Good morning! We are moving on to 2nd Thessalonians today. Paul writes a second letter to the Thessalonians within months of the first letter. They are still suffering! A lot! Their persecutions were so severe that some of them were terrified that they had missed the Day of the Lord. And that word got back to Paul.  

So Paul writes to reassure them they hadn’t missed anything, and that the coming of the Lord was still in the future.  But he ALSO writes to praise them for their tenacity in suffering, AND to strengthen them AS they face continuing persecution. And that’s our focus this morning. 

Verse 4  “We 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.” Very few things are more important about YOU, than to be steadfast in your afflictions.

In case you forgot what life was like for the Thessalonians, Acts 17 tell us that story. Paul went to the local synagogue in Thessalonica and “proclaimed that Jesus is the Christ.” 

“But the Jews were jealous, and taking some wicked men, they formed a mob, set the city in an uproar, and attacked the house of Jason, seeking to bring them out to the crowd. And when they could not find them, they dragged Jason and some of the brothers before the city authorities, shouting, “These men who have turned the world upside down have come here also”  

And they accused Paul and the Christians of insurrection! “They act against the decrees of Caesar, saying, “that there is ANOTHER king, Jesus.”  This riot was so dangerous, Paul had to flee the city at night, just to save his life. 

This hostility toward these Christians continued after Paul left. YET the church at Thessalonica remained steadfast and Paul commends them for that quality!  Steadfastness means perseverance or endurance. It means to be unwavering, unflinching in the battles of life. 

Eph. 6 describes this quite well. “Take up the whole armor of God so that when the day of evil comes, you will be able to stand your ground, and having done everything, to stand firm!” Steadfastness means to stand firm, when going through hard, painful, costly, and evil things. 

I read an awesome verse last week in the song of Deborah.  “March on, O my Soul, in might.” Judges 5:12 In the midst of your battles, “march on.” When life is full of trouble, march on. “March on, O my soul; be strong!” That’s steadfastness! It is the opposite of caving in, quitting, shrinking back. 

When it seems that all hell breaks lose against you, steadfastness is the thing you need most. You will only be victorious in your battles and struggles through perseverance.  James said 5:11 “As an example of patience in afflictions, take the prophets.  See how blessed we consider those who have persevered.” And God rewards perseverance! James 1:12 “Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, THAT person will receive the crown of life.” 

People often just ASSUME they’ll do well when trouble knocks on their door, or they just don’t think about it at all. But unless you are prepared, you WON’T do well!  Mike Tyson said, everybody has a plan till they get punched in the mouth.  One of the most important things you can do is to PREPARE “for the evil day”.  To get punched in the mouth. Peter said, “Arm yourself to suffer!” 

One way you do that is by practicing steady patient endurance on ORDINARY days in ordinary trials, so you are ready for the MORE difficult days ahead. Jeremiah was complaining to the Lord about how hard his situation was. The Lord answered him with a question. Jeremiah 12:5 “If you have raced with men on foot and they have worn you out, how can you compete with horses? If you stumble in a peaceful land, how will you do in the thickets of the Jordan?  

IE “If you’re defeated by ordinary trials in ordinary times, how will you handle the truly hard things that are coming?”  The Lord was challenging Jeremiah, trying to strengthen his tenacity, his endurance, to prepare him for more, to prepare him to run with the horses!  I think the Bible indicates thing could get much worse. Paul said, “Realize this, in the last days difficult days will come!” It helps to be ready to suffer! 

I had a friend in college who used to say, “this is the worst day of my life”, over some of the smallest problems. We say this is so terrible or this is a complete disaster when it is not really a big time problem.  To talk like that is not standing strong and steadfast in our trials. We need to learn to suffer with endurance in the regular problems of life, so we’re prepared for the truly evil days ahead.  Let’s go back to verse one and work our way through this passage...

*Paul begins by addressing this small persecuted group of believers in the city of Thessalonica as “the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus.”  Yes, you guys are suffering; you are hated and despised. But YOU ARE the church of God.” 

The church was NOT part of the establishment in those days. There was not a church on every corner.  To be in a NT church was like joining the outcasts. So Paul reminds them they are a special people, called out of the world, into the assembly of those who belong to Jesus!  They are a local church “IN God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” 

You and I may be nobody in the eyes of the world. We may feel small and powerless, we may have no prestige. But we are the most privileged people in the world, because we are IN the church! And the church is in union with God our Father and with Christ. To be part of the church in Thessalonica or part of the church in Ankeny, is an incredible privilege. This was an encouragement to them AND to us!

*Next Paul moves on to bless these believers with grace and peace. Verse  2 “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” 

These believers had money problems, work problems, family problems, life problems, like EVERYBODY! They ALSO had people in their town who wanted to hurt them, or maybe even kill them!  They probably experienced confiscation of property or damage to their homes, and other forms of violence and ostracism.

In the midst of all that turmoil, and evil, Paul blessed them with grace and peace! Grace and peace to you IN your turmoil and trouble.  Be at rest. No matter what! The Lord’s goodness and favor be with you, whatever else is happening!

There IS a sense in which we HAVE grace and peace. Rom. 5:1 says, We STAND in grace! We HAVE peace with God! But the words “to you” implies grace and peace are on the way. Or I am sending you grace and peace.  This is very much like the blessing the Lord commanded Moses and Aaron to give to the people of Israel: “The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the LORD lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace." Numbers 6:24-27 ESV 

Peter said: “Grace and peace be multiplied to you” He clearly wants them to have a greater experience of grace and peace.  John Piper said, “Hour by hour, and day by day, our enjoyment of grace and peace changes. It ebbs and flows. One moment we are carried by a wave of grace into a harbor of peace. An hour later, after a painful phone call, we are storm-tossed out of sight of land again. That is reality. We need to own it and seek continually to receive the gift of these words: “May grace and peace be multiplied to you.”    

Paul end this letter the same way. 2 Thess. 3:16 Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in every way.”  We need to start blessing one another with peace and pray for peace, and pronounce peace to one another from the Lord. 

Do you realize how bad people need that! I need that!  Sometimes I bless my own soul with peace. Do you ever speak to your own soul? It’s biblical! David said, “Return to your rest, O my soul.”  When I am unsettled, disturbed, frustrated. I sometimes say, “Reid, Peace be with you”, or “The peace of God be with you”.  Then I ask God settle my heart, give me peace.  It helps! A lot! 

*Next Paul tells them how he thanks God for their faith and love.  Verse 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.” Here is something to give thanks for this Thanksgiving!  Give thanks for the faith and love and endurance you see in other believers. Give thanks for the way they handle suffering! 

Why does Paul tell them he gives thanks to God for them? To encourage them!  We should encourage others when we see spiritual fruit in their lives. “I thank God for what I see happening in your life!  Giving encouragement to others in their time of trial and testing is especially important!

Also it’s significant that their faith and love were increasing IN affliction!  Often when life gets hard, fighting flares up in a marriage or a family or in the church. But when life gets intense is precisely the time to lift up the shield of faith and to pour out our love more and more!

*Paul goes on to tell he boasts about their steadfastness and faith to other churches.  Verse 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.”

Boasting about yourself is NOT a good thing to do.  Prov. 27:2 “Let someone else praise you, and not your own mouth.”  But to boast about OTHERS, who are doing things that matter to God, is good!  If God values endurance, and you see someone bearing up under hard, hard suffering, boast about that person! 

We tend to boast in outward things, measurable things, numbers, followers, awards, not that all that is wrong. But what Paul values or appreciates in people is endurance, faithfulness, love! He’s going around talking about how the Thessalonians are stable and love people so well, when their life is so hard!”  TALK about other people’s good qualities!

*Then Paul moves on to give them some glimpse of WHY they are suffering. Verse 5 all your persecutions and the afflictions that you are enduring, are “evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are also suffering—

Paul is helping them THROUGH their suffering, by telling them SOMETHING of what God is up to. Suffering and why we suffer is one of the most perplexing questions in the Bible. If God loves me WHY am I suffering so much. If I belong to God why are these things happening?  Asaph, Jeremiah, Habakuk Job all struggled greatly with this issue. It’s okay if you do too.  Paul gives two reasons: They may not satisfy all question but both indicate that God has a clear purpose. 

First: The sufferings of the righteous, are a clear proof that God is righteous to judge those who persecute his people. Verse 5 Your persecution “is evidence of the righteous judgment of God” The NLT says “God will use this persecution to show his justice.  Or the NIV puts it this way, “All this is evidence that God’s judgment is right.”  

This reason for suffering directly applies to suffering from persecution. But this persecution is not always external. 2 Peter 2:8 speaking of Lot “That righteous man living among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard.” Either way, the wickedness of people shows God to be just in judging them.

I think verse 6 helps us see what Paul had in mind, he goes on to say “since indeed God considers it JUST to repay with affliction those who afflict you, and to grant relief to you who are oppressed as well.” The hostility of the world toward the saints makes it plain that God is righteous in judging the world. If you are insulted, mocked, persecuted that’s part of “setting the stage” for the day of judgment. You are part of a bigger story!

But there’s another reason these persecutions happen that applies to ALL kinds of suffering! *You’re afflicted SO THAT “you may be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are also suffering”. (end of verse 5) 

We are justified by faith in Jesus. But we are made fit, ready, made worthy for the kingdom of God through suffering. Through suffering your faith is tested. It is shown to be genuine.  We learn obedience through suffering. Suffering produces perseverance and godly character. Crowns and rewards are gained through suffering. 

Paul said, “To live with him we must die with him. To reign with him we must suffer with him.” That’s 2 Tim 2:11,12.  Romans 8:17 “we are fellow heirs of Christ IF INDEED we suffer with Him SO THAT we may also be glorified with him. ESV  “provided that we suffer with him IN ORDER THAT we may also be glorified with Him”  The path that qualifies you for glory is suffering.  Or as Paul said here: We are “counted worthy of the kingdom of God through suffering”

Jesus said, whoever does not take up the cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Those who find their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it".  Suffering is part of being a worthy follower of Jesus! 

Eph. 4:1 Sheds some light on this too. “I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.” When you were saved you were delivered from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of God’s beloved Son.  But your life needed a lot of work and probably still does, to get you to walk in a manner worthy of the kingdom you’ve been given.  You are molded and shaped THROUGH suffering into a man or woman who is living like a kingdom person should.  

The point is: Your “afflictions” are not meaningless. God is using them for good so you can be counted worthy of the kingdom of God.  That adds a deep sense of meaning and glory to our affliction!  We are being qualified for the kingdom of God!  

So brothers and sisters, BE STEADFAST!