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SCRIPTURAL STUDY INTRO...
Every time I try to reflect on God's word and condense it, I always wind up having far too much personal commentary than those who would stay true to the exegetical process might suggest I do.
So with that in mind, let's just do the highlights of these two incredible "letters / books" to an amazing church that Paul established on his first missionary trip and visited on his second.
You might know that in Acts 17 with the establishment of three churches (one in Thessalonica, a second in Berea, and the final one in Athens), there was a different response to the gospel in each city in that chapter.
The NIV says that SOME became believers in Thessalonica… MANY became believers in Berea… & A FEW became believers in Athens.
The Bereans were the ones who searched the SCRIPTURES, those in Athens were the ones who were obsessed with PHILOSOPHY, & the Thessalonians were made up of Jews and Gentiles, who became LOVING AND DEVOTED FOLLOWERS in the midst of persecution.
1 THESSALONIANS...
So let's dive in to the highlights. In 1st Thessalonians chapter 1, Paul makes it clear that this letter is coming from him and Silas as well as Timothy. They were a three-strong powerhouse in taking the gospel to the world.
CHAPTER 1
The first chapter is really focused on how proud Paul is of the church there, how thankful he is, and how much he prays for them all the time. He's mindful of their faithful work and loving deeds and he makes sure to point out how they have endured!
It must've been a powerful experience when they established the church there because Paul make sure they recalled it wasn't just words that they adhered to, but there was a spiritual power & a full assurance that the people felt which gave way to their deep conviction.
That served them well because they were in for some severe suffering. He mentions in verse 6 that the church people imitated the Lord and also the Paul / Silas / Timothy team.
It's always so important to have "shepherds" over the house of God that reflect the Lord Himself! Paul says they've even become an example and the Word of the Lord is ringing out everywhere about how they have turned away from idols & how they anticipate the return of God's Son. This church was off to a great start!
CHAPTER 2
Paul now reflects on his visit with them and reminds them that it was a GREAT visit not a failure.The hard time was when they were at Philippi previously, and the rough treatment they got before came to the Thessalonians.
It appears Paul wanted to "over emphasize the fact" that they weren't deceitful, had wrong motives or tricked them into following the gospel. In other words, there wasn't a lot of high pressure and manipulative efforts that had to be maintained. I've heard it said that "what it takes to WIN somebody to Christ, it takes to KEEP them in the Kingdom, so you better be giving "God's truth", not your own "personal charm".
He mentions their motives were to "please God and not people". He reminds them they didn't use flattery or just pretend to be their friends to get their money.
Verse 7 gives one of the best illustrations of what I believe pastors are to be as he likens them to be "children among them", and also like a "mother feeding and caring for her own".
But verse 8 is the one that is marked my life since 3rd year Greek in Bible college. It was this verse that my professor, Dr. Henderson closed up his Greek New Testament and looked us in the eye and told each one of us that "if we cannot live out verse 8 in chapter 2, then we need to go do something else for a living". For a moment i thought, you waited til our SENIOR year to tell us this? But i knew exactly what he was saying. He said with tears in his eyes.
Paul's words were, "they loved them so much that they shared with them not only the good news but their lives also."
Dr. Henderson told us if you're not willing to share your life with the people in your church, you will never grow and become who God intends you to be as a minister. That was a moment for me.
And I've never regretted a single day of taking the next step into the kingdom of God, wherever He would lead me. Through the years, our family has gotten to share our lives with some of the most incredible people in the Kingdom, who have become the dearest of friends!
Paul also says he didn't want to be a burden, so they worked for a living, and made sure that he "spiritually fathered" the people by pleading, encouraging and urging them to live lives that were worthy of God's calling!
He goes on by saying that some people, (referring to the Jews), have failed to please God, and now work against all humanity, as they try to keep them from preaching to the Gentiles! But in doing that, he says, they "pile up their sins and the anger of God has caught up with them".
His final words in that chapter reflect a longing to come see them, but Satan prevented that from happening.
You & I both know the devil does throw roadblocks at us, without question! And Paul uses the phrase, "pride and joy", (long before Stevie Ray Vaughan wrote blues song w/that title), and that's what the Thessalonian church was for them. They truly were Paul' pride & joy!
CHAPTER 3
Paul tells them he couldn't stand it any longer in Athens and he had to send Timothy to them to strengthen them & make sure they hadn't fallen away or been deceived, like the Galatians had been if you remember their situation.
And once again, Paul affirms their faith and uses a phrase about his prayer for them in verse 10 saying, "Every day we pray earnestly for you, asking God to let us see you again to "FILL THE GAPS IN YOUR FAITH".
What an incredible phrase! My "spiritual gaps" need filled in by the Lord every moment of every day! And I'm guessing yours do too. He emphasizes they are to let their love for one another grow and overflow. Then the chapter ends with a big AMEN since it actually turned into a prayer.
CHAPTER 4
Now it gets even more interesting because Paul mentions all the ways they need to make sure they live HOLY LIVES, not like the pagans, who cheat and harm one another. And certainly not those who get involved in lustful passion, and sexual sin.
He also mentions they need to "mind their our own business and work with their hands" . Guess there was a lot of "stuff floating around on Facebook" that wasn't helpful! He shamed them a little bit in verse 12 saying, "if you don't live holy lives, then non-believers won't respect the way you live"! Paul appeals to their integrity.
And then in verse 13… Oh my, do I love to read this passage at a graveside service! One time when i did, a storm came up ever so quickly, and God brought the wind & the rain as well as the lightning & the thunder! There's nothing like God showing off with sound effects!
The Thessalonians there were very worried about the delay of the Lord's return and what would happen to those who have already passed away. So Paul has another classic phrase, saying, "we don't want you to grieve as those who have no hope".
In our lives, we will grieve when we lose someone close to us. Don't we know it! As I write this on Thursday, I just preached two funerals yesterday. They were joyful, but within every joyful funeral is a sadness because of the separation.
The Thessalonian believers felt very similar and some took it a step further and were even QUITTING THEIR JOBS thinking the Lord is going to return anytime soon, so let's take it easy until then! That's not the point!
So Paul says let me tell you how this is gonna shake out. And if you're looking at verses 15 through 17 you'll see the LORD comes down from heaven with a SHOUT of the voice of the Archangel and the TRUMPET call of God. But before those still here meet Him in the air, those who have died in Christ will rise from their graves, and we will all be caught up together with the Lord forever!
Now in verse 18, he tells them why he needed to tell them these things… its so they might ENCOURAGE one another with these words. That's what we were to do. Encourage each other as we see the day approaching!
CHAPTER 5
Paul goes on and reminds them this is gonna happen unexpectedly like a "thief in the night". Everything will be peaceful & disaster will come upon them "like labor pains on the pregnant woman" and there'll be no escape.
So they weren't to be surprised because they were "children of the light". But they needed to stay alert to be on their guard & be "clearheaded".
I love that word . What does clearheaded look like? He goes on to say it's when you're "protected by the armor of faith and love, and have on the helmet of the confidence of our salvation.
Just a sidenote about the confidence of our salvation....
First John 5:13 simply says, "these things have been written SO THAT YOU MAY KNOW you have eternal life." You and I can know for certain we will be with the Lord forever. We don't have to wonder.
Now if we don't study His word, we won't find the assurance that He intends for us to have.
And if we don't encourage one another with the truth in His word, then it won't be on the forefront of our minds.
Paul finishes the book with some final advice, encouraging them to show honor to their leaders, appreciate those who give spiritual guidance, & show great respect and wholehearted love for them because of what they do on their behalf.
He turns the corner and says "we're to warn those that are LAZY, encourage those who are TIMID, and take care of those who are WEAK, all the while being patient with everyone.
If you like bullet points…
There they are!
And I love the way Paul continues to say little things…
Little gems…
Little nuggets…
Little phrases that are sticky so they can remember.
He says, "don't pay back evil… Do good as much as you can to everybody… Remain joyful… Don't quit praying… Be thankful in every situation… Don't stifle or quench the Holy Spirit… Don't scoff at prophecies… Test everything that everybody says and don't be gullible… Hold onto the good… ”Run forest run from the evil".
I love it when Paul blitzes the people of God with "powerful phrases"!
He then does something that he doesn't do elsewhere as he ends the book…
He says "read this letter to all the brothers and sisters". In other words, I don't want a clique of the leaders to develop that says, "Oh, by the way, we're supposed to do this and stop doing this". Rather, he wanted his voice on behalf of the Lord, to be heard by all!
2 THESSALONIANS
Now at the risk of sounding like PAUL HARVEY back in the day… "Page 2". Or rather should I say "Thessalonians, book 2".
CHAPTER 1
More greetings from Paul, Silas and Timothy, the trifecta of mission teamwork.
He begins in the first 3 chapters by acknowledging that their faith is still flourishing as is their love for one another. He reminds him he's still so proud of them in everything they've gone through and hated to see the suffering they've had to endure, but reminds them that God will use this persecution to show His justice and make them WORTHY, and God will settle the score someday!
He alludes again to the return of the Lord in verse 7, with Him returning with His mighty angels in flaming fire and bringing judgment on those who don't know God, or have refused to obey the good news.
He mentions their punishment is eternal destruction, forever separated from the Lord. That is the simple definition of hell… "Separation from God".
And he finishes the chapter by reminding them he will continue to pray & they would be ENABLED to live a life "worthy of the call" made possible by the grace of the Lord.
CHAPTER 2
Chapter 2 is a little tricky and sticky with what comes before the Lord's return and he doesn't want them to be alarmed. Nor does he want them to be deceived by some folks who think they have a "special vision or revelation" and even some people were "impersonating Paul" by sending letters, FORGING HIS SIGNATURE that weren't from him, so he had to clear that all up!
He said, "when the Lord returns, there will be some things that happen "PRIOR TO", and one is the "MAN of "LAWLESSNESS" will be revealed.
The way you recognize him is he "exalts himself and defies everything about the worship of God". He even sits in the temple, claiming to be God.
But take heart, because "the breath of the Lord and the splendor of His coming will kill the "man of lawlessness", even though he will also be doing "counterfeit miracles" at the time.
He will use EVERY DECEPTION POSSIBLE to fool people, and keep them from accepting the truth about God.
Paul finishes the chapter by telling believers they should "stand firm and reminds them that God CHOSE THEM to be the first to experience salvation, so KEEP A STRONG GRIP on the teaching that has been passed down, not only in person, but by his letters."
CHAPTER 3
And the final chapter rounding out the overview begins with "Paul's request for prayer". He asked that they would pray the Lord's message would "SPREAD RAPIDLY and be honored wherever it goes" in the same way they received it. He prayed for "PROTECTION" from wicked and evil people...& he certainly had encountered many of those folks!
His prayer FOR THEM, was that God would "lead their hearts into a FULL UNDERSTANDING and expression of love and patient endurance" it comes from the Lord Jesus.
Some more WARNINGS of staying away from believers who live IDLE lives and he reminded him once again that they worked for their food when they were there on their own mission trip and weren't a burden to anybody.
Then he spells it out…
Here's a command, he says, "THOSE UNWILLING TO WORK WILL NOT EAT".
Some of you, like me, are old enough to remember the comedian, Red Skelton. If you are, you might understand Paul is saying, "tell Freddie the Freeloader to knock it off and get a job".
Paul writes things in HIS OWN HANDWRITING at the end. It's a shame he had to give two forms of ID, but many people were impersonating him & using his format for their own agenda.
I guess copyright has always been a thing people squabble over. Bless his heart, Paul had to defend his apostleship over and over and over again. It kinda goes with the territory.
So what's the Takeaway?
Know that God is PROUD of you if you're remaining faithful.
Remember the Lord will come SUDDENLY with a loud "whistle and everybody out of the pool", so to speak, & It will be magnificent!
There's NO question about His return!
What IS in question, is will those around us be READY?
What else is in question, is will we be those who share the URGENCY of this matter with them in a loving way?
Love you guys…
And thanks for honoring our friend John with me today as he goes into "Centennial Longevity" in the name of the Lord!
Talk to you next weekend ...
May you be richly blessed by THE ONE "from whom all blessings flow"!
gr
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