Last week we were studying the marks of the living church and what are the visible signs that the church truly is in the Lord Jesus Christ. The Word of God showed us the active attributes of the church: working faith, labouring love and patience of hope.
Today I want to ask: what is the role the church has to fulfil? As we continue the exposition of this letter, I want to show you it is three things: 1) To please God by praise and worship; 2) To preach the gospel of God; 3) To nurse God’s children.
The title of the message today is: “Know our entrance in unto you”. All these 3 functions: praising, preaching and nursing align in this: making an entrance for the King and God, Lord Jesus Christ.
Preaching the Word of God
Let us discuss how the gospel makes an effective entrance. We will see how it needs to be preached and what conditions need to be met so that it is received well and results in the saving, effectual faith. Ultimately, what we need to see in the church are these marks being produced as its fruits: working faith and labouring love. Without them the salvation is just a dangerous illusion.
Why is it important that we know these things? Every one of us will stand in front of the Mighty God and take account for his own actions and beliefs. But the journey that we are on is not supposed to be travelled alone. We are the church of Jesus Christ. As the church, it is essential that we understand what its mission is and how it is accomplished.
The Purpose
Why do we preach? The purpose of preaching is to make an entrance for the Word of God. Apostle Paul begins with a reminder that the labour of love that was done in Thessalonica was not in vain. “For yourselves, brethren, know our entrance in unto you, that it was not in vain:”
What is the entrance here? The Apostle explains it in the next verse: “we were bold in our God to speak unto you the gospel of God”. Faith comes by hearing. Paul preached the gospel (v. 2) and the Thessalonians received the Word of God (v. 13). The result is the working faith of that church. The work was not in vain.
He says you know, it was not in vain. That means that the fruit of the labour can be tasted. They know the salvation among them is real. They see the new life that was given to them and this labour of love made them walk worthy of God. What it means is that if you have been saved, you will know it. You will see change in your life. You will know that the hearing of the Word of God was not in vain, but that it accomplished its work in you. You will know Christ as your Saviour and will behold His glory.
The Authority
“But even after that we had suffered before, and were shamefully entreated, as ye know, at Philippi, we were bold in our God to speak unto you the gospel of God with much contention.” v. 2
The Word of God is to be preached with boldness. It is the very authority of God that is given to us if we are entrusted with the gospel. The message comes from God. It needs to be preached as such. We are the ambassadors of Christ here on earth and it is in the name of JESUS that we call people to repentance to believe in the gospel. It is in His name we preach the forgiveness of sins through His blood.
The Contention
“We were bold in our God to speak unto you the gospel of God with much contention.” Do you know what contention means? It is a heated disagreement. The gospel is against the natural man. It requires the people to acknowledge their sins and accept that there is no hope for them except in Jesus Christ and the cross.
It requires a full submission to Jesus. It makes us meek and humble. All the pride that is in us needs to die with Him. We do not like dying. Dying is not pleasant. But the old man, the sinful Adam, the lustful flesh needs to die! So the gospel of God comes with much contention.
Preaching the Word of God will always meet an opposition in this world. God needs to open the door for us so that the entrance is not in vain. The world does not want to hear the truth. Therefore we need to be ready to face shame and suffer if that be necessary, just as Paul did in Philippi.
The Motives
“For our exhortation was not of deceit, nor of uncleanness, nor in guile: 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.
For neither at any time used we flattering words, as ye know, nor a cloke of covetousness; God is witness: Nor of men sought we glory, neither of you, nor yet of others, when we might have been burdensome, as the apostles of Christ.” v. 3-6
Here is the next requirement so that our entrance be not in vain: Our motives need to be clean. No deceit, no uncleanness, no guile. Preaching is done not for money, not for any hidden interests, not for fame and not for own glory. It is only for God’s glory. Therefore, our heart needs to be clean and submitted to the Lord.
The contention that was mentioned earlier and boldness of the gospel is rooted in the authority of God. Word of God is preached not to please men, but to save them. In fact, it will be not pleasing to the unconverted. We do not win souls with some psychological warfare. Our warfare is prayer and the Word of God. It is spiritual. We save souls only by telling the truth of Jesus Christ.
“Even so we speak”. We were entrusted with this saving gospel message. Keep it as a treasure. There is no room to make our own improvements to the content of the gospel. There is no option to add our own twists to make it easier to digest. It already is perfect.
The Message
The gospel needs to be preached as it is and in its full capacity, yet with its simplicity. This simple message that can be understood by a child, is the power of God unto salvation. But what is it that we preach?
Let us look at its definition of the gospel from another epistle: “Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures. And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures.” (1 Cor. 15:2)
The gospel is this: Jesus Christ died for our sins. He was buried and he rose again the third day. But why these verses put so much focus on the scriptures?
The Source
Because you have to believe in the Word of God! You have to believe your Bible. Believe that the testimony about Jesus Christ that it gives through the Old and New Testament is the very Word of God. This is why it is so important you hold to an accurate translation.
“For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.” v. 13
We see that receiving that which is heard from this book and taking it not as the word of men, but the Word of God is essential to ignite in us this working faith that leads to our salvation. Believe the Bible! Receive the gospel of God! Put your trust in Jesus Christ only!
Nursing God’s Children
“But we were gentle among you, even as a nurse cherisheth her children:
So being affectionately desirous of you, we were willing to have imparted unto you, not the gospel of God only, but also our own souls, because ye were dear unto us.” v. 7
Here comes the third role that the church has to fulfil: It is to nurse the children of God. We see in this passage that the only way for it to accomplish this mission is by taking the same affectionate, unconditional love that Christ has for us.
The relation between the church and its children is compared to a parental relationship. The motherly instinct is an incredible force! I do not think there is anything more powerful in the nature. This is why the Scriptures make it the perfect illustration for the love of God. This is the kind of love we need to seek and express towards other people. Unless we find and know this love, we will not be able to make an entrance for the Word of God.
For an effective, spiritual leadership that saves souls, we have to take an example from the Apostle Paul. We do not come to people with the gospel only, to just plainly tell them the good news. We need to have the same passionate desire for them to be saved, even willing to sacrifice our own lives and our own souls for their sake.
This kind of love we can only find on the cross. We can learn it only from our Master and Teacher, from the Son of God. Jesus Christ said: “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” J. 15:13
Seek this greater love! Love that does not have an agenda, does not look for its own gain, but love that is pure and self-sacrificial. If this love is the driving force of your ministry for the church, there is no way for the labour to fail. “We were willing to have imparted unto you, not the gospel of God only, but also our own souls, because ye were dear unto us.” v.8
This love makes its object more valuable and more precious than our own life. This is the only way to make our evangelism successful. Only through this love can church fulfil its mission of glorifying God and be a blessing to the world.
“For ye remember, brethren, our labour and travail: for labouring night and day, because we would not be chargeable unto any of you, we preached unto you the gospel of God.” v. 9
There needs to be a consistency of the labour to make the entrance for the gospel. There is no ceasing. Night and day, day and night, labour and travail. This is the mission of the church here in the world. Preach the gospel of God. There can be no obstacle for it! This is why this lockdown of the church is so absurd! Try to tell a labouring woman that she has to postpone travails for a few days!
The purpose of the church is to make an entrance for the the Word of God. It needs to seek that which is lost in the world. This current situation is a true test of love for the church. My words are not against any particular congregation. All churches are feeble and prone to error. My intention is to provoke your thoughts and consider whether we still follow the Biblical model of Christianity.
Is the church labouring and travailing night and day? Does it preach the gospel of God with its full power and glory? Does the love of Christ sound out of it loudly day and night?
Let us pray for a revival and start the change from ourselves by turning to God in true repentance. Receive the gospel of God. Receive Christ. Labour in Him, for His glory!
