July 17, 2022
Carry On …
2 Thessalonians 2:11-3:17

INTRO

An Outline To The Christian Life:
Carry On …
… In the Word
… In Perseverance
… In Work

Carry On … In The Word

Two weeks ago: 2 Thess. 2:11-12, Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false, 12 in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

2:13 But we ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the firstfruits to be saved, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth.

• But = contrasted the church with the condemned.
• The ministry team, said, they should give thanks for them >>
  • “firstfruits to be saved,”
    • Firstfruits = abstractly, a commencement [first existence of something], or concretely, chief (in various applications of order, time, place, or rank).
    • First generation “Christians” perhaps
    • Perhaps first from the Spirit’s unique work at the first Pentecost, post resurrection
  • Nevertheless, how were they first fruits?
    • 1–through sanctification >> by the Spirit
    • AND (conjunction) 2–belief in the truth
    • Chosen = by the Spirit and man believing truth.

14 To this [to be chosen] he called you through our gospel, so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

• “to this” [to be chosen] he called you > though our gospel
• purpose: “so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
  • Not just to have a heaven ticket but a holy life here >> glory there.
  • glories are going to vary greatly.
• 15 So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the traditions that you were taught by us, either by our spoken word or by our letter.
  • “So then” = continuation to response.
  • the church needed to respond to the because their future depends on it from v. 14
  • “stand firm and hold”
  • “stand firm”
  • “hold” = κρατέω = be strong, rule, hold sway (LSJ.gr). To have power, be powerful; to be chief, be master of, to rule: absolutely, to get possession of (Thayer).
  • respond to the traditions that were taught …
    • Paul and the others were explaining to the church that they written to them about. e.g., 1 Thess.
    • To the Thessalonian church > get back on to proper Christian living by standing and holding on to the things you were told and knew from Paul.

ILLUSTRATION

George Muller said, “The first 3 years after conversion, I neglected the Word of God. Since I began to search it diligently, the blessing has been wonderful. I have read the Bible through one hundred times and always with increasing delight!” (“Read the Bible”)

APPLICATION

• If you and I are going to live a life that glorifies God it’s going to be in the same ways of the sanctified that have gone before us. Those that followed the old traditions of the Christian faith.
• God has us right where we are.
• We are to stand firm and rule from the our position for the glory of God.
• We do this by holding onto the traditions found in the Word.

TRANSITION
Now that we see that the Thessalonian church was to back to standing on, ruling with, and living out the teaching from the New Testament, lets now look at how they were supposed to accomplish it.

Carry On … In Perseverance

16 Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace, 17 comfort your hearts and establish them in every good work and word.

• 16-17 are a short prayer for the church
• They had been given three things from God:
• loved us >> aorist tense.
  • love was demonstrated
• and gave us eternal comfort >> aorist tense
• and good hope = used of nobles, or of the brave and valiant (LSJ.gr).
• love, forever comfort, and noble hope had been given so Paul prayer for application from the church.
• The prayer from v. 17 included:
  • … comfort their hearts
  • … establish them in every good work.
  • … establish them in every good word.

  • [Alex said,] ]We sometimes cherish such emotion; but, alas, how rare it is for us to dwell in that calm home all the days of our lives! We visit that serene sanctuary at intervals, and then for the rest of our days we are hurried to and fro between contending affections, and wander homeless amidst inadequate loves. (MacLaren)

  • every good work and word.

3:1 Finally, brothers, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may speed ahead and be honored, as happened among you, 2 and that we may be delivered from wicked and evil men. For not all have faith.

• The ministry team asked for prayers too:
• 1–The Word may “may speed ahead”
  • Verb mood (subjunctive) is the mood of possibility and potentiality. The action described may or may not occur, depending upon circumstances. (BlueLetter)
  • “… word occurs in Greek writings denoting to incur extreme peril, which it requires the exertion of all one’s effort to overcome.” (Strong’s)
• 2–The Word may be honored.
• 3–that we may be delivered from wicked and evil men.
  • later = “wicked”
    • came from the = ἄτοπος = out of place; unwonted = [unaccustomed; unused; unusual (Webster)]; strange, paradoxical (LSJ.gr)
    • When we are not living according to that image we a are - out of place - unused; - unusual and strange - paradoxical.
    • Man is made in the image of God.
  • evil men=
    • “For not all have faith.”
    • A lack of faith makes one evil.
    • Paul explained, The righteousness that is by faith. (Roman 1:17)

3 But the Lord is faithful. He will establish you and guard you against the evil one.

• establish you = set you, stabilize you, place you firmly, fix you (see Strong’s)
• and guard you against the evil one
  • guard you = to watch you, keep watch for you
  • “This is one of many military terms in this chapter … .” (Utley)
• The Lord “establishes and guards” us >> We [reminder] “stand firm and hold [rule, chief, master]” in 2:15.
  • Notice from it’s absence: the ministry team is not PRIMARILY concerned with keeping them from trouble and persecution—they already had that.
  • 4 And we have confidence in the Lord about you, that you are doing and will do the things that we command.

5 May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God and to the steadfastness of Christ.

• love God, with all of your mind, heart, soul and strength.
  • love God with everything!
• steadfastness of Christ: Not our steadfastness—His! steadfastness! DIFFERENCE
  • steadfastness = “… in the N. T. the characteristic of a man who is unswerved from his deliberate purpose and his loyalty to faith and piety by even the greatest trials and sufferings …” (Thayer)

ILLUSTRATION

[Abbott wrote,] Our sorrow is greatly enhanced by the mystery of life. If we could only understand the reason of it, it would be easier to bear. But the tears seem to be so unnecessary, the wounding so needless, the pain and anguish so inexplicable. Life is a tangled [yarn], and we can get no clue. Now in this mystery and perplexity of life there comes One who says, “Trust Me.” He does not, indeed, throw scientific light on the mystery of life. He does not solve its enigma. He does not put the clue into our hands. But He says “Trust Me.” (Lyman Abbott as quoted in SBC)

APPLICATION

• Carry On In the work of God >> How?
• Knowing that
  • 1–loved us
  • and gave us…
    • 2–eternal comfort
    • 3–good hope through grace
  • Look at the world…I am experiencing God’s love, comfort, and hope.
  • Think of the future? I am experiencing God’s love, comfort, and hope.

Now that we have seen the church was supposed to carry-on in perseverance. Let’s look at what their focus was supposed to be in their daily lives.

Carry On … In Work

6 Now we command you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you keep away from any brother who is walking in idleness and not in accord with the tradition that you received from us. 7 For you yourselves know how you ought to imitate us, because we were not idle when we were with you, 8 nor did we eat anyone’s bread without paying for it, but with toil and labor we worked night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you.

• v.7 imitate us = live teaching
  • v.7 “were not idle” = “properly, of soldiers marching out of order or quitting the ranks.” (Thayer)
  • [v.8] “not a burden,” = the word is used to signify a soldier’s pack. (SBC)
  • idle brother is a burdensome brother.
• Some brothers at the church had rejected work because they assumed that Jesus’ return was imminent; they expected the church to feed them while they waited in idleness. (Utley)
• The ministry team had a right to be a burden to them: v.9 It was not because we do not have that right, but to give you in ourselves an example to imitate. COMMENT
• 10 For even when we were with you, we would give you this command: If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat.

  • [Trapp said,] That men should sweat out their living, and earn it before they eat it. Sin brought in sweat, Genesis 3:19. And now, not to sweat, increaseth sin. (Trapp)

  • The ministry team did double duty to set an example for the church.
• 11 For we hear that some among you walk in idleness, not busy at work, but busybodies.
  • busybodies = “take more pains than enough about a thing, waste one’s labour on” (LSJ.gr); bustle about uselessly, to busy oneself about trifling, needless, useless matters (Thayer).
  • This speaks volumes on our welfare state.
• 12 Now such persons we command and encourage in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living.
  • command and “encourage” is okay = context calls for the more usual meaning = summon as for a court proceeded (LSJ.gr) or admonish, exhort: absolutely (Thayer)
  • work quietly >> perhaps without complaining / without gossiping about others.
  • pay your own bills!

13 As for you, brothers, do not grow weary in doing good.

• v.13 IS TO ALL MEMEBERS:
• We may grow weary in doing good.
• When we see bad behavior we may be tempted to join it.
• Being the slave is tiring I’m sure.
• The spiritual life is physically taxing.

14 If anyone does not obey what we say in this letter, take note of that person, and have nothing to do with him, that he may be ashamed.

• “take note” = to be marked or be stamped (LSJ.gr)
• Community shunning >> long lost Christian teaching in the American Church.
• Associating with the offender justifies his conduct and others become partakers of his sin. (Sutcliffe)
• It is uncertain if this involved a full distancing, thus not allowing the brother to attend church, or exclusion from church meals (the Lord’s Supper), or exclusion from leadership roles. (Utley)
• Early church history points to not eating with such a one during the Lord’s Supper.
• 15 Do not regard him as an enemy, but warn him as a brother.
  • Warn him as a brother
  • We are our brothers’ keepers.
  • Sometimes a man needs to be ashamed. A community shaming is sometimes warranted.

ILLUSTRATION
Work should be a form of worship:

• Colossians 3:22-24, [Slaves], obey in everything those who are your earthly masters, not by way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord. Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward.
• Titus 2:9-10, [Slaves] are to be submissive to their own masters in everything; they are to be well-pleasing, not argumentative, not pilfering, but showing all good faith, so that in everything they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior.

Employee of the Month—every month.

APPLICATION
For us, v.13 As for you, brothers, do not grow weary in doing good.
Carry On … In the Work of Doing Good

Challenge | Benediction

• The ministry team, as they wrote to the church, presents to them “the whole aim of our efforts in these two things … a steadfast love to God, and a calm endurance of evil and persistence in duty.” (MacLaren)
• An Outline To The Christian Life:
  Carry On …
  • … In the Word
  • … In Perseverance
  • … In Work
• Now may the Lord of peace himself give us peace at all times in every way. The Lord and His grace be with us all.

Note

¹ Source: http://www.sermonillustrations.com/a-z/p/perseverance.htm

Bibliography and Works Cited

NOTE: Please see the following web-page for most of the works cited: https://insidecrosspoint.org/sermons/2022/july/bibliography.html. Works cited on this web-page correspond to the verses they are are grouped or outlined with.

Scripture quotations [unless otherwise noted] are from The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Other Works Cited

“Read the Bible.” “Our Daily Bread.” August 12, 1992, sourced from https://bible.org/illustration/read-bible.