Stand Firm

Context

Heading to the end of the Christian year. Culminates on Christ the King Sunday, two weeks from now.

Scriptures of this season therefore focus on the end of history. The Day of the Lord. The Day Jesus returns, judges evil, vindicates righteousness, and establish the Kingdom of God.

Lesson today from Paul’s second letter to the Thessalonians.

Paul had taught them to always be ready for the return of Christ — it could happen at any time — but some preachers and teachers (not Paul or the other apostles) were claiming the Last Day was already at hand. The Christian congregation in the ancient city Thessalonica was experiencing confusion and stress.

Paul reminds the Thessalonians of his teaching to calm and encourage them.

Text

2 Thessalonians 2:1–5 “As to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him, we beg you, brothers and sisters, not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as though from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord is already here. Let no one deceive you in any way; for that day will not come unless the rebellion comes first and the lawless one is revealed, the one destined for destruction. He opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, declaring himself to be God. Do you not remember that I told you these things when I was still with you?”

…Paul describes how the Lawless One, this anti-Christ, will deceive the wicked with his pretension to divinity, but will be held in check by the power of God and then be destroyed by Christ when he comes in glory…then Paul continues:

2 Thessalonians 2:13–17 “But we must always give thanks to God for you, brothers and sisters beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the first fruits for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and through belief in the truth. For this purpose he called you through our proclamation of the good news, so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. So then, brothers and sisters, stand firm and hold fast to the traditions that you were taught by us, either by word of mouth or by our letter. Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and through grace gave us eternal comfort and good hope, comfort your hearts and strengthen them in every good work and word.”

Introduction

Recent event: Pastor from South Africa predicted that the Last Day would commence on September 23-24, just two months ago.

All over the internet. Tik-tock; YouTube. people selling property. Guy selling his house and car.

Not the first time. Maybe you remember:

COVID-19 Rapture Predictions (2020–2021) The pandemic sparked a wave of rapture predictions, with some claiming the global crisis was the final sign.

Revelation 12 Sign (September 23, 2017). when some believed that the alignment of the stars could indicate the return of Jesus Christ.

Y2K Rapture Panic (1999) As the millennium approached, many Christians believed Y2K computer failures would trigger global chaos and the rapture. Of course, January 1, 2000, arrived with minimal disruption.

Heaven’s Gate Cult (1997) a group of 39 members of the Heaven’s Gate cult believed the 1995 discovery of the Hale-Bopp comet signaled a rapture, and the group engaged in mass suicide prior to the comet.

Hal Lindsey’s “Late Great Planet Earth” (1970s) In his bestselling book, Lindsey suggested the rapture would occur before 1988 due to the belief that the generation that witnessed the establishment of Israel in 1948 would also see the end times. The book sold over 28 million copies, according to the National Endowment for the Humanities. 

That recap from just in the last 50 years (Newsweek: https://www.newsweek.com/10-rapture-predictions-that-never-came-to-pass-10476612).

In most generations, going all the way back to the first century in Thessalonica, there has been someone saying “these are the last days!”

So far, all predictions have been wrong. The expected date comes and goes.

BUT the emotional, spiritual, and social aftermath lingers.

People are left trying to recover from selling their property, quitting their jobs, or leaving their relationships. They are left with ruined faith.

Paul would spare us that.

Most of us have probably wrestled with the tension between believing that Christ will return and yet not feeling gullible. Paul is talking to us.

Exegesis

The congregation at Thessalonica was “shaken in mind” and “alarmed” because someone within their congregation or in their local community was preaching that the Last Day was upon them.

Maybe these preachers were pointing to the social and violent persecution around the early Christians.

Maybe they were highlighting how the Roman Emperors were demanding to be recognized as divine figures.

Maybe they were lamenting the general moral decay in society — slavery, sexual inequality, poverty, disease, crime, corruption…

Probably they gathered up all these problems so that they were overwhelming and then claimed: See it is the Last Day!

This doomsayers seemed authoritative. Some claimed to be

prophets: with direct revelation by the Spirit.

apostles: on equal authority with Paul

have special writings: bearing letters that purported to be from the apostles.

“Doom and authority” was a potent combination and it had its effect on the Thessalonian Christians: “Wow, the world is pretty bad off. This guy seems to know what he is talking about. Maybe right now is the End?!”

Paul wants to calm them: Do not be quickly shaken or confused. Do not let yourself be deceived by these spurious claims.

In other words: No, it is not the Last Day.

Then Paul reminds them of what he had taught them when he originally brought them together as a congregation.

The Last Day will be preceded by key events:

a widespread rebellion against the true God will be spearheaded by the “lawless one.” Or “Man of sin”

This Lawless One will be revealed…clearly discernable.

He will oppose every so-called God and object of worship — not just the one true God, but all gods and religions.

He will exalt himself and falsely proclaim himself to be God.

Paul is assuring them that they will be able to discern the Last Day because an opposite of Christ will appear.

They will know the Lawless One because they know Christ was the one who fulfilled God’s law. The Man of Righteousness.

The Lawless one will deny God. Jesus praised his Heavenly Father.

The False Man will claim to be God. Jesus, the Son of God, affirmed that he was truly human: the Son of Man.

Jesus did not exalt himself, but humbled himself. Even to death on the cross, not in the temple, but outside the city.

Paul says, if you know Christ, and you do, you will know the anti-Christ when he appears.

You do not need to be shaken or alarmed: because you will not be deceived…just remember the gospel you received.

Remember this apostolic teaching. Remember the tradition we passed on to you, our writings, our preaching.

God called you through our proclamation of the gospel.

You have salvation in the gospel.

The gospel is not going to suddenly fail you.

It is going to ensure that you obtain the glory of the Christ when he appears.

So hold fast to it. Stand firm.

Not just of your own power: I pray for you. May God comfort your hearts and strengthen you. He’s Got you.

In summary:

There are always doomsayers out there, but you are to cling to the apostolic teaching.

There are always bad days in the world, but that doesn’t make them the Last Days.

You will know the Last Days when they arrive.

When the anti-Jesus appears, the real Jesus will guard you and bring you into his glory.

Stand firm.

Interpretation

A needed message today.

Voices today that look at our social turmoil, political division, economic hardships. [All real and important] But are they the last days?

Recent sermon that AI is a sign of that the Last Days are upon us. (Austin Hamrick: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TtwIapjZX9I)

Don’t be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed.

Instead remember the Biblical teaching.

The Last Day will be preceded by an anti-Jesus figure, you will know him when you see him…because you know Christ.

That is the key. To know Christ so that when any imposter comes up, you will spot him. To know the gospel well, so when you hear the non-gospel, you will recognize it.

example: Purchase at the grocery store recently, and I used cash, a $20. The employee looked at hit, held it up, pen. First thought: trained to recognize false currency. More accurately, trained on how to recognize real currency.  To recognize:

Feel: Genuine bills have a distinctive, slightly rough texture.

Look for security threads: 

Look for watermarks:

Look for microprinting: 

How to test it. With special pen, UV light.

Since they know real money, they can spot fake money.

We live in a digital world now: Podcasters, social media stars, can reach thousands, millions of people, with prophecies and pronouncements that seem authoritative, backed with pictures, AI generated data…All the more important to be clear in our beliefs and our Scriptural sources.

The more we know the genuine Christ and the Biblical witness to Him the more discerning we are going to be when the Man of Lawlessness emerges and the Final Day comes.

In 1933 Adolf Hitler was elected chancellor of Germany. Begins to consolidate power. Factions within the German Evangelical Church sought to align with him, uniting Nazism and Christian faith…called the German Christian movement.

But some strongly Bible based Christians saw through the Nazi agenda and resisted. Representatives of the Lutheran, Reformed, and United churches gathered in Barmen in 1934.

They called the churches of Germany to stand firm against being coopted. They wrote thr Theological Declaration of Barmen. Six propositions, each quoting from Scripture, each declaring the Jesus alone is Lord of every domain of life.

Short example from first article: Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and the life: no one comes to the Father, but by me.” (John 14:6) Jesus Christ, as he is attested for us in the Holy Scriptures, is the one Word of God which we have to hear and which we have to trust and obey … We reject the false doctrine that the church could and would acknowledge any other events and power, figures and truths, as God’s revelation!

Summary of the Barmen Declaration: No to Nazism, No to German Christianity, there is only Lord, Jesus. There is only one gospel, one solution to life’s problems — his.

The point I want us to hear is that the confessing, biblical, Christians, saw through deception because they knew the truth.

Jesus said, I am the good shepherd, I know my sheep and they know me. They will not follow another. (John 10)

As it turns out, Hitler was not THE Man of Lawlessness who signalled the End of Days..but had he been, he would not have found the Christians panicking and selling their property, but standing firm and ready to profess Christ.

As Christians today, we are called to know Christ as presented from the Scriptures, so that when any person or power structure or social movement emerges that is not of God we will recognize it.

We can trust our faith, because we can trust Christ, as our one true Shepherd. He will not abandon us to doom, but will guide us into his glory when he appears.

Our focus in always to be on Jesus. We have life in him now, and we will find life only in him whenever the Last Days come.

Application

In these uncertain and for some of us scary times. What practical things can we do?

Focus on the truths of the gospel.

Know the Bible well.

Personal reading plan.

Sunday School!

Hear sermons like this one, given by a pastor who preaches from the Bible, our creeds/ confessions, (such as the Barmen Declaration) and who loves you and prays for you and seeks Christ with you.

Second, Stay in the community of faith.

It is in preaching, worship, prayer, study (such as Sunday School) that we gain the tools for discernment. It is a complex world and we help each other navigate through alarms around us.

Three, keep your hearts and minds firm. When you hear messages that the Last Days are upon us, notice whether they provoke fear, anxiety and doubt. These are not the purpose of Christ. God’s purpose is clear:

2 Thessalonians 2:14 “For this purpose he called you through our proclamation of the good news, so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

2 Timothy 1:7 “for God did not give us a spirit of cowardice, but rather a spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline.”

Conclusion

The Christian congregation in the ancient city Thessalonica was experiencing confusion and stress because they were focusing on doom rather than Gospel.

Paul reminded them to put the Gospel back in the center and stand firm.

That is the word to us today as well. Put the Gospel in the center and stand firm.