The Flywheel of Faith

Good morning! My name is Matt Martinez and I am the pastor here.

Life always happens whether our plans account for it or not.

You will be going along in life, God is good. God loves me. God has a plan for me. God blesses me. God is with me. God takes care of my every need. I am full of faith, encouraged, joyful, my bible reading and prayer are dialed in.

And all of a sudden, life happens. Bad news. Sad news, Disappointment. Discouragement. And I forget everything I read in the Bible. Is God really with me? Does God really care? Will God provide? My faith in God and His Word gets shaken, and I struggle to find the peace I once had in Jesus.

Oftentimes, God does give us more than we can handle so that we have to put our trust in Him. But when I struggle to find that trust in God, God has always put people in my life that can help strengthen my faith.

God will put people in your life, who are there to help when you need it. Their faith strengthens yours when you have none. Likewise, your faith can strengthen theirs when they need it. God designed us to not stand alone.

In case you didn't get it: Your faith in Jesus is needed to help strengthen others.

The apostle Paul in the Bible, strengthened the faith of others with his faith- and he found strength in their faith when he needed it. And we can see how this plays out in his letter to the 1 Thessalonians.

Please open up your Bibles to 1 Thessalonians 3:6-13. If you need a Bible, there is one under your chair, and you can find our passage on page 808 of that Bible.

If you were to read Paul’s letters in the Bible, many of them follow a similar outline. Paul has a greeting where he talks about how much he loves the church he is writing to (sometimes there is some big theology in these sections), then he comes to a transition where he prays for them. The end of the letter usually gets into some very practical steps of how to follow Jesus, along with some sharp rebukes about their current behavior. The letter to the Thessalonians (we have been studying for the last number of weeks) follows this structure.

We are in the transition part of Paul's letter, and here, he introduces a really interesting theme that I have called “The Flywheel of Faith”.

A flywheel is a heavy wheel inside an engine that helps the engine keep running. The flywheel is hard to get moving, but once it’s spinning, every push adds momentum and it keeps going.

Faith in a community works like that. We have faith which can encourage others in their faith. Others have faith which can encourage us in our faith. And around and around we go.

Let’s start reading where you see the small number 6. Paul writes…

But Timothy has just now come to us from you and has brought good news about your faith and love. He has told us that you always have pleasant memories of us and that you long to see us, just as we also long to see you.

The Flywheel of Faith

Paul came to the city of Thessalonica for just a few weeks. In that time, he preached the word of God to many people living there.

These people were lost and living in sin, but Paul gave them faith. The faith they received from Paul was a faith in Jesus. This faith was that they no longer needed to rely on their own ways, but they could rely on God. They were no longer dead in their sins, they were alive in Christ, if they believed Jesus died and rose again for their sin.

But Paul had to leave after just a short time there, because others in the city were not happy with Paul’s teaching. And those same people who drove Paul out then turned on the new Thessalonian Christians and started beating them, throwing them in prison, and killing them. Paul was very concerned about them giving up their new faith in the face of persecution. He was also nervous because he did not want them to think that he had abandoned them or forgot about them.

So, Paul sent Timothy as well as a letter (the one we are reading) to the Thessalonians to strengthen their faith when they needed it most.

I have a person in my life that whenever I call him he builds my faith without even knowing he does it. He has amazing faith in the Lord, he is humble, compassionate, he is clear about his sin, but also embraces the grace of God in his life. He is truthful and committed and passionate about the Lord.

I have regular conversations with him each month, and most of the time he is never teaching me or preaching at me, or correcting me, he is just talking and telling me stories. But I walk away from those conversations, and I find myself having more faith. I desire to be more compassionate, humble, and honest. He isn’t trying to build my faith. He is simply living his faith and sharing his life with me, and it spills over into mine. That’s the flywheel.

This guy faithfully spends time with God every day. Whether he gets a lot out of his time with God or not, he keeps showing up. That faithfulness with God, whether he feels it or not, gets on him. And then, when my friend faithfully shows up in my life, that time with God just comes out on me.

Take the lesson. You do not have to say all the right words, you may not always get amazing revelation from God in your times with him, but faithfully show up with God, and then faithfully show up with others. God will use that faithfulness to strengthen others.

Let’s keep going in our passage and read verses 7-8.

Therefore, brothers and sisters, in all our distress and persecution we were encouraged about you because of your faith. For now we really live, since you are standing firm in the Lord.

The flywheel of faith

Paul is worried about the Thessalonians and his faith is wavering because he is wondering if he did enough. Have you ever felt this way? Did I say enough? Did I communicate what I should have? Did I leave too early? Did I stay too long?

Paul saw the Thessalonians’ faith flourish quickly, he wondered if it would disappear just as quickly when life happened and it didn’t go their way.

Paul’s faith was wavering. But the Thessalonians had stood firm in the Lord. Their faith gave Paul more faith.

We have had a number of people come to faith in Jesus in the six months we have been a church.

I hear a lot of these stories. People tell me how they had been living life away from God, ignoring Him, or avoiding Him altogether. But at some point, they felt like they should come to church. So they went online, found our church, and showed up. And as they sat through the service, they decided to put their faith in Jesus.

After hearing another one of these stories, I was out to lunch with a couple of the people who help set up everything you see here. I was thanking them for all they do, and they told me they were happy to do it. They believed in the mission, wanted to help however they could, and understood that their role was more on the “practical” side of church.

But I had to stop them and help them see something. Their faithfulness in doing the practical work of setting up church is part of how people come to faith in Jesus. Because believe me, we would not have church if it weren't for these guys!

These people show up, do the work, and help create a place where people can come and experience Christ. And because of their faithfulness, people are hearing the gospel and putting their faith in Jesus.

Do you see the flywheel working? Their faith helps others put their faith in God.

Let’s read the next two verses: 9 and 10.

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? Night and day we pray most earnestly that we may see you again and supply what is lacking in your faith.

The Flywheel of Faith

Faith teaches us how to grow.

Paul sees the faith of the Thessalonians and he is inspired to give them even more faith. He talks about their lack of faith here, but it should not be taken as a critique or that the Thessalonians are doing something wrong. Paul is excited and thankful for their journey.

Incomplete faith does not disqualify us from the flywheel.

If you feel like your faith is often lacking or incomplete, it means that you are actually in the flywheel of faith- it’s the whole point. The Thessalonians needed faith and Paul provided it. Paul was losing faith that the Thessalonians were staying faithful, but their firm faith strengthened Paul. Paul in his excitement turns around and looks to help them grow in their faith even more!

Do you see the pattern again from our image?

Our faith thrives in community but struggles without it.

There was a person who recently wrote to me that they struggle to come to church sometimes. They talked about how they feel like their faith is too small. Their sin was too great, or their shame is too overwhelming, their circumstances make it too difficult. But when they decide to come to church and be a part of the community- when they desperately pray for God’s help- encouragement and faith come in the least likely or unexpected places! People would just come up and say a word they desperately needed to hear, a verse was read in service, or a prayer that was spoken.

Sometimes, someone needs you and they don’t know they need you. Sometimes, your faith is needed and you don’t know your faith is needed.

If someone has helped you in your faith: perhaps they prayed with you, encouraged you, even in the smallest of ways- tell them! It is amazing to hear… and who knows, as you are thanking them, they may need their own faith to be encouraged!

Our faith thrives in community, but struggles without it.

Let’s come back and read verses 11 and 12 now.

Now may our God and Father himself and our Lord Jesus clear the way for us to come to you. May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you.

The Flywheel of Faith

Faith inspires our prayers.

When I was in seminary, I had to do this project centered around the ups and downs of a church that had been around for over 30 years. For part of the project, I had to look through all of the notes of the annual business meetings- riveting stuff. But it was interesting to look at the good years, the tough years, and all the challenges and blessings that came during those times.

I then interviewed people that had been at the church through all of those times. I discovered something fascinating: first, I saw God’s faithfulness. Whenever there was a setback, or hard time, there was a new initiative that was born from that hard time, new people came when others left, fresh vision and innovation came out of limitations. God's faithfulness was at work even when it didn’t look like it at first.

But the other thing I discovered was from the stories of the seasoned attenders of the church. Their stories of God’s faithfulness through the hard times, gave me strength and courage as a young leader, to believe that when I took risks or faced setbacks in my future, God would be faithful to complete His vision in ways I would have never imagined. My prayers began to change when I faced setbacks in ministry. I will often still think about the stories of those people when I pray and I will say, ‘God, what are you doing in this hard time? How can I recognize your faithfulness? Where can I be thankful? With this setback, what are you also setting up?”

Stories of God’s faithfulness, teach us to pray bold prayers.

What a prayer of vision Paul prays in verse 11, “Clear a way, Lord. Make a way for us! Increase our love!”

Whether people are following Jesus or not, people need to know that there is hope beyond our present circumstances. Sin does not have to have the final word in our lives. Sickness and pain do not have to overtake our lives forever. Relationships can be healed in Jesus. That even if things are not as they should be now, they will not always be like this.

If God has been faithful in your life, let that inform your prayers! Let that inspire the prayers you pray for others…

Now, before I go any further, I want to talk just a little more about this. Because, some of you do pray boldly, and it seems like your prayers go unheard or unanswered.

Paul gives us some insight here in our passage. He prays for love to increase and overflow. That confidence he has comes from resting in God’s love. Paul has spent time with God, he rests knowing that God knows more and sees more than He does. Paul prays boldly knowing that God loves Paul, and will do what is best.

How do we get to a place in our life to have faith like that?

Let’s take a look at the last verse in our passage: verse 13.

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.

The Flywheel of Faith

Who does Paul say ultimately strengthens our faith? Is it Paul? Is it us? Does praying really hard or really well do it? Paul writes “May He” May God strengthen you.

God fuels our faith!

This is the beauty of the flywheel. You see once a flywheel gets going, it is unstoppable. My faith can strengthen your faith, and your faith can strengthen my faith. But a flywheel needs a surge of power in order for it to begin working.

God supplies the power to make us blameless and holy. God supplies the faith we need to strengthen one another. Faith receives from God, and love passes it on. And the flywheel keeps turning.

And right here we have an interesting challenge and warning, along with encouragement.

Paul does not want a passive, indifferent, or half in-half out faith. He wants us to have a strong one for when Jesus returns.

Blameless and holy means wholeheartedly committed to the Lord.

The faith that is needed for this time in our world needs to be anchored firmly in Jesus. But if you are alone, outside of the flywheel of faith, you are vulnerable to the attacks of the enemy.

Step into a life of following Jesus. Put your faith in Him. Let him ignite the faith in you, and then, let that love, that faith overflow onto others- strengthening them.

In a moment the worship team is going to come back and sing one final song. During that song, I want you to talk with God about this: standing firm in faith… pray and ask God for him to strengthen your faith. Pray and ask God if you need to turn and strengthen someone’s faith. Perhaps, you are someone outside of the flywheel. You do not have faith and you are not standing firm. Spend time processing that with God, and after the song, I want to offer a step you can take to have a new or renewed faith in God.