The psalm says you get to hear from me again, so we're going to read from 1 Thessalonians
chapter 3.
If you have your church Bibles, it's on page 1187.
If you bring your own Bible, you're familiar, and you'll find 1 Thessalonians in the New
Testament.
So we're going to read from 1 Thessalonians chapter 3 in verses 1 to 10.
Page 1187.
1 Thessalonians 3 and verse 1.
So when we could stand it no longer, we thought it best to be left by ourselves in Athens.
We sent Timothy, who is our brother and co-worker in God's service in spreading the gospel of
Christ, to strengthen and encourage you in your faith so that no one would be unsettled
by these trials.
For you know quite well that we are destined for them.
In fact, when we were with you, we kept telling you that we would be persecuted.
And it turned out that way, as you well know.
For this reason, when I could stand it no longer, I sent to find out about your faith.
I was afraid that in some way the tempter had tempted you and that our labors might have
been in vain.
But Timothy has just now come to us from you and has brought us good news about your faith
and love.
He has told us that you always have pleasant memories of us and that you long to see us
just as we also long to see you.
Therefore, brothers and sisters, in all our distress and persecution, we were encouraged about
you because of your faith.
For now we really live, since you are standing firm in the Lord.
How can we thank God enough for you in return for all the joy we have in the presence of our
God because of you?
Night and day we pray most earnestly that we may see you again and supply what is lacking
in your faith.
Amen.
Thanks, Lord.
Thanks a million, Ralph.
Good morning, everybody.
Why don't we pray just to start?
Lord, I need your help.
We all need your help this morning.
Amen.
To hear what your word has to say to us as a church family.
Give us a vision of how glorious Jesus is.
And show us the privilege that it is to help and strengthen one another in our faith.
In Jesus' name we pray this.
Amen.
Well, to start, I want to ask you a very profound question.
One which philosophers throughout the centuries have wrestled with.
Here it is.
How are you doing?
Okay.
Every time I go up to Calum and ask him, how are you doing?
He answers me, Asher, you know yourself.
Now, of course, I don't know how Calum is doing.
I can't read his mind.
So I say, how are you really doing, Calum?
And then he'll tell me something.
But if you were to ask me that question this morning, how are you doing?
I'd probably say something along the lines of, you know, how my weekend is going.
Been a busy week with work.
I'm tired.
Something I'm looking forward to.
Maybe the rugby later on.
Okay.
But in essence, I'm going to tell you about me.
My health.
My job.
My weekend.
But the interesting thing is this.
If you were to meet Paul, the apostle, the writer of this letter, on the streets of Corinth 2,000 years ago,
and if you were to say, Paul, how are you doing?
You'd get a very surprising answer.
Because in this text, we see that Paul cannot separate his own well-being from that of his brothers and sisters in Christ.
His answer would show that he is only doing as well as his church family is doing.
If they suffer, he hurts.
If they stray from the Lord, he fears for them.
If they make progress, he rejoices.
Now, for people like us in an individualistic society, that kind of love and care is just odd.
Right?
It's a little bit over the top.
You know?
Surely God doesn't want us to love each other that much.
And that's why we really need to hear this text this morning.
Because when you trust in Jesus Christ as your Lord, you don't just get forgiveness, the gift of the Holy Spirit, eternity in heaven.
And these are all wonderful benefits.
But actually, what you get is Christ himself.
And along with him, all of those who have also put their faith in Christ.
You get a family.
And in this passage, Paul actually shows us what it looks like to love our family in Christ.
And where we get the power to do that.
He's going to show us what an awesome privilege it is to help one another on the journey with Christ through this world.
It's not a chore.
It's a privilege.
So we need to pay attention.
Two simple things we're going to see today are that love cares deeply.
That's like the feeling of love.
And secondly, love acts sacrificially.
That's what love does.
Okay, so firstly, love cares deeply.
Here are a few things that we should feel in our relationships with one another.
And the first one is a longing to be together.
Now, here's the context of this letter of Thessalonians.
Paul and Silas had traveled to Thessalonica and many people had believed in Christ.
But, as many of you know, after only three weeks, they had to flee the town because a mob broke out against them.
Now, here's the thing.
Did Paul just move on to the next church planting project and slowly forget about the believers back in Thessalonica?
In some ways, no one would blame him.
He was so busy.
But look back at chapter 2, verse 17.
And halfway down through that verse, it actually says, Paul says,
Out of our intense longing, we made every effort to see you.
And then look down at chapter 3, verse 5.
He says,
So a love that cares deeply is a love which longs to be with your family in Christ.
To do life with them.
And not just having a polite chat on a Sunday morning and saying,
I'll be praying for you this week.
That's good, but Paul demonstrates a whole life approach here.
Which says,
I long to do life alongside you.
How does that compare to your attitude and mine?
Do we seek out opportunities to walk alongside each other in life?
Or is it just a Sunday thing?
Or a Wednesday thing?
Longing to be together is one sign of a love that cares deeply.
Here's the second.
Fearing for their spiritual well-being.
Does it ever frighten you?
That your brother or sister could be in danger from walking away from Jesus?
Look at what Paul says in verse 5.
Halfway down through the verse, he says,
I was afraid that in some way,
the tempter, Satan,
had tempted you.
And that our labors might have been in vain.
See there,
Paul's first concern was not their health or finances or physical safety.
He was afraid they were drift away from the beauty and eternal safety of Christ.
That's the worst thing that could possibly happen to them.
And Paul was gripped with fear that it would.
And that's real love.
You don't really love someone
if you're not afraid for them when they're in danger.
This might be a silly example,
but imagine if your friend started chatting online to someone every day.
And next thing they say,
oh, my online friend has asked me to meet up in town at the weekend.
I think I'm going to go.
I'm looking forward to it.
What would you say?
Would you not tell them?
You feared for their safety
if you were a good friend to them?
I remember when I was a teenager.
You know when you're a teenager,
you go through all these sorts of phases?
Maybe you still do when you're an adult.
But anyway,
one of these phases as a teenager,
I got into this kind of dark rock music.
I was a Christian at the time,
but I had this older, wiser Christian friend.
His name was Jono.
And he cared about me.
He cared about my walk with Jesus.
But in my enthusiasm about this music,
I sent it on to Jono,
and I was like,
Jono, you've got to listen to this.
This is class.
And he got back to me a few days later
by email,
and he said,
Sam,
this music isn't good for your heart.
He said,
I'm worried
if you get deeper and deeper into this music,
it'll slowly lead you away from Jesus.
And I was miffed.
I did not like him saying that.
How dare he criticize my taste in music?
And I was so excited to tell him.
But it planted the seed in my mind.
And within a few weeks,
I had actually seen that what Jono said was right.
I had replaced it with music
that actually helped me
to grow closer to Jesus.
It was good for my heart.
And you know what?
Reflecting on that,
Jono actually cared enough for me
to worry about my spiritual health
because he saw there was danger.
He cared enough to have that awkward conversation as well.
And just thinking about each other,
right,
I think we can tend to miss
the spiritual dangers in each other's lives.
Or if we see them,
we don't want to have that awkward conversation.
Because in Ireland,
we don't really, you know,
confront each other on those things.
Well, actually,
that's not living in accord
with what God's word tells us to do.
Your brothers and sisters sitting around you
are engaged in a spiritual battle.
And Satan is trying to pull us
as far away as possible from Jesus.
Paul knew for the Thessalonians,
Satan was going to try and use persecution
to try and tempt them away.
It's not worth it.
It's not worth the following Jesus.
For us,
it might be some relational suffering
or some illness
that's just not going away
and Satan is tempting us.
He's telling us,
God isn't good.
He's not strong enough.
For others of us,
it's success and health
and everything just going really well.
And Satan's telling us,
you don't need God.
Oh, you're fine on your own.
Why do you need a savior?
All of us are engaged
in a spiritual battle.
Let's not be naive.
The question is this.
Do we ever fear
that our brothers and sisters
might give in to those lies?
Paul shows us
that if we care deeply enough,
we will.
Number one,
we're going to long
to be with them
and number two,
we will fear
for their spiritual well-being
when we see
that they are
in spiritual danger.
But here's the bit
that really blew me away
when I read this text first.
And I don't know,
when Ralph was reading it out,
did you notice this also?
Because Paul is telling us
what happened.
You see,
he sent Timothy out
to the church in Thessalonica
to see how they were doing,
to find out.
And then Timothy comes back
with a good report
of their faith.
And look at the effect
this has on Paul
in verse 8.
I love this.
He says this.
For now we really live,
since you are standing firm
in the Lord.
Now we really live.
Is that not extraordinary?
Paul is claiming that
when he didn't know
if his brothers and sisters
were still walking
with the Lord,
he was only half alive.
The not knowing
was killing him.
That is next level love.
How can we care
like that?
Enough that we could
genuinely say,
I'm only doing as well
as my brothers and sisters
are doing.
Back in 2010,
a mining accident
rocked the globe.
I think most of you
were alive at that point
and might be able
to remember it.
33 men
had driven down
into this copper mine
in Chile
when the mountain
caved in behind them.
I want you to imagine
that your brother
was trapped in the mine
and your family
are all there, right?
Huddled together
by that mine shaft
as the rescue teams
are working around you.
I just want to ask,
what are you feeling
as two,
three days pass?
Five,
six days,
still no news.
Ten,
eleven days,
still nothing
from the drilling.
Fifteen,
sixteen days,
you're beginning
to lose hope.
now,
if a news reporter
came over to you
and asked you
that profound question
again,
how are you doing?
What would you say?
You might be
perfectly healthy.
You might have
a nice house
and a good job
and everything else
going well,
but none of that
would matter
in that moment,
would it?
you would say,
I'm in agony
because my brother
is down there
and I don't know
if he's safe
or not.
You see,
in that moment,
you're only doing
as well as your brother
is doing.
nothing else matters
if they aren't safe
and that's a picture
of how Paul feels
about his family
in Christ.
That's how we should
feel about ours too.
He was in agony
over them,
not knowing
if they were safe
in Christ
and then when he hears
the good news
that they are safe,
what does he say?
He says,
now we really live
and in his very
next breath,
in verse 9.
Just look at that.
He says,
how can we thank
God enough for you
in return
for all the joy
we have
in the presence
of our God
because of you?
Again,
we often think
love for each other
means a pleasant chat
on a Sunday morning
and I'll be praying
for you during the week.
That's great.
We should do that.
But if that's all
we're doing,
we're falling so,
so short
of God's vision
for us
as a church family.
Paul shows us
a whole life
model of care.
We need to grow in this.
Yes,
we should be all
over the practical needs
when someone's sick
or lonely
or needing help,
but the most important
thing we will care about
is this.
Brother,
sister,
are you walking
with the Lord?
Lord,
what is more important
than that?
what else
is going to last
forever?
That's real love
for your brothers
and sisters.
Love that cares deeply.
Now,
maybe you,
like me,
are sitting there
and thinking,
do you know what?
It doesn't really
match up with my life
so well.
Maybe you're convicted,
like I am,
that you fall short
of this.
And I think it's natural
in some ways
because our sinful hearts
generally tend
to put ourselves first,
right?
How do we grow
these sort of
affections of love
for one another
in the church family?
Well,
the answer is
in verse 12.
If you have a look
down at that,
chapter 3,
verse 12,
and Paul prays
for his brothers
and sisters
and he says this,
may the Lord
make your love
increase
and overflow
for each other
and for everyone else
just as ours
does for you.
I am so thankful
God inspired Paul
to put that prayer there
because it's
only the Lord
who can make
our love
increase
and overflow
for each other.
That's the key.
This is not
a try-harder
situation.
This is a
lean-closer-into-Jesus
thing.
The only person
who ever
perfectly lived this out.
Now remember,
it is only Jesus.
We look at Paul here
and say,
this is amazing.
Just remember
Paul's past.
His life mission
originally was
picking off the Christians
one by one.
He was out
to get them.
Then he met Jesus
and his heart
got transformed
completely.
And so also,
we look to Jesus.
It's actually
through our union
with Jesus
that we begin
to care
like he does.
and if Christ's
spirit lives
in us,
the closer
we walk
with him,
the more
the fruits
of that spirit
will grow
naturally.
And he gives us
new desires
to actually
want to love
like this,
to see it as
something we get
to do,
not a chore
to take off.
We begin to see
how privileged
we are
to invest
in what's going
to last forever,
that is,
one another.
So that's
the first point.
Love cares
deeply.
And walking
closer with Jesus,
we begin to feel
that kind of
love for each
other.
But we don't
just see how
love feels
in this text,
we also see
how love
acts
sacrificially.
And Paul
shows us
some of these
actions that
naturally flow
out of that
heart of love.
And we're
going to go
through three
of them
really quick.
It says,
the first one's
found in verse
two.
If you look
there,
Paul says
that he sent
Timothy to
strengthen
and encourage
them in
their faith.
Now,
if God
gives you
a heart
to care
for your
brothers and
sisters,
you will
begin to
move towards
them in
love.
And you
will ask,
how can I
encourage my
brother or
sister to
walk with
the Lord?
During the
week,
as you pray
for them,
you might
ask,
what's a
verse that
the Lord's
put in my
heart to
share with
them?
Maybe that
might mean
texting and
asking if we
can meet
up for
lunch or
for coffee.
How can
I be an
encouragement
to you?
In verse
three, we
find the
reason why
Paul sent
Timothy to
strengthen their
faith.
Verse three
says,
so that no
one would
be unsettled
by these
trials,
for you
know quite
well that
we are
destined for
them.
Trials are
coming in
each other's
lives.
That's why we
need to
strengthen each
other.
Really simple.
And when we
do strengthen
each other,
when those
trials come,
we will be
able to
stand firm
in Jesus.
Here's the
second way
that love
acts
sacrificially.
In verse
five, we
read how
Paul sent
Timothy to
inquire about
the church's
faith.
So when we
reach out to
encourage someone
in their faith,
that's not just a
once-off thing.
Take that off
the list.
Now this kind
of deep love
makes us want
to keep
reaching out
to hear how
they are doing
in their faith.
And Paul says
why we should
do that in
verse five.
He says,
because Satan
is going to
tempt.
We've
already talked
about that
this morning,
how we are
all engaged
in a spiritual
battle.
And if we
do nothing
to help
each other,
Satan will
try and
tempt us
away.
So don't
just ask
about someone's
health,
or their
job,
or their
school.
That's good.
But also ask
them, how are
those things
affecting your
faith?
How are you
meeting the
Lord in
those contexts?
Or ask, how
is your
Bible reading
going?
Do you
get time to
pray during
your day?
And if
someone asks
you those
questions,
that's not
them being
nosy.
That's them
actually caring
for you
enough to
support you
against Satan's
attacks.
Here's a third
thing.
one more
act of love,
and we do
need to be
careful how we
interpret this
one.
Have a look
at it in
verse 10.
Paul says,
night and
day, we
pray most
earnestly that
we may see
you again,
and supply
what is
lacking in
your faith.
Now, what
does this
mean?
Is Paul
saying that
their saving
faith in
Christ is
incomplete?
Well, no.
We know that
because he's
already addressed
them in this
letter as
those who
are loved
by God
and chosen
by him.
So, let's
just get this
clear.
If your
faith is in
Christ alone,
that is all
you need to
be safe in
him.
Okay?
It's not the
size of your
faith that
matters.
it's who
your faith
is placed
in.
But Paul
is making
a point
here that
these believers
in Christ
have their
weaknesses.
And in the
rest of this
letter, he's
actually going
to address
these head
on, from
sexual sin
to idleness
to taking
revenge.
And we all
know the
areas in our
lives, too,
where we
struggle.
Right?
We struggle
with sin.
We struggle
with suffering
and sadness.
We struggle
to be
faithful to
God.
Now, that
doesn't mean
we're outside
of Christ
because we
struggle.
No, the
very fact that
we're not
okay with
our sin
shows the
new heart
we have
in Christ.
But what
God is
calling us
to do
is to
supply what
is lacking
in each
other's
faith.
so, for
instance,
my experience
in dealing
with anger
might help
somebody else
in the church
family who's
struggling with
that now,
too.
Your experience
in dealing
with jealousy
might help
someone like
me who's
dealing with
that.
Your experience
in fighting
lust might
help someone
else in the
middle of that
battle.
can you
see how
we can
support one
another and
supply what
is lacking
in each
other's
faith?
We just
need to be
honest and
open about
our own
struggles
and unafraid
to ask
others about
theirs,
too.
What a
privilege it
is to
supply what
is lacking
in each
other's
faith.
love.
It's
God's
beautiful
design for
love in
the church.
But as
we finish,
I want to
bring you
back to
that mining
accident in
Chile.
For 16
days, the
rescue teams
drilled and
drilled without
success.
But on
the 17th
day, they
found a
note stuck
onto one
of the
drill bits
with insulating
tape.
after pulling
it back up
700 meters
out of the
mountain.
And here's
the actual
note on
the screen.
Now, this
is the part
where me,
as someone
who has
never studied
Spanish,
need someone
to help
me to
read this.
Is there
anyone here
who...
Go on,
Katrina.
going to
go on,
going to
go on,
Katrina.
We're going to
go on,
Katrina.
We're going to
go on,
Katrina.
We're going to
go on,
Katrina.
Well done.
That matches
with my
little English
translation I
have here.
All 33 of
us are
fighting the
shelter.
Well done,
Katrina.
Monica was
my next
bet there to
help me out.
But yeah,
what an
incredible note
to receive.
On the
17th day,
the crowds
erupted
into shouts
of joy,
all on
national television,
all screens
throughout the
world.
Everyone was
overwhelmed
with relief.
Knowing that
their loved
ones were
safe meant
the families
could really
live again.
Now,
it took
52 days
to execute
the rescue
mission.
So they
had to
bore this
new tunnel
right down
to where
the miners
were.
But after
digging that
new tunnel,
all 33
of the
miners were
lifted to
safety to
meet their
families.
Now,
can you
imagine what
that hug
felt like?
Welcoming
back your
brother,
having wondered
would he
ever make
it?
Imagine
the joy
of that
reunion.
I wish
I was
there to
see it,
don't you?
But do you
know what the
wonderful thing
is?
That
reunion is
just a
foretaste
of a far
greater
reunion to
come.
One day,
we who have
trusted in
Christ will
witness the
completion of
a far
surpassing
rescue
mission.
there is
a day
coming when
we will
be delivered
out of
this world
of sin
into the
glorious
light of
God's new
heavens and
earth.
All our
sin,
sadness,
and suffering
behind us.
And all
that will
fill our
minds in
that moment
will be
wonder and
praise for
the Father's
plan and
the Son's
sacrifice which
saved us.
and as we
gaze upon
his beauty
and glory,
we will
know in
an instant
this is
what I
was made
for.
To be
with Christ
forever.
But then
we will
notice
people
standing
around us
in spotless
robes
whom God
is also
rescued.
And I
do believe
we will
see and
recognize
each other
there.
What a
reunion that
is going
to be.
We are
going to
run into
each other's
arms.
We will
laugh.
Tears of
joy will
stream down
our cheeks.
We will
sing for
joy to
our Savior
together.
We will
look in
each other's
eyes and
know that
every act
of love
was worth
it just
to see
you here.
And if
God had
us to
play some
small part
in helping
each other
on the
journey,
we will
say what
a privilege
that was.
One I
never
deserved.
we will
know in
that moment
what truly
mattered on
our lives
back on
earth.
Now it
wasn't how
much money
we had.
It wasn't
where we
lived or
where we
traveled or
what job
we had or
anything like
that.
All that
will matter
is how
we loved
God and
loved his
people.
that's it.
That's all
that's going
to last
forever.
Can you
get a vision
of that day
in the future?
Can you
see it?
Let it
motivate you
for the
days that
we have
left here.
We don't
know how
many we
have.
But we
do know
that Jesus
frees us
from living
for ourselves
and he
gives us
the desire
and the
power to
love one
another
deeply,
to help
each other
on the
journey with
Christ.
May the
Lord fill
us with
that vision
of the day
we will
meet around
the throne
in heaven.
And may
the Lord
captivate our
hearts with
the privilege
and joy
that it
is to
strengthen
and encourage
one another
along the
journey.
Let's
bow our
heads in
prayer.
In the
silence let's
bring our
own confession
to God.
Maybe you're
convicted about
your lack
of love.
Maybe you
see all
this as a
chore,
not a
privilege.
Let's
ask God
to help
us to
love like
he does.
to help
us to
love like
he does.
Paul says in 1 Thessalonians 2.19,
he says,
What is our hope,
our joy,
or the crown in which we will glory
in the presence of our Lord Jesus when he comes?
Is it not you?
Indeed, you are our glory and joy.
Lord, forgive us.
Fill us with power now
to love one another like this.
Change us.
Let us not go home thinking we've got to try harder.
Let us go home leaning closer into Jesus,
the one who truly loved us
and showed up by giving up his life for us on the cross.
Help us, Lord, to love as he did.
I pray that out of this today
that there will be an outpouring of love
towards one another in this church family.
And give us the heart to do that.
May actions flow out of that heart
for one another.
For your glory and for our good, we pray.
Amen.
If the musicians could come up,
we're going to sing one last song.
And it's a song called
Beneath the Cross of Jesus.
And it's an opportunity for us
to remember what Jesus did at the cross
to rescue us.
And think about the family that he's brought us into.
So,
let's stand together as we sing this.
Thank you.
I think about the sons of Jesus.
Amen.
Thank you.
Please remain standing for a moment.
And thank you all for being here today.
And we're going to continue our time together over tea and coffee.
I think I saw cake, actually, when I was out there earlier.
That's good, too.
We've been thinking about what it means to love one another deeply and from the heart.
How to strengthen one another in our faith.
So let's take that opportunity, start doing that now over tea and coffee,
to ask about each other's faith and see how we could be a real encouragement
to one another today and during the week as well.
We're going to pray the prayer which was at the end of the passage today.
And it's on the screen here.
So could we all pray it together out loud?
Let's do that.
May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else,
just as ours does for you.
May he strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy
in the presence of our God and Father
when our Lord Jesus comes with all his holy ones.
Amen.
Thank you.