Standing Strong

“Standing Strong”

Introduction:

1. On October 31, 1938 CBS radio was broadcasting a musical show when it was interrupted by a “Breaking News Story”
2. Here was the jest of it…
1. Astronomers had just detected enormous blue flames shooting up from the surface of Mars.
2. Then the program returned back to the “normal” program.
3. But was then soon interrupted with an update:  now a strange meteor had fallen to earth.
4. By now there was a reporter on hand to describe the eerie scene surrounding the crater that the meteor had left.
5. To the horror of the people listening, the meteor wasn’t a meteor at all but it was actually an alien ship that had just landed on Earth.
6. Soon a Martian emerged from the rubble and started blasting onlookers with a deadly heat ray.
7. The Martian was armed with a gigantic, three legged death machine, quickly disposing of 7,000 armed soldiers surrounding the crater, then started marching across the landscape.
8. At this point many listeners started to panic.

                                                              i.      Loading all they could fit in their cars and fleeing fast.

                                                            ii.      One mother reportedly packed her children and all the bread she could find into her car saying, “if everything is burned, you can’t eat money.”

                                                          iii.      Other people hid in cellars.

1. By the time the night was over, however, almost all of these people had learned that the news broadcast was entirely fictitious.
2. It was simple the weekly broadcast of Orson Welles and the Mercury Theater, and that week, in honor of Halloween, they had decided to stage a highly dramatized and updated version of H.G. Wells’ story, War of the Worlds.

1. This is a true story… #. Even with Four announcements, including one at the very beginning, clearly stating that this was merely a play, people still panicked.
2. They believed a false made up story.
3. If this were to happen today how many of us would believe the story?
4. In the message this morning we are going to look at something that Paul dealt with in the church of Thessalonica that was similar to this previous story.
1. Background on the 2 letter to the Thessalonians.
2. Paul had two primary purposes in writing the second letter:

                                                              i.      To correct doctrinal error

                                                            ii.      To encourage persecuted Thessalonians believers.

1. Please turn with me to 2 Thessalonians 2:1-17

Outline:

I         Be not Shaken (vs. 1-12) Read vs. 1-2

·         Paul understood his readers.

·         He had information from trusted friends like Timothy; Paul had learned that all was not going well with his friends back in Thessalonica even though he had previously written to encourage them and to reassure them of some doctrinal error.

·         So he has to write them again to help them understand the “Day of the Lord” 

A      Remember the Truth. (vs. 1)

1        “Coming of the Lord… being gathered together.”

2        These two phrases coupled together is Paul’s way of reminding them of the truth that he had taught them while he was with them and then also that he retaught them in his first letter to them:  1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

3        These phrases deal with the same event and Paul uses this as his foundation for the correction that he is about to make in their theology of future events.

B       Heed the Warning:  Avoid Error (vs. 2)

1        Paul must not be completely sure how this false teaching had gotten to them since he gives three possibilities, or maybe a combination of all three:

a         False teaching by prophecy (spirit).

·         So it could be possible that the church gathered to praise the Lord when someone claimed to have a “Special Revelation” from God and then gave this false claim that the day of the Lord had begun.

b        False teaching by report (word).

·         Could have also been that they got wind of a rumor from a passing traveler or such that the day of the Lord had begun.

c         False teaching by letter.

·         Or thirdly it could be that they received a letter claiming to be from Paul, when it wasn’t.

2        But they got something that was confusing them and leading them astray.

3        They were new converts and they wanted to be doctrinally correct,

a         They counted on Paul’s teaching to train them and instruct them.

b        But false teachings were confusing them.

4        When we are unsure or just not trained in future events (or anything for that matter) it is easy to accept something false because we don’t know the truth.

5        And we can easily take something false and make it a fact in our minds because it doesn’t clash with anything that we already know to be the truth.

6        Paul had taught them that they would not have to face the horrors of the Tribulation and now someone else was teaching them something different:  What should they believe?

C       Recognize the Signs (vs. 3-12)

·         There are four signs to help us recognize when the “Day of the Lord” begins.

1        Apostasy – a falling away from the truth of the living God. “The rebellion occurs.” (vs. 3a)

a         Paul believes that preceding the day of the lord there is going to be a rebellion or “falling away” from the truth.

b        This is believed to be a specific even as opposed to the general state of apostasy that has been around for centuries.

i          1 Tim. 4:1-3 “Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, 2through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared, 3who forbid marriage and require abstinence from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth.”

ii        2 Peter 3:3-6 saying essentially the same thing with different words.

c         Something specific that will tear people away from the truth to follow lies.

2        Man of Lawlessness is revealed (vs. 3b-5)

a         Although Paul never uses the term “Antichrist” that is who he is talking about when we read:  “Man of Sin or Man of Lawlessness”

b        He is also referred to as the “Son of Perdition” – a man doomed to destruction.

c         These verses go on to describe what he will be like.

i          “He will oppose and exalt himself over God.” (vs. 4)

ii        “Proclaiming himself to be God.” (vs. 4)

d        Paul says don’t you remember me teaching you this? (vs. 5)

3        The Restrainer is Removed (vs. 6-8)

a         God is going to remove the restrainer before the Antichrist can set up his kingdom.

b        He has to or else he wouldn’t get a strong enough following.

c         What is the “Restraining Power”?

i          Most Bible teachers would say that they Holy Spirit is the restrainer and I would agree.

ii        The Holy Spirit here on earth in every born again believer.

iii      So once the rapture takes place we will be gone and out of the way so that the Antichrist (Satan) can come in and take over.

iv      The Holy Sprit will still be here but not in the same way he is right now.

a)      Right now He is here indwelling multitudes of people (believers)

b)      Then He will be here but more like he was in the Old Testament

i)        Not indwelling people for life.

d        Only God has the power to restrain Satan.  The Holy Spirit is at work.

4        Powerful Delusion (vs. 11)

a         Satan’s wicked ways and evil methods have always appealed to those who oppose God.

b        When that day dawns known as the “Day of the Lord” Satan’s desires and plans will flourish because the Holy Spirit in the church will be gone.

c         There will be no restraining work being done.

d        Mankind will totally reject the truth of the Gospel to follow Satan’s lie.

e         Then in vs. 12 he tells us the terrible punishment reserved for those people

i          Condemnation

II      Stand Firm (vs. 13-17)

·         Paul was trying to calm them down by:

o        reminding them of their calling

o       Warning them of the enemy’s tactics and

o       Informing them of sure signs that they could look for.

·         Now He seeks to reinforce their faith to equip them for their day-to-day battles against the Evil one.

·         He starts off with…

A      Remember your calling (vs. 13-14)

1        “Loved by God.”

2        “From the Beginning God Chose You.”

3        “Called you to this through our gospel.”

4        God loved them so much as to include them in his plan.  If you are a Child of God here today, God loved you enough to include you in His plan.

5        Because of this:

B       Stand Firm (vs. 15)

1        This is a military term meaning to, “dig in and not lose ground”

2        Paul was encouraging them hold your ground.  You know the truth that I taught you, if something doesn’t line up with it, it is false.

3        This term “Stand Firm” used elsewhere encouraged the readers to be; strong, courageous, and diligent (1 Cor. 16:13)

Conclusion:

1. The things they were being faced with every day were not a result of the “Day of the Lord”
2. They hadn’t missed the Rapture.
3. God, through Paul, gives us specific things to look for to know when the “Day of the Lord” will begin.
4. But Paul went on in vs. 16-17 and encouraged them further.  Read
1. He encouraged them that the Lord was with them, there to offer encouragement and strength to face anything the Devil could throw at them.
2. This goes for us too, no matter what comes our way God is there to help.
5. Do not be shaken by what you are hearing, if it doesn’t match what you have learned and studied from God’s Word then either it isn’t true or what you thought you knew isn’t true but opposing issues can’t both be truth.  Test it against - Bible
6. Stand firm on the truth that you have learned, and keep adding to your knowledge and dig into God’s Word. 
7. There are many diverse opinions in the world concerning the future of man but;
1. God’s Word gives us all the answers to the questions that we need to know
2. He doesn’t leave us in the dark if he thinks we need to know
8. God Spoke through Paul to the Thessalonians to offer them encouragement and warnings.  We would be wise to learn and apply to our lives what Paul wanted them to learn and apply to their lives.

Closing Hymn # 571 “Trust and Obey”