Mother's Day

that loving that, that giving that gentleness, and it's that gentleness, That pulls using to picture. To help the Thessalonians picture. What it was that he was doing among them. I wasn't just beating you into submission. I was loving you into Christ and as you were newborn babes, you were getting all that you needed because of our, our tremendous love and care for you. Delaware nursing. In the Greek, it really means to warm. Can you think of of that little baby in his mother's arms and just that warming? That's happening and that comforting that's going on in that that imparting of life to that child. And that's that's what the the true minister of the gospel of Christ is doing as he preaches and presents the word of God to that newborn babe in Christ. We see that tenderness. That God allows that God is designed. For that that situation and it's so beautiful. It's so loving and caring and precious. It's a time of bonding that's really unparalleled to any other experience that we ever experience. And it is because it's God's design. We see these three missionaries that were able to do this and be this for this young church as they came in to preach the gospel to them watching the Lord as if he replaced those hearts of stone with a heart of Flesh. And as these young Festival, Indians were brought in to the family of God born again into Christ. As the children of God and been given into the hands of Paul and Silas and Timothy to raise them up in Christ that they would be able to 12 that you would walk. Worthy of God who calls you into his own kingdom and Glory. That's the goal, but it starts with the tenderness.

I think of of the young Thessalonians I think of their questions, Paul. Can you tell us another story about Jesus? It really ends up being like a children's Sunday school hour. Pole. Can you help me? Understand how this whole Trinity thing works? Well, I can tell you about the Trinity but I can't really help you understand it. How can you teach us how to pray? How does the gospel apply in this situation?

How can I share the gospel? With my neighbors. What is it mean that Christ is returning? And it's, it's with this gentleness and this incredible caring and compassion that Paul and Silas. And Timothy came alongside and ministered to them.

There's so much for the Babe in Christ to learn and it's so important. That we would. Act towards new believers. In this exact same way. So important that as we become disciplemakers. That we would likewise be gentle and caring and the picture of a nursing mother needs to be what we're looking at. With that same kind of compassion and kindness, and sweetness.

the next thing I'd like to look at it is the reflection on poles self-sacrifice verse 8, So, affectionately longing for you. we were well pleased to impart to you, not only the gospel of God, but also our own lives because you had become Dear to us.

All continues this picture of being motherly.

in in reminding them of who they were to Paul and Silas and Timothy

as a young mother cares for her little one. The strength of that Bond becomes so powerful. And this is again, it's the design of the Lord. I think of, of other creatures that gods made I think of the ostrich. what we know about an ostrich with her Young, there's no relationship at all, right? The ostrich lays the egg and Carries on with life. There's no relationship that egg hatches, and that's just totally fend for itself. Praise God. That's not the situation for us. That Mother's Day would be pretty worthless. Our Mother's Day is so rich and so full because of the incredible love for mother that mothers have for their children willing to impart their whole lives so that this child can grow and it's it is amazing that we impart if it means to give, but it it's not, it's not a, a, a releasing. Now, there's things that we give if I give my kids money. I'm never going to see that money again, right? But we impart Something. And as we impart something we get to actually hold on to it and and keep that as it goes, one of the best pictures of this is a candlelight service, Christmas Eve candlelight service. There's there's one candle that's lit and from that one candle, all the other candles are able to be lit. And the one Carol doesn't lose any of a flight or a teen. In fact, what happens? Is, it becomes more light and more heat as that is imparted. And that's what Paul is doing. We were willing to impart to you. Not only the gospel, What are the things that want us to get here? Is it was it was Paul's responsibility to impart the gospel and how much of the Gospel did he lose of himself in himself as he shared the gospel with others? Done right. Pole saw it as his responsibility to impart the gospel. That's why he was willing to leave Jerusalem on the second missionary journey to go into Phillipi and then into test what I get rid of at least a 1500 mile Journey, So that he could impart the gospel to people who he knew needed to hear the gospel. That's why he whooped that. That's what I can. Guys, the gospel is so important that we need to be ruing to impart it to those around us. We're not going to lose our gospel as we do that, we share it. And as we share it, that light pops up and it burns. And it's able to be imparted and imparted and imparted, and it becomes a beautiful beautiful thing about Paul. He says, we were at, Let's Skate. So affectionately longing for you. We were well pleased to impart to you, not only the gospel, But also, our whole lives.

Because you had become so dear to us. There's we redirect our Focus to that motherly love. It's what Paul is doing. He's loving these young believers with that same kind of motherly. Love that only seeks to give and give and give and give and give of her love because from the moment that that wife is conceived in her womb, there is this unbreakable Bond that's taken place and from the moment that that that conception happen throughout the rest of her life, what she wants to do is give and love and serve and and Minister and that's what Paul is doing. It's this aspect of of discipleship. It's an ongoing. Really for the rest of our lives type situation. And it's, it's an amazing part of God's plan as we get engaged in sharing the gospel. But it's not just about the gospel.

As much as we serve the Lord together, they're in there being so many different needs that arise. Maybe there's an open heart surgery, maybe there's who even knows what all happens and were able to just plug in and be a part of one another's lives, loving, and giving and serving. Because these missionaries love this church so much they were willing to impart to them. Not only the gospel, but their own lives.

Mothers. You know, that there's nothing. That you wouldn't give to benefit your children. Do we know that too?

And upon reflection, the Thessalonians were also able to recognize that same love in Pole. Impulse Silas and Timothy. That love.

What is it that provokes that love a mother? Conceived that wife in her womb. I'm not ever going to have that opportunity, right? No matter what the woke culture tells me, I'm never going to have that opportunity. but, Even a pole wasn't able to do that. Where does that kind of love come from? What comes from Christ? And as we seek to be abiding in him, right? John chapter 15. I'm the vine. You are the branches. He who abides in me and I in him the same birth much fruit and without me, you can do nothing until as Paul is abiding in Christ the love of Christ, The Life of Christ is flowing through him and into the lives of those Believers. And so what we are to do is just what Paul did. Lord here I am. Send me use me, love them through me. It becomes up a prayer that we ought to be praying all the time. Lord. You put this person in my life and there's serious challenges that go along with that relationship. Would you love her through me? Would you love him through me? And as Christ loves through you, it's able to be in this kind of balance with the same type of motherly love. There are a number of passages that we could look at. Let's look at just a couple of them in John Chapter 13 just to remind us of what Christ has to say about love John. Chapter 13.

Verses 34 and 35. Jesus to his disciples. He says a new commandment. I give to you that you love one. Another as I have loved you that you also love one another By this all will know that you are my disciples. If you have love for one another And then a couple chapters over in John 15 where I just referenced. John 15 verses 12 and 13. Jesus says, this is my commandment that you love one. Another as I have loved you, Greater love has no one than this that a man lays down his life for his friends. This is the same type of love that, Paul was loving them with. Not only willing to impart the gospel, but willing to give of our own lives, he says, and then just a couple verses down verses 16 and 17. you did not choose me Jesus says, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should remain that, whatever you ask the father in my name, he may give you these things I command you that you love one another Lord. That's a hike. All. That's a serious standard. I'm going to need you to love this person through me. and as I, as I have prayed that prayer with people in my life that frankly were unlovable God in his grace in his power does love through you. It's amazing. And so, What that be something that that you would take from this Lord. I need you to love this person through me. The next thing that I'd like to look at pole is reminding them to remember. The sacrifice of Love verse 9 in 1st Thessalonians chapter 2.

For you remember, brother, an hour labor and toil for laboring night and day that we might not be a burden to any of you. We preached to you, the gospel of God, Proposed saying, is it costs to serve the Lord? They went into fessel and I could not being independently wealthy. And he was there, they were there for between three weeks and six months, something like that and never required. Anything of the Thessalonian church and their livelihood came as a result of their diligence and their willingness to go the extra mile and work extra hard and we do an in Acts Paul was a tentmaker, right? And so he put that skill with him so that he would be able to provide for his daily needs. And not require anything of the Thessalonians. Like a loving mother not wanting to require anything of her children. The mother doesn't require that you need to go get a job so that I can sit here and watch TV and eat bon-bons. That's just not how it works, right. That's not the way it is. That's not what the love of a mother looks like that doesn't mean that Mom doesn't put the kids to work. It's time for you to do your chores. It's time for you to learn how to work in the kitchen so that you can learn how to prepare meals. Because at some point you're going to get out on your own. You going to you going to leave your life and you need to have the skills and his ability to be able to do that, to be a responsible and accountable adult. But she's not doing that for her own ease and comfort and and Paul wasn't requiring anything at the Thessalonians. He went into this would like to preach the gospel. That was his purpose, so that the people and that's what I could, hear the gospel, the good news that Jesus came to save Sinners that they would be able to be brought into the kingdom of Christ. And because of his love for them, he was willing to work and labor and toil night and day making the tents so that it wouldn't cost. And be a burden in any way, shape or form.

Do children know the character of their mother. I know she she isn't perfect. They know our flaws. But they also know her undying, love for them. They know that it's a genuine love. They know that it's demonstrated to them over and over and over throughout the course of their life. It's that same type of love that. Paul was loving these Believers with Paul Silas and Timothy were authentic and they were genuine and they were true. They were humble servants of the Lord who devoted their lives to preaching and declaring the gospel of Christ to make disciples of the Lord Jesus. They were gentle. And leave long for these people. They toiled and they sacrifice night and day for these people to care for them and to see them grow up in the Lord. If you were here this morning looking at 1st Thessalonians 1 with us, you saw that the Thessalonians had grown in the Lord and were serving with a, a faith that works in a 2, L of the labors. And I hope that indoors, Paul and Silas and Timothy were doing this before they got to thessalonica. They were doing it while they weren't this one. I can they continue doing it after they had left? That's what I could because it is who they were the Thessalonians new it, They were able to remember it. They had watched it that experienced it. Just like your children have watched and experience those things with you mothers. Paul is asking them to remember. Interesting fact, on these things and as the Thessalonians would remember and reflect on these things, it would enable them to rejoice in God. for these very special people that God had placed in their lives, to raise them up in the Lord, It is, we here this morning can remember those special people that have come into our lives, that God has brought into our lives to share the gospel with us. It's a teach us and to nurture us to care for us and to grow for us. It's so important that we would remember. That we would reflect. In coming and getting ready to come here. That's been quite a bit of time, remembering and reflecting on Pastor South and his role in my life and how very important both, he and mrs. South have been to me and to us and I praised God for them. after leaving here we went to Delta and saddened her pastor case and it misses case in 4 years And I praise God for them. They loved us with this kind of love. Nurturing us and growing us up in the Lord. I knew nothing about the Bible. What I got here Nothing. And it because of that love. I'm able to be here, filling the pulpit today and it's such a b, a praise and they likewise, Maybe not the caissons. So we'll probably hear there's a number of people that have invested into each one of our lives. And I would encourage you. Take some time. And remember. Reflect. And rejoice in God for who he is and what he's done and bringing those people into your life.

and then, Maybe God is giving you an opportunity to be a disciple maker yourself. but six more time and reflect on what we're doing and what we're not doing, maybe as we're being disciple makers, were not Loving to this standard. Would you love them through me? Lord, would you disciple this person through me? That's a big responsibility. I need you to do that and I give myself to you to do that through me. And lastly this morning because it's Mother's Day. Take some time and reflect and remember on the mom that God's given you and on the the wives that he's giving you two to raise your children.

And rejoice in God. And encourage that Mom in that special wife. Thanking God for for who he made them to be. And thanking them for who they are to you and in your life. So with that, let's go and closing prayer. Father, thank you so much that we've been able to have this time. We are grateful for this passage we're grateful for your word, that is true. It is quick is powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, that pierces and it divides. Can you use it to to grow ice? Lord, we are grateful. For Paul and Silas and Timothy coming into thessalonica. We're grateful that because of that were able to have this letter, it matters so much. It is your word. Lord, we are grateful for their example. We're grateful for that standard that you've given us and for those individuals that you've placed in our lives whom you have used to grow Us in you. Or thank you for them. Please bless them. Please help us to be willing to impart. This wonderful gospel to others to be Soul winners to be disciple makers in to be loving them.

As you have called us to love them, that you would love them through us. I'm bored. Lastly, I am so grateful for my mom for my wife and mother of our children. And for each mother who is in here tonight to this morning Holly, would you allow this day to be a special day for each of them? Lord, we are so grateful for the mothers that you've placed in our lives for their roles and their responsibilities. For the ways that they've raised their children or are raising their children. God help them bless them and thank you for them in Jesus name. Amen.