Just a Thought! - 29 April 2013

"as we night and day keep praying most earnestly that we may see your face, and may complete what is lacking in your faith? Now may our God and Father Himself and Jesus our Lord direct our way to you; and may the Lord cause you to increase and abound in love for one another, and for all people, just as we also do for you; so that He may establish your hearts without blame in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all His saints." (1 Thessalonians 3:10-13)

In the previous verses Paul expressed his joy at the good report of the faith of the Thessalonian church. But his desire is more than just hearing good news about them, he wants to be reunited with them and for them to grow spiritually. In the same way that he worked night and day when he was with them (cf. 2:9), he now prays for them night and day. Join me as we look closer at his prayer.

Prayer of Submission, Love and Faith

Paul's prayer is first of all the be reunited with the church in Thessalonica. To Paul, his relationship with them was not a casual one, as if he had done the necessary work to lead them to Christ, but now they are on their own. His attitude was not that it is now up to God to do the rest. Rather Paul had a continuing interest in their faith. He knew that their faith was not complete. For Paul, discipleship was extremely important. He did not just spread the Gospel and leave the discipleship up to the local pastors or the Holy Spirit, although they were involved. Instead he took a personal, self-sacrificing interest in their spiritual growth.

In verse 11 Paul refers to both the Father and Jesus Christ in his prayer. Here he is emphasising both God's loving care and provision for His children as their Father, and Christ's authority. We see in this that Paul understood that he could never be reunited with the Thessalonian believers if God did not intervene. He could have made as many plans as he wanted to, but ultimately it was God in the end who would determine his steps.

In verse 12 Paul focusses on their love. Previously he had commended them for their love (cf. 1:3), but now he prays that their love would be sustained and increased. Although loving people is not what is going to win people to Christ, they need to hear the Gospel, it is an essential within the Christian community. As believers we should be known as people of love. When the world sees this, they will be attracted to the Christian way of life in some way or another, and then they may be receptive to hearing the Gospel. Therefore Paul prays that their love will grow in the same way that his love for them has grown.

Finally, Paul prays that their hearts and faith will be strengthened so that they will be able to stand before Christ on judgement day and be found holy and blameless before Him.

Purposeful Prayer

What characterises your prayers? Do you like Paul keep God's sovereignty in the forefront of your mind, recognising that only He has the power to change things or cause things to be? Do you desire to continue to be used by God for the spiritual growth of new believers? Do you see yourself as having a vital role in the discipleship of others, sacrificing your time to be involved with their growth? It is not merely the job of pastors, elders, or those who have studied, it is the responsibility of all believers (see Matthew 28:18-20).

Do you pray that love may grow and abound within your church community and within the body of Christ as a whole? Do you pray that the faith of all believers may grow and that they will be found to be holy and blameless before our perfect God?

These are the things that should be characterising our prayers. Not shopping lists or quick bullet-prayers shot up to heaven hoping God will intervene, but well-thought out prayers that desire for God to change hearts and minds to be more Christlike. Prayers for changes in people's lives that will draw people to the church, and ultimately to Christ through the preaching of the Gospel. This is to be the desire and prayer of all believers.

Just a Thought!

© 2013

Just a Thought! - 22 April 2013

"But now that Timothy has come to us from you, and has brought us good news of your faith and love, and that you always think kindly of us, longing to see us just as we also long to see you, for this reason, brethren, in all our distress and affliction we were comforted about you through your faith; for now we really live, if you stand firm in the Lord. For what thanks can we render to God for you in return for all the joy with which we rejoice before our God on your account, as we night and day keep praying most earnestly that we may see your face, and may complete what is lacking in your faith?" (1 Thessalonians 3:6-10)

In verse 2 we saw that Paul was eager to encourage the believers in Thessalonica. And now we see that after sending Timothy to them, Paul has been encouraged by what he has heard about them. Though he did not need encouragement, he does express here how important it was to him to know how they were doing. Join me as we look at how this benefited Paul and his response to the news, and then see what we can learn from it.

Paul's Comfort

It is difficult for us to imagine what life during the times of the early church was like. We can read as many history books and watch as many documentaries as we like, nothing can truly capture how people felt at that time. They were constantly being persecuted and executed for their faith. Hundreds and thousands of believers were being thrown into prisons, murdered or tormented for their faith in Christ.

As we saw last time, Paul had a burden for the believers in Thessalonica to see how they were doing. He wanted to know that their faith was standing firm in the midst of the persecution. The report comforted Paul. Obviously Timothy's report was one that made Paul believe that his work in Thessalonica was not in vain. That their faith was still strong, which would have resulted in the growth of the Gospel in the region.

Paul's Thanksgiving and Joy

Note who Paul gives the credit to for their perseverance in the faith in verse 9? It has nothing to do with their characters, attitudes or any other acts that they perform. Paul gives all credit to God. This is an important thing for us to remember. Our perseverance as believers has nothing to do with ourselves. We all face trials of the faith in one way or another, and many times we feel like giving up. We feel that we cannot go on any longer.

But be encouraged today. If you are truly in Christ, He will be the one who brings you through. He is the one that will give you the strength, wisdom and drive to persevere to the end of any trial that you may be facing in this life.

This is the source of Paul's joy. He is not happy that the Thessalonians persevered because they had the guts and ability to do so, but because God did the work. His thanksgiving and joy both point back to God. No glory is directed at the Thessalonian believers, Timothy, the other apostles, or even himself. All glory goes to the Lord.

Paul's Prayer

We will look at this in detail next time, but for the moment consider the fact that even though Paul had received a good report from Timothy, he did not stop praying for the Thessalonian church. He desired to see them again and to make sure that they were thoroughly equipped in their faith.

Are there people in the ministry that you have not heard from for a long time? People involved in ministry across the borders or overseas? If so, I urge you today to find out how they are doing, and commit to investing time into their lives. Be comforted by their successes, but also pray for them in their trials. Rejoice with them in their victories, and pray for strength and wisdom in their battles. Give God all the glory for the work He is doing in their lives, and pray for opportunities for yourself to become involved practically in their work.

Let us work together in building the Kingdom of God.

Just a Thought!

© 2013

Just a Thought! - 15 April 2013

"...so that no one would be disturbed by these afflictions; for you yourselves know that we have been destined for this. For indeed when we were with you, we kept telling you in advance that we were going to suffer affliction; and so it came to pass, as you know. For this reason, when I could endure it no longer, I also sent to find out about your faith, for fear that the tempter might have tempted you, and our labor would be in vain." (1 Thessalonians 3:3-5)

We all go through trials in our lives. Some of us more than others, and some trials harder than others. Some trials bring us to the edge, causing us to think that we cannot do it anymore. Some trials seem so trivial that in effect they seem to be so insignificant. Some seem to be able to go through trials with a smile on their faces, as if the trial does not exist. Yet for others, even the slightest pot hole is enough to make one want to quit.

In later verses in 1 Thessalonians 3 Paul talks more about the afflictions and perseverance of the Thessalonian believers, which serve as lessons to us too. But for today, join me as we look at Paul's words in verses 3-5.

Afflictions Are Inevitable

There are those over the centuries that have taught that the reason one experiences trials in one's life is because of their sin (which is true in certain circumstances, but is not applicable to today's text). Some have also taught that suffering is due to a lack of faith. But Paul's words here paint a different picture. Paul says that trials and affliction will happen. They are inevitable. We even see Paul himself saying that he also endured afflictions.

In 2 Corinthians 11 Paul describes in great detail of the hardships that he endured. In fact, not one of Jesus' disciples lived a life without affliction of one sort or another. Eleven of the apostles were killed for their faith, and one, John, was exiled on the island of Patmos and suffered many other hardships (one legend even tells us that John was boiled alive in oil, and survived).

Jesus Himself said that believers would be persecuted for their faith and that many afflictions would come their way. Jesus too suffered many attacks while He was here on earth, never mind His crucifixion. If Jesus and all the apostles went through such difficulties in their lives, as well as those that followed them in the churches that they planted, what makes us think that we should be exempt from such struggles?

Persevere and Pray

Whether it be trouble in marriages, finances, health, unemployment, or even persecution for our faith, all of us will at some time in our lives experience trials that seem impossible to overcome. But there is hope. Just like the apostles and the early believers endured their afflictions with the help of God, so can we. But Paul's concern was that the Thessalonian believers did not lose their faith in the process. This is to be our concern too. Instead of focussing on the troubles in front of us, we are to look up to, the only one who can help us through the difficulties, and He will strengthen our faith and help us to persevere.

But we must also make sure that we do not only worry about enduring our own troubles. We need to be like Paul in verse 5 who was concerned about the afflictions of those in Thessalonica. After not hearing about them for so long, Paul sent Timothy to them to both encourage them, and to send word back to Paul of their faith.

Do you have genuine concern for those going through difficulties? Do you watch and pray for those who are enduring some kind of hardship? There are believers in foreign countries that are being persecuted and executed for their faith. Are you concerned for them and praying for them? Those in your families, workplaces and churches that are going through troubles, are you checking in with them and praying for them? What about those you do not know who are struggling and are keeping it to themselves? Pray for them also.

Let us stop walking around with blinkers on. Instead let us have, and show, genuine concern for all.

Just a Thought!

© 2013

Just a Thought! - 8 April 2013

"Therefore when we could endure it no longer, we thought it best to be left behind at Athens alone, and we sent Timothy, our brother and God's fellow worker in the gospel of Christ, to strengthen and encourage you as to your faith, so that no one would be disturbed by these afflictions; for you yourselves know that we have been destined for this." (1 Thessalonians 3:1-3)

If a friend or family member is going through trials, how do you normally go about encouraging them? Do you use verses from the Bible, maybe Psalms, to make them feel better? Do you use sweet, kindly words that make the trials seem rather insignificant in their lives? Or do you just listen and be the shoulder that they cry on?

Paul in our verses today tells the church in Thessalonica that he sent Timothy to them to strengthen and encourage them, but he also added his own words of encouragement. Words that to us do not seem encouraging, that they are destined to experience afflictions. Join me as we look closer at Paul's words.

Establish Proper Foundations

The Greek word for "strengthen" in our text is better translated as "establish." The idea here is not so much to only make the believers stronger, but rather to make them steadfast because of the coming persecution. They were to be rooted and grounded in their faith, making sure that their foundations were secure so that they would not topple over at the first challenge. This idea is further developed with the word "disturbed" in verse 3 which can also be translated as "shaken."

Though this is ultimately the work of God, Paul here ascribes it to the work that Timothy was going to do. Why? I believe it is because though God does the building, it is our responsibility as believers to guide others in with the Word in order to lay the foundations of their faith. This is yet another aspect of making disciples - making sure that they are correctly rooted in the Word so that they will not topple.

Encourage

Timothy was also there to encourage the Thessalonian believers. In the Greek mindset, encouragement was not just about making someone feel better about their situation, or to merely give them hope that all will be alright eventually, as we tend to do today, but it also included exhortation. Noah Webster in his dictionary defined exhort three ways: 1) To incite by words or advice, 2) To advise; to warn; to caution, and 3) To incite or stimulate to exertion.

The idea then is that in encouragement you are doing more than just giving simple platitudes in order to make someone feel better, but you are also warning and inciting people into some form of action. Timothy therefore, and indeed Paul in verse 3, was spurring the Thessalonians to action. To guide their behaviour, attitudes and words. This is yet another aspect of discipleship in that it was preparing the believers for what was to come.

Modern Discipleship

As I said last time, it seems as though modern disciple making is more about making converts, about having people make a decision for Christ as though that is all that we are to do. But the example of Timothy, Paul and the other apostles is different. Making disciples is about preparing people for life as a believer. The church in Thessalonica was going to experience intense persecution, so Paul was making sure that they were ready.

In your own life, do you prepare those that you are discipling for life as a Christian in the modern world? Do you teach them Biblical truths in order to help them build a strong foundation so that they will not be shaken? Do you encourage them with words of warning and correction so that they will be spurned into action to do the work that is necessary to survive the persecution that will come? If we fail to do the things that we have seen in these three verses so far, then we are failing to make true disciples and merely converts who will not have a faith built on a firm foundation, and may crumble at the first obstacle.

Just a Thought!

© 2013

Just a Thought! - 2 April 2013

"Therefore when we could endure it no longer, we thought it best to be left behind at Athens alone, and we sent Timothy, our brother and God's fellow worker in the gospel of Christ, to strengthen and encourage you as to your faith, so that no one would be disturbed by these afflictions; for you yourselves know that we have been destined for this." (1 Thessalonians 3:1-3)

Have you ever had the opportunity to present someone with the Gospel, and then see how the Gospel changed their lives? How did you feel afterwards? Did you have a burden for them like Paul did for the church in Thessalonica? A burden to hear how they were growing in the faith and to offer encouragement? Today's text not only reveals the heart of Paul, but it also serves as a mirror of our own hearts when it comes to making disciples. Join me as we look together into this mirror.

Make Disciples

In Matthew 28 Jesus gave what is called the Great Commission. His command basically was to go, make disciples, to baptise the disciples, and to teach them to obey all that Jesus taught. This passage is a favourite of missionaries and evangelists alike, and many sermons have been preached from pulpits throughout the world, all commanding us to go out.

However, this command has unfortunately not been strictly obeyed by many. It seems as though it has been rewritten to say, go and make converts. It has often come across by many so-called evangelists today that the number of converts one has made is indicative of the success of their ministries. After crusades by many of these teachers you often hear comments like, "We had 10,000 decisions for Christ." Some evangelists have been criticised over the years for going into the middle of Africa, running crusades where thousands of decisions for Christ have been made, only to leave the country with no follow up. Those who have made a decision are left stranded in the middle of the ocean of faith.

This is not what Jesus meant when He said, "make disciples," for a disciple in not merely someone who has made a decision, but rather one who follows wholeheartedly and is nurtured in the faith by a dedicated teacher.

Paul a Perfect Example

In our text above from 1 Thessalonians, Paul is a perfect example of a disciple maker. He was not merely interested in the people in Thessalonica making a decision for Christ, but he had a deep, wholehearted burden for them. He knew that they were going to face trials. That their lives were not going to be cosy and trouble free. He was truly interested in how they were doing. Therefore he sent his "child in the faith," his disciple, Timothy (1 Timothy 1:2), to go and minister to them.

We see Paul's concern for other believers throughout his letters. In most of his epistles he tells of how he is praying for them. He guides them not only in terms of what they as churches should or should not be doing, but also in their faith as individuals. This concern is key to true discipleship.

Our Disciples

Do you exhibit the same concern for other believers like Paul and the rest of the apostles did? Are there people in your life whose lives you are giving of yourself too? Do the heartaches and difficulties of believers that you know affect you too? Are you following up on the growth of those whom you have had an influence on in terms of coming to the faith?

If not, then unfortunately you may be missing the boat on what it means to make disciples. Maybe you need to question yourself to see if you are really interested in making disciples or merely converts. To make disciples requires work, commitment, concern, and a deep rooted desire to see people growing in the faith. It is not about how many we bring to the faith, but rather about how deep the relationship is of those we bring to the faith.

Just a Thought!

© 2013