The work of the church, 2 Thessalonians 3

In chapter 2 last week we looked at the hope of the church, and the glory of the church that has been promised by Jesus Christ to those that have faith in Him. The hope is the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, when He will vindicate His people, and destroy His enemies, and set up His eternal kingdom on earth with His bride, which is the church.  That is the hope of our salvation, that Jesus Christ is coming back to claim HIs bride and live with them forever.

The hope of the second coming has been the primary theme of Paul’s two letters to the Thessalonians.  And I would suggest that the hope of the second coming of the Lord, and all that is involved in that event, be it our resurrection, our reward, or our inheritance in the New Jerusalem, is a major premise of our faith and one we ought to be assured of, and certain of.

However, that being said, the second coming of Christ should not eclipse the present work of the church as we await that day.  As someone said, we should not become so heavenly minded, that we are no earthly good.  There is a purpose for the church as we wait for the day of the Lord.  There is a job for us to do here and now.  

And so having dealt with the heady theological themes of the resurrection, the second coming, and the glorification of the saints, as he closes his letter Paul wants to emphasize the practical aspects of the work of the church as we await the day of the Lord.  He doesn’t want us to be idle, or to abandon the practical work of the ministry and go sit on the rooftops of our houses in white robes waiting for the Lord.  But rather he wants us to be busy doing the work of the ministry so that we might be found faithful when Jesus comes.

Now there are two main aspects that Paul wants to emphasize in the work of the church.  The first one he mentions is the ministry of prayer.  And the second is to live a disciplined life.  Let’s consider first the ministry of prayer.  He says in vs one,  “Finally, brethren, pray for us that the word of the Lord will spread rapidly and be glorified, just as [it did] also with you; and that we will be rescued from perverse and evil men; for not all have faith.”

So he asks for prayer for himself and the workers with him.  But notice he isn’t asking for prayer for physical needs, or for even the men themselves, but for their work in spreading the word of God.  The apostles work was the ministry of the word, the proclamation of the gospel. That is the primary work of the pastor in the church today.  But that is also the work of the church individually.  They support and pray for those that are called to full time ministry, but they also are called to proclaim and live out the gospel within the circle of their influence.  

Jesus portrayed the ministry of the gospel as a sower who went out to sow, scattering seeds which are the word of God among the world. You all are familiar with that parable, I’m sure.  But prayer is to that ministry of sowing seeds like the necessity of rain and plowing the field. Prayer is the spiritual rain that prepares the soil and waters the soil and causes the growth of the seed. Our prayers are just as important to the harvest as the sowing.  If you sow seed and the soil is not prepared, it won’t take root.  If you sow the seed and don’t have any rain, there will not be any growth.  I don’t understand exactly how prayer works, but I know it works. In fact, you might say prayer is work.  And so the first priority of the work of the church is prayer for the ministry of the word, that it might be received, and grow and be glorified.

Then Paul asks for prayer for themselves that they would be protected from the evil one, from satanic oppression.  We know that Paul was writing from Corinth where he was being attacked by Jewish leaders who had followed him there and were trying to undermine his ministry. So again, he’s not asking for prayer for his own personal well being so much as he is praying that he will be delivered from their schemes to hinder the ministry.  Paul wants to be able to do the work of ministry.  But the devil is opposing him, as he always does in any ministry that is attempting to preach the truth. 

I’ve seen that sort of opposition many times here in this ministry over the last dozen years or so.  And I can tell you something about the way the devil works.  He works most often from criticisms and attacks from others who claim to be Christians.  Who claim to be of the faith.  And that is what makes such attacks so pernicious and so difficult to guard against.  Because they seem to be people of God, and it’s difficult to defend yourself in those situations.  In Paul’s case, they were more than likely Pharisees and Jewish leaders who were claiming to be the faithful ones to God’s word, but in fact we know that they were not really of the faith.  And that’s what Paul says there at the end of vs 2, we know that not all have faith.  Simply put, not everyone who claims Christianity is a Christian.

So the solution to that is to pray for the Lord to deliver us from the snare of the trapper, from the ravages of the wolves in sheep’s clothing that prey upon the church.  God is the one who can deliver us and He will do it if we ask Him. Sometimes it’s self defeating for us to try to defend ourselves against such attacks.  It’s much better if the Lord does it.

Then Paul asks for them to pray for themselves, and for their protection as they are being diligent in the work and obedient to the Lord’s commands. Vs. 3 “But the Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen and protect you from the evil [one.]” The faithfulness of the Lord is something we can take refuge in.  He is the faithful Shepherd of the sheep.  That means He keeps watch over His flock, to guard them against predators, attackers, wolves and the evil one.  That’s the shepherd’s job, to protect the sheep.  To anticipate the attack of the enemy and be there to prevent it, and protect you from harm.

Our prayer should be for the Lord’s protection against all the fiery darts of the wicked.  The devil has strategies that he has perfected over thousands of years and by dealing with millions of people.  Our only hope is in the faithfulness of the Lord.  We dare not do battle with the evil one in our own strength.  But according to the book of Jude, even Michael the archangel, when he was disputing with Satan over the body of Moses, “did not dare pronounce against him a railing judgment, but said, “The Lord rebuke you!”  The Lord is faithful.  Call upon the Lord who will come to your aid.

The Lord is faithful, and to that Paul adds that we are to be faithful. Vs 4, “We have confidence in the Lord concerning you, that you are doing and will [continue to] do what we command.” Their was a very popular song in the eighties by a rock group called Journey who wrote the song, “Don’t stop believin’.” The lyrics summarize what a lot of people think is faith.  It says, “Don’t stop believing, hold on to that feeling.”  I hate to break it to you, but faithfulness is not just “don’t stop believing.”   Faithfulness is doing the work that God has given us to do.  It’s being obedient to His commands.  When the Lord comes back, we want to be found faithful, good stewards of the ministry that He gave us to do.  The ministry of proclaiming the good news, spreading the word, bringing people into the kingdom of Christ.

And His  commands are summarized in vs 5, “May the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the steadfastness of Christ.”  The motivating force in our lives is to be the love which God has for us, and the love that we have for Him.  We love because He first loved us. But Jesus said in John 14:15, “if you love me, you will keep My commandments.”  His love is poured out to us, that our love may overflow to God and to one another.

And notice he says the steadfastness of Christ.  The steadfastness or endurance of Christ is our example. He endured the hostility of sinners so that He might show mercy towards us all. Hebrews tells us that Christ is our example in steadfastness and endurance.  Hebrews 12:1-3 “Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.  For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.”

So prayer for the ministry and all it’s aspects is the first duty in the work of the church.  We are in a spiritual battle, and we must fight with spiritual weapons.  Prayer is the spiritual communication between us and the Lord of Hosts by which our battle is coordinated and carried out.

So the work of prayer is the first part of the church’s duty as we wait for the Lord’s return, and the second part of the work of the church is what we might say is living a disciplined life.  This is one of the commands that Paul was referring to back in vs 6.  The command is to live a disciplined life.

Do you know that in the English language the word which the word discipline comes from is disciple? To be a disciple is to follow someone’s leading, someone’s teaching, to follow in their footsteps, follow their example, to be under their authority.  We are called in the Great Commission to make disciples of all the nations.  To make a disciple you must first become a disciple. So discipline is to obey a certain code of behavior that has been ordered or prescribed by the Master.  And I think we all recognize that to be disciplined is hard.  It’s work. 

My wife knows that I like these certain cookies. I think they are called chocolate pinwheels.  I have a hard time disciplining myself with those cookies when they are in the house.  I don’t seem to have any control when it comes to those cookies.  She seems to buy them on Saturdays when I am studying.  And I end up eating about four cookies before I finish my message.  That’s one aspect of discipline.

But discipline as Paul talks about it here covers a pretty large spectrum.  First he says you must be on guard against the undisciplined in the church. Vs 6, “Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you keep away from every brother who leads an unruly life and not according to the tradition which you received from us.”  

Notice Paul’s talking about the undisciplined brother - that is, another person in the church that doesn’t live a disciplined life.  Paul commands us - that’s a pretty strong term - to keep away from such a person who lives an unruly life which is not according to the teaching that had been given by the apostles.  Avoid such people.  

Have you ever heard the saying, one bad apple can spoil the whole barrel? Well, that may be what Paul is getting at here.  Don’t let an undisciplined person in the church start to affect you.  I will tell you something that I have found to be true.  That is, bad influence spreads a whole lot easier than good influence.  You think you’re going to be a good influence on a rotten apple, think again.  You need to watch out for their influence on you.  Paul says avoid them. They aren’t living right.  They aren’t concerned about the commandments of God.  They aren’t concerned about the ministry that we have been called to.  And as a consequence, they can easily influence others in their lack of discipline and cause widespread harm to the church.

Rather than following the example of an undisciplined person, do what a disciple does, and follow the leaders’ example.  Vs7, “For you yourselves know how you ought to follow our example, because we did not act in an undisciplined manner among you,  nor did we eat anyone's bread without paying for it, but with labor and hardship we [kept] working night and day so that we would not be a burden to any of you;  not because we do not have the right [to this,] but in order to offer ourselves as a model for you, so that you would follow our example.”

What’s becoming evident as Paul writes this, is that some people in the church were not working, but were perhaps using the second coming of the Lord as an excuse to be indolent.  In the early church, there was some degree of communal living that was going on, as described in Acts 3 and 4.

Now Thessalonica was not Jerusalem, and it had been a number of years since Pentecost, but it would seem there was still a sense of commonality in the church, that as it says in Acts, they had all things in common.  People that had property sold it and gave the money to the church.  They were meeting daily in the temple. They were having their meals together in different homes night after night. And as an undercurrent through all of this, there was the expectancy of the Lord’s immediate return. I mean, why worry about a career if Jesus is coming back next week? Let’s just hang out in church together and eat and drink together and wait for the Lord to appear.  That’s sort of the idea that a lot of people seemed to have, if we read between the lines of what Paul is writing.

But Paul’s response to that attitude is, consider our example when we were among you.  We worked night and day so as not to be a burden unto you.  We didn’t eat without paying for it.  We weren’t living an undisciplined life, and neither should you.

He adds, not that we didn’t have the right to do this, but we wanted to present an example of work to you. Paul makes the case in other places that those who preach the word to you have a right to get their living from the church.  But the apostles had not done so in Thessalonia themselves, because they wanted to teach them how they were to act as Christians. Paul and the men with him certainly had an advanced knowledge of the second coming of the Lord, but it did not preclude them from working.  In fact, it seemed to encourage them to work even more diligently. 

And when they were with the Thessalonians, they gave them a certain principle to live by which he reminds them of now in vs 10. “For even when we were with you, we used to give you this order: if anyone is not willing to work, then he is not to eat, either.  For we hear that some among you are leading an undisciplined life, doing no work at all, but acting like busybodies.  Now such persons we command and exhort in the Lord Jesus Christ to work in quiet fashion and eat their own bread.”

Paul indicates that it is possible for some to take advantage of the church. One way that the undisciplined act is to become busybodies.  They don’t have a job, don’t have any responsibilities, and so they just go around being a busybody.  That’s a danger that may be especially true today among people that have retired.  And one of the temptations of a busybody is that they engage in gossip.  We need to guard against gossip under the guise of being concerned, or even praying for people, or being a part of a prayer group.  A busy body is someone who is more concerned about other people’s business than their own. 

 In 1Tim.  5:13 Paul speaks of this saying; “At the same time they also learn [to be] idle, as they go around from house to house; and not merely idle, but also gossips and busybodies, talking about things not proper [to mention.].” So Paul gives yet another command, coupled with an exhortation, an urging; “to work in quiet fashion and eat their own bread.”

So don’t be a busybody, but be a worker.  And then, don’t grow weary in doing good. Vs13 “But as for you, brethren, do not grow weary of doing good.”  Don’t grow tired of the work of the ministry.  Don’t get tired of living for the Lord and decide you’re going to live for the flesh.You’ve probably heard of a cheat day in dieting.  The idea is that you are disciplined all week in your diet, and then one day a week you are free to eat whatever you want.  Some people think that’s a good strategy, to give you a break from your diet.  If I have a cheat day, I usually end up cheating again tomorrow. 

But I do think it’s possible to get burned out sometimes. I know it’s possible to do that in ministry. The devil makes it seem like such a chore even to go to church on Sunday morning, much less to do anything more than that.  He makes it seem like you really have done something by showing up for an hour service on Sunday, and then tempts you to relax and have some fun for yourself for a bit.

There is nothing wrong with having fun, or having hobbies, or enjoying sports or things of that nature. I think they can be good if kept in the right proportion. But I have seen a few people who spent years in Christian ministry reach a point where they suddenly took a breather, or a break, and ended up drifting away, or even walking away from ministry altogether.  There is a need for endurance.  

Back in vs one - if you read some other translations you get this sense more clearly - the apostle likens the Christian life to a race that we are to run, and which if we run to win, we shall receive a prize.  He uses the same analogy in  1Cor. 9:24 saying, “Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but [only] one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win.”  And back in the passage from Hebrews chapter 12 we quoted earlier, remember it says, “Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.”  

So the Christian life, the work of ministry, is like a race that we are running. And in light of the Thessalonians outlook on the immediacy of the second coming, Paul says this race is not a sprint, but it’s a marathon. You need to run with endurance, with an eye on the prize, but don’t stop running.  Be steadfast in pursuit of that prize, but discipline yourself so that you don’t grow tired.  He’s not talking about doing good as in helping old ladies cross the street.  But doing good is doing the work of the ministry, reaching the world with the gospel.  So contrary to doing no work, do the work of the ministry, and don’t grow tired doing it and possibly stumble in your race.  

One final admonition that Paul gives is found in vs14 “If anyone does not obey our instruction in this letter, take special note of that person and do not associate with him, so that he will be put to shame.  [Yet] do not regard him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.”  Now that sounds a bit like what he said back in vs 6, “that you keep away from every brother who leads an unruly life and not according to the tradition which you received from us.” 

The caveat though is Paul is not talking about excommunication here of someone that is living an undisciplined life.  The goal is not excommunication or condemnation, but reconciliation.  He wants the brother to be admonished, to be brought back into conformity with the commands of Christ, and to follow in the examples of Christ and the apostles.  The goal of the church is not to make outcasts, but to make disciples.  And so there is a way to bring a brother back into conformity with the truth, and that is by speaking the truth in love.  That doesn’t mean you don’t speak the truth, however.  Because that wouldn’t be loving.  But if you love them, you will correct them, admonish them, encourage them to follow the example of Christ and be stedfast, enduring until the end.

So the work of the church is two fold, to be in prayer for the ministry, and all involved in it, and then to live a disciplined life, in accordance with the commandments, doing good, not being idle, nor busybodies, but being faithful to fulfill your ministry, that you may be found faithful when Jesus comes again.

And to the church that is doing that, Paul gives a two fold blessing; the peace of Christ and the grace of Christ in and for every circumstance to bless you and sustain you in your work.  Vs 16 “Now may the Lord of peace Himself continually grant you peace in every circumstance. The Lord be with you all!  I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand, and this is a distinguishing mark in every letter; this is the way I write.  The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.”

The Pretender and the Parousia, 2 Thessalonians 2

Chapter 2 cannot be interpreted irrespective of what Paul has said in chapter one.  At the end of chapter one, he has spoken of what is called the parousia, the second coming of the Lord.  And while speaking of that, though he said some things which are specific to the church, actually the thrust of his comments are directed to the unsaved.  He speaks of the dire consequences for the unsaved at the second coming of Christ, his focus is the coming judgement for the unbeliever, rather than supplying a lot of details about the parousia so that the church might be more informed about it.

Notice he says in chapter one vs 6 “For after all it is [only] just for God to repay with affliction those who afflict you,  and [to give] relief to you who are afflicted and to us as well when the Lord Jesus will be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire,  dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.  These will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power.”

So you see the balance of his statement is concerning the retribution and punishment of the ungodly at His second coming.  At the first coming of the Lord, He came to bring peace with God.  To provide a way for man to enter into the kingdom of God, of which Christ is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

Jesus did that by being our substitute, taking the wrath of God which was due to us, and taking it upon Himself by dying on the cross in our place, and God transferred our sins upon Him and His righteousness upon us that believed in Him. He rose from the dead on the third day, and 40 days later after appearing to His disciples on numerous occasions He ascended into heaven to the right hand of the Father, after all power and authority on earth and in heaven were given to Him.  But as the angels attending His ascension said to the disciples who were looking up into heaven in unbelief said, ““Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven.”

Ever since that announcement by the angels, the parousia, or the day of the Lord, or the Lord’s coming, has been the subject of much speculation ever since.  And unfortunately, a lot of that speculation, even a lot that claim scriptural support for their theories, are not doctrinally sound.  We just spent several months going through a study of Revelation on Wednesday evenings and in the process we discussed several different views of eschatology that are prevalent today among Christians. They all cannot be right. But on the other hand, it is difficult to be dogmatic about which one you think is right.  Revelation, for instance, is apocalyptic literature that speaks in symbols and pictures of things that are history, and things that are present, and things that are to come.  And sometimes it’s difficult to know which time frame to assign them.

Then you have the passages in 1 and 2 Thessalonians.  Many have used 1 Thessalonians 4 especially to propose another coming of the Lord, a secret rapture of the church which takes place before the parousia.  But as I pointed out last time, that passage in 1 Thessalonians 4 uses the same Greek word, parousia to describe that day, indicating that it is the same day as described here in chapter 2, which is obviously not a secret rapture, but the day of judgment when Christ returns as King and takes vengeance upon His enemies.

But irregardless of all the different theories and speculations concerning eschatology, there are some things we can know, and there are some things which we cannot know for sure.  But God has given us what we need to know and we should consider those, and not speculate about what cannot be known with certainty.

Someone has said that during His ministry Jesus spoke more about hell than He did of heaven.  And to some extent, Paul does the same thing here speaking of the parousia.  He spends a lot of time in this passage speaking of the evil leading up to the coming of the Lord, and Christ’s judgement of that evil, than he does speaking of the glory that awaits the saints.

But one thing he wants to do in this passage is clear up some misconceptions that the Thessalonians had developed concerning the coming of the Lord.  Perhaps this was the result of false teachers, or just rampant speculation on the part of the church.  We don’t know for sure.  But it’s evident that a wrong view of eschatology can lead to disorder and confusion in the church, and that seems to be the case here.  Some people were thinking that Christ was coming immediately, and thus stopped working and taking responsibility for daily life,  and some  thought that Christ had already come and had become disallusioned.  Either way, it was disturbing the church and taking away their focus on ministry, which should be the purpose of the church.

So Paul says in vs 1, “Now we request you, brethren, with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him,  that you not be quickly shaken from your composure or be disturbed either by a spirit or a message or a letter as if from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come.”

That the church was in a state of confusion about the day of the Lord is evident from his hope that they would not be quickly shaken from their composure.  They were confused, and their faith was rattled.  Our faith is founded on the sure promises of God that He will resurrect the saints in the last day, that He is coming to  be joined with His bride, the church, to live with them forever, that we will rule and reign with Christ throughout eternity in a new heaven and new earth.  To hear that the Lord had already come without seeing any of those other things occurring would have caused serious doubts about their faith.

Paul indicates that there were three possible methods of that false doctrine was being presented to the church.  One was someone claimed to have received extra biblical information by a spirit.  We still have a lot of those type of charlatans around today, claiming that they saw a vision, or God spoke directly to them and gave them some inside information that no one else is privy to.  Another method was someone claimed that an apostle had told them something that was again, insider information.  And the last possibility was a forged letter from an apostle.  And during the formation of the canon of scripture, there were a number of spurious documents that were discarded because the author claimed to be someone he was not.  So this type of false document was a very real concern.

But Paul says that any such “new revelation” that Christ had already come was wrong, and deceitful. There were certain things that had to occur prior to the parousia.  In vs 3 Paul said,  "Let no one in any way deceive you, for [it will not come] unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction,  who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God.” 

According to Paul, two things must happen before the second coming of Christ. One is the world wide falling away, or apostasy from the faith, and secondly, the manifestation of the man of lawlessness,  also known as the  son of destruction.  Now that sounds simple enough, but a thorough understanding of the subject of those verses is according to at least one theologian, one of the most difficult  scriptures in the Bible.  It would seem that Paul, in attempting to assuage speculation, engendered even more speculation by these references.

However, there are some things which can be understood.  Of the two things which must happen, the apostasy is perhaps a little easier to deal with than the man of lawlessness.  What the apostasy indicates is not just that the world will grow worse and worse, and lawlessness will increase, which is true of the end of the age. But more specifically, that the church will fall away from the faith.  By the church, I mean the organized, visible church, not the true believers who are genuinely saved.  But professing, so called Christians around the world will depart from the basic tenets of the faith.  It should be evident that not everyone who calls themselves Christian are Christian, of course. In fact, I would contend that it is already a fact that the majority of so called Christians in the world have already departed from the faith.   

Now a true Christian cannot fall from grace, cannot become apostate, because the Lord keeps him.  But Jesus Himself predicted a falling away in the last days in Matthew 24:10, "At that time many will fall away and will betray one another and hate one another. Many false prophets will arise and will mislead many. Because lawlessness is increased, most people's love will grow cold.”

So it is a certain sign of the end, that those professing to be Christians will fall away from the truth of the gospel. And I would suggest that has, for the most part, already happened in our day. Most mainline denominations have abandoned the truth of the gospel for some sort of social gospel that does not denounce sin, but embraces evil as good. Homosexual clergy are now accepted and embraced in most mainstream churches.  Or even if that particular sin is not their failing, they have substituted other just as grievous doctrinal errors for the truth, and obscured the truth to the point that one cannot be saved by following their teachings.

But I suppose that things can always get worse. And Paul says it will become worse and worse as we approach the end time.  In conjunction with the church’s apostasy, Paul says the other thing that must happen is that the man of lawlessness will be revealed. This is much more difficult to be certain about all the details, but some things are clear.  The lawlessness that pervades the church and brings about apostasy will have a leader.  And this leader is who Paul refers to as the man of lawlessness.

There are many titles that are used in scripture to speak of this person, but the one we are probably most familiar with is the antichrist. Now we could go totally off the rails this morning if we try to determine all that the Bible teaches concerning the antichrist. And so we want to limit that this morning.  But the apostle John said in 1John 2:18 “Children, it is the last hour; and just as you heard that antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have appeared; from this we know that it is the last hour.”  What we believe is that there has been a spirit of antichrist in every age, which works against the church, which is likened in Revelation 13 to the beast from the sea, that is anti christian government.  But at the end of the age, there will be a person who embodies the spirit of the antichrist who is the eighth head of the beast of the sea, and He will magnify himself for a short while and the whole earth will worship him. 

Paul says in vs4 “[he] opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God.” During the age of the Reformation it was widely believed that the antichrist was the Pope of the Roman Catholic Church.  He claimed to be the Vicar of Christ, and seemed to be the fulfillment of much of the prophesy concerning the antichrist.  And revered theologians such as John Wycliffe and Martin Luther and John Calvin all believed that the Pope was the personification of the antichrist.  Others down through the ages have believed that it was a Roman emperor, probably Nero, or during WW2, many thought that it was Adolf Hitler.  But time has taught us that these theories and conjectures, though seemingly well supplied with numerous evidences, did not end up proving true.

While conjecture about certain figures in the world such as Nero, or Hitler, or a certain Pope have proved unfounded, Paul gives a few more clues about this person.  He says in vs 5 “Do you not remember that while I was still with you, I was telling you these things?  And you know what restrains him now, so that in his time he will be revealed.  For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only he who now restrains [will do so] until he is taken out of the way.”

Paul had obviously spoken to the Thessalonians about certain things that were preventing the final manifestation of the antichrist.  Unfortunately, though the Thessalonians knew what he was referring to, we do not.  We can only guess, and guessing is not something we want to be dogmatic about.  But something, or more particularly, someone was restraining the man of lawlessness.  Already the spirit of lawlessness is at work, as in many antichrists are in the world.  But someone restrains the final head of the beast who directly precedes the coming of Christ.

My guess, and I cannot be dogmatic about it, is that the restrainer is the Holy Spirit, who at the final hour will relinquish His restraint upon the world, so that lawlessness will increase, and the antichrist will be emboldened and manifest himself as god. Other suggestions are that it is law and order which restrains him,  or civil government. But I don’t find that idea appealing for a number of reasons. 

One thing that I think provides a certain parallel happened at the first coming of the Lord in the last hours before His death.  Jesus said to those who arrested Him, “this hour and the power of darkness is yours.” That is, there was a certain restraint that was lifted in that hour, when Satan, the ruler of this world, was able to exert his influence and power over the world to kill Jesus.  In John 14:30 in the upper room before His arrest and crucifixion, Jesus said "I will not speak much more with you, for the ruler of the world is coming, and he has nothing in Me.”  So in that first coming, in the last hours of His life, Satan would seem to have been given the liberty to do his worst.  Prior to that, Jesus said repeatedly that His hour had not yet come.  Yet in those last hours, the power of darkness had sway. And perhaps in the same way, in the last hour before Christ’s second coming,  Satan will be given liberty to do his worst, and the restraint will be taken away, that he might exalt himself, and draw all unbelievers to him, and then they will be destroyed.

So I think it is a reference to the restraining power of the Holy Spirit. But when that restraint is taken away, vs 8 “Then that lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming;  [that is,] the one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders,  and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved.”

We see first of all, that God releases the restraint upon the antichrist only to bring about his sudden destruction at the coming of Christ. Christ will come when the power of the antichrist is greatest, and He will slay him with the breath of His mouth.  What that means is that by the word of God he will be slain. This is not some drawn out battle between good and evil where the devil wins a few rounds and Christ wins a few rounds.  But it will be immediate, at the appearance of Christ. 

And also in that verse we see another couple of characteristics of this man of lawlessness.  First, Paul says he is manifested in accord with the activity of Satan, or the power of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders.  Everyone wants to see some sign from heaven, don’t they?  All the false prophets and false teachers on the internet and television are always claiming some supernatural sign, or supernatural wonder that has given them special insight and knowledge.  And people seem to be always looking for that sort of thing. They are drawn to that.  There is a major denomination known as the Vineyard that has as the focus of their ministry that they will perform signs and wonders. To their thinking, that sort of thing supersedes the revealed truth of scripture.  And so the man of lawlessness will have a ready audience of people that want to see something in order to believe.  And they will see him perform signs and wonders and believe that he is god.  He is the antichrist, that is, the opposite of Christ, yet he will be a Christ like figure that proclaims himself to be God, and has the signs and wonders to convince the world.

The result is deception of wickedness for those who will perish with him, because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved. Their hearts were hardened.  They chose to believe a lie.  Paul says in vs 11, “For this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false.”  It is only by the Holy Spirit’s influence that we are able to believe the truth.  So as the Holy Spirit’s influence is taken away, then the world will easily believe a lie.  It’s as Romans 1:25 tells us, “For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.”

For those who reject the gospel and believe the lie there remains only the judgment of God. The gospel is that Jesus took God’s punishment for our sins upon Himself at the cross, so that we might be made righteous through Him. But when you reject Jesus as your Savior, the judgment of God remains upon you.  So Paul adds in vs12 “in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness.”  

We find an account of that judgement in Rev 20:11-15 “Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is [the book] of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds.  And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one [of them] according to their deeds. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.”

But that is not the finish for those who persevered in faith, who did not worship the beast, who did not believe a lie, but believed the truth. They are not affected by the second death, but live and reign with Christ forever.  Paul says in contrast to the judgment of the  world and the antichrist, in vs13 “But we should always give thanks to God for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth.  It was for this He called you through our gospel, that you may gain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

We that have believed the truth of the gospel have a better inheritance.  We have eternal life and glory in heaven. Salvation is available to all who believe in the truth.  And the truth is that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, became man and took the judgment that we deserved because of our sins upon Himself, dying on the cross to pay our penalty, raised on the third day because of His righteousness, having triumphed over death and sin, and now sits at the right hand of God interceding for us, and one day, on the last day, He will come again and reward the faithful and judge the world which lies in wickedness.  And He will reign in a new heaven and new earth with His bride the church, forever and ever.  

That is the truth of the gospel, which if you believe it, you will be saved from the judgment which is to come upon the world. Romans 10:8-13 says,  “But what does [the scripture] say? "THE WORD IS NEAR YOU, IN YOUR MOUTH AND IN YOUR HEART"--that is, the word of faith which we are preaching,  that if you confess with your mouth Jesus [as] Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved;  for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. For the Scripture says, "WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED."  For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same [Lord] is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him;  for "WHOEVER WILL CALL ON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED.”

Paul concludes this section with a final  appeal to those who are saved, who have believed in vs 15 “So then, brethren, stand firm and hold to the traditions which you were taught, whether by word [of mouth] or by letter from us.  Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, who has loved us and given us eternal comfort and good hope by grace,  comfort and strengthen your hearts in every good work and word.”

Hold fast to the truth, stand firm in the faith, and be stedfast in proclaiming the hope of His soon appearing. Let us pray.

The revelation of Jesus Christ from heaven, 2 Thessalonians 1

As most of you know, I do not make it a practice to follow the script of the Catholic Church and speak on the subject of various so called holy days which they traditionally observe. I don’t think it is wrong to preach a typical message on Easter, or in this case, on Palm Sunday, but I don’t think it is necessary nor particularly edifying for those who may only come to church on certain holidays, and are not regulars in our services.  Furthermore, I feel that there is almost a sort of empty ritual and ceremony associated with ascribing certain days as having certain spiritual significance.  And furthermore, there is very definitely no Biblical record of any instruction to observe what is called Holy Week, or Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, Ash Wednesday, Good Friday, Easter, or even Christmas for that matter.  They are days that are given special consideration by the Roman Catholic Church, and as such they are hold overs from the time of the Reformation.  And I for one, do not especially want to pay tribute to the Catholic traditions in any way, shape or form.  

There are only two days that we are told to commemorate in the Bible. One is the Lord’s Supper, and the other is the Lord’s Day.  The Lord’s Supper, or Communion, we are going to commemorate today.  Jesus said “as often as you do this, do this in remembrance of Me.”   That supper was originally the Passover meal which they celebrated the night before Jesus was crucified, which Jesus said from that time on would be changed to remember Him.  The Passover was only held once a year, but are to do it as often as we will. 

And of course, the Lord’s Day is Sunday, the first day of the week, when Jesus rose from the dead.  The church began to meet on the Lord’s Day, immediately following His resurrection.  And the observance of the Sabbath was done away with, as a ceremonial law that had been fulfilled in Christ, who through His death and resurrection gave us rest from our works.  So those are the only holidays that we are told to keep in the church.  The old covenant feast days and festivals were done away with.  And the efforts to create new feast days and festivals by the Catholic Church are, to my thinking, not in keeping with the law of liberty.

Paul reprimanded the Galatians for such things.  He said in Gal. 4:10 “You observe days and months and seasons and years.  I fear for you, that perhaps I have labored [fn]over you in vain.”  Even God spoke of His distaste for ceremonies and rituals that had become mere shows of superficial spirituality, but were not reflective of a heart that had been made right with Him.  In Isaiah 1:13 God said "Bring your worthless offerings no longer, Incense is an abomination to Me. New moon and sabbath, the calling of assemblies-- I cannot endure iniquity and the solemn assembly.”

That being said, it is somewhat ironic that as we begin a new book this week, I find some parallels in this first chapter of 2 Thessalonians with the triumphal entry of Jesus Christ into Jerusalem, which is of course the reason for celebrating Palm Sunday.  And so as we look at this letter verse by verse, we will get into that correlation in due course.  

This is the second letter that Paul, along with his helpers in ministry, Silas and Timothy, has written to the church at Thessalonica.  It may have been only a few months that have passed since his first letter, and in that time he learned of some things at Thessalonica that he felt needed to be addressed. And so he wrote another letter, which we call 2 Thessalonians.  There were a few concerns that he wants to address.  The primary one was the second coming of the Lord, which it seems some people had been telling the church had already taken place.  He spent a great deal of time talking about the second coming in his first letter, and the first couple of chapters of this book are basically a continuation of that conversation.

As a preface to that subject though, he begins by praising the church for it’s adherence to the principles of faith, and their endurance in the midst of increasing persecution.  He says in vs 3,
“We ought always to give thanks to God for you, brethren, as is [only] fitting, because your faith is greatly enlarged, and the love of each one of you toward one another grows [ever] greater.”

First of all, he gives thanks to God for their faith which is growing.  A church that is sound, that is true to the gospel, is growing in the faith.  They are coming to maturity in the faith.  They are able to bring others to faith in Christ. Reproduction is evidence of maturity. And they are growing in the knowledge of God and have applied the principles of sanctification taught by Paul, particularly in the last chapter of the previous book. They have not just been hearers of the word, but doers of the word.  As Hebrews tells us, they have progressed from just drinking milk to eating meat.  They have progressed from just the elementary principles of Christianity to maturity.

And that maturity was evident by their love that they showed towards one another.  Notice he says their love toward one another grows ever greater.  Love is the manifestation of our faith.  And love also grows.  Love is not a one and done thing.  We love God, we love the church, and we love our enemies.  We seek what is good for others, and that is something that develops as we mature in the faith.

So in many respects, perhaps in the majority of respects, the church at Thessalonica is doing good.  They are growing in the Lord in sanctification.  And yet as Paul warned Timothy in another letter, when you are living godly, you can expect increased persecution.  2Tim. 3:12 “Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.”  And that was certainly the case in the church of the Thessalonians.  They were suffering persecution and affliction because of their spiritual walk.

We read in vs 4, “therefore, we ourselves speak proudly of you among the churches of God for your perseverance and faith in the midst of all your persecutions and afflictions which you endure.”  Notice that he commends them for their perseverance.  Another translation of that word might be endurance.  God uses trials to produce endurance, and endurance produces maturity, and even greater faith.  

James says the same in James 1:2-4 “Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials,  knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.  And let endurance have [its] perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”  James isn’t talking about not lacking anything financially, or materially, but in faith not lacking maturity, soundness.  Perseverance is an essential part of faith, and there is no other way to maturity than by persevering through trials.  Peter said in 1Peter 1:7 “so that the proof of your faith, [being] more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”  We make a major mistake when we assume that the full and complete Christian life will be one without any hardship, without sickness, without financial stress, or any other possible variation of trials.  They are necessary, and it’s necessary to persevere through them, not prevent them.

Paul said in Romans 8:17 and if [we are] children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with [Him] so that we may also be glorified with [Him.]” So if we prevent suffering, we also risk preventing glorification.   So, contrary to the prosperity and health and wealth preachers on television, contrary to the name it and claim it crowd,  if you desire to live godly you will be persecuted. Persevere through persecution. And let endurance have it’s perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete in your faith, lacking in nothing.

In fact, Paul said that suffering in persecution was evidence of the fact that you belong to the kingdom of God.  Vs 5, “[This is] a plain indication of God's righteous judgment so that you will be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which indeed you are suffering.”  Paul says this endurance in persecution and affliction is proof positive of God’s righteous judgement. They gladly take up their cross and follow Jesus that they might participate  with Him in His kingdom. They endure persecution now so that they might receive an inheritance in Christ’s kingdom.  And God’s judgment is righteous because He remembers, He repays, and He keeps His promises.

That righteous judgement is the point of vs6, “For after all it is [only] just for God to repay with affliction those who afflict you,  and [to give] relief to you who are afflicted and to us as well when the Lord Jesus will be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire,  dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.” 

At the second coming of the Lord He will come in judgement. There is a two fold judgment in the coming of the Lord.  One is to recompense those who are enemies of the gospel, and secondly to rescue those who are of His kingdom.  On the one hand  Christ’s coming is retribution.  He repays with afflictions those who afflict the church. On the other hand, it is remunerative; he grants rest and relief for the church from all the afflictions and hardship that they have had to endure because they contended for the truth.

This revealing of Jesus Christ as the returning King, who takes vengeance upon His enemies, who gives relief to His people, is what is called in scripture, the parousia. You will see that word used in chapter 2 vs 1, translated as the coming of the Lord Jesus.  Parousia means “the coming, arrival, advent, the future visible return from heaven of Jesus, to raise the dead, hold the last judgment, and set up formally and gloriously the kingdom of God.”  It’s used 24 times in the New Testament, and 7 times in 1 and 2 Thessalonians.  

Interestingly, those who believe in the rapture consider 1 Thessalonians 4:13-15 the proof text for the doctrine of the rapture. But if you look at vs 15 of that chapter, it uses the word parousia to describe it, which is the same word used in 2Thessalonians 2:1, which is talking about Christ coming not in a secret way, but coming in judgment. As you know, I don’t believe the scripture teaches the rapture, but only the second coming.  And so we find it used in almost every description of the Lord’s coming in the New Testament.  Now for those who believe in the rapture, they say it is a secret appearing of the Lord for His church only.  What follows after the rapture will be seven years of tribulation. 

But as you can see from Paul’s description here, he is obviously talking about a two fold judgement in Christ’s coming, to judge the world, and reclaim His people and establish His kingdom.   Notice Jesus comes from “heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire, dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.”  This is not a secret rapture of the saints.  But rather this is the second coming of Christ, when the heavens and earth will be destroyed with an intense heat, and burned up.

In Matthew 13:40 Jesus spoke of the harvest of the wheat and the tares being gathered up and burned. He said "So just as the tares are gathered up and burned with fire, so shall it be at the end of the age. "The Son of Man will send forth His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all stumbling blocks, and those who commit lawlessness,  and will throw them into the furnace of fire; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.  "Then THE RIGHTEOUS WILL SHINE FORTH AS THE SUN in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.”

2 Peter 3:10 says, “But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up.  Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness,  looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the elements will melt with intense heat!  But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells.”

Now this parousia is I believe a parallel to the event that is celebrated on Palm Sunday.  On that day, Jesus entered into Jerusalem riding upon a donkey, with a multitude accompanying Him, praising God and saying, “Hosanna to the Son of David; BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD; Hosanna in the highest!”  The Son of David was a title that revealed that He was the King promised to Israel who would rule the world. His kingdom was proclaimed and heralded on that day as He entered into Jerusalem riding on a donkey.  

I read somewhere that kings of that day would chose a donkey to ride upon if they came in peace, and a horse if they came in war.  And so at His first coming, He rides upon a donkey as a symbol of the gospel of peace which He preached.

At His second coming, Jesus comes riding on a white horse,  accompanied by a multitude of His mighty angels, and His church, both those who were asleep and those who were alive at His coming, who are raised to meet the Lord in the air, and they come with Him.  John in Revelation 19:11-16 said, “And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it [is] called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war.  His eyes [are] a flame of fire, and on His head [are] many diadems; and He has a name written [on Him] which no one knows except Himself.  [He is] clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God.  And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white [and] clean, were following Him on white horses.  From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty.  And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, "KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.”

On the day of His parousia, every eye will see Him, and every knee will bow. Rev 1:7 “BEHOLD, HE IS COMING WITH THE CLOUDS, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him.”  It’s interesting that John also calls the new heavens and new earth the New Jerusalem. On Palm Sunday Jesus entered Jerusalem, to the cry of Hosanna from the multitudes.  And the scripture tells us that He went to the temple and made a scourge of cords and cleaned out the temple of those who had made His house a house of merchandise.  And in His second coming He will not only cleanse His house, but He will destroy His enemies forevermore.

Rev 21:1-8 “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer [any] sea.  And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them,  and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be [any] death; there will no longer be [any] mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away." And He who sits on the throne said, "Behold, I am making all things new." And He said, "Write, for these words are faithful and true."  Then He said to me, "It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give to the one who thirsts from the spring of the water of life without cost.  "He who overcomes will inherit these things, and I will be his God and he will be My son. "But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part [will be] in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death."

Vs 9-10 “These will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power,  when He comes to be glorified in His saints on that day, and to be marveled at among all who have believed--for our testimony to you was believed.”

While everlasting life will be the reward of the faithful, everlasting destruction will be the product of God’s vengeance upon HIs enemies.  That doesn’t speak of annihilation, but destruction that is everlasting, that continues for eternity - where the worm dies not and the fire is not quenched.  But even more terrible than everlasting fire is everlasting existence away from Christ, banished forever from the face of God.

For the faithful, Paul says that the second coming of the Lord will be glorified in His saints on that day, and to be marveled at among all who have believed.  He will be glorified in His church, as they reflect His light, His attributes.  Every vestige of sin will be banished from their existence. They will bask in the radiance of His light.   They will be like Him, for they shall see Him as He is, even face to face. Our glorified body will be a reflection of His glory.  And we inherit that glory by virtue of having believed in Him in this life, before the parousia. 

So then as Peter said, 2Peter 3:11 “Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness.”  And Paul also echos that thought saying in vs 11, “To this end also we pray for you always, that our God will count you worthy of your calling, and fulfill every desire for goodness and the work of faith with power,  so that the name of our Lord Jesus will be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and [the] Lord Jesus Christ.”

How are we  counted worthy of our calling? The scripture says, Abraham believed God and it was counted to Him as righteousness. We are counted as righteous.  By faith in Christ, by believing in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, my sins are transferred to Jesus Christ who bore them away on the cross, and His righteousness is transferred to me.  2Cor. 5:21, “God made Jesus, who knew no sin, to be sin for us, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.” 

Having thus been saved by grace through faith, we are given the power for every good work, which is the evidence of our faith, so that we might glorify the name of Jesus Christ. As a result of that work of faith, we glorify Him now, that we might be glorified with Him when He comes again.  

The sanctification of the church, 1 Thessalonians 5:12-28

The subject of this last passage in 1 Thessalonians is the sanctification of the church.  We studied last time the second coming of the Lord, when Jesus comes to claim His bride, the church and live with her forever in a new heavens and new earth.  So when Christ comes, the goal of the apostle’s teaching was that the bride of Christ, the church would be found faithful, betrothed to her husband who is Christ, that she should be blameless, holy and sanctified.  

Paul used the metaphor of marriage in [Eph 5:25-27  to speak of this necessity that the church is sanctified when Jesus returns for His bride.  He said, “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her,  so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word,  that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless.”

That passage defines sanctification, by the way.  Holy, blameless, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing.  That’s sanctification.  And Jesus desires it from His church.  So Paul, as he concludes this letter, having stressed in every chapter the imminence of the Lord’s second coming, now stresses the need for the sanctification of the church, that she might be found faithful when He comes again to claim His bride.

So how is Paul going to be assured that the church is sanctified and ready for the Lord’s appearing? Well, he gives a list here at the close of this letter of principles that if implemented, will assure that the church is sanctified.  He says as much in vs 23, “Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will bring it to pass.”  God is faithful to bring about our sanctification through our implementation of these principles.

But I want you to notice something there that is very interesting.  We often read in the scriptures about disciplining the body, or the saving of the soul,  or walking in the spirit.  But here Paul includes all three aspects of our being in sanctification; spirit, soul and body.  That illustrates a very important principle; that it’s not just our spirit that is saved, but also our soul and our body.  When God made man, He made him in His likeness.  One way that was accomplished was that we were made a triune being, like God is a triune being.  We were made spirit, soul and body -  and in that order.  But when sin came in, the spirit died.  God said in the day you eat of it you shall die.  Sin brought forth death in our spirit.  And so at that point the divine order of God was overturned.  Instead of the spirit controlling the mind which controlled the body, the body controls the mind and the spirit is dead. 

Now at regeneration, or salvation, we are given new life in the spirit, and that divine order  given at creation is restored.  Once again, the spirit is to control the mind, or soul, and the soul is to control the body.  That process is what is called sanctification.  Our spirit has already been sanctified, made holy, set apart unto God, and now the mind and body are to come under that control so that they are holy and without blame at the coming of the Lord.  That is Paul’s purpose in this last section.  To give the church certain principles which by implementing, we might be found sanctified at the coming of the Lord.

What follows then is the blueprint for the life of the church, given by the Lord Himself.  It is important for a builder, as many of you have experience in, to follow the blueprint for whatever it is you are building. And it is even more so for the church.  Many modern church leaders attempt to improve upon what God has established as His plan.  But the result is not what God intended the church to look like.  They may have a large group of people, they may have an impressive building or campus, but they are not building the church as God would have it.  But it is not our church to improve upon.  It’s God’s church, and He has designed it for His benefit, to be His bride, and so it behooves us to follow His blueprint.

So in this blueprint for the church’s sanctification, God starts with the leadership.  The church is designed to have leadership, a pastor, at the very least.  I don’t think the Bible necessarily teaches that there must be a plurality of elders.  I think common sense indicates that the number of elders is dependent upon the number of the sheep.  When I was in the restaurant business, we used to talk about a syndrome which we said was “too many chiefs and not enough Indians.” I think the same can be true of the church if it doesn’t use common sense in trying to fill presbytery positions rather than fill the pews.

But irrespective of how many leaders, the church is to have leaders.  And the church is to respect its leaders and their responsibilities.  Paul says in vs 12, “But we request of you, brethren, that you appreciate those who diligently labor among you, and have charge over you in the Lord and give you instruction,  and that you esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Live in peace with one another.”

So really this instruction is to both the leaders and the church members.  The church members are to appreciate those who labor among you.  To be a pastor of a church is work. It’s not work that is always that apparent.  I had someone sarcastically tell me once that he wished he had a job that only required him to work a couple of hours a week.  I think he was speaking of the time spent in the Sunday and Wednesday services. I don’t think he thought too much about all the preparation that goes into getting ready for those services.  But irregardless of how much prep a pastor might do, or how much time is spent in dealing with problems and concerns of individual members throughout the week, suffice it to say that there is some work involved.  Some weeks there is more than others.  But there is labor that is done in the church by the pastor, and it should be considered as such, and appreciated as such.

Furthermore,Paul said the pastor has charge over the flock.  Peter also said that in 1Peter 5:1-3 “Therefore, I exhort the elders among you, as [your] fellow elder and witness of the sufferings of Christ, and a partaker also of the glory that is to be revealed,  shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to [the will of] God; and not for sordid gain, but with eagerness;  nor yet as lording it over those allotted to your charge, but proving to be examples to the flock.”  The Greek word for shepherd is the root for the word we translate as pastor.  So the elder is the pastor, the under shepherd, and he has been given a responsibility by the Great Shepherd over the flock, over the local church.  He is to lead them by teaching, and by example.  And the church is to follow the leading of the shepherd, if the shepherd has is faithful to his calling.

Another aspect of appreciation for the pastor is recognizing that they have been given the charge to give you instruction.  The pastor’s primary job is to preach the word. Not to be an administrator, or a manager, or even a counselor.  All those things might be a part of their duties to some degree, but the primary job is to give instruction.  Paul said to Timothy in regards to his duty as a pastor in 2Tim. 4:2-4 “preach the word; be ready in season [and] out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction.  For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but [wanting] to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths.”

A faithful under shepherd will preach the word of God, giving God’s instructions to his people without alteration, without embellishment, without leaving anything out.  But being faithful to what God has said in His word. The preaching of the word of God by the pastor, and the reception of it as the word of God by the church, is the foundation for sanctification.

Not only are you to appreciate them, but in vs 13 Paul adds, “and that you esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Live in peace with one another.”  Now I don’t think he means that you esteem the pastor very highly, as in a degree or two above appreciating them.  But I think “esteeming them very highly in love” indicates the desired level of obedience on the church’s part.  Jesus said “if you love Me, you will keep My commandments.”  So I think that’s the idea that Paul is getting at. What the pastor instructs you from God’s word, you esteem that instruction very highly and you are obedient to it, as unto the Lord.  

Adding to that he says, and live in peace with one another.  That’s simply a note to not squabble, not fight, not to find fault with one another, or the pastor, for that matter.  Paul said in Romans 12:18 “If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men.” Don’t  be contentious, don’t be critical,  don’t be bickering between yourselves.

In that same regard, Paul adds in vs 14, “We urge you, brethren, admonish the unruly, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with everyone.”  Now contrary to some commentators who think this applies to everyone, I think this is intended just for pastors.  I think if everyone were to try to admonish the unruly, then that would negate the previous command to be at peace with one another. I think it would be difficult to do both and would lead to infighting among the church.  So I think he’s addressing the pastor(s).

So the pastor’s job is to admonish the unruly, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, and be patient with everyone.  I think this is similar to what Paul told Timothy which I quoted while ago, ““preach the word; be ready in season [and] out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction.”  Admonish means reprimand, or rebuke. Exhort means to encourage.  So the pastor rebukes those who are in disobedience, encourages those who are weak, and is patient with everyone. Because the goal for the church is sanctification which is accomplished through obedience to God’s instruction.

The next principle of sanctification is found in vs15 “See that no one repays another with evil for evil, but always seek after that which is good for one another and for all people.” The principle taught here is not to take personal revenge, but instead do good to all people. Instead of rendering evil for evil, or a tooth for a tooth, it is the church’s duty to pursue that which is beneficial both to other believers and unbelievers. And doing that is the fulfillment of the commandment to love one another, and love your enemies.

A similar instruction was given in Rom 12:19-21 “Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath [of God,] for it is written, "VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY," says the Lord.  "BUT IF YOUR ENEMY IS HUNGRY, FEED HIM, AND IF HE IS THIRSTY, GIVE HIM A DRINK; FOR IN SO DOING YOU WILL HEAP BURNING COALS ON HIS HEAD."  Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”  So doing good to others is loving others, regardless of whether they deserve it or not, regardless of whether you feel like it or not, which is the fulfillment of the law and the means of sanctification.  

The next principle that produces the sanctification of the church is continual prayer. Paul breaks prayer down into three steps; vs16 “Rejoice always;  pray without ceasing;  in everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.”  I think the admonition to rejoice always refers to our attitude in prayer.  That doesn’t mean we are always laughing, that there is no tragedy in our lives, no crisis.  But I think it means to have a settled contentment, a deep sense of joy in what God has accomplished for you.  

I am reading a little book by a shepherd about Psalm 23, the Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.  And he was saying how I shall not want is not an insurance that you will never lack anything, but that you realize that all your needs are met in Christ.  And as such, there is contentment in your life.  You’re not always striving for the next rung on the ladder, but you are content with your lot in life.  I think that is essential to our attitude in prayer.  Not coming to God with a laundry list of what we want Him to do, without recognizing and being content with what God has already done. When we recognize what we are in Christ, then we have an attitude of rejoicing.

Then with that attitude, we are to pray without ceasing. Jesus said that at all times we ought to pray and not to lose heart. Paul said in Ephesians 6 “With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit.”  Numerous times in scripture we are instructed to pray continually.  Be in a constant attitude of prayer. Be devoted to prayer.  Prayer is not just a means to an end, in other words, a way to get God to give you what you want.  But prayer is communication with God.  It’s impossible to live in sin and be in constant prayer with God.  So consistent, constant prayer with God is a sure path to sanctification.  

And Paul adds, in all circumstances, give thanks.  That indicates that our prayers are not a means of always changing our circumstances, but being thankful despite whatever be our circumstances.  The Lord will be with us in all our circumstances.  He gives us strength in all our circumstances. He helps us go through all our circumstances. So we endure in whatever circumstances we find ourselves in. James said in James 1:2-4 “Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.  And let endurance have [its] perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” So we are thankful in all our circumstances, whether we think they are good or bad, knowing that God is at work in those circumstances  to complete us, and perfect us in sanctification.

The next thing in our path to sanctification is found in vs 19, “Do not quench the Spirit.” How do we quench the Spirit?  By saying “no” to the Spirit.  When the Spirit of God tells us to do one thing, and we do another, that is quenching the Spirit.  When we give in to sin in our life, that is quenching the Spirit.  God said, “My Spirit will not strive with man.”  God gives us His Spirit to lead us, to guide us, to help us to know the truth, to give us the power to obey Him.  But when we quench the Spirit we basically say no to His leading.

Let me make sure you understand something as well. The way that the Holy Spirit speaks to us in through the word of God.  He is the author of scripture. Peter said “holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.”  So the idea is not to be listening for little voices in your head which will presumably tell you that there is an empty parking space just around the corner.  Or a voice that audibly tells you that this girl is one for you, or this job will be the one that will be the best.  The Spirit does not audibly  communicate with us.  But He speaks to us the truth from God by the word of God and by the preaching of the word of God. 

Jesus said concerning the Holy Spirit, whom He said is the Helper; “John 16:8, 13-14  "And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: ...  "However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own [authority], but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.  "He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare [it] to you.”

So then quenching the Spirit would be to disregard the truth, disregard the conviction of the truth in our hearts, and stiffen our neck and go ahead and do what we want to do.  And that is a terrible sin because it hardens our heart, and dulls our conscience, so it becomes even harder to hear the Spirit speaking to us. You cannot be sanctified and quench the Spirit.

As I said, one of the primary ways the Spirit of God speaks to us is through the preaching of the word of God. And so Paul says in vs 20, “Do not despise prophetic utterances.” Now understand that this is not talking about speaking in tongues.  Speaking in tongues and prophecy are two different spiritual gifts. And furthermore , please understand that  prophecy does not always indicate fore telling, but forth telling. A lot of people think that telling the future is the only type of prophecy.  There were some prophets of old that God used to tell what was going to happen in the future. And by the way, the punishment for your prophecy not coming true was they were to stone you to death.  But for the most part, a prophet at the time of the apostles was one who spoke forth the word of God.  “Thus sayeth the Lord…” They lived in a time when there was not a complete canon of scripture such as we have today.  Paul is writing one of the first books that the church had access to by this letter.  So there was a necessity in the early church for prophecy that would supply the word of the Lord to the church that did not yet have the written word.

When the written word was complete, there was no more need for prophecy.  That’s why Paul said in 1Cor. 13:8 “Love never fails; but if [there are gifts of] prophecy, they will be done away; if [there are] tongues, they will cease; if [there is] knowledge, it will be done away.”

In addition to that injunction to not despise prophecy, Paul says in vs 21, “examine everything carefully.” In other words, they were to test prophecy by the scripture.  There is no prophecy that God gives that is counter to His word. The apostle John said in 1John 4:1 “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.”  If there are godly prophets, then we can be sure that the devil also has false prophets to confuse and deceive.  So they must not despise prophecy, but they must examine it carefully.  And for the church today, the correlation is to give heed to the preaching of the word, but to examine it carefully, as the Bereans, who examined the scriptures to see if the things being taught them were so.

Finally, the last injunction towards the goal of sanctification is found in vs 21, and 22, “hold fast to that which is good; abstain from every form of evil.”  Hold on to that which is good. Abstain from every form of evil.  That really should not need much explanation. 

Paul said in Romans 12:9 “[Let] love [be] without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good.”  In Philippians 4:8 he said, “Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.”  And if we should need further incentive, Jesus said to His bride, the church in Rev 3:11 'I am coming quickly; hold fast what you have, so that no one will take your crown.”  So hold fast to what is good.

But on the other hand, abstain from every form of evil. 1 Cor. 6:18 says “flee immorality.”  1 Cor. 10:14 says “flee idolatry.” 1 Timothy 6:11 says “flee from the love of money.” 2 Tim. 2:22 “flee youthful lusts.” Abhor what is evil.  Don’t try to walk the line.  Don’t see how close you can get to the fire and not get burned.  But abstain from every form of evil, and cling to what is good.  And in that way, when we apply all the aforementioned principles, we will be assured of our sanctification, and assured that when the Lord comes again, we will be found without blame in our spirit, soul and body.  That we might be bride without spot, without blemish, holy and blameless at His coming.  May we be found faithful when He comes.  

May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.  And may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.