Filling our City with the Gospel: Community
1 Thessalonians 2:17 – 3:5
We are on week two of a four-week series in which we are looking at how it was that churches in the New Testament filled their cities with the gospel. And when you read the New Testament, you see four rhythms that every church experienced. There’s faith – where each one is trusting Jesus’ promises, resulting in joy and peace, love for others, passionate obedience. And the outflow of this is community – where each one is building up others in trusting Jesus, resulting in even more joy and peace, love for others, and passionate obedience. And the outflow of that is mission – where each one is serving and loving others who don’t know Jesus, helping them come to know Jesus. And the outflow of that is multiplication – where we each have the joy of reproducing ourselves in others, and people regularly come to know Jesus, home groups multiply, and churches are planted.
Last week we focused on faith, and this week I want us to focus on community.
Look at this picture. Is this church? My answer is – maybe. Because in the New Testament church did not just mean going to a meeting; church meant being part of a Christ-centered community. It meant being part of a group of people who know each other, love each other, eat meals together, laugh together, weep together, share Scripture together, pray together, unite in helping people come to know Jesus together. This is what we are seeking to experience in our home groups.
But this is not easy. It takes time. It takes effort. But it is essential. To experience the level of relationship with Jesus described in this book -- we need this kind of community. To see lost people saved and home groups multiplied and churches planted throughout the South Bay – we need this kind of community. To glorify Jesus the way we long to – we need this kind of community.
So where does this kind of community come from? It comes from Jesus giving us love for each other. That’s what I believe Jesus wants to do in us today – and the passage I believe He wants to use is I Thessalonians 2:17 – 3:5. Let’s turn there together. If you need a Bible, go ahead and raise your hand and we’ll bring a Bible to you. I Thessalonians 2 is on page 986 in the Bibles we are passing out.
Here’s some background. Thessalonica was a bustling harbor-city of around 100,000 people, located on the Aegean Sea. Paul and Silas went there in AD 48 to tell people about Jesus. You can read about this in Acts 17: for three Saturdays they went to the Jewish synagogue and told them that Jesus was the Messiah promised in the Old Testament. And God brought His saving power upon many of them – and they repented of their sin and put their trust in Jesus and came into the joy of knowing God.
But at the same time some of the Jewish leaders were furious and stirred up a crowd to beat up Paul and Silas. And so the new believers urged Paul and Silas to flee from the city – which they did.
So with that background, let’s ask -- how did Paul feel toward the Thessalonians? Look at what he says in vv.17-18 --
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,
18 because we wanted to come to you--I, Paul, again and again--but Satan hindered us.
What we see in these verses is that Paul had an unquenchable longing to fellowship with them no matter what the cost. First, notice that he longed to fellowship with them. You can see that in his language: he had been “torn away” from them; because he loved them, his departure was like being torn from them. He had been torn away “in person, not in heart”; even though he was absent physically, he was not absent emotionally. He “endeavored the more eagerly and with great desire to see [them] face to face”; can you feel how strong this longing was? So Paul longed to fellowship with them.
And this longing was unquenchable. I say that because of v.18 – even though Satan hindered him, he kept on trying to come so he could fellowship with them.
And he had this unquenchable longing to fellowship with them no matter what the cost.
The reason I say that is because of what Paul risked by going back. Remember that Paul barely escaped Thessalonica with his life, and went 20 miles away to the city of Berea. But the mob in Thessalonica was so enraged at Paul that they followed him all the way to Berea – and Paul had to flee Berea as well.
So Paul knew that there was a mob in Thessalonica who were enraged at him. He knew that returning there could cost him his life. And yet he had an unquenchable longing to fellowship with them no matter what the cost.
So what’s in your heart towards your fellow believers? How strong is your longing to see them? How unquenchable is your longing? How much are they in your mind and heart as you are working on Monday? How persistent are you in finding ways to connect with them?
My guess is that we all need more of this. So why did Paul feel this way? Notice the word “for” at the beginning of v.19. That shows that what follows is Paul’s reason. So why does Paul have an unquenchable longing to see the Thessalonians? Look at vv.19-20 --
19 For what is our hope or joy or crown of boasting before our Lord Jesus at his coming? Is it not you?
20 For you are our glory and joy.
The reason is because, when Jesus comes back, they will be Paul’s glory and joy. Now if you stop and think about it, that’s strange. In other places Paul says that he’s always rejoicing in Jesus, that when Jesus returns, Jesus will be his glory and joy. And that makes sense.
Think of what will happen when Jesus comes back. For the first time you will see Jesus with your own eyes. You will see Jesus, God in the flesh, infinite, perfect, creator-God -- who loved you and died for you -- who willingly took upon Himself the punishment you deserved -- who conquered sin and Satan and death. And when you see Him – what will be your joy and glory? He will.
But here Paul says that his glory and joy will be the Thessalonians. What does that mean? How many of you have ever had this experience -- you’re at home group or here Sunday worshiping Jesus – and you are beholding His love and goodness and grace and seeing his glory. But then you look over and see someone else worshiping Jesus – delighting in Jesus, praising Jesus, adoring Jesus – and their worship shows you even more of Jesus’ glory – and seeing them worshiping gives you even more joy in Jesus than if you had not seen them.
So at that moment they are your glory and joy – because they are showing you even more of Jesus’ glory which is your joy.
That’s what will happen at the Second Coming. When Jesus comes back – the light of His glory will be shining from Him to you – and you will be filled with joy in beholding Him. But surrounding you will be your brothers and sisters you have known and loved. And as you see them raising their hands before Jesus, worshiping Jesus, dancing before Jesus, weeping and laughing before Jesus – you will see even more of Jesus’ glory. They will be like mirrors directing even more of Jesus’ glory to you. The more mirrors you have around you – the more you will see Jesus’ glory, and the more joy you will have.
That’s what Paul is saying. Our joy in Jesus will be increased because of others who are in heaven with us. Your eternal joy in Jesus will be increased because those in your home group are in heaven with you, because that person on your right is in heaven with you, because that person in front of you is in heaven with you.
That’s why Paul has an unquenchable longing to see them – because his eternal joy in Jesus will be increased by their presence in heaven.
But how is that a reason? They’re going to be in heaven whether Paul sees them or not, right? So what does fellowship now have to do with them being in heaven in the future? Look at what Paul says in 3:1-5 --
1 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.
Paul is deeply concerned that Satan, the tempter, has been tempting them. Think about the people in your home group. This afternoon Satan will try to tempt them. Every day Satan is trying to tempt them.
And that’s serious, because, as Paul says in v.5, if they succumb to temptation, Paul’s labor could be in vain. That can’t mean just that the Thessalonians end up in heaven with fewer rewards, because the Greek word “in vain” means “empty, with no result, purposeless.” Paul’s concern is that the Thessalonians might not end up in heaven at all.
So let this sink in. Think of someone in your home group, or that person next to you. Satan is seeking to tempt them, and if he succeeds, that person might not enter heaven.
Now if you have read the Bible carefully, you might wonder how this fits with Romans 8:28-30 where Paul says that everyone whom God saves ends up in heaven, and with Philippians 1:6, where Paul says that when God saves us he starts a good work which he will bring to completion. If God has saved that person in your home group, then God will keep their faith strong until the end, and they will be in heaven.
But the question is – how will God keep their faith strong? And a huge part of the answer is – through your fellowship. See, Paul does not say, “Relax, Timothy, they’ll be fine.” No. Paul understands that they are in danger without fellowship. Paul understands that the way God will keep them persevering in the faith is through fellowship. So Paul longs to go see them, Paul sends Timothy to them, Paul tries again and again to see them so their faith can be strengthened – so Satan will not destroy their faith – so Paul’s labor will not be in vain.
This is crucial for us to understand. Fellowship is not just because we like having friends. Fellowship is because we want our friends to be in heaven.
Now if that’s a new thought – let me give you another Scripture to back that up. Look at Hebrews 3:12-14 (page 1002)–
12 Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God.
13 But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called "today," that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.
14 For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end.
Your brothers and sisters have come to share in Christ, if they hold their original confidence firm to the end. Therefore, exhort one another every day – that’s fellowship! – because God can use your fellowship to keep your brothers and sisters strong in faith.
Let me restate it like this. Paul understands that his joy in Jesus will be multiplied if the Thessalonians persevere in faith all the way to the end. And Paul understands that his fellowship with them could be crucial in keeping them persevering to the end. So Paul has an unquenchable longing to fellowship with them no matter what the cost.
So what does this mean for us?
First, understand how crucial fellowship is. In the mystery of how God works, as far as you are concerned, your fellowship could make the difference in whether your brother or sister ends up in heaven. Your fellowship, your face to face time at Starbucks, your listening to someone after church, your praying with someone at home group – could make the difference in them making it to heaven.
Second, focus your fellowship on faith in Jesus. Paul’s main concern was their faith in Jesus. He sent Timothy to find out about their faith in Jesus. That should be our main concern as well. There’s a place for playing Settlers of Catan or watching the 49ers. But not if someone is struggling in trusting Jesus.
So humbly, graciously, kindly ask each other – how’s your heart? How is your trust in Jesus? And then listen, and listen, and listen. And love, and love, and love. And seek to encourage them and build them in trusting Jesus.
Third, consider what lesser priorities need to be dropped. New Testament church life means lots of face-to-face fellowship with each other – at each other’s homes, eating meals together, playing together, praying together, talking together. And that means time, time, time.
But we are all busy. So understand – to live New Testament church life, we’ve got to cut out lesser priorities. So bring this question to Jesus. This is what He says in His Word, which means He has a way for you to live this out, at the same time as you work your job and care for your family and do the other things He calls you to do.
Fourth, anticipate and resist Satan’s hindrances – and pursue fellowship with others. Satan repeatedly hindered Paul from seeing the Thessalonians. Because Satan knows that God uses fellowship to strengthen faith.
And Satan will seek to hinder your fellowship, because he doesn’t want other’s faith strengthened. Your phone call could be used by God to encourage a brother – Satan will make you think it’s not important. Your meeting a sister at Starbucks could be used by God to point out sin in her life – Satan will make you want to stay home and watch TV. Your spiritual gift at home group could be used by God to strengthen a brother in the midst of a trial – so Satan will make you feel tired so you don’t want to go. Your conversation after Sunday church will be used by God to strengthen someone going through a trial – so Satan will give you something else to do on Sunday.
Anticipate these hindrances, and resist them! Commit to building each other in trusting Jesus, no matter what the cost!
Think of how much joy you will have when Jesus comes back, and you look around you – and see that brother you listened to, that sister you encouraged, that person you prayed with. Your eternal joy in Jesus will be multiplied because of your fellowship with them.