1 & 2 THESSALONIANS STUDY 3

Making Christ real – motivation 1 Thess. 2:1-8

Introduction

When we become Christians our lives are changed, and one of the changes concerns motivation. New motives and new objectives begin to change our outlook and activities. They affect a whole range of experiences.

Share together some of the new motives for living which you experienced after you came to Christ – perhaps in contrast to previous motives.

Like the apostle Paul many of us experienced when we became Christians a new desire to share with others who Jesus is and what He has done for us. It’s a motivation we didn’t have before.

In this week’s study section we’re thinking about Paul’s motivation for sharing Christ, and its implications for us.

The motives for evangelism and pastoral care which Paul reveals here are by no means exhaustive. We discover at least two more in 2 Cor. 5:11-15.

In this week’s section, however, take a look at three areas of motivation:

1. A desire to get the good news across whatever the cost (vs. 1,2)

a. Remind yourself of what happened in Philippi (v.2, see Acts 16:19-24). Notice the five specific instances of assault and punishment in vs. 19, 22, 23, 24 which would cool an evangelistic motivation in most of us.

How would you respond to someone who said, “I can’t witness for Christ. It would attract too much opposition.”?

b. Fear often makes us hold back. How can we deal with that? We know that Paul was sometimes afraid. 1 Cor. 2:3 shows that clearly. His experiences in Corinth were the culmination of this missionary journey. Think about factors which could have increased his fear as he went on from Philippi to Thessalonica, to Berea, to Athens, to Corinth.

What makes you afraid to witness for Jesus? Different factors affect us differently.

Now look at the second half of v. 2 again. How did Paul overcome his fear? How does that fit in to his Acts 16 experience? What light does v. 25 shed on it? The following verses are significant, too. How do we get ‘the help of our God’ for this? During his life, Paul needed lots of help from God; that’s clear from 2 Cor. 6:3-10; 11:24-27; Acts 20:22-24.

2 Tim. 4:16-18 seems to sum things up.

Paul’s second area of motivation is seen in:

2. His desire to please God (vs. 3-6)

a. He writes about wrong or ‘impure motives’ (v.3). What could they have been? Why do they stop us pleasing God?

b. Why is it hard to please God if we really want to ‘please man’ (v.4)? There’s a similar emphasis in v. 6. Think about Jesus’ comment in John 12:43.

Why are we tempted to please men rather than God?

c. Flattery and greed can be problems, too (v. 5). How do they express themselves?

As Paul worked among these newly-converted Thessalonican Christians another motive surfaced:

2. A desire to see people grow in Christ (vs. 7, 8)

This is an area of motivation which we can recognise frequently in Paul’s life and writings. See, for example, how it’s expressed in Col. 1:28, 29.

What important motivating qualities show themselves in 1 Thess. 2:7,8 and Col. 1:28,29?

How, do you think, Paul would have set about helping us to grow at Oakhall Church?