Boasting In A Winning Team

Let's take our Bibles and turn to 2 Thessalonians 1. 1 Thessalonians 1. If you follow along as I read verses 1-12. Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy. to the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. We ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers, as is right, because your faith is growing abundantly, and the love of every one of you for one another is increasing.

Therefore we ourselves boast about you in the churches of God for your steadfastness and faith in all your persecutions and in the afflictions, that you are enduring. This is evidence of the righteous judgment of God that you may be considered worthy of the kingdom of God for which you are also suffering. Since indeed God considers it just to repay with affliction those who afflict you and to grant relief to you who are afflicted as well as to us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, inflaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.

They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might when he comes on that day to be glorified in his saints and to be marveled at among all who have believed because our testimony to you was believed. To this end, we always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling, and may fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith by his power, so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ. Let's pray.

Father, now as we look into your word, we pray that you would open it up to us, and give us hope, motivate us to stand firm in the faith. As this text tells us, we pray, Father, that in this your name would be honored and glorified. Help us to be a people Father who live in such a way that people do not talk about us but they talk about our God And so as we embark upon this study of the text we pray that you would work within us what this text intends to do and thus, Father, that we would glorify the name of our God and of our Savior by the power of the Spirit.

Help us to that end, we pray, in Jesus' name. Amen. You're a Christian and a threat. At least that's what the authorities seem to think about you and the other believers in your congregation. Your father has already spent six months of the past year in the local jail for his preaching. Two years ago, on the dead of the night, the police showed up at your uncle's house and took him away, and you've not seen or heard from him since.

You hosted a meeting of pastors at your house recently, and as a result, the police showed up the next day and destroyed all the crops that you'd been growing, the crops that were to get you through the winter. Your best friend in seventh grade was ridiculed last Thursday. The teacher brought him up in front of the class and mocked him because of his beliefs and encouraged the rest of the class to ridicule him as well.

Last year, you got a permit from the mayor to actually build a church building and you spent months working on that. And this Lord's Day was going to be the day that you dedicated that building for worship. But as you come down the road, walking down the road to your church, you look and you see that the authorities the night before had bulldozed that whole new building down to the ground and there was nothing but a pile of rubble.

Do you think it would be hard to stand firm for the faith in that kind of oppression? What could possibly motivate you to stand and not give up your faith and not kowtow to the authorities? What would motivate you to stand true to the Lord Jesus and your commitment to Him in that kind of an environment? Well, that's what you find in our text this morning.

God, through the Apostle Paul, motivating you to stand true to the Savior in times of persecutions and afflictions. Now, we are not... By the way, all the story I just told you, all of those things really happened. I've heard those stories from the guys I used to minister to in Romania. All those things really happened. And those guys stood true And we not facing that but we are facing an increasingly hostile environment towards us and our faith And we may not face the same things they did.

At least not now. And yet even now I find people are kind of ashamed. People are kind of afraid of standing firm for Jesus. Even in the environment that we have today that hasn't even begun to approach that realm of oppression that others have faced. And so we need to be motivated to stand firm in our profession of faith in the midst of whatever kind of afflictions we may face.

Now, as we enter this book again, we introduced 2 Thessalonians last week. You remember, of course, that the persecution on these folks has increased and intensified. And Paul responds then to that situation with this letter of 2 Thessalonians. And he does it to help them stand, to help them stand firm in the midst of adversity. And as we go through this book, a major part of this book is intended to motivate us, to help us to stand firm in the face of adversity.

And in verses 3 through 12, Paul motivates believers, Paul motivates you to stand firm. he does it in verses 3 and 4 through commendation he helps you stand true by pointing you to the certain justice of God in verses 5 through 10 and then finally he motivates you through prayer verses 11 and 12 so let's look at this commendation we're going to spend our time in verses 3 and 4 tomorrow Lord willing in a couple weeks we'll we'll see try to get through 5 through 12 but today let's look at verses three through four where God motivates you to stand true by actually commending you how does he do that Paul tells you what they're doing okay Paul tells you what this mission team is doing and so by reporting that he motivates perseverance in God's people so what's the first thing we see? The first thing we see is God motivates you by thanksgiving, verse 3. We ought always to give thanks to God for you brothers as is right as is fitting because your faith is growing abundantly and the love of every one of you for one another is increasing Now the mission team of Paul and Silas and Timothy in the city of Corinth have a habit of praying for the Thessalonians.

They spend the day working probably just as he mentions in the first epistle to the Thessalonians. He probably spends his day, They spend their day working. Paul was a tent maker, making tents during the day. And at night they get together and spend some time in prayer. And in their prayers, they spend a good amount of time, a good measure of time, thanking God for their friends in Thessalonica.

And he says they feel obligated to give thanks to the Father for them. He says we ought, ought always to give thanks. You see, whenever and wherever God works, we ought to give thanks, even when his good work lands on somebody else. We ought always to give thanks for God's work, wherever it shows up, with us or with someone else. And he says that kind of thanksgiving is fitting or is right, as ESV has it. now the Thessalonians could have responded to Paul with Paul in that first letter you were a bit too kind in your words to us and about us remember first Thessalonians he's worried about them standing for the faith and he writes he gets a report from Timothy and he writes this letter of relief just saying how wonderful it all is and they may be saying to him Paul you're much too kind in what you say and his response is it was only right that we thank God for what's happening there indeed it's our duty it's the only right thing to do because you see God had answered their prayers remember what he'd said to them in the previous epistle look over chapter 3 verses 9 and 10 he says to them for what thanksgiving can we return to God for you for all the joy that we feel for your sake before our God as we pray most earnestly night and day that we may see you face to face and supply what is lacking in your faith.

And so he says, we're praying that we'll get together so that we can supply what's lacking in your faith. And lo and behold, he finds that God has answered that prayer in that even though they've not seen them face to face, their faith is abundantly growing. They don't have to meet face to face to make up for that lack. God has intervened. faith is growing.

Now look at verses 11 and 12, the same chapter. Now may our God and Father himself and our Lord Jesus direct our way to you, and may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all as we do for you. Well, God answered that prayer too. He says, we're praying that God will increase your love, and what do we find here? The report he gets back saying they are increasing in love, their love is growing.

Of course they give thanks. God has answered their prayers. They have interceded with God to help these people as the persecution intensifies. And God answered that prayer. They're growing in faith and they're growing in love with one another. Now, you say, so what's the big deal?

How does that motivate anybody? Well, anybody will tell me. What happens when someone says to you, I really thank God for the ministry you've had in my life? Has anyone ever said to you, you know what, last year when I was going through that tough time and you came alongside, man, I thank God for the ministry that you had in my life. What does that do for you?

What does that do for you? Doesn't that encourage you? Doesn't it help you to say, I'm going to keep going? I was in a conversation with somebody from Oklahoma yesterday, a guy I know through fire and through ACBC, and he was saying, And man, I was really encouraged by this lecture I listened to when you said such and such and so and so. And I said, when did I say that?

He says, well, it was that seminar you had in 2015. And I'm sitting there thinking, I don't have a clue what he's talking about. I don't remember saying that. And he says, you know, that was really encouraging to me. Now, I'll tell you what that does for me. It says, man, I don't remember.

I must have said it. It's recorded. okay wow thank you lord i appreciate that that motivates you to keep going now of course you can't take credit for what's happened i didn't say yeah i really did a good job i couldn't remember to begin with but i didn't say well i must have done a good job not at all not in the least you can't take credit for how god chooses to use you but such a statement surely encourages you It says God does use you He at work in what you doing Doesn it And so this congregation in Thessalonica hears, we're thankful for the work of God in your midst. That's going to motivate them to keep going because now they can say, wow, God is at work.

You know how it is. You don't see those things. You're in it in the day to day. you don't see those things happening. And someone comes along with a different vantage point and says, wow, God's really at work there. And you're encouraged. You're motivated.

You know that your efforts are not in vain. You're encouraged because you're seeing, you know what? God can indeed use you. Now, I don't know about you. In fact, I do know about you. I am your pastor.

I do know a lot about a lot of you. And I know most of you are out there saying, yeah, you know, I don't know much. You know, God, whatever. You know, I don't think God can use me. Wrong! Right?

As a friend I really respect once said, God draws straight lines with crooked sticks. Right? God does use people. And He doesn't use the people that you would think He would use. And so God motivates you by thanksgiving. Thanks to God for what He's doing in and through you. in and through that congregation.

You're motivated to go on when you hear thanks. God's at work in you. Now, what is God doing? And these are the marks, I think, two marks of a church that's handling affliction correctly. What is God doing? First of all, he's producing a growing faith.

Do you see that in verse 3? Because your faith is growing, not just growing, growing abundantly. Their faith has not fallen off. Their faith has not remained static. But rather, rather, in the midst of increasing affliction, it has significantly grown. It has grown significantly.

Waves of persecution have come at them. Various kinds of afflictions have rolled over them. But their faith or their trust in God has exploded. Alright the waves of persecution are crashing against them and yet their faith has exploded Let me ask you this how do you handle hard times All right now we not talking about persecution let just say any kind of affliction or hard time How do you handle it?

Do you handle it by distraction, right? I go home and run up Netflix and just binge watch television so I forget all about my troubles, right? Maybe you're more stoic and you say, why fuss about it if you can't do anything about it? Right? Maybe just plain old avoid it. You just run away.

Maybe that's what you do. But here is the response of faith. Here's the response of faith. An increasing trust. Increasing now, not remaining the same. As the persecution intensifies, so does their faith. and they have an increasing trust in the God who holds the future in his hands.

He knows where it's all going and they trust him with that. They have a growing trust in the Redeemer who is alive and who has walked in your shoes. You ever thought about that? The Bible is clear that Jesus has faced every temptation that you have. Jesus has faced everything that you have. He was without sin, but he has experienced whatever you've experienced.

Can you trust someone like that? Sure you can. Let me tell you, no matter what you're going through, no matter what a congregation goes through, no matter what affliction, persecution, or hardship comes, we can trust in the one who's walked in our shoes. they no doubt had the attitude if they take our lives we belong to Jesus and we just pass into a new glorious reality now that's trust that's trust they can put me in prison they can confiscate our property they can take all that's dear and familiar to me but I am convinced that God loves me because He's my Father and He will not allow anything into my life that will destroy that love He has for me.

You see, that's the kind of faith we're talking about. The kind of faith that sees hardship in your face and you know you going to enter that hardship Where is your trust What is the object of your trust The God who is ultimately sovereign? The Father who loves you and only gives good things from His hands, whether they're hard or easy? Is this the one you trust, you see?

Their faith had grown, so should ours. Not only that, but as the waves of persecution roll over them, he says that their love just keeps increasing. Persecution increases, love increases. And everyone in the congregation experiences. Do you see how he says it? It's an interesting phraseology that he used there.

And the love of every one of you, every one of you for one another is increasing. There isn't anybody in this congregation left out of the love equation here. Everybody senses love for one another in this congregation. As hostility grows on the outside of the congregation, an incredible love grows inside. Persecution not only drives them to God, but that affliction drives them to one another drives them to one another that is the sign of a church that's handling affliction well what happens to our love think about it if you're in that situation when your friend faces mocking and i'll never forget Danny.

His name was Danny. One of our young guys in our, well he wasn't really young, he was probably in his 30s, in our first module in Romania. And I'll never forget Danny telling the story how in seventh grade his teacher brought him up in front of the class knowing that he was a repenter, that's what the Baptists were called, and openly ridiculed him in front of the entire class and at the end of had punched him in his stomach, right in front of the whole class.

What would you do if that was your friend? What do you think you would do? Would you keep your distance now? Would you keep your distance knowing that if you identify with him, you may be subject to the same thing? Do you keep your distance or do you come alongside your friend? identify with him and help him. When the authorities confiscate that brother's house, you bring him over to live with you.

When you lose your job because you're not toeing the party line, you have a brother who'll hire you. Right? Tangible, real, increasing love for one another. So you see, God motivates you then to stand firm when you recognize and can thank Him for working in your midst. You can thank Him for what He's doing. That will motivate you to stand firm.

Now the other thing we see in verse 4, God motivates you by commendation. Paul says here, because of what God is doing in your church, we just can't keep silence. And we boast about you to all the other churches. Now, I know some of you are sitting there saying, wait a minute, Paul. Whoa, you're the same guy who says, don't let anyone boast but in the Lord.

What are you doing boasting about these people? You should be boasting in the Lord. Well, of course, God forbids you to boast about what's been achieved as if you can take credit for what you accomplish. You can't. It's all of God. But do you think that's what Paul's doing here?

Is he saying, patting him on the back, saying, wow, you guys are great people. Right? No. No, he's not doing that. This is boasting in the Lord. He's just got done saying, I thank God for what he's doing.

And because of that, what? Because of what? Notice what it says in verse 4. Therefore, or because of that, because of what? Because of what God is doing. Because we can thank God for what he's doing.

We boast about you. We boast about you. Now, you know, the proper kind of boasting about someone can arouse and spur the heart. It can fix the purpose in your heart. It can instill hope that the end can be accomplished that the goal is not impossible And so when he says he boasts about them what do you think that does He wants to encourage them He wants to motivate them What do you think that does for them?

Has anyone ever boasted about you? What do you think happens when you overhear your coach saying to another coach, I'll tell you what, this kid can really get the job done. At practice, he's the guy who works the hardest, right? he's he works harder than any of the other wrestlers he is coachable he listens he does what you say and he meant he's a leader he encourages the other guys it's hard to find athletes like him anymore let's say you overhear that you think you'll be motivated at that point of course you will of course you will and that's what's happening here such biblical boasting if you want to call it that well that's what Paul calls it that kind of biblical boasting proves to be a fountain of encouragement what do you think happens to them as Timothy who's sent back with this little epistle what do you think happens as Timothy stands up and says okay I got this letter from Paul let me read it to you what do you think happens in their hearts when Paul as Timothy's reading and they hear Paul's words not only that because of that we boast about you and all the other churches.

You think that's going to motivate you at all to stand firm? Of course it will. And not only that, but other congregations hearing this boast can say to themselves, what? You know what? We have the same Father. We have the same Redeemer.

We have the same Spirit. We have the same one. We got all what they have. We can do it too. We can do it too. And by that boasting, the Thessalonians can see that they participate in a wider movement.

It's not just about them. You think that motivates them? Sure it does. It's not just about them. What they do has an impact on other congregations. So when Paul says we boasting to all the other churches it like wow okay God using us in other other congregations lives now what does he boast about he boasts about a steadfastness that grows from their extraordinary faith their steadfastness and faith this steadfastness is standing firm he's commending them he's boasting about the fact that they're standing firm they're like just like those powerful waves on the coast crash against those immovable rocks on the shore so the waves of affliction spend themselves on this church and just and they remain unmovable and he boasts about that he boasts about that that's something worth boasting about do you know that i boast about you guys i boast about you as the lord opens up opportunities for me to go different places and minister i often say you know what god's doing some great things in our church and i always say it's a mixed bag there's good things and there's things that are really challenging but you know what god has moved in our church such way people say to me things like how how is that happening at your church and that here's my boast i say i don't know god just does it right he's produced an extraordinary group of people at larue baptist church an extraordinary group of people he does it through them and i don't know how he does it's not a program i don't know we just love each other we preach we get involved i don't know what to tell you but that's what god does right and that encourages other congregations we participate in the wider ministry so the whole point is that this steadfastness is boasting about their steadfastness is what motivates them to continue to stand fast you'll be motivated to stand fast when you can boast in what god is doing.

So, how are we going to stand firm How are we going to stand firm Again no one going to bulldoze this building at least not yet I don't think anybody's. I don't anticipate getting hauled off to jail, at least not yet. So with the little bit of hostility that we face, how are we going to stand firm? We're going to stand firm with thanksgiving. We'll stand firm with commendation.

We'll stand firm as we recognize what God is doing. We talk about it. And we thank him for it. And we say, wow, God does work. Even in us. Let's pray then that God would help us to stand firm for him.

Father, thank you for your word. We're thankful for the model that we have that will be motivated as we look in thanksgiving to you for what you're doing. We're thankful, Father, for what you are doing here. Lord, I'm thankful. I'm thankful that I can boast about your people in this place. not because not because that they have achieved some great things on their own but only because you have chosen to work and use your people Father motivate us then to stand and Lord use us if you will to motivate others God thank you again for your great goodness in the Lord Jesus.

We're thankful for all that you have done for us. Help us now to live in light of your marvelous grace. And we'll thank you in Jesus' name. Amen.