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1 Thessalonians 2:17-20, But we, brethren, having been taken away from you for a short while-in person, not in spirit-were all the more eager with great desire to see your face. [18] For we wanted to come to you – I, Paul, more than once – and yet Satan hindered us. [19] For who is our hope or joy or crown of exultation? Is it not even you, in the presence of our Lord Jesus at His coming? [20] For you are our glory and joy.
Some churches are cold, formal, unwelcoming. In Revelation 2:4 Jesus evaluated the church in Ephesus like this: “You’ve left your first love.” Their Christianity was more form than life. Other churches are welcoming, loving, and excited about learning and growing and serving the Lord. They love the Lord and one another. The church in Thessalonica was the second kind. Paul considered it a model church in chapter 1, verse 7, “You became an example to all the churches in Macedonia and Achaia.” That’s pretty much all of Greece, down to Corinth. As Paul addresses them in these verses, he expresses his deep love for this church. Thomas Watson said, “A godly man is a lover of the saints.” That’s why I am calling this message, “For the Love of the Church.” Paul dearly missed them and longs to be back in their fellowship. What a model for all of us. Sunday is the best day of the week. We’ve mixed with the world all week and we can’t wait to get back with God’s people to see each other, talk with each other, worship our Lord together, pray together, and listen and learn God’s Word together. That should be our attitude toward the church. If we have to miss, it seems like an age until the next Sunday. And of course, it’s all because of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and His Spirit in our hearts.
As you know, Paul was constantly being attacked by enemies of the faith. And one of the reasons he wrote this section was to refute detractors, people who were slandering him and spreading the poisonous rumor that he didn’t come back to them because he was a fake, he didn’t really care about them. They accused him of deserting them when danger arose. So Paul writes to assure them of his deep love, how Satan kept him from returning, and then he pictures them with him when Jesus comes back for His church. So I’m dividing this section of verses 17-20 into three parts: his deep love for God’s people, his battle with Satan, his eagerness to stand with them at the Lord’s return. All of these are centered in his deep love for God’s people.
LOVE THE CHURCH – vv. 17-18a.
Listen as Paul expresses his sincere love and desire to be with them.
17 But we, brethren, having been taken away from you for a short while-in person, not in spirit-were all the more eager with great desire to see your face. 18a For we wanted to come to you – I, Paul, more than once.
William Hendriksen writes, “At this point, Paul’s style becomes intensely emotional; the very words seem to tremble.” You can immediately hear he is countering those slanderous attacks and he really cares about these new believers. He expresses his love for them by his strong, eager desire to see them face to face. This is the love and unity and tie that binds God’s people together in Christian love. This desire for fellowship is a great test of the health of the church and of the individual believer. Is Sunday the best day of your week?
Paul expresses his sorrow that he wasn’t able to get back with them with a unique word for the New Testament, “taken away.” It’s our word “orphaned.” Hiebert says, “Paul searched for a word to express his heart anguish.” He felt like he was orphaned from them. He adds “for a short while.” Paul is writing from Corinth located at the bottom of the Greek peninsula, where he spent a year and one half. Did he ever get back to Thessalonica? It will be in about five years.
Paul’s on his second missionary journey. He sets sail back to Syria, goes to Antioch, and then takes a team and heads out on his third missionary journey in Acts 18:23. He ignites a firestorm in Ephesus in Acts 19 by preaching Christ. Then in Acts 20 he heads up to Macedonia at the top of the Aegean Sea, where Philippi and Thessalonica are. He probably met with the Thessalonian church on this leg of the journey and also when he came back from Corinth.
Acts 20:1-4, After the uproar (in Ephesus) had ceased, Paul sent for the disciples, and when he had exhorted them and taken his leave of them, he left to go to Macedonia. [2] When he had gone through those districts (probably including Thessalonica) and had given them much exhortation, he came to Greece. [3] And there he spent three months, and when a plot was formed against him by the Jews (probably to assassinate him on the ship) as he was about to set sail for Syria, he decided to return through Macedonia. [4] And he was accompanied by Sopater of Berea, the son of Pyrrhus, and by Aristarchus and Secundus of the Thessalonians, and Gaius of Derbe, and Timothy, and Tychicus and Trophimus of Asia.
So Paul expresses his deep love for God’s people in Thessalonica. He’s with them in spirit, even if not in person. He tried to get back with them several times (vs.18), “We wanted to come to you – I, Paul, more than once.” This expresses the love of the church that every believer should have. The church isn’t just a club or an organization or a business. It’s the body of Christ. Paul describes the church like this.
Ephesians 4:15-16, but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ, [16] from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.
I know you all know this but let Paul’s loving heart bleed into your heart. As one author put it, “Our hearts in our people and our people in our hearts.” If you love Christ you’ll love His people. Paul described this love in Philippians 2.
Philippians 2:1-2, Therefore if there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion, [2] make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose.
What an amazing description of the love of God’s people for one another. This must be our heart’s attitude toward our fellow believers. Paul loved the church. I’m reminded of a soldier stationed in a foreign field writing back to his family or sweetheart expressing his intense love for them and desire to see them again. This is the love of the church but even deeper because our love has a spiritual foundation.
Paul was a great leader with a great heart expressing his loving loyalty to the church. Unhypocritical love and loyalty can’t be separated. MacArthur says in his book on leadership, “Leadership means motivating people to follow by loving loyalty. A wise leader cultivates loyalty by being loyal – to the Lord and His truth first, and to the people he leads.” Paul is the great loyal lover of Christ and his people. Do you have a growing love and loyalty to Christ and His people? Do you feel orphaned when you aren’t able to meet with the body? Paul loved the church.
PREPARE FOR BATTLE – vs. 18c, “We wanted to come, but Satan hindered us.”
Paul pins the blame for not being able to come up to Thessalonica directly on Satan. Satan hindered, impeded, thwarted, and prevented a visit. The word means to break up the road so you can’t travel. Armies did this to stop or slow down an advancing enemy. Peter uses this word hindered in 1 Peter 3:7, saying husbands are to understand and honor their wives so their prayers are not “blocked off.” Same word. God says to husbands don’t talk to Me until you start giving that lady some respect. Treat her with honor or your prayers are just hot air because God’s not listening.
Let’s dig into Satan’s work in the church. Satan tries to destroy the loving unity of good churches. He has a big bag of tricks that he has used through the ages. We don’t know what Satan did to hinder Paul, but we do know Paul was keenly aware that Satan is involved in the details of the Christian’s life. In 2 Corinthians 12:7 he said a thorn in the flesh was given him, a messenger of Satan to torment him. We don’t know what that thorn was, but it tormented Paul. We don’t want to get weird or superstitious about the devil, but he is real and hates God’s people. The moment you became a Christian you became a target of Satan. Satan loves to stir up anger – Ephesians 4:26-27. Satan promotes lies because he’s a liar and the father of lies – John 8:44. He is involved and active to stir up trouble in the church. In 2 Corinthians 2:11 Paul says we’re not ignorant of his schemes. One of his schemes is to tear up the unity of the church by bitterness and refusing to forgive an offender. He attacks marriages (1 Cor. 7:5), promotes false teaching (1 Tim. 4:1-3), loves to pump people up with pride (1 Tim. 3:6), and accuses God’s people (Rev. 12:10). Jesus said Satan would sift Peter like wheat (Luke 22:31). Sure enough, shortly after that Peter denied the Lord three times. Satan has a bag of tricks and a well-developed system of methods and schemes.
Ephesians 6:10-11, Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. [11] Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil.
Here’s the thing. Satan is real. Paul recognized his work to attack God’s people, the church, the preaching of the gospel. Satan can hinder legitimate Christian work and workers. Whether it’s the devil or just your own flesh getting in the way, be aware that if he can hinder the apostle Paul, he can hinder you and me. This is certainly why James 4:7-8 says “submit to God, resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He’ll draw near to you.” Peter assures us in 1 Peter 5:8-9, “Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for Christians to devour. But resist him, standing firm in the faith.” How do you resist the devil? You resist by drawing near to God and His word so you can be strong in your faith.
This is why Paul told us to put on the whole armor of God in Ephesians 6. We need it to resist and stand firm. That means you need to strap on the belt of truth first and foremost. God’s truth is your foundation. Then buckle on the breastplate of righteousness – not your righteousness but Christ’s righteousness. Satan will try to accuse you and you are helpless without a firm grip on justification by faith alone. Your puny good works won’t scare the devil but he can’t stand that perfect righteousness of Christ imputed to your account. Then you need the peace of the gospel, the assurance of your salvation to keep you standing firm. Lift high the shield of faith to quench Satan’s darts. Keep ready with the sword of the Spirit, which is God’s Word, the Bible. Make sure your helmet of salvation protects your head from ungodly thinking. Gird up the loins of your mind. Stay in the Word. Read it every day. Fill your head and heart with Scripture – it is your strength. Nathan told us those young men in 1 John 2:14 were strong. How? Because the word of God was in them and they overcame the evil one. Now is the time to determine to read the Bible every day. If you don’t know where to start, stop by the information table in the lobby and pick up the daily Bible reading schedule.
Again, Satan is real and hates God and His people. However, Luther was right, “The prince of darkness grim, we tremble not for him; his rage we can endure, for lo! His doom is sure. One little word shall fell him.” Remember how Jesus in the wilderness sent Satan reeling with three thrusts of the sword of the Spirit – “It is written, it is written, it is written.” Satan is real. We don’t blame our sins on the devil but we do wrestle against Satan and his demonic host. Plus, he’s the prince of the power of air and he is working in the sons of disobedience (Eph. 2:2). He strongly influences this anti-God world. John Phillips notes, “Certainly Satan has his hand in every governmental pie, either directly or through fallen angelic delegates.” As bizarre and totally insane as some of our policies are today, surely Satan is pushing them. Who can explain releasing murderers, rapists, child-traffickers, and drug dealers on the streets with little or no accountability? Abortion, all the gender confusion, attacks on the family, and all the crazy perverted immoralities are anti-God and must be promoted by the devil. Plus, 2 Thessalonians 2:9 says the Antichrist will come with the activity of Satan in powers, signs, and false wonders.
So let’s remember from our text, Satan does have the power to hinder and frustrate the work of Christ’s servants. Calvin said, “Whenever the ungodly cause us trouble, they are fighting under the banner of Satan and are his instruments for harassing us.” We all need to keep that sword of the Spirit well-honed to fight against the schemes and methods and, like the hymn says, “Each piece put on with prayer.” But don’t forget, Satan can do nothing unless God ordains it.
ANTICIPATE CHRIST’S RETURN – vv. 19-20.
1 Thessalonians 2:19-20, For who is our hope or joy or crown of exultation? Is it not even you, in the presence of our Lord Jesus at His coming? 20 For you are our glory and joy.
These verses tell us that Paul’s love for the church extends all the way to that amazing second coming. Paul was looking forward to Christ’s return with great enthusiasm. He didn’t know any more than we do when He will break through the blue, but it will be someday soon. Paul references Christ’s return in every chapter in 1 Thessalonians.
1:10, wait for His Son from heaven
2:19, the Lord at His coming
3:13, at the coming of the Lord Jesus with all His saints
4:16, the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout
5:23, Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely, and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
He’s coming, but what happens when He does? Paul has expressed his great love for the believers and here he adds when Christ returns, “in the very presence of Jesus at His coming.” Seeing all these believers is his hope and joy. It is Paul’s anticipation that they’ll be there. There’s no greater joy than knowing God somehow used your testimony, your witness, your influence in another person’s life to lead them to trust in Christ for their salvation. He repeats it in verse 20. They are his crown of exultation. Exultation means the exuberant expression of joyful feelings. What is Paul’s crown of unspeakable joy in Christ’s presence? All the people God gave him to bring to Christ and build them up in Christ.
Verse 20, “For you are our glory and joy!” Do you see Paul’s joy? One author wrote, “His joy in this world and glory in the next are tied up in the Thessalonians, whom Christ had used Paul so beautifully to convert out of that kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light and love.” What a day that will be when our Jesus we shall see. But we will also experience immense joy when we see with us the large circle of family, friends, brothers and sisters in Christ rejoicing in our Lord. The expectation of seeing fellow believers adds reality to the second coming! J. C. Ryle said in his sermon, The Great Gathering, “The gathering together of true Christians will be a meeting at which none shall be absent. The weakest lamb shall not be left behind in the wilderness.”
One of the wonderful things about our Lord’s return is that you will be flooded with joy and glory and exultation with the other people you have ministered to, those blessed with your love and your service. Nursery workers will rejoice to see some of those little sleepers, creepers, jeepers, and leapers there. “Hey, I took care of you while your mom and dad were listening to the word of God.” Love the church, your church, Christ’s church. Be alert to Satan’s wiles and schemes and resist them. Joyfully anticipate the coming of Christ to receive His church, a time when we will see Him face to face and be in His very presence with all His people.