2 Thessalonians2 :::1-12

2 Thessalonians chapter 2, reading verses 1-12, August 31, 201
It doies not seem possible to me that it is September of the year 2011
And we are fast approaching October and we are still here as fall is just around the corner. The signs are beginning to show that fall is near. And just as we see THE changing in the weather and all the other SIGNS THAT ACCOMPANY fall, we can also see the signs of time pointing to the coming of the LORD as we have been looking at in these two epistles that Paul writes to the saints of God who live in Thessolinica.I
If you have ben in Pentecost as long as I have been, you know that things have changed.That is a huge understatement. In these two letters, Paul was addressing a young congregation, one that he by the Holy Spirit had founded not many days or years prior to writing these letters. In fact scholars tell us that these epistles were among the first if not the first that he wrote to any church.
The Truth was new to them and a freshness of spirit and a passionate hunger for God prevailed. Truths were new to them, a freshness of spirit prevailed, the atmosphere was charged and exciting....remember back when church was so exciting that you could hardly wait to get there?...we need to return to that kind of exciting church meetings. We have been so intent on getting out of thr pew and into the street that we have neglected the church service altogether
. And all this in spite of tremendous persecution they faced every day The great apostle to the Gentiles had taught them many truths, but he still found it necessary to remind them and to make sure that they understood all about the end times and the order of the great Day of the Lord and His coming. He had explained it all to them but they had wandered in their teaching and Paul had to set the record straight. Even today someone will come with some new doctrine and upset whole congregations with their theory’s. As I noted in our last study here in the blue room, it seems that this congregation here at Thessalonica had been duped by somebody or some spirit, not the Holy Spirit, but mention is named concerning a letter (alleged to be from Paul saying that the Day of the Lord had already come. That would mean that the rapture HAD ALREADY happened and they were left behind. The great apostle to the Gentiles had taught them many truths but still found it necessary to remind them and make certain that they understood what they had been told earlier. The reason for all of this was because of some erroneous teaching that had spread throughout the body as I explained in the session we had in the blue room and we will read it from the first two verses here in chapter 2 of 2nd, Thessalonians.
“Now brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and our gathering to Him, we ask you not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the Day of Christ had already come”. He says, don’t be shaken! Imagine the fear and anxiety that sort of teaching would produce today if we were deluded into that kind of teaching. Right here is a good time to read this chapter 2. 2nd. Thess. 2 (read the entire chapter)
Paul says Dont be shaken and don’t let anyone deceive you. It is our responsibility to watch out for each other.....do not be shaken...how can we be sure that we are not shaken by false teaching...by studying the Word for ourselves, amen! And we will be well equipped if we do that to stand against all deception from man or satan. Can you say amen Paul says, let no man deceive you.....not by any means. Think on that....we are sometimes deceived easily, are we not...and sometimes it is just a simple thing. Sometimes we are deceived by flattery, someone causing us to get puffed up by flattering words and it leaves us vulnerable. Paul in his first letter ch. 5 verses 12 through 22 gives sound advice that will strengthen us when deception comes our way. The third verse of our text chapter is a prophetic word...that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, (pause) and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition. The falling away...look at the church world today and ask yourself...is there a falling away?...look back to when you were first saved and tell me if the fervor and the passion and the deep desire and intense hunger for God is still burning feverishly in your heart and soul....remember when you were first baptized in the Holy Ghost...is that fire still burning?
Paul says to these Thessalonians...”Let no one....no one deceive you...by any means” Bible study is just as important for senior citizens as it is for new Christians. Some folks can get carried away with this senior citizens bit....and some day they will get carried away. Bible study is so necessary as it will equip us to fend off false doctrine when it comes of its own will. We all need to be prepared so we will recognize the signs of the times. Remember his warning in the first epistle to the Thessalonians? Chapter 5 verses 1&2(read them) You see how they needed reminding? Do you think we today are any different from them?
“Let no man deceive you Paul says....by any means. And then this prophetic word: “that Day will not come unless that falling away comes first.” Let me go on record to say that if that occurrence has not already happened...that it is awfully close. I honestly believe that we are already in it. Take; a look around during our best attended service on a Sunday morning. But there is hope...the Psalmist says, Hope thou in God. We have hope tonight, there is hope for the church tonight. Read 2nd. Chronicles 7: 12-15. We are that people and I guarantee if we humble ourselves and pray and seek God with our whole hearts then He will fill us with the Holy Spirit. It depends on you, it depends on me.
The second part of that verse says, “ and the man of sin is revealed”the son of perdition or doom. I submit to you that has not happened yet. However, I believe that he is somewhere in the world tonight. I have no idea who he is. Paul goes on to say how he will conduct himself and how he will be revealed. We know he will be a blasphemer. We know he will claim to be God. As a matter of fact he will sit as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. Blasphemy of the worst order! I found as I was reading this and depending on the Lord for answers like as if the Holy Spirit impressed on my mind this thought Firstly, John says in 1st. John 2: 18 read it..many antichrists have come. Another place talks about the spirit off antichrist. As I contemplated this verse that speaks about Antichrist claiming to be God, the question comes to mind, “Where is the temple of God today? Is it in Jerusalem? Nope...never been built yet. 1ST. Cor. 6::19 GIVES US THE ANSWER.”Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit which is in you, Whom you have from God and you are not your own? I ask you tonight...could not the Spirit of antichrist enter the hearts of backslidden children, once born again but now become apostate? THE GREAT FALLING AWAY AND ENTER ANTICHRIST?
There is only One who can make that claim tonight...that He is God; only One Who is to be worshipped. Moses declared HIM IN Psalm 90:verses 1&2 “Lord, You have been our dwelling place in all generations. Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever You had formed the earth, and the world, From everlasting to everlasting, You are God.” John 11:1-4&14, John 6:15-21, Matt. 16:15,16 declares Him to be Son of Man, Son of God. Paul declares Him to be God in his description of Him in Col. 1:15-18 He is the image of the invisible God, and we read something the same from Hebrews 1 verses 1-3. Let me read it from the Amplified version...”In many separate revelations, (each of which set forth a portion of the Truth, {But) and in different ways God spoke of old to (our) forefathers in and by the prophets {But} in the last of these days He has spoken to us in the person of His son. Whom He appointed Heir and lawful owner of all things, also by and through Whom He created the worlds and the reaches of space and the ages of time. [He made, produced, built, operated and arranged them in order. The third verse says, He is the sole expression of the glory of God, the light burning, the outlaying or radiance of the divine], and He is the perfect and very image of[God’s nature], upholding and maintaining and propelling the universe by His mighty Word or Power.” There is more but we’ll stop right there. He is more than just an image or replica or a copy as the word image might imply. He is the exact expression of God Himself, the perfect, sole, expression, He is God, Jesus is God. When God came down from heaven to dwell among us that was Jesus! To say that He is not God, or that His not Divine would be a lie. To say He is a man but only a man would constitute a falsehood. When I was preparing this lesson for tonight and meditating, pondering on it, suddenly I felt a great burden come over me as I thought of those around us who are not following the Lord at this time and I cried out to Him...oh Lord! How can I try to explain and convince an individual of this being the truth; that YOU CAME DOWN FROM HEAVEN AND LIVED AMONG US , born of a virgin You walked upon the earth that You had created and You keep it in it’s orbit in perfect timing...that You died for our sins, and rose up from the grave on the third day so that You could raise us up on the resurrection morning. It is too much for me to understand it all by myself.. The Spirit of the Lord impressed upon my heart, don’t even try to explain it ,just proclaim it. It is too much for my reasoning power, too much for my understanding...but, I believe it! You must believe it! If you are going to live with Jesus for eternity. David said in Psalm 131:1, “ Lord, my heart is not haughty nor my eyes lofty neither will I exercise myself in great matters or in things TOO HIGH FOR ME.”In other words don’t try to prove that the Bible is true. Let God prove His Word b y answering prayer.
If there is one thing I say that I would like to be remembered for it is that God came down from heaven, took upon Himself flesh and became a man. He is alive and shall be forevermore. The God Man Jesus Christ. I believe as Peter and Martha both confessed that Jesus Christ is the Son of the Living God. He is Emmanuel, God with us! THE Antichrist will claim to be God, but he will be destroyed at the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ with His saints. At the brightness of His coming the Bible says. This antichrist, this false god will oppose everything and everyone connected with God or Godly people and he will proclaim to be God Himself. He will deceive many. The Amplified from verse 4 says, “Who opposes and exalts himself so proudly and insolently against and over all that is called God or that is worshipped, even to his actually taking his seat in , proclaiming that he himself is God. Here are some references: Ezek.28:2, Daniel 11:36&37. Paul asks a question here in 2 Thess. 2:5, He said, “Don’t you remember when I was with you I told you these things?” They had to be reminded...we have to be reminded...when the Holy Spirit is gone after the rapture (that’s when the Holy Spirit is gone when the church us lifted, the antichrist will be revealed. That is his appointed time He has an appointment he has to keep. Read verse 7 The mystery of lawlessness is restrained right now but it will blow wide open when the Spirit is lifted.