Prepared to Suffer / 1 Thessalonians 2:13-16
Welcome if you are a guest with us here this week. We are so thankful you are here. We are in a series through the book of 1 Thessalonians, but we are going to take a little detour as we get started. If you have your Bible, turn with me to Matthew chapter 7.
One of my biggest fears as a pastor was raising pastor’s kids. I don’t know what your high school experience was like, but I always wanted to party with the pastor’s kids because they were crazy. When I got married, I prayed for boy, boy, boy, boy, boy—and God gave me a girl. I thought that was funny. So I prayed for number two: boy, boy, boy—and God gave me a girl. So we were two and done, and I am raising two daughters.
The reason I mention that is because oftentimes the pastor’s kids who went sideways did so because mom and dad were high-pressure Jesus all day, every day. There was this constant sense of, “You cannot ever mess up because you’re the pastor’s kid.” I remember thinking, I don’t want to do that. How do I raise kids who have the freedom to be kids?
Yet what has been convicting to me of late is realizing that while my kids are picking up a lot of Bible—they enjoy youth group, they enjoy what is happening in 516 and high school, and they sit and enjoy my teaching when I’m not using them as sermon illustrations—I hadn’t done a lot of intentional time with just the three of us in the Word. So I started something called “Devotions with Dad.” Every Thursday morning at 6:30 AM, while they are eating their cereal, I share a little from the Word as we go through the Gospel of Matthew.
Recently, we came across something in Matthew 7 that I want to share with you, because it connects directly with where we are heading in 1 Thessalonians.
The Inevitable Storms of Life
In Matthew 7, Jesus is finishing the Sermon on the Mount, and He makes a fascinating statement.
Matthew 7:24-27 (NASB)
’Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. ’And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and [yet] it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock. ’Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. ‘The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell– and great was its fall.’
Notice that both houses—the one built on the rock and the one built on the sand—endure the exact same wind, waves, and falling rain. The one built on the rock hears the Word of God and does what it says. That is key. Keep that in mind. The one built on the sand hears the Word of God, considers it optional, and does not put it into practice. To the one who hears but does not obey, life might look fine for a short season. The view on the sand might be nice until the wind, the rain, and the flood come crashing down.
Earlier in Matthew 5, Jesus states that God causes the sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.
Matthew 5:45 (NASB)
so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on [the] evil and [the] good, and sends rain on [the] righteous and [the] unrighteous.
The storms are inevitable. The storms are common to all. They are coming, and you need to be prepared ahead of time. When you hear the sound of the howling wind and the beating rain, it is too late to lay a foundation. You cannot prepare in the moment; you must live in a state of spiritual readiness, already founded on the rock for whatever flood or storm comes your way.
Last week in 1 Thessalonians 2, the apostle Paul talked about an incredible posture of ministry. He said he was well pleased to impart not only the gospel of God, but his very life as well.
1 Thessalonians 2:8 (NASB)
Having so fond an affection for you, we were well-pleased to impart to you not only the gospel of God but also our own lives, because you had become very dear to us.
Paul offered both proclamation and incarnation. It was not just, “Gather around, take notes, and let me teach you stuff.” It was, “I am going to teach you about Jesus, and I am going to live alongside you in such a way that you see it lived out.”
The fruit of that investment was clear: these believers walked in a manner worthy of the God who called them.
1 Thessalonians 2:12 (NASB)
so that you would walk in a manner worthy of the God who calls you into His own kingdom and glory.
These people got it. They were spiritually prepared for what was coming. In the next few verses, the rain, the floods, and the winds hit them with full force, yet they stood firm.
So the question for us is: What does it mean to be spiritually prepared? What lessons do we glean from 1 Thessalonians 2 to ensure our lives are built upon the rock?
Receiving the Word as Spiritual Food
Paul begins in verse 13 by highlighting their response to God’s truth.
1 Thessalonians 2:13 (NASB)
For this reason we also constantly thank God that when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you accepted [it] not [as] the word of men, but [for] what it really is, the word of God, which also performs its work in you who believe.
Look at the two verbs there: they received it and they accepted it. Not as the word of men, but as what it really is—the Word of God. When these believers were taught Scripture, they welcomed it. They did not receive it as mere human opinion or helpful suggestions for the day. They received it as divine truth, which meant they heard it, believed it, and applied it to their lives.
In Deuteronomy 32, Moses makes a striking statement about God’s law. He tells the people of Israel that this Word is not an idle word for them—it is their very life.
Deuteronomy 32:47 (NASB)
‘For it is not an idle word for you; indeed it is your life. And by this word you will prolong your days in the land, which you are about to cross the Jordan to possess.’
When we open the Scriptures, we are not reading an article in the morning newspaper. We are not reading a comic strip or the latest fiction novel. We are taking in the very Word of God. And when we ingest God’s Word, verse 13 says it performs a supernatural work in those who believe. It strengthens you, changes you, and prepares you for the storms. It makes you strong enough to endure whatever is coming, whether you are smiling or crying today.
God’s Word is spiritual food. In Matthew 4, Jesus declared that man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.
Matthew 4:4 (NASB)
But He answered and said, ’It is written, ‘MAN SHALL NOT LIVE ON BREAD ALONE, BUT ON EVERY WORD THAT PROCEEDS OUT OF THE MOUTH OF GOD.’’
Remember when you were a kid and your parents told you to eat your vegetables? It felt like punishment. You thought, Why would I eat something pulled out of the dirt? Give me bacon or candy. I remember my dad used to make those slimy little mushrooms. I thought, This is fungus; why would I eat this? Then my dad told me, “Those have iron in them, and iron makes you strong.” Suddenly, I loved mushrooms! I was eating mushrooms like they were going out of style because I believed they would make me bigger, stronger, and faster. I was willing to eat whatever slimy fungus was on the plate if it prepared me for strength.
Paul is saying that when you receive the Word of God, you take in the nourishment that makes you spiritually strong. It equips you to withstand the battles, the winds, and the waves.
Developing a Theology of Suffering
What were these believers being prepared to endure? Paul explains in verse 14.
1 Thessalonians 2:14 (NASB)
For you, brethren, became imitators of the churches of God in Christ Jesus that are in Judea, for you also endured the same sufferings at the hands of your own countrymen, even as they [did] from the Jews,
These young believers were facing intense persecution from their own countrymen, and they could have easily asked, “Wait a second—is this normal? We gave our lives to Jesus, and now people are arresting us and beating us up. Did something go wrong?”
Paul responds by saying, “No, this is completely normal.” Jesus was betrayed and killed by His own countrymen. The prophets were martyred. The apostles were driven out of town. In Acts 1:8, Jesus told His disciples that they would receive power and be His witnesses. The Greek word for witness is martys—martyr.
Acts 1:8 (NASB)
but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.’
The early church was literally stained with the blood of the saints who laid down their lives so the gospel could travel across the Aegean Sea and reach Thessalonica. Paul is telling them, “You are in good company. Suffering is par for the course.”
James tells us to count it all joy when we encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of our faith produces endurance.
James 1:2-4 (NASB)
Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have [its] perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
The only way to become mature, complete, and lacking in nothing is to walk through the crucible of suffering. One of the greatest deficiencies in the Western church today is the lack of a robust theology of suffering. We do not suffer well. We have helicopter parents and bailout cultures where the first sign of difficulty means someone else must fix the problem. We are so quick to try to remove pain, yet suffering is the very crucible in which godly character is forged.
Paul wrote to the Corinthians that our momentary, light afflictions are producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond comparison.
2 Corinthians 4:17-18 (NASB)
For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.
When we are walking through pain, our flesh screams that this is terrible and needs to end immediately. What we fail to see is the eternal, spiritual strength being cultivated inside us.
In Romans 5, Paul explains that we exult in tribulations because tribulation produces perseverance, character, and hope.
Romans 5:3-4 (NASB)
And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope;
Did you know that suffering is normal for the Christian life? Paul told Timothy that indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.
2 Timothy 3:12 (NASB)
Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.
When you trust Christ, Scripture guarantees you two things: peace with God and persecution from the world. That begs the question: If you have never experienced pushback or persecution for your faith, why not? Oftentimes, it is either because we have made ourselves so comfortable that we never step into difficulty, or our faith is kept so private that nobody around us even knows we follow Jesus.
Entrusting Vindication to God
How do we handle those who cause the suffering? Paul addresses the persecutors in verses 15 and 16.
1 Thessalonians 2:15-16 (NASB)
who both killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and drove us out. They are not pleasing to God, but hostile to all men, hindering us from speaking to the Gentiles so that they may be saved; with the result that they always fill up the measure of their sins. But wrath has come upon them to the utmost.
When we suffer at the hands of others, our natural human inclination is to turn the tables and give them a taste of their own medicine. But the biblical response to mistreatment is reverent endurance, not personal vengeance.
Paul writes in Romans 12 that we are never to take our own revenge, but leave room for the wrath of God.
Romans 12:19 (NASB)
Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath [of God], for it is written, ‘VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY,’ says the Lord.
Jesus went even further: love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. God does not need our assistance in settling scores; He is entirely capable of bringing about perfect justice. When mistreatment comes, our responsibility is to endure faithfully and entrust the outcome to the Lord.
The End of Neutral Christianity
This message is critically practical for us today. Storms are coming in your life, and most of you already have the water damage to prove it. You have walked through physical illness, marital heartbreak, relational fracture, or career loss.
I want to be completely honest with you: following Jesus in our culture is not going to get easier. It is going to get harder. The more we stand unapologetically for biblical truth, love what Jesus loves, and stand against what Jesus opposes, the more friction we will experience.
The age of Christendom is over. In the fourth century, Constantine legalized Christianity, and the immediate threat of persecution vanished. But along with that freedom, the church shifted. Instead of thriving as a grassroots, disciple-making movement where lives were invested in individuals, churches began focusing on constructing massive buildings. They became architects and cathedral builders and lost sight of life-on-life discipleship.
For centuries, Western culture lived under a Christian umbrella where it was socially acceptable and comfortable to claim Christ. That day has passed. We are now ministering to the first post-Christian generation. Today on a secular college campus, you can step into a free speech zone and advocate for almost anything—you can burn an American flag, promote radical ideologies, or redefine human sexuality—and people will cheer. But if you stand up and say, “I am a follower of Jesus Christ, I am a broken sinner saved by grace, and I submit my life in obedience to the Word of God,” you might cause an uproar.
To be honest with you, I am encouraged by this shift. The church has always flourished most not in seasons of cultural comfort, but in seasons of intense pressure. When a church receives the Word of God, accepts it, and prepares for the storm, its endurance becomes the greatest apologetic for the gospel.
When you can talk about Jesus with genuine hope and joy while walking through cancer, people see that Christ is real. When your life is fractured by tragedy, but by God’s grace you hold fast to your integrity and praise Him through tears, the world takes notice. That is the kind of faith the Thessalonians possessed. They built their house on the rock, and no storm could knock it down.
Building Your House on the Rock
Are you ready for the storms ahead?
Some people say, “I’ll get serious about my faith later. Right now, life is smooth.” Tell that to families grieving sudden tragedies in our nation. Tell that to communities devastated overnight by natural disasters on the coast. We are only ever a moment away from a storm hitting our lives that we did not ask for and never anticipated. When that storm hits, your foundation will determine whether you stand or collapse.
The days of neutral, cruise-control Christianity are over. You cannot survive on being carried along by the spiritual momentum of everyone else in the room. You must have personal, deep-rooted devotion to Jesus Christ.
So how do you prepare?
Let God’s Word become your very life. Read it, meditate on it, pray through it, study it, and obey it. In John 5, Jesus told the religious leaders of His day that they searched the Scriptures because they thought they possessed eternal life in them, yet the Scriptures testify directly of Him.
John 5:39 (NASB)
’You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that testify about Me;
As you spend time in the Word, you encounter the living Christ. Your affections are stirred for Him, your life is transformed by Him, and you receive the spiritual nourishment required to endure.
The Thessalonians turned their world upside down not because their circumstances were easy, but because their faith was unshakable. When the storms rolled through Thessalonica and eventually blew away, their houses were still standing. When the watching world asked, “How did you survive what you just walked through?” they were able to answer, “Let me tell you about Jesus.”
May we be a people who hear the Word of God, accept it for what it truly is, and build our lives upon the solid Rock.
Closing Prayer
Father, thank You for Your Word. Thank You for the reminder that trials and persecution are normal for those who follow Jesus. Help us not to run from difficulty, but to allow suffering to produce endurance, proven character, and hope within us.
Give us an insatiable hunger for Your Word. May it not be an idle word to us, but our very life. Anchor our souls in Christ so deeply that when the winds blow and the rains fall, our lives remain standing as a testimony to Your grace. Teach us to shine brightly in dark places and point a watching world to the hope of the gospel.
We commit our lives and our church into Your hands. In Jesus’ name, Amen.