1 Thessalonians – Lesson 3
1Th 2:17 But we, brethren, being taken from you for a short time in presence, not in heart, endeavoured the more abundantly to see your face with great desire.
1Th 2:18 Wherefore we would have come unto you, even I Paul, once and again; but Satan hindered us.
1Th 2:19 For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming?
1Th 2:20 For ye are our glory and joy.
We have seen that Paul greatly cared for the Thessalonians and he wanted to see them and work with them more but was hindered by Satan. Instead of being able to be in Thessalonica Paul was left in Athens alone.
If you remember Paul had to make a quick run for it and was separated from Silas.
1THESS 3:1 Wherefore when we could no longer forbear, we thought it good to be left at Athens alone;
And look at Paul’s attitude here. He did not argue with or blame God. He said we thought it good to be left in Athens alone.
This is faith and trust in action. Believing that God is with you and that the Lord knows all about what is going on. And that God has a purpose for it. Yes the wicked one caused trouble and the work was hindered.
But our Almighty God has a way of making the evil that is done against us to work together for good.
Rom 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
So Paul trusted the Lord with being left at Athens alone. And Paul preached the true God on Mars hill. Many scoffed, seeds were planted and a few believed.
Paul exposed their idolatry, and Paul called for repentance, and he preached the resurrection. I want to read just the last part of Paul’s sermon he preached in Athens.
Act 17:29 Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man’s device.
Act 17:30 And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:
Act 17:31 Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.
Act 17:32 And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked: and others said, We will hear thee again of this matter.
Act 17:33 So Paul departed from among them.
Act 17:34 Howbeit certain men clave unto him, and believed: among the which was Dionysius the Areopagite, and a woman named Damaris, and others with them.
God turned the wickedness of Paul being ran out of town into some precious souls getting saved in Athens.
God turned it around to work for good.
1THESS 3:1 Wherefore when we could no longer forbear, we thought it good to be left at Athens alone;
Paul saw the will of God at work, and Paul knew that the Thessalonians needed more instructions and more teaching of the word to get these brand new Christians grounded and since Paul could not do it, he sent Timothy.
1THESS 3:2 And sent Timotheus, our brother, and minister of God, and our fellowlabourer in the gospel of Christ, to establish you, and to comfort you concerning your faith:
Timothy stays a little while, not too long, and then joins back up with Paul.
While Christians and their work for the Lord can be hindered, and even pushed in a different direction like Paul, we are not to be moved by these afflictions.
That is moved as in attitude and purpose and drive, and effort, and steadfastness, and faithfulness.
1THESS 3:3 That no man should be moved by these afflictions: for yourselves know that we are appointed thereunto.
It is not moved as in going to Athens from Thessalonica. It is not moved as in location.
It is no man should be moved by these afflictions as in do not slow down or quit the work of the Lord.
Paul says, for yourselves know that we are appointed thereunto.
There is an adversary. Peter talks about this.
1Pe 5:7 Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.
1Pe 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
1Pe 5:9 Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.
1Pe 5:10 But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.
1Pe 5:11 To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
It is a part of the Christian life. And when we face these afflictions know that so do other Christians. You are not alone in this.
And Peter says But the God of all grace. He is with us thru it and He gives us grace and help and strengthens us thru it, and God has a way of turning it around and making it work out for good.
And Paul is telling the Thessalonians that afflictions are normal and do not let them move you.
1THESS 3:3 That no man should be moved by these afflictions: for yourselves know that we are appointed thereunto.
There are things that happen to Christians that our frail human understanding cannot grasp the reasons why. Hard things do indeed happen to good people.
Some false TV preachers will tell you otherwise. They give the idea that Christianity is to be an easy path of blessings. There is one big problem with their teaching, and that is the Bible. Over and over again the Bible teaches that those who will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.
Paul says in verse 3 that his afflictions were appointed. God ordained them. God had a purpose for them.
Our place is not to understand the reasons why hard things happen to good people. Our job is not to second guess God. It is enough to know that He is perfect and that He has a reason.
God will work it out in His timing and He has the grace we need to handle it. We are to simply have faith and stand for Jesus in spite of circumstances.
1THESS 3:4 For verily, when we were with you, we told you before that we should suffer tribulation; even as it came to pass, and ye know.
1THESS 3:5 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 labour be in vain.
Between the time Paul was ran out of town and the time that Paul wrote this letter Timothy traveled to the Thessalonians, taught them some, and traveled back to Paul. So Timothy did not stay there very long. It was months not years.
And Timothy has great news when he reports to Paul.
1THESS 3:6 But now when Timotheus came from you unto us, and brought us good tidings of your faith and charity, and that ye have good remembrance of us always, desiring greatly to see us, as we also to see you:
1THESS 3:7 Therefore, brethren, we were comforted over you in all our affliction and distress by your faith:
They were not having faith and charity because of Timothy’s teaching. Timothy found them already doing the work and walking the walk. We already seen that in Chapter 1.
Timothy found them enduring the affliction and doing the work anyway. And they had good remembrance of Paul and his team and they had a heart to Paul just as much as Paul had a heart to see them.
Hearing of their faith, and charity, and the work they were doing, and their heart for Paul and the other Gospel workers with Paul, brought Paul joy.
1THESS 3:8 For now we live, if ye stand fast in the Lord.
1THESS 3:9 For what thanks can we render to God again for you, for all the joy wherewith we joy for your sakes before our God;
Timothy brought back great news to Paul. They were living changed lives of faith and charity. This news was a comfort to Paul and he rejoiced for their sakes and gave thanks to God for them.
When faith is victorious and God gives the victory over persecution it is a cause for thankfulness and joy. And it is reason to give thanks to God for it.
God works in circumstances and God works in hearts and He empowers and strengthens and helps. So when you see someone be victorious over the afflictions, then the right thing to do is give thanks to the Lord.
Because without God’s grace and without Him working, there can be no victory.
Jesus said without me ye can do nothing.
The Lord was working in and thru the Thessalonians and this make Paul thankful and full of rejoicing before God. And it made Paul want to do more for them and teach them more.
1THESS 3:10 Night and day praying exceedingly that we might see your face, and might perfect that which is lacking in your faith?
Faith is like a muscle. It grows stronger with use. The Thessalonians have shown that they had grown a lot. They were doing good and there faith was being talked about and they were being an example to others.
And yet Paul wanted to perfect that which is lacking in their faith. Getting saved happens in a moment. Growing into a mature Christian takes time.
The Thessalonians had not been saved very long and they have grown a lot, they are doing a lot. But they like all of us still have more growing to do.
Faith touches all parts of our lives. We might be strong in the faith in some areas and weaker in others. There is not a person alive that does not have room to grow in the faith. Let us not be lifted up in pride. We need to realize that our faith can always be increased. None of us have arrived yet. We need to humbly pray to God that He will increase our faith that we might do more to honor Him.
Paul wanted to see them continue to grow in faith more and more.
1THESS 3:11 Now God himself and our Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ, direct our way unto you.
1THESS 3:12 And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men, even as we do toward you:
This was Paul’s desire and prayer for the Thessalonian believers. This also applies to all believers.
We are to increase in love one toward another. Our love is to abound toward each other. To abound is to have or possess in great quantity. That is a lot of love.
And this love is not to be limited to our brethren. The verse says, “and toward all men”. We are also to have a great abounding love for the lost.
Paul was not asking them to do something that he was not doing. He says, “even as we do toward you”. Paul had given them a great example by showing this kind of love toward them, and the lost. Paul gave his life to win the lost.
Paul not only gave them a great example, but he also tells how to accomplish this. He tells us in this verse were to get the power to love like this.
He wrote, “and the Lord make you to increase and abound in love.” We need to rely on Him and ask Him to enable us to love the saved and the lost with a great abounding love.
We need to be showing forth the Love of Christ.
1THESS 3:12 And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men, even as we do toward you:
1THESS 3:13 To the end he may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints.
Paul ends chapter 3 with mentioning once again that Jesus is coming back. This is the third time so far that Paul has told them that Jesus is coming back.
This is the theme of 1st Thessalonians.
In Chapter 1 it was to wait for his Son from heaven, and the context of that was how to wait for Jesus to return. We are not to wait sitting on the sidelines. You properly wait by being busy living for Jesus and doing His will.
In Chapter 2 it was about the crown of rejoicing in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming. Jesus is coming with rewards.
So it was wait and watch for Jesus coming by doing, and then Jesus is coming with rewards
And here in Chapter 3 it is rely upon Jesus to work in you and thru you so that He may establish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God. And you want to be found that way when He comes back.
So wait and watch by doing, there are rewards when He comes, and this great truth, it is a heart matter.
Let God do a work in your heart, so that your heart is prepared for His coming.
Jesus is coming again. The date is not the issue and not the point.
The point is how we as His children are to live, and we are to live like Jesus is coming and He could come today.
1THESS 3:13 To the end he may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints.
Paul is bringing up having your hearts unblameable in holiness before God.
What does that look like?
I mean in a real practical sense what does that entail?
Like Paul so often does, after he brings up a subject he will go deeper into it and give more details about it.
And that is what Paul does next.
We will start to look at that next time.
See more lessons from 1 Thessalonians