1 thessalonians 2:1-12 Paul's ministry as a model for us: An Audience of one and Love for all God's people

 

This message was preached at HopeWhangarei on December 8th 2024. the service was a licensing service of our National Ministry intern Pauline Hamsphire. After her two year internship and completing study through the Knox center for Ministry and Leadership the Presbytery was licensing her as  a Minister of the Gospel... a minister of word and sacrament in the PCANZ. 

here is a recoding of the message.... https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/hope-whangarei/episodes/8-12-24-Howard-Carter---Pauls-ministry-as-a-model-for-ours-e2s1b6d 

Does anyone know who Scott Sinquah is?

Here is a photo of him

When I first saw this photo of him I though he must be an ordinand intern for the PCANZ. Having to jump through so many hoops. When I was down at Knox as an ordinand myself I showed a similar picture and made the same comment… and let’s say the reception wasn’t that good.

Scott Sixkiller Sinquah is not by the way a PCANZ ordinand. He is proud to represent the Gila River Pima, Hopi/Tewa, Cherokee, and Choctaw Nations. Coming from the southwest in Arizona, he is a two-time and the current World Hoop Dance Champion.

Going through the process of applying and training for ministry in the PCANZ can seem like being a hoop dancer, just jumping through hoops. Pre application theological studies, and in my case a year at university studying anything but theology, an assessment by your parish, your presbytery and national assessment. Leaving your job with its sense of identity, certainties and familiarity, to become a student. Move, across the country, put down roots in a new place. Assessments, assignments, reports, block courses, supervision, ministry reflection group, preaching reviews, dealing with a crusty old mentoring minister, colloquiums, readiness for ministry reports, a crit service, being observed taking a church meeting, and an FIE, that’s a final integrated Exercise to go to the presbytery.  Packing up moving again, seeking God’s direction and leading as to where to from here. I guarantee Pauline you could give Scott sixkiller Sinquah a run for his money.

Yet in the midst of all that God has been at work, the spirit is at work, Christ has been moulding and shaping , and here we are and we’ve come today to acknowledge what Paul talked of in the reading this morning… ‘we speak as one who has been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel.’ In the midst of all those hoops God has bought you to a place whereas a church we confirm your call… Pauline as a church we acknowledge you are approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. We are licensing you as a minister of that Gospel, a minister of word and sacrament.

The reading we had this morning from 1 Thessalonians 2 acts like a recap from the start of an episode in a Netflix serial. Streaming has kind of bought back the old cliffhanger serials from the early days of motion pictures, telling long form stories, over many episodes. Each episode leaving you wanting to know more. Except now you don’t have to wait a week or go to the cinema, you can binge watch wherever you are. Paul in defending his ministry against criticism that had sprung up after he left Thessalonica reminds the church of his ministry with them. You can read it up in Acts 16 and 17. Recaps how he and his team had worked in their midst. Despite what people were now saying it hadn’t been an empty time. They come to the city after being treated badly in Philippi and despite opposition had proclaimed the gospel, and people had responded. Paul reminds the church of that their motives, actions and relationships had reflected their commitment to that Gospel. In this recapping we get insight into Pauls model of ministry, insight that is helpful for us today. Important for you Pauline as you continue in your journey as a minister of word and sacrament, important for all of us as we are all called to ministry, mission and witness in the places, roles, relationships, communities and world, the storylines God places us in.

I just want to focus on two things from this passage for us. That Paul sees Ministry as primarily about an audience of one, and out of that as love for all Gods people.

That audience of one speaks of the vertical relationship at the heart of Christian ministry. The relationship with God. there are reasons for that that come out of the text.

Firstly, the message that Paul bought is from God. Paul calls the gospel the gospel of God. it is not his own words but rather Paul and his team have been intrusted with this good news. The word gospel in roman society would have been a proclamation of the benefits of a new king who had come to power. The good news of God is that the kingdom, the reign of God had broken into the realms of humanity. It is the fact that in Jesus Christ, God stepped into his world, and through Jesus life, death and resurrection has made it possible for humanity to be forgiven and reconciled to God, as our loving Father. It is this Good News that had transformed Paul’s life. He had met the risen Jesus on the road to Damascus and it had totally turned him around. Our ministry our witness our way of ,living as Christian springs out of this good news and experiences it in our own lives.

Secondly, Paul is very clear that his doing ministry is based on the help of God. in verse 2 Paul speaks of the fact that in the face of all this opposition and hardship he was able to proclaim the good news of Jesus because of God’s help. Because we are put right with God through what Jesus Christ has done for us, God dwells within us by his Holy Spirit, and it is that that enables and inspires and gifts us to witness to, and ministry, serve in both a faithful and fruitful way. In ministry we are dependent on God’s help.  

In response to that grace shown by God, Paul says that everything he does is motivated by a love for God…for an audience of one… He contrasts his motives with the motives of the wandering philosophers of his time, who would use flattery and cater to wishes of their audiences to make a living off there devotees. Paul says he’s in in it for God not wealth. The people could see that through their hard work, Paul was supporting himself by being a tent maker, in his trade as well as preaching and teaching. Paul says his team could have come and expected honour and position as apostles of Christ, but rather they came as a small child. In geeco-roman society status and position were very important and children did not have any of that status or position in society. Paul is saying they came with humility, one of Paul’s favourite titles for himself is as a servant or slave of Jesus Christ, again someone seeking to serve not looking for status or power or prestige.

Paul says that in his teaching they did not use gimmicks or trickery or words of flattery, rather they told the gospel straight. Not wanting to please people but to please God. So when then taught and preached it was for that audience of one. Now that does not mean that Paul didn’t consider his human audience and context when he spoke and wrote. We know that he was very apt at contextualising his gospel presentation with out compromising the content of his message. In Athen’s he was able to quote Athenian poets and use the sculptures of the people to speak of Christ. I’d love to say that I came up with the line  an audience of one but it comes from Ben Witherington III who talks of Paul’s use of  the arts of persuasion and being  flexible in his rhetorical approach to different audiences. Then says “Paul claims he is playing to an audience of one, however, in the sense, that it is only from God, the tester of human hearts, that he seeks validation.”

When I came to Christ way back in the 1970’s Bill Bright of campus crusade for Christ’s discipleship material was very popular. I found it really helpful as Bill bright had a way of putting things visually. He had an illustration of the Christian life like a train with faith being the engine, fueled by the facts of the gospel and emotions being like the carriage that the train pulled. But also this wonderful illustration of what a Christ-centred life looked like. A circle with Christ on the thorn and everything else ordered round it. Pauline if I may one of the applications of this passage and challenges of ministry is the need to constantly be making sure that we have our lives centered on Christ. If I may its like this… (At this stage i stripped off my jacket and shirt to reveal a t-shirt on which I had printed the  illustration of  Bill Brights Christ centered life if you listen on the recording there is much laughter at this stage

) )...checking our heart is in the right place… a willingness trusting in God’s love and forgiveness and adoption of us to say with the psalmist ‘search me O God’.

While Paul talks of ministry being for an audience of One, that is lived out in a love for God’s people.

Paul speaks of the fact that the people at Thessalonica had become so dear to them that they chose not only to share the gospel with them but their lives as well. Right from the start of Paul’s letter you see this in his prayers for the churches he has started and ministered in, his writing to comfort and confront, to encourage and equip. Paul uses two metaphors to express this love. That of a mother and a father. Its highly appropriate to have that feminine image today as we license a woman minister, to be reminded that it takes both those roles to understand ministry. In roman society parental roles were very well defined: A mother’s role with their children was that of a nurturer, one who cared for their needs, feed them and guide them to maturity. The Father’s role was to teach and train their children in their moral responsibilities. In our culture we tend to see both parents involved in those two roles, they are not so gender defined. But its good to be reminded of the need for both the feminine and masculine in leadership.  

Paul shows that this love for God’s people was played out in the fact that they nurtured them and in the use of three phrases we encouraged you… we comforted you… by the way the word in the Greek here is from the same word paraclete that we have the Holy Spirit as the comforter, and it can mean more to come alongside and advise like a legal advocate than the  therapeutic idea of comforting… and to charge. Moving people to the goal of living the kind of life that pleases God. the life God has called us all into as we have come into his kingdom and are invited to share in his Glory.

In ministry and ministering to one another we do it out of love, a love that realises the best thing for the other person is to grow in their relationship with God, earlier in his letter Paul had talked of the believers imitating Paul and his ministry team and so becoming imitators of Christ. It’s one of the challenges and callings of ministry to both set an example for others, encouraging them, advising from alongside and even charging, spurring on. The great thing is that being church together means that we also get the same love and encouragement from those we serve as well.  

Pauline as you are being licensed today as a minister of the gospel. Can I your crusty old mentoring minister encourage comfort  and charge you to remember because of the Gospel of God and God’s enabling that while ministry just like being an ordinand, seem like hoop dancing that ‘you play to an audience of one’… the one who loves you, saved you, called you, strengthens, gifted and approved you and because of that great Love that you love the people you are called to ministry amongst. Love them so much you not only share the gospel with them but your life as well, and nurture, encourage, comfort and charge them to live a life worthy of the kingdom and glory God has called them to. And people can I encourage all of you to serve Christ in the places roles relationships and story lines God has placed you. In that  play to an audience of one and  love all God’s people.