Tawa Baptist

Genuine

Scripture: 1st Thessalonians 2:1-12

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Paul’s message is true
  • Paul’s motives are pure
  • Paul’s manner is caring
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

Good morning everyone.

How do you know something is true? How do you know it is genuine, the real deal, and not fake?

Well, some statements are provable by doing the math. If the numbers add up, then you know it is true. If they don’t, then you know it is false.

For example, if someone says, ‘the sum of two consecutive whole numbers equals an odd number’, then we can test the truth of that statement by simple arithmetic.

Five plus six equals eleven. 20 plus 21 equals 41. Three plus four equals seven. Pick any two consecutive whole numbers, add them together and you will always get an odd number.

We don’t need to calculate every combination of consecutive numbers. After a while, we will see a pattern emerging and (with some confidence) can say the statement is true.

Mathematics is pretty cool like that. It makes you feel safe because it follows rules and gives you relative certainty. Unfortunately, maths has its limitations. Not all things can be proved by arithmetic or algebra.     

Today we continue our series in Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians, focusing on chapter 2, verses 1-12. In this passage Paul offers proofs that he is genuine and his message is true.

You may remember how Paul and Silas faced opposition in Thessalonica and were forced to flee in the middle of the night. Paul, Silas & Timothy were the real deal, they were genuine. But their opponents spread malicious rumours about them to discredit them and discourage the new believers.

Paul knew he had to defend himself, not so much for the sake of his own reputation, but more for the sake of the Thessalonians’ faith. This is what Paul says in defence of himself and the Thessalonian believers…     

2 You know, brothers and sisters, that our visit to you was not empty. 2 We had previously suffered and been treated outrageously in Philippi, as you know, but with the help of our God we dared to tell you his gospel in the face of strong opposition. 3 For the appeal we make does not spring from error or impure motives, nor are we trying to trick you. 4 On the contrary, we speak as those approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. We are not trying to please people but God, who tests our hearts. 5 You know we never used flattery, nor did we put on a mask to cover up greed—God is our witness. 6 We were not looking for praise from people, not from you or anyone else, even though as apostles of Christ we could have asserted our authority. 7 Instead, we were like infantsamong you.

Just as a nursing mother cares for her children, 8 so we cared for you. Because we loved you so much, we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well. 9 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. 10 You are witnesses, and so is God, of how holy, righteous and blameless we were among you who believed. 11 For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children, 12 encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory.

May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate God’s word for us.

In these verses, Paul defends himself against the slander of his opponents. In particular, Paul defends his message, his motives and his manner. Contrary to what his accusers were saying, Paul’s message is true, his motives are pure and his manner is caring.

Paul’s message is true:

I have here a can of L&P. How might we know whether this can actually does contain Lemon & Paeroa?

Well, if you can see the label, then that gives you a clue. It says L&P on the outside. I’ve drunk enough of these to take the label on good faith and trust that it does in fact contain L&P. I’ve never opened a can of L&P and tasted sand.

But imagine if our experience of soft drinks was a bit patchy, less reliable, so that sometimes the contents were not same as the label said. How would I know if it did contain L&P and wasn’t just full of sand or water or something worse?

Well, the only way to know for certain is to open the can, pour the contents into a glass and have a taste. [Open the can and take a sip]. Yes, this is L&P.    

Apparently, one of the accusations against Paul was that his message was erroneous, false, untrue or empty. The first thing Paul says to refute this is: You know brothers and sisters, that our visit to you was not empty.      

In the same way that I know this can contains L&P, because I’ve actually tasted it for myself, so too the Thessalonians know Paul’s message is true from personal experience.

As we read in chapter 1, verse 5, last week, the Thessalonians didn’t just receive the gospel by hearing Paul’s words. They experienced the power and the deep conviction of the Holy Spirit, confirming the content and truth of the gospel.

Paul doesn’t need to come up with some elaborate argument to prove his point. He simply reminds his readers of the truth of what they themselves experienced. He keeps saying things like, ‘you know’ and ‘you remember’ and ‘you were our witnesses’.      

Sometimes, in our busy-ness, we can become detached from the facts of our lives. Maybe something bad happens in our day and our minds get stuck thinking about that one bad thing. Or maybe nothing especially bad happens but we begin to worry that it will.

One strategy to help reconnect us with the reality of God’s goodness in our lives, is stopping to reflect on what went well during the day and thanking God for that. You could do this thankfulness exercise while you are eating dinner with others or perhaps by yourself just before you go to bed at night.

Remembering what we know to be true helps to silence the voice of fear and conjecture. It restores our perspective.    

Verse 2 adds strength to Paul’s claim that his message is true where he says…

We had previously suffered and been treated outrageously in Philippi, as you know, but with the help of our God we dared to tell you his gospel in the face of strong opposition. 3 For the appeal we make does not spring from error…

In Acts 16 we read how Paul and Silas were stripped naked, given a severe beating (with whips) and then thrown in jail, without any sort of trial or procedure of justice. A short while later they were released. Most people would go home licking their wounds after an experience like that and Paul might have as well. But he doesn’t.

Paul doesn’t enjoy suffering and would rather he didn’t have to. So why does Paul dare to carry on proclaiming God’s message of good news about Jesus?

Because he knows the message he shares is true. And Paul knows his message is true because it comes from God. And he knows it comes from God because God has helped them to continue proclaiming the message in the face of strong opposition. Without God’s help Paul & Silas could not have continued.

In verse 4 Paul writes: we speak as those approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. We are not trying to please people but God, who tests our hearts.  

Paul has done the maths. Jesus suffered opposition for his message and so it follows that Paul, a servant of Jesus, will suffer for proclaiming the same message. God’s help for Paul and Silas, in their suffering, is evidence that Paul’s message is from God and therefore is inherently true.

Paul’s message is true and Paul’s motives are pure.

Paul’s motives are pure:

Some of you here may own some gold. Perhaps a gold wedding ring or a necklace or some other piece of jewellery. Maybe you have wondered whether it is real gold or a fake.

When I googled ‘how to test gold’ on the internet, the first piece of advice that came up said, ‘If it floats in water, it’s not real gold’.

Straight away I thought to myself, ‘the internet must think people are stupid’. Most metals will sink if you put them in a glass of water. Not everything that sinks is gold.

So I kept looking and found some other tests. I’m not sure how accurate they are.

Apparently, you can test the authenticity of gold by putting it in vinegar. If it changes colour then it’s not gold.

What’s more, gold doesn’t rust, which I think is probably true because I’ve had my wedding ring for over 30 years now and it has never shown any sign of corrosion or discolouration. (And I’ve washed a lot of dishes in that time.)

Then there is the ping test. If you drop a piece of gold on a hard surface it will make a high pitched pinging sound. That certainly works with my wedding ring.

If your gold jewellery has the letters GP stamped on it then that stands for ‘gold plated’, which means it’s not pure gold.

The other thing you can do to test the purity of gold is hold a magnet close to the gold. If the magnet attaches to the gold, then the gold contains other metals.

To be completely certain I guess you would have to take your gold to an accredited specialist to have it scientifically tested.               

From verse 3 of Thessalonians chapter 2, Paul writes…

3 For the appeal we make does not spring from error or impure motives, nor are we trying to trick you… 5 You know we never used flattery, nor did we put on a mask to cover up greed—God is our witness. 6 We were not looking for praise from people, not from you or anyone else, … 7 Instead, we were like infantsamong you.

Paul is talking about his motives here. He is saying they were as innocent and as pure in heart as babies.

In the first century (as in the 21st century) there were people who peddled philosophy or religion for some kind of personal gain. They may have done it to make money or to make people like them or for some other ulterior motive.

Jesus warned there would be false teachers. This is what the master said…

15 “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. 16 By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles? 17 Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.    

In reflecting on Jesus’ words here about false prophets I can’t help but make a connection with the protest movement in our city at the moment. If we apply Jesus’ parable to this situation, then the fruit we’ve seen from this protest so far is fear, intimidation and a careless disregard for social responsibility.

Our politicians are receiving death threats. Kids walking to school are being spat on. People who choose to wear a mask are being verbally abused. Businesses are being forced to close. The courts, the police, the university, the transport system and residents have also been negatively impacted by this.

The fruit is not good. I’ll let you do the math.

We pray for a peaceful resolution soon.

Returning to Paul. We know Paul’s message and motives were genuine because the fruit of Paul’s life was good. In verse 10 of Thessalonians 2, Paul writes: You are witnesses, and so is God, of how holy, righteous and blameless we were among you who believed.

Holiness is about being whole, being one, having integrity, being the same on the inside as you are on the outside (like my L&P). Righteousness is about relating to other people in a right way and being blameless is about doing no harm. The three go together. They speak of good fruit and therefore point to pure motives.

Verse 9 tells how the Thessalonians witnessed the way Paul, Silas & Timothy worked with their own hands to provide for themselves, so they could preach the gospel, freely.  9 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. 

On this occasion at least, Paul chose to be a volunteer. This speaks volumes for the value of volunteering one’s time in support of God’s kingdom.

Does this mean that anyone who accepts payment for doing missionary or church work is not a genuine representative of God? No, of course not. Paul himself says in 1st Timothy, “For the Scripture says, “Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain,”and “The worker deserves his wages.”

Paul had every right to expect recompense for his work but he chose not to, under the circumstances. The situation in Thessalonica was not an established church. It was a pioneering church plant in a hostile context. Paul supported himself because he didn’t want to be a burden and he didn’t want to give his opponents any ammunition. He didn’t want anyone saying he was doing it for the money.

Paul says, we never used flattery and nor did we try to trick you. The gospel message is good news but it is also quite uncomfortable, even painful to hear at first. The gospel forces us to face the inconvenient truth about ourselves.    

Paul’s message was not cargo cult or prosperity doctrine. Paul wasn’t saying that accepting Jesus would be easy or make them rich. Paul was quite clear that accepting Jesus as Lord meant dying to oneself, picking up your cross and following him. Paul’s honesty, in talking about the hard parts of the gospel, testified to the purity of his motives and the genuineness of his character.   

Any organisation these days, that produces financial statements, needs to have those statements audited (or at least reviewed) to ensure the accounts give a true and correct picture of the financial position and everything is in order.

The independent auditor looks beneath the surface of the financial statements to check whether the figures can in fact be substantiated. This includes taking a look at the accounting processes, what’s underneath. Once they are satisfied everything is in order, they give it their seal of approval. The auditor is a professional and unbiased witness. 

In verse 4 Paul talks about God being the one who tests our hearts. In other words, God (like an auditor) looks beneath the surface to check our unseen motives. God is a witness to our inner life.

In verse 5 Paul goes on to say that God is his witness. Paul is confident that God won’t find anything untoward in his motives. We are reminded of David’s words at the end of Psalm 139 where David says:

23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. 24 See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

Knowing God cannot be separated from knowing yourself. The two go hand in hand. The less we know ourselves the greater the risk of hurting others. We all need God to be the auditor of our heart. We need him to gently show us what motivates us so we can better serve his purpose.

Paul’s message is true, his motives are pure and his manner is caring.

Paul’s manner is caring:

If motives are about what’s happening inside a person, what’s driving them, then a person’s manner is about the outward way they relate with or behave toward others.

In the movie The Sound of Music, Captain Von Trapp has a very formal, strict and cold manner with his children, at least at the beginning of the film. He relates with his kids like a sea captain might relate with his crew, not like a father at all. Captain Von Trapp’s manner is distorted by his grief.  

Fraulein Maria, the children’s nanny, has a very different manner with the children. She is warm and kind, encouraging and caring. She comforts them when they are scared and gently guides them in a good path. Maria’s manner brings the best out of the children and indeed warms the Captain’s heart and heals his grief.  

In verse 7 Paul describes his manner of relating with the Thessalonians. Paul is much like Fraulein Maria. Paul says: Just as a nursing mother cares for her children, 8 so we cared for you. Because we loved you so much, we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well.

There is a real tenderness in Paul’s words here. The Thessalonian believers were brand new Christians, toddlers in the faith. Paul, Silas and Timothy cared for their spiritual needs in the same manner as a mother nursing children.

Paul continues the parenting metaphor in verses 11-12 where he says…

11 For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children, 12 encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory.

Notice the verbs Paul uses to characterise the manner in which he relates as a spiritual father to his Thessalonian children: encouraging, comforting and urging. (Like Fraulein Maria)

To encourage literally means to put courage into someone. Children need courage to face the world, they don’t need fear. I believe we put courage into people by being there for them, being reliable. In that way the child learns they are not alone. If you know you are not alone, you can be brave. We also put courage into children by trusting them and speaking good words into their life and soul.

Children need comfort from their fathers too. Comfort is about showing kindness and tenderness, especially when a child has gone through a difficult time or had a hard knock. Comfort isn’t about doing everything for our kids. It’s not about spoiling them. Comfort is one of the tools, in our parenting tool box, for managing fear.  

And urging is about pointing people in the right direction; helping them to find the right path. Notice that it’s urging and not controlling or forcing or driving. As human beings we feel a natural urge or motivation to make decisions which are in line with our values. So the key to urging is instilling good values, from the inside out.

Paul’s manner (his way of relating) with the Thessalonians is consistent with his message of God’s love.

Whether you have biological children of your own or not, you can still relate to others younger in the faith by caring for them, encouraging them, comforting them and urging them to live lives worthy of God’s calling.   

Conclusion:

When Paul’s name and reputation were slandered by his opponents, he responded by reminding the Thessalonian believers of their experience of him. They knew first hand that Paul’s message was true, his motives were pure and his manner was caring.

Paul was genuine. He was the real deal and he provides a model for us.  

Let us pray…

Loving Father, guide us in the truth. Purify our hearts. Help us to live our lives in a manner worthy of your calling. Through Jesus we pray. Amen. 

Questions for discussion or reflection:

What stands out for you in reading this Scripture and/or in listening to the sermon? Why do you think this stood out to you?

  • How do we know something is true? How do we discern truth from error?
  • Why did Paul feel it was necessary to defend himself against the slander of his opponents? How did Paul do this?  
  • What can we do to reconnect with the reality (the facts) of God’s goodness to us personally?
  • How do we know Paul’s motives were good / pure? What motivates you? If you are not sure, how might you find out?
  • What do we notice about Paul’s manner in relating with the Thessalonians?
  • How might we encourage, comfort and urge others in their life and Christian faith?  
  • At end of each day this week, think of three things that went well and give thanks to God for those things.