Mature Love | 1 Thessalonians 2:17-20

Scripture

• 1 Thessalonians 2:17–20

About this sermon

Introduction: Of all the things in life that test our spiritual maturity — that test the character and the maturity of our love —RELATIONSHIPS might be the greatest test. Spiritual maturity is tested by all sorts of things — circumstances, trials, successes, failures, and many other things — and all those things are relational tests from the standpoint of our relationship with God — but what we do in the realm of people especially reveals our spiritual maturity. Spiritual maturity is tested by our relationships with people — ALL THE TIME AND IN EVERY REALM. TESTED IN THE REALM OF FAMILY, FRIENDSHIP, MINISTRY, MENTORSHIP, CITIZENSHIP, AND VOCATION. Our maturity is tested by the expectations that we carry — how we manage what we expect in, and from, other people (communicated and uncommunicated) says a lot about our understanding of the Word of God and our submission to it. Our maturity is tested by our responses to disappointment or mistreatment. Our maturity is tested by how we respond to our own failures. Our maturity is tested by our willingness to work at relationships — to take the time and make the effort to do the work that would make them God-honoring. Our maturity is tested by what we are willing to believe about other people — will we believe the best or the worst? Our maturity is tested by the steps we are willing to take avoid hurting others. AND ALL OF THIS RELATES TO TRUSTWORTHY MINISTRY. Shepherding requires mature love. Shepherding requires mature decision making in all our relationships. Shepherding AIMS at mature love — that is, to help people mature in the realm of love. And Paul, as an apostle, as a shepherd to the churches, KNOWS THIS. Throughout his letters in the New Testament, we see his awareness of the need to SHEPHERD RELATIONSHIPS for the glory of God. ESV 2 Corinthians 2:10 Anyone whom you forgive, I also forgive. Indeed, what I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, has been for your sake in the presence of Christ, 11 so that we would not be outwitted by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his designs. ESV Philippians 4:1 Therefore, my brothers, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm thus in the Lord, my beloved. 2 I entreat Euodia and I entreat Syntyche to agree in the Lord. 3 Yes, I ask you also, true companion, help these women, who have labored side by side with me in the gospel together with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life. That’s what he’s doing in our section. HE IS STILL ENGAGED IN A DEFENSE OF HIS MINISTRY. This continues in chapter 3. And one of the criticisms that he must address is that somehow his choices regarding Thessalonica meant he didn’t really care for them. His love has been called into question. His genuine care for them has been called into question. HOW DOES HE ADDRESS THIS? HE HAS ACCESSED THEIR MEMORY TO DEMONSTRATE THE PURITY OF HIS MOTIVES, HIS GENUINE AFFECTION, AND WHAT GOD PRODUCED IN THEIR OWN LIVES. But now he moves to the present. Now he moves to an explanation regarding WHAT HAS TRANSPIRED SINCE HE WAS WITH THEM — THE SET OF CIRCUMSTANCES LEADING UP TO THIS LETTER. NOTE THIS: Paul could have simply stopped after accessing their memory. He could have simply said “you have all the evidence you need to know that our ministry is trustworthy.” “I’ve said all I need to say.” But instead, HIS OWN MATURITY IS ON DISPLAY by the effort that he makes to bring them up to the present — to give a more detailed explanation. He explains to protect the work of the ministry, but he also makes the effort to explain because he loves them. His actions might not have met their expectations, but mature love wants them to know that they TRULY are loved and to know why love might not have looked like what they expected. THIS MORNING WE WILL SEE FOUR PRINCIPLES ABOUT GODLY RELATIONSHIPS THAT MATURE LOVE WILL EMBRACE.

Topics

• Love & Compassion