Sermon Tone Analysis

INTRODUCTION

When You’re Here, You’re Family

Does anybody recognize this slogan?

What are they trying to convey with this slogan?

The Bible talks about a church being like a family.

Last week we saw Paul using images of the family, with a mother nurturing her baby, and a father teaching his children.

Do you think this is how most Christians see the church today?

Why or why not?

Today, as we continue in 1 Thessalonians, we are going to see how Paul exemplified a committed love to the Thessalonians, when he couldn’t be personally among them.

We will be going through 1 Thessalonians 2:17-3:5.

The first emphasis we are going to see from Paul, is that as Christians…

We Long For One Another

1 Thessalonians 2:17-18 “But since we were torn away from you, brothers, for a short time, in person not in heart, we endeavored the more eagerly and with great desire to see you face to face, because we wanted to come to you—I, Paul, again and again—but Satan hindered us.”

EXPLAIN

Paul and his companions had been “torn away” from the Thessalonians.

They had not left by their own will.

We remember from Acts 17, that they preached there for 3 weeks, until some jealous Jews set the city in an uproar to try and stop them from preaching the gospel.

The people and the city authorities were disturbed, and sensing the seriousness of the situation, the believers sent Paul and Silas away for their own safety.

Paul wants to defend himself against anyone who might be accusing him of leaving them high and dry.

He hadn’t left willingly, but by force.

His original intention was not to leave so quickly, but to stay and support them.

To be there long enough to establish them firmly in their faith.

He is essentially saying, “I wouldn’t have left so quickly if I didn’t have to.”

APPLY

Christian’s cherish time with one another.

You’ve probably heard the saying, “If you want it, you’ll have to pry it from my cold, dead hands.”

Or maybe the saying, “You’ll have to kill me first!”

What do these sayings mean?

We love or cherish something so much, that we are unwilling to give it up.

We would be willing to die for it.

This is how we ought to view our time with fellow believers.

We should cherish the time that we get to spend with one another.

We do this because of the value that it brings to our lives.

We receive encouragement from one another.

We keep each other accountable.

We sharpen one another.

We can confess sin to one another.

We can help and pray for one another.

When we really live out and understand the blessings of living in community with one another, we will cherish the time we have together.

We will guard and preserve it.

We will look forward to it.

If you want to take it from me, “You’ll have to pry it from my cold, dead hands!”

Is this how most Christians think of their fellow brothers and sisters in Christ?

Why or why not?

What needs to change?

EXPLAIN

Paul says we were torn away from you, then he says, “for a short time, in person not in heart”

They had been separated physically, but not spiritually.

Paul was still connected to them through the power of the Holy Spirit.

He still thought of them, and prayed for them, becuase he was concerned for them.

Back in 1:2-3 Paul says:

1 Thessalonians 1:2-3 “We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly mentioning you in our prayers, remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Just because they were not together physically does not mean they couldn’t minister to one another.

They had no instant communication the way we do, and so the only way they could communicate was by letter.

But they could lift one another up in prayer, to God who sees, cares for, watches over, and listens to our prayers.

APPLY

Christians pray for one another.

As children of God, we are part of the same family, so we are connected through Christ.

We no longer think only about ourselves, but others.

Philippians 2:3-4 “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.

Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.”

Even though we are separated throughout the week, God brings other people to our mind, and we can pray for them.

This takes intentionality on our part.

We must train our brain to think of others, because it naturally reverts to self-preservation.

You can set reminders, have prayer lists or cards, but you have to be intentional.

We also must know others well enough to know what’s going on in their lives, so that we have things we can pray intentionally for.

When we do, God will bring those things to mind from time to time.

Have any of you experienced a time when God brought someone to mind and you were able to pray for them?

Or someone thought of you and reached out and let you know they were praying for you?

EXPLAIN

Then Paul says, “we endeavored the more eagerly and with great desire to see you face to face, because we wanted to come to you—I, Paul, again and again—but Satan hindered us.”

Paul, again, wanting to protect his motives from those who wanted to slander him, emphasizes his desire to come and see them time and time again, but he was prevented from doing so by Satan.

His desire was to come and see them.

He longed to be with them to help and support them.

He was faithful to pray for them while not with them, but he recognized it was far better to be face to face!

Paul understood that true spiritual formation happens when we are face to face with one another.

APPLY

Christians long to be together.

At the beginning of Covid we were forced to be separated.

At our church in Kentucky, we did church online, and small groups online.

We were thankful for the technology to meet at all, and I’m sure Paul would have loved to be able to have it in his day, but it was just not the same as being together with one another.

Drinking coffee together, worshiping together and hearing one another’s voices, talking after the service, hearing and seeing kids running around...

These are all wonderful parts of being in community together.

It makes it feel like family.

Have you had a time when you couldn’t be in church?

How did that feel?

What did you miss?

We Boast in One Another

1 Thessalonians 2:19-20 “For what is our hope or joy or crown of boasting before our Lord Jesus at his coming?

Is it not you?

For you are our glory and joy.”

EXPLAIN

Here, Paul wants to show the pride he takes in the Thessalonians.

He wants them to know how valuable they are to him.

The way he does this is by drawing their mind to the second coming of Christ.

When Jesus returns, what do you think we are going to boast about?

Our accomplishment?

All the places we traveled?

All the beatings I took?

All the hunger we endured?