Podcasts about ii thessalonians

Message from Nate Faires on August 9, 2026

Title: 1-2 Thessalonians: Finale Text: The Books of 1 and 2 Thessalonians FCF: Prop: The Books of 1 and 2 Thessalonians is about God's people, saved, growing, and enduring until Jesus returns. Sermon Intro: [Slide 1] Turn in your bible to the books of 1 and 2 Thessalonians. For the last 9 months over the course of 34 sermons, we have covered all 136 verses of the canonical letters of Paul to the church in Thessalonica. Though they are two distinct letters, having been written only months apart and having several common themes, they could be observed as two chapters of one book. Today will be a different kind of message. Instead of looking at a particular text, we are instead going to assume the role of systematic theologians. Rather than sitting back and allowing one thought to pour over us from the text – we will instead fit together all we have learned into categories of truth. Although Paul doesn't outline for us what the main or primary purpose of each letter is – it is not difficult to gather the themes of each and come to a synopsis of what exactly Paul wanted to get through to the Thessalonians. I have printed an outline for each book. Some of them are available in the back still, but if you need a copy of either, let me know and I'll be happy to provide them. It is also worth noting that every sermon from this series is available in audio format on our website and almost all of them are available in video format on our YouTube channel. So, if you ever want to go back and review, or listen along with your own personal study, that is available for you. And that goes for every series I have preached here since I preached through Galatians, which was, believe it or not, 10 years and 2 days ago. We will begin this finale study by looking over the general timeline of the two books' composition and what each book touches on broadly. Then we will analyze the two books together for major themes and look for how those themes lace together with the rest of the scriptures and how they continue to be applicable for us today. Then we will put all those themes together to form a single yet dense sentence of the main theme of these two books. But first let me pray to get us started this morning. [Slide 2] The Timeline: · Paul, Silas and Timothy teach for a few months in Thessalonica · Paul is chased out of Thessalonica by the Jews · Paul goes to Corinth · Paul sends Timothy to check on them [Slide 3] The Reason · Timothy has reported back · They are being shunned by unbelievers in Thessalonica · They are confused on eschatology. They don't want any in the church to miss it, living or dead. · They have some lingering areas which need growth, including sexual immorality, love of one another, and working to provide for themselves. There are some unruly busy bodies causing some issues too. [Slide 4] The Content of Letter 1 · Thanksgiving for what God did in their hearts · Encouraging growth in faith, love, and hope. · Correction of eschatology · Hope in identity in Christ · Labor in love, work out faith · Need for peace from God [Slide 5] The Timeline: · Paul sends the first letter with Timothy · Paul continues work in Corinth with increasing persecution · Paul anxiously awaits Timothy's report · Paul sends second letter [Slide 6] The Reason · Timothy has reported back · Now being persecuted · Now deceived on eschatology thinking it has already come because some preachers and a letter that said it was from Paul said so. · The unruly are still a problem [Slide 7] The Content of Letter 2 · Thanksgiving for what God continues to do in their hearts · Encouragement for persecution · Correction of Eschatology · Hope in being chosen by God · Correcting the unruly · Need for peace and grace Transition: [Slide 8 (blank)] So now that you can remember at least broadly what Paul has written, let's synthesize all that information into some major themes across both 1 and 2 Thessalonians. I have narrowed it down to 7 major themes that all feed into the primary theme which we will dissect last of all. So, let's get started. I.) [Slide 9] Discipleship = Imitation a. Paul mentions imitation in both letters. b. Paul talks about the Thessalonians successfully imitating his example. He also talks about he and his companions' example being one worth imitation. c. And by extension, Paul indicates that because the Thessalonians have imitated him and his companions, they themselves are worthy of imitation. d. In this we see that in Paul's mind the heart of discipleship is one person following Jesus and encouraging others to follow them as they follow Jesus. e. In that sense if we simply follow the person who is closer to Christ than we are, we will always be following Christ. f. [Slide 10] So how does this theme relate to the rest of the New Testament? Well Paul addresses this in the Pastoral epistles where he tells Titus to have the older men teach the younger men and the older women teach the younger women. He doesn't just say teach them Christ's commands, although that is certainly part of it. He tells them to teach by example and produce those who imitate them. Peter lifts himself up as an Elder as an example to other Elders. In Acts the church first devotes themselves to the apostles' teaching. That is interesting. They were contemporaries of Christ, yet the apostles were the ones they were imitating. Why? Because the apostles were imitating Christ. g. [Slide 11] How does this theme work itself out in the whole counsel of scripture? As we look to the Old Testament, God continually raised up men who served as examples. The Patriarchs in general were examples to Israel. When a King was a godly King, he was said to follow in the footsteps of David. When he was ungodly, he was said to follow in the footsteps of Jeroboam. Here we see that godliness is taught and demonstrated through imitation. And so is ungodliness. Proving the axiom that more is caught than taught. h. [Slide 12] What impact does this concept have on us today? There are literally thousands of curriculums, courses, books, seminars, and philosophies surrounding the idea of discipleship. Some churches have pastors of discipleship. My point is not to say that these are foolish or a waste of time, necessarily. But the long and the short of it is, if you think of discipleship as a 12-week course to graduate from and not imitating those who are godly around you – you might have missed it. Imitation is much simpler and much more accessible. We might not be able to attend a 12-week course, but anyone can observe someone they know loves Jesus and is a godly person and endeavor to live like they live. This doesn't eliminate the need for intentional discipleship. But even when we intentionally disciple we must be someone who is worthy of imitation. All the while we continue to point ourselves toward imitating Christ. [Slide 13 (blank)] Transition: What is another piece of puzzle helping us form the primary theme of these books? II.) [Slide 14] True believers have nothing to fear regarding the Day of the Lord a. In both letters Paul addresses some fear or anxiety concerning the Day of the Lord. b. Have those who died missed it? c. Will it be so subtle we'll miss it? d. Are you sure because we have heard preaching saying we missed it? e. Paul not only informs them that they can't possibly miss the Day of the Lord – but he also, in both books, assures them that those who are truly God's people, have nothing to fear about the Day of the Lord. f. They might experience hardship and difficulty – but they won't be judged with the wicked. And they won't miss out on the kingdom. It doesn't work that way. God saved them FOR this Kingdom… and nothing can change that. g. [Slide 15] How does this theme present itself in the New Testament? In every entry of the New Testament concerning the end times and the Day of the Lord they serve both as a warning to those who are wicked and a comfort to those who are righteous. Those who have been made righteous in Christ should be comforted, not frightened, concerning the Day of the Lord. And those who are wicked should be warned. A third group exists as well. Those who claim to be righteous but are bearing no fruit, are warned that unless they do bear fruit, they will be swept away with the unrighteous. Not because they didn't bear fruit… but because they were never actually righteous. h. [Slide 16] Do we see this theme in the Old Testament as well. Perhaps even more so. The Prophets especially speak often of the Day of the Lord. And in those texts we also have three groups of people addressed. The wicked are warned of their judgment, the righteous are promised their coming reward, and those who live disobediently but claim to be God's people, are warned to obey lest they be swept away with the wicked too. i. [Slide 17] What does this theme mean for us? There is a lot of variety when it comes to eschatology. There are many different views and most of them are quite valid from the scriptures. But a view of eschatology that does not give comfort to God's true people, is a view that must be denied. Any view that denies the eternal punishment of the wicked, must be denied. Any view that allows you to live however you want, unchanged, and inherit God's Kingdom still, must be denied. And unfortunately, that eliminates several false teachings that are running rampant today. Be wise and understand that only the righteous will enter that Kingdom and only the righteous have nothing to fear on the Day of the Lord. [Slide 18 (blank)] Transition: That's two themes down. What is the next piece of the puzzle? III.) [Slide 19] True believers stand firm in and hold fast to the Christian Tradition a. We defined Christian tradition as the doctrines and lifestyles that Christ gave to His apostles to give to the church as it grew and expanded. b. In this, we see the first theme overlap a bit into this one. c. Since discipleship is imitation, true disciples of Christ should be imitators of Him and all who imitate Him. d. In that they will continue to hold fast to the doctrines Christ taught through His apostles and they will continue to stand firm in the lifestyles that Christ and his apostles taught and demonstrated. e. This is why when professing believers stop confessing truths or stop living in ways that conform to Christ, we begin to doubt or lose confidence in their profession of faith. f. [Slide 20] This concept is found in the rest of the New Testament as well. When we studied 1 and 2 Peter, James, Jude, 1-3 John, Galatians, Acts, and Matthew we saw this theme on repeat. True believers, true followers of Christ… follow Christ. They conform to what the master taught and lived. That is the nature of following Him. Meaning that any who don't… have lost all assurances that they are indeed His follower. g. [Slide 21] How does this theme present itself in the whole counsel of God? In the Old Testament God kept pointing back to what He had done. He kept pointing back to positive and negative examples of people following Him and being blessed and not following Him and being cursed. It becomes clear that those who are truly His remnant are those who consistently obey what He tells them to do. They consistently worship Him exclusively and live uprightly. The ones who are God's are those who conform to His standard and not to the nations around them. h. [Slide 22] How does this theme impact us today? We cannot love the world and God at the same time. If we love the world the love of the Father is not in us. It is so easy to let values of this world creep in. It is easy to let lifestyles of this world overtake us. But we must constantly be comparing our beliefs and lifestyles to the examples of Christ and his apostles through the Word of God. We who are true children of God must and ultimately will stand firm in and hold fast to the Christian Tradition. [Slide 23 (blank)] Transition: Three down four to go. IV.) [Slide 24] True believers grow in faith, love, and hope. a. This is a theme that Paul overtly developed in his first letter, but certainly was present in the second letter. b. In many ways it is part of their keeping the Christian traditions in that these three cardinal Christian graces are only possibly to true believers who are in Christ and following Him. c. They are called graces because each of these are given by God to His people as gifts. d. Faith speaks to not only what we believe but how firmly we hold to it. Love speaks to not only our love for God but for one another. And hope is rooted in the promises and atoning work of Jesus Christ. e. [Slide 25] Analyzing this theme in relation to the rest of the New Testament we observe that, they are called Cardinal graces because throughout the New Testament we see these graces mentioned most among all the gifts we should seek from God in increasing ways. Nearly every New Testament writer mentions these graces as gifts of God to His people to help them walk in His ways. f. [Slide 26] In the Old Testament we see these graces too although less explicitly stated. Certainly, faith in what God says, love for Him and others, and hope in His promises are included in everything taught and commanded of the children of Israel. g. [Slide 27] What does this mean for us? Since they are graces, we cannot work them up or conjure these on our own. We must seek the Lord for a steady and increasing supply of these as we endeavor to live for him in a fallen world. Of course, because our God is faithful and good, He continues to supply His grace to us in these ways through various means. [Slide 28 (blank)] Transition: More than half way there. V.) [Slide 29] True believers will endure great suffering before the Lord returns. a. Well, this one is a little less encouraging, isn't it? b. Paul mentions this overtly in both letters. He tells them that as believers in Jesus Christ they have been “appointed for affliction.” c. And he warns them of the coming apostasy and man of lawlessness who will bring great persecution upon the church. d. There is really no way to get around it, if we are followers of Christ, and the world crucified Christ, we shouldn't expect to be friends of the world. e. [Slide 30] Throughout the New Testament we see this theme expounded. Indeed, several letters in the New Testament are written to Christians who are suffering for the sake of Christ. Jesus addresses this and not only says that His followers will have trouble in the world, but also that suffering for His name is a blessing. And John affirms that the persecution of the man of lawlessness upon the saints in the last days will be quite successful. He says that the man of lawlessness will be granted power over them. f. [Slide 31] But the people of God in the Old Testament were exactly the same. Able was killed out of jealousy because he was righteous and Cain wasn't. Noah was despised though he spoke the message of truth and judgement. The children of Israel were enslaved to the Egyptians for 400 years. The Assyrians abused them, the Babylonians tried to assimilate them. God's prophets were hunted and killed, many times by the Israelites themselves. Even David, a man after God's own heart, was usurped by his own son. Following God and obeying Him has never been a safe path. It has always guaranteed trouble. g. [Slide 32] What does this mean for us? We are still enjoying relative freedoms in this country to worship God the way He tells us to. But the tide is turning. The voices of a godless or anti-Christian cause are rising up. And no amount “getting out the vote” is going to stop them. People have long rejected the bible and the God of the bible… it is only a matter of time before they reject the people of the God of the bible. Let's not get too attached to our comfort Christians. Very soon, it will cost you something valuable to follow Christ. You will have to give up freedoms, possessions, and even family to follow Christ. Are you ready? [Slide 33 (blank)] Transition: Only a couple more themes now. VI.) [Slide 34] True believers should be excellent in labor and giving. a. In both letters Paul desired them to work with their own hands, quietly, and earn a living for themselves. b. If they aren't willing to work, then they shouldn't be allowed to eat. c. Meaning no one should give them food if they just don't want to do anything. d. Furthermore, they should be doing good with their wealth by supplying the needs of those who are truly destitute. e. [Slide 35] This theme is repeated in the New Testament both by outright command in some of Paul's other letters and by example in the gospels and Acts. James describes the destitute as those who truly are unable to provide for themselves like widows and orphans. But even some widows are not truly destitute since they can remarry or be sustained by their family members. f. [Slide 36] In the Old Testament we see God putting in His law the care of those who are destitute, even reaching beyond the children of Israel to the stranger and foreigner among them. Not the fact that they are foreigners alone but that they are unable to provide for themselves. God's heart is near to those who are truly destitute. And therefore, He expects His people, if they are able, to work hard and earn enough to provide for their own family and a little extra to help others. g. [Slide 37] What does this mean for us? My friends, Christians should be the example every employer holds up as a hard worker. Christians should provide enough to care for their family's needs (not wants) but needs. And Christians should be known for their compassionate and joyful giving to alleviate real need first from their fellow believers and then to those outside the household of faith. This is a particularly difficult thing for younger believers to hear, since some generations coming into the workforce right now, are notoriously entitled and think they should be handed a paycheck that provides all their needs and wants for little to no work. To that, you must heed the teaching of Paul. Work hard and have enough to provide your needs and a little extra to provide for others who cannot provide for themselves. [Slide 38 (blank)] Transition: One final major theme of these books remains, and we needed to see all we just did for it to make sense. VII.) [Slide 39] The church is made of true believers a. After spending all this time discussing what true believers look like, we recognize that Paul spends a good deal of time defining what the church looks like. b. He also indicates that those who do not look like this should be marked out for disassociation. c. Meaning they shouldn't be treated as part of the community any longer. d. That is because the true church only consists of true believers and true believers do all that we've been talking about all morning. e. [Slide 40] As we look at the whole of the New Testament generally, we find this to be the message of the apostles to the churches they write to. There is an ontological change, a change in the core of your being when you come to Christ. It is not merely a change of mind; it is a change of nature. You become a new creation. You can change your mind about whether or not you like to fly… but you can't decide to grow wings and fly away. But when we are converted, we are given the Holy Spirit and we are changed from the inside out. This means that conformity to Christ is not only required… it is assured of all those who are truly saved. When someone professes to be of Christ but falters on conforming to Him, that is when the New Testament speaks of disassociation and excommunication from the church. f. [Slide 41] While we certainly can't see the church in the Old Testament, there was a covenant community of Israel and there were strict rules, moral, ceremonial, and civil that guarded entry into and purity within that covenant community. There were certain things that if you did them, you would be removed forever. Cut off. There were others that if you made a practice of them, you'd be cut off. g. [Slide 42] What does this mean for us? There has always been a safeguarding of God's people. Within the covenants that God establishes He sets the rules for who are within and without the covenant community. He also gives us paradigms to determine whether someone needs to be confronted or even removed from that community, even if it is only for a time. Yet the law of God's love permeates the New Covenant in that we continue to warn people disassociated from us, expected them to eventually repent and return. Why? Because they have confessed Christ. And we have hope that they will repent if they truly are believers. Transition: [Slide 43 (blank)] So what is the primary theme in these two books? What theme do all these themes feed into? Conclusion: [Slide 44] God has chosen from the beginning a people whom He will save from sin and death, whom He is continually conforming to His Son, whom the world will hate, who will endure until Jesus returns to save them to His Kingdom, forever! Let's break this down line by line. 1.) [Slide 45] First, God is the one doing this. a. As with all things, God is the primary mover in all things. b. As creator, He is always acting so that His creation can respond. 2.) [Slide 46] God has chosen from the beginning. a. This is, essentially, the sovereignty of God. b. God is not responding to things in real time as if He has just come to know them now. c. That would necessarily mean that there were things that God did not know which directly contradicts scripture. d. And because mankind is so lost, it requires God to act first to save them. e. We are told in Scripture and in II Thessalonians directly, that God chose before time began. From the beginning God chose to act. f. But what did He choose? 3.) [Slide 47] a people He will save from sin a. This is the doctrine of predestination. b. God chose, according to the counsel of His own will, who He would elect and redeem before time began. c. He chose because without choosing none would be saved. d. He chose not based on what those He was choosing would be or do, but according to His own desires. e. God chose a people, individuals from every tribe and nation, to save from sin through Christ's death and resurrection. f. Saving them from sin not only includes sin's penalty but even sin's power over them and eventually even sin's presence in their lives. 4.) [Slide 48] and death a. Of course, what good is it to be saved from sin if you still die with no hope of being raised? b. So, God chose not only to save from sin but also to deliver this chosen people from death and into eternal life. c. Christ is the firstborn of many brothers who die but will be raised again. 5.) [Slide 49] whom He is continually conforming a. But after saving them from sin and before they are rescued through death, God has also chosen to continually mold this people. b. He will not simply save them but will change them. He will conform them… to what? 6.) [Slide 50] To His Son a. It is in Christ that God has ever said He was well-pleased. b. Christ obeyed the whole law and pleased the Father perfectly. c. And so, God has chosen a people to continually conform to the perfect human, our new representative, Jesus Christ. 7.) [Slide 51] Whom the world will hate a. Of course, in conforming them to His Son, it will mean they inherit all that Jesus inherited, including the hatred of the world b. If we are chosen in Christ, we will be a new creation and opposed to the world which is allied against God. c. We too will be hated like Christ was d. And the more we look like Him, the more that hatred will grow. 8.) [Slide 52] Who will endure a. Even though we are appointed to be afflicted for Christ's sake, we are equally appointed to endure to the end. b. Our faith, if it is genuinely given by God, will endure to the end. c. Our obedience and love to God will also endure. d. Until when? 9.) [Slide 53] Until Jesus returns to save them a. Although we are saved from our sin upon conversion, we are not saved fully until the Lord Jesus returns. b. When He does, our enduring will come to an end and our eternal rest will begin. c. But how will we rest? What are we saved to? 10.) [Slide 54] To His Kingdom forever! a. We will be given new bodies to dwell in a New Kingdom where all will be made whole and complete. b. He will bring order and peace. He will bring us into perfect rest. c. And we will never have to be separated from Him ever again. d. God has chosen a people to obtain the glory of Christ. [Slide 55 (end)] Why are the books of 1 and 2 Thessalonians so uplifting to true believers? Because this is the primary theme. God has chosen us for marvelous things. Wonderful and glorious things. So, hold fast and stand firm. Endure to the end. And then, you will know true rest in Him. Let me pray and thank the Lord for His Word. Until we meet again – Grace and Peace to you.

(This podcast was previously published on September 13, 2021)   Jesus Ministries, Joan Boney  ...   The Old Testament and the children of God:   Moses selected men from the tribes of Israel and they assisted him in judging the people.  There were 600,000 men (plus women and children) in the wilderness so it became too much for Moses to do all the work alone.   Moses' father-in-law suggested another plan for Moses in dealing with the people.   Exodus 18   8 And Moses told his father in law all that the LORD had done unto Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israel's sake, and all the travail that had come upon them by the way, and how the LORD delivered them.   9 And Jethro rejoiced for all the goodness which the LORD had done to Israel, whom HE had delivered out of the hand of the Egyptians.   10 And Jethro said, Blessed be the LORD, who hath delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of Pharaoh, WHO hath delivered the people from under the hand of the Egyptians.   11 Now I know that the LORD is greater than all gods: for in the thing wherein they dealt proudly HE (God) was above them.   12 And Jethro, Moses' father in law, took a burnt offering and sacrifices for God: and Aaron came, and all the elders of Israel, to eat bread with Moses' father in law before God.  

Message from Jay Mosser on August 2, 2026

Title: All We Need Text: 2 Thessalonians 3:16-18 FCF: We often struggle lacking what is necessary to continue following Jesus. Prop: Because the Lord Jesus supplies all, we must seek the Lord for all we need. Scripture Intro: [Slide 1] Turn in your bible to 2 Thessalonians chapter 3. In a moment we will read the concluding benediction of the letter starting in verse 16. I will read from the Legacy Standard Bible but you can follow along in the pew bible or in whatever version you prefer. Last week, Paul officially buttoned up his main application to the church there in Thessalonica. He wants the issue of the disorderly among them dealt with and has laid out exactly how it should be handled. In the last three verses, Paul introduces three new thoughts which all have one basic application. Seek the Lord. It is perfect way to end this letter and for us to finish our study of 2 Thessalonians. Please stand with me to give honor to and to focus on the Word of God as it is read. Invocation: Loving and Merciful Father, You have given Your people Your Son and with Your Son's ascension You have sent Your Spirit. You have given us, You. And You are all we need. The things of this world are often a distraction to us. We pursue all manner of earthly concerns and use earthly means to make our way through life. We know that this ought not to be. Help us Father to see that You alone are what we need. Convince us through this text that we must seek You. We pray this in Jesus' name… amen. Transition: [Slide 2] “Christ is wisdom for your ignorance, strength for your weakness, righteousness for your guilt, sanctification for your corruption, redemption from all the thralldom of apostasy.” Richard Fuller “Christ is not only the Savior but the salvation itself.” Matthew Henry [Slide 3] “In His life Christ is an example showing us how to live; in His death, He is a sacrifice satisfying for our sins; in His resurrection, a conqueror; in His ascension, a king; in His intercession, a high priest.” Martin Luther “He who thinks he has no need of Christ has too high thoughts of himself. He who thinks Christ cannot help him has too low thoughts of Christ.” J.M. Mason [Slide 4] “Everything that is really worthwhile in the morality of today has come to the world through Christ. Dismiss His standards of right and wrong and try to draw up your own ethical code and see where you will be!” G. Campbell Morgan Let these thoughts prepare our hearts for the exposition of the text this morning. I.) The Lord of peace brings peace, so we must seek the Lord for all we need. (16) a. [Slide 5] 16 - Now may the Lord of peace Himself i. In the closing verses of 1 Thessalonians, Paul asked that the God of Peace sanctify them and preserve them complete and holy for the coming return of Christ. ii. When we dissected that title that Paul gave to God, as the God of Peace, we recognize that only Paul and the writer of Hebrews use this title in the New Testament. And they use it exclusively to people who are being persecuted. iii. Because the writer of Hebrews and Paul are what we might call experts in the law of Moses – or Old Testament Scholars, we understood that Paul was probably referencing the name of God Yahweh Shalom. iv. We then recognized the theological significance of the word Shalom. It not only means a cessation of hostilities between two warring parties, but it also means completeness, wholeness, or bringing what was disordered back into order. v. With the ending of 1 Thessalonians it made sense to see Paul's use of this title to refer to the ongoing work of sanctification in the church, that they would be made whole and complete for the Lord Jesus' return. vi. But in 2 Thessalonians, we might see the word peace used in another way. vii. Certainly, Paul is hoping and praying for the Thessalonians to gain peace from those who are persecuting them. viii. But, two other ides from this letter seem to be at the forefront in their need for peace. ix. First, the anxiety caused by the false teaching that the Day of the Lord had come. Paul hopes that Christ will use this letter to assuage that anxiety and lead them to peace and comfort in the truth. x. And after his most recent discussion Paul may want peace to bring them back into order. xi. We have already noted that the disorderly among them are still causing problems because they are not working and mooching off the church while using their free time to be busy bodies. xii. To the disorderly Paul has commanded them to get a job and mind their business and stop mooching off the church. xiii. Paul has called the church as a whole to avoid them and if they persist in this disorderly conduct to mark them out for disassociation with the hope that they would repent and return to fellowship soon. xiv. Now Paul is seeking the Lord of Peace… the Lord of bringing order from chaos… to b. [Slide 6] continually give you peace in every circumstance. i. Ultimately it is the Lord Jesus Christ that has the power to bind us together and bring order to His church. ii. When disorderly or unruly brothers and sisters arise in the church, we have been told to do certain things, we have been given instructions on what to do and how…. But ultimately, it is the Lord Jesus who brings order from chaos. iii. When false teaching arises and tempts us to waffle on core doctrines of our faith and practice, Jesus' presence and teaching brings us back into order. iv. It is always Jesus who brings us back into order. He makes us whole. c. [Slide 7] The Lord be with you all! i. Paul's last comment here is directed at what could be a fractured community. ii. He is not requesting that Jesus be with the orderly, as if all of them are against the disorderly. iii. Nor is he requesting that Jesus be with the disorderly as if in a punitive or corrective way. iv. He is requesting that Jesus be with… all of them. v. The ordered and the disordered alike. vi. Christ will bring them peace. From without and from within. He is our hope. d. [Slide 8] Summary of the Point: Paul has three final thoughts in this benediction to close out what is the last canonical letter to the Thessalonian church. The first of these is a prayer that the Lord of peace would continually give them peace. The truth behind this, of course, is that the Lord Jesus is the Lord of peace. A title given to him by the prophet Isaiah, is that He will be the Prince of Peace. He will bring all chaos into order. He will bring all brokenness into wholeness. He will make all things new. He is doing that right now for His church. And one day, He will do that for the whole world. By application then, the apostle Paul is pointing the Thessalonians to this Lord of peace. We too must trust Him completely to bind us up and make us whole. He will bring us into order. He will set us right. We must seek Him to do that and all else we need. Transition: [Slide 9 (blank)] Paul's first thought was a hope that the Thessalonians would be given order and peace from their persecution, their anxiety, and their disorder. What is Paul's second thought he wishes to leave with the Thessalonians. II.) The Lord has given His instruction to us through His apostles, so we must seek the Lord for all we need. (17) a. [Slide 10] 17 - The greeting is in my own hand— i. The second point Paul raises in his final thoughts to the Thessalonians is one that is somewhat difficult to ascertain at first. ii. We know that Paul used amanuensis (uh-man-yoo-EN-suhs), which was the use of a writer to take down and relay his thoughts in a letter. Probably Silas wrote for Paul in this case, and perhaps he and Timothy also contributed or helped to edit the letter. All of this is by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit to convey the exact words of God to the Thessalonians and later to us. iii. Scholars also speculate that this was done primarily because Paul's eyesight has been problematic. Both from his interaction with Christ and the scales forming over them, and then later with a possible bout of Malaria he contracted on his first missionary trip in Cyprus. iv. In any case, Paul takes the pen from whoever is writing on his behalf and chooses to write the words that follow. v. What we have to speculate on, is exactly why Paul calls this out in this letter. He did not do this in his previous letter to them, and he only does this in 5 of his 13 letters in the New Testament. vi. So, what is the significance of his calling out his greeting written in his own hand? vii. Let's keep reading and see if there are more clues. b. [Slide 11] Paul, which is a distinguishing mark in every letter; this is the way I write. i. Here we find out that Paul puts his handwriting in every single letter he has written, whether he calls attention to it or not. Meaning it also appeared in 1 Thessalonians. ii. What is the purpose of him writing a greeting in each letter? iii. He says it is a “distinguishing mark” which is the word sign. As in “signs and wonders.” iv. Now, having studied the book of Acts, we know that sign gifts like tongues, miracles, healings, and prophesy, were used at the foundation of the church to authenticate that those who spoke the gospel were sent by God or to authenticate that people had actually received the gospel. v. In that same vein, we see that Paul's mark, or his handwritten message serves as an authentication that he himself is sending this letter. vi. He identifies himself by his handwriting. vii. Because it is truly from Paul, it bears the authority of an apostle of Jesus Christ, which carries the weight of Christ Himself. viii. So, why is Paul pointing to this letter being authentic and authoritative? ix. Well, way back in chapter 2, remember that Paul was dealing with the Thessalonians receiving teaching, preaching, prophesy, or even letters that were confusing the Thessalonians and convincing them that the Day of the Lord had already come. x. He even mentions that the letter supposedly came from him and his companions. xi. In this letter, Paul has directly contradicted that false teaching about the Day of the Lord. xii. Therefore, he calls out his personal greeting to remind the Thessalonians that unless a letter bears HIS handwriting in some location in the letter – it is NOT FROM HIM. xiii. They are to compare any letter supposedly from him, with this one to verify its authenticity and authority. c. [Slide 12] Summary of the Point: Paul's second thought he wishes to convey to the Thessalonians is the rubric for determining whether something is authentic and authoritative. Of course, we know that the teachings of Paul are not Paul's own invention but are rather handed down from Christ, verified by the rest of the apostles, and then passed on to the churches Paul founded in his missionary journeys. Therefore, this teaching that is being authenticated is teaching that is from Christ Himself. And it is important for the Thessalonians to be clear on that point. In this, they are to trust and obey anything that does come from Christ through His apostles and dismiss or at least treat less authoritatively anything that does not bear those signs or marks. For us then, we must trust what the Lord has said and obey it without question. Again, we are to seek the Lord for all we need including what is true. [Slide 13 (blank)] Transition: Paul now has only one thought left he wants to leave with the Thessalonian's. What could be the last thought Paul wants to leave with them? What else could it be… but the grace of God. III.) The Lord gives grace to His church, so we must seek the Lord for all we need. (18) a. [Slide 14] 18 - The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ i. Paul's final hope or wish for them is that they receive and live in the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. ii. What is grace… C'mon CBC... You should know this by now. iii. [Slide 15] God's Grace is God's power which He grants to people according to His free will, to enable them to be, receive, or do something that they are unable and unwilling to be, get, or do on their own. iv. Grace from God, is what is truly needed by all believers as they endeavor to obey God's commands. v. And Paul has called the Thessalonian church to do some difficult things in obedience to Christ's commands and the Christian tradition. vi. If they are going to obey, they must have the grace of God. There will be no hope without it. vii. Paul has also called them to trust in God's future provision and protection of them from those who are persecuting them, knowing that one day Jesus will judge the living and the dead. viii. If they are going to keep believing that, they will need God's grace. ix. But again – who is the grace for? Is it for just the orderly to do what he has commanded them to do? b. [Slide 16] be with you all. i. Paul asks for Christ's grace to be given to all of them. ii. Even though he has had some harsh words for the disorderly, he believes that with Christ's grace, they can turn from their sin and get back in line and conform to the Christian tradition again. iii. No matter what God calls us to be or do, we too need His grace to see us to and through it. c. [Slide 17] Summary of the Point: Paul's final thought again revolves around the Christian's absolute need of Christ. He hopes that the Lord Jesus will give grace to them all to enable them to be and do all that Christ commands them to be and do. I've said it before and I'll say it again, I can think of no greater hope, wish, prayer that could be offered for a Christian brother or sister than to wish them the grace of God. Don't wish them a great day. Don't wish them to have fun. Don't wish for them to be blessed. Grace to you. It is the best hope and wish you could give to a believer. Because Christ is always what they need. And grace is Christ's power to effectively help them. The Thessalonians are once again told to look to Christ. Christ for Peace. Christ for truth. Christ for grace. Christ for everything. Because Christ said, without me you are nothing. So, we must seek the Lord Jesus for grace to help us be His followers. Conclusion: So CBC, what have we learned today that refines our beliefs and guides our lifestyles? Basics of Faith and Practice: [Slide 18] Paul's primary point of this closing benediction is to turn the attention of the Thessalonians onto Christ Jesus their Lord. He is their source for peace. Peace with unbelievers, peace from doctrinal dismay, and peace among each other. He is their source for truth, to hold fast to and believe. He is their source for grace to provide God's Power to do all that He has commanded of them. The Lord Jesus Christ is their source for everything. And so, the implied application to them is… look to and seek Jesus for all they need. Do they need peace? He is peace. Do they need truth? He is truth. Do they need grace? He gives grace! We too must understand that this is what it means to be a believer. This is what it means to be a Christian. This is what it means to follow Jesus. It is to see Jesus Christ as our source for all we need. Not money. Not fame. Not family. Not power. Christ. And Christ alone. So how does this impact us today? What applications endure into the 21st century here? 1.) [Slide 19] Mind Transformation: “What truth must we believe from this text?” or “What might we not naturally believe that we must believe because of what this text has said?” We must affirm that Jesus is the Lord of peace. a. Every single human being on the planet is looking for peace. b. By peace I do not mean world peace necessarily. I don't mean the cessation of war, necessarily. c. I mean order. I mean unity. I mean wholeness. I mean completeness. d. All human beings want this kind of peace. e. This is the reason that those who preach tolerance cannot tolerate someone who is intolerant. f. This is the reason that mob mentality and echo chambers exist. g. This is the reason that political parties have been polarized into two broad factions, but both parties can't seem to keep infighting from happening. h. Everyone wants wholeness on their terms. Everyone wants their own definition of order. i. And conservative or liberal, homosexual or heterosexual, pro-life or pro-choice, everyone wants the other people to change and be conformed into their image. j. Jesus, as the King of Kings, Lord of Lords, Prince of Peace… will make everything new. What does that mean? k. He will fundamentally conform all things to His will. Some by loving guidance, some by forceful rescue, but most by insurmountable power and glory. l. Jesus came as a meek human to die to save His people from their sin. The next time He comes, He will save the world from sinners. m. He will not come in meekness. He will come in power. And He will have peace. n. Blessed are those who seek the peace He offers now. For they will inherit the Kingdom He brings. o. Cursed are those who fight for their own version of order, for they will be part of the chaos He puts down to consummate His Kingdom. p. Jesus is the only path to peace. Continually growing peace in our lives today and perfect and complete peace in the Kingdom that is to come. q. Peace today won't mean the lack of violence, hatred, and hostility. But it does mean completeness, wholeness, and order. The peace of Jesus conforms us to His life, His commands, His ways. In this we are brought into HIS order. We are expected to conform to Him. And as each of us are brought into conformity to HIM – We have peace with one another. r. But peace in His Kingdom will be perfect and it will be complete. We will never have a reason to shed tears again. We will know no sorrow. We will know no war. We will know no failure. s. Jesus is the Prince of Peace. And in Him alone we will find growing peace for today and perfect peace forever. 2.) [Slide 20] Mind Transformation: “What truth must we believe from this text?” or “What might we not naturally believe that we must believe because of what this text has said?” We must affirm that Jesus is the source of truth. a. Have you noticed that those who desire conformity and peace to their own standard MUST, by necessity, alter or deny the clear teaching of the word of God? b. Why do you suppose that is? c. Why is there a bible called The Queen James Bible where all “confusing” passages that seem to indicate that God does not approve of the LGBTQIA+ lifestyles have been removed? d. Why did Thomas Jefferson remove portions of the bible he didn't agree with? e. Why do churches bend over backward to explain how when Paul says that no woman should preach and exercise authority over men in the church… that that means women should preach and exercise authority over men in the church? f. Because they have no desire to conform themselves to Christ. So, they must conform Christ to them. g. The Reformation sought to reform the Roman Catholic church in five separate ways. The Reformers argued that if these five things changed in the Roman Catholic Church, they would make progress to go BACK to what the apostles taught, which is what Christ taught. h. And, arguably, the pinnacle of these 5 reforms was the Latin words “Sola Scriptura” i. Officially the Roman Catholic church teaches that the wisdom of church theologians down through the ages, and the traditions and conclusions of church councils, should be held in equal authority to what the Scriptures Teach. j. The Reformers argued, correctly, that the Scriptures alone should have the FINAL authority on faith and practice of every single person in the church. k. In essence, this is EXACTLY what Paul is teaching in this text. The Thessalonians had heard from prophets, letters, and preachers that the Day of the Lord had come. Paul, an actual apostle of Jesus Christ, bearing the teaching directly from Christ, says NO! That is not the truth. It is contradictory to what is the truth. l. Paul does not tell them to hold in equal balance what the others taught and what he taught. Paul does not tell them to find the truth in the middle somewhere. Paul doesn't say that both must be true some how. Instead, Paul says, they are wrong and Jesus is right. m. This doesn't mean that church tradition and church scholars, theologians, creeds, and councils should be eliminated. Far from it. Church tradition, scholars, creeds, councils should be consulted as a secondary source to help put up guardrails on our own personal interpretations of the scriptures. n. BUT… where the Scriptures, which is the Word of God, which is another name for Jesus Himself, where the Scriptures disagree with any human… Pope, priest, scholar, church doctor, saint, or otherwise… We are to trust the scriptures and deny the human's wisdom. For if it disagrees with or contradicts the clear teaching of the scriptures… it is not wisdom at all. It is foolishness. o. This is what the Reformers taught. And it is what Paul is teaching here. p. Jesus is our source for truth. The inspired Word of God in 66 books, is our guide for what we must believe and how we must live. q. We are told to approach the scriptures like they are a mirror. How foolish to approach a mirror and see something off or out of place in the reflection and conclude that the mirror must be broken? How foolish to think that perhaps if we viewed the mirror from a different angle, it would make our reflection better? r. But people who disagree with the clear teachings of the scriptures in order to support their own beliefs or lifestyles are approaching the mirror and concluding that the mirror is faulty. s. Or they stand in front of a mirror in such a way that all the things wrong with them don't appear, and they conclude that they are fine. And they leave the mirror the exact same as they always had been. t. My friends, if you cannot remember the last time the Word of God challenged you to change what you believe or how you live… something is wrong! 3.) [Slide 21] Mind Transformation: “What truth must we believe from this text?” or “What might we not naturally believe that we must believe because of what this text has said?” We must affirm that Jesus gives us grace. a. The definition of grace today in the church has become so watered down and so empty that it means little more than kindness. b. Preachers, even in evangelical protestant circles, preach a grace that is spread so thin that it has no power to do anything unless men add something to it. Without men helping it… it lies dormant, powerless, and ineffective. c. But Paul doesn't tell the Thessalonians to make sure to receive and act on Jesus' grace. He simply asks for Jesus' grace to be given to them all. d. Grace… God's grace… is POWERFUL. It is ALWAYS effective. e. It is not grace to give potential to help us. It is grace TO HELP US. f. When God gives us grace… IT WILL DO what it is given to do. g. [Slide 22] That is why I have tried, so very hard, to get you all to memorize this definition of God's grace. Because I think it accurately and effectively teaches a biblical definition of God's grace. A grace with teeth. A grace with power. A grace that is what the biblical authors claim it is. h. God's Grace is God's power which He grants to people according to His free will, to enable them to be, receive, or do something that they are unable and unwilling to be, get, or do on their own. i. And when we have this definition of grace, we recognize that the greatest thing we could pray for a fellow believer and even for unbelievers, is that God would shed His grace on them. j. Unbelievers need His power to see their own sin and to enable them to believe on Christ. k. Believers need His power to be and do all that He has commanded them. l. Humans in general exist by the grace of God. m. I challenge you all to BEEF UP your view of the grace of God. Make it as powerful as Paul makes it here. That the hope and strength for the Thessalonians doing and being all that he has told them to be and do… is the grace of Jesus Christ. n. When we combine the last three truths we must affirm together… 4.) [Slide 23] Evangelism: “What about this text points us to Jesus Christ, the gospel, and how we are restored?” This is the gospel. The gospel is seeing Jesus as our source for everything. If Jesus is anything less to you – you are missing the gospel. a. His words and lifestyle teach us truth. b. His sacrifice and power bring us peace. c. His advocacy and Authority give us grace. d. With the summation of all three of these truths, we conclude that Jesus is everything. e. And my friends… this is the gospel. The gospel is that Jesus is everything. Not just our hope for forgiveness. Not just our substitute. Not just our atoning sacrifice. f. But Jesus is… EVERYTHING. g. To the extent that our whole lives are reoriented around who He is and what He has commanded of us. h. If you are here today, and you either claim to be a Christian, or you desire to be a Christian… this is what it means to be a Christian. It is to have all your life ruled by Jesus Christ. i. He is your hope for peace. j. He is your source for truth. k. He is your supplier of grace. l. He is… your… everything. m. That is what it means to follow Christ. n. If you claim to be a Christian… but Christ isn't your everything and never has been. I don't know what gospel you believed… but I do know that it was false. o. If you have never claimed to be a Christian but want to follow Jesus… You need to speak with someone… right now… that you know is a Christian. They will show you what followers of Christ look like. p. Don't wait for me to get done preaching. Go now… our Elders are prepared to talk to you. q. If you remain, I'll assume that you claim to be someone who is following Christ as best you can. So, what does that mean as we look at this text? 5.) [Slide 24] Exhortation: “What actions should we take?” or “What is this passage specifically commanding us to do that we don't naturally do or aren't currently doing?” We must continue to seek the Lord for all we need. a. There are a lot of sources that we can be tempted to look to provide peace, truth, and even power. b. What do we need to feel whole? Complete? Ordered? i. For many people we look for earthly things to make us feel complete. 1. We look for possessions or things. Things and possessions are not bad in and of themselves. But when we seek them to feel whole… they will not satisfy. 2. We look for family. Family can certainly fill up our lives and make us feel part of something bigger. But family fails. Life is fleeting. And sometimes people don't do what you want them to. 3. We look for a tribe or group of likeminded people. This creates a sense of belonging. All of us are the same. We see the world in the same way. But ultimately you will find something to disagree on… or that unity will not produce the wholeness that you desire. ii. In the end, the only thing that can bring us wholeness, completeness, or order… is the God who created us. He knows exactly what we need and how to put us back together. He watched us break apart and He knows the pieces we are missing. Pieces… we assumed were there… He supplies. iii. Without Christ, you will know no peace. c. What do we need to rest in truth? i. For many people they look to earthly things for truth. 1. Rationalism and reason, materialism, and postmodernism point to contradictory paths to truth. Who is right? Everyone, or no one? We just don't know. 2. Human wisdom, settled science, has long been shown to be anything but wisdom and anything but science. 3. History books are always written by the people who win. Are we sure their telling the whole story? 4. Hospitals and medical schools tell us what is best for us… but they also get paid well to tell us one answer and paid nothing to tell us other answers. 5. What is truth? Does truth even matter? ii. Christ is the truth. He alone provides a foundation, a bulwark of something solid and unshakable. iii. For a true Christ follower, we shouldn't start our sentences with “I think” or “I feel like” we must start our sentences with… “turn with me to…” d. What do we need to get more power? i. Again… people often turn to earthly things. 1. Money is power. 2. Fame is power. 3. Influence is power. 4. Secret knowledge is power. 5. And we can't deny that to a certain degree, all of these gain power for people in this life. ii. But true power, comes from God who gives grace to His people freely. The power to live the way our creator desires us to live, comes from the creator Himself. All other powers are failing and fleeting and will be destroyed when He comes again. e. So, Christians… all we need is found in Jesus Christ. Don't be distracted by lesser sources. He is all we have and He is all we need. 6.) [Slide 25] Comfort: “What comfort can we find here?” or “What peace does the Lord promise us in light of this passage of scripture?” Jesus will never fail. a. The story has been written. b. The end has already been told. c. Jesus is… right now… reigning over the world. d. He has conquered sin and death. And one day soon He will conquer all sinners, angelic and human alike. e. My friends, Jesus wins. Always. f. Take comfort in this as believers… g. But if you are still in the room and not a believer… this shouldn't comfort you at all – but it is a warning. h. Jesus wins. i. Blessed are those who repent and serve Him now. [Slide 26 (end)] Let me close with a prayer by the early church father Methodious of Olympia I long for you, Lord of mercy and Lord of my fathers. You have stooped down in grace as a mediator, bringing peace and harmony between heaven and earth. I seek you, great author of all. With longing I expect you who embrace all with your Word. I wait for you, Lord of life and death. I look for you, giver and successor of the law. I hunger for you, the one who makes the dead come back to life. I thirst for you, who refreshes the weary. I desire you, creator and redeemer of the world. You are our God, and we adore you. You are our holy temple, and we pray in you. You are our lawgiver, and we obey you. You are God of all things, the first. God the Father has begotten no other god, and there is no other son who is of one substance and one glory with the Father. To know you is perfect righteousness, and to know your power is the root of immortality. For our salvation, you were made the headstone of the corner, precious and honorable. All things are placed under you as their cause and author, as he who brought all things into being out of nothing. You steer the universe with your wise and steady hand. You are the principle of order and the bond of unity and peace. In you we live, and move, and have our being. So, I will glorify you, my Lord and God. I will praise your name, for you have done wonderful things. From ancient days your wise counsel is faithfulness and truth. You are clothed with majesty and honor. What is more magnificent than for you, the King, to assume our humanity, illuminating those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death? Your servant, King David, rightly once sang of you as the King Eternal, saying "you are the most excellent of men" (Psalm 45:2). Coming to the earth, you took on righteousness and faithfulness. Yes, you are righteousness and truth, the joy and praise of all. So, we rejoice this day, along with the heavens, for you have shown mercy to your people. Let the clouds drop the dew of righteousness upon the world, and let the earth sound a trumpet blast, for the resurrection is come. I am filled with comfort, and I am overflowing with joy, O Savior of the world! We pray this in Your name. Amen. Benediction: May the Lord prosper your work and defend you, May his goodness and mercy attend you, May you ponder anew what the Almighty will do, That you may rejoice with all your heart and never again fear any harm. Until we meet again, as Paul prayed for the Thessalonians, Grace and Peace to you.

Title: “The Christian's Labor and Giving” Part 2 Text: 2 Thessalonians 3:11-15 FCF: We often struggle having a Godly perspective on labor and giving. Prop: Because godly leaders teach and demonstrate God's will for His people, we must work quietly to provide needs or face corporate correction and disassociation. Scripture Intro: [Slide 1] Turn in your bible to 2 Thessalonians chapter 3. In a moment we will begin reading in the Legacy Standard Bible in verse 6 and read through verse 15. You can follow along in the pew bible or in whatever version you prefer. Last week, Paul the primary topic of application in this second letter to the Thessalonian church. It is not a new topic. It is one he addressed already in the first letter to them. But it is a problem that hasn't gone away. In fact, it doesn't seem like his advice or commands in the first letter have made much of a change in the church. So, Paul is going to press the issue. He has commanded those who are orderly to keep away from or avoid the disorderly in the church. He has also pointed to he and his companions' example and to his outright teaching on the matter of laboring to provide for your own needs and the needs of others. Last week we stopped short of Paul actually addressing those who are unruly. Today, Paul will clearly define who he considers unruly and why, and will command them to do something. Paul will then follow up with commands, once again, to the orderly church members and how to conduct themselves going forward. Please stand with me to give honor to and to focus on the Word of God as it is read. Invocation: Holy Father, You have made it clear that it is only in Your Son whom You have ever been well-pleased. He is the only human who has ever obeyed You perfectly, having kept Your whole law without one single violation despite enduring all the trials and testings of this life. And though Christ fulfills the law for us, He does this so that we may be declared righteous in Your sight, not so that we may continue to sin. In fact, as part of Your transforming work in us, You put Your Spirit in us to conform our wills to Yours. We, as your people, no longer desire to live in sin but rather desire to observe all that Your Son has commanded and demonstrated to us. I pray that You would use Your Word today to conform us to the image of Your Son. We pray this in Jesus' name, Amen. Transition: [Slide 2] “The most deeply felt obligation on earth is that which the Christian feels to imitate the Redeemer.” Albert Barnes “The universal command of the gospel that comprises all our duties is to walk as Christ walked.” William Bates “The gospel does not make us like Adam in His innocence – it makes us like Christ, in all the perfection of His reflection of God” Sinclair Ferguson [Slide 3] “None can know their election but by their conformity to Christ, for all that are chosen are chosen to sanctification.” Matthew Henry “Putting on Christ is not one among many jobs a Christian has to do; and it is not a sort of special exercise for the top class. It is the whole of Christianity. Christianity offers nothing else at all.” C.S. Lewis Let these words prepare us for the exposition on the text of scripture this morning. I.) Godly leaders teach and demonstrate God's will for His people, so we must work in quietness, provide for ourselves and keep providing for other believers in need. (11-13) a. [Slide 4] 11 - For we hear that some among you are walking in an unruly manner, doing no work at all, but acting like busybodies. i. Paul finally outlines exactly what the disorderly brothers are doing. ii. We've pieced it together, but here it is, clearly stated. iii. Paul has heard, probably from Timothy's report brought back to Corinth, that there are still people in the church who are not working. iv. So, what do they fill their time with? v. Meddling in other people's affairs, gossiping, and generally causing problems in the church. vi. There is actually a play on words here in the Greek that isn't easily brought into English. Something like “they are busy about everyone's business but their own.” But even that doesn't quite do it justice. vii. There is an old saying, “Idle hands are the devil's playground” or “workshop”. Either one conveys the truth that this passage seems to affirm. viii. Because they are not laboring hard to provide for themselves, and are living off the provision of others, they have time to involve themselves in everyone else's lives. And not in a helpful way. ix. It is difficult to know exactly why this was happening. x. Biblical scholars debate what exactly prompted these people to not work at all. xi. But perhaps the Holy Spirit has left this vague so that we might draw the greater principle without being too entangled by the specifics. xii. Paul has already addressed how the church at large is supposed to treat these unruly brothers. xiii. But what about the unruly ones? What about these lazy busybodies? What must they do? b. [Slide 5] 12 - Now such persons we command and exhort in the Lord Jesus Christ, i. Paul issues another command in this text. It is the exact same word he used to command that the orderly keep away from the disorderly. ii. It is clear however, that although Paul is commanding the disorderly, he is doing so publicly to the whole church by saying “such persons we command” iii. And not only does Paul command them, he exhorts them as well. This means to urge or implore them to action. iv. Paul wants to see change. He wants to see movement. v. And notice he commands them in “the” Lord Jesus Christ. vi. This is again appealing to the authority of Christ Jesus as Lord of all of His creation. vii. But notice also, that before when Paul commanded the orderly brothers, he said in the name of “our” Lord Jesus Christ. viii. Here Paul omits the possessive pronoun “our” and simply says “the” Lord Jesus Christ. ix. We shouldn't make too much of this, but perhaps, although calling them brothers before to the rest of the church, Paul, now speaking to them, doesn't want to give them the same assurances he gave the orderly believers in the church. x. But what does he command of them? c. [Slide 6] that working with quietness, i. Paul is commanding them to work. ii. Go get a job and work hard. iii. And then Paul adds some clarity to that with the prepositional phrase, “with quietness.” iv. Quietness here is a noun and it refers to being in a state lacking uproar or causing disturbances. v. Paul is commanding them to work hard and while they are doing that, they must also be sure to dwell in a state of not involving themselves in things that do not pertain to them. vi. Shut up and go back to work.

Title: “The Christian's Labor and Giving” Part 1 Text: 2 Thessalonians 3:6-10 FCF: We often struggle having a Godly perspective on labor and giving. Prop: Godly leaders teach and demonstrate God's will for His people, so we must follow their example and work to care for ourselves and others. Scripture Intro: [Slide 1] Turn in your bible to 2 Thessalonians 3. In a moment we'll read verses 6 through 15 from the Legacy Standard Bible. You can follow along in the pew bible or in whatever version you prefer. As Paul approaches the end of his letter, he has a few things he wishes for the Thessalonians to do. First, to pray for them that the gospel would continue to make progress in Corinth and that the enemies of the gospel might be held at bay. But today, Paul comes to, what is most assuredly, the main command he wishes to give to the Thessalonian church. It isn't new. In fact, he mentioned it less plainly in the previous letter. But it is quite important that they address the issue immediately. Please stand with me to give honor to and to focus on the Word of God as it is read. Invocation: Holy God, you demonstrated to us what it means to labor. You labored for six days to create your world and rested on the seventh day. And you declared that all you made was very good. Though we are finite and fallen, we have been given Your Spirit within us and Your Son has taught us to work hard to earn what we need. And to earn enough even to be generous and to give to others who are in need. We thank you for the example of Christ and His apostles in this. And we ask that You would reveal from Your word what it means for Christians to labor and to give and protect us from examples we should not follow. We pray this in Jesus' name, Amen. Transition: [Slide 2] “Too many Christians worship their work, work at their play, and play at their worship.” Anonymous “One of the greatest blessings of humanity is that divine law which requires men to work for their livelihood.” David Thomas [Slide 3] “No labor is servile when the Lord's approval is the paramount consideration.” Geoffrey B. Wilson “God gives every bird its food, but He does not throw it into the nest.” Josiah G. Holland Let these words prepare us for the exposition of the text this morning. I.) Godly leaders teach and demonstrate God's will for His people, but we must keep away from disorderly brothers. (6) a. [Slide 4] 6 - Now we command you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, i. What is obvious here is that this is the primary application that Paul has in mind for the Thessalonians. ii. After spending a good deal of time comforting them about the persecution they were enduring and correcting them on the teaching of the Day of the Lord, Paul turned his attention to application. iii. However, the first application was, somewhat of a softball. iv. Not in the sense that it is unimportant, but in the sense that it is not corrective. Most likely the Thessalonians were already praying for Paul and his companions and most likely they were already trying to imitate God's love and Christ's steadfastness. v. What we notice here though is that Paul's next application begins with a command. He is not asking… he is telling. vi. The tone of the letter has shifted. vii. I wouldn't say Paul is angry or irritated. But Paul is certainly becoming more forceful on the issue to which he will speak about next. viii. But notice that he doesn't command by his own authority. ix. Instead, he calls on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. x. Once again Paul enters into solidarity with them as brothers and sisters in the Lord. Paul considers Jesus Christ to be OUR Lord. Not just the evangelists' but the Thessalonian church's too. xi. But this command coming in the name of that Lord, is by His authority. xii. This only serves to further amplify the necessity of the Thessalonians following the command which he is about to give. xiii. So, what is the command? b. [Slide 5] that you keep away from every brother who walks in an unruly manner i. There are four REALLY big words in this text that we need to understand if we are going to grasp the importance of what Paul is saying. ii. The first is the verb “keep away”. 1. The word means to avoid, steer clear from, to shun, to have nothing to do with, or to stand aloof. 2. This form of the verbs is in the infinitive which completes the command of Paul. This is what Paul is commanding. To keep away. 3. This is also in the middle voice. In English we don't have middle voice. But Greek does. 4. Middle voice is an action you do that inherently has consequences, results, or benefits to yourself. It is reflexive. 5. The keeping away then, is not just an action being done for the person who is unruly, but it is also an action being done to protect yourself. 6. Keep yourself away from them… 7. Avoid like the plague lest you contract the disease- would be a rather loose paraphrase but it gets the idea across. 8. The Puritan commentator Johnathan Trapp said this, “That ye shun them as studiously as the [sailor] doth a rock or shelf.” 9. In an honor/shame culture such as this, shunning was quite effective to render results. Added to this, the church was already being gravely mistreated by those outside the church. To shun them now, after suffering together for the sake of Christ, would leave them quite alone. iii. The second word we should discuss is the noun “brother”. 1. Even though Paul is not going to discuss the person they should avoid in glowing terms, Paul remains convinced that such a person is still a brother. 2. This will feed into something we will discuss later in this passage concerning church discipline and what it means to treat someone like a tax collector and gentile while at the same time admonishing them like a brother. But we'll get to that next week in Part 2 of this sermon. 3. But it is important for us to recognize that Paul is advising avoiding these folks, but still thnks of them as believers. iv. The third word we should discuss is the participle “walks”. 1. Etymologically the word begins with a prefix which means “around” or “concerning” and ends with the verb form of the Greek word which means to walk. 2. So “to walk around” something. 3. But this isn't giving us the idea of a person who is aimlessly wandering. 4. Instead, this is a person who is circling or hovering over something. 5. In this we get the idea that this is something they live in or have made a practice of. 6. This being a participle, it is describing the character of a brother whom the Thessalonians are to avoid. 7. But what is that character and lifestyle? v. That brings us to the fourth word here which is the adverb “unruly”. 1. No doubt because of this passage and the associations of the people to whom Paul is referring, this word is translated in some versions as idle or lazy. 2. However, as we saw in 1 Thessalonians, we should not conflate these two ideas together. 3. They are certainly unruly because they are idle, but idleness is not the sum total of unruliness. 4. To be unruly is to be out of order. It is to be irregular, different, not conforming to a standard, sticking out, or independent. 5. The church is not a group of individuals it is instead a body or organization that when broken apart is less than what it was together. 6. When we are together – we are stronger, better, more alive. When we are broken apart, we are less, weaker, and more prone to temptation and despair. 7. No one in the church should try to stick out, to not conform, to rebel, or to make their own way. 8. The church should function as ONE in as many areas as possible. And you can't function as one when you are not doing what everyone else in the church is doing. You can't function as one when you are not like the rest. 9. Paul's point is that a person whose lifestyle it is to stick out and not conform, that is a person the Thessalonians should avoid. 10. You can't be a rogue operative; you can't be a maverick. You can't do you own thing. vi. But that brings us to a question… how the same must we be? Is there no room for individuality in the church? vii. Paul answers this by further defining what divides orderly from disorderly. c. [Slide 6] and not according to the tradition which they received from us. i. Although this begins with an “and” we should probably see this not as a second characteristic of the brothers that should be avoided but rather an explanation of the disorderly lifestyles of brothers that should be avoided. ii. Specifically, a person becomes disorderly or unruly when they live in such a way that is out of step with the Christian traditions that have been passed down from Christ, to His apostles in the Scriptures, and now to the church. iii. Failure to conform to what the Scriptures teach whether by explicit statement or good and necessary inference, is what Paul is saying. iv. This divides into two categories. Doctrine and practice. 1. Let me give you an example of Doctrine both explicitly stated and inferred by good and necessary conclusion when considering the whole of scripture. a. The bible explicitly tells us that God created the universe by speaking it into existence. In order to not be disorderly, every Christian MUST confess this as truth. b. The bible teaches several things that if we added them together, we must by good and necessary inference, arrive at the conclusion that God is three persons in one eternal being and essence. In order to not be disordered, you must confess the doctrine of the trinity. 2. How we live also comes down to Christian tradition. It too is stated in explicit and inferred ways. a. The bible explicitly tells us that we must honor our earthly fathers and mothers in the Lord. It even tells us why. For this is right. So much so that a child who is disobedient to their parents is excluded from the Kingdom of God. Any brother who makes a lifestyle of not honoring or obeying their parents is someone we should avoid. b. The bible teaches in several passages that it is right for Christians to submit to governing authorities because their authority has been granted from God to punish the guilty and protect the innocent. Therefore, by good and necessary inference we can conclude that Christians must endeavor to obey the traffic laws of our government. Anyone who makes a lifestyle of disobeying traffic laws should be avoided. v. But rather than just avoiding them or shunning them, shouldn't we say something to them? Shouldn't we warn them of their disorderly conduct? vi. Paul already has actually. 1. In 1 Thessalonians Paul told the Elders to admonish the unruly. He also told the church as a whole to make it their ambition to lead a quiet life and work with their hands to supply for themselves. 2. At the end of the letter Paul implored them by the Lord that they would read the letter to the whole church. 3. And so, Paul has already told the Elders to admonish these brothers. vii. So, what is different here? 1. Paul is approaching the final step of church discipline but hasn't quite gotten there yet. 2. He commands that the church keep away from these people and then he will move on to rebuke them publicly. We'll get to that public rebuke and what should happen if they continue to be unruly next week. viii. But it is instructive that Paul first addresses the danger posed on the other believers in the church concerning these disorderly people. They must be avoided to prevent the disorder from spreading. ix. Paul's priority is on the church as a whole and not on the ones being disorderly. They will be addressed and their actions rebuked – but the first priority is getting those who are still in order to avoid those who are not. x. Some have said that THE goal of church discipline is the restoration of the sinning believer. That is A goal… but it is not THE goal of church discipline. xi. Paul gives us THE goal of church discipline… and it is the purity of the church. A church purely adhering to the Christian tradition which Christ gave to His apostles. d. [Slide 7] Summary of the Point: Paul predicates the command he makes on the authority of Christ. As a godly leader he must teach God's will for His people. And in this, he issues a command directly from the throne of God and the Lord Jesus who sits at His right hand. That command is simply to not be in intimate fellowship with those who are living a lifestyle that is out of step and out of order with the Christian traditions that have been passed down from Christ to His church. The doctrines that Christ taught and the commands Christ demonstrated, should be conformed to by every single member of the church. Therefore, they should not associate themselves with those who are out of order. We too must distance ourselves from brothers and sisters who continue to live a lifestyle that is not conforming to the doctrines and commands Christ and His apostles taught and demonstrated. We must do this primarily so that we are kept safe from their disorder, but also so they may feel the isolation and return and conform. [Slide 8 (blank)] Transition: Of course we have to ask, what kind of disorderly behavior is Paul talking about? Certainly, people aren't conforming to the teaching and commands of Christ – but what specifically is happening there in Thessalonica that needs to be addressed and how should they protect themselves from becoming disorderly in the same way? II.) Godly leaders teach and demonstrate God's will for His people, so we must work hard to provide for ourselves and brothers in need. (7-10) a. [Slide 9] 7 - For you yourselves know how you ought to imitate us, because we did not act in an unruly manner among you, i. When we understand that to “keep away” from the disorderly brothers is an action we do with a benefit for ourselves, the “for” connects overtly to the command to keep away. ii. Why must we keep away for ourselves? iii. Because we might start to imitate the unruly ones. We might start to follow their example. Sin tends to spread. Like cancer in the body or worms in a bushel of apples. iv. Therefore, the Thessalonians need to keep away from and avoid these disorderly brothers because they know that they are supposed to be imitating the evangelists instead. v. And Paul, Silas, and Timothy did not give them an unruly example. vi. They not only told them what the Christian traditions were, but they believed and obeyed them also. They taught and demonstrated those traditions to the Thessalonians. vii. But how specifically were the evangelists NOT unruly? b. [Slide 10] 8 - nor did we eat anyone's bread without paying for it, i. Here we start to get to the specifics of the way in which these brothers are being unruly. ii. Up to this point Paul has spoken mostly in generalities. Disorder and lack of conformity to belief and practice. iii. But now Paul outlines how he and his companions acted among them and… how they didn't act. iv. His first example is that they did not eat anyone else's bread without paying for it. v. At this time, there was an expectation to financially support traveling preachers and prophets. vi. This tradition stretched beyond Judaism and across all faiths, even paganism. vii. Of course, this led to traveling preachers and prophets peddling nonsense or strange ideas primarily to fleece people. viii. Because of this, Paul, throughout his ministry, continued to refuse to be supported by the generosity of the city in which he was preaching. ix. His effort was to divorce the idea of paying him money for the gospel message. The gospel was already difficult enough to believe, even without a cover charge. x. And so, Paul is not talking about being rude here… he is merely pointing out that he did not take from people when he could have paid for it himself. xi. Not only that… but Paul and his companions had a great work ethic too… c. [Slide 11] but with labor and hardship we kept working night and day so that we would not be a burden to any of you; i. Paul points out that he and his companions labored not only in the giving of the gospel and the teaching of the Christian tradition, but even in earning a living for themselves while they were in Thessalonica. ii. They did this because they did not want to put financial strain on those to whom they were sharing the gospel. iii. Paul and his companions were not only hard workers but were also loving and compassionate to their brothers and sisters to whom they were ministering. iv. They did not want to strain them or burden them with financial pressure while they taught them the scriptures. v. Well, that is probably because it is ethically wrong to be financially provided for by those to whom they minister, right? d. [Slide 12] 9 - not because we do not have the authority, i. It is not ethically or morally wrong for someone who ministers to a group of people to seek to have their needs met by those to whom they minister. ii. Indeed, as Paul points out in 1 Timothy, it is good and right that an Elder who labors long in preaching and leadership should be provided for. iii. As evangelists and Paul as an apostle, he is well within his rights to ask for compensation for his labor to bring the word to the Thessalonians. iv. So, why didn't Paul do that? e. [Slide 13] but in order to offer ourselves as a model for you, so that you would imitate us. i. Paul and his companions endeavored to be hard working and compassionate teachers toward this fledgling church so that they could provide an example to follow. ii. The Thessalonians also should be both hard working and seeking to give to other believers and not take from other believers. iii. This is the example the evangelists gave and it is still one they know they should follow instead of the example of the disorderly ones. f. [Slide 14] 10 - For even when we were with you, we used to command this to you: i. Paul now reminds the Thessalonians that it was not by mere demonstration that they had received this instruction. ii. It wasn't merely the evangelist's example, although that should have been enough. iii. Instead, it was a command that they had given to them. iv. What was the command? g. [Slide 15] if anyone is not willing to work, neither let him eat. i. The word “willing” is a very important word in this command. ii. The word means to wish or be inclined or disposed to do something. iii. It does not speak of ability. iv. Paul is not saying that regardless of whether you are able to work or not, you must work or you should not eat. v. Instead, Paul is aiming at those who are not disposed to work. They aren't inclined to work. They are idle. Lazy. They are averse to hard work and earning a living. vi. Therefore, I think we could say that anyone who is able to work but doesn't would fall into this category of “unwilling”. vii. Such a person should not be allowed to eat. They should not be supported financially by anyone. The government, the church, the family. Paul commands that a person who is able to work but simply unwilling, should starve. That is proper motivation for that person to work hard for their own living. viii. What about those who are able but cannot find work? 1. If you are able to work but truly cannot get hired by someone to take care of your needs, then this command would not apply to you. 2. However, sometimes when people are not being hired it is because they are not wiling to accept a job that pays less than they would like or has them working harder than they'd like. In that case, I believe that this command would apply. At some point if you are able to work, you should take whatever job or jobs you can to provide for your needs. ix. Does this mean that retirement is unbiblical? 1. Retirement that includes the plan to live off of other people's wealth instead of living off your wealth, I would say, would fall into this category. 2. But retirement that is based on living off the wealth that you have accumulated… that fits right in to what Paul is saying here. x. The main disorderly and unruly conduct that Paul is driving at, is the ability to work coupled with the unwillingness to work and the willingness to take provisions from others when you do not truly need it. xi. We see this in 2 Timothy when Paul addresses the support of widows. What did he say there? 1. If a widow is young, she should get married and have her husband support her. 2. If a widow has family, she should get them to support her. 3. Only when a widow is truly destitute, that is when the church puts her on the list for support. xii. In the same vein, a person who is able to work… must work hard to have enough for himself and also enough to help those who are truly in need. h. [Slide 16] Summary of the Point: Again, Paul has taught and Paul has demonstrated all that he is expecting of the Thessalonian church. He has commanded them that they should work hard to provide for themselves and those who are truly in need. He demonstrated it by working hard so he could provide the Christian tradition to the Thessalonians. So not only must the Thessalonians keep away from the influence of the disorderly but they should also follow the example of Paul and his companions and work hard to provide for their needs as well as for others who are unable to care for themselves. We too must work hard and provide for ourselves and others. Conclusion: So CBC, what have we learned today that refines our beliefs and guides our lifestyles? Basics of Faith and Practice: [Slide 17] Godly leaders can say, as Paul says here, imitate me. Why can they say that? Because they are imitating Christ. Certainly, following men can turn into hero worship and lead to many catastrophes. We must be careful of that. But insofar as a man calls you to imitate him in the ways he is imitating Christ, you can go ahead and assume it is safe to imitate him. Paul demonstrated what orderly churchmanship was. He demonstrated what it meant to work hard and provide for yourself while also caring for others. And he commands the Thessalonians to do as he did. We too must obey two commands from this text. We must keep away from those who are living out of step and not setting Christlike examples, and we must instead imitate a Christlike lifestyle regarding labor by working hard and providing for ourselves so that we have enough to give to others who are truly in need. But what does this mean for us today? How can we apply this in the 21st century? 1.) [Slide 18] Mind Transformation: “What truth must we believe from this text?” or “What might we not naturally believe that we must believe because of what this text has said?” We must affirm that discipleship is creating others who imitate us as we imitate Christ. a. This isn't the first time we spoken of this in the study of 1 and 2 Thessalonians. b. Paul makes it very clear that his view of discipleship is essentially creating others who are like him. c. He can do this because he is imitating Christ. d. Certainly, the goal is Christlikeness. But we often get a little befuddled when we try to implement that. e. What does it mean to be like Christ? Sometimes that is difficult to answer. f. Not only that, but godless people in our day and others who have no intention of obeying what Jesus said, have often spoken about being like Jesus. Usually, they speak this way to try to pass some kind of legislation or political agenda that relies on a distorted sense of love and compassion over what is legal, wise, or best for the country. g. “Jesus would love them no matter what they choose.” “He gets us.” And other empty and trite ideas of who Jesus was without any intention to obey the other things Jesus said. h. But imitation of your mentor… imitation of a godly leader… imitation of someone whom you know loves Jesus and lives in accordance with His ways… that is much more accessible to us. i. And I think Paul knew this. j. It is highly unlikely that any Thessalonian church member had ever met Jesus. k. Paul was Jesus to them. Not in a heretical way or an idolatrous way – but the way the Thessalonians knew who Jesus was, was by observing Paul and his companions. l. Parents… the first real example of Jesus that your children will observe… is you. i. Now answer truthfully… ii. Do you want them to follow your example? Is your example one that leads them to be like Christ? Are your priorities, your passions, your pursuits… are they what Christ would prioritize, pursue, or be passionate about? m. Elders, we must be blameless and above reproach. We must be in Paul's position as being Christlike. A church lead by men who are phoning it in or living to build their own kingdoms or beating their own hobby horses – is a church that is sure to crumble. We must teach all of what Christ taught and demonstrate what it means to be like Jesus. n. Elderly in our congregation – God has preserved you to now. You have not yet been called home. What does that mean? You still have a responsibility to teach and demonstrate Christlikeness to your families, and to those in the church who are younger than you. o. All of us are called to make disciples. Which means all of us are called to imitate Christ and tell others to imitate us. p. If your example isn't worth following… then you are unruly and you need to be avoided. Don't stay there! It is time to conform to the Christian tradition. It is time to be pressed into Christ's mold. 2.) [Slide 19] Mind Transformation: “What truth must we believe from this text?” or “What might we not naturally believe that we must believe because of what this text has said?” We must affirm that although Christ's church is diverse, conformity to Christian tradition is not an option. a. Although Jesus calls and unites all kinds of people in His church, ultimately, He is conforming them to one image. His own. b. While we may have different skin tones, ethnicities, socio-economic positions, views on certain non-moral political issues, interests, hobbies, personalities, and priorities – ultimately, we have the same standard for faith and practice. c. That standard is the standard of the apostles… which is the standard of Christ. d. Our diversity is important. It is what gives God the most glory for this entity known as the church being united though we are so diverse. e. But there is no room for diversity in core doctrine and clear biblical commands. Doctrine and lifestyles must be brought into conformity to the Scriptures which are ultimately an explanation of the teachings and commands of Christ. f. The church won't thrive with diverse opinions on primary doctrinal issues. The church probably won't thrive with diverse opinions on a large number of secondary issues. g. We must be conformed to the Christian tradition. There is no room for novelty in doctrine or revolution in practice. h. We must keep going BACK to what the church has always taught. That will lead us to what the apostles taught. Which will lead us to what Christ taught. And the Scriptures are the road to get us there, with historical church creeds and confessions being that road's guardrails. 3.) [Slide 20] Exhortation: “What actions should we take?” or “What is this passage specifically commanding us to do that we don't naturally do or aren't currently doing?” We must keep away from those who do not conform to Christian tradition. a. So what do we do when we find someone who is unruly? b. What do we do when people believe teachings that are new and different than something we've been taught? c. What do we do when we see people living contrary to what we've been taught to live? We must keep away from them. d. They are still a brother or sister. We aren't declaring them to be unbelievers. We aren't even treating them like unbelievers. Not yet anyway. e. But we are treating them like they are diseased. Sick. Infected. f. When someone in the family contracts a highly contagious disease, we don't disown them or kick them out of the house. But we do distance ourselves from them or take precautions when treating their illness. g. This is what Paul is commanding. We must be very cautious around professing believers who are believing or living in ways that are out of step with what the Scriptures teach. h. We should avoid them to protect ourselves, but also as an isolation exercise. When they see the rest of the church disengage from their teaching and/or lifestyle, and they find themselves on an island all alone – to a true believer, that is a HUGE red flag. i. We know novelty in doctrine is always bad. And we know that most of the time, when our lifestyle is unlike anyone else – that isn't good either. j. Separation from a disordered Christian is a warning to them… its time to get back in line and conform to what everyone else is doing. 4.) [Slide 21] Exhortation: “What actions should we take?” or “What is this passage specifically commanding us to do that we don't naturally do or aren't currently doing?” We must work hard to provide for ourselves and those who are truly in need. a. This is the heart of the message Paul wants to get across not only to the church as a whole but more specifically those believers who are disordered. b. He has already discussed it in his first letter. But here he gets much more to the point. c. He and his companions' example was to work hard, earn what you eat, and keep burdens off of other believers. d. The goal behind this is to ensure that you are at least a neutral draw on church resources, if not a positive giver to it. e. The church in Acts is said to never have had anyone in need because they shared what they had with one another. Not by compulsion as socialism and communism teaches. It isn't forced wealth distribution. It is just as anyone had a need, the church came together to meet it. f. What does this require? g. It requires everyone working hard to earn enough to care for themselves and a little extra to help care for one another. h. If God blesses you with more, He is most likely prompting you to help even more than others. God is faithful to equip His people for what He is calling them to do. i. But when you could work and don't, or when you earn more than enough but never give to the work of the church or to the needs of other believers – you are out of order. You are failing to keep the Christian traditions. j. Some Christians believe that the tithe is a mandate in scripture. i. Since we are not Israelites, and since the New Testament never teaches it, we recognize that the strict 10% temple tax is not something that we need to observe as New Testament believers. ii. But the New Testament does teach us to give cheerfully and sacrificially to the work of the church and the needs of believers. iii. What does that mean? iv. Although the 10% temple tax is not mandated, I'm not sure we can say that the New Testament teaches us to give less. In fact, I think I could make the argument that it implies that, at least at times, we give much more than 10% of our gross income. v. This is a concept that I have found many young believers don't quite grasp. Many young believers think that by giving a few hundred dollars to the church every year, they are giving sacrificially. vi. And they would be doing just that if they only earned $5,000 that year. vii. But in reality, a few hundred dollars a year when God has given you 50 to 100 thousand dollars that year in income – it is hard to say that that giving is sacrificial. k. Let me just say I am very uncomfortable talking about this. I also want to make clear that our family is well-provided for, and I am in no way angling for a raise. l. With those two caveats, we all must understand what the Christian tradition is on labor and giving. m. Christians have been taught by Christ and His apostles, since the beginning of the church, to work hard to provide for yourself, and to give cheerfully and sacrificially to the work of the ministry and to the alleviation of believers in need. n. So how are you doing on that front? o. If you struggle to give sacrificially, or have just realized that you haven't been giving sacrificially at all… p. Perhaps, for you, 10% is a good place to start. Not as a rule or law… but as an easy entry into this concept. q. And the nice thing about 10% is that is scales to what the Lord gives you. Those with less, give less. Those with more, give more. 5.) [Slide 22] Comfort: “What comfort can we find here?” or “What peace does the Lord promise us in light of this passage of scripture?” Jesus has given gifts of godly leaders to teach and demonstrate Christlikeness. a. We live in an era of mistrust. And I don't think we are called to trust leaders unconditionally. b. But I've seen the pendulum swing both ways. c. I've seen godly pastors bullied, abused, ganged up on, belittled, ridiculed, and treated more like a church's slave than its servant leader. d. I've also seen ungodly pastors revered, followed, and obsessively supported to the point that no matter what they do wrong – everyone sees them through rose colored glasses. e. But Christian, Jesus didn't design either of these to be His church. f. He gave gifts to the church. Apostles first to get the church off on a good foundation. He gave prophets to keep the church physically safe and on the correct path in doctrine. He gave the church Shepherds in the office of the Elder to teach and spiritually care for the flock. And He gave the church evangelists to leave their gathered assembly to take the gospel message to people who have never heard. g. The purpose of these gifts was to equip the church for ministry. The church does the ministry and the leaders teach and demonstrate it. h. That should be a great comfort to us but it is also a rebuke to us who may be tempted to see the church or the Elders as something different than I have just described. 6.) [Slide 23] Evangelism: “What about this text points us to Jesus Christ, the gospel, and how we are restored?” The goal of salvation is for you to conform to the Christian tradition, not getting out of hell. a. Certainly, talking about the lake of fire and the eternal punishment for sin, is a message we need right now. b. Especially because our culture largely views God as a big soft teddy bear that doesn't judge you, and just loves you for who you are. c. God does love His creation – but that won't stop Him from justly judging all who are not made perfect in Christ. d. And that is just it… God never says anywhere that the goal of salvation is to save men from His own judgment. In fact, the Scriptures teach that the goal of salvation is first, to bring Him glory, and He does that by carving out a people who love, honor, worship, and obey Him progressively in this life and perfectly in His Kingdom. e. Christ perfectly loved, honored, worshipped, and obeyed God while He was on earth. f. He died for the sins of His people. g. He was raised to defeat death and He now has the keys to that realm. h. And He sends His Spirit to be with and help those who are His to become more and more like Him until He finally saves them in the end and perfects them for His kingdom. i. My friends, salvation isn't about getting out of hell. It is about making a people who are no longer fit to be there. A people who are holy. A people who reject the lies of sin and Satan and submit to their Lord and King, Jesus. j. Perhaps you've come to Christ to get you out of hell – but not to rule your life. k. Perhaps you've never come to Christ at all. l. Those who turn from their sin and trust in Him alone… will be saved. Which means that they will be conformed to Him. m. What will you do with this Jesus? n. Let me or another Christian know if you would like to start being conformed to Jesus today. [Slide 24 (end)] Let me close with a word of prayer from the reformer John Calvin. Almighty God, you see how your Church today is miserably torn by many conflicts. You see how there are so many traitorous ministers who continue to plague it. Help us to experience what you have promised in Scripture by your prophet: That you will be the perpetual guardian of your chosen people—people you have received and embraced so they can move ahead with courage through any conflict and emerge as conquerors. Would you also now stretch out your hand against the sin you have denounced? Reduce to nothing not only those who oppose you and your servants and your children, but also those serpents who harass and torment your church through intrigue, fraud, and other indecent means. Do this until at last we see a full triumph in your kingdom, together with Christ Jesus, our Lord and head. For it is in His name we pray this… Amen. Benediction: Now may He who is the mystery of godliness, He who appeared in a body, was vindicated by the Spirit, was seen by angels, was preached among the nations, was believed on in the world, and taken up in glory; May He humble you under His mighty hand that He may lift you up in due time. Until we meet again, Grace and Peace to you.

(This podcast was previously published on August 25, 2021)   Jesus Ministries, Joan Boney  ...   In the previous Podcasts, I shared Words God spoke to Abraham which are recorded in Genesis.   I suggest that you list some of those Words that God has spoken to you.  For if you are born again, God will communicate with you by HIS Spirit.  I will give you examples of words God has sent to me at various times in my life.   There are far too many times God has spoken to me for me to list all of those Words, but I will share with you some of those Words which God has spoken to me during my life.  

Title: A Loyal Husband Text: 2 Thessalonians 3:1-5 FCF: We often struggle trusting the promises given to us through Christ. Prop: Because Jesus is faithful to His bride, we must pray in His will and look to Him to help us live for Him. Scripture Intro: ESV [Slide 1] Turn in your bible to 2 Thessalonians chapter 3. In a moment we'll read from the English Standard Version starting in verse 1 and going through verse 5. Last time in 2 Thessalonians we saw Paul close out his teaching section with a benediction. A good word expressed toward God on behalf of the Thessalonian church. In this letter, Paul is addressing concerns of the Thessalonians primarily surrounding them being persecuted for their faith in Christ and the believing a false teaching that the Day of the Lord has already come. Paul has taken great pains to assure them that from his perspective they are truly genuine believers. He has also reminded them of things he taught them concerning the Day of the Lord and how the falling away of many professed believers and the coming of the lawless man must precede Christ's return. But again Paul expresses his confidence that they are elect of God from the beginning and chosen to obtain the glory of Christ. Therefore, they must keep holding to the Christian tradition and believe and live as they were taught. And in his closing benediction in chapter 2 he prays for that end. Today Paul will turn toward the last things he wants to say before the letter comes to a close. Please stand with me to give honor to and to focus on the Word of God as it is read. Invocation: God of love, we come to you today as the dear bride of Your beloved Son in whom You are well pleased. Because we are betrothed to Him, You are also pleased to love us as you love Him. You gave Him to save us and He has sent The Spirit to guide and keep us. You are still seeking all those for whom Christ died and You will reach them and none of them will be lost. For this, and for so much more we are ever thankful for Your love for us. May we see this in Your Word today. We pray this in our Glorious Groom's name, Amen. Transition: [Slide 2] “We are never nearer Christ than when we find ourselves lost in a holy amazement at His unspeakable love.” John Owen “Christ's love for His people is not a lip-love, from the teeth outwardly, but a real love, from the heart inwardly.” William Dyer [Slide 3] “Every day we may see some new thing in Christ. His love has neither brim nor bottom.” Samuel Rutherford “The distinguishing mark of a Christian is his confidence in the love of Christ and the yielding of his affections to Christ in return.” C.H. Spurgeon Let these words prepare our minds for the exposition of the text of scripture this morning. I.) Jesus is faithful to His bride, so we must pray for the advancement of the gospel against all opposition. (1-3a) a. [Slide 4] 1 - Finally, brothers, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may speed ahead and be honored, as happened among you, i. Paul begins chapter three with the word, Finally. ii. If we were to translate this literally, it would be “the rest” or “what remains.” iii. Paul used this same word in the fourth chapter of 1st Thessalonians. When we looked at that together we saw how Paul uses this word to shift to more applicational matters. iv. Up to this point, Paul's main objective has been comfort and dealing with issues the Thessalonian church is concerned about. Like how they are being persecuted and how they have come to believe that they had missed the second coming of Christ. v. Now Paul will turn to matters for which he wants to see some movement on their end. vi. Paul calling them brothers is significant because of the context. 1. Paul has straddled that line of both expressing his confidence that they have been called by God, counted worthy of His calling, elected from the beginning, and will obtain the glory of Christ – while at the same time encouraging them to stand firm and hold to their confession and the Christian tradition that was taught to them. 2. This again points to the paradoxical viewpoint of the New Testament that while a believer's SECURITY is eternally determined by God's unassailable will, a believer's ASSURANCE of that divine call and election is gained by ongoing repentance, faith, and obedience by those who are genuinely elect of God. vii. So, what is Paul's first application for the Thessalonian church? viii. Pray for us. ix. Paul desires that they be in prayer for the evangelists ministering in Corinth. Himself, Silas and Timothy. x. What specifically for their ministry there? xi. That the Word of the Lord may speed ahead or progress rapidly and be honored or glorified. xii. What does this mean? xiii. Paul is praying that more would come to Christ and that those who have come to Christ might grow in their love and obedience to Him. xiv. And Paul adds a compliment in here too. xv. That the word would spread and be honored like it was in Thessalonica. xvi. Paul really does see their church as a shining example of what should happen when the Holy Spirit comes in power to save God's elect. xvii. So much so, that he desires that it would be duplicated in Corinth. xviii. But this is not all Paul desires pray for. As the other side of the coin to this prayer request, Paul asks … b. [Slide 5] 2 - and that we may be delivered from wicked and evil men. i. When we studied in Acts 18 we saw two specific times when Paul was opposed by evil and wicked men in Corinth. ii. First, early on in the ministry there, Paul was opposed and reviled by the Jews whom he was attempting to convince that Jesus was the Messiah. iii. After this, God came to Paul in a vision and told him to continue to preach the gospel for there were many in the city that were His people and that He would protect Paul from any attack. iv. But much later Paul faced another bout of Jewish opposition when they brought him before Gallio and the tribunal of the city. v. And so, in both cases, it was the Jews who opposed and reviled Paul and his message. vi. Timing wise then, since the event with Gallio happens much later and springs up quickly, it makes most sense that Paul writes this after the initial opposition and reviling of the Jews. vii. Therefore, God promising to protect Paul for a time, is an answer to the Thessalonian's prayer that the word would go forth and that the evangelists would be delivered from wicked and evil men. viii. But Paul makes one final point about these men that I find fascinating. c. [Slide 6] For not all have faith. i. Paul draws a solid black line connecting evil and wicked men to those who do not have faith. ii. In some sense, men and women of the world are capable of doing kind and good things. Your unbelieving neighbor can mow your lawn for you as an act of kindness. iii. Your unbelieving co-worker can go get you a coffee from the break room because they thought you needed it. iv. Your right wing, republican, conservative, ultra moral Mormon friend can agree with you on literally every single issue. v. [Slide 7] But Hebrews 11:6 states that “without faith it is impossible to please God because anyone who draws near to Him must believe that He is and that He is the rewarder of those who seek Him.” vi. What is meant by this verse? vii. The only way to please God is to draw near to Him by faith. What does it mean to draw near to Him by faith? 1. First, one must believe that God is. a. But many people believe that God exists. b. Does the writer of Hebrews aim so low as to simply be a Theist. c. As long as I am not an Atheist or Agnostic then I am on the right path? d. No. i. The writer of Hebrews is talking to Jewish Christians who are tempted to go back to Judaism because they are being persecuted by Jews. ii. If they convert back to Judaism then they will stop being persecuted. iii. Both Jews and Christians believe in God. And in some sense, they believe in the same God. iv. But the writer of Hebrews insists that this shared belief in God's existence is not enough. e. Instead, we should see the statement before it as a guide. For those who wish to draw near to God. f. In Judaism, this is something that they could not really do. There was distance maintained because of sin. g. But drawing near to God is possible if you do so by faith. Faith in what? h. First that God… as revealed by Jesus Christ… exists. It is a confidence, in the character and nature of the One true God as you come to experiential knowledge through faith in Jesus Christ. i. To believe God exists and to draw near to Him is to have a devotion and love for His presence and participation with Him in every area of life through faith in Jesus Christ. j. Jesus Himself said that He and the Father are one. If we have seen Him we have seen the Father. Indeed, the only way to the Father is through Him. So to draw near to God, must be through faith in Jesus Christ. k. The God that we must believe exists, is the God whom Christ revealed. Nothing less will lead to us drawing near to God or to pleasing Him. 2. Second, faith means to believe that He is the rewarder of those who seek Him. a. To trust God is to trust Him as good, loving, generous, merciful, gracious and kind. b. God is pleased by actions done in faith because believers draw near to Him in confidence that He is good and will not cast them aside. Even if their lives crumble, they trust in God's character and goodness to them. viii. [Slide 8] So, after this little lesson about how it is impossible to please God without faith – why is what Paul says here significant? ix. Because the majority of the people whom he is calling evil and wicked… are Jews who have rejected Jesus as their Messiah. x. Friends… mankind has a sickness and it is sin. xi. And yeah, your neighbor might plow your driveway or give you coffee… xii. They may be very religious and morally upright… xiii. But if they don't have faith in Jesus Christ alone … They are wicked and they are evil. xiv. If they don't believe in the God whom Christ has revealed and believe that He rewards those who diligently seek Him… then they are wicked and evil. xv. Ghandi did a lot of wonderful great things in this world… but he was still wicked and evil and he will still be judged for not pleasing God. xvi. And to this Thessalonian church which might be tempted to abandon its faith because of persecution – Paul's words no doubt have a quiet exhortation here. xvii. The only thing keeping them from being wicked and evil… is Christ… on whom they are believing. xviii. Paul's final thought here serves as a connecting thought for both this point and the next. d. [Slide 9] 3 - But the Lord is faithful. i. Paul is asking the Thessalonians to pray for him and the other evangelists as they minister in Corinth. ii. That the gospel would go forth and be honored as it was there in their city. iii. But also, that evil and wicked men would be held at bay as they minister there. iv. In this, Paul may paint a bleak picture to what is going on in the city of Corinth. v. But he doesn't want them to think that he is without hope. vi. In fact, in contrast to the faithless men who are evil and wicked and trying to impede the gospel – Jesus is faith… full. He is full of faith. vii. Meaning He is trustworthy. He is willing that the gospel would go forward. He is able to make it so. viii. And as we've already pointed out – God will or has already revealed to Paul that he will not be harmed in Corinth because God has many of His children there who have yet to receive the gospel. ix. Jesus is faithful indeed. e. [Slide 10] Summary of the Point: The truth upon which Paul hangs the first two applications for the Thessalonians, is that Jesus… is faithful. Jesus is trustworthy. Jesus… is loyal. But loyal to whom? Jesus is loyal to His bride. Those whom God has elected from the beginning. Those whom He has called with an eternal calling. Those whom He has appointed to obtain the glory of Christ. Jesus is faithful to Paul and His companions who are preaching the gospel in Corinth. Jesus is faithful as a shepherd to those lost sheep who are His who have not yet been found Corinth. And Jesus is faithful to us. Because Jesus is faithful to His people… we must pray for the advancement of the gospel and the restraining of those who would oppose it. That God would actively prevent faithless people from undermining the work while at the same time, causing the word to run freely and be honored. We must be praying for the Kingdom to continue to spread. Transition: [Slide 11 (blank)] But what other applications can be drawn from this theological bulwark, that Jesus is faithful? II.) Jesus is faithful to His bride, so we must look to Him for help to continue to be what He wants us to be. (3-5) a. [Slide 12] 3 - But the Lord is faithful. i. I begin here again to emphasize the transitional nature of this statement. ii. Jesus is not only faithful to meet the needs of the evangelists in Corinth… but as Paul will express to them now, He is also faithful to meet the needs of their church in Thessalonica. b. [Slide 13] He will establish you and guard you against the evil one. i. Paul says with confidence that the Lord Jesus will not abandon His people. ii. He is here with us in His Spirit. He is with us to the end of the age. iii. While physically He is present in Heaven as our advocate, He is spiritually present with His church through the Holy Spirit. iv. Therefore, Paul is confident that He will establish or make firm or strengthen them. v. We must see this as spiritual strength and not physical. vi. While God is good and clothes and feeds us – many Christians have been poor, hungry, lacking shelter or clothing. The food and clothing that God promises, like the strength He promises, is primarily and mostly spiritual. vii. This life is a vapor and a shadow. If God permits us to be hungry and weak in this life – we can still trust that we will be fed and strong spiritually in this life. And we can also trust that we will be spiritually full and spiritually strong in His Kingdom. viii. But spiritual strength is not enough to face every obstacle in this life. ix. That is why Paul is also confident that Jesus will guard us against the Evil One. x. While the Greek does not have the word “one” it does have the article “the evil” xi. Often times this is used this way to indicate not an abstract idea of evil but an embodiment of evil. xii. Satan or the Devil is in view here. The evil one is our enemy. And Paul is confident that Jesus will protect us from him. xiii. Jesus told His disciples that Satan wished to sift them like wheat but that He prayed for them. xiv. Jesus is now glorified and given a position of authority in the Kingdom of God. The One who once prayed for His disciples now sits on heaven's throne. xv. He will continue to protect His people. xvi. But that isn't all Paul is confident about. c. [Slide 14] 4 - And we have confidence in the Lord about you, that you are doing and will do the things that we command. i. What is the reason that we excommunicate people from the church when they stop obeying God's clear commands in the scriptures? ii. Why are we supposed to treat them like a tax collector and gentile – meaning we treat them like they do not have faith and do not know God? iii. The underpinnings of church discipline are founded in the confidence Paul has in what truly saved people WILL BE. iv. That confidence is not rooted in their abilities or specialness – it is rooted in Christ's love and faithfulness to HIS BRIDE. v. Paul is confident that the Thessalonians are believers. That they are elect of God from the beginning. That they were elect because he witnessed the Spirit's power in bringing the gospel to them. He has said all of this in these last two letters. vi. Therefore, He is confident in the Lord Jesus that they are and will continue to live out the Christian traditions which Paul and his companions taught them. And that they will obey what else Paul will command in the rest of the letter. vii. Just because Paul commanded them to stand firm and hold fast doesn't mean he fears that they won't. He is, in fact, confident, because of Jesus' power in them… that they WILL. viii. The reason we treat professed believers like unbelievers when they stop obeying God – is because we have confidence that by Jesus' power in us – we can, by faith, please God. We can, by faith, continue to obey Him. ix. So, when a professed believer stops obeying… Jesus didn't fail. It can only be the person that has failed. In other words – we have no confidence that they have Jesus. Because with Jesus – we have confidence in obedience. d. [Slide 15] 5 - May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God and to the steadfastness of Christ. i. Paul uses a benediction like construction here to close out this first note of application. ii. It is interesting that even though he has sought for the Thessalonians to pray for him and his companions, Paul can't help being an encouragement to and praying for them before he closes out his request for prayer for himself. iii. We see the pastoral and humble nature of Paul to put them… even above himself. iv. He asks Jesus to reveal The Love of God and the Steadfastness of Christ. v. It is difficult to know whether Paul means God's love for them or their love for God. Both are possible interpretations of the Greek. The same is true for the steadfastness of Christ. But there is a third option which has Paul playing off the ambiguity in Greek to mean both. vi. Paul asks that Jesus turn their hearts to behold God's love for them so that they can go and love like Him. vii. Paul asks that Jesus turn their hearts to behold His own faithfulness and steadfastness for them so that they can go and be steadfast and faithful to and for Him. e. [Slide 16] Summary of the Point: And so Paul's truth point endures. Jesus is faithful. Jesus is loyal to His bride. He loves them. He endured great humiliation and agony for them. He will establish us. He will guard us against our enemies. When we get a real glimpse at the love of God and the steadfastness of Christ, we can understand that Jesus is, indeed, faithful, loyal to His people. So, what must we do? We must love Him and others like He loves us. And we must endure in steadfastness for Him. We must continue to live for Him. Looking to His faithfulness and His provision enables us to continue to be what He wants us to be. Conclusion: So what have we learned today CBC, that refines our beliefs and guides our lifestyles? Basics of Faith and Practice: [Slide 17] Jesus is faithful. Jesus is trustworthy. Jesus is loyal to His people. That… is… huge. When compared to other faiths, many gods and messiahs would have their followers die for them. But our Savior is different. Our Savior is faithful and loyal to His people. God has chosen us in Christ before the world began and He will keep us and uphold us until the world ends. That is our God. Jesus' faithfulness pushes us to do two things. First, we must pray for the advancement of the gospel which also includes the restraint of the forces that oppose it. Second, we must look to His loyal love, and steadfastness toward us so that we can continue to be what He wants us to be. He will help us, so we must keep going. But what does this mean for us in our daily walk? How do these thoughts impact us? 1.) [Slide 18] Comfort: “What comfort can we find here?” or “What peace does the Lord promise us in light of this passage of scripture?” Jesus is faithful to His bride. a. Not only is this truth we must confess, but it is also a glorious and abundantly comforting promise. b. Like a good husband, King Jesus is faithful and loyal to His bride. c. From heaven He sought her. He bought her with His blood. He rose again to bring her life. He sits in heaven to advocate for her. And one day He will return to get her and take her to a place He has prepared for her. d. Jesus is faithful to His bride. He is a loyal and loving husband. e. And that, my friends, is a great comfort indeed. f. Because our Savior is faithful… we must also affirm… 2.) [Slide 19] Mind Transformation: “What truth must we believe from this text?” or “What might we not naturally believe that we must believe because of what this text has said?” We must affirm that Jesus will establish us and guard us from the Evil One. a. Faithful Jesus has sent His Spirit to bring comfort, give guidance, and prepare us for that future Kingdom. b. As a bride purchased from the slums of death, enslaved to sin, and children of wrath – we must be taught to reign with Him in a new Kingdom. c. So, we must be refined. But He is faithful to us. He will make sure that His bride is ready for the wedding feast. d. If we are in Christ, we are a new creation. Old has gone and new has come. e. He will continue to establish us and guard us from the forces of darkness. f. This world is full of devils. Wicked men and ancient evils that oppose Him and His coming kingdom. But He has already dealt them a death blow. His Kingdom is coming and now is. And He has firmly placed us in this world once dominated by sin and death and now we bear His light to the nations. g. As His bride He did not leave us to fend for ourselves. He will protect and He will make sure we are firmly rooted in the truth. 3.) [Slide 20] Mind Transformation: “What truth must we believe from this text?” or “What might we not naturally believe that we must believe because of what this text has said?” We must affirm that Jesus will enable us to continue to obey the commands of God. a. He will give us grace to help us live each day for His glory. b. Just as He will not leave us unstable and unprotected, so also He will not leave us in our weakness. c. Indeed, in our weakness He is strong. d. We live on the constant supply from His gracious hands. e. He is the vine and we are the branches – our very life is drawn from Him. f. He is the bread and we must eat Him to live. g. He is the Shepherd and we the sheep depend on Him for everything. h. He is the way and we are the pilgrims who follow His path. i. He is the truth and we are the seekers who trust His words. j. He is the life and we are the living – drawing breath from Him. k. Without Him we are nothing. And without Him we cannot hope to be what He commands us to be. l. But remember… my friends… Jesus is faithful. He is loyal. m. He will enable us to keep obeying. To keep repenting. To keep following. To keep trusting. 4.) [Slide 21] Exhortation: “What actions should we take?” or “What is this passage specifically commanding us to do that we don't naturally do or aren't currently doing?” We must look to God's love and Christ's steadfastness so we may love like God and be steadfast like Christ. a. Paul's prayer ends by asking faithful Jesus to turn our hearts toward God's love and His own steadfastness. b. Not so that we may experience comfort alone. But so we might also imitate our Lord and God. c. That we might love like He loves us. i. To love God and to love others is the heart of all the law and the prophets. ii. To love other members of the body of Christ as He loved us is to obey the law of Christ, a new command which He demonstrated. iii. But the scriptures teach us that we love because He first loved us. iv. Not only is this a chronological truth – but it is also a didactic truth. We cannot love first, not only because we are unwilling but also because we are unable. We are ignorant of the love God desires we have. v. It is only when we observe Christ's love for us that we can love one another the way the Lord Jesus desires us to love each other. vi. We can only love God in the way in which He has demonstrated and prescribed to us. d. That we might also be steadfast like Christ. i. We don't have a high priest who was ignorant to our sufferings. ii. He endured temptations and trials in every way that we have. iii. He has experienced everything we have and yet He did not sin. iv. He was a pure sacrifice, a priest who did not need to offer sacrifices for Himself. v. He can sympathize with our weaknesses. vi. He endured the cross, despising the shame, and is now seated at the right hand of God. vii. He walked the pilgrim path already. viii. He has made straight the path for us. ix. He has taken the weight of the yoke so that we might enter it with Him – and bear it up without fear of failing. x. My friends… Jesus is faithful! He is steadfast! xi. And that demonstrates for us how we must also be steadfast. We must endure. We must stand firm in what we have been taught as the gospel of Jesus and we must hold to the Christian tradition of faith and practice. xii. We seek no new revelation, no new interpretation, no new system, no new philosophy. xiii. Instead, we strive to go back… to go back to what the apostles taught. What did they receive from Christ. What is revealed in His word by explicit statement or by good and necessary inference? To this we hold tightly as we endure to the end. xiv. And Christ, our King, is our example. 5.) [Slide 22] Exhortation: “What actions should we take?” or “What is this passage specifically commanding us to do that we don't naturally do or aren't currently doing?” We must pray for the advancement of the gospel and the hindering of all who would oppose it. a. Because Jesus is faithful… b. He will not let even one of the sheep which the Father has given to Him to be lost. c. He will seek and save them all. d. He won't let the enemies of the gospel keep any of His elect from coming home. e. So to pray for this… is to pray in the will of God. God will do this – so we should pray for it. f. As we've seen several times in the study of these two letters – knowing God desires to or will do something, doesn't mean that to pray for it we are doubting Him. He tells us to pray in His will. So of all things we should pray for… it is the things that He has revealed will be. g. His word will not return to Him without accomplishing the purpose for which it was sent. h. The Kingdom of this world will not prevail against the Kingdom of Christ. i. We know this. j. So we must pray for it. k. We pray in faith – not in doubt. We pray knowing and trusting that it will be. l. We can pray that locally for Columbus Township. m. More broadly for our state or for our country. n. And even for the whole world. o. We trust that Christ will save His sheep which are lost. Because He has said that He won't lose even one of them. p. And then we go out and we share the gospel with those who are lost and perishing. Why? Because God might use us… to give the gospel as He wakes them up to receive it. 6.) [Slide 23] Evangelism: “What about this text points us to Jesus Christ, the gospel, and how we are restored?” God will send His Word and restrain its opponents. a. The Kingdoms of this world are becoming the Kingdom of Christ. Not in a political sense. Not in a Christian nationalism sense. Not in a one world government sense. b. But in a spiritual sense. c. The gospel is global. It is a Kingdom without borders, without language, without ethnic commonality, without a country affiliation. d. It is a Kingdom that awaits the King to return and consummate its reign. e. That Kingdom is here… and that King is coming. f. Where will you be when He returns? g. What will you do with Jesus Christ? h. You have seen today how He is a faithful husband to His bride. i. Are you still living in the slums of death? j. Are you still enslaved to your sins? Do you even see the prison bars? Or do you still love your sin? k. Have you grown tired of your murderous father Satan, who leads you to the same wrath he has earned? l. Will you not turn from your sin and trust Jesus as your Savior and as your King? m. Will you not follow in His steps? n. If you wish to follow Him… love Him… serve Him… talk to someone you know is a Christian after the service. They will tell you the next steps. [Slide 24 (end)] Let me close in a prayer by the early church father Venantius, an Italian bishop and hymn writer who lived from AD 530 to AD 609. Christ Jesus, you are the Savior of the world, our merciful creator and redeemer, the only offspring from the Godhead of the Father. Self-existing Word, you are flowing from the heart of God, and powerful from the mouth of your Father, equal to him, of one mind with him, his fellow, of the same age with the Father, from whom at first the world came to be. You suspend the skies and heap together the soil. You pour forth the seas, which frame all the lands as they flourish. When you saw our trouble, you became one of us, to rescue us. You were willing not only to be born with a body, but you became flesh, enduring to be born and to die. You endure funeral rites—you, the author of life and framer of the world! You enter the path of death, in giving the aid of salvation. The gloomy chains of the hellish law yielded, and chaos feared to be pressed by the presence of the light. Darkness perishes, put to flight by your brightness. The thick blanket of eternal night falls away. Restore the promised pledge, O power of good! The third day has returned; arise, Buried One. It is not proper that your body should lie in the lowly grave. Worthless stone should not hold in the ransom of the world, or cover him in whose fist all things are enclosed. Take away the linen clothes, leave them in the tomb. You are enough for us, and without you there is nothing. Escape the chains of the evil prison and return to the upper regions. Let us see your face again, that the world may see the light. Give back the day, which flees from us at your death. You return, holy conqueror! The ruler of the lower regions, who insatiably opens his hollow jaws, becomes your prey. The Lamb pulls his sheep from the jaws of the wolf. You rescue uncounted people from the prison of death, and they follow their leader to freedom. As a warrior you earn back trophies for heaven. You have restored us from chaos and punishment, given new life to those whom death might seek. You fill your barns with an abundant harvest. Look at your shining triumph, sacred King! We step forth from the bright waves, cleansed and wearing white. May this people, free from stain, be strengthened in your arms, for it is in Jesus' name we pray this, Amen! Benediction: May the Lord show kindness to you; May the Lord grant each of you rest; May those who dwell in your house be blessed; May they ever be praising the Lord. Until we meet again, Grace and Peace to you.

(This podcast was previously published on August 18, 2021)   Jesus Ministries, Joan Boney  ...   As a new Christian in 1975, my young friend and I began looking for the scripture where it says all men are created equal.   We couldn't find that in the Bible.   So we went to a man who was a professor at Dallas Theological Seminary and asked him where this is in the Bible.   He said:  "That statement is not in the Bible."   We were shocked!   (Seems that I have heard this statement all my life.)  

(This podcast was previously published on August 9, 2021)   Jesus Ministries, Joan Boney  ...   The serpent came to Eve and presented a very twisted statement.   Genesis 3   1 Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?   2 And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden:   3 But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.   (Eve added to that which God said.  God did not say, "Neither shall ye touch it.")   The following is what God commanded to Adam:   Genesis 2   15 And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.   16 And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat:   17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.   When a person adds to the Word of God, he weakens that Word of God.  Because that person who does this knows he added something and therefore it becomes difficult for that person to believe the actual Word from God because he knows only part of what he said is actually the Word from God.   We must be very careful in handling the Word of God.   If we have the Word of God in writing, we must return to that which God said and be certain of that which God actually said, and we must look at the Word many times.  

(This podcast was previously published on August 8, 2021)   Jesus Ministries, Joan Boney  ...   Romans 5   12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:   13 (For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law.   14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come.   15 But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.   16 And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification.   17 For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)   18 Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.   19 For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.  

Title: Declaration of Dependence Text: 2 Thessalonians 2: 16-17 FCF: We often struggle fulfilling what God has set out for us to be and do. Prop: Because our loving God graciously gives all we need to be and do as He has commanded, we must depend on Him alone. Scripture Intro: [Slide 1] Turn in your bible to 2 Thessalonians chapter 2. In a moment we'll read from the New English Translation starting in verse 16. You can follow along in the pew bible or in whatever version you prefer. Paul has officially ended another major section in this second letter to the Thessalonians. He has had nothing but good things to say about them. He knows they are genuine believers who have devoted themselves to growing in their faith and love for one another. But they are experiencing even greater persecution since the last time Paul wrote, only a few short months ago. Paul seeks to give them comfort through the better part of the first two chapters. He assures them that they are called of God and worthy of that calling. He assures them that the ungodly, who are persecuting them, will be judged by God and cast from His benevolent presence. He then addresses a great concern of theirs. They have been convinced somehow that the Day of the Lord had already come and that they had missed it. Paul reminds them what he taught them and tells them that the great apostasy and the man of lawlessness must come first. He will deceive many and will be the agent causing much of the falling away of professed believers. But they need not worry. Why? Because God has chosen them from the beginning to obtain Christ's glory by receiving the gospel and with it the truth and growing in holiness by the power of the Spirit. But they cannot be idle just because God has chosen them. No, they must stand firm and hold to the Christian beliefs and practices that they have been taught. Today, Paul finishes up this section and prepares for the next with another benediction. A hopeful prayer for them. Please stand with me to give honor to and to focus on the Word of God as it is read. Invocation: Loving and gracious God, we confess that it is by Your grace that we exist. We recognize that we are wholly dependent on You and that without You nothing would be. You are not the clock maker who set all in motion and left it to run. Instead, all things consist in You. Without Your personal, intimate involvement in Your creation, all would crumble. If this is true for all of creation, how much more so is it true for us as Your people. Lord show us through this prayer of Your apostle, the truth of our dependence on You and help us to know and live by that dependence. We pray this in Jesus' name, and by His authority and power alone… Amen. Transition: [Slide 2] “No folly is greater than to suppose that God is optional for daily living.” Edmund P. Clowney “A man can no more take in a supply of grace for the future than he can eat enough for the next six months or take sufficient air into his lungs at one time to sustain life for a week. We must draw upon God's boundless store of grace from day to day, as we need it.” D.L. Moody [Slide 3] “They travel lightly whom God's grace carries.” Thomas A Kempis “Grace is something more than ‘unmerited favor'… grace is favor shown where there is positive demerit in the one receiving it.” Anonymous “Grace grows by exercise and decays by disuse.” Thomas Brooks These thoughts will help set our mind aright as we approach the text this morning. I.) Our loving God is the gracious source of eternal comfort and good hope for His people, so we must depend on Him alone. (16) a. [Slide 4] 16 - Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, i. Paul's habit in both 1 and 2 Thessalonians has been to conclude a section of the letter with a benediction. ii. This is his fourth benediction and his second in this letter. He concluded chapter 1 with a benediction and will now conclude his thoughts on the Day of the Lord, the man of lawlessness, and the great apostasy with a benediction as well. iii. Once again, a benediction is a good word, or hopeful prayer, usually lifted up to God and is for fellow believers. iv. Paul begins this benediction addressing once again the two persons of the God head that He has featured in these letters. v. We do find it a bit conspicuous that he does not include the Holy Spirit in this benediction, but by excluding The Spirit we should not infer that Paul does not see the Holy Spirit as a person of the Triune God. vi. Paul has mentioned the Holy Spirit a handful of times in both letters. And as we've mentioned before, there may be some cultural or local reason that Paul does not talk much about the Spirit, whether that be the Thessalonians level of theological understanding, perhaps the local superstition of the pagans, or perhaps even the Jews may come into play regarding the third person of the Godhead. vii. Since the Spirit proceeds from both the Father and the Son, we see that He would ultimately be the divine agent carrying out these hopeful words toward the Thessalonian church anyway. viii. In any case, the Lord Jesus Christ and God the Father are addressed in this hopeful prayer for the Thessalonians. ix. The descriptions added to Jesus' name of Lord and Christ reflect the Jewish understanding of Jesus being the Messiah or Anointed or Chosen One of God and also the King or Sovereign One in the line of David. x. Furthermore, when Paul quotes Old Testament Scriptures which use the proper name of God, he usually replaces the name of God with the Greek word, Kurios – Lord. xi. Since Jesus is referred to as Lord and Messiah this sets Him apart as co-equal in essence and attributes to God the Father and thus equally and rightly called Yahweh. xii. Paul addresses his benediction also to God our Father, which is significant to the Gentile population of the church since Yahweh is the God of the Jews and often relates Himself as their Father and they His children in the Old Testament. xiii. So, the Thessalonian church, predominantly gentile, and these Jewish evangelists sharing the same Father, is significant theologically to understand that although the Israelite people have a particular place and status in the redemptive plan of God, it is not significantly different than that of the church which combines all Jesus followers regardless of nationality. xiv. Paul addresses the Father and Son in His benediction. But He is not done describing the triune God, on whom He is calling. b. [Slide 5] who loved us i. Interestingly, the participles loved and gave are both singular, even though there is a compound subject of two persons of the Godhead. Some commentators are hesitant to make conclusions on this – but I am not. Paul understands that although the Lord Jesus Christ is a separate person from God our Father, He is one co-eternal being. Therefore, when one person of the Godhead acts, they all act. ii. But what of this God? iii. There is no attribute of God's that needs greater clarity and exposition today than the love of God, particularly the love of God for His own people. iv. Just as the “our” in Paul's description of the Father sharpens our understanding of a Father that adopts children from all nations through Christ, so also the “us” here sharpens the Divine love which Paul references as being poured out specifically and especially to those children whom He has chosen from the beginning to obtain the glory of His Son. v. God's love for His elect is boundless. It is super-abundant. vi. Make no mistake, God's love for all His creation is abounding. 1. God loves all He has created, even the pots that are made for wrath. 2. Even the animals that act on instinct. 3. Even the plants that provide sustenance. 4. Down to the smallest single celled organisms to the pinnacle of His creation, mankind, whom He made in His own image, and everything in-between, material and immaterial, physical and spiritual – all He has made He loves. vii. How do we know that? 1. God's mercy is lavished on all of creation. 2. The fall of man occurred in excess of 6,000 years ago. 3. For 6,000 years God has allowed men to hate and love Him. 4. He has allowed wicked men to have happiness in the world He created. 5. He has allowed men to confess Him and to deny Him. 6. He holds together all things. By Him all things consist. 7. My friends… that is love. He is literally keeping all His creation running. He is the power, the energy, the fuel that keeps things going. viii. If that is true… of the smallest organism. If that is true… of the greatest sinner. ix. How much more, do you suppose His love is… for those who are betrothed to His Son? x. How much more, do you suppose His love is… for those His Son left heaven to save? xi. How much more, do you suppose His love is… for those He chose in Christ before Adam fell? xii. When we would measure God's love for His elect… all other loves of God, men, and angels, would appear to be hate by comparison. xiii. Husbands you say you love your wife… But your love might as well be hate when compared to how Christ loves His bride. xiv. Mothers, you say you love your children… But your love for them might as well be hate when compared to how God loves His children whom He adopted from their murderous father the devil. xv. Oh, how vast and how deep and how overwhelming is the love of God toward believers. xvi. His love for the nations is so great that He gave His unique Son, sent By His Hand to see to it that believers from every tribe, tongue, nation, and ethnicity would not perish but have everlasting life. xvii. Far from a trivial human love based on warm fuzzies… xviii. Far from a love proven by tolerance that never corrects or rebukes… xix. Far from a passionate physical lust… xx. Far from admiration or appreciation… xxi. The Love of God toward His people… is a force that cannot be stopped, it cannot be conquered, it cannot be questioned, and it cannot be earned. xxii. What business does the God of the Universe have… in loving us this way? We who were wretches and sinners from birth? We who were born spiritually dead? We who didn't love Him, didn't seek Him, didn't want Him? xxiii. And yet… He loved us. xxiv. The aspect of the word “loved” in the Greek stresses the fact of it and implies a specific act of it. Now we could point to the cross, and we might be right to do so. But within this text Paul has already told the Thessalonians of a particular act that God has done that is loving. Which is, of course, His election of them from the beginning. xxv. The two participles share one article in the Greek. This means that we should see the next participle as connected to and flowing from the fact of God's love for us. xxvi. What did His love do? c. [Slide 6] and by grace gave us eternal comfort and good hope, i. We should begin by recognizing that although His love by grace gave us what appears to be two things they are most likely referring to ONE thing. Or at least two things that are interconnected. ii. First eternal comfort. iii. If the adjective eternal were not present, we could make the case that God is providing some comfort for them in their persecution. However, by adding eternal, we are clued in to the fact that God is not simply the comforter of earthly problems. Instead, He is ultimately in His love, by His grace, giving us a comfort that goes beyond death. iv. The comfort that God offers in His love by His grace is one that endures forever. It will never fade. v. But Paul elaborates on that eternal comfort by the second description. vi. Good hope. vii. Paganism of this time believed in hope in a purely ambivalent way. And all hope was lost upon death. Though some pagans believed in a spiritual existence beyond death – no pagan taught life after death. viii. And so, God's love for us gave us by grace both eternal comfort and good hope. To what could Paul be referring? ix. What else but the choosing of God from the beginning a people who will obtain the glory of Christ. This is both an eternal comfort and a good hope. x. But how has God's love given this by grace? xi. What is God's grace? We should know this by now CBC. xii. [Slide 7] Grace is God's power which he grants to people according to His free will, to enable them to be, receive, or do something which they are unable and unwilling to be, get, or do on their own. xiii. We've been looking at that definition for grace for some time, and there might be a test on that answer soon. xiv. Because if you understand God's grace this way, it allows you to crack open the mystery of God's love for His people. xv. Like here: xvi. The other common definitions of grace, “Unmerited favor” or “God's riches at Christ's expense” are certainly appropriate. But how much more do we understand when we realize that God is actively giving us strength to recieve eternal comfort and good hope. xvii. Why? xviii. Because of ourselves, we could never earn or acquire for ourselves eternal comfort and good hope. xix. It is something that must be given by the free will of God. And He has given it freely to us… His children. d. [Slide 8] Summary of the Point: Paul starts his hopeful prayer for the Thessalonian church addressing the request to the only One who can answer. He seeks these requests from the Triune God who loves His children in giving them eternal comfort and good hope by his grace. He gives these things to us, which we could never earn or acquire for ourselves, and He does so out of His love for us. Although Paul does not specify any response the Thessalonians must have toward this truth, the implication is that they must depend on this God alone for eternal comfort and good hope. Therefore, we too must depend on God alone. Transition: [Slide 9 (blank)] All of what has been said in this benediction is exclusively about God. He is loving and gracious to give us eternal comfort and good hope. So, what does Paul ask for from this loving and gracious God? What does having eternal comfort and good hope mean in this life? II.) Our loving God is the gracious source of courageous faith and strong character, so we must depend on Him alone. (17) a. [Slide 10] 17 - encourage your hearts i. Paul prays that the Lord would use His love and grace to bring courage to the Thessalonians. ii. They are experiencing increased persecution. iii. They are suffering for the name of Christ. iv. Paul's first thought is that this loving and gracious God would give them courage and boldness. v. This, of course, flows out of the reminder that God has chosen them from the beginning to obtain the glory of Christ. vi. That God has graciously given them out of His abundant love for them, eternal comfort and a good hope. vii. Boots on the ground… what that looks like now… viii. That they would be able to stand firm and hold fast to what they have been taught and endure for the Lord's sake their trials. ix. The body may fail them, but Paul prays for their souls, their inner person, to be courageous. x. But not courage alone… b. [Slide 11] and strengthen you i. The word strengthen here has the idea of a buttress or a crutch. ii. That God's love and grace would come alongside them and hold them up and firmly establish them. iii. That they would not only be bold but powerful. iv. This too flows from eternal comfort and a good hope. v. Knowing that we will endure to the end because we've been chosen from the beginning. Knowing that we have been chosen from the beginning to obtain the glory of Christ in the end. This pushes us, motivates us, and propels us to be strong. vi. To endure. vii. But this strength is not simply to keep believing or to keep going or living… it I strength for something specific. c. [Slide 12] in every good thing you do or say. i. This is an idiom to include every outward expression of human agency and responsibility. ii. An outward witness. iii. Paul prays that they would be courageous in faith and strong in character. iv. That they would hold fast to what they were taught not just in what to believe to be true, but in the Christian tradition of how to live. v. That is such a delicate balance to strike. vi. Many have remained steadfast in their beliefs but have become just as hateful and vile in their treatment of those who disagree. vii. Many have tried to love outsiders but have compromised on what they believe in order to appear more palatable to those who seek them harm. viii. Paul prays for both. ix. That they would be uncompromising in what they believe, while remaining steadfastly good in what they say and what they do. x. True Christianity, built on the love of God to graciously give eternal comfort and good hope to us, must produce both a people who cling to what they have been taught to be true and also a people who by word and action demonstrate, not merely admiration of Christ, but as true devotion to Him. We believe what we were taught and we live what we believe. d. [Slide 13] Summary of the Point: And so, Paul's hopeful prayer not only looks to God's gracious love for eternal comfort and good hope but also for encouragement and strength to remain steadfast in doctrine and practice. The implication again, is that the Thessalonians would rely on God alone. Not that they are passive – but they must remember that God is the source of all these good gifts. They must depend on Him for them. And so must we. Conclusion: So, CBC, what have we learned today that refines our beliefs and guides our lifestyles? Basics of Faith and Practice: [Slide 14] In Paul's fourth of five benedictions in these two letters, Paul looks to the Lord Jesus Christ and God our Father as the sole provider of the things he desires for the Thessalonians to have. Paul desires that the Thessalonians would stand firm and hold fast to the Christian tradition both in doctrine and practice. In order to do that, they must be encouraged in their hearts and strengthened in their character. That flows from an eternal comfort and good hope that God alone can provide by grace in His love. As Paul looks to God to give these things to the Thessalonians he demonstrates to them that they too should be seeking the Lord and depending on Him alone to embolden their faith and to bolster their righteous living. So, we too must look to God alone for the same. But what does this mean for us? How does this impact our daily lives? 1.) [Slide 15] Mind Transformation: “What truth must we believe from this text?” or “What might we not naturally believe that we must believe because of what this text has said?” We must affirm that God's love for His people is abounding. a. Without denying that God loves all His creation and all men, we can affirm that God has a special love for those who belong to Him. b. That love is demonstrated in the lengths by which He went to redeem us from sin and death. c. That love is demonstrated in His choice from the beginning to appoint us for salvation. d. That love is demonstrated most abundantly on the cross where the perfect Son of God bore the wrath of God for all who believe. e. That love is demonstrated by His grace to continue to be with us and to seal us until the day of redemption by giving us His Spirit to dwell in us. f. That love is demonstrated in His doing all to make sure that we obtain the glory of Christ. g. God's love for His people is beyond anything that we can point to in comparison. h. God does use examples for us to help us to understand. He is known as our Father. He compares His Son to our groom and we His bride. i. But these pictures ultimately fail to adequately communicate the heights, depths, and riches of God's love for His people. j. That is not because God has failed to communicate it to us – but because we are unable to truly comprehend it. k. Added to this, is the extra point that we are undeserving of ANY love from Him much less this abounding love. l. All of mankind deserves His wrath and as Jesus says, are condemned already. Yet He reserves His judgment until the final day. He holds out and gives mercy, even to those who deny He exists or mock Him. m. If God gives love like this even to the wicked – how much more abundant must His love be for us whom He has chosen to save and conform to the image of His Son. n. No other god in any other religion has love like this for His worshippers. o. The gods of Eastern religions have no love for their worshippers. The gods of pagan religions are as flawed and selfish as their worshippers. The god of Islam while claiming to be loving, never promises to allow his worshippers into paradise, even if they adhere to the 5 pillars. p. And all the gods of every religion force their worshippers to earn whatever it is they are offering. q. Only Yahweh… Only Yahweh tells His worshippers that they are UNABLE to earn His love… yet He gives it to them freely and abundantly. r. Only Yahweh says that we love, only because He first loved us. s. Though this God is fierce in His wrath and Just in His judgment. Though He hates sin and those who love it. He is abounding in love to all… and especially to His people. 2.) [Slide 16] Refutation: “What lies must we cast down” or “What do we naturally believe, or have been taught to believe, that this passage shows is false?” We must deny that we are able to produce on our own the courage and strength necessary to be what God desires us to be. a. Here we have a riddle in the bible that has been debated for hundreds of years. b. Does God command us to do things we are unable to do? c. Some say that since God commands us to do things it implies that we are able to do it. d. Some say that God's commands of us to do things merely implies responsibility… not ability. e. How can we be responsible to do things when we are not able to do them? f. But here we see the same riddle on display. g. Paul has commanded the Thessalonians to stand firm and hold fast to the traditions that the evangelists taught them. h. But in the previous breath he thanked God for choosing the Thessalonians from the beginning to obtain the glory of Christ. i. And in the next breath he prays to God to provide what the Thessalonians need to stand firm and hold fast. j. The riddle isn't actually that hard to figure out. k. I believe Paul gives us the secret to deciphering it in his letter to the Philippians. l. He tells them to work out their salvation in fear and trembling knowing that the One who works in them to will and do His good pleasure is God. m. Meaning what? n. They are responsible to live out their faith and obedience to God. But they must do so in awe and humility. Why? Because without God they would be unable and unwilling to do it. God provides the desire… and the power… to make them what He wants them to be. o. A command does not mean we are able. Just that we are responsible. But God graciously provides what we need to enable us… as we endeavor to do as He has commanded. p. Our flesh is weak. We are prone to fear. But God makes us strong and courageous. q. His power is made perfect in our weakness. r. Because all this is true… 3.) [Slide 17] Exhortation: “What actions should we take?” or “What is this passage specifically commanding us to do that we don't naturally do or aren't currently doing?” We must depend on Him alone to embolden our faith and empower our character. a. God gave us the faith that unites us to Christ. b. God gave us grace. c. God gave us love d. God gave us eternal comfort and good hope. e. Does it not naturally follow that He will encourage our hearts and strengthen us to be what He has called us to be? f. When we depend in our own strength and try harder to live for Him, we usually fail. Or, perhaps worse, we succeed for a time, convincing ourselves that we did it. g. In truth, we must set out to obey the Lord's commands… by faith. h. Faith is not simply the way the Lord connects us to the atonement of Christ. i. We live by faith. We walk by faith. We grow in faith. j. We actually keep trusting and depending on God to mold us and shape us. k. This seems like an obvious step but I know that this is one that I miss all the time. l. I set out to obey the Lord and correct my behavior… BY MYSELF all the time. m. I don't pray and ask God and if I do, I pray once and then set out to do it on my own. n. Grandma Dorothy was such a shining example of this. Even in her old age, and even in her dementia, she would walk through the kitchen asking God audibly to give her the strength to make it to her chair. o. We might snicker at such a thing… p. But perhaps she was closer to what this means than we realize. q. Do we depend on God for every single step we take? r. We live in a culture that values independence. And not just independence from God but independence from anything. I don't need anyone. I just need to seek self-fulfillment. s. And what a terrible lie it is. t. We not only need each other… we desperately need God to breathe… let alone to stand firm in our faith and hold fast in Christlike character. u. So how are you doing Christian? Do you feign dependence while trusting on the strength of your own arm or cunning? v. Do you not realize that even these are gifts from God which He can take away in a moment? w. We must relearn dependence. For we are truly dependent on God… for everything. 4.) [Slide 18] Comfort: “What comfort can we find here?” or “What peace does the Lord promise us in light of this passage of scripture?” God alone has given, by grace, in His love, eternal comfort and a good hope. a. If you are not a mere admirer of Jesus but are a devoted follower, then you know the eternal comfort and good hope that God has given you in His love by His grace. b. You know it. c. You know the comfort that it is to know that no matter what happens, no matter how bad life gets, no matter how many things go wrong, and no matter how much the world hates you – you are not of the world. You belong to a different Kingdom. d. You belong to a King who is not of this world. e. This world is just a shadow. It's a shade. A dream and at worst a nightmare. One that all God's people will one day wake up from. And just like the memories of nightmares fade… God will wipe away the tears from our eyes over the pains of this life and we will never know them again. f. We know hope. Real hope. Not hope that some president promises. No… Good Hope. g. Hope of abundant life. Hope of obtaining glory for Christ and in Christ. h. Hope of reigning with Him in that new Kingdom. i. Hope of never failing Him again. j. God's love, by His grace… has given this to us. 5.) [Slide 19] Evangelism: “What about this text points us to Jesus Christ, the gospel, and how we are restored?” This love, this grace, this comfort, this hope, this courage, this strength is available to all who believe on Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. a. Though God has chosen His own from the beginning… the only way we can know that we are His… is when we believe. When we see our faith rest on Christ and grow. When we see our lives change and conform to His example. That is when we are assured that we are His. b. And so, if you are here this morning and you have never professed Christ as your Lord and Savior… if you are here today and you have convinced yourself that you are His but you don't see your faith growing or your life conforming to His example… c. My friends… I offer Christ to you. d. In Him, God gives love, grace, comfort, hope, courage, and strength. e. Stop trusting in you. Stop trying to please God. Stop trying to make it through this life. f. Get off His throne and make a declaration of dependance on Him. Cry out to Him to save you from your sin and unto an obedient and Christ like life. [Slide 20(end)] Let me close with a prayer by the Puritan Robert Hawker Blessed promise! Holy Spirit, make it happen in and upon my soul, day by day. Bring me under the continued baptisms of your sovereign influence, and cause me to feel all the sweet anointings of the Spirit sent down upon the hearts and minds of your redeemed. These are the fruits and effects of Jesus, the promise of God the Father. Yes, blessed Spirit, cause me to know you in your person, work, and power. I need you day by day as my Comforter. I need you as the Spirit of truth, to guide me into all truth. I need you as the one who reminds me of the Lord Jesus, to bring to my forgetful heart all the blessed things he has revealed to me. I need you, as the witness of my Jesus, to testify of my wants, and of his fullness to supply. I need you as my advocate and helper, in all my infirmities in prayer. I need you as the deposit of the promised inheritance, that I may not faint or lack faith to hold on and hold out in every dark season. I need you, Lord. I cannot do a moment without you, nor act in faith, nor believe a promise, nor exercise a grace, without your constant hand on my poor soul. Come then, Lord, I beg you, and let me be brought under your unceasing baptisms. Shed abroad the love of God my Father in my heart, and direct me into the patient waiting for Jesus Christ. We ask this in Jesus' name, Amen. Benediction: Hear the word of the Lord, In favor I will show you compassion, So that men may bring you the wealth of nations, In favor I will enlighten the eyes of your heart, That you might fully understand the hope to which He called you, even the glorious inheritance of the saints. Until we meet again, Grace and peace to you.

(This podcast was previously published on February 18, 2022)    Jesus Ministries, Joan Boney  ...   Matthew 24   Jesus says:   12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.   13 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.   21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.   22 And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.  

Theme: Prayer is vital, crucial, critical, imperative to kingdom ministry and the Christian life in general

Title: Chosen To Obtain Glory Text: 2 Thessalonians 2:13-15 FCF: We often struggle with fear at the thought of falling away from our faith. Prop: Because those whom God has chosen for Himself will obtain the glory of Christ, we must hold fast to the truth with thanksgiving to God. Scripture Intro: [Slide 1] Turn in your bible to 2 Thessalonians chapter 2. In a moment we'll read from the New King James Version starting in verse 13 and reading through verse 15. You can follow along in the pew bible or in whatever version you prefer. As a reminder to you, I always make sermon notes for each sermon, so if you looking for a way to follow along or if notes typically help you attend better to what is being said, I'd encourage you to grab a set each week. There is also an outline of the book of 2 Thessalonians out there too, which should provide a nice snap shot of where we are, where we've been, and where we are going. Paul has, more or less, finished his discussion about the coming of the Day of the Lord which must be preceded by the apostasy, or the falling away of many professing believers, and then the coming of the Satanic Superman, the man of lawlessness. Certainly, it is comforting to the Thessalonians to know that they have not missed the Day of the Lord because something must happen first that hasn't happened. Most of Christendom understands that this has not yet ultimately come to pass. So, Paul's words are also a comfort to us… the Day of the Lord has not come, we are not living in the eternal state. Jesus has not yet judged the world. And that is good – because the world kinda stinks. But as comforting as it is that we have not missed His coming, it is terrifying to think that a great apostasy is still on the horizon and the man of lawlessness, the beast, the Anti-Christ, is still yet to come and be given power to overcome the saints. What Paul will say next, is designed to give full comfort to the Thessalonian church and by application, will also give all those who are truly God's people, comfort too. Please stand with me to give honor to and to focus on the Word of God as it is read. Invocation: All powerful, Good, Gracious, and Sovereign King. We are thankful that You are in control of all things, including the redemption of Your people. We recognize that we do not see all that You have planned. Your story has been written, but we as characters in your book do not know what our destiny is or even what our next moments will be. But it is enough to know that You are the author of it all. It is enough to know that You have written all things. It is enough to know that nothing and no one can keep You from accomplishing what You have purposed. Although we wrestle with Your absolute control while we seem to have freedom of will, and that may be something we continue to wrestle with for the rest of our lives, we must believe that You are Sovereign over all if we are to trust You and Your promises. So, Sovereign Lord, we ask that you would be with us today and help us. Give us comfort with Your Word, we ask this in Jesus' name, Amen. Transition: [Slide 2] “We do believe in eternal security, but we do not believe in eternal presumption. Let a man examine himself.” Donald Grey Barnhouse “Glory for the Christian is more certain than the grave.” John Blanchard [Slide 3] “The ultimate answer to the insecurity or security of the believer rests on the question of who does the work of salvation.” Lewis Sperry Chafer “The perseverance of the saints reminds us very forcefully that only those who persevere to the end are truly saints.” John Murray [Slide 4] “Though Christians be not kept altogether from falling, yet they are kept from falling altogether.” William Secker “It is a glorious truth that God will keep His people, but it is an abominable falsehood that sin will do them no harm.” C.H. Spurgeon [Slide 5] “God never repents of His electing love.” Thomas Watson “The question is not one of the retention of salvation based upon a persistence of faith, but of the possession of salvation as evidenced by a continuation of faith.” Kenneth Wuest Let these words prepare our hearts for the exposition of the text this morning. I.) Those whom God has chosen for Himself will obtain the glory of Christ, so we must give thanks to God. (13-14) a. [Slide 6] 13 - But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, i. Greek conjunctions are always somewhat of an interpretational issue. ii. The Greek conjunction here is typically translated either “but” “and” or “now.” iii. As far as coordinating conjunctions go, there isn't much difference in their role for the sentence. But as far as meaning, “and” is simply connecting two thoughts together, “now” progresses the thought, whereas “but” is providing an adversarial or contrasting meaning. iv. What helps us is that in almost every single major translation of this verse favors the adversarial “but” suggesting a contrasting point to that of the previous thought. v. Contextually we can see that quite well since before Paul was discussing the judgment of the perishing who did not believe the truth but took pleasure in unrighteousness, and what follows is clearly in contrast to the fate of the perishing. vi. This signals for us a distinct shift in Paul's intention. vii. While he was being comforting to the Thessalonians before, it was comfort with teeth. viii. While telling them the Day of the Lord had not come, he was also warning of a coming apostasy and the man of lawlessness who will deceive the perishing. ix. Paul shifts his topic to turn to their destiny, their future, which stands in stark contrast to that of the perishing. x. It also, as we will see, shows a distinct contrast in the activity of God. God actively sends a deluding influence to the perishing. God has also been active toward the Thessalonians too, but in an incredibly gracious way. xi. So much so, that Paul is yet again, BOUND or obligated to give thanks to God always for them. xii. And he even calls them, beloved by the Lord by which he certainly means the Lord Jesus. xiii. Paul is obliged to give thanks to God for these folks whom he knows are loved by Jesus Himself. xiv. But why does Paul feel that he must thank God for them? b. [Slide 7] because God from the beginning chose you for salvation i. There is a textual problem here that leaves the modern translations divided. ii. This is expected because the manuscript evidence is divided about evenly over both time and textual family. iii. There are two options, 1. Because God as first fruits chose you for salvation 2. Or 3. Because God from the beginning chose you for salvation 4. The difference between “as first fruits” and “from the beginning” is 1 Greek letter. iv. I won't go into too much detail but those who favor first fruits make a grammatical case and those who favor from the beginning make a contextual and theological case. v. I personally do not find the grammatical case compelling nor do they answer the theological and contextual issues with it. vi. If you want the full breakdown of one over the other, I'll be able to provide that this Thursday at prayer group and bible study. vii. But for me, “from the beginning”, seems like the most likely to be what Paul originally wrote. viii. With the threat of a great apostasy looming on the horizon, Paul comforts the Thessalonians by reminding them that even though the perishing will believe a lie and be judged in the END… they were chosen for salvation from the BEGINNING. ix. The word chosen here is also quite interesting. Paul uses a middle form of the verb meaning that God is doing the choosing as an action to or for Himself. It would be entirely appropriate to translate this “God has chosen you for Himself from the beginning for salvation” x. This highlights God's selection of a people for Himself as His own possession, whereas before we see His rejection of another people. xi. We should also note that this salvation is no doubt referring to their final salvation. Not simply their conversion, but eventually being caught up together with Christ. xii. So once again we note the time association. The perishing will be judged in the end. But they were chosen from the beginning to be saved in the end. xiii. But how? How does God go about getting them from His choosing them from the beginning to saving them in the end? c. [Slide 8] through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth, i. Though Paul starts at the beginning with God choosing them, and jumps to the end with their salvation… now he moves backward from their salvation to outline exactly how God does this. ii. First, it is through sanctification by the Spirit. iii. There is a necessary component of salvation that evangelical pastors and churches avoid talking about. It isn't popular and if you don't explain it correctly it makes it sound like works-based salvation. iv. The bible makes it clear that only the righteous inherit the Kingdom of God. Only those who are holy will see God. Now we cannot go too far with this to suggest that somehow, we will be perfected in this life. That is an error other Christians make that the bible simply doesn't teach. v. We also cannot pendulum swing the other way and suggest that we must add to our trust in Christ our own works in order to be saved. vi. But we must understand, as Paul does here, that a NECESSARY component of a faith that leads to our eventual and final salvation, is a setting apart, a holifying of those being saved by the Spirit of God. vii. All those who will be saved on that Day… will continue their whole lives in a process of becoming more and more holy by the power of the Spirit of God. Not as a prerequisite for being declared righteous, but as a result of it. viii. The Holy Spirit is given to those who are declared righteous by faith, and as a necessary result of the Spirit indwelling God's people, they are made more holy. ix. But lest we think we can start that process on our own and simply try to be as good as possible, Paul goes another step back from our final salvation to speak of the belief of the truth. x. We receive the truth with faith. We depend on it. We surrender to it. True faith is rejection of everything else to grab hold of the gospel alone. xi. Notice how this is the opposite of the perishing. They did not receive the truth but took pleasure in unrighteousness. xii. Those chosen from the beginning for salvation, become more and more holy by the Spirit's power and have believed the truth. xiii. But how did they come to believe the truth? d. [Slide 9] 14 to which He called you by our gospel, i. God calls His people to this truth through the good news of Jesus Christ preached since the apostles' ministry. ii. The Word of God, the gospel, Christ crucified for sinners, risen, and coming again, is the foundation of the truth we believe. iii. That call is how God gives repentance and faith to those to whom He has chosen for salvation from the beginning. iv. But what is the goal of this salvation? Why would God do all this for us? e. [Slide 10] for the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. i. Paul mentioned this earlier in chapter 1. ii. The purpose of God calling us is to bring glory to the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and also that we might be glorified in that same name. iii. God's purpose in choosing the Thessalonians and all believers is so that they might obtain the glory of the Lord Jesus. iv. We… We are the reward of His suffering. f. [Slide 11] Summary of the Point: In contrast to the perishing who have not received the love of the truth and upon whom God will send a deluding influence to believe a lie unto their just judgment, God has actively chosen for Himself a people from before the world began for salvation. He will accomplish this by giving them His Spirit to make them more holy. And He will accomplish THIS by sending them truth through the gospel. And He will do all this in order that they might be honored with His Son. So that they might be a people accepted as part of His family by the righteousness of Jesus. In this the Thessalonians must take great comfort to know that if they are chosen by God, their fate has been determined since before the world began. So, what must those who are truly elect of God do according to this passage? Well first, they should give thanks to God for His choosing them. Transition: [Slide 12 (blank)] But unfortunately, many Christians stop here when they speak of their salvation or election. They conclude that since they are chosen by God and declared righteous by God, that they can kick back and wait for Him to save them. Paul absolutely obliterates that idea with verse 15. II.) Those whom God has chosen for Himself will obtain the glory of Christ, so we must hold fast to what we've been taught. (15) a. [Slide 13] 15 Therefore, brethren, i. A good tip that many have often repeated when you are reading or studying the Word of God, is that when you see the word “therefore” you need to stop and find out what it is there for. ii. One of the benefits of studying the bible verse by verse, is that when we come to the word therefore, we don't need to struggle to understand what it is referencing. We simply need to think back to what we just studied. iii. God has chosen the Thessalonians to obtain the glory of Christ. iv. He has done this from the beginning to call them with the gospel so that they might believe the truth and grow in sanctification and be saved to that glory. v. So, since God has done it all… they just sit tight and wait? Right? vi. Uh… NO! b. [Slide 14] stand fast and hold the traditions which you were taught, whether by word or our epistle. i. Here we see that tension that is alive and well in the scriptures. ii. God's absolute control of everything doesn't negate human agency or responsibility. 1. Just because God is in complete control doesn't mean we don't pray. 2. Just because God chooses all those whom He will save, doesn't mean we don't repent and believe the gospel. 3. Just because God elects and predestines those who will be saved, doesn't mean we don't evangelize. 4. Just because God has revealed His will, doesn't mean we don't pray for it. iii. And so here… iv. Just because God has done all to save us, and won't let His own be swept away by the apostasy and believe a lie... doesn't mean we do nothing. v. God has given us responsibility and agency to stand fast and hold on. vi. To stand fast means to hold your ground. It means to maintain a position or remain upright. vii. To hold to means to seize or to arrest or to remain firmly committed to something. viii. But what does Paul mean by traditions? 1. In our context we have somewhat of a bad taste in our mouth when we speak of traditions. 2. Traditions, at least in our mind, are things that are man-made, that are culturally accepted as things we do, but should be discarded if they lose their meaning or purpose. 3. Is Paul telling them to stand their ground and remain committed to man-made traditions? This seems antithetical to things Paul has written before. 4. But the word tradition doesn't necessarily carry that meaning. In fact, in Greek the word typically refers to something that has been passed down from God Himself. 5. So, we should interpret traditions here primarily to refer to what Paul taught them about God, Jesus, the gospel, the End Times, and righteous living. 6. In short, it is the Christian tradition that he and all the apostles preached. ix. And Paul alludes again to the various sources from which they have received this teaching. x. Before Paul suggested that they might have heard by prophesy, by a letter, or by preaching that the Day of the Lord had come. xi. Here he says that they should stand their ground and remain committed to everything they had already received from Paul and his companions. Whether it was something they said in their presence or wrote to them in a letter. xii. Because God has chosen them for glory… they must stand firm and hold fast to what they have believed. c. [Slide 15] Summary of the Point: Paul comforts the Thessalonians further by reminding them that God has chosen them for Himself from the beginning to be saved. He has done this so they might obtain the honor and glory of Christ. He gave them the truth through the gospel. He has given His Spirit to make them progressively more holy. He will keep them from the lie because He has chosen them to receive the truth. Not only should they give thanks to God for this, but as Paul says here, as a response of God's work, they must stand firm and hold fast in what they have been taught. Because it is the truth that God gave to them to save them. They must stand firm and hold fast because that is part of the sanctifying work of the Spirit on them. They cannot be passive agents. They must actively cling to what they have received. For that is part of God's preservation of them to that glory. Conclusion: So, CBC, what have we learned today that refines our beliefs and guides our lifestyles? Basics of Faith and Practice: [Slide 16] Though Paul certainly speaks to the Thessalonians, we know from the rest of the New Testament scriptures that all those who will obtain the glory of Christ are those whom God has chosen for Himself from the beginning. They are those whom the Holy Spirit is progressively making more holy. They are those who have believed the truth which was given to them in the call of the gospel. In this, God's sovereign initiative in salvation is highlighted and set in contrast to His sovereign response in reprobation of those who are perishing. God acts in both, but in salvation He acts to bring truth to His people and in reprobation He acts as a response to the rejection of truth by those who are not His people. Paul gives two responses to this truth of God's sovereign activity, that we must observe. He demonstrates thanksgiving, that God would save His people this way. And He commands perseverance. That BECAUSE God has chosen us from the beginning, we must hold fast to the truth we have received. God's choosing us to receive the truth should prompt our adherence to that truth, since God gave it to us in the gospel so that we might obtain the glory of Christ. But what does this mean for us in our daily walk? What should we do as a result of all this? 1.) [Slide 17] Mind Transformation: “What truth must we believe from this text?” or “What might we not naturally believe that we must believe because of what this text has said?” We must affirm that God has chosen for Himself from the beginning a people for salvation to obtain the glory of Christ. a. This is perhaps one of the most divisive and controversial teachings in the scriptures. b. Although most believers would readily admit that salvation is all of God and none of us, when they discover passages such as these, they cannot help but attempt to put all kinds of caveats and exceptions in to make room for man's free will to have some say in who is saved. c. Entire systems are built to try to soften the contradiction of a belief that affirms that salvation is all of God but must be appropriated by man's choice. d. All that is accomplished is damage to the clear teaching of the scripture. e. This doctrine of election or predestination is not in conflict with the command for and even the need for us to repent and believe the gospel. f. But in order to give man's agency and responsibility their proper place, we must put them where Paul does here. g. As Paul says here, the belief of the person chosen is part of the means by which God carries out the intention of His choosing. h. Thus, God uses the agency and responsibility of man in His process of bringing those He has chosen to salvation to obtain the glory of Christ. i. In this, God remains absolutely sovereign over salvation while man is still responsible to respond. j. In the Old Testament we see a similar idea surrounding the selection of Israel as God's portion from the nations. He says that they were chosen because He chose to choose them. k. We also see this develop later in the Old Testament to God talking about a remnant. There were many Israelites who were ungodly and worshipped other gods. But God continues to keep and preserve a remnant for Himself. l. Meaning of course that what Paul says later was true… Not all Israel was Israel. But the Remnant that God preserved… that was His true people. m. In short, the idea that God selects and preserves His own people, is a universal biblical truth. It was not invented in the classical Geek era but was instead part of God's redemptive process since the beginning. n. And interestingly enough… whenever this doctrine is brought up in the New Testament it is brought up, not to start a debate… but to give God's people comfort. Not pride… but comfort. To know that God called and chose them. o. Therefore, we must confess it to be doctrinally true that God chose for Himself from the beginning, a people for salvation to obtain the glory of Christ. p. God chose, even before the fall of man into sin, a people whom He would rescue from their sin and preserve them to be given honor and reign with His Son in a new Kingdom. q. He has selected a family. A bride for His Son, selected from among the harlots and purified through marriage to the King. Children whom He has adopted out of another family with an abusive father named Satan. r. And God wants us to KNOW, to be assured that He did call us and chose us for His family. s. It is not humility or some added measure of piety to say that you are not sure whether you are chosen or elect of God. t. Peter commands in 2 Peter 1, that people who profess Christ should make their calling and election sure. u. But how do we know if we have been chosen by God? How do we make our calling and election sure? 2.) [Slide 18] Mind Transformation: “What truth must we believe from this text?” or “What might we not naturally believe that we must believe because of what this text has said?” We must affirm that all who have been chosen will receive the truth of the gospel and grow in holiness by the power of the Holy Spirit. a. The truth is that we don't have some physical and sure sign to know who is in God's family and who isn't. b. But He has told us how someone He has chosen is saved to obtain the glory of Christ. c. They believe the truth of the gospel, and they take pleasure in growing in holiness by the power of the Spirit. d. So long as a person believes and continues to believe the truth of the gospel and continues to grow in holiness by the Spirit's power, then they have assurance that they are chosen by God to obtain glory in Christ. e. This is true not just for assuring ourselves that we are elect of God, but also to give us assurance of the election of others who have professed Christ. f. A person who keeps turning from sin, agreeing with God that it is detestable and a person who loves, obeys, worships, and serves God, Father, Son, and Spirit– that is a person who can rest assured that they are His. g. A person who continues to see growth in their life as they become more and more like Jesus and continue to follow His teachings and commands. That is a person who is assured that they have been chosen before the foundation of the world. h. Because God does this, because God is active in literally every part of bringing His choice to its intention, and because every chosen one follows this path, we can rest assured that every person who is chosen of God will believe the truth and grow in holiness. i. So, what must we do with these two truths? 3.) [Slide 19] Exhortation: “What actions should we take?” or “What is this passage specifically commanding us to do that we don't naturally do or aren't currently doing?” We must give thanks to God for His sovereign choice in salvation. a. The Jews of the first century had completely misunderstood the nature of God's choosing Israel as His portion. They assumed that since they were children of Abraham, by his blood alone, that they would be accepted by God. b. But they crucified their own Messiah. They hunted down Christians and put them to death. Why? Because the Christian message was that their bloodline to Abraham was not enough to save them from their sin. That God would NOT accept them simply on this basis. They must believe the truth of the gospel and submit to the Lordship of Jesus as their King and Messiah. c. Sadly, some Christians gain a similar arrogance at being chosen of God. They see themselves as superior to unbelievers and wicked people. They are pious and arrogant. d. While God certainly wants us to gain assurance of our calling and election, pride in that calling is well beyond what He means by assurance. e. Now… if we believe that we choose God, and it is our choosing God that saves us – we should be proud. We should be vaulting ourselves over and above the wicked. After all – We chose God. We saw the truth. They were too evil to see it. But we saw it… f. But my friends… if God chose us… then it is absolutely illogical to boast. g. Some say, “well maybe He chose us because He saw we would choose Him? Maybe He saw something special in us.” h. Well, we don't actually have to guess at the reason that God chose His elect. i. Paul, in another letter, relays exactly why God chose us. It is not an answer that satisfies our curiosity but it is an answer. j. God says, I chose you according to the counsel of my will. k. Well, what does that mean? l. I consulted what I willed and chose based on that. Well, what does that mean? m. I chose you because I chose you. That is what it means. n. He didn't choose us because we'd choose Him. He didn't choose us because we were special. He didn't choose us because we were strong. He didn't choose us because we had great potential. o. He chose us… because He chose us. p. There is only one response that should come from God's people when they are assured that God has chosen them… q. Humble praise. r. We should cry out WHY ME! I am NOTHING! Praise You God for choosing me! Me! Of all people?! s. That should be our response. We must, we are obligated to both be assured of our calling and election, but also to humbly give thanks to God for choosing us… t. And if that wasn't comforting enough let me bring a little more… 4.) [Slide 20] Comfort: “What comfort can we find here?” or “What peace does the Lord promise us in light of this passage of scripture?” All who have been chosen by God for salvation will obtain the glory of Christ and will not fall away. a. The flow of this passage and the context leads to an inescapable conclusion that is made even more plain in other passages of scripture. b. Unlike the perishing who God sends a deluding influence upon as a response to their rejection of the truth and their pleasure in wickedness – God's chosen will not be deceived. c. All those whom God has chosen for salvation will obtain the glory of Christ. They won't fall away. Why? d. Because God is IN every single aspect of their preservation. God won't fail… indeed God cannot fail. e. Who is going to slap God's hand away and tell Him no? f. God will preserve those whom He has chosen. They will not fall away. They will not abandon their faith. g. But three things come into this that bring us to our final exhortation. i. Remember first that those who are chosen are not revealed. They must seek assurance of their own calling and election. ii. Secondly, their assurance is bound up in their ongoing belief in the truth and growth in holiness by the power of the Spirit. iii. And finally, we must remember that Paul has told the Thessalonians. They must not let themselves be deceived. h. So even though we know that it is impossible for those truly chosen by God to fall away… that can't lead to passivity or arrogance. i. Instead… 5.) [Slide 21] Exhortation: “What actions should we take?” or “What is this passage specifically commanding us to do that we don't naturally do or aren't currently doing?” We must stand firm and hold fast to what we have received from Christ through the apostles. a. This is how God's chosen people will obtain the glory of Christ. b. This is part of the means God uses to preserve His chosen people from falling away and believing lies. c. He gives us His word. He gives us warnings and commands. d. Just like Paul gave to the Thessalonians. He gives them also to us. e. We must stand firm in what we have been taught. We must cling to the Scriptures and the faithful transmission of Christ's words to His church through the apostles and their inspired books. f. We must not put the scriptures secondary and doubt what they have taught about anything – especially what they have taught about God, the gospel, and the sinfulness of humanity. g. We must hold fast to the truth and the godly lifestyles that the scriptures teach. We must not seek ways to reinterpret the text in order to allow for us to break God's clear laws. h. We must pursue holiness – not lustful passions. We must pursue Christ not money. We must keep our eyes fixed on following Jesus and serving and obeying all that He has said. i. That is, in part, how God preserves His chosen people. He has given them a faith… that they cannot walk away from. A faith that continues to work. A faith they love holding on to. j. So, hold fast and stand firm. k. It is a command that those who are truly elect of God desire and will have the power of the Holy Spirit to obey. 6.) [Slide 22] Evangelism: “What about this text points us to Jesus Christ, the gospel, and how we are restored?” All who have been chosen continue to turn from sin and believe the truth of the gospel while growing in holiness. a. With all this talk about being chosen of God, you might think that since it isn't up to you, you might as well just sit and wait for the end and let God sort it out. b. My friend… God is calling you to respond… today. c. His story is written but you, are merely a character in the story. You don't know how it ends. You don't know your destiny. d. But you do know something about those whose destiny it is to obtain the glory of Christ. e. What do you know about them? f. They believe the truth of the gospel. That Christ died to save sinners and that He rose and has been given a name above all names and is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords and that He will come again one day to judge all men. g. You also know that they believe this so much… that they are continually becoming more and more devoted to God and serving Him and obeying Him and loving Him. h. You also know how those who will believe a lie and be judged live. They don't believe the gospel and they take pleasure in sinful lifestyles. i. What will YOU do with Jesus Christ? j. Will you trust Him or not? k. Will you serve Him or not? l. Will you follow Him or not? m. Your choice today won't CHANGE your destiny… n. But if you choose to turn from sin and follow Christ today, and continue to choose this for the rest of your days… it will CONFIRM your destiny. o. As a preacher of the gospel, as a minister of God's Word, as an instrument playing God's Message – I command you to turn from your sin and believe on and submit to Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. [Slide 23] Let me close with a prayer by the reformer Lancelot Andrews O Lord, my Lord, I give you thanks for my being, for my life. Thank you for nurturing, protecting, and guiding me. Thank you for teaching me, for freedom, and for faith. For your gifts of grace, for my redemption and regeneration. For calling me and recalling me—yes, for recalling me again and again. For your patience and longsuffering to me, many times, many years, up to this day. For success you've granted me, and all the good things you've done for me. For things present, for your promise, and for hope of the enjoyment of good things to come. For my family and teachers, and for those who have blessed me. (I will never forget them.) For brothers and sisters in faith, thoughtful listeners, true friends, faithful co-workers. For all who have helped me by what they have written and preached, for conversations, prayers, examples, rebukes, injuries. ... For all these, and all others which I know, which I know not, for things open and hidden, for that which I've remembered and forgotten, or done when I wished-and even when I did not wish, I bless you, Lord. And I will bless. I give thanks to you, Lord. And I will give thanks, all the days of my life. Who am I that you should look on someone like me? How could I ever pay you back, Lord, for all the benefits you have given me? What thanks could I ever give you for sparing me, and bearing with me? Holy, holy, holy! You are worthy, our Lord and God, the Holy One, to receive glory and honor and power. For you have made all things. And for your pleasure they are-and were-created. We pray this in Jesus' name, Amen. Benediction: May you be blessed whose strength is in the Lord You who have set your hearts in pilgrimage, Who go from strength to strength, Til you appear before God in the heavenly Zion. Until we meet again, Grace and Peace to you.

In a world marked by war, economic uncertainty, rising inflation, and ongoing debates over migration and national identity, many are searching for clarity and truth. At the same time, cultural shifts are increasingly shaping modern Christianity—raising important questions about authority, tradition, and faithfulness to Scripture.In this thought-provoking episode, we examine the tension between contemporary church practices and biblical foundations. What happens when tradition begins to drift from God's Word? Drawing from Jesus' rebuke of the Pharisees—who elevated human traditions above divine commands—we explore the necessity of testing all beliefs and practices against Scripture.Rooted in passages like II Thessalonians 2:15, this episode emphasizes the importance of holding fast to the traditions handed down by the Apostles—teachings grounded in God's inspired, inerrant, and infallible Word. Rather than discarding tradition altogether, we ask: which traditions truly align with Scripture, and which need to be reconsidered?Join us as we call believers to return to biblical truth, to measure every doctrine and practice by God's Word, and to live lives shaped by the holy standard set forth in Scripture. In uncertain times, the foundation remains unchanging—God's truth endures.The Voice in the Wilderness does not endorse any link or other material found at buzzsprout.More at https://www.thevoiceinthewilderness.org/

(This podcast was previously published on July 18, 2021)   Jesus Ministries, Joan Boney  ...   A pastor in Colorado Springs, Colorado (USA), sent me an email with the following requests:   He would like to know this from me:   1. Your word of exhortation on today's churches. 2. How God has led you to where you live with Pam in Colorado Springs?  

Title: “Let No One Deceive You” Part 3 Text: 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12 FCF: We often struggle fearing the deception that is to come. Prop: Because all who did not receive the love of the truth will be deceived, we must let no one deceive us. Scripture Intro: [Slide 1] Turn in your bible to 2 Thessalonians chapter 2. In a moment we'll read yet again the text starting in verse 3 and going to verse 12. Today I'll be reading from the Legacy Standard Bible but you can follow along in the pew bible or in whatever version you prefer. You'll notice on the screen that this is part 3 of this sermon. If you have not heard parts 1 and 2, I would encourage you to catch up on the teaching Paul has given regarding the man of lawlessness. The previous two sermons are foundational in understanding what is going on here and how we are to think about the end times. However, the sermon today, although relying on some of the conclusions we've made in the last two sermons, is by far the most standalone of the three. The message today is terrifying. It is gut wrenching. Because it speaks of a time when God is truly done with giving mercy to people who have rejected Him. And although God has done similar things in the past – it has never happened like this and only once on this scale. It is also terrifying because it remains in a context which emphasizes that many of the people who are being discussed here who have rejected God, are those who at one point believed in Him. But as terrifying as this message is – there is hope and comfort in holding fast to saving faith. Let's read once more. Please stand with me to give honor to and focus on the Word of God as it is read. Invocation: Gracious, Merciful, and Holy Father, You have endured the wickedness of men for thousands of years. You are longsuffering, extending mercy to all and allowing men to profane Your name and reject Your Son while You continue to bless them and give them common grace. But one day You will remove Your Restrainer and allow the man of lawlessness to come forth. One day Your mercies will end. One day Your common grace to wicked men will cease. And one day You will judge the world. I pray that even now You would be merciful and gracious to those in this room. Speak now words of comfort to Your people through this text…but Gracious God, send Your Spirit to open the eyes of the blind here and speak words of terror to those who are perishing. We ask this in Jesus' name, Amen. Transition: [Slide 2] ”It is the creed of every sound evangelical church that those who do go back to perdition were persons who never really believed in Jesus.” A.A. Bonar “None sink so far into hell as those that come nearest heaven because they fall from the greatest height.” William Gurnall [Slide 3] “To forsake Christ for the world is to leave a treasure for a trifle…eternity for a moment, reality for a shadow, all things for nothing.” William Jenkyn “To see a ship sink in the harbor of profession is more grievous than if it had perished in the open sea of profaneness.” William Secker [Slide 4] “The essence of apostasy is changing sides from that of the crucified to that of the crucifier.” John Stott “Scripture does not need to be denied for apostasy to begin: all that is needed is that scripture takes second place in our calculations.” Iain H. Murray Let these words prepare your heart for the preaching of God's Word today. I.) The Man of Lawlessness will be powered by Satan to deceive all the perishing, so we must not let ourselves be deceived. (9-10) a. [Slide 5] 9 - whose coming is in accord with the working of Satan, i. The LSB has put hash marks into the previous verse to set it off from what follows in verse 9. ii. This is incredibly helpful because for we western English readers, this would be quite jarring, since we would assume the “coming” he is talking about now is still the coming of Christ. iii. What we don't see that would make this even more jarring, is that in the Greek the word for “coming” is… parousia. Advent. iv. However, Christ will not come in accord with the working of Satan. v. Paul is going back now to the topic of the man of lawlessness. And Paul intentionally points to the mockery of Satan here by using the same word he has used repeatedly to refer to the return of Christ. Only this time he refers to the coming of the man of lawlessness. vi. That the man of lawlessness comes in accord with the working of Satan, clarifies and affirms that the man of lawlessness is indeed a man. vii. Much like Judas Iscariot was a man who was possessed by Satan Himself, so also this man of lawlessness is a man that will come in accord with the working of Satan. viii. This is probably an idiomatic way to say that this man too will be possessed by Satan. ix. Now just like the scriptures always see Judas as culpable for his own actions… he was not a victim… so also this man of lawlessness is not a victim either. x. This man will do and say things that are so egregious and so infamous that he could not be a mere man. xi. And this man will go along with it, willingly obeying his father the devil. xii. Again, this points to the mockery of Satan. xiii. Jesus did and said things that indicated that He was no mere man too, all in willing obedience to His heavenly Father. But this Anti-Christ figure will have an advent that is similar but will do the opposite. xiv. But that isn't the end to the similarities. b. [Slide 6] with all power and signs and false wonders, i. Part of the working of Satan happening for this man is that he is coming with all Satan's power and influence. ii. He will be able to perform signs and wonders, all of which will be false. iii. How do we determine if a sign or wonder is false? iv. Scripture gives two criteria 1. [Slide 7] In Deuteronomy 18:20-22 Yahweh clearly says that if a prophesy does not come to pass, then they know that what the prophet said was not from Him and that prophet has spoken presumptuously and should be put to death. 2. [Slide 8-9] Let's go to Deuteronomy 13:1-5 and read this together. Because what if the signs and wonders do come true? What if they are effective? a. Notice what God says… b. If a prophet performs signs and wonders that come to pass but they advocate worshipping other gods, they should not listen to that prophet. Why? c. Because Yahweh sent (take note of that. Yahweh sent) that prophet to the people to test their love for Yahweh. d. Then God reinforms them of the command. They should walk after Yahweh, fear Him, obey His commands, listen to His voice, serve Him, and cling to Him. e. But the prophet should be put to death for His attempt to mislead God's people. v. [Slide 11] The wonders and signs the man of lawlessness commits won't be false because they won't be powerful, effective, or come to pass. They will be false because they will be used to encourage people to worship him instead of Yahweh. Or to worship him as Yahweh or Jesus Himself. vi. We know how our Lord Jesus is coming next. He is coming on the clouds. He will gather us to Himself. That is how we will see Him next. In the air. vii. EVERY ESCHATALOGICAL FRAMEWORK AGREES! viii. Remember that my friends. Remember God's people. We will see Him next in the AIR. ix. No matter what signs or wonders a man does on earth… He isn't Christ if we don't meet Him in the air. He isn't Christ if we must go to Him. The Real Jesus will bring us to Himself. We will be CAUGHT UP. c. [Slide 12] 10 - and with all the deception of unrighteousness i. Another key factor that is hinted at in Deuteronomy 13 was that a person bringing signs and wonders that advocates for the breaking or distorting of God's laws – cannot be sent from God. ii. Jesus Himself said that a house divided against itself cannot stand. How can the real Jesus appear and lead people to conclude that living unrighteous lifestyles is… fine? iii. That disobeying the law of God… is fine? iv. Did Jesus do this at His first advent? v. He fulfilled the law, but He never rejected it or broke it. Nor did He ever advocate His followers do so. vi. As loving as He was to sinners and as much as He healed people what did He say? “Go and sin no more!” vii. He said, “Your righteousness must exceed that of the Pharisees.” viii. He said, “You must be holy as my heavenly Father is holy.” ix. When Jesus walks this earth again… x. HE WILL NOT TREAT SIN WITH KID GLOVES. xi. In Isaiah 11, where Paul pulled the reference to Christ consuming the man of lawlessness with His breath, in that same context it says that in that day “they will do no evil nor act corruptly in all My holy mountain. “ xii. The man of lawlessness though, will be a man who advocates a reversal of God's laws. Perhaps emphasizing love and peace over righteousness and blamelessness. xiii. Indeed, his only law is that all must worship… him. xiv. But what Paul says next is absolutely essential for a proper understanding of this time. d. [Slide 13] for those who perish, i. Notice that the power, the lies, the signs, these are all aimed at a specific group. ii. The perishing. iii. The bible gives us warnings and we must absolutely heed them. But just because the warnings exist doesn't mean that there is a chance that God's promises won't be fulfilled. iv. God has promised that He will seal all His people until the day of redemption. v. Just because the bible gives warnings of falling away and believing a lie doesn't somehow make God's promises null and void. vi. Instead, we must look for a way to make both truths of scripture stand with all their strength without contradiction. vii. And the church has, for thousands of years, understood that it is by hearing the word of God that we receive faith. Not just faith to believe on Christ but faith to believe all that God has said. viii. God's word is effective to produce change in the hearts of God's people. His Word will not return void or empty. ix. Warning passages accomplish their purpose to cause true believers to be alert and vigilant. x. This is the means God uses to prevent them from falling away and succumbing to a lie so powerful that if it were possible the elect would be deceived. xi. Paul makes it clear, that the man of lawlessness will be able to deceive ONLY those who are perishing. Why? xii. Because true believers, believers that have genuine faith, will heed these warnings, continue to reject sin and pursue Righteousness, and continue to believe God. xiii. Paul writes this as a comfort to a church whom he is convinced is counted worthy of God's Kingdom, whom he is convinced received the gospel in power. He is not uncertain about their identity as children of God. Therefore, this comment is designed to give them comfort. The perishing are the ones who will be deceived. xiv. So, they must not let themselves be deceived. xv. But why are they perishing? e. [Slide 14] because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved. i. The wording here is actually quite important. 1. The expression we might expect is that these people who are perishing would be those who did not believe the gospel. Or perhaps that they did not believe the truth. Or that they did not receive the truth. 2. But that isn't what saves a person and eliminates their possibility of being deceived by this Satanic Superman. 3. Christ Himself said that in the last day there would be many who said to Him, “Have we not prophesied in your name, and performed miracles and cast out demons in your name, but I will say to them depart from me lawbreakers, I never knew you.” 4. Paul says that people who did not receive THE LOVE of the truth are those who are perishing. 5. Only those who cherish the truth will be saved. 6. What does it mean to cherish the truth? We'll get to that, because a little later Paul is going to give us the opposite of this. Just hang tight for now. ii. So, the deception of the man of lawlessness will reach all the perishing because they didn't receive the love of the truth. What does that mean? iii. Right now, the gospel call goes out to all men. All men are given at least natural revelation that there is a Creator God who must be worshipped and obeyed. And all men are called to repent and believe the gospel. iv. But one day that general call will stop. v. At some point – when this man of lawlessness steps on the scene, the general call of the gospel to all men will no longer be available. vi. That isn't to say no more will come to saving faith in Christ at this time… vii. God may still effectually call people to Himself. viii. But those who are perishing, those whom God has not elected, will believe the lies of the man of lawlessness. f. [Slide 15] Summary of the Point: Paul has presented who the man of lawlessness is and the blasphemies he will commit. He has discussed when he will come and how he will end. Now, Paul reveals how he will deceive and who will believe him. The perishing, whether they have professed Christ or not, all those who have not received the love of the truth will believe the power, signs, and wonders of the man of lawlessness, and will be deceived into unrighteousness. God's general call to all men to repent and believe the gospel will ultimately go extinct as all the perishing are given over to the lies of this man. If we are truly elect of God, and we have received the love of the truth, we will not succumb to these lies. But how do we know we are elect and have received the love of the truth? We do not let ourselves be deceived. We hold fast to what we have been taught. We trust God no matter what our senses say. [Slide 16 (blank)] Transition: Perhaps you wrestled with that statement regarding the gospel call. Perhaps you were uncomfortable thinking that there will be a time when God is going to stop calling all men to believe the gospel and will only call those who are elect. Well, if you struggled with that. Buckle up. It is about to get very uncomfortable. Paul will now reveal how it will be so that all the perishing believe the lies of the man of lawlessness. II.) In order to judge them, God will actively reprobate the perishing, so we must not let ourselves be deceived. (11-12) a. [Slide 17] 11 - And for this reason, God sends upon them a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false, i. For this reason – meaning because the perishing have not received the love of the truth. ii. God is not forcing them to not receive the love of the truth – but as a response to them not receiving it… God will act. iii. Why do I say that the general call of the gospel will cease? iv. Because God will send a different message. He has already sent the gospel call to all men. v. But He has not sent out another message to all men yet. vi. All the lies and deceit and questioning of God's truth today is all generated by the lies of demons and by evil men. vii. But one day they will not be the only voices spreading misinformation. viii. One day, God Himself will send an influence that deceives the perishing. ix. Ok. Stop right there. We all know that God cannot sin. Specifically, we know that God cannot lie. So how can we interpret this differently so God isn't lying. x. Well does this text actually say that God will lie? xi. It doesn't. xii. It says that God will send a deluding influence. The Greek word for “influence” here suggests it is strong and inescapable. xiii. Notice that it does not say “allow” either. The Greek word here, translated “send” cannot mean that God simply is “allowing or permitting” this influence to occur. The Greek word means to cause to go somewhere. xiv. God will cause a deluding influence to go to the perishing. xv. God isn't lying, He is sending someone or something to lie to the perishing. xvi. Why? xvii. So that they will believe what is false. xviii. The general call of the gospel ceases because God sends something to make sure they believe something else. xix. Why would God do this? b. [Slide 18] 12 - in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in unrighteousness. i. God wants to make sure that every single person who is perishing, is justly judged. 1. This phrase here is the explanation of what it means to NOT receive the love of the truth. It means to not believe the truth but to take pleasure in unrighteousness. 2. These are not, however, two items. They are one. 3. The New Testament often defines genuine belief as belief unto obedience. To have saving faith is to love righteousness. So, if we see someone taking pleasure in unrighteousness, they cannot believe the truth, no matter what they say they believe. ii. But attentive bible students might wonder why God needs to send a deluding influence at all. iii. If God did nothing, wouldn't they still be judged? iv. [Slide 19] The answer is yes. 1. The doctrine of election is a doctrine of God's intervention. a. In order for anyone to be saved, God must intervene. b. No matter what kind of Christian you are, you must believe that God saves us and must intervene to do this. c. Otherwise, you are a Pelagian and a heretic. d. God's elect are those whom God has chosen, according to the counsel of His will and based on nothing of us, to intervene for and rescue from our sin. e. The others that God has not elected will not inherit salvation, but not because God has intervened to keep them from salvation. Rather they will not inherit salvation because God has chosen to NOT intervene for them. f. God judges them according to THEIR deeds which are evil. 2. In short, all men are deserving of judgment and wrath because of their sin. God intervenes for some by electing them to salvation. v. So, what is different here? vi. God is no longer passive. He intervenes… but in order to assure that the perishing are judged for their rejection of the gospel and their unrighteousness. vii. This is what we would call the doctrine of reprobation. God closes and seals the door actively rather than passively. The outcome is the same, but God's activity in the matter is markedly different and it signals an end to God's mercy and common grace toward the perishing. viii. And the really interesting thing is, although we've only seen God do this on this scale once in the global flood, it was not accompanied by God sending a lie. But we do have smaller cases of this happening. 1. [Slide 20] In I Kings 22, King Ahab had long heard the prophesies of Micaiah. God's prophet. Yet Ahab continued to refuse the counsel of the Lord. He continued to ignore and dismiss what God said. a. God determined that Ahab's time… was up. That it was time for him to be judged. b. To ensure that Ahab would earn His judgement to the fullest, God met in a heavenly council. He and angelic beings took council and God determined the course of action. c. He determined that a spirit must go and deceive Ahab. In that setting a spirit stepped forward and volunteered to be a lying spirit to the prophets of other gods and encourage them to tell King Ahab that he should attack a city because he would be victorious. A lie. d. Of course, God's prophet told Ahab that he would fail and even relayed the story of this heavenly council. e. But Ahab continued to choose to believe these false prophesies rather than believe God's prophet. f. Would Ahab had suddenly changed his mind and listened to Micaiah had God not done this? No. He wouldn't have. g. But that is not what the story is about. h. It isn't about Ahab's rejection of God… it is about God's rejection of Ahab. i. And that is what makes the story so harrowing. j. Ahab rejecting God, is just par for the course. k. But God rejecting a King of Israel to the point that He sends a lying spirit to convince Him to continue to DISOBEY Him? That is what is terrifying. 2. [Slide 21] In 2 Samuel 24 and 1 Chronicles 21 we see the same thing. a. We see God being fed up with Israel's disobedience under David's rule. b. The text of Samuel says that God incited David to take a census, and 1 Chronicles says that Satan enticed David to take a census. c. So, which is it? d. The devil is God's devil remember? e. God used Satan to accomplish His will. Which was to incite David to disobey so that God could judge Israel. f. Would they have earned His judgment without His intervention? g. YES!!! h. Again, this says more about God than about man. i. God's mercy does come to an end. At some point, God says, enough. ix. [Slide 22] And that is what is terrifying here friends. x. Wicked people loving their sin and rejecting God's truth? That has happened since Cain killed Abel. That isn't new or scary. xi. God sending a delusion to make sure ALL THE PERISHING reject Him? That is God rejecting, forever, those who are not His people. And that my friends… has never happened before. xii. There will be a day when God says… “I'm done with wicked mankind.” xiii. And it will coincide with a day when another says… “I'm God, I accept you as you are, come and worship me.” xiv. And everyone who hasn't received the love of the truth… will believe and worship that Satan empowered man. c. [Slide 23] Summary of the Point: For their comfort, Paul shows the Thessalonians that one day those who are persecuting them will be given over to the worship of the man of lawlessness. One day they will be judged. Paul's thought isn't quite complete. He will continue through the rest of the chapter to encourage them with positive news for them. But it is important that they know the end of the wicked. In order to judge them, God will give over those who did not receive the love of the truth to a reprobate mind so that He may judge them. They will believe and worship the beast and succumb to the pleasure of unrighteousness. So, what are the Thessalonians to do? Keep believing what they were taught. Hold fast and stand firm in the truth and do not let themselves be deceived. Why? Because with this man of lawlessness will come a great apostasy too. They must hear the warning of this passage and not let themselves be deceived, for only those who are truly elect will do so. Conclusion: So, CBC, what have we learned today that refines our beliefs and directs our lifestyles? Basics of Faith and Practice: [Slide 24] In his correction of the lie that the Thessalonians have allowed themselves to believe, Paul has reminded them of all that he had taught them concerning the man of lawlessness. And in these concluding thoughts about him, Paul reveals his influence and who will be deceived by him. There is no doubt that Paul does this to draw a contrast between the Thessalonians and those who will be deceived. He will make that even more apparent with next week's text. But the fact remains, that when the man of lawlessness steps on the scene, he will be empowered by Satan to convince all those who did not receive the love of the truth, that he should be worshipped as Yahweh. God is not passive in this, but rather than intervening to prevent this, God's mercy has reached an end, and God will send along with him a deluding influence to convince all the perishing to believe his lies. God will give them over to reprobation so that He may judge them for their love of unrighteousness. Paul's opening application to the Thessalonians remains the application. Don't allow yourself to be deceived. First must come the apostasy and the man of lawlessness and the deception of the perishing. Then and only then will the Day of the Lord come and the Lord return to gather His people to Himself. Don't believe anything but what we have already taught you. Otherwise, they too will succumb to the lies of this man and the deluding influence of God. But what does this mean for us? How can we be sure that we don't let ourselves be deceived? 1.) [Slide 25] Mind Transformation: “What truth must we believe from this text?” or “What might we not naturally believe that we must believe because of what this text has said?” We must affirm that the perishing are those who do not receive the love of the truth. a. Notice once again Paul's wording here. b. They do not receive the love of the truth. c. But wait a second, doesn't the bible simply talk about belief, faith being the way God unites us to Christ? d. It does. e. Isn't this a contradiction? f. Not at all. g. Just as we use the same word to talk about different aspects of the same thing, words like the cup which could mean 8 fluid ounces or just a drinking receptacle, so also the bible uses words differently depending on context. All doesn't always mean all. Call doesn't always mean the same thing. And as John the apostle demonstrates in his gospel, believe doesn't always mean the same thing. h. Here Paul is defining the kind of faith that saves. The kind of faith that unites us to Christ. It is not a faith that merely receives the facts. It is not a faith that merely respects the authority of the name of Jesus. i. The kind of faith that is saving… is a faith that receives the truth… and loves it. j. If salvation is a gift, we've all received gifts that we love. We have also all received gifts that we… do not love. k. We are warned in the gospels, that of the four soils of our hearts, three of them receive the gospel message. But only one produces fruit and is, therefore, useful to the farmer. l. The test of true and genuine saving faith is not in whether or not you believe in God or in Jesus… it is whether or not you love and cherish the truth of the gospel in your daily life. Is it precious to you to reflect on how you were once a sinner, doomed to hell, and Christ died to set you free? It is precious to you that Christ gave you His righteousness so that you could be declared righteous before God's judgment? Is it precious to you that the Lord sends His Spirit to all who are His and He enables us to live in obedience to Christ in an ever-growing way? Is it precious to you that Christ has united you to an assembly of people locally and universally who hold you accountable and encourage you? Is it precious to you to look hopefully toward Christ's coming as you live holy lives in preparation for His Kingdom? m. This is why when Paul later characterizes those who will be deceived, he says both that they did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in unrighteousness. n. In order to be saved by faith – it has to be a God-given kind of faith. What kind is that? One that propels you to seek God's Kingdom and His righteousness… first. o. Only those who love the truth… will deny the lie. 2.) [Slide 26] Mind Transformation: “What truth must we believe from this text?” or “What might we not naturally believe that we must believe because of what this text has said?” We must affirm that the man of lawlessness will deceive the perishing. a. Everyone else. b. No matter what you say you believe. No matter how much time you've spent coming to church, reading your bible, or praying. c. Everyone who does not love the truth and take pleasure in righteousness. Everyone who does not seek God's Kingdom first and His righteousness. d. Everyone else… will worship the man of lawlessness as God and submit to His rule over their lives. e. Fearing that they will lose their jobs, their possessions, their land, their homes, their wealth, they will take his mark and worship him as God. f. And mark my words… a good percentage of them will be those who have claimed to believe on Jesus. Many of them will have said the sinner's prayer. Many of them will have gone to church and come from a Christian family. 3.) [Slide 27] Mind Transformation: “What truth must we believe from this text?” or “What might we not naturally believe that we must believe because of what this text has said?” We must affirm that in the last days God will give over the perishing to a deluding influence. a. See it doesn't all come down to this man of lawlessness' cunning or his power. b. Paul doesn't give him all that credit. And Paul doesn't want to mislead the Thessalonian church. c. This man of lawlessness will be a Satanic Super Man… but if God wished to oppose Him, this man would not deceive even one. d. The fact of the matter is that when this man steps on the scene, when the restrainer is removed, God will actively send an influence, probably Satan himself, to deceive every single person who has not received the love of the truth. e. He will do this not because they have not already earned their judgment. But because He is done with evil mankind. He is ready to remake the world. His Kingdom is coming in full. f. Why will this man be so successful? The short answer? Because God wants him to be. g. But… 4.) [Slide 28] Refutation: “What lies must we cast down” or “What do we naturally believe, or have been taught to believe, that this passage shows is false?” We must deny that the elect will succumb to the deluding influence. a. In spite of the strength of the lie, based on this text, based on what Paul will say next, and based on the other promises in scripture – we must not conclude that God will allow any of His elect to be deceived by this deluding influence. b. Jesus said that in those days, IF POSSIBLE, the elect might be deceived. Jesus' wording leaves no room for misinterpretation. It isn't possible. c. The question then that must be asked, is how does God preserve us? 5.) [Slide 29] Comfort: “What comfort can we find here?” or “What peace does the Lord promise us in light of this passage of scripture?” The Perseverance of the saints is primarily about God preserving us. a. The statement, “Once saved always saved.” Is technically true but oftentimes it communicates something that the bible flatly rejects. Even in this text. b. Just because you have professed Christ doesn't mean that you are saved. And just because you are saved, doesn't mean that you don't need to persevere. c. This doctrine must be primarily about God. d. God gives to all His elect a faith that endures. So much so that if we see our faith fail, it is not because we have lost it or because we did not persevere. It is because we were not given saving faith. We were a soil that received the message of the gospel but it did not produce fruit. e. The apostle John says of people who walked away from the faith, “that left us because they were not of us.” Not, “they left us because they are no longer of us.” f. God is the primary agent in preserving His people and enabling them to persevere… g. But… that doesn't mean we are passive. 6.) [Slide 30] Exhortation: “What actions should we take?” or “What is this passage specifically commanding us to do that we don't naturally do or aren't currently doing?” We must not let ourselves be deceived. a. We are not passive in our own perseverance. b. Instead, God's true children will take warning passages such as these and, with fear and trembling, they will cling all the tighter to the gospel of Christ and the pursuit of holiness and righteousness, without which none will see God. c. God's true children will see the coming of this man of lawlessness, his empowering by the Devil, and God's active role here, and they will run back to what the scriptures teach and reject the lies even when all their senses tell them it is truth. And even when it will cost them everything. d. We must hold fast and stand firm in what we believe. e. So when we combine the doctrine of the perseverance of the saints with our role in persevering we realize that though we are certainly not passive in persevering… we are also… Praise the Lord… NOT ALONE. 7.) [Slide 31] Refutation: “What lies must we cast down” or “What do we naturally believe, or have been taught to believe, that this passage shows is false?” We must deny that Jesus accepts us as we are. Believing this is a symptom of not receiving the love of the truth. a. There is a teaching alive and well today that insists that Jesus accepts us as we are. b. Now what could be meant by that teaching is that there is no prerequisite to repenting of sin and trusting Christ. c. Meaning you don't have to be perfect in order to believe on Jesus. You don't have to have stopped sinning in order to become a Christ follower. You don't have to join a church, get a tattoo, be circumcised or any other prerequisite. d. If that is what is meant – then this is true. e. However, oftentimes this message ends up being – Jesus accepts you no matter what lifestyle you choose to keep living. Jesus will never ask you to be someone you aren't. Jesus just wants to love you for who you are. f. This… is a lie. g. Jesus died because of who you were. Jesus died because you fall short. You miss the mark. You are not good enough. That is why Jesus died. To pay for your shortcomings and to make you like Him. To change you. He died to make you a NEW CREATURE. Old has died… and new is taking its place. h. Jesus says in order to be His disciple you must crucify yourself… daily… and follow Him. i. He told the rich young ruler to sell everything he had and give it to the poor and follow Him. j. Christ's message is clear. k. Turn from your sin, follow Him and sin… no… more. l. There is no such thing as a Christian who loves his sin and Jesus too. m. There is no such thing as a Christian who dislikes God's law. n. There is no such thing as a Christian who loves this world. o. They simply… do not exist. p. They may call themselves Christians… but in the last day… they will be deceived, take the mark and worship the Anti-Christ, so that God may justly judge them. q. Jesus is so not satisfied with who you are, that He submitted to death to change you to be like Him. r. If you disagree – its time to really listen hard… 8.) [Slide 32] Evangelism: “What about this text points us to Jesus Christ, the gospel, and how we are restored?” In the last days, many that profess Christ today will take the mark of the beast and worship him as God. a. The tension in the scripture is clear. b. Although God by grace alone unites His people to Christ's sacrifice through giving them faith in His Son, the kind of faith that God ALWAYS gives, is a faith that changes the person to whom it is given. c. When God gives faith, it is like when someone gets hit by a bus. d. Their life is going to be different from that day forward. It will change… because it must. e. The soil of the heart is prepared by the Lord to receive His truth and produce fruit. f. All other soils may look like they have received the truth… but things choke or scorch them to death. g. There will be many in that day who have prayed a prayer and accepted a cheap grace that forgives sin and asks nothing of them. A grace that has less to do with you being a citizen of God's royal family and more to do with keeping you from going to hell. h. But the same grace that keeps you from hell, makes you into a citizen of His family and conforms you to His standard. It's a package deal. You don't get one without the other. i. So how do you avoid being yet another dupe? How do you avoid standing at the judgment seat of Christ wondering why the books containing your works did not prove you were His? j. You must be born again. You must have your heart prepared by God to receive the love of the truth. k. How do you know God has done that for you? l. Well – is He stirring you now? Do you feel the Spirit of God pulling on you now? That is a pretty good sign that your heart is ready to receive the love of the truth. m. So, turn from sin. Turn from your pleasure in unrighteousness. Turn from worshipping and pursuing things on earth. Money, relationships, careers, possessions, lusts, passions… n. Turn from your desires, your pursuits, your will o. Lose your identity so that you can be absorbed into Christ's. p. Trust Him and love Him and what He has done for you. Love Him so much that He becomes your first priority. q. Submit to His rule over your life as your one and only King. r. Trust Him and love Him enough to leave all other things you trust and love behind. s. Then… and only then… will you start to see the Lord change you into His own possession. t. If that is you today… don't wait to tell someone. u. Don't walk out the door and think -I'll just tell them later. I'll just call them later. No. v. If you need to follow Christ. If you are done following you. Tell someone you know is a Christian here. We would like to rejoice with you and help you in the next steps. [Slide 33 (end)] Let me close with a prayer by the church father Augustine of Hippo In a vast wilderness full of snares and dangers, look! At your enabling I have cut off many of them, thrusting them out of my heart. And yet so many of these things buzz on all sides about my daily life. Do I dare say that nothing of this sort catches my attention, or causes even the slightest interest? True, I do not spend time in the worst kinds of entertainment, I do not dabble in astrology or the occult. I detest all those sacrilegious mysteries. And I owe you my humble and singlehearted service, O Lord my God. Yet the enemy, with tricks and suggestions, looks for a way in. So I beg you, by our King, even if I am far away from consenting to the enemy, may it ever be farther and farther away. You enable me, and will enable me, to follow you willingly, doing what you want me to do. We ask this for ourselves in Jesus' name, Amen. Benediction: Now may He who raises the poor from the dust, The needy from the ash heap; And makes them sit with nobles And inherit a seat of honor. Bear you through troubled days, To you who trust in God's unchanging love. Until we meet again, Grace and Peace to you.

(This podcast was previously published on May 7, 2022)   Jesus Ministries, Joan Boney  ...   When Jesus walked on this earth HE called 12 men to be HIS apostles.   But after the crucifixion and resurrection, Jesus called from heaven HIS ministers, just as Jesus called the apostle Paul from heaven.   At the time Jesus called Paul to be a minister, Paul was persecuting the church.   Acts 9:1-6  And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest,   2 And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem.   3 And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven:   4 And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?   5 And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.   6 And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt THOU have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.   This scripture shows us Jesus calling Paul (by name) and appointing him from heaven to be a minister after Jesus was crucified and raised into heaven.   Jesus does this same thing today as HE sets HIS ministers into today's church.  From heaven, Jesus speaks to HIS chosen ministers, appointing them into the ministry of the church and teaching them to do the work of the ministry to which HE has called them.   Ephesians 4:8  Wherefore HE saith, When HE ascended up on high, HE led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.   11-12  And HE gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;  For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:   I Corinthians 12:27-28  Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.  And God hath set some in the church (as ministers), first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.   Jesus, speaking from heaven, calls HIS ministers today.   But many ministers today do not have that call of Jesus on their lives.  They put themselves into the ministry by going to Bible college or seminaries without being called by Jesus to do so.  And they are the antichrists in today's churches.   Jude   17 But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ;   18 How that they told you there should be mockers (copiers of other ministers) in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts.   19 These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit.   This is the end time apostasy.   2 Peter 2   1 But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.   2 And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.   (These false ministers explain away various scriptures and approve sins in the congregation by departing from scriptures such as Matthew 5:32 where Jesus said the man who marries the divorced woman commits adultery.   3 And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.   Many false ministers in today's church covet greatness for themselves and try to draw large numbers of people to their church for this makes them look "great" and also brings more money into the church.   This is the end time apostasy in the church where they fall away from specific scriptures and set up other doctrines contrary to the New Testament Bible Doctrines.   II Thessalonians 2   3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;   4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.   In 1982, God said to me:  "This falling away are not people leaving the church group but are church groups leaving various scriptures."   NASB calls this the apostasy of the end times that had to happen in the churches before Jesus returns.   II Thessalonians 2:3-4  (NASB)   3 No one is to deceive you in any way! For it (the return of Jesus) will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, 4 who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God.  

the Anti-Christ leads the rebellion of sinful man against God, which precipitates the second coming of Jesus to the earth to set up His kingdom  

Title: “Let No One Deceive You” Part 2 Text: 2 Thessalonians 2:6-8 FCF: We often struggle fearing the uncertainty of the end times. Prop: Because God will cause the man of lawlessness to be revealed and to be destroyed, we must not let anyone deceive us. Scripture Intro: [Slide 1] Turn in your bible to 2 Thessalonians chapter 2. In a moment we'll begin reading in verse 3 and read through verse 12 again. You can follow along in the pew bible or in whatever version you prefer. Last week we spoke at length about the coming of the man of lawlessness both who he is and what he is going to do. We approached this topic from each eschatological framework within Christendom by trying to understand each framework itself and how they view end times prophesy. The oldest beliefs concerning the end times conclude that things will get much worse for Christians prior to the Lord Jesus returning. It seems that the Thessalonians assumed this as well as they saw their persecution level rise steeply. But Paul corrects them by telling them that the Day of the Lord has not come. He then goes on to describing the man of lawlessness and apostasy that must precede Christ's coming. This event and the man is so blasphemous that no human has ever been so bold as to claim to be over all other gods, sit in God's temple, and claim to be Yahweh Himself. But this man of lawlessness will. That is why it cannot be the Day of the Lord yet. Today, Paul will continue his discussion of the man of lawlessness and the sequence of end times events leading up to the return of Christ. Let's get back to his discussion. Please stand with me to give honor to and to focus on the Word of God as it is read. Invocation: Sovereign King of Kings, we come to You today as Your humble people whom you have called out of darkness with a divinely given faith. We hold fast to Christ's work with a rope that was made by Your hands. Such a rope will endure all the lies of the evil one. But this does not mean we can be complacent or passive. We must actively cling to the rope of faith in Christ. Our anchor holds through the fiercest storms. And our faith, if it is saving, will hold to Him. So, Lord, help us to cling to what you have revealed. That we might trust fully in your sovereign hand to uphold us and to bring about these terrible things in their due time. That we might trust Your promise that a New Kingdom comes and that we might hold fast to Christ until it does. We pray this in His name… Amen. Transition: [Slide 2] “If the Lord will not suffer it, neither men nor devils can do it.” C.H. Spurgeon “God is working out His eternal purpose, not only in spite of human and satanic opposition but by means of them.” A.W. Pink [Slide 3] “Satan can do nothing without the command of God to whose dominion he is subject.” John Calvin The devil's way of extinguishing goodness is God's way of advancing it.” George Barlow [Slide 4] “The hands of the wicked cannot stir one moment before God allows them to begin and cannot stir one moment after God commands them to stop.” “The wickedest enemies of God are only axes and saws and hammers in His hands and are ignorantly His instruments for doing His work in the world.” J.C. Ryle [Slide 5] “The whole history of the world is discovered to be but a contest between the wisdom of God and the cunning of Satan and fallen men. The outcome of the contest is not in doubt.” “God's plan will continue on God's schedule.” A.W. Tozer “To know that nothing happens in God's world apart from God's will may frighten the godless, but it stabilizes the saints.” J. I. Packer Let these words sharpen your mind to understand the text this morning. I.) God will determine when the man of lawlessness is revealed, we must not let anyone deceive us. (6-8a) a. [Slide 6] 6 - And you know what restrains him now, so that in his time he will be revealed. i. After Paul calls to their attention that he has taught all this to them before, he once again uses the phrase “you know.” ii. We saw this phrase come up repeatedly in 1 Thessalonians. But this is the first time Paul banks on their previous knowledge to make his point in this letter. iii. What do they know? iv. They know what restrains the man of lawlessness now. v. Well, Paul, it is all well and good that they know what restrains this man – but WE DON'T! vi. This gives us one of the most perplexing questions regarding end times prophesy that we have. vii. Who or what is restraining the Man of Lawlessness? viii. Who or what is keeping the Man of Lawlessness from committing his blasphemies and leading this global apostasy? ix. [Slide 7] The uncertainty is centered on four concepts. 1. First, that Paul refers to this restrainer as an impersonal force here in verse 6 and then later as a personal being in verse 7. Yet it does not appear that he is referring to two things. So how can something be both impersonal (neuter gendered participle) and then personal (masculine gendered participle)? 2. Second, the restrainer could be seen either positively or negatively. Is it a good thing or bad thing that the man of lawlessness is held back? Even as a Christian that is hard to answer. Especially since the Lord's return happens after he comes. 3. Third, what does it mean that the restrainer is taken out of the way? Is this by force? Is it violent? 4. Finally, that Paul does not name the restrainer raises the question, why? Why would Paul not name it? a. That question is actually easy to answer. Because the Thessalonians already knew who or what he was talking about. b. But the follow up question is much harder. c. Since this letter is breathed out by God, why is God being unclear? Why didn't God move Paul to write the name of the restrainer, or at least spell it out more clearly? i. Is it held in mystery intentionally to prevent someone or something from stopping, avoiding, or hindering the work of the restrainer? ii. Would Paul or the Thessalonians be harmed or in danger if the restrainer was named? iii. Is God keeping Paul from inadvertent praise or worship of the restrainer? iv. Has God included enough hints within the text to deduce the restrainer's identity already? x. [Slide 8] Because of these aspects of uncertainty, there have been several options put forward which arrange themselves into 4 general categories. 1. Humans a. The Roman Empire and the Emperor – As agents preventing the rise of lawlessness. i. This answers why Paul would not have named it but it raises other issues. ii. Is Paul placing the coming of the Man of lawlessness necessarily AFTER the fall of Rome? Did Paul expect Rome to fall soon? If he did, this is the only place in all his writings that he assumes so. b. Human government – i. In that things haven't quite been aligned for such a man to step onto the scene, and humans generally standing for moral goodness by punishing the wicked and helping the innocent is what is preventing this from occurring. ii. This is a more general version of the first one, which sheds the problem of Rome falling but inherits the same problems in that it is much less likely that all human government topples? c. The Jewish State – The fall of apostate Judaism. Although one wonders how and why this is preventing the man of lawlessness from coming. This would be a postmil position in reference to seeing the events described here having nothing to do with the end times and everything to do with AD 70. 2. [Slide 9] Christians a. The preaching of the gospel and Paul the apostle– God's Kingdom is still advancing. i. It is difficult to understand how Paul might see himself or the work of the gospel as being the thing preventing the coming of the man of lawlessness. ii. This is linked to both the Amil and Postmil position although Postmil still sees this as not talking about end times at all. b. The church – Being salt and light. i. The Mid-Tribulational Premillennial camp believes this. ii. Once the rapture happens half way through the tribulation, this makes way for the Man of Lawlessness to utter his blasphemies and there is none to rebuke him. iii. But why would Paul not mention it? Why keep this mystery from the church? And even though the church is salt and light – it is hard to see or imagine how we are preventing such a powerful man from coming just by existing. c. Generally speaking, I tend to see every human answer, believer or unbeliever, as severely underestimating the power of his man and his apostasy. So what about some non-human categories. 3. [Slide 10] Angels a. The Angel from heaven with the key to the Abyss and a great chain - The binding of Satan – i. During the Millennial reign an unnamed angel who comes down and does not fall down from heaven, has the key to the abyss and binds Satan for 1000 years. ii. Later Satan is released for a time and leads an army to battle against Christ's people. iii. Amillennialism would say that the restrainer then is this angel and that Satan is currently bound which is why the man of lawlessness has not come yet. iv. This answers the secrecy with the need to hide truth from the forces of darkness. However, taking this view forces us to take Revelation 19 and 20's description of these events not as a chronological record of events but as the order in which John saw the visions. b. Demonic infighting i. Another view espouses that the forces of darkness are not united and as long as this is so, the man of lawlessness will not come. ii. Paul keeps this hidden to keep them from being united. iii. However, the New Testament in no way suggests or hints at the forces of darkness being disunited. iv. If anything, it seems that Satan has rallied them and leads them. The New Testament says it is the Devil and his angels. This seems to speak of unity not disunity. c. Angelic Warfare i. When the man of lawlessness is mentioned in Daniel, in close proximity we have this report that Michael the archangel is battling against other fallen angelic creatures and holding them at bay. ii. One interpretation then is that this is talking about angelic entities fighting demonic entities and holding things the way they are until they are removed. iii. Secrecy then is to prevent Paul or the Thessalonians from worshipping these entities or praying to them instead of to God. iv. One wonders how simply suggesting angelic warfare would tempt them to worship angels though? Certainly, other parts of scripture mention this. And Paul has touted the growth and endurance of their faith. d. Michael the Arch Angel – i. This is a more specific interpretation of the last one. ii. And bears the same evidence. iii. Again we might wonder what the real danger would be that they would worship these entities by simply stating that they restrain the man of lawlessness from coming. iv. Other passages in the New Testament name Michael and Gabriel. 4. [Slide 11] God Himself a. The providence of God – i. Which summarizes everything we've just said so far. ii. In the end, God's providence is His working in normal and creaturely agency as well as intervening in supernatural ways to bring about His will. iii. Of course we might wonder why Paul doesn't simply say it. iv. Perhaps the Lord led him to include enough clues in the text itself for us to determine that this is so. b. The Holy Spirit - i. By this it is meant that the Holy Spirit does powerfully and intentionally intercede to prevent this man from stepping onto the scene. ii. The word Spirit in Greek is neuter gendered and when the adjective “holy” is used to describe the third person of the Godhead, it too is neuter in gender. iii. But when the Scriptures substitute a pronoun for the Holy Spirit, they do not use “it” but “He.” Thus, this could explain why Paul uses a neuter and then a masculine participle to describe the restrainer. iv. But why not call out the work of the Spirit here? v. Although quite uncertain, Paul has not spoken much about the Spirit of God in either 1 or 2 Thessalonians. 1. Not speaking of this text, commentators have remarked on the absence of the third person of the Godhead suggesting that perhaps there was some connection between the Spirit's Work and the accusation of the Jews in Thessalonica that Paul was an insurrectionist. 2. So perhaps Paul keeps his references to the Spirit to a minimum and certainly never in a context suggesting that He is actively opposing some human power from rising, in order to spare the Thessalonians more grief from local Jews should this teaching fall into the wrong hands. xi. Some of you may recognize that I do not normally include so much detail when we discuss uncertain things in the scripture. xii. [Slide 12] Here is my protocol when dealing with interpretational discrepancies in a sermon. 1. If I am reasonably convinced of a specific interpretation, I won't usually even bring up other options. I will present it as the only interpretation. I usually do this when I thought the passage said something and most if not all the commentators I consulted say the same or similar things. 2. If I am somewhat convinced of a specific interpretation, I will usually give other options but present my interpretation as the best without a deep analysis of the others. 3. If I am convinced but without any assurance, I'll give all the options and state pros and cons to both before arriving on my conclusion. 4. If I remain uncertain… I am going to give you every option and their problems and probably not pick a conclusion. xiii. Can you guess which one we are on today?

(This podcast was previously published on April 17, 2022)   Jesus Ministries, Joan Boney  ...   The world:   1 John 2:15  Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.   16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.   17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.  

: an in depth look at Scripture supporting the simple, undeniable Biblical truth/fact that "this same Jesus that you saw go into heaven will come back...: Acts 1:11    

Title: “Let No One Deceive You” Part 1 Text: 2 Thessalonians 2:3-5 FCF: We often struggle falling prey to speculation and uncertainty regarding the end times. Prop: Because the Day of the Lord must be preceded by the apostasy and the man of lawlessness, we must not let anyone deceive us. Scripture Intro: CSB [Slide 1] Turn in your bible to 2 Thessalonians chapter 2. In a moment we will read from the Christian Standard Bible starting in verse 3 and going through verse 12. You can follow along in the pew bible or in whatever version you prefer. Last week, Paul definitively addressed the concern the Thessalonians had about the Day of the Lord. That it had come and that somehow they had missed it. Paul answers them directly… it has not come. Today, he will outline a particular event that must precede the Day of the Lord and the return of Christ and the gathering together of His people. And that event seems to be something significant enough and obvious enough that he is somewhat shocked that they have believed this lie, since he has already taught them all of this. He warns them… don't let yourself be deceived. Because of the nature of this information and the fact that there is such wide uncertainty concerning it, I will be forced to break down this context into probably three or perhaps even four sermons from here until verse 12. But let's start with reading the entire context before we get into it. Please stand with me to give honor to and to focus on the Word of God as it is read. Invocation: God of our salvation, we confess that since our salvation is all of You, that there is neither nothing we can do to get it from You, nor is there anything we can do to void it if You have given it to us. Nevertheless, we confess that this does not make us passive agents in our preservation. You have told us repeatedly to hold fast to what we have received from Christ and His apostles. You have warned us repeatedly in Your Word to trust what You have said over and above what our own senses declare to us. You will preserve us, but the way You do that is by the faith You have put in us. A saving kind. A kind that endures. And so, Lord, we enter this passage to respond in faith and trust Your promise over and above what we observe. Keep us in Your loving care and preserve us to the end. We pray this in Jesus' name – Amen. Transition: [Slide 2] “Satan doesn't care what we worship, as long as we don't worship God.” D.L. Moody “Satan is not fighting churches; he is joining them. He does more harm by sowing tares than by pulling up wheat. He accomplishes more by imitation than by outright opposition.” Vance Havner “There is something very comforting in the thought that the devil is an adversary. I would sooner have him for an adversary than a friend.” C.H. Spurgeon These words prepare us for the exposition of the Word of God today. Let us begin. I.) A great rebellion led by a lawless man doomed to be destroyed by Jesus will occur before the Day of the Lord, so we must not let anyone deceive us. (3) a. [Slide 3] 3 - Don't let anyone deceive you in any way. i. Paul puts his finger directly on the root of the problem facing the Thessalonians. ii. They are letting people lead them away from what they have learned about the Day of the Lord. iii. Their discernment is vacillating, they have been overcome by sudden fear, and they are believing lies. iv. From verse 3 until verse 12, Paul's basic application is simply this: Do not let anyone deceive you. v. No matter what others say or how they say it, the Thessalonian church must be firmly rooted in truth and convinced of what they have been taught. vi. But Paul is not going to leave it there. He is going to instruct, or re-instruct them on the sequence of events concerning the Day of the Lord. b. [Slide 4] For that day will not come unless the apostasy comes first i. Paul gatekeeps the coming of the Day of the Lord behind one event. ii. The event is what he describes as “the apostasy”. 1. The Greek word here means “rebellion” which is most often what we might use to translate this if it were in a political sense. A rebel or a traitor. 2. But given the context of this passage, it seems better to see this in a religious sense. 3. There may be overlap as political and religious upheaval will most likely go hand in hand. But when we use the word rebellion here, I think we do generally lose the religious sense. 4. An apostate is someone who publicly denies a previously held religious belief and distances themselves from the community that holds to it. This could, although not necessarily, include persecution against their previously held beliefs. iii. So, to what is Paul referring? 1. Interestingly enough many of the references to this teaching are written after Paul writes this. a. [Slide 5] 2 Tim 3:1 – 5 - “But know this, that in the last days difficult times will come. For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, without gentleness, without love for good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to a form of godliness, but having denied its power. Keep away from such men as these.” b. [Slide 6] 2 Peter 3:3-4 – “knowing this first of all, that in the last days mockers will come with their mocking, following after their own lusts, and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming?” c. [Slide 7] Jude 18-19 - “In the last time there will be mockers, following after their own ungodly lusts. These are the ones who cause divisions, worldly-minded, not having the Spirit. “ d. [Slide 8] 1 Tim 4:1 – “But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons, by the hypocrisy of liars, who have been seared in their own conscience” 2. This suggests that this is something Paul was shown directly by God's Spirit. 3. [Slide 9] And so, Paul is relaying that in the end there will be a time when people will say they are following the real Jesus, turning from what they see as a corruption of Jesus' teachings, emphasizing the freedom of their flesh to pursue anything they wish, and mocking any who would suggest that Jesus is concerned about living a holy life. They will claim to be godly but have no power to overcome their own sinfulness. They will divide, they will be worldly, and they won't have the Spirit of God. 4. Friends… if what I just described to you doesn't sound familiar… then you are living under a rock. 5. I have just described a cancer that is currently growing in western Christianity. iv. Does that mean that the great apostasy has happened? v. I would… cautiously say… no. 1. Down through the history of the church age there have been several events that seemed to be a great apostasy. a. When the Jews rejected their own Messiah and killed Him. b. When Gnosticism overtook the church and led many astray in the 2nd century. c. When Rome adopted Christianity as the official religion and paganism creeped into it and joined to make the Roman Catholic church. 2. And it is possible that what we see happening today would be fitting this prophesy but as Paul will say in a few verses, this spirit of lawlessness is already at work in the world. It makes sense that we would see aspects of this pop up – like birth pangs. 3. But the way this is spoken about, it seems like we might see a much more staggering and global case of people abandoning biblical Christianity and flocking to other forms of Christianity or paganism. 4. Although we see apostasy on the rise in our culture, and have seen periods of it through the ages, still we see great movements of the Spirit and people are coming to faith in Christ. 5. What Paul speaks of seems to be a great winnowing of Christians that will necessarily result in biblical Christianity being heavily persecuted, on a global scale, and seemingly the church will be overcome by it. vi. Although I don't think this has happened yet – where the United States goes, the world is sure to follow. Should the disdain of biblical Christianity continue to grow in the west, I can see it quickly developing into a worldwide event… especially when the other component of this event happens… c. [Slide 10] and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. i. The identity of the man of lawlessness is, as you might imagine, a hotly debated topic in Christendom. ii. Although there is actually more agreement than you might think, especially between two of the three major eschatological frameworks. iii. Although I am loathe to do it, it is necessary for me to briefly introduce these three major frameworks, so that you are not completely in the dark as to what I am talking about as we go forward. And in order to understand the makeup of these frameworks, you must understand some different approaches to prophesy about the end times. iv. [Slide 11] Last week I already introduced you to one of these… preterits. 1. Preterists believe that some or all of the events mentioned in the scriptures regarding the last days have been fulfilled, especially at AD 70 when Jerusalem and the temple were destroyed. 2. Historicists believe that some of the events mentioned in the scriptures regarding the last days have been fulfilled after AD 70. 3. Futurists believe that all or most of the events mentioned in the scriptures regarding the last days have not yet been fulfilled. v. Depending on how much of each of these you mix together in your recipe, determines what dish of eschatological framework you make. vi. [Slide 12] The names of the three major frameworks are premillennialism, amillennialism, and postmillennialism. 1. [Slide 13] Premillennialism, at least one branch of it, is the oldest eschatological position. a. Well known church fathers such as Justin Martyr, Papius, Tertullian, Irenaeus, and many lesser-known individuals clearly wrote about and believed in a premillennial return of Christ. b. Premillennialism adds a heavy dose of a futurist understanding of end-times prophesy. Premillennialism would recognize and appreciate smaller fulfillments, but advocate that these always leave some portion unfulfilled in literal ways. Meaning that they cannot be the complete or final fulfillment. c. At its core premillennialism teaches that the gathering of the saints and a return of Christ will precede a literal 1000-year earthly reign of Christ with His people from Jerusalem. d. After which would be the final judgment and eternal state. e. Even Augustine of Hippo believed this for a time, but eventually became an influential opponent of it. f. Premillennialism today is divided into three broad categories based on when the church would meet Christ in the air prior to the 1000-year reign. i. The historic position is that after the tribulation, Christ would descend, collect His people, and come with them to the earth. This is what all the church fathers I have already mentioned taught. ii. There is also a newer position, represented by one later church father's sermon composed between the 4th and 6th centuries. 1. His name was Ephraem and his sermon said, “all the saints would be gathered together before the tribulation, and taken to the Lord, so they do not see any of the confusion which overwhelms the world.” 2. This would be the bedrock upon which the pretribulational view would be built. 3. A view that says that before the tribulation period, the Lord would come and gather His people and take them to be with Him in heaven during the remainder of the tribulation. iii. Finally, there is a much newer position that attests that at some point in the middle of the tribulation the church would be caught up to be with Christ and wait with Him until the end of the tribulation. 2. [Slide 14] Amillennialism is also incredibly old. Many church fathers held this view. a. Because this view takes many forms, we do see it mix together all three views of end-times prophesy. There is a dash of futurist, a hint of historicist, and a splash of preterist in this view. b. The view says that the tribulation and the millennium are figurative expressions to summarize the events of the last days. c. The tribulation is not seen then as a literal 7-year period, nor is the tribulation an event that is in the future. d. Amillennialism would see the events of the tribulation as describing events that led up to and including the destruction of the temple in AD 70. e. The 1000-year reign of Christ is a metaphorical age of the church, which begins after the destruction of the temple. f. Within this reign of Christ, Satan is bound so the church can share the gospel, but that doesn't mean that there is no opposition. g. At the end of the church age, Christ will return, gather His people, judge the earth, and usher in the eternal state. h. There is a lot of variety within Amillennialism, but this is the general framework behind it. 3. [Slide 15] Finally, there is Postmillennialism. Postmillennialism is, by far, the most modern of the three major frameworks of the end times. It's earliest known writings occurring in the late 1600s. a. Postmillennialism is very similar to Amillennialism, but with a heavier dose of a preterist view of end times prophesy. b. Like Amillennialism, Postmillennialism teaches that the events of the tribulation occurred prior to the destruction of the temple in AD 70. c. After this, a period of time, mentioned as 1000 years but really an undefined amount of time, will occur in which the church will progressively influence the world into a time of peace and prosperity. d. After this the Lord Jesus will return physically and judge the world and the eternal state will begin. e. Although often caricatured as merely supporting liberal social programs to institute progress, or to militantly take the world over, evangelical postmillennialism understands the transformation of the world happening by the preaching of the gospel alone. vii. Having now a basic understanding of each view, we can rightly give the options for how each view sees this “man of lawlessness.” viii. [Slide 16] Postmillennialism understands this entire passage quite differently than the other two eschatological frameworks. 1. Postmillennialism suggests that Paul is not talking about the second coming of Christ at all, nor is it talking about a Christian apostasy but rather a Jewish rebellion. 2. The rebellion then would occur with the events that lead up to the destruction of the temple in AD 70 and the man of lawlessness is none other than Emperor Nero his death occurring just prior to the destruction of the temple. ix. [Slide 17] Amillennialism understands this passage very broadly. 1. Although they do not believe in a literal tribulation or millennium, they do see this man of lawlessness as a movement, an institution, or an individual that telescopically occurs several times throughout the church age. 2. Although Paul's description here would be thought to refer to the events in AD 70, Amillennialism is broad enough to suggest that there could be several small fulfillments of this prophesy before a definitive manifestation of it occurs before Christ returns. 3. This isn't a baseless claim because most of the Jews of the 1st century would have concluded that the prophesies about the man of lawlessness were fulfilled when Antiochus IV Epiphanes defiled the temple and set up images of Zeus within it in 167 BC. Yes, over 150 years before Christ this happened. The last name “Epiphanes” means God-manifest. 4. Caligula, who claimed to be a god, tried to have an image of himself put up in the temple in AD 40, which was just 12 years prior to Paul writing this letter. He was stalled and then assassinated before he could see it done. 5. And Roman General Pompey entered the holy of holies in AD 63, just 11 years after Paul wrote this. 6. All that to say – what we have already observed – prophesies like these seem to have multiple fulfillments leading to an ultimate fulfillment. x. [Slide 18] Premillennialism would view the man of lawlessness as the little horn, the beast from the sea, the fourth king that rises up over the other three. The Antichrist. In premillennialism this is a future king or ruler who will establish a global regime, empowered by and submitted to Satan, seeking to destroy the saints of Christ. 1. Although we will not turn to them, there is remarkable harmony between 2 Thessalonians 2:3-12 and several other passages which refer to a similar person doing similar things. If you would like to look these up later and read for yourself, the references are on the screen. a. Dan 7:24-27 b. Dan 8:21-26 c. Dan 11:36-45 d. Dan 12 e. Revelation 13:1-10 2. [Slide 19] Furthermore, that a great apostasy would be tied to this person's rise to power and that he is given the same title as Judas, this seems to indicate a future, celibate, Christian insider, who betrays biblical Christendom and begins to seek to destroy it. a. The CSB translates this “the man doomed to destruction”, which is the same name that Christ gave to Judas Iscariot. This suggests not only that his regime will ultimately fall to Christ's Kingdom, but also that as a consequence of the apostacy, an apostate will emerge with great power. The man of lawlessness will be a former Christ professor. b. Daniel 11 indicates that this future king will not only not regard the gods of his ancestors but that he will also not regard the desire of women, more than likely this means he will be celibate. c. This could mean that he is celibate because he is focused on power alone and hasn't given his strength to women (Prov 31:3). Or perhaps he is celibate because he is asexual or even a homosexual. xi. I am of the opinion that, although the other frameworks include godly brothers, the premillennial position fits what Paul says… like a glove. d. [Slide 20] Summary of the Point: Verses 3-12 are heavy on teaching and light on application. That is a blessing to us because as much uncertainty as there is regarding the specifics of the teaching, there are some things that are quite certain. Paul assures the Thessalonian church that the Day of the Lord will not come until the time of great apostasy comes led by a lawless man who is doomed to be destroyed by Christ at His coming. Therefore, they must not let themselves be deceived to think that the Day of the Lord will come before these things. They must compare what they hear to what they have been taught. [Slide 21(blank)] Transition: Paul has identified the event that will occur before the Day of the Lord. He states that the apostasy and the man of lawlessness will come first. We have done our best to identify this person with consideration to broader Christendom. But what will this man of lawlessness do? II.) The lawless man will commit blasphemies that no created being ever has, so we must not let anyone deceive us. (4-5) a. [Slide 22] 4 - He opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, i. One of the primary atrocities that the man of lawlessness will commit will be his blasphemies against Yahweh and His Son. ii. In many of the contexts I put on the screen with the Premillennial position, this blasphemy is spoken of quite plainly. iii. And here Paul gives us a surprisingly rich description. iv. Paul isn't trying to be vague. He is trying to be crystal clear. v. First, we should recognize that this man of lawlessness does something that LITERALLY no Roman Emperor ever did. 1. We know that the Emperor cult was alive and well during the first century. We know that Caesar worship was going on in many cities that Paul visited. 2. We know that several titles in the New Testament, given to Christ, were actually mottos of Caesar worship which the apostolic authors used to correct pagan emperor worship. 3. Things like, Lord, Savior, Son of God, Image of God, God manifest, Lord and Savior. No King but Christ. 4. It was a deliberate rhetorical strategy of first century Christian preachers to simultaneously denounce Caesar worship and exalt the true King of Kings and Lord of Lords Jesus Christ. vi. But as often as we have noticed that Roman Emperors elevated themselves to deity… vii. NOT ONE Roman Emperor EVER put himself above every god or temple or object of worship. Not one. viii. Emperor worship was always viewed alongside the worship of many pagan gods. And temples to other gods were not torn down or replaced by temples to the Emperor. ix. Not only that, but down through the ages, although common to elevate a king to some level of deity, no king ever had the gall to suggest that he was over all gods. x. This gives postmillennialism a very difficult problem to deal with. Nero never claimed to be over every other god or object of worship. xi. Amillennialism too has a similar problem although it is not as problematic since some brands of amillennialism would say there is still a future man of lawlessness. xii. What is certain though, is that Paul's prediction here is, in no way, fulfilled prior to AD 70. Not if his words mean anything. xiii. Of course, a premillennial framework, which is primarily futurist allows for Paul's words to be true in their fullest sense. xiv. But this is not the extent of the man of lawlessness' blasphemy. Afterall, being over all so-called gods, demons or otherwise, and being over objects of worship – is no great blasphemy. xv. The real blasphemy comes next… b. [Slide 23so that he sits in God's temple, i. Every single eschatological framework has been written about after the fall of Jerusalem in AD 70 and the destruction of the temple. ii. Paul writes before the destruction of the temple by 18 years. iii. On the surface, it seems like Paul would most assuredly be referring to the literal temple and that the man of lawlessness would go into the temple and sit upon the mercy seat in the holy of holies. iv. What's the problem then? v. The temple doesn't exist and hasn't for the last 1,956 years. vi. Postmillennialism and Amillennialism suggest that The Roman General Titus did this when Jerusalem and the temple was destroyed. 1. Jewish historian Josephus gave account that the Romans entered the temple and set up images of the Roman Eagles on its ruins and worshipped there. 2. However, other accounts indicate that the temple was destroyed before the Romans entered in and that there is no actual evidence, aside from Josephus' words, to suggest that they set up images to worship on the temple ruins. 3. And no historian suggests that anyone went in and sat down in the temple. vii. [Slide 24] Amillennialism also suggests that this may be interpreted figuratively, although there are three ways it could be seen – hence the difficulty of a figurative fulfillment. 1. The Authority of God a. Taking his seat in God's temple could be metonymy which substitutes something for something that is associated with it. b. “Taking his seat in the temple of God” may simply be an expression to say that he took the place of God – perhaps even that he takes a religious position of authority that God alone would have. c. Some historicists point to the highly problematic position the Pope of the Roman Catholic church created in the 1200s called the Vicar or deputy of Christ, who can forgive sins. Such a place seems to take the authority that belongs to God alone. 2. God's Throne in Heaven a. Taking his seat in God's temple could also be seen as God's heavenly throne. b. Many scholars say that this cannot be for a man could not ascend to God's throne. c. However, if we understand a heavenly throne to imply space – we could actually see someone coming from space (or at least saying they did) and claiming to be the Lord of the Stars. d. I don't want to go down too big a rabbit trail here – but this is a possibility that seems to be even more possible given recent declassifications. 3. The Universal Church a. Many times, throughout the New Testament, the church is called the dwelling place or the temple of God. b. Perhaps the man of lawlessness would be a Christian apostate who rises from within Christendom. c. Furthermore, Paul never uses the expression “Temple of God” to refer to the temple building in Jerusalem. What he does call the temple of God are believers who have the Holy Spirit dwelling in their hearts. d. We'll talk more on this in just a second but let's get to the Premillennial position on this… viii. [Slide 25] Premillennialism traditionally has seen this as fulfilled literally with the building of a third temple. 1. This is plausible, although this puts the immanency of Christ's return, to which the New Testament resolutely espouses, at odds with premillennialism. 2. How can Christ's return occur at any time, when an entire temple needs to be built before someone can go and sit down in it? 3. As someone who leans heavily toward premillennialism, this is a huge problem and the answers that are traditionally given are fairly unsatisfactory. a. Some have suggested that the Day of the Lord and when Christ gathers His people should be seen as two separate events. b. Thus, the temple being rebuilt and the man of lawlessness taking his seat, is a prerequisite for The Day of the Lord and not the gathering of His people. c. However, the weakness of this view is that Paul seems to see both of these events as the same. In verses 1-2 of this chapter, it seems like they are the same event. 4. This is why the Amillennial view of a figurative interpretation is actually quite intriguing. Especially the third one. 5. Maybe we aren't looking for the man of lawlessness to actually sit in the temple of God. Maybe the man of lawlessness will take his seat among Christians. 6. [Slide 26] At first this sounds bonkers, but Revelation 13:6-7 says that the beast “opened his mouth in blasphemies against God, to blaspheme His name and His tabernacle, that is, those who dwell in heaven. And it was also given to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them” 7. Here John refers to the name of God and His tabernacle as those who dwell in heaven. And he is going to make war with the saints and overcome them, meaning he will kill them. And send them where? Heaven. 8. So perhaps we can be premillennial and not have a 3rd temple after all. ix. But even taking his seat among God's people or even in the temple itself is not the most egregious act of blasphemy. x. What is the worst thing he does? c. [Slide 27] proclaiming that he himself is God. i. Again, postmillennialism has no answer for such a prophetic word. ii. No Roman Emperor has ever claimed to be Yahweh. iii. [Slide 28] Pope Innocent III declared that “No king can reign rightly unless he devoutly serve Christ's vicar,” to which he was referring to himself. Although this comes very close to claiming to be God, it is not the same. iv. [Slide 29] No person in the history of the world has ever claimed to be God Himself… save one. The God-Man, Jesus Christ. v. This is why many rightly point out the mockery of Satan. vi. [Slide 30] Satan takes what God does and mimics and defiles it. 1. Just as God is three persons in one God, Satan is the Father power behind the man of lawlessness, his son, and the second beast from the land also called the false prophet, aids the man of lawlessness by giving false signs and wonders. The unholy trinity. 2. Just as Jesus was a Jew and rose up within Judaism, claimed to fulfill the law, and claimed to be God Himself, so the man of lawlessness will rise up within an apostate Christendom, exalt himself above every other so-called god and claim to be God. vii. Both the Amillennial and premillennial framework make way for this… but I think the premillennial position gives a clearer understanding here. viii. As close as some emperors and popes have come, none have ever truly fulfilled Paul's words to the letter. ix. This is all certainly a lot to take in. x. Nevertheless, Paul speaks of this quite succinctly. In only a couple verses he has talked about several extended passages in Daniel and throughout the yet-to-be-written New Testament. xi. How can he write so briefly on such a huge topic? d. [Slide 31] 5 - Don't you remember that when I was still with you I used to tell you about this? i. Paul can speak briefly about all of this – because he remembers teaching them all of this in much greater detail. ii. Paul now, as an aside, interrupts his teaching of the man of lawlessness to express, what I see as a bit of frustration or confusion regarding all that he has just said. iii. He says – “don't you remember?” iv. It has only been a few months, at most a year since Paul and his companions were with them in Thessalonica. v. They should remember…. vi. Paul is shocked that they are vacillating on this issue when it was so recent that he taught them these things. vii. But this drives us back to the original exhortation which Paul began in verse 3. viii. They have “let themselves” be deceived. ix. In this he also teaches them the cure to not allowing themselves to be deceived. x. It is, quite simply, to remember what they have been taught. xi. Compare what they are hearing, what is causing them fear, and what they are being tempted to believe to what they have already been taught. xii. Anything that contradicts – must be cast aside. e. [Slide 32] Summary of the Point: Again, shoving aside all the uncertain things, we can arrive at certain truths. The lawless man will commit acts of blasphemy so egregious that they have never been or been allowed to be before. He will elevate himself above all other gods and objects of worship. He will take his seat in God's temple and claim to be God. Because these things are so terrible, we should be looking for nothing less before the coming of the Day of the Lord. Let no one deceive us on this. Hold fast to what we've been taught. Conclusion: So CBC, what have we learned today that refines our beliefs and guides our lifestyles. [Slide 33] Basics of Faith and Practice: Even though there is a great deal of uncertainty here, some things Paul says are certain. The Day of the Lord must be preceded by the apostasy and the man of lawlessness. Until these things occur, the Lord will not return. And in order to be an orthodox Christian, you must see some or all of what has been predicted in this text, as still yet to come. So, we must not let anyone deceive us. So, what things do we need to take away from this text this morning? 1.) [Slide 34] Mind Transformation: “What truth must we believe from this text?” or “What might we not naturally believe that we must believe because of what this text has said?” We must affirm that before the Day of the Lord, first there must be the apostasy and the man of lawlessness. a. Aside from Postmillennialism, all Christians in the church age have believed that there will be some ultimate and definitive manifestation of the apostasy and the man of lawlessness before Christ returns. b. The two oldest positions concluded that things will get worse for the church before Christ returns. c. If you are Postmillennial, although I still see you as a brother –I find a lot of difficulty arriving at such a position. d. Providentially, we have seen a huge rise in Reformed or Reforming churches adopting Postmillennialism as their eschatological framework. But with an honest look at this passage – my friends – I just don't see it. e. We must conclude from this text, even after the events of AD 70, that there is still yet to come a great apostasy and a lawless and blasphemous man who will lead it. 2.) [Slide 35] Mind Transformation: “What truth must we believe from this text?” or “What might we not naturally believe that we must believe because of what this text has said?” We must affirm that the man of lawlessness will commit acts of blasphemy that go beyond what any created being has committed in the history of the world. a. Even if Isaiah 14 and Ezekiel 28 describe Satan, even he never committed such blasphemies against Yahweh. b. At most Satan said he would be “like” the most High. c. But to elevate himself above every other created being, to sit down in the temple of Yahweh and claim to be Yahweh Himself… such acts have never been committed, by any of God's creatures. None have dared to do such things. d. The only man to have done something like this – is Jesus. Of course, then it isn't blasphemy, because it is true. e. Next week we will observe that something or someone is holding this man of lawlessness back. It is keeping him from leading this rebellion and committing these blasphemous acts. f. This all fits together to indicate to me – that as believers we will know when such a man is upon us. It won't be hidden and it won't be a surprise. There may be elements of it that will be tempting to believe… but we won't be fooled. And Paul gives us some fairly big clues. g. Look for a blasphemous man to claim to be God or even Jesus. h. Look for him to be claiming to be a Christian. Look for him to not regard the desire of women. Look for him to try to snuff out biblical Christianity. Look for him to desire power above all else. 3.) [Slide 36] Refutation: “What lies must we cast down” or “What do we naturally believe, or have been taught to believe, that this passage shows is false?” We should deny that the man of lawlessness has already come. a. I use the word should and not must – because of the uncertainty in this. I don't want to be too strong. b. But from my view, Paul doesn't give this sign to the Thessalonians supposing that it will be hard to see. c. In fact, he kinda words it like it will be easy to see. He is shocked they are thinking the Day of the Lord had come, when so clearly this apostasy and man of lawlessness had NOT come. d. This isn't negating what Jesus said about the false prophets giving prophesies and exhibiting signs that are so strong that if it were possible, it would deceive the elect. e. Jesus' point there is that it will be such a tumultuous time spiritually, that all Christians in name only will not stand a chance. They will be deceived. Only the elect will be preserved, not because they are special, but because they will hold fast to their divinely given faith – even though their eyes and ears tell them something completely different. f. Paul is saying to look for these signs. They must precede the Lord's return. g. Therefore… 4.) [Slide 37] Exhortation: “What actions should we take?” or “What is this passage specifically commanding us to do that we don't naturally do or aren't currently doing?” We must not let ourselves be deceived. a. Christian, hold fast to your faith no matter what. b. And don't go running to see someone who has claimed to be Christ. No matter how convincing He is… We won't need to be called to go meet Him… He will bring us to Himself. c. Keep trusting in Christ alone. d. Keep growing in faith and love for one another. e. Keep gathering together with other believers who will help you see through the lies. f. And don't be looking for new or creative approaches to Christianity. Seek beliefs and practices that are firmly rooted in what the church has been doing since the beginning. g. Novelty and innovation in the church's doctrine and practice is the spirit of lawlessness. It is the beginning of this man's work. h. Do not let yourself be deceived Hold fast to what you were taught. 5.) [Slide 38] Comfort: “What comfort can we find here?” or “What peace does the Lord promise us in light of this passage of scripture?” The man of lawlessness is also the man doomed to destruction. a. Though we may despise him, though we may hate him, though we may be tempted to love him, though we may be tempted to follow him… he is doomed for destruction. b. No doubt he will be convincing and powerful. He will persuade many. Another will come and give many signs and wonders proving him to be what he claims to be. c. Many people, friends and family members who we know and who have claimed to be Christians, will be deceived and will fall away. d. Many of us… will be hunted and killed by this man because we hold fast to biblical Christianity and refuse to worship Him as God. e. But remember… He will be slain by the breath of the Lord. His kingdom will topple. And he will be cast alive into the lake of fire along with the False Prophet. f. As much destruction as he may cause – also remember that God has sealed His true people by His Spirit. g. If possible, you would be deceived. But it is not possible. Not for those who continue to believe. Not for those that God has promised to glorify since He has counted them worthy of His call. h. God will preserve you… so keep believing. Keep hoping. Keep trusting. Even if all your senses tell you to stop. Keep hoping in Christ alone. 6.) [Slide 39] Evangelism: “What about this text points us to Jesus Christ, the gospel, and how we are restored?” As long as you remain a quasi-Christian or an unbeliever, you will be deceived. a. Jesus' comments in Matthew 24 and Paul's words here make it abundantly clear. b. In the last days, the line between the visible and the invisible church will grow crisp and black. c. Now such a divide between the organization and the people who truly are Christians is very blurry. But in that day, the line between them will be quite plain. d. The visible church will be apostate. You will still be able to call yourself a Christian. You will still be able to worship Jesus. But you will have to confess that this one… this man… is Him. It will appear that He has come and set up His Kingdom. e. And the invisible church, the real church, will be the ones considered rebels. Deniers. f. They will say, “How can you deny that the Jesus you believed in all your life is not the one who is walking among us today? He has brought peace and love to the world! How can this not be the Jesus of the bible? He has healed our wounds!” g. Everything will be flipped on its head. h. My friends, if you are not a genuine Christian, you will be deceived by this man's coming. And what's worse, you will turn against true believers. You will seek our death. i. But its not too late. Not yet. j. You can repent of your sin and put your trust in the REAL Jesus today. You can leave all your sin and pride behind, all your idols, and serve Christ forever. It won't be easy… and you may die for Him… But you will be gathered together with Him on that day when He defeats this man of lawlessness. k. Won't you repent and believe on Jesus? Won't you bow the knee to Him today? [Slide 40 (end)] Let me close with a prayer by the Danish Reformer Niels Hemmingsen O Heavenly Father, I pray to you for your dear Son's sake, Jesus Christ, our only Savior's sake, that you would reign over us all with your word and your Holy Spirit. Do not let your enemy's hand have power over us, to steer us away from you. Give the rest of us the will and ability to refute the devil's deeds, adultery, and sexual sin. Make holy all those servants of God's word with your Spirit, so they might learn and seek your holy will. Help us all that we may live here in the world according to your will—in the fear of God, in honesty, and in pure living-that we may find on the final day of judgment that we are your chosen, in everlasting joy and salvation through your son, our Lord Jesus Christ. To you, the only good and merciful God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, be all worship, honor, and praise forever, amen. Benediction: Go, dwell on his love by sweetest song, And crown His head with multitudes of praises. Till all kings bow down to him and all nations serve Him. Until we meet again, Grace and peace to you.

Works as Christian Duty , Genesis 2;15 , Exodus 20 ; 9, John 7;17 ,9;4 ,Acts 20 ; 33-35 , II Thessalonians 3;6-12 - Blain Brock - Sunday, May 10, 2026

God said; God saw; God called - It is powerful and personalI. The EARTH - 1:2aWas formless and void - meaning it was unfinished and uninhabited. Material is made then formed.And darkness was over the face of the deep - Gen. 1:9-10II. The SPIRIT - 1:2bWas hovering over the face of the waters - determines, decrees, authority over, is there a veiled reference to Jesus walking on the water? The Trinitarian Creator - John 1:1-3, 14; Col. 1:16; Heb. 1:2III. The FIRST DAY - 1:3-5And God said (God is verbal). - first recorded words of our Creator) - Reminds men of several occasions when Jesus spoke with great response: John 11:43; John 19:30; II Thessalonians 2:8-12; Revelation 19:13, 15, 21“God is Light”- future description of our Creator (I John 4); Also God is love ; God is holy.And God saw (God is visual)And God called (God is definitive) - later in chapter 2 Adam would name the animals.+ Creation, Separation, & Light are eventually placed in the context of the gospel of saving grace:= John 1:1-13= Revelation 21:22-27; 22:1-5

II Thessalonians 1:3

I. The Obituary: Paul was born by the name Saul in the great city of Tarsus in Cilicia around 5 AD. Paul was executed for his faith in the city of Rome as a martyr under Emperor Nero (circa 67 AD). Paul was born a Roman citizen and trained as a strict Pharisee under the leadership of Gamaliel. He was a skilled tent maker, follower of the risen Christ, Apostle, Missionary, and human author of at least 13 New Testament books (Romans, I & II Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, I & II Thessalonians, I & II Timothy, Titus, Philemon, and possibly Hebrews). Prior to his conversion to Christ on a Damascus road he was an aggressive persecutor of the early church. Paul became the most influential proponent of Christianity, preaching the gospel of grace through faith, not by the works of the law. He endured severe hardships, including physical beatings, imprisonments, shipwrecked, and hunger. Paul's tireless missionary journeys established churches in Asia Minor and Europe, fostering a unified community of Jewish and Gentile Christians. Paul spoke of his death in his final days from prison in his last letter, saying, I HAVE FOUGHT A GOOD FIGHT, I HAVE FINISHED THE RACE, I HAVE KEPT THE FAITH (II Timothy 4:7). He is not survived by a family of his own, but by thousands of spiritual children in the churches he founded. He is preceded in death by the Apostle James and the Deacon Stephen. Funeral arrangements are unknown. PRAY!II. The 3 Perspectives of Paul's life:•What would Paul say about himself?•I Timothy 1:12-15•Phil. 1:21; 3:1-9•What would others say about Paul?•Galatians 1:18-24•What would the Lord say about Paul?•Acts 9:10-16; Acts 18:9-11: II Cor 12:8-10III. We Remember Paul today based on his last words in Acts 20.•A life of serving - vv. 17-19•A life of sharing - vv. 20-21•A life of sacrificing - vv. 22-24•A life of shepherding - vv. 25-31•A life of strengthening - vv. 31-35•A life of sorrow - vv. 36-38•Jesus ends in Jerusalem (Calvary) then begins in Jerusalem (Pentecost)•Acts opens in Jerusalem and ends in Rome - take note of that, my friends.

Daily Dose of Hope March 10, 2026   Scripture: Romans 4   Prayer:  Almighty Father, You always know what is best for us.  Thank you for that.  We are sorry for the ways that we resist.  Help us to want what you want for us.  Help us to want to be patient, to want to be kind, to want to be obedient.  Conform our will, Lord, In Your Name, Amen.   Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that complements the New Hope Church daily Bible reading plan.  We are currently working our way through Paul's letters chronologically.  Just for review, we have read Galatians, I and II Thessalonians, I and II Corinthians, and now we are in Romans.    Today's reading is Romans 4.  This is an interesting chapter.  Paul clearly wants his Jewish listeners to know that justification by faith is not a new concept, but there is actually a precedent in the Old Testament.  Likewise, he wants his Gentile listeners to know that they have a rich spiritual heritage when they believe in Jesus, as the Old Testament attests to this salvation.  Paul highlights Abraham and David, two great men of faith, to demonstrate that even under the old covenant, people were saved by faith rather than by works.   Paul discusses Abraham's faith. Abraham believed, against all hope and even though it was a crazy thought, that he would become a father in his old age and even become the father of many nations.  Sarah was something like 100 years old.  This was not a reasonable thing to believe!  Despite some mishaps along the way (think Hagar and Ishmael), Abraham had faith that God would do what God said he would do.  It was Abraham's faith, rather than his adherence to the law (works), that God credited him as righteous.    It is also our faith, specifically our faith in Jesus Christ and belief that he died for our sins and was resurrected, that God credits us as righteous.  To be righteous means to be in right standing with God.  Let's be clear.  We are not righteous at all on our own merit.  Rather, because of Jesus, we are credited as righteous.  We essentially get to hang on Jesus' righteousness coattails, and I am so very glad for it!   Blessings, Pastor Vicki    

Scripture References: Psalm 37:11, 16-17; 71:9-10; Luke 2:22-36; Titus 2:1-6; Proverbs 1:8-9; 3:9-10; 4:1-4; 13:11,22; 20:21; 28:6; I Timothy 5:8; II Thessalonians 3:10; Colossians 1:12; Titus 3:7; Ephesians 1:18 0:00 - 1:03: Opening Worship and Prayer 1:04 - 40:49: Sermon and Closing Prayer 40:50 - 41:13: Closing Worship and Prayer

Speaker: Brian Charland"Praying for the Church"Text: II Thessalonians 3: 1-5Jonesboro Heights Baptist Church316 W Main St.Sanford, NC

II Thessalonians 3:5

Daily Dose of Hope February 12, 2026   Scripture:  I Corinthians 15   Prayer: Abba Father, You are our Creator, Provider, and Sustainer.  Thank you, Lord, for wanting to be in relationship with us. You are a God who sits high and looks low.  You, who are over everything, also care deeply for us.  We are so grateful.  Help us do all we can to glorify you.  We desperately need you, Jesus.  Amen.   Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that complements the New Hope daily Bible reading plan.  We are currently walking through Paul's pastoral letters.  We've been through Galatians, I and II Thessalonians, and we are now in I Corinthians. Today's reading is I Corinthians 15.  Paul is asserting in this chapter that the resurrection of Jesus is central to the Gospel. Apparently, there were Christians at Corinth who were espousing the view that Jesus was not raised and that the resurrection was not true. It's possible that they were reverting to their old Greek view of immortality of the soul and not the body. It's also possible that they were simply skeptics who were trying to poke holes in the resurrection story. But Paul is stating here that if resurrection did not occur, our faith is totally useless. That would mean that Jesus did not defeat death, it would mean that we are misrepresenting God, and it would mean we are still dead in our sins. Some thoughts: The resurrection is SIGNIFICANT. All that Jesus did, his whole life was vindicated with the resurrection. The resurrection proved that Jesus was who he said he was, God is who he said he was, and affirmed Jesus' divinity. Think about Paul's words in Romans 1:4"and he was shown to be the Son of God when he was raised from the dead by the power of the Holy Spirit. He is Jesus Christ our Lord." The resurrection is so important in that it provides assurance and hope that our physical death is not the end. It not only points to life after death but also the future resurrection of believers. Let's visit Romans again, 8:11 says, "The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you." Jesus' resurrection promises victory over death. But the resurrection is also TRANSFORMATIVE. It is transformative for us as individuals and forus as the body, for the church. I think the most important aspect of believing in the resurrection is that Jesus' resurrection is what provides the power to change us now. It provides the power for complete transformation, to bring what was essentially dead to something that is alive and vibrant and productive. When someone says yes to Jesus Christ, a spiritually dead person becomes united with a life-giving Savior. When that happens, his resurrection produces a resurrection in us. The word resurrection actually comes from the same root as resurgence or rising again. We become connected to a life-giving power, the same power that raised Jesus from the dead. This resurrection power has the ability to revive us, restore us, renew us, transform us. The apostle Paul states inI Corinthians 5:17, "This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!" There are certainly no shortage of books that detail the evidence for Jesus' resurrection. One good one that is short and easy to digest is Lee Strobel's The Case for Easter. What are your thoughts on the resurrection? Spend some time in prayer about this today. Blessings, Pastor Vicki    

Daily Dose of Hope February 6, 2026   Scripture: I Corinthians 11   Prayer: Dear Holy God, Your love is amazing.  Thank you for the way you care for us.  In these next few moments of silence, Lord, help us focus on you...Lord Jesus, help us set aside every distraction and take this time to lean on you.  We want to hear your voice.  Amen.   Welcome back, everyone, to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that goes along with the daily Bible reading plan at New Hope Church in Brandon, Florida.  We have been walking through Paul's letters and it has been challenging!  We've made it through Galatians, I and II Thessalonians, and we are now in I Corinthians. Our reading for today is I Corinthians 11.  The first part of the chapter has to do with head coverings. I didn't choose that for our main focus today but I do think it is worth a brief mention. Paul implores the women to cover their heads and the men not to cover their heads. This is confusing to us in a time and place in which head coverings serve an entirely different purpose (typically shade from the sun, warmth, or an accessory). But in ancient Greek and Roman culture, the main difference between a man and woman's attire was that women covered their head with a scarf-like material. The only women who did not do this were high class mistresses, slaves, prostitutes, and pagan prophetesses. Thus, when the women didn't wear their head covering or it fell off in the movement of worship, it was a significant distraction. In a highly patriarchal culture, it definitely sent the wrong signal, one that Paul really didn't want these women to send. Then, there is this whole issue with the Lord's Supper, or Holy Communion.  Remember, they didn't have church buildings and they met in people's homes.  In fact, they met in some of the wealthier members' homes, because they had bigger homes that could accommodate a larger group.  Makes sense.  But the wealthier church members, who probably knew each other fairly well because they all ran in the same circles, were meeting ahead of time for a grand meal, that they would pair with communion, and they were eating and drinking and eating and drinking.  You can see where this is going.   By the time the poorer church members got off work and arrived, the wealthier people had been eating and drinking for quite a while.  All the food was eaten and they were drunk.  There were also no seats in the main room.  So, the poor people were basically sitting in a different area, hungry, without what they needed to receive communion together with the rest of the church.  It was like two separate churches, one for the rich and one for the poor.  And, not surprisingly, resentment was growing.  This is totally patronizing for the poor people.  Paul is appalled.  You can hear it in the letter, "Don't you have homes to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God by humiliating those who have nothing? Why are you bringing this mess to church???"  Paul was basically saying that the Corinthians could not call what they were doing the Lord's Supper.    Keep in mind, the Corinthian society was very segregated.  Rich people didn't associate with poor people.  Classes stayed separate.  It isn't surprising that the rich in the church didn't want to hang out with the poor people.  They were dirty and hard to make conversation with.  And the poor people probably were really intimidated by the rich people.  Yet, Jesus had set up his church to be different from culture and that is what Paul is getting at here.  The Gospel turns things upside down.   We can look at Christians throughout the ages – the huge disparity of rich and poor, the way people of color were often turned away at the church door.  We had that in our own denomination.  I just got done reading White Trash (by Nancy Isenberg), which attempts to tell the story of class in America.  And it talks about how the wealthy classes totally discarded the poor.  They called the poor "waste people."  It was like their lives had totally no value to them.  And this is what got me: The wealthy aristocracy, who called the poor whites and blacks around them waste people, they attended church every Sunday.  They believed in God, they professed faith in Jesus.  And Jesus walked closely with the poor.  The Gospel was good news to the poor.  So, what happened?    As a church, I'm not sure we have really wanted the Gospel message.  We like it, as long as it gets us into heaven but we don't like it when it means we have to change our lives and our prejudices and our perspectives.  We like wearing a cross but not carrying one.    In Corinth, they were basically showing that their belief wasn't genuine.  They were demonstrating a value system, it just wasn't Jesus'.  I think through the ages, the church has demonstrated a value system, it just often has not been Jesus' value system.    What about New Hope?  What value system do we demonstrate?    What value system do you demonstrate?  I promise you, the way we live Monday – Saturday is showing the people around us who we are and who we belong to, just like in Corinth.  It's just as true today.  Who do we belong to?  Is it going to be about us or is it going to be about Jesus?   Blessings, Pastor Vicki      

II Thessalonians 2:13 – 3:18 This time we finish Paul’s second letter to the Thessalonians with a comment on AI’s definition of the Bible and a prayer for the men programming the AI infrastructure. We’ll also reiterate the truth that … Continue reading →

Daily Dose of Hope February 5, 2026   Scripture: I Corinthians 10   Prayer: Lord Jesus, We rejoice in you.  We praise your name.  You are the Alpha and the Omega, the one who was, and is, and is to come.  We cannot possibly express our gratitude in words.  You have offered us mercy but you have also given us freedom.  Thank you for that.  Help us live like free people.  Help us demonstrate your love and grace to others who cross our path.  Help us see people through your eyes.  We love you, Lord.  Amen. Welcome back, everyone, to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that goes along with the daily Bible reading plan at New Hope Church in Brandon, Florida.  We have been walking through Paul's letters and it has been challenging!  We've made it through Galatians, I and II Thessalonians, and we are now in I Corinthians. Our reading for today is I Corinthians 10.  The chapter starts with story-telling from the exodus out of Egypt, mainly because these stories are critical learning experiences for God's people.  What's fascinating is that Paul includes his Gentile audience in these stories.  Look at verse 1, For I do not want you to be ignorant of the fact, brothers and sisters, that our ancestors were all under the cloud and that they all passed through the sea.  Paul has stressed that as Christians they are not bound to the law.  Despite that, they are now a part of God's people.  However, and this is critical, they are NOT to fall into the pattern of the Israelites or so many of those in Corinth.  They are not to worship other gods, they are not to intimately involve themselves with those who oppose God's people, and they are not to question the goodness of God.  They need to be careful.  Temptation is there and they could easily fall into sin as their ancestors did. Paul continues to write about freedoms. Yes, we have the right to do everything but that doesn't mean we should do everything. While we may have the right to do something, the biggest question to ask is, "Is this building up the body of Christ?" Paul emphasizes that while legalism isn't good, neither is it good to be overly permissive. There are times when we should curb our freedoms if it might harm a new Christian or hurt the witness of the Gospel The bottom line is we need to think about our words and actions in every situation. I've been in small Christian gatherings in which certain members feel the need to loudly communicate their dislikes about a specific Christian ministry, another Christian church, or even a fellow believer. Now, thinking about Paul's reasoning, they have the freedom to do this but is it beneficial? Is it building up the body of Christ? What if there was someone in the group who was a new believer or on the fence about faith? How would such a discussion affect their faith journey? Just because we can do something doesn't mean we should. Blessings, Pastor Vicki

II Thessalonians 1:11-2:12 This time well start out looking at the power of the Holy Ghost displayed by Paul and the other prophets in the 1st century and the power of the Holy Spirit in believers today. We’ll also study … Continue reading →

Daily Dose of Hope January 27, 2026   Scripture: I Corinthians 3   Prayer:  Almighty God, Search our hearts today.  Show us those places that we need to change.  Show us where we aren't fully devoted to you and your Kingdom.  Lord, we need your wisdom and guidance.  On our own, we falter and drift.  Lord, we want to know you more.  We want to be a living example of your love and holiness.  Help us, Jesus.  Amen.   Welcome to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that complements the New Hope daily Bible reading plan.  We are currently journeying through Paul's pastoral letters, chronologically.  Thus far, we have read through Galatians, I Thessalonians, and II Thessalonians.  We are currently in I Corinthians.    Today's reading was I Corinthians 3. Paul continues to have harsh words for the Christ-followers at Corinth. They think they live by the Spirit, but Paul tells them they actually are still living by worldly standards. He had to teach them like babies in the faith; they lack maturity. They are drinking milk rather than being able to eat solid food.  One example of this is their view of Christian leadership. They see leadership as focusing on an individual, that person having a following, pitting one person again another. In a sense, they view Christian leadership as a popularity contest. Paul makes the case that there are no individual superstars in Christian leadership. Different people have different tasks at different times. Some people plant, some people water, and others harvest. One task is not better or more important than another. They are all necessary for expanding God's Kingdom. My own experience is that Christian leadership has to be rooted in humility. The way our churches are structured doesn't always lend itself to this so we have to be very, very intentional.  I know I have to very, very intentional.  Ministry isn't about me as a pastor, it's always about Jesus and what he desires for his church. Jesus is of course our ultimate example of leadership. As a servant leader, he washed dirty feet, touched lepers, and ultimately gave up his life for those he led. No superstardom there, just a lot of rolling up sleeves, getting dirty, and experiencing sacrifice.   We find a beautiful example of Christian leadership in Philippians 2:5-8: In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross.   Blessings, Pastor Vicki

I Thessalonians 4:13 – II Thessalonians 1:10 We’ll begin with Paul addressing false teaching and the Thessalonians concerns regarding the resurrection and the end of days. We’ll examine the two clear references to the rapture given by Paul here and … Continue reading →

SCRIPTURE REFERENCES: Matthew 18:15-20; 7:3-5; Leviticus 19:17-18; Deuteronomy 19:15; Proverbs 17:9; Romans 12:18; 16:17; I Corinthians 5:5; Galatians 6:1; II Thessalonians 3:14-15; I Timothy 1:20; 2:10 Sermon & Closing Prayer: 0:00-46:38

The Advent of Peace Ephesians 2: 11-17 Upward Peace No longer enemies Romans 5:10 No longer without mercy I Peter 2:10   No longer lost sheep I Peter 2:25 No longer alone II Thessalonians 3:16 Inward Peace Philippians 4:7 Walk in the peace that comes from knowing:  He knew what He was buying on the cross.  I am who He says I am. Outward Peace  Peace between the near (those who have grown up in the church and the far (those who have made a mess of ruling their own lives.)  Through the cross

Rev. Charles Alex Riffee // Psalm 17; II Thessalonians 2:13-3:5; Luke 20:27-38

II Thessalonians 3 - Abdel Judeh - Sunday Morning, October 19, 2025 by First Baptist Church of Hammond

II Thessalonians

Sunday September 7, 2025

Reach Out: Please include your email and I will get back to you. Thanks!Good morning! Thank you for taking a few minutes to listen. If you are interested in the Daily Bible Devotional, you can find it at the links below:Amazon - (paperback, hardcover, and Kindle)Spiritbuilding.com - (premium quality paperback)YouTube Video Introducing the ContentFeel free to reach out with any questions: emersonk78@me.comII Thessalonians 3Believers are urged to pray for the swift spread of God's message and for protection from evil. Paul reminds them that the Lord is faithful and will strengthen and guard them. He commands the church to distance themselves from those who live irresponsibly and not according to the teachings they received. He stresses the importance of hard work, recalling how he and his companions modeled diligence by laboring day and night so they would not be a burden. Paul firmly warns that anyone unwilling to work should not eat. He encourages believers not to grow tired of doing good and advises them to lovingly correct those who disobey, yet not treat them as enemies. Paul closes with a prayer for peace and a personal blessing written by his own hand. As we live out our faith, we must reflect a spirit of diligence, integrity, and perseverance. The apostle Paul reminds us that our work matters to God and that we should not grow weary in doing good, even when it feels unnoticed. We are challenged to avoid idleness and contribute faithfully in whatever roles God has given us. When we see fellow believers struggling or drifting, we are instructed to correct them gently, treating them as family rather than enemies. Above all, we are encouraged to trust in the Lord's faithfulness to strengthen and protect us. In every situation, whether at work, in service, or in correction, we are to live with patience, endurance, and a heart that seeks peace. Kind Father, we thank You for being our constant source of strength and protection. Help us to live with discipline and dedication, honoring You in the way we work and serve. Guard our hearts from discouragement when the path feels long, and teach us to persevere in doing good. Give us the courage to lovingly guide others when they stumble, always with kindness, grace, and conviction. Fill our lives with Your peace and remind us that You are with us through every challenge. May we walk steadily in Your truth, working diligently and trusting fully in Your unfailing love. Thought Questions: How does Paul's warning against idleness and distracted living challenge you to reevaluate your daily habits and priorities in life? What are crucial keys when approaching a Christian about sin in their life? How do you prepare beforehand to do so with strength and grace? Might living in peace with God and others require breaking association with unrepentant Christian family? Why is this important to do? 

Reach Out: Please include your email and I will get back to you. Thanks!Good morning! Thank you for taking a few minutes to listen. If you are interested in the Daily Bible Devotional, you can find it at the links below:Amazon - (paperback, hardcover, and Kindle)Spiritbuilding.com - (premium quality paperback)YouTube Video Introducing the ContentFeel free to reach out with any questions: emersonk78@me.comII Thessalonians 2Paul addresses confusion among the believers regarding the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. Some were afraid that the day of the Lord had already arrived. Paul reassures them that it will not happen until the rebellion occurs and the "man of lawlessness" is revealed—someone who exalts himself above God and deceives many. However, God is in control and will ultimately overthrow him. Paul reminds the believers that they are chosen by God for salvation through the Spirit and must believe in the truth. He encourages them to stand firm in the teachings they received, the gospel of Jesus Christ, and not to be shaken by fear or false messages. Paul closes by praying that God would strengthen their hearts and encourage them in every good work and word. As followers of Christ, we must remain grounded in truth, especially when fear and confusion rise around us. Like the claims that Jesus had already come, we live in a world filled with distractions and deception, but we are called to hold to the gospel we have received. We must remember that God has chosen and equipped us through His Spirit to stand firm. Instead of being shaken by every new fear or rumor, we must focus our eyes on Christ and remain faithful in our words and actions. As in their day, apostasy and misleading figures may arise, but our hope is secure in Jesus, who has loved us and given us great hope as we continue to serve Him.    Unshakeable Lord, You are our steady anchor in a world full of confusion and change. When fear tries to shake us, remind us of Your unchanging truth. Guard our hearts and minds against deception, and strengthen us to stand firm in Your Word. Help us to live with courage, trusting that You have called us, loved us, and will finish the work You have begun in us. Fill us with the comfort of Your presence and the power of Your Spirit. May our lives reflect Your glory as we wait with hope and confidence for the coming of our Lord Jesus. Thought Questions: What do you know about the day the Lord Jesus will return? How does knowing the word help you refute false ideas about the end of time? What do you know about “the man of lawlessness”? No matter who he was or is, what does God promise will happen through Jesus? How does God call us to Him through the gospel? Why should you be directing people to the message of Jesus and pursuing His word yourself?

Reach Out: Please include your email and I will get back to you. Thanks!Good morning! Thank you for taking a few minutes to listen. If you are interested in the Daily Bible Devotional, you can find it at the links below:Amazon - (paperback, hardcover, and Kindle)Spiritbuilding.com - (premium quality paperback)YouTube Video Introducing the ContentFeel free to reach out with any questions: emersonk78@me.comII Thessalonians 1The apostle Paul extends grace and peace as he expresses gratitude for the believers' growing faith and increasing love for one another, even as they endure suffering and persecution. He encourages them by affirming that their perseverance is evidence of God's righteous judgment—that they are counted worthy of His kingdom. Paul assures them that God will bring justice, repaying those who afflict them and granting relief to the faithful when Jesus is revealed from heaven. Christ will return in blazing power, punishing those who reject God, while being glorified in His people. Paul prays that God would make the Thessalonians worthy of His calling, fulfilling their every good purpose and act of faith. He asks that the name of Jesus be glorified and that they fully experience God's grace.  We are challenged to consider how we respond when life is difficult. We are not promised an easy path but are called to grow stronger in faith and love through every trial. When we suffer, we can trust that God sees us, strengthens us, and will bring justice in His perfect time. The return of Jesus can come at any moment. We must ask ourselves if we live in a manner that demonstrates we are truly worthy of His calling. Every act of faith and perseverance holds significance. As we endure, we pray that Christ will be glorified in us, not only by what we say but also by how we live with courage and hope until He is revealed. Mighty God, You are holy, just, and full of mercy. We praise You for Your faithfulness and for the hope we have in Christ and His return. When we are weary, lift our eyes to You. When we are suffering, remind us that You are near and that Your promises never fail. Fill our hearts with love that endures and faith that stands firm. Teach us to rest in Your grace and to trust Your perfect timing. Glorify Yourself in us, Lord, and let our lives reflect Your goodness and light until the day we see Jesus face to face. Thought Questions: How is your faith enlarging and your love for Christians growing even deeper? Why is it essential to continue to develop these pursuits? What helps you face “persecutions and afflictions”? How does the powerful return of Jesus help you hold the line of faith against all opposition? Are you prepared to accept that God has desires for your life and that Christ seeks to be glorified in you? How is this an encouraging thought?