How does a wife and mother go on after her husband and father of their children pass away? What helps in those days of discouragement where all seems hopeless and it seems everything has been destroyed? How do others who face different, but equally difficult circumstances move forward? This answer is encouragement. When we as individuals and the corporate church together walk faithfully with Christ, we produce encouragement to those around us and specifically to our shepherds that God has appointed to watch over our souls. By studying Thessalonians, we see a great example of a church encouraging its shepherd.
After spending just over three weeks with the Thessalonians, Paul, Silas and Timothy were forced to leave by an angry mob that rejected both Christ and the gospel (Acts 17:5-8). As a result, Paul, who previously expressed himself as their (spiritual) father (1 Thessalonians 2:11), had no way of knowing how this church was doing. Because of the strong bond that Paul felt with them, the suddenness of this separation and the regular persecution this church was facing, it is no surprise that Paul would have a heavy heart for this family of believers; thus, Paul sent his faithful servant Timothy to check on them (1 Thessalonians 3:5). Can you imagine the joy and the encouragement Paul felt when he received the good report from Timothy? This joy is perfectly captured in the following verses that Paul wrote: “But now that Timothy has come to us from you, and has brought us the good news of your faith and love and reported that you always remember us kindly and long to see us, as we long to see you— for this reason, brothers, in all our distress and affliction we have been comforted about you through your faith. For now we live, if you are standing fast in the Lord” (I Thessalonians 3:6-8). Obviously, Paul the Shepherd was greatly encouraged by his sheep! In fact, he was so encouraged that he used the term “good news” in response. This is the only place in the New Testament where this term is used in this context.
So, why was Paul so encouraged? Three reasons:
1. They had a heart characterized by faith that gladly submitted to God’s Word. As the following verses indicate, this faith and devotion to the word was so strong that these believers were transformed from being pagans to now being children of God: “And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you received the word in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit, so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. For not only has the word of the Lord sounded forth from you in Macedonia and Achaia, but your faith in God has gone forth everywhere, so that we need not say anything. For they themselves report concerning us the kind of reception we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come” (I Thessalonians 1:2-10).
2. They had a heart that characterized love for one another. “Now concerning brotherly love you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another, for that indeed is what you are doing to all the brothers throughout Macedonia. But we urge you, brothers, to do this more and more” (I Thessalonians 4:9-10).
3. They had a heart that characterized loyalty to Paul and the Gospel. Paul was encouraged that the propaganda to distort his character and the character of the Gospel was rejected by this young church plant. Instead, this church responded to the time with Paul with both a remembrance of joy and an eager longing for a reunion with the father of their faith (1 Thessalonians 3:6).
Grace Life, can these truths be said of us as a corporate body? How about you as an individual? Has God done a transformation in your heart through the Gospel? Do you have a faith towards God, a love for one another, and a loyalty to your leaders in the local church? Do you have a deep desire to be with people of faith to both encourage them and receive encouragement yourself? If so, your faithfulness to God and love for one another will encourage the shepherd!
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