All for the Kingdom
Sermon Podcast
Do Not Be Alarmed, 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12
Fear is a powerful emotion. Though some are more prone to it than others, all struggle with it. Fear can paralyze your ability to take action, and fear can cause you to forfeit what is good. However, the most destructive and dangerous reaction to fear is that it can cause you to lose your confident hope in God's promises and surrender your expectant joy in the kingdom of God.
The Thessalonians Christians were fearful that the persecutions they were enduring meant that they had missed the Second Coming of Christ and were thus experiencing the judgment of Christ on the wicked. Paul had written his first letter to the Thessalonians to assure them that Christ would rapture the church before the judgment of the wicked and to encourage them that they had not missed the rapture.
Paul writes this second letter to address this issue again. The church was enduring severe persecution. Additionally, there were false teachers who claimed that Christ had already returned. The pressures of persecution and the confusion caused by false teaching had caused the church to fear again that they had missed the rapture.
Paul writes this letter not to elaborate on all the details of the Second Coming and the particulars of the antichrist but as a pastor to his church, to encourage them to hold tightly to God's word with confident hope.
The main idea of this passage is: Do not be alarmed by false teachings or fearful of powerless threats but trust in the sovereignty, authority, and power of God.
Paul is not writing to rebuke the church or shame them for their fear but rather to warn them of the danger of being deceived and distracted by false teaching.
From both false teaching and biblical ignorance, many today struggle with fear and anxiety that steal their confident hope and joy in the Lord. So, how can you keep from being deceived and distracted by false teachings?
This passage provides three warnings to help you avoid being distracted by false teachings. Do not be alarmed by false teaching, fearful of the power of false prophets, or deceived by Satan.
Stand Firm in the Faith, 1 Thessalonians 2:17-3:5
The passion of God's servants must be to strengthen and exhort the church to stand firm against the attacks of Satan.
In chapter three, verse 2, we have the key verse for this passage. Timothy was sent to establish and exhort the church in their faith that they might stand firm against the temptation of Satan. The question that we consider with this passage is: What does the church need to stand firm against the attacks of Satan?
Gospel Light, 2 Corinthians 4:1-6
Paul knew something about the blindness of sin and the brilliance of the gospel light. He was given the name of Saul at birth, and from his earliest years, he was devoted to keeping the law.
The first introduction we have to Saul in scripture comes in Acts 7 at the stoning of Stephen. As Stephen was stoned to death, Saul watched over the coats of the men who threw the stones. (Acts 7:58) The next chapter describes how Saul became an enthusiastic persecutor of the early Christians (Acts 8:3).
As Saul grew in notoriety for his persecution, he asked the high priest for the authority to arrest Christians and bring them to Jerusalem. After receiving this authority, he made his way to Damascus, but before he arrived, he was confronted by a light from heaven.
Saul’s physical blindness would result in spiritual sight. (Acts 9) God would send a Christian named Ananias to Saul to pray for him. Once God removed the veil of blindness from Saul, God changed his name to Paul.
Paul knew what it was to be blinded to the truth. Paul knew what it was to be blinded to who Jesus is. And Paul knew what it was to see the gospel light. In Corinthians 4, he teaches on the transformation of the gospel, the opposing work of Satan, and the truth that only God can shine the light of knowledge that reveals His glory through Jesus.
Put on the armor of God, Ephesians 6:10-18
Paul’s teaching on the armor of God comes at the end of a more extended teaching on how Christians are to live out their faith in this world. Often when this passage is preached, attention is given to the pieces of armor and how God uses them in our lives. This approach is certainly an appropriate way to preach this passage and helpful to our understanding of how faith works to provide for us in this spiritual conflict. However, my attention in this sermon is more basic. I discuss the different armor pieces, but my attention is primarily on the reality of our spiritual conflict and the power by which we can have victory.
We are in a spiritual battle and are commanded to stand firm and endure. The encouraging word of this passage is that we stand in the power of God with the armor that He provides and endure with confidence.