Thessalonians (5)
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Encouragement during distress
Encouragement during distress
6 But now that Timothy has come to us from you, and brought us good news of your faith and love, and that you always have good remembrance of us, greatly desiring to see us, as we also to see you—
7 therefore, brethren, in all our affliction and distress we were comforted concerning you by your faith.
8 For now we live, if you stand fast in the Lord.
9 For what thanks can we render to God for you, for all the joy with which we rejoice for your sake before our God,
10 night and day praying exceedingly that we may see your face and perfect what is lacking in your faith?
11 Now may our God and Father Himself, and our Lord Jesus Christ, direct our way to you.
12 And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love to one another and to all, just as we do to you,
13 so that He may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints.
Intro: This past January was 14 years since I was called to be the pastor of PGBC.
Most that time I worked part time jobs. Ernie. Pressure washer. Forest Meadows. 3 1/2 years ago I started full time.
This is not a feel sorry for me. It has not been easy. Elab.
I feel like I have not done as much as I should have for the church.
I praying to start working part time. Mon - Thurs.
It going to be like hitting the restart button.
Some things have happened recently that had encouraged me.
Ms Jackie
Gordon
Ms Janet.
Elab Ladies ministry.
We will be starting other ministry teams as we grow, and as I pray and God leads.
For someone to be a leader of a ministry, someone who is faithful. That ministry has to be the top priority of other things you do.
People who are not negative.
I’m asking you to pray for me as I seek God direction.
Paul had started a church. (the church is the people) They had been under persecution and affliction.
They may lost their jobs, family and friends turned against them.
Paul’s concern they they would give up, give in, that they would compromise.
Look ate VS 5 from last week.
5 For this reason, when I could no longer endure it, I sent to know your faith, lest by some means the tempter had tempted you, and our labor might be in vain.
But Paul had also warned them about the very thing they were going through.
Paul sends Timothy
2 and sent Timothy, our brother and minister of God, and our fellow laborer in the gospel of Christ, to establish you and encourage you concerning your faith,
This is where we pick up today in VS 6
Paul is writing to them about the report he recieved from Timothy about them. And it was a good report. It was a report that was encouraging to Paul.
6 But now that Timothy has come to us from you, and brought us good news of your faith and love, and that you always have good remembrance of us, greatly desiring to see us, as we also to see you—
“ Love”
Remember, we have to love one another. That’s not an option, that is a commandment.
They had a love for one another. Paul had a love for them.
They had a love for Jesus. That love for Jesus is what kept them going.
Their love for Jesus and longing for His return.
They had learned about this love from Paul when shared the gospel with them. They were transformed, and now that love was in them.
Everything Paul did was because love.
One of the main reason the Church of the Thessalonians was doing so well was because of their love for one another.
In this small letter we see the word Love 6 time. (Lets look at two verses)
12 And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love to one another and to all, just as we do to you,
9 But concerning brotherly love you have no need that I should write to you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another;
Their love was a real love.
And through this love their encouraged one another.
They helped one another.
To grow as a church, both in numbers,and spiritual we first have to love one another.
It has to be a real love. It can’t a, “well if God’s says I have to love you, then I’ll love you”
34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.
7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.
8 He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.
13 For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.
Thessalonians loved one another.
When Timothy returned, he met Paul at Corinth (Acts 18:5) and gave him the good news that things were going well at Thessalonica.
1 Thessalonians 3:6 (NKJV)
6 But now that Timothy has come to us from you, and brought us good news of your faith and love, and that you always have good remembrance of us, greatly desiring to see us, as we also to see you—
The phrase “brought us good news” is the same word used for the Gospel.” The report from Timothy was, to Paul, like hearing the Gospel.
Timothy reported that the new believers were standing firm in spite of persecution.
They did not believe the lies of the enemy.
They didn’t give in to the forces of evil.
Paul gets the “good new” Timothy, writes them a letter and it became Gods word.
We get encouragement through Gods word. But you have to spent time in it.
“Good news of your love and faith”
Good news of their “faith” their relationship with God.
Their faith was strong in spite of the persecution and affliction.
It brought Paul great joy knowing that the Thessalonians were staying strong in the faith. Knowing they had real love for one another.
It should bring us joy whey other Christians are going in their faith.
It should bring us joy knowing a fellow church remember is stepping out in faith and doing something that is out of their comfort zone.
Paul was so joyful.
7 therefore, brethren, in all our affliction and distress we were comforted concerning you by your faith.
because of this we were encouraged, brethren, in your every distress and crushing affliction, this encouragement finding its source in your faith
During the time Timothy was away Paul had been going through persecution and affliction.
Acts 18:1 (NKJV)
1 After these things Paul departed from Athens and went to Corinth.
This tells us where he was.
6 But when they opposed him and blasphemed, he shook his garments and said to them, “Your blood be upon your own heads; I am clean. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.”
Paul needed some good news, he needed some encouragement.
Do you ever have one of those days where you need some encouragement?
Look at verse 7 again.
7 therefore, brethren, in all our affliction and distress we were comforted concerning you by your faith.
7 Brethren, for this reason, in [spite of all] our stress and crushing difficulties we have been filled with comfort and cheer about you [because of] your faith (the leaning of your whole personality on God in complete trust and confidence).
Because of Paul's love for them, even when he himself was going through difficulties. Their joy brought him joy.
All true followers of Jesus are connected through the Holy Spirit.
15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep.
For Paul he is saying not matter what we have gone through, we are comforted because of your faith.
8 For now we live, if you stand fast in the Lord.
8 Because now we [really] live, if you stand [firm] in the Lord.
Stand fast is used 6 times in the N.T it means stand firm. One who keeps going, who doesn’t give up.
The word if here was not intended to question their stability; it was simply a reminder to them that his peace of mind depended on their bold stand for Christ.
Paul was saying, we can live, we find life, we find encouragement because you are growing in your faith, in our walk with Jesus.
Paul was going through persecution, affliction, he was getting beat down, run out of town. But he says, it’s well wroth to know that you are standing firm in your faith.
As a pastor of a church that is not going to ways of the world like many churches are doing.
As a church that stands on the truth of Gods word, with our compromise. And may get ridiculed for it.
But if the people of this church are going and standing firm in their faith, it is well worth it.
In Paul’s letters to the churches it writes to, he does it because he loves them.
He writes with joy when they have done good. But he also writes with some correction that is needed.
What if Paul was to write to the church in America today?
“I Paul faithful servant to the churches in America, I don’t even know where to begin”
The Thessalonians were doing Awesome.
9 For what thanks can we render to God for you, for all the joy with which we rejoice for your sake before our God,
Studying this week made me think of having joy for others.
As I see people in this church grow in their faith, it brings me joy.
I think of my pastor friend Joey Hay, who took a church that had been closed for 3 years and now has a church that is growing. That brings me joy.
As a Pastor I need to care how others are doing in the walk with Jesus.
I want to have the joy that Paul did.
As a church, it should bring us joy when other churches are doing well. (Now I mean Bible believing, gospel preaching churches)
Paul says, we have joy, we rejoice, before God for you.
Paul is rejoicing because of the faith and love they have.
10 night and day praying exceedingly that we may see your face and perfect what is lacking in your faith?
10 [And we] continue to pray especially and with most intense earnestness night and day that we may see you face to face and mend and make good whatever may be imperfect and lacking in your faith.
Paul prayed for them. Night and day.
They were doing great, but they had lot of growing to do. They were new Christians, they were ea new church.
They needed Paul, Paul needed them.
We need to be together to help one another in our walk with Jesus. (Fellowships)
This way its so important to be in church. We need to be around fellow followers of Jesus.
I need like minded pastor to be around to help me, and hopefully I can be a help to them.
See Paul wanted to be with, he sent Timothy, but there something about being with them.
When you have a real love for someone, you will want to be with them.
As brothers and sisters in Jesus, because we have love for one another, we should want to be together.
1 Thessalonians 3:11–13 (NKJV)
11 Now may our God and Father Himself, and our Lord Jesus Christ, direct our way to you.
12 And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love to one another and to all, just as we do to you,
13 so that He may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints.
VS 11 Paul’s prayer is that God will direct their way.
Our prayers need to be for God to direct our way.
VS 12
Love for someone has to be something the Holy Spirit gives us.
Because the Holy Spirit dwells in us, we can love one another. Paul’s pray is that, that love will increase and abound.
1 Thessalonians 3:12 (AMP)
12 And may the Lord make you to increase and excel and overflow in love for one another and for all people, just as we also do for you,
If we want to love one another. If we want to love others. (No matter you they are) we have to pray, love help me to do that which is not natural for me to do.
God commands us to love.....
God will give us the power to love.
Our love needs to be growing. We talk about growing in our faith, we need to grow in love.
And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love.
Paul has already commended for their love.
3 remembering without ceasing your work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of our God and Father,
Now he is praying that their love will increase and abound.
He wants their love to be over and above. To be over flowing.
Paul wanted their love for God to be so great that is would cause them to love others. So great that when people are around them, they feel that love.
Love people with what we say. Love people with what we do.
Love people by praying for them.
Pray that we as a church would be a church that loves.
Pray we will be a church that grows in love.
Our love need not to be just towards one another, but towards all people.
1 Thessalonians 3:12 (NKJV)
12 And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love to one another and to all, just as we do to you,
34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.
35 By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”
There should be evidence of God love in our lives.
We live in a hate filled world. And we as Christians have a great opportunity to allow Gods love to shine by our words and our deeds.
We live in a world where people feel hopeless. Our love through words and deeds can lead people to the hope in Jesus.
Do you know who Jesus loved? Those of us who are unworthy of His love.
13 so that He may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints.
13 So that He may strengthen and confirm and establish your hearts faultlessly pure and unblamable in holiness in the sight of our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah) with all His saints (the holy and glorified people of God)! Amen, (so be it)!
Some people are looking for haplessness in a church. But what we really need is holiness in a church.
26 And you shall be holy to Me, for I the Lord am holy, and have separated you from the peoples, that you should be Mine.
16 because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.”
God want to see holiness in our lives.
Holiness in our lives is so important in our lives.
Holiness in our lives is important because it will help us to love on aonther.
14 Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord:
God knows your heart. He knows your intentions.
If we want to grow in your faith. If you want to love one another and love others, holiness is a must.
None of us are perfect, none of us live without sin. But as we live are live before others, we need to live holy and blameless life. Elab why.
1 Thessalonians 3:13 (NKJV)
13 so that He may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints.
One day Jesus is coming back. We will stand before Him.
What is your life like here on earth?
As we live a Christian life, there will be of distress. Encourage one another, love one another.
Are you sure of Heaven?
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