MOVED BY AFFLICTIONS
1 THESSALONIANS 3:1-13
#1Thessalonians3
READ 1 THESSALONIANS 3:1-13
Therefore, when we could bear it no longer, we were willing to be left behind at Athens alone, 2 and we sent Timothy, our brother and God's coworker in the gospel of Christ, to establish and exhort you in your faith, 3 that no one be moved by these afflictions. For you yourselves know that we are destined for this. 4 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. 5 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. 6 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— 7 for this reason, brothers, in all our distress and affliction we have been comforted about you through your faith. 8 For now we live, if you are standing fast in the Lord. 9 For what thanksgiving can we return to God for you, for all the joy that we feel for your sake before our God, 10 as we pray most earnestly night and day that we may see you face to face and supply what is lacking in your faith? 11 Now may our God and Father Himself, and our Lord Jesus, direct our way to you, 12 and may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, as we do for you, 13 so that He may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all His saints.
I find this chapter in 1 Thessalonians a little different. Paul is explaining to the Thessalonians that he sent Timothy to them because he just couldn’t wait for news about them. He hears about them and is writing this letter in response to everything that Timothy shared about the Thessalonians. He is thankful. He is encouraged. He appreciates the love and care they have for one another. I do have a few thoughts from this chapter that are important for us.
THE WORD: ‘AFFLICTION’
This passage has a word that is repeated three times and I know I have said this before, but when the Bible repeats itself, we should pay attention. Repetition shows importance. In the midst of this personal letter to these believers, he is reflecting that everything has not gone well for him or them even though good is happening and the Gospel is spreading.
Verse 3: ‘that no one be moved by these afflictions’
Verse 4: ‘we were to suffer affliction’
Verse 7: ‘in all our distress and affliction’
Depending on the English translation you are using, the word repeated in these verses is ‘troubles’ (CEV) (MSG), ‘trials’ (NIV) (TLB), ‘difficulties’ (AMP), or ‘persecutions’ (HCSB) (NRSV). The word that is repeated is not a fun word. The word means trouble, tribulation, pressure, and affliction and distress which has its root in a word that means ‘hard pressed’ and also related to the word ‘to wear away a path.’
Affliction is something that presses down and presses down until we squish.
Affliction is something that wears and wears and wears and wears until we are worn out.
We see this word 45 times in the New Testament:
READ MATTHEW 13:21 || MARK 4:17 (ESV)
“yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away.”
READ JOHN 16:33 (ESV)
“I have said these things to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”
READ ROMANS 5:3 (ESV)
“Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance”
READ 2 CORINTHIANS 4:17 (ESV)
“For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison”
READ REVELATION 2:10 (ESV)
“Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.”
The Bible talks about suffering and difficulties and trials. Even just looking at these few verses, we can see that afflictions and suffering are hurtful and stressful and not anything any of us want to go through. Jesus tells a parable in which faith falls away because of suffering. Tribulation makes us lose heart and takes our peace. Suffering makes us want to quit. Suffering puts pressing weight on us. Afflictions can be emotional, spiritual, and physical in nature and impact every single part of our lives. We get all of that just from summarizing only 5 verses of the 45 times it is used.
In this particular passage of 1 Thessalonians 3, Paul wants to encourage the Thessalonians in their faith in the midst of trials and doesn’t want them discouraged because he and his companions, including Timothy, suffer trials and hardships.
THE MISUNDERSTANDINGS
When it comes to afflictions and trials and troubles and tribulations and hardships and suffering there are many misunderstandings and they are all interrelated.
First, we believe that God is good. He is holy and just and benevolent and kind and all powerful and the Almighty Creator and is in complete control of everything. We believe that. All of that is true. Then logically we believe that if God is good, then bad things and evil and sin should not be present in our lives or even in the world because God is good. God is only good therefore God should be only good to me and mine and those that I care about.
Basically: God is good therefore bad things should not happen. This is a misunderstanding.
Second, and it is related to the first, God is good and I believe in God and I am a Christian and therefore terrible-no-good-very-bad things should not come into my life because I serve God. I believe in God. I serve Jesus Christ. I walk in the Spirit. I claim the blood of Christ and believe in His death on the cross. We believe that our belief puts us in a category of belonging and blessing and goodness from God and therefore we should be exempt from the tribulations of life.
Basically: I belong to God therefore bad things should not happen. This is a misunderstanding.
Third, we believe that good things happen to good people and bad things happen to bad people. We can’t help it; we all believe this even if we know it is a misunderstanding in our minds. Our hearts can’t help it. Our hearts tell us that God loves us and we are good and God blesses us while other people are bad and immoral and ignore God; therefore, He will not bless them and will visit on them discipline until they shape up and repent.
Basically: Good for good people and bad for bad people. This is a misunderstanding.
Fourth, we believe that when something bad happens to us or to someone else, there is always sin in their life to blame. The misunderstanding in that statement is the word ‘always.’ For us, when hardship comes, we wonder what attitude or action or secret in our lives has caused God to remove His hand of blessing. For others, looking on the outside, inexplicable tragedy must mean there is a hidden sin somewhere in their lives because tragedy is a judgement from God about our actions and attitudes and sin.
Basically: Bad things are always a punishment for sin. This is a misunderstanding.
You might say, after we have talked about these four things… I don’t believe those things. I know them to be wrong. We can quote Matthew 5:45 which says that the sun rises on the evil and the good and rain falls on the righteous and the unrighteous. We know the story in John 9 where the disciples ask about a man born blind and if the cause was his sin or his parents’ sin and Jesus answers that his blindness was not caused by sin or a lack of God’s blessing. We know the entire book of Job where we see a man lose his money, house, all his children, his health, and just about everything and yet he is most faithful to God and we see behind the scenes what happens and the reasons for his loss.
We might say, after we have talked about these four things and quoting these Scriptures that we do not believe these misunderstandings. And yet. And yet…
When we are angry at God for a tragedy in our life… we believe the misunderstanding.
When we are angry at God because someone died… we believe the misunderstanding.
When we turn away from God because of a trial… we believe the misunderstanding.
When our action is to stop coming to church when life is hard… we believe the misunderstanding.
When we stop talking to God because we don’t like what He did… we believe the misunderstanding.
When we are disgusted that an immoral person does well… we believe the misunderstanding.
When we think anything bad in life is unfair… we believe the misunderstanding.
When we try to guess someone’s sin as they are suffering… we believe the misunderstanding.
This misunderstanding, if it is not present in your life, it most likely is present with someone around you. “A good God allows bad things” is one of those hurdles that many people state is their reason for not believing in God. It is a real misunderstanding.
TRANSITION
Well, okay preacher, what is the correct understanding? I’m so glad you asked!
CORRECT UNDERSTANDING
To focus on the right understanding, I would like us to go back to 1 Thessalonians 3 which has some corrective thoughts for us. As the Apostle Paul is talking about how concerned for them he has been and how he and his companions have suffered, he offers us normal correct thoughts when dealing with afflictions and trials and tribulations.
VERSES 2-4: AFFLICTIONS ARE NORMAL
RE-READ 1 THESSALONIANS 3:2b-4
“to establish and exhort you in your faith, 3 that no one be moved by these afflictions. For you yourselves know that we are destined for this. 4 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.”
Notice that the Apostle Paul says he was destined for hardship in verse 3. He also says in verse 4 that when he was with them he told them that hard times would come and they in fact did. Paul expected that because he was a believer in Jesus that affliction would come his way. It was a foregone conclusion.
Faith does not mean we are exempt from affliction.
Faith does mean that we will have most likely more affliction than other people.
How can I say that?
READ PHILIPPIANS 1:29 (ESV)
“For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in Him but also suffer for His sake”
READ 2 TIMOTHY 3:12 (ESV)
“Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted”
If there is a level of hardship and suffering that is common for all people… and I think there is because we live in a world filled with sin and marked by it… then becoming a believer in Jesus Christ adds a layer of garbage that we have to deal with on top of the tribulations we already would deal with. Life in Christ means we seek to be like Him. He suffered. So will we; often because of Him.
Afflictions and suffering is a normal part of life. It is normal. It is normal. It is normal. Now, it is not fun or happy or enjoyable, but when we understand that God is good and life in general is crappy sinful and hurtful… the Bible makes a lot more sense.
VERSE 5: AFFLICTIONS BRING TEMPTATIONS TO WALK AWAY
RE-READ 1 THESSALONIANS 3:5
“I sent to learn about your faith, for fear that somehow the tempter had tempted you and our labor would be in vain.”
We should remember that in Acts 17, we have the story of the three weeks the Apostle Paul was with the Thessalonians. It involved worship, discipleship, joy, persecution, jail time, fines, extortion, and fear. It was a life changing soul altering three weeks. It was quite a tumultuous three weeks.
Notice in verse 5 that Paul was not even sure that the church in Thessalonica was still there. Why? Because afflictions bring temptations to walk away from faith. Hardships make us doubt. Suffering makes us ask ‘why?’ Trials steal our peace. Afflictions make us doubt our standing before God.
Understand that suffering is normal. We should also understand that suffering is an opportunity Satan will attempt to use for his advantage and for our demise. Recognize that in hard difficult seasons of life it will be a temptation to walk away from faith. It will be there.
Fight it by recognizing the reality of the temptation and willfully kicking it out of your heart!
Fight it in prayer when you don’t want to pray!
Fight it by digging into the Scripture when it is hard!
Fight it by asking a fellow believer to listen and pray and encourage you!
Hardship will come and knowing beforehand that the temptation will be there to stop reading the Bible, to stop praying, to stop coming to church, to be angry with God, to blame God, to cut faith-filled things out of our lives… then we can be prepared to ignore those temptations in suffering times.
VERSES 7-8: STAND FAST IN FAITH
RE-READ 1 THESSALONIANS 3:7-8
“for this reason, brothers, in all our distress and affliction we have been comforted about you through your faith. 8 For now we live, if you are standing fast in the Lord.”
Verses 7-8 double down on leaning into faith in the midst of affliction. Paul has already talked about avoiding the temptation to walk away from faith. In the midst of trials, we are not just trying to maintain and avoid losing faith, but rather we are leaning into faith and even growing in our faith in the midst of hardship.
READ ROMANS 5:3-5 (ESV)
“More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.”
READ JAMES 1:2-4 (ESV)
“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”
Paul reminds in Romans us that in suffering and trials you and I, because we are believers, have the opportunity to rejoice in sufferings and add to our hearts endurance of faith and Christ-like character and sure hope in Christ and an outpouring of the Holy Spirit in our lives. James reminds us that testing in life… for the believer… perfects our faith and pushes us to stand firm in our faith in the midst of the storms of life. Our encouragement is to remain faithful to the Lord and stand firm in faith even when afflictions come. Our faith is perfected all the while, as it did for Paul, our faith might also encourage others in our lives.
Standing fast in the Lord means we believe God is working for our good in suffering.
Standing fast in the Lord means we ask the Holy Spirit to guard our heart during trials.
Standing fast in the Lord means we trust in the hope that Jesus Christ gives during hardship.
Standing fast in the Lord means act in accordance with Scripture during afflictions.
VERSE 12: FIND A WAY TO LOVE ANOTHER
RE-READ 1 THESSALONIANS 3:12-13
“and may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, as we do for you, 13 so that He may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all His saints.”
The Apostle Paul finishes up chapter 3 by talking about love for one another and having a blameless holy heart before God. The love for one another and this blameless holy heart is in context of all this suffering.
One of the normal correct thoughts he offers when dealing with afflictions and trials and tribulations is that for believers in Jesus, when we suffer and deal with afflictions, we need to break out of the doldrums that this puts us in by loving people around us. We will be tempted to look inward, stop doing and going, stop living, decrease our activity, and all around get stuck in our hardship. Hardships press and press and press and wear us out and we will be tempted to stay pressed and stay worn out.
Paul says to break out of the affliction and abound in love for one another. He says in verse 12 that’s what he does! Paul says that he breaks out of the cloud of trials and hardships by increasing his love for the people around him. The end result is he is breaking out of the cycle that the afflictions put him in by love and God establishes in his heart blamelessness rooted in holiness in him. I would add to that, because he talks about the coming of Jesus, I would add to that hope.
Break out of afflictions by increasing your love for another.
Break out of afflictions by looking outward and God will pour blamelessness into your heart.
Break out of afflictions by looking outward and God will pour holiness into your heart.
Break out of afflictions by looking outward and God will pour hope into your heart.
SUMMARY AND TRANSITION
So, in the midst of suffering, Paul offers thoughts to correct our misunderstandings about our afflictions in this life.
Afflictions are normal and do not necessarily mean sin or punishment or discipline.
Afflictions will bring temptations to walk away from faith which we must fight against.
Afflictions call us to stand firm in our faith in as many ways as possible.
Afflictions may make us turn inward, but we break out of that by loving others.
There is one last thought that occurred to me as I looked over 1 Thessalonians 3 which also agrees with other parts of Scripture.
THE PROMISE
As we look over 1 Thessalonians 3, do we see that Paul talks in a defeated manner because he is suffering hardships and trials? Do we see that Paul and the Thessalonians are without hope because of the hurting circumstances in their lives? Is Paul down and depressed and struggling in faith because he is afflicted?
I say… ‘no’… to all of those.
I say that overall, Paul rests in a promise that in the midst of persecution and hardships and the most uncomfortable parts of life that God promises to be right by his side. Paul believes that and rests in it. That promise is the same for us.
READ PSALM 34:19 (ESV)
“Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all.”
READ PSALM 119:50 (ESV)
“This is my comfort in my affliction, that Your promise gives me life.”
READ ROMANS 8:28 (ESV)
“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose.”
READ 2 CORINTHIANS 1:5 (ESV)
“For as we share abundantly in Christ's sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too.”
The promise for believers in Jesus Christ is that even though suffering is normal and is even increased because we are believers… that we do not suffer alone. We do not suffer alone like people who do not know God. God promises to deliver and save and give life and work for good and give comfort in the middle of the worse times of life. That is His promise.
CONCLUSION… TIME OF PRAYER
I would like to conclude this morning a little differently. The title of this sermon is ‘Moved by Afflictions.’ In a moment, we are going to sing a song. I would like to invite you forward this morning for me to pray over you for a few particular reasons. If you are going through a season where you are hard pressed and hurting, please come forward so I can pray over you. Some sit up front. Also, perhaps there is someone in your life who is suffering and you pray for them on a regular basis, please come forward and sit up front here. After we sing, whoever has come forward, I will lead us in a prayer for them that all that we have talked about would be true for them.
SONG
PRAYER
