I Thessalonians 3:1-13
Introduction: OK, let’s see how we’re doing! Turn to someone near you this morning, and in 30 seconds or less, encourage them in some way. Go!
Chances are, many of you struggled to come up with something that quickly. Chances are, many of you felt awkward trying to encourage. I hope to help that situation this morning!
What I have to speak about today has to do with:
• your attitude toward suffering for Christ
• your prayer life
• your attitude toward each other
• your attitude about the affect you have on others
• what you can do to help the Kingdom of God grow
Other than that, there really isn’t that much to say!
Want to have an impact? Want to be significant in someone’s life? Want to be remembered, appreciated, missed when you’re gone?
If those are things that are of interest to you, then you should have an interest in I Thes 3, because it touches on every one of them. Let’s turn there.
The message of I Thes 3 in a nutshell is: "Your faithfulness to God encourages me."
The family of God is a place of encouragement. So,
I. There’s Real Longing When We’re Separated (vv1-5)
Jn 14 - Jesus told His disciples, among other things, that He was going to prepare a place, that He’d return, and that He’d take them to that place so that they could be where He is. The whole reason for telling them was “Do not let your hearts be troubled.” They needed the help of knowing that Jesus wanted to be around them, and that in the future, He would be. Even Jesus expressed the longing to have His people be where He is. “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also.”
Last week, we saw Paul’s feelings about being separated from the Thessalonians and how it was such an intense longing that it was like a child who has been orphaned from his parents. In this chapter we learn what he did about it.
1 Thessalonians 3:5
For this reason, when I could stand it no longer, I sent to find out about your faith. I was afraid that in some way the tempter might have tempted you and our efforts might have been useless.
You don’t invest your life in people and then just walk away from it as though it didn’t affect you.
Paul tore himself away from Thessalonica, forced to leave because of angry Jews. He went on without Timothy and Silas. He went into Athens and Corinth, and he went there alone.
It was a toss-up for Paul. On the one hand, he wanted the help of having good companions with him, but on the other hand he wanted the encouragement of knowing that the Thessalonians were staying faithful. Caring for the needs of young Christians in Thes. was more important to Paul than having help nearby for him personally. Encouragement works that way. It isn’t self-focused.
In a household like the household of God, there’s a longing to be together.
Ill – I had a study in this over 8 years ago. For 16 days, I was gone overseas. I was away from my wife and kids. Honest, there were several things about the US I was missing – clean sheets on the bed, hot water, and a shower that worked, and water that was safe to drink. I even missed Wal Mart! But more than that, I was away from my wife and kids, and I was longing for them. Some of it was selfish -- I missed their companionship and love. But much of it was concern -- how were they doing? Were they safe? Who’d protect them at nights? Who’d help their loneliness? Who would maintain the needed good sense of humor in our home? I can tell you, in the Nichols household there’s a longing when we’re separated. I’ve had another study of that since we moved and left a daughter in MO. That’s because being sure that everyone in my household is doing OK is important for my peace. I like to be around them, and I like to know they’re safe.
In some ways, I feel the same about my church family. There’s a certain longing when we’re separated. Several could stand and share some story about a person who was formerly part of the bunch here, but who has moved away. That separation brings a longing. It ought to. Suddenly, someone you like to be around, someone who encouraged you, is gone. Concern for their faithfulness is heightened, and the Body feels the longing.
I want to be in that place of encouragement, don’t you? I don’t want to miss being around you. I want to know that you’re doing OK, and I want to draw encouragement from your love for God. How about you?
Paul experienced a longing from being separated, and I want to suggest that we ought to feel that too.
The family of God is a place of encouragement. So,
II. There’s Stronger Living When We’re Faithful
Watch the logistics here – Paul left Timothy and Silas and went on his own.
1 Thessalonians 3:6-8
But Timothy has just now come to us from you and has brought good news about your faith and love. He has told us that you always have pleasant memories of us and that you long to see us, just as we also long to see you. 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.
In v6 "good news" is one of only 2 places that the word "gospel" is used for something other than the story of Jesus. That gives us an idea of just how good the news was to Paul!
It gives Paul a breath of fresh air to hear about the growth of the people he has worked with. In other words, when people faithfully serve the Lord it encourages other people to faithfully serve the Lord, and that cycle goes on and on.
Romans 1:11 12
I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other's faith.
2 Corinthians 7:13
By all this we are encouraged. In addition to our own encouragement, we were especially delighted to see how happy Titus was, because his spirit has been refreshed by all of you.
Philemon 1:7
Your love has given me great joy and encouragement, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the saints.
There’s strong living when we’re faithful. Call it positive peer pressure, call it leadership, call it what you must. When you live like you should, it’s an encouragement to others.
Ill - Barnabas sold his land. He took the money from the sale and laid it at the feet of the Apostles for the church to use. They nicknamed him Barnabas, "Son of encouragement." His faithfulness apparently encouraged others to have the same attitude.
This building we’re in a very nice building. I know it didn’t just appear here. It’s here because of sacrifices by a lot of people. And, I notice it’s well kept – inside and out. That doesn’t happen just by accident. There a people who constantly work at that, and they do a great job. Wednesdays, my favorite restaurant is CCC! Those meals that we eat at 5:30 don’t just appear by magic!
Now, does that encourage you? There are, in our church family, some Barnabases – that name means “son of encouragement.” There are people whose faithfulness is an encouragement to others. Remember, sometimes encouragement simply consists of someone cheerleading for right living. That’s what your faithfulness does for others.
Prov 27:17 "As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."
In this place for encouragement that we call the Family of God, faithfulness gives birth to faithfulness. When you’re faithful, I really live. Your successes are my successes, your struggles are my struggles, your failure is my failure. Your faithfulness helps me to be faithful. Your strength is my strength. So, when you’re faithful, I really live.
I have to point out that the word “really” has been added here in an effort to express what Paul is saying. You may notice in your Bible (NAS) that it’s italicized. Literally it says, “For now we live, if you are standing firm in the Lord.” What does Paul mean? Does he mean he wouldn’t be alive if they weren’t standing firm? Well, what does it do to you if you hear the news that someone has decided to leave their faith in Jesus? Sure, you’re still alive, but man does it hurt!
It sure does my heart good when I hear about people who attended college with me or when I hear from former fellow staff members of other churches doing great things for the Lord.
How much fuller is life, how much more do we “really live” when we hear that people we know and love are standing firm in Jesus?!
The family of God is a place of encouragement. So,
III. There’s Genuine Loving that Leads to Care (vv9-13)
1 Thessalonians 3:9-13
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? Night and day we pray most earnestly that we may see you again and supply what is lacking in your faith. Now may our God and Father himself and our Lord Jesus clear the way for us to come to you. May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you. May he strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all his holy ones.
quote - Keith Miller - "The world isn't waiting for advice about how to solve its problems. It's waiting for somebody to listen to it and love it."
Isn’t that true? People mess up their lives, and we’re right there with the answers: “Sure your life is a mess. What you need to do is quit drinking. What you need to do is stop smoking. What you need to do is quit cussing. What you need to do is quit living together outside of marriage. What you need to do is stop talking dirty. What you need to do is quit skipping church services. What you need to do is listen to different music. What you need to do is get a haircut or lose a few of those body piercings. What you need to do is cover those tattoos. What you need to do is take your hat off indoors.
But all along, those people don’t listen very receptively to that because they’re not waiting to be told how to solve those problems. There’s a time later when they will listen to that. But first they’re wanting someone to genuinely care about them in spite of the things they do.
Wouldn’t it be great if the world looked at the church house doors and concluded that’s what would happen to them if they came in? – that someone here would love them, warts and all, and care about them in spite of their problems? What if we could convince the lost people of Rockford that CCC is like that on the inside? What do you suppose would happen?
That’s exactly the pattern that our Lord set for us. He didn’t tell Zacchaeus, “Come down from the tree, straighten out all the things you’ve done wrong, and then I’m going to come over to your house.” He didn’t say to the sinful woman who was anointing His feet, “Hey you, get your hands off of me! Once you’ve cleaned up your act, then come back and I’ll care about you!” Jesus gained a hearing with people by loving them where they were at, then He worked on their hearts. Maybe that explains why Jesus was accused of being a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and "sinners.”
Look again at the love relationship between Paul and the Thes:
1 Thessalonians 3:9
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?
1 Thessalonians 3:12
May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you.
There’s a change that most of us need to make to do this thing right -- we need to get over the emotional detachment that we work so hard to maintain. That’s tougher for some of us John Wayne types.
story - Heather Bennett "My daughter, Heather Lynn, had trouble pronouncing the letter "L" when she was 3 yrs old. Instead of saying Heather Lynn, she would say Heather Yynn.
One day she ran up to me, gave me a big hug and said, "I yove you, Mommy!"
Using the opportunity to help her pronunciation I replied, "I love you, too, Heather, but it's 'love' not 'yove.' Do you understand?"
As she ran off to play, she proudly said, "Les!"
Do you have trouble saying "I love you"? It’s a struggle for some of us. Do you have trouble showing it? The family of God is a place where we love each other and that love leads us to do things that show that love.
Wouldn’t it be great if people on the outside looked inside these doors and concluded from the way they saw us loving and caring for each other that they want to be a part of that?!
Application:
If we learn all about this but fail to apply it, we’ve accomplished very little. I want this morning to give you not just "some practical application" about encouragement, but to take the essence of what the HS said here and point out how it can happen for each of us. I want to flesh this out, put some names and faces to it, and have you decide how you’re going to do the same.
Finish these 5 statements of encouragement in your bulletin, and I want you to think of a way that you’re going to use each one this week to encourage someone:
1. Don’t feel down because of my struggles.
I’ve had the privilege of visiting some of God’s finest people when they’re in hospital beds or nursing homes. It’s not true of everyone, but it’s true of many, that when I leave those places, I’ve been encouraged.
There are special people, who could have complained, but often didn’t. Perry Thomas had served the Lord as a minister for several years, and the rest of the time as a teacher and school administrator. His wife had died 6 months before, and now he was bedfast at home, filled with cancer, and not bitter. He talked rather matter-of-factly about the way that he would soon be in heaven. He asked about my family and how they were doing. He talked about the way God had blessed him, and how he wasn’t feeling bad about leaving this world. 2 days later, Perry was home with the Lord.
I take note of many of our older members here at Central who come hobbling into the church building. A lot of them have to bring something along just to be able to walk around safely, ol’ Arthur is visiting, and they’re in pain, but they choose not to complain about life.
You might even say to me, "Don’t worry about my struggles. I’m doing OK," and that does encourage me, but what really encourages me is to hear about people with hardships growing, staying faithful, and making their days of life count for Jesus! What really encourages me is to hear from faithful people serving the Lord in difficult places as they write and tell us, “Don’t feel down about our struggles. God is good!” Figure out this week how you’re going to say to someone, “Don’t feel down because of my struggles.”
2. I’m so thankful for you.
I have a file of cards and things of encouragement I have received over time in the ministry. Many of those are expressions of thanks -- people saying, “I’m thankful for you!” just like Paul did for the Thes. Read the thank you’s that appear out on our table in the hallway. People are expressing their appreciation for help they’ve received, and to know they’re thankful for you is encouraging. Glory to God!
But you know what’s even more encouraging to me is to hear about those same people turning around and doing something for others that encourages them!
Someone lost a father, and now she’s the first in line to help with meals and a phone call and things like that when someone else’s father dies. That encourages me! A college student puts in a thank you for a care package that was sent, and his mom is the next to join the bunch that puts them together -- and the Body is encouraged. I’m so thankful for you. Now, how are you going to say or show that this week?
3. I’d love to be with you.
I know it won’t go on the same forever, but I can tell you that our family was sure impressed by the number of people who went out of their way to make us feel welcomed when we moved here in July. And now, we’re having another opportunity to get to know more people on Sunday afternoons, because, frankly, we’d love to be with you and to get to know you better.
Any way we say to each other "I’d love to be with you" is another way we encourage each other. When you invite someone to your house, your SS class, to play ball or go golfing or fishing with you, to go on a call with you, it says that -- it says, "I like having you around."
4. I’m praying for you.
The past month, as my mother was undergoing surgery and recovery, there were lots of people who asked about her and told me they were praying for her. I was able to pass this news along to Mom, and it encouraged her.
We have people in this church who have taken it upon themselves to keep in contact with people and let them know we’re praying for them. That’s what some of those Thank You cards that appear on the table in the hallway are all about. I have watched what it does to people when we say to them, "We have you on our prayer list at church and we’re praying for you."
But you know, it encourages me even more to sit in a meeting with our elders and staff and to hear them, heads bowed, praying right there for each others’ needs.
5. May God help you grow in Him.
It’s encouraging to have someone say they would like for you to grow in Christ, but that’s something that expresses itself in deeds.
There are people who encourage me in this. They don’t just say they’d like me to grow up in Christ, they’re part of the process. They hold me accountable, and ask me what’s going on in my life. Someone gave me a book a few weeks back on leadership. Thanks! Still reading it, and it’s pretty good.
It really encourages me to see relationships in this church family. Not just a handshake on Sunday mornings and "See you next week," but people involved with each other in smaller groups, like our Community Groups, and spending time with each other at other times.
This week, how are you going to encourage someone to grow in Christ? Figure it out!
Conclusion:
Good encouragers are concerned for others more than themselves.
Romans 12:15
Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep
They give themselves away.
F. W. Borham - "The highest art in dominoes lies in matching your companion's pieces. Is he glad? It's a great thing to be able to rejoice with those who rejoice. Is he sad? It is a great thing to be able to weep with those who weep. It means, of course, that if you answer the challenge every time, it won't be long before your dominoes are gone.
But it is worth remembering that victory in dominoes does not lie in accumulation, but in exhaustion. The player who is left with empty hands wins everything."
That’s true in dominoes, that’s true in the Household of God.
That’s also true in your personal relationship with Jesus. Jesus said, blessed are those who are poor in spirit -- who are spiritually bankrupt - who have empty hands - who say, "Nothing in my hand I bring, simply to Thy cross I cling" - for the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to them.
He doesn’t ask you to bring Him a life all put together and squeaky clean this morning. In fact, if that’s where you think you are, why would you need Him?
Instead, He invites you to come in your dirtiness, in your brokenness, in your stress and your inability, and to turn it all over to Him; to let Him make something beautiful of your life.
