Evening Sermon

September 28, 2008

Paul's Intense Longing

Text

It is too easy to become familiar with most of Paul's doctrinal passages and overlook passages such as we come to tonight. Our text tonight is vitally important, but the emphasis in this text is not doctrinal, but personal. Paul's personal ministry comes out in these verses. And he is so personal, so intensely personal. So gentle, so loving and affectionate.

Sometimes we need the refreshments of passages like this because our own day to day existence with other Christians is very much different. There are issues that divide churches, and we've had that experience within our presbytery very recently. I felt like weeping last Saturday as the presbytery released Dick Ellis from his pastoral office at New Hope OPC in Frederick. It was his request, in response to what had become an irreconcilable conflict. We've had experienced a taste of that sort of thing among ourselves, as have most churches. Situations and conflicts made worse by a lack of personal and intimate Christian affection.

Often we might be driven to wondering, "How can Christians act this way toward each other?"

And so what a refreshing delight it is to study Paul's example. And I can best describe his relationship with these people at Thessalonica as an intense longing.

We see that, first of all, in his example of,

I. CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP. What is Christian fellowship? We have a fellowship dinner once a month, and we all sit down and eat together around the tables. Is that fellowship? Well, it's a part of it. But only a part.

Many churches have a fellowship hall, implying by the name that what goes on in that room or building is fellowship. But does a building define fellowship?

What is fellowship? The danger comes when we try to answer that question with outward activities. Those outward activities, at their best, are the evidence of Christian fellowship, but they don't define it. What defines fellowship?

The Greek word koinoneia means sharing something in common, and true Christian fellowship means sharing our lives in common. Christian fellowship means that we live as a body. We live joined together with one another. We have communion with one another, communion with the lives of one another.

Now, Paul doesn't use the word "fellowship" here in our text tonight, but he does demonstrate it. With such affection. He says in, v.17

He speaks of being torn away from the people, taken away. Literally, the word means bereaved. It means orphaned. Paul says that he is like one made an orphan by the separation from the Thessalonians. It is though he is grieving as an orphan would grieve, perhaps the most severest form of deprivation or desolation you could imagine.

Paul says we have become like orphaned children by being separated from you. Or you could turn the illustration around, and say, "We have become like parents bereaved of their children, parents who have lost their children."

So great is his grief.

A. Christian fellowship means that we grieve when separated from each other. "Blest be the tie that binds our hearts in Christian love. The fellowship of kindred minds is like to that above. When we asunder part, it gives us inward pain. But we shall still be joined in heart, and hope to meet again."

People or God, that's fellowship! A bond so intimate, so interconnected, that when separation occurs, there is grief.

However, notice what he says.

B. Christian fellowship transcends physical separation. Christian fellowship goes beyond physical separation. Paul was torn away from these beloved friends, but in person, he says, not in thought. He was torn away from them physically, but not in heart. Not in spirit.

They couldn't see each other face to face, but they were still united! For they were not separated in spirit.

And therefore, their real sense of fellowship, the sense of their lives being joined together, hadn't been affected. "Out of sight" certainly did not mean "out of mind."

v.17

It seems that Paul faced the accusation that he cared very little for these people, that he had no regard for his converts. That they were trophies, notches in his belt proving how successful an evangelist he was.

But there was none of that for Paul. None of it. His life was forever connected with the lives of these people, even thought he was physically separated from them.

I have met people whose actions have seemed to indicate that evangelism was measured by numbers of people professing to be saved but did not issue in any meaningful spiritual connection. When I was a prison chaplain, I saw evangelists come in month after month, issue invitations month after month, and fill out their forms with the number of people who came forward. And they boasted, if 20 men came forward. They boasted if 30 men came forward. They boasted if 40 men came forward. But I doubt they knew a single name of a single man.

There was no fellowship.

I know churches that boast of their membership. Hundreds. Even thousands. But how can a pastor be a pastor to a person whose name he doesn't even know? I don't know the answer to that question, because I couldn't be such a pastor.

Christian fellowship means that lives are joined together, so much so that the bonds transcend physical separation.

And somewhat obviously, therefore,

C. Christian fellowship creates an intense longing to be together. v.17-18a

We made every effort to see you. We were all the more eager to see you. With great desire, and the Greek word for "desire" is the word usually translated "lust." Here, it is used in a positive sense. The very strongest desire possible, and the ideas of haste and earnestness are joined together. It was not a token effort. Paul had used all his might, all his energy to come to them. He did it, literally, "the more exceedingly." It was almost a fierce passion. He wants his friends to be in no doubt as to the strength of his feelings for them.

And he did it "again and again," as we read in verse 18. Over and over again. He tried to come to see them. He longed to see them. So strong was the bond of Christian fellowship.

So why didn't he visit them? v.18

D. Christian fellowship is opposed by Satan. Satan is very real for Paul, and, unfortunately, very personal. He was a personal enemy, causing personal trouble. In this case, he says, "Satan hindered us." He stopped us.

That word means to cut into something, providing the image of cutting up a road to make it impassable. In a military sense, the idea is of breaking through the enemy lines. In athletics, it means to cut in on another runner in the middle of the race.

Satan cut in and prevented Paul from returning to see the Thessalonians.

We don't know exactly what Paul is referring to. The Scriptures, and particularly the book of Acts, don't tell us the specific details. But that doesn't matter a bit. We don't need to know the details, just what happened. Satan stopped them.

There are some obvious lessons from that, particularly the realization that Satan is continually striving by every means to hinder or obstruct the upbuilding of the church. And we need to be intent on resisting him.

We should also realize that our battle is against Satan, therefore not against flesh and blood. Eph.6:12 "For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places." That means we need to fight with spiritual weapons! The gospel armor described in that chapter comes to mind.

Eph. 6:11 "Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil...13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand."

Any way possible, Satan works to oppose Christian fellowship. And he will oppose it whenever and wherever it seeks to exists. That's why Christian love and Christian unity are such difficult work. Satan is continually striving by every means to hinder or obstruct the upbuilding of the Church. And we must be intent on resisting him.

And Paul was intent on resisting him, so that he could enjoy the delights of reunited fellowship. And he describes that fellowship in such glowing terms, in words which have direct reference to the fellowship which we shall enjoy in eternity. Indeed,

E. Christian fellowship is an eternal delight. v.19-20

Paul would be delighted to see these Thessalonians again. He has tried time and again to bring it about. At the point of this writing, he hadn't succeeded. But he was fully confident of one very important and obvious thing--they would have great fellowship in their eternal glory.

He speaks of these wonderful friends, and he says that they will be his hope, his joy, and his crown. They will be the basis of his eternal delight. When I stand before Christ, Paul says to the Thessalonians, you will be the ones in whom I delight. You will be the ones who will be my crown, the evidence of God's blessing upon their work. For Paul, a crown of glory. A crown of boasting. A crown, which, of course, will be laid at the feet of Christ for his ultimate glory.

But Paul will boast of these dear people, in the sense of delighting himself in them as they join together at the feet of our Lord Jesus.

And to repeat himself, he says again in, v.20

And when will that glory come? When Jesus Christ comes. At his parousia, to use the technical Greek word. At his second coming, his return in glory, when he will bring an end to this age and hand all things over to his father at the beginning of the age of eternity.

Christian fellowship is an eternal delight. May we look forward to it just as fully as Paul did. So learn to enjoy it here and now. Learn to delight yourselves in the company of one another. Not that church would become another burden in an already busy and overcrowded schedule, but that you would delight fully in the enjoyment of being with one another, grieved when you are kept from that fellowship for one reason or another.

So what did Paul do? What did he do, being unable to physically reunite with these beloved friends? What did he do when the separation be unendurable?

Well, ever the compassionate pastor, he sent his trusted helper Timothy to visit them. And he did so at his own expense, having to go on without Timothy and be left by himself in Athens. v.1

And what was Timothy's mission, v.2

II. CHRISTIAN ENCOURAGEMENT. Here we see the very important,

A. Work of personal encouragement in the faith. The two words of verse 2, establish and encourage, really mean about the same thing. Establish. Strengthening in the faith. The first word, "established", means to provide a buttress, a support. The second word is more the sense of calling to the side of, the legal idea of an advocate. The Greek word paraclete. One who pleads on our behalf.

To encourage in this sense means to give courage. It means to supply courage. It means to stimulate courage.

And that's the work we should be doing for one another. That's the work that goes hand in hand with Christian fellowship. That's the work that should always be at the forefront of our purpose for Christian fellowship.

Christian encouragement. Strengthening one another in the faith.

Paul's concern is for their faith. It wasn't just a friendship thing. It wasn't just an emotional thing. It was deeply and intensely spiritual. He cared about their souls.

As he says in, v.5

He could stand it no longer. And his concern was perhaps that they had been led astray by the tempter, the deceiver. He was afraid that the enjoyment of true fellowship with them would be cut off, permanently, that perhaps the efforts of his labors would be rendered useless.

He wasn't concerned about counting how many people he saved. He wasn't concerned in keeping statistics so that he could prove how successful he was as a missionary. He was concerned about the souls of these dear friends with whom he enjoyed such intimate spiritual fellowship.

People of God, we need such involvement in the lives of one another. We need such involvement so that we can be involved in the work of personal encouragement in the faith. You ought to seek such encouragement from others, and you ought to give such encouragement from others.

In terms of our gathering together for what we call "church," that should be one of our primary objectives, second only to the actual worship and adoration of the living God. When we gather together, we should be involved in this work of personal encouragement. In the words of,

Hebr. 10:22 "...let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, 25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching."

Let us not give up meeting together. And immediately preceding those familiar words, "let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works."

Worship is the main priority for the church. If there is one thing that the assembled church should be doing, and must do, it is worship. If there is one thing that should characterize our church, it is worship. But as we gather together for worship, something else should be happening. And we ought to give it serious consideration and thoughtful attention. "Let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works."

Therefore, dear friends, involve yourself in the work of personal encouragement in the faith. Get down beneath the surface with someone, and find out about how they are doing. In the faith. And work to strengthen them in their faith. Work to encourage them in their faith.

With a particular goal in mind. B. The goal of personal encouragement in the faith. v.3-4

So they can handle the trials of life that would come.

We go right back to the overall context of this whole book, which is the awareness of trials and struggles that the people would be facing. Inevitable trials. Paul wished for them to have the spiritual strength and endurance to withstand those trials, trials which he says they were destined for.

Part of his encouragement was proclaiming the certain reality of those trials and persecutions, in an effort to strengthen the people by preparation. He was always looking after their souls.

So often, we concern ourselves only with what is on the outside. We concern ourselves with our own appearance only, and we investigate and observe only the outward appearance of others.

And our relationships remain superficial. Casual. And unfulfilling. Un-encouraging.

Make it your goal, make it a matter of prayer before the Lord as you speak to him every day, make it a point to involve yourself in the work of Christian encouragement. Pray for opportunities to encourage one another. Look for opportunities to encourage one another, to strengthen them in the faith. And take advantage of those opportunities.

Let others do the same for you. Be satisfied with nothing less.

Blest be the tie that binds our hearts in Christian love, the fellowship of kindred minds is like to that above.

Before our father's throne, we pour our ardent prayers, our fears, our hopes, our aims, are one, our comforts and our cares.

We share our mutual woes, our mutual burdens bear, and often for each other flows the sympathizing tear.

When we asunder part, it gives us inward pain, but we shall still be joined in heart, and hope to meet again.

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