This evening I would like for you to turn with me to 2 Thess. 1:11-12. I enjoy reading the letters of Paul to the churches that he had such a passion for. And one thing that you can notice as you look over those books is the number of prayers that Paul prays for his brothers and sisters in Christ. Several times he lets them know that he prays for them and many times he tells them exactly how he prays for them, what exactly it is that he’s praying God will do in their lives. Our text tonight is one of those passages.
2 Thess. 1:11-12… Wherefore also we pray always for you, that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfil all the good pleasure of his goodness, and the work of faith with power: That the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and ye in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.
I want us to look together at this prayer that Paul prayed for the Thessalonican church. I really feel as though it is a prayer that he would have prayed for us as well had he written this letter to Clinton First Wesleyan. Let’s see what it has to say to us tonight. There are three things that Paul prayed for.
I. That God’s Power Might Strengthen Us
First of all, we find in Paul’s prayer that he desired that God’s power might strengthen us. Power is something that seems to impress us, isn’t it? Especially us men. We like power. We’re impressed by power. We like to see the power in a quarterbacks arm, unless, of course, we’re talking about Peyton Manning.
Every once in a while I’ll sit down and watch a little bit of the “World’s strongest man” competition. Here these guys are pulling fire trucks, and flipping huge tires end over end to a finish line, and lifting these huge loads above their heads. And I’m thinking, “I wonder why I wasn’t invited to compete with those guys.” There is some amazing power packed in those guys’ bodies.
We’re impressed by the power of a new Firebird or a new Ferrari. 0-60 in 4 seconds or whatever. I heard about one guy that got a new Corvette, and he was taking his friend out for a ride. He was so sure of the power in his car that he taped a $100 bill to the dash board in front of his friend and told him that if he could grab it when they took off from the light, he could have it. Of course, his friend said OK, but when they left the light, the force from the take off pressed him back into his seat so hard that he could not reach that bill. That’s some impressive power. Power impresses us.
Think about airplanes and the power that they have. A 747 can weigh up to 870,000 lbs. and yet it can accelerate fast enough to lift off the ground in less than 11,000 feet and it can travel up to the speed of 563 mph. Is that not impressive power?
And what about the power of the President of the United States of America. He governs the greatest nation on the face of the earth. He holds the power of executive decision. He is the Commander in Chief of the greatest military force in the world. He has the greatest influence of any single man in the world. No other one person holds the power that is in his hands. Power is impressive.
And yet, all of the power in all the engines of the world and in all the strong men of the world and in all the political and military leaders of the world is so small in comparison to the power of our God. Jeremiah 32:17 tells us that God has made the heaven and the earth by His great power, and there is nothing too hard for God. David praises the Lord in 1 Chronicles 29:11. He says, Thine, O Lord, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine; thine is the kingdom, O Lord, and thou art exalted as head above all. Jesus said in Matthew 28:18… All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
Nothing can compare to the power of our God. He alone had the power to create the universe. He alone had the power to open up the Red Sea. He alone had the power to rip down the walls of Jericho. He alone had the power to help a young boy defeat a giant. He alone had the power to keep three young men from even smelling like smoke when they were thrown in a fiery furnace. He alone had the power to shut the mouths of hungry lions in order to protect a faithful servant. He alone had the power to turn water into wine. He alone had the power to heal a leper. He alone had the power to pay the price for our sins. He alone had the power to raise up from the dead. Nothing can compare to the power of our God.
And let me tell you something… His power is just as strong today as it ever has been. He has not weakened over the years. He has not worn down after all the battles that He has had to win. The power He displayed in creation is still as wondrous. The strength He showed at the battle of Jericho is still as victorious. His power over the grave is still in effect. He is still Almighty, All powerful, and forever in control.
There will never be something or someone that comes along and puts Him out of office. There will never be something or someone that comes along and shows more power than He has. There is no comparison to His might. There are no threats to His power. There is no substitute for his omnipotence. There is nothing and no one that will ever take away the power of God.
And the good news for you and me is that His power is there for us. Paul prays that God’s power might strengthen us. We have access to God’s power. When we’re down, God’s power is there to lift us up. When we’re hurting, God’s power is there to heal us. When we’re fighting temptation, God’s power is there to help us win. When we’re weak, God’s power is there to strengthen us. When we’re struggling with life’s problems, God’s power is there to pull us through. Chuck Swindoll has said that every problem is an opportunity to prove God’s power. Every day we encounter countless golden opportunities, brilliantly disguised as insurmountable problems. God said, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Phil. 4:13 says I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. Paul tells Timothy in his second letter that God has given us the spirit of power. We have access to the power of God. We don’t have to defeat Satan within our own strength. We don’t have to show God’s love to our fellow man in our own strength. We don’t have to run this race called life in our own strength. God is our Helper. God is our Provider. God is our Strength.
Maybe you can relate to this poem. Lord, I’ve never moved a mountain and I guess I never will. All the faith that I could muster wouldn’t move a small ant hill. Yet I’ll tell you, Lord, I’m grateful for the joy of knowing Thee, and for all the mountain moving down through life You’ve done for me. When I needed some help you lifted me from the depths of great despair. And when burdens, pain and sorrow have been more than I can bear, you have always been my courage to restore life’s troubled sea, and to move these little mountains that have looked so big to me.
Many times when I’ve had problems and when bills I’ve had to pay, and the worries and the heartaches just kept mounting every day, Lord, I don’t know how you did it. Can’t explain the wheres or whys. All I know, I’ve seen these mountains turn to blessings in disguise. No, I’ve never moved a mountain, for my faith is far too small. Yet, I thank you, Lord of Heaven, you have always heard my call. And as long as there are mountains in my life, I’ll have no fear, for the mountain-moving Jesus is my strength and always near.
Paul prays that God’s power would strengthen us.
II. That God’s Purpose Might Be Fulfilled In Us
Secondly, Paul prays that God’s purpose might be fulfilled in us. You see, God’s strength is given to us for more than just being able to overcome the enemy or to get through a rough time. But His strength is given to us so that He might fulfill His purpose in us.
Did you know that God has a purpose for your life? Yeah. I don’t care how young or old you are; I don’t care what background you come from; I don’t care what sins may darken your past; I don’t care what issues you are facing today; God has a purpose for your life. There is a reason that you are here right now. There is meaning to your life.
I like to play golf. I’m not very good at it, but I like to play. If you ever look at the history of golf you will likely come upon a story of a Scotsman who was trying to teach President Ulysses S. Grant how to play the game. Carefully placing the ball on the tee, he took a great big swing. The club hit the turf and scattered dirt all over the President’s beard, while the ball sat untouched on its tee. How many of you guys have ever experienced that? I have. Anyway, again the Scotsman swung, and again he missed. President Grant waited patiently through about six tries and then quietly stated, “There seems to be a fair amount of exercise in this game, but I fail to see the purpose of the ball.”
So many people are out there swinging aimlessly at life with no purpose, no meaning. They just go from one thing to the other looking for something to satisfy the hunger inside of them. They hunt for prestige and come up empty handed. They live for pleasure and find they have nothing. They chase power and find it doesn’t satisfy. They pile up possessions and find them meaningless. They have no purpose in life.
Ralph Barton was one of the top illustrators of his time. His drawings appeared in many books and magazines in the early 20th century. But in 1931, for some reason Barton took his own life. This note was found pinned to his pillow: I have had few difficulties, many friends, great successes; I have gone from wife to wife, from house to house, visited great countries of the world, but I am fed up with inventing devices to fill up twenty-four hours of the day. Now why would someone like Ralph Barton, with everything that he had, take their own life? It was because he had lost any meaning or purpose in life. He found that the words Solomon wrote in Ecc. 2 were true. Solomon said, I denied myself nothing my eyes desired; I refused my heart no pleasure. My heart took delight in all my work, and this was the reward for all my labor. Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun.
God wants to give us purpose. And He has a purpose for each of us. And when we understand that and understand what God’s purpose for our life is, then it will bring meaning back into our lives.
So what is God’s purpose for our lives? What is the meaning of life? The story is told of a very intelligent Greek professor who spent every summer teaching ethics on the island of Crete. And this particular summer just as he was getting ready to close the class, the last few minutes of the class, he said, “Now are there any questions before we go?” Just as he was getting ready to say, “OK then you’re dismissed,” a little man in the back of the room, a rather timid looking man, sort of carefully raised his hand and said, “Sir, I’d like to know, what is the meaning of life?”
As you can imagine, people were ready to go home, and they were very irritated by this little fellow’s heavy question! The professor very quickly quieted the group. He said to the class, “You know, if you don’t mind I’d like to answer that question.” He reached into his back pocket, and took out his wallet. He took out of the wallet a mirror a little bigger than a quarter, honed down on the edges, kind of sparkling. And then he told this tale, he said, “When I was a child, I began to realize that I could have so much fun with that mirror. I would simply catch the glint of the Sun, and shine that mirror into an otherwise darkened place. As I grew older I began to learn that this is no child’s toy. This is really a metaphor for my life. Now, I am not the light—I am not the source of the light. I am simply a broken mirror fragment. But if I allow the sun to shine on my mirror fragment, it is amazing what light I can bring into darkness.” Then he said, “Ladies and Gentlemen, that is the meaning of life.” And that leads me to our final point.
III. That God’s Person Might Be Glorified In Us
Thirdly, this evening, Paul prays that God’s Person might be glorified in us. See, whatever other purposes God has for our lives, the one at the very top of the list is this, that God may be glorified in and through us. That our lives would be a reflection of Him. Whether you’re the preacher or the greeter, God wants to be glorified through your life. Whether you’re the most seasoned saint or the youngest babe in Christ, God wants to be glorified through your life. Whether you’re someone of a flamboyant personality who is outspoken about your faith or you’re not all that much of a people person and don’t know how to really put your faith together in words, God wants to be glorified in your life. Your purpose is to allow God’s Person to be glorified in you, to allow your life to reflect Him. Paul says in 1 Cor. 10:31, and I quoted it this morning…Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God. Everything about our lives should be glorifying Christ.
Someone put it this way… What if, for one day, Jesus were to become you? What if for 24 hours, Jesus wakes up in your bed, walks in your shoes, lives in your house, assumes your schedule? Your boss becomes his boss, your mother becomes his mother, your pains become his pains? With one exception, nothing about your life changes. Your health doesn’t change, your circumstances don’t change, your schedule isn’t altered. Your problems aren’t solved. Only one change occurs. What if, for one day and one night, Jesus lives your life with His Heart? Your heart gets the day off, and your life is led by the heart of Christ. His priorities govern your actions. His passions drive your decisions. His love directs your behavior.
Can you imagine? What would you be like? Do you think people would notice a change? Your family -- would they see something new? Your co-workers -- would they think someone else had been hired? What about your friends? Would they detect more joy? What about your enemies? Would they receive more mercy from Christ’s heart than from yours? What about you? How would you feel with God’s heart in you? Would your stress level go down? What about your temper? Would you sleep better? Would you still dread what you’re dreading? Better than that, would you still do what you’re doing? Think about your schedule, what you have planned, with Jesus taking over your heart,
would anything change?
Can you see what your life might look like with Jesus leading your life? That picture that you see, with Jesus leading your life is what God wants. That’s what God’s Person being glorified in you is all about. The Bible tells us that we are to “think and act like Christ Jesus.” Another passage says, “to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.” To glorify God with our lives is to live like Jesus. In everything that we do, we are to be Christ-like, we are to let the light of Jesus shine through us.
You see, God’s power is there for us to be strengthened by so that we can fulfill God’s purpose in our lives, and that purpose is to allow God’s Person to be glorified in us. His strength is there so that we can live holy and Christ-like lives. Is Jesus being glorified in your life?
I want us to close this service tonight just spending some time allowing God to search our hearts. “Lord, is there any part of my life that I am not glorifying you in? Am I reflecting you in every area of my life?” Our whole purpose is to glorify God with our lives. Are we doing that?
