2 Thessalonians 1:1

What a privilege and honor it is to be able to come before the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, the Creator of all things seen and unseen, to sing praise to Your name. As we have spent time worshiping You, Lord, and as our hearts are in an attitude of worship, I pray that You would minister to us now. Speak to us by Your Word and transform our lives, we pray, in Jesus' name. All God's people agreed, saying, "Amen."

As we are going through the New Testament, journeying through the Book of Acts, we have been taking time to stop off at the different letters that Paul wrote chronologically when they were written. Over the last couple of months, we have been going through the Book of First Thessalonians, and we have now come to Second Thessalonians. However, we are still going through the Book of Acts, and we are in Acts chapter 18, where Paul is in the city of Corinth with Silas and Timothy.

It is in Acts 18, while Paul was in Corinth, that he wrote this second letter to the church at Thessalonica. It is important to consider the historical context of what was going on. Paul, Silas, and Timothy are on their second missionary journey. They had gone through the regions of Galatia, ministering to the churches there that Paul and Barnabas had planted. Then they came down to the area of Troas, where Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia saying, "Come over and help us."

The next day, they boarded a boat and went to Macedonia, arriving in one of the key cities, one of the capital cities of that region, Philippi. While in Philippi, Paul and his co-laborers planted a church, and God began to do a work there. However, you may remember that it was there that Paul and Silas were taken by the magistrates of the city, beaten, and thrown in prison. They were in the jailhouse for a night, but God loosed them from that situation. Ultimately, the leaders of the city of Philippi said, "We don't want you here, so you need to leave."

They then went down to the city of Thessalonica, where they only spent a short time.

A short time in Thessalonica, the Scriptures tell us in Acts chapter 17 that they were there for three Sabbaths, reasoning in the synagogue. So, at least they were there for three weeks, perhaps a couple of months, but probably no more than that. A church was established there, and it was established in the midst of some trying circumstances. However, there was a group from the synagogue in Thessalonica that did not like Paul's ministry or the message that he had. They rose up against him and forced he and his co-laborers to leave and go just a short journey to the city of Berea.

They were much more well-received in Berea, and a church was planted there. But again, these enemies of the gospel from the city of Thessalonica came to Berea and stirred up the city against Paul. As a result, he had to leave Berea. Some believers from the church at Berea escorted him over a hundred miles south to the city of Athens, while Silas and Timothy stayed in the cities of Berea and Thessalonica.

When Paul arrived in Athens, he saw that the city was wholly given to idolatry. The Book of Acts tells us they were completely given over to idol worship and even had altars to the unknown god. When Paul saw everything happening in Athens, he sent the escorts that had come with him from Thessalonica and Berea back, instructing them to send Silas and Timothy to join him as quickly as possible.

Silas and Timothy eventually met up with Paul while he was in Athens. However, due to the circumstances within the churches of Berea and Thessalonica, it seems that Paul sent them back to northern Macedonia. He then went to Corinth, which was about 55 miles away from Athens, to begin his ministry there. They had some sort of agreement that at a certain point, Silas and Timothy would come and meet up with him in Corinth.

When we get to Acts chapter 18, Paul is in Corinth, and Silas and Timothy join him. It seems that they share with him what was happening in the churches in Macedonia. In response, Paul writes his first letter to the Thessalonian church to encourage and strengthen them. They were growing in their faith and in their work for the Lord, yet they were experiencing great tribulation and persecution. Paul wrote to encourage them regarding the coming of the Lord. Each of the five chapters of Thessalonians speaks of the coming of the Lord, which serves as a great encouragement when going through trials and tribulations, reminding us that the Lord has an ultimate plan and an ultimate end, just as God has intended.

God spoke through Jeremiah in Jeremiah 29:11: "I know the thoughts I think towards you, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you an expected end, a future and a hope." We in the body of Christ have an expected end. Amen. We know what ultimately is going to come to pass. Just like when you were in math class years ago, the answers are in the back of the book. They're in the back of this book too, and we know what's coming down. We know what's going on.

Paul wrote to the church at Thessalonica in his first letter, encouraging them in those things, strengthening them, and exhorting them to continue in the work. However, about six or eight months have passed. Paul is still in the city of Corinth, where he spent 18 months, around the year 52 A.D. Now, Paul is going to write another letter to the church at Thessalonica, the second letter. It seems that during that six or eight month period between First Thessalonians and Second Thessalonians, either a teaching or a prophetic word was shared in the church, or even a forged letter that seemed to be from Paul came to them and confused them again about the coming of the Lord.

So, Paul has to write to correct the wrong focus once again. I wanted to take some time before we actually go verse by verse through Second Thessalonians to read through the whole chapter or the whole book. It’s important to remember this was a letter written by Paul to a church. It wasn't written to just an individual believer, but to the entire body of believers there in the city of Thessalonica. When they would have received this letter, they would have all gathered together, like we are here, and they would have read the letter to the church to consider what it was that Paul had to say.

So, in Second Thessalonians chapter one, verse one, follow along with me if you would: "Paul and Silas and Timothy, unto the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace unto you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ."

We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is meet, or as it is right, because your faith grows exceedingly and the charity of every one of you all toward each other abounds. So that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God for your patience and your faith in all your persecution and tribulations that you endure, which is a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be counted worthy of the kingdom.

Of God, for which you also suffer, seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you. To you who are troubled, rest with us when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire, taking vengeance on them that know not God and that obey not the truth of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. They shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power when He shall come to be glorified in His saints and to be admired in all them that believe, because our testimony among you was believed in that day.

Wherefore, we pray always for you that our God would count you worthy of this calling and fulfill all the good pleasure of His goodness and the work of faith with power, that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ and by our gathering together unto Him, that you be not soon shaken in mind or troubled, neither by spirit nor by word nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. Let no man deceive you by any means, for that day shall not come except there come a falling away first and that the man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he, as God, sits in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.

Remember you not how that when I was with you, I told you these things? And now you know what withholds that he might be revealed in his time. For the mystery of iniquity does already work; only he who lets will let until he be taken out of the way. Then shall the wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of His mouth and shall destroy with the brightness of His coming, even him whose coming is after the working of Satan, with all power and signs and lying wonders, and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish, because they receive not the love of the truth that they might be saved. For this cause, God...

Shall send them a strong delusion that they should believe a lie, that they all might be damned who believe not the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

We are bound to give thanks always to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God has from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth. Whereunto He called you by our gospel to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Therefore, brethren, stand fast and hold the traditions which you have been taught, whether by word or our epistle. Now our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God, even our Father, which has loved us, and has given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace, may He comfort your hearts and establish you in every good word and work.

Finally, brethren, pray for us that the word of the Lord may have free course and be glorified, even as it is with you, and that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men, for all men have not faith. But the Lord is faithful, who shall establish you and keep you from evil.

We have confidence in the Lord concerning you that you both do and will do the things which we command you. And the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the patient waiting for Christ.

Now we command you, brethren, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, that you withdraw yourselves from every brother that walks disorderly and not after the tradition which you received of us. For you yourselves know how you ought to follow us.

For we behaved ourselves not disorderly among you. Neither did we eat any man's bread for nothing, but wrought with labor and travail night and day, that we might not be chargeable to any of you. Not because we have not power, but to make ourselves an example unto you to follow us.

For even when we were with you, this commandment we gave to you: that if any would not work, neither should he eat. For we hear that there are some which walk among you disorderly, working not at all, but they are busybodies.

Now then, those that do such things we command and exhort by the Lord Jesus Christ that with quietness they work and eat their own bread. But you, brethren, be not weary in well-doing. And if any man obey not our word by this epistle, note that man and have no company with him.

No company with him that he may be ashamed; yet count him not as an enemy, rather admonish him as a brother. And the Lord of peace Himself give you peace always by all means. The Lord be with you all. The salutation of Paul with my own hand, which is a token in every epistle, so I write: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.

As Paul writes this letter to this church, he knows that they have been confused by something that has come to them. Notice in Second Thessalonians, chapter 2, verse 2, he says that you be not soon shaken in mind or troubled, neither by spirit, meaning some sort of prophetic word that was shared with them, nor by word, meaning a teaching that had come into the church, nor by a letter as from us, that the day of Christ was at hand or had already come.

You see, they had been confused and shaken in their thoughts and understanding of things because it seems there may have been some sort of prophetic word that was given, or a false teaching that had come into the church, or even a forgery of a letter. This may be why Paul tells them at the end of this letter, in verse 17 of chapter 3, the salutation of Paul with my own hand, which is the evidence in every epistle, so I write. He says, "Listen, you can be sure that this letter is directly from me, not like that forgery that you received. I am actually writing to you to explain these things to you once again."

The letter is meant to encourage them to stand strong. The first letter that Paul wrote to the Thessalonians had a primary focus on the return of the Lord, while the second letter's primary focus is on patience and continuance in the faith until He comes. It encourages them to endure until the Lord returns.

There were some in the church in Thessalonica, as we saw in chapter 3, who, after they had heard about the coming of the Lord and were all ready for it, were told by someone that it had already come. As a result, they checked out; they stopped working, they stopped serving, and they relied upon the love and charity of others within the body of Christ. This is why Paul rebukes them and says, "Listen, if a man shall not work, he shall not eat."

There were some lazy busybodies in the church at Thessalonica who were taking advantage of the growing charity of the body of Christ. They were not doing what God had called them to do; they were not being faithful to the call. Remember when Jesus spoke about His second coming in Matthew chapters 24 and 25.

The application of the passage at the end of Matthew 24 and 25 is clear: listen, church, knowing that the Lord is going to return, you must be about your Father's business. When He returns, He should find you doing what He left you to do. However, there were some in Thessalonica who had failed in this regard, so Paul writes to challenge, exhort, and rebuke them.

Let’s go through the verses of Chapter 1. In Chapter 1, verse 1, he says, "Paul and Silvanus (or Silas) and Timothy, to the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace be unto you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ." Notice in these opening verses that he uses the words "the Lord Jesus Christ." As we read through the whole letter, we see that Paul frequently refers to the Lord Jesus Christ when writing to this church. This serves as a reminder of the reality that Jesus is the anointed Messiah spoken of in the Old Testament prophetic passages. He is the Christ, the Christos, the Anointed One. Because of this, He ought to be our Lord, and we need to take our cues from Him. We must look to Him for our direction and follow what He tells us to do.

Paul the Apostle was a great example of this. Although he held the title of an apostle and could have required the people of Thessalonica to take care of him, he chose instead to be a good example of a servant of Jesus Christ. He even spoke about this in Chapter 3, stating that when he was with them, he required nothing from them. Instead, he worked day and night to take care of his own needs so that he would not be a burden to them. Paul was, above all, a servant of Jesus Christ. He often reminded his readers that he was a bondservant of Christ—a servant by choice, not by constraint. He was not forced into servitude; he chose to fulfill the service that the Lord had set before him.

We too must recognize that Jesus is the Lord Jesus Christ. He is not just a man, a prophet, or a healer; He is the Creator, God incarnate. He was spoken of in the Old Testament, fulfilled the prophecies concerning His first coming, and will fulfill the prophecies regarding His second coming. Therefore, He ought to be submitted to as Lord.

And so, here Paul writes to this church and reminds them of the lordship of Christ. In verse 2, he uses the very same greeting that Paul does in every single one of his 13 New Testament epistles. He says, "Grace be unto you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ."

I have to be honest with you; I've been teaching through Paul's epistles for a number of years now, and it never gets bothersome or boring to me to talk about the grace and peace of our Lord Jesus Christ when studying Paul's epistles. There are two things that we always see in Paul's letters when we read, "Grace and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ."

Number one, if you're taking notes, we see the origin of grace and peace. The origin of grace and peace is always God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. The interesting thing about this, here in Second Thessalonians chapter one, verse two, is that in the original language, the Greek makes it clear that the Father and the Son are one source through which grace and peace come. That is remarkable because, early in the church's history, they already had an established understanding of the unity within the Godhead—that Jesus and the Father are one.

Now, that wouldn't be codified in the creedal orthodoxy of the church for another hundred years or so, but at the very beginning, we're talking 52 A.D., less than 25 years after Jesus ascended into heaven. There was a recognition in the church that the Father and the Son are one. So, he says grace and peace come from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Not only do we see the origin, but we also see the order of grace and peace. Grace is always before peace in Paul's letters. Why is that? I think it's important. It's not just because it sounded better than peace and grace, but because you cannot have the peace of God or peace with God until you've received the gracious gift of God through His Son, Jesus Christ. You must receive the gracious gift of Jesus dying for our sins on the cross 2,000 years ago before you can have peace with God and the peace of God in your life.

Oh, how wonderful it is to enjoy the peace of God! Here, Paul extends a salutation to the church at Thessalonica, and he says, "Grace to you and peace." But you know, not every Christian...

A believer experiences the peace of God, and it's a phenomenal thing, but it's not a guarantee. In John chapter 16, verse 33, Jesus said, "In Me you might have peace." I think we all would have loved it if He had said, "In Me you will have peace." However, I know many believers, and perhaps you sitting here today, have experienced times in your life when you have not felt the peace of God. We wonder, why is that? I've received the grace of God; I believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. How come I'm not experiencing the peace of God?

If you're in Second Thessalonians, turn just a few books to the left to Philippians chapter 4. I believe Philippians chapter 4 gives a good answer to that question. Paul says in Philippians chapter 4, verse 6, "Be careful for nothing," or another translation says, "Be anxious for nothing." We might consider that an apostolic command. How many of you today are perfectly fulfilling that apostolic command to be anxious for nothing? For the record, I see no hands.

"Be anxious for nothing," church. You might ask, "How can I fulfill that?" Paul continues, "But in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God." Then he adds, "And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, shall keep your hearts or guard your hearts and your minds through Christ Jesus."

You see, he tells us to be anxious for nothing, but in the same breath, Paul explains how you can receive and experience that peace. It is only received by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, bringing your requests to God in everything.

In the Old Testament, in Isaiah chapter 26, the prophet Isaiah says in verse 3, speaking of God, "Thou will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on Thee because he trusts in Thee." God will keep or sustain that individual in a place of perfect and perpetual peace as their minds are stayed and fixed upon the Lord and as they trust in the Lord.

So, what's the obvious and logical application? In the very next verse, Isaiah says in Isaiah 26:4, "Trust in the Lord forever."

If it is true that God will keep us, He will hold us in a place of perfect peace. If we trust in Him, then the exhortation is, "Listen, church, trust in the Lord." Here we're told in Philippians chapter 4, "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God, and He will give you His peace, which will surpass all understanding."

Maybe you can identify with this. In my life, I find that generally, I experience anxiety or the removal of peace when my focus is on what might happen—the "what ifs" of life. What if this happens, or what if that doesn't happen? I begin to be consumed with all the possible roads and things that could come from a decision. I become anxious about it, thinking about what's going to happen tomorrow, the next day, the week after that, or even two years from now. We get consumed and anxious.

Yet, notice what Paul says in Philippians 4, verse 8: "Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report. If there be anything virtuous, if there be anything praiseworthy, think on these things." In Colossians, Paul would say, "Set your mind on things above." We need to change our focus and put our focus on the Lord. As we do, the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, can guard our hearts and our minds in Christ Jesus.

Paul was really encouraging this church by even just saying, "Grace and peace unto you." He was encouraging them to make that their focus. Yes, they were going through tribulation; yes, they were experiencing trial and persecution. In the midst of it, if we set our focus upon the Lord, we will experience the peace of God.

Jesus said in Matthew chapter 6, in the Sermon on the Mount, "Therefore I say unto you, take no thought for your life, or do not be anxious about your life, what you shall eat, what you shall drink, nor what you will wear. Don't worry about food, housing, and clothing. After all these things," Jesus says in that passage, "that's what the Gentiles seek after. But your heavenly Father takes care of those things." So Jesus says, "Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you. Don't worry about tomorrow; sufficient for the day is the trouble thereof."

Focus your attention upon the Lord and experience the peace that is only found in Christ. Isn't it interesting that our world is so consumed with trying to find peace? It's only found from the Prince of Peace, and so we need to look to Him. We see the origin of grace and peace comes from Jesus. The order of these things is always grace before peace.

Paul continues in Second Thessalonians, chapter 1, verse 3, and he says, "We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is right, as it is meet, because that your faith grows exceedingly and the charity of every one of you toward each other is abounding." He adds, "So that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecution and tribulation that you endure."

There is so much in these two verses. First, notice how Paul opens when he says, "We are bound to thank God always for you." Those words are really financial terms used in the Greek. He basically says we are in debt to God to give thanks. Have you ever considered your prayer life in the sense of being in debt to God to give thanks? I don't think we often do, but that's what the Scriptures say here.

We may give thanks for our meals. We may give thanks as we're driving down the freeway and perhaps pass an accident, saying, "Thank you that that wasn't me." We may thank God for nice weather or a beautiful place to live. However, we are in debt to give God thanks for all that He has done for us—not just the trivial things we see around us, like nice weather and beautiful surroundings, but for the fact that He has saved us and for the work that Jesus did on our behalf.

We are indebted to give thanks to Him, and He is well pleased with our thankfulness. In the Old Testament, the nation of Israel was often indicted by God because of their lack of gratitude, their lack of thankfulness to the Lord. May it never be said of us that we are unthankful.

In our last study in First Thessalonians, Paul told the church there that in everything they are to give thanks (First Thessalonians, chapter 5). We need to be those who are giving thanks to the Lord. Here, Paul says, "I am indebted to God to give thanks for you, brethren, as it is right." It is the right thing to do to give thanks to God. Why does he give thanks to God? Because their faith grew exceedingly and their charity toward each other is abounding.

The love and support among the believers in Thessalonica abounded, and Paul gloried in the church there because of their patience and faith in the midst of persecution and tribulation. Now, turning from Second Thessalonians back to First Thessalonians, I want you to look at the similarities between the first four verses of First Thessalonians and the first four verses of Second Thessalonians.

In First Thessalonians 1, Paul, Silas, and Timothy write to the church of the Thessalonians, which is in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ. They say, "Grace be unto you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ." They give thanks to God always for all the believers, making mention of them in their prayers. They remember without ceasing three things: first, their work of faith; second, their labor of love; and third, their patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of God and our Father, knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God.

Paul gave thanks to God for the evidence of growth that he saw in the Thessalonian believers. In First Thessalonians chapter one, he expresses gratitude for their work of faith, their labor of love, and their patience of hope. Now, in Second Thessalonians chapter one, verse three, Paul continues to thank God for their faith, hope, and love. He notes that they are growing in faith even in the midst of great tribulation and hard persecution. They were growing in their faith.

I have seen in my life, and you may be able to see this in yours as well, that I grow more when my faith is tested. When my faith is tried, when I am going through difficulty, I grow more than at any other time. We don't often like to admit that, and we don't often like to consider that truth, but it is a reality that we grow more when we are stretched and tested.

Have any of you ever gone hiking in the high mountains, maybe the Sierra Nevada range? If you get above 8,000 feet there, you reach the tree line, and you find there is very little growth on the mountaintop because of the lack of precipitation and the low oxygen levels in the upper mountains. There is just not a lot of growth. However, we love mountaintops. When we get up there, it is an exhilarating experience; we can see so far and enjoy the beautiful views from those high mountains. We love mountaintop experiences, but the growth is in the valley. You don't find much growth on the mountaintops, and the same is true in our Christian lives.

We love mountaintop experiences, retreats, conferences, and worshiping with believers. We love the vision that we receive and the exhilarating experience of being there. Yet, oftentimes, it's in the valley that the growth comes. It's when we're going through the day-to-day trials and tribulations of life that are promised to everyone. Remember, Jesus said in John chapter 16, verse 33, "In Me you might have peace." But the very next thing He said was, "In the world you shall have tribulation."

You're going to have tribulation, church. Anybody who tells you that Christians don't suffer hard times is a false teacher because Jesus Himself said you will suffer tribulation. But be of good cheer; I have overcome the world. He says you are growing in your faith. The Greek word that Paul chose to use for growing here means to increase beyond measure. The church at Thessalonica had a faith that was increasing beyond measure; they were fruitful in their faith.

Not only were they growing in their faith, but secondly, Paul says, "You are abounding in love." But how do you gauge an abundance of love? I challenge you this week to do your own little polling data. As you're at work, at school, or spending time with friends and family, ask them to define for you what love is. If you ask 20 people to define love, you will get 20 different answers, and some of them will be kind of weird. We have a lot of misunderstandings about love. Love in our society is oftentimes very ambiguous and really hard to grasp.

People say, "I love my dog," "I love tacos," and "I love my wife." Hopefully, you don't love your wife as much as you love your dog and your tacos. In the Greek language, there are many words for love. In the New Testament, three of them are used: the Greek word "eros," which speaks of romantic or erotic love; the Greek word "phileo," which speaks of brotherly love or friendship love; and the Greek word "agape," which is probably best defined in First Corinthians chapter 13. This speaks of a self-sacrificial love, the love that is displayed in the work of Jesus on the cross. It is God's love for us—agape.

Here, Paul tells this church, "You are abounding in love." It's interesting that in the King James Version, First Corinthians chapter 13 doesn't use the word love; it says "charity." This love is displayed in self-sacrifice, and when I say charity, I'm not just talking about giving.

Financially, although it has to do with that as well, it is about giving of oneself without expecting anything in return. It is not dependent upon the attitude of the one receiving. Even in the church in Thessalonica, there were people taking advantage of the love of the saints. They were abounding in love, meaning they were giving of themselves to one another, and there were those busybodies who were taking advantage of it. Paul did not tell the church to stop loving them; he told those taking advantage of it to stop. He never told the church to stop loving in this charitable way.

Aren't we thankful for that? Jesus did not stop loving us when we were not receptive to Him. While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us, and God demonstrates His love toward us in that while we were yet sinners, He died on the cross. Jesus's love was not dependent upon our attitude toward it, and that should be the case for you and me as well. As we abound in love, this is one of the marks of maturity in Christ. We are growing in our love for one another, and we need to be those willing to give, even if others are not nice in the way they receive it.

Why is that? God is seeking to grow us more and more into the image of His Son, who is the chief giver. John 3:16 says that God the Father gave His only begotten Son. John 19 states that Jesus gave His own life; He laid down His life. Throughout the rest of the New Testament, we see that the Holy Spirit gives gifts, power, and strength to the church. God is the supreme giver and desires that we also would abound in love in such a way that we self-sacrificially give to those in need.

Again, I want to reiterate that I am not just talking about finances; I am talking about time, talents, and treasure—giving of our lives. Paul was thankful to God for their growing faith and their abounding love. In verse 4, he notes, "so that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that you endure."

Thirdly, Paul praised the Lord for their patience in persecution, for their growing faith, their abounding love, and their patience in persecution. Patience and endurance grow out of hope. Once again, Paul focuses the church on faith, hope, and love. He commended them and praised the Lord for their steadfastness.

The growth that he saw in the area of hope in their lives is significant. Patience and endurance are connected to hope. How so? What is the motivator of patience?

How many of you here today, after graduating high school, went on to college or university and graduated? I didn't; I won't put my hand up. I see some hands. Now, imagine for a moment that you're in your third year at university. You know the time is approaching when you're going to be finishing. You've come over the hump; you're over the halfway point, and you're looking at the downhill run.

You go into the administration building because you received a letter asking to talk with you. They sit you down and say, "We are so blessed by you being here. We really enjoy having you at this school, but we are no longer offering degrees and diplomas. We would love for you to stay here, but we just want you to know that at the end, when you're done in about a year and a half, you're not going to get a degree. You'll just leave with the knowledge you received here and knowing that you blessed us by being here, along with a little bit of student loan debt."

How many of you would have stuck around? You see, in that situation, the ends justified the means. It justified the difficulty and the trial, and for some of you, the great tribulation of going through school. It justified it. But if there was no prize at the end, there would be no reason to go through it.

This is even the case with Jesus, our Lord and Savior. Hebrews chapter 12 says, "For the joy that was set before him, he endured the cross." The joy of the salvation that would come through the cross of Christ was the very thing that stirred him to endure the cross. If that had not been the outcome, there would have been no reason for him to endure; it would have been foolish.

For you and me as well, the Scriptures in the New Testament, especially, constantly lift our focus to the prize at the end. Paul the Apostle, in Romans chapter 8, says there, "The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God. And if we are children, then we are heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together."

Now notice this in verse 18.

For I reckon that the sufferings of this present world are not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed in us. The earnest expectation of the creature waits for the manifestation of the sons of God. Paul, in Romans 8, redirects our attention to the glory that shall be revealed in us. When our focus is on heaven, when our focus is on being with the Lord, we can endure anything that comes in this life. The sufferings of this present world are not worthy to be compared in us.

God desires to grow us in faith, hope, and love. Even in the last chapter of the last letter that Paul wrote, in First Thessalonians chapter 5, he tells us in verse 8, "But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation." This idea of faith, hope, and love is throughout the Scriptures, especially in the New Testament. It is a mark of Christian maturity, spiritual maturity, that God desires to bring us to a place where we have faith towards Him. Our confidence is in Him; our trust is in Him.

We have hope, recognizing that whatever we go through in this life doesn't matter because we have the good consolation of being with Him eternally. God desires us to grow in love towards one another and towards Him. Jesus told His disciples in John chapter 15 that they shall know that you are My disciples by the love that you have one for another.

The church in Thessalonica was growing in faith, hope, and love, and Paul was greatly encouraged by this. It seems he was amazed by the growth that was happening there. It makes me wonder why Paul was amazed by the growth. Perhaps it was because he knew he had only been with them for a very short period of time and didn't have a lot of time to invest in the church.

Perhaps Paul had seen such difficulty in other places; he had witnessed that other cities had a hard time. He had seen the difficulty in other churches and was concerned by what he had seen. He wondered if the church at Thessalonica would be able to weather that difficulty. Or perhaps, knowing that they were experiencing trial and tribulation, he was concerned. Yet here he is, greatly encouraged. He says, "I praise the Lord for what I've seen in you." He acknowledges that they have endured tribulation and persecution, as noted in verse 5.

Manifest token or as evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be counted worthy of the Kingdom of God for which you also suffer. Seeing it as a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to those who trouble you, the persistence and continuance of the Thessalonian believers in the midst of tribulation and persecution was evidence of the righteous judgment of God.

Now, this is kind of an interesting thing that Paul says here. A lot of times, unbelievers see suffering as proof that there is no God. They will say things like, "Well, if there really was a God, He wouldn't allow this to happen." They argue that because there is suffering and difficulty, it proves that there is no God. But that's not what Paul says. He states that the trial and tribulation you are going through, and the things you are enduring, are proof that God will one day bring about a righteous judgment.

You see, our minds should always be elevated above all the worldly events and the things that we suffer in this life. When we direct our attention to God during trials, tribulations, and suffering, we are reminded of this very important truth: one day, the Lord is going to come. It is a righteous thing that God will come and recompense, repay tribulation to those who trouble you. When we look to the Lord, it reminds us that God's wrath will one day come.

Having in view the wrath of God that is going to come upon unrighteousness and ungodliness puts into perspective the suffering we experience now. The suffering that you go through in this life is the worst it will ever be because we are not appointed to the wrath of God. However, there is wrath that is coming, and Paul says it is a righteous thing when God brings about His wrath.

Some people have a really hard time with that idea because we often apply our own understanding of justice to God. We need to recognize that we have a fallen understanding of justice, and even our comprehension of justice comes from God. But we love justice; we absolutely love it. I can prove it to you: you drive down the freeway, and someone flies past you at 90.

Miles an hour cuts you off. What's the first thing that goes through your mind? Oh, I wish there was a cop here. We love justice, well, we love justice when it applies to other people. We love mercy when it applies to us, don't we? When we're the ones in the driver's seat and we do something stupid, we immediately look in the rearview mirror and go, "Oh, I hope there's not a cop." We love justice for others and mercy for ourselves.

This idea of justice is something that God has placed inside of us, but it's still a fallen understanding of justice. We apply our fallen understanding of justice to God and think that it just doesn't seem right that God would judge and condemn men to hell. Have any of you ever felt that way or talked with people who have said that to you? I know I've had many people tell me it just doesn't seem right. Again, they're using their fallen understanding of justice and applying it to God.

In Genesis chapter 18, Abraham had a conversation with God about this very topic. God tells Abraham, "I'm going to go down to Sodom and Gomorrah and check things out." Abraham knew what that meant; he knew that Sodom and Gomorrah were wicked cities. He also knew that his nephew Lot lived in Sodom, so he understood that the outcome would be the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah and three other cities in that region because of their wickedness. He knew that God's wrath was going to come upon them.

Abraham did something amazing; he interceded on behalf of the people of Sodom and Gomorrah. He said, "Lord, suppose there are 50 righteous in Sodom and Gomorrah. Will you spare the cities for 50 righteous?" God said, "Yes, I will spare the city for 50 righteous." Well, Abraham knew that might be a stretch; 50 righteous is a lot. So he said, "Well, suppose there's 45 righteous. Would you spare the city for 45?" God replied, "Yes, I'll spare the city for 45."

Abraham continued, "Okay, Lord, I know I'm treading on holy ground here. What if there's 40 righteous?" God answered, "I will spare the city for 40." Abraham pressed on, asking about 30, 20, and all the way down to 10. God said, "I'll spare the city for 10."

But Abraham asked something amazing in question to God in that passage: "Shall not the judge of all the earth do right?" The important question that man has when it relates to God's wrath and justice is, "Shall not the judge of all the earth be righteous and just when he judges?" The answer to that question is an absolute yes.

Yes, if there is a God and if He is going to judge all humanity by His standard, then He must be righteous and just when He does it. The Scriptures reveal that the prophet Isaiah tells us in his prophetic work that God does not judge by the seeing of the eyes or the hearing of the ears, but He judges with righteous judgment.

What exactly does that mean? Here in the United States, we live under one of the best judicial systems in the world today. You may say, "Wait a minute, there's so much injustice." If you go to other countries, you will see that we have one of the best judicial systems in the world. However, we recognize that even with the judicial system that we have, there are still failures of justice. Are there not? We know that some people are condemned to die who are perhaps innocent, while others are released even though they are guilty.

We judge by the seeing of the eyes and the hearing of the ears. If you've ever been called for jury duty, you know that as you sit there, the judge will tell you that you are going to see evidence and hear testimony. With an unbiased opinion, you are to determine the fate of the individual based on the seeing of the eyes and the hearing of the ears. But even with that, even with twelve jurors brought together—a jury of your peers—there may still be unrighteous judgments. This is the best that we humans can do.

Isaiah says that God does not judge by the seeing of the eyes or the hearing of the ears; He judges with righteous judgment. What does that mean? God knows the heart. Jeremiah chapter 17, verse 9 says, "The heart of man is desperately wicked; who can know it?" But verse 10 says, "God searches the heart."

So, on that day when God judges and brings wrath upon the wicked, He will do so with righteous judgment, knowing the heart. There will not be a single person standing there—neither you, me, nor those being judged—who will say, "This is unjust; this is not right." We will all say, "Amen, this is right; this is just."

We place upon God our own sense of justice, but our sense of justice is flawed; His is perfect. It is not justice by the seeing of the eyes or the hearing of the ears; it is justice by a righteous understanding of the heart. Therefore, God will come and judge with justice and righteousness. He will bring recompense.

Tribulation will come upon those who trouble us. However, verse 7 says, "And to you who are troubled, he will give rest." You will rest with us when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels. God is going to return one day, and when He does, He will bring wrath upon ungodliness and unrighteousness. But He will bring rest to you and me.

Some people see this and say, "Well, that's unjust; that's unfair." Not so. God placed wrath and judgment upon His own Son 2,000 years ago on the cross so that you and I could find salvation. He paid the price for us, and if we, by grace through faith, receive that gracious gift, then we receive His righteousness and are not judged.

On that day when we watch God judge humanity, we will not stand there saying, "Oh, well, see, they're getting what they deserve." Instead, we will stand there in absolute humility, recognizing that it should be us facing judgment, but we have received grace. This recognition of the righteous wrath of God should stir us to evangelism. It should compel us to declare plainly to those who do not know the Lord yet that they must come to Him.

Why? Because one day the Lord is coming. He shall be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels. Verse 8 says He is coming in flaming fire, taking vengeance on those who know not God and those who obey not the truth of the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. They shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power when He shall come to be glorified in His saints and to be admired in all those who believe, because our testimony among you was believed.

In that day, the Lord will come again, and He will come with a flaming fire of vengeance upon two groups: first, those who know not God, and secondly, those who obey not the truth of the gospel. Paul says God's judgment, His vengeance, and His wrath will come upon those who know not God.

1 Thessalonians chapter 4 tells us that those who know not God walk in the lusts of their flesh. 1 Thessalonians 4:5 states that just like those who lived in Athens, as described in Acts chapter 17, verse 23, they had an altar to the unknown God. They did not know God, yet they served idolatry and were wicked. Romans chapter 1, verse 28 tells us that those...

Those who are wicked in this world do not like to retain God in their knowledge. They wish that they did not know God. Galatians chapter 4, verse 8 tells us that those who do not know God often resort to idolatry. Ephesians chapter 2, verse 12 tells us that those who do not know God do not know hope. Paul states that the Lord is going to come and execute His wrath upon those who do not know God, but secondly, upon those who do not obey the truth of the Gospel.

These are individuals who, although they know who God is, refuse to yield to Him and refuse to receive His gift of grace. God says, "I will pour out My wrath upon them." What will His wrath look like? We are told in verse 9 that God shall punish them with two things: everlasting destruction and eternal separation. They shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power.

Just as there is everlasting life promised to those who receive the gracious gift of salvation, there is also everlasting destruction promised to those who reject that gift. As the blessings of heaven are eternal, so the punishment and penalty of hell is also eternal. The unbeliever who dies does not simply cease to exist. I know there are some, even within the body of Christ, who console their consciences with the idea that the unbeliever who dies will just cease to exist. However, that is not what the Scriptures reveal.

Jesus, in Luke chapter 16, reveals a story about two men who died. One was a righteous man who went to paradise, while the other was a wicked man who, immediately after death, was carried to a place of torment in a flame. As you study through the Scriptures, you find that there is a place called Hades, where the unbelieving individual who dies goes. It is a place of torment, but it is also like a holding cell, a prison cell holding them for the ultimate judgment. The Bible reveals that after what is called the millennial reign of Christ, I know that I may be...

Using terms that you're not familiar with, we'll talk about it more eventually. After the millennial reign of Christ, there is coming a day when the unbelieving dead will stand before God for judgment. Turn in your Bibles to Revelation 20; we'll just consider this briefly.

Jesus is going to return one day, and He is going to establish a kingdom for a thousand years called the millennial reign of Christ. After that thousand years, the unbelieving dead will stand before God for judgment. Look at Revelation 20, verse 10. It says, "And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be in torment day and night forever and ever." The Bible describes here in Revelation 20, verse 10, that there is a lake of fire that is a place of torment forever and ever. It was not created for man; Matthew 25 reveals it was created for Satan and his angels.

But notice what John says in verse 11: "And I saw a great white throne, and Him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and heaven fled away, and there was found no place for them." I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God, and the books were opened. Another book, singular, was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged out of those things that were written in the books according to their works. The sea gave up their dead which were in it, and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them. They were judged every man according to their works, and death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death, and whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

You see, an unbeliever that dies today is taken to this place called Hades. But there is coming a day, at the end of the millennial reign of Christ, when the unbelieving dead will stand before God for judgment. They will be judged according to the evidence that is against them, and they will be cast into the lake that burns with fire, a place that verse 10 tells us shall be a place of torment night and day forever.

The Lord is going to return one day with flaming fire, taking vengeance on them that know not God and obey not the truth of the gospel. He shall punish them with everlasting destruction, but secondly, with eternal separation. They will be separated from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power for eternity.

Three times in the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus cautions His hearers regarding the punishment that He is going to bring upon the world someday. He speaks of it in terms of outer darkness. The unrighteous and the ungodly will be cast into outer darkness. Matthew 25, verse 46 says, "And these shall go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous unto eternal life." There is a contrast; there are two paths. As Moses said at the end of his teaching in Deuteronomy, "I have set before you this day life and death, blessing and cursing. Choose life that you might live."

That is the Gospel message that we bring. There are two paths; there are not thousands or millions of ways to God. Both paths end before God, but one of them goes towards righteousness and eternal life, while the other goes to everlasting destruction. Therefore, Paul says in verse 11 of Second Thessalonians, chapter 1, "Wherefore also we pray always for you that our God would count you worthy of this calling and fulfill all the good pleasure of His goodness and the work of faith with power, that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ."

After talking about the wrath and judgment of God, I am so thankful that Paul reminds us of the grace of God. It is so easy, when thinking about the wrath, justice, and judgment of God, to lose sight of His gracious gift. Always, when we talk about the judgment of God, we must consider the grace of God. You see, God is not willing that any should perish. It is not God's desire that anyone would go to hell. We are His creation; He does not want man to go to hell. He desires that we would come to the knowledge of the truth and that we would repent. He has made a way for salvation.

Some will say, "Well, hey, it's a narrow way." Yes, but what does it matter if it's a narrow way? It is a way. The grace of God is only seen as truly gracious when the backdrop is the wrath of God. May we truly know what grace is. That is why Peter would tell the church to grow in the grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

Let's stand and pray together.

Father, I thank You for Your Word, and I pray that You would, by Your Spirit, plant these things deep in our hearts. Stir myself, my brothers, and sisters here, so that as we go from here, we would be ready and willing to speak boldly this truth: There is a way that seems right to a man, but the end thereof is death. There is a way that You have set, and it leads to eternal life.

Jesus, I thank You that You told Your disciples, and You speak to us: "Let not your heart be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in Me. In My Father's house are many mansions. If it were not so, I would not have told you. I go to prepare a place for you, and if I go, I will return and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also."

Lord, thank You for that promise. Help us to be reminded of these things when we face trials, tribulations, difficulties, or suffering. Whatever it may be, remind us of the end—the Spirit and the bride at the marriage supper of the Lamb. We look forward to that day, and so we say, "Come, Lord Jesus, quickly."

But until You do, Lord, teach us to be faithful in the work that You've set before us. We ask in Jesus' name, Amen.