Good evening. Tonight's sermon
is called Praying Exceedingly. Open your Bibles, if you would,
to the third chapter of the book of Thessalonians. Last week in
our studies, we looked at verses six to ten in this chapter, and
we saw the good report that Timothy bought to Paul, who was now at
Corinth, about the church at Thessalonica. Timothy bought
word of their love for the Lord Jesus Christ, their love for
the gospel, their love for one another, and how they had spoken
about Christ wherever they went, which we looked at in chapter
one, verse eight. And Paul, as we looked at in
the first few verses of this chapter, could not stand knowing
how the Thessalonian brethren were faring amidst persecution
which they were going through. Now, the persecutions are spoken
of in this book in 1 Thessalonians 1, verse 6, spoken of as much
affliction. And they came at the hands of
their own countrymen, we looked at in 1 Thessalonians 2, verse
14, and they were appointed by God, which we saw in this third
chapter. in verse 3, that no man should
be moved by these afflictions, for yourselves know that they
were appointed thereunto. So the Thessalonian believers
who were former idol worshipers became followers of the churches
of God in Christ Jesus, our Lord, all by the power and might of
God, the Holy Spirit. And this is true of every born-again,
blood-washed child of God. We become born again by the Holy
Spirit. By His power, we're made willing
in the day of God's power. After we've been born again,
we're granted faith to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and
we run to Christ. And then we live a life of relying
upon Christ until he takes us home to glory. Let's read our
text for tonight, which will be in chapter three, verses 10
to 13. But let's start our reading in
verse seven for this study, so we get a little bit of the context
of verses 10 to 13. Therefore, brethren, we were
comforted over you in all our affliction and distress by your
faith, for now we live if ye stand fast in the Lord. For what
thanks can we render to God again for you? For all the joy wherewith
we joy for your sakes before our God. Night and day praying
exceedingly that we might see your face and might perfect that
which is lacking in your faith. Now God himself and our Father
and our Lord Jesus Christ direct our way unto you. And the Lord
make you to increase and abound in love one toward another and
toward all men even as we do toward you. To the end, He may
establish your hearts, unblameable in holiness, before God, even
our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, with all
His saints. Now in these closing verses of
chapter three that we're gonna look at tonight, we're gonna
see a glimpse of the apostles Paul's heart for the brethren
and how he loved the saints of God and specifically the saints
of God at Thessalonica. And he loved all the brethren,
we know that of Paul. Paul's love for the brethren
is always being manifested through his writings. But we see here
Paul's love for the brethren at Thessalonica is manifest here
before us as he is writing to our dear brothers and sisters
in Christ at Thessalonica. He's writing to a specific church,
to a specific group of people, those who are the called out
assembly, the ecclesia. Now, what moves us to pray for
one another? Well, love moves us to pray for
one another. And in these verses, which are
recorded for our learning, Paul's prayer is recorded for our learning,
we will see that Paul dearly loved these saints in Thessalonica. Here's a little breakdown of
Paul's prayer, which we'll look at tonight. Number one, that
he might visit with them again. He had a strong desire to visit
with them again. Number two, that he might minister
the word to them and more perfectly instruct them in the knowledge
of divine things. The ministry of the word is the
means of planting faith, increasing faith and perfecting it. There
is no believer living who does not need the continued preaching,
teaching and reading of the word that he might grow in grace and
the knowledge of Christ. And if I come to you, God himself
must guide and direct my way. This is brought forth here. Paul
brings forth that if he comes to those Thessalonian believers,
that he must be guided by God and directed by God to do that.
A journey is not to be taken without the will of God. Dependence
on his will, and this is for all believers, seeking his will
and submission to his will. Now, man may devise their ways,
but God directs their goings. We're gonna see that tonight.
And then Paul desires that the Thessalonian believers would
abound in love one toward another and toward all men, even to lost
men, just as his love abounded towards the Thessalonian believers.
And then the next point is that God may establish your hearts
in holiness before him. This is where the true work of
repentance, faith, and sanctification is performed in the heart before
God. And the Lord Jesus will come
and his saints with him then excellency of heart holiness,
as one commentator said, as well as necessity of it will appear.
So with that in our minds, let's now look at verse 10. And we
see in verse 10 that the saints at Thessalonica were continuously
on Paul's mind. Paul pens again by inspiration
of the Holy Spirit of God, night and day praying exceedingly that
we might see your face and might perfect that which is lacking
in your faith. The reason verse 10 ends with
a question mark is because this is a continuation of what Paul
expressed in verse nine, when he said, for what thanks can
we render to God again for you? Which is a question. And see
the words there, praying exceedingly in verse 10. We may just go over
that saying, oh, well, Paul just prayed exceedingly for them.
Listen to how it's translated though in the Greek literal Bible
that I have. It says night and day, imploring exceedingly for
us to see your face and to supply things lacking of you in faith. Don't let this one verse here
go by without considering the word exceedingly. This word in
the Greek is a very strong triple compound. It's often used by
the apostle when you would express anything with emphasis in emotion. It brings forth that Paul was
deeply concerned for the saints at the Seneca. Even after the
report that Timothy gave him, he still kept praying for them,
and we see he prayed for them exceedingly, exceedingly. He prayed that he might see their
face again. Now this same Greek word is used
in a few passages here in the New Testament. I'll read a couple
of them here. And it's actually three words. It's a very strong
triple compound words that are used. It's used in Ephesians
3.20 when Paul writes this, now unto him that is able to do exceedingly
abundantly above all that we ask or think according to the
power that worketh in us. Exceedingly abundantly there
in Ephesians 3.20 is the same triple compound words that are
used in the Greek. And exceedingly abundantly is,
is the very same Greek words. Paul, in speaking of those who
labored in the gospel, listen to what he writes in 1 Thessalonians
5, verses 12 and 13. And these are the only two verses
that we'll look at with these triple compound words in it.
Paul in writing, speaking of those who labor in the gospel
of the Lord Jesus Christ, who preached the gospel of the Lord
Jesus Christ, used these same words in verse 13 of chapter
five of the book that we're reading, 1 Thessalonians chapter five.
We'll read verses 12 and 13 together. He pens this again by inspiration
of the Holy Spirit of God. And we besiege you brethren to
know them which labor among you and are over you in the Lord
and admonish you. and to esteem them very highly
in love for their work's sake and be at peace among yourselves. Very highly, again, is the same
triple compound words that are used in our text tonight in 1
Thessalonians 3.10 where Paul says exceedingly that he night
and day praying exceedingly that we might see your face and might
perfect that which is lacking in your faith. So Paul, again,
by inspiration of the Holy Spirit of God, uses these very strong
triple compound words to speak about how he prays for his dear
brethren at Thessalonica. He's not just merely praying
for them, he prays earnestly for them. He desires, oh, that
the Lord would have them grow in their faith and that the Lord
would give them strength through their trials and strengthen their
faith in much affliction. So we see clearly then that Paul,
Silas, and Timothy did spend a lot of time in prayer, not
just for these dear saints we know, but for other saints as
well. And we see in our text that Paul
expresses their sincere desire to see these dear saints at Thessalonica. Oh, he desired, he said, night
and day praying exceedingly that we might see your face. And that's
also one of the words is super abundantly. Oh, he just so much
desire to see their face, beloved, these dear saints at Thessalonica. And this was his earnest prayer
to God that he might be pleased to allow that to happen. Now,
Paul also prayed that if they were allowed to visit those saints
again, that the Lord might use them to further instruct these
saints in spiritual matters. Look what he says, and he closes
verse 10, and might perfect that which is lacking in your faith.
Now, if one thinks they've arrived to a spiritual plane where they
cannot be taught, then let me tell you, we used to have a saying
back home in Canada, they're in a world of hurt. They're in
a world of hurt. If one thinks that they've arrived
to a spiritual plane where they cannot be taught, they are in
a world of hurt. And Paul brings forth here by
the preaching of the word, by the ministering of the word,
these saints would be grounded in their faith. which was lacking
in some areas. They were not yet mature in their
faith. They had much to learn. Just
as every believer in Christ, we should always approach the
scriptures with a teachable spirit. Every time the gospel is preached
and proclaimed, we should come together with a teachable spirit. Lord, what are you trying to
teach me through this word? Oh Lord, I want to learn, I want
to grow in thee. A proud, haughty, unteachable
spirit is so foreign to what the scriptures proclaim about
a true born-again, blood-washed believer. No, God's people are
teachable. We desire to grow in the grace
and knowledge and truth of the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, some
of the Corinthians doubted the doctrine of the resurrection.
Did you know that? Turn, if you would, to 1 Corinthians
15, verses 12 to 14. We see that they are corrected
by Paul, by inspiration of the Holy Spirit of God, when he penned
these words in the book of 1 Corinthians 15. And he penned these words.
Actually, let's read verses 12 to 14. Look at this. Now, if Christ be preached that
he rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is
no resurrection of the dead? But if there be no resurrection
of the dead, then is Christ not risen? And if Christ be not risen,
then is our preaching in vain and your faith is also in vain. Now let's go back to verse 11
of chapter 3 of 1 Thessalonians. Chapter three, with this in our
minds, that Paul desired these Thessalonian believers to grow
in the grace and knowledge and truth of the Lord Jesus Christ.
And how would they do that? Again, by a steady diet of the
preaching of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. Look at what
he pens here in verse 11. Now God himself and our father
and our Lord Jesus Christ direct our way unto you. I'd like you
to turn to Psalm 37, 23. And I'm gonna read that verse
again. 1st Thessalonians chapter 3 verse 11. Now God himself and
our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ direct our way unto you. Paul desired, if it was God's
will, that God would direct their steps, direct their way back
to the Thessalonian believers. Now we see this precious truth
brought forth in Psalm 37 verses 23 and 24, which says this, the
steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord. The only way that
one could be called good is in Christ Jesus, because in our
natural state, there is none good, no, not one, none. Only in Christ can we be called
a good man. And look at this, Psalm 37, 23,
the steps of a good man are what? Ordered by the Lord and he delighteth
in his way. And then verse 24, though he
fall, he shall not be utterly cast down for the Lord upholdeth
him with his hand. So God's people, their steps
are ordered by the Lord and they delight in the way of Christ. They delight to walk in faith
They delight to walk in the ways of Christ. And though we fall,
which we do often, don't we? Oh, we're sinners. Even after
we're saved, we're but saved sinners. And we fall, but look
at that. Look at this promise brought
forth in Psalm 37, verse 24. Look at this wonderful promise
brought forth for the people of God. Though he or she fall,
Those in Christ, he shall not be utterly cast down. Hallelujah. Praise the Lord. Why? For the
Lord upholdeth him with his hand. Oh, that means our great God,
that's Jehovah. Jehovah upholdeth him with his
hand. Oh, we're upheld by our great
God. We're upheld by Elohim, the strong
and mighty one. We are upheld. We who are the
people of God in Christ are upheld by Jehovah himself. And that's
why we're not be utterly cast down because he is the one who
holds us beloved. Oh, what peace that can bring.
What peace that can bring the born again, blood washed child
of God. And we see proclaimed in verse
11 of 1 Thessalonians chapter 3. also that our God, our God
is absolutely sovereign. Now one may ask, how do you come
to that conclusion? Well, let's read that verse again. Now God himself and our Father
and our Lord Jesus Christ direct our way unto you. Remember over
in chapter two, in our study of this book, in chapter two,
in verse 18, Paul penned these words, wherefore we would have
come unto you, even I, Paul, once and again, but Satan hindered
us. Now, Paul had mentioned in that
verse that Satan had hindered them from coming to Thessalonica. But Paul also understood that
Satan and all the evil forces of darkness could only do what
God allows them to do. And this is acknowledged right
here in this verse before us, in verse 10. 11 of chapter 3. In this verse, verse 11, Paul
acknowledges that God himself is really the one who is in control
of all things. Our Heavenly Father, through
his Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, must direct our goings. Look
at the latter part of this wonderful verse, direct our way unto you. Let's read the whole verse again.
Now God himself and our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ direct
our way unto you. Now we make plans, don't we,
as human beings? We make plans and we try to execute
them. But you know, if our plans as
believers are not according to God's sovereign will, not according
to the path that He has ordained that we are to walk on, He will
change our plans to fit right into what He's already purposed.
Oh my! And we need to say, Lord willing,
in all our doings. Turn, if you would, to James
chapter four. We need to say, Lord willing,
with all our doings. Well, if God wills, I'm gonna
do that. This is what James brings forth in his epistle in James
chapter four, verses 13 to 15. Scripture declares this. Go to
now ye that say today, Tomorrow we will go into such a city and
continue there a year and buy and sell and get gains. So there's
man making plans. Well, we're going to go, we're
going to move to this city over here. We're going to continue
there for a year. We're going to buy and sell. We're going to get
wealthy. We're going to do that. Look what the scripture says
in verse 14 of James chapter four, though. Whereas you know
not what shall be on the morrow. You don't even know what's coming
tomorrow. And then it says this, for what is your life? It is
even as a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes
away. Well, now in the cold states, like here in Michigan, in the
wintertime, you breathe out your breath in the wintertime and
there's a little vapor that comes out and then it just vanishes,
just vanishes. That's what our lives are like.
That's what the scripture declares here. our lives are like a vapor
that appears for a little time and then vanish the way and then
look at the instruction here in James chapter 4 verse 15 for
us. For that you have to say if the
Lord will we shall live and do this or that. Look at that. A journey, beloved, is not to
be taken without the will of God. Dependence on his will,
seeking his will, submission to his will. Men devise their
ways, but God directs their goings. Man makes plans, but God disposes. It is He who will direct the
path of His people, His born again, blood washed people who
Christ purchased with His own precious blood on Calvary's cross. He will direct their path. Their
paths will be directed all according to His sovereign will and purpose. Now let's read verse 12 of 1
Thessalonians chapter 3, where we will see that Paul brings
forth the work of God, the Holy Spirit in making us increase
and abound in love, one toward another, toward all men. Look
at verse 12 and it says, and the Lord make you to increase
and abound in love, one toward another and toward all men, even
as we do towards you. Here we see Paul's heart again
manifested and his love for the believers at Thessalonica manifested.
We see his prayer for them in this verse. In all these verses
we're looking at tonight, we see here that Paul's desire in
his prayer for these dear saints is that our Lord Jesus Christ
would make them abound in love, one toward another. And we know
that this only comes about by a work of God, the Holy Spirit,
love. Love is one of the fruits of
the Spirit, beloved. And it's the love of God that's
shed abroad in our heart. And how is that love shed abroad
in our heart? Well, it's shed abroad in our heart only by the
Holy Spirit of God. Now God's love for us can't grow. His love
is pure. His love is perfect. His love
is immutable. His love is eternal. And His
love has always been set upon His people. God's love for us
is in Christ Jesus, His darling Son. And if we're in Christ,
then God loves us just as much as He loves the eternal Son of
God. And let that just sink in. Let that just take ahold of your
soul, beloved. God's love for us is in Christ
Jesus. And if we're in Christ, God loves
us as much as he loves the eternal son of God. That's why Paul could
say, writing under inspiration of God, the Holy Spirit, that
absolutely nothing, nothing can separate us, can separate God's
chosen, born again, bloodwashed saints from his love, which is
in Christ Jesus, our Lord. And Paul's prayer for these dear
saints at Thessalonica was also that they would increase and
abound in love toward all men, not just towards the brethren,
but toward all men. John Gill said, in these words,
toward all men, the men of the world who were without, without
Christ, who were not members of the church nor professors
of the Christian religion, but enemies to that and to Christ
and to them. And yet they would love them
as men and pray for them. Galatians chapter 6 verse 10
says, As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men,
especially unto them who are of the household of faith. Now
this can be said of all believers that our love for God's saints
is in much need of growth. And our love for those who are
not Christians is very much in need of growth. So let us examine
our hearts then in light of these words, which we see here in verse
12. And the Lord make you to increase
and abound in love one toward another, toward all men, even
as we do toward you." We see that Paul ends verse 12 with
the words, even as we do toward you. Think of this, that mighty
warrior in God's army, Paul, used himself and those who were
accompanying him as an example of how true Christian love really
works. Paul, Silas, and Timothy had
come to Thessalonica with the gospel. They had come to that
city, They had come to those who were dead in trespasses and
sins, those who had no desire to come to Christ, no desire
to hear his preachers. And Paul came to them while they
were dead in trespasses and sins, when they had nothing but enmity
in their hearts for God, when they had nothing but enmity in
their hearts for Christ, when they had nothing but enmity in
their hearts for his gospel, and when they had nothing but
enmity in their hearts for his preachers. And Paul comes to
them. he expresses his love for them
by preaching the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. And God gave
some of them a desire, didn't he? He gave some of those Thessalonians
in that city a desire for Christ, and that's who Paul's writing
to here. He's writing to the brethren. Paul said that he and
Silas and Timothy expressed their love for them by preaching The
gospel, the gospel that God uses to deliver his people from spiritual
Egypt, the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, the gospel of a
complete finished atonement made by the sinless sacrifice, the
Lord Jesus Christ, who shed his precious blood to purchase his
people, to redeem them from all their sins, to satisfy the law
and justice of God in their place. And Paul came to these These
Thessalonians, before they were saved, lovingly, kind, and as
gentle as a mother would toward her newborn children. Paul and
Silas expressed their love for these saints by waiting patiently
for God to give the increase, praying that he might be pleased
to do so. This is our prayer for our loved
ones. This is our prayer for those
who come to the services and do not know Christ. Oh, that
the Lord Jesus Christ would reveal himself to them. And then for
the saints of God, this is my prayer. for you and for me, that
what Paul bought forth here, that we might grow in our love
for one another, that we might love those too who are still
in spiritual darkness. Paul loved the Thessalonian believers. He loved them even when they
were in spiritual darkness. And you know how we know that?
Because he preached the gospel to them. He manifested his love
for others by preaching the gospel to them. Now let's look at verse
13. To the end, he may establish your hearts unblameable in holiness
before God. Even our father at the coming
of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints. Oh my, Paul desired
that they would be established in their hearts, that they'd
be unblameable in holiness before God. And that only occurs in
Christ. And look at this, he speaks of
the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints. Oh
my. So we see that salvation has
to do with the heart. Because he says, to the end,
he may establish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God. Salvation
has to do with the heart. One could go through the outward
motions of religion. One can be very zealous in their
profession. One can be faithful in attending the worship services.
One can give of their time. One can give of their labor and
their money. One can become officers of the church. And one can even
hold a position of pastor and still have a wicked, unregenerate
heart. We see that in religion all around
us, don't we? all around us in this world.
God must give us a new heart or all our religious exercises
will be nothing but an abomination to him, worth absolutely nothing. Paul bought this forth when he
called all of his religious involvements, all his religious achievements
before he was saved, nothing but dung and God gives the believer
a new heart and the new heart he gives us needs to be established,
confirmed, turned resolutely to a certain direction, and that
direction is Christ and Christ alone. Look into him. Babes in
Christ are prone to wander, tossed to and fro with every wind of
doctrine, therefore we need to mature in the faith. that's why
the Lord Jesus Christ gives gifts to men to preach and sends them
to minister to his saints. He sends them to where his people
are. Why? For the perfecting of the saints,
for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body
of Christ, till we all come in the unity of the faith and of
the knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect man, unto the
measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, that we henceforth
be no more children tossed to and fro, and be carried about
with every wind of doctorate by the slight of men and the
cunning craftiness whereby they lie in wait to deceive you."
Ephesians 4, verses 10-14. Established in the faith means
to be confirmed in the truths of the gospel, turned resolutely
to Christ, having our eye fixed, our eye of faith fixed on only
Christ and Christ alone. And this does not come overnight.
We're going to struggle as believers until the day we breathe our
last breath. And even the most mature Christian
is still plagued with that old sinful nature we come into this
world with. And let me tell you, it can rear
its ugly head in a moment's notice. Beloved of God, we must be on
guard against the enemies of the gospel. and our worst enemy
that we have as believers in this world is our flesh, ourselves. This is why every single believer
in Christ needs a steady diet of the preaching of the true
gospel of God's amazing grace. That and that alone will keep
us looking unto Jesus, the author and the finisher of our faith.
That's why we should never allow ourselves to be moved away from
the hope of the gospel that our wonderful God has been pleased
to reveal to us. Paul's prayer for the saints,
and we could say, we can learn here too, can't we? We can learn
as believers by Paul's prayer for the saints here. His prayer
for them was that their hearts would be established unblameable
in holiness before God. Brethren, the flesh will never
get any better. It cannot. In God's born again,
children have been made partakers of his divine nature. That new
nature is Christ in us, the hope of glory. Now, as believers,
we grow in grace, we can mature in faith. And again, may God
give us teachable spirits and may God give us a desire to be
teachable and to grow in the grace and knowledge and truth
of the Lord Jesus Christ. But in Christ, the believer is
sanctified, and that means we're made holy in Christ. Turn, if
you would, to 1 Corinthians 1. It's so clearly put forth here.
We're made holy in Christ. We can't make ourselves holy.
We're made holy in Christ, though. And Christ, who is our sanctification,
which means holy, this is bought forth in 1 Thessalonians 1, verses
30 to 31. Look at this, it says, but of
Him, that's Christ, are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made
unto us wisdom and righteousness, and what? Sanctification and
redemption, that according as it is written, he that glorieth,
let him glory in the Lord. We're sanctified in Christ, we're
redeemed in Christ, we're made righteous in Christ. We have
wisdom, true wisdom in Christ. And I'm gonna say this, there's
nothing that we can do as believers to make us more acceptable in
God's sight than we already are, as God has already accepted all
his chosen blood-washed people in Christ. In the heart that
is fixed on Christ and his perfect righteousness that he's clothed
us in, established, unblameable in holiness before God. Now the
self-righteous lawmonger will go absolutely into a rage when
you say these things. They're called God's preacher's
antinomians, accusing us of encouraging God's people to sin. I've never
heard a gospel preacher ever do that. No, no. And they say,
we have nothing to guide us and direct us if we don't use the
law of Moses as the believer's rule of life. Well, the love
of Christ constrains the believer, the love of Christ. And only
those who have no spiritual understanding who are blind to the gospel of
God's grace would make such accusations. Only those who are not led by
the spirit of Christ would desire to be under the law. Beloved,
stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made you free, and
be not again entangled with the yoke of bondage. Only those who
have never experienced the miracle of the new birth would find an
excuse to continue in sin. God's people still sin every
day to our shame, all day long. We hate it. We hate sin, don't
we? And we love righteousness. And
we hate sin, though. and we constantly thank our great
and wondrous God for the perfect robe of righteousness that the
Father has dressed us in, that righteousness of Christ, the
perfect robe of righteousness that Christ wove by His perfect
obedience to the Father, to the law of God and the place of His
people. That robe of righteousness that
the believer is clothed in does not have a stitch of our doings.
It doesn't have a stitch of our doings. It's a work of Christ
and Christ alone. And let this sink into your heart,
beloved. Every believer is complete in
Christ. And complete means complete.
We can't get any more complete than what we are already in Christ. Hallelujah. Oh, and we don't
have our new bodies yet, but we're gonna. We're gonna one
day, but we're as fit for heaven as we'll ever be if we're in
Christ. Praise his mighty name. Amen
and amen.