2 Thessalonians 1:1-12
INTRODUCTION:
A few months after writing his FIRST letter to them, Paul writes his SECOND letter to the Christians at Thessalonica.
WHY did he write this 2nd letter?
o The 1st letter didn’t answer all their questions.
o Persecution had intensified (1:4).
o They got a letter from someone claiming to be Paul … but this letter wasn’t from Paul (2:2).
o Some had quit their jobs to wait for the Rapture (3:11).
Because they were under such intense persecution by fellow Thessalonians, they thought God was displeased with them.
Have you ever felt this way?
- When things go wrong … or bad things happen to you … do you feel like God is punishing you … or is displeased with you?
This is called “The Principle of Retribution”.
- It is at the heart of every major religion.
- If you displease the gods, they will get you … floods, famines, fire, disease are the result of the wrath of the gods.
- If you don’t appease the gods, they will take it out on you.
It’s amazing how many Christians have the same idea about God.
- Many Christians believe that God will reward the people who do good with prosperity … and punish those who do bad with suffering.
We learn this from childhood.
- Good behavior earns you rewards … bad behavior earns you pain or disaster.
We carry this into our Christianity.
- Suffering is a sign that God is displeased with you … prosperity is a sign that God is pleased with you.
- This is where we get the “Name it, Claim it” philosophy.
- i.e., if you have enough faith, God will reward you financially, physically & spiritually.
- If you don’t have enough faith, that’s why you’re sick, poor & unsuccessful.
We get to thinking that when things go right, God is pleased with me.
- AND … when things go wrong, God must be displeased with me.
- That’s not how God works! But that’s how the Thessalonians thought God worked.
THE TRUTH IS … you can be PLEASING God … and everything seems to be going wrong.
- AND … you can be DISPLEASING God … and everything seems to be going right.
The WICKED can PROSPER … and the GODLY can go through TOUGH TIMES.
- I’ve seen it … HAVEN’T YOU?
- David saw it … and it troubled him … Ps. 73:2-3, 5, 12, 16, 21 – all turn
- THEN … David got his answer – 73:16-18
The Thessalonian Christians were under severe persecution … so they thought they must be doing something wrong.
- Paul wrote this letter to clear that up.
1:1-2 – “grace … and peace”
Paul knows that this is what they need right now:
“grace” … to let them know that God is a “gracious” God … Who will give them the faith they need to grow in their persecution … and be victorious.
“peace” … to let them know that God will see them through … and it’s not because they are bad.
1:3 – Paul begins by ENCOURAGING them.
When you’re going through a hard time, you need ENCOURAGEMENT, don’t you?
“thank God” - Paul lets them know that they aren’t a disappointment to him (or God) … but that he thanks God for their faithfulness.
“faith grows exceedingly” – that’s the PURPOSE for trials in our life … to grow our faith.
- If everything went perfectly, we wouldn’t need to trust God for anything, would we?
- “A faith that cannot be tested, cannot be trusted.”
- “Faith” is like a muscle … it has to be exercised to grow stronger.
This is how God proves whether or not your faith is GENUINE … is it there when you need it?
- An easy life leads you to a shallow faith … a life of trials and tribulations leads you to a strong faith.
- Their strong faith was an answer to Paul’s prayers for them – 1 Thess. 3:10
“love abounds” – This was also an answer to Paul’s prayers for them – 1 Thess. 3:12
- Their suffering not only brought them closer to God … BUT … to EACH OTHER.
That’s WHY God allows trials & suffering into our lives.
- It will do you GOOD! Trust Him on this one!
1:4 – “patience” – Another BLESSING of trials and suffering!
You learn “patience” when you go through hard times.
- If everything went well, you would become very IMPATIENT every time you didn’t get your way.
- When you have to trust God, you learn to PATIENTLY rely and wait on Him for your every need … don’t you?
God is doing great things in their lives through the trials & tribulations they are enduring.
- Paul is telling them to live up to 1 Thess. 5:18 …
“glory in you” … They are a TESTIMONY to other Christians.
- Your life in times of trials will ENCOURAGE other CHRISTIANS … when they see that God is faithful when the going gets tough.
- The LOST will see that Christianity WORKS … that Jesus is REAL … that God is FAITHFUL and can be TRUSTED.
Let me ask you … Are you a MUSHROOM … or a mighty OAK?
- A mushroom will grow overnight … but when trials come, it is easily kicked over.
- A mighty oak takes time … and the winds and drought only cause the roots to grow deeper into the ground.
- SO, when the storms come, it will stand.
1:5 – Their suffering was “manifest evidence” that God was working in their lives.
You want PROOF that God loves you and cares about you?
- THEN … look at your life … Are there trials & troubles? Is God seeing you through it all?
- THEN … God has proven His love to you … 1 Thess. 5:18
- God wouldn’t love you very much if He allowed you to be a MUSHROOM … would He?
When you became a Christian, Satan put a target on your back.
- Because you are a child of God, following Jesus will cause you some problems that wouldn’t otherwise be there if you weren’t a Christian.
- A problem-free, trouble-free, care-free Christian life is IMPOSSIBLE … you have a target on your back.
- Satan WILL throw his fiery darts at you … GUARANTEED!
“righteous judgment” – God isn’t allowing troubles & trials in your life to PUNISH you.
- God isn’t UNFAIR to you, just because He allows you to suffer.
- Just the OPPOSITE.
- He allows suffering because He is “righteous” … and is preparing them to be strong for their life in the present kingdom of God … and preparing them for Heaven.
1:6 – God’s judgment on the LOST is also a “righteous thing”.
God will repay the lost for their causing tribulation to the Thessalonian Christians.
- It may not come in THIS LIFE … but it WILL come.
- A holy and righteous God cannot let sin go unpunished … He CAN’T! … or He wouldn’t be “righteous”.
WHEN is God going to bring judgment to those who are persecuting them?
1:7-8 – When Jesus comes at the RAPTURE (1 Thess. 4:13-18), He will come to take us away from all out trials & suffering.
When Jesus comes at the REVELATION (at the end of the Tribulation Period), He will come to bring judgment to those left behind at the Rapture.
- This is what Paul is speaking of here.
Rom. 12:19 – “Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.”
- We aren’t to seek vengeance … or revenge … it is GOD’S to give.
- Judgment IS coming … God is just & righteous … He HAS to punish the wicked.
- We don’t see a lot of JUSTICE in the world today … but JUSTICE is coming.
HOW is God going to punish the wicked?
1:9 – “everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord”
The lost will be forever separated from God.
- They will reap what they have sown.
- They distanced themselves from God while on earth … God will distance Himself from them for eternity.
“the glory of His power” … How do YOU see God’s POWER?
- The CHRISTIAN sees God’s power as a “glory” … as the glorious presence of God in our life.
- The LOST will not see the “glory” of God’s power … they will see God’s power in judgment, wrath, and vengeance.
What will His coming to judge the lost mean to the Christian?
1:10 – When Jesus comes at the REVELATION, we (who have been raptured) will come with Him.
We will come with Jesus to show off His “glory” … the “glory” of God’s plan of salvation.
- We will be like God’s trophies … the proof of the work of Christ’s atonement for believing sinners.
- We will reflect the glory of God … it will be a victory parade for Jesus … He will be given the glory that He deserves.
RIGHT NOW, Jesus isn’t very highly thought of by the world … He is ridiculed, blasphemed, and thought to be irrelevant.
- BUT … when Jesus comes at the REVELATION, the whole world will marvel at the glory and majesty of Jesus … because of what He has done for us who have believed.
1:11-12 – Paul begins his prayer for them.
“worthy of this calling” – they are encouraged to live up to their calling.
- When our faith is tried, we reveal our worth.
EX.: You don’t know if a bill is counterfeit, UNLESS, you closely examine it.
- When you put it to the test, the genuineness will be revealed.
Paul is telling them that these trials are just proving that their faith is genuine.
- AND … through it all … Jesus will be glorified …will receive all the honor and glory.
CONCLUSION: Romans 8:18
It’s hard to see how all our trials & troubles are a “blessing in disguise”.
- That takes FAITH … BUT … you can trust God that it’s true.
OUTLINE FOR BULLETIN
2 Thessalonians 1:1-12
INTRODUCTION: The Thessalonian Christians thought God was
displeased with them because of all the persecution.
- Suffering is not a sign that God is displeased with you …
prosperity is not a sign that God is pleased with you.
- Psalm 73:2-3, 5, 12, 16, 21 … the answer: 73:16-18
1:1-2 – God is a “gracious” God who will give them “peace” to
go through their persecution.
1:3 – Paul encourages them … they aren’t a disappointment to God.
- The purpose of trials is to grow a stronger faith.
- “A faith that cannot be tested, cannot be trusted.”
- Their “faith” and “love” was an answer to Paul’s prayers for them (1 Thessalonians 3:10,12).
1:4 – Trials makes you “patiently” wait on God for His provision.
- The storms of life will topple a mushroom, but not a mighty oak.
1:5 – Trials & troubles are a proof that God loves you.
- You became a target for Satan when you were saved.
- Trials & troubles are preparing you for kingdom living NOW … and for Heaven later.
1:6 – God’s judgment on the lost is “righteous” … and SURE!
1:7-8 – When Jesus comes at the REVELATION, He will come to bring judgment on the wicked – Romans 12:19
1:9 – God will distance Himself from those who distanced themselves from Him.
- We see God’s power as “glory” … the lost will see God’s power in judgment.
1:10 – We will come back with Jesus at the REVELATION to show off the proof of Christ’s atonement.
- We will reflect the grace of God, giving Him the glory He deserves.
1:11-12 – Paul prays that they will live up to their calling, and reveal the genuineness of their faith because of their persecution.
CONCLUSION: Romans 8:18
- Your trials are a “blessing in disguise” … trust Him!
