This is a part of a sermon series in the book of 1 Thessalonians. You can watch more here.
I want to start off by sharing an alarming experience we had recently. My son goes to college in
Houston. A few months ago, he started running a fever. We first thought he got the flu and
needed to get rest and drink liquids. But then the fever remained high for several days, which got
us quite concerned. He had an online visit with a doctor, who told him to go to an emergency
clinic, since it was Friday night. He went to the clinic, the doctor did a bunch of tests, told him he
had pneumonia, and prescribed antibiotics.
At that time, we were really worried and considering driving to Houston to see him. He began to
take the antibiotics, showed some temporary improvement, but then the fever went back up and
persisted. I don’t even need to describe how worried we were by this point, constantly texting
him for updates. On Monday, he went into University Health Services. The University physician
confirmed the pneumonia diagnosis, but said the prescribed antibiotic was not the right one. He
gave my son a prescription for a different antibiotic.
Finally, my son responded to the new medication. His fever came down. We were so relieved
when we heard the good news. We couldn’t praise and thank God enough for taking care of our
son.
My son went through a lot in that experience. You can also imagine the experience we went
through as parents: our concern for him as he went through this sickness, our effort to get him to
doctors who can help him, our thirst for news on how he is doing, our desire to go and be with
him, our joy and relief in finding out about his recovery, our consistent prayers throughout the
whole process, and our thanks to God for his recovery. Because as parents, we love our son so
very much.
I wanted to tell you what we went through during our son’s sickness, because as I read our
passage for today, I see so many parallels in what Paul was going through as the Thessalonians
experienced affliction. Paul cared for the Thessalonians the way we care for our son. And as we
look into this section of God’s word, we can gain key insights into how we are also to care for
the members of our own church family.
Before we continue, that’s join in a word of prayer.
Concern for Thessalonian’s Spiritual State
We are looking at 1 Thessalonians 3:1-13 today. I will start by reading the first 5 verses.
Read 1 Thessalonians 3:1–5 (NASB95) 1 Therefore when we could endure it no longer, we
thought it best to be left behind at Athens alone, 2 and we sent Timothy, our brother and God’s
fellow worker in the gospel of Christ, to strengthen and encourage you as to your faith, 3 so that
no one would be disturbed by these afflictions; for you yourselves know that we have been
destined for this. 4 For indeed when we were with you, we kept telling you in advance that we
were going to suffer affliction; and so it came to pass, as you know. 5 For this reason, when I
could endure it no longer, I also sent to find out about your faith, for fear that the tempter might
have tempted you, and our labor would be in vain.
Paul begins this passage by describing how he sent Timothy from Athens to the Thessalonians.
I have talked before about the dog we used to have, Cody, with his separation anxiety. Every
time we left him was a dramatic event. He would give us this wretched forlorn look, you are
leaving me again? I can’t believe you are leaving me again! My wife said that whenever he is
away from us, he must lose a few months off his life, because it always seemed so traumatic.
Now Paul was not dramatic like Cody. However, he did infuse an extra sense of anguish into this
particular verse. “When we could endure it no longer,” Paul lamented. And he repeated the same
thing again in verse 5, using the more personal first-person pronoun “When I could endure it no
longer.” Furthermore, the word “left behind” used by Paul is in the emphatic form, it has an
intensifying prefix attached to it. It is being left behind with a heightened sense of grief. And
then he added for further emphasis the word “alone.” The implied sense is, “Oh! To be left
behind at Athens alone!”
Recently, my wife Faith went away to help her cousin take care of an old aunt in California. Her
cousin said to me, “I am sorry I am taking your wife away from you so that she can help me.” I
answered, probably with just a tad of drama, “Yes, it is very costly to me for my wife to be away,
but I am glad she is able to help you.” Well, that is sort of what Paul is saying, it is indeed costly
for Paul not to have Timothy by his side, as his helper and encourager while he struggled with
the sense of oppression in Athens. It also shows how much he cared for the Thessalonians, that
he went through with this sacrifice. Sending Timothy to them, when he so needed Timothy
himself.
“And we sent Timothy, our brother,” Paul wrote. I went to Senegal, Africa a few weeks ago on a
business trip. My colleague there, who is Senegalese, took me to meet with a number of
government officials regarding our company project. It was a little funny, just about every
government official we saw was happy to see my colleague, and he was happy to see them. A lot
of laughter and enthusiastic handshakes. And my colleague would say again and again, this is my
brother, he is like a brother to me, because we have worked together for 15 years, or because his
sister was my classmate in school or some other connection like that. I am thinking, how many
brothers does this guy have? Of course, this is because strong personal relationships are key to
getting things done in a place like Senegal. But at the same time, the warmth and the goodwill
were genuine, because it is a society which highly values cultivating strong bonds and family-
like relationships. Interpersonal relationships are tightly interwoven after decades of working
together and helping each other. Now, no doubt, such cultures have inherent weaknesses relating
to patronage and corruption. But at the same time, the emphasis on people and relationships
seems closer to what God intended for human society.
You see this in the early church. Paul consistently referred to his fellow believers, including
Timothy and the Thessalonians, as brothers. It was a sincere expression of closeness, caring and
concern. They really were his brothers in the family of God. And in this case, it also serves as a
reminder of how much Timothy meant to Paul and how much he would miss him while Timothy
visited the Thessalonians.
And then Paul referred to Timothy as God’s fellow worker, which is a bit shocking. Not my
fellow worker, but God’s fellow worker. The phrase is jarring because it seemed to signal a
special relationship with God. But if you think about it, as the people of God, we are all meant to
be God’s fellow workers. God is at work in this world, working among people and communities.
God invites us, his children, to join in on this work. We all have divine assignments to work
alongside God in his shaping of people and events. By calling Timothy God’s fellow worker,
Paul reminds the Thessalonians that Timothy is dedicated and equipped to strengthen and
encourage them in their faith.
Because that is Paul’s primary purpose in sending Timothy, to help the Thessalonians stand firm
in their young faith, so that their faith would not be disturbed, unsettled, unmoored by the
tribulations they were experiencing. Paul was concerned about the Thessalonians’ spiritual well-
being in the midst of persecution and so he sent Timothy to strengthen their faith.
Paul also reminded the Thessalonians that their faith should not be shaken, because affliction is
expected in the Christian life. In fact, he told them this repeatedly in advance, while he was with
them. It has come to pass as he had foretold. It should not be a surprise when there are afflictions
in the Christian life.
This is a reminder to us as well. There will be trials in our own lives. It is a misconception, a lie,
that a Christian will encounter less trouble in life than a non-Christian. How would it be fair of
God to make life easy only for the people who follow him? Wouldn’t all people come to God if
in fact the Christian life is free of trouble? And would anyone come to God for the right reasons
then? It would be like a church offering a cash prize for anyone agreeing to be baptized, if indeed
following Christ assures one of life without trouble.
If anything, we should expect greater troubles living the Christian life, because we are going
against the grain of our society. We are declaring our opposition to the prince of this world. The
Thessalonians, just like Paul, were being persecuted by people who were committed to stop the
spread of Christianity. Paul warned them this would happen. Likewise, God’s word warns us that
there will be persecution and affliction in our lives. The great difference is that God will be with
us, Christ will be in us, the Holy Spirit will be guiding us. And Christian brothers and sisters will
be sent to strengthen us and encourage us as we go through the afflictions, just like Paul sending
Timothy to strengthen and encourage the faith of the Thessalonians in the midst of their
afflictions.
But Paul did not rest easy just because Timothy had been sent. He remained anxious and hungry
for information regarding the spiritual health of the Thessalonians. He worried that Satan might
have tempted them to desert their faith in order to avoid persecution. Consequently, part of
Timothy’s assignment was to bring back news, because Paul could not endure it any longer. He
was worried about his new converts in the face of affliction.
Timothy came back to Paul bearing good news.
Rejoice at the Good Report
Read 1 Thessalonians 3:6–8 (NASB95) 6 But now that Timothy has come to us from you, and has
brought us good news of your faith and love, and that you always think kindly of us, longing to
see us just as we also long to see you, 7 for this reason, brethren, in all our distress and affliction
we were comforted about you through your faith; 8 for now we really live, if you stand firm in the
Lord.
Paul rejoiced when he heard the good news from Timothy about the Thessalonian’s faith and
love. Their faith in God has remained strong in the face of the affliction. Their love for each
other and for Paul has continued undiminished. They had not fallen to the temptation to turn
from God and from their spiritual mentors.
Furthermore, Paul hears from Timothy that the Thessalonians think kindly of him, longing to see
him just as Paul longed to see them. This news meant so much to Paul, because Paul was
motivated not only as a mentor for their spiritual growth, Paul was also moved by his love for
them.
I know there are parents of young children in this church. You know how your kids want to be
with you all the time? How they love nothing more than having you around constantly? I hate to
break the news to you, but that’s sort of a temporary state. We more experienced parents know
that there comes a day when our kids have many other things on their mind besides their parents,
when there are many other people they want to spend time with, in addition to mom and dad.
And of course, intellectually we know that’s a good thing, that’s a natural development, as our
kids learn and grow to live their own lives. And it doesn’t mean that they love us any less. Still,
it is so sweet for us when we find out that they are thinking kindly of us, as we are thinking of
them. That after some time away, they long to see us just as we long to see them. And that’s what
we find with Paul. He was thrilled that the Thessalonians longed to see him, as he longed to see
them. This spoke of the genuineness and depth of his love for them.
And we see the impact such love had on Paul’s life. In the midst of all the distress and affliction
he continued to suffer, he was comforted by the Thessalonians because of their faith. “For now
we really live, if you stand firm in the Lord,” Paul wrote.
If you have an NASB translation of the Bible, which I am using here, you can see that the word
“really” is in italics. In the NASB, italics signal that the particular word is not in the original
language. It is added to clarify meaning. In the Greek, it just says, “For now we live, if you stand
firm in the Lord.” But was Paul not living when he did not know that the Thessalonians were
standing firm? Would Paul cease to live if the Thessalonians had fallen away? Paul was using
hyperbolic language to communicate how closely tied he was to the Thessalonians, how truly
dear they were to him.
This hyperbolic language also conveyed how seriously Paul viewed the dangers of spiritual
shipwreck, and therefore, how relieved he felt when he heard the good news of their standing
firm. Paul is overwhelmed by comfort and joy when he found out about the spiritual
perseverance of the Thessalonians.
So what did Paul do next? He prayed to God, praising him and thanking him.
Gratitude and Petition to God
Read 1 Thessalonians 3:9–13 (NASB95) 9 For what thanks can we render to God for you in
return for all the joy with which we rejoice before our God on your account, 10 as we night and
day keep praying most earnestly that we may see your face, and may complete what is lacking in
your faith? 11 Now may our God and Father Himself and Jesus our Lord direct our way to you; 12
and may the Lord cause you to increase and abound in love for one another, and for all people,
just as we also do for you; 13 so that He may establish your hearts without blame in holiness
before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all His saints.
Paul fully realized that the Thessalonians stood firm in their faith, not because Paul did such a
great job in setting up the church or because the Thessalonians were such super believers who
endured persecution, but only because of the work of God. Thus, he offered thanks to God. He
used a rhetorical question, literally, “What thanks are we able to payback to God?” He meant that
he cannot thank God enough, for the joy he experienced because of the Thessalonians.
Moreover, Paul said that he had been praying for the Thessalonians. Again, Paul piles on terms
to communicate his sense of urgency. Literally, he says, night and day, beyond overflowing, we
pray to see your face to complete what is lacking in your faith. Paul thanked God for how he has
preserved the Thessalonians. And in the same breath, Paul beseeched God for the opportunity to
further strengthen their faith. The prayer is so reflective of the never-ceasing outflow of Paul’s
love, wanting further strengthening for the Thessalonians, now that they are standing firm.
Paul ended this section with a prayer of requests to God (verse 11-13). He repeated the petition
that God would take him back to the Thessalonians. And then he asked that God would cause
their love for each other and for all people to grow and abound, so that God may establish their
hearts without blame in holiness before God at the coming of Christ with his saints.
At first glance, the logic of this statement seems a little weird. Paul prayed that God would
increase the Thessalonian’s love for each other and for all people, so that, a purpose connector is
used here, so that God may establish their hearts without blame in holiness before God when
Christ returns. If we think about hearts being without blame in holiness, we usually understand
that to mean living moral and ethical lives and keeping a clear conscience. How does growing in
love cause our hearts to be blameless in holiness?
In view of the gospel message, the logic of this statement is not weird at all. We are totally
unable to make our own hearts clear of blame, holy before God. That is a central tenant of the
gospel message, we can never be truly ethical and moral or have a truly clear conscience on our
own. It is only the sacrifice of Christ, the salvation of Jesus, that can establish our hearts without
blame in holiness before God.
The Bible is also clear, the evidence of Christ regenerating our heart, is the love of God filling
our hearts, and overflowing into love for others. Love for others is the concrete manifestation of
a new-born heart. What Paul prayed here makes perfect sense. May God cause your love for
others to increase and abound, so that he may establish firmly, so that he can substantiate without
doubt, that your hearts are indeed cleansed by the blood of Christ, without blame in holiness
before God at the time of the final salvation.
Paul is concerned not only about the Thessalonians standing firm through this particular episode
of affliction. He also prayed for the Thessalonians to persevere and stand firm in faith and love,
all the way to their final salvation when Christ returns. Paul cared deeply for the eternal well-
being of the Thessalonians.
Conclusion
You know, we tend to see Paul as a deep and analytical writer. In the Book of Romans, for
example, he lays out clearly the doctrine of salvation. Paul communicated profound and
thoughtful theological truths, which are foundational in our understanding of God’s work in
salvation history.
Sometimes, in our appreciation of Paul’s deep theological reasoning, we forget that he also
writes with pathos in other situations. As Pastor Michael said a couple of weeks ago, we really
see the heart of Paul in this letter to the Thessalonians. In particular, this chapter is one example
of how he can overflow with emotion in his writing. It reminds us that emotions are part and
parcel of who we are as people. And as we are made in the image of God, we would not be
wrong in concluding that emotions are also part of who God is. Using anthropomorphic
language, human terms which we can understand, the Bible conveys to us the disappointment of
God when his people desert him, the wrath of God when he sees evil and injustice, the deep love
of God which causes him to reach out in grace and forgiveness.
I once gave a talk about relationships and I made the comment that love is a decision. We make
the decision to love, rather than being carried along by the emotion of love, I said. After that talk,
my son questioned me about this, is love just a decision? Is it really just an act of volition and a
determination to behave in a certain way? I thought about what my son said and decided that he
was right. It is an oversimplification to say that love is a decision. Look at the relationship
between Paul and the Thessalonians. Paul answers God’s call to evangelize and serve these
people. But as Paul ministered among the Thessalonians, as Paul shared his life with them, the
Thessalonians became very dear to him. Paul’s acts of love are further fueled and energized by
his growing emotion of love for them.
If you remember, in chapter two of First Thessalonians, Paul compared his love for the
Thessalonians to the tenderness of the nursing mother and the encouragement of the caring
father. Well, chapter three is the manifestation, the concrete demonstration of this parent-like
love of Paul for his spiritual children. I spoke earlier of our love and concern for our son while he
was physically ill. Paul expresses the same depth of parental love in the emotional outpouring of
this letter. We see Paul’s anguish as they suffered under spiritual affliction. We recognize his
sacrifice as he sent help to them. We share Paul’s joy in finding out their perseverance in faith
and love. We witness his gratitude as he thanked God for preserving the Thessalonians. We sense
his earnestness as he petitioned God for the opportunity to see them again. How Paul reacted
when his spiritual children faced spiritual danger is no different from how we react when our
children face physical danger.
I think through this passage and through the example of Paul, God is teaching us to have a
further and broader perspective. With eyes of faith, we can look further into the future and see
the eternal view, rather than just the temporal view. In the eternal view, we should have even
greater concern for spiritual well-being than physical well-being. Because eternal life is much
more far-reaching than temporal life.
Likewise, with eyes of faith, we can broaden our view of our family. The ones who are close to
us, whom we can laugh with, cry with, lean upon, and share our lives. This family of God
extends beyond our earthly family. Our bonds of love and closeness and concern should broaden
to envelop our spiritual family.
I remember once when I was taking a walk with my father in Taiwan. We saw an old father
pushing the wheelchair of his handicapped son on a walk through the park. I was moved by that
poignant reminder of this incredible love God instill in parents for their children. And parental
love is a constant reminder, an imperfect representation, of God’s incredible love for us as his
children. But I now see that it is a reminder of more than God’s love for us. It is God’s call to us,
that this capacity to love deeply and selflessly he instilled in us, is meant to be shared beyond our
earthly family to our broader spiritual family. So that as children of God, we can truly love one
another as God loves us.
The capacity to love deeply and selflessly is such an incredible gift God has given us, a gift for
both those who love and those who are loved. It is a love that grows and flourishes, the more we
access and utilize it. It is also a gift he uses to shape us, both as the giver of love and as the
recipient of love, to become the people he calls us to be, as he prepares us for our final salvation,
when we can bathe eternally and completely in the mutual and reciprocal love between God and
his people and among the people of his kingdom.
My wife sent me an article a few weeks ago from the New York Times Magazine. The title
declared, “How Nearly a Century of Happiness Research Led to One Big Finding.” The subtitle
added, “Decades of wellness studies have identified a formula for happiness, but you won’t
figure it out alone.” The article reported on a long-term study conducted by Harvard University,
first started in 1938, where hundreds of people were tracked and interviewed throughout their
lives. The present director of the study, which is actually the fourth director, as the study has
been going on for so long, reported in 2015 that much of it added up to one key insight. He said,
“The clearest message that we get from this 75-year study is this: Good relationships keep us
happier and healthier. Period.” The director further explained that strong, long-term relationships
with spouses, family and friends built on trust – not achievement, not fortune or fame – were
what predicted well-being. The secret to happiness, the study found, is connection through
personal relationships.
I was thinking, Harvard could have saved a lot of work, time, and money if they had just asked
us Christians. We could have easily pointed to the Bible and given them that conclusion in 75
seconds.
The Bible tells us, God is love. And he created us to be creatures who love and are loved. That’s
where true happiness lies in life, to love and be loved by God, to love and to be loved by each
other. To love God and to love others is not only the greatest commandment, but also the greatest
key to joy in our lives. It should not surprise us. Our heavenly father, the creator and supreme
example of love, would command us to do that which gives us the greatest joy and fulfillment,
because he loves us and wants what is best for us. To love selflessly, unconditionally,
unjudgmentally our spouses, our family members, our Christian brothers and sisters, our
colleagues and neighbors, is who God created us to be.
If we know the secret to a lifetime of joy and fulfillment, and if it is something each and
everyone of us can do, why wouldn’t we do it? Well, that’s what God has been telling us the
whole time! In his word, by his Spirit, through each other!
Love is what binds us to each other as children of God. Love is what makes church and
fellowship a joy rather than an obligation. Love is what pleases God.
I say we give it a try. And see what amazing things God can do among us.
Let Us Pray.
North Village Church
This sermon is brought to you by North Village Church, a non-denominational church in Austin. established in 2009 and built around Jesus and Bible teaching.
Are you looking for a church in Austin? At North Village Church we put Jesus at the center of our church family. We worship together every Sunday at 10:30am, encourage Christ centered fellowship through groups, and host special events such as Bible studies and Theological Training, to ensure that we are rooted in in God’s Word. We also serve our local community in association with several Austin based organizations.
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