Satan can thwart our plans, and the tempter can lead us to misunderstand; but God is in control.
Afflictions For Christ Should Encourage Me In My Faith
1 Thessalonians 2:17-3:13
(Children's Sheet for Sermon Interaction is at bottom. Notes are throughout sermon)Pastor Kerry Kinchen, Bridgeway Bible Church
Turn to 1 Thessalonians 2.17. We are learning from 1 Thessalonians 2:17 through 3:13 this morning. As you are turning there, I want to mention how the early church is such an amazing example of where we should be in joy, faith, and focus in our perseverance. I don't know if it is a false expectation that a lot of Christians have; but, it seems to me that much of the time, a huge segment of the church in our nation acts surprised at the eroding, so called, Christian values of the populace. But really, it should not come as a surprise to us, that Christians, (in the biblical sense) who were once the respected people of this country, are now the despised, attacked, and persecuted. Our values, (which are God's values), are despised, and ridiculed. When it comes to values, the lost-world-culture touts tolerance as the highest of virtues. Interesting then, that intolerance as a value, is not only allowed against Christians, but it is promoted, defended, and rewarded. "Hate Crimes" suddenly are not hate crimes when done to us Christians because of our faith. Instead, the indictments of so-called hate crimes are pasted onto preachers--preachers, who by the power of the Holy Spirit, preach that the Bible states that homosexuality is sin, and that marriage is what the inventor of marriage defines it to be. It is where a man leaves his mother and father and joins to his female wife, and the male and female become one flesh. This definition describes the proclamation of the first marriage, and it describes the restatement made by Jesus and the apostles. It is considered a hate crime to proclaim other truths, like the clear fact that killing unborn babies, and partially birthed babies, and fully delivered babies, is really murder. It is considered a hate crime to correctly assert that all other religions that do not worship God through Christ are false, dead, dark religions in opposition to the One true God. If you want to be hated as someone who loves God, then believe and teach simple biblical truths. This is the way things are today in the culture around us, and without some kind of supernatural spiritual awakening, revival, or whatever you want to call it, it seems like the trend is going to continue to get worse, and worse. The situation is already worse in many other countries. Daily, Christians are being hunted, beaten, tortured, and murdered for their faith. Right now, we have, what I call, a mild sense of persecution going on in our country. The reason that I am pointing this out is because without a proper understanding of what is going on, even in a mild sense of persecution, your faith will be shaken. Without the proper theology, people who claim to be Christians, won't understand what I am talking about. The question is:
Why?
Why is what I am saying sounding like a foreign language to so many people who profess to be spiritually born again?
It is because they will either never experience any level of persecution for being saved; or they endeavor to look so much like the world that they were supposedly saved from, that there is nothing there to persecute. They profess Christ's name, when convenient, but they reflect little of his life, and they demonstrate little of His faith. Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy know the Thessalonian Christians to be people of faith in the midst of persecution. Paul says, that he and the apostles were,
"3 constantly bearing in mind your work of faith ..." 1 Thessalonians 1:3
It is important that you be known for your work of faith. Faith is already the legacy of the baby Thessalonian church that was only months old. Paul also reminds the Thessalonian Christians that they received the word of the Lord in much tribulation with joy of the Holy Spirit in 1:6. They became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia. Receiving the word of God in much tribulation with joy of the Holy Spirit is noteworthy. Paul goes on; he says that their faith toward God had gone out in a famous way in verse 8. I think we can call it famous faith. It's what you and I should be known for. Your faith should be famous. When the apostles first preached there in Thessalonica, there was a lot of opposition, 2:1. But in the midst of the opposition, Paul would,
"... constantly thank God that when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but for what it really is, the word of God, which also performs its work in you who believe." 1 Thessalonians 2:1
They were true believers, and God is the only one to be thanked for true believers. They are God's paintings of what the masterpiece of faith should look like. God's word performs its work in them. It came out of them in their faith through their afflictions for being Christian. In their faith, Paul says that they,
"14 ... became imitators of the churches of God in Christ Jesus that are in Judea, because you also endured the same sufferings at the hands of your own countrymen, even as they did from the Jews, 15 who both killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and drove us out." 1 Thessalonians 2:14-15
What do you suppose cultural Christianity was for the Thessalonians?
What they knew about Christianity involved affliction for Jesus. And the big point is that their faith was strong, sure, and famous, in the midst of it all. There is a reason why I am pointing these things out right now. These are the facts we need to realize about the Thessalonians as we learn from God's word. Paul is going to say something about the Thessalonian's faith, and he's going to talk about afflictions for being Christian. Please read it with me starting in 2:17,
"2:17 But we, brothers, having been taken away from you for a short while--in person, not in spirit [Greek, kardia, heart]--were all the more eager with great desire to see your face. 18 Because we wanted to come to you--I, Paul, more than once--and yet Satan hindered us. 19 For who is our hope or joy or crown of exultation? Is it not even you, in the presence of our Lord Jesus at His coming? 20 For you are our glory and joy. 3:1 Therefore when we could endure it no longer, we thought it best to be left behind at Athens alone, 2 and we sent Timothy, our brother and God's fellow worker in the gospel of Christ, to strengthen and encourage you as to your faith, 3 so that no one would be disturbed by these afflictions; for you yourselves know that we have been destined for this. 4 For indeed when we were with you, we kept telling you in advance that we were going to suffer affliction; and so it came to pass, as you know. 5 For this reason, when I could endure it no longer, I also sent to find out about your faith, for fear that the tempter might have tempted you, and our labor would be in vain. 6 But now that Timothy has come to us from you, and has brought us good news of your faith and love, and that you always think kindly of us, longing to see us just as we also long to see you, 7 for this reason, brothers, in all our distress and affliction we were comforted about you through your faith; 8 for now we really live, if you stand firm in the Lord. 9 For what thanks can we render to God for you in return for all the joy with which we rejoice before our God on your account, 10 as we night and day keep praying most earnestly that we may see your face, and may complete what is lacking in your faith? 11 Now may our God and Father Himself and Jesus our Lord direct our way to you; 12 and may the Lord cause you to increase and abound in love for one another, and for all people, just as we also do for you; 13 so that He may establish your hearts without blame in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all His saints." 1 Thessalonians 2:17-3:13
Please prepare your heart to learn along with me, from the preaching of God's word, in this sermon titled,
Afflictions For Christ Should Encourage Me In My Faith
[prayer]
As we look at this, I want us to glean five important truths concerning the fact that afflictions for Christ should encourage us in our faith.
/1/
The first thing I want us to recognize, is that Satan hinders God's servants from accomplishing certain ministry plans. In other words, just because you serve the Lord, you are not immune to physical hindrances that are put in your way by the domain of darkness. In fact, because of the relentless opposition from the domain of darkness toward your Christian ministry goals, you, and I, should expect hindrances to come. Paul says--
2:17 But we, brothers, having been taken away from you for a short while ... were all the more eager with great desire to see your face. 18 Because we wanted to come to you ... and yet Satan hindered us." 1 Thessalonians 2:17-18
@1 _________ tries to hinder your ministry. (1 Thess. 2-17-18)
We think about this, and we know that the Thessalonians were experiencing the same kind of suffering from persecution that the churches in Israel went through. God, who is sovereign over Satan, Paul, and anyone else, took the apostles away from the Thessalonians by His providential hand. So think about this; Paul had to leave right in the middle of the storm. This shook a lot of people up. Paul has only been gone a short time; but Paul's parental like concern is so great that right in the midst of the persecution and affliction, he wants to go back. Paul is concerned about the infant church. Why? Because he doesn't have a full picture of how everyone is doing. Communication was difficult back then. They didn't have cell phones. A lot of scholars think that when Timothy got back to Paul with his report about the Thessalonians, Timothy also informed Paul of various accusations against the apostles. So, it is thought that Paul is more than likely answering accusations of abandonment. Christianity was being ridiculed, and Paul's evacuation was just another area to accuse. Mocking the Thessalonians Christians, and claiming that their so-called prophets had forsaken them, would be a disturbing indictment. So, right in the middle of these attacks, (with God's full anointing, and all the miraculous events, where Paul was moving, and preaching with power, and the Holy Spirit), Satan still hinders Paul's desires. Listen carefully, because this is very important: When you are doing ministry, you will find that there are times when all your plans are developing right before your eyes. Everything lines up with your desires to see the shape of your ministry goals come about. You are moving along, and the Holy Spirit seems to literally be paving a road for you that is exciting, peaceful, miraculous, and overflowing with tangible fruit. It is very tasty fruit. This is very important, because this is a critical point--it is at these times that you can forget that you are in a spiritual battle, and though you are in ministry, Satan can hinder your plans to do certain things when unsaved people come against you. The spirit that is at work in the sons of disobedience, compels them to oppose God and His truth. Your ministry could be anything. It could be pastoring, but it could be any area where you proclaim, and live out, the truth. God has given pastors a Biblical vision to preach the word, and to nurture the church in our generation. God has given you, (if you are a Christian parent), a vision to raise up your children in the love and admonition of the Lord. Now you might consider yourself to be just a normal kind of person. Well, that's good. Paul called himself a nobody, and the least of the apostles. You are in good company. Every Christian is a minister, and every Christian is just a normal kind of person. But, the point is, you don't really know how to categorize yourself in terms of ministry. You just know that you have a desire to help people in biblical ways. So what happens is, we go along in these things, and everything may be going just as planned; but then some hitches come. The hitches don't necessarily mean you have missed God, (which a lot of times, this is the first thing people think) or the Holy Spirit is not in your ministry, or all these kinds of knee jerk reaction things. The Hitches that the Holy Spirit is talking to us about this morning, are the results of Satan's lost domain coming against you. It can be traced to the serpent in the garden of Eden. He was a liar from the beginning. He is a liar now, and he will lie about you. He wants to destroy you and your ministry. His job is to reek havoc, and he does. One thing he does is hinder God's servants in times that we think are critical. But we must remember that God is in control. We must understand that God took the apostles away in His sovereign plan. God allowed Satan to hinder Paul from getting back, in His same sovereign plan. If you are a Christian parent, you have the ministry of raising up your children in the love and admonition of the Lord. This is your responsibility according to God's word. So, this is what we want to do. If you are like Laura and I, then you will have all these wonderful plans on how to do it; but as you go about the task, the unsaved world, (motivated by their spiritual leader, Satan), will continuously, and relentlessly try to throw roadblocks out to hinder you. How many of you realize that at this time, it is illegal in the European Union to hug or kiss your child without permission from the apostate government. You see, they are responding to a plague of pedophilia, (which God defines as sin--not sinful society, which defines nothing but philosophical preferences that change from one day to the next) but what the EU is also doing is attacking the family relationship that God designed. God does not say that you need permission to show godly, healthy, affection to your children. Isaac told Jacob to come forward and kiss him, and Jacob did. It is a show of affection that is not sin. When Joseph finally revealed himself to his brothers, he kissed all of them. Paul says more than once in the New Testament to greet one another with a holy kiss. How many of you realize that spanking is illegal in many countries? Just last year, Portugal, Chile, Uruguay, Venezuela, Spain, New Zealand, and the Netherlands, made it illegal to spank your kids. Do you think the United States (the wrongly so-called Christian nation) is very far outside this kind of trend? Think again. By the way, there are 15 other countries, where it is illegal to spank your kids. But God says over and over in proverbial wisdom mandated for godly parents;
"He who withholds his rod hates his son, But he who loves him disciplines him diligently." Proverbs 13:24
"Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child; The rod of discipline will remove it far from him." Proverbs 22:15
"The rod and reproof give wisdom, But a child who gets his own way brings shame to his mother." Proverbs 29:15
"Do not hold back discipline from the child, Although you strike him with the rod, he will not die." Proverbs 23:13
In Godless Germany it is illegal for you to school your children at home. If you do, they will steal away your children that God has entrusted to you. God made you their parents--not the false god government. But this is the will and way of the domain of darkness. In California it is illegal to home school your children without a teaching credential from the anti-Christ government. You see, Satan and his people, will try to tell you that they can teach your children about life better than you can, and so they demand that you do it their way. It doesn't matter if your kids outshine the government schooled masses in the academic tests. Academic achievement has never been the issue, because it can not be. Government schools always lose. What is the real issue is whether the godless state can control you and your child to be indoctrinated in the Satanic religion of secular humanism. The same lost world culture will tell your children to experiment with immorality. But, they go further than that. They say there is no real standard of what is moral or immoral, and yet they pretend to make laws concerning sexual activities as if they are supposed to be immoral. The world will tell your children that they have evolved from apes; so that means that they are telling your children that they are merely another kind of monkey--just a little smoother and smarter animals than their ancestors. The religion of Evolutionary Theory does not say that man was made in the image of God. It says that man was made in the image of, well ... monkeys. Satan will tell your children it is okay to kill little babies in the womb--that the Bible is fiction, and all kinds of other deadly morsels of Satanic poison. All these are hindrances. The point is that in our ministries, whether we are evangelists, church planters, missionaries of all types, which means parents too--(whatever you do in ministry unto the Lord), Satan will be around to hinder you and you should expect it. Every single day is a spiritual battle. The Scriptures explain to us that our warring adversary that we battle against with Christ in us, is the devil; but here is the most important part that I want us to really grasp--the same Scriptures explain to us that the devil does not ultimately stop God's plans. While we are ministering in this world, we must always keep in mind that God has a bigger picture of all that is going on than we do. So, when we recognize that Satan has hindered us, we should keep in mind that it is a sign that we are doing God's will, and God's decreed will is never thwarted. But even after we know this to be true, we still need to be encouraged. Why? Because it is a faith walk, and we are weak humans, and so we need to be encouraged in our faith.
/2/
This leads to the second thing I want us to notice; There are times that we, as the body of Christ, need encouragement concerning the affliction. God knows this, so God has mandated encouragement to come from two areas:
{a} Encouragement comes from the body of Christ,
{b} Encouragement comes from His word.
Both are products of the Holy Spirit. A lot of Christians miss this, and it grieves the Holy Spirit. They will focus on one and diminish their need for the other. Paul says,
3:1 Therefore when we could endure it no longer, we thought it best to be left behind at Athens alone, 2 and we sent Timothy, our brother and God's fellow worker in the gospel of Christ, to strengthen and encourage you as to your faith, 3 so that no one would be disturbed by these afflictions; for you yourselves know that we have been destined for this. 4 For indeed when we were with you, we kept telling you in advance that we were going to suffer affliction; and so it came to pass, as you know."
@2 God wants me to ______________ and encourage other Christians in their faith. (1 Thess. 3:1)
Because Paul and the other apostles are being thwarted by Satan in their own afflictions, the Thessalonians could be discouraged. Everyone was getting hammered. You see, the question comes:
"Is this what Christianity is really like?"
And the answer is,
"Yes, this is part of it right now--at least until Christ comes, or we die first and go to be with Him."
{a}
So, knowing this, we do the first thing of being the body for the body by encouraging one another from faith to faith in our hard experiences. We remember that the Thessalonians have famous faith. What Paul wants, is for the Thessalonians to be strengthened and encouraged as to their faith that they already have. Paul calls it your faith, because they have the faith already. But, Paul does not want them to be disturbed, so he sends Timothy. What Paul is doing is practicing the principle of building up the body with the body. It is the same principle that you should be practicing.
If you are someone who claims to be a Christian, and you are tearing down the members of the body, then make no mistake about it; You are doing the work of Satan. If you are a gossipy, divisive, back biting, person who sows seeds of discord among the body, then you are doing the work of Satan.
The theme of this sermons is; Afflictions for Christ should encourage me in my faith; and if the family of God is being afflicted by you, then you are not encouraging them, which means that you are in sin, and you need to repent. To serve God by the Spirit in manifesting real love, is how to fight the battle for your Lord. God wants you to be a builder. When Timothy gets to the Thessalonians, he starts building. He encourages them in their suffering, which is suffering that is compounded by the absence of the apostles (who are also suffering). The point is that when we get discouraged, we need encouragement from solid members of the body. God wants you to be the encourager. God wants you to be a Timothy to every Christian you know. This is your ministry. Don't say you don't have a ministry. You are called to encourage the body in the faith. This is what the Holy Spirit does. But, God uses the body to minister to itself through its various members (which is you). You can pray for other members of the body. You can comfort others members when they are going through stress because of the sinfulness of the world. You can bring words of encouragement from the word of God. So, in the great spiritual war, don't say you don't have a ministry, because you do. The real question is:
Am I being a good soldier?
Am I being obedient by building up the other members of the body?
Or;
Am I ministering for the enemy, by tearing the other members down. Am I ungracefully critical of other Christians?
A good question to ask is:
Do I want them to be just as ungraceful with me as I am with them?
The answer to that question will preach a million words on whether you are an ally with the battle worn army that is around you, and whether you are doing the work of your Lord by encouraging Christians in their faith while we are all in the midst of the great war field of life. So, the first thing is that God uses the body to encourage the body. If you don't understand church as the family of God community, where you are supposed to experience body life with your brothers and sisters that you really know about because God wants you to; and care about because God wants you to; and are committed to because God wants you to ; then this part is a foreign language to you, and if that is the case, then you need to get back into biblical Christianity, and quit playing religious games. You need to repent and let God change your life into a biblical Christian.
{b}
The next thing that God uses is the proper doctrine. Directly after Paul says that Timothy, who is a part of the body, was sent to encourage and strengthen the body, Paul says,
"... for you yourselves know that we have been destined for this. 4 For indeed when we were with you, we kept telling you in advance that we were going to suffer affliction; and so it came to pass, as you know." 1 Thessalonians 3:3-4
Knowing the facts beforehand really helps doesn't it? This is why it is important that you be transformed by the renewing of your mind with the word of God. When we do so, all we are doing is conforming our thinking to the mind of Christ in accord with the Holy Spirit that is in us. The Thessalonians already had proper doctrine. They knew that the apostles were destined for these hardships. They share with them in the hardships. Prophetically, they knew that the apostles were going to suffer affliction. They also know that this demonstrates the word of God. Right here is why being discipled in classic Christianity is so important. It is important to know the prophetic word of God in respect to these things so when they happen to you, you aren't wondering why some strange thing is occurring. God's word, for example, tells us beforehand,
"12 Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted." 2 Timothy 3:12
@3 All who desire to live __________ in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. (2 Timothy 3:12)
Peter explains the doctrine this way,
"12 Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you; 13 but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, ... 14 If you are reviled [insulted] for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. ... if anyone suffers as a Christian, he is not to be ashamed, but is to glorify God in this name. ... 19 Therefore, those also who suffer according to the will of God shall entrust their souls to a faithful Creator in doing what is right." 1 Peter 4:12-19
@4 As I suffer as a Christian, I should not be ______________. (1 Peter 4:12-19)
Do you see how important this doctrine is to get settled in our hearts very early in our Christian walk? Based on the word of God, you can look around at what is going on and say,
"Of course this is happening. This is the way it is for Christians among a wicked generation."
Or you can act like you are a civilian victim, and say,
"What strange thing is coming upon me?"
But God wants us to be saying:
"God's word tells me that I should expect this. Thank you God for proving your word over and over again through persecution. Lord, you told me this would happen, so I thank you that I am suffering as a Christian, and not as an evil doer. This is just more proof that you are using me, and I thank you."
When we look to God's encouragement from His word, we realize that God has told us what to expect, and, ultimately, we know that whatever happens, God loves you and He's using you in the midst of it all.
/3/
This leads to the third thing I want us to notice. It is that being grounded in the doctrines of affliction for Christ at the outset is important because the tempter can tempt us to improperly understand the affliction that is going on. Paul says,
"5 For this reason, when I could endure it no longer, I also sent to find out about your faith, for fear that the tempter might have tempted you, and our labor would be in vain." 1 Thessalonians 3:5
Paul already knows about the faith of the Thessalonians in respect to eternal spiritual salvation, because Paul knows that faith is a grace enablement of God to those whom he saves. Paul also knows that their faith is famous, right? Paul wanted to find out whether they really did need to be strengthened and encouraged in their faith in respect to the affliction things that Paul had told them to expect. Remember, the Thessalonians already know that the apostles have been destined for this. He kept laboring, and telling them that they were going to suffer affliction, and they did. So listen carefully, because this is so important--The point is that even though you know these things in advance, and such doctrinal knowledge is key for a right thinking process in the midst of the storm, the tempter will come. Two things can happen when the tempter comes in times of trial:
We either collapse in an apparent spiritual crises because we are not appropriating what we know to be true doctrinally.
Or;
We get hit, and though we sway a little bit from the initial impact, we stand strong in our convictions because our faith remains strong in respect to the doctrinal fact that what we are going through is to be expected.
It is classic Christianity, so we put our faith in What God is telling us from His word, and we trust the God over circumstance instead of in the affliction of our circumstances. How many of you know what orthodoxy means? Your orthodoxy is your doctrine. Now, how many of you know what orthopraxy is? Your orthopraxy is the outworking of the doctrine. This is what Paul was curious about. He wanted to find out whether the Thessalonians had really learned the doctrine as more than a textbook teaching. He wanted to know whether they had been showing that they had faith in the doctrinal reality of suffering as a saint at the point when it matters the most--which is the time you are actually scared, and you are cornered, and you are crying out. This is what we all need. All of us need to recognize that suffering for being a Christian is more than a theory. We need to be ready for the tempter at the critical moment. It is at the critical moment, when it gets almost unbearable, that temptation to question God, rather than believe the doctrine, can come, and it will throw you off kilter. Doctrine will drive your actions, but the engine will only run when you believe, understand, and then practice what is preached.
/4/
This leads to the fourth thing I want us to notice. The faith that others demonstrate in affliction, comforts and edifies the rest of the body. Paul says,
"6 But now that Timothy has come to us from you, and has brought us good news of your faith and love, and that you always think kindly of us, longing to see us just as we also long to see you, 7 for this reason, brothers, in all our distress and affliction we were comforted about you through your faith; 8 for now we really live, if you stand firm in the Lord." 1 Thessalonians 3:6-8
Paul found out that the Thessalonians are doing well in their faith walk. They are not thinking they were abandoned, or that some strange thing has come upon them. The reality is that God's power worked in them. The discipleship of the apostles stood strong in their hearts. Their faith is strong. Their attitude in Christ is strong. The fruits of God's Spirit are there--faith and love and thinking kindly of the absent apostles in their affliction is all there. Through Timothy's report, Paul knows these wonderful nuggets of good news, so he says,
"For this reason..." (he is comforted.)
This is the point we want to glean. The reason is: Because of faith and love that others demonstrate in affliction, then other members of the body are comforted as a principle. Paul was heavily concerned for the Thessalonians in his own affliction. But now the encouraging news is so strong, that he says,
"8 for now we really live, if you stand firm in the Lord."
Paul knows they stand firm in the Lord. So, why does Paul use, "if" in this statement? He says, for now we live, if you stand firm in the Lord. Paul is using an idiomatic expression in the Greek. It is a figure of speech. Paul starts out using a figure of speech in the first part of the sentence where he says, now we live. But, of course, they are already actually alive. It's a figure of speech. In the same way, Paul says something that is already true in the last part of the sentence too; if you stand firm in the Lord. This particular figure of speech actually has a name. It is called a first class conditional statement. What this means, is that the "if" is assumed. This expression was quickly and readily known to the original recipients of this letter. It is clearer when we read it the way the NIV renders it as a dynamic equivalent:
"8 For now we really live, since you are standing firm in the Lord." (1 Thessalonians 3:8 NIV)
So what is the point? The point is that when you are standing firm in the Lord, you are building up the rest of the body around you. They are reading you like an unbreakable, living, epistle of Christ. In their own tribulations, they may sway a little, but they can see that others are standing firm in the fact that persecution, and hardships for Christ are not to be seen as faith destroyers, but as opportunities to turn to God in total reliance upon Him in the midst of our circumstances. This builds up the body, and that is what God wants. And the rest of the body will really live in encouragement and edification, knowing that others in the body are standing firm in the Lord.
/5/
The last thing I want us to notice is that even though you may have intense faith in affliction, and you may even be encouraging others with your firm faith stance, there is still room to complete what is lacking in your faith.
"10 as we night and day keep praying most earnestly that we may see your face, and may complete what is lacking in your faith?" 1 Thessalonians 3:10
Paul still wants to get there to the Thessalonians. Paul knows that there is always work to be done among the body. Even if the body is working, and even if it has famous faith, it constantly needs cultivating and nurturing. This is why pastors should also listen to sermons instead of only preaching themselves all the time. Pastors are not men who have arrived to some super spiritual level of Christianity. I have not arrived at some super spiritual level. Missionaries have not arrived to some kind of super height of spirituality either. Paul the apostle was always indicating that he had not arrived in growth and ministry. The longer I am in ministry, and the more I study, the more I realize that there is always something else to learn. There seems to be a new revelation of something lacking in my faith that takes me completely by surprise. There is always more needed growth in my life. So when we look at this, we see that the Christian walk always confronts us in the place that lives in reality, which is our faith. The Thessalonians had the faith. We see it all through our passage, In 3:2; Paul says,
"... encourage you in your faith ..." 1 Thessalonians 3:2
In 3:5, Paul says;
"... find out about your faith, ..." 1 Thessalonians 3:5
In 3:6, Paul says;
"Timothy ... has brought us good news of your faith ..." 1 Thessalonians 3:6
In 3:7 Paul says;
"... in all our distress and affliction we were comforted about you through your faith;" 1 Thessalonians 3:7
In 3:10 Paul says
"... we night and day keep praying most earnestly that we may see your face, and may complete what is lacking in your faith?" 1 Thessalonians 3:10
So, like you and me, and all true Christians, the Thessalonians already have faith, but the point is that there is always room to complete what may be lacking.
I encourage you this morning, in this great faith issue, to be prepared beforehand. Be recognizing that afflictions for Christ should encourage you in your faith. Afflictions hurt, but there is hope in the hurt. But to truly understand what is going on, we must understand that there is a spiritual battle. Be ready by expecting Satan to hinder some of your ministry plans. Hitches will come. Persecution comes to all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus. Recognize every single day as a true spiritual battle. Don't let your guard down. Also, be recognizing that there are times that we, as the body of Christ, need encouragement. God wants the encouragement to come from you. Be an encourager instead of a discourager. It is real activity in the Holy Spirit. Don't you want to be known for faith that is famous? Then be ready with the doctrine. Get grounded in the doctrines of affliction for Christ at the outset, because when the critical time comes, (and it will), the tempter can tempt you to improperly understand the affliction that is going on. Don't be caught doing the ignorant thing. Don't do like Peter says, and ask, "What is this strange thing that is happening to me that is testing my faith?" Remember that you are a demonstration of either lack of faith or of the solid faith walk to others. Be aware that the faith that you demonstrate in affliction, comforts and edifies the rest of the body. Always see yourself as a minister, and a living letter that it being read by others. Finally, be remembering that even though you may have intense faith in affliction, and you may be encouraging others with your firm faith stance, there is always room to complete what is lacking in your faith. There is always room for more.
@1 _________ tries to hinder your ministry. (1 Thess. 2-17-18)
@2 God wants me to ______________ and encourage other Christians in their faith. (1 Thess. 3:1)
@3 All who desire to live __________ in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. (2 Timothy 3:12)
@4 As I suffer as a Christian, I should not be ______________. (1 Peter 4:12-19)
