Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Evening Sermon Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/ev/ev19981122.htm

1 THESSALONIANS: HELPING CONVERTS FROM PAGANISM
Part IV: Discerning And Overcoming Angelic Conflict Discipling Barriers
(1 Thessalonians 2:17-3:13)
  1. Introduction
    1. When the believer tries to disciple another party, Satan often tries to obstruct the process with trials.
    2. To understand the conflict and how to overcome it, we review the discipling barrier Paul faced as follows:
  2. Discerning And Overcoming Angelic Conflict Discipling Barriers, 1 Thessalonians 2:17-3:13.
    1. Paul's missionary team entered Thessalonica and presented the Gospel, but great opposition arose from unbelieving Jews who were envious of Paul. That forced Paul's team to flee the c ity, Acts 17:1-10a.
    2. From Paul's epistle written to these Thessalonian believers as a follow up to his ministry, we know that Satan had worked repeatedly to obstruct the discipling effort as follows (1 Thessalonians 2:17-18; 3:5):
      1. Though Paul tried twice to return to Thessalonica, he said Satan had hindered the effort, 1 Thess. 2:17f
      2. Paul reported he was concerned that Satan would press the Thessalonians to give up their faith, 3:5.
      3. Thus, Satan tried to isolate the converts from Paul only to go after them and try to wreck their faith.
    3. Yet, Paul's epistle reveals defensive maneuvers he and his converts could take to offset Satan's efforts:
      1. Paul, as the teacher-discipler, could take the following steps:
        1. First, Paul reminded the Thessalonians that they were his reward as his making disciples of them was the crux of his whole ministry, 1 Thess. 2:19-20. Thus, his not returning to be with the disciples was not due to his loss of interest in them , but rather it was of the Devil.
        2. Second, Paul used the intermediary of Timothy to communicate with his new converts, 1 Th. 3:1-5.
        3. Third, Paul prayed for his disciples, asking God to counter Satan's work to destroy their faith, 3:9-11
      2. The Thessalonian converts, as Paul's disciples, could take the following steps:
        1. First, the new converts should note that since Paul had first given them the Gospel, his failure to do follow up with more teaching was not of his will, but of Satan's plan, 1 Thess. 2:17.
        2. Second, the new converts could recall Paul's past warnings of faith trials to explain what they were facing, 1 Thess. 3:4. This would cause them to adjust with greater faith instead of doubting Christ.
        3. Third, the new converts needed to begin to look to God for help in facing their trial. This process shifted their dependence away from Paul to Christ for strength, 1 Thess. 3:11-12, 13.
Lesson: SATAN wants to isolate the weaker disciple from the more mature teacher to harm the weaker disciple's faith. God counters by building a greater faith in the disciple!

Application: (1) As a DISCIPLER, we must be on the lookout for Satan's efforts to ALIENATE us from our DISCIPLE(S) and ADJUST. We should thus (a) tell our disciples of TRIALS of the FAITH for their LATER use, by (b) trying to communicate with our disciple(s) even by intermediaries once Satan creates the alientation, and by (c) praying for the disciple(s). (2) As the DISCIPLE, we must (a) recall the teacher's prior teachings relative to trials, and (b) note that the teacher's alientation is not his WISH, but a TRIAL against his will as is proved by our teacher's initial effort to teach us. (c) We must use the trial as a chance to trust GOD more.

Illustration: The deceased Dr. Jack Mitchell of MSB claimed in 1967 that ONE day we would find that the gift of tongues had to do with the JEW, for Jews were present with every event of tongues in Acts! In defense of the non-Charismatic view on th e gift, he dogmatically told us, "You mark my words on this!" Much later, in the 1980s, Renald Showers of PCB correctly wrote that Deut. 28:29 for JEWS marked the basis for the tongues gift, that thus the gift cannot operate apart from God's working with t he nation ISRAEL! Accordingly, my stand that the gift is not for our era in spite of today's strong Charismatic influence to the contrary is firmed up by recalling the PAST words of a godly but now inaccessible teacher! Recalling such teachers and their words can help us stay true in beliefs when under pressure to the contrary, 2 T im. 3:14!