God's Favorite Word--
1st Thessalonians 3: 1-4:8
1. The Despair of a Servant!
A) The Absence that Grieved His Heart
B) The Adversity that Gripped His Heart
1. The Force He Identified
2. The Foe He Introduced
2. The Desire of a Shepherd!
A) A Strong Faith
B) A Sweet Fellowship
C) A Sure Future
3. The Duty of a Saint!
A) The Walk that Depicts a Holy Life
B) The Will that Demands a Holy Life
1) A Life Committed to God
2) A Life Clean before God
The average person knows 10,000 words and uses 5,000 in everyday speech. A journalist knows approximately 15,000 and uses around 10,000. Women possess about 25,000 words in their vocabulary, to use every day; and, men possess around 10-15,000 words in their vocabulary.
Someone has said that:
Did is a word of achievement,
Won't is a word of retreat,
Might is a word of bereavement,
Can't is a word of defeat,
Ought is a word of duty,
Try is a word each hour,
Will is a word of beauty,
Can is a word of power.
In Webster's 1971 Unabridged Dictionary there were a total of 450,000 words in the English vocabulary. According to the 2004 Encyclopedia Americana there are now 800,000 words in the English vocabulary, 300,000 of which are technical terms. [1] The 10 most common words are "the, of, to, and, a, in, is, it, you and that." [2]
God, who is the giver of all words and vocabularies, has a few choice words of His own. In fact, from this section of Paul's letter we learn that God's favorite word is "Holy."
In order to uncover the theme of this section, we must begin at chapter 3 where we find, first of all:
1. The DESPAIR of a SERVANT!
It is no secret that the apostle Paul possessed a deep love for these Thessalonian believers. Twice in this division, in verses 3 and 5, he expressed that "he could no longer forbear." Thus, he sent his young protege Timothy to check on them.
As we glean from the passion, we discover 2 things that added to Paul's despair beginning with:
A) The ABSENCE that GRIEVED His Heart!
Paul identifies, in verse 1, that he was "at Athens." He was about ready to travel further south into Corinth, but his heart was up north in Thessalonica. He knew where he was, but he also knew where he wanted to be. He wanted to be with the fellowship at Thessalonica, because, spiritually speaking, they were his baby.
His heart pined for them, so much so that he describes his absence as being "left at Athens alone." The word "left" is the Greek word kataleipo and it is used to describe what happens when parents die leaving their children as orphans. It speaks of desolation. In other words, Paul felt abandoned because he was not able to be with the people He deeply loved.
If the old adage is true that "Absence makes the heart grow fonder;" then, Paul's heart was filled with deep fondness for the Thessalonians, because absence had grieved his heart with feelings of isolation and desolation.
However, he not only mentions the absence that grieved his heart, but:
B) The ADVERSITY that GRIPPED His Heart!
As you well know, Paul was no stranger to adversity. He knew first-hand what it meant to struggle, strain, strive and suffer for the cause of Christ. He describes this adversity by the force he identifies. In verse 3, he refers to these adversities as "afflictions." The word is better rendered "pressure," and speaks of the forces that come upon us. In other words, Paul found himself between a "rock and a hard place."
His prayer was "That no man should be moved by these afflictions." The word "moved" literally means, "to wag the tail." The idea is that these afflictions and adversities would pose the threat of leading these believers away and astray from the things of God.
As believers, adversity and affliction are not foreign to us. In fact, they are but a normal part of the Christian life. The Christian life is not a frolic, but a fight. The Christian life is not a rest, but a race. The Christian life is not a moment, but a marathon.
Like these believers, if we're not careful, if we are grounded in our faith, then adversity can often "wag the tail" and defeat us, disillusion us and discourage us. C. T. Studd said, "Mere soul saving is easy. What is difficult is making those converts into soldiers, saints and soul-winners." [3]
I believe that we often run of the risk of leading people to believe that if they will give their life to Christ then all of their problems will disappear. The truth of the matter is that our "real" problems really don't start until after we become a Christian. As John Stott said, "Perhaps the best way to protect people from being upset by tribulation is to remind them that it is a necessary part of our Christian vocation."
Paul reminds them, in verse 3, that when it came to their afflictions,"for yourselves know that we are appointed thereunto." In other words, these afflictions were ordained of God.
He reminds them in verse 4, "when we were with you, we told you before that we should suffer tribulation; even as it came to pass, and ye know." In other words, troubles and trials should not come as a shock to them. God designed them, God developed them, and God destined them to be a part of their Christian walk.
We need to remember as well that adversity is a part of God's plan not to break us, but to bless us; not to hurt us, but to help us; not to crush us, but to conform us. As Paul stated in Philippians 1: 29, "It is given on the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on Him, but also to suffer for His sake."
Contrary to modern theology, as well as the popular preaching of the day, the Christian life is not a Sunday school picnic nor is it one big spiritual Disneyland. In fact, it was never intended to be, because following Jesus is not an easy alternative to life.
It is not a matter of "if" adversity comes, but "when" adversity comes. We cannot avoid it, alleviate it, escape it or excuse it. It will come, and when it does, we can either give up or look up and realize that it is all a part of God's plan to "conform us into the image of Christ."
Next, these adversities did not only include the force he identifies, but the foe he introduces. Paul unmasks the culprit in verse 5 by his statement, "the tempter have tempted you." The word "tempted" means, "proven, tried, or tested." However, it has no reference here to God, because the connotation of the temptation is an evil one.
The idea of the word "tempted" is that of a solicitation to evil, and unmasks the devil's wicked ambitions. [4] The Lord tests us to advance and push us on; however, the devil tempts us to annilihate and push us down.
It must be noted that Paul describes the "tempter" as uses various strategies to hinder us. The idea is set forth in the phrase, in verse 5, "lest by some means the tempter have tempted you." The phrase "lest by some means," is rendered "lest by any means" in 3 other texts.
Paul is saying that the "tempter" is not a respect of person or procedures. He will use anything, and everything he can to bring us down and draw us away from a right standing with God.
I have found, personally, that the things Satan once used to tempt me aren't that effective any more, but that in no way means that he has let up on his attack. Just because what he used to use isn't as effective as it used to be, he has resorted to other means, and measures to tempt me.
Billy Graham ( yes I said Billy Graham) tells a story of a boxer who was engaged in a boxing match and was being badly beaten. Battered and bruised, he leaned over the ropes and said to his trainer, "Please throw in the towel! This guy is killing me!" The trainer said, "Oh no, he's not. He's not even hitting you. He hasn't laid a glove on you!" And the boxer looked at him through swollen eyes and said, "Well then, I wish you'd watch that referee-somebody is sure hitting me!"
If we set out to serve the Lord, we can rest assured that the enemy is going to hit us with all he's got. That is why we must "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour." (1 Peter 5:8)
Secondly, I want us to consider, not only the despair of a servant, but:
2. The DESIRE of a SHEPHERD!
As I have already mentioned, Paul was in Athens, about to head south to Corinth, when he sends Timothy to Thessalonica to check on the progress of the church. He sits down and writes a letter, for Timothy to deliver to them, and in the body of the letter he outlines the desire the shepherd has for his sheep. First of all, his desire was that they develop:
A) A STRONG FAITH!
He says to them in verse 5, "For this cause, when I could no longer forbear, I sent to know your faith, lest by some means the tempter have tempted you, and our labour be in vain."
In verse 6, Timothy came back with his report and "brought us good tidings of your faith and charity." Paul outlines his desire in verse 10 by saying that he wanted to "perfect that which is lacking in your faith."
The word "faith" that he uses is the Greek word pistis. The word speaks of not just a mere intellectualism, but rather a spiritual belief system. It depicts a God-given ability to have confidence in, and commitment to the Word of God. E. W. Bullinger refers to faith as "A living, divinely implanted principle."
In other words, Paul wanted these believers to know what they believed, as well as why they believed it. He wanted them to be rooted and grounded in the things of God. He wanted to them to plant their roots deep within the rich soil of the truth of God.
According to 2 Timothy 3: 16 God has given us His "inspired" Word because it is "profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works. "
I love H. A. Ironside's commentary of the verse; "Doctrine tells us what is right, reproof tells us what is not right, correction tells us how to get right, and instruction tells us how to stay right." [5]
As believers we should seek to make daily progress in our faith. We should seek, as Jude says, to "build up yourselves on your most holy faith." We must not seek what man has to say, but what God has to say. We must settle for a cheap imitation, but we must strive to know the real thing.
Sadly enough, many Christians only believe what their grandparents, their parents, their pastor, or their church believes. They have not mined into the truths of God's Word to discover for themselves what "thus saith the Lord."
As the minister, I will do my best, every service, to be prepared to properly expound the scripture to you. However, I do not want you to base your theology upon my word, but upon God's word. If you will develop a consistent regimen, and work out with God's Word you will develop a strong faith.
Paul desires for them to not only have a strong faith, but:
B) A SWEET FELLOWSHIP!
In verse 6, he makes reference to Timothy's report of "good tidings of your faith and charity." It's interesting how Paul links the two together. He speaks of their strong faith and their sweet fellowship. In other words, because they love the Word of God they were able to love the people of God.
I love the King James word for love, "charity." The Greek word is agape, and it indicates kindness and favor. Of course, it is kindness and favor that originates with God and then is manifested to others through His people.
Throughout the scriptures, where we find the attribute of "faith" we will find the attitude of "love" not far behind. As one writer said, "Faith and love go together, grow together and flow together."
In verse 12, Paul reminds them of their responsibility to "increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men, even as we do toward you." In other words, as they grew closer to God, in their faith, they would grow closer to one another, in their love.
Can I put it this way? If our faith is true, then our love will be too! If we establish our faith in the Word of God we will automatically express our love for the people of God. It is impossible for me to love God and hate the person seated next to me. Again, where there is a strong faith there will be a sweet fellowship, because we have:
C) A SURE FUTURE!
In the previous chapter, Paul made reference to the paraousia, or the "coming of the Lord Jesus Christ." He once again reminds these saints of their sure future by saying, in verse 13, "To the end he may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints."
In verse 12, the reference is to "the Lord," which speaks of the Holy Spirit. "Our Lord," in verse 13, speaks of the return of the Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, we find the ONLY prayer, in the New Testament, that is addressed to the Holy Spirit.
What is Paul praying? He is praying that these will maintain a strong faith and a sweet fellowship because, one day, Christ will manifest their sure future. He prays that their hearts with be "stablished" and "unblameable in holiness before God."
This leads us to consider the major emphasis of the section, which is, not only the despair of a servant and the desire of a shepherd, but:
3. The DUTY of a SAINT!
What was Paul's prayer for the saints? Again, that they would so continue in their faith that, one day, they would be presented "before God" with "hearts unblameable in holiness."
Chapter 4 picks up on the very same subject matter. In other words, Paul emphasizes that living a holy life is the duty of every saint. He speaks of:
A) The WALK that DEPICTS a Holy Life!
We read in 4:1, "Furthermore then we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so ye would abound more and more."
In other words, as Christians we should not only get in but GO ON. We should not just show up, but we must learn to GROW UP! We should not only pursue the things of God, but we should make progress in the things of God.
In verses 4-8, he depicts the walk, and lifestyle of holiness. "That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour; 5 Not in the lust of concupiscence, even as the Gentiles which know not God: 6 That no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter: because that the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also have forewarned you and testified. 7 For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness. 8 He therefore that despiseth, despiseth not man, but God, who hath also given unto us his holy Spirit."
He speaks of the Christian lifestyle as being opposite of the lifestyle of those who do not know God. As indicated in verse 4, a lost person lives after the "lust of concupiscence," or after the flesh. However, a Christian is to live his life in "sanctification and honour."
I think of Athanasius, early bishop of Alexandria, who stoutly opposed the teachings of Arius, who declared that Christ was not the eternal Son of God, but a subordinate being. Hounded through five exiles, he was finally summoned before emperor Theodosius, who demanded he cease his opposition to Arius. The emperor reproved him and asked, "Do you not realize that the entire world is against you?" Athanasius quickly answered, "Then I am against the entire world."
As believers, we are to be for whatever God is for, and against whatever God is against. Our lives should be marked by distinction, devotion and dedication "walk and please God, so ye would abound more and more."
Finally, we not only see the walk that depicts a holy life, but:
B) The WILL that DEMANDS a Holy Life!
Notice verse 3. "For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication." Did you see that? Paul says that God's will for every believer is that they be a separated believer, a special believer and a sanctified believer. It is the will of God that we live holy lives.
What does it mean to be sanctified? A hint is given in verse 7. The word "holiness," in verse 7, and the word รข€˜sanctification," in verse 3 are the same word. Thus, when the Bible speaks of sanctification it is speaking of the matter of holiness.
It depicts, and demands that we live a life committed to God. A Sunday school teacher was describing how Lot's wife looked back and turned into a pillar of salt. One little fellow spoke up and said, "My mother looked back once, while she was driving, and she turned into a telephone pole."
The simplest way I know to describe sanctification/holiness is that we turn our backs on the world, the flesh and the devil and turn our lives over to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. We give Him the supreme place in our lives, our love, our labor and our loyalty. We turn our back on anything, and everything that is not pleasing to God.
When that happens, a life committed to God will become a life clean before God. In verse 3, we are commanded to "abstain from fornication;" because, in verse 7, "God hath called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness." The root word for "uncleanness" is used to describe the "unclean" spirits cast out by the Lord Jesus.
In Paul's epistles, the word is associated with sins of adultery, fornication, lasciviousness, greed, covetousness, and idolatry. Uncleanness cannot be separated from the sphere of impurity.
Paul is saying that this is not the sphere to which we have been "called" to operate. We have been "called," or summoned out of the sphere of darkness into the sphere of light. We have been "called" out of the realm of hellishness into the realm of holiness. In other words, we are IN this world, but we are not OF this world. Thus, we must not become "conformed" but "transformed' from the things of the world.
Furthermore, God is very serious about the matter of holiness among His people. So serious that Paul says, in verse 8, that anyone that "despiseth," this word "despiseth not man, but God, who hath also given unto us his holy Spirit." Simply put, God wants His people to be happy and healthy; but, most of all, He wants us to be HOLY! Holy is God's 4-letter word for the lives of His people.
In the forests of northern Europe and Asia lives a little animal called the ermine, known for his snow-white fur in winter. He instinctively protects his white coat against anything that would soil it.
Fur hunters take advantage of this unusual trait of the ermine. They don't set a snare to catch him, but instead they find his home, which is usually a cleft in a rock or a hollow in an old tree. They smear the entrance and interior with grime. Then the hunters set their dogs loose to find and chase the ermine.
The frightened animal flees toward home but doesn't enter because of the filth. Rather than soil his white coat, he is trapped by the dogs and captured while preserving his purity. For the ermine, purity is more precious than life.
After ordaining young Dan Edwards as a missionary to the Jews, Robert Murray McCheyne wrote a note to him that read, "Remember you are God's sword,”His instrument,”I trust a chosen vessel unto Him to bear His name. In great measure, according to the purity and perfections of the instrument, will be the success. It is not great talents God blesses as much as great likeness to Jesus. A holy minister is an awful weapon in the hand of God.'"
Someone has said that every Christian has 4 names: believer, for his faith; brother, for his love; disciple, for his commitment; and, saint, for his holiness. Are you living up to your name? If you are a Christian God has one word for you, and it consists of 4 letters: His favorite word-------------H--O--L--Y!
