[ENCOURAGEMENT FOR THE FUTURE SERIES]
2 THESSALONIANS 3: 1-5
DIRECTABLE HEARTS
[Acts 17:5-9]
This last major section of the epistle calls on its readers to live in the light of the truth of God’s Word. If we believe the truth it will change our lives so that we can live out the truth.
As we begin to live out the truth we begin to make a difference in life, in the lives of others. If we are making an eternal difference in lives we not only are worthy of being prayed for so that God will use His word that we are sharing, but we will need to be prayed for, for the evil one does not allow souls to be taken from the kingdom of darkness without resistance, without a fight.
Yet as we labor for God we encounter not only the resistance of the enemy but the faithfulness of God. Strengthen in and through God’s faithfulness we become able to direct our inner man, our hearts into the love of God and into the perseverance that comes from Christ. It is the directed heart that dwells in the love of God and in the endurance of Christ (CIT).
I. REQUESTS FOR PRAYER, 1-2.
II. REASONS FOR CONFIDENCE, 3.
III. REDIRECTION FOR LIFE, 4-5.
Chapter three begins with Paul and his companions requesting the prayer support of their Thessalonian brethren for whom they were praying. Verse 1 introduces the last major part of the letter. “Finally, brethren, pray for us that the Word of the Lord will spread rapidly and be glorified, just as it did also with you;”
As Paul prepares to close his second Thessalonian letter he says, “Pray for us.” Blessed, indeed, is the pastor who seeks and who receives the continuing prayers of the people.
Specifically here, Paul asks for their prayers in order that “the Word of the Lord may run swiftly.” The verb literally pictures the Word of the Lord as running, running to overtake more and more people.
Too much work today is directed by human plans and programs instead of trusting that God’s Word will accomplish God’s work. When the sheep are fed they will flock together in love, follow the Lord and reproduce.
Notice that the Apostle doesn’t say, “Pray for our programs.” He doesn’t say, “Pray for our projects.” He says, “Pray for our preaching of the Word.” The apostles knew that the moving forward of their labors was due to God’s blessing His Word as they proclaimed it.
As the Apostles established the early church they set forth the priority for its ministers in Acts 6:4. “But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the Word.”
A hundred and twenty-five years ago, God did a mighty work in London through a giant of the faith named CHARLES HADDON SPURGEON [1834-1892]. His sermons are still studied today. The story is told that one Sunday afternoon, a group of ministers came to the massive Metropolitan Tabernacle to observe him. Assuming the stout man at the side of the building wearing bib overalls to be the janitor, they asked, “Sir, would you kindly show us the power plant for this huge structure?”
“Certainly,” the man replied, leading them to the basement. As he opened the door at the end of a hallway, the ministers expected to see a mighty furnace. Instead, they saw over two hundred men on their knees praying for the upcoming evening service.
“Prayer, gentlemen,” he said, “is the power plant of the Metropolitan Tabernacle.” For it is by prayer that the Word of God becomes effective. By the way the man in the overall was Spurgeon himself. He knew the source of the church’s and his preaching’s power. [Courson, Jon: Jon Courson's Application Commentary. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2003, S. 1358.]
Not praying for the proclaiming of the Word limits its potential for spreading. Prayer empowers the Word causing the Word to run or spread swiftly. Swift spreading of the Word glories the Word. Will be “glorified” can be translate be “received with honor.” [What could be more gratifying and rewarding than to know that because we have prayed, taught or proclaimed the Word of God, it has been received by some with honor?]
Rejecting the Word is the most obvious form of not glorifying or honoring the Word. But the Word of God is not honored when we dust off a Bible, but when we read it and practice it; we might call this active listening. Our positive response to the Word honors it. Passively listening or listening with no intention to obey dishonors it. An unopened Bible dishonors the Word. An unread Bible dishonors the Word. Reading the Word as part of a meaningless, dead ritual dishonors the Word.
So Paul requests prayer that the preaching of the Word would quicken or enliven lives so that it would spread rapidly. Yes, the Thessalonians needed prayer in their struggles, but they also needed to pray for others. Assuming a burden of prayer for others lightens one’s own load. Praying for the spreading of the Word glorifies the Word and the God of the Word.
Verse 1 show the positive and verse 2 the negative reactions which the preaching of the Word of God produces. The second request found in verse 2 was for deliverance from faithless people. “and that we will be rescued from perverse and evil men; for not all have faith.”
The proclaiming of the Word of God produces opposition. So the second part of Paul’s prayer request in verse 2 has to do with a specific situation from which he sought some release [rescue- deliver, ruimai]. The reason for the second request is so the gospel could spread rapidly and be glorified. For if Satan can cripple the messenger or his reputation he can damage the faith or confidence of the people in the messenger and thus impede the message from moving forward.
Who were these “unreasonable”or, as your margin renders it, “absurd” men? [The use of the untranslated article with “unreasonable and wicked men,” along with the verb tense implies a definite group of people.] Acts 17:5 describes them as “lewd fellows of the baser sort” who tried to get Paul in hot water.
As the missionaries preached in city after city, opponents of Christianity tried to frustrate their efforts. The Thessalonians knew all about this (Acts 17:5-9) resistance. The hostility of these enemies was due to their lack of faith in the Word of God. They are called wicked [a-topôn, “out of place, outrageous, perverse”] and evil [ponçrôn, “actively harmful” “working annoyance, bad or evil”], for they were being destructive of the spiritual welfare of others.
Notice Paul simply asks to be delivered from them. He does not ask for prayer so he can beat the false witnesses. Gang, there are those who will twist what you say to their own end. What are you to do? Do what Paul did. Don’t complain. Don’t explain. Instead, pray that God will take care of them in His time, and in His way [because if you start defending yourself, you’ll never stop].
A man and his son who were in need of money decided to sell THEIR DONKEY at the marketplace. So they headed for the market which was a few miles away. The townspeople shook their heads in disgust that the man would make his son walk while he rode the donkey. After hearing the criticism, the man quickly dismounted, and his son got on in his place. As they walked a little farther, they again heard the townspeople murmur, “How could that son be so disrespectful as to make his father walk while he rides the donkey?”
The man then joined his son astride the donkey, only to hear the townspeople down the road say, “How cruel of those two to ride that poor little donkey!” In response, both father and son dismounted the donkey and, in desperation, the father and son picked the donkey up, and carried it. They walked farther only to receive criticism that they were fools for failing to utilize their donkey.
Try to defend yourself, and, like the poor man and his son, you’ll find yourself carrying a heavy burden. Instead, do what Paul did. Leave your defense to the Lord. [Courson, p . 1358.]
II. REASONS FOR CONFIDENCE, 3.
Rather than feeling distraught over the present situation in the Thessalonian church, the apostles were confident. The reason for their confidence was the faithfulness of God which we see in verse 3. “But the Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen and protect you from the evil one.”
There are three encouragements to confidence in verse 3. The reason for their confidence was the faithfulness of God rather than anything about the Thessalonians. The character of God should be the basis for a Christian’s confidence. Because God has promised to supply believers’ needs, Paul could rest in the assurance that He would provide strength (1 Thes. 3:2, 13; 2 Thes. 2:17) to withstand temptation and trials, and protection from the adversary and his emissaries (Phil. 1:6; 1 Thes. 5:24).
People may prove fickle, even deceitful, but God is faithful. When we are discouraged with people who oppose us or let us down we need to recall the faithfulness of God. God in His faithfulness is both the source of our strength (“who will establish you”), and the One who guards and protects us.
1 Corinthians 10:13
God is faithful to His people. The Lord honors His Word and is dependable in His person. He is reliable. Faith in Him is never misplaced. His promises never fail.
The next encouragement to confidence is “God will establish you.” God will make us firm and solid, which gives an inward stability. Our confidence is not in ourselves but in God. From the new birth experience, we must go to be firmly rooted and strengthened in Christ. The Heavenly Father gives His children a settled, steady confidence. Inwardly, He puts our feet on the solid rock.
Like Paul, I firmly believe that the Lord will establish those who are truly His. If it’s a philosophy or program we’re pushing; if it’s attendance we’re trying to build—then, yes, we need a program. On the other hand, if it’s Jesus we’re preaching, He will, through His body, embrace those who come to Him. He then will tap some of you on the shoulder to allow Him to do just that. [Courson, p . 1358.]
The third encouragement to confidence is "Keep you from evil." God will guard and protect us from Satan's attacks. Satan is our enemy, and he constantly seeks to destroy the saints. Our faithful Father promises to defend when in combat with the evil one. Outwardly, the Lord protects us with a mighty shield.
In an evil world, we need the active work and the protection of God in our lives. Beneath the surface of daily life a fierce struggle is waged by invisible SPIRITUAL POWERS. Lorrie Anderson, missionary to the head-shrinking Candoshi Shapra Indians of Peru, was looking for a quiet place for her daily time of Bible reading & prayer, so she went down by the edge of the river.
After reading the Bible, she took up her prayer list. Eyes closed, she did not see the deadly anaconda weaving. through the water until it struck, burying its fangs into her flesh. It withdrew to strike, hitting her arm again & again as it held her, screaming, in its coils. It reared up for the death blows. Then suddenly the giant snake, never known to release its prey, relaxed its death grip & slithered off through the water.
While Lorrie was being treated, a witch doctor from a nearby village burst into the hut & stared at her. She couldn't believe Lorrie had survived. She said her son-in-law, also a witch doctor, had chanted to the spirit of the anaconda that morning and sent it to kill the young missionary. "I'm certain," Lorrie said, "that except for the protection of God, it would have worked."
That' same God is on our side in the battle with that old serpent, the devil (Rev. 20:2). The Lord defends us both physically and spiritually, both inside and outside, in ways we often do not recognize or understand. How thankful we can be for God's protective power! [D.C.E. Our Daily Bread. Jan. 7.] We need not fear the perils around us because the power of God indwells us and surrounds us.
[The hosts of God encamp around The dwellings of the just;
Protection He affords to all Who make His name their trust. Tate & Brady]
What additional guarantee do we need to do God's work? We have stability within and protection from without. We have a double assurance God will not permit His people to be demoralized within or destroyed from without. Our Father is faithful! As you pray, thank and praise God for His faithful work of stability and protection.
III. REDIRECTION FOR LIFE, 4-5.
Because of God’s faithful work verse 4 can speak confidently of their continuing service to the Lord. “We have confidence in the Lord concerning you, that you are doing and will continue to do what we command.”
The faithfulness of God had resulted in the people becoming faithful also. A reason for confidence was the conviction that the Thessalonians would continue to obey the instructions in this letter of Paul and his co-labors. They were not relying on their readers’ inherent power to do what was right; their confidence was that since the believers were “in” Christ, the Lord would work in them. For our union with Christ not only counteracts the weakness of our fallen nature, it leads and strengthens us in the work He commands us to do. A faithful God raises up a faithful people (SEE 1 John 2:4; 1 John 5:3).
JUDGE SHEPHERD, a circuit court judge of Nashville, Tennessee, was a deacon in his church. It was his unwavering custom to attend the services of his church on the Lord’s Day. One Sunday, his preacher, Dr. Norman W. Cox, noticed that the judge was not sitting in his accustomed place. Inquiry was made. “Where is Judge Shepherd today?" Later Dr. Cox said, “Suddenly I became worried. When there was no answer to the phone call at his home where he lived alone, I went there and found the house locked. I convinced the police that it was unlike the judge not to be at church, and he must be at his home.”
The officers forced the door open. They found him unconscious from gas fumes caused by a faulty heater. Another half hour might have been too late. The judge’s fixed custom to go to the God’s house on the Lord’s day saved his life.
That’s what I call faithfulness. And God needs more faithful attenders in the Church and more faithful workers in the church. Because God is so faithful to us we should become more faithful to Him.
Verse 5 request that God direct their hearts into love and endurance. “May the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the steadfastness of Christ.”
Once again we have one of those beautiful and priceless gems of profoundness. He prays that the Lord will direct their hearts into the love of God and into the patience of Christ. Notice Paul directs this prayer to the Lord Jesus.
Apostle gathers up the whole sum of his desires for his friends, and presents to us the whole aim of our efforts for ourselves, in the two requests of his prayer. First he prays that their hearts may be directed into the love of God. He wants them to walk where God’s love flows into them [objective genitive] and flow out of them [subjective genitive]. So the petition is that Jesus Christ would open up the way for the readers to obey out of a growing appreciation of God’s love for them and a consequently greater love for God.
[If you would have your heart dwell in love, then you must have love dwell in your heart.] If you would have your heart dwell in love you must direct your heart into love. Not just any love will do. Our heart must be directed or be led into the love of God. So he prayers for Christ’s involvement and intervention so that their inner man, their inner spirit could encounter the love of God.
As we encounter and experience God’s love our love develops and deepens.
Second he prays that their hearts may be directed “into the steadfastness of Christ.”Christ Himself is the definition of perseverance [hupomonç, lit. “remain or abide under”] for He took upon Himself and bore the sin of the world until He had completely paid for your sin and mine. He took the rejection and the shame of the cross and used it for the redemption of humankind.
This word endurance is active and unswerving loyalty in the midst of any and all adversity, then uses the adversity creatively and constructively. Perseverance (hupomonç 1 Thes. 1:3; 2 Thes. 1:4; Heb. 12:1-2) stimulates within the hearts of believers faithfulness even in the midst of trials. Meditation on the love of God and the patient endurance of Christ motivates Christians to obey His Word and to endure trials patiently. The word direct (kateuthynai) means “clear away the obstacles.” [Walvoord, John & Zuck, Roy. The Bible Knowledge Commentary. Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1983, S. 722]
What obstacles are keeping you from following Christ as you know you should? What obstacles are keeping you from being faithful to the commands of God as you know you should?
You may think you can’t and you’re right, but Christ living His life through you can.
IN CONCLUSION
As I have pondered this powerful section of Paul’s letter, I’ve found myself humming and singing one of my favorite Christian songs, “Great Is Thy Faithfulness.”
Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father,
There is no shadow of turning with Thee;
Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not;
As Thou hast been Thou forever wilt be.
Great is Thy faithfulness! Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see;
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided,
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me! [Carol Stream. Hope Publishing Company, Illinois. 1923
Dennis Davidson. Pastorfbc@bellsouth.net
