Jesus Uses Christians Like Us in The Progress of The Gospel in The World:

You You You You You You You You You You You You You You You You You You Is authority in heaven and upon earth has been given to Jesus Christ and he's the one who is commanding us. We can be effective in the work of the gospel as a congregation and this text tells us two ways that Jesus Christ will use in our life as a local church to be effective in the world today and in the advance of the gospel. I want to point out these two ways. The first way is found in verses one and two and that is that Christ will use us in the work of the gospel here and around the world in a significant way by making us partners in the gospel through prayer. All of you have heard this missionaries come and speak at churches where they are trying to raise their support but they always say the most important thing to us is that you would pray for us and most of you think that is simply a marketing plan.

That's just a method of raising support that a guy can say it's not your money I'm after I want you to pray for me and worth thinking right. They want our support. No, the fact is every missionary worth is salt knows that the most valuable thing that we can do for them is to be partners with them in prayer. I can assure you of that that the missionaries that I know and have contact with on a fairly regular basis and here from almost weekly tell me again and again and again that what they want from us is for us to pray. For us to be partners in their work with them by knowing what's going on and praying for them. And notice how Paul puts it here. Paul is writing from Corinth and he's having a very difficult time.

Well, look at his second as he describes what was going on or Luke describes what was going on with Paul at Corinth when he wrote these words to the Thessalonikans. He was there in Corinth preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ doing the work of the kingdom and he was having some great obstacles thrown before him. And so as he ends this letter as he before he teaches them on this final thing he says to them, pray for us that the word of the Lord may spread rapidly and be glorified just as it does also with you and that we may be delivered from perverse and evil men for not all have faith. Notice what he says. He says to them, pray continually and that clearly the emphasis of this command. This is what's called a present imperative and if you were a Greek reading this you would get the message instantly that Paul is saying continually pray for us brothers.

Don't cease praying for us. It's kind of like letting someone down into a deep cave and you're holding the rope. Please keep holding the rope. Please keep inner seating for us. Please keep being partners through prayer in our ministry. But he also says by implication, pray passionately because notice he's going to tell them how to pray and it is concerning the word and the effect of the word but notice he says pray for us. You know you've heard people pray we make fun of this idea that people tack onto the end of their prayers and bless the missionaries. And of course that's no prayer at all is it? That's no prayer at all and Paul says I want you to pray for me for us. He could appeal to them to pray for him because they knew him and they knew what was going on in his life.

They were the fruit of his ministry in the gospel and so he tells them to intercede for him. First John chapter 3 verse 7 John admonishes believers not to in the King James it says do not shut up your bowels of compassion. What does he mean by that? He means don't refuse to be moved by the needs of others for whom you should pray. Allow yourself to be touched by what they are going through. Allow yourself to be touched by their needs. Put yourself in their shoes. Know what's going on in their lives and pray for them. Pray for everyone that you know that God's brought into your circle of influence, your life, your knowledge who are in the work of the gospel because they face the same kinds of things at the Apostle Paul face because notice what he says and this is the third thing.

Pray consistently continually, pray passionately, pray personally for us that is and finally pray strategically. They have significant needs that Paul is communicating to them, significant needs for the advance of the gospel. What has to happen for the gospel to continue to go out? Well that depends on where you're at but at heart it is these things that the Apostle Paul prays tells them to pray for. First of all he says pray that the word of the Lord will run and be glorified. That's quite literally what he says. He's using a metaphor here from the games from the races and the games and the stadium and he loves this metaphor. He uses it all the time. For example if you flip back to 1 Corinthians chapter 9 he uses this in regards to us that we are like those who are running a race in the stadium and there are certain things we have to do to be successful and he says in 1 Corinthians chapter 9 verse 24 do you not know that those who run a race all run but only one receives the prize running such a way that you may win and that's what Paul is saying here that the gospel would run in such a way that it is successful that it enters into the glory of winning the race is the idea and he says everyone who competes in the games exercises self control and all things they then do it to receive a perishable wreath, a staphonus but we an imperishable therefore I run in such a way as not without aim my box and such a way is not beating the air but I buff it my body that is not buffet by the way that is buff it my body and make it my slave less possibly after I have preached to others I myself should be disqualified.

Now Paul uses that metaphor here of running in a race we all run in a race as Christians but he's using this as a metaphor for the gospel of Jesus Christ he says pray that the gospel would run and be glorified that it would run and accomplish its purpose reach its goal accomplish what God has for it to do that the word of the Lord may continually be triumphant continually reaching its goal continually accomplishing its purposes in people's lives but what would it look like for this to be accomplished what would it look like for the gospel the word of the Lord to run and be triumphant how would we know when that is happening will Paul clarifies it here you notice this last expression in verse one just as literally just as it does also with you just as it is being that it is running and being triumphant among you look back to first desolonians one book back notice in chapter one verse five Paul says for our gospel he's writing back to them just months after they first came to faith in Jesus Christ he's been driven out of that city and he's writing to them because he's concerned about them and he can't get to them and he says in verse five of chapter one for our gospel did not come to you in word only but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction just as you know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake and you also became imitators of us and of the Lord how in the way you received the word of the Lord you see that having received the word in much tribulation great difficulty to believe the word in these circumstances because they were being threatened if you believe this message you're going to be cast out of the synagogue ostracized and even persecuted but he said you received the word in much tribulation with the joy of the Holy Spirit so that you became an example to all believers in Macedonian it'd be like saying you became examples of believers throughout the state of California for the word of the Lord is saffron you not only in Macedonian K.I but also in every place your faith toward God has gone forth so that we have no need to say anything for they themselves report about us here is the success of the gospel listen to this description what this how does how does it look what does it look like when the gospel runs and is triumphant listen to this description for they report about us what kind of reception we had with you that is when we brought the gospel to you and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God their lives were transformed they begin to serve a different God they begin to serve the true and living God and to wait for his son patiently wait for his son from heaven whom he raised in the dead that is Jesus who is delivering us from the wrath to come and then look at chapter 2 verse 13 and chapter 2 verse 13 he says and for this reason we also constantly thank God that when you receive from us the word of God's message when you receive the gospel the word of the Lord you accepted it not as the word of men but what it really is the word of God which also performs its work in you who believe you see that last expression there in that verse which performs its work in you who believe that's a biblical principle that is the power of the gospel that's the power of the word of the Lord it performs its work in those who believe as you believe this word is this word comes to you and you believe this word it performs its work in you and that's what Paul is saying that's what he wants them to pray for pray that the word would have the same effect in the lives of those of those we preach to and caress as it had in your lives and it continues to have you want to see the same effects in other communities he takes the gospel out and preaches it he's continually recognizing that the gospel it's that it's it's effect will be that people will see it's true worth and they will welcome it not as the word of men but as it truly is the word of God and they will experience its mighty work in their life is the word of God having a mighty work in your life I mean is it working its power in you well if it is it's because you're believing it and if it's not it's because you're not believing it it's simple as that it's true in my life and it's true in your life and what Paul is praying for is that the word of God as it goes out would run and be triumphant be successful as you pray for our missionaries as you pray for Nilo Sanchez as you pray for Tony Varella as you pray for Mark Christopher in South Africa and Dale Holland back in Uganda when you pray for them we try to get these newsletters out to you and these updates to you so you know what's going on you know the challenges they're facing we put them on our website if I get them to to Brent he puts them on the website and I have to get them to him but read those letters think about what's going on come to understand who these people are that we are in partnership with and pray for them that the gospel would be triumphant that it would run and be triumphant in Uganda next week a friend of mine an old friend of mine is coming a Robert Kaufman who just got back from Uganda a few months ago and I wanted him to come and preach to you and just share with you what God is doing in a place like that a hard place and yet God is doing miraculous things the word is is running and it is triumphant and we want to be partners in that we want to have a significant role in that and we primarily do that by being partners in prayer that's what we are supposed to do as we pray strategically is another thing that he mentions notice in verse two and that we may be delivered that we may be delivered that we may be set three saved from what from perverse and evil men for not all have faith now that is an understatement that Paul is making he does the same thing in first Thessalonians two they are not pleasing to the Lord no they're not pleasing to the Lord not all have faith not only do they not have faith but they are enmity against the God of the gospel and of those who carry this gospel throughout the world the word begins to run when it's preached Romans 10 says that you've got to hear it in order to be saved it has to fall in your ears well it may come through you're reading it but it's got to come to you and you have to understand it so the preacher is sent God sends preachers out that by that he means anybody who goes out and proclaims the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ he sends messengers out and they go into all the world and so the first step in the gospel running is men running how beautiful are the feet of how beautiful in the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news in other words what a beautiful thing it is for you to go and take the gospel wherever that is and so guess where Satan's opposition starts his opposition starts by throwing up obstacles in the path of those who go to preach the word you got to talk sometime to somebody who is serious about the preaching of the word and how Satan tries to stop that in their life in so many different ways so many obstacles and so the Apostle Paul as he faces so many things and you know in 2nd Corinthians as he recounts them it is overwhelming you've heard the list before and so Paul says pray for us that we'd be delivered from these perverse and evil men now you know there these are in conferences on those who would spread the gospel we have other kinds of incumbrances Hebrews chapter 12 says we should strip off the self-imposed incumbrances in our life that keep us from running the race but Paul's not talking about self-imposed incumbrances he's talking about those who are in opposition to the gospel and every person who goes into a into a place to proclaim the gospel where it's not gone before he is going to find opposition and notice who gives the opposition he describes them these opposers of the gospel now the way that he the expression that he uses here implies that the Thessalonians know who they are because Paul has talked to them about it before they are those who are posing him in Corinth and they're the same kind of people that oppose the gospel at Thessalonica it is these Jewish leaders who do not want to receive the gospel and they want everyone else to be kept from it as well and so he calls them perverse their perverse men that is that they are those who not only are unrighteous but they're capable of outrageous and harmful acts to those who take the gospel in Mindenau where Nino Nonilo Sanchez is now gone to start a church in the north part of Mindenau there have been pastors there or you know about the couple that have been kidnapped and are being held hostage there are others who've been harmed there's pastors there one pastor there in the group that Nino used to head head up was shot in the head in his living room these Islamic rebels came into the house walked over to this pastor's chair where he was sitting reading the Bible to his son put a gun to his head and blew his brains out because he was a creature of the gospel of Jesus Christ see there are perverse and evil men in the world who oppose the gospel evil men doesn't mean just that people are it isn't referring simply to the fact that they're evil it's much more than that not only are they corrupt but they want to corrupt everyone else they want to keep everyone else from this gospel they don't want it to spread those who are opposing Paul even as he writes this letter in fact listen to this turn back to Acts chapter 18 and listen to what Paul is facing as a minister of the gospel of Jesus Christ in Acts chapter 18 verse five you notice it says but when Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia Paul began devoting himself completely to the word he is at cur at Corinth at this point solemnly testifying to the Jews the Jesus was the Christ and when they resisted and blasphemed they hated this message he shook out his garments instead of them your blood is upon your own heads I am clean from now on I shall go to the Gentiles and sometimes we read this we need to understand what's going on here this isn't what we do when we walk out on the street and try to share the gospel with somebody and they're not interested we don't shake the dust from our garments and walk away and say you're your destinies in your own hands this has to do specifically with Paul preaching the gospel to Christ people he is the Messiah of Israel and they reject him and so Paul says I'm going to the Gentiles notice in verse 12 for but while Galio was pro council of the K.I the Jews with one accord rose up against Paul and brought him before the judgment scene saying this man persuades men to worship God contrary to the law here he is over a year in this city preaching the gospel and has brought him to the point where they now literally want to do away with him we have those that we are in partnership with that are in that very situation Donnie Verella has a church that he helped with in southern Mexico that was so severely persecuted by Roman Catholics they eventually murdered the pastor and hung him on a post in front of the church building instead if you get another pastor we'll do the same thing to him let's tell you that preachers of the gospel around the world face difficult times and so Paul says to them pray for us that we would be delivered from perverse and evil men for not all have faith he wanted to be delivered why do you want to be delivered you want to be delivered not so he'd be safe but so he'd be successful on the work of the gospel it possible Paul was ready to die at in fact he said it'd be better for me to go to heaven and do with Christ but what's more important is that God used me in the function of proclaiming the gospel so pray for me that I'd be delivered pray continuously passionately strategically what I mean by strategically is know what's going on understand what you're praying for Nilo Sanchez wrote me an email this past week what's been happening and he's been staying in touch with me over the last couple of months he's made this move when he first moved into the house that they purchased they were able to purchase in the northern end of Mendenau is that they found that everyone in the neighborhood totally rejected any effort he made to share the gospel with him he found no reception at all and they were quite disappointed in fact a little disillusioned and people prayed for them and prayed with him and as time has gone on things have changed if I listen to this he says the two Bible studies every week had been blessed by the Lord slowly but surely we can see God's hand working in the lives of people in this coming June 2nd will be our first worship service in the house five families will serve as core of this new church oh that God will bring us where he has prepared the hearts of the people he sent us to reach and he goes on to talk about this new mobile seminary that he's starting he's quite an innovative guy Nilo is a go-getter and he is starting a mobile school where he's going to travel around especially the Menden places in the Philippines and be there for two weeks and get theological training to pastors who've had no theological no biblical training at all except what they picked up as they have grown in the Christian life and some of those guys that I thought while I was there had been in the faith such a short time and it got to just fill their heart with a desire to proclaim the gospel we need to pray for these men in a strategic way need to know what's going on in their lives what their needs are we we're going to be sending some computers over to Nilo and he has some men there in strategic places that are leaders and trainers of other pastors to use in the work of the ministry we need to pray consistently and continually and strategically but notice the second way and this is the harder way in some ways although it's difficult to pray if I begin to harp on you about prayer I could make you all feel guilty and I would be feeling guilty in the process because we all know we don't pray enough and I was going to talk about it something else that they have to do that's very important if they're going to be a part of the work of the gospel here and around the world and the second way is by making us witnesses of the gospel through obedience you know sometimes when we think about the advance of the gospel what we would need to become in order really the effective in the gospel what brings comes to our minds are all kinds of things you know becoming a really win some person a real talker somebody who never has known a stranger somebody who is able to get out there and talk with people and yet notice what it is that Paul points to in regards to what he wants to see in their lives simple obedience and simply obedience now it's difficult obedience what he's going to command them in this last section of the book is difficult obedience because if I were to say to you I'd like five volunteers today to come forward after church and meet with me I want you to be a part of a team that's going to approve several unruly people in this church I doubt if I would get a volunteer and I probably wouldn't like the volunteers that I got when people like to do that something's wrong but that's what he's going to tell him he's going to command them going to give them a command and he wants their obedience the New Testament emphasis and is that the primary witness that God uses to advance the gospel is the witness of a local church the reason the apostles as they went out at the instruction of Jesus immediately planted churches almost amazing thing when you read the book of axe as these churches are planted within a period of weeks elders are appointed is that amazing you know why because the establishment of a church is one of the most effective ways to advance the gospel because it is our corporate witness that is so powerful it's our corporate witness as a church there's none of us here who don't have great weaknesses and gaps in our sanctification can I hear a name in we all have these huge gaps but the wonderful thing is that God has put us together we have some people here are very vocal very brave very bold in their witness for Christ some of you are very timid but we have a corporate witness that you are all without exception every believer as of who is a part of this church is a part of this corporate witness and so Paul wants them to have an effective corporate witness the reason we are so interested in supporting church planters is because we know that a church and established church is preaching the gospel a church that is practicing the ordinances biblically and a church that is practicing biblical discipline on itself is a church that will have a witness to those around them and all those who are exposed to them so a church which is characterized by obedience to Christ is a powerful witness for Christ why is that true John 118 says no one is seeing God at any time the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the father he half made him plain he has exposed to he is really is but then the same writer John says in first John using the same initial words in first John chapter 4 verse 12 no one has seen God at any time but if you love one another the love of God is perfected among you you know what he means by that if we love one another way crisis called us to love each other with biblical love God will be seen among us I don't mean a cloud of color fire I mean God's character the very person of Christ will be seen among us when we love one another the way that Christ is called us to love each other when the love of God is fulfilled in us what does that mean it's when God's love for us is brought to its goal which is for us to love God with all our heart soul mind and strength and to love our neighbors or so when that happens a church is a powerful witness for Jesus Christ as we read in 1st Thessalonians chapter 1 the word of God spread because of what God was doing in the lives of the church at Thessalonica obedient children reveal the true nature of their parents obedient children reveal the true nature of their parents I don't think rebellious children do but obedient children do if you instruct your child to shop lift that reveals your character if you instruct your children to be honest to no Christ to treat his people respectfully that reveals something about you and your character the same thing is true in the church the way that we live as a local church reveals the true character of God when we are living obediently and especially when that obedience is difficult that obedience is difficult and we obey because of who Christ is it reveals the character of Christ now I want you to notice something in the at the end of verse 2 in verse 2 he talks about these perverse and evil men for not all have faith and then we have this contrast but the Lord is full of faith not everyone in this world has faith but Christ is faithful Christ is faithful why do you say this because when we receive difficult instructions commandments from the word of God we are always reminded that Christ is faithful that he is faithful and Christ is the one who sustains us Christ is the one who empowers us to embrace and proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ if you have not embraced the gospel of Jesus Christ I want you to know that the only hope we have in you believing the gospel of Jesus Christ is the fact that Jesus Christ is faithful and if you have a difficulty obeying the voice of Christ as a believer if you are right now struggling with obedience to him the good news I have for you is the Christ is faithful to strengthen and protect you from the evil one you see what he says in verse 3 but the Lord is faithful and he will strengthen and protect you from the evil one and the word strengthen means to cause you to stand we need Christians who stand isn't it amazing how quickly we fall Paul says do not make provision make no provision for the flesh you have areas of temptation in your life no doubt and some of you make provision for the flesh it's almost as though that area is protected I know I'm going to give in to temptation in this area and I can't overcome it so I'm held in bondage to it that was what was going on in the church of Thessalonica there were those in the church you thought I'm too afraid I'm too terrified by what's going on in the world I'm too terrified by the Timter I can't work I'm just going to wait for Jesus and depend on you other Christians that they care of me what was wrong with them they were being held captive by the Timter the Timter had made them idlers refusing to work and their excuse was he's too scary this is in the scriptures called sloth a lot of times we think of slothfulness is just laziness but it's more than that in scripture in scripture sloth means you're so terrified by something that you're frozen in your tracks there was your afraid of life you don't have faith in God you don't have faith in the faithfulness of Christ and so you do nothing you won't move forward because you're afraid there's a lion in the street better stay in your bedroom the terrorists are loose we better hide in a corner amazed at Nilo moving from Manila where there is little danger of persecution right down to where the persecutors are why would he do such a thing because he knows they need the gospel and he's convinced that Christ will strengthen him against the onslaught of Satan given the ability to stand you want the ability to stand against Satan just mop in the floor up with you so that you have no confidence to be a witness for Christ because how sin controls your heart or that idol of your heart just completely keeps you from doing anything but thinking about your own hurts and pains keeps you turned inward instead of making you a vibrant powerful witness for Jesus Christ well the good news is that Jesus is faithful and he will strengthen you and notice he will protect you the word protect here was a military term it referred to an army garrisoning garrisoning about a city to protect it so it couldn't be broken into to guard to keep under watch to watch over Christ is able to watch over you he's able to give you the strength you need to live for Christ and be a witness for him a bold witness for Christ not just in speech but in your life the final session this letter he's going to give instructions that that many Christians find difficult to obey to approve these unruly but he tells them I have confidence in you you don't have to be frozen by fear Paul wants to communicate to those who must approve the unruly and the unruly themselves that he's going to instruct that Christ is faithful and he can be dependent upon to give them strength the efficient to resist his temptation and his obstacles his enticements notice something in this verse in these verses he says but the Lord is faithful and he will strengthen and protect the evil one he doesn't promise them deliverance from the persecution that's not what he's promising them what he's promising them is the presence of Christ the strength of Christ the protection of Christ Paul wrote in 1st 2nd Corinthians chapter 1 that about a time in his life when he was tempted and tested beyond his ability to bear it was so bad I disparate even of life I didn't think I was going to live through it why did God allow that to happen he said so that I would no longer trust in myself but in him who died and rose again on our behalf he did it to make sure that Paul knew where faith was to be placed it is to be placed in the living Christ I've discovered over the years I had a lady tell me once I've mentioned this before a time I a lady I've heard from in years it was a part of Valley Bible church and I've been gone from there probably 10 years she called me up out of the blue and she said I was just thinking about you and I wanted to call and see how you were doing I found out where you were and I said well I'm in the midst of the biggest trial of my life and I don't know what's going to happen to me oh she says I want to tell you what I've learned about trials what I've learned about trials is the older you get the closer they are together and the more severe they are and I said thank you isn't that isn't that helpful what is true it's true because the older you get in faith the more you need your faith refined he wants to take you to the next level he wants to teach you that you can trust him that he's faithful we don't have to be frozen by fear and then notice in verse 4 he says something so unusual you never already think and you're rarely here these kind of words in a typical evangelical church he says and we have confidence in the Lord concerning you that you are doing and will continue to do what we command he is encouraging their willing obedience to difficult commands and so he expresses his confidence in them now that's a novel idea isn't it I have confidence that you're going to obey that you're going to do what's right even though it's difficult why does he have such confidence if confidence is anchored in his confidence in Christ you know the reason I know every one of you believers in this room are going to persevere to the end because Jesus is going to persevere to the end there's no doubt about it if you have rested your faith in Jesus Christ if he is living in you he is going to persevere to the end and you will do that's why Paul has confidence in these Christians because in in them is Jesus Christ in union with them Christ is in them and he counteracts the weaknesses of our fallen human nature you know there's an interesting principle and scripture that I never thought until a friend of mine pointed out some years ago and that is the truth is God trusts you more than you trust him what I mean by that he has entrusted you with the most amazing things he's given you the Holy Spirit as a pledge he has entrusted you with the Holy Spirit the Spirit of adoption by which we cry out for Father now you could never interest anything to him that is that big could you you could never possibly trust God as much as he trusts you as entrusted you Paul says I have confidence that you're going to persevere in obedience and this is why we can be an effective witness in the community it's through obedience to the the commands of Jesus Christ and we know we can because Jesus Christ is faithful he's faithful don't miss this connecting idea Christ is really faithful and will surely protect them from the wiles of the devil Christ is going to protect him and that's why Paul can dare to express his faith in them and the unruly that he's going to confront even the unruly are going to no longer seek to excuse their idolists but they're going to be willing to work with their hands and share what they have with others the expression here I am confident is a perfect tense which means Paul says I remain confident in you I've seen the work of God I know Christ is living in you and therefore I know you will be obedient you may struggle you may struggle with disobedience but you will always come back to obedience amen has not happened to you you have seasons of disobedience and some of you have more cycles than others some of your are four strokes and some are two strokes but you have more cycles of the obedience disobedience but isn't it amazing you always come back to obedience why is that because Christ is faithful and even as John says even if you deny him he will not deny himself he's faithful he's going to finish his work in you and then notice in verse five and may the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the steadfastness of Christ that's a sweet verse and sometimes it's tempting to take a verse like that and put it on a little plaque and hang it up on your wall and totally miss the big picture here the great emphasis here Paul is not only confident he is realistic he knows the truth about fallen men he isn't he isn't surprised when we fail he's realistic and he knows that the Lord's help is absolutely indispensable you're going to persevere because the Lord's help is available so get the Lord's help ask the Lord to direct Paul ask the Lord to direct them into a fuller appreciation of God's love for them and Christ persecution on their behalf oh I got to tell you this is so different than what I grew up on what I grew up on is when preachers were trying to convince Christians to persevere in the faith it was full of warning about losing your salvation it was filled with anger over your sinfulness and your lack of maturity and your lack of growth brow beating hammering away I don't guide it came out of that same group and came to see the doctrines of grace and he wrote a song called God's got a great big hammer because that's the way it was notice what Paul says that will give you growth will give you growth what will give you endurance what will give you consistency is to go deeper into God's love what he means by this as Paul always means in his letters this expression is God's love for you you want to learn to persevere then you need to discover the love of God in a deeper and greater way you need to understand Romans chapter five verse five where the love of God has been gushed forth in our hearts by a spirit God is ever convincing us in fact in Ephesians chapter two verse seven he says he'll do this right all eternity you'll expand on our understanding of the greatness and magnitude of God's love for his people this is the key to being obedient especially when obedience is difficult it is the strongest possible motivation you can have in the Christian life is a growing awareness of God's love for you to understand the gospel for what it is it is the good news of what God has done not what you've done the gospel isn't that you have believed the gospel is that Christ God sent his son into the world to save us it is an expression it is a mighty demonstration of the great love of God for his people and so Paul says oh I pray that God would direct your hearts into the love of God that you would learn in a deeper more massive way I think when you come to understand the love of God the issue of can you lose your salvation just flies out the window God forsake his own God forsake of people for whom he sent his son to die in their place and then he says and into the endurance of Christ the endurance of Christ isn't that your biggest problem endurance isn't it I mean Sunday's pretty good you get together with Christians and we talk about Christ we sing these songs our hearts are warmed we feel pretty good I'm going to do it this week I'm going to be consistent this week I'm going to get in the word I'm going to start praying and then comes Monday and endurance is so difficult endurance means you continue on when there's pressure against you who put Monday you abide under the pressure and you continue to love God believe God obey God no matter what the circumstances of life are and what does he say he says we I pray that the Lord would lead you into a growing experience of Christ endurance the grip by these realities remember he endured the cross he despised the shame but he endured the cross he obeyed Christ the Father all the way to the point of his death on a cross it's like Keith Green wrote some years ago if I can remember the words he just left my head he rose from the dead and you can't even get out of bed he rose from the death for you and you find it hard to get out of bed and read his word isn't that true and so Paul says I want you to grow what your heart to be led into a deeper understanding and appreciation for the endurance of Christ Christ endured for you and he will empower you to endure for him when obedience to the commands of Christ are especially difficult our greatest need is a sense of God's love for us a reminder that Christ can give us an endurance adequate to face all the obstacles that the minute the enemy of the gospel can throw before us and even the obstacles of our own deceptive heart so the prayer the Paul gives you made the Lord Christ direct your hearts under the love of God and the endurance of Christ you know I've had some wonderful teachers that influenced my life I was thinking about this somewhere I've jotted down the name of several of them and notice every one of them has this title I went to five seminaries so I had a whole bunch of Dr.

David Miller Dr. H. Lever and Schaefer Dr. Feinberg Dr. Robert Thomas Dr. Edmund Clowney who's the president of Westminster similar Dr. Dennis Johnson Dr. John Gersoner Dr. J. Adams Dr. Joel Beaky these guys had some impact on my life do you want to know who bore witness to me in the most powerful way the new God used to bear the most powerful witness to me and cause me to turn to Christ by faith you know it is it's my mom and you know why she's not a doctor either you know why it was her obedience there was her obedience to Christ I saw it every day of my life I saw the struggles but I saw obedience even when it was really hard you know what will impact this community through you know Christ will impact this community through us it's not going to be campaigns it isn't there's a lot of good things we could do but it's not going to be those things we can advertise in four more phone books and ten more papers and we can do a whole lot of things we get a better preacher we can do a lot of things but I'm going to tell you the thing that Christ is going to use to in fact people through this church is our witness of being obedient to the Lord Jesus Christ even when it's difficult even when it brings pain to our hearts even when we want to do just the opposite but because of our love for Christ we bow the knee and obedience to him that's what Christ wants to do and in and through this church is what he has done what he wants to continue to do most powerful witness of this church is the way we love each other and we start getting flaky about that our witness gets weak I can tell you when people come around this church and they see people loving each other the way Christ has commanded us to love each other that witnesses to the reality of the gospel and the true character of Jesus Christ which is stand with me let's close and prayer our kind and loving Father we thank you for your patience with us and your manifest love for us we thank you that your love for us was so costly you would give up your own son in order to redeem us and set us free from everything that alienated us from you to bring us into intimate and close relationship with you and now we are your witnesses now we are your witnesses and I pray oh God that this local church that we would be an effective witness for Jesus Christ we pray that those that we are in partners with here and around the world that the gospel would run and be glorified and we pray that we do the same thing right here in our midst in our house fellowships in our Sunday school classes with the children in our other small groups in every way oh God we pray that we would be effective in the gospel and in the advance of the kingdom of God and help us I pray to obey your word to believe your promises to see the effects in us and through us we pray in Jesus name amen I just wanted to let you know there is a picnic tomorrow