1 Thessalonians 3:6-13
English Standard Version

Timothy's Encouraging Report
6 But now that Timothy has come to us from you, and has brought us the good news of your faith and love and reported that you always remember us kindly and long to see us, as we long to see you-- 7 for this reason, brothers, in all our distress and affliction we have been comforted about you through your faith. 8 For now we live, if you are standing fast in the Lord. 9 For what thanksgiving can we return to God for you, for all the joy that we feel for your sake before our God, 10 as we pray most earnestly night and day that we may see you face to face and supply what is lacking in your faith?

​11 Now may our God and Father himself, and our Lord Jesus, direct our way to you, 12 and may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, as we do for you, 13 so that he may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.

Lat time we talked about how Paul was concerned for his spiritual children that he had left them in a vulnerable state and that one of the many spiritual predators out there would try to devour them.  He was so concerned for them that he sent Timothy to check on them, lead them, and encourage them, even though Timothy was helping to take care of Paul at this point.  It was a huge sacrifice for Paul to give up the person that was taking care of him to take care of this church that needed some face-to-face encouragement.

Apparently, Timothy's mission was a success, and he has returned to Paul with good news from the church in Thessalonica.  They had not forgotten Paul or his team, and they have been praying for them.  This makes Paul and his team want to visit them even more.  Although Paul sent Timothy to the church to comfort and encourage them, it is the church that has been able to comfort and encourage Paul.  Paul is certain that they are standing fast in the Lord, and for this he gives thanks that their faith has not been lost, has not wavered and has not been shaken.  

All they can do to thank God for this gift they have received is to continue to pray earnestly for the members of this local assembly.  Night and day, they pray "most earnestly" for them that they may see them face-to-face and be able to help supply anything that is lacking in their faith (have a chance to really disciple them and help them grow to spiritual maturity).  Paul then prays for them in that moment that God would direct their paths to cross again, and that the Holy Spirit would make their love for each other increase so that it is as strong as the love that Paul has for each one of them.  Then Paul asks the Lord to establish their hearts so that they would be blameless in holiness (that they would be perfectly set apart as chosen instruments for the Lord's service, not to be used in any "common" or "profane" way) at the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, with His heavenly angels, for His saints.  That's a powerful prayer request, and something that was should be prepared to pray for each other as well--both individually and corporately.

1 Thessalonians 2:17-3:5
English Standard Version

Paul's Longing to See Them Again
2:17 But since we were torn away from you, brothers, for a short time, in person not in heart, we endeavored the more eagerly and with great desire to see you face to face, 18 because we wanted to come to you—I, Paul, again and again—but Satan hindered us. 19 For what is our hope or joy or crown of boasting before our Lord Jesus at his coming? Is it not you? 20 For you are our glory and joy.

3 Therefore when we could bear it no longer, we were willing to be left behind at Athens alone, 2 and we sent Timothy, our brother and God's coworker in the gospel of Christ, to establish and exhort you in your faith, 3 that no one be moved by these afflictions. For you yourselves know that we are destined for this. 4 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 you know. 5 For this reason, when I could bear it no longer, I sent to learn about your faith, for fear that somehow the tempter had tempted you and our labor would be in vain.

We spoke last time about how Paul felt that the Thessalonian believers were his spiritual children.  As a spiritual father to them, he longed to see them again, because he was torn away from them before he was ready to leave.  Writing letters back and forth is good but doesn't take the place of seeing them face-to-face.  Paul says that over and over again he has tried to come and visit them, but Satan has hindered them every time.  Paul says the only thing he will have to be proud of (to boast of) at the coming of the Lord Jesus would be the people that he led to the Lord and discipled--no wonder Satan has opposed Paul, because he doesn't want to see more people come to the kingdom of God from the kingdom of darkness.  For this reason, Paul calls his spiritual children his glory and joy (I'm sure many parents feel the same way about their physical children).

Even with all the attacks that Satan threw at them, they knew that someone had to get back to the Thessalonian church, even if Paul wasn't the one that could make it.  So, Paul and likely Silas were left alone in Athens and Timothy was sent back to the Thessalonians, so that he could help to establish that congregation and exhort them so that their faith would be built up.

They were sure the people had heard of the afflictions they were suffering, and some may have questioned if they should believe the gospel that Paul preached if he was afflicted like this (some may have seen it as a sign that God was punishing him, others that they were going to experience the same thing and they weren't sure they wanted that).  Paul tells them that he's known from the beginning that he was destined to suffer for the sake of Christ and the gospel, and that they should not be dissuaded or discouraged by the things happening to Paul and his team because they knew to expect all these types of things, and they were ready and willing to go through them for the sake of the gospel.

Paul doesn't directly link himself to the prophets of the Old Testament here, but in other places he does.  The apostles didn't expect to be treated any different by the Jews or the Gentiles as the prophets--people don't usually like when someone comes into town with a message that they are sinners in need of repentance, even if it is accompanied with a message of how God has made a way of salvation.

Paul could not bear to see them continue to suffer, so he sent those that were responsible for helping to take care of him to help take care of his spiritual children.  He would rather they be taken care of then he be taken care of, even in this time of affliction for him where he probably needed more help.  Paul's concern was that somehow Satan had gotten to these young, immature believers and tempted them in some way to give up the true faith for something that was not the real gospel--something that couldn't save them.  What concern Paul had for these people that he was willing to sacrifice his own physical wellbeing to make sure that their spiritual wellbeing was intact!

1 Thessalonians 2:1-16
English Standard Version

Paul's Ministry to the Thessalonians
2 For you yourselves know, brothers, that our coming to you was not in vain. 2 But though we had already suffered and been shamefully treated at Philippi, as you know, we had boldness in our God to declare to you the gospel of God in the midst of much conflict. 3 For our appeal does not spring from error or impurity or any attempt to deceive, 4 but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not to please man, but to please God who tests our hearts. 5 For we never came with words of flattery, as you know, nor with a pretext for greed—God is witness. 6 Nor did we seek glory from people, whether from you or from others, though we could have made demands as apostles of Christ. 7 But we were gentle among you, like a nursing mother taking care of her own children. 8 So, being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you had become very dear to us.

9 For you remember, brothers, our labor and toil: we worked night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you, while we proclaimed to you the gospel of God. 10 You are witnesses, and God also, how holy and righteous and blameless was our conduct toward you believers. 11 For you know how, like a father with his children, 12 we exhorted each one of you and encouraged you and charged you to walk in a manner worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory.

​13 And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers. 14 For you, brothers, became imitators of the churches of God in Christ Jesus that are in Judea. For you suffered the same things from your own countrymen as they did from the Jews, 15 who killed both the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and drove us out, and displease God and oppose all mankind 16 by hindering us from speaking to the Gentiles that they might be saved—so as always to fill up the measure of their sins. But wrath has come upon them at last!

Paul goes back and gives a slight recap of what his time ministry was like there in Thessalonica.  He had been persecuted in Philippi before he arrived, and the people saw that he was fully committed to the message he was preaching because of the trouble and hardship he was willing to endure.  Paul reminds them also that this is what the Lord appointed him for when he was chosen as an apostle, and the fact that he was chosen by God was validated by God with many miraculous signs and wonders.  Therefore, Paul's works was done to please God who had already declared him to be approved by the Father, Son and Spirit, but we need to live in our lives in a way that shows that we are approved by God and that we are workmen who need not be ashamed.

Unlike the false teachers that the Thessalonians are familiar with, Paul did not seek glory for himself.  Even with the signs and wonders that were performed, all glory was given to God.  They were merely ambassadors there to proclaim a message from their king, and it was the king, not the ambassador who was great.

Paul took care of the Thessalonians and a gentle way, like a mother that takes care of an infant that is still nursing.  Paul feels like these church members are his own spiritual children, so he has an affectionate care for them, and a desire to see them and be with them (as we'll see next time).  That being said, Paul was not effeminate, and he took on the masculine role of a father to them being their teacher and protector for as long as he was able to be with them.  He worked to provide for the expenses of his ministry so that he did not burden them with these expenses (even though it was his right as an apostle to expect them to pay his way).  He lived his life in such a way that his walk was described as both holy, righteous and blameless (this is something all of us should hope to have said about us and our conduct before God and men).  As mentioned earlier, Paul also acted as a father to these young believers encouraging and exhorting them (and I think the Idea of disciplining them as necessary is wrapped up in there, as that is a main biblical responsibility of a father, and we see Paul talk about that responsibility with other churches. like the church in Corinth).  They charged these church members (make them know it was their solemn duty) to live lives that were worthy of God, His kingdom, and His glory.  As my friend Phil would say, "That is a high calling."

​The Thessalonians heard all this and received it joyfully as the word of God, and not merely the word of men.  And, since it was the Word of God, they accepted it as being able to accomplish in them everything that they were commanded to do, for God would not command us to do something that He was not able to do in and through us.  That's part of the gospel--that it is God's will to change us so that He lives in us and works in and through us to make us more into the image of Christ.

In fact, that is Paul's next thing he talks about--we are to be imitators of God, but they had an example to follow as they tried to imitate the churches in Judea that were led by the Apostles.  Though these Christians were Gentiles, they suffered the same kinds of things that their Jewish brothers suffered (and the Romans didn't treat them any better just because they were Gentiles).  The same people that killed the Messiah and the prophets that foretold His coming would be happy to kill His apostles and disciples, no matter what their ethnicity.  Satan is opposed to God and all of His people--Jewish and Gentile believers alike.  We know Satan especially hates the Jews because of the covenants that God made with them, and that through them, the Messiah was born, and that they still have an important role in taking the gospel to the whole world and proclaiming the name of Jesus as their Messiah before He returns.  Satan wants to do everything within his power to try to keep God from fulfilling His promises.  Now Satan is acting through men to try to prevent the gospel from going forth to the Gentile nations that have historically been part of the kingdom of this world and the kingdom of darkness, but God has opened the Door (that is Jesus) so that all men can become citizens of the kingdom of His marvelous light.  This was always God's plan (we can see it the book of Isaiah the prophet).  Because such men have allied themselves with the devil and his kingdom, and they have rejected the Lord and His kingdom, those that die in this state of rebellion or are in this state of rebellion at the end of days will have the wrath of God poured out on them.

1 Thessalonians 1
English Standard Version

Greeting
1 Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy,

To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:

Grace to you and peace.

The Thessalonians' Faith and Example
​2 We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly mentioning you in our prayers, 3 remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. 4 For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, 5 because our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction. You know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake. 6 And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you received the word in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit, 7 so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. 8 For not only has the word of the Lord sounded forth from you in Macedonia and Achaia, but your faith in God has gone forth everywhere, so that we need not say anything. 9 For they themselves report concerning us the kind of reception we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, 10 and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.

It's been a while since we've been in the New Testament, but that's because we covered such a large percentage of the New Testament already that I wanted to spend some time covering a major part of the Old Testament before returning here to the books of 1 & 2 Thessalonians.

For some context on the church in Thessalonica, go back and look at Acts 17 (and they are also mentioned briefly in Acts 27).  It was at Thessalonica that there was a riot against Jason (one of the people hosting Paul and Silas) and the accusation was made by the crowd, "These men who have turned the world upside down have come here also, and Jason has received them, and they are all acting against the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus."  The men sought to lay hands on Paul and Silas and their team to kill them, so Paul had to leave quickly and did not get to teach the Thessalonian church everything he wanted to.  It is clear they had some questions for him still and wrote him a letter (or multiple letters) and that he responded with this letter that we know as the book of 1 Thessalonians to answer some of those questions and to give them assurance and hope, but also to establish good doctrine, and, when necessary, to correct error.

The book was written by Paul, but with the assistance of Silas, called Silvanus here, and Timothy, who were with Paul.  Paul, Silas and Timothy all sent their common greetings to the church.  They also made it clear that the Father, Son and Spirit were the original authors of what Paul was going to tell them.  The church gathered in Thessalonica belonged to God and this was His message to them.

​While this letter was specifically to this church in this time, we know that these letters were taken to other churches and read to them as well because they were the words and teachings of one of the apostles, and we still read from these Epistles in our churches today to learn from them, even though we are in a different place and time.  God's will for the Church universal is still revealed through the teachings He gave to the Early Church.

Even though Paul and Silas didn't get to spend much time with the church with the Thessalonians, they were hearing good things about them, and Paul attributed this to the way in which he fervently prayed for them.  This prayer is a great model for us as we pray for our churches and for other churches around the world. "We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly mentioning you in our prayers, remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ."  Paul was thanking God for what he knew that Lord was doing in and through them even before he heard the updates, and then the news he heard was consistent with what he had been praying.

Paul also reminds them that their Election is sure and secure.  God chose them and nothing is going to make Him change His choice.  They, of all people, should be convinced of the truth of the gospel and its power to save because they saw the signs and wonders that accompanied Paul's message that validated what he was saying.  They also saw the way that Paul and Silas were persecuted and tortured for the sake of the gospel.  Would anyone go through that for a lie?  Certainly, no sane person would, and Paul, Silas, and Timothy were not insane (though Paul will be accused of this by many people of the world who say that the gospel doesn't make sense to them, and that Paul is speaking "crazy talk.")

The Thessalonians became imitators of Paul, Silas, and Timothy so as to say, "We will follow you, as you follow Christ."  While it's not great to follow men who we know are going to stumble and fail from time to time, we should know that as we go out and share the gospel that people will look to us as spiritual parents and babies learn to do things by imitating what their parents do (both good and bad things, but here, we want to focus on the good things they learned by imitation).  Paul says that they are now the ones who have become an example that everyone else in the region and even the surrounding area wants to follow their example.  This is another level now where the follower has become a leader and needs to walk circumspectly so that those who follow him do not stumble and fall along with him.

What is it exactly that people have learned from them both in that region and everywhere else that Paul and Silas go?  First, they were hospitable towards Paul and Silas, even at the risk of their own lives--again, see Acts 17.  Second, they were quick to get rid of all their idols once they learned about the True and Living God.  This is really the reason for the riot in Acts 17 because the people giving up their idols was going to put the idol-makers out of business, and they were upset   They were rich and had a lot of political influence in that city, and they thought they could stage a lynching and get away with it (they didn't).

Now Paul gets to the issue that we will be more fully covered in this book--something he wishes he had been able to teach them in-person before getting run out of town, but it was God's plan for him to teach them through this letter so that we all could benefit from Paul's teachings, even thousands of years later.  They are now patiently waiting the return of Jesus, the Son of God, who will take them to heaven and will set up the New Heaven and the New Earth as a place for them to live with the Father and the Son forever and ever.  In this, we will be delivered from the wrath to come which is meant for those who are not in Christ.  It was one of their big questions, "Are we going to have to go through the end times and experience the wrath of God along with the enemies of God, or will God take us away before He pours out His wrath on the ungodly?"  People today still argue about this, but 1 Thessalonians is one of the main places that people that believe in a pre-Tribulation rapture will point to as their reason for believing that the next thing that we are waiting for is the Rapture of the Church.  Nothing else seems to need to happen prophetically before that can happen (there are things that need to happen before the end of all things, but Jesus could come back for us anytime now).  This means we need to live with expectancy, but we still also need to live on-mission that we are to be in the world, but not of the world.  We are to still be ambassadors and witnesses for Christ, and we are to live our lives and take care of our responsibilities but do so in a way that when Jesus returns, he will say, "Well done, my good and faithful servant."

This is our last day in The Psalms as Psalm 150 is the final psalm in this book.  There are other songs throughout the Bible, both in the Old Testament and New Testament, but this ends the official "song book" of the nation of Israel.  It was their hymnal when they came to worship and it was the songs they sang when they were walking to the Tabernacle or Temple to worship, and they were the songs they taught to their children at home to teach them about life and God and salvation.  So many of the psalms looked forward to a king that was better than David and could provide real and lasting salvation for HIs people.  We know today that King is King Jesus--the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, and the Messiah of the LORD's people.

So, it is fitting that Psalm 150 ends the book of psalms with a call to worship.  It will sound very familiar to you if you know the hymn, "Praise Him, Praise Him, Jesus our Blessed Redeemer."  We are to praise Him when we go to church, and the sun, moon and starts and the birds of the heavens are all to join in our praise.  The earth and the sea and all that is in them are to join in the LORD's praise and to tell everyone of His excellent greatness!  We are to sing because of who He is and what He has done (His character, majesty, and His wonderful deeds).

We should praise Him with our voices and with all kinds of instruments--wind instruments, percussion instruments, and stringed instruments.  We should dance before Him with gladness, even if people think that we are acting foolish in doing so--I will be labeled a fool for God and for Christ if people mock me for my worship of Him (that does not mean that our "worship" should actually be foolish and distract people from the message of the gospel that we are trying to share).  Let everyone and everything that has breath (the breath that the Spirit breathed into us to give us life in Genesis 1 and 2), praise the LORD!  Yes, praise the LORD!

Israel is told to sing to the LORD a new song.  What is new that they have to praise the LORD about?  Probably their return from Exile.  They are to worship the LORD as their Maker and their King (remember the "kings" of Israel were called "princes" by the LORD because He was their King).  The people are to dance and sing for joy and make all kinds of joyful music with the tambourine and lyre.

The LORD loves and takes pleasure in His covenant people.  Those who are humble and cry out to Him for salvation, He will save--not because they deserve it, but because that is what He loves to do.  The people will even be singing for joy in their beds when they lay down and when they rise up.  The praises of the LORD will go before them to destroy their enemies.  That one may take a bit of explanation.  When Israel went out to battle in the Old Testament, the priests would go out front with the Ark of the Covenant and there would be those out front with the ark of the covenant who would be blowing their trumpets (ram's horn trumpets) and leading the people in worship.  While the men of Israel were armed for war, they would sing to the LORD and worship Him as they went into battle, and priests and worship leaders were their front line.  They had no weapons.  The LORD went before them and destroyed the enemy before them, and all the people were called to do was to worship the LORD and see what He would do to make their enemies be destroyed before them.  At the appropriate time, the LORD would tell the armies of Israel to advance and mop-up any survivors, but the entire time was a time of worship.

Those who thought they were mighty in military strength would laugh at the small number of men that would come out to them playing music, singing, and being led by priests who carried no weapons of physical warfare, yet we understand that our battle is not against flesh and blood--these flesh and blood enemies were but pawns being controlled by Satan and his demons to try to oppos God and His plan of salvation for His people and the whole world.  When God's people put their trust in Him, He is able to take care of our physical and spiritual enemies so that no weapon that is formed against us can prosper.  All we need to do is praise Him for who He is, what He has done, and what we are sure that He is going to do because He does not change.  What He has been and has done in the past, He will continue to be and will continue to do in the future.  He is "I AM"--always being the same, never changing.  He is The LORD.

The psalmist calls on all humanity to join with all creation--the angels of heaven, the stars in the heavens, the sun, the moon, and all the heavenly bodies.  We should join in the song they are singing to the LORD.  The psalmist also calls on the sea creatures and the weather--the hail, snow, mist, and stormy winds to join in the chorus.  The mountains and hills and all the livestock that live on them are also to join this song of worship--all the beasts of the field as well as the creeping things on the land and the birds that fly in the air.  Not one living thing is to be excluded.  They all have a part in this song.  Even the trees were included by the psalmists!  Specifically, the cedars of Lebanon, as were the fruit trees that covered the Land.  They too should play their part in praising the LORD.

The music that all creation is playing and singing should be a sign to the kings of the earth that the Creator God made creation to worship Him, and that these kings and their people have an important role to play, for the LORD actually gave us a voice to sing multiple melodies and harmonies.  The young and old, men and women, people who were wealthy and powerful and those who were poor and have seemingly nothing to offer other than their voices--they too should join the song.  Yes, even the children are to join along!

​Let everyone exalt the Name of the LORD and proclaim His majesty which is high above the heavens and the earth.  He has raised up a horn of strength and salvation for His people (that is Jesus), so that all the saints of God who have received salvation through the Messiah have even more reason to sing and praise His Name.  The psalmist calls on the nation of Israel and all of God's people to join together in praising Him and worshiping Him (even if the Gentile nations will not worship Him, those that are His chosen people should praise Him for who He is and what He has done for them).  The LORD is near to us and quick to rescue and save us when we cry out to Him.  Let the Name of the LORD be praise and highly exalted!