Stand Up! Get Ready! Hold On!
2 Thessalonians 2:1-17
The book of 2 Thessalonians is one of my favorite books of the Bible. I love to read Paul’s exhortations and encouragement to the Church because it reminds me that we won’t be here much longer, but we are headed for a better place. I know that we talk about it a lot here at Victory Temple but I don’t think that we can ever stress this message enough.
I don’t know about you but I’m ready for the coming of the Lord. No matter how long Jesus waits or how much we pray there will always be many who will not heed the call or hear the warnings.
Sure we want to see all our loved ones saved. Sure we want our friends and family to be in the Rapture with us, but the sad fact is that it is most likely that not all of them will because they just keep putting it off.
Paul’s writings are for the church in this book and not for those who are playing church either. He is writing to what Bro. Swaggart called the True Blue, Sin killing, devil chasing, blood bought, sold out, Spirit filled, adopted Sons of God! (I can’t say it like he can but you get the gist of it all) Paul is writing to you and to me.
Listen to what he has to say in this passage of chapter 2 of the book of 2 Thessalonians.
2 Thessalonians 2:1,2; Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.
Don’t ever forget that Jesus is coming, don’t let the devil lull to sleep, don’t allow doubts to come into your mind, don’t allow anything, anybody, anywhere to persuade you that the Coming of the Lord is not very near, even at the door. Too many people are living a state of lethargy and they act as though the Lord is coming all right, but not now. They live like he’s coming in 6 months, a year or maybe not even in their lifetime. I’m convinced that I am living in the terminal generation. I’m convinced that before the last one of my generation passes from the scene, that this sinful world and it holds will be burned away and the new Heavens, and the New Earth and the New Jerusalem is already prepared and will soon come down out of Heaven.
But Paul goes on to say in 2 Thessalonians 2:3,4; Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.
Is there a “falling away” going on right now? I believe that if you will open your eyes you can’t help but see it happening already.
We are “falling away” from the truth of the gospel and falling into compromise.
We are “falling away” from the paths of a sanctified and holy life of righteousness and falling into sin by believing that anything goes and that God will wink at our sin.
We are “falling away” from the traditions of our fathers whereby the church and the gospel has been passed down to us in its purest form and we are embracing a “new thing” that is nothing less than a watered down gospel that is no gospel at all.
In addition to these there is a “falling away” going on in the ranks of the Body of Christ. No matter what “full gospel” church you walk into today, you can see those who will come to visit but they won’t keep coming because they really don’t want to hear the truth. They want their ears tickled and their emotions stroked and their hearts soothed but they don’t want to hear about a Holy God who requires a Holy Life!
2 Thessalonians 2:5 Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?
Paul was telling this to the Church at Thessalonica nearly 2000 years ago and it still rings true for the church of today.
The son of perdition (the Antichrist – the very personification of evil – the man of sin – the 2nd person of the unholy trinity) will be revealed in these last days. He is coming as a man but he won’t be humble and loving like Jesus is. The Antichrist is Satan’s man. He is the Child of the Devil and he will not sit by without having all of mankind fall before him in worship and adoration. His only goal in life is the final and complete deception of all men and then leading those men into the pits of hell with him forever. He will perform miracles, signs and wonders (at least they will appear to be miracles). He will have all the power of the demons of hell and the most powerful angel that God ever created at his disposal to accomplish his work.
That’s when the real “falling away” will begin in earnest. We are seeing the beginning of it now with what’s going on in the church but in that day the deception will be complete and men will fall for the devil’s lies without limits.
2 Thessalonians 2:6,7; And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.
The only power that holds back the power of Satan on earth right now is the presence of the Holy Ghost in the blood washed church! If it weren’t for people like you and I, this world would be quickly engulfed in a deep, dark, blackness of sin and shame that beggars description. That day will come when all good will become considered as evil and evil will be fully accepted as good. When the church is raptured and we are gone from the face of this earth, God help those who are left behind. The powers of hell that will be unleashed upon this earth are too terrible to contemplate.
Here’s how Paul describes the events that immediately follow the rapture of the church in
2 Thessalonians 2:8-12, And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:
Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
The only bright spot in this scene is the fact that it won’t last for long. For a short time of only about 7 years this son of perdition will reign in the earth before Jesus comes back to put an end to his reign forever. Only the brightness of God’s holiness and the power of the Word of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords will end this reign of terror and death.
But it will be too late for those who have “fallen away”. It will be too late for those who fell asleep and didn’t watch and wait. It will be too late for those who will finally realize that they have been deceived. There will be no place for repentance then; only for judgment.
I’m so glad that Paul didn’t stop there. I’m so glad that God always gives hope, joy, strength and encouragement to those who are called by Jesus’ name!
2 Thessalonians 2:13,14; But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth: Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Aren’t you glad that your name is written down in the Book of Life! Aren’t you glad that your sins have been washed away! Aren’t you glad that you won’t have to be here when the son of perdition rules on the earth!
God chose you. God chose me. God loved you and I and decided that we were worth saving. He sanctified us, saved us, called us, and gave us the glorious inheritance of Heaven!
2 Thessalonians 2:15, Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle.
Hold on to the truths of the Word of God. Hold on to the traditions of the gospel that taught you about Jesus. Let no man deceive you. Don’t be fooled by every little wind of doctrine that may come by!
Sure the church world will call you “old fashioned”! This gospel is not new, but it is well established, by our eternal God. It’s old and yet it’s still new and fresh and living and powerful!
Sure the world will say that you are irrelevant and you will be irrelevant to what they live for. The life that you live, the gospel that you preach, the Jesus that you serve is set diametrically opposed to what the world is all about.
But this world is going to be destroyed and all that is in it. The son of perdition and all the demons of hell will be forever cast into the Lake of Fire. Everyone who refuses to accept Jesus’ blood will be there with them, forever!
But the salvation that you have and the gospel that you live by and the Holy Spirit within you will live forever! You have the cookie! Satan only has lies! Thank God for what he has done for us!
Finally Paul says in 2 Thessalonians 2:16,17; Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even our Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace, Comfort your hearts, and stablish you in every good word and work.
That’s the final note of this message. Jesus is able to keep you by his power. Nothing can pluck you out of the Heavenly Father’s hand. His promises are forever and amen. Through the grace of God you will make it through.
God will comfort you, he will give a Spirit of power and of love and of a sound mind and he will establish you on the Rock.
Stay strong in the Lord and keep watching for the Coming of the Lord! His coming is so very close, even at the door!
