04/27/14 Get the Picture!
“BE OF
GOOD CHEER!” Series: Week 1 – (2 Thessalonians 1:1-5)
Text: 2 Thessalonians
1:1-12 (NKJV)
1 Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians
in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: 2 Grace to you and peace from
God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 3 We are bound to thank God always
for you, brethren, as it is fitting, because your faith grows exceedingly, and
the love of every one of you all abounds toward each other, 4 so that we
ourselves boast of you among the churches of God for your patience and faith in
all your persecutions and tribulations that you endure, 5 which is manifest
evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be counted worthy of
the kingdom of God, for which you also suffer.
“Therefore be patient,
brethren, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the
precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the
early and latter rain. 8 You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the
coming of the Lord is at hand.” James 5:7-8
Intro: This is a picture, or a
scene of the perfect church in the midst of the perfect storm. What is THE
POTENTIAL OF TRIAL: When you are face to face with a difficulty, you are up
against a discovery. Lord Kelvin
The believers in the church at Thessalonica
got the picture. This series in 2 Thessalonians is based around the precept
that the believer needs to continue to be of good cheer especially with the
understanding of the coming of the Lord. It is my prayer by the end of this
verse by verse study in the book of 2 Thessalonians that you will: “Get the
Picture.” And be of good cheer!
Application: The coming of the LORD is near!
HOW
DO YOU GET THE PICTURE? 1st of all you need to have a foundation.
1. The Believers
Have: Foundation vs. 1
The Thessalonian believers stand as a model church for
all other churches: they are a picture of what a church should be when it is
being attacked and persecuted. ‘Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, these pastors are
examples of men of God who are faithful to the church and our encouraging the
believers to stand on the foundation of their faith: for the “Day of the Lord
is near!”
The beginning of 2 Thessalonians starts out much like 1 Thessalonians
– the importance of the minister of the church having a firm foundation in
Jesus Christ: “Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in
him, and he in God.” 1 John 4:15
A BAD DAY WHEN . . . You know it's going to be
a bad day when you wake up in a hospital all bound up and your insurance agent
tells you that your accident policy covers falling off the roof, but not
hitting the ground.
The believers had a firm foundation in Christ AND THEY experienced
the GRACE and PEACE from their Lord. The Thessalonica Church was being savagely
attacked and persecuted by both the world and the religionists, they were being,
ridiculed, mocked, cursed, ostracized, threatened and rejected. Some in the church
were confused about the return of the Lord and the great day of the Lord, and
about the awful day of His wrath. They needed the help of their ministers; they
needed to be taught the truth about the coming again of Jesus Christ.
‘Share
each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ.” Galatians 6:2
(NLT)
HOW DO YOU GET THE PICTURE? Secondly you need to incorporate Fellowship.
2. The
Believers Have: Fellowship vs. 2-3
Picture
this: a church with a body of believers who knew what grace was and experienced
it, they also had peace and a growing faith: “faith, hope and love and the
greatest of these is love!” says the scriptures and they had it.
Imagine a church
full of believers whose faith in Christ Jesus grows explosively - beyond
measure - beyond what we could ever imagine. (Maybe they were all in,
experiencing authentic community) And remember: the church was growing in faith
while they were in the midst of savage persecution.
A church full of Christians
who were growing, what a picture! A faith that allowed these believers to
simply trust the Lord WITH EVERYTHING! “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and
lean not on your own understanding.” Proverbs 3:5 “Depend not.”
A person who
grows in faith is a person who learns to depend upon Christ more and more in
every area of life - What a glorious testimony to have a faith that grows
exceedingly! Too many believers have their minds upon growing and increasing in
the comfort and possessions of this world. They think little, if any, about
growing in faith. They are satisfied with just enough faith to lotion their
conscience. Growth in faith and Christ are of little concern to them.
By the
way this trust and faith and love created a perfect environment for Fellowship.
There was a love of believer for believer. In the letter of 1 Thessalonians,
Paul had exhorted the church to grow more and more in love for one another.
They had needed the message because there was some tension in the church
surrounding the Lord's return. Paul's exhortation had worked: the church had
straightened out the differences and the differing parties were now walking
hand in hand with one another, overflowing and growing in love for one another.
This is a fellowship that binds: individuals together as a family - as the
family of God.
- that binds individuals in an unbreakable union.
- that holds individuals with the deepest affection.
- that nourishes and nurtures one another.
- that shows concern and looks after the welfare of one another.
- that always cherishes one another and comforts, supports, and encourages one another regardless of differences or circumstances.
This was the kind of love that the
model church at Thessalonica had. This is what an abounding love is. This is
the kind of love every single believer is to have for all other believers.
“A
new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you,
that you also love one another. 35 By this all will know that you are My
disciples, if you have love for one another." John 13:34-35
HOW DO YOU GET
THE PICTURE? Finally you need to have Faith.
3. The
Believers Have: Faith vs. 4-5
The picture now turns to a scene of strong endurance
and a continue faith through trials. The believers have a strong patience and faith in facing
persecution and tribulation.
We are reminded that “patience” means to be steadfast,
to endure, and to persevere. The Thessalonian believers were persevering and
holding fast to their faith through all the trials of life: temptations, peer
pressure, disease, accident, loss of job, death - whatever the trial was, they remained
faithful to Christ. They did not buckle under and give in to the crowd nor to
discouragement and despair. They held on to their faith in Christ. Their
endurance and faith was a strong testimony to others.
Their endurance and faith
was a sign of God's coming judgment upon unbelievers. The believers received a
supernatural strength - God's strength - when they were persecuted. Their
strength was so forceful that it was clear that it was being given by God. The
believers were not becoming hysterical, they were not retaliating, were not
accepting the persecution like passive sheep.
This is the picture: the presence
of God and His glory in the believer is a clear sign that God exists and is
going to vindicate his dear believer. He is going to judge and take vengeance
upon the persecutors of His dear people. Persecution is a clear sign of God's
coming judgment.
“Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with
God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Romans 5:1
CONCLUSION: “These things I have
spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have
tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." John 16:33
Illustration:
TESTING THE STABILITY- In order to realize the worth of the anchor, we need to
feel the stress of the storm. The growing church will feel the stress!
The
believers for the most part at the First Baptist Church in the community of
Thessalonica Got the PICTURE: The believers HAD a – Foundation, Fellowship
& Faith. They continued to “be of good cheer!” Could you imagine a church
in today’s world getting the big PICTURE?
In : Sermon
Tags: "be of good cheer series"
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