Destined for Greatness?

Paul’s heart for believers

The phrase, “destined for greatness” has sometimes been used of people, especially young people who have notable talent. I recently had a middle school student stand out to me, not particularly because his grades were immaculate. He normally makes A’s, but he’s not the top in the class. The top student’s in terms of grade in his class make 100’s on every assignment. But what really stuck out to me was one day I was walking by a group of his classmates in the locker hall. All the students were complaining about something. Some well-mannered students just kept quiet as others joined the bandwagon of complaint. This student however, did something quite different. He stood up for what is right. Essentially, he said, if they had done what was right all along they would have no reason to complain. I commended this student not only for not joining in the complaint train, but also for having the courage to stand up for what is right. A lot of our young men have courage to do what is wrong, but many lack courage to do what is right.

What comes to your mind when I say that someone is destined for greatness? That they are inventive? Successful? Talented? Well-respected?

I found a blog on a website called Goalcast in which author Matt Valentine writes 7 signs that you’re destined for greatness: you’re resourceful, a natural problem solver, nothing stops you from accomplishing your goals, relentlessly persistent, not afraid of asking questions, you never fail, and you understand that change is in your hands.

What do you think “greatness” would be defined as for this author who see these qualities as signs that you’re destined for greatness? Probably success, right? In fact he writes, “I don’t pretend to be a success expert of a seer of any kind. However, there are certain signals someone is destined for greatness, factors I’ve identified over years of studying success principles. So if you meet these qualities, perhaps you would end up being a CEO of a large company.

How do we define greatness in the kingdom of God? If you had to define what makes someone great in God’s kingdom what would you say? The modern American church looks a lot a numbers. How many people attend your services on a regular basis? How much money do you make as a preacher? Or maybe the number of salvations. 500 people raise their hand after someone preached? Then they must be great in the kingdom of God. Maybe it’s their intelligence. How many seminary degrees do you have? How many Greek verbs can you parse? How much theology do you know? Is that what makes you great in the kingdom of God? Maybe it’s how many acts of service you perform, how much money you give away. How much time do you volunteer? Does this make you great in the kingdom of God?

Many versions of success even inside some churches merely see people as a means to an end. Let me be more clear with what I mean. Success just means accomplishing a goal. A goal (or “end”) is the aim of our efforts. We can set all sorts of goals, even within church. “Our goal is 500 salvations” “our goal is 200 people in attendance on Sunday nights.” When this is our goal, oftentimes (not all the time) we end up caring more about the number than the people.

What are some results that will happen if we care more about the number than the people? We will cater our services, our preaching, our music, our interactions, our programs, everything to draw a crowd rather than make people more like Jesus. Pastors that only preach things that make people feel good, and never preach the Bible care more about results than people. Why am I even bringing all of this up? Because I want you to notice Paul’s heart in this verse. Look at

1 Thess. 2:17-20 “But since we were torn away from you, brothers, for a short time, in person not in heart, we endeavored the more eagerly and with great desire to see you face to face, because we wanted to come to you—I, Paul, again and again—but Satan hindered us. For what is our hope or joy or crown of boasting before our Lord Jesus at his coming? Is it not you? For you are our glory and joy.”

Paul speaks about his having to leave early because of the persecution that broke out (we read this before, but you can look it up in Acts 17). The phrase, “torn away” is literally “orphaned.” Paul feels a strong tie to these believers and is emotional at having to depart. He emphasizes the fact that their being torn away is only face to face, not in their hearts. Paul is saying he still cares about these people even though he had to leave.

In verse 18, he speaks of his great desire to see them, and even personalizes it by saying “I Paul, again and again.” Paul recognizes the reason why he could not return was not his own fault but, “Satan hindered” them. For Paul (and by extension, for us as well), Satan is a real personal being who acts to hinder God’s operation on earth. Paul, as an apostle of Christ, is able to recognize that Satan is in operation here. Something we can do as well, but oftentimes it is misused. Have you heard the old phrase “the devil made me do it?” A lot of times we like to excuse our mistakes or sins by blaming Satan. And if we don’t recognize the seriousness of our sin, or that our sin is our own fault (by blaming Satan) then we are falling right into the devil’s hands. Paul is not blaming Satan here for something that is Paul’s fault. Rather he is recognizing Satan’s work contrary to God’s operation on the earth.

In verse 19, Paul asks a question with an implied answer. He asks, what his hope, joy and crown of boasting is at Christ’s return. A term that I just taught my 7th grade students as we talked about the end times was Parousia. This term is the Greek term meaning “coming” or “advent.” Paul uses it here in this verse when he says “before our Lord Jesus at his coming.” The Parousia is the obvious, bodily return of Jesus. Jesus does not return in secret. He does not return only in our hearts. He does not return as we live out his example. Rather Jesus Christ himself in human form with all divine splendor will return to this earth and we will always be with him. Paul will develop this more in this letter later, but let’s focus in on what Paul says about the Thessalonians.

In verse 20, Paul tells them plainly that the Thessalonians themselves are his glory and joy. He is proud of the fact the word of the Lord is working in them, and they are continuing to endure through persecution, thus, they are his glory. He rejoices and is glad that they have not fallen away in the persecution, thus they are his joy.

What results bring Paul pride, glory, and joy? Is it the numbers or the individuals? What is Paul’s focus? If 100 Thessalonians made a profession of faith would that be Paul’s joy? If 1,000 Thessalonians made a profession of faith, would that be Paul’s joy? I’ve heard preachers go around and go from each church boasting about how many people made a profession of faith under their preaching. Great, good for you, here’s your gold star. Now, do you know any of their names? Are they still faithful to the Lord?

You see, a lot of churches and church leadership find the joy, glory, and crown of boasting in how many people show up to their services. So many Christians find their joy in how many hours the volunteered their time serving people. But I hope you see this major point from the text:

People are not just a way to achieve some greater goal, people are the goal.

Paul’s ministry report does not contain how many people made professions of faith. It does not contain how many people now have water or medical care. It does not contain how many hours he logged serving soup in a soup kitchen. It does contain a group of believers remaining faithful to Christ in tribulation.

When it comes to making a healthy church, why do I not care about singing the latest and greatest songs on the radio? Why am I as a young person find joy in hearing a church organ? Why do I not buy into all the hype tactics? Because it’s not about the number, its about people.

What does this mean for the individual believer? Have you noticed when churches started buying into the hype factor, people’s method of evangelism became, “hey, you should come to my church!” When the focus is numbers, the method of evangelism is, “Pray this prayer right now and you can be saved!” When the focus is service, the saying is “preach the gospel always, use words when necessary.” All of these are simply ways for you to avoid your God-given responsibility: people.

There’s a time and a place for serving people, there’s a time and a place for just handing someone a tract, there’s a time and a place for inviting someone to church, don’t hear what I’m not saying. But our real focus ought to be people. This demands more sacrifice because it requires us to actually get to know people and their lives, their successes and failures, their abilities and their needs. This is also sacrificial because it leaves us vulnerable to people learning about us, our problems, our skeletons in our closets.

When it comes to our ministry, we should serve, evangelize, and invite to church with the goal of seeing God work in people’s life.

Each of you have a ministry. Not just the pastor. We together are the church, not pastor Phil, not just the paid staff and the ushers. Every single member here has a ministry. What is your ministry goal? If your ministry goal is numbers, you will sacrifice gospel truth to get more people. If your ministry goal is service, you will sacrifice gospel truth truth be able to serve more. I sometimes fall into this category because I can be so task oriented. If I have a task to accomplish, I have to accomplish it. If your goal is inviting people to church (just an offset if numbers), you will sacrifice gospel truth to get more people in our doors.

People aren’t tools to make us feel better about our numbers, amount of service, or invitations. Rather, serving, sacrificial love, intercessory prayer, and clear presentation of the gospel are all tools God has given us to see him work in people’s lives.

I get caught up in this all the time out there, and I’m sure you might as well. Why don’t I have more teenagers coming? Why can’t I have a group of thirty or forty? I know how to brand, I know how to do gimmicks. Sometimes I’ve so ravishingly focused on branding and making things seem appealing. Why? Because numbers become an idol. But even if I have one teenager over there who I can see God working in his life, even through tribulation, praise be to God! We must do our best not to focus on numbers or gimmicks, but on God’s work in people’s souls.

Destined for Suffering

Paul continues his heartfelt appeal to the Thessalonians and explains what steps he took because he himself could not go to them. Look at 1 Thessalonians chapter 3

1 Thess. 3:1-5 “Therefore when we could bear it no longer, we were willing to be left behind at Athens alone, and we sent Timothy, our brother and God’s coworker in the gospel of Christ, to establish and exhort you in your faith, that no one be moved by these afflictions. For you yourselves know that we are destined for this. 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. 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.”

Paul says, “when we could bear it no longer.” Notice again where this compassion is directed, not in the numbers, not in the amount of churches, but in the people themselves and their faithfulness to Christ. Paul and his companions were willing to be left in Athens alone, and send out Timothy to meet with the Thessalonians.

Relational ministry demands sacrifice.

When we get involved in serving and caring for people, we cannot expect it to be easy. We have to be willing to make difficult decisions, not because we want more money or more numbers, but because we care about people and seeing God work in their lives. And let me be clear: when I say see God work in their lives, I’m saying that these people become more like Jesus not just in their character, but also in their beliefs and desires.

What would you be willing to sacrifice for relational ministry? Would you be willing to strike up a conversation with a homeless individual rather than just throwing money at him? Would you be willing to invite people into your home? Into your life? Would you be willing to get over your fear of “different”? If you saw someone with green spiked up hair, wearing black makeup and hundred piercings, would you be willing to speak to them as a person?

And of course, Paul is not writing to a group of unbelievers, but to a group of believing Thessalonians. What are we willing to do in service to our church? When we fellowship together, what’s the difference between our breakfasts and the meeting at the rotary club? Are we interested and willing to make sacrifices in order to see God at work in each other’s lives? Or are we just interested in having a good time? Sometimes this type of gospel ministry demands we lay aside having a good time in order to see God at work.

The sacrifice that Paul made was to send Timothy who he describes as “our brother and God’s coworker in the gospel of Christ” He also gives his reason as to why he was sent, “to establish and exhort your faith.” Why? “So that no one be moved by these afflictions.” The word there for affliction is the same word for tribulation. Again, keeping with Paul’s theme about the end times, he mentions tribulation. These tribulations, for the Thessalonians, were going on while Paul was writing. They were not a future event for them. Paul says that they were destined to experience tribulation. Paul didn’t even have to be around to know they were experiencing tribulation. Paul tells them they are destined for tribulation. He does not come up with this prediction by merely analyzing the cultural climate. If Paul lived in America in the 1950’s or in the middle of Christendom in the Middle Ages he would tell his converts the same thing, “you are destined for tribulation.” Why? Because this is what Jesus told his followers to expect in the Olivet Discourse in Matthew 24-25.

So, are we, as believers in Jesus, destined for greatness? Yes of course, if you define that greatness as being in eternal fellowship with God forever. What is one of the signs, according to Paul, that you are destined for that greatness? Experiencing tribulations.

In verse 4 Paul reiterates, “Fore when we were with you, we kept telling you beforehand that we were to suffer affliction”. We can see in this similarities of Christ command to “count the cost.” You remember, Jesus’s parable of the builder who did not count the cost and then was unable to finish the tower in Luke 14:28-30? In a similar manner Paul made it plain to these Thessalonians that they were destined to suffer.

So, let me make it plain to you as well. If you are in Christ, you are destined to suffer tribulation in this age. Count the cost. Is Christ for eternity worth it for you to suffer in this life? Paul says elsewhere in 2 Cor. 4:16-18 “So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.”

Is Christ worth it?

Let me encourage you with this. If you suffer for Christ’s sake, Paul sees this as evidence that you are in Christ. So what are we to do with tribulation. Just clench our teeth and bear it? Although tribulation does test our faithfulness, that is not all. James 1:2-4 “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”

Tribulation completes us. If we don’t experience trials, we lack something people have after going through them. A veteran is certainly more competent than a cadet because he’s faced the test of battle. The veteran won’t desert the battle because he’s faced it before. He knows what steps to take in trying situations that will please his commanding officer.

In verse 5, Paul fears that his ministry could be in vain if tribulations cause these believers to deny Christ. This again shows Paul’s “success metric” so to speak. Paul is not worried about how much money the Thessalonian church is making. Paul does not fear that they aren’t drawing in the crowds. Paul fears that these people could abandon the faith due to tribulation. Paul sends to learn about their faith, not their finances, attendance, style, building, service projects, nor their programs; but their faith.

In terms of our “success metrics” we often get them so wrong because we have the wrong goals. What are our goals as a church? To provide top notch services? To out give everyone else in missions? To serve more poor people than anyone else? To have better doctrine and Bible knowledge than anyone else? All of these things are certainly important, but if we aren’t faithful to Jesus in tribulation, all these things are a waste of time. One of our main goals, internally for each other in our church should be promoting faithfulness to Christ in tribulation.

So how do we measure success?

How many people’s trials do you know going on in the church? Do you know more than half of the people’s trials? I know I would fail that test.

How can you encourage someone to seek Jesus in the face of that tribulation? What if they’re facing pressure to deny Jesus at the work place because they could lose their job? What if they are battling a debilitating disease for the third time? What if they have just lost a loved one? How can you come alongside that person and say “look to Jesus for your hope.”

Not just to say “I’m sorry” or to express sympathy, but to help that person focus on Christ. I’m grateful to be a part of this church. This church who has been through tribulation. Many of you have been tested time and time again and have been proven faithful. I cannot take any responsibility for your faithfulness, but truly you are my joy. Let’s pray.