I don't know how many of you have ever looked at the life of Alexander the Great. He ruled the Macedonian area, the very area that Thessalonica is in the mid300s BC. And in the course of his reign of terror in a lot of ways, he was conquering city after city after city. And he eventually came to this one particular fortified city and he said to the king he asked for the king of the of that city to come to the wall. So the king came to the wall and he demanded that the king surrender and all of the residents of that city surrender to him to which apparently the king of that particular city laughed out loud and he and the the king apparently said why should I surrender to to you?
You can't do us any harm. Alexander the Great decided to show him his power. And so he had his soldiers line up single file and he commanded them to march toward the cliff that was right there. And they marched without hesitation. And man after man marched without hesitation off that cliff to their death.
After 10 of them had marched over that cliff with zero hesitation, he said stop. And he had them all come back to him. At that moment, the king and all the residents immediately surrendered because they knew if these soldiers were so committed to this king that they are willing to give their very life for him, we don't stand a chance. Well, the Apostle Paul felt such an allegiance but to Christ. He was willing to obey Christ even with his very life even if it came at his own death.
Such was his allegiance to Christ. He was allin. He felt a call of duty. But even beyond a call of duty, he felt that I'm going to serve him such that if it means my life, so be it. This is how I will serve him. Now, as we come to our text today, we see that and the reason why we see it is that Paul has to defend his ministry. If you read through 1 Thessalonians 2 and 3 and 4, specifically two in the first half of chapter 3, you will have seen what appears to be a bit of a defensive Paul.
And if you found yourself thinking to yourself, it sure seems like he's defensive. He is. If you remember back in Acts chapter 17, we had these opponents that showed up in Thessalonica, they opposed Paul, but more importantly, they opposed the gospel that Paul taught. They opposed Jesus ultimately. And they drove Paul violently and his companions out of that city. He went to Berea. They followed him. They drove him violently out of that city because they were so opposed to him.
And yet now there were these believers though Paul was only there for about three weeks. There were these fledgling new believers new in the faith that had believed the gospel of Jesus Christ as taught from Paul. And so now it probably is likely the case that these opponents want to squatchch this church. So how do we do it? Almost certainly what they sought to do was to undermine the character of Paul and the calling that Paul had on his life to preach this gospel.
And so it seems that Paul now has to defend his ministry to defend the fact that yes, God has called me to this. I am a servant, a slave, a bondervant of Christ called to this very ministry. You can not only believe me, but more importantly, you can believe the message of the gospel of Jesus that I'm teaching. It's trustworthy. And so, that's why he has to defend his ministry here. And so, over the next few weeks, we're going to see Paul and his defense of his ministry that God called him to.
And we'll start by looking at the first 12 verses of chapter 2 today. So, if you have your Bible, that's where we're going to be. 1 Thessalonians 2 1-12. This is what it reads. For you yourselves know, brothers, that our coming to you was not in vain. But though we had already suffered and been shamefully treated at Philippi, as you know, we had boldness in our God to declare to you the gospel of God in the midst of much conflict. For our appeal does not spring from error or impurity or any attempt to deceive.
But just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak not to please men, but to please God who tests our hearts. For we never came with words of flattery, as you know, nor with a pretext for greed. God is witness. Nor did we seek glory from people whether from you or from others though we could have made demands as apostles of Christ. But we were gentle among you like a nursing mother taking care of our own children.
So being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves because you had become very dear to us. For you remember, brothers, our labor and toil, we worked night and day that we might not be a burden to any of you, while we proclaimed to you the gospel of God. You are witnesses, and God also, how holy and righteous and blameless was our conduct toward you believers.
For you know how like a a father with his children, we exhorted each one of you and encouraged you and charged you to walk in a manner worthy of God who calls you into his own kingdom and glory. This is our text for the morning. And so we see here as mentioned Paul's defense of his ministry and and he gives really the impetus for why it is that he shares the gospel with them. What is what is this underlying purpose of Paul?
Well, the first and I would argue most important thing that we see here from Paul is his desire to please God. The impetus for preaching the gospel was pleasing God. Let's look at it. Notice what he says here. The saints clearly in Thessalonica were aware of Paul's backstory. They understood that he came to them after being shamefully treated in Philippi. And he says, "As you know," that's in verse two there. So he knows the Thessalonians are aware of the struggles and the trials that Paul had at Philippi.
And you might say, "What what does that mean?" Well, we looked a few weeks ago at Acts 17, this the beginning, the inception of the Thessalon church. Let's go to Acts 16 now, just for a moment to look at some of the context. In Acts chapter 16, we're going to pick it up in verse 19. This is Paul at Philippi just before he comes to Thessalonica. Starting in verse 19, actually let me just give some context.
Verses 16 to 18, we read about this slave girl who had a spirit of divination in her and who and through whom many of the evil men were making they were profiting off of her. They were making money off of her. And the Lord Jesus uses Paul to turn her to very to Christ. And the spirit of divination comes out of her and she's now saved. And so now their hope of making money from this woman is gone. And that's where we pick it up in verse 19. But when her owners saw that their hope of gain was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace before the rulers.
And when they had brought them to the magistrates, they said, "These men are Jews and they are disturbing our city. They advocate customs that are not lawful for us as Romans to accept or practice. The crowd joined in attacking them, and the magistrates tore the garments off of them and gave orders to beat them with rods. And when they had inflicted many blows upon them, they threw them into prison, ordering the jailer to keep them safely.
Having received this order, he put them in into the inner prison and fastened their feets feet with stalks. And it goes on from there. You can read the latter part of of that chapter to see how it kind of turned out for them in Philippi. But they were it it was a terrible thing. They were maligned. They were mistreated. They were beaten with rods. In our small group, I was sharing with with our folks, imagine one of you is commissioned by God to go and preach the gospel in Edmonton, that godless city. And you get there and you're preaching the gospel and they they're livid at you and they do exactly this.
They take you and they beat you with rods. Remember this is the Greco Roman world. They didn't have the Jewish limit of 40 lashes minus one. They could beat you as long as they want. Who knows how many poundings Paul took. So imagine you're in Edmonton and you're getting beaten like that and then now you must go to Grand Prairie after that to preach that same gospel. How many of you are signing up for that? The Apostle Paul says in Thessalon to the Thessalonican believers in our text, you know what happened to me at Philippi and I still came.
If he was a false apostle who was in it for money, for fame, prestige, you think he's gonna go to Thessalonica after that? A false apostle is not going to do that. No, he was sent by God. And this was proving it to the people in the midst of much conflict. It says at the end of verse two and in verse three he says our our appeal does not spring from error or imp impurity or any attempt to deceive. He wasn't a circuit preacher trying to bilk them out of all kinds of funds.
No far from it. This was not their desire. In fact he says we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. This is what he was telling King Agria in Acts 26. Let me take you back there for just a moment. As as he was recounting to Agrippa his conversion, how it is he came to faith in Christ. He says this to King Agrippa starting in verse 16. This is what Jesus said to Paul on the road to Damascus.
But rise and stand upon your feet, for I have appeared to you for this very purpose, to appoint you as a servant. Notice that. To appoint you as a servant and as an witness to the things in which you have seen me and to those in which you I will appear to you, delivering you from your people and from the Gentiles to whom I am sending you to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified.
Ified by faith in me. I am del I am sending you with the gospel to the Gentiles. He is directly commissioned by Jesus Christ. He was entrusted with the gospel approved by God. Such that then he says at the end of verse four, "So we speak not to please man, but to please God who tests our hearts."
The Lord tests our hearts. Sometimes those tests come by way of affliction, trial, hardship to test, as first Peter says, the genuiness of our faith. But he tests our hearts. So who is it we should aim to please? Paul says, "Not man, but God." I'm sure you've all seen people pleasing pastors and churches. Seeker friendly. The very definition of seeker friendly is people pleasing.
That's not Paul's ministry. No. He said, "My my desire is to please God. And if men aren't pleased, so be it. But I will please God. I'll be faithful to him. Now, where would he get this ministry from? Well, it's from the Lord. He, this is something we see in him. Paul all the time. He beats this drum. In second Corinthians chapter 5, he says, "I make up my aim to please the Lord whether I'm home or away because it is the Lord who who will judge me one day."
2 Corinthians 5:9 and 10. If you if you saw in the text that was read by Mary earlier in Colossians chapter 3, he says, "Whatever you do in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." Later on, he says, "Whatever you do, work hardily as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward.
You are serving the Lord Christ. This is a drum beatat of Paul. Don't seek to please men. Seek to please God. Now, where else could he have gotten this message from? Well, the Lord Jesus when he was sending his disciples out in Matthew chapter 10, he was sending them out to preach the the good news of the kingdom. And before he sends them out, he gathers the disciples to himself and he gives them some instructions. And in the course of the of the instructions in Matthew 10, notice what he what he says to them in Matthew chap 10 26-33, he says this.
So have no fear of them, for nothing is covered that will not be revealed or hidden that will not be known. What I tell you in the dark, say in the light. And what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops. And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. And he goes on, so don't fear man, fear God. This was the message Jesus taught to his disciples. Who was Peter taught by? Well, he was taught by the Lord directly and also by the disciples.
And I don't you can't help but think that the disciples would have told Paul this. And you might say, Peter was or Paul was taught by the disciples. Where is that found? Well, I'm so glad you asked. Go with me to Galatians. We're going to look at little bits of chapters 1 and two of Galatians. Galatians 1:es 10 to 12. Notice what he says here. For I For am I now seeking the approval of man or of God? Or am I trying to please man?
If I were trying trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ. There we see that teaching again. For I would have you know, brothers, that the gospel that was preached by me is not man's gospel. For I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ. True story. He received it on the road to Damascus. Acts chapter 9. You can read it.
He was the Lord wonderfully knocked him off his donkey gave him the gospel of Jesus. Move on to verses 15 to 18. But when he who had set me apart before I was born, and who called me by his grace was pleased to reveal his son to me in order that I might preach him among the Gentiles. I did not immediately consult with anyone. Notice the word immediately. That is not right away.
Nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me, but I went into Arabia and returned again to Damascus. Then after 3 years I went up to Jerusalem to visit Cphus. Who? Cphus? Peter. And remained with him for 15 days. So now we have this testimony. Now Paul is being discipled. He's growing. And he spent some time with Peter. Now move on to chapter 2 verses 1 to2 say this.
Then after 14 years, I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus along with me. I went up because of a revelation and set before them, though privately, before those who seemed influential, the gospel that I proclaim among the Gentiles in order that I might that in order to make sure that I was not running or had not run in vain. He wanted to make sure that the gospel he was preaching was consistent with the gospel that was understood by these godly men before he went and preached it as he did.
And then dropped down to verses 7 to9. On the contrary, when they saw that I had been, notice the words here, entrusted with the gospel. Does that sound familiar? First Thessalonians, entrusted with the gospel. When they saw that I had been entrusted with the gospel to the uncircumcised, that is to the Gentiles, just as Peter had been entrusted with the gospel to the circumcised, the Jews. For he who worked through Peter for his apostolic ministry to the circumcised, worked also through me for mine to the Gentiles.
And when James and Cphus, that is Peter and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given to me, they gave the right hand of fellowship to Barnabas and me, that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised, so that he spent time here with James and Peter and John so that they could verify and validate that this gospel message is the true gospel that they personally learned from the Lord Jesus. He spent time with them. By the way, that tells us also of the consistency of the New Testament.
Paul is not preaching a different gospel than James. Peter is not preaching a different gospel than John. That what you read in the book of James is the same gospel that you read in the book of Thessalonians. What you read in First Peter is the same gospel you're going to read in First John. There's consistency. They were all on the same page. And so you can't help but think, I can't help but think that Paul heard from the disciples in the course of these conversations the importance of pleasing God, not men.
And so here he is saying, "I have been entrusted with the gospel, approved by God to give it to you. And even if that means it comes at a cost, beatings, belittling my name, my reputation, being driven out of town, so be it. This is the call of God in my life, and I will seek to be approved by God and please him rather than men. This is right.
And so this was Paul's aim to please God. And really the next two points, if you're one of those people who likes to fill in the blanks, the next two points could have served as subpoints because how did Paul please God? Well, one of the ways he pleased God was through gentle servant-heartedness. He reminds them that he did not come to bilk them out of money. We never came verse 5 with words of flattery or with a pretext for greed. Do we not see that today?
Where is the prosperity gospel flourishing most? Third world countries. As these fake false teachers peddling the word of God for their own shameful gain go to places where people are destitute and they but they long they're desperate to be healed. And so then these folks come with a message that tickles their ears and they give them all their money. Paul said that's not what we did. That's not that was not our ministry.
Not at all. They didn't lay any demands on the people. Look at look at verse six. Nor do we seek glory from people whether from you or from others. Though we could have made demands as apostles of Christ. They had a vested authority from God as apostles. They could have come and say you need to supply our needs so that we can preach the gospel freely. They didn't do that though. They knew, they understood the position that these people were in as those who were destitute. What did they do? Look at verse seven. But we were gentle among you like a nursing mother taking care of her own children.
Isn't that an interesting little phrase? It's beautiful. Actually, that little phrase that the word gentle is an interesting word. It's like having the unassuming nature of a child. You know, when when a when there's a little one, they they just love without critique. Have you ever noticed that a little one will love deeply? They're not overanalyzing every jot and tit of every word you say to me like adults do. No, no, they just love.
They just want to care for you. And he said, that's how we were. And we were also like a like a nursing mother taking care of her children. That's that beautiful picture of how a a mom cares for that innocent child that desperately needs her to care for him or her. It's a beautiful picture. It's almost an echo of of what Moses said in in Numbers 11. You can look that up later in Numbers 11:12. But these people have become precious to Paul and Silas and Timothy.
Verse eight, becoming affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God, but our own selves because you'd become very dear to us. This Paul has said this actually a lot of times. A lot of people give Paul flack for being this hard-nosed guy. If I were to ask you, how many of you have ever struggled thinking Paul is too like got too much of an edge? I imagine that some hands would go up. He has that Charles Spurgeon, John MacArthur quality to him.
He's a little on the nose, little direct, but he's also very tender. Look at 2 Corinthians chapter 12. This is what he says to the saints there in verses 14 and 15. Here, for the third time, I am ready to come to you, and I will not be a burden, for I will seek not what is your yours, but you. For children are not obligated to save up for their parents, but parents for their children.
I will most gladly spend and be spent for your souls. Isn't that an interesting statement? I will spend myself for you. He says the same thing to the Galatian believers in Galatians 4:18 and 19. I will give up myself. I will serve you with my life. Will a false apostle do that? Maybe for a short time to try to win people, but not for l not for a long time. A false apostle is in it for themsel.
They don't want to serve. They're not going to get down in the muck and the mire with people. There's an old adage, the the shepherd should smell like the sheep. They should be among them. And this was Paul. Among them in the dirt and muck and mire with them, not sitting on an ivory tower. No, we were gentle. We we we were caring for you tenderly. It speaks well of his apostilhip and his called ministry. Back at the start of this year, first week of January, I took a couple classes out of Miller College of the Bible.
I'm cramming a three-year master's degree into about 12. So I'm ever so slowly picking away at it. But in the course of these classes, one of the guys that's in my class told me a fascinating story. He took in a long, like I I forgot how long, almost a year-long disciplehip training school at Mars Hill Church under the direct leadership of Mark Driscoll back in the day when I was in Seattle.
And then he was he had multiple personal meetings one-on-one with Mark Driscoll himself. Fascinating. I don't know how many of you have listened to the podcast, The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill. That podcast is put out by Christianity Today. And so because it's put out by Christianity Today, you have to be very, very careful because Christianity Today is a sadly a microcosm of Christianity today. They have a spin that's not entirely biblical.
So, there's a lot of things in that podcast that are spun that are not fully accurate. But one thing that is accurate is the fact that Mark Driscoll, sadly to his detriment, was not gentle and caring and tender with the people he served. And it ended up ruining that whole ministry. Paul here is saying, "I was a servant among you. We were we loved you so deeply.
We gave up our very life to be tender and kind with you." He wasn't deta a detached preacher of the word. He was amongst them and he treated them with kindness and they saw it. They got to observe it. And also another evidence that he was pleasing God was his bold exhortation. And so he goes on from here now he says you remember our labor and toil we worked night and day that we might not be a burden to any of you. This is talking about physical work.
They Paul if you remember in other parts of the scriptures he refers to himself as a tent maker. That was a business that he would do. He probably physically worked assuming that Silas and Timothy probably worked with him to make an income. So they might not be a burden to any of them. And you might say, "Well, couldn't the the Thessalon Thessalonian believers have couldn't they have, you know, just pulled their money and helped them out?" Well, go with me to 2 Corinthians chapter 8. In 2 Corinthians chapter 8, listen to what we read here.
We want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia. Thessalonians would be would be included in this. They're in the region of Macedonia. Four, in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty, hear that, extreme poverty, have overflowed in a wealth of generos generosity on their part. For they gave according to their means, as I can testify, and beyond their means of their own accord, begging us earnestly for the favor of taking part in the relief of the saints.
So this Thessalonian church again, another reason why Paul just loves them is look at how much they're willing to sacrifice for the glory of God. That we were not demanding them to give anything and yet they gave and even beyond what they had to give. Can you imagine doing that? You got 20 bucks in your account. Let's give 40 to the work of the Lord. It's what the Thessalonians were doing. Desperate to serve the Lord. What a testimony from these folks. But he wasn't demanding that. He wasn't saying you have to do this. Not at all. But notice that they had extreme poverty.
So he comes to this region. He understands that and he does not want to be a burden upon them because he wants them to hear the gospel and not be distracted or or encumbered by any burden that they might have forced upon them. So he says, "No, no, no. We worked night and day so that we wouldn't place that burden upon you so you would hear the gospel." And so this is what he does. I lost my spot. There we go. While we proclaim to you the gospel of God. End of verse N.
So you are witnesses. He says and God also how. Now notice what he says here. He's giving a testimony in advance of what he's going to say in verse 12 of what it looks like in his own life to walk worthy of God. Look what he says at the in verse 10. You are witnesses and God also. Not. So this isn't just for you. Again, I'm here to please God. So the fact that you saw it, great. But my goal was to please God. So God saw this and so did you though. How holy and righteous and blameless was our conduct toward you believers.
When when we are preaching the gospel to our family members, to our co-workers, to our neighbors, there's two things that are important. The physical proclamation with our lips of the gospel, telling them with our words, the gospel, and then backing it up with the way we live our life. If what we say with our words is detached from the way we live our life, that witness is going to be tarnished. And Paul here says, "Not only did we give you the gospel, but we were holy and righteous and blameless amongst you."
This again shows this singular focus of the Apostle Paul. 1 Corinthians chapter 2, he says, "I decided to know nothing among you except for Christ crucified." And so he lived his life in that way. You were witnesses of that. And he says in verse 11 then for you know how like a father with his children we exhorted each one of you. We encouraged you and charged you. I'm going to pause there. So he brought up being like a mother. Now he's talking about how he was like a father. Isn't that interesting?
Like a mother we were gentle. We we were with you in the muck and mire of your life. And like a father we encouraged you. We exhorted you. Charged you. So here as a he's giving this this picture of one who gives instruction to children that's necessary. This isn't the main point of the passage, but as a side note, he's giving here a beautiful picture of how a healthy family functions. As a rule, God has designed women to be that nursing, gentle, kindhearted, pick up the pieces soul in the family.
It's happened in our home all the time. When when our girls ever had a boo boo, they never ran to me. They always run to Carla because she's gentle. For me, I'm like, "Put some dirt on it. You're fine. Carla cares for them and I try to I try to care for them too but you get the point right but then there's this ne necessity of instruction that okay dad is going to lead he's going to say here's what needs to happen here's how it needs to go I'm going to urge you to live in this way now it's not does that mean that women never do that of course they do women often give instruction as to how their children should live and and or does that mean Dads are never gentle.
Well, of course they are and they should be. But as a rule, this is how it functions best in society as God has ordained. But that's not the point of the passage. He is saying, listen, I acted like a mother and a father to you and like a father, I exhort. Notice the verbs here. Exhorted, encouraged, charged. Verse 12. There is an urgency here. And what is it that he exhorted them in? What is it that he encouraged them in? What is it that he charged them in? To walk in a manner worthy of God.
To walk in a manner worthy of God. Now notice what he says. Who calls you into his own kingdom and glory. This should if you're a if you're a Bible reader, if you if you're if you have a measure of like depth in your Bible reading plans and you've been reading the Bible for a long time, this should trigger some bells for you. He calls us into his own kingdom, he who is the king and glory. This is beautiful.
Why? Romans 3:23 says, "All have sinned and have fallen short of what?" His glory. His glory was tarnished. What is What makes sin so evil? It mars his glory above all else. It's us spitting in the in the glory of God. And so, how does God respond? When we've done that to his glory, he calls us back into it.
What a gracious God. God is consumed with his own glory. Let us never forget that. And he's right to do that. He is the only one who's fully, totally, 100% holy. He is the only one who is altogether perfect and right in all his ways. And as such, he's the only one who can be consumed with his own glory and it be right.
If I'm consumed with my own glory, it's wrong. As a sinner, as one who's wicked and who's evil, but God is very God- centered. And me and you should be also very God centered. John Piper once said this. Why is it important to be stunned by the God- centeredness of God? Because many people are willing to be God- centered so long as they feel that God is man centered.
God is not man- centered. You and I are not at the center of God's will. God is at the center of God's will. And so here we read, he calls us into his own kingdom and to his own glory that we would walk in a manner worthy of God. So what does that look like? I was debating whether to share this illustration, but I will because as Pastor Bryce walked us through in our prayer meeting, we live in a volatile climate.
We always do, but it seems like things have ratcheted up, particularly as we look at events going on across the globe and specifically in Minnesota. I'm not here to speak about the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency. You know about that law enforcement agency. You've you've seen it documented on the news if you watch the news at all. I'm not here to talk about that. I'm not here to talk about politics. What we saw last Sunday, a week ago. There's a whole backstory to it and you can have everyone has their different opinions on it and that's fine.
But the saints were gathered to worship the Lord and a protest broke in. It was a pretty difficult thing to watch. But what was amazing was one moment. It was televised. It was shown as Don Lemon was standing there in front of Pastor Jonathan Parnell and Pastor Jonathan Parnell showed what it looks like to walk worthy of God. Go watch the clip.
In the midst of extreme duress under great trial, he said calmly, gently, but boldly, "We're here to worship the Lord. This is not right. We came here to worship our God. We're asking you to leave that we might worship our God. All those events took place and what didn't get a whole lot of fanfare, the whole church service was disrupted. Everyone left.
That night, the saints gathered again so that they might worship the Lord, walking worthy of God. Here Paul said to them, "This is what you're what we're what you're called to, what we're all called to." Paul didn't come demanding money from them or fame or glory or position or power. He came under extreme duress. He was beaten within an inch of his life in the previous town. He came he was driven out of town. He was forcefully removed from Thessalonica.
He was forcefully removed from Berea. But now he circles back to them and he says, "You saw how I lived and you heard the gospel I preached and this is what we're called to that we would walk worthy of God." So what does that look like? I'm not going to belabor this, but let me give you three quick things. What does it mean to walk worthy of God? Number one, I mean, we could spend hours on this, but I'll give you three things. Seek to know his will. How are we going to know how to walk worthy of God if you're never in this?
If we don't know his will. His will has been made known to us. Here's the will of God. Know it. Not just academically. Know it at the heart level. What does the word say as far as how I live out the will of God? Know the word of God. Let it saturate deep in your soul. Stew on it, meditate on it, consider it, know it rightly, and then live it out.
What does it mean to walk worthy of God? Well, I would say deny yourself. Jesus said in in Luke 9 23, I want to make sure I quote this right. It's a verse that probably many of us have memorized. Just a second. My pages are giving me issues here. In 9 verse 23, Jesus said, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me."
That is to say, to walk worthy of God means to that I'm going to turn from my sinful urges. That I'm going to I'm going to say no to that which does not please God. Having known the will of God, having poured myself into understanding the will of God by knowing the word of God, I can tell very quickly what pleases God and what doesn't. And my sinful heart wants what it wants. We all have that sinful desire to please yourself. And you might say, "Well, I don't struggle with that.
I'm not self-centered. I am. And I know full well you are too. You want to test yourself? Here's a test. Next time you're standing with a crowd of people and you say something funny. Just notice what you do. You look around to see who's all laughing. Why do you do that? Self glory. We do it all the time without even thinking. Now is that inherently wrong that we look at No.
But what I'm saying is it just proves the heart, the self-centeredness of the heart. We need to deny self. Turn from those things that don't please the Lord. But we can't just end there. Saying no to the things that don't please the Lord, to our natural sinful urges to to turn away from those things that gratify our sinful flesh. That's important. But we have to turn to something. In Luke 9:23, he says, "Pick up your cross daily and follow me."
Determine daily to follow Christ. Sometimes what can happen at these big conferences is people have an emotional response in that day. They're like, "Yes, I'm going to follow the Lord." Is all the lights and the smoke show and whatever else and yeah, they feel the emotion of it and okay, I'm going to follow the Lord. And then they sleep and the next day comes and they're not choosing that day to follow the Lord. Well, it's an everyday determination in the heart. Today, I'm going to follow you.
And then you go to bed and you wake up the next morning. No, today I'm going to follow you. Pick up your cross daily and follow the Lord. This is part of walking worthy of the gospel of God. It means that we're reminding ourselves of the gospel. Preach the gospel to your heart every day. Don't think that preaching the gospel to your heart one time is sufficient. It's not. Every day. Remind yourself of the beauty and the wonder of the gospel.
That I was saved and redeemed by this wonderful God. That he saved me. Though I'm a sinner, he though I spit in his glory. He's called me to his glory. He's restored that to me. Praise God. I'm adopted child of God. Remind yourself of that gospel. So that then you can say, "Lord, thank you for that. Now help me to respond by walking worthy today by following you this day by obedience and slaving myself to the word of God today and the next day and the next day and the next day until the day he calls you home when you see him face to face.
Oh that we might live in this way. In doing so it will serve to glorify God and it will also be for your good. Praise him for that. So Father, I pray that indeed you would do all things to draw us into a deeper walk with you. And we know that you are about that. You're about your glory and the good of your people. We thank you for that. Father, we pray that we would make it our aim just as Paul made it his. Pray that you would be exalted now and always.
We pray these things in Jesus name. Amen.
Transcribed automatically from YouTube captions, so names and words may be misheard.
