Warning and Resources
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Intro:
As we come to the end of Paul’s second letter to the Thessalonians, let’s briefly review what we’ve learned. The main theme that we have been focusing on within these two letters is that we are to be “Ready and (Actively) Waiting for the Lord’s Return”…
We saw that some troublemakers had stirred up the church by claiming Jesus had already come. Paul refuted that claim, and in the process introduced us to Satan’s Superman, the Antichrist.
Paul stressed that because Jesus is coming, you don’t quit your job and wait on a hill… you don’t just sit around twiddling your thumbs... Instead, you need to roll up your sleeves and work hard. He said if a man won’t work he wouldn’t eat.
Paul concluded his second letter with some strong advice about the need to warn certain Christians. And he also reminds us of the resources that God provides for each and everyone of us, to help us to be ready and actively waiting for the Lord’s Return.
Lets look at these final verses together… 2 Thessalonians 3:13-18 (Read)
Meat:
I concluded my last message with v.13, but since it is basically the start of this section, I opted to read it this morning as well. But we are actually starting our focus on v.14.
This morning we are going to look at… 2...
Powerful Truths For Believers:
Powerful Truths For Believers:
What I want you to notice first of all, is that…
1. It’s Our Duty to Warn Disobedient Believers
1. It’s Our Duty to Warn Disobedient Believers
We’re all familiar with weather warning systems. When a hurricane or tornado appears to be approaching a community, the National Weather Service will issue a warning for residents to evacuate or to take cover. It could be a siren in town, an announcement on the radio or the TV, or it could be your phone making a super loud and annoying sound in the middle of the night...
The campground that we’ve stayed at in Oklahoma, has the Mountain Fork river that runs through it. Not too far up stream is the Broken Bow lake… When they are getting ready to open the gates of the Dam, sirens (Very Loud Sirens), go off down the banks of the river, to warn people of the rapid rise in water level and the strong flow of water that will be coming down. People are wise to heed this warning, get out of the river and away from the banks until the water level recedes.
The point is… Early warning systems save lives.
Sometimes a believer gets involved in dangerous behavior or starts down a spiritually unhealthy pathway. At that point God activates His early warning system. Guess who that is? According to the verses we just read... we are to be the early warning system to help a fellow Christian that is veering off track from God’s will.
Look at what Paul says in vv. 14-15 “And if anyone does not obey our word in this epistle, note that person and do not keep company with him, that he may be ashamed. 15 Yet do not count him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.”
We sometimes think these churches that received letters from Paul were perfect congregations. That is simply, not true… In fact, the reason Paul usually wrote to churches was to correct some problems they were having.
There were members at Thessalonica who were unruly and rebellious about following the instructions Paul had given. So, to the ones that were following his instructions… He said... you should identify the rebellious person...
I want you to notice that he never said… you should kick this person (or people) out of the church. He wrote that once the troublemaker has been identified, then the members of the church were not to associate with him.
The book of Matthew gives us guidelines that we should follow before asking anyone to leave the church. But too often, people just jump to excommunicating someone instead of trying to help them gain victory over their sin.
When Paul says not to associate with them, I believe that he is talking about a form of Church discipline… Warren Wiersbe says this about Church discipline...
“Church discipline is to the church member what family discipline is to a child: It is an exercise of, and evidence of, correcting love. When a parent disciplines his/her child, they are not acting as a judge punishing a criminal; they are just a loving parent seeking to make their child a better person.”
Paul made it clear that this brother or sister in the church isn’t your enemy; they are a member of God’s family. Our job is to warn them… Now most of us try to avoid confrontational situations and confrontational conversations. We try to avoid them at all times. We think confronting a person about a problem they have is rude and unkind. But sometimes confronting a brother or sister can be the kindest thing you can do.
Some people are so rude they confront people to hurt them. But when a believer confronts another believer, the goal is to heal them, not hurt them.
I want to give you three instances when you may need to warn a brother or sister in Christ.
The first instance is…
1.1 When Your Relationship With Them Is Broken
1.1 When Your Relationship With Them Is Broken
Jesus knew there would be relationship problems between His followers. That’s why He gave us some specific instructions on how to deal with a situation where you and another brother or sister are not getting along…
I mentioned that the book of Matthew gives us some guidelines… lets turn there…
(Matthew 18:15-18) (Read)…
The ultimate goal of this confrontation is to restore your relationship with your brother or sister in Christ. Notice Jesus said if your brother or sister listens to you, you have WON them over. The purpose of this confrontation is not to condemn them or to win an argument; it is to win back the relationship with your brother or sister in Christ.
Again, this is talking about a disagreement or a rift between two believers. A brother or sister in Christ that has personally done something that has directly offended or hurt you in some way. I would also like to say that… if the situation is easy to overlook and is not going to hurt your relationship in any way… just forgive this person and move on. This doesn’t mean that you let people walk all over, but if it is a minor offence that can easily be forgiven, just do that and don’t bother bringing it up again.
However, there are times when a person does or says something so wrong it creates a rift in your relationship. That’s when this process should be followed. If you become aware of a wedge in your relationship, you should privately approach that person and seek to make it right.
One of the biggest problems in the Church and the world today is a lack of communication. Nobody is willing to talk things out… it is just easier to walk away… The biggest mistake Christians make is they go to someone else first to talk about what that person did or said. At that point, you have broken the loop, and you become the offender rather than the one offended.
Here is how we avoid making this mistake… If you realize you have done or said something hurtful or harmful against someone, don’t wait for them to come to you—go to them and apologize… communicate… But on the other hand if someone has done or said something to you that wounded you, then you should also go to them privately… communicate and seek to resolve the issue. I firmly believe that in 95% of the cases, relationships can be mended in these private one-on-one communication meetings.
But, I do realize that this method does not have a 100% success rate… So, if that person refuses to resolve the issue, then you can take one or two mutual friends and bring them into the conversation. This does not mean that you take your best friends to gang up on the person you’re confronting. Take a neutral party.
Having a mediator that helps to keep the conversation from escalating to a full blown argument, may be just what you need to bring you and your brother or sister back into unity. Most of the time, the problem is resolved in one of these two steps.
But if the person is still resistant, then you tell it to the church… One of the phrases that you will here around any house that has more than one kid is... “I’m tellin’ on you!”… One kid gets fed up with what the other one is doing and the biggest threat they can throw out is… “I’m tellin’ on you!”
Folks, that is not the attitude that we should have. The only reason that we would bring a matter up to the congregation is so they can pray for everybody involved and pray with the people involved. But if the relationship still isn’t mended, because someone refuses to grant forgiveness or someone refuses to accept forgiveness... Jesus said to treat them like you would a publican or a tax collector. Jesus loved publicans and tax collectors but He knew they needed Salvation. So if a person resists at every step, you treat them as someone who needs to meet the Lord.
The second instance when you may need to warn a brother or sister in Christ… is…
1.2 When They Are Trapped In Sin
1.2 When They Are Trapped In Sin
Turn with me to Galatians Chapter 6 (Read vv.1-3)
The phrase “overtaken in any trespass” can also be translated as “caught in a sin”. This doesn’t mean that they are “caught red-handed doing it.” It actually refers to a trap. It’s like an animal caught in a trap and they cannot get away from it on their own. If you were walking in the woods and saw someones family pet caught in a trap, chances are (if you are a decent human being) you’d do everything you could to release the wounded animal, and then get it home so it could be nursed back to health.
Y’all… We are surrounded by friends and family members who are trapped in the addiction of some horrible sins. We should at least show them the same mercy we’d show to a family pet.
News flash!… sometimes committed Christians stumble and fall into sin. The Bible is full of spiritual failures. Abraham was a liar; Moses was a murderer; David committed adultery and murder; Peter denied the Lord three times… Just to name a few…
Christians make mistakes… But the question is… how do you react??? How do you react when you learn a Christian was arrested for drunk driving, or for possession of narcotics? When an immature Christian hears about someone’s mistake, they delight in spreading the juicy details to everyone they can call or email. The favorite exercise of those condemners is jumping to conclusions and running people down.
But according to Galatians 6:1, what should our goal be when we find out that someone is trapped in sin??? … … Restoration… Does gossiping and running people down help restore them??? … No, it surely does not.
When a Spirit-filled Christian learns of a mistake, it breaks their heart, and they will go to the one who made the mistake and lovingly confront them about their problem. They won’t accuse them, condemn them or gossip about them. They’ll just show them the love of Christ and encourage them walk in a way that glorifies Him.
The last instance in which we should warn our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ is…
1.3 When They Disrupt The Unity Of The Church
1.3 When They Disrupt The Unity Of The Church
The Psalmist writes, in Psalm 133:1 “1 Behold, how good and how pleasant it is For brethren to dwell together in unity!”
We, in and of ourselves cannot create spiritual unity, only the Holy Spirit can do that. But in our own sinfulness and selfishness, we can disrupt the unity of the church.
Paul told Titus, in Titus 3:10-11 “10 Reject a divisive man after the first and second admonition (or warning), 11 knowing that such a person is warped and sinning, being self-condemned.”
If someone is severely damaging the unity of a local body of believers and several attempts have been made to bring that individual to a point of repentance and yet they still continue to cause disunity… then there may come a point that for the health of the rest of the church, this certain individual is asked to leave.
Our prayer is always for repentance and restoration, but if an individual has no desire for that, then they are just a wolf in sheep’s clothing… and that never ends well for the rest of the flock.
This is why it is so important to communicate with each other. If someone has said or done something that hurt you… go to them and get it resolved. If you said or done something that hurt someone else… go to them and get it resolved...
“...how good and how pleasant it is For brethren to dwell together in unity!”
You and I are God’s Warning System for the Church. It’s never easy and pleasant to confront another believer, but there are times when you need to obey God and warn another person…
Before we move on, I want to mention this… Your personal convictions are not anyone else’s obligations… There are people who have the conviction to not eat any pork… that just means there is more bacon for me…
My point is this… If you feel the need to confront someone about something, make sure that it is because of actual sin and not just because they are doing something that goes against your own personal convictions.
Paul closes out this 2nd letter to the Thessalonian believers by listing some of the resources that were given to us by God and he also made sure that the readers new this letter was not another forgery.
As we read that last few verses of this wonderful book, I want you to notice that…
2. God Provides All The Resources We Need
2. God Provides All The Resources We Need
vv. 16-18 “Now may the Lord of peace Himself give you peace always in every way. The Lord be with you all. 17 The salutation of Paul with my own hand, which is a sign in every epistle; so I write. 18 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.”
The first resource that God provides is…
2.1 His Peace
2.1 His Peace
Paul prayed they would have peace at all times and in every way. “Now may the Lord of peace Himself give you peace always in every way.”
Philippians 4:7 says “...the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
What is the peace of God that surpasses all understanding?
It is complete confidence in God's ability to meet your needs at any given moment and for any situation good or bad.
The question is… Do you have that peace?… The way you find peace is by having the Lord of peace in control of your everyday life.
Sometimes it is hard to find that peace… there is an older country song that says “I’m in a hurry to get things done, rushin’, rushin’, till life’s no fun...” We get so caught up trying to do this and trying to do that… if you were to study the life of Christ, you are going to notice that He was never in a hurry. He took the time to point out some of the littlest things in creation… He even had time for all the kids to come and sit with Him and He would bless them.
God’s peace is a resource that is available to us. The question is, will you accept it??
The 2nd resource is…
2.2 His Presence
2.2 His Presence
Paul also says in v. 16 “The Lord be with you all”… The Greek word that is translated “You All” is better translated as “Y’all”… Paul was one of them there southern Jews…
Paul said “The Lord be with Y’all”… Are you aware of God’s presence with you at all times? Deuteronomy 31:8 says… “8 And the Lord, He is the One who goes before you. He will be with you, He will not leave you nor forsake you; do not fear nor be dismayed.””
God is always there! Through the good times and the bad… through the times of happiness and through times of grief or sorrow. He is always there!
The 3rd resource is…
2.3 His Word
2.3 His Word
v.17 “The salutation of Paul with my own hand, which is a sign in every epistle; so I write.”
Paul dictated most of his letters, but when he finished, he often added his personal signature to the letter. There had been false letters that had confused the church, so he wanted to ensure they knew this letter was really from him.
In the last chapter of Galatians, Paul mentioned he was signing his letter using such large letters. Some have suggested Paul had eye problems and he had to make very large letters.
2 Peter 1:21 says… “21 for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.”
Paul was one of those holy men that God spoke to, through the Holy Spirit, and Paul’s signature was his verification that this letter was truly the Word of God.
2 Timothy 3:16 tells us… “16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God (it is God Breathed, God spoke every word), and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,”
(Hold up Bible) What an amazing resource we have in our hands…
The Final resource Paul mentions is...
2.4 His Grace
2.4 His Grace
Paul’s first sentence in both 1 and 2 Thessalonians was “grace and peace to you through the Lord Jesus Christ.” And now he closes this letter with v.18... “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.”
Grace is God giving us what we need, not what we deserve. I need forgiveness, but I deserve death and hell. I’ve been saved by grace through faith.
Grace is living a different way because of God’s unconditional love for me. I treat people as they need to be treated instead of what they deserve.
Closing:
Grace, grace, God's grace,
Grace that will pardon and cleanse within
Grace, grace, God's grace,
Grace that is greater than all our sin
Have you accepted His grace today? Can you truly sing…
Amazing grace! how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch; like me!
I once was lost, but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.
Prayer: