Shabbat shalom everyone. Please open your Bibles to 1 Thessalonians chapter 2. It's a beautiful letter that was written by the apostle Paul, that is Shaul, who had a lot of concern about this local assembly of Jews and Gentiles who became believers in Yeshua the Messiah after the visit of the apostle Paul in Thessalonica. Shabbat shalom. So I'm reading 1 Thessalonians chapter 2, verse 1 to 12. "For yourself, brethren, know our entrance in unto you, that it was not in vain. 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.

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 cloak 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 the Messiah. But we were gentle among you, even as a nurse cherishes 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.

For ye remember, brethren, our labor and travail, for laboring night and day, because we would not be chargeable unto any of you. We preached unto you the gospel of God. Ye are witnesses, and God also, how holily and justly and unblameably we behaved ourselves among you that believe. As ye know, how we exalted and comforted and charged every one of you as a father does his children, that ye would walk worthy of God, who has called you unto his kingdom and glory. And I'm stopping here with the reading, brothers and sisters. We began the study of the letter that Shaul Paul wrote to the Thessalonians.

We were reminded that the Thessalonians were a younger group of believers. They were not young people, but they were very short time in the faith. They were perhaps a few years because when Paul visited them at 50 AD, he quickly left because of persecution. After three, Shabbat day, maybe one month he was there. And then he fled, if you remember, and eventually he arrived to Corinth. From the city of Corinth, about two years or so later, he wrote this book of 1 Thessalonians. Some suggest that it may be the very first letter of all the letters that the Apostle Paul wrote, the book of 1 Thessalonians. He is speaking to a young group of believers that have received a lot of information, but needed to hear some more.

And he is writing to them because he loved them and he cared for them. You remember that we have just read in our second chapter that he really cared for these brothers and sisters as a nurse, as a mother, as a father, and as a servant, the Apostle Paul, that is Shaul, ministered to the brothers and sisters in Thessalonica. Thessalonica, or Thessaloniki, was a large city in Asia Minor. Very near, you might say, to other cities like Berea, and Athens, and Corinth, and so on. From 50 to 100 mile distance from one place to another. But they were the ones that received the word of God with gladness.

We have said in our previous meeting that they turned to God from idols. In order that they will serve the true and living God. And thirdly, and wait for his son to come from heaven. There was a real change in the life of many of the people in Thessalonica. When I'm saying many, some of them were Jewish from the Jewish community in the synagogue. Some were Gentiles. The Gentiles, of course, turned to God from idols. And they really wanted to live for him and serve him. And also to wait for his coming. Every chapter in these five chapters of the letter to the Thessalonians speak about the coming of the Lord.

He is coming. He is returning. He came once to die. He is coming back to rule and to reign over this world. And so he emphasizes the coming of the Lord when he writes to these brethren. But now as we move from chapter one to chapter two. We notice that the apostle Shaul Paul was not only a preacher of the gospel. But he was also a shepherd who cared for the flock. You know, we need that tremendously today. We need those that will go out to the world and preach the message of the gospel. And tell people about the love of God through the Lord Yeshua the Messiah.

But when those individuals came in and got saved and became children of God. They now need to be cared for. They need to be ministered unto. They need to be taught by the word of God. But also cared. And the shepherd care is so important in the ministry among the people of God. So in this second chapter of first Thessalonians. The apostle Paul presents himself in those three ways in the first twelve verses. Number one, he presents himself as a servant. Number two, he presents himself as a nursing mother. And number three, he presents himself as a caring father. You can see he's kind of covering every area he needs to cover.

He's a servant. He's like a mother taking care of the children. And also like a father who gives them warning. And gives them instruction in order for them to live for the Lord Yeshua the Messiah here in this world. And so it is essential to see in a way that the apostle Paul presents himself before the believers. Now brothers and sisters listen. When we preach the gospel. And someone come to know the Lord Yeshua the Messiah. He or she must grow. If he or she do not grow spiritually. Something is wrong. I mentioned it many times in other studies. If a husband and wife brought a baby child into this world.

And they observe this little one. A boy or a girl. And if he or she do not develop. And grow. And start to crawl. And then a little bit walking and falling and stumbling. But then later on walking and ultimately running. If you see that this baby hasn't grown. You start to ask some questions. What is the problem? And your concern for this baby will be immediately. For the parents that is immediately evident. Something is wrong. Let's take him or her to the doctor. Why she is not growing? Why she is not crawling? Why he or she do not walk? Why he or she do not run?

Something is wrong. Why doesn't he or she speak? Can they say a word? Abba or Ima. Anything. Something is wrong. When that little one do not grow. So the apostle Paul shows us. I'm not only preaching the gospel. I'm not only telling people that they are sinners. And they need forgiveness of sins. But I also minister to their need. As a servant. As a nursing mother. And as a caring father. So in verses 1 to 6 of this second chapter. Of 1 Thessalonians. We find out that Shaul Paul presents himself. As a faithful servant. And you notice what he does. Brothers and sisters. He just reminds them. Remember.

He was not with them too long. He was with them very short time. Later on he sent Timothy. To continue to minister to them. We will read about it in the next chapter. But he is just reminding them. In the way in which he had approached them. And have arrived to Thessalonica. And how he was among them. And so. He presented himself as a faithful servant. And in verses 1 and 2. He showed them the way. Where he had entered. Into the city of Thessalonica. And to be among those people. Of the Thessalonian city. He says. In verse 1. Notice that. For you yourself brethren. Know our entrance.

In unto you. That it was not in vain. 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. He is first of all. Reminding them. In verses 1. And to the way. In which he came. Into their midst. It's really. It's really. Showing to us. That Shaul Paul. He suffered. He experienced. A lot of persecution. A lot of opposition. In his life. As a believer. And he says. Notice it. He says in verse 1. You know it yourself. Brethren. You yourself. Brethren. Know our.

Notice he used the word. Entrance. The word for entrance. It's come from the Hebrew word. Mevoateinu. How we came to you. And it was not in vain. You know. We didn't come for nothing. We didn't come for no reason. We didn't come. Without any purpose. We came. To enter into your midst. For the reason. That we wanted something. For your benefit. Beloved. Brothers. And sisters. You know yourself. Our entrance. In unto you. It was not in vain. It was not for nothing. And then he says. Notice immediately. In verse 2. Even after. And then he reminded him. Of something. That happened to him. In the previous city.

That he visited. When the apostle Paul. Have arrived. To Europe. You might say Asia Minor. At that time. The first city. He went to. Was the city of Philippi. And what do you think. Happened to him. In Philippi. You remember. What happened to him. In the city of Philippi. Act chapter. 16. Tells us. That the apostle Paul. And Silas. They were captured. Because they. Preached the message. Of the gospel. They were. Taken by. Those. That oppose. The message of the gospel. And I'm just going to read. This verse. In the book of Acts. Acts. Notice what it says. In verse. 19. Of Acts. Chapter. 16. There. It says.

And when. Her masters. This is the masters. Of the woman. That we read of her. She was a damsel. That was possessed. With. A spirit. Of divination. When her masters. Saw. That she didn't bring them. Any gain. Anymore. And that she. Could say. About. The apostle Paul. She followed Paul. And so on. And she said. These men. Are the servants. Of the most high God. Which. Show unto us. The way of salvation. And so. You remember. What Paul said. He commended the spirit. To come out of her. And then. Her masters. Were so upset. Because. She didn't bring. Gain. Anymore. For them. So what did they do.

They. Saw. That their hope. Of gain. Was gone. Them. Into the marketplace. Unto the rulers. And then. We find out. And they brought them. Into the magistrates. And they said. These men. Being Jews. Do exceedingly. Trouble. Our city. And they teach. Customs. Which are not lawful. For us. To receive. Neither to observe. Being Romans. And the multitude. It says. Rose up together. Against them. And the magistrates. Ran their clothes. And they commanded them. To be beaten. And verse 23. Said. When they had laid. Many stripes. Upon them. They cast them. Into prison. Charging the jailer. To keep them. Safely. Who having received. The charge. Thrust them.

Into the inner prison. And they made. Their feet. Fast. In the stocks. And imagine. The apostle Paul. Was beaten. Him and Silas. Were beaten. And then. They were placed. In prison. And then. They were chained. There. Inside the prison. And they were locked. There. And then. The apostle Paul. Later on. After. In a miraculous way. The Lord. Took him out. Of the prison. There. And when he left. The city of Philippi. He went. Immediately. To Thessalonica. And. As he had arrived. To Thessalonica. He preached. The message. Of the gospel. To the Thessalonians. And so. We read. In 1st Thessalonians. Chapter 2. Verse 2. Even after. That we have suffered.

Before. And we were shamefully entreated. As you know. At Philippi. As it says. We were bold. In our God. To speak unto you. The gospel of God. With much. Contention. That word. Contention. Can mean. Conflict. Or fighting. Or. Another word for that. Is race. We were continuing on. In our. Fighting. For the Lord's work. Fighting. For the people of God. Fighting. To share the message. Of the gospel. We have experienced. Conflict. Contention. The Greek word. Is. Agon. A-G-O-N. Which is. Really. Simply. Similar. To the Hebrew word. Naphtulim. Which means. Almost like. Agony. And. Going through. Pressing. Forward. In. The work. Of the Lord. Deuteronica. Don't forget.

Brethren. When we came to you. Our manner of entrance. Unto you. Was with. Experiencing. Sufferings. And persecution. We didn't stop. We didn't change. Our. Plans. We continue. To minister. To you. The gospel. Of our Lord. Yeshua. Jesus. The Messiah. After. Prosecution. After. We were. Bitten. After. We have been. Shamefully. Treated. We still. Came. To you. The. The gospel. Of Yeshua. Jesus. The Messiah. So. The way. In which. You have. Entered. Into. Thessalonica. Was. In a way. That was. Not in vain. There was. Something. For the Lord. In it. And even though. He suffered. He still. Continued on. To preach. The message. Of the gospel. To them.

But secondly. Brothers. And sisters. Whereby. Paul. Have entered. And. Presented. Himself. To the Thessalonians. It's so beautiful. In verses. Three. Four. Five. And six. Notice. And I'll read it for you. Notice. How many times. The word. Not. Or. Nor. Or. Neither. Are mentioned. In these verses. It says. In verse. Three. For. Our. Exaltation. 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. The heart. For. Neither. At. Any. Time. Used. We. Flattering. Words. As. You know. Nor. A cloak.

Of. Covetousness. God. Is. Witness. Nor. Of. Men. Thought. We. Glory. Neither. Of. You. Nor. Yet. Of. Others. When. We. Might. Have. Been. Burdensome. As. The apostles. Of. The Messiah. The Messiah. The Christ. And. So. Paul. Says. Listen. The manner. I have entered. Into. Your midst. Dear. I. Didn't. Do. So. For. Any. Self. Glory. Something. That. I. Will. And. Timothy. We. Didn't. Come. Notice. How. He. Mentioned. Three. Times. Because. Apparently. Brothers. And. Sisters. Some. That. Have. Opposed. The work. Of. The Lord. Through. The Apostle. Paul. In. Thessalonica. Some. Already. Came. And. Said. To. Those. Young. Group. Of. Believers. They. Said. Hey. Listen. This. Man. By the name.

Of. Paul. Oh. He. Came. Just. To. Get. Some. Gain. For. Himself. He. Came. Into. He. Will. You. Maybe. Glory. For. Himself. He. Thought. You know. And. Paul. Said. No. No. No. Beloved. Brothers. And. The. Messiah. And. I. Came. As. He. Says. Notice. First. Of. Verse. Three. I. Didn't. Cheat. You. Secondly. Neither. It. Was. Of. Uncleanness. I. Didn't. Do. It. With. Dirty. Thirdly. No. Of. Guile. And. Deceit. Are. Very. Close. One. To. You. The. Messiah. Then. Verse. Four. He. Says. As. We. Were. Allowed. With. The. Gospel. God. Gave. Me. The. Responsibility. To. Preach. The. Gospel. He. Allowed. Me. To. Be. A. Servant. Of. His. That. I.

Can. Go. Wherever. He. Send. Me. To. Tell. People. That. There. Is. A. Way. Where. People. Can. Be. Today. And. They. Can. Find. For. Sins. Through. Yeshua. Jesus. The. Messiah. Paul. Is. Saying. Listen. The. Lord. Allowed. Me. To. That. Privilege. He. Allowed. Me. To. To. You. And. I. Have. A. Treasure. I. Know. We. Sometime. Don't. Look. At. That. In. That. Way. But. You. See. The. I. Will. Not. Take. The. To. Hear. That.

will have not the opportunity to hear about what God have done for them through Yeshua the Messiah and if you and I not going to be used by the Lord you remember what Yeshua said God is able to raise up out of these stones people to praise the Lord and to speak for him so Paul said we have been allowed God have allowed me to be put into trust with the message of the gospel even so we speak God told us the message of the gospel Yeshua died he was buried and he rose and he went to be in heaven I have a privilege to preach the gospel so I did so so I preached

that message he continued in verse 4b and he said not as pleasing men but God which trieth our hearts you know we cannot please men in the preaching of the word of God we have to be faithful to what the Lord have taught us from his word we can't be men pleasers you know if we're going to be men pleasers if people want to be pleased as might as well change the whole message because nobody likes to hear that they are sinners nobody likes to hear that the only way of salvation is through the person of Yeshua the Messiah the Savior of sinners we can't change the message we can't be men pleasers we should

seek to love men to minister to men but we can't change the word of God and that's what the apostle Paul said no no no brothers and sisters of the Thessalonians we didn't come to you as pleasing men but God which trieth the heart you know God knows our hearts and you know sometime really we are very capable of preaching one message to one group and then another message to another group to be men's pleasers you know we read in Timothy that men have itching ears they like to have their ears tickled you know and they don't like to hear certain things oh no you cannot tell me that I am not right with God

you cannot tell me that I am a sinner well my dear friends we all have sinned we all have come short of the glory of God and we all need a savior we need to say it faithfully but with the right attitude not in pride we have to come under individuals to lift them up to lead them on but we have to preach the truth in love we must preach the truth in love and Paul said that in verse 4 notice in verse 5 he says we didn't use flattering words you know people like to be flattered you know Paul said no no no for neither at any time used we flattering words you know

David the king of Israel was mentioning in the psalm that he himself did not appreciate when those of old have spoke flattery you know some things to just flatter somebody oh you're a great guy oh you are such a wonderful person you know we like to flatter one another of course we need to be very careful Paul said we were very careful as we minister the word to you we did so not using flattering words we didn't use it in a careless way we spoke the truth of the word of God we didn't use flattering words and you notice he says again as you know no a cloak of covetousness God is a witness you

know cloak is a covering we didn't cover ourselves and pretended that we are coming for you but really we were coveting what you have no Paul did not covet anybody's he actually labored himself he didn't put himself as a burden on other people he ministered to the Lord and he himself did not covered pretending that he was something and he was something else and then finally in verse 6 he says we didn't do all this seeking our own glory or the glory of someone else he says nor of men sought we glory neither of you nor yet of others when we might have been burdensome as the apostles of the Messiah so he says in

verse 6 listen we didn't seek any glory from you neither from any one of you or any other man nor of all the others we really came to minister the word of God among you I want you to turn back to the book of Galatians and look at chapter 1 verses 15 and 16 Shaul Paul said these words to the Galatians there he said but when it pleased God who separated me from my mother's womb and he called me by his grace to reveal his son to reveal his son to me that I might preach him among the heathen immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood you see what he's saying you know God

have called me for my mother's womb can you a mother Shaul this Jewish man that God already called him as he says here in verse 15 and 16 in verse 15 and 16 he has separated Shaul Paul from his mother's womb he was already chosen to present the ministry of the gospel to the Gentile world to the goyim he was chosen already from his mother's womb he was not even born as yet God called me from my mother's womb and he called me by his grace and therefore I'm preaching the message of the gospel I'm not going to flatter you he said I didn't come to get anything gained from you the method that I

use was not for gain for me but for the blessing for you he said to the Thessalonians and you know sometime we are guilty when we minister the word of God we sometimes forget that we need to minister the word of God for the benefit of people whether they like us or whether they don't whether we benefit from that or whether we don't that's the sincere ministry that the Lord is calling us to do and it's very difficult especially in today's when we belong to organizations and all kind of systems and all kind of manners whereby someone is being called into the service of God but had we followed the instruction that Shaul Paul gives

us here we would be so much more of a blessing to the people I remember years ago it was really sad that a certain group of people stopped to support me in the ministry because I didn't preach the way that they would like to hear me preaching.

And you know what? It was sad and yet God raised others. God is not respecter of persons. He is faithful to those whom He called for the ministry and He raised others. So Paul says, listen, I didn't come to please you. I didn't come to exhort you or to minister to you only if I will gain something from you. Oh no, I'm not pleasing men but I seek to please God who tries our hearts. As he says here in 1 Thessalonians 2 verse 5. Neither at any time use we any flattering word as ye know. By the way, if you follow through the word as ye know from verse 5.

You will notice many times He says, you know it. I'm not only telling you but you know it. By the way, you notice in chapter 1 and in verse 5. He says, our gospel came not unto you in word only but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and in much assurance as you know. You know it, He's saying to them. And then you continue in chapter 2 and notice verse 1 where we began our reading today. For you yourself, brethren, know. You know it, He's saying to them. I'm not telling you what I think. You know it. You have experienced this in your life in the manner whereby I came and minister the word to you.

Notice in a little bit further down, verse 11, He said to them, As ye know. He mentioned this again. You know it, beloved brothers and sisters. You have experienced this. Notice in chapter 3 of 1 Thessalonians. Verse 3, He said that no man should be moved by this affliction for you yourself. No, brethren. Notice verse 4 of chapter 3. For verily, when we were with you, we told you before that we should suffer tribulation even as it came to pass. And ye know. You know, He's saying to them. One more time, please. Chapter 5 of 1 Thessalonians and verse 2 said, For yourself, know perfectly that, and He continued to tell them. You know it.

You know it. You know it. And here in the context of chapter 2, as a servant, He's presenting Himself before them. He didn't come for personal gain because He came after He just finished to come out of jail. After they beat Him in jail, He came to Thessalonica. He preached the gospel in a synagogue for three Shabbat days. The Messiah died. The Messiah rose. And Yeshua HaMashiach. And Yeshua HaMashiach, He is that promised Messiah. He is that Messiah. And then many of them have come to know Yeshua. And the congregation, the assembly, the local church have begun to grow. So, verses 1 to 6 of 1 Thessalonians chapter 2, the Apostle Paul presents himself to the Thessalonians as a faithful servant.

Just to mention, brothers and sisters, there is a verse in 1 Corinthians chapter 4, that the Apostle Paul said, And any one of us that is in the Lord's work can say, Lord, I know my heart and You know my heart. And in faithfulness, oftentimes we fail. Oftentimes we fail. And sometimes when we fail, the Lord has to restore us. He has to, you might say, encourage us to turn away from the wrong things and continue now to follow Him. So, now you can serve faithfully. It's required from a steward that he may be found faithful. And so, we need the grace of God in order to continue and be a faithful servant.

The Apostle Paul sought to be a faithful servant. But now as he moved along, in 1 Thessalonians chapter 2, he continues, he says, No, no, no, I didn't come to you only as a servant. But I also came to you as a loving, nursing mother. I was with you, not only as a servant, but I really was tender with you as a mother is tender to her children. He says now in verse 7, But we were gentle among you, even as a nurse. Now, the word for nurse, in other translations, can say a nursing mother. In Hebrew, in Hebrew, we call it, as a gentle mother who is caring for her children, cherishes her children, as it says in verse 7.

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 he was so dear unto us, Paul is saying to the Thessalonians. So, he didn't come, beloved brothers and sisters, only as a faithful servant, but he was ministering among the saints in this short time that he was there, as a loving nurse. As a nursing mother, with affection, with tenderness, you know, we all had mothers, and it's nothing like a mother. From the time that we were born, how she kept us close. She fed us when we were hungry. She changed our diapers when we were dirty.

She cared for us forever. She watched over us in every form and shape. Why? Because we were born out of hell. She was the one who gave us birth. And you see, what our pastor, he says, listen, we were among you. Again, to remind you, brothers and sisters, Shaul, Paul, and Timothy, at the beginning, were not too long with these brethren in Thessalonica. From what we understand, three Shabbat days, maybe a whole month, and then they had to go out of Thessalonica to Berea, from Berea to Athens, from Athens to Corinth. So, they left them, but they were for the short time. Paul did not only give them the message of the gospel, that they are lost and they need to be saved, but he also, as it says here, and I think it's very precious, you know, but we were gentle among you.

You know, it reminds me of Yeshua, the Messiah, who said to the people of Israel, come unto me, Matthew 11, come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, for I am meek and gentle. You know, the Lord was so gentle. He was a real, gentle man. He was a man that have loved us so much, and Shaul, Paul, learned from him. Timothy learned from him. Peter learned from him. All these disciples had to learn, and you and I will need to learn from him. Learn of me, he said, for I am meek and lowly, meek and gentle.

You know, we really need to learn how not to be rough and rugged. And you know, Paul, Shaul, he was a rugged man. He was a Pharisee of the Pharisees. He was the one that was so strong in what he believed in, to the extent that he was willing to kill people, because as far as he was concerned, these Jewish people, his own brethren who believed in Yeshua, the Messiah, were doing so much wrong, and he was going to do everything against them. And he never forgot these beloved brothers and sisters. He remembered this the rest of his life. He said, I have persecuted the church, the assembly, the believers.

Of course, we know there were Jewish believers, his own brethren. He felt this in his own heart, how he was so aggressive against those who believed in Yeshua in the early days. But here we find him, say, ah, ah, wait a minute. When we came among you, we were as a gentle, loving, nursing mother. And you know, sometimes the Bible shows us that God is dealing with us as a nursing mother, as a loving, caring mother. You remember what Yeshua said to our own people, Israel, in the Gospel of Luke, in chapter 13? And he says, oh, Jerusalem, Jerusalem, how long would I have gathered you as a mother hen, gathered her chicks, but ye would not.

I wanted so badly to gather you together as a mother hen, to protect you and not allow you to experience persecutions and suffering and dispersion, but ye would not. Ye would not. He says, your house shall be left unto you desolate. And you remember what happened? That the house was left desolate when the Romans came and in 70 AD destroyed the temple in Jerusalem, killed over one million Jews, and took many of them to become slaves. It's because Jerusalem would not accept the tender love of the Lord Yeshua, the Messiah, who presents himself as a mother hen. And here we see Shaul, Paul. He's saying to them, oh, he says, brethren, he says, listen, we were gentle among you.

Even as a nurse. What does a nurse do? You know, I was just recently in the hospital. And I was so thankful for the nurse that took care of the wound. And make sure that you drink and you are protected. Your pills are being given to you and they are being cared for. And you see, this is a representation of who God is in a manner in which he treats his own people. He loves his people. And Paul said, I love you, dear brothers and sisters. I was gentle. I cherished you as a mother nurse cherishes her own children. And you and I are children of God today, brothers and sisters.

God care for us. His love for us is without limitation. The very fact that he sent the Messiah, Yeshua, to die for us on the tree is a proof of his love for us. And so, Paul says, notice in verse 8, he says, you know, I had affection towards you. And notice he says here, notice, so being affectionately desirous of you, we were willing, now notice what he says here, we were willing to have imparted unto you or to give unto you, not only the gospel of God only. No, he said, but also our own souls because he were dear unto us. You know, any mother would do anything for her little baby boy or baby girl.

You know the story of a young boy that saw his mother's hands. And I think this is a story that had been said to express the way God had led us and saved us. And he saw her hand and he asked her, why is your hands burnt, mom? And the story goes back to a few years earlier when the house was on fire and the little baby was left in the home. And the mother gave up everything. She ran into the house. And she took the little baby in her hand. And of course, in the event of doing so, she got burnt. And only to save the child out of being burnt and dying.

That's what mothers do. And by the way, that's what God does. He put his son at the fire of God's righteous indignation against sin. So you and I will never need to experience this in our relationship with the Lord. So we will be forgiven. Amazing, beloved brothers and sisters. And here is Paul saying, not that he used the word to impart unto you in verse 8. To impart our souls to you. Not only to give you the gospel and say, oh no, you'll die in your sins if you don't accept Yeshua. You'll die, you'll die. But that's not enough. You know, we cannot go to somebody outside.

I told you the gospel. If you don't take it, you'll die. And then we carry on to our own way. But, you know, we told them the gospel. Well, that's not ministry. That's talking. We all can talk. But to minister the gospel and to go along with it and to serve the people of God, it's altogether different. And then Paul teaches us here. We are far away from that condition. But that's the way the apostle Shaul Paul was. We have actually not only impart or given to you the gospel message only, but we also, if we could, we would have given unto you our own souls.

You remember what Paul said to the Romans about his Hebrew brethren? He says in Romans chapter 9, and I just want to read this verse because it really shows the heart of Paul. He says in verse 1 and 2 of Romans 9, I say the truth in the Messiah, and I lie not my conscience, also bearing witness in the Holy Spirit that I have a great heaviness and continual sorrows in my heart, for I could wish that I myself were accursed from the Messiah for my brethren, my kinsmen, according to the flesh. Paul, you are willing to be accursed from the Mashiach, from the Messiah for your brethren? He said, I'm willing.

And where did he learn it? He learned it from Yeshua the Messiah who said, Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do. When the Lord Yeshua was on the tree, the love that is expressed in the life of Yeshua and in some manner in the life of Shaul Paul is amazing to observe. And so he came to Thessalonica not only as a faithful servant, not only as a loving nursing mother, but now notice what he says in verses 9 to 12. In verses 9 to 12 of 1 Thessalonians 2, he presents himself now also as a caring father, Abba. As a mother, Ima, now as a father, Abba. And you notice what he says here in verse 9.

For you remember, brethren, our labor and travail for laboring night and day because we would not be chargeable unto any of you, we preached unto you the gospel of God. Ye are witnesses, and God also, how holily and justly and unblamably we behaved ourselves among you that believe. And you know how we exhorted and comforted and charged every one of you, listen to this, as a father, doth his children. Let's pause here for a moment in verse 11. So now Paul is pointing to the fact that he has come to Thessalonica not only as a faithful servant, not only as a nursing mother, but also as a caring father.

He remained among them and he preached a message, but also for the short time that he was there, he presented himself as a father. And you know, again, beloved brothers and sisters, how many fathers do we have today in the body of Messiah? A man whom we can say this brother is a father in the faith. Very few. Very few. To be a father is not only to be physically a father, but to be a spiritual father is one who is a mature person that has experienced, he went along the way, he has experienced the difficulties of the path of following the Lord. He has gone through some persecution and trials in his life.

He experienced a lot of failure of his own and realized that he cannot depend upon himself and trust his own nature. Very few. I mean, I've been blessed to have at least one or two that I know that were like fathers, spiritual fathers. We don't have too many of them today, I must say, and we have to be very careful to claim to be a father in that sense. But it's amazing to see that Apostle Paul presented himself among the believers of Thessalonica also as a caring father. Not only as a faithful servant and as a nursing mother, but also as a caring father. A father that provides pride and care for his own children and seek to lead them on.

Spiritual children, that is, in the context that we are studying today. And so notice, first of all, he says, we labored and travailed night and day. In other words, the Apostle Paul, in addition to the fact that he ministered to them spiritually, he also says, we labored, in verse 9, we labored and travailed for laboring night and day because we would not be chargeable unto any of you. We preached unto you the gospel of God. In other words, he worked and provided as well. Now, it's amazing. You know, usually, it is the parents who provide for their children, not the children for their parents. It's commonly speaking.

And a father supposed to provide spiritual food for the people of God. You know, because the children, we are all starving. We are all starving for spiritual food. We all really need to be fed and fed and fed, you know, to the Corinthians, he says, I didn't feed you meat because you were like babies who needed milk all the time. To the Hebrews, the Apostle also says, he says, you need a meal because I couldn't give you any meat. You were behaving in such a way that you could not take meat anymore. You couldn't take meat because you couldn't chew on it. So the father is teaching and ministering to the children and he doesn't put a burden upon them but he still instruct them and he ministered to them.

Notice in verse 10, notice those three words, ye are witnesses and God also how holily, justly, unblameably we behaved ourselves among you that believe. you know, the Apostle Paul was an example. He, and notice he used the word we many times because he includes Timothy, he includes Silas, he includes those brethren that were with him serving among the believers there. So we walked in such a way, in a holy life, in a just way and in unblameable. In other words, he doesn't say we were perfect, that word unblameable means that we sought to deal with issue one step at a time. When we were wrong, we confessed it and corrected it but we didn't justify ourselves.

We walked among you in such a way and it's so beautiful the Hebrew word holily or in holiness come from the word kadosh and kadosh doesn't mean that someone have a halo over his head. kadosh means that someone is set apart for the Lord. He lived for the Lord, for Yeshua. Positionally, we are all saints. We are all holy positionally but practically we need to live it out in a practical way. As we walk here, we stumble, we fall, we go astray at times, we have challenges and failures and so on but we seek to be separated living our life for the Lord. And then he says that second word here, justly, to do things in a right way, in a just way, in a fair way, in an honest way.

And that third word, unblameably, it means that when we needed to be corrected and Paul was so honest that he was never ever assumed that he is a perfect individual, we read it in Romans 7 where he says all wretched men that I am, he was honest enough to express the reality of his heart but he, with the help of the Lord, could seek to live a life that was a good testimony to the people of Thessalonica. And then notice verse 11, he says, and here where we get the word Father, Abba, in Hebrew, Abba, as you know, again, you know, you know, you know it, how we exhorted and comforted and charged every one of you as a father does his children.

The three words that he used here in verse 11, exhorted, to exhort mean we warned you because we cared for your soul so we gave you some warning. If you're going to go there and you can carry on in that direction, you're going to end up to suffer loss. Walk with the Lord.

Sometime when we don't listen to the word of God, isn't it true, brothers and sisters, and we don't listen to the warning that we receive or the exhortation that we receive, and then later on after we didn't listen to the word of the Lord and we experience all the consequences, we look back and we see, boy, I would have done much better had I listened, as I listened to my parents, or if I listened to those who counseled me, but no, I wanted to do my own thing, I know the way better than my parents, better than my counselor, better than my teachers, better than my spiritual leaders, I know the way, well, later on

we look back and we see, oh boy, I should have listened earlier, and those of us know that because we all come from a different stages of our spiritual growth, some of us look back and we say, boy, Lord, you know very well how if I have listened better to your exhortation, I would have been far ahead, how many lives have been ruined because we don't listen to exhortation, how many homes have been ruined because there was no listening to exhortation and counsel, how many marriages have been broken because we didn't listen to God's exhortation, Shaul, the king of Israel said later on, after he lost the kingdom, he says, I played the fool, I

didn't listen, I should have listened, and this all happened yesterday, we had it in our Bible class, had we listened in the Garden of Eden, we would not be in the condition that we have today, where Adam plunged the whole human race into sin, but we know many times better than our counselors, than our leaders, than our fathers, than our mothers, that we know better, and we think we know better, and then later on we find out that we were wrong, and so the Lord delights in response to his word, the Lord delights when we listen to him, and we respond to him, and here you notice as he said again, I'm reading verse 11,

you know that we have exalted, and comforted, and charred, notice every one of you, it was very personal, Paul did not only sum it up in a preaching meeting one day, but he spoke individuals personally, hey dear brother so and so, hey dear sister so and so, and so on, everyone, I don't know how he had the time, but the Lord must have given him energy, and he gave him strength, and he gave him the will to do so, he gave him a servant heart, and Paul says we have in those three words, exalted, comforted, and charged, and those three words are needful in our life, beloved brothers and sisters, notice it's not only exalting,

telling somebody how wrong he or she are, but also comforted, to give comfort and encouragement as well, and charging them, giving them something to look forward, something to follow after, and that's the way the apostle Paul Shaul presented himself before the brothers and sisters in the city of Thessalonica, and now brothers and sisters, just towards the end of our ministry today, in verse 12, and I think it's very beautiful, because the purpose of all this, Shaul, Paul, came to Thessalonica, preached the message of the gospel, remained for a short time there, ministered the word among the people of God who have accepted the Messiah, Yeshua, Jesus, the Messiah, and he labored in their midst as

a faithful servant, as a nursing mother, and as a caring father, and in verse 12, we see why was all this, why?

Paul, why did you come as a faithful servant? Paul, why did you present yourself as a nursing mother? Why did you present yourself as a caring father? Paul, tell us why. Well, there's a reason. Verse 12, that ye, in order that you would walk worthy of God, who has called you unto his kingdom and glory. The reason that we do what we do, it is, in order, Thessalonian brothers and sisters, that you will be walking worthy of what God called you for. You see, God did not save us and called us to become part of the family of God, so we will just get a ticket to go to heaven and carry on in our own way.

He didn't call us for this. He called us to have a relationship with him. As many as receive him to them, he gave the right to be called children of God, even to them who believe on his name. Children of God, we become sons and daughters of the Abba, of the Father. We cry, Abba, Father. And notice he said to walk worthy of God. God deserved to receive a life that is pleasing for him. You know, the Bible teaches us, Paul used this expression worthy of in a few places. If you just for a moment turn with me to Ephesians chapter 4, Paul says in verse 1, I therefore the prisoner of our Lord beseech you, notice that, that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called.

We are to walk in a manner that is worthy of our calling. We have been called to be children of God, sons and daughters of the Father. You see that? In Ephesians chapter 4 and verse 1, go to Colossians chapter 1 and verse 10, look what there the Apostle Paul says to the Colossians believers in another town, in another city, he says, in verse 9, for this cause we also since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding, notice verse 10, that ye might walk worthy of the Lord, unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.

Ephesians 4 verse 1, walk worthy of our vocation. Colossians 1 verse 10, walk worthy of the Lord, namely the Lord Yeshua, Jesus the Messiah. 1 Thessalonians chapter 2 and verse 12, that we walk worthy of God himself. God have chosen us, brothers and sisters, he had brought us into a relationship with him, so we will walk now. There is a difference between positional truth and practical truth. Positional truth, we already belong to the Lord. We already belong to God. We already have been called from above, we are children of God. No one is able to pluck you out of my hand, in my father's hand, Yeshua said in John 10. But here he doesn't talk about our position, but he talks about our condition.

He doesn't talk about our positional relationship with the Lord, but he talks about our practical day-by-day living. This is where we fail so much. And that's why he says, God called you, that ye should walk worthy of God, who had called you unto his kingdom and also unto his glory. You know, one day, brothers and sisters, when the king is going to return, that king is Yeshua, Jesus. He's the king of kings. He's the lord of lords. He's going to come and you know what's going to happen? We're going to reign with him and rule with him as those that are going to enjoy this future kingdom that is going to come.

Today, the kingdom is in its mystery form. He becomes the king of our hearts and therefore he called us unto his kingdom and also glory. The word glory is kavod in Hebrew. That's the glory that one day the Lord will receive and we're going to enjoy this with him in a future day. What a blessing belong to God's people. But nevertheless, we are to be reminded like the Thessalonians. I came to serve among you as a faithful servant. I remain among you as a nursing mother. And I continue in the midst of you caring as a caring father. Minister to you, my dear brothers and sisters, the Apostle Paul said to the Thessalonians.

Amazing, amazing truth. We're learning very down to earth, very practical. He doesn't talk about the sweet by and by. He's talking about the here and now. And we need a lot of help from the Lord to help us to walk worthy of our vocation, worthy of our Lord, and worthy of our God. May the Lord help us to do so.