Participants: Jon Paulien & Jon Ciccarelli
Series Code: TBOTB
Program Code: TBOTB000011B
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00:01 Welcome back to Books of the Book,
00:02 where we begin our study of 2 Thessalonians. 00:05 We are in Chapter 1 and I'm going to pick it up 00:08 now John from versus 5 and 6. 00:12 "In all your persecutions 00:13 and in the afflictions you are enduring. 00:16 The evidence of the righteous judgment of God, 00:18 so that you might be counted worthy 00:20 of the kingdom of God, for which you are suffering, 00:23 since it is indeed just God's mind 00:26 to repay with affliction those who are afflicting you." 00:29 One thing I should mention right after 00:32 that here is that verses 5 to 10 have 00:35 a strong Old Testament feel about them. 00:38 So a lot of language that echoes 00:41 all kinds of places back, it's like you are in a cave 00:43 and there are echoes everywhere. 00:46 And what striking about this is 1 Thessalonians 00:51 is notable as the book of the New Testament 00:54 that almost seems to say nothing about the Old Testament. 00:57 Very, very little. 00:58 The strongest ones probably the one 01:00 you mentioned a few programs ago 01:02 where about coming with His saints 01:04 seems to echoes Zechariah 14 but very, very little 01:08 Old Testament in 1 Thessalonians. 01:09 In 2 Thessalonians Old Testament is everywhere 01:12 and particularly in the passage that we have here. 01:16 Probably viewers will have noticed 01:19 that Pastor Jon added a piece of verse 4 01:23 into the reading of verses 5 and 6. 01:25 'Cause we mentioned earlier it's all one sentence 01:28 and so verses 5 and 6 by themselves 01:30 don't flow as a sentence unless 01:33 you see them in the larger context. 01:35 So basically verse 5 starts out 01:38 "the evidence of the righteous judgment of God." 01:41 What does that mean? 01:42 Just sort of out on an island by itself. 01:45 It's pointing back. Okay. 01:47 What is the evidence of God's righteous judgment? 01:50 It's the persecutions and the afflictions 01:53 the Thessalonians are enduring. 01:56 Now that's troubling. Yeah. 01:58 What does that mean? 01:59 Evidence of the righteous judgment of God. 02:03 How is it-- how is their persecution 02:06 evidence of God's judgment? 02:07 I mean he is not saying that God is judging them. 02:10 No, it is this. 02:13 The fact that they are being persecuted 02:15 and that they're joyful in that persecution 02:18 anticipates the final judgment. 02:21 Because you see in the immediate situation 02:23 the persecutors are thinking we are right, 02:25 they are wrong, that's why we're persecuting them. 02:28 So everything that you see in that immediate situation 02:32 suggests the opposite of reality. 02:34 The reality will only be seen 02:36 in the righteous judgment of God at the end. 02:39 There it will be proven the Thessalonians were right. 02:42 Their persecutors were wrong. 02:44 So the fact that they're not being persecuted 02:47 as bad people but they are people who are joyful 02:50 and peaceful and they are being persecuted anyway, 02:53 the very character in the middle of the persecution 02:56 is evidence that God is righteous 02:59 when He judges their persecutors. 03:01 They have--the persecutors have upset 03:05 the order of the universe and while judgment 03:07 doesn't come now it will come eventually. 03:11 God's people will be vindicated 03:14 injustice will not last forever. 03:17 The future judgment will demonstrate 03:21 that God is approving them in the present 03:25 and it validates God has chosen them. 03:27 As we saw so all these things are happening. 03:29 It's a, it's a tough passage 03:31 but Paul is trying to bring out the idea 03:34 that your present experience should draw in 03:38 from the future judgment encouragement. 03:40 And in fact that's what they're joyful in suffering 03:43 and that's why Paul is so impressed with them. 03:45 Somehow more than any other church 03:48 either their persecution was worst than anybody else 03:51 or the way they responded to it was so much better 03:55 and Paul just says these guys are special. 03:59 You know it really can give us some comfort. 04:01 You know God will set things right 04:04 and that can really-- should really inform 04:07 and motivate us in our behavior today on trusting God. 04:11 Just resting and having patience with Him in that. 04:13 I think of the verse, you know, where God says 04:15 "vengeance is mine saith the Lord." 04:17 It's not for me to take vengeance on my situation 04:20 or whatever might be happening to me 04:21 but to trust that God is going to set things right. 04:25 You know that's why I love about what Jesus said too 04:26 when He gave that famous sermon on the mount. 04:29 You know the beatitudes. 04:30 God is here and He is beginning to set things right. 04:33 So if you are this or you are that 04:35 or this is what's happening don't worry God has come 04:37 and He is setting things right. 04:39 Things are in motion and they're moving forward 04:42 and despite your situation you can rejoice because 04:45 that--because that is coming. 04:46 Injustice will not last forever. 04:49 So be patient on your own. 04:51 And it's so tempting to retaliate sometimes 04:54 and I've been encouraged by a text that I wanna share. 04:58 It's in James Chapter 2 and verse 13 05:02 and I've chosen the English Standard Version for this. 05:06 It says, "for judgment is without mercy 05:09 to one who has shown no mercy. 05:13 Mercy triumphs over judgment." 05:17 What this text is saying is that in a sense 05:21 the standard of judgment at the end 05:24 will be the kind of standard that I held up to other people. 05:27 If I'm merciful to others, I'm saying 05:30 that's the way to judge people who are struggling, 05:33 that's the way to judge people who have done wrong. 05:36 You see when I'm critical and faultfinding 05:38 and overbearing then God said, oh, 05:41 that's the standard you think you wanna be judged by. 05:43 You see that. 05:44 I almost see God smiling in the statement. 05:47 But it has really encouraged me to say, 05:50 hey, if I to some degree set the pattern of my own judgment, 05:54 how should I treat other people? 05:56 They'll say, I wanna be merciful. 05:58 I wanna be kind. I wanna be gentle. 06:00 Forgiving even in the worst of situation. 06:04 As Paul said in previous letter, 06:07 don't repay evil for evil. 06:09 Yeah, yeah. So. 06:11 Well, shall we move on? Yes. 06:13 Let's move on to verses 7 through 9 06:15 here in 2 Thessalonians Chapter 1. 06:19 And Paul says this, "Repay with affliction 06:21 those who are afflicting you and rest to you 06:24 who are afflicted along with us, 06:26 at the revelation of the Lord Jesus 06:27 from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire, 06:31 directing vengeance toward those who don't know God, 06:33 and who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, 06:36 who pay the penalty of eternal destruction, 06:39 away from the face of the Lord 06:41 and from the glory of His power." 06:43 Wow, Jon. Yeah. 06:45 This is a passage some people get nervous on. 06:48 This is idea of God who pays back. 06:51 You know say how does that fit in 06:53 with the God of love and so forth. 06:55 And I think basically this, any good government 06:59 has as a major task restraining evil. 07:03 It has to be, I mean if wasn't for police cars 07:06 who would obey the speed limit, right? 07:07 I mean even among godly people 07:10 there's a temptation to just hit that thing 07:12 just a little bit harder and there is a restrain-- 07:15 the greater the evil the greater the restraint necessary. 07:19 Sometimes smart bombs. 07:21 Sometimes predator drones, you see. 07:24 Government's role is to restrain evil 07:27 in the universe and God is like that. 07:29 I remember one time I was driving in state of New York 07:34 and I had a lady in the back that was 07:37 telling me her husband just left her 07:40 and I was just so-- I'm listening to-- 07:42 this was 35 mile zone I headed over 50. 07:44 I was just listening-- Oh, no. 07:47 Little red light, you see. Right. 07:49 And I was pulled into the judge. 07:50 It was a really small New York state town. 07:53 This little judge, you know, he hands me the seat 07:56 and says the state of New York against Jon Paulien. 07:59 And I'm thinking 20 million people and they all hate me. 08:03 This is terrible, you see, but that was kind of 08:05 what the wrath of God is about its restraining, 08:09 you know, I didn't intend to do it but, boy, 08:11 I was sure restrained on my future actions in that town. 08:14 You know that judge who was a young guy. 08:16 This is your pastor, he says, I don't expect that 08:19 I'm gonna be seeing you again. 08:20 I'm just gonna let you go. 08:21 And his mercy was also a powerful restraint 08:25 on my behavior in that situation. 08:28 So I think we have to see, yes, God will bring 08:32 an end to violence and oppression 08:34 and that will be a good thing. 08:36 God of mercy isn't gonna let injustice go on forever. 08:41 Ultimately when He shows His presence those who 08:45 have chosen evil will not be able to stand it. 08:48 Yeah, yeah, well, I think we take great courage 08:52 that we don't need to take justice into our own hands. 08:55 You know that Gods not on trial 08:57 with these words on the Bible. 08:59 And you know I love how you brought out that, 09:03 you know, God has to deal with the evil in the world 09:07 and that He will take the situation into His hands 09:12 and we can know and trust our loving Father, 09:15 our loving God to deal with the evil 09:17 and He is making things right. 09:20 Well, we probably should move on to 09:22 2 Thessalonians Chapter 1 versus 10 through 12. 09:26 And Paul continues and he says, 09:27 "On that day when He comes 09:28 to be glorified in all His saints, 09:31 and to be marveled at in all who believe 09:33 because our witness was believed by you. 09:36 With this end in view we pray always for you, 09:39 in order that our God might account you 09:40 worthy of His calling, and He might fill up 09:43 your every intention of goodness 09:45 and work of faith with power, 09:47 so that the name of our Lord Jesus 09:49 might be glorified in you all, 09:51 and you in Him, according to the grace of our God 09:54 and the Lord Jesus Christ." 09:56 I love that part in verse 11 09:58 "that He might fill up your every intention of goodness 10:01 and work of faith with power." 10:04 Our good intentions He will fill it up. 10:06 He will work with this. 10:08 In verses 3-10, we have important details 10:11 about the Second Coming. 10:12 There's angels, there's fire, there's destruction 10:16 and He is setting the table for Chapter 2. 10:18 'Cause in Chapter 2 there apparently 10:20 people are saying He's already come. 10:22 He's already come. Quit your job. 10:24 You know, chill out so this is-- 10:27 eternity is here and Paul is saying look 10:30 if Jesus had come where is the fire, 10:33 where is the angels, where is the destruction, you see. 10:36 He is piling up evidence that their theology is mistaken 10:40 and it's causing them to behaviors 10:43 that are not worthy of the people of God. 10:45 So he's setting the stage here for where is about to go. 10:49 Yeah, you know, I love-- we talked about 10:51 this before in Chapter 4 but just that great picture 10:55 when Christ comes back again you know. 10:57 And I wanna encourage you as viewers I mentioned before 11:00 that you can take 1 Corinthians Chapter 15, 11:02 1 Thessalonians Chapter 4, and Revelation Chapter 20 11:05 and you can see the whole picture. 11:07 You know that wonderful picture 11:09 when Christ comes back again and the dead in Christ rise 11:12 and those who are alive in Christ rise with Him 11:14 and then Satan and his demons are bound for a 1,000 years 11:19 and Christ and His people reign for a 1,000 years 11:22 and they see that all of God's judgments 11:23 of making things right were actually just and good. 11:27 And then when Christ and His people come back 11:30 and that wily devil the serpent is let loose 11:33 again then God and His people come down 11:36 and cleanse the earth for that new earth 11:38 that we're gonna have and God will ultimately 11:40 make everything right. 11:42 And verses 10 to 12 I think He makes 11:44 clear that character is critical moving forward. 11:48 It is our character that to some degree is a window on to 11:52 God's character in the eyes of people. 11:54 We glorify God at the Second Coming 11:57 by exhibiting His character that's what Paul says here. 12:02 Yeah, definitely. 12:05 Well, God, Paul uses God and Jesus interchangeably here 12:09 and if Jesus is truly God then the Father is just like Him. 12:14 So in looking at Jesus we can really know 12:15 what our Father is like. 12:18 Let me sum up what we've been 12:20 doing in this program with a quick story. 12:22 There was a Seventh-day Adventist farmer. 12:24 There are a bunch of locust coming 12:26 and all his neighbors said the locust are coming. 12:29 They're gonna eat up the crops. 12:31 Let's get them all in. 12:32 The problem is the locust was supposed arrive on Sabbath. 12:35 This Adventist farmer says, no. 12:37 He says I'm not gonna work on the Sabbath 12:39 and let God take care of things. 12:41 The other farmers all work throughout that day 12:44 and throughout the night and so on. 12:46 Sunday morning came the Adventist farmer 12:49 looked out of the window, the field was totally barren. 12:52 When the neighbors say they were sorry for this. 12:54 Man, what you're gonna do now. 12:55 He says God doesn't always make 12:57 a final settlement in October. 13:01 Patience I think is a major message of this chapter. 13:04 Yeah, he really had a vision of God what wanted. 13:07 We just wanna encourage you to know that 13:09 no matter what you might be going through, 13:11 to know that God is about making things right. 13:14 It's in process and ultimately 13:15 when He comes back again evil will finally be done away with 13:19 and we'll reign with Him forever. 13:21 God bless. We'll see you next time. |
Revised 2023-01-25