2 Thessalonians 2:13-15

WHEN FACING TROUBLING TIMES

Rob Carlson – Pastor, Golden Plains Baptist Church, Portage la Prairie, Manitoba

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2 Thessalonians 2:13-15 But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath 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 ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle.

2 Thessalonians 2:11-12

ETERNAL PRINCIPLE OF CAUSE AND EFFECT

Randy Newcomer – Pastor, Central Baptist Church, Canton, OH

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2 Thessalonians 2:11-12 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

2 Thessalonians 2:9-10

EVEN HIM

Scott Suttle – Pastor, Spring City Baptist Church, Cleveland, VA

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2 Thessalonians 2:9-10 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 received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.

2 Thessalonians 2:5-8

GET YOUR MIND RIGHT

Joel Logan – Pastor, Sweet Springs Baptist Church, Ardmore, AL

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2 Thessalonians 2:5-8 Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things? And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:

2 Thessalonians 2:1-4

GOD IS BIGGER THAN THE BOOGIE-MAN

Brent Logan – Missionary to Romania/Eastern Europe

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2 Thessalonians 2:1-4 Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be 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 man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.

2 Thessalonians 1:11-12

ARE YOU A WHINER OR A SHINER?

Rick Baker – Pastor, Faith Baptist Church, Mint Hill, NC

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2 Thessalonians 1:11-12 Wherefore also we pray always for you, that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfil 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 ye in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

2 Thessalonians 1:5-10

THE RIGHTEOUS VENGEANCE OF GOD

Brent Logan – Missionary to Romania/Eastern Europe

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2 Thessalonians 1:5-10 Which is a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God, that ye may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which ye also suffer: Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you; And 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 gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who 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.

2 Thessalonians 1:1-4

CHARACTERISTICS OF A CHURCH TO GLORY IN

Randy Newcomer – Pastor, Central Baptist Church, Canton, OH

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2 Thessalonians 1:1-4 Paul, and Silvanus, and Timotheus, 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, because that your faith groweth exceedingly, and the charity of every one of you all toward each other aboundeth; So that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that ye endure:

Bible Conference

For the 13th time this past week, THE BIBLE Baptist Church hosted our annual Bible Conference.  We wish we could invite all of you to be with us.  Unfortunately, we do not have the facilities necessary to extend such an invitation.  However, all of the sermons and all of the singing have been posted to our website for you to enjoy (click here).

As a personal word of testimony, my prayer going into the meeting was that the Lord would give me as an individual and our church as a whole (1) just exactly what we need in the preaching, in the singing, in the fellowship; and (2) the grace to receive it.  And God answers prayer.  It seems like every year the preaching and the overall tone of the meeting speaks to the need of the hour.

Absolute Surrender

Matthew 22:20-21 And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription? They say unto him, Caesar's. Then saith he unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's; and unto God the things that are God's.

Talk about a statement on absolute surrender – Render unto God the things that are God’s.  And what isn’t?  There isn’t anything that isn’t God’s.  Everything we have, everything we enjoy is simply a gift from a gracious God.  And according to Jesus, it’s only right that we turn around and give it all back to him.

Being in the Way

Genesis 24:27 And he said, Blessed be the LORD God of my master Abraham, who hath not left destitute my master of his mercy and his truth: I being in the way, the LORD led me to the house of my master's brethren.

The eldest servant of Abraham’s house (presumably Eliezer, Genesis 24:3 w/ 15:2) had been sent to the land of Abraham’s people to find a bride for Isaac.  Standing by a well of water, he had prayed that God would lead him to the right girl.  Up walked a young lady by the name of Rebekah, and in answer to his prayer, she had offered him drink from the well – and watered all his camels. 

The servant finds out that this Rebekah is the daughter of Bethuel, Abraham’s nephew.  She invites him to her father’s house, and here the servant offers this word of thanks and praise to the God of his master Abraham. 

And he makes an interesting statement.  I being in the way, the LORD led me…

The Power of Example

Matthew 5:19 Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

To me, the implication here is that to break the commandments is to teach men to do so.  That breaking and teaching to break are synonymous.  To do one is to do the other.

I don’t think Jesus is calling anyone out for heading up a course of study in Commandment Breaking 101.  Rather, He’s speaking to the power of example.

God's Enabling Grace

Picked up a practical application my last time through the timeless account of Noah, the ark, and the worldwide flood. 

In Genesis 6, when God told Noah He was going to send a flood and gave Noah instruction as to how to build the ark, He commanded Noah to BRING two of every sort of every living them onto the ark, to keep them alive (vv. 19-20).

In Genesis 7, once the ark was completed, God told Noah to come into the ark and TAKE seven pair of every clean beast, to keep seed alive upon the face of the earth (vv. 1-3).

When I was young, my cousin had this really cool Nintendo game where you were Noah, and you had to go out and collect all the animals of the forest, and bring them back to the ark. 

That’s a lot better than most video game concepts out there, but I’m pretty sure that’s not exactly how it went.  Genesis 7:9 records the narrative this way, “There WENT IN two and two UNTO NOAH into the ark, the male and the female, as God had commanded Noah.”

Poured Out

Some things we can and ought to pour out before the LORD:

Psalm 62:8 Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. Selah.

1 Samuel 1:15 And Hannah answered and said, No, my lord, I am a woman of a sorrowful spirit: I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but have poured out my soul before the LORD.

Job 16:20 My friends scorn me: but mine eye poureth out tears unto God.

Psalm 142:2 I poured out my complaint before him; I shewed before him my trouble.

Isaiah 26:16 LORD, in trouble have they visited thee, they poured out a prayer when thy chastening was upon them.

Lamentations 2:19 Arise, cry out in the night: in the beginning of the watches pour out thine heart like water before the face of the Lord:

God's Enemies

Psalm 139:20 For they speak against thee wickedly, and thine enemies take thy name in vain.

The Lord made it very clear that He would not hold the man guiltless that takes His name in vain (Exodus 20:7).  And yet, I seem to keep hearing His name used flippantly by those who would never claim to be opposed to Him – even by those who claim to know and love Him. 

I don’t know about you, but I wouldn’t want to be involved in anything that might identify me as God’s enemy.  So find another phrase to use to sound surprised.  Think of something else to say to express shock or amazement or some other emotion.  But leave God’s name out of it. 

His enemies take His name in vain.  His people pray in His name (John 15:16), sing praise to His name (Hebrews 13:15), and declare His name among the heathen (Psalm 96:3).  Which side are you on?

Before the gods

Psalm 138:1 I will praise thee with my whole heart: before the gods will I sing praise unto thee.

We know we should sing and pray and praise the Lord and glorify God regardless of whoever is or isn’t listening because God sees it, God hears it, and it pleases Him. 

But a thought struck me as I read this verse.  Perhaps we should also do all those things because of someone else other than the Lord who might see or hear.  David said, “before the gods will I sing praise unto thee.” 

Daily Bread

Psalm 136 is unique in that all 26 verses in the Psalm end with the phrase “for his mercy endureth for ever.”  It’s obviously a song of praise (I’d love to hear it sung) listing many reasons to “give thanks to the Lord” (vv. 1, 2, 3, 26).  One of which is found in verse 25:

Psalm 136:25 Who giveth food to all flesh: for his mercy endureth for ever.

Did you eat today?  Breakfast?  Lunch?  Dinner?  A snack or two in between?  Did you thank God for it?  Is that just a habit, or was it truly an expression of thanks and an acknowledgement of God as the true source of that provision?