I Thessalonians
Introduction: There’s a lot of discouragement out there. Not too long ago, Hayden Planetarium in New York City issued an invitation to anyone interested in applying to be a part of the crew on the first journey to another planet. 18,000 people applied. The applications were given to a panel of psychologists to be examined. They determined that the vast majority of those who applied did it because they were so discouraged with their lives here and hoped they could find a new life somewhere else -- discouraged enough that they would leave the planet.
There are a lot of people just looking for some encouragement. Over the next 7 weeks, we’re going to be looking for it and learning all about in Paul’s 1st letter to the Church in Thessalonica. It’s a letter about this ministry of refreshing we call encouragement.
How that word is used gives us some different angles on encouragement:
1. Sometimes encouragement is an arm around you to hold you up:
Ill - Farmer saw his friend’s tractor bogged down in the mud. He walked out to talk to him. "I’ll go get my tractor and see if I can’t get yours pulled out.” “But what if you get stuck too?” “Then I’ll come sit in the mud with you.”
2 Corinthians 1:3 6
[God] comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows. If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort,
2. Sometimes it’s a kick in the seat of the pants:
quote - Ella Wheeler Wilcox – “A pat on the back is only a few vertebrae removed from a kick in the pants, but is miles ahead in results.”
Philippians 4:2
I plead with Euodia and I plead with Syntyche to agree with each other in the Lord.
Ill - People go to college for a variety of reasons, but Bob Kuechenberg, formerly of the Miami Dolphins, may have given the best reason yet in an interview with Newsweek: "My father and uncle were human cannonballs in carnivals. My father told me, 'Go to college or be a cannonball.' Then one day my uncle came out of the cannon, missed the net and hit the Ferris wheel. I decided to go to college." (I doubt they would ever find a man of his caliber anywhere else!)
From time to time, we just need some good “2X4-to-the-nose” kind of encouragement to do right.
3. Sometimes it’s teaching and reminding:
John 14:26
But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.
Acts 15:31
The people read it and were glad for its encouraging message.
(Now, if you read that letter, it basically is instructions. But that’s how encouragement works!)
People who get up and share the word of God are simply cheerleading you to right living.
4. Sometimes it’s a breath of fresh air or a pat on the back:
Joke - Mary was having a tough day. She stretched herself out on the couch to do a bit of what she thought to be well deserved complaining and self pitying. She moaned to her mom and brother, who was over playing the Nintendo, "Nobody loves me the whole world hates me!" Her brother said, "That's not true, Mary. Some people don't even know you.”
Philemon 1:7
Your love has given me great joy and encouragement, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the saints.
Encouragement is all a part of the big picture when you’re in this family called the Church and when you’re in a part of that family called CCC. We need to learn this ministry of refreshing each other!
The church in Thessalonica did. I notice, they weren’t doing anything notably wrong. But Paul took some pains to teach them about the ministry of encouragement in this letter we call I Thessalonians.
The basic purpose of this letter is probably found in a few words, in
1 Thessalonians 5:11 (NIV)
Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing
That’s what they were doing. That’s what Paul was doing by writing to them. That’s what they were supposed to keep doing. That’s what I’m going to suggest we ought to be doing too!
There are lots of people who need encouragement.
1 Thessalonians 1:2
We always thank God for all of you, mentioning you in our prayers.
Why? Because Paul was encouraged by them.
1 Thessalonians 1:7
"And so you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia.
The believers around them in the other churches were encouraged by their faithfulness.
1 Thessalonians 4:13
Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope.
People who had lost loved ones needed encouragement
1 Thessalonians 5:14
And we urge you, brothers, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone.
Weaker people, who were faltering, needed encouragement.
This whole series through the book is going to help us learn how to do that, but this first message is going to establish why we need it in the first place.
Some of you might be thinking – “What? What’s the problem? What’s with these people? I don’t need encouragement! Why can’t they just pull their own weight like me, huh?” OK. If you don’t need encouragement, fine. Let’s talk about those other people this morning. Let’s talk about those other people and why you need to give encouragement to them.
I see 4 reasons:
I. Because of Opposition
1 Thessalonians 2:2
We had previously suffered and been insulted in Philippi, as you know, but with the help of our God we dared to tell you his gospel in spite of strong opposition.
1 Thessalonians 2:14 15
For you, brothers, became imitators of God's churches in Judea, which are in Christ Jesus: You suffered from your own countrymen the same things those churches suffered from the Jews, who killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets and also drove us out.
1 Thessalonians 3:2 4
We sent Timothy, who is our brother and God's fellow worker in spreading the gospel of Christ, to strengthen and encourage you in your faith, so that no one would be unsettled by these trials. You know quite well that we were destined for them. In fact, when we were with you, we kept telling you that we would be persecuted. And it turned out that way, as you well know.
1 Thessalonians 3:7
Therefore, brothers, in all our distress and persecution we were encouraged about you because of your faith.
Opposition to the Gospel was part of the deal. But I notice, in all of the opposition that apparently was going on, Paul didn’t say, “I’m praying for you to be delivered from it; sending a specialist hit squad to take out the enemy; hoping you will get even; arranging for you to move away from there.” He said, “Hang in there! Let me encourage you.” The way he dealt with it was to encourage them.
What does a church need when it’s facing opposition? Encouragement!
What does a brother or sister in Christ need when facing times that are difficult? Encouragement!
You may not be able to get into someone’s world and fix everything, but you can step alongside them and encourage them.
There are Christians facing opposition today as well.
• There are church leaders who have to face opposition from church members.
• The Church in the US faces the opposition of a liberal media and political correctness.
• Our kids, in school, face the opposition of skeptical friends.
• Even within the Church there’s the opposition of liberal branches and denominations that oppose sound teaching and the authority of God’s word.
So what does a downtrodden church leader, a disillusioned church member, a new Christian who doesn’t understand need? Revenge? Run away? No, they need the ministry of encouragement!
Quote - Oswald Chambers – “A man who is continually criticized becomes good for nothing, the effect of criticism knocks all the gumption and power out of him.” Let me add, the effect of good encouragement will reverse that.
Ill – 14 years ago, we were going through some tough times in the church at Hillsboro, OH – not that church families ever go through tough times or anything! Anyway, one morning, Brian, a good brother of the congregation came into my office. He looked very serious. He wanted to speak with me in private. That’s usually the opening of a less-than-pleasant visit. I braced myself. He proceeded to do nothing except build me up and encourage me. I’d be too embarrassed to repeat what he said. I told him, “You don’t realize the significance of what you’ve just done.” It was a ministry of encouragement. And the Lord knew it would enable me to do better because of it.
I’m already indebted to the Lord and to the people of this church family who have, on purpose, been very encouraging to my family and me. You know who you are. My hope is that we are the same to you. One of the reasons we all need that is because we have a very real enemy, who has used and will continue to try to use discouragement to stop this church family from moving ahead to its full potential. Satan is real, brothers and sisters. God tells us to be sober and vigilant because our adversary walks about like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour. And then it says to resist him! One of the ways we resist Satan is by taking serious effort to keep one another from being discouraged.
Maybe it’s personality types like me that feel like we need to have all wisdom, all the right answers, or the ability to fix anything when someone else is struggling with problems. We don’t. We can’t fix everything. But I’m convinced that what we need to do, and what we can do no matter what, is to sharpen our skills of encouraging others.
II. Because We Forget
Much of I Thes is reminders -- of past victories and strengths. There’s something encouraging in that. Paul wants to remind them, so they won’t forget and become discouraged.
• What you’ve done right (ch1)
• What others have done right (ch2)
• What you’ve been taught (ch3)
• That God has everything under control (ch4)
• That God will return (ch5)
Encouragement means reminding people of reasons to feel encouraged. Encouraging people to faithfulness means reminding them of the reasons to be faithful. We need encouragement because we forget! It’s easy to forget the full half of the glass when you’re overwhelmed by looking at the part that’s half empty.
We go to a funeral – or maybe it’s not called a “funeral” – maybe it’s called a [memorial service.] And what do we do there? We remember. We talk about memories of what that person did. We look at pictures. We remind each other of his or her life. We open up the Bible to certain passages, and we remind each other of what God has promised. We use the occasion to remember so that we’ll be encouraged.
With a list of negative memories to review from the past year here, it’s too easy to forget the good things that God has done – the people who have accepted Jesus, the lives that have been helped, the kids who have learned about their creator, the parents who have committed themselves to rearing the correctly, the missionaries who have been helped, the number of people who have involved themselves in service here.
Sometimes we just need to remind people of things like that. We need encouragement because we forget. Better write that down!!!
III. Because Our Faithfulness is Fed by Each Other
1 Thessalonians 1:2
We always thank God for all of you, mentioning you in our prayers.
1 Thessalonians 2:19 20
what is our hope, our joy, or the crown in which we will glory in the presence of our Lord Jesus when he comes? Is it not you? Indeed, you are our glory and joy.
1 Thessalonians 3:7 9
Therefore, brothers, in all our distress and persecution we were encouraged about you because of your faith. For now we really live, since you are standing firm in the Lord. How can we thank God enough for you in return for all the joy we have in the presence of our God because of you?
Paul’s zeal, joy, hope, steadfastness didn’t depend on them, but it was very much enhanced by them. And their strength was partly due to the faithfulness of Paul. And their strengths were an encouragement to other Christians
Our faithfulness is fed by each other. We owe it to each other to encourage each other. I need that. You need that. Children need that. Spouses need that.
Quote - Billy Sunday - Try praising your wife even if it does frighten her at first.
We need encouragement because our faithfulness is fed by each other.
IV. Because God Has Given Us the Challenge of Being a Distinct People
Look with me and see how the Thessalonians were called to be standouts for the Lord:
• 1:9-10 – they’d become standouts in their city
• 2:13 - they accepted God’s word as God’s word (a rarity today!)
• 4:3ff - They were to be different by being pure
• 4:13 - they were to have a hope that was not like the rest of people
• 5:3ff - they were to live like people of the light, expecting the Lord’s return
They were regular people, but there were qualities about them that made them different than the people around them.
But you know what? It’s tough to be different, isn’t it? It was hard for the Thessalonians, be sure. For many 1st cent. Christians, taking up the distinctively different Christian life was a ticket to being killed. I wonder: how many would do that today? I guess the answer to that might be the same as the number of Chinese Christians who 12 hours ago were meeting in secret at the risk of persecution.
The Church of today, where you and I live, faces another challenge: Christianity is being blended in so it doesn’t stand out. Standing out in a Muslim or Hindu or Communist country, isn’t tough to do. Get caught serving Jesus in Uzbekistan, China, Saudi Arabia, and you’ll stand out – you’ll be the one being beaten, raped, cast out, imprisoned, or shot.
In the good old USA, it’s harder to stand out because we’ve made such great strides at blending in. You can put a little Jesus fish on your trunk lid, you can wear a T-shirt, listen to some certain music, but following Jesus is blended into a kind of soft-sell Christianity that looks an awful lot just like the society around us.
There are ways to stand out…but surely God doesn’t want us to be Amish -- does He?!
Some people, not most, thrive on being different. You’ve been in crowds where there’s a guy who just obnoxious enough, just brash enough, that he’ll do anything to be the center of attention, even though it’s negative attention. I mean, look at how some people dress, or how loud they play their music, or the way they stand out on purpose. Sure, there are a few people who just thrive on being stand-outs. But that’s not most people, and still God gives us the command to be standouts.
Well, if it’s not the way we’re to dress or the music we listen to or how obnoxious we are in public, how are we to be distinct in our world?
We are supposed to be different -- Jesus compared His followers to a city set on a hill, He said they are to be the salt of the earth, the light of the world. Here’s a crazy idea about how to be different:
Philippians 2:14 16
Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life...
Being distinct from the world while remaining a part of it can be hard to do! So what do we need? Encouragement!
Conclusion:
A teacher assigned to visit children in a large city hospital received a routine call requesting that she visit a certain child. She took the boy's name and room number and was told by the teacher on the other end of the line, "We're studying nouns and adverbs in his class now. I'd be grateful if you could help him with his homework so he doesn't fall behind the others."
It wasn't until the visiting teacher got outside the boy's room that she realized it was located in the hospital's burn unit. No one had prepared her to find a young boy horribly burned and in great pain. She felt that she couldn't just turn and walk out, so she awkwardly stammered, "I'm the hospital teacher, and your teacher sent me to help you with nouns and adverbs."
The next morning a nurse on the burn unit asked her, "What did you do to that boy?" Before she could apologize, the nurse interrupted her: "You don't understand. We've been very worried about him, but ever since you were here yesterday, his whole attitude has changed. He's fighting back, responding to treatment It's as though he's decided to live."
Some time later, the boy explained that he’d completely given up hope until he saw that teacher. It all changed when he came to a simple realization. With tears of joy he said it this way: "They wouldn't send a teacher to work on nouns and adverbs with a dying boy, would they?"
I had the privilege to travel to India in 2002 to preach there for 2 weeks. I preached in 26 different villages, with names like: Jangalagunta, Gopala Krishna Puram – people of the poorest caste in India – many who were lucky to receive one meal a day, who owned only one set of clothes, and whose futures were pretty hopeless looking.
One of the great truths I was able to share with the poor people in the villages of India is that Christian people made it possible for me to take the good news to them – people who felt the poor villagers of India were important in God’s sight and worth the effort. No one would make such an effort to take the gospel to them if there were no hope for them, would they?
And you know what, people wouldn’t make the effort to encourage a person who was a lost cause, would they?
No one would take the time to share a message of hope and life with someone beyond hope, would they?
Every bit of effort that has gone into this time of worship today is another way of saying this word of encouragement to you today: There’s a God in heaven Who loves you and desires the very best for you. You simply need to accept it…
