1. Worthy of our Calling 2 Thessalonians 1: 1-12 pg 1095 August 25, 2013

2. INTRODUCTION

3. Learning from St. Paul  What we should pray for others  Discern what God is doing in this world and in the lives of people  Keeping the Big Picture of God’s redemptive purposes in mind

4. 1.a. The Circumstance in which Paul prayed.  2 Thess 1: 4-7: Believers in Thessalonica going through persecutions, afflictions and sufferings for their faith.  Gr. Thlipsis – pressure, trouble that inflicts distress, “squash”  The Thessalonica believers have exhibited tremendous faith and love, and yet at the same time facing tremendous pressures for their faith.  Difficulties does not mean something is wrong in the community. It might be that the community if doing what is right.

5. 1.a. The Circumstance in which Paul prayed.  New Testament – reality of living in this age of tension  Gal 1:4 – this present evil age

6. sin 1 st Coming of Jesus 2nd Coming of Jesus 6 BC-27 AD 2008? 2013 ? Disease Disasters Death Salvation Healing deliverance Comfort

7. 1. b. Basis of Paul’s prayer  V 6 God is Just.  Earl Palmer – “God will do what is right”  V 7 He will give relief  Leon Morris – “Slackening of a taut bow string.”  Opposite of Thlipsis is Rest.  God will one day Judge this world.

8. 1. b. Basis of Paul’s prayer  Karl Barth: “Judge …He is the man who creates order and restores what has been destroyed.”  My story of standing up for my son.  Leon Morris – “If the Universe is a moral universe we cannot think of sin as going unpunished. The sinner always hopes that he will escape any penalty for his sin; but because God is over all, this is utterly impossible.”

9. 1. b. Basis of Paul’s prayer  Psalms 34:19-The righteous may have many troubles, but the Lord delivers them from them all  Ps 37:39 The Salvation of the righteous comes from the Lord; he is their stronghold in the time of trouble.

10. 2. The content of Paul’s Prayer.  V11 “With this in mind…”  “To this end we pray…”  First: “God will make you worthy of his call” The message: Fit for what he's called you to be KJV: count you worthy of his calling  Second: “God will fulfill by his power every good resolve and work of faith”  Third: “So that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him.”

11. 2. The content of Paul’s Prayer.  2.a. V11 “God will make you worthy of his call”  This verse presupposes that every believer is called by God.  2 Thess 2:13-14 13 But we must always give thanks to God for you, brothers and sisters £ beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the first fruits £ for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and through belief in the truth. 14 For this purpose he called you through our proclamation of the good news, so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

12. 2. The content of Paul’s Prayer.  2.a. V11 “God will make you worthy of his call”  Made worthy – made fit, counted worthy, made suitable for God’s Kingdom.  God’s grace alone can make us worthy  The patient endurance of a believer authenticates his or her faith.

13. 2. The content of Paul’s Prayer.  2.b. V11 “By His power he may bring to fruition your every desire for goodness and your every deed prompted by faith.”  NRSV - God will fulfill by His power every good resolve and work of faith.  How we should live our lives in this age.  Example of William Carey – “Expect great things from God, and attempt great things for God”  We are saved by Grace to live godly lives that produce good works.

14. 2. The content of Paul’s Prayer.  2.c. V12 “so that…the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified…”  Name and Call  Our identification with Christ  Reflecting God’s character = bringing Glory to God.  Made worthy of the name we bear – the name of Christ.

15. 3. Learning from Paul’s prayer.  Pray with the Big Picture of God’s redemptive purposes in mind.  Christian prayer is not escapism – it is rooted in the reality of the sufferings of this world and also rooted in the reality of God’s everlasting Kingdom which one day will be fully realized on earth.  God can turn the suffering and misery of our world into the greatest good for His creation.

16. 3. Learning from Paul’s prayer.  Paul’s experience of suffering.  2 Cor 1 8 We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about the troubles we experienced in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired of life itself.  Yet His repeated motto in 2 Corinthians is “We do not lose heart”  Take a few moments to think of someone who needsthis prayer.

17. 3. Learning from Paul’s prayer.  2 Thess 1:11, 12  11 With this in mind, we constantly pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling, and that by his power he may bring to fruition your every desire for goodness and your every deed prompted by faith. 12 We pray this so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.