Motives for Our Service
1 THESSALONIANS 2:3-6a
MOTIVES FOR OUR SERVICE
The appeal we make does not spring from error or impure motives, nor are we trying to trick you. On the contrary, we speak as men approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. We are not trying to please men but God, who tests our hearts. You know we never used flattery, nor did we put on a mask to cover up greed — God is our witness. We were not looking for praise from men, not from you or anyone else.
| I |
don't care what your motive is, just so long as your message is right. Sentiments such as this are frequently expressed among God’s people. However, some motives are unworthy of the Gospel. Motives may be cheap, contemptible, shabby, shoddy, tawdry, trashy, whereas the Gospel is a costly message which required the death of God's only Son. Motives which are worldly and man-centred debase the divine message centred in God and for His glory, and lead to manipulative methods which treat people as objects to be employed to our own advantage.
Paul's enemies in Thessalonica accused him of being a cheap peddler of this new message. They said his only motive was to make money. In describing himself as a faithful administrator of the grace of God, he answered these critics; and Paul's readers knew that he told the truth. Track the phrase as you know or its equivalent throughout the letter [1:5; 2:1,5,11; 3:3,4; 4:2; 5:2]. Paul appealed to the witness of God and to the witness of the Thessalonians. He had a conscience clear before God and man [Acts 24:16].
We should benefit from a careful examination of the motives which lay behind Paul's service to the Thessalonians, as he outlined them for his readers. Thus will we equip ourselves to better serve both God and man, challenging our own motives for service bringing them into line with the divine will. Join me in an exciting search through these few verses as Paul demonstrates proper motives for our service.
Christian Service Must Be Motivated By Love for God. Paul insists that the missionaries were trying … to please … God. This desire to please God was the motivating force in their service to the Thessalonians. The sense of call with which they were imbued set them free from cowering before the censure of man. They were free.
Love frees. When we walk in love we are free of undue concern over censure, free of the crippling sense of insecurity which arises from questionable relationships, free of the hindrance of always wondering how our actions will be viewed or whether we will be accepted. One of the greatest things about a love relationship is the freedom to be ourselves. Even wakening to a "bad hair day," we know that we are accepted by the one who loves us. Our relationship with God and the service we offer Him is also something like that.
You will no doubt recall a promise which God has given to each Christian. The Apostle writes: God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind [2 Timothy 1:7 (nkjv)]. This is a favourite verse of mine, one which has stood me in good stead repeatedly throughout the years of my life. The verse has application in many situations, including times of stress and in situations demanding renewed efforts at service in difficult times.
In the immediate instance the verse speaks of the relationship we enjoy with God, a relationship which sets us free to serve both God and His people. We will not be condemned for service offered up in a spirit of love. We would not condemn our children for childish attempts to make a gift for us. Neither would we condemn them for the crudeness of their efforts. We know they love us and the expression of their love for us is their effort to provide us with some item they have made with their own childish efforts. Do you imagine that God would condemn His children for their efforts to please Him through service which may be less than perfect? The answer is self-evident. It is this knowledge that we are accepted by God and that we are acceptable in Christ which sets us free to offer our service to God. That, I contend, is a knowledge which is predicated on love.
What Christian can read that first chapter of Ephesians without thrilling to the message presented there? Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For He chose us in Him… In love He predestined us… In Him we have redemption … the forgiveness of sins… In Him we were also chosen [Ephesians 1:3-11]. Already we are blessed with every spiritual blessing. Already we are redeemed. Already we are forgiven. All this, and more, is because in love He predestined us. We enjoy God's love now.
I recall one occasion when my Saturday morning reverie was disturbed by a couple of people at my door. Their demeanour and dress coupled with the briefcase each wielded almost in a defensive manner identified them as members of a particular cult which has become almost ubiquitous throughout our world. Being less than ecstatic about the prospect of a prolonged discussion, I was less than my usual cheerful self as I answered their insistent ringing of the doorbell. Nevertheless, I did speak with them briefly, bearing witness to the freedom I have discovered in Christ.
At one point in the conversation, one of the cultists made the point that they worked hard, labouring to spread their message (a message I may interject which is guaranteed to enslave and destroy the soul of the unwary). They had visited many homes and had spoken to many people and, the speaker smugly added, they had never seen a Christian conducting similar labours. I dissented with the observation, noting that I often visited and had frequently visited door-to-door in starting churches, visiting in the course of the years thousands of homes each year. Furthermore, I pointed out that I was aware of many fine Christians who visited and who spoke often of their faith.
What was important, I stressed, was the motive for such service. They visited me out of fear and greed – fear that Jehovah God would be displeased if they failed to exert such efforts and greed in attempting to secure a better position in the world to come. By way of contrast, my fellow-Christians and I visited because we were already accepted by God and set free from fear. We reached out because of our love for God and not in craven fear of God; we witnessed because we wished to honour God's confidence in accepting us and not in order to manipulate God to secure a better future.
My dear flock, we are responsible to review our service, insuring that we serve out of love. We serve fellow believers because we love God; and loving God we cannot help but love those whom God has rescued and redeemed since we love one another knowing that love comes from God. Likewise, we are impelled to reach out to the lost because we are convinced of the truth that God loved the world so much that He gave His One and Only Son. Therefore love becomes the motivating force for our service as Christians.
I cannot permit the moment to pass without making an additional observation on the issue of love as a motivating factor in our service. Love is also a standard by which we are to gauge our actions. Increasingly am I aware of the strident voices of spokesmen ardently presenting positions crying out for isolation within the world. There is expressed what appears to be almost a siege mentality among a certain vocal faction within the Christian Faith. “Witches are taking over the nation”, “the Illuminati are in power”, “big government will stifle the Faith”, and a host of other cries of despair. While these observations could be reason for concern, almost invariably they conclude that because the days are evil we must "circle the wagons," withdraw into our enclaves, and assume defensive positions.
In such times when the faithful are prone to being stampeded, two observations are valuable in providing guidance for the child of God. The first is that any message which instils fear in our heart is not of God for God has not given us a spirit of fear. Mark it down that any message which concludes that we must tremble before the enemy is not of God. The second observation is simply that dark days provide the greatest opportunity for the light of Christ to shine. The Word of God is most emphatic in declaring that where sin increased, grace increased all the more [Romans 5:20]. Never will our light shine more brightly than when dispelling darkness and when reflected against the black backdrop of sin. Let the love of Christ shine through your life, refusing to give in to fear, for fear is not of God. Our service is offered out of love for Christ and for His people.
Christian Service Must Be Motivated By Fear of God. Superficially, this second point of the message appears contradictory to the first. How is it possible that at the same time we should fear one whom we love? The points appear to create a conundrum, an enigma, a puzzle. Or perhaps the preacher is confused, attempting to present and reconcile concepts which are diametrically opposed. The Word of God is quite clear, however, in issuing commands that we are responsible to both love God [e.g. Deuteronomy 6:5] and to fear God [e.g. Ecclesiastes 12:13]. There is no difficulty in maintaining these two positions simultaneously.
Paul appealed to God in attesting that the missionaries resorted neither to flattery nor did they attempt to be something other than what they were in an effort to mask greed [verse five]. In short, the Apostle is stating that the missionaries feared God. In their minds the missionaries held God in awe and were thus able to appeal to Him as a witness to their motives. When Paul states that the missionaries were entrusted with the Gospel [verse four], he acknowledges that God is the greater who assigns tasks and the missionaries are but servants entrusted with a charge.
I was fortunate to be raised by a Christian father. I am quick to state that I loved my dad deeply; and though his home going occurred nearly nineteen years ago, I miss him terribly. I look forward with anticipation to that glorious day of reunion which I anticipate shortly. There was a special relationship between us, a link of love. At the same time, I can assure you that I feared displeasing my father. I feared his displeasure not because he would punish me (although that was a given), but I feared displeasing him because I knew it would rupture the bond of love we enjoyed. I did not wish to sever the fellowship we shared, neither did I ever wish to hurt my father. This is a simple illustration, and one which pales in comparison to our relationship to our Heavenly Father. At once we love Him and we fear rupture of that special relationship we enjoy.
How do you view God? The motives for your service reveal your understanding of God. If you focus on your feelings, you will seek what you identify as a God of love; but understand that your definition of love will be distorted as you filter it through the lens of your fallen heart. If you focus on the glory of God, on the other hand, you will similarly seek a God of love. But in this instance, the God of love whom you seek if a God who loves you enough to change you into the image of His Son; and such change is never without distress to the natural man.
We have come to a day in the which love for God is emphasised at the expense of holy fear of God. The natural man has ever longed for comfort without conviction, heaven without holiness, redemption without regeneration, salvation without sanctification; and simply because we are believers does not mean that we are freed from this temptation to reduce God to our level. That God Who convicts of wickedness and Who commands holiness is a spectre striking terror in the heart of the man. It is one thing to seek a God of love, if we define love as the capacity to ignore our penchant for perversity; it is quite another thing to see God as awesome in holiness and righteousness. The former demands nothing of the natural man, and regeneration and sanctification are merely quaint concepts, relics of a bygone day. The latter demands submission and consideration.
Perhaps you will remember the account which tells of David's efforts to bring the ark of God to Jerusalem? You will find the account in 2 Samuel 6:1-22. God had commanded that the ark be transported on the shoulders of the Levites. There was no provision for another means of transportation. But David, perhaps in his haste to accomplish the removal of the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem, set the ark on a cart drawn by oxen. Nearing the city, the cart perhaps hit a rough spot in the road, and Uzzah reached out to steady the ark to prevent it from falling from the cart. Judgement was both swift and severe: God struck him down and he died there beside the ark of God [2 Samuel 6:7b].
What I would have you see is David's reaction. Verse nine states that David was afraid of the LORD that day and said, 'How can the ark of the LORD ever come to me. In that one act God had convincingly revealed that He is a holy God and a God capable of judgement. Such a God demands respect. A God who will not overlook our presumption and who will hold us accountable terrifies and awes us. What sort of God is this? We do well to remember that He is awesome and not to be trifled with.
On the Island of Patmos, John heard a loud voice issuing commands. Turning to see who spoke, he saw the Risen Son of God. Remember that this is the same John who leaned on Jesus' breast at the Last Supper. This is the same disciple whom Jesus loved. Yet, confronted by the Risen Lord in all His glory, John's reaction was immediate fear. When I saw Him, I fell at His feet as thought dead [Revelation 1:17a].
How casual we have become in our treatment of the Living God, of the Risen Christ! How relaxed when we ought to hold Him in awe in our hearts. Ask yourself when you last trembled at the thought of judgement. When did you last quake at the thought of God’s awesome presence? When did you last know that God was present at worship and find your breath catching in your throat? How casual we have become!
I seriously doubt that anyone will be great in the work of God, I question whether anyone can produce a work which will long endure, who fails to fear God. I do not mean that we are to cower before Him, but if we truly understood His glory and His greatness, we would tremble at the knowledge that He shall examine our hearts.
Christian Service Must Reveal Pure Motives. Paul, appealing to the Thessalonian Christians, notes that the goal of the missionaries was not to please men, but rather to please God who tests our hearts. In other words, although the service the missionaries presented was founded upon a love relationship, there was always the knowledge that God reviewed motives. I suspect that this fact is either ignored or neglected in this day. There is an accounting which each Christian shall give when the secrets of the heart will be revealed. Paul spoke of that judging in his second Corinthian letter.
We make it our goal to please Him whether we are at home in the body or away from it. For we must all appear before the judgement seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad [2 Corinthians 5:9,10]. Sobering thought, that! Other translations powerfully drive the though home. Listen to a few translations. We must all have our lives laid open is the way in which the New English Bible reads. Moffatt’s translation reads that we have all to appear without disguise. We must all appear in our true characters is the way in which the Twentieth Century New Testament treats the verse. Eugene Peterson in The Message says: Sooner or later we’ll all have to face God, regardless of our conditions. We will appear before Christ and take what’s coming to us as a result of our actions, either good or bad. God Who knows the heart will scrutinise our actions and reveal our motives in that day when we stand before His judgement seat.
In an earlier letter to the same congregation the same Apostle revealed that at His coming the Lord will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men's hearts [1 Corinthians 4:5]. In short, we shall stand as open books before the judgement seat of Christ. Without pretence, every motive for service shall be exposed by Christ for all the assembled saints of God to see. Sobering thought indeed! What changes do you imagine would be brought about in our service to Christ if we actually understood and were convinced of the truth that the LORD searches every heart and understands every motive behind the thoughts [1 Chronicles 28:9b]!
We need not imagine that judgement awaits that day, for we know that the Word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart [Hebrews 4:12]. Though I may momentarily mislead others and though I may serve with masked motives, the Word of God is continually exposing my motives as I read it. That is one reason why it is common for those turning from active pursuit of God to shortly surrender regular reading of the Word. It is not merely that they have lost their taste for the Word, they are condemned by the Word. Thoughts and attitudes are exposed, and that is always painful. Likewise, those who begin to travel paths leading into error and disaster will shortly begin to ignore the Word of God, inventing fanciful fables in the place of the revealed Word of God.
Scope in on the disturbing thought of exposure of our motives now. It is, according to Paul, God who tests our hearts. Though we concur with Jeremiah that the heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure [Jeremiah 17:9] we are not in despair because we likewise acknowledge that the Word of God … judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart [Hebrews 4:12]. As Christians we encourage the submission of our motives to the examination of the Word of God. Through reading the Word and through meditating in the Word we are forced to confront the secret motives of our hearts. Though painful, the action has the effect of purifying our motives and purposes and prayers.
Service for God motivated by love sets us free, whereas service for God motivated by fear of God lends meaning to our actions. We offer up our service because we love Him and we are free of condemnation. We offer up our service because we fear Him and acknowledge that He alone is worthy to be served. The two concepts, seemingly so diverse in their implication, insure that we are neither lazy nor enslaved. The two concepts serve to balance one another, giving at once freedom and meaning in our service to His cause and to His Name.
Now, let's bring the message to a meaningful conclusion. You who are faithful in attendance at the services of the saints, why do you attend the worship of your congregation? Why do you go to church? You who are members of this assembly, why did you unite with this congregation? The challenges of service, and they are multitude, and the needs which you endeavour to meet, why do you want to serve, meeting those needs? Probe for a moment to expose the motives of your heart, and I trust that you will shortly discover that it is out of love for God that you serve. I further trust that it is because you have discovered Him to be the great and awesome God of glory that motivates you to serve His people. It is to honour Him, to glorify His Name, that you invest your life in service to Him.
When every motive lies open and revealed for review, do you discover some less than honourable motives lying behind the service offered to Him? Those lesser motives, whether advancing our own interests or advancing the interests of others, must be recognised as inferior, meriting only ruthless rejection. The secret desire for recognition, the longing to be flattered as diligent or as being of great value to the ministry in the estimate of others, must be ruthlessly refused as of no lasting worth before God. The secret desire to be seen as essential to the advance of the labours of the church must be exposed as inferior to the desire to please God and to honour Him. The secret purpose of opposing the work of God’s appointed leadership dishonours Christ and must be refused since it is unworthy of His Name.
Let us encourage one another to love God even more deeply and with even greater devotion than we have shown in the past. Let us encourage one another to fear God, speaking often of His greatness and telling of His power. Let us ever strive to exalt the Name of the Lord our God, serving Him with pure motives of which we need never be ashamed, knowing that our motives lie open before His gaze.
To the outsider, you can never hope to offer service acceptable to God. Your every effort is contaminated and detestable in His sight. Will you not see that it is only as the Spirit of God directs and empowers you that you may serve God acceptably. Therefore, we warn you to now flee to Christ the Lord, calling on His Name that you might find mercy and life. Amen.
We make it our goal to please Him whether we are at home in the body or away from it. For we must all appear before the judgement seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad [2 Corinthians 5:9,10].
We must all have our lives laid open is [New English Bible].
We have all to appear without disguise [Moffatt].
We must all appear in our true characters [Twentieth Century New Testament].
Sooner or later we’ll all have to face God, regardless of our conditions. We will appear before Christ and take what’s coming to us as a result of our actions, either good or bad [The Message].