The conductor asked one of the passengers for his ticket. The man did not have his ticket, so he immediately told the conductor he was with the newspaper company. The conductor told him he would have to check with the editor who was riding in the rear of the train. If the editor would verify that he was a journalist, he would not have to pay. The editor was summoned forward. The editor took one look at the man and immediately identified the man as one of his reporters. The man later approached the editor and asked him why he had covered for him. The man answered, “Why? Because I’m not the editor. I am traveling on his pass and was scared you would give me away.” That’s what I call teamwork. It was not the right kind of teamwork, but no one could say that it was not teamwork. Those men knew that if they were going to get to their destination, they had to cooperate with each other.
One of the great lessons we, as a church, need to learn is, if we are going to reach the goal God has set for the church to meet, we also have to learn to cooperate and work together as the body of Christ.
Illus: Casey Stengel said, “It is easy to get good players. Gettin’ ‘em to play together, that’s the hard part!”
What’s true in baseball is also true in the ministry of the local church. WHAT MAKES IT SO DIFFICULT FOR PEOPLE TO FUNCTION TOGETHER IN THE CHURCH? We all have our preferences, and a mind of our own. We are many individuals, but God’s work can only be accomplished as we move together as a single unit.
Illus: It is always thrilling to see our military men, who come from all walks of life, learn to march in lock-step together.
As Paul addressed the Thessalonian Christians in 2:17 thru 3:5 he divulges some guidelines on how to walk together in the same direction to achieve what God desires the church to achieve. First we must learn to work...
I. THROUGH FELLOWSHIP
Christian fellowship is essential to the Christian life. Some profess to be saved, but say they feel no need to fellowship with God’s people. Instead, they say, they worship God through the electronic church--television.
Illus: Joel S. McCraw has suggested that if you are one of those listening to the gospel on television, you might want to step up to the set after a service and “...give your TV a great big hug.”
Foolish isn’t it! The electronic religion of multitudes of people creates an emptiness. Personal relationships are so desperately needed to keep our faith glowing and growing. It only takes missing a few church services to be able to tell a big difference in your spirituality. There is no substitute for going to church and worshipping with others of like precious faith!
AS CHRISTIANS WE SHOULD DESIRE CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP! Look at 1 Thess. 2:17. We read, “But we, brethren, being taken from you for a short time in presence, not in heart, endeavoured the more abundantly to see your face with GREAT DESIRE.”
Illus: Listen, if a person claims to be a Christian and had rather be with the devil’s crowd than be with the children of God, they are telling you something about themselves. What? That they still have that evil nature and feel more comfortable with the lost than they do with the children of God.
We who are saved desire to fellowship with God’s people. We come from all walks of life, but because of Christ shedding His precious blood on Calvary, we are all part of the family of God. We may not look alike, or be of the same race, or even like the same kind of ice cream, or drive the same kind of car, but yet, through Christ, we all are brothers and sisters in Christ and have our love for Christ in common. His love draws us together and makes us one.
Illus: A first grader went to her first day in a newly integrated school during the height of the anti-segregation storm. An anxious mother met her at the door at the end of the day. “How did everything go, Honey?” “Oh mother! You know what? A little black girl sat next to me!” “Oh my,” the mother said. “What did you do?” “Well, we were both so scared that we held hands all day.”
Christians seek fellowship, not out of a COMMON FEAR, as those little girls did, but because of a COMMON FAITH.
Look at verse 18. We read, “Wherefore we would have come unto you, even I Paul, once and again; but Satan hindered us.” Paul considered himself as a spiritual father to them and they were torn from him. Why? Because he was not able to be there to fellowship with those Christians at that time. He said, “...Satan hindered us.” Wouldn’t it be wonderful if everyone today who claims to be saved had such an intense desire to fellowship together? Sad to say, too often we have to literally beg, bribe, and blackmail to get some who claim to be Christians to fellowship together. For example...
Illus: Once the church choir director was frustrated with the sporadic attendance of all the choir members for rehearsals for the Easter Cantata. At the final rehearsal he announced, “I want to personally thank the pianist. She was the only person in the entire church choir to attend each and every rehearsal during the past two months.” At this, the pianist rose, bowed, and said, “It was the least I could do, considering I won’t be able to be at the Easter Cantata tonight.”
A big part of growing together spiritually in Christ is having fellowship with each other. Paul shows us that in the church of Thessalonica they desired to fellowship together.
WHY SHOULD WE DESIRE TO FELLOWSHIP WITH EACH OTHER? Look at verses 19-20. We read, “For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming? For ye are our glory and joy.” Notice, the Thessalonians are described not only as Paul’s JOY, but also his GLORY. “Glory” is a heavenly word. That is, we not only grow together in Christ through fellowship--our fellowship continues throughout eternity.
Now, let me give you some advice--if you can’t get along with your fellow Christians now, you’d better start working on it--because these are the people you are going to spend eternity with. When we come together on Sunday, or Wednesday, or any other day, or time, it is a time set aside for us to start making the necessary adjustments, because we are going to be together forever.
We have that special relationship of brotherhood and sisterhood in Christ. We know, in the physical realm, we do not always agree with our biological brothers and sisters, nevertheless we make adjustments so we can enjoy each other’s company because we are family.
Illus: When you and I see our biological brothers and sisters we have a feeling that we do not have for people who are not related to us that we meet each day. The fact they are related makes them stand out.
The same thing is true for members of God’s family. When we see each other, wherever it may be, we have a special relationship because we are brothers and sisters in Christ. We have the same heavenly Father, and the same precious blood that makes us brothers and sisters in Christ. When I look at a person who has been washed in the shed blood of Christ, I am not looking at just anyone--I am looking at a family member. We shall live together for eternity.
We GROW together THROUGH FELLOWSHIP. Also, we GROW together...
II. THROUGH PREPARATION
Paul wanted to prepare the Thessalonian Christians for what was ahead for them. Before a crop can grow, there has to be a lot of PREPARATION.
Illus: The following is a letter that was sent home by a daughter who was away at college.
“Dear Mom & Dad, I’m sorry to be so long in writing again, but all of my writing paper was lost the night the dormitory was burned down by demonstrators. I’m out of the hospital now, and the doctor says my eyesight should be back to normal sooner or later. The wonderful boy, Bill, who rescued me from the fire kindly offered to let me share his little apartment with him until the dorm is rebuilt. He comes from a good family, so you won’t be too surprised when I tell you we are going to get married. In fact, you always wanted a grandchild, so you will be glad to know that you will be grandparents next month.
Please disregard the above practice in English Composition. There was no fire. I haven’t been in the hospital. I’m not blind. I’m not pregnant, and I don’t even have a boyfriend. But I did get a “D” in French and an “F” in Chemistry, and I wanted to be sure you received this news in proper perspective. Love Mary”
That young lady knew that before she laid on her parents the bad news of the low grades she had made, she had better PREPARE THEM.
Paul knew that many DIFFICULT TIMES were going to come to the Thessalonian Christians and they needed to be SPIRITUALLY PREPARED. Since Paul had been hindered from coming, he sent Timothy to PREPARE those young Christians for the coming trials. Look at I Thess. 3:1-4. We read, “Wherefore when we could no longer forbear, we thought it good to be left at Athens alone; And sent Timotheus, our brother, and minister of God, and our fellowlabourer in the gospel of Christ, to establish you, and to comfort you concerning your faith: That no man should be moved by these afflictions: for yourselves know that we are appointed thereunto. For verily, when we were with you, we told you before that we should suffer tribulation; even as it came to pass, and ye know.”
Paul wanted Timothy to PREPARE THEM in two ways.
A. Paul sent Timothy TO STRENGTHEN THEM. We read in 1 Thess. 3:2, “...And sent Timotheus, our brother, and minister of God, and our fellowlabourer in the gospel of Christ, to ESTABLISH you...” Why did they need to be established? Because Paul knew, since they were new converts, the hard times that were coming would devastate them if they were not established.
Look at 1 Thess. 3:3-4, “That no man should be moved by these afflictions: for yourselves know that we are appointed thereunto. For verily, when we were with you, we told you before that we should suffer tribulation; even as it came to pass, and ye know.”
We have television preachers who preach a brand of religion that is not in this Bible. That is, they tell us we can accept the Lord and nothing except good things will come to us. They preach a “Fairy Tale” type of religion. Accept the Lord and you will live happily ever after. This is not what God tells us. Jesus said in John 15:20, “Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you...” He said, in John 16:33, “...In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”
The word translated “establish” in 1 Thess. 3:2, is used in the same context in Acts 14:22, where we read, “Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.” Also, in Acts 15:32 we read, “And Judas and Silas, being prophets also themselves, exhorted the brethren with many words, and confirmed them.”
The word translated “to establish” is a technical term for the building up of new converts as they face opposition from the world.
Illus: The believers in Thessalonica, again, were new Christians. New Christians should be able to look to mature Christians to help build them up in their quest to become like Jesus.
Again, Paul could not go to the Thessalonians at that time so he sent Timothy to STRENGTHEN THEM SPIRITUALLY. Also...
B. Paul sent Timothy TO COMFORT THEM. Here the word “comfort” means: “To encourage, or cheer up.” As we see each other working for the kingdom of God we need to cheer each other on. This is done in the world.
Illus: This is what is done at ball games. The spectators and fans stand on the sidelines screaming,
• “Way to go!”
• “Good job.”
• “Keep it up!”
• “Go man, go!”
There is nothing that encourages a Christian more than having his fellow believers cheering him on in his work for God. We ought to MAKE MUCH TO DO over a saint of God who is doing something for the Lord.
Illus: A young fellow got saved and was fortunate enough to have a Sunday School teacher who took a personal interest in him. One Sunday he brought a friend and she was standing, with a big smile, at the door greeting the young people as they entered her class. After class she called him aside and told him how proud she was that he was using his life to bring others to the Lord. That same week, she sent him a card in the mail, telling him how proud she was. The next Sunday he came and he had a car load of young people with him. Needless to say, she was standing at her classroom door again with a smile that was really beaming. The young man took one look at that smile and all the work he had done that week to bring that car load was worth it.
It is our job, as mature Christians, to STRENGTHEN those who have not been saved long.
We have seen that growing together in Christ comes through FELLOWSHIP, and through PREPARATION. It also comes...
III. THROUGH CONCERN
Look at 1 Thess. 3:5. We read, “For this cause, when I could no longer forbear, I sent to know your faith, lest by some means the tempter have tempted you, and our labour be in vain.”
Illus: Allan Emery had an experience which made a deep impression him. His father received a call saying a well-known Christian had been found at a certain place drunk on the sidewalk. Immediately his father sent his chauffeured limousine to pick the man up, while his mother prepared the best guest room. The young man watched wide-eyed, as the beautiful covers were turned down on the exquisite old, four-poster bed, revealing the monogrammed sheets. “But, mother,” he protested. “He’s drunk. He might even get sick.” “I know,” his mother replied kindly, “but this man has slipped and fallen. When he comes to, he will be so ashamed. He will need all the loving encouragement we can give him.” It was a lesson the son never forgot.
Too often Christians do not know how to express concern for those of the church who are troubled and afflicted.
Illus: In a manufacturing town in Scotland, a young lady began teaching a Sunday school class of poverty-stricken boys. The most unpromising youngster was a boy named Bob. After the first two or three Sundays, he did not return. So the teacher went to look for him. Although the superintendent had given Bob some new clothes, they were already worn and dirty when the teacher found him. He was given another new suit, and he came back to Sunday school. But soon he quit again, and the teacher went out once more to find him. When she did, she discovered that the second set of clothes had gone the way of the first. “I am completely discouraged about Bob,” she told the superintendent. “I guess we must give up on him.” “Please don’t do that,” he pleaded. “I believe there is still hope. Try him one more time.” They gave Bob a third suit of clothes, and this time he began to attend faithfully. It wasn’t long until he became a Christian and eventually even taught in that same Sunday school. Who was that obstinate, ragged boy who for a time seemed so unreachable? None other than Robert Morrison, who later became the first Protestant missionary to China. He translated the Bible into Chinese and brought the Word of God to millions.
We can’t help wondering how many today would be serving the Lord faithfully if someone had just given them one more visit, or word of encouragement.
Illus: Chuck Swindol once said that, “The church is the only outfit I know that shoots its wounded.”
Illus: Too many times we act as the message on the sign found on a convent property in Southern, CA: It read, “ABSOLUTELY NO TRESPASSING--VIOLATORS WILL BE PROSECUTED TO THE FULLEST EXTENT OF THE LAW” signed--the Sisters of Mercy.
Why should we be concerned about each other? Because we know the power of the tempter! While we should not spend our time thinking constantly about Satan, we must not underestimate him. Paul did not!
• In Thess. 2:18 he said it was Satan who had stopped them from visiting the Thessalonians.
• In Thess. 3:5 he again acknowledged Satan’s power.
He was afraid that the new believers might have been drawn away from the faith through Satan’s power of temptation.
Illus: We have laws in this country to protect the young. Why? Because we know they are vulnerable and need special care.
We who have been saved for a length of time, and know the power of Satan, should be concerned about those who have not been saved very long. Why? Because they are vulnerable. They do not know better yet. The church needs to be constantly vigilant and realize in our fellowship we have many who have not been saved long and they need to be protected because they are very vulnerable.
Conclusion/Summary:
If the church is going to move forward we must move forward together. As a part of the body of Christ, we are at the point where we can no longer look at ourselves as individuals--but as a team. We learn to walk together, in the same direction to achieve what God desires that the church achieve...
I. THROUGH FELLOWSHIP
II. THROUGH PREPARATION
III. THROUGH CONCERN
