Hi, and thanks so much for listening to the latest episode from the Hemi Proclaim podcast. We're picking up with our message called Comfort for Suffering Believers. Back in the day, persecution was following early Christians like a shadow. Paul commended these early Christians on how persecution was making their faith stronger. And while it's hard, it's eventually inspiring for generations of other Christians to keep their faith.
Now, here's John. It's good to see you and I'm super thankful that we have electricity this morning. But actually, what happened before church fits in perfectly with what I was going to talk about this morning.
So, here we go. If you have your Bibles, turn to 2 Thessalonians 1. We're going to be looking at verses 1 through 4, so let's read that together. 2 Thessalonians chapter 1, beginning verse 1.
So, this is what the Apostle Paul writes: He says, Paul, Sylvanus, at Silas and Timothy.
So, those are his traveling companions, his missionary traveling companions. To the Church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Does that sound familiar to you ever? Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, right?
Paul says we ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers, as is right. Because your faith is growing abundantly, and the love of every one of you for one another is increasing. Therefore, we ourselves boast about you and the churches of God. For your steadfastness and faith In all your persecutions and in the afflictions that you are enduring. The first question in the Heidelberg Catechism asked this question.
What is your only comfort in life and in death? It's an interesting question because life in America is for the most part comfortable, isn't it? We have comfortable homes, we have comfortable beds, we have air conditioning, we have electric grids that usually work. If you didn't know, that right before church this morning, we had no power in this building. Zilch.
So we're thinking, okay, there's no comfort. We have an abundance of food, we have massive grocery stores. We have clothes, we have clothing stores, we have good roads. I can tell you, after coming back from driving in the roads in the mountains of Northern Ireland. I'm thankful for the road system that we have in this country.
We have access to medicine, we have doctors. We have gyms and we have spas. We have movie theaters. For entertainment, we have shopping malls. We have good schools.
We have good school teachers. We have freedom of speech, we have freedom of religion, we have freedom of assembly, we have life pretty comfortable in America. But maybe not. Because you see, these comforts are nice, and I'm glad we have electricity this morning so that you can hear my voice, right? But ultimately these comforts are deceptive.
They cannot comfort one when everything else one knows in this life becomes unreliable because friendships fail. Marriages collapse. Jobs that we love sometimes end. You may have a comfortable house, but it can be burned down in an accidental fire. You may have a wonderful bed, but it will eventually wear out.
You may have a great marriage now, but in the future you might have great troubles. Such comforts are not really comfort. When life goes south, as we say, so to speak, many people in our culture turn to comfort. Comfort in quotation marks. They turn to the comfort of drugs.
They turned to the comfort of entertainment. They turned to the comfort of vacation and travel. They turn to the comfort of sexual immorality. They turn to the comfort of binge eating, called comfort foods, right? But in reality, comfort foods, too much of it, eventually becomes very discomfortable.
Destroys your health.
So genuine comfort cannot be found in these imaginary comforts. The comforts that we have in 21st century America are not the norm for many Christians today. There was an in-depth report in the Wall Street Journal that caught my attention. And it was entitled The Epical Shift of Christians from the Middle East. The article goes on to detail how Christians, like the Jews before them, are fleeing the Middle East due to extreme violence and persecution.
Not very comfortable for them. The fact is the comforts that we have in our culture Are not the norm for God's people throughout much of history. We live in Disney World in this country, basically.
So, the letter of 2 Thessalonians was written to a culture not unlike the violent persecuting culture of the Middle East today.
So sometimes it's hard for us to really grasp the import and the impact of this letter because we're just not there. Paul, as we learned last week, wrote 1st and 2 Thessalonians to a new church plant filled with young believers who were facing persecution for their faith. In fact, he says in 1st Thessalonians 1, verse 6. That the Thessalonians' acceptance of the gospel was accompanied with much affliction. He says, You receive the word in much affliction.
We have insight into the affliction that they experienced, as I showed you last week from Acts 17. Paul and Silas and Timothy preached the gospel in Thessalonica, and immediately a mob comes up and begins to persecute Paul and his traveling companion, missionary companions, Silas and Timothy. And because they couldn't get to them, they go to the house of Jason, who was a citizen of Thessalonica, who had received the gospel, and they persecute him and his family and drag them off to jail. And so we see from the very beginning of this church that this young church, this young little church plant in a sea of pagan people. Upon immediate reception of the gospel, they began to be persecuted and experienced afflictions for their faith.
And so the pressing pastoral matter of chapter 1 that Paul addresses is the persecution of believers. Believers who are going through very trying, hard, difficult hardships in their life. And so the key pastoral issue of chapter 1 is comfort. He even carries it over to chapter 2. As he ends in chapter 2, he brings this idea of comfort back up and he prays for them in verse 16.
Now, may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself. And God our Father, listen. Who loved us, God our Father, who loved us. Can't wait to get to that passage. and gave us eternal comfort.
There's this whole theme of comfort. And good hope through grace. Grace. May he comfort your hearts and establish them in every good work. And word.
And so 2 Thessalonians He opens up this letter with this pastoral issue of comforting believers going through very hard, difficult circumstances in their life. And he grounds this comfort in the hope of the gospel, which is the second coming of Christ, because we said that this letter of 2 Thessalonians is organized around one central theme: the blessed hope of the Christian, the glorious second coming of Jesus. Every chapter, all three chapters, the Lord's second coming underlines Paul's thought in every chapter in this letter. And so, chapter 1, he is going to introduce the comfort of the glorious second coming of Jesus to Christians who are suffering. And so he begins this letter by directing these young, persecuted believers to the hope of the gospel, the glorious second coming of Jesus, because Jesus' second coming, the hope of the gospel, is the bedrock truth that provides true and lasting comfort when everything else in this life fails.
The hope of the gospel is the believer's true comfort, Paul teaches us in this chapter. Christ's return is a certainty, it is a hope, it is a confidence, it is a comfort on which you can rest and on which you must rest your faith. This is what Paul's teaching us. We're going to look at these opening four verses. And in these opening four verses, we're going to examine three ways that Paul seeks to comfort.
Suffering Christians. Three ways in these opening verses that Paul seeks to comfort suffering Christians. Let's look at verses 1 and 2, and here's the first way that Paul does it. Paul comforts the Thessalonians by confirming their adoption into God's family. Paul is seeking to comfort the Thessalonians who are suffering by confirming their adoption into God's family.
Look at verses 1 and 2, and notice how Paul begins this letter. He says, Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, again, Silvanus is Silas. These are his traveling missionary companions that he took with him to help plant these churches. He says, To the church of the Thessalonians.
Now, look at this. Here it is. If you read it too quick, you'll miss it. To the church of the Thessalonians, look, in God our Father. To the Church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
So Paul's initial greeting to these Thessalonian believers is almost identical to his greeting in 1 Thessalonians, but there's one small but significant difference here. Paul describes the Thessalonian believers in verse one, listen, as being in God our Father. It's very significant. Because ordinarily Paul speaks of believers Being in Christ, and therefore he's emphasizing the believer's union with Christ, and that's absolutely correct. But here, Paul, as he begins this letter to young believers, who are suffering severely for their faith.
He describes them as being in God our Father.
So by this phrase, Paul is seeking from the very outset of this letter to comfort young suffering believers by confirming their adoption into God's family. He characterizes him as being in God our Father. This phrase, in God our Father, emphasizes that God the Father loves and cares for this young, persecuted church. It emphasizes the care of God, the love of God for those. Or who are in this church.
And so when we go through trying and difficult times, one of the temptations that we face. is to question God's fatherly care and goodness. John Stott, in his book, The Cross of Christ, he says this. He writes, quote, The real sting of suffering is not misfortune itself, nor even the pain of it, or the injustice of it, but the apparent God-forsakenness of it. Pain is endurable, but the seeming indifference of God is not.
If you've ever gone through a hard time in your life, you will at some point begin to question: I wonder if God, my Father, cares. I wonder if He really loves me, because this stinks. And the cross of Christ stands as a historical and eternal reminder that God our Father is not indifferent to our sufferings, but that for Christ's sake we have been adopted into His family and He cares. It is through our union with Christ, because Paul also addresses them as those who are in the Lord Jesus Christ, and so it is through our union with Christ that we now have the privilege, as Jesus teaches us in the disciples' prayer, to pray. We have the privilege to address God as our Father.
Peter chapter 5, verse 7, Peter is writing to also persecuted believers, and he reminds them that we can trust God our Father, and he says, cast all our anxieties on him because, listen, he cares for us. Also, don't forget to keep in mind the overall context of this letter. Remember that Paul, remember that the Lord's second coming underlined Paul's thinking in every chapter in this letter. It's always in the background.
So, in addition to confirming God the Father's care for us now in our hardships and afflictions. Our adoption also confirms our Father's promised inheritance in the future. Paul is already beginning to point them to their glorious hope of the Second Coming through reminding them of their adoption. Why? Because all who are in God our Father now will receive His full promised inheritance when Christ returns.
The doctrine of adoption, which is the highest privilege of the gospel, here Paul is beginning with. The doctrine of adoption always points us to the future, to the glorious return of Christ. Our adoption directs our faith to the hope of the gospel, the glorious second coming of Christ, when Christ returns on Resurrection Day. All that the Father has promised us in our adoption now will become a full reality then. And if you are suffering, that's great hope.
In Romans chapter 8, verses 16 through 17, the Apostle Paul says, The Holy Spirit Himself bears witness with our Spirit that we are children of God. And if children then heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ. Provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him. The second coming of Christ, we will receive the fullness of our inheritance as sons. And Paul is directing these suffering believers to that fullness of that inheritance.
Paul goes on in Romans chapter 8, verse 18, and verses 22 through 24 to say this. He says, I consider. That the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth unto now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves.
Who have the first fruits of the Holy Spirit grown inwardly? As we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. And so Paul begins this letter. By confirming to these suffering young believers their adoption into God's family.
The highest privilege of the gospel, and he does it to comfort them. Who are in the midst of very trying and difficult circumstances. That's the first way Paul seeks to comfort suffering Christians. Second, Look at verse 3. Paul comforts the Thessalonians by giving thanks to God for their increasing faith and their love in the midst of persecution.
Look at verse 3. He says, we ought always, this is our obligation. We ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers, as is right, because, here it is. Your faith is growing abundantly. And the love of every one of you for one another is increasing.
Paul's thanksgiving for the Thessalonians' spiritual growth is intended to comfort them in their affliction. The point, the practical application point, is clear here. When you're going through a hardship, you need others in the body of Christ to give you words of encouragement. That's what Paul is doing here. And he's not only encouraged, and the way that he encourages and comforts them is by giving thanks to God for them.
His thanksgiving is intended to produce a positive emotional response in these young believers. That is, I'm going to encourage you for your growth in the midst of hardship so that you'll be encouraged to continually grow further. There's an old saying that I love to give to people: seldom is there heard. An encouraging word. Right.
Seldom is there heard an encouraging word, and this is what the Apostle Paul is doing. He begins his letter by expressing heartfelt gratitude for the Thessalonians' spiritual growth in the midst of persecution.
Now remember and think about this letter for a minute. The Thessalonian church had problems. It has significant problems. It was far from perfect in chapter 2. There were false teachers and false teaching that Paul had to do to correct.
The church.
So there were people who needed to be corrected in this church. In chapter 3, there were disorderly believers who needed to be disciplined. But nevertheless, Paul begins his letter with a deep sense of obligation to give continual thanks to God for God's great work of grace in the lives of these young believers in Thessalonica. And I want you to notice, look at what Paul writes here. This is very important.
Notice what he says, that this thanksgiving is both necessary and appropriate. It's the right thing to do. He says we ought always to give in the Greek here a continual thanks. To God for you, brothers, as is right. Paul's thanksgiving was necessary, it was appropriate, it was the right thing to do because he knows very well that their growth in the midst of hardship was not the result of their own efforts, but it was the result of the gospel of grace working in their life.
In 2 Thessalonians 2, listen to verses 13 and 14. He says it again. We ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers, beloved by the Lord. Because God chose you as the first fruits to be saved through sanctification by the Holy Spirit and belief in the truth. That is the gospel.
To this, he called you through our gospel.
so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. And so Paul says their thanksgiving to God is the right and proper thing to do. This necessity, this propriety of thanking God is so important in the Christian life. This necessity and propriety of thanking God is captured in our communion service. Remember the celebrant, which is a pastor, he says to you, let us give thanks to the Lord our God, right?
And you respond, it is just. and right to do so. And then I say it is right and a good and joyful thing, always and everywhere, to give thanks to you, Father Almighty, Creator of heaven. And the earth. It is a good thing, Paul says.
It is right. to give thanks to God for his work of grace in our lives. And so look at these two qualities that Paul gives thanks to God for. The first one, he gives thanks to God for their faith that is growing abundantly. He says, We ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers, as is right, because your faith is growing abundantly.
Now, this is remarkable because remember, the Thessalonians are in very difficult, harsh, challenging circumstances in their life. They are being persecuted and undergoing afflictions, as Paul writes to them. And despite that, Their faith, Paul says, is remarkable. It is growing. abundantly.
Paul was deeply concerned about the state of his young converts in 1 Thessalonians 3, verse 5, because remember, when Paul brought the gospel, he almost had to immediately leave the city because of persecution. And so, in his mind, you can just imagine that he's wondering: how are they going? How are they doing? How are they getting along? And so he wrote to them in 1 Thessalonians 3, verse 10, expressing his concern for their faith.
He says, I want to come visit you again to supply what is lacking in your faith. And so he was deeply concerned that this hardship, this difficulty, this trials that they were facing would cause their faith to be lacking. And these additional reports, when they reached him with the good news that the Thessalonians' faith was growing abundantly, the word literally means to grow beyond measure. It was growing beyond measure in the midst of persecution and afflictions. And so Paul and his companions were filled with gratitude for the powerful work of God.
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Now here's a very important point that you need to get. Persecutions, afflictions, hardship, troubles. Trials in life. strengthen the believer's faith. To be sure, genuine faith can be greatly shaken, but it can never be destroyed.
Think of Peter. Peter, Satan has demanded to sift you like wheat. And he says, you will deny me tonight three times. But, Peter, take heart, be comforted, because I have prayed for you that you listen, faith may not fail, so that when you are restored, Peter. You can go therefore and comfort and help your brothers in the faith.
So, genuine faith can be greatly shaken, but it can never be destroyed. But on the other hand, Persecution, afflictions, troubles, trials, hardships destroy false faith. This is what Jesus teaches in the parable of the sower and the seeds. He says in Matthew chapter 13, beginning, verse 20. He says, as for what was said on rocky ground, This is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, yet he has no root in himself.
But endures for a while And when affliction or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away. And so rather than wilting and dying and falling away, Paul describes the young Thessalonian believers' faith as growing abundantly, growing beyond measure, a growth beyond natural expectation. The Thessalonians' reception and ongoing appropriation of the gospel is showing itself to be a vital force in the midst of difficult circumstances. And that just fills Paul and Timothy and Silas with ecstatic joy and heartfelt gratitude to God. Second, Paul and his companions give thanks to God for the Thessalonians' increasing love.
Look what Paul says, verse 3. We ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers, as is right, because your faith is growing abundantly and the love of every one of you for one another is increasing. This is quite remarkable. Not only is the faith of the Thessalonians growing abundantly, but their love for one another is becoming more and more in abundance. It is increasing.
And so Paul continually gives thanks to God for the Thessalonians because the gospel had increased. Their love for one another despite the hardships they were facing. Why is that important? Because what happens typically when we go through very difficult, trying times, personal testimony, is that when you are going through a hard time, you can become really crabby. I can tell you for the almost 10 years I could barely talk and was a functional mute, I was a living hell to live with.
And yet, my life endured faithfully like these Thessalonians. And what did she do? Her faith grew during that time, and her love increased. While I was very difficult to live with. Paul is thanking God that this did not happen to these believers in the church.
In 1 Thessalonians 4, verse 9, Paul says that the Thessalonians have been taught by God to love one another. In chapter 4, verse 10, he says, Now that you're being taught by God to love each other, he urges them to love more and more. And to his joy, when he receives additional reports about the condition of this young church. He learns from subsequent reports that his urging and his prayers for them had indeed been happening and occurring. The hardships they were facing could have very well dried up their love for each other.
And despite this hardship, this difficulty, this persecution, their love for one another increased so much that the word that he uses is: their love was overflowing like a river that has exceeded its normal limits. That's not normal. That is the testimony of the power of the gospel working in the heart of a young person's life. A young believer's life. He could see how the gospel was producing a community of love within a community of hatred and opposition.
It's also important to observe this is that This love that was increasing was the fruit of their growing faith. Do you want to be a more loving person? Don't focus on being more loving. Focus on growing in abundant faith. And where does an abundant faith grow from?
It grows in the soil of the gospel of grace. And that's what happened with these Thessalonians. It's also important to observe that the Thessalonians' growing faith and overflowing love was a direct answer to Paul's and Silas and Timothy's prayers for them from 1 Thessalonians. In 1 Thessalonians 3, verses 10 through 12, Paul prays that their love and faith would grow and increase. And now in 2 Thessalonians 1, verse 3, he is giving thanks to God that his prayers for their faith and their love to increase and grow has been answered.
They are thankful that the continued persecutions and afflictions have not destroyed the young converts' faith, but it is abundantly growing and it hasn't dried up their springs of love. It is overflowing like a river.
So, what is the application for us? It's quite obvious. When we know brothers or sisters in the church going through a hard time in their life, never underestimate the importance and power of prayer for those who are experiencing hardships. These young believers were experiencing grave hardships, and Paul was praying specifically: Lord, let their faith grow. Lord, let their love increase.
Don't let the springs of love dry up in this church. Don't let the faith wilt and die from these persecutions. Increase it, Father. Please do this by grace. And God did it.
I was talking with a friend this week going through a hard time and shared this little snippet. And I said, I don't want it to sound tried, but I will pray for you. And I believe God can work, and I want this to be an encouragement to you. Never underestimate the power of prayer for those who are going through a hard time. God the Father cares, and He will answer.
Notice the effect. That was produced in Paul and his companions Silas and Timothy. By the young Thessalonian believers growing faith and increasing love. Look at verse 4. He says, Therefore, we ourselves boast about you.
This brings us to a third way that Paul seeks to comfort suffering Christians. He comforts these Thessalonians by boasting about their steadfastness in faith in the midst of persecution. Look at verse 4. He says, Therefore, what is the therefore, right? You always ask that question, so it's there for this.
Because of the Thessalonians' abundantly growing faith, In the midst of hardship, because of their increasing love for one another in the midst of difficult circumstances. Paul and his companions boast about them in the churches of God. All the churches that they come in contact with. They are boasting, they are giving high praise, they are speaking with pride about these young believers in Thessalonica. and that boasting about them is intended to comfort them.
Some translations translate both as speak proudly of you or even glory in. There are two qualities that Paul and his companions are boasting or glorying in about these young believers in Thessalonica. The first is they boast about their steadfastness in the midst of persecutions and afflictions. Look what Paul says in verse 4. We ourselves, that's Paul, Timothy and Silas.
Boast, we glory in, we speak proudly about you. In the churches of God for your steadfastness in all your persecutions and in the afflictions that you are enduring. Whenever Paul and his companions visit other churches, Paul says, Paul? Timothy and Silas are bragging about you. We glory in you to the churches.
This word steadfastness means this: the capacity to hold up or bear up in the face of difficulty. It's variously translated as patience, endurance, fortitude, steadfastness, or perseverance. This word steadfastness is used two other times in 1st and 2nd Thessalonians. And interestingly, every time this word steadfastness is used, it refers. To persevering faithfully with a view to the second coming of Christ.
It is a faith, listen, grounded in the hope of the gospel that enables a person to have the capacity to hold up under difficult circumstances. A faith grounded in the second coming of Christ, the hope of the gospel, produces this perseverance. Do you see that? The Thessalonian steadfastness is an example of what we call the doctrine of perseverance. This doctrine is filled with comfort.
The doctrine of perseverance teaches that the believer His or her perseverance is guaranteed. By God's gracious preservation.
Now, remember back that from their initial reception of the gospel, the young Thessalonian believers experienced almost immediate persecution for their faith, right? Due to the intense conflict that Paul and his companions experienced in Thessalonica, they were forced to leave a lot sooner than they wanted to. And so Paul was concerned over the state of these young converts. How will they hold up? Will they have the capacity to endure faithfully?
Will they persevere? And to his great joy, Paul received the good news that the Thessalonian believers were persevering, holding up. In all their persecutions and afflictions, that despite them all, their loyalty to Christ, their loyalty to the church, and their loyalty to the gospel remained steadfast and was enduring. And so Paul was well aware that the Thessalonians' capacity to hold up and bear up under the face of difficulty had nothing to do with their own ability. Their perseverance was the fruit of faith and the result of God's preserving power and grace.
This is why Paul prays repeatedly in the letter for God to preserve them and keep them until Christ returns. Listen to how he prays in chapter 1, verses 11 and 12. He says, To this end, we always pray for you that our God may make you worthy of his calling and may fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith by his power.
So that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you and you in Him according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ. In 2 Thessalonians chapter 3, listen to how he prays for them. The Lord is faithful. He will establish you and guard you against the evil one. And we have confidence in the Lord about you.
We don't have confidence in you, we have confidence in the Lord about you. What is this? That you are doing and will do the things that we command. Therefore, may the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God and to the steadfastness of Christ. It is the love of God in the gospel.
It is the faithfulness, the endurance of Christ that keeps us persevering through all hardship and difficulty. Paul knew that. And so the power of the grace of God given freely through the gospel was preserving these young believers. And this is exactly what Paul is praying will continue. And so his companions in Paul boast.
Speak proudly to other churches about these young believers in Thessalonica. Why? Because they want to comfort them, they want to encourage them. And they want to use them as a model to motivate other believers who might be demonstrating less fortitude, less endurance, less steadfastness, and are being tempted to just say, forget it. The application for us is clear.
We don't believe on our own, but believe in a body, a community of faith. And we need the strength and faith of others when we are going through hardships to keep us enduring. And we need to boast and glory and take pride in those who are holding up under difficult circumstances so they can be a model for others to do the same. And so Paul boasts about their faith. Because he knows that left to themselves they would never persevere to the end.
But in the midst of this persecution, the fruit of faith. And the work of God's grace and spirit through the gospel is creating this endurance. And so, secondly, look what Paul boasts about. He boasts about their faith. Look at the end of verse 4.
We ourselves boast about you and the churches of God for your steadfastness and faith. And so Paul links their steadfastness to their faith. No genuine faith, no steadfastness. If they didn't have genuine faith, They would have never been able to remain steadfast under these hard. Conditions.
Paul caused them persecutions. and afflictions. Persecutions, what does that mean? It is hostile actions of the enemies of the gospel. Afflictions are varied pressures and painful experiences.
What were some of the painful experiences? What were some of the alienations and pressures that these young believers face by receiving the gospel? We saw last week that they experienced alienation from family. They experience alienation from friends. The people in Thessalonica were turning against them, that were being put in prison.
And yet, in spite of all of that, They have endured because of their faith. It's very easy when you begin, especially to experience alienation and conflict and pushback from close family members. It's easy to say, you know what, maybe we'll just Tone this down a little bit and back off a little bit. Right. And it's easy just to walk away and do something that's a little bit more comfortable so the family members back off.
I'm speaking from experience. I'm not picking on anybody individually here. I'm talking to you out of my own experience. What would be easy for me to do? And the Thessalonians did not do this.
It's important to understand: here's our application: that persecution, hostility from enemies of the gospel, varied pressures and painful experiences, they are to be expected in this life. This is life east of Eden. Normal life ended in Genesis chapter 3 with the fall and disobedience of Adam and Eve. There's no such thing as a normal comfortable life east of Eden. Persecutions, afflictions, opposition, discomfort with family and friends, and whoever we run into, is to be expected.
It has always existed against God's people and is following a pattern since Cain murdered Abel right after the fall. In John chapter 15, verse 20, Jesus reminds his disciples, Remember the word that I said to you, A servant is not greater than his master. If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. It's easy to tone it down in high school, isn't it, young people? It's easy to turn it down in middle school, tone it down in middle school, because you want to be in.
You don't like to be made fun of and lumped off to the side and be the little oddball out, right? And you walk in and you can just feel the tension because everybody knows, oh, he's here, or oh, she's here, right? Just tone it down. Get along. Fact is, if you're a believer in Christ and receive the gospel, you're strange because the Bible says you're an alien and a pilgrim, and you're just different, and there's nothing you can do about it.
Paul makes it clear in 2 Thessalonians 1, verses 5 through 10, that there is no such thing as the normal life until the glorious second coming of Christ when he. Executes vengeance on the enemies of his gospel and executes vindication, which is glorification, for his saints. That's what normal life returns. In fact, in 1 Thessalonians 3, verse 3, Paul reminds his young church that Christians are destined to suffer afflictions for their faith. Listen to what he says.
He says, We sent Timothy our brother. And God's co-worker in the gospel to establish and exhort you in your faith that no one may be moved by these afflictions. We sent Timothy because we were concerned you weren't going to make it. For you yourselves know that we are destined for this. For when we were with you, we kept telling you beforehand that we were to suffer affliction just as it has come to pass and just as these persecutions and afflictions accompanied the beginning of the Thessalonian church and they continued.
The question is: in Disneyland, America, if you knew that Paul came to your church and said, Let me just warn you beforehand. You will suffer affliction. to receive this good news today. How many of you are going to sign up? That's what these young believers did.
Despite Immediate opposition, they continue to endure under burdensome and troubling circumstances without giving in. I'll tell you something that grieves a pastor's heart is when people quit. It hurts. deeply. Paul, when he wrote this letter, was profoundly discouraged.
Which brought me great comfort this week. Because he wanted these believers to keep going. And he was concerned that they wouldn't. And when he found out that they did, he was overjoyed. And we ought to give thanks to God.
His heart was filled with gratitude and elated with joy, so that he began to boast about them among other churches. The missionary church planters were filled with heartfelt thanksgiving and a holy pride that these believers didn't give up when they began to face opposition for their faith in the church. This young church Filled with young believers in the faith, we were marked by an abundantly growing faith. And increasing love. A steadfast perseverance All in the midst of persecution and afflictions and alienation from family and friends.
And this faith, love, and perseverance are the fundamental fruits and evidence of a genuine saving faith. And it was for this reason, it was for their faith, it was for their love, it was for their perseverance that Paul and his companions, Timothy and Silas, were driven. We ought, we must give thanks to God, which is right, and boast about you among the churches. This young Thessalonian church was a church to be thankful for and proud of. And so Paul begins his letter by confirming these gracious qualities of faith, love, and steadfastness in the midst of suffering to comfort these suffering young believers in the faith.
And this has profound teaching for us today, does it not? Let's pray. And so, Father, we pray that as we face hardships and afflictions in our life, not quite like these believers, but yet we do face hardships and afflictions. We do face pressures. We pray that our faith could grow abundantly.
We pray that our love for each other could increase, and we pray that in the midst of difficulties we would remain steadfast, immovable, and endure, have the capacity to hold up as we look. by faith to the hope Of the gospel, this glorious second coming of Christ. Give us faith to do that and establish our hearts in the hope of the gospel as you did these young believers. 2,000 years ago. We pray this in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen. John Fawnville sends his thanks for listening today. And before you hit the next episode, can I tell you about an encouraging book you might want to get soon? It's called Hope and Holiness: How the Gospel Enables and Empowers Sexual Purity. You're not alone if you've tried to conquer sexual temptations and tried all the methods available, only to find yourself feeling defeated again.
This book may be just what you're looking for. In His Shepherding Heart, John shows that the gospel, not practical steps or more self-discipline, is God's provision for the power to live a life of sexual purity. and it's available to every Christian. What I like is the book is available in three convenient ways, paperback, audiobook, or Kindle. Please look for the links that I put in the description and get a copy today.
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