Sermons From First Thessalonians - What Is Our Hope, Glory, And Joy? (2:17-20)

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               "THE FIRST EPISTLE TO THE THESSALONIANS"

              What Is Our Hope, Glory, And Joy? (2:17-20)

INTRODUCTION

1. Soon after the church at Thessalonica was started, Paul was forced
   to leave...
   a. Unbelieving Jews had created problems for some of the members 
      - cf. Ac 17:5-9
   b. Paul and Silas had to be sent away by night - Ac 17:10

2. In his letter to the Thessalonians, Paul reflects upon their abrupt
   departure...
   a. How it created an eager desire to see them again - 1Th 2:17
   b. How Satan had hindered them from fulfilling that desire - 1 Th
      2:18
   c. Prompting him to ask the question:  "For what is our hope, or 
      joy, or crown of rejoicing?" - 1Th 2:19

3. We do well to ask ourselves the same question...
   a. What is our hope?  For what do we long with desire and 
      expectation?
   b. What is our joy?  What gives us true happiness and satisfaction?
   c. What is our crown of rejoicing?  What provides the highest degree
      of joy in our lives?
   -- Is our answer the same as Paul's?  Should it be?

[As we consider what our answer should be, let's examine more closely
our text and the answer Paul gave...]

I. PAUL'S HOPE, GLORY, AND JOY

   A. WE READ OF HIS DESIRE TO SEE THEM...
      1. He had been "taken away" from them - 1Th 2:17
         a. He is referring to his necessary departure - Ac 17:10
         b. He uses a word that implies a painful bereavement, like a 
            child taken away from his or her parents (Barnes)
      2. He had been away from their presence only "a short time" 
         - 1Th 2:17
         a. Exactly how long, we do not know
         b. Probably no more than a year, if not months
      3. He "endeavored more eagerly" to see them "with great desire" 
         - 1Th 2:17
         a. Note the repeated emphasis of his longing to see them
         b. His desire likely heightened by the manner in which he had
            to leave them

   B. WE LEARN WHAT PREVENTED HIM...
      1. He wanted to come to them "time and again" - 1Th 2:18
         a. Either from Berea or Athens
         b. But he was hindered 
      2. It was Satan who hindered him - 1Th 2:18
         a. He attributes the persecution by his fellow Jews to Satan
            1) It was the unbelieving Jews who were hounding him
            2) They were following him from place to place - Ac 
               17:5,13; cf. Ac 14:19
            3) They were possibly his "thorn in the flesh", "the 
               messenger of Satan" alluded to in another epistle - cf.
               2Co 12:7-10
         b. Satan was the ultimate source behind the persecution 
            suffered by the early church - cf. 1Pe 5:8-9; Re 2:10

   C. WE DISCOVER PAUL'S HOPE, GLORY, AND JOY...
      1. The Thessalonians were Paul's "hope", because he hoped to see
         them at the coming of the Lord - 1Th 2:19
      2. They were his "joy" or "crown of rejoicing", in anticipation
         of seeing them in the presence of Jesus - 1Th 2:19
      3. They were his "glory" and "joy" - not just in the future, but
         in the present as well - 1Th 2:20 ("you are our glory and 
         joy")

[Paul's hope, glory, and joy were his brethren in Christ, especially
those he had taught and brought to the Lord.  Not just the
Thessalonians, but others as well (cf. Php 4:1).  

And it works both ways:  At the coming of Christ, Paul would be the
source of joy for those he taught (cf. 2Co 1:14).  Now let's consider
what ought to be...]

II. OUR HOPE, GLORY, AND JOY

   A. FOR SOME CHRISTIANS, IT MAY BE...
      1. Their possessions
         a. Their hope is in the acquisition of material things
         b. Their glory (pride) is in what they have obtained
         c. Their joy (happiness) is in the pleasure such things give 
            them
         -- But such things are perishable and susceptible to theft, 
            they draw us away from God; therefore it is folly to have 
            them as our hope, glory and joy - cf. Mt 6:19-21,24; 1Jn 
            2:15-17
      2. Their jobs
         a. Their hope is in the advancement of their careers
         b. The glory (pride) is in how far they have come
         c. Their joy (happiness) is in the money, power, or prestige 
            they have obtained
         -- But our jobs and all that they bring can be fleeting 
            (especially in today's job market, with frequent downsizing
            and lack of company loyalty to employees); they shall one 
            day come to nought - cf. 2Pe 3:10
      3. Their families
         a. Their hope is what their families may become
         b. Their glory (pride) is what their families have become
         c. Their joy (happiness) is in the relationship they enjoy 
            with their families
         -- While certainly more noble (and rewarding) than possessions 
            or jobs, even our families are limited in the joys and 
            glory they can bring; death ends our relationship as 
            family, and if they are not Christians, what does that do 
            for our hope?  Cf. Mt 10:37; 12:46-50

   B. FOR ALL CHRISTIANS, WHAT IT SHOULD BE...
      1. Our hope should be to see each other in heaven!
         a. To see each other with Jesus in the presence of the Lord at 
            His coming
         b. What a wonderful occasion, what a glorious reunion!
      2. Our glory should be seeing each other in the presence of the 
         Lord!
         a. Serving the Lord faithfully now
         b. Being glorified together with Jesus when He comes - cf. 
            2Th 1:10-12
      3. Our joy should be the happiness coming from our working 
         together in the Lord!
         a. The joy experienced by John when he saw others walking in 
            the truth - 2Jn 4; 3Jn 3-4
         b. The joy Paul experienced when told of the faithfulness of 
            the Thessalonians - 1Th 3:6-9

CONCLUSION

1. Our hope, glory, and joy should be in that which is eternal...
   a. Otherwise we are setting ourselves up for eventual disappointment
   b. Our possessions, jobs, even families cannot provide true hope,
      glory and joy
      1) At best, what they offer is temporary
      2) At worst, they provide much disappointment, and draw us away 
         from God

2. Since much of our hope, glory, and joy, both now and in eternity, is
   through our brethren... 
   a. It is important that we nurture and strengthen our relationships
   b. It is imperative that we seek to bring others to Christ, 
      including those in our physical families
   -- Such effort not only brings us closer to each other, but to God,
      and produces that which lasts for eternity!

And then we shall truly be able to say to each other, "For you are our
glory and joy."  Can we say that now...?
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