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2 Thessalonians 1:1-12

Opening hymn To God be the Glory

Prayer

Introduction to the Letter

Authorship of the Letter from this pulpit is considered to be The Apostle Paul around the year 51 ad while in Corinth to the Thessalonians.

The Thessalonians were at two extremes in understanding when it came to the return of the Lord. Some understood that the coming of the Lord was immediate rather than imminent. And therefore, some had stopped working and as such they found themselves in need and having to take advantage of others who kept working.

Others were worried that the coming of the Lord had come and went because of the increased persecution that they were suffering which led them to believe that they were suffering judgment. Which lent to fear and discouragement.

The theme of Paul’s letter was to correct these errors for with false doctrine and wrong understanding of pertinent doctrine leads to wrong application.

The Rapture of the church is imminent. There is a spiritual life that is to be lived day by day until the coming of the Lord, whenever it is to come and it will come.

Matthew 24:46 (NASB95) — 46 “Blessed is that slave whom his master finds so doing when he comes.

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Outline

• Thanksgiving and prayer (1:1–12)

• Misunderstanding regarding the Day of the Lord (2:1–17)

• Exhortations to avoid idleness, benediction, and closing (3:1–18)[1]

Questions

1. Who wrote the Second Thessalonians? ________________________________

2. Who was Paul’s companions in Corinth?

________________________________

3. What year was the letter written? ________________________________

Thanksgiving And prayer (1-12)

The Customary greeting is

Grace χάρις [charis /khar·ece/] n[2]

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Grace is all that God is free to do in dealing with the sinner.

Grace is to live accordingly in response to all that the Lord has accomplished, That the Lord is currently doing and the glorious future that is still yet to come with the appearance of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. IN Grace we respond to the Lord and that response is witnessed by how we live our live.

Peace εἰρήνη [eirene /i·ray·nay/] n[3]

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Peace is Harmony between the God and man.

The Peace that Paul refers to is the tranquility of soul, a soul environment of the mature believer who finds his comfort not in circumstances of life but in one’s relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.

From the Father in heaven and from the Lord Jesus Christ,

What is great not only in including Jesus Christ in the Salutation along with the Father it is the Acknowledgement that Jesus Christ, the one who died on the cross still lives. Each time in conversation that we bring up the name Jesus Christ it is an acknowledgement to others that Jesus Christ is alive, and being alive validates every Jot and tittle in the word of God concerning his life death resurrection and ascension. We worship not a dead martyr, but the very much living king of kings Lord of Lords.

2 Thessalonians 1:3 (NASB95) — 3 We ought always to give thanks to God for you, brethren, as is only fitting, because your faith is greatly enlarged, and the love of each one of you toward one another grows ever greater;

These were brothers and sisters in the faith who are suffering together for the same cause, which is the cause of Christ. the one in the fighting hole is closer to you than a brother. You eat the same dirt, cry the same tears, sweat the same sweat. Every treacherous mile is shared by your brother and sister right next to you, every step of the way. and more importantly, both share the same bread and cup in communion with the Lord Jesus Christ.

Paul’s Love and compassion for the people is genuine.

Paul has it for the people and the People’s love for one another is growing. This becomes a gauge to the spiritual growth within the Church body.

Personal love for God is reflected in man’s unconditional love for one another.

1 John 4:20–21 (NASB95) — 20 If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen. 21 And this commandment we have from Him, that the one who loves God should love his brother also.

Where there is descension within among people families and even the church hostility in the heart for others it is symptom of one’s disassociation with God.

Questions

1. Write out in Greek the noun that defines harmony between Man and his creator.

_________________________

2. Greek noun for God’s policy dealing with the policy that God uses to deal with the sinner

_____________________________

2 Thessalonians 1:4 (NASB95) — 4 therefore, we ourselves speak proudly of you among the churches of God for your perseverance and faith in the midst of all your persecutions and afflictions which you endure.

25.174 ὑπομονή, ῆς f: capacity to continue to bear up under difficult circumstances—‘endurance, being able to endure.’ τῆς ὑπομονῆς τῆς ἐλπίδος τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ ‘endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ’ 1 Th 1:3.[4]

Important word here because that Hupermone did not comes circumstantially but comes with spiritual growth over time.

James 1:2–4 (NASB95) — 2 Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. 4 And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

1 Peter 1:6–9 (NASB95) — 6 In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, 7 so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ; 8 and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, 9 obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls.

Our growth begins the moment we enter into a relationship with Christ through faith in Christ. Our growth comes through the scriptures, under the filling ministry of God the Holy Spirit that teaches the human spirit the deep things of God.

Growth however does not take place in the classroom, but it takes place as we live our lives day to day out in the world. it is the world that is the proving grounds for our faiths.

Do not undervalue the small skirmishes in our daily lives that come, testing from

1. People

2. Systems

3. Temptations

4. Disasters

5. Injustices

6. Providential suffering

7. persecutions

Sometimes it is from our own bad decisions which requires repentance on our part. This is self-induced misery that requires repentance and naming our sins for the restoration of our walking in the spirit.

Nothing including our suffering Counts for spiritual growth or to God’s satisfaction outside the bounds of our spiritual lives.

Apart from self-induced pressure there are those things that we go through that seems to come upon us with no rhyme or reason.

In such circumstances it is the application of learned truth that is the word of God that we must fall back on and apply to the given circumstance.

It is not just giving it back to God in a form of disassociation. Ours is to recall the pertinent doctrine, applying it to the given crisis, maintaining our Christian integrity each step of the way.

Oh yes, at times we will faulter and stumble but in repentance we get right back into the struggle.

When we succeed by overcoming a given test, our spiritual lives are strengthened and accelerated. Doors are opened for greater revelation and understanding and with greater understanding greater testing and with greater testing more and more muscle is added to the faith.

This ladies and gentleman, this is spiritual growth. This ladies and gentleman, this is how we obtain hupermone.

The Super Bowl is coming and those that will wear God’s Super Bowl ring will be those who have trained and worked out on the field through every kind of challenge.

The importance of our developing the perseverance in our lives is vitally important especially when we realize that our soul purpose in remaining in this life is to Glorify God.

We Glorify God when things are good, but Moreso we have to be ready to glorify God in our suffering. Suffering is our opportunity, it is the cross we bear, and it is through the suffering where our faith’s shine to the pleasure of God and to His angels who are observing

Perseverance is a defeat for our enemy the devil who wants nothing more than for us in the times difficulty to blame God, cower in fear, shake our fists to God and ask why?

Job 1:9–11 (NASB95) — 9 Then Satan answered the Lord, “Does Job fear God for nothing? 10 “Have You not made a hedge about him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. 11 “But put forth Your hand now and touch all that he has; he will surely curse You to Your face.”

I love war movies. But I also love movies of faith. Both War movies and movies of faith portray a struggle leadership and victory.

I loved it when William Wallace (Braveheart) after a victory against the English stood on the hill and lifted his sword and yelled, “freedom!”

I loved the victory portrayed on the TV series, “Little House on the Prairie” where the couple’s baby dies and the father and mother held each other sobbing while the father sights the 23rd Psalm.

I love the ending of the movie, “Hanoi Hilton,” that portrayed the release of the POW’s standing in military formation waiting to be dismissed by their commanding officer also a POW to walk with dignity and board the plane. The enemy may have broken and tortured their bodies but not the spirit.

While the world celebrates victory related to taking physical hills defeating a visible and formable enemy, the greater battle is the one in the soul, a spiritual battle against an invisible enemy.

the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Ephesians 6:12 (NASB95)

Paul begins himself with words of encouragement because He himself have been encouraged.

Times of trouble are upon us who have never experienced such before. As Children of light, it is the light that is being attacked. IN fact, it has been under attack for a great while. Some areas aggressively with direct persecution, but in other areas of relative peace, wolves have been nipping away at the very foundation of the Church and our faiths for a long while in order that when suffering from persecution begins the church will not have the strength to endure.

Heed my words now!

While we have yet a small window of opportunity to fortify our hearts with God’s word. Be consistent with prayer, and build your relationship with the Lord now, for when you stand trial for your faith, under persecution, you will stand firm and unyielding having no doubt in whom you represent.

Sun Tuz “In Peace we prepare for war. IN war we prepare for peace.”

We not only do and grow in our spiritual lives for our own edification and spiritual growth but also as an encouragement to others who will follow our example in the faith.

The great encourager is not when someone comes beside you and says, “come on, you can do it.” the greatest encourage comes in the showing another how its done. Paul the teacher, while he is sending encouragement, he is encouraged having heard the report of the good fight of faith.

Questions

1. Write out the Greek Noun for perseverance _________________

2. IN James 1 what is are we to count as Joy? _________________________ ______________________________

3. In 1 Peter 1 what does Peter say is more precious than Gold

a. God’s word

b. The mature believer

c. The proving of your faith

d. Love

4. What must we do when we do stumble and sin to have our spiritual lives restored?

a. Repent, confess, and move on

b. Forget our failures because they were judged on the cross

c. Repent and confess to the preacher or priest

d. Make it up to God by being better

5. How often will God forgive us our sins? __________________________

2 Thessalonians 1:5–6 (NASB95) — 5 This is a plain indication of God’s righteous judgment so that you will be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which indeed you are suffering. 6 For after all it is only just for God to repay with affliction those who afflict you,

God is perfectly Just and from the justice comes blessing and cursing.

God is the perfect paymaster who keeps perfect books of accounts payable and accounts receivable.

Galatians 6:7–10 (NASB95) — 7 Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. 8 For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. 9 Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary. 10 So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith.

God not only repays the wicked for their inequity but also from the same justice blesses the faithful.

2 Thessalonians 1:5 so that you will be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which indeed you are suffering.

Providential suffering is that suffering for blessing.

The believer in Yeshua is being trained, strengthened and proved for rulership function in the eternal state.

You football players should understand this more than any of us. That before you can play in the varsity Game you must sweat bleed and be worked out on the training field.

Life is the training field. This is where we sweat bleed weep strain beaten down over and over again and expected to stand back up.

While in our carnality we may wince a little or even a lot, when the coach calls us on the field for we know it will not be easy, we none the less are motivated due to the fact that in the proving of the faith develops one’s steadfastness. (james 1:3)

Some Christians spend their whole spiritual lives running from the pressure. They become good at avoiding every battle.

Tim and I saw this in the Marines. There were those Marines that were good at getting out of things. when the force marches came, they were in the sick bay lines. When it came time for inspections where you stood for hours in the hot sun, they were faint and sat out. When military exercises came around, they found ways to be in the rear with the gear.

But you could always count on them joining you on liberty. There were not many at all standing in the sickbay line.

Another place that we didn’t see them was standing before promotion boards or later on taking charge of small units because of their lack of preparedness.

And even worst what happens when one is so content to stay in the rear with the gear and the battle front comes to them and they are not ready for battle.

God uses prepared believers.

To God’s Glory, the Lord sends in the prepared believer not only to serve in places but to suffer in places.

When the Lord puts you in the game against a tough opponent it is for God’s Glory and for your blessing. All the tough work you have gone through to prepare, God blesses you with suffering.

And when you are put on the field by God its that your are ready and equipped for action.

1 Corinthians 10:13 (NASB95) — 13 No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.

IN the time when evil is allowed to have its say as one that is presenting his defense in the court room, there is coming a time when the Judge will strike his gavel down to render the final verdict of guilty.

2 Thessalonians 1:6–9 (NASB95) — 6 For after all it is only just for God to repay with affliction those who afflict you,

Because of this we can set aside our hatred for our enemy and replace with Love and be praying for our enemy.

Because of this we can hand over all of our injustices into the hands of the Judge that sees all hears all and knows all the facts.

Closing Hymn And can it be

Prayer

[1] Barry, J. D., Mangum, D., Brown, D. R., Heiser, M. S., Custis, M., Ritzema, E., Whitehead, M. M., Grigoni, M. R., & Bomar, D. (2012, 2016). Faithlife Study Bible. Lexham Press. [2] Strong, J. (1995). In Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon. Woodside Bible Fellowship. [3] Strong, J. (1995). In Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon. Woodside Bible Fellowship. [4] Louw, J. P., & Nida, E. A. (1996). In Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament: based on semantic domains (electronic ed. of the 2nd edition., Vol. 1, p. 307). United Bible Societies.