1 Thess. 2:1-12 God-Pleasers or People-Pleasers?

Dennis Mock
Sunday, January 10, 2010

If we are going to be God pleasers vs. man pleasers then why we do what we do is as
important as what we do. All of us are looking for approval. The real question is whose
approval? Friends, family, business associate, etc. Or do we really seek God’s approval.

In the 2nd chapter of Thessalonians Paul affirms that God Himself has entrusted him with
the gospel. He did not care if any man approved of him or not.

We are approved by God if:

– We have been proven over time.
– We have measured up to a recognized standard (scripture)

1 Thess. 2:1-12-
– Add v. 13 the Word they preached was not merely the words of men but of God.
– We fall into the trap of being a people pleaser quite easily. Paul reminded us it
really only matters how we measure up to God.

Paul talks about 3 main areas of concern to be certain we are seeking God’s approval:
1. Our Message (What)–
a. Is it our own or God’s?
b. In the passage this morning the term “gospel” is used four times.
i. v. 2, v.. 4, v. 8, v. 9
ii.He is talking about the purity of truth that matches up with the
revelation of God.
iii.You will see programs, plays, read books, etc. where people talk about
God and our relationship to Him. You will find a consistently mixed
message of truth and error.
iv.Paul delivered an unadulterated message of truth that came wholly
and directly from God.
c. As we deliver the message we must remember we are only servant
spokesman.
d. The message of the gospel is not just getting to heaven when we die but to
live a life worthy of God who called us into glory. (v. 12)
e. Most people don’t want the whole truth because it reveals sin and error.
f. As we deliver the message it will require a message of sacrifice.
i. v. 9 – Hardship and toil.
g. If we are to please God we must work on delivering His message and not
ours.
h. People need to hear the message of the gospel.
i. We must know the scripture well to have the correct message.
2. Our Motivation (Why) –
a. v. 3 – Paul’s appeal did not come from impure motives.
b. v. 5 – Paul never used flattery or trickery. He was not motivated by greed.
c. Are we looking for men’s applause? Or their money? Paul was not.
d. At the Bema seat of Christ all that we do will be judged based on what our
motive was.
e. Matt. 6:1-8
i. You can seek the approval of men or of God but you cannot have both!
ii.What really matters is why we do what we do.
 iii.Illustrations:
1. Acts of righteousness, Giving, praying. Done in private.
f. The safeguard is to ask the questions:
i. Am I doing this for someone else and not myself?
ii.Am I redirecting whatever praise I get to God?
g. Ultimately for whose benefit am I doing this? Is it so that people will praise
me? Even if we receive praise we should redirect it to God.
h. No mask, no flattery, no impure motives.
i. Do we really care what God thinks about what we do?
j. ILL: In marriage we must choose to either please ourselves or please God by
building one another up.
3. Our Methods (How) – (v. 6-12)
a. Paul was held in great esteem by these churches. He was an apostle
appointed by God.
b. He received more revelation from God than anyone but perhaps Moses!
c. Notice the Illustration Paul uses: A mother caring for her little children, as a
Father deals with his own children.
d. v. 7 – Caring compassionate, meeting needs.
e. v. 8 – They had shared their very lives with them.
f. v. 11 – As a father – leadership, provision, protection
g. Paul wants us to treat other believers as if they were believers.
h. Paul did not want to be a burden to them. He was willing to work really hard
to not be.
i. The families that are less “dysfunctional” are those where the mother
and father decided it was worth the hard work to patiently raise their
children and relate to one another.
i. Paul’s methodology was not standoffish or superior. He related to them as
family. He was a role model before them. (v. 10)
i. Encouraging, coming alongside to help, comforting, challenging them
to live a life worthy of Christ.
ii.We need to back off of the authoritarian model to one of loving
mothers and fathers. Loving caring parents who are in it for the benefit
of their children.

How do you come out with regards to these three areas? The overriding issue is whom
are we trying to please.

Do we speak as men approved by God? God is really the only one who really matters.