A Leader Defends his Reputation - Part 2
1 Thessalonians 2v6b-12
23rd July 2021
In 1 Thessalonians 2v1-12, Paul is defending his reputation and the reputations of his friends Silas and Timothy. We looked at the first part of his defence last time. He continues:
1 Thessalonians 2v6b-12
As apostles of Christ we could have been a burden to you.
but we were gentle among you, like a mother cares for her little children.
We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of
God but our lives as well because you had become so dear to us.
Surely you remember, brothers, our toil and hardship; we worked night and day in
order not to be a burden to anyone while we preached the gospel of God to you.
You are witnesses, and so is God, of how holy, righteous and blameless we were among
you who believed.
For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children,
encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you
into his kingdom and glory.
This second part of Paul's defence begins with the words:
1 Thessalonians 2v6b
As apostles of Christ we could have been a burden to you.
Paul, Silas and Timothy could have manipulated the Thessalonians. They could have demanded more money that the church wanted to give. They could have taken advantage of some of the women. They could have lied, cheated, stolen. They could have insisted on almost anything from this group of grateful ex-pagans, thrilled to receive new life in Jesus Christ.
Some do, even today, or perhaps especially today. Adultery, manipulation and financial sharp practice are more common amongst church leaders, preachers and people on so-called Christian television than you might think. But Paul, Silas and Timothy never did these things. That didn't stop people - Christian people - accusing them of all sorts of wrongdoing.
Never accuse your brother or your sister unless you're sure of your facts. Never repeat rumours. Never join a group of moaning, complaining, critical people. They destroy God's servants and they destroy churches.
1 Thessalonians 2v7
but we were gentle among you, like a mother cares for her little children.
This is the heart of the true Christian. Gentleness is the manifestation of the grace and mercy of God. Church leaders are called to be shepherds, not sheepdogs. We're called to nurture the sheep, not to bite their ankles. We're called to offer them direction, not to chase them every time they don't turn up.
I'm available if people need me or want to talk. Sometimes, but not often, I'll phone my church members to see how they're doing. But I'm not going to guilt them into doing things they don't want to do, even if they really should do them.
1 Thessalonians 2v8
We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel
of God but our lives as well because you had become so dear to us.
This is real church life. Church leadership isn't just about speaking the truth; it's about sharing our lives. Church membership isn't just about coming along to the meetings. It's about living our lives together in Christ. A church is a community of God's people, not an organisation for the management of Sunday morning worship meetings.
Church at its best is the most beautiful thing on planet earth. Church at its best is loving, caring, sharing, listening, helping, supporting, forgiving, welcoming. Church at its best means all the other church members become dear to us.
1 Thessalonians 2v9
Surely you remember, brothers, our toil and hardship; we worked night and day in
order not to be a burden to anyone while we preached the gospel of God to you.
Can you hear the cry of Paul's heart? A church leader who's being gossiped and lied about, begs the members of his church to remember how hard he and his colleagues worked, what hardship they bore, to help their church, while trying not to be a burden to them.
They weren't in it for the money, or the power, or the sex, or the popularity. They just wanted to tell people about the love of God in Jesus Christ, help them find saving faith in His redeeming blood, and grow up to be mature Christians.
Maybe unkindness, betrayal, negativity and backbiting go with role of being a church leader. Even Jesus had Judas.
Paul continues to cry out:
1 Thessalonians 2v10
You are witnesses, and so is God, of how holy, righteous and blameless we were
among you who believed.
Paul's conscience is clear. Silas's conscience and Timothy's are clear, too. They weren't claiming sinless perfection but God knows they're good men, dedicated to God, and the way they treated the Christians in Thessalonica was - by human standards - blameless.
When a church leader has done his best to live a good life, to be an example to the people in his church, when he tries to be gentle, kind, compassionate, patient and forgiving, when he works too hard, and wears himself out, to give the people under his care the best he can, when he gives as much of himself as he can, it hurts when they tell stories about him, criticise him, try to ruin his reputation. When they reject him, he feels it deeply.
1 Thessalonians 2v11-12
For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children,
encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you
into his kingdom and glory.
It's not wrong for a pastor to have a paternal attitude to the people he loves and serves. Patriarchy is a good thing when it's done well. I've sought to help my church to feel like a family, and I accept my role as head of that family, under Jesus. Like all human fathers, I have lots of weaknesses, and I've made many mistakes. I hope I've tried to encourage them, comfort them, and urge them to live godly lives.
Please bear with your leaders. They're just men. Sometimes they don't see things the way you see them. But they mean well. Sometimes they make mistakes. But sometimes they're right and you're wrong. Maybe that's one reason why you made them your leaders in the first place. But they're all far from perfect.
And please understand how much it hurts them when you criticise and complain about them. And don't be surprised if they give up and resign.
Paul, Silas and Timothy urged the Thessalonians to live lives worthy of God. They still do so today; we still have their letter. My colleagues and I try to do the same thing.
God deserves a people who will live godly lives, don't you think? God calls you into His kingdom, and into His glory. Let's be kingdom people, living for the glory of God.
Why are so many churches and so many Christians unkind to their leaders? Sometimes, it's genuinely because their leaders are bad people, who should never have been elected as leaders. But many good, solid, loving, gentle leaders have been subjected to abuse from their churches. Why?
Perhaps it's partly because we overestimate our leaders. Perhaps we still think of them as priests over us, rather than as priests alongside us. We're all priests. Perhaps we like to imagine they're perfect, and are disappointed as soon as we realise, as we surely will, that they're far from perfect. Perhaps we think we'd be better leaders than them, and want to replace them. Perhaps we think we can see how the church could be much better, if only they would see things our way.
But our leaders are just people, who need kindness and gentleness as much as we do. And most leaders are doing their best.