Back. But not only has he come back, he's come back with a toy in his hand. Good news about the Thessalonians. He is super excited. And we're going to get that from this passage here. This is the last passage in the book of Thessalonians that does not have an imperative. We've had no imperatives through Thessalonians up to the end of chapter 3. An imperative is a command. When we start chapter 4 though, it's machine gun imperative. It's coming.
And this text tells us why that's coming. But for now, we're going to conclude chapter 3 by looking at Paul's excitement, his enthusiasm for these believers. And so, let me pick it up for you in verse six of chapter 3. And I'll read to through to the end of the chapter. But now that Timothy has come to us from you and has brought us the good news of your faith and love and reported that you always remember us kindly and long to see us as we long to see you.
For this reason, brothers, in all our distress and affliction, we have been comforted about you through your faith. For now we live if you are standing fast in the Lord. For what thanksgiving can we return to God for you? For all the joy that we feel for your sake before before our God as we pray most earnestly night and day that we may see you face to face and supply what is lacking in your faith. Now may our God and Father himself and our Lord Jesus direct our way to you.
And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all as we do for you so that he may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints. What a great text. If you leave this morning discouraged, that is a failure on the preacher's part because the passage is encouraging. So I trust that we will find great encouragement here. Having heard this report, what is it that Paul kind of ends up thinking about?
What where is where does he land? He lands first of all here that this is good news. He says, "But now that Timothy has come from you." So he's transitioning. So remember there was a chapter and a half, chapter 2 and the first half of chapter 3 where Paul is defending his apostolic credentials. He's defending the fact that he is a a minister of the Lord, an approved minister of God, called by the Lord Jesus to bring the gospel to the Jews and the Gentiles, which is what comprises this church in Thessalonica, Jews and Gentiles.
If you go back to Acts 17, so he's spent the last chapter and a half defending that. And he says, "But now," so there's a transition here that Timothy has come back to us from you. Now, I want to take you to Acts 18, and I want you're going to keep your finger here cuz I'm going to just read you one verse for now, but I want to double back to Acts 18 in a minute. So, in Acts 18:5, here's what it says. When Silas and Timothy arrived from Macedonia, just pause there.
That's what Paul's referring to here. When Timothy but now that Timothy has come to us from you, this is the moment he came to them. Acts 18:5, Silas and Timothy arrived from Macedonia. Like I say, in a minute we're going to go back to Acts 18. So they've come and they've brought this report and Paul says here he they have brought us good news of your faith and love. The the the Greek word here is yuangalizo yuangelon.
It can sometimes be referred to as this is the Greek word for good news. This is the only place in the entire New Testament where that word is not used to describe the redemptive saving work of Jesus. Normally that word is used for the good news, the gospel. The the word gospel means good news. You and Gelon, you and Galizo. Here is the one place where it's not attached to the specific redemptive work of Jesus on the cross.
And yet we know with certainty that the cross of Christ is the bedrock foundation for this good news. We have heard the good news of your faith. Faith in who? Faith in the Lord Jesus in that redemptive saving work. Saving work, pardon me. So, we've heard the good news that you have faith in the good news. We have and that you have love. Love for God and love for your fellow man. And it's been reported that you always remember us kindly.
Now, you might say, "Well, boy, isn't Paul arrogant? It's we're we're so thankful that you're thinking so well of us." Well, remember he was concerned that after he left all those opponents of the gospel that were there in Thessalonica that we read about in Acts 17 would have taken them and have made a shipwreck of their faith by trying to discredit Paul and discredit the gospel that Paul preached. And so it was a heartening thing for him to hear that no no you actually long to see us.
That means that you haven't disregarded the gospel I preached to you. So that that was a warm blanket for his soul. It was good news for him. And so for this reason we we are we're so thankful for this that you that you long to see us just in the same way that we long to see you. There's a mutual affection here. The Thessalonian church loves Paul and Paul loves them. Good news. And then he says this in verse seven. For this reason, brothers, in all our distress and affliction, we have been comforted about you through your faith.
Now, this is a fascinating little phrase. The word distress literally means choking stress. And you might say, Paul, aren't you being a little over the top in all of our choking stress? Have you ever felt choking stress before? Maybe some of you have. You just feel like your your air is being taken away from you because of all the stress. That's what Paul's talking about here. And the the deep affliction. What's Paul talking about? Go back to Acts 18.
So in Acts 18, we looked at verse 5. This is when, as I said, Silas and Timothy come back and give the report about the Thessalonians. Let me pick it up back in verse 5, but I want to read now through to verse 17. When Silas and Timothy arrived from Macedonia, Paul was occupied with the word, testifying to the Jews that the Christ was Jesus. And when they opposed and reviled him, he shook out his garments and said to them, "Your blood be on your own heads.
I am innocent. From now on, I will go to the Gentiles." And he left there and went to the house of a man named Titus Justice, a worshshiper of God. His house was next to was next door to the synagogue. Christmas the ruler of the synagogue believed in the Lord together with his entire household. And many of the Corinthians hearing Paul believed and were baptized. The Lord said to Paul one night in a vision, "Do not be afraid, but go on speaking and do not be silent, for I am with you, and no one will attack you to harm you, for I have many in this city who are my people."
And he stayed a year and 6 months teaching the word of God among them. But when Gallalo, the proconsel from of Aaya, sorry, when Gallo was proconsul of Aaya, the Jews made a united attack on Paul and brought him before the tribunal, saying, "This man is persuading people to worship God contrary to the law." But when Paul was about to open his mouth, Gallo said to the Jews, "If it were a matter of wrongdoing or vicious crime, O Jews, I would have reason to accept your complaint.
But since it is a matter of questions about words and names and your own law, see to it yourselves. I refuse to be a judge of these things." And he drove them out from the tribunal, and they all seized Sust, the ruler of the synagogue, and beat him in front of the tribunal. But Gallo paid no attention to any of this, etc., etc., etc. He is being reviled, we read about, and opposed in verse six. There are those being beaten for their faith right in front of him. Choking stress and affliction.
But then he hears when Silas and Timothy return, "Guess what? The Thessalonian believers have stayed faithful to the gospel and they love you and they can't wait to see you. That's good news. He's encouraged by this. He's encouraged by the fact that they are standing fast in the Lord. As verse 8 says, for now we lived. He He There's a sense of being enlivened in his heart from for having having heard today you're standing fast in the Lord.
Now, that little phrase there, standing fast, is a military term. It means to not retreat. That you're standing firm. You're not pulling away in the midst of duress. That's what that's referring to. This term is used throughout the New Testament. Let me take you to just a few locations where it's used. In 1 Corinthians chapter 16, we read it in verse 13. Be watchful. Stand firm in the faith. Act like men. Be strong.
Stand firm in the faith. Don't retreat. Galatians 5:1 for freedom. Christ has set us free. Stand firm, therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. That is to say, don't retreat. Stand firm in this freedom that is yours in Christ. I don't know if you heard about it in the text that Peter read for us earlier, but it's there as well. Philippians 1 27. Only let your man your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or I am absent, I may hear that pardon me, hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit with one mind, striving side by side for the faith of the gospel. Standing firm, not retreating.
Here Paul says, "I I'm so heartened to hear that you're not pulling back just because people are threatening you, opposing you, reviling you, persecuting you." As Ron talked about at the very start of our service in the midst of persecution, these saints are standing firm. They're not pulling away. And Paul is basically saying when he says, "For now we live," it's a it's a figure of speech. Have we use similar figures of speech today, but in the opposite? And you might say, what are you what are you talking about?
Have you ever said something like this? I would just die if I heard that so and so wasn't doing well. Well, you're not going to actually die. It's hyperbole, but it's a figure of speech. And that's what Paul's using here. Now, we live that we as we hear that you're standing firm in the faith. It encourages us. We're so thankful. This still holds true today. It still holds true today. No doubt there are those in your life that have poured into your life, whether it be pastors, mentors, teachers, parents, grandparents, whatever it may be, and to see you standing firm in the faith, it's good news for them.
It strengthens them in the same way that if there are people that you've poured into, you've ministered to, and you see that they're standing firm in the faith. Is that not good news to your soul? Think about all these testimonies. We heard Brad and Ila this morning. We've heard a bunch of them since January. Has it has it not encouraged you to hear how they're standing firm in the faith? It's good news. We all We say amen. Praise God for this. It is great to see those who are standing firm in the faith. And so you might say to yourself, I because I hear this all the time, Pastor Matt, I I have a boring testimony.
A, there's actually literally no such thing as a boring testimony. You know why the Bible says? So you were dead in your transgressions and sins. You can't do word smithing with the scriptures. Dead is dead. And God made you alive. You're a walking miracle if you're a Christian and that you are standing fast in the Lord and maybe you haven't you haven't veered off the path. That's a work of God. It's not because you're something amazing or even parents, it's not because you're something amazing that your kids haven't veered off.
It is all of God. If you have kids that are standing firm in the faith, don't praise yourself. Praise God. That's what God does. You may have had a small part in it, but it's all of God. If your kids are standing firm in the faith, and it's encouraging. Rejoice. Praise God. This is good news. And that's what Paul is saying here. This is good news. You Angelizo, good news. You're standing firm in the faith. But wait, there's more. It's also reason for thanksgiving.
Let's pick it up here in verse nine. Ver verses nine and 10. He gives a a rhetorical question. It's as if he's saying, "How how could we possibly give thanks enough for what God has done in your life?" That it's a rhetorical question. He's saying, "Look at for what thanksgiving can we return to God for you." It actually defies conventional logic that they're standing so firm in the faith. He was with them for three Sabbath days.
Three weeks is all he was with them for. And yet here they are still standing firm in the faith. That defies wisdom, human wisdom anyway. And yet here they are. Oh, that's reason for thanksgiving. God is making you stand firm in the faith. Praise God for that. He's rejoicing in this. And all of this is magnified by the pronoun you in verse 9. For what thanksgiving can we return to God for you? That pronoun there is an interesting little word.
It means essentially you you who were a test case of sorts because remember if you remember Galatians and Thessalonians are competing for which one was the first letter written in the entire New Testament. This is ultimately the first church that was assembled in Macedonia. And so here's Paul going praise God you're still standing firm. Now, if you remember, in case you have forgotten, and you may have, that's okay, how it is that Paul even came to Macedonia.
Let's go back to Acts chapter 16 just for a minute, just to remind our hearts about this because this wasn't where Paul wanted to go. Acts 16, picking up in verse 6. And they went through the region of Friijia and Galatia having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia. We don't know what that exactly means, but what we do know is that Paul wanted to speak the word in Asia and the Lord blocked them from doing that.
And when they had come up to Mitsa, they attempted to go into Bethnia, but the spirit of Jesus did not allow them. So they wanted to go, okay, we can't go to Asia, we'll go to Bethnia. Nope, can't go there either. So passing by Msa, they went down to Trrowaz and a vision appeared to Paul in the night. A man of Macedonia was standing there urging him and saying, "Come over to Macedonia and help us." When Paul had seen the vision and immediately we sought to go into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.
Can you imagine if Paul's a human? Sometimes we can venerate Paul or Peter or John or any of these guys and we can think, "Oh, they're Bible people. Verily, they never had problems. They're men like us. They're sinners like us." Don't you think Paul may have just for a moment wondered, is this the right thing to do? Like, we're getting beaten mercilessly. Every city we go to, they're driving us out. They're spitting on us. That vision I got, was it maybe just indigestion?
Like, should we have come here? But then they get the report. No, this was of God. God did lead you there. This church is standing firm. They are not moving away. You were with them for three Sabbath days, and by God's grace, they believe the gospel unto salvation, and they're not moving from it. Oh, this is reason for thanksgiving. This is what he says here. For night and day, we should we're praying for you night and day as we're so excited about what God is doing in your midst.
And notice what he says here. Pardon me, in in verse 10, we pray most earnestly night and day that that number one, we may see you face to face. By the way, is it not better to see people face to face? Texting sucks. Emailing terrible. Face to fa phone call not good. Please, if you love me, don't phone me. Come see me.
If you have something to phone me about, well, text me. Sure. But if you want to actually talk face to face, you can see body language. You can see facial expression. You can see that the the warmth of embrace and love. Face to face is better. And Paul here is saying he's writing them a letter saying I'm going to write this letter to you, but boy, we hope to see you face to face. We're Oh, that's our longing is to be able to hug you, to spend time talking to you, to be in your presence together. That's our hope.
We long We're praying that way. And that we might supply what is lacking in your faith. So, here they are standing firm and yet they need further disciplehip. You might say, "Well, if they're standing firm, doesn't that mean that they're they're perfectly fine?" Standing firm and and where you're at in terms of your depth with the Lord can be two different things. There are those who can stand firm, but they might need to grow deeper in the Lord. They might need to grow in their understanding and knowledge of the Lord that much more.
They might need to be discipled further. We see this throughout scripture. Let me take you to one example. I was asking Pastor Bryce this week. I was like, can you think of an example of this in scripture and he thought of one immediately and I'm going to take you there. Acts 18. Back to Acts 18 again. Picking it up in verse 24. Now a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was an eloquent man, competent in the scriptures.
He had been instructed in the way of the Lord. And being fervent in the spirit, he spoke and taught accurately the things concerning Jesus, though he knew only the baptism of John. He began to speak boldly in the synagogue. But when Priscilla and Aquilla heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately. And then he would go on to have a fruitful ministry. Here is someone who was firm in the Lord, who was grounded in the gospel, but he needed to know the way of God more accurately.
We see it all the time, even in pop culture. I I I'm going to use illustrations here, and you might say, "Really?" Yeah. I have no doubt Chris Tomlin is born again. I I'm certain that we're going to worship around the throne with him in glory one day. But the dude needs more disciplehip. It's very evident. He needs to he needs to grow. And oh that there would be a brother who would come alongside him and help him grow even deeper. But I have no doubt the man is saved. Might ruffle a few feathers. I think Carrie Underwood's in the same camp.
I I actually don't doubt her salvation but boy she needs some disciplehip. So we see that here's Paul saying I am so excited for you about your faith but I I want to come so I I can supply what is lacking in your faith. Now, I was talking to our small group this week about this, and I I'm going to share it with you as well. I was soundly convicted in this passage. And I and I would say any preacher, any pastor should themselves first be convicted by the passage before they preach it.
That's the best way to go about it. And boy, I was convicted by this passage this week. And you might say, why is that? Here is Paul. And really, it's not just this passage. For three chapters now, Paul has gone on about his love for this church, about his thanksgiving for this church. This is a wonderful church. You give me such joy when I see your faith. Joy, joy, joy, thanksgiving, thanksgiving, thanksgiving. I'm so grateful to see you standing firm in the faith, even though we need to come along and supply what is lacking in your faith.
As verse 10 says, We in the conservative Christian camp, me, I am guilty of this. Maybe I'm the only one in this room that's guilty of this, but in the conservative Christian camp, we could stand to learn to give thanks for the genuine faith of the believer rather than criticizing all the things that they're not doing right. I'm guilty as charged of this. Notice here Paul acknowledges and he's about to in chapter four and five tell them here's some ways you need to grow.
Here's some things you need to learn. I'm going to try to supply what's lacking in your faith. But first, thanks be to God. I am so grateful for what God's done in your midst. He has taken you from death to life. You're standing firm. I rejoice in that. Even though you need to grow, even though you need to mature. And we who are in the conservative Christian camp can sometimes be so concerned that someone's not getting it just right that we'll sling arrows at them instead of saying, "Thank you, God, that they're in the faith." Yeah, they need to grow.
They need to mature. Absolutely. We're going to work on that. But rejoice that they're saved. Rejoice that they're on the rock of Christ. We can so often, at least I have been, I've been guilty of this. I can so often be and I can fool my own heart to say that what I'm really doing is I'm for them by by really trying to help them grow deep. And that is true. That is being for them is to help them grow deep. But sometimes at the expense of giving thanks and giving and rejoicing and and what God's done in their life, I nitpick every little thing they're not quite right in theologically.
Paul's instructive for us here. He's gracious. He's thankful. Sometimes we can be so concerned that they might be a false convert because they said one thing, not quite right. Give thanks for what God's doing in their midst and then keep teaching them. Yes. But let's give thanks. Romans chapter 14, I'll take you there. This is an entire section. Romans 14 and 15 speaking about the importance of unity and not destroying one another over secondary issues.
And in verses 13 and on, it says this. Therefore, let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide. By the way, the scripture speaks about two different kinds of judgment. There's a right kind of judgment that Christians should actually exercise. Matthew chapter 7, but this is the wrong kind of judgment. Rather decide never to put a stumbling block or a hindrance in the way of a brother. I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself, but it is unclean for anyone who thinks it unclean.
For if your brother is grieved by what you eat, you are no longer walking in love by what you by what you eat, do not destroy the one for whom Christ died. So do not let what you regard as good be spoken of as evil. For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Whoever thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men. So then let us pursue what makes for peace and mutual upbuilding. Now if you're here and you're one of the hyper theological police, you might struggle with what I'm saying here.
I am not saying that we be so thankful that we let people be mired in their shallowess. Not at all. We need to keep people grow, keep ourselves growing and keep others growing in the Lord. Absolutely. But what I'm saying is there needs to be a proper biblical balance where we also give thanks and rejoice at God's work there. This is what Paul did. And I know for me at least it's an area I need to grow in. And so I was convicted by that. He is thankful and so should we be. But wait, there's more. It's also reason for prayer.
Look at verses 11 to13. This is here a a pastoral prayer that he gives for them. He's telling them how he's praying for them. It's eerily similar to a benediction of sorts. It's the the the little phrase in the ESV. It's now may. That's how it starts there in verse 11. Now may our God and father. That little phrase now may is in the aist tense. It's giving this picture of something that's a desire, a hope, a wish. Now that's not the same as wishing upon a star.
All Paul's desire here is based on the character of God. So this is a certain hope he has a certain desire he has for them. And what is it now? May our God and father himself and our Lord Jesus direct our way to you. Again, this is basically putting in prayer form his rhetorical question in verses 9 and 10. He wants to see them face to face. And so he's praying, "Lord, would you direct our path to be able to go back and see them again?" He loves them. He wants to be with them again.
And then he says this, "And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all." Who is it that makes us who is who is it that causes us to grow? God. Now, you might say, "Well, I I I have a part in it." Should you read your Bible? Does reading your Bible help you grow? Absolutely. Does fellowshipping with the saints Sunday after Sunday and through the week, does that help you grow? Absolutely. Does prayer help you grow? Absolutely.
But who ultimately brings the growth? It is God. May the Lord make you grow. We see the Lord make us do a lot of things in scripture. Psalm 23, the Lord makes us lie down in green pastures. There's times if you are of a prideful sort and you go, "Well, if I don't do it, no one's going to do it, so I'm going to be going 100 miles an hour." God will sometimes make you lie down. And here, he makes us grow.
There's a lot of places where we see this in scripture. Let me take you to just a few. Go with me to 1 Corinthians chapter 3. 1 Corinthians 3:es 6 and 7. We see this. I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything but only God who gives the growth. God produces growth. We are called to teach and instruct as pastors and elders, but the growth in your life is a result of God's work in you.
This is what scripture says. Galatians 2:20, famous verse. You may have it on a coffee cup. Actually, just for giggles, how many of you have Galatians 2:20 on a coffee cup at home or a sign in your home? Nobody. Are you guys even Christian? I'm just kidding. Anyways, it's a common verse. People memorize it all the time. And it's there's a reason why we memorize it. Listen what Listen what we read here. I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live but Christ who lives in me.
So who's living a Christian life? Christ is living a Christian life. And I am living my Christian life. That's what it says. It is no longer I who live but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh. I live by faith in the son of God who loved me and gave himself for me. Christ lives our Christian life and we live our Christian life. But it's ultimately he who is the bedrock. Philippians 2:20 talks about it is God who works in us according to his will. 2:20 Philippians 2:12 and 13, pardon me.
This is a great way to pray for the saints here in verse verse 12 of our text. May the Lord make these saints increase and abound in love for one another and for all. That's Galatians 6:10 language. Galatians 6:10, it says, "Do good to all, but especially to those of the household of faith." So here he's praying that they would have an abounding love, an increasing. Now notice he says increase. That means to say that the Thessalonians have love for one another. They have love for God.
He's asking that that would just increase all the more. They have evidence that they are in the Lord. They've clearly shown by their life that they are in Christ. It wasn't just lip service. No, no, they're in Christ. Their life evidences they have love. And he's prayed they would increase. They would abound in love for one another and for all. Why? So that he may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before God our father. Leon Morris in his commentary said this.
Paul is saying that our whole personality is established on a firm foundation only when there is the basis of abundant love. The self-centered person at best will have an element of weakness and instability. But where anyone has learned to love the Lord his God with all his heart and his neighbor as himself, then he has a firm foundation for life. And so here we want to be established in the love of God that he might establish our hearts blameless. By the way, blameless is not the same as sinless.
Job was blameless and upright, a man who feared God and shunned evil. Was Job sinless? No. All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. But you can be blameless as you pursue holiness. Those two things go together. Holiness is to be set apart unto the Lord. And the holier we grow in truth, the more we will grow in blamelessness. Now, no one will claim to be blameless. I trust that no one here would claim to be blameless.
I I certainly wouldn't, but it wasn't. And Job didn't claim to be blameless. God said it of Job. Here he is, man. Blameless. But what do we what do we know about blamelessness? It is to say that I am living with such integrity of heart before God that no accusation can be leveled against me that's valid. Well, people might still try to level accusations, but it's not true before God. This is not true because I am living with God-honoring integrity.
Now, positionally, the believer one who's in Christ positionally is made holy. You are set apart unto the Lord. And the rest of your days according to the scriptures, you are called by God to pursue practical holiness, day-to-day holiness in our lives. That is what the word of God tells us. Why? It is the number one attribute of God. It is the overarching attribute of all other attributes of God. What does Isaiah 6:3 say? But when the the angels are there in the temple, they say, "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty."
It's the, as RC Sproul pointed out well before his passing, it is the only attribute of God that is given in the superlative three times. Holy, holy, holy. It's it's actually said multiple times in scripture. Holy, holy, holy. Our God is alltogether. So every other attribute is based on his holiness. His love is a holy love. His wrath is a holy wrath. His justice is a holy justice. Everything about him is holy. And so we are called to be holy, to pursue holiness.
Because remember as Hebrews 12 says, without holiness, no one will see the Lord. Now the good news for us, and you might say, oh man, I feel so altogether unholy. If I was to ask for a show of hands on this one, I imagine a lot would go up. Kevin de Kevin D. Young has a really good book called The Hole in Our Holiness. And in that book, he says, "The holier you get, the less holy you feel." Because the as you grow in the Lord, you become more and more keenly aware of how you're dishonoring God because you love him so much more and you realize your shortcomings and your and your failings.
And so all of us here might say, "Oh man, I am so far from being holy." But there's good news for us, friends. Romans 8, listen to what we read. And we know that for those who love God, all things work together for good. For those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he forneew, he also predestined to be what? Conformed to the image of his son. God's going to make his people more and more like Jesus.
This is what the scripture tells us. He is going to do that. So that person who says, "I've prayed the prayer. Now I can live however I want." Not according to scripture. That person at least at the very least has a very poor understanding of the gospel. At worst, they're not saved. God is going to grow the Christian. And one of the main ways he's going to grow them is in their holiness.
And as we're going to see when we get into first Thessalonians 4, tied to that very closely is our sanctification. He is going to continue to grow. And that's a work that God does. Praise God for that, folks. If the spirit of God abides in you, he's going to do this. And Paul's praying here. He's praying, "Oh Lord, would you increase their love for you and for one another? Make it abound so that the Lord would establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.
This is gloriously good news. He's coming with all his saints, which speaks to a pre-trip rapture. But I digress. Pretty clear there, but whatever. But we need to be ready when he comes. That's the the reality. We need to be ready when he comes that we be found blameless in holiness as he comes. Matthew chapter 25, if you read the first 30 verses of Matthew 25, you can read that on your own.
I'll I'll give it to you to think about. There we read a couple of parables that Jesus gives about the importance of being ready because the Lord could return at any time. Are you ready to meet the Lord? Will you be found blameless in holiness at his coming? That's what Paul's desire for the Thessalonians was. Which by the way reminds us by this very statement. What did Paul believe? Paul believed that the Lord Jesus could return any moment. His desire for these Thessalonian believers was that they would be found blameless in holiness when the Lord comes.
We're 2,000 years later. Paul was convinced that Jesus was coming right now. And there are some in our world today that are convinced based on all the world events. He's coming right now. He might. Paul was convinced here, too. It's not up for us to know the days, the times, or even the seasons. The Lord knows that. We don't have to fret. Don't spend your time trying to figure out when he's coming. Spend your time being blameless in holiness. That praying that the go that God will establish your hearts.
That's the work you need to be about, not trying to figure out calendars and timelines. Be be about the sanctifying work of God in our lives. This is how Paul loved them. He was eager for them. This makes for a healthy church. When we love one another this way, when we care for one another in this way, can you imagine with me a parent? Those of you who are Ms and dads here, you could probably put yourself in this scenario. If you've ever been a parent, imagine a parent constantly criticizing their child, never finding anything praiseworthy, never nothing to thank God for.
Even in those moments, in those lovely teenage years, we just you just nope. Nope. There's nothing praiseworthy. Everything's negative. Nothing to find good in, always tearing them down, never concerned for their growth, doing nothing to help them grow in any way, not giving them food, not giving them clothing, not helping them learn basics of life, doing nothing. What would we do with that parent? We would be appalled at the utter neglect that this parent is showing toward their children.
This is an atrocious parent. In the same way, we should be appalled if we, the church, would ever treat one another that way. Rather, we should be like the Apostle Paul here, who is quick to give thanks to God for whatever work God's doing in the hearts of one another. That we rejoice in that, that we give thanks to one another, that we abound and increase in love for God and love for our saint, our fellow saint, that we would seek to supply what is lacking in the faith of our fellow brother or sister with a sense of joyful thanksgiving and that we would do so all for the glory of God.
That's what makes for a strong, healthy family. And by God's grace, I'm so thankful to say when I look out upon this family that I love so dearly, that's happening in large measure in our church. And I'm so grateful for that. So press on in that. Keep going. Let us continue in this way that God would be pleased because one day we will all cast our crowns at the feet of Jesus. And wouldn't it be great when we do that that he would say, "Well done, good and faithful servant. You served me well. Enter into the joy of your master.
Oh, what a day that'll be. And so God, I pray that you would give us such a heart, that we would be thankful people, that we would be joyful saints, that we would rejoice in the good news that you were doing in our hearts, that we would not be grumbling or complaining, but rather that we would find it see fitting, God, to come before you with with great joy. Lord, help us to supply what is lacking in the faith of one another with humility, with a dependence upon you.
May we increase and abound in love more and more. And may you anchor us and establish us in your character such that we would be blameless in holiness at the coming of our Lord Jesus. And so, Father, would you continue by your spirit to sanctify us in these ways? And so with great thanksgiving and joy, we say, "Thank you, Jesus, that you're always at work." We pray these things in his precious name. Amen.
Transcribed automatically from YouTube captions, so names and words may be misheard.
