Love the Truth

all right uh let's get into the word we are going to begin two-part session here on the letter of uh that paul wrote to thessalonians the second letter 2 thessalonians is where we'll begin this evening now last week of course we completed the first letter that was from paul and timothy silas these guys they wrote a letter from athens to the brethren to the to the churches the the home groups the the meeting places and so forth uh back in the the city because they had established the work there with the thessalonians this second letter it came not long after the first one did quite honestly and the second letter was sent to clarify some points you'll notice and to exhort the church members the new believers on how that they should function day by day in the midst of obstacles that they were facing more importantly though that paul one more time wanted to make sure that he he had them to understand that there was a reason and a purpose for them coming together okay and the letters that were written by the hands of the apostles back to the churches uh very very powerful indeed and even for us today in 2020 um there was some controversy at that time somewhat like there is today concerning the timing of things the second coming of the lord the who the wind the what how is it going to happen and so paul he he sends this word of encouragement to them and and trying to keep him motivated and moving forward of course you can imagine timotheus took this letter to the the first letter to the church returned probably after he had read the letters and in fellowship with the brethren and so forth days weeks months went by then paul felt it necessary to write a secondary okay we're looking at about 54 a.d time frame something like that paul is trying to again encourage the believers encourage the church to continue to move forward so we'll pick up here in second thessalonians chapter number one uh we'll start reading at verse 3. we are bound to thank god always for you brethren as it is me because that your faith groweth exceedingly and the charity of every one of you all toward each other aboundeth verse 4 so that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of god for your patience and faith and all your persecutions and tribulations that ye endure which is a manifest token of the righteous judgment of god that ye may be counted worthy of the kingdom of god for which ye also suffer after the salutation verse 1 and 2 paul goes right into the attitude in which the the brethren the brothers and sisters in the church they're very warm very loving okay uh they are trying to keep the work moving forward and in in what i see here and maybe you have a different opinion but what i see is this would be much like a a proud father that is just way excited about the way his child or his children are doing things this is what it seems like paul is saying to the church there your faith is growing your love for one another is growing and you're facing tribulations and things going on in your in your lives but yet you continue to move forward and so paul he uses a term here that he's used throughout other letters but here he's very specific that their work their work is worthy of the kingdom of god okay so what they're doing matches what they're supposed to be doing all right the sufferings they're going through and things the tribulations are facing they're becoming stronger and stronger and so again in this letter paul begins by telling them to hang in there you know be strong in it what you're doing is the right thing don't give up don't throw in the towel if you will just keep moving forward we continue in verse six here in chapter one seeing it is a righteous thing with god to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you and to you who are troubled rest with us when the lord jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels and flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not god and that obey not the gospel of our lord jesus christ verse 9 who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the lord and from the glory of his power when he shall come to be glorified in his saints and to be admired in all them that believe this is a parenthesis because our testimony among you was believed in that day the writer lets the church know that god has a way of repaying those who are causing tribulation to the church okay jesus is going to be revealed and he is truth and once truth is revealed there is a power and a force that comes with truth you know even in our day we want to know the truth agreed and as difficult as it seems in our generation in our culture and our society truth always prevails because god is truth you know that the truth of who he is and his power uh we have to base what we do on that knowing that it's not in vain what we're doing but in instead god is going to recompense he is going to take care of his children uh the flaming fire wow that's a that's a promise to the church that there's something going to come in and set things right okay now of course paul is again trying to admonish them you're moving forward you're encouraging you're loving uh you're doing the things of god you're working hand in hand but you've got to do this as unto the lord not waiting on him to come and and kill everybody or destroy all the negativity around you you just simply do what you do because it's the right thing to do okay god's going to get the glory through all of that there's a promise there that god is going to bless his people who are loving him and serving him notice here how paul continues the writing verse 11 wherefore also we pray always for you that our god would count you worthy of his calling and fulfill all the good pleasure of his goodness and the work of faith with power that the name of our lord jesus christ may be glorified in you and ye in him according to the grace of our god and our lord jesus christ paul is encouraging the church to walk worthy of this calling god has a has a job for you to do he's called you he's drawed you into if you will a place the name of jesus is going to be glorified in you and then in you doing what he's called you to do you glorify him all this occurs because of the grace of jesus christ in all of our human errors and fallacies and mistakes and so forth the lord god is still using us paul was trying to again encourage the church at that time stay true to the good news of who jesus is he's got it all laid out it's going to be okay as long as you stay connected to him all right if you're in him and you're doing what he wants you to do he's going to bless you and in the continuance and now again second thessalonians very short there's only three chapters in here a lot of powerful words though in chapter number two of second thessalonians now we beseech you brethren now here you know he's encouraged in the first chapter he's and he's helping them he's telling them walk worthy love one another encourage one another move forward grow in grace let the things of god work in you and now he's pleading okay now we beseech you brethren by the coming of our lord jesus christ and by our gathering together unto him that ye be not soon shaken in mind or be troubled neither by spirit nor by word nor by letter as from us as that the day of christ is at hand don't be shaken in your mind or your spirit the words the letters that you're receiving okay uh again the church had started just just recently before these letters went out years you know 20 30 years that the churches is in this movement okay some even less and so these are very new startups these things are happening it would be very easy of course to hear the naysayers in the street the politicians at the court uh how that the school teacher you know whatever it comes from people that don't know the love and the grace and the good news of jesus christ uh you can become discouraged in that and so paul again and the the writers there beseech you come on i'm asking you i'm pleading with you the coming of christ is going to take care of this we're going to be gathered together with him don't be shaken in your mind your thoughts what you're learning how you're applying yourself don't be troubled in your spirit uh by by what you're hearing uh and the letter that comes from us isn't to to chastise you or to push you into a dark corner but it's to let you know that you're not in this by yourself i received those words in 2020 for our church for each of you we're not in this alone god is moving things are happening jesus is coming uh don't don't be denied the ability to believe that he is in control okay you believe in the word plant yourself in the word that's the importance of our midweek bible studies the importance of meeting together or online streaming for sunday service is that that fellowship and gathering together that it strengthens and encourages us now as as the writer continues here look at verse 3 let no man deceive you by any means for that day shall not come except listen to this this is very powerful statement except there come a falling away first in that and that man of sin be revealed in the son of perdition who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called god or that is worshipped so that he as god sitteth in the temple of god showing himself as showing himself excuse me that he is god remember you not that when i was yet with you i told you these things and know ye not that what with holdeth that he might be revealed in his time now a lot of words here listen to this carefully paul emphasizes to the church to the body of believers there that they can't be shaken or deceived in the actions and the attitudes of man all right but this is what paul settles down with them there will come a time when people will not believe what you're telling them in fact there's going to be what is called a falling away there'll be some that will rise and then they'll go by the wayside there'll be some that will believe and then they'll fall into the lie or the trap that spirit as you and i would call it and today is called antichrist quite honestly it is it is everything that's against god to understand god you would have fellowship with him but then you can develop a way people can develop an attitude and a spirit that says i don't believe that so i'm against that we can i don't want to get sidetracked in this study but we can go back to uh lucifer an example an angel that led worship glorified god and however it happened for whatever reason and for whatever purpose it came he tried to then receive the glory instead of giving it to god knowing god but yet trying it on his own and god like lightning pulled him out of heaven with the angels that followed him okay um that spirit if you will is is going to separate those who really believe and want to follow jesus and those who are simply just in it for the game in it for what is it good for me okay paul begins again in the first letter he wrote to the church there and in this one he's encouraging them you guys are growing and doing so well please don't get sidetracked all right paul is writing he's telling them listen you you might not see this plan unfold in a minute it's going to take some time but the plan of god will work okay don't be discouraged or don't get disgruntled about the things of god stay the course all right if i could extract tonight in our study part of this i would encourage all of you that are in this study that you're taking notes write that down really big stay the course connect yourself with the things of god stay connected to the family of god get into the word understand the things of the ways the mind of god okay that's going to help you when the falling away or when those who are distracted or discouraged begin to go by the wayside we can't let that pull us in with them okay now the letter continues in verse seven and this to me is very intriguing for the mystery of iniquity doth already work only he who now letteth will let until he be taken out of the way and then shall that wicked capital w be revealed whom the lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming paul mentions now again in several letters that paul wrote he refers to mystery and he calls this one the mystery of iniquity and the reason i want to mention this is because remember who paul was all right he did not know jesus face to face okay he wasn't in the boat with him he wasn't there to feed the five thousand paul had everything revealed to him through the spirit therefore i could see that the writer this this connection that paul had with people that paul had with the spirit that paul had with those around him he would in fact call it a mystery i'm not sure how this works or how why it is but this is what it is so the mystery of iniquity iniquity how is it that a sinful man can be loved by a holy god and then that man can have his sins washed away by the blood of the spotless lamb jesus how is that even possible all right only then to have the enemy of the soul satan himself to lie to that person who had once believed and then that person walk away from what he's just experienced with god okay that's a mystery to me that is indeed something that happens a lot all right and that mystery of iniquity once you realize that day by day things happen and people are making choices and they're they're being affected by their surroundings and their culture and their pressure of the world that they're living in paul is telling the church this is going to transpire but the lord will consume the evil one with his spirit and the power of his word all right so in the day in which we live and all of the unknown and the questions and the things going on out on out of the church if you will in the schoolhouses on the street corners and so forth understand that if it doesn't glorify god and it doesn't follow the plan and the will of god that god it will consume that the spirit of god the word of god is more powerful than any yelling and screaming if you will on the street corner know that for sure that's why again you got to get this inside of you you got to get it in your heart and your mind and your spirit verse 9 here in the letter in 2 thessalonians chapter 2 even him whose coming in is after the working of satan with all power signs and lying wonders and with all deceivableness and of unrighteousness in them that perish because they receive not the love of the truth that they might be saved verse 11 and for this cause god shall send them strong delusion that they should believe a lie that they all might be damned to believe not the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness wow paul points to the only way to overcome the deceit and the lies of the enemy of your soul and that is to love the truth paul tells the church there it ripples and it connects to us in our generation 2020 love the truth fall in love with the things of god embrace hold on to the things of god love the things of god and connect with them that's that's going to be our salvation through all of what's going on in the world around us is the fact that instead of falling in love with the lies of the enemy and the deceit of the world we choose to love the only one true living god jesus christ we've got to know his ways we've got to understand his mind if you will his principles his character his personality traits and so forth god's going to deal with those that are against him okay in fact very interesting here paul writes and says that god himself is going to send them strong delusion they will believe lies now they that's because of the their lack of righteousness and their lack of love for the truth and they'll be damned for that understand paul was telling the church back in the in 54 a.d to be cautious and to be aware of things here we are in 2020 we're still receiving this word don't be sidetracked with the things of the world but know that god is going to deal with those who don't believe truth okay aside if you will aside from the heaven and the hell issue god himself while they're alive living on planet earth and walking god will send them a strong delusion and he will make them to believe lies because of their lack of love for truth those are strong words but they still echo true today okay continuing here the last part of of second thessalonians chapter 2 verse 13 but we are bound to give thanks always to god for you brethren beloved of the lord because god hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the spirit and belief in here's the wording in truth whereunto he called you by our gospel to the obtaining of the glory of our lord jesus christ therefore brethren stand fast and hold to and hold the traditions which ye have been taught whether by word or by epistle or our epistle now our lord jesus christ himself and god even our father which hath loved us and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace comfort your hearts and establish you in every good work and every good word and work excuse me as we close this out tonight this session listen to listen to what he's talking about the sanctification of the spirit because you believe in truth you follow you seek after truth paul uses the word then you know god is going to deal with those who are not following truth but you get the truth and stand fast on it okay we have taught you we've instructed you we've given you guidance you and i today in our generation we have the word of god that instructs us instructs us and leads us and guides us correct he has given us this consolation that there's hope in the love and the grace of jesus christ and if we'll hold on to truth we can stand firm through all of the things going on in the world around us we can still love god you don't have to give in to the things of the world mom and dad you can still teach your kids to to honor and love god to honor and love his word okay that's why it's so vitally important that we get the word of god into our kids hearts and their minds and let them build upon that foundation because the world around us is built on a sandy surface that's going to shift and move in time now we're going to pray as we close this out and as we pray this is what i want our prayer to be i want us to pray god help us to do all the good works that we do in your name embracing truth when we pray for the sick when we believe that god is going to bless our nation when we pray for missionaries and and the work they do when we pray for whoever it is neighbors and friends whatever we're doing when we work and we do the things of god okay i believe we are establishing our thoughts and our foundations upon the scriptures in church god is going to bless us for that so we're going to pray for that pray for those around you lord help us to love truth and to establish ourself on the word of god it's forever settled it's the strong foundation would you pray with me lord for our time together tonight we thank you for your word that is truth and a lamp to us we thank you i pray right now for the church i pray for those who will commit themselves to you i pray for revival i pray for an anointing the rest upon every heart and every family help us lord as a church body to be established in truth not to be swayed by what's going on around us not to be discouraged by the things that have happened to the church or in the church but god help us stay firm and focused on you you have an outpouring or there is a move of god and even in the world in which we're in the things of god are still happening and working we still feel your anointing and your glory every day i pray for the church body for our young people our children our moms and dads and grandparents lord let us love truth embrace it and run after you with all the passion within our hearts we'll love you forever and believe you for great things in jesus name we pray amen amen