Bible In A Year - 2 Thessalonians

Well, here we are again to study the Word of God together to be able to begin our day worshiping together In the house of the Lord is a great opportunity. Wasn't that a great? springtime winter wonderland coming in boy the The Lord is marvelous and all that he does isn't he and it's just amazing to see that I Think a look back on my life.

And I'm not. I don't have the artistic flair my wife does and I really have a hard time coloring by numbers and I Was the kid that went outside the the lines with the color crayon and all that and didn't Know how to put the colors together.

Well, but boy It's splendid when you see like it says in the book of Job the storehouses of the treasure of the of the snow. And they are in the hoarfrost in the in the in the rain. It all comes from from the Lord and he paints a wonderful picture and we get to enjoy it and how wonderful that was.

Well, let's pray in and ask the Lord to to look with favor upon us this morning Our Father in heaven as we come to you. Oh Lord our God where we're a people who are so grateful. This morning we consider your wonders Not only in the creation about us which appoint us to you Lord which cause us to be in awe of your great power and The splendor and the beauty and the glory of the Lord when we consider What you've done even in creation, but then we think of us being created and being recreated in Jesus Christ your son and what a Marvelous and a and a splendid and an amazing Work that you have done.

We are your workmanship. But you have fashioned us not only physically the way that you want us to look but you are Shaping us and molding us and making us Into the people of God that you desire for us to be and you're working with our attitudes you're working with the things that we know as far as our knowledge and our intellect our will being Influenced by the Spirit of God so that we would walk in the way of the Lord God.

You are helping us when it comes to the way that we should think and the way that we should behave and the way that we should have relationships and treat one another and and look at the world in which we live and and Go about making proper decisions.

Lord you you are in charge and you are. You are a God who guides us and you teach us through your word. So we we do pray this morning as we come To the Word of God that it might be helpful to us that it truly might be profitable for our souls.

That the Spirit of God would teach us So that we would know what it is that you want us to know so that we can rest in the truth and we can be Comforted and we can be helped and sustained and that we can live as Christians in this world who live With a hope that's above this world a hope that we have in our great God and King.

So please settle us Lord on our hearts and help shut us into this place So that we can learn from you in Jesus name. Amen. Well, we're moving to the the second epistle of Paul as he wrote to this church in Thessalonica and you'll remember from last week and I I Handed out the sheets are on the chair again.

If you don't have them there are two one for each of the epistles you'll remember that in the in the first book there was a Problem in the church to where there was a misunderstanding about the coming of the Lord Jesus and Believers were dying.

There were those that were alive and they had questions and they were confused possibly and concerned about those that had Been Christians been alive, but in their lifetime had died. They had buried them and they were no longer with them and wondering Well if the Lord returns Or would they living Christians be at an advantage over those that had died.

I mean would somehow They be left behind or would what would happen to them and in no doubt? There was as there were in other places where the Apostle Paul had gone on his missionary journeys there were those who were Coming in as false teachers and trying to stir up the churches after Paul had gone and preached the glorious Gospel of Christ and how a person could be saved through Christ alone and by Receiving him and turning as this church had done in 1st Corinthians 1 around verse 9 they had turned from their idolatry turned from their past life turned from their sin and turned to Christ and Paul preached that message.

A church was established here and and these folks Have legitimate concerns. They have questions. They they don't understand and Paul like a faithful brother Paul like the Apostle whom God had called him to be a sent one of God with the truth of from God Revealed from heaven to him directly the Lord Jesus teaching him The Spirit of God and the Spirit of Christ teaching the Apostle Paul Revealing Christ and showing him the truth.

He brought that truth to them goes off to another place. No doubt in Corinth now writing this letter back because he is aware of what's going on in that church. And then isn't that a unique and a great? Attribute or characteristic that a minister or someone who is ministering to other people ought to have.

Is that he keeps tabs on the people that he's ministered to. It's not a it's not just a blow-and-go. It's not just you know I'm gonna get the Flash in the pan get something hooped up in some place, and then I'm off to some other place.

He was he had invested himself in these people first Corinthians 1st Thessalonians chapter 2. Like a father who loves and pities his children like a mother who's nursing her baby. He labored night and day you remember that In in this book in the second Thessalonians He said we we didn't even take from you we worked in your midst.

We didn't want to be chargeable to you. We didn't want to think like you know like we were Using you in any way shape or form, but he had poured out his life. He had given his very own soul for them like like we would use the Term today would be the Apostle.

Paul burned the candle on both ends. When it came to pouring himself into the lives of other people and so much. So that not only did he write the first letter to them in every chapter you'll remember Giving an account of what what was it in every chapter of 1st Thessalonians?

What doctrine did Paul? Mention the return of Christ and on the sheet I think If I can remember properly. When I was typing this up. Yes under miscellaneous notes. You'll notice in the first bullet There are some insights.

Mentioning eat when it comes to each mention of the return of Christ in those chapters in chapter 1. When he speaks of the Lord Jesus Christ coming it is the hope of the believer in chapter 2. It is the motivation for service you remember Paul said you are my joy.

You are my crown of rejoicing when the Lord returns and what a motivation. Just to think that God would allow us to be instruments in his hand so that we could preach the gospel so that others could be saved and Us be rewarded for it in some way.

And yet God get all the glory for it and it is a motivation a lot of motivations for us in serving Christ but one of them is is the fruit that God gives us in our life, and it is like a it is like a a stamp of on authenticity when it comes to The ministry of a church in the ministry of an individual believer as you're as you're sharing the gospel.

Someone comes to Christ and they begin walking in the way of God. They become a disciple of Jesus Christ. It is like this is the way it's supposed to be we're supposed to reproduce ourselves. We're supposed to bring forth fruit unto unto the Lord and as Paul said in 1st Corinthians chapter 9 he Became all things to all men that he might by all means save some now.

He wasn't saying he was a Savior. He knew Jesus was a Savior. He was an instrument that God had used in the salvation of souls and here He says at the end of chapter 2 in 1st Thessalonians. The first I mean 1st Thessalonians chapter 2 at the end He says that they were this crown and rejoicing and then in chapter 3 He said it was the the basis of personal sanctification and then in chapter 4 there were a couple of practical concerns.

What about the dead in Christ and that's how I kind of introduced what would take what what would happen with them? And Paul assured them that they were not at a disadvantage. They would not be left behind that when Christ comes in the clouds and the Trump of God Is sounded that the Lord Jesus Christ would would raise those who had already died from the dead.

They would go first and then we which are alive and remain Shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air and so shall we ever be with the Lord. So he made it absolutely clear to them what was going to take place and The other question that that was taken care of in in chapter 5 and in verse 9.

What about those who are living where it says? In that chapter for the for God has not appointed us to wrath but to Obtain salvation by our Lord. Jesus Christ says we are not vessels of wrath fitted for destruction but we are those who are vessels that will be on display for all eternity to To demonstrate the wonder and the glory and the power of God in saving sinners.

So we see in this book this first one that mainly what Paul is dealing with is when it comes to the second when it comes to the coming of Christ is The expectation of that coming it is going to take place.

It is going to happen and in it though the Lord will come as he promised. The dead brethren will be resurrected just like Christ was raised from the dead. They will participate in the coming of Christ and that is coming the willing will the living will be reunited with their loved ones and then all believers living and dead will be with the Lord eternally.

And Why was it? What do you think the motivation was? Behind The Apostle Paul dealing with this in every chapter and laying out and answering all these questions. What was it that these believers in Thessalonica and what is it that you and I go through as believers in the world in which we live that Necessitated this teaching.

What is it that was taking place in this church? Persecution Struggles. The attack the attack that was coming their way from unbelievers. From those in the world. It was definitely coming to the church there and notice if now again when he when he writes the second epistle He is going to elaborate even more on this topic because no doubt He's apprised of them of the of the health.

He's aware of what's going on in this church. And like I said, it is good for us. Not only as leaders to know what's going on in in the church, but also For you who are ministering to others it's very important as I said not just to be a flash in the pan not just to get something hooped up and going and get and just leave those that your Discipling or teaching alone, but to periodically check up on them.

I Am known in in B at BBC. I was just talking to Mike pastor Mike this morning my family and I. Many of us were in California a couple weeks back and here I am on the on the promenade in Santa Monica it's probably 30 40 degrees here and it was like 70 pushing getting up to 80 there and I'm leaning up against a lamppost with no coat on in the B at the middle at the beginning of this month in March and I'm watching people as they go by and they're smiling and their faces are bright and happy and they're just kind of move moving along and Here I'm thinking well, I'm gonna go back to New England and it's gonna be gloom and doom it's gonna be we're still the spring hasn't come and and the winter is here and When when it when it comes to when it comes to life and when it comes to Ministering to to other people.

We ought to be concerned with where people are and what they're feeling even though feeling is not what we go after. We need to bring them the truth and we need to reiterate the truth and we need to constantly Encourage people and exhort people and if that's your gift It's it's it's great or if you're if your gift is helps then you help people and you pour yourself into them.

If your gift is the ability to be able to teach the Word of God Then you teach if yours is mercy, then then you show that mercy to people, but you just don't do it and and and leave them follow up one of the things that that I do and you know, I was talking about the people in in California where they're a little bit brighter and cheerier and maybe it has to do with the temperature or the whatever a Portion of the time zone or whatever but here in New England, sometimes I like to get people to smile.

Ajay knows about it. Sometimes I'll come over we work together now. The Lord's blessed us to be able to do that and I'll do something, you know to to get people to smile. But one thing I'll do around here is I may come up to you and say are you still saved?

And I won't say that because I'm trying to you know, some people what's he thinking was watching my life and and I must have been Poor behavior and I'm sinning and he thinks that I'm not saved. No, it's just to get you to think about this that yes, it's rhetorical.

It's it's are you still saved? The the answer is absolutely Positively because the Lord says that that he gives us everlasting life. We are his children not on probation. But we are adopted in the family of God no conditions.

There's nothing that can separate us from the love of Christ. With the love of God which is in Christ Jesus Romans chapter 8. We're in the Father's hand. We're in Christ's hands and no one can pluck us out.

And of course what I'm trying to get you to do is to think about who you are. You're a believer in Christ whom you're a sinner who God has saved by his glorious power and he's given you eternal Salvation.

So what I'm getting you trying to think is to rehearse the truth of the scriptures so you can say yes. And I have a great God who will not fail me. God is faithful and he's going to keep me and the Apostle Paul is doing the exact same thing in this letter.

There we have some Christians who are going through some unbelievably hard time some trouble. Some persecution the attack is on and Thessalonica small church young church. No doubt Paul was only there for a short period of time and in laying out the gospel where a person could be saved somehow he dealt with the subject of the coming of the Lord and No doubt what what took place here and what it seems like what happened was is that a letter that came to this church?

Possibly that was a forgery notice in chapter 2. 2nd Thessalonians 2 verse 1 now We beseech you brethren by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and by our gathering together unto him. I'm reading from the King James.

He says that you Don't be soon shaken in your mind or be troubled neither by spirit nor by word nor by letter as from us as That as that the day of Christ is at hand says don't let anyone deceive you in verse 3 by any means.

For that day shall come shall not come except there be a falling way first. And he goes into all the characteristics all the things that need to take place before the Lord comes. So it seems as if there could possibly have been a letter as from Paul a forgery.

Which really threw them off their tracks? I mean derailed them as far as they're thinking about the Lord and and what's what was taking place was is that? Somebody was trying to teach them that somehow they were already in the day of the Lord.

That Jesus had already come and they were in the day of the Lord where where the you know they missed something and so there's great confusion confusion and Paul knowing That they are troubled notice in chapter 1 where he says he says these words.

In verse 3 we are bound to thank God always for you brethren as it is fit. Or as it is meet because of your faith your faith grows exceedingly and the charity of every one of you all abounds towards each other.

Verse 4 so that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God for your patience and faith now. Here's a group of people That have patience and faith in all their persecutions and tribulations that they endure it is Real it is legitimate these people are being buffeted there.

They're being attacked for being Christians. They're probably being Laughed at or mocked or scorned because they're believing what this Apostle Paul came. This this guy who's teaching this other way no doubt there.

There could have been Judaizers who like followed the Apostle Paul and it mentions It does mention that in in the first book. But they're they're getting not only that but then they're living in an idolatrous pagan Pagan Satan controlled society and Everything around them is opposed to what it is that they hold dear.

That Christ is to reign that I am to have control as Paul says in the first book. He says it's the will of God your sanctification is the will of God to be a pure Vessel and work at that and purge out the sin mortify the flesh so that you'd be a pure vessel to be used by the Lord and so the attacks and the temptations and the labeling and all this is coming at them and Paul says I know that it's happening to you and Yet you still believe and you still have patience.

But he's gonna go beyond that. He's gonna start talking to them about something and he's gonna reiterate what he brought up in the first epistle. And he's gonna really encourage them. He's really gonna bolster them.

You know how he's gonna do that. He's gonna tell him Thessalonica. You have got the greatest bank in The in the church there. You've got you've got the Treasury. You've got all kinds of money and material possessions and that's gonna carry you through.

Is that the answer? Of course, it isn't because what can happen with money. What does it say in the Old Testament? It's kind of like a little thing in there about these it's like a bird with wings money.

It can fly away it can be it can go through our fingers. Well, you guys are in the greatest of health. That can fail too. Can it? You got a you got a great you got a great church and that's a good thing, but It's got to be outside of ourselves.

It's got to be something beyond us. It's got to be something grand and wonderful and amazing and What Paul does to encourage them to get them to settle down to get them to to be secure. It's kind of like what any any believer does to another when they encourage them is to remind them of the truth.

To remind them of who God is to remind them of who they are and what relationship they have to the Lord. What that how special that relationship is how secure and how? Assured and confident that they can be they can be that God is going to do.

What he said he's going to do and he's going to as we have been looking through all these These Sunday school classes as we go through the Bible is that God has purpose to have a people that he would call for his very own and that he would provide his son to be the Redeemer of those people and the Spirit of God would come and Regenerate that people and reveal Christ to them and they would be kept by the power of God.

They would be God's people for time and for eternity and one of the pieces of the truth is is that Jesus is coming for them and That in that coming we're going to see as it unfolds here in chapter 1. There's some great and glorious truths that should help not only help them back then But will help us even today notice what he says.

He says I'll just continue reading on in verse 5. Well at the end of verse 4 he says you've had patience and faith and your persecutions and tribulations that you endure. Which is a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God that you may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God.

For which you also suffer. They're suffering for Christ's sake. They're not suffering because of. It's not self-induced Affliction that's coming their way. It's because they own Christ. It is because they they say we are Christians.

We name the name of Christ and they're suffering for his kingdom for not only naming and identifying with Christ. But also letting it be known all around them. You remember last week in chapter 1 that they were Influencing and evangelizing and the gospel was going out locally and it was going out in the region and it was going out into all The areas they were they were letting it be known who they were.

There was no doubt about it. The gospel was going forth and they were suffering and being troubled for the kingdom's sake for Christ's sake. And then he says in verse 6. Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense.

Tribulation to them that trouble you. Paul saying it isn't always going to be this way. You are being persecuted now. By the persecutors. You're troubled by those who are troubling you. You are receiving the brunt of their blows and their attacks now.

But a day is coming When the tide will be reversed. The day is coming when those mouths will be closed. The day is coming when those hands will be stopped who are troubling you and the fury. The wrath.

The judgment and the in the vengeance as it says here of the Lord will be poured out upon those who trouble you and What what this what this means is for them? Is that they are no longer going to get away with it and Whether it happens in your lifetime.

You are owned by God. You are loved by God. You are in the family of God. You are God's very own and though you are suffering and we could go it's a whole nother Sunday school lesson we could go to the places where it speaks of that the suffering and the persecution.

What what? Epistle would you think of you can go there how it proves the faith and how it strengthens the believer? What what. Apostle can we go to Peter right great book look in first Peter? And you can see that we suffer and God has a purpose for it and it and it strengthens us and it Assures us and so on.

But one day the day their day is going to come and the persecutor is going to become the persecuted ones the Troubler is going to be the the troubled ones and we're going to be like the little chicks that are going to be able to hide underneath the the mother hen's wings and God is going to be our Refuge in time in life and at the day of judgment you see in in the first book He said in chapter 2.

He says the day of the Lord is going to come as a thief in the night unexpected unannounced. But any and it's going to be a horrible day and a terrible day for those who are outside of Christ. But he says you it ought not to surprise you as believers and as we read in this The verse earlier we have not been Fitted as vessels of wrath for destruction.

We are going to be saved we are going to be ultimately saved a complete redemption and glorification of the Saints as we're going to see here, but There's a group of people Who are no longer going to get away with it?

Then and though persecuted the ones that are persecuting now those that oppose the gospel. Those that fight the truth of God those that attack the church and attack the believer. They are going to be recompensed tribulation and notice in verse 7 and to you who are troubled rest with us.

When the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in verse 8 inflaming fire. Taking vengeance on them that know not God and that obey not the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. Who shall be punished with?

Everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power. There isn't anyone in this room in reading those verses Could come to the place if you're a believer where you could say and they deserve it let them have it.

They've been attacking us. They attacked back then they deserve it. We We shudder to think what will take place in the life of a person who will be condemned like this. To have the fury of God it says I I believe there's a place in I just get the illustration in the book of Revelation where it speaks of of The wine vat and the grapes being in there and then being in the grapes being stomped on to be to be crushed.

So that the the juice flows out of those Grapes that illustration of that but but in the scripture It speaks of people being in the in the in the wine vat of the fury and the wrath of God. And we ought to never get to the place where we just look at this and it's so so So light-heartedly or so removed from this this ought to give us a Burden for souls and a in a motivation to speak the truth to people because this in reality Will take place in the lives of countless many who have who have gone the wide way to destruction.

Jesus spoke of of this of really the subject of hell and of judgment more than he did of heaven. You'll remember in Matthew 25 where it speaks of the separation of the the goats on the left and the sheep on his right.

He said these the goat shall go away into everlasting punishment but the righteous into life eternal. And Jesus spoke of The worm that dies not the blackness of outer darkness forever and ever the the the talks about the.

He spoke of the torment and the horror of being separated from God in hell for all eternity and it's a it's a sobering truth for us, but it is a reality and When Paul speaks of it here, he says look. You can rest assured.

You rest he says rest with us that word rest in verse 7 speaks of letting loose or a Relaxation. It means you can be composed. You can be quiet. You can be still and you can be assured because when the Lord Jesus Christ comes All those that have been stomping on you all those who've had the upper hand and you've you've been the recipient of Their great fury and their persecution and the troubling that comes that has come to you.

You rest assured that God will make it right you rest assured that their Lifestyle and their persecution will cease and They will be recompensed for that which they have done. They have lived a life Opposed to God and in their death God will oppose them.

They have lived a life where it says in verse 8. They know not the gut. They do not know God. They don't perceive God they that word know there to know God. They don't turn their eyes toward or their mind or their affections toward God.

They are strangers to God living in darkness and men love darkness rather than light because their deeds are evil and their deeds Have been evil towards you and they're not only described as not knowing God.

But there are people who have not obeyed the gospel. It says there in verse 8. What do you think about that? Somebody would say look at that person in that phrase and say well, there you go. Salvation is of works.

You have to obey in order to be saved. What do you think? I'll give myself a break and let somebody answer question. What do you think about that? What does that mean? Is it synonymous with? With believing.

When it comes it says they do not obey the gospel. Let me give you the the meaning of it means to Submit to or hearken to or embrace it means to it means I think the the word has to do with Going under or submitting to the gospel.

What do you think? Hey, that's true. When it comes to when it comes to living the life it comes afterwards there is there is obedience, but What about initially when it comes to coming to Christ Daniel?

What are you thinking? Okay, and it's kind of describing them and showing what their life is they're in rebellion they're not gonna obey God. They won't submit to God. Let me ask this question. Does it say in the Bible that we are all commanded to repent?

Yes. Does the Bible say that we are commanded to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ? Yes, first John 3 and in verse 23. And this is his commandment that we should believe on the name of the Son of Jesus Christ and love one another as he gave Us a commandment.

God has commanded all men everywhere to repent says that in the book of Acts I don't remember the exact reference and in first John 3 It says we're commanded to believe if you don't do it. You've disobeyed the gospel call the gospel message to bow the knee to submit to Jesus Christ.

And that is there that is their characteristic. That is the type of people they are. They won't embrace it. They won't practice its precepts in their lives. They refuse to and in so doing they oppose God and they oppose the people of God and they've persecuted them.

Well, Paul says look you rest assured God is going to take it care of that if I had to preach this Text I came up with my outline this morning as I was reviewing this. There is a promised and I don't do this often.

But it has the letters kind of go here the promised visitation. Jesus is coming. That's in verse in verse 7. There is a promised vengeance in verses 8 and 9. God is going to come in flaming fire. Taking vengeance not that it's used in the sense where God is seeking revenge.

It's not that because if if the Lord were to in our minds in our definition seek revenge. That what do you think about that? Well, that's true. But when we think of human revenge, does it always have the right motive?

No, it doesn't it's sinful motive. It's I'm gonna strike back and be but but God is a righteous judgment. God is coming because he's told them what they ought to do to believe upon Christ to to Call upon the name of the Lord.

They are his created beings. They were created for his pleasure to serve him and they refused to do that and they've broken God's law and they've Refused and rejected Jesus Christ and it is a righteous thing for God as you notice what it says there.

It's a righteous thing in verse thing in verse 6 with God to recompense. Tribulation to those that trouble them they deserve that because they're accountable for that. Haven't we've been hearing about that in our the preaching of pastor Mike is doing on the sovereignty of God and these people.

Oh, I got to give you my third point. Promise visitation promise vengeance of pastor Mike can't preach this morning and Steve doesn't have any notes in his Bible. There's the message you're gonna hear promise visitation verse 7 promised vengeance in verses 8 and 9 and promised Vindication verses 10 and verse 6 which I already looked at but look at 10.

No, I mean, let me let's go back just briefly to this because I know there's gonna be a question on this. In verse 9 when it deals with the vengeance this this pouring out of the fury this punishment of those who've rejected verse 9 who shall be punished with Everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power now the King James uses the word Everlasting destruction.

What are some of the other renditions? Eternal does it use destruction though the word destruction and some people are gonna say ah, there it is. The Bible teaches annihilation. People gonna be destroyed.

Scott asked me about this last week. We talked a little bit at the door. What are the Bible verses with that that prove that people are are not going to be annihilated? And of course you you know that you can go back to the verses which describe When people die and they are buried that there is still life after death.

There is still a an awareness there and you could you could go to those but this verse here Says that they will be Suffer everlasting destruction and in the Greek this word does not mean Annihilation it means a loss of everything good or worthwhile.

It has to do with a great loss and Brother, it's it's a moment in time. It's gone. Yeah, good good point if someone's annihilated. It's not an Everlasting destruction and I think of I think of the everlasting destruction.

I think of all those verses I I quoted about the Lord Jesus and how he he taught about this destruction about the horror of this being of being eternally punished and What this means is these folks are going to suffer the consequences of Their sin in their lifetime.

They have worked for sin and Like Romans 3 23 says the wages of sin is death. They're gonna get What they've worked for eternal death eternal destruction and The word again means has to do with loss and I can kind of equate it like this.

I got this from Barnes commentary. He said health is destroyed when it fails. Property is destroyed when it's burned a limb is just is is destroyed when it's lost in battle. Life is destroyed when one dies just physical life.

It's it's destroyed. It's lost. We say, you know, I lost my brother or I lost a child not that we don't know where they are but it's a great a great loss and I think of a most penetrating verse Mark 8 36 and I may not quote it properly fully but our Lord Jesus says what?

Shall it profit a man if he should gain the whole world and yet what lose his own soul? That is the greatest loss of all the loss of the soul. It's it's dignity its honor its happiness its potential. For which it was created to honor and love and serve God and yet for sin for a season.

For for playing with toys and for having a flesh and mind and self gratified. People have exchanged in Jesus. I think in one other quotation in the different one not in mark. It says not only what shall a man?

Give what shall a profit a man if he should gain the whole world and yet lose his own soul. What would a man exchange for his soul and think of what people are exchanging? Give me some ideas. What do people exchange for their very own soul?

What is it? They hold dear Scott? Pleasure certainly. Money pleasure. Materialism is one thing. Power pride. What is it? Fame recognition. And. Really sometimes when you when you look at a person's life that you're praying for and you so desire for them to be saved.