Now We’re Really Living
1 Thessalonians 3:5-13

1.     Intro: If you were wealthy and had a spouse and family you deeply loved, which would you be more likely to die for, your money or your loved ones?

Ø    Why will we do almost anything for love?

Ø    Paul worried over the Thessalonians in their persecution.  His concern was so great that he chose to send Timothy to check on them even though it meant he would labor alone in Athens.

Ø    His fear was that they would be tempted away somehow and his work would not be fruitful in their lives, but Timothy brings back good news.

2.     Scripture, Thessalonians 3:5-13

Ø    There’s a connection.  Joy, satisfaction, faith, encouragement and love seem bound together.

3.     Love encourages obedience

A.    We long to please our loves

Ø    This is both obvious and stated in John.

Ø    Love, obey & trust in John 14 & 15. (Love = obey = love, loving & obeying -> joy)

Ø    Insufficient love for God leads us to sin.

Ø    We loved because He 1st loved us.

Ø    The joy of Lord is my strength.

Ø    Might it also be true, though, that insufficient love from one another weakens our ability to love and obey God?

Ø    How important is the terrarium we are living in?

Ø    How effective is the sub-culture we’re building?  While there’s a danger that in reinforcing the behavior of others in our group we could build a cult-like community, is there any chance of building a culture-shifting community without it?

B.    Love strengthens and gives hope

Ø    We’ll do almost anything for love because it is what we most need.  This is why we are strengthened by it, and weak without it.

Ø    Paul found they stood firm in their trust in the Lord, and were also firm in their love for Him, Paul and one another.  Their faithfulness and love for him encouraged Paul.

Ø    We are the tools of God’s encouragement, like the note I just got from Tracy Proffitt.

C.    Love can overflow and reach out

Ø    Paul prays that this love would just keep on increasing, so much so that it overflowed!

Ø    It’s not that we don’t love well, but we should pray & strive to see our love grow till it overflows.

4.     Love produces caring

A.    Time spent

Ø    If Paul was just glad he hadn’t failed in his ministry then we might expect that the good report would remove the desire to go see them, but it doesn’t.  He loves them and loves being in Christ with them and encouraged by them.  Now he wants to see them even more.

Ø    Paul desires (to go).  Christ the Lord decides.

Ø    “Now may our God and Father himself and our Lord Jesus clear the way…” grammar people, shouldn’t that verb clause be plural?  In Greek it is singular!  God is one!

Ø    We need to seek out other believers; face-to-face, by phone and by net; to love on each other.

B.    Selfless edification

Ø    Paul longs and prays for the chance to solidify them in their faith.

Ø    The desire to perfect someone’s faith does not mean that person is more flawed than normal.  It simply reflects the fact that sanctification is an endless process on earth and love creates the desire to aid in that process.

Ø    Paul desires that they be strengthened in heart for holiness.  Again, faithfulness, joy and obedience go together.

Ø    Before the book of life is opened, the book of judgment is.  All true believers will be found blameless after the book of life is opened, but Paul wanted the Thessalonians to be free of any additional shame for their sins as their lives were reviewed before God.

Ø     Paul’s love led to prayer.  Even when not with them, he remembered them, fought for them and did what he could for them before God.

5.     Love reshapes our joys

A.    Increasing it

Ø    “Now we really live” says Paul, since they are faithful.  There is so much joy from this that he can’t thank God enough.

B.    Changing its source

Ø     Paul finds encouragement and joy in their spiritual success.

Ø    Do we really grieve when our work & service don’t produce godly fruit in the lives of those around us?

Ø    Do we gain so much satisfaction that we find joy despite ongoing trials when our work & service does produce godly fruit in the lives of those around us?

6.     Invite:

Ø    Love moves our sanctification, our fellowship & encouragement, and our evangelism.

Ø    Let’s cooperate with the Father and create a culture of extravagant love.