Just Want to Be With You
1 Thessalonians 2:17-3:5
SEBRING (FBW)—Susan Cook, a member of Sunridge Baptist Church in Sebring, Florida recently received a letter from her 21-year-old son Dustin Beerbower, a specialist with the Army National Guard serving in Iraq.
Dear Mommy,
Just want to let you know I’m still O.K.....
Wanna tell you this cool story. Two nights ago, I had gone to bed late. I couldn’t sleep as usual. Then about midnight I heard 2 loud booms, which sounded like they were 2 feet away from me… after about 5 minutes of silence we all got up off of the floor and got back to bed.
Come to find out, we had 2 rocket propelled grenades (otherwise known a RPG’s) fired at our building from across the river. The Chaplain had gone up on the roof to see the guards up there, and they vouch for this, too, by the way.
He said he saw the 2 men fire the RPG’s almost simultaneously, and the small exploding heads were on their way, no turning back. Being a Chaplain, what is the one thing you always carry with you?...a Bible. The Chaplain said he saw the 2 RPG’s coming, looked almost as though directly towards him. He heard a loud voice yell "STOP THEM." He said he didn’t know why but he held up the hand with the Bible in it and softly said, "Please."
What happened next is gonna blow your mind. The Chaplain said he watched the RPG’s almost instantly do a 90 degree turn away from the building and land harmlessly in a field about 100 feet away from the palace.
Mommy, I think that there is a second force here in the palace, even stronger than we are. Our guardian angels have taken up post all around our perimeter. I know it has been because of everyone’s prayers back home, and I have 100% faith that I will be returning home safe and in 1 piece. Though I do not know the time or the day, I do know it will happen, hopefully soon.
Well, just thought I had to share that with you ... I just wanna say thanks, Mommy. Thanks for always having faith, thanks for all of your prayers, thanks for never giving up hope, and most of all, thanks for being a wonderful Mommy! I love you. Love, Dustin (Florida Baptist WitnessA letter to ‘Mommy’ from a soldier in Iraq...
Published September 25, 2003)
Apart from the obvious supernatural factor, this is a typical letter home
Andrew Carrol is the founder of Project Legacy which records a piece of American history in the form of some 75,000 letters home from every conflict the US has ever engaged in.
Carrol says ‘The common theme in the soldiers’ letters home from every war is "I am OK, don’t worry." The most common phrase -- "I love you." ‘
In that way, the letter we’re reading from Paul to his dear friends at Thessalonica is very similar. He wants them to know he’s OK and that he loves them.
In these few paragraphs we’ve read today we can see an example of how love expressers itself, or a kind of pattern for how we in the church should relate to one another.
The first way is to…
1. Love One Another
17But, brothers, when we were torn away from you for a short time (in person, not in thought), out of our intense longing we made every effort to see you.
DL Moody once said “Show me a church where there is love, and I will show you a church that is a power in the community.” To illustrate he told this story: “In Chicago a few years ago a little boy attended a Sunday school I know of. When his parents moved to another part of the city the little fellow still attended the same Sunday school, although it meant a long, tiresome walk each way. A friend asked him why he went so far, and told him that there were plenty of others just as good nearer his home.
"They may be as good for others, but not for me," was his reply.
"Why not?" she asked.
"Because they love a fellow over there," he replied.
Moody Concludes, “If only we could make the world believe that we loved them there would be fewer empty churches, and a smaller proportion of our population who never darken a church door. Let love replace duty in our church relations, and the world will soon be evangelized.” Moody’s Anecdotes, pp. 71-72.
John said “Let us not love with words
or tongue, but with actions and in truth.” - 1 John 3:18.
Loving isn’t always easy. But love demonstrates itself in sacrificial action. Taking time when you don’t have any, sharing from what little you have.
As the day of the Lord approaches let us love one another. Secondly let us..
2. Live With One Another
18For we wanted to come to you--certainly I, Paul, did, again and again--but Satan stopped us.
Paul expressed a strong desire to be with these he loved. Christianity is a team sport. We should long to be with one another because we need each other.
Linda, a young woman, was traveling alone up the rutted and rugged highway from Alberta to the Yukon. Linda didn’t know you don’t travel to Whitehorse alone in a rundown Honda Civic, so she set off where only four-wheel drives normally venture.
Along the way, right before the pass she stopped for breakfast. Two truckers invited Linda to join them, and since the place was so small, she felt obliged. "Where are you headed?" one of the truckers asked. ’Whitehorse’
"In that little Civic? No way! This pass is dangerous in weather like this." "Well, I’m determined to try," was Linda’s gutsy, if stupid response. "Then I guess we’re just going to have to hug you," the trucker suggested. Linda drew back. "There’s no way I’m going to let you touch me!"
"Not like THAT!" the truckers chuckled. "We’ll put one truck in front of you and one in the rear. In that way, we’ll get you through the mountains." All that foggy morning Linda followed the two red dots in front of her and had the reassurance of a big escort behind as they made their way safely through the mountains. Caught in the fog in our dangerous passage through life, we need to be "hugged." With fellow Christians who know the way and can lead safely ahead of us, and with others behind, gently encouraging us along, we, too, can pass safely. Don Graham.
We need to hug and be hugged. We ought to desire to spend time with each other. What do we do together? that brings us to the next way we should relate to one another
3. Encourage One Another
1So when we could stand it no longer, we thought it best to be left by ourselves in Athens. 2We sent Timothy, who is our brother and God’s fellow worker[2] in spreading the gospel of Christ, to strengthen and encourage you in your faith,
Paul was concerned that HIS problems might have discouraged the Thessalonians, so he sends his only companion to encourage them.
In his Book Another Chance Dean Merrill, tells the story of a Proffesional man who lost his job. He took work as a hod carrier simply to put bread on the table. He was suddenly plunged into a drastically different world; instead of going to an office each day, he was hauling loads of concrete block up to the fifth level of a construction site. Profanity shot through the air, especially from the foreman, whose primary tactics were whining, cursing and intimidation; "
He’d became the butt of more than one joke when his lack of experience caused him to do something foolish. The stories were retold constantly thereafter. Near the end of the third week, the new employee felt he could take no more."I just can’t handle any more of this." A while later, he decided to finish out the morning and then leave at lunchtime.
Shortly before noon, the foreman came around with paychecks. As he handed the man his envelope, he made his first civil comment to him in three weeks. "Hey, there’s a woman working in the front office who knows you. Says she takes care of your kids sometimes." "Who?" He named the woman, who sometimes helped in the nursery of the church where the man and his family worshiped. The foreman then went on with his rounds. When the hod carrier opened his envelope, he found, along with his check, a handwritten note from the payroll clerk: "When one part of the body of Christ suffers, we all suffer with it. Just wanted you to know that I’m praying for you these days." He stared at the note, astonished at God’s timing. He hadn’t even known the woman worked for this company. Here at his lowest hour, she had given him the courage to go on, to push another wheelbarrow of mortar up that ramp. Dean Merrill, Another Chance, Zondervan, 1981, p. 138.
One of the advantages of having one another is that we can encourage one another. We ought to look for those who need our encouragement and offer a few minutes of listening and share a prayer together. Send a card, make a phone call or a visit.
The next one is similar…
4. Strengthen One Another
2We sent Timothy, who is our brother and God’s fellow worker[2] in spreading the gospel of Christ, to strengthen and encourage you in your faith, 3so that no one would be unsettled by these trials. You know quite well that we were destined for them. 4In 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. 5For this reason, when I could stand it no longer, I sent Timothy 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.
Paul is using even his difficulties to teach his friends. His goal is not simply that they feel better, but that their faith become stronger
Jean Nidetch, a 214 pound homemaker desperate to lose weight, went to the New York City Department of Health, where she was given a diet devised by Dr. Norman Jolliffe. Two months later, discouraged about the 50 plus pounds still to go, she invited six overweight friends home to share the diet and talk about how to stay on it. Today, 28 years later, one million members attend 250,000 Weight Watchers meetings in 24 countries every week.
Why was Nidetch able to help people take control of their lives? To answer that, she tells a story. When she was a teen-ager, she used to cross a park where she saw mothers gossiping while the toddlers sat on their swings, with no one to push them. "I’d give them a push," says Nidetch. "And you know what happens when you push a kid on a swing? Pretty soon he’s pumping, doing it himself. That’s what my role in life is--I’m there to give others a push." Irene Sax in Newsday.
That’s the role all of us have—to give one another a push in the faith. As you encourage one another, work to be building the faith of others. Also we have a responsibility for mutual growth. Whether it’s as a teacher or a contributor in classes or through individual conversations, none of us should view ourselves as unable to build up and strengthen others in the faith. Jean Nidetch had 50 pounds to go when she started weight watchers. Paul wrote “not that I have already been made perfect” but still he was strengthening the faith of others.
One more thing is important for us as we love and care for one another.
5. Pray for One Another
1:2 We always thank God for all of you, mentioning you in our prayers.
Pray for one another. It’s the most important thing we can do for our brothers and sisters.
How important is faithfulness in prayer? Dr. Wilbur Chapman often told of his experience when, as a young man, he went to become pastor of a church in Philadelphia. After his first sermon, an old gentleman said to him, "You’re pretty young to be pastor of this church. But you preach the Gospel, and I’m going to help you all I can." Dr. Chapman thought, "Here’s a crank." But the man continued: "I’m going to pray for you that you may have the Holy Spirit’s power upon you. Two others have covenanted to join with me in prayer for you." Dr. Chapman said, "I didn’t feel so bad when I learned he was going to pray for me. The 3 became 10, the 10 became 20, and 20 became 50, the 50 became 200 who met before every service to pray that the Holy Spirit might come upon me. I always went into my pulpit feeling that I would have the anointing in answer to the prayers of those who had faithfully prayed for me. It was a joy to preach! The result was that we received 1,100 into our church by conversion in three years, 600 of whom were men. It was the fruit of the Holy spirit in answer to prayer!"
Prayer makes a difference in people’s lives. We should pray for one another, and even let one onother know that we’re praying.
Love One Another
Live With One Another
Encourage One Another
Strengthen One Another
Pray for One Another
