Helping the Baby Grow Up I Thessalonians 2:112

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Helping the Baby Grow UpI Thessalonians 21-12

• Be Ready
• By Warren Wiersbe
• Chapter 3

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• God uses people to bring the Gospel to people as
  well as nurture the babies in Christ and lead
  them to maturity
• In Chapter 1, Paul was an evangelist while in
  Chapter 2, he was a pastor.
• Three pictures of Pauls pastoral ministry
• The Faithful Steward
• The Loving Mother
• The Concerned Father

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• The Faithful Steward (21-6)
• Paul has been put in trust with the Gospel (4).
  Steward owns nothing, but he possess and uses
  that belongs to his Master, i.e., Joseph and
  Potiphar
• Every steward shall give an account of his
  stewardship (Luke 161-2)
• The message of the Gospels treasure that must be
  invested
• Faithfulness, most important quality a steward
  have

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• Characteristics of Pauls ministry concerning
  faithfulness
• The manner of his ministry (21-2)
• Paul and Silas were beaten at Philippe yet they
  came to Thessalonica to preach
• His preaching was with much contention
• Contention as athletic term means a contest, a
  struggle.
• The message of his ministry (230)
• The message of Christs death and resurrection
  is a true message (I Corinthians 51-6)

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• The motive of his ministry (236)
• His motive was pure Philippians 114-19
• Not a cloak of covetousness
• Sensitive about money uses I Corinthians 91-18
• The method of his ministry (236)
• No guile or trickery to win converts. Result of
  Gods Word and the power of the Holy Spirit, not
  clever argument or presentation
• conscience void of offense toward God, and
  toward man Acts 2416

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• Paul hated flattery (25)
• A flatterer is a person who manipulates rather
  than communicates.
• Some people flatter themselves like Haman
• Some people try to flatter God
• Nevertheless they (Israel) did flatter God with
  their mouth, and they lied unto Him with their
  tongues Psalm 7836
• Flattery is another form of lying.
• Saying one thing to God with our lips while our
  hearts are far from Him (Mark 76)

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• His method was pure presenting the Word of God
  in the power of the Spirit and trusting God to
  work.
• The Loving Mother (27-8)
• The emphasis of the steward is faithfulness while
  the emphasis of the mother is gentleness.
• Paul was a man of authority, but he always used
  it in love
• It takes time and energy to care for children. He
  made sacrifices and care for them himself
• He had patience with the new Christians.

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• They dont grow instantly and they experience
  growing pain.
• 27 even as a nursing mother cherishes her own
  children
• She imparts her own life to the child
• The nursing mothers eat food and transform it
  into milk for the baby. Likewise, the mature
  Christian feeds on Gods Word and then share with
  the younger Christians so they can grow (I Peter
  21-3)
• She protects her child. Likewise, Paul didnt
  only give out the Gospel, but his own life also

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• No nurture, no maturity (29-12)
• The Concerned Father (29-12)
• Paul was a spiritual father. A father begets
  children and cares for them
• Duties
• His work (29)
• Even though Paul received financial support from
  Philippians, he made tents to prevent accusation
  that he preached for money
• II Thessalonians 36 reproves the lazy Christians
  from Thessalonians Church

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• Labor and travail struggle and hard work
• He toiled night and day Acts 203)
• II Corinthians 1214 Parents lay up for children
• His walk (210)
• Father lives so they set good examples to the
  children
• His life was exemplary in every way
• His life was holy
• Carefully fulfill the duties God gives to a
  person
• His life was righteous integrity, uprightness of
  character, and behavior

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• His life was unblamable meaning not able to find
  fault in
• Christians are to be blameless and harmless as
  they live in this world (Philippians 215)
• - His Words (211-12)
• Fathers must take time to talk to the family
  members
• for you know that we dealt with each of you as a
  father deals with his own children (211, NIV)
• Regardless of being busy, Paul found time for the
  members of the church

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• Paul encouraged the new believers Exhorting
  means to call to ones side, to encourage, not
  scold
• Paul comforted them, same idea as encourage with
  an emphasis on activity.
• A father must not pamper (or spoil) a child, but
  rather he must encourage the child to go right
  back and try again
• Christians are encouraged to do better
• Paul charged them
• It means that Paul testified to them out of his
  own experience

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• At times we go through difficulties so we can
  share with new Christians what the Lord has done
• God comfort us in all our troubles, so that we
  can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort
  we ourselves have received from God
• (II Corinthians 14, NIV)
• The purpose of fatherly ministry to the believers
  is that his children walk worthy of God (212)
• Every child must learn how to walk
• He must have good models to follow
• Paul encouraged them to walk worthy of the Lord
  (Colossians 110 Philippians 127)

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• Worthy of the calling we have in Christ Jesus
  (Ephesians 41)
• 1 Thessalonians 212 - Walk worthy of God who
  hath called you into His kingdom and glory
• Who is continually calling you
• From salvation (II Thessalonians 213-14) to life
  of holiness (I Peter 115-16) to heaven
• Example of follow up
• Children needs discipline and love
• likewise the Christians