Spiritual Fatherhood: Part 2 - 1 Thess Lesson 17

Spiritual Fatherhood

1 Thessalonians 2:9-12 Part 2

 Once more I want to read 1 Thessalonians 2:1-12 as we begin this morning. Please stand with me as we read this passage that details Paul’s approach to spiritual leadership. This is the blueprint for how spiritual leadership should work. 

 This will be our final message on these 12 verses. This is the second message on verses 9-12. In verses 9-12 we have Paul’s description of his role as a spiritual father. Paul has shown us a balance in this section. We have seen a balance between conviction regarding the truth and compassion, or between truth and tenderness. The first six verses were focused on Paul’s approach to the message he preached. The second half has been focused on Paul’s approach to the people to whom the message was preached.

 In the second half of this 12 verse section, Paul is showing us the balance between the tender compassion of a spiritual mother and the truthful conviction of a spiritual father. Paul was gracious, gentle and genuine toward the Thessalonians as a spiritual mother. This was what we saw from verses 6b-8. Verses 9-12 describe what Paul did as a spiritual father.

 We began our study of verses 9-12 last week with a look at the last verse. I wanted to begin there because verse 12 gives us the reason for everything Paul did as a spiritual leader. The argument could be made that Paul did everything described in chapter 2:1-11 so that the Thessalonians would walk in a manner worthy of the God who calls you into His own kingdom and glory. No one would walk this way if there were not men of courage who will stand before us and tell us what God wants from us. No one would walk in a worthy manner if everyone tainted the word of God with error, impurity and deceit, or were motivated by greed or the applause of men. Everything Paul tells us he did in chapter 2:1-12 was done so that the Thessalonians could walk worthy of God.

We saw last week that a spiritual leader can want nothing better for those he leads than that they walk worthy of God. A walk in a manner worthy of the God who calls us into His own kingdom and glory is the goal. That is the purpose for all that I do as a spiritual leader. That is the reason I study to show myself approved unto God, a workman that needs not be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of God. That is why I am committed to being ready in season and out of season, to rebuke, and exhort with great patience and instruction. There is no higher cause for which I could strive. There is no greater satisfaction a spiritual leader can experience than to see those he leads walking in such a manner.

 What are you aiming for in your spiritual walk? Are you striving for a walk that is worthy, or are you content with a walk that is something less. We aim too low. We don’t make it our goal to walk in a manner worthy of God. We make it our goal to live just good enough so that we aren’t mistaken for an unbeliever. We are satisfied with a walk that just gets us across the finish line on the right side of eternity. Do we need to aim a little higher? We must want for our walk what God wants for our walk. God wants our walk to be worthy of His calling. We must want our walk to be worthy of His calling. As one responsible for leading you spiritually, I want for you a walk worthy of His calling.

That is why I challenged you last week, to take an honest look at your own hearts. If you are here for any reason other than to be exhorted, instructed, and equipped for a walk worthy of God, you are here for the wrong reason and you are in the wrong place. We are not here to entertain you. We are not here to tickle your ears with messages that make you feel good. We are here to show you exactly what God wants for your life. We are here to equip and exhort and encourage you to walk in that manner. You should be here to learn and do. Do not be one who becomes a hearer only and not a doer of the word. If we do not become doers of the word, our walk will never be worthy of the God who has called us into this marvelous relationship with Himself.

 We started with that emphasis last week, by looking at verse 12, because it details for us the reason why the spiritual father does everything else he does. As we look at verses 9-11 today, we are going to see that spiritual fatherhood, or spiritual leadership, is not for the faint of heart. It isn’t for the one looking for a seat on the dining car of the gravy train. It is for those who are willing to commit to the hard work. Spiritual fatherhood is for those who have the character to live the right kind of example. It is for those who are concerned enough to teach truth. 

Let me frame the outline for our passage in a few different ways. Verse 9 will show us the commitment required. Verse 10 will show us the character required. Verse 11 will show us the concern required if we are to stay devoted to leading others to walk in a worthy manner.

 Another way to frame this might be to say that verse 9 describes the investment we must make. Verse 10 describes the integrity we must show. Verse 11 details the instruction we must give. Verse 9 shows us the labor we must exert. Verse 10 shows us the life we must exemplify. Verse 11 shows us the lessons we must teach. These are the demands of a spiritual leader. These are the things to which we must be faithfully devoted if we are to lead others to walk in a manner worthy of the God who calls them into His own kingdom and glory.

 So, spiritual leaders who want God’s absolute best for those whom they lead will do what is required to lead them into a walk worthy of God. Spiritual leadership is hard work. Spiritual leadership requires immense effort. Spiritual leadership requires a commitment. It involves making sacrifice for those we lead. Look again at verse 9. Paul says, “For you recall, brethren, our labor and hardship, how working night and day so as not to be a burden to any of you, we proclaimed to you the gospel of God.”

 Paul describes how hard he worked and how devoted he was to these people, and he confirms that this is something they would have known firsthand. The Thessalonians would have recalled the labor and hardship of Paul and his companions. None who had been there and seen it could have denied or disputed the facts. The words Paul uses here describe work to the point of exhaustion. “Labor” is “kopos” denotes not so much the actual exertion which man makes, but the weariness he experiences from that exertion. “Hardship” describes afflicting and wearisome labor.

 I will remind you that Paul’s enemies always followed him to places like Thessalonica and attacked him viciously. One of their accusations was that Paul was only in the ministry for money. He was accused of demanding financial support and that he was enriching himself at the expense of others. The Thessalonians knew better. Paul refused to take financial support from these new believers. He set up shop as a tentmaker and worked night and day. He spent his the times these new believers were available exhorting and encouraging and instructing them. He spent many other hours each day at his trade. Acts 18:3 indicates that Paul’s profession was that of a tent maker.

 Here is an observation from this verse. Paul worked to provide financial support for himself and his traveling companions, but what was his clear priority? What was the most important thing? It certainly wasn’t his career. Too many men who have to work to make a living and support their families, let their career get in the way of their responsibilities as a spiritual leader. I know, especially for a man who is a husband and a father, that working and making a living is important. But I also know that it is far too easy to let that become the priority. Too often, the spiritual development of the family takes a back seat to the career of the one who is supposed to be providing spiritual leadership. Spiritual leadership requires hard work, but the spiritual leader must always be aware of that which he is to work hard at. If he is working hard at a career at the expense of his responsibilities as a spiritual leader, he is working hard on the wrong things.

 Paul was working day and night so as to not be a burden to any of them. His ministry experience was always about working hard. He wrote to the Corinthians, “I have been in labor and hardship, through many sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure.” In that passage Paul isn’t asking anyone to feel sorry for him. He is defending himself from vicious attacks. He is stating the truth about his commitment to do whatever had to be done for the progress of the gospel and the spiritual well-being of those who came to Christ. 

Acts 20 records Paul’s farewell message to the elders of Ephesus. In this message Paul stated, “I have coveted no one’s silver or gold, or clothes. You yourselves know that these hands ministered to my own needs and to the men who were with me.” Look at 2 Thess. 3:6-13.

A study of spiritual leadership would necessarily include a study of the life and ministry of the Apostle Paul. You would be hard pressed to find a better example of a spiritual leader outside of the Lord Jesus Christ. And a profile of Paul’s life would include the work like of this faithful spiritual leader. He worked hard. But he didn’t work on the wrong things. He didn’t get sidetracked and loose sight of what was truly important.

So we see in verse 9 that his commitment was not just to the work needed to not be a burden to the people. He was committed to proclaiming to them the gospel of God. This was the important work. We know Paul proclaimed to them the message of the gospel and how that a person is saved by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. But Paul wasn’t just preaching the message of how one is saved by the gospel. He was proclaiming everything they needed to know in order to be able to walk in a manner worthy of the God who called them into that salvation. 

Paul was investing in these believers not only in his work, but also the word of God. This was Paul’s priority. He worked among them to provide for his own financial needs so that he would be able to proclaim to them the word of God. He would do whatever had to be done to be able to teach the word of God. Nothing was too hard or wearisome as long as it allowed him to proclaim the gospel and the way of salvation.

Simply put, spiritual leadership demands a commitment to work, but a commitment to working on the right things. There isn’t anything we can work on that is more important than the spiritual development of our disciples. The spiritual development of our disciples can’t happen without a steady dose of God’s word.

Secondly, spiritual leadership not only requires a commitment to those we lead, but it also requires the character to lead by example. We must invest in those we lead by working hard and proclaiming to them the gospel of God. We must have the integrity and strength of character to walk in a way that shows them how to live. Look at verse 10. Paul says, “You are witness, and so is God, how devoutly and uprightly and blamelessly we behaved toward you believers.”

These words Paul uses to describe his own lifestyle. They describe a walk in integrity. These words describe a man of character. “Devoutly” speaks of moral purity and holiness of character. There was never anything that gave anyone a reason to question his example. “Uprightly” describes a walk in justice, honesty, and to what is fit and proper. “Blameless” means faultlessly.

It is easy to understand why integrity is essential in the spiritual leader’s life. Character is what gives credibility to the message we preach. This is what gives confidence to those we lead that they can follow our leadership. Any compromise to our integrity reveals to others that we only give lip service to the Lord. Compromise convinces others that we are not genuine. People will not believe the message of a phony. They will not follow a phony spiritual leader.

I love what Paul wrote to the Corinthians in 2 Cor. 1:12. He writes, “For our proud confidence is this; the testimony of our conscience, that in holiness and godly sincerity, not in fleshly wisdom but in the grace of God, we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially toward you.” A spiritual leader must walk in holiness and godly sincerity. He must walk in the grace of God. His conduct will reveal his character.

Listen, those we lead are not expecting perfection. They know us. They know we are men of flesh. They know we are defective in many ways. They know we will stumble and fall. The question is not whether or not something will happen that is inconsistent with the work of salvation in our lives. The issue is how we respond. Are we honest and humble and genuinely repentant? Are we willing to confess our failures and ask for forgiveness? Do they see in us a genuine desire to walk as an example they can follow? If not, they will not follow us. They will reject our message and despise us as hypocrites.

For the second time in as many verses Paul indicates that what he says the Thessalonians knew well. He says, “You are witnesses…” He also says “and so is God…” That is the thing about a walk in integrity. You either have integrity or you don’t. If you have it, everyone sees it. If you don’t have it, everyone sees that too. It isn’t a secret. Paul was able to say, “You know and so does God, that this is how I walked among you.”

There are so many problems with character in leadership in our world today. We have a crisis in character among our political leaders. We have a crisis in character among the leaders of the church. You probably don’t care too much if the surgeon who is about to repair your heart cheats on his taxes. You may care, but if he is skilled in his work on the operating table, that is your primary concern. People do care if a spiritual leader has a credibility issue in his life.

A spiritual leader can have a good reputation and still have a problem with integrity and character. Listen, there is a difference between character and reputation. Reputation is what others believe you are. Character is what God knows you to be. A reputation can be built in an instant but it must be maintained over time. Character is built in a lifetime and it is its own best defense. It has been said that a reputation grows like a mushroom, but character grows like an oak. Reputation is what men say about you at your funeral or put on your headstone. Character is what Christ says about you when you stand before the throne of God. 

If you think about it, there can never be a true spiritual leader who lacks character. True spiritual leadership is provided by someone who is genuinely spiritual and leading. If the character is severely flawed there will be consistent evidence. If the consistent evidence of flawed character is present, the person whose character is flawed has a spiritual problem. He is not walking in a manner worthy of God. He cannot lead where he has not walked. Others simply will not follow.

A spiritual leader must be committed to the work and word of God on behalf of those he leads. A spiritual leader must be a man of character before those he leads. Finally, a spiritual leader must have a genuine concern for those he leads. Verse 11 is where we get this description of Paul’s concern for the Thessalonians being like the concern of a father for his own children. Look at verse 11. “just as you know how we were exhorting and encouraging and imploring each one of you as a father would his own children…”

Again Paul points to a well-known fact about his own spiritual leadership. “Just as you know…” he said. This is the third time in verses 9-11 he says something like this. “For you recall…” he said in verse 9. “You are witnesses…” he said in verse 10. And in verse 11, “just as you know…” They knew how much he cared because of his investment in them and his commitment to the work required and the word they needed. They knew how much he cared because of the integrity he displayed in the life he lived. They knew he cared because of the instruction he gave them regarding what was necessary to walk in a manner worthy of the God who had called them into salvation.

Paul was exhorting them. The Greek word is “parakaleo” which means “to call alongside.” It is one of the terms used of the Holy Spirit. Paul was coming along side these believers just like a father comes along side his children to give spiritual aid, instruction, and guidance. Paul was truly concerned about how they lived. He called them to come along side and walk as he walked.

He was encouraging them. The Greek word carries the idea of comfort and consolation. Who needs to be consoled and comforted? When does a father need to console and comfort his children? When they are hurt. When they fall. When they make mistakes. When they get discouraged. When they are confused. When they are prone to wander from the right path. Do any of you ever need to be consoled and comforted spiritually? We get hurt. We stumble and fall. We make mistakes. We get discouraged. When we do, we need a spiritual leader to come along side and encourage us. Paul was concerned enough to encourage them.

Paul was also imploring them. The Greek word is “martureo.” We get our English word “martyr” from this word. The meaning of the word is “to be a witness, or to bear witness.” It carries the idea of giving a testimony regarding the truth of what one knows to be true. A martyr is one who believes something so strongly that they are willing to die for the truth. Paul was witnessing to the Thessalonians regarding the truth he knew to be true. He was urgently pleading with them to conform their lives to the truth. He was like a father who wanted nothing but the very best for his children. This is true concern.

A spiritual leader is both a spiritual mother and a spiritual father to those he leads. He must have an uncompromising commitment to the truth of God’s word, but he must learn how to balance his convictions with compassion. He must balance truth and tenderness. He must give grace when grace is needed, be gentle when gentleness is needed, and be genuine in his love and in his life.

As a spiritual father, the spiritual leader must be committed to the work and the ministry of the word, proclaiming the gospel of God. His manner of life must reflect the character of an uncompromising walk. This is how he shows others the reality of the power of the gospel. He must have the concern required to come along side, encourage, and implore others to walk in a manner worthy of God.

A spiritual leader will want nothing else for those he leads. He will strive for this kind of walk for them because he knows there is no path more blessed by God. He leads others to this walk because this is the only path of assurance of eternal life. He leads others to this walk because he loves them and knows that any other path is a path of sorrow, suffering, and spiritual shipwreck. To walk in any manner other than a manner worthy of God is to walk a dangerous path. To walk in a manner worthy of God is to walk a path of richest blessings.

If all I wanted for you was to make sure you missed hell, and didn’t care what your manner of walk was during this life, I would be like an earthly father who was content to raise his children to not become criminals that spent their entire adult life in prison. Could you imagine a parent who set the bar that low? Imagine a parent who didn’t care how his child turned out as long as he didn’t end up homeless, or a prostitute.

As a parent, what do you want for your children? You want the very best. As a spiritual leader we want nothing less than God’s best for those we lead. God’s best is found as we learn to walk in a manner worthy of the God who has called us into His own kingdom and glory.

Let’s pray.