Know The Truth Series

INTRODUCTION

• What happens when you do not know or understand the truth on a subject?

• We can easily fall prey to false teachings and to fear.

• Failure to know the truth about God will have eternal ramifications, and as we examine our passages throughout this series, a lack of understanding of the truth can cause one to live life in a way that can negatively impact our relationship with Jesus.

• In our passage today, Paul continues with a subject about which he has already said a great deal.

• Even though Paul had already said a lot concerning the subject of the Second Coming, there was still some false information people were falling for.

• "The main object of this chapter is to correct an erroneous impression which had been made on the minds of the Thessalonians respecting the second coming of Jesus, either by [Paul's] own former letter or by one forged in his name.

• They had received the impression that that event was about to take place.

• This belief had produced an unhappy effect on their minds, 2 Thessalonians 2:2.

• It became, therefore, necessary to state the truth on the subject, to free their minds from alarm" (Albert Barnes, "II Thessalonians," Barnes' Notes on The New Testament).

• After all that has been written today on the subject of the Second Coming, there is still a great deal of false teaching on the subject.

• As it was during Paul's writing of 2 Thessalonians, not understanding the truth can lead to bad theology and possibly impact how we live our lives, along with perhaps waiting for certain "signs" to come before we would consider coming to Jesus.

• The undercurrent to the message today is as follows.

• Where do you go for truth?

• When it comes to faith in Jesus, we go to the Bible.

• I cannot tell you how often people have ideas about God, Jesus, or any other faith issue, and they will share their views with me.

• If the view does not appear to line up with Scripture, I will ask where they find their thought in the Bible.

• Most of the time, their thought or view is not found in the Bible or taken out of context from the Bible.

• When Paul deals with incorrect teaching, Paul combats the teaching with the truth of God's Word.

• In our sermon entitled "Know The Truth," we will delve into the depths of this passage to uncover timeless wisdom that resonates with our lives today.

• Those who call themselves Christians or followers of Jesus are called to seek and know the truth.

• Many subtle traps can lead us astray, and the consequences of being swayed by falsehoods can be devastating.

Big Idea of the Message: Paul encouraged believers not to be misled nor afraid concerning the Second Coming of Christ.

• SNORKLE TIME!

• Let's begin by turning to 2 Thessalonians 2:1-3.

2 Thessalonians 2:1–3 (NET 2nd ed.)

1 Now regarding the arrival of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to be with him, we ask you, brothers and sisters,

2 not to be easily shaken from your composure or disturbed by any kind of spirit or message or letter allegedly from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord is already here.

3 Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not arrive until the rebellion comes and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction.

SERMON

I. Don't be deceived.

• In the latter part of 1 Thessalonians, Paul explained the events that would occur as Jesus returned.

• Some had deceived some of those in the church into thinking they were in the midst of the Day of the Lord.

• This deception led people to live in a way that was not pleasing to God.

• The wrong ideas folks were being tricked into believing were having a negative impact on some in the church.

• In verse one, Paul uses the phrase "being gathered" that Jesus used in Matthew 24:31

Matthew 24:31 (NET 2nd ed.)

31 And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet blast, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

• The same word translated as "WILL GATHER" used by Jesus is used by Paul in 2 Thessalonians 2:1.

• While "our gathering together to Him" does picture both writers and readers as being among the Christians so caught up to meet the Lord, the following verses in the text (that gives us what must happen BEFORE the Second Coming) makes it clear that both writers and the original readers are going to be among the dead who are raised first, before the redeemed are caught up to meet the Lord in the air. (Gareth Reese- 1 & 2 Thessalonians Commentary p.120)