1 Thessalonians 3:9-13
Rev Ed Harwood
For as long as I can remember, I've heard people complain that Christmas is too commercial. Too many people are caught up in the material things of the holiday. It has probably always been this way. As long as Christmas has been celebrated, I'm sure there have been people warning us about the dangers of it becoming too commercial. This advent season I want to focus on a more "Simple Christmas." This month I want to focus on making this a Christ-centered Christmas—one in which we grow closer to him and connect with our loved ones on a deeper level; one in which we learn to avoid the craziness of days like “Black Friday” and then “Cyber Monday” and discover what Christmas is really all about.
Today’s message is all about connecting with our family and friends. Let’s not worry so much about what you need to buy and what you need to do, and spend some time focusing on the people you will be seeing during the holidays.
Today we'll look at a passage of scripture from a letter written by Paul to the church in Thessalonica. They were a group of believers that Paul loved very much. In this letter, he pours out his heart to them. We need to share our hearts with the people that we love in the same way.
“How can we thank God enough for you in return for all the joy we have in the presence of our God because of you?” (v. 9)I thought about ways to share our hearts with others that we love and making a list come to mind.
1. This week make a list of the most important people in your life.• Your wife,
• Your husband,
• Your children,
• Your parents,
• Your brothers and sisters,
• Your friends, and on and on.
• Thank God for bringing them into your life.
• Tell them how much they mean to you.
Paul was grateful for his relationship to the believers in Thessalonica, and he expressed his gratitude to God, and he expressed his appreciation to them. He took the time to say, "Thank you...I appreciate you...You fill my life with joy."
This seems like such a simple thing, but we find it so hard to do.
This week I thought about an old joke but it might even be a true story. This woman said to her husband, "You never tell me you love me," and he said, "Look, I told you I loved you when I married you twenty five years ago. Until I take it back, it's still in effect."
During this season go to the people on your list and you can use words similar to Paul’s: How can I ever thank God enough for all the joy you have brought into my life?
2. Then Paul said, “Night and day we pray most earnestly that we may see you again and supply what is lacking in your faith.” (vs. 10)
He wanted to meet with his friends in Thessalonica and build up their faith. He knew at that particular time that was what they needed most.
As you think of all the people you love, take some time to think about something you can give to each one—something they really need. I'm not talking about:
X-Boxes, Nintendo’s, iPads, iPods, and the many more toys today.
I'm talking about something much more personal. There is something you can give to each one on your list:
A word of encouragement, a smile, a hug, a pep-talk, an apology, a compliment. Ask yourself, "What does this person need most? What can I say to them? What can I do for them. How can I give them a lift?"
I read a story about a missionary school teacher in Africa who had been teaching her students about Christmas, and told them how we give gifts to one another at Christmas time. A few days later one of her students brought her a gift—a beautiful seashell. She asked him where he got it and he said, " I walked to the beach and picked it out for you." The school was several miles from the ocean, so she knew it had been a long walk for him. She said, "You shouldn't have gone so far to get a gift for me." The student said, "The long walk was part of the gift."
This is what Paul did for the Thessalonians’. He said, "May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you. May he strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all his holy ones." (vs. 12-13)
