Brothers, although we were torn away from you for a short time (in person, not in heart), our desire to see you face to face was even more intense.But we, brothers, being bereaved of you for a short season in presence, not in heart, tried even harder to see your face with great desire,But we, brethren, being taken from you for a short time in presence, not in heart, endeavoured the more abundantly to see your face with great desire.But we, brethren, being bereaved of you for a short season, in presence not in heart, endeavored the more exceedingly to see your face with great desire:
3 sermons cite this verse
So what you want to do is live in such a way that you are looking to persevere because you constantly have this hope before you that the crown of rejoicing is all of us coming together at some point where this journey terminates and that is when Christ appears. You will see that 1 Thessalonians is all about Christ coming for his church and 2 Thessalonians is about the second thing and that is Christ's second coming to the earth itself in his kingly return. Perseverance. Having things difficult in life doesn't mean again as I said God abandoned you. God can only take, listen, he's precious. He takes things that would normally destroy anybody including ourselves but because you belong to him God will work these things out as you stay close and as he keeps you close it's a work in tandem you know he hangs on to you and you hang on to him that we get through to the end and God will perfect and sanctify your life in Christ Jesus for you and I all the way through it's so rough it's so hard listen I can tell you right now churches all well I don't know about all churches but I can tell you about the pastors that I know of other churches in America same thing happening here is people are nervous people are being stressed, Christians, and people are being challenged like never before. …
… that final wrath when he says, but wrath has come to them, to the uttermost. Could be any of those choices. But we, brethren, having been taken away from you for a short time in presence, not in heart, endeavored more eagerly to see your face with great desire. Therefore, we wanted to come to you, even I, Paul, time and time again. Oh, he loved this church, and he wanted their faith to continue to grow. So I've tried to get over to you, tried to see you time and time again, but notice, but Satan hindered us. Satan hindered us. How do you know when it's Satan that's hindering you? I'll throw something else out for you to think about. In Acts 16, you remember that Paul tried to go a few different places, but he said the Holy Spirit forbade us. So in one set of circumstances, he was willing to say, that's God. God didn't let us do that. On the other hand, he's saying, that's Satan. …
… or about to do something great. 1 Thessalonians 2, verse 17, I love this. But we, brethren, having been taken away from you for a short time in presence, not in heart, endeavored more eagerly to see your face with great desire. Therefore, by the way, speaking to the Thessalonians in Thessalonica, just off the Aegean Sea. Therefore, we wanted to come to you, even I, Paul, time and again. but Satan hindered us. For what is our hope or joy or crown of rejoicing? Is it not even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming? For you are our glory and joy. Is that, did Paul say, we wanted to do all this for the glory of God and to see you again, but Satan hindered us and we threw down our toys and we went and sucked our thumb in the corner in the fetal position. I can't prove this. There's no evidence of this. But I would not doubt that if Paul said, do you guys kind of sense? …