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Hey, I’m going to invite you to first Thessalonians chapter, really the end of chapter two. We’re going to predominantly focus on chapter three. But I didn’t get all of chapter two completed last week. So we’re going to get into chapter two, into chapter three. And as we jump into this text this morning one of the things I just recognized with the Church of Thessalonica, we’ve talked about this together is we’re going through the series. This is six weeks, and you’re on week three churches. Thessalonica is an incredible church, made a big difference in the area of the world that they were located. They saw the gospel go forth from this church that impacted all of modern day Greece. And even beyond that. And as you look at this church, it’s worth just examining this church to ask questions about us here in the 21st century and realizing we follow the same God who works in the same way. And we want to see that that work continue to be done through us, that we see in the early church, especially in the church of Thessalonica. I mean, this was a church established on the backdrop of persecution. This was the second church that Paul began in the, in the continent of Europe. So it started first in Philippi was the first continent in Europe and then into Thessalonica. And we talked about Christianity being created in the cradle of where Africa, Asia and Europe come together.
And the Apostle Paul establishes this church in Thessalonica. Really, after being persecuted in Philippi, he goes to Thessalonica, he’s persecuted there. He moves on to Berea, and that persecution continues to follow him. But yet when you look at the church of Thessalonica, you realize Paul spent a very little amount of time there just a few weeks. And yet the church became a powerful force to be reckoned with in the eyes of the Lord and the impact it made in the culture around them. And how do you do that? Right? As a church, we should want to be a part of something like that. We I think as people we’re attracted to things that have life. We just we like to be excited and and belong to something making a difference. And I would say that’s happening here at ABC and we just enjoy that. And we want to continue to see that happen. God’s story, written in the hearts of his people and lives transformed, and it’s wonderful to be a part of that. But but how do we see that happen in the Church of Thessalonica? Gives us a great small book of the Bible. But to really dig in and examine what took place among the churches, we think about our own lives in the here and now. Today, as we think about this, I’m reminded there’s often an opportunity I have in being able to dialog with people that some know the Lord or claim to know the Lord at least, and and some don’t.
But one of the one of the questions I love to ask people is just simply start with the idea of, why do you think God made you? I’m sure you’ve probably pondered that at some point in your life, but maybe even this morning you might be asking that question why in the world did God make me? I remember part of my faith journey really began with that deep soul searching, asking that question in college. Why did why did God make me? You know, it’s interesting. I often find that the the answer people give is a typically give pretty common answer. That’s not a biblical answer typically goes this way. I think the reason God made me is to prove something right. I’m here to really, it’s about demonstrating my worth based on what I do. So kind of the idea that God would find me acceptable. And I’ve demonstrated that. So God, God has made me to prove something. And maybe this morning that might be your answer. And let me just kindly tell you, that’s not a good answer, but that might be your answer, right? God made me to prove something. And let me just give you some pushback or some challenges as as you think about that answer. Like it leads to the idea that your life is about performance, right? It’s a very religious way of thinking.
Your life is about about performance. And you better hope you perform well, because if you don’t, God’s going to be ticked at you, right? Get that kind of an idea. And your God certainly gave you abilities to do things. But I wouldn’t say it’s the primary reason God made you. In fact, if you just kind of continue on with that thought. I mean, what what about if you go through seasons where you just don’t feel up to performing, right? Maybe you’re battling with this depression or you’re discouraged or or what about if you compare yourself to other people? I mean, there’s some people in life that just feel like they’re just extraordinary people. They got. They got everything, you know, and God made them. And then you just kind of look at yourself. You’re like, I just if I had your talent, I’d be superstar of the world, right? Like, I’d play for every professional team making millions of dollars, like they they just won the lottery in the gene pool. And then. And then you might compare yourself to that or or sometimes in life, there are people that we just have certain battles that we go through that we just we are not able to maybe perform in that sense as well as someone else. And, and when we just compare ourselves apples to apples, what does that say about, you know, someone that might have more capability than someone else, especially in certain areas? Does that make them worthless? Are they only prone to just disappoint God because, well, they can’t prove themselves as much as someone else? How do you how do you work that out? And then when you think about if God made you for the primary purpose of doing something, is it then because God needs you? And oftentimes people that might think, well, I’m here because I’m prove something.
The reason they think that they’re here to prove something is because, well, God obviously needs me to do something and therefore, yeah, God does need me. And it’s in that circumstance. I love to push back a little bit more, because we’re not only saying something about ourselves in this, the way we view ourselves, we’re saying something about the way we view God, which will then determine the view I have on myself. And that kind of thinking puts a lot of pressure on us as human beings. Not only do I think it’s an error to what Scripture says, but it’s a lot of pressure on you to perform. In one sense, you’re created to perform in that way of thinking. But in another sense, the idea that God would even need you is, is communicating that you have in some capacity and inadequate God. And at some point, not only might you disappoint him and not being able to prove yourself that God would disappoint you because, well, he’s a needy God in some capacity and he’s lacking.
And it’s usually in that moment, I just I just want us to consider, like, if that’s if that’s the way we think in terms of our existence and the idea of God, that that rather than see God as this needy God who is dependent on on you. What if. What if rather, we took a biblical worldview that really said to us, God is so sovereign in his abilities that he doesn’t lack in anything and therefore he doesn’t need you. Now, for some of us, we like to feel wanted, right? And that might feel a little scary to start thinking about for a second, but but we could follow it up quickly with this thought. Rather than seeking a God who might, quote need you. What if more special than that? There’s not a God who needs you because he’s completely sovereign, but rather he wants you. There is a God who created you because he he wants you. And I would even say that that biblically, that that’s really the desire of God’s heart for you this morning, that God, God wants your heart. And when you think about that, it’s saying to you, the whole, the whole reason God is, is, is pursuing you is because of a freedom and a desire that when you read Scripture, it says, God is love. And love is about giving itself away and and giving himself away.
The crown of his creation is humanity, and God made humanity in his image. And what it says to you is a couple of things. One, you’re created to connect to God, being made in his image. You’re different than the other creature. God made you for relationship. So it’s not like God’s coming to you because, oh, I’m lacking and I just, I just need you and you kind of satisfy what’s what’s missing in my life. But but it’s it’s more special than that. It’s it’s that God created you because he desires you. He he wants that relationship with you. He made his. Your purpose is discovered in him. So God’s primary reason for making you is is for the idea of this relationship, but also being made in his image. When you’re connected to your creator, you then can live out a purpose for your design that God through through your relationship with him, that you get to live for his glory in the way that you demonstrate him in this world. And one of the most beautiful places that you get to do that is, is towards other people who are made in his image. And when you look at the Church of Thessalonica, this is a church that understands this. And we saw this together in chapter one when we talked about the importance of transformation in the Lord, and we talked about the idea of faith, hope and love, that we we see this God who desires us, who wants us by becoming flesh in the most personal of ways, and giving his life for you and for me, so that we could find freedom and forgiveness of our sins, all the things that put us in opposition to God, that oppose him, that were violators of his law, that we live contrary to him like he’s a holy God.
And one day he’s going to take into account sin. But rather than give up on us. Not only did he make us in your image, he also wants to remake you through the cross. And so we pursued you to give you new life in him. So when we think about that, ask the question, how do I know that God really loves me? The tangible truth of the cross is the demonstration of that. That is God screaming at you, that he loves you, that he’s willing to give everything for you, that you can find freedom in him, relationship in him, and purpose in him. And so through that. Then in the beginning of chapter one, we talked about in verse three that God has given us this place of being established in that identity. It’s not about proving anything to him. It’s about what God has already proven to me. And through that, I get to live through this freedom where God fills me up in his richness and goodness.
I find purpose and identity in meeting. And so the idea of faith, hope, and love is what Paul talked about. The idea of faith is that we’re we’re established based on what’s been done in the past through the cross of Christ, for you and for me, that we can trust in that, that we can rest in that, that we can put our faith in that. And not only do I have a place to rest my faith, knowing that my past is taken care of, no more guilt and shame. But also I have this, this future hope that as Jesus lives, I can live to that. The promise of the resurrection is made known through Christ’s resurrection and in the security of my life. Then I get to walk with in love. The idea of faith, hope, and love is as God has filled me up in his richness, I get to pour my life out for the goodness of God. But. But it begins through that relationship. The primary purpose of my existence is not about proving something, but as it’s been proven to me in my relationship with Christ, therefore I get to live for the reason for which I was finally created. And so understanding faith, hope, and love is critical that that transformation that only takes place in Christ. So that then as as we are transformed, we get to move in this world with the grace of God made known, knowing that other people need that opportunity to to discover God’s grace and freedom in him.
So we talked about the importance of remaining pure in our motive in chapter two last week. And as we remain pure, that our focus becomes singular, that our life be about pleasing the Lord, living for his glory, knowing him rather than listening to all the other things this world might throw at me. I get to live my life for an audience of one, and at the end of the day, if I just do that, I have no regrets. I have nothing to be sorry about, nothing to lay my head down at night and feel like I messed up because my life has given over to the one who ultimately matters. And through that, then I get to bless other people. And so I have this motive that should remain pure. And I get to model in this world what it looks like to walk with Jesus. And now in chapter three together, we’re going to we’re going to discover through the church of Thessalonica. Like, how do I know that my life is truly surrendered to him? Right. So, like, if I know God transforms me and I know God calls me to to remain in this pure motive and just model the richness of Christ in this world, how do I know that my life is truly surrendered to him? Because to be honest, some people can just fabricate that.
I mean, you can fake on the outside this look of having some relationship with the Lord. I think religious people, Jesus, criticize all the time about that. How do I really know that my life is truly surrendered over to him? I think we’re going to see two markers in this text today that give us an indicator. This is not an exhaustive list so that, you know, but just from the end of chapter two into chapter three, I want us to see a couple of things that Paul identifies for us, because if we understand what Jesus has done for you and for me in surrendering his life completely, our desires should want to be to surrender our life to. I mean, we’ve never been loved this way. And when you’ve been loved with a sacrificial, tremendous love, we as people naturally just want to reciprocate and response as somebody lavishes on you. Just a gift of kindness. A word of encouragement. Just spending genuine time with you. We as people tend to care about that, and we want to reciprocate in some way. And it’s the same way with the Lord. When you think the King of all glories gave his life, that you could find freedom and purpose and identity in him, the desire of our heart should be one of joy to respond that God would even care enough about me to pursue me in that way.
So how can I know him? And how can I walk with him? How do I really know what it looks like to have a life surrendered to him? Can I give you a point? Number one in your notes? I’ll give you an explanation on this. Number one, is this Your sacrificial care for community. Your sacrificial care for community. You know, living in community isn’t always easy, but I think it’s a beautiful demonstration of the work Jesus has done in you. And and it communicates more than just care for community, because in order to get there, there has to be some certain underlying in your life that would drive you to want to do that. Because community life is not always easy. And so when you look at I’ll give you an example and I’ll crack open Thessalonians here in a minute. But when you read the epistles of the New Testament, what you often find is the first half of the epistles talk about theology and then the latter half of the epistles. Oftentimes we’ll talk about orthodoxy, how you live, because what you believe determines how you behave. If you want to know what you really believe, just look at what you do in life. And sometimes we can tell ourselves we believe something, but oftentimes what we claim we believe doesn’t match what we do. What you truly do is, is a reflection of what you really believe.
And so in having a solid belief that becomes foundational. So I started off with some theoretical theoretical ideas of how people respond to the purpose of their existence. Because if you have an erroneous worldview, it’s going to demonstrate in how you live your life. So we want to have a biblical, a healthy worldview in what we do, but what you believe determines and how you live. Sometimes when you read epistles, you’ll see questions and answers. Will Paul talk about a theological issue and the practical outworking? But oftentimes he’ll divide his letters first half theology, last half practice. Like, for example, the book of Ephesians. If you read the book of Ephesians, first three chapters are all about theology, and the last three chapters are all about the practice of that theology. If you really believe it, this is what it should look like. And so when you think about a surrendered life to Christ, there is a certain truth of who God is that in fact we should surrender to. But the practical implications of that is how it works itself out in my life. And what it should look like for you and for me, is a deep and genuine concern for community. In fact, if I gave you a verse this morning from Ephesians, and next verse will give Thessalonians a promise. But in Ephesians he says this I therefore a prisoner for the Lord.
I urge you to walk worthy of the calling for which you have been called. So saying now you have a relationship with the Lord. God gives you a special calling, and I want you to walk worthy of that. So what does that look like? Well, he says it like this with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the spirit and the bond of peace. Here’s what he’s saying is like when your life has been radically transformed in Jesus, you understand the truth of who he is. This is what it looks like. And you walk humbly in this world with gentleness. Not not because you’re less than someone else, but it’s rather because you’ve become incredibly confident in who you are, because you know who you are in Jesus, and therefore because you don’t need other people to affirm who you are. But your life has been affirmed in Christ. It gives you this beautiful position to really serve people freely, because your life has been served freely in Christ. And so therefore you can walk with this humble servant attitude, because you follow one who became the servant of servants. Jesus, to give his life for you so you can find freedom in him. And now you’ve been called to model that life of Christ in this world. And so therefore, as Jesus became the servant of servants, we serve others for the benefit of them to the glory of God.
And one of the ways he describes us like this with patience, because he knows we’re not perfect. Bearing with one another in love. It’s saying literally this, that you’re going to put up with each other because we know that we’re not perfected in Christ yet. And sometimes with that there comes challenges. But far more important than those challenges is what Jesus desires to do in your life and mine. And Paul, in the midst of his challenges. And Thessalonians is recognizing that sometimes those those challenges are interpersonal and relationship, the way that we might have conflict with one another, but other times the challenges might be external. And in the Church of Thessalonica, that certainly is the case, is that there is an external pressure that the church is facing. And Paul uses this look in verse 17. He says, but since we were torn away from you, brothers, for for a short time in person, not in heart, we endeavor the more eagerly and with greater desire to see you face to face. If you remember in this story, there was after three weeks with the church of Thessalonica, there was persecution that broke out against the church. The leader of the church, a man named Jason, is being brought before the leaders, and they’re bringing judgment against him and Paul’s concern for his life. He’s concerned for for the life of the church.
And because of his concern, he actually decides the best thing to do is temporarily step away. And so Paul and his companions, they go down to Berea and then to Athens. And when Paul’s doing this, he’s saying, look, I may be gone physically, but my heart is still there. But my desire is to still be with you face to face. In fact, this word for torn away is the same word they would use or translate as orphaned. Like, I don’t want you guys to think that you’ve been orphaned. Like I don’t care about you. I’ve just abandoned you, Paul, saying that’s not true. My my desire. My my hope is is still for you. And so are you. Saying in the life of the Apostle Paul as his life is surrendered to Christ? What’s what’s taking a preeminent focus in his life is the is the idea of how God wants to move through community. And so when we were really surrendered, there comes this draw to see the success of God’s people and how we committing our lives to Christ for the benefit of others. And so a surrendered life is seen through our sacrificial care for community. And then Paul goes on from there and he says in verse 18, because we want to come to you, I, Paul, again and again. But Satan hindered us. And we’ll talk about that in just a minute.
But verse 19 he says, for what is our hope or joy or crown, or of boasting before our Lord Jesus at his coming? Is it not you? For you are our glory and joy? Yeah. This whole section we’re going to read together in verse 17 all the way through chapter three. This this section, I think the really focal verse is this right here. Paul is saying the way that God has moved in my life, as is making the victory of his people my victory. I think this is critical to think about in the life of 21st century America, especially because we tend to be an individualistic society. All about I, I, II. But what what what Paul is doing here is he’s defining the win for the church through we. So he’s saying that the real victory that we are seeing in for me as a believer, following after Jesus is not based on what I do, but it’s based on what God does through me for the benefit of others. He’s measuring success through community. And so sometimes in our Christian walk, like I think it is important to talk about your individual health in Jesus, because our community is only as healthy as the individuals that make it up. But sometimes we can get so isolated in our individualistic ideas that we fail to see. The way that God measures success is not through you walking faithfully with Jesus, but helping his church to succeed in walking faithfully with Jesus.
And so it’s not about, you know, just how’s my own personal time in Jesus going? I hope you’re having a wonderful personal time in Jesus. I do, but how God does more with that than just simply, you know, making you an intellectual giant in the and in understanding of Christ. But but then how it how it bleeds from your life for the benefit of others, right. That that what I know becomes about what I do for the sake of others, to the glory of God. And Paul is certainly he’s putting our focus there. He’s saying, look, surrendered life to the Lord here. Here’s what my life is about, as I’ve given my life to Jesus, as I’ve seen God work in not only in me, but also through me for the for the benefit of others. That one day when I see God face to face, this is going to be our boasting. This is what I’m going to rejoice about. His grand story of redemption made known through people. And he let me be a part of that. And I was faithful to share with him in it. And so you see the, the, the Apostle Paul identifying this for us, that as you think about your own life, it’s to say, God, Amen. As I’m I’m giving my life over to Jesus, the question I need to be asking is like, how am I seeing that work itself out for the benefit of those around me? How is this impacting community, whether it’s church, whether it’s home like God? How how are you doing this? Because my life enriched in you.
This is how it looks. And Paul, in the midst of telling this, this also wants us to recognize like it is a battle, right? We saw in Ephesians. But you’re also seeing it in Thessalonians. If I threw an extra verse up here for you, verse 18, we already read verse five. You’re seeing a similar thought here. But as you look at chapter two, Paul’s reflecting on his own self first, because he doesn’t want people to think, you know, he’s just left them in the dust. And then he moves to the church and he thinks about the church and what God desires for them, but the battles they face. But in verse, verse five and 18, he puts a name to that enemy. He says in verse 18, because we wanted to come to you. I, Paul, again and again, but Satan hindered us. And in verse five, for this reason, when I could not bear it no longer, I sent to learn about your faith, for fear that somehow the tempter had tempted you, and our labor would be in vain. Now Satan’s or excuse me, Paul’s recognizing the work of Satan among God’s people, that Satan, what he desires to do, is thwart the very plan that we’ve talked about together.
God’s desire for us as community and the way that Satan works so that we’re all aware Paul is talking in this sense. He’s being persecuted and Satan has hindered him through that persecution. And now he’s thinking about the church. They’ve also been persecuted. And the tempter is tempting them away from from the Lord because of this. And the way the enemy works is like this for you and for me. The way it plays itself out is Satan loves nothing more than to whisper in your wounds. He loves nothing more to get than to get you isolated and discourage you in the darkness, to to get you off track from what God desires to do in, in your life. And so the the Apostle Paul is saying, this is this is how Satan has tried to work in my life by bringing this, this persecution against me to discourage me in those dark moments, literally in prison cells. It’s the same thing for the church as they’re facing that, that outward pressure. Sometimes it can come from inside, sometimes it can come from outside. But either way, Satan just wants to bring disunity to break up the community because he knows there is power when God’s people work together. And so having that that kind of understanding of recognizing like we’re not perfect, right? But Jesus wants to do a beautiful work in our lives, but this is the way that the enemy often works.
And the Apostle Paul, he he told us this much. And in Second Corinthians 12, talking about his own life in terms of Satan, he says, so to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. That’s interesting that the Apostle Paul would say that right, like a messenger of Satan to harass me. Like he might get a little freaked out by something like that and think, man, what does that look like? Like, I don’t know, I do not want this verse ever. I hope this is just an exclusive verse for Paul that a messenger of Satan’s coming to harass them. How does how does that look? Is this, like every horror movie you’ve seen about exorcisms? Is that is that I need to watch those movies to figure out how to how to fight this. Like, I want you to know it’s it’s it’s very tangible the way that Satan, Satan, or Paul is identifying the work of Satan in his life is actually very tangible. It’s not like this. This ghost appears to you and says, I’m Satan here to harass you. What Paul is acknowledging he’s already told us what these messengers are in chapter 11. These messengers are actually people that Satan is working through people in order to harass the Apostle Paul, to get him off mission, to discourage him, to whisper in his wounds.
And it’s the same for us. Discouragement comes, and it can often be in a very personal way. And and Paul is even acknowledging this for the church. And first Thessalonians 214 for you, brothers became imitators of the churches of God in Christ Jesus that are in Judea. For you suffered the same things from your own countrymen as they did from the Jews who killed both the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and drove us out. And this displeased God, and oppose all mankind by hindering us from speaking to the Gentiles, they might be saved. So he’s saying, here’s what he’s trying to hinder you from doing the mission that God has called you on as a community in him. And this is the way Satan works. He brings discouragement to you from people. And in fact, and by the way, I don’t want you to look at people as enemies to to attack back. That’s not what we want to accomplish here. But I just want you to realize how the enemy works to to distract us in our lives. And let me just add an extra thought to this. It’s not just people, it’s religious people. If you think about the Apostle Paul’s life as he went on these missionary journeys, the people that continue to follow after him, to persecute him along the way, where the religious people of his day and the Apostle Paul is saying, and this is what’s happening to you in Thessalonica.
And don’t don’t misunderstand that this is what’s happening from the beginning of the church. This is what happened against Jesus. It was the religious leaders that crucified him. And so some of the most dangerous people and discouraging you in your own relationship with the Lord can be religious people, the do gooders who you might think are there, intended to encourage you, can actually deter you and distract you from the things that God has for you. So here’s the question. And what’s the antidote? Because when I look at a verse like this, I’m like, I know Paul is talking about the importance of community. But then I think about this. I’m like, no, thank you to community because because people, people can be terrible. But also what God can do in a community can be incredibly beautiful. So what is the antidote to this, Paul? Paul gives it to us in the beginning of chapter three says, therefore, when we could bear it no longer, we were willing to be left behind at Athens alone. And we sent Timothy, our brother and God’s coworker, and the gospel of Christ. Here’s here’s what Paul is saying. The first thing that took place. Remember, Paul went from Thessalonica to Berea, then down to Athens.
He got to Athens is like, Timothy, I can’t take this anymore. I want you to go back up to the church and just check on them. I care about them because I care about the Lord and what God cares about his community. 30. And so Timothy goes back. And the first thing that we learn really is the importance of healthy community. In fact, healthy community rooted in truth that really have a genuine concern for us. Because he says to us about Timothy that he’s a coworker in the gospel of Christ. So Timothy’s interest is their well-being. His life surrendered to the Lord, and he knows he’s going to see the beauty of the Lord work, and that God has called him in that personal relationship to lay his life down for their sake. And so he really wants to encourage them in what God desires for their life. And so for you and for me to walk faithfully in Jesus. It’s critical that we have Timothy’s in our life, someone that no matter what other people might say in the discouragement they might bring in the thoughts that Satan might want to carry and bring disunity among the body, that we we have some individuals that will speak truth into us, over us for the sake of how God wants to continue to work through us collectively. But even beyond that, not only does he talk about the importance of healthy community, he goes on and says at the end of verse two, to establish and exhort you in the faith or in your faith.
And so here’s what he’s saying is like, not only do we need an encourager, but but the importance of grounding you in truth, because what the enemy wants to do is distract you from that enemy’s desires, to deter you from that through through the woundedness that you might have. And in fact, if you looked at Romans chapter 12, verse two, it tells you that through the messages of this world that that that they want to conform you to, its the image, its image, they want to oppress you. That’s the idea of conforming. It’s like taking your life and just shaping it, pushing it down to to become what it wants. But it says this in Romans 12 two do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed. Look at this by the renewing of your mind, that by testing you may discern that what is the will of God? What is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God? So he’s he’s saying like this the world wants to press you. Satan wants to discourage you. But God’s truth is what transforms you. That your mind would be saturated in that truth, that you would not lose sight of that faith, hope, and love. Who you truly are in this world, in the Lord. Because that that can never, that can never be taken away from you by the things this world might throw at you.
In fact, in Second Corinthians chapter ten, Paul says it like this. For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh. So we’re not fighting people, even though people might be against us. But we have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ. He’s saying the battle in our walk with the Lord really begins in the mind. What truth are you going to believe? Because it’s going to determine what you do. And so you’re to take those thoughts captive, and you’re to surrender it to the Lord, and you’re to walk in his truth, because Satan wants nothing more than to discourage you, to find your wounds and just whisper in it. And so Paul is saying, look for us in healthy community. It’s finding brothers and sisters in Christ that that walk and that truth to encourage is to establish ourselves in the in that truth, knowing how the enemy wants to deceive from that. And in verse three, that no one be moved by these afflictions for yourselves. Know that we are destined for this for, for when we were with you, we kept telling you beforehand that we were to suffer affliction just as it had come to pass.
And just as you know, sometimes when we go through hard things, our tendency is to ask challenging questions of God. Have you abandoned me? Do you not love me? Are you punishing me? But what Paul is saying here is none of those things are accurate. That God hasn’t abandoned you. God’s not punishing you. But God actually loves you and cares about you. And and rather than God pouring out his wrath on you, faith and suffering or suffering in faith or a part of a part of the Christian journey. In fact, that’s what you’re seeing in the life of the Apostle Paul here. That’s what happened to Jesus, the one who we ultimately follow. And so when the world opposes him, we might expect that. But in the midst of that persecution, in the midst of that trial, it becomes this beautiful place to demonstrate what matters to me more than anything. It’s Jesus. And in putting my faith in Jesus over and above the challenges of this world, what the way it should ultimately be demonstrated is how I care for his community, how the Lord uses me in his community for his glory. In fact, when you think about the Church of Thessalonica, I think we should consider just three weeks is all the Apostle Paul spent with them. And yet this church, in the midst of persecution, they were reaching all of Greece.
And even beyond that, this tiny church, just this little time in the gospel with this, the apostle Paul. And yet their impact became overwhelming, it became inspiring. And sometimes we look at challenges like this I’ve got to get through this challenge, and when I’m finally on this challenge, then I can really start serving the Lord. But the Church of Thessalonica teaches the opposite of that. It’s in the midst of that challenge that they’re making tremendous impact for the sake of the gospel. And so when you look at the Apostle Paul, he’s saying, look, don’t look at the afflictions as if this is a place that discouraged you in the Lord. But look at this as this beautiful opportunity to demonstrate to the world what matters to you more than anything. Is the Lord in the midst of that persecution? Don’t underestimate the power of God and the way that he can be made known. And I’m not ignorant to the fact that even some of us this morning in being here, there might be challenges to our own relationships, because we might have made a decision to follow after Jesus. And our friends and family are not fond of that. But don’t underestimate the beauty of what God can do in your life as you walk faithfully with him. And people see that. And so, Paul, he reminds us that a life surrendered to him. You’re you’re seeing a sacrifice for for care, for community.
And then let me give you point number two, because I’m getting here to the end. Number two, if your life is truly surrendered to Christ, here’s what you see. Your genuine prayer for community, not just care for community, but you also see a genuine prayer for community. And prayer is one of those beautiful gifts that we have to intimately connect people to God, right? And the Apostle Paul does this for the church, especially knowing that he’s away from them. He prays for them. And and I love this prayer in verse eight and nine. He says it like this for we live. If if for now we live. If you are standing fast in the Lord, for what thanksgiving can we return to God for you? For all the joy that we feel for your sake before our God. Let me stop and look at these next verses a minute, but I just want you to recognize this. Paul starts off this prayer he’s about to mention. He just starts in this place of thankfulness. Even in the midst of hardship, he’s starting this place of thankfulness because he’s recognizing that even in the challenges they’re facing, the beauty of God is being made known. His transforming work is being told in the hearts of people. And Paul loves that. And I could say it’s the same for us as a church and people.
We want to belong to something that makes a difference. We want to belong to something that’s life giving. I think that’s what the gospel is. I think that’s what we see here at Alpine Bible is again and again, people coming to know Jesus, a growing congregation making a difference in this world. And we could just stop with this heart of thankfulness and saying, God, how much we appreciate what you’re doing. Even in the challenges we might face as people. You don’t give up on us because you love us, you care about us. And we’re seeing that story being told over and over again. And so Paul is rejoicing in that. And in verse ten he says, as we pray most earnestly night and day, that we may see you face to face and supply what is lacking in your faith. Now may our God and Father himself and our Lord Jesus direct our way to to you. And so, Paul, he’s saying, because I’ve looked at the beauty of community. My heart is just to want to continue to invest in that. He’s praying in that way. And then verse 12 and 13, he says that that and may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, as we do for you, so that we may establish your hearts blameless and holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.
And so Paul is praying for the church and saying, and may you continue to increase in the beauty of that relationship with the Lord, that the depth of your own walk with Jesus would continue to flourish and grow, that you would succeed in community together and not only in community together. But notice he he’s not only praying for for all of the church here, but he says for all of the people he’s his prayer is literally not only not only with your own relationship with the Lord, really impact how you care for Jesus’s community, but also for the people beyond your community, in fact, the very people that are persecuting you. You know, only a heart transformed in Christ can really love in that way. You think that Jesus, even on the cross, said, father, forgive them, for they know not what they do. Jesus, our ultimate model, was one who continued to love us despite our sin, even when our sin drug him to the cross. And it’s the same for us that we have the opportunity to see transforming work happen in this world, not because of our violence against our enemies, but by the way we love him in Jesus name. So a heart surrendered to the Lord is is is one that’s sacrificial towards the sake of community, but also prayerful because we recognize man. I can’t love in this way. Let the power of God be made known in my life.
I desperately need him in order to be able to love this way. We desperately need him in order to be able to love this way. And it amplifies our need to pray because of it. You know, when you think about the church in Thessalonica. And I’ll close with this lady. But let me just say this before I tell you who this librarian is here. She’s not really a librarian, but she looks like a great librarian. So the apostle Paul and you think about the church in Thessalonica. Powerful church, powerful church. And Paul was just there for three weeks and in persecution made a tremendous impact. And if they’re able to do that, how much more? With our freedom today in Christ, should we be able to do that in the world? I mean, how can we do that? And can I can I just tell you it doesn’t take a bunch of celebrity Christians to do it? I mean, we look at the Church of Thessalonica, we found out one guy’s name there named Jason, and then really nobody else. But yet that church made a tremendous difference. Here we are, 21st century, still talking about the difference this church made. And we don’t know their names, but yeah, they’re able to make a powerful difference. How? Well, that’s why I bring up this lady. Because when you look at this lady, I can almost bet no one in this room has any idea who this is.
But her name is Henrietta mears. And Henrietta mears. She was from la, southern California. Which? Utah. Southern California. Part two, I think. Now, Henrietta mears grew up in LA, 1930s to 1950s. She was a Sunday school teacher for children, and she decided that she was going to devote her life to make an impact in her community, and she poured herself out into those children. Among the children that she ministered to in the 1930s to the 1950s was a man by the name of Bill bright, who started Campus Crusade for Christ, known as Cru. There was a man by the name of Jim Rayburn who started Young Life, and there was another young man known as Billy Graham. Those three individuals went on to lead movements that impacted millions for the cause of Christ. In fact, when you look at Henrietta mirrors, you realize I’m looking at a lady that was a catalyst for impacting young men. That would impact millions for the sake of the gospel. In fact, Billy Graham said this of Henrietta mears. He said, if I had to know, name one person, humanly speaking, who had the greatest impact on my life, it would be Henrietta mears. Hey, guys, you never know the way that the Lord is going to use your life, but a life completely sold out to him is a life the Lord loves to use.
And if you’d ask this lady years ago, did you think Jesus would do this? She might have said, you know, this seemed to be something unique in these particular individuals. Who knows? But regardless what those people went on to do or not, she just wanted to see the success of God’s people in her life faithfully given over to him. One of the things that just made me so thankful reading about this week is I looked at Henrietta mears because I recognized I came to know the Christ in college, and one of the ministries I immediately got plugged into was Campus Crusade for Christ. Learning what it meant to serve the Lord and walk with him. And as I learned about this lady this week, I thought, how incredible. Here’s a lady from the 1930s faithfully serving Jesus who impacted a life that would eventually impact my life. I mean, I’m from the East Coast, went to Marshall University when I came to know the Lord. And here’s a lady completely from the West Coast that Lord used to make some sort of impact on my life. Guys, when I think about the beauty of God’s people, the evidence of our life in Christ is made known through our willingness to sacrifice for the sake of others, especially Jesus’s church. That the beauty of Christ will be made known through us together.