Pray, Obey, and Seek the Faithful Lord God

Date: May 29, 2022 Scripture: 2 Thessalonians 3

Theme: Pray, Obey, and Seek the Faithful Lord God

Introduction: In our study of 1 and 2 Thessalonians, we have seen a church worn by persecution demonstrate God’s working in their lives to produce growth in faith and love that demonstrated itself in perseverance and faithfulness to the Lord. In the midst of their growth, they also needed some additional instruction concerning the day of the Lord, still anticipating its coming. In the last chapter, we’re going to see an emphasis on prayer, obedience and seeking the Lord. I want to encourage us today to: Pray, Obey, and Seek the Faithful Lord God.

Pray to the Faithful God consistently (2 Th 3:1-5).

Concerning the sharing of God’s Word (2 Th 3:1-3).

That God’s Word would spread and be glorified (2 Th 3:1).

Paul asks that prayers would be offered that God’s Word would “spread rapidly”.

Its most literal meaning is “to run” (LTW).

The purpose of running is to cover more ground faster than one would if they were to walk.

Paul’s intent, then, is that the Thessalonians would join him in prayer for the expansion of the Gospel.

Not simply in terms of numerical converts.

This is qualitative, or a genuine reception as the next term suggests.

Paul also desires that the Thessalonians would pray that God’s Word would be “Glorified”.

This term references magnifying the greatness of something or someone (LTW).

We see Paul’s prayer played out, in a sense, in Acts 11:48.

In Pisidian Antioch (about 200 miles NE of another famous Antioch), Paul and Barnabas preached in a synagogue that they were eventually kicked out of.

Paul issued his famous statement about preaching to the Gentiles in response.

Here, we see the intended result of God’s Word being glorified in an individual: belief that results in eternal life.

Hence, these Gentiles were acting in accordance with the way that God worked in their hearts through His Word - they believed the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Paul offers the Thessalonians as the prime Example of what it means for the Gospel to spread and be glorified.

The Gospel message was received in word, power and in the Holy Spirit will full conviction of its truthfulness (1 Th 1:5).

The Gospel message was received as God’s Word to be believed, instead of as the mere words of men (1 Th 2:13).

We ought to pray that the Holy Spirit will provide true conviction in the truthfulness of the Gospel message to be believed as God’s Word.

That the faithful God would rescue His messengers (2 Th 3:2).

God’s people can rely only on the Lord to provide rescuing because both parts of Scripture abundantly testify His unique ability to rescue.

What we see in the use of this term is either that the Lord was rescuing, the inability of others to rescue, or requesting the Lord to rescue.

By implication, then, the Lord has a recognizable track record of rescuing that gives us confidence to seek Him today.

Who is it that the Lord is to be sought to rescue from? Faithless men (perverse & evil).

Perverse men are identified by their unrighteous actions that make them guilty.

For something to be perverse, it goes against a standard.

Herein, the standard would be God’s Word.

Hence, the reason that they would want to frustrate the advancement of God’s Word concerns the fact that the Gospel goes against their chosen lifestyle.

In addition to being classified as perverse, these men are also identified as being evil.

The term translated ‘evil’ is used abundantly across both the OT and NT.

Just a sampling of things referred to as evil includes:

Speaking slanderously, Mt 12:34

Violence, Ac 17:5

Murder, 1 Jn 3:12

Being evil, then, pertains to their willingness in speech or behavior to harm another individual for their own sinful purposes.

We’re prompted to consider, why are these individuals this way? Because they have not put their trust in the Lord Jesus to save.

Paul has addressed these individuals in 2 Th 1:8.

They do not have a relationship with God as their Father because they have not obeyed the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Therefore, they deserve God’s coming wrath against sin.

In their actions as persecutors of God’s messengers of the Gospel, they are only revealing the reality of their heart and the lack of relationship to the Lord.

However, with Paul‘s request for the advancement of the gospel, these individuals will also have the opportunity to hear this saving message and believe.

We have then a request to pray for rescue to the only One who can rescue based on His prior track record of faithful rescue.

In conjunction with Paul’s initial request for the advance of the Gospel, the intention of this request likely is for the purpose of removing the obstacles of persecution for the continued spread of God’s Word.

While we may not be in the same missionary context as Paul, we can face obstacles posed by individuals to proclaiming God’s Word.

This could involve the attempt to physically restrain, like Paul’s circumstances.

It could also involve a verbal attempt to restrain through criticism, disdain, or otherwise.

Let us then pray to our faithful God to rescue us from those that might otherwise intend to hamper the spread of God’s Word.

That the faithful God would strengthen and protect His people to proclaim the Gospel (2 Th 3:3).

The difference between this request and the former concerns the distinction between obstacles and empowerment.

You see, with an obstacle removed or even diminished, that does not guarantee the equipping or the motivation to complete the task.

Here, Paul takes up the reason as to why one should endure in proclaiming the Gospel message.

While not captured by our English translation, this verse emphasizes God’s faithfulness by placing the term ‘faithful’ first in the original.

This is particularly important given the context of the faithless men from the prior verse.

Hence, God is shown as all the more faithful in light of how faithless individuals treat God’s people/messengers.

Where the faithless are perverse or unrighteous in their actions towards God’s people, God instead provides strength.

Where the faithless are evil towards God’s people, God instead protects.

If God’s people are in need of strengthening and protection, then it implies that they are subject to being weak and vulnerable, particularly to the attacks of the evil one, Satan or the devil.

This truth puts the persecution referenced in v. 2 in context.

As Paul has stated in Eph 6, this is spiritual warfare, not a fight against flesh and blood.

Thus, the persecutors are not the enemy.

Instead, the evil one is.

We’re further reminded of how the Lord has made provision for our spiritual warfare in what we’ve considered from 1 Th 5:8.

The breastplate of faith and love.

The helmet of the hope of salvation .

These are the Lord’s provision to strengthen and protect His people in the advancement of the Gospel message.

Transition: How can we summarize this first prayer? Pray to the faithful God to rescue His messengers from obstacles and empower them to proclaim the Gospel. However, what should we pray for as the response to God’s Word?

Concerning God’s word in His people (2 Th 3:4-5).

That God’s Word would be obeyed (2 Th 3:4).

[?] If Paul begins with his confidence in the Lord, then Paul is trusting that the Lord will produce obedience to the commands of Paul preserved in the Scripture.

Paul is implicitly highlighting here our need to rely on the Lord to produce obedience to His Word.

Think about how this transforms the way that we approach God’s Word: whether in private reading or corporate proclamation (SS & worship) we need to pray to our faithful God to empower us to obey His Word.

How will we know that God’s Word is being obeyed in our lives? Through the transformation of our behaviors and attitudes (Let’s take a look at v. 5).

That God’s Word would produce increased love (2 Th 3:5a).

“The love of God” can be rendered as “God’s love”, thus referring to the example of love that the Thessalonians were to follow (NAC).

As we reflect on both of Paul’s letters to the Thessalonians, he had a lot to say about love for one another (1 Th 4:9).

This instruction also will factor significantly in Paul’s next bit of teaching.

That God’s Word would produce steadfastness (2 Th 3:5b).

To be steadfast refers to the ability to endure difficulties as they arise (LN).

We have the perfect example of weathering difficulties in Christ (BKC).

Christ endured such circumstances fully hopeful and confident in the Lord.

Hence, we ought also to do the same.

Transition: As we pray for the advance of the Gospel, let us also pray for the working of God’s Word in hearts that the Lord would produce recognizable obedience in love and Christlike hopefulness. How do we recognize the practical outworking of obedience in our lives?

Obey the Faithful God diligently (2 Th 3:6-15).

In avoiding unruly brothers (2 Th 3:6-11).

Notice the command that Paul gives.

To draw attention to the seriousness of this instruction, Paul rightly invokes the authority of Jesus Christ in referring to His name.

Additionally, such a reference to the name of Jesus Christ indicates that Paul’s instruction is in harmony with what has previously been shared on this topic.

The idea of “keep away” refers to disfellowshipping with the individual in question until they have repented or turned from their sin, in this case, idleness.

In 2 Th 3:14, Paul employs the phrase “do not associate”, which is also used in 1 Cor 5:11 in reference to the Church in Corinth separating from another member of the church in persistent sin.

What we have, then, is a form of church discipline.

As difficult as it may sound to enact such discipline on a church member, church discipline is always for the purity of the church and the benefit of the individual.

Tragically, untrue brethren will persist in sin.

However, we can take great comfort in knowing that true brethren will repent.

What kind of brother should we avoid? Unruly, lazy individuals who live contrary to God’s Word.

Why is this a problem? Because God’s Word upholds the dignity of labor.

Labor is something that existed before sin and part of God’s good creation.

It was not until after the fall that to labor was added the aspect of a burden.

In addition to the teaching from God’s Word on the importance of work, Paul also supplied his own example of diligence (2 Th 3:7-9).

Paul’s first motivation was so that the people had an example to follow (2 Th 3:7, 9).

By implication, then, the persistently idle were not only not working but living off of the generosity of the church.

Further, it’s possible that the persistently idle were in fact guilty of stealing given Paul’s statement about paying for the food he and the other co-laborers ate.

Paul’s second motivation was so that he and the other co-laborers would not be a burden to anyone (2 Th 3:8).

The idea of a burden gives the impression of a financial weight that is only increasing in pressure.

Think about it, the Thessalonian church was already feeling the weight of the pressure of persecution and then they also have to address the financial pressure of those unwilling to work.

As if the instruction from God’s Word and Paul’s example were not enough, Paul also gave them a memorable statement: No one should eat if they are not willing to work (2 Th 3:10).

Notice that this addresses one’s desires, not their ability.

The Scriptures elsewhere enjoin the Church to care for members who do not have the ability to secure their own needs (cf. 1 Ti 5; Jas 1:27).

Unfortunately, not only were these unruly brothers unwilling to work but they spent their time as busybodies (2 Th 3:11).

A busybody is someone who is meddling with the affairs of another.

This has the effect of impeding the work of others instead of promoting diligence.

So the temptation here is not simply that one person is not working but that the person not working is preventing others from working also.

In diligent labor instead of idleness (2 Th 3:12).

Paul once again invokes Christ’s authority and teaching to both command and encourage obedience to this instruction in keeping with God’s Word.

It’s no wonder that Paul encourages quietness or for these individuals to keep to themselves in their work so as to avoid being a hindrance to others in theirs.

In truth, this is rather encouraging because not only does this statement imply the ability for these individuals to work but also the availability for them to implement this instruction - thus, we see God’s grace at work in providing them opportunity to obey.

In perseverance in doing good instead of weariness (2 Th 3:13).

Honestly, we can see how it would be discouraging to have to interact with someone like this who disrupts your productivity (pers illus study and Google docs).

Instead, the Lord has given to us His good Word to share with others.

Implicitly, we are assured of the effectiveness of God’s word both to change the hearts of the unruly and provide those doing good with endurance to obey.

In admonishing unruly brothers (2 Th 3:14-15).

While the contact is restricted from the worship assembly, the interaction is not completely cut off.

Instead, the idea of ‘admonishing’ prompts one to use God’s Word to identify the sin of idleness, repent, and rely on the power of the Spirit to live in obedience to Scripture.

Transition: In having encouraged us to pray and obey the faithful God, Paul brings his second letter to the Thessalonian church to a close by encouraging us through this conclusion to …

Seek the faithful Lord for grace and peace confidently (2 Th 3:16-18).

Seek the faithful Lord alone for peace (2 Th 3:16).

In referencing “the Lord of peace”, Paul is identifying how peace is uniquely attributable to the Lord alone and no other.

It’s absolutely amazing that Paul references the possibility of peace in every circumstance given that persecution that both he and the Thessalonians have faced.

However, peace is not circumstantial but found in the presence of the Lord of peace as the last statement highlights.

Seek the faithful Lord in confidence (2 Th 3:17).

Paul’s reference to his handwriting was meant to give confidence to the Thessalonians of the genuineness of the letter and its content.

Thus, we are further encouraged to have confidence in the genuineness of the message of this letter from one granted authority from Christ to trust the Word and live out its instruction.

Seek the faithful Lord alone for grace (2 Th 3:18).

Only Christ can enable us to live the message that we have received.

Let us humbly seek His grace now and evermore to believe and obey God’s Word, repenting of sin as it is pointed out.

Conclusion: We have seen an emphasis on prayer and obedience to God’s Word today. The implication is that both go hand in hand. Let us pray together now for the working of God’s Word in the spread of the Gospel and in our obedience to our Lord.