Spoiler Alert

2 Thessalonians 2:1-12
Introduction:
An usher directs a man to a seat in the theater, but his seat is near the back of the theater. He whispers to the usher, "This is a mystery, and there is nothing I enjoy better than a good mystery. If you can possibly get me a seat up front so I can see it better, I'll give you a tip."
The usher moves him into the front row, and the man rewards him with a measly quarter.
The usher looks at his tip for a second and then leans over to whisper to the man, "the wife did it."
God reveals the mystery of end time events to us without spoiling the surprise. He provides us with the general plot and the ending as well as some indicators along the way. He reveals a sketch of the key players, but the entire event still remains a mystery. Ed Wood has said, “The purpose of Bible prophecy is not for us to make a calendar, but to build character.”
Paul is writing to the Thessalonian church because they had been misled about the end times by counterfeit letters purportedly from Paul. They feared that they might be living through the Tribulation period approaching the Battle of Armageddon. Paul encourages them to be confident and at peace about God’s plan for the ages. He reminds them that Jesus is coming FOR His saints before He comes WITH His saints. He reminds them of what he previously had taught them concerning the Day of Christ of which the Battle of Armageddon is a part.

I. INDICATION-
God has given us some road signs along the path of history so we can know the times
Jesus will come for believers as a thief in the night, with no warning or announcement
We may look at the troubles that are in this world and lose heart, but we have to keep our eyes on the Lord and remember that the events of humanity are marching toward a certain conclusion
God has given us certain landmarks or way posts to help us know the times
Of course, before we consider the landmarks, we have to know what they indicate
3 “that day shall not come…” of which day is Paul speaking? The Day of Christ
Before Jesus literally returns to this earth, He will first come in the clouds
That will be the moment of the resurrection and the rapture when we meet the Lord in the air
Seven years later, Jesus will come to the Mount of Olives and it will melt at His presence
He will then make His way toward Armageddon to wage war against the Antichrist
That day can’t come until there is first a falling away, an apostasy or a defection from truth
In particular, the Truth is a reference to the Gospel and Christianity
Jesus taught that sin would lead people away from God and they will become jaded
Mat 24:12 “And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.”
The Bible also says in I Timothy 4:1, “Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils”
When our nation’s leaders can sanction ungodliness under the guise of following the Incarnate Word, it is fair to say we are living in a time of great apostasy influenced by demonic doctrine
The trouble is that there have been many times and pockets of great apostasy

II. INTERVENTION-
The second way post is really a stop gap of sorts because believers won’t be here when it happens