The God who Prepares His People

Introduction

I wonder this morning if any of us here have ever prepared for something, or perhaps someone else has prepared us for something.

For example, you just might’ve prepared practically to come to this lecture by reading the passages that will be preached on today.

Or maybe it’s something big in your life that you’ve had to prepare for: like getting prepared emotionally to attend the thanksgiving service of a dear friend, as some of us did on Monday when we remembered together the life of Tony.

Well whatever the circumstance, I’m sure we’ve all had to be prepared for something at some point in our lives.

Just take a second to think about what that was like: what emotions did you feel as you prepared?; was it a hard situation?; was it a joyful situation?

Keep those thoughts in mind as we enter into

Sub-Introduction

Keep those thoughts in mind as we enter into the text that I’ve been given because we are going to be looking at the theme of The God who prepares his People.

If you want to turn to it, the passage is one Thessalonians three verses eleven to thirteen. That again is one Thessalonians chapter three, verses eleven to thirteen.

Pause.

Verse ten ends with Paul longing

So we heard of the encouragement that Paul received from Timothy concerning the Thessalonians last week with our very own in house Timothy, and it’s on the back of this encouragement that we pick up this morning.

But, before examining the text there are two questions that I hope to answer from it: First, what is God preparing us for? And second, how does he do that.

The Lord Directs

We will come to the what later, but first let us look at the how.

Verse ten ends with the earnest desire and prayer that Paul, Silus, and Timothy have to see the people at the church in Thessalonica again. This links directly with verse eleven where they write ‘Now may our God and Father himself and our Lord Jesus, direct our way to you.’

In preparation, the Lord

Verse ten ends with the earnest desire and prayer that Paul, Silus, and Timothy have to see the people at the church in Thessalonica again. This links directly with verse eleven where they write ‘Now may our God and Father himself and our Lord Jesus, direct our way to you.’

The Lord Himself

This earnest desire is seen in a prayer to God. And I like what the writers add in the word himself. It is like an extra emphasis to remind them that it is God who directs and brings us to our first point.

In preparation, the Lord Himself directs us.

The Lord who is OURS

The Lord Makes our Love Grow

Increase and abound

Love for one another and for all

As we do for you

The Lord Strengthens our Hearts

To make us blameless and holy

For the day of Christ

Application and Conclusion