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Warren Wiersbe - Serving on the Frontlines of Faith - 10 of 20 | Back to the Bible | YouTubeToText
YouTube Transcript: Warren Wiersbe - Serving on the Frontlines of Faith - 10 of 20
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This content explores the emotional journey of the Apostle Paul as he dealt with anxiety and concern for the Thessalonian church, highlighting his initial fear, subsequent joy upon receiving good news, and his ongoing thankfulness and prayer for their spiritual growth and steadfastness.
[Music]
welcome to back to the Bible Radio
featuring bestselling author and
internationally known Bible teacher Warren
Warren
weby Christian workers are human they
have very real feelings you may not
think so but this is true Paul the
Apostle was no exception Paul was a
faithful Shepherd Paul cared for the
flock and this meant that he had a
burden heart and a concerned heart and
sometimes a broken heart in 1
Thessalonians chapter 3 beginning at
verse 5 and continuing through the end
of the chapter Paul describes the stages
in his experience as it related to the
Thessalonian church now remember Paul
and Silas and Timothy had gone to
thessalonica from Philippi in Philippi
Paul and Silas had been beaten and
illegally uh arrested and put into the
inner prison they were released they
left Philippi went to thessalonica and
ministered there and persecution started
the unbelievers in the city uh aroused
some of the rabble of the marketplace to
create trouble for the church well Paul
had to leave Paul and Silas and Timothy
went down to Berea and then down to
Athens and then Paul was left at Athens
Alone 1 Thessalonians
3:1 therefore what and we could no
longer endure it we thought it good to
be left in Athens alone and sent Timothy
so he sent Timothy back to thessalonica
Timothy being part Gentile was readily
accepted more than would Paul who of
course was a former Jewish rabbi Timothy
then came back and met Paul at Corinth
now Paul was not having an easy time at
Corinth when you read Acts chapter 18
you see that the Apostle Paul was going
through some battles in Corinth as well
Paul was going through one of the
roughest periods in his life now we all
have this many a pastor has resigned In
the Heat of the battle or in the eye of
the storm and then regretted it well
Paul had more sense than that he had
spiritual guidance he went through some
really intense feelings though stage one
he was fearful that's verse 5 stage two
he was joyful ver verses 6-8 Timothy
came and brought the good news that
things were going well in thessalonica
stage three he was thankful verse 9
stage four he was prayerful verses
10-13 now today I want us to look at
those first two stages in Paul's
experience he was fearful verse 5 and he
was joyful vers 6 through 8 and then the
Lord willing next time we'll look at the
stages three and for Paul was thankful
and Paul was
prayerful verse 5 for this reason when I
could no longer endure it I sent to know
your faith lest by some means the
tempter had tempted you and our labor
might be in
vain Paul uses uh in verse 7 the two
words Affliction and distress to
describe the way he felt therefore
brethren in all all our Affliction and
distress what was he going through
Affliction and distress at Robertson the
Great Southern Baptist Greek scholar
translates this choking and crushing
trouble I like that choking and crushing
trouble you feel smothered now I would
remind you this is a description of Paul
not some carnal Christian in Corinth not
some backslider in pH Philippi this is
the Apostle Paul who had a relationship
with God that was so intense and so
personal and so wonderful my how God
blessed Paul and yet Paul said here I
was in Corinth thinking about you Saints in
in
thessalonica and I'll tell you what it
was like it was a choking experience I
could hardly breathe it was a crushing
experience as these trials Came Upon me
he was fearful he was fearful the way a
concerned parent is fearful like a
spiritual parent he was concerned for
his children now that's normal you can
recall when your children first began to
go out uh they had a car key and a
driver's license and they could drive
for 20 minutes and be anonymous you were
concerned that first allight trip well
this is the way Paul was he was fearful
concerned about their faith verse 17 of
chapter 2 he says but we Brethren having
been taken away from you and that's the
word orphaned we're orphaned from You
Not only was he a nursing mother and a
an encouraging father but he was a
loving brother and now he was all alone
he' been orphaned from them he felt like
a child who had no family Paul realized
the battle against his friends in
thessalonica was intense and oh he was
concerned that they stand true to the
Lord Satan was attacking their faith
five times in chapter three you find
Paul talking about their faith he sent
Timothy to encourage you concerning your
faith that's verse two in verse five I
sent to know your faith to see if the
tempter had tempted you in verse 6
Timothy brought good news of their faith
in verse 7 we were comforted concerning
you by your faith in verse 10 he says I
still want to perfect that which is
lacking in your faith Satan attacks your
faith now why faith is what makes us
stand we stand in this faith that we
have in the Lord Jesus Christ the word
of God is the rock the foundation upon
which we stand this is why Paul sent
Timothy to establish them concerning
their faith verse two verse 8 now we
live if you stand fast in the Lord verse
13 so that he may establish your hearts
blameless you see according to verse
three Satan wants us to shake that no
one should be shaken by these
afflictions as an experienced Warrior
Paul was concerned lest they fall into
the Ws of the devil and he was a
burdened worker he had worked hard
during those weeks in
thessalonica he earned his own way he
didn't ask any money from anybody he
earned his own way night and day he
worked hard praying night and day
working night and day ministering night
and day and now all of this might be in
vain verse 5 he says that our labor
might be in vain oh that was the one
thing he did not want the emptiness of
his labor chapter 2 verse1 for you
yourselves know Brethren that our coming
to you was not in vain it wasn't
fruitless and empty and of no effect God
blessed our ministry there and oh we
don't want to see it disappear and
vanish they had received the word
chapter 1 verse six they had become
followers of the Lord and of the
apostles then they became examples
chapter 1 verse 7 you became examples to
everybody in Macedonia and aaya
they had become transmitters of the word
verse 8 from you the word of the Lord
sounded out you see when Satan can
destroy the witness of a local church it
means all that work was in vain it means
that there are no more examples for
people to follow he does not want us to
get the word of God out and so he fights
us Paul was fearful secondly Paul was
joyful verse 6 but now that Timothy has
come to us from you
Timothy met him in Corinth and brought
us good news of your faith in love and
that you all always have good
remembrance of us greatly Desiring to
see us as we also to see you therefore
brethren in all our afflictions and
distress we were comforted concerning
you by your faith for now we live if you
stand fast in the Lord oh when you get
good news it makes you feel so good by
the way this is one place in the New
Testament where the Greek word for
evangelism to preach the gospel is used
in a secular sense he brought us good
news Timothy was the Evangelist of the
good news that things were going well in
thessalonica in other words Paul is
saying when Timothy gave me the report
it was just like hearing the gospel I
was so glad it was just like hearing the
go gospel he brought us the good news of
your faith and your love that you're
standing verse 8 for now we live if you
stand in the Lord Stand Fast in the lord
it's interesting to see how many times
Paul talks about
standing he's going to be talking about
walking in chapters four and five how to
walk to please God but now he's talking
about standing before you walk you have
to learn how to stand in chapter um
three of 1 Thessalonians verse 8 he says
Stand Fast in the Lord what does that
mean well 1 Corinthians 16:13 he says
watch Stand Fast in the faith be brave
be strong the faith now the devil wants
to Rob us of the faith Paul says watch
keep your eyes open be brave be strong
why the enem is out there Stand Fast in
the faith he tells us in Galatians 5 and
verse 1
to stand fast in the Liberty with which
Christ has made us free don't get into
bondage Ephesians chapter 6 he tells us
to stand against the Ws of the devil put
on the whole armor of God I hope you do
that every morning you see you have to
stand before you can withstand then he
goes on to say and having done all to
stand so before the battle stand against
the Ws of the devil during the batt
battle withstand after the battle keep
on standing Paul was concerned but he
was rejoicing that they had been
standing against the wicked one Paul
said knowing that you are standing true
to the Lord just gives me Revival it's
like a breath of fresh air that just
stirs me to New Life for to me to live
is Christ but also for to me to live is
Lord the next time you listen to a
pastor or a missionary or a teacher of
the word whether it's in person or radio
or television remember those people are
human they have feelings just like
everybody else why do I say that well
because in 1 Thessalonians chapter 3
Paul is opening up his heart and telling
us how he felt in verse one he says
therefore when we could no longer endure
it endure what endure their anxiety
about the Christians in thessalonica
they were going through suffering
persecution Paul had been chased out of
thessalonica he could not go back in
verse 5 he says for this reason when I
could no longer endure it I sent to know
your faith lest by some means the
tempter had tempted you and our labor
might be in vain we're tracing the
feelings the emotional responses of the
Apostle Paul in this situation verse 5
gives us the first stage in his
emotional response he was fearful in
fact he describes this in verse 7 as
Affliction and
distress at Robertson the Greek scholar
translates those words choking and
crushing trouble he was fearful and then
he became joyful Timothy came verse 6
and brought us the good news Timothy was
theang angelist this is the only place
in the New Testament where the Greek
word yuang galido is used not for the
preaching of the Gospel but for the
bringing of good news about some good
event that had taken place he said
Timothy came like an evangelist with the
good news that your faith is strong Your
Love is Growing you want to see us and
so in verses 6-8 we have Paul being
joyful now in verses 9-13 we have have
the um next two stages in Paul's
experience in verse 9 we find that Paul is
is
thankful for what thanks can we render
to God for you for all the joy with
which we Rejoice for your sake before
our God Paul is not just rejoicing
before Timothy I'm sure he did that but
here he is rejoicing before our God the
greatest joy Joy is joy in the presence
of the Lord don't just take your burdens
to the Lord take your Joys to the Lord
somebody might be saying well I don't
have any Joys then you're blind oh we
are surrounded by the providential
blessings of God we have so much to be
thankful for I've noticed that Paul was
a great
appreciator chapter 1 of 1 Thessalonians
verse 2 we give thanks to God always for
you all making mention of you in our
pray prayers six times in 1 and 2
Thessalonians Paul talks about
Thanksgiving in one way or another
here's the first one he's thankful for
their work of faith and their labor of
love and their patience of Hope preacher
missionary Sunday school teacher Church
leader are you thankful for the people
who are walking with the Lord Paul was chapter
chapter
2:3 for this reason we also thank god
without ceasing because when you receive
the word of God which you heard from us
you welcomed it not as the word of men
but as it is in truth the word of God
which also effectively Works in you who
believe he was thankful for the way they
listened and receiv receiv the word of
God are you grateful for that he is
rejoicing because they were standing
true to the Lord we pray so often about
the people who are
wavering uh they're shaking chapter 3:3
that no one should be shaken by these
afflictions do you ever thank God for
the people who are standing they're not
shaking they're not wavering being blown
about no they're stable in the Lord in 2
Thessalonians 1:3 he starts off with
Thanksgiving again we are bound to thank
God always for you Brethren as it is
fitting because your faith grows
exceedingly and the love of every one of
you all abounds toward each other he's
grateful because they're growing in the
Lord chapter 2:3 he gives thanks that
they were called of God chosen to be
saved Paul was a great
appreciator now if you want your life to
take on a new tone and a new depth learn
to be
thankful uh Prayer Changes Things but
praise also changes things which leads
me to ask two questions number one are
you rejoicing before God for others
husband do you come before God and thank
God for your wife for your children do
you rejoice in this before God uh mother
uh the children maybe get under your
feet but uh do you rejoice before God
for your family for your
husband are we thankful to God for
others secondly are others thankful to
God for us I wonder where I am in
people's prayers am I in the complaining
section or the rejoicing section well
Paul was fearful in verse 5 of 1
Thessalonians 3 he was joyful in verses
6-8 then he was thankful in verse 9 and
verses 10 through1 13 he was prayerful
night and day praying
exceedingly exceedingly abundantly
that's the word overflowing with prayer
now remember night and day Paul was
working at his own craft chapter
2:9 for you remember Brethren our labor
and toil for laboring night and day Paul
was a Tent Maker Paul did not accept
money from the Thessalonian church he
was working at his trade and all the
while he was praying I've never made any
chance but I think you could possibly
make tents and pray I've discovered you
can drive down the highway and pray you
can sit in the dentist chair and pray
pray without ceasing that's what Paul
says in chapter 5 doesn't he and that's
what he did out of all bounds praying
exceedingly for what well that we may
see your face Paul wanted to go back to
see them and perfect that which is
lacking in your faith they had not
arrived yet even though they were
standing firm even though they were not
wavering they still had a long way to go
there is still room to grow now perhaps
some of them were saying well Paul you
know we've been through persecution and
and we we know what we're doing Paul
said no there's always room for more he
prayed that God would open the way verse
11 now may Our God and Father himself
and our Lord Jesus Christ direct our way
to you now that word direct means to
clear the way he will open the way so
that I can return to you and minister to
you now he praise for their perfection
verse 10 that we may perfect that which
is lacking in your faith the Greek word
translated perfect is the Greek word cat
Artio it gives us our word artist
Artisan an artisan is one who works on
something and brings it to Perfection
it's a great word it's used often in the
Greek New Testament a very familiar word
the doctors knew this word it meant to
set a broken bone Galatians 61 and2 we
read that if any man is overtaken in a
fault you which are spiritual restore
such a one that means to set a broken
bone uh when some Christian gets out of
fellowship with God we have to set that
broken bone in the body of Christ and
make him strong again the sailors knew
this word it meant to outfit a ship
whenever we're ministering the word of
God we're perfecting that which is
lacking in people's faith we are
outfitting the ship getting it ready for
the storms of life the soldiers knew
this word it means to equip an army for
for battle why do you go to church to
worship God why do you go to church to
get equipped for battle kartio
Perfection perfect that which is lacking
in your faith do you know what Jesus is
doing from heaven today he's perfecting
us Hebrews chapter
13 verse 20 and 21 now may the God of
Peace who brought up our Lord Jesus
Christ from the dead that great Shepherd
of the sheep through the blood of the
Everlasting Covenant make you complete
make you perfect that's our word in
every good work to do his will working
in you what is well pleasing in his
sight the Lord Jesus today in heaven is
using the word of God and prayer and
suffering and The Fellowship of the
church to perfect God's people now he
wants their faith to be perfected but he
also wants their love to grow notice
verse 12 and may the Lord make you
increase and ab Bound in love to one
another and to all just as we do to you
so he's praying that they might have
perfected faith and they might have
abounding love and they might have
blameless Hearts 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 wants them to have
faith that is perfected he wants them to
be equipped for the journey equipped for
the battle he wants their Nets to be
mended he wants that they shall have
everything complete and maturing in
their lives he wants their love to
abound and he wants their hearts to be
blameless in Holiness and Paul's going
to deal with the Walk of the Christian
in a holy life and one of the greatest
motivating forces for a holy life is the
coming of our Lord Jesus Christ 1 John
3:3 and everyone that has this hope in
him purifies himself even as he is pure
and so today if you're looking for Jesus
to come back that's going to be a
motivating factor in establishing you
and in helping you to walk in a holy
life what a great prayer this is May the
Lord help us to have our faith perfected
our love abounding and and our hearts
blameless in Holiness as we wait for
Jesus to come thanks for being a part of
our back to the Bible listening family
so be sure to come back again for more
wisdom from God's word join us again on
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