:54,120 --> 00:39:58,240 He's present. He instructs his children. 527 00:39:58,720 --> 00:40:00,480 He gives them individual attention. 528 00:40:00,480 --> 00:40:04,840 Look at that, Paul says, we exhorted each one of you. 529 00:40:06,160 --> 00:40:10,400 He encourages his children. He's a tender father. 530 00:40:11,320 --> 00:40:15,840 He knows their dispositions. He knows when they're faint 531 00:40:15,840 --> 00:40:18,560 hearted and when they need comfort. 532 00:40:19,280 --> 00:40:24,680 He also verse 12 charges his children 2. 533 00:40:25,640 --> 00:40:32,720 Walk in a manner worthy of God, God who calls you into his own 534 00:40:32,720 --> 00:40:38,920 Kingdom and glory. For Paul, this is what it was 535 00:40:38,920 --> 00:40:43,120 all about. His whole ministry was aimed at 536 00:40:43,120 --> 00:40:50,480 pleasing God and then helping others walk with God in a manner 537 00:40:50,480 --> 00:40:53,720 worthy of God. This is the aim of every 538 00:40:53,720 --> 00:41:01,120 faithful pastor, to please God and to help you walk in a manner 539 00:41:01,800 --> 00:41:07,320 worthy with God. Friends, Paul is an incredible 540 00:41:07,440 --> 00:41:11,600 model to follow, but Paul can't save you. 541 00:41:12,640 --> 00:41:18,480 Paul said of himself. Follow me as I follow Christ. 542 00:41:19,200 --> 00:41:23,080 As you look at this passage, every attribute that you 543 00:41:23,080 --> 00:41:27,320 consider that you want to emulate, this is just the fruit 544 00:41:27,320 --> 00:41:32,000 of a man who's being conformed by grace into the image of 545 00:41:32,000 --> 00:41:37,240 another, into the image of Jesus Christ himself. 546 00:41:37,640 --> 00:41:42,400 Friend, if you're not a Christian, can you say, like 547 00:41:42,400 --> 00:41:46,720 Paul, I'm walking in a manner worthy of God? 548 00:41:48,440 --> 00:41:54,480 Can you say with Paul how holy and righteous and blameless was 549 00:41:54,480 --> 00:41:58,880 my conduct? Or do you see cracks in your 550 00:41:58,880 --> 00:42:04,480 character? Do you see a double life even 551 00:42:04,480 --> 00:42:08,080 when you don't want to? Do you see how you've been 552 00:42:08,080 --> 00:42:13,040 controlled by living to please others, by desires for more and 553 00:42:13,040 --> 00:42:16,280 more and more money? By greed, by hungering for 554 00:42:16,280 --> 00:42:21,400 glory, recognition, fame. Paul actually saw these things 555 00:42:21,400 --> 00:42:24,800 in his own life before coming to Christ. 556 00:42:26,160 --> 00:42:29,720 He was not perfect. Paul reflects on himself and he 557 00:42:29,720 --> 00:42:32,200 says, I was the chief of sinners. 558 00:42:33,160 --> 00:42:37,600 So if you're a Sinner here, Paul actually says, I was worse than 559 00:42:37,600 --> 00:42:39,400 you. I was the chief. 560 00:42:39,840 --> 00:42:43,680 You don't beat the teeth. He was the chief of sinners, 561 00:42:44,160 --> 00:42:47,000 which is why Paul needed the very gospel he preached. 562 00:42:48,080 --> 00:42:51,360 And so do you, friend. If you're not a Christian, the 563 00:42:51,480 --> 00:42:57,800 only one that can save you, the only one that was perfect, 564 00:42:58,280 --> 00:43:05,320 righteous, holy, blameless, innocent, was the God man, Jesus 565 00:43:05,320 --> 00:43:10,560 Christ, who died on the cross for those sinners who sought 566 00:43:10,560 --> 00:43:14,160 their own glory, who sought to please man alone. 567 00:43:15,040 --> 00:43:20,480 And he rose from the dead and he's risen now, and he will 568 00:43:20,480 --> 00:43:23,800 return. And he invites all of you as we 569 00:43:23,800 --> 00:43:28,600 sang just moments ago in Jesus, strong and kind. 570 00:43:28,960 --> 00:43:33,200 If you're lost, he invites you come to him. 571 00:43:35,000 --> 00:43:39,200 And He came to us on the cross. Friend, if you've not trusted in 572 00:43:39,200 --> 00:43:44,640 this Saviour, if you've not repented of your sins, then 573 00:43:44,640 --> 00:43:50,000 wrath remains upon you. You will not receive glory with 574 00:43:50,000 --> 00:43:55,960 God at the end, but judgement. So turn to Him, trust in Him. 575 00:43:56,960 --> 00:44:00,720 And brothers and sisters, this is what it's all about for us. 576 00:44:01,480 --> 00:44:06,320 God calls us into His own Kingdom and glory. 577 00:44:06,680 --> 00:44:12,960 You're heading to glory. If you follow Paul, you can walk 578 00:44:12,960 --> 00:44:17,040 in a manner worthy of God to glory. 579 00:44:17,720 --> 00:44:24,480 Earlier this week, a faithful guide, faithful pastor went to 580 00:44:24,480 --> 00:44:26,240 glory. His name was John MacArthur. 581 00:44:27,560 --> 00:44:30,320 He was the pastor at Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, 582 00:44:30,320 --> 00:44:34,000 CA for 56 years. Wow. 583 00:44:34,880 --> 00:44:39,760 Here's what John said about glory in a sermon about 46 years 584 00:44:39,760 --> 00:44:42,120 ago. So maybe just four years into 585 00:44:42,120 --> 00:44:43,280 his ministry, here's what he said. 586 00:44:43,680 --> 00:44:48,000 He said, my son always tells me the first person I want to see 587 00:44:48,000 --> 00:44:52,960 in heaven is Samson. And John reflected, That's hero 588 00:44:52,960 --> 00:44:55,840 worship, I suppose. John said, ask for me. 589 00:44:55,840 --> 00:44:59,280 I want to talk to David. I've always loved David. 590 00:44:59,280 --> 00:45:05,480 And of course, I need to see Paul and Silas and Barnabas and 591 00:45:05,480 --> 00:45:08,640 John. I just can't believe it 592 00:45:08,640 --> 00:45:11,200 sometimes. Do you realize that we're only a 593 00:45:11,200 --> 00:45:14,120 split second away from being with all of them? 594 00:45:15,520 --> 00:45:17,400 John said, is it? It's incredible. 595 00:45:17,640 --> 00:45:20,360 Sometimes it feels like they're so far away, but then someone he 596 00:45:20,360 --> 00:45:24,000 knows dies. And John said, I think, wow, I 597 00:45:24,000 --> 00:45:30,720 was looking at this all wrong. And John said the most important 598 00:45:30,720 --> 00:45:37,720 reason I want to be with Christ, I just want to tell him and I 599 00:45:37,720 --> 00:45:39,760 don't even know how to say it right. 600 00:45:39,760 --> 00:45:45,720 Lord, thank you. I blew it so many times. 601 00:45:46,520 --> 00:45:50,320 I failed so many times. My life was incomplete. 602 00:45:51,000 --> 00:45:54,320 But I just want you to know that I really do love you. 603 00:45:57,720 --> 00:46:01,120 I won't know how to say thanks properly, but maybe, just maybe, 604 00:46:02,640 --> 00:46:05,360 something I did somewhere along the way made him smile. 605 00:46:06,760 --> 00:46:09,160 And if it did, well, that would be everything. 606 00:46:10,800 --> 00:46:16,320 I just want to be there. I've loved him, I've longed for 607 00:46:16,320 --> 00:46:22,320 him, I've prayed with him, communed with him, and served 608 00:46:22,320 --> 00:46:26,480 him, however limited I've been all my life. 609 00:46:26,880 --> 00:46:29,800 I've desperately wanted to know His fullness, and more than 610 00:46:29,800 --> 00:46:33,720 anything else, that's what I want to know. 611 00:46:33,720 --> 00:46:40,760 His fullness and to experience His presence completely, without 612 00:46:40,760 --> 00:46:45,960 hindrance, without hang ups, without the flesh in the way, 613 00:46:47,320 --> 00:46:55,200 with no more obstacles. John preached that sermon 50 614 00:46:55,200 --> 00:47:02,520 years ago and he walked in a manner worthy of God, and today 615 00:47:03,640 --> 00:47:10,120 he's home in glory, where we will soon be if we've trusted 616 00:47:10,120 --> 00:47:11,080 Christ. Let's pray. 617 00:47:20,910 --> 00:47:24,470 Father, we are grateful for faithful models in the faith for 618 00:47:24,470 --> 00:47:27,350 us to follow. Lord, we praise you for the life 619 00:47:27,350 --> 00:47:34,070 of Paul, for his consistent character, for all the ways he 620 00:47:34,070 --> 00:47:37,110 preached Christ even when he was persecuted. 621 00:47:37,110 --> 00:47:42,040 Lord, we pray for us that our hearts would be such that we 622 00:47:42,040 --> 00:47:48,240 could say before men and before you that we're holy and we're 623 00:47:48,240 --> 00:47:53,960 blameless because we're in Him. We pray in Jesus name, Amen.