1 00:00:00,000 –> 00:00:05,720 Will you please open your Bibles at 2 Thessalonians chapter 3. 2 00:00:05,720 –> 00:00:07,700 The title of our series is, as most of you know, 3 00:00:07,700 –> 00:00:11,600 Staying the Course When You Are Tired of the Battle. 4 00:00:11,600 –> 00:00:17,120 And the first chapter of this letter we’ve seen is about strength for staying the course. 5 00:00:17,120 –> 00:00:22,420 The second chapter, as we followed it through, has been about wisdom for discerning the battle. 6 00:00:22,420 –> 00:00:29,660 Today, we begin the third chapter, which is really all about priorities on the front lines. 7 00:00:29,660 –> 00:00:32,419 And the message today is really very simple. 8 00:00:32,419 –> 00:00:41,259 Whatever the pressures that we face in our lives, whatever difficulties the church may ever encounter, 9 00:00:41,259 –> 00:00:46,380 priority number one is the advance of the gospel. 10 00:00:46,380 –> 00:00:47,779 You see that in verse 1, 11 00:00:47,779 –> 00:01:03,439 finally brothers pray for us that the message of the Lord may spread rapidly and be honored just as it was with you. 12 00:01:03,439 –> 00:01:08,639 Remember these believers are under enormous pressure, suffering, persecution. 13 00:01:08,639 –> 00:01:12,879 And the apostle is writing to them in this final chapter and he’s saying 14 00:01:12,879 –> 00:01:25,919 Whatever happens whatever difficulties you’re facing priority one for the church is the advance of the gospel. 15 00:01:25,919 –> 00:01:37,959 Now you get a glimpse here into the wonderful bond of love that ties the apostle to these believers. 16 00:01:38,040 –> 00:01:43,639 They loved this man who had brought the gospel to them, had told them the Good News of Jesus 17 00:01:43,639 –> 00:01:53,379 Christ by which they had been saved and he loved them and he says pray for us. 18 00:01:53,379 –> 00:01:54,519 Now who’s the us? 19 00:01:54,519 –> 00:01:59,400 Well if you look back at chapter 1 and verse 1 the very beginning of the letter you’ll see 20 00:01:59,400 –> 00:02:00,639 who the us is right there. 21 00:02:00,639 –> 00:02:06,279 The us is Paul and it is Silas and it is Timothy. 22 00:02:06,400 –> 00:02:11,320 So what Paul is saying here in chapter 3 and verse 1 is simply this. 23 00:02:11,320 –> 00:02:15,000 Please pray for me and for my team. 24 00:02:15,000 –> 00:02:17,940 That’s what he’s saying. 25 00:02:17,940 –> 00:02:20,720 Now you say why pray for them? 26 00:02:20,720 –> 00:02:24,160 Is this Paul making much of himself? 27 00:02:24,160 –> 00:02:27,440 Is there some self-interest that’s creeping into play here? 28 00:02:27,440 –> 00:02:29,139 Absolutely not. 29 00:02:29,860 –> 00:02:32,100 Notice what he says. 30 00:02:32,100 –> 00:02:39,660 Pray for us that the message of the Lord may spread rapidly. 31 00:02:39,660 –> 00:02:46,000 So here are these men Paul and Silas and Timothy, and they have been called by God, and they 32 00:02:46,000 –> 00:02:51,639 have been recognized by the church, to give themselves full time to the work of ministry 33 00:02:51,639 –> 00:02:54,839 so that the gospel may spread how? 34 00:02:54,839 –> 00:02:56,259 Rapidly, not slowly. 35 00:02:56,259 –> 00:02:57,259 Rapidly. 36 00:02:58,139 –> 00:03:02,199 And, so here, very simply, there is a message. 37 00:03:02,199 –> 00:03:07,380 The message of the Lord verse 1, the word of the Lord, the gospel. 38 00:03:07,380 –> 00:03:13,660 And there are messengers, and the messengers in this case are Paul and Silas and Timothy. 39 00:03:13,660 –> 00:03:18,559 And the calling of these messengers is to give themselves fully to the work of the gospel 40 00:03:18,559 –> 00:03:21,639 so that the message may advance how? 41 00:03:21,639 –> 00:03:25,479 Quickly, not slowly. 42 00:03:25,500 –> 00:03:32,460 The word that is translated here by spread rapidly is literally the word for run, and 43 00:03:32,460 –> 00:03:33,899 I love that. 44 00:03:33,899 –> 00:03:36,860 So I’ll use that a little bit in the message today. 45 00:03:36,860 –> 00:03:46,960 What he’s saying is this, pray for us that the gospel may run, that it may move fast. 46 00:03:46,960 –> 00:03:49,679 Then he says something else. 47 00:03:49,759 –> 00:03:57,960 Pray for us that the message of the Lord may spread rapidly, that it may run and be honored. 48 00:03:57,960 –> 00:04:06,380 Now the gospel is honored when its power is evident in transformed lives. 49 00:04:06,380 –> 00:04:10,179 Listen to how James Denny puts this, he says it so well. 50 00:04:10,179 –> 00:04:16,279 A message from God, he says, that did nothing would not be honored. 51 00:04:16,279 –> 00:04:19,579 It would be discredited, it would be shamed. 52 00:04:19,579 –> 00:04:25,480 But it is the glory of the gospel to lay hold of men, to transfigure them, to transform 53 00:04:25,480 –> 00:04:31,480 them, to lift them out of evil and into the likeness of Jesus Christ. 54 00:04:31,480 –> 00:04:36,739 And then he says when the gospel brings the power of God to save those who receive it, 55 00:04:36,739 –> 00:04:39,320 it is clothed with glory. 56 00:04:39,320 –> 00:04:44,320 Is he what he’s saying, nobody would honor the gospel if it didn’t make any difference 57 00:04:44,320 –> 00:04:46,940 in people’s lives. 58 00:04:47,100 –> 00:04:50,040 And Paul is praying that the gospel will be honored. 59 00:04:50,059 –> 00:04:51,519 How is it honored? 60 00:04:51,519 –> 00:04:57,019 It is honored, it is lifted up when it is evident that it brings transformation in the 61 00:04:57,019 –> 00:05:01,579 lives of men and of women. 62 00:05:01,579 –> 00:05:07,299 And so when Paul says, pray for us that the message of the Lord may spread rapidly and 63 00:05:07,299 –> 00:05:12,540 that it may be honored, he is saying, pray that there will be many people who hear the 64 00:05:12,540 –> 00:05:16,299 gospel and that they will experience its power. 65 00:05:16,339 –> 00:05:23,480 Pray that the fruit of the gospel will be manifest through transformed lives. 66 00:05:23,480 –> 00:05:31,739 And then he adds this comment in verse 1, just as it was with you, just as it was with 67 00:05:31,739 –> 00:05:32,940 you. 68 00:05:32,940 –> 00:05:39,339 He’s appealing to them—he’s saying, now you have seen how the gospel transforms your 69 00:05:39,339 –> 00:05:41,260 own life. 70 00:05:41,260 –> 00:05:44,059 You’ve experienced this. 71 00:05:44,140 –> 00:05:50,739 Now I’m asking you to pray that the fruit of this ministry will be manifest in the same 72 00:05:50,739 –> 00:05:52,420 way in the lives of others. 73 00:05:52,420 –> 00:05:57,839 Pray, in other words, not only that the gospel will be proclaimed to all people, but pray 74 00:05:57,839 –> 00:06:05,760 that it will bear fruit in them just as it did in you. 75 00:06:05,760 –> 00:06:08,279 This is very simple. 76 00:06:08,279 –> 00:06:10,720 Let’s begin already to make some applications. 77 00:06:10,720 –> 00:06:12,720 Here’s the first. 78 00:06:13,179 –> 00:06:19,200 Pray that the gospel may spread rapidly and bear fruit. 79 00:06:19,200 –> 00:06:25,100 I want to ask that of you today to pray, you’ve got a prayer list. 80 00:06:25,100 –> 00:06:29,720 Write this down in your prayer list, build this into the request that you bring of the 81 00:06:29,720 –> 00:06:30,720 Lord. 82 00:06:30,720 –> 00:06:31,720 It’s a biblical prayer. 83 00:06:31,720 –> 00:06:37,140 Pray that the gospel may spread rapidly and bear fruit. 84 00:06:37,640 –> 00:06:43,220 Now folks, this is a wonderful text for us to embrace in our life and in our ministry 85 00:06:43,220 –> 00:06:44,799 here at The Orchard. 86 00:06:44,799 –> 00:06:47,119 This is who we are, isn’t it? 87 00:06:47,119 –> 00:06:53,920 We are people who want the gospel to run, and we want to see the gospel run in the greater 88 00:06:53,920 –> 00:06:58,040 Chicago area and around the world. 89 00:06:58,040 –> 00:07:03,600 We look out there in a day when many churches are declining, and many other churches have 90 00:07:03,600 –> 00:07:04,920 abandoned the gospel. 91 00:07:05,000 –> 00:07:07,920 You see that, you know that that is a reality. 92 00:07:08,980 –> 00:07:13,320 And in that day when that is happening in so many ways and in so many places, we want 93 00:07:13,320 –> 00:07:15,160 to see the gospel run. 94 00:07:15,160 –> 00:07:17,480 We want to see it spread rapidly. 95 00:07:17,480 –> 00:07:23,260 We don’t want to see it go slowly or incrementally, we want to see the gospel move and to see 96 00:07:23,260 –> 00:07:27,720 its fruit in the transformation of many lives. 97 00:07:29,179 –> 00:07:31,940 Pray for this, that’s what Paul’s saying. 98 00:07:32,920 –> 00:07:34,980 And he’s a great apostle. 99 00:07:34,980 –> 00:07:39,299 Think of his mighty prayers he’s saying to ordinary Christians like us, 100 00:07:40,179 –> 00:07:45,660 Please pray for this, please pray. 101 00:07:47,899 –> 00:07:51,700 Second, let’s learn this principle by way of application. 102 00:07:51,700 –> 00:07:57,339 We are learning here from the Bible, this important fact that the gospel spreads rapidly 103 00:07:57,339 –> 00:07:58,859 through people. 104 00:07:59,820 –> 00:08:02,899 The gospel spreads rapidly through people. 105 00:08:02,899 –> 00:08:07,899 Now notice this, it’s really a huge point, and once you see it, it will really help you. 106 00:08:07,899 –> 00:08:14,660 Pray for us, that the message of the Lord may spread rapidly and be honored. 107 00:08:14,660 –> 00:08:15,739 Notice the combination. 108 00:08:15,739 –> 00:08:19,459 That’s really the key point for us to grasp today. 109 00:08:19,459 –> 00:08:23,220 It is not just pray for us. 110 00:08:23,220 –> 00:08:28,339 It is not just pray that the gospel will spread rapidly. 111 00:08:28,339 –> 00:08:32,179 The key to understanding this text is the combination, the conjunction of these two 112 00:08:32,179 –> 00:08:33,179 things. 113 00:08:33,179 –> 00:08:38,539 It is pray for us, that the gospel may run. 114 00:08:38,539 –> 00:08:44,359 In other words, the message is of no value to people without messengers to bring it. 115 00:08:44,359 –> 00:08:47,739 Which is the whole point of course of Romans 10, isn’t it? 116 00:08:47,739 –> 00:08:52,219 How can they hear without someone preaching to them? 117 00:08:52,219 –> 00:08:57,940 And how can they preach unless they are sent? 118 00:08:58,039 –> 00:09:04,320 So the key point here, and it is very clear, is that the gospel spreads through people. 119 00:09:04,320 –> 00:09:10,479 It advances rapidly through people who are called by God and recognized by the church 120 00:09:10,479 –> 00:09:12,960 to lead this work. 121 00:09:12,960 –> 00:09:17,659 That is why Paul asks for prayer for himself and for his team, why? 122 00:09:17,659 –> 00:09:25,719 So that the gospel may move forward with speed because this is how it happens. 123 00:09:26,440 –> 00:09:31,580 Now I want to make a third application at this point, and it is particularly an application 124 00:09:31,580 –> 00:09:40,739 for all of us who are privileged to serve as pastors or as missionaries or all of us 125 00:09:40,739 –> 00:09:48,000 who have the privilege of working vocationally in some Christian ministry. 126 00:09:48,000 –> 00:09:54,840 Because it seems to me here that we have a reality check for all of us who have the great 127 00:09:54,960 –> 00:09:59,419 privilege of serving in vocational ministry. 128 00:09:59,419 –> 00:10:07,000 In fact, I want to suggest that this verse yields a definition of vocational ministry. 129 00:10:07,000 –> 00:10:10,039 I found this helpful just to ponder. 130 00:10:10,039 –> 00:10:15,700 If you take what is said in this verse, I would derive from it this definition that 131 00:10:15,700 –> 00:10:23,159 a pastor or a missionary, a person in any full time form of Christian vocation, is a 132 00:10:23,219 –> 00:10:29,580 person called by God and recognized by the church to give their life so that the gospel 133 00:10:29,580 –> 00:10:31,460 may run. 134 00:10:31,460 –> 00:10:35,559 You see how I get that definition from this text? 135 00:10:35,559 –> 00:10:41,400 For all of us who have the great privilege of serving as pastors or missionaries, understand 136 00:10:41,400 –> 00:10:42,400 this. 137 00:10:42,400 –> 00:10:46,559 Our calling, your calling, whatever part you have into the big picture, here is what you 138 00:10:46,559 –> 00:10:47,559 are called to do. 139 00:10:47,559 –> 00:10:48,799 Here is why you have that privilege. 140 00:10:48,799 –> 00:10:52,080 Here is why I have that privilege. 141 00:10:52,080 –> 00:10:59,320 Your calling is to live so that the gospel may run, that the Word of God may spread rapidly 142 00:10:59,320 –> 00:11:04,200 and bear fruit in transformed lives in our lifetime. 143 00:11:04,200 –> 00:11:07,719 Just Paul says as it did with you. 144 00:11:07,719 –> 00:11:13,799 So this has been good for me again, a reality check as one who is so privileged as many 145 00:11:13,799 –> 00:11:20,219 others listening to this message today are, to serve in vocational ministry, to ask this 146 00:11:20,219 –> 00:11:21,219 question. 147 00:11:21,320 –> 00:11:26,039 How am I living today in such a way that the gospel will run? 148 00:11:26,039 –> 00:11:33,119 And there is, is there anything about me that is in any way hindering that rapid progress 149 00:11:33,119 –> 00:11:36,320 of the gospel? 150 00:11:36,320 –> 00:11:43,520 Every time I go into a meeting, every time I write a sermon, every time I sit down to 151 00:11:43,520 –> 00:11:49,619 deal with some difficulty, I need to be clear that all of this is for one purpose that the 152 00:11:49,619 –> 00:11:51,020 gospel may run. 153 00:11:51,260 –> 00:11:53,599 Nothing else. 154 00:11:53,599 –> 00:11:59,020 And if I no longer see that I have lost touch with my calling. 155 00:11:59,020 –> 00:12:07,520 Now let me make another application to all of us, whether in vocational ministry or not. 156 00:12:07,520 –> 00:12:10,979 Every one of us and it’s this. 157 00:12:10,979 –> 00:12:18,940 Pray for those who are called by God and trusted by the church with the privilege and with 158 00:12:18,940 –> 00:12:21,500 the responsibility of proclaiming the gospel. 159 00:12:21,500 –> 00:12:26,979 That’s what Paul’s asking for here, and so I ask this of you. 160 00:12:26,979 –> 00:12:31,299 Pray for those who are called by God and those who are trusted by the church with the great 161 00:12:31,299 –> 00:12:35,539 privilege and the tremendous responsibility of proclaiming the gospel. 162 00:12:35,539 –> 00:12:46,219 In other words, I’m saying pray for our pastors, pray for our missionaries, pray for us, that 163 00:12:46,239 –> 00:12:50,400 the message of the Lord may spread rapidly. 164 00:12:50,400 –> 00:12:52,500 There’s a strategy here. 165 00:12:52,500 –> 00:12:58,539 For everyone who has the gospel in their heart, if you want to see the gospel spread, not 166 00:12:58,539 –> 00:13:04,599 slowly, but rapidly, if that is in your heart, here’s what you should do. 167 00:13:04,599 –> 00:13:08,640 Pray for those who have been called by God and have been recognized by the church to 168 00:13:08,640 –> 00:13:09,919 lead that advance. 169 00:13:09,919 –> 00:13:11,580 It’s strategic. 170 00:13:11,580 –> 00:13:15,219 You never get anywhere without it. 171 00:13:15,219 –> 00:13:22,320 So I simply say to you today, our pastors need your prayers. 172 00:13:22,320 –> 00:13:26,840 Our missionaries need your prayers. 173 00:13:26,840 –> 00:13:31,460 I need your prayers. 174 00:13:31,460 –> 00:13:37,020 There’s one more thing that I want us to see here. 175 00:13:37,020 –> 00:13:41,679 You see that Paul asks something of these people as I’ve asked something of you, pray 176 00:13:41,679 –> 00:13:44,320 for us. 177 00:13:44,320 –> 00:13:50,260 I want you to notice in these last few minutes here that the relationship is not a one-way 178 00:13:50,260 –> 00:13:52,539 street. 179 00:13:52,539 –> 00:13:54,979 It never is. 180 00:13:54,979 –> 00:14:02,219 On either side of Paul asking these people to pray for him we see that he is praying 181 00:14:02,219 –> 00:14:04,419 for them. 182 00:14:04,419 –> 00:14:06,659 I want you to see how beautiful this is. 183 00:14:06,659 –> 00:14:08,820 Last week we looked at Chapter 2 in Verse 16. 184 00:14:08,820 –> 00:14:13,859 Do you remember these words, Paul’s praying for the people just before he makes this request. 185 00:14:14,200 –> 00:14:19,179 As I’ve been praying before making this request today. 186 00:14:19,179 –> 00:14:25,140 He prays like this, may the Lord Jesus Christ himself encourage your hearts and strengthen 187 00:14:25,140 –> 00:14:27,380 you in every good deed and word. 188 00:14:27,380 –> 00:14:30,219 This is the man who has brought the gospel to these people. 189 00:14:30,219 –> 00:14:36,140 Their eternity has been transformed by his ministry and he’s praying for them. 190 00:14:36,140 –> 00:14:40,359 Wonderful, beautiful. 191 00:14:40,979 –> 00:14:45,659 We look at the verse that follows the passage that we’ve just looked at chapter three and 192 00:14:45,679 –> 00:14:48,640 verse five and he’s back to praying for them again. 193 00:14:48,640 –> 00:14:49,900 Look at its prayer. 194 00:14:49,900 –> 00:14:54,559 May the Lord direct your hearts into God’s love. 195 00:14:54,559 –> 00:14:59,719 I’m praying for you to experience God’s love and I’m praying for you to experience Christ’s 196 00:14:59,719 –> 00:15:03,239 perseverance. 197 00:15:03,239 –> 00:15:08,640 You see that the love that Paul has for these people, it’s written all over these verses. 198 00:15:08,760 –> 00:15:15,140 There is absolutely nothing professional or contractual about his relationship with this 199 00:15:15,140 –> 00:15:25,599 congregation, he loves them and his request for prayer from them is sandwiched between 200 00:15:25,599 –> 00:15:29,820 the outpouring of his own heart in prayer for them. 201 00:15:29,820 –> 00:15:32,599 It’s beautiful. 202 00:15:32,599 –> 00:15:34,280 Don’t undervalue this friends. 203 00:15:34,299 –> 00:15:42,960 It is a wonderful thing to have godly pastors who pray for you, it’s a wonderful thing. 204 00:15:42,960 –> 00:15:47,320 One of our pastors came to tell me this week about a dearly loved member of our church 205 00:15:47,320 –> 00:15:56,559 who went to be with the Lord just a few days ago and I was touched by the news that he 206 00:15:56,559 –> 00:16:03,239 brought me and I was struck by something else. 207 00:16:03,239 –> 00:16:10,940 The tears running down the pastor’s face as he told me the news. 208 00:16:10,940 –> 00:16:13,000 That is how it was with Paul. 209 00:16:13,000 –> 00:16:19,119 He asks for prayer for himself and for his team so that the gospel may advance and at 210 00:16:19,119 –> 00:16:27,400 the same time his own mind and his own heart are pledged to these people. 211 00:16:27,400 –> 00:16:30,200 Did you notice how he turns from us to you by the way? 212 00:16:30,200 –> 00:16:32,520 Look at it, it is beautiful. 213 00:16:32,520 –> 00:16:38,979 Pray for us that the message of the Lord may spread rapidly verse 1, and pray that we may 214 00:16:38,979 –> 00:16:45,640 be delivered from wicked and evil men verse 2, but the Lord is faithful and he will strengthen 215 00:16:45,640 –> 00:16:49,599 and protect you from the evil one verse 3. 216 00:16:49,599 –> 00:16:57,179 And we have confidence in the Lord that you are doing, and will continue to do the things 217 00:16:57,179 –> 00:16:59,119 that we command. 218 00:16:59,960 –> 00:17:02,960 So let me end on this wonderful note today. 219 00:17:02,960 –> 00:17:09,000 Do you see these beautiful six words in verse 4? 220 00:17:09,000 –> 00:17:14,079 We have confidence in the Lord. 221 00:17:14,079 –> 00:17:15,520 Say it with me, will you? 222 00:17:15,520 –> 00:17:19,500 We have confidence in the Lord! 223 00:17:19,500 –> 00:17:21,040 What a beautiful statement. 224 00:17:21,040 –> 00:17:25,859 I cannot tell you how much that has helped me this week, and this is the word that I 225 00:17:26,780 –> 00:17:30,880 today, whatever you are facing. 226 00:17:30,880 –> 00:17:36,420 And the reason that we can have confidence in the Lord, verse 4, is stated for us there 227 00:17:36,420 –> 00:17:39,199 in verse 3, and it’s in these four words. 228 00:17:39,199 –> 00:17:42,739 The Lord is faithful. 229 00:17:42,739 –> 00:17:45,619 That’s why we have confidence in Him. 230 00:17:45,619 –> 00:17:47,839 John Stott says beautifully and simply, 231 00:17:47,839 –> 00:17:51,239 God will not allow either His word or His 232 00:17:51,239 –> 00:17:54,719 church to fail. 233 00:17:54,719 –> 00:17:56,640 The Lord is faithful to His people. 234 00:17:56,640 –> 00:17:58,219 He’s faithful to His church. 235 00:17:58,219 –> 00:18:04,880 And that is why Paul says, we have confidence in the Lord that you are doing and will do, 236 00:18:04,880 –> 00:18:07,099 continue to do what we command. 237 00:18:07,099 –> 00:18:15,439 He knows that God is at work in these dearly loved people, and He knows that God’s faithfulness 238 00:18:15,439 –> 00:18:20,359 is seen not only in what he does through His word, but God’s faithfulness is seen in what 239 00:18:20,359 –> 00:18:23,119 he does through his people. 240 00:18:23,880 –> 00:18:33,420 Friends, the bond of love between faithful pastors and a faithful congregation is a beautiful 241 00:18:33,420 –> 00:18:35,400 thing. 242 00:18:35,400 –> 00:18:46,060 The partnership between pastors and missionaries, called, sent, and people so that the gospel 243 00:18:46,060 –> 00:18:52,979 may run and be honored—a beautiful thing, it’s a beautiful thing. 244 00:18:53,140 –> 00:19:02,959 Let me ask you, then, has the gospel born fruit in your life? 245 00:19:02,959 –> 00:19:07,660 That has brought you to the place where you are driven by a passion to see the gospel 246 00:19:07,660 –> 00:19:10,680 run and bear fruit in the lives of others? 247 00:19:10,680 –> 00:19:16,000 Does that pulsate in your heart? 248 00:19:16,000 –> 00:19:21,280 Have you felt the wonder of the redeeming love of Jesus Christ in your own soul to the 249 00:19:21,280 –> 00:19:27,939 extent that you would feel that it is worth great sacrifice to bring this love to others? 250 00:19:27,939 –> 00:19:39,180 Has the grace of God become so amazing to you that your heart burns to see the gospel 251 00:19:39,180 –> 00:19:46,780 not walk but run, not spread slowly but rapidly, and do it in your lifetime? 252 00:19:46,780 –> 00:19:54,160 I pray that God would light that flame in every one of our hearts, for the sake of Jesus 253 00:19:54,160 –> 00:19:57,380 and for the advance of the gospel. 254 00:19:57,380 –> 00:20:02,079 Let’s bow in prayer together, shall we? 255 00:20:02,079 –> 00:20:18,959 Pray for us that the gospel may spread rapidly and be honored just as it was with you. 256 00:20:18,959 –> 00:20:26,479 God is faithful and we have confidence in the Lord.