Paul's Exortation and Encouragement to the Thessalonians

Paul, in his letter to the Thessalonians, started by praising the Thessalonians about their faithfulness. It was by staying faithful and their love that they had for one another. So today, brethren, I want to address those first few chapters of Thessalonians and show how it applies to us by describing clearly how he was encouraging to the brethren there. But to put it into context, I want to start by going to Acts, to the book of Acts. So we're going to start there in... and we're just going to very quickly glance through a few chapters. In Acts 15, as you know, it is the Jerusalem Conference and the apostles got together in the year 49 after Christ, and they discussed and they made a decision that Gentiles do not need to keep the ceremonial law. In other words, they don't need to be circumcised, nor do they need to keep the various laws related to those ceremonies. And then we see a little later in chapter 15 in the year 50, which by interesting coincidence, brethren, is exactly 19 years after the year that Christ died and resurrected. So for those of you that look at numbers, 19 is an interesting number. They call it 19 year cycle. So anyway, that's when the gospel really started effectively going to the Gentiles in the... in going to Europe in the area with today we call Greece. So we can see that there were... in the beginning of chapter 16, Paul and Silas went to... went to... on the second missionary trip and they then... and then they found in Derby and Lystra, they found a disciple there named Timothy and they brought him with him. It's like today we'd call like a ministerial trainee type of thing. And then during that trip surely he was ordained as a minister but they came with him. So we have Paul and Silas but we see also Timothy traveling with them. And so they were going to be staying in Asia, in other words, with the area we call today Turkey, but then God's Spirit inspired and led them to go to Macedonia. Macedonia is in Europe and basically is in the northern part of what today is Greece. So they basically went through Macedonia and Achaia. So let's just put it into today's geography. Macedonia is like more northern Greece and Achaia is southern Greece, just in simple practical terms. So they went in there, they... when they went into Macedonia into let's call northern Greece, they went into Philippi. You can see that in the section of chapter 16 verse 11 onwards. And they there ended up being beaten, they were imprisoned, and then Paul quite clearly says, hey you master...

magistrates, you put me in jail, you come and get me up because I'm a Roman citizen. So they... he stood up for his rights there. And so that's an interesting session. Then from there, then he went a little bit east from where he was, a little bit east, a little bit south from Philippi, Philippines. He went Philippians to Thessalonica, where we have today the Book of Thessalonians. And when he got there to Thessalonica, he was preaching there on the Sabbath. And as we know, you read the story between verses 1 through 9 of chapter 17. They were basically expelled out of Thessalonica. Now obviously, there were a number of people that became converted. A number of people that became converted. Because you can see they were a great multitude that went there and not a few Jews. And he showed that sufferings have to occur. You can see that in verse 3, 17 verse 3, explaining and demonstrating that Christ had to suffer and rise. And say this was Jesus the Christ. And the Jews, the actual Pharisees that were in that area, they became jealous and ended up yet to leave in a rush. Because they said they was turning the world upside down. So they went to Berea, which is not too far away from Thessalonica. They went to Berea. And you know the story about these were more, what is the word, they searched the scriptures.

They were more fair minded. They searched the scriptures, proving that things were really self. And then Silas, and then the situation came that when the Jews from Thessalonica came there, they ended up having to leave. And Paul had to leave. And then Paul went to Athens by boat. And then we can see that he then called for Silas and Timothy to join in. We can see the story of how he was. And he spoke in Athens at the Aropagus. And then from there he went to Corinth.

And in Corinth he stayed there for a while. Now while he was in Athens, he sent Timothy back to Thessalonica because he was concerned about there was a growing number of brethren there. And there was a lot of persecution of those brethren because those Jews, the Phariseical ones, even were chasing him in Berea. So he sent Timothy back to encourage those brethren in Thessalonica.

So as he got to Corinth, he stayed there. Silas stayed there. And then we read that he preached there every Sabbath. And we read that he was there for over a year. And then Silas and Timothy came from Macedonia, back from Macedonia. And Timothy came with a report about the brethren in Thessalonica. And that's while he was in Corinth. That's while Paul was in Corinth during his second remission, around about year 50, 51 or so. There he wrote his first epistle. The first epistle that Paul wrote was to the Thessalonians, the first epistle of Thessalonians.

So I just was just giving that to you a little bit of background to put it into context. So when we go to 1st Thessalonians, and you can put a little marker there because we're going to be in and out of it for a few times, when he was, when we come to the book of Thessalonians, it says Paul, Silvanus and Timothy. Well, Silvanus is basically the Greek name for Silas. So Paul, Silas and Timothy, they were together.

So this is after they had come back and Timothy gave a good report about Thessalonians. And therefore he wrote to the Thessalonians in the first three chapters, basically to encourage them. And so today, brethren, I will be covering basically the first three chapters of Thessalonians to show you the encouragement he gave to the brethren. And I believe it's quite applicable to us because we live in difficult times, in times of difficulty and challenges, maybe not the same as the Thessalonians we're going through, because the Thessalonians we're going through persecution.

We are going through trials, but health trials particularly, but the day is going to come. And who knows how near it is? I believe it's very near that persecution will come. And so we need to take encouragement and remember the first three chapters of Thessalonians as a section of encouragement. And when we are down with affliction and trials, look at this chapter and look at it from that, from those eyes. In the following chapters, chapter four and five, then he addresses a few challenges or a few difficulties that he found with the brethren in Thessalonians, but that I'll cover in another sermon at a later time.

So let's go back to Thessalonians and he says to the Church of Thessalonians, in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, grace to you and peace from our Father God and the Lord Jesus Christ. Aya is another interesting point and you see that throughout Paul's epistles that he never greets the Holy Spirit because the Holy Spirit is not a person.

But you can see very clearly if the Holy Spirit was a person it would have been an insult. So we can see very clearly that it's a very straightforward statement, grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. And then he says we give thanks to God. We are thankful to God always for you Thessalonians and we mention of you Thessalonians in our prayers. And so brethren, as we heard in the prayer requests today and mentioned about some people going through trials and difficulties, we pray for one another.

We hear of difficulties, we hear of challenges and that is an encouraging point to pray for one another. And then in verse 3, remembering without seizing of your work of faith, your work of faith by being faithful, a person that is faithful, that is faith, that is faithful, it sticks to what they know and they are committed, they don't deviate, they're faithful. Very similar words. The work of faith is a person that's faithful. Like for instance, we know we can have faith in God. Why can we have faith in God? Because he's faithful.

He never lies. So we can trust him. Because he's yes, he's yes, he always knows. So we can have faith in him. Why? Because he's faithful. So it's very tied together, the work of faith, because they remain faithful to the truth as they received it from Paul. And as we heard in the sermon, as Mr. Steppe mentioned, as he learned the truth and he got to see and he saw it in the Bible, he said, I gotta follow it, I gotta do it. So that's what the Thessalonians also did. He said, we gotta do it. So then they work on faith and the labor of love.

Brethren, it is so important to remember love. You know, you're reading 1 Corinthians 13 when, in fact, starting verse Corinthians 12, where he's talking about the gifts of the Spirit, and he says different gifts, different attributes, different characteristics, but let me highlight three important ones. And that's in 1 Corinthians 13. And then it shows the greatest of them is love. Love enjoys forever. Love is the greatest gift. And this Paul even says at the end of 1 Corinthians 13, there is faith, hope and love, but the greatest is love. And that's what we need to have.

Brethren, as we go through difficulties in this society, as we go through people putting comments wherever they are, or when you hear people say things that are unkind, just remember, the most important attribute that we need to have is love.

This is so important. And we need to speak the love. I beg your pardon, we speak the truth in love. That's how we need to do. Of course we speak the truth, but in love, in a kind, loving way. That's all we need to do. So there is the most important gift. So what it says, I remember your work of faith and labor of love. The two go together and patience in the hope. So here are the others of three. The three greatest gifts of the Spirit, which is faith, hope and love. Our hope is what helps us to see the coming of Christ, the how we'll be in the kingdom, and therefore helps us to visualize what's awaiting for us. Our faith is our absolute trust and commitment in God that He will help us. That He will never leave us forsake us, provided we never leave Him, provided we repent, provided we change. And what we need to be be putting to practice is outgoing concern. Genuine, outgoing, concern. Genuine, outgoing love. That's what we need. So He reminds them, He says, remembering without seizing your work of faith, labor of love and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of our God the Father. Knowing beloved brethren, your election, knowing and understanding your calling. Brethren, we are called and elected. In other words, selected. Many are called but few are chosen. Chosen means elected, selected, chosen by God. So our true election is from God. That's what the true election is. And then He says, for our gospel, there He says in verse 5, our gospel did not come to you in word only. Brethren, Paul's teaching to them was not just speaking, but it says, but it was also power and in the Holy Spirit. So it yielded fruit. In other words, it was power. The words of the gospel of the kingdom of God and the gospel of Christ should yield fruit. Should be power, powerful to yield fruit in our lives. And He says, in much, He says, yeah, and in much assurance, as you know, what kind of man we were among you for your sake. So we were faithful men. We were dedicated. We were not trying to fake it or being different than what we are. We were genuine. We're sincere. And then, and you became followers, verse 6, of us. Oh, the Thessalonians were following men. Yes, they were.

Yes, they were. So the Thessalonians were indeed following men. But as these men followed God, you see, they were following men as these men followed God. That's what it says. The followers of us and of the Lord. That's why Paul says, it may take me as I may take Christ.

Don't follow men if they're not following God. Who we need to follow is Christ and follow Christ's servants like Abraham and like David and others, as they followed God, as they, their lives, represent good examples. Obviously, don't follow them when they had bad examples. Yes, we all, unfortunately, like you know of David and others, we all have our own failures because we're human beings. But as we please God, that's the example we need to set. And that's what it says. And you became followers of us and of the Lord, having to receive the word in much affliction. You received the word through many trials. And I went through Acts 17 a while ago as part of the introduction, that there were many trials, there were many difficulties. And so God's way, the way of Christianity, has to be won through affliction. And I think this is the point that comes through in this letter, that Paul is signed to the Thessalonians, yes, there are trials, yes, there are afflictions. Maybe today, some of us don't have the trials or the difficulties that the Thessalonians had, but maybe some of us have health issues. We have trials, we have difficulties to make us better people. But you and I know that this next year, or maybe years after, but it could very well be this next year. We're gonna have serious difficulties coming up onto upon us.

Just like happened before to God's people. And we have to be faithful like the Thessalonians were. We have to remain faithful till the end. And then it says, you did this so much in verse 6. And then in verse 7 says, that you became examples. You became examples to all in Macedonia and Achaia. It was in the northern Greece and in southern Greece in that whole Greek area. It was, and as you know, to the Jews first and then to the Greeks. To the Jews implies the rest of the Israelites and the Greeks implies the rest of the Gentiles. To the Israelites first and to the Gentiles second. That's what it is. So that's why it started through Greece first. The word in Europe to the Gentiles. So we can see that how it opened up. And so these brethren in Thessalonica, they became an example. And it says you, from verse 8, from you the word of the Lord that as sounded forth not only in Macedon in Achaia but also in every place. I mean the example just resounded all over the countryside. And your faith towards God has gone out so that we do not need to say anything. Your example is such of being faithfulness, of being dedicated to God, that we don't even have to mention it. For they, these other people declared, and these examples declared concerning us what manner of entry we had to you, and how you turn to God from idols to serve the living through God. How you turn to God from your pagan beliefs that you had. And as we heard in the sermonette, the wall today is full of pagan beliefs. And as we heard in the sermonette, we've had to turn from pagan beliefs. And we all have to be a living example and true to God, to serve the living and through God. And verse 10, and to wait for His Son from heaven, and we all have to therefore wait for Christ's coming. His Son who God raised from the dead, even Jesus. Now listen to this, who delivered us from the wrath to come.

Now this is a small little statement, heed in YHWH, that is not so much meaning. Did you think about it? Where is the wrath to come? The wrath to come is when Satan is thrown to earth, and he comes down to earth with great wrath. That is the time of the great tribulation. And it says, Jesus will deliver us from the great tribulation. That's what it's saying. That's in a sense, it's like code word.

If we are indeed committed and faithful and dedicated. So then he continues in chapter 2, For you yourselves and our brethren, then our coming to you was not in vain. In other words, when Paul and Silas went there to Thessalonica, it bore fruit. It was wasn't in vain, it bore fruit. But even after we had suffered before, and were spitefully treated in Philippi, as you know, we were bald in our God to speak to you the gospel of God in much conflict. So there was this conflict, they were maltreated in Philippi, then they went to Thessalonica, and they had a guide in which I stopped, but they were bald. They spoke the truth with boldness.

Verse 3, For our exhortation did not come from error or uncleanness, nor was it in deceit. In other words, we were not doing it for personal gain, we were not doing it for any personal benefit, we were to serve God. And there was no any deception, or any error, or any uncleanliness, we were doing it to serve God. Verse 4, But as we have been approved by God, we, God's ministers, that's what Paul is saying, him and Silas at that moment, and now obviously Timothy was then, subsequently, a minister as well, a young minister, he says, we have been approved by God. Now this is important, by, it's God that approves God's ministers. It's not ministers that self-appoint themselves as ministers. Now listen to the next couple words, to be entrusted with the gospel.

God's ministers have been entrusted by God to preach the gospel. God's ministers have received God's trust, so that God couldn't trust to God's ministers to preach the gospel.

In other words, this is God's sacred trust. This is God's sacred trust. God's ministers have got God's sacred trust to preach the gospel of God. What is the gospel of God? What's the good news of God? Is that the kingdom of God is going to be established on earth, and the leader of that kingdom of God on earth will be Christ himself, the king of kings and lord of lords.

So, continuing, he says, even so we speak, not as pleasing men, but pleasing God, but God who tests our hearts. Brethren, God is proving our hearts.

Do you know that? God is proving our hearts.

Very important point there. God is proving our hearts. Verse five.

For neither at any time we use flattering words, as you know, nor a cloak of cavernous, God is witness, nor did we seek glory from men, either from you or from others, when we might have made demands as apostles. Yes, as apostles we could have made demands. Yeah, I want you to do this! No, they didn't make demands.

Verse seven. But we were gentle among you. We were kind and loving, like a nursing mother cherishes our own children. Others a mother cherishes the children. We've got a number of children, he asked more than it's lovely to see the mothers taking such loving care for the children. It's a very special thing, and that's how we ministers need to be for the brethren. So, verse eight says, so affectionately longing for you, we were well pleased to impart to you not only the gospel of God, but also our own lives, because you've become dear to us. We came and preached the gospel to you, and we put our lives at risk. We're prepared to put our lives on the line, like Christ put his life on the line for us. So that just shows the love, not going love. Verse nine. For you remember, brethren, our labor in toil, for labor in night and day, that we might not be burdened to any of you, we preach to you the gospel of God. You are witnesses, and God also, how devoutly and justly and blamelessly we behaved ourselves among you believe. Now remember, he's trying to encourage them, but he's not buttering them up. You know, yeah, you have trials. We are trials. But you know, we're gonna hope. We gotta hope. It's not saying, well, it will be a bed of roses and there'll be no trials. No, there will be trials. This Christian life will have trials. But we gotta keep going.

You are witnesses, and God also, how devoutly and justly and blamelessly we behaved ourselves among you believe. As you know, verse 11, how we exhorted and comforted and charged. Think about these three words. Exhorted, comforted and charged. What is exhort? Exhort is to call somebody aside and to speak to them in private, for instance, and to exhort and to beg and to entreat and to beseech and to instruct and to encourage. Say, what is it? Take somebody aside and say, listen, you know, yeah, I love you, but it's not this way, it's that way. This is exhorting. It's taking aside, speak, admonish, beg, entreat, beseech, instruct, encourage. And then, and comforted. Comfort, by the way, exhort is from the Greek word, para clayon, and comfort is from the Greek word para moussayama, which means to speak to calm, to consult, to comfort. Think about how a parent can calm down the children when there's a bit of panic, you know, and he speaks lovely and kindly and softly, hey, everything is okay. You're comforting, you're consoling them, you're giving them that that comfort. So yeah, you're exhorting them that you you beg and entreating and teaching, but then you're also comforting them, calming them, comforting them, consoling them, and charged. Charge is like you somebody's charging in a court and you have a witness. And to give testimony, and to give evidence to affirm that I have seen. So, and therefore, if charged, it means it's it's like to be a witness and to say, hey, this is the way I'm an example, I'm a witness, we believe in this. So, and we therefore, it is a combination of exhorting, comforting, and charging every one of you as a father does his own children. As a father does his own children. That is so meaningful. So what? Verse 12, that you may walk worthy of God, that you may walk worthy of God.

You know, it reminds me of, I think it's Luke 21 verse 36, that it says, watch yourselves and pray that you may be counted worthy by God to escape these things. Tie that to chapter 1 verse 10, it says, Jesus will deliver his ass from the rock to come. So he's kept these things and, so it's not just escape, but and to stand before the Son of Man. In other words, and to be resurrected if you die, or if not, if you're alive, be transformed and stand with Christ in front of Christ at his coming. In other words, to be amongst those of the first resurrection. That's what it is. So, he's saying, yeah, before we exhort it and comfort it and charged, as a dad does his children. Why? Because a dad is trying to teach the children and to say, listen, don't do this, but calm down, be calm, it'll be okay, but I'm telling you, this is the way. I'm a witness, this is the way. So, as a father does his children, so what? So that you may be worthy of God, you see, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory. Into. The Greek word is eis, eis, which means into, which means getting into. Like you get, we've got into this hole. It's inside, getting into, so that we may get into the kingdom of God. And we know, flesh and blood does not inherit the kingdom of God. So, we will have to be spirit beings. That's what the first resurrection is all about. So that it calls us into the kingdom and glory.

You see, we're going to be into the kingdom of God and into the glory of God.

You see, we called to glory. Look at Hebrews chapter 2, it says, they'll bring many sons into glory. That is the plan of God for us. He wants many children in his kingdom with glory.

Obviously, much inferior to God, but of his family. And that's what you, as a dad, as a parent, or as a mother and parent, you want for your children. That they succeed and they be well, and they have success in life. That's why you're training them indeed, and when they are successfully like, what do you have? You are all proud. And you say, oh, that's my son, oh, that's my daughter. You're not jealous. You're happy. God wants that from us. So he wants us to to have glory. Keep your finger there and look at 1 Peter chapter 5. 1 Peter chapter 5, verse 10. 1 Peter chapter 5, verse 10, it says, But may the God of all grace, in other words, the God of all kindness and loving and gentleness and giving all grace who called us, he called us to what? He called us to what? To his eternal glory. God has called us to his glory, to be part of his family.

By Christ Jesus. Yes, through Christ Jesus.

But brethren, does not have a full stop there. Does not have a full stop there. Read for yourself what it says afterwards.

After you have suffered a while.

In this world until Christ's coming, we have to suffer.

Thessalonians, we're going through suffering. Christ went through suffering. We have to suffer because that will perfect us and establish us and strengthen us and will settle us. This trial will make us better people. Just go one or two pages behind or back in 1 Peter, same book, 1 Peter chapter 2, verse 21.

For to this you were called. For what reason were you called?

Because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example that you should follow his steps.

What do you mean follow Christ's steps of suffering? We were called to suffer like Christ had to suffer. So Paul is not battering the Thessalonians up and says, well, there's not going to be sufferings.

Brethren, there's going to be sufferings. There's going to be trials. There's going to be difficulties for us next year. I hope not, but I suspect it will be worse than 2020. So let us be mentally prepared. If it's better, well, at least we're prepared. But if it's worse, let's be close to God. So we're prepared. For this you were called, because like Christ suffered, we also are to suffer. So continuing with Thessalonians, it says we were reading in verse 13.

Sorry, we finished reading verse 12. So let's read now verse 13. For this reason we also thank God without seizing. You see, we're called into the kingdom and into glory, but first we're going to suffer. And yes, Thessalonians, you have to go through difficulties and trials. Yes, brethren, we will be going through difficulties and trials, but there is a hope. This is only for a while, because what's beyond this, it's far better. It's far better that this will be like nothing. This will be like nothing. Okay, it's difficult for us to visualize that now, but it will be like nothing. And it says, for this reason we also thank God without seizing. You see, so He's grateful. He's grateful. For what? Because when you receive the Word of God, which you heard from us, you welcome that not as the Word of man, but as it is in truth, the Word of God. We also thank God that you listened to the instruction that the Gospel that we preached through man, and it was not the Word of man, was the Word that came from God. If you read, for instance, Romans 10, verses 14 through 15. Let's just look at there very quickly. Romans 10, verses 14 and 15. Romans 10. It says, How shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in him who is not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?

I have encountered people when I've been in Brazil, and others say, We don't need a minister. We don't need a preacher. I just need God's Word.

Yes, we do need God's Word. But also, it says, yeah, how shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe on him where they are not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? There has to be the preaching of God's Word together with the Word.

And brethren, you and I know there's going to be a famine of hearing the Word. It was a famine of the Word of God being preached. But then it says, verse 15, And how shall they preach unless they're sent? How can somebody preach the truth?

And diluted, unpolluted truth, God's truth, unless they're sent by whom? By God. That's what an apostle is. It's one sent by God. A minister. He's a minister of Jesus Christ, sent and appointed by God through Christ through his ministry. And as it's written, how beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, who bring glad tidings of good things. So, preaching has to be done, and they receive the Word, and they welcome that, as we saw there in verse 13, of 1 Thessalonians chapter 2, verse 13, and it says, they welcome the Word, not as of man, but as it is in truth, the Word of God, which also effectively works in you who believe. In other words, it's bearing fruit. It's producing fruits. You know, you read in Isaiah 35 verse 1, it says, My spirit goes out, I will not come back empty. It will bear fruit. And we continue now in verse 14. For you brethren became imitators of the churches of God, which are in Judea and in Christ Jesus. So you became imitators, for instance, of the Church of God, that are, for instance, keeping God's commandments, the head office, for instance, the home office, or whatever it may be, you following other congregations that are doing the right thing in Christ Jesus. For you also suffered the same things from your own countrymen, just as they did from the Judeans. Because you, Thessalonians, also suffered from your fellow men there in Thessalonica, like the churches of God in Judea, suffered from the Judeans, you know, was the Pharisees, who killed both the Lord Jesus and their own prophets, and have persecuted today as, and they do not please God, and are contrary to all men. You see these people, and there's going to be persecution on us one day in the future, brethren, and we need to be aware it's going to happen, and it's prophesied. They killed Christ, they killed the prophets, they persecuted them, and they'll persecute us in the future. But we have to be prepared and look at it from a positive way. We have to be prepared in the correct way, to be saved, continue. And these people forbearing us to speak to the Gentiles, see these people, these Judeans, didn't want them to preach the gospel of God to the Gentiles. Why? So that they may be saved. How's that possible? In other words, they want saving to be saved only to the Judeans, not to these relics, not to the Gentiles. This is, and that's clearly not what God wants. So as always, to fill up the measure of their sins, but wrath has come upon them to the uttermost. That's not what God wants. So we have to remain faithful. Verse 17.

Verse 17. But we brethren, have it been taken from you for a short time in presence, not in heart, endeavored more eagerly to see your face with great desire. Yes, Paul and Silas was with the Thessalonians. They had to leave urgently because they were being, let's put it expelled, kicked out, or whatever, they had to leave. But, so it was not in heart, but they eagerly wanted to go back and see them. But they couldn't. You know, reminds me, for instance, of some of the brethren in Brazil and things like that, that eagerly designing to see me, but they can't see me now because we know of the current situation. So it's kind of the same thing, similar thing in a sense. Therefore, we wanted to come to you, even I, Paul, time and again, but Satan hindered us. And Satan hinders the work, hinders creates stumbling blocks, whatever way, is always creating these stumbling blocks, is always separating us, albeit temporarily. He tries to stop the work. You know, in Daniel 10, for instance, where Gabriel, Dark Angel, was held back for 21 days before he could actually get to Daniel. And other examples like that. So Satan is continuously creating troubles in God's church or in the world to hinder God's work. I mean, Mr. Stepp mentioned in the sermon et al. there's some years back, some 25 years back or so, there was a big apostasy in the church. And we had to remain faithful and stand up. So, wherever Satan always attacks the church, it's nothing new, nothing new. When Paul was saying goodbye to the Ephesian church, he said, I am afraid that from you, from yourselves, will rise up wolves to scatter the flock. It's nothing new. We have to remain faithful. We have to remain in the faith, faithful and in love. There's many ways Satan causes difficulties. One of them is through doctrine. Doctrine. Basically, at that time was the understanding, well, that you are saved by Christ, by God's grace. Yes, correct. You are justified by God's grace and death. But then you have to apply and keep God's laws. What people have done today is they've done a false representation of grace by saying, well, because you saved by grace, you don't have to keep God's laws. The laws are not away. That's a false representation of grace, which to the world is, quote, unquote, very convenient. Very convenient. And that's why the wall says that's what it is.

On the other side, at that time, they were also combating a slightly different angle to it, that it says, all right, because you crushed this, is the sacrifice, and his sacrifice is the sacrifice, the Gentiles don't need the ceremonial law.

They don't need to be circumcised, don't need to keep the ceremonial law. So Satan uses any little hook, any little hook, any little opportunity to enlarge it, magnify it, and create division. That's his trick. So whether it is turning God's grace into lawlessness, whether it is by adding weight to the law of God and making it burdensome, or maybe it's because somebody said it this way, and the way he said it, you didn't say it quite correctly, and therefore you are wrong, and if he doesn't succeed that, what did he do? He created riots and mobs to chase Paul or put him in jail. So we have had these things of different doctrinal issues creating problems amongst the brethren, and he hasn't succeeded because we still are. What is the next stage? The next stage is probably riots and political pressure and pressures from mobs or people upon the church. Who knows? I don't look forward to that forever, but we have to be prepared.

We need to be aware of his tricks. And now continuing in verse 19. Yeah, he says, we wanted to come to you, but he says, but Satan entered us. And verse 19, for what is our hope or joy or crown of rejoicing? That's a good question. For instance, for the minister of God, what is the hope or joy or opportunity for us to be happy? What makes a minister of God happy?

Have you thought about that?

Or put it another way. What makes a dad happy?

Make a dad is happy? When? What sort of conduct do they expect? The dad expects from the children to make him happy. Sure, obedient, but that the siblings are in peace and friendly and caring for one another and loving. That's what makes one happy and joyful.

It's seeing them succeeding. It's the same thing. Yeah, he says in verse 19, what is our hope or joy or crown of rejoicing? Is it not even you in the presence of our Lord, Jesus Christ, that He's coming? Isn't it that you together are one with Christ? And for you to be together one with Christ, you have to be united or at peace with one another. Imagine there's two brethren in the church. One sits on this alley and the other one sits on that aisle and they never talk to one another. Whenever they walk down the passage, they walk away open, they come to church and they worship God, but they will not talk to one another because they are upset with the other one. They've got something, I'm not going to talk to the other one, I'm not going to talk, I'm going to unfriend you from Facebook, type of thing. You know what I mean? It's just that sort of thing. I'm going to separate myself, I'm going to block you, but we come to church and worship and say, oh I love you, but they kind of don't want to sit together and have a nice peaceful meal. You see, that's not joy for God. That's not joy for God's ministers. And how can those two people be in God's kingdom for eternity, one in one corner of the kingdom and the other one in the other corner of the kingdom? No! It won't happen! Unless they settle, one of them will not be there or both.

We've got to make peace. That's why it says the Beatitudes starts with humility and then repentance and then being weak and teachable and seek God's righteousness and do it sincerely and ask for mercy. And then the last one is you've got to be a peacemaker. And you know what it says? You shall be called sons of God. That means if you're not a peacemaker, you will not be called a son of God in the kingdom of God. Wow! So brethren, what is our joy? That we all together in peace, in harmony, that we are growing in love? That's what is our joy. Verse 20, for you brethren are our glory and joy. You brethren, for God's ministers, are my joy, are our joy. And you know, when you're all happy, you're all happy. It's just, that's so beautiful. So that's what is saying there. So let's move on to chapter 3.

Therefore, when we could no longer endure it, we thought it good to be left in Athens alone and sent to Matthew our brother and minister of God. So yeah, by that time, obviously, had been ordained and our fellow laborer in the gospel of Christ to establish you and encourage you concerning your faith. So when, as I showed you at the beginning, I went through that little summary of what happened in the book of Acts. From Athens, Paul sent Timothy back and said, go and encourage the Thessalonians. You know, was going encourage them. Go and make sure that they stay in the faith, make sure they stay strong. And he says that no one should be shaken by these afflictions, that no one should be shaken out of the faith because of trials. Because there will be trials. For you, yourselves know that we are appointed to this. You know that we are appointed to have trials.

We need to get that into our head. We are appointed to have trials. For in fact, verse 4, we told you before, when we were there with you, that we would suffer persecution, tribulation, just as it happened and you know it.

For this reason, when I could not long endure it, I sent to know your faith.

In other words, I sent to know your faith. In other words, he sent Timothy for him to know about your faith, lest by some means the tempter had tempted you, and our labor might be in vain. In other words, in case Satan would dislodge you from the faith, and all our work that we did there would be useless, in vain. Now, it's interesting, the word tempter and tempted. It's the same Greek word, pyrazo, pyrazo, which is a word which implies a test to see whether a thing can be done or not. So, it's a test.

So, it's like an attempt, an endeavor, it's a trial, it's the purpose to sustain the quality, to make sure what a person thinks or how he will behave. But it can be used in a positive way and can be used in a negative way. In a good sense, in a positive way, you test the quality. It's a quality test. You know, you put it through a certain test to check that it really is quality.

But in a bad way, in a negative way, it's to test maliciously, to craftly test. It's to prove his feelings so that one would fail. Now, God never does the negative one. God tests us so that we can be of better quality. Satan on the other side, he tempts us to destroy us.

You see, so God wants to get us now. He wants to see our hearts. He wants to see our character and he allows us to go through certain difficulties and trials and challenges to make us better, like pure, like the gold is tested in fire to become pure. Satan on the other side uses it to tempt us so we may fall and trip. A good structure to look in parallel at that is in James chapter 1 verse 13 and a few verses after that. It says, because God does not tempt us. It's our last and desires that tempt us. So, and obviously Satan that trips us for us to sin, to compromise, but continuing, yeah. But now, you see, so I was concerned that you would be tempted by Satan in a negative way. But Timothy now came back, says in verse 6, now Timothy has come to us from you and brought us good news of your faith and love. It brought us excellent news that you are holding on to the truth and you are loving to one another. Wow! What a great time! I'm so happy to hear that. That's what he's saying. And that you always have good remembrance of us, greatly designed to see us, as we also desire to see you. Therefore, brethren, in all our affliction and the stress, we are comforted concerning your faith. In other words, in your difficulties that you've had, in all the stress that you've had, we are comforted.

So, and even Paul was comforted. They had stresses, they had difficulties, and they were comforted. Why? Because they were remaining fast in the faith. So, continue, therefore, brethren, in all our affliction and the stress, we were comforted, concerning you by your faith. For now we live if you stand fast in the faith. In other words, now we encourage, we love, we all energize, because you're standing fast in the faith. For what thanks can we render to God for you, for all the joy with which we rejoice for your sight before God. Night and day, praying, exceedingly, that we may see you face to face, one day, and perfect what is lacking in the faith. So, we look forward to see you, but I'm so happy that you're doing well, and this is great news. And we know you're going through trials, I know you're going through trials, I'm going through trials, but I'm so happy and I'm so comforted that you are staying in the faith and staying in the love. So, it actually is a note of encouragement, because it's not buttering up and says, oh well, you know, you're not going to have any trials, you're going to have trials, but remind the faith, because there's something far bigger coming afterwards, the kingdom and the glory, and I'm so happy you're holding on, and that encourages me as well. That's what Paul will say. And now he concludes with a prayer. Paul concludes with a prayer. He concludes this section in verses 11 through 13 with a prayer. Now, may our God and Father Himself and our Lord Jesus Christ direct our way to you, and may the Lord make you increase and abound in love. May this love increase for the brethren to one another and to all just as we do to you. So, yeah, we see Paul praying for them, and it's our prayer always for all of you. I'm sure Mr. Burton, I'm sure Mr. Reed prays for all the brethren. Why? Because that's our joy for you. That's what we want you to be well and to be successful and to stay in the faith and to grow in love. And so he continues in verse 13, so that he may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints. So, he's praying says, stay on, hold on, bite hard like I've said it before, fast-bake, remember? That's the South African word which means bite hard. Hold on, don't give up. Yes, this trots, but there's great reward. And he says, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints. Keep up going, brethren.