Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction

It’s good to know a background, have some ground work done before delving into a study of another book of the Bible.

So here is some brief things to know before we go.

Author: Paul (2The1:1; 2The3:17)

Recipients: Church of the Thessalonians (2The1:1; Act17:1-9; 1The1:6, 1The1:8; 1The3:1-8)

The passage tells us about the trip to Thessalonica in the establishing of the church and the time frame of only 3 Sabbaths for it to happen.

Even though it was in 3 short weeks a strong church was born, born in tribulation (1The1:6) and they became well known (1The1:8)

Paul encouraged them through the persecutions that they were staying strong (1The3:1-8)

Place of writing: Most likely Corinth (Act18:11)

Going from the assumption that Paul spent 3.5 years in Corinth and the short person it seems between the letters a deduction can be made that it was written from Corinth

Date: About 53AD- towards the end of Paul’s stay in Corinth

Paul had arrived in Corinth between 50-52AD; so this letter is not long after the first one.

Purpose: Misunderstanding of the return of the Lord (2The2:1-2; 2The3:11-12)

Many had misunderstanding about the return of the Lord, they were being troubled by false reports from false teachers giving false prophesy, so Paul writes to them to

Encourage them

To correct them

To instruct them.

Content

Encouragement in persecutions (2The1:1-12)

Enlightenment about the return of the Lord (2The2:1-17)

Exhortation to right Christian living (2The3:1-18)

Key passage for book (2The2:15-17)

There is some great truth, great application in this book as we wait for the return of Christ for His church, may it help us to be steadfast in and through all things, including the hard times which we all face from time to time.

Hard times come

There is no avoiding it, Jesus told us in this life you will have tribulation (Jn16:33) and in trouble, in tribulation, in persecution this church was born and Paul comes in with this second epistle to them to encourage them to standfast, to persevere in hard times.

(Born For Adversity Picture)

Seems they were born in adversity and it still continued.

It is like Satan was working overtime on them

Like a roaring lion (2Pt5:7-8)

Like a deceiving serpent (2Cor11:3)

Some seem to be born to run when adversity hits, some are born free and have been graced to not face any adversity, but as a Christian who is actively serving the Lord I don’t think adversity, hard times, are avoidable as a whole.

Look at the words Paul uses in prayer about perseverance in hard times.

2

Paul gives thanks to God for them, why?

Because of their faith, their love for and toward one another

Paul loves to brag on them that in the midst of persecutions and afflictions they persevere and endure!

In spite of the pain they were enduring they were praising and proclaiming God and it was apparent everywhere (Act17:1-9; 1The1:2-7)

(in adversity picture)

The church born in adversity, seems to be born for adversity too and even in the hard times, which are to be expected they were persevering and doing it with faith!

Suffering or adversity not only helps us grow, it is an example to help others grow too.

Trials, pains, tribulations, adversities work for us not against us

You do not become patient and persevere by reading a book or listening to a sermon you do it through the things you endure.

In the hard times that we learn to persevere the Christian reaches upward towards God and outward towards the people of God

In you were too look at Heb11, the people of faith there were born through adversity, each was tested, tried and found true and walked by faith.

Jesus warned about hard times, tribulations (Jn15:19;20; Jn16:33)

Jesus told the Apostles that they persecuted him and they too would be persecuted.

But go by example you have kept my word, and they will keep yours if you persevere through the persecutions, tribulations or hard times.

Jesus reminds them that He has overcome the world, so they may have peace in the midst of hard times (paraphrase Jn16:33)

The Apostles warned too (Act14:22; 1The3:4; 2Tim3:12)

The Apostles warned and encouraged the disciples then, and by the inspired words can encourage us too.

We are not spared from hard times, trials, tribulations in this world.

We cannot and are not promised that we will avoid sickness or disease even.

In this world we may suffer due to our own choices or choices made by the hands of other.

We can anticipate persecution because we are Christians, from our families, friends, employers and the like.

Remember that adversary who is like a roaring lion looking whom he can devour?

He is powerful, he is determined, but you can persevere through your faith as well as lead others because of your tested faith.

Faith that cannot be tested is faith that cannot be trusted; their faith was growing and abounding faith (ref to v.3)

Tested faith, it can bring perfected faith (1The3:10) from the author of our faith (Heb12:1-2); and this is faith that is abounding faith (2The1:3; 1The3:10)

If your faith has not be tried, tested, put under fire, praise God, but be prepared for it to happen one day and now that brings us some example of how to be prepared to stand fast in the hard times.

Stand fast in: Faith, Love and Patience

Exampled faith, we know that the Thessalonians have it but now Paul has a concern for them but an encouragement too.about

what they need to have to continue in the faith.

I have to start with this, look at these verses, Paul loved to brag on them, loved to share with other churches of God about them, about their perseverance and faith in the midst of persecutions and afflictions.

2The1:3-4

Wouldn’t you like to have someone brag on you about how you handle the hard times, how you standfast in your faith?

What is needed is

(Growing faith picture)

Faith that grows exceedingly (2The1:3; Heb11:1; Rom10:17; Job19:25-27; Hab3:17-19)

(v.3) says faith that is greatly enlarged, and as a result so is their love.

Faith that believes the unseen things that we hope for (Heb11:1)

Faith that comes by hearing (Rom10:17)

May we remember the faith of Job

I thought about just telling you about Job’s faith and Habakkuk’s faith but they are too important scriptures to passover

And I know my redeemer lives!

We sing it because we believe it, we believe it because someone told us and showed us in the Word and that brought faith.

Faith that can be tested, tried and can be found true!

Even in the hard times like Habakkuk was facing look what he had to say (this too is a song)

Hab3:

Love that abounds (2The1:3; 1The4:9; 1Jn4:9-11; 1Jn3:16; 1The4:10; 1The3:12)

(Abounding love picture)

They were taught by God how to love and to abound in love (1The4:9)

God’s love abounds in us because God’s love was manifested for us and in us as our propitiation of sin, as He love us, we should love one another

This the kind of love that sustains us, as it did them, in hard times that we learn to persevere through.

What more is needed?

Patience that hold up in the hard times or under trial (Rom8:25; Rom15:4; Heb10:36; Heb12:1-2; Jm1:3-4 and finally Rom5:3-4)

(Patience picture)

Patient is not just enduring it is enduring well, I don’t know about you, I can struggle with that, thanks be to God we have God’s Word and God’s spirit that helps with that.

It is with perseverance, patience we hold for hope that we have in Christ Jesus.

We have God’s word, that which was written in earlier times so that we can have hope through perseverance as noted in Rom15:4

Patience, endurance, perseverance are needed so that at the end we can receive what is promised (Heb10:36)

Run the race throwing off anything that hinders you so your faith maybe perfected through patient endurance (Heb12:1-2)

testing of your faith produces endurance

and similar to the James passage let me add this

To sum this up regarding patience, we have patience in the hope that we have comes from the scripture that is needed to reveal the promise as we look to the author and perfecter of our faith Jesus, that hope, that patience that endurance that makes us complete and lacking nothing which can strengthen our hope even more.

Use these things in the hard times, difficult times, trying times!

Have faith!

For you can also know our next point.

Recompense is coming

Great word, recompense, it means making amends for a harm suffered or to be compensated, rewarded for a harm suffered.

We may not see it this side of our heavenly home, but we can find hope in the promise as we stand fast and persevere in and through the hard time.

(See 2The1:5-7; Mt5:11-12)