Sermon Tone Analysis

Intro:

I have entitled this morning’s message as “Paul’s Heart”.

But when you look at who Paul was and what his role was to the people of Thessalonica, I could also entitle it as “The Heart of a Pastor”

This is one of those passages that is a little more difficult, as a Pastor, to preach through, not because it is of sensitive content, but as I was going through this study it became apparent to me, not that I thought otherwise, but it further instilled into my mind that I have a lot of growing and maturing to do in my faith and more specifically in my ministry.

Not that I would ever idolize the Apostle Paul, However, I can continue to learn from his example as a Pastor and follower of Christ.

The heart of a pastor is a very unique thing.

He feels many of the same emotions anyone else does.

It isn’t that the pastor is given something that is impossible for others to possess, but his heart is special because it is different.

I can’t really explain all that God does in the heart of a man when he is called to pastor a congregation of people.

Many times, the pastor doesn’t even know the membership he has been called to serve, but even before he assumes his duties, God has placed a love for those people within his heart.

It is more than a desire for their wellbeing; it is a genuine love for them and a heartfelt desire to serve them.

God does something special in the heart of a man when He places him in the position of pastor.

Paul certainly possessed a pastor’s heart.

Even as he wrote this letter to the church, he was not with them physically, but we can clearly see that he still possessed a love for them only God could give.

He had already sought to encourage and challenge their faith, and now he pours out his heart to his brothers and sisters in Thessalonica.

This will be a two part sermon.

We will read the whole passage today, but only look at the first half this morning and then we will cover the second half next week.

I want to look at the qualities our Lord develops in the pastor as we look at Paul’s Heart… We will call these...

Paul’s Pastoral Qualities:

But I also want to mention that these qualities are not limited to just Pastors… any follower of Christ can and should be exhibiting these same qualities in their own Christian walk and ministry.

Lets look at 1 Thessalonians 3:1-13 (Read)

Meat:

What I want you to see, first of all, this morning is...

1. Paul’s Investment

vv.1-2 “Therefore, when we could no longer endure it, we thought it good to be left in Athens alone, 2 and sent Timothy, our brother and minister of God, and our fellow laborer in the gospel of Christ, to establish you and encourage you concerning your faith,”

The first part of Paul’s investment that I want you to notice is...

1.1 His Endurance

“Therefore, when we could no longer endure it, we thought it good to be left in Athens alone...”

Remember the closing verses of Chp. 2 that we looked at a few weeks ago… – Paul endeavored (or longed) to see them, once again, but was hindered by Satan.

Paul was deeply burdened by his separation from the church.

He longed to hear from them and had a strong desire to know of their well-being.

The word “Endure” reveals the deep passion Paul had for the church.

It means “to conceal, to hold out, to put up with”… some of you ladies put up with your husbands snoring… You may not like it, but you endure it… why? because you love him!

… and holding a pillow over his face might not end well… so you endure it…

Paul had concealed his concern and desire for Thessalonica as long as he could.

But now, he could no longer put up with, not knowing how they were doing with all the persecution from the Jews...

He didn’t want these new believers to interpret his absence as

… uncaring and unloving.

… him leaving them to suffer on their own.

… or just giving up on them.

The Jews from Thessalonica who rounded up some evil men from the marketplace to form a rioting mob could really use Paul’s absence to their advantage.

“Paul’s gone.

He is not coming back you know.

He’s a fake and a conman who just wanted to use your homes as free accommodation until something better came along.”

or… “Why should you stick with the teaching of Paul?

He faces a little trouble and then he runs away.

Why don’t you just go back to making things the way they were so our city can be at peace?”

You see… We know the church of the Thessalonians is standing firm.

In the face of persecution and pressure they fixed their eyes on Jesus Christ and were living out their faith in such a way that they were becoming a model church for so many other churches to follow...

We know that.

But at the time Paul didn’t know that… and he couldn’t endure it any longer...

Folks, As a pastor, I am concerned about the well-being of this congregation.

I am most concerned with your spiritual needs, but I am also aware of the physical and social needs.

God will not allow a man that He has placed within a congregation to go on unconcerned about their needs.

When a man reaches the place that he loses his concern, it is probably time to seek the Lord about another place of ministry.

(This is particular to the heart of a Pastor, but all believers ought to be concerned with the well-being of the church.

You don’t have to be a pastor to seek the welfare of the church.)

The second part of Paul’s Investment was…

1.2 His Sacrifice

“we thought it good to be left in Athens alone...” Paul chose to send Timothy to Thessalonica and remain at Athens alone, with Silas.

Now, some might assume Paul was fearful of returning to Thessalonica.

It might be thought that he was being cowardly and afraid for his personal well- being.

However, a short study on the life and ministry of Paul will reveal that is simply not a valid conclusion.

Paul was bold in his faith and commitment to the gospel, even if it meant persecution or physical harm.

His sending of Timothy in his place does, however, speak volumes about Paul’s love and desire for the well-being of the church.

Even though he longed to be there in person, attending to their needs and enjoying their fellowship, he made a personal sacrifice to stay behind for the good of the church.

You see, Paul knew the uproar that surrounded his first trip to Thessalonica and he wanted to avoid any further distractions.

He felt that his presence would hinder the spreading of the Gospel instead of helping it… and he wasn’t willing to take that chance.

What a lesson for me, as a pastor, and for you as believers and Church members... Would we be willing to lay aside our personal desires for the good of the church?

Would we be willing to make such a sacrifice so that the church might prosper?

Paul was willing to make such a sacrifice and he did, by sending Timothy… Which leads us to the part of his investment…

1.3 His Intern - Timothy

“we thought it good to be left in Athens alone, 2 and sent Timothy, our brother and minister of God, and our fellow laborer in the gospel of Christ, to establish you and encourage you concerning your faith,”

Who was this “Timothy”???

Paul referred to Timothy as a brother.

He was a fellow believer.

He had trusted Christ in salvation.

He too was committed to the cause of Christ and the growth of the church.

Paul had not sent someone who had no desire to help the church or support her in times of need.

Paul had invested much in the heart of Timothy and he knew the church would benefit from his presence.

There is a Pastor by the name of Bob Ziebarth and for almost 8 years, he invested into the heart of man, the qualities of a Pastor.

After those 8 years, Pastor Bob took his investment and turned him over to another Pastor, who would also, for a few short months, invest into this man, the qualities of a Pastor…

And I am very thankful for the investment of Pastor Bob Ziebarth and also the investment of Pastor Jeff Wallace on my life and ministry.

It is because of their faithfulness that God has blessed my family and I with the opportunity to serve here at Pierson Bible Church… and I want you to know that we are thankful for each and everyone of you!...

Paul also speaks of Timothy as a fellow-labourer in the gospel of Christ.

He shared the same passions that Paul possessed.

He had the same desire for the church.

He was willing to labor among the Thessalonians just as Paul would have.

He could be trusted and he could be counted on… And as fellow-laborers in the gospel of Christ, We need that same commitment.

The Second Pastoral Quality that I want you to notice is…

2. Paul’s Desire

Paul sent Timothy to Thessalonica to… “… establish you and encourage you concerning your faith, 3 that no one should be shaken by these afflictions; for you yourselves know that we are appointed to this.”

These verses reveal Paul’s desire for the church.

Keep in mind that he is no longer with them.

It would have been easy to have forgotten them or grown unconcerned.

Paul had a passionate interest and strong desires for the believers in Thessalonica.

First of all...

2.1 He Desired Stability

He desired that they be established… Established means - “ To Strengthen, to make stable...” Paul knew the doctrine he had established among them, the gospel of Jesus Christ, and Timothy was sent to strengthen their faith further.

Paul desired them to be stable in their faith, unmovable in the face of adversity.