1 00:00:00,000 –> 00:00:05,720 I want to please open your Bibles at 1 Thessalonians in Chapter 3. 2 00:00:05,720 –> 00:00:12,180 The great theme of this letter is urgency and my prayer as we come to this series is 3 00:00:12,180 –> 00:00:17,139 that the Lord would renew and increase our sense of urgency with regards to the work 4 00:00:17,139 –> 00:00:20,500 of the gospel in these days. 5 00:00:20,500 –> 00:00:29,280 It is so easy to get into a routine of good intentions, that I intend to be a better Christian 6 00:00:29,820 –> 00:00:36,820 one day, that I’m going to get right with God one day, that we plan to be a more enterprising 7 00:00:38,400 –> 00:00:44,880 church in the cause of the gospel one day and somehow the day does not come. 8 00:00:44,880 –> 00:00:50,720 This letter of Paul to the Thessalonians reminds us right throughout of the urgency of the 9 00:00:50,720 –> 00:00:52,439 days in which we live. 10 00:00:52,439 –> 00:00:56,279 Our lives are passing, that is always true. 11 00:00:56,299 –> 00:01:02,220 The coming of the Lord Jesus Christ is drawing near, always true. 12 00:01:02,220 –> 00:01:11,519 And around us there really are millions of people, some of whom have comfortable lives, 13 00:01:11,519 –> 00:01:16,639 some of whom have broken lives, but millions of people whether comfortable or broken who 14 00:01:16,639 –> 00:01:20,260 do not know the Son of God. 15 00:01:20,260 –> 00:01:26,540 And the Bible says in John’s Letter that if you have the Son of God you have life and 16 00:01:26,540 –> 00:01:30,080 if you don’t have the Son of God you don’t have life. 17 00:01:30,080 –> 00:01:34,339 Whether you’re comfortable or broken doesn’t in that sense make that much difference. 18 00:01:34,339 –> 00:01:41,059 Ultimately, if you do not have the Son of God, you do not have life. 19 00:01:41,059 –> 00:01:44,180 That’s what the Bible says to us. 20 00:01:44,180 –> 00:01:49,220 And so we’re looking at the urgency of ministry in terms of our own lives, in terms of the 21 00:01:49,260 –> 00:01:53,320 coming of the Lord, in terms of the needs of those around us, and we’ve been seeing 22 00:01:53,320 –> 00:01:55,980 from this letter the urgency of multiplying ministry. 23 00:01:55,980 –> 00:02:02,980 What a marvelous thing it was that God’s authentic work among these people in Thessalonica 24 00:02:03,459 –> 00:02:08,080 became a kind of model, a template that was multiplied in other churches. 25 00:02:08,080 –> 00:02:13,740 What God was doing in one place was reproduced in other places. 26 00:02:14,139 –> 00:02:19,339 Their faith, which was such a remarkable work of God, was being spoken about indeed all 27 00:02:19,339 –> 00:02:20,059 over the world. 28 00:02:20,059 –> 00:02:25,240 It had become known, chapter 1 and verse 8. 29 00:02:25,240 –> 00:02:29,220 We’ve seen together that an authentic work of God can never be contained in one place. 30 00:02:29,220 –> 00:02:34,699 It will always spill over. 31 00:02:34,699 –> 00:02:39,059 As we’ve thought about that, and as we’ve begun to ask the question, Lord, what will 32 00:02:39,059 –> 00:02:40,820 that then demand of us? 33 00:02:40,820 –> 00:02:42,860 We’ve seen the answer in two ways. 34 00:02:42,940 –> 00:02:49,800 First, that we would need to overcome the natural impulse in all human beings for comfort. 35 00:02:49,800 –> 00:02:53,399 And second, that we would need to overcome the natural impulse that resides within us 36 00:02:53,399 –> 00:02:56,779 all for the approval of other people. 37 00:02:56,779 –> 00:02:59,820 We saw that in chapter 2 last week. 38 00:02:59,820 –> 00:03:06,500 The Gospel will not travel far on the shoulders of Christians who are motivated by their own 39 00:03:06,500 –> 00:03:07,500 comfort. 40 00:03:07,500 –> 00:03:12,619 If it’s all about me, the Gospel will not travel far through me. 41 00:03:12,619 –> 00:03:18,300 If it’s all about us, the Gospel will not travel far through us. 42 00:03:18,300 –> 00:03:23,679 And again, we saw directly from the teaching of Jesus in John’s Gospel that if we have 43 00:03:23,679 –> 00:03:30,820 given way to this impulse to always seek the approval of other people, then we really will 44 00:03:30,820 –> 00:03:32,300 never be people of faith. 45 00:03:32,300 –> 00:03:38,679 How can you believe if you are always accepting praise from one another, Jesus said, and never 46 00:03:38,679 –> 00:03:42,479 really seeking the praise that comes from the only God. 47 00:03:42,639 –> 00:03:47,320 And so where we got to last week was to see that we individually and together desperately 48 00:03:47,320 –> 00:03:58,279 need the power of the Holy Spirit to overcome these strong currents that move us in the 49 00:03:58,279 –> 00:04:02,660 direction of our own comfort and the approval of others, so that the work of the Gospel 50 00:04:02,660 –> 00:04:08,360 may advance on our shoulders by the grace of God in our time. 51 00:04:08,919 –> 00:04:16,019 Now, having got to that point at the end of chapter 2, I am kind of left with a question. 52 00:04:16,019 –> 00:04:18,000 How can this happen? 53 00:04:19,339 –> 00:04:26,799 And, really in this culture, of all cultures, is it possible for a Christian to really love 54 00:04:26,799 –> 00:04:34,720 Christ more than self in a culture that pampers self and promotes self and reinforces self 55 00:04:34,720 –> 00:04:37,140 all the time? 56 00:04:38,459 –> 00:04:46,380 And it’s hard and if it’s hard for one Christian, how hard is it for a whole church? 57 00:04:48,519 –> 00:04:54,880 And you ask the question, is it possible to move beyond comfort and approval, for a church 58 00:04:54,880 –> 00:05:00,640 to be the means by which the Gospel really moves forward, so that other lives are touched 59 00:05:00,640 –> 00:05:06,660 and changed in our own lifetime and where God has set us and, indeed, far beyond around 60 00:05:06,660 –> 00:05:07,660 the World? 61 00:05:07,739 –> 00:05:09,839 Really possible! 62 00:05:09,839 –> 00:05:14,200 And the reason that we’ve got Thessalonians open in front of us is that this church in 63 00:05:14,200 –> 00:05:20,299 Thessalonica demonstrates that it is possible, because this was precisely what was happening 64 00:05:20,299 –> 00:05:24,540 among this group of God’s people. 65 00:05:24,540 –> 00:05:29,540 How can we rise, how did they rise, above the instinctive desire for comfort and approval 66 00:05:29,540 –> 00:05:35,500 to fulfill the calling and commission of faithful disciples of Jesus Christ? 67 00:05:35,540 –> 00:05:39,739 Well, the answer to that question is really in just one word and it runs all the way through 68 00:05:39,739 –> 00:05:42,260 chapter three. 69 00:05:42,260 –> 00:05:45,380 How can we rise to this? 70 00:05:45,380 –> 00:05:51,359 FAITH, FAITH, by FAITH. 71 00:05:51,359 –> 00:05:53,980 That’s chapter three of First Thessalonians. 72 00:05:53,980 –> 00:05:58,660 Now, look at how Paul speaks about faith, not one time, two times, three times, but 73 00:05:58,660 –> 00:06:02,859 five times in this one short chapter. 74 00:06:02,859 –> 00:06:07,279 Please follow me through the chapter, seeing how this is its central emphasis. 75 00:06:07,279 –> 00:06:08,279 Verse two. 76 00:06:08,279 –> 00:06:12,899 We sent Timothy, who is our Brother in God’s fellow worker in spreading the gospel of Christ, 77 00:06:12,899 –> 00:06:14,359 Why did we send him? 78 00:06:14,359 –> 00:06:19,079 To strengthen and encourage you in your faith. 79 00:06:19,079 –> 00:06:20,899 Verse three. 80 00:06:20,899 –> 00:06:26,700 For this reason, when I could stand it no longer, I sent to find out about what your 81 00:06:26,700 –> 00:06:30,420 let’s hear it aloud, faith okay let’s follow it together. 82 00:06:30,420 –> 00:06:31,420 Verse six. 83 00:06:31,420 –> 00:06:36,100 Well Timothy has just now come to us from you and has brought us good news about your 84 00:06:36,100 –> 00:06:37,100 faith. 85 00:06:37,100 –> 00:06:38,500 Verse seven. 86 00:06:38,500 –> 00:06:43,119 Therefore brothers, in all our distress and persecution, we were encouraged about you 87 00:06:43,119 –> 00:06:45,440 because of your faith. 88 00:06:45,440 –> 00:06:50,519 And verse 10 finally, night and day, we pray most earnestly that we may see you again and 89 00:06:50,519 –> 00:06:54,380 supply what is lacking in your faith. 90 00:06:54,380 –> 00:06:56,459 So we’re gonna look at faith this morning together. 91 00:06:56,459 –> 00:06:58,859 We’re going to look at it from three angles. 92 00:06:59,820 –> 00:07:02,100 First, faith under fire. 93 00:07:02,100 –> 00:07:05,040 That’s verses one to five. 94 00:07:05,040 –> 00:07:07,980 Second, faith standing firm. 95 00:07:07,980 –> 00:07:14,420 That’s verses six to nine, and thirdly, faith growing strong, and that will be verses 10 96 00:07:14,420 –> 00:07:15,420 to 13. 97 00:07:15,420 –> 00:07:20,380 First then, faith under fire, verses two to five. 98 00:07:20,380 –> 00:07:23,720 Now here’s the simple principle. 99 00:07:23,779 –> 00:07:29,760 As a Christian believer, your faith will always be under fire. 100 00:07:29,760 –> 00:07:37,859 Are you a stay at home mom, high school student, businessman, retired? 101 00:07:39,440 –> 00:07:45,880 If you are a Christian believer, your faith will always be under fire. 102 00:07:45,880 –> 00:07:50,519 It is always being pounded, and it will be pounded in two particular ways. 103 00:07:50,779 –> 00:07:56,299 First, your faith will be pounded through particular trials that will come in your life. 104 00:07:56,299 –> 00:07:57,299 That’s verse two. 105 00:07:57,299 –> 00:08:01,679 We sent Timothy to strengthen and encourage you in your faith, so that no one would be 106 00:08:01,679 –> 00:08:04,579 unsettled by these trials. 107 00:08:04,579 –> 00:08:11,320 There will come circumstances in your life, where you feel unbearably crushed. 108 00:08:11,320 –> 00:08:15,600 That’s a phrase that Paul used to describe his trials. 109 00:08:15,679 –> 00:08:20,640 And the pressure on you will put your faith under fire. 110 00:08:20,640 –> 00:08:27,220 Secondly, you will be under fire as a Christian believer from the tempter, and that’s verse 111 00:08:27,220 –> 00:08:28,220 five. 112 00:08:28,220 –> 00:08:31,799 For this reason, when I could stand it no longer, I sent to find out about your faith. 113 00:08:31,799 –> 00:08:37,320 I was afraid that in some way, the tempter might have tempted you, and our efforts might 114 00:08:37,320 –> 00:08:40,500 have been useless. 115 00:08:40,500 –> 00:08:43,780 So Christian faith is always under fire. 116 00:08:43,799 –> 00:08:48,979 From two directions, first from the trials that will come from time to time within your 117 00:08:48,979 –> 00:08:53,960 life, and sometimes with great intensity, and second from the work of the tempter who 118 00:08:53,960 –> 00:08:58,080 will never be far away during these particular times. 119 00:09:00,080 –> 00:09:03,979 One of the things that is so striking about this chapter in Thessalonians, indeed the 120 00:09:03,979 –> 00:09:11,700 whole letter, is just the deep bond of love that Paul has with these Christians, who are 121 00:09:11,960 –> 00:09:14,960 fire through the trials and through the tempter. 122 00:09:14,960 –> 00:09:19,099 It’s amazing that just a few months before, he didn’t know a single soul in this town 123 00:09:19,099 –> 00:09:21,080 of Thessalonica. 124 00:09:21,080 –> 00:09:26,200 But it’s amazing how quickly when you get involved in ministry together, the gospel 125 00:09:26,200 –> 00:09:32,059 binds the hearts of people together as one, and you get the intensity of that with Paul 126 00:09:32,059 –> 00:09:37,140 saying, you know, he’s looking for news and he says, without news of how it’s going 127 00:09:37,140 –> 00:09:39,059 to go, I could hardly stand it. 128 00:09:39,059 –> 00:09:43,539 Indeed when I could stand it no longer, I sent Timothy. 129 00:09:43,539 –> 00:09:49,700 And out of this great bond of love that Paul has for these Christians, he gives us a wonderful 130 00:09:49,700 –> 00:09:58,359 model of how to minister to a person whose faith is under fire. 131 00:09:58,359 –> 00:10:00,599 Now this is something for all of us. 132 00:10:00,599 –> 00:10:05,840 I want you to take a moment to think about someone you know who is going through great 133 00:10:06,260 –> 00:10:09,359 trials right now. 134 00:10:09,359 –> 00:10:16,359 Someone you know who may be facing great struggles, great temptations right now. 135 00:10:18,559 –> 00:10:23,299 And because you know them, God has put you in their life, the question is how are you 136 00:10:23,299 –> 00:10:24,739 going to minister to them? 137 00:10:24,739 –> 00:10:27,700 How are you going to strengthen them and encourage them? 138 00:10:27,700 –> 00:10:33,280 Well, that’s what Paul was doing for the Thessalonians and he gives us a wonderful model of how we 139 00:10:33,400 –> 00:10:37,700 should go about strengthening others whose faith is under fire. 140 00:10:37,700 –> 00:10:40,340 Three things Paul did. 141 00:10:40,340 –> 00:10:44,880 First, the ministry of presence. 142 00:10:44,880 –> 00:10:46,559 Going there. 143 00:10:46,559 –> 00:10:48,619 Being there. 144 00:10:48,619 –> 00:10:54,080 Physically sitting down with a person whose faith is under fire, the ministry of presence. 145 00:10:54,080 –> 00:11:00,880 Now, if you look at chapter 2 and verse 18, Paul tells us that he personally, he was in 146 00:11:01,000 –> 00:11:06,659 Corinth when he wrote this, he would have loved to have personally gone and been there 147 00:11:06,659 –> 00:11:08,440 with the Thessalonians. 148 00:11:08,440 –> 00:11:15,099 Chapter 2 and verse 18 he says, we wanted to come to you, certainly I Paul did again 149 00:11:15,099 –> 00:11:19,580 and again but Satan stopped us. 150 00:11:19,580 –> 00:11:23,400 Isn’t that a remarkable phrase? 151 00:11:23,400 –> 00:11:27,359 We don’t know precisely what he meant by that. 152 00:11:27,640 –> 00:11:36,059 But clearly something Satan did while Paul was in Corinth meant that he was tied up with 153 00:11:36,059 –> 00:11:39,559 dealing with the consequences of whatever that was. 154 00:11:39,559 –> 00:11:44,719 It may have been that there was a plot on Paul’s life making it impossible for him to 155 00:11:44,719 –> 00:11:46,900 travel, that’s the sort of thing Satan would do. 156 00:11:46,900 –> 00:11:52,739 Or it may have been, and I think this is more likely, some sin or scandal at Corinth that 157 00:11:52,739 –> 00:12:00,419 required Paul’s full attention, and he was just engrossed in dealing with something that 158 00:12:00,419 –> 00:12:05,239 wouldn’t have been like that if it wasn’t for the work of Satan, and all his energy 159 00:12:05,239 –> 00:12:06,380 is tied up in that. 160 00:12:06,380 –> 00:12:09,880 He just can’t get away to be with the Thessalonians at this time. 161 00:12:09,880 –> 00:12:10,940 He would have loved to. 162 00:12:10,940 –> 00:12:11,940 So what does he do? 163 00:12:11,940 –> 00:12:17,419 He can’t be there himself, he makes sure someone else is there in his place. 164 00:12:17,419 –> 00:12:22,440 He sends Timothy to find out about their faith. 165 00:12:22,619 –> 00:12:23,840 Verse one and two. 166 00:12:23,840 –> 00:12:29,979 When we could stand it no longer we sent Timothy, our fellow worker in spreading the gospel 167 00:12:29,979 –> 00:12:36,739 to encourage you in your faith so that no one would be unsettled by these trials. 168 00:12:36,739 –> 00:12:42,659 Now, the ministry of presence, go. 169 00:12:42,659 –> 00:12:48,260 And if you personally can’t go, make sure someone else goes. 170 00:12:48,260 –> 00:12:50,320 Someone’s gotta go. 171 00:12:50,380 –> 00:12:56,500 Be with the person whose faith is under fire. 172 00:12:56,520 –> 00:13:00,159 And when you go, when you bring that ministry of presence, you sit down with them, you’re 173 00:13:00,159 –> 00:13:06,039 sitting down over breakfast, you’re sitting down in their home and you’re there, ask about 174 00:13:06,039 –> 00:13:07,039 their faith. 175 00:13:07,039 –> 00:13:11,640 That’s what Timothy did in verse five, you see, to find out about their faith. 176 00:13:11,640 –> 00:13:15,520 So what that means is that Timothy doesn’t just talk about the various problems that 177 00:13:15,520 –> 00:13:17,559 are going on in their lives. 178 00:13:17,880 –> 00:13:22,359 Timothy, as it were, over breakfast and in conversation with these folks is saying now 179 00:13:22,359 –> 00:13:27,020 with all this that is happening, how is it affecting your faith? 180 00:13:27,020 –> 00:13:30,820 How is it affecting your ability to pray? 181 00:13:30,820 –> 00:13:34,559 Where is your mind going as you’re traveling through these circumstances? 182 00:13:34,559 –> 00:13:37,739 What are the great questions that are occurring to you? 183 00:13:37,739 –> 00:13:41,200 Let’s talk about that together. 184 00:13:41,200 –> 00:13:45,140 He went to find out about their faith. 185 00:13:45,140 –> 00:13:54,380 We need to practice a godly vigilance for the spiritual good of others. 186 00:13:54,380 –> 00:13:56,799 How is your faith? 187 00:13:56,799 –> 00:13:59,640 How is your love for Christ? 188 00:13:59,640 –> 00:14:02,039 How can we pray? 189 00:14:02,039 –> 00:14:06,299 What is the biggest thing that we should be asking God for at this time? 190 00:14:06,299 –> 00:14:11,219 The ministry of presence to a person whose faith is under fire. 191 00:14:11,460 –> 00:14:14,679 Secondly, there’s a ministry of the Word. 192 00:14:14,679 –> 00:14:19,760 See, Paul not only sent Timothy, but he also wrote this letter. 193 00:14:19,760 –> 00:14:22,739 Now, Paul wrote many letters. 194 00:14:22,739 –> 00:14:26,159 Some of them were ordinary letters, and they’re not in the New Testament. 195 00:14:26,159 –> 00:14:28,859 They’re forgotten. 196 00:14:28,859 –> 00:14:33,039 But the ones that are in the New Testament are there because they are not ordinary letters. 197 00:14:33,039 –> 00:14:39,659 They were written under the special inspiration of the Holy Spirit, and are indeed the very 198 00:14:40,140 –> 00:14:43,200 scriptures of God. 199 00:14:43,200 –> 00:14:48,960 And Paul not only sent Timothy, he wrote this letter under the inspiration of the Spirit, 200 00:14:48,960 –> 00:14:52,200 and that’s why we have this letter open in front of us today. 201 00:14:52,200 –> 00:14:57,280 Now, when we have friends under fire, we can’t write more scripture for them. 202 00:14:57,280 –> 00:15:03,320 But what we can do is we can bring the scripture that we have been given, that God has given 203 00:15:03,320 –> 00:15:06,159 through the apostles, and we can bring it to bear in their lives. 204 00:15:06,159 –> 00:15:09,059 You go and visit someone in the hospital? 205 00:15:09,280 –> 00:15:14,299 Think of some verses that you have read recently that seem appropriate to their situation. 206 00:15:14,299 –> 00:15:19,020 Take a Bible in your pocket, read a couple of verses and pray with them. 207 00:15:19,020 –> 00:15:26,700 If you’re ministering someone whose faith is under fire, and you bring the ministry 208 00:15:26,700 –> 00:15:31,000 of presence, you can bring a ministry of the Word. 209 00:15:31,000 –> 00:15:33,159 Thirdly, a ministry of prayer. 210 00:15:33,159 –> 00:15:34,159 Verse ten. 211 00:15:34,159 –> 00:15:39,580 Night and day we pray most earnestly that we may see you again and supply what is lacking 212 00:15:39,580 –> 00:15:40,580 in your faith. 213 00:15:40,580 –> 00:15:44,140 Night and day, we pray for you, Paul says. 214 00:15:44,140 –> 00:15:50,200 Now it’s a wonderful thing when you’re really going through it and someone says, 215 00:15:50,200 –> 00:15:52,900 I just want you to know I’m praying for you. 216 00:15:52,900 –> 00:15:58,780 I want you to know you’re in my mind, you’re in my heart, and I’m lifting you up before 217 00:15:58,780 –> 00:16:00,940 the Lord. 218 00:16:01,179 –> 00:16:06,500 Paul did this for these folks, and that is something that you and I can do for those 219 00:16:06,500 –> 00:16:13,340 God has placed next to us whose faith is also under fire. 220 00:16:13,340 –> 00:16:16,479 So here is a ministry for all of us. 221 00:16:16,479 –> 00:16:23,960 Who do you know whose faith is under fire right now, either because of severe trials 222 00:16:23,960 –> 00:16:29,099 or because of particularly strong temptations? 223 00:16:29,099 –> 00:16:34,000 Your calling is to strengthen and encourage them in the faith, and you’ll do that through 224 00:16:34,000 –> 00:16:40,280 your presence in which you ask the real questions in a relationship that God has given to you 225 00:16:40,280 –> 00:16:42,239 with that person. 226 00:16:42,239 –> 00:16:48,039 You’ll do that through the ministry of the word, and you will do that through your prayers. 227 00:16:48,039 –> 00:16:54,159 The wonderful ministry that Paul models for us here, faith under fire. 228 00:16:54,159 –> 00:16:58,479 When your faith is under fire you’re not alone, you’re part of the body of Christ, and we 229 00:16:58,479 –> 00:17:02,299 have this ministry to one another. 230 00:17:02,299 –> 00:17:04,719 Here’s the second thing. 231 00:17:04,719 –> 00:17:10,859 Faith under fire was the first, the second faith standing firm, and that’s verse six 232 00:17:10,859 –> 00:17:13,000 to nine. 233 00:17:13,000 –> 00:17:14,359 Now Timothy has gone. 234 00:17:14,359 –> 00:17:20,060 He’s engaged in this ministry with these folks, presence, the word, and prayer, and now he 235 00:17:20,060 –> 00:17:26,819 comes back to Paul in verse six, Paul says, Timothy has just now come to us from you, 236 00:17:26,819 –> 00:17:31,219 and brought good news about your faith. 237 00:17:31,219 –> 00:17:35,760 And if you want to know what the good news was, look onto verse eight, now we really 238 00:17:35,760 –> 00:17:41,339 live, Paul says, because you are standing firm in the Lord. 239 00:17:41,339 –> 00:17:43,239 That was the good news. 240 00:17:43,239 –> 00:17:49,319 Timothy’s report, they’re standing firm in the Lord, and Paul says, that is very, very 241 00:17:49,319 –> 00:17:52,260 good news indeed. 242 00:17:52,260 –> 00:18:01,239 Now, suffering, great trials, great temptations, will always expose the foundation of your 243 00:18:01,239 –> 00:18:04,900 life. 244 00:18:04,900 –> 00:18:12,479 Jesus told a story, you remember, about two ways in which people build their lives, and 245 00:18:12,479 –> 00:18:17,219 he said, for some it’s like building a house on rock, and for other people it’s like a 246 00:18:17,219 –> 00:18:20,239 man who builds his house on sand. 247 00:18:20,239 –> 00:18:26,520 And then a storm comes, and the storm is suffering. 248 00:18:26,520 –> 00:18:32,119 And when that happens, for some people the faith that they talk about so very much and 249 00:18:32,119 –> 00:18:39,119 so very lightly just collapses because it really has no foundation at all. 250 00:18:39,119 –> 00:18:46,560 And for others they stand, they stand firm because there is that solid foundation, they 251 00:18:46,579 –> 00:18:50,640 are built upon the rock. 252 00:18:50,640 –> 00:19:00,439 When you suffer the idol of comfort is cast down, it is no longer of any use or of any 253 00:19:00,439 –> 00:19:03,079 relevance. 254 00:19:03,079 –> 00:19:13,880 And I want you to notice that when you suffer, when you face strong temptations, objective 255 00:19:13,880 –> 00:19:18,900 number one is simply that you should stand. 256 00:19:18,900 –> 00:19:24,260 It’s not more than that, it’s not other than that, it is that you should stand firm in 257 00:19:24,260 –> 00:19:30,339 the Lord when you face great trials and when you endure great temptations. 258 00:19:30,339 –> 00:19:36,560 Now, I emphasize that, because it seems to me sometimes from looking in my own heart 259 00:19:37,459 –> 00:19:43,780 and often in conversations with others, that somehow we get the idea that God is looking 260 00:19:43,780 –> 00:19:46,780 for more than that from us when we endure trials. 261 00:19:46,780 –> 00:19:49,160 It comes out like this. 262 00:19:49,160 –> 00:19:56,640 Someone’s been bereaved, they’re devastated and they say pastor, I know I should feel 263 00:19:56,640 –> 00:20:01,000 joy but I don’t feel joy. 264 00:20:01,000 –> 00:20:06,280 Or someone is going through some extraordinary trauma and they say, you know, I wish I just 265 00:20:06,300 –> 00:20:13,939 felt peace, perfect peace but I don’t feel perfect peace I feel so troubled. 266 00:20:13,939 –> 00:20:23,819 Now, when Jesus suffered on the cross, he was not singing choruses with a smiling face, 267 00:20:23,819 –> 00:20:24,859 right? 268 00:20:24,859 –> 00:20:36,160 In fact, when Jesus suffered on the cross, he cried out of an agony in his inner being, 269 00:20:36,479 –> 00:20:52,400 but he stood firm as he suffered, and on that hangs your salvation and mine. 270 00:20:52,400 –> 00:21:04,060 Now, God is not asking more of you than you see in Jesus, and Paul’s joy about these believers 271 00:21:04,060 –> 00:21:12,800 is focused on this, that when they went through great trials and when they endured great temptations, 272 00:21:12,800 –> 00:21:16,300 they simply stood firm. 273 00:21:16,300 –> 00:21:18,260 That’s the objective. 274 00:21:18,260 –> 00:21:25,500 That is the victory, and that is to the eternal praise and glory of God, our father and his 275 00:21:25,500 –> 00:21:26,739 son Jesus Christ. 276 00:21:26,739 –> 00:21:30,500 Notice the impact, by the way, of the Thessalonians standing firm. 277 00:21:30,500 –> 00:21:33,500 Verse seven, Paul’s talking about his own trouble now. 278 00:21:33,500 –> 00:21:41,040 He says, brothers, in all our distress and persecution, the apostle and Timothy and Silas, 279 00:21:41,040 –> 00:21:47,199 in all our trouble, he says we were encouraged about you because of your faith. 280 00:21:47,199 –> 00:21:54,760 Let me speak specifically for a moment now to those of us who at this time are facing 281 00:21:54,760 –> 00:21:59,660 unusual trials and strong temptations. 282 00:22:00,660 –> 00:22:08,780 Never, never, never underestimate the significance of your standing firm in the faith in the 283 00:22:08,780 –> 00:22:13,180 middle of what you are going through right now. 284 00:22:13,180 –> 00:22:21,680 When you face strong temptations and you stand firm, then others who know you and walk with 285 00:22:21,680 –> 00:22:29,760 you will be strengthened to stand firm in their temptations that they also face. 286 00:22:29,760 –> 00:22:36,339 And when you endure great trials and you stand firm, others who know you, love you, and watch 287 00:22:36,339 –> 00:22:42,760 you, and walk with you, they will be strengthened and encouraged so that they will stand firm 288 00:22:43,020 –> 00:22:48,060 as they face great trials in their time also. 289 00:22:48,060 –> 00:22:54,439 And you know, the resilience of true faith under pressure and in the face of temptation 290 00:22:54,439 –> 00:23:00,500 is one of the surest evidences that God has done an authentic work in your life. 291 00:23:00,500 –> 00:23:08,619 The trial of your faith, when it goes through the fire, Peter says, proves that your faith 292 00:23:08,619 –> 00:23:15,739 is genuine and it will rebound to the praise and glory of God forever and forever. 293 00:23:15,739 –> 00:23:24,020 And so Paul says in verse nine, how can we thank God enough for you for all the joy that 294 00:23:24,020 –> 00:23:27,900 we have in the presence of God because of you? 295 00:23:27,900 –> 00:23:37,780 To see that you would stand under this, it’s one of the greatest blessings. 296 00:23:37,819 –> 00:23:43,140 One of the greatest evidences of God’s work in your life. 297 00:23:43,140 –> 00:23:50,099 Now here’s an application then at this point this morning, from what we’re learning here 298 00:23:50,099 –> 00:24:00,880 it follows that those who suffer greatly have one of the most important ministries in the 299 00:24:00,880 –> 00:24:10,119 church as you stand firm and by your standing firm you strengthen others. 300 00:24:10,119 –> 00:24:17,319 See, we’ve got this list here that’s very important of ministry opportunities in the 301 00:24:17,319 –> 00:24:26,819 life of the church and maybe what we should do is put at the bottom, standing firm under 302 00:24:27,380 –> 00:24:34,300 suffering, except I don’t think we’d get anyone to sign up for that, right? 303 00:24:34,300 –> 00:24:37,699 But you see, that’s what some of you are doing without ever having signed up for it, it’s 304 00:24:37,699 –> 00:24:55,040 just where you’re at, a special needs child who makes incredible demands day and night 305 00:24:55,280 –> 00:25:07,180 devastating bereavement that has torn your life apart, an illness and a pain that’s endured 306 00:25:07,180 –> 00:25:15,959 and you endure it and you endure it and yet you stand in the faith, you sometimes are 307 00:25:15,959 –> 00:25:24,040 gritting your teeth, you’re not glazed over with some beatific smile, but you’re standing 308 00:25:24,300 –> 00:25:31,300 firm as one who loves Jesus Christ and trusts him still and thank God for that, you have 309 00:25:32,099 –> 00:25:37,439 a ministry to the rest of us and you have a ministry to the unseen, angelic and demonic 310 00:25:37,439 –> 00:25:44,439 world that demonstrates the reality of authentic faith in Jesus Christ, never underestimate 311 00:25:45,439 –> 00:25:51,780 it’s importance, there are so many who live lives like a house built on sand and if that 312 00:25:51,800 –> 00:25:57,400 was you, you would have collapsed long ago, thank God for those who bear evidence of a 313 00:25:57,400 –> 00:26:04,400 faith that shows you are built on the rock and when faith is under fire it stands firm, 314 00:26:07,859 –> 00:26:14,859 so I think to you the rest of the congregation today would be saying what Paul says in v.9 315 00:26:15,140 –> 00:26:22,140 how can we thank God enough for you in return for all the joy that we have in the presence 316 00:26:23,579 –> 00:26:28,219 of God because of you? Not all the joy that you have, you have it really tough, but us 317 00:26:28,219 –> 00:26:35,219 seeing your faith, it’s a ministry to everyone else, it really is, faith under fire. Faith 318 00:26:36,199 –> 00:26:43,199 under fire. Faith standing firm and here’s the last thing this morning, faith growing 319 00:26:48,219 –> 00:26:55,219 strong, faith growing strong. Verse 10, and I got to say that when I came to this first, 320 00:26:56,219 –> 00:27:03,219 it really took me by surprise. Night and day we pray most earnestly that we may see you 321 00:27:03,260 –> 00:27:10,260 again and supply what is lacking in your faith. Now I hope you can see why that caught me 322 00:27:13,979 –> 00:27:17,599 by surprise, it probably catches you by surprise as well. He’s just been talking about their 323 00:27:17,599 –> 00:27:21,920 faith standing firm and how wonderful that is. Chapter 1 in verse 8, he’s been saying 324 00:27:21,920 –> 00:27:26,119 that all over the world people are speaking about the faith of the Thessalonians, so why 325 00:27:26,119 –> 00:27:31,199 does he now suddenly come along and say that apparently there is something lacking in their 326 00:27:31,579 –> 00:27:38,040 faith? Well the answer surely is that even the strongest faith in this world is a work 327 00:27:38,040 –> 00:27:45,040 begun but not yet complete. Your faith needs to grow however long you’ve been a Christian, 328 00:27:45,199 –> 00:27:51,760 our faith needs to grow however mature we are as a church. Jesus described faith as 329 00:27:51,760 –> 00:27:56,319 being like a living seed, like a mustard seed. And anything living needs to be nourished 330 00:27:56,319 –> 00:28:02,880 and to be fed. And your faith is fed and nourished in the word and worship and in prayer and 331 00:28:02,880 –> 00:28:09,680 in fellowship. It is exercised in ministry and in facing great trials and temptations 332 00:28:09,680 –> 00:28:13,839 and it needs to be applied to the choices that you make in your life personally and 333 00:28:13,839 –> 00:28:20,839 that we make in our life together. One of the great joys for me last month was 334 00:28:21,000 –> 00:28:26,800 the quality of discussion that we shared as a congregation as we talked together about 335 00:28:26,800 –> 00:28:32,880 the first draft of our ministry plan. And we received many good suggestions, some of 336 00:28:32,880 –> 00:28:37,520 which have been incorporated already. You can see that in the latest version that is 337 00:28:37,520 –> 00:28:42,959 on the website if you haven’t picked it up already. There were also some great questions 338 00:28:42,959 –> 00:28:47,900 asked. And I think one of the questions that was asked most frequently, certainly one that 339 00:28:48,099 –> 00:28:55,099 I heard most often, went like this, wow, this is great, but how are we going to do all this? 340 00:29:00,180 –> 00:29:07,180 Now you see that is the most marvelous question because that is precisely where we should 341 00:29:07,959 –> 00:29:14,959 be. If we never aspire to do more than we know and feel we can do already then we are 342 00:29:15,839 –> 00:29:22,839 not living by faith. Faith means asking God to do something in us and for us and through 343 00:29:23,859 –> 00:29:27,160 us that we know we cannot do by ourselves. 344 00:29:27,160 –> 00:29:34,160 So, let’s apply what we’re learning here from 1 Thessalonians to our faith and remember 345 00:29:36,000 –> 00:29:40,199 that Paul is writing this letter not to an individual, it’s not like the letter to Timothy 346 00:29:40,319 –> 00:29:45,900 to one person, this is to a church, it’s to a congregation. This letter is the sort of 347 00:29:45,900 –> 00:29:51,819 letter that is said to be read at a congregational meeting. It’s about the faith of the church, 348 00:29:51,819 –> 00:29:57,400 it’s about the faith of the people together, and Paul sent Timothy to find out about THEIR 349 00:29:57,400 –> 00:30:04,400 faith. Now you see, if Paul sent Timothy here to do a study of our faith and make a report 350 00:30:05,160 –> 00:30:12,160 back to the Apostle, what do you think he’d say? Suppose Timothy was here in our service 351 00:30:14,859 –> 00:30:21,859 to sample the spiritual temperature. Suppose he visited the small groups to see if faith 352 00:30:24,000 –> 00:30:31,000 and the Word were central. Suppose he sat in on mealtimes with a number of families 353 00:30:31,359 –> 00:30:38,359 to sample the tone of conversation, to see if there is the air of confidence in God about 354 00:30:40,060 –> 00:30:45,900 us. Suppose he sat in on our discussions of what we hope to do in the name of Christ in 355 00:30:45,900 –> 00:30:50,300 relation to ministry together. And suppose he wrote it all up and then took 356 00:30:50,300 –> 00:30:57,300 it back as a report to the Apostle Paul, what would he say? Would he say, Paul, it’s good 357 00:30:58,300 –> 00:31:04,859 news, from the Arlingtonites evangelical free church? These folks have been through some 358 00:31:04,859 –> 00:31:11,859 trials, Satan has tempted many, but the congregation there is stranding firm in the Lord, they’ve 359 00:31:12,640 –> 00:31:17,859 learned the humility that knows that apart from God they can do nothing. But they also 360 00:31:17,859 –> 00:31:23,880 are marked by a faith and a confidence in God that expects them to do great things. 361 00:31:24,060 –> 00:31:31,060 Would he say that? See, I think we need to grow in that kind of faith. The faith that 362 00:31:34,040 –> 00:31:41,040 breaks outside of the little box we feel confident we can do and looks to God for that which 363 00:31:43,819 –> 00:31:50,819 only God can do. And together cast ourselves upon Him as we venture forward together. 364 00:31:54,119 –> 00:32:00,199 You say how does that kind of faith grow? Where does it come from? Give me three quick 365 00:32:00,199 –> 00:32:05,660 steps to develop it, and you notice Paul doesn’t do that? It’s always interesting to notice 366 00:32:05,660 –> 00:32:09,339 where does the Apostle go. When he’s got to this point of talking about what is lacking 367 00:32:09,339 –> 00:32:14,500 in your faith, where does he go from there? He goes to prayer. See, that’s the point 368 00:32:14,500 –> 00:32:20,719 of verses 12 and 13. He says, may God, the Lord make your love increase and overflow 369 00:32:20,719 –> 00:32:26,439 for each other, may he strengthen your hearts so that you will be holy and blameless. That 370 00:32:26,439 –> 00:32:33,400 kind of faith is a work of God. You can’t get this kind of faith that’s a 371 00:32:33,400 –> 00:32:40,319 solid rock foundation, that enables a person to venture on God and trust him in great trials 372 00:32:40,319 –> 00:32:45,900 and in the face of great temptations, you can’t get that from a pastor. You can’t get 373 00:32:45,900 –> 00:32:50,579 that from a mentor. You can’t get that from a coach. You can’t get it from a small group 374 00:32:50,579 –> 00:32:58,260 or from any program, you can’t even get it from an Apostle. This kind of faith comes 375 00:32:58,260 –> 00:33:06,239 only from God. Paul himself demonstrates this kind of faith when he moves into prayer and 376 00:33:06,239 –> 00:33:11,959 he’s saying, Lord, you do it in them. You give them what’s lacking in their faith. 377 00:33:11,959 –> 00:33:17,339 You do it. I can’t do it, I’m an Apostle, he’s saying, but only you can do this. 378 00:33:17,339 –> 00:33:24,140 It’s a sovereign work of the Spirit of God to lift the level of faith in a Christian 379 00:33:24,140 –> 00:33:29,739 congregation. Will you join me in asking God for that? 380 00:33:29,739 –> 00:33:36,739 What a great thing it is that we can ask God to increase our faith, 381 00:33:37,660 –> 00:33:44,660 personally and together. Lord I need you. I cannot stand without you. 382 00:33:47,500 –> 00:33:52,859 All the strength I can muster is a puny thing in the face 383 00:33:52,859 –> 00:34:00,219 of life and death and eternity. Give me your Spirit. 384 00:34:00,939 –> 00:34:09,280 Fill me with your power. Cause me to stand firm in the trials I face and the 385 00:34:09,280 –> 00:34:14,979 temptations that bear in on me to stand firm in the Lord by the power of your 386 00:34:14,979 –> 00:34:26,899 Spirit. You seek and you lay hold of Him. You ask of Him. You believe in Him and 387 00:34:27,159 –> 00:34:34,879 and you receive from Him. And as you do that for yourself, will you do that for 388 00:34:34,879 –> 00:34:42,040 us? I’ve told you before, now just to close with this. Some years ago I was 389 00:34:42,040 –> 00:34:48,120 assigned by the denomination I served in England to try and strengthen and 390 00:34:48,120 –> 00:34:53,379 encourage pastors and churches in a particularly hard area for the gospel in 391 00:34:53,379 –> 00:34:58,580 the north of England, really tough, one of the hardest places for gospel work. All 392 00:34:58,580 –> 00:35:06,100 of the churches were small. Pastors discouraged. And I spent two weeks a year 393 00:35:06,100 –> 00:35:11,959 there for some years. And visited all of the churches that 394 00:35:11,959 –> 00:35:17,340 were part of our denomination. Spent time there, tried to be useful, kind of along 395 00:35:7,340 –> 00:35:22,260 these lines. And there was one church that was 396 00:35:22,260 –> 00:35:26,719 distinctively different. Just going in, and speaking, and being with the people, 397 00:35:26,719 –> 00:35:30,439 you could hear in their singing something different. You could sense in 398 00:35:30,439 –> 00:35:34,060 their praying before the service, just half a dozen people, something different. 399 00:35:34,060 –> 00:35:38,820 You sensed in the faces and conversations with people afterwards 400 00:35:38,820 –> 00:35:44,659 something quite distinct. And I got to know the leading elder very well in 401 00:35:44,659 –> 00:35:49,500 that church. And I never forget saying to him on one occasion, you know, really, of 402 00:35:49,540 –> 00:35:52,939 all the churches in this town, there is something distinct and different 403 00:35:52,939 –> 00:35:59,780 about this one. Tell me about it. And this was on one of the toughest housing 404 00:35:59,780 –> 00:36:04,340 estates in the North of England. Desperately poor area. And he said, this 405 00:36:04,340 –> 00:36:14,320 is a hopeless place to live. And he said, the churches tend to reflect that. 406 00:36:14,580 –> 00:36:20,840 And he said, our leadership made a commitment a year ago that every Saturday 407 00:36:20,840 –> 00:36:31,600 night we would ask God for one thing, and that was that there would be faith in 408 00:36:31,600 –> 00:36:39,340 the congregation on Sunday morning. That people would come with a sense of 409 00:36:39,580 –> 00:36:49,340 expectancy to meet with God and that God would meet that expectancy and I walked 410 00:36:49,340 –> 00:36:58,260 in from 300 miles away and knew on the first visit that this was different from 411 00:36:58,260 –> 00:37:09,320 any other church I went to in that area. God increase our faith, God move among 412 00:37:10,199 –> 00:37:19,020 God supply what is lacking for your praise and glory and for the advance of 413 00:37:19,020 –> 00:37:25,060 your kingdom and all of God’s people together said