Sermon Outline A Pastor’s Love and Prayers for His Flock 1 Thessalonians 2.17-3.13 Night and day we pray most earnestly that we may see you again and supply what is lacking in your faith. 1 Thessalonians 3.10 Introduction -Acts 17 Paul’s second missionary journey to Thessalonica -Paul’s anxiety over the Thessalonians, 2.17-18; 3.1,5 -Timothy sent back to them and his report on them, 3.2-6 -Paul’s great joy over them, 3.7-9 -Macedonian churches were a great blessing to Paul and other churches, Romans 15.26; 2 Corinthians 8.1-9; 11.9; 1 Thessalonians 1.4-10; 4.9-10 _______________________________________________ Life-Time Lessons Learned by Paul 1) Paul learned that he could trust God to preserve and to protect what God had begun -2 Timothy 1.11-12;  Philippians 1.3-6; Jude 24-25; 1 Peter 1.3-5; 2 Timothy 2.19; Ephesians 1.13-14 2) Paul learned to trust God to answer prayer – frequency of Paul’s prayers, “always, we do not cease, I have not stopped, every time I remember you, we continually remember, on all occasions” –fervency of Paul’s prayers, “superabundant earnestness” –focus of Paul’s prayers, to see them again, love , holiness. A full faith v10. Galatians 5.6 Conclusion -Has God begun His work in your life? -Are you trusting God to keep you? -Are you praying for other believers around you? Sermon A Pastor’s Love and Prayers for His Flock 1 Thessalonians 2.17-3.13 -This morning I would like to read to you part of a love story. …This is the true story of the love and concern of a Pastor for his converts and of their love for him. …Listen as I read. [Read] –Acts 17 informs us that Paul and Silas and Timothy spent about three weeks in the city of Thessalonica, preaching in the synagogue for three Sabbaths (Saturdays), reasoning with the Jews and God-fearing Greeks from the Scriptures, explaining and proving that Jesus was the Messiah. …A number of Jews, Greeks and not a few prominent women believed. …But some of the Jews were jealous and rounded up some bad characters from the marketplace and formed a mob and started a riot. …That night, for Paul’s and Silas’ safety, they were sent to Berea where they again saw great success in men and women, both Jews and Greeks, coming to Christ. …In passing note what God says about the Bereans, “the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true”. …When the Jews from Thessalonica heard about the preaching of the gospel in Berea they went there and stirred up the people. …Paul was again escorted out of Berea and brought to Athens. …It was from Athens that Paul wrote this letter to the converts in Thessalonica. -In this letter Paul expresses great concern, I would even say anxiety, that persecution will so discourage the new believers in Thessalonica that they will give up their new faith. …Paul is even more anxious because he is not able to get back to them to encourage and support them. …As Paul says, “We wanted to come to you – certainly I, Paul did, again and again – but Satan stopped us”. -Imagine how helpless and frustrated and anxious you have felt when you knew of a circumstance, perhaps a sickness, or trial, or struggle that a loved one far away was going through, and you could not be there to encourage them or help them through it. …That is how Paul felt at this time about the Thessalonian believers. -Finally “when we could stand it no longer we sent Timothy to strengthen and encourage you in your faith so that no one would be unsettled by these trials”. …Paul writes in verse 5, “For this reason, when I could stand it no longer, I sent to find out about your faith. I was afraid that in some way the tempter might have tempted you and our efforts might have been useless”. –Timothy returned to Paul with a glowing report that the Thessalonian believers were standing strong in their faith and love. …Timothy also shared with Paul that the Thessalonians had pleasant memories of Paul’s visit and that they also wanted to see him again. …Trials and persecution had made them strong and deepened their love for Paul. …They were not bitter at Paul for introducing them to Jesus Christ and for the persecution and trials that followed their confession of faith. …They were rejoicing in the faith and in Paul as well. -Paul expressed his great joy for the Thessalonian believers. …In verses 7-9 Paul says, “Brothers, in all our distress and persecution we were encouraged about you because of your faith. For now we really live, since you are standing firm in the Lord. How can we thank God enough for you in return for all the joy we have in the presence of our God because of you?” …Nothing brings greater encouragement and joy to a pastor than spiritual growth and seeing stronger faith in those they minister to. …There are a number of places in the NT where Paul commends the Macedonian churches. …They were a great blessing and joy to Paul and to the Church in general. (Romans 15.26; 2 Corinthians 8.1-9; 11.9; 1 Thessalonians 1.4-10; 4.9-10). -I believe that through this ordeal of anxiety over the Thessalonian believers, Paul learned two very important life-time lessons. …Are you learning God’s lessons? 1) Paul learned that he could trust God to preserve and to protect what God had begun. …I believe God Sovereignly prevented Paul from returning to the Thessalonian believers by allowing Satan to stop him so that Paul could learn that God is fully able to take care of those He truly saves. …Paul learned this lesson very well and after this was able to trust God to preserve and protect converts whether Paul was there or not. …Years later Paul would write to Timothy, “And of this gospel I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher. That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him for that day”. (2 Timothy 1.11-12). …Paul also wrote, “I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus”. (Philippians 1.3-6). …Paul learned that he could trust in God to keep His own until the day of Jesus Christ. -As you know my favorite benediction is Jude 24-25. …It is my favorite because of the promise it contains. …“To Him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before His glorious presence without fault and with great joy – to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.” …Peter writes, “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, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade – kept in heaven for you, 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.” (1 Peter 1.3-5). -If you truly belong to God, God will keep you until the day of salvation and you will inherit eternal life. …Paul wrote in his last surviving letter, “God’s solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: ‘The Lord knows those who are His”. (2 Timothy 2.19). …“And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in Him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, Who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession – to the praise of His Glory.” (Ephesians 1.13-14). …God is able to preserve and to protect what belongs to Him and God will do it because it reflects on His Glory. 2) A second life-time lesson that Paul learned through this anxiety with the Thessalonian believers was to trust God to answer prayer. …Paul was a man who prayed and who trusted God to answer prayer. …Paul saw the evidence of answered prayer in the Thessalonians and learned to go to prayer before doing anything else. …We need to learn the same lesson. -Notice in verse 10 the frequency of Paul’s prayers. …“Night and day we pray”. …In his letters Paul uses the words, “always, we do not cease, I have not stopped, every time I remember you, we continually remember, on all occasions” to describe his prayer life. …Paul considered prayer foundational to God’s work and it was a work that he could do for the believers whether he was with them or absent. -Then notice in verse 10 the fervency of Paul’s prayers. …“we pray most earnestly”. …The Greek word Paul uses here is from a compound-word that means “intense earnestness”. …What Paul does is to take that already intensified word and adds a second prefix to it which makes the word even more intense so that the new word now means “superabundant earnestness”. …Paul is praying with superabundant earnestness. …This same word is used in Ephesians 3.20 to describe the superabundant power of God and is translated as “immeasurably”. …Paul is praying frequently and fervently for the Thessalonians. -Then notice in verses 10-13 the focus of Paul’s prayers. …Paul is praying for three things: 1) v11 that he will be able to see the Thessalonian believers again. 2) v12, 4.9-10 that their love for each other and for others will grow. 3) v13, 4.1f that they will grow in holiness before God.

-In these last two requests Paul is praying for their faith to grow. …Paul sums up these three prayer requests in v10, “Night and day we pray most earnestly that we may see you again and supply what is lacking in your faith”. …Paul is concerned about them, their love, and their faith and he looks to God in prayer for God to work these things into their lives. …As we have read in Galatians 5.6, “The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love”. …Faith expressing itself through love is what God desires for us and what God will do in us. …Do you know Jesus?

MEDITATIONS FOR THE WEEK

[Take some daily quiet time alone with God]

Monday: Read Acts 17.1-15. God blessed Paul’s ministry but it cost him as well. Fruitfulness often brings persecution with it. Take time to praise God for the gospel and be willing to courageously proclaim it. Tuesday: Think about Philippians 4.4-9. God does not want us to be anxious but to trust Him in all circumstances. Take time to thank God that He is in charge of your circumstances and then leave them in His hands by not worrying about them. Wednesday: Read Matthew 6.25-34. Worry is sin because it is trusting in ourselves and not trusting in God. Take time to ask God for a new confidence in Him and put what you are worrying about into His hands and then leave it there. Thursday: Meditate on Ephesians 1.15-23. Paul was often in praise and prayer and we need to do the same.. Take time to thank God that you can pray and be heard and then carve out specific daily time for prayer. Friday: Think about Galatians 5.6; 1 Timothy 1.5. When we pray for fellow believers we should pray for growth in love and faith. Take time to worship God for His greatness and then pray for His people to grow in faith and love which is conformity to Jesus Christ. The Pew Potato’s Prayer Dear Lord, please leave me alone. Just let me sit here in my pew on Sunday, and Lord guard my seat, the last seat here in the back row. Please don’t let anyone else try to sit here Lord… You know that’s my seat and dear Lord please get me home quickly after the service on Sunday, before these church people try to recruit me to actually do something that I don’t want to do. Lord make them understand that I’m happy and content just to show up on Sunday. Heavenly Father, thank you for hearing my prayer but I’ve got to Go! Kickoff is only a minute away!! You understand Lord. Thanks God for putting some great games on this week and thank you for the all sports cable channel. See you next Sunday Lord. Amen. Joan Stock, from The Investment of a Lifetime