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Weekly Message | May 20th, 2007
Passage: 1 Thessalonians 2:17-3:13
Key Verse(s): Key Verse: 2:19, 20
A few years ago in a Christian conference a small group of pastors sat down for a group discussion. Each person introduced each other and expressed their joy of being there. At his turn one pastor said, “Please excuse me. Let me pass. I have enough relationships already that I don’t manage well, why do I need more people to relate?” Probably, he was overloaded with relationship burdens.
Relationships! Life in this world requires to engage in relationships. Starting with a few of family members, the circle of our relationships grow larger as our life boundary expands. Relationships increase our joy; relationships multiply our burdens, too.
This passage is about relationships. It is about a particular kind of relationship that is defined by hope, joy and glory. Is there such relationship that provides such hope, joy and glory? If so, what is it? Where is it? How does it work? We consider these questions.
First, “Out of our intense longing we made every effort to see you “(2:16-20). It was a long time ago when the Christian community was small and weak. Paul, as a missionary, worked hard to build churches around the world. He preached a few weeks in Thessalonica and yet he had to leave there because of persecutions. He wrote this letter to these young Christians to help them in faith.
Look at verses 17 and 18: “But, brothers, when we were torn away from you for a short time (in person, not in thought), out of our intense longing we made every effort to see you. For we wanted to come to you—certainly I, Paul, did, again and again—but Satan stopped us.” After his brief stay in Thessalonica Paul and his associates left there and came to Athens and Corinth—the neighboring cities in Greece. The context was about the struggling church in the very beginning of Christianity. Small numbers of Christians were surrounded by the hostile world. It was hard to find even one Christian in that large world. Each Christian was so precious. This is what people experience in the very early stage of church building. In the early pioneering years of UBF ministry many of us experienced such love toward one another. We were all precious to each other—we were brothers and sisters. Anyway, Paul had great love for the Christians in Thessalonica. If possible, Paul really wanted to join with them. Paul said, “Satan stopped them”. It was probably some hostile forces that prevented him from visiting to Thessalonica again.
Look at verse 19: “For what is our hope, our joy, or the crown in which we will glory in the presence of our Lord Jesus when he comes? Is it not you? 20 Indeed, you are our glory and joy”. Here, Paul expressed his love toward them by saying, “You are our hope and our joy or the crown”. Notice that not “our hope, our joy and our crown” but “our hope, our joy, or the crown”. Last night John Wilson commented that hope and joy are for this world and the crown in the kingdom of God. To Paul and his associate leaders, Christians are their hope and their joy. These relationships extend beyond this world—even to the kingdom of God. In times of judgment (i.e., the time of reward before God), these Christians are the pride and the reason for the glory in the presence of Jesus.
What does this say about special relationships? Notice that not all relationships are special. Paul did not use this phrase, “our hope, our joy, or the crown” to anyone he met. He used this term selectively. To Paul these Christians were the fruit of his labor (of course other fellow leaders contributed to this, too). These people were precious to him. Seeing them growing in the Lord became the hope and the joy of his life. He also anticipated the reason for pride and honor in the kingdom of God.
Here, Paul speaks about the possibility through the gospel ministry. The people he loved in the name of Jesus become his hope, his joy or the crown. Paul had formed special relationships with them. Paul loved them not because he needed their approval. Rather, satisfied with God and his grace through Jesus Christ, he could enter such precious relationships with others. Those who were hostile, unfriendly and indifferent to him did not make him disappointed and weak. Rather, those who responded to his love brought so much joy and happiness in his soul.
Serving others in the name of Jesus requires such a clear godly perspective of love. Love others because Christ has first loved you. In engaging in godly and healthy relationships with others, first and foremost don’t expect much from others—in fact it is better having no expectations! There is such power of expecting nothing from others. Nobody owes us anything. Our expectation must from God, not from people. Very few relationships become so special, so appreciate the time with people we meet. If others respond to you in love, thank God, cherish and value such relationships. Then, we have a few more steps.
Second, “For now we really live, since you are standing firm in the Lord”(3:1-10). In this section Paul shows that special relationships need follow-up building. Because of the severe sufferings, Paul and his fellow leaders stayed in Athens (1).
Look at 3:2-3: “We sent Timothy, who is our brother and God’s fellow worker in spreading the gospel of Christ to strengthen and encourage you in your faith, 3 so that no one would be unsettled by these trials. You know quite well that we were destined for them.” At this time it was not possible for Paul to go there directly. So he sent to them Timothy instead. It was to strengthen and encourage them in their faith. In doing so, no one would be unsettled (i.e., swayed) by these trials. Probably, these young Christians had many questions and doubts in their minds.
Everywhere Paul went, he gave a clear orientation to the young Christians. What was his message? Christian life is wonderful and difficult. On one side we have God who loves us and the power of God that works within us. On the other side, we have Satan and the world that oppose us and the power of sin that work against in us. We are in conflicts. So from the beginning Paul was honest about the reality of Christian life. Everywhere he went He shared the word of God strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith. “We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God.” His message was this: (1) Christian life is great and wonderful because of Christ; (2) Christian life in this world is very hard and we must all bear hardships to enter the kingdom of God.
Look at 3:7-8: “Therefore, brothers, in all our distress and persecution we were encouraged about you because of your faith. 8 For now we really live, since you are standing firm in the Lord.” Timothy came back and reported that they had pleasant memories of Paul and his co-workers. They wanted to see Paul again. Timothy’s report greatly encouraged Paul and other leaders. Paul was happy to learn that they stood firm in faith.
Look at 3:9-10: “How can we thank God enough for you in return for all the joy we have in the presence of our God because of you? 10 Night and day we pray most earnestly that we may see you again and supply what is lacking in your faith.” Paul’s earnest desire was to see them again and supply what was lacking in their faith—depth of understanding and insight.
Special relationships require follow-up building. In general, we spent so much effort for non-special relationships. We take special relationships for granted with very little investment. That was not Paul’s methods. He preached the gospel in general. He spent so much time and effort—in fact follow-up building with those who responded to his preaching and labor of love. What did he do specifically? He thought about them, sent people for them, learned about their situation, and he wrote this letter. He put his soul—all his effort to write this letter that still inspires even after thousands of years.
Special relationship requires follow-up building. I have observed some interesting patterns of people. Sometimes I have to write articles for publications. In secular journals, their responses are timely and adequate. On the other hand, some responses of Christians are untimely and inadequate. Some people have demanded me to submit some articles for their publications again. Upon submitting it, no response—not even the recognition of its receipt—was given. For the next round probably they will ask me to do something again. I sometimes call people in different parts of the world at least 12 times. They call not even once back. To some people I share my Bible study notes (20 years of effort –free of charge in a diskette). Upon receiving it, do you know what they do? Not even recognition of receipt. The point is to recognize our tendency to take for granted of our special relationships. Instead, our special relationships need all the more follow-up and continuous building effort. We need to know about their situation and we also let them know about our situation. Communicate your appreciation and love either directly or indirectly. Follow-up with letters, cards, notes and even simple telephone calls.
Third, “You will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God”(3:11-13). This section is about Paul’s prayers for the Christians in Thessalonica. Sometimes we don’t know about our own prayer topics. We usually pray for what we need now—mostly about problems we face. Other than that we don’t know what to pray for. We don’t know what to pray for others except saying, “May God bless you.” So it is important to learn effective prayers from biblical examples. See what Paul prayed for the Christians in Thessalonica.
First pray to clear the way. Look at 3:11: “Now may our God and Father himself and our Lord Jesus clear the way for us to come to you. Paul’s specific prayer topic is to go and see them.” Paul prayed for the specific problem he faced. He simply could not go there. Clearing the way for Paul to come to them was a very specific need at this time. So he prayed for them. Likewise, we must pray for our problems and needs that get in our ways.
Second, pray to increase love. Look at 3:12:” “May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you.” Among many prayer topics, this is quite relevant and important. Love of God is what defines Christians. At the same time lack of love of God is most damaging to a fruitful Christian life. Can you think about loveless pastor, loveless Christian leader, and loveless Christian fellowship? What breaks down Christian fellowship is lack of love. What prevents from any ministry to grow is this lack of love. Then, what does it mean to increase love and overflow for each other and for everyone else? This is about capacity, depth and width of love. Increasing love is about increasing our capacity to love. This is not natural. This must be God’s gift. If our capacity is small, we even don’t love ourselves properly. We cannot even love our own family members. Loving even one young Christian through one to one is beyond us. We must pray so that love may increase in us. We may first love each of us properly—godly and healthy self-love. “Love your neighbor as yourself” is about “Love yourself as your neighbor”. Then, we must increase this love toward each other—in a Christian community. Then, this extends beyond Christian community—to everyone else. We pray for others around us—Corpus Christy Church next to us, the City of Toledo, the co-workers at work and the customers we deal with at work. Sometimes it is good to ask, “What is my capacity to love? Whom do I really love? What do I really do?” May God increase love in us. Increase our capacity to love.
Third, pray to strengthen hearts to be blameless and holy. “May he strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all his holy ones.” This is really an important prayer topic. Christians must become strong, not weak. We are in trouble because we are not strong but weak. We are weak mainly because our hearts are weak.
Our hearts refer to the source of all our strengths. Our hearts can become strong as we pray and take necessary steps. Our hearts become strong as we devote to the Lord. Our hearts become strong as God dwells in our hearts. We pray and seek so that the love, hope and power of God dwells in our hearts. As our hearts become strong, we do not become difficult, discouraged, disappointed, depressed and despaired (all D words). Our strong hearts enable us to be faithful, firm, fit, fruitful and full (all F words).
Through this passage we learn: (1) Paul’s view of people he served—joy and glory; (2) Spiritual relationship requires follow-up building; (3) We must have right kind of prayers for people—immediate needs, love and strength.
Toledo UBF. May 20, 2007.
Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved.
