Giving The Truth a Free Run

2 Thessalonians 3:1-5

As Paul brings his second Thessalonian letter to a close, he says, "Pray for us."

A) But Notice that he doesn’t say, "Pray for our programs." He doesn’t say, "Pray for our projects."

B) He says, "Pray for our preaching."

C) What are we to be about as a Church? – Proclaiming the truth’s of God’s word

1) Jesus Commissioned us – Feed my sheep – not entertain the goats

D) Pressure today to entertain the goats –

1) Advertise Church seminars on how we need to make our services more entertaining –

E) That is not what we are called to do - Called to preach and teach the Word!

So Paul says Pray that the word would run swiftly –

A) "Run swiftly" – Horses running thru a field – free

Swift – Horse in full gallop – glides

B) Or I picture water from a mighty river – going for miles – unhindered

C) Or LT on one of his amazing runs – untouched thru the defensive secondary

Run Swiftly = Let it go forth powerfully – unhindered – effective

A) That is the Lord’s desire for His word in this community / In this Church / Families / Lives

B) That is what He wants - For that to happen – here is your part! PRAY –

1) Pray that the word would be able to run swiftly in all those areas

C) Prayer is something that every believer can engage in.

1) . Every work of God must have prayer behind it if it is to succeed.

Last century, God did a mighty work in London thru a giant of the faith named Charles Haddon Spurgeon. A) Church sat 7,000 people – packed out several times each week. His sermons are studied to this day.

B) The story is told that one Sunday afternoon, a contingency of ministers came to the massive Metropolitan Tabernacle to observe him.

Assuming the stout man at the side of the building wearing bib overalls to be the janitor, they asked, "Sir, would you kindly show us the power plant of this huge structure?"

"Certainly," the man replied, leading them to the basement.

As he opened the door at the end of a hallway, the ministers expected to see a mighty furnace.

Instead, they saw over two hundred men on their knees praying on Sunday afternoon for the upcoming evening service.

"Prayer, gentlemen," he said, "is the power plant of the Metropolitan Tabernacle."

The man in the overalls was Spurgeon himself— and he knew where the power for that ministry came from.

Spurgeon realized that the key to his preaching was that there was a group of people committed to praying for the Ministry.

Now we don’t have a basement where people are praying – office – but I am so thankful that there are 100’s of you who are committed to praying for me and the ministry here at CCV daily.

 

We need it desperately – I know there are many many many of you who make it a part of your daily practice to pray for us – Please don’t stop –

There is power in Prayer and anything good that comes out of this ministry – starts there – the prayers of the saints!

Been said that great Pastors make for great congregations - I disagree –

I think that great congregations – make good Preachers and Pastors – Happens when those congregations Pray!

So Pray for us – specifically that the word would run swiftly –

A) That it be affective in our Church in our community – in our lives

B) PERSONAL APP: At what pace is the word moving in your life? {snail, turtle, rabbit?}

1) Is it moving freely swiftly – making an impact or is it being hindered?

C) Consider for a few minutes things that hinder the word in our lives

1) Neglect – when we are not giving time for the word – no opportunity to work

Contrast: Psalm 1:2-3

2 His delight is in the law of the LORD,

And in His law he meditates day and night.

3 He shall be like a tree

Planted by the rivers of water,

That brings forth its fruit in its season,

Whose leaf also shall not wither;

And whatever he does shall prosper.

Person who is in the Word is like that tree – Planted by water – Refreshed

DID YOU KNOW?
75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated.

In 37% of Americans, the thirst mechanism is so weak it is often mistaken for hunger.

Lack of water, is the #1 trigger of daytime fatigue.

A mere 2% drop in body water can trigger fuzzy short-term memory.

Drinking 5 glasses of water daily, decreases the risk of colon cancer by 45%, the risk of breast cancer by 79%, and the risk of bladder cancer by 50%

Just like water is essential for our physical health – so too the Word is the same way: Refreshed

A) But if we Neglect it – not going to happen – we don’t give it the opportunity to run swiftly in our lives


2) Unbelief:

A) The Book of Hebrews – talks about how the people of Israel missed out on God’s blessing – unbelief

B) God had so much in store for them as a people – they missed out – Didn’t believe - God’s word

Hosea 4:6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge,

 

3) Distractions – Parable of the Sower

A) Seed hindered by the distractions of this life

B) How many times God speaks – rush out – forget what he said –

1) Need to take the time to pray it in!

4) Lack of application

James 1:22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.

A) God’s word is meant to be put into practice – in fact that is when the Word is glorified

1) Because it has the power to transform a life when we allow it to – when we put it into practice

B) That is why I am so passionate about this – I know that when we apply the things we are studying

GOD CAN & WILL WORK MIGHTILY

C) Change this Church / Change our families / Change our marriages / Change our community

1) That is why we need to pray that the Word would run swiftly in all those areas

D) Promise you this: Until the day that I die or the Lord comes back – I will be faithful to teach the word

It is exciting to see the word transform the Lives of people that apply it

A) But what is discouraging is to watch people who neglect the word / don’t apply / get distracted

B) Watch their lives wither – watch them suffer in misery because they wouldn’t follow the Word

1) Watch them go thru struggles unnecessarily

Because – not in the Word – Word not running swiftly

Now another thing that can hinder the word from running swiftly in a community is people.

A) For that reason that Paul also asked for prayer v.2 "And that we may be delivered from unreasonable & wicked men; for not all have faith."

B) Pray that we would be delivered from those who seek to get in our way.

1) Whenever God’s word is making progress – Satan is going to seek to oppose it

C) We need to pray that – it would be guarded – God would remove those who stand in opposition.

D) Pray this week: Word run swiftly at Palomar

Vista / Rancho – Lincoln / Convalescent

1) Home groups

E) Jesus said in Revelation Church or Philadelphia

Revelation 3:8

"I know your works. See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it; for you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name.

Now at this point it is almost as if Paul anticipates that some would be discouraged

A) Just the thought of those who had opposed the work of God in Thessalonica – other areas ….

B) So in V. 3 – He reminds them – God is faithful

That is such a good thing to be reminded of!

Deut 7:9 "Therefore know that the LORD your God, He is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commandments

Hebrews 10:23

"Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful."

II Tim. 2:13 "If we are faithless, he will remain faithful, for he cannot disown himself."

2 Thess 3:3

3 But the Lord is faithful, who will establish you and guard you from the evil one.

1 Corinthians 10:13

13 No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.

God promised to keep Satan on a leash. He will not allow any temptation to become too great for us

 

 

 

Because Paul believes in the faithfulness of God he is able to say in v.4 –

4 And we have confidence in the Lord concerning you, both that you do and will do the things we command you.

Phil 1:6 being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;

Phil. 4:19 "My God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus."

ILL.- A young lady brought home her fiancé to meet her parents. After dinner, her mother tells her father to find out more about the young man. So he asks him, "What are your plans?"

The young man replied, "I am a Bible scholar." "A Bible scholar. Hmm. That’s admirable but what will you do to provide a house for my daughter to live in like she has been accustomed to?"

He says, "I will study and God will provide for us."
"And how will you buy her an engagement ring like she deserves?" He says, "I will concentrate on my studies and God will provide for us."

"And children?" asks her father. "How will you support any children you might have?" He says, "Don’t worry, sir, God will provide."

Later in the evening, the girl’s mother asks her husband, "Well, how did it go with the young man?" The father says, "HE HAS NO JOB AND NO PLANS, BUT THE GOOD NEWS IS HE THINKS I’M GOD."

Brethren, the real good news is that God is God and He is faithful in providing for us materially!

God will provide for our needs in life as we look to Him, seek His will and do what is right. And the text reads "needs," not "wants."

Now what Paul says here in v. 5 is really the key to all of this –

5 Now may the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the patience of Christ.

God’s work of establishing and guarding us is done, in part, through His appeal to our will in obeying His word.

God doesn’t just "pour" spiritual maturity and stability into

us. He works it in us through our cooperation with His will.

During the Olympics in Sydney, Australia, an Ethiopian runner won the marathon race. He was something of a new-comer to the marathon running scene. How was he able to win that race against so many fast and talented runners?

It was said that he trained at high altitude and competed in low altitude. Training in high altitude enabled him to run faster in the low altitude atmosphere.

And that’s the key to winning in this life! That’s the key to overcoming life’s difficulties! We must train in high altitude while competing in low altitude!

We train in high altitude - meaning we spend time with the Lord, in His presence in order to live in low altitude! Jesus did that very same thing!

What is our motivation for such training? – The Love of God and the hope of Christ coming!

 

Love for the Lord makes it easier to wait on the Lord

If I love the Lord and can’t wait to see him it makes it easier to be patient and wait on the Lord

But if my motivation is just to get out of this world if it is to just escape – because life is hard etc this place stinks – not going to be very patient or prone to hang in there

I will be more prone to jump at the first opportunity to make my immediate situation better

But when love for the Lord is the Motivator – I want the word to run swiftly - - I love him and trust him and his word in my life

Everything stems from and is a by product of my love for the Lord

More I study the word – get into the word – the more I give the word the opportunity to have its way in my life.