WEBVTT 00:00:02.000 --> 00:00:06.320 1 Thessalonians chapter 3, verses 1 through 6. 00:00:07.440 --> 00:00:13.039 Therefore, when we could no longer stand it, we thought it was better to be left alone in Athens. 00:00:13.359 --> 00:00:23.839 And we sent Timothy, our brother, and God's co-worker in the gospel of Christ, to strengthen and encourage you concerning your faith, so that no one will be shaken by these afflictions. 00:00:24.160 --> 00:00:26.879 For you yourselves know that we are appointed to this. 00:00:27.120 --> 00:00:34.479 In fact, when we were with you, we told you in advance that we were going to experience afflictions, and as you know, it happened. 00:00:34.880 --> 00:00:45.280 For this reason, when I could no longer stand it, I also sent him to find out about your faith, fearing that the temper tempter had tempted you, and that our labor might be for nothing. 00:00:46.000 --> 00:00:50.799 But now Timothy has come to us from you and brought us good news about your faith and love. 00:00:50.960 --> 00:00:57.359 He reported that you always have good memories of us, and that you long to see us as we also long to see you. 00:00:57.759 --> 00:00:58.880 Let's pray. 00:00:59.200 --> 00:01:00.880 Lord, I thank you for your word. 00:01:01.759 --> 00:01:08.079 I thank you for your love and for your desire for us to know you and to grow in you. 00:01:08.319 --> 00:01:21.599 I ask that you would be glorified as we study your word, that you would fill me with your Holy Spirit to teach your word rightly, that you would fill the hearers who know you with your spirit to rightly discern and divide what is of you. 00:01:22.079 --> 00:01:26.799 That you would be glorified as we study this in all things, in your name. 00:01:27.120 --> 00:01:27.760 Amen. 00:01:28.000 --> 00:01:29.760 Go ahead and have a seat. 00:01:30.480 --> 00:01:31.439 Alright. 00:01:32.400 --> 00:01:34.239 So there's two ways that we could do this. 00:01:34.400 --> 00:01:35.840 Here's way number one. 00:01:36.719 --> 00:01:40.879 They were worried about Thessalonica, so they sent Timothy, and it turned out to be fine. 00:01:41.040 --> 00:01:42.079 Let's pray. 00:01:44.319 --> 00:01:46.239 No, I think we can get a little bit more out of this. 00:01:46.640 --> 00:01:48.079 That's the good news. 00:01:49.599 --> 00:01:52.319 What on earth is going on here? 00:01:52.640 --> 00:02:00.959 So they planted the church in Thessalonica, which you can read about in Acts, and then they had to leave. 00:02:01.280 --> 00:02:02.480 And then they had to leave. 00:02:02.640 --> 00:02:08.080 And it's not like they go, ah, I'm bored, I want to go to the next place, or I've always wanted to see Athens. 00:02:08.240 --> 00:02:10.960 Usually they're driven out by threats of death. 00:02:11.120 --> 00:02:13.439 To the next place, to the next place, to the next place. 00:02:13.599 --> 00:02:18.639 And it's not always possible or convenient to go back to that other place. 00:02:19.199 --> 00:02:25.360 If we wanted to go, hey, I want to go see Templeton, I would ask why. 00:02:25.599 --> 00:02:29.360 But the second thing I would say is that we'd be just go. 00:02:29.439 --> 00:02:30.319 I mean, we'd see it. 00:02:30.479 --> 00:02:33.680 We wouldn't be worried about people waiting to kill us. 00:02:33.840 --> 00:02:34.479 Hopefully. 00:02:38.560 --> 00:02:42.000 But as a whole, we have that. 00:02:42.240 --> 00:02:44.080 We can just go where we want and do what we want. 00:02:44.240 --> 00:02:45.039 We have that freedom. 00:02:45.280 --> 00:02:46.000 America. 00:02:46.319 --> 00:02:50.000 And as a whole, they don't have that. 00:02:50.319 --> 00:02:52.719 Whenever they go, they have to count the cost of doing so. 00:02:52.879 --> 00:02:58.800 Not only of where they're going, but also of the place that they're going and if they're going to survive the experience or not. 00:02:59.520 --> 00:03:14.560 And so they have, imagine that, they have a church of people who have responded to the gospel, given their life to Jesus, and they're young, and they are now alone by themselves as a whole, and we don't know how they're doing. 00:03:14.800 --> 00:03:32.080 And so we see that if we jump back in our context to chapter 2, verse 17, as for us, brothers and sisters, after we were forced to leave you for a short time, in person, not in heart, we greatly desired and made every effort to return and see you face to face. 00:03:32.800 --> 00:03:37.039 So we wanted to come to you, even I, Paul, time and again, but Satan hindered us. 00:03:37.360 --> 00:03:42.639 For who is our hope or joy or crown of boasting in the presence of our Lord Jesus at his coming? 00:03:42.879 --> 00:03:44.000 Is it not you? 00:03:44.319 --> 00:03:47.280 Indeed, you are our glory and joy. 00:03:47.919 --> 00:03:49.680 And then we roll into this chapter. 00:03:49.840 --> 00:03:53.919 Therefore, when we could no longer stand it, we thought it was better to be left alone in Athens. 00:03:54.080 --> 00:03:59.439 And we sent Timothy, our brother, and God's co-worker in the gospel of Christ. 00:03:59.759 --> 00:04:09.759 So they wanted to go visit them in person, but whatever situation was happening to them that's written here as Satan hindered them, they're not able to do it. 00:04:11.199 --> 00:04:16.639 This isn't as easy as sending them a quick text. 00:04:16.879 --> 00:04:18.560 You okay, question mark? 00:04:19.600 --> 00:04:22.879 If you're my age, emoji, emoji, emoji, emoji, emoji. 00:04:24.319 --> 00:04:28.240 And they can't just pick up the phone to see how they're doing. 00:04:28.319 --> 00:04:29.360 It doesn't work that way. 00:04:29.839 --> 00:04:36.319 Normally later on, Paul will be sending letters, but again, by a courier for this amount of time until it reaches that. 00:04:36.399 --> 00:04:38.160 So they can't just know immediately. 00:04:38.399 --> 00:04:42.800 And so what I like in here, they didn't just give up. 00:04:44.319 --> 00:04:49.759 It doesn't say we wanted to come to you, even I, Paul, time again, but Satan hindered us. 00:04:50.720 --> 00:04:52.079 Thoughts and prayers. 00:04:52.319 --> 00:04:53.439 Good luck. 00:04:54.079 --> 00:05:01.360 Instead, they actually worked to their own detriment to send Timothy. 00:05:01.680 --> 00:05:09.279 Timothy is a young believer at this point in time who was immensely useful to Paul and company and the ministry. 00:05:09.360 --> 00:05:18.240 And so they actually sacrificed in their own ministry to hear and see about how this church is doing. 00:05:18.399 --> 00:05:23.199 They were able to, to their own detriment, reach out to this church and see how they're doing, which is cool. 00:05:23.360 --> 00:05:24.480 It's cool to see that. 00:05:24.639 --> 00:05:26.480 And they send Timothy. 00:05:26.959 --> 00:05:28.079 Paul's gonna do this a lot. 00:05:28.160 --> 00:05:34.079 He's actually gonna send Timothy here and there and everywhere on these different things because he's a faithful brother, in that we know he's a young guy. 00:05:34.319 --> 00:05:37.439 He is at this point a fairly new believer. 00:05:37.519 --> 00:05:41.040 And they said Timothy, but it's cool how he's described. 00:05:41.120 --> 00:05:48.639 He is their brother, and he's God's co-worker or co-worker in the Lord, however your translation says it, in the gospel of Christ. 00:05:48.720 --> 00:05:49.680 So two things they have there. 00:05:49.759 --> 00:05:51.040 They have the relationship. 00:05:51.279 --> 00:05:52.160 He's our brother. 00:05:52.480 --> 00:05:56.240 We actually know this guy, but also he has proven work. 00:05:56.879 --> 00:06:00.399 He's a coworker in God in the gospel of Christ. 00:06:00.480 --> 00:06:06.879 He's not just, hey, we're sending our buddy here to hope that that works out okay. 00:06:07.439 --> 00:06:16.720 If you have an engine problem in your car, you do not want me to show up to help you unless you need a ride. 00:06:16.879 --> 00:06:20.319 Because I'll look at it and say, yeah, that ain't working. 00:06:21.600 --> 00:06:22.879 Good luck. 00:06:23.199 --> 00:06:34.319 Timothy actually has the uh gospel resume for what is happening here in order to minister to them in this way. 00:06:36.480 --> 00:06:37.279 What's the big deal? 00:06:37.439 --> 00:06:38.160 What's the issue? 00:06:38.399 --> 00:06:40.879 Why are they concerned in this? 00:06:41.120 --> 00:06:50.959 Well, we see here, he sent to strengthen and encourage them concerning their faith, which we'll circle back to, so that no one will be shaken by these afflictions. 00:06:51.279 --> 00:06:53.360 For you yourself know we're appointed to this. 00:06:53.519 --> 00:06:58.879 We were with you, we told you in advance that we were going to experience affliction, and as you know, it happened. 00:06:59.040 --> 00:07:06.240 We see in the introduction in this book, we see in 2 Thessalonians, the sequel, it's shorter, whether it's better or not, you can figure that out. 00:07:06.560 --> 00:07:11.839 But that they are experiencing extreme affliction where they are. 00:07:12.160 --> 00:07:14.639 It's not an easy road once they gave their life to Jesus. 00:07:14.800 --> 00:07:16.480 It is a battleground there. 00:07:16.560 --> 00:07:19.519 There's a lot of affliction, a lot of struggle. 00:07:19.839 --> 00:07:22.560 That is the danger here. 00:07:22.800 --> 00:07:26.800 Why does that concern Paul as a whole? 00:07:27.360 --> 00:07:33.680 They receive the gospel with joy, but in this affliction, he is worried about their state. 00:07:33.839 --> 00:07:39.360 Well, let's take a quick jaunt over to Mark chapter 4. 00:07:39.519 --> 00:07:43.279 I'm gonna read that if you want to flip there as well. 00:07:44.480 --> 00:07:46.240 Mark chapter 4. 00:07:47.600 --> 00:07:58.319 I'm gonna read 3 through 9 and 14 through 20 because uh 10 through 13 just is the disciples being gloriously boneheaded, which speaks to me, but they're basically like, I don't understand what you're saying, Jesus. 00:07:58.399 --> 00:07:59.120 What are you talking about? 00:07:59.199 --> 00:08:03.199 And he's like, I have to explain the uh parable. 00:08:03.360 --> 00:08:04.480 Okay, I'll explain the parable. 00:08:04.560 --> 00:08:06.560 And I'm like, yay, thank you for explaining the parable. 00:08:06.720 --> 00:08:09.920 Thank you, disciples, for taking one for the team and asking the question. 00:08:10.160 --> 00:08:14.160 So, Mark chapter 4, if we start in verse 3. 00:08:15.120 --> 00:08:19.279 Listen, consider the sower who went out to sow. 00:08:19.519 --> 00:08:24.959 As he sowed, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured it. 00:08:25.600 --> 00:08:28.959 Other seed fell on rocky ground where it didn't have much soil. 00:08:29.120 --> 00:08:32.799 It grew up quickly, since the soil wasn't deep. 00:08:33.279 --> 00:08:39.200 When the sun came up, it was scorched, since it had no root, it withered away. 00:08:39.759 --> 00:08:46.000 Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns came up and choked it, and it didn't produce fruit. 00:08:46.240 --> 00:08:54.000 Still other seed fell on good ground and it grew up, producing fruit that increased thirty, sixty, and a hundred times. 00:08:54.159 --> 00:08:57.519 And he said, Anyone who has ears to hear, listen. 00:08:57.759 --> 00:09:02.480 Going down to verse 14, here's the explanation The sower sows the word. 00:09:03.519 --> 00:09:10.720 Some are like the word sown on the path, and when they hear, immediately Satan comes and takes away the word sown in them. 00:09:10.960 --> 00:09:13.679 Others are like the seeds sown on rocky ground. 00:09:13.919 --> 00:09:17.360 When they hear the word, immediately they receive it with joy. 00:09:17.600 --> 00:09:20.559 But they have no root, and they are short-lived. 00:09:20.879 --> 00:09:26.080 When distress or persecution comes because of the word, they immediately fall away. 00:09:26.320 --> 00:09:29.519 Others are like the seeds sown among thorns. 00:09:29.759 --> 00:09:40.480 These are the ones who hear the word, but the worries of this age, the deceitfulness of wealth, the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. 00:09:41.120 --> 00:09:47.039 And those like seeds sown on good ground hear the word, welcome it, and produce fruit. 00:09:47.200 --> 00:09:51.759 Thirty, sixty, and a hundred times what was sown. 00:09:52.159 --> 00:09:54.480 So here Jesus is speaking a parable. 00:09:55.279 --> 00:09:57.759 The sower-sows the word being the seed. 00:09:57.919 --> 00:10:01.120 So the seed is the word, the gospel, the good news. 00:10:01.440 --> 00:10:04.639 The person is the ground. 00:10:05.840 --> 00:10:13.440 So for the first one, we have it is on a path that's not even in soil. 00:10:13.600 --> 00:10:15.200 So it doesn't even take root. 00:10:15.519 --> 00:10:18.000 The seed does not go into the ground. 00:10:18.240 --> 00:10:20.960 So it is therefore unfruitful. 00:10:21.120 --> 00:10:25.120 The second one, which we'll spend some time on in a second, is in rocky ground. 00:10:25.200 --> 00:10:34.399 It had didn't have much soil, it grew up quickly, and then the sun comes up, scorches it, and since it has no root, it withers away. 00:10:35.039 --> 00:10:38.000 The third one is sown among thorns. 00:10:38.240 --> 00:10:42.879 So it is in soil, but there's also something else planted in there. 00:10:42.960 --> 00:10:48.000 And it battles back and forth, and the thorns choke it out, and it becomes unfruitful. 00:10:48.399 --> 00:10:51.200 And then the last one is the seeds sown in the good ground. 00:10:51.279 --> 00:10:54.639 They welcome it, they hear it, and they produce fruit. 00:10:56.080 --> 00:11:00.240 For this purpose, I could spend a month on this passage. 00:11:00.320 --> 00:11:08.960 I love this passage, but for this purpose, we're going to look in depth a little more at soil number two because of its relevance. 00:11:09.039 --> 00:11:13.519 And I have a picture for that to give a visual for what this soil may look like. 00:11:14.960 --> 00:11:17.279 What's the challenge here? 00:11:20.080 --> 00:11:23.120 You might look at it and say, well, the challenge is the sun. 00:11:23.600 --> 00:11:26.879 Because the sun scorched it, but that's not the problem, actually. 00:11:27.200 --> 00:11:34.720 When you look at it in the passage, the sea falls on rocky ground, it doesn't have much soil. 00:11:35.919 --> 00:11:40.879 It grew up because the soil wasn't deep, but didn't have roots. 00:11:41.039 --> 00:11:45.039 The issue is soil depth in rocky ground. 00:11:45.200 --> 00:11:46.240 It's not the sun. 00:11:47.360 --> 00:11:49.200 And that's a challenge. 00:11:49.679 --> 00:11:55.919 That if it doesn't have deep roots, it's gonna have a hard time weathering the sun. 00:11:56.799 --> 00:11:59.679 Some things don't need deep roots, obviously. 00:11:59.759 --> 00:12:05.440 If your goal is to plant like an herb garden, not necessarily too worried about that. 00:12:05.759 --> 00:12:09.840 But you can't survive on herbs. 00:12:10.399 --> 00:12:12.879 Unless there's a new fat diet I am not aware of. 00:12:13.200 --> 00:12:18.240 Their pull, I mean, this is an agrarian culture, right? 00:12:18.320 --> 00:12:22.639 And so plants and animals are the entire source of food. 00:12:22.799 --> 00:12:30.080 And so crops here, as it's going in, and the issue there is depth of soil. 00:12:30.240 --> 00:12:38.960 So kind of a key to pull out of this is deep soil produces deep roots, which are better suited to weather affliction. 00:12:39.120 --> 00:12:40.240 That's the goal. 00:12:40.559 --> 00:12:47.120 Depth of soil produces deep roots to increase suitability for weathering affliction. 00:12:48.000 --> 00:12:50.879 Why are we talking about this? 00:12:51.279 --> 00:12:56.159 Because this, I believe, is the concern here in 1 Thessalonians 3. 00:12:56.720 --> 00:13:05.919 He sees that they have received it, received it with joy, and they're in a situation of extreme affliction. 00:13:06.159 --> 00:13:14.720 He is worried that the affliction is going to kill the plant, is going to kill the fruitfulness. 00:13:15.120 --> 00:13:25.600 He's worried that what is happening to them externally is going to squelch what happened to them internally. 00:13:26.159 --> 00:13:28.159 They're like little tender plants. 00:13:29.360 --> 00:13:41.600 And Paul here is concerned that the persecution here that's happening, the affliction that's happening, will cause it to die before it can even bear fruit. 00:13:43.600 --> 00:13:45.279 So what do they do? 00:13:45.519 --> 00:13:47.519 They send Timothy. 00:13:50.000 --> 00:13:54.399 It's not like they can just send a truck full of topsoil. 00:13:55.279 --> 00:13:57.519 It doesn't necessarily work that way. 00:13:58.000 --> 00:14:00.080 They send Timothy. 00:14:00.960 --> 00:14:04.559 What does Timothy do in verse 2? 00:14:04.639 --> 00:14:05.600 What is his goal? 00:14:05.840 --> 00:14:12.559 His goal is to strengthen and encourage them concerning their faith. 00:14:12.879 --> 00:14:20.879 So, strengthen, we have sterizo, which is to make stable, to strengthen, to render constant. 00:14:21.440 --> 00:14:25.519 And the picture that I see for this is like a support stake. 00:14:26.320 --> 00:14:35.519 Like if you have a plant that's growing and it's growing up, at a certain point, it needs some sort of structure to keep it from you know flopping over and dying. 00:14:35.679 --> 00:14:36.879 You see how much I know about plants? 00:14:37.360 --> 00:14:38.720 I'm using technical terms here. 00:14:38.879 --> 00:14:39.200 Okay. 00:14:41.360 --> 00:14:44.159 Ironically, I was looking back, this is for free. 00:14:44.320 --> 00:14:49.200 My uh my grandfather, oddly enough, he was an aerospace engineer, but all he cared about were his trees. 00:14:49.440 --> 00:14:59.039 And uh he founded the California Rare Fruit Growers Association, and like I went back and was looking at some of his journals, and I understood none of it. 00:14:59.360 --> 00:15:07.279 Because he had tables of how to prepare seeds in order to weather differently, and I'm like, that could be useful, but not for me, because I don't get it. 00:15:07.519 --> 00:15:10.559 So this is my understanding, at least. 00:15:10.639 --> 00:15:17.919 So Timothy is coming to be a support stick, to strengthen them, but also to encourage them. 00:15:18.240 --> 00:15:21.759 We have paracalejo, to exhort, comfort, encourage. 00:15:22.000 --> 00:15:36.960 This word means so many things, it has so many different definitions, and usually we pick one or two of them to suit the context, but it's really to come alongside holistically to exhort, to comfort, to encourage. 00:15:37.840 --> 00:15:42.960 Kind of like fertilizer, to fertilize, to make the soil fruitful, to increase that. 00:15:43.200 --> 00:15:49.600 And you can also look at that way to where he's bringing the support strength of truth and the fertilizer of love in that sense together. 00:15:49.919 --> 00:16:02.159 So, what happens if you have a if you have a plant that might be rocky soil, shallow soil, shallow roots, and the sun's beating down? 00:16:02.720 --> 00:16:07.759 Uh what would potentially happen if you if you had like a support stake and you fertilize it? 00:16:07.919 --> 00:16:10.399 Take a look at the picture and we can see the transformation. 00:16:13.840 --> 00:16:18.639 It increases the possibility of bearing fruit. 00:16:20.639 --> 00:16:22.240 Paul can't control the soil. 00:16:22.399 --> 00:16:23.279 It's not like he can. 00:16:24.000 --> 00:16:32.559 For those any of you who have done any kind of gardening or agriculture, um, your desire does not equal the fruitfulness. 00:16:32.960 --> 00:16:43.600 You can do what you can, but ultimately, outside factors and just life have a way of changing all of that. 00:16:43.679 --> 00:16:49.759 And so you can have everything perfect conditions, and then, oh look, we have historic rain that came. 00:16:49.919 --> 00:16:51.120 Things like that. 00:16:51.840 --> 00:17:08.240 So they're sending Timothy to be a support stake, sending him to so he can strengthen them and to encourage them, like fertilizer, like good solid soil, to increase the likeliness of their survival. 00:17:10.559 --> 00:17:12.720 Here's something that's interesting, though. 00:17:13.680 --> 00:17:22.000 He doesn't say that the afflictions are gonna stop anytime soon. 00:17:22.559 --> 00:17:29.920 He doesn't sit there and go, so what we're gonna do, we're gonna try to make you as comfortable as possible. 00:17:30.160 --> 00:17:31.920 Because then you will grow. 00:17:38.559 --> 00:17:40.079 It's going to happen. 00:17:40.400 --> 00:17:44.319 In fact, if it doesn't happen, that's not good either. 00:17:46.000 --> 00:17:55.279 But it is the goal is to strengthen the plant, not shield it from difficulty. 00:17:56.640 --> 00:18:05.920 And we see here in chapter 3, he does that so that you he won't be shaken in verse 3 by these afflictions. 00:18:06.079 --> 00:18:07.759 I love the word shaken in here. 00:18:07.839 --> 00:18:10.720 It literally means like a dog's tail wagging. 00:18:11.039 --> 00:18:19.279 Can you imagine a plant going, ah! I don't think that's going to actually help it increase its fruitfulness. 00:18:20.160 --> 00:18:20.720 Pro tip. 00:18:21.839 --> 00:18:24.480 So, no one will be shaken by these afflictions. 00:18:24.720 --> 00:18:27.359 Because you know we were appointed to this. 00:18:28.000 --> 00:18:36.000 He says, I don't want you to be shaken for these afflictions because that was the gig you signed up for. 00:18:36.799 --> 00:18:41.279 We're gonna see, I believe, in 1 Timothy, all who desire to live godly will suffer persecution. 00:18:41.599 --> 00:18:43.039 It comes with the gig. 00:18:43.279 --> 00:18:50.240 And he says, in fact, when we were with you, we told you in advance we were going to experience affliction, and as you know, it happened. 00:18:50.400 --> 00:18:56.799 We told you ahead of time, afflictions were coming, and then afflictions came. 00:18:56.960 --> 00:18:59.839 And everybody loves when someone says, Told you so. 00:19:00.000 --> 00:19:03.119 That's usually the like ministers to your soul. 00:19:03.359 --> 00:19:07.839 But he's saying here, the afflictions are a part of this. 00:19:07.920 --> 00:19:13.359 And Paul knows this better than anyone else from both sides. 00:19:13.759 --> 00:19:24.079 Not only has he experienced unprecedented affliction as a follower of Jesus, but he was once the person afflicting the followers of Jesus. 00:19:24.400 --> 00:19:29.440 So, very well versed on what this looks like. 00:19:29.759 --> 00:19:42.319 So, the goal is not to make the garden as comfortable as possible, it's to make it survivable of what is coming. 00:19:43.200 --> 00:19:46.720 Deep roots is the goal, which is difficult in rocky soil here. 00:19:48.079 --> 00:20:05.839 So, he sent Timothy in verse 5, for this reason, when I could no longer stand it, I sent him to find out about your faith, fearing that the tempter had tempted you, and that our labor might be for nothing. 00:20:06.240 --> 00:20:14.880 So Timothy was sent to strengthen them, to encourage them, to find out about their faith. 00:20:16.000 --> 00:20:21.920 And their worry is that the temper tempter had tempted them, and that their labor might be for nothing. 00:20:23.279 --> 00:20:24.799 Here's the good news. 00:20:25.119 --> 00:20:26.799 You look in verse 6. 00:20:27.599 --> 00:20:34.319 But now Timothy has come to us from you, and he brought us good news about your faith and love. 00:20:34.799 --> 00:20:41.279 He reported that you always have good memories of us, and that you long to see us as we long to see you. 00:20:42.240 --> 00:20:51.039 So, that's the good news, is that Timothy came back, and it turns out they're doing well, which is wonderful. 00:20:51.200 --> 00:20:55.119 They are weathering the difficulties well. 00:20:56.880 --> 00:21:09.839 And not only do we see that they are producing fruit of faith and love, but also that they have good memories of them and long to see them as we long to see you. 00:21:10.000 --> 00:21:35.680 Which sounds all um squishy, but there's more to that in that uh if you look at some of the other letters, one of the issues with Paul and company preaching the gospel is that false teachers come behind to do two things: to plant seeds of falsehood, but then also to chip away at the foundation of the gospel they heard through Paul. 00:21:36.000 --> 00:21:47.599 So it's a good sign that this church has not, uh, for lack of a better way to say it turned on Paul and company to a different gospel. 00:21:47.839 --> 00:21:58.400 We see that uh in the church, the letters to Corinth quite a bit, with people coming in and being like, dude, what did I what did I do to you that you turned like, gosh, why are you going after them? 00:21:58.480 --> 00:21:59.039 What's the deal with that? 00:21:59.119 --> 00:21:59.759 Did they take care of? 00:22:00.160 --> 00:22:00.400 You? 00:22:00.480 --> 00:22:01.200 Did they feed you? 00:22:01.279 --> 00:22:02.319 Did they get no? 00:22:02.480 --> 00:22:04.160 They actually want to take from you. 00:22:04.400 --> 00:22:07.119 And so here you have a blessing of that. 00:22:07.359 --> 00:22:16.079 So kind of encompassing this passage, we see a concern about a tender plant being the Church of Thessalonica. 00:22:16.720 --> 00:22:33.119 And then we see him sending Timothy to strengthen, to fertilize, to both make stable, render constant, and then also to exhort, to comfort, to encourage. 00:22:33.519 --> 00:22:39.440 And the good news is he comes back with good news that they are doing well in the midst of it. 00:22:39.519 --> 00:22:41.759 And what better news could there possibly be than that? 00:22:41.839 --> 00:22:43.920 That they're actually weathering this well. 00:22:45.920 --> 00:22:50.880 So what? 00:22:52.160 --> 00:22:53.599 What does that have to do with us? 00:22:53.920 --> 00:22:54.559 What do we do with that? 00:22:54.640 --> 00:22:55.599 What do we do with that information? 00:22:55.759 --> 00:22:58.240 It's an interesting passage, and that's cool to see that. 00:22:58.319 --> 00:23:26.000 But I think it's interesting that the pastoral heart in Paul and Timothy is concerned for the well-being of the church as they are weathering well, making sure they are weathering well, making sure their roots are deep, making sure that they have the sufficient foundation and sufficient strength to withstand what is happening to them and will continue to happen to them. 00:23:26.400 --> 00:23:41.519 So I think that that is one of the questions at hand in this as we're looking at this, is amidst that concern, uh what does it look like to weather affliction well? 00:23:43.279 --> 00:23:59.680 How do and and I'll be I'll be honest here, uh, if I can say this tactfully, I would call you know the stereotypical evangelical American church firmly in soil three, planted among thorns, and the cares of this world choking up fruitfulness. 00:23:59.759 --> 00:24:00.880 I'll just say that. 00:24:01.200 --> 00:24:05.759 But how do we weather well? 00:24:05.920 --> 00:24:08.880 How do we produce fruitfulness? 00:24:09.039 --> 00:24:11.519 How do we get used to that in the meantime? 00:24:11.759 --> 00:24:21.119 Because if we know that all who desire to live godly will suffer affliction, you we might want to be ready for that before it happens. 00:24:21.680 --> 00:24:32.640 Uh how many of us without raising our hands have decided to take care of a hole in our roof after it starts raining? 00:24:33.440 --> 00:24:34.480 It's not fun. 00:24:35.039 --> 00:24:39.839 That does not bring out the best in us at any given point. 00:24:40.960 --> 00:24:55.759 If we have foundation issues, is the best time to take care of that uh during cataclysmic flooding, during potentially an earthquake? 00:24:55.920 --> 00:24:58.160 Or is that something that needs to be taken care of? 00:24:58.480 --> 00:25:02.559 Okay, how do we shore ourselves up in that way? 00:25:02.880 --> 00:25:04.799 Quick story. 00:25:05.519 --> 00:25:23.519 We uh used to live in uh the panhandle of Florida, survived, and uh we left in July of 2018, and on October of 2018, Hurricane Michael hit and literally wiped the town that we were living in off the map. 00:25:24.000 --> 00:25:25.279 It was gnarly. 00:25:25.519 --> 00:25:28.799 It was a category five because there is no category six. 00:25:29.200 --> 00:25:35.519 And um literally it like it became third world where we were where we were formerly living. 00:25:35.680 --> 00:25:38.799 The power grid, they were saying, like, it's gone. 00:25:38.960 --> 00:25:42.640 Like we have to rebuild it, it may be months before you have electricity, things like that. 00:25:42.799 --> 00:25:43.440 Gnarly. 00:25:43.680 --> 00:25:48.160 So it hit directly this town called Mexico Beach. 00:25:49.200 --> 00:26:00.960 And if you look at pictures, it is a wasteland of rubble, and then one house sticking up out of everything. 00:26:01.200 --> 00:26:03.119 Just this one little house. 00:26:03.839 --> 00:26:05.119 Big house. 00:26:05.599 --> 00:26:09.440 And they interviewed these people and said, What happened? 00:26:09.519 --> 00:26:11.200 Like, how is this surviving? 00:26:11.440 --> 00:26:18.720 And they basically built the house to withstand 200 mile-an-hour winds. 00:26:19.119 --> 00:26:30.480 They had built these things, they had built, drilled down their pylons, down all the different stuff that I don't understand either, and all the things, and they built this house that could withstand basically the apocalypse, and it did. 00:26:31.119 --> 00:26:40.000 Which um is uh pretty timely for that because if they had waited until the hurricane was coming, it would be too late. 00:26:40.240 --> 00:26:41.440 How do we do that? 00:26:41.680 --> 00:26:44.559 How do we live in such a way that we can weather well? 00:26:44.720 --> 00:26:59.920 How do we uh till our soil, deepen our roots, torture a metaphor, um as much as possible in order to weather affliction? 00:27:00.319 --> 00:27:10.880 So I would say, everyone loves this phrase, but depth of soil would be like maturity in our faith. 00:27:11.920 --> 00:27:15.119 That is a tough one. 00:27:15.359 --> 00:27:17.039 What does that mean? 00:27:17.440 --> 00:27:23.519 Because uh maturity in our faith does not necessarily equate time. 00:27:24.720 --> 00:27:28.000 It should, but it doesn't always. 00:27:28.559 --> 00:27:35.119 Uh there was a musician I knew that was, I don't know why this was so mind-blowing to me, but maybe because I'm simple. 00:27:35.200 --> 00:27:39.839 But it was, he said, you know, practice doesn't make perfect, practice makes permanent. 00:27:40.079 --> 00:27:49.119 If you are practicing the wrong things, you will ingrain that permanently and you will not get better, you will just get stuck. 00:27:49.680 --> 00:27:54.880 So, with that in mind, that's not necessarily the issue in that. 00:27:55.680 --> 00:28:03.599 But how do we look back five years and go, how have how much have I grown in him? 00:28:03.759 --> 00:28:08.799 Look at how much he has grown me, cultivated me, all these different things. 00:28:09.039 --> 00:28:22.640 And uh, it's not, again, we're uh with gentle things, it has nothing to do with the typical ladder climbing that happens in churches, to where we actually just get close to people of influence and go, see, I'm mature. 00:28:22.799 --> 00:28:25.039 They've given me a title and a platform. 00:28:25.200 --> 00:28:26.640 That's not maturity necessarily. 00:28:26.880 --> 00:28:28.880 Could be, but not necessarily. 00:28:29.119 --> 00:28:30.559 Uh so what is it? 00:28:30.720 --> 00:28:32.160 It's looking like Jesus. 00:28:32.480 --> 00:28:34.559 Looking more and more and more like Jesus. 00:28:34.799 --> 00:28:44.960 Now, some of you, as I'm saying this, I'm willing to bet there is a little red light bulb that's flashing and it sounds like this. 00:28:45.279 --> 00:28:48.400 Works, works, works, works, works. 00:28:48.880 --> 00:28:58.240 Because talking about growth can, in the wrong hands, sound like works. 00:28:58.559 --> 00:29:00.720 May I present to you? 00:29:01.279 --> 00:29:07.680 Grace is not opposed to effort, they are not opposed to one another. 00:29:09.039 --> 00:29:15.039 Effort to merit God's favor is bad. 00:29:15.920 --> 00:29:17.920 That is works, in definition. 00:29:18.240 --> 00:29:27.599 But because God is well pleased with us and has saved us, and therefore we want to grow and be more like him, that's not works. 00:29:27.680 --> 00:29:30.160 That is growing in Christ. 00:29:30.559 --> 00:29:31.839 And that's good. 00:29:34.319 --> 00:29:41.440 So, in our metaphor that we're about to leave, I promise, uh what would what would increase soil death? 00:29:41.599 --> 00:29:43.440 Well, breaking up and removing rocks. 00:29:43.680 --> 00:29:45.599 That's called sanctification, by the way. 00:29:45.759 --> 00:29:48.960 But then also adding fresh, rich soil. 00:29:51.039 --> 00:30:02.079 The thing I want to say here that I believe is ties in well with this passage, that is not a solo act that cannot be done in isolation. 00:30:02.799 --> 00:30:06.160 It cannot be done in isolation. 00:30:06.799 --> 00:30:14.240 You cannot grow, you and I cannot grow in maturity in our faith by ourselves. 00:30:16.559 --> 00:30:18.000 We really want to. 00:30:40.720 --> 00:30:41.519 It's weird. 00:30:41.599 --> 00:30:43.519 There's a cognitive dissonance there. 00:30:44.079 --> 00:30:47.920 So with that in mind, it requires community. 00:30:48.160 --> 00:30:52.400 Now, step one, hey, you guys are here. 00:30:52.799 --> 00:30:53.680 Good job. 00:30:53.920 --> 00:30:54.400 That's it. 00:30:54.559 --> 00:30:55.359 That's great with that. 00:30:56.000 --> 00:31:00.960 Just being in community, being in a church community is important, is healthy. 00:31:01.119 --> 00:31:04.960 A healthy church community is important. 00:31:08.079 --> 00:31:23.119 Um but with that in mind, that relationship involves people who know us and love us, who can encourage us, and also can help us break up rocks in our life, can encourage us to break up things. 00:31:23.440 --> 00:31:27.839 Um that looks like discipleship. 00:31:28.799 --> 00:31:32.880 Discipleship is not something that young people do. 00:31:33.839 --> 00:31:38.480 Discipleship is something that we all do in one way or the other, should be doing in one way or another. 00:31:38.640 --> 00:31:43.680 And again, it is possible, it is not possible to ultimately be healthy without having that. 00:31:43.839 --> 00:31:46.960 Having other people speak into our lives. 00:31:47.119 --> 00:31:53.039 Trusted people that know us, love Jesus, are further along in the ministry. 00:31:54.079 --> 00:31:56.720 Further along in their walk with Jesus. 00:31:57.039 --> 00:31:59.839 How many of you, by a show of hands, are still breathing? 00:32:00.799 --> 00:32:01.599 Alright. 00:32:01.839 --> 00:32:03.119 I have questions. 00:32:06.400 --> 00:32:07.759 How many of you are sleeping? 00:32:08.000 --> 00:32:09.039 See, you can't do that. 00:32:09.200 --> 00:32:11.920 Oh hey! There's a conflict there. 00:32:12.079 --> 00:32:12.960 Um, yes. 00:32:14.240 --> 00:32:19.839 If we are still breathing, we are still growing, hopefully, in one way or the other. 00:32:20.319 --> 00:32:24.079 So the easiest way would be how do I grow in my faith? 00:32:24.240 --> 00:32:27.119 Well, just asking, like asking one of the elders, hey, I want to be discipled. 00:32:27.200 --> 00:32:27.920 How does that work? 00:32:28.160 --> 00:32:30.960 And that sounds so weird and scary, and it sounds like a formal thing. 00:32:31.119 --> 00:32:32.160 It doesn't have to be. 00:32:32.640 --> 00:32:34.160 Certainly doesn't have to be. 00:32:34.400 --> 00:32:40.160 Um then there are there's different levels to that, of course. 00:32:40.319 --> 00:32:48.640 I have people who live on the other side of the country that I can talk to for like an hour and they and he'll like basically like encourage and exhort and call me out on things. 00:32:48.720 --> 00:32:50.960 It's like, wow, okay, well, there you go. 00:32:51.119 --> 00:32:55.119 Um it's but it's in community in that way. 00:32:55.279 --> 00:33:00.160 But here's the key nobody wants to hear this, but we all need to hear this. 00:33:00.400 --> 00:33:05.279 We must learn to love growth rather than comfort. 00:33:07.039 --> 00:33:12.880 We must learn to love growth rather than comfort. 00:33:14.799 --> 00:33:19.519 Comfort will make us grow sideways. 00:33:22.880 --> 00:33:42.160 If we want to grow, let's say we want to um be healthier to have exercise more and such, that requires resistance, that requires uh work, that requires a little bit of effort in that way, or else we're probably not actually becoming more healthy. 00:33:44.319 --> 00:34:00.799 Uh and the reason why I say that is because of Genesis 3, where we see that fruit comes from sweat, labor, through thorns, through thistles. 00:34:01.039 --> 00:34:12.800 We have been, those of us who are followers of Jesus, have been saved from the penalty of sin, but we still live in a fallen world, and there's still effort to be had in that. 00:34:13.119 --> 00:34:25.280 So, um, as we saw in that parable with the sun, growth does not happen by causing and creating perfect conditions or waiting for the afflictions to go away. 00:34:25.440 --> 00:34:26.800 They're not going to. 00:34:27.039 --> 00:34:38.400 We're promised that perfect conditions don't necessarily create growth, but willingness to grow together does. 00:34:38.960 --> 00:34:52.000 And so I think that's the thing, is we're looking through these uh things is how sometimes I ask, and I ask myself, like, have we just kind of given up on maturity? 00:34:52.639 --> 00:34:59.039 One of the things we're gonna see in the Thessalonian letters is that they have plenty of love. 00:35:00.000 --> 00:35:04.880 They have plenty of community, they have plenty of encouragement. 00:35:05.039 --> 00:35:09.280 But Paul's like, you guys are lazy. 00:35:09.760 --> 00:35:17.199 He's like basically like you're kind of just waiting until the end, where you get sucked into the sky, and it's all done. 00:35:17.519 --> 00:35:20.639 And he's like, hey, how about you guys kinda get to work? 00:35:20.719 --> 00:35:24.320 And so with that in mind, our goal as a result is to bear fruit. 00:35:24.480 --> 00:35:31.440 Not because that is what will make God like us, but because God loves us, he calls us to bear fruit. 00:35:31.760 --> 00:35:41.039 So, with that in mind, um, if you're still breathing, God still has plans for you. 00:35:41.440 --> 00:35:43.280 God still has work for you to do. 00:35:43.440 --> 00:35:46.400 And you're like, oh great, he wants me to serve in this ministry. 00:35:46.480 --> 00:35:47.519 I didn't say that. 00:35:47.760 --> 00:35:54.480 I would argue that the majority of fruitful ministry happens between Monday and Saturday. 00:35:54.639 --> 00:35:58.480 But we flipped that in our culture towards like, no, it all has to happen on Sunday. 00:35:58.559 --> 00:35:59.280 Sunday's good. 00:35:59.440 --> 00:36:00.159 I like Sunday. 00:36:00.239 --> 00:36:02.079 I'm biased, but Sunday is a good thing. 00:36:02.239 --> 00:36:02.960 That's important. 00:36:03.119 --> 00:36:08.000 However, it is that aspect of community. 00:36:08.159 --> 00:36:09.039 And why do I say that? 00:36:09.199 --> 00:36:23.280 Well, just um there is a plant that actually can thrive in soil difficulties. 00:36:23.519 --> 00:36:25.360 Um, I have a slide for it. 00:36:25.679 --> 00:36:27.280 The redwood trees. 00:36:28.880 --> 00:36:32.800 One thing I know about redwood trees is they're tall. 00:36:33.760 --> 00:36:43.840