"The Man of Lawlessness"_II Thessalonians 2a_Nov 22 2020

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Are we truly looking for the coming of our Lord?

Notes
Transcript

Intro

Continuing our series: “Becoming a Church of Faith, Hope, and Love”
Bibles: II Thess 2:1-12
My message: “The Man of Lawlessness”
We’re going to look at a quick background setting for these letters
We’ll talk about this man of lawlessness
And we’re going to wrap it up in believing the truth - and loving the truth
Pray...
We just completed I Thess - and now we’re moving through II Thess
Acts 17 - Paul was preaching Jesus as the Messiah in Thessalonica- and the authorities accused him as preaching another king besides Caesar
Paul had actually been preaching in the Synagogue - specifically, for three weeks
Paul was preaching and reasoning with the Jews
But he got in trouble - not only from the Gentiles, because he was preaching a different king besides Caesar - but from the Jews because they were jealous
The Bible says that the Jews went and got “troublemakers” from the marketplace to form a mob and start a riot - all because Paul had made them Jealous
So, this mob looked for Paul & Silas - couldn’t find them - so they raided the house of Jason, a Jewish Christian man
They dragged him and some other Christians out - and dragged them before the council - and here’s what they said:

“Paul and Silas have caused trouble all over the world,” they shouted, “and now they are here disturbing our city, too. 7 And Jason has welcomed them into his home. They are all guilty of treason against Caesar, for they profess allegiance to another king, named Jesus.”

Acts 17:6-7
Then it says this:

8 The people of the city, as well as the city council, were thrown into turmoil by these reports. 9 So the officials forced Jason and the other believers to post bond, and then they released them.

This was a bad situation
It was so bad, Paul had to get out of there
The Bible says that they sent Paul & Silas away to Berea under the cover of night
And what does Paul immediately do when he gets there? Starts preaching in the Berean synagogue - but as he’s preaching to the Bereans, he finds out that they were more open minded - they actually listened to Paul - and responded to Paul
No jealousy - no troublemakers - no mobs & riots - and no raiding homes
The Bible says this:

As a result, many Jews believed, as did many of the prominent Greek women and men.

That was in Berea - where the message was warmly welcomed
Thessalonica was bad news - you and I would call it a mess
It was so bad that the Bible says that when the Jews in Thessalonica heard that Paul was in Berea, they went to Berea to stir up trouble there
You wouldn’t want to preach in Thessalonica around A.D. 50 - if you preached Jesus, you would stir up riots - and stir up a mess
If we had to choose, most of us would want a ministry in Berea - not in Thessalonica
Sometimes God sends us into a mess
Sometimes, the very thing God has called us to do, creates a mess
Here’s the problem: messes don’t feel spiritual - they oftentimes feel like failure
I’m not talking about when you make a mess of things
I’m talking about when you are serving the Lord - and he’s put a mess in front of you
As long as you believe the truth and love the truth
If God has put you in a situation that’s a mess - your job is to remain in the mess until he calls you out of there - in the name of Jesus
We want everything to go smoothly
We don’t want God to assign us a Thessalonian ministry - we want him to send us on a Berean ministry
We want to be comfortable in our ministry
After all, many Jews became believers in Berea - as did many of the prominent Greek women and men
That means upper-class people - influential people
Who wouldn’t want to preach the Gospel - and have upper-class & influential people join your church?
Nothing wrong with that - but sometimes God calls us to Thessalonica - not Berea
Now if God has called you to Berea - Praise the LORD!!
Sometimes God calls us to where the riots are - where there are troublemakers and turmoil
Think about that for a minute - Paul’s ministry was so troubled - he was forced out of the city
But he was obedient to God’s calling - he didn’t quit - he was forced out of there
God had specifically called him to be there - and he obeyed the Lord
Remember in Acts 16 - Paul had a vision of the Macedonian man - calling him to help them?
That’s why Paul and his team were in Thessalonica in the first place
Sometimes, our obedience to the Lord creates turmoil
But look what happened as a result:
Paul wrote this, his first epistle - after receiving great news about them from Timothy’s report
These people became a vibrant Macedonian church
Paul preached to the Jews, but it was mostly the non-Jews who responded to the Gospel
Paul and his missionary team shared the gospel with these Gentiles - they were once idol worshippers - but they received the gospel with the power of the Holy Spirit
They grew in Christ and they became examples to all the Christians in Macedonia - and their faith went forth everywhere to all people
They did this even though they suffered afflictions for Christ - they shared the same turmoil Paul did
And Paul loved them and discipled them - even though he was eventually separated from them
He never forgot about them - or gave up on them
Even when he was unable to go back and visit them, Timothy made the visit and brought back a good report to Paul:
The church was healthy and vibrant , even with all the turmoil and suffering
Think about it - out of Paul’s struggle, we have I & II Thessalonians - not I & II Bereans
The Thessalonian books have wonderful lessons about discipleship
And wonderful lessons on how to love all people - believers and unbelievers - and to love with the right motives
I & II Thess teaches us to walk more and more like Jesus - and allow him to sanctify us
These books teach us that he coming back one day
And it’s encouraging to us - I Thess 5:9 For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,
We get the spiritual benefit of these two books, because Paul and his team suffered affliction - and the people of this church endured affliction
Most of I Thess looks back in time - Paul reminds them what happened - of how Paul taught them and loved them - and how they responded in love
Out of all the suffering and turmoil, Paul never complains - he never whines about the assignment God gave him
He gives thanks for this healthy church - and boasts about them - and encourages them
Let me ask - do you whine and complain where God has called you? Do you wish God would assign you to a place like Berea where the upper-class and influential people are?
Or has God called you to be among the lowly Thessalonians?
​
So now we come to Chapter 2 of II Thess - today: first 12 verses
Some say, one of the most controversial passages in all of NT
The Man of Lawlessness
Some bibles: “Man of sin” - “The wicked one”
Look at verse 1: Now concerning...
Let’s stop right there - Right off, Paul is setting the stage for what this passage is all about
Most versions include the phrase “Now concerning” - NASB: “with regard to...”
It means: “whatever I’m about to talk about in this passage - everything I say - will be related to the following subject”
Let’s see what this passage is all about:
Now concerning the coming of - the man of lawlessness?
Paul doesn’t say that
Notice that even though Paul talks about this “man of lawlessness” in the first 12 verses - that’s not even what this is all about
The title of my sermon is The Man of Lawlessness - but it’s not even about that
What does Paul say: Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ
It’s all about Jesus - Jesus is our starting point - and we will end up with the truth
Please realize this is about the coming of Jesus - and our gathering to him
That’s the hope we have!
Paul is talking about end times - but in the context of Jesus - and with the hope of Jesus
I’m the first to admit - I haven’t completely figured out biblical eschatology - I just know that one day, Jesus will come back for us
And I need to live my life accordingly
There are a few ideas of why Paul talked about end-times in these letters
Primarily because his time with them was ended short and he didn’t have enough time to finish teaching them about this
Verse 5 says Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things? - he was already teaching them this when he was with them
Here’s what was going on at that time:
There was false teaching going on - specifically about last days
They feared: what if the day of the Lord had already come and they missed it?
If this false teaching was going on back then, it could have harmed their faith
Today, we tend to think that we got it all figured out - because end-times is nicely laid out in our Bibles
A lot of that is chronology stuff...
But is our study of end times make us long to see Jesus?
The church today is mostly apathetic concerning the return of Jesus: it’s been 2,000 years already...
We need to live our life as if he were coming soon
Charles Spurgeon - questions for Christians to ask:
Do I believe in the Lord Jesus Christ?
Am I renewed in the spirit of my mind?
Am I walking not after the flesh, but after the Spirit?
Am I growing in grace?
Does my conversation adorn the doctrine of God my Saviour?
What more can I do for Jesus?
Am I looking for the coming of the Lord, and watching as a servant should do who expects his master?
Having said all that - what does Paul have to say about last days?
Here’s the first three verses - keep in mind, there was false teachers back then:
Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him, we ask you, brothers, 2 not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed, either by a spirit or a spoken word, or a letter seeming to be from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. 3 Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction,
Paul is encouraging his readers:
If a spirit, or a spoken word, or even a false letter that seems to come from us brings false teaching,
Don’t be shaken - don’t be alarmed
Don’t let anyone deceive you
The last day will not come until two things: 1)the rebellion comes - and 2)not until the man of lawlessness is revealed
Let me continue
For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, 4 who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God. 5 Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things? 6 And you know what is restraining him now so that he may be revealed in his time. 7 For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work. Only he who now restrains it will do so until he is out of the way. 8 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will kill with the breath of his mouth and bring to nothing by the appearance of his coming. 9 The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, 10 and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. 11 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.
​
Again, there is a lot of controversy over two things in this passage:
Who is this “man of lawlessness”?
What “temple” is Paul talking about?
I want to center my message on two other things which are in this passage - and I think they are more central to Paul’s message:
The Lord Jesus
The truth
Let me point out a few things:
Much of what Paul taught here echoes the teachings of Jesus
V. 4 - Temple desecration: Mt 24; Mk 13
V. 9 - False prophets: Mt 24; Mk 13
V. 3 - Lawlessness: Mt 24:12
V. 1 - Parousia: Mt 24; Mk 13
Look at verse 7: For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work. Only he who now restrains it will do so until he is out of the way.
There is a mystery to this lawlessness - but ultimately it is God who is in control
God is restraining this lawlessness right now - and only by his sovereignty and perfect timing will the Lord step out of the way
Notice also how many times the Bible refers to the Lord revealing this man of sin
V. 3 - and the man of lawlessness is revealed
V. 6 - so that he may be revealed in his time
V. 8 - And then the lawless one will be revealed
The Lord is in control
This “man of lawlessness” is a mystery to us because the Lord has yet to reveal him
And look at verse 8:  And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will kill with the breath of his mouth and bring to nothing by the appearance of his coming.
Jesus wins - it’s all about Jesus
God is in control - not the man of lawlessness
For whatever reason - only God knows - God will let go of his restraint on this antichrist - and will reveal this man of lawlessness
God has the power - the man of lawlessness does not - it’s actually kind of pathetic
That the mere breath of Jesus will kill him
Don’t ever entertain in your mind that Satan has a lot of power - he is powerless before the Lord
If you are in Christ Jesus, you have nothing to fear
I don’t know everything:
But I believe Jesus is coming
And that there will be a rapture of his people
That we will be spared God’s wrath because we believe in him
That the rapture will be both public for all and personal for those who believe
That God is in control
That Jesus will vanquish evil
And that we will live with him forever and ever
I want to wrap this up in truth
Look again, starting in verse 9:

9 The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, 10 and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. 11 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.

Paul ends this passage on those who refuse to believe:
They will fall for false signs & wonders (v.9)
They are perishing (v.10)
The reason why they are perishing? Because they refused to love the truth (v.10)
God sends them a strong delusion - after they refuse to love the truth (v.11)
They do not believe the truth - but pleasure in righteousness (v.12)
This passage carries a stark contrast between truth - and that which is false
The devil is all about lies
The truth is the truth - and there’s nothing more true than Jesus - and that he died on a cross for you
Believe in truth - in fact, the very next verse says that part of being saved is to believe in the truth
I want to end with one of the most encouraging verses, not only in the OT, but in the entire Bible
From Job 19:

25 “But as for me, I know that my Redeemer lives,

and he will stand upon the earth at last.

26 And after my body has decayed,

yet in my body I will see God!

27 I will see him for myself.

Yes, I will see him with my own eyes.

I am overwhelmed at the thought!

Pray...
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