STANDING FAST

 

A man was passing by a field one day and saw a young boy with his horse. The horse was worn down by time and toil—its legs bent and its back bowed, yet the lad was tenderly patting the old steed. The fellow yelled to the kid, “Can your horse run fast?” The boy smiled, “No mister, but he can sure stand fast!”

That is a good trait for every preacher to have!  We may as well accept that burdens to bear are inherent in Gospel work. Giving up and moving  on is ever tempting. 

When facing opposition—as we surely will—we may decide not to pack up our bags but put up our fists!  Don’t strike first, but stand fast!  In 2 Timothy 2:24, Paul tells us three traits of such a steadfast servant of the Lord.

The first trait is TENDERNESS. “And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all…”. In ministry you need a tough hide and a tender touch. When assaults come, you let it roll off—instead of responding with a counterattack. Remember that our war is with the Devil and not those he dupes. They are captives to be freed, not combatants to fight. The Apostle goes on to say, “in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth, and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will,” (v. ‭25‬-‭26‬‬). The wise man said, “A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger,” (Prov. 15:1). Stand fast with tenderness. 

The second trait is TEACHING. “And a servant of the Lord must…be…able to teach…”. Opposition sometimes arises over a lack of understanding. Poor communication often ignites powerful conflict. The positive truth can overcome the negative tendency. The congregation must be taught. When we are faithful to the Scriptures, If members want to argue with the message, it is not resistance to the messenger, but the Master!  The persistent preaching of the Word cultivates a spirit of cooperation instead of opposition. Stand fast with tenderness and teaching.

The third trait is TENACITY. “And a servant of the Lord must…be…patient… .”  We do not give up but dig in! Outlast your opposition. Be resolute in faith, hope, and love. A tenacious faith trusts God with the problem people. A tenacious hope rests in the potential of change in the problem people. A tenacious love wears down the resistance of problem people. It is always too soon to give up!  I wrote this in my Bible nearly a century ago as I began Gospel ministry:

    DON’T QUIT

    When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,
    when the road you're trudging seems all uphill,
    when the funds are low and the debts are high,
    and you want to smile but you have to sigh,
    when care is pressing you down a bit—rest if you must, but don't you quit.

    Life is queer with its twists and turns.
    As everyone of us sometimes learns.
    And many a fellow turns about when he might have won had he stuck it out.
    Don't give up though the pace seems slow—you may succeed with another blow.

    Often the goal is nearer than it seems to a faint and faltering man;
    Often the struggler has given up when he might have captured the victor's cup;

    and he learned too late when the night came down,

    how close he was to the golden crown.

    Success is failure turned inside out—the silver tint of the clouds of doubt,
    and when you never can tell how close you are,
    it may be near when it seems afar;

    so stick to the fight when you're hardest hit—it's when things seem worst, 

    you must not quit.  (Edgar A. Guest)

Brothers, stand fast with tenderness, teaching, and tenacity.

THE PASTOR’S APPOINTED AUDIENCE

 

A pastor is a man appointed by God. It is not a vocational choice, but a Divine call. He does not seek the position, but is selected for it. This call is affirmed by the church and confirmed by his works.  He is appointed to a threefold audience, as Paul described himself in 2 Timothy 1:11.

There is PUBLIC EXHORTATION as “a preacher.”  The Greek word is used of a herald. The herald went before the king and summoned those in the city to prepare to meet their sovereign. The pastor lifts his voice and passionately proclaims the coming of the King of kings!  He summons them to readiness to receive Him. The message is not the herald’s, but one appointed for him. The audienc is not of his choosing, but of the King’s sending. Thus, we have the anointed Word of God, and are sent to the appointed people of God to preach in light of eternity. We will give account for our faithfulness to the assignment and our congregation to their faithfulness in responding to the truth.

We are also called to PERVASIVE EVANGELIZATION as “an apostle.”  In the strictest sense of the word, there are no apostles like those of the first century. The Twelve were the pillars of the church erected on the foundation of Christ, the Rock of Ages. Beware any man that claims apostolic authority today. Demand that he meets the criteria of having been with Jesus, heard Him teach, and seen Jesus alive from the dead, (Acts 1:21-26).  Paul was an apostle in a special sense having been personally called, instructed by Christ, having heard Him and seen Him as the glorified, risen and ascended Savior. When these men died, there is no indication that others replaced them. They were unique in church history.

Yet, it is also apparent that that there were others whom I would call, “apostolic men.”  I think of Barnabas, Silas, Luke, Mark, Timothy, and Titus for example. The term literally means, “sent on a mission.” In that way, the pastor is an apostle for he has been sent on a mission. It is a global mission—the Great Commission of Matt. 28:16-20. Our appointed audience is those who are lost—wherever we find them. Paul told Timothy and all who are called to be pastors to “do the work of an evangelist,” (2 Tim. 4:5). 

Further, the pastor is called to do PERSONAL EDUCATION as “a teacher.”  Recall that while Jesus preached to the masses publicly, he was a teacher of the twelve personally—especially concentrating on the core of Peter, James, and John. Once we win people to Christ and they are born again, they need to grow up in Christ. This is often done in small groups—a more personal educational process.  One of the vital ways is mentoring men in leadership. By this our voice and ministry extends beyond our lifetime. As we reproduce biologically, so we ought to do spiritually—pastors producing more pastors.  

Thus, we preach to the congregation as we root them in the fertile soil of truth, are sent to the crowds as we scatter the Gospel seed far and wide, and teach the core in order to cultivate them to fruitfulness, whereby they may reproduce future harvests.

PERILS FOR A PASTOR

A little compromise can lead to a large collapse. Sometimes, a pastor may steer clear of a “big” sin and allow a “small” temptation to bring him down. If you hear a woodpecker attacking your house, you will run it away, but the greater danger is from termites insidiously eating away until there is destruction. Thus, Paul has a solemn charge for Timothy and the Holy Spirit for us today through these words in 1 Timothy 5:21-22.  We must beware three perils for a pastor that may be overlooked, while deadly serious. 

There is the peril of SHOWING PARTIALITY, “ I charge you before God and the Lord Jesus Christ and the elect angels that you observe these things without prejudice, doing nothing with partiality,” (v. 21). 

In general, the church family needs to see a pastor without prejudice—that the wealthy do not claim precedence over the poor in the ministry and attention they receive, or the desires of the elderly are weighed more than the needs of the young, and a host of other ways we may show partiality. 

But, specifically—in context of what the Apostle has just said concerning the discipline of elders, (v. 19-20), all are to be treated equally. If one must be confronted about a sin, then sin cannot be tolerated in another. Simply because one leader may have greater ability or wider influence cannot subvert the need for impartiality. There must be accountability even for the lead pastor by the other elders. Too many men fall without such accountability.

Further caution is given about ACTING IMPULSIVELY, “Do not lay hands on anyone hastily, nor share in other people’s sins,” (v. 22a).

Again, there is a general principle to apply in all things, “Haste makes waste!”  That is a term we have heard, and though the quote is not found in Scripture, the principle is.  Here is one: “Also it is not good for a soul to be without knowledge, And he sins who hastens with his feet,” (Prov.‬ ‭19‬:‭2‬‬), and there are others. We can run ahead of God and act on impulse without intelligent forethought. That is a runaway locomotive that ends in a train wreck!

Still, we must come to the contextual prohibition that has to do with the ordination of elders. Selection of men in key leadership roles in the church must be preceded by thorough investigation. A man may have a charming personality and obvious ability—but if there is hidden immorality, then sooner or later it will surface with scandal. It will reflect on the church in negative ways, harming our testimony and giving the enemy cause for mockery with the charge of hypocrisy.  As another old saying goes, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”

The third peril presented is ALLOWING IMPURITY, ”keep yourself pure,” (v. 22‬‬b). 

All of these are connected. Partiality in our heart will eventually show in prejudice in our dealings with others—so that sinful spirit undermines our ministry. That may bleed over into our choice of elders—elevating our buddies and weeding out anyone who would dare question us—which will bring a collapse of our credibility. Such compromise in ministry will likely be manifest in compromise in morality.

Generally, we can categorize the peril of impurity in two areas: sexual indecency and doctrinal infidelity. Compromise at either point is to open the door for the Devil to bring us down—and cause many followers to stumble over us when we fall. 

Sexual indecency is a danger for any man. God created us a sexual beings, and put passions in us for pleasure in marriage and procreation from marriage. Yet, sin takes a God-given drive beyond the bounds of holy matrimony. It usually does not begin with physical adultery, but temptation comes through the gate of our eyes, worms its way into our thoughts, and begins to raise passions in our heart. When this spark of lust is fueled rather than forsaken, it will consume us in the inferno of indecency.

Doctrinal infidelity is another deadly compromise. God has given us His unadulterated Word, and we are to concentrate and communicate with Biblical integrity. Again, a man hardly holds and heralds sound doctrine one Sunday and then obvious heresy the next. Rather, he begins to avoid certain uncomfortable truths while claiming to still believe them, yet in the name of pragmatism does not declare them. Before long, he starts rationalizing further deviation. Like erosion eating away at the foundation, eventually a collapse comes in his belief system. 

Men, keep yourself pure from these perils for a pastor!

ENABLING AND EXCELLING GRACE

Perhaps you have heard the expression, “God’s commandment is His enablement.”  Paul attests to that in 1 Timothy 1:12-14. That is the grace of God. Grace is God’s sufficiency for our inadequacy. 

That is grace to save, since we do not have the capability to save ourselves. Paul rejoices in the amazing grace that saved a wretch like he was, “formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man; but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief,” (v. 13). 

But, the grace of God extends beyond that, as it is also grace to serve.  Our efforts to serve God will be futile apart from God’s Spirit equipping us. That is the focus of these verses. 

It is ENABLING GRACE, “And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who has enabled me, because He counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry,” (v. 12). Paul was faithful and God made Him fruitful. Jesus used the analogy of a grape vine and its branches in John 15. He is the True Vine and we are mere branches. Only as we abide in Him, does His grace flow into us and through us, yielding fruit. The God who called us into the ministry will give us the capacity to minister.  The task is beyond my ability, but puts no strain on Omnipotent God!

This is also EXCELLING GRACE, “And the grace of our Lord was exceedingly abundant, with faith and love which are in Christ Jesus,” (v. 14). Not only is there an adequate measure of grace so I may serve the Lord, but there is an abundant supply of grace—more than enough. The demands of ministry would be overwhelming. Yet, there is no drain on Almighty God!  This grace is expressed with faith and love. 

The faith in Christ supplies this grace. This is how we connect to Him. The writer of Hebrews list the exploits of heroic people of faith in chapter 11. He concludes with a reminder that we too have work to do in our day—and it is the work of faith. “And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise, God having provided something better for us, that they should not be made perfect apart from us.” (Heb.‭11‬:‭39‬-‭40‬‬).

The love of Christ shares this grace. This is how we communicate Him. Grace operates in us to turn us from self-centeredness to servant-heartedness. We take up the basin and towel, following the example of Jesus in washing feet, for it is the enabling of Jesus who gives us His heart of love to do so. I need to speak of God’s love, but it will only be impactful as I show His love.

So, as you serve Him—marvel that He would reach down into the den of iniquity and summon you out of the dregs of society to be a trophy of His grace. But, then that same grace is not meant to have you displayed on a shelf, but demonstrated as you serve.

VIRTUES FOR VICTORY

 

There is a trinity of Christian virtues—faith, hope, and love. Paul returns to these again and again in his writings. These are found repeatedly in 1 Thessalonians as the Apostle tells the church what they are to be: a people of faith, hope, and love. Nearing the close of this letter, he indicates that these virtues are vital for victorious spiritual warfare in 5:8. 

He points to THE SOBRIETY OF THE CONFLICT, “But let us of who are of the day be sober…”.  War is serious business. There is the need to face it with sobriety. The Christian life is not to be taken casually. Satan and his forces are ever seeking opportunity to attack. We are exhorted to vigilance of we would have victory—“Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation,” is the call of Christ, (Matt. 26:41). Paul had just exhorted, “Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober,” (v. 6).  

Then, he stresses THE SECURITY IN OUR COMBAT, “putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation.”  While we must keep our eyes open, we also must have our armor on. 

This brings protection for our heart, “putting on the breastplate of faith and love…”.  The heart is the seat of affection. To protect our heart for God requires we wear the breastplate of faith and love. 

Faith is the response of the heart to the Word of God. We have heard the truth of the Gospel and by the work of the Spirit we have been drawn to Christ. Faith in Christ saves us and secures us. Satan seeks to undermine the Word of God. Recall in the first temptation in Eden how the serpent called Eve to doubt the Word of God and then to deny it altogether. 

Love is the response of the heart to the love of God. We love Him for He first loved us. God sent His Son to save us and seal us. Knowing this shields us. Again, we revisit the catastrophic choice in Paradise as the serpent basically told Eve that God was holding out on them by denying them the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. He called into question God’s love for Adam and Eve.

If our heart does not rest in the Word of God and rely on the love of God, then we have no protection. Our doubt will defeat us.

Further, we have protection for our head, “and as a helmet the hope of salvation.”  The head is the seat of comprehension. Hope is the confident assurance of the promises of God. Satan seeks to undermine these by our circumstances. Consider Job’s devastating circumstances. Satan attacked him furiously. Even Job’s wife assailed him with a call to abandon God for God had surely abandoned him. 

There is what is called, “the fog of war.”  What we cannot see and the wrong conclusions based on that limited knowledge impacts our decision making and potentially can bring defeat. While, we may not fully grasp what is happening in the midst of Satan’s attacks, we can rely on what we have seen—the hope of salvation in the end. Have you not read the book of Revelation?  We win—and it is not even close!  Get this firmly fixed in your mind and press on. That blessed hope is your helmet. It is why Paul stresses the rapture of the church as Christ comes for His people.

The Apostle  would go on to say, “For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him. Therefore comfort each other and edify one another, just as you also are doing.” (v.8‬-‭11‬‬). 

Shane and Shane have a song that puts it:

So I can face tomorrow
For tomorrow's in Your hands
All I need You will provide
Just like You always have

 

I'm fighting a battle
That You've already won
No matter what comes my way
I will overcome
I don't know what You're doing
But I know what You've done
I'm fighting a battle
You've already won.

SACRIFICE IN THE SENDING

 

We are beginning to get some produce from the garden that one of my sons-in-law works with me—already squash, peppers, cucumbers, and tomatoes, with beans, corn, and okra about ready. Yet, this reward has demanded an investment of time, money, and energy. You do not have a crop without a cost.

That is true in the spiritual realm, also. A spiritual harvest demands a sacrificial service. We see it in 1 Thessalonians 3:1-3, as Paul sacrificed to send his young protege, Timothy, to buttress the faith of the Thessalonians. Paul would miss the young preacher’s assistance, but Paul was not about caring for himself, but the church.

THE DESCRIPTION OF THE MINISTER is given in verses 1-2a. Three terms are used to describe Timothy, and are helpful for us in understanding Gospel work. 

Timothy was described first as a “brother.”  The preacher has an elite responsibility, but is not in a superior category. Whether an apostle, like Paul, a preacher like Timothy, or a member of the church at Thessalonica, there is an equal standing before God. He is our Father, and we are brothers. Everything begins with our relationship to God through Christ by the regenerating work of the Spirit that births us into the family of God. There is no special category of priest or saint whom we must go through to get to the Father. Scripture teaches the priesthood of all believers. A class system dividing clergy and laity is doctrinal error. So, if you have been called to preach the Gospel, it is a gift of grace, and there is no room for arrogance. 

Timothy is further described as a “minister.”  He is a minister of God. He answers—ultimately not to a church board or even the church body, but to the Lord who called him. We serve Christ as we serve His body, the church. Yet, we are accountable to God—to do the will of the Master and not the whims of men. 

Timothy was also described as a “laborer.”  The preacher does not sit on a throne to be waited on and fawned over. He takes up a basin and towel as his dear Lord, and follows Christ’s example in washing dirty feet. Gospel ministry is not for the lazy. Church work is simply that—work!  Timothy is called “a fellow laborer,” and this is a reminder that ours is not a solo service. We work most effectively when we multiply ministry by equipping and engaging others in the church to labor alongside us. 

All of this flows from, “the gospel of Christ.”  We are in a relationship with Christ and His church because we have responded to the Gospel. We are ministers with the duty of sharing the message of the Gospel. We are laborers who have embraced the commission to take the Gospel to all people in all places.

THE DUTY OF THE MINISTER is disclosed in verses 2b-3. The Thessalonians were facing intensifying persecution—“afflictions,” as Paul called it. He knew the danger that they might be “shaken,” by this. From the first century until now, Satan is busy in opposing the church. Those whom Christ so loves, the Devil rabidly hates. As a minister of the Gospel, you are to ground the saints in the Gospel. 

Our duty is to establish the people of God. We lay a solid foundation of faith. “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God,” (Rom. 10:17). As we preach the Gospel publicly in the church house and share it personally from house to house, we establish the saved on the Rock—Jesus Christ. This was Paul’s pattern, “how I kept back nothing that was helpful, but proclaimed it to you, and taught you publicly and from house to house,” (Acts‬ ‭20‬:‭20‬‬). 

Yet this extends beyond evangelism to edification. Our duty is further to encourage the people of God. We construct a Scriptural framework of faith. These pillars of truth form a solid doctrinal house to encourage the saints to withstand the assaults on them from the world and the Devil. If the Wicked One cannot deter souls from grounding in the faith, he will try to discourage saints from growing in faith. Gospel ministry not only brings people to Christ, but buttresses them in Christ.

There are many struggling churches that are in need of support. If you are a pastor of a stronger church, do not try to maintain what you have, but multiply your ministry. Call out the young men in the church who are candidates for Gospel ministry. Yes, it is God who calls them, but He often uses our voice. Pray for the Lord to raise up young men. Then mentor them as you model for them what Gospel work is all about. When you call them, commission them—send them out, if possible with a support team—to some declining church to establish and encourage that congregation. Yes, it is a sacrifice in sending out those who have been so valuable in serving alongside you, but Kingdom work is not about us—it is about propagating the Gospel beyond our walls.

SUCCESSFUL SERVICE

Should we pursue success in the Lord’s service?  Let me put it this way, “Do you want to be a failure at such a vital assignment?”  I want to hear above all when I stand before the Judge, “Well done, good and faithful servant…Enter into the joy of your Lord,” (Matt. 25:23). The question is, “By what metric do we measure success?”  

In the modern church world it is has often been gauged by how many buildings we put up, how many bucks we took up, and how many backsides we sat down. Those are not insignificant, but not the final measurement. Paul lists three standards for successful service in 1 Thessalonians 2:10 that any servant of the Lord can attain.

First, we are to be devoted toward God, “how devoutly…we behaved.”  This is service that is RESPONSIVE. The grace of God was not given in vain to Paul. He was devoted to the Savior who dedicated Himself to the Apostle. His service was not to earn God’s favor, but a response to God’s love. In Rom. 12:1, he set this as our standard, “ “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.” The first commandment is to love God with all our being. 

Second, we are to be just toward man, “how…justly…we behaved.”  This is service that is RIGHTEOUS. Our conduct in the world is to be just in how we deal with our fellowman. In the neighborhood, the marketplace, or wherever we go, we are to treat people right!  The second commandment is to love our neighbor as ourselves. To claim to love God is only credible as we love those who are created in His image. 

Third, we are to be blameless toward believers, “how…blamelessly we behaved ourselves among you who believe.”  This is service that is RIGOROUS. We are called to scrupulously seek sanctification. Holiness is to be the gauge of our service in the fellowship of the saints. It should be more than a claim expressed, but a conduct exhibited. God is our Creator and we are to love Him, humanity is His creation and we are to love them, but the church is His Bride and we are to love her. Jesus said, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another,” (John‬ ‭13‬:‭34‬‬). The church is His new creation and Christ calls us to a new love that He demonstrated —a rigorous commitment to the people of God.

Be faithful in pursuing these three spheres of service and God will make you fruitful as He sees fit.