Faithful Ministers

1THESS. 1:1-4

Subject: A Strong Church

Theme: The Church of the Thessalonians is a positive example because of its leadership, members, teaching, service, and God’s work among them. The Thessalonians provide us with a wonderful model to imitate.

Introduction: 

So what makes for an ideal church or a good model ministry? Though the answer is incomplete, God still uses faithful ministers to build solid churches. There are myriads of ideas surrounding what makes for a good church home, but the Scriptures afford us clear teaching on this matter. The wonderful part is these truths are not culture bound or limited to a certain century or hemisphere of the globe. God has used men and congregations who were truly and deeply faithful to Him in many positive ways. In our brand of Christianity it appears that talent, education, notoriety, connections, and personality are the primary contributing factors to a minister's success or a church’s growth and progress. While these natural factors are good in their place, ministers who strive first to be faithful to God will build strong congregations.

How important is faithfulness? Is this something that is critical in the life of a church, ministry, or Christian organization? While many places in the Word of God could easily be consulted for an answer, my favorite is found in the writings of Paul. The great apostle says, “Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful” (1Cor 4:2, KJV). Certainly God regards faithfulness as a significant characteristic in His ministers implying they must be men who habitually and actually believe and trust Him.

The church in Thessalonica, established on Paul’s second missionary journey, was a model church. Paul mentions this in the first chapter; “So that ye were ensamples to all that believe in Macedonia and Achaia” (1 Thess. 1:7). This church was a testimony to the whole area that we would call Greece today. Paul also speaks of this church as being an example to the Corinthians in 2 Corinthians 8:1–5.—McGee, J. Vernon: Thru the Bible Commentary

Are we a part of a model church or do we need to be remodeled?

Message:

A Strong Church Has Faithful Ministers.  Vs 1& 2

1Thes 1:1, Paul, and Silvanus, and Timotheus…  

A. Consider the Caliber of these Servants of God.

      1.  Apostle Paul.

a) Apostle. Paul’s commission was to take the Gospel to the Gentiles (Acts 9:15; Eph. 3:1–12), but he always started his ministry among the Jews.

b) Missionary/Evangelist (Act 17:1-10, 16; 18:5). It is interesting to study the words Luke used to describe Paul’s public ministry in the synagogue (Acts 17:2–3).

i)                    Reasoned means “to discourse using questions and answers.” Perhaps “dialogue” would be a good synonym.

ii)                   Opening simply means “explaining.” Paul would read a portion of the Old Testament Scriptures and explain their meaning with reference to Jesus Christ and the Gospel.

iii)                 Alleging literally means “to lay beside.” Paul put the Scriptures before them in an orderly manner, showing them how they harmonized.

iv)                 Preach means “to proclaim, to announce.” Paul did not simply teach the Scriptures; he proclaimed Christ and urged his listeners to receive Him by faith.

We can learn much from Paul’s approach to evangelism. He used the Word of God, and he declared the Son of God. He started where the people were and led them into the truth of the Gospel. (When Paul preached to Gentiles, he started with the God of Creation, since they had no knowledge of the Old Testament Scriptures. See Acts 14:8–18; 17:16ff.) –Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Com.

c) New Testament Writer.

The Holy Spirit led Paul to pen this inspired letter to meet several needs.

i)                    He encouraged his converts in the faith to persevere despite their persecution (1Thess 2:14-16).

ii)                   He refuted false charges made by the local enemies of the gospel: that the missionaries had preached in order to fatten their wallets and gain other personal benefits (2:1-6); that Paul had left Thessalonica hurriedly and had not returned because he was a coward and a hypocrite (2:17-19).

iii)                 Paul also wrote to correct some errors that had cropped up in the church: an inclination to moral laxity and laziness (4:1-7; 5:4-11), and a tendency not to respect the church’s spiritual leaders (5:12-20).

iv)                 Paul gave instruction too on the subject of what would happen to Christians who would die before the Lord’s return (4:13-18). —Walvoord, The Bible Knowledge Com.

       2.   Missionary Silas (vs. 1, “Silvanus”)

            a) Paul’s Missionary Partner

Acts 15:37-41, And Barnabas determined to take with them John, whose surname was Mark. 38, But Paul thought not good to take him with them, who departed from them from Pamphylia, and went not with them to the work. 39, And the contention was so sharp between them, that they departed asunder one from the other: and so Barnabas took Mark, and sailed unto Cyprus; 40, And Paul chose Silas, and departed, being recommended by the brethren unto the grace of God. 41, And he went through Syria and Cilicia, confirming the churches.

            b) Silas’ Ministry Position

i)                           Paul joins Silas and Timothy with himself in his greeting. Remember that Silas and Timothy had just returned to Paul with their report from Thessalonica (3:1-3). By joining their names with his, the Thessalonians would know they are all in agreement concerning this letter.

ii)                         Also, Paul reveals his humility when he joins these men with himself Silas and Timothy would have been unknown had not Paul associated himself with them. This is a very noble gesture on the part of Paul. He is always identifying himself with the brethren. He was not aloof, separated, and segregated above all the others who were working for the Lord Jesus.

iii)                        This is something we need to remember today in regard to the ministry. Don’t put your preacher on a pedestal; let him be right down among you. Those of us who are ministers are largely responsible for trying to make a difference between the clergy and laity. –McGee, J. Vernon: Thru the Bible Commentary

       3.  Missionary Timothy

            a) Paul’s Missionary Protégé.

Acts 16:1-5, Then came he to Derbe and Lystra: and, behold, a certain disciple was there, named Timotheus, the son of a certain woman, which was a Jewess, and believed; but his father was a Greek: 2, Which was well reported of by the brethren that were at Lystra and Iconium. 3, Him would Paul have to go forth with him; and took and circumcised him because of the Jews which were in those quarters: for they knew all that his father was a Greek. 4, And as they went through the cities, they delivered them the decrees for to keep, that were ordained of the apostles and elders which were at Jerusalem. 5, And so were the churches established in the faith, and increased in number daily.

            b) Timothy’s Ministry Position.

Even though Paul’s ministry in Thessalonica was not a long one, it was solid enough to leave behind a thriving church. When he left for Athens, Paul told Timothy and Silas to remain there and help the new church and then to join him later. When they did meet again, Paul sent Timothy back to Thessalonica to encourage the Christians and assure them of his love and concern. (He had tried to go back twice, but was hindered; 1 Thes. 2:17–18.) It was when Timothy rejoined Paul at Corinth and gave him the report on the new church that Paul wrote 1 Thessalonians. He wrote 2 Thessalonians just a short time later.

            c) Lessons from this Ministry Team.

All of this background teaches us several helpful lessons.

i)                    Obviously, God uses people. God did not send angels to evangelize Thessalonica; He sent a converted Jewish rabbi and his friends, including a young man who was part Jew, part Gentile. God still uses people—dedicated people who will obey His leading and share His message.

ii)                   Here is a second lesson: the Gospel is still “the power of God unto salvation” (Rom. 1:16). It did not require years to set up a church in Thessalonica. God’s power was effective in changing lives, and a church was founded in less than a month. Paul reminded them that the Gospel came to them not “in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Ghost” (1 Thes. 1:5).

iii)                 Finally, Satan still opposes the Gospel and persecutes God’s people; but persecution can be a means of growth. As we study this letter, we will see that God’s Spirit strengthens and encourages suffering saints as they go through the difficulties of Christian life. –Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary

B. Consider the Concentration of these Servants of God.                                                            

1. They Faithfully Prayed For The Church.

1Thes 1: 2, We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers;

a)      They Were Thankful to God for Each and Every Member    Vs 2

i.       Only In Dictionary

A businessman said, “People are ingrates. It took me 61 years to find it out. I have 175 employees, men and women. At Thanksgiving, I sent them 175 choice turkeys. Only four thanked me. Two thanked me by notes and two said, “Thank you” when they chanced to meet me in the hall. Because of their thanklessness, I’ve decided never to go out of my way to be nice again.”

Someone has said, “If you want to find gratitude, look for it in the dictionary.”

—Selected, Tan, Paul Lee: Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations

ii.      Whenever Paul prayed he mentioned the Thessalonians. (Are we as faithful in remembering our Christian brothers and sisters?) And it was always with thanks that he prayed for them, remembering their work of faith, their labor of love, and their patience of hope. –MacDonald, William: Believer's Bible Commentary
iii.    Paul, Silas, and Timothy rejoiced together in what God had done in their converts’ lives. They continually and frequently gave thanks; the Thessalonians were a constant source of joy to them. Whenever these missionaries prayed for the Thessalonians, they gave thanks to God for them. Rather than being a source of grief these Christians evoked gratitude. In this they served as models for all Christians. –Walvoord, John F.: The Bible Knowledge Commentary

b)      They Counted Each Member as a Gift From God to The Fellowship Vs 2

c)      They prayed faithfully and fervently for this church (3:9-10). They were not only faithful to communicate God’s eternal Word, but they faithfully prayed for the saints.  This is why personal prayer time, prayer meetings, and prayer breakfast meetings are so important!  Do we pray daily for our fellow members? In every strong Church there must be faithful prayer and teamwork among those that minister in the church!

2. They Faithfully Planted the Church.

It was during Paul’s Second Missionary Journey that the light of the gospel first broke in on the darkness of Thessalonica (Acts 17:1–10).

Thessalonica at that time was a strategic city, both commercially and politically. True to form, Paul went to the Jewish synagogue and showed from the OT that the Messiah had to suffer and rise from the dead. He then went on to declare that Jesus of Nazareth was the promised Messiah. That lasted for three Saturdays. Some of the Jews were convinced, and took their place with Paul and Silas as Christian believers. Also, many of the Greek proselytes and quite a few of the leading women of the city were converted. Then the backlash started. Those Jews who did not believe rounded up some of the hoodlums from the marketplace, incited a riot, and besieged the house of Jason, where Paul and Silas had been staying. The Christian brethren in Thessalonica decided that it would be wise for the preachers to leave town, so they sent them by night to Berea.

The remarkable thing is that when Paul and Silas departed, they left behind a congregation of believers who were instructed in the doctrines of the faith and who were unmoved by the persecution they endured.   Paul and his team may have spent as long as three months in the city. The apostle’s Letters to them show that the Thessalonians had a broad acquaintance with Christian doctrine... –Adapted, MacDonald, William: Believer's Bible Commentary

So what makes for an ideal church or a good model ministry? Though the answer is incomplete, God uses faithful ministers to build solid churches. There are myriads of ideas surrounding what makes for a good church home, but the Scriptures afford us clear teaching on this matter. The wonderful part is these truths are not culture bound or limited to a certain century or hemisphere of the globe. God has used men and congregations who were truly and deeply faithful to Him. In our brand of Christianity it appears that talent, education, notoriety, and personality are the primary contributing factors to a church’s growth and progress. While these are good in their place, ministers who strive first to be faithful to God will build spiritually strong congregations. 

Dr. MacDonald writes, “A major requirement in stewards is to be found faithful. Man values cleverness, wisdom, wealth, and success; but God is looking for those who will be faithful to Jesus in all things.” (MacDonald, W. (1995). Believer’s Bible Commentary)

The sad reality is so many are committed to themselves, their welfare, popularity, material wealth, and future options that the things or Christ are lost somewhere in the scramble. It is as Paul says in Philppians 2:21, “For all seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ’s.” God uses men who genuinely care about His interests and deeply value the things of Jesus Christ. Certainly this includes Christ’s churches that He died for and is constantly making intercession on behalf of!

Furthermore, when “faithful” (1Cor 4:2) refers to believers it connotes being full of faith and trustful towards God. Obviously, this is more than being worthy of trust or confidence; it does include this element, but it is richly more. Faithful describes the person who trusts God so entirely that they are worthy of the trust of others as a by product (Acts 10:45; 16:1; 2 Cor. 6:15; Col. 1:2; 1 Tim. 4:3, 12; 5:16; 6:2; Titus 1:6; Eph. 1:1; 1 Cor. 4:17). In turn such servants are truly faithful to God, His Word, and the ministry committed to their charge. God uses their confidence in Him and depth of commitment to His plan and ways to bless whatever He gives them. Also bear in mind the blessing is consistent with God’s plan and not our ideas. The principle is God works through trustful servants because their confidence honors Him. 

In light of this article, there are some questions we should all ask ourselves as servants of the Most High God. Consider these for starters:

1. Am I really trusting God as a habit of life and ministry?

2. Has ministry become a routine of strategies and tactics that I have become versed in using or manipulating?

3. Does my confidence in God lead me to embrace strategies that are new to me, but are not new to God?

4. Do I want my outcomes and “fruit” more than God’s outcomes?

5. Am I using man-made metrics to define fruitfulness?

6. Am I trusting traditions because they are familiar and comfortable?

7. Is my faithfulness to a label causing me to reject faithfulness to God?

8. Have I substituted trusting God for popular programs?

9. Am I merely trustworthy when God desires that I be trustful?

10. Am I relying more on naturalistic factors (talent, education, personality, and connections) than supernatural factors (trusting God, the Word, and faithfulness) for effectiveness?

Remember Paul, Silas, and Timothy were men who were full of faith towards God, trustful as a standard, and clearly worthy of being trusted by others. Like God, The Bible, and God’s covenants (Ps. 119:86, 138; Isa. 25:1; 1 Tim. 1:15; Rev. 21:5; 22:6), they were deeply “faithful.”