Praying with Paul: No Room for Lack
Praying with Paul • Sermon • Submitted
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Intro:
9 For what thanks can we render to God for you, for all the joy with which we rejoice for your sake before our God,
10 night and day praying exceedingly that we may see your face and perfect what is lacking in your faith?
Tonight, we will continue [Praying with Paul], looking at the subject of [No Room for Lack].
As I read through 1 Thessalonians, I have looked for the times Paul prayed for them. I notice that he prayed every day that he could return to see the Thessalonians.
Why was this such a desire for him?
Paul demonstrated deep love for the churches that God allowed him to start. When he took the gospel to a new region or city, he wanted to see them grow in God and do all He called them to accomplish.
With the intense distrust Paul faced from the Jews, he often could not stay in one place at one time. So he would revisit the places, write to them, and always pray for them.
One of his concerns was that false teachers would come and undo his work, which is one of the reasons he deeply desired to return to Thessalonica to visit them.
But he shared one other reason he wanted to visit them. He wanted to perfect what was LACKING in their faith.
Lack means to be deficient or missing or to be short or have need of something.
I have titled this message, [No Room for Lack]. That might sound like a bold statement. Can we really live a life where we never have any lack?
Let’s look at what Scripture has to say about lack:
23 He shall die for lack of instruction, And in the greatness of his folly he shall go astray.
32 Whoever commits adultery with a woman lacks understanding; He who does so destroys his own soul.
21 The lips of the righteous feed many, But fools die for lack of wisdom.
22 As a ring of gold in a swine’s snout, So is a lovely woman who lacks discretion.
16 A ruler who lacks understanding is a great oppressor, But he who hates covetousness will prolong his days.
27 He who gives to the poor will not lack, But he who hides his eyes will have many curses.
I notice when we lack something it is not a good sign. What do we do when we feel as though we’re lacking something in our walk with God?
We will face times of lack, but we do not have to stay there. When we lack something we can call on God in prayer.
Paul did want the Thessalonians to lack anything. I want to look at the next three verses and see areas in our life where we might lack and need to pray, [Lacking Direction], [Lacking Love], and [Lacking Holiness].
Let’s begin
1. Lacking Direction
1. Lacking Direction
11 Now may our God and Father Himself, and our Lord Jesus Christ, direct our way to you.
Notice the phrase, direct our way to you.
What did Paul lack?
He lacked direction from God. Obviously he knew the physical directions to Thessalonica, but he lacked direction of the Spirit of when to go to see them.
He already acknowledged in the previous chapter that he wanted to see them, but Satan hindered him.
Notice Paul’s sensitivity to the Holy Spirit. He took what he WANTED and would not make a decision until he had the direction of the Holy Spirit.
The only reason Paul met the Thessalonians was because of his willingness to listen to the direction of the Spirit.
6 Now when they had gone through Phrygia and the region of Galatia, they were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to preach the word in Asia.
7 After they had come to Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit did not permit them.
8 So passing by Mysia, they came down to Troas.
9 And a vision appeared to Paul in the night. A man of Macedonia stood and pleaded with him, saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.”
10 Now after he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go to Macedonia, concluding that the Lord had called us to preach the gospel to them.
Twice, Paul wanted to go somewhere, but the Holy Spirit would not give him permission, he lacked clear direction. Had he ignored the Spirit’s voice, he not have made it to Thessalonica.
Now he wants to return and the Spirit has not released him to go.
The Holy Spirit knows what God for us. When we lack direction, we should pray and listen to the leading of the Spirit.
What we WANT does not always align with what God wants. It is then foolish to move forward with OUR desires over GOD’s direction.
Every time we do that, we will end up making terrible decisions.
When we lack direction, we have to pray.
2. Lacking Love
2. Lacking Love
12 And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love to one another and to all, just as we do to you,
I like those two words— increase and abound.
Increase means— to become progressively greater (as in size, amount, number, or intensity)
Abound means— to be present in large numbers or in great quantity: to be copiously supplied
Paul wanted them to GROW greater in their ability and to have a vast supply of love.
I notice this consistent theme in Paul’s writings— he emphasizes the need for love.
The more I read Scripture, the more I see that they were not that much different than we are. We live in a hostile society that shows very little love, evidently we can say the same of them.
How can we increase and abound in love for each other?
We should star by increasing and abounding in love for the Lord.
16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
The more we fall in love with Jesus, more His love for us will grow. And the more we encounter His love the more we will love one another.
12 This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.
So we see that increasing and abounding in love is not an option. What then do we do if we lack love for someone?
We should ask the Lord to give us his love so that we can feel His love, which will help us share His love.
If we lack love, we need to pray.
3. Lacking Holiness
3. Lacking Holiness
13 so that He may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints.
What do we do when begin to lack dedication to God?
What is the answer when we face temptation?
What is our hope when we feel the tug of the world on our hearts?
Through prayer, God will ESTABLISH our hearts in holiness. He will fix us firmly in a position of holiness and righteousness.
What is holiness?
To be holy means to be set apart. It was never God’s desire to have the blood of Jesus wash away our sins only for us to continue to give into temptation and live in sin.
When we come to Christ, He sets us apart, He makes us holy.
That means our conduct, our speech, our activities, our schedule, and our lifestyle must be holy.
Why do we need holiness?
When Jesus returns, He will come back for a HOLY church and HOLY people who do not engage in activities and a lifestyle that is UNHOLY.
God expects His people to live holy, set apart lives.
15 but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct,
16 because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.”
14 Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord:
9 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;
Holiness is non-negotiable. God calls us to live set apart lifestyles.
How do we live a holy life?
Get close to God through the HOLY SPIRIT.
If we lack holiness, we need to pray.
Close:
Paul does not leave room for lack. If we lack direction, love, or holiness, we need to pay attention to Paul’s prayer.
When I gave this message the title, no room for lack, at first I wondered if that really conveyed the point I felt the Lord wanted me to make.
It is a tall order to say we cannot lack, for have all faced lack at some point in our lives.
But the more I studied and prayed, I noticed that God does not want us to lack anything. When we lack, we have a remedy!
In the Early Church, we find:
34 Nor was there anyone among them who lacked; for all who were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the proceeds of the things that were sold,
There was no lack in the Early Church for they helped one another.
But what do we do when we find ourselves lacking?
4 But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.
5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.
God does not want us to lack. When we face lack, He wants us to ask Him for help.
We have permission to look at our lives and say, okay God, right here, I am lacking, will you help me?
That is what He wants.
When we lack direction— ASK HIM FOR HELP
When we lack love— ASK HIM FOR HELP
When we lack holiness— ASK HIM FOR HELP