Delivered By
Kevin Huber

Delivered On
April 19, 2026 at 10:00 AM

Subject
2 Thessalonians

Description

No Video or audio this week, we forgot to hit record... Sermon slides are downloadable

Sermon Notes are as follows:

Slide 1: 
He has a concern for the flock from which he had been separated.
Topics fall in 3 categories.  
Comforting = encourage the church that is under persecution, yet there is joy in the faith, is the blessed hope of the Lord's coming.  Celebrating = you have thrived and continued despite adversity

Paul Chap 1, COMFORT - CELEBRATE thankful, prays for them, they are imitators the Lord, they are a model to others, their faith is becoming well known to others. They turned from idols to the living God, he end with they are waiting for the sons return and rescue.

Chap 2, CONFLICT - COMFORT reminds them that Paul and his companions delivered the gospel to them after having been beaten in philippi, and told them they can expect the same if they follow Christ, they did not sugar coat it. God will test us as followers.Yet they taught them as young children, met them at their level, nursed them like a mother, not a burden to them, yet like a father, Sometimes he comforts, sometimes he urges us on, they received everything they taught about the word, they are a crown to us when Jesus comes back… 

Chap 3, CELEBRATE recaps timothy was sent and returned with the good news of their endurance under severe persecution. Suffer from the same hands that crucified Jesus. Even though we are destined for trials you have prevailed. They are standing firm. So Paul prays night and day for them. He ends 3 with a prayer, to see them again, for strength, overflowing love, and to be blameless and holy upon Christ return. 

Everything Paul says to do in this life is based on the blessed hope of the Lord's coming.  
Paul so often had on his mind Christ return.  It was a constant motivating factor for his life.  
In light of Christ return he also corrects and condemns lifestyles.

Chap 4, 
Condemning = Sexual impurity, lazy lifestyles, living like the world is a rejection of God’s instructions and you will be judged for it… Correcting =  false allegations that those who are dead will somehow miss the coming of Jesus, he clarified prophetic events, the dead move to the front of the line when comes to Christ return,

Chap 5, 
Correcting =  Be ready for the Lord’s return (which is like a pregant woman anticipating birth, like a thief in the night, sudden) by putting on faithfulness and love each day, like armor going out for battle.  Work hard, don’t be idle, do good to others, rejoice, pray and give thanks.  Basic Christian living. God is with us as we go and he will sanctify us along the way. 

Slide 2:
Chap 1 of his 2nd letter starts with similar themes…
Celebrating and comforting. 

1. Celebrating there faith and Comforting them with words of Perseverance Under Persecution
The Thessalonian believers were facing intense suffering and trials. Paul opens the letter by validating their pain but framing it within the larger divine perspective.

2. Correcting False Eschatology (The "Man of Lawlessness")
This is the most famous and complex part of the letter. Someone had apparently told the church—perhaps through a forged letter—that the "Day of the Lord" had already happened. This caused widespread panic.

3. Condemning the Problem of Idleness (The "No Work, No Eat" Rule)
In light of the belief that the world was ending, some members of the church had quit their jobs and were living off the charity of others. Paul addresses this "disorderly" behavior with bluntness.

Slide 3:
Three author(s) mentioned, just like the first book,... I often refer to this letter as if it is from Paul alone, I wonder if Paul would find it offensive, because he did not leave out Silas and Timothy.  Paul was all about showing respect to fellow pastors and mission partners in his letters.  He likes to give credit where it is due. It is awkward to say the author(s) of this book, since Paul is not here to let me know if I’m being offensive or not, I’m going to invoke his name when making points still. 

To the Thessalonians, small church in a mostly greek and roman community, in a port city, along a strategic trade route. Named after Aleksander the greats half-sister, who married Macedonian King named Cassander. (315 BC).  Wealthy city.  Free city under Rome was rare. Very Pagan and easily offended by Christians. Violent toward Christians. 

God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ are put in the same sentence with intentionality.  Equal footing.  In God distinguishes them from Pagan worship, in Jesus distinguishes them from Jewish worship.  Together it addesses that God the Father and Jesus are one and the same God. 
To be (in) God or (in) Christ it is one and the same God.  To be (in) something was to be united with what follows.

Church never reffered to a building but a people in the Scripture. The members of the church are in an intimate relationship with God the Father and Christ the Lord. To be in Christ was to be separate from the world.  To be in the world was to be separated from the Lord. It is one or the other, not both. 

What are united with? Jesus is no mere man but the Lord Almighty.  The people in Thessalonia receiving this letter are in union with Christ.   To be in Christ is to leave the former self behind you. 

Slide 4:
Grace and Peace to you… First always comes Grace then comes peace.  Why? 
Without grace there is no peace. 
There is a cause and effect relationship between Grace and Peace.
Grace is the cause and the effect is Peace.
Notice the source of both Grace and Peace is the Father and Christ. 
From the triune God comes grace and peace. 

GRACE (greek Charis) is what we live under as undeserved favor for sinners as Christians.
Those who don’t believe may experience common grace, live in the blessings of the planet.
What they are under is God’s wrath for rejecting him. 

PEACE (greek Eirene) having it all together.  Picture something broken being made whole again.
What get out english word serene or serenity from the root greek word. 
Serene, like calm water, no storms, beautiful day.
Without Grace there is no calm serenity or peace, it is turbulance and storm coming. 
Broken vs unbroken, whole for vs divided. 

Jungles of Colombia, Missionary looking for a word for peace. Man was upset and kept saying he was not of “one heart” Meaning he was mad, there was disagreement amoung them, something had come between them. When you are of “one heart” with someone it means nothing is between you and someone, you are at peace.Be of “one heart” with God. Receive his grace and peace today.  

Slide 5:
Ought, is like owe, or in debt to, some translations say obligated. 
The author(s) are personally obliged to express thanks to God for them. 
Why? Faith is still growing, love for others is increasing.  
Isn’t that what should be happening to those of us who follow Christ? Boast about our faith.
Why is this such a big deal.  Again, they are experince intense persecution (V4) and somehow enduring.

Slide 6:
The temptation is when the other team looks like they are winning we want to switch teams.
Sometimes it feels like you are on the loosing side when being persecuted or in a trial. It is easy to trust God when everything goes your way, however, when persecution and trial comes it is a differnt story.

How have they been mistreated because of your faith in Jesus? 
1. Mob Violence and Riots
Remember Acts 17, persecution began as church was formed, Paul’s visit, only 3 weeks. Local leaders within the Jewish community became "jealous" of Paul’s success in converting both Jews and "God-fearing Greeks." they recruited "wicked men" formed a mob and riot. They attack a local named Jason, the house of whom Paul and Silas stayed. When they couldn't find Paul, they dragged Jason and other believers before the city officials. They were forced to post a bond (pay money as a guarantee of good behavior), which was a form of legal intimidation and economic extortion.

2. Political Accusations (Treason) and pressure
To ensure the Roman authorities would be against Christians, they leveled the charge of "turning the world upside down" and acting contrary to Caesar’s decrees by claiming there was "another king, Jesus" (Acts 17:7). In a Roman "Free City" like Thessalonica, any hint of insurrection or a rival king was a threat to the city's status and safety. This put the believers under the shadow of being enemies of the state.

3. Psychological and Spiritual Pressure
Paul was worried that mistreatment would cause the new believers to "turn back" so he sent Timothy to check on them. The Constant Threat the hostility became part of their lives as a small, misunderstood minority.Socially Ostracized, mistreatmented beyond physical violence but social and economic. When Greeks converted to Christianity, they stopped participating in the civic cults and local festivals dedicated to the Roman gods. Which felt like a Cultural Betrayal from their non-believing neighbors, they looked at Christians like "atheist" because they didn’t partake in the city's heritage, leading to family rejection, loss of business, and public shaming.

Ever feel like the whole world is supporting something that you know is wrong. Just because something is popular, doesn’t make it true or correct. When we stand in God’s truth it will not always be accepted by others and there may be some rejection for standing in His truth

The Thessalonian church was persecuted through mob violence, legal harassment, false political accusations, and ongoing social pressure—right from its beginning. Despite this, it became known for its strong faith and perseverance.  Consider what we might have to endure for our faith in our culture… Will we remain faithful and trust in the Lord even if culture turns on us? 

Slide 7:
What we experience might not make sense to us so How does Paul help us make sense of it? People asking things like…Does God let the righteous suffer without punishing their persecutors?Is there unrighteousness in God for allowing His followers to suffer?

Keep in mind, Paul was a persecutor and converted to being among the persecuted. 
Paul uses there suffering to remind them God sees their pain 
God has does not forget us ever. God does judge rightly. 

What is the indicator of this or evidence? 
The indicator is not the trial, but their response to trials. 
Their perseverance and faith provided a solid proof that God was at work within them, God enabled them to behave in ways that were opposite to their own natural desires. Can God do the same today? Absolutely 

Can God help us to choose the truth despite the costs, instead of choosing self preservation? I believe he can and does…

Because they were enabled to endure was evidence to that new life had been imparted to them.
God’s sustaining them indicates that He will not allow unjust sufferings to go unrewarded.
Suffering is not evidence that God has forsaken us, but evidence that He is with us, perfecting us
So the Thessalonians demonstrated that they, like Christ, were willing to suffer on account of God and His kingdom. 

They suffered unjustly as objects of man’s wrath against Christians.
One day the equation will change as they become objects of his wrath. 
If anything we feel pity for those who persecute us, their suffering will be far worse than ours.

To be considered worthy is not for salvation, but for spiritual growth and maturity in the Kingdom of God. 
Suffering does not make worthy of salvation, but suffering is proof of us recieving His grace, we are declared worthy by His grace.

Warren Wiersbe - When suffering comes, it will either make us or break us. If we accept the suffering, yield to God’s will, and by faith continue to stand true, then the suffering will cause us to grow. If we resist the suffering, complain to God, and give up in unbelief, then the suffering will break us and weaken our testimony.

Slide 8:
Paybacks are coming. God will trouble those who trouble you. Punishment is real. Vengeance is the Lords. 
All injustice will be dealt with. You will be avenged. Flaming fire is description of his appearance, the robe of the Lord, fire is not necessarily part of his vengeance. 

Slide 9:
A loving God will punish. Contrary to our culture who thinks God’s love is permission to do anything we want. Real love involves justice and discipline. Believers are thankful God has not dealt with us according to what our sins deserve. Unbelievers will be very sad to find out that they will receive what their sins deserve.

The perscutors will one day be punished far more than they ever thought possible. Justice will be served.

Slide 10:
While others are being punished, God’s glory will transforms us. He will be (In) His holy people, united in us, we will marvel at it.

Their will be no mistaking this event. We won’t wonder if we missed it.  It will be beyond words.

Slide 11:
Paul is always praying for those he loves. Praying specifically worthy of their calling…  Calling to what? Suffering is the calling in this context. By his power we might be agents of God’s goodness as we remain faithful to him.

Let His glory be in us, around us, and thru us, forever. Let his grace give us peace with him even though it may make us an enemy of the world.