A Life of Focus and Service

A Life of Focus and Sacrifice Uncommon Sense: Week 7 Tuesday, October 23, 2018 1 Thessalonians 3:1-5 In 1858 Scottish missionary John G. Paton (show picture) and his wife sailed for the New Hebrides Islands in the South Pacific (now called Vanuatu). Against the advice of many who saw this endeavor as a suicide mission because there was a group of barbaric cannibals who lived on the island. Despite the danger, Paton and his wife left their families, their friends, and the comforts of home for a strange and distant land. Before leaving for the New Hebrides, Paton was warned by one of his fellow Scotsmen that the cannibals would almost certainly eat him. His reply is classic: Mr. Dickson, you are advanced in years now, and your own prospect is soon to be laid in the grave, there to be eaten by worms; I confess to you, that if I can but live and die serving and honouring the Lord Jesus, it will make no difference to me whether I am eaten by Cannibals or by worms; and in the Great Day my resurrection body will arise as fair as yours in the likeness of our risen Redeemer. (Paton, Missionary to the New Hebrides, 56) What would cause someone to be so focused on others that they would be willing to make such a sacrifice? The answer is simple, their consuming passion was to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with the native peoples on that island, and what might happen to them paled in comparison to what would happen to those people if they died without ever knowing Jesus Christ. The missionary spirit they exemplified had been exemplified to them in the New Testament by a man named Paul. Paul also went to places where no one had ever taken the gospel to tell people about salvation through Jesus Christ and to establish churches. One of the places Paul went was a major city named Thessalonica. Acts 17 tells the story—he went into the city and began preaching. When people heard the gospel, they believed the gospel, and many were saved. But he had to leave quickly when a mob was formed for the purpose of stopping Paul from preaching the gospel so that people could be saved. But even though Paul was not with them, Paul had an overwhelming concern for the spiritual well-being of the church at Thessalonica. So, in our text Paul provides a model to all believers everywhere of how we should care for one another. 1 Thessalonians 3:1–5 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. 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. One of Paul’s concerns was that the believers in Thessalonica would be tempted to believe that Paul did not really care for them and that he abandoned or orphaned them. Last week we learned that perception is not reality, truth is reality and the truth was that Paul did not leave them because he wanted to—but he was torn away from them. That is why Paul took the time at the end of chapter two to reinforce how deeply he loved and cared for the believers in Thessalonica. As a matter of fact, Paul cared for them so much that he had a great desire to see them again—but he was hindered by Satan from getting to them. While Paul knew that he would not be separated from them for eternity, and that they would eventually be reunited when Jesus returns, he still wanted desperately to know what was happening to them—he wanted to know how they were progressing in their faith. You see, Paul’s greatest concern was for the spiritual well-being of the believers in Thessalonica and we can see this truth by looking at Paul’s focus on others and Paul’s sacrifice for others. Paul’s concern was obvious by his focus on others. Look at verse one—therefore—because I was separated from you and I wanted nothing more than to see you, but I was hindered from making the trip—when I could no longer endure it—when I could not bear it for another day—we were willing to be left behind at Athens alone. Do you see what Paul wanted the believers in Thessalonica to know? He wanted them to know that he was still thinking about them. He wanted them to know that he was still focused on them even if he was not able to be with them. He was still thinking about them even though he had been forced to run for his life from Thessalonica and Berea. He was still thinking about them even when he was in Athens—a city filled with philosophers, idols, and university students. As a matter of fact, the book of Acts tells us that “all the Athenians and the strangers visiting there used to spend their time in nothing other than telling or hearing something new.” (Acts. 17:21) Here’s my point—I’m sure Paul had plenty of other things to think about. I’m sure Paul had many other problems that could have filled his mind and demanded his attention. But with everything else that was going on in his life and ministry, there was Paul—like a parent waiting for their son or daughter to come home the first time they go for a drive after getting their driver’s license. If you’ve been through that experience, then you know exactly what I’m talking about. Teenagers are so excited to get that piece of plastic that represents some freedom, and the only thing those kids can think about is where they are going. But the only thing the parents can think about is, are they alright and when are they coming home? So, what do you do? You wait by the window—anxiously looking for the car to come down the street—and when you see your son or daughter you are relieved because you know they are alright. But what happens when they don’t come home when they are supposed to? Well, today we pick up our phones and we use the “Find My Friends” app to locate them—or we text or call their phone to get an update. But there was a time when no one carried phones in their pocket. There was a time when phones were only attached to the wall. How many of you remember those days? No caller ID. Sometimes you would call someone and get a busy-signal. When someone called you, it was a BIG DEAL! I remember when talking on the phone was a right-of-passage signifying that you were not a little kid anymore. I also remember when the greatest thing that could happen was if your parents put a phone in your room. In the days when there were no mobile phones, what did you do when you were expecting your child to come home at a certain time and they didn’t arrive? You would have waited as long as you could possibly wait but when you could not endure another moment of not knowing where they were or their condition—you would get in the car and go looking for your son or daughter. Why? Because you desperately wanted to know that they were alright—that they were safe. This is exactly what happened with Paul. He was away from them, he was in an information vacuum concerning their well-being. Paul didn’t know if they had walked away from the faith. Paul didn’t know if his work was in Thessalonica was pointless. Paul didn’t know if they were still growing and serving Christ. So, when he could no longer endure the lack of information coming from them, he thought the best choice was stay in Athens alone and send Timothy to check on them. Paul’s concern obvious by his focus on others, and Paul’s concern was obvious by his sacrifice for others. Sending Timothy to check on their brothers and sisters in Thessalonica was the only solution that presented itself at the time, so Paul did what needed to be done, even though it demanded a significant sacrifice. Now, if you are going to understand the depth of Paul’s sacrifice, you need to know something about his relationship with Timothy. Timothy had traveled with Paul for some time. Many people believe that Timothy trusted Jesus as Lord and Savior as a result of Paul’s ministry. Paul then became Timothy’s mentor—and they became great friends. Verse two pulls back the curtain to show us what Paul thought of Timothy. Paul wrote that Timothy was a brother and a fellow laborer in the gospel of Christ. You see, Timothy had been by Paul’s side as they preached the gospel, established churches, and experienced persecution. Paul loved Timothy—so much so that when Paul was living out his final days on earth he told Timothy to “make every effort to come to me soon.” (2 Tim. 4:9). In other words, Paul didn’t want to die without spending a little more time with his friend. So now we can understand the force of the language Paul used in the last part of verse one and the first part of verse two…Paul wrote that he would be left behind—alone. Yet Paul was completely convinced that sending Timothy the only way he could find out how the believers in Thessalonica were doing. Paul was also convinced that sending Timothy was best because Timothy was known by the Thessalonian believers—he was their brother also. Timothy was trusted by Paul as a co-laborer, and Timothy preached the gospel faithfully. So, Paul chose to be left behind—abandoned to do the work of the ministry alone in Athens. Not only did Paul send Timothy to Thessalonica to check on them, but Timothy was also tasked with establishing or strengthening their foundation of faith. A few years ago, we remodeled had this room and I thought it was fascinating to watch. You see, I don’t know much about construction and you definitely want to think twice before you put a power tool in my hand. Before the remodel, the place I’m standing was steps leading to the stage. Because we needed to put in all new conduit and cabling for the audio system, our designers said it would be best to extend the stage floor over the old steps. They built up everything just as it needed to be done and before they poured the concrete, they put down a metal grid—it’s called rebar. I was curious, about it, so I asked the foreman why it was necessary. He explained that rebar is needed to reinforce concrete—it fortifies it and makes the concrete structure stronger. Timothy was going to Thessalonica to put some rebar into their faith. He was going to strengthen their faith through teaching and preaching. Timothy was going to come alongside them to instill courage in them, so they would not be moved by these afflictions. Let me explain what this means: In Paul’s time false teachers would come into a city and they would flatter people with their words—they would tell them the things they wanted to hear and by giving an easy-listening message, they would build a following. Paul warned Timothy about this when he wrote: 2 Timothy 4:3–4 3 For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, 4 and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. But Paul didn’t give a message that promised ease. The gospel that Paul gave promised difficulty. The message Paul gave when he was in Thessalonica was they would suffer persecution for the gospel. Listen, living for Jesus is not easy. Ray Comfort was right when he wrote: “Jesus is not a something that we put on to make our journey more comfortable. He’s not a “life enhancer.” He is a “life rescuer”1 While it’s true that Jesus gives life—abundant life—everlasting life—and joy unspeakable, full of glory—it is also true that there is a price paid by all who follow Him. That is why Jesus said, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” (Matthew 16:24) Paul didn’t give them any false pretense—following Jesus is not for the faint-of-heart. In fact, Paul bluntly told them that they were destined to suffer for because they follow Jesus. But our hope is not found in the absence of suffering. Our hope rests in the grace of God that is sufficient to carry us through our suffering. Because of God’s grace we can say with Paul… 2 Corinthians 12:9–10 9 I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong. While it is true that the difficulties that arise from following Christ can strengthen our faith and cause us to realize God’s sustaining grace, Paul also knew there was a risk that the tempter, Satan, would use their suffering and the words of the false teachers to tempt or entice the Thessalonians to walk away from the faith. If they walked away from the faith, then Paul’s labor would have been in vain—in other words, he would have wasted his time and effort in Thessalonica. You see, Paul did not go to Thessalonica to make friends, to get rich, or to make a name for himself. Paul went there for one reason—to make Christ known to a group of people who had never heard that sin had separated them from their Creator. They had never heard that they were hopelessly lost because no person can ever do enough to satisfy the demands of a holy and righteous God. They had never heard that God sent His own Son, Jesus, to live a sinless life so that He could die in their place to pay the price for their sin. They had never heard that Jesus rose from the dead proving that God was completely satisfied with His payment. They had never heard that salvation—divine rescue from sin and judgment comes through trusting in what Jesus did for them. They had never heard that salvation was by grace alone, through faith in Jesus Christ alone. And when they heard that message, many of them believed and the church was established. So, Paul wanted desperately to know if what they had was real to them—did they persevere in spite of the pressure? Or did they walk away from the faith, proving that they never truly followed Jesus. This was Paul’s concern—and it drove him to sacrifice what was best for him for their benefit and for the benefit of the gospel. So, how do we apply this text to our lives and our life together at CrossPointe? A good place to begin is to be concerned for the spiritual well-being of others in the same way Paul cared for the spiritual well-being of others. I have been studying this week, I’ve wondered if you share the same concern for the believers at CrossPointe. How often do you think about and pray for the spiritual well-being of the person sitting in the row in front of you or the row behind you? How often do you ask other members of this church about their walk with Christ and their spiritual condition? How often do you reach out to provide encouragement and strength to a person sitting on the other side of this room? I submit to you that most of us have surface-level conversations with other believers while we’re together for an hour or two on Sunday and then we leave to go about our week and we really don’t think much of each other until we are reunited the following Sunday. So, we should be concerned about the spiritual well-being of others—but how do we accomplish that task? • Spend time thinking about and praying for others—take the time every day to discipline yourself to think of and pray for the people who sit near you every week (Baptists always sit in the same spot). ◦ Before you leave today, ask them what you can pray for them about. ◦ Before you leave today, ask them how they are doing – Paul inquired! ◦ This will help you build an authentic Christian relationship with others in this church. • Sacrifice for others. ◦ It could be as simple as inviting people over to your home to share a meal—hospitality is a biblical discipline that some of you practice regularly—keep it up! ◦ Mission Emphasis is coming—so give sacrificially to support missions and missionaries. ◦ Work in the church—there are always things that need to be done and roles that need to be filled. By stepping up to serve, and sacrificing some of your time, you might be a greater blessing to someone than you’ll ever know. • Build others up ◦ Make it a point of your life to establish—fortify the faith of another believer. ◦ Make it a point of your life to encourage another believer by coming alongside them so that they know they aren’t alone. • Allow others to be concerned about you and involved in your life. ◦ The openness required for genuine relationships to form goes both ways. If you want to be a blessing to others, you need to allow yourself to be blessed by others. We also need to consider what is at stake. Paul acknowledged the activity of the enemy for the second time—this tells us that Paul was concerned that the work of Satan against that church might be successful. This also tells us that there is one who hates the church. Satan would love nothing more than to destroy the church, but he’s powerless to destroy what Jesus established. So, if he can’t destroy it, he will do everything he can to disrupt it. If Satan cannot render the church inoperable, he will try to render it ineffective. How does he accomplish that goal? If he cannot destroy it from without, he will try to destroy it from within. Mark Howell wrote: It is no coincidence that petty church disagreements often grow into giant church problems. Unwittingly, church members zealous for their particular cause may think that they are defending their church when in reality they are destroying it…When internal wars distract the church, it never advances in its external mission. Think about a church that is experiencing internal conflict. Are lives being changed, or are lives being destroyed? Are people on the outside talking more about the conflict in the church, or are they marveling at the gospel message that is coming out of the church? “The tempter” is going to work tirelessly to destroy God’s work.2 This means we have to be aware and our concern for others should also lead us to have great concern for the church as a whole. Paul’s concern for people has inspired generations of men and women to focus their lives and make great sacrifices for others. Remember John G. Patton? Well, three months after arriving in the islands, his wife died. One week later his infant son also died. But the difficulties didn’t stop Paton. Eventually he remarried and after a short time away, he returned to the Islands with his new bride. Together, they spent the next 41 years faithfully sharing the love of Jesus. Today more than 80 percent of the inhabitants of Vanuatu identify themselves as Christian in large part due to the sacrifices of Paton. God has called us to be concerned about the spiritual well-being of others. Will you commit to focus on others and sacrifice for others, so others might know Christ and be strengthened in their walk?