Encouragement Pt 1

Good morning. Good to see everybody. I'm glad you're here. I want to welcome everybody watching online. I want to invite you guys to stand with me and we'll pray and we'll get started.

Father, we thank you for the day. Lord, we give you praise for who you are, for how much you love us, for what you've done for us, Lord. Lord, we just ask your blessing upon this time, Lord, help us to set everything else aside that's going on in our own lives. To lift a joyful noise to you, God, and spend some time in your word. Lord, just prepare our hearts to receive from you this morning.

We love you, Father. We praise you. We thank you. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Lord, we know you're coming again soon. Lord, help us to live expectantly of that. Amen.

You guys can go ahead and have a seat if you like.

Lord, we just thank you for how much you love us, for how deep your love is, for what your love has done for us, Lord, for your son Jesus and the precious blood that he spilled on the cross.

You cast our sin as far as the east is from the west. Lord, your love is that deep. And we thank you, Lord, and we praise you.

When it's all about you, it's all about you, Jesus. I'm sorry, Lord, for the thing I've made it. When it's all about you, it's all about you, Jesus.

When all is stripped away, I have simply come. There's nothing that's of worth that will bless you. For a song, for a song in itself, is not what you search much deeper within.

For a song, Lord, just help us to lift a joyful noise to you. Just give you our hearts this morning.

Just go ahead and stand with me for this last one.

What as we begin to set this last song?

Lord, you are our living hope.

Lord, because of you, we have hope, not in just this life, but in the next as well.

Lord God, you're the one who gives us new life. Lord, because of what you've done on the cross and that precious blood that you've spilt. And because you are alive, you were resurrected, Lord. Because you are alive today, Lord, we have a new hope. We have a living hope in you. Praise the one who set me free, has lost its grip on me. You have broken every chain.

There's salvation in your name, Jesus Christ. My life, death has lost its grip on me. Every chain, there's salvation in you, Jesus Christ. Lord God, we give you praise. We give you thanks for who you are, for what you've done for us, Lord. And because you are our living hope, because you are alive today, Lord, we have hope. We have hope in this life and the next, Lord.

Lord, without your resurrection, Lord, Lord, we should most... We should most of all be pitied. Because without you, Lord, without you being alive today, we have no hope. We thank you for what you've done for us. We thank you for your precious blood that you spilled out for us. And for your body that was broken. So that we could have new life, that we could have hope in you.

Lord, there's so many today that are living without hope, Lord. They feel like there is no hope. But, Lord, I'm here to tell you, I'm here to tell them that there is hope. There's hope in you. Lord, we thank you and we praise you. And as Pastor Ryan comes this morning, Lord, I just pray that you would overflow him with your gift of teaching. Give him the words to speak and give us hearts to receive that which you've prepared for us.

We love you, Father God. We praise you and we thank you. In Jesus' name, all God's people said, amen. Let's take some time. Let's take some time and greet one another.

Good morning. If you could begin to locate your seat. Grab a bulletin. We'll get ready to go over some announcements.

Can't take you anywhere. Welcome to Calvary Chapel. Glad that you've joined us this morning.

Handful of things to take note of in your bulletin. Over on the left-hand side are the things that go on throughout the week. So find a spot to get yourself plugged into. Thank you. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to us. Just some reminders. Operation Christmas Child boxes are due today. Now, here's the good thing. You're at first service, right?

So if you did not get your box done, you have until the end of second service. Second service people, they're just, if there's a mass exodus during the church service, I'll know what happened. But you've still got time, about two hours, maybe three, to get those back here. And then we do still have some spots available if you're interested in going to Dallas to work down the road.

So if you have any questions, feel free to reach out to us on the website at www.calvarychapel.org. Also, a reminder, or just something that you know, this Wednesday, this coming Wednesday, we are going to do a worship night. Been a little while since we've done that. I kind of figure we're coming into the Thanksgiving season. It's a great time to, just to take an evening of worship.

So come join us here at 7 o'clock for a night of worship. And then there is another community worship night that we're putting together. James Newman and I are putting it together at the Burford. A little bit of short notice here, but it is what it is. It's going to be next Sunday evening, the 24th. It'll be kind of like what we did over by the pool a few months ago.

That worship team is going to be doing that. So it'll be a good time to gather together. And then Ministerial Alliance is putting on a Thanksgiving service on Tuesday, November 26th at Central Christian Church, if you are able to make it to that. I'll have, the times are up in the hall and I can't remember what it was. I think it started at 6.30. So if you can join for that, it's always a great time.

So gather together. Also, do we have the, anything from the Valdosta? So, that all we got? Yeah. So there's some pictures that are going to be there next service, but they wanted to just say thank you for all the prayers and support for the team that went. They were able to do a lot of ministry there. And Jana wanted us to know that as of November the 11th,

70 people have accepted Christ through the ministry of Samaritan's Purse and all the things going on in the Valdosta area. So that's pretty cool. So keep praying for the work. That's going on there because even though really bad things took place, God is using it for his glory. So, so those are the things that are going on. If you would make sure that your mobile device is silenced and for our responsive reading this morning,

we are in Psalm 17, Psalm 17, looking at the new American standard for this part, just so that we sound the same, you need a copy should be one around you. And as you are turning to Psalm 17, if you are able, please stand in the honor of the reading of God's word.

I will read the odd verses. If you will follow along with Pastor Allen and the even verses. Psalm 17, a prayer of David. Here a just cause, O Lord, give heed to my cry. Give ear to my prayer, which is not from deceitful lips. Let my judgment come forth from your presence. Let your eyes look with equity. You have tried my heart. You have visited me by night.

You have tested me. And you find nothing. I have purpose that my mouth will not transgress. As for the deeds of men by the word of your lips, I have kept from the paths of the violent. My steps have held fast to your paths. My feet have not slipped. I have called upon you for you will answer me. Oh God, incline your ear to me. Hear my speech wondrously. Show your loving kindness.

Oh, Savior of those who take refuge at your right hand from those. Who rise up against them. Keep me as the apple of the eye hide in the shadow of your wings from the wicked who despoil me my deadly enemies who surround me. They have closed their unfeeling heart with their mouth. They speak proudly. They have now surrounded us in our steps. They have set their eyes to cast us down to the ground is like a lion that is eager to tear and as a young lion lurking in hiding places.

Arise. Oh Lord confront him bring him low deliver my soul from the wicked with your sword men with your hand. Oh Lord from men of the world whose portion is in this life and whose belly you fill with your treasure. They are satisfied with children and leave their abundance to their babes and read verse 15 with me as for me. I shall behold your face in righteousness.

I will be satisfied. With your likeness when I awake. And so father that is what we're looking forward to the day that we awaken your likeness Lord. The day that we see you on the other side of eternity and Lord in the meantime. We praise you that you are the one who sustains us the one who hears our prayer and the one who always acts on our behalf. And so father be with us as we spend time in your word this morning.

May your spirit minister to each one of us as you see fit. We just pray these things father in Jesus name. Amen. You may be seated. And if you would open up in your Bibles to the book of second Thessalonians chapter one. Second Thessalonians chapter one. It only made sense to just continue on and read Paul's second letter to this group of people.

We'll be looking at the first four verses of chapter one. I would like to say a few words in introduction before we actually get into the text. You may notice that second Thessalonians is a pretty short book and so won't take us a real long time to plow through that. But but lots to learn in it. So just to kind of set the scene. It had been almost a year since Paul had written the book of first Thessalonians.

He had written that book to to encourage them to strengthen them to to instruct them in some of the things. And so it had been about a year since that first letter since Timothy had delivered that first letter to them. And a report had come back to Paul about some things going on in Thessalonica at that point in time.

The church was facing some great affliction not only persecution from without but also just issues that the church was dealing with difficulties that they were facing as a church both individually and collectively not only that there was a false report that was circulating actually a false letter that was circulating where they thought that Christ had already come that they had missed the second coming that they had actually missed the rapture. And that they were actually.

Living in the middle of the day of the Lord what we refer to as that great tribulation all period and because of the persecution that they were enduring they were inclined to believe this false report that had been circulating in the area that had been circulating to the church not only that there was an issue that had arisen because they were looking forward to the second coming of Christ and some believe that perhaps they were even living in the middle of this tribulation they had decided that work was the.

Least of their worries right now and the best thing that they could do is just sit around and wait for whatever God was going to do next and so there was disorder like we talked about last week that had arisen within the church in particular the disorder of laziness and people not wanting to work and so Paul once he had received word of this he did what he oftentimes does he he wrote a letter and so he wrote a letter and I borrowed this from. From John MacArthur's commentary he wrote a letter for three reasons.

He wrote a letter to a church that was discouraged through persecution and affliction he wrote a letter to a church that was deceived by false teachers and a confusing report about the Lord's return and he wrote a letter to a church who was caught up in disorderly living. And as he wrote that letter he's going to address three things and really it breaks down very nicely in the three chapters because the three things that he's going to cover in this book is in chapter.

One he is going to encourage them in chapter two he is going to instruct them and in chapter three he is going to exhort them for how they are supposed to live and so this morning what we're going to take a look at is the first part of chapter one and the title is encouragement and of course this is part one because it's going to take us two or three weeks to get through this first chapter I would however like to read through the first chapter collect or at one time to get a feel for what's going on in the church.

So starting in verse one of chapter one of second Thessalonians it says this Paul and Sylvanus and Timothy to the church of the Thessalonians in God our father and the Lord Jesus Christ grace to you in peace from God our father and the Lord Jesus Christ we ought always to give thanks to God for you brethren as is only fitting because your faith is greatly enlarged and the love of each one of you is greatly enlarged.

You toward one another grows ever greater therefore we ourselves speak proudly of you among the churches of God for your perseverance and faith in the midst of all your persecutions and afflictions which you endure this is a plain indication of God's righteous judgment so that you will be considered were so that you will be considered worthy of the kingdom of God for which you indeed are suffering for after all it is only

just for God to repay with affliction those who afflict you and to give relief to you who are afflicted and to us as well when the Lord Jesus will be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels and flaming fire dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus these will pay the penalty of eternal destruction away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power.

When he comes to be glorified in his saints on that day and to be marveled at among all who have believed for our testimony to you was believed to this end also we pray for you always that our God will count you worthy of your calling and fulfill every desire for goodness and the work of faith with power so that the name of our Lord Jesus will be glorified in you and you in him. Amen. According to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ. And so as we look at this first chapter looking at encouragement because that's what he wants to do.

There's going to be three things throughout chapter one that he does to kind of break down this aspect of encouragement. The first thing that he is going to do is he is going to appreciate them. The second thing he's going to do is encourage them. And then the third thing he's going to do is pray for them. So we're going to look at the first part which is appreciation this morning.

And so we start off with the greeting. And as Paul often. Does the beginning of second Thessalonians is very similar to the beginning of first Thessalonians. It starts off this way. Paul and Silvanus and Timothy to the church of the Thessalonians in God our father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace to you and peace from God the father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

And as I like to do let's just kind of break this down a little bit. First of all we'll look at the writer. I won't spend a great deal of time on this because I did spend a great deal of time. On it at the beginning of first Thessalonians. And so if you need a refresher you can always go back and pull up that introduction on our Web site and hear what that has to say.

But but Paul of course is the one who was writing the this book and and God had done an amazing work in Paul taking him from someone who is a persecutor of the church and a hater of Jesus Christ to one who was not only a follower of Jesus Christ but probably the greatest proponent of the gospel and of the message of Jesus Christ that perhaps the world has ever seen. And he had started this church.

In Thessalonica and as he had started the church in Thessalonica he was only able to be there a brief amount of time which it's amazing how much times Paul spends writing to them knowing that he was there for such a short amount of time it's kind of amazing how a group of people can capture your heart like that but that's what happens when you're a servant of the Lord is the people that you serve capture your heart in a way that no one else can. And so Paul is writing this letter to them and he is not by himself in this he has a couple of friends with him and he's writing from Corinth.

Probably the exact same place that he wrote first Thessalonians from he has a couple of fellows with him in this translation and probably in yours it says Sylvanus it's actually better translated Silas and Silas is the one who had joined him on this second missionary journey and Silas was just such a phenomenal friend and brother in the Lord and such a phenomenal partner in the gospel because he showed that not only was he knowledgeable but he was faithful faithful to the point where he was even willing to endure beatings like they did in Philippi.

In order to continue the work of the gospel he didn't shun away from the work he didn't shun away from the struggle he was with Paul 100% of the time and then of course the other guy that's with Paul is a young man by the name of Timothy a young man who Paul considered his son in the faith someone that he had picked up along the way in this missionary journey and someone that he had been able to pour into and really trained to become what to become the man of God that he was supposed to be and will go on to become the man of God that he was supposed to be.

A pastor of churches and so that's the writer Paul is there with Silas and Timothy and he's writing this letter and of course the recipient is the church of the Thessalonians the church of the Thessalonians again Paul had started this church they were a church that had endured much but they were a church who had been taught well and because they had been taught well even though they were enduring much they continued to remain faithful but I would like for you to notice how Paul describes the

the recipient of this of this letter the church of the Thessalonians because he refers them in a certain way to the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ now he makes a differentiation there about this church this church is not just an average church because we have to remember the word church when it first started being used there was nothing sacred about it it was just an assembly and so when Paul addresses the assembly of the Thessalonians

he makes sure to differentiate it from any other assembly that might have been meeting in Thessalonica at that point in time and he separates them out showing who they truly are they are yes a called out assembly but they are a called out assembly that is in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ because what makes a church is not gathering together in a building what makes a church is not just having a common bond of enjoying being with each other what makes a church a church is that they both are a church

belong to Jesus Christ and that they are in Christ because everything that the church does is always supposed to find that at their core is always supposed to find that at their center and if the things that are taking place in a church don't have Jesus Christ and God the Father at the center of everything that they do well then we have to question whether or not they're really a church as far as the New Testament is concerned because Jesus should be at the center of everything that a church does because we are in him and

he is here in us he says to the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ and then Paul gives his typical greeting grace to you and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ I don't know why but for some reason this particular time around as I was studying this I just sort of just sort of allowed my mind to wonder a little bit with the word grace of course you know the word grace means unmerited favor

but but grace is such a central theme throughout the New Testament and so so I did a little word search yesterday on on grace and it was kind of fascinating to see all the places throughout the New Testament that grace is used if you did an entire Bible word search of grace it's kind of fascinating because do you know the first time that the word grace is used in the entire Bible it's used of Noah right before the flood you see God was about to pour judgment upon the earth the judgment we refer to as the great flood and there was one man who escaped and it was Noah and the reason why Noah and his family were able to escape is because we read that Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord

showing for the very first time in all of Scripture that the only way that we can escape the judgment of God is through the grace of God then isn't it amazing that if you were to read in first Peter it would tell us that God destroyed the world the first time to the flood and he will do it again a second time with fire and what will be the thing that will allow us to escape the judgment the second time around well the same thing that allowed us to escape it the first time around grace and so I did I did just a little bit of a study and I and I I put a handful of these words up there number one grace saves us grace saves us we're told that in the book of Ephesians that is by grace that you have been saved

through faith and that not of yourself it is a gift of God not of works lest anyone should boast and so if you're here this morning and you've put your faith in Jesus you can know beyond a shadow of a doubt that you're saved not because your faith was so strong or the commitment that you made was so great but because God's grace is so amazing because God's grace saves us and we stand in a position of being saved because of the unmerited favor of God not because of anything that we've done to earn it God's grace saves us but most of us stop right there and we say isn't grace amazing grace saves us don't worry I've got it from here but what we forget is that grace is an all-encapsulating

encapsulating word. It is a full functioning word throughout the entire New Testament. If you continue on, the next thing that you find is that grace strengthens us. Grace strengthens us. Throughout the New Testament, we find that our strength for daily living comes from the same grace that saves us. Because the gospel doesn't just save you from the penalty of sin. The grace

of God and the gospel of Jesus Christ saves you from the power of sin as well. And that grace of God strengthens us. What does it strengthen us to do? Well, it strengthens us to walk with God daily, to have a relationship with our Savior, to overcome sin in our life, to serve God in the way that he wants us to serve him. Quite frankly, to sometimes go to Walmart every single day, right?

Like that's what the grace of God does to strengthen us. But not only does the grace save us, not only does the grace strengthen us, but number three, grace teaches us. You know, we're told in Titus that the grace of God strengthens us. Grace teaches us. Grace teaches us. Grace teaches us. The grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us to deny ungodliness

and worldly lusts so that we can live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present age. You say, I don't know how I'm supposed to live my life. I don't know what it looks like. How am I supposed to walk away from sin? How am I supposed to live as God wants me to live? Well, you need the grace of God to teach you. See, God's unmerited favor didn't just save you. God's unmerited favor

didn't just save you. God's unmerited favor didn't just save you. God's unmerited favor didn't just save you. God's unmerited favor didn't just save you. God's unmerited favor didn't just save you. God's unmerited favor didn't just save you. God's unmerited favor didn't just save you. God's unmerited favor didn't just save you. Every single day of your life. And if you're having a hard time with that, well, then you need to cry out

for God's grace in your life. Stop trying so hard on your own and start seeking the only strength that we have, the only wisdom and knowledge that we have that comes from the grace of God. Number four, grace keeps us. Grace keeps us. We are kept. We are garrisoned. We are guarded by God's grace. What does grace keep us from? Well, Grace keeps us from sin. Grace keeps us from the power of the enemy.

Sometimes grace keeps us from our own thoughts that want to dominate us. Grace keeps us from anxiety. Say, Ryan, I struggle with anxiety. Then you need more of God's grace in your life. You need to cry out for an extra feeling, an overflowing feeling of God's grace in your life because it is grace that keeps us. But not only does grace save us, not only does grace strengthen us,

not only does grace teach us, and grace keeps us, but grace will bring us home. It's fascinating in 1 Peter that he says, and we will know God's grace at the revelation of Jesus Christ. In other words, the unveiling of Christ, the day that we see him in eternity, it will be because God's grace has brought us there. You know what Paul told us in Ephesians? Not only will it bring us home,

but God's grace will continue to be revealed to us even when we're home. We're told in Ephesians that for the rest of eternity, he will be revealing or explaining his grace to us. Brothers and sisters, grace is not a secondary issue in Scripture. Grace is the issue in Scripture because God's unmerited favor is the only way that we can stand on the truth of who God is and be who God has created us to be.

Do we need God's grace in our lives? Every moment of every day. And so when Paul says, grace to you, yes, he's giving the typical Roman greeting at that point in time, but he's also reminding us that for a church going through difficulty, for a church facing affliction, what you really need in your life is grace. The second thing that he says is not only grace to you, but peace to you.

Again, I kind of geeked this word just a little bit. I looked it up, and the word peace literally means quietness, rest, or change. Tranquility. I don't know about you, but when I hear the word tranquility, don't you just imagine sitting next to the most gently flowing stream in like a field of beautiful flowers and like meadows next to a sheep that's just munching, and you're like laying your head on its wool.

Maybe I took you too far in that little picture. That's what I picture in my mind when I think of tranquility, like, ah, right? And that's the noise that's made, ah. That's the idea. But for Christians, and I read this in, in Vine's Expository Dictionary. I thought it was fascinating because it gives all these different definitions of rest, and it says, for the Christian, rest is this.

It is the tranquil state of a soul assured of salvation through Christ that fears nothing from God and is content with its earthly lot. Let me read that to you one more time. Christian rest, or Christian peace, is the tranquil state of a soul that is assured of salvation through God that fears nothing from God and is content with its earthly lot. content with its earthly lot.

In other words, peace for the Christian means, I know that I'm saved, I know that God's in control, and I'm content with whatever comes into my life. That's peace. Because we can't control the things that come into our lives. Oh, we try to. We try to control all those things, don't you? And I will tell you this. You show me someone that wants to control everything in their life,

I'll show you someone with no peace. Because you want to be in control of everything. You want to control how everything happens in your life, and God's like, ha, ha, ha. Here's the thing. You're not in control. I am. And we can fight over this thing, or we can not fight over this thing. Either way is fine with me. But in the end, I'm going to win. It's kind of like having a toddler, right?

You're fighting over control. And you have to look them square in the eye and say, in the end, I'm going to win. And do you know when toddlers finally find peace? When they give up. I remember being a, a little tiny kid. I don't really remember being a toddler. It's a long, long time ago. But I remember being a tiny kid. And I fought naps with everything in me.

I hated taking a nap. I thought that was truly the worst punishment that you can inflict on me possible. And I fought it with everything in me. But you know what happened when I would finally give up and go to sleep? I felt so good afterwards. And that's exactly what I had to do. Give up. Because that's what peace is. Peace is giving up my will. And it's resting in God's.

Peace is giving up my way. And it's resting in God's. It starts with salvation. And it continues on with me resting and not fearing anything that comes into my life. Oh, Ryan, but what if this happens? I'm afraid that if I give up all control, God will allow this to come into my life. Then you're not really resting in God. Because you have a wrong view of who God is.

Because God is not going to bring anything into your life that is not for your good and for his glory. And for your good. And that's not already been filtered through the hands of a loving God. And you can find peace in that. And so Paul says, grace to you and peace. And where do those things come from? Well, from the same place that this church is resting in.

From God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. I will tell you right now, we live in a world that is seeking peace everywhere that they can apart from Jesus Christ. They're trying to find peace. They're trying to find peace. They're trying to find peace. They're trying to find it in the things that they own. They're trying to find it in the substances that they take.

They're even trying to find it in the candidate that they've elected. And I'm here to tell you right now, the only place where there's real peace is in Jesus Christ. And in fully surrendering to him. And so Paul says, grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. And then he begins to show appreciation. Notice what it says in verse 3.

We ought always to give thanks to God for you, brethren. As is only fitting, because your faith is greatly enlarged and the love of each one of you toward one another grows ever greater. Therefore we ourselves speak proudly of you among the churches of God for your perseverance and faith in the midst of all your persecutions and afflictions which you endure. There's ultimately two things that he shows appreciation for.

He shows appreciation first of all for their growing walk. Second of all for their patient endurance. I would like for you to notice how this little section starts off. Paul says, we ought always to give thanks to God for you, brethren, as is only fitting. Both of those statements indicate that this is not just what Paul should do. It is the only thing he should do.

It is proper for him to do this. To give thanks for them. And again, we're a little bit closer to Thanksgiving than we were last week when I went on my Thanksgiving that's not time for Christmas music rant yet. And then my wife goes and decorates the house for Christmas yesterday. God bless her. But I want you to notice once again, have you ever noticed how much

the word giving, that phrase giving of thanks shows up in the epistles? It's all over the ding dong place, right? And what does he say that he's giving thanks for? He's giving thanks for the people. What's the thing we tend to not give thanks for? The people, right? I've noticed something since COVID happened. And that's that less people want to people. Have you ever noticed that?

People don't want to people anymore. They're like, listen, I've had enough of the being around human beings. I think I'm just going to hide in my house now and not talk to anyone anymore. You know we're done with COVID now, right? Yep, this is just a choice I've made. Because we're not always very thankful for people anymore. You know why? Because people bring trouble into our lives, don't they?

People just bring issues into our lives. Don't they, right? And you know what you do? You bring issues into other people's lives. Isn't that great? We just do it to each other. We say, you know, I wouldn't have issues if they weren't in my life. You ever thought about the fact that they wouldn't have issues if you weren't in their life? You ever thought about that?

That's what we do for each other. And yet we should still thank God for each other, right? Do you ever just take time to thank God for the people in your lives? Even the difficult people? Lord, thank you that you have brought them into my life to teach me patience. To teach me grace. To teach me that I need you for peace. Because they're sure not bringing it, right?

And so he says, I want to take time to thank God for you. But he thanks God for a really good reason. He thanks God for what's going on in the lives of these believers. First of all, because their faith is greatly enlarged. That word enlarged means growing abundantly and exceedingly. In other words, your faith is constantly growing. And it's not just kind of growing.

It's growing by leaps and bounds. It's growing by leaps and bounds. And when he speaks of faith, he's talking about their relationship to God. Their relationship to God is continuing to grow. And it's growing in an exceeding way. It's growing leaps and bounds in the difficulties that they're going through. No matter what's happening in their lives, their walk with the Lord is continuing to grow

in an ever abundant way. And I love this because we were just talking about this at men's breakfast yesterday morning. We are to continue to mature. We are to continue to grow in our walk. And I've brought this up quite a few times. Here recently, it must be that the Lord wants to make a point out of this to some of us. You should never be content with where you are right now

in your walk with Jesus Christ. The moment that you decide, you know, I think I've pretty well got this thing. I'm pretty happy with where I am right now. Then that's the moment that you begin to backslide. Maybe not necessarily into some heinous sin. Maybe not necessarily into some gross immorality. But maybe into the most dangerous thing that you can backslide into.

You can backslide into some apathy. And all of a sudden now, it's just not nearly as important as it used to be. It's not nearly as important as you thought it was at one point in time. We're, of course, getting close to the end of the year. And I see these memes pop up sometimes. And it's like, man, it's getting really close to January. And I'm still trying to lose the pounds

that I said I was going to lose at the beginning of this January. And I thought, isn't that a perfect picture of what we tend to do? We get excited at the beginning of the year. We get excited at the beginning of a project. We get excited at the beginning of our walk. And we think, this is what it's going to be like. This is what I'm going to do. But pretty soon, like my old boss used to say,

everybody gets excited when the circus comes to town. But pretty soon, elephant poop starts to stink. Right? I mean, that's just kind of the way that it is. Pretty soon, it gets hard. Pretty soon, life starts to be tough. And the excitement that we started with is just not there anymore. The excitement that we started with has kind of waned a little bit. And that's the time when you have to dig in deep.

And that's the time when you have to decide it's no longer about me. It's not about my feelings. It's about my commitment to the Savior who gave himself for me. Because there will be days where you will feel like it. There will be days where it's the greatest thing that you're doing in your entire life. There will be days where you are just enraptured in praise at every sunrise and every sunset.

It's the most beautiful thing that you ever see. And you're praising God from the mountaintops of what's going on. And then there's all the other days of the week where it's hard and where things aren't going your way. And where nothing seems to work. And where nothing seems to make sense. And where you've continued to face the same struggle that you've been facing for the past 20 years of your life.

And you say, what do I do now? You dig in deep. And you continue to grow. And you continue to progress. Because I will guarantee you this. I bet if those Thessalonican believers were looking at their own lives, they would say, I just don't always know if I see a lot of growth. And Paul, from the reports that he had received, said, I don't even have to see you and I know that you're growing.

I don't even have to see you and I know what's been going on. That's why I think you should keep a journal of what God's doing in your life. Do you remember when you were a little kid? Think back. Do you remember when you were a little kid and you would not see a family member for a year? Maybe aunt and uncle, something like that, you wouldn't see for a long time.

And you don't think about the fact that you've grown all this amount. And then you go see Aunt Gertrude or whatever and she's like, you've grown so much, right? And you're like, really? I feel pretty much like I'm the same now, right? Nothing's really changed all that much. But you have, you've changed an incredible amount. You just didn't notice it because you were living it.

And that's kind of what Paul does for these people. He says, you may not realize how much you've grown, but you've grown. And I think one of the greatest things to do is to look back on maybe a Bible journal that you kept 10 years ago and go, oh, I've grown way more than I was back then. I actually know what that word means now. I'm actually putting it into practice in my life now.

But we are called to mature. We are called to grow. And Paul says, I'm just so grateful, I'm so thankful that your walk with Jesus Christ is growing. But not only is he thankful that their faith is growing, but notice the next thing he says. He says, but I'm also thankful that the love of each one of you toward one another grows ever greater. That word love, of course, is that word agape,

sacrificial love. Your sacrificial love for each other is continuing to grow. Because listen. We're not just supposed to grow in our knowledge of God. We're supposed to grow in our love for each other. Because do you know what James says? If you say that you love God, but you don't love your brother, then you're lying to yourself. And the truth is not in you.

Because love for each other should be proportionate to our knowledge and love of God. Because if you're really growing in your walk, if you're really growing in faith, the outworking of that will be love. You know how I know that? Because in Galatians chapter 5, verse 22, it says the fruit of the Spirit is love. Some say that that is the fruit of the Spirit.

And the other things that it lists are actually outworkings of love. And the more I study it, the more I don't necessarily disagree with that statement. Your love for one another is growing even greater. Paul says, I just keep hearing about it. And it's just amazing. I just absolutely am amazed at what's going on and how much your love for each other grows.

Your love for each other is growing. And can I just say as a pastor here, are we a perfect church? Absolutely not. Do I see love growing here? I do. I see love for each other growing. Sometimes I hear things that you guys do for each other, and I had no idea that person had that going on in their life. And I'm like, oh, man, I'm sorry. I never reached out. And they're like, it's OK.

I've got you covered. We've been reaching out. And I'm like, oh, that is what it's supposed to be. That's what it's supposed to be, is that the body loving each other, the body taking care of each other. And your love for one another is growing even greater. And I'm so thankful for that. But not only is he in appreciation of their growing walk, he's, second of all, showing appreciation

for their patient endurance. Notice what he says in verse 4. Therefore, we ourselves speak proudly of you among the churches of God for your perseverance and faithfulness. Faith in the midst of all your persecutions and afflictions which you endure. He says we speak so proudly of you. Matter of fact, some of your translations may say we boast about you. Isn't that great?

Paul's like, I actually talk to other churches about how great you guys are and about what God's doing in you and about how even though you face hard times, you're not giving up. You're continuing. As a matter of fact, he says, I know that you are facing persecutions and afflictions. Two different words that he uses there of things that were going on in the Thessalonian church amongst the Thessalonian believers.

Of course, persecution means suffering for the faith. Suffering for the faith. That's the idea of what it means to be persecuted and that's what was going on. They were suffering because of their faith. Again, praise God, we live in a nation where that doesn't happen very often. We try to pretend it's happening sometimes and maybe to an extent some of it's happening but nothing like what they were going

through at that point in time. But he says, praise God that in the midst of that suffering for the faith, you continued. But the second word that he uses, that's one of the one I think that kind of hits most of us and that's the word affliction. The word affliction speaks of suffering in general. And that word affliction is kind of an interesting word because

it means a pressure or a pressing together. That's the idea of affliction. He says, I know what's happening in your church. You're not only facing persecution in that people are causing you to suffer for your faith but just in life in general, you are facing the everyday pressures of life. The pressing together that comes from some form of affliction in your life.

And brothers and sisters, one thing I do know is that though we're probably not facing an incredible amount of persecution right now, I know that there's many of you that are facing an incredible amount of affliction. You feel the pressure. You feel the pressing together. For some of you that affliction is health related and you're dealing with health issues in your lives and sometimes you're like, I just don't know if I'm ever going to feel good again.

Matter of fact, I don't even remember what feeling good feels like and you just feel that pressure. You feel that pressing. You feel that affliction. For some of you it's broken relationships. Some of you have some broken relationships in your life and because of that you're just feeling that affliction and you're feeling that pressure and you almost can feel the pressure pressing

down on you so hard. Because that relationship won't heal and it's bothering you. It's hurting you and you're dealing with that affliction in your life. Some of you it's financial and you're feeling the financial pressure. For some of you it's grief and you're feeling the grief pressure in your life. Whatever it is, you understand that word affliction. And when the word, when that phrase pressing together is mentioned,

you're like, that's exactly what it feels like. It feels like I'm being pushed together on every side. And like there's just no relief. You are not the only people that are going through this. The Thessalonian people were going through the same thing. And Paul says, I appreciate you so much because I know that you're dealing with persecution and I know that you're dealing with

affliction, but you're dealing with it so well. You're dealing with it first of all with perseverance. Perseverance. The word perseverance means to bear up under. Unflinching endurance. And patience. To bear up under unflinching endurance and patience. I would love to tell you, it's okay. Tomorrow you're not going to feel this affliction anymore. It will just be gone.

I would love to be able to do that for all the people here. But I can't do that. I don't know what God's will is for you with the things that you're going through in your life. Other than this, God's greatest desire is to see you persevere. The idea of perseverance according to the Bible knowledge commentary is not only to bear up under, but to take the hardest circumstance in your life and

to see God bring good out of it. That's the idea of perseverance. And God wants to use whatever it is that you're going through in your life right now, the affliction that you're going through in your life for you to not only persevere under, but to bring something beautiful out of it. After all, sometimes the greatest pressure produces the best results. And that's what God wants to do in you.

And so I would tell you, much like he is appreciative of you, I would tell you, much like he is appreciating the perseverance of these Thessalonian believers, I would encourage you, continue to persevere. I appreciate the perseverance that I'm seeing in some of your lives. I don't feel like I'm persevering. You're here, aren't you? You're continuing to go, aren't you?

You're still following Jesus, aren't you? Then you're persevering. And I can see it. And I can sense it. And I know it. Continue to persevere. But not only is it the idea of bearing up under. He says, not only do I see perseverance in the midst of affliction, but I also see faith. As you endure persecution and affliction, I can see your faith. The Amplified Bible translates that, firm faith.

And I appreciate that because it's the idea of being solidified. Nothing is going to change your faith. And that faith is spoken of in two different ideas. First of all, it is a faith that believes in God's unchanging nature. A faith that believes in God. A faith that believes in God's unchanging nature. Because the first thing that happens to us in the midst of affliction,

the first thing that happens to us in the midst of difficulty is what question? God, what did I do? God, how did you change? I thought you were like this. Why would you allow this into my life? Why would you allow this to happen? And we start asking those questions, right? And we think somehow God has changed in the midst of it. As a matter of fact, one of the greatest causes of people turning away

from the faith is affliction coming into their life and losing their perspective on God. And those questions continue to be asked and they feel like God is silent in their life. I'm here to tell you right now, God is not silent. God is moving in ways that you can't see. And God never changes. He's there. He's with you. If God brings you out of it and makes your life the most beautiful thing in the world,

God is good. But if God allows you to continue to have to endure the affliction, God is still good. Because faith says God doesn't change. And you need that firm faith. You say, Ryan, I'm struggling to have that faith right now. Well, the only way to build your faith is for God to teach you with His grace, right? You need more of God's grace in your life. Father, overflow me with your grace.

Father, fill me with your grace. Father, pour your grace into me. I need more of it. I don't just need cupfuls of it. I need bucketfuls of it. I need the fire hose to be released into me, Lord. Just give me more of your grace. You need to pray for that. Pray for God to pour that grace into you. But not only is it faith in God's unchanging nature, but it's faith in the Bible verse that I bet you have posted somewhere in your house.

And we know God causes all things to work together for good. To those who love God, those who are called according to His purpose. I don't always see it. As a matter of fact, there's a handful of things in my life that to this day, I don't know why God allowed it. There's a handful of things that I'm just like, Lord, I'm still waiting for a little more information on that one.

So if that's you, just know you're not alone. The guy up on the stage feels the exact same way. But I do know beyond a shadow of a doubt that because God's nature is unchanging, He works all things together. He works together for good. Whether we see it on this side of eternity or not. I'm always reminded of the story of Job, right? Like Job went through those major changes in his life.

Those major challenges. Those major tests in his life. He faced the test of the loss of his family. He faced the test of the loss of his wealth. He faced the test of the loss of his health. And then he faced the test of the loss of his friends who were falsely accusing him. And finally, as he continued to face those tests, he kept saying, God, why? Lord, what did I do?

God, why did you allow this into my life? And you know what God never said to him? This is why. Instead, what did God say? Gird up your loins like a man and answer some questions for me. And God reminded him of the unchanging, eternal, sovereign nature of the God that he was challenging. Of the God that he was questioning. And in the end, you know what the last thing that Job said was?

I've heard about you through the hearing of the ear. And now, now my eye sees you. And in all of it, you know what God never told Job? This is why I'm doing it. This is why I'm allowing it. But even though Job never saw why God allowed it on this side of eternity, he did see one thing. He saw God. And he saw him for who he truly was. And he said, it's not just somebody else's story that I'm telling anymore.

It's my story I'm telling now. Because I've really seen you. You see, that's what it means to have faith in the midst of affliction. And Paul says, I'm so appreciative of you guys. Because not only do you have a growing walk, not only do you have a growing love for each other, but you have had perseverance in faith in the midst of persecution and affliction.

And I praise and thank God for you. And so brothers and sisters, if that's you this morning, if you're facing some of those things, I want you to know that you're not alone. We've been going through this since the beginning of time. Since Eve took that crazy bite of the fruit, we've been dealing with hardship in life. But God has never changed. Amen? Let's all stand.

And if you'd bow with me. Father, we come to you now. And Lord, I thank you for who you are. Lord, for your unchanging nature. That you are the same yesterday, today, and forever. Lord, that you are always good. Father, that you are always love. Father, that you are always sovereign. There's nothing that comes about in life that takes you by surprise or catches you off guard.

Lord, you have already made a way. And so Father, for anyone here this morning that is battling with affliction. Lord, for anyone that's battling with those questions. Matter of fact, man, if that's you this morning, I'm not even going to open my eyes. I just want you to put your hand up. I just want you to put your hand up to God. I don't need to know who you are.

No one in this room needs to know who you are. God wants you to say, it's me. I'm the one battling with that. Life's hard. I'm struggling. And I need some grace in my life. And so Father, I pray for a fresh filling of your Holy Spirit. Father, for a fresh outpouring of your Holy Spirit on these lives of the people that have their hand up that are saying, God, it's just really hard right now.

And Lord, they need some perseverance. Father, their faith needs to grow. Their hearts need to be strengthened. They need to be taught what it looks like to walk with you in the hard times. And Lord, your grace does that. And so Father, move in their lives. Move in their hearts by the power of your Holy Spirit with the grace of God. And Father, be with us as we go out from here.

May your word continue to marinate deeply into who we are. Change the fabric of our being. And may we come out smelling just like you. In Jesus' name. Amen. Be blessed.

Oh, it's when I decrease to fill up my soul. What a joy, joy to hold. It's when you let your Holy Spirit go with us. Continue to minister to our hearts, Lord. And just help us to glorify you in all that we do, Lord. We love you, Father God. We praise you and we thank you in your precious and holy name. Amen. You guys have a wonderful week. God bless you.