1 Thessalonians 2:11-15

11 And you know that we treated each of you as a father treats his own children. 12 We pleaded with you, encouraged you, and urged you to live your lives in a way that God would consider worthy. For he called you to share in his Kingdom and glory. 13 Therefore, we never stop thanking God that when you received his message from us, you didn’t think of our words as mere human ideas. You accepted what we said as the very word of God—which, of course, it is. And this word continues to work in you who believe. 14 And then, dear brothers and sisters, you suffered persecution from your own countrymen. In this way, you imitated the believers in God’s churches in Judea who, because of their belief in Christ Jesus, suffered from their own people, the Jews. 15 For some of the Jews killed the prophets, and some even killed the Lord Jesus. Now they have persecuted us, too. They fail to please God and work against all humanity

It’s here in the midst of the groaning that Paul reminds us of the goal, to live our lives in a way that God would consider worthy. As leaders, we should be pointing people to focus on God’s goal especially during the trying times when people are tempted to turn away from God. That is why Paul provides us with several important leadership lessons in the midst of trying times. Paul starts in verses 11 through 12 by reminding us to:

1. Serve

If the goal is to lead people to “live lives worthy of God” then success can only come through service. We need to remember that the primary purpose of why we do what we do always has to do with people’s relationship with God. When people are right with God everything else falls into place. As Jesus clearly stated in Matthew 6:33 “Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” Paul’s purpose was to please God as he reveals in verse 4, so it only follows that he would lead others to please God. Who without any doubt, lived a life worthy of God? The correct answer is Christ, God’s Son, Jesus. When we are leading people to live a life worthy of God, we are leading them to become more like the Lord. Yet so often as we lead others we make the mistake of making the goal for them to please us. But the goal of serving is to point people to the Savior not to self. Servants don’t get in the way of the Savior, selfishness does. Now there is a tremendous benefit to being like Jesus that we do not often think about. Being like Jesus, living a life worthy of God, does wonders for your self-image. Jesus Christ had a rock solid self-image.

He was secure in His identity Matthew 16:13-20

He knew he was loved by His Father Matthew 3:17

His positive sense of self allowed Him to withstand criticism Matthew 26:6-10

His positive sense of self allowed him to relate to those less fortunate, rather than building His image by relating only to the rich and powerful Mark 2:15-17

He felt competent and equipped by His Father to do what he needed to do Matthew 28:18

He could love others because he was secure in the love of His Father John 15:9

His relationship with His Father gave Him purpose in life Luke 2:48-50

He knew he belonged to the Father John 10:30; 17:21

He was affirmed by His Father Matthew 3:17

If we are going to lead people to be servants of God then they need to see serving in action, we cannot afford to be lazy leaders who preach principles they never practice. Now when we think about service how do we serve, what is the Process? According to Paul its relational based not rule based, in verse 11 he says “we treated each of you as a father treats his own children.” Today we are trying to lead without loving, we want leadership without relationship. But Paul says it’s not just relational its family, leaders take a personal interest in those they lead. Paul was their spiritual father and he related to them with a father’s affection rather than just a father’s authority. He came alongside and encouraged them. Encouragement is a powerful tool, which can have an incredible impact on the life of other people. It can enable them to hang in there when they feel like hanging it up. Instead of throwing in the towel and quitting, encouragement can cause people to dream big dreams. The word in our text that is translated encourage (parakaleo) means to stand beside, to exhort, to come to one’s aid. Leadership means standing in the gap. Do you stand beside or are you trying to lead from beyond? We all need people to stand in the gap and encourage us by cheering us on. What about you are you an encourager or a discourager? So how do we encourage others?

• With your presence

This requires that we show up, that we are present in other people’s lives. There is a great example of this in Acts 28:15. Paul had been in prison for over 3 years, he recently survived a shipwreck at sea, and now he had just arrived in Rome, still a prisoner. And unknown to Paul a bunch of his friends and fellow Christians traveled a great distance to be there to meet him when the ship came in… Luke records these words, “…at the sight of these men, Paul thanked God and was encouraged….”

• With your Touch

This requires us to reach out. Touch has the power to transform people’s lives. The following picture shows Jackie Robinson and Pee Wee Reese together.

In May 1947, on Cincinnati’s Crosley Field, Robinson endured racist taunts, jeers, and death threats that would have broken the spirit of a lesser man. Reese, Captain of the Brooklyn Dodgers, walked over to his teammate Robinson and stood by his side, silencing the taunts by the crowd. Who do you need to touch with God’s transforming love? Love has the power to silence not just the critics but the entire crowd.

• With God’s Word

This requires us to speak out. When it comes to our words Paul reminds us of their power. Whether spoken or written, words have the power to bring life or death. As Proverbs 18:21 says, “the tongue has the power of life and death.” Are your words comforting or cutting, are they filled with care or criticism? Paul calls us to come alongside and comfort, what does comfort show? That we care. Remember when you were little and you hurt yourself and you would run home get a band aid. Why did you go home because it was a place of comfort. There are times when we all need to be comforted, especially in the trying times. Paul doesn’t just use his words to comfort he also uses them to urge others on. Living a life worthy of God doesn’t just happen we need urging or motivating. So how do we urge them? A key to understanding this is the meaning of the Greek word in our text that is translated urge, it is a form of the verb martureo, which means to bear witness. The noun form of this word is where we get our English word martyr. We urge best by being an example. When we live a life that is worthy of God we give them an up close and personal example, of what it means to live a life that is worthy of God. Leaders don’t expect others to live it, if you are not living it. That do as I say not as I do stuff is a bunch of rubbish. What kind of example are you of living a life worthy of God? If others followed your example would God be pleased? Is the way that you serve causing others to focus on the goal or to get caught up in the groaning?

James 1:12 “God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.”

Not only are those who remain faithful blessed and approved but the third reward is that they will:

3. Receive the Crown of Life.

There is a great reward that awaits those who faithfully persevere through the trials of this life. James wraps up his teaching on trials with a promise that persecution doesn’t conclude with pain but rather a crown. The outcome of faithfulness that is forged in the fire of trials results in a great reward. The life that has burned brightly for God’s glory through the bitter trials of this life will not be forgotten by God in heaven. They will be rewarded with the crown of life. Revelation 2:10 also speaks to the crown of life as a reward for those who suffering for the Savior: “Don’t be afraid of what you are about to suffer. The devil will throw some of you into prison to test you. You will suffer for ten days. But if you remain faithful even when facing death, I will give you the crown of life.” Life is promised to those who love the Lord. It is the enabling to take hold of life and live it as God would have you. It is the ability to enjoy God’s abundant life even in the midst of miserable circumstances. Not only is this a full and free spiritual life right here and now, but it is also a reward in the life to come. The greatest reward for those who faithfully endure is a reward that will endure, a reward that will never tarnish or fade. In the Greek world, crowns were given to those who distinguished themselves in service, or athletes who participated in the games, as 1 Corinthians 9:25 clearly states, “All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize.” Today Christians want to sit in the stands and watch the race instead of run it. But Christianity is not a spectator sport we are not called to watch we are called to war. To not just show up on the field but to be faithful on the field of battle. Being faithful means to be whole-hearted, to leave it all on the field. The call to run the race, should remind us that it’s not going to be easy, that it will be hard and it will hurt. That the road we are called to run on is sometimes paved with pain and strewed with suffering. Only fans sit in the seats, but followers show up on the field. What about you are you a fair weather fan or a faithful follower? Are you sitting in the stands or serving on the field? While we may want to sit in the stands and serve as spectators that position is already taken. According to Hebrews 12:2, saints that get to watch are the witnesses, those who are no longer living in this world: “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.” The witnesses who get to watch are those who have faithfully finished their race and stepped off the field. Until we cross the finish we need to be faithful. The crown that the Greeks sought was seen as a prize of victory or a badge of honor. The Old Testaments speaks of the crown as a mark of royalty, Psalm 21:3: “You welcomed him back with success and prosperity. You placed a crown of finest gold on his head”. But where athletes have human competitors, the Christian’s adversaries are the demonic powers of darkness that try to drive us off course and keep us from running a righteous life. Satan wants to set up roadblocks or fill the road with so much rubble that we become discouraged and want to give up. Rubble was one of the things that caused the people in Nehemiah 4:10 to want to give up: “Then the people of Judah began to complain, “The workers are getting tired, and there is so much rubble to be moved. We will never be able to build the wall by ourselves.” The dirt and debris caused them to become discouraged. Satan loves to try and trip us up with trash. It’s hard trying to live for Jesus and run the race while carrying all the junk. Hebrews 12:1 challenges us to get rid of it. “…let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with endurance the race marked out for us.” The trouble with rubble is that we become fixated on the problem not the promise. The people complained about the rubble but wasn’t this same rubble there at the beginning of the building? And yet somehow they were able to build the wall to half its height when the rubble was in their road, so why is the rubble a problem now? Because before they were focused on rebuilding now they are focused on rubble, before they focused on the Father now they are focused on the frustration. Are you focusing on the junk or on Jesus? Focusing on the frustrations leads to throwing in the towel, focusing on God’s faithfulness leads to walking in the truth. The crown that is received is a gift from God showing His approval of a life tested by trial. The crown is the reward of the Christian’s effort to run despite the rubble and the roadblocks. It is a tiring race but unlike the athlete’s race this is a contest that last longer and it’s not a game. Difficulties can discourage and get you down but they don’t have to take you out. Focus on the Father and be faithful to finish. God will give you strength of character so that you will walk confidently with God prepared for whatever life has in store for you.