Let us pray. Heavenly Father, we thank you that we can gather together and open your word with the understanding that you reveal it, and with the power of the Holy Spirit that is in us, giving us understanding of it. We thank you, Lord, that we find in your word great words of hope. Help us, Lord, as we consider this portion of your scriptures to be strengthened by your word. We pray all these things in Jesus' name, amen. When you read 1 and 2 Thessalonians, I think it is easy to think that Paul's main goal with these two letters is to write to these churches, or to this church, and to us as well, to teach us about eschatology, about the end of the times, about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, or the events that are preceding the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. And certainly you find a lot in these two letters. Chapters four and five are focused on that in 1 Thessalonians. And chapters one and two are also focused on that. But the truth is that the main goal that Paul had when he wrote these two letters was as simple as to encourage brothers and sisters like us, in these two churches, or in these churches, that were going through difficult times. You remember that Paul came with Silas and Timothy, preached the gospel there, and in a few weeks he had to leave because of the persecution that started as a result of many people coming to Christ. And Paul was deeply concerned as these new believers, and he says that, that he was worried that they might be moved out of their trust in Jesus because of these persecutions. So the main goal that Paul had when he wrote these two letters was to strengthen the faith of believers in the middle of difficult times, suffering, and persecution. And I don't think this is limited to persecution. even though the context of these two letters is persecution, it's addressing the challenge that they have as a result of persecution. I think it's also including all the areas in our lives where we encounter suffering and how we are strengthened by the word of God, by the faith that we have in the word of God when we face afflictions and suffering. Therefore, I think that this is very good for us. It's a passage, or these two letters, as the rest of the Bible, are very good for us. But this passage and these passages are very important to strengthen our faith, especially when we face difficulty. One person says, in life you are either in three stages. You are in a trial, You are coming out of a trial, or you are getting into a trial. So, I know that doesn't sound very encouraging, but that's the truth. You will face them, and your faith is strengthened through these words. Now today, I feel that I have a second chance to address some of the things that I couldn't last week in verses one through five, or at least to clarify some of them because I confess my mind was on and off here and in Barranquilla with my dad who was getting close to be with the Lord. But today, my mind is here and in eternity where my dad is with the Lord. So what I want us to do as we go through these verses, starting from first verse is kind of to recap what we saw last week from these verses because it's actually a foundation for what he says in verses six through the end of the chapter. So Paul starts saying or greeting the church in this way. He says to the church of the Thessalonians, in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. And it's easy for us to move quickly to the next thing because we think that this is just a greeting. But in reality, Paul is saying something that is foundational for what he's going to say afterwards. He's saying this church is in God the Father and in our Lord Jesus Christ. The Father and our Lord. And when he says that the Thessalonians were in God the Father, he's reminding the Thessalonians that they have a father. And that father is God. And as a father, he cares for them. He loves them. He seeks for their good. He's reminding them that this is foundational for what they were facing in front of them. They have a father who is God, who is divine, who has authority over everything, and he loved them, and he cared for them. Then he says, and the Lord Jesus Christ. Our Lord Jesus Christ. Then he's reminding them as well that Jesus is the Lord, that Jesus is the King, that Jesus is in control, Jesus is Lord over their lives, but he is Lord over everything that is happening. Therefore, they should not be afraid. And as a result of that, he says that they have grace and peace, again, from God our Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ, two important things. Grace, an undeserved gift from God, not on the basis of our own doing or our own strength or be able to keep up with being good before God, but it's based on God's love, unconditional love for us. And peace, which is reconciliation with God. We are no enemies of God anymore. Why? Because we are in God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ. All this through faith in Christ that made us children of God. So this is the foundation for the Thessalonians but it's the foundation for all of us. We are to remember this. God is your Father and he love you as your Father. Jesus is your Lord and he is in control over everything. Then he moved to thank God because they are growing in faith and because their love for one another is increasing. And if you read 1 Thessalonians, it's all about this, faith, love, and hope. Paul is concerned, again, that they continue to grow in their faith, that they don't abandon their faith, and as a result of that, that they love one another as members of the body of Christ. One thing that we learn from this verse is that faith and love are not static things. It is not that you either have faith or have no faith, but you can have little faith and abundant faith. It means that your faith grows through your life. In fact, sanctification is a process in which our faith grows throughout our lives. And as our faith grows through our lives, our love for the body of Christ grows. Because we are in communion with God, but also by being in covenant with God, we are in covenant with the members of the body of Christ. We are called to be a loving community, and this love is supposed to increase as our faith is increasing. Then first he gives thanks, but then he also, he says that he boasts about them to the other churches. He says, therefore, in verse four, we ourselves boast about you in the churches. What is he boasting and him and Silas and Timothy are boasting about them? It is not just about their faith. If you remember the illustration, probably know that good about the pine tree. He's boasting that they were pine trees. that they will last through winter, that they were stefas in faith, he says, in all persecutions. He was boasting, not that they were in themselves good people, but he's thanking God, first of all, that is the one who is making their faith grow, and he's boasting about God, that God is the one who is keeping them stefas, when they were facing tribulations and persecutions. Remember, Paul was concerned that they will stay in their faith, but now he's also thanking God. He has heard good news that their faith is growing, that their love is growing, and that they are stethos, even though they were facing challenges. It is actually when our faith is tested, that we see growth in our faith as well. Now from there, Paul moved to this verse, and again, we are here recapping what we, what I tried to do last week. To this verse that have this sentence that is a little bit difficult sometimes to understand in light of what he has said before. He said, this is evidence in verse five of the righteous judgment of God. Paul, what do you mean? What do you mean by this is evidence of the righteous judgment of God? He's talking about Christians that trust in Jesus and face persecution, and now this is evidence of the righteous judgment of God? Paul, do you mean that Christians are punished for Trusting in Jesus, is that what you mean? What is actually the evidence? And what is this that is evidence? Actually, after going through many commentaries, I think that I found one that it was, in my opinion, the most clear of all of them that described this verse better. And this is Leon Morris that says like this. It is not the persecution and he's referring to the evidence. It is not the persecution, but the attitude of the Thessalonians in their troubles that is the decisive theme. The decisive theme is that is the evidence. It is not just that they were persecuted, but that their attitude in their troubles is the evidence. Such a constancy and faith could come only from the action of God within them. So, and if God has so inspired them, this is clear evidence that he does no intent to come short of the final obtainment of the kingdom. So what is the evidence is that they remain steadfast in the face of persecution. Why? Not because they were faithful, but because God was keeping them steadfast till the end. Because God was the one who was preserving them till the end. And if God is preserving them till the end, he will not let them fall at the final day when they will appear before God. So that's the evidence. But now, Paul is here also speaking about how these persecutions that they were facing will be seen in two different ways. One is for the believers, for the believers in a way is evident, but also for the non-believers of the righteous judgment of God. He says, as he follows, he says, that you may be considered worthy of the kingdom of God. So listen, this is evidence of the righteous judgment of God that you may be considered worthy of the kingdom of God. Now we have to understand that when Paul says here worthy, he does not mean deserving. So that you face persecution or you face suffering in your life, therefore then you will be deserving being in the kingdom of God. If he were to say that, he's actually teaching that salvation is by works, by suffering through life, and therefore deserve to be in the kingdom of God. What Paul really means here, when he says worthy, that you may be considered, is that you may be appropriate, appropriate, or fitting, that you may be fit for the kingdom of God. that when people will see you, they will see somebody who is fit for the kingdom of God. I actually saw that very clearly as my father went through his illness. It was two years and a half ago when he was diagnosed with leukemia. And there were many things that happened throughout these two years. We saw him losing many abilities. My father was a pastor and his church was just one block and a half from his house. But then he struggled to walk to the church because he was feeling tired. And then, I don't know why, he started to lose his sight as well. And he loved reading. I mean, I read, I certainly read a lot, because I love understanding, I love knowledge. But my father loved just reading. He could be reading the whole day, and he was struggling with that as well. But then he has peripheral neuropathy, which is some pain in his legs that didn't allow him to walk. Then I could see all these things, and I could wonder, how are these things helping him? I was praying, certainly I was praying that God will heal him, restore him. But I was also seeing something beautiful happening. That though the outer self was wasting away, his inner self was growing day by day. God was making him worthy of the kingdom of God. God was actually working him in his life to make him fit for the kingdom of God. One day I mentioned to him, and you might hear me talking about my dad a couple of times, not because I'm doing a memorial service today, but because actually throughout this week, this passage was great encouragement for my life. I asked him, or I told him, I'm praying that God will restore you and that God will allow you to go back to do the ministry as you were doing it before. And I was surprised by his answer. He said, I actually thank God that I have this illness because I'm seeing things that I didn't see before. God is working things in my life that I wasn't able to work before. God was making him worthy. of the kingdom of God. Though his outer self was wasting away, his inner self was growing day by day. My dad was becoming more beautiful. Now it wasn't not just him, but it was happening to me as I saw him walking through the journey and happening through the church to the members of the body of Christ that saw him. So God was using that circumstance, difficult though, to make the body of Christ worthy of the kingdom of God. This is why he says, for which you are also suffering. Now, Paul also wanted to encourage the brothers and sisters in Christ in Thessalonica by reminding them that God is not unaware of what's happening, and that what's happening is actually part of God's plan in their life, but at the end, he will also take care of those who were inflicting suffering in them. Remember that the main goal of Paul is not just to teach about eschatology, but is to encourage them. So I don't wanna go through all these details trying to explain this is how it's gonna happen, but I just want you to look at what Paul is telling them to encourage them. He says in verses, since indeed God consider it just to repay with affliction those who afflict you. They could have thought that where is God in all this situation? trusting in Jesus, we are sharing the gospel. Where is God when these people are persecuting us? God revealed to Paul the end so Paul could reveal to them the end so they could be encouraged by knowing that God was aware and that God will take care of it. And then he says, 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. So they will have to wait until the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ to see that vindication. But he was certain. He was telling them, our life here can be 60, 70, 80, 90, 100, 105, 10, I don't know, years. But in eternity, we're going to be with God forever, and he will grant relief to us. He says, describing those who were afflicting them as those, he says, on those who do not know God and those who do not obey the gospel. So Paul is not only referring here to people who are persecuting the church, but this is the end result of anyone without knowing God or acknowledging that he need a savior in Christ Jesus. And what is the consequence? Which is, I will say troubling and should move us to go out and bring this gospel out to those who still don't know him because he says in verse nine, they will suffer punishment of eternal destruction away from the presence of God. We know that there is this thing, common grace, that falls into everyone in this world, and there is the special grace that falls on those who are believers. God has touched our lives and our hearts and revealed to us the truth of the gospel. But at that moment, after the final judgment, those who do not believe in Jesus will be away from the presence of God, from his grace. So this is a serious thing. I don't think Paul was saying this to the Thessalonians so they could celebrate, oh, this is gonna be the end of them. But actually, that they could actually maybe pray for them as well. Or maybe share the gospel with them. As we are called to do as well. And then, to continue encourage it, encouraging them, he remind them of this wonderful moment. He says when he comes, our Lord Jesus Christ comes, so for those who are persecuting them, for those who don't know God, for those who do not believe in the gospel, they will be away from the presence of God, but for us who trust in Jesus, he says when he comes on that day, he says to be glorified in his saints. This is that we will be glorified and we will display the glory of Christ. And to marvel at among all those who have believed. People who were persecuting them may have been laughing about them, but at that moment they will be granted relief and they will be glorified through the power of Christ. Something to look forward to, all of us, right? Now Paul, from there, he moved to pray for the Thessalonian church. And I think that if you see this prayer, and if you see in detail what he's praying about, you might wonder, why Paul? Why would you pray that for them? Why would you pray that for me, maybe? He says, to this end, he says, we always pray for you. And what is he praying for them? God, relieve them, May they not suffer anymore so they might have a happy life and prosper and everything will be right. He says that our God may make you worthy of his calling. Go back to what he says in verse five. That you might be considered worthy of the gospel of the kingdom of God through what? Through suffering. Paul here is actually revealing to them and to us what he has said before, that the will of God for our life is our sanctification. That we might be worthy of the kingdom of God. It is not that Paul is praying that they will suffer more, but Paul is praying, do Lord what it takes to make them worthy of the kingdom of God. Because that is what is more important. When I went through this illness with my dad and seeing all what was happening with him, I was troubled about how to pray for him. Because I was praying that God will heal him, that he will be well. that he would be restored. But at the same time, I was seeing what God was doing, which was good in him, good in my life, good in many others who were moved to pray and to see the gospel with more seriousness. Therefore, I was wondering, and I think that it's okay, God teach us through the Lord's Prayer to pray for our daily bread. These are our physical needs. But also, we are to remember that God's desire, because he loves us so much, is not just to give us our daily bread, but to grow our faith and to make us more like him. Therefore, this is the way Paul prays for them. Paul is praying that God will make them worthy of his calling. You have to be brave to pray that for yourself, right? Think about this, what would be the price? But I think that this is an example of what we should pray for ourself and what we should pray for the church and for our brothers and sisters. Because what is more important is that our inner self grows day by day. That's God's desire for us and that's what's best for us. Remember he is our father. And as our father, he wants the best for us. But is he just praying, okay, put them in a situation where the faith grows? No, he's praying also that God empower them to be able to face it. Look what he says. And may fulfill every resolve for good. This could be read also, every resolution that you may have. that God will make it fulfilled in your life, that God will give you the power, and also every work of faith by what? By His power. So at the end of the day, this is why we say, soli deo gloria, to God be the glory alone, because He's the one who is doing all the work in our lives. We were broken, we were his enemies, he brought us to him, he gave us the Holy Spirit, and he has promised us that he will glorify us, but he's fully committed to sanctify our lives day by day. Now the matter is we need to trust him because he is our father, because he is our Lord. because he knows what's best for us, and because he's doing it. Remember that passage, all things work together for good? It goes with that you may become like Christ, which is that you will grow in your faith. Let us see our challenges in life, persecutions, difficulties, sufferings with these eyes, remembering that God is our Father, that he is our Lord, which means that he is in control, and that he is at work in our lives to make us worthy of the kingdom of God. Let us pray. Heavenly Father, we thank you that you are a merciful God who loved us when we were your enemies, and who brought us back to you. And we thank you, Lord, for your daily work in our lives. We thank you for the things that you are doing to grow our faith, to grow our understanding of the gospel, to grow our understanding of eternity. to increase in our love for the members of the body. Help us, Lord, to see these things that we face as a blessing that comes from you because you love us, because you are our Father, because you are our Lord. We pray all these things in Jesus' name, amen.