Outer Banks Community Church

“BE OF GOOD CHEER!” Series: Week 3 - (2 Thessalonians 2:1-5)

Text: 2 Thessalonians 2:1-5 (NKJV)

“Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you, 2 not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come. 3 Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, 4 who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. 5 Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things?

Intro: Apostasy – abandonment of the faith, (Bulletin Cover) “Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living.” Hebrews 3:12 (KJV)

Apostasy also means "a falling away." In our text today it refers to a falling away from the truth of the Word of God. While there were certainly false teachers in Paul's day, the church at large was united on the truths of the Word of God. If you met another Christian, you knew they believed in the Word of God, the deity of Christ, and the salvation by faith in Christ. This is certainly not true today! We live in a day of "Christian unbelief" (We can now proudly say this is an unchurch generation); people say they are Christians, yet deny the deity of Christ, the inspiration of the Bible, and so on.

Apostasy: A story is told of a man who, resisting the cost of oats he fed his mule, decided to gradually substitute sawdust in its diet. Everything went fine for a while but by the time the mule was satisfied with sawdust, he died. The same is true spiritually. The changeover from truth to error is sometimes a slow process, and the people don’t always know the difference. But, before you know it, they are dead. (John MacArthur)

There is a real plague that is spreading and it is apostasy!

Application: The Day of the Lord has not YET come, but it is coming soon!

Illustration: Mel Gibson in Brave heart: (Hold)

1. Perilous Times: Vs. 1-3

“Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you, 2 not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come. 3 Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition.

The apostle wrote this section to deal with the Thessalonians’ loss of hope and joy through confusion about the end times. He had already given them explicit instruction about both the Rapture and the Day of the Lord. Yet only a few months later, they had become confused, again fearing that they had missed the Rapture and were in the Day of the Lord. They knew that the Day of the Lord is God’s final judgment on the sinful world. “Know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: 2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, 4 traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away! 2 Timothy 3:1-5 |

You can tell the sheep are in trouble when the shepherd starts speaking kindly of the wolf!

To look at this text from their perspective, the thought of the Christian community was Christ was in route. He was to be there at any time. Could today’s church community learn anything from that mindset? “May he strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all his holy ones.” 1 Thessalonians 3:13 (NIV)

Christian’s stay strengthened, Mother’s “Hold” never quit, never give up! Keep your heart blameless and Holy. Scripture remind us not to be soon “shaken in mind!” “But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, 4 whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.” 2 Corinthians 4:3-4 Perilous times are coming but “HOLD” Christ has already won the Battle!

2. Prepared Times: Vs. 4-5

“Who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. 5 Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things?”

The Devil wants to convince you he is above all!

Christ will return but do not be deceived by the Antichrist, Satan or his band of demons that want to have control of you and your future. “Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. 12 And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.” Matthew 24:11-12

Many will grow cold. The church must continue to bring life into the body.

“Be careful then, dear brothers and sisters. Make sure that your own hearts are not evil and unbelieving, turning you away from the living God.” Hebrews 3:12 (NLT)

“Dear friends, we are already God’s children, but he has not yet shown us what we will be like when Christ appears. But we do know that we will be like him, for we will see him as he really is. 3 And all who have this eager expectation will keep themselves pure, just as he is pure.” 1 John 3:2-3 (NLT)

An eager expectation is preparedness! ARE YOU PREPARED?

CONCLUSION: “Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.” 1 John 4:4 (KJV)

The devil wants you! “Hold” God is in control. He lives and He can live inside of you!

“Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.”