Message 2 - Memories - A Wonderful List

1 Thessalonians 1:3

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SPEAKER_02 0:10

Good morning, church family. Good to see us. Again, sounded great today. Your singing is was uh good. Thanks for the songs, Josh, and the choice of the songs. Uh I suspect that in every family, if we're to be honest, there is a favorite child. You know, it's the one that never sasses you back. You go through the teen years without making any waves. They're just always respectful and honestly, and honestly uh just a delight to raise. Uh in our family, it was. Did you really expect me to finish that sentence? No way. All my kids were were perfect anyway. So what can I say? My wife about died right at that moment. He's not really gonna finish that sentence, is he? No. What? Yeah, I know. Yeah, yeah, they do. I'm sure if uh for the apostle Paul, he started established, helped establish a lot of churches, and I suspect that they were often, they were like his children. Uh that he he they just he loved the people there, and he and he was he was worried about them when they were going through tough times. And when we talked about this last week, a lot of them were. A lot of them within even that first century, the churches were there were struggling, and they made some poor decisions, and they're heading in the wrong directions. And all of this was a concern to Paul. Uh it weighed heavy on him. You see it in his letters and and uh and in his own uh statements at times. Uh so if there was a favorite, it might be the one we're looking at right now, uh the one in 1 Thessalonians. Uh uh you can turn there because that's we're gonna go back to chapter one. Uh, because they just seem to be doing it right. Uh they they had the right heart and they loved God, and and uh he just has positive things, encouraging things to say uh uh about them, and and they're ministering to his heart as he watches them uh in the direction they're going. Uh so with that in mind, we're gonna go back again, like I said, chapter one, and uh I want to read through the chapter again. We read it last week, but uh read through it again, and then we're gonna pick up back up uh in verse two, which is where we left off and uh spent a little time in verse two and verse three this morning. Uh so follow along. Chapter one, first Thessalonians, starting with verse one. Paul, Silas, and Timothy to the Church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. We always thank God for all of you, mentioning you in our prayers. We continually remember before our God and our Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. For you know, brothers, loved by God, that he has chosen you. Because our gospel came to you not simply with words, but also with power and with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction. You know how he lived among you for your sake. You became imitators of us in the Lord. And in spite of severe suffering, you welcome the message with joy given by the Holy Spirit. And so you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaea. The Lord's message rang out from you, not only in Macedonia and Achaea, your faith in God has become known everywhere. Therefore, we do not need to say anything about it, for they themselves report what kind of reception you gave us. They tell you, they tell how you turn to God from idols to serve the living and true God and to wait for his son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath. All right, let's go back up to verse 2. Uh and as Paul begins, continues his com his uh opening comments about this church and the way that it has blessed his heart, uh a church which was doing things uh right uh and and certainly worth us looking at and thinking through. So verse 2 again reads, we always thank God for all of you, mentioning you in our prayers. So as Paul continues this letter, uh in in his comments, uh you realize why he's so invested and so encouraged by this church. Of course, one of the reasons was because he and Silas had started this church uh back on their second on Paul's second missionary journey. Uh but I don't think uh that it's just that, just the fact that part uh that has caused his heart to be so so fond of them. Uh and there's a lot of things that we could meaningful and powerful that we could mention, but I want I don't want to skip past verse two. Uh you know, it's easy, I think, and and I'll tell you from uh as you get older it gets worse, it's easy to forget things. Things that uh, you know, uh a lot, a lot of little things, and they aren't that big of a deal, but uh, you know, they're panicking when you can't find the keys, you can't find the wallet, you know, and and you know you just had it a minute ago, uh, that kind of stuff. But sometimes even important things uh we forget about. Uh, you know, I I remember a time years ago when uh my dad was pastoring a church uh in Colorado up in the in the on the western slopes of Colorado, and we would meet in a community center, didn't have our own church building. Uh and so uh one Sunday, you know, uh we only had one cart at the time. Most families only had one cart at that time, and so and it was a van because uh we had four four kids and and mom and dad. And so church was over, and and mom yelled, kids get in the car, and uh so got in the car and we headed home. And when we got home, you know, mom opens the sliding door, the van door, and you know, out, you know, out pops one, two, three, and four wasn't there. And we lived like 15 minutes from the church, and and it was my youngest brother, or no, it's Mark. Uh he's probably four years old at the time, and he wasn't there. So, you know, you know, we're panicky. How can you, how can you forget your own kid? Uh maybe when you have four of them, it can happen, and it's a busy day. So, you know, dad jumps in the van, heads back to the church, and and uh he gets back there and and uh they have chairs, like like we had chairs, and here's Mark laying across four of those chairs, sound asleep, never, never even knew we were we left. Uh, and uh so but so we can forget important things. By the way, to talk about Mark for a moment, uh I have back surgery coming up. Uh probably a lot of you know and see how I walk right now. Uh but uh so got back surgery coming up October 1st. And uh uh when I found out it was gonna happen, and I, you know, my family found out, my brother Mark called me and kind of wanted some details. And as we're talking, I thought he my brother's retired. He retired about a year ago. He pastored for oh over 30 years, and and uh and then he was he was actually a pastor, two pastors for a number of years. He taught in a Bible college for uh probably three decades, uh just a really good preacher. And I'm talking, I thought, I gotta find somebody to preach uh because they've told me six weeks uh I'm gonna be laid up. And and I and just off the top of my head, I says, you know, hey Mark, would you preach for me for I asked for six weeks, and and uh he said, uh, well, you know, let me, he's a smart man. He's let me talk to Bonnie, that's his wife. And I said, Well, I probably should talk to Mary Lou. So that and uh so we we'll check with our wives, and he came back and says, I can't preach for six weeks, but I'll I'll come and he I'll preach the month of October. So he's coming, you're and I know you're gonna enjoy him. He he is a great preacher, and uh he's just a lot of fun. He will he I know he'll tell some stories about me in advance. I want you to know they're lies. None of them are true. So just mark that. But uh so for the four Sundays of October, Mark and Bonnie will be here and you're gonna have a have a good time with them. But uh, you know, it's but like back to this, where we can forget things, even things that are important, very important to us. But but I've discovered something that, at least for me, and I think I think uh for Paul, the Apostle Paul as well, uh there are things that I pray for that I never forget. God does something, you know, that I some of the things I pray for on a regular basis, other things that just come and go. But something about bringing them up to my God and to his throne gets them in my memory. And and and I don't forget. And I've share with you, you know, my regular everyday daily prayer right uh right when my uh earliest, uh quickest my feet touch the floor is okay, Lord, new day. I want to uh I want to please you today. I want to be godly. I want to uh I don't if there's something you want me to do, I I don't want to miss that. And that's a daily prayer. Uh and and I think what it does for me is it gets makes me start off the day aware, watching for opportunities for things that he might want me to do. I pray for Mary Lou on a regular basis because she's married to me. That's a given, and so she needs her prayers, uh, my prayers and and yours as well, by the way. I pray for you. I pray for my church family. I pray in in um in kind of a general way, uh, for just for God to protect us. Uh we have an enemy out there, if you haven't aren't aware of that. Uh, he's very alive, very real, and uh he he would he loves to destroy churches. He does it all the time. I read about them almost on a daily basis. So I pray for God's protection for us for us as a church. Uh and but then sometimes it's specific because you know I you I find out a specific thing's going on in your life, or or you're wrestling with a health concern, and so and then it's a and so then it's very specific. And and and I don't forget, you know, those are things that are on my mind because I think because I'm bringing them to the throne of God, uh, I pray for our our leaders, our church leaders. You know, when they when you step in a position like that, when you uh agree to serve uh in that capacity in a church, it's almost it's like you put, and it's not like we all don't have Satan's bullseye on us, we do, but if you you step in that position, it's it Satan's out to get you. Because one if he can cause a leader to stumble in some way, then he can do real damage to not only the church body, but it the image in the community. And so I I pray for their leaders and for their marriages and for uh uh their families, and I'd encourage you to do that as well. But because that they're on my mind a lot, it I don't I don't forget about them. They that's pretty constant. Uh and uh so there's a lot of things that are just a part of my regular prayer life, and because of that, it's just really they're they're really on my mind, and and I think that's part of what's going on in verse 2. Paul has committed to praying for the the churches uh that he has had a part in, and uh because of that, uh they're close to his heart, and and Thessalonians is one of them. But some of those prayers, I get the, you know, uh, as I mentioned before, I'm sure some of those prayers as he prays for those churches, those different churches, bring heaviness because he knows they're struggling, they're not doing what they should be, and like Corinthian church we talked. Uh but when it comes to the Church of Thessalonians, uh the the prayers lift his heart. And and you see it, you hear it in his words and the way he describes uh the them and the way his heart is for them. And and I I guess to as we before we leave verse to my encouragement to to each of us is to be to be praying for each other, uh pray for our church family, pray for each other, pray for me and my family, pray for our leadership. Uh and uh because bringing those things before the throne uh uh I think marks them on our heart. And uh so let's be encouraged by Paul here as he as he lays out prayers, not just a formality, uh, not just something that uh we hear done at church, but but those conversations with God, which is what they are, uh help remind us of that relationship we have uh to him as our father, which Paul uses that word a lot. In fact, go on to verse 3. Uh he says, we continually remember you before God and before our God and Father, your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. So there's there are clearly uh three these three things that Paul that stand out for Paul and that are part of his prayers. But when he thinks about these church, this church, he says, there's three three things that just really come to my mind. And and as I'm talking to God about you, they're just they're so obvious. Uh and and uh so uh he says, so I want to talk, I want I want you to know as as a church, I want you to know that these are the things that come to my mind about you when I talk to God about you, and and so you see it, you can see it clearly in in this verse, this this list that he puts out. And and I'm I think one reason I want to uh focus on these is I think we can grab onto these and say, okay, you want what what is a healthy church? And we can say, well, this is this is part of what a healthy church looks like. And the first one he says is you know, your your work produced by faith. Uh so here's he says he talks about work, labor, and endurance. And and those words are they may, you know, you look at them and we may say, well, that's obvious what they mean. Uh for me, uh, you know, and I talk about this a lot, I I always I I just I love to delve into words in in the Word of God because I know I know when the scriptures were put down, there wasn't my language, and there's our things that are lost in translation. So they do the best they can, and and our English translations are very good, but but there's always there, not always, lots of times, you get looking at the Greek word or the Hebrew or Aramaic, depending on where if in the Old Testament or New Testament, and also you say, Oh, okay, wait, there's a little more to this word than I I realized, and and so I did that with with these three. Uh, and so let me start with the one. He says, I I first of all, when I when I talk to God about you, I am reminded, uh, and I would say, probably he'd say, I'm, and I celebrate the all this work that is produced by faith when it comes to you. And that's kind of unusual. I for me anyway, I thought, okay, that's kind of an unusual way to say it. First of all, just what work produced by faith? Uh, what does faith have to do with work? You know, and I you it uh, you know, when I see that word for work, I think, well, you know, usually the things that we need to do are kind of obvious, aren't they? You know, not everything, obviously, but uh if they aren't, your wife will let you know soon. You'll she'll tell you that needs to be done. Uh but it just, you know, where we we have the the honeydew list or uh or this, you know, uh we you know, we look out in the yard and we say, oh boy, those, I gotta get to that that uh trimming real quick here is getting bad, whatever. The work is not something that I would associate very much with faith, you know, with uh with well, kid God, I'm gonna have to trust you with this one. So so right away when I looked at that phrase, I thought there's probably something here that maybe doesn't uh s uh spell out real clearly in in translation in our English word work. And so I started digging into it. Uh you know, uh when I think I work uh I uh this time of year especially, we have a lot of big trees in our yard. And and so I but when we start getting that cool air, I think, okay, leaves are gonna trim and to start turning, and when the leaves start turning, soon they start falling, and falling means breaking, you know. And so for years, that's all that's kind of been where I'm at for years, uh, up until these last two years. Grandson, that now it's grandsons and granddaughters, you know, that take care of. But but uh or I did I used to do this. This is okay, this is just for in this room. I would pray, Lord, really hard wind. Send a hard wind and and blow these leaves somewhere else. And actually, it worked a few years where I'd go out and they're they're gone. All right, where we go. But uh uh, but yeah, so those are kind of our normal thoughts with work, and then and but but this word, as I dug into it, I I did discover uh that there was more to it. In fact, uh one of the word way it could have been translated would be uh career. Isn't that interesting? Uh another way that it kind of came to me was uh our our niche. You know, some we use that word and we say, well, you know, what are what where what is in you know the thing that in your life or my life that that God has focused us on, that maybe nobody else has that same focus. And and and and at the same time, obviously it's it's a challenge uh for for us. And so so what Paul seems to be saying about this church is that uh he's grateful for the fact that when they sensed what God wanted them as a church to be doing, and it required great faith, they did it. And he doesn't spell out what it is, he just uh uh which is probably good because we might then grab on to that and say, oh, that's what every church no, that was what they were supposed to do, that was their niche, the thing that God was calling them to, and it was and and evidently it it uh required great faith on their part to do to move in that direction, uh, but but they did it. They trusted God and they moved forward. Uh, you know, not every church is gonna be a megachurch, and and uh or every church is gonna have a you know a huge uh youth program, or or you know, it's interesting. Uh there are churches that uh today, uh how many of you have ever heard of the Brooklyn Tabernacle? Ever heard of that? Anybody? A few of you? What's it famous for? What is its niche? Anyone know? Choir. Uh they have a really good pastor. He's good. I mean, I know I like I love, but what as God has God has used in their church to actually bring hundreds and thousands of people to Christ is their choir. Uh people go there and they want to hear the choir, and then they hear the gospel and they come to Christ. And it's it uh, you know, I mentioned last yesterday or last Sunday, John MacArthur. And and John MacArthur's ministry and his church uh throughout his life and it have been as their niche as the depth of which they dig into the word of God. Uh I I love preaching the word of God, but I'm certainly not a John MacArthur. And and and I like I said, I like digging into some of these words, but uh I mean he he was an exception, and that church is an exception. There, he, you know, when uh share with you how they he bragged about them and how patient they were to, as he preached, he preached through the entire Bible, verse by verse. Amazing. Uh not not many congregations would put up with that nowadays, but uh so that was their their nits. That's what God said, I want you to be as as a church. Uh so I think that's this is what he's he's pointing to here uh in this church, and and uh maybe for every church, that's is that a church needs to be uh sensitive to what it what might be its niche, the way God wants it in particular to serve in in the midst of the community. Now, we talked a few weeks ago when we were looking at the book of Acts, and uh uh we went to Acts chapter 2, and I and we looked at that passage in Acts 2, verse 42, where it says they devoted themselves to apostles' teaching and to fellowship to breaking the bread into prayer. And I believe that these are not niche things. These are things that every uh church, if it is going to be obedient to God, these are going to be part of their church. Uh they are gonna spend time studying the word together, they're gonna spend, they're gonna love fellowshipping with each other. We're gonna have a potluck a little later, and that's what that's about. It's fellowship, it's hanging together, it's visiting, it's sometimes I'm sharing prayer needs. It's uh uh there the uh every church should share in communion, should be a regular part of their worship, uh, and and then they pray each other. That should be every church. This applies to every church, I believe, is what scripture teaches. But what we're seeing here, and I think what Paul is celebrating here, and and at the same time, maybe something for us to grab on to, is that God also looks at these churches, our church, and and it's very possible, he says, uh, I have a special ministry that I want you to do as a church body. Uh, and I think that's what's going on here. And it might take, as it did with them, it's gonna take some faith. Uh, it's gonna be challenging to you, uh, it might be scary to some of us. Uh, but but this is the thing that I am calling you to as a church. And and so we need to, I think, have that that that first of all desire. Uh the desire, Lord, I want, I want to know what that is if as a church. If we're not, if we haven't figured it out, we want to figure that out. We we want to move in that direction, and and then that the faith that says, and then Lord, we're gonna trust you uh with this. You know, I think one niche that God has given us in this community, uh, more than any, and and in my life, ministry more than any other church ever been part of, is, and maybe it's part of where he put us, is that the niche to the people out on the streets that have needs. I've never dealt in any church with so much of that. Uh, and and and fortunately uh you're you give faithfully, uh, but we have a lot of that people that come in and say, I hey, this is what's going on in my life. It's falling apart. I have nothing. I I'm on the streets. Can you help? And and often I hear this, and I know and I don't mention this as a um uh to to uh tear down any other church, but I often hear this. I've gone to every church in this community. Well, they probably haven't, but but something they'll say, I've gone, I've gone to every other no, and and none of them want to help me. And then I'll say, well, we will. Now we're careful about that. Nina has a calendar, and uh, when people come, we get their information, take their information down, uh, and we don't hand out money uh if it's well, if it's uh a place to stay or if it's a bill, uh, we will take that information and we put we give the money directly. That's and and part we you know we want to make sure we're good stewards of what God's given us. Uh but we also take their name down. And sometimes when I'm talking to the person, and and uh nine will put up three fingers, and that means that well, we've helped them three times in the last couple months, and uh, and that's so then I'll all use you will say, you know, we we've helped you uh several times recently, and and uh same with the same thing happening, and that means that there a life change has to come about. And I try to talk to them about that, and and then I pray with these people, and that's been I think that is a niche that God has given us. Uh uh there may be others, but uh, but I think the indication here is that uh that and and what Paul is praising this church for is that they have they want to know, and and God directed them, uh and we're gonna, I think as we move on into the other ones, uh we're gonna see that uh it must it must have been pretty challenging what God called them to do. Uh but they did it, and they trusted God, and and they moved forward. You know, and as I draw to the close this morning, I think that this also translates to you and I personally. Uh I we could look at 1 Corinthians, or 1 Corinthians, we could look at the book of Romans, and then and there's plenty of evidence of the fact that every one of you in this room is very important. And there is something that God wants to be doing through you that uh is significant, uh and it's it's very special. And nobody else can do it as well as you and in the way you do. Uh that's and so part of our heart as individuals should be that same thing, Lord. What what is it that I'm supposed to be doing? Because I'm supposed to be doing something. Uh the the chairs don't need warmth. Uh so what is it, Lord? What is that thing that you want me to be doing that that nobody that doesn't mean other people aren't out there doing similar stuff, but nobody else can do it like I do it because nobody else is gifted in the way I'm gifted. And and Lord, I want, I want, I don't want to miss that. I want to be serving you and even if it's scary. Scary, which quite often it is, but uh I trust you, and I I know that there's great reward in moving out. So I'm gonna leave us in the air this morning because I don't have the answer for you what your niche is, what your spiritual gift is, how God wants to be using it. But I do know that you have it. You have one or more. And and so I want just to leave us with this open your heart to whatever it is, the reward is worth it. That's right. Thanks, Father, for your word. For the privilege it is to serve you. The privilege it is to be a part of this body, and and Lord, we do, we want, we want to serve you, to do, to have the ministry you want us to have. If there's if we're missing it, Lord, or if there's more to it than than than what we have grabbed onto. Don't don't let us be satisfied. Help us to be looking, to be praying, to to be desiring, to be used by you. Uh to have those open hearts that are ready. Uh even if it's something that to us uh really looks bigger than us, in fact, especially if it is, uh those that's what you do. Uh you you put before us responsibilities, jobs, ministries that we know we can't do on our own, and then you show us that you're the one that's gonna do it anyway. So Lord, if there's something in when it comes to true north church that that that we haven't grabbed on to and we're supposed to, then Lord, help our us to be open to that and and direct us, show it to us. And for us here as individual believers, the same, Lord. I know that you have a ministry, a way of serving you in mind for each person here. And what a how how big is the regret gonna be if we stand before you someday? And we can't, we can't, he can't say to us that those words that we all want to hear, well done, good and faithful servant, that we we've served you. And uh I don't I don't want to stand before you and and just say, Well, I'm here. I want to know that I have uh faithfully done what you want me to do in my life, and I know that is the heart of these people. So, Lord, thank you for your word again and the time we've had together in it. Help us to know how to apply what we've read in your word to our lives. We pray these things in your son's name. Amen.

SPEAKER_00 30:20

Let's sing one last chorus. Tom will be up here if you need prayer this morning. Let's sing it.