1 Thessalonians 3:9-13 How do I Get There?
1. Paul has no idea How He will get there to Thessaloniki?
• He writes 11 Now may our God and Father himself and our Lord Jesus direct our way to you.
• Paul is trying find a way to get to Thessaloniki
• Paul is often in Prison there are Epistles know as Prison Epistles Ephesians Philippians, Colossians and Philemon
• Paul states “he had been unable to return because he was “hindered” by Satan from doing so (1 Thess 2:18).
2. Paul wants to get there to Thessalonia because they brought Paul much joy
• 9 How can we thank God enough for you in return for all the joy that we feel before our God because of you?
• Paul so desired to see the folks in Thessaloniki 10 Night and day we pray most earnestly that we may see you face to face and restore whatever is lacking in your faith.
• Paul encourages the folks in Thessaloniki to strive to be blameless
• 13 And may he so strengthen your hearts in holiness that you may be blameless before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.[a]
3. What path should we take to get to our desired destination? We want to get to Heaven.
• Paul believes the path one should take before the coming of Jesus is the path of holiness.
• Proverbs says the way of holiness is to Keep straight the path of your feet, and all your ways will be sure. ?—
• The Psalmist claims the way of holiness to know. Make me to know your ways, O Lord; teach me your paths. ?—
• Isaiah says that holiness is the path of straightness. “The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. ?—Isaiah 40:3, KJV
4. Not only does Paul want to get to Thessalonica but He also wants us and Thessalonica to get to The Place of Faith. He feels before the coming of messiah we should keep the path of Faith
• Paul writes, “But Timothy has just now come to us from you, and has brought us the good news of your faith” (v.
• What does it mean to walk on the path of faith? Trusting in the promises of God even when circumstances seem uncertain and the path ahead appears unclear.
• Hebrews 11:1 says Faith is “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
• Faith enables us to persevere in the face of trials, to find hope in the midst of despair, and to experience joy even in the midst of sorrow.
• By faith, Paul could write to the Corinthians, “We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed”
5. I have a destination I call it Heaven if we want to get there let’s walk The Path of Abounding Love
• Paul tells the Thessalonian believers that “Timothy has just now come to us from you, and has brought us the good news of your … love” (v. 6). We all need to get there.
• Then he adds, “And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all” (v. 12).
• Clearly, the desire path of love is important to the apostle Paul. He famously devoted an entire chapter on the subject in his first letter to the Corinthian church
• Love can increase.
• Love can abound.
• Love is inclusive. Includes putting God first the Lord is the source of love. “May the Lord make you increase and abound in love …” (v. 12).
• Next, the Bible wants us to “abound” in love. To “abound” in love goes beyond mere growth; it speaks of overflowing abundance, extravagance, lavishness. The apostle Paul repeats this advice elsewhere: “And this is my prayer, that your love may overflow more and more with knowledge and full insight” (Philippians 1:9).
• It implies that our love should be so plentiful that it spills over like a river during spring rains; This kind of out-of-control love is generous, extravagant and selfless. It’s a love that doesn’t hold back, but gives freely and abundantly, just as God has given to us.
6. How do we get there by living Holy, By Faith, By Love, and by Jesus Christ
• We get there Church by the shedding of Blood the body of Christ given for us
• Jesus says “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever BELIEVES IN HIM would not perish, but HAVE ETERNAL LIFE.”
• Apostle John who said “I have written these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God (Jesus), that you may KNOW that you HAVE ETERNAL LIFE.” 1 John 5:13
• John makes it clear that it is God’s intention for His children to KNOW that they WILL GO TO HEAVEN and LIVE FOREVER. He says that his purpose in writing this is ‘THAT YOU MAY KNOW”.
