WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:08.000 So we're going to spend a few moments looking at those verses that we read in Thessalonians 6 to 13. 00:00:08.000 --> 00:00:14.000 Now, this time of year is the best time of year for walking, in my opinion. 00:00:14.000 --> 00:00:19.000 And I'm not thinking about the long, light days, 00:00:19.000 --> 00:00:24.000 and I'm not even thinking about the occasional sunshine beating down on your face. 00:00:24.000 --> 00:00:31.000 I'm thinking about the potential for food pit stops along the way. 00:00:31.000 --> 00:00:38.000 As I walk around the green, green grass of Gilmerton, I'm always on this lookout for some raspberry bushes. 00:00:38.000 --> 00:00:42.000 And every time I go, I think, oh, how's it coming on? How's it coming on? 00:00:42.000 --> 00:00:45.000 Then I'll go next week, oh, just about there, just about there. 00:00:45.000 --> 00:00:51.000 Then eventually the raspberries will start growing and then you can just stop and munch away, walk a bit, stop and munch away. 00:00:51.000 --> 00:00:54.000 It's great because you're seeing growth right before your eyes. 00:00:54.000 --> 00:01:00.000 You're witnessing it in nature and you're excited about what's coming next. 00:01:00.000 --> 00:01:05.000 Are they going to be ready yet? It's like donkey. Are we nearly there yet? Are they nearly there yet? 00:01:05.000 --> 00:01:18.000 And this passage is all about the excitement of seeing growth, of seeing real life spiritual growth in the lives of ordinary men and women, boys and girls. 00:01:18.000 --> 00:01:27.000 You see, in the passage, Paul is clocking the spiritual growth that he is seeing within the church at Thessalonica. 00:01:27.000 --> 00:01:34.000 And, you know, it was unfortunate and this really pained Paul. He wasn't able to see it for himself. 00:01:34.000 --> 00:01:45.000 He wasn't able to see them up close. He had to send his comrade Timothy to go and to check up and see how they were doing. 00:01:45.000 --> 00:01:53.000 And what we have here is Paul's response to Timothy's report and it's an amazing report. 00:01:53.000 --> 00:02:01.000 Timothy tells Paul how wonderfully the Thessalonian believers are growing in their faith and in their love. 00:02:01.000 --> 00:02:06.000 And it's a growth that Paul could never have imagined or could have dreamed about. 00:02:06.000 --> 00:02:14.000 And so what we're going to be looking at this morning is that we're going to be looking at a great report card and we're going to get a real excitement from it. 00:02:14.000 --> 00:02:22.000 And we're going to be really encouraged by it. And what we're going to do is we're going to divide it up into three sections. 00:02:22.000 --> 00:02:32.000 So, verses 6 to 8, if you've got your Bible even open, you're going to see encouraged by growth in 6 to 8. 00:02:32.000 --> 00:02:38.000 Then in verses 9 to 10, you're going to see responding to growth. 00:02:38.000 --> 00:02:46.000 And then finally, in verses 11 to 13, you're going to see that it's a prayer for continued growth. 00:02:46.000 --> 00:02:59.000 So, encouraged by growth, verses 6 to 8, one of the things I loved about being a teacher was seeing growth in my pupils. 00:02:59.000 --> 00:03:02.000 So naturally, you would sit down with your higher class. 00:03:02.000 --> 00:03:09.000 It was always with my higher class that this happened. And you would start explaining what the year ahead had in store for them. 00:03:09.000 --> 00:03:19.000 And basically, it totally deflated them, it totally flattened them. Hands on their head, they just thought, oh, how on earth am I going to do these exams? 00:03:19.000 --> 00:03:24.000 But over the year, you see them growing in confidence. Sometimes it's too much. 00:03:24.000 --> 00:03:37.000 And you're beginning to see how they're becoming quite skilled and they're becoming increasingly confident as they tackle the questions that the exam board set. 00:03:37.000 --> 00:03:42.000 And so it's beautiful to see this growing sense of confidence within them. 00:03:42.000 --> 00:03:49.000 And as a teacher, that's kind of what keeps you going. That's what kind of fuels you in the morning. 00:03:49.000 --> 00:04:01.000 And in the passage here that we've read, we have Paul seeing the growth of the church which he had founded in Thessalonica. 00:04:01.000 --> 00:04:12.000 And he is, and he's brimming with joy. He's really delighted. He is really encouraged by the growth that he has seen. 00:04:12.000 --> 00:04:18.000 You know, Paul hadn't spent a lot of time with this church. They had only been together a short time. 00:04:18.000 --> 00:04:27.000 But yet when he hears the joyful report from Timothy of their growth and faith and love, oh, he's over the moon. 00:04:27.000 --> 00:04:32.000 He is so delighted that they are walking in faith and in love. 00:04:32.000 --> 00:04:43.000 But why is that such good news to Paul? Why is their growth and faith and love so encouraging to Paul? 00:04:43.000 --> 00:04:53.000 Why does he delight in this news so intensely? Well, faith and love are the distinctive characteristics of the Christian faith. 00:04:53.000 --> 00:05:00.000 They are the marks of those who love God and who have faith in Jesus. 00:05:00.000 --> 00:05:07.000 Growth and faith and love shows that even in their tough situation, in their suffering situation, 00:05:07.000 --> 00:05:16.000 that they have not been thrown off track. They have not been tempted to leave the faith, 00:05:16.000 --> 00:05:23.000 but they've remained strong and they've remained faithful. And that filled Paul with joy. 00:05:23.000 --> 00:05:28.000 Faith and love, it's our DNA as Christians, isn't it? 00:05:28.000 --> 00:05:37.000 Growing and faith, what does that mean? Well, growing and faith means I want to deepen my trust in God. 00:05:37.000 --> 00:05:41.000 You grow in faith, you want to deepen your trust in God. 00:05:41.000 --> 00:05:47.000 Growing and love, you want to love others more genuinely. 00:05:47.000 --> 00:05:56.000 The Thessalonians are building and strengthening their relationships with God and with each other and with others. 00:05:56.000 --> 00:06:04.000 And Paul calls them out for this. Paul is really delighted. Paul is really encouraged by this report. 00:06:04.000 --> 00:06:15.000 You see, Paul regarded growth in faith and love as what life is all about. 00:06:15.000 --> 00:06:20.000 Life for the Christian should only ever be about growth and faith and love. 00:06:20.000 --> 00:06:28.000 And when Paul sees this in his church family, amongst the church community, he's over the moon. 00:06:28.000 --> 00:06:35.000 But what would this look like today? What might growing in faith look like for you and for me today? 00:06:35.000 --> 00:06:42.000 It might look something like this. You're having a tricky spot in a relationship. 00:06:42.000 --> 00:06:48.000 You want to shout out and get angry. You want to say, ah, come on, I'm right. 00:06:48.000 --> 00:06:54.000 But as you grow in faith, what happens? 00:06:54.000 --> 00:07:01.000 You struggle harder against the reaction to be angry and to prove yourself right. 00:07:01.000 --> 00:07:10.000 To grow in faith in that moment is to commit the situation to God, is to pray first and ask for God's help. 00:07:10.000 --> 00:07:19.000 You are becoming more determined to let God speak into the situation rather than just to react in that moment. 00:07:19.000 --> 00:07:25.000 Or could it be that growing in faith looks something like this? 00:07:25.000 --> 00:07:31.000 That you've made an attempt to sit down with your Bible in the morning. 00:07:31.000 --> 00:07:38.000 But to grow in faith is maybe you think, OK, maybe just a couple more minutes to reflect. Just a few. 00:07:38.000 --> 00:07:50.000 And then maybe to grow in faith is that you try to train yourself to think about what you've just read in different parts of your daily life. 00:07:50.000 --> 00:08:00.000 To grow in love might be something as simple as inviting your neighbour round for a coffee outside. 00:08:00.000 --> 00:08:04.000 And you just get a chat and getting to know them. That's growing in love. 00:08:04.000 --> 00:08:09.000 Or it might be something like, I don't really know that person in church. 00:08:09.000 --> 00:08:14.000 Let's have them over. Let's have them round and let's begin to get to know them. 00:08:14.000 --> 00:08:17.000 That's what growing in love is. 00:08:17.000 --> 00:08:25.000 Growth so often happens in the quiet moments of everyday life, doesn't it? 00:08:25.000 --> 00:08:30.000 And it comes in little stages and in little steps forward. 00:08:30.000 --> 00:08:35.000 So often I aim for big spectacular leaps forward. 00:08:35.000 --> 00:08:42.000 But actually when I expect that, I often miss and become disheartened. 00:08:42.000 --> 00:08:47.000 But I think growth in faith and in love is just like step by step. 00:08:47.000 --> 00:08:54.000 Or sometimes it's maybe just baby step by baby step. 00:08:54.000 --> 00:08:59.000 So check out verse eight. Have a look at verse eight. It's phenomenal. 00:08:59.000 --> 00:09:02.000 Because this is really surprising. 00:09:02.000 --> 00:09:11.000 You see, when you grow in faith and love, this encourages other people in the church as well. 00:09:11.000 --> 00:09:16.000 We can too easily compartmentalise our faith too. Kind of a very individualistic thing. 00:09:16.000 --> 00:09:24.000 But there's a community aspect to our growth and faith and love, which Paul kind of enjoys here. 00:09:24.000 --> 00:09:31.000 Because when Paul hears about the growth in love and others, he is encouraged. 00:09:31.000 --> 00:09:37.000 And he is encouraged even within his suffering. 00:09:37.000 --> 00:09:40.000 What does verse eight say? 00:09:40.000 --> 00:09:44.000 For now we live if you are standing fast in the Lord. 00:09:44.000 --> 00:09:48.000 For now we really live since you are standing firm in the Lord. 00:09:48.000 --> 00:09:51.000 This is so over the top. 00:09:51.000 --> 00:09:56.000 For now we live. Paul is using resurrection language here. 00:09:56.000 --> 00:10:02.000 He is saying, when I heard that you were growing in faith and love and had not been tempted to turn away, 00:10:02.000 --> 00:10:06.000 it felt like I had been reborn. 00:10:06.000 --> 00:10:13.000 The depth of connection between the Thessalonians and Paul really comes out in this verse. 00:10:13.000 --> 00:10:19.000 You know, Paul is like the anxious parent who is waiting for news. 00:10:19.000 --> 00:10:26.000 Their life has been put on pause as they expectantly wait for news. 00:10:26.000 --> 00:10:31.000 Time has stood still and he waits and he waits. 00:10:31.000 --> 00:10:35.000 But Timothy comes with a great report. 00:10:35.000 --> 00:10:38.000 And it's like, it's as if Paul can breathe. 00:10:38.000 --> 00:10:43.000 And they're like, wow, his children are growing in health, 00:10:43.000 --> 00:10:47.000 the relationships with God and with one another. 00:10:47.000 --> 00:10:54.000 They were standing fast and because they were standing fast, he could face another day. 00:10:54.000 --> 00:11:03.000 He could keep on going on even in the midst of suffering because the family were growing in faith and love. 00:11:03.000 --> 00:11:09.000 Do we get excited when we see the family growing in faith and love? 00:11:09.000 --> 00:11:18.000 You know, I think we kind of maybe expect greater things than we really kind of need to. 00:11:18.000 --> 00:11:21.000 Because growing in faith and love could be something simple like this. 00:11:21.000 --> 00:11:26.000 Your teenager, your teenage son or daughter decides to come off their TikTok 00:11:26.000 --> 00:11:28.000 and they decide to read the Bible up. 00:11:28.000 --> 00:11:31.000 That's growth in faith. 00:11:31.000 --> 00:11:37.000 Your young professional decides to keep appropriate hours at the office 00:11:37.000 --> 00:11:41.000 and decides to come to the prayer meeting or comes to discipleship. 00:11:41.000 --> 00:11:44.000 That's growth in faith and in love. 00:11:44.000 --> 00:11:51.000 Your middle-aged family who are busy with family and jobs 00:11:51.000 --> 00:11:55.000 take time to invite people around to read the Bible to pray with others. 00:11:55.000 --> 00:11:57.000 That's growth in faith and love. 00:11:57.000 --> 00:12:04.000 The older community who decide not to pursue a life of pleasure 00:12:04.000 --> 00:12:08.000 but decide to serve their community and love and their church family. 00:12:08.000 --> 00:12:12.000 That's growth in love and growth in faith. 00:12:12.000 --> 00:12:17.000 Faith's much more like Paul, let's call out, let's get excited, let's say, 00:12:17.000 --> 00:12:20.000 wow, you're growing in faith and love. 00:12:20.000 --> 00:12:24.000 Let's share it with one another, let's encourage one another. 00:12:24.000 --> 00:12:26.000 Let's get out your phones and ping a text and say, 00:12:26.000 --> 00:12:34.000 oh, I'm really so blessed by the fact that you spent just a little bit of time speaking to me at church today. 00:12:34.000 --> 00:12:38.000 I'm so thankful that you take time to lead the kids ministry. 00:12:38.000 --> 00:12:41.000 I'm so thankful that you're such a great neighbour. 00:12:41.000 --> 00:12:49.000 Let's take time to show our appreciation to one another, to encourage one another on the road. 00:12:49.000 --> 00:12:54.000 Growth in faith and love is just the little things of every day 00:12:54.000 --> 00:13:01.000 which we can overlook, but it's vital that we see it just as ordinary. 00:13:01.000 --> 00:13:08.000 So we've seen Paul being really encouraged by the growth. 00:13:08.000 --> 00:13:10.000 Now, how does he respond to the growth? 00:13:10.000 --> 00:13:13.000 This is what we have in verses 9 to 10. 00:13:13.000 --> 00:13:17.000 How does Paul respond to the growth? 00:13:17.000 --> 00:13:21.000 It's that moment of stunned silence. 00:13:21.000 --> 00:13:26.000 As you try to get your head round what's just happened. 00:13:26.000 --> 00:13:32.000 After a few moments, you're overcome with thankfulness 00:13:32.000 --> 00:13:36.000 and you just say thank you in a thousand different ways. 00:13:36.000 --> 00:13:42.000 You're overwhelmed in that moment at the kindness of the other towards you. 00:13:42.000 --> 00:13:50.000 And it's this kind of amazement that Paul is experiencing here as he writes. 00:13:50.000 --> 00:13:54.000 And Paul responds how? 00:13:54.000 --> 00:13:57.000 Paul responds verse 9. 00:13:57.000 --> 00:14:03.000 For what thanksgiving can we return to God? 00:14:03.000 --> 00:14:09.000 Paul knows that the place where he needs to go to give thanks 00:14:09.000 --> 00:14:14.000 for the growth in the faith and love is to God himself. 00:14:14.000 --> 00:14:19.000 I don't know about you, but I'm so challenged by that posture. 00:14:19.000 --> 00:14:28.000 Paul on seeing the flourishing of the church in Thessalonica is all thanks to God. 00:14:28.000 --> 00:14:33.000 Paul allowed himself to be used by God. 00:14:33.000 --> 00:14:39.000 And that's amazing, but it's God that is doing all the work here. 00:14:39.000 --> 00:14:42.000 It was God who gave them the new life. 00:14:42.000 --> 00:14:45.000 It was God who caused them to grow in faith and love. 00:14:45.000 --> 00:14:49.000 It was God who kept them standing strong. 00:14:49.000 --> 00:14:54.000 And so Paul humbles himself and says thank you to God. 00:14:54.000 --> 00:14:57.000 You see, Paul's soul is flooded with gratitude 00:14:57.000 --> 00:15:03.000 and he is deeply aware that he cannot give anything back to God 00:15:03.000 --> 00:15:08.000 which would in any way repay God for the refreshment to his soul 00:15:08.000 --> 00:15:14.000 on hearing the news that his brothers and sisters were growing in faith and love. 00:15:14.000 --> 00:15:18.000 He's so excited and thankful in this letter, 00:15:18.000 --> 00:15:24.000 but you also see the pastor at the forefront in Paul's mind. 00:15:24.000 --> 00:15:31.000 Yes, it's all God, but God had put Paul and this church together. 00:15:31.000 --> 00:15:39.000 He had bound them together and Paul really wanted to be with them again. 00:15:39.000 --> 00:15:45.000 He loves the church deeply and he really exemplifies what he is grateful for 00:15:45.000 --> 00:15:48.000 in the church of Thessalonica. 00:15:48.000 --> 00:15:51.000 He has this love for them. 00:15:51.000 --> 00:15:56.000 He asks God, he prays to God on their behalf night and day frequently. 00:15:56.000 --> 00:16:00.000 Paul is praying for this church. 00:16:00.000 --> 00:16:05.000 You see, prayer is such a powerful example of love. 00:16:05.000 --> 00:16:09.000 And in his love, Paul prays, what does he pray? 00:16:09.000 --> 00:16:13.000 That he just basically prays that he can be with them again. 00:16:13.000 --> 00:16:18.000 He is so dedicated to them, he wants to be with them. 00:16:18.000 --> 00:16:22.000 He wants to enjoy time, face to face time. 00:16:22.000 --> 00:16:26.000 He wants to laugh with them, he wants to cry with them. 00:16:26.000 --> 00:16:29.000 He wants to share stories with them. 00:16:29.000 --> 00:16:32.000 He just wants to be back in their company. 00:16:32.000 --> 00:16:35.000 That's the first part of the prayer. 00:16:35.000 --> 00:16:42.000 But there's another thing he says, and this is in verse 10. 00:16:42.000 --> 00:16:46.000 Paul prayed for their growth. 00:16:46.000 --> 00:16:50.000 As we pray most earnestly night and day that we may see you face to face 00:16:50.000 --> 00:16:53.000 and supply what is lacking in your faith. 00:16:53.000 --> 00:16:57.000 You see, the church still had areas of growth. 00:16:57.000 --> 00:17:00.000 And Paul wanted to come and to help them grow. 00:17:00.000 --> 00:17:06.000 He wanted to come to help them know even more about how wonderful Jesus is. 00:17:06.000 --> 00:17:13.000 And he wanted them to grow again in faith and in love, to continue as disciples. 00:17:13.000 --> 00:17:17.000 You see, discipleship is an ongoing journey, isn't it? 00:17:17.000 --> 00:17:20.000 And Paul knew it and so did the Thessalonians. 00:17:20.000 --> 00:17:26.000 And it's an area that we too must embrace and enjoy. 00:17:26.000 --> 00:17:31.000 And we need to ask ourselves this, we need to take stock 00:17:31.000 --> 00:17:36.000 as to how much of a priority discipleship is in our life. 00:17:36.000 --> 00:17:38.000 Is it our number one priority? 00:17:38.000 --> 00:17:46.000 Or do we choose to overlook it for now to accommodate the pursuit of other pleasures? 00:17:46.000 --> 00:17:48.000 For example. 00:17:48.000 --> 00:17:52.000 And so maybe it's a good time now to pause to reflect, 00:17:52.000 --> 00:17:56.000 is discipleship my number one goal? 00:17:56.000 --> 00:18:02.000 And maybe it's time to help one another if it's a struggle to us at the moment. 00:18:02.000 --> 00:18:05.000 It might be something simple. 00:18:05.000 --> 00:18:10.000 Like choose a book and say to your pal, 00:18:10.000 --> 00:18:16.000 okay I'm going to read a book, let's say Gentle and Lowly, or a book of the Bible. 00:18:16.000 --> 00:18:19.000 Mark, let's read two chapters and we'll meet up every three weeks 00:18:19.000 --> 00:18:22.000 and we'll just spend 10 minutes chatting about it. 00:18:22.000 --> 00:18:31.000 Just these simple things which kind of just help us all kind of pursue discipleship, 00:18:31.000 --> 00:18:36.000 pursue getting to know Jesus, pursuing that growth and faith and in love. 00:18:36.000 --> 00:18:41.000 But I want you to notice something and I wonder if you noticed what happened during Paul's prayer. 00:18:41.000 --> 00:18:47.000 Have a look at those, at that verse again, verse 10. 00:18:47.000 --> 00:18:51.000 Have a look, as we pray most randomly night and day, that we may see you face to face 00:18:51.000 --> 00:18:55.000 and supply what's lacking in your faith. 00:18:55.000 --> 00:18:59.000 Do you see something that's going on in there? 00:18:59.000 --> 00:19:02.000 Have a look. 00:19:02.000 --> 00:19:09.000 He starts praying for them all and all of a sudden he wants to serve them. 00:19:09.000 --> 00:19:13.000 He prays that they'll be together again, that they'll be in each other's company, 00:19:13.000 --> 00:19:21.000 but then his prayer moves to service. So I can encourage you so I can help you. 00:19:21.000 --> 00:19:27.000 So that I can supply what is lacking in your faith. 00:19:27.000 --> 00:19:32.000 He prays that they'll be together again, but then he prays that he'd be able to serve them. 00:19:32.000 --> 00:19:35.000 He was moved to disciple them. 00:19:35.000 --> 00:19:38.000 This is the remarkable thing about praying for others. 00:19:38.000 --> 00:19:45.000 When we pray for others, we'll soon find ourselves wanting to serve them, wanting to bless them, 00:19:45.000 --> 00:19:51.000 so we can help them move and help ourselves move towards one another 00:19:51.000 --> 00:19:54.000 and towards God out of love and in faith. 00:19:54.000 --> 00:20:00.000 So as you pray for one another, don't be surprised if you'll be moved to serve one another. 00:20:00.000 --> 00:20:03.000 It's what should happen. 00:20:03.000 --> 00:20:07.000 So we've seen Paul encouraged by the growth. 00:20:07.000 --> 00:20:10.000 We've seen how he responded to the growth. 00:20:10.000 --> 00:20:18.000 And then finally and briefly, verses 11 to 13, he prays for continued growth. 00:20:18.000 --> 00:20:27.000 Now, I'm sure some of you have caught some of the Olympics last week or so. 00:20:27.000 --> 00:20:32.000 And I was kind of listening and reading around the story of Adam Peaty. 00:20:32.000 --> 00:20:36.000 He's the kind of Olympic swimmer who's the kind of Usain Bolt of the pool. 00:20:36.000 --> 00:20:39.000 You know, he is expected to get gold. 00:20:39.000 --> 00:20:43.000 He will get gold. There's nothing that really stopped him getting gold. 00:20:43.000 --> 00:20:52.000 But he explains and his team explained that that's not enough for Adam Peaty to keep growing and to keep pushing himself. 00:20:52.000 --> 00:20:55.000 It's not the gold medal. That's too easy. 00:20:55.000 --> 00:20:59.000 It's about the world record. He needs to keep pushing and pushing and pushing himself. 00:20:59.000 --> 00:21:05.000 He needs to continue to grow in the skill of being an Olympic athlete. 00:21:05.000 --> 00:21:14.000 And you know, that same desire to grow should be within each one of us in terms of our spiritual growth. 00:21:14.000 --> 00:21:29.000 A process fueled by God's grace, but needing self-discipline to cultivate great spiritual habits is vital for our continued spiritual growth. 00:21:29.000 --> 00:21:36.000 So Paul pens a prayer in this letter to the Thessalonians. 00:21:36.000 --> 00:21:41.000 And what does he pray for? And this is really interesting. 00:21:41.000 --> 00:21:47.000 Because you're thinking, Paul, oh, he'll mention something about doctrine and he will. 00:21:47.000 --> 00:21:53.000 But what's the most important thing to Paul? I think that you'll find it in verse 12, 00:21:53.000 --> 00:22:00.000 that they would continue to grow in love for each other and for everyone else. 00:22:00.000 --> 00:22:08.000 Growth in love. This is dynamite to the Thessalonian. 00:22:08.000 --> 00:22:15.000 Because in Thessalonica, what happens? How do you, how do relationships work? 00:22:15.000 --> 00:22:23.000 Well, in Thessalonia, Thessalonica, what you do is to build relationships. 00:22:23.000 --> 00:22:27.000 You serve others in the hope that they will give you something back. 00:22:27.000 --> 00:22:31.000 It's basically a society which is built on this hierarchy. 00:22:31.000 --> 00:22:38.000 So you serve those who are up the ladder hoping that they help you up the ladder even more. 00:22:38.000 --> 00:22:49.000 You wouldn't dream of building relationships with your peers or with your equals because they can't get you where you want to be. 00:22:49.000 --> 00:22:55.000 And I think that's also true in many of our relationships today. 00:22:55.000 --> 00:23:00.000 I'm sure a number of us can retell of similar situations, experiences. 00:23:00.000 --> 00:23:06.000 Experiences of being used by others for someone else's gain. 00:23:06.000 --> 00:23:16.000 Perhaps you've had that partner who was committed to you until things got hard and then they decided to, that was a time, time up, I'm off. 00:23:16.000 --> 00:23:28.000 Or maybe it was the time where you were sweet talked by your boss into doing additional work and additional hours just to help you get that promotion. 00:23:28.000 --> 00:23:32.000 But the promotion never came. 00:23:32.000 --> 00:23:41.000 Or maybe it was those friendships who only liked you, only hung out with you because you had access to other friends. 00:23:41.000 --> 00:23:49.000 So you were used and so you were left exposed and used. 00:23:49.000 --> 00:24:00.000 But the good news for us today is that there is a love which is all about giving and not about receiving. 00:24:00.000 --> 00:24:05.000 There is a love out there which does not take from you but only gives to you. 00:24:05.000 --> 00:24:12.000 And this small group of Christians had experienced that kind of love. 00:24:12.000 --> 00:24:17.000 And that kind of love can be experienced even today. 00:24:17.000 --> 00:24:28.000 And it's a kind of love which led that group, that small group of Christian believers to be deeply committed to loving all people. 00:24:28.000 --> 00:24:37.000 Not for return, not for gain but out of joy, out of a conviction that all people were deserving of love. 00:24:37.000 --> 00:24:43.000 And that real love was not about being served, what was about serving others. 00:24:43.000 --> 00:24:51.000 You see, the church in Thessalonia, you see, the church now was captivated by the love of God. 00:24:51.000 --> 00:24:57.000 And they were so transformed by it that they wanted to share that love with others. 00:24:57.000 --> 00:25:11.000 They chose and we choose to pursue the self-giving love of God, which was most clearly displayed through the person of Jesus on the cross. 00:25:11.000 --> 00:25:16.000 You know that same love still captivates and captures hearts today. 00:25:16.000 --> 00:25:31.000 It's a love which enables followers of Jesus to genuinely love others in response to the incredible love which he has shown to us daily. 00:25:31.000 --> 00:25:42.000 However, in a world that is often dismissive of our beliefs, it's hard, isn't it, to display Christ's love? 00:25:42.000 --> 00:25:47.000 It's hard to keep doing the self-giving love of Jesus. 00:25:47.000 --> 00:25:53.000 And that's why Paul prays, he prays for them. 00:25:53.000 --> 00:26:04.000 The Lord in verse 12 may make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all as we do for you. 00:26:04.000 --> 00:26:10.000 Paul knows and we know that our hearts can often be fickle. 00:26:10.000 --> 00:26:25.000 Whilst acknowledging in one moment how amazing it is to be recipients of God's love, we can then quickly forget and begin to embrace self-love or selfishness in a heartbeat. 00:26:25.000 --> 00:26:35.000 That's why Paul continues to pray that they continue to grow, that they continue to be strengthened by God in verse 13. 00:26:35.000 --> 00:26:48.000 Paul prays that their hearts would not be divided but that they would continue right until the very end, until the coming of Jesus at the end of time. 00:26:48.000 --> 00:26:53.000 Our prayers too for one another must have this eternal view. 00:26:53.000 --> 00:27:11.000 We want to pray that we would all keep looking to Jesus right until the very end, that our hearts would not be divided but would be wholly committed to Jesus. 00:27:11.000 --> 00:27:17.000 In conclusion then, we have seen how encouraging, how encouraged Paul was by the growth. 00:27:17.000 --> 00:27:26.000 We have seen how he responded to that growth and we see how he prayed that they would continue to grow. 00:27:26.000 --> 00:27:41.000 You see, Paul was a man who was really encouraged by the growth of Christians around him and he responded with thankfulness and with a desire to serve. 00:27:41.000 --> 00:27:48.000 And finally, he continues to pray that they would keep on going right until the end. 00:27:48.000 --> 00:28:00.000 I pray that too is our posture, a posture of encouragement and of thankfulness to God for all he's doing in our life and in the life of our brothers and sisters. 00:28:00.000 --> 00:28:07.000 Encouraging one another, praying for one another right till the very end. 00:28:07.000 --> 00:28:11.000 Amen. Let's finish with a quick prayer. Let's pray. 00:28:11.000 --> 00:28:16.000 Father in heaven, thank you that you love us. 00:28:16.000 --> 00:28:21.000 Thank you that our hearts have been transformed. 00:28:21.000 --> 00:28:41.000 Lord, we pray that our hearts would not be divided but that they would be wholly committed to you right until the very end. Amen.