Sermon for Sunday, April 23rd, 2023 at First Presbyterian Church at Unionville, NY (BPC)
Old Testament reading:
[Psa 94:1-23 ESV] 1 O LORD, God of vengeance, O God of vengeance, shine forth! 2 Rise up, O judge of the earth; repay to the proud what they deserve! 3 O LORD, how long shall the wicked, how long shall the wicked exult? 4 They pour out their arrogant words; all the evildoers boast. 5 They crush your people, O LORD, and afflict your heritage. 6 They kill the widow and the sojourner, and murder the fatherless; 7 and they say, “The LORD does not see; the God of Jacob does not perceive.” 8 Understand, O dullest of the people! Fools, when will you be wise? 9 He who planted the ear, does he not hear? He who formed the eye, does he not see? 10 He who disciplines the nations, does he not rebuke? He who teaches man knowledge– 11 the LORD–knows the thoughts of man, that they are but a breath. 12 Blessed is the man whom you discipline, O LORD, and whom you teach out of your law, 13 to give him rest from days of trouble, until a pit is dug for the wicked. 14 For the LORD will not forsake his people; he will not abandon his heritage; 15 for justice will return to the righteous, and all the upright in heart will follow it. 16 Who rises up for me against the wicked? Who stands up for me against evildoers? 17 If the LORD had not been my help, my soul would soon have lived in the land of silence. 18 When I thought, “My foot slips,” your steadfast love, O LORD, held me up. 19 When the cares of my heart are many, your consolations cheer my soul. 20 Can wicked rulers be allied with you, those who frame injustice by statute? 21 They band together against the life of the righteous and condemn the innocent to death. 22 But the LORD has become my stronghold, and my God the rock of my refuge. 23 He will bring back on them their iniquity and wipe them out for their wickedness; the LORD our God will wipe them out.
New Testament reading:
[2Th 1:1-12 ESV] 1 Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: 2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 3 We ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers, as is right, because your faith is growing abundantly, and the love of every one of you for one another is increasing. 4 Therefore we ourselves boast about you in the churches of God for your steadfastness and faith in all your persecutions and in the afflictions that you are enduring. 5 This is evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are also suffering– 6 since indeed God considers it just to repay with affliction those who afflict you, 7 and to grant relief to you who are afflicted as well as to us, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels 8 in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 9 They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might, 10 when he comes on that day to be glorified in his saints, and to be marveled at among all who have believed, because our testimony to you was believed. 11 To this end we always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling and may fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith by his power, 12 so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Gospel reading:
[Mat 25:31-46 ESV] 31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. 34 Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36 I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ 37 Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? 38 And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? 39 And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ 40 And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’ 41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ 44 Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’ 45 Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ 46 And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
Introduction
This first chapter is one of those passages that can be hard to follow upon initial reading of it. But, there is much good teaching within it.
This morning, from this passage, we’ll be looking at four ways in which the faithful are blessed:
The faithful are blessed in these ways:
I. The faithful have a Growing Faith.
II. The faithful are Children of God.
III. God grants relief to the faithful.
IV. The calling of the faithful glorifies God.
But before we look at these four ways in which the faithful are blessed, there are some things to note in the introduction of this letter.
We recently completed a sermon series on 1st Thessalonians and, following a series on the book of Ruth, we are now back in 2nd Thessalonians. Paul has written to this church once before in a “love letter” to them commending their faith. Now again he commends their faith saying “We ourselves (that is Paul, Silas, and Timothy) boast about you in the churches of God for your steadfastness and faith in all your persecutions and in the afflictions you are enduring.”
Here, Paul, for the only time in all of his letters does not add to himself a title like “apostle” or “servant of God.” It is thought that here, with the Thessalonians, Paul did not have to defend his apostolic authority as he had to do in other places. These were faithful people of God and knew Paul to be rightfully working for the Lord.
The faith of these Thessalonians shows itself in their patience, through many trials.
So Paul writes calling them “the church of the Thessalonians IN God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” They are indeed IN the Lord. Paul says in the book of Acts, “In him we live and move and have our being.” The Holy Spirit even dwells in us, and we have the mind of Christ. We are united to Christ. Here it is said the church is IN Christ. How comforting that is. God is not distant. We are not eternally away from him, but we are IN him. We trust in the Lord, and He holds us in the palm of his hand.
It is vital that we remain IN the Lord, as it is vital for the Thessalonians to remain IN the Lord, for persecution abounds and abounded. When Paul wrote them previously, they were facing persecution. Now, he writes again, the persecution has continued.
But … the faithful are blessed … despite the persecution, and even in the persecution.
How are the faithful blessed?
I. The faithful have a Growing Faith
II. The faithful are Children of God.
III. God grants relief to the faithful.
IV. The calling of the faithful glorifies God
Let us look first at that growing faith.
I. The faithful have a Growing Faith (v. 3-4)
The church of Thessalonica was a great church, but not by worldly standards. They did not have a great cathedral, or large children’s programs, nor much at all in which to boast. But they had faith, and for that they are praised.
The faith of the Thessalonians was praised in the last letter to them. And, can you imagine, that it has now increased?
Paul says that their faith “is GROWING ABUNDANTLY, and the love of revery one of you for one another is INCREASING.”
Praise the Lord! The Lord has blessed them with a growing faith.
This tells us that we are to continue to grow in faith DAILY. In the Christian life we do not “ARRIVE AND CONCLUDE” our work, but we “BEGIN AND GROW.” There is ever more to learn, virtues ever more to grow in, good works ever more to be done, all to the glory of God. It is a living faith. We rest in Christ, be we do not rest from our joy in pursuing Him in knowledge and holiness.
This is growth in sanctification. The Christian is perfect. And even the praised faith of the Thessalonians has found room to grow. And room yet remains for more growth.
The faithful are blessed with a growing faith.
Then also, the faithful are blessed to be Children of God.
II. The faithful are Children of God. (v. 5)
Paul speaks first of their steadfastness and faith in persecution and afflictions. And then he said “This is evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are also suffering.”
He will shortly turn to punishment of eternal destruction that will befall those who do not know God and those who do not obey the gospel of Jesus Christ.
But I think implied in verse 4 and 5 is the idea that the persecutions the Thessalonians are experiencing are themselves EVIDENCE OF FAITH. They are being persecuted for the sake of Jesus Christ.
It is a badge of honor. For Jesus Christ himself was persecuted. And being united to Him, we should expect to also be persecuted. We are persecuted with Christ. As the church is IN Christ, so we are persecuted LIKE Christ.
And, our persecutions show that we are Children of God. For while eternal punishment is reserved for those who oppose God, we are his children and the pains of this world often work as discipline to draw us nearer God and to guide us in our walk with Him.
Hebrews chapter 12 says:
[Heb 12:7-8 ESV] 7 It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? 8 If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons.
So the faithful Thessalonians are blessed because the Lord cares for them as a Father cares for his children.
Then we get to the real center of this first chapter in seeing that God blesses the faithful in granting them relief from His vengeance.
III. God grants relief to the faithful. (v. 6-9)
This point comes in three verses. Verses 6 through 9:
“6 since indeed God considers it just to repay with affliction those who afflict you, 7 and to grant relief to you who are afflicted as well as to us, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels 8 in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 9 They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might,”
So while the child of God receives discipline in this age, the enemy of God has the punishment of eternal destruction. Paul is saying to the Thessalonians, continue to be patient, for those who are persecuting you will have their day of judgment.
Now there are many who don’t like the doctrine of hell. Many people think hell is a doctrine which we should do away with; a relict of an earlier age perhaps. But it is the teaching of the Scriptures and we have no right to modify it or to weaken it. We cannot go along with the annihiliationists who say merely that the enemies of God are punished once and then cease to exist. Here we read about ETERNAL destruction. And we cannot go along with the liberals who says that because God is love that there cannot be a hell.
This latter idea has been popular in times past. Many denied hell. The orthodox were ridiculed for continuing to believe. But they should have been praised for their faithfulness to the word of God.
There was a minster here at the Unionville church from 1885 until 1891 named John Napier Husted. A graduate of Princeton Seminary, which back in that day was very orthodox. And in an old newspaper article – The Port Jervis Evening Post, June 3, 1886 – its says that this reverend gentlemen “is a firm believer in the old doctrine of sheol.” And that this led him to discipline those in the congregation who “faltered from the path of duty.” The article seems to have been written by someone complaining about the minister’s harshness, noting that the previous minister was far more relaxed, even too relaxed in discipline. This actually elicted a response published in the same paper the following week from the elders of this congregation who defended both of the pastors, the former one and the then current one, saying they do EACH “believe in a veritable hell and a real Heaven, in a personal devil and righteous God” and therefore the church is united in reproving those who follow wayward paths.
If there were no hell, then the disincentive to crime is largely removed, and the disincentive to sin removed with it.
Is there no fear of hell among man? People living blatantly opposed to the will of God? And the guilt and fear must be great, but yet it is suppressed, hidden away so that they continue in their sin unabated.
But the existence of a veritable, real hell, is an encouragement to the Thessalonians under persecution, and a great blessing to them by way of contrast for the Lord has granted them relief from THAT righteous punishment of God upon His enemies.
Though the vengeance of the Lord brings the punishment of eternal destruction upon His enemies, we who have faith are granted relief. That is a great blessing.
Now, we shall find that the book of 2nd Thessalonians is frequently visited by those who are “end-time enthusiasts.” There are endless debates on the nature and order of a supposed-by-some rapture of Christians, of a great tribulation, of a millennial kingdom, and of the final Day of the Lord. In the next chapter we’ll read about the “man of lawlessness” who precedes the Day of the Lord.
But for this chapter, as it pertains to the end times, we should particular note verse 9 and 10:
9 They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might, 10 when he comes on that day to be glorified in his saints, and to be marveled at among all who have believed, because our testimony to you was believed.
To my best understanding of these verses, we see believers glorifying God and marvelling at him on that day we he comes returning back to Earth. And, well, if there are believers there at His return, then they haven’t all be whisked away in a rapture, but Christ returns TO His people. We could add that to our list of blessings for the faithful. That Christ returns to us on the last day.
There is also from our Gospel reading the truth that Christ, upon his return, will “separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.” Clearly implied is that there will BE believers and unbelievers on the Earth when Christ returns.
And there is one final blessing to the faithful in this chapter. That our calling glorifies God.
IV. The calling of the faithful glorifies God (v. 11-12)
11 To this end we always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling and may fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith by his power, 12 so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.
We are blessed in that our faith leads us to good works which glorify God.
So even in the persecution, we KEEP ON. We continue in faith, trusting in the Lord, and doing all things for His glory.
So we are greatly blessed. Just like the Thessalonians, to grow in the Lord, to be Children of God, to be granted relief from the wrath of God, and to be called to good works for His glory.
Consider yourself blessed, for indeed you are. And this indeed could a Thanksgiving sermon. But for the Christian, thanksgiving day is every day. There is not a day in which we should not rise and say “thank you Lord for this day. So if you are to count your blessings, start with these four: Thank you Lord for growing me in faith. Thank you Lord for your righteous judgment. Thank you Lord for working in me to glorify you.”