Hang tight while we fetch the video data and transcripts. This only takes a moment.
Connecting to YouTube player…
Fetching transcript data…
We’ll display the transcript, summary, and all view options as soon as everything loads.
Next steps
Loading transcript tools…
Warren Wiersbe - Presence, Promise and Prayer - 9 of 20 | Back to the Bible | YouTubeToText
YouTube Transcript: Warren Wiersbe - Presence, Promise and Prayer - 9 of 20
Skip watching entire videos - get the full transcript, search for keywords, and copy with one click.
Share:
Video Transcript
Video Summary
Summary
Core Theme
This content explores how to minister to fellow Christians facing affliction and suffering, drawing parallels from the Apostle Paul's experience and offering practical guidance through the "ministry of presence," "ministry of promise," and "ministry of prayer."
[Music]
welcome to back to the Bible Radio
featuring bestselling author and
internationally known Bible teacher Warren
Warren
weby now we join our hearts in prayer as
we open the word of
God father it is indeed with reverence
that we come to your word realizing that
it is not the word of men it is in truth
the word of God help us to receive it as
the word of God God and then to
appropriate it to make it a part of our
lives and then to apply it to our
everyday life as we study now may the
word encourage us and give us the
guidance that we need I pray in the name
of our Lord Jesus Christ
amen have you ever been alone in a
strange city now that in itself can be a
difficult situation but have you ever
been deeply concerned about your friends
in another city and you could not do
much about it well you put these two
situations together and you have Paul's
situation when he was in Athens after he
had been chased out of
thessalonica this is what we read in 1
Thessalonians 3:
1-4 therefore when we could no longer
endure it we thought it good to be left
in Athens alone and sent Timothy our
brother and minister of God and our
fellow laborer in the gospel of Christ
to establish you and encourage you
concerning your faith that no one should
be shaken by these
afflictions for you yourselves know that
we are appointed to this for in fact we
told you before when we were with you
that we would suffer tribulation just as
it happened and you
know Paul had ministered in thessalonica
just a short time perhaps a month or 6
weeks of course a riot started and he
was chased out of
town some Scholars think that the city
posted a peace Bond against him Timothy
could go back apparently Silas could go
back Timothy of course was part Gentile
that would be in his favor they did not
want Paul back in
thessalonica he and Timothy and Silas
went down to Berea and then down to
Athens and Paul had to send Silas off to
minister he sent Timothy back to
thessalonica and he waited at Athens
alone and then he went on to Corinth
Timothy finally joined him in Corinth
and gave him the good news that the
Saints in thessalonica were standing
firm but until Paul got that news really
he could hardly endure it oh I know I've
read these books and I've heard these
sermons about uh you can control your
emotions and you really shouldn't have
this kind of concern well Paul was an
apostle filled with the Holy Spirit he'd
had some great experiences with the Lord
and he said I could hardly contain
myself that's what the word indure means
I could hardly keep the lid on my
feelings I was concerned are these
people standing true to the Lord are
they truly Born Again are they going to
give up he was uh feeling as though he
were all alone he knew the Lord was with
him but Paul was a human being and night
and day he was praying and saying oh God
help those dear people at
thessalonica he prayed for them he
prayed for Timothy and he waited for the
news to come you know many of our
Christian brothers and sisters today are
having a rough time for the most part in
North America we don't have too
difficult a time as churches in
individuals do though there are some
radio listeners who are persecuted for
turning on the radio and listening to a Christian
Christian
program there are people who when they
go to church know that when they return
home they're going to be persecuted for
going to church there are people who
when they go to work and they refuse to
lie and refuse to be a part of that
which is dirty are laughed at there are
people who have been bypassed on
promotions because they're too honest
and they want to serve the Lord but what
do you do when your Christian brothers
and sisters are in trouble what about
our Christian brothers and sisters
behind the Iron Curtain are you praying
for them what about the saints of God in
places where you cannot have the freedom
to get together as we do in North
America and many other places in the
world what do you do for people who are
going through difficulty well Paul took
three steps to minister to the people at
thessalonica number one he sent them a
man he couldn't go himself so he sent
Timothy number two he wrote them a
letter that's the letter we're studying
now and number three he prayed for them
over in verse 10 night and day praying
exceedingly that we may see your face
now I think we have here three good
Ministries for us to
perform when people are going through
difficulty we are to weep with those who
weep we are to identify with those who
are in prison as though we are in prison
with them as I pray daily for the Church
of Jesus Christ around the world I think
of suffering Saints behind the Iron
Curtain people who are in uh prison
camps and in jail people who are in
hospitals because of their faith their
only crime is belonging to Jesus Christ
well how do we help these people number
one there is the ministry of presence we
can go to them now Paul himself could
not go I cannot go to a prison camp in
uh Russia I cannot go to a missionary
Hospital necessarily in karacus or Kito
but I can help somebody else to go Paul
said Timothy I'd like to have you stay
with me here in Athens and go with me to
I need your help Silas is off
ministering in Macedonia but Timothy go
to thessalonica be my representative and
encourage those people sometimes we have
to send a
substitute by the way being a substitute
for someone else is not a
sin the missionary crew out there across
the world they are substitutes they
represent us uh we would like to be
there we cannot be there you can't be
two places at one time in fact anymore
it's getting difficult to be one place
at one time Paul could not go he sent
Timothy why suffering people need the
presence of someone else to encourage
them suffering people often question
God's love I can just hear some of these
Thessalonian Christians saying well Paul
told us God loved us Paul told us that
we belong to the Lord Jesus he's the
king why why are we going through all
this trouble where is God's love why
doesn't God do something for us and then
Timothy showed up oh here's Timothy who
had traveled with Paul here's Timothy
who was a man of God and and when God
seems far away it's good to have a
Christian brother standing near the
ministry of
presence you don't have to do a great
deal of
talking you don't have to preach sermons
to people when I was in pastoral
Ministry and our people were going
through bereavement I always tried to be
at the funeral home when they first
arrived to pay their respects to their
departed loved one that's one of the
hardest times in the life of a family a
loved one dies and they're busy making
all these arrangements and the church
people are phoning and bringing over
food and this is so good but then that
that time comes when they have to go
down to the funeral home or to the
church and see the dead body of their
loved one I always tried to be there
before they got there I'd meet them at the
the
door and I wouldn't say anything you
with no no sermons we just just welcome
them and and kind of give them a hug and a
a
handshake and then we'd walk down
together into the chapel and we'd stand
together and I wouldn't say a word just
being there the same thing's true in the
hospital sometimes the least said the
better people can come into a hospital
room where a patient is lying after
surgery or during sickness and they they
preach long sermons and so forth no no
just be there take them by the hand love
them the ministry of presence Timothy
was the kind of a person who could do
that because he's the kind of a person who
who
cared in Philippians chapter 2 we have a
description of Timothy look at it
Philippians chapter 2 and verse 19 but I
trust in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy
to you
shortly that I also may be incouraged
when I know your state your condition
for I have no one likeminded I like that
there was nobody like Timothy who will
sincerely care for your state now it's
one thing to do pastoral Ministry and
something else to do it sincerely
Timothy did it not because it was his
job Timothy did it because he cared he
had a heart that reached out to
people for all seek their own not the
things which are of Christ Jesus there's
too much of that going on today there
are just too many people who are
inaccessible when they are needed it's
it's difficult to get through to some of
God's servants these days because they
just aren't available they don't care
perhaps well they say somebody else will
take care of you that's fine I
appreciate that Paul had to send Timothy
only because Paul could not go himself
had the way been open Paul would have
gone himself and taken Timothy with him
we can go to them the ministry of [Music]
[Music]
presence are we the kind of people who
naturally care for others are we the
kind of people who sincerely care for
others Paul himself
experienced this in his ministry when
Paul was a prisoner of Rome he came to
Rome and he was on his way to being
tried and the saints of God met him acts chap
chap
28 uh verse 14 they found Brethren there
and they stayed with them and then when
they came to Rome in verse 15 Paul saw
them he thanked God and took courage he
didn't see angels He didn't see a vision
of the Lord Jesus all he saw were some
Roman Christians who met Paul at The aan
Forum and the three ends and when they
met Paul they threw their arms around
him and they hugged him and they
welcomed him and said Paul we're praying
for you we're here the ministry of
Presence by the way that's why it's
important to go to church I occasionally
receive letters from Radio listeners
telling me that radio and television are
their church and I have to write back
and say no that's not the what the Bible
teaches you better be with God's people
well there are no spiritual churches
well that's all right find one that's
the closest thing you think it ought to
be and uh get in there and make it a
better Church why do we go to church to
worship God why do we go to church to
witness that Jesus is Alive why do we go
to church to help other people people
and after church next Sunday morning you
might meet some heartbroken Saint who
just needs your presence your handshake
your hug just needs your word of
encouragement the ministry of presence
we can go to them secondly there's the
ministry of promise we can share God's
word with them Paul did that Paul wrote
first Thessalonians an inspired letter
from the holy spirit of God you see
Satan was attacking their faith did you
notice that
3:2 he said I wanted to know concerning
your faith five times you're going to
find faith in this chapter verse five I
sent to know your faith 1 Thessalonians
chapter 3: 6 he brought us good news of
your faith verse 7 we are comforted
concerning you by your faith verse 10 I
want to perfect that which is lacking in
your faith Satan attacks our faith now
why does he do that because faith is at
the foundation of everything in the
Christian Life without faith it's
impossible to please
God for example there's the work of
Faith chapter 1:3 remembering without
ceasing your work of faith if Satan can
attack our faith he can stop us from
working our witness verse 8 for from you
the word of the Lord has sounded forth 1
Thessalonians 1:8 now if God gets the
word out through us it's the word of
faith the word of the Lord has sounded
forth your faith has gone out they were
sharing their faith but if you have no
faith to share that's the end of your
witnessing chapter 3: 6 he talks about
faith and love they go together now
these three faith hope love the greatest
of these is love faith hope and love go
together if Satan can attack our faith
he's going to erode our love CH
4:14 we notice what he has to say about
faith if we believe that Jesus died and
rose again even so God will bring with
him those who sleep in Jesus their Hope
was tied into their faith their love was
tied into their faith their work their
witness their hope in fact their whole
defense against the evil one was tied up
in their faith
5:8 of 1 Thessalonians but let us who
are of the day be sober putting on the
breastplate of faith and love and as a
helmet the hope of Salvation how do you
fight the wicked one by putting on the
armor what is the armor faith hope and
love in other words Satan attacks our
faith because he wants us to start
shaking notice that in verse three that
no one should be shaken by these
afflictions now the word of God
establishes our faith people who know
the word of God are able to fight the
war of god people who know the
scriptures and understand the truth are
not afraid of Satan the
liar faith comes by hearing hearing by
the word of God Romans
10:17 and I like what Paul says in Romans
Romans
15:4 for whatever things were written
before were written for our learning
that we through the patience and comfort
of the scriptures might have hope where
does Hope come from the scriptures where
does comfort come from the scriptures
where do you find patience the
scriptures that word patience means
perseverance how do you keep on going
when the going is tough through the word
of God the ministry of pray promise
promise
thirdly we can pray for them the
ministry of
prayer now the ministry of presence is
important if we can be there we ought to
be there and the ministry of Promise is
important share the word of God this is
where job's friends fell apart instead
of sharing the word of God the word of
comfort the word of perseverance they
shared their own ideas and they created
problems for job but the ministry of
prayer we can do that with them we can
do that for them if we're not with them
verse 10 night and day praying
exceedingly that we may see your face
and perfect what is lacking in your
faith and then verses 11 12 and 13 are a
record of his prayer we'll talk more
about that prayer later on Paul prays
for them now how do you pray for people
who are suffering well I suppose our
first answer would be you pray that
they'll get out of suffering and that's
true nothing wrong with that in the
Psalms for example you'll find David
praying that God would deliver him from
his enemies deliver him from false
accusers deliver him from those who want
to kill him we pray in the Lord's prayer
that God would guide us and Deliver Us from
from
Temptation there is nothing wrong with
asking God to deliver people who are
going through through times of trial and
testing I think we have scriptural
precedent for that however while they
are in that before God does deliver them
if that is his will how do we pray we
pray that God will use that furnace to
purify them and perfect them and mature
them now Satan wants to use persecution
as a weapon to knock us down he wants to
shake us God wants to establish us you
notice that word establish Chapter 3 of
1 Thessalonians verse 2 he sent Timothy
to establish you and encourage you up in
verse 8 for now we live if you stand
fast in the Lord down in verse 13 so
that he may establish your hearts God
wants to give us stability Satan wants
us to
shake God wants us to stand firm that's
what we should pray we need to pray that
their faith will grow that their hope
will brighten that their love will
increase even love for those who are
creating problems for them we need to
pray that God will be honored even in
their suffering it's not always God's
will to deliver people from persecution
sometimes he does but sometimes he
doesn't and it may have taken a long
time for these Thessalonian Christians
to be delivered from their problems it
may have been that uh even after the
first persecution ended there were
individual problems and trials that came
so Paul prayed I want your heart to
abound in love I want you to love one
another I want you to love all men even
your your persecutors I want your hearts
to be blameless I want you to have a
holy life you see it's so so easy during
times of persecution and
suffering to start
complaining and it's just one short step
from complaining to disobeying the Devil
comes along and says oh you're a
Christian why hasn't God taken care of
you why isn't God doing something for
you and then we start complaining and
then we start doubting and before long
we are not serving the lord as we should
how do you pray for people who are going
through trial you pray that they might be
be
established and you pray that they might be
be
encouraged you pray that they might be
good witnesses that they might be able
to give a good answer for the hope that
is within them with meekness and fear
you pray that as people watch them going
through this time of trial they will see
good examples of the Lord Jesus Christ
yes it is right to pray for people and
ask that God will deliver them but until
he does deliver them
let's do like Paul let's pray that they
might grow in their faith and grow in
their love and grow in their hope and be
established unblameable before the Lord
walking in his will there is the
ministry of presence try to be there
when people need you there's the
ministry of Promise use the word of God
and there's the ministry of prayer ask
for God's
help gracious father help us to be a
part of the uh answer and not a part of the
the
problem help us to be there when people
need us sometimes we can't help us to
help all we can and I pray father that
you will meet the needs of your people
many of whom are suffering suffering
today graciously use your word to
encourage them I ask in the name of our
Lord Jesus Christ [Music]
amen thanks for being a part of our back
to thebible listening family it's
wonderful to have you with us each day
if you miss part of the program or you'd
like to listen again please visit us at
backtothebible.org to catch up on our
audio studies backtothebible.org so be
sure to come back again for more wisdom
from God's word back to the Bible
leading you forward in your relation
Click on any text or timestamp to jump to that moment in the video
Share:
Most transcripts ready in under 5 seconds
One-Click Copy125+ LanguagesSearch ContentJump to Timestamps
Paste YouTube URL
Enter any YouTube video link to get the full transcript
Transcript Extraction Form
Most transcripts ready in under 5 seconds
Get Our Chrome Extension
Get transcripts instantly without leaving YouTube. Install our Chrome extension for one-click access to any video's transcript directly on the watch page.
