How Do You Feel About the Church?
1 Thessalonians 2:17-3:13
Main Point: If I don’t love the church the way that Paul did, I am not properly preparing for the Lord’s return.
How did Paul come to love the church the way he did?
“In this connection I journeyed to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests. At midday, O king, I saw on the way a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, that shone around me and those who journeyed with me. And when we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew language, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’ And I said, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ And the Lord said, ‘I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. But rise and stand upon your feet, for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to appoint you as a servant and witness to the things in which you have seen me and to those in which I will appear to you, delivering you from your people and from the Gentiles—to whom I am sending you to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.” (Acts 26:12-18)
Here is the important takeaway: NOTHING about the church has changed one bit since the Damascus Road and Paul’s day. NOTHING. Her people are still as fumbling and frail as they have ever been. She totters along through history with fits and starts that leave us cringing and scratching our heads. She is socially awkward and stupidly blunt most of the time. But Jesus loves her and He is perfecting her and protecting her and preserving her for Himself. The day is coming when the Church shall be dazzling, second only to Jesus and the Godhead in her glory.
What did Paul’s love for the church prompt him to do?
He longed to be with them in person - 1 Thes 2:17; 3:10
He gave his best to secure their best - 1 Thes 3:2ff
He found his joy in their advancement -1 Thes 2:19, 3:8
How do we train ourselves to love the church like Paul did?
Fight to show up - stay connected.
Focus on promoting one another’s faith - stay engaged.
Pray for one another in full awareness of the coming of Christ - stay invested.
We are properly preparing for the Lord’s return when we are meaningfully connected with what matters most to Him, actively engaged in establishing and encouraging one another’s faith in Him, and deeply invested in what He gave Himself to secure as His own.
