1 Thessalonians 3 Series

Last week, we discovered following Jesus requires sacrifice and to expect someone close to betray you as you traverse the pathway to be more like Jesus.

This week, we look at how Paul was a spiritual parent to these believers. How apropos for this mother’s day don’t you think? He loved them so much, he was willing to correct them to help them mature in their faith.

The letter has 2 main sections (Slide: 2 Main Sections)

1st Part-Celebration of their faithfulness and that their faith comes at a cost

2nd Part-Prayer for Endurance

Prays that God will grow their capacity in love, and that they strengthen their commitment to holiness as they fix their hope of the return of Jesus

The Gospels have not been written yet. No google, no PowerPoint presentation, no podcasts. They only had the OT as a guide. And of course, the holy spirit.

Paul could not go, Satan caused him to stay back, so Timothy had to go and report back. It was Timothy’s first missionary visit. To use the terms/words we use here at The Center, “He was sent out”. Paul was encouraging to Timothy, It was Tim’s first missionary “job” and Paul didn’t task him over and beyond. Timothy was not there to teach deep doctrine, but to live with them and encourage.

We pick up the scriptures in 1 Thessalonians 3: 1-13 (Slide 1 Thess 3:1-5)

3 Therefore when we could bear it no longer, we were willing to be left behind at Athens alone, 2 and we sent Timothy, our brother and God's coworker[a] in the gospel of Christ, to establish and exhort you in your faith, 3 that no one be moved by these afflictions. For you yourselves know that we are destined for this. 4 For when we were with you, we kept telling you beforehand that we were to suffer tribulation, just as it has come to pass, and just as you know. 5 For this reason, when I could bear it no longer, I sent to learn about your faith, for fear that somehow the tempter had tempted you and our labor would be in vain.

You can see Paul’s passion on display in those verses

Let’s unpack some of these heavy words.

Paul talks afflictions. Affliction (worry, pressuring, carry, anxiety), tribulation (the world, the flesh and the devil are all actively attacking us) and temptation. We will get into temptation is a moment.

Paul doesn’t want us to be “moved” pulled off course when we encounter these things. Paul knew when new believers encounter these, they tend to fall away from God or turn away from God. And that holds true for today as well.

1 Peter 5:7 “casting all your cares [all your anxieties, all your worries, and all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares about you [with deepest affection, and watches over you very carefully]

I looked up different translations and many had anxieties for cares…..what does that say about our God?

1 John 11:33 ““I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble/tribulation/sorrow. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

Welcome to following Jesus!!!!!

I think the evangelists need better marketing. Or enlarge the small print. LOL

This is the part of the Christian world

“A faith that can not tested can’t be trusted”

James 1:2-4 - “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”

Affliction and tribulation draws us closer towards God and deeper with other believers.

Include a personal story

Why does the “tempter” tempt us?

Mathew 4-When the tempter tempted=test Jesus ( he did when Jesus came first into his ministry, “God lead him into the wilderness to be temped for 40 days”)

Temptation is neutral and it presents itself to reveal our hidden motives- (Community Fellowship Church, Pastor ) Satan is a tool for God to reveal our hidden motives. To Flush them out. So we can be a little more intentional and understanding what is going on in in the inside. We are lead by the desires of our own flesh rather than the desires of the Spirit. (Doing it our way, doing what we think people want us to do or hear, doing it with the path of least resistance, doing it from a wounded place) The desires of God’s heart. Devil & Angle on your shoulder.

Bundt cake, the Add to Cart on Amazon, a bottle of Tequila

Tempt=translate To test the durability of something (Slide; Temptation)

Have you ever felt that something in your life or someone keeps poking, poking, poking at you to the breaking point. Like siblings……