Paul’s Pastoral Charge: Encouraging Faith and Readiness

``So what should we do? We should live so that whatever we're doing, we wouldn't be ashamed for Jesus to come at that moment. Do you ever think about that? Do ever think about what do you wanna be doing when Jesus suddenly in the twinkling of an eye appears in the sky? I think about that. Of course, we don't say, well, I wanna be reading my bible and praying or something. You know, what what if I'm what if I'm playing pickleball? Is that okay? Well, of course, it is. It's a part of life. Whatever we're doing, do it in such a way that you would not be ashamed for Jesus to come. [01:26:01] (43 seconds)  #ReadyForJesus

``Then the holy spirit, God the holy spirit begins to do his work of enlightening and opening the mind and the heart of the reader and the listener to hear the good news of Jesus Christ and respond, to hear what the bible is saying and respond respond. I like what John MacArthur said years ago when he talked about preaching. He said, I'm like a waiter in a restaurant. He said, I just take the food out of the kitchen and I try to get it to the table without messing it up. That's what I do with the bible. I open it. I read it. I explain it. I try to get it to you without messing it up. That's the role of a pastor. [01:06:49] (39 seconds)  #ServeTheWord

``The answer to that is no. Not at that point. Not at that point. His his suffering was to atone for our sins. Right? That's what Jesus suffered for, to atone for our sins. And his sufferings fully and completely with nothing else that needed to be added atoned for our sins. He paid the penalty for our sins. There is nothing that we, that Paul or us or anybody can do to add to the sufferings of Jesus that would help us find salvation apart from Jesus. No. Jesus did it all. Amen. [01:16:56] (47 seconds)  #ChristPaidItAll

``It comes from the Greek verb parakaleo, which means to call alongside, to call alongside. It was used of an attorney in a in a court of law who would come alongside someone perhaps in their defense in the court of law and help them and counsel them and encourage them and exhort them in every way. That's what the Holy Spirit does for us. And here Paul uses that word. The word exhort means it is the Greek word parakaleo. He's sending Timothy to come alongside them, to encourage them, to exhort them, and establish them in their faith. So first of all, Paul is concerned to encourage their faith. [00:55:04] (49 seconds)  #CalledAlongside

``And I remember that day when I was in seminary as I was reading through them and planning to become a pastor. It was like that verse just jumped off the page at me, and it was it was as if the Lord were speaking to me and saying, that's it. That's what preaching is. That's what I want you to do. What was it? To read from the book, to explain it, give the sense so that the people understand it. That's the role of a pastor in preaching. It's not my role as a pastor to try to talk you into anything. My role is to preach the word of God to you. And what happens when the word of God is preached? [01:06:05] (44 seconds)  #PreachToClarify

``No. Sometimes they weren't playing together happily and joyfully. But when they are were playing together, that just filled our hearts. We we were we were warmed and filled as the scripture says when we saw that kind of thing with our children. That's what Paul is experiencing. Like like a loving father or parent, he's he's caring for this church in Thessalonica, and they are standing firm. They're standing fast as the scripture says in the truth of God's word. That's what a pastor does for a flock. [01:01:48] (35 seconds)  #PastoralCare

``What is the best thing that could be said about Watermark Church? I believe it's that people would say, that church looks like Jesus, growing in the maturity of Jesus Christ. That's what the role of the pastor is. Now, what is the worst thing for a pastor? The worst thing for a pastor is that after he has done this, to hear that his church is not living it out in their lives. [01:12:39] (32 seconds)  #ChurchThatLooksLikeJesus

``He paid the penalty for all of our sins. Every single sin, Christian, that you have ever committed was forgiven at the cross of Jesus Christ. And you can be blameless before him when he comes again because of what he has done for you. [01:25:38] (22 seconds)  #ForgivenAndBlameless