As our family gathered around for lunch after church last Sunday morning, a thought came up. Do you think people know what a podcast is? Let’s start from the beginning. Who knows what an iPod is? How about MP3? What about a CD? Several weeks ago, I wrote in our monthly newsletter about how many of our students wouldn’t know what you would mean by “You sound like a broken record.” That sounds as strange to them as podcast, iPod, and MP3 sounds to you. So what is a podcast? Let’s take it from what we know. Most of us are familiar with CDs. Think of each audio track on a CD as a computer audio file. This can then be made into a MP3 file or a podcast. A podcast is a new way of delivering audio to the masses. An iPod or MP3 player allows a person to select their own listening experience. It is highly individualized. It suits our rugged individualism American culture well. Unfortunately this same rugged individualism shows up in the church. We have become long ranger Christians. This becomes especially true of pastors. It is easy to become a lone ranger pastor. As I have been reading through 1 Thessalonians over the past week, this thought came to mind. So often we treat the epistles or letters as if they were written from one person to another person. We are wrong when we treat the letters this way. We need to remember that they were written to a group of people, in most cases a church and then passed around to other churches. Not only are they letters written to churches, but also the letters many times are written in team style. Remember the intro to this letter several weeks ago? Paul and the others listed are writing to the church, not to individuals. How does this apply today? It’s often been said on the playing field – There is no I in team. We could put it this way – There is no I in church. The church is the body of believers working together under a servant leader shepherd to build the kingdom of God or as Jesus put it the Kingdom of Heaven. Paul is writing to us today as the church. We pick up our reading in 1 Thessalonians chapter 2:17 and we will read through chapter 3.
17But, 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. 18For we wanted to come to you—certainly I, Paul, did, again and again—but Satan stopped us. 19For 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? 20Indeed, you are our glory and joy.
3:1 So when we could stand it no longer, we thought it best to be left by ourselves in Athens. 2We 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, 3so that no one would be unsettled by these trials. You know quite well that we were destined for them. 4In fact, when we were with you, we kept telling you that we would be persecuted. And it turned out that way, as you well know. 5For this reason, when I could stand it no longer, I sent Timothy to find out about your faith. I was afraid that in some way the tempter might have tempted you and our efforts might have been useless.
6But Timothy has just now come to us from you and has brought good news about your faith and love. He has told us that you always have pleasant memories of us and that you long to see us, just as we also long to see you. 7Therefore, brothers, in all our distress and persecution we were encouraged about you because of your faith. 8For now we really live, since you are standing firm in the Lord. 9How can we thank God enough for you in return for all the joy we have in the presence of our God because of you? 10Night and day we pray most earnestly that we may see you again and supply what is lacking in your faith.
11Now may our God and Father himself and our Lord Jesus clear the way for us to come to you. 12May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you. 13May 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.
You will notice that we picked up right at the end of chapter two and read until the end of chapter three. As we begin looking at today’s scripture, let me remind you that Paul did not write his letters with chapter and verses. These were added much later. Many times a thought crosses a chapter heading. The chapter headings will sometimes complete a thought, but many times they will not. Chapter 2:17 begins the thought completed in chapter 3.
We will notice that this passage begins and ends with references to the coming of our Lord Jesus. We are beginning to get to the heart of the reason for Paul writing this letter. Paul has been enduring severe persecution. We have gotten a glimpse of it this week as we have been reading through Acts. Through it all, Paul is reminding himself that Jesus Christ is returning for the church. Paul is greatly encouraged by the church at Thessalonica and tells them that they are his glory and joy. He is proud of them that they are following the Way.
Paul is worried about his new congregation. Isn’t amazing what little things we worry about at times? Paul has picked the right things to be concerned about. What are you spending your time thinking about and contemplating about? Is it something important in the scope of eternity or is it really nothing at all? Paul was concerned enough to send Timothy to check up on them. He was very pleased with Timothy’s report. Let’s take a look at that report.
6But Timothy has just now come to us from you and has brought good news about your faith and love. He has told us that you always have pleasant memories of us and that you long to see us, just as we also long to see you. 7Therefore, brothers, in all our distress and persecution we were encouraged about you because of your faith. 8For now we really live, since you are standing firm in the Lord. 9How can we thank God enough for you in return for all the joy we have in the presence of our God because of you?
Despite all of what Paul is suffering for the cause of the gospel, Timothy’s good report is encouraging to him. I’ll paraphrase Paul here, “Since you are living in the faith of Jesus Christ, we don’t have to worry about being persecuted, because you are standing firm.” I remember several years ago attending FLAME up in Vassar, MI. Vassar was about 30 miles from our first church. It just so happened that the senior pastor had resigned and they hadn’t yet called a new pastor. I called the vice-chair knowing that I would be in the area and would love the chance to preach at my old church. Many had never heard me preach because at the time I felt God was calling me in the area of worship ministry. The vice-chair and his wife even let me stay at there house on Saturday night and we got to talking about old times. In the morning, we got up and went to church. It was a wonderful, healing experience for me. Many of the people were excited to see me and to see pictures of the kids and Pam. As I looked around that morning, many of the things I implemented while I was there were still being used. Then I had a chance to preach to the congregation and encourage them. We enjoyed the morning together. I think that’s how Paul may have felt by Timothy’s report. I could thank God for what He was doing at First Wesleyan and is continuing to do to this day.
This is not to say that Paul wasn’t concerned about some gaps in their teaching. Look what Paul writes in verse 10, “Night and day we pray earnestly for you, asking God to let us see you again to fill up anything that may still be missing in your faith.” Paul would really like to return and finish the work he was called to do in Thessalonica. It’s my prayer as your pastor that even though I see you each week, that I can assist you in filling the holes in your faith. One of the things I believe is that we never stop growing as believers. If we stop growing as believers, we are in danger of sliding back to what we were. It doesn’t matter how old you are, we can never rest on what we have learned, we must always press ahead. The same holds true for the church. So many times we talk about growing in a physical sense, but the church needs to grow most importantly in a spiritual way. I get concerned when I see churches stagnate in their spiritual growth. Do you know what happens when water stagnates; it stinks and is not very nice to be around. The same thing can happen in the church when we stop growing spiritually. Individual growth is good; but growth together is even better.
So what is Paul’s prayer for the church at Thessalonica? Let’s look at 3:11-13.
11Now may our God and Father himself and our Lord Jesus clear the way for us to come to you. 12May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you. 13May 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.
Paul’s prayer for this church is that they would love each other to overflowing and not just love each other but for everyone else. One of the comments I have heard about churches is that they say they are a friendly church. Usually you can translate that to say they are a friendly church to their friends. How do we treat those whom we don’t know when they come to our church? Do we love them with a love that overflows? Our job is to love those who are around us, even those who appear to be unlovable.
Paul finishes with this comment in verse 13 and begins to touch on a subject that we will look at more in depth next week. 13May 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.
I want to ask you this morning if you are ready for His coming. Are you ready for the glorious return of Christ Jesus? Are you holy? Are you living a life that is separate from the world? Are you living a pure life? Are you living a blameless life? This is my concern for the church. I mentioned earlier that many times we think of these things as individuals, but God is calling His church to be holy and blameless. Remember the story of Achan and the fall of Ai? Achan decided to not follow God’s command and the whole nation of Israel suffered as a result. Are WE living holy and blameless lives before our Lord? Will we be ready for His glorious return?
