through to verse 13.
1 Thessalonians chapter 3, starting at verse 6, it's on page 1187.
Let's hear God's word.
But Timothy has just now come to us from you and has brought 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.
Now may God and Father himself and our Lord Jesus clear the way for us to come to you.
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.
Daniel.
Thank you.
I'm going to pray for you.
Let's pray for Daniel and for us.
Father, again we thank you so much for people that you bring to us and people that you gift,
enabling them to handle your word and to be able to speak it.
And we thank you for Daniel and pray for him that you would empower him and fill him with your Holy Spirit.
That he may be able to speak to us with clarity and passion the truth of your word.
And that for us as we listen that we would be hearing your words and that they would change us and transform us.
Changing us into the church that you would have us to be.
And transforming us as people to be more like you.
So we pray your blessing on us all.
In Jesus name we pray.
Amen.
Thanks man.
Amen.
Helps if you have the right PowerPoint and such.
Good morning.
I want to say thanks very much for the privilege of coming this morning.
Sorry, no.
Do you want a little adjustments?
I have knocked these things over in the past so I don't want to do it halfway through.
I'm not going to start hitting it or anything.
It's just to get the distractions out of the way now rather than in 10 minutes.
Okay.
So again, thanks for the invitation and the opportunity to come this morning.
Just for those who are interested in these things, the three girls who are with us this morning,
two of the girls are our daughters, Evie and Emily, the younger two.
The taller girl is actually my niece.
Many people think we have three daughters because they look so similar.
My niece is Jasmine.
And they love coming.
They're actually getting quite into the summer months of going around visiting all the other churches.
And we'll get a full report of when we go back what creche was actually like.
So...
I'm going to pray.
I know Johnny's prayed.
I always feel we can never pray enough.
Father, I do thank you for this time this morning.
It is a privilege to be involved in your service, Lord.
You gave us the greatest example of service, Lord.
For how you gave up heaven to come to us.
How you walked with us.
How you washed your disciples' feet.
And how you went on the cross.
And suffered and bled and died for our sins.
And rose again and opened the way to heaven.
Help us to do everything in our lives in the light of who you are.
Guide us this morning, Father.
Lord Jesus.
Lord Holy Spirit.
Show us the way.
Amen.
Well, I know that as a church you've been looking at the message of 1 Thessalonians for a number of weeks.
So I have an introduction that if I see them I'm going quite quickly, I will start to really slow down.
So it's a quick introduction to recap a little bit and try and see where we've got to.
Now I know that Ralph gave you a reminder.
A reminder to welcome the trustworthy message of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
He laid out for us the picture of the church.
The believers as a chosen people.
And it's God who calls us.
And it's not only God.
It's not only that he calls us.
But the call is based on his son leaving heaven to come into a broken world to rescue and deliver us from the coming wrath.
And it's just like an echo of so many other verses in Romans 6.23.
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus.
Or Colossians 1.13 and 14.
For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son Helos, where we have redemption and forgiveness of sins.
Because our position is based completely on the work of Christ.
And Ralph reminded us that the message at the time was turning the world upside down.
That the Christian gospel was turning the world upside down.
And the question was, how do we live in light of that?
And maybe it should be turning our personal world upside down.
And turning the world around us upside down as well.
And then Kevin came and he talked about our motives.
And he reminded that our motives should be to live to please God.
To examine ourselves carefully and make sure that our motives are kept in balance at all times.
For the appeal we make does not spring from error or impure motives.
Nor are we trying to trick you.
On the contrary, we speak as those approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel.
We are not trying to please people, but God who tests our heart.
And that applies in life and in ministry and all our Christian living.
That our motives are to please God.
And then to remember that we are to labour.
To work always with right motives.
And then Tom came and he talked about great expectations.
What a wonderful title.
Great Expectations.
And he reminded us that great expectations can be easily dashed.
But that our expectations have to be based on the good news of the gospel.
And we also thank God continually.
Because when you received the word of God which you heard from us.
You accepted it not as a human word, but as it actually is.
The word of God which is indeed at work in you who believe.
So we have to rely on God's work at work with the Holy Spirit.
Because it's a living word.
And even though they suffered and they knew trials, that's exactly what they did.
They trusted God's word.
And Tom challenged us to be different.
And he challenged us to be prepared to suffer.
And to be careful and cautious when we are in a difficult time.
And in the struggle.
And not to be so sure about trusting our feelings.
Because our feelings can trick us.
Not to switch off our feelings.
Not to switch off our emotions.
Our emotions are a beautiful gift from God.
The full range of emotions that we've been given by God are a gift to us.
How we enjoy life.
How we share time with each other.
How we enjoy his nature, his beauty.
How we enjoy God himself.
How we love God.
They all come from our emotions.
But not to always trust our emotions.
Because in difficult times, they can trick us.
And we can let circumstances overcome us.
So we have to trust God in all circumstances for the outcome.
And then last week, Alex was giving a message.
Reminding us.
And you notice I keep saying us.
Even though I wasn't here.
Because as you might have figured out, I've listened to those messages.
Reminding us.
And at that point, I'll remind you that those messages are still on the website.
And there are good messages on the website.
So if you did miss them, go back and listen to them.
It will encourage you.
So Alex reminded us that to be strengthened and encouraged in the faith.
Especially in those times of trial.
But in many ways, that every day is a time of trial.
As the tempter, as Satan or enemy, seeks to lead us astray.
We will face trials.
Alex reminded us that we need to encourage and remind each other of the truth.
That we may be strengthened.
And that our focus, just like Paul and Timothy in silence, would never be removed from the spread of the gospel.
The good news of Jesus Christ.
He encouraged us, every one of us, to live together in full Christian fellowship.
Bringing the guiding truth of the living word and the power of God's living word.
The gospel.
Into our lives.
And when I was listening to those messages and preparing, it reminded me of something that I came across a while ago in a daily devotional from Spurgeon.
And he said,
The love which the early Christians felt towards the Lord was not a quiet emotion which they hid within themselves in the secret chambers of their souls.
And which they only spoke of when they met on the first day of the week.
And sang hymns in honor of Christ Jesus the crucified.
But it was a passion with them of such vehement and all-consuming energy that it was visible in their actions, spoke in their commonest talk, and looked out of their eyes even in their commonest glances.
Love to Jesus was a flame which fed upon the core and heart of their being, and therefore, from its own force, burned its way into the outer man and shone there.
So that's a quick recap that's brought us to where we are today.
And I hope I've been faithful to what the other guys were trying to bring you.
And I believe that I have.
And today we're at 1 Thessalonians chapter 3 and verses 6 down to 13.
So we're going to read them again.
But Timothy has just now come to us from you.
And has brought 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, 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.
Now may our God and Father himself and our Lord Jesus clear the way for us to come to you.
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.
So let's take a look at these verses before we begin to apply them to ourselves.
But Timothy has just now come to us from you and brought us good news about your faith and sight.
Paul is happy.
Put simply, he's happy with the report that has come back.
Because he's concerned.
He was concerned that they might have been led astray.
And Paul, as a Jew, probably had good reason to fear.
Because he knew the history of his own people.
They had been repeatedly called by God and repeatedly turned and gone their own way.
Whether it was in the desert after coming up out of Egypt.
Or whether it was their refusal to take the land when they were told to take the land.
Or in the time of the whole period of the judges.
When they repeatedly rejected their God and turned to idols.
Paul knew the history of his own people.
And he knew how the devil, how Satan, the tempter, can get in and destroy the work.
So he had good reason and good experience to know.
But he got a good report.
And he was happy to hear about their faith and love.
And he got a good account as well of their attitude towards themselves.
Their attitude towards Paul and Timothy and Silas.
They had pleasant memories.
And they were anxious to see them.
It's a good report.
I'm repeating that, aren't I?
There's a reason.
It's a good report.
And he says to them,
Therefore, brothers, in all our distress and persecution,
we were encouraged about you because of your faith.
Well, the outcome for him, for them, for Paul, for Timothy and Silas,
was that in their struggles,
the steadfast faith of the Thessalonians had encouraged them,
had buoyed them up,
had bolstered them in their position,
and his joy outflows from that into verse 8.
For now we really live.
We really live since you are standing firm on the Lord.
And 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?
Paul is so grateful, so thankful,
even though they've had huge difficulty.
And Paul's taken the time to remind them
that they've been in difficulty themselves.
He doesn't focus on it.
He doesn't make it the main factor of his communication.
He is happy to leave it behind
and focus on the joy that they all have together
in the presence of God,
in their heavenly reward,
because of their steadfast holding to the faith.
Night and day we pray most earnestly
that we may see you again
and supply what is lacking in your faith.
You're ceaseless, never-ending, never-stopping prayer.
Even though Paul and Silas and Timothy
have been involved in fostering their growth
and have brought the word to them
and have prayed with them and care for them,
he's saying to them,
we still haven't stopped.
We continue night and day to pray
that we may spend time with you again
and help you where you are,
help you where you are struggling,
with you to help you make up the things
that are missing in your life of faith.
And come into verse 11,
where he says,
Now may our God and Father himself
and our Lord Jesus clear the way
for us to come to you.
Paul's reliance on God.
Even though it is his desire to get there,
to be there to help them,
he's clearly saying that he cannot do it,
they cannot do it,
unless God clears the way.
He's committing the journey to the Lord.
Don't start the journey
unless you commit it to the Lord.
I don't know Peter and I don't know Maeve,
but they are starting their journey.
That struck me this morning.
They came up here and with you,
they are committing their journey to the Lord.
And in verse 12,
and you know,
I keep thinking when I come to verses like these,
we are told in so many places,
in so many ways,
how can you understand the Bible?
You know,
the Bible is so hard to understand.
And this verse,
verse 12,
is one of those very, very tricky,
complicated,
oh,
very, very difficult verses to understand.
May the Lord make your love increase
and overflow for each other
and for everyone else,
just as our does few.
Hands up if you don't understand that verse.
It's not that complicated really,
is it?
But it's a prayer.
It's not a castaway statement.
May the Lord,
again,
that reliance on the Lord,
Paul is saying to them,
reminding them that your reliance is on the Lord,
which will make your love increase and overflow.
Just as his does,
as Timothy does,
as Silas does.
And verse 13,
may he strengthen your hearts
so that you will be blameless and holy
in the presence of God,
our Father,
when our Lord Jesus comes with all his holy ones.
And he's saying to them there,
and if you look at the beginning of the sentence,
may he,
because of the way we speak English,
may he has a little bit of a,
oh,
he could like,
you know,
he could,
it's possible,
but it's more definite than that.
That sentence is more definite than that.
It could easily be translated,
so as,
to establish.
If you look at different translations,
you'll even see they use the word establish.
But what he's saying to them is,
that you would be set up firmly,
that you would be so solid
in your heart and faith foundation,
that you will be blameless
and holy in the presence of our Lord.
And he is talking about the sure completion of the work.
We talked about it already this morning,
talking about the sure completion of the work that was begun,
and it's in the same spirit as Philippians 1,
verse 6.
God,
who began a good work in them,
will bring it to completion.
It's the same spirit as in Colossians 3,
verse 4,
when it says,
when Christ,
who is your life,
appears,
then you also will appear with him in glory.
It's about the completion of the work that had begun,
and it's not just about their daily walk,
and their daily sanctification.
It's about the completion of the race.
Running the race well.
When Johnny started talking this morning,
I thought,
oh,
do I need to go home?
Is he going to actually give my whole message?
But I think we're okay.
It's about the holding fast,
and running of the race well,
and the perfect completion of God's work.
When we come into glory with Jesus,
and he is saying,
as we've been reminded,
keep your eyes focused,
the Lord is coming back,
and he goes on to talk more about this later in his letters,
but that's where we come to today.
He's saying to them,
be set up towards the goal,
the goal that is set for you.
So that's what he's been saying to the Thessalonians,
a quick rundown through.
So what's he been saying to us?
Well,
we have time to do so much.
There is so much in these verses,
you could come back to them time and time again.
And as I was praying,
and reading through these verses,
this is the way it came to me to work through it this morning.
There is a view to what's coming.
There is a view to the glorious heaven.
There is a view to what the completed work is.
When we leave this realm,
we leave this earth and we go to heaven.
And we are reminded in so many places
that we are to have our hearts and minds set on heavenly goals.
But this morning,
I want to talk about what I see in these verses
that bring us along that path,
along that journey.
In verse 6,
there was a good account.
Well then surely,
as Paul got a good account back,
we surely have to ask,
if somebody came to bring an account of us back
to the first people
who brought us the word of God,
what would their account be?
For me,
the Lord led me to Lee Valley Bible Church
in Ballin College where I go now.
And,
through God's grace,
people opened the word to me.
And very quickly I realised I was born again.
And I went on.
But there was people there
who spent time with me,
teaching me,
fellowshipping with me,
praying with me,
and praying for me.
Who brought me deeper
into a relationship with Jesus,
with the work of the Holy Spirit.
So what would the report be of me now
back to those people?
What would the report be
of you
back to the person,
to the people
who first shepherded you
in the way of Christ?
Would their joy
be the same as Paul's?
As I woke this morning,
I thought,
don't use an Olympics example.
Don't use an Olympics illustration,
but I can't help it.
It's one of my favourite illustrations.
When we talk about this,
what would the report be back?
I don't want anybody
to get into a frame of mind
where something's gone wrong
this week
or this period in your life
and you feel down
and you feel low
and you feel that
I'm setting a target
that's so high for you
that you can't reach
and that you feel like
I'm taking out a stick
to beat you with.
I just want you to think.
What would the report be?
And like the high jumper,
I think I used this example here
before.
I use it a lot,
maybe because I did
a little bit of high jump
in school.
But you don't set the bar
down low
and go,
yeah, look,
I got that.
One metre ten.
A high jumper wants to set it.
You're going for the high jump.
We're trying to reach high.
But the great thing
about the high jump
in the Olympics
is if you do miss it,
there's a great big mat
to catch you on the other side.
When you're examining yourself,
do not let the devil
drive you down
with self-examination.
Let the report be good.
If you see something
working it,
the mat to catch you
are the loving
outstretched arms
of Jesus Christ.
But would the report say
that your faith
has deepened
since those first days?
Are we striving in prayer
and study of the word
and in meditation
of the word
and calling on God
to have our faith
grow in love
and not just love
for each other,
so often
when we encounter
that word
and the word love,
people start talking
about the love
we have for each other.
But we have to think
about the love
we have for the Lord.
Are we in love
with the Lord?
When you first came
to the Lord,
did it consume you?
Does that love
still consume you?
Are you growing steadily
and strengthening
that love constantly
in faith and love?
It says.
And I almost want
to find the word
hope here.
But Paul has hoped.
He has hoped
for a good report
and that he has hoped
that their faith
would hold fast
based on the gospel.
So we have faith
with hope and love
and we have to live
in the light
of that hope.
And that hope
is stored up for us
in heaven
which is the love
of Christ
shown for us
in the gospel
of our Lord Jesus Christ
shown for us
in nail-pierced
hands and feet
shown for us
by the stripes
on him
by which we are healed.
So could we strive
that there would be
a good report of us
as faithful servants
and not that it would
just be a good report
of what a great character
we are.
You know like something
you know you get
Josephine Sofa
she's great crack.
She's great in the night out.
Or Joseph
oh do you know what
now if you need
your wall fixed
or you need
the place cleaned
Joe's the man to go for.
They're great
to have that character.
But a report
that says
you love
the Lord Jesus Christ
above all else.
That you serve
God the Father.
That you seek
the Holy Spirit
and his way.
And that it is
all that you are
and all that we are
and all that we live
and is clearly visible
in our lives.
Do we value
reports like this?
Do we value
that that's what we think
of other people
and that's what
we should put first
when we want
to think about them?
And that's what
we should put first
in the idea of ourselves
when we want people
to think about us
so that we have
pleasant memories
of people.
It breaks my heart
and I don't say
this lightly.
It breaks my heart
the number of times
I have had it said
to me
when I mention
somebody's name
and the response
goes along
oh yeah yeah
you know
but they're always
bringing everything
back to the Bible
or they're always
trying to spiritualize
everything
or talk about
spiritual things.
It breaks my heart
when that's the response.
To me
that's the greatest
report
that could be made
about someone.
If that's what
somebody was saying
about me
I'd have to tell you
I would be pleased.
I don't know
any of you here
maybe that is not
a problem here
but it is one
I have encountered.
But if it is a problem
we need to do
something about ourselves
if our memories
of people
are tainted
by the fact
that they're spiritual
and properly
spiritual.
If we truly
have faith
and love
growing
and love
for the Lord
feeding out
into a love
that we have
for everybody else
then surely
our memories
will be pleasant
of our brothers
and sisters
because we
will remember
that we
are sinners
saved by grace
and we have
the same grace
poured out on us
and the same mercy
given to us
and just
like everybody else
that not one of us
is perfect.
Not one of us
got in here
clean this morning.
we are all sinners
and if we would
keep that in mind
and take the time
to look
to look in love
at everyone
around us
and you know
the expression
to look through
rose tinted glasses
could we look at people
with righteousness
tinted glasses
not self-righteousness
certainly not our own
self-righteousness
but the righteousness
that they are clothed
in
by the completed
work of Jesus
the righteousness
that God sees
covering
each other
because
of what Jesus
has done
so that we will
see that
and we will
take pleasure
in each other's
company
and miss each other
and long to see
each other
like they did.
Maybe that leads us
naturally into
verse 7
where he says
therefore brothers
in all our distress
and persecution
we were encouraged
about you
because of your faith
in all their distress
and persecution
they were tied up
and I don't mean
tied up
in what most of us
call being tied up
today
like with
you know
I'm so tied up
with my schedule
it wasn't just
a hectic life
that kept them busy
they were in real
real trouble
and they're letting
the Thessalonians
know that they were
in real trouble
and in that trouble
what encouraged them
the steadfast faith
of those
in Thessalonica
they were
uplifted
and the other thing
that I see
is remarkable
in this
and again
maybe you have
this figured out
and you have
taken me aside
afterwards
and speak to me
more severely
Paul was in
serious trouble
when he wrote
this letter
but where
is his focus
his focus
is on faith
and love
and his focus
is on seeing
them
his focus
in his trouble
is on the gospel
his focus
is on his love
for them
he's not wallowing
in self pity
he's not getting
so wrapped up
in his own concerns
that he's forgetting
about them
so I believe
there is a reminder
for us here
to not get lost
in our struggles
it is so easy
for us to feel
depressed
it is so easy
for us to feel
troubled
and I don't
think that where
we live today
we're persecuted
much
not in the way
these guys
were persecuted
we can have
difficulties
in our families
we can
if you're very
vocal about your
faith
where you work
you certainly
can have
difficulties
but in the kind
of persecution
where you're
taken from your
home
without warning
you're beaten
you're arrested
you're put in prison
you're executed
we don't have
those kind of
struggles
but we do
have life struggles
but don't get
lost
in the struggles
is a message
to us here
there are
other people
around us
and we are
building lives
based on the
gospel
in faith
hope
and love
as Alex
said
look around
be encouraged
and be encouraged
helping each other
to grow
in that faith
as we hold
these things
important
and keep a focus
on what is right
the things that
people do
in service
of the Lord
will encourage us
in our difficulties
and as we serve
we'll encourage people
and we'll keep
moving forward
so that's just
two things
have a good account
that people
would have a good
account of us
and that we
wouldn't get lost
in the struggle
the third thing
I want to move
on to this
morning is
he tells them
now we really
live since you
are standing
firm
in the struggle
there will always
be a temptation
to quit
my wife
will tell you
this is one
of my biggest
struggles
when things
start to go
wrong
the temptation
to quit
comes down
on top of me
the devil
knows where
my weakness
is on this
I come from
a long line
of quitters
it is ingrained
into me
and I struggle
with this
but this has
encouraged me
so much
everybody's going
to have different
areas
fight the temptation
to quit
in whatever it is
don't quit
loving
don't quit
hoping
don't quit
looking at
each other
with righteousness
tinted glasses
remembering
how much
you've been
saved from
in grief
in trouble
in difficulty
there will always
be a temptation
to hide
but we do
need to remind
each other
that God
is sovereign
and he knows
where we are
he knows
where we've
come from
and he knows
where we're
going to be
we need to
run that race
well
it all
feeds in
together
their steadfast
stand
encouraged Paul
Paul's joy
in their
steadfast
stand
encouraged
them
we need
to talk
to each
other
about
what's
really
going
on
Paul
has let
them
know
how he's
doing
how he felt
about them
and that
lifted them
up
it's a
two way
thing
he's
communicating
with them
they're
communicating
back
and it
seems very
open and
honest and
frank
so as we
stand firm
we encourage
others by
taking a
stand but
we need to
speak to
each other
really really
speak to
each other
to let each
other know
how we feel
really feel
about what's
going on in
our lives
we can fall
into the trap
that really
godly people
paint on a
smile
and everything
is
hunky
dory
it's not
hunky
dory
some of
the greatest
fathers of
the faith
right from
back as
far as
Peter
up to
now
have had
dark
days of
the soul
where it
all felt
like it
was falling
apart
don't think
you're alone
but if we
all look at
each other
and I'm going
to say it
again with
righteousness
tinted
glasses
we can
build a
trust that
allows us
to really
open up
with as
many people
as we
can
where we
don't look
at the
troubles
and the
faults
and everything
else
and we
really do
help each
other
and our
churches are
changing
we have
multicultural
churches
with people
from different
countries
and you know
what
for Irish
people here
some of
our brothers
and sisters
from different
places can
really help
us with this
one
because as
Irish
people
how are
you going
grand
how are
you in
Ireland
is not a
question
it's a
greeting
and our
reflex
is grand
one of
the simplest
things we
can start
doing to
each other
and again
I work with
a South
African lady
and when she
started working
with us
it was kind
of funny
I come in
the morning
how are you
and she
would start
to tell me
and she'd be
five minutes
into telling
me and she'd
go oh
sorry you just
were saying
good morning
weren't you
and I was
saying you
know what
you've taught
me something
so now I
make a point
when I actually
want to know
I say somebody
how are you
and I go
grand
no no no
how are you
and there's a
woman who goes
to our church
and she catches
me every Sunday
morning going
out the door
and she goes
how are you
and I do it
I go grand
and she's
how are you
and we have
learned so
much about
how God
works in our
lives
and those
times of
prayer
I've got
sidetracked
sorry
we have to
stand fast
we have to
come together
we have to
encourage each
other
and thank God
in all the joy
that we share
while we're doing
those things
we have to care
about the
spiritual welfare
of our brothers
and sisters
we have to
care deeply
does it
actually excite
us
does it thrill
us
when we see
our brothers
and sisters
going on
well in
our walk
does it
thrill you
when you see
your brother
and sister
come to a
difficult time
and they
stand fast
or does it
carelessly
pass you
by
we live
in a very
me
orientated
society
our whole
western world
is based
on the
I
the individual
as Christians
we have to
get past it
we really
have to work
to get past
it
our struggles
our joys
our triumphs
our losses
are shared
together
we are
united
together
in Christ
we are
fully
joined
together
in Christ
so that's
three things
a good
account
don't get
lost in
the struggle
stand firm
and pray
pray deeply
and never
stop
Paul has his
prayer section
here he does
it in all
his letters
he has a
prayer section
and he's
praying
and he is
pleading
and I'm
heavy on
the Spurgeon
quotes at the
moment because
I've just
read two
books on
Spurgeon
but Spurgeon
said that
prayer is
the throbbing
machine that
drives the
church
well pray
ceaselessly
day and
night
never ever
stop praying
and pray
that we
would build
churches that
look like
this
that we
would work
together with
the Holy Spirit
with God the
Father with
the Lord Jesus
to build what
is lacking in
each other's
faith
we have to
build the
trust and
love together
so that we
can share
with each
other fully
so that if we
lovingly see
what the needs
are we can
speak into
the needs
that if we
truly care
we can get
alongside someone
and help them
and avoid the
trap of falling
into the
mindset of
going oh I
wish so and
so would just
insert your
own personal
gripe here
because that's
what can happen
to us we
can get into
that frame of
mind oh would
they ever just
do it my
way or why
aren't they
doing whatever
we have our
personal gripes
if we have to
pray endlessly
so we don't
even have to go
and talk to
people but if
we see things
that we will
pray pray pray
pray pray and
rely on the
Lord in that
prayer to make
your love
increase and
overflow for
each other and
for everyone
it's often said
to me if we
could just love
each other a
little bit more
we'd be doing
better but that's
starting from the
wrong end you've
got to love the
Lord first so
that love will
flow out the
Lord has to be
involved from the
very beginning
seeking the
Lord's way is
what we need
we have a
responsibility to
grow and work
we cannot
simply sit
still and
expect to
grow now we
can sit still
and know the
Lord and spend
time with the
Lord but growth
takes effort
and as a
plant needs
all the
elements for
growth the
correct soil
the right
temperature light
and moisture
we like the
plants need
the right
conditions for
growth we
need to
balance our
lives properly
with time
spent in
the word
in meditation
in prayer
in proper
Christian
fellowship with
one another
where we share
our burdens
in the light of
the gospel so
we build something
that is solid
and lasting
we need to
build a
solid wall in
our lives
and the
foundation
has to be
Jesus
so that we
will start to
look like what
we're supposed to
look like
like in Romans
in chapter 12
where we are
told be
devoted to
one another
flee from
evil cling to
what is good
it's by doing
all these things
in proper
balance that
the Lord will
set us up
firmly where
we are
and we
will know
the joy
of the
presence
of God
the Father
when the
Lord comes
with all
his holy
ones
we have
to be set
up
towards the
goal
there is
a lot
lot more
that can be
said about
these verses
some people
might have
wanted me
to spend
more time
focusing on
the last
verses
and talking
about the
heavenly things
where we
should have
our minds
and hearts
set
if you
want me to
continue for
another half
an hour
I'd be happy
to do that
now
no
but we've
had five
things
let the
account be
good
don't get
lost in the
struggle
stand firm
pray and
never stop
for everything
and everyone
we need to
keep our
eyes fixed
on that
point
on Jesus
the author
and perfecter
the author
and finisher
of our
faith
Jesus is
coming again
and all
this struggle
all this
life
all this
thing that
clutters up
our existence
will be swept
away
we live
in the certain
hope of the
coming of the
Lord
he will
return
and we do
not look at
the things
which are
seen
but we look
at the things
which are
unseen
and like
Paul
who longed
greatly
after heaven
we need
to know
that as
we groan
on this
earth
we have
a greater
finish
than the
beginning
we had
for while
we are in
this tent
we groan
and are
burdened
because we
do not
wish to be
unclothed
but to be
clothed
with our
heavenly
dwelling
so that
what is
mortal
may be
swallowed
up
by
life
the
life
that
is
in
the
resurrection
and
Jonathan
Edwards
said
in this
the apostle
Paul
acted
as
becomes
a
Christian
for
those
who
are
indeed
Christians
don't
belong
to
this
world
and
therefore
it
is
very
unbecoming
in them
to have
their
minds
taken
up
by
these
things
the
example
of
Paul
may
make
all
people
ashamed
whose
minds
are
occupied
chiefly
with
things
of
this
world
or
about
gaining
estates
or
acquiring
honours
we
have
feet
of
clay
and
we
look
down
so
easily
but
just
like
Stephen
when he
stood
in front
of the
Sanhedrin
and it
was
coming
apart
and
everything
was
coming
down
on top
of him
we
have
to
get
our
eyes
off
our
feet
we
have
to
get
our
eyes
off
our
difficulties
we
have
to
look
up
and
see
the
glory
of
God
and
the
Son
of
Man
seated
at
his
right
hand
side
and
we
have
to
know
that
power
and
seek
that
power
and
live
in
the
light
of
that
power
so
now
may
our
God
and
Father
himself
and
our
Lord
Jesus
clear
the
way
for
us
to
come
insert
here
for
you
to
go
to
each
other
in
love
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
a
God
and
Father
when
our
Lord
Jesus
comes
with
all
his
holy
ones
Heavenly
Father
I
thank
you
for
your
word
I
thank
you
for
this
time
this
morning
I
pray
Father
that
it
will
be
used
and
that
I
have
been
faithful
to
your
message
Amen