1Thes2:1-12 The Toil of Love

# The Toil of Love 
## 1 Thessalonians 2:1-12
[Warsaw, Poland. FreeStocks](https://unsplash.com/photos/r_oV6smBBYk/info "caption")

>>>
+ don't **feel** like shar gospel: **worth** it?
  + out of **oblig**
  + **tried** it, no **impact**
+ **We** are hurting, tired, and weak:
  + **doubts** about our faith,
  + **limited** in our love,
  + **struggling** in holy living

---

# How can we **share** the gospel with **efficacy**?

>>>
+ 1Thes book of **encouragement**:
+ Today: **blueprint** how to share gospel
  + and how **not** to share gospel!
+ We've **rcvd** new **life** of Christ: now
  + invite **others** to behold **Lamb**:
______
+ Remind of Your **worth**: glory, majesty
  + **Son** to redeem: You are **worthy**
  + **Entrust** us w/gospel: it is **worth it**
+ Open our **ears**, eyes, hearts 
  + to receive Your **exhortation**
+ Equip us to **proclaim** Your gospel
  + with our lives

---

## Growing Together, While Apart

| *1* | Impact of **Faith** | 
|---|---|
| *2a,b* | Toil of **Love** |
| *3* | Accountability with **Hope** |
| *4* | Growing in **Purity + Love** |
| *5a* | **Hope** as Sons of Day |
| *5b* | Acts of **Faith** |

>>>
+ Theme: **FHL**
+ ch1: thanks for Thes' **faith** 
  + and **impact** on other believers
+ ch2: **ministry** amongst Thes
  + **motiv** + **actions** in sharing gospel
+ v1 "visit": **in-road** (manner) w/them
+ Not **boasting** about self! 2x **witness**:
  + **God** exam. heart
  + **you** yourselves know

---

## Toil of Love [(1Th2a)](# "ref")

1. A Clean **Heart** [(v3-6)](# "ref")
1. A **Mother's** Gift [(v7-9)](# "ref")
1. A **Father's** Encouragement [(v10-12)](# "ref")

>>>
+ I **unworthy**: treat as **aspirational**
+ v3-6: mostly **neg**, how **not** to mission
+ Some preach **false** gosp in name Chr
  + or **true** gospel w/**impure** motives
  + for personal **gain**
+ God **sees** through this very **clearly**
+ 2 **triplets** of poisons: root + fruit
  + **beliefs** / motiv impact missions

---

For our appeal does not spring from 
**error** or **impurity** or any attempt to **deceive**,

[1 Thessalonians 2:3 (ESV)](# "ref")
[Aaron Burden](https://unsplash.com/photos/c333d6YEhi0 "caption")

>>>
+ *appeal*: **encouragement**
  + 3 **poisons**, 3 antidotes
+ *Error* : wandering, vs **truth**
  + Making stuff **up**
  + Unconsc. affect by **pop culture**
+ Anti: deep **immerse** in Scrip
+ *Impurity* : filthy, vs **clean**
  + **Immoral**, uneth, cover secret sin
+ Anti: remem God's **holiness**
+ *Deceive* : **bait**: 
  + Appears beneficial but **traps**
  + **Feel-good** msg to **inflate** nums,
  + or to **control**, for personal gain
+ Antidote: preach the **whole** gospel,
  + not just comfort promises
+ 2nd triplet: **fruit**: char as share gospel

---

For we never came with 
words of **flattery**, as you know, 
nor with a pretext for **greed** -- God is witness. 
Nor did we seek **glory** from people

[1 Thessalonians 2:5 (ESV)](# "ref")
[Los Angeles. Edwin Andrade](https://unsplash.com/photos/6liebVeAfrY "caption")

>>>
+ How we **were**, when among you
+ *Flattery*: **vacuous** / false encour
  + for personal **gain**
+ Pretext for *greed*: **excuse** / cover 
  + for **selfishness**
  + **money**, influence, security
+ *Glory* from people: **admir**, approv:
  + "See what a **good** Chr he is!"
  + or **fear**: "not **spiritual** enough!"
+ We **do** seek reward, but not from man
  + **God**, who examines hearts:

---

but just as we have been **approved** by God 
to be **entrusted** with the gospel, 
so we speak, not to please **man**, 
but to please **God** who **tests** our hearts.

[1 Thessalonians 2:4 (ESV)](# "ref")
[Aaron Burden](https://unsplash.com/photos/o--lefJNe0w "caption")

>>>
+ Gospel not **invented** by man,
  + but **given** to us by God
+ As we put our **trust** in Him, 
  + God deems us **trustworthy** 
  + of handling it accurately
+ So we **pass on** this message of life, 
  + striving to be **worthy** of this trust

---

# Is my heart **clean** as I share the gospel?

>>>
+ As I **prepare** to share gospel, 
  + **examine** own heart:
+ **Study** Bible honestly + deeply? 
  + **know** God's grace + **exp** it?
+ Do I seek no **gain** for self? 
  + No money, no thx, no admiration
+ Only **reward** of sharing
  + in Father's **happiness**?
+ What is my **motivation** 
  + for proclaim name of Christ?

---

## Toil of Love [(1Th2a)](# "ref")

1. A Clean Heart [(v3-6)](# "ref")
1. **A Mother's Gift** [(v7-9)](# "ref")
1. A Father's Encouragement [(v10-12)](# "ref")

>>>
+ Might feel **unworthy** + unready 
+ But it is not our **eloquence** or holiness 
  + that changes others' **hearts**
+ But the **life** of the risen Saviour

---

But we were **gentle** among you, 
like a nursing **mother** 
taking care of her own children.

[1 Thessalonians 2:7 (ESV)](# "ref")

>>>
+ *Gentle* : old mscp **babies** (one letter)
  + v11 **father**: analogy of **family** rl
+ *Nursing*: not title of mother, but
  + **action**, care, concern: own kid
+ "Church family": but too often
  + bring **trauma** from own families:
  + **hurt**, distrust, fear, bitterness
+ Or **escape** from own family: so
  + only dare have **shallow** church rl
+ **Warm bond** mom to child
  + Invest **whole** heart
+ **Singles**, too!

---

So, being **affectionately** desirous of you, 
we were ready to **share** with you not only 
the **gospel** of God but also our own **selves**, 
because you had become very **dear** to us.

[1 Thessalonians 2:8 (ESV)](# "ref")
[Legenäsgatan, Sweden. Jon Flobrant](https://unsplash.com/photos/C2PvO6dOORY "caption")

>>>
+ You became **beloved** (yearn) to us
+ *Share* : give over, **transfer**: 
  + **pour out** life to you
+ (mom): sharing gospel not merely 
  + comm. of **knowledge**, but of **life**
  + of **Christ**, from **my** life to **yours**
+ w/**vuln**, warmth, deep affection
  + and **hard work**:

---

For you remember, brothers, our **labor and toil**: 
we worked **night and day**, that we 
might not be a **burden** to any of you, 
while we proclaimed to you the gospel of God.

[1 Thessalonians 2:9 (ESV)](# "ref")
[Ian Espinosa](https://unsplash.com/photos/oXo6IvDnkqc "caption")

>>>
+ **Tentmaking**: normal, honest work
  + not partic. "spiritual"
+ to pay own **bills** 
  + so church doesn't have to support
+ Two **extremes** role of **work**:
  + all **sinful**, or all **holy**
+ (1) **sinful**: materialistic, worldly
  + Serve God = FTE **pastor** / mission
  + **Dichot**: "holy" church volun. wknd
  + and "real" work at M-F job
+ e.g., **grad sch** fail class

---
## Labour and Toil
+ "All work is **sinful**"
+ "All work is **holy**"

>>>
+ (2) all work is **holy**: 
  + Succ. in **job** = succ. in Chr walk
  + **Prayers**: **my** acad./career goal
+ If **succ** in job, assume following God
+ If **struggling**: must be **failure** of
  + either **my** spiritual. or **God's** faithf.
+ Paul talks very little about his **tents**: 
  + won awards, **excel**, was biz good
+ Purpose: not to **burden** church
+ Devoted to hard **labour** + toil on 2 fronts:
  + not only to earn own **living**, but
  + to **proclaim** gospel of God

---

# Do I **work** hard and **care** deeply as I proclaim the gospel?

>>>
+ Proclaim Chr not just on **wknds**,
  + special **evangel** mtgs, or **STM**.
+ Learn from those who **mothered** us:
  + Mother's **gift** is her own **life**
+ As Chr poured **life** in our hearts,
  + give complete of **self** for others
  + so they may **grow** in life of Christ
+ e.g., son's **env** is us @home: struct
  + home life around God's **truth**
  + demonstr. **grace** + forgive daily
+ But also extend **beyond** family
  + to world **dying** for real love

---

## Toil of Love [(1Th2a)](# "ref")

1. A Clean Heart [(v3-6)](# "ref")
1. A Mother's Gift [(v7-9)](# "ref")
1. **A Father's Encouragement** [(v10-12)](# "ref")

>>>
+ Lastly, we share the gospel with 
+ our **life** and our **words**:

---

You are witnesses, and God also, how 
**holy** and **righteous** and **blameless** 
was our conduct toward you believers.

[1 Thessalonians 2:10 (ESV)](# "ref")
[Nancy, France. Rémi Walle](https://unsplash.com/photos/UOwvwZ9Dy6w "caption")

>>>
+ How we **were** toward you (adverbs):
  + holily, righteously, blamel.
+ *Holy* : pious, devout, **reverent**:
  + patterned on God's own holy
+ *Righteous* : acc. God's std of **justice**
  + not **own** std, nor that of **tradition**
+ *Blameless* : not **human** condemn,
  + but **God's** judg: under **Chr's** grace
+ Live **holy** bc **gratitude** for Chr forgive
+ But it is **hard** to live consistently holy:
  + **Grace** of God **strengthens**, and
+ **Mentors** who **encourage**:

---

For you know how, like a **father** with his 
children,
we **exhorted** each one of you 
and **encouraged** you and **charged** you 
to **walk** in a manner **worthy** of God, 
who calls you into his own kingdom and glory.

[1 Thessalonians 2:11-12 (ESV)](# "ref")

>>>
+ As God gave first **cmdmts** to Adam,
  + and through him to his **family**,
+ So we **fathers** have responsibility
  + to **speak** God's Word in love
  + in fact, not just fathers, **all** of us!
+ *Exhort* : **encour**, call alongside:
  + not give **orders** from afar
  + but **be** with as stumble + learn
+ *Encourage* : **comfort**, console, soothe
+ *Charge* : **testify**, share from own exp
  + solemnly **affirm** God's way 
  + is the path of life

---

# Will I **encourage**, **comfort**, and **testify** that others may walk **worthy** of God's calling?

>>>
+ Not bolster **self-esteem** or own **goals**,
+ But that their **walk** (daily habits)
+ may be **worthy** -- reflect worth of God 
  + and so be a life that **worships** Him
+ He is **King** of glory: 
  + **called** us into His kingdom
+ He is **worthy** of all honour,
  + so **worth** it to proclaim holy
+ Through own **holy** conduct, and
  + **encour**, comfort, testimony
+ to **equip** others to live in holiness

---

>>>
+ You've given us **good news**:
 + You are **holy**, that we are **sinful**,
 + You sent Christ to **die** + **resurrect**
 + You are **coming** soon w/reward
+ We've **exp** your grace, and You
 + **entrust** gospel to us to share
+ **Search** our hearts for impure **motiv.**
 + Keep us aligned with Your **truth**, 
 + **clean** in heart, without **deceit**
+ **Open** our hearts 
 + to give of **ourselves** unreservedly
 + with the deep bond of **love**
 + and devoted, committed **toil**
+ **Strengthen** our hearts to live 
 + as Your holy, redeemed people
+ to **encourage**, comfort, and testify 
 + to be Your **holy**, redeem people
________________________________________________