Pastoral Concern: 1 Thessalonians 3:1-13

Introduction

Do we have a compassion and desire for other believers? If we don’t then I would venture to say that we don’t have compassion and desire for the lost either.

As believers we are supposed to love and show love. We are to draw people with the Word of God in the power of the Spirit and then guide them down the path of the Christian life.

We are all to show pastoral concern. This is for every believer. Not just for pastors. We are all to love and care for others. Jesus prayed in John 17:15-18, “I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world.”

We have been sent into the world just as Christ was sent into the world. We are to reach people with the gospel of the grace of God and then disciple them. We should show the same care and compassion as this first grade boy.

A first-grader named Billy had a classmate Jim, who lost his father in a tractor accident. Billy prayed for Jim every day. One day as Billy was walking down the stairs at school, he saw Jim and decided to reach out to him.

“How are you getting along?”

“Oh, fine, jus’ fine.”

Billy continued, “Do you know, I’ve been praying for you ever since your daddy was killed.”

The other little guy stopped and looked at Billy, grabbed his hand, then led him out back behind the school building. Then he opened up.

“You know, that was a lie when I said things were going fine; they aren’t fine. We are having trouble with the cows and the machines. My mother doesn’t know what to do. But I didn’t know you were praying for me.”

Just goes to show us, doesn’t it, how many people are hurting, but don’t feel free to say so until we voluntarily reach out to them.

The love from this little boy is strong. He knew he had to do something for his friend so he prayed.

What a way to show love. What a way to show concern. What a powerful way to help another.

Do we have the care and compassion of this little boy? He is a very loving and compassionate child. He did what he could for his friend. He cared enough to pray, but he cared enough to reach out and seek how his friend was holding up.

He went to him and asked him and let him know he had been praying for him. This is true concern and passion for another. This is what we see in this section of 1 Thessalonians 3:1-13.

Passion (Vv. 1-5)

We desire to see those we love. Our family, friends, and people we knew as children. Do we desire to see our fellow members of the body of Christ? Especially those who we have impacted with our ministry. Those we helped to know the Lord.

Do we desire to know how they are doing in their walk?

Paul was restless. He had to see them. He had to know if they were remaining faithful. He needed to know if they were doing good or if they had strayed. He needed to know. He had a deep desire to see them and know.

This desire and need to see those in the faith is predicated upon the knowledge that strife and struggle can cause some to fall away. In persecution and struggles, temptations can cause people, or be very enticing to people, to stray from the faith.

Paul was not only an evangelist; he was also a pastor. He knew that soul-winning was but one part of the commission God gave him. These new believers must also be taught and established in the faith.

As believers we are all destined for persecution. We must all be ready for this. But just telling people this is good but it does not guarantee they will stand when it comes. I am a firm believer that right thinking leads to right living, yet I even know that we must live things together so we can stand. Life together is important.

Warning and encouraging those in the faith is great. We must do this, but we must also know that temptations can still draw people away even when they know what is happening and why. That is why we must want to give of ourselves and our resources for them, as a parent provides for loved children.

That is why Paul affirms the believers that this persecution is what they warned them of, over and over but Paul knows that life together is just as important as the truth is. All believers will suffer it in one way or another. We must be together and know we have one another to strengthen us. Some is from the power of the demonic realm and the tempter.

Paul had a healthy respect for the demonic realm. He knew Satan is real. He knew that he hindered God’s work and would tempt the faithful to walk away from the faith. He knew, as we should know, that, “As a serpent, Satan deceives (2 Cor. 11:3); as a lion, he devours (1 Peter 5:8). He will use any means to attack the Christian and weaken his faith in God.”

This is why we need to know that the demonic realm is real and powerful. It is dangerous to not be aware of the demonic realm. They are out to destroy God’s people.

This was part of Paul’s concern. The tempter will do all he can to tempt you. This is why we need to be together so we can build each other up.

One very important thing we see in this text is that everyone can be tempted and wander off into the bad.

This includes believers. We are not safe from temptation and straying. Yes, we know that temptation can be conquered. 1 Corinthians 10:13 says, “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.”

We have the ability to flee and the way out to flee, but we must depend on God. We cannot do it on our own. It takes the power of the Lord. “We must warn new believers that the way is not easy as they seek to live for Christ; otherwise, when trials come, these babes in Christ will be discouraged and defeated.”

How strong is your faith? Are you so solid that you know you will not fall?

If you do, “take heed lest you fall” (1 Cor. 10:12). Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 10 that the Israelite fathers saw many amazing things and had the presence of God with them, like we do with the Spirit, yet they failed and took a fall from faith.

We are to be dependent on the Lord for our way out.

This is what Paul had a concern for the Thessalonians. Why he sent Timothy to check on them to make sure they were strong and standing with the Lord.

He knows how people are. We know how people are. Many will take the easy way not realizing that the easy way is the way of destruction (Matt. 7:13). “Ideally, every Christian should be mature enough to help other Christians grow in the Lord and learn to stand on their own two feet.” Sadly, not all of them do.

This is why he sent a “fellow worker” to them. He sent someone who knew what was right and could determine that they were running rightly. This was the case because, “We cannot lead another where we have not been ourselves, nor can we share that which we do not possess.” Not everyone knows for sure where they are going. They may not know the way fully.

This is why we must be passionate for our fellow believers. We must encourage and build one another up. We must seek for the glory and strength of others. We are a family that is one body who are all in Christ and serving Christ. We are here to help one another.

And when we do this and see that our fellow believers are standing strong in the faith we are to show...

Praise (Vv. 6-10)

Upon hearing that the Thessalonians were standing fast and strong Paul had genuine praise for them.

He had great joy and exaltation over their steadfast faith. He had great comfort in their faith.

Even in his affliction and distress he had comfort because they were remaining faithful. Oh the joy he felt over this.

He was probably cheering and dancing around upon hearing their faith was standing the test of trials and temptations.

This is what we must be like. We must rejoice in their faith.

We love the people. We desire to see them grow and become even better and more faithful than we are. We seek to see them become pillars of the faith. When we see them do well we are grateful to the Lord for their growth, we rejoice in their stature, this brings life into us because we are genuinely loving our neighbor.

Is knowledge of people’s faith a comfort to you, a source of joy to you? Are you full of thanksgiving to God for other people standing strong in faith? Do you find life in their acts of faithfulness?

We should always rejoice when someone stands strong for the Lord. We should always shed tears of heartache and grief for those who do not stand strong. We should never rejoice when someone fails in the faith, no matter how much you do not like them.

[Application: We may struggle with this but if we intentionally seek to praise someone who has gained more than us, has become better at something than us, or is stronger now than we are, we rejoice with them. This may take the form of intentionally speaking their praises. Writing them notes of encouragement. Being genuine in our praise of them to others and standing up for them to others who are against them].

Even though we know others are standing strong, we must still desire to be together and aid one another in growth. We must strive to know that they have, “A working knowledge of the Bible” which “is essential for spiritual growth and stability.” When we do this we spend time with them and help them grow. Simply, we disciple them.

Discipleship is something that has almost disappeared in this social gospel culture we have. People have stopped being intentional about spending time together. We think church and Sunday school is enough. But it is not.

We must seek out each other and be intentional about spending time together. It is what we are to do. Paul just praised the fact that the Thessalonians were standing strong, but he also said that he longed to see them “face to face and supply what is lacking in their faith” (v. 10).

We all lack something in our faith. We all are falling short somewhere. We are all humans and humans are the greatest failures there are. We made everything to be under a curse. So, we are failures.

This is why it is necessary for discipleship. We must spend time together. We must seek to supply what is lacking in each others faith. We need this we need to be together with fellow believers. We must seek to keep our minds on “whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things” (Phil. 4:8).

This can be done alone, but it is much easier to be done within a group of other believers who help strengthen you.

But we have another method. One that is of the utmost importance for us. Paul did it for the Thessalonians and we should do it for one another.

This is the act of...

Prayer (Vv. 11-13)

We see this amazing and beautiful prayer that Paul prayed for the Thessalonians. This prayer is full of power and exhortation.

It is an exhortation to the believers who read it because they could not hear the prayer. They see that Paul prayed for their well-known love to continue to increase and be abounding. For their hearts to be established as blameless and in holiness before God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ at His coming.

This is a prayer for a pure and holy life for these believers. They saw this prayer. They could look upon it over and over. They were greatly encouraged by this amazing prayer.

This is so true of the power of prayer. Isn’t it wonderful when someone tells you they will pray for you and then they pray for you then.

When you hear the prayer and feel the compassion in it you have this feeling that comes over you and strengthens you.

You not only hear the prayer but you feel the prayer. It has power in your life. One reason is because when two or more believers come together and pray, the Holy Spirit is working in each one. He is moving and strengthening each person there.

When prayer is heard it gives great comfort and strength. It is a most powerful action we can do for one another.

Powerful prayer is an amazing act of love and compassion for one another. This is a powerful way to show your love. And seek for others to grow in their love and faith.

A powerful prayer is one that invokes God the Father and Jesus our Lord in the power of the Spirit. One where we then direct it towards those we love and a desire to see them remain faithful and strong in the faith. We pray for them to be established as blameless, holy, and full of love for others so they can stand in the day of Christ's return.

To be established is, to cause to be inwardly firm or committed. It is to set a foundation for those we care for, and ourselves, of love and compassion for others. Leon Morris stated that, “Paul is saying that our whole personality is established on a firm foundation only when there is a basis of abundant love. The self-centered person at best will have an element of weakness and instability.”

When we are dedicated to the growth of others we will not be self-centered. We will be other people focused. We will seek their and our holiness towards the Lord. “Holiness has an essential God-ward reference; it denotes the quality of being set apart for God, and the Christian should display it in pre-eminent measure.”

What a prayer and what a way to show our love for other believers. We strengthen them by this love. When one is strengthened they will act in a better manner. They will stand firm and faithful. They will go and love. They will remain steadfast even in the midst of heavy persecution.

Let us all be like this. Let us all pray one for the other like this. Let us all love and desire the faithfulness of our brothers and sisters in Christ.

Conclusion

If we are passionate for others to believe or grow in their faith, we praise the Lord when they do, and we pray for them to grow in their faith and devotion to God and other people, we are expressing pastoral concern. We are following what Paul did in this section of Scripture.

We will love and care for them from a genuine heart. We will go the extra mile for them. We will sacrifice our comfort and joy so they can have comfort and joy.

We know how important it is to care for new, and mature Christians. We see that leading someone to Christ is not enough. No, we must also lead them on in the Christian life we must help them get established. If they are not established, they will fall when the winds of persecution start to blow. If they cannot stand, they will not be able to walk the path of the Christian life.

We have seen in this text that we are to be an encouragement and stand at their side as they mature. We share the Word of God. We pray. This is what Paul did—and it worked for him, it will work for us too.