2 Thessalonians 3:1-17

👉 Paul’s Prayer for Himself, Silas, and Timothy

• that the word of the Lord may speed ahead of them and be honored
• that they would be delivered from wicked and evil men

👉 Paul’s Reminder to the Church

• the Lord is faithful
• the Lord will establish you
• the Lord will guard you against the evil one

👉 Paul’s Warning to the Church

• keep away from any brother who walks in idleness
• keep away from any brother who does not walk according to the traditions

👉 Paul’s Prayer for the Church

• the Lord would direct their hearts to the love of God
• the Lord would direct their hearts to the steadfastness of Christ

👉 Paul’s Final Instructions

• work quietly
• earn your own living
• do not grow weary in doing good
• have nothing to do with a disobedient brother

I love Paul’s simple and direct way.

Do this.

Don’t do that.

Remember this.

Forget that.

I couldn’t help but notice the issue of idleness (v 6, 7, 11). These words were written to the church – notice the warning regarding “any brother” who walks in idleness.

Paul seems to be telling the church to get to work. They seem to have become busybodies but not busy with the things that matter.

I think he would say the same thing to us today.

Get busy.

Get busy loving.

Get busy serving.

Get busy forgiving.

Get busy sharing the truth that sets men free.

Get to work, church.

Happy Monday. You are loved.

2 Thessalonians 2:1-17

👉 The Thessalonians were:

• shaken
• alarmed

Why?

They were being told the Lord’s return had already taken place.

The source of the lie was unknown:

• a spirit?
• a spoken word?
• a forged letter?

Paul’s response:

“Let no one deceive you.”

👉 The day will not come unless:

• the rebellion comes first
• the man of lawlessness is revealed

👉 The Man of Lawlessness

• the son of destruction
• opposes God
• exalts himself against every god and object of worship
• takes his seat in the temple of God
• proclaims to be God
• is currently being restrained
• will be easily defeated when Jesus returns
• Satan is behind him
• powerful
• false signs and wonders
• wicked deception

God will allow those who refused to love the truth to believe what is false.

👉 Paul’s Encouragement to Believers

• you are beloved by the Lord
• you are chosen by God
• you are sanctified by the spirit
• stand firm
• hold tight to what you were taught

We must know truth. The Thessalonians had been taught; Paul had already told them these things (v 5). Sometimes, we need a reminder, right?

Study Scripture.

Know it well.

Be so familiar with the truth of God that the lies of the enemy are glaringly obvious.

2 Thessalonians 1:1-12

👉 The Church

• faith growing abundantly
• love for one another increasing
• steadfastness and faith
• all in the midst of persecution and affliction

The faith and love that the people showed even in the midst of suffering was evidence of God at work in them (v 5).

We have all seen it in someone. A person walks through unspeakable tragedy and keeps their faith – and we know – it was God at work in them. The world is watching when we suffer. They want to know if the words we have spoken in the good times prove true in the bad times.

👉 When the Lord is revealed from heaven:

• he will repay with affliction those who afflicted
• he will grant relief to those who were afflicted
• he will inflict vengeance on those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of Jesus Christ

👉 Jesus will come to be:

• glorified in his saints
• marveled at among all who believe

👉 Paul’s Prayer

• God would make them worthy of his calling
• they would have a God given resolve to do good
• they would have lives marked by works of faith

You are loved.

1 Thessalonians 5:1-28

👉 Because the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night, believers:

• do not live in darkness
• are children of the light / day
• should not sleep
• should stay awake / sober
• wear the breastplate of faith and love
• wear the helmet of hope
• are not destined for wrath
• will live with him forever

👉 Paul’s Final Instructions

• respect those who labor among you and those over you / esteem them very highly in love
• be at peace among yourselves (with fellow believers)
• admonish the idle
• encourage the faint hearted
• help the weak
• be patient with all
• do not repay evil for evil
• always seek to do good to one another (in the church) and everyone (outside of the church)
• rejoice always
• pray without ceasing
• give thanks in all circumstances
• do not quench the spirit
• do not despise prophesies
• test everything
• hold fast what is good
• abstain from every evil

👉 And God:

• sanctifies
• keeps us blameless
• is faithful

I love Paul and I love his heart. His final words read like a mom dropping her child off at college for the first time.

Don’t forget this…

Oh, and do this…

And stay away from this…

And one more thing…

And one more thing…

I love that his instructions involve how to live among those inside and outside the church. I love how there is no room for gray areas.

Be patient with EVERYONE.

ALWAYS seek to do good.

Rejoice ALWAYS.

Pray WITHOUT CEASING.

Give thanks in ALL circumstances.

Test EVERYTHING.

Abstain from EVERY evil.

We like grey areas. We like wiggle room. We like loop holes. And Paul is having none of it.

And I like that.

Happy Sunday, friends.

👉 Who is ready for 2 Thessalonians? 😃

1 Thessalonians 4:1-18

👉 A Life Pleasing to God

• abstain from sexual immorality
• self control
• do not wrong another through sexual sin
• love one another more and more
• aspire to live quietly
• mind your own affairs
• work with your hands

👉 Grieving Those We’ve Lost

• he does not say that we should not grieve
• he says that – when we grieve – we do so with hope

👉 The Lord’s Return

• the Lord Himself will descend from heaven
• the dead in Christ will rise first
• those alive will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air

I love a good list and, so, Paul speaks to me. He gives some direction for how to live a life pleasing to God.

[Spoiler alert: it’s not super complicated.]

How about we love one another? And then love them some more?

How about we not be afraid of work and learn to mind our own business?

What if we sought to live quietly and stopped striving for the spotlight?

Here’s a crazy thought. What if we exercised a little self control?

👉 Which characteristic of a God pleasing life are you going to work on today?

You are loved.