Book of 1 Thessalonians - Ch. 3, Vs. 1-13 (12/23/2001)

Chapter 3. Wherefore, when we could no longer forbear, we thought it good to be left at Athens alone.

Paul is disturbed somewhat, so he thought it better to leave him alone here and the others go on.

Let me ask you, what is the aim of man,

John? The aim, what do we strive to do as man, or what should we do as man?

All right. To live a godly life, a life after the image and mind of God, and leave all questions of happiness alone.

Now, you may think that's a strange statement. This life can bring happiness, that's good.

This life can bring sorrow, that's good. Whether it brings sorrow or happiness, it's good.

We receive that which God has for us, good or bad.

The good and bad is in relation to what we think is good and bad.

To God, it's all good. That's hard to understand when something bad's come.

And I 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, that no man should be moved by these afflictions.

For yourself know we are appointed thereunto, and there it is.

Did you know that there are certain afflictions that were appointed for you and you alone?

Some of them we can see, some we cannot. There's always a danger of affliction.

The devil is a very subtle tempter. He seeks opportunities to trick and destroy us, even though he cannot touch our soul.

He will take advantage both in time and prosperity and adversity. So whatever is sent to us, it comes from God.

The devil is forever trying to twist it, trying to make you do that which you shouldn't.

If we live and live, if we listen to him, we'll do that which we shouldn't, even though it seems so right.

Paul does not want any of them to slip back into their old ways.

It's the devil's design to hinder the good fruit of the gospel, either on those teaching or any success that it may bring.

The devil is always trying to undermine. Now, no one likes to labor in vain.

I, of all people, don't like to spend time studying and it be in vain.

It's not in vain. If I never got to teach to anybody, it's still good.

For, for verily when we were with you, we told you before that we should suffer tribulation, even as it came to pass, and you know.

For this cause, when I could no longer forbear, I sent to know your faith, lest by some means the tempter have tempted you, and our labor be in vain.

Paul is saying that he's running a risk with these people, that they should not be slipping back into the old ways.

Now, you may hear men say they were born into the kingdom of God. My, that's a great statement, isn't it?

I was born into the kingdom of God, as though they had it all. What would you think of a child that goes to school and goes into the first grade and says, boy,

I've got my education now. We know different from that, don't we?

Did you realize it's no different than being born into the kingdom of God? For once we're born, that's the beginning.

We must study, study, study. Columbus was born into the kingdom of America.

They drew maps, and they had discovered

America. Well, it'd make you laugh if you could look at some of their maps now, because they didn't know the shoreline, they didn't know anything about the rivers and lakes, how vast the continent was.

So what did they know? They thought they knew it all. All of this had to be explored.

Men think they're born into the kingdom of God when they experience joy and happiness.

They think, oh, I'm saved now. They hope they're going to be saved, but if they are, it'll be through much tribulation.

What would you think back to that child again that got their education when they signed up for school?

They've got to experience it, they have to go through math, physics,

English, much, much tribulation. It just is not that easy.

Why is it that we don't think so when we're born into the kingdom of God?

Well, the child thinks he's got it because he's in a schoolhouse. I'm a

Christian, now I will learn, learn to suffer heartache, tribulation, joy, and that is about all that we know about Christianity is what we experience now.

Now we know about the future, but we don't really know except what we experience.

But now when Timotheus came from you unto us and brought us good tidings of your faith and charity and that you have good remembrance of us, always desiring greatly to see us as we also do you.

Let me put in an editorial here. When bad news comes to you, too late to help your neighbor, keep it to yourself.

Just don't repeat it. When bad news comes too late to help your neighbor, don't say a thing about it.

I find that's rather hard to do because you like to feel better, you like to think,

I told you so. Seven, therefore, brethren, we were comforted over you in all of our affliction and distress by your faith.

We were comforted by your faith over our affliction and were separated by who knows how many miles.

For now we live if you stand fast in the Lord. Now, Paul says,

I can live if you're standing fast. How can that be, David? So we live on if you stand fast.

For what thanks can we render to God again for you? For all of the joy we're with, we joy for your sakes before our

God. We're enjoying you before our God. When we are most joyful, we should be most thankful.

When we are most afflicted, we should be most thankful. Night and day, praying exceedingly that we might see your face and might perfect that which is lacking in your faith.

Now, there is something lacking. Paul knows it.

He knows more than he's told them. He wants to tell them more. And he says that if we could just be with you and if the time was right, we would strengthen your faith in that which is lacking.

The word implies full development, growth into maturity or godliness, not sinless perfection.

That's not what Paul was striving for. What's the difference between sinless perfection and maturity?

It's like winning the race and the race already won before you begin.

It's like winning the race and the race already won before you begin. You know the maturity is, you know you're going to get there.

And you work it and work it and work it and it does arrive at that point. But you knew you could before you ever started.

Sinless perfection is a statement that's not true. No one receives sinless perfection in this life.

Now God himself and our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ direct our way unto you. Now God himself and our

Father and our Lord Jesus Christ direct our way unto you.

The best of men has something lacking. The very best of men have a lack. Maybe some doctrine or some deeper meaning of a doctrine.

In other words, all are yet in need of learning. David, did you ever find a man that you could not teach?

Did you ever find a man that didn't want to learn? Some people think that they know it all.

They don't need to learn anymore. Preachers are notorious at this because they operate on their schooling, the papers they wrote in school, the thesis they wrote for a doctorate.

Lots of things that they can fall back on. That's not teaching.

Teaching is study and letting the

Holy Spirit reveal to you today what this says. It is so heartbreaking to find an active church member that does not want to learn.

Worse than that, they don't know, but they need to learn. And the

Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another and toward all men even as we do toward you.

Paul prays that he may see their face. He asks that they, by the will of God, have a prosperous journey.

He knew that we move and live in God. Paul knew that. I fear sometimes we don't.

In Acts 17, 28, for in him we live and move and have our being as certain also of your own poets have said for we are also his offspring.

We live and breathe and have our being in you.

How can we claim that and not know it? To the end that he may establish your hearts, unblameable in holiness before God, even our

Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all of his saints.

Now, to the end that he may establish your hearts, may establish. Greg, what does establish mean?

That's absolutely correct right out of the dictionary. You are fixed.

You don't do it yourself. You're fixed in one direction toward God and you cannot be moved.

To the end that he may establish your hearts, unblameable in holiness before God.

We are established before God in our hearts, unblameable at the coming of our

Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints. When Christ returns,

David, are we going to be with him? How do you know that?

Well, you do wonder sometimes.

We must act in everything. Maybe somebody that hasn't cleaned up the outside yet.

Well, we must act in everything so that we may not in the least contradict the profession we make.

We say we're Christians, let's act like it. Suffering is the cement that holds the church together.

Let's not become unglued. Greg, dismiss us please, sir.