But since we were torn away from you brothers for a short time, in person not in heart,
we endeavored the more eagerly and with great desire to see you face to face.
Because we wanted to come to you, I Paul again and again, but Satan hindered us.
For what is our hope or joy or crown of boasting before our Lord at his coming? Is it not you?
You are our glory and joy.
Making disciples is just part and parcel of the Christian life, isn't it?
Not only did Jesus explicitly command us to do it, that's the heart of the Great Commission, right?
There's really only one imperative in the Great Commission in Matthew 28,
and it's to go and make disciples of all nations.
But Jesus didn't only command it.
And wanting to help other people know and follow Jesus is part of the transformation
that God does in us when he saves us.
Think about your conversion.
Everything in your life up to that point was for you, ultimately, foundationally.
You pursued your desires.
You pursued your affections.
You pursued your sin.
Everything that you wanted out of life, you pursued it.
And then you were introduced to Christ, and you realized that all the things you were pursuing,
whether it be sin or philosophies, whatever it was, all of those things were wrong.
That they were not leading you to satisfaction in life.
They were leading you to death and eternal separation from God.
That it was actually going to be unsatisfying in your life.
And then you found Christ to be the satisfaction, right?
You make a switch.
Everything changes at that point, doesn't it?
All of your goals change.
Your affections change.
That's not because you change them.
It's because God does this work in you.
He transforms you.
He transforms everything.
Now you think, behold, all things are become new, Paul says.
A part of that transformation is this progressive change whereby we are turning away from worldly pursuits,
maybe good pursuits that just are not the best pursuits, and we begin to pursue other things.
One of the things we begin to pursue is the discipling of other people.
We want other people to know Jesus.
We want to help other people faithfully follow him.
And if you're a Christian, you will happily engage in discipling others when given opportunities to do it.
In fact, a genuine believer who is an unwilling participant in gospel work is an anomaly, if not even an impossibility.
Still, being willing to participate in gospel work is not exactly the same as having a heart to do it.
We understand that, right?
We acknowledge everybody has passions, right?
We all have things that we love, things that we give ourselves to, and that's different for all of us.
I may be a willing participant if Shane ever invites me to his house to watch Lord of the Rings.
I may be happy to sit with my friend and endure 18 hours worth of little men, hairy men that are doing some weird thing with a ring.
I may be a willing participant in that.
I may even experience some kind of joy in the process of it.
I'm not going to feel that in the same way that Shane does because he loves it, doesn't he?
It's a passion for him in some sense.
He's going to pursue that in a different kind of way.
We understand the difference, right?
There's a difference between being happy to be involved with something, but then actually having a passion for it, having a heart to do it.
And it's a casual approach to discipleship that really is driven largely by convenience and ease that plagues many Christians in our context, isn't it?
Again, it's not that we're unwilling to engage in gospel work.
Most of us really, honestly, we would be thrilled if somebody we know came to us today and asked us about our faith.
We would be so overjoyed if somebody came and sought counsel from us.
If we could just take our Bible and help them know how to be a better Christian or a more faithful, we would be so happy to do that.
However, a heart that is driven to that, a heart that's driven by that experience, eludes many of us, maybe all of us to some extent.
So that rather than having gospel ministry as a priority of our lives, it becomes almost an optional matter.
We squeeze it in when we can, and we're happy when it works.
Unfortunately, it's easy to get so busy giving our hearts to other endeavors that we even eventually begin to miss those clear opportunities that the Lord gives us, isn't it?
We give our hearts to so many things.
We give our time to so many things.
How much time, how much affection, how much heart are we giving to the work of the Lord?
Christ calls us to something different than that, something actually greater than this.
The Christians we read about in the New Testament, they immerse themselves in the life of the church.
They focus tremendous effort on making disciples in their communities around the world.
But those efforts were born from a heart-level desire to participate with God in His saving work.
And Paul is one of the clearest examples of this that we find anywhere in the Scriptures.
And through his letter to the Thessalonian church, we discover what it looks like when someone has a heart for ministry.
Not that they're just happy to be involved when it works out.
But what does it look like when somebody really is giving themselves to gospel work and gospel ministry?
I think our text helps us get a glimpse of that.
And I pray that the Lord will use it to shape our own hearts this morning.
Just three things here to point out.
A heart for ministry has an unrelenting desire to minister to people.
As an unrelenting desire to minister to people.
Again, not mere willingness, but a serious desire and affection that drives intentional effort and action.
Okay?
Verse 17.
Paul says,
You see the two portions here, the two categories.
There is desire.
There's affection on one hand in this verse.
And that affection is driving effort, action in the second half of the verse.
Now it's Luke that records for us in Acts chapter 17 the explanation of how Paul's time ended so abruptly and dramatically in Thessalonica.
He had enjoyed a relatively short season of fruitful ministry there.
The church is coming together.
A few people have been saved.
They're excited about serving the Lord.
And a group of jealous Jews were told incites a mob against Paul.
Violent mob.
And he and his team, which included Silas and Timothy, were forced to escape the city.
They had to leave quickly under cover of night.
And then what we find here in verse 17 is Paul is addressing them after that fact.
And what we find is that since their escape, Paul and Silas and Timothy worked relentlessly to do what?
To try to go back.
They've been forced out.
And now they're doing everything that they can to get back to Thessalonica.
But why?
Because their heart's desire was to be with them.
But Paul's heart's desire was not merely to be with them, but to be with them in a particular way.
His unrelenting desire was to continue ministering the gospel to them.
Discipling them in the faith.
These young believers who are being abused and persecuted by unbelievers.
He's concerned for them.
He's worried for them.
He wants to get to them so that he can serve the gospel.
So he can strengthen their faith.
So he can help establish and strengthen them.
As a fledgling congregation there in Thessalonica.
And this desire that he has in his heart, it's oozing out of the language that he uses here.
Let's look first at the affection with which he speaks.
He references his departure as being torn away.
Literally, orphaned is the word here.
Since we were orphaned from you, Paul says.
The extent to which we feel loss is directly linked to the measure of our affection for that thing or for that person.
If you lose a pen and it means nothing to you, you won't worry too much over it.
But when you have an heirloom handed down to you maybe from a family member or a loved one.
And it gets misplaced or it gets lost.
It matters, doesn't it?
It bothers us.
We feel loss for the thing because of our affection for the thing.
Paul's affection for the Thessalonians is so great that being forced to leave them felt like being, quote,
torn away from his own family, orphaned.
That's pretty tremendous love.
But their separation wasn't hopeless, was it?
He says that it was only for a short time.
Now at the time of this letter, we know Paul hasn't been back to Thessalonica.
He doesn't know if he's going to be back to Thessalonica.
He's at Corinth at the time.
Who knows if he'll actually be able to make it back.
So how can he actually say this?
How can he say that their separation is but for a short time?
Of course, maybe he's not talking about going back to Thessalonica at all.
Maybe, as is a common theme through the letter, he's got his eyes on the coming of Christ.
Acknowledging that even if he doesn't make it back now, he's confident that they would at least be reunited at Christ's return.
All we were torn away, but it's only for a short time.
Ultimately, we'll be brought back together when our Lord returns.
The gospel assures us of this, doesn't it?
Even in the letter, even in his moments of personal correspondence, he's ministering the gospel.
That's where his heart was.
Reminding them that any sense of separation that we feel now, whether in life or in death, we understand as believers, that's but temporary.
It's but for a short time.
The gospel gives us hope of a certain future.
We will be reunited together when he returns.
Paul may have been torn away in person, but his heart was still with them.
And it's this affection that helps convey this unrelenting desire to get back there and minister further.
It's an affection that we must cultivate if we're ever to have a heart for gospel ministry that looks anything like Paul's heart.
But it's not just affection here, is it?
That affection is doing something.
It's leading to something in the text.
It's leading to action.
Action.
Paul's affection for the people drove him to intentional effort.
He says, since being torn away from them, he, quote, endeavored more eagerly and with great desire to see them face to face, to get back.
Paul and his team, they didn't wait for opportunities to present themselves.
No, they labored.
Relentlessly, even it seems, to find ways to minister to the people.
That's what a heart for gospel ministry does.
It has an unrelenting desire to minister the gospel to people, to disciple people, to share the gospel with people.
And what we find here in Paul's example, this is why it's so convicting.
What we find here in Paul's example is it's a far cry from the convenience-based form of ministry that pervades our hearts.
When's the last time you could say that you endeavored more eagerly and with great desire to minister the gospel to someone else?
That your priority at that moment was to do whatever you could to remove any obstacle possible that you could
in order that you could go and serve the gospel to that person, to comfort them in Christ, to share the truth with them?
Why so different for Paul than for us?
It's not a difference in calling or gifting, though Paul had a unique call and was certainly a gifted apostle.
But that's not the key difference here.
It's the spiritual cultivation of a heart that prioritizes gospel work.
I think that's the difference.
It's not that Paul's example is unattainable.
It's just that he cultivated a heart to do this thing.
Now, there's one more thing that's worth our note here in this verse.
Paul's desire is further demonstrated in his effort to see them in a particular way.
Did you pick up on that in verse 17?
We endeavored more eagerly and with great desire to see you face to face.
This is a portion of the text that is especially relevant today, isn't it?
I find it actually maybe the most convicting thing here.
Face to face, personal, embodied presence with these people
so that he might most effectively and fruitfully minister the gospel to you.
Communication technology can be wonderfully helpful to gospel ministry.
It really can.
It can also render it powerless and ineffective
when our use of it is really aimed at efficiency more than effective ministry.
Here's what I mean.
We're in an age where the prevailing thought,
and probably my prevailing thought is,
why schedule a meeting when an email will do?
Why go to coffee if we can just make a phone call?
Why make a phone call if a text message will suffice?
Why go through all the trouble to type out 10 words in a text message
when you can just give the thumbs up, right?
This is how we think, isn't it?
And it's not all bad.
Efficiency can be a good thing.
And I'm certainly not saying that use of communication technology
is something we should avoid in gospel ministry.
That's not at all what I'm saying.
Clearly, Paul is using communication technology in this letter.
He's writing a letter because at this time, he can't be with them.
And yet he uses what's available to him in the moment
to minister the gospel, to minister effectively as he can
to the people in Thessalonica.
But he understood the different implicit, explicitly here in the verse.
He understands that there is a power in the written word,
but it pales in comparison to the power of personal embodied presence
to effectively minister to someone.
When it comes to gospel ministry,
we might do well to kind of reverse the typical thought.
Why send a text message when I can call them
and I can hear their voice and they can hear mine?
Why call them when I can take the time
to sit down and show my heart and bear my heart in a letter?
Why sit down and bear my heart in a letter
when I could change my schedule to go to their home
or sit down at coffee or invite them into my home
in order that I might especially encourage them in the faith?
Do you see?
There's something here for us.
We'll miss it if we don't pay attention, but it's there.
Oh, I just wanted more than anything to see you face to face
because Paul knew the most effective ministry
happens when we are embodied in presence with someone else.
Now, can I just encourage you as a church to take this part seriously?
And let me just say, I understand my weakness here.
You know my weakness in this better than anyone.
What must we do?
What must we sacrifice intentionally
in order that we might effectively minister to one another face to face?
Is what we would have to give up worth it?
And I think we'd have to say, almost exclusively,
yes, yes.
What stands between you and embodied ministry to others?
Most often it's just busyness, isn't it?
We're busy.
We're too busy.
What can we do this year to be less busy
so that we can be more intentional in our efforts to one another?
Having that unrelenting desire to minister to one another
the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Secondly,
Heart for Gospel Ministry recognizes
recognizes and fights against Satan's hindrances.
It recognizes and fights against Satan's hindrances.
Look at verse 18.
Because we wanted to come to you.
And then Paul inserts this very personal note.
I, Paul,
again and again,
I wanted to come to you.
And the reason we haven't come to you is not because
we don't want to.
He says,
Satan has hindered us.
Satan's hindered us.
But implicit in his statement is,
though Satan has hindered us,
we keep trying
again and again.
We're trying to overcome the obstacles.
We're trying to get there.
We want to serve you.
We want to be with you.
There's always obstacles to gospel ministry,
isn't there?
And the reason there's always obstacles to gospel ministry
is because we have a real,
real spiritual enemy
fighting against us
every day.
Paul didn't explain exactly
how Satan continued to hinder him.
It's probably many different ways.
But that's not the point anyways.
The point in the statement
is that he recognized Satan's opposition
and he fought against it.
Again and again.
He didn't quit on it.
He wasn't unrelenting.
He was unrelenting.
He pursued it,
recognizing that the obstacles
that were in his way
were not God's obstacles.
They were Satan's obstacles.
And he had the discernment to see that.
Now, I think these traits
are essential marks of those
with a heart for ministry.
They don't easily give in.
But as Peter said,
they're vigilant,
watchful,
faithful to resist the devil in faith,
trusting that God's in control,
leaning on God's providence
in those moments.
Scriptures routinely call us
to be alert to Satan's devices
and fight against them
in the power of the Spirit.
But here's the rub.
How can we know
when a particular obstacle
or hindrance in our life,
a real thing,
a tangible thing,
a hindrance or an obstacle,
how can we know
when that is something
that has been brought to us
by God
because he doesn't want us
to pursue that any further
versus something
that is actually an obstacle
by the evil one
in order to fight against us?
How can we know?
After all,
in Acts 16,
Luke tells us
that there were multiple occasions
where Paul was trying
to go to certain places
to minister,
but it was the Holy Spirit
that hindered him.
And when the Holy Spirit
hindered him,
he submitted to that.
He didn't fight against it.
He submitted to it
and he went a different direction
under the leadership
of the Spirit.
But how can he know
the difference?
How can we?
At least part of the answer
has to come down
to our personal walk
with God,
doesn't it?
If you're a Christian,
God's Spirit dwells in you.
That's a promise
that we have from God
that when he saves us,
he indwells us.
It's a new covenant promise.
It was prophesied
in the Old Testament
that it would happen.
At the day of Pentecost,
it was demonstrated
that it had happened.
And now it's a promise
we cling to
that when God saves us,
he lives within us.
And what is it
that the Spirit
within us does?
Well, the Scriptures
tell us that he guides us
into all truth.
He teaches us his word.
He reminds us
of the things
that Christ taught.
He guides us.
He directs us.
He gives us
the discernment we need
to understand the day.
As we give ourselves
to meditating
on the Scripture,
to communing
with God in prayer,
to gathering
for corporate worship,
all of these things
are ways
that the Holy Spirit
directs and informs
our hearts
in godly wisdom.
There is just
some Christian discernment
that cannot be explained
by any other thing
than the indwelling presence
of the Spirit
at work
through his word
and through his people
in us.
therefore,
we walk
by the Spirit
in faith,
don't we?
We submit
to his direction
and then we persevere
when he exposes
the work
of the devil
in our lives.
You say,
that doesn't really
answer my question.
I don't know
what else to say.
We must lean
on the Lord
in this.
I think there's
something else
here for us
to wrestle with
for just a moment
as it relates
to Paul saying
that Satan
has hindered him.
Paul's doing
a good work,
isn't he?
We understand
why Satan
would want
to hinder him.
We also understand
that God's sovereignty
rules over
the power of Satan.
There is a sense
in which
the problem of evil
that so many people
wrestle with
is something
that we continue
to wrestle with
as believers,
isn't it?
We might come
to a passage
like this
and we see,
look at the effectiveness
of Paul's ministry
in Thessalonica.
Why would God
ever allow
this kind
of hindrance
to stand
in his way
from something
so good?
Maybe we can
wrestle with this
for just a moment.
God is sovereign
over all things.
We believe that.
Even what's possible
for Satan to do.
And I do believe
that we can trust
the Lord
even when the forces
of hell
are at war
against us.
Who else
will we trust?
Now evidence
of this truth
is found
all throughout
the scripture
that what Satan
means for evil
God often uses
for good.
We see that phrase
especially
in the story
of Joseph,
don't we?
We get to the end
of the account.
He's finally reunited
with his brothers.
They think
he's going to kill them
because he's
one of the most
powerful people
in the world now
and they keep
apologizing.
And do you remember
what he said?
He said,
listen,
you meant it
for evil.
God meant it
for good
to save
much people.
There's no way
that as he's
in the pit
in the wilderness
or as he's
in the prison
after being lied
about by Potiphar's
wife,
there's no way
that Joseph
can see
what God's doing.
but he trusts
that God's
doing something.
He knows
that evil
is present
and God
is allowing it
but he trusts
the Lord
in it.
Now is there
any better place
or more
clear place
for us
to see
this truth
so evident
than at the cross?
Jesus himself
on the night
of his arrest
at the last supper
he says
the son of man
goes as it
has been determined
for him to go.
In other words
all of this
is happening
according to
the will
of the father
that was
predetermined
before the world
began.
But then he
pronounces a judgment
on Judas
he says
but woe to him
who betrays
the son of man.
Now how could
it be both ways?
Judas
the Roman soldiers
the Jews
who turned him over
all the people
involved
it was their
real sin
out of their
desire of
indwelling sin
that carried out
those acts
and yet
God was sovereign
over every
evil act
that they
committed
and it was
for man's
ultimate
greatest good
because
God allowed
that evil
tragedy
to take place
to his only
son
we have
eternal salvation
we have
life
we have
forgiveness
and this is
something the
apostles picked up
on
if you read
through the sermons
in the book
of Acts
they mention it
over and over
Peter in particular
that God
determined this
God determined
this
but you
killed him
he said
as he preaches
to the Jews
what does he
mean?
yes there's evil
yes that's a
result of our
own sin
yes there's an
enemy that's
fighting against
us
yes God is
sovereign over
it
yes we can
trust that
he's working
the good for
his people
in all of
those things
and I think
it's with this
view in mind
that we come
to verse 18
when Paul
says Satan
keeps hindering
us
but we keep
fighting
he's fighting
because he's
fighting against
an enemy
he's not
fighting against
God in that
sense
and yet he
trusts the
Lord with it
doesn't he
he trusts the
Lord
so while trusting
God's sovereignty
he fights against
Satan's hindrances
and so should
we
so what does
a heart for
gospel ministry
do?
well it's
unrelenting in
its desire to
minister to
people
it works hard
at it
it's an
intentional
purpose of
life
and when
obstacles get
in the way
it cultivates
through its
own personal
worship
a discernment
to know
is this
something that
God is
telling me to
change course
in or is
this something
I need to
continue to
pursue because
the enemy
is at work
does that
fights against
it
thirdly
a heart for
gospel ministry
is motivated
by the joy
of presenting
others to
Jesus
at his
return
verse 19
Paul says
what is our
hope
or joy
or crown
of boasting
before our
Lord Jesus
at his
coming
is it
not you
he says
you are
our glory
and joy
this is the
purpose statement
for Paul's
longing
for his
desire
it's the
explanation
it reveals
the motivation
to return
to Thessalonica
his hope
to present
these Christians
and others
to Jesus
when he
comes
and returns
his joy
was for God
to use him
to make more
disciples for
Christ
his reward
to be a
witness
of those
to whom
he ministered
the gospel
to see them
escape God's
judgment
that's what's
motivating him
here
at least in the
text
right
he's got
this desire
he's fighting
hard against
the enemy
what's motivating
all of this
he just wants
to minister
to more
he wants to
present more
people to
Christ
and we need
to be careful
not to
misunderstand
what he
means here
how can
this be
true
and then
Paul also
say in
another place
that he
was determined
to boast
in nothing
but the
cross of
Christ
is there
contradiction
or do
those things
somehow
fit together
of course
they fit
together
this isn't
about
recognition
Paul knew
only God
can be
credited
and glorified
for anyone's
salvation
and anyone's
sanctification
his glorying
in the
Thessalonican
Christians
recognizes
the partnership
that God
affords us
in his
saving purposes
look just a
couple of
verses later
in chapter 3
we'll get there
next week
notice what he
calls Timothy
in chapter 3
in verse 2
we sent
Timothy our
brother
and God's
co-worker
in the gospel
not my
co-worker
God's
co-worker
Paul wasn't
looking to
revel in his
own achievement
he's looking to
revel in God's
achievement
through him
his ultimate
desire is not
his own glory
it's God's
glory
and he knows
that God is
glorified
by every soul
that turns from
sin
to Christ
and he
recognized
this wonderful
opportunity
afforded to
him
by God
to participate
in that
work
to be a
co-laborer
with God
in the salvation
of souls
and that
motivated him
it drove him
my joy
is to see
God glorified
by your
salvation
and he's
allowed me
to have a
part in that
so why do I
want to get
back to you
because you're
my glory
and joy
because my
glory and joy
is the glory
of God
and the joy
of God
his desire
to minister
again in
Thessalonica
it's motivated
by a zealousness
for God's glory
and a love
for those
whom he served
the one
with a true
heart for
ministry
their hope
and joy
and glory
is to see
others faithfully
follow Christ
and what
drives your
gospel ministry
to others
what motivates
it
we might
have to be
honest and
say well
to be honest
I'm motivated
by guilt
I know that
if I don't
engage
it would be
wrong
and it is
the avoidance
of guilt
that actually
drives me
to do the
thing
I think
that's reasonable
to some extent
but it can't
be all
of course
we want to
obey the
Lord
we don't
want to
live in
disobedience
we don't
want to
live under
his guilt
for sure
but that
can't be
our main
motivation
perhaps
sometimes
our gospel
work is
out of a
sense of
obligation
oh
pastor's
asking again
that we
do the
thing
I guess
I should
sign up
for the
group
or I'm
going to
be scowled
at
obligated
to do
stuff
I gotta
go do
the
evangelistic
thing
I gotta
I need
to say
this
we feel
an obligation
to it
maybe that's
related to
guilt
I think
the thing
that drives
those with
a really
a sincere
heart for
discipling
I think
it's driven
by joy
it's just
joy in
knowing that
you get to
be a part
of God's
work
there's
really nothing
quite like
seeing
someone
grow in
their faith
because God
uses you
to minister
to them
in a
particular
way
there's
joy
what motivates
the work
that you
do in
our church
through our
church
and to
our
church
what I've
tried to
do is
lay out
for you
from this
text
through Paul's
example
what it
looks like
to have
a heart
for ministry
it isn't
casual
it doesn't
work
it's an
unrelenting
desire to
build others
up in
Christ
it fights
against the
enemy
its efforts
are driven
by joy
we just
want to
see people
come to
Christ
and glorify
the Lord
it's as
passionate
for God's
work now
as it was
for sin
prior to
knowing
Christ
and it's
not a
reality
reserved
for those
who like
Paul
have unique
ministry
callings
I think
this is
something
God
delights
for all
of us
to possess
but the
fact is
that
many of
us
if not
all of
us
are going
to fall
short
of this
I think
we probably
all say
yeah
probably
all of
us
I don't
mean to
lay a
burden
on you
with that
I think
we understand
the progressive
sanctifying
work of
God
so let
me close
by giving
a few
suggestions
how might
we cultivate
this heart
for gospel
ministry
number one
pray
I really
do believe
this is a
divine work
I think
that work
is initiated
at conversion
God
changes
our
affections
doesn't
he
but we
don't
go
from
being
lost
in
sin
to
being
an
immensely
mature
Christian
in a
moment
do we
there's
a progressive
work
of sanctifying
that God
does
in us
it's
initiated
at our
conversion
and it's
progressively
grown
as we
walk in
the spirit
and in
the word
it's a
work that
God does
in us
so I
think we
should
ask him
to do
it
ask him
to do
it
make it
a part
of your
prayer
Lord
my heart
is weak
give me
a heart
for ministry
give me
a heart
for worship
give me
a heart
for you
for Christ
I
think
that's
a
prayer
that
God
delights
to
answer
I
think
we
just
need
to
be
willing
to
pray
it
number
two
repent
developing
a heart
for gospel
ministry
requires
at some
level
it's
going
to
require
sacrifice
isn't
it
it's
going
to
require
the
abandonment
of lesser
things
that stand
in its
way
so what
good is
it for
us to
do
the first
thing
to
pray
that
God
would
grant
us
this
heart
if
we
refuse
to
repent
of
the
idols
that
grip
us
instead
number
three
study
the
gospel
preach
the
gospel
to
yourself
every
day
the
most
effective
tool
that
God
uses
to
do
his
work
in
us
is
the
gospel
itself
the
gospel
is
not
just
for
our
conversion
it's
for
all
of
life
isn't
it
and
the
more
we
glory
in
the
good
news
of
Jesus
the
more
we
will
have
this
desire
to
share
it
with
others
again
that's
a work
of the
spirit
in
us
as we
stare
at the
cross
and we
begin
to
plumb
the
depths
of
God's
love
in
the
death
and
love
in
the
death
and
resurrection
of
Jesus
Christ
and
the
freeness
of
salvation
that
he
offers
to
us
to
anyone
who
will
come
to
him
how
will
it
not
motivate
us
to
want
to
engage
in
that
work
oh
stare
at
the
cross
four
think
about
eternity
one of
the
things
that
has
been
so
apparent
to
me
lately
!
is
how
often
the
apostles
in
particular
in
the
New
Testament
had
their
minds
fixed
on
the
future
they
were
active
in
the
present
they
weren't
living
in
a
dream
world
but
they
were
always
looking
ahead
they
had
heaven
on
their
minds
they
had
the
return
of
Christ
on
their
hearts
imagining
no
doubt
what
it
will
be
like
to
worship
with
myriads
and
myriads
of
people
who
have
been
saved
by
the
lamb
that's
what
revelation
tells
us
will
happen
a
myriad
of
myriads
uncalculable
numbers
of
people
what
will
it
be
like
to
worship
the
Lord
in
eternity
with
them
and
when
our
minds
are
set
on
heaven
and
the
glory
of
it
and
the
glory
of
the
gospel
will
that
not
then
cause
us
to
look
at
our
husband
and
our
wife
and
our
children
and
our
friends
and
our
neighbors
and
think
I
want
them
to
be
there
with
me
I
want
to
help
them
get
there
to
minister
this
wonderful
gospel
to
them
final
thing
fifth
how do
we
cultivate
this
heart
you
just
do
it
right
you
just
do
it
there
really
is
nothing
quite
like
leading
someone
to
Christ
I
don't
know
how
many
of
you
have
had
that
personal
experience
where
the
Lord
has
graciously
allowed
you
to
sit
down
with
someone
and
see
that
moment
of
rebirth
when
their
eyes
are
opened
and
their
heart
is
transformed
and
they
believe
the
gospel
and
they
trust
in
Christ
there
is
nothing
really
like
that
the
same
goes
for
when
you
are
!
sitting
down
with
!
Christian
and
you
know
they
have
things
going
on
in
their
life
or
maybe
there
is
sin
that
you
need
to
confront
and
whatever
it
may
be
you
are
sitting
down
with
them
and
the
Lord
is
using
you
to
transform
them
to
do
his
work
in
them
and
you
see
it
and
you
sense
it
and
they
sense
it
and
you
understand
it
there
is
nothing
quite
like
that
!
the
more
you
intentionally
engage
you'll
see
the
fruitfulness
of
God's
work
through
you
and
you'll
crave
it
more
and
more
to
pray
remove
the
distractions
the
busyness
whatever
whatever's
standing
in the
way
oh
stare
at
the
cross
think
about
heaven
and
then
just
do
it
make
the
call
schedule
the
appointment
send
the
text
if
that's
the
best
way
to
get
at
it
do
what
you
must
so
that
you
might
joy
in the
presentation
of other
people
before
Christ
when
he
comes