Forever thy word is settled in heaven, O Lord. Psalm 119, verse 89. I'm Stu Everson. Welcome to this special Wednesday in the Word leader podcast, where we prepare and equip our leaders of this special Bible study outreach breakfast. Every week to teach through the scriptures.
Thirteen Dario locations. There's a men's group meeting, and several of the Locations host the women on Thursday morning. Stay tuned. Be encouraged as we jump into this week's Wednesday in the Word. If you were called to go on a mission and could not go.
They wanted you, you wanted to be there with them, but you couldn't make it. Who would you send? Who is your Timothy, that close friend, that person you've poured into. That if they can't have the father of the faith, they can have the son. of the faith and that's exactly what happened.
Paul Scent. Timothy. We're going to get into that in chapter three today. In our Wednesday in the Word podcast, I'm Stu Epperson. With me is Dr.
Sam Horn. You see Paul's love for the church come out even more. In these 13 verses, Dr. Horne, right in the middle, like right in the mid-mark of our study in 1 Thessalonians. Paul gives a lot of love in this chapter, and it's kind of been built up, I guess, as we look back at what he's already talked about in the first couple chapters.
There's a real. A real love, a real affection. for these dear saints at Thessaloniki. And he just wanted to be with him. Dr.
Horn, he wanted to be there, but he couldn't. He was thwarted by, hindered by Satan. We learned that from 2:18. But When you see this, Dr. Horn, I know it hits you in a lot of different ways as a man in the ministry, as a man who's produced a lot of Timothy's.
out there. You are a Timothy to to many godly Pauls. What hit your heart initially, sir, as we jump into chapter three?
Well, what hits my heart as you look at this text, these 13 verses. Are really the heart of Paul, right? You get a window into his soul. Uh, Paul is going to speak very plainly about the power of the gospel in chapter one, and we saw that. I mean, there is no uh question about that the the power of the gospel when it was unleashed there at this La Naika.
people turn from their idols. And they began worshiping. That's the idea behind the word serve. They began worshiping the true and the living God. And they were eagerly waiting.
The idea there is not that they were sitting around twiddling their thumbs. In fact, there was a guy doing that. And Paul had to write 2 Thessalonians to correct that. This idea of waiting for the coming of his son was not sitting around idly just twiddling your thumbs, it was getting after it. It was.
He's on his way, and we want to get after it, and we want to see more people in Thessalonica come to Christ. And so, for that to happen, there had to be a ministry of the word that would equip them. And that's what we see in chapter 2. Paul speaks of the power of the word to save them, and now in chapter 2, he speaks of the ministry of the word to sanctify them. And he lays it out.
I mean, he talks to them like he is like a nursing mother, is compassionate over them. He's like a teaching father. who's going to shape them up and prepare them. for life in the kingdom. When we get to chapter four, He's going to talk pretty plainly to them about what needs to change.
I mean, you guys have been saved. You're growing in grace. You're in an environment that is thoroughly immoral. and completely idolatrous. And some of those behaviors that you've made a clean break with, that world that you've made a clean break with, some of those behaviors are still straggling.
And have maintained a presence in your life. And so, Paul is going to talk to them about. the will of God being their sanctification. And he's gonna flush it out for them. And then in chapter five, he's gonna talk a little bit about a theological matter that is being twisted, that the coming of the Lord.
That they're so eagerly waiting for has been twisted around. And so he's gonna have to help them understand how to do theology well.
So all of these are ministry tasks, right? All of these are ministerial tasks. And ministry tasks that whether you're a pastor or you're leading a Bible study or you're trying to lead your home, these are all things. That comes up in the process of doing that ministry task. But it's not just enough to do a ministry task.
Paul is going to show us his ministry heart. And that's what I get when I see what Paul is doing here and what it costs him and why he's doing it. And the emotion behind it. He says, I couldn't stand it anymore. I've been so concerned about you.
I've been so worried. I've been so prayerful about you. I couldn't stand it anymore.
So I sent Timothy to you. We're going to find out. He didn't just send Timothy to the Thessalonicans. This wasn't unique, right? He's going to send Silas to Macedonia to check on them.
And so here he is now in Athens. Persecuted, recovering from the beating and the mistreatment he received at Philippi. Um, you know, those weren't easy moments for Paul. Those weren't physically easy moments. Those weren't emotionally easy moments.
Those weren't even spiritually easy moments. And when he most needed a helper, when he most needed someone to minister to him physically, to help him recover. To encourage him spiritually. Instead of keeping those people in close, he sends them to check on those that he has ministered to and led to Christ. And by checking on them, don't think he's sending like a Sherlock Holmes to sniff around and see what you're really up to.
Think of it as: I'm sending life support. I'm sending someone with life support to you because I'm so concerned about what I saw when I was there and the pressures that are on you. And so here is this. Man, at one of the d more difficult moments in his life, And instead of holding on to things and people that would really help him. He sends them for the good of others.
And so that's what ministry is. I mean, all of us who were in ministry know over time. You're going to be in a moment where you're depleted and you're tired, and you've got hardly any gas in your own spiritual tank. And you look over and people that you love, people that you care about, people that you've been serving are in trouble, and you take the little bit of gas you have and you expend it on them. That's coming out of somewhere.
That's not coming out of a worldly mind. That is coming out of like Paul. And that's what I think chapter three does. And for those who lead our Bible studies, This is the kind of heart we should be cultivating in our own souls as we open the word and minister it to these precious people that come on Wednesday mornings or whenever you happen to do your Bible study. That's such a good word.
He opens chapter three with the word therefore, which always takes us back, what's going on here? What's the context? And he has just called them his human wreaths. He says that what is our hope, our joy, Or crown or rejoicing, it's not you. Is it not you?
You are that very thing for us. You are our glory. and our joy is people. You know, often we think about crowns and rewards in heaven. As these beautiful ornate gold crowns and the martyr's crown and the victory crown and the overcomers crown, James won.
But Dr. Horne, these people, in fact. Were his crown. Like, this is who he had invested in. And he's in Athens.
And he he, you know, Athens is ground zero for all philosophy. For all apologetics, if I can use a modern evangelical word for us there. And he needs all the firepower he can muster. He needs Silas. He needs Timothy.
And what does he do? He sends his best. Away. And he's alone in Athens, but he's... He does it so that he can He can support And you're going to get into this as we look at.
You know, we've kind of done a, you've done a great review.
Now, as we preview this coming week, these 13 verses of chapter 3, Dr. Horne, Timothy, is going to. establish and encourage, I love that kind of Tandem there of things he's going to do for this church, these saints, but he's going to bring back a good report. I mean, this is a chapter three answers a lot of questions, Dr. Horne.
I don't want to steal your thunder, but it's nice to see. What Paul gleans from and learns from Timothy's visit, the report Timothy brings back. I mean, for all he knew, he was only there in Thessalonica for three weeks. These people could have gone rogue. Maybe the Judaizers stole their You know, joy, maybe the enemies of the gospel came in and said, You know, this guy, Paul, he's, you know, he's a charlatan, don't believe him, you know, used to kill Christians.
What do you, you know, how could you put any stock in that? But it really took root, and Paul is so encouraged. We see that in these 13 verses. Break it down for us, brother, and tell us kind of how. We should approach this week and these these verses kind of almost in an outline uh form as you know structurally Yeah.
There's a ton. I mean, if you go to the commentaries, as you well know, there's a ton of ways to do this. And so I'm just going to give you maybe an opening sort of platform to stand on. And then I want us to look at really five. Five sort of marks, five things that come out of Paul's heart.
And they end up at a prayer, and the prayer is super powerful at the end.
So that's kind of how I would do it. Here's the platform, and you see the platform. In verse 7, for this reason, brothers. In all our distress and affliction. We have been comforted about you through your faith.
So, Paul is worried about something. It's very evident as you get into this. Paul is worried. He's concerned, not sinful worry. There's a burden and there's a concern that he has for these people.
who have been so powerfully converted by the word. And that burden and that concern is not coming out of nowhere, right? It's not happening in a sterile little office where he's got his Torah scrolls. And his little scribe sitting off to the side, waiting to dictate the next letter Paul's gonna write. This is coming in the middle of one of the worst times in Paul's life.
And you can see it when he uses the word distress and affliction. Think about what he's been through. Think about the physical shape he's in. Think about emotionally how he must be feeling. Here he is in Athens.
To our knowledge, he'd never been there before. He knows no one in Athens. Where's he going to stay? How's he going to eat? How's he going to bind up his wounds?
Who's going to care for him? And all of a sudden, in the middle of this, in the middle of these afflictions and this distress. He sends the two people who have been serving with him and ministering to him and caring for him away. And so we got to ask ourselves what was the sending away for? And so I think there are five things, and here they are.
Number one, in verses one and two of the chapter, we see. a deep love and affection. That is behind all of this sacrifice. Remember, I said he's not sending Sherlock Holmes. Because he's afraid they're doing stuff they shouldn't, that's going to hurt his ministry.
There really is deep love and affection. He says it right in verse one: when we could bear it no longer. And then down in verse 5, he repeats that. I could bear it no longer. There is this, there is this deep, Love and burden that is for these people, right?
And he is willing. to sacrifice. We were willing to be left behind at Athens alone. The idea of being left behind, that word in other contexts can carry the idea of being totally abandoned. To have been left destitute.
I mean, here you are, and you've jumped into an endeavor, and all of a sudden, your partners are gone. They just turn and bail on you. That's the idea.
Now, that's not what happened. Paul's gonna make clear that he actually sent Timothy and Silas, but the word he uses is a word that is intended to get you to think. About the immense cost, the sacrifice to Paul. that this was when when we could bear it no more. We were willing to be left behind at Athens alone, and we sent Timothy.
And then, notice how he describes Timothy, he's our brother. There's a close relationship, and obviously, because we know the rest of the New Testament, we know that relationship wasn't just, oh, there's Timothy, and he's on the trip, and let's see who we can send.
Well, he's not very important to the mission, let's send him. We can spare him. He's bringing someone Up close and personal, dear to him that knows him, that is a comfort to him, and he's sending him back into harm's way. To find out something, right? He wants to know what's going on.
Uh In the lives of these people.
So, and then he describes Timothy as God's co-worker. Not just his coworker, but God's coworker. There's this. immense sense as you read this that Paul understands That this little mission that he's on. Isn't personal.
In other words, this isn't about building Paul. This isn't about Paul's mission. This isn't about Paul's mission trip. This isn't even about Paul's co-workers. This is about God's big mission.
And everybody on that mission is actually God's co-worker before they're Paul's. And so you can see this immediately, right, in chapter three, verses one and two.
Now, that love and affection produces compassion and burden. that leads to ministry. And you can see that in verse end of verse two. And going into verse three, Paul says, I'm sending Timothy, God's co-worker in the gospel of Christ. to establish and exhort you in the faith.
So now we kind of know what's going on and why Timothy is being sent. I want to establish you. That's the idea of strengthen. That's the idea of to sink down deep support so that whatever comes doesn't blow you over. To establish, and then I want to exhort you.
The word there is to teach, the idea is to encourage, to really get with the word in your life, right? To exhort you in your faith so that no one would be moved by these afflictions, for you yourselves know that we are destined for this. And so the afflictions that had come to Paul at Philippi and the afflictions that they had seen at Berea and now at Thessalonica. have started to come against them. What Paul describes later as affliction and distress.
Is now something that these believers are starting to face in their own lives. And Paul is worried that these afflictions that are so strong and so disconcerting and so worrisome. Are going to actually shove people off their faith. They're going to actually push people to the point they're going to tumble down. Think of an illustration when you were a kid in the playground.
And and All of a sudden, there were a bunch of bullies coming around somebody in the middle, and they began pushing. And they would push. They would shove this kid in the middle, and he would go from one side of the circle to the other, and they would just bounce off people, and they would shove him. The goal was to try to get that kid down. And that's the idea here, that in Thessalonica, there was an enemy stirring up trouble.
And not just trouble in words, but trouble in deed, right? I mean, he was pushing and causing people to shove. Against these new believers. And Paul was very, very concerned that what they saw in him, the beatings and the opposition from the Jews, and even at times, would be so disconcerting that when it came against them, they would say, We're not up for that. We didn't sign up for that.
So there is this deep desire for Timothy to come. and to strengthen them. In their affliction, like he said, he said, when we were with you, we kept telling you. That this was going to happen just as it has come to pass, even as you know.
Well, Dr. Horn, let me jump in before you, because I want you to keep this trained, but. This goes against everything that has been labeled the prosperity gospel. You know, we like to think we're appointed to. glory.
We're appointed to Wealth and blessings, and there is immense blessing from following Christ. There's great joy and there's peace and all that. But Paul says, I was appointed. To tribulation.
So, how often, hey, what if a Bible study leader gets up this week or a pastor gets up in front of his pulpit and says, Hey, guys, I'm going to guarantee you trials and suffering in a very difficult life. Hey, those of you who came forward to receive Christ this week, It's going to get harder. It's going to get rough. And, you know, and Paul, you know, the first words, some of the first words of Jesus to Paul. Where you know, he said, I want to show you.
The great things, and maybe he said it to the gentleman who baptized Paul. He said, I'm going to show you the great things that he must suffer. For me, Ananias. Yeah, Ananias. And so, you know, Paul learns this right when he comes in.
That he, you know, he was appointed to this.
So, this is, and of course, he referred to Jesus as the exhibite of suffering in chapter two. And then he said, I was, you know, persecuted and beaten and striped and driven out of town, and now that's happening to you.
So, sometimes we look at suffering in the Christian life as, oh, my, I'm abnormal, man, I'm messed up, or or God's picking on me, but in fact. It's also a crown, Dr. Horn. I just don't want to lose that. It's so important because this is a church that was not only on fire for Christ, but they were under fire.
For their faith in Christ. It's out of this. this kind of call Cauldron And suffering that we have all this great fruit. And, but keep going along. I just, that, that, that hit me, that, where he said, I was appointed to this.
You know, we don't like to claim those verses. You know, I got unfollowed, by the way, on Twitter. by um someone When I, all I did is post the verse from, I believe it was 2 Timothy 3.12, where Paul says, all those who live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.
So I just post I post I've been posting a verse on that social media platform for 15 years straight every night. And I posted that verse. Yeah. And someone put a comment in the in the section in the little underneath the verse. They said, I'm not gonna I'm I'm unfollowing you.
I'm I'm I'm offended that you would post this.
Well, you know, the gospel is uh is offensive. Be offensive as messengers, but the message we bring does create offense, and one of the offenses is. that it isn't going to fix all of your earthly problems. In fact, it's going to create more of them. And if you stop and think about it, Paul is saying to them, we told you this.
when we were with you. In fact, we kept telling you this. That we were going to suffer affliction, and it actually came to pass. We were telling you the truth, and you can see it now, right?
So, this is really important. I'm so glad you kind of put the pause button and brought this out because. This is a big deal. In Thessalonica, and it's a big deal at Philippi, and it's going to be an even bigger deal at Rome. When Paul writes to the Galatians, in every letter, he is writing to people who have come, as you put it so aptly, under fire for their faith.
Think about what we typically do when we share the gospel with people: is your marriage in trouble? Jesus will fix it. If your kids are a mess and you're a terrible dad, Jesus will fix it. You know, if you've got health issues or you're depressed or you've got anxiety or you're struggling with sexual sin, Jesus will fix all that. And it is true that in the end, the gospel does fix all things.
But it's in the middle, right? It's in that middle time where Paul says, Listen, when you become a genuine follower of Jesus. You change sides. You didn't just change destinations. It's not just that you're no longer on your way to hell, you're on your way to heaven.
You actually changed sides in a war you didn't even know was going on. And that war is actually gonna come really active in your area because now you're on a side. where where the enemy hates uh who the enemy hates and you're going to experience incredible difficulty and persecution. And we do a disservice, I think, as pastors especially. When we try to only show the beautiful, wonderful benefits of the gospel.
And by the way, Paul does talk about the benefits of the gospel. Read Romans 5. Romans 5, first part of Romans 5: incredible benefits that create joy and hope and exuberant worship. But he's also very plain. About the hardships and the suffering and the affliction that will come in the will of God to everyone who embraces the gospel.
And he's really upfront about that. And that's why he's worried.
So when you come to verses six through eight. I'm sorry, verses five rather, he is super concerned to help. He wants to do something to preserve and protect. the people that's why it says in verse five for this reason the very thing i just said That these afflictions that you're seeing in me and that are now starting to happen to you, that we told you were going to happen and that now are, I'm concerned that the temperature, the tempter, that's the devil, the tempter has tempted you. And our labor would be in vain.
That you're sort of abandoning the faith that That's what you were so eager to embrace when we first came, now the price is becoming so steep for you that you're going, actually, I want to turn away from that, I want to renounce it. And so That's why I sent Timothy to be with you. I sent Timothy to establish you so that you wouldn't be blown over, you wouldn't be pushed down, and to exhort you to really put fire in you so that when you come under fire, the fire in you will fight that fire.
So that's sort of the imagery in these first five verses.
Now, if you go to verses six through eight, The whole tenor changes because somehow he's gotten a report back from Timothy about what's going on, and it has been so encouraging, so beautiful, so life-giving to him. He said, But now that Timothy has come to us from you, I sent him, and now he's back. And he has brought to us The good news of your faith and love. The word good news there in that verse, in verse 6, is actually the word for gospelize. It's a play on terms.
Paul has come with the good news and he's gospelized. Them in chapter one, and Timothy has come back with good news about them, and he's gospelizing Paul. That's the idea.
He's gospelized us with the good news of your faith and love. Uh your faith in who? Your faith in God, your faith in the gospel, your love for who?
Well, obviously, first and foremost, your love for God. But it isn't just that. He reported, he gave us an accurate report that you always remember us kindly. And you long to see us as we long to see you. And for this reason, brothers, in all of our distress and our affliction that we're going through.
and that we're living. We have been comforted about you through your faith.
And the idea there is, we have been strengthened by your faith, the report of how you're living. And we live if you are standing fast in the Lord. In other words, he's saying our encouragement that came from Timothy is putting life in us. It's putting hope in us. It's putting strength back in us so that we can get up and do it again here in Athens.
Because we know that the work the Holy Spirit did through us in Thessalonica in your lives is still going on. It's safe, it's sound, it's secure. And you're living faithfully under fire there, and that put hope in us. You know, it's an interesting thing. when you get worried about people you're worried about and you find out, man, they are doing great.
The gospel is at work in their life, and it just puts life in you. It puts hope back in you. It puts air in your spiritual tires. It puts gas in your tank. And you can get up out of that discouragement, out of that heavy burden that's just been crushing you down as a pastor and ministry leader.
And you can say, I'm going to do this again. I want more of that. It's almost like that's exactly what you see here. It's almost like a reversal of the intent. You know, you go on a missions trip to give and you end up getting.
You end up coming with your heart full. The people you go to serve end up ministering you more than you did to them. Paul sends Timothy to establish and encourage them. When in fact Paul Is established and encouraged by Timothy's report from them. It's like it's got, God just brought great favor back by Paul's faithfulness.
To let go of his number one pupil, his number one Jedi, and send him out. And God brought him back with an overwhelming. positive report and encouraged his soul. The one who sent the encouragement, sent someone to encourage, was encouraged, Dr. Horn.
What a beautiful picture. And then, of course, keep going because we're going to get to this climactic prayer, which I can't wait to hear your thoughts on as well.
Well, one one example I think might be helpful. You know, I I've been working now for months with a guy who's been coming to our church who who is on American Ninja Warrior. And he's been exploring his faith. And over time, I've become convinced that he is a believer. And we meet or up through Christmas, we met every Well, actually, in November, we met every Wednesday morning for Bible study.
And then our family had a struggle with my in-laws who had to go into hospice, and we had to suspend that. And then he got busy.
So I haven't seen him for probably two and a half months. And I have been so worried. How's he doing? What's happening in his life? I've been texting him.
Don't get a lot back from him. I'm like, oh, Lord, are you, is he going back? Are the pressures of his old life just catching him? And uh, and so I've just been burdened. I've asked people in our church, you know, are you heard?
No, no, you know, I don't know what's going on. And so, Lord, I've been so burdened. I was in Chicago. At an airport, and I was actually running to try to catch a flight. And I heard this pastor.
And I thought, hmm, that's not me. Nobody knows me. I just kept rolling. And then I heard in the distance, Pastor Sam, and I knew it was me.
So I turned around and there was this guy. He was on his way to do an exhibition. And he gave me a big hug, and I said, Man, I've been so worried for you. He goes, I'm doing great, I'm doing well. I've just been traveling, I've been busy.
This season is just unbelievable, but I'm doing great. We're going to get together. And you know, when I got off that, I missed my flight, or I missed that particular flight. It didn't matter. I was so encouraged.
And I looked at him, I said, God orchestrated this for me. God did this, so I would know how you're doing. Wow. And that's a little illustration of what we're all experiencing, right? It brings us to in verses 9 and 10, the deep thankfulness.
And an ongoing dependence on God that Paul has for these dear people that he loves and he's so concerned about. And here's the thing: if you look at verse Nine, what thanksgiving can we return to God for you for all the joy that we feel for your sake before our God? I mean, I got a small taste of that in the airport that day. Paul is like, I just, I'm so thankful that God has sustained you. I'm so thankful that God has kept you, right?
And then in verse 10, we pray most earnestly night and day that we may see you face to face. And supply what is lacking in your faith. In other words, Paul realized Your faith did not depend on me. It depended on the Lord. Your salvation did not come from me, it came from the Lord, and your strength and sanctification does not come from me, it comes from the Lord.
I'm burdened for it. I'm afraid for it. I'm worried about it. But now that I know it's strong, I'm going to immediately give credit to where credit is due. It wasn't me that did that.
It was God that strengthened you. And And I'm praying earnestly night and day that we may see you face to face, that God would bring us back to you so that we could keep teaching you, so that we could keep putting more of God's word into you and supply what is lacking in your faith. There is always more ministry to be done. It doesn't matter if you've been saved for 40 years or you've been saved for four months. There's always more work the Spirit of God wants to do, and He always uses people to do that work.
And that's incredibly powerful.
So, I'm going to let you speak for a moment here, but here's where I want to end. Paul says in verse 10: We pray most earnestly night and day.
So, what did he pray for? And in verse 11. Through verse 13, we're going to find out what he prayed for. And once we find out what he prayed for, maybe the best way for us to end our time today is to actually pray for those things for each other and for those that lead our Bible study. I couldn't agree more, Dr.
Horn. You have this. Prayer, you know, I came up with, I like your outline a lot better. I came up with five Ps that kind of mark this scripture, this passage. A P of preservation.
He sends Timothy to preserve them. A P of persecution. He reminds them that this is par for the course. This is not an elective. Persecution is coming.
It's inclusive in the Christian life in the package. a P of perseverance, you know. saying to them, hey, if you Stick with this thing. Stay with it. Continue to persevere.
A P of praise. You have this. effusive praise of this apostle for his flock just Thanking God for them. He said it repeatedly. I pray without ceasing.
He thanks God without ceasing. I thought about my own life. Who do I thank God without ceasing? You know, this is just a bright spot in his life. And then finally, the P of prayer.
Which is what we're jumping into. What a great conclusive thought. All I, listen, all I just got hit with and convicted about was. As my dad got older, And as he kind of winded down, you know, his ministry, he, you know, his retirement party was his funeral. You know, he's, he, he never retired.
He was still doing the Christian radio stuff. He was still busting my chops two or three times a day. We would go, I'd take him to chemo and he'd say, Junior, give this track to that nurse over there. I forgot to give a track to her. And I'm like, Pops, you know, I'm trying to read my paper over here and work on my other stuff.
And, you know, he just was, he was intentional. But as he winded down, I would get calls from people, and even some pretty significant people, and they would say, Hey, your dad. Gave me your number. I've got this pretty big ministry initiative, this international thing, or this radio thing, or.
Something to do with expansion of sorts, and your dad gave me your number. And as I'm As I'm reading this passage of Paul kind of offloading things off of his plate. And two go.
So that he can send Timothy. He's divesting of things, so he's building in and investing in Timothy, who's investing in these other people. The very real sense, Dr. Horne. You know, you are shepherding people.
You're not going into you're not a PA. You don't work at the motorcycle dealership there in town in Greenville. You don't work as a chiropractor. You're not a school teacher down the street there at that big school. But you are because you're pouring into these souls and you're pouring your heart into them.
You're not just giving them the gospel only, but your very soul. You know, verse 8 of chapter 2. And in so doing, You're going into all those places, and there's a very real sense that you and I are living, the paws that have poured into us are living. through us and impacting And I'm thankful for that investment. And so Paul did that through Timothy.
And but it means opening your hand up and opening your heart up to someone. And being willing to say, you know what, I don't need to be in that pulpit at that certain time. I'm going to send this young man to do it. I'm going to. Pour into this group to do that.
And I think there's a lot of real big, important gut checks here, real heart checks. Hey, who am I pouring into? Who am I investing in? Who am I taking with me? Who am I?
Who am I pouring into so that they'll be greater than me? Rather than think, okay, what kind of legacy and what kind of name am I leaving? How about this? How can my kids, my grandkids, how can my My Timothies in my life do far better. If I wrote two books in my life, how can they write 30 books?
How can they reach more people? How can you open more radio stations? This idea of one pastor, Pastor Greer. Who said it said it real well in his book, Gaining by Losing? He fires all the best leaders in his church.
And I thought, what are you thinking? Firing the best leaders of your church. Man, you got to build more buildings and grow more churches and keep them with you because they're your key. He says, no, we fire them because we want them to go out and start other churches. And now his ministry has planted I don't know but Probably one or two thousand churches or so out there because of this idea of I'm going to let go and just let and turn it loose and send Timothy's out, like Paul sent Timothy to Thessaloniki.
So I'm super convicted about that, you know, that Christians are always working on multiplication. The kingdom of God is advanced through. Human, this is human life on life stuff. This is This is hugging a guy in the middle of an airport like you did with that fellow you poured into. This is meeting coffee.
This is a 10 o'clock, uncomfortable conversation at night with someone. Because this is life, and you're loving them, and you're praying with them, and you're standing there over the coffin of their loved one at a funeral. You're in life with them, but this is the power of the gospel. And this is investing in eternity because we want to take as many people with us to heaven, Dr. Horne, as we possibly can.
So we can say, you are my glory. You are my joy. You are here. God somehow used me. To play a part in introducing you to Jesus and that you're here.
And look at all the people that influenced me, that invested the word of God in me when I didn't even want to hear it. And now I'm here.
So hallelujah, right? Amen.
Well, you know, it's interesting as we come to this prayer, Paul's life was marked by prayer. He says it right there, and the Holy Spirit let it stand. I mean, you know, the Holy Spirit is really jealous about his word. He's not going to let something inaccurate or something that's not true. Be there, especially when it's coming out of the mouth of somebody like Paul.
Paul says, We earnestly, we earnestly prayed night and day. For you. And so this is not like, you know, Paul, Paul, you know, was religiously praying 24/7. It's the idea that throughout the day, this is a morning and evening kind of thing. Throughout the day, Paul lived in the spirit of prayer.
His whole focus. as he whatever he did when he was traveling or walking or making a tent or even as he was getting up to open up the Torah to speak about Jesus and how he fulfilled all of those prophecies in Isaiah, He was prayerful. This man prayed. He depended on the Lord, and the subject of most of his praying was the people that he had led to Christ and the churches that were started. And the Holy Spirit put it there for us, right?
The most important thing we can do for the people God has called us to shepherd is to pray, to live in the spirit of prayer. This marked Paul. This literally developed in him an entire spirit. that that an ethos, right?
So as a kid growing up, One of my heroes was a guy named Chuck Norris. And Chuck was in all the movies. He played in this movie called Texas Ranger, and we would watch that as kids. And then when he retired from that, he got into fitness and he had all these little gizmos that would be on almost every TV channel, and you'd see Chuck Norris. He never seemed to age.
Well, this morning across my news flash was a little line that said, Chuck Norris dead at 86. And all of that that he lived for is now done. You know, his life is going to be remembered for something. And for most of us, it's good to be remembered for the rough, tough, don't take any, you know, any guff from anybody. Go in and solve a problem, and then really stay fit.
And that was his life. That's what he was known for. What if you looked at the Apostle Paul? He was known for something in the scriptures. He was known for prayer.
And so when he speaks about prayer, there is a weight to what he says. And so in verses 11 through 13, we find out what that unceasing prayer was like. When Paul prayed, what did he pray for? And, you know, whether or not you are a John MacArthur fan, you do have to give credit for the work that he did in the word. And here he is in this section of 1 Thessalonians.
And he really does have a very powerful section on this prayer. And I would encourage all of you to go, if you don't have access to it, you can probably find it in your pastor's library. The commentary on 1 Thessalonians, this section, has a very powerful explanation of this prayer. And John MacArthur says, if you want to understand this prayer and you want to pray this prayer, here's what it's about. Paul prayed that the faith of these believers would continue to be perfected.
That it would continue to be strengthened. He says, Now may our God and Father Himself and our Lord Jesus Christ direct our way to you. Interesting, in chapter 3, in the prayer in 2 Thessalonians, he's going to say, May the Lord direct your hearts. To the love of God. Here he's asking God to direct their steps.
Back. Lord, in your providence, send us back. And he's already told you why he wants to go back. It's not because he wants to eat more of their good food and sleep in a comfortable bed. He wants to go back so that he can strengthen them.
And so that he can supply what is lacking in their faith. There is more growth that needs to happen. There is more words you need to understand. There is more faith that needs to be perfected in you. And so I'm praying that the Lord would allow us to come back and deliver the word that will do that.
So he prays. That their faith would be perfected. Then he prays, secondly, that their love would prosper. This is sweet. Look at the next little phrase here.
Verse 12: May the Lord make you increase and abound in love. for one another and for all. There's no question about your love for God. I want to make sure you love each other. you know one of the marks that the love of God really has changed us as we love each other.
We even love our enemies, right? That's what the gospel does. It takes enemies and reconciles them. It takes those who've been alienated and makes them friends. It takes people who have been hopelessly divided and brings them into deep, abiding partnerships.
It's interesting often that Paul will talk this way about Gentiles. He will say to the Philippians, I long for you. Here he talks about longing to see them. These are Gentiles. As a former rabbi, Paul had no place and no patience for Gentiles.
In fact, as a former rabbi, he would have actually probably believed what some of the rabbis taught that the reason there were so many Gentiles is that God created them because they needed a lot of fuel for hell. And so for somebody like Paul, who came out of that background. to speak this way. is powerful and he's saying i want that kind of love That God put in me for you. I want Him to put that kind of love in you for each other.
What would happen? If God did that in our homes. What if God would really rekindle our love for our husbands or our love for our wives or our love for our children? I mean, deep love for them, not just frustrated love or love that's been around for years. You know, Beth and I have been married for 40 years.
I've had kids. My oldest son is 30. And what, you know, so that love's been, you know, knocking around in our home for 40 years. What if God would just rekindle that? What if God would just.
Just put that. On blazing white heat. And it would just so rekindle that love. You know, what if God would give me a deep love for the people in my church? That'd frustrate me.
What if God would just give me a deep love for my neighbor that is so hard to love or for that person at work? I mean, this is what Paul is praying for: not just that they would grow in their faith, but that God would rekindle their love for one another, that he would put this unquenchable love that no matter what happens, it doesn't matter how disappointed that person makes you or what they did that so frustrated you or how they just irritate you. Nothing can kill the love that God has put in your heart for them. That's transformative. And then the final thing is that there would be a hope A confident expectation that would purify them.
And you can see that, so that he may establish your hearts. Blameless. In holiness before our God and Father.
Now, what is the hope? Here's the mission that he would keep you blameless. And unstained by the world. But what is the hope? The hope is the appearing of Jesus.
Remember back in chapter one, they turned from their idols. to worship the true and living God and to wait. expectantly, confidently, laboring. for the coming of Jesus. the coming of Jesus and our confident expectation of it.
is actually uh actually has a purifying effect. Right, it really does. Um, you know, we're about to have a wedding. Today, and my wife reminded me at the beginning of the week: hey, Friday, don't forget, we're going to this wedding. It's at such and such a place.
And so, yesterday she's like, now we're going to this wedding. You pick me up at three, right? Yep.
Now, did you check your schedule? I want to make sure you're going to be able to pick me up at three. We're going to the wedding. Yep.
And then this morning, now, don't forget, you can't wear what you normally wear. You were going to a wedding. And so, man, I had to dig out a dress shirt, I had to dig out a dress, you know, sports coat, and I couldn't wear my comfortable shoes. And why? Because we're going to a wedding.
So, this wedding had the expectation of it. has totally changed the way I approach my week. I normally don't get up on Monday thinking about Friday. I'm just like thinking about Monday. I'm not pulling a sports coat out unless I absolutely have to on Sunday morning.
I'm not remotely going to wear dress use, period. But all of a sudden, there's a wedding, and all week long, that wedding's been on the radar. It's coming. It's coming. Now, today, today we've got to remember to do this.
No, no, no, we can't take so-and-so to dinner on Friday. You forgot. I told you we're going to a wedding.
So, this wedding has been shaping our whole week, and it's been intruding into my whole life this week.
Well, that's the idea. There is a second coming, and we typically never think about it. It's like, oh, yeah, yeah, the second coming. Yeah. Just something about a rapture.
And so I think it's going to be on a cloudy day because he's going to come in the clouds. It's looking pretty clear today, so I don't think we have to worry about that. And we have no clue. Paul is saying, wait a minute, this coming should intrude into every part of your life. It should shape every part of your day.
It should continually be on your mind because when the Lord comes, I want to present you as a chaste virgin, he tells the Corinthians. Here does the Thessalonians. He says, I'm asking God to establish you blameless.
So that when when the Lord who saved you comes You can run and be ready to meet him, right? And that's the idea here. And wow, that changes our perspective, right? My mom used to have what she called the underwear theory, and that was as a kid: change your underwear every day. Why?
Because the Lord might come to you. And you sit there going, that's a terrible, terrible way to motivate you, right? But we called it the underwear period.
Well, that's not what Paul is doing here. He's actually doing something much better. He's literally saying there is coming a day that is going to be the very best day in your life, and you don't want to be caught out. We've all been to events. And we got to the event that we thought was going to be a certain way and we got there.
We're like, oh boy. I did not read the invite very well. I am totally underdressed for this. I am and you just feel so embarrassed. And the host is still coming, oh, it's no problem.
Come on in, no problem, nobody's gonna care. And everybody else is in a suit, and you're in shorts and a t-shirt and flip-flops. And you're like, I'm so glad. And you are welcome, and there is a play for you, and you're going to be treated just like everybody else, but you're going to feel it, right? Because you didn't read it well.
Or you show up, and everybody's in shorts and a t-shirt, and you're in a tuxedo. And you're like, oh.
So, this is the idea here. There is coming a day. It's the most important day in our lives. And Paul is saying, think about it. Let it shape how you live this week.
Let it shape how you live today. Because you really want to be ready for that day. And it's such a big day. It's the greatest event. Yet to happen in history, the return of the king.
There's a reference to the return of the king in every chapter. Of this five-chapter epistle that we've been studying, 1 Thessalonians. This is the Wednesday of the Word podcast. We're out of time. Dr.
Horn's going to pray us out, but I just want to thank everyone for joining us. And I want you to remember: this is huge. This is part of Paul's prayer. This shouldn't just be a little, you know, kind of, you know, side note, sidebar, end note in our daily life. This should be, this should drive us.
We should be looking to the clouds. We should be excited about his return. It should alter the way we live. And of course, we're going to get to those. you know, 12, 15, 18 imperatives.
That Paul's going to give in chapter 5, you know, pray without ceasing, rejoice evermore, all these things based on the coming of the Lord. You know, it changes how we live.
So, Dr. Horn, such a good word, such a good prayer, man. And thank you for opening your heart to us this week.
Okay. Lord, we do come and we're so grateful, Stu and I, that we get to do this together. And Lord, I've never met any of our Bible study leaders. But my heart does resonate with them. And even though I don't know them, I think I could say with Paul that I do earnestly long to see them.
And what a joy it would be maybe one day to see one or two of them face to face. And Lord, as we, Stu and I, together try to put this podcast out, we're trying in a very small way to do what Paul did, to just equip these precious people, these men and women who are teaching your people with tools and ideas and understanding. And Lord, it's a great joy when we hear the great things you're doing through them in their Bible studies. And so we pray, Lord, that you would increase your work in them and perfect their faith. and perfect the faith of those that are listening and engaging in their study.
week after week. Lord, help them to increase and abound in love for one another and for you. And then, Lord, we do pray that you would establish their hearts, their inner man. and their lives blameless in holiness. before you and in eager anticipation of the coming of your son.
All of his saints. Lord, that's why all this matters. That's why the commands about fleeing fornication and the commands about sanctification and controlling our bodies and holiness and honor, all of those commands, Lord, aren't legalistic commands that. Are dumped on us in order to get us to march in a certain order. But Lord, they're there because you're coming.
and we belong to you and we want the vehicle of our life to be in the best possible shape. Lord, if we were picking up the governor or we were meeting the governor and we were taking our car, we would take that car to a detail shop. We would take it to the car wash. We would odorize it. We would take all the food wrappers out of the back.
We would clean it out thoroughly because of who is coming to meet us. And Lord, you're coming to meet us. And so we want the vehicle of our life to reflect our eager anticipation and our worth that we ascribe to you. And so help us, we pray, in Jesus' name. Thank you, Dr.
Horn, and thank you for joining us for this Wednesday in the Word podcast. Learn more at wedintheword.com. Follow us on YouTube. Facebook and all social media, including in Stu Graham. and be encouraged, stay in the word, read it.
Share it, study it, memorize it, and meditate on God's Word. Every word of God is pure. He is a shield to those who put their trust in him. Proverbs 30, verse 5.
