MORE OR LESS
Part 3: More Giving Less Taking
Pastor Allen
2/25/2024
1 Thess. 2:2, 7a NLT: You know how badly we had been treated at Philippi just before
we came to you and how much we suffered there. Yet our God gave us the courage to
declare his Good News to you boldly, in spite of great opposition…As apostles of Christ
we certainly had a right to make some demands of you…
I. When a season feels like a wasted experience, give
more
Entitlement makes you bitter.
2 Encouragement makes you better.
1 Thess. 2:3–6, 7b NLT: So you can see we were not preaching with any deceit or
impure motives or trickery. For we speak as messengers approved by God to be
entrusted with the Good News. Our purpose is to please God, not people. He alone
examines the motives of our hearts. Never once did we try to win you with flattery, as
you well know. And God is our witness that we were not pretending to be your friends
just to get your money! As for human praise, we have never sought it from you or
anyone else…but instead we were like children among you. Or we were like a mother
feeding and caring for her own children.
II. When a season feels like wasted energy, give more
Empty hearts take credit.
Full hearts give praise.
1 Thessalonians 2:9–12 NLT: Don’t you remember, dear brothers and sisters, how hard
we worked among you? Night and day we toiled to earn a living so that we would not be
a burden to any of you as we preached God’s Good News to you. You yourselves are
our witnesses—and so is God—that we were devout and honest and faultless toward all
of you believers. And you know that we treated each of you as a father treats his own
children. We pleaded with you, encouraged you, and urged you to live your lives in a
way that God would consider worthy. For he called you to share in his Kingdom and
glory.
III. When a season feels like wasted effort, give more
to
Your efforts often come up empty to you.
Your efforts always come up worthy to God.
Other Scriptures Referenced: 1 Thess. 2:1, Hebrews 12:15b, 1 Corinthians 15:58, 1
Samuel 18:7–8, 10, Psalm 86:12, Ecclesiastes 2:1, Matthew 6:1, 4, Galatians 5:1