May 29, 2022
The Fruit From "Ministry Done Well"
1 Thessalonians 3:5-13

TITLE: The Fruit From Ministry Done Well
INTRO

• Acts 16 & 17
• 49-52 AD
• Paul and Barnabas separate over John Mark leaving on the first missionary journey.
• Paul joins with Silas and shortly after you man Timothy.
• Macedonian Dream “Come over to Macedonia and help us.”
• In Philippi, Paul and Silas were arrested, stripped of clothes, beat with rods, chained up, feet were stocked up, and put in the dungeon part of the prison.
  • Singing, earthquake, prison doors opened, didn’t leave.
  • Jailer saved.
• Released and went to Thessalonica where their persecution continued.
• There three weeks it would seems and they were persecuted out of there.
• 1 Thessalonians written some time afterwards.

READ: 1 Thessalonians 2:17-3:13
PRAY

• McGee said, “Trouble is the acid that tests the genuineness of the coin of belief.” (McGee, 5:388)
• Persecution is an absolute for the early church.
• Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy had warned the Thessalonians that they would suffer persecution. And they had heard that they indeed were suffering greatly. As we remember these things we continue today in our passage, Look at verse 5.

5 For this reason [the persecutions of the church at Thessalonica], when I could bear it no longer, I sent to learn about your faith, for fear that somehow the tempter had tempted you and our labor would be in vain.

• Faith is THE variable that counts in suffering.
  • If faith in the work is lost, useless is the work.
  • WHY = wouldn’t have been genuine
• FAITH HAS AN ENEMY … LOOK AGAIN at v. 5b, “for fear that somehow the tempter had tempted you and our labor would be in vain.”

  • Wiersbe wrote, "When Satan tempted Eve, he began by weakening her faith in God: ‘Yea, hath God said?’ (Gen. 3:1). As a serpent, Satan deceives …; as a lion, he devours … He will use any means to attack the Christian and weaken his faith in God. (715)

• Losing to the enemy has consequences:
  • Vain Labor = empty handed, without a gift, metaph. destitute of spiritual value.
  • Empty handed labor or spiritual work.
  • A. lit: our “beating” would be in vain
  • B. intense labor united with trouble and toil

APPLICATION (several points)

• All of us will face the common temptations of not standing on the promises of God in the heated moments, the tough ones.
• The “eroder” of faith, the great Tempter is always looking to undercut our confidence in God.
• The players are not going to change: God, “discipler,” “disciplee,” and the arch enemy of everything good.

TRANSITION
We have seen what kind of language Paul used to express his deep concern and care for the church of the Thessalonians. We’ve seen his concern of the potential of the enemy’s work of undermining the missionaries’ endeavoring. Now let’s look at how the church’s faith and love became fruit for God’s kingdom. Let’s now look at the great news!

6 But now that Timothy has come to us from you, and has brought us the good news of your faith and love …

• The phrase “brought us the good news” is the exact equivalent of “preaching the good news of the gospel.” (cf., Wiersbe, 715)
• Sanctification = is part of the good news.
• To the lost: “You need to have faith in Jesus!” = gospel
• To the Christian: “You need to have continual faith in Jesus!” = gospel
• Words of life from God! Those are gospel words.

7 for this reason , brothers, in all our distress and affliction we have been comforted about you through your faith.

1. COMFORT > comfort to the missionary team.
   • Their own persecution nor of the church distress them
   • They were distressed over wondering what the church’s response to suffering was.
2. LIFE > 8 For now we live, if you are standing fast in the Lord.
   • Godly responses to life breath life in the lives of others. .
   • but “if” = conditional!
   • Non-committed Believers vs. those willing to suffer
3. THANKSGIVING TO GOD > 9a For what thanksgiving can we return to God for you,
4. JOY > 9b for all the joy that we feel for your sake before our God,
5. PRAYER > 10 as we pray most earnestly night and day that we may see you face to face and supply what is lacking in your faith?
6. FAITH STRENGTHENING TO THE CHURCH > lacking = imperfections (Hart) = ὑστέρημα (5303) deficiency.

APPLICATION

• If you are suffering in some way—Don’t give up! Hang on to Jesus and take advantage of the spiritual resource that is within you, namely the Holy Spirit. The Wonderful Counselor, The Helper. God Almighty.
• If suffering is coming, we can endure!
• Comfort - Life - Thanksgiving - Joy - Prayer - Faith
• Until we look like Jesus we have work to do.

TRANSITION
We see what life the church’s testimony brought to the ministry team. We see his care and concern. Now lets look as Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy turned the church’s attention to the greatest Christian virtue.

11 Now may our God and Father himself, and our Lord Jesus, direct our way to you, 12 and may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, as we do for you,

• Direct our way back to the Thessalonians.
• may the Lord make you increase or lit: superabound AND abound or lit: exceed in love for one another.
• Paul and company make sure they spell out growth in love ought to be at the forefront of the church.
  • One another
    • If our love is not growing for each other we are not growing in Christ towards people.
  • For all
    • the general population; our love for Christ is not glowing.
    • EVEN for their persecutors!
  • KIND AND QUALITY = “as we do for you”

ILLUSTRATION

Corrie Ten Boom and her family resisted the Nazis by hiding Jews in their home. They were ultimately discovered and sent to a concentration camp. Corrie barely survived until the end of the war; her family members died in captivity. … Corrie’s faith in God also survived, and she spent much of her time in the post-war years traveling in Germany and elsewhere in Europe, sharing her faith in Christ. ¶ On one occasion in 1947, while speaking in a church in Munich, she noticed a … man in a gray overcoat near the rear of the basement room. She had been speaking on the subject of God’s forgiveness, but her heart froze within her when she recognized the man. She could [easily] picture him … in his blue Nazi uniform … . [He] was the cruelest of the guards at the Ravensbruck [the concentration camp] … where Corrie had suffered the most horrible indignities … . … [At] the end of her talk, he [approached her] … with his hand thrust out [, and said,] “Thank you for your fine message,” … “How wonderful it is to know that all our sins are at the bottom of the sea!” ¶ Yes, Corrie had said that. She had spoken so easily of God’s forgiveness, but here was a man whom she despised and condemned with every fiber of her being. She couldn’t take his hand! She couldn’t extend forgiveness to this Nazi oppressor! She realized that this man didn’t remember her—how could he remember one prisoner among thousands? ¶ “You mentioned Ravensbruck,” the man continued, his hand still extended. “I was a guard there. I’m ashamed to admit it, but it’s true. But since then, I’ve come to know Jesus as my Lord and Savior. It has been hard for me to forgive myself for all the cruel things I did but I know that God has forgiven me. And please, if you would, I would like to hear from your lips too that God has forgiven me.” And Corrie recorded her response in her book: ¶ ‘I stood there—I whose sins had again and again been forgiven—and could not forgive. It could not have been many seconds that he stood there—hand held out—but to me it seemed hours as I wrestled with the most difficult thing I had ever had to do. For I had to do it. I knew that. It was as simple and as horrible as that. And still I stood there with the coldness clutching my heart. And so, woodenly, mechanically, I thrust my hand into the one stretched out to me. ¶ And as I did, an incredible thing took place. The current started in my shoulder, raced down my arm, and sprang into our joined hands. And then this healing warmth seemed to flood my whole being, bringing tears to my eyes. “I forgive you, brother,” I cried. “With all my heart!” ¶ For a long moment we grasped each other’s hands, the former guard and the former prisoner. I had never known God’s love so intensely as I did then.’ (Boom)

SECTION GOALS
Deepen Character
- Christian faith (Christ like faith)
- Christian love (Christ like love)
- Faith and love must walk hand in hand. These are the two greatest virtues.
Practical Application
- Don’t focus on the problems brought to you by people > focus on faith.
- Don’t focus on the problems of people > focus on love.

For what purpose: 13 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.

• so that HE MAY establish your hearts blameless in holiness
  • before God
  • when - at the coming of the Lord
• With a life lived in love, one’s life is kept blameless.

• To the Thessalonians the Christian faith had brought not peace but trouble. Their new-found loyalty had involved them in persecution. Paul’s method of encouraging them is very interesting. It is in effect to say to them,
  “Brothers, we are treading where the saints have trod.” (Barclay, “Daily Study …”)

APPLICATION

• Our faith has a cost associated to it.
• Our faith has a reward associated to it.

• Oh, blessed “later”! Who would not be a Christian? Who would not bear the present cross for the crown that comes afterwards? But here is work for patience, for the rest is not for today, nor the triumph for the present, but “later.” Wait, my soul, and let patience have her perfect work. (Spurgeon)

Works Cited

Bible Passages:

• Scripture quotations [unless otherwise noted] are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), Copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
• Scripture marked “CV” are from The Concordant Literal New Testament. 1983 version, Concordant Publishing Concern. All rights reserved. Click here for the OT. Click here for the NT.
• Scripture marked “Hart” are from David Bentley Hart. The New Testament: A Translation. Yale University Press, 2017. All rights reserved.

Barclay, William. “William Barclay’s Daily Study Bible” [NT]. “1 Thessalonians 2,” https://bibleportal.com/commentary/chapter/william-barclay/1+thessalonians/2.

Boom, Corrie Ten. The Hiding Place. Bantam Books, Reissue edition, 1974, pg. unknown. As quoted by Ministry127, https://www.ministry127.com/resources/illustration/love-forgives.

Exell, Joseph. The Biblical Illustrator. Baker Publishing Group, 1978. Sourced from Bible Portal, 2 Thessalonians 2, https://bibleportal.com/commentary/chapter/the-biblical-illustrator/1+thessalonians/2.

Hart, David Bentley. Amazon Book Promo. Accessed May 20, 2022, https://www.amazon.com/New-Testament-David-Bentley-Hart/dp/0300186096.

McGee, J. Vernon. Thru the Bible with J. Vernon McGee. 5 vols. Pasadena, Calif.: Thru The Bible Radio; and Nashville: Thomas Nelson, Inc., 1983. As quoted in Thomas Constable. "Notes on 1 Thessalonians.” 2022 ed., https://planobiblechapel.org/tcon/notes/pdf/1thessalonians.pdf.

Ryrie, Charles C. Balancing the Christian Life. Moody Publishers, 1969, pg. unknown.

Spurgeon, Charles. “Later.” Devotional material is taken from Morning and Evening, written by C. H. Spurgeon, revised and updated by Alistair Begg. Copyright © 2003, Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers, Wheaton, IL 60187, www.crossway.org. Used by Truth For Life with written permission. Source, https://www.truthforlife.org/devotionals/spurgeon/5/18/2022/

Wiersbe, Warren. The Wiersbe Bible Commentary: NT. Colorado Springs, CO: David C. Cook, 2007.

Note

¹ See Blue Letter Bible. 1 Thessalonians 2:1-20 Interlinear, https://www.blueletterbible.org/tools/interlinear/tr/1th/2/1-20/