Good evening everyone. Tonight
we will continue our study in chapter 2 of 1 Thessalonians. Now in the first study in this
chapter we looked at how the believer in Christ suffers for
the gospel. And this persecution and suffering
can come from family members, old friends, and sometimes even
from within the body of Christ. But the believer is kept by our
great and glorious God, the one true and living God. Then we
looked at how the gospel preacher and the church is entrusted with
the glorious gospel of salvation in and through Christ alone.
We looked at that last week and what an honor and privilege it
is for the man who is sent and called by God to preach the gospel
and to be entrusted with the gospel and also what an honor
and privilege it is for the church as well to be entrusted with
the gospel of salvation in and through Christ alone. Tonight
we will look at preaching the glorious gospel of Christ alone
and how we must proclaim the gospel of Christ as sent preachers
of God. We have a message that God has
given to us and it is real for each of us. And we proclaim salvation
in the true and living God who has turned us, who has turned
us as well as every saint of God from idols to worship the
true and living God. And that is the Lord Jesus Christ,
the God-man, the one who is fully God and fully man. So let's read
verses one to two of 1 Thessalonians 2. to get the context of the
verses which we will be studying tonight. 1 Thessalonians 2, starting
in verse one. For yourselves, brethren, know
our entrance in unto you, that it was not in vain. But even
after that we had suffered before and were shamefully entreated,
as you know at Philippi, we were bold in our God to speak unto
you the gospel of God with much contention. For our exhortation
was not of deceit, nor of uncleanness, nor in guile, but 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 used we flattering words, as ye know, nor a cloak
of covetousness, God is witness. nor of man sought we glory, neither
of you nor of others, when we might have been burdensome as
the apostles of Christ. But we were gentle among you,
even as a nurse cherished 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 you were
dear unto us. For you remember, brethren, our
labor and travail, for laboring night and day, because we would
not be chargeable unto any of you, we preached unto you the
gospel of God. Ye are witnesses of God also,
how wholly and justly and unblameably we behaved ourselves among you
that believe as you know how we exhorted and comforted and
charged every one of you as a father doth his children that ye would
walk worthy of God who hath called you unto his kingdom and glory. We see in verse 4 that Paul was
allowed by God to be entrusted with the gospel. And this is
why we preachers are so careful who we put in our pulpits. We
have been entrusted with the glorious gospel of salvation
in and through Christ alone. And we put those in our pulpit
who believe in the free and sovereign grace of God alone. in whom we
do not have disputes and in whom we have listened to and know
that they faithfully preach and proclaim the gospel of the Lord
Jesus Christ. And Paul brings forth that his
preaching was void of deceit, uncleanness, and guile. And he
also brings forth that God has entrusted him, Paul, with the
gospel of God's free and sovereign grace in Christ alone. Now, he
was not taught this gospel by man. This is why he speaks against
all inventions of man to say it is of man's works. This is
why he speaks against all inventions of man. And that's all that false
preaching is. is it is an invention of man
to add man's works into the finished work of Christ. Man's work has
nothing to do with salvation in Christ. I don't care who the
man speaking is. I don't care how many degrees
he has behind his name. I don't care if he's Dr. So-and-so. If a man is adding anything that
man does, to the finished work of salvation in Christ alone,
that man is preaching a false gospel, a false gospel. Turn, if you would, to Galatians
1.10-12. Turn, if you would, to Galatians
1.10-12. Paul, we know, has been taught
by the true and living God the gospel of salvation in and through
the Lord Jesus Christ alone. And this is what he proclaims.
Each chance that he gets to proclaim the gospel, this is what he proclaims. And he proclaims this glorious
gospel of salvation in Christ alone to please God. Not to please
man. And this truth is bought forth
in what Paul penned by inspiration of the Holy Spirit of God to
the Galatian church. Listen to what he pens in Galatians
chapter 1. verses 10 to 12. He says this,
and again, by inspiration of the Holy Spirit of God, he says,
for do I now persuade man or God? Or do I seek to please man? For if I yet please man, I should
not be the servant of Christ. But I certify you, brethren,
"'that the gospel which was preached of me "'is not after man. "'For I neither received it of
man, "'neither was I taught it, "'but by the revelation of Jesus
Christ.'" And we know that our Lord said that his people, all
his people, shall be taught of God, taught of God the Holy Spirit. We are taught by him. If he does
not reveal the scriptures to us, if he does not reveal Christ
to us, if he does not reveal the truth in the scriptures to
us, It'll just be like reading paper and ink. And the gospel
preacher preaches the gospel, not to please man, but to please
God. Paul knew this truth. He wrote
by inspiration of the Holy Spirit of God in the passage that we
just read about that very thing. The gospel that Paul proclaimed,
he did not receive from man or by man. So he does not speak
as if the gospel was the invention of man. It was not the invention
of man. God planned it and purposed it.
and it's executed by him and by an operation of the Holy Spirit
of God, the regenerating power of God, we are granted faith
to believe the gospel, to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, who
is the object of the gospel. Paul speaks to please God and
not man. The preacher of God preaches
the gospel in the sight of God for the honor and glory of God. Note in verse 5, Paul did not
preach to flatter man. Think upon what brother Tim James
brings forth about this. He said in one sense, this is
a mute point, If the gospel is preached, men are never flattered. The content and contrast of the
gospel abases man and exalts Christ. If men are being flattered,
then the gospel is not being preached. Grace settles the matter
once and for all. Grace is for those who have no
merit, end quote. Yep, no merit, no merit, no merit. God's people have no merit before
God by anything we do. The only merit we have before
God is in and through the Lord Jesus Christ and by the glorious
salvation that he wrought on Calvary's cross. So Paul did
not flatter his hearers when he spoke, no, he boldly by the
power of God proclaimed the perfect sin atoning work of the Lord
Jesus Christ on Calvary's cross. He taught that there's only one
law fulfiller, and that is the Lord Jesus Christ. He's the only
one who's fulfilled the law of God. And it was he, the Lord
Jesus Christ, who offered himself up to God in the place of his
people as the perfect, spotless, sinless lamb of God. And then
he rose for our justification. to prove that God is satisfied
God's absolutely satisfied with the sacrifice of Christ and his
being raised from the grave proved that because he's raised for
our justification and Paul preached Christ in him crucified. And
he knew his preaching was not in vain. That means it wasn't
fruitless in the Greek. That's what that means. He knew
it wasn't fruitless, but it would accomplish what God willed by
the power of God alone. And when the gospel preacher
steps into the pulpit, we need to keep the main thing, the main
thing, beloved, And like Paul, we are to preach Christ and Him
crucified as the only hope for sinners, because there is no
other hope for sinners. Outside of Christ, there's no
hope for sinners. Outside of Christ, men and women
perish in their sins and go into a Christless eternity. But oh,
in Christ, oh, in Christ, when we depart from this world, we
go to be in the presence of the Lord. Glory to His name. And look at how in verse six,
the fact that Paul did not seek personal glory or following or
a man's favor when Paul and Timothy and Silvanus were preaching the
gospel. They did not seek a following. They did not seek personal glory.
They did not seek man's favor. Look in verse 6, 1 Thessalonians
2, verse 6. Nor of man sought we glory, neither
of you, nor yet of others, when we might have been burdensome
as the apostles of Christ. Now, Paul did not look to man
for the results of preaching the gospel. No, not at all. And we see plainly that he did
not flatter man with the pipe dream of keeping the law or the
delusion that their will had anything to do with their salvation.
No, beloved, he preached salvation in Christ alone. And he did not
do it for personal gain. And he did not do it with a cloak
of covetousness. And this brings forth the plainness
of Paul's preaching. Now, remember, he was taught
by one of the most prominent teachers in his day. He was well-educated,
but he did not speak to the people in lofty, flattering words, did
he? No. He employed plainness of
speech without deception, without a cloak of covetousness. he did
not preach for the applause of man or for the popularity of
man, neither did he lord over the sheep. He didn't throw his
apostolic authority around, did he, to have an advantage over
men. He did not do this. He might
have said to the saints of Thessalonica and others what he said to Timothy,
that elders, preachers that served are worthy of double honor. but
rather than do that, he ministered among them, asking nothing of
them. Now, several churches did support
him, we know that, with love offerings and gifts, but they
did this not because he asked, no, but because they loved the
Savior. They did this because they loved
the Savior. He was proclaiming, and they supported him for the
furtherance of the gospel, which speaks of their mighty Savior,
the Lord Jesus Christ. And Paul had learned, he had
been taught of God, to abound amid suffering and lack as well,
as when he was healthy and had plenty, Paul had learned he had
been taught of God to abound amid suffering and lack of things. as well as when he was healthy
and had plenty. He had learned by circumstances
which our great God took him through to be content in all
situations. And he had been taught this truth,
this precious truth of contentment in Christ by the sovereign will
and purpose of God and what had occurred in his life. Turn if
you would to Philippians chapter 4. Philippians chapter 4 we'll
read verses 10 to 13 and we will see this bought forth. Philippians
chapter 4 Paul writes, but I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now
at the last your care of me hath flourished again, wherein ye
were also careful, but ye lacked opportunity. Not that I speak
in respect of want, for I have learned in whatsoever state I
am therewith to be content. I know both how to be abased,
and I know how to abound everywhere, and in all things I am instructed
both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer
need. I can do all things through Christ
which strengthens me. Now Paul, Paul was bought into
the presence of the Thessalonians by the sovereign will and providence
of God. And he was sent there by God,
preached the gospel to them. And he fended for himself, beloved. He relied upon our great God,
our great and glorious God, the true, the one true and living
God. And this is true of every gospel
preacher and and every church who has been entrusted with the
gospel. Look at verse seven, and we see
that Paul, Savannah, and Timothy were gentle among the people
of God. They were not short with them.
They did not look down upon them. No, they were gentle with them,
even as a nurse cherished her children. Look at verse seven,
1 Thessalonians 2, verse seven. Paul again writes, by inspiration
of the Holy Spirit of God, but we were gentle among you, even
as a nurse cherished her children. Paul never forgot how gentle
and how patient the Lord Jesus Christ had been with him during
his many years of sinful rebellion. Have you, beloved of God, ever
considered how patient the Lord was with you before he saved
you? Have you ever considered how
patient the Lord Jesus Christ has been with you since he has
saved you? Have you ever considered that
you were drawn to Christ by the cords of God's pure, immutable,
everlasting love? What Paul had experienced from
the loving hand of God was much more precious to him than that
which he had received at the loving hand of parents. his parents
who nursed him and cherished him. And this is how all the
preachers of the Lord Jesus Christ are to conduct themselves with
those we have the honor of ministering to. Never forget, beloved of
God, how God has been and still is so gracious and gentle and
patient with us. Therefore, ought we also to manifest
a loving, gracious, gentle, patient spirit with others? Those who
have been shown grace by God will show grace to others. That's
just how grace works. That's just how grace works.
And this is not just a characteristic of God's preachers, but also
of all his born-again blood-washed children, the saints of God.
Listen to what the scriptures proclaim in 1 John 4 11. Beloved,
he's writing to God's people, if God so loved us, we have also
to love one another. And think about this, even in
our unregenerate state, we loved our family to the point that
if anyone spoke out against our parents, or our siblings, or
our spouse, or our children, those were fighting words to
us, weren't they? Because love just moves people to defend those
we love. One grace preacher brings forth
these words, How much more should this be true of our church family?
I don't want anyone speaking out against my brothers and sisters
in Christ. By God's grace, I will defend
those who are members of the body of Christ, not just the
saints here in our body, but all the saints of God. Now let's
read verses 7 and 8 of 1 Thessalonians chapter 2. But we were gentle
among you, even as a nurse cherishes her children. And then verse
8 says, 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. Notice in verse
7 that Paul begins this sentence with the word but. This is setting
the tone for what will follow in the next few verses, as this
opposing conjunction is set in opposition to being burdensome,
which we see in verse 6. So rather than being burdensome
to the people of God, they were gentle with the people of God.
They were gentle to them. In note, they were interested
in imparting to them, that means giving to them, the gospel of
our Lord Jesus Christ. Paul and Savannas and Timothy
were not desirous of the things that the Thessalonians had. They
were not desirous of what they could give them. And they did
not use flattering words to gain a following. No, Paul was desirous
to preach the gospel, beloved. The gospel of salvation in Christ
alone to the saints at Thessalonica. And he did this not just there,
but Paul did this wherever he went. Turn, if you would, to
1 Corinthians 2. Paul constantly brought forth
before his hearers the one needful thing, and that is the Lord Jesus
Christ, the God-man, the only Savior of sinners. This is what
Paul constantly did, no matter where he went. We see that he
proclaims this at the Corinthian Church, 1 Corinthians 2, verses
1-5. And I, brethren, when I came
to you, came not with excellency of speech, he didn't use flattering
words or wisdom, it says, declaring unto you the testimony of God.
For I am determined not to know anything among you save Jesus
Christ in Him crucified. And I was with you in weakness,
and in fear, and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching
was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration
of the Spirit in power, that your faith should not stand in
the wisdom of man, but in the power of God. We see then brought
before us there in 1 Corinthians 2, and we see it in verse 2,
the importance of proclaiming the gospel because the gospel
proclaims the one thing needful to sinners, and that is salvation
in and through the Lord Jesus Christ, redemption through his
precious blood, forgiveness of all the sins of those who trust
in Christ, justification before God, before the true and living
God, all through the Lord Jesus Christ. And the gospel proclaims
that Christ is the righteousness of his people. Our righteousness
is like filthy rags before God, but oh, the believer right now
is clothed in the perfect spotless righteousness of Christ. And
the gospel proclaims that Christ is our righteousness. And believers,
you know, believers are sanctified in Christ. The work of salvation
is complete, beloved. It's finished. This was his cry
from the cross. It is finished and finished means
finished. There's nothing for man to add
to our salvation. Nothing for man to add to our
redemption. Nothing for man to add to our
justification and nothing for man to add to our sanctification.
This is a work of God and we have all these things in and
through the Lord Jesus Christ in him alone. And the believer
says, praise his mighty name. Now one might ask, how do you
know that? Well, just look in 1 Corinthians
1 and look at verses 30 and 31. Look what the scripture boldly
declares. And again, this is penned by
inspiration of the Holy Spirit of God. And beloved, let this
just minister to your heart. that we are complete in Christ,
that our salvation is complete in Him. It's absolutely finished. Look at 1 Corinthians 1, verses
30 and 31. But of Him, Christ, are ye in
Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us what? Wisdom. He's all
our wisdom. Righteousness. Righteousness.
He's our righteousness. He's the Lord, our righteousness.
And we stand before God clothed in that perfect spotless righteousness.
And then look what it goes on to say in sanctification. We
can make ourselves holy by anything we do before and after we're
saved. But in Christ, the believer is
sanctified. The scriptures plainly declare
this. And then it says, and redemption. Oh beloved, he is all our redemption. We have salvation only in and
through the Lord Jesus Christ. And by his shed blood, we have
the forgiveness of all our sins. And then it says in verse 31,
that according it is written, he that glorieth, let him glory
in the Lord. So the believer in Christ glories
in the Lord Jesus Christ. We don't seek personal glory.
We don't seek man's applause. We don't speak to man and woman. Gospel preachers don't speak
to man and woman in flattering words. No, we just proclaim what
the gospel says. That salvation is in and through
Christ alone. That's a good news. That's good
news for sinners. And that he's finished the work.
It's complete, and the believer is complete in him. Oh, that's
wonderful news for sinners. That's wonderful news for this
sinner, I can tell you that. Wonderful news for this sinner.
We see that Paul was willing not only to impart the gospel
of God to the Thessalonian saints, which is God's gospel, right?
It's his gospel. But because they were dear to
him, he would have gladly given his own soul for them. We see
that in verse eight, look in verse eight. 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. Oh, beloved, Paul's love for
the Lord Jesus Christ was manifested not only by his will and spirit
to preach the gospel of salvation in and through Christ alone,
even if it cost him his life, but Paul's love for his Savior
was also manifested by his love and affection for all of God's
saints. And I've said this before, this
is the one thing that Satan can't counterfeit, is the love of God
shed abroad in the believer's heart. He can counterfeit a lot
of things, but he cannot counterfeit the love of God shed abroad in
the believer's heart. The love that we have for one
another, he cannot counterfeit. Now listen to what Paul wrote
in light of verse 8 of 1 Thessalonians chapter 2. Listen to what Paul
wrote again under divine inspiration in the book of Romans. He writes
this in chapter 9 verses 1 to 3. He says, I say the truth in
Christ, I lie not, my conscience also barren, me witness in the
Holy Ghost. that I have great heaviness and
continual sorrow in my heart, for I could wish that myself
were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen, according
to the flesh. We see then that Paul had a genuine
love for those unbelieving, Christ-hating Jews, and many of them had persecuted
him from city to city, crying out for his blood. Now think
upon this. If Paul had that kind of love
for his unregenerate kinsmen, what great love Paul must have
had for the people of God, for those who were his brothers and
sisters in the household of God, those who are his kinsmen in
Christ. Marvel, beloved, at the miracle
of grace. God takes a Christ-hating, church-persecuting
sinner and makes him a trophy of his grace. And he's saved. Now he's a saved sinner. And
by God's grace and mercy and by God's power He has the love
of God shed abroad in his heart by the regenerating power of
God, the Holy Spirit, all according to the sovereign will and purpose
of God. And I'll tell you this, that's
not only true in Paul's life, but that's true of every born
again, blood-washed saint of God. We have been regenerated
by the power of God. We have been turned from idols,
turned to God from idols. to serve the living and true
God. And now we wait for his son from
heaven, whom he raised by his almighty power, whom he raised
from the dead for our justification. Even Jesus, which delivered us
from the wrath to come, and all the Lord Jesus Christ has delivered
us from the wrath to come. the wrath that was due us, the
judgment that was due us, all fell upon the blessed Savior
in our place. This is why we must preach the
gospel. God uses the preaching of the
gospel to draw in his lost sheep. He regenerates them by his almighty
power, by the Holy Spirit of God, under the preaching of the
gospel of salvation in and through Christ alone. And he grants them
faith. God does this. He grants them faith to believe
on the Lord Jesus Christ. And He also gives them repentance
before God, beloved. And what do we say? All to God
be the glory. Great things He has done. Great things He has done. Oh,
God's done great things for His people, hasn't He? Let us proclaim
the wondrous things that Christ has done for us. Salvation, all
salvation. Salvation in Him alone. Amen
and amen.