Confidence through Affliction (1 Thessalonians 2:17-3:5)

When my neighbor from Brazil heard that I was a pastor, he

said, wow, you must be living well.

And I asked him, what do you mean?

He said, well, in Brazil, the pastor's drive the nicest cars

and every sermon is about tithing over and over again.

And I told him that gospel that you've been hearing growing up,

it's not from the Bible that actually originated in America.

It is America's most dangerous export.

It's called the prosperity gospel.

Follow Jesus and you'll never be poor.

Jesus became poor so that we by his poverty might become rich.

Follow Jesus and you'll never get sick, Isaiah said.

By his wounds we are healed. Follow Jesus and you'll never

suffer again. That's not the gospel.

That's another gospel. It's a false gospel.

Friends, I hate the prosperity gospel.

It's often called the health and wealth gospel.

If you follow Jesus, you'll be healthy, wealthy, happy.

It's a gospel that's spreading throughout Africa and it's

thriving in Asia and in South America.

When people often talk about the rapid growth of Christianity in

the world, friends, the prosperity gospel that is, it's

dark underbelly. It's not the gospel and it's

dangerous. I especially hate what the

prosperity gospel says to Christians who are in the midst

of suffering. Like one of my friends who heard

when his daughter was terminally ill from his pastor, his pastor

told them it's because you lack faith or maybe you're hiding

some secret sin. Christian, you know that is not

the gospel. It's a false gospel.

We know that in our heads. But then the question for us is,

if we believe that is false, why are we surprised by suffering?

Has our sound doctrine found a home from our head to our

hearts, or deep down? Is there a little bit of

prosperity theology, the idea that suffering is abnormal or

accidental for the Christian? Are we in any way like Job's

wife, praising God when the good times roll, ready to curse God

and die when they don't? Brothers and sisters, we need to

examine our expectations because in the true gospel, in God's

gospel, in Paul's gospel, in the only gospel, suffering comes

before glory. That's what we see in the book

of First Thessalonians. If you have your Bible, please

open the First Thessalonians chapter 2.

1 Thessalonians 2 · chapter mention

If you don't have a Bible, feel free to raise your hand right

now. Maybe you didn't bring one.

Maybe you don't even have one at home.

Raise your hand. Somebody will bring a Bible to

you up here and you can follow along.

First Thessalonians, It's in the New Testament.

It's one of Paul's letters. We've been learning in the past

couple weeks from the only church in the New Testament that

Paul calls an example. They were only a few months old

when Paul, Silas, and Timothy and his missionary team were

forced out of town because of persecution.

And yet this church is an example not only in how they

received the Word, but in how they suffered for the Word.

In chapter 1, Paul encouraged this church.

They were a model in receiving the Word in much affliction.

In chapter 2, as we've seen, Paul reminded them of how he

faithfully ministered among them.

And now today, Paul's focus shifts to what happened after he

left Thessalonica. So look there, chapter 2, verse

17, all the way to chapter 3, verse 5.

Listen as I read. But since we were torn away from

you, brothers, for a short time, in person, not in heart, we

endeavour the more eagerly and with great desire to see you

face to face, because we wanted to come to you, I Paul, again

and again. But Satan hindered us.

For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of boasting before our

Lord Jesus at His coming? Is it not you?

For you are our glory and joy. Therefore when we could bear it

no longer, we were willing to be left behind at Athens alone.

And we sent Timothy, our brother and God's Co worker in the

gospel of Christ, to establish and exhort you in your faith

that no one be moved by these afflictions.

For you yourselves know that we are destined for this.

For when we were with you, we kept telling you beforehand that

we were to suffer affliction just as it has come to pass, and

just as you know. For this reason, when I could

bear it no longer, I sent to learn about your faith, for fear

that somehow the tempter had tempted you and our labour would

be in vain. This months old church plant is

Paul's glory before Jesus Christ at his coming.

But first chapters 3 verses one to five.

They must suffer affliction, They must suffer faithfully

suffering, then glory as a church.

Our job from this passage is to disciple one another to suffer

well, then enter glory. Disciple one another to suffer

well, and then enter glory. If you're taking notes, there's

two points. First is Bound for glory,

chapter 2, verses 17 to 20. Bound for glory.

Where was Paul? The Thessalonian church may have

wondered. He planted the church.

Then he skipped town. Perhaps Paul moved on to a

bigger and better ministry assignment.

In verses 17 to 20, Paul reassures the Church of his

affection. He tells them the reason for his

absence, and he reminds them once again of an important date

on their calendar. Christ's coming.

Look at verses 17 and 18. But since we were torn away from

you, brothers, for a short time, in person, not in heart, we

endeavoured the more eagerly and with great desire to see you

face to face, because we wanted to come to you.

I, Paul, again and again we were torn away from you.

That's how Paul describes his departure.

He was driven out. He didn't leave voluntarily.

Earlier, Paul had described himself as an innocent infant

among them. He ministered among them with

pure motives. He also called himself a nursing

mother. He nurtured them by giving of

his own self to them. He also said that he was a

present father. He sat with them.

He exhorted them. He instructed them.

In verse 17, he gives the idea that he's an orphan.

To them, the phrase torn away is literally Greek for having been

orphaned. Paul feels as if he was forced

from his own parents. One day Paul was caring for the

congregation. The next day he was gone.

There were goodbyes he never said.

There were notes he never wrote. There were hugs he never gave,

there one moment torn away the next.

But it was notice in person, not in heart.

Meaning you could physically tear Paul away.

But his heart stayed put. He loved that congregation.

Can you see his affection for them?

Charles Spurgeon, the great Baptist preacher in London, He

described what a pastor's heart should be.

He said a man must have a great heart if he would have a great

congregation. His heart should be as capacious

as those noble harbours along our coast which contains sea

room for a fleet. When a man has a large loving

heart, men go to him as ships to a haven, and feel at peace when

they have anchored under the Lee of his friendship.

Such a man is Hardy and private, as well as in public.

His blood is not cold or fishy, but he is warm as your own

fireside. One of the requirements for a

pastor first Peter 5 verse 2 is that his ministry is not under

1 Peter 5:2

compulsion but willingly, meaning that you don't have to

twist his arm for him to do the work of ministry.

You don't have to push him to be with people because his heart

has been loved by God and that love overflows to his

congregation. Brother, if you aspire to

pastoral ministry, this is the heart you must have for your

people. Are you such a man?

The Apostle Paul certainly was, and his actions proved it.

Look at, look at the verse. He endeavoured eagerly, with

great desire, to see the Thessalonians face to face.

Paul's ministry mode was face to face, in person, embodied.

There's no replacement that exists for being face to face

with someone. When we lived in Dubai, we would

often try to sync up with our families over FaceTime and the

time differences were so difficult and sometimes the

connection was so spotty, it was almost worse to try to FaceTime

face to face. There's nothing like it.

That was Paul's ministry week after week, being in the same

room with the same people, the same church.

Do not underestimate face to face ministry.

That's what Paul tried to do. He says I tried to come again

and again, but look at verse 18. Satan hindered us.

Friend, if you're not a Christian, what do you make of

this verse? What do you think of Paul's

comment here? Satan hindered us with our

Western worldview shaped by the Enlightenment.

We've shut off the spiritual realm as if all that exists is

what you can see with your eyes. We even laugh at the idea of a

real, personal, evil spiritual enemy against all of humanity.

But that's exactly what Paul's observed here.

Not only do we have the vanity of the world that we have to

face the temptations from our own flesh, we also have to deal

with the devil. Paul tried to visit Satan,

thwarted his plans. Satan hindered him.

Hindered is a military term for breaking up a road so that your

enemy can't pass through. That's how Paul describes

Satan's schemes. Satan made Paul's road to the

Thessalonian church impassable. There was no way to get to them,

but he tried. How did Satan do this?

It could have been ongoing persecution from the Jews.

Remember, Paul was thrust out of town by the Jews.

They followed him all the way to Berea.

They forced him to flee, even to Athens.

It could have been the legal ban.

That was that place in Thessalonica by the politicians.

Remember when Paul was in Thessalonica, they took Jason

and made him pay them money. Perhaps part of that deal was

this guy. Paul can never show his face

back in this town. Some scholars think it might

have been Paul's thorn in the flesh, whatever that may be.

Who knows? At the end of the day, Paul

doesn't say how Satan did it. He just says that Satan was

behind it, meaning any blame for distance in their relationship

should fall solely on Paul's old, ancient enemy, older than

humanity itself, the adversary. And friends, if you're a

Christian, Satan has his sights set on you, too, Paul says in

Ephesians 612. For we do not wrestle against

flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities,

against the cosmic powers, over this present darkness, against

the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.

Are you aware of your enemy? Can you spot Satan's schemes?

The Scriptures help us. They give us a couple pictures

of Satan and his strategies. One is Satan is a snake.

Now kids, I do not know why you like snakes.

There should be no reason for it.

Satan is a snake. He slithers onto the scene in

Genesis chapter 3 and he whispers lies.

Genesis 3 · chapter mention

He's crafty, craftier than any of the any other beasts.

He deceives Eve, he tricks her, he lies to her, and she falls

for it. So wherever you see deception at

play, wherever you see lies or false teaching like the

prosperity gospel, know that Satan, the father of lies, is

working behind the scenes. Another picture of the Scripture

gives us is a dragon. He's a snake.

He's also a dragon. In Revelation 12, Satan the

dragon attacks God's people. He wants to devour the church.

He comes to steal, kill and destroy.

He is a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.

So wherever you see persecution attempts to destroy God's church

through division, No, Satan's behind the scenes.

He's pulling the strings. Satan's a snake, he deceives.

He's a dragon, he destroys. Satan is not under every rock or

behind every flat tire. But it would be foolish, it

would even play into his hand to not acknowledge that he's

actively scheming against this church right now.

He's actively scheming against you in this room.

His aim is to hinder your marriage, to derail your family,

to destroy your workplace, your neighborhood.

He's out to get you. He wants to hinder you, to

destroy you. He's setting up roadblocks as

you seek to advance the gospel. And yet we don't need to be

scared of Satan. He's a snake, he's a dragon.

But the Scripture gives us the picture that he's on a leash.

In other words, every one of his movements is determined by God

himself. He cannot move an inch unless

the Lord allows it. And so we don't need to be

scared of him, but we need to be aware of him and we need to take

comfort, Brothers and sisters, soon the God of peace will crush

Satan under our feet. Why does Paul say this about

Satan? Because as we're going to see in

the next, next section, Satan was not only at work against

Paul, he was also at work against them.

But look at verses 17 and 19 and 20, verses 19 and 20.

Paul's concern is not so much with Satan.

Paul's eyes are on that last day when Jesus Christ returns.

He wants to visit these believers verses 1920 because

they are his hope, his joy, his crown of boasting before the

Lord Jesus that is coming. They are the ones that he's

thinking about them and Jesus. That's his concern.

That's why he wants to see them. He sees everyone and everything

in light of that day when the king returns.

Paul's already considered the end multiple times in this book.

He just did it in verse 16 of chapter 2, just a verse before.

There it was considering God's wrath when Christ returns and

judges his enemies. Here he's considering when

Christ returns and saves his people.

It's two sides of the same coin. That's what's going to happen

when the king comes. That's the language here use

coming a royal visitation, like when a king returns.

What's Paul going to present to King Jesus on that day when he

comes back? The Thessalonians, you, he says

at the Roman Athletic Games, the victor was crowned with a Laurel

wreath. It was the trophy they were

given. Paul saying here you're my

trophy. You're the one I'm going to

present to Jesus on the last day.

If you ask Paul at his post game interview, Paul, why'd you put

in all those hours? Why'd you work so hard?

Why'd you endure those beatings, those sleepless nights, those

accusations, those imprisonments?

What's in it for you, Paul? Paul would have said, I did it

for them. I did it so that they would be

safe at home with Jesus. Paul's glory and the

Thessalonians glory were bound together in Jesus Christ.

You know, I'm not sure if you've heard of FIRE, financial

independence. Retire early.

It's a whole movement right now. People who are just working

their tails off in their 20s and 30s and trying to put, you know,

50 or 60% of their income into retirement so that when they hit

40 or 45, they can just live the rest of their life and never

have to work another day. So the whole movement happening

right now, I think Paul would say it's too short sighted.

You know, why is non Christians plan for retirement, for life

after the ability to work? There's wisdom there.

They intentionally set aside some of their income so that in

the future when they can't work, they'll be able to live still.

Something non Christians don't do is prepare for the end, for

Christ's return for life after death.

That's what Paul did. And what was his spiritual

investment scheme? What was Paul's spiritual 4O1K?

It was the Thessalonian church. He preached the gospel to them.

He exhorted them to walk with God and to please him.

He discipled them. His aim was their glory with

Jesus at the end. That's an elders labour in a

church to disciple the congregation.

You know that happens in public teaching, like what I'm doing

right now. It also just happens as you

watch their life as an example of what it means to be a

faithful follower of Jesus. It happens in all those little

conversations, the moments you have in their home as you sit

with them over coffee constantly.

Their aim with you, member of this church, is that you'd stand

before Jesus on the last day in glory, that you'd be with Jesus,

that you'd make it home. Every sermon, every

conversation, every prayer, every encouragement, every

rebuke is aimed at that day so that you'd stand before Jesus

face to face and he'd look at you and he'd say well done, good

and faithful servant. And brothers and sisters, that's

part of your job description too.

Discipling is for every Christian.

Every Christian's a disciple. Every Christian's commanded to

make disciples. Brothers and sisters, who are

you discipling? What's their name?

Who are you depositing spiritual investments into?

Who are you helping follow Jesus?

If you can't think of anyone, if names aren't coming to your

head, if faces aren't coming to your heart, is it possible that

your priorities aren't in line with pulse?

In other words, are you really living in accord with the coming

reality of that day when you'll be face to face with Jesus

Christ? Parents, you have built in

opportunities with your kids. They are the most important

discipling relationships. God's given you.

Your children Don't complicate things.

Keep it simple. Share the gospel with them.

Read the Bible to them. Pray with them.

Ask them questions. Ask them spiritual questions.

Ask them what they thought about the sermon.

Ask them what they're learning in kids class.

Maybe your kids are out of the house.

Have them over for dinner. See how they're doing

spiritually. Ask them what they're thinking

about the things of the Lord. Think beyond.

If your kids are still in the house, like mine are, think

beyond that day when they'll leave your house.

Think beyond that day, even to that day when Christ will

return. Let that be the aim in your

parenting. Dads were specifically charged

by Paul to bring up our children in the discipline and the

admonition, the instruction of the Lord.

Grab lunch with a couple of brothers in the church who are

fathers. Disciple one another.

See how you're doing in that regard.

See how you're doing at discipling one at your kids.

See how you could be growing in that.

Be a good conversation over lunch.

But beyond those, you're related to a couple ideas for your

discipling. 1 Prioritise the local church.

You're spiritually responsible, as we'll read in our church

covenant in just a few moments, for one another in a way that

you're not for other Christians. Prioritise your local church.

Open up your home and your life, the Apostle Peter says.

Show hospitality without grumbling Who has been there

having people in your home feeding them a meal and then in

your heart you're there's so much to clean.

I wish somebody would help. Peter knows that.

Show hospitality without grumbling.

You don't need to serve a three course meal.

The house does not even need to be clean.

You just need to open up your heart and your life honestly

with members of this church. Disciple someone different than

you. It is ordinary, even after this

service, to talk to the people who are just like you.

Keep doing that. That's good.

But also consider what God could be teaching you about himself

from people who are different from you.

Get creative with your opportunities.

We all have different schedules, different bandwidths.

All of us are called the disciple.

Not all of our discipling will look the same.

Steward the season that God's given you.

Do you have a lunch break? Maybe you've got an early

morning. Maybe you can have someone over

while you're folding laundry. I have had many good spiritual

conversations with brothers. While I'm doing dishes after

dinner and does most of the cooking, I'm cleaning up.

We're having a good spiritual conversation and the dishes are

getting done. I learned that from a brother

who is discipling me. Get creative with your

opportunities. What should be ordinary in every

church, not just our church, is that Christians are helping one

another. Follow Jesus and by God's grace,

that's happening in so many ways in this church.

Even in this past week, many of you met up in the early morning

hours or late at night or anytime in between to do one

another spiritual good. Praise the Lord.

That's what we want to see more of.

We want to keep discipling one another in light of that day

when Christ our Saviour will return.

What will be our boast on that day when we see him face to

face? We will not boast in our bank

accounts. We won't boast in our degrees or

our real estate or a corner office or political influence.

But souls, people who were made to live forever.

Let's live in light of that glorious day.

We're bound for glory, but first we must suffer.

The cross comes before the crown.

Or as I was reading to my little daughter Piper earlier this week

and little Pilgrim's Progress, the bitter must come before the

sweet .2 Destined to suffer, destined to suffer.

Paul shifts here. You can see it in chapter 3,

verse one. Therefore, he shifts from his

desire to see the Thessalonians to his decision to send Timothy

instead. He was concerned about this new

church plan because like him, they not only suffered

affliction, they also face Satan's schemes.

So Paul sent Timothy his right hand man, to establish them and

exhort them and inquire about their faith.

Look at verses one and two. Therefore, when we could bear it

no longer, we were willing to be left behind at Athens alone, and

we sent Timothy, our brother and God's Co worker in the gospel of

Christ, to establish and exhort you in your faith.

Eventually Paul could bear it no longer.

He's like a parent waiting for their kid to come home.

Eventually he's got to do something.

He has to act. He can't keep waiting.

Now. Paul's normal ministry pattern

was plant a church and then strengthen a church, Plant,

strengthen. He planted the church.

He was trying to strengthen the church, but he couldn't go

himself. He was hindered, and so he

decided to send Timothy, another one of Paul's ministry patterns

do ministry together. Paul, Silas, and Timothy landed

in Thessalonica. But here Paul's willing to

forego that, to be left alone in Athens to strengthen a church in

Thessalonica. He sends his best, he sends

Timothy. He calls Timothy elsewhere.

My true child in the faith, His disciple, his right hand man

here he calls Timothy verse 2. God's Co worker.

What a commendation. Oh, I'm sending Timothy.

Timothy. Yeah.

God's Co worker. A partner with God in the

ministry. That's who I'm sending.

Not JV. This is varsity.

You know there's a way to minister to other people where

it costs you nothing. They're suffering, they're in

trouble, they're going through difficult times, but you're

good. You're in the clear.

That's not how Paul cared for the Thessalonians.

His relationship with them was not a cost benefit calculation.

Friend, if you're discipling, never cost you anything.

If it never cost you time or comfort or the emotional burden

of caring for someone or sacrifice, then you're doing it

wrong. Paul's ministry to the

Thessalonians cost him dearly. He was left alone.

He sent Timothy at great cost to himself, but it was a reaction

that matched the appropriate situation.

Look at their urgent need versus 3 and four.

They were under attack from 2 fronts versus 3 and 4 from

afflictions. Verse 5, temptations.

In other words, they face suffering and Satan and that

concerned Paul. He worried about them.

Verse three. He worried that they might be

moved by their affliction. He feared, verse 5, that the

tempter had tempted them and his labour would be in vain.

Suffering and Satan are difficult enough for mature

Christians. They might prove to be too much

for a new church plant for baby believers.

Paul was concerned that wave after wave of suffering and

affliction would threaten to pull this new congregation

under. They had just learned to swim.

They were a few months old. And so he sent Timothy, and

Timothy's job was threefold, verse 2, to establish and exhort

them in their faith, and verse 5, to learn about their faith,

to inquire about them first. Though Paul says verse three, he

considers suffering. Look at verse 3 for you

yourselves know that we are destined for this.

Verse 4 For when we were with you, we kept telling you

beforehand that we were to suffer affliction, just as it

has come to pass, and just as you know, they suffered.

Why did they suffer? Is it that God could not prevent

their suffering? Was there suffering an accident?

Their church began by suffering. Chapter one, Verse 6.

They received the word in much affliction.

This church was ministered to by a man who suffered.

Paul himself said that he had already suffered and been

shamefully treated at Philippi. He declared the gospel to them

in much affliction. Chapter 2, verse 2, this church

was a model of suffering. They suffered just like the

churches in Judea. Chapter 2, verse 16.

It was not that suffering was a possibility for the Thessalonian

church. It's not like Paul ran a risk

calculation for Christians in that region of the world and

told them, brothers and sisters, it's likely that you're going to

suffer, Paul says. Suffering was their destiny.

In other words, it was not an accident.

It was ordained by God himself. When Paul met with this church,

when he shared the gospel with them, when he ministered to

them, when they first believed, he told them this.

He said, if you're following a suffering saviour, you're going

to suffer too. And it's what's come to pass.

It's what he tells them. You've experienced this now.

It shouldn't have surprised them, but it's so often

surprises us, doesn't it? A few years ago, I was swimming

at the beach in San Diego. I had gotten used to the waves

in the Persian Gulf. If you've ever been to the

Persian Gulf, they are little waves.

They're tiny waves. You could barely even call them

waves. And I'd gotten so used to that,

that when we went to San Diego and were swimming on the beach,

I went straight in and turned my back to the ocean.

First mistake. And I got hit with a huge wave

and it took me under and the ocean ate up my sunglasses.

They're gone forever. I the Lord knows where they are.

I was not expecting it. I should have been.

Sometimes suffering hits US so hard that it takes our breath

away. It knocks us down, it threatens

to hold us under. But it should never surprise us.

Jesus explicitly told his followers to expect suffering in

the world. You will have tribulation.

John 1633. If anyone would come after me,

let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.

Matthew 1624 Jesus told everyone considering following him count

the cost. Luke 1428 In Dubai we had an

international student living with us for about a month and

she was not a Christian. She was from a country that was

persecuted, where they persecuted Christians, but she

herself was interested in Christianity and she needed a

place to stay. Han I saw it as a good

opportunity to share the gospel with her.

And we had her come live with us.

Different cultures, lots of experiences there.

But she came to church. She would read the Bible with

us. She was even meeting with

members of our church and reading the Bible with them.

Near the end of our time with her, she told us, I think I've

become a Christian. I want to follow Jesus.

We praise the Lord, we praise God, and we start asking her

some questions about it. You know, why do you want to

follow Jesus? And the things she listed were

less anxiety, more discipline. She said, I want to be

optimistic when I face difficult situations.

And we asked her a bunch of questions.

Jesus never came up and so we told her we don't think you're a

Christian. This is what it means to be a

Christian and we encourage her to count the cost.

She actually, I think she was in Business School at the time

because she came back to us the next day and she said I've

counted the cost and she had a a spreadsheet for us to look at.

She sent it to us. I saved.

I was looking at it this morning.

It had the cons cons of following Jesus, disappoint your

parents, social judgement, persecution by the government.

The the pros were things I already listed.

She also had a section the cost of inaction.

I think that's from Business School emptiness, loneliness,

she said. I feel like I'll be enslaved by

money. We, we left it with, hey, you're

about to leave. It was a couple days later.

There's a good church we know of.

There's Christians there. They're in your same city.

Please, we'll get you in touch with them.

You know, if you think you're following Jesus, keep following

him. Count the cost.

You know, we don't know what happened to her.

We we've never heard from her since can't contact her, but she

heard the gospel and we exhorted her to count the cost.

Brothers and sisters, don't hide the cost as you exhort others to

follow Jesus. There is a real cost.

That's what Paul taught, he said through many tribulations.

We must enter the Kingdom, Peter said.

Don't be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to

test you as though something strange we're happening to you,

James even said, Count it all joy, my brothers, when you face

trials of various kinds, brothers and sisters, we are

destined for this. We should expect it, but it's

one thing to expect it. It is another thing to

experience it. Some of you right now are

experiencing suffering. It sticks to you.

It stays with you. Job described his suffering in

Job chapter 3. He said before I eat, I sigh.

Job 3 · chapter mention

Maybe that's you right now. Constantly a big deep breath

hits you. You know, Paul described his

affliction in Asia in Second Corinthians.

He said we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength

that we despaired of life itself.

Suffering is a burden. It tests the limits of your

strength by adding just a little more weight.

At our house, we've got a gym setup.

We've got a 2.5 LB weight. Like any of you could hold that

in your hands, but it's when you're at your Max that 2.5 lbs

becomes unbearable. That's what suffering does.

If you're burdened today, what can you do if your burdens are

weighing you down? Lift them up to God in prayer.

That's what the psalmist says. Psalm 5522 Cast your burden on

the Lord and he will sustain you.

He will never permit the righteous to be moved.

Lay your burden at his feet. Jesus invites you, He says come

to me, all who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you

rest. Jesus says, for my yoke is easy

and my burden is light. There are times, brothers and

sisters, where all you can do in your suffering is pray.

You don't choose your cross. You don't choose when to enroll

in the school of affliction or even what course you're taking.

It comes to you, they meet you, but you must steward your

suffering. The Puritan Thomas Case said so

many times God's people come to know more of God by half a

year's sufferings than by many a year's sermons.

Brothers and sisters, pray that you wouldn't come out of

affliction the same way you went in.

Pray that your faith in God would even be strengthened.

And if you're burned today, don't just lean on the

everlasting arms. Lean on your brothers and

sisters in the church. The only path to glory is a

pathway lined by tribulations, but it's not a path that we're

ever called to walk alone. One of the way the Lord sustains

us in our suffering is through our ministry to one another.

That's why Paul sent Timothy to the Thessalonians.

He did not want them to suffer alone.

Brothers and sisters, how can we be faithful friends in

affliction? How can we be like those like

like Timothy who established and encourage the Thessalonians

faith? In other words, Galatians 62.

How can we be those who bear one another's burdens?

If you know a member who's suffering, don't make them

suffer alone. You can't solve their suffering.

You can't even ultimately explain their suffering.

You can't make their suffering go away.

But you can sit with them. You can listen, You can cry with

them. You can lift them up to God in

prayer. You can be a support that they

can lean on. You can free up your schedule

for them. You can let your faith in God be

a consolation to them. You can minister to them with

the Word and remind them of God's loving character.

You can be a comfort to them. We're destined for suffering.

If you're not a Christian, you might be wondering, why would I

want to follow Jesus if I follow Jesus?

Apparently that comes with suffering.

Why follow Jesus? Because the only way to glory at

the end is by Jesus suffering for you.

That's the story of the Gospel. We were made by God to follow

him, but we listened to the lies of the serpent.

We followed ourselves. You know, all the suffering in

the world is a result of Genesis 3, the sin of Adam and Eve,

rebellion against God. That's the reason for all the

suffering in the world. But in Genesis 3:15 there's a

Genesis 3:15

hint of good news. In Genesis 315, God says, I'll

put enmity between you and the woman and between your offspring

and her offspring. He shall bruise your head, and

you shall bruise his heel. God was speaking to that

Slytherin serpent. The whole story of the Bible is

a story of enmity of God's seed, his offspring against the seed

of the serpent. And the surprising news of the

gospel is that the way that God defeats the serpent is by Jesus

Christ suffering and dying on the cross.

He was crucified to free us from our bondage to sin and Satan and

death. And when he rose again,

victorious, Satan's days on this earth were numbered.

He's been defeated. Friend, if you're not a

Christian, you cannot be saved by your own suffering.

You can only be saved on Jesus, suffering on your behalf, on the

cross, bearing God's wrath for your sin that you deserved,

trusting him, believing him, walking with him.

And if you're a Christian, how should the gospel impact how you

view your suffering? As you're suffering, you're

actually identifying with your Saviour.

You need to zoom out in your suffering.

Your suffering, your participation in the sufferings

of Christ are actually the very signs that you will also rejoice

and be glorified with him. You can take comfort in that,

that if you're suffering now, glory's coming.

Paul was concerned about the Thessalonians suffering, but in

verse 5, in our last verse, he was also concerned about Satan's

schemes. Look at verse 5.

Satan hindered Paul from visiting and he tempted the

Thessalonians. Paul wasn't present with them,

but apparently Satan was. He has slithered into

Thessalonica, and he was attempting to undo Paul's

ministry with temptations. How do you view temptations from

Satan? You know, I know my kids love a

meal. When there is nothing left on

their plate and they're gunning for seconds.

They're reaching in the table. They want more.

Satan knows your appetite. He knows your favorite meals.

Do you think when he tempts you, he's going to dish out garbage?

The things you actually hate? You're not tempted by that.

He studied you. He knows what you like.

He tempts us by the very things we love.

One of the ways we fight Satan's temptations, verse 5, is by

inquiring about one another's faith.

Look at verse 5. Notice Paul's assignment to

Timothy, verse 5 To learn about their faith, to inquire, to ask

questions. What are you, your thoughts

about God right now in your suffering?

How's your relationship with the Lord right now?

What sins are you struggling to put to death?

Tell me, how's how's your marriage going?

What's been difficult at home? How's parenting in the season?

How are you doing? Fighting for contentment at

work? How's sharing the gospel going

in your neighborhood? These should be normal questions

for Christians to ask one another.

Do not be offended if someone in this church is asking you

personal questions. It could be that they're trying

to do you some spiritual good. Pray that we'd be a church that

asks awkward questions and answers awkward questions.

We need to inquire about one another's faith.

That's one of the ways that we help each other fight

temptations. We also need to be aware of

where we're tempted. Do you know how Satan would want

to tempt you? If we flip through his files and

pulled out your name, what would it say about you?

Are you aware of it? Money, comfort, the approval of

others. How does Satan want to take you

out? One of my friends, I remember

sitting with him in a coffee shop when he was explaining to

me why he had abandoned the faith.

He said there's no one at my workplace who makes the amount

of money that I make, who believes in a God.

What is it for you? Does anyone else know about it?

Have you shared your temptations with a brother or sister in the

church who you trust, Who can help you battle those

temptations? Is there someone in this church

who's enquiring about your faith?

We need one another to fight. Brothers and sisters, we face a

real enemy. We face real suffering.

Do our expectations of the Christian life match up with

what Paul's are, with what Jesus's were?

Or are there any hints of that prosperity gospel, that

suffering is abnormal or it's accidental?

Satan's aim is that the labours of Trinity Baptist Church would

be in vain. He wants our faith to fail.

Sure, we've had a good start, Many churches do.

But will we be a church that suffers Well, then enters glory

By God's grace. I trust that as we look to

Christ together, as we do one another's spiritual good, as we

disciple one another even in suffering, and as we keep our

eyes on glory, that He will hold us fast.

He did that for Paul. He'll do it for us.

Let's pray. Father, we are confronted with

temptations that we face and afflictions that we endure.

Oh Lord, we pray, would you sustain us, sustain our faith,

establish our faith and help us do that for one another.

We pray in Jesus name, Amen.