Standing Fast in the Lord
Blameless at His Coming: A Sanctified Church Awaiting a Promised Savior • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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· 5 views(Main point: Sanctification helps us to be steadfast, waiting for the day of the Lord.) After Paul was run out of town, he was concerned about the Thessalonian church: Had they been taught enough? Would they persevere through trials and persecution? Would they remain faithful? Finally, Paul received word from Timothy that the church was in deed “standing fast in the Lord.” Paul prayed that they would continue to do so, “so that [they would] be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all his holy ones.”
Notes
Transcript
Introduction:
Introduction:
“About 40 million adults in America today used to go to church but no longer do, which accounts for around 16 percent of our adult population.”
* Do you know the number one reason evangelicals left?
* “they moved and didn’t find a new faith community”
Source: Davis, Jim; Graham, Michael; Burge, Ryan P.. The Great Dechurching: Who’s Leaving, Why Are They Going, and What Will It Take to Bring Them Back? (2023)
We all know “dechurched” people
the good news is, over half of them say they are willing to come back
some of them just need to be invited
But we also want to make sure this doesn’t happen in the FIRST PLACE
How can we make sure we are standing fast when the Lord comes?
How can we make sure we are standing fast when the Lord comes?
Not only YOURSELF personally
But what can you do to help others stand fast?
be faithful
not fall away
Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians can help
Review Paul’s History w/ Them:
Review Paul’s History w/ Them:
1 For you yourselves know, brothers, that our coming to you was not in vain. 2 But though we had already suffered and been shamefully treated at Philippi, as you know, we had boldness in our God to declare to you the gospel of God in the midst of much conflict.
At Philippi…(Acts 16)
Paul and Silas had been beaten
Arrested
Thrown in prison
From there, went to Thessalonica (Acts17)
people rioted
Paul and friends were essentially run out of town
“….we had boldness in our God to declare to you the gospel of God in the midst of much conflict.”
They knew what they were getting into from the beginning
13 And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers.
the word of God / the message / the truth about Jesus
But just because someone receives the word, doesn’t necessarily mean that they will hang onto it.
Luke 8:13–14 “13 And the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear the word, receive it with joy. But these have no root; they believe for a while, and in time of testing fall away. 14 And as for what fell among the thorns, they are those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature.”
14 For you, brothers, became imitators of the churches of God in Christ Jesus that are in Judea. For you suffered the same things from your own countrymen as they did from the Jews,
What was happening in Thessalonica was similar to what happened to the church in Judea
The church in Thessalonica was suffering the same thing
but had no apostles to help them
Paul knew what his children in the faith were enduring and facing and he was incredibly worried about them…
Paul’s Effort to Encourage Them
Paul’s Effort to Encourage Them
1 Therefore when we could bear it no longer, we were willing to be left behind at Athens alone, 2 and we sent Timothy, our brother and God’s coworker in the gospel of Christ, to establish and exhort you in your faith, 3 that no one be moved by these afflictions. For you yourselves know that we are destined for this.
Paul sent Timothy to
establish
exhort / encourage
God’s coworker
you can be God’s coworker
you need God’s coworkers in your life
“no one may be MOVED by these afflictions”
shaken
dissuaded
deceived
Afflictions / Trials / Suffering
can move people away from Christ
maybe you’ve experienced that
someone you know is experiencing that right now
How can we make sure we are standing fast…
1. Maintain encouraging embodied relationships.
Paul wasn’t against communicating through letters
but he knew these Christians ALSO needed in-person relationships
so do you
so do our homebound members
so do your children
Relationships where you are established and exhorted
Relationships where you are establishing and exhorting others
4 For when we were with you, we kept telling you beforehand that we were to suffer affliction, just as it has come to pass, and just as you know. 5 For this reason, when I could bear it no longer, I sent to learn about your faith, for fear that somehow the tempter had tempted you and our labor would be in vain.
“you yourselves know that we are destined for this” (vs. 3)
“we kept telling you beforehand that we were to suffer affliction” (vs. 4)
How can we make sure we are standing fast…
2. Establish realistic expectations about the cost of following Jesus.
Modern fairy tale / health and wealth gospel sets people up for failure
If you expect it to be easy, you’re going to walk away when you find out its not
6 But now that Timothy has come to us from you, and has brought us the good news of your faith and love and reported that you always remember us kindly and long to see us, as we long to see you— 7 for this reason, brothers, in all our distress and affliction we have been comforted about you through your faith.
8 For now we live, if you are standing fast in the Lord. 9 For what thanksgiving can we return to God for you, for all the joy that we feel for your sake before our God, 10 as we pray most earnestly night and day that we may see you face to face and supply what is lacking in your faith?
“we live…if you are standing fast”
this is a matter of life and death
for everyone involved
not an, “oh well…that’s sad”
The steadfastness of yourself, your family, and everyone else in this congregation should be one of your greatest priorities.
How can we make sure we are standing fast…
3. Consider faithfulness a matter of life and death.
Your own faithfulness
The faithfulness of your brothers and sisters
if you haven’t seen them, it should be an emergency
today, call or text someone you haven’t seen in awhile
Paul’s prayer for the Thessalonians…
11 Now may our God and Father himself, and our Lord Jesus, direct our way to you,
We should want to be…
We should pray to be…
TOGETHER
12 and may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, as we do for you, 13 so that he may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.
Paul prays for LOVE
“increase and abound in love”
“for one another and for all”
…so that God may establish your hearts
blameless
in holiness
Making our hearts blameless and holy is a work of God…that he does THROUGH the loving relationships of the church
How can we make sure we are standing fast…
4. Pray for and cultivate love for one another and for all.
God’s forgiveness of our sins…
our blamelessness
our holiness
…is directly tied to our love for one another
Hebrews 12:14 “Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.”
There is NO holiness or forgiveness or blamelessness without LOVE
Application:
Application:
“When asked how willing they would be to go back to church, 51 percent [dechurched people] said they are either somewhat willing or very willing—51 percent! Unsurprisingly, the reasons they would come back also represent a longing to belong…The main takeaway here is that many dechurched evangelicals simply need a friend to invite them to church.” (Davis, Jim; Graham, Michael; Burge, Ryan P.. The Great Dechurching: Who’s Leaving, Why Are They Going, and What Will It Take to Bring Them Back?)
What will help us stay anchored or bring us back from the brink?
LOVE
LOVE is a LIFELINE.
LOVE is a LIFELINE.
Love keeps us connected to one another and to Christ until he comes
it strengthens us
it establishes us
it encourages us
it edifies us
it builds us up
Pray what Paul prayed, “may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all”
Our love is imperfect
YOUR love is imperfect
OUR love for you is imperfect
But even imperfect love is a lifeline that
Invitation:
Invitation:
Surrender to the love of Christ in baptism
Let us love you
