Thank you, Dave, for that ministry and song this morning. If you would, please take your Bibles and turn to 1 Thessalonians chapter two. 1 Thessalonians chapter two. I understand that last week the outlines I had passed out said 2 Thessalonians. And you'll note on your outline this morning that I both put the Roman numeral one and I wrote out first. to make sure we have the right one. So we're in 1 Thessalonians chapter 2, and I do trust that you'll follow along with the outline that was provided in your bulletin this morning. Beginning with verse 1 of chapter 2, Paul is writing, and he's writing on behalf of himself, Silas and Timothy, as you'll see in chapter 1 and verse 1, and he says, this in 2.1, for yourselves, brethren, know our entrance in unto you, that it was not in vain. But even after that we had suffered before and were shamefully treated, as you know, at Philippi, we were bold in our God to speak unto you the gospel of God with much contention. I mentioned that chapter two speaks about the difficulty, the trouble that Paul and his team experienced in imparting the gospel to the Thessalonians. And it was seen in their coming in verses 1 and 2. But secondly, it was seen in their communication, verses 3 and 4. For our exhortation was not of deceit, nor of uncleanness, nor in guile. So last week we saw this, that an authentic minister of the gospel communicates the gospel To persuade men, that's what the word exhortation has to do with. It's a strong urging, a desire to persuade. But I also note that those who use persuasion are tempted to use motives that Paul says he's not guilty of. And that's why he says there in verse three, for our exhortation was not of deceit. In other words, Paul says, I'm not self-deceived. I am convinced that what I am preaching is truth." That, folks, is what makes an authentic minister of the gospel convinced that what you're preaching is truth. Secondly, he says, we persuade men, but it's not of uncleanness. False teachers are often associated with uncleanness or immorality. Thirdly, he says, nor in guile. The word guile we saw has to do with catching something with bait. So Paul is saying that in addition to not being self-deceived, he is not trying to deceive somebody. He is not putting bait out there to try to trick you into believing the gospel. Folks, the gospel speaks for itself. The good news that Jesus Christ died on the cross for our sins, was buried, rose again the third day, speaks for itself. I don't need to use trickery. I don't need to try to manipulate you. But I can. Use words of persuasion, our exhortation. But we need to be careful, and you need to be careful in your ministering, in your witnessing, that you don't begin to employ methods and means whereby you deceive people. Let the gospel speak for itself. So an authentic minister of the gospel communicates the gospel to persuade men. Secondly, to please God. Verse four, but as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God, which trieth our hearts. I pointed out that the word allowed and trieth. There in verse four are the same verb that has to do with being approved. And so Paul is saying just as literally we had been approved of God to be put in trust with the gospel. God had examined these men in the past, probably through their trials and their other difficulties, found them to be authentic. And so he entrusts them with the gospel. So they were examined in the past, but not only that, they are being examined in the present. The last part of the verse literally reads, who is approving our hearts. Folks, God continually examines us for authenticity. You may have at one time been an authentic minister of the gospel, and today you may not be. You cannot live on what you have done for Christ last year or the last decade or even this last week. My question to you today is, what are you doing for Christ today? Is your heart right with God now? Are you approved of God to be his minister today, right now? Well, I used to teach a Sunday school class. Well, that's good, but what are you doing for God now? Well, I used to serve on such and such a committee. I used to do such and such at church, but I'm gonna give somebody else a chance. No, you serve, make them compete for that position. Not as if this is politics, but you know what? Too many times Christians, piously, say, well, I'll give somebody else a chance. No, you serve. You do what you ought to do. You serve God now. You minister, that's the word minister, is to serve. And please, when the elections come up again, don't tell me, Pastor, I'm gonna give somebody else a chance to serve. Don't tell me that. Because I don't wanna hear it. Serve. Do what you ought to do for God. Folks, your spiritual resume is what you are for God today. Resumes typically list all of your past accomplishments. Listen, your spiritual resume is, what am I doing for God now? What am I doing for God today, June 14, 2015? Not what I did 10 years ago or even a year ago. What are you doing for God right now? So the difficulty that Paul and his team experienced in his ministry of the gospel to the Thessalonians is seen in their coming and in their communication. Thirdly, we're going to see this morning that it is also seen in their conduct. So many ministries are shams. How do you know if a ministry is authentic? How do you know if a minister of the gospel is authentic? How do you know if the person sitting next to you who claims to be a Christian is authentic? Is he genuine? Is she genuine? How do you know? Their authenticity is seen in their conduct. is described with a comparison word here, the word as. Note what it says in verse 5, For neither at any time used we flattering words, as ye know, nor a cloak of covetousness, God as witness, nor of men sought we glory, neither of you, nor yet of others, when we might have been burdensome, here's the word, as the apostles of Christ. as the apostles of Christ. And three times in the next few verses, Paul talks about, he uses the word as, note verse seven. But we were gentle among you even, here it is out loud please, as a nurse cherisheth her children. Go down to verse 11. As you know how we exhorted and comforted and charged every one of you. Here it is. As a father doth his children. So Paul is making comparisons now Things or people that people are familiar with, so we can say, here's what we did, you know what I'm talking about, even as the apostles of Christ, even as a mother cherisheth her children, even as a father charges his children. And so we see, number one in verses five to six, their conduct as apostles. And their conduct was selflessness. That's what he's gonna be showing us in verses five to six, their selflessness, their conduct as apostles. Note again the last part of verse six. When we might have been burdensome as the apostles of Christ. Now apostles is plural. Who's the only one holding the office of an apostle? Of the three mentioned in this book, there's Paul, there's Silas, there's Timothy. Are Silas and Timothy apostles? They do not hold the office of apostle. And yet he says, we as the apostles of Christ. So the word used there, apostles, is non-technical. In other words, he is using this word even as we could say that you are apostles this morning. None of you holds the office of an apostle. I don't, no one alive today does. But you do have the ministry of an apostle. Do you know what an apostle is? A sent one. Someone who has been sent. A messenger. And in that sense, Paul is saying we are the apostles of Christ. But he says, we might have been burdensome. And that word burdensome has the idea of insisting upon one's importance or insisting upon one's weight, not physical weight, but weight of importance. As Christ's apostles, these men could have viewed themselves as important, demanding that their every whim be satisfied, that you pick up their bags when they arrive, that they have all the creature comforts even if you don't. But he says, we were not burdensome as the apostles of Christ. They were selfless. Here's the point. The conduct of an authentic minister of the gospel will be selfless, and therefore it will include, and here's the three things that we're gonna see in verse five and the first part of verse six, three things. It will not include flattering words. The conduct of an authentic minister of the gospel will not include flattering words. Secondly, it will not include the disguising of greediness. And thirdly, it will not include somebody who is seeking glory. Those are the three things that the Apostle Paul mentions here that I want you to see this morning. Let's look at that first The conduct of an authentic minister of the gospel will not include flattering words. Look at verse five again. For neither at any time used we flattering words. When he says at any time, he says not once. Not once did we use flattering words. Now what is flattery? Flattery is insincere praise. Men Flatter to please men. But you cannot flatter God. You can flatter me because I don't know your heart. And sometimes I can tell when somebody's saying something to me that's not true. Oh, that was a great message, Pastor. I'm going, really? You've got to be kidding me. Now, you may mean that sincerely, but sometimes I wonder. I can flatter you, and this is what Paul's talking about. When he got to Thessalonica, he says, now, we didn't use flattering words with you. Insincere praise. You know what insincere praise is? It's what parents do today with their children. Oh, Johnny, you are the best in the whole world. Oh, Susie, you are the most beautiful liar. You know that Johnny's not the best. You know that Susie's not the most beautiful. So quit lying to them. Oh, soccer team, you're all winners. They just lost all their games all season long, you know. And all 15 of you are going to get a trophy because you all deserve it. They do not. That one guy sat on the sidelines and did nothing the whole season, and you're going to give him a trophy like the rest of the kids? Folks, that's flattery. That's insincere praise to build up their self-esteem, so-called self-esteem. And now we have a nation of narcissists because all their life they've been praised for things that was not true. The Pacific Organ Studios on Clement Street in San Francisco, this is years ago, was selling an organ called the Chamberlain Music Master, which includes a button that delivers a round of applause of concert hall size. So you can be in there playing this organ by yourself, and when you're done playing chopsticks, you can press the applause button and bask in the distant patter of 2,000 paws, is the way it says. Think what this does for the ego. That, folks, is flattery. That is insincere praise. Sometimes when I go to work out, I get on one of those stair steppers, and you start doing your workout. And there's been times when I have been so tired that I'm supposed to go for 10 minutes, but I'll go for maybe two minutes. And when I step off the stair stepper, you know what it says to me? Great workout. And I want to go, you know, I hate it when machines flatter me. It has no idea what it just told me. I was just stepping on her about half dead and it says I had a great workout. Folks, that's sometimes what ministers of, so-called ministers of the gospel will do. They will try to flatter their audience. You see, flattery was a common practice of orators in Paul's day. Men would go around and the way they would earn their money is by speaking to crowds, speaking to the crowds according to what the crowd wanted to hear. Paul calls it tickling ears. It's common today. Preachers endear themselves to their audience by avoiding anything that might offend them. Don't preach on sin because that offends people today. Don't preach on the sin, the things that are wrong. Such and such may not come back, and so he is involved in flattering. And folks, when the gospel is clearly preached, condemnation of sin and the sinner's inability to save himself, in fact, calling his sin or even his righteousness, calling it filthy rags, that cannot be mistaken for flattery. And I believe that's the way the Apostle Paul preached. He wasn't up there flattering these people by saying, now, you know, you've got some good in you. And I recognize that you've got some good in you. Paul, I believe, came in and preached, according to what he's saying here, because I did not use flattering words. He preached what these people needed to hear, not what they wanted to hear. There's a good example of this in Luke chapter four, and I'd like you to go there with me, please. Luke chapter four, Jesus is preaching in his hometown synagogue, where the people knew him. And you'll see their first response when he takes the scroll, reads out of Isaiah chapter 61, and it says in Luke chapter 4 verse 22, And all bear him witness, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth, and they said, Is this not Joseph's son? Here's Jesus preaching, and what he has said thus far, he's basically just read the scripture, and then he said, this day is the scripture fulfilled in your ears. And they wondered at his gracious words. But then you read on. If he had just walked out right there, everything would have been fine. But now he begins to make Application. By the way, this is why preachers don't like to make application because people get mad at their application. I can preach all day long just by reading the scripture and everybody goes, oh, that's great. That was a good scripture reading. Hey, now let me tell you what this means. Oh, then people get ticked. Oh, you're stepping on toes now. That's what Jesus does here. Look at verse 23. And he said unto them, Ye will surely say unto me this proverb, Physician, heal thyself, whatsoever we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in thy country. And he said, Verily I say unto you, No prophet is accepted in his own country. But I tell you of a truth. Many widows were in Israel in the days of Elias, When the heaven was shut up three years and six months, when the great famine was throughout all the land, but unto none of them was Elias sent save unto Sarepta, a city of Sidon, unto a woman that was a widow. And many lepers were in Israel." In other words, he's saying, you know what? There were a lot of people who could have accepted God's healing in Israel, but God did not send to them Elijah. He sent them out of the country. Verse 27, Elisha the prophet, none of them was cleansed, saving Nahum the Syrian. And all they in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath. Note, they come from verse 22, wondering at his gracious words. Now in verse 28, they're filled with wrath. So angry, it says in the next two verses, that they take him and they march him outside of the city and they're ready to throw him over a precipice to kill him. He simply walks through the midst of them. But note the change in their attitude because Jesus was not someone who flattered men. He told them what they needed to hear. And folks, that's the kind of preaching we need, but that's the kind of witnessing we need from you as you speak to your fellow workers, to your fellow students, that you would tell them what they need to hear, not what they want to hear. Although Paul and his team knew people liked to be praised, Paul could write, for neither once used we flattering words as you know. Why would men use flattering words when giving the gospel? To make it acceptable. I wrote this and it's on your outline. When you find yourself giving insincere praise to a sinner in order to lead him to Christ, You need to sincerely admit to yourself that you are imparting something other than the gospel. Why would a minister do that? Why would a minister use flattering words, I'll tell you why, to get something? That's why people use flattery, to get something. And that brings us to Paul's next point. He says, nor a cloak of covetousness. What is covetousness? Covetousness is getting more than I have already. Remember, flattery is designed so that I can get something out of you. And so it brings us to the next point, disguising greediness. Somebody said that the chances are about 10 to one, that when a man slaps you on the back, he wants you to cough up something. And that brings us from that first point to the second. Why is somebody flattering you? They want something from you. He's greedy. Now, no one wants to be known as covetous. No one wants to be known as somebody who's greedy, has a greedy desire to have more. Greediness or covetousness is the opposite of contentment. Colossians 3.5 says that covetousness is idolatry and should be mortified. It should be put to death. So covetousness is a common vice. Covetousness is something that all of us probably battle with. Wanting something, always desiring to have more. And it's tempting to acquire more things by going into the ministry. I gave you the illustration last week of a young man I knew who wanted to go into the ministry. Why? Because people looked up to him. Because people would be looking up to me. That's why I want to go into the ministry. That is exactly what Paul is talking about here. He did not come with a cloak of covetousness. He did not come into the ministry to enrich himself. That's not why they went to Thessalonica. They didn't do some kind of a study on Thessalonica and say, hey, you know what? There's a lot of people there. They're rich. If we go there and start a church, we can have a wealthy church. That's not what he did. But it's tempting to acquire more by going into the ministry. More friends, more power, more prestige. I want you to go to an example you'll find in Acts chapter 8. You've probably remembered this title of the man. His name was Simon, but his title was Simon the Sorcerer. Acts chapter 8 verses 9 and following. Paul is, excuse me, they are in Samaria. Philip was preaching there, Acts 8 verse 9, and there was a certain man called Simon, which before time in the same city used sorcery and bewitched the people of Samaria, giving out that himself was some great one. To whom they all gave heed from the least to the greatest, saying, This man is the great power of God. And to him they had regard, because that of long time he had bewitched them with sorceries. But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. Then Simon himself believed also. And when he was baptized, he continued with Philip and wondered, beholding the miracles and signs which were done." Now you're going to see that this man is a covetous man. He's greedy. Because here's a man who used all kinds of sorceries, and it says he made this profession of faith. Get down to verses 17 to 19. Then they laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost. Then when Simon saw that through laying on of the apostles' hands the Holy Ghost was given, he offered money to them, saying, give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay hands he may receive the Holy Ghost. Here he is, disguising being pious for really being covetous. It is interesting that a minister of the gospel, or even you, can disguise your covetousness under a cloak of piousness. My brother Terry, missionary to Sri Lanka, I remember I always used to call people who were pious who were fakes. He would say they're a bunch of pious gasbags. Very descript term. But rather than a minister admitting that he's covetous, I mean, who's going to walk around and say, I'm a covetous, I'm greedy. You're not going to do that. You've got to cover it up. And it's easy to cover since men don't know your heart. And a minister who is greedy will not display it. He will try to hide it. That's why Paul says, he doesn't say, as ye know, does he? Look at the verse, verse five. He says, for neither at any time use we flattering words, as ye know, nor a cloak of covetousness. Now he doesn't say, as you know, does he? He says, who's witness? Because only God knows the heart. You may not know that I'm covetous, that I'm greedy, because I can cover it. I can schmooze you where you have no idea what's in my heart. But Paul says, God is my witness. The world sees what we do, but only God sees why we do what we do. How do men put a cloak over their covetousness? How do they put a cloak over their greed? Well, there's another word for cloak. It's the word pretext. In other words, you could translate this, nor a pretext of covetousness. In Acts chapter 27 and verse 30, Paul's on a ship and the sailors, they're in a storm, they're about to crash, and the sailors start letting down the boats to escape. but they did as if they were letting down anchors. Can you imagine being on a boat, the boat's about to sink, and all of a sudden you see the sailors starting to let down something. And they're saying, hey, we're letting down the anchors. They're letting down the boats. And the way it's put there in Acts 27 30 is that they did it under color. It's the same idea here under a cloak. They're trying to hide something. They're really letting down boats when they're trying to make you think they're letting down anchors. And a man can be covetous, and he can cover it up with all kinds of piety. He can cover it with all kinds of spiritual terminology. That may be the one who says, praise the Lord the most. Now, I'm not saying don't say praise the Lord. He may be the one who says amen all the time. And don't start looking at people who say amen and say, oh, it's a cover up. But I'm saying sometimes people can do that. Men who are covetous do it under color as though they are spiritual. Paul says we're not guilty of that. Lastly, he says, verse six, nor of men sought we glory, neither of you nor yet of others. And so here's the third thing about the conduct of a minister of the gospel that will not be included in his life. He will not be one who is seeking glory. Not an authentic minister of the gospel. No doubt the Thessalonian converts held Paul, Silas, and Timothy in high esteem. They said, these men, they brought the gospel to us. And they began to respect them as they ought to. But it may have made others jealous, so jealous that they began to accuse them of having gone there to minister in order to receive praise, because seeking glory of men is the same as seeking praise from men. We can read it that way. Nor of men sought we praise. Again, this is a great temptation. to seek the praise of men, because praise from men is something I can get in this life. God's praise is what I get in the next life. And so when I don't get any praise now, you begin to seek it, to make yourself think, well, I am doing something worthwhile, am I not? I've often told you that sometimes it's good for me to get outside and just start mowing a lawn because I see immediate results. I can see where I took the mower. All right, the grass is cut. Ministry is more difficult because I can preach my heart out. I can minister, you can do the same thing, and you say, man, I've been discipling this person, I'm not seeing anything happen. And ministry, therefore, gets discouraging. And so pretty soon it's tempting to start seeking something outward, maybe some praise from somebody for everything that I'm doing. It's dangerous. Paul said, nor of men did we ever seek any praise. Can you imagine the difficulty of the ministry that Paul has had on Philippi? When they go to Philippi, they minister the gospel, some people get saved, but then they're thrown into prison, their backs are lashed with a cat-of-nine-tails. Man, all we get for our ministry is persecution. Sure, it would be nice if somebody would say something to me every once in a while, how much they appreciate me, you know. But he didn't seek any glory. Now ministers are gonna know his efforts are worthy. He tells himself it sure is nice to know that from time to time. And seeking the praise of men is why some men preach a social gospel. Do you get it? Because then the community says, oh, wow, that church, they're feeding the community. Ah, that church, they're providing clothing, and wow, they're cleaning up our streets. And so people get involved in the social gospel, saying, well, if we start doing things that men can see, then that's going to give us an opportunity to give them the gospel. Something I've noticed, that when people get involved in the social gospel, they abandon the saving gospel. And all they do is start preaching a social gospel, because they love the praise that keeps being heaped upon them from the community. Their names are written up in the newspaper. And all of a sudden, that's what they begin to seek. Hopefully the praise of men is not why some preachers constantly ask for amens. Amen? See, I just did it. I can milk you for amens, and you fell for it. Sorry, Brother Larry. I've got to be careful here, because if we have an evangelist who comes in and says, amen, you're all going to look at me. He shouldn't be doing that. Well, I don't tell him not to do that. And I'm not saying you shouldn't do it. But what I'm saying is this. Hopefully when they do that, they're not milking you for praise. But sometimes I know that that's what some guys do. Folks, man's praise is fickle. And Paul and his team did not seek it, it says, of you. We didn't seek it from you Thessalonians. And then he goes on to say, nor yet of others, those outside the church. So Paul is saying, not only did we not hand out flattery, we did not give flattery, we did not seek it. Because the praise of men is accepting flattery. Folks, the praise and glory of men was not the fuel that drove their efforts, so they did not seek it. They had God's glory, and that was enough. But sometimes you don't see it. That's why when you read Matthew chapter six, and Jesus is talking about the Pharisees who love to give their alms so that people see it because they love the praise of men. And when they pray, they pray standing on the street corners so that they can get the praise of men. And when they fast, they put on the long face so that people know they're fasting so that they get their praise. And Jesus says, they have their reward. What's their reward? The praise of men. If you do what you do in the ministry for the praise of men, and you get the praise of men, you have your reward. You got the praise. But there is no eternal reward for you. When you seek the praise of men, you will seek to please men. And if your ministry, I'm talking about you, you're saying, well, you're the minister of the gospel. Remember what I said last week, all of us are ministers. All of us are servants of the gospel. If what you do as a minister of the gospel, you do seeking the praise of men, then you will begin to do whatever it takes to please men. And pretty soon you are no longer preaching a saving gospel. You're preaching, as Paul puts it in Galatians chapter one, another gospel of a different kind. May you be accursed. That's what he says in Galatians chapter 1. Folks, is your conduct as that of these men, is your conduct selfless? Or do you find yourself using flattering words to win men over to yourself rather than truly giving the gospel to men to win them to Christ? That's what flattery does. That's what seeking praise from men does. That's what covetousness does. It seeks to win you to me rather than to win you to Christ. Are you really greedy, seeking to have more but trying to come across as pious to hide your greediness? Are you seeking praise from men, any men? May your conduct, as was the conduct of Paul, Silas, and Timothy, may your conduct be selfless and directed toward God. Let's pray. With your heads bowed and your eyes closed before I pray, Would you be able to say that your ministry, and every one of you is a minister of the gospel if you're a Christian, every one of you, would you say that your ministry is authentic? Or are you employing methods and means to make yourself look good? God is witness. I don't know your hearts, but God is witness. and God knows my heart. May we be able to say with all the confidence that Paul said it with, I do not use a cloak of covetousness and God is my witness, I don't do it. And I don't use flattering words, as you know. And you know what, I don't seek flatter. Can you honestly say, that's me? I can identify with these three men, that's me. By God's grace, that's me. If so, you will be involved in witnessing to others, you will. But if you're not witnessing, it's probably because you're concerned about what other people think of you and therefore you're seeking the praise of men. Would you be able to say honestly this morning, God has pinpoint in something from this passage to my heart this morning, and there's some things I need to get right with God. Would you simply raise your hand and put it right back down after I acknowledge it, so that I can pray for you? Yes, yes, yes. Yes, amen. Many hands, folks. Thank you for being honest before the Lord. God is your witness. Any others? Let's renew our dedication to God. Father, I pray that we would be sincere, authentic ministers of the gospel in our conduct, in our communication, and in our conduct, seeking to persuade men, but not to please them, but to please you. And I pray, Father, that it would be true of us that at no time do we use flattering words, nor a cloak of covetousness, Do we seek any glory? To God be the glory in everything that we do. And I pray for these who raise their hands. Lord, the struggle that every one of us has, sometimes with just seeing results, may we leave those to you. But in the meantime, be faithful to minister for you. I pray this in Jesus' name, amen. 376 in your hymnals, please, for our closing hymn, 376. More love to thee, more love, O Christ, to thee. May this be our prayer this morning. May you sing this with all your heart as your prayers. We stand together and sing 376. O Christ, more love to Thee. Hear Thou the prayer I make, abandon me. This is my earnest plea, more love, O Christ, to Thee, more love to Thee. We're singing this because we need to have a ministry of selflessness, not a ministry of selfishness. More love to Thee, O Lord. Let's sing that second verse. One, two, three, joy I'm great, sought peace and rest to bring. This all my prayer shall be, all my life, O Christ, to Thee. Let's sing that last verse without the instrument. Let's sing it prayerfully. Then shall my latest breath whisper thy praise. ♪ This be the parting cry my heart shall raise ♪ ♪ This still my prayer shall be ♪ ♪ More love, O Christ, to Thee ♪ ♪ More love to Thee ♪ Brother Brad Pierce, would you close us in prayer please?