We don't like pressure. but pressure has a way of revealing what we're truly made of. In fact, the Bible teaches that hardship is like fertile soil. the very place where faith takes root and grows strong. For the church in Thessalonica, the pressure was intense.
They were persecuted, afflicted, and pushed to the margins. Yet when Paul wrote to them, he wasn't sympathetic, he was proud. he boasted about their faith. Today, on Insight for Living, Chuck Swindahl begins a new study in 2 Thessalonians called Steadfast Christianity. and he opens with a message titled, Affirming the Afflicted.
Mm. In his book, No Greater Power. Richard C. Halverson, former chaplain of the United States Senate, wrote this. Crush marbles and you get fragmentation.
disintegration, hard, sharp pieces. You can get hurt if you're not careful. But crushed grapes and you get fragrant, refreshing wine.
Some people relate like marbles. The fear of vulnerability hardens them. They protect themselves, allow no one to penetrate. Being vulnerable is high risk, and they want low risk. They bump up against others and ricochet around, never enjoying a vital relationship.
In brittle lovelessness They shatter when crushed. and hurt others. Yeah.
Some people relate like grapes, he continues. They yield to pressure. They accept their weakness. as essential to intimacy. They give love.
knowing love is always vulnerable. Knowing love is the heart and soul of love. of our faith. When crushed, They bring blessing. Fragrant Redemptive Blessing.
Aren't those great words? In the book of Second Thessalonians, the Paul addressed the church. at Thessalonica. Like a cluster of grapes, this body of believers was caught in the wine press. of the question.
and affliction. Yet as these Christians yielded to God, they began to produce a fine wine. full of faith, fragrant with love With a sweet aroma that spread to all the churches in Asia Minor. In this letter Paul did not focus on the wine press. as much as he did the wine.
The faith? Love and perseverance. created as by products of pressure. We're reading from our Father's Word in 2 Thessalonians chapter 1. In the New Testament, 2 Thessalonians 1, I'd like you to do something a little different than we.
normally have you do. Have a pen or pencil handy to mark Three phrases I want to point out to you when I finish with the reading. Paul and Silvanus and Timothy to the Church of the Thessalonians. In God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace to you.
And peace from God the Father. and the Lord Jesus Christ. We ought always to give thanks to God for you, brethren. as is only fitting Because your faith is greatly enlarged. And the love of each one of you all toward one another grows.
ever greater. Therefore, we ourselves speak proudly of you. among the churches of God for your perseverance and faith. In the midst of all your persecutions and afflictions which you endure. This is a plain indication.
of God's righteous judgment.
so that you may be considered worthy of the kingdom of God. for which indeed you are suffering. For after all, it is only just for God to repay with affliction those who afflict you. And to give relief to you who are afflicted. And to us as well, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire.
dealing out retribution. To those who do not know God, And to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. And these will pay the penalty of eternal destruction. Away from the presence of the Lord. and from the glory of his power.
when he comes to be glorified in his saints on that day. and to be marvelled at among all who have believed. For our testimony to you was believed. To this end, also, we pray for you always that our God may count you worthy. of your calling.
and fulfill every desire for goodness. and the work of faith with power. In order that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you. And you and Him. According to the grace of our God.
And the Lord Jesus Christ. Did you observe as we read the three statements of strong affirmation? Mark them. Verse 3. As an expression of gratitude to God for each, he said, We.
Always give thanks to God for you. Yeah.
And then in strong boasting and affirmation, verse four, he added, We speak proudly. of you. Mark that. We give thanks for you. We speak proudly of you.
And verse 11. We pray for you. In a big family like ours, and in a larger family that reaches around the world.
So important to remember words of affirmation. They sort of tie us together and remind us we're not alone in this. pilgrimage from earth to heaven. As a matter of fact, We're one. We're one in a bond.
You're listening to Insight for Living. To dig deeper into 2 Thessalonians on your own, be sure to purchase our Searching the Scriptures Bible Study Workbook by going to insight.org slash offer. Chuck titled today's message, Affirming the Afflicted. It's fun at times to think back of stages in your life that you passed through while you've been growing up in the Lord. I remember a stage I went through that was full of mottos and sayings.
Remember that time when. Those things seem so important to you that you stuck them on your dashboard and you put them on your desk and you stuck them in your notebook and on occasion you put them in the fly leaf of your Bible. Remember one six-word statement that I Thought was so profound. It said Dusty Bibles lead to dirty lives. That was my slogan for the year.
I didn't win many friends or influence. many people, but I I really believe that that was a profound statement. As a matter of fact, I think it would be a little enlightening and maybe a little embarrassing if. Many who attend Sunday worship service had to admit to their neighbor. That one of the Parts of a Sunday morning ritual is finding your Bible before you come to church and then.
blowing the dust off. It's always humorous to me. How folks will not miss their Bible until that following Sunday morning, and it's been here all along, left right there in the pew. where they left it last week. Uh But there's another side of this dusty, dirty issue that I don't think that slogan reveals.
Sometimes a A dirty Bible represents a clean life. For example, It's interesting when you go through the Bible that you've used for years and locate some soiled sections. You know, where the oil from your fingers has come off, or you've you've smeared the print because you've read it so many times, rubbing your finger over the sex. In fact, why don't you open your Bible and give to your neighbor and let's have an inspection of how Yeah. No, I wouldn't do that to you.
But what you might want to do this afternoon is take the time to look through your Bible and see the parts that have really ministered to you. You'll be surprised. I can do that. This Bible I'm carrying today is one that I've been carrying since April of 1969. And there are some parts of it that are well marked and well worn, and other parts of them of it that sort of cracks when I open it because I haven't been in there for a while.
Um During my pastoral internship back in the summer of 1961, I'll never forget praying with a gentleman every week. Who loved the Psalms. As a matter of fact, he would pray through the Psalms. I remember kneeling by him and portions of the Psalms in his Bible. Honest to Pete, were worn off the page.
The print wasn't there. And I thought that was the most spiritual-looking Bible. I remember when I would pray with him and he wasn't looking, I would rub really hard in those sections. Rub and rub and rub. I thought of sandpaper that maybe would make mine look like his Bible.
Warren Bible.
Now, chances are good that the least used sections of your Bible are those books that begin with the numeral 2. You probably never thought of that before, but it's true. There are three of those in the Old Testament, and there are five of them in the New Testament. And if you toss in one book that begins with the letter 3. Three.
There are six of them. Funny, in God's sequels in his Bible, in his book. We are much better acquainted with the first of those books or letters than we are the second. I want to have you turn to the least used page in your Bible. The table of contents.
Seriously, I want you to locate your Bible, has one, and I want you to find. The table of contents. When's the last time you were in church and somebody said, turn to the table of contents? I mean this is basic stuff. In your table of contents, you'll notice under the Old Testament the three books that begin with the Numeral two.
Second Samuel We don't know that quite as well as we do 1 Samuel. 2 Kings is another one. 2 Chronicles, especially. I notice when people read through their Bibles that the place they usually stop the project. is around Kings or Chronicles.
We don't really know much about 2 Chronicles. unless we get serious about This business called Bible study.
Now, over in the New Testament, you'll find. 1 Corinthians, but... But you'll know it a lot better than you will 2 Corinthians. Chances are good. You'll know 2 Corinthians 5, 17.
Maybe 2 Corinthians 6:20, but you know very little more about 2 Corinthians in a few random verses. Look down at 2 Thessalonians. There's another one. We're pretty... Sharp on 1 Thessalonians, talks about the return of the Lord, talks about our being ready for Him and watching for His return.
But 2 Thessalonians, what's in that book? How about second? Peter or 2 Timothy. That might run a close second with 1 Timothy, but Uh probably we know the truth of 1 Timothy better. In 2 Peter, Not as well known as 1 Peter.
And second, And third, John, look down there.
Some time ago, I preached a series of messages on the one-chapter books of the Bible, and I was astounded at how many people told me they had never even read the one-chapter. books of the Bible. And especially would that be true of books that start with that number two.
Well, I want us to To study for a period of time this second letter. Written to the Thessalonians. One of those Sort of unknown. New Testament letters. I think the second letters are sometimes like second children, they struggle for identity.
They go through a A bit of a process of time before they find their place and they know their purpose in life. Our interest will focus on this rather obscure letter. which is only three chapters in length. Has only 47 verses, and would you believe you can sit down and with feeling, Read it orally for Without stopping, and it'll take you less than eight minutes. I know, I did that this week.
And I found some things by doing it once, and then, well, I thought, well, eight minutes, I could do that again. Not that busy.
So I read it through again. And by the third time through, And all of the project taking less than 20 minutes. Is that right? Not quite. My math has never been as good as my reading.
Less than 25 minutes. I discovered a couple or three things about 2 Thessalonians I probably would not have known. Had I dug right into the trees. Because I'd have missed the forest. For example, and it is not a moot point.
The full name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Appears three times in each of the three chapters. I don't know of another New Testament book that that's true. It upholds the mighty name of our Lord Jesus. It focuses attention upon him.
It calls his name into power. It's a wonderful reminder as you work through the fearsome circumstances that. Became the anvil upon which Paul forged out this letter. I notice also in the Second Corinthian letter that Paul signs it at the beginning of the letter, which is common in the New Testament letters. I wish we did that today.
But we don't. But in the third chapter toward the end, He makes a big deal about his signature. And you might wonder why. I did when I read it. Turn back to chapter 3 of 2 Thessalonians.
Look at verse 17. I Paul. Write this greeting with mine own hand. And this is a distinguishing mark. In every letter.
This is the way I write. Did you know that that was in the Bible?
Well, I didn't. And I've read this a number of times, and I've never stumbled across, this is the way I write. You know, everyone has his or her own distinguishing handwriting. And if that person writes you enough, you don't even have to look and see who wrote the letter. Because you know the handwriting.
Doctors especially have interesting handwriting. They have great education. They just can't write. It's amazing. You read it just as well out of a mirror than you could while you look at it straight on.
It's hard to read doctors' handwriting. Paul says, I have a distinguishing handwriting, I have a distinguishing style, and if you ever want to check if this letter is mine, check it with this letter, check it with this signature. This is the way I write. Before we find out why that was so important, you might ask yourself: well, what's the big deal about these 47 verses? Are they really that important?
Look up from verse 17. To verse 14. I think after I read this verse, you'll say, yeah, it's pretty important. If anyone does not obey our instruction in this letter, Take special note of that man. and do not associate with him.
So that he may be put to shame. Yeah, I'd say that's a pretty important letter. This is one of those rare letters, and he doesn't have many of them. Where he literally says, if you find someone who won't walk according to this truth, back off. But, he adds in grace, don't regard him as an enemy.
Admonish him as a brother. I'd say it's a significant letter.
Now, why is there a second letter to the Thessalonians? These are fine people. They like the Corinthians and like the. Colossians and like the people of Ephesus. and other spots in the New Testament World.
These are believers. And their world is a tough world, but why would he take the time, having written such a fine Um And rather lengthy first letter, and right on the heels, a second.
Some feel it was within days he wrote the second letter. Has to be tied in with his remark about this is the way I write. There's urgency in that. And it is. In brief, he wrote 2 Thessalonians to clear up a misunderstanding.
That's the purpose. You see, he had said a lot about the Lord's return in the first letter. Chapter 5. Go back there, will you? 1 Thessalonians chapter 5.
You'll see what he says about the coming of the Lord. Verse 2 of chapter 5. You yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night. While they are saying peace and safety. Then Destruction will come upon them suddenly like birth pangs upon a woman with child, and they shall not escape.
Note the change in pronouns. But you Brethren, are not in darkness. that that day should overtake you like a thief. For you are all sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night nor of darkness.
So then, let us not sleep. As others do, but let us be alert. and sober, for those who sleep do their sleeping at night. And those who get drunk get drunk at night, but since we are of the day, let us be sober. Having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet, the hope of salvation.
Well, he's. He's getting into this sense of urgency, and he says, let's be alert. Let's get a little rapture fever. Let's remember that any day now, the clouds will split. There will be a blast of the trumpet, and the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and the trump of God, and the dead in Christ will be rised first.
That day is upon us. Be alert. After that letter arrived and they read it, Would you believe that a word began to travel among them within days? That they had missed the coming of the Lord. You say, Oh, how could they put well You know how talk goes in the church.
And somebody spill the beans from some.
Well, look at how he puts it in chapter 2 of. 2 Thessalonians. It didn't just Occur in someone's mind, there was an actual act of deception that had occurred against the church at Thessalonica. 2 Thessalonians 2. One.
Now we request you, brethren, with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. There's one of those times his full name appears. And they are gathering together to him that you may not be quickly shaken. That's why he wrote the letter. I don't want you all shook up.
From your composure or be disturbed either by Market a spirit. Or a message? Or a letter. as if from us. to the effect that the day of the Lord has come.
Got the drift? In one of three ways, the people had begun to believe that they had missed the coming of the Lord. A message. A sermon. That he had preached, perhaps, or as he says, first, a spirit.
Someone had passed the word that Paul had had a special revelation. And hadn't they heard about it? The coming of the Lord has occurred. They're still here.
Someone else had said, Didn't you hear about the sermon he preached when he was standing by the sea or when he was on that island or after he left you en route to the next spot? God gave him a new message and he declared it. Haven't you heard?
Some had said that there was a letter that had arrived. As if from him, there are some New Testament scholars that believe that. There actually was a forged letter that arrived in Thessalonica. The city is known today as Thessaloniki. still in existence in Greece.
Somebody had sent a letter and it had been signed by Paul. Allegedly.
So when he signs this letter, he says. This is the way I write. You can check this writing with that letter, seems to imply that. Yeah.
By the way, this is a real good time for me to pause and say a couple of practical things about misunderstandings in the church. People still spread messages that are not true, don't they? Uh we tend to do that. in a weak moment.
So, I'm going to draw from just the overview of what we've seen thus far a couple of very practical pieces of advice. First is this. If you have been misunderstood, don't delay in trying to clear it up. Paul didn't wait very long. One of my sources said it was within days that he wrote 2 Thessalonians.
Don't just let the information continue to gather. Speed and momentum. If you hear there's a rumor out, go to the source. If you can't find the source, go to someone who heard that rumor and correct it.
Now sometimes it's like Gathering the feathers that have been shaken out of a pillow on a windy day. You can't get them all back, but you can try. Paul tried. As a matter of fact, the word is out in a particular section of our country every two or three years that Cynthia and I have been married before. And we are now married to each other having been married before.
Yeah.
Always makes me laugh because if they knew how young we were when we first got married, they'd know it'd been impossible for us to have been married before.
So we send the message back and say, no, we're still together. Never been married to anybody else. She got sympathy cards regarding my death. not long ago and Yeah. She needs sympathy because I'm alive, not because I've gone.
And she had to send back thank you for your sympathy, but he's still alive. Going on to get. Let's clear it up So, if you happen to know information that's going around and it's not true, you know, jump on it like a hen on a June bud. Just get on it and clean it up and then go on.
Sometimes you can't do that, so you've got to just go on. Mm-hmm. Yes, Chuck and Cynthia are still married. Since 1955, in fact, that's 71 years. We're just getting started in Chuck Swindahl's study of 2 Thessalonians.
It's a series he's calling Steadfast Christianity. And there's much more to this letter from Paul that Chuck wants to show us, so please keep listening through the entire eight-part series. Insight for Living has created a brand new Searching the Scriptures Bible Study workbook for 2 Thessalonians. The spiral bound resource is available right now by going to insight.org/slash offer. One of the themes that Paul weaves into his letter to the Thessalonians is leadership.
Paul poured his life into a small band of believers in Thessalonica, mentoring them, challenging them, and refusing to let them settle for anything less than God's best. That's what great leaders do. And today we're offering a book that will inspire you to lead in whatever capacity God has called you to. whether that's at home, at church, or in the workplace. Few stories in all of Scripture illustrate effective leadership more powerfully than the story of Nehemiah.
Chuck Swindahl's classic book, Hand Me Another Brick, draws timeless principles from Nehemiah's remarkable rebuilding of Jerusalem's wall. Principles that are just as vital for today's pastor, ministry leader, board member, teacher, or anyone who has a role leading others. You can request your copy when you send a generous gift to Insight for Living. It's our gift to you. Chuck Swindahl's book on Nehemiah is a rich, readable journey through one of the Bible's greatest leadership narratives, full of practical wisdom for anyone who wants to make a difference right where God has placed them.
You can request Hand Me Another Brick when you send your donation and request in an envelope addressed to InsightForLiving. Post Office Box 5000. Frisco, Texas, 75034. That's Post Office Box 5000-4000. Frisco, Texas 75034.
or call us at 800-772-8888. or just go to insight.org slash donate. I'm Bill Meyer. Chuck Swindahl continues our study in 2 Thessalonians called Steadfast Christianity. Tomorrow on Insight for Living.
The preceding message, Affirming the Afflicted, was copyrighted in 1986, 1991, 2002, and 2024, and the sound recording was copyrighted in 2024 by Charles R. Swindahl Incorporated. All rights are reserved worldwide. Duplication of copyrighted material for commercial use is strictly prohibited.
