Roadblock Ahead Series

Roadblock Ahead 1 Thessalonians 2:17- 3:13

My uncle Duffy was a tough old man who worked in the coal mines of Glace Bay and he began when he was just thirteen years old and he used to tell me, how he worked out toughen himself up in order to stand the hard work down in the mine.

He said he had to build up his arm and shoulder muscles and he would do this by standing out behind the house with a 5 pound potato sack in each hand. He’d extend his arms straight out to the sides and he’d hold them there; for about two minutes. After a while he used 10 pound sacks and then 50 pound sacks and finally he got to the place where he could lift a 100 pound potato sack in each hand and hold his arms straight out for at least a full minute! After that, he said, he started putting potatoes in the sacks.

But we, brethren, having been taken away from you for a short time in presence, not in heart, endeavored more eagerly to see your face with great desire. 18 Therefore we wanted to come to you—even I, Paul, time and again—but Satan hindered us. 19 For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Is it not even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming? 20 For you are our glory and joy.

Therefore, when we could no longer endure it, we thought it good to be left in Athens alone, 2 and sent Timothy, our brother and minister of God, and our fellow laborer in the gospel of Christ, to establish you and encourage you concerning your faith, 3 that no one should be shaken by these afflictions; for you yourselves know that we are appointed to this. 4 For, in fact, we told you before when we were with you that we would suffer tribulation, just as it happened, and you know. 5 For this reason, when I could no longer endure it, I sent to know your faith, lest by some means the tempter had tempted you, and our labor might be in vain.

6 But now that Timothy has come to us from you, and brought us good news of your faith and love, and that you always have good remembrance of us, greatly desiring to see us, as we also to see you—7 therefore, brethren, in all our affliction and distress we were comforted concerning you by your faith. 8 For now we live, if you stand fast in the Lord.

9 For what thanks can we render to God for you, for all the joy with which we rejoice for your sake before our God, 10 night and day praying exceedingly that we may see your face and perfect what is lacking in your faith?

11 Now may our God and Father Himself, and our Lord Jesus Christ, direct our way to you. 12 And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love to one another and to all, just as we do to you, 13 so that He may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints.

The basic message here; is that Paul is really excited to hear about the faith these Thessalonian believers were demonstrating, because they were really young in the faith; like probably a year old. And yet, they were facing a lot of opposition and it was the same kind of opposition that Paul had experienced almost everywhere he went. Those who were against the faith wanted nothing to do with them whether they were family or former friends because those who had rejected Christ; ultimately, they rejected them as well.

In 2 Corinthians 11:22-28 Paul describes some of the things he suffered as he compared himself to some of the false teachers. He says,

“22 Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? So am I. 23 Are they ministers of Christ?—I speak as a fool—I am more: in labors more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequently, in deaths often. 24 From the Jews five times I received forty stripes minus one. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in the deep; 26 in journeys often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils of my own countrymen, in perils of the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; 27 in weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness 28 besides the other things, what comes upon me daily: my deep concern for all the churches.”