What Does a Gospel Teacher Do?
I Thessalonians 2:17-3:13
Intro:
1. Ever wonder what a gospel teacher does?
2. When Paul & Silas came to Thessalonica they preached to the Jews. Having no success, they went to the non Jews & established a church.
3. The Jews became jealous & threw them out of town after only a month or two of ministry. The apostle longed to be back with them.
4. The next couple of messages look at relationships we need to have with one another in the church.
I. What is a Gospel Teacher’s Responsibilities?
A. v2 - To spread the gospel.
B. v2 - To strengthen you in your faith.
1. Strengthen (στηρίζω) = to establish & set you firmly in place.
2. v5 - The teacher needs to find out where your faith is so he can direct his teaching to keep you from temptations.
C. v2 - To encourage you in your faith.
1. Encourage (παρακαλέω) = lit. to call you to his side & counsel you, exhort, (KJV) comfort.
2. Phil 2:1 tells us this counseling must be done in love.
3. 5:11 reminds us that we are to encourage one another.
D. v4 - To be honest with you.
1. Paul told them if they became Christians they would be persecuted - & they were.
2. What is involved in being a Christian?
a. They surrender to a Lord & make a commitment to a King.
b. This implies they know God’s Plan of Salvation, obey it & witness to others. It’s more than simply saying a prayer or being baptized!
c. Lord Jesus said, If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it. - Lk 9:23-24.
d. Rom 12:1 - Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God — this is your spiritual act of worship.
E. v10 - To supply what’s lacking in your faith.
1. Your personal spiritual goal - grow into spiritual maturity.
2. One way you grow is to get the genuine gospel message - not a watered down version.
a. Start out with the basics. Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good. - I Pet 2:2-3
b. Then - proceed to solid stuff! Heb 5:13-14 - Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.
II. What is a Gospel Teacher’s Reward?
A. 2:19-20 - What becomes the teacher’s crown in the presence of the Lord? You!
1. Crown (στέφανος) = lit. that which surrounds your head, a crown, an Olympic wreath.
2. What are the teacher’s crowns?
a. The crown of joy.
(1) Meeting someone in heaven you introduced to the Lord.
(2) ILL: Mike Pajevsky’s appreciation for my dad.
b. The crown of hope & glory. Being able to please the One Who died on the cross for you.
B. v6 - The teacher develops a close personal relationship with the student.
1. ILL: The Good Shepherd Leaving the 99 for the 1 (Lk 15:3-7).
2. A fringe benefit of ministry is the close relationships teachers & students enjoy.
C. v7 - The students encourage the teacher.
1. Every time one of you tells me you got something out of the message, it’s a blessing.
2. There’s a benefit to seeing your spiritual growth through the years. ILL: Garry Gonzales teaching what I had taught him years before.
3. There’s the joy of studying the Bible & praying together.
D. v11-12 - Both the teacher & the students must rely on the Lord for direction & strength.
1. All of us are tools in the Lord’s hands learning to be more pliable.
2. None of us can accomplish much on our own - we need Him!
So - what does a gospel teacher do?
He spreads the gospel - strengthens & encourages your faith - tells it like it is - and supplies what’s lacking in your faith!
Remember
You are the gospel teacher’s crown!
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