This is the Truth Network. Forever thy word is settled in heaven. Psalm 119, verse 89. I'm Stu Everson. Welcome to this special Wednesday in the Word Leader podcast, where we prepare and equip our leaders of this special Bible study outreach breakfast.
Every week to teach through the scriptures. Thirteen Dario locations. There's a men's group meeting and several of the Locations host the women on Thursday morning. Stay tuned. Be encouraged as we jump into this week's Wednesday in the Word.
Second Thessalonians, three chapters. What a journey it's been. We come to the very end. Paul says goodbye to these saints. He thanked God for them.
night and day. He worked and toiled night and day. for their spiritual benefit. This was a church he planted. This has been a great journey.
And we have a special A co-journeier with us, if that's even a word, Dr. Duane, date the word Carson. Our regular podcast partner and scholar is. Out on a much-needed break and vacation. Dr.
Horne will be back next time as we launch into Galatians. But, Dr. Carson, this has been quite a journey. This little three-chapter epistle. This is a real smorgasbord.
And a real, it's a real, it's like eating a delicious steak. There's a lot of meat on the bones of this book, isn't there, sir? Oh, it is loaded with instructions on how we should be living out our Christian. life in light of the fact that the Lord is coming. And yes, I find myself being challenged.
By verse after verse, and how Paul prayed, how he wanted us to understand how much God loves us, and then gets down to the, you know, where the rubber meets the road, how we should be working. And work is not a bad thing, it's a great thing. We're supposed to be, Titus said, he wrote to Titus to be for us to be zealous. And so these have been some verses, chapters that really challenge us. You know, you don't have to say a whole lot to have said a whole lot.
And that's what Paul does in 2 Thessalonians. Yeah. The first epistle was five chapters, of course, very rich and very encouraging. All all both epistles to the church of Thessaloniki. Have this underlying theme of the return of Christ.
He's coming back. Be ready, be grateful. Be prayer, you know, be prayerful. Be sober. You know, this is a very sobering thing.
And get the house in order. There's a call to those that are overly excited and to the point where they're not working, there's a call of admonishment to them. And we heard that last week. We'll get into some of that more this week. Doc, I want to ask you at some point in this conversation some of your favorite parts of this.
Brief epistle, what they've been. Before we do, I've got a new little verse for the date, and you have a ministry called Date the Word. I just want a quick 30-second. for our people to know a little bit about what that ministry is so they can learn more. It's just one of my favorite things because every day I wake up with an email from you with a great Bible verse to tell us about what date the word is real quick.
Well, thank you for this opportunity to do that. Date the Word is a way where we connect today's date with God's Word. It's a unique way of doing it.
So hopefully it becomes more memorable to you. And we date by the calendar, but we date is to get to know. And my desire with Date the Word is that a person will get to know God's Word in such a way that it transforms their life, but also causes them to want to make God known to others. This is an evangelistic tool as well as a discipleship tool. And so www.date the word.com.
You can find a verse for every date. And one of the things I love for people to do is find out what their birthday verse is.
So you can go to the website or download the app and immediately go like you did, Stu, with 10:16 to find out that Matthew 10:16 is your birthday verses. And the Lord has sent you out as a sheep among wolves, and you've got to be wise as a serpent, as harmless as a dove. Matthew 10. Amen. And Dr.
Carson graciously, for my birthday a couple of years ago, gave me a nice wooden engraved plaque with my birthday verse on it. And it's outside of my office at the Truth Network. And I love sharing that with people.
So encouraging, and Dr. Carson. Every year 316 Is a big day because John 3:16, but I may have found another 316, Doc, and it's in 2 Thessalonians, and we're going to talk about it today. Yes, it's true.
So, anyway, it's funny how your mind works. It's well, it's not funny, it's brilliant how your mind works, but it's fun to connect. The dates of the calendar to the word of God. And I tell you, you have these calendars. These plaques, you have an amazing book that's out that's just got a day.
connected to each day a word of God. Verse connected to each day of the year.
So thanks for what you're doing. Let's jump right in. I have looking at these final verses, we're in the final. Backstretch. We are closing the loop.
We are coming to Galatians next, but we are finishing up this wonderful epistle written by Paul to the church at Thessaloniki, a young church on fire for Christ, but also. A church under fire. For their faith in Christ, getting a lot of heat. Paul got heat and got run out of town when he was there. We read about that in Acts chapter 17.
But there are basically five words That represents Dr. Carson, these final six verses. And I want to go through each of these with you, sir. And I really appreciate your wisdom. And Dr.
Carson, by the way, friends, also teaches for us at some of our Wednesday in the Word at our Darios. We have the weekly men's groups, and he leads some of those. And then we have six women's groups that meet every week at different Darios.
Some great ladies are a part of that at some of the different dairy locations.
So Dr. Carson. I'm gonna give the five words and then I'm gonna let you, we're gonna start, we get jump right into verse 13. Last week, we did these verses in the middle of chapter 3. that we're really focused on work.
And we talked about, we use it as an opportunity to talk about the dignity of work. That God gave us work, work is from God, and then we, but Paul specifically. Is confronting, admonishing, and rebuking those that weren't working. And so we'll, that narrative will come back up in the middle of today's passage, of this week's passage, as we wrap up the book. Let's start with verse 13, and I'll give the five words that kind of break down.
First of all, you have a, as you look at verse 13, you have a persevering word. And then if you look at verses 14 and 15. You have a purifying word. And then, if you look at verse 16, one of my favorite new verses, the more I've looked at it and meditated on it, you have a peaceful word. And then as you look at verse 17.
You have a word that is Paul, kind of, kind of. Putting his mark and making a very important statement that goes back to authority. And that is a personal word. And then you have a parting word in verse 18. And so, Doc, let's start with the very first one: a persevering word where he admonishes them.
He says, Now for you, brethren.
So he's talking to those who are out of line. in the prior verses.
Now he's turning it back. to to those who are In line. And he's given a word. Of perseverance, a persevering word, and he says, Do not grow weary. Doing good.
So back to the focus on work, but also, Doc, this word weary has a lot more to do with it than just being fatigued and tired physically, right, sir? Yes. And I just absolutely love this. That as he has challenged these people to do their work. He now says, but as for you, there's a change here.
Uh brethren. Uh do Not in your work as you are out there making a difference. Don't become wore out. Don't become discouraged. Don't become fainthearted.
He is telling them, I need you to keep hanging in there, but Stu. We think so many times people get worn out because they're being in sin. And they do. Sin wears you out. But here, Paul lets us know, and it's so incredible that we understand this, so important because doing good.
as a believer. can be very tiring. And we've got to understand that we have to keep replenishing ourselves. We have to keep refueling ourselves because yes, doing good is going to be at times very Difficult. It just wears on us.
And when I look at this word weary, Paul had used in 1 Thessalonians 5, 14 the idea of one that is fainth-hearted. That means they've lost soul. And you can lose soul in doing good because sometimes doing good doesn't do us any good. It just happens.
Some people just don't respond well. And so, but Paul gives this great word of encouragement here. Yesterday, when you were talking about work and how does the world look at work. I couldn't help but think when I was growing up, I don't know how many times I heard this statement, Stu, don't work too hard. No.
That was an encouragement to people. Don't work too hard.
Well, that's not biblical, not to work too hard. We ought to be working with all of our might, Ecclesiastes 9:10. Paul says, don't be weary in work. Don't let it wear you out. Stay at it.
Because in Galatians, we'll see this. He says, for you will reap in due season. Perseverance is massive for us to, if we're going to be living the victorious Christian life. Boy, it really is. It's playing the long game as a believer.
We're not in a sprint. We're not in a 100-yard dash. We're in a marathon. We're running the race to win with our eyes on Jesus, Hebrews 12, 1 and 2. We're laying aside everything that encumbers us.
And really, the language. In Hebrews 12:1 is not necessarily sin only. There's a lot of things that hold us back. There's a lot of weights that we need to shed ourselves of. Dr.
Carson, you mentioned Galatians. I love that verse in chapter 6, verse 9, right in that passage that you alluded to, where he says almost the same words: don't be weary in well-doing, for in due season. You will reap if you faint not. And so there's this constant call the world to faint. It's getting tough.
You know, the old saying: when the going gets tough, the tough get going. You know, we all say that. But it's not so much a slug through it. It's not so much as suck it up and get through it. No, it's more than bootstrap.
It's, hey, turn to the Lord. Trust his power and the Lord of peace, who we're gonna meet here in a couple minutes, in a couple of verses. Is our source of strength, the same God that will establish you and comfort you that he talked about in that beautiful prayer? In chapter two, and then he carried that over in the prayer at the beginning of chapter three. Dr.
Carson, another verse that comes to my mind is 1 Corinthians 15:58. I know you've quoted this to your ministry leaders when you were a student life leader at Liberty University. You know, the whole idea of be steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, because your labor in the Lord. Is not in vain. Not in vain.
And that, this is a word of comfort to a lot of tired saints, maybe people that are even leading this study. How am I going to get in front of these people again? Pastors getting ready to go up in the pulpit. Dr. Carson, you send out a.
You send out a little stick of dynamite to me every Sunday morning to encourage me, and really it's to. It's to pastors that are about to get behind the pulpit, open God's word, and faithfully preach God's word. And they need to know. That God is behind them, God is with them, and they need to know that they are not to be weary. Don't give up.
The king is coming back. Isn't this how would you comfort our so many wonderful leaders in this ministry and leaders, pastors leading churches, ministry leaders? They're getting tired. They're thinking, What am I doing? I've got to deal with all these young people.
This is a thankless job. Am I a babysitter here? What's going on? What would you say to these pastors, maybe, and other youth pastors, and other Christian leaders, Christian school administrators that maybe are getting a little weary right now?
Well, the first thing I would say is getting weary is a reality.
So don't let that discourage you that you become weary. That's a reality.
Now, how do you deal with it? Galatians 6, 9 has a compare, a verse that I compare it with. Nehemiah 6.9. Nehemiah is in the work, and it's a battle. He's facing.
obstacles, he's facing opposition. And he prays a prayer. And I encourage every one of us to be praying this prayer, Lord. Strengthen my hands. That's the prayer.
You don't have to pray a lot to have prayed a lot. And as you're doing your work, God will do more through you as you turn to Him and ask Him for that help. Lord, strengthen my hands. And God then. But send to you.
Where you can do work that you never thought possible. I always go back to Dr. Jerry Falwell, where I worked at Liberty University. And it's a great reminder also, where Dr. Falwell said, you do not determine a man's greatness by his wealth or his talent as the world does, but rather by what it takes to discourage him.
And so knowing that there's going to be difficulties in your ministry. And yes, the work is sometimes it's laboring work as you try to form Christ into somebody. You got to know that these moments are coming.
So you look to the Lord and say, Lord, strengthen my Hands. Amen. And there's that really beautiful verse we've studied this past week. On this whole idea of the same God is faithful. You know, faithful is our God, who He called us, and He also will do it.
And Dr. Carson, this is really a theme in all of Paul's writings: the one who began a good work in us, the one who got you into ministry, the one who called you. Remember that day he called, that glorious day he called you both to salvation and both into ministry and into serving him. The same God is with you now.
So go back to him. Go back to your first love. Like the church at Ephesus is admonished by the Lord in chapter 2 of Revelations. Go back to him and let him fuel you and let him fuel you through. This weariness.
So it's a great word. It's a persevering word. Then we have a purifying word. That's verse, and that's, by the way, friends, that's just verse. That's just the first verse, which is verse 13 of our passage.
And I want to add, Dr. Carson, you know, we jump to the, we jump to. Other scriptures, which we should. We jump to practical application, which we should, but when you're bringing the word, you gotta start with the audience he's talking to.
So let's be mindful. As you're bringing this message and as you're interacting with your groups and asking questions, why would the church at Thessaloniki have been weary or discouraged? Or downtrodden or upset.
Well, they were attacked from without. All these Judaizers and all these anti-God. idolatrous, you know, polytheistic Gentiles attacking them. For their faith, for believing and following this Jesus who was crucified in a despicable way.
So they were attacked from without. They were being attacked from within by false prophets, which we'll get into here in a little bit as we look. At uh at verse uh 17. Of this section here today.
So they were undergoing it. They were beat up, bedraggled, they were under attack. And they were in the fire. And so Paul is giving this as a word of encouragement to them: a word that your work is not in vain. God is with you, and God is behind it.
So, this is a persevering word. Then we have a purifying word. And he just jumps right to them. He says, do not countenance or give company. To someone who does not obey my epistle.
So, this is God's word. God's word is not an option, it's not elective. It's not something that we, I want to choose this verse and not this verse. It's a word to be obeyed. And He says, Hey, don't have company.
And this is going back, this purifying word is going back. To the strong words that Paul expressed in the previous passage, which we looked at last time, Dr. Carson, you know, verses. Six through twelve. When Paul really came down on those who were loafing, they were idle, they were disorderly.
And they weren't working, and they were living off others' hard work.
So, Paul here says, hey, Don't come down or don't give these folks, they aren't to be a part of this fellowship if they are not going to carry their own weight and contribute. This is sin, and the sin needs to be dealt with very seriously. But it's a purifying word because. God is purifying his body. We're to be different from the world, Dr.
Carson, and we are to work harder than the world, and we are to exemplify the glory of God in our work.
So, speak to how important this is, and then also the reconciliation part because we see that. Really nicely laid out. In the in the next verse, you know, verse 15. Or he says, hey, look, but you're gonna admonish them as a. Actual brother.
You're not going to hate them and you're not throwing them into hell. You're not putting them in the same category as unbelievers. You're trying to bring them back in, right, Doc?
So talk to this and why this purifying word is so important in the church kind of tethering back to last week as well. Yeah, when we get to these verses, we're dealing with doing church discipline. And it takes discipline. to do discipline. You you have to decide I'm going to do What God says, do.
and deal with those who are not doing right. And part of that discipline. Is with the person who's doing the discipline because a wise rebuker. Proverbs talks about the wise rebuker. Is going to be able to say things that will cause a person's ear to hear in such a way that they move to obey.
And so as Paul is saying this, he goes, guys, I need you to take this serious. There are people among us and they are brothers. I love this. He doesn't consider them enemies. These are brothers and sisters.
Somehow bought into some false teaching. They're thinking wrongly about their responsibility right now because the Lord's returning. He goes, they've got to be taught and you teach people with gentleness. Um There's a way of not only what you say, but how you say it to them. but it has to be said.
Paul had to even speak in the Peter's life at one point. And remember the great confrontation of all time. Nathan had to speak into King David's life. There are going to be times when his brethren, it's not just a pastor that does this. Paul says in 1 Thessalonians 5:14, brethren warn those who are unruly.
Here, again, he's speaking to the brethren. If they're not obeying, then you've got to deal with them. And there's components of our relationship with people in our church. We have some that we're just. Where they're acquaintance.
Hey, how are you doing? Good to see you. But then there's friends. But what Paul is really dealing with here now is you don't have fellowship with them. There's a component where they realize something has changed in our relationship.
And if you don't repent, this is going to hold. We just can't have this. Everything keeps going the way it was. And and we've had some situations in some churches where people were told not to have fellowship with someone. That means you're not having a meal with them.
You're not going to the lake with them because they've got a behavior that is inconsistent with. the teachings of the word of God and they need to repent of this. I think it was maybe Chuck Swindahl that talked about there's a point where you shame a person. You don't, it's not shaming the person, but you shame the person. to realize I am doing something that is inconsistent with the teachings of the Word of God.
And I can't be with this person right now because of how I'm living. And as other people see that you're not spending time together, it causes you to start realizing I need to change. I need to make a decision to start following the Lord. And then Galatians, we'll see in a few weeks. We get to chapter 6.
There's never been this component with God that I want. to uh i want to rebuke you and and you repent but then you don't get to ever come back no the galatians 6 1 is that we're going to restore that person and that's what paul's teaching here in first and second thessalonians uh make sure you treat them like a brother or sister let's get them back into fellowship Okay. Yeah, it's excellent. You know, there's a lot of great scriptures on church discipline, biblical church discipline. Mark Dever wrote a book called The Nine Marks of a Healthy Church.
And one of those key chapters is on how to incorporate. Biblical Church discipline. Of course, you said that you got to be disciplined to discipline, which is so true. And there's a specific process and protocol in scripture. It's in Matthew 18.
You mentioned Galatians 6:1, those first verses, you who are spiritual, restore such a one. Because we all are potential casualties. The enemy's coming after all of us. It's not, hey, me better than you. It's no, it's, hey, I'm bringing you back in because I struggle too.
But, but there's a high calling for God's church. To be pure and to be different from the world, to be set apart. And then, of course, 1 Corinthians 5 is a great example of how this was worked out successfully. Because Paul later in 2 Corinthians praises the church in Corinth for how they handled that man. It was an incestuous relationship.
with his mother-in-law and and he repented. And he turned from that and it was handled properly and well. But sometimes you got a clean house, Doc, and you got to take it seriously. I hope everyone listening, I hope your church practices biblical church discipline. It's a beautiful thing and it's a restorative thing.
I've seen marriages restored from it and I've seen families healed from it. But, Doc, on the same note, We often say, well, this is just for someone that falls into rogue, horrible sin, runs away, gets caught in gambling, addiction, and is doing all this horrible stuff or adultery. But in this case, Paul says, hey, it should be done for someone who's not working.
Someone who has is sinning in a in a in the way of being lazy, idle, disorderly, that are causing rumblings and they're gossiping and they're causing all kinds of schisms in the church. And this is unacceptable. And if someone is in a pattern of that, you go to that person, Matthew 18, you confront them in love. Say, hey, come back in, we love you. We wanted you.
You're a part of this thing, but this is ungodly behavior that is a pattern that's got to stop. And let's disciple you through this and let's turn the corner and turn back to the Lord. They don't repent, you bring someone else, it says in Matthew 18. And if they don't repent, you bring a group of them. And if they don't repent, well, you bring them in front of the church.
But the goal is by the time you get to that second, third, fourth stage, the idea is by then they are truly, genuinely. They see God's concern, God's care. They see the shepherd coming after them through his body. And hopefully they break and they turn back to the Lord, and there's a great healing, and they're a part restored to the fellowship.
So the whole idea is not retribution. The whole idea is reconciliation. And that's why these important words are here. And that's why he says, hey, look, admonish these guys as brothers, because they are brothers, but that we need them to join us. And we need to call them back to repentance.
And until they do, don't share meals with them and don't treat them like they're brothers, but call them back to that.
So, Dr. Carson, we have. In this first verse, you know, verse 13. Mm-hmm. You know, he opens up with this persevering word.
Then we have this purifying word. God's whole body is his temple. It's his. And just like as a believer, I'm daily confessing my sin. I'm daily being purified by him.
Laying aside those things that entangle. As a body of Christ, we're doing that daily. As we come to the Lord's Supper to corporately say, God, we need you. We're sinners. We need the Savior and corporately This is the beauty of church membership.
This is the beauty of body dynamics. And Paul wants to leave this church. As a unified body, but you can't be a unified body unless you're a purified body. And then we go to a peaceful word. I love this.
The Lord. The Lord of peace himself What a prayer for these folks. Give you peace always. And then he says: The Lord is with you. Doc, how is our God a God of peace?
Man, I think of all the verses you sent me on this in this beautiful area.
Well, you know, we live in a world of confusion and chaos and conflict. And that's what the Thessalonians are going through right now. There's a lot of confusion. What is right? What is wrong?
And the conflicts that are going on because some people, as they're not working, are making life more difficult for other people. Um Mm-hmm. When You're doing things the Lord's way. There's an order. It's precise.
And it brings a peace, a stability. And uh We all yearn for Peace. I want peace with my family. I want peace with my friends. I want peace with my co-workers.
I don't get up in the morning looking forward to. being in a Cold War. with any person. And the Lord Jesus Christ is the one, first and foremost, who, because of our justification, we now have peace with God. We've gone from being aliens, enemies, to now being adopted into the family of God, and we have peace with God, but now we also get the peace of God.
And as we're dealing with life, there's something to know that he is the prince of peace in our lives, and that whatever we're facing, he has an ability when we put our minds on him. to give us a peace To go through any storm we're facing. There's so many things to talk about here with this idea of peace because I know this. I want to have a peaceful life. I don't want to be at war with everybody all the time.
Sometimes, again, you got to do the confrontation, but again, there should be a mindset. The Lord is with us. And the peace of God, may it abide in us, that we walk with him. And in this good stew, he says, the Lord be with you all. That's what Boaz said to his friends as he walked into the fields: the Lord be with you.
What a blessing. To know that the Lord is right there with you as you go through journey. The greatest, I think, the greatest. promise from the word of God. Is the presence of God.
I will never leave you. I will never forsake you. Amen. Yeah, Potyus is. This is a word that certainly, you know.
in our culture, we're not persecuted as openly We're not under the kind of heat these young believers were in Thessaloniki, but Dr. Carson, this word of peace no doubt resonated with them. As you said, Paul prayed this for them at the end of 1 Thessalonians. He said, Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you holy. And so there's a real, very real sense when you come to know.
The God of peace, like you said, you experience the peace of God. The peace of God, Paul prays in Colossians. He says, Hey, may the peace of God rule. In your hearts. And so you're either.
Full of God's peace. And he has conquered you, and you are his. And you are completely Under his hand and his control, his lordship. Or you're at war. You can't have it both ways.
And when the Lord comes in, where the Spirit of the Lord is, there's freedom, there's peace. Peace is a fruit of the Spirit. I love Isaiah 26:3. You will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee. There's a beautiful picture of we're spreading the gospel of peace.
How lovely on the mountains are the feet of them who bring the gospel of peace, of glad tidings. Romans 10, which is a direct quote from Isaiah. And then you have the, you know, the gospel shoes of peace in the armor of God, classic passage, and I believe it's verse 14 of Ephesians 6.
So, Dr. Carson, this theme of peace has been throughout his books. And by the way, he opens with grace and peace in chapter one, like he opens many of his epistles. He closes with peace and grace. You're in chapter three, in this verse, a whole verse on the Lord of peace.
You know, you want to know peace, you got to find the source, right? And so, this is where we go to God. He is the God of all peace. And like you said, peace implies that there had to be a war won for a peace to be achieved and attained. And we see that in Romans 5:1.
Having been justified by faith, We have peace. With God.
So peace came at a great price. The price of the cross, the price of redemption. Paul reminds them of this in chapter one of this very book. And what Jesus did for us. On that cross, in his perfect life, his perfect death, as the prince of peace.
He gives to us this great gift of peace, this fruit of the Spirit. And Dr. Carson, really, he is the prince of peace who's coming back.
So he, even though we're looking around like, man, I don't see this peace in the world. I don't see, I definitely don't see peace in the Middle East. I don't see any peace out there.
Well, guess what? We have the Prince of Peace coming back. In the meantime, the Spirit of Peace is in us, the God of all peace. It is Filling us with his peace. while we await his return, when when there will be a permanent glorifying peace one day.
Thank the Lord he's coming back and In the meantime, just like at the end of the Great Commission, when he says, Jesus says, Lo, I will be with you always, even to the end of the earth, well. The Holy Spirit is with us. In his pieces with us. And he makes this little statement, Dr. Carson.
I don't want our teachers, listeners, pastors, anyone listening to this, to miss out on this golden nugget at the end of verse 16 of chapter 3 of 2 Thessalonians, where he says. The Lord is with you. I mean, what a statement. The Lord be with you. There's a, you mentioned it better than I could.
You mentioned the presence of God. He is with us. Jesus said, My peace, I leave you.
So Christ said, I'm going away, but I'm leaving you in something more powerful, the Holy Spirit of God. My peace, I leave you. This is the kind of peace that the world gives. Let not your heart be troubled. Don't be weary.
Don't be faint-hearted. Don't be troubled. Do not be afraid. Because I leave you my peace. And so, what a just an amazing gift.
So, you have this persevering word, you have a purifying word. In the next two verses, 14, 15, and then verse 16, you have a peaceful word. Take some good time on that. Ask people if they truly have peace in their life. When you become a Christian, you come to peace with God.
We always don't wait to the end of your life, Doc. You've always heard those people ask you on your deathbed, are you at peace with God?
Well, that's important to ask at that time, but how about right now? Right now, yes. Right now, are you at peace with God? And Paul makes this a very Very punctuated point of his closing words to these dear saints at Thessalonike in verse 16, verse 17. We have a personal word.
Where Paul says, Doc, I write this in my own hand. And so, I want you to speak to this. You know, earlier in the book, the previous chapter, There were some false teachers that showed up saying the rapture's already come. Your dead relatives are in trouble. You missed the return of the king.
You guys are out to lunch. You're stuck in the upstream without an ore, however, many of those analogies you want to lose. Paul says, hey, hold on a second. They didn't write God's word. Doc, there was a false letter, wasn't there?
Talk about that that came through that could have thrown them a little bit. Yeah, go back to 2 Thessalonians 2, 2, and he says, I don't want you to be shaken in mine. or troubled because of a a letter as if It was from us. It wasn't from us. We didn't tell you the crisis has already come.
And so now, Paul, again, as he is developing his writing teaching skills, he realizes: okay, I've got to let them know exactly who the letter is coming from. And, you know, I guess Silas probably was the one who was taking dictation and writing this down, but he knows now I've got to make sure that the readers know it's me. And so he now signs it with his own hand. And Galatians will talk about how when he writes, it's going to be with his signature will be larger, kind of like the John Hancock. And everybody will know, hey, this is Paul who just sent this letter because false prophets work in so many different ways.
And so here comes a letter. And well, that's not genuine. And so he just wanted to make sure they knew this is coming from me. And you can assure it, I've been inspired by the Holy Spirit to write this and send this to you. And you can trust it and you can put it into action.
Yeah, you know, you can take God's word to the bank. It's true, it's real. Every word of God is pure. And this really speaks to a lot of issues: like, well, what is revelation?
Well, what about the guy that walks into the church at the back of the church and in the service? Hey, I got a word from God.
Well, Well, how do we know you have a word from God? You know, maybe you just had some bad ethnic food last night that didn't agree with your stomach. You know, we just, you've got to be very careful. You can't be flippant with what God's word is. It doesn't mean God doesn't lead you or prompt you to share with someone, but that's not revelation.
That's not God speaking through Isaiah or Moses, you know, in his holy written word, his inspired word. The canon of scripture. That's not God speaking through the Apostle Paul under apostolic authority. He wrote this. He wrote it and he put it in his own hand oftentimes at the end of his letters.
He would take back the quill, the pen from the scribe. In this case, it could have been Silas. And he would actually write. And they would say, wow, this is his handwriting. Wow.
But this was all God's inspiration. This is the word Paul. Remember, he compels them to obey. He says, if someone doesn't obey it, You better put them out because here's the issue. At the end of the day, Doc, it's the issue of authority.
And at the end of the day, your eternal destiny depends on whose authority. You submit to, right, Doc? I mean, it comes down to that. Is it God's way, which is articulated and revealed through God's Word and God's Son? Or is it my way?
It comes down to authority. No matter what people say, no matter how much they say, well, let me see a miraculous sign.
Well, if I saw this happen, then I will believe.
Well, the question is, will you really, will you really did did did did the two did the million plus Israelites in the desert? Did they bow their knee? To Almighty God, when He did these great miracles in the wilderness, and no, no, it says, in fact, it says in Hebrews. Two and three, it says they did not enter that rest of the promised land because of their unbelief, and they saw his works. For 40.
Years. They saw his works, Dr. Carson. So it's just a matter of authority. And Paul really punctuates that in this verse, very important verse, verse 17, in his own hand.
And you see, this is a way he closes out several of his epistles. And then we have this wonderful verse: man, I tell you, this idea: hey, the grace of God be with you. Do we need God's grace, Dr. Carson? This is a word of parting.
Uh w we have the we have the word of of we have a a persevering word, a purifying word, a peaceful word, a personal word, and then we have in verse eighteen a word, a parting word. Doc, what what better way to say goodbye than to than to Bless The folks with a word of grace from from the Lord Jesus Christ. And and keep the contrast in mind. Remember that we're going through a massive change now, and this is setting us up for Galatians because we're moving from the law. And can you imagine anybody saying, the law of the Lord be with you?
Yeah. No, we are no longer under the law. We're under the grace of God. God is constantly giving us what we don't deserve. God's riches at Christ's expense is how someone has put grace.
And this grace, it's amazing. And I'm going to have to use the word stew. It's sometimes really indescribable. I just know that that peace that I get from God has come because of the grace of God. He's pouring something into me.
That is so, it's really mystical, but I've experienced his grace, his kindness, his love. And and Paul, he just He wants to so affirm how much he loves them. And that's back to you know, first Thessalonians chapter 2. He said, You were like. I handed you like a child, like a mom would hold a child and cherish you.
And I just, we can read this so quick. We can just skim right over it.
Okay, this is the end. This is the last word. But no, please, leaders, understand that this conclusion, these kind, sweet words from the Apostle Paul is the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. A parting word should always minister, watch this, grace to people's ears, to their hearts. That's such a good word.
A good question, practically speaking, is: do people, when they see you, think of you, interact with you, do they see God's grace? Are you? I love Uncle Ron, one of my mentors, one of our regular Wednesday Word guys. He always describes. The people that he wants to work with, in terms of putting them in leadership and putting them in discipleship, and actively doing that as.
Are you a gracious Christian? You know, do you have the grace of God? This doesn't mean you're soft. This doesn't mean you're a wimp or you're a sissy or whatever. You know, this is a, are you marked by, are you someone that realizes, hey, I'm forgiving because I've been forgiven?
Right? Are you someone that says, I extend grace because I receive grace, I'm merciful because God had mercy on me? And it's really a theme of Paul's life.
Some call him the apostle of grace. It was even scandalous that how could God love a guy who murdered people, who murdered Christians of all people? And now he's. Propagating this idea of grace that God, you know, that God saves you, and there's nothing you can do. Grace, you're saved through faith, not of yourselves.
It's a gift of God. Not of works, lest any of us should boast.
So it takes away all the boasting. It strips us of all of our pride, of our ability, our performance. It puts the emphasis on the grace of Christ, His perfect work, His performance. I made a statement last week when we were talking about work. You're only saved by works, the works of Jesus Christ, and total faith in His works, and that the way He brings us in is through His grace.
Paul takes us home with this word: that God's grace, the grace of Christ, would be with you all. A great statement.
So we have these five words. Pastor Catching. Dr. Carson, what's been your favorite part of 2 Thessalonians? Tell us real quick, and we've got to pray out of here.
Well, I I Do go all the way back to that 2 Thessalonians 3:13. I just, I so appreciate Paul's encouragement not to be weary in doing good because there are so many believers out there. That are working. I know we there's the challenge: the 80/20 principle of seems like 80% of the work is being done by 20% of the people. Everybody has been gifted to do a work for the Lord.
Those verses you quoted from Ephesians 2, verse 8 and 9, we're now his workmanship created for good works. We're to be zealous for good works. But we become weary. in doing good and i i I have found such encouragement from that verse. That um Uh when I'm getting bore out.
doing the work. I really am doing what God wants me to do. And then there is a way to replenish and refuel to keep going for the Lord and never giving up, never quitting. Amen. Amen.
I love that. Yeah. And you know, it's interesting. This is why you study the Bible verse by verse, you know, chapter by chapter. I think about our study in Ruth, which was so rich.
I had never even seen any of those things, those beautiful messianic pictures in Ruth and the gospel in Ruth. And as I studied 2 Thessalonians, as we went through this together, Dr. Carson, with you, with Dr. Horn, with our groups, I have come across verses. I've heard reference to, but never really.
Gone deeper on, never really stopped just to take them in. Like this beautiful prayer at the beginning of chapter three, that the word of God would run with me swiftly. What a great prayer to pray for your pastor. Pastor Paul said, Pray for me, pray this for me. He could have prayed for all kinds of things.
You see these prayers, you see this rich soteriology, this salvation of God's sanctifying work, his choosing work, his saving work, you know, in chapter one. You see some great eschatological themes, the return of the Lord, some specific signs of Antichrist and the man of sin, and all of that stuff.
So there's a whole lot. I just, I just. The prayers have been real dear to my heart. These prayers at the end of. At the end of chapter two.
And then at the beginning of chapter three, those first five verses, those prayers have really, I've been praying those prayers a lot more since I studied them and read them.
Well, and Doc, I tell you, you pray the words of scripture, it's so good. But you know, it's just a reminder. That God's word is, I think it was Saint Augustine said, God's word is so deep that scholars can dive into it like a deep body of water and never come close. Their whole life to touching the bottom of its depth, but it's also shallow enough. For young babies to come and wait in.
And refresh themselves in. And so, this is the word of God. What a privilege we have to study it each week. Thank you, Doc, for being along for the ride today, for this week, as we wrap up this great book of 2 Thessalonians, three chapters. Will you, 47 verses, will you pray us out of here, Doc, and pray for all of our leaders that they would not grow weary and well-doing as they prepare to be with their groups?
And even pastors may be listening as they are teaching through 2 Thessalonians that pray for them and their great work for the Lord, and missionaries and anyone else that's a part of this. Yeah. And I do think, Stu, you wrap up 2 Thessalonians with, again, it's a book for action. And if they have not heard the claring call. to pray.
They really miss what this book's about. Paul is begging in 2 Thessalonians 3:1 and 2 for prayer. And every believer can be a prayer warrior. Every believer can. And then to work, not just a work of labor, but to work in the church.
What is my spiritual gift that I should be using to minister to others? And everybody gets involved, and the work of God goes forward. Father, thank you for leading Paul to write this letter so that we might be better informed about the second coming, but better informed also about how we're to be involved. And I pray that each one of us will find our place and do our part in building your church. And thank you for the grace that you show each one of us.
Your grace is sufficient to handle whatever we are facing today. Father, we love you. Thank you for the opportunity again to be your vessels in your hand for your glory. We pray this in Christ's name. Amen.
Thank you for joining us for this Wednesday in the Word podcast. Learn more at wedintheword.com. Follow us on YouTube, Facebook, and all social media, including in Stu Graham. And be encouraged, stay in the Word. Read it.
Share it, study it, memorize it, and meditate on God's Word. Every word of God is pure. He is a shield to those who put their trust in him. Proverbs 30, verse 5.
