Well, Good Evening everybody, so We're Gonna be in first, Thessalonians, chapter 3, Firstssalonians, chapter 3,
So it's not a long chapter
So hopefully, the plan is just to get through the entire passage.
Here in first, thus loaning, 3. why don't we continue in prayer, our heavenly father, we thank you again for this time we thank you that we can open up your word.
Lord your word is truth, heavenly father, we thank you that or you can give us wisdom, and guidance for our lives.
Thank you that we can read these letters, that Paul wrote to these young churches, young believers, and Lord and learn learn about things going on in our own lives, and our own world in this generation, and Lord thank you that you have something to say to us would I pray that you would undertake, for this time, my Lord President
Your word was, Go forth, Lord, we we just look to you for this in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
We pray Amen, so Firstssalonians, 3, now what I want to do is start in chapter 2, verse 7, because it just flows along with it and it really highlights really some of the themes, that I see in this passage there's a few different themes that I
See, here, one of them is Paul living in light of his coming living in light, of the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.
We saw actually our brother, Phil Kern, came and spoke on living in the light of His coming.
You know those wise versions that kept their lamps trimmed with oil.
So Paul continues to speak of the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, there at the end of chapter 2 let's go ahead, and read it I'm just gonna go ahead and read certain Verse, 17, First Lonians, 2 17, but we Brother, and Haven't been taken away from you for
A short time in presence, not in heart, endeavoured more eagerly, to see your face with great, desire.
Therefore we wanted to come to you, even I, Paul, time and again, but Satan hindered us for what is our hope, or joy or crown of rejoicing.
Is it not even you, in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ that is coming, for you, our our glory, and joy.
So he is thinking about. He is. His eyes are on that coming of the Lord Jesus Christ before Him.
In his presence, and he's living for that, for that moment, and then he goes on again, back in in first Thessalonians, 3 in verse 13.
So he so that he may establish your heart's blameless and holiness before our God, and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, with all His saints so again, this this whole passage, is Book is Book ended, with the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, and then we see you know in 4
chapter 4, the the the rapture is spoken about in chapter 4, so that's one of the themes living for the in light of his coming Living in Light, of His Coming and Preparing others for that Day, that's, the Other, thing that He is burdened with Another, theme, that I in this passage, is
spiritual Warfare, there's spiritual warfare surrounding God's work.
In this generation and in our generation. He talks about Satan, hindering them.
He wanted to go visit them, but Satan hindered and We're gonna look back in acts to see exactly what that was how they were being Paul was being hindered and also Take, a look at verse first thessalonians 3.
5 for this reason when I could no longer endure it.
I sent to know your faith, less by some means the tempter had tempted you and our labor might be in vain.
So Paul, understood. There were spiritual warfare going on there, in Thessalon, In Thessalonica, with these young believers they were tempted, the tempter, he was concerned about the tempter tempting Them now how does the enemy tempt us with lies, with
Deception. And so that we're gonna talk about that as well
The other theme in this is that to be faithful in the midst of affliction, so that's the other.
Theme that's in this passage, so living in light of his coming spiritual warfare and afflictions in our lives, so that's what I'm gonna be talking about tonight, so as far as living in light of is coming.
Take a look at first John, this is a great verse, first, John, 2, so
First, John, 2, 28,
It says, and now, little children, so Paul, or just excuse me, John is speaking to he calls them little children, and other parts of the Bookie He's saying, little children, you know they're they're Believers these are believers he's saying and now little children Abide in him that when he
appears, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before him at his coming, so so that again that you see John living for that moment living in light.
It was coming
So Let's let's take a look at Act 17 to get some context of this passage of what's happening there, in Thessalonica and what's going on with this Spiritual warfare, and how Paul is dealing with it I think it it gives it's
It's great to see the the context of this
Take a look at act 17
Here is when Paul arrived in Thessalonica, so Act 17, verse, one, Now when they had passed through, and Pullius and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica where there was a Synagogue of the Jews then Paul as his custom was went into them and for 3
Saabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and demonstrating that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead, and saying, this Christ, who might preach to you is the Christ and some of them were persuaded and a great multitude of devout
greeks, and not a few of the leading women. Joined Paul and Silas.
So here's Paul is and Thessalonica, he's preaching, the Gospel, he's going to the Sameague He's speaking to Gen to Greeks, the Leading women, you know Upper class, women, Maybe Wives, of important Men in the Government, and they were Getting Saved
These people were getting saved. So God was doing something, but then right away, you see, the enemy at work, verse 5, but the Jews who were not persuaded becoming envious, took some of the evil, men from the marketplace, and the King, James, says, Lewd Fellows of a Baser sort I I love
that so he took some of these evil men from the marketplace and gathering gathered a mob, set all the city in an uproar, and attacked the house of Jason, and sought to bring them out to the people but they did not find them and dragged jason, and some brethren, to the rulers, of the
city crying, out, these who have turned the world upside down, have come here too.
Jason had harbored them, and these are all acting contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying there's Another King, Jesus, and they troubled the crowd and the rulers of the city.
When they heard these things, so when they had taken security from Jason and the rest, they let them go.
So this huge uproar, a mob, the enemy stirring up this mob, and then it says verse, 10, then the brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas Away by night, to berea, so these young believers told Paul you need to get out of here, for your own safety you need to leave so then
He's they send them off to berea, which is about 75 kilometers, 47 miles.
I looked at it was like 17 h walk. So it's it's like probably a 3 day journey.
In 2 days. If you walk for 8 h straight, I don't know, but it's it's a long ways.
So so so he leaves so he goes to berea when they arrived they went to the synagogue of the Jews these were more fair-minded than those thessalonica.
And that they received the word with all readiness, and search the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so so they didn't take Paul's word for it.
They looked up in the word of God to see if what he was saying is true, therefore many of them believed and also not a few of the Greeks, prominent women as well, as men so same thing prominent women hearing the Gospel the Greeks, getting Saved, but when the Jews of
Thessalonica learned that the word of God was preached by Paul and Berea.
They came there also, and stirred up the crowd so this some time had passed word got around that Paul was there, and they came there then immediately the brethren sent Paul away to go to the sea, but both Silas and Timothy remain there so those who conducted paul through brought him, to Athens
And receiving a command for Silas and Timothy to come to him with all speed, they depart.
So here's some events that are going on. And this is smackdab right?
What's happening in first Sess, learning, through what's going on in Paul's mind, what's happening?
So that's what he's talking about in first Thessalonians 2 Satan hindering them that's what he's talking about.
It was, too risky. It was so too violent.
There was too much uproar going on for Paul to go back so Satan was hindering him from going there.
It's a visit, them so then first thus lonings 3, verse, one.
Paul is wanting to go back. He's wanting to go back.
He needs to hear about what's going on with These Thessalonians?
3. One. Therefore, when we could no longer endure it he couldn't stand it anymore.
Anymore. He needed to know what was going on with these Bab believers.
They had just gotten saved. They needed to grow. They needed to be fed.
They needed to learn the word of God, they and they were there.
They were all alone in Thessalonica, with all of this warfare, going out.
We thought it good to be left in Athens. Alone.
So this is what happened. He sent Timothy back to to see to get a report on them, verse 2, and sent Timothy, our brother, and minister of God and our fellow labor and the Gospel, of Christ, so He sent timothy, to what to establish you, and encourage, you, concerning your
Faith. So he wanted Timothy to go back and instruct them and disciple them.
That is what he wanted to do. He could not you know, verse one he could no longer endure.
You can just see him he couldn't sit still he was pacing back and forth, wanting to know what was happening with the Thessalonians.
He was worried about them. And he sent Timothy. He calls him a fellow labor in the gospel of Christ.
To establish you, and to comfort you concerning your face.
And then verse 3, that no one should be shaken by these afflictions, for you yourselves know that you are appointed to this so that's interesting that no one should be shaken or to be moved by these affliction, so bad, thing starts to happen you know so I I just
I believe in Jesus. I get saved. This man comes in and shares the gospel with me, and I believe this gospel.
And now suddenly everything's a mess, my my life is turned upside down.
Is this even true? Is this really true? You can just imagine, I mean us doubts would come in fears would come in.
Is this really true.
They needed to be established in their faith. They needed to be comforted in their face, and that's why Paul sent Timothy that no one should be shaken, and that's that's, the that's the opposite of being established, being Shaken the opposite they were not to be
Wishy Washy as as soon as things get hard or difficult, they begin to waver in their faith, we begin, we waver in our face.
If things get tough, we start to question. We start to dial take a look at Ephesians for
There's 14
Ephesians, 4, 14, that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro, carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of man and cunning, craftiness, of deceitful Plotting but Speaking the Truth, and Love, that may Grow up, and all things, into him
who is the head, Christ, so you know it's so easy in the midst of trials or afflictions to start to question.
Latch on to something that you think is oh, those wind of doctrine that comes by and you, latch on it, for some kind, of hope, rather than being established in reality in the truth, of of the gospel, of Christ.
So you can see Paul's heart for these believers.
You can see Paul's heart for these young baby, Christians, in the midst of this these afflictions, and he's also telling them you know, these are Flicks you're appointed to this this is going to happen you are going to go through affliction.
You're gonna go through trials, you know you have to tell you have to set the proper expectations.
I'm I work with salespeople and Salespeople have a tendency to tell people what they wanna hear.
No like you know. So there's a county that's gonna install, a brand new phone system, and the and they say, well can you get it done in a week, and and the sales rep will be like oh, yeah, we could do that just like, and then no you can't you have to set the right expectations.
Because if if that's what they go in believing and then that's that what happens they're gonna be very angry, right.
But if you tell them upfront, the truth, this is what's going to happen.
This is what you can expect. Things go, much smoother and that's.
These believers lives. you know. Oh, yes, if you believe in Jesus, everything will go well, right, everything's gonna be fine.
It's gonna be a better, roses. no affliction.
And then when afflictions come you're stumbled right, you're discouraged, that's the thought here Paul is setting the right, expectations for for them, and that's another reason why he wanted to be there they needed to be established they need to learn these things so that
they could you know that they wouldn't be tempted to doubt by the tempter.
It says, verse, 3, that no one should be shaken by these afflictions, for you yourselves know that we are appointed to this for in fact, we told you before when we were with you that we would suffer, suffer, tribulation just as it.
Happened and you know, so this is exactly what we said would happen.
You you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. You put your faith in him.
You are not going to be popular in this world. Right?
Take A. Look at John F. John 1518,
John 1518, if the world hates you you know that it hated me before it hated you, if you were of this world, the world would love its own.
Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates, you remember the word that I said to you a servant, is not greater than his master, if they persecuted, me they will also persecute you if they kept my word, they will keep yours also so you know if if
The world is celebrating us. It's probably not a good thing, right.
Right. If the world is against you, that's probably a good good indication that you're on the right path.
You know, I think about you know setting these expectations, and you know, don't be surprised.
Don't, don't be surprised. When things happen. Like this affliction, trials.
You know something that's popular today, the Prosperity Prosperity, Gospel, right name.
It, and claim it. if you're, if you are you know you're going to prosper financially in your life, if if you give your life, to Jesus if you give money it's gonna come back you know it's gonna multiply and come back to you all these sorts of things your best life.
now it's a title of a book, your best life, now no, I'm sorry this this isn't the best life.
Now, that's why we live in the light of His coming right.
That's what we're waiting for, not this life.
It's your best life. Now, if you're unsafe and you're gonna go to the Lake of fire this would be your best life now but if you're a believer, no this is not your best life, now all who live Godly in Christ, Jesus will suffer
Persecution all who live godly will suffer the godly, will suffer false teachers, will prosper that's, what we see that's what happens in this world
So he sends Timothy to to establish them, to comfort them to let them.
Know set the proper expectations, like this is exactly. What was we told you that would happen first, 5.
For this reason, when I could no longer endure it. I sent to know your faith, so he wanted to.
Know how are they doing? How are the? How are the Thessalonians doing in the light of this tribulation and and trial?
And then he says, I sent to know your faith less by some means.
The tempter had tempted you and our labor might be in vain, so he talks about the enemy.
Again! Here
So he mentioned the enemy, Satan is hindering, Paul from Going back, to Thessalonians to Thinkssalonica, to speak to them, but also the Enemy is active there in Thessalonica, Tempting, Them
He's he's the tempter, and he's tempting, that so what is he tempting them with with the lie with deception, doubt tempt them to doubt as I mentioned before is this, really true I mean if if this was true and God love me would I really be going through
this you know, that's the the tempter wants to tempt us with deception with lies. That's all.
He has is a lies to stop, the spread of the gospel to hinder the growth of the believers with false teaching tem tempt us not to believe.
Yeah
Yes, Absolutely. Yeah. Tempt, you to quit, you know what it's more comfortable if I just keep my mouth shot.
And not say the truth. It's much more comfortable, to kind of go back in my house, and and let the world kind of go by you know but you know, yeah, to to really to get us to keep keep keep our mouth shut, you you know
So I like this, Luke 22, take a look at Loop, 22
The Lord Jesus, speaking to Peter.
No, this is, when
The Lord told Peter that he was gonna deny him
And the end. And the Lord said, Simon Simon indeed Satan has asked for you that he may sift you as wheat Satan was out for Peter, he was out for him.
But this is what it says verse 32, but I have prayed for you that your faith should not fail.
And when you have returned to me, strengthen your brethren, so the answer to Satan's sifting is that your face would not fail. Believe. Him.
Don't, stop! Don't doubt him. Trust him. Whatever.
Is going on. Don't doubt that is the answer to when Satan is trying to sift you, as wheat hold on to the Lord Jesus Christ.
Don't doubt him. In fact, the reality is he's got a whole of you.
So he prayed the Lord Jesus Christ prayed for Peter that his faith would not fail.
We have an intercessor, we have an advocate.
He has a group on us. that is the answer to Satan's temptations, and you know wanting to sift us.
Like wheat, so back in first the Salonians
So now in verse 6,
But now that Timothy had come to us from you, and brought us good news of your faith in love.
Oh, you could just see all he's so relieved that they're good, they're doing good.
They're doing good. but now the Timothy has come to us from you, and brought us, good news of your faith, and love, and that you always have good remembrance of us greatly desiring To see us as we also to see you good good news, a good report they have good remembrance
Of of Paul and Silas and Tim, they have good remembrance of them, and they're not doubting they're not turning their Backs on them they're They're not tempted to doubt They're Trusting and believing, and so He's so relieved therefore
7 therefore brethren and all our affliction and distress.
We were comforted concerning you by your face, so Paul, in the midst of His own affliction and distress, is now comforted because of their faithfulness, and walking with the Lord Jesus, Christ and then He says, perceived for now we live if you stand fast in the Lord you know
That's Paul's source of joy in his life what filled his heart with joy, is that others were living in light, of eternity, that others were getting on with the Lord and trusting Him that's what energized him that's what kept him that's what got him up in the morning you you
know, for the that others were growing in their face, take a look at third, John
They're John.
Verse, 3,
Bra Rejoiced greatly when Brethren came, and testified of the Truth, that is in you just as you walk in the truth, I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in Truth John experienced, the same joy and peace seeing His you know others, growing in their faith and walking with the Lord
So that's what energized Paul
Verse 9. For what thanks can we render to God for you, for all the joy with which we rejoice, for your sake, before our God, or on account, of you.
So again. Paul was rejecting for these believers, on account of them.
Night, and day, verse, 10, Night and Day Praying exceedingly, that we may see your Face, and Perfect what is lacking in your faith.
So Paul understood, you know these were young believers. They had they had room to grow in their understanding.
They had room to grow in the faith in teaching, the body of teaching.
So he wanted to again to go see them and perfect or to supply that which was lacking in their understanding.
And then he goes on here in verse 11, called praise the the last 3 verses here the chapter
No this is interesting. I like this. It says, Now there's a there's a few things about this verse verse 11.
Now may our God and Father, Himself and our Lord Jesus Christ, direct our way to you.
So Paul, in the structure of the the the subject, and the Verb.
He's he's saying that God, the Father and the Son are one purpose, so it is a a verse that refers to the Deity, the Lord Jesus Christ so there are the subject God, the Father, and Jesus Christ, and then direct is in the singular which generally you would not do that you wouldn't
Have 2 subjects, and then a verb. Singular. So he is saying, These are one the deity of the Lord Jesus Christ.
And this is one of the earliest letters of Paul.
Galatians or in for Thessalonians are the first letters of Paul, so right there in the beginning he is declaring the Deity of the Lord Jesus Christ.
And his
And his prayer right. He's lifting up this prayer.
Now, maybe our God and Father, Himself, and our Lord Jesus Christ.
So he is appealing to God, the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, as God.
And then he says direct our way to you I like that.
So if you're remember in first Thessalonians to 18 he was saying that Satan was hindering Right Satan, was putting up obstacles.
Satan was creating crooked. He was creating obstacles.
It was crooked there wasn't a clear way to them.
And what Paul is saying here is that God, the Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ would make a way, right that he would direct the path through those obstacles, through that through that hindrance that Satan, was was putting up and it it's it makes me think of is isaiah 40 it makes me think
Of Isaiah, 40,
So.
Obviously, you know, this is a a verse in regards.
To the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and what He's going to do you know when he comes is glorious appearing.
It says I see, a 40, verse, 3 the voice, of one crying, in the wilderness, prepare the way of the Lord, make straight in the Desert, a highway for our God, every Valley, should be Exalted and every Mountain, and hill, brought low the Crooked, Places, shall be made Straight and the
Rough place, is smooth, the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh i'll see it together, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.
I love that so he's going to make the rough places, smooth and plain.
He's going to you know the crooked places straight, the the Mountains Brought, low, the h the valleys rows Risen up all these things, so that the glory of the Lord shall be Revealed, in This day, and in a sense in a little, in a Measure, of that that's, what
Paul is asking for. That's what Paul's saying make a way back to Thessalonians.
So I can meet with these believers. that is,
You know that that's great I mean he believed God all believed, God for great things, any trusted in
So.
So may now, may our God and Father Himself and our Lord Jesus Christ direct our way to you, and may the Lord make you increase and abound in love to one another, and to all just, as we do you know in the middle of trials, right in the midst of afflictions, in the midst of
Tribulations, the reality of A Group, of Believers, ought to be that we are growing that we're increasing and abounding in love to one, another.
That's what should be happening in the midst of that think about the flesh?
What happens in times of tribulation and distress, suspicions start to come in I mean, just look at I mean, look at Covid.
Look at what happened during Covid you know, in a sense there was some.
There was distress, there was trial. There, was you know, and distrust came. You know.
People, had, all, you know, division and all these sorts of things, and enemy loves that the enemy will use that to be to get us to to not love, one, other right right to to be suspicious and it's completely, natural I mean, think, about it so you're you're in a Church, and
There's could be a spy from the you know these lewd fellows of a baser sort could be could be coming in the meeting just to spy you out that's what just happened to isaac's brother there was somebody that was coming to his church, and they were a spy.
And they turned them in. I mean think about how hard that would be to you you'd be looking at everyone like was a little suspicion who is this person, especially if there's you know real persecution, happening you.
Would really hold back on your affection and love towards people.
But here, in Thessalonians, Thessaloni Thessalonica, Paul is saying, and may the Lord make you increase and abound in love to one another and to all just as we Do to you, that is that is not something that comes naturally right, that is only from the Lord
Jesus Christ, and then, finally, verse 13, so that he may establish your heart's blameless in holiness before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, with all His saints again, that idea of a establishing us, the establishing our Hearts, blameless in
Holiness, before our God and the and the Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, with all the Saints again living in the light of His coming that is what we are doing we are living, in light of that day, and everything, that we do ought to be with that in mind you know if you know
Loving one, another, because the Lord as when We're going through trials, Lord is getting us ready He He's getting us ready to to stand before him, because there maybe there's something in our heart that needs to Get worked out, there's, something in there, that there's a Root of bitterness.
There's something that needs to draw an attention to, and we see it in the midst of trials, and we repent of it.
We turn to God from it and then It's dealt with and the Lord's changing me from the inside that's what's happening in these in these days, and that's what's happening here in Thessalonica
Establish our hearts, blameless and holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, with all His saints.
I have a different Bible. I I would know exactly where to turn that your whole spirit, soul and body be there, blameless.
That is what does that? I'm sorry. Chapter 5
Oh, second to, or second, oh, I'm looking at their own
Yes, for Cssalonians, 5 23. Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ so there you see again, a another, book in there of the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, here in the last
Chapter of first, Cecilon is
So yeah, you see the heart of the apostle you see his love for these people, you see his desire that they grow in their faith, that they don't become stagnant, endowed and unbelief.
What they grow and they go through these trials, trusting the Lord and he's so encouraged that they actually did so. Any questions or comments
If not, we'll just close and prayer
Our heavenly father, we thank you, thank you so much that we can come here tonight.
Open your word, heavenly father, I pray that we would be like those Thessalonians that love one another, and the midst of trials, and tribulation, or that that believe you and trust you during trials, that hold on that don't doubt we thank you that the Lord Jesus prayed
That Peter's faith would fail not and Lord, we thank you that he is our interceptor, he's our advocate, that praise for us.
That our faith fail not that we continue to believe in trust and honor.
You, Lord, we we know there's an enemy. We thank you, that we can the your word says submit to God, resist the devil, and he will flee from you we thank you.
Lord, that we can submit our lives to you in these days in which we're living and Lord, that you can that we could be a testimony to those around us like the thessalonians, were and Lord we just again, thank you for this time and the name of our Lord Jesus Christ we
Pray Amen.