Latest / Journey Elgin / Journey Through Scripture- 2 Thess
Transcript
- Phillip Thomas: Good to see you today. My name is Philip Thomas, Pastor of Journey here in Elgin, and thank you for joining us for our journey through Scripture as we continue our walk chronologically through the Bible. We are in the New Testament and the in Acts. And so we we hit some of Acts and then many of Paul's letters. So we're going to be looking at 2 Thessalonians today. It's only three chapters, it's very short. So I encourage you to read that. And ⁓ Second Thessalonians is is obviously the second letter that Paul writes to the Thessalonians. There's some debate. Some people will say that ⁓ Paul may not have written this. ⁓ I again, I I don't know. You that can get get off into the weeds very quickly. it seems to match a lot of Paul, but there is some development in kind of his understanding in First Thessalonians, ⁓ you kind of feel like Paul thinks that maybe the Lord will return in his lifetime. Second Thessalonians, it doesn't feel that way. All right. So we we don't un we don't know fully. ⁓ you know, they were they were learning ⁓ as well. ⁓ but ⁓ that doesn't diminish what is written here. you can tell it starts off in ⁓ Second Thessalonians chapter one. ⁓ it says in verse four, so that we ourselves boast of you among the churches of God for your patience and faith and all your persecutions and tribulations that you endure. ⁓ so again, this is kind of one of the aspects of the gospel message and of following Christ that we we don't we don't like to talk about. That sometimes that leads to persecution. And it was for the for these early churches, they experienced different types of persecution, ⁓ for sure. Says, which is manifest evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God. For which you also suffer, so they're suffering for the kingdom of God. Since it is a righteous thing with God to repay with tribulation those who troubled you, and to give you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, in flaming fire, taking vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the power of the Spirit. ⁓ and from the glory of his power. When he comes in that day to be glorified in his saints, to be admired among those who believe, because our testimony among you was believed. Now this pretty y you can kind of get the feeling that Paul is pretty frustrated right now. Something's obviously happening. He's being persecuted. He's probably hearing of the persecution of the Thessalonians. He's upset. And so he's telling them, You hang tough, and God will make it right. Right. For those who do not believe, there will be consequences. ⁓ you know, we th that is something that has changed. I I I would say that's not the majority opinion of Christians today. ⁓ that that believe that there's going to be an eternal separation, a punishment, ⁓ for those who have ⁓ not not believed. ⁓ but clearly that was that is that is what the Bible ⁓ teaches us, and I think it's to our detriment ⁓ that we do not ⁓ take that as a reality today. ⁓ chapter two, ⁓ s verse ⁓ four, who oppose and exalts himself above all that is called ⁓ God, or that ⁓ sorry. This is talking about he he's kind of talking about the day of the Lord coming, and he talks about this man of s of sin. He says, let no one deceive you By any means, for that day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition who opposes and exalts himself above all, that is called God, ⁓ or that is worshiped, so that it sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. Now is this talking about the Antichrist? Yeah. ⁓ I I don't I don't think we should get too detailed in this, but what what is it saying is that there will be a time where there's those who elevate themselves above God, where society I ma y whether you apply that to society, whether you pl apply that to that generation, ⁓ but it that is the that is what leads to ⁓ sin ⁓ entering the world, sin becoming pervasive ⁓ in the world is whenever We consider ourselves ⁓ to be God. he ⁓ continues to to talk ⁓ a little bit about that in verse nine, the coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this reason God will send them send them strong delusion and they should believe the lie. And that that they may be condemned who did not believe the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. Again, all of us are subject to this, so we shouldn't just see this as something that happens in the future. That's not the purpose of what Paul is saying. He's he's encouraging don't give in to this delusion that's coming from Satan that is trying to pull us away from God and convince us to believe a lie that leads to destruction. And he says to stand fast. ⁓ it says it verse thirteen, but we are bound to give thanks to God always for you, ⁓ because God from the beginning chose you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth. ⁓ and it's just so important again that we believe that that this this book, that this scripture, that God, that Christ, ⁓ that He is true. The teachings are true. do not give in to believing the lies and the delusion ⁓ of the world around us. ⁓ chapter three talks about he's asking for prayer because things are going difficult or are not going ⁓ smoothly. He says, Finally, pray for us that the word of the Lord may be may run swiftly and be glorified, just as it is with you, and that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men, for not all have faith. So you can tell what the what they're facing. ⁓ ver ⁓ verse five of chapter three. Now now may the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the patience of Christ, right? We have to be patient. We cannot get overwhelmed. We cannot become frustrated or bitter or apathetic. We must be patient and continue to push back against ⁓ those who are against God. ⁓ Then it it talks about obviously there's a a problem that there are some people who have kind of come into their fellowship because they probably heard that, hey, these are loving people, they take care of you, and so they come in and then they don't do anything. So they're just kind of ⁓ not contributing to the to the group, not participating, not being active ⁓ in this this group. ⁓ it says ⁓ verse seven, for you yourselves know How you ought to follow us, for we were not disorderly among you, nor did we eat anyone's bread free of charge, but we worked with labor and toil night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you, not because we do not have authority, but to make ourselves an example of how you should follow us. For even when we were with you, we commanded you this if anyone will not work, neither shall he eat. For for we hear that there are the are some who walk among you in a disorderly manner, not working at all, but are busybodies. Now those who are such, we command and exhort through the Lord Jesus Christ that they work in quietness and eat their own bread. So these are people that are trying to cause division. They're c being disorderly, and they are just taking advantage. That that is not what God desires. This this is not talking about ⁓ helping the poor necessarily. This is talking about within this fellowship that, hey, you need to you you need to provide. You need to work as well. Now I do think that applies. Everybody should be encouraged, incentivized to ⁓ to participate, to ⁓ to work, to be involved in ⁓ in in the system in a sense, right? ⁓ but ⁓ we gotta be careful. Some people will take this and say, Well, this means that we shouldn't help anyone who is poor ⁓ because ⁓ they could just go get a job. Okay, that there there's more to it than that. ⁓ but it is it's clearly that principle of ⁓ of not just going and taking advantage. You need to contribute ⁓ as well. Says ⁓ verse thirteen, but as for you, brethren, do not grow weary in doing good. Which why would he say that if we're not going to at times be weary in doing good? 'Cause I mean I mean you've probably felt it. It's like, what good am I doing? I I'm trying, I've tried my best, I've tried to to make a difference and it doesn't feel like anything is happening. And we can grow weary of doing good and the danger there is that we just kinda throw up our hands and say, you know, enough. I'm just gonna go my own way. Well that is that is extremely dangerous and not what is best for us. Says and if anyone does not obey our word in this epistle, note that the person ⁓ note that person and do not keep company with him, that he may be ashamed, yet do not count him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother. So the desire is for him to come back into the fellowship, but y you can't you you can't hang around and allow those who do not believe the truth to start infiltrating and to start ⁓ changing your thoughts and your opinion. You have to push them out with the hope that they will wake up and that they will recognize, ⁓ that it that was the truth. And then you welcome them back in. ⁓ you know, this is not something that is trying to be mean or harsh. ⁓ it's actually trying to help those who ⁓ disagree that they will see what is true. That is that is your desire, even whenever you stand up for what is right, ⁓ and which many times will cause division. All right. Well we're gonna stop there. ⁓ but on next ⁓ let's look at we're gonna be back into Acts, Acts chapter eighteen. ⁓ so we'll read Acts chapter eighteen and nineteen. ⁓ and then we'll probably get started into First Corinthians. So Acts eighteen and nineteen and then first Corinthians maybe one through four. All right. ⁓ so first Corinthians one through four and Acts eighteen and nineteen. All right. We'll see you on