Let us turn then to God's word
in the portion of scripture that we read earlier in the service
in the first epistle of Paul to the Thessalonians chapter
2 and reading at verse 7 we read verses 7, 8 and 9 Paul said, But we were gentle
among you, even as a nurse cherisheth her children, so being affectionately
desirous of you, we were willing to have imparted unto you not
the gospel of God only, but also our own souls, because ye were
dear unto us. For ye remember brethren our
labour and travail, for labouring night and day, because we would
not be chargeable unto any of you, we preach unto you the Gospel
of God." This epistle to the Thessalonians is in many ways
one of the most affectionate of all of the writings of the
Apostle Paul. We certainly see something of
that great love that he bore towards them in the Gospel of
the Lord Jesus Christ. And the particular words that
I want to send to your attention upon this morning are the words
that we find here in verse 7 as he describes the manner of his
ministry amongst them. He says, But we were gentle among
you even as a nurse cherishes children. Paul's ministry was very much
a spiritual ministry and he certainly sets forth that truth in the
opening parts of this second chapter. In the first eleven
verses we see how he describes to them something of the character
of the ministry that he had been exercising amongst them. He was not one who was in any
sense there to please men. He was no man-pleaser. Verse 4, we read, as we were
allowed of God to be put in trust with the Gospel, even so we speak
not as pleasing men, but God which trieth our hearts, for
neither at any time use we flattering words, as ye know, nor a cloak
of covetousness guard his witness." It wasn't that he said things
that were pleasant and pleasing in order that he might gain favour
amongst them. On the contrary, He used plainness
of speech as he sought faithfully to declare to them the Gospel
of the Lord Jesus Christ. We do read in the Old Testament
of the prophets and we read of those who were false prophets
and though the false prophets would only speak those things
that the people desired to hear at their lips. Jeremiah mentions
them, speaks against them, as I healed the hurt of my children
saying peace, peace when there was no peace. Again in Jeremiah
chapter 5 and verse 31 he speaks of that false ministry that those
men were seeking to exorcise. amongst the people of God, the
prophets prophesy falsely, he says, and the priests they rule
by their means, and my people love to have it so. And what
will you do in the end thereof? My people love to have it so. This is that sort of ministry
that was nothing more than a man-pleasing ministry. Isaiah says much the
same concerning that those ungodly people desire. Speak unto us
sleuths things they would say, prophesy deceit. Well that was
not the sort of ministry that Paul exercised as he sought to
fulfil his calling before God as the great apostle to the Gentiles. How he spoke the truth, even
setting forth doctrine that is offensive to the natural man.
Now time and again we see him asserting the great verities
of salvation by grace and by grace alone. He doesn't hold
back, he doesn't in any way seek to conceal those discriminating
doctrines. He speaks of election, he speaks
of effectual calling and we see it of course even in chapters
of this epistle. there in verse 4 of chapter 1
he says knowing brethren beloved your election of God and then
he goes on to speak of how that truth of their election was so
evident because of the manner in which the gospel came to them
it was effectual the gospel came not in word only he said but
in power and in the Holy Ghost and in much assurance how then
we see him time and again asserting these doctrines. Again, here
in chapter 2 and verse 13, he speaks of the effectual calling,
the word of God, he says, which effectually worketh also in you
that believe. He was not a man pleaser in the
manner in which he exercised that ministry that he had received
of the Lord Jesus Christ. and he was not a self-server. He didn't seek in any way to
serve himself. Look at what he says here at
verse 6. Nor of men sought we glory, neither of you, nor yet
of others, when we might have been burdensome as the apostles
of Christ. He wasn't seeking his own reputation,
his own glory. That was not the motivation in
this man's ministry. In one of his letters James Bourne
makes this interesting observation concerning his ministry. He says, I am often tempted and harassed to know how far
the word has been profitable. But this, he says, is not being
nothing. I find that it is better to leave
the effect of the word to the Lord that he might have the glory,
not seeking his own reputation, not wanting to know how effectual
the ministry was, that he might glory in it himself, but leaving
the outcome only in the hands of the Lord. And this was Paul,
was it not? He doesn't seek his own reputation,
his own glory. Nor have men sought with glory,
neither yet of you, nor yet of others, when we might have been
burdensome as the apostles of Christ. Interestingly, that expression
that we have at the end of verse 6, burdensome as the apostles
of Christ, the word that's used there, burdensome, is derived
from the word for weight. And we can understand it in terms
of his apostleship and the authority that belonged to him as one who
was called to the office of an apostle. We can think in terms
of his dignity. But this was not the thing that
he was concerned about, his dignity at most. the position that he
held in the churches because of that calling that he had received
from the Lord Jesus Christ. Like Christ himself, was he not
amongst them as one who was there to serve? He was the servant
of the Lord. He says much the same when he
writes to the Corinthians, and the Corinthians of course very
much despised him as they had been influenced by false apostles. They turned against Paul, they
rejected his ministry and yet he was truly an apostle. He says
there in 2 Corinthians 11 and verse 5, I suppose I was not
a wit behind the very chiefest apostles. Now he is not blowing
his own trumpet. It is a truth that he asserts,
but he doesn't come amongst them as one who is looking for them
to be always showing the greatest of respect to him. Look at what
he goes on to say there in that chapter of verse 9, I was present
with you, he says, when I was present with you and wanted I
was chargeable to no man for that which was lacking to me,
the brethren which came from Macedonia supplied and in all
things I have kept myself from being burdensome unto you and
so will I keep myself. He doesn't want to in any way
prove to be a burden to and he doesn't want in any way to assert
his dignity as an apostle amongst he is simply there as their servant
and it was not just the case with Paul it's the mark of all
the apostles is in obviously the same spirit in what Peter
writes there at the end of his first epistle he addresses the
elders and says that he also is an elder who also am an elder,
and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and a partaker of
the glory that shall be revealed. Feed the flock of God which is
among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but
willingly, not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind, neither
as being lords over God's heritage, but being examples to the flock."
It's the same spirit in Peter that we find in Paul. They're
not there to lord him. to be of urgency. They are there
to minister and to serve and to feed the people of God. And this is the case as we see
it here with Paul's ministry amongst the Thessalonians. These
words then in verse 7. But, he says, we were gentle
among you even as a nurse cherished her children. Well, as we come
to consider the text I want to deal with three things first
of all to say something with regards to Paul's travail he
is speaking of a nurse but he is speaking here principally
of course of a nursing mother a mother who is nursing her own
children caring for her own children and he uses his figure in relation
to himself and his ministry there in Thessalonica. And he speaks
of travail. Thinking of the picture then,
the figure of the mother and the child and here we have the
idea of travail. He goes on to use this word of
course, there at the beginning of verse 9. Do you remember brethren?
Leiber and travail he says. for labouring night and day,
because we would not be charitable unto any of you, we preached
unto you the gospel of God." How he laboured, how he travailed,
and this travailing was a spiritual travailing, as it were, in birth
for them. When he writes to the Galatians,
he uses that same figure. In Galatians 4.19, my little
children of whom I labour, or travail against, that Christ performed in him,
how he prevailed, you see, how he so guided himself to this
ministry, it was like the labour that the mother must endure in
bringing forth the child to the birth when he writes to the Corinthians. And as I said there, he is constantly
having to defend his own ministry, because of those false teachers
and those false apostles who had crept in and stolen the heart
of the people. Now they come to despise Paul
and yet he writes to them and he can remind them and he does
so quite plainly there in 1 Corinthians chapter 4 though you have 10,000
instructors in Christ he says yet have ye not many fathers
for I have begotten you in the gospel. This is how Paul worked,
he labelled he travailed that he might see that truth that
there might be those who were brought to the saving knowledge
of the Lord Jesus Christ under his ministry and so he was a
true nursing mother which is what he says in the text, we
were gentle among you even as a nurse cherished your children
and what does he go on to say? but he goes on to use this word
burden there at the end of verse 9 the same word really that we
have in verse 6 he wouldn't be burdensome we might have been
burdensome he says but he He wants none of that. He doesn't
want to be a burden to them. So at the end of verse 9, We would not be chargeable unto
any of you. We preached unto you, he says,
the gospel of God. He would not be burdensome in
the way of being chargeable unto them. The word chargeable is
really from the same root as that word burdensome that we
have back in verse 6. To put on a burden. He ministers
amongst them quite freely really. He makes no charge for that ministry
that he is exercising on their behalf. All that he does is out
of real affection to them. In the second epistle and there
in verse 8 of chapter 3 it says neither did we eat any man's
bread for naught but wrought with labour and travail night
and day that we might not be chargeable to any of you this
is how Paul was exercising his ministry all the time he has
the care of all the churches but he is no burden to any of
the churches When he goes and preaches amongst the Ephesians,
he reminds them, as he takes his final leave of them there
in the 20th chapter of the Acts of the Apostles, he reminds them
that his ministry amongst them had been quite freely exercised. He made no demands upon them
at all in Acts chapter 20 then and verses 33 and 34 he says,
I have coveted no man's silver or gold or apparel. Yea, ye yourselves
know that these hands have ministered unto my necessities and to them
that were wisdom. He ministered quite freely amongst
the Ephesians. and it was just the same of course
as we have already observed in some measure when he ministered
amongst the Corinthians as he tells them there in that 11th
chapter where he is contrasting his own ministry with that of
the false apostles look at what he says in verse 7 of that 11th
chapter lest I should be exalted sorry that's chapter 12 in chapter
11 and verse 7 he says, have I committed an offence in abasing
myself that she might be exalted because I have preached to you
the gospel of God freely? I robbed other churches taking
wages of them to do you service and when I was present with you
and wanted I was chargeable to no man for that which is lacking
to me the brethren which came from Macedonia supplied and in
all things I have kept myself from being burdensome unto you
and I will keep myself." He would labour with his own hands, he
worked, we know that. In Acts 18 he worked as a tent
maker in order that he might have that to sustain himself
and make no charge for his ministry. It wasn't that He didn't have
a certain right for that, as he was ministering to them in
spiritual things, he had every right that they should minister
to him in temporal things. But that was not the way of Paul. He would forgo that support that
he might expect from them, although he does remind them, of course,
that those who are ministering the Gospel should be living of
the gospel. Again writing to the Corinthians
in 1 Corinthians 9 at verse 13. Do you not know that they which
minister about holy things live of the things of the temple?
And they which wait at the altar are partakers with the altar.
Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel
should live of the gospel. But they have use none of these
things, neither have I written these things, that it should
be so done unto me. For it was better for me to die
than that any man should make my glorying void." He will forego,
you see, these rights that he quite legitimately has, and he
will forego these things because of that great love and affection
that he bears towards them. He has the power, the authority
to make demands upon them, but he will not. Again, at the end
of 2 Thessalonians, not because we have not power, he says, but
to make ourselves an example unto you to follow us. Here is one then who so labours
for them, so travails, he is great, Motivation in all of this
is that great affection, that very real love that he bears
towards them. He would give himself, just as
the mother of the child would give herself wholeheartedly for
the welfare and the well-being of her children, so it was also
with the Apostle. In verse 8 he says, so being
affectionately desirous of you, we were willing to impart it
unto you, not the gospel of God only, but also our own souls,
because ye were dear unto us. It's not just a question of ministering
the gospel to them, he'll do that quite freely, but he'll
give himself. He'll give himself entirely wholly to this work. And so, besides the travail that
Paul endures, not only labouring in the word and in the doctrine,
but also at times having to labour with his own hands, we also see
here something of Paul's great sacrifice as he gives himself
to this work. He is willing, he is willing
to sacrifice himself in serving these believers amongst
the Thessalonians. He will give himself to the work.
Now it's interesting as we think of this figure that he is using,
that of the nursing mother. Remember the words that we just
sang in that lovely hymn of William Cooper, Can a woman's tender
care seize towards the child she bear? Yes, ye may forgetful
birds, yet will I remember thee. And of course those words are
based upon scripture. And the particular verse that
William Cooper has in mind are those words that we find in Isaiah.
Isaiah 49 and verse 15. Can a woman forget her sucking
child? that she should not have compassion
on the son of her womb, yea, they may forget, yet will I not
forget thee. How we see there the greatness
of the love of God, that sacrificial love that God has towards his
people. And here is Paul, you see, liking
himself to the nursing mother. We were gentle among you, even
as a nurse cherishes her children. Though Paul uses this illustration
with regards to himself and his own ministry, he is not unmindful,
is he, of the greatness of God's love which is so much greater
so much greater than any affection that Paul as an apostle might
manifest towards these Thessalonians. The Lord Jesus says, greater
love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his
friends. This is what the Lord Jesus Christ
does, is it not? He lays down his life for his
friends, who are his friends. well they are those of course
who are given to him of the father and the evidence of their friendship
is that they love him and they keep his commandments but when
he lays down his life for them they are not his friends they
are in a state of alienation from him are they not? they are
those who are really his enemies and so it's the same apostle
Paul who reminds us of that very truth in Romans chapter 5 and there at verse 6 following
he says when we were yet without strength in due time Christ died
for the ungodly Christ died for the ungodly for scarcely for
a righteous man will one die Yet for adventure for a good
man some would even dare to die, but God commended his love toward
us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Christ died for those who at
that time were in a state of enmity, alienation, yes, He died
for those who were loved of God, those who were chosen in Christ
before the foundation of the world, those who were ordained
to be not only his friends, but ordained to be his very children.
But at that time, they were in that condition, they were without
God, they were without Christ. They were in the state of enmity,
or the greatness of that love of God. It is greater, I say,
than the love that the mother bears towards the child of her
womb. Greater than that love that she
has for the child that she suckles at her breast. The greatness
of that love. And what does Paul say concerning
his own ministry? Not only amongst the Thessalonians,
but amongst all the churches. It is his love the love of Christ
that is constraining him as he seeks to exercise his ministry.
He is truly an apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ. He is once
sent by Christ seeking to serve the Lord Jesus Christ. It is that love of Christ that
lies then at the roots of the affection that he has towards
these Thessalonians and as he knew much of that love
of Christ so he was a man who was prepared also to suffer in
the service of Christ when he writes to the Colossians he says
who now rejoice in my sufferings for you and fill up that which
is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his
body's sake which is the church. What are we to make of this remarkable
statement that he makes concerning his sufferings? He says to fill
up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh
for his body's sake which is the church. Now he's not for
a moment suggesting that his own afflictions And the sufferings
that he has to endure contribute anything to the salvation of
sinners. Salvation is only by and through
the sufferings of the Lord Jesus Christ. And that sacrifice that
Christ made is the perfect sacrifice. There is no other sacrifice for
sins says this same apostle. And so clearly what he is saying
here in Colossians 1.24 that which is behind the afflictions
of Christ in my flesh has not to do with the sinner's salvation
but what he is saying is that he was motivated by the very
love of Christ as he seeks to minister to the
church at Colossae as he seeks to minister to the church of
the Thessalonians wherever he is found ministry. Remember what
he was told at the time that he was called by the grace of
God and called to the work of the ministry as we have it there
in Acts chapter 9 the word that is given to him through Ananias
when Christ met with him there at Damascus and he has to be led by the hand
into the city because he was blinded by the sight of the glorified
Christ whom he was persecuting and an annihilation is sent to
him in the street called straight and he is to lay his hands upon
him that he might receive his sight again but he is also to
tell him how great things he must suffer for Christ's body's
sake. You see what the Lord says to
Elanias, how great things he must suffer for my name's sake. And so it was, he suffered. And
he was willing to suffer, he was willing to sacrifice in order
that he might fulfill his ministry. And we see it here in what he
says in this 8th verse. affectionately desirous is the
way it's rendered in our authorised version the greatness of that
affection that love that he bears towards the Thessalonians so being affectionately desirous
of you we were willing to impart it unto you not the gospel of
God only but also our own souls because you were dear unto us
Oh what a love, this is greater really than the love of the nursing
mother. It is the love of Christ in this
man's heart constraining him as he exercises this ministry. But as we see Paul labouring
and travailing, as we see Paul so willing and so ready to make
sacrifice of himself in the course of his ministry, We come further
to this, he was also gentle. The gentleness that he exercised
in his ministry is so evident in what we read here in verse
7. We were gentle, he said. We were
gentle among you, even as a nurse cherishes her children. How the nursing mother, shows
such tenderness towards her child, how she lays the child in her
bosom, how she hugs the child in her arms, how she warms and
cherishes that little one that she has given birth to. Well,
might Paul say with regards to his own ministry then, who is
sufficient for these things? Who is sufficient for these things?
This is not a natural love that he is speaking of. This is that
love of God. Again the apostles declare in
Acts chapter 6 we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to
the ministry of the world. How there was that need to pray
that the Lord would grant to them the true pastor's heart. that they might really love those
that they were called to minister to it is not a natural thing
it is that that can only come from God himself and so they
have to give themselves to prayer I remember many years ago speaking
to another pastor with regards to the work of the ministry and
what his greatest burden was, what his greatest need was and
his reply was that he had to be constantly asking the Lord
that he would grant to him, give to him a true pastor's heart. And this I say is what we see
in the Apostle here. And where does he come from?
He only comes from God himself. It was God who made him a minister.
And what sort of a minister was he made? There in 2 Corinthians
3 and verse 6, who hath made us also able ministers of the
New Testament. God made him what he was. And
he is ever conscious of that, of his need. That it all comes
from God, it is all by the grace of God. He knew what his calling
was, he must follow of course God's example. And isn't God
that one who is with his people ever a gracious father? Like as a father, pitieth his
children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him. He knoweth
our frame, says the psalmist. He remembereth that we are dust. And that was what Paul had in
mind. He knew that he was to be like
the Heavenly Father, like the Gracious God. The Lord is very
pitiful, says James, under tender mercy. That's the God that Paul
was seeking to serve, that God who is pitiful and merciful. And see how he speaks here in
verse 11. ye know how we exhorted and comforted and charged every
one of you as a father does his children he is speaking of the
human father but is he not also looking higher than that to the
heavenly father who pities all them that fear him but it is
not so much the love of the father that he is speaking of It's the
love of the nursing mother that we see in the text, the kindliness
and the tenderness of the mother with her young child. It's interesting that this imagery
is even taken up in reference to God himself. It's taken up in Deuteronomy
chapter 32. and there of course it is spoken
of the mother bird as she would care for her for a young in Deuteronomy 32 we have the
song of Moses And he speaks in verse 9 of the
Lord's portion being his people. Jacob is the lot of his inheritance.
He found him in a desert land, in the waste, howling wilderness.
He led him about. He instructed him. He kept him
as the apple of his eye. And then here it is, verse 11. As an eagle stirreth up her nest,
fluttereth over her young, spreadeth abroad her wing, taketh them,
bareth them on her wings, so the Lord alone did lead him,
and there was no strange God with him." Speaking then very
much there of the mother bird, but taking this figure and applying
it to God and God's dealing. Again in Isaiah 66 we read of
God in terms of the mother who bears the children on her side
and dandles them on her knees. And this is the one you see that
Paul is seeking to follow and to serve. This is the pattern
that he has before him. The tenderness. of God as he
cares for his children and his love is greater even than that
of the natural mother remember those words back in Isaiah 49 we were gentle among you he says
even as a nurse cherishes her children but there is not only
the imagery of the father caring for his child or the mother
nursing her child is also in scripture that of the Lord Jesus
Christ as that one who is the Good Shepherd. And how the Good
Shepherd ever cares for his sheep. How he ministers to them and
even bears them in his arms. We have that lovely verse in Isaiah 40 verse 11. He shall feed his flock like
a shepherd, he shall gather the lambs with his arm and carry
them in his bosom and shall gently lead those that are with young. This is the one that Paul is
seeking to follow. as he exercises this ministry
amongst the churches, and here in particular he is aware of
the needs of the church amongst the Thessalonians. It's Christ,
you see, it's the ministry of Christ, it's an extension, as
it were, of that ministry. And what do we read concerning
Christ and his tenderness in the Gospel of Bruges? We read,
Shall he not break nor quench a smoking-flask? How kindly he deals, how tenderly,
how gently. This then is what Paul speaks
of with regards to himself and his ministry. This is the ministry,
of course, that ultimately we find only in God himself. Yet
this is what God calls all his ministering servants to, even
to such a ministry as we see being exercised by the great
apostle of the Gentiles. I say again that the imagery
that we have is so beautiful and we see something of the great
affection that Paul had toward those that he ministered to and
often times as we see particularly amongst the Corinthians there
were those who turned against him their hearts were stolen
by false teachers false apostles and it was not so amongst the
Thessalonians And so he reminds them. But, he says, we were gentle
among you, even as a nurse cherishes her children, so being affectionately
desirous of you, we were willing to impart it unto you, not the
Gospel of God only, but also our own soul, because you were
dear unto us. For you remember, brethren, our
labour and travail, for labouring night and day, because we would
not be chargeable unto any of you, we preached unto you the
gospel of God. May the Lord be pleased to bless
this work. Let us sing our concluding phrase. And the hymn is 120, speaking
of Christ's compassion. 120. The Evangelist, 138. With joy we meditate the grace
of our high priest above. His heart is made of tenderness.
His bowels melt with love. Touched with the sympathy within,
he knows our feeble frame. He knows what sore temptations
mean, for he has felt the same. 120.