Transcript Sunday, November 16, 2008 Speaker: Phil Hainaut Successful Ministry 1 Thessalonians 2 Message 2 on our series in 1 Thessalonians.

Sunday, November 16, 2008
Speaker: Phil Hainaut
Successful Ministry
1 Thessalonians 2
Message 2 on our series in 1 Thessalonians
SUCCESSFUL MINISTRY
1Thessalonians 2:1-20
Introduction: What makes ministry
successful?
• (2:1): You know, brothers, that our visit
to you was not a failure.
Successful church ministry involves
effective church ministers
1. A tenacious boldness and courage to
speak God’s truth that comes from
confidence in God’s power: (v. 2) 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.
Successful church ministry involves
effective church ministers
Successful church ministry involves
effective church ministers
2. An appealing integrity in our message,
motives, and methods: (v. 3) For the
appeal we make does not spring from
error or impure motives, nor are we
trying to trick you.
Successful church ministry involves
effective church ministers
3. An authority in the message which
comes from a sense of God’s approval
and commissioning: (v. 4a) On the
contrary, we speak as men approved by
God to be entrusted with the gospel.
• Acts 9:15 “This man is my chosen
instrument to carry my name before the
Gentiles and their kings and before the
people of Israel”
• Ephesians 3:8 “Although I am less than
the least of all God's people, this grace
was given me: to preach to the Gentiles
the unsearchable riches of Christ”
• Matthew 28:18,19 “All authority in
heaven and on earth has been given to
me. Therefore go and make disciples of
all nations”
• 1Peter 2:9 “You are a chosen people, a
royal priesthood, a holy nation, a
people belonging to God, that you may
declare the praises of him who called
you out of darkness into his wonderful
light”
Successful church ministry involves
effective church ministers
4. A consciousness of divine rather than
human accountability which prevents
flattery and greed: (v. 4b) We are not
trying to please men but God, who
tests our hearts. (v. 5) You know we
never used flattery, nor did we put on a
mask to cover up greed—God is our
witness.
• 1Corinthians 4:1-5 “So then, men ought to
regard us as servants of Christ and as those
entrusted with the secret things of God. Now
it is required that those who have been given
a trust must prove faithful. I care very little if I
am judged by you or by any human court;
indeed, I do not even judge myself. My
conscience is clear, but that does not make
me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me.
Therefore judge nothing before the
appointed time; wait till the Lord comes. He
will bring to light what is hidden in darkness
and will expose the motives of men's hearts.
At that time each will receive his praise from
God”
• 2Timothy 4:3 “The time will come when
men will not put up with sound
doctrine. Instead, to suit their own
desires, they will gather around them a
great number of teachers to say what
their itching ears want to hear”
Successful church ministry involves
effective church ministers
5. A humility that looks to glorify God
and not oneself: (v. 6) We were not
looking for praise from men, not from
you or anyone else.
• Matthew 6:1-5 (1) Be careful not to do
your 'acts of righteousness' before
men, to be seen by them. (2) So when
you give to the needy, do not announce
it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in
the synagogues and on the streets, to
be honored by men. (5) And when you
pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for
they love to pray standing in the
synagogues and on the street corners
to be seen by men.
Successful church ministry involves
effective church ministers
6. The gentle, caring, sacrificial love of
spiritual mothering: (v. 6b-8) 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. 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.
• verses 17,18 But, brothers, when we
were torn away from you for a short
time (in person, not in thought), out of
our intense longing we made every
effort to see you. For we wanted to
come to you—certainly I, Paul, did,
again and again—but Satan stopped
us.
Successful church ministry involves
effective church ministers
7. Generous hard work (v. 9) Surely you
remember, brothers, 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.
Successful church ministry involves
effective church ministers
Successful church ministry involves
effective church ministers
8. A virtuous life of blameless holiness
and righteousness before God and
men: (v. 10) You are witnesses, and so
is God, of how holy, righteous and
blameless we were among you who
believed.
Successful church ministry involves
effective church ministers
9. The individual exhorting, comforting,
and witnessing of spiritual fathering:
(v. 11,12) 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.
Successful church ministry involves
effective church ministers
10. An understanding that people we
have impacted will be our eternal hope,
joy, and glory at Jesus’ second coming:
(vs. 19,20) For what is our hope, our
joy, or the crown in which we will glory
in the presence of our Lord Jesus when
he comes? Is it not you? Indeed, you
are our glory and joy.
A successful church ministry involves
responsive church members
• Verse 13a “And we also thank God
continually because…”
A successful church ministry involves
responsive church members
1. Reception of the Word of God:
(v. 13b) when you received the word of
God, which you heard from us, 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.
• Hebrews 4:12 “For the word of God is
living and active. Sharper than any
double-edged sword, it penetrates even
to dividing soul and spirit, joints and
marrow; it judges the thoughts and
attitudes of the heart”
A successful church ministry involves
responsive church members
2. Imitation of spiritual leaders: (v. 14a)
For you, brothers, became imitators of
God's churches in Judea, which are in
Christ Jesus.
(1:6) You became imitators of us and of
the Lord. Here of God’s churches in
Judea.
A successful church ministry involves
responsive church members
3. Perseverance in suffering: (v. 14b-15)
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.
• A tenacious boldness and courage to speak
God’s truth that comes from confidence in
God’s power
• An appealing integrity in our message,
motives, and methods
• An authority in the message which comes
from a sense of God’s approval and
commissioning
• A consciousness of divine rather than
human accountability which prevents flattery
and greed
• A humility that looks to glorify God and not
oneself
• The gentle, caring, sacrificial love of spiritual
mothering
• Generous hard work
• A virtuous life of blameless holiness
and righteousness before God and men
• The individual exhorting, comforting,
and witnessing of spiritual fathering
• An understanding that people we have
impacted will be our eternal hope, joy,
and glory at Jesus’ second coming
• Reception of the Word of God
• Imitation of spiritual leaders
• Perseverance in suffering