Four Fruits of Cherishing Christ

Notes from Scott Sutton's sermon on Sunday, September 4, 2026.
Sermon text: 1 Thessalonians 2:9-12

1. Cherishing Christ Kills Cynicism

• Cynicism = only partially placing hope in the Gospel, doubting if the work is worth it...
• Paul’s team could have sulked after three weeks and getting run out of town, but didn’t...
• Key truths they held: “the Word never returns void,” “our labor was not in vain”
• In three weeks: a city went from no church to having one, no Gospel to sharing it

2. Cherishing Christ Increases Accountability

• Paul repeatedly invites them to recall: “you know,” “you remember how we were among you”
• Recounts specifics: not a burden, loved them, no dishonest gain, walked in uprightness
• Welcomed accountability by transparently recounting how he actually moved

3. Cherishing Christ Welcomes Risk

• Self-preservation abandoned
• Gospel work all day, tent-making in the evenings

4. Cherishing Christ Makes You Care Deeply About How Others Walk

• Not enough to make a proclamation or chalk up a conversion
• Already focused, within three weeks, on walking worthy of the kingdom
• Every life met with morning mercies, new ideas from God as opportunities for faith

Application:
“You can’t manage what you don’t measure; what gets measured gets improved”
Self-assess against the four fruits:
Is Christ killing cynicism in me?
Am I increasing in accountability?
Am I welcoming risk?
Do I care about how others are walking in faith?

Discipleship Questions:

1. How is Christ killing cynicism in you? Any residual that needs confessing?
2. How are you increasing in accountability?
3. How are you welcoming risk for the Gospel?
4. How are you investing in someone else's walk of faith?