Further Sojourning…Now Through 2 Thessalonians, Pt. 10
Study Guide, July 28, 2024
Pastor Clay Olsen
As we wrap up our sojourning adventures through 1st and 2nd Thessalonians, I’m reminded of a remark by a little boy that we were giving a ride home from an AWANA group meeting. He was probably only about 6 years old. And as we just started off from the parking lot he said, “So, what did we learn today?” That was great! How many times do you think he had heard that before?
And so here we are considering where we have been in our travels and what we have covered in the Apostle’s teachings for these Thessalonian believers and us as well, and now thinking: “So, what have we learned today, and from all the ‘todays’ before ‘today’?”
We have learned to ‘Look Up!’ Certainly one of the most encouraging things of all is that we have learned that Jesus is about to return to Earth, first to gather His Church, and then to reclaim the Earth as His Kingdom! Amen? I think we pointed out, and even if we did, it bears pointing out again, that there are 1,845 references to Christ’s Second Coming throughout the Bible! In fact, one out of every thirty verses in the New Testament teach us about the return of Jesus Christ to this Earth. In our sojourning through these two letters of Thessalonians the return of Jesus Christ is taught in every chapter. No wonder Paul said to us all: 1 Thess 4:18- “Therefore comfort and encourage one another with these words.” AMP
What is more comforting and encouraging than knowing that everything about this world is on the verge of a major merge into an entirely new lane of life on Planet Earth. The King has been preparing for His return for over two thousand years. And even James said: “Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.” James 5:8 KJV (Now, James didn’t use the King James accent, but I like it: ‘the Lord draweth nigh!’) (I’ve always been tempted to put on our church sign what I saw in a meme: “Madeth Thou Looketh!” …but that might sound a little flippant to some…still funny though.)
But really, the Earth is looking more and more like Jesus said it would when He descends from Heaven…Matt 24:37-44- “When the Son of Man returns, it will be like it was in Noah’s day. In those days before the flood, the people were enjoying banquets and parties and weddings right up to the time Noah entered his boat. People didn’t realize what was going to happen until the flood came and swept them all away. That is the way it will be when the Son of Man comes. Two men will be working together in the field; one will be taken, the other left. Two women will be grinding flour at the mill; one will be taken, the other left. So you, too, must keep watch! For you don’t know what day your Lord is coming…44- You also must be ready all the time, for the Son of Man will come when least expected.” NLT
That makes you think of that worship song: “I Wish We’d All Been Ready”. God’s Church, God’s Born-Again family members will be ready. But everyone who has not been Born Again will not be ready, and so, they will be left behind. But still, even as God’s people we need to be ‘R&R’ – we need to be ‘Rapture Ready’. And not only ready because of our saved relationship with Jesus our Savior, but also ready because of our sanctified commitment to Jesus…ready to see Jesus because we have been setting Christ apart every day as being the Lord of our Life. Remember, we honor Jesus’ Saviorhood by living under His Lordship! And living under His Lordship is to be daily looking up, and living in the light of the reality that this could be the day of the long-awaited Rapture of the Church.
I recently saw an advertisement of some teaching materials that have been made for Believers to leave behind for those who are ‘Left Behind’ when Jesus comes to ‘catch away’ or to ‘Rapture’ His church. It’s information on what just happened, and instructions on what to do now, and how to get right with the Lord. That’s a great idea! Of course, the Bible is the ultimate revelation to the world, but helpful instructions for those ‘Left Behind’ will also certainly be ‘welcomed instructions’, because it’s going to be ‘tribulation’ on earth like this world has never seen before or will ever see again.
So to be Rapture Ready we need to be ‘Looking Up’. And we also need to be ‘Looking Within’…and not within ourselves, but within the Word of God! That’s what characterized these Thessalonian Christians. As Paul commended them in 1 Thess 2:13-“For this reason we also constantly thank God that when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but for what it really is, the word of God, which also performs its work in you who believe.” NASU They received the Word of God as a ‘treasure trove of truth’! That’s what the Scriptures are – a treasure trove of truth! In Jesus High Priestly Prayer He prayed this over us: “Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth.” John 17:17 NASU Truth is not only instructive; Truth is also ‘protective’. Leaning God’s Word, learning more and more about the timeless truths of the Scriptures us not only instructs us more and more about our God, about God’s world, and about God’s world to come, but these ‘truths’ also protect us more and more from the damaging effects of falsehood upon on own lives and our family’s lives, and the lives around us.
God pointed out in Hosea that people are being destroyed for lack of knowledge. “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Hos 4:6 NASU. This is knowledge about the truth of God and the truth about themselves and the truth about others, and on and on. Lack of knowing and living by God’s truths leaves people vulnerable to the destructive forces of falsehoods. But, Praise God, God has given us His truths to enlighten our minds and even protect our lives. And, as Paul revealed to these Thessalonians and to us…as we look within God’s Word and let it live within us, it performs its work in us who believe!
God’s word is not only magnificent…it’s also miraculous! It changes our outlook…it changes our up look…it changes our down look…why, it even changes how our ‘looks’ look! When Believers are letting God’s Word rule in their life you can often see it in their ‘looks’…see it in their face…see it in their eyes…no more the proud and self-centered look, but a humble and servant-hearted look.
And so we have learned to “Look Up” for the Lord’s Return and to “Look Within” the Words of God. And have also learned to ‘Look Away!’ What do we mean? Well, let’s ‘look’! 1 Thess 4:1-3- “Finally then, brethren, we request and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us instruction as to how you ought to walk and please God (just as you actually do walk), that you excel still more. For you know what commandments we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus. For this is the will of God, your sanctification…” NASU
Mark it down: There is no way to live a life that is more pleasing to you than to live your life being pleasing to God! For whatever pleases Jesus is what will please you. As you look away from yourself as the center of your world and make your Savior become the center of your world you find a new blessed order of peace and pleasure and purpose that cannot be found any other way. Just like the Planets were created to orbit around the Sun, People were created to orbit around the Son of God. If the planets were to dislodge from their orbit around the Sun to orbit around themselves or each other, there would be chaos and destruction of each Planet. And that is the very reason why so many people’s lives are filled with chaos and destruction, because they are seeking to orbit either around themselves or each other, or both. No one was created to do that. When you live at cross purposes with the purpose for which you were created it is self-destructive. Only when you orbit around the Son of God, only when Jesus becomes the center of your life, only when seeking to please Jesus is your highest goal in your life does your life achieve peace and order and fulfillment from living out your created purpose.
Part of the beauty of the Earth is that it looks toward the Sun each day. Why, even the pleasure we get from the Moon is that it reflects the Sun. It’s the same with our lives…your joy, your peace, your pleasure in life depends upon how much you become a reflection of the Son, the Son of God, our Lord Jesus Christ. Look away each day from yourself to your Savior, seeking to please Jesus each day, and then watch how much happier and how much more pleasing your journey of life becomes.
So we have learned to Look Up for the Lord’s Return, and we have learned to Look Within the Word of God, and we have learned to Look Away from ourselves to our Savior. And then, we have also learned to ‘Look Around’…and to ‘Look Around’ with a particular intent. And what is that intent? 1 Thess 4:9-10- “Now as to the love of the brethren, you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another; for indeed you do practice it toward all the brethren who are in all Macedonia. But we urge you, brethren, to excel still more…” NASU
It is no coincidence that there are over 50 ‘one another’ commands in the Scriptures for God’s people to carry out. If you ever have a day wondering what you should do today, wonder no more. For the Scriptures have plenty of God honoring, people blessing, and our personal reward instructions of things for us to do day by day. Some examples are: Serve one another, encourage one another, employ the gifts that God has given you for one another, pray for one another, exhort one another, look to the interests of one another, speak truth with one another, honor one another, build up one another…and more and more! We never have to ask what there is to do in a day ever again! God has given us over 50 things to do right here with these ‘One Another’ instructions! And did you notice how these ‘One Another’s’ even affect our very identity? 1 Thess 5:11 gives it to us: “Therefore encourage one another and build up one another, just as you also are doing.” NASU Remember some time ago we pointed out that we are each to add into our identity this aspect of being a ‘Body Builder’? We are instructed to make it a goal to seek to build up our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ mentally, emotionally, socially, and spiritually. It’s simply part of this ‘One Another’ ministry that God has given to His family!
But as we get enthused about all of these things we have learned and have gotten inspired about, since the Apostle Paul has revealed to us how God has given us these tools of truth to use and even showed us the steps to take in carrying out our God given tasks, there is something else that is essential that have learned and must learn to look for…and it is this: We must also ‘Look out!’ 2 Thess 3:3-5- “But the Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen and protect you from the evil one. We have confidence in the Lord concerning you, that you are doing and will continue to do what we command. May the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the steadfastness of Christ.” NASU
We must learn to ‘Look out’ for the strategies of the enemy. Do not imagine that your worship and works for the glory of God and the gain of others will go uncontested by the evil one. Remember, the Apostle Peter reminded us to not be surprised by the resistance you get even from those you are trying to help know God better and grow in grace deeper. There is a poignant saying: ‘No good deed goes unpunished’. It seems that way sometimes. And maybe…from the world that is, but we are to know for sure that ‘no good deed goes unrewarded’ from our God. Our God is a rewarder of each and every good deed done by His children for the glory of God and the gain of others.
But Peter reminded us: 1 Peter 5:8-9- “Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world.” NASU So, yes, the enemy will contest our plans and our works in our walk of faith for our Lord. And, yes, that can be demanding, that can get frustrating, and that can get tiring, but it should not be surprising. That’s why it’s called a battle for truth and for souls. But one thing that is to be so motivating for us to continue to fight this good fight of faith for our Lord and other’s help is that the Victory has already been won by our King Jesus! And that makes you and me a ‘Victor’ over the world, the flesh, and even the devil, as we resist him, stand firm in our faith, and come alongside others who are facing these same kinds of trials. But again, we triumph over trials because “the Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen and protect you from the evil one.”
So we thank our Lord that in our sojourning we have learned to “Look Up” for the Lord’s Return, to “Look Within” the Words of God, to ‘Look Away’ from ourselves to our Savior, to ‘Look Around’ in our ‘One Another’ ministry, and to ‘Look out’ for the strategies of the evil one. And as we do so, in all these things we are more than conquerors through our Lord Jesus Christ!
It’s been great to sojourn with you through Thessalonian! Our further adventures await us!