Be Encouraged

Encouraged to Encourage

1 Thessalonians 1:1–10 CSB

1 Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy: To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace to you and peace. 2 We always thank God for all of you, making mention of you constantly in our prayers. 3 We recall, in the presence of our God and Father, your work produced by faith, your labor motivated by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. 4 For we know, brothers and sisters loved by God, that he has chosen you, 5 because our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power, in the Holy Spirit, and with full assurance. You know how we lived among you for your benefit, 6 and you yourselves became imitators of us and of the Lord when, in spite of severe persecution, you welcomed the message with joy from the Holy Spirit. 7 As a result, you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia. 8 For the word of the Lord rang out from you, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but in every place that your faith in God has gone out. Therefore, we don’t need to say anything, 9 for they themselves report what kind of reception we had from you: how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God 10 and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead—Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath.

The story seems so modern. A man who seems to be in a rut in his job gets a call from his boss about a terrific new opportunity overseas. Things had not been going so well where he was. Everything he tried to do was a dead end. So this opportunity was one to be snapped at. He had confidence in his boss, so he decided to take the new offer.

He prepares passage across the sea and lands in a new country. He heads to his first town to try to create a new market. He looks and finds that there are only a few stray persons who show any interest. The competition is intense, and one of his competitors has him beaten and thrown in prison. His boss finds out about it when he and his partner call him in the middle of the night. His boss arranges for his release. But when he is released the next day, they are told to leave town.

Undiscouraged, they decide to try to sell their idea to another city. Perhaps they would find better market opportunities there. At first it seems like things were getting to a good start. A lot of important people in that city had subscribed to the new idea. However, before long, they had to run for their lives when the competition started a riot there. So they went to another city with the same result. In the fourth city, the man and his new ideas were mocked, and he left there with only a few new subscribers.

By now, the man was wondering what was going on. Where was this great promised opportunity he had dreamed about? Nevertheless, the man pressed on to a fifth city. Again after a promising start, the competition stirred up trouble. The man was thoroughly discouraged. That night, his boss called him with these words:

Acts 18:9-10 ).

Acts 18:9–10 CSB

9 The Lord said to Paul in a night vision, “Don’t be afraid, but keep on speaking and don’t be silent. 10 For I am with you, and no one will lay a hand on you to hurt you, because I have many people in this city.”

As we can see, this story we have told is the story of the Apostle Paul in Acts starting from his travels in Asia Minor. He wanted to go off into several new areas, but the Lord had said, No”. Then he received the Macedonian vision to cross the Hellespont into Macedonia. The five cities were Philippi, Thessalonica, Berea, Athens, and Corinth. By the time the uprising against him in Corinth happened, Paul had been beaten, imprisoned, mocked, and hunted down.

If anyone had a right to be discouraged, it was the Apostle Paul.

The words from the Lord came to encourage Paul came at exactly the right moment.

The success of the mission did not depend on Paul’s abilities, but rather the sovereign plan and power of God.

The strength of God would be demonstrated not in Paul’s strength and wisdom, but rather in Paul’s weakness.

God did not call to fail, but to succeed.

Paul had not been able to establish any of the work in the other cities.

Paul left two of his companions to help in two locations as he went on…worried that things were not going well. Timothy went to Thessalonica where Paul thought there was some trouble....however…things were actually going well!

The encouraged and thankful Paul takes pen and paper and along with Silas and Timothy dashes off a letter of encouragement that we call 1 Thessalonians.

Paul the encouraged now becomes the encourager.

He knows the severe trials the church had undergone in his forced absence. He wants to encourage the believers to persevere through the doubts and trials.

Would you say that believers today are going through doubts and trials? Personally and publically?

The same Lord who had seen him through a particularly rough spot will see the Thessalonians through. He follows his greeting to the believers by reminding them that the Thessalonian’s welfare was constantly in their prayers.

He writes that their love for others and their faith is what is pushing them on…and it is being noticed by other people! What are we being noticed for? What are you being noted for? Faith patience love forgiveness?

Paul does here what a lot of pastors do when they use the prayer as an extension of the sermon. And guess what…today, and I hope that this is encouraging to you…you, by name, are being lifted up by our elders. You and your families. Each week our church family is being lifted up by our elders and some others who have joined forces to pray for you.

Not only did God love his church family in Thessalonica, but Paul loved them and demonstrated it first by sending Timothy to check on their welfare as well as in writing this special letter to them. Surely Paul had a lot to do already at Corinth and the work there, no less that he had to care for the churches at Philippi, Berea, as well as those in Galatia. When Paul, who had a lot on his plate, took time to lay it aside to deal personally with them, it served as a means of encouragement to the believers there.

Our elders and leaders take time to pray for you. And I hope that encourages you.

The Thessalonican church had suffered under the hand of earthly rulers and powers and needed to be reminded that there was a power greater than the politicians or even the Roman Emperor. This served to further strengthen and encourage the believers. Paul reminding them that what’s happening through them is through God further helped them stay encouraged.

NICC - What is happening here isn’t by our power, its by God working through each of us. God is working in you. Changing you. Helping each of you become a living testimony of love and faith for others to see.

Paul goes on to tell them that their endurance of suffering served as a positive example to the other churches in Macedonia and Achaia. Patient endurance in their faith. No matter what others said or how they were poked or prodded.

A faith worth dying for is a faith worth living for.

Our message isn’t one that all of life will be happiness and ice cream cones all day long. Paul reminds us in Romans that if we suffer with Him (Jesus), we will also be glorified with Him. The Thessalonians are commended by Paul that their faith embraced both glory and the cross.

This is a contagious faith, a faith that makes news because it is so different than worldly expectations that one can have gain without pain.

The Christian Gospel is not an epic movie or drama novel escape novel. It is instead a living faith that perseveres through suffering because of the glory, the new life, that follows the cross.

Paul then reminds them, in our text from the first chapter of 1 Thessalonians that they turned from worshiping idols to the living God. He also commends them for keeping their eyes on the goal, which was the return of Jesus who had been raised from the dead, the same Jesus who had rescued them.

Isn’t it encouraging to be reminded of who’s we are? And what we’re doing and where we’re headed?

If we read these verses in isolation from the rest of the epistle, one would think this was a church that had it all together. What a glowing report. Who would not be encouraged to hear such a report.

However, there were many issues Paul had to deal with. 1 - dead people who didn’t believe weren’t saved…only those who saw Jesus when He returned.

2 - quitting jobs because they thought Jesus was returning soon…and then relying on everyone around them. Freeloading. Paul said…hey, listen when I was there I worked and worked right alongside you to carry my own. Do the same till He returns…whenever that might be!

Praise and guardrails and corrective criticism…these keep things moving forward…in faith...

We can see that the true nature of encouragement is more than just praise, although it is a vital component. Paul usually in his letters is upfront with praise. We must also understand that Paul is praising God for the work He was doing in the believer’s lives and not the people themselves.

Boasting of human accomplishments, especially when it is truly the work of God is idolatry.

Paul is clear that all human boasting is excluded in the presence of God who works in us both to will and do of His good pleasure. We are entirely saved by the grace of God through the agency of faith which in itself is a gift from God.

Paul knew of many discouragements in his life. But through them, he also learned that the hand of God was still with him even in difficulties. Paul learned hope and faith through these trials. His discouragement was turned to encouragement. The encouraged Paul became the encourager of others.

How do we face discouragement? Too often it seems that we grumble and complain to others.

We become discouraged discouragers rather than encouraged encouragers.

Maybe we need to learn the lesson from this morning’s message. If we find that we are tearing down rather than building up, we need to look again at the promises of God to bring us through discouragement in trials to encouragment that leads to victory.

Perhaps things aren’t going as well as we would like.

If we will only remember that the battle belongs to the Lord and victory over these trials is by our weakness in the face of God’s strength, then our discouragement will become encouragement.

Here’s what Paul wrote to the church in Philippi.

Philippians 1:3–6 (CSB)

3 I give thanks to my God for every remembrance of you, 4 always praying with joy for all of you in my every prayer, 5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.

6 I am sure of this, that he who started a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

Each day when we wake up…can we be that sure…that God is working in and through us?

We must remember that “all things work together to good, to those who love God, who are the called according to His purpose.” Not all things are good. Some things that we undergo are quite unpleasant.

However, all things good and bad are part of God’s plan to benefit us.

Can we, as the body of Jesus at NICC, can we be the encouraged encouragers of our community?

Can you become the encouraged encourager in your circle of influence?

That’s what we’re called to isn’t it?