So we're in 1 Thessalonians chapter
three, and I'm just going to read a few verses, just the first
four verses. Wherefore, when we could no longer
forbear, this is the Apostle Paul writing, of course. He says
in 1 Corinthians chapter three, verse one, wherefore, when we
could no longer forbear, we thought it good to be left at Athens
alone. and sent Timotheus our brother
and minister of God and our fellow labourer in the gospel of Christ
to establish you and to comfort you concerning your faith. that
no man should be moved by these afflictions. For yourselves know
that we are appointed thereunto. For verily, when we were with
you, we told you before that we should suffer tribulation,
even as it came to pass, and ye know. Today I want to make four simple
points from these four, what I should say are really quite
clear and straightforward verses. There's really nothing complicated
here in what the Apostle Paul is writing. And yet I think there
are some really precious thoughts and insights to be discovered
and blessings that we might just mention together. But as we do
that, I want just to mention, as it were, to make a point in
the introduction, that the simplicity of the scriptures is of the essence
of our Bible understanding. Here we are together today to
hear the Word of God. We've gathered together to hear
the Word of God. As believers have done for millennia,
And we hear it, the scriptures of the word of God to us, just
as surely as if God were audibly speaking to us. And we hear it,
and we receive it, and we meditate upon it, and we apply it. These are the blessings that
believers have in the scriptures. And you don't have to have a
degree in theology or a doctorate in ancient languages or a master's
in bible studies to understand God's word. It is straightforward
and I'm not saying that it doesn't have to be studied. It does. And I'm not saying that it doesn't
have to be carefully considered, because it does. We approach
the scriptures humbly and we approach them prayerfully. But
I am saying that with spiritual eyes and understanding, the Scriptures
open easily to every child of God, and they give up sweet truths
and clear insights into God's ways of salvation and his means
of grace towards us. in both senses, in the sense
of Christ being all our salvation, so we look in the scriptures
for Christ, but also in our individual, personal, day-by-day experience
of that grace, leading us to better know what Christ has done
for us. And I would argue that our English
Bible is so expertly translated and simply presented in language
so clear that even a child could understand. And yet it is, at
the same time, having been divinely inspired, so glorious and profound
that it will bear a lifetime's study. So let our approach be
to read what the apostle says by the Holy Spirit, who inspired
it, and apply this message to our hearts. So I've got one point
from each of the verses that we have before us today. And
here's the first one. Here we see Paul's love and concern
for the church at Thessalonica. Having been driven away from
the city by his persecuting enemies, Paul longed to hear of the practical
well-being and spiritual state of these young believers, and
he could not bear not knowing what was happening amongst them.
So he tells the Thessalonians that he thought it good to send
Timothy to find out how things were going with them. And here
we find the apostle personally invested in these believers and
his love and his commitment to them. An interesting aspect of
this point in Paul's life is that the book of Acts tells us
that Paul went at this stage to Athens, where he was greatly
exercised. For example, we're told in Acts
17 that he disputed in the synagogue with the Jews. We're told that
he debated in the marketplace daily with Greek philosophers,
the Stoics and the Epicureans. He preached at the Areopagus
on Mars Hill, where he saw the altar to the unknown God and
delivered his memorable address, which began, ye men of Athens. The point is, that though Paul
busily engaged himself in the work at Athens, the weight of
the well-being of the church at Thessalonica was heavy on
his heart. And in his mind, he was so concerned
that he sent back, even from that place where he was so much
exercised with all of these challenges to the gospel that he was encountering
in Athens, he sent back his fellow ministers to find out what was
going on back in Thessalonica. So he wasn't simply an evangelist
moving from place to place, preaching his message and moving on. but
he was a pastor and a father to these beloved friends. And I think it's a high recommendation
of the Apostle Paul that we can see this attitude coming through
in his writings and in his ministry. Here's the second point. This
is point two from verse two. Paul sent Timothy, who was known
to the Thessalonians because he had been with Paul at Thessalonica. Paul and Silas and Timothy were
all there. He had been amongst them and
yet Paul gives this commendation or recommendation of Timothy
to remind the Thessalonians of how blessed they are to have
and to receive true faithful ministry. Ministry that will
establish and comfort them. And I think by this we learn
a couple of things. Firstly, we learn that the gospel
is designed not only to convert people, which it had done in
Thessalonica, but to establish the saints and comfort the Lord's
people. This establishment and the comforting
are essential aspects of hearing the gospel. So let us always
desire. to hear the gospel of Christ,
because it's Christ's gospel. It originated with him. It was
brought by him. It relates to him. And ultimately,
it is empowered by him to establish and comfort his people. And the
second point about Paul sending Timothy there is that Timothy,
we're told, is a minister of God. That means that he was called
and appointed and equipped and approved by God. He didn't run
unsent, but he served according to the will and with the message
that God gave to him. And we note that it was their
faith that was helped by this message. It was their faith that
was helped. Today, churches want to help
people with their relationships. They want to help people with
their marriages. They want to help people with
their finances and their careers and even their physical health
sometimes. But Timothy was sent to the Thessalonians
to be concerned about their faith. And here we see these two aspects
of Timothy's ministry blending together beautifully. Sent ministers
of God preach the gospel of Christ and thereby the triune God establishes
and comforts his church and his people in the faith of Jesus
Christ. And here's the third point. Paul
now teaches the Thessalonians that they ought not to be surprised,
far less should they be fretful and fearful about afflictions. Afflictions don't cause believers
to be moved out of their dependence on Christ, unless it is that
they are stony ground believers and not true believers at all. Why is that? Why is it that afflictions
don't cause God's people to be moved? Because afflictions are
appointed for the good of the Lord's people and the Lord's
people are appointed for them. Now just think on that for a
moment. This is talking about an appointment
The eternal unchangeable decree of God appointed our trials and
our troubles before time began. And they were appointed by a
heavenly father who loves us with an everlasting love. So
that there's nothing unlucky or accidental or circumstantial
or random in them. They are tailored for us personally
and designed for our good. Now this may be a rather poor
analogy, but I'm going to give it anyway. It's a little bit
like an experienced personal trainer who puts a student through
a specifically tailored routine to strengthen and perfect their
skills. So the Lord leads us through
trials and challenges, not to perfect our skills, but to perfect
himself in our experience and in our estimation, teaching us
to trust and to pray and to rely and to rest on him. I have the privilege of speaking
from time to time with a good number of the Lord's people,
and by and large, all of them have particular personal issues
that cause them concern, as well as the general societal or religious
opposition that we face as sovereign grace believers. Now, perhaps
in our country, we don't get beaten up as Jason was in Thessalonica,
and the apostles were many times. And yet, opposition to the gospel
and to the Lord Jesus Christ is nevertheless real and costly. We may be made to feel marginalized
we may be painted as extremists or as being exclusive despite
the fact that all we wish to be is faithful to the Lord and
to the Word of God. Well, so be it. The Lord puts
us where he will and he brings afflictions and he appoints us
to them. He will not let us sidestep them
for the ease of our passage in this world, because it is his
purpose to use them to bless our souls. And finally, here's the last
point from verse four. The Apostle Paul knew what it
was to be persecuted. He was a seasoned warrior as
far as these things were concerned. He'd been in battle for the Lord
before. But the Thessalonians were a
young church of new believers, and he had warned them to expect
opposition. And he wasn't wrong. The Jews
of Paul's day and the law people of our day are offended by imputed
righteousness because they love their own self-righteousness
and they will fight for their right to please God by their
own works. Now, there's no disrespect intended
here, but when I look around this little group, we're all
probably seasoned enough to have known our own fair share of affliction
in this life. And we may assume that there
is yet more to come. I have no doubt our first reaction
when we get to heaven will be to say, thank you, Lord, not
only for the glory that is set before us, but for the end of
the trials that we have left behind. And yet I'm equally sure
that if we were to take the time to reflect on those trials, which
we probably won't do, we would quickly see the wisdom of God
in every shed tear, in every sharp pain, in every stiff rebuke. God knows what we need better
than we do and he has appointed us to afflictions that he might
conform us increasingly to the image of Christ. I'm not going
to leave these little verses without mentioning Paul's phrase,
it came to pass. I love that little phrase. It
is a phrase we meet with often in scripture and it stands as
a constant reminder that all the troubles we encounter and
endure are temporary. They're fleeting, they're only
for a moment. The Apostle Paul lightly wrote
this epistle from Corinth, and he tells the Corinthians in 2
Corinthians 4, verse 17, for our light affliction is but for
a moment, and worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal
weight of glory. Our Lord Jesus Christ was afflicted
for us on the cross more than we ever shall know or understand. The apostles were afflicted for
Christ's sake and the church. The church at Jerusalem was afflicted
and at Antioch. Congregations where Paul preached
throughout Asia were afflicted and now these believers in Greece
and in Macedonia But always it came to pass. It came to pass. And maybe you are facing a difficult
experience or feeling anxious or afraid about a trial you must
face right now. And it might not feel like a
light affliction, but it shall pass. And it will work for you
a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. The preacher
said in Proverbs 3, verse 5, Trust in the Lord with all thine
heart and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy
ways acknowledge him and he shall direct thy paths. Amen.