Timothy's Good News - 10

Well as you know the uncertainties about the church in Thessalonica caused great anguish in the heart of the apostle Paul who had been forced out of that city prematurely because of intense persecution and had not been able to his established that churches firmly upon the foundation of God's word is he wanted to do enough records down in the south part of Greece and Acadia.

He is writing back to the church at Thessalonica because he just cannot get them out of his mind for many months.

He had no recent information regarding the spiritual welfare and finally because he was keenly aware of their vulnerability as new Christians because of the intensity of Satan's attacks upon them.

He sent Timothy, his co-laborer in the gospel back to Thessalonica to check upon the objective check on them and to report on their welfare to the apostle Paul. Have they succumb to Satan's temptations has their faith failed. Paul needs to know.

So Timothy journeyed the 220 miles by land from Athens to Thessalonica journeyed.

It would've taken them a least 11 days and he probably ministered there in the church for several weeks and then made that return trip of 11 days back. And so altogether we would suppose that he was probably gone for two months during which time Paul was left alone, during which time Paul moved from Corinth over to Athens. Timothy had gone to Thessalonica side is presumably had gone to Philippi, but now both of them have returned. Now Paul writes this first Thessalonian epistle what he set up in a list time about all of the anguish that he's endured took place before he wrote the epistle Timothy returns and gives his good report, and so now Paul is writing with joy and exuberance and Thanksgiving because of the report, which Timothy brought everything changed with his good report.

So today we look at Timothy's good news and we see how our spiritual health effects the health of those around us in the body of Christ, we will look at the report in verse six the impact of the report in verses seven and eight in the response of Paul to this report. In verses nine and 10.

The report verse six but now the Timothy has come to us from you, and brought us good news of your faith and love that you always have good remembrance of us, greatly desiring to see us as we also to see you. You can see the significant contrast between what Paul has previously been writing and what he now writes indicated by that initial word, but but now great contrast but now but now the Timothy has return. But now with this good news. Paul's great anguish of soul has been removed and Paul's concerns about satanic temptation in this church has now been dissipated.

Now that Timothy has returned everything has Shane because the report the Timothy brought was good news. The word is used for good news here is almost always elsewhere only used for the gospel of Christ were gospel means good news. This Greek word is almost always reserved for the gospel which is good news. But Paul uses it here for the report of 10. I think, and I think that tells us that Timothy's report was such good news that it caused in Paul a response similar to the change that took place in his heart when he received the gospel of Christ.

Paul is not saying that this report from Timothy in any way equals the good news of the gospel. It's not. It's not that significant but nevertheless this good news brought tremendous change to the heart of Paul, so much so that he called it the gospel. Timothy brought a gospel he brought good news to know what good news that a number of people over the years to tell me that they were saved for a number of years until they came to understand the doctrines of grace and plan they came to understand the doctrines of grace. It was almost like being saved all over again. That news was so good that it was so so life-changing. It was so so powerful in their souls that it was almost like the gospel coming to them all over again all that's how Paul describes this news that came from Timothy. It was so powerful that he describes it as the gospel. Paul gives threefold Friday threefold evidence of the healthy condition of the spiritual church. Or maybe I should sleep.

He reports on Timothy's threefold evidence of the healthy condition of the Thessalonian church and what indicates their spiritual health are good spiritual health is number one. Their faith number two. Their love and number three. Their affection and all described that little more fully in the moment, but first of all, their faith. Timothy has come to us from you, and brought us good news of your faith, and of course we recognize that's where the Christian life begins without faith it is impossible to please God without faith we cannot embrace the gospel of Christ. Without faith we cannot come into gospel blessing. So Paul is using the word faith, but he obviously means faith in the Lord Jesus Christ faith in the gospel of Christ.

Your faith in the one true God. Because most of them had come from a pagan background and all of their lives. They did something that they would call faith that was placed in the idols of their false religions, but that had gone out the door with the gospel of Jesus Christ came in and now Paul says I am encouraged when I learned that your faith in Christ is still there. It's still strong. Satan's attacks have not caused it to diminish one bit of how grateful we are no defections Paul and think from the way he wrote previously fully intended that there might be at least a few defections in the church that he might hear report that well ever. Most people are doing well, but this one has gone back into the world and that one has defected back to idolatry in this one no longer meets with the people of God and no longer claims to trust in Christ but no, the report is God is still believing was singing with joy may be the song we sing keep them. Lord O'Keefe them cleaving to thyself and still be leaving their faith.

Number two. Love, faith is directed toward God and toward his word love is directed toward God and to others. Love is the inevitable result of saving faith.

We love can because he first loved us.

But think about that statement. In this light, and maybe you've never thought about it this way before. That statement does not say week now can love you and we now are enabled to love him with all of that would be true but it says we love him. We do love him because he first loved us. It's not a possibility. It is a certainty.

When our faith is real and genuine. It causes our hearts to rise to God above, first of all, in gratitude and love. And then secondly toward others around us also in similar love that by the way, constitutes the two great commandments right. What are they number one you shall love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and mind and strength and number two, thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.

And Paul said wonderful wonderful I'm hearing this report.

Your faith is strong and faith can't really be see.

So how did Timothy know their faith was strong. Well here is one of two evidence one of a very significant evidence, namely their love was strong love toward God love toward others had not diminished but had in fact grown two of that great trio of spiritual fruits that we find in first Corinthians 1313 will reread now abides three things faith and hope and love and the greatest of these is what love is an interesting text, and we could analyze that some other day but nevertheless faith and love are very strong in the Thessalonian church. Why not hope.

I don't know but I do know that hope has to do with our understanding of things to come.

The proper understanding of the return of Christ. A proper understanding of our eternal state with him and they were stumbling over some of those things.

I had some questions about that Paul deals with that. The last part of the chapter, so maybe he wasn't satisfied that their hope was as well-informed and therefore strong as it ought to be, but all no problem with their faith and no problem with their love is strong. It is shining, it is evident that assures me that all is well, because when our love is weak.

That's an indication that our faith is weak and when our love is absent or we don't love others. We love the people of God. In particular, as we ought to. That's an indication that our faith is God, or maybe never was truly there to begin with we don't like to believe that we don't like to admit that we don't want to say that that's so, but that's with the Bible and faith is strong, love is strong faith is weak love is weak, but there's 1/3 evidence of their good spiritual health. He says he brought us good news of your faith number one, and love. Number two and number three that you always have good remembrance of us, greatly desiring to see us as we also you know I called this their affection, which of course is in some ways a synonym for the word love, but it is their affection toward a part jeweler subset of the body of Christ. Faith was strong toward God, toward his word. Their love was strong toward others, particularly the people of God.

But then there is one particular relationship that is also of very important, very great importance to Paul that is a relationship to him. Paul knew that the enemies of the cross had been slandering him to the Thessalonian believers.

They had been very critical of him they were doing everything they could to pull the Thessalonian's affections away from Paul and Paul knew that his absence from them. The fact that he had been torn away from them so quickly so prematurely without proper preparation of the not been able to get back for a long period of time had also no doubt, if not, he did not diminish their affection toward him and Lisa gave great opportunity for that to happen and he's very concerned about that. What is the Thessalonian's attitude toward the apostle Paul and Timothy says it's good it's strong. You have nothing to worry about. You always that they always have good remembrance of us.

That's the missionary team. Of course, greatly desiring to see us as we also to see you all had a great desire to see the Thessalonians expressed earlier in this epistle, but he finds out that their desire to see him is just as great as his desire to see them. He can't wait to see them face-to-face. They can't wait to see him face-to-face.

They long to see him again, in spite of slanderous critics which Paul knew existed.

They long to see him again, in spite of extended separation, which just tends to wear our affections more thin with the passing of time, but in this case that has not happened, amazingly, miraculously, has not happened. What a good evidence of their spiritual health.

Why is this so significant because Paul was God's appointed messenger who brought them the word of God.

He preached the gospel in Thessalonica. No one else had done that before him. They had never heard the word of God before God sent a messenger by the name of Paul the apostle to preach the word of God and once it is writing to had believed it, they been saved by they had been called out of darkness into light called out of paganism into the fellowship of the saints of God and the one that God had used to accomplish that in their lives was the apostle Paul and since Paul was God's messenger to them. Paul realized that their spiritual health. In part dependent upon their calving a good relationship with him. It depended in part about upon there having a good attitude toward him.

Maybe you've never thought of it that way before, but it's as clear as can be. In this capacity.

Another words, what Paul is saying is if you love the message you love the messenger in regard to the word of God. If you love the message you love the messenger brought it to you and if you reject the messy probably also reject the messenger. That's the way it usually goes doesn't. We've all heard don't shoot the messenger because you don't like the message but that's what we tend to do our love, our warmth, our affection toward the messenger can turn on a dime if the messenger brings some truth that we are not willing to receive and and we won't accept that then suddenly that messenger is no good any longer, at least in our minds. So Paul understood something that a lot of people don't understand and that is one measure of your spiritual health is the regard with which you esteem faithful messengers of God's word. Paul was delighted to learn that the Thessalonians, regarded him with as much affection as they had when he was with them. One of the evidences of their good spiritual health.

Number one on their faith toward God. Number two.

Their love toward the people of God, and number three. Their love toward the apostle Paul. Paul says, I'm convinced things are well with the Thessalonian believers.

That's the report and what impact of this report have the apostle Paul and he tells us two things are closely related. In verses seven and eight. Therefore, brethren, in all our affliction and distress we were comforted concerning you by your faith or not we live. If you stand fast in the Lord. What was the result number one. It lightened Paul's burden and number two it invigorated Paul's labor.

This report lightened Paul's burden, burden, his anxieties were removed his personal selections were made lighter. Therefore, brethren, in all our affliction and distress we were comforted.

We were encouraged. We were strengthened concerning you by your faith. It is clear that Paul is not talking simply about the anxiety that he had concerning their welfare, but is talking about the whole range of persecutions and afflictions and difficulties which he faced and all of those were more difficult. All of those burdens were more heavy when his relationship with them was unknown or uncertain, and he feared the worst, but now that there relationship is good. The report is excellent. The encouragement is strong suddenly Paul's burdens have gotten lighter. They don't weigh them down so much is bodily afflictions, of which Paul had many in fact probably it was some bodily afflictions that kept him from being able to travel back to Thessalonica.

He wanted to go. He said Satan hindered Satan kept me from going not Satan didn't keep Timothy from going so whatever kept them from going with was something that pertained uniquely to the apostle Paul might've been something else, but it probably was his own physical condition. He had a lot of physical problems, many of which should come upon him because of persecutions, beatings, the treatment that he received so bodily afflictions and persecutions that it weighed Paul down over all of the years of his ministry. Think about how he was treated in the cities of Galatia 11 in blister.

He was actually stoned and left for dead. In fact, they have died and been resurrected. We really don't know. Remember how industry in the Macedonia how he was beaten and imprisoned in Philippi, how he was mistreated in Thessalonica and Berea. Think about how he was scorned and was ridiculed in Athens and he tells us that when he came to Corinth. His heart was filled with fear and anxiety.

To the extent that the Lord actually appeared to him in a vision of the Knights of Paul. Don't be afraid. I have many people yet in the city, but he describes the great weight of his bodily afflictions, and he describes the great burden of his persecutions, in addition to the weight of his ministry.

It he took it seriously and it weighed very heavily upon his spiritual shoulders. If I can use that term. He carried his his his church is the many churches that God allowed him, allowed him to to establish. He carried all those congregations in his heart he never let them get far from his thoughts and his prayers the possibility that the church of Thessalonica was not doing well. Just because all of the way Paul down further and further and further almost a sinking when he heard that they were doing well suddenly that 10 tons boulder that was on his shoulder felt like a feather it just wafted away it was God. So the impact of Timothy's report, lightened Paul's burden and that reminds us that our spiritual health and our attitudes have a greater impact upon others than we realize when we get out of sorts. It affects our family doesn't. You know that it does it affects our marriage. It affects our children, it affects our friends. It affects the people that we work with it affects our church. It affects our spiritual leaders.

It has a detrimental impact upon others around us and conversely, when our hearts are filled with joy when our hearts are filled with faith, rejoicing in the goodness of God's blessings in our lives that joy that enthusiasm that strong faith spills over to others. It lifts our family. It lifts our friends, the lifts are particularly those who know the Lord.

It lifts members of our church. It lifts our spiritual leaders and that's exactly what's going on now so the impact of Timothy's burden lightened Paul's Timothy of report rather lightened Paul's burden and secondly it invigorated Paul's labors.

Verse eight he says for now we live. If you stand fast in the Lord.

Now we live. If you stand fast if you don't stand fast. We don't live and obviously that's a figure of speech.

Paul doesn't mean that is going to die physically, but we live.

We some translations they really live if you stand fast in the Lord.

We live with purpose that we didn't have before. If you stand fast in the Lord. We live with enthusiasm and vigor and joy that we didn't have before. If you stand fast in the Lord we feel alive if you don't, we feel debt we feel lifeless. We feel numb.

We feel like were walking around but there's just no joy, no life, no energy, no vigor and we were just no more. Just almost lifeless. We all know that feeling.

Paul said Timothy's report of your good spiritual health has caused us the missionary team and Paul in particular to have new life, new enthusiasm, new joy, new vendor new energy for the work of the Lord how we feel alive and able to do far more in the work of the Lord than we could have before because anxiety and difficulties draining enthusiasm from our lives, but encouragement energizes our enthusiasm for life, which raises the question if were feeling drained. As Paul was until Timothy came, how do we address that were feeling lifeless were feeling numb were feeling like Paul was before Timothy came, how do we deal with that. We have to ask God to help us to rise above our circumstances. As long as were focusing on our circumstances alone. There is no way to lift that burden until the circumstances change, but but if we can raise our focus above our circumstances to God above and begin to think about all the spiritual blessings we have in Christ which don't depend a bit upon our finances. They don't depend a bit upon our health. They don't depend a bit upon the relationships that we have in the world around us. Yes, those all affect us detrimentally at times, but our relationship with Christ is unaffected by those things.

Our salvation is unaffected by those things are hope for the future is unaffected by those things and so ask God to help us to rise above the circumstances when you know somebody who's down depressed is the term we use generally used today on their little pep talk isn't going to do them a lot of good.

But if you can help them spiritually, you can help them. So we have to focus on is primarily two things. Number one right relationship with God, and number two. A good relationship with others. It's simple but it's difficult right relationship with God beginning the course of salvation. Some people are depressed and will never be otherwise, until they come to understand their need of Christ and come to him for salvation when they lather burden at the foot of the cross, then it's God God God God God yes my sins are gone now. My soul is free and in my heart.

Subsonic buried in the deepest sea yes that's good enough for me. I shall live eternally. Praise God my sins are GEO go all salvation, sometimes even say people have a defective relationship with God. We get defiled by our sins and by the world in which we live.

It's like the dust the gun on the feet of the disciples who were wearing their sandals from place to place and so Jesus washed their feet in John chapter 13 and Peter said no not just my feet all of the Lord said no you don't need to be washed all over.

You've already cleansed or saved but your feet need to be washed daily and if were not keeping up a good relationship with God for not going to him daily to confess our sins, and to ask him to inspect our heart into to reestablish fellowship with him, then it's very likely that we will get into bed condition spiritually. We may get very depressed. So first of all we need to help ourselves, we can't really help others out of their doldrums of where in the doldrums.

But then when we are in a good place spiritually.

If we can help somebody else to understand why they're feeling that way and how to take that need to God and allow him to deal with it. That will help them and then of course of their broken relationships with others we need to learn how to repair those relationships and that will address the need we move on the referred to the response. How does Paul respond to all of this we see the report we see the impact that had upon him.

So how does he respond to all of this in verse nine says for what thanks can we render to God for you for all the joy with which we rejoice for your sake before our God night and day praying exceedingly that we may see your face and perfect what is lacking in your faith a threefold response, joy, thanksgiving and prayer joy for all the joy with which we rejoice.

Paul's joy was now greater that his anxiety was before. Amazing their well-being produced great joy in his heart there good spiritual health affected his disposition, and it filled his heart with joy and Paul's filled with joy, not because of material blessings but because of spiritual blessings in the spiritual blessings of others for whom he had a great concern and he focused upon God is the reason for all of his joy came from God, which we are filled with joy before our God. That's the ultimate source of joys of number one joy number two Thanksgiving which is directed to God.

Of course, what thanks can we render to God for you for all the joy which we rejoice for your sake before our God.

What thanks can we render to God for you Thanksgiving directed to God appropriate for the circumstances exuberant Thanksgiving and Paul is saying whatever thanksgiving I give is insufficient to the greatness of what God is done is not possible to give God as much thanks as he deserves was impossible for Paul, it is impossible for you.

For me, but that shouldn't keep us from doing it fact that should spur us on to do it all the more gathered facts regularly again and again. The simple act of giving God thanks goes a long ways towards resetting our attitude getting things back in proper order. How many times that inserted sometime just in passing in Scripture thinking of Paul's words in Philippians chapter 4 verses be anxious for nothing, here's this anxiety again, but in everything with prayer and thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

We pray to God, but with thanksgiving we is a certain attitude and prayer that is makes it beneficial. There is this giving of thanks constantly and regularly.

That is so important to having a right relationship with God and so Paul's responses, joy, Paul's responses Thanksgiving and Paul's response. Not surprisingly, therefore, is prayer verse 10, night and day praying exceedingly that we may see your face and perfect what is lacking in your faith, the practice of prayer. Prayer and the petitions of prayer are dealt with here. Practice of prayer should be regular night and day. The practice of prayer should be earnest, exceedingly that's a ID that has the idea of earnest prayer, serious prayer, intense prayer, not just zip zip zip I'm done prayer, but engaging in earnest prayer regularly and there a lot of petitions and prayer that are appropriate but here Paul prays for number one personal fellowship and number two fruitful ministry. He prays that we may see your face.

That's what is been longing for all along once again reminded of how important is this matter a face-to-face fellowship. Nothing can completely replace that Paul is writing a letter to them which, by the work of the Spirit of God turns out to be inspired is the word of God. It is an inspired letter, it is Scripture. Paul is sending them portion of Scripture.

But Paul says that's not enough time praying that I can see face-to-face while that must be pretty important.

Paul think so. We agree with him about that. He prays that their personal fellowship may be renewed.

It wasn't for several more years but we think eventually Paul to get back there. He prays for fruitful ministry that I might be able to come and perfect what is lacking in your faith to perfect to supply to complete what is lacking in your faith, not Timothy told them they had strong faith, but it wasn't perfect faith. Faith, Paul knew that they still needed to be taught some things.

His teaching had been interrupted. He been cast out of the city prematurely needed to get back and teach them some things clearly didn't understand what they needed to about the second coming of Christ.

Paul teaches some of those things in this epistle deposit I need to get back. I need to strengthen your faith. I need to instruct you some more. He desires to complete what he had started in instructing them, which suggests to me that Paul had a particular basic curriculum in mind that he wanted to teach to every church that he established and he hadn't gotten all the way through it before he got kicked out of town. I will only add the data church planting syllabus these of the doctrines that I must teach them. I cannot leave until I taught them those in that if the Lord raises up pastors to follow me, and preach the word of God they could take them on to other things.

But I got to teach them.

This, but Paul got interrupted. He wasn't able to do that and he's these longing to get back in the teach them what he had not taught them before. What this tells us about our faith is, no matter how strong our faith may be, it needs to be strengthened. In fact, no matter how strong it is. It is going to be weakened if it is not continually strength faith is like a muscle. If you neglect your muscles. They grow weaker if you exercise your muscles bigger stronger at the simple fact of life.

I have learned learned a lot of things I learned in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.

So I think what I say next. With that background in mind but nevertheless I have learned I will never again strengthen my muscles to be like they were when I was 2030. It ain't gonna happen.

I try it a possible but I know this if I don't exercise at all they can to be a whole lot weaker if I do I may not be able to bring them back to that P level of yesteryear, but I can buy God's help make them as strong as they are able to be at this point in my life.

That's not the same point as they were 20 3040 years ago, but if I don't exercise they're not going to be what they're capable of being now and it's the same way with our faith.

If were not continually exercising our faith. If were not continually adding to our faith if were not continually growing in our faith, then our faith is going to get weaker.

I don't care how long you been saved. I don't care how strong your faith is, if it isn't continually being renewed. It is going to be.

Furthermore, no matter how much we know we need reminders, not a lot of what I preach is what I preached before. I hope it does sound exactly the same God's words written that way. I keep running across true is that I have preached from other passages of Scripture. Now we come at them a little bit differently a little bit different wording a little bit different perspective.

But if you boil them down in many ways it's the same thing again. The same thing again.

Why is that because we need reminders, we forget Paul said I've got to get back to you. Hugs to preach God's word to a better make sure you haven't forgotten what I have preached you before, but a lot of lessons in this passage, but let me conclude with two they both have to do with our relationships in the body of Christ. The first one more general and the second one more specific, but this reminds us that brotherly love is a fruit of genuine faith and therefore we can we can check our the health of our faith by the health of our love.

Let's not deceive ourselves into thinking our faith is strong, of our love is weak.

It's not that the deception and we need to beware of becoming disaffected and that's a word that we don't often use but it's used in this context and needs to be understood. What does it mean to become disaffected means that our affections have been damaged or destroyed. We have become. This affected disaffected with what I'm thinking about disaffected toward the people of God and what is the evidence of that, the evidence of becoming disaffected is that we don't want to be in the presence of those people anymore as he Paul was very concerned that the Thessalonians might not want to see his face again and that would be proof that they didn't love him like they used to that they have become disaffected toward him and he was thrilled to overflowing joy when he found out that they desired to see him just as much as he desired to see them because Paul knew good and well that if they didn't. That was in evidence that they had become disaffected folks are you listening to me. We've all had the experience of getting some kind of a bad relationship with somebody else and is one of the first things that happens, I want to see them if they come in this way. I'm going that way is right way it works is that Thelma, but that's an evidence that something is wrong and we we deceive ourselves into thinking that whatever is wrong is all other person with better knowledge that at least part of what's wrong is wrong.

What's wrong with us. We got to beware becoming disaffected are unwillingness to see people is an evidence that something is not right with our faith. It's not as healthy as it can be.

It's not as healthy as it ought to be when we get to the place will redo one to be in church with the people of God.

That's an evidence that something is weak in our faith and I'm not talking about those who because of health or unable not talking about that many like Paul desire longingly desire to see your face again.

I just cannot. For such people. Our hearts go out to them. We pray for them. We know that their condition is not what I'm talking about now when you get to the place were you just don't want to go to be with your Christian friends again. You need to realize Satan is telling you the problems with their problems with the church.

The problems over there and God's word is telling you start here that's right your story. That's where you need to check it and you see her disaffection is is augmented by two things that Paul mentions in this passage number one separation number two slider. He knew the critics were slandering him and he was afraid that that disaffected the Thessalonians toward him and he was so thrilled to find out that they had resisted that in his long separation from them that he did not desire but have been forced upon him.

He was afraid that that is causing disaffection and he was delighted to find out that it had not again when we are separated a long time from the people of God, it tends to bring a weakening of our affections, and if we get into that nasty habit of gossip and criticism can affect our love for one another so you got to cultivate good relationships with the people of God and in the same principle, but now more specifically with spiritual leaders with pastors you need to realize how important your relationship to God's messenger is to your spiritual health separation from God's messengers will damage your health contributes to your problem. Your criticism of God's messengers will contribute to that problem. Are they perfect people know but if they're faithful you should be honoring and upholding them and not criticizing them.

Everybody knows what it means to have roast preacher for lunch.

When you have roast preacher for lunch when it's not a matter of impure doctrine work, something that really needs to be needs to be confronted, in which case you need to go to them, but roast preacher for lunch affects your family roast preacher for lunch affects other people. Roast preacher for lunch affects and I'm not saying that because I'm the preacher I'd be tempted to say make it. I feel I feel justified. I feel I feel compelled to say because the point Paul is teaching us. I've had things like this happen a number of times been thinking of one specific instance, many years ago. The couple came to our church, but with some children and when they came in they were just so enthusiastic, so excited I we've never been in the church like this before. It is so wonderful.

We have never heard preaching like this before is so wonderful and in the passing of the few months and maybe a couple years they were hot to trot, they can readily talk to them what's wrong we just don't get anything out of this preaching anymore you changed your change.

Somehow I didn't succeed in getting them to understand the possibly, just possibly, they changed nothing is impossible for preacher to change, but it's more likely that he's preaching just like he did before. So if their perception is entirely different.

I wonder where were the source of that changes. And I say these things again because trying to help you with your spiritual health. If I don't help you see these things than you can get in bed spiritual health and you attribute the reasons to it all the wrong thing. This will help you. So when you learn from this passage and become wise because our spiritual health and the health of others depends on shall we pray father teach us your ways and show us your plans.

We ask in Jesus name, amen