So far we have looked at the people and the messengers.
• We have seen how they have changed and how Paul and his traveling companions have bonded with the Thessalonians
• But we have to keep in mind that has been a while since they have been together
• The Thessalonians have been living among sinful people
• And Paul is getting worried that they may have Backslidden.
So lets pick up where we left off at the beginning of Ch.3
Read 3:1-13
Paul as I said before was worried
At the end of Ch. 2:18 “We wanted very much to come to you, and I, Paul, tried again and again, but Satan prevented us.
(Examples of wanting to do something but being prevented from doing it)
• But what we see here is when Paul cant stand it any longer, since he himself cant go to them he sends Timothy
• Paul sent Timothy to check up on them but at the same time
• But Another purpose of Timothy’s visit was to make sure the Christians wouldn’t lose their spiritual balance and stability
• As a result of the trials they were going through (cf. 2:14).
• Paul didn’t want them to become unsettled.
• Not being able to make up their minds about what they are doing.
• Paul goes on to say that trials are not necessarily a sign that God’s mad at you,
• But they are a part of every Christian’s life.
• When trouble comes, We often react by doubting that we are where God wants us to be;
• We often think that we have done something wrong and that God must be displeased with us.
• Even some mature Christians react this way,
• And this is what is happening here
• It’s obvious by Paul’s words of reassurance to Timothy many years later.
• (2 Tim. 3:12) Yes, and everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.
Paul Himself says I was afraid that the tempter had gotten the best of you and that our work had been useless.
• Conflicts happen in the Christian life
• The trials and testings that are a part of our lives aren’t accidents
• They are appointments.
• We have to understand that we are going to “suffer for His sake” (Phil. 1:29).
• Persecution isn’t anything new for the believer (1 Peter 4:12ff),
• Paul had repeatedly told them this while he was with them.
• And we today must warn new believers that the Christian life isn’t as easy as they think.
• If we don’t educate people about these trials and testings, when they come,
• These babes in Christ will become discouraged and defeated.
And who is the one behind all of these Trials and Testings?
• It’s Satan, the number 1 enemy of al Christian
• (1 Thes. 3:5). He is the tempter, and he seeks to ruin our faith.
• Pay attention to the emphasis on faith in this chapter.
• Satan can be compared to a roaring lion,
• (1 Peter 5:8-9) Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. 9 Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your Christian brothers and sisters* all over the world are going through the same kind of suffering you are.
He stalks believers; and we have to resist him
• When Satan tempted Eve, he began by weakening her faith in God:
• (Gen. 3:1) Did God really say you must not eat the fruit from any of the trees in the garden?”
• As a serpent, Satan deceives; But as a lion, he devours.
• He will use any means possible to attack a Christian and weaken their faith in God.
• Satan often flatters the believer in order to lead him astray.
• Satan told Eve she would be like God if she ate of the tree,
• And she fell for his flattery.
• Satan is more dangerous when he flatters than when he frowns.
Timothy’s task was to establish these believers, to encourage them and to comfort them in their faith.
• Because it’s faith in God that keeps our feet on the ground when the enemy attacks.
• If we didn’t have Faith in God, we would be defeated.
• (1 John 5:4). For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith.
The believer is built up by the Word of God
• Paul reminds them of the Word that he has already taught them.
• He had warned them that troubles were coming,
• But it seems like they may had forgotten what he had taught them.
• And that is There is no substitute for the Word of God.
• The Christian who is ignorant of the Bible will fall prey to every wind of doctrine and never will be established in the Lord.
• Timothy reminded them of the Word
• The message that Paul had taught them,
• And this encouraged and established them.
Five lessons that we can learn from this letter
• Surrender isn’t giving up something you don’t want- It’s giving up what you do want.
• Victory isn’t walking across the goal line-It’s struggling through the troubles that lead us to the goal.
• Trust isn’t going just where the lights are-It’s following through the dark valleys.
• Love isn’t giving when others are giving … It’s giving when others are not giving.
• Faith isn’t overflowing to others … It’s emptying itself to others.
While trials in life are certain, how we respond to them is not!
• Paul knows that we have the freedom chose the wrong things as well as the right
• And what a relief it is when we find out that those we care about
• Have made the right rather than wrong choices.
Faith is the answer to Trouble
Trouble sees the obstacles. Faith sees the way!
Trouble sees the darkest night, Faith sees the day!
Trouble dreads to take a step. Faith soars on high!
Trouble asks, “Who believes? ”Faith answers, “I!”
What we see is that there’s Two kinds of good news when Tim. Returns (3:6–8).
• First Paul was relieved to find out that he was remembered
• And not only was he remembered but it was with warmth and affection.
• And Second Paul was delighted to hear that the faith of the Thessalonians remained firm.
• He had sent Timothy back to Thessalonica because he was genuinely concerned about their spiritual welfare.
• He was worried about the condition of the believers’ faith
• It was a burdened on his heart.
• Were they still trusting in God or had they abandoned Him and returned to paganism?
• Paul’s concern was that his work might have been in vain, not that their faith had been in vain.
• Paul’s reference to the tempter is a reference to Satan’s activity in the Garden of Eden (Gen. 3) and in the Judean wilderness (Matt. 4).
• Paul saw Satan using the persecution the Thessalonians were going through as a way to lure them away from what they knew was God’s will,
• Namely, perseverance in the midst of trials.
• He was concerned that Satan might snatch away the seed that he had sown
• Before it had a chance to grow roots.
And when Timothy told him the good news --------He Wrote Them a Letter
• Timothy met Paul at Corinth (Acts 18:5) and gave him the good news that things were going well at Thessalonica.
• The phrase “brought us good tidings means the same as “preaching the Good News of the Gospel.”
• The report from Timothy was, to Paul, like hearing the Gospel.
Timothy reported that the new believers were standing firm in spite of persecution.
• They didn’t believe the lies that the enemy had told about Paul,
• And they still held him in the highest esteem----- in love.
• So Paul’s response was to write them this letter.
• These two letters to the Thessalonian church are a part of God’s inspired Word.
• This suggests that God’s Word is one of the best tools for establishing new Christians in the faith.
• When Jesus was tempted by Satan, He used the Word of God to defeat him (Matt. 4:1–11).
• Paul warns the Ephesian believers to use “the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God” in their battle against Satan. (Eph. 6:17)
The Bible is able to encourage us because it is inspired by God
• It is not simply a book of religious ideas or good moral advice;
• It is the very Word of God.
• It is “profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.”
• It has well been said that doctrine tells us what is right,
• Reproof tells us what is wrong,
• Correction tells us how to get right,
• And instruction tells us how to stay right.
1st Thessalonians is filled with Biblical doctrines.
• Every major doctrine of the faith is shown in these few chapters.
• There are dozens of references to God the Father and Jesus Christ, and at least four references to the Holy Spirit (1 Thes. 1:5–6; 4:8; 5:19).
• In this epistle, Paul deals with sin and salvation, the doctrine of the church,
• And the work of the ministry,
Since Paul didn’t remain in Thessalonica very long,
• It’s remarkable that he taught these people so much.
• A working knowledge of the Bible is essential for spiritual growth and stability.
• God’s Word is food to nourish us (Matt. 4:4),
• Light to guide us (Ps. 119:105),
• And a weapon to defend us (Eph. 6:17).
• One reason God established local churches is so believers might grow in the Word and, in turn, help others to grow (2 Tim. 2:2; Eph. 4:11–16).
Timothy’s report came as sweet relief to the anxious missionaries.
• They were brothers, bound not only by the bonds of life in Christ,
• But also by the bonds of love for each other.
• Paul and more recently Timothy had been sources of encouragement to the Thessalonians in their persecution,
• And Paul was delighted to hear that the faith of the Thessalonians remained firm.
• Now the babes in Christ
• Had become encouragement to their elder brothers
• Who were being persecuted by their fears about the church’s condition
Which brings us to Paul’s Closing Prayer
11 May God our Father and our Lord Jesus bring us to you very soon. 12 And may the Lord make your love for one another and for all people grow and overflow, just as our love for you overflows. 13 May he, as a result, make your hearts strong, blameless, and holy as you stand before God our Father when our Lord Jesus comes again with all his holy people. Amen.
Paul senses the bond that exists between him and the Thessalonians is stronger than ever
• And it’s filled with joy.
• This in turn it motivates him to pray even more persistently, and earnestly.
• Love for other believers in the local body is shown throughout the N.T. to be the key to spiritual growth, unity, and increasing experience of God’s presence.
• The best thing we can do for those whose love gives us joy is pray for them.
• Love will strengthen us in our mutual commitment to live holy lives.
• When Jesus comes He will bring His “holy ones” (angels)
• And He wants to find holy believers here waiting for Him.
And The Thessalonians were already noted for their love,
• But Paul prayed that it might increase and overflow even more.
• “Genuine Christian love is the one thing in the Christian life which cannot be carried to excess” (Hiebert, The Thessalonian Epistles, p. 155).
• You can never give it all away all – There’s always more to give.
• The image of love overflowing its container suggests that Christian love is something that wells up inside a person naturally.
• Paul’s concern was that it overflow to everyone, Not just to Christians in the church.
The Thessalonians needed strengthening from God for their inner beings.
• Paul did not pray that they would be sinless; because that’s impossible.
• He prayed that they would be blameless (cf. 2:10),
• Meaning that after they sinned they would deal with it as God requires
We love one another, but we also love the lost and our enemies.
• Abounding love must not be bound.
• It must be free to expand and touch all men.
Paul’s third request was for holiness of life (1 Thes. 3:13).
• Again, it’s the return of Jesus Christ that motivates the believer to live a holy life.
• Our Lord’s return is a source of stability for the Christian life.
• Where there is stability, there can be sanctity;
• And where there is holiness, there is assurance. The two go together.
Paul’s prayers for his friends were not careless or occasional.
• He prayed “night and day”;
• He prayed “exceedingly”
• True prayer is hard work.
The entire Trinity is involved in this prayer.
• Paul addressed the Father and Son in 1 Thessalonians 3:11.
• In verse 12 “the Lord” may refer to the Holy Spirit,
• Since “our Lord” at the end of 1 Thessalonians 3:13 certainly refers to Jesus Christ.
• So if this is so, then this is the only prayer I know of in the New Testament directed to the Holy Spirit.
• The Bible pattern of prayer is: to the Father, through the Son, and in the Spirit.
• Since the Holy Spirit is the Sanctifier of the believer, and this is a prayer for holy living, the address is proper.
Paul prayed that his converts might stand blameless and holy before God at Christ’s return.
• Paul’s prayer teaches us how to pray not only for new believers,
• But for all believers.
• We should pray that their faith will mature,
• their love grow,
• and their character and conduct be holy and blameless before God
As we look back over this chapter,
• We see how important it is to care for new Christians.
• Leading someone to Christ is not enough.
• We must also help them with their Christian life
• We need to help them get established.
• Because if they don’t get established, they will fall when the winds of persecution start to blow.
• If they can’t stand, they’ll never learn to walk.
So What do we do?
• We can be an encouragement and stand at their side as they mature.
• We can share the Word of God.
• But ultimately We can pray.
• Because This is what Paul did—and it worked.
