2 Thessalonians 3:1-5 says,...
Today's verses are 2 Thessalonians 3:1-5, which read,
v.1, 2 - Finally, brethren, pray for us that the word of the Lord will spread rapidly and be glorified, just as it did also with you; and that we will be rescued from perverse and evil men; for not all have faith.
Paul is not beyond asking for prayer for himself and his companions. He is praying but he is asking for prayer. The particular prayer involves first the spread of the gospel to go even further and even faster than before. You will hear more about this, this morning as we talk about the sower and the seed. Our main task on this earth is to sow the seed which is the word of God and that is what Paul is asking prayer for. Secondly Paul asks prayer for protection against these "perverse and evil men." But again, why does he ask for this protection? Because not all have faith, not all have heard the gospel so I ask for your prayers of protection so I can continue to sow the gospel of Jesus Christ. It is all about that one task about our one Savior, Jesus Christ.
v.3, 4 - But the Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen and protect you from the evil one. We have confidence in the Lord concerning you, that you are doing and will continue to do what we command.
Paul identifies where the source of the persecution and temptations to stray are coming from, "the evil one," Satan. The Lord is faithful and so He will give us what we need in the form of the ability to say no and the protection to endure what is thrown our way.
Paul also has confidence that what the Lord has started in them, He will also complete. He is confident in the Lord that the Thessalonica Christians will continue to go to the Scripture for their strength and guidance in life. The Christians there would not be static in their walk with the Lord but actually doing what is commanded of them.
v.5 - May the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the steadfastness of Christ.
This is another benediction or blessing or prayer for the Christians in Thessalonica. The focus is on what the Lord is doing. He prays that the Lord directs their hearts. In what? Into more of the love of God and more love for God and also into an increasing knowledge of the steadfastness or active faithfulness of Jesus. May we say that we love God more than when we started and may we follow Christ more diligently than the day that we met Him.
I love the phrase somewhere else in Scripture that says "in increasing measure." That really should be our life as a Christian. The more or longer that we are a Christian we should be more loving and more compassionate and more concerned about the truth than before. We should be increasing in measure in every aspect of our Christian life. We have more to say about Him and to share with others.
Many of us came to Jesus or to hear His call and followed Him and we were "all out" for Jesus but then we slowed down and fell into a groove and maybe even declined the other way. Paul prays just the opposite here. Our life, the norm for the Christian life, should be a continual upward climb. We may have started off running and now we are walking but we are still walking in an ever increasing measure toward Christ and His likeness.
"Lord, I pray for the Word of God to be spoken in our churches and out of the mouths of us, Your servants. Protect us from those who would seek to do us and the gospel harm so that more of the gospel can be heard and more to hear the call of God. May You find us doing this when You return. May we not have gone onto other things but realize this is the only thing. May we realize today how much we love You because You loved us so completely through Your ever faithful Son, Jesus. Amen."
Pastor Adam
v.1, 2 - Finally, brethren, pray for us that the word of the Lord will spread rapidly and be glorified, just as it did also with you; and that we will be rescued from perverse and evil men; for not all have faith.
Paul is not beyond asking for prayer for himself and his companions. He is praying but he is asking for prayer. The particular prayer involves first the spread of the gospel to go even further and even faster than before. You will hear more about this, this morning as we talk about the sower and the seed. Our main task on this earth is to sow the seed which is the word of God and that is what Paul is asking prayer for. Secondly Paul asks prayer for protection against these "perverse and evil men." But again, why does he ask for this protection? Because not all have faith, not all have heard the gospel so I ask for your prayers of protection so I can continue to sow the gospel of Jesus Christ. It is all about that one task about our one Savior, Jesus Christ.
v.3, 4 - But the Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen and protect you from the evil one. We have confidence in the Lord concerning you, that you are doing and will continue to do what we command.
Paul identifies where the source of the persecution and temptations to stray are coming from, "the evil one," Satan. The Lord is faithful and so He will give us what we need in the form of the ability to say no and the protection to endure what is thrown our way.
Paul also has confidence that what the Lord has started in them, He will also complete. He is confident in the Lord that the Thessalonica Christians will continue to go to the Scripture for their strength and guidance in life. The Christians there would not be static in their walk with the Lord but actually doing what is commanded of them.
v.5 - May the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the steadfastness of Christ.
This is another benediction or blessing or prayer for the Christians in Thessalonica. The focus is on what the Lord is doing. He prays that the Lord directs their hearts. In what? Into more of the love of God and more love for God and also into an increasing knowledge of the steadfastness or active faithfulness of Jesus. May we say that we love God more than when we started and may we follow Christ more diligently than the day that we met Him.
I love the phrase somewhere else in Scripture that says "in increasing measure." That really should be our life as a Christian. The more or longer that we are a Christian we should be more loving and more compassionate and more concerned about the truth than before. We should be increasing in measure in every aspect of our Christian life. We have more to say about Him and to share with others.
Many of us came to Jesus or to hear His call and followed Him and we were "all out" for Jesus but then we slowed down and fell into a groove and maybe even declined the other way. Paul prays just the opposite here. Our life, the norm for the Christian life, should be a continual upward climb. We may have started off running and now we are walking but we are still walking in an ever increasing measure toward Christ and His likeness.
"Lord, I pray for the Word of God to be spoken in our churches and out of the mouths of us, Your servants. Protect us from those who would seek to do us and the gospel harm so that more of the gospel can be heard and more to hear the call of God. May You find us doing this when You return. May we not have gone onto other things but realize this is the only thing. May we realize today how much we love You because You loved us so completely through Your ever faithful Son, Jesus. Amen."
Pastor Adam
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