May
27. 2012 – 1Thess 3L11-13 – The way is clear.
Intro:
Our message is from the Book of 1 Thessalonians. This church was established by Paul during
his second missionary journey. There had
been great persecution but the small church, comprised of Greeks and Jews were
standing fast in victory. Paul was so
elated at the news he wrote them this letter.
This was the first of his two letters to the Thessalonians
Background:
There were four things Paul wanted to address.
- Someone had claimed the Lord had already come so he wanted to
address this.
- The church had become idle and complacent because some key
people had died. Paul spoke to that
issue by reminding them they would see them again. He told them that idleness lead to
returning to old habits, choices and heathen voices. A powerful lesson here is you are not
going ahead, sooner or later you will go backward,
- The church had 3 distinct cultural groups and so he wrote in an
effort to unite them. He encourages
them to be unified and defend the faith and to not lose heart in the midst
of persecution.
- He exhorts the church to be pure, full of brotherly love and
daily walk with the Lord in the midst of persecution.
May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for
one another and for everyone else.
- It begins with us loving God first with every fibre of our
being then letting it overflow to others, this will extend to all the
community, Paul says to follow his
example and model along with the other apostles to love sinners. Paul had sent Timothy to see how the
church was doing and that had prompted the letter,
- Brotherly love shows that we are His disciples.
Vs 12
1. Paul’s prayer was that God the
Father and Jesus Christ could clear the way for
them to come and see them. This
statement has a strong prayer and spiritual
warfare component.
2. Only prayer, fasting and spiritual warfare
can open the heavens and bring revival.
3.
Paul was encouraging and
exhorting the Thessalonians to get unified.
Revival
doesn’t just happen. Prayer is the key. Talk about the New
Hebrides revival.
Vs 13
3. Paul prays that they would be
strengthened in their hearts. The inner
affects the outer. Prayer, word, and
using your spiritual language are key components to facilitate the
strengthening of your hearts.
- When your inner world is right. The outer world will
follow. Gordon Macdonald says,
“When you order your private world, your outer life shows the inner
world’s progress.”
- This whole process enables you to be blameless and holy which
means separated unto God. This of
course affects lifestyle, attitudes and habits.
- Paul encourages and exhorts them to be prepared. Jesus is coming back. If his exhortation was relevant for that
day how much more should it be for our day. The Lord is coming back with His holy
ones. Remember the dead in Christ
rise first.
- Paul comforts the Thessalonians that they would see their loved
ones again. Paul exhorts them to
have orderly conduct in life. He
wanted their hearts and lives to be ready.
