A Walk Through 2 Thessalonians | Colin D

This message was preached by Navaz D at Word of Grace Church on  March 17 th, 2019. To listen/download the audio please click here. To listen to the Sunday's worship and prophetic contributions please click here

A Walk through 2 Thessalonians.

Passage for reading: 2 Thessalonians 1:1-12

We see 3 things from this passage

1.       The Christians were a bit discouraged

2 The 1:4 - Therefore, among God’s churches we boast about your perseverance and faith in all the persecutions and trials you are enduring.

The Christians in Thessalonica were facing trials and persecutions.

Trials are the challenges people face in their personal lives.

Persecutions are sufferings we face because of the Gospel.

In the midst of their discouragement, Paul was comforting them.

What we need to do it, remind ourselves that we as Christians will definitely face trials and persecution but we take courage in the Word.

1 Pet 5:10 - And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.

John 16:33 - “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

James 1:2-4 -  Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters,[a] whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

We are asked to consider the trials and persecution as pure joy. That’s quite challenging.

Why do we face trials and persecution?

James 1:1-4 - James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes scattered among the nations: Greetings.2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters,[a] whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

We must consider it pure joy because, when we face trials,as our faith gets tested. When we persevere, we will become mature and complete.

James 1:12 - 12 Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.

We not only  just become mature but also receive crown of life when we go to heaven.

Trials – What could they be? – Illness, no jobs, financial difficulties, issues with relationships, work related problems etc.

Behind all these trials, there is a purpose - our character gets built up.

Persecution – suffering is a sign that we belong to Jesus.

2 The 1:5 - All this is evidence that God’s judgment is right, and as a result you will be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are suffering.

2 The 1:6 - God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you

So, our troubles are not forever. God will pay back the people who trouble us.

2 The 1:7-9 - and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well. This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels. 8 He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 9 They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might 

We all know that Jesus is coming back. Paul is encouraging the Christians in Thessalonica.

In verses 7 to 9, Paul explained how powerful Jesus’s coming would be. When Jesus returns, he is going to give relief to the people who are being troubled.

Some of them were deceived

The people who were deceived at that time were born again Christians.

2 The 2:1-3 - Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him, we ask you, brothers and sisters, 2 not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by the teaching allegedly from us—whether by a prophecy or by word of mouth or by letter—asserting that the day of the Lord has already come. 3 Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness[a] is revealed, the man doomed to destruction.

At that time, the born again Christians were  being told that the day of the Lord has already come. Paul was asking them not to be deceived by those false teachings.

What I’m trying to say is that even the born again Christians can get deceived by their fellow brothers n sisters or people from a different faith.

What could be the deceitful beliefs we encounter today?  Example) There’s no need to meet together on a Sunday, we don’t have to give tithes and offerings and instead we can give that money to the poor.

2 The 2:8 - not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by the teaching allegedly from us—whether by a prophecy or by word of mouth or by letter—asserting that the day of the Lord has already come. 3 Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness[a] is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. 4 He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God.

5 Don’t you remember that when I was with you I used to tell you these things? 6 And now you know what is holding him back, so that he may be revealed at the proper time. 7 For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it back will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way. 8 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming.

We can see how powerful Jesus’s return is. We cant even kill an ant with our breath. We serve the Creator of the universe, King of Kings, Lord of Lords. We serve a mighty God.

2.      Some of them were disobedient

2 The 3:6-8 - 6 In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we command you, brothers and sisters, to keep away from every believer who is idle and disruptiveand does not live according to the teaching[a] you received from us.7 For you yourselves know how you ought to follow our example. We were not idle when we were with you, 8 nor did we eat anyone’s food without paying for it. On the contrary, we worked night and day, laboring and toiling so that we would not be a burden to any of you.

Word is good. Even Adam was given work. His work was to take care of the garden. We are made to work. We are created to be productive.

2 The 3:10 - 10 For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: “The one who is unwilling to work shall not eat.”

2 The 3:11-12 - 11 We hear that some among you are idle and disruptive. They are not busy; they are busybodies. 12 Such people we command and urge in the Lord Jesus Christ to settle down and earn the food they eat. 

Some of those people gave up their jobs saying, Jesus is coming. This is unbiblical. We must work. If we do not work, we do not have a right to eat.

Some of us may not have a job but this does not mean we stay idle. We must utilize our time to do something and be productive.

To summarize, we as Christians, will face trials and persecution but we should not be discouraged. Instead, we put our faith in Jesus and persevere. This will build our character. While we do that, we shouldn’t be deceived by anyone through false teachings. WE need to be productive till  Jesus comes. 

Word of Grace is an Evangelical (Born Again),  Spirit-filled (Charismatic), Reformed, English speaking church in Pune that upholds the Bible as God's inspired Word for life. We are a church community that has people from every part of India and parts of the world. We are here to put the Great Command and the Great Commission into practice by equipping and releasing every member into works of service.  Word of Grace is a part of a wider international family of Churches called RegionsBeyond.To know more about us please log onto www.wordofgracechurch.org.