Studies in 1 Thessalonians #3- Will We Stay The Course?
Text: 1 Thessalonians 2:13-3:5
We are so thankful that so many of you have come today to be with us as we have an
opportunity to worship God together and hear from His word, the truth that sanctifies men and
women (John 17:17).
Please turn in your Bibles to 1 Thessalonians 2:13 and begin reading with me…
It is kind of nice as we said in the first lesson of this series that there is such a thing
as a good, positive church. Not that it is perfect or cannot improve, but when those who love
the Lord look at it, and fellowship with it, the only message is to keep doing what you are
doing.
We get so used to some of Paul's letters to churches where there was a lot of room for
improvement that we lose sight of the fact that Paul also had churches that were going fine, and
we can be that type of church in today's world. Faithful to Jesus, loving the work of God and
striving to help others find their way to light in a dark world.
Sometimes churches aren't in need of overall correcting but instead are building projects.
What I mean by this is that they simply need to be built on, to add to their already good works.
This is the Thessalonian church and it can be the West Side church.
We saw last week that Paul wanted to bring to their remembrance the way he & Silas acted
when they first visited them and brought to them the power of the gospel. They weren't just
users of men but in reality fishers of men. Because of this then, the Christians there were to
simply live lives worthy of God (2:12). Why?
Because God has not called Christians to wrath (1:10), but to glory and His kingdom (2:12)!
One of the hardest things to acquire in life is patience. A story that was told by Joe
Torre the manager of the New York Yankees a few years back really illustrates this point. One
day his little daughter was acting like most kids do and finally Joe's wife said something to the
effect:
"you need to go play somewhere because mommy has lost her patience."
So, the little child went off and a few minutes later came back into the same room with a smile
on her face and said, "mommy I have found your patience."
Now, interesting enough this little girl was bang on when it came to finding your patience!
The only way you can acquire patience is if you can put up with what makes you impatient! This
is a very difficult thing to do for many of us. You begin a new job and just can't seem to do
what you are supposed to do and the boss is on the new guy and so because of a lack of patience
you just quit and find something more suitable for you.
You try a new activity or game and really want to have the fun you see others having but it takes
a lot of practice and effort and because of no patience you simply convince yourself it is not a
great game.
People approach marriage to their spouses in these regards. I want a marriage like mom and dad
had with no problems and no struggles and now I see it takes some work, so we separate before we
get too attached.
Even in terms of the Christian faith. If we are ever going to survive, patience or perseverance
is necessary to our surviving the game.
One of the greatest examples of perseverance that I ever personally observed was by a boy
named Ricardo Guizzo. Now, I don't believe any of you will have ever heard of him unless he's
done something since I knew him that would make him famous. But when I was 12 years old, the
Pepsi cola bluejays were the powerhouse in Sudbury baseball. We went through the regular season
18-3 and then went undefeated in the playoffs to take the citywide championship. Now, the way it
used to work was that everybody on the team had to play at least 3 innings.
This is where Ricardo came in. Ricardo had one arm. The other arm was just a stub that came to
where his elbow would be. He was at every practice and every game and this guy had patience. He
had developed a great system on how to get the ball with the glove, take it off in a hurry and
throw it. But, one thing he never learned was how to hit. In practice and in every game, he
went up to the plate and never touched the ball. But, he always came to the games with a
positive attitude. Always went up to the plate believing he could get a hit and finally in the
championship game he managed to touch the ball with the bat. It dribbled to the third baseman.
But what a cheer that all of the parents gave him.
If I could have the patience he had, how different I would handle most situations.
This is the idea Paul gets to in our reading…
Vs.13- In the first 12 verses, Paul told them how they had not brought them the message of men,
but of God! We weren't after anything from you but that you might see the living and true God.
He says, you also accepted the message as God's!
Believe me, that's what the gospel is. The gospel is not a religious message by men to men.
The gospel is God's message to men delivered through men! Acts 10:36-40. Men are the
instruments, but not the source! (2 Corinthians 4:7)
Then Paul says this and don't glance over this- this message works in you.
Paul doesn't believe that the gospel worked in us at our baptisms and then stops. The gospel
works in all faithful Christians at this present time. (1:5,9,10, Colossians 3:16) Remember it
is a message of power and friends when we live in the gospel, the death, burial and resurrection
of Jesus, it works in our lives.
It is a powerful presence in the hearts of men and women who believe (Romans 1:16).
Vs.14-16- how does it work?
Well, one of the things the gospel does for the hearts of men, is it helps them acquire patience
or steadfastness!
Listen, Paul says this church imitated the Jewish churches. How?
Not in what they actively did necessarily, but in how their own people treated them! When the
Thessalonians responded to the call of God, they were being called to persecution by their
countrymen! The Jewish brethren underwent the same.
Paul, really goes after them here- they killed the Lord Jesus, the killed the prophets and they
persecute us! Look at Acts 3:13-15 and Matthew 23:37.
Remember that the beginning of the persecution in Thessalonica was by the Jews (17:5).
Paul goes on to say that they are thus contrary to all men! How?
By blocking the spreading of the gospel. Now, since only Jesus can save men (Acts 4:12), anyone
who not only rejects that message for himself but also stops others from being able to hear it
are actually opposed to them. (Matthew 23:13)
Some people get so riled about the church and Christianity that it is not enough for them to
reject God's way they want all others to and because of this are actually hurting the other
people.
So Paul says they are filling up the measure of their sins by doing this-
they killed the prophets, killed Jesus, persecuted missionaries and then strive with all their
might to stop others from being saved and because of this-
God's long and gracious patience is ended and His wrath had come against them!
Listen, your Jewish brethren have withstood this terrible suffering and so will you! Have
patience and you will be saved!
Vs.17,18- Remember last week- Paul said his work was as a nurse who cherishes her children!
Paul reminds them, we were taken from you only in a physical sense but not in heart. We did want
to see you but we simply couldn't!
Paul even gets very emphatic, he says even I Paul! Who was blocking you Paul?
If you really wanted to, you could have come! No, Satan was blocking us.
We don't know how, but Satan has many collaborators in this earth and they actually stopped us
from being with you in person.
Vs.19,20- How can I make it clear that my absence was not a personal choice but a device of
Satan?
You are our hope, our joy and our crown of rejoicing or 'boasting'! Could you imagine being an
apostle's hope & joy?
He says when Jesus comes it will be your presence that causes us to boast! You are our glory and
our joy. We love you dearly! We want to be with you to protect you and nurture you.
Paul is not doubletracking here! He is not saying that he was covetous when he brought them the
gospel. He lived in the hope that after winning them to Christ he would rejoice to present them
to Christ at his coming!
He would be so proud to display the Thessalonian Christians to King Jesus! What is needed for
that to happen?
They need patience!
3:1-3- To prove this we sent Timothy to you.
Now someone says, Paul you would have come yourself if you cared for us! No, this is simply not
true. I sent you a great friend of mine (Phil.2:19-24).
This was hard on Paul, notice we cared enough about you that we were willing to be left alone and
send Timothy to you. Our brother, minister of God and fellow laborer in the gospel. We
sacrificed quite a bit for this!
Instead of asking where is Paul when we need him most, you should be asking Timothy how is Paul?
Something of Satan is blocking him and yet he still sent his close friend to us! We love you
very much and so I sent him so you would not be shaken from the faith by your heavy afflictions!
(1:6, Matthew 13:19-21)
I may not have been suffering in your afflictions in person, I had my own and I suffered in heart
with you. Paul reminds us here that it is easy to get discouraged when things go bad or hard on
us. This is what we are appointed for- John 16:33.
3:4,5- This is kind of surprising here- you shouldn't be surprised by this.
We told you it would be difficult, and now you know. We should not be surprised when the
Christian life has challenges. Why?
There is someone out there who desperately does not want us to go to heaven! (1 Peter 5:8)
He will use every weapon he can to make sure we have ample opportunity to give up. Struggles do
not mean that our Christianity is not authentic!
We must never preach to others "peace, peace, when there is no peace." (Jeremiah 6:14) This is
why I sent Timothy- I needed to know where you were in your faith. I was afraid that the tempter
got to you and our work would be in vain!
Was Paul worried about his work over their souls?
Not at all, but he knows his work is actually tied to their souls.
Patience. Can we model this church today?
Are we like the Thessalonians?
How is our patience?
Do we lose it all too easily?
Do we give in to the Tempter when difficulties arise that we cannot easily explain?
The words of Jesus still ring out to our ears in the midst of great difficulty and discouragement
- Luke 21:16-19.
The end is worth it. Why does the Devil make it hard on you?
To help you or to hurt you?
Why does he want you to give up?
To help you or to hurt you?
I think you know the reason, so is it really worth giving up?
If you need the saving power of the gospel of Jesus, why don't you come this morning as we stand
and sing- God has not called us to wrath, but to glory….
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