Stand Up, Get Ready And Hold On

Stand Up! Get Ready! Hold On!

2 Thessalonians 2:1-17

The book of 2 Thessalonians is one of my favorite books of the Bible. I love to read Paul’s exhortations and encouragement to the Church because it reminds me that we won’t be here much longer, but we are headed for a better place. I know that we talk about it a lot here at Victory Temple but I don’t think that we can ever stress this message enough.

I don’t know about you but I’m ready for the coming of the Lord. No matter how long Jesus waits or how much we pray there will always be many who will not heed the call or hear the warnings.

Sure we want to see all our loved ones saved. Sure we want our friends and family to be in the Rapture with us, but the sad fact is that it is most likely that not all of them will because they just keep putting it off.

Paul’s writings are for the church in this book and not for those who are playing church either. He is writing to what Bro. Swaggart called the True Blue, Sin killing, devil chasing, blood bought, sold out, Spirit filled, adopted Sons of God! (I can’t say it like he can but you get the gist of it all) Paul is writing to you and to me.

Listen to what he has to say in this passage of chapter 2 of the book of 2 Thessalonians.

2 Thessalonians 2:1,2; Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.

Don’t ever forget that Jesus is coming, don’t let the devil lull to sleep, don’t allow doubts to come into your mind, don’t allow anything, anybody, anywhere to persuade you that the Coming of the Lord is not very near, even at the door. Too many people are living a state of lethargy and they act as though the Lord is coming all right, but not now. They live like he’s coming in 6 months, a year or maybe not even in their lifetime. I’m convinced that I am living in the terminal generation. I’m convinced that before the last one of my generation passes from the scene, that this sinful world and it holds will be burned away and the new Heavens, and the New Earth and the New Jerusalem is already prepared and will soon come down out of Heaven.

But Paul goes on to say in 2 Thessalonians 2:3,4; Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.

Is there a “falling away” going on right now? I believe that if you will open your eyes you can’t help but see it happening already.

We are “falling away” from the truth of the gospel and falling into compromise.

We are “falling away” from the paths of a sanctified and holy life of righteousness and falling into sin by believing that anything goes and that God will wink at our sin.

We are “falling away” from the traditions of our fathers whereby the church and the gospel has been passed down to us in its purest form and we are embracing a “new thing” that is nothing less than a watered down gospel that is no gospel at all.

In addition to these there is a “falling away” going on in the ranks of the Body of Christ. No matter what “full gospel” church you walk into today, you can see those who will come to visit but they won’t keep coming because they really don’t want to hear the truth. They want their ears tickled and their emotions stroked and their hearts soothed but they don’t want to hear about a Holy God who requires a Holy Life!

2 Thessalonians 2:5 Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?

Paul was telling this to the Church at Thessalonica nearly 2000 years ago and it still rings true for the church of today.

The son of perdition (the Antichrist – the very personification of evil – the man of sin – the 2nd person of the unholy trinity) will be revealed in these last days. He is coming as a man but he won’t be humble and loving like Jesus is. The Antichrist is Satan’s man. He is the Child of the Devil and he will not sit by without having all of mankind fall before him in worship and adoration. His only goal in life is the final and complete deception of all men and then leading those men into the pits of hell with him forever. He will perform miracles, signs and wonders (at least they will appear to be miracles). He will have all the power of the demons of hell and the most powerful angel that God ever created at his disposal to accomplish his work.