“Preemption And Prescription” • 1.25.15
• Calvary Christian Fellowship, Sunday Morning Service
Intro.
- In chapter 1, Paul commended the Thessalonicans for their
growing love and patient endurance through trials and confirmed that
persecutions were normal and their course, correct.
- In the first 12 verses of chapter 2,
Paul clarified the teaching regarding the Day of the Lord, reminding them that
Apostasy and the Antichrist would come first.
- Today, we'll see that Paul concludes this
short epistle with correction. From verse 2:13-3:5, we see correction
that is preemptive. From 3:6-18, we see correction which is
prescriptive.
Intro.
• II Thessalonians 2:13-15 : "But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren
beloved by the Lord, because God from the beginning chose you for salvation
through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth, to which He called you by our
gospel, for the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, brethren, stand fast and
hold the traditions which you were taught, whether by word or our epistle." : The word "but" reveals a
contrast. He is now about address the church again, but had been talking about
her persecutors.
- They had refused to believe the
gospel and were destined to delusion and damnation! They are set apart for
wrath, but God's people are set apart for salvation!
- This is the second time in this
letter that Paul has declared his obligation to give thanks to the Lord for
them, those who are "beloved by the Lord." What a wonderful term and
idea!
- God's redeeming love shines
brightly on every group of believers, including ourselves, who have ever lived!
You are beloved of God!
- As people who are saved, are we
not just as thankful for those who we know are saved as well? Paul looked at
them and marvelled at the fact that God chose them for salvation.
- When he uses the word "beginning," he may mean
before the foundations of the world as he says explicitly in Ephesians 1:4,
or the beginning of the church age, which had just begun.
- Either way, he was amazed at
God's grace in them. God set them apart for salvation. That is sanctification
in the sight of God.
- He purchased you and I at the
Cross and there is now a process taking place in you related to that, in which
the Holy Spirit, cleanses you and makes you fit for His Kingdom.
- This all began in their lives
with the the gospel that the Apostles proclaimed. That invitation was received
and the Thessalonians received their downpayment in the Spirit.
- Nothing, including persecution,
could change this fact for them!
- Their eventual reward is the
glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. There will be a time when that will be in their
possession. It's reserved and on hold for us as well!
- The Holy Spirit's presence in the
believer's life points to a reality found in Christ Jesus! That's what glory
is. It refers to the weight of the merchant's balance that revealed the value
of the object.
- We receive the glory of our Lord
Jesus Christ which now means the world to us. Imagine when we see Him as He
really is, when you stand glorified in the presence of Jesus forever!
- Eternity is the only way to
express that full glory of Christ and will be barely enough time for us to
comprehend and glory in it!
- Before we move on, did you notice
it? God the Father chose you for salvation. God the Holy Spirit sanctifies you
as you believe the truth. God the Son, Jesus, is our reward. The Trinity!
- The Father chose us. That's
justification, salvation past. The Spirit cleanses us. That's sanctification,
salvation present. The Lord Jesus is our reward! That's glorification,
salvation future!
- Now, on account of that plan
which is at work in the lives of the Thessalonians despite their present
difficulties, what does Paul instruct them to do?
- "Sit back and relax! God is
going to do it all despite your efforts!" Not at all! Because God has
effected this plan, Paul commands them to stand fast!
- Maintain your position! Dig in
for the long haul and hold on to the traditions, the instructions, that they
had been taught when they were with them as well as those in the first letter,
to the death!
- There are two things that occur
to me about Paul's words here. First, it's telling to me that the secret to
holding out in a hostile world, isn't found in anything new!
- Paul says for them to continue
doing what they have been doing! Trust your training! It will get you through!
- Second, understand that he refers
them to scripture! That was where the power was then and that is where the
power will continue to be! Don't ever believe different!
• II Thessalonians 2:16,17 : "Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God and Father,
who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace, comfort your hearts and establish
you in every good word and work." : Paul prays that the Lord and the Father would act on their
behalf. They have loved us.
- This can never be debated. God
has loved you in Christ, who demonstrated His Father's love on the Cross, which
stands as the monument to God's love forever!
- That love has given us a comfort
that will last forever and a good hope, a sure expectation by His grace. He
prays that He will continue to comfort and establish them.
- Paul, as a human instrument
ministering to them, can only do so much.
- He can only teach and encourage
and instruct. God must apply that work by His Spirit, making it personal and
permanent!
- God will comfort your hearts
individually, as you walk with Him, as you look to Him in His Word. You will
find His comfort.
- He will also fix, settle you
permanently into place that you might proclaim every good word and perform
every good work that He designed you for.
- Remember that Paul mentions this
in a time of great persecution and suffering. As sufferers, they might have
wondered how Paul could pray this!
- Certainly God wants me to concentrate
on me and our family needs. That is always our need and where we will serve
consistently.
- But, if we waited for everything
to be right in our lives outside of our families, we would never speak or
serve! Thankfully, Paul prays with this understanding.
- He knows that they couldn't
establish or fix themselves into position in order to speak or serve, but he
trusts that the Lord will do this on their behalf. He will set them up to
serve.
• II Thessalonians 3:1-5 : "Finally, brethren, pray for us, that
the word of the Lord may run swiftly and be glorified, just as it is with you, and
that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men; for not all have
faith. But the
Lord is faithful, who will establish you and guard you from the evil one. And we have confidence in the Lord
concerning you, both that you do and will do the things we command you. Now may the Lord direct your hearts
into the love of God and into the patience of Christ." : Paul again enlists their prayers for
the Apostolic band. Their prayer is
not a solicitation for personal safety or prosperity, but that the Word
of the Lord would run freely!
- The picture is of an athlete
moving unhindered, employing all of his faculties, progressing ahead. Paul
prayed that the message that he preached would have legs and be honored among
men.
- It would give Paul great joy to
see the Message of the Gospel received in the same way that the Thessalonians
had received it. He would love to see all men everywhere flourish in the same
way.
- This brings up such a vital
point. The messenger was the same. Paul was a fine preacher, perhaps the finest
that this world has ever seen.
- The Gospel is the greatest news
that has ever been. It stands unrivaled in the world and will be the message
that changes lives for eternity!
- The variable is men. Men must
receive it. Men must believe it for it be be free to run, free to take it's
course in a life! I'm reminded of Lydia in Acts 16:14, whose heart the
Lord opened to heed.
- This is why Paul prays additionally
for deliverance from unreasonable and wicked men.
- "Unreasonable" speaks
of being out of place, perhaps externally because of wickedness or internally
because of an unwillingness to make a place for Christ.
- If that is the thinking behind
this word, then the wickedness is going to manifest itself. He warns them that
not all have faith.
- Indeed, every man who will be
saved will be saved unless he will not!
- Not all have faith, but God is
faithful! They may not have much faith at the moment, but He will fix them into
place and keep a guard, a heavenly military garrison, over them from the evil
one.
- They would be challenged by those
without faith. The same men that Paul was encountering, they would encounter.
Paul reminds them of this that they might not stop what they were doing!
- Not wanting to miss the
opportunity, Paul affirms them again, sharing with them the persuasion that
they shared in the Lord regarding them.
- Paul knew that God was going to
work these things out in the Thessalonians. He trusted the Lord for His power
and the Thessalonians for their capacity to cooperate.
- There was no doubt that they
would do everything that they were commanded! What a joy to the Apostle Paul's
heart.
- He knew that somewhere on the
planet, there were people who were responsive towards the Lord! He prayed that
the Lord would continue to remove the hindrances from their hearts.
- May they be led to the Lord's
love and to Christ's endurance! Before we move on, consider that Paul's
preemptive correction dealt with their security.
- They are fixed into place and
kept by Heaven's special forces. When one has such a notion, they will be free
to follow and work for God. Now that he has finished that, he changes his tone.
• II Thessalonians 3:6-9 : "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, not because we do not have
authority, but to make ourselves an example of how you should follow us." : This final business comes without
ambiguity. This was an Apostolic Command, in the Name of Jesus Christ!
- Paul orders them to come away
from anyone who calls himself a brother, who will not conform to scriptural
standards.
- They're a soldier, but they won't
march. They know the military code, but won't adhere to it. This is not a
selective situation. This is for everyone who behaves this way.
- We study the Bible and recognize it
as God's commands. The church is then responsible to live by them. It is not
enough to know. We are commanded to do.
- They didn't need to look any
farther than the examples of the Apostles. They didn't walk disorderly and these
men were revered!
- They could have walked in any way
they wanted to in the minds of the people, and said, "Do as I say, not as
I do!" but they did not! They marched like everyone else.
- They didn't take advantage of
their status as they visited the church. They didn't eat without working! In fact,
they worked day and night to free the church from any burden at all!
- They could have taken advantage.
They could have used their authority. They chose instead to live out the truth:
Christians pull their own weight and aren't assuming.
- Why does Paul have to say this?
Notice what he says next.
• II Thessalonians 3:10-12 : "For even when we were with you, we
commanded you this: If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat. For we hear that there are some who
walk among you in a disorderly manner, not working at all, but are busybodies. Now those who are such we command
and exhort through our Lord Jesus Christ that they work in quietness and eat
their own bread."
: Like his previous teaching on eschatology, this wasn't anything new.
- They commanded them
along this line when they were with them, letting us know that this was
something that someone felt comfortable doing in front of the Apostle Paul!
- Note also that this
was not the first tactic employed. I
Thessalonians 5:14 records Paul telling the Thessalonicans to "warn those who are unruly."
- The isssue here is
one of rude impropriety and presumption. Paul makes sure that it's clear: If a
person doesn't work, he doesn't eat!
- Paul is not
referring to a person who is out of work. This person refuses to work and preys
upon the grace and charity of his fellow believers!
- When a family is out
of work in the fellowship and are looking for work, the church body is ready
and willing to respond as it is able. That isn't the issue here.
- This person, perhaps
taking advantage of the imminence of the Day of the Lord teaching, seems to
have decided not to work and became a busybody, meddling and interfering.
- Such a person is to
be told strongly, encouraged boldly, to be about their own business and eat
their own bread.
• II Thessalonians 3:13-15 : "But as for you, brethren, do not
grow weary in doing good. And if anyone does not obey our word in this epistle, note that
person and do not keep company with him, that he may be ashamed. Yet do not count him as an enemy,
but admonish him as a brother." : Listen to the heart behind this. Folks, you are a
part of the church. You are one of the brethren.
- To take a brother or
sister to task, to remind them of their responsibility to the Lord and to the
fellowship and to the truth of scripture is a part of being an active member of
the body.
- We're not to be
busybodies seeking out sinful items to add to the agenda, but when they are
revealed, it's good to speak lovingly and truthfully to them!
- In that context,
brethren, don't grow weary in doing good! Don't let repeated situations steal
your spirit! Paul anticipated this issue.
- There will be people
who are unwilling to obey, but still desire to come around. Paul instructs them
simply: Note them and don't keep company with them!
- Put a mark upon them
in your mind. Understand that they have been duly warned. Such a person is to
be excluded from gathering or mixing together.
- Why? To shame him.
To cause him to know the seriousness of their offense! This isn't the end in
and of itself. God wants them to act correctly.
- If we do not comply,
they'll simply continue living this way and that would be a shame upon the rest
of the body!
- We aren't to hate
this man, but our behaviour counsels him to see things in the light of
scripture and in the light of the consequence.
•
II Thessalonians 3:16-18 : "Now may
the Lord of peace Himself give you peace always in every way. The Lord be with
you all. The
salutation of Paul with my own hand, which is a sign in every epistle; so I
write. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be
with you all. Amen." : Above all, the
Thessalonians needed the Lord's peace. They needed peace in their hearts in the
middle of persecution.
-
They needed peace in their hearts regarding the Day of The Lord! They needed
peace as they followed through with church discipline!
-
He prayed that this letter would facilitate that peace and meet them in every
way.
-
It's not enough for there to be some information about God or enough to be
reassured by His ambassadors. Paul says, "The Lord be with you all!"
-
I pray His presence fills you in moments of joy, but overcomes you in times of
struggle!
-
His presence affirms every scripture text and brings home every comfort to the
heart of his people. May He be with you all! May you experience His presence as
you walk with Him!
-
Paul made sure that they knew that this was his authentic letter, as he signed
with his own hand the letter that he was writing.
-
It's possible that this was where the Thessalonians were initially deceived.
Paul makes sure that his distinct signature, what he calls "large
letters" in later epistles, are seen and known.
-
What starts with grace ends with grace! We were founded in God's grace. We are
kept by God's Spirit and grace will see us home to our Champion of grace, Jesus
Christ! Amen!
Conclusion
- Let's pray!
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