1 Thessalonians 3
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A helper is sent (v1-5)
A helper is sent (v1-5)
The focus of this chapter is “establish” (vv. 2–3, 8, 13). Christians go through times of testing and affliction (vv. 3, 5); and unless they are established in the Lord, they will be upset by the devil, this can be especially true concerning new and young believers. Jesus addressed this, and the importance of being ‘established’, or having good deep roots, in Matthew Ch. 13
5 Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth:
20 But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it;
21 Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.
We must understand the importance of establishment as the Word tells us. People getting saved and converted is great, but evangelism is just one part of the body of Christ. After said conversion, it is VERY important that baby Christians are nurtured and rooted in the foundational doctrine of the apostles.
So what did Paul do to establish these Thessalonian Christians? brings us to v1..
1 Wherefore when we could no longer forbear, we thought it good to be left at Athens alone;
The therefore referring to the end of Ch.2 (v17-20) where Paul is expressing his great love for these believers and desire to see them, and their spiritual state being his joy. Paul had a genuine pastor’s heart, wanting to know where his brothers and sisters were at in the LORD.
2 And sent Timotheus, our brother, and minister of God, and our fellowlabourer in the gospel of Christ, to establish you, and to comfort you concerning your faith:
This sending Timothy to Thessalonica was a sacrifice on Paul’s end, Timothy was a great help to Paul in many ways. But Paul knew the importance of strengthening the Church and he knew who to send for the job.
In Paul’s mind, Timothy had the credentials needed to be the right man for the job. It’s important to take note of this, you shouldn’t send an immature and unstable believer to go establish other young believers.
This may also be because other NT scriptures give reference to the fact that Timothy’s young age and possible timidness may have been questioned by other believers
Paul seems to go above in beyond in his description of Timothy here to make sure everyone knew he had Paul’s backing 100%
3 That no man should be moved by these afflictions: for yourselves know that we are appointed thereunto.
4 For verily, when we were with you, we told you before that we should suffer tribulation; even as it came to pass, and ye know.
For those taking notes, Acts 17:1-10 describes Paul’s visit to Thessalonica, and although it is commonly believed his visit was fairly short, he still ministered many foundational truths to the church, one of them being the appointment Christians have with suffering.
So we already covered that a main reason Timothy was sent was to establish these believers, one part of that establishing was comforting them through the afflictions they were experiencing.
This is why I opened up with the parable of the seed and different soils, if there are not deep roots, when trials come, people are moved by the afflictions. Paul had the wisdom to act on this, and apparently had already taught them when he was first there, that afflictions and trials are something we are appointed to.
In fact, the book of Hebrews tells us that suffering was a tool used to even teach our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! How much more so for our learning, strengthening and growth?
10 For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.
8 Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered;
In another letter, Paul, expressing his desire to know Christ, said this:
10 That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;
Some may argue this doctrine, especially in today’s day and age where we just want to hear the good happy feeling stuff. Don’t talk to me about suffering being a part of God’s plan for my life! Well to not do so would endanger many’s faith.
Just had a great talk with my wife about ‘is this bad? is this ok? is this bad?’ ultimately the conclusion I figured was the problem is in the heart of man, that’s what’s bad!
AW Tozer once said “It is doubtful that God can use any man greatly, until He has allowed that man to suffer deeply”
Please realize with me the purpose of trials and troubles. If i’m driving down the road and hit a bump, my coffee gets spilled all over, you see the bump in the road didn’t create or cause my coffee to be there, it simply BROUGHT OUT what was already in there.
Same idea with trials, we can tend to blame any and everyone else, like;
“oh they said this to me and that’s why I got so angry”
“or they did this to me and that’s why I got mad”
see the common theme is blaming others, when REALITY is, that anger or hatred or whatever, fill in the blank, the evil was already in our hearts, that certain situation just simply brought it out.
It’s like one time a lady told her pastor she had a mouth problem, always cussing and what not, road rage… no you have a mouth problem, because from the abundance....
So we must see the NEED for affliction in our lives
Some believe affliction means God is angry at the believer, perhaps there’s some sort of sin in their life that needs to be dealt with. From here we could go and do a major study of the entire book of Job.
But the truth is affliction means God loves us enough to give us what’s best, not what’s easiest.
God loves you enough that He would rid all the impurities out of you, even though it may sting for a moment, so that He presents you to Himself glorious, for eternity.
Why did Paul boast in his weaknesses? There was definitely trouble inwardly, in fact he describes it as a tormenter from Satan concerning his thorn in the side. But it’s the humility through the suffering that allows GOD to display HIS MIGHTY POWER AT WORK IN A MAN.
See it’s good when God takes a person and brings them to nothing, or what He does frequently is takes and uses a nobody, a down and out used to be drug addict, the lowly. It is necessary that we be brought low, because ALL THE GLORY OUGHT TO BELONG TO JESUS CHRIST!!
Let me ask you, what is the symbol of Christianity??
It’s a cross, not a feather bed.
Therefore affliction is just another part of following Jesus...
14 Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.
15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.
16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
5 For this cause, when I could no longer forbear, I sent to know your faith, lest by some means the tempter have tempted you, and our labour be in vain.
We can see Paul’s heart here, he couldn’t stand not knowing the spiritual condition of those he counted as his own children in the faith, so he sent his right hand man, to establish and comfort them, exhorting them in the Word of God and reassuring them in the truth, ultimately that Timothy would come back to Paul to let him know how things were going.
Word is brought back (v6-10)
Word is brought back (v6-10)
6 But now when Timotheus came from you unto us, and brought us good tidings of your faith and charity, and that ye have good remembrance of us always, desiring greatly to see us, as we also to see you:
7 Therefore, brethren, we were comforted over you in all our affliction and distress by your faith:
8 For now we live, if ye stand fast in the Lord.
It’s cool how we can see here that Paul Silas and Timothy served as encouragement to the Thessalonican church, yet now the report of their good spiritual state served as encouragement to these older ministers/apostles. It’s a two way street.
It’s not just the young believers who needed comfort through their distress, as you can see Paul’s words in v7, they also brought him comfort through his distress.
v8 is a good one, it’s all summed up in just a few words.
9 For what thanks can we render to God again for you, for all the joy wherewith we joy for your sakes before our God;
10 Night and day praying exceedingly that we might see your face, and might perfect that which is lacking in your faith?
We know from Acts 17 and the context here, that Paul preached the gospel and taught the Word to these Thessalonians, he laid the foundation, but the work of a minister, in fact the work of any of us Christians, does not end there. Paul continued serving these Thessalonian Christians, even though he was not in their presence. How? Through prayer, perhaps the most powerful yet most overlooked force in the ministry/church. The Christian worker who talks to God about his people, and then talks to his people about God, will have a balanced and established ministry.
A reminder of Christ’s return (v11-13)
A reminder of Christ’s return (v11-13)
11 Now God himself and our Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ, direct our way unto you.
12 And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men, even as we do toward you:
13 To the end he may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints.
Notice the God-Father and Lord-Jesus are one in the same, equality.
This love begins in the family of God, in fact is an identifier of Christians as Jesus said in John 13.35, yet is shallow if it stays there, our love should abound toward one another as well as toward all men, because Jesus also teaches us that love is shallow if it is only for those who love us back.
and finally, being established unblameable in holiness, again, this blows me away how God can do this...
Holiness meaning set apart for God, the holy person is separated, away from the domination of sin and the world’s influence, and unto the Lord Jesus Christ and His Word and influence.
What can lead to this unblameable holiness is why Paul then brings up Jesus’ return.
The theme of both epistles to the Thessalonians is the second coming of Christ. No truth establishes the believer faster or better than this one. In the midst of testing and tribulation, these believers could assure and encourage themselves with the promise of His coming. When temptations came their way, as they did daily in those heathen cities, they could keep themselves clean by remembering that Christ might come that very day.
5 But the Jews which believed not, moved with envy, took unto them certain lewd fellows of the baser sort, and gathered a company, and set all the city on an uproar, and assaulted the house of Jason, and sought to bring them out to the people.
6 And when they found them not, they drew Jason and certain brethren unto the rulers of the city, crying, These that have turned the world upside down are come hither also;
7 Whom Jason hath received: and these all do contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, one Jesus.
13 But when the Jews of Thessalonica had knowledge that the word of God was preached of Paul at Berea, they came thither also, and stirred up the people.
Here we see a little bit of what was probably a continuous persecution going on in this area, perhaps the afflictions Paul refers to that these guys were dealing with.
Paul’s closing remarks focus on the return of our Lord Jesus Christ
No truth in the Bible has a greater effect on the believer’s heart, mind, and will than the truth of the second coming of Christ.
Read Luke 12:42–48 to see what happens to the servant who forgets the coming of Christ. This man did not say anything openly; he merely said in his heart, “My Lord has delayed His coming!” He did not love Christ’s appearing. Is it any wonder this servant backslid? Christians are supposed to be blameless and harmless (Phil. 2:15). This does not mean they are sinless, for perfection is not possible until Christ returns. The little child, copying his name on the blackboard, does not perform faultlessly, because he is only a child; but if he does the best he can, he is blameless. If we live up to the light God has given us and seek to grow in Him, we can live lives that are blameless in God’s sight.
The daily expectancy of Christ’s return will help the believer keep his or her life clean
BENEDICTION
28 And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming.
29 If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that every one that doeth righteousness is born of him.
1 Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.
2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.
3 And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.
ASK Dean to pray
