Terror to the
Unconverted
Paul's Epistles - 2
Thessalonians - Part 2
Pastor Bruce A.
Shields
House of Faith Church | www.PS127.org | www.TruthDigest.org
INTRODUCTION
Thessalonica was the second city in Europe
where Paul established an organized Christian community.
Paul sent his first letter (epistle) to
the church after Timothy returned with good report of the community. His letter
filled with praise to God for them, as well as instruction to continue to do
good, and be mindful of teachers, and preachers. He instructed them to hold
dearly to the teachings of Christ, and not to allow false teachings or beliefs
to pollute the Truth, or they may have troubles as some of the other churches
were experiencing because of influence by the circumcised, the Gnostics, and
other Pagan and false beliefs that had snuck into the churches ranks.
Not long after sending his first letter,
Paul felt it necessary to write to them again. This is 2 Thessalonians. The
reason for this letter was because Paul had received reports that a forged
letter, and a false verbal message had been spread around, supposedly coming
from Paul himself.
These false teachings in Paul’s name made
mention of imaginary revelations of the Spirit given through some member or
members of the Thessalonian Church. The members believed they were passing
through a great tribulation because of this, and were greatly distressed.
Mislead into thinking the Great Day of the
Lord had come. Paul wrote this letter to set their minds at ease. Paul declares
in this epistle that certain events MUST take place before “The Day of the
Lord”.
A) A great falling away from the faith.
B) The coming of Christ for His people (Rapture)
C) The coming into public view of the “Man of Sin”
D) And his open and awful campaign against the Lord
E) Then the coming of the Lord (Second Coming) with His
people in terrible judgment
2 Thessalonians is really broken into four
major themes.
1) Persecution and the
Lord’s Coming
a.
A comfort to the persecuted (2
Thessalonians 1:1-7)
2) The
unrepentant and the Lord’s Coming
a.
A terror to the unconverted (2
Thessalonians 1:7-12)
3) The Apostasy and
the Lord’s Coming
a.
For His people leads to the revealing of
the Man of Sin
b.
With His people means the destruction of
the Man of Sin (2 Thessalonians 2:1-12)
4) Service and the
Lord’s Coming
a.
The delay of the Lord’s Coming for;
i.
Unique opportunities for service (2
Thessalonians 2:13-17; 3)
Last week we looked at Paul’s comfort to
the persecuted, today we will look at the unrepentant and the Lord’s coming.
SCRIPTURE REFERENCE 2 Thessalonians 1:5-12
All this is evidence that God’s judgment
is right (speaking of the persecutions and trials the
Thessalonica church was facing), and as a
result you will be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are
suffering.
6 God is just: He
will pay back trouble to those who trouble you 7 and give
relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well. This (Judgment) will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed
from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels (Second
Coming). 8 He will
punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our
Lord Jesus. 9 They will be punished with everlasting
destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the
glory of his might 10 on the day he comes to be
glorified in his holy people and to be marveled at among all those who
have believed. This includes you, because you believed our testimony to you.
11 With this in mind, we constantly pray for you,
that our God may make you worthy of his calling, and that by his power he
may bring to fruition your every desire for goodness and your every deed
prompted by faith. 12 We pray this so 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.
The Terror to the Unconverted
I. THIS
DESTROYS THE VIEW THAT JESUS WILL NOT COME UNTIL THE WORLD IS CONVERTED
a. God is just
i. Paul encouraged them because of their endurance of affliction
ii. Paul states that this is proof God’s judgment will
be “righteous” at the last day.
b. He will punish
those who do not know God and do not obey the Gospel of our Lord Jesus
i. There is no need for us to attempt to “seek revenge” for ourselves
1. Paul wrote in 1
Thessalonians, “Make sure no one repays evil for evil.”
2. We must leave revenge to the Lord, for He is
keeping track
c. They will be
punished with everlasting destruction
i. The trouble will continue until there is rest (verse 7) when Jesus comes.
ii. However, do not be discouraged, because at the
second coming, wrongs will be made right.
1. Verse 8 “In flaming fire taking vengeance on them who know
not God”
2. The everlasting destruction refers to the “Lake of
Fire”, which will be everlasting. Gehenna, as Jesus referred to it.
3. They will also be separated from the presence of
the Lord and from the Glory of His power.
a. Meaning, there will be no power to save them, they
will be utterly rejected, and therefore, it is the end, “everlasting
destruction”
II.
THE CONTRAST BETWEEN RAPTURE AND SECOND COMING
a. 1
Thessalonians 4:15-18 The Rapture
i. “According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive,
who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen
asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven,
with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be
with the Lord forever.18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.”
ii. The Lord’s Appearance;
1. Rapture – In the clouds
2. 2nd Coming – On
the Earth
iii. Seen by;
1. Rapture – Seen only by His
own
2. 2nd Coming –
Seen by all
a. Revelation
1:7 (speaking of the 2nd
coming) “Look,
he is coming with the clouds,” (Daniel
7:13)
and “every eye will see him,
even those who pierced him”;
and all peoples on earth “will mourn because of him.” (Zechariah 12:10)
So shall it be! Amen.”
and “every eye will see him,
even those who pierced him”;
and all peoples on earth “will mourn because of him.” (Zechariah 12:10)
So shall it be! Amen.”
iv. For and with;
1. Rapture – For His Saints
2. 2nd Coming –
With His Saints
v. As;
1. Rapture – The Lamb in peace
for His own
2. 2nd Coming – The
Lion for Judgment
a. Jude 14
& 15 “Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about them:
“See, the Lord is coming with thousands upon thousands of his holy ones 15 to judge everyone, and to convict all of them of
all the ungodly acts they have committed in their ungodliness, and of all the
defiant words ungodly sinners have spoken against him.”
III.
WE PRAY GOD MAKE YOU WORTHY OF HIS CALLING
a. And by His power He bring to fruition every desire for goodness and
every deed prompted by faith
i. This speaks volumes of the wonderful things the Holy Spirit desires to
do for us, if we cooperate with Him.
ii. Every desire for goodness, and every deed which was
prompted by faith
b. So Jesus may be glorified in you
i. The reason the Holy Spirit does this work in us
c. And you may be glorified in Him
CONCLUSION – We pray this so 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
We glorify the
Name of our Lord Jesus
Living in this
manner of obedience to His Gospel, we in turn are those who love Him (If you
love me), and thus, will be glorified in Him.
In accordance
to the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Grace. Our
Father holding back His judgment and wrath for a time for us to repent and seek
Him.
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