Lesson 2 from 2nd. Thessalonians chapter 1

Lesson2 from 2nd. Thessalonians ch.1 Read the chapter again
As we looked into the first four verses we see the apostle Paul
encouraging and exhorting the church that he had founded for their faith…”Your faith growth exceedingly.” Faith that grows…fruit grows doesn’t it? And when you go to the super market to buy fruit you will find it in various stages of growth, some of it is ripe, some not so ripe and some of it is over ripe. And Paul tells the Galatians that faith is also a fruit of the Spirit, besides being a gift of the Spirit, perhaps we will do a study on the fruit of the Spirit after this one (if God permits .)
Verse #5 here in ch.1 says “which is manifest evidence of the righteous judgment of God …..what is this manifest evidence that he refers to? It is their patience and faith as they endure
both persecution and tribulation. Patience is also a fruit of the Spirit. The King James Version calls it long suffering. God does not send persecution or tribulation to His children, we see in 1 Thessalonians ch. 5 verse 9,” for God did not appoint
us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Sometimes He may allow some test or a trial just to give us opportunity to have our faith proven, but remember what the writer to these people said when he was so concerned about their faith coming under attack and the fact that he could not make it….he said in 1st. Thessalonians 2:17, 18…”But we, brethren, having been taken away from you for a short time in presence, not in heart, endeavored more eagerly to see your face with great desire. Therefore we wanted to come to you --- even I, Paul, time and again---but Satan hindered us.”Satan hindered us, Paul says. And then in that same verse that I just read, the next verse…”For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Is it not even you in the presence of our Lord at His coming?” His hope, his crown of rejoicing, his glorying in the Lord was because of the souls he had led to the Lord, even those he had influenced , had helped to come to Christ because his testimony among them was believed. Remember what he said back in the first epistle, chapter 2, verse 13…”For this reason we also thank God without ceasing, because when you received the Word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the Word of God, which also works effectively in those who believe… this is the key to success in our witness that what we say is convincing to men and women as it should be, the Word of God! Our words unless they line up with God’s Word, are just empty babblings. How important it is to bring a soul to the Lord.Back in verse 4 of our study chapter 1 of Thessalonians 2the apostle refers to their patience and faith in all their persecutions and tribulations that they were enduring, and further in verse 5, he says that all of this is evidence of the righteous judgment of God that you may be accounted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you also suffer since it is a righteous thing with God to repay with tribulation those who trouble you, WHOA! Did you hear what I just read? It is a righteous thing with God to repay with tribulation those who trouble you. This walk with God is not to be taken lightly either by us or by those who oppose us. Not only are we to walk worthy of our calling but God has taken responsibility over us also. I do not take lightly the harassing of my children and how much more must God feel about His children and their good keeping, divine protection is theirs as long as we walk worthily…
Worthy before God …of our calling. In the 7th. Verse here in chapter 1, God is going to set the record straight….thousands of Christians are suffering much persecution somewhere in other lands tonight. The record probably reads much like the 11th. Chapter of Hebrews, “Others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection, still others had trial of mockings and scourgings, yes, and of chains and imprisonment.” Hebrews 11, verses 35 to the end of the chapter Turn there and we’ll read it.
Read also verses 37-40. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, were tempted,[a] were slain with the sword. They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented— 38 of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in 39 And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise, 40 God deserts and mountains, in dens and caves of the earth. having provided something better for us, that they should not be made perfect apart from us.

Back in our study chapter He is going to take vengeance on those who do not know God!....on those who do not obey the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. (read verses 7-9)
It behooves us to watch for our own souls and those of our families. I think we need to focus ijn prayer on our families, whether they are serving the Lord or not, We need to see revival and get ready for a move of God. When you look at the next few verses it should cause us to stop thinking about ourselves and our inability to speak to others about their spiritual condition…look at verses 10-12.
Again verse 10 says, “When He comes (praise God, He is coming )when He comes in that Day, to be glorified in His saints, and to be admired among all those who believe, because our testimony among you was believed. When He comes back to this earth my friends, He will not come as an infant….He is coming in power as the old songwriter penned it, “we’ll hail that blessed hour”, He is coming with great glory, It is going to be a glorious appearing. This will be the Second Coming of our Lord back to earth …the rapture has already taken place; and He is coming with His saints, those who have been raptured before the tribulation takes place and when He comes in this appearing , He will set up His 1000 year reign known as the Millennial reign of Christ
And during that reign, there will be peace…real peace for 1000 years. In the meantime we will suffer persecution, in this life…2nd. Tim.3:12 says, “Yea, and all who live Godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution” but that is not tribulation ….1st. . Thess.5:9 which says, “For God hath not appointed us to wrath but to obtain salvation through Jesus Christ our lord.
This chapter, to summarize it if you will tells me that Jesus is coming back to this earth to rule and to reign and that you must believe in the Gospel in order to be a part of that company of saints who are going to be with Him when He comes. It tells me that you have to believe the old-time Gospel You cannot make it in unless you believe. It tells me that there is everlasting fire , everlasting destruction for those who have not believed. Verses 11 & 12”
tells it all: “Therefore 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 with powerthat the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified
Aren’t you glad for the gospel tonight? Vs. 12, says, “that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ. He’s got plenty of grace tonight..That is my desire tonight to have His name glorified in me. Can you say amen? Some people blaspheme that holy name…let us be known as a people who glorify His name. Do you have a testimony tonight that will glorify His name?Read 2 Peter 3:1-18. But grow in grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. That is how we can be sure we will make it in.