Lord, we pray that You would strengthen us through Your Word, that we would become people that share the gospel with others, not in condemnation and judgement, but with the grace, love and compassion that Christ has shown to us. That we would be encouragers to those who are struggling, rather than being critical. Help us to lead others to Christ by our example and not just our words.
As your pastor, I am deeply concerned about the well being of all of you. However, I
am most concerned with your spiritual needs, though I am also aware of the
social needs. God will not allow a man that He has placed within a
congregation to go on unconcerned about their needs. When a man reaches
the place that he loses his concern for those he serves, it is probably time to seek the
Lord about another place of ministry. This is particular to the heart
of a Man of God, however, all believers had ought to be concerned with the
well-being of the church. You do not need to be a pastor to seek the
welfare of the people of God.
I believe that the Apostle Paul certainly possessed a pastor’s heart. Even as he wrote this letter
to the church, he was not with them physically, but we can clearly see
that he still possessed a love for them only God could give. He had
already sought to encourage and challenge their faith, and now he bears
his soul unto the church. He speaks to them from the very depths of his
heart.
Open your Bibles with me if you will, to the Book of First Thessalonians chapter three. In our ongoing study of this wonderful epistle, we come to the third chapter, verses 1 through 13. We will try to cover all of them, however, as you know, since the Lord leads our messages, His schedule is often different than our plans. So, we'll see how it goes.
"
Therefore when we could endure it no longer, we thought it best to be left behind at Athens alone, and
we sent Timothy, our brother and God’s fellow worker in the gospel of
Christ, to strengthen and encourage you as to your faith, so that no one would be disturbed by these afflictions; for you yourselves know that we have been destined for this. For indeed when we were with you, we kept telling you in advance that we were going to suffer affliction; and so it came to pass, as you know. For this reason, when I could endure it no longer, I also sent to find out about your faith, for fear that the tempter might have tempted you, and our labor would be in vain. But
now that Timothy has come to us from you, and has brought us good news
of your faith and love, and that you always think kindly of us, longing
to see us just as we also long to see you, for this reason, brethren, in all our distress and affliction we were comforted about you through your faith; for now we really live, if you stand firm in the Lord. For what thanks can we render to God for you in return for all the joy with which we rejoice before our God on your account, as we night and day keep praying most earnestly that we may see your face, and may complete what is lacking in your faith?
Now may our God and Father Himself and Jesus our Lord direct our way to you; and may the Lord cause you to increase and abound in love for one another, and for all people, just as we also do for you; so
that He may establish your hearts without blame in holiness before our
God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all His saints."
Some 2,000 years ago, a community of Christ followers located in what is now
the country of Greece, experienced persecution by religious authorities
and ostracism from their own family members. No sooner had they trusted
Christ, than the bottom seemed to fall out of their lives. Some sought
solace in their suffering by turning to the Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. However, because they
were so young in their faith, these trials were causing some to doubt
and become disheartened and discouraged. This Christian community needed some
encouragement and a lot of intercession.
There comes a time, in the life of a believer, when all of us face the questions, what do I do when my world seems to be caving in around me? How am I to respond during difficult times? While it may not be from behind prison bars, or in public persecution and torment, we will certainly all go through deep
struggles and trials, eventually. When this does happen, everything we believe will be put
on the line, and our faith will be tested.
We see in verses 1 through 3, that our trials can often be unsettling. The Apostle Paul desperately wanted to go back and visit this young church, however, as we learned in our last message,
Satan had blocked him. Even here, he says that it was "best to be left
behind," while this, may sound at first glance, rather meaningless, is a actually, a very strong phrase. It is the Greek word "
kataleiphthēnai," which literally means, "to be
forsake." The Apostle Paul felt orphaned from his fellow
believers and so he did the next best thing. He sent Timothy, to
strengthen and encourage them in the midst of their trials.
The Greek word for unsettled, "astériktos," actually means to "unstable." It has the idea of being
so shaken by circumstances that you flop back and forth. The word "trial" means to be "under the thumb" of pressure. Many of you know from
first hand experience, what that feels like. I know some of you are going through some
unrelenting pressure right now, that it keeps you awake at night, and makes
you feel wiped out during the day, unable to face the challenges of a new, with new challenges.
I would like you to know this, our particular trial doesn’t matter as much as how you respond to it.
Often we focus intently on the details of our difficulties as if our
problem was the most important thing in the world. It may seem so at the
time, but it’s not really. God is much more concerned with how we
respond than with the trial itself. I'd like you to know, that whatever your particular struggle, God will take
care of what you go through; you take care of how you go through it. I want you to know that you don’t have to stay that way. It’s helpful to us to remember this next truth.
Verse 3, "so that no one would be disturbed by these afflictions; for you yourselves know that we have been destined for this"
The phrase “we have been destined” comes from the verb "keimetha," it means "to be laid on," which is a very strong way of saying "your hard times were
placed here by God." Persecution doesn’t happen by chance or without a purpose,
because suffering comes with the territory. This verse teaches that
trials are appointed by God, not by accident.
That means that whatever
trial or difficulty you are going through today has been designed specifically for
you by our loving heavenly Father. He appoints tough times for our good
and more importantly, for His glory. I want for you to understand that everything that comes to you, has
already passed through the hands of God and has received His stamp of
approval.
Verse 4 says, "For indeed when we were with you, we kept telling you in advance that we were going to suffer affliction; and so it came to pass, as you know."
While I know that some of you may regard this as a negative, however, to me it is a positive. It is far better
to anticipate being stretched than to think that life will always be a bed
of roses. This reminds me of someone I know, who once said that he doesn’t mind
obstacles as long as they don’t get in his way. This is not a realistic approach to the Christian life.
Trials are common in the life of every Christian. There is no one who is exempt; no
one gets a trouble-free ticket to heaven. In Matthew 24:9, Jesus put it this way, "Then they will deliver you to tribulation, and will kill you, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name." And, in I Peter 4:12, it says, "Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you." Suffering
is a mark of discipleship, something that is guaranteed for the
follower of Christ.
Beloved, despite what is often taught in the church today, the Christian life is not an escape or a quick fix. New Christians are sometimes
confused when they think that everything should go perfectly, that there
should be no more difficulties. Some believers may even wonder if it's
their fault, that maybe if they just had more faith, that hard times
would just go away. When you put your faith in Christ you will experience troubles and persecution. Paul told the Thessalonians ahead of time
that these problems would come.
I'd like you to notice that he "kept," telling them. This verb is in the continuous
tense, meaning we could translate it this way, "the warning was often on
our lips." He wanted them to be prepared so he kept telling them that
persecution was inevitable.
Acts 14:22
puts it succinctly: "strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying, “Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God."
In other words, to live
without suffering is to die without glory!
Paul tells us in verse 5, "For this reason, when I could endure it no longer, I also sent to find out about your faith, for fear that the tempter might have tempted you, and our labor would be in vain."
One of Satan’s primary tactics, is to "tempt" us to bail out on our faith, and ultimately, on God. We are tempted in several ways.
First, to
doubt God’s goodness. The tempter whispers in our ear that God has
forgotten us, that He doesn’t care, and that He isn’t good.
Next, is to retaliate against others with anger and resentment. This is one of
his favorite tactics when our hard times involve problems with friends
and family members.
Then, to give in to despair and discouragement.
Maybe you’re sick and your feeling as though life will never get better.
Perhaps you've been rejected by a loved one or a spouse and are feeling abandoned and alone. Or maybe you’ve lost a job and feel
that you’re not qualified to do anything else.
Paul was so worried that
these new Christians would crumble, that he sent Timothy to find out whether or not,
they were still standing strong. Trials can produce causalities, even for
the most faithful and courageous of Christians. Let’s be honest, it's often that under pressure we
can begin to lean toward bad habits, develop harmful attitudes, and slide down the
slippery slope of despair. However, we do not have to let problems prevail in
our life. We can overcome trials by faith!
In verse 6, "But now that Timothy has come to us from you, and has brought us good news of your faith and love, and that you always think kindly of us, longing to see us just as we also long to see you"
This is the only time Paul ever used the term "good news" outside of its
regular meaning of preaching the good news of the gospel. The message
about their spiritual status was so pleasing to Paul’s ears that it was
like hearing the Gospel all over again.
I'd like to draw your attention to something here, notice that Timothy was sent to find out about their faith. He
returns with a positive report about their faith and love. Their faith
was strong and sure. Their love for one another and for the lost was
evident.
Faith has its focal point toward God, while love is exhibited
to those around us. These believers loved God with everything they had
and they loved their neighbors as themselves. They were living out the
truth of
Galatians 5:6, "
For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything, but faith working through love." Faith working through love. What a beautiful truth!
In verse 7, Paul plainly says that we can overcome our trials by faith. "for this reason, brethren, in all our distress and affliction we were comforted about you through your faith;"
Faith in God’s Character—that He is good and makes no mistakes
Faith in God’s Word—that it is true no matter what happens to us
Faith in God’s Purpose—that He is conforming us to the image of Jesus Christ
Faith in God’s Promise—that He will never give us more than we can bear
Faith in God’s Presence—that He is with us in the darkest moments of life
Faith in God’s Power—that He can deliver us from every temptation
However, there
is one other kind of faith that will help us in hard times. That is the
shared faith of God’s people. The shared faith of God's people. This is so vital in the lives of believers, to share their faith, who are going through difficulties. As I have mentioned previously, so many
believers struggle, because they try to handle their problems alone. God never meant for you to walk through the lonely valley by yourself. Others will be encouraged as we stand firm.
Hebrews 10:24, "and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds."
In verses 8 through 10, "for now we really live, if you stand firm in the Lord. For what thanks can we render to God for you in return for all the joy with which we rejoice before our God on your account, as we night and day keep praying most earnestly that we may see your face, and may complete what is lacking in your faith?"
Here is a wonderful truth about trials. Though you may not realize it at the moment, someone is watching over you in the midst of your struggle. You also probably don’t realize, others are scrutinizing how
you go through your trial and they are drawing their own conclusions about you and
your faith. Whenever God uses a person
greatly, he is often one who has been hurt deeply.
We see that the Apostle Paul himself, drew strength from the courage of these new believers.
Although he had wanted to minister to them, by standing firm in hard
times they were ministering to him. Paul is saying, "I can face my
trials because I see how well you are doing in facing yours." In verse 9, he
thanked God for all the joy that the Thessalonians given to him.
Before we move to the final verses of chapter 3, allow me just point out a couple of observations.
Paul
cares deeply for believers in other churches as well as in other countries. I believe that this is a much needed word for us today, because American Christians, for the most
part, are focused almost completely on themselves and their needs. I also believe, that since God is a global
God, we all need to become worldwide Christians.
One practical way we can develop a "mission mindset" is by corresponding
with, and praying for, the believers that we support as a
church, as well as those who are part of the global Body of Christ. Not just in our own churches and in our immediate families.
Another way we can do this would be to pray for other believers as you read the
newspaper or watch the news on television. Perhaps, you can even write a note of encouragement to a persecuted
believer. You can send them to the persecuted churches
around the world. Because many so persecuted Christians feel a new sense of
support from their fellow believers, many are now publicly stating their
faith in Jesus in spite of the enormous risks. Your words are powerful, that can actually
encourage people to evangelize!
I'd also like to draw your attention to the fact, that Paul doesn’t pray for his trials to go away. Beloved, there are many Christian today, that do a lot of complaining with little suffering, when in many other countries,
there is much suffering with very little complaining! Since we have discovered that problems are
often part of God’s plan, Paul directs his prayers to other things. As
we focus on the persecuted church today, it’s amazing that when
believers going through trials are asked for their prayer requests, they
do not ask God for immediate rescue from their suffering. Instead, they
ask for boldness, grace to forgive, open doors, wisdom for ruling
authorities, growth of church leaders, and unity in the church.
I believe, that this is a very powerful lesson for me. When I’m going through something tough,
I often pray that God would just hurry and take me through it to the other side of the problem, rather than focusing on what may very well be His plan, right in the midst of it. While it’s good to pray
in faith that God would deliver us from difficulty, I want to able to learn to
pray, that God would teach me what He has me to learn through the
trial, especially if its something that He has designed specifically for me to
experience. I pray that you will all do the same.
In the first part of verse 10, we see "how" we are to pray for others. "as we night and day keep praying most earnestly..." I want you to notice, that Paul did not just sit down once in a while and pray occasionally. He was praying for these believers "night and day."
Corrie Ten Boom, who was held in a Nazi concentration camp, writes this about
prayer: "When a Christian shuns fellowship with other Christians, the
devil smiles. When he stops reading the Bible, the devil laughs. When he
stops praying, the devil shouts for joy." What a powerful truth for all of us to consider.
I would also like you to notice that way in which the Apostle Paul prayed for other believers. Paul uses a very unusual expression when he writes, "…we pray most
earnestly." It has the idea of going above and beyond all normal
measures. It can be translated, super abundantly. Our prayer life must be
earnest in order to be effective. I believe that weak, shallow, half-hearted prayers, merely produce
weak, shallow, half-hearted results.
God says in
Jeremiah 29:13, "
You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart." and
James 5:16 reminds us "
Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much."
I also want you to notice, that one of Paul’s requests, which hadn’t yet been answered, was very clear
in verse 10 and in verse 11, "…that we may see your face…Now may our God and Father Himself and Jesus our Lord direct our way to you." Paul had been blocked from coming but that didn’t prevent him
from praying. He knew that God could clear the way and He prayed that He
would do it.
Beloved, we should not be afraid to be specific in our prayers. We need tell God exactly what it is we’d like Him to do. Some of our prayers
are not answered, simply because we are not precise enough in our requests.
James 4:2, "…
You do not have because you do not ask."
The reason Paul wanted to visit these new believers was because he
wanted their faith to increase. Let's look at the last part of verse 10 again "…
and may complete what is lacking in your faith.” The idea of complete what was
lacking was used for mending torn nets and setting broken bones. He
used the same word in
Galatians 6:1 for restoring sinning saints and in
Ephesians 4:12 for equipping believers for the work of ministry.
Paul was committed to do all he could do to help Christians become more
committed. God evidently answered this request, because when Paul wrote
his next letter to them several months later in
II Thessalonians 1:3, he expresses his thankfulness "
We ought always to give thanks to God for you, brethren, as is only fitting, because your faith is greatly enlarged, and the love of each one of you toward one another grows ever greater."
Paul says in verses 12 and 13, "and may the Lord cause you to increase and abound in love for one another, and for all people, just as we also do for you; so that He may establish your hearts without blame in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all His saints."
Beloved, I believe that love is the mark of a successful church, and the only way to love is to
know the love of God. Paul’s concern is that their love for each other
would be so evident that it would splash over into others as well.
Notice that this love was not only to be directed to believers, but "for all people," meaning that we must love lost people as well. I believe this is severely lacking in many of our churches today, it has become more of an exclusive social club for the elite, rather than a place of refuge, a safe haven for the lost.
We must also pray that faith would mature, that love would increase, and that hope
would lead to holiness. Here we see Paul’s favorite trifecta again –
faith, love and hope, let's look at verse 13 again, "so that He may establish your hearts without blame in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all His saints."
We must pray that believers would live sanctified lives, that they would be
blameless, even when persecution becomes pervasive. The second coming of
Christ should have a purifying affect on our lives. Because we know, that He can come
at any given moment, we certainly ought to be ready!
In Closing...
Accountability is a little discussed subject in our churches today. I can assure you that I
am aware of it and am humbled by it. God has led me to pastor this ministry, and one day soon, I must stand before Christ to give account of my work in my ministry here.
As believers, I also need to be
remind all of you of your accountability before the Lord. If you are being spiritually fed by this ministry, you are
responsible to help support it in every way that you can. That does not always mean by way of financial support, though that is most certainly and greatly needed and appreciated. But also in praying for this ministry, for our fellow believers, and sharing the Word of God, with others, as you're able, leading them to Christ.
We must make it point to focus on believers who are being persecuted for
their faith. May I suggest something, I frequently do myself, I turn down the lights, in order to help me really get
a feel for what it must be like for many Christians, who are being persecuted around the world. Those who are being forced to have to read their Bibles in secret. What a lesson for all of us, pastors and believers alike, what many fellow believers go through just for the privilege of reading God's Word, something we so often, take for granted!
I believe in God's on a man’s life to pastor. The pastorate is not
something that a man chooses for himself but someone God chooses for His ministry. I believe this is the major issue in many churches today, that are lacking spiritually, because of the lack of spiritual leadership. Therefore many are facing significant decline in membership and attendance, because they
are being led of men who have no clear call of God. A man who is not
called will flee when danger comes. He will not lead in the interest of
the church or the will of God; he seeks his own good. A genuine shepherd
will continue to stand, preaching the truth, the whole council of God's Word and he will pray for and defend the sheep at all cost. He will seek their good above his own. This is what being a pastor requires, and this is I have been called to do in this ministry!
May it always be so...
And now may the Lord bless you and keep you;
the Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace.
Now and forever, in Jesus' name
Amen
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