A Gospel-Centered Church

Introduction

Well, good morning!

Listen, if you’d go ahead and keep your place there in 2 Thessalonians chapter 3…we’ll dig into that in just a moment. But before we do that, let’s recite our mission verse together…Matthew chapter 28, verses 19 and 20. I’ll get us started, you finish us up.

Matthew 28:19–20 (ESV)

Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

[Prayer]

Second Thessalonians chapter 3…we’re gonna finish up this letter today…and then next week, we get the pleasure of hearing from Wendy’s brother, Nate. Of course, him and his wife, they’re missionaries that we support…and then after that, starting in December, we’ll spend some time in John chapter 1 as we look at the Christmas story. And so, just a little sneak peak of where we’re going.

I hope you’ve enjoyed these last several months, looking at these two letters from Paul to the Thessalonians…I hope you’ve learned from it, been encouraged…I hope God’s used this series to grow you. If you’ve been with us from the start, our goal, it was to show us how to be the church today in a culture that seems to be very much against the things we stand for…how do we have faith in uncertain times? And everything Paul’s shown us through these letters, it’s really been to answer that question. How can we be the church God wants us to be when everyone and everything seems to be against us?

As we finish up this second letter, I love how Paul kind of wraps it all in a bow for these Thessalonians. Even though these Thessalonians were facing a culture that was completely against them…even though they were facing all kinds of persecution…even though Satan was trying so hard to cause them to stumble…even though there were very real fears surrounding the Day of the Lord and God’s future judgement…Paul’s reminding them at the end of this letter, that none of that really has any footing. Those fears, those trials, they’re all unfounded because as believers…people who’ve been transformed by the gospel of Jesus Christ…you’ve experienced light.

Listen, when I was a kid, living just outside New Orleans, Louisiana, I can’t tell you how many times we went through tropical storms and hurricanes. What would happen, our family, we’d hunker down for the night in the center of our house…a lot of times, the power would go out…we’d hear the wind and limbs, the sound of falling trees, all kinds of stuff flying around outside. We could hear the damage being done all around us. We’d hear the rain beating against the roof or coming in sideways hitting the windows. And listen, as a kid, as I sat there with my family so many times, images of destroyed houses and these treeless yards, they filled my mind. It produced a ton of fear. It was dark, it was scary, it was chaotic. I was powerless in those instances.

But listen, when we all woke up the next morning…when the light of morning finally peeked through the clouds, so to speak, when I was able to get my first real glimpse of the damage done…our house was always intact. There weren’t any missing shingles, there weren’t any broken windows, nothing too serious. I mean there were certainly times where there was damage, but nothing life altering, nothing like I had expected. And after those long sleepless nights, it never changed…I was always surprised by what the daylight revealed.

Guys, light, it has this way of putting even the darkest nights into perspective. Even though I had expected the worst, the daylight, it always revealed that my greatest fears were unfounded.

Listen, while we might be walking in darkness now…while we might see what appears to be dark and chaotic now, in our culture…we’ve also gotten a glimpse of the light that comes. And because of that, even though darkness surrounds us, we bear the fruit of a transformed life because this light, it’s changed us and it continues to change us.

And as we finish this up, Paul’s reminding these guys of the things they should be doing…the things that ground their faith…the things that allow them to be the church Jesus commanded us all to be. He takes them back to the basics and reminds them of what this life looks like…how the light’s shifted their perspective. Paul’s telling these Thessalonians to be a gospel-centered church. As they face an uncertain culture, root themselves in what they know to be true and good.

Listen, while our world’s dark…we should see things from a different view…we see things with a morning after perspective…we know what’s coming…we know what the future looks like…we know it’s all in God’s hands and that all things’ll work together for good. And so, for those reasons…we continue to pray about the Lord’s Word and how He’s using it in our world today…we continue to work out the Lord’s command and we do what He’s told us to do…we enjoy the Lord’s presence as we wait on the morning to come…that’s our three points this morning and that’s exactly what Paul tells these Thessalonians to root themselves in…God’s Word…His command…His presence.

And so, with that…let’s jump into the first thing.

I. We Should Pray About the Lord’s Word (vv. 1-5)

Point number 1…we should pray about the Lord’s Word.

Listen, look back at verses 1 through 5 with me again…Paul starts this chapter off by writing, “Finally...”It means, he’s finished writing about the main purpose of the letter. Now, I know he has a whole other chapter we’re going through today…but he’s doing what most preachers do. He’s saying, “In conclusion...” Which for most preachers, it means he’s got like three more points to clarify. I’m pretty sure it’s a spiritual gift Paul forgot to write about when it comes to preachers.

But on a serious note, in this case, there’s a particular reason Paul does it here. It’s as though he’s looked back over the letter, the letter that’s been written so far, and he sees some exhortations and some encouragements that he wishes to add. And so, in these first five verses, we see a two-part prayer request…we see a two-part expression of confidence…and we see this two-part benediction…all before he uses the rest of the chapter to close the letter all over again.

But listen, in each of these things, it revolves around the Word of God. In verse 1, Paul writes, “Brothers, pray for us...” That Greek phrase there…it actually doesn’t mean to start praying…it means to keep on praying. Continue to pray! He knows they’re praying for him…He knows they’re praying for his companions and so he’s asking them to keep praying. But in this request, there’s two specific things he asks for.

Number 1, he says, “that the word of the Lord may speed ahead and be honored.” If you’re familiar with your Bibles, you might’ve caught that Paul’s taking that right out of Psalm 147:15 where it says:

Psalm 147:15 (ESV)

He sends out his command to the earth;

his word runs swiftly.

Listen, this prayer, it’s a prayer for the spread of the gospel…its a prayer for the success of the gospel.

Guys, as believers…as people transformed by the gospel…we should be praying for the spread and for the success of the gospel…and we shouldn’t be doing that just in Sunday morning worship services. We have a ton of missionaries and organizations that we support that are out working to fulfill the Great Commission command…and the greatest prayer we can pray, it’s for the spread and success of the gospel…and it’s that it goes out quickly. Guys, with every second that passes…another person in our world dies not knowing Jesus…and the only thing that can change their hearts, it’s the Word of God going out and it’s the Spirit of God working. We understand, as God’s people, how powerful the Word of God is…and so, we pray for it’s spread and for it’s success.

And listen, in this context, these Thessalonians…they were evidence of God’s blessing and how the Word can and will transform a people. When someone receives God’s Word, which they hear from another believer…and when they accept it, it’s works in their hearts. That’s what Paul says in his first letter to them in chapter 2. In fact, one of the ways to know the Word’s taken hold in someone’s heart, it’s how much that person cares about the gospel taking hold in other people’s hearts. And so, for that reason, we care about people coming to faith in Jesus and the gospel changing their hearts…and so, we pray for the Word’s spread and it’s success.

The second prayer request we see here, verse 2…Paul says, “Pray…that we may be delivered from wicked and evil men.” Listen, this wasn’t a theoretical request for Paul here. There were very real people who attempted to halt Paul at every step he made…literally everywhere he went. There were especially people undermining his teaching and spreading false doctrine to those he was proclaiming to…which is specifically what he’s praying for here. There were people contradicting the gospel of free grace. There were people attempting to hinder the spread of the gospel. And obviously, Paul’s asking for prayer here because it’s serious thing. The eternal lives of people were at stake…just like they are today.

People ask me sometimes, why I’m so quick to call false teachers out…well, the reality is, number 1…the Bible charges me to do that as a believer…but number 2 and most importantly…because those people, they’re deceiving others…they’re keeping people from hearing and accepting the free gift of salvation…they’re dragging people to hell with them. And guys, it should burden us…it should break our hearts that the false gospel’s out there in our world today, they’re advancing at a higher rate than the authentic one. And some of us…we listen to those false teachers and we support those false teachers. Guys, pay attention to who you’re listening to on TV or on your podcast. Most of those celebrity preachers, they’re not who you think they are. Joel Osteen…Joyce Meyer…TD Jakes…Stephen Furtick…Todd White…just to name a few…they’re not who you think they are. And listen, yes they claim Jesus to be from God…but it’s the message they give about the gospel that distorts it and sets people up for failure from the start.

Guys, going back to last week...we have to know truth, we have to know God’s Word. And we should delight so much in it that its breaks us when someone distorts it…and we have to understand that there’s people out there intentionally trying to deceive us. Listen, do you realize that in all of the New Testament books, there’s only one that doesn’t speak about false teachers…it’s real…and we should be praying for those on the front lines…we should be praying for their deliverance from these kinds of people.

But listen, after asking for those two specific things…Paul assures these Thessalonians that he’s very confident in what the Lord’s doing. He says, “The Lord’s faithful. He will establish you and guard you against the evil one. And we have confidence in the Lord about you, that you are doing and will do the things that we command.”

Now listen, we have to remember…Paul’s been talking about Satan and this supernatural power that’s out to destroy us as believers and destroy the church…and what Paul’s saying in response to everything he’s talked about concerning those things…he’s saying, he has confidence that the Lord, He’ll deliver us from that evil and He’ll protect. And listen, this is the Word of God…do you factor in what Paul’s saying here when you’re facing real struggles in life? Maybe its your marriage…maybe its your family or some vocation or whatever. Do you keep in mind (and in prayer) that the evil one Paul’s been writing about, seek’s to destroy God’s people? And I’m not trying to blame-shift here…I’m not saying you’re gonna find a demon under every rock…but we do have to acknowledge there’s a real enemy…a real supernatural, personal force who wants our destruction. Peter says in 1 Peter 5:8:

1 Peter 5:8 (ESV)

Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

Do you realize, it’s not just about your sin…there’s a real spiritual war being fought. And what Paul says, “The Lord…He’s gonna protect you…He’s gonna keep you…He’s gonna deliver you.” How? It goes back to what this whole section’s been about. God’s Word! It goes back to everything we talked about last week…truth!

When you’re rooted in truth…and when you’re filled with His Spirit…that’s what allows you to remain steadfast. Paul says, “May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God and to the steadfastness of Christ.” Paul wants these Thessalonians to know…to experience…to live in the truth that God loves them. It’s been the running theme throughout this letter, right? Guys, this love and this steadfastness Paul’s talking about here, it stems from knowing and delighting in truth…and the two, they come together. When we go to the Word, we’re able to see for ourselves the love of God for us through the steadfastness of Jesus for us…and it allows us to endure our own trials and our own struggles because through the truth of God’s Word, we’re able to see the light at the end…we’re able to see things, with the light in mind. And so, we constantly pray for God’s Word, knowing how fundamental it is in our lives.

That’s the first point.

II. We Should Work Out the Lord’s Command (vv. 6-15)

The second point…we should work out the Lord’s Command.

Look at verses 6 through 15 with me again…now, there’s a ton here so we’re gonna summarize a lot of this…but if you remember in 1 Thessalonians, Paul told them to “admonish the idle,” right? You guys remember that? Obviously, there were people in the church that were expecting Jesus to return immediately and for that reason, they were doing nothing in His kingdom to advance the gospel or build up the church. They were lazy Christians. And apparently, that’s still going on here…and so, Paul uses some very strong language here to exhort those believers.

Three times in this passage, Paul uses the word “command.” He’s like a general giving his soldiers marching orders…which of course shows a little about his authority as an apostle…but it also shows us that there’s a major problem with idleness. Idleness, it’s a major problem in the church. And so, to encourage them and their previous concerns along with exhorting them through what seems to be current problems, Paul give’s them four specific exhortations here.

First, in verse 10…Paul writes, “If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat.” That’s in verse 10. Basically, believers aren’t meant to become a financial burden to others unnecessarily.

Second, Paul says, “Such persons we command…to…work quietly and to earn their own living.” Verse 12…which is just a positive counterpart to the first exhortation.

Third, Paul says, “Do not grow weary in doing good.” That’s verse 13.

Fourth, “Have nothing to do with [those people] that [they] may be ashamed.” He’s charging them to not encourage or enable or even associate with this kind of behavior…behavior that obviously disobeys what Paul taught previously about their purpose as believers and as a church.

And listen, we can explain these exhortations in three ways. Number 1, we’re expected to be obedient. It’s a general Christian principle. If we love Jesus, we’ll obey His commands. Paul expected the Word of God to be obeyed in the church. That’s why he used such strong terms like “command” and “obey.”

Listen, there’s many well-intentioned Christians today that think that if we believe in grace, there’s no room left for obedience and duty in this Christian life. Meaning, because I’m saved by Christ and Christ alone, I have no obligations because my work doesn’t justify me. We’ve talked about this, but that’s putting the cart before the horse. When we’re saved by the grace of God…and when we’ve chosen to follow Him…when He indwells us with His Spirit…He begins changing us…and part of that change, it bears fruit or work. As a believer, you should desire obedience. We don’t obey to get God’s love…but we do obey because we love Him and wanna be like Him…and now we have the power to obey. And so, for that reason, Paul expected the Word of God to be obeyed in this church…and it shouldn’t be any different for ours as well.

And so, what should we be obeying? Well, first off…the whole counsel of God’s Word, right? That’s why its so important that you’re in it. But personally, I think it can be summarized by what we recite every week, right? Matthew 28:19-20:

Matthew 28:19–20 (ESV)

Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them [listen to this] to observe ALL that I have commanded you.

If we’re gonna be obedient to this command, it’s gonna take all of us coming together, exercising our individual gifts, as Paul mentions in other letters, together as a body. We can’t be lazy…we can’t shift that work to someone else in the church. We all need to be equally involved and equally contributing.

As Christian, we’re to embrace Jesus’s command…it’s not up for debate. It’s not up for interpretation…this is our mission…and because of that, we’re to embrace this work ethic…working together…working hard all for the glory of God…to ensure that we don’t unnecessarily burden others.

The second thing…we don’t grow weary of doing good. If you look out at our current church climate in our nation today, so many churches, they get discouraged by the minority…so much so that they all stop working. I mean, they essentially throw their hands up in frustration and give up. And listen, if we’re not careful, we’ll do the same…because as we’ve talked about, Satan’s certainly gonna attack us…and he’s certainly gonna try everything to divide us…and at times it’s gonna seem like he’s won…it’s gonna make us wanna give up. But what Paul’s saying, “I know what you’re dealing with…I know it’s frustrating…I know there’s those among you that’s lazy and disruptive…I’ve written to you twice about this…I get it, it’s frustrating to me too…but don’t stop doing the right thing. Keep doing what you know Jesus commanded.”

The third thing…we don’t condone. Paul wrote, “14 If anyone does not obey what we say in this letter, take note of that person, and have nothing to do with him, that he may be ashamed.”

Guys, he’s telling these Christians to not condone…don’t approve…don’t enable those not doing good or those that don’t listen to this command to repent and start obeying. In other words, he’s calling for the church to exercise discipline on those disobeying. He’s also charging them to disciple those not obeying. Don’t allow them to just continue being consumers of the church…rebuke them, teach them how to be contributors of the church.

And listen, when we think about things like discipline and discipleship, we immediately associate those things to the elders and deacons of a church, right? But if you’re familiar with Scripture, that’s an individual responsibility we have to each other…and eventually a congregational responsibility if it doesn’t get resolved.

But guys, listen to Paul’s language here…if there’s those that are idle in the church…if there’s those that are lazy…we’re to create an environment for those people where they become ashamed. That’s a serious thing, right? How does a person grow? Well, we can’t condone things that go against Scripture and we pray that they’ll become so ashamed at their actions that it’ll lead to repentance because we care about restoration. That’s why Paul continues, “15 Do not regard him as an enemy, but warn him as a brother.”

Guys, idleness…laziness…doing nothing in the church…if you’re just a consumer here, it’s disobedient…and completely and entirely against the will of God and His design for the church.

Having experienced light…being able to understand who God is…having been changed by His Spirit…we work out the Lord’s commands, together as a body, because we understand His intentions for the church, we understand our giftings, His purpose, we understand that He’s working all things out for good.

That’s the second thing.

III. We Should Enjoy the Lord’s Presence (vv. 16-18)

The third and final point this morning…we should enjoy the Lord’s presence.

Look at what Paul says, starting in verse 16, “16 Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in every way. The Lord be with you all.

Listen to that…, “The Lord be with you all.” These words, they echo what Jesus said to His disciples in Matthew 28:20:

Matthew 28:20 (ESV)

And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

There was this 20th century author who said in talking about the Lord’s blessings and the trials the Lord calls His people to go through…he said:

“The grace of God, it means something like this: ‘Here is your life. You might never have been, but you are, because the party wouldn’t have been complete without you…Here is the world. Beautiful and terrible things will happen. Don’t be afraid. I am with you. Nothing can ever separate us.”

Guys, what we need in the darkest places of life…what we need most in these uncertain times we face as believers and as a church…it’s to know that we’re not alone…and it’s to know that Jesus is with us. That’s where our peace now comes from…it’s the only way it’s possible…it’s finding ourselves in the presence of the Lord…and enjoying that presence. It should be what we desire most.

Guys, coming to Jesus, it’s not just about receiving salvation from our problems…it’s not our get our hell free card…what we’re called to…and what we’re committing to when we turn to Him, it’s a relationship…and like any other relationship we choose to have, we should enjoy the presence of the other party. When we turn to Jesus and when we’re filled with His Spirit, we should desire His presence…and it should bring us great joy!

And so, how do we find ourselves in the presence of Jesus?…Well, I’m glad you asked!…It’s through the people God’s called us to…it’s through the church. That’s why Paul says in Ephesians 4:

Ephesians 4:11–16 (ESV)

And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.

Listen, there’s a lot Paul’s saying here…but the main idea, it’s that the church, it’s us coming together, building each other up in love…growing together…it’s those things that allow us to experience the fullness of Christ.

And so, in summary, part of finding yourself in the Lord’s presence…part of enjoying the Lord’s presence…it’s understanding what church family God’s calling you too, and it’s enjoying the community in that church family. You’ll never fully experience the presence of Christ without the church, and you’ll never enjoy the presence of Christ if you don’t enjoy the presence of the people here.

Closing

And so, in closing…if we’re to face these very uncertain times as a church here at FBC…we have to bring it back to the basics…root everything we do in the gospel of Jesus Christ…we have to remember the things we know to be true. We have to pray about God’s Word and we have to workout the things we know He’s commanded us…we have to enjoy His presence, now, as we walk through whatever lies before us, knowing that He’s with us.

And so, as you reflect on this passage and everything else we’ve covered throughout these two letters…would you bow your head and close your eyes with me this morning?

Listen, as you pray…as you reflect, our worship team’s gonna come back up and lead us in worship in just moment.

But guys, as they get ready…where do you fall with each of things we talked about this morning? Are you praying for God’s Word? Praying that it speeds ahead…that it advances…that people’s lives would be impacted by it? Does it bother you that there’s so many false gospels out there and that those false gospels, they’re winning on all fronts?…Are you working out what you know the Lord’s commanded? Are you an active member of FBC? Are you contributing with your giftings…are you more than just a consumer? Do you enjoy the Lord’s presence? And listen, be careful in answering that…because again, if you do…then you’ll enjoy the presence of those here as well. Do you enjoy the community and the relationships you have here at FBC? If those things are non-existent…then not only are you most likely idle within the church, but you’re also not able to mature as a believer and you’re certainly not gonna find yourself in the presence of Jesus which might just be why you don’t necessarily enjoy it.

Guys, I have no idea how the Lord’s speaking to you right now…but would you respond to that? If you’re not emphasizing the Word…change that this morning…if you’ve been lazy in the church…make a decision to turn from that…get plugged in, come talk to me. If you’re not enjoying the presence of the Lord, build community among the people here. But guys, don’t just sit there and do nothing…do something…make a commitment. There’s grace in the gospel…and Jesus, He’s has already extended that grace to you…reach for it…And so, if that’s you…take this time this morning to seek Jesus. You can do that where you’re at…you can do that at these steps.

But if you’re here, struggling with believing in Jesus, if you haven’t turned to Him…you haven’t been reborn, given new life, understand that God loves you…and all you have to do to receive salvation this morning, it’s to repent and believe. Recognize that you’re a sinner, recognize that your sin, it damns you to hell…ask for forgiveness…turn from yourself and toward Christ…believe in Him…trust in Him. Believe that God Himself became the very thing He created. Believe that He lived a perfect life, that He hung on a cross where He willingly took on the punishment for our sin. Recognize that He died and rose again. Believe and trust in Him. That’s it…repent and believe.

And so, as our praise team plays…you can worship with us…you can use this time to seek the Lord…you can come to these steps this morning to lay whatever you need to before the Lord…if you need me in any way…I’ll be right here down front…I’m here to pray with you…I’m here to help you turn to Jesus…whatever it is you need…you take this time…and we’ll close in just a moment.

[Prayer]