Transcript

A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how things were very difficult for her at the time. She said she did not know how she was going to make it. She was tired of fighting and struggling.

And it seemed as one problem was solved, a new one arose. Her mother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with water. In the first, she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs, and in the last she placed ground coffee beans. She let them sit and boil without saying a word. In about twenty minutes, she turned off the burners.

She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. She pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl. Turning to her daughter, she said, “Tell me what you see.” “Carrots, eggs, and coffee,” she replied.

The mother brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft. She then asked her to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed that it was hard-boiled.

Finally, she asked her to sip the coffee. The daughter smiled as she tasted the flavor and smelled its rich aroma. The daughter then asked, “What’s the point, mom?”

Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity—boiling water—but each reacted differently. The carrot went in strong, hard, unrelenting.

However, after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weaker.

The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior. But, after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened. The ground coffee beans were unique. After they were in the boiling water they had changed the water.

“Which are you?” she asked her daughter. “When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg, or a coffee bean? Are you the carrot that seems strong, but with pain and adversity, wilts and becomes soft and without strength?

Are you the egg that starts with a malleable heart but changes with the heat and becomes hardened within? Does your shell look the same, but on the inside, are you bitter with a hard heart?

Or are you like the coffee bean? The bean actually changes the hot water, the very circumstance that brings the pain. When the water gets hot, the bean releases its fragrance and flavor. If you are like the bean, when things are at their worst, you get better and change the situation around you.”

In 1 Thessalonians 1:6, we learn that the Thessalonian believers had “received the Word in much affliction.” Yet, their faith held true and they stood firm in the midst of their trial of affliction. This brought much joy to the Apostle.

The Thessalonian church didn’t allow their persecution to drive them away from the Lord, but instead they took a stand for the Lord and remained faithful to Him.

They were very much coffee bean believers in the hot water of their trial. And their example can teach us and challenge us to do and be the same when trials come.

1 Thessalonians 3:1,2: “Wherefore when we could no longer forbear, we thought it good to be left at Athens alone; And sent Timotheus, our brother, and minister of God, and our fellowlabourer in the gospel of Christ, to establish you, and to comfort you concerning your faith.”

At the end of chapter 2, verse 20, Paul told the Thessalonians, “For you are our glory and joy,” and then he says “Wherefore,” or therefore in verse 1 of chapter 3.

In other words, it’s because of how Paul felt about the Thessalonians that he felt he had to do something to see how they were doing.

Therefore “when we could no longer forbear,” or endure it no longer. He couldn’t stand the separation. He had a strong care and affection for them. He couldn’t tolerate them being in one place and he being in another and no communication between the two.

They couldn’t whip out their iPhone to call one another, there was no emailing, texting, or Facebook. The mail service then had no overnight delivery. Paul didn’t know how they were doing since he left, and he was anxious and concerned over their spiritual state.

He worried about these new believers like parents who toss and turn in the night, concerned about their children. It was a critical time for these new believers.

He knew they were under persecution. He also knew they were only a few months old in the Lord. They were babes in Christ, they were a young church and young in the faith.

And though he was having his own trials, which we see in these verses, Paul was much less concerned about himself than he was about the Thessalonians, and he wanted to protect them and help their faith.

So Paul demonstrates his care, and he unselfishly sends Timothy to them.

After Paul had been driven out of Thessalonica by persecution, he went to Berea. The Jews who didn’t believe in Thessalonica traveled to Berea to continue their attack on Paul’s ministry and the saints there sent Paul away, and then he went to Athens.

Paul says here that he thought it “good” to be left in Athens alone. It wasn’t necessarily good for Paul, but it was for the Thessalonians good that he willingly did it.

His affection for the believers at Thessalonica was so strong that he was willing to sacrifice personal companionship and to be alone for their sakes.

He was concerned about the state of the church because they remained in the midst of the persecution that had driven Paul out of that city. So he sent Timothy to them.

Acts records how from Athens Paul had sent Silas along with Timothy to go to Macedonia where Thessalonica was, but Silas had gone to Philippi and perhaps Berea to check on the churches there, while Timothy went only to Thessalonica.

It wasn’t easy to let Timothy go, but it was necessary. Timothy was his best and he gave his best. That’s what sacrifice and love is all about, it’s about giving your best. That’s what God did in sending His only begotten Son to this world to die for our sins.

Paul did not send one whose absence would be no inconvenience to him, but one was as dear to him as a brother, who was a servant of God and fellow-laborer in the gospel (v. 2).

The Thessalonians still needed nurturing in the faith. And Paul tells them here that, “I sent Timothy for the express purpose of strengthening and encouraging your faith, to grow stronger in Christ.”

The word “establish” means to support or strengthen. Paul wanted faith in God to be strong and established, to be firm, solid, and unwavering.

Timothy’s establishing of them in their faith was done through God’s Word and the revelation given to the Apostle Paul. Romans 16:25: “Now to Him that is of power to STABLISH YOU according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began.”

They were established in their faith in knowing what God is doing today under grace, as this gives us a strong foundation for our faith.

If we don’t know that much about Christ or the Word of God, then we can get knocked all over the place when somebody attacks our faith.

And our faith can waver when we face trials. To take a stand in times of trial, we need that foundation of truth upon which to base our faith.

Paul wanted Timothy to establish and also “comfort” them. “Comfort” speaks of coming alongside to cheer and encourage. They needed encouragement not to buckle under the pressure of opposition, and to continue to trust the Lord and stand for Him.

That’s what our ministry is all about here at Berean Bible Society. Our desire is to establish you in the truth of God’s Word, and to encourage you concerning your faith, all for the purpose that you might stand, live for the Lord, and be transformed by grace.

1 Thessalonians 3:3-5: “That no man should be moved by these afflictions: for yourselves know that we are appointed thereunto.

“For verily, when we were with you, we told you before that we should suffer tribulation; even as it came to pass, and ye know.

“For this cause, when I could no longer forbear, I sent to know your faith, lest by some means the tempter have tempted you, and our labour be in vain.”

Some years back Christian apologist Ron Carlson was visiting the Cambodian border in Thailand, where there were several hundred thousand Buddhist refugees from Cambodia and Laos.

In those camps he said, you will find no Buddhists taking care of the refugees. There are no Hindus, no Muslims, no Communists providing care.

The ones who were taking care of the refugees were Christians from Christian missions and relief organizations who understand the value of human life.

Ron met a man there who had been a pastor in Laos. Seven years before, the Communists had closed down the radio station in the capital of Laos at which he worked, because it was playing Christian music.

They told him if he stopped playing Christian music, stopped preaching about Jesus Christ, and followed the Communist line, he could continue at the station.

But he refused, so they took him and his wife and son to a wall. They put a gun to the head of his son, and they told the family, “All you have to do is renounce Jesus Christ and we will let you live.” Before the father could say anything, his 12-year-old son stood up, with a gun pointing to his head, and said, “I will never renounce Jesus Christ.”

The Communists shot and killed him in front of his parents. Then they went to his wife and put the gun to her head. They said, “If you renounce Jesus Christ, we will let you live.” She replied with conviction, “Never,” and they shot and killed his wife.

Because he was an able-bodied man, they put him in stocks and leg irons and took to a Communist labor camp, where he worked for the next seven years.

Miraculously, he was able to escape from the labor camp, cross the Cambodian border into Thailand a few months before Ron Carlson met him. And he had already started a church in the refugee camp to tell the people about the gospel of Jesus Christ.

There are many examples in the church such as this of strong faith by believers in the midst of severe suffering and loss for Christ. An unwavering stand of faith in Christ in the midst of trial, suffering and persecution is Paul’s subject here.

Paul writes, “That no man should be moved.” “Moved” is an interesting word. It means “to wag.” It was used of a dog wagging his tail.

Paul wanted them established and encouraged in their faith, so their faith didn’t flop back and forth as a result of being shaken and unsettled by their trial. Because afflictions, pressures, persecution can do that to our lives.

But Paul wanted a strong, unmoveable faith in their lives, not a tossed around, back and forth, up and down, all over the place faith. God wants stability for our faith, for it to steadfast and immoveable.

Paul’s teaching, and the reality that we see in this world is “All that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution” (2 Tim. 3:12). This persecution takes on many forms. But Paul’s says don’t have your faith moved, we’re appointed to this as believers.

It reminds me of the guy who said “I don’t mind obstacles as long as they don’t get in my way.” We must expect obstacles in the Christian life. Our enemy will see to it.

Peter puts it well in his first episte: “Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you” (4:12).

We need to remember that we’re in enemy territory, and there’s a war on, a spiritual battle. There is hardships in it, and we need to stay prepared, and stand firm in the Lord.

We’re not to let afflictions for Christ disturb or move us or our faith, because as Paul says in v. 3: “we are appointed thereunto.” We are destined for this as believers in this world.

There is no health, wealth, prosperity gospel being taught here, that if you trust Christ all your problems will go away, and that if they do come, you must lack faith.

This isn’t reality. Believers are going to have trials and troubles living in a fallen, sin-cursed world that rejects God, despises His Word, is against the gospel, and hates His Son and thus hates, despises and rejects those who believe in Christ and follow His Word.

And Paul taught that we must not have our faith in Christ moved in the inevitable trials that will come upon the believer in this dispensation of grace.

Paul sent Timothy to strengthen and encourage the Thessalonians so that doubts didn’t collapse their faith in the midst of their affliction.

Paul had told them in advance, from the start, that believers will suffer tribulation (v. 4). Knowing ahead of time that troubles and pressure is coming helps prepare believers, just as soldiers forewarned of an enemy attack can better defend themselves.

But if we refuse to believe the warnings and assume that trusting Christ will solve all our earthly problems and that life will be a trouble-free, bed of roses, we’re setting ourselves up for a startling Pearl Harbor-type raid, a 9/11 surprise attack, an attack that will not only shock us, but can devastate our faith as well.

The reason why this book is so pertinent is that God’s Word tells us truth ahead of time. Like Paul says here “we told you before…even as it came to pass.” It may be that the Church in America is heading for worse and worse persecution. It’s good for the church in this country to be forewarned and prepared for it, so it doesn’t shock our faith.

The other thing this portion does is that it keeps us from living with blinders on toward those who around the world are facing this very thing at this very moment: affliction, suffering, persecution for their faith in Christ. It reminds us to pray for them.

One of Satan’s tactics in the spiritual battle to destroy the believer’s faith is thru persecution as he did with the Thessalonians. What prompted Paul to send Timothy was because he couldn’t stand it any longer in being concerned about their faith and whether “the tempter” (v. 5) had tempted them to draw them away from Christ.

Paul was protective of these new believers. This teaches us to be the same way with new believers. Paul knew that trials can cause causalities in the spiritual battle even for the most courageous and mature of believers.

The “tempter” as Paul calls the devil in v. 5 is the same one who tempted the Lord in the wilderness, the same one who tempted Adam and Eve in the garden.

His desire is to tempt. Satan tempts us to question God’s goodness and love. And in the midst of trials he tempts and whispers in our ear: “I thought God cared about you?”

“Didn’t He promise to always be with you?” “Has He forgotten or left you? “How can a good God allow this happen?” “God must be displeased with you and is punishing you.” “Is living for Christ really worth this?”

He tempts us to give up and not stand. He tempts to try to ruin and destroy our faith and to cause us to walk away from the Lord.

In John 6:66,67 after the Lord spoke about being the Bread of life it says, “From that time many of His disciples went back, and walked no more with Him. Then said Jesus unto the twelve, “Will ye also go away?”

Satan tempts through the influence of the world, through pride, through the fear of persecution, and persecution itself to draw us away from the Lord, and many do.

The Lord through His Word asks you and me: “Will you also go away?” Please say no. Never walk away from the Lord. Resolve to do this. Stand firm in your faith in the One who loves you so deeply that He died for you and rose again.

1 Thessalonians 3:6-8: “But now when Timotheus came from you unto us, and brought us good tidings of your faith and charity, and that ye have good remembrance of us always, desiring greatly to see us, as we also to see you:

“Therefore, brethren, we were comforted over you in all our affliction and distress by your faith: For now we live, if ye stand fast in the Lord.”

Paul says, “But now,” or just now that Timothy has come to us from you. So this letter was written immediately upon Timothy’s arrival. He has just gotten the word, just heard the report, and he was so excited that he wrote this letter right away.

Timothy had returned with a positive report about the Thessalonians’ faith and love. Their faith was strong and sure. Their love was evident and active.

Verse 6 shows the Thessalonians were standing strong for Christ, and had gone through their trial with their faith in tact, and with love for others.

The report from Timothy was, to Paul, like hearing the gospel. “Good tidings” is translated “gospel” in other places. So in other words, the report from Timothy about their spiritual status was good news, thrilling news, the best news possible to Paul’s ears.

Unlike watching the nightly news which is usually filled with all bad, depressing news, Paul received a four-point good news report.

Point one: good news about your faith. Their faith was steadfast and growing.

Point two: good news about your “love.” They loved the Lord, each other, and the lost and were actively demonstrating Christ’s selfless love.

Point three: good news that you always think kindly of us. They cherished happy memories of Paul. This would’ve meant a lot to Paul since he was forced to leave them.

Point four: they were longing to see us just as we long to see you. They were as anxious for a reunion with Paul as Paul was with them.

Because of the report of Timothy, Paul himself drew strength from the courage of these new believers. Although he had wanted to minister to them and help them, by their testimony in standing firm in hard times they were ministering and helping him.

Thus Paul says, “I can face my trials, afflictions and distresses because I see how well you are facing yours.” That’s often how it is in ministry. We go to try to help others, and then their faith and love and testimony ends up ministering to us and encouraging our faith.

All the troubles and trials and pains he was experiencing all of a sudden disappeared and he was comforted and encouraged and felt he could face anything when he heard how well they were facing their afflication, and how strong their faith was in it all.

Then in verse 8, Paul writes, “For now we live, if you stand firm in the Lord.” Paul was excited that they were standing fast.

“Stand fast” means to stand upright, immoveable, and persistent. Their trials had not knocked them down. They were standing upright in faith in the storm of their trial.

“For now we live” literally means “now this is living.” People point to lavish lifestyles of the rich and famous and say with the things they possess, the places they travel to, the ease of their life, “now that is really living.”

But to Paul it wasn’t material things and luxury, but instead spirituality, maturity, a strong stand in the life of believers in the midst of a world that is against Christ, that made him exclaim: “Now this is really living.”

When he heard about them standing their ground for the Lord, he exclaims, “that’s living,” “I really live.” Seeing you stand, holding up the shield of faith, “that’s living.”

Seeing you refusing to back down, hearing of you following Christ and not turning away from Him, “that’s living,” “I find strength and life in this.” That’s what it was all about to Paul.

To hear testimony of other people’s faith, and strong stand in the Lord, we too find great strength and encouragement, and it stimulates our faith and our stand in the Lord also.

Living for the Lord, having a firm faith toward God, and selfless love toward others, standing strong for Christ in it all so that He is glorified, this is really living. This is the high purpose we are called to as believers. This is living a transformed life by grace.