A Parent’s Hope 1 Thessalonians 2:17-20

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Those of you who are parents, parent figures or hope to be parents, to have kids one day, what is the hope you have for your children? Whether yours personally or figuratively.

I believe every one of us desires that our children grow and mature, building a deep relationship of love and respect with us. We want them to mature, be productive and even have kids of their own that will go on to do the same.  I talk to many parents who desires that their children do better than they did, financially, physically, maturity, socially and education-ally. Every one of us has hopes for those we love and care for. Even as a pastor I have these hopes for those who come along side me in the ministry. They become my kids, spiritually, which I want to see grow in Christ in relationship, in faith and in love. To be used greatly by God for His kingdom.

This is the hope Paul had for the believers in Thessalonica. In the beginning of this letter to them he had given an extensive defense of his ministry. He reminded them of how he and his companions had conducted themselves before them. How they loved and invested themselves into the lives of these new believers. He even answers some of the accusations his enemies were making against him.  It seems these enemies even went so far as to say Paul did not care about them, that is why he never came back to see them again, that he had gotten all he wanted from them would be the accusation. So, Paul writes to tell them why he has not been able to return and reaffirm his love for them again. Vs 17 Paul begins this verse with a ‘But’ because he wants to show the contrast between him and those in the previous verses who would do anything they could to keep others from hearing the gospel. Paul was willing to do all he could to proclaim the gospel and then help those who come to faith grow in that faith because of his love for them and for the Lord. Paul uses enduring terms here that reveal his feelings for these believers. He calls them brothers, making himself equal to them. He describes his having to leave them as if orphaned, forced to go, out of his control. As he was, Acts 17:10.

Soldier sent off to war away from their family. He felt cut off from them as a parent does from their family when they are torn away by circumstances or uncontrollable events or tragedies. He had hoped that his departure would only be temporary, never the less, it broke his heart to be dragged away from them. How do you feel when away from loved ones? Paul may have been away physically but his heart was still with them continually.

Many times he had tried to get back to see them again out of his longing for them. Even though his return would be dangerous, he desired to go. His enemies waited to pounce upon him there in the city if he did return. But he was still willing to risk it so he could help these loved ones grow in faith and love for the Lord.

Vs 18 What is God’s will for any believer, especially a new one? His will is that we grow in knowledge, understanding and relationship with Him. 2 Pet. 1:3-11

What is the goal of our enemy Satan for us? John 10:10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy;  The enemy’s desire is to destroy our relationship with God, keeping us from growing in maturity and faith. He will block and sidetrack our growth any way he can, even getting us so busy with other “important” things so we fail to take the time needed to grow in our relationship with Christ, as we should.  Tyranny of the urgent. He will use every resource available to him to do so. Eph. 2:1–2 As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins,  in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient.   This is exactly what he did to prevent Paul from getting back to see the folks in Thessalonica to help them grow in Christ. Acts 17:13   WWII allies bombing bridges. Paul says that Satan stopped him from going to see them. The word used for stopped refers to destroying the road ahead so to sidetrack or block the way, blowing up the road or bridges to stop the advance of an enemy upon one’s territory. Acts 17:13 When the Jews in Thessalonica learned that Paul was preaching the word of God at Berea, they went there too, agitating the crowds and stirring them up. They may also have threatened Jason and the others with him who posted bond that if Paul returned they would have to forfeit the money putting them in a financial bind. Paul loved them to much to do anything to hurt them.

God allowed this to happen for reasons we don’t know or understand. But be sure that God’s plan was not thwarted at all. God was not responsible for their actions in any way just as He is not responsible for the sin committed by any of His creatures but He permits them.   God has given mankind freewill and will not intervene when it becomes inconvenient for us. But He works to give us the perseverance and strength to get through those trials. James 1:2-4

God is growing us up in Christ through them. Paul realized this. Rom. 8:28–29 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. Paul had done all he could to see these beloved in the Lord but was not able to go. Vs 19-20 Paul’s deep love for these new believers comes through here; he gives a rhetorical question to show the intensity of his love for them. He asks what would be the greatest blessing he would have when he stood before the Lord at the judgment seat. It was them; they were everything that was worth anything to him. They were his hope, like the parent who desires to see their child grow in maturity, being productive and having a family of their own to do the same for. They were his joy, filling his life with light as he pondered where they had come from and what they had grown to be in the Lord, and then even what they could be for the Lord, by His grace upon them. They were his crown, the symbol of God’s blessing on his life and ministry, the evidence that God had called Paul to the task and blessed his obedience to it.  Things you give up as a parent for your children.  They were his glory and joy because all he had suffered was worth it to see them grow in Christ and be used by Him.  2 Cor. 3:2 You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everybody.

Paul made it clear that the Thessalonian believers were greatly loved and important to him, hopefully dispelling any thoughts of others that he didn’t care about them or what happened to them. When Timothy returned with the questions and concerns which Paul is addressing, Paul must have been over joyed at the thought of these folks carrying on even amongst the trials they were facing. He would have felt like John in 3 John 3–4 It gave me great joy to have some brothers come and tell about your faithfulness to the truth and how you continue to walk in the truth. I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.

I wonder what the people and Pastors who loved us in the faith and desired we grow would say about us today. Would they feel like Paul because we are the letter written on their hearts that we have been faithful to Christ no matter what?

Would we be a joy to them because of our desire to grow and be a blessing to others?

Are there others we have shared our faith with that will be a crown for us in heaven?

Have we allowed the enemy to sidetrack us from the ministry God has laid out for us because we chose not to persevere but give up?

Are we being sidetracked by what seems important so to be lacking in our growth in the Lord, spending time with Him daily in prayer and study of the Word?

My hope is that we are those children that have been torn away from our spiritual parents but still continued to grow anyway.

If we have the opportunity to be the spiritual parent to others I hope we will love them and invest in them as Paul did even through the disappointments and hurts.

Benediction: 2 Cor. 3:2–3 You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everybody. You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.

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Have you ever been told by someone you are going to go somewhere with them and it was not a place you really wanted to go? The person who was taking you felt like they were dragging you along kicking and screaming instead of accepting of where you were going. Let’s say someone tells you they are taking you to WashingtonDC and it is the last place you want to go, what would you do?  Now: Let’s say you get a personal invitation to go to WashingtonDC from the President, what would you do then? Would you feel special that the President had personally invited you to go there? If so, what is the difference between the 2 invitations you received?

Wouldn’t you feel special that the President had personally invited you while the other is just a regular person? The regular person was in a sense forcing you to do what they wanted, so you go kicking and screaming while the invitation came from a greater authority which made it more significant and acceptable.

Would the President have asked you personally or would he have sent someone to bring the invite?

Paul began this letter to the Thessalonian believers with great thankfulness to God for the way they had received the Gospel. He was full of joy for how God worked mightily in them by the power of the Holy Spirit to change their hearts and lives. He was even amazed that the work God was doing in them was being reported to him by others who didn’t even know them personally. 1:8-9.

They were reporting how God was changing these new believers.

In this next section Paul again gives thanks to God, not for how the message was received but how these people in Thessalonica had welcomed the Gospel, not as man’s word or opinion but as God’s own invitation to them to enter into eternal life with Him.

Vs 13 Paul praises God because these folks had welcomed his preaching with open hearts and glad spirits, not following kicking and screaming as he dragged them along.  They realized that he wasn’t bringing them some manmade philosophy or made up message but he was delivering an invitation from God. Paul and his companions were sent to the Thessalonian people as messengers from God with His very own words to them.

The Gospel, the good news of Jesus is not something man could make up. In fact if you were to look at all the other religions of the world you can see the very difference between Biblical Christianity and other religious attempts to get to God. When man tries to make their own way to God it always involves works. Man’s gospel is a works gospel which teaches people that they have to work and sacrifice in order to get good enough to be acceptable to God where as in the true Gospel God says that He knows we can not do it for ourselves so He came as a man, Jesus Christ, and accomplished for us what we could not.

Rom. 3:21-26  These new believers in Thessalonica were open to the witness of the Holy Spirit to them and felt the conviction He brought home to their hearts. They did not go kicking and screaming resisting what God wanted to do in them but went accepting.

I wonder at times if we realize that when we are out there witnessing for Christ we are not preaching man’s word or philosophy but God’s own words, announcing the truth of God as He revealed it to us in His word. When we speak God’s word we are speaking forth life changing power. This is why when the OT prophets proclaimed God’s word it was considered God’s Word and there is power in it going out. 1 Sam 3:19 The Lord was with Samuel as he grew up, and he let none of his words fall to the ground.

Do we even realize the power of God’s word? Consider creation itself; Genesis 1:3 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.

God’s word has the power to create and to destroy; Is. 54:16 “See, it is I who created the blacksmith who fans the coals into flame and forges a weapon fit for its work. And it is I who have created the destroyer to work havoc;  John 1:1–4 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men.

Paul saw for himself how the word of God went to work in these new believers in Thessalonica. The word went to work giving them forgiveness of sins in their past and continued to work in them changing their lives.  Why do we need to take all your antibiotics?  God’s word is like medicine for the soul, continued intake of it brings healing to sin-sick souls, when it is received by faith.

Vs 14 How do you know if you are getting better after being sick? Paul encourages the new believers by reminding them how the Word worked in them, just as it works in all who receive it by faith. Often when we receive God’s word by faith we will find ourselves the victims of criticism and attacks by unbelievers. This is a common to all true believers.  The lie of Satan is that we are being attacked because we are misled when the reality is when we are criticized and attacked for our faith it is a common experience for all true believers. Those who refuse to believe the truth of the gospel don’t want to accept what it says or the truth of it at work in us so they get angry and attack those who bring the good news.

This was true of the Thessalonian believer’s as well. They were facing the same kind of attacks and suffering that the believers in Judea were facing. The non believing Jews in Judea persecuted and abused the believers just as the new believers in Thessalonica were being abused by the non believing Jews and their own countrymen.

Vs 15 Paul had suffered the same kinds of things just as Jesus did, but they even killed Jesus and the prophets when they brought God’s word to them. People who refuse to receive the grace of God drove Paul and the apostles as well as many other believers out of Judea, because of their faith. These people continued to sin against God, refusing His word and Jesus paid with His life for them. Those who set themselves against others who believe God’s word are really setting themselves against God Himself. Acts 26:14-15 These people not only hurt themselves but hurt others as well, the non-believers who may have been open to the truth of God because they make it harder for them to come to faith.

Vs 16 One who takes the attitude “live and let live” is less dangerous to others than those who will do all they can to keep others from hearing the truth of God. But the unbelievers in Thessalonica would do anything they could to keep others from hearing the truth of God. Doing this they were heaping upon themselves additional sin for which God would punish them. Luke 17:1–2 Jesus said to his disciples: “Things that cause people to sin are bound to come, but woe to that person through whom they come. It would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around his neck than for him to cause one of these little ones to sin.

Enough rope to hang themselves.  God has set limits to how much sin a person or people group is allowed to accumulate before He sends His wrath or judgment against them. He will not judge before the limit is reached.  Gen. 15:16 In the fourth generation your descendants will come back here, for the sin of the Amorites has not yet reached its full measure.”  The unbelievers there were hastening their judgment by persecuting the new believers.

Paul next makes reference to God’s wrath having come upon them. We really don’t know what he meant by this but we can make some educated guesses;  Paul may have been made aware by the Lord of the destruction that would be coming upon Jerusalem in a few years. He may have had in mind the fact that the majority of Jews who refused to believe in Jesus, Matt. 23:37-39, that God had turned His back on them to reach out to the Gentiles so to make a new body of believers, the church, who were made up from Jew and Gentile alike, but on equal footing because of Christ.

Eph. 2:13-18  Paul could also have been thinking about the wrath of God that comes, as a fact, on everyone who fails to believe in Jesus.

John 3:36  Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on him.”

These at the Tribulation and resurrection of the dead will know the eternal wrath of God on them. Paul, also, could have said this so these new believers would know that God was not ignorant to their plight but was waiting for the right time to judge for the actions against them. 2 Thess. 1:6-10

We really don’t know what Paul has in mind here but we do know that those who persecute believers are fighting against God and His wrath will come upon them and greater so if they hinder others from coming to trust in God’s truth for mankind.  They will go kicking and screaming into eternal damnation.

How do we fit into this whole picture? Do we hinder others from coming to Christ because we refuse to trust God’s word and let it go to work in us? Are we living in a way that turns people off from wanting to know God? Have we been the ones persecuting others for their faith in God and His word? What will the consequence be? Are we trusting in God’s word and allowing it to work in us?

Are we suffering because we stand for Christ? Then take encouragement from this word to the Thessalonians.

God knows and cares.

Benediction: Col. 3:15-17

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Have you ever been instructing someone about something, telling them how they should do it and they turn to you and say, “That is not how you do it”? You tell them do as I say and not as I do. Is that the way you should teach others, especially our children or grandchildren, setting a wrong example for them? What would they call you for acting like that?

Shouldn’t it be “Do as I do” setting the example of how it should be done as well as we telling them that is how it should be done? Wouldn’t this type of teaching have a greater influence on others? Would it not also free us from accusations that we are being hypocrites because they can check out for themselves remembering how we have lived and acted before them?

One of the problems Paul faced with the Thessalonian believers was that his enemies were accusing Paul of preaching with wrong motives and with improper conduct, being a hypocrite.

It was not unusual in that day, as now, that people were out there touting some new philosophy so to take advantage of people for financial reasons, to get the quick buck, plus in that day with paganism practiced so widely, for sexual favors as well. If you hear enough negative spin on someone, whether true or not, doesn’t it make you suspicious?  Paul’s enemies figured if they cast enough doubt on Paul and his companions they might turn some people away from following the Jesus that Paul was proclaiming.

So, Paul reminds his readers of how he lived and acted when he was with them, so to clarify his motives. In fact he reminds them some 6 times about how they were witnesses of how he lived. He says ‘you know vs 1, 2, 5, 11; you remember vs9; you are witnesses vs 10. He refreshes their memory by getting them to think through his example before them when he was with them. Reminding them that he taught them to do as he did.

Vs 1-6 He asks them to think about his time with them, it was not unfruitful. The miraculous changes in their lives are evidence of the effect of the gospel had on them. 1:7-9  Then think about all Paul and Silas went through in Philippi, beaten and humiliated terribly. Acts 16:22-24  They were treated as common criminals but when they leave there they are compelled by God to go to Thessalonica and proclaim the gospel there, even when the persecution begins there as well.

If they were charlatans, fakes, they would not have suffered and continued on proclaiming the message they had just been persecuted for. But God gave them the strength and boldness needed to continue on. They were obedient to Jesus’ command Matt. 10:23 When you are persecuted in one place, flee to another.

The people saw for themselves the sincerity of Paul’s heart and motives. The message he brought was truth. His enemies accused him of making it up to take advantage of others. But Paul proved out what he was teaching in the scriptures and was not trying to trick anyone into believing some falsehood. He told the truth and let them decide for themselves.  His motives were pure because he cared about where they would spend eternity, in heaven or in Hell, where there would be eternal torment and punishment.   Not afraid to tell others about a sale, why not the gospel?

If Paul had been trying to trick the people into believing something for personal gain he would not have told the hard truth that brought persecution from others but would have made up something everyone would love to hear. 2 Tim. 4:3 For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.

Instead, Paul and his companions tell the truth of God, the truth that God had entrusted to them. Paul viewed himself as one who had been entrusted by God with the message of salvation. 1 Cor. 9:16–17 Yet when I preach the gospel, I cannot boast, for I am compelled to preach. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel! If I preach voluntarily, I have a reward; if not voluntarily, I am simply discharging the trust committed to me.   This is the same gospel that God has committed to us to proclaim as well. 2 Cor. 5:18-6:2  If they don’t like what we have to say about this we can simply tell them that this is what God’s says and if they don’t like it they can take it up with Him.

This was not the job Paul sought after but the call he received from God and Paul took it seriously. Do we? This is why Paul would not preach from wrong motives, he knew he would have to face God for them if he had. Jer. 17:10 “I the LORD search the heart and examine the mind, to reward a man according to his conduct, according to what his deeds deserve.”

Vs 5 Paul asks them to remember how he spoke to them, never with a false face, as a hypocrite, nor did he try to take advantage of them by getting something from them for himself. God would be his judge and witness in this. He and his companions were not seeking praise from the Thessalonians or anyone else. Their desire was to live to please God as he states in vs 4. Phil. 3:7-11

Paul was willing to deliver the truth to any and all who would receive it, free of charge. Even though he had the right to expect something from them in support,  1 Tim. 5:17–18 The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching. For the Scripture says, “Do not muzzle the ox while it is treading out the grain,” and “The worker deserves his wages.”   Instead of expecting something from them he gave of himself, taking care of them, expecting nothing in return.

Vs 7-9 Paul and his companions took care of the Thessalonians believers like a mother cares for her child. The reference here is to a nursing mother caring for her little child.  Things a nursing mom has to avoid? This included the responsibility of watching their own actions so not to do anything that would harm the new believers. This meant that Paul and his companions were careful to live godly lives before the people so they would not make them spiritually sick by doing wrong things before God and them. Eph. 5:15–16 Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.  Do as I do.  They did not try to take advantage of the people but instead shared with them, not only the gospel but their very selves. They gave whatever they had to help the new believers.

Genuine love shows itself through meeting not only spiritual needs but physical ones as well. James 2:14–17 What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, “Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

Paul never expected the new believers to take care of him so he worked hard to provide for his needs and the needs of others as well, so not to be a burden. 2 Thess. 3:7-10  We know from Acts 18:3 that Paul’s trade was tent making so he would have worked making tents daily and preaching the gospel at night to them, after a long days work. Vs 10-12 These verses summarize all Paul has been saying, the people should remember and be witnesses to the facts as God is, that their behavior and motives were pure.

Their inner conviction from God led them to live holy lives before all the people in Thessalonica. They lived as God would have them to, in righteousness, asking the people to do as they did and not just how they say.  Doing so, no one could accuse them of wrong doing, they would be blameless.  They trained up the believers by word and example, as a father would their child, with loving discipline. This included strong positive appeals to do right with encouragement and comfort so to cheer them on and inspire good behavior and faithfulness to God.

God had called them to be His people, to be heirs of the eternal kingdom, sharing His glory with them. What a privilege and blessing to look forward to and responsibility to live up to as well. This is why Paul and his companions set the example as they did, showing the believers to do as they do and show how it should be done, by God’s power through the Holy Spirit in them.

This is the same power we have available to us today and the same call we have on us today; to live as examples for others to see and follow as we obey the leading of the Holy Spirit and God’s holy commands. How are we doing? Are we open to accusations because we live by the saying, “Do as I say and not as I do”, or are we setting the example being free from accusation, saying do as I do?

Benediction: 2 Tim. 1:13–14 What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus. Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you—guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us.

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Let’s say you are the father of a very beautiful 15 or 16 year old girl, who tells you that she has a boyfriend that she wants you to meet. What are the characteristics you are looking for in that boy? Polite, kind, respectful and so on. How do you know that is how he really is? By the way he behaves. How can you as a Dad make sure this is the kind of guy she ends up with? By setting the example for her. When he comes to the door to meet you will you be cleaning your shotgun or handgun? How will you greet him? What are you watching for in his manner?

If you think about it the best way to tell if someone is the way they claim to be is by their behavior and by the way other people describe them. This is the only way that their character is tested out. This is the way our Christian character is also tested out.

Vs 1. We begin our study of the text of 1 Thess. today. Paul uses the normal greeting for that time in history; who the letter is from, who it is written to and then a formal greeting. Because Paul is the one dictating the letter his name is used first.

He addresses the letter to the church of the Thessalonians, who are in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. For Paul Jesus is as much God as the Father is and if the church is in God then it is secure in His love and strength. John 1:12–13 Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.

Paul next gives the church the formal greeting of grace and peace. This is a mixture of the Greek and Hebrew standard greetings used. The Jews would greet others with the words ‘Shalom’ which means peace.  Mr. Spock, live long and prosper. Can any person truly have peace if they have not experienced the grace of God first, through Christ and are in the family of God? People you think of with a smile.

Vs 2-3 Paul expresses his gratitude to God and his thankfulness for the Thessalonian’ believers, these folks are a constant source of joy to Paul and his companions. When Paul, Silas and Timothy prayed for them there was a joy in their hearts over who these folks were, not grief or frustration, because these people lived as models of what a Christian should be.

There were 3 characteristics that stood out in how they lived their lives and how the acted toward those they came in contact with as well as the focus they had for where they were truly heading.

These 3 characteristics that stood out in these believers were faith, hope and love. 1 Cor. 13:13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.  These characteristics in the Thessalonian believers produced an abundance of other qualities that made Paul fill up with joy when his thoughts came to them. What a blessing and encouragement they were to him.  These virtues found their place in Jesus, One worthy of their, our, obedience and good behavior. Jesus was the anchor of their salvation, the One whom they served in the present and whom they looked forward to being with in the future.  No wonder Paul gave thanks for them.

Vs 4 There was no doubt in Paul’s mind that they were saved, he calls them brothers, equals in the faith with him.  1 Cor. 12:24–26 But God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. God had chosen them to be His people and He will hold them responsible for their calling and obedience to Christ in it. But they proved out their faith by the way they lived out their lives.

Vs 5 The way they had responded to the gospel, the good news of forgiveness of sins through Christ’s death on the cross for them, was a result of the work of the Holy Spirit in them convincing them of their personal need for Christ and a deep conviction of their sin before Jesus. John 16:5-11 The gospel Paul preached changed their lives just as it had changed Paul’s, with deep conviction.  Paul and his companions set an example before the Thessalonian believers in the Lord and these folks take hold of it and hold tight following the example set for them, living lives that honor God.

Vs 6 Their lives proved out their faith because they not only lived as their teachers did but went all the way to even live as Jesus did, even in the midst of severe suffering and persecution. They looked to those who set the first example for them and followed and then Paul and his companions point them to Jesus, the perfect example. 1 Pet. 2:21 To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. No matter how tough things got they held tight to the message and the hope of the gospel.

The Jews who came to faith would have to put up with the persecution of the non-believing Jews, just as they had persecuted Paul and Silas. The Greeks who turned to faith in Christ would have to fight against the persecution and questions of their friends and relatives who still practiced paganism. Refusing parties and orgies. 1 Pet. 4:1-5 Think about the women who were married to some of the high officials in the city, Acts 17:4 Some of the Jews were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a large number of God-fearing Greeks and not a few prominent women. These women had to go home to their unbelieving husbands who probably did not appreciate their wives new found morals and sensitive consciences. In spite of all this grief they had to face the new believers still held tight to their faith with joy because they knew their sins had been forgiven. Have you ever noticed that those who have troubles and trials as Christians and turn to God, often have a deeper faith and hope in Christ than those who live life more comfortably spiritually? Our joy as Christians should not be determined by our circumstances but by our relationship with Christ. Our source of joy should be the same as that of the Thessalonian believers, the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in us. Rom. 5:5

Vs 7 The character of these believers was not only evident to those around them but also too many others as well. In fact their faith was talked about by others who talked to others and so on. Who they were in Christ spread too many nations throughout the Roman Empire and possibly beyond. Egnatian Way and the seaport. Their lives became a testimony for Christ to people who didn’t even know them personally. 2 Cor. 8:1-5 Paul even commended them as models of Christian faith to others. One good test of the character of a Christian is how they manage their finances.

Radio Repeater Vs 8 The Thessalonian believers lived as examples of Christ to others and sent forth the message of the gospel transforming the lives of their friends and neighbors and even those they came in contact with. Their faith in Christ spread far and wide, repeaters of the gospel Paul had left them with.

Vs 9 The Thessalonian believers didn’t need to tell Paul about how great they were and what great things they did for the Lord. Others were telling Paul of their love and faith and the changed lives they now lived, turning from idols to God, to serve the true and living God. This gives us a clue to the great numbers of pagans who turned to Christ and away from Paganism.  Vs 10 These believers now lived as servants of God with joy in their hearts for the forgiveness of sins but they also looked forward to the coming of Christ from heaven. Jesus was now the object of their hope and faith and where their attention was focused upon.  They understood that all the little things they did for Christ in love would not go unnoticed by God.

Jesus’ return was their source of hope to help them endure the persecution they faced. They understood that because of who Jesus is and what He did for them they would not suffer the coming wrath of God upon sinful mankind. John 3:36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on him.”

The Thessalonian believers had great faith in Christ which helped them persevere on through the trails they faced. Their faith produced hope, the hope of better days with Jesus when He comes in His majestic glory and their lives with Him for eternity. Their faith produced a love that filled their being by the Holy Spirit in them and then spread out to those around them in acts of loving kindness that left them with a bright witness for the Lord.

Faith, hope and love are the basic characteristics from which our witness can grow and effect all we come in to contact with leaving them with an example of what a true Christian is and a model to follow as we point others to Christ.

What does our Christian character look like to others today? Do people recognize the difference in us because of Christ?

To Listen ‘Open Message from Title’ and click on    Listen Now   or To Save: Right Click and ‘Save Target as’      How many of you have spent any time in Virginia City during the summer? What would be some of the observations you make of the city during this time? Busy with people from all over the world coming to visit, problems arising from that diversity of cultures, mixed atmosphere of partiers and families visiting, businesses catering to each group. What are some other things you can think of? Do you know what a poke and plum town is? For a little poke and plum town it has some very interesting features during the summer tourist season. Everyone who works there has to persevere through the troubles that diversity brings and find ways to continue to work with others who don’t agree with what you are doing because you’re not doing it the way they would. But there are still opportunities to reach into the people’s lives who come and those who live there.

As we begin our series on Thessalonians it will be helpful for us to learn about the city of Thessalonica and the reason Paul comes to it, what things he faces there and perseveres through for difficulties and for blessings. This is why we begin our series in the book of Acts.

Thessalonica is a city that has flourished for hundreds and hundreds of years. It became a prominent Roman Provincial seaport with a harbor that ranked high as a hospitable place to anchor.  It was also on one of the major Roman Highways, the Egnatian Way, which connected Rome with the Orient. This put this city in direct contact with many other important cities of the Roman Empire and beyond. It had contact with other countries not only by land but also through its great seaport, hosted by the city.

If there was a city that had opportunity to influence the outside world, this was it. It was a strategic location both governmentally and militarily. It had in NT times an estimated population of about 200,000 people and even today is home to about 300,000 people.

The people who made up the population inhabiting the city were mostly Greeks but there were also Romans, Orientals and Jews who made the city their home. The Jews were well known as good businessmen and had great influence on the city and the synagogue reached into many prominent Greek households. Vs 4. Because of this many of the Greeks had turned to God becoming known as God-fearers.  So, when Paul came to the city it was not difficult to reach them with the gospel. Empty life of drinking and carousing. In Thessalonians we will see what the moral climate of the city was like, the Pagan Greek religion was the largest component of the population which produced many forms of immorality, leaving some wanting something else, something deeper, more spiritual rather than the carnal lifestyle many lived. This is one reason why the Jewish faith reached into the Greek community because it offered something deeper than physical lustful desire.

Where did Virginia City get its name? The city itself was built in 315 BC by Cassander, one of Alexander the Greats generals. He had married Alexander’s half sister Thessalonica and named the city after her. He chose this place to build the city because of its location with the hospitable coastline and seaport to be developed.

Later when the Romans took over they divided the area of Macedonia into 4 districts and named Thessalonica as the capitol of one of them. Then in 42 BC the city received the coveted status of a free city of the Roman Empire. They received this status because of their support of the Romans in conquering other areas. This meant that they were still a part of the Roman Empire but now had the right to govern themselves as a Greek city state.

During WWII the Nazis had invaded Macedonia and took 60,000 Jews out of the city and executed them. The Jews were still to that time a prominent part of the city.

Now back to our passage; Paul had finished his 1st missionary journey and traveled again to visit the churches he had planted when he lands in Troas, Acts 16:6-10. There he had a dream of a man in Macedonia crying out for help.  So he and his companions, Timothy, Silas and Luke headed out for Macedonia. The 1st city they entered was Philippi where Paul had great success in preaching the gospel until an uproar came about where Paul and Silas ended up being flogged and imprisoned. This is where the Philippian jailer came to faith. Paul and his companions left the city at the request of the magistrates.

What would you do if you had suffered this way, quit or go on? They traveled along the Egnatian Way through the cities of Amphipolis and Appolonia, where it seems there was no receptiveness to the gospel. They traveled on about 100 miles from Philippi and reached the city of Thessalonica.

Paul then began to introduce the gospel to those whom he had most in common with, the Jews in the Synagogue. They were familiar with the OT and the prophesies of the Messiah. He was invited to speak there because he was a trained teacher. Phil. 3:4–6 If anyone else thinks he has reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for legalistic righteousness, faultless. Vs 17:2-3. His message was basic and clear proving from the OT that the Messiah, the Christ, would suffer, die and be raised from the dead, and that all of the prophesies about Him were fulfilled by Jesus of Nazareth. 1 Cor 15:3–4 For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, Though Luke does not state it there is evidence that Paul also taught that the Messiah would also return to set up His kingdom here on earth. Vs 7. The result of this was many of the Thessalonians were interested in the gospel Paul was preaching as we see from vs 4.  Where’s the beef? One thing is sure, Paul got to the meat of spiritual matters teaching the Thessalonians the deep truths of God’s Kingdom and desire in a fairly brief time. Vs 5-10 Doing this kind of teaching Paul made some enemies quickly because of his success. The Jews, who refused to believe the message, plotted against Paul raising a mob to try to get rid of him. They went so far as to hire bad characters to make false accusations against Paul. Not finding Paul at the home of his host Jason, they hauled Jason off in front of the city magistrates, were they accused Jason of housing a revolutionary who was preaching and teaching against Caesar. This would be treason. If this was true the city would be in danger of loosing its coveted free status, having the Romans move in and take over.

Thankfully the city magistrates were smart enough to recognize that the Jews were jealous and they just made Jason post a bond to assure that Paul and his companions would not disturb the peace in the city. I wonder would we be willing to put up our own money for the sake of the gospel. How far would we go or how much are we willing to risk for Christ? Vs 10 Paul and Silas leave Thessalonica and travel about 40 miles to Berea and there again begin to proclaim Christ.   One problem is that the believers in Thessalonica have questions about what Paul was teaching. So Paul out of deep concern for the believers there sends Timothy back to see how the folks are doing. Timothy returns to Paul with many questions from the believers there. So, Paul sets out to answer their questions in this 1st letter and then a follow up letter, 2 Thessalonians.

One of the main things Paul focuses on in his letter is encouraging the believers because of the continuing persecution they are suffering from the Jews as well as addressing their questions from his teaching. It is clear that the Holy Spirit led Paul to write these letters to meet several needs of the believers. His encouragement to hold tight to their faith despite of the persecution is clear.  He also refutes the false charges made against him by his enemies that he was in it for the money, prestige and personal benefits of   preaching. It seems they also accused him of being a coward and a hypocrite because he did not return to the city because he was afraid. Another thing Paul addresses in his letters is some wrong ideas that have entered the church which need clearing up. He also teaches about what happens to a believer who dies before Christ returns. These and many more we will study together over the next several weeks.

Some things to take away from this today is the fact that Paul loved the Lord so much that he did not give up when times got tough but persevered on leaving an example for the believers to follow. He held up the new believers in faithful prayer, instructing and encouraging them to live for Christ both by word and example.

How wonderful would it be if we could do the same.

Benediction: 1 Thess. 5:23-24

To Listen ‘Open Message from Title’ and click on    Listen Now   or To Save: Right Click and ‘Save Target as’ When you get up out of bed in the morning, what do you get up for? Is it to just exist for that day or are there things you are planning ahead for, things that get you motivated, get you going? Have you ever asked yourself; “Am I only living for what I can see today, that which will soon disappear or am I living with eternity in sight? 2 Pet. 3:10-13 If we truly lived with this view would our lives be different each day then they are now? As we have gone through this series I have tried to lay out a clear perspective of the promises of God for a productive and fulfilling life in eternity. The fact that God desires to bless us, reward us, for all the little things we do for Him here and now, when we get to heaven to be with Him for eternity. If we are living just for what we can see, feel and touch now then we are truly living a shallow existence with no hope for what lay ahead for us in eternity. Even though there is no visible proof there is more to live for there than there could ever be here in the visible. 2 Cor. 4:16–18 Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. It will take faith for us to get up everyday and focus on the unseen, striving to build our rewards there for what we do here in the visible. Knowing that it is not about the here and now. Do you ever feel like what you are doing here doesn’t matter and it is all for nothing because you don’t see any effects or results, fruit, from it? Missionary couple sailing home after 40 yrs in the field. I know there are times when we wonder why we struggle so hard to make a difference and it seems like nothing we do matters. One problem we have as people is that we want instant gratification for what we have done or are doing. We want to see results now, immediate consequences for our good choices or sacrificial service. If we don’t see them we figure that since there are no temporal results there probably are not eternal ones either. All this makes us just want to give up, throw in the towel and quit. Kids come up and plant seeds in pots. We need to understand that even though we may not see any results or consequences here from what we do today for the Lord, He does not miss anything we do for Him here, nothing goes unnoticed by Him. Turn to Malachi passage. There was a group of folks who were dedicated to the Lord, who taught the Word and lived out its truths in their lives but saw little result from what they did. It even seemed that those who were evil were getting more out of life than the devout did. How frustrated they felt for their effort and sacrifice. Mal. 3:13-18 God tells them He is paying attention and that He cares about them and what they are doing, so much so, that He orders a book of remembrance to be written in heaven so that they will be rewarded in heaven for all they have done for the Lord here on earth.  God cares about all we do for Him and others out of love and promises to reward us for those deeds. What a picture of God’s love and fairness. Even though things may look bleak now there will be a day in the future when Jesus will open His book of remembrance and the truth of His generosity, faithfulness and justice will be evident to all. No act of service in His name will have gone unnoticed or unrewarded. Rev. 22:12.  The message that closed out the OT is the same message that closes out the NT. The last section of the Bible is a promise to His church that He is paying attention to all we do for Him and nothing is getting past Him.  He is not just saying that He is coming quickly to establish His kingdom but that He is coming to reward those who belong to Him, His people, those who have given a lifetime of service to Him. They have served because they believed what He said and lived to please Him, people who chose to be faithful to Him no matter what the earthly results might have been. God is watching and taking notes of all who love Him and serve Him, no matter how insignificant it may seem to us, He promises to reward us for our faithfulness and is anxious to do so. So, have we chosen to get up each day and live for the Lord, striving to build our lives around His promises of love and faithfulness to us here and then there in eternity?  Life changes when we get married.  Doing so we will find we have different priorities than before, we have reordered our lives in how we handle money, how we manage our time, develop our abilities, all with a new sense of urgency to be right before the Lord, living to please Him above all others. Now we are striving for the “well done good and faithful servant” when we get there. We are not alone in that pursuit either. There are countless others who have laid their all down at the cross, giving all to Christ for His purposes. R.G. LeTourneau  He along with many others chose to live for the eternal and not the earthly. They believed and lived as citizens of heaven. What about us today? Is God asking us to make the life changing decision to live as citizens of heaven now? How would you describe heaven? When Jesus was preparing to leave this earth He told His disciples about a place He was going; John 14:2–3 In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. If you think about all the ways Jesus could have described heaven, would this have been what you would have thought He would say? What about the streets of gold, the legions of angels, and the thrones which will be set up there or even the size of the city itself. No, Jesus speaks of heaven as home, His home and our home with Him. The place He is preparing for us and from which He will come to retrieve us to share it with Him. Phil. 3, Paul speaks of all the things that he could boast about  but the one thing he looks forward to the most is when Jesus will return and change him and take him home, his heavenly home, vs 20-21. It was his deep longing to be in heaven with his Lord, vs 12-14. This thought was the reason he rose up everyday, the thing that shaped his values and ordered his use of his time, talent and treasure. Over the past 9 weeks we have studied about the promises of God to reward us for all the little things we do for Him in love. These are the promises we can look forward to each day we live our lives here, knowing that what we do here for Him will be noticed there. When we choose to live for eternity, today, we can look forward to a wonderful home coming when we enter into eternity to be with the Lord, forever. At that moment when we enter, all of the angels and the saints will pause for us. Heaven will be still and quiet as we stand before the Lord and hear Him say, “Well done good and faithful servant.” Then heaven will ring out with celebration as Jesus puts a crown upon our heads and presents us with our rewards for faithful service on the earth. Thanks for the opportunity! That will be our moment to bless God because we valued what Jesus did for us and that we gave our hearts and lives to Him as well. It will be the most wonderful day of our eternal lives when the invisible becomes visible. 1 Cor. 13:12  Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. Then all we have strived to serve the Lord in will be recognized as our devotion to Him and His sacrifice and love for us. This will be the day when we say to ourselves that everyday we rose from our rest and determined to live for the Lord was all worth it. Benediction: 2 Thess. 1:11–12  With this in mind, we constantly pray for you, that our God may count you worthy of his calling, and that by his power he may fulfill every good purpose of yours and every act prompted by your faith. We pray this so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

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For some of you this may be a question whose answer is far off in the future while for others it is a question that is nearer than we would want to admit.  How have you planned for life after retirement? Have you made or thought about investments that would give you the security you want when you retire? What would you like to do when you retire? Will there be enough resources for you to do so?

Many young folks today don’t look at this question closely enough and find that life has passed them by so quickly that they are unprepared when the reality of retired life hits.  Hopefully you are not and will not be one of these by taking hold of this issue seriously before it takes hold of you.

So, let’s say you have prepared or are preparing for life after retirement but what about life after we retire from this earth to be in heaven with the Lord, have you begun to prepare for that?

This is what we are going to be looking at today, life after we retire from this world and go to the next. Will we be prepared for it?

When we come to a passage like this one, do you ever wonder what Jesus meant by it? If we are honest about it we would have to answer yes. I believe this because we are all at different levels of maturity in our walk with the Lord. For some we think, “Yeah I can do that” and for others, “I am doing that.” But take heed that when we say this the Lord will always test us on what we said we believe. Phil. 3:16 Only let us live up to what we have already attained. Is what we believe a reality in our lives? Peter is a good example of one who did not understand what Jesus was teaching about this and asked because he wanted to raise his level of understanding and maturity. Matt. 19:16-30 Jesus tells the rich young man to give all he has to the poor and then he will be perfect and then come and follow Jesus. In doing this he would have treasure in heaven, prepared for his retirement. All this conversation prompts an honest question from Peter, vs 22. We know it is an honest question because Jesus doesn’t rebuke Peter for it but answers it directly. He tells Peter that he and the other apostles will be put in charge, ruling over, the 12 tribes of Israel because they have invested their lives in His kingdom here.

Jesus goes on to say that everyone who has given up treasure on earth, family, homes, parents among other things, to invest it into the kingdom will receive 100 times as much in heaven. That is I am told a 10,000% return on investment for retirement. I believe the point Jesus is making is that when we truly have our hearts set on what God wants for us here, He will reward us extravagantly there. This is why Jesus tells us in Matt. 6 not to be in such a hurry to invest here, on earthly treasures, but that we will get a greater return on what we invest in the kingdom in heavenly treasures.

Youth group kids spiritualize everything.  A lot of people like to spiritualize this by saying that Jesus isn’t really talking about actual treasure, money or important possessions but Spiritual things. But Jesus is talking about treasure because He uses the same word that is used for treasure, money or possessions, in both sentences. He uses the Greek word thesaurus treasure, both times meaning money or possessions. Now realize that He doesn’t tell us what the treasure in heaven will be but makes it clear that it is valuable and will be highly valuable in heaven. Gold is what is used for pavement there.

Let’s say you go to an investment counselor to invest for life after retirement and they tell you not to invest in stock A because it will loose money, but stock B will bring a great return in the long run. Which one will you choose? Who’s the wisest in investments? Jesus is telling us that if we invest here, in our own earthly pleasures, it will bring no return in heaven, but if we invest in kingdom things here it will bring great return in heaven after we retire from this world. Which is the better investment?

In 6:20 Jesus shatters 3 common misconceptions about how we should view treasure; 1. What should we do with our treasure here and now? We don’t have to worry about what we will have in heaven; God will take care of us. True, but Jesus says to store it up in heaven. This is in the form of a command, it is God’s plan that we store up treasure for ourselves in heaven and we should always obey His commands. John 14:15 “If you love me, you will obey what I command.

2. Who should we store it up for? Isn’t it selfish if we store up there? Jesus tells us we should store it up there. We are the only ones who can invest in our heavenly retirement; no one else can do it for us. Luke 12:16-21  God will never reward earthly selfishness. If we are to store up treasure in heaven for ourselves we must give up ownership of it here and help others with it as we are directed.   Location, location, location.  3. Where must we store it up? If I hold onto it here it will be safe and I will not loose it. Jesus says we must store it up in heaven. If we try to store it up here it is vulnerable to the corruption of the world, moth, rust and thieves.  Heaven is the only place where our retirement treasure will be truly safe. That’s why God tells us He is keeping our salvation there so we will not loose it. 1 Pet. 1:3–5 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade—kept in heaven for you, 5 who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. This leaves us with a question; “Why would treasure matter in heaven?” My simple answer is, “I don’t know but if Jesus says it matters greatly in eternity should it matter to me? Yes.”

When we retire from this world and enter into eternity all the sinfulness of the world will be gone and we will be able to enjoy our treasure in perfection and greatest of all be able to serve God there with it, in pure and meaningful purposes. Through it we will somehow be able to enjoy God more and accomplish more for Him.   Internet bank transfers.   In order for us to use our treasures in heaven we need to transfer out treasures from here to there. God has set up a plan for us to transfer them now and for the rest of our lives.   Luke 12:33 Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. What we do here can and does have a clear affect on what happens in heaven, Give here and it is stored up there.  Jesus is making it clear that if we give here it will make a difference there for us. The Apostle Paul encouraged Timothy to teach the rich in his church this same principle. 1 Tim. 6:17-19

God is asking us to be rich in good deeds using what He has given us for His purposes here and see a great return on them in heaven. By the way, do we really own anything here now? Remember the rich fool. Everything we have comes from God and is given to us to manage for His kingdom purposes. We will be judged on how well we managed it for the Lord. It does not matter how much or how little we have, what matters is how faithful we are to Him with it.

So, this leads us to ask some questions; 1. What is the treasure God has entrusted to me and you? God will evaluate our faithfulness based on our potential, how much we give of what He has entrusted to us. Remember, Jesus doesn’t look at the amount but the heart; Luke 21:4  All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.”

2. What is God asking us to do with our treasure? Who should be the 1st to receive what we have been given? Who after that? We can trust God to give us insight on where to give but one good test is, what will it be used for, growing the kingdom or something else? We need to be careful though because the very thing God gives us to use for Him can be a trap to threaten our loyalties to Christ. This is why Jesus warns us not to let money become our God. Vs 24.

When we use His money to serve Him, He will be our God, but when we use what God has entrusted us with for our purposes then it has become our god. Doing so will show whether there is light in us or darkness. Vs 22-23.

So, where are our hearts at this very moment? Are we purposely and intentionally investing in our life after retirement in heaven? If so then that is where our hearts are now. If our hearts are not there then don’t wait for them to catch up to what our mind and spirit is telling us is right, now. Instead apply Jesus words to our lives in obedience and begin storing up in heaven, then our hearts will follow. Don’t misunderstand I am not saying we must give all we have away but give to the Lord what He would have us give.

Benediction: Luke 6:38 Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”

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Who is the head of your household? I am talking about in the family, not Jesus over all. Who is the head of your household and does everyone submit to that headship?  It has been my experience that when Dad is involved in the family, serving them for their best, his authority is rarely counteracted by any in the family when decisions are made that affect the family. His desire to give the best to his family and his service to them shines through so that all are open to his leadership and authority. He has proved himself by acting in love toward every member in his family, putting their needs ahead of his own and their best interests first and foremost in the decisions made.

When a husband and father acts like this his wife and family feel that he is always acting in their  interests and will give him rule over the family as the place where the buck stops when a decision needs to be made. For those of you here who are in the leadership role of the family have you ever said to yourself, “I don’t have what it takes to lead this family. I don’t have the means to care for them like I desire to nor the wisdom needed most of the time. How can I do this?” All you can do is the best you can with what God has given and strive to learn how to serve them better and better. If you do that no one can condemn you.

Have you ever asked yourself; “What can I do to serve God because I don’t have the talents that others have or the opportunities either? And if this is so does it mean I will not have opportunity to serve Him greater in heaven for eternity?”

Thankfully in this Parable of the Talents, Jesus helps us understand what we might be doing in heaven for Him because of what we did here with what we were given to work with. This Parable follows the same pattern of that of the Minas. The difference though is that the stewards are given different amounts to manage, according to their ability. Vs15. Again we see 2 of the stewards double what they were entrusted with. 1 Cor. 4:2 Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful. They proved faithful. The master commends the 2 stewards for their faithfulness, doing the best they could with what they were given, according to their ability. They had worked within their potential for the Lord, not giving up, and were commended for it. They both were rewarded based on the results of their potential. Vs 21; 23.

Do you know it will be the same for us; Jesus will reward us based on what we did with what we were given. We are not all called to do the same things in the kingdom here on earth. But we are called to do the best, to be faithful to Him, with what we are given.

Maybe you think, “I can’t preach or teach what can I do for God that will benefit the kingdom and allow me to serve God in greater ways in heaven? I can only do menial work with my hands.”

Let’s say you are a seamstress, can what you do make a difference to the Lord? Yes it can. Acts 9:36-41 Every piece of clothing she made for the widows were jewels in her crown in heaven, so much so that God saw fit to bring her back to life to continue her work for Him.

Maybe you are a mom with a parcel of kids at home to take care of and have asked; “What can I do to serve God better here when I have my hands full with these children?” One of the women who is taking the TEE program has determined to take what she is learning and teach it to her children so they too can walk closer to the Lord and then is encouraging other mom’s to do the same thing. Her reward will be great for this in heaven because she is taking what she has and is multiplying it for the Lord into her children’s lives and the lives of other mom’s.

No matter who we are or what we do, we all have the same opportunity to serve God now to the best of our ability and earn the reward He desires to give us and the opportunity to serve Him in a greater way in eternity.

We need to be careful not to believe that the best way we can serve God in by not sinning a lot or by just going about business as usual or even not just giving up on it all. These seem like right things to do but acting like this resembles the 3rd steward who does nothing with what he was given, just keeps it safe.  God sees potential in us and we must strive for ways to live up to that potential and reach out for Christ in love doing the little things and the big things for Him.

If we strive for excellence in what we are given to serve the Lord with, we will know His peace and strength and desire to do even more for Him here and then in heaven. David Wilkinson says; “Doing is a servant’s language of devotion.” If we love the Lord and are devoted to Him we will look for better and better ways to serve Him here and in eternity.

We will find that in eternity we will, through our loving service, have great rewards there and greater opportunity to serve Him there.

Thinking about our lives lived here for the Lord, how much opportunity will we be given in heaven to serve Him because we were faithful with what we had here? Last week we looked at the passage in Mark where we are told to serve on another in love, not lording our place over others. Mark 10:42-45 Because God looks at things opposite of what man does, in His kingdom the greatest word for serving will be ruling. If we serve well then we will rule well. Servant leadership in the family.

We can see this principle put into effect from the creation of the world, man was told that the way he would serve God would be by ruling over the earth and all on it. Gen. 1:26 Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”  Man was made steward over what God had created and was to serve God by ruling over all. This was their way of service to God.

Jesus confirms that when we serve well here we will rule under Him in heaven. He tells the apostles; Matt. 19:28 Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.  So we see from what Jesus teaches here and what we find in the scriptures that when we get to heaven how well we have served here will determine how much we rule there for Him in eternity. Rev. 2:26–27 To him who overcomes and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations— ‘He will rule them with an iron scepter; he will dash them to pieces like pottery’— just as I have received authority from my Father. 2 Tim. 2:11–13 Here is a trustworthy saying: If we died with him, we will also live with him; if we endure, we will also reign with him. We need to understand this though, the way we rule there will be nothing like it is done here now. There will be no corruption or manipulation like we see now. When the curse of sin is removed and we are restored to our true purpose, we will be free to rule for God to our fullest power while doing only the greatest good to others for the glory of God. Rev. 21:22-27 Ruling will be the reward for serving well, just as we have seen from the parables. The steward with the minas who took 5 and made it 10 was given rule over 10 cities as reward for his faithful service. In our parable in Matthew the master rewarded these faithful stewards with rule over many things; they were put in charge of many things. Matt. 25:21, 23.

To serve faithfully here means to rule perfectly there. So, will we miss the opportunity to see our potential, the potential God sees in us, wasted or will we seize the opportunities given us to serve and stop grumbling about what we don’t have? Should we continue to waste time doing less?

Jesus has given us a commission and the tools to do the work He called us to, according to our ability. Mark 16:15 He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation.  We have opportunity now to serve Him faithfully so that when we get to heaven we will be able to serve Him even more wonderfully.

When we get there will Jesus say; “Well done good and faithful servant. Or: Phew you made it.”? Will we just be invited in or will we be escorted in to enter into our Master’s happiness? It is up to us to make the most of what we were given or make excuses that we were not given what other’s were.

Benediction: Phil. 2:9–11 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

To Listen ‘Open Message from Title’ and click on  Listen Now or To Save: Right Click and ‘Save Target as’ Have you ever wondered what we will be doing in heaven for all eternity? I don’t believe the rendition of people floating about on clouds is accurate. When we get to heaven, after facing the judgment seat of Christ, what will there be for us to do? Several years ago I went with several of the men from this valley to a Promise Keepers event in Seattle. We all gathered in a large domed sports arena. There thousands upon thousands of men from all over the northwest and beyond came together to learn more about the Lord and to worship Him together. Have any of you ever been gathered together with thousands of other worshippers, worshipping God in song and prayer? What was it like for you? How did it make you feel? For me the worship times together were incredible as thousands upon thousands of men raised their voices up in songs of worship and praise to God. Often after the songs were finished there would be outbreaks of clapping or stomping of feet in praise to God, seemingly shaking the foundations of the building. There were many times when the praise went on and on with little care to stop it from any. There were no clock watchers there. Most every man that came desired to worship more and more as the day went on. There was a deep desire to become more intimate with God through worship, a desire to lift His name up on high. Do you think this is what it will be like in heaven for us for all eternity, praising and worshipping God there at His throne? For those who are truly blessed, this is what waits for them, Rev. 7:9-17  Those who persevere through the Tribulation Period will be rewarded for their faithfulness to God and to Jesus, because they served even at the risk of their own lives. The thing is, that those who are given this privilege will desire to be there worshipping God for all eternity. This will be their area of service to Him for all eternity. What about the rest of us, what will we be doing for eternity? As we will see much of that will be determined by how well we do serving in the little things for the Lord here on earth, now, before we get to heaven. Let me ask you this; if you truly love someone what is that you will want to do most for them? If we truly love someone we will desire to serve them to the best of our ability. It will be our desire to give to them, help them, protect them and serve them because of the depth of love we have for them. Vs 43-45. Person who says they love you but actions show otherwise. The words we use will give them some clue of our intent to love them but our actions will speak volumes to them about how we truly feel. Vs 42. Do you know this is the same principal with God and His love for us? His word tells us that He loves us and that He wants the best for us. Jer. 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.   But God also followed up His words with actions to prove out His love for us; John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.  Jesus said; John 15:13 Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.  Many of us say we love the Lord but what have we done to show Him our love for Him? Now, you may be wondering what all this has to do with what we will be doing in heaven for all eternity? That’s where we are going. How we manage our lives here, out of love for the Lord, how we serve, will determine a lot of what we will be doing in eternity, how much we will be allowed to serve Him there. The clue to how this will work is revealed to us in several parables Jesus told about being good servants, stewards, of what God has entrusted to us.  There is a difference between servants, slaves, and stewards, both have responsibilities, both work for a wage. The difference is that a steward is charged with managing his master’s property, or part of it, while the master is away. The steward is given opportunity to multiply what he has been put in charge of or fail to do so. This is even a greater responsibility for us because we are managing the family business as heirs. Gal. 3:26-4:7  When the master returns he will reward each steward according to their work. Matt. 16:27 For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what he has done.  Jesus has given each of us a commission to manage an asset for Him; we are to manage our lives for Him, the sum of our talents, strengths, personalities, interests and gifting. What we do with our lives for the Master will either increase His kingdom or deduct from it. This leads us to ask ourselves, “How well have we, I, been doing with what the Master has put under my care and control? Everyday our actions and attitudes tell how well we are managing His assets. Are we serving as Jesus did? You know it takes a lot of faith to be a good steward. Because our Master is not present with us our good stewardship requires faith that He is who He says He is. John 20:29 Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” We need to also have faith that what He has asked us to do now will matter when He returns. This even requires faith, faith that He will return. 2500 predictions. The Bible uses the word faithful more than any other to describe the conduct of a good steward. 1 Cor. 4:2 Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful. Jesus told 2 well known parables that bring forward this idea of a faithful steward; the parable of the Minas and the parable of the Talents. Both begin with ordinary people who are given an extraordinary privilege. Both give insight to what we will be doing in eternity.  Luke 19:11-27. Here a nobleman has to leave town. He calls 10 of his servants and makes them stewards by giving each a mina, 60 ounces of gold each. He tells them to put it to work until he returns. When he returns he calls the stewards to account for what they had done with what he entrusted to them. The 1st comes and tells how he had turned the 1 into 10. He is honored with a well done and is rewarded with the reign over 10 cities. The 2nd comes and tells how he turned the 1 into 5. He too is rewarded with the reign of 5 cities. Not sure why he was not commended like the 1st. Maybe the master thought he could have done better. The 3rd comes and gives the master back what was given to him with no gain at all.  Can you imagine the shame this man felt when his master calls him wicked for not doing anything with what his master had entrusted to him? Then something surprising happens, the master tells those there to take what the wicked servant has and give it to the one who has earned 10. The 3rd steward suffers loss for not doing anything with what was entrusted to him. Do you think this is fair? Let me ask you this; when we make decisions as parents, managers or owners, don’t we always give the greater opportunity to those who has shown incentive to use what they have well? If we think about what Jesus is telling us here we can gain insight to what we have to look forward to, or not, when we get to heaven. These are life changing insights if we pay attention to them. There are 3 common misconceptions Christians have today; “1st, we know God has given us gifts and talents to use but it does not bother Him if we don’t make the most of every opportunity given.” But from what Jesus tells us here the truth of the 1st steward shows us that God expects us to take the resources of our lives and greatly multiply them for His kingdom. 2nd misconception; Most Christians believe is that if God does reward us for serving Him, those rewards will be a general commendation that will apply to everyone and will not make a difference for our future opportunities in His kingdom. The 2nd steward shows us that God will reward our works for Him but it will be done in proportion to how well we have used what was entrusted to us here and now. How He responds to us then will have a major impact on us for eternity future. 3rd misconception is that we think that if we don’t serve God with what we were entrusted with the worst that could happen is that we just don’t get a reward. The 3rd steward shows us that if we don’t use what God has given us for His kingdom we will suffer loss of what we could have earned and in opportunity to serve God more fully in eternity. 1 Cor. 3:15 If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames. So, this leads us to ask ourselves; “how well are we using what God has entrusted to us to manage for His kingdom here and now?” Are we serving like the Gentile rulers did or even as our politicians are now or are we serving as Jesus did? Will we see great reward for how we worked with what we were entrusted with here and will it give us greater opportunity to serve Him in His kingdom in eternity? Remember the passage we began with shows us that God looks at things differently than we do. If we serve Him well here by serving others we are building on what He has entrusted to us and there is great reward there for that. Next week we will look at the other parable and gain insight from it as well to what we will be doing for God in eternity. Benediction: Phil. 2:5–8 Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death— even death on a cross!

To Listen ‘Open Message from Title’ and click on  Listen Now or To Save: Right Click and ‘Save Target as’ Have you ever heard someone say, “That person just brings out the best in me”? What do you think they mean by that? For me it means that when the right person comes along in our lives the love that wells up in us for them makes us want to do our very best for them. Our actions, words and attitudes are focused on the love we have for them and are done in that love.  Our words and actions tell others a lot about ourselves and when we have a loving attitude toward others it is evident just as when we are lustful about something, wanting what we want, sooner or later it becomes evident as well. The fruit, the works, words and actions we do, show themselves for what they are. This is what Jesus is talking about here in our passage. If a person has a heart of love then there will be good fruit from their lives most of the time while the person with evil in their heart will only be lusting after the things they want and not be concerned for the welfare of others but only what they can get out of it. Last week we looked at what would happen when we stand before the bema seat, judgment seat, of Christ for the testing of our works, the fruit of our lives in Christ, tested by fire. This led us to the question of what will it take to keep our works, the little things done for others out of love for Christ, from being burned up but instead come through the fire shining bright for us as refined gold. The fire will test not only what we have done but also the how and why we did it. The difference between reward and loss always begins with what our heart attitudes are as Jesus tells us here in Luke. If our heart attitudes are not good, because Jesus is absent of Lordship there, then the fruit, works, will be of evil intent, out of our own lusts looking for what we can get from it, there will be loss. But if our attitudes are right then there will be reward.  Phil. 2:5 Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: So, how can we know what our true heart attitudes and motives are? There are 3 tests from Jesus teaching that will help evaluate whether the work we do for the Lord will endure; The first test is the test of relationship; we need to understand first and foremost that the life God will reward is not about performance apart from relationship with Christ. John 15:5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.  The opposite is more true. If we are not in relationship with Christ as Lord and Savior over our lives, in submission to Him in love, than all we do is in vain. It will be because of our loving relationship with the Lord that we will desire to keep His commands so not to offend or hurt Him but do things out of our love for Him. These are the things God will reward.  This is the test that the church of Ephesus failed when they grew up into the faith because they began doing works out of duty instead of out of love for the Lord. Rev. 2:1-5 This leads us to ask ourselves, how is our love for Jesus today? Has it grown cold so that we only do things out of duty instead of out of love? Do we still love Jesus like we did when we first came to Him? Has our love for Him been deepening because we have gotten more intimate with Him, learning more about Him from the word and by experience? Do we ask ourselves if we are doing things that are hurtful to Him?  If we are not doing the little things out of love for Him then our works will be burned up. The 2nd test is the test of motives; what is our motive for doing the works we are doing? Matt. 6:1 “Be careful not to do your ‘acts of righteousness’ before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. What should our motives be for doing the works we are doing for Christ? 1 Cor. 10:31 So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.  What this means is the most religious act will be worthless if it is done to boost our own egos or reputations, for man to see. Are they done so we can get something back for them? These acts come from the evil in one’s heart. When we do something for someone are we looking to see if others have noticed it? If so then we have already received our payment. Matt. 6:2 “So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full.  The 3rd test is the test of brotherly love; every good work done in love for others is always focused on trying to improve the well being of others. Luke 6:35-36 The Apostle Paul makes it clear in his love passage that if any deed is done outside of love for others and for Christ then they mean nothing at all. 1 Cor. 13:1-7 Vs 1-3 If we look closely at this passage it tells us that even the gifts we have from the Holy Spirit when used without love have no reward for us then. But the acts we have done out of love will always show the qualities of vs 4-7. How are we doing in the love factor in doing the little things? Are we doing things in false love so we can get something back from it, with evil intent for selfishness? How did Jesus say people would know that we are Christians? Would it be fair to punish a child for something we did not tell them to do or not to do? No. Do you think God will punish us for not doing something He did not tell us to do? No.  But He will hold us responsible for the things He did reveal to us and entrust to us to do. 1 Cor. 4:2  Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful.  Jesus will judge us for the things He did reveal to us and then empowered us to do by the Holy Spirit’s power. 2 Peter 1:2-4 How are we doing at discovering the truths God has revealed to us in His word? We will be accountable for them. Last week we looked at the passage in 1Cor. 3:10-15 about building on the foundation of Christ, in it Paul tells us we will be rewarded or suffer loss. 1 Cor. 3:15  If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames.  The how’s and why’s we did what we did will determine if we are rewarded or if we suffer loss. One thing we will not loose though is our salvation. That is secured for us by what Jesus did on the cross, purchasing us for God. Our salvation depends on His work for us and not ours. We just need to be sincere in our receiving Him as Lord over our lives. But we could step into eternity with few good works to show for our lives. We could do works and loose rewards for them. This is why John warns his readers, us, to be careful not to suffer loss. 2 John 8 Watch out that you do not lose what you have worked for, but that you may be rewarded fully.  He even pleads with his readers to stay close to Jesus so we will not be ashamed when we stand before Him. 1 John 2:28 And now, dear children, continue in him, so that when he appears we may be confident and unashamed before him at his coming. Don’t loose sight of the fact that we will stand before the judgment seat for reward and not loss. Even though the consequences of missed opportunities and lost reward will go with us into eternity, any regret or shame will not. We will be full of joy to be in the presence of God and as He promised there will be no sadness there. Rev. 21:4 He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” No matter what happens at the bema seat of Jesus, He will not love us less than He loves us now or when He stretched out His arms on the cross for us. Our focus should be a joyful heart looking forward to that day when we will stand before Him in heaven. No reward on earth will compare to what we will feel there then, when we see the joy in Jesus’ face that we are there with Him. It is then that He will lean forward to give us the reward He has for us. It will be a reward that goes with us throughout eternity. Even though we know then that it was He who brought out the good in us, setting the example for us, it will be our desire to push it all back to Him in worship but He will insist that we take it with us into eternity to be used there.  The reward He has for us will be the everlasting consequences of our daily choice to serve Him here and everlasting proof of His limitless love for us. Our rewards will shine for us eternally.  Daniel 12:3 Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever. Next week we will begin to look at the fact that the rewards we receive will determine a lot of what we will actually do there, according to Jesus. Col. 3:12–14  Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.