Good morning my “Walking with Jesus” friends,
Have you discovered that teamwork can be a great thing? Two or more people working together, with each person able to use their skills, talents, passions, and time to partner with others toward a common objective? Teamwork can be a remarkable synergistic experience! If you’ve ever been part of a great team working toward a very important objective, you know the exhilaration!
We’ve been traveling with the apostle Paul on his second missionary journey and today let’s join Paul as he is writing about the strategicness of good teamwork. Sometimes teams do great work together, side by side. Other times teams can accomplish great things when separated for a time. That’s the type of teamwork Paul is describing today in the third chapter of his first letter to his Christian friends in the Macedonian city of Thessalonica.
“When we could stand it no longer, we thought it best to be left alone in Athens. We sent Timothy, who is our brother and co-worker in God’s service in spreading the Gospel of Christ, to strengthen and encourage you in your faith, so that no one would be unsettled by these trials. For you know quite well that we are destined for such trials. In fact, when we were with you, we kept telling you that we would be persecuted. And it turned out that way, as you well know. For this reason… I sent Timothy to find out about your faith. I was afraid that in some way the tempter had tempted you and our labors might have been in vain. But Timothy has just now come to us from you and has brought us good news about your faith and love…” (1 Thess. 3:1-6)
Good news, no matter how you receive it, is always welcome, isn’t it? Good news received when you are very anxious about something is especially relieving. Paul, Silas, Timothy and Dr. Luke formed a great team on this second missionary journey. You may recall we have concluded Dr. Luke remained behind, perhaps in Philippi or Thessalonica, and then Silas and Timothy had remained in Berea as Paul had continued on alone to Athens. (Acts 17:14,15)
In Athens Paul had his remarkable encounter with the Athenian scholars on Mars Hill at the Areopagus. Then Paul continued on to Corinth, (Acts 18:1) where he had met Aquila and Priscilla. (Acts 18:2) There in Corinth, Silas and Timothy had finally rejoined Paul and given him a good report of what had transpired back in Thessalonica and Berea in the time that Paul had been in Athens without them. In Acts 18:11 we learned that Paul remained in the great city of Corinth for 18 months, and it appears it may have been during that time he sent Timothy back to Thessalonica again to see how the little group of Christians were doing.
Remember, they would have not had any of what we know as the New Testament, for none of the Gospels had been written as yet and only two letters, James and Galatians had been written but we assume neither of them would have been received yet in Thessalonica. Their growing faith in Jesus was therefore based upon what Paul, Silas and Timothy had spoken to them.
Now Paul is writing his first letter of encouragement to these Thessalonian Christians in response to Timothy’s return from them and his report to Paul of how strongly the small group of Christians are holding tightly to the Gospel as Paul had proclaimed it and Timothy and Silas had continued teaching them. Timothy also encouraged Paul by telling him the Christians in Thessalonica were standing firm in their faith in Jesus despite great opposition and persecution. (Acts 18:5)
Did you notice in Paul’s words that he was concerned about Satan’s efforts to tempt them to abandon their faith? “I sent Timothy to find out about your faith. I was afraid that in some way the tempter had tempted you and our labors might have been in vain. But Timothy has just now come to us from you and has brought us good news about your faith and love.” May I ask you my friends, in our modern day of fast and easy technology communication, how often are you either receiving or sending good news about the vitality and growth of spiritual faith in Jesus Christ?
Paul had little interest in the sports news of Thessalonica, nor the weather, not even the politics, Paul wanted to know one thing: about the spiritual health of the little group of new Christians he had left there as persecution had forced him to flee Thessalonica. Evidently Timothy brought a great report and that encouraged Paul very much!
Look at Paul, as he is dictating this letter and Timothy is scribing Pauls’ words onto the parchment scroll. Do you see the smile on Paul’s face as he says: “Therefore, brothers and sisters, in all our distress and persecution we are encouraged about you because of your faith, since you are standing firm in the Lord Jesus! 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? Night and day we pray most earnestly that we may see you again and supply what may be lacking in your faith.” (1 Thess. 3:7-10) As I read Paul’s letters, I’m challenged to see that he evidently had a very strong commitment to faithful, earnest, focused praying for the towns to which he had brought the Gospel of Jesus and the people who had responded to Jesus in each of those towns.
By this time for Paul, that had become quite a long list when you consider both his first and second missionary journeys, and the list would be much longer before his life ended. By 50ad Paul’s prayer list would have included at least these places: Jerusalem, Damascus, Syrian Antioch, Cyprus Island, Perga, Pisidian Antioch, Iconium, Lystra, Derbe, Philippi, Thessalonica, Berea, Athens and now Corinth! I wonder my friends, how often do you pray about the people and places where God has allowed you to spend some time in your life journey? For my wife and me, that is a wonderful adventure of walking down the path of our great memories in many different places and wonderful people of God in Haiti, and Quebec City, Philadelphia, Montvale, Fargo, Williams Bay, Maryville, Dover and now Leesburg, to name a few!
I wonder if Paul had to wipe his eyes as the tears of joy overflowed as he thinks of these dear people who are following Jesus in large part because Paul and his team were courageous enough to bring the Gospel to them. Paul can hardly contain himself now as he dictates to Timothy: “Now may our God and Father and our Lord Jesus Christ clear the way for us to come to you. May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other, just as ours does for you. May He strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all His holy ones.” (1 Thess. 3:11-13) Do you see Paul’s frequent reference to ‘our God and Father ‘?
Paul calls us to celebrate that no other faith system in the world says Almighty, Creator, Holy God wants to be our heavenly Father and adopt us into His family as His children whom He loves with an unconditional and boundless love! As we understand and receive God’s love it should change us my friends and should pour out of us to each other. I’m sure you remember Jesus said that in the upper room the night before He paid the ultimate love price by going to the cross for sinful people like you and me! Jesus had said “Love one another as I have loved you.” (John 13:34)
Finally, did you notice Paul again refers to the wonderful fact that all Christians around the world have something very special to look forward to… the return of the Lord Jesus Christ from heaven, bringing with Him the souls/spirits of all those who have trusted in God from all time past! Paul will give us and the Thessalonian Christians much clearer teaching about that in the next chapter of his letter.
For today, let’s simply pause and rejoice at the good report Paul received from Timothy, and let’s think back in our lives praying to God for the people and places where Jesus has met us in great ways. And here’s a wonderful worship song of praise to help us reflect with thanksgiving…
Today’s Scripture is 1 Thess. 3.
Choose below to read or listen.
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Bible images provided with attribution to www.LumoProject.com.
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Pastor Doug Anderson 262.441.8785
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
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