Eternal Encouragement - 1&2 Thessalonians
Lanse Evangelical Free Church
May 11, 2025 :: 1 Thessalonians 2:1-16
Those words in verse 8 just jump off the page, don’t they?
“We loved you so much!”
The Apostle Paul writing back to this “baby church” that he had helped to start but had to leave.
“We loved you so much!”
They were dear to him. Verse 8 ends by saying, “You had become so dear to us.”
We saw last week in chapter 1 how Paul and his ministry team cared so much for the brothers and sisters of the church of the Thessalonians. He felt so tender and affectionate and caring for his spiritual siblings in Thessalonica. He was broken-hearted when he had to leave town (Acts 17:1-9). He was concerned when he hadn’t heard from them. He was so encouraged to finally hear how well they were doing–following his example and being an example to all of their region. And he never stopped praying for them. Remembering before God their work, labor, and endurance because of their faith, love, and hope in Jesus and His soon return.
“We loved you so much!”
And I think it must have been really painful for Paul to hear back that some people were saying that it was actually the opposite. That Paul really didn’t care about them. That Paul had really just been using them. That his time among them was empty and fake.
I think that’s what was happening, and that’s why Paul seems to be so much on the defensive. Did you hear that when it was read to us? Paul seems kind of defensive? Reading between the lines, I think that Paul has heard some slander about him and his team. Paul has gotten word that there are accusations floating around about him and what he was “really doing” back when he was living in Thessalonica. And the insinuations are false, and so Paul is writing, in part, to set the record straight and to remind and reassure his beloved friends of his true intentions towards them. And that must have been hard for him to do.
But one of the benefits of that for us today is that it reveals the heart of the Apostle Paul, and it gives us a model for ministry. Because Paul has to explain what he did, how he did it, and why he did it, we can draw lessons from that for how we can faithfully minister to others in our day!
Including how we serve others in our community.
And how we serve others in our church.
And how we serve our children in our homes.
In God’s providence, this is a perfect passage for Mother’s Day.
For one, because there’s a bit in there about moms. And how the Apostle Paul was like a Mom. That’s one to think about! But also because what Paul did in his Christian ministry gives Christian Moms a model for what they do as Christians Mothers in their homes.
So, Moms, listen up. Paul’s going to encourage you in your ministry of motherhood.
Doesn’t he just sound a like a Christian Mother?
“We loved you so much!”
And Paul knows that they should know that. He’s going to say that again and again in this short passage. That they know better than what they’re hearing. They saw it with their own eyes. Look at verse 1.
“You know, brothers [and sisters!], that our visit to you was not a failure.”
“You know it. You were there. Don’t listen to whatever people are saying about how our time among you was a waste of time.”
That word translated “failure” there often means, “empty.” And Paul could be using it to emphasize that their time there was not empty of good results. But Paul could also be saying that it wasn’t “empty” in terms of Paul’s heart toward them. He didn’t have an empty heart. He loved them so much. And they should know it.
I have four points this morning to try to summarize this passage, and here’s the first one. Paul is saying, “We loved you so much...”
#1. WE DARED TO TELL YOU THE GOSPEL OF GOD.
Look at verse 2.
“You know, brothers, that our visit to you was not a failure. We had previously suffered and been insulted in Philippi, as you know, but with the help of our God we dared to tell you his gospel in spite of strong opposition.”
Proof number one that we loved you? We told you about Jesus even though lots of people didn’t want us to. Paul and Silas had been arrested, stripped, and beaten in Philippi, the town they had been at just before Thessalonica. They had been thrown in jail. And, I don’t know about you, but I would have been just go home after that. But they didn’t. They loved the Thessalonians and brought the gospel to their town! For three weeks, Paul presented Jesus in the synagogue. And some Jews believed that Jesus was the Messiah, but others definitely did not. They started a riot in the streets! And everybody in the church decided it was better for Paul to leave at that time.
I think that probably the rumor was spreading that Paul had just slunk out of town, perhaps with a big of money. But that’s not how it was. Paul had been bold. He says, “as you know...with the help our God we dared to tell you His gospel in spite of strong opposition.” "We didn’t slink away! We stood up because we loved you so much."
I love that he calls it, “his gospel,” “God’s gospel,” “the gospel of God.” Because it’s more than just this good news is about God. It’s the good news from God. It’s the good news that belongs to God. In verse 5 of chapter 1, he called it, “our gospel” because it he owned it so much, but there is someone else Who owns it even so much more! It’s God’s gospel, and by His power and with His love, Paul dared to share it with the Thessalonians.
And so we should we. We need to dare to share the gospel. We need to be bold. Because if we don’t we aren’t being loving.
Moms, dare to share the gospel with your children.
And don’t stop until either they or you die. Even in the face of strong opposition. Even if they put you in prison. Even if your kids don’t want to hear it any more. Moms, dare to share the good news about God–about His love and about His Son about His sacrifice about His resurrection about His soon return–with your children. Because you love them so much!
Number two. Paul says:
#2. WE DEVOTED OURSELVES TO PLEASING GOD ALONE.
It seems to me that gossip was spreading that Paul was a fake. Paul was a fraudster, a charlatan. He was just out to get their money. It was all a scam.
There were, in that day, traveling philosophers who would go from town to town setting up shop and peddling their worldview and collecting a fee. They brought their “seminars” to town and then sometimes left in the middle of the night with big bags of cash.
Well, Paul and Silas had left in the middle of the night in Acts chapter 17 (v.10). And you can just imagine their neighbors saying, “You didn’t give any money to that Paul guy, did you? You know that that Christianity stuff is just a scam, right? ‘Give us your money, and you’ll be healthy, wealthy, and prosperous. I’ll pray for you.’”
That happens, right? There are fly-by-night “ministries” out there. There are scams. There are people just trying to sell you something.
But that wasn’t Paul! Look at verse 3.
“For the appeal we make does not spring from error or impure motives, nor are we trying to trick you. [This isn’t a bait and switch!] On the contrary, we speak as men approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. We are not trying to please men but God, who tests our hearts.”
Paul says that they were devoted, on the heart level, to pleasing God and God alone. That’s what they cared about.
Verse 4 is really important to me because it is the key verse for our EFCA Seminary Trinity Evangelical Divinity School (also knowns as TEDS). Our school’s motto is “Entrusted with the Gospel.”
And even though TEDS is moving from Chicago to Western Canada, our motto remains the same. The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing. And the main thing is the gospel. It has been entrusted to us. It’s God’s gospel, but He’s put it in our hands and in our mouths. And we have answer to Him for what we do with it!
On the heart level! Paul says that “God tests our hearts.” He examines our hearts. He sees what we really want, what really matters to us, what really motivates us. And Paul says that for him it wasn’t money. And the Thessalonians should know it, too. Verse 5.
“You know we never used flattery, nor did we put on a mask to cover up greed–God is our witness.”
What a strong thing to say! Paul knows that the Thessalonians can’t actually see his heart, but God can. And so He calls God to witness to Paul’s own heart motivations. “I never put on hypocrite’s mask to butter you guys up to get your money into my pockets. You know I never buttered you up. You know I was always telling you what you needed to hear not what you wanted to hear. And God knows my heart. I’m not selling you anything!”
Church, this is how I want to be, as well. That’s one of the reasons why when I wrote a book some years ago, I made sure that nobody felt like they had to buy one. I wanted everyone who wanted to read it to get one, but nobody to feel like I was out for your money. So we found a way to get one for everybody at no profit to me. Especially because you all take such good care of me! You provide for me generously as your pastor. Thank you, once again.
Now because you do provide for me, I’m probably even more tempted than Paul was to say what you might want to hear. So I regularly need to say to the Lord, “I’m doing this for you and for you alone. Not for them. Not for their dollars and not for their praise.” Look at verse 6.
“We were not looking for praise from men, not from you or anyone else.”
Moms, that’s important for you, too.
Because sometimes moms can slip into doing their mothering for the praise of other people.
The praise of other moms.
The praise of their moms.
The praise of their dads.
The praise of everybody on Instagram!
The praise of their kids?
Moms, don’t do your mom-stuff for the praise coming from your kids. “We were not looking for praise from [people], not from you or anyone else.” But God!
And you know what? When your are loving your children to please God, then you will love them the most and the best.
“We loved you so much when we loved God the most!”
Look again at verse 6.
“As apostles of Christ we could have been a burden to you, but we were gentle among you, like a mother caring for her little children” (vv.6b-7).
Now some of your versions says, “gentle” in verse 7, and some say, “like infants” or “like young children.” There’s a switch from the 1984 to the 2011 versions of the NIV.
And that’s because there is a question about which word is original in the Greek New Testament here. Was it supposed to be “napioi” or “aypioi?” Some manuscripts have one and some have other, and you can see how a little mistake could enter into the copying process. Because they sound so much alike.
And it doesn’t matter a whole lot because both are biblical and true. Paul was gentle like a mother caring for her children. But the older and better manuscripts have “young children.” So it’s more likely that Paul is saying that he and Silas were like babies not burdens to the Thessalonians. They were light and easy and had innocent motives. They could have expected the church to take care of them. Gospel workers can expect to be supported by gospel churches (see 1 Corinthians 9:7-14 and 2 Corinthians 11:7-11). That’s part of the reason why you support me. And it’s even more true for gospel missionaries like Paul. But instead of being a heavy thing for them to lug around, Paul says they were a light thing, like a baby. He didn’t throw his weight around and demand their support. In fact, we’ll see in just a minute that he didn’t take any money from them at all!
And here’s why: Because He loved them so much. Look at verse 7 again.
“...like a mother caring for her little children...We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us” (vv.7b-8).
#3. WE DELIGHTED TO SHARE OUR OWN LIVES WITH YOU.
Paul says that he and his team were like “a mother caring for her little children.” The Greek there is actually the word for “wet-nurse.” So it’s not just any mom, it’s a nursing mom.
Paul, the nursing mom–that’s quite an image!
How does a nursing mom feel about her little children? How does she treat them?
Tenderness.
Gentleness.
Possessiveness.
Affection.
Care.
Devotion.
Cherishing.
Protection.
Commitment.
There is so much commitment when a mom picks up her little one to provide their nourishment from her own body. That’s life on life right there.
Thank you, Moms, for loving your children that way when you could.
Paul says that’s how he was with the Thessalonians! He really truly cared for and cherished them.
So much so that he didn’t just give them the gospel of God (which is the greatest gift he could give them! And what a delight to share it with them even in the face of strong opposition! But that’s not all he shared with them). He also shared his own life, his own self with them, too.
Paul wanted the best for the Thessalonians. Like a mom wants the best for her kids. So he didn’t just tell them the truth and then retreat back to his room. He shared his life with them, too.
There’s a lesson there for all of us if we want to be effective in our ministries. We can’t just tell people the truth. We need to show them the truth in how we live. And we need to relate to people personally, closely, relationally.
Some of us may want to just type our ministry onto a little screen and share gospel memes all day long. But never put ourselves out there with people. Some pastors just want to stand up here and preach but don’t want to sit with their flock in a living room, a hospital room, an office, or the bleachers.
I want to be the kind of pastor that shares my life with you. Partially so that you can follow my example. We talked about this last week. We need to intentionally live our lives as models as others. And you can’t do that away from others! We have to spend time with each other.
But not just to be an example, but to be family. Because we truly love each other.
“We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us.”
Lanse Free Church, you are so dear to me. I’m going away this week on vacation, but it’s not because I don’t love you. It’s because I need to rest up to love you better. And I can’t hardly wait to listen to Abraham’s message from next Sunday. Abe Skacel is one of my favorite Bible teachers to learn from. And he will give you the gospel of God.
How encouraging this must have been for the Thessalonians to hear!
Have you ever gotten a note like verse 8?
“We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us.”
That must have warmed all of their hearts if they took it to heart.
How many of you sent a note of encouragement this week? An card, a text, an email, a snap, a dm? Maybe send this to someone this week? Maybe send them verse 8? Have you given a mom a card yet today? Maybe add verse 8 to it. Flip it around if you have a Christian mom? “Mom, thank you for loving me so much that you delighted to share with me not only the gospel of God by your life, as well, because I was so dear to you. I’m so grateful.”
In verse 9, Paul reminds them again what they saw with own eyes. He says:
“Surely you remember, brothers [and sisters], our toil and hardship; we worked night and day in order not to be a burden to anyone while we preached the gospel of God to you.”
Here’s more proof that Paul really loved them. Even though he could have asked them to support him, he worked a full time job on top of being a full time missionary so that this baby church wouldn’t have been burdened by him and his team.
They know this! Nobody should listen to the slander going around town that Paul was in for the money. He didn’t take any money in Thessalonica, even though he could have. They know this, and God knows this. V.10
“You are witnesses, and so is God, of how holy, righteous and blameless we were among you who believed.”
“We loved you so much! Our hearts were pure and full of pure love. And from those hearts of pure love we tried with all of our strength to persuade you to live for the kingdom of God.” Look at verse 11.
“For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children, encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory” (vv.11-12).
Point of number four and last. Paul says:
#4. WE DETERMINED TO ENCOURAGE YOU TO LIVE YOUR OWN LIVES FOR GOD.
Now we get Paul the Dad. We’ve had Paul the infant, Paul the brother, Paul the Mother, and now we get Paul the Father in verse 11.
“For you know [firsthand] that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children...”
How does a father do that? Lots of ways. Does a father love his children? All the good ones do. And they often love their kids in somewhat different ways from their moms. Here Paul emphasizes the Dad as the challenger. The Dad as the educator. The Dad as the motivator.
He’s got 3 words to describe what a Dad does in verse 12: “Encouraging, comforting, and urging.”
There’s that word “encouraging” that we’re going to see again and again in these two letters. And here it isn’t so much the comforting and consoling (that’s the second word), “encouraging” as in exhorting and entreating.
“Come on! This is what you’re supposed to do.” Like a Dad coaching his kid on the ballfield.
But not in a harsh way. The second word is “comforting.” That’s the other kind of encouraging. Telling them that they’re going to be okay. That they are loved no matter what. That they don’t have to earn their way into God’s love. He has loved them when they were unlovable. They are completely known and completely loved.
And Paul says we “urged you.” They “implored” them. They “charged” them. They did everything they could to lovingly persuade the Thessalonians to “live lives worthy of God.” Literally, “to walk worthy of God.”
That’s what I’m doing up here right now. I’m trying to act like a Dad and encourage you live your life for God.
It’s important to understand that Paul is not saying that they can somehow make themselves worthy of God’s love. That’s not what he means. He means that they needed to live their lives in a way that was appropriate for someone who was so loved. To walk in a way that was fitting for someone who was so loved by God.
If God has called us into his kingdom then we should strive by faith to live as citizens of that kingdom. Consistent with that kingdom.
He’s just saying that he went into “Dad-mode” to convince the Thessalonians that it was worth it to live for God’s glory because they were called to God’s glory! Does that make sense?
We all need to go into dad-mode and do that, too. To the people around us. In the community, in our church family, and in our family family. If we love them, then we will determine to encourage them to live their lives for the king of kingdoms.
Because He loves them! And Paul says in verse 13 that he was so encouraged because they believed him! It worked! Look at verse 13.
“And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us [mom-mode, dad-mode], you accepted it not as the word of men, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is at work in you who believe” (v.13).
It worked! The Thessalonians listened to Paul’s encouragement and received the Word of God as the Word of God. And it did its thing in them. And here’s how we know–they were willing to suffer for it. V.14
“For you, brothers [and sisters], became imitators of God's churches in Judea, which are in Christ Jesus: You suffered from your own countrymen the same things those churches suffered from the Jews, who killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets and also drove us out. They displease God and are hostile to all men in their effort to keep us from speaking to the Gentiles so that they may be saved. In this way they always heap up their sins to the limit. The wrath of God has come upon them at last” (vv.14-16).
There’s a lot there. Some people have thought that Paul was over the top here. Almost antisemitic. But of course, Paul is semitic. He is a Jew and happy to be one. But there were some Jews who conspired with some Gentiles to put Jesus to death on the Cross. And there were some Jews who had killed the prophets. And there were some Jews who had driven Paul out of Thessalonica that night in Acts 17. And there were some Jews who had persecuted the churches back in Judea and were persecuted the churches in Macedonia to try to keep them from sharing the Messiah with the Gentiles. These are wicked things and their sins had the reached a limit that must be judged. They were displeasing God. The opposite of what Paul was trying to do.
Paul knows because it wasn’t that long ago that he was on their team. But now he’s changed. And his point is that so have the church of the Thessalonians. They have gone from serving idols and loving themselves to loving God and living for his kingdom, even if it hurts.
That’s what I want for us here at Lanse Free Church. I want us to receive the Word of God as the Word of God. Not the words of Matt Mitchell. But the Word of God as the Word of God. And have it do its work in us who believe.
Moms, give your kids the Word of God! You can’t change their hearts, but God’s Word can. Determine to encourage your kids to live their lives for God. I can’t promise that they all will, but I can tell you that it’s the loving thing to do.
We loved you so much:
That we dared to tell you the Gospel of God.
That we devoted ourselves to pleasing God alone.
That we delighted to share our own lives with you.
That we determined to encourage you to live your own lives for God.
And that’s worth it all.
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