Stand Firm
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1 Thessalonians 2:17-3:8
But, brothers and sisters, when we were orphaned by being separated from you for a short time (in person, not in thought), out of our intense longing we made every effort to see you. For we wanted to come to you—certainly I, Paul, did, again and again—but Satan blocked our way. For what is our hope, our joy, or the crown in which we will glory in the presence of our Lord Jesus when he comes? Is it not you? Indeed, you are our glory and joy.
So when we could stand it no longer, we thought it best to be left by ourselves in Athens. We sent Timothy, who is our brother and co-worker in God’s service in spreading the gospel of Christ, to strengthen and encourage you in your faith, so that no one would be unsettled by these trials. For you know quite well that we are destined for them. In fact, when we were with you, we kept telling you that we would be persecuted. And it turned out that way, as you well know. For this reason, when I could stand it no longer, I sent to find out about your faith. I was afraid that in some way the tempter had tempted you and that our labors might have been in vain.
But Timothy has just now come to us from you and has brought good news about your faith and love. He has told us that you always have pleasant memories of us and that you long to see us, just as we also long to see you. Therefore, brothers and sisters, in all our distress and persecution we were encouraged about you because of your faith. For now we really live, since you are standing firm in the Lord.
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This Sunday, Pastor Paul continued our sermon series in First Thessalonians. He taught how Scripture tells us that suffering and persecution are inevitable for Christ-followers. When we experience those times in our lives our response should mirror the Thessalonian church. We need to stand firm.
He outlined the passage in three sections:
-Paul’s Longing (1 Thess. 2:17-20)
-Timothy’s Sending (1 Thess. 3:1-5)
-The Report (1 Thess. 3:6-8)The opposite of standing firm:
‘be settled’ (Greek = Saino) : wag the tail, to wag the tail in order to flatter or perturb.
How did the Thessalonian Church stand firm? Through their faith, love, and hope.
They established their faith by believing and trusting the Words shared by the Apostle Paul, ‘… not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers.’ They stood together, loving one another, encouraging each other, and providing for one another’s needs. They focused on their future hope over their present trouble. Faith, love, and hope helped them to stand firm in the midst of persecution and a hostile culture. These three elements will help shape our own response and resilience in the world we currently live in.
Pastor Paul encouraged each of us to take the ‘Stand Firm’ challenge found below in the ‘Spiritual Practices’ section… read two verses each day about how we are to ‘stand firm’.
SPIRITUAL PRACTICES
Read Scripture:
Take the ‘Stand Firm’ challenge that Paul mentioned in his message.
Read these passages each day for the next 7 days:
STAND FIRM (Work produced by FAITH)
Day 1 — 1 Corinthians 16:13, Galatians 5:1
Day 2 — 2 Corinthians 1:24, I Peter 5:8-9
Day 3 — Philippians 1:27, Ephesians 6:10-13
STAND FIRM (Labor prompted by LOVE)
Day 4 — Matthew 24:12-13, Psalm 33:11
Day 5 — 1 Corinthians 15:58, Psalm 89:2
STAND FIRM (Endurance inspired by HOPE)
Day 6 — James 5:8, Proverbs 10:25
Day 7 — Matthew 10:22, 2 Corinthians 1:21-22
Memorize Scripture:
Together we are memorizing 1 Thessalonians 5:8
Here are a few wallpapers for this series.
Here's a helpful guide we put together for memorizing Scripture: https://faithe.org/memorize/
DISCUSSION GUIDE
Questions:
1) What is one word or phrase that they Holy Spirit highlighted for you during this teaching? Why?
Journal your thoughts and/or share this with someone else.
2) What areas in your life do you need to re-establish your footing and begin to stand firm? Share these with someone who can help you to stand firm.
3) Who will you stand firm with? If you don’t have these fellow followers of Jesus, fill out this form and we’ll connect you with a small group.
Prayer:
God, help me stand firm in the faith you have established within me and help me to encourage others in their faith. Search my heart. Show me where I’ve allowed my faith, love, and hope to be influenced, ‘wagged’, by culture instead of standing firm. Help me to stand firm even when it makes me unhappy, when it’s unpopular, and when it invites suffering into my life. Help me to stand firm.
Amen.
