Intro

I am excited to begin this new series today on Mother’s Day. This will not be a typical “Mother’s Day Sermon,” but it will be a message from God’s Word which is something we ALL need, whether we are a mom or not.

Today we begin a new series on the Book of 2 Thessalonians. As best as we can tell 2 Thessalonians was written around AD 50 while Paul was on his 2nd missionary journey.

It is called 2 Thessalonians because this is the 2nd letter Paul wrote to the church there that is included in the Canon of Scripture.

Let’s dive right in and notice how Paul begins this message to them:

2 Thessalonians 1:1–2 NKJV

Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

This is a pretty standard Pauline greeting but there are some important truths here we do not want to miss.

He writes first of all...

To the Church of the Thessalonians IN God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ

Paul is not writing to a “church building,” but rather he is writing to those in the city of Thessalonica who are “IN” God our Father and the Lord Jesus.

Who would this be? Knute Larson says it is those “connected to our Lord.” I would go further and say it is those who are connected to the Lord by saving faith. They are “IN” Christ and Christ is “IN” them.

He is speaking to individuals who have been “BORN AGAIN” and are now indwelt by the Holy Spirit and are IN the family of God!

As a result they are not only citizens of Thessalonica, but they are also citizens of the COMMUNITY of CHRIST.

Later in this service we will be having a BAPTISM. This baptism doesn’t place anyone IN Christ, but they get IN the water and are placed under the water to SIGNIFY they are IN Christ and identifying with Him IN His death, His burial, and His resurrection!

Notice what else Paul says to those IN Christ

Grace & Peace FROM God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ

The Grace and Peace that comes FROM the Father and the Son is experienced by those who are IN the Father and the Son by Faith.

I love what Knute Larson goes on to say about this PEACE...

Peace can be achieved only through Jesus Christ. Peace deals with our legal standing in the court of God’s justice. No person could ever survive the divine judgment without divine intervention. The cross and resurrection give us access to God through faith in Christ; we are admitted into his presence. Peace from God also brings wholeness, restoring the fragmented condition of humankind. Through Christ, we are able to grow and develop into a complete self and personality as God designed. We also join other redeemed persons to form a unified community as he purposed.

So that’s our INTRODUCTORY verses to 2 Thessalonians.

What I’d like to do is to give a brief overview of this book and share with you what The Randall House Bible Commentary says are the THREE reasons why Paul wrote 2 Thessalonians.

Now keep in mind the name of our series is LIVING IN THE LAST DAYS. While we have been in the LAST DAYS since the ascension of Jesus back into Heaven, we are obviously further along in the LAST DAYS than we’ve ever been.

What Paul wanted the church to know 2,000 years ago, has to be even more URGENT for us today, because we are 2,000 years closer to the return of Christ than they were!

The first reason they list as why Paul wrote this book was...

To Give Them Encouragement in Face of Persecution

Notice 2 Thessalonians 1:4-5

2 Thessalonians 1:4–5 NKJV

so that we ourselves boast of you among the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that you endure, 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;

We will look at this more in depth next week but notice the words Paul uses here:

Persecutions

Tribulations

Suffer

The church in Thessalonica was facing difficulties and persecution, but the truth is that has ALWAYS been the case for the people of God and will ALWAYS be the case until we are called home!

Whoever told you following Jesus meant health, wealth, your best life now, butterflies and rainbows, was LYING to you!

Following Jesus means TAKING up a CROSS, it means SUFFERING SHAME FOR HIS NAME, it means DIFFICULTY and HARDSHIP, but it also means at the end of the road IT WILL ALL HAVE BEEN WORTH IT ALL!

Paul goes on to remind them of this in 2 Thessalonians 1:7

2 Thessalonians 1:7 NKJV

and to give you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels,

Praise God, one day we will have ETERNAL REST when the Lord Jesus is revealed from Heaven!

A second reason Paul wrote 2 Thessalonians was...

To Correct a Misunderstanding about the “Day of the Lord”

Note 2 Thessalonians 2:1-3

2 Thessalonians 2:1–3 NKJV

Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you, not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come. 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,

Again we will explore this text in great detail in the coming weeks, but notice two things Paul mentions here

The Coming of our Lord Jesus Christ

Our Gathering Together to Him

The best I can understand this is the same event that Paul speaks of in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

1 Thessalonians 4:13–18 NKJV

But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words.

Some of the Thessalonians were confused about this teaching. As a matter of fact, Paul alludes to a potential letter that they had received that indicated that Christ was immediately returning and as a result some had quit their jobs and were just kind of waiting around. This led to all kinds of problems that we will explore during this series.

Living in the last days doesn’t mean we just quit our jobs and go set on a mountain somewhere and just wait. Living in the last days means that we should be doing all we can to get out the message of the Gospel and live for Christ ON our jobs and IN our homes so as to impact as many as we can for the Kingdom!

The third major reason Paul wrote 2 Thessalonians was...

To Rebuke the “Idlers” and Give the Church Direction About How to Deal with Them

Notice...

Note 2 Thessalonians 3:6-8

2 Thessalonians 3:6–8 NKJV

But we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you withdraw from every brother who walks disorderly and not according to the tradition which he received from us. 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 worked with labor and toil night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you,

When people quit their jobs and just sit around they end up having a lot of free time on their hands. This free time had led to people becoming nosey, depending upon others for their food and wellbeing, and all kinds of other problems.

Paul had to address this problem and help the church understand how to correct this problem as well.

You will Suffer Persecution if You Live for Jesus…Expect that to Get Worse Before it Gets Better

Are you Ready to Meet Him Just as You Are?

What are You Doing to Prepare Others?