Well brothers, let's turn in our Bibles this morning to 1 Thessalonians chapter 2. 1 Thessalonians chapter 2, as we begin our time together, I'm very thankful for the opportunity to minister God's Word to all of you, at least the introduction. I basically prepared this part as really an introduction like I would do a sermon to get all of you ready to hear the exposition which will come by the rest of the men. So I hope that it will be that which draws us into the passage and then we can listen to our brothers preach the Word of God to us. So 1st Thessalonians chapter 2.

I'll be reading verses 1 to 12 in your hearing. Here is the Apostle Paul writes this very warm epistle to this church that he founded on his second missionary journey around AD 50. He writes the following words and says, 1 Thessalonians chapter 2, picking up at verse 1. Follow with me in your Bibles. Paul writes by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, For you yourselves know brethren that our coming to you was not in vain.

But even after we had suffered before and were spitefully treated at Philippi, as you know, we were bold in our God to speak to you the Gospel of God in much affliction. For our exhortation did not come from error or uncleanness, nor was it in deceit. But as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, even so we speak not as pleasing men, but God who tests our hearts. For neither at any time did we use flattering words as you know, nor a cloak for covetousness, God as witness, nor did we seek glory from men, either from you or from others, when we might have made demands as apostles of Christ. But we were gentle among you.

Just as a nursing mother cherishes her own children, so affectionately longing for you, we were well pleased to impart to you not only the Gospel of God, but also our own lives because you had become dear to us. For, you remember brethren, our labor and toil. For laboring night and day that we might not be a burden to any of you. We preach to you the Gospel of God. You are witnesses.

God also, how devoutly and justly and blamelessly we behaved ourselves among you who believe. As you know, how we exhorted and comforted and charged every one of you as a father does his own children. Verse 12, That, here's the purpose of it all, you would walk worthy of God who calls you into his own kingdom and glory. Brothers, let's pray. Our Father, we are very grateful for this opportunity to consider the Word of God.

We're thankful, O God, that that Word is indeed a lamp to our feet and a light to our path. And we confess, O God, that as your undershepherds we need the Word. We need light from on high. So we pray, oh God, that you would give it to us in great measure this morning. You would encourage our hearts, oh God, that you would encourage my fellow colleagues in the things of the Gospel and in their ministries as shepherds.

Oh God, we pray that you would come by the Spirit this morning and animate and anoint all that would be said and done, so that we might serve you better and glorify your most worthy and blessed name. We pray all of these things in the mediation of Jesus Christ, our risen and exalted Lord. Amen. In his commentary on 1 Thessalonians, Dr. John MacArthur writes that for nearly half a century, beginning in the 1950s, The world has been asking the question, where have all the leaders gone?

MacArthur says that during that time society has placed more and more of a premium on leadership. However, it has found few noble leaders with skill and integrity. Now brothers, as you know, leadership is not easy. Leadership in any field is really quite difficult, but especially it's difficult when it comes to being a true pastor of the Lord Jesus Christ in a local church a true pastor who's called to lead Jesus precious sheep all the way to the celestial city. Now thankfully, our great and glorious God hasn't left us without good, God-honoring, Christ-honoring examples in his word on Christian leadership for pastors for us to follow, right?

Thankfully, as we have it in our passage for this morning, we see that Paul gives us a great model to copy not only in what he wrote, but also in how he walked, thus leaving us as ministers. That which we are to follow and imitate, imitate him even as he imitated Christ." Now it has been rightly said by the great Puritan, Thomas Brooks, that example is the most powerful rhetoric. What a great quote by the great Puritan. Example is the most powerful rhetoric. And brethren, I believe this is absolutely true.

And I say that the longer I am in ministry, I confess, the more and more I need good and godly examples to follow and to learn from so that I can discharge my duty as a pastor in a way that is well pleasing to Jesus Christ the Lord. Now if you're anything like me, I'm sure the same is true for you as well, right? Men, you feel yourselves no doubt weak as an under-shepherd of the Lord Jesus Christ. And no doubt, brothers, if you've been in the ministry for any amount of time, you were regularly crying out with the Apostle Paul, perhaps most often Monday morning, who is sufficient for these things, right? Is there anyone here who's ever cried that out Monday morning?

Who's sufficient for these things? You question, can I even take up the pen again and start writing another sermon? How can I stand before God's people once again? It's such a humbling thing to preach and to shepherd. Who is sufficient for these things?

I trust you cry that out in your heart regularly as an under shepherd of the Lord Jesus Christ. Well, praise be to God. Then after Paul asked that very question, who is sufficient for these things? He goes on in the very next verse there in 2 Corinthians chapter 3 and verse 5 to cry out saying that our sufficiency is from God. Your sufficiency, dear brother, here to this day is from God.

The Lord Jesus Christ is the one who by his grace and his power makes us sufficient to serve him and his people well all of our days. Well Scott Brown has asked some very striking questions to some of us who have been called to lead this session in an email that he sent to us. In that email he asked such things as, what kind of leaders are we anyway? He asked what is our focus on and how are we behaving as ministers? Very striking and stirring questions.

He asked what are our innermost motives concerning why we do what we do and hence he directs us to this text because here we're going to see Paul setting forth a wonderful example for us to copy and really in many senses all of those questions will be answered as the brothers come and open up our passage before us. Well, may it be then that our colleagues in Christ come to speak to us today that this model here of Paul will be our own very model, that we will be, as it were, nursing mothers, cherishing our spiritual children, that we will be as fathers among our people, serving them well and instructing them in the things of God. Brethren, may it be that this beautiful portrait of Paul will be that which we seek to model all of our days, the Lord helping us by his Spirit, so that when the Lord Jesus Christ returns, who is the Chief Shepherd of the sheep, we will hear those wonderful words coming from his beautiful lips saying to us, well done good and faithful servants. May the Lord help this to be the case. I'm going to invite our brother Puyon to come up and begin to open up this passage to us.

Brother.