The Importance of Hope
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

When last we studied in this letter from Paul to the Thessalonians
We listened as Paul gave some practical encouragement.

He knew that they walked to please God.
He knew that they loved their brethren.
Now Paul wanted them “to excel still more”

He didn’t just want them to obey God
He wanted them to be passionate about obedience.

He didn’t just want them to love other
He wanted them to be consumed with their love for others.

He was pushing them to strive for Christ-likeness.

And that is all and well and good, but at some point,
Someone is bound to look at Paul and wonder why.

You and I know that Christianity makes
Some pretty serious demands on the lives of those who proclaim it.

What is it that motivates the Christian to “excel still more”?
And the answer is HOPE

But the Thessalonians were struggling with hope.
WHY?

Because time and time again they saw people live the Christian life,
And then they watched them die before they ever received the reward.

If you remember the Thessalonian’s obedience was built upon something.
1 Thessalonians 1:9-10 “For they themselves report about us what kind of a reception we had with you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve a living and true God, and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, that is Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath to come.”

The Thessalonians had a great faith, but it was a faith
That still lacked a little in the way of true understanding.

Perhaps you remember the parable Jesus gave about the 10 virgins.
• But you remember that 5 of the virgins were wise and 5 were foolish.
• The 5 wise had enough oil to last until the morning.
• The 5 foolish weren’t prepared for the groom to delay.

And there are many warnings to take from that parable,
But one of them is that you and I must be prepared to persevere
Even if the bride groom tarries.
The Christian life is not a sprint, the Christian life is a marathon.
You have to be prepared for the long haul.

But this was one area where the Thessalonians were uninformed.
• They fully expected for Christ to return in their lifetime.
• They fully expected the suffering to be brief and for Jesus to soon return and rescue them.

But there was something happening that was unsettling their faith.
SOME OF THEM BEGAN TO DIE

Some of these who had forsaken this life to follow Jesus
Were dying before His return (possibly even martyrdom)
And they didn’t know what to do with this.

Death was causing a much anxiety to the Thessalonian believers

And you know death can do this.
Remember the preacher who wrote Ecclesiastes.

Ecclesiastes 2:15-17 “Then I said to myself, “As is the fate of the fool, it will also befall me. Why then have I been extremely wise?” So I said to myself, “This too is vanity.” For there is no lasting remembrance of the wise man as with the fool, inasmuch as in the coming days all will be forgotten. And how the wise man and the fool alike die! So I hated life, for the work which had been done under the sun was grievous to me; because everything is futility and striving after wind.”

Ecclesiastes 4:1-3 “Then I looked again at all the acts of oppression which were being done under the sun. And behold I saw the tears of the oppressed and that they had no one to comfort them; and on the side of their oppressors was power, but they had no one to comfort them. So I congratulated the dead who are already dead more than the living who are still living. But better off than both of them is the one who has never existed, who has never seen the evil activity that is done under the sun.”

Ecclesiastes 9:2-6 “It is the same for all. There is one fate for the righteous and for the wicked; for the good, for the clean and for the unclean; for the man who offers a sacrifice and for the one who does not sacrifice. As the good man is, so is the sinner; as the swearer is, so is the one who is afraid to swear. This is an evil in all that is done under the sun, that there is one fate for all men. Furthermore, the hearts of the sons of men are full of evil and insanity is in their hearts throughout their lives. Afterwards they go to the dead. For whoever is joined with all the living, there is hope; surely a live dog is better than a dead lion. For the living know they will die; but the dead do not know anything, nor have they any longer a reward, for their memory is forgotten. Indeed their love, their hate and their zeal have already perished, and they will no longer have a share in all that is done under the sun.”

That is a disheartening view of death.

And it was this same anxiety that was bothering the Thessalonians.
They watched each other forsake this life to wait for Jesus,
But some of them never saw the Jesus they waited for.

And this was causing them to lose hope.
And a Christian without hope is in a dangerous predicament,
They actually lose all motivation for obedience.

In order for a Christian to strive for obedience,
They need to know why it is worth it.

This is why Paul wrote 1 Corinthians 15

The Corinthians doubted the resurrection and Paul knew that would backfire by stealing their hope and ultimately their desire to obey.

1 Corinthians 15:50-58 “Now I say this, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality. But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, “DEATH IS SWALLOWED UP in victory. “O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR VICTORY? O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR STING?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law; but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.”

It was the existence of the resurrection that allowed Paul to tell them to
“be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord”
Because it was the resurrection that allowed them to know that
Their “toil is not in vain in the Lord.”

They could obey because hope remained.

That is the same message Paul is preaching to the Thessalonians here.
• I know some of you have died.
• I know Jesus hasn’t returned yet.
• But you can still have hope that obedience is worth it.

So let’s look at the comfort Paul gives to the Thessalonians here tonight.

4 points.
#1 HOPE IS ESSENTIAL
1 Thessalonians 4:13

When Paul starts out here it is obvious
That he is concerned about a hole in their theology.

“But I do not want you to be uninformed, brethren”

Again it is not a matter of disobedience, or disapproval,
It is simply something Paul sees that needs to be addressed.
And here it is an incomplete understanding of the truth.
AND WHAT A GREAT WAY TO ENCOURAGE ANOTHER BELIEVER.

While it is true that truth can be terrifying to a non-believer,
The truth should always be satisfying and even to a true believer.

And this is why one of the greatest ways we can encourage each other
Is to continually instruct one another in the truth.

Paul is doing that here, and in a specific area.
“I do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep”

Paul is referencing those believers who have already died in the Lord.

And as I said there was a tremendous amount of anxiety brewing
Amongst the Thessalonians because of this fact.

And Paul wants to straighten out their theology.
“so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope.”

And this statement is really the key to the passage.

It is not that grief is wrong.
Jesus was grieved at the tomb of Lazarus.
The brethren grieved the death of Stephen.

The problem was that Paul did not want them to grieve without “hope”

When a lost person dies, what comfort can the family find?
NONE
There is no hope of eternal bliss.
There is no hope of a reunion.
There is no hope of comfort.

But that should not be the case when a believer dies.

When a believer dies, there ought to be at least a silver lining
Of joy and gladness over what that believer has experienced.
(I think of Eldon)

You see we know that believers haven’t missed anything,
But have instead gone to be with the Lord.

BUT IMAGINE IF YOU DIDN’T KNOW THAT.

What if you didn’t know that believers go to be with the Lord?
What if you didn’t know that “to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord?”
What if you didn’t know that the dead will rise at His coming?

Then when a believer died you would grieve the same as a lost person.
Before long the church would be locked in the same fear as the world.
There would be no radical obedience.
There would be no dangerous mission trips.
There would be no life altering moves.

(And maybe it’s because we forget this truth
That the church today isn’t more radically obedient)

And Paul didn’t want the Thessalonians falling into such a snare.
He knew that hope was essential.

Hope is essential for a believer to live a truly sacrificial life.

You may remember when Paul penned that 2nd letter to Timothy.
Timothy wanted to quit, and he needed some motivation.
Timothy needed some hope.

So Paul wrote:
2 Timothy 1:12 “For this reason I also suffer these things, but I am not ashamed; for I know whom I have believed and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day.”

It was hope that allowed Paul to persevere,
And it was only hope that would help Timothy.

And it is only hope that will help the Thessalonians.
And it is only hope that will help each of us.

Hope is essential
#2 HOPE IS CONDITIONAL
1 Thessalonians 4:14

Now we know that hope matters.
No one would risk their lives without it.

But you also need to know that hope is not an automatic thing.

True hope is based upon something.
“For IF we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus.”

WHAT IS HOPE DEPENDANT ON?
Belief

Hope is built upon the salvation of Jesus Christ,
Which only comes through belief in Him.

But when a person places their faith in Christ,
They are saved for all eternity and therefore can have hope.

Romans 5:1-5 “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God. And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.”

Hope is a byproduct of salvation which only comes through faith.
But to try and have hope apart from Jesus
Is a foolish and ultimately futile attempt.

Hope is essential, Hope is conditional
#3 HOPE IS RELIABLE
1 Thessalonians 4:15-17

Here is the best part and what Paul wanted the Thessalonians to know.

Paul’s hope is not built upon assumption,
Nor is it built upon what he desires.
Paul’s hope isn’t even built upon logic or a hunch.

“For this I say to you by the word of the Lord”

Paul’s hope is built upon the words of Christ.

You may be uncertain about those who have fallen asleep.
You may wonder if they missed out on the 2nd coming.

Well, let me tell you what Jesus says about that.
“that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep.”

And the primary fact is this.
Just because someone has died
Does not mean they will miss the 2nd coming,
In fact, they will get to see the Lord before you do.

And just with that one statement
Paul eliminates all anxiety about untimely death.

It was that understanding that allowed Paul to say:
Philippians 1:21 “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.”

Death was no downer for Paul.
Paul said it was better than life, because to die is to be with the Lord,
And those who die before His coming haven’t missed a thing.

What a great truth!
But Paul doesn’t stop there.

He gives 4 undeniable truths that are meant to solidify your hope.

1) THE LORD WILL RETURN (16a)

“For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God”

One thing we know for certain
(and something the Thessalonians knew as well) is that Jesus is coming back

John 14:1-3 “Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. “In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. “If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.”

After Jesus ascended two angels appeared to the disciples and said:
Acts 1:11 “They also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven.”

Jesus is returning.
Hebrews 9:27-28 “And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment, so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin, to those who eagerly await Him.”
JESUS WILL RETURN

2) THE DEAD WILL RISE (16b)
“and the dead in Christ will rise first.”

We are all aware of the various things
That will occur at the return of the Lord.

• We think about the sword coming from His mouth to strike down the nations
• We think about Him treading the wine press of the wrath of God
• We think about Him casting the beast and false prophet into hell.
• We think about Him binding Satan for 1,000 years.

But the first thing He will do at His return
Is bring the dead in Christ back to life.

Revelation 20:4-6 “Then I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was given to them. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony of Jesus and because of the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received the mark on their forehead and on their hand; and they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were completed. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is the one who has a part in the first resurrection; over these the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with Him for a thousand years.”
All those who have died for their faith…
All those who died before He returned…

They will not miss it, they will see it first.

3) THE LIVING WILL RAPTURE (17a)

“Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air”

As soon as the dead in Christ rise, the next thing that occurs
Is that the living are called to meet Jesus in the air.

When Christ comes to judge this world…
When Christ comes to tread the wine press of the wrath of God…
He won’t do it until His bride is gone.

How many times have seen this fact in Scripture!

We just studied Ezekiel 9 a couple of weeks ago.
And before God would execute judgment He marked the righteous to exempt them

But Jesus spoke of the same.
Matthew 3:12 “His winnowing fork is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clear His threshing floor; and He will gather His wheat into the barn, but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”

I’ve told you before, I believe this to be the event revealed in Revelation 14

Revelation 14:14-20 “Then I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and sitting on the cloud was one like a son of man, having a golden crown on His head and a sharp sickle in His hand. And another angel came out of the temple, crying out with a loud voice to Him who sat on the cloud, “Put in your sickle and reap, for the hour to reap has come, because the harvest of the earth is ripe.” Then He who sat on the cloud swung His sickle over the earth, and the earth was reaped. And another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, and he also had a sharp sickle. Then another angel, the one who has power over fire, came out from the altar; and he called with a loud voice to him who had the sharp sickle, saying, “Put in your sharp sickle and gather the clusters from the vine of the earth, because her grapes are ripe.” So the angel swung his sickle to the earth and gathered the clusters from the vine of the earth, and threw them into the great wine press of the wrath of God. And the wine press was trodden outside the city, and blood came out from the wine press, up to the horses’ bridles, for a distance of two hundred miles.”

The grain is gathered and then the grapes are crushed.

And I know what many think here.
DO YOU THINK WE WILL BE HERE FOR THE GREAT TRIBULATION?

Almost every preacher I love and respect says, “No”.
And I hope they are right.
But it seems too clear to me (even in this passage in 1 Thessalonians) that the dead rise when Christ returns and that happens before the rapture.

And immediately people say, “Well, that’s not hope”,
I feel worse now than I did earlier.

But keep things in perspective.

One – persecution is promised either way
Two – God seals His bondservants in the great tribulation
Three – God tempers the degree to which you can be tempted.

Matthew 24:21-22 “For then there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will. “Unless those days had been cut short, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short.”
God will take care of His own, even in that great day.

But beyond all that, don’t miss the beauty of this passage,
And that is that before Christ destroys the earth,
He takes His people to Himself.

One day those who are alive at the coming of the Lord
Will be sucked right out of their tennis shoes.

Christ will Return The dead will Rise The living will Rapture
4) WE WILL ALWAYS REMAIN (17b)

“and so we shall always be with the Lord.”

And that is the obvious point Paul wants you to see.

The Thessalonians were afraid that if they died before Jesus returned,
Then they would miss Him.

Not so.
Once you come to Christ,
There’s never a time when you’re without Him.

In fact, this is a mystery, but it is a great truth.

Paul said the dead will rise when He comes.
That has led some to wonder,
So if they rise when He comes, where are they now?
Are they just in some sort of timeless sleep?

Yet, did you catch what Paul said in vs. 14?
“even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus.”

The dead aren’t alone, they are with Jesus, and they are coming with Him.

HOW DO THEY COME WITH HIM AND RISE TO MEET HIM?

I have no idea.
It is a mystery I cannot fathom or untangle.

But this I do know, they are always with the Lord,
And so shall we all be.

Nothing can separate us from Him.
Not even death.

And you can bank on that!
Hope is Reliable

Hope is Essential Hope is Conditional Hope is Reliable
#4 HOPE IS INCREDIBLE
1 Thessalonians 4:18

And here is Paul’s point
“comfort one another with these words.”

Set each other’s minds at ease.
Settle each other down.

Furthermore help each other see that it is ok to risk your life for Jesus.
It is ok to lay down your life for Jesus.

If you sell out and “excel still more” even to the point of death,
You don’t have to worry at all.

You will be with the Lord and you will not miss His return.
You are His and nothing can change that!
IT IS OK TO OBEY GOD!

AND THAT TRUTH HAS INSPIRED CHRISTIANS FOR CENTURIES
TO LAY DOWN THEIR LIVES UPON GOD’S ALTAR.

Hope is incredible.
And if nothing else tonight I just want to reassure you of a truth
You all know well.

That if you belong to Christ, nothing will ever separate you from Him.
Now, go out and “excel still more”

1 Thessalonians 5:9-11 “For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep, we will live together with Him. Therefore encourage one another and build up one another, just as you also are doing.”

Practical Encouragement – Part 2
1 Thessalonians 4:9-12

The last time we studied in this first letter from Paul to the Thessalonians,
We saw Paul begin the “Practical Encouragement” section.

As we said, all true biblical encouragement
Must include the concept of exhortation or confrontation.

Our aim and goal as Christians is not solely to uplift or console,
But ultimately to mold and push each other into Christ-likeness.

And so our encouragement cannot just be emotional or sentimental,
It must be that which takes the truth and confronts one another with it.

And in this fourth chapter Paul has
Two major practical encouragements for the Thessalonians.

The first we saw two weeks ago as Paul outlined their desire to walk in a manner that is pleasing to God.

1 Thessalonians 4:1 “Finally then, brethren, we request and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us instruction as to how you ought to walk and please God (just as you actually do walk), that you excel still more.”

Paul reminded the Thessalonians of their main goal in life,
And that is that they please God.

1 Thessalonians 4:3a “For this is the will of God, your sanctification”

God’s will for your life is that you begin to look like Christ,
And that you continue in that journey for the rest of your life.

And as we said then,
This was a journey that the Thessalonians were embarking on.
“just as you actually do walk”

The Thessalonians were striving to please God.

Paul’s encouragement for them was this: “that you excel still more.”

Throw off your contentment in regard to your level of achievement
In this Christian life and strive for more.

Similar to the way Paul lived, “forget what is behind and reach for what is ahead, strive to lay hold of that for which you were laid hold of by Christ Jesus.”

Take your commitment to God to a whole new level.
Strive to Obey God’s Commands
Strive to Achieve God’s Will
Strive to Honor God’s Spirit
In a practical sense Paul used the example of sexual immorality to help them see how to take their commitment to God to a whole new level.

• Through Abstinence (3)
• Through Self-Control (4-5)
• Through Fear (6)

Paul wanted them to take their commitment to God to the next level.

Tonight comes the second piece of practical encouragement.
And it is in the area of LOVE.

And again it is the same type of encouragement (10b) “But we urge you, brethren, to excel still more,”

The first encouragement is please God more.
The second encouragement is love people better.

And of course that also encompasses
The Greatest and 2nd Greatest commandments.

Well, tonight let’s look at this second practical encouragement.

2 main points
#1 THE OBSERVATION
1 Thessalonians 4:9-10a

In verse 1 Paul said, “AS TO how you ought to walk and please God”
Here he says, “AS TO love of the brethren”

It is a new topic.
But, like the old one, it was NOT AN AREA OF IGNORANCE.

(9) “Now as to love of the brethren, you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another;”

He is not bringing in a new piece of theology
Or something no one has ever heard of before.
He is talking about something that God Himself has taught them.

John 14:26 “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.”

(My dad – “I teach you nothing,
I only confirm what the Spirit has taught you”)

And that is sort of what Paul is saying here.
If you really are saved, and if you really do have the Holy Spirit,
Then I shouldn’t have to teach you a thing about loving other people.
Romans 5:5 “and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.”

1 John 4:7 “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.”

You have probably heard before
That there were three Greek words for “love”
AROS – the emotional, passionate, soap opera type love.
PHILEO – brotherly love
AGAPE – unconditional, God-like love.

AROS may come natural to you,
But PHILEO and AGAPE only come from God.

When God truly moves into a life, love moves in as well.

And so Paul can say to the Thessalonians, “you yourselves are taught by God to love one another.”

And here tonight with a Sunday night crowd,
I don’t think the command to love shocked anyone.

You know it and so did the Thessalonians.

SECONDLY, THE THESSALONIANS ALREADY DID IT.
(10) “for indeed you do practice it toward all the brethren who are in all Macedonia.”

So, not only did the Thessalonians know the importance of love,
But they also practiced it.

1 Thessalonians 1:2-3 “We give thanks to God always for all of you, making mention of you in our prayers; constantly bearing in mind your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the presence of our God and Father,”

1 Thessalonians 3:6 “But now that Timothy has come to us from you, and has brought us good news of your faith and love, and that you always think kindly of us, longing to see us just as we also long to see you,”

So again, like the previous encouragement,
This is not an area where the Thessalonians struggled.

We’re reminded that when someone pushes you to be like Jesus,
That does not necessarily mean they thought you were unlike Him.

They already do love the brethren.

That is Paul’s observation.
#2 THE EXHORTATION
1 Thessalonians 4:10b-12
And here we see the encouragement.

“But we urge you, brethren, to excel still more,”
I know you know about love…
I know you practice love…
I just want you to take it even a step farther and be even better at it.

And in one sense this is obvious.
If our goal is Christ-likeness…
If God’s goal for us is Christ-likeness…
Then regardless of how much we love now,
We can all stand to do it better.

And Paul is here pushing the Thessalonians to that great kind of love.

Only here his encouragement is not in regard to the DEPTH of their love, but rather it is in regard to the BREADTH of their love.

When you read this entire passage you realize that
Paul knows they love the brethren,
But he now wants them to love those outside.

In fact look where Paul is taking them.

Skip down to verse 12 and we see the objective Paul is pushing for.
(12) “so that you will behave properly toward outsiders and not be in any need.”

It is clear that everything Paul commands in verse 11,
Is simply to help them love those outside the church better.

• By Paul’s own admonition this church had love of the brethren down.
• By Paul’s own admonition he didn’t need to tell them anything about loving the brethren.
God was doing that, and they were doing fine.

This is about encouraging them to let their love spread
Beyond the walls of the church to a lost world.

Paul sees their love is genuine, now he wants it to spread further.

He wants them to “excel still more”

And he even gives them specifics
As to how their love can be shown to those outside the church.

As believers we know we are called to love the lost.
Furthermore, we want those outside the church feel loved by us.
We want them to know the love God has for them.
Paul here gives basic guidelines as to how you can begin to show that.

And he begins in a place you might not expect.
• He doesn’t begin by showing you things to for the lost world.
• He doesn’t begin by showing you ministries you can start.

Paul begins by giving you three areas in your own life
That you first need to bring under control
So that you do not kill your witness with a lost world.

WHAT DOES THAT HAVE TO DO WITH LOVE?

Friend, if you offend them by your actions,
You won’t ever even get the opportunity
To express that love you want them to see.

And surely as you have studied the Scriptures
You must know that Paul was very conscious
About his image before a lost world.

People today say, “I don’t care what people think of me”, but that is a foolish statement.
You ought to care,
Because when it comes time for you to share the gospel with them,
You want to have enough credibility to do so.

Paul was like this.

Remember in Acts after he fought that ferocious battle in Jerusalem in order make sure that the Gentiles did not have to be circumcised.

Immediately after that, do you remember what he did?
Acts 16:1-3 “Paul came also to Derbe and to Lystra. And a disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer, but his father was a Greek, and he was well spoken of by the brethren who were in Lystra and Iconium. Paul wanted this man to go with him; and he took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in those parts, for they all knew that his father was a Greek.”

Even later when Paul arrived back in Jerusalem,
He found out that he had been the victim of false accusation.

Acts 21:20-26 “And when they heard it they began glorifying God; and they said to him, “You see, brother, how many thousands there are among the Jews of those who have believed, and they are all zealous for the Law; and they have been told about you, that you are teaching all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children nor to walk according to the customs. “What, then, is to be done? They will certainly hear that you have come. “Therefore do this that we tell you. We have four men who are under a vow; take them and purify yourself along with them, and pay their expenses so that they may shave their heads; and all will know that there is nothing to the things which they have been told about you, but that you yourself also walk orderly, keeping the Law. “But concerning the Gentiles who have believed, we wrote, having decided that they should abstain from meat sacrificed to idols and from blood and from what is strangled and from fornication.” Then Paul took the men, and the next day, purifying himself along with them, went into the temple giving notice of the completion of the days of purification, until the sacrifice was offered for each one of them.”
And Paul did it.
He did not want to lose his credibility with the lost world.

1 Corinthians 9:19-23 “For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a slave to all, so that I may win more. To the Jews I became as a Jew, so that I might win Jews; to those who are under the Law, as under the Law though not being myself under the Law, so that I might win those who are under the Law; to those who are without law, as without law, though not being without the law of God but under the law of Christ, so that I might win those who are without law. To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak; I have become all things to all men, so that I may by all means save some. I do all things for the sake of the gospel, so that I may become a fellow partaker of it.”

Paul was willing to sacrifice self,
In order to be able to maintain credibility with the lost he longed to reach.

And Jesus was no different.
Matthew 17:24-27 “When they came to Capernaum, those who collected the two-drachma tax came to Peter and said, “Does your teacher not pay the two-drachma tax?” He said, “Yes.” And when he came into the house, Jesus spoke to him first, saying, “What do you think, Simon? From whom do the kings of the earth collect customs or poll-tax, from their sons or from strangers?” When Peter said, “From strangers,” Jesus said to him, “Then the sons are exempt. “However, so that we do not offend them, go to the sea and throw in a hook, and take the first fish that comes up; and when you open its mouth, you will find a shekel. Take that and give it to them for you and Me.”

AND THAT IS LOVE.
And that is where Paul begins here with the Thessalonians.

Before he ever tells them about practical ministries they can start,
The first step of love is that they get their own lives in order
So as to be able to gain credibility with a lost world.

And here is the question for you.
• How hard would you be willing to work to gain the respect of the lost?

• Would you be willing to sacrifice yourself in order to gain an opportunity to share the love of Christ with someone else?

That is what Paul is about to ask the Thessalonians to do.

What we see here are three bad habits
For Christians seeking to impact a lost world.

1) BUSYNESS
“and to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life”

The statement Paul makes here almost appears to be contradictory.

The word “ambition” literally means “to love or seek after honor”
The word “quiet” is just the opposite meaning “to be still; quiet, tranquil”

It’s kind of like the statement we would make to “hurry up and wait”.

Paul tells them to be ambitious, but not in a worldly sense.
He tells them that their ambition is to be different from that of the world.

Their ambition is “to lead a quiet life”

And of course this can have several applications to life.

On one hand it speaks of contentment.
Be tranquil, in the sense of contentment.

Don’t be the type of person that is always discontented and restless
Always wanting something more.

Such a lifestyle sends a bad message to a lost world
We are supposed to be those who are fulfilled and content in life.
We are supposed to be those who are at peace in our circumstances.
We are supposed to be those who have enough and have found the answer.

Show a little tranquility in the midst of this rat race world.

Another application could be in regard to being a busybody or gossip.

The 2nd letter he wrote to the Thessalonians seems to imply this.
2 Thessalonians 3:6-13 “Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you keep away from every brother who leads an unruly life and not according to the tradition which you received from us. For you yourselves know how you ought to follow our example, because we did not act in an undisciplined manner among you, nor did we eat anyone’s bread without paying for it, but with labor and hardship we kept working night and day so that we would not be a burden to any of you; not because we do not have the right to this, but in order to offer ourselves as a model for you, so that you would follow our example. For even when we were with you, we used to give you this order: if anyone is not willing to work, then he is not to eat, either. For we hear that some among you are leading an undisciplined life, doing no work at all, but acting like busybodies. Now such persons we command and exhort in the Lord Jesus Christ to work in quiet fashion and eat their own bread. But as for you, brethren, do not grow weary of doing good.”

They were apparently sticking their nose in other people’s business,
Trying to jump in the middle of other people’s dilemmas.

We have all seen compassion cross the line to just being nosy.
We have all heard prayer requests turn into gossip.

And that is also a bad example to the world.
And either way here Paul is letting you know that
Either being a flustered, discontented person, or a nosy busybody;
Either way will not win you the respect of the world.

If you want to win their respect, be content, be tranquil, be at peace,
And don’t jump into the gossip rat race of life.

So one bad habit is busyness
2) CARELESSNESS
“and attend to your own business”

Most people read this as if Paul is saying “Mind your own business”
As if to say, “keep your nose out of mine”.

And as we saw in the last point, that is certainly applicable.

But here the Greek phrase simply says, “Do your own”

And instead of speaking of meddling in someone else’s affairs,
This speaks a person who doesn’t take care of his own affairs.

They are irresponsible.
They are not dependable.
And as a result they are always requiring someone else
To take up the slack for them.

And such behavior does not win the respect of the world.
Proverbs 24:30-34 “I passed by the field of the sluggard And by the vineyard of the man lacking sense, And behold, it was completely overgrown with thistles; Its surface was covered with nettles, And its stone wall was broken down. When I saw, I reflected upon it; I looked, and received instruction. “A little sleep, a little slumber, A little folding of the hands to rest,” Then your poverty will come as a robber And your want like an armed man.”

A Christian ought to take care of his own affairs.
And this is as simple as paying your bills on time
And keeping your yard mowed.

Your non-Christian neighbor mows his yard,
And so it is obvious he doesn’t want your house to be an eyesore.
You’ll never win his respect if you don’t take care of your own business.

Busyness Carelessness
3) LAZINESS
“and work with your hands, just as we commanded you”

We read earlier in 2 Thessalonians that
If a man does not work, he shall not eat.

Work is important in Scripture.
Proverbs 6:6-11 “Go to the ant, O sluggard, Observe her ways and be wise, Which, having no chief, Officer or ruler, Prepares her food in the summer And gathers her provision in the harvest. How long will you lie down, O sluggard? When will you arise from your sleep? “A little sleep, a little slumber, A little folding of the hands to rest” — Your poverty will come in like a vagabond And your need like an armed man.”

Work is obviously important.

Furthermore you live amongst lost people who do it every day.
You may even work with people who do it every day.

And if at work, your non-Christian co-workers out work you,
You will not earn their respect.

If you are a person who gives the appearance of a bum,
Because you don’t work, and you are always having to reach for handouts, that is not the way to win the respect of the lost world.

Now, are we as Christians striving to gain the world? – No
Are we working to get rich, and live luxurious? – No

But Christians still ought to be the hardest workers around,
Because they work alongside lost people who do value it.

And the application here is easy.

If you want to show love to your lost neighbor,
There is obviously no better way to do that than to introduce him to Christ

But if you offend him with your lifestyle or do not earn his respect,
You will never get that opportunity.

So the idea here is that you sacrifice.
• Learn to be content and sacrifice to earn his respect.
• Take care of the little things in your life that may not be important to you, but are to him.
• Work hard so that he will see you are not just trying to skate by on life.

This is the way you earn the respect of the lost man.

And this is what Paul wants from the Thessalonians.
(12) “So that you will behave properly toward outsiders”

The second reason is so that you will “not be in any need.”

We as Christians are called to be ready to share, not ready to borrow.
We as Christians are to be generous, not needy.
We as Christians are to be benevolent, not beggars.

And one of the ways we achieve this is by working hard
So that we will be able to give and share and not be in need.

Apparently at Thessalonica there was a hint of a problem
Where people in the church at decided to look for Jesus so zealously
That they were forsaking all other duties.

Some even quit working just to wait for Jesus.

And Paul’s point is that this is irresponsible.

1) You will lose the respect of the lost world around you.

No one respects a lazy person who wants to live off of everyone else.

2) You will burden other Christians unnecessarily.

When Paul wrote to Timothy about widows he said this:
1 Timothy 5:16 “If any woman who is a believer has dependent widows, she must assist them and the church must not be burdened, so that it may assist those who are widows indeed.”

The church is called and commanded to help those in need.
But if she is constantly having to help you because of your laziness,
Then she is not able to help others.

3) You won’t have anything to share with people in need.

One of the greatest blessings of Christianity is the privilege of giving.

But a lazy man who doesn’t even take care of his own responsibilities
Can’t appreciate that blessing.

Ephesians 4:28 “He who steals must steal no longer; but rather he must labor, performing with his own hands what is good, so that he will have something to share with one who has need.”

And these are good reminders to us as Christians.
We don’t put our hope in money.
We don’t strive to obtain the world.

But we do work hard, and take care of our own responsibilities,
So that when needs arise we will be able to share,
And so that we can win the respect of the lost world around us.

And that is what Paul is pushing the Thessalonians to here.
He knows that they love each other.

Now he wants them to “excel still more” in their love
By giving of themselves
To earn the respect of the lost world around them.

He is encouraging them not only to strive to please God,
But to also strive to love people.

And this is good Christian encouragement.

If you are a Christian, then strive to be the best Christian you can be.

And if you are a Christian in this world,
Then be the best citizen you can be.
And if you are a Christian in the work place,
Then be the hardest worker you can be.
And if you are a Christian in your neighborhood,
Then be the best neighbor you can be.
And if you are a Christian in your family,
Then be the best son or daughter or aunt or uncle or cousin you can be.

Sacrifice yourself to show your love to the world,
Gain their respect, and earn the opportunity to show them Jesus.

That is how the church is to live in this world.
And Paul is encouraging the Thessalonians
To be that type of church.

I encourage you to be the same.
1 Thessalonians 5:11 “Therefore encourage one another and build up one another, just as you also are doing.”

Practical Encouragement
1 Thessalonians 4:1-8

As you know we are studying the letter of 1 Thessalonians
And it is a letter all about encouragement.

Through this letter the Holy Spirit shows us
What encouragement looks like, as well as how to give it.

Tonight we begin a new section of the book,
Which deals with Paul’s practical encouragement to the Thessalonians.

In other words, we are starting the section
Where Paul details what exactly he is encouraging them to do.
This is the application portion of the letter.

As we have said many times;
True Christian encouragement pushes toward Christ-likeness.
A Christian encourages with the spiritual goal in mind.
A Christian encourages with the will of Christ in mind.

And so we know that at some point our encouragement
Must not only console; must not only comfort;
BUT MUST EVENTUALLY EXHORT.

All true Christian encouragement brings with it an expected confrontation.

And don’t think of that as a negative thing.
Confrontation is only negative when a person chooses to remain in sin.

Proverbs 9:7-9 “He who corrects a scoffer gets dishonor for himself, And he who reproves a wicked man gets insults for himself. Do not reprove a scoffer, or he will hate you, Reprove a wise man and he will love you. Give instruction to a wise man and he will be still wiser, Teach a righteous man and he will increase his learning.”

And so confrontation is not negative unless
You are dealing with a person who loves sin and desires to stay in it.

But regardless of the response,
Confrontation is a necessary part of true Christian encouragement.

Paul told Timothy the same thing.
2 Timothy 4:1-2 “I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction.”

He could not move his flock from sin to Christ-likeness
If he refused to confront sin and guide into truth.

Confrontation is obviously required.
And it is obvious Paul did it, when you read his letters.
• He confronted the Galatians for their legalism.
• He confronted the Ephesians for their worldliness.
• He confronted the Philippians for their selfishness.
• He confronted the Colossians for being naive.
• And just think about all he confronted the Corinthians with.
Squabbling Adultery
Tolerance of sin Greed
Idolatry Drunkenness
Gluttony Feminism
Chaotic Worship Selfishness
Heresy

Paul revealed why he does this in his 2nd letter to the Corinthians.
2 Corinthians 11:2 “For I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy; for I betrothed you to one husband, so that to Christ I might present you as a pure virgin.”

Paul confronted, Paul challenged, Paul encouraged
Because he wanted the churches to be acceptable to Christ.

Max Lucado once said, “God loves you just the way you are, but He refuses to leave you that way. He wants you to be just like Jesus.”

Paul knew that as well,
And so his encouragement always included confrontation.

AND THAT IS ALSO TRUE HERE.
• Here we are dealing with a good church.
• We are dealing with a church that had already encouraged Paul.
• We are dealing with an obedient church.
• We are dealing with an enduring church.
• We are dealing with an evangelistic church.

Paul is not upset with these people.
He is fond of them, he is proud of them.

Yet, even they need to be further confronted
And challenged to Christ-likeness.

We learn then, that everyone needs encouragement,
Regardless of how good they appear.

Let’s look at Paul’s practical encouragement to them. (3 things)
#1 STRIVE TO OBEY GOD’S COMMANDS
1 Thessalonians 4:1-2

Paul begins by saying, “Finally”

This is the close of his letter.
He has spent three chapter gushing over them,
Now it is time to leave them with a word of exhortation.
“Finally then, brethren, we request and exhort you in the Lord Jesus”

And we understand what he is speaking of.
The “request” is what Paul wanted to see.
The “exhort” is what Jesus wanted to see.

And Paul was not about to miss the opportunity to shape on their lives
So that they might be more pleasing to Christ.

Here it comes.
“that as you received from us instruction as to how you ought to walk and please God (just as you actually do walk), that you excel still more.”

And what great insight.

We know that Paul is not upset with the Thessalonians about anything.
He isn’t even frustrated with them about the way they have responded thus far.

By Paul’s own admonition he says that
They “actually do walk” according to his instruction.

When Paul came to Thessalonica he taught them
“how [they] ought to walk and please God”

And can we think of any better subject?

When we go out and teach people,
It is not to make them better citizens,
It is not to make them more productive,
It is not to make their lives happier.

Our instruction is to help people learn how “to walk and please God”.

So much “Christian” encouragement and instruction today
Falls drastically short of this goal.

Much time is spent talking about an abundant life or a blessed life,
As though the only goal of life is to figure out
How to get as much out of it as you can.

And somewhere Christians began to assume that our goal
Was to help people find a life that is more pleasing to them.

And that is absolutely backwards.

Our goal is to help people live a life that is more pleasing to God.

That obviously begins with telling them
To trust Christ who justifies them before God.
And then it leads into a teaching of God’s word that the new believer
May learn how to walk according to God’s commands.

• And Paul says when we came that is what we taught.
• And that is what you received.
• And that is what you have even tried to do.

Our encouragement to you now is “that you excel still more.”

WHAT GREAT ENCOURAGEMENT!
Don’t assume you have arrived.
Don’t get content with your progress.
Don’t sit back on your past accomplishments.
Don’t be satisfied with your current level of holiness.

“excel still more”

Remember that church at Sardis we have studied?
Revelation 3:1-2 “To the angel of the church in Sardis write: He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars, says this: ‘I know your deeds, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead. ‘Wake up, and strengthen the things that remain, which were about to die; for I have not found your deeds completed in the sight of My God.”

Remember Sardis was that town (and church) that lived in the past.
They had retired, assuming they had accomplished enough.
And Jesus says “I have not found your deeds completed in the sight of My God.”

YOU AREN’T FINISHED
There is more to be done.

And that is what Paul tells the Thessalonians.
Push on.

In fact, this is what Paul expected even of himself.
Philippians 3:12-16 “Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus. Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Let us therefore, as many as are perfect, have this attitude; and if in anything you have a different attitude, God will reveal that also to you; however, let us keep living by that same standard to which we have attained.”

Obedience isn’t a checklist, it is a lifestyle.
We don’t just obey a rule and then check it off,
We study God’s word to try and learn how to live
Even more obediently tomorrow than I did today.

And Paul here tells the Thessalonians
That they need to apply themselves to it.
WHY?
(2) “For you know what commandments we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus.”

Notice Paul doesn’t say, “You are familiar with all the other suggestions we gave you.” “You know there are other ways to try out.”

If it were all a matter of suggestions and different possibilities
Then the Christian life would be all about you finding your niche
Or what works well for you.

If it were all about suggestions,
Once you found the life that made you content,
Then you would be invited to stop and sit back and enjoy it.

But we aren’t dealing with suggestions,
We’re dealing with “commandments”
And we are not dealing with your goals, we are dealing with God’s goals.

And so Paul says, you may have come far, but you aren’t finished.
God still expects more out of you.

And I want to encourage you in the same way tonight.
Push yourself
Apply God’s word more diligently.
Obey it better, obey it longer, obey it more often.

Strive to obey God’s commands
#2 STRIVE TO ACHIEVE GOD’S WILL
1 Thessalonians 4:3-6

Now Paul just told them to “excel still more” in their quest to obey.

Here is why.
“For this is the will of God, your sanctification;”

Now everyone stop and let’s all do a little memory verse time.

1 Thessalonians 4:3 “For this is the will of God, your sanctification;”
(Quiz the congregation)

I don’t know how many times I’ve talked with people
And their statement is something like this.
“I just don’t know what God’s will for my life is.”

Well now you know.
God is clear.

His will for your life is “your sanctification”
God has a sovereign plan for your life.
He has you on a highway, He has you on program.

If you’ve ever seen those commercials where people are supposed to follow that little green arrow that leads them to financial security.

Well God has His own little green arrow for your to follow.
WANT TO KNOW IT?

Romans 8:28-30 “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.”

God has you on a course that started with foreknowledge
And ends with glorification.

Now since glorification will not occur until you die or Christ returns,
Right now all living believers are in the same part of the course.

We are on the “sanctification” part of the course.

It is that section of the course where God is molding and shaping you
To become more like Christ.
AND GOD CAUSES ALL THINGS TO HELP YOU REACH HIS GOAL

So we understand God’s will for our lives.
It isn’t wealth, it isn’t health, it isn’t prosperity, it isn’t comfort.

WHAT IS GOD’S WILL?
“your sanctification”

And Paul is here challenging the Thessalonians
To strive to achieve God’s will.

In fact Paul even gives a specific way in which they can do that.
“that is that you abstain from sexual immorality.”

Of all the sins Paul could have mentioned,
I don’t think there is any confusion as to why he picked this one.

I can’t think of any sin that affects man more.

The saints of old had multiple wives.
The man after God’s own heart (David) had an affair.
And every city in the New Testament world had sexual problems.

The reason of course was because sexual immorality
Was such an integral part of pagan worship.
AND WE STILL FACE SEXUAL IMMORALITY TODAY
• Sex today is seen as recreational.
• Sex today is seen as simple bodily function (like eating).
• Sex today is seen as another means of self gratification.
• Sex today is seen as just a way of getting to know someone.

And society has done everything possible to minimize
Any and all negative consequences to having sex.
Devices to prevent pregnancy
Means to terminate pregnancy
Means to control disease
Laws to legalize any and all forms of sexual function

And so Paul isn’t far off when he confronts sexual immorality.

And while no specific sexual sins of the Thessalonians are mentioned,
It is obvious that Paul sees this as an area
Where even the Thessalonians could do better.

Paul sees this as an area where the Thessalonians could be more pure.

And Paul even shows three practical ways
That we can strive to achieve the sanctification God wants for us.

1) THROUGH ABSTINENCE
“that is that you abstain from sexual immorality”

The concept of abstinence wasn’t invented by parents
Who didn’t want to become early grandparents.
That concept was invented by God.

And according to God’s word, there are simply some things
That Christians just don’t need to take part in.

“sexual immorality” is obviously one of those things.

Part of becoming more sanctified
Involves you and I learning to do without some things.

• Too many men in the church have felt deprived by their wives and decided to satisfy their cravings on the computer.

• Too many women have felt deprived by their husbands and decided to satisfy their cravings in some other social relationship.

And what is worse most justify it by saying,
“Well, I’ve got to get it somewhere.”

What Paul is saying here is “No you don’t.”
“You could just learn to do without.”

(Now obviously that is not a mindset to promote healthy marriages,
Paul clearly taught the Corinthians to stop depriving one another)

But the idea here is that being deprived (even wrongly deprived)
Doesn’t give you the right to taste sin.

Learn to abstain, learn to do without.

This is what Paul had in mind in his letter to the Corinthians.
1 Corinthians 10:13 “No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.”

Sometimes you just have to run away.
Learn to abstain from sin.

We strive for sanctification through abstinence
2) THROUGH SELF-CONTROL
“that each of you know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, not in lustful passion, like the Gentiles who do not know God;”

Part of being sanctified is saying no to sin.
Another part of sanctification is learning the art of self-control.

Now self-control is a fruit of the Spirit and therefore a gift from God.

That is why “the Gentiles who do not know God” don’t exercise it.
They instead live like wild animals “in lustful passion”.

They just seek to gratify all natural desires they have, however they can.

But a Christian who desires sanctification must learn
“how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor”

And for clarity sake, we know that your “vessel” is your body.

And Paul says that you must learn to use your body
For God’s glory not for your own fleshly desires.

Do we not read?
Romans 12:1 “Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.”

Did we not just study in the Sermon on the Mount?
Matthew 6:25b “Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?”
Your body is for God’s glory, so learn to use it that way.

1 Corinthians 6:12-13 “All things are lawful for me, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be mastered by anything. Food is for the stomach and the stomach is for food, but God will do away with both of them. Yet the body is not for immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord is for the body.”

And so learn self-control,
This is one of the ways we achieve sanctification.

Through abstinence Through self-control
3) THROUGH FEAR
“and that no man transgress and defraud his brother in the matter because the Lord is the avenger in all these things, just as we told you before and solemnly warned you.”

If saying no to sin because it displeases God is not enough for you.

Then try this motivation.
Say no to sin because God judges it.

Specifically sexual immorality,
“the Lord is the avenger in all these things”

Romans 12:19 “Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, “VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY,” says the Lord.”

If you walk in sin, especially sexual immorality,
Just know that God promises to get even with you.

If you sleep with another man or woman…
If you look at junk on the internet…
If you engage in sexual sin of any kind…
God will get even.

Let that be motivation to live a sanctified life.

But whether you do it through abstinence, self-control, or fear, STRIVE TO ACHIEVE THE WILL OF GOD,
Which is that you be sanctified.

I challenge you too.
Put away sin and instead of making it a goal to gratify the body,
Make it a goal to glorify God with your body.

Strive to Obey God’s Commands Strive to Achieve God’s Will
#3 STRIVE TO HONOR GOD’S SPIRIT
1 Thessalonians 4:7-8

And there is a great statement.
“For God has not called us for the purpose of impurity, but in sanctification.”

DID GOD SAVE YOU SO YOU COULD SIN WITHOUT PUNISHMENT?
No, God saved you so you could not sin.

Romans 6:1-4 “What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it? Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.”

Romans 6:12-14 “Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts, and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law but under grace.”

This is God’s Will.
This is God’s purpose.
(8) “So he who rejects this is not rejecting man but the God who gives His Holy Spirit to you.”

God has been so gracious that not only has He decided to dwell with us,
But He decided to dwell in us.

WHY WOULD HE DO THAT?
So we could be Holy. (That’s why we call Him the HOLY Spirit)

And so the picture here is that God wanted you to be holy so badly
He actually placed His Holy Spirit within you to make it possible.

And it is one thing to reject a man’s desire for you.
But when you reject sanctification…
When you reject holiness…
When you reject obedience…
YOU ARE REJECTING GOD’S PLAN FOR YOU

God called you to be holy,
And if you reject holiness you are telling God to forget it.

NOW, JUST HYPOTHETICALLY SPEAKING
Suppose you purchase a shovel for the purpose of digging.
What will you do with that shovel if it bends when you try to use it?
Suppose you purchase a pot for cooking.
What will you do with that pot if it melts in the fire?
Suppose you purchase a dog for hunting.
What will you do if he refuses to leave the pen?

WHAT IF WE REJECT GOD’S PURPOSE?
Instead Paul calls us to embrace that plan and honor God
By doing everything we can to achieve His will for our lives.

YOU SEE IT IS PRACTICAL STUFF.
Strive to Obey God’s Commands
Strive to Achieve God’s Will
Strive to Honor God’s Spirit

Regardless of where you are on the holiness scale
This is still relevant encouragement.

This is how we encourage as well.
We confront one another that our God may be more pleased.

And so I challenge you to strive to be more holy,
And I encourage you to encourage others to do the same.

1 Thessalonians 5:11 “Therefore encourage one another and build up one another, just as you also are doing.”

The Strongest Encouragement
1 Thessalonians 3:11-13

As you know we are studying through 1 Thessalonians,
And it doesn’t take us long to realize that this is a letter
All about encouragement.

The Thessalonians had encouraged Paul through their obedience,
And now Paul seeks to encourage them with this letter.

And we have learned much about encouragement.
• It can came from the words we say as well as the example we live.
• It can be comforting like a mother, or stern like a father.

But the main thing we have learned is that true Christ-like encouragement always leads a person to holiness.

With that being said, tonight I want to show you the absolute STRONGEST ENCOURAGEMENT you can give to another person.

PRAYER

When we pray for a person we are literally taking their name before the great and awesome God, for He can do in their lives what we never could.

And so tonight we want to talk a little bit about
The encouragement of prayer.

We all know how important prayer is.

Samuel actually said to his people:
1 Samuel 12:23 “Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD by ceasing to pray for you; but I will instruct you in the good and right way.”

Samuel did long to instruct his people.
Samuel did long to encourage his people.
But first and foremost Samuel longed to pray for his people.

And Paul certainly understands the importance of this as well.

Listen to what he says in some of his other letters.
Romans 1:9-12 “For God, whom I serve in my spirit in the preaching of the gospel of His Son, is my witness as to how unceasingly I make mention of you, always in my prayers making request, if perhaps now at last by the will of God I may succeed in coming to you. For I long to see you so that I may impart some spiritual gift to you, that you may be established; that is, that I may be encouraged together with you while among you, each of us by the other’s faith, both yours and mine.”

Rome was a city Paul had never been to,
But one he desperately desired to go to.

Ephesians 1:15-19a “For this reason I too, having heard of the faith in the Lord Jesus which exists among you and your love for all the saints, do not cease giving thanks for you, while making mention of you in my prayers; that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe.”

Unlike the Romans Paul had spent 3 years in Ephesus.
And yet Paul’s encouragement was the same, he prayed for them to grow.

Philippians 1:8-11 “For God is my witness, how I long for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus. And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve the things that are excellent, in order to be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ; having been filled with the fruit of righteousness which comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.”

The Philippian church was also one Paul started (Lydia and jailor),
And because Paul had a firm affection for this church, he prayed for them.

Colossians 1:9-12 “For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience; joyously giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light.”

The Colossian church was not one that Paul started.
In fact Paul had never been there either.
Instead Epaphras traveled to Paul to get help on how to lead this church.

And even though Paul could not see them in person, he prayed for them.

Some churches Paul knew, some he even started.
Others he was completely unfamiliar with,
And yet his practice was the same: PRAYER

Prayer was the one constant to Paul’s ministry.

It is blatantly obvious that prayer is absolutely essential
In our desire to encourage one another.
We don’t just talk to them, we talk to God for them.

AND PAUL WASN’T ALONE IN THIS

Consider Jesus.
John 17 is a great chapter.

There we see Jesus praying for us.

John 17:9-13 “I ask on their behalf; I do not ask on behalf of the world, but of those whom You have given Me; for they are Yours; and all things that are Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine; and I have been glorified in them. “I am no longer in the world; and yet they themselves are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep them in Your name, the name which You have given Me, that they may be one even as We are. “While I was with them, I was keeping them in Your name which You have given Me; and I guarded them and not one of them perished but the son of perdition, so that the Scripture would be fulfilled. “But now I come to You; and these things I speak in the world so that they may have My joy made full in themselves.”

He not only encourages us.
He not only commands us.
He not only teaches us.
He also prayed for us.

And you remember some of what He prayed for.
• Our Purity
• Our Unity
• Our eventual promotion to be with Him.

Prayer mattered to Jesus as He sought to encourage us.

Remember what Jesus told Peter when He sought to encourage him?
Luke 22:31-32 “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat; but I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.”

And of course not just Jesus

We also read of the Holy Spirit:
Romans 8:26-27 “In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.”

And we also see that this was the desired method for an apostle
Who desperately wanted to encourage his people.

And so we would be in error if we did an entire study on encouragement
And did not mention the important role that prayer plays in that process.

Tonight we are fortunate for we get to see what exactly Paul prays.

Not only does it help to show us how to pray,
But it also helps us see the goal of our encouragement of others.

Now you will notice that three times Paul uses the word “may”

(11) “may our God”
(12) “and may the Lord”
(13) “so that He may”

And in those three statements we find the three things
That Paul was asking God to do.

“May God”
#1 STRENGTHEN YOUR FAITH
1 Thessalonians 3:11

Now obviously to better understand what Paul is getting at here
We have to remember what we studied last week.

We said that Paul was an encouraged apostle thanks to the good report he heard from Timothy about the Thessalonian church.

And we saw Paul’s Renewed Commitment.
1 Thessalonians 3:9-10 “For what thanks can we render to God for you in return for all the joy with which we rejoice before our God on your account, as we night and day keep praying most earnestly that we may see your face, and may complete what is lacking in your faith?”

And so we know why Paul wanted to come to the Thessalonians.
To “complete what is lacking in your faith”

Paul didn’t just want to come to enjoy their company (although he would).
Paul wanted to come to strengthen the faith of the Thessalonian believers.

And now, that is precisely what he prays for.
“Now may our God and Father Himself and Jesus our Lord direct our way to you.”

Paul wanted to come because he wanted to grow their faith.

And we understand that teachers is one of the ways that God does that.
Ephesians 4:11-13 “And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ.”

Where would we be without God’s word?
Where would we be without people to teach it to us?

I will forever be indebted to men like Adrian Rogers, or John MacArthur,
Or Matthew Henry

Our faith grows as we learn more of God.

Remember the last couple of weeks as we have studied the book of Acts in Sunday school we saw the truth of this.
First with a man named Apollos.
Acts 18:24-28 “Now a Jew named Apollos, an Alexandrian by birth, an eloquent man, came to Ephesus; and he was mighty in the Scriptures. This man had been instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in spirit, he was speaking and teaching accurately the things concerning Jesus, being acquainted only with the baptism of John; and he began to speak out boldly in the synagogue. But when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately. And when he wanted to go across to Achaia, the brethren encouraged him and wrote to the disciples to welcome him; and when he had arrived, he greatly helped those who had believed through grace, for he powerfully refuted the Jews in public, demonstrating by the Scriptures that Jesus was the Christ.”

Apollos was good, but he still needed to learn and he was even better.

Then we learned it with the Ephesian elders.
Acts 19:1-7 “It happened that while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul passed through the upper country and came to Ephesus, and found some disciples. He said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” And they said to him, “No, we have not even heard whether there is a Holy Spirit.” And he said, “Into what then were you baptized?” And they said, “Into John’s baptism.” Paul said, “John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in Him who was coming after him, that is, in Jesus.” When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began speaking with tongues and prophesying. There were in all about twelve men.”

There again knowledge was invaluable to the growth of their faith.

And this is also true in regard to all the churches.
• The Corinthians were confused about the resurrection.
• The Galatians were confused about circumcision.
• The Thessalonians (2nd letter) thought they missed the 2nd coming.
• The Colossians were confused about the deity of Christ.

They needed someone to come and teach them fully
In order to grow their faith.

Knowledge and faith run hand in hand.

That is why Peter says:
2 Peter 3:18 “but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.”

1 Peter 2:1-2 “Therefore, putting aside all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander, like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation,”

Knowledge matters.
And so it becomes obvious why Paul prayed.

He knew that he needed to come and teach the Thessalonians,
But Satan was hindering him.

And therefore the only way for Paul to come and encourage them
Was if God opened the door.

And that meant Paul needed to pray.

So he prayed that God would “direct” his way to them,
So that he could strengthen their faith.

May God (strengthen your faith)
#2 SHARPEN YOUR LOVE
1 Thessalonians 3:12

Not only did Paul want to come and strengthen their faith, but also “may the Lord cause you to increase and abound in love for one another, and for all people, just as we also do for you;”

Here we see the specific area in which Paul wanted their faith to grow.
LOVE

WHY LOVE?
Because love is THE most genuine fruit of true faith.

WHAT IS THE GREAT COMMANDMANT?
“Love God with all your heart”

WHAT IS THE SECOND?
“Love your neighbor as yourself”

And it doesn’t get any bigger than that.
Matthew 7:12 “In everything, therefore, treat people the same way you want them to treat you, for this is the Law and the Prophets.”

Romans 13:8-10 “Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law. For this, “YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT ADULTERY, YOU SHALL NOT MURDER, YOU SHALL NOT STEAL, YOU SHALL NOT COVET,” and if there is any other commandment, it is summed up in this saying, “YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.” Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.”

Point being that we have reached the pinnacle of faith
When love is exhibited in our lives.

Listen to the apostle John.

1 John 2:9-10 “The one who says he is in the Light and yet hates his brother is in the darkness until now. The one who loves his brother abides in the Light and there is no cause for stumbling in him.”

1 John 3:13-14 “Do not be surprised, brethren, if the world hates you. We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love abides in death.”

1 John 4:7-8 “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love.”

1 John 5:1 “Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and whoever loves the Father loves the child born of Him.”

Love is the measuring stick of true saving faith.
An unloving Christian is an oxymoron.
An unloving Christian is an absolute contradiction.

A person’s faith is measurable by their love.

In fact, remember what we studied in 2 Peter?
We talked about that list by which we evaluate ourselves
To make certain about His calling and choosing us.

Peter gave that list of character attributes by which we evaluate our life.
Remember where the list began? – faith
Remember where the list ended? – love

2 Peter 1:5-8 “Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge, and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness, and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

God is taking us from unbelievers to those who love like He does.

And therefore the goal of any person in their encouragement
Is to encourage others to love like God loves.

We don’t just encourage people to know more.
We don’t just encourage people to believe bigger things.
We don’t just encourage people to attend church more.
We don’t just encourage people to cheer up.

Ultimately our encouragement has a goal,
And that is to produce in them the love of Christ.

But here is the real important fact to this.
Regardless of how hard we try.
Regardless of how hard we teach.
Regardless of how great of an example we show.

WE CANNOT PUT LOVE IN THE HEART OF ANOTHER PERSON.
Only God can do that.

Romans 5:5 “and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.”

And so it is obvious the path that Paul is on.
• He is praying that they will love.
• And to help them love he is praying that God will help him get there to teach them.

He encourages them, but ultimately he prays for them.

May God strengthen your faith
May God sharpen your love
May God
#3 SOLIDIFY YOUR HOPE
1 Thessalonians 3:13

And here we come to the great end of our encouragement ministry.

This is why we encourage.
This is what we want for those we encourage.
WE WANT TO GIVE THEM HOPE

“so that He may establish your hearts without blame in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all His saints.”

Now listen to what Paul is saying there.
• We want you to be established in holiness.
• We want you to not only be holy before God, but we want you to know that you are holy before God.
• We don’t want there to be any doubt in your mind that you are pleasing to God.

HAVE YOU EVER DOUBTED YOUR SALVATION?

I can’t imagine a Christian never taking inventory of their life
And not being concerned about some of what they see.

The fact is, there are times when even a Christian looks at their life
And sees things present that they wish were not there,
And it causes them concern.

One of those concerns is, “Am I ready to meet God?”

Friend, that is no insignificant question.
AM I READY TO STAND BEFORE GOD?
IF JESUS RETURNED TONIGHT AM I READY TO SEE HIM?

That is a scenario of massive implication.

And not only does Paul want people to be ready for that day,
But he wants them to know they are ready for that day.

You see it is possible to be saved and not feel like it.
It is possible to be 100% forgiven and pleasing to God and yet not feel it.

And that is a miserable way to live.
(To be safe and not know it)

Furthermore Scripture never intended for a believer to live there.
That is why Scripture routinely talks about assurance.

1 John 5:13 “These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.”

AND JUST FOR THE SAKE OF BIBLE TRIVIA,
DOES ANYONE KNOW THE MAIN THING SCRIPTURE ASKS
IN ORDER TO HELP YOU KNOW?

Scripture asks about your love.
Your love for God and your love for people.

LOVE FOR GOD
1 John 2:28-29 “Now, little children, abide in Him, so that when He appears, we may have confidence and not shrink away from Him in shame at His coming. If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone also who practices righteousness is born of Him.”

LOVE FOR PEOPLE
1 John 4:16-18 “We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. By this, love is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment; because as He is, so also are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love.”

And John even says that the presence of love
Should set your mind at ease as to your eternal destination.

1 John 3:18-20 “Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth. We will know by this that we are of the truth, and will assure our heart before Him in whatever our heart condemns us; for God is greater than our heart and knows all things.”

The point is that love is the truest fruit of genuine Christianity.
It is not something we can produce in ourselves,
It is only something God can produce in us.

And once we see that God-like love become evident in our life
It is an undeniable indicator that we are God’s children.
And when we know this we can have hope for the day of eternity.

We don’t have to live in fear of His coming.
We don’t have to live in anxiety of His return.
And that is the result of encouragement.

DO YOU SEE THE POINT?
• We encourage people by teaching them the truth.
• The truth of God grows their faith.
• Their faith is evidenced by their love.
• Their love stands as assurance that they are pleasing to God.

And when you look at it like that, there is no greater gift
That we could give to another believer.

Could I say anything to you tonight better than, “I have been to heaven, I have seen the Lamb’s book of life and I know without a doubt your name is in it.”

That would make anyone feel good.

Well obviously I can’t do that,
But if I encourage you by teaching you,
And help your faith grow so that you walk in love,
Then you can look at that love and know that God has saved you.
That is a great encouragement.

BUT IT ONLY OCCURS THROUGH THE POWER OF GOD
• Only God could open the door for Paul
• Only God could grow faith
• Only God could grow love
• Only God could generate hope

And therefore the most essential part of Paul’s encouragement
Was his prayer life.

All the best intentions in the world were useless if God was not at work.
All the purest desires in the world were useless if God was not at work.

If we truly want to see Christ produced in the lives of one another…
If we truly want our brothers and sisters to be encouraged…
If we truly want our brothers and sisters to have hope…

THEN WE MUST PRAY FOR EACH OTHER

It is absolutely essential.

1 Thessalonians 5:11 “Therefore encourage one another and build up one another, just as you also are doing.”

An Encouraged Apostle
1 Thessalonians 3:1-10

To get started tonight, I simply want you to think back to a time in your life
When you received some much needed encouragement.

• Some time when you were tired, or down-trodden, or discouraged; and someone gave you a piece of encouragement.

• Or some time when you were not doing what you should have been, and someone gave you an encouragement to get on the right track.

• Or maybe a time a person encouraged you and didn’t even realize it.

(The girl who defrosted the freezer)
She doesn’t know it to this day,
But she is the main reason we had Toy Store that year.

It is timely encouragement.

And I ask you to think about a time in your life,
Because I want you to understand what was going on here in Paul’s life.

Paul was in need of some timely encouragement.

Paul’s Second Missionary Journey
• The trip started with division. (before they ever left Paul and Barnabas parted company)
• The trip then faced major plan changes. (Jesus wouldn’t allow Paul to enter the first two places he tried to go.)
• The trip got a break when Paul saw a vision to come to Macedonia, but even that wasn’t easy.

• In Paul’s first town (Philippi) he was beaten and arrested.
• In Paul’s second town (Thessalonica) he was called “the troubler of the world” and run out of town.
• In Paul’s third town (Berea) he was also forced to leave (this time alone)
• In Paul’s fourth town (Athens) he was called an “idle babbler “

• And finally when Paul gets to his fifth town (Corinth) he has the look of an exhausted and possibly even discouraged man.

• He is still preaching on the Sabbath, but the rest of the time he is just making tents.

Acts 18:1-4 “After these things he left Athens and went to Corinth. And he found a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, having recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to leave Rome. He came to them, and because he was of the same trade, he stayed with them and they were working, for by trade they were tent-makers. And he was reasoning in the synagogue every Sabbath and trying to persuade Jews and Greeks.”

There are times when I can sure identify with Paul on this one.
There are times when furniture building sure is inviting.

And that is what Paul is doing here.
He was beat up
He was tired
He was alone
And tent building just seemed like a nice change of pace.

And then something happened.
Acts 18:5 “But when Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia, Paul began devoting himself completely to the word, solemnly testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Christ.”

Do you know what Silas and Timothy brought with them?
The news of how the Thessalonian church was doing.

And while Paul never forsook his calling to tell others about Christ,
Even I can see that Paul was a rejuvenated man after they arrived.

Encouragement is powerful like that.

And tonight I want to show you exactly what was going on in Paul’s mind
Both before and after he received word from the Thessalonians.

And you and I see again why encouragement is so important.

Three things
#1 PAUL’S NAGGING CONCERN
1 Thessalonians 3:1-5

When you read those first 5 verses it becomes evident that
Paul had something that was really bothering him.

Twice he makes the statement “when we could endure it no longer” (1, 5)

It is obvious that Paul had something that was nagging on him.
Paul had something wearing on his mind, pushing him to the limit.

Paul is specific.
For Paul it was a concern for the Thessalonian church.

In fact in verse 5 Paul uses a stronger word than concern,
He actually uses the word “fear”

“for fear that the tempter might have tempted you”

Paul was heavily concerned about the spiritual condition
Of the Thessalonian church.

You could say that Paul was afraid of what might have become of them.
You see all he knew was that the Jews in Thessalonica had two really bad character traits; wickedness & commitment.

Not only did they hate Paul’s message,
But they were even willing to follow him to Berea
And run him out of that town as well.

And the last thing Paul remembers about Thessalonica
Was that the man who offered him shelter
Had been arrested and had to pay bail to get out.

And there was no more word.
And the concern for those new believers in Thessalonica
Was more than Paul could bear.

You may remember when Paul listed his persecution resume
In 2 Corinthians 11, he concluded it by saying this:

2 Corinthians 11:28-29 “Apart from such external things, there is the daily pressure on me of concern for all the churches. Who is weak without my being weak? Who is led into sin without my intense concern?”

Paul was a pastor through and through,
And the thought of his flock being bullied away from the faith
Was too much for him to handle.

That is why according to 2:18
Paul tried to come to the Thessalonians more than once,
And the fact that he was hindered by Satan did not set his mind at ease.

Paul was heavily concerned about
What Satan was trying to do to this young flock.

And that is why he says what he does in verse 1,
“Therefore when we could endure it no longer, we thought it best to be left behind in Athens alone,”

Apparently when Paul was forced out of Berea, we know he left alone.
Acts 17:14-15 “Then immediately the brethren sent Paul out to go as far as the sea; and Silas and Timothy remained there. Now those who escorted Paul brought him as far as Athens; and receiving a command for Silas and Timothy to come to him as soon as possible, they left.”

And apparently Silas and Timothy did catch up with Paul in Athens
(although unmentioned in Acts),

And it is also apparent that no sooner did they find Paul in Acts
That Paul sent Timothy to Thessalonica to find out how they were doing. (Presumably he sent Silas to Philippi)

Being alone in Athens could not have been a fun mission,
But Paul was so concerned for the Thessalonians
That he would rather be left alone, if it meant encouraging them.

That is indeed a pastor’s heart.
(2) “and we sent Timothy, our brother and God’s fellow worker in the gospel of Christ, to strengthen and encourage you as to your faith,”

And by sending Timothy it is apparent,
That Paul didn’t just want to know how they were doing.
Paul was convinced that they needed help.

He could have sent any type of messenger to simply learn about them,
But he sent Timothy because he was a “brother and God’s fellow worker”
And Timothy would be able “to strengthen and encourage” their faith.

It almost sounds as though Paul expected the worst.

WHAT WAS HE CONCERNED ABOUT?

1) THE TOLL OF AFFLICTION (3-4)

Paul knew that affliction and persecution and hardship
Can take its toll on a person.

• We all remember John the Baptist in Prison

• We all remember John Mark.
Acts 13:13 “Now Paul and his companions put out to sea from Paphos and came to Perga in Pamphylia; but John left them and returned to Jerusalem.”

• Furthermore we all remember the promise of Jesus in regard to those who are rocky soil.

Matthew 13:20-21 “The one on whom seed was sown on the rocky places, this is the man who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet he has no firm root in himself, but is only temporary, and when affliction or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he falls away.”

It was no secret that persecution could take its toll on a believer,
Especially a new believer.

And while Paul hoped for the best, he feared the worst.

And so he sent Timothy
(3) “so that no one would be disturbed by these afflictions; for you yourselves know that we have been destined for this.”

Some think Paul is talking about the afflictions of the Thessalonians.
Some think Paul is talking about his own personal afflictions.
I think we would be accurate in saying that both are included,
For no doubt both suffered affliction.

And the main thing he wanted Timothy to remind them of is that
“we have been destined for this.”

Affliction is hard, no matter how you slice it.
Yet, it is much easier to swallow when you realize
That it is no shocker to God.

1 Peter 4:12-13 “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you; but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that also at the revelation of His glory you may rejoice with exultation.”

Matthew 5:11-12 “Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. “Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

When you can look at your affliction through the sovereign
And eternal eyes of God, it makes endurance much easier.

And that is what Paul wanted to make sure the Thessalonians understood
This is not strange.
This is not uncommon.
This does not mean you are wrong.
THIS MEANS YOU ARE RIGHT

(4) “For indeed when we were with you, we kept telling you in advance that we were going to suffer affliction; and so it came to pass, as you know.”

Paul was concerned about the affliction they were facing
And so he sent Timothy to remind them that it was all part of the plan.

In fact years later Paul would write to Timothy:
2 Timothy 3:12 “Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.”

Paul wanted them to know that
Because he was concerned about the toll of affliction.

2) THE TEMPTATION OF SATAN (5)

How the Thessalonians withstood affliction
Was not all Paul wanted to know.

He also wanted to know about their faith in God
And their ability to withstand the temptation of Satan.

You see Paul also knew that Satan was crafty,
And if he couldn’t force you away from God,
Then he would try to seduce you away from God.

Remember the weedy soil?
Matthew 13:22 “And the one on whom seed was sown among the thorns, this is the man who hears the word, and the worry of the world and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.”

Remember what we learned recently about wealth?
1 Timothy 6:9-10 “But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.”

Temptation is a real threat, especially to a new believer.
And so Paul also sent Timothy
To check on how they were enduring temptation.

For Paul knew that if the Thessalonians fell away
Either because of affliction or temptation,
Then his labor would have been “in vain”

And this worried Paul.

(Even about other churches)
Galatians 4:8-11 “However at that time, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those which by nature are no gods. But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how is it that you turn back again to the weak and worthless elemental things, to which you desire to be enslaved all over again? You observe days and months and seasons and years. I fear for you, that perhaps I have labored over you in vain.”
It is the same fear here.
And Paul was so concerned by it that he preferred to be left alone
And to send Timothy to them.

And so you see what sort of state Paul was in.

We see His Nagging Concern
#2 HIS NEEDED COMFORT
1 Thessalonians 3:6-8

There are few passages of Scripture
That supply a better sigh of relief than this one.

In verse 5 Paul is almost overcome with fear and concern.
(6) “But now that Timothy has come to us from you, and has bought us good news of your faith and love, and that you always think kindly of us, longing to see us just as we also long to see you…(7) we were comforted about you…”
Ever had a loved one out on the road late at night, and before long your mind starts trying to run away with you?

What relief when you get a phone call,
Or see their headlights in the driveway.

This was Paul’s relief.
He was concerned, not if they were safe (he knew they weren’t safe),
But if they were faithful.

And when Timothy brought word with him, it lit up his heart.

Timothy brought “good news”

WHAT ABOUT?
1) THEIR FAITH
2) THEIR LOVE
3) THEIR LOYALTY

“good news of your faith and love, and that you always think kindly of us”
• They stood strong.
• Their faith was real – as evidenced by their love.
• And they remained loyal.

And their loyalty was not necessarily to Paul,
But rather to Paul’s gospel.

Paul couldn’t say this about all the churches he ministered to.
Galatians 1:6-9 “I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel; which is really not another; only there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed! As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, he is to be accursed!”

2 Corinthians 11:1-4 “I wish that you would bear with me in a little foolishness; but indeed you are bearing with me. For I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy; for I betrothed you to one husband, so that to Christ I might present you as a pure virgin. But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ. For if one comes and preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted, you bear this beautifully.”

But not the Thessalonians; their faith and love and loyalty
Set Paul’s mind and heart at ease.

(7-8) “for this reason, brethren, in all our distress and affliction we were comforted about you through your faith; for now we really live, if you stand firm in the Lord.”
Can you hear Paul’s relief?
You can almost feel it.

“We didn’t labor in vain!”
“God is using us!”
“This trip hasn’t been a disaster!”

The fact that the Thessalonians stood strong was indication
That Paul was being used of God.

“now we really live, if you stand firm in the Lord.”

His Nagging Concern His Needed Encouragement
#3 PAUL’S NEW FOUND COMMITMENT
1 Thessalonians 3:9-10

I don’t want in any way to imply that Paul had previously suffered
From some sort of lack of commitment.

He was still preaching faithfully in the synagogue every Sabbath.

What I am saying is that Paul had a new found
Sense of purpose and encouragement.

And that is evident in the verse we read earlier in the sermon after Timothy arrived with word.

Acts 18:2-5 “And he found a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, having recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to leave Rome. He came to them, and because he was of the same trade, he stayed with them and they were working, for by trade they were tent-makers. And he was reasoning in the synagogue every Sabbath and trying to persuade Jews and Greeks. But when Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia, Paul began devoting himself completely to the word, solemnly testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Christ.”

It is quite likely that Paul also received some monetary assistance that made tent making no longer necessary.

But you also see a new found zeal.
And why wouldn’t there be?

And when you read these last two verses you see THREE AREAS
In which he displayed this new found commitment.

1) THANKSGIVING (9)

The first thing Paul did when he got word through Timothy
Was fall on his knees and thank God.

Now I know we are to be thankful in all things,
But I know that it is easier to be thankful for good news than bad news.
This was good news and Paul’s heart rang out in thanksgiving.

2) PRAYER
“as we night and day keep praying most earnestly that we may see your face”

We know that Paul wanted to see them before.
Chapter 2 told us he tried more than once.

But that desire was built out of fear and concern.
This desire is built out of excitement and joy.

I mean are you more eager to visit the hospital room of a dying man, or the room of a couple who have just had a baby?

You want to go to both, but for two totally different reasons.

And while praying at the first was filled with heartache and concern.
These prayers are filled with excitement and anticipation,
And those prayers are much easier to pray.

Furthermore it is evident that God had answered Paul’s previous prayers
In regard to the faith of the Thessalonians, and once prayer is answered,
It is much easier to pray the next time as well.

Paul was a rejuvenated man.

Thanksgiving was easier and so was prayer.

3) DISCIPLESHIP
“and may complete what is lacking in your faith”

Now he really wants to come!

Sort of like what he wrote to the Romans.
Romans 1:9-10 “For God, whom I serve in my spirit in the preaching of the gospel of His Son, is my witness as to how unceasingly I make mention of you, always in my prayers making request, if perhaps now at last by the will of God I may succeed in coming to you.”

And again we know that Paul was an evangelist and discipler,
Whether it was easy or not,
But still it is much easier to visit the house of a man who is hungry for the word than it is the house of an atheist.

Both need it, but you can look forward to one much more than the other.

And now Paul was newly excited about his ministry of discipleship

The Thessalonians had made ministry easier for Paul.

Hebrews 13:17 “Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with grief, for this would be unprofitable for you.”

Obedient faithful people are an encouragement and easy to serve.

And you see how Paul was encouraged,
And not because the Thessalonians sent him a good card.

Paul was encouraged simply because they remained faithful.

HAVE YOU EVER BEEN AROUND ANOTHER BELIEVER WHO MADE IT EASIER FOR YOU TO SERVE GOD?

That is what they did, and I want to encourage you to do the same.

• Make it easy for people to be a Christian around you.
• Make it easy for people to love Jesus around you.
• Make it easy for people to teach you.
• Make it exciting for people to serve you.
• Make it rewarding for people to fellowship with you.

It all boils down to your receptiveness and attitude,
And it is encouraging to those you fellowship with.

It is encouragement that is contagious
And the Thessalonians gave it to Paul.

1 Thessalonians 5:11 “Therefore encourage one another and build up one another, just as you also are doing.”