Thank you for selecting this message by Dr. James Hoffman. Dr. Hoffman preaches verse by verse through the entire book of the Bible. From all of us at Living Water of Lapine here in Central Oregon, we hope that it will encourage you and feed you spiritually. And if you would like to leave a message after the sermon, our contact information is found on the sermon page where you found this sermon. Now may God richly bless you as you listen. I would like for you to suppose something with me for just a moment. Suppose that a magazine like Time magazine came out with an article about the 25 most influential people in America. Now, I'm not going to ask you to imagine the unlikely scenario that your name or my name appears on that list. But I would like for you to imagine the opening sentence of that article saying, these are not necessarily the most powerful people, but they are the most influential. Would you be a little confused? How could a person be distinguished as one of the most influential persons in our nation and not also be seen as powerful? Aren't these synonymous? Don't they go hand in hand? How can you be influential and not have power over others? Well, the year was 1996, and Time Magazine actually did have such an article. And guess what? That was their opening sentence. They made such a distinction. It took an intellect like Timothy Keller, who wrote about Time's article, to explain for me that there is a difference and what that difference is. Furthermore, recognizing this difference between being powerful and being influential, I think will help us appreciate and learn from our passage of study today in 1 Thessalonians. So here is what Keller said. Power changes people from the outside in. Influence changes people from the inside out. When you have power, that means you have money or you have the government behind you. In power, you bring coercive force to bear on the outside of the person, on their behavior. So they change because they have to. In influence, you target the insides. You target the heart, the mind. You change their views. Therefore, the people change because they want to, not because they have to. Therefore, we can actually say power changes from the outside in, influence from the inside out. But actually only changing people from the inside out is really changing people. Last week, I was discussing with you the cancel culture that we are living today here in America. This is where the dominant voices of our culture try to bully everyone into accepting the ever-changing narrative and belief system that they want. Right now, it's a powerful tool of the progressive left. They use public shame on social media, and other mass information sources to try to force anyone with a different view or opinion that they hold to be silent, to lose credibility, and in some cases, even their job. I also shared with you that research that is coming out of Michigan State University Media Center by two professors there, is claiming that the cancel culture has been ineffective at actually changing people. In other words, cancel culture may be powerful, but not influential. Which do you think has more lasting change, power or influence? The answer is influence, of course. One of the most well-known facts about why communism failed in the Soviet Union was because on the outside, people mouthed the various sorts of platitudes about communism, but on the inside, they were deeply cynical. They didn't believe it. They had been changed from the outside in, and therefore, they hadn't really changed. If you're going to be changed, You have to be changed from the inside out. What an example we also have in the Apostle Paul about this difference between power and influence. He didn't have any power at all. He was without military, civil, and government authority, yet he changed people. And this man went from town to town with a message that was literally an offense to the Jews and was ludicrous foolishness to the Greeks. He came preaching, all of you, even the most cultured are sinners. And there is no hope for you unless you believe that an uneducated and poor man, a Jew, Jesus, came back to life after being killed, which proves he is the son of God. What an unpopular message. And yet when Paul had gone to Thessalonica, he began to preach this gospel and people were converted. The whole town was in such an uproar. Paul had to leave for his life under cover of night. And every time he tried to come back, it was just too dangerous. The apostle Paul moved on to other cities with no power and with a completely unpalatable message. Yet, the gospel continued to convert souls. People's lives were changed. How could that be? Well, make no mistake about it, it was God who made the change in them, but he used Paul as his instrument for changing people from the inside out. How did he use Paul for creating conditions for a change from the inside out? What were those conditions? What can we do to foster real change in others? Every one of us has close family members. Or we have other relatives, friends, or we just have people around us that we know need to be changed. They're unhappy, they're miserable, they're in trouble. We want to change them, and most of us have tried to change them from the outside in. We've tried the power effect, we've manipulated, we've done all sorts of things to bring them around to do the right thing, but we can't do it. Anybody who has any kind of concern for people is going to say, how do I change people from the inside out? Today we are going to explore how Paul fostered change from the inside out. The first thing that we are going to see is that he gave his heart away and he let people know it. The only possible explanation for why Paul was able to go into these towns with a totally unpalatable message and without any power of his own and change people is because his message was true, yes, but also because he loved these people, and they knew it. He had given his heart away to them. He had invested in them, and that's why they listened to the truth that he gave them, period. There are people that you can be very involved with, and yet when you see them in trouble and you offer help, it really doesn't cost you. Your joy isn't really bound up with them. You haven't really made an investment. They know it. You know it. Paul, however, In his language that we are about to see here in our passage shows that he made a tremendous personal investment in these people and he wanted them to know it. Let's pick up where we left off last week in our study through 1 Thessalonians. Today we come to 1 Thessalonians chapter two and we begin with verse 17. But since we were torn away from you, brothers, for a short time, in person, not in heart, we endeavored the more eagerly and with great desire to see you face to face. Paul had not moved on from Thessalonica only to forget about them. He didn't treat them like one-time customers who bought his product and are now on their own to make it work. Out of sight, out of mind. This verse is most revealing of Paul's feelings for those believers. He used the term of endearment in addressing them again here in this verse, brothers. And then he described his departure from them as a turning away, forced on him by circumstances beyond his control. To make his point, Paul uses one of the more remarkable metaphors in all of his letters. The phrase, torn away from you, here in verse 17, is a word that is found nowhere else in the New Testament. It creates a very graphic image. The word literally means, we have been orphaned from you. Paul and his companions had been orphaned, torn away from these new believers. Paul seems to be using family metaphors in his letter because he enjoys this metaphor of the family. And so far we have seen him say that he was a small child among them in verse seven. Then we saw him refer to himself as a nursing mother in verse eight. And that was followed by a caring father in verse 11. All of these metaphors are out the family. And now returning to the family metaphor, he presents himself and Silas as orphans. And this metaphor works. because the two of them are the ones away from home in terms of their relationship to these Thessalonian believers. For most of us, it doesn't take much of an imagination to picture the powerful image that Paul had in mind. Just recall a child brought kicking and screaming into a church nursery. or a preschool playroom, or a kindergarten class, and then mom and dad start tiptoeing away. Some children with extreme separation anxiety would spend the whole time trying to escape their perfectly safe and kid-friendly environment to find their way back to the secure embrace of their parents' arms. Paul and his companion mourned. like children who had been violently abducted. They hated to leave the Thessalonians and desperately wanted to see them again. Now, because of this deep feeling, Paul and Silas had made determined attempts to see them. The Greek word translated endeavored more eagerly means that Paul did not delay, nor did he put on a token effort only. Rather, he and Silas had used all their might and used it speedily in their efforts to come back to them. But he's not finished yet with this strong wording. He employs yet another strong word that we read as, with great desire. And this Greek word is very surprising of his use here. Epithumia. You see elsewhere in the New Testament, the word epithumia is translated into English as lust. And sometimes it's translated as covet. The vast majority of times that it's mentioned in the New Testament, it is in a condemning manner. However, here it has a positive connotation. They had a very strong desire and almost of a fierce passion. The apostle goes to great lengths to express the strength of his feelings for them. Verse 18 now. Because we wanted to come to you, I, Paul, again and again, but Satan hindered us. Paul and his companions had tried to return to Thessalonica on several occasions because of the intense longing they felt for their brethren. It was not just an obligation those missionaries felt toward God, it was something they longed for with all their heart. Paul's love for them and his joy was bound up with them. Now, Paul blamed Satan for his failure to be able to return. Should we blame Satan for all our hardships? Was Satan responsible? Or was it God? Or was it other people? Well, regardless of who was involved on the human level, the ultimate leader of this kind of opposition is Satan. But isn't it interesting that Paul recognized a difference between this kind of hardship and the hardship Luke wrote about concerning Paul in Acts chapter 16. You see, during the second missionary journey, you might remember, Paul and his team kept trying to go to a different city somewhere around Asia Minor. Come on, let's go to Mysia. And Paul determined that it was God, not Satan, who said no. Okay, then let's go to Bithynia. But again, God, not Satan, said no. And this happened several more times, and each time Paul saw that it was God preventing them from bringing the gospel to these areas. This time, however, it was Satan who kept them from going to Thessalonica. The Greek word translated hindered is a military term that referred to the breaking up of bridges and roads to slow the invading army's progress. In spiritual terms, Satan gets in the way of God's work. He breaks up the path of the gospel and tears down the bridges between people that make evangelism and all ministry possible. But even when the devil tries to chop up the road that lies ahead, apparently blocking our advance, God's hidden plan is never wrecked. Satan may cut in to us, preventing us from doing what we, for the moment, seems to be the best, but God's ways are always better than ours. I mean, just stop and consider if Paul had been able to go back to Thessalonica and see them, he would not have needed to write this letter that we are studying today. And this letter has strengthened millions of believers for 2,000 years. This letter teaches us so much about Jesus' return, which we don't find detailed anywhere else. Don't you love to see Satan's roadblocks turn into greater blessings for God's church? I wonder how many better blessings we are experiencing right now, or are about to experience, as Satan thinks he is tearing up the road before us. But God is using it for a great purpose of His. A greater blessing. Verses 19 and 20. For what is our hope or joy or crown of boasting before our Lord Jesus that is coming? Is it not you? For you are our glory and joy. He says, I'm looking forward to the day when Christ comes back and in his presence when he breaks in and we all stand there before the throne, you're gonna be my crown. Now, this is not a crown like the jeweled headpiece for a king or queen. The Greek word, stephanos, was more like a wreath awarded to the winner of an athletic contest. The Thessalonians will be Paul's victory wreath. Do you work for the Lord in his kingdom with any such motive? and anticipation? Listen, wanting to see those he had ministered to perfected and standing before the Lord with him was a part of Paul's heart that brought change to the Thessalonians from the inside out. Do you have this vision? as you minister to others using the spiritual gifts that God has given to you? Is anyone gonna be in heaven that will come up to you and thank you for having a part in their spiritual development? Have you been seeking deep fellowship with other believers that actually costs you something as an investment in their life? Do you think that you might hear? Thank you, my friend, for that kind word of encouragement when I was about to go under. Thank you, my friend. You never knew how much it meant to me when you brought that meal over to our house. When you reached out to my wayward son or daughter, When you worshiped so sincerely and inspired me to focus more on being in God's presence. When you prayed for me and then followed up a week later and asked how I'm doing. When you volunteered to serve in the kitchen. When you greeted me at the door every Sunday with a warm smile and a handshake, even though I knew you were going through your own problems. When you sent to our country the missionary who told me about Jesus. When you taught me important Bible truth in kids' church. Paul loved people. He lived for people. He spent his life winning people to Christ and building them up in the faith, and he anticipated this in glory. His glory and his joy was to see people saved and established in the things of God. His ambition was to see them at last as crowns and trophies to put at Jesus' feet. Paul's actions were governed by what God would do in the future. He knew that Jesus Christ would return and reward him for his faithful ministry. And on that day, the saints from Thessalonica would bring glory to God and joy to Paul's heart. It will be worth it all when we see Jesus. Chapter three now, verses one and two. Therefore, when we could bear it no longer, we were willing to be left behind at Athens alone, and we sent Timothy, our brother and God's coworker in the gospel of Christ, to establish and exhort you in your faith. Chapter three starts off with therefore. Therefore, This important word ties this chapter back in with what Paul had just talked about in the previous chapter, the family relationship that exists in the church. He had been a mother to the church, a father to them, and an orphaned child. He had led them to the Lord. He had loved them. He had said that they would be his glory and his joy at the coming of Christ when all believers received their rewards. Now, because Paul had a real affection for them, he was frustrated and being hindered by Satan. There were many unfinished teachings and doctrine that he wanted to complete. He not only longed for them, but he wondered about the future of the believers there. Paul desired to comfort them. In other words, he was demonstrating the thing that he mentioned at the beginning of this letter, a labor of love. You see, love is not affection or just a nice, comfortable, warm feeling around your heart. Love seeks the welfare of another, and it is usually costly. If you love someone, You will seek their welfare and you will actually jeopardize your own life for the person whom you love. Apparently, neither Paul or Silas could return to Thessalonica, perhaps for legal reasons. It has been proposed by scholars that when Jason was beaten and imprisoned because they could not find Paul, that Jason was released on the condition that Paul could not come back. perhaps for threat even of Jason's life. So Paul sends Timothy back. Timothy's commission was clear. He was to establish the Thessalonian believers, and the word sterizzo means to fix firmly. An illustration is found in Israel's war with Amalek in Exodus 17. Joshua was down in the valley in the thick of the battle. Moses, Aaron, and Hur, the son of Caleb, were on the hilltop. As long as Moses kept his hands upraised, Israel was winning. But when his arms grew tired and dropped down, Amalek and his forces were winning. There was only one solution. Moses sat on a stone, and his two companions stayed up, steredzoed his hands. Timothy's mission was to hold them up, to make them firm and solid in the faith. Verses three and four. that no one be moved by these afflictions, for you yourselves know that we are destined for this. For when we were with you, we kept telling you beforehand that we were to suffer affliction, just as it has come to pass, and just as you know. To further protect his readers, Paul reminds them of two very important theological truths to put their suffering into perspective. First, believers have been destined for affliction. He says in verse three here. Just as Christ was destined for the cross of suffering before receiving the crown of glory, so we also have our own crosses to endure in this life. These aren't signs of God's hatred or his displeasure. They're part of God's predetermined plan for making us more like Christ. Second, Paul had clearly warned them in advance that they should be prepared because affliction would definitely come. Verse four, knowing ahead of time that persecution and affliction are on their way helps us to be ready when they come. Now, I realize that I have been quoting Chuck Swindoll quite a bit lately, but I hardly know of a better wordsmith when it comes to communicating God's word. So here, once again, is Swindoll's take on it. Writer Philip Yancey notes, I have never read a poem extolling the virtues of pain, nor seen a statue erected in its honor, nor heard a hymn dedicated to it. Pain is usually defined as unpleasantness. Christians don't really know how to interpret pain. If you pinned them against the wall in a dark, secret moment, many Christians would probably admit that pain was God's one mistake. He really should have worked a little harder and invented a better way of coping with the world's dangers. Yancey is right. Pain and its companions, affliction, suffering, hardship, adversity, are often seen as the invading enemies of life. Whenever we spy one of those coming at us, we tend to turn and run. Truth be told, in our comfort-at-all-costs culture, When our comfort zones get the squeeze, we get angry. Yet according to the Bible, pain is a necessary part of life. And although we may not like it, we can learn to grow through it by learning its lessons. While enduring trials, we can so easily be disturbed by questions that shake us to the core. Doesn't God care about me anymore? Didn't he promise never to leave me nor forsake me? How can a good, powerful God allow this to happen? If God can stop this, why doesn't he? Is it my fault that these things are happening to me? You see, when affliction happens, it shakes us, and we can begin to question God's love for us. The truth of the gospel we'll question, and the hope of ever being delivered from pain and suffering. Now, this is exactly why Paul sent Timothy to strengthen and to encourage these Thessalonians so doubts wouldn't cause their faith to crumble in the midst of their trials. But please listen. Nothing happens to us accidentally. God has determined what is best for us and how we can best be formed into the image of Christ. Human nature being what it is, we will learn some things only the hard way. If we're in trouble and we need help and advice, We don't run over our list of friends and say, ah, there's so-and-so. He's never had a day's trouble in all his life. He's just the one I'm going to seek help for me. We don't do that, do we? No. Because we know that there are qualities of character that are brought on only by affliction. We usually seek those who have been through the fire before. We want their help in our time of need. Suffering then is part of the very process of living out the Christian life. It makes us useful to God for his work in other people's lives. But just remember this, God watches over his children, and the affliction that comes to them is only such as what he permits. And know this as well, though, that it is inevitable. We are appointed to it. What a good thing it was that Paul had not preached the false name it and claim it message that is so popular today. God wants you to be healthy and wealthy. The so-called prosperity gospel of men like Joel Osteen would not have taken the Thessalonians through the onslaught of persecution that burst upon them shortly after they were saved. Verses five through eight. For this reason, when I could bear it no longer, I sent to learn about your faith for fear that somehow the tempter had tempted you and our labor would be in vain. But now that Timothy has come to us from you and has brought us the good news of your faith and love and reported that you always remember us kindly and long to see us as we long to see you, For this reason, brothers, in all our distress and affliction, we have been comforted about you through your faith. For now we live, if you are standing fast in the Lord. There's practically an audible, whoo, in the sense of relief that Paul felt when Timothy returned and brought the welcome news that the Thessalonians had indeed successfully resisted Satan's temptations. Whereas Timothy had been sent to inquire about their faith, he reported back about their faith and love. Now I live! I really live! It's a very strong word. It's like water on a dying fish. I've revived. Again, Paul dipped his pen in the ink to assure his converts that his life was linked with theirs. The fact that his life was linked with theirs is why the Thessalonians were changed from the inside out. are not just statistics to be reported triumphantly in the next prayer meeting or support letter. No, indeed, Paul's converts were a vital part of his life. Today we have been noticing how Paul was used by God to initiate change from the inside out. He gave his heart away and he let them know it. He invested in them. And yet there is one more thing that is important for us to acknowledge. We're going to see it in next week's text when we cover verses nine and 10, but I want to give you a preview. Just drop down and look at verses nine and 10 here real quickly with me. 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. Don't you just love what Paul says here? I'm looking forward to seeing you again and addressing your shortcomings. How would you like to get a letter from a friend that would say that? Hey, can't wait to come over and correct you on a few matters. I think I'm gonna be out of town. But Paul could get away with it. because they knew his love for them. But this brings up the second point that we have to take notice of. Paul gave his heart away, but not his head. He keeps his head. If you give away your heart and your head, or if you keep your heart and your head, there will be no change from the inside out. So how do you know if you're giving away your heart and your head? With this, I'll conclude today. When you give away your heart and your head, you really don't want the person's joy. You really don't want the person's holiness. You really don't want the person's health. What you want is the person's approval. You might even want the person's dependence You might be wanting that person to need you. That is self-love. And one way you can tell if you have it is that you are unwilling to give them criticism. Unlike what we just saw Paul, can't wait to come back and correct your shortcomings. But if we've given away our heart and our head, we're afraid to say anything negative to them about their attitude, their behavior, their beliefs, because we can't bear the thought of them being unhappy with us. A clear sign of a person who has given away their heart and their head is that they are afraid of the person's disapproval. And verse 10 shows that that was not Paul. So with that being said, let God use you as his instrument for bringing real change, and know that real change comes from the inside out. And the way that we can foster that is by giving our heart away, but not our head. Let's pray.