Oh, What a Relief it Is!
Sermon • Submitted
0 ratings
· 18 viewsNotes
Transcript
Yes, the commercial was all about indigestion
Indigestion is often the result of anxiety
Something eating you up inside
Stomach doing flip-flops in anticipation
This report from Timothy is like a major dose of antacid
A whole roll of Rolaids with an Alka-Seltzer chaser
Paul had been torn away from the brothers and sisters in Thessalonica
Even though he was anxious—and had every right to be so—we have no record of it ever stopping his work
…the sharing of the Gospel of Jesus Christ
He had been anxious about the way they handled adversity and oppression
He sent Timothy to check up on them, to encourage, and exhort them
Yet, he kept on working
It was during this time that he encountered the idolators on Mars Hill in Athens Acts 17:16 ff
Timothy returns, along with Silas, in Acts 18:5; no good estimate on how long between the sending and their return.
…makes the timestamp on emails and texts so handy—not around in those days, the longer the time, the greater the anguish
This report takes Paul from anguish to exhilaration
Like cold water to a thirsty soul, so is good news from a far country.
Report
Report
Starts with “But...”
Always a game-changer
He was anxious, but now he’s not
Concern
Timothy brought good news—same word as Gospel elsewhere in NT
The genius and artistry of the translators, when is something good news in a generic sense; when it is a specific GOOD NEWS, that Christ died to save sinners like us
This good news was concerning was about their faith
…their love
…their longing to see the missionaries again
The report brought that Alka-Seltzer moment
Relief
Relief
vv. 6-8
Paul’s anguish had been real—Human tendency is to fear the worst…even though it’s not generally the case
Reality of not knowing how they were faring; had the tempter beyond their ability?
Had their testimony been compromised; the credibility of the young church damaged?
With the report, he has been comforted, relieved—the ahhhhh moment!
Their faith has held fast, now Paul can lose the angst
For now we live, if you are standing fast in the Lord.
Don’t let the “if” bother you…think of it as since—not going down the word-nerd path
…NIV translates it that way—better sense
John, in his writings, gives us a similar thought
I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.
Spoken of spiritual children as Paul was here
It makes us ask the question: “What is truth?”
Takes us to a piece of the crucifixion narrative
Then Pilate said to him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.”
Pilate said to him, “What is truth?” After he had said this, he went back outside to the Jews and told them, “I find no guilt in him.
The implication of Pilate’s statement is that there is no objective truth…how wrong he was
Jesus knew the truth—the objective truth
He came because man was/is/will be sinful—we can’t save ourselves
Only his death would pay the penalty
Only those who trust in Him and His finished work on the cross would be saved from the penalty of sin
Response
Response
vv. 9-10 is all one long rhetorical question
He’s expressing his joy by asking “How can I repay God for this report”
He rejoices in the steadfastness of the stance of the Thessalonian believers…thanks God for them…continues in prayer for them
Nowhere in there does he take any credit for what they had accomplished
It had all be God’s power working in and displayed through them
He still wants to see them face to face, to finish the task of teaching he’d begun on his initial visit
There is one overall...
Reaction
Reaction
Since the beginning of the epistle we see Paul’s constant prayer
Within the prayers are constant notations that it’s all God’s work; not His
They’re God’s people, not his
It’s God’s church, not his
It’s all for God’s Glory, not his
He understands his job: to share the truth—the truth of Jesus
That said, he sees that his job is not done and is anxious to get back to it
…think about his patience compared to our days of instant gratification!
“I want it NOW!” Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory
…and he has great concern for those among whom his ministry had been fruitful
WITFM
WITFM
Paul had given life to the Thessalonian church like a mother
He had nurtured, encouraged, exhorted it like a father
They were his children—he was happy to know that they were walking in the Truth…the objective truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ
This morning we dedicated a child—actually, her parents
They committed to bring her up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord—the truth
There will be moments of anxiety…They all give us lots of heartburn!
You’ll need lots of Rolaids, Tums...
But the real relief is to know that they walk in truth
and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
The first truth we must know is the truth of Christ and His kingdom
To trust Christ makes us a citizen of the heavenly kingdom
No fear of death; no fear of Hell; sins forgiven, removed from us as far as the east from the west
Even then...
There will be moments of anxiety
Learn the lesson from Paul, never to get side-tracked by the anxiety—stay true to the mission to which you are called