- 00:07
- Turn in your Bibles to the third chapter of the first Thessalonians Wherefore when we could no longer forbear
- 00:29
- We thought it good to be left at Athens alone Joy, what's the aim of a godly man?
- 00:50
- to live a godly life Leave all questions of happiness alone
- 01:05
- Now the situation may bring happiness, that'd be good It may bring cares and sorrows, that's still good
- 01:15
- It'll bring in either case Only good only
- 01:24
- Now there are some among us this morning that it's hard to see the good but it's there and Sent Timotheus our brother and minister of God and our fellow laborer in the gospel of Christ To establish you and to comfort you concerning your faith
- 01:53
- It appears that Timothy was very young when he was saved He had now have been some years in the work of God Paul therefore calls him our brother
- 02:10
- Being one of the same Christian family a son of God by adoption
- 02:18
- Elsewhere in his writings he calls him his own son three
- 02:25
- That no man Should be moved by these afflictions
- 02:32
- For yourselves know that we are appointed there unto now
- 02:43
- There's always a danger By reason of the affliction
- 02:53
- Persecution the devil first of all joy
- 03:04
- We we find across the country so many people Fighting the devil
- 03:14
- Well, how can I? word this It's not the devil's is it the devil's business to keep you from being saved
- 03:29
- But that's where we are That's what we think It's a battle between the devil and God for your soul but the people
- 03:50
- He's a subtle subtle tempter Who seeks an opportunity to trick and destroy us even though he cannot touch our soul, but he never tells us that Yes, that's right
- 04:29
- And now So many Christians so many churchgoers
- 04:37
- Are taught that the devil is trying to keep you from being saved and God's trying to save you
- 04:46
- That's worldwide theology But notice here in this third verse
- 04:55
- Paul does not want any of them to slip back into their old ways
- 05:03
- So it was a problem in Paul's day as well as ours It's the devil's design to hinder the good fruit of the gospel
- 05:17
- Either on those teachings or any success it may have no one
- 05:23
- Likes to labor in vain Now isn't it strange
- 05:31
- That the devil in all of his tempting us Cannot work anything bad
- 05:45
- Is that right or wrong? That's right now
- 06:05
- Maybe your sewer has been blown all over your house Maybe your air conditioner has quit with no apparent reason
- 06:20
- All of that may be true But who did it start with?
- 06:27
- Who sent it first? God did It's so easy when we see something going wrong to to question
- 06:40
- God in the original state of everything
- 06:52
- We say on one hand we we teach and we preach that God's in control.
- 06:57
- God runs this world as he pleases But then as soon as something happens and I dislike it,
- 07:05
- I blame the devil But there's a more outstanding words in that third
- 07:18
- Chapter the third verse Let me find it
- 07:35
- What did you do with the third verse here That no man should be moved by these afflictions for yourselves know
- 07:47
- That we are appointed there unto What's that mean
- 07:53
- David? Absolutely If we could comprehend that this morning in this session and really understand it
- 08:13
- Not just say we do but really understand
- 08:19
- That all of it originated with God Yes, yes, yes, absolutely
- 09:19
- That's right now What is Satan's overall design for man
- 09:43
- Do you think that he His design for say
- 09:50
- Russell Stalwart Christian is to take him down to hell
- 10:03
- Yes That's right
- 10:09
- What is his goal all right, he's fighting
- 10:19
- Christ Fighting against Jesus Christ, that's so right
- 10:39
- That's Right Yes We live in a house the fleshly house
- 10:55
- That is totally dedicated to him but We are to make
- 11:06
- Not let make it serve us Say it again
- 12:14
- That's so good Yes, I'm sitting here with goosebumps all over me
- 12:37
- It is so important well
- 12:53
- The devil cannot take us to hell That no man
- 12:59
- Should be moved by these afflictions No, man should be moved
- 13:06
- What does he mean Greg? Now you should not be moved because you know
- 13:24
- That you were appointed for this Catastrophe it came just when it was supposed to Greg No That's kind of hard to To comprehend when
- 13:48
- I'm standing knee -deep in the sewer What?
- 13:58
- No All right. The devil's design is to hinder the good fruit of the gospel
- 14:08
- Now, where do we see that fruit? Russell Well that the devil is going to it's his design to destroy
- 14:25
- The good fruit of the gospel Where do we see the gospel the good fruit?
- 14:38
- Yes Only the believers Can produce good fruit?
- 14:48
- Everything that comes from God to the saved and the unsaved alike is good it's good for the church good for the believers
- 14:59
- And that's where we see it because we're trapped in this human body In the original state of everything
- 15:24
- The Original state is good because it comes from God or he does not control this world one of the other
- 15:33
- We know that's not true We are Appointed it's part of God's gracious plan
- 15:43
- That his people in this world should suffer trials Now I read that I read it to myself
- 15:55
- I teach it But still I slip back
- 16:01
- Paul says don't do that Christians should see and Acknowledge the hand of God in their trials as well as in their mercies
- 16:19
- Never be led by them to renounce their confidence in him or their devotion to his service
- 16:28
- Now David can you be led to renounce him? No for verily
- 16:40
- When we were with you, we told you before that we should suffer tribulation
- 16:46
- Even as it came to pass and you know Believers are under a divine appointment from God himself.
- 17:06
- I Thought it was so strange Greg when you came with the report this morning And I've been planning all of this
- 17:15
- I would have said same thing if you hadn't been here Except change the circumstances a little but that just points out exactly what
- 17:24
- Paul is telling us Believers are under a divine appointment from God himself
- 17:38
- To undergo trouble and affliction The ultimate design of believers is to rest
- 17:50
- Enter into my rest says the Lord God hath not appointed them unto wrath but to obtain salvation
- 18:05
- But for the present our ordained destination of God Is to be troubled
- 18:15
- This prepares us so that we can rest Yes No That's right well
- 19:00
- This prepares us to rest Seeing them that afflictions are appointed to us and we appointed to them
- 19:10
- Seeing there's a decree of God's God concerning them a decree as to the matter of them as To the manner of them as to the measure of them as to the time of them
- 19:28
- When they shall commence How far they shall advance? How long they shall continue?
- 19:37
- Seeing everything in affliction is under an appointment and if we see that that ought to make us so humble and Submissive as a
- 19:54
- Christian and with what firmness of belief may
- 20:01
- And ought he to look up to heaven for a sanctified use and improvement of them
- 20:08
- Let no man be moved by afflictions Knowing we are appointed there unto five for this cause when
- 20:29
- I could no longer forbear I Sent to know your faith lest by some means
- 20:36
- The tempter have tempted you and our labor was in vain
- 20:47
- All Now he knows God controls things he knows that they're under the influence of the
- 20:56
- Lord But he still is a little bit doubtful about some of the people
- 21:04
- You may hear men say that they were born into the kingdom of God Just like Columbus was born
- 21:15
- Into the land of America He saw the shore but look at the maps that they drew you'd laugh if you could see the maps
- 21:29
- What did they know about the shoreline or of the rivers or this vast continent?
- 21:38
- This had to be explored Men think that men think they are born into the kingdom of God When they experience joy and happiness, they think they are saved
- 21:55
- They hope they are going to be saved But if they are it'll be through much tribulation
- 22:06
- What would you think of a child that would go into a school? And become overjoyed because he had an education
- 22:20
- He could say thank God. I have my education He got it simply because he entered a schoolhouse
- 22:35
- I'm a Christian Now I'll learn You are a
- 22:42
- Christian now, you will learn learn to suffer heartache
- 22:50
- Tribulation joy, that's about all they know being a
- 22:58
- Christian Now I'm not against you being happy and myself being happy and having a good time
- 23:07
- When I meet with David over coffee, we have a good time Very seldom does he
- 23:15
- Bawl me out In six but now when
- 23:24
- Tim Timotheus came from you unto us Brought us good tidings of your faith and charity
- 23:32
- And that you have good remembrance of us always desiring greatly to see us as We also to see you now
- 23:47
- I Want you to remember something I want you to remember what we've taught this morning, but especially this when bad news comes too late
- 24:03
- To help your neighbor Keep it to yourself when bad news comes too late
- 24:15
- To be any of any help to the neighbor Then keep it to yourself
- 24:22
- Seven therefore brethren We were comforted over you in all your affliction and distress by your faith
- 24:33
- For now we live If we stand fast in the
- 24:38
- Lord. I Used to work for a man That when you were out of sight you didn't exist
- 24:50
- When you went home at night or the weekend you just didn't exist Until you were at it at his work
- 25:01
- Now that man was looking to the fleshly not the spiritual
- 25:10
- He was living for himself only Nine for what things
- 25:26
- Can we render to God again for you? For all of the joy wherewith we joy for your sakes before our
- 25:34
- God Now when we are most joyful we should be most thankful When we are most afflicted we should be most joyful Greg you have supplied us with a
- 26:01
- Concrete illustration To teach us this morning over that that occurred at your house
- 26:14
- It'll be a long time getting over that Getting everything back like it should be the smell is gone
- 26:27
- Ten night and day praying exceedingly that we might see your face
- 26:33
- And might perfect that which is lacking in your faith.
- 26:38
- Well, what does Paul mean? that David that he wants to To Strengthen them in faith
- 26:50
- For that that is lacking I Thought he'd just been to this
- 26:56
- Thessalonians That's right
- 27:21
- The word implies full development growth into maturity of godliness
- 27:27
- Not sinless perfection What's the difference in sinless perfection and maturity?
- 27:39
- David That's right
- 28:29
- Yes, I Guess well,
- 28:39
- I know that in the most learned The most
- 28:48
- Deep thinking Christian in the world still has a deficiency
- 28:55
- Now, why do we know that Russell Well, why why are we still deficient in?
- 29:09
- something Spiritually, it's because we're trapped in this body
- 29:31
- It lends itself to the evil As faith cometh by hearing
- 29:40
- So it is confirmed by hearing also Now God himself and our father and our
- 29:51
- Lord Jesus Christ Direct our way unto you the best of men
- 29:57
- Have something lacking Maybe some doctrine or some deeper meaning of a doctrine another words all are yet in need of learning
- 30:12
- I Hope as long as I can live and many years afterwards
- 30:17
- That none of us get to the point that we are beyond learning That's one thing that makes our coffee so good that we can learn something new each one of us
- 30:34
- It's so heartbreaking to find a
- 30:41
- Active church member that does not need to learn and the world is full of them.
- 30:47
- This town is full of People going to church this morning that think they don't need to learn
- 30:58
- Worse than that. They don't know that they need to learn Twelve and the
- 31:19
- Lord make you to increase And I'm bound in love toward one another and toward all men even as we do toward you
- 31:35
- We find all Praise that he may see their face
- 31:41
- He asks that they by the will of God have a prosperous Journey He knew that We move and live in God But even
- 31:59
- Paul did not know what would happen the next day David turned to Acts 17 28 and read it to me
- 32:34
- Or in him we live Joy, there's the in him again
- 32:42
- In God Thirteen To the end that he may establish your hearts unblameable in holiness
- 32:52
- Before God even our father at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints
- 33:01
- Know that growth and grace is accomplished with stability
- 33:13
- When you grow in faith, you're more stable We must act in everything so that we may not in the least contradict the profession that we make
- 33:36
- Suffering I Hate to say it Suffering is the cement that holds us together
- 33:47
- Don't come unglued All right.
- 34:01
- Let me hear some discussion from the class Yes, that's right
- 34:48
- That's right How do you know that we will return with him in in the perfected state?
- 35:05
- All right We'll be we'll be out of this body Then we can be perfect No You cannot be perfect in this body.
- 35:19
- No matter how hard you try That's right
- 35:35
- That's That's right. All right anything else
