Worthy of Our Calling — 2 Thessalonians 1-3

0:00 Good morning everyone. Good morning. We're continuing our study in the book of Thessalonians. We're in second Thessalonians today. We're starting the second Thessalonians second letter.

0:13 I'll be doing Chapter one. Ray Gonzales is scheduled on the twenty ninth and he'll be doing Chapter two. Ray wanted to switch for today but there's no way I was giving up Chapter one. You'll see that more later. And then in December, first week of December, I think Denzel Boss, unless we change something, will be doing Chapter three.

0:41 So, the, let's have a word of prayer and then we'll launch into it. Father, we thank you for the gift of your word. Help us to to read it, to listen to it, to to live it, and to share it. We pray that you help help me, help us this morning now in these few minutes to to listen to what you would have us to hear. We ask this in our lord Jesus name.

1:05 Amen. As Ray mentioned a month ago or so, probably the single biggest subject matter for Thessalonians is the Lord's return. But there's a lot of smaller things too. When I was at Boys to Men last month at Mountaintop Camp, there was an ice breaking activity that we did. Aunt Timothy explained it to me, it's called Zoom.

1:34 And we were given, I think there was about 30 images on 8.5 by 11 size and they all were meant to fit together. And the activity was for the boys to... They couldn't show each other the image they had, but they could discuss it. And so our assignment was to put them in order from the biggest picture down to the most detailed picture. And what was the big picture, Timothy?

2:06 World. The world, yeah. The first picture showed just the circular earth and it zoomed in from there. The final image was the difference between the size of a rooster's crow, is that the right term? The size of their whatever.

2:25 Crow, okay. Comb. Comb, see I'm still a city slicker. But there was dozens of images in between you got more and more detail. And one of the purposes of this letter the second Thessalonian letter, was to give more detail.

2:44 There was confusion about the Lord's return. Another reason was to give encouragement to the Christians there because they were going through a tough time. Paul and Timothy and Thales had spent approximately three weeks there in Thessalonica before they literally were chased out of town. So he was writing to give them encouragement. And the third, another reason was to correct some wrong thinking, to rebuke a negligent, some of the negligent Christians.

3:19 These letters were written, very close together, maybe as little as a few weeks, maybe a couple of months. And these were the first letters written, we believe, of the New Testament about fifteen years or so after the resurrection and the Lord's return to heaven. So I think it's very appropriate. If you think about it, if if the leader of your faith, the Lord Jesus is gone and you're kind of left there standing as the Lord ascended, the apostles were looking there watching him ascend into heaven. They probably had a lot of a lot of questions.

3:57 So this is a very appropriate letter that the lord would give the early church about what's going to happen. He is going to come back. He didn't just leave them without leave information. However, in chapter one here of two Thessalonians, Paul is clarifying the distinction between the wrap, well he's not really clarifying, it's something that we can observe by looking at it. The return mentioned here in chapter one of two Thessalonians is the Lord's second coming.

4:33 Of course, His first coming is when He came as a as a baby, He was born as a baby and grew up and and laid down His life for us. That was the first coming. The second coming is going to be a coming for judgment. The first coming was a coming of of of salvation. So, let's let's read the chapter and then then we'll work through verse by verse.

5:41 This is a indication of god's righteous judgment so that you may be considered worthy of the kingdom of god for which indeed you are suffering. For after all, it is only just for god to repay with affliction those who afflict you and to give relief to you who are afflicted and to us as well when the lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire. Dealing out retribution to those who do not know god and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. And these will pay the penalty of eternal destruction away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power. When he comes to be glorified in his saints on that day and to be marveled at among all who have believed for our testimony to you was believed.

6:33 To this to this end also, we pray for you always that our god may count you worthy of your calling and fulfill every desire for goodness and the work of faith with power. In order that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you and you in him according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ. Subsequent to my introduction, I have three three main points. And the first one is that the Thessalonian believers were growing Christians. Their faith was greatly enlarged.

7:14 The second main point is that of the coming judgment of God on the wicked, verses six through 10. And my last point, really, the conclusion as well, is verses eleven and twelve, faithful Christianity. But let's look... So let's look first at the components of the testimony of these Thessalonians. And I find it interesting as Paul begins this letter, as he writes this letter, chapter one has to do with encouragement.

7:51 Chapter two has to do with correction. And then Chapter three has to do with rebuke. But he's preparing their heart for their correction. And I think that's a very helpful observation for us too. If we need to correct a brother or a sister or whoever, even an employee or whoever needs, whoever's in your circle that needs to get some advice or to get some correction, maybe prepare them for that properly so that you can earn their ear and win their heart and have an effective conversation with them.

8:30 And that I think is what Paul is doing here. And he's praising them. He and Paul and Timothy, let me just step back there for a minute too. I mentioned a couple weeks ago during some thoughts I shared with one of you, one of my favorite quotes from baseball guy that just died. Yogi Berra.

8:52 Yogi Berra. I love having a bad memory because you have so many surprises. But one of the things Yogi Berra said that I really appreciate is, you can observe a lot by just watching. You can observe a lot by just watching. And I looked at this first verse and I realized, Paul apostle.

9:12 Is He's arguably the leader, probably not arguably, but he is the leader. But he's got Silas and Timothy with him doing a work. And that holds true for us today. Any work we're doing is a partnership really. There's not any individual works per se.

9:31 You pick someone that was effective and they had a team, they were a team. We like to use the name D. L. Moody, but he had a team. Billy Graham had a team.

9:40 So be connected to others for your personal team to serve the Lord. And Paul and Silas and Timothy were a team. But, to get back to where we were, he was commending them for their faith. First of all, they had a great love for each other. And that should be a common trait for all Christians.

10:41 So love is a building block for unity. Also, besides their love for each other, they were witnessing Christians. In the first book, chapter one and verse eight, it talks about how the how they were how the word, their word of faith was going out all around, not just where they live, but beyond. Joseph Aldrich wrote a book decades ago called Lifestyle Evangelism, and he identifies four characteristics of a healthy Christian. Number one is a learning person.

11:16 A learning person. Secondly, a fellowshipping person, someone who's part of the team. Third, a worshiping person. And then lastly, a serving person. And the Thessalonians were excelling in those areas.

11:38 They were learning, they were fellowshipping, worshiping, and serving. And those carry right on over to characteristics of a healthy church. Are the scriptures being taught? And we desire that that is the case here, that the scriptures are being taught. A fellowshipping community, and the fellowship here is is biblical, I believe.

12:06 It's very helpful. Obviously, some of you are my closest friends and and vice versa. The needs that are met here, Ray tells us often how good we are. Ray has a chance to travel around. I've traveled around a little bit too.

12:23 And there are a lot of meetings that are really struggling and frankly are out of balance. So we have a lot to be thankful for here. A community of a good environment. Not that there's not room for growth, but we have a lot to be thankful for. A responding community is another characteristic of a healthy church.

12:45 Serving, worshiping. We have as part of our tradition and conviction to remember the Lord each Sunday. And that is a valuable thing to do. And then deploying agency. I guess we can appreciate that term from a writer of a book who uses fancy language.

13:11 Deploying agency. But by that he means we're sending people out. We're going out with the gospel. Are fulfilling the great commission, endeavoring to do that, whether it's through an Awana club or kids clubs or the difficulty of sending a family halfway across the world or to camp ministry or whatever, we're investing in the spreading of the gospel. And so were the Thessalonians.

14:21 For your perseverance and faith in the midst of all your persecutions, that word there has to do with remaining under. They were holding up. They weren't running away, but they were carrying on with the demands of their circumstances, adjusting the load as necessary to keep going. They were accepting the challenges as being from God. They kept the faith, and that's a challenge for all of us.

14:59 I agree with Bob's remark that all of us are going through some great difficulty and we could all share the burdens that we are facing and we often do. But all of us, no matter who you are in this room, whether you're 88 or only eight, you have burdens that you're bearing, but you can cast those upon the lord. Scriptures tell us that all those who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. When I originally prepared this message, and I'll I'll admit, I preached these same notes 27 ago in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. That's another story.

15:50 A friend of mine who was mentoring me, I didn't realize at the time, but he invited me to join him on one of his preaching assignments. He said, Roger, bring some notes because you just might need them. So I took some notes and I needed them. But back in that day, there was a Christian radio station in Milwaukee where I was living and there still is, WBCY. And the manager of that station was always in hot water because he was speaking out against some of the sins of the city.

16:27 And and I think that might have been the springboard for this for this message. Thessalonians too are being persecuted. But they were holding firm. I want to look at a verse, couple of verses in Romans five. This in the context of of why we have to go through trials.

16:51 And the benefit of them. Romans five verses three, four, and five. And not only this, but we always exalt in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance. And perseverance proven character, and proven character hope. And hope does not disappoint because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

17:18 Perseve... Tribulations bring perseverance, perseverance, proven character, proven character, hope. And hope does not disappoint because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. One of the ways that I endure trials is knowing that the Lord is with me and He knows and cares very much. And also another verse referred to this morning in James chapter one, verses we might hate but they're there.

17:47 Consider it all joy when you consider various trials. So trials bring about growth. One of the trials that I it's not a personal trial per se, but many of you read... Have heard about it through the prayer chain. Two weeks ago today, my brother-in-law, Bob, was in church, and he was probably leading music that Sunday.

18:15 He was maybe preaching, I don't know. On Monday he felt a little bit ill and he would swim every day, every day of the week. Monday through Friday he'd swim. He was taught at the university there. So he'd go in early and swim, felt a little bit sick.

18:30 Tuesday he felt a little bit more sick. So as the day wore on he felt more and more sick. So he went to the doctor. To make a long story short, they sent him to the emergency room and within forty eight hours of going to the emergency room, he had a diagnosis of acute leukemia. And for the last ten or eleven days, he's been in the hospital, laying in a hospital bed, getting treatment.

18:53 His life has been absolutely turned upside down. So you never know when the trial is going come and what it's going to do to you. But one of the things that struck me was my sister sent me a message, thank you for your prayer. Bob was having a difficult day, which is understandable. You think about it.

19:14 But she says, keep giving thanks and keep praying. So my sister has a commendable spirit in her in this trial, but but keep praying. And that's just one trial in one person's life. You all have trials in your life too that are great and overwhelming, but we can take them to the Lord. And that is something that the Thessalonians apparently were were doing.

19:54 Eat, drink, and be merry, for suffering will follow. But because they were hanging in there, their attitude and their faith demonstrated their their true conversion. They were worthy of the kingdom of god. Their faith was real. When the go...

20:14 When their going got tough, they kept going. So, the testimony of the Thessalonians was was solid and of course, that's a challenge to us. My middle point now is the coming judgment of god on the wicked. And this is not something that we glory in. This is a terrible time coming for those who do not know the Lord.

20:43 And this passage clearly states, these verses six through 10, just how horrible the destiny of the wicked is. This this punishment is eternal. And what makes it so bad is that it's away from the presence of the Lord. Donald Guthrie, a theologian of the previous generation, made the remark that to be excluded from God's presence is the real meaning of hell. To be excluded from god's presence is the real meaning of hell.

21:22 Despite the rampancy of sin in this world, there's still a lot of god's glory which is manifest whether it's in in nature or whether it's in His redeemed creatures or just rain falling upon the just and the unjust, beautiful days, beautiful landscapes, the trees. There's a lot of God's glory present here. But this in its... Verse nine is just sobering. And these will pay the penalty of eternal destruction away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power.

22:06 There'll be absolutely no influence of God upon those who do not put their faith in him. And there's two different categories here. In verse eight, those who do not know God and those who do not obey the gospel of God, The willfully ignorant. Now I can't answer all the questions you might have for me as far as what about those people that never heard. So I'll admit that.

22:45 But we do know that God does not... Is not willing that any should perish. We know that the heavens declare the glory of God. We know the testimony of nature, Romans one and two and throughout the Psalms. And I'm not even sure that to be saved, you have to understand all the points of theology that are expounded in the New Testament.

23:18 In fact, I know that's not true because the moment we are saved, we certainly have much to learn. So, the object of of faith has always been the lord Jesus. God knows people's hearts. So, even if they've never read the four spiritual laws, I believe they can still be saved. So, that's the Lord's doing.

23:42 However, you also have the willfully disobedient. And this verse was read earlier this morning. We know how the Lord Jesus came to earth to His own people, the Israelites, and we read He came unto His own and they did not receive Him. But in John three, He who believes in Him is not judged. He who does not believe has been judged already because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten son of God.

24:12 And also verse 36, he who believes in the son has eternal life, but he who does not obey the son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him. If you do not take... If you do not respond to the gospel with obedience, you are under the wrath of God. It's a very sobering thing. And this wrath of God coming upon those who do not believe or who do not obey is not simply because God's a big bully and He wants to beat everybody up.

24:58 It's because of His righteousness. And that's why the that's why god sent his son in the first place so that we would not have to undergo his wrath. So, it's not as though god's the bad guy. The fact that there's punishment illustrates that there is a holy God who is the creator, who is to be worshipped, who is to be obeyed. And this judgment that Paul is referring to here is part of this what happens when the Lord returns.

26:08 In the second coming, when the Lord returns, he's coming to the earth. The rapture is coming for the saints. At the second coming, He's coming, He's coming with the saints. We'll be going... We'll be with Him, which of course means if if we're coming with Him at His second coming, we have to be there somehow, which happens at the rapture, I believe.

26:34 The rapture is a mystery, but the second coming is talked about much. Christian read that verse in Psalm 96. It's a common theme in the Old Testament that there'll be a day of reckoning, a day of judgment. And here's how the psalmist puts it in Psalm 96. Speaking in reference to the Lord, for he is coming, for he is coming to judge the earth.

27:04 He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples in his faithfulness. There is a coming day. Those of you might remember a message that Craig Siegelman preached probably five years ago now, but the title of his message or the catchphrase of it was payday someday. Payday someday. Someday everything will be set right.

27:27 It certainly is not set right today in in in the world. The rapture will be a time of blessing. How else can we comfort each other with those words if it was not a blessing? Second coming will be a time of judgment. The rapture will occur in the twinkling of an eye.

27:46 It'll, as Don said, just a snap of a finger and it'll be over. But the second coming, the world will see it. They will see the Lord. The rapture is primarily for the church, dealing with the church, and the second coming is more so with Israel. So, this coming here in chapter one of two Thessalonians is about his second coming when he comes to judge.

28:21 And we could turn to Matthew 13 or Matthew 25 to develop this more, we won't because I'm not prepared for that. But the judgment, this second coming, this judgment has to do with the people that are living in the world at that time. The final judgment will be later. And then the kingdom will be set up at this time. It'll be an awesome event.

28:49 Majesty of it will leave all of us marveling. It'll be a day of victory for Christians and for tribulation saints but it'll be a day of death and destruction for those who do not know God. Okay. And lastly, my third point is faithful Christianity. I'd forgotten about this prayer at the end of chapter one, where Paul mentions his prayer that they would walk worthy of their calling.

30:03 But the highest category we have is to be worthy Christians. We take that title Christian, which is a new identity. We're identifying ourselves as Christ. So let's walk worthy of that calling. But fortunately, God gives us help in this.

30:21 And let's turn to two Peter chapter one. This was another passage I developed into a into a sermon back in those Wisconsin days. I remember another brother saying, hey, Roger. I've been invited to preach at a assembly and cut a hay, but how would you like to go and have that blessing? And I did, and I was blessed.

30:56 But this is is one of my favorite chapters as well. Second Peter chapter one verse three and four. Seeing that his divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness. Through the true knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and excellence. For by these he has granted to us precious and magnificent promises, in order that by them you might become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust.

31:25 Life is a battle, but if we remember that the Lord is battling with us, we can have better better success. We can live more worthy. We can live worthy of our calling. And we have the benefit too of knowing how it all turns out. Someday, we will be delivered from this world and we'll be with the Lord in glory.

32:23 And we live that... We do that when we live as though we have a proper understanding of Him. I know we don't get much encouragement from the from the world. One of the greatest hindrances to sharing crises that very few people want to hear and it's kind of depressing. But there's still glory in doing it.

32:43 Even those few times that we've gone door to door in this neighborhood around here, most of the people don't want to talk. But there still is a joy in the doing of it and a joy together as we do it together. And of course, the Holy Spirit helps us to glorify the name. He points us he points us to the Lord. He helps us to understand his word.

33:15 Before the Lord went back, he explained to the disciples that the Holy Spirit was going to come to remind them of things about himself. And we have the great blessing of having the word of God to guide us. So I hope you have been encouraged. I hope you've learned a few things. As we've just observed, this first chapter of two Thessalonians, Paul's main point was to correct or to instruct but in this first chapter, he's spending time ministering to the saints to encourage them before he gets to some really difficult things like in chapter two which which Ray is going to handle for us.

34:01 Thankfully, so let's let's close with the word of prayer. Father, we are grateful that we have a hope beyond this world. We thank you that we have your spirit to instruct us. We know we stumble in many ways but help us father to come back to you and to to your word to be instructed, to be guided. We pray too father for the challenges of life that all of us are facing, different ones, unique to our situations, but in some ways, similars.

34:37 Help us to just hold, to encourage one another as we go through these difficulties, to pray for one another, to to give words of encouragement, share, share help as we are as we are able. Father, we pray for this local testimony here in Westlake that we will be faithful to you, that we can be found worthy of our calling. That you will equip us for the work that remains before us. Both within and and without. Within as a body and outside as the world that you would that you would guide us.

35:16 We just entrust ourselves to you now in our lord Jesus name. Amen.