PENTECOST 22 – November 10, 2019 – 2 Thess. 2:1-8
Introduction: Grace be to you and peace, from God our Father, and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Our text is the Epistle Lesson just read, from 2 Thessalonians 2. We begin with prayer.
Dear fellow disciples of our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ:
- There is so much to be alarmed about. Every day we watch the news, listen to the news, or read the news. Always there are frightening and horrifying things that we are made aware of. Fires, droughts, floods, storms, wars, crimes, and accidents.
- There are things to be alarmed about in our families and in our personal lives. Illnesses come. Surgeries are required. Jobs may be lost. Relationships can become challenging. Our finances may be troubling.
- Likewise, there always seems to be much to be alarmed about in our own personal spiritual lives – sins of weakness we commit each day, doubts we have about the Bible’s teachings, perhaps even doubts about God. We may not have a good sense about where we are at spiritually, in our relationship with God.
- When we consider the “church,” we also find much to be alarmed about. We read of churches, whole denominations, who have forsaken biblical teachings, plain, clear teachings about sin, about creation and the age of the earth, about the nature of the Gospel itself. Troubles arise in our own denomination as well.
- Then there are congregational troubles – people coming and going, people getting angry and leaving. We have difficulty at times with the many tasks involved in keeping a congregation going – from issues with the building and property, to recruiting Sunday School teachers, and officers and Board members. Then there are financial concerns. These struggles can be troubling, even alarming!
- Paul speaks of another concern that some may have – that the day of the Lord has already come, and that we have missed out. However, he then goes on to inform us of another troubling and alarming thing – the coming of “the man of lawlessness, the son of destruction.” When we note that he will “take his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God,” this troubles us. His place will be within the church! However, Paul hastens to add that this lawless one will be brought to nothing, destroy by the Lord Jesus.
- So the message of Paul stands: “DO NOT BE ALARMED!” For:
I. The Coming Of Jesus Is All Good For Believers
A. We Are Already Redeemed
Romans 3:23-25 “All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, and are justified by His grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as an atonement by His blood, to be received by faith.”
2 Cor. 5:19 “God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them.”
B. We Have Been Called To Be Children Of God, And That Is What We Are
Text: “God chose you as the first fruits to be saved, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth. To this He called you through our gospel, so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Eph. 2:4-6 “But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ – by grace you have been saved – and raised us up with Him and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.”
Rom. 8:14-17 “For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by Whom we cry, ‘Abba! Father!’ The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with Him in order that we may also be glorified with Him.”
C. We Will Be Gathered To Him
Text: “Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to Him.”
Matt. 25:31-35 “When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. Before Him will be gathered all the nations, and He will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And He will place the sheep on His right, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.’”
D. So, Do Not Be Shaken, No Matter What The Source, But Be Firm And Strong
Text: “We ask you, brothers, not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed, either by a spirit or a spoken word, or a letter seeming to be from us , to the effect that the Lord has come. Let no one deceive you in any way. . . . Stand firm and hold to the traditions that you were taught by us, either by our spoken Word or by our letter. Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and God our Father, Who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace, comfort your hearts and establish them in every good work and word.”
Statement: In view of all that God has given us, it is certain that He will shelter, protect, and preserve us. It is as Paul logics: “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son but gave Him up for us all, how will He not also with Him graciously give us all things?” [Rom. 8:31,32]
Application: So “DO NOT BE ALARMED” about anything! We know that the world is a wicked and dangerous place. We know that we are on a trajectory toward physical demise and death. But we also know that path leads to heaven, and eternal life with God! We know all that can go wrong, yet we also know that God is “working all things together for the good of those who love Him, those who are called according to His purpose.” [Rom. 8:28]
This is all true even though Paul warns us that:
II. Still We Must Endure The Antichrist In The Church
A. We Will Have To Bear His Idolatry And Blasphemy
Text: He opposes and exalts himself against every so-call god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God.”
B. We Will Have To Witness His Power And Ability To Deceive
Text: “That day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed.”
C. But We Will Also Witness Jesus Destroying Him
Text: “Then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will kill with the breath of His mouth and bring to nothing by the appearance of His coming.”
Statement: All of this seems troubling, and we may be tempted to be alarmed when we see these things happening. So we must remember the realities – the Lord Jesus remains in power and control, and He will prevail. He is the One Who has redeemed us and saved us. He did so that we “may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.” This is what is coming!
Application: So we need to learn also to take the bad news in stride, to always contrast it with what God has done for us and what He has promised us! Then we will stand firm, and remain in the comfort and good hope of God, and we will not be alarmed.
Conclusion: And as God comforts our hearts, He also seeks to establish them in every good work and word. This too keeps us from being “shaken in mind” or alarmed! May He do so for us! Thanks and praise be to God. Amen.
Votum: And the peace of God, which surpasses all human understanding, shall keep you hearts and minds in the true faith, which is in Christ Jesus, even unto life everlasting, Amen.