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

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 of 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 and Work 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 that 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

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 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 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 you want 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 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 life 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 want to 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

I mean, 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 and 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 in 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 in 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 agape 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.

No, it's too much and 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

Why because Satan will divide and conquer and destroy Fuse 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. Well, none of that matters anymore and you go through it together the only way that can happen is if you grow and Increase in a bound 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

It's a lot better around here with y 'all here and bill laughs and said well 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

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 sometimes

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 things 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 in 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

Up 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 in it 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 and 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 here in 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 love boat right in the middle of love boat

And the rapture come that's how you'll enter heaven now why he thought love boat 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 love boat, 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 We'll 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 at 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 We'll be unblameable and holy and look him 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.

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 I'm blameable 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.

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 gap 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 and 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 and the young men by the way, did you notice how our doors are not multicolor 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 Before the ladies got involved, that'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 Well, that's great.