blogONEBIGHOPE for the LONGHAUL
2 Thes. 3:1-5 [show] Finally, brothers, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may speed ahead and be honored, as happened among you, [2]and that we may be delivered from wicked and evil men. For not all have faith. [3]But the Lord is faithful. He will establish you and guard you against the evil one. [4]And we have confidence in the Lord about you, that you are doing and will do the things that we command. [5]May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God and to the steadfastness of Christ. (ESV)
2 urgencies for Christians:
- finding the lost
- keeping the found on course in their walk
5 key confidences you will need to have and act upon (to avoid walking away; main confidence is in the Lord):
- confidence in the language of God (v 1,2,5); PRAYER
- so you will reject the temptation to try and change things yourself because you have become impatient with prayer
- prayer forces you to throw persona control OUT, and take on God’s control
- prayer connects people to the ministry and action of mission
- prayer connects God to people of mission
- v1; “brothers pray for us”
- prayer invokes God into conflict with evil (v2); “delivered from”
- we are way in over our heads
- can’t talk with Him if you don’t PRAY; ESL (English as Second Language) vs PPL (Prayer as Primary Language)
- confidence in faithfulness of God (v3)
- so you will not try to make the mission and the people fo the way you think it/they should go or fight the foes in fleshly ways
- lack of faith can be root of all conflict
- confidence in faithfulness leads to confidence in prayer
- God will establish levels of interference and insulation between preachers, missionaries and the evil one(v2)
- God makes the mission go by causing people to do/grow/go (v3,4, 2 Cor 1:21 [show] [21]And it is God who establishes us with you in Christ, and has anointed us, (ESV))
- by our own means we will try to force things, inflict things etc. when given the chance
- confidence in the Message of the Lord
- so you will resist temptation to tamper with it to suit your desires or make it more attractive to an outsider (but have wrong message)
- Amos 8:11-12 [show] [11]"Behold, the days are coming," declares the Lord GOD,
"when I will send a famine on the land--
not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water,
but of hearing the words of the LORD.
[12]They shall wander from sea to sea,
and from north to east;
they shall run to and fro, to seek the word of the LORD,
but they shall not find it.; churches today are dropping from their faith
- Jer 14:14 [show] [14]And the LORD said to me: "The prophets are prophesying lies in my name. I did not send them, nor did I command them or speak to them. They are prophesying to you a lying vision, worthless divination, and the deceit of their own minds. (ESV), Jer 23:25 [show] [25]I have heard what the prophets have said who prophesy lies in my name, saying, 'I have dreamed, I have dreamed!' (ESV), Jer 27:15 [show] [15]I have not sent them, declares the LORD, but they are prophesying falsely in my name, with the result that I will drive you out and you will perish, you and the prophets who are prophesying to you." (ESV)
- we need a Deut 8:3 [show] [3]And he humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD. (ESV) conviction; we need both earthly bread and God’s bread
- to honour means I will commit to God’s Word as delivered even if it flies in the face of my immediate preferences/desires/opinions/sensitivities
- confidence in God’s love; to love Him and others (v5)
- remove obstacles blocking your heart
- have confidence in God’s love VS. trying to love Christ and others w/o having a clear and present conviction of God’s love for you
- if you can’t hold on to God’s love and love Him 100%, you cannot love anyone else as you love yourself
- the key to loving God with all your heart, and your neighbour as yourself is completely dependent on your co-operation with the work God wants to do in your heart to convince you of His love for you.
- God’s work is to clear the clutter (“direct”) you have been warehousing that obstructs your confidence in His love for you; the nagging doubts planted by tragic events/circumstances of life & evil interference (ie. divorce, loss of loved one, job loss etc.)
- PRESENT THESE TO GOD AND ASK FOR IS HELP; therapy/counseling/ignoring things can only go so far..
- Did you ever present it to the Lord?
- God’s work is to clear the clutter (“direct”) you have been warehousing that obstructs your confidence in His love for you; the nagging doubts planted by tragic events/circumstances of life & evil interference (ie. divorce, loss of loved one, job loss etc.)
- confidence in Christ’s perseverance
- so you will resist urge to manipulate your way out of tough situations God has allowe you to come under
- Jesus remained on path to crucifixion
- its easy for us to just walk away…
- ask for God’s perseverance; He’s choosing to build you, but not asking you to stay STUCK; wants you to grow
- so you will resist urge to manipulate your way out of tough situations God has allowe you to come under
BIGHOPE for LONGHAUL requires confidence in the Lord to deliver what you must have to make it. Which of these confidences are you missing?
