Thank you for taking the time to listen to one of the recent sermons preached at Wilton Baptist Church. It is our desire as a church to strive together in building a faith, family, and future that honors and glorifies our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. If we can be a help to you in any way, please visit our website at wiltonbaptistchurch.com. A wonderful truth there. Amen. 1 Thessalonians chapter 2, is our scripture passage for today. Hope you have your Bible with you, 1 Thessalonians 2. Last time we opened up to 1 Thessalonians 1. So we're gonna continue going through this book and continuing our study about hope as well, hope in God. What are the purpose or purposes of relationships? That's what I hope to answer today in this message. If you've looked around, you'll note that it seems like a lot of people are angry. At least if you look at the news, a lot of people are upset about this, that, or the other. A lot of attention, at least, is being portrayed in the mainstream media. I don't know if it's true or not. I don't know how many Nazis or white supremacists, some people say maybe there's 6,000. If there's 6,000 in these United States, that's 6,000 out of 326 million. That doesn't sound like very many. If that's really the case, I don't know. I was watching with Natalie recently the recent 2020 episode on ABC about these riots and things that's happening. And if you look at it carefully, it looks like the same people travel around from city to city and kind of create flashpoints on the map. just, it looked like the same people who were the ones who were actually fighting. I don't know if it's the same people getting injured each time. I don't know, I would stop going to the rally if that was me, but that's just, that just is something that I've observed. Some people do have the time to travel and to riot every week, and I guess they have too much time on their hands, I don't know. If you're busy holding down a job, you probably don't have time travel from state to state to create a flashpoint. We're gonna talk about relationships in particular here this morning. Benjamin Franklin said, do good to your friend to keep him, do good to your enemy to gain him. Another person said, don't expect your neighbor to be better than your neighbor's neighbor. That'd be yourself. Everyone knows how to say goodbye, but not everyone knows when. Maybe you have a lot of people over at your house. Another great statement is this, fear that man who fears not God. I believe truly that's the problem with these riots and problems that we're having in America is that people don't fear God. If you don't respect God, if you don't have a fear for God, how can you respect another person? in a true biblical sense. And I like this final statement, then, a loving person lives in a loving world. A hostile person lives in a hostile world. Everyone you meet is your mirror. Good thought. The Bible says for us as Christians that our mirror is the Word of God, the mirror of the Word of God. James 1.23-24, For if any man be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is likened to a man beholding his natural face in a glass. For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. I was looking in social media and one person said something like, I don't know if the tension is really as escalated as the media wants you to know, but maybe we should put our devices down and go across the street and just talk to our neighbors face to face. That would be a good way to connect to somebody. What's the purpose of our relationships? Now, as we look at this book, the book of 1 Thessalonians, it's a great book about prophecy. We understood that last week. We had a message about how to wait for the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. That was last Sunday from chapter 1. In chapter 4 and chapter 5, we mentioned there's a lot of prophecy. We'll find at the end of our chapter here today, there'll be some prophecy that's mentioned there as well. We're going to learn about how to get along with other people in this context, if we're waiting for Jesus Christ to come for us, what should we do while we're waiting? How can we interact with one another as Christians? How can we interact with those around us that are our acquaintances and our friends? Now some of these Christians who Paul was writing to, he had met them face to face, he had traveled through, he had spent three weeks preaching the gospel of them, he went to the synagogue, and some of those people believe, we'll look at that passage in Acts 17 in just a little bit. And as Paul and Silas and Timothy, they're giving this greeting in chapter 1, Paul continues this message to these believers, many of them whom he knew personally, and they had some questions. He answers those questions in this book. Where is Paul? Does Paul still love us? Paul would have loved to have come back to visit them again and to see them. He does eventually, but he tried time and time again, but Satan hindered him. For whatever reason, he wasn't able to come. And some of the believers were wondering, does Paul still love us? Why hasn't he come? Whereas Jesus is another question that's answered. What happens when we die? By the time you get to chapter 4, what happens when a loved one dies? They live just like we. We all know someone who's passed away. And they wondered what happened to their soul. Their body's right there, but what happened to them once their body gave up the ghost, if you would? Did they go to heaven? Did they go to hell? Then another question, what is the day of the Lord? And what do we do now? So with these questions that they were asking, Paul gives them this address in chapter 2, this letter. He would have loved to have gone there in person to tell them this in person, but he writes it to them and says in chapter 2, this is how you get along and this is how you serve together as a local church as believers in Christ. So we'll ask and answer this question, what's the purpose of relationships? Why does God give us the ability and the responsibility to have friendships? to establish relationships with other people. I mean, what's the purpose of having parties and social events? Why should I interact with people at church? Sometimes we have church people friends, and sometimes we have other people friends, and other times we have work people friends, and these are the kids that my kids play with, and so my kids' friends, and I mean, we have all these different, areas and venues, if you would, of these are our relationships. But what's the purpose of any of those relationships? We'll find a purpose. Look at the last two verses of chapter two, then we'll unpack the whole chapter here, but look at this. Paul says in verse 18, I would have come unto you, even I, Paul, once and again, but Satan hindered us. I would have loved to come in person. Here's what he says in the next verse. For what is our hope or joy, or crown of rejoicing, are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming. Paul said the whole purpose of my relationship with you and with anybody is that you would be in the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. I would suggest to you this idea this morning that the purpose of our relationships is this, is to help the other person get closer to Jesus. That's what it's about. It could be that they get closer to Christ by being saved. You need to know the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior. It could be that they're a Christian then, they've been baptized perhaps, maybe they're a church member. The reason I have a relationship, a friendship, a fellowship with them is not what I can get out of it or what can they do for me, but how can I encourage them to take their next step to be closer to the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul said, what I glory in and what I joy in is that you will be in the presence of Christ when he comes for us at his coming. For ye are our glory and joy. Paul, Timothy, and Silas, they looked at these believers and they were thinking and praying about them. They thought, what a blessing it is that when Christ comes for us, they'll be there as well. and they look at their relationship and their friendships towards them as bringing them closer to God. The purpose of your relationship with anybody should be to bring them closer to Jesus. It's true for you, it's true for me as well. Ask yourself this question, is my relationship, my friendship, my acquaintance with other people bringing them closer to God? With that question in mind, let's ask the Lord's blessing on this study today. Father, we thank you for this passage. And as we examine this chapter, we pray that you would teach us your word. We ask that your Holy Spirit would move and work in each person's heart and life, that we would be soft and tender to your leading and your teaching about relationships Let these truths be true in our lives as we leave this place today. I thank you for each friend, each guest, each church member, each Christian that's here. We ask that you'd help us all to take whatever it is that the next spiritual step would be. Bless now this message, we ask for your help in it, in Jesus' name, amen. So what should we do then with our relationships? Notice at the beginning of the chapter, we find the purpose of relationships is to bring people closer to God, and he begins with this idea of what to believe. If we're going to bring people closer to the Lord Jesus Christ, we need to be able to express, like Paul did, what to believe. Verse one, for yourselves, brethren, know our entrance in unto you, that it was not in vain. It wasn't empty or worthless or useless. There was a reason about it. But even after that we had suffered before and were shamefully entreated, as you know, at Philippi, we were bold in our God to speak unto you the gospel of God with much contention. For our exhortation was not of deceit, nor of uncleanness, nor in guile. But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God, which trieth our hearts. What to believe? We are to believe the gospel. We should encourage those around us to believe the gospel. Paul spent three weeks in Thessalonica, that's it. and on his first missionary journey. It was actually his second missionary journey, but his first time there in Thessalonia. And look in Acts 17, if you would. Just turn back a few pages to the book of Acts, and we'll find the account of the first time that Paul went to Thessalonica. And when he arrived, he started to preach and to teach and to declare the Word of God, to tell them about the resurrected Lord, the Messiah, Jesus the Christ. And some of these people believe, notice what happens in verse 1, chapter 17 of the book of Acts. Now when they had passed through Amphilus in Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica. So they're traveling, if you were to look at it on a map, they're traveling west. where there was a synagogue of the Jews. And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three Sabbath days, that would be Saturday back then, or Sabbath days, reasoned with them out of the Scriptures, opening and alleging that Christ must needs have suffered and risen again from the dead. and that his Jesus, or this Jesus, whom I preach unto you is Christ. And some of them believed and consorted with Paul and Silas. These would become the first church members. And of the devout Greeks, a great multitude. So a lot of Greeks are Gentiles. And of the chief women, not a few. There were several women, chief women. They were women in society. They were women with businesses and things like that. A lot of them, not a few, but a lot of them is what it says. Verse 5, but the Jews, which believed not, moved with envy, took unto them certain lewd fellows of the baser sort. That is, not the guys that you want your daughter to marry. Certain lewd fellows of the baser sort. Just watch out for characters like that. and gathered a company, and set all the city in an uproar, and assaulted the house of Jason, and sought to bring them out to the people." It kind of sounds like things happening today. I mean, there's a little riot going on. And when they found them not, they drew Jason and certain brethren unto the rulers of the city, crying, These that have turned the world upside down are come hither also, whom Jason hath received. And these all do contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying, There is another king, one Jesus. And they troubled the people and the rulers of the city when they heard these things. And when they had taken security of Jason and of the other, they let them go." Kind of like paying money to get out of jail or paying money to release. Maybe extortion is another word that we could use for that. Well, they were believing the gospel. Those there who believed, they believed the gospel. The gospel is truth. The death, burial, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. They believed it. Some believed. Some believed in the gospel, the resurrection. Jesus Christ is alive. He was alive then. He's alive today. And I challenge each of you today that's listening to this message, if you have not had a singular moment in your life, where you expressed faith in Jesus Christ for your salvation, that you would do so today. To believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. I'm not trusting in works, being a good person, being religious, being baptized, taking a sacrament, taking an ordinance, or giving money to the church, or becoming a church member. That's not how a person is born again. It's by believing in the death, burial, and resurrection. Jesus paid on the cross. He paid for your sin. and He paid for mine. And He died on the cross after shedding His blood. And then he rose again three days later. And for a person to be saved, they believe in the gospel. They say, yes, I am a sinner. I am sorry for my sin. I repent of my sin of unbelief. I'm no longer choosing to believe in idols or in being good or good works or being religious. I am choosing Jesus and I am believing on what he did on the cross. Jesus, I know that you're alive. I believe it. Would you please forgive me my sin and save my soul. The Bible tells us that when a person trusts the Lord Jesus Christ, they express it to God in prayer. They express that belief to God in prayer. A transaction takes place. I am saying no to my sin and my religion and my good works for salvation because I know that my goodness, all my righteousness, the Bible says, are as filthy rags. And I'm saying yes to the righteousness of Jesus. That's the only way for me to be saved. It's through the Lord Jesus Christ. I'm believing in what he did. I can't earn it. I can't work for it. He paid the entire price. Now, when Paul went into the synagogue there in Thessalonica, some, the Bible says some, of those people believed. As you continue to read that verse, it sounds like a lot of people chose Jesus Christ as their personal Savior. Do you have a definite moment of salvation in your life? If you have any hesitation or doubt about it, get that settled today. We'll give you an opportunity near the end of the service. Get that settled today. We want to help you with that. Some believe, but the sad news is some people did not believe. Paul was run out of town. Now, isn't it interesting that the human spirit is exactly the same today? Notice what those people were doing in their riots, and what they were doing as well. Those who reject truth, here's their response. It's almost what we could call a universal response. When people reject truth, They get angry. They get ugly about it. And notice, these are four words that are used, or three words that are used here in this passage. There's an uproar. There's an assault against Jason and his house. There's a trouble. The people are troubled. And then he pays something to get out or to let these people released. We would use the term extortion for that today, or like a payoff or something that was going on. So some people did not believe. They did not just reject Paul. Listen, they rejected Jesus. They rejected the Word of God. They rejected the God of the Bible. And so what to believe is something that should be part of our relationships. Number two, how to behave. How to behave, verses 5 through 12, tell us that. back in our passage in 1 Thessalonians 2. Notice verse five, for neither at any time used we flattering words as ye know, nor a cloak of courageousness God has witnessed, nor of men sought we glory, neither of you, nor yet of others, when we might have been burdensome as the apostles of Christ. But we were gentle among you, even as a nurse cherished her children, so For ye remember, brethren, our labor and travail, for laboring night and day, because we would not be chargeable unto any of you, we preached unto you the gospel of God. Ye are witnesses in God also, how wholly and justly and unblameably we behaved ourselves among you that believe, as ye know how we exhorted and comforted and charged every one of you as a father doth his children. that ye would walk worthy of God, who hath called you unto his kingdom and glory. For this cause also we thank God without ceasing, because when ye received the word of God, which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe. Now, Paul was saying something, especially in verses four through eight, that we need to know as well. When we try to persuade people, we could be tempted to alter our position just enough to make the Bible message more palatable. Maybe some people use flattery or praise, but Paul never changes his message to make it more acceptable. We find him tailoring methods to each audience, but he never changes The message. The truth sometimes hurts. Now, we should gently share the truth. We should carefully and lovingly share the truth. But the message always remains the same. The gospel must never be compromised. Now, when it comes to relationships and friendships, pastors and preachers are to be the friends of everyone. and we should be friendly with everyone in the congregation. A pastor must be careful not to be, and I'll use maybe a junior high term, best friends with one person or one family to the neglect of everybody else in the flock. He should be careful of that. Now, I'll gladly share my time with you, time permitting, so long as I can also share it with other people. Does that make sense? I don't want to as a pastor, and pastors and preachers don't want it to seem like, well, they like this one more than others. The goal was to bring each person, each person closer to Christ, myself included. That should be the goal in all of our relationships. And that's what Paul is saying in verses four through eight. I'm not going to change the message. And we're going to be friends with each of you and be gentle. Notice in verse seven in particular, we were gentle among you, even as a nurse cherishes her children. Think about a nurse or a godly mother. We'll use this phrase, a godly mother. It looks like we're having a song right now. We're not actually gonna have a song right now, but you wanna be like a godly mother. I'm gonna try to find some batteries for this. Think about a godly mother for a moment. and gentleness that she's supposed to have. Now, sometimes gentleness is not respected in our society. Have you noticed that? If a person is meek and quiet, a lot of times people think of that as weakness and they may look down on it. Society tends to look down on it. Power and assertiveness seems to gain more respect. Even if you don't like to be bullied, a lot of times we tend to look up to those who project power and assertiveness. But gentleness is love in action. Gentleness is being considerate, and it's meeting the needs of other people. It's allowing time for the other person to talk. It's being willing to learn from other people. Gentleness is an essential trait for both men and women, and folks, we all need to maintain a gentle attitude in our relationships with other people. It's a disposition that all of us need. It may not come naturally to you. We need to have gentleness. Notice how a mother, a godly mother, this nurse is very gentle. She's gentle. The word gentle means affable, affable or mild and kind. I like how one person said, feelings are everywhere. Be gentle. We all got feelings. Even the mean person, even the unkind person has some feelings. Be gentle. Well, they're tough skinned. We still need to be gentle. The word affable means pleasant or kind, sociable, easygoing. Have you ever seen a nursing mother having such intensity with that nursing baby? You don't see that. You don't see that. Because a nursing mother is gentle with her baby. She's pleasant. Now, Paul has just left prison. He's traveled through Amphilus and another city. He's been traveling west. And when he arrives in Thessalonica, the city of Thessalonia, the Christians there, or rather the people there, they weren't Christians yet, the people there knew where Paul had just been. People talked about the Philippian jailer. People were talking about the earthquake that took place, and how Paul's bands were loosed, and the jailer was about to kill himself because he thought all the prisoners had left, and Paul and Silas, they were in prison because of their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, and they were singing hymns at midnight. They were praising the Lord, and people were talking about this. And Paul, he could have said, let me tell you about something, God just delivered me, I was in prison, I have a message for you, and he wasn't large and in charge. He wasn't like that. He didn't say, I have all this qualification. Let me tell you, this is the way it's going to be in this church that we're going to establish here. And he didn't come across that way either. He came across gentle. He came across kind. He could have said, from my experience, and did you hear just what I had just gone through? It's my way or the highway now because I just got out of prison. Let me tell you something. He wasn't like that. He didn't come across that way. a godly relationship is one where we cherish one another and are very kind, very gentle. Now the word cherish is used here like this nurse cherishes and it says her children. The word cherish means to warm or to brood or to foster. You think about how a a mother chicken warms up her chicks. She broods over them, she warms them up. The word brood is an old English word and it's used in German and Dutch as well. And it was always used originally with an object and with this idea to nurse the feelings as in the mind. To nurse the feelings and it's connected to the mind. I find it interesting because as Christians, God says, we need to nurse somebody in the faith, we need to warm them up, if you would, in the mind. We need to cherish them, how they're thinking and how they're processing things. It's used also like the nursing chick under the wing, so the hen nursing the chicks or warming them up. Folks, I think we all should be challenged with this idea. You may have been saved 25, 30, 40 years. You may have been saved for two years. I don't know how long you've been a Christian, but listen to this. All of us should have people that we are warming up to the Lord Jesus Christ. We should be brooding over them. And this is talking about believers. These are people who are saved. We need to help and nurture and bring along those who have not been saved as long as we've been Christians. We need to find those who are not as spiritually mature and not say, hey, I'm more spiritually mature than you are. Let me tell you how it is. Not like that. We need to say, I'm going to brood this person. I'm going to not bruise them, brood them. I'm going to encourage them. I'm going to nurture them. I'm going to bring them along in their faith. That's what Paul was talking about. Like a nurse cherishes her children. And her, the child belongs to her. She looks at herself as being responsible. The word children means something that's produced. Maybe it's the person that you led to the Lord Jesus Christ, disciple them. and then continue to mentor them. And maybe you didn't lead them to Christ, but they're new at church, they've been saved recently, maybe someone else led them to the Lord. You could say, I want to encourage them not to be away from God, not to give up on faithfulness, not to no longer stop coming to church, to no longer be faithful, but I want to be the one to nurture them, to encourage them, to warm them up, to get them closer to the Lord Jesus Christ. Our disposition goes a long way with that. Our reaching out and friendliness goes a long way with that. I think about how a mother is warming her children, fostering, brooding over them. Paul and Silas and Timothy, they cared for the other believers just like that. Now this was all, Paul was writing this letter, and he sent it back to the Thessalonian believers, and he said, you know what entrance we had? You know that I just left prison over in Philippi, it's even mentioned in the text. And then when he left Thessalonica, they were kicking him out of town. Riots had started. He said, you know how we left as well. You know what it was like when we were there. And I want you to know something, I still love you. And you need to still keep with it and continue sticking with the faith. He continues to exhort them and encourage them. I had a candle I brought this morning, and I forgot it. It's in the office somewhere. So think about a candle. You light a candle, and you're walking around with it. And in a way, you kind of brood over that candle, because you look at it, you watch it. You kind of protect it. Maybe you're trying to walk, you're transporting a candle somewhere. It's lit. You don't want it to blow out. You don't want that light to be extinguished or to be snuffed out. So you're brooding over it. You're watching it very carefully. You're kind of protective of it. You look at yourself as being responsible. I don't want my candle to go out. So I'm going to pay attention to what's happening. That's how we should be in our relationships. I'm careful with this relationship. Other people in Christ, other believers, I'm watching. How is what I am saying going to come across? How are my actions going to be perceived? What can I do to help this believer stick with the faith to come closer to Christ? How do you carry a lit candle? You carry it carefully and gently, you're thinking about it. Next then we have like a godly father, verses 10 through 12. He says, as a father does his children. As you know, verse 11, how we exhorted and comforted and charged every one of you as a father does his children. Here's the charge that you would walk worthy of God who has called you into his kingdom and glory. Now here's what happens in our upbringing. A lot of times, here's what we'll do as Christians. Well, I know I should be like what you're saying. Preacher, that's a great idea, but my father was not there. So I don't know what a good example should be like. Or, my father was there, but he was angry all the time. or my father was there, but he didn't seem to care, he did not seem to love, and so I cannot do what you're saying and what the Bible says about showing comfort and care because, well, my dad just was not there." Now, you can say that if you want to. But Paul, Silas, and Timotheus, he's included at the beginning of this letter. Timotheus had a dad who was a Greek. And he either died early on in Timothy's upbringing or he outright rejected his family and left because he's not included in the upbringing of Timothy. He's not there. Either he was a rejector, or he was there and rejected, or he just left or died. We don't know what happened to him, but I'll tell you this. His mother and grandmother were the ones who brought him up, and even though he had no male figure as his figure, when Paul came to town, he looked up to the spiritual leadership of Paul, and God got a hold of Timothy's heart, no matter what his parental upbringing was, and he got over it. and he learned to love, and he learned to cherish, and he learned how to convey himself in a right way to show the comfort that the Bible tells us to show as a father comforts his children. The word comfort means to relate, to be near, to console, to encourage. Not only does a godly father comfort, he also charges. That has to do with giving purpose and direction. You think about a military charge. I'm not talking about charging in, but here's the commands. I'm charging you. You're responsible with this. When you give responsibility to someone, it gives them purpose. It gives them meaning. And Paul said, here's your charge. Here's something that should be evident, that should be bearing record in your life, that you would, verse 12, walk worthy of God. He said, you knew what we were like when we were there, like a godly mother. and like a godly father, and I comforted you and I charged you to walk worthy of God." You know what that tells me today is that we need to be more like the Lord Jesus Christ. That's part of the charge. If we're going to walk worthy of God, be more like Jesus Christ. That also would include doing more for the cause of the Lord Jesus Christ. We could say living better, living a life that's consecrated, set apart to God, honoring the Lord and His kingdom. By the way, why do we do good works if good works do not save us? Why do we do good works if good works do not save us? Here's the answer, and it's in James 2, verses 17 and 18. Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works. Show me thy faith without thy works, and I will show thee my faith by my works." Works can't save you, but works demonstrate to other people, I am born again. God has forgiven me. I am a Christian. Notice how this father comforts, charges, and he considers in verse 10, Ye are witnesses, and God also, how wholly, and justly, and unblameably we have behaved ourselves among you that believe. Wholly means piously, devoutly. Justly means equitable, or just, or right. We did what was right. We were unblameably, or unblameable, that means faultless. Not the same as sinless. They were sinners just like everyone else, but they were faultless. People couldn't look at them and say, well, they just had a bad attitude, they had a bad spirit, he was trying to hurt people. They were unblameable in that way. So what's to believe? How to behave? Number three, who to bring. Who should we bring with us if we want to come into the presence of the Lord? We read verse 13, they received the word of God. Look at verse 14. For ye, brethren, became followers of the churches of God, which are in Judea, which are in Christ Jesus. For ye also have suffered like things of your own countrymen, even as they of the Jews, who both killed the Lord Jesus and their own prophets, and have persecuted us, and they pleased not God, and are contrary to all men." They were forbidding them, verse 16, forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they might be saved to fill up their sin always. For the wrath has come upon them to the uttermost. But we, brethren, being taken from you for a short time in presence, not in heart, even though I'm not with you personally, my heart still goes out to you, he's endeavoring the more abundantly to see your face with great desire. Moreover, we would have come unto you, even I, Paul, once and again, but Satan hindered us. For what is our hope or joy or crown of rejoicing are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ and his coming. For ye are our glory and joy. who to bring. Now we could talk for just a moment about why the Jewish religious leaders were so against the Christians. Some of it had to do with they were afraid of persecution. Christianity was considered by the Romans a sect or a part of Judaism. And then also they were upset that now they can also relate to God. And so there's some jealousies and things going on there as well. I challenge you today, don't let jealousy stop you from bringing other people closer to Jesus Christ. They may have a skill, or ability, or look nicer, or be more, have a greater, or not a better, but a different personality than you have, and they'll be jealous of things like that. Just bring whoever it is closer to Christ. Well, other people, that's who we're to bring. Who should we bring? Other people to the presence of the Lord. At this point, verse 19, Paul's the most lyrical in his expressions of esteem for these converts. Hope, he had a confidence that they would be there when Christ comes back because they placed their faith in Christ and joy. He was so joyful about the fact that they were Christians. They were going to be there when Christ come back and also The crown of rejoicing. There are rewards that the Bible speaks of, five in particular, that are awarded to Christians. And here's the crown of rejoicing that is awarded. And this crown is given, it's because of these people that Paul led to the Lord Jesus Christ. It's the crown of rejoicing. Paul could not boast in his own ability, or his own mind, or his own lack of sin, or goodness. And folks, we cannot boast in those things. But when we get to heaven, you may receive a crown of rejoicing. Some people believe this crown of rejoicing, this phrase, it also has the idea of a crown of boasting. You know what I am so satisfied with? is that when I get to heaven, not only am I in heaven, it's all because of Christ, by the way. Thank God for that. But God wants you to take people with you. He wants you to see other people trust Christ, that you would give out the gospel, you would plant the word of God in their hearts, that they would receive it. You can't make them receive it, but we're responsible to give them the Bible and the crown of rejoicing. He said, wow, I have some rejoicing when I get to heaven, because you are there as well. See, the purpose of our relationships is to bring people to the Lord Jesus Christ. Now he says, before God. Christ is coming for Christians. This is a reference to the rapture. Then there's the judgment seat of Christ, and there are awards given. Now notice the phrase coming or the word coming. In everyday secular life, back in the ancient world, they would use this term as an expression for the arrival of a king or some other person in authority. The word means presence. So when Christ comes, the king is coming for us! And you'll be in his presence. And then that word has to do with not only the arrival, but then what takes place after that. You'll get to be with the Lord Jesus Christ. those awards that are given, the marriage supper of the Lamb, all the things that the Bible tells us in the book of Revelation, you'll be able to participate in those good things in heaven as well. Now, there's great opposition to this calling. Verse 18 makes it clear. Paul said, I would have come back to see it personally, but Satan hindered us. Folks, we have an opposition that is persistently against us bringing people to the Lord Jesus Christ. I can't hand out a tract, there'll be opposition to that. I can't invite that person to church, there'll be opposition to that. I can't witness to this person, there'll be opposition to that. There's Satan, he's against you. There are two other enemies, Satan uses these in conjunction against us and against the Word of God going out. There's the world and there's the flesh. Paul said, I know that in me, that is in my flesh, dwelleth no good thing. When it comes to the world, for all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, the pride of life is not of the Father, but is of the world. And of course, Satan, we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. because there is going to be opposition. If you're going to be relationally the person that you should be to other Christians, and if your friendships and acquaintances outside of our church are to bring glory to God, there's going to be opposition to that. Because the motivation and the reason that we're here is that other people would know Jesus as well. Look at verse 20. For ye are our glory, and joy. Let's conclude with this idea. This is an amazing truth. Friends, there are some of us seated here today and some of you listening to this message. You have no glory or joy in your life. Paul, he was thankful. You get the idea that he's jubilant as he's writing this letter. There's glory and joy in his heart because the relationships that he had with those people brought them closer to Christ. Some of you have no glory or joy in life. Why is that? Why is it? Things are mundane. Relationships are dry. I get angry quick. I don't know why I'm here. Why would a Christian feel like that? It's because that person does not know his purpose or the purpose of relationships. The purpose of our relationships are to bring people closer to Christ. If you want some glory in your life again, if you want some joy in your life again, you decide in your life and heart today and in your mind, I'm gonna start having purpose in my relationships. It's not just to hang out and have a good time. It's not just to work and get the job done. It's not just because it's the thing I'm supposed to do. I'm gonna have some glory and joy in my relationships because I know that God wants me to bring those around me closer to the Lord Jesus Christ. There's a story told about a man named Wayman. Wayman was the kind of guy that had a hard time fitting in to the right social circles. Truth be known, we would probably look at him and have a hard time accepting him into our groups and into what we do. If you're a person who judges a book by its cover, that's how you would look at Wayman, probably. Fortunately, Wayman found a church that was flexible enough to look beyond his rough edges and accept him as part of the flock. The church that Wayman chose to be his family was considered to be very affluent. A very affluent group, but their affluence, their money, their position and prestige did not blind them with pride. Wayman was a whole lot more reliable than many of the church members. Weather did not keep him away. He was always there to set up chairs. He was always there to find ways that he could help out. He would do anything he could to help the worship service to become more meaningful. Why did Wayman love that church so much? It's because he found in that church people who looked at him and were able to express the love, the cherishing, the brooding, the warmth, and the acceptance that he could find nowhere else in this world. No one else would give him what that church gave to him. And friends, it should be a hallmark of a Bible-believing church that we would express the same thing, especially to those of the household of faith. Those who know and love the Lord Jesus Christ and they're growing, they're developing, they want to believe the same thing, they're just trying to learn it all. We need to express to them the same love and cherishing like a mother nursing her child and like a godly father cares for his own. Let's bow together for a time of prayer and a time of invitation. What is the purpose of your relationships today? I appreciate you listening and participating in the service here this morning. But ask yourself these questions here. To begin with, do I know Jesus myself as my Savior? Have I accepted the gift of eternal life? If you say, Pastor, I have a doubt. If I were to die right now, I do not know for sure I would go to heaven. If I could know for sure, I would like to know how to have my sins forgiven. I would like to know how to go to heaven. I would like to know how to know God through Jesus Christ. Is there anyone like that? I'm the only one looking around. I wanna pray with you and tell you how in just a moment. I would like to know how my sins are forgiven today. Anyone like that, just raise your hand. Just raise it quickly so I can see it. I have a doubt, a hesitation. I'm not for sure. Just raise your hand very quickly. All right. Then Christian friend, do you see the need for gentleness and consideration? Like you would carry a lit candle around I need to have that same type of gentleness with the other people around me. Maybe God challenged you about that. Our next idea is this, and our last question. I will ask the Lord's help for my relationships, that my relationship, my acquaintance, my friendship towards others will bring them closer to the Lord. I'm not gonna look at it selfishly. I'm gonna look at it proactively. Lord, may my acquaintance and relationships with others bring them closer to Christ. It could be that they get saved. It could be they take the next spiritual step in their walk with the Lord Jesus Christ. That's the goal of my relationships. May that be true in my life. That's my prayer today. Just raise your hand. I see many hands going right up. God bless you. Good. That's the purpose. God bless you. Many hands. Christian friend, how are you doing with these truths? Talk to the Lord about it, make a decision. Maybe there's somebody you need to apologize to. Please forgive me, I was too harsh, I was unkind, I was misunderstood. Maybe there's somebody that you need to be the one that's mentoring them. You need to have someone that you're brooding over. Why not get that in action? Start that today. Father, we pray that you bless this time as we commit ourselves to these decisions that have been made. We pray in Jesus' name. Would you please stand? The pianist will play. We invite you to respond. Someone you want to pray for? A spiritual need you need to take care of? A friendship that needs restored? Someone you need to mentor? You say, I haven't had any glory or joy in my life. I just kind of go through Christian motions. Restore the purpose. Restore the purpose. Find somebody to disciple, someone to nurture in the faith. You'll find that joy and you'll find that glory that God wants to share with you. Heavenly Father, we thank you for the Apostle Paul and Timothy and Silas and their example of relationships and commitment, even in spite of difficulty and opposition, to encourage other people. Help us to be like a godly mother, nursing and cherishing. Help us to be like a godly father, giving a charge and showing commitment and encouraging those around us. Lord, let us have the joy and the glory that comes about when we disciple and encourage those around us. We pray if there's one without Christ today in this congregation, that they would choose Christ for their Savior today. Bless now as we go from this place. We thank you for what you've done. We rejoice in it in Jesus' name. Amen. Amen. God bless you. Have a good afternoon. Just a couple of announcements before we're dismissed. This Thursday night begins the first of our Wilton Baptist Bible Institute classes for this semester, and if you've signed up, please make sure to be there. If you're interested, there's still time to sign up today, or if you'd just like to kind of see what it's like, you can preview that this Thursday night at six o'clock. It runs from six o'clock to about 8.45, and for those that are participating, please make sure you're there and ready to go. This Saturday, we have a lot of things going on. Senior ladies, don't forget the luncheon at noon, and you'll be having that time of prayer and fellowship So if you'd like to be a part of that, please plan on that for Saturday at noon. And then in the morning at eight o'clock, we'll have our typical men's breakfast for the month. And this is our leadership breakfast going over some biblical truths and a time of just a time of gathering together as well. And so if you'd like to be a part of that, please plan on being a part of that 8 a.m. at Saratoga McDonald's. And then last but not least, we mentioned this last week and I have an email out. There is a couples retreat coming up in October and I need to know tonight so that I can let the other church know how many to plan for. I've had a few that have told me about this, but this is up in the Lake George area. And just to kind of give you an idea, there is a brochure if you'd like to look at it out there, but the cost is $260 per couple, and the cost includes a two-hour lunch cruise on one of the cruise boats there, and we'll have a session as well after that. There's dinner at Giovanni's on the lake, and those will be an evening session there as well, a hotel stay, a breakfast in the morning, and then one more session there in the morning as well. And so if you're interested in that, you can see that, just let me know today so that way I can let them know and I can let you know as far as what one payment and that kind of thing is due. But it'd be a great time. We had quite a few couples go last year and just a great time together. And the afternoon I know is free on Friday afternoon and Saturday is free as well. And so if you're interested in that, please let me know today so I can put in for that. All right, let's sing our closing song and we'll be dismissed this morning. What a day, glorious day that will be. What a day that will be when my Jesus I shall see and I look upon his face, the one who saved me by his grace. When he takes me by the hand and leads me through the promised land, what a day, glorious day, that will be. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. you