“A NEW FOCUS FOR A NEW YEAR”
2 THESSALONIANS 3:1-5
INTRO: As we begin to look forward to another year that the Lord has given
us sometimes we tend to look back in regret or remorse at the things
we did not get accomplished for the Lord in the past year. But we
must not allow the failures of the past to cloud our vision of the
future. As Richard C. Woodsome wrote: “You can never change the
past. But by the grace of God, you can win the future. So remember
those things which will help you forward, but forget those things
which will only hold you back” (1). The apostle Paul said something
very similar in Philippians 3:13-14—“Brethren, I count not myself to
have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which
are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I
press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ
Jesus.” Because our hope is in Christ…we can let go of past guilt and
look forward to what He will help us become. Don’t dwell on your
past. Instead, grow in the knowledge of God by concentrating on your
relationship with Him now (2).
Sometimes we, as Christians, stray from God in our hearts, grow
weary in well doing, and grow slack in our commitment. It is during
these times that our lives seem to get out of focus. We fail to see that
we are heading in a direction contrary to God’s direction for our lives.
Paul prayed for the Thessalonians in v5—“And the Lord direct your
hearts into the love of God, and into patient waiting for Christ.” The
word direct in the Greek means “to straightened fully.” It implies that
our focus has become blurred or not clear. Paul prayed that the
Thessalonians would get refocused. That they might refocus their
lives on Christ and His will for their lives. As we stand at the
threshold of a new year let us take time to refocus our lives on Christ
and His will for each of our lives.
IT IS TIME TO:
(1) REFOCUS OUR PASSION
2 THESSALONIANS 3:5a—“And the Lord direct your hearts into the
love of God…”
*What is Passion? It means “ardent affection or love; a strong desire or
affection for some object, cause, etc; and The object of such desire or
affection” (Funk & Wagnalls Standard Desk Dictionary, Volume 2, N-Z, pg.
478). The Psalmist said in Psalm 63:1-2—“O God, thou art my God; early
will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a
dry and thirsty land, where no water is; To see thy power and thy glory,
so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary.” Friend, Do you have that kind of
passion for the Lord? Consider:
A. WE SHOULD LOVE GOD ABOVE ALL ELSE. Deuteronomy 6:5 tells
us, “And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with
all thy soul, and with all thy might.” The Jews refer to these verses
Deuteronomy 6:4-6, as the Shema. To the Jews, this is the most
important text in Deuteronomy. According to the Lord Jesus, to love
God is the great and first commandment (Matt. 22:36-38). To love God
with all one’s heart is the very soul and essence of Christianity (Rom. 8:
28; 1 Cor. 13:1-3). If we love God as we should, we will willingly suffer
for Him and for His cause and patiently wait for His Son from heaven.
Paul wants Christ to direct the hearts of the believers at Thessalonica
into the fullness of the love of God, and thereby fill their hearts with
patience, rather than anxiety concerning the glorious appearing of the
great God and Saviour, Jesus Christ (3).
ILLUS: Someone wrote: One day, I woke early in the morning to watch
the sunrise. Ah the beauty of God's creation is beyond
description. As I watched, I praised God for His beautiful work.
As I sat there, I felt the Lord's presence with me. He asked me,
"Do you love me?" I answered,"Of course, God! You are my
Lord and Saviour!" Then He asked, "If you were physically
handicapped, would you still love me?" I was perplexed. I
looked down upon my arms, legs and the rest of my body and
wondered how many things I wouldn't be able to do, the things
that I took for granted. And I answered, "It would be tough
Lord, but I would still love You." Then the Lord said, "If you
were blind, would you still love my creation?" How could I love
something without being able to see it? Then I thought of all
the blind people in the world and how many of them still loved
God and His creation. So I answered, "It's hard to think of it,
but I would still love you." The Lord then asked me, "If you
were deaf, would you still listen to my word?" How could I
listen to anything being deaf? Then I understood. Listening to
God's Word is not merely using our ears, but our hearts. I
answered, "It would be tough, but I would still listen to Your
word." The Lord then asked, "If you were mute, would you still
praise My Name?" How could I praise without a voice? Then it
occurred to me: God wants us to sing from our very heart and
soul. It never matters what we sound like. And praising God is
not always with a song, but when we are persecuted, we give
God praise with our words of thanks. So I answered, "Though
I could not physically sing, I would still praise Your Name."
And the Lord asked, "Do you really love Me?" With courage
and a strong conviction, I answered boldly, "Yes Lord! I love
You because You are the one and true God!" I thought I had
answered well, but God asked, "THEN WHY DO YOU SIN?" I
answered, "Because I am only human. I am not perfect."
"THEN WHY IN TIMES OF PEACE DO YOU STRAY THE
FURTHEST? WHY ONLY IN TIMES OF TROUBLE DO YOU
PRAY THE EARNEST?" No answers. Only tears. The Lord
continued: "Why only sing at fellowships and retreats? Why
seek Me only in times of worship? Why ask things so selfishly?
Why ask things so unfaithfully?"
The tears continued to roll down my cheeks.
"Why are you ashamed of Me? Why are you not spreading the
good news? Why in times of persecution, you cry to others
when I offer My shoulder to cry on? Why make excuses when I
give you opportunities to serve in My Name?" I tried to
answer, but there was no answer to give.
"You are blessed with life. I made you not to throw this gift
away. I have blessed you with talents to serve Me, but you
continue to turn away. I have revealed My Word to you, but
you do not gain in knowledge. I have spoken to you but your
ears were closed. I have shown My blessings to you, but your
eyes were turned away. I have sent you servants, but you sat
idly by as they were pushed away. I have heard your prayers
and I have answered them all." "DO YOU TRULY LOVE ME?"
I could not answer. How could I? I was embarrassed beyond
belief. I had no excuse. What could I say to this? When I my
heart had cried out and the tears had flowed, I said, "Please
forgive me Lord. I am unworthy to be Your child." The Lord
answered, "That is My Grace, My child." I asked, "Then why
do you continue to forgive me? Why do You love me so?"
The Lord answered, " Because you are My creation. You are
my child. I will never abandon you. When you cry, I will have
compassion and cry with you. When you shout with joy, I will
laugh with you. When you are down, I will encourage you.
When you fall, I will raise you up. When you are tired, I will
carry you. I will be with you till the end of days, and I will love
you forever." Never had I cried so hard before. How could I
have been so cold? How could I have hurt God as I had done?
I asked God, "How much do You love me?"
The Lord stretched out His arms, and I saw His nail-pierced
hands. I bowed down at the feet of Christ, my Saviour. And for
the first time, I truly prayed.
B. WE SOMETIMES FAIL TO LOVE GOD AS WE SHOULD. We become
as The Church of Ephesus to whom the Lord wrote of in Revelation
2:4—“…I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first
love.” What causes us to fail in our love for God?. Three things
happen:
1. The world steals our affection. Jesus said in Matthew 6:24—
“No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and
love the other; or else he will hold to the one; and despise the other.
Ye cannot serve God and mammon.” James Armstrong said, “We
have been offered in the church, all too often, a watered-down
gospel in willy-nilly fashion, and so we go through the motions of
being faithful while turning to a secular world for the stimulus and
satisfaction we seek” (4). AMEN! Instead of equipping saints to
evangelize the world and stand against the wiles of the devil, we
are entertaining sluggards who are geared on sensuality and
satisfaction from the world! Jesus in the parable of the sower in
Luke 8:14 describes that the seed “…which fell among thorns are
they, which have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and
riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection.”
Sad to say, but many in our Churches today fall into that category!
We have too many “Demas’” in our Churches today.
ILLUS: The coach said to the quarterback, "Give the ball to
George." But instead he gave it to John, and there was no
gain. Demanded the coach, "Why didn't you give the ball
to George?" "Sir," replied the quarterback, "George said he
did not want the ball."
There was a player on our Lord's side named Demas. Like
George, he did not want to carry the ball. He valued
comfort above character, ease above effort, gold above
God, self-indulgence above self-control. Of him Paul
wrote, "Demas has forsaken me, having loved the present
world." Are you willing to carry the ball for the Lord?
2. The Devil undermines our love. 1 Peter 5:8 warns us, “Be
sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring
lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.” Satan knows
he cannot have our soul once we belong to God, but if he can get
us to fail in our love for God, he still has accomplished his purpose.
Joseph Hall said, “Satan rocks the cradle when we sleep at our
devotions" (5). Satan does all he can to cause our love for Christ to
wax cold. He sends death, disappointments, distress, depression,
and difficulties to our lives to test our love for God. Ephesians 4:27
tells us, “Neither give place to the devil.” We must never give Satan
a foothold in our lives!
ILLUS: It is startling to think that Satan can actually come into
the heart of a man in such close touch with Jesus as
Judas was. And more--he is cunningly trying to do it
today. Yet he can get in only through a door opened from
the inside. "Every man controls the door of his own life."
Satan can't get in without our help. -- S. D. Gordon in The
Bent-Knee Time. Christianity Today, Vol. 33, no. 10.
We MUST “…resist the devil, and he will flee from you,” as James 4:
7b tells us.
3. We fail to nourish our love. How do we fail to nourish our love
for God so it will grow and flourish? By failing to:
a. Spend time with Him in Prayer. Philippians 4:6-7 instructs
us to, “be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and
supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known
unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all
understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ
Jesus.” The more time we spend in prayer with Him, the more
We will love HIM!
b. Study His Precious Word (2 Timothy 2:15). The more we
learn of Him through His Word, the more we can love Him
because of His Greatness and Glory! John Wesley said, “I want
to know one thing—the way to heaven; how to land safe on that
happy shore. God Himself has condescended to teach the way:
For this very end He came from heaven. He hath written it
down in a book. O give me that book! At any price, give me the
book of God! I have it: Here is knowledge enough for me. Let
me be a man of one book” (6).
c. Serve Him with Gladness. Psalm 100:2—“Serve the LORD
with gladness: come before His presence with singing.” Why do
you serve God? Is it because you love HIM? Someone has said
“Service is love made visible.” Is serving God a burden or a
blessing? Is it a privilege or a pain?
ILLUS: Someone wrote:
FOR SALE
One Cross, - almost new. Top heavy. Cramps my style
keeping up with the world
One Talent, - slightly shelf-worn. Unused for several
years.
One Bundle of Seldom Used Opportunities, - Among
these, church attendance, personal witnessing.
One Badly Used Influence, - Buyer needs to repair it and
use it more carefully.
These items may be seen anytime in the basement of my
home. Corner of Careless Avenue and Neglect Street.
Signed, Careless Christian
d. Sing praises to Him and worship Him for His goodness
(Psalm 34:1-3). If we haven't learned to be worshipers, it
doesn't really matter how well we do anything else. -- Erwin
Lutzer, pastor and author. Men of Integrity, Vol. 1, no. 1. We are
called to an everlasting preoccupation with God. -- A.W. Tozer,
That Incredible Christian. Christianity Today, Vol. 41, no. 5. That
is what worship is all about we are overwhelmed by His Grace
and Glory and cannot help by offer Him praise and thanksgiving
because of His Goodness!
C. WE SOMETIMES NEED TO BE DIRECTED BACK TO LOVING GOD.
Paul wrote in v5—“And the Lord direct your hearts into the love of
God…” There are times that our hearts needed to be directed back to
the love of God. The love of God is the grand motive and principle of
obedience; this must occupy your hearts: the heart is irregular in all
its workings; God alone, by his Spirit, can direct it into his love, and
keep it right (Adam Clarke’s Commentary on The Bible). When the
Lord directs us back to His love, three things occur:
- Conviction.
- Confession.
- Consecration.
How do we know our hearts need to be directed back to loving God?:
1. When Calvary Doesn’t Break Us We read in Luke 23:33—“And
when they were come to the place, which is called Calvary, there
they crucified him…” *We know our hearts need directed back to
God’s love when we can sing of Calvary, think on Calvary, and
speak of it without a tear coming to our eye! Amy Carmichael
said, “There is something in Calvary that passes our
understanding, and the words about the Precious Blood should
never be read or sung except on the knees of our spirit”
2. When The Presence Of The Savior Doesn’t Bless us We read
in Revelation 2:1, 4-5 of the Church at Ephesus. The Church at
Ephesus is a portrait of many of our Churches today. They are
have a firm foundation, but a small focus. They had reached a
point where service to God was mere form. They worshipped by a
program instead of the power of the Spirit.
Friend, Is the Lord your Passion? Or Do you need a New Focus for The New Year? As 1 Peter 2:7 tells us, “Unto you therefore which believe, He is precious…” Is He precious to you? Do you need a New Focus? It is time to REFOCUS OUR PASSION also it is time to…
(2) REFOCUS OUR PURPOSE
2 THESSALONIANS 3:4—“And we have confidence in the Lord
touching you, that ye both do and will do the things which
we command you.”
*Paul wrote to the Thessalonians that they would “both do and will do the
things which we command you.”referring both to the commandments,
which they had already given them by Christ, and they had showed, and
continued to show a proper regard unto, see 1Th_4:1 and also to what
would be observed to them [by Paul] (John Gill’s Exposition of The Entire
Bible). This was their purpose. What is our purpose as Believers? It is
basically two-fold:
A. WE ARE TO GLORIFY GOD. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20—“What! Know ye
not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which