WEBVTT 00:00:00.430 --> 00:00:04.049 Let us now pray and ask for the Lord's blessing 00:00:04.049 --> 00:00:08.349 on the preaching of his word Heavenly father 00:00:08.349 --> 00:00:11.529 we give thanks unto you that once again you have 00:00:11.529 --> 00:00:14.849 guided us safely Joyfully through all the tribulations 00:00:14.849 --> 00:00:17.929 of this world We thank you that in all these 00:00:17.929 --> 00:00:20.570 things you have been at work making all things 00:00:20.570 --> 00:00:23.850 work together for good for us in Christ Jesus 00:00:23.850 --> 00:00:27.190 Give us therefore we petition you grateful hearts 00:00:27.190 --> 00:00:30.879 the day by day. We thank you as we ought that 00:00:30.879 --> 00:00:34.179 we might know that we are surrounded not by a 00:00:34.179 --> 00:00:37.299 world full of evil, but surrounded by your grace 00:00:37.299 --> 00:00:40.159 and your providential care, by your mercy and 00:00:40.159 --> 00:00:43.439 love. We ask now that you let the words of my 00:00:43.439 --> 00:00:46.159 mouth and the meditations of all our hearts be 00:00:46.159 --> 00:00:50.119 acceptable in your sight, O Lord Jesus, our incarnate 00:00:50.119 --> 00:00:56.060 Redeemer, full of grace and truth. Amen. Our 00:00:56.060 --> 00:01:01.219 passage today is from First Thessalonians. Chapter 00:01:01.219 --> 00:01:05.859 2 beginning in verse 1 For you yourselves know 00:01:05.859 --> 00:01:08.920 brethren that our coming to you was not in vain 00:01:08.920 --> 00:01:11.900 But even after we have suffered before and were 00:01:11.900 --> 00:01:14.900 spitefully treated in Philippi as you know We 00:01:14.900 --> 00:01:19.459 were bold in our God to speak to you the gospel 00:01:19.459 --> 00:01:23.219 of God in much conflict For our exhortation did 00:01:23.219 --> 00:01:26.760 not come from error or uncleanness nor was it 00:01:26.760 --> 00:01:30.349 in deceit But as we have been approved by God 00:01:30.349 --> 00:01:33.890 to be entrusted with the gospel, even so we speak, 00:01:34.349 --> 00:01:38.530 not as pleasing men, but God who tests our hearts. 00:01:39.150 --> 00:01:41.950 For neither at any time did we use flattering 00:01:41.950 --> 00:01:46.109 words, as you know, nor a cloak for covetousness. 00:01:46.569 --> 00:01:51.409 God is witness. Nor did we seek glory from men, 00:01:51.670 --> 00:01:54.170 either from you or from others. when we might 00:01:54.170 --> 00:01:58.689 have made demands as apostles of Christ. But 00:01:58.689 --> 00:02:01.769 we were gentle among you, just as a nursing mother 00:02:01.769 --> 00:02:05.069 cherishes her own children. So affectionately 00:02:05.069 --> 00:02:08.189 longing for you, we were well pleased to impart 00:02:08.189 --> 00:02:11.810 to you not only the gospel of God, but also our 00:02:11.810 --> 00:02:14.729 own lives, because you had become dear to us. 00:02:15.129 --> 00:02:18.490 For you remember, brethren, our labor and toil, 00:02:18.870 --> 00:02:21.150 for laboring night and day, that we might not 00:02:21.150 --> 00:02:23.930 be a burden to any of you. we preach to you the 00:02:23.930 --> 00:02:27.949 gospel of God. You are witnesses, and God also, 00:02:28.289 --> 00:02:31.250 how devoutly and justly and blamelessly we behaved 00:02:31.250 --> 00:02:34.569 ourselves among you who believe. As you know, 00:02:34.629 --> 00:02:37.949 how we exhorted, comforted, and charged every 00:02:37.949 --> 00:02:40.750 one of you as a father does his own children, 00:02:41.349 --> 00:02:44.189 that you would walk worthy of God and who calls 00:02:44.189 --> 00:02:47.650 you into his own kingdom and glory. For this 00:02:47.650 --> 00:02:50.900 reason, we also thank God without ceasing. Because 00:02:50.900 --> 00:02:53.539 when you received the word of God, which you 00:02:53.539 --> 00:02:56.620 heard from us, you welcomed it, not as the word 00:02:56.620 --> 00:03:00.219 of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, 00:03:00.400 --> 00:03:03.939 which also effectively works in you who believe. 00:03:04.599 --> 00:03:07.439 These are the words of Almighty God. Receive 00:03:07.439 --> 00:03:11.099 them in your hearts. Now as we go through this 00:03:11.099 --> 00:03:14.699 passage today, I want you to think through three 00:03:14.699 --> 00:03:18.680 ideas. Three ideas. There are righteous ministry 00:03:18.680 --> 00:03:23.449 motives. That is to say, not multiplying gold, 00:03:23.469 --> 00:03:27.830 glory, and girls. Righteous ministry motives, 00:03:28.030 --> 00:03:34.129 not multiplying gold, glory, or girls. That we 00:03:34.129 --> 00:03:37.069 are to disciple, or Paul discipled them as a 00:03:37.069 --> 00:03:39.969 nursing mother and charged them as a father. 00:03:40.810 --> 00:03:43.689 So Paul discipled them as a nursing mother but 00:03:43.689 --> 00:03:48.569 also charging them as a father. And then God 00:03:48.569 --> 00:03:52.909 calls and effectively works in you all who believe. 00:03:53.530 --> 00:03:58.310 God calls and effectively works in you all who 00:03:58.310 --> 00:04:01.789 believe. Now we're continuing our study from 00:04:01.789 --> 00:04:05.009 First Thessalonians. And as you know, every fall 00:04:05.009 --> 00:04:08.870 we study an epistle. We are the church. We need 00:04:08.870 --> 00:04:12.509 to understand what the church is to be, who we 00:04:12.509 --> 00:04:15.090 are, what Christ has done for us, and what actions, 00:04:15.150 --> 00:04:19.060 therefore, we should take. And so as we continue 00:04:19.060 --> 00:04:21.399 in this season after Pentecost, where the church 00:04:21.399 --> 00:04:25.420 grows, we desire to mature as the church into 00:04:25.420 --> 00:04:27.939 the Lord Jesus. Now I say this to you all in 00:04:27.939 --> 00:04:31.839 this way, right? Your elders desire that you 00:04:31.839 --> 00:04:35.779 grow into maturity in Christ Jesus. And it should 00:04:35.779 --> 00:04:39.620 be that all of you in this church desire to grow 00:04:39.620 --> 00:04:44.389 into maturity. Many of you are parents. I know 00:04:44.389 --> 00:04:48.449 that you desire that your children grow up into 00:04:48.449 --> 00:04:54.910 the maturity of Christ Jesus. So we need to see 00:04:54.910 --> 00:04:57.810 what God's word tells us what it means to grow 00:04:57.810 --> 00:05:01.089 up into the maturity of the Lord Jesus Christ. 00:05:01.439 --> 00:05:06.360 Last week, we took notice that this letter was 00:05:06.360 --> 00:05:09.439 to the church in Thessalonica, and it follows 00:05:09.439 --> 00:05:13.019 in the events in Acts chapter 17, where Paul, 00:05:13.019 --> 00:05:16.379 having just weeks in Thessalonica, reasoned with 00:05:16.379 --> 00:05:20.459 them from the scriptures in the synagogue that 00:05:20.459 --> 00:05:23.420 Christ had to suffer and rise again from the 00:05:23.420 --> 00:05:28.040 dead. And most importantly, Paul declared that 00:05:28.040 --> 00:05:31.939 Jesus is the Christ. Acts tells us that some 00:05:31.939 --> 00:05:35.160 of the Jews were persuaded and a great multitude 00:05:35.160 --> 00:05:38.839 of devout Greeks were also converted including 00:05:38.839 --> 00:05:42.319 many of the leading women in the city but we 00:05:42.319 --> 00:05:46.680 were also reminded of the Jews who were not persuaded 00:05:46.680 --> 00:05:50.240 and became envious just like the Jews who crucified 00:05:50.240 --> 00:05:54.220 Christ in Jerusalem and who like the Jews in 00:05:54.220 --> 00:05:58.259 Jerusalem went out and got the rent -a -mob and 00:05:58.259 --> 00:06:02.500 with that rent -a -mob They in turn stirred up 00:06:02.500 --> 00:06:06.399 the whole city and then sought after Paul and 00:06:06.399 --> 00:06:09.699 Silas. And when they did not find them, the envious 00:06:09.699 --> 00:06:13.100 mob drug a number of the new converts to the 00:06:13.100 --> 00:06:15.459 magistrate who would penalize them with great 00:06:15.459 --> 00:06:20.420 fines. That night Paul and Silas were smuggled 00:06:20.420 --> 00:06:26.379 out of Thessalonica. And this leads us to chapter 00:06:26.379 --> 00:06:31.129 one. which we find Paul giving thanks for the 00:06:31.129 --> 00:06:34.449 church there. Paul, as we talked about last week, 00:06:34.910 --> 00:06:39.290 Eucharistios, he gave thanks, right? We get nervous 00:06:39.290 --> 00:06:41.730 in Protestant circles when we hear the word Eucharist, 00:06:41.730 --> 00:06:45.730 but it is the word of giving thanks in a memorializing 00:06:45.730 --> 00:06:50.889 way. And so Paul memorializes God's grace, his 00:06:50.889 --> 00:06:55.509 faithfulness, his goodness, even in much affliction, 00:06:55.930 --> 00:07:02.399 and God given. much assurance. Why? Because God 00:07:02.399 --> 00:07:06.879 does not fail. Among the lessons we were reminded 00:07:06.879 --> 00:07:10.060 of last week was that God chooses His people 00:07:10.060 --> 00:07:15.720 and so we can be assured of His faithfulness 00:07:15.720 --> 00:07:19.459 even in much affliction. God desires that we 00:07:19.459 --> 00:07:22.199 mature into the Christian life giving thanks 00:07:22.199 --> 00:07:28.300 in all things. So we should. Ask questions like 00:07:28.300 --> 00:07:31.800 how can my response to this hardship this persecution 00:07:31.800 --> 00:07:36.439 this difficulty or this wicked person? Right, 00:07:36.899 --> 00:07:39.980 how can this thing my response to this be a continuing 00:07:39.980 --> 00:07:45.120 witness? to the goodness faithfulness and justice 00:07:45.120 --> 00:07:51.300 of God Here in chapter 2 Paul begins with a solid 00:07:51.300 --> 00:07:54.819 recollection of God's faithfulness He says, for 00:07:54.819 --> 00:07:57.879 you yourselves know, brethren, that our coming 00:07:57.879 --> 00:08:01.740 to you was not in vain. He was reminding them 00:08:01.740 --> 00:08:05.680 that they are brethren together, that Paul and 00:08:05.680 --> 00:08:08.600 Silas and Timothy, they're actually brethren, 00:08:08.759 --> 00:08:10.839 brothers and sisters in the Lord, to all those 00:08:10.839 --> 00:08:14.339 who came into the church. They are one people. 00:08:16.339 --> 00:08:19.800 And Paul and his team, his coming to Thessalonica 00:08:19.800 --> 00:08:23.620 was not a wasted or unproductive trip. But they 00:08:23.620 --> 00:08:26.399 were added to the brethren because the word of 00:08:26.399 --> 00:08:28.959 God, the gospel of Jesus Christ was declared 00:08:28.959 --> 00:08:33.240 to them. And Paul explains to them and reminds 00:08:33.240 --> 00:08:35.879 them of his persecutions and hardships in his 00:08:35.879 --> 00:08:40.259 ministry. He references right before, that time 00:08:40.259 --> 00:08:43.720 of right before he came to Thessalonica, that 00:08:43.720 --> 00:08:46.120 he had just been, he and his team had just been 00:08:46.120 --> 00:08:49.860 in Philippi and that they had been falsely accused. 00:08:49.980 --> 00:08:53.879 They had been beaten and imprisoned. And Paul 00:08:53.879 --> 00:08:57.620 points out that this did not dissuade them from 00:08:57.620 --> 00:09:04.039 declaring the gospel truth to those in Thessalonica. 00:09:05.179 --> 00:09:07.559 Think about this, for many of us we walk daily 00:09:07.559 --> 00:09:09.639 and we have difficulties and we have hardships, 00:09:09.980 --> 00:09:12.379 we have sickness, we have things where we see 00:09:12.379 --> 00:09:15.759 people being hard on us, unjustly so, and it 00:09:15.759 --> 00:09:20.779 causes us to draw back. And here we learn from 00:09:20.779 --> 00:09:23.460 the example of Paul and Silas and Timothy, no, 00:09:25.279 --> 00:09:30.080 no. Wherever God places you, remain steadfast 00:09:30.080 --> 00:09:39.480 and be faithful right where you are. In verse 00:09:39.480 --> 00:09:42.200 two of chapter two, Paul says these things, but 00:09:42.200 --> 00:09:45.159 even after we had suffered before and were spitefully 00:09:45.159 --> 00:09:49.019 treated in Philippi, as you know, we were bold. 00:09:49.259 --> 00:09:53.840 our God to speak to you the gospel of God in 00:09:53.840 --> 00:09:59.000 much conflict You see conflicts will come earlier 00:09:59.000 --> 00:10:02.240 this summer we talked about the reasons for marriage 00:10:02.240 --> 00:10:06.120 and Following Christ and his bride the church 00:10:06.120 --> 00:10:10.100 that is to glorify God and to benefit the world 00:10:10.100 --> 00:10:14.000 So too is the calling of each of our marriages 00:10:14.000 --> 00:10:19.289 to glorify God and to benefit the world Of course, 00:10:19.350 --> 00:10:21.809 I'm not losing track here. Your world begins 00:10:21.809 --> 00:10:25.350 where in your own household and it moves out 00:10:25.350 --> 00:10:32.210 as you take dominion But you see They trusted 00:10:32.210 --> 00:10:36.490 God they stood at their post to make others fruitful 00:10:36.490 --> 00:10:42.529 in Christ Jesus Paul turns next to a simple defense 00:10:42.529 --> 00:10:45.110 and the way in which they conducted their ministry 00:10:45.110 --> 00:10:51.139 to the Thessalonians Satan and his slippery serpents 00:10:51.139 --> 00:10:54.059 that are in this world always want to bring about 00:10:54.059 --> 00:10:58.200 doubt Right a lot of times. We think the doubt 00:10:58.200 --> 00:11:00.679 is just like this internal thing like this. They're 00:11:00.679 --> 00:11:04.820 whispering in your ear causing doubt here But 00:11:04.820 --> 00:11:11.120 it's more than this It is doubt Caused frequently 00:11:11.120 --> 00:11:18.049 by jealousy and here we see that these Jews they 00:11:18.049 --> 00:11:21.190 were jealous of Jesus and they look for ways 00:11:21.190 --> 00:11:24.750 to sow doubt and suspicion in the church concerning 00:11:24.750 --> 00:11:31.409 the motives of its pastors and elders and So 00:11:31.409 --> 00:11:34.450 Paul is responding for those serpents who sneaking 00:11:34.450 --> 00:11:37.409 into the church Those who are trying to divide 00:11:37.409 --> 00:11:39.750 the church who are enemies of God and they say 00:11:39.750 --> 00:11:41.990 you need to be suspicious of your elders and 00:11:41.990 --> 00:11:49.570 pastors Paul addresses this. Of course we can 00:11:49.570 --> 00:11:51.509 also look at other portions of the scripture 00:11:51.509 --> 00:11:55.309 such as Psalm 12 verse 2 and it says this, they 00:11:55.309 --> 00:11:58.629 speak idly everyone with his neighbor with flattering 00:11:58.629 --> 00:12:03.029 lips and a double heart they speak. You see Satan 00:12:03.029 --> 00:12:05.470 desires to cause the church to look upon its 00:12:05.470 --> 00:12:10.299 pastors and elders with squinty eyes. So Paul 00:12:10.299 --> 00:12:12.759 wants to shore up the Thessalonian Church from 00:12:12.759 --> 00:12:16.559 such doubts by providing them with an outline 00:12:16.559 --> 00:12:21.220 of faithful ministry. Now one thing to note here 00:12:21.220 --> 00:12:24.960 is that this ministry evaluation certainly is 00:12:24.960 --> 00:12:27.419 for elders and pastors, but I would also argue 00:12:27.419 --> 00:12:30.600 can and should also be used in our own homes 00:12:30.600 --> 00:12:35.080 as you are the chief disciplers in your households. 00:12:36.799 --> 00:12:39.549 Your elders? are charged with discipling you 00:12:39.549 --> 00:12:42.129 and teaching you and leading you in the truth. 00:12:42.809 --> 00:12:46.409 But you too are also the chief disciplers inside 00:12:46.409 --> 00:12:48.929 your home. So as we go through these things, 00:12:48.990 --> 00:12:54.190 yes, please apply those to us. But also, review 00:12:54.190 --> 00:12:58.070 to yourselves. How are you behaving? So Paul 00:12:58.070 --> 00:13:00.450 says in verse three of 1 Thessalonians chapter 00:13:00.450 --> 00:13:03.889 two, for our exhortation did not come from error 00:13:03.889 --> 00:13:09.690 or uncleanness, nor was it in deceit. So an exhortation 00:13:09.690 --> 00:13:14.350 is an instructive, admonition, and conciliatory 00:13:14.350 --> 00:13:17.350 thing. Now, that's an old word. Most of you guys 00:13:17.350 --> 00:13:20.269 go, OK, what's going on here, pastor? This is 00:13:20.269 --> 00:13:25.269 really important. To be conciliatory is to bring 00:13:25.269 --> 00:13:30.929 peace. Now, not a passive peace, but a godly 00:13:30.929 --> 00:13:34.740 steady peace. So one of the things your pastor 00:13:34.740 --> 00:13:37.419 should be doing your elders should be doing and 00:13:37.419 --> 00:13:39.960 you should be doing in your household as You 00:13:39.960 --> 00:13:43.120 preach the gospel of Jesus is are you bringing 00:13:43.120 --> 00:13:49.940 about peace? By speaking the truth firmly in 00:13:49.940 --> 00:13:55.019 love mercy and grace Paul also mentioned that 00:13:55.019 --> 00:13:57.460 they were not coming from error They were not 00:13:57.460 --> 00:14:00.019 teaching them or proclaiming the gospel from 00:14:00.019 --> 00:14:06.269 deceit or delusion but rather centered on the 00:14:06.269 --> 00:14:09.429 work of Jesus. You want to have peace in your 00:14:09.429 --> 00:14:11.370 household? You want to have peace in your life? 00:14:12.149 --> 00:14:14.409 And as your elders, we want to see peace in the 00:14:14.409 --> 00:14:18.289 church. Our lives must be centered upon Christ 00:14:18.289 --> 00:14:22.389 Jesus. Paul goes on to say that they did not 00:14:22.389 --> 00:14:25.289 come with uncleanness. Now this word uncleanness 00:14:25.289 --> 00:14:27.350 in the Greek, you know, it's not that they were 00:14:27.350 --> 00:14:31.029 dirty, but rather it is about sexual immorality. 00:14:35.180 --> 00:14:39.039 and selfish pleasures. They didn't come to them 00:14:39.039 --> 00:14:41.980 to seek out and have all their pleasures met. 00:14:44.039 --> 00:14:46.019 That's important for elders, and it's important 00:14:46.019 --> 00:14:49.639 for you and your household. It also says, Paul 00:14:49.639 --> 00:14:55.139 goes on and says, they didn't come with deceit. 00:14:55.580 --> 00:14:58.580 And this word really is guile. Again, it's an 00:14:58.580 --> 00:15:02.120 old word. We don't know what guile is. But that 00:15:02.120 --> 00:15:05.299 is They didn't come to them to manipulate them. 00:15:05.539 --> 00:15:09.779 In other words, I've got an agenda that's serving 00:15:09.779 --> 00:15:14.519 me. And so I'm going to do things and speak of 00:15:14.519 --> 00:15:18.980 the things of God to extract what I want out 00:15:18.980 --> 00:15:25.820 of you. You see, extracting is destructive. Or 00:15:25.820 --> 00:15:29.840 it can be. And in most cases, for manipulation, 00:15:30.159 --> 00:15:33.399 extracting for what I need. Right, that's sinful. 00:15:34.139 --> 00:15:36.440 But what are we supposed to be doing? We're supposed 00:15:36.440 --> 00:15:40.120 to be making others flourish in Christ Jesus 00:15:40.120 --> 00:15:43.940 so that the fruit of the Spirit abounds in them 00:15:43.940 --> 00:15:49.340 All of this could be summed up is that they did 00:15:49.340 --> 00:15:53.840 not come for gold girls or glory Many a ministry 00:15:53.840 --> 00:15:56.799 has been pulled down by any one of these but 00:15:56.799 --> 00:16:02.379 in many cases It is two or even all three And 00:16:02.379 --> 00:16:05.580 you know what? So too, in our own households 00:16:05.580 --> 00:16:10.539 this is true. As you know, God in his instruction 00:16:10.539 --> 00:16:14.379 for kings warns about these in Deuteronomy 17, 00:16:14.860 --> 00:16:17.820 prohibiting kings from multiplying horses, that 00:16:17.820 --> 00:16:21.240 is trusting in their golden glory, multiplying 00:16:21.240 --> 00:16:23.940 wives, that's what, multiplying women, sexual 00:16:23.940 --> 00:16:28.200 immorality, and multiplying gold for their own 00:16:28.200 --> 00:16:33.820 selfish benefit. Paul continues in verse 4 and 00:16:33.820 --> 00:16:36.340 says, but as we have been approved by God to 00:16:36.340 --> 00:16:39.440 be entrusted with the gospel, even so we speak, 00:16:39.940 --> 00:16:43.659 not as pleasing men, but God who tests our hearts. 00:16:44.220 --> 00:16:46.559 For neither at any time did we use flattering 00:16:46.559 --> 00:16:51.919 words, as you know, nor a cloak for covetousness. 00:16:52.759 --> 00:16:56.840 God is witness. Nor did we seek glory from men, 00:16:56.860 --> 00:16:59.899 either from you or from others, when we might 00:16:59.899 --> 00:17:04.960 have made demands as apostles of Christ. First 00:17:04.960 --> 00:17:07.859 notice that Paul here declares that God is their 00:17:07.859 --> 00:17:12.220 witness. That is to say, he is not blaspheming 00:17:12.220 --> 00:17:15.799 God. He says, no, no. God is my witness. This 00:17:15.799 --> 00:17:19.559 is a righteous swearing. I know that I'm going 00:17:19.559 --> 00:17:24.640 to stand before God and be judged. Your elders 00:17:24.640 --> 00:17:29.380 will stand before God and be judged. So too, 00:17:29.660 --> 00:17:33.640 you as parents. In your households, you will 00:17:33.640 --> 00:17:41.500 stand before God. So here, Paul declares that 00:17:41.500 --> 00:17:43.599 God is their witness, and he goes on to say that 00:17:43.599 --> 00:17:47.319 he was entrusted with the gospel, or better translated, 00:17:47.819 --> 00:17:51.559 they were in trust with the gospel. They had 00:17:51.559 --> 00:17:54.519 both fidelity to the gospel, and they were held 00:17:54.519 --> 00:17:58.079 in the gospel. Both things. They were called 00:17:58.079 --> 00:18:01.259 to fidelity in it. They had this. but they were 00:18:01.259 --> 00:18:05.940 also held in that gospel parents do not lose 00:18:05.940 --> 00:18:09.039 sight of the fact that you are given a call to 00:18:09.039 --> 00:18:12.279 fidelity that is faithfulness to the gospel as 00:18:12.279 --> 00:18:17.799 well as you yourself are held by the gospel so 00:18:17.799 --> 00:18:22.579 how then should we act with gratitude humility 00:18:22.579 --> 00:18:28.380 mercy and justice must flow from your throne 00:18:29.230 --> 00:18:31.650 Which as we've already discussed in previous 00:18:31.650 --> 00:18:35.910 weeks should be as Christ's a throne of grace 00:18:35.910 --> 00:18:42.809 And it should flow as as God's Grace has flowed 00:18:42.809 --> 00:18:47.529 to you So it should flow to your family or in 00:18:47.529 --> 00:18:52.009 the case of elders to the church Paul then emphasizes 00:18:52.009 --> 00:18:55.529 that they did not use flattery or the cloak of 00:18:55.529 --> 00:19:00.269 covetousness at any time In our time, there's 00:19:00.269 --> 00:19:05.509 this huge idol of niceness, only telling people 00:19:05.509 --> 00:19:09.890 what they want to hear so as to please men. The 00:19:09.890 --> 00:19:12.410 scriptures warn us in several places, including 00:19:12.410 --> 00:19:16.410 2 Timothy 4, where Paul is speaking to Timothy. 00:19:16.589 --> 00:19:19.509 He says, I charge you therefore before God and 00:19:19.509 --> 00:19:22.190 the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living 00:19:22.190 --> 00:19:24.569 and the dead at his appearing in his kingdom, 00:19:25.190 --> 00:19:28.240 preach the word. be ready in season and out of 00:19:28.240 --> 00:19:33.519 season, convince, rebuke, exhort, with all long 00:19:33.519 --> 00:19:36.640 -suffering and teaching. For the time will come 00:19:36.640 --> 00:19:39.140 when they will not endure sound doctrine, but 00:19:39.140 --> 00:19:41.880 according to their own desires, because they 00:19:41.880 --> 00:19:45.319 have itching ears. And because they have those 00:19:45.319 --> 00:19:47.099 itching ears, it goes on to say they will heap 00:19:47.099 --> 00:19:49.880 up for themselves teachers, and they will turn 00:19:49.880 --> 00:19:52.519 their ears away from the truth, and be turned 00:19:52.519 --> 00:19:57.769 aside to fables. But you be watchful in all things 00:19:57.769 --> 00:20:00.529 endure afflictions and do the work of evangelists 00:20:00.529 --> 00:20:04.049 and fulfill your ministry And where this certainly 00:20:04.049 --> 00:20:08.390 does apply to your elders And we understand that 00:20:08.390 --> 00:20:13.470 it applies to you and your household Don't simply 00:20:13.470 --> 00:20:17.650 be nice. Don't simply Give your children flattery 00:20:17.630 --> 00:20:19.809 You want to give them encouragement, but don't 00:20:19.809 --> 00:20:23.309 tell them lies in trying to be nice. Don't affirm 00:20:23.309 --> 00:20:26.710 them in simpleness or call that little disobedient 00:20:26.710 --> 00:20:33.869 act as cute. Tell them the truth. Love them. 00:20:33.890 --> 00:20:39.269 Encourage them. Remember their frame. What I 00:20:39.269 --> 00:20:42.150 might tell a three -year -old in terms of the 00:20:42.150 --> 00:20:46.109 picture they draw as good. It may not be the 00:20:46.109 --> 00:20:48.069 same thing if I'm getting the exact same thing 00:20:48.069 --> 00:20:53.089 from a 15 -year -old. I know there's some art 00:20:53.089 --> 00:20:54.890 out there that people pay a lot of money for 00:20:54.890 --> 00:20:57.769 that looks like a three -year -old, but I think 00:20:57.769 --> 00:21:01.769 that's just the delusion that exists in our world. 00:21:03.170 --> 00:21:05.890 Isaiah chapter 30 verse 9 also tells us this. 00:21:06.509 --> 00:21:08.910 This is God speaking that this is a rebellious 00:21:08.910 --> 00:21:13.430 people, lying children. Children who do not hear 00:21:13.430 --> 00:21:15.910 the law of God that is they are they're not in 00:21:15.910 --> 00:21:19.650 submission to it Who say to the seers do not 00:21:19.650 --> 00:21:22.990 see into the prophets do not prophesy to us write 00:21:22.990 --> 00:21:28.309 things Speak to us smooth things and prophesy 00:21:28.309 --> 00:21:35.069 deceits You see niceness and flattery. It's wickedness 00:21:35.069 --> 00:21:40.130 Paul knows that the teachers and elders hearts 00:21:41.069 --> 00:21:44.170 will be tested and examined by God. We know in 00:21:44.170 --> 00:21:48.970 James chapter 3 that there is a greater judgment 00:21:48.970 --> 00:21:53.390 upon those who are elders and deacons. We certainly 00:21:53.390 --> 00:22:01.059 understand that. If we return back to verse 6 00:22:01.059 --> 00:22:04.660 of 1 Thessalonians chapter 2, we see this. Paul 00:22:04.660 --> 00:22:07.160 says, nor did we seek glory from men, either 00:22:07.160 --> 00:22:10.720 from you or from others, that we might have made 00:22:10.720 --> 00:22:13.940 demands as apostles of Christ. They didn't come 00:22:13.940 --> 00:22:17.180 in seeking glory from the church or others or 00:22:17.180 --> 00:22:20.240 demanding what could have been theirs as apostles. 00:22:20.279 --> 00:22:25.079 They were great men. They were apostles. They 00:22:25.079 --> 00:22:29.500 could have said, take care of us. Honor us. After 00:22:29.500 --> 00:22:34.920 all, Jesus thought so much of me that he came 00:22:34.920 --> 00:22:38.319 down just for me, right? He didn't do his normal 00:22:38.319 --> 00:22:40.160 work that he did with the other apostles. No, 00:22:40.160 --> 00:22:42.940 Paul could have been saying, hey, look, look 00:22:42.940 --> 00:22:46.720 at this. Jesus made a special appointment with 00:22:46.720 --> 00:22:51.319 me. So you really ought to listen. No, he didn't 00:22:51.319 --> 00:22:57.759 do that. This is true for elders and pastors 00:22:57.759 --> 00:23:01.640 and it is true for you as parents Right you do 00:23:01.640 --> 00:23:06.339 have authority But do not be demanding simply 00:23:06.339 --> 00:23:10.880 for the sake of your authoritative position by 00:23:10.880 --> 00:23:14.019 the way who gave you that authoritative position 00:23:14.019 --> 00:23:20.059 God gave you your wife men Right moms and dads 00:23:20.059 --> 00:23:25.599 who gave you a child? God So where does your 00:23:25.599 --> 00:23:31.500 authority emanate from? From Him. Make sure that 00:23:31.500 --> 00:23:37.359 you are exercising it accordingly. Now in all 00:23:37.359 --> 00:23:39.480 these demands that Paul is talking about that 00:23:39.480 --> 00:23:42.920 he did not receive, we do need to take note that 00:23:42.920 --> 00:23:46.359 Paul does not place a restriction for a pastor 00:23:46.359 --> 00:23:50.319 being paid. But rather, he is doing this for 00:23:50.319 --> 00:23:54.400 purposes about qualifying himself, right? He 00:23:54.400 --> 00:23:56.359 had a special ministry of things he was doing. 00:23:57.160 --> 00:24:00.740 But in other letters, we see both in 1 Timothy 00:24:00.740 --> 00:24:04.960 5 and in 1 Corinthians 9 that Paul does say that 00:24:04.960 --> 00:24:09.660 pastors should be paid. He says in 1 Timothy 00:24:09.660 --> 00:24:14.259 5, for as scripture says, you shall not muzzle 00:24:14.259 --> 00:24:16.660 an ox while it treads the grain. And he's quoting 00:24:16.660 --> 00:24:20.640 Deuteronomy 25. He also says, the laborer is 00:24:20.640 --> 00:24:23.660 worthy of his wages. And there he's quoting Jesus 00:24:23.660 --> 00:24:27.420 from Luke 10. Later on in 1 Corinthians 9 he 00:24:27.420 --> 00:24:29.579 says, even so the Lord has commanded that those 00:24:29.579 --> 00:24:32.500 who preach the gospel should live from the gospel. 00:24:33.240 --> 00:24:35.240 I just wanted to bring that clarity there because 00:24:35.240 --> 00:24:37.339 sometimes people see what Paul is saying and 00:24:37.339 --> 00:24:39.619 they don't understand what his motive is right 00:24:39.619 --> 00:24:42.799 there. His motive is, in this particular case, 00:24:42.859 --> 00:24:45.119 not in an established church, but in this missional 00:24:45.119 --> 00:24:48.099 work that he's doing, he's making no demands 00:24:48.099 --> 00:24:50.339 to those with whom he's bringing the gospel. 00:24:53.259 --> 00:24:56.339 And now we see that Paul moves to a more familial 00:24:56.339 --> 00:24:59.779 argument in his ministry to the Thessalonians, 00:25:00.839 --> 00:25:04.900 right? And that was that they would, and this 00:25:04.900 --> 00:25:07.740 was also that they would receive his exhortation. 00:25:07.740 --> 00:25:11.000 He's trying to remove, all of the doubts that 00:25:11.000 --> 00:25:16.619 the slippery serpents have brought in. He's just 00:25:16.619 --> 00:25:19.579 reminding them of the facts. And he has said, 00:25:19.599 --> 00:25:21.940 remember, God's our witness in these things too. 00:25:23.599 --> 00:25:26.099 He says in verse seven, but we were gentle among 00:25:26.099 --> 00:25:29.539 you, just as a nursing mother cherishes her own 00:25:29.539 --> 00:25:32.700 children, so affectionately longing for you. 00:25:32.859 --> 00:25:35.500 We were well pleased to impart to you not only 00:25:35.500 --> 00:25:39.079 the gospel of God, but also our own lives because 00:25:39.079 --> 00:25:42.279 you had become dear to us. For you remember, 00:25:42.579 --> 00:25:46.619 brethren, our labor and toil for laboring night 00:25:46.619 --> 00:25:49.759 and day that we might not be a burden to any 00:25:49.759 --> 00:25:54.220 of you. We preached to you the gospel of God. 00:25:55.500 --> 00:25:57.980 Paul makes the point that their care towards 00:25:57.980 --> 00:26:01.559 these converts to Christianity was not just Job 00:26:01.559 --> 00:26:04.440 done. Well, we did it. I fulfilled my obligation 00:26:04.440 --> 00:26:09.740 But one that was like a nursing mother who knows 00:26:09.740 --> 00:26:13.099 that the newborn cannot express their needs or 00:26:13.099 --> 00:26:18.319 wants But must be nurtured and cared for Paul 00:26:18.319 --> 00:26:20.980 Silas and Timothy were affectionately longing 00:26:20.980 --> 00:26:24.660 to care for them not only for the gospel But 00:26:24.660 --> 00:26:29.049 also by their own lives Much like a mother who 00:26:29.049 --> 00:26:33.890 would give all for the nurture of her child He 00:26:33.890 --> 00:26:37.690 even says that they labor day and night for the 00:26:37.690 --> 00:26:40.769 good of the church. So it was not to be a burden 00:26:40.769 --> 00:26:46.450 and This is certainly a call for your elders, 00:26:46.490 --> 00:26:50.829 but I want to remind you as parents Right. I 00:26:50.829 --> 00:26:54.089 know that you're laboring day and night Sometimes 00:26:54.089 --> 00:26:58.519 you feel weary in that work But this is God's 00:26:58.519 --> 00:27:02.920 call. And why are you doing this? Well, we all 00:27:02.920 --> 00:27:05.460 have different kinds of motives, but ultimately 00:27:05.460 --> 00:27:10.160 it should be to glorify God and see our children 00:27:10.160 --> 00:27:14.079 flourish in Christ Jesus and flourish in the 00:27:14.079 --> 00:27:21.940 fruit of the Spirit. He continues and says this. 00:27:24.120 --> 00:27:26.940 Well one more thing here one other thing I want 00:27:26.940 --> 00:27:30.579 to explain about this it's very important that 00:27:30.579 --> 00:27:34.119 That what Paul is trying to tell them in this 00:27:34.119 --> 00:27:38.220 nurturing admonition here Is that it wasn't for 00:27:38.220 --> 00:27:42.880 their glory? Right but for the glory of God now 00:27:42.880 --> 00:27:45.019 I think this does two things just thinking it 00:27:45.019 --> 00:27:47.940 practically both as a as elders, but also as 00:27:47.940 --> 00:27:54.910 parents right Do we murmur and complain? Right? 00:27:55.650 --> 00:27:58.970 What is murmuring and complaining about? If we're 00:27:58.970 --> 00:28:01.309 murmuring and complaining about our church, or 00:28:01.309 --> 00:28:03.390 you as parents are murmuring and complaining 00:28:03.390 --> 00:28:08.089 about what God has placed in your life as you 00:28:08.089 --> 00:28:13.849 parent, what are you saying? Two things. One, 00:28:14.210 --> 00:28:17.950 I'm charging God for the hardship in my life. 00:28:18.769 --> 00:28:22.940 And two, hey, Look at the great work that I've 00:28:22.940 --> 00:28:24.859 done. Look at all the things that I have had 00:28:24.859 --> 00:28:28.079 to suffer. And in some ways, I'm suffering to 00:28:28.079 --> 00:28:36.819 my glory alone. That is not glorifying God. That 00:28:36.819 --> 00:28:41.500 is not remembering our call. So we're to grow 00:28:41.500 --> 00:28:44.619 up in maturity in Christ Jesus and put these 00:28:44.619 --> 00:28:47.819 things away. He goes on in verse 10 and says, 00:28:48.220 --> 00:28:52.000 you are witnesses and God also how devoutly and 00:28:52.000 --> 00:28:55.380 justly and blamelessly we behaved ourselves among 00:28:55.380 --> 00:28:59.140 you who believe as you know how we exhorted and 00:28:59.140 --> 00:29:01.920 comforted and charged every one of you as a father 00:29:01.920 --> 00:29:05.059 does his own children that you would walk worthy 00:29:05.059 --> 00:29:08.619 of God who calls you into his own kingdom and 00:29:08.619 --> 00:29:12.779 glory. Paul again appeals to God as their witness. 00:29:13.230 --> 00:29:17.890 as well as to the Thessalonian Church that they 00:29:17.890 --> 00:29:25.269 were piously devout, justly righteous, and were 00:29:25.269 --> 00:29:30.529 blameless. That is to say that they did it for 00:29:30.529 --> 00:29:35.470 their benefit and not their own. Paul is saying 00:29:35.470 --> 00:29:38.890 that they firmly stood at their post and truthfully 00:29:38.890 --> 00:29:42.130 worked to produce the good fruit in the Thessalonians. 00:29:42.569 --> 00:29:45.609 And note, for a second time in this passage, 00:29:45.730 --> 00:29:51.730 he says he's talking about his exhortation. So 00:29:51.730 --> 00:29:55.769 what is he doing with this exhortation? As a 00:29:55.769 --> 00:30:01.009 father does, he's encouraging them and charging 00:30:01.009 --> 00:30:05.650 them that they walk worthy of God. And this is 00:30:05.650 --> 00:30:10.349 certainly for elders and parents alike. We need 00:30:10.349 --> 00:30:13.130 to act. as both mothers and fathers. And God 00:30:13.130 --> 00:30:17.009 has particular roles. Men, you ordinarily, in 00:30:17.009 --> 00:30:20.990 most situations, not the nurturing type. You 00:30:20.990 --> 00:30:25.710 don't get it. That child wasn't formed in your 00:30:25.710 --> 00:30:29.650 womb. Thank goodness you have no womb. There's 00:30:29.650 --> 00:30:34.410 some confusion out there, but not in God's word. 00:30:34.470 --> 00:30:37.789 There's no confusion on this issue. But you don't 00:30:37.789 --> 00:30:40.680 nurture. And by the way, usually what you find, 00:30:40.819 --> 00:30:42.839 you find the kids naturally know this because 00:30:42.839 --> 00:30:45.140 what? When they fall down and scrape their knee, 00:30:45.339 --> 00:30:48.740 both parents are standing there. Even sometimes 00:30:48.740 --> 00:30:53.119 to the exasperation of mom, the kid says, mom. 00:30:53.920 --> 00:30:56.119 And sometimes we think, well, dad's right there, 00:30:56.140 --> 00:30:59.759 right? There's a softness. There's a nurturing. 00:31:00.140 --> 00:31:02.420 There's a goodness. Now you can be firm in those 00:31:02.420 --> 00:31:04.339 things. I'm not saying that you're not important. 00:31:04.400 --> 00:31:07.319 You're very important to the bringing up of your 00:31:07.319 --> 00:31:11.819 children. But we need both nurturing and charging. 00:31:12.759 --> 00:31:16.700 Dads need to exhort in such a fashion that is 00:31:16.700 --> 00:31:20.640 encouraging, even if it's holding a hard line. 00:31:22.160 --> 00:31:26.220 We're charging them. We're imploring them to 00:31:26.220 --> 00:31:31.539 walk worthy of God. By the way, in both cases, 00:31:31.559 --> 00:31:34.880 this has an implication to us, right? This has 00:31:34.880 --> 00:31:39.480 an implication. Walk worthy of God. And if you're 00:31:39.480 --> 00:31:44.940 not walking worthy of God yourself, guess what? 00:31:45.079 --> 00:31:47.940 Your children, even when they're young, they 00:31:47.940 --> 00:31:50.799 might not know the word. They might not know 00:31:50.799 --> 00:31:55.519 the word. But they know that you're a hypocrite. 00:31:55.940 --> 00:31:58.259 And that undermines their faith in Christ Jesus. 00:31:58.279 --> 00:32:00.700 So this is very clear here. You've heard me say 00:32:00.700 --> 00:32:03.279 this many times. When you recognize parents that 00:32:03.279 --> 00:32:05.950 you're a hypocrite, Confess your sins before 00:32:05.950 --> 00:32:08.190 God, confess it to those you sinned against, 00:32:09.029 --> 00:32:15.410 your wife, your children, your husband. So here 00:32:15.410 --> 00:32:21.549 that we need to see that this motherly and fatherly 00:32:21.549 --> 00:32:26.430 care is not motivated by what is easy or comfortable 00:32:26.430 --> 00:32:29.130 or convenient. When Paul is doing these things, 00:32:29.470 --> 00:32:34.039 it's not easy, comfortable, or convenient. Discipling 00:32:34.039 --> 00:32:36.619 folks as elders or as parents should not be done 00:32:36.619 --> 00:32:40.539 for our glory or acceptance by men, but to the 00:32:40.539 --> 00:32:44.039 glory of God and the benefit of the world. We 00:32:44.039 --> 00:32:47.160 need both the gentle nurturing of mothers and 00:32:47.160 --> 00:32:52.119 the bold charging of fathers. Now do not neglect 00:32:52.119 --> 00:32:55.880 to notice that the call to walk worthy of God, 00:32:56.500 --> 00:33:01.289 it is God who made the call. He's the one that 00:33:01.289 --> 00:33:04.549 called the church in Thessalonica and now even 00:33:04.549 --> 00:33:09.910 all of us into his kingdom and glory When we 00:33:09.910 --> 00:33:12.750 consider the attacks to Christ in his church 00:33:12.750 --> 00:33:18.289 both from without and within We can be much assured 00:33:18.289 --> 00:33:24.509 in the love of God in Christ Jesus to us God 00:33:24.509 --> 00:33:28.180 is faithful Jesus is the faithful husband to 00:33:28.180 --> 00:33:31.079 the church who does not love us as we are but 00:33:31.079 --> 00:33:36.319 rather what he is making us in to be Which is 00:33:36.319 --> 00:33:39.799 a bride that he might sanctify and cleanse with 00:33:39.799 --> 00:33:43.000 the washing of water by the word So that he may 00:33:43.000 --> 00:33:45.740 presents her to himself a glorious church without 00:33:45.740 --> 00:33:50.500 spot or wrinkle. Holy and unblemished Dearly 00:33:50.500 --> 00:33:55.420 beloved God God calls us his own cling to Christ 00:33:55.759 --> 00:34:00.660 As you stand at your post, faithfully seeing 00:34:00.660 --> 00:34:03.779 others flourish in Christ and the fruit of the 00:34:03.779 --> 00:34:08.480 Spirit. You know, it's interesting as we come 00:34:08.480 --> 00:34:13.639 to the close of this, verse 13, after all this, 00:34:14.420 --> 00:34:18.440 qualifications of ministry in difficulty, in 00:34:18.440 --> 00:34:23.110 strife. Paul turns once again to giving thanks 00:34:23.110 --> 00:34:26.510 verse 13 for this reason We also thank God without 00:34:26.510 --> 00:34:29.010 ceasing because when you receive the word of 00:34:29.010 --> 00:34:31.949 God what you heard from us You welcomed it not 00:34:31.949 --> 00:34:34.969 as the word of men, but as it is in the truth 00:34:34.969 --> 00:34:38.150 the word of God Which also effectively works 00:34:38.150 --> 00:34:42.690 in you who believe? So Paul for the second time 00:34:42.690 --> 00:34:46.070 in reference to living in much affliction states 00:34:46.070 --> 00:34:50.679 that he is Eucharist owing He is giving thanks 00:34:50.679 --> 00:34:54.639 in a memorial way without ceasing for what God 00:34:54.639 --> 00:34:58.440 is doing. When Paul and his associates fled from 00:34:58.440 --> 00:35:01.940 Thessalonica, they did not yet know the fruit 00:35:01.940 --> 00:35:06.199 of their efforts. But they boldly went to Berea 00:35:06.199 --> 00:35:09.760 and then to Athens. And Paul continues in this 00:35:09.760 --> 00:35:13.059 very personal letter to emphasize the church's 00:35:13.059 --> 00:35:18.000 need to live in thankfulness to God without ceasing. 00:35:19.760 --> 00:35:24.300 As we mentioned last week, this thanks is to 00:35:24.300 --> 00:35:29.400 be memorialized in our lives in both peace and 00:35:29.400 --> 00:35:34.139 trouble. Again, I ask a couple of the questions 00:35:34.139 --> 00:35:37.519 I submitted last week. How can I incorporate 00:35:37.519 --> 00:35:41.300 this thing or experience, good or bad, this person, 00:35:41.360 --> 00:35:45.460 good or bad, to a recital of God's great acts 00:35:45.460 --> 00:35:50.909 for me and His people? How can my response of 00:35:50.909 --> 00:35:55.429 this thing experience? or person be a continuing 00:35:55.429 --> 00:35:59.610 witness to the goodness and faithfulness and 00:35:59.610 --> 00:36:05.329 justice of God and Ask how can I receive this 00:36:05.329 --> 00:36:10.989 thing? experience or person So as to break it 00:36:10.989 --> 00:36:13.809 and distribute it for the nourishment edification 00:36:13.809 --> 00:36:17.090 and joy of others now we talked about that in 00:36:17.090 --> 00:36:20.690 some detail last week. But I'm trying to remind 00:36:20.690 --> 00:36:24.969 us of what this is. The Christian life is one 00:36:24.969 --> 00:36:29.809 lived in thankfulness, in hardship, in difficulty, 00:36:30.269 --> 00:36:33.889 and nothing is happening to you outside of God's 00:36:33.889 --> 00:36:39.130 providence. Not a thing. So how do we turn all 00:36:39.130 --> 00:36:42.630 the difficulties, sickness, health, vicious attacks 00:36:42.630 --> 00:36:45.610 from the world, vicious attacks from inside the 00:36:45.610 --> 00:36:50.440 church? How do we address that? We go to God 00:36:50.440 --> 00:36:54.820 with a sense of thankfulness, and we memorialize 00:36:54.820 --> 00:36:57.260 these things. We say, okay, what hardships am 00:36:57.260 --> 00:36:59.159 I in right now? How do I go to God and thank 00:36:59.159 --> 00:37:04.480 Him for it? What is He doing to us and for us 00:37:04.480 --> 00:37:09.519 for His glory and the benefit of the world? Dearly 00:37:09.519 --> 00:37:13.280 beloved, like many in the Thessalonican Church, 00:37:13.519 --> 00:37:17.230 right? This type of unceasing giving thanks may 00:37:17.230 --> 00:37:24.170 feel very overwhelming, but it is not so. God 00:37:24.170 --> 00:37:29.090 calls us, Paul says, and effectively works in 00:37:29.090 --> 00:37:32.329 all you who believe. And then, of course, that's 00:37:32.329 --> 00:37:35.750 when the other piece of doubt slips in. Yeah, 00:37:35.750 --> 00:37:41.210 but do I really believe? Romans chapter 5 starting 00:37:41.210 --> 00:37:43.510 in verse 6 tells us this please listen to these 00:37:43.510 --> 00:37:47.469 words of God Accepting in much affliction much 00:37:47.469 --> 00:37:51.789 assurance For when we were still without strength 00:37:51.789 --> 00:37:57.110 in due time Christ died for the ungodly For scarcely 00:37:57.110 --> 00:37:59.710 a righteous man will one die yet perhaps for 00:37:59.710 --> 00:38:03.369 a good one someone might even dare to die But 00:38:03.369 --> 00:38:06.869 God demonstrates his own love towards us and 00:38:06.869 --> 00:38:10.289 that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for 00:38:10.289 --> 00:38:14.150 us. Much more than having now been justified 00:38:14.150 --> 00:38:18.909 by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through 00:38:18.909 --> 00:38:23.429 him. For if we were enemies, we were reconciled 00:38:23.429 --> 00:38:27.449 to God through the death of his son. Much more, 00:38:27.650 --> 00:38:31.230 having been reconciled, we shall be saved by 00:38:31.230 --> 00:38:34.489 his life. And not only that, but we shall also 00:38:34.489 --> 00:38:37.860 rejoice in God. through our Lord Jesus Christ, 00:38:38.019 --> 00:38:41.679 through whom we have now received reconciliation. 00:38:42.219 --> 00:38:45.559 What a wonderful promise that we hear as we're 00:38:45.559 --> 00:38:48.219 charged with all these things, as we take in 00:38:48.219 --> 00:38:51.159 consideration the work of Christ on our behalf. 00:38:51.219 --> 00:38:52.960 We're going to move to the table here in just 00:38:52.960 --> 00:38:57.380 a moment and we're going to rejoice in the great 00:38:57.380 --> 00:39:00.639 work of Christ. When we were helpless, when we 00:39:00.639 --> 00:39:07.300 were without strength, Christ died for us. And 00:39:07.300 --> 00:39:12.260 now we're reconciled to God. Let us now pray. 00:39:13.079 --> 00:39:15.940 Heavenly Father, we thank you for your grace, 00:39:16.340 --> 00:39:18.800 assurance, and the call that you have delivered 00:39:18.800 --> 00:39:23.019 to us in Christ Jesus. Help us, we pray, to disciple 00:39:23.019 --> 00:39:26.440 those who you have given to us out of humble 00:39:26.440 --> 00:39:30.900 gratitude to your glory and their benefit. Oh 00:39:30.900 --> 00:39:33.539 Lord, in time of prosperity, fill our hearts 00:39:33.539 --> 00:39:36.409 with thankfulness. and the day of trouble suffer 00:39:36.409 --> 00:39:40.590 not our trust in you to fail by memorializing 00:39:40.590 --> 00:39:43.769 thanks to you for your glory and the edification 00:39:43.769 --> 00:39:46.570 and joy of the world. All this we ask through 00:39:46.570 --> 00:39:48.889 Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.