Sunday School Lesson - 1 Thess. 3:1-13 - SO YOU MAY BE COMPLETE
INTRODUCTION: Last week, in 1 Thess. 2:13-20 Paul told the Thessalonian believers that he was certain of their election/salvation because they had (1) put their trust in the Word of God and (2) and had suffered for the sake of the gospel like the churches in Judea (vv. 13-16); Paul explained how his ministry to them had been attacked and obstructed by Satan, then concluded by telling them that although he longed to return as soon as possible, he was unable to do it at the present time. This week, in 1 Thess. 3:1-13, Paul will explain why Timothy had been sent to them and why he was forced to remain in Athens. As we see Paul express his heart for these Thessalonian believers, we will also see what motivated and guided him in his gospel ministry. Not only does he reveal a pastoral heart, but illustrates one that was directed by Biblical goals and objectives. As we shall see, Paul's objective was to bring these believers to full Christ-like maturity according to the standards of Biblical wisdom.
Read 1 Thess. 3:1-3 - WHY TIMOTHY WAS SENT TO YOU
Therefore, when we could no longer endure it, we thought it best to be left behind, alone at Athens, 2 and we sent Timothy, our brother and God's fellow worker in the gospel of Christ, to strengthen and encourage you for the benefit of your faith, 3 so that no one would be disturbed by these afflictions. For you yourselves know that we have been destined for this.
v. 1: "Therefore, when we could no longer endure it, we thought it best to be left behind, alone at Athens" - As is common in his writings, Paul often refers to himself as "we" in the third person. With the conjunction, "Therefore," he incorporates everything he told them in Chapters 1 and 2, namely, his unexpected departure, his defense of his ministry there, his assurances of their salvation, and his desire to return. What Paul could "no longer endure" was leaving these Thessaloninans without further support from his missionary team. Paul stayed behind in Athens because he concluded that Timothy, a half-Gentile, was less likely to stir-up new opposition in Thessalonica.
v. 2a: "and we sent Timothy, our brother and God's fellow worker in the gospel of Christ" - Timothy was Paul's chief troubleshooter. Paul sent Timothy because, besides himself, Timothy was best-qualified man on his team (which included Silas and Luke) to take on this assignment in terms of his maturity and commitment. He mentions two mandatory qualifications for this ministry: (1) the title "our brother" identifies him as a born-again believer and (2) "God's fellow worker in the gospel of Christ" names him as someone having the ability to minister to the needs of others.
v. 2b: "to strengthen and encourage you for the benefit of your faith" - Remember that Paul had only spent about three in Thessalonica. This had left him hardly any time to teach them what they needed to know and help them organize themselves. Timothy's objectives were two-fold:
(1) "strengthen their faith" - the word used for "strengthen" (Gk. sterizo) is a construction term that variously means to stabilize and fix, which also includes removing any instabilities. There are many aspects to this such as teaching them the fundamentals of the faith-i.e., sound doctrine-based upon the truth of the word of God. It also involved establishing fervent corporate prayer, using spiritual gifts to minister to the needs of the body, and maintaining corporate fellowship (remember that they were a dispersed group who didn't have a building or a particular place to meet. They would need to organize house churches and appoint lay leaders).
(2) "encourage their faith" - the word used for "encourage' (Gk. parakaleo) means to come alongside and give mutual support. Encouragement has mostly to do with personal interactions and is key to developing and keeping stability in a church. It's an ongoing process that consists of many activities such as maintaining contact with one another (fellowship), helping one another through burdens and trials, sharing each other's joy in spiritual successes, teaching and reiterating Paul's and Timothy's instructions to them, becoming prayer warriors for each other, and holding one another accountable. The end objective of encouragement is to help everyone in the church trust in God's provision and sovereign control, with the goal of maintaining stabile faith in the face of persecution.
v. 3a: "so that no one would be disturbed by these afflictions" - The ability of a church to withstand being "disturbed" by "afflictions" depends upon the maturity of it members, and Paul's goal here is to leave "no one" out. There are at least three mandatory elements that build a mature believer: (1) being firmly grounded in the Word (privately, corporately, small groups, etc.) in order to discern truth; (2) being committed to prayer; and (3) drawing on the ministry of the Holy Spirit as a "helper." A mature church will be unified church, and a unified church can stand against anything.
v. 3b: "For you yourselves know that we have been destined for this" - By this, Paul means that at some level all Christians are destined to suffer tribulation for their faith-it comes with the territory. He wanted these Thessalonian believers to understand that persecution wasn't evidence that God's plan wasn't working or that God was somehow displeased with them, but the opposite; it was happening because they were doing things right! And there is a positive to it: If we are strong, encouraging, and mature in the faith, afflictions will actually serve to make us even stronger.
Read 1 Thess. 3:4-5 - THE TEMPTER MIGHT HAVE TEMPTED YOU
4 For even when we were with you, we kept telling you in advance that we were going to suffer affliction; and so it happened, as you know. 5 For this reason, when I could no longer endure it, I also sent to find out about your faith, for fear that the tempter might have tempted you, and our labor would be for nothing.
v. 4: "For even when we were with you, we kept telling you in advance that we were going to suffer affliction; and so it happened, as you know" - Paul is restating what he already knew from personal experience: that Christian suffering is inseparable from the Christian life. The supreme example of this was seen in the life of Christ, who was persecuted throughout His earthly ministry, then suffered death on a cross in order to be a perfect sacrifice for you and me. While it may come as a shock to new Christians when trials come their way, they will soon learn that Christians are far better equipped-i.e., strengthened by the Holy Spirit and supported by the prayer and fellowship of fellow believers-to face trials; and as we mature in the faith, we develop the ability to remain stable in the mist of all manner of difficulties. In short, mature Christians gain the ability not to give up when things get tough. We see various trials as an inevitable consequence of life in this world. Amen?
v. 5: "For this reason, when I could no longer endure it, I also sent to find out about your faith, for fear that the tempter might have tempted you, and our labor would be for nothing" - What Paul could "no longer endure" was the very real possibility that Satan had attacked and destroyed this young church before Paul had the opportunity teach them to expect and withstand such attacks. The "tempter" is one of many titles given to Satan that reveal both his character and his strategy. One of Satan's common tactics is to do things-inflict trials-that are designed to negate both our trust in God and the truth of His Word. Satan's prime objective here is to cause us to doubt God's love and concern for us. If Satan had succeeded in doing this, Paul's "labor would have been for nothing." We need to be aware that Satan is at work day and night to find ways to neutralize our faith and nullify our efforts to prosper this good church of ours. Because of this, we need to be to prayerfully on guard and constantly alert for such attacks on our own spiritual family. Paul's advice to us as a individuals and as a church is to: "Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil" Eph 6:11. Are we ready-MHBC-to withstand an attack? Are we stabile enough? Today?
Read 1 Thess. 3:6-8 - GOOD NEWS OF YOUR FAITH AND LOVE
6 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, 7 for this reason, brothers and sisters, in all our distress and affliction we were comforted about you through your faith; 8 for now we really live, if you stand firm in the Lord.
Note: We need to remember the long time intervals involved here. Paul had been forced to leave nearly a year before, plus, add the wait time for Timothy to depart from Athens and arrive in Thessalonica and stay there long enough to access the situation, provide the help that the church needed, and then the time required to travel all the way back to make his report to Paul in person. For Paul, Timothy mission must have been a real nail-biter, yes? He was human enough to worry.
v. 6a: "But now that Timothy has come to us from you, and has brought us good news of your faith and love" - This is a masterpiece of understatement. I like to think that Paul did a double-back flip when he heard Timothy's report on the status of the Thessalonian chruch. The expression "good news" (Gk. euaggelizó) is a variation of the word used for gospel. The good news that caused Paul to be joyful combined strong expressions of faith and love. From the report, he was hearing that these fledgling believers had grown into a church that had become strong and stable in their faith, and that their active and growing faith was evidenced by continuing acts of love.
v. 6b: "and that you always think kindly of us, longing to see us just as we also long to see you" - That Timothy was able to report that the Thessalonians "always think kindly" of Paul and Silas, in spite of their unannounced disappearance, reminds us again of how greatly God had empowered the ministry to these new believers so that in the span of only a few weeks, they had been taught and trained in such a way that enabled them to function as "imitators" of them (1:6) by the time they were forced to leave. On top of that, the faith and trust that Paul and Silas had instilled in them was so strong that the Thessalonian believers had not been swayed by the efforts of the local Jews and Gentiles to discredit Paul's gospel ministry. And as for longing "to see you," I can imagine that Paul would have given his I-teeth to be able to see these Thessalonian Christians in the flesh.
v. 7: "for this reason, brothers and sisters, in all our distress and affliction we were comforted about you through your faith" - The "distress and affliction" that Paul referred to was his rejection by the Jews in Corinth, where he made the famous statement, "Your blood be on your own heads! I am clean. From now on, I will go to the Gentiles." (Acts 18:6b). Against that experience, and in spite of it, he was greatly "comforted" by the wonderful news of the stable and enduring faith that had been demonstrated by the Thessalonians.
v. 8: "now we really live, if you stand firm in the Lord" - News of the strength of the Thessalonian's faith literally pumped new life-"we truly live"-into Paul's ministry at a time when he was at a low ebb and needed an encouragement for his future efforts, namely, his third missionary journey. When he exhorts them to "stand firm," it literally pictures a military unit that entrenches and fortifies itself into a line that is able to resist enemy assaults.
Read 1 Thess. 3:9-13 - PAUL'S PRAYER FOR THE CHURCH
9 For what thanks can we give to God for you in return for all the joy with which we rejoice because of you before our God, 10 as we keep praying most earnestly night and day that we may see your faces, and may complete what is lacking in your faith? 11 Now may our God and Father Himself, and our Lord Jesus, direct our way to you; 12 and may the Lord cause you to increase and overflow in love for one another, and for all people, just as we also do for you; 13 so that He may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all His saints.
v. 9: "For what thanks can we give to God for you in return for all the joy with which we rejoice because of you before our God" - This verse gives us a wonderful glimpse of Paul's heart as a pastor. His heart was full of gratitude toward God for not only bringing the Thessalonian Christians into his life, but his sincere thankfulness toward God for His continuing watch-care and protection over them after he was forced to leave. While Paul knew he played a role in the lives of the Thessalonians, he completely understood that it was God who did the essential work. Paul knew (and so should we, in whatever we do) that God does the doing and should get all the glory. The lesson we should take to heart from this is that we need to be careful not to view any ministries we're involved in terms of our own personal success. We must remain mindful that God is the source and power of our spiritual victories. Amen?
v. 10a: "as we keep praying most earnestly night and day - First off, after they were unexpectedly forced to leave, Paul and his partners "earnestly" prayed "night and day" for the Thessalonians. Paul covered everything he did in prayer because (1) he knew God heard them, (2) he believed God would answer them, and (3) he was prepared to accept God's answer in whatever form it came. We might define "earnest'' praying as superabundant praying-putting extraordinary time, energy, and effort into it. Should we be prepared to do this-as a church, as individuals? How should it be organized?
v. 10b: "that we may see your faces"- Notice that Paul's number one desire was to see the Thessalonians face to face. Nothing else can really substitute for this level of spiritual intimacy.
v. 10c: "and may complete what is lacking in your faith?" - Due to their premature departure, Paul's team has been unable to complete their usual level of teaching new Christians in the fundamentals of the faith. One area in which their teaching had been incomplete related to the Second Coming of Christ and the Final Resurrection.
v. 11: "Now may our God and Father Himself, and our Lord Jesus, direct our way to you" - Paul sets an excellent example for how all of us should prepare and present our prayers to God. Firstly, the verse shows that his primary attitude of prayer was to look to God as "father Himself," and as a dutiful son to a father, he expresses his prayer in the form of a wish (i.e., "may our...") that accepts that he dosen't know exactly how God will answer his prayer. Secondly, by adding "and our Lord Jesus" he's also careful to recognize that the Father and Son are One essence. Finally, the words "direct our way" reflect that he's prepared to accept God's will in the matter, whatever it may be. As a principle, this informs us that we must always be ready to accept the guidance of God's sovereign will in our lives.
v. 12: "and may the Lord cause you to increase and overflow in love for one another, and for all people, just as we also do for you' - The word, "increase" carries the idea of multiplying, increasing exponentially, and the word "overflow" means to exceed our expectations. This tremendous outpouring of love was to be not only for each other but "for all people." This reminds us that Christians love people (Gk. agápē = unselfish, deliberate love that expects nothing in return) in a much different way than non-Christians. This is an area of life where God expects us to be distinctive. We decide to love those who are unlovable; we decide to help people who are ungrateful; we decide to pray for people who hate us and all that we stand for. This unique characteristic is what gives us God's power to accomplish what is otherwise impossible. It defines who and what we are.
v. 13: "so that He may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all His saints" - The principle here is that Christians not only love differently, they also live differently. The operative words are "blameless"-being morally pure-and "holiness"-being under the control of the Holy Spirit. While it doesn't imply that perfection, it does mean that we are consciously striving, day by day, to sanctify ourselves in preparation for Christ's Second Coming (by rapture in our case, unless it occurs sooner [?]). A second aspect of this sense of godly living is experiential-something that's outwardly observable by others. What we think of it as light and salt in our lives.
APPLICATION-A Church Survival Kit
1. In order to survive, a church must strengthen and encourage the faith of its members. This entails two different types of activity: First, strengthening what we're doing right and removing what we're doing wrong. We must stay strong in the fundamentals of the faith-preaching, teaching, and proclaiming God' word. We must be steadfast in prayer, corporately and individually. We must be organized into ministries using our spiritual gifts to meet the needs of the body. And we must actively maintain corporate fellowship. Second, we must maintain a corporate mindset of encouraging one another. Encouragement is a vital aspect of church stability that pertains mainly to how we interact with each another. It requires us to do things like helping one another through burdens and trials, sharing each other's joy in spiritual successes, and supporting one another in prayer. The goal of being strong in faith and encouraging one another is to help us trust in God's provision and sovereign control even in the face of trials and persecution.
2. In order to survive, a church should always be prepared to face afflictions or persecution. We all must understand that Christian suffering is inseparable from the Christian life. As Christians we are far better equipped-i.e., strengthened by the Holy Spirit and supported by the prayer and fellowship of fellow believers-to face tribulation. The key is being mature in our faith, faith that enables us to remain stable through all types of difficulties. Mature Christians have real staying power when things get tough. We see various trials as an inevitable consequence of life in this world. We likewise need to be aware that Satan is at work day and night to devise schemes to neutralize our faith and defeat our efforts to grow this Church. For this reason, we must be to prayerfully on guard and constantly alert for such attacks on our own spiritual family. Ask yourself if we ready to withstand such an attack? What else do we need to be doing?
3. In order to survive, we must increase and overflow in love for one another, and for all people. This is love that is constantly multiplying, increasing exponentially, so that it overflows-spreads beyond us in all directions. This tremendous outpouring of love is to be not only for us in our church but is directed outward to those outside of our church. This reminds us that Christians love people (Gk. agápē = unselfish, deliberate love that expects nothing in return) in a much different way than non-Christians. This is an area of life where God expects us to be noticeable. We decide to love those who are unlovable; we decide to help people who are ungrateful; we decide to pray for people who hate us and all that we stand for. This unique characteristic is what gives us God's power to accomplish what is otherwise impossible. It defines who and what we are.
PRAYER: Father in heaven, thank You for this church, and giving us all that we need to function as a NT church. I ask, Lord, that You will help me and everyone in this class to be encouragers who strengthen the faith of everyone else in this church. I pray that we are getting better prepared to withstand any tribulations that may come our way, sooner or later. Help each of us, Father, to be better, not just at showing love to our fellow church members, but to any stranger who walks through our doors. Help us to be known as a church that loves people. And I ask these things in the name of our precious Savior and Redeemer, Jesus Christ, AMEN.
