WEBVTT 00:01.290 --> 00:02.590 In the name of Jesus. 00:02.930 --> 00:03.870 Amen. 00:04.690 --> 00:09.840 The text is the reading from First Thessalonians, chapter three. 00:12.450 --> 00:16.270 Paul had a good reason to worry. 00:17.810 --> 00:24.110 There were some new Christians in Thessolonica but what would happen 00:24.180 --> 00:24.960 to them? 00:25.930 --> 00:31.974 The ministry that he and Silas had there was measured not in years, 00:32.092 --> 00:34.840 not even in months, but in weeks. 00:35.690 --> 00:41.100 He spent three weeks, three sabbaths in the synagogue, making the case 00:42.270 --> 00:48.554 that the Jesus who had died and rose from the dead was in fact the 00:48.592 --> 00:49.530 Messiah. 00:51.730 --> 00:58.960 Now, the brevity of his ministry there was not the product of some 00:59.570 --> 01:04.690 strategy or carefully planned aggressive church planting method. 01:05.349 --> 01:12.050 Don't read this narrative from the Book of Acts as prescription. 01:12.950 --> 01:20.950 And please, please, if you are called somewhere as a church planter, 01:21.610 --> 01:24.040 stay longer than three weeks. 01:27.630 --> 01:32.394 Yes, there were some in Thessalonica, quite a few actually, who had 01:32.432 --> 01:33.722 believed the message. 01:33.856 --> 01:38.570 A little cluster of brand new baby Jesus followers. 01:38.910 --> 01:46.362 But there just had not been time for what you might call thorough 01:46.506 --> 01:48.670 adult catechesis. 01:50.530 --> 01:52.320 Three weeks and change. 01:53.430 --> 01:55.378 And then the trouble broke out. 01:55.544 --> 02:00.210 Some of the Jews who would not acknowledge Jesus as the Messiah 02:00.950 --> 02:05.830 stirred up commotion that threatened to turn into a riot. 02:06.570 --> 02:11.942 Paul and Silas and the new believers were publicly charged with 02:11.996 --> 02:14.150 agitation and sedition. 02:15.850 --> 02:24.346 The charges were serious, but unproven bond was posted, but they had 02:24.368 --> 02:28.374 to get Paul and silas out of town before things got worse. 02:28.422 --> 02:30.060 So that was it. 02:32.030 --> 02:37.374 The apostolic ministry in Thessalonica was cut short when it had 02:37.412 --> 02:41.998 barely begun. Life 02:42.164 --> 02:45.870 and the mission went on for Silas and Barnabas 02:46.530 --> 02:47.834 for Paul and Silas. 02:47.882 --> 02:49.710 First stop Berea. 02:50.290 --> 02:53.486 Which turned out to be a fruitful opportunity, at least until the 02:53.508 --> 02:56.934 troublemakers from Thessalonica came there too. 02:57.132 --> 02:58.930 And then Paul went off to Athens. 03:00.650 --> 03:04.458 More preaching to do there and then to Corinth. 03:04.634 --> 03:07.520 He spent a whole year and a half there. 03:08.850 --> 03:14.254 Lots of opportunities, more people hearing and some believing in 03:14.292 --> 03:20.270 Jesus, but always further and further away from Thessalonica. 03:21.329 --> 03:26.774 Paul didn't forget about the new Christians there, even though his 03:26.812 --> 03:32.038 hasty departure in the dead of night had ended his work there before 03:32.124 --> 03:32.790 he was ready. 03:32.860 --> 03:34.440 Before they were ready. 03:37.920 --> 03:39.550 What had happened to them? 03:41.060 --> 03:43.360 What had happened to their faith? 03:44.260 --> 03:51.264 How could they be expected to hang on with so little preparation and 03:51.302 --> 03:54.100 surrounded by so much opposition? 03:55.400 --> 04:01.460 So, yes, he was worried about them and he had good reason to worry. 04:02.360 --> 04:08.920 So when he just couldn't stand it anymore, he sent young Timothy back 04:08.990 --> 04:13.050 to Thessalonica to check on them, to encourage them. 04:15.420 --> 04:22.635 Affliction, trouble, constant pressure against them and against the 04:22.658 --> 04:24.728 Jesus in whom they had trusted. 04:24.824 --> 04:29.824 Had it all just proved too much for brand new Christians still so 04:29.861 --> 04:31.280 young in their faith? 04:32.820 --> 04:38.704 Of course, Paul knew that the trouble, the pressure, the voices all 04:38.742 --> 04:43.584 around shouting against the good news and trying to smother their 04:43.622 --> 04:52.052 young faith in Jesus, all of that was really no surprise, for you 04:52.106 --> 04:57.850 yourselves know, he writes, that we are destined for this. 04:59.420 --> 05:04.904 He'd even told them so in the very brief time he had with them in 05:04.942 --> 05:05.528 person. 05:05.694 --> 05:10.750 Paul knew that and you know that too, right? 05:11.440 --> 05:14.140 Destined for affliction. 05:14.960 --> 05:20.210 That may sound like a strange way of speaking, but it just means that 05:20.900 --> 05:26.144 this affliction is definitely the way things are laid out. 05:26.342 --> 05:33.364 This is the way the deck is stacked. This is the rough grain of the 05:33.402 --> 05:35.539 world's twisted timber. 05:36.280 --> 05:39.940 In other words, trouble is normal. 05:41.960 --> 05:48.304 And yet, even though there was plenty of trouble back in Thessalonica, 05:48.352 --> 05:53.700 even though their adult instruction class was, shall we say, a few 05:53.770 --> 05:59.320 chief parts short of a whole catechism. Even though hostile enemies 05:59.480 --> 05:59.690 still 06:00.570 --> 06:04.250 talked trash about the believers and about their Lord. 06:04.330 --> 06:14.350 In spite of all that, Timothy brought back good news, young gelion. 06:16.050 --> 06:21.230 The believers were still well, believers. 06:21.970 --> 06:26.360 They still trusted the Jesus Paul had preached to them. 06:27.130 --> 06:29.560 It's kind of a miracle, isn't it? 06:30.730 --> 06:36.962 So much trouble, every kind of affliction, utterly inadequate 06:37.026 --> 06:37.886 preparation. 06:38.018 --> 06:43.130 And yet, nevertheless, their faith was still alive. 06:44.590 --> 06:49.190 Because their Lord is alive and he is faithful. 06:49.270 --> 06:54.174 His gospel word is always God's great 06:54.292 --> 07:04.562 nevertheless, I am a sinful man, but nevertheless, God saves me 07:04.616 --> 07:14.890 in Christ. My situation is hopeless, but nevertheless, God's promise 07:14.990 --> 07:16.200 gives me hope. 07:17.210 --> 07:24.390 He takes care of his people in spite of every kind of trouble. 07:25.610 --> 07:31.322 It's been that way from the beginning of the church, and it's still 07:31.376 --> 07:32.140 that way. 07:33.150 --> 07:37.420 There are two things you can count on. 07:38.670 --> 07:43.950 One, as followers of Jesus, you will run into trouble. 07:45.170 --> 07:52.560 And two, your Lord Jesus Christ will always be with you 07:52.950 --> 07:59.250 through it all. You have a lot more preparation 08:01.110 --> 08:07.414 even if you're in your first year at seminary. Even if you've just 08:07.452 --> 08:12.546 been confirmed in the Lutheran church, you have a lot more preparation 08:12.658 --> 08:15.400 in some ways than the Thessalonians had. 08:15.850 --> 08:23.002 But all that excellent instruction will not spare you from your share 08:23.135 --> 08:28.460 of the affliction we are all destined for. 08:30.289 --> 08:37.662 I don't suppose many of you have been charged with treason yet, or 08:37.716 --> 08:44.480 imprisoned, or forced to skip town in the middle of the night. 08:45.810 --> 08:51.390 But don't be surprised when things get really, really tough. 08:52.450 --> 08:54.800 That is par for the course. 08:56.890 --> 08:57.890 Smooth sailing. 09:00.090 --> 09:07.950 Days of peace and joy in ministry being loved and appreciated and 09:08.020 --> 09:11.070 supported by the people you serve. 09:11.650 --> 09:17.614 All that happens of course it's not all doom and gloom and then you 09:17.652 --> 09:19.870 die in ministry. 09:21.650 --> 09:31.110 But you need to understand that somewhere, sometime, somebody is 09:31.180 --> 09:35.400 just going to be mean to you for no good reason. 09:36.890 --> 09:41.050 And I'm not talking about those times when you will do or say 09:41.120 --> 09:44.406 something dumb and you get what you deserve. 09:44.438 --> 09:49.434 I'm talking about the times when you're doing the right thing and 09:49.472 --> 09:50.960 people are still mean. 09:53.010 --> 10:01.946 You'll get slandered on social media, malicious rumors will get spread 10:01.978 --> 10:02.560 around. 10:04.230 --> 10:10.414 Grumpy unhappy people will make grumpy unhappy speeches in voters 10:10.462 --> 10:11.170 meetings. 10:12.550 --> 10:22.120 You'll be disrespected, you'll be insulted and so will your family. 10:24.170 --> 10:31.354 When that stuff happens, it doesn't mean your ministry has failed or 10:31.392 --> 10:32.540 it's all over. 10:33.950 --> 10:44.394 It means it's situation normal all fouled up in this dark and twisted 10:44.442 --> 10:45.040 world. 10:46.690 --> 10:48.720 It's what we are destined for. 10:50.290 --> 10:52.830 Like master, like disciple. 10:53.750 --> 11:00.254 And because Jesus Christ was stretched out on the cross and nailed 11:00.302 --> 11:10.594 there to die to save you, your life of following Jesus is cross 11:10.642 --> 11:11.590 shaped. 11:14.170 --> 11:23.994 Jesus followers like the ones in Thessalonica react in amazing ways to 11:24.032 --> 11:25.340 trouble like that. 11:27.310 --> 11:33.680 We keep trusting Jesus, the Jesus who saves us. 11:34.370 --> 11:43.774 We encourage each other, we pray for each other, we learn to love each 11:43.812 --> 11:50.222 other a little more and to love other people too. 11:50.276 --> 11:54.686 Yeah, that includes even the twitter trolls and the alligators who 11:54.708 --> 11:57.110 makes make our lives miserable. 11:59.290 --> 11:59.940 That's the way 12:00.170 --> 12:07.294 the Lord works, still speaking his great, nevertheless to sustain our 12:07.332 --> 12:15.082 faith, to increase our love and to make us little flashes of reflected 12:15.146 --> 12:21.360 holiness in a dark, unloving, unholy world. 12:23.410 --> 12:29.302 You yourselves know that we are destined for that. God 12:29.356 --> 12:31.270 Grant it for Jesus sake. 12:31.770 --> 12:32.710 Amen. 12:33.210 --> 12:36.594 And now the peace of God which passes all understanding. 12:36.722 --> 12:39.830 Keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. 12:40.170 --> 12:40.610 Amen.