05 I Thessalonians 2:7-12 Not An Empty Visit Part 2

December 07, 2025

Chris Freeman

Title: “Not An Empty Visit” Part 2 Text: 1 Thessalonians 2:7-12 FCF: We often struggle functioning as a church the way God intended us to. Prop: Because the church ought to function like a family, we must lovingly spur for one another toward spiritual growth. Scripture Intro: [Slide 1] Turn in your bible to 1 Thessalonians chapter 2. In a moment we’ll begin reading starting in verse 1 from the New English Translation. You can follow along in the pew bible or in whatever version you prefer. Last time we covered the first of this three part sermon regarding the visit Paul and his companions had with the Thessalonians. Paul calls on The Thessalonian church to remember exactly how things came about. This is precipitated by unbelieving Thessalonians who are trying to dissuade the believers from following after this Jesus and, in their minds, ruining their lives. They accuse Paul and his companions of having a faulty message, using dishonest methods, with greedy motives. Paul denies all of this and asserted that the gospel belongs to God. They are simply bearing it to them as an act of service to Him. Today, Paul will continue to explain why he remembers their visit as one that was not empty or fruitless. Indeed, it was quite profitable. And one evidence for that is the familial nature of the relationship between the church and the evangelists. Stand with me please in order to focus on and give honor to the Word of God as it is read. Invocation: Heavenly Father you have sent Your Son to be our older brother, the firstborn from the dead. Now we are Your children, adopted into Your royal family, and wed to Your Precious Christ. Your Spirit is now in us as our Counselor and friend guiding us into all truth and leading us in the way we should go. Father give us a true vision of how we, all true believers, are now part of your family. And because we are in Your family together – we also are family. Deeper than human blood can bind us, the precious blood of Your Son has woven us together as children of glorious light. May we live toward one another with this perspective we pray this in Jesus’ name, Amen. Transition: [Slide 2] “He cannot have God for his Father who refuses to have the church for his mother” Augustine of Hippo “Those that would enjoy the dignities and privileges of Christ’s family must submit to the discipline of it.” Matthew Henry “There is nothing more unchristian than a solitary Christian.” John Wesley Keep these thoughts from these fellow Christians in your mind as we continue today. I.) The body of Christ functions like a family, therefore we must affectionately and selflessly give of ourselves to one another. (7-9) a. [Slide 3] 7 - although we could have imposed our weight as apostles of Christ; i. Some of your translations have this phrase as a part of verse 6. ii. Remember that the verse numbers and chapter divisions are not inspired. The chapters were added in the 1200s and the verses in the 1500s. iii. There actually isn’t even agreement among the various compiled Greek New Testaments as to where this phrase goes. iv. The difficulty in knowing exactly where to put this phrase comes from its transitional nature. v. Paul has just refuted 6 practices that he and his companions were being accused of by the friends, family, and neighbors of the Thessalonian church. vi. The effort was probably directed toward tarnishing the evangelists’ reputation so as to convince the Thessalonian believers to abandon their new Lord and go back to the way they were before. vii. But now Paul will turn his attention toward the positive example that they set. viii. This phrase neither goes with the negative traits that Paul denies nor with the positive traits that Paul and his companions did show. ix. However, I have put it in this section primarily because verses 7-12 speaks of the way the missionaries behaved in Thessalonica in relational language. x. Did they come like apostles of Christ who could have imposed their weight? xi. They did not. xii. Could they have? Yes. xiii. As apostles, or sent ones, of Jesus Christ the Lord of Glory – they could have come expecting the Thessalonians to care for them, house them, and even support them financially. xiv. Not to excess as to be greedy for gain – but certainly to care for their basic needs. xv. However, Paul and his companions did not do that. xvi. They did not adopt a Master – Servant kind of relationship, even though as Christ’s messengers it may have been right for the Thessalonians to see them in this way. xvii. So, if Paul and his companions didn’t throw around their title, how did they behave among the Thessalonians? xviii. What kind of relationship did they have with them? b. [Slide 4] instead we became little children among you. i. The manuscript evidence here is not unanimous. ii. The difference between the words in question is 1 letter. iii. Many manuscripts read “instead we became gentle among you.” iv. Many translations follow this, noting the awkward use of little children right before comparing the evangelists to a nursing mother. v. It would be odd for Paul to compare he and his companions to little children and then a nursing mother where the Thessalonians are the children in the same sentence. vi. However, there are three very early manuscripts that support this word being “little children”. vii. And one rule in deciding which manuscripts are most likely the original, is to take the more difficult reading, since a copyist would likely not make the reading more difficult but instead make it easier. viii. Another rule is to give the earlier and proven reliable manuscripts more weight than later ones. ix. Therefore, it seems best to me to see this as “little children”. x. Paul says they didn’t come as apostles, expecting to be treated as such – but instead they became like little children – meaning they were humble and meek. xi. Little children cannot impose their own will on anyone, because they are too small to do so. xii. Even though these men were sent by Christ, they didn’t choose to throw that status around to get things from the Thessalonians. xiii. Instead, they were givers… c. [Slide 5] Like a nursing mother caring for her own children, i. The word for nursing mother here is actually the word used of a wet nurse. Someone who nurses a child that is not their own child. ii. This is something one usually does as a favor or act of service to a mother that is not able to or has died during child birth. iii. However, Paul here points out that it is the nurse’s own children that she is nursing. iv. In that sense then, it is an act of service but one borne not of a sense of duty only but also with great care and love. A point we will see very soon. v. Another point here is that although a wet nurse may actually accept compensation for her work to nurse children who are not her own – she certainly would not be expecting any compensation for nursing her own children. vi. Both the motivation of loving care and not expecting any compensation for their work are emphasized as we go forward, making them both plausible and perhaps both intended. d. [Slide 6] 8 - with such affection for you we were happy to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own lives, because you had become dear to us. i. Here first is the loving care aspect. ii. Paul reveals that he and his companions, like a wet nurse with her own nursing baby, were quite fond of the Thessalonian church. iii. They were dear to them. iv. To the extent that they were more than happy to share with them what was needed for them to grow. v. Not just the gospel of Jesus Christ, but also to devote themselves to their growth and maturing in Christ. vi. But to what degree did they devote themselves to the Thessalonians? e. [Slide 7] 9 - For you recall, brothers and sisters, our toil and drudgery: By working night and day so as not to impose a burden on any of you, we preached to you the gospel of God. i. Paul for the fourth time calls on them to look to their own knowledge and need for them to remember the events of the evangelist’s mission to their city. ii. We should probably not see this as Paul claiming that he, Silas, and Timothy never slept. iii. Nor should we think that they preached the gospel every moment of the day. iv. Instead, Paul is probably referring to he, Silas and Timothy working full time jobs during the day and in the early morning and late into the evening engaging in the gospel ministry with them and throughout the city. v. Paul and his companions did this specifically so that they might not be a burden to the Thessalonians. vi. Paul didn’t want to charge those who received the message of the gospel of Christ. vii. Paul wouldn’t have been wrong to get provisions from them. viii. In fact, we learn in Philippians that Paul did receive provisions while he was in Thessalonica from the Philippian church. He accepted this with thanksgiving. ix. However, in Thessalonica especially, Paul didn’t wish to burden them with supporting himself and his companions while they ministered to them. x. So let’s pause and break down what Paul has said thus far. f. [Slide 8] Summary of the Point: Although part 1 of this sermon focused on the message, methods and motives of the evangelists, part two emphasizes the relational posture of the evangelists. Paul and Silas, at least, could be referred to as apostles, and if the term is used loosely, it could be applied to Timothy as well. Nevertheless, even though they were sent by Christ to share the gospel to all who would hear, and even though they could have expected those who believed to take care of them while they continued in Thessalonica, and beyond, Paul and his companions did not take the posture of a Rabbi – pupil relationship. They did not see themselves on a higher echelon than the newly birthed Thessalonians. Instead, they were humble and meek like children and saw themselves as mothers nursing their new borns on the milk of the Word of God. We are the family of God. And God consistently uses family language in the scriptures to speak of how His people interact with each other and how He interacts with them. Therefore, like the evangelists’ did, we should affectionately and selflessly give of ourselves to one another. Transition: [Slide 9 (blank)] But the family language does not stop here. Paul continues to illustrate their relational posture toward the Thessalonians through further familial imagery. Let’s see what else he compares himself and his companions to… and why. II.) The body of Christ functions like a family, therefore we must demonstrate a godly life to one another and dedicate ourselves to helping one another to do the same. a. [Slide 10] 10 - You are witnesses, and so is God, as to how holy and righteous and blameless our conduct was toward you who believe. i. Paul continues to look to the Thessalonians and God Himself to be witnesses to how the Thessalonian mission was conducted. ii. Since the beginning of the chapter he has referenced their own memory and knowledge five times now, calling on them to reject what others are saying because of their own experience to the contrary. iii. And Paul has also, for the third time now, mentioned that God can and does examine their hearts and provide validation as to the nature of how the mission was conducted. iv. But Paul no longer emphasizes the meekness and care of their mission to the Thessalonians. Now he focuses on their conduct among them. v. They saw how the evangelists conducted themselves. And God did too. vi. Their conduct was holy, righteous, and blameless. vii. Each of these words mean something slightly different than the other. viii. Holy conduct means conduct that is different, distinct, and unlike others. It is conduct that is set apart for some purpose relating to God’s service. Therefore, it must be pure and worthy of God. ix. Holy conduct serves as the summary description with the other two operating as subpoints. 1. Righteous conduct refers to their moral uprightness before God. They conducted themselves in a way that was set apart for God’s service. They were obedient to the laws of God as they ministered to the Thessalonian people. In this way their conduct was holy. 2. Blameless conduct refers to their character viewed through the eyes of men. To the extent that if some would accuse or slander them, it is unbelievable because such accusations would be wholly out of character. In this way their conduct was holy. x. One final note, it is important to see that their conduct is toward and being viewed by the Thessalonian church especially. xi. We know that there are non-believing Thessalonians who have a different opinion of the evangelists. Paul is not ignoring that his reputation is being attacked. xii. But he is challenging the Thessalonians to remember their experience and the conduct they observed and put that ahead of the slander of their unbelieving friends and family. When they do this they will find that none of the accusations can hold up. b. [Slide 11] 11 - As you know, we treated each one of you as a father treats his own children, i. Again, for the seventh time now, Paul relies on their personal experience as to how they were among them. ii. And again Paul uses relational language to communicate further their posture among them. iii. Paul says that the evangelists not only didn’t demand honor as apostles, were like children and like a nursing mother, but that they were also like a father and how he treats his own children. iv. The family language is complete. v. They are fellow children with them while also occupying both parental roles as well. vi. But how exactly were the evangelists father figures to the Thessalonians? c. [Slide 12] 12 - exhorting and encouraging you and insisting that you live in a way worthy of God who calls you to his own kingdom and his glory. i. What is clear here, is that the holy, righteous, and blameless conduct that they demonstrated before the Thessalonian church is the pattern they wished to reproduce, to duplicate in the church itself. ii. Again we see the idea of discipleship being equated to imitation and duplication. iii. A father – a good father – a godly father, is one that exhorts and encourages and insists. iv. Again, this triad of words have subtle differences in meaning and again we should see the first as the governing word with the others providing two particular aspects of the first. v. To exhort is to preach, to counsel, or to come alongside. It is to both teach truth and apply it while demonstrating it. 1. The first subpoint of exhortation is encouragement. This provides a motivational backdrop by which this exhortation occurs. It is not given as a Lord or King over a vassal. Instead, this exhortation is provided in order to benefit the student. It is for their good. It is to build their spirits and give them a sense of success at living the particular way you want them to live. The exhortation happens along side them not over or in front of them. The exhortation is accompanied by a helping shoulder. 2. The second subpoint is the other side of that coin. To insist implies that this exhortation is not actually optional. If someone says, “I encourage you to look into this matter.” We might think – ah yes, when I get time, I will do that. But when someone says “I insist that you look into this matter.” That we hear not as a request but as a command that should be observed. So although exhortation happens alongside and under someone… it is not standing still or sitting down. It is moving forward. It is a gentle push forward. 3. This is why I have often defined exhortation and edification as encouragement with teeth. The teeth of exhortation is the insistence for the advice to be obeyed. It is not a suggestion although it is kindly and joyfully given. vi. But what are the Thessalonians being exhorted, encouraged, and insisted toward? vii. A lifestyle worthy of God. viii. It is the role of godly fathers, a role which the evangelists took up, to exhort, encourage, and insist that their children live a lifestyle that is in service to God. ix. But not a God who has made you a mere serf on his land. x. Instead, it is a God who has called each of His slaves to His own family and kingdom and to share in His glory. xi. We have been made sons and daughters of God. Heirs to His throne. We will reign with Christ. We will judge angels. xii. All of this communicates that this life is MANDATORY of all who bear the royal name. xiii. A name we have inherited through adoption and by marriage to the King. d. [Slide 13] Summary of the Point: The family language to describe the body of Christ endures in this second point. Where the first point emphasized the affectionate and selfless love of a fellow child and nursing mother, this second point emphasizes the demonstration and dedication of a father to ensure his child lives rightly. Paul takes two triads to describe their conduct among the Thessalonians as well as their posture toward them. These blend together to show us that the evangelists lived out what they wanted the Thessalonians to imitate. They demonstrated holy, righteous, and blameless conduct and dedicated themselves to exhorting, encouraging, and insisting the Thessalonians live a life worthy of God. Therefore, we also must demonstrate a godly life to one another and dedicate ourselves to helping one another do the same. Conclusion: So CBC, what basics have we learned today that instruct and correct our faith and shape and guide our practice? Basics of Faith and Practice: [Slide 14] The general posture we should have toward one another should look more and more like a family. A functional, godly, loving, and Christ-centered family. Paul demonstrates this by comparing he and his companions to fellow children, nursing mothers, and godly fathers. As fellow children they were humble and meek, not imposing their title or position upon others. As nursing mothers they were affectionately and selflessly giving of themselves to the believers at Thessalonica. As godly fathers they demonstrated godly lifestyles while dedicating themselves to helping the Thessalonian believers do the same. God’s people come together as a family. We function this way. Therefore, there are two basic applications we must take from this. We must affectionately and selflessly care for one another’s spiritual growth while remaining humble and meek regardless of what position we occupy within the church. We also must demonstrate a holy life to one another while dedicating ourselves to helping others to do the same. In short – we must be like the family Paul describes. But let’s get a little more specific with these applications. 1.) [Slide 15] Mind Transformation: “What truth must we believe from this text?” or “What might we not naturally believe that we must believe because of what this text has said?” We must affirm that the church should function like a family. a. Were this the only passage in the New Testament to use such language, we might not be able to make such a strong case. b. However, throughout the scriptures God’s people are referred to as His children. We are called the bride of Christ. God compares Himself to both a faithful husband and a nursing mother delivering His word as milk. c. We are called brothers and sisters in Christ. Christ is called our brother. Husbands are to love their wives as Christ loved His church and wives are to submit to their husbands as unto the Lord. d. As we introduced the Eldership transition to you several years ago, we made the case that the Elders of a church would occupy a relationship to the church much like a husband to his wife or even as parents to their children. And although we didn’t reference this passage – it seems to prove that point quite well. e. In short – the church should function like a family. Because we are a family. f. The church is a body of people called out of darkness and into God’s kingdom of light. In this way we have more in common with each other, simply by our adoption into God’s family, than we do with any other person on earth who is not in this family. g. Many churches today function more like a business, or a democracy, or a country club, rather than a godly family. h. They design programs around superficial earthly things we have in common, effectively dividing the body into interest groups rather than seeing it as a family that must live together in spite of differences in age, places in life, circumstances, or even cognitive understanding. i. They treat every decision as a group decision rather than establishing the headship of Christ and his Elders. j. They commit time and money to things that work rather than things that God has commanded us to do. k. But this is not how the church should be. l. We are not an organization at all. We are a family. The universal church and the local church too. All those who are truly believers are a family. m. We should act like it. n. How? 2.) [Slide 16] De-Exhortation: “What actions should we stop doing” or “What behaviors do we naturally practice that this passage tells us to stop doing?” We must stop enforcing too rigid or loose a spiritual hierarchy in the church. a. Hierarchy exists in the family. b. Fathers have headship over their families, as the scriptures clearly teach. c. But they are not Lords or kings over their families. d. Headship = responsibility more than it does authority. Although some authority is implied especially as the wife and children are commanded to submit and obey respectively. e. But husbands also have commands and responsibilities. They must love and lead their wives and admonish their children. f. They must do this because they will answer to God for their stewardship of their family. g. In a similar way then, the church functions with a spiritual hierarchy but this is often too rigidly or too loosely applied. h. Oftentimes churches see their Elders and Deacons as hirelings to do the ministry of the church while the rest of the church does nothing. As if they are customers and it is the job of the officers of the church to serve them since they have paid for it with their offerings. i. Or churches see their pastors as inspired agents of God who cannot be questioned. This has all the makings of a cult. j. Or they have no respect for their Elders at all, like an arrogant child thinking overly critically toward his father. This arises from America in general having an authority problem. k. Spiritual leadership ought to be respected, prayed for, and submitted to… but not because they have authority. Instead it is because they have responsibility. l. The church as a whole should function as a family in how it sees its leadership and how all the responsibilities are ultimately, shared responsibilities. m. How else does seeing the church as a family change how we live? 3.) [Slide 17] Exhortation: “What actions should we take?” or “What is this passage specifically commanding us to do that we don’t naturally do or aren’t currently doing?” We must affectionately provide care for one another’s spiritual growth. a. Families, with few exceptions, operate this way concerning physical growth. b. Parents work together to provide for the growth and maturing of the children and to sustain each other’s needs. c. This is done both because of the innate sense of responsibility placed on parents to care for their children and also out of love and affection for each other. d. The same is true in the family of God. e. We must provide for one another what is necessary for spiritual growth. Certainly, we should care for each other’s physical needs too. f. As nursing mothers care for their newborn children, so we as the church must spiritually nurture and provide for one another to grow in our faith. g. If we are not actively seeking those in our local assembly who we can spiritually nurture, then we are failing to see this assembly as a family. 4.) [Slide 18] Exhortation: “What actions should we take?” or “What is this passage specifically commanding us to do that we don’t naturally do or aren’t currently doing?” We must demonstrate godly lifestyles to one another. a. Godly fathers live before their children demonstrating what it means to be holy. b. They do this by obeying God’s laws and living blameless lives before men. c. Their yes is yes and their no is no. d. They are faithful to their wives. e. They have a consistent time they spend with God, whether someone is watching or not. f. They submit to authority because they know that the best leaders know how to submit. g. In a similar way – we must demonstrate godly lifestyles to one another. h. Someone is always watching. And whether we like it or not, we are always influencing others. i. Certainly, this is abundantly true of parents to children. Waverly and Moira both say and do things that are very clearly things that they have imported from Kadie and I. j. But we are not the only influencers on our children. k. Kadie and I just remarked on how both of them have been expressing mannerisms that are not from Kadie and I. They are from other people in this church each girl has observed and obviously wish to be like. l. Knowing that we have this effect on others – even if we don’t desire it to be that way – we must be abundantly cautious that our lifestyles are lived in a worthy way so as to be imitated. m. We must be holy, righteous, and blameless. So that we can cultivate godly lifestyles in each other. 5.) [Slide 19] Exhortation: “What actions should we take?” or “What is this passage specifically commanding us to do that we don’t naturally do or aren’t currently doing?” We must dedicate ourselves to exhorting others to live a godly life. a. A couple sermons ago we made an observation that although formal discipleship doesn’t happen very well in our culture, we certainly do pay attention to the example of other believers and attempt to live like them. b. I made the case that imitation and emulation go a long way to form a disciple and train them to be Christlike. c. However, I did not intend to imply that this was by any means sufficient. d. And Paul, makes that case here in this text. e. It is not enough that they lived holy, righteous, and blameless lives before these Thessalonians. f. They also exhorted, encouraged and insisted upon them living that same life too. g. We must dedicate ourselves to doing the same. h. Not just providing an example by how we live, but coming along side and teaching, encouraging, edifying, and provoking each other to love and good works. i. As so many things – it is not an either/or but a both and. j. We must teach by example and by word. By action and by instruction. k. But why do we live this way? Why strive so hard to live a godly life? 6.) [Slide 20] Mind Transformation: “What truth must we believe from this text?” or “What might we not naturally believe that we must believe because of what this text has said?” Our motivation for living godly lives is that we’ve been adopted into God’s family with God’s name and will share in God’s glory in God’s Kingdom. a. Were we not but wretches? b. Were we not but slaves to sin, hell, and our Father the Devil. c. Were we not part of another family? The seed of the serpent? d. What has God done? e. He severed the rights of our father the devil. f. He has adopted us as His child. g. He has given us His most holy and glorious name. h. And when He brings His Kingdom, we will share in the glory of His Son – Forever. i. Does this not spur us to live for Him? j. Could He have given anything more to spur us to live holy, righteous, and blameless lives? k. Take Comfort Oh Christian! Observe!... 7.) [Slide 21] Comfort: “What comfort can we find here?” or “What peace does the Lord promise us in light of this passage of scripture?” How blessed people are we to be part of God’s family! a. Oh Christian. b. How blessed we are to be in the family of God! c. Remember what you were! And now be reminded what you ARE in Christ. d. From enemy to sons and daughters? There is no earthly King who would do such a thing. e. Only a Holy Lord could do this. f. We are so blessed to have Christ as a brother, God as a Father, the Spirit as a comforter. We are so blessed to be Children of God, The Bride of the Prince, and a royal priesthood. g. My friends… Are we not blessed beyond measure? h. And to you- who are still not a member of Christ’s family. Who are still on the outside of belief… 8.) [Slide 22] Evangelism: “What about this text points us to Jesus Christ, the gospel, and how we are restored?” Behold what glorious benefits are available to those who are in Christ. a. Oh unconverted sinner. b. Paul in Romans says that it is the mercy of God which draws men to repentance. c. I implore you to behold the mercy of God. d. God crushes all His enemies. All of them. e. But some of them, He crushes, and remakes them into His children. f. Do you not long to be part of this heavenly kingdom? Do you not long to be part of this royal family? g. Would you not do all in your power to receive such rich and eternal blessings? h. There is no King except Jesus. And He offers not simply life, but abundant life to All His people. i. Would you not perform herculean tasks to obtain what He offers? j. But would you balk at repenting of your sin and trusting in Him as Savior and Lord? k. Naaman in the Old Testament scoffed at the prophet’s words to bathe in the filthy Jordan river 7 times. l. He almost didn’t do it. But his servants pointed out – that would the prophet have demand wealth and riches untold, he would have gladly paid it to be free of his leprosy. Then they ask – why is he so opposed to doing something as simple as trusting the prophet’s words and bathing in the river. m. Will you too be too proud to trust the Word of God and be bathed in His cleansing power? Will you let the simpleness of faith keep you from these benefits He alone offers... by faith alone? n. Come. Repent. Believe. And join a new family. [Slide 23 (end)] Let me close with a word of prayer from the church father Serapion Scholasticus. God of compassion, I stretch out my hand upon your people and pray that the hand of truth may be stretched out and blessing given them on account of your lovingkindness. May a hand of devotion, power, sound discipline, cleanness, and all holiness bless this people. Would you continually preserve them and help them grow through your only begotten Jesus Christ in the Holy Spirit, both now and to all the ages of the ages. It is in His name we pray this… Amen. Benediction: And now may Christ, Who is adored in the highest heaven, The everlasting Lord, the Prince of Peace and Sun of Righteousness, Fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. Until we meet again – go in peace.