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帖撒罗尼迦前书［第2章］
Book of 1 Thessalonians 2

【成为主的喜乐和荣耀】

主讲：郑伟健同工+陈炎明牧师

08/02/2023

引言：

当时保罗和同工西拉到古希腊帖撒罗尼迦城向当地人传讲福音。仅仅一个月就有大批的希腊人和犹太人信耶稣并在那里组建了第一个教会群体。但是同时候也出现了一些麻烦，保罗和西拉也被迫离开这个城，他们很爱这里的人，所以离开的时候是很难过的。

保罗试图用这封信继续鼓励和勉励帖撒罗尼迦的信徒继续坚守主道。之前他从提摩太的报告得知他们的状况很好。虽然逼迫激烈，但却大大地兴旺。这封信的前半段主要内容都是称赞信徒对耶稣的忠心，后半段是要挑战大家的生命要成长。

今天我们要从牧者的心来明白保罗写这封书信的心情和用意。

一、竭力活出主的托付

1.放开胆量 传讲真道（V1-2）
帖撒罗尼迦教会之所以可以成立是因为保罗踏出信心的一步在当地传讲真道。当时候保罗在腓立比的教会被迫害导致他被关进监牢，后来被释放的时候不但没有退缩，更是在大争战中把福音传给帖撒罗尼迦人。虽然最后当中还是有人反对保罗，但是他所做的，帮助了许多当地的人得着救恩建立教会。

2.以神为主 讨神欢喜（V3-5）
保罗并没有因为环境的逼迫而放弃以神为主。他知道只要以神的话语为根基，没有用不诚实的手法和不良的动机来劝勉或传福音给人，就问心无愧。即使是受苦，只要是讨神喜欢的，他都愿意为神付上代价。

二、起来喂养主的羊群

1．像母亲乳养孩子 V6-8
保罗与当地人建立了美好的关系。他用了非常亲密的父母与孩子来比喻他们之间的关系。保罗待他们不但温柔像母亲乳养孩子一样，更是连命都可以为他们牺牲。V8“我们既是这样爱你们，不但愿意将神的福音给你们，连自己的性命也愿意给你们，因你们是我们所疼爱的。”

2.像父亲劝勉教育（V9-12）
保罗刻苦耐劳，昼夜工作，传神的福音给当地的人，为着是要叫人人得救。他劝勉他们就像父亲待自己儿女一样，希望每个人都能兴起并且把所得的传给他们，同时盼望每个人能得以进入神的国，得神的荣耀。

3.为着孩子们感恩（V13-16）
保罗不断围为着当地人所领受的道而感恩。虽然当时候大家都面对逼迫，但是大家确实已经明白真道。所以虽然受逼迫但是仍然坚持，坚守主道而且还不住地感谢神。

三、活出牧养盼望的心（V17-20）

保罗因为遭到逼迫而被逼需要暂时离开，但是这没有拦阻他对帖撒罗尼迦的心。他仍然派了提摩太过去，而且以书信与他们保持联络，这是他牧养的心。

他对牧养的羊群，并没有其他的目的。唯一的盼望是当耶稣再来的时候，帖撒罗尼迦教会的每一位都可以到主面前的奖赏得荣耀。这就是使徒保罗牧养的心志，无私的爱，在牧养中大有盼望。

总结：

保罗愿意竭力追求主的心志，是我们每一个基督徒的榜样。若我们爱基督，就要牧养祂所托付给我们的羊。他成为了耶稣基督的喜乐和荣耀，而信徒们也是保罗的喜乐和荣耀。

我们也要起来成为小牧人，起来传讲真道，牧养神所托付给我们的羊群。我们也要起来成为我们小组长和牧者的喜乐和荣耀！我们都要起来成为主的喜乐和荣耀！

1 Thessalonians 2: To be the joy and glory of the Lord
GK611 Morning Devotion
8/2/2023
Speaker: Asher Change + Rev David Tan

Introduction:

At that time Paul and his co-worker Silas went to the ancient Greek city of Thessalonica to preach the gospel to the locals. In just one month a large number of Greeks and Jews came to faith in Jesus and formed the first church community there. But at the same time there were some troubles, and Paul and Silas were forced to leave the city. They loved the people so much that they were sad to leave.

With this letter Paul tried to continue to encourage and exhort the believers in Thessalonica to continue to hold fast to the Word of the Lord. Earlier he had learned from Timothy's report that they were in a good condition. In spite of the intense persecution, they were greatly prospering. The main content of the first half of this letter is all about praising the believers for their faithfulness to Jesus, and the second half is to challenge everyone to grow in their lives.

Today we want to understand Paul's feelings and intentions in writing this epistle from the heart of a pastor.

1. Do your best to live out the Lord's commission

(1) Letting go of the courage to preach the Truth（V1-2）
The Thessalonian church was established because Paul took a step of faith to preach the Truth in the region. When Paul was persecuted in the church in Philippi, he was imprisoned. When he was released, he did not retreat, but preached the gospel to the Thessalonians in the midst of the great battle. Although there were still some who opposed Paul in the end, what he did help many people in the region to be saved and to establish churches.

(2) Make God the priority and please God（V3-5）
Paul did not give up on setting God as priority because of the persecution of his circumstances. He knew that as long as he was grounded in the Word of God, and did not exhort or preach the gospel to people with dishonest practices or bad motives, he had a clear conscience. Even if he suffered, he was willing to pay the price for God as long as it was pleasing to Him.

2. Rise up and feed the flock of the Lord

(1) Like a mother nursing her child（V6-8）
Paul had a wonderful relationship with the local people. He used the analogy of the relationship between parents and children, who were very close to each other. Paul not only treated them tenderly as a mother nurses her children, but he was ready to sacrifice his life for them. v8 "So, affectionately longing for you, we were well pleased to impart to you not only the gospel of God, but also our own lives, because you had become dear to us."

(2) Like a father exhorting and teaching（V9-12）
Paul labored hard, working day and night, preaching the gospel of God to the people of the region, in order that all might be saved. He exhorted them to be like fathers to their children. He exhorted them as a father does his own children, hoping that each one would rise up and preach to them what he had received. He exhorted them to be like fathers to their children, hoping that each one would rise up and preach to them what he had received, and that each one would enter the kingdom of God and be glorified by God.

(3) Thanksgiving for the children（V13-16）
Paul kept on giving thanks for the word that the local people had received. Although everyone was facing persecution at that time, they had indeed understood the Truth. Therefore, they persevered in spite of the persecution, held fast to the Word of the Lord, and gave thanks to God without ceasing.

3. Living the Heart of Shepherding Hope（V17-20）

Paul was forced to leave temporarily because of the persecution, but this did not stop his heart for Thessalonica. He still sent Timothy there, and kept in touch with them by letters, which was his heart of sherpherding.

He had no other purpose for the flock he was shepherding. His only hope was that everyone in Thessalonian church might receive the Lord's reward and glory when Jesus returns. This is the apostle Paul's pastoral heart, selfless love, and great hope in shepherding.

Conclusion:

Paul's willingness to pursue the Lord with all his might is an example to every one of us as Christians. If we love Christ, we must shepherd the sheep He has entrusted to us. He became the joy and glory of Jesus Christ, and the believers were the joy and glory of Paul.

We, too, are to rise up and become little shepherds, to rise up and preach the truth, and to shepherd the flock that God has entrusted to us. We, too, are to rise up and become the joy and glory of our group leaders and shepherds! We are all to rise up and become the joy and glory of the Lord!