What we can bring to Him is our investment on others.

1. What we can bring to Him is our investment on others. I Thessalonians 2

2. Open • Karen Chen, MSJC congratulate – “I don’t know and I want to know about it, too.”

3. Dig • Key verse: I Thessalonians 2:19 -20 For what is our hope, our joy, or the crown in which we will glory in the presence of our Lord Jesus when he comes? Is it not you? Indeed, you are our glory and joy. • Read I Thessalonians 2. • Paul shared his investment in the life of the Thessalonians and he explanined the “how”. • It began with the blossom of the gospel seed: verse 2b sharing them His gospel.

4. Dig • The blossom of the gospel root had a prize: suffering that Paul and others had gone through. Verse1. It happened with the insult in Philippi. Refer to Acts 16:11-40 – particularly 16. • The key of the blossom is from His word, v.2b ( to tell them his gospel). Faith cometh from hearing, hearing from the word of God. • Out of the pure and sincere heart with no other hidden agenda, the gospel was preached in verse 3.

5. Dig • Paul, being approved and entrusted by Him, spread His word like it’s and did it with no flattering lips. (His word is powerful and sharp, like double-edged sword, piercing the heart of the listeners.) We don’t need to subtract or add anything to it. V. 5. • His word is not psychological theory (not looking to please men) nor water down message, making you feel good. v. 6.

6. Dig • Paul delivered the message (the gospel truth) with parental heart (out of loving heart) v. 7. • It was delivered to them in Christ’s sacrificial love. V.8 (share with them not only the gospel but also their lives as well). • He did it in hard work day in and day out. V. 9 and in much affliction (toil and hardship). • Even the beneficiary (the Thessalonians in v. 10) were the witness of Paul and his company’s hard work to spread the gospel among them. • They did it in more intimate way – encouraging, comforting and urging them to live lives worthy of His callings in v. 12. ( helping others to be mature in the Lord).

7. Dig • The outcome of the blossom of the gospel: - the Thessalonians joyfully received His word not as from men, but from Him. V.13. - Their faith grew so strong that they became examples of other churches far beyond. (in Judea – the head quarter) in v. 14. - They also stood the tests of persecutions not from without but within. ( Jews and prophets in v. 15.) - They recognized who the real boss is, i.e. the judgment of the Lord in v. 16b.

8. Dig • Paul was encouraged and he wanted to be able to visit them again in v. 17. • However, even he understood Satan was in his way to stop his visit to encourage the suffering church in v.18, he confirmed that what really mattered to him was them, the church of Thessalonians (in v. 19). • His investment to them was worthy it all because they would be the one for Paul to bring them before Christ when he met with Him (v.20)

9. What’s our investment for our lives? • Pause a moment to reflect what our investment for our lives is. • Why are we studying hard? Is it for us to be rich and famous? Or is it for us to have our own family’s being later on? • Or, is it for the Lord? • One day we’ve to stand before Him to give an account of how we use what He has given to us as a steward. Roman 14:12, II Corinthians 5:10.

10. To sum up: • Paul’s investment for his life is: Others to come to know Him through His word (the gospel and the scripture). His working hard for it is to please Him (not using flattering word or pleasing men). Helping others to grow to be mature Christians in the Lord like parental, Christ sacrificial love without selfish agenda. After all what we can bring to Him is nothing but the joy of bringing others to Him when we see Him one of these days.