Book of 1 Thessalonians - Ch. 3, Vs. 9-13 (01/13/2002)

The Prayer for the Thessalonian Converts

All right, the first Thessalonians. I started on About verse 8 last time and tried to make it through the end of the Chapter 3 and then brother Otis covered chapter 4 last time. So I want to finish what I started which is still at the end chapter 3.

So, I guess that means brother brother Otis will start chapter 5 next time we were right about verse 10. It talks starts to talk about Paul's prayer for his converts. So let's have a word of prayer and we'll start right there.

Lord we thank you for the day already. We thank you that you will meet with us again and teach us more this afternoon. We ask you to take our hearts and minds and your arms and that we might sit at your feet the great master teacher and learn From your heart and mind.

We thank you that you've given us the written word in your Holy Spirit. That you might literally speak to our hearts. Or to continue to work in our lives of making us fit to meet you someday. We pray in Jesus name.

Amen. Well, let's just start with verse 9. And read through the end. But what thanks can we render to God again for you. For all the joy wherewith we joy for your sakes before our God. Night and day praying exceedingly now.

This is where the prayer begins. Before we before we start the prayer look at the joy that's mentioned in verse 9. That's really what the whole Lesson was about last time. I taught was it he said in verse in First Thessalonians 2 19.

He said for what is our hope our joy our crown of rejoicing. Are not even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ that is coming. So we talked about last time that the converts that God gives you in your lifetime and Also the people that you are allowed to disciple in your lifetime.

When you meet the Lord in the air those very people will be a joy to your heart and. So at the rapture, it'll be a joy. Anybody that you disciple anybody that you led to the Lord and or disciple will be a huge part of you.

The joy that you experience at that moment, but not only then but also in this life. And that's what it talked about last time. So this time let's start let's start here with verse 10 and look at the prayer that he prays night and day praying exceedingly that we might see your face and might Perfect that which is lacking in your faith.

The Trinity and the Work of Perfecting Faith

Now God himself and our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ direct our way into you. Now that's an interesting little verse it and take us off into another area of study not specifically having to do with this prayer, but it mentions the Triunity of God or the nature of God's being and so we might take a little tangent and take a look at that.

But he says now God himself and our Father and Lord Jesus Christ direct our way into you right now. We're focusing on the prayer. So he prays direct our way to you and the Lord. Make you to increase and abound in love one toward another and toward all men even as we do toward you.

To the end he may establish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God even our Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints and This begins to allude to the rapture in more than one place in chapter 3 so that last verse alludes to it also and of course the Main portion of that teachings done at the end of chapter 4.

But let's look at this prayer. The first thing is we notice that he prays exceedingly and he prays night and day. From time to time as he thinks about these people he prays for them and First prayer talks about Perfecting that which is lacking in their faith.

Paul was it was many things. He wore many hats but one of the hats was he was a great teacher and one who the Lord would use in their lives to Perfect. Now that doesn't mean make them perfect. What it means is to mature them in the faith to bring them to a more mature Understanding of the word of spiritual things and even some of the things that used to be missed mysteries that God himself revealed to Paul.

Specifically when he was out in the desert for three years with the Lord only and the Lord was teaching him these things many of Which were mysteries for thousands of years and he was called by God to reveal these things to the Saints.

So there were many things he could teach these people that they didn't have a clue about. That if he did not teach them it would take them far longer to learn on their own so part of his prayer was that he might be able to go see them face to face and teach them more of the deeper things of the Lord.

Now God himself and our Father Lord Jesus Christ direct our way to you that primarily for the purpose that he wanted a fellowship With him, but primarily to teach them more of the truth of God. Now he prays then for physical presence when possible and I would say this that as brothers and sisters.

Anytime we can be together physically, it's important and strengthening. That's why the Bible does say in Hebrews 10 25 forsake not the assembly of ourselves together as a matter of some is so much. As you see the day approaching That means the last day.

So as we're more and more to the last days, we should be together more than the church was 50 years ago. But we find the opposite is usually true. Although I like our schedule. I did a little study on the time We spend together on Sunday is at least an hour longer than it would have been if we just had the traditional Sunday morning Sunday evening services the way we do it.

We spend at least an hour longer together Than you would have and that's good because in the last days we need to physically be together as much as possible. Second thing he prayed about Was helping the babes to grow an understanding of the Lord and his word.

And he talks about Perfecting them in their faith that which is lacking in their faith now understand this from this passage That when we're saved That's one thing. But doesn't mean that each one of us have the same understanding of everything in the Bible right now that the other has.

And we never will all be because it's like in other areas of life. Some of us May enjoy studying internal security More than any other topic. Others of us may enjoy studying the gifts more than any other topic.

Some of us may enjoy just studying the The types of of the salvation of the Lord like we did this morning more than any other thing. And so whichever thing that we spend studying the more it stands reason.

We may know more a little about that than the other brothers and sisters that aren't that interested in it. Some of us are interested in studying the end times. I've never been interested in that before my whole.

I've never focused on it because I just felt like well, you know. One thing we know is it's gonna happen just like God wants it to and when he wants it. So I want to study the great doctrines of the Bible.

I want to know. I want I want to be able to To be able to study each portion of the Bible with respect to all the rest of the Bible the best they can wanna. I know I can't put God in a box, but I want to tie it together logically where I'm not Misusing any portion of Scripture so that it might contradict some other portion.

So systematic theology is interested in me my whole life. So I've neglected the study of the end times. However With September the 11th. I got very interested in it. Because we'd be there now, so I'm interested in studying that now and we'll probably do a personal study Again through it.

I know all of us many of us have studied it before but I mean studied again, but a point is Whatever you've been the most interested in you probably know a little bit more about that than some of the rest of us so just remember that the perfecting of the faith is an ongoing process don't ever be disgruntled with your brothers and sisters if they Aren't right where you are on some doctrinal issue because they may have never studied it.

Now human nature is we always act like we have. Oh, yeah. Yeah, I can debate with you about that. But I may not have even studied it in the last five years and I'm sitting here trying to debate you from my memory.

And you've looked at the verses Day and night for the last three weeks and you're really into it and you're arguing. I'm arguing with you. It's showing you where you're wrong and I hadn't even studied it in five years.

Be careful about that. Always continue to study and remember this any one of you can learn from any one of the other. We can all teach each other something that the other person hasn't even been to yet.

The Word of God is that vast? I mean there are things that God's revealing to each of us that the other hasn't even had an interest in yet. Let alone study so be patient with one another and understand none of us have yet arrived and We are in the midst of a perfecting process.

The teachers that God brings you are a big part of that. They help you grow faster than you would on your own, but never make the mistake. You could learn it all by yourself on an island with the Holy Spirit and part of the Bible.

You don't have to have a human teacher, but it helps when God brings you one and that's what Paul was saying. I mean the same Holy Spirit that inspired Paul to say I'm praying to come to you that I might perfect that which is lacking in Your faith.

Same Holy Spirit wrote the verse that John wrote when he said you have not any need than any man teach you. But he that is within you the Holy Spirit can teach you so both are true. It's just that if you have a human Teacher that is anointed by God you can grow faster.

You'll learn things a lot faster that you might not have gotten to on your own for five years two years. Whatever, but there is a sense in which that truth of each of us all together each of us can teach the other something.

We've been studying more than perhaps the other one. That's what I would learn from that verse now the second prayer that he prays. I Should say the third prayer. The first one was physical presence that I might be with you physically.

Second one was that I might help you grow and understanding. The third one is this that we grow in a goth a love toward one another. Now, I don't know if you see like I say I've never had a much of an interest in the end time study.

I mean I I was a little interested when I first got saved and I the people that disciple me had a strong position on it. I just accepted it was true and I never really studied that took it on their impetus that they had studied.

Sounded good to me and I knew all the key verses. I still know all the key verses for the different views. Millennial pre-millennial post-millennial. I know the key verses, but I had never personally studied it now I hope to in the coming days.

But but it's interesting that I've never read first and second Thessalonians before with an interest in the end times and I challenge you to do this. Go back and read first and second Thessalonians and first and second Timothy which are called the pastoral epistles which were written to show Timothy and others how a church ought to be and notice how many times it speaks of Tribulation and then a preparing of God's people to know how to go through it.

You've never noticed that if you're like me because you never read it and Understanding that it was written with kind of an end times warning now in the midst of this end times warning one of the key things that Paul exhorts them to do is to grow in Agatha a love toward each other it says in verse 12 and the Lord Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another and Toward all men even as we do toward you.

Now notice what it says the Lord make you to increase In this love and then he says to make you abound. The word abound in the Greek language literally means to super abound. It's a word that means excessive.

You know how sometimes like Somebody does something. They're just excessive in it. They just overdid it. You know, it's too much. And it's just overdone. I mean it will say they're excessive. Well, that's what this word is.

So the Lord says in the last days now if you don't believe we're talking about the last days just read the end of chapter 4. Which brother? Oh, that's already taught through but this is chapter 3 today leading up to this those who are in the last days ought to have a super abundant excessive love for each other.

Christian love for each other because if you don't Satan will bring division. All manner of division because what is he trying to do in the end times? Divide the house of God why. Because Jesus said when I come will I find the faith on the earth?

The implied answer is no. So by the time all of the tribulation is over and Jesus comes at the end of it. The implied answer to that question is there won't be any churches having church like the early church.

Anymore, why cuz Satan will divide and conquer and destroy and Confuse and twist and all of this and so in order to make if God is going to have a people rather be a small Group this little bitty is ours or whatever that will stick together.

Then we have to grow in a goth a love. What is a goth a love? It is a love that is not dependent upon the the object of the love. It's dependent upon the lover. So as you have Christ in you you can love the other even when they're not treating you absolutely, right.

Even if they hurt your heart, even if they say some little something you disagree with or whatever. You you can just be bigger than that. You can be above it. You can actually be seated in the heavenlies when none of that matters anymore and you go through it together the only way that can happen is if you grow and increase and abound in a goth a One toward another and toward all men.

Even as we do toward you now, I like that little phrase because I was looking I think I told Bill this morning and Diane and then I came up bill. I said boy, it's good to have y 'all back. I said it looks a lot better around here with y 'all here and Bill laughs and said well I may not look better, but I know what you mean.

I said no it looks better now, and I was thinking well. That's the difference between a pastor's heart and a regular person. The pastor looks and I mean, I mean it it just doesn't look right when you're missing now, I'm not you know I'm not saying I don't like Vacations because I'd like to take about a four week one myself.

So I'm not I'm not saying that. I'm just saying a pastor Loves his people. Every single one I sat up here this morning During while brother Otis was leading the singing I know I was supposed to be singing and I was trying to sing.

But I was just looking at each face behind me every all across the room and it's like my heart just. You know, there's a love there for each person. So That I think is what Paul means when he said even as we do toward you.

He's saying I want y 'all to be like that. I want you to love each other like I love each of you I God has given me and I know this and it can be a weakness on the human side, but I love everybody. Until they prove themselves wrong.

It's I guess I'm like the Constitution meant for it to be legal wise in this country. Every man woman boy and girl is innocent till proven guilty in my in my eyes. Now I can be gullible. I know that but maybe I have to have that to be the pastor.

I don't know because I truly each one of you. I love now I've noticed this you don't all just seem to be that excited about each other sometime. So I've had this little idea that I don't require my friends to be friends of my friends and that's okay.

But what Paul was saying is, you know, even as we do we wish you could be that way. We wish you could love each other. Just like I love all of you with almost a preference for each one of you at the same time if that's possible.

Wish you could be that way with every other brother and sister in this church. Even the ones that you may not personality wise be the same as you are. Well, that's what I think Paul is saying. That's what he means by growing in a coffee love because what does it copy mean has nothing to do with the person now?

Of the person nothing whatsoever. That's gonna burn off on the way up, you know, they're just a brother and a sister. Now I see the next prayer that he prays is found in verse 13 the fourth one. That hearts could be established Unblameable holy Before God look how he words it in verse 13 to the end.

He may establish your hearts. This was Paul praying asking God to do this to his disciple. He may establish your hearts Unblameable in holiness Before God even our father at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

With all his saints now in the Greek. It literally says in the midst of all of his saints in that beautiful At his coming. He will be in the midst of all of his saints and that's because not only are the those who died and went to be with the Lord in the Old Testament times and Even in times up till now to the present tense.

Not only will those who went before us Be raptured it actually says at the end of verse chapter 4 that they will come up right shortly before we go up. They will come up first. What we will not proceed them nor will we prevent them?

Nor will we go before them and that's what the Bible says at verse 18 the chapter 4 comfort One another with these things the whole context of it is that you've had loved ones pass on and you yourselves may be killed for the Lord.

Comfort yourself with this that if you are you'll be resurrected before those who are alive and still here. Comfort yourselves with these words. There is a resurrection and at that great resurrection.

We're all of the dead in Christ and those of us who alive and remain and will be changed in the air and we all go To meet and then we will come as he comes to the Mount of Olives. He will come in the midst of us.

And that's that's hallelujah ground right there. Can you even picture that I tell you if you ever get an opportunity to go to Israel? That's one of the things that will help you picture so much as you just almost picture yourself coming back with the Lord stopping Coming into that place and oh, it's it's an awesome thought.

Coming in the midst of all of his Saints, but the prayer is that your heart be unblameable and holy before God at the coming so if you are still here and When the rapture takes place and you go to be with him, how will your heart be at that moment?

I remember hearing Rocky in the middle of a sermon many times as I was able to hear him preach in different places in the country. He would say however, you are you said you may be sitting there watching loveboat right in the middle of loveboat the rapture come.

That's how you'll enter heaven. Now why he thought loveboat was particularly bad now. It's great for us today. I mean, that's what the better shows today, right but back back 20 years ago loveboat man, you know, don't be watching that.

But the whole point was that whatever state you are in. You'll be there in that same state when you meet him mentally now obviously. Physically, you're gonna the rapture is gonna burn off the old and not really burn it off.

But you know will be renewed and changed in the air. But you will still have to learn things that you neglected here. You won't arrive in a state of all knowledge like some people seem to think. So he what his prayer is that our hearts will be established while we're here that we'll study.

Study the doctrine study the great doctrine of the Bible know a little bit about Moses. So when you see him, you might recognize him, you know study study and and know enough about like what we talked about this morning.

Those little beautiful little types that the little animals gave that where they pictured what Jesus is like. Jesus has the whole package doesn't he and in the flesh we don't we don't have the whole package but in Christ we grow in graces and We gain more and more of all that he is in this life.

Paul prays that we will so that when we meet him will be unblameable and holy and looking right in the eye and not have to look down. Because I was doing such-and-such right when the rapture happened.

It's a great warning to live right every moment because you don't know when the rapture is gonna happen. No man knows the day or the hour. We can debate about it all we want to. But it's gonna surprise us when it happens no matter what it is going.

We're gonna say man it wow. This is it and you're gonna face him face to face. Will you be ashamed? Will you be holy? Will you be unblameable? Well, you know, there's a lot of things that have to happen for you to be unblameable in the sense.

This is talking about. I know our sins are forgiven or we wouldn't be facing him would we but unblameable. Means that you don't have one brother that you were thinking wrong about or bitter towards that you didn't go get right with before this Event happens not one.

It means you're absolutely Clear with the Lord in your heart the best that you can know as the Holy Spirit leads you the sins are confessed. The unclean things that have happened or confessed and brought before the Lord.

Put on that altar so to speak and then and placed on the goat and he sent off into the wilderness all of that You've taken care of in your hearts and when he comes that's what Paul's prayer was Unblameable at his Coming.

Conclusion and Closing Prayer

Well, that's where we'll stop for today that Gives us the great prayer that Paul prayed for his converts that he might be with them more physically. That they might grow and understanding of the word.

That they might grow in a goth a love one toward the other and that their hearts might be established Unblameable and holy before God and ready to meet him at any moment next time I teach. Before I go into whatever chapter I'm supposed to be in I may hit just a few points off that verse 11 because it's very interesting insight on the try you to try unity of God.

Let's pray father. We thank you for the day and the fellowship we've had together. Lord, may your may your son Jesus Christ be lifted up and praised and worshiped by us because the words You've taught us in the way you've moved in our hearts.

May we learn as brother Otis taught us this morning at the first of the day to worship first that we might be fit to Serve and not get the order mixed up. So as we go out These doors father may we remember every day not to run out and try to do a lot of things for you before we sit at your feet and worship and Lord, we thank you for that word that we've learned today.

May we live it this week and we ask it in Jesus name. I want to thank brother Clarence in the young men, by the way, did you notice how our doors are not multicolored anymore? They're the right color again and They got rid of the evidence of the vandalism that was done did a great job, by the way The men's class took care of it.

Oh good. For the ladies got involved. It's good. That's good. You mean we had a female touch on the on the painting also. I was wondering why it looks so good now, I know. Yeah. That's great. Thank you so much You.