Reservoirs Of Faith

Introduction

1934 - Drought and poor soil conservation. Hardened soil. Then 14” of rain fell during the month of April bringing a devastating flood to the town of Hammon, OK. 17 lives were lost as the waters of the Washita River extended from its banks for over two miles in either direction. $53M of damages to homes and roads and bridges. Thousands of acres of farmland were washed away in the torrential downpour.

Then from 2011 - 2015 a similar circumstance was setting up. Four years of drought had been ravaging the western Oklahoma plains. Then from April to May, 26” of rain fell, almost twice the amount. This time, no lives were lost or homes were destroyed. The difference was the Upper Washita Conservation plan. A series of 143 dams that captured and slowed the water and allowed it to move slower downstream. Red Males was the mind behind this plan. He was a banker, but he had grown up on a cattle ranch and had witnessed first hand the effects of both drought and flood on western Oklahoma. Through the 1950’s he worked to make his vision a reality. He testified to the US Congress to urge them to action and they made it a top priority, then in 1955 he met with President Eisenhower to show the benefits of this, the world’s first upstream flood prevention project.

These ponds served as both flood prevention and gave an opportunity for the ranchers to have a reservoir of water that built back up with each rainfall. It allowed for the cattle to have water to drink even when rain was limited. This is the value of building up resources in reservoirs.

Our faith, likewise, will have periods of drought and flood! There may be times in your life where you are strained and your faith feels dry. Other times, you may be in a time of great blessing, experiencing rich rains of God’s presence and spiritual growth. There may be times where your faith is running low because of the great strain of supporting others during their periods of hardship.

Paul understood this struggle. His life was filled with hardship after hardship. He endured persecution for his faith in nearly every city he traveled to. Yet, he was able to persevere! We see in this passage the value that Paul found not only in his own faith but also in the faith of others, drawing from their reservoirs of faith.

You can encourage the church

vv. 1-5

Paul sent Timothy to encourage the Thessalonian church.

Timothy is “our brother and God’s coworker.” This high view of Timothy! Why? Because of, yes, his faith. But, also this role that he would be playing as one who could go and “establish and exhort” them in their faith.

Establish - when something has been started but is not yet firm. A new business in its opening weeks. They don’t yet have a loyal customer base. Bills maybe are barely being paid. But, somewhere along the way, businesses become established. They have regulars. They have enough income. They can weather downturns. This is the state of the young church in Thessalonica. Their faith was being attacked and they needed some encouragement.

Exhort - to strongly encourage or urge someone to do something. This is the coach giving not just direction but also building the player up!

This is what Timothy was going to do. Especially in response to the role of Satan and his working against the church. He can’t take your salvation, but he seeks to take your joy, to take your confidence, to take your desire to grow spiritually. To see that you are not established or exhorted in your faith. He wants to use distractions, even good things, to take your eyes off of the greatest goal of loving Jesus and being like Him.

Timothy had lived this out by receiving establishment and exhortation from Paul and others. He was able to focus on the things that mattered. He was able to minister to the church because he was aware of what they were going through because he was paying attention to them - he was focused on them.

It’s amazing the power of focus. Sometimes you begin to see things that you never saw before.

Back to the Future - Twin Pines

Back to the Future - Trees

Back to the Future - Hits tree

Back to the Future - Lone Pine

Most people are never going to notice things like this! It comes back to paying attention.

Silly illustration, I know. But, what if we focus on our faith. What greater depth of faith we can attain when we have a focus. How can we better meet the needs around us as we focus on people and discovering how we can minister to them. We can see how we can come alongside them and walk with them. This is the power of the church. It’s why it is important.

Connect with others to encourage others.

You can encourage believers

vv. 6-10

Timothy served as an encouragement to the whole church, but we, as the church, can also be very specific in encouraging individuals.

Specifically here the church encouraged Paul!

vv. 7-8

We think of Paul as this mighty man of faith, church planter, pastor to the world! BFFs with Jesus! Why in the world would he ever need to be encouraged??

But, look at those verses again. He was down. He was struggling. He was tired. He needed comforting in knowing that his work was not in vain.

“We live if you are standing fast in the Lord.” The flip side of that, he would feel death if they were not standing in the Lord. A serious thought.

Everyone has a weakness.

Achilles in Greek mythology. He was the most fierce warrior and the central figure of the Trojan War in Homer’s The Iliad. His father was one of the sons of Zeus, so he was a demigod. The grandson of Zeus! Raised to fight and lead an army! Add to that he was considered to be indestructible tracing back to his mother dipping him in the river Styx as a child. But, his mother held him by his foot as she dipped him and there was on part on one foot where he was vulnerable. This one spot is where the arrow shot by Paris hit and thus brought about the defeat of Achilles. This, of course, is why that tendon in your heel is called the Achilles tendon! And if you’ve ever hurt it, or seen an athlete buckle on the field after hurting it, you know the pain that it brings! Such a small thing, yet it can cause such a weakness in your body.

We don’t know the weaknesses of others. Sometimes they are hidden or simply unknown. But, we know that we can be an encourager to them.

As I consider my own weaknesses and the difficulties I’ve had to face. The strain of pastoring a church through COVID. The additional decisions that had to be made, pivoting to streaming services, learning how to edit those things and the best way to distribute them. Then, as many of you know, the issue that arose last May. Yet, I never felt alone. Many of you stayed in contact and supported. From notes on my truck to cards I received. Those thing mean so much to me. The fact that this church takes October to show appreciation. These are the things that help me keep going.

The Lord encourages us

vv. 11-13

Ultimately it is God who makes our love “increase and abound” in us! (v. 12) Where it ultimately comes from!

This is something we can synthesize in our own lives!

Gary Chapman’s Five Love Languages, he talks about the ways people like to express and receive love from others. Words of affirmation, quality time, physical touch, acts of service, and receiving gifts. He makes the point that you cannot fill up other people’s emotional tanks if yours is empty. Which I do agree with. But, when you are waiting on someone else to fill your tank, you find yourself perpetually empty. We must find another source of love.

This source comes from what we base our lives upon.

Matthew 7:24–27 ESV

“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.”

If you are building your life upon Christ, you will find your tank filled. Your life will withstand the afflictions that arise!

Consider your foundation.

What do you go to for meaning or for comfort?

Identity in job. Relationship. Hobby. Pleasure. These things are like building a house on sand!

Your life must be built upon Christ!

Conclusion

For Paul, he recognizes the foundation of Christ as expressed in the Scripture.

Gospel of God in vv. 2, 8, and 9.

Word of God shows up twice in v. 13.

John Stott identifies in this passage two things flowing from and contributing to our foundation of Scripture:

Our commitment to the Word of God.

Our commitment to the People of God.

And it is the Indwelling Holy Spirit that brings it about:

John 14:17 ESV

even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.

By the Spirit we have truth.

Galatians 5:22 ESV

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,

By the Spirit we have love.

By the Spirit we can fill up our own reservoirs of faith!

Your faith works to establish and exhort others.