Friday, 7 June: 2 Thessalonians 3

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Good Friday morning June 7 to you friends,
I’m pondering this morning, what is must have been like, when the sun rose over the beaches of coastal France, 75 years ago this morning. . .

Perhaps yesterday, you watched some of the documentaries of D-Day, as I did. Amazingly, despite terrible weather, which prevented the air force support, which was such an important part of the invasion plan; despite high waves which forced some of the landing craft to drop off soldiers in too deep of water, causing their drowning; despite heavily fortified and defended beaches… by the morning of June 7, some of those courageous allied troops had pushed beyond the beaches, beyond the fortifications on the bluffs above, and liberation for desperate and dying Europe was on the way. 

Of course, laying on the beaches and still floating in the waves, were the bodies of thousands of men who never made it beyond the shoreline. 

Statistics vary, depending on your source,  The National WWII Museum, should be a reputable source and it claims 15 million military deaths and 45 million civilian deaths in WW2. That’s 60 million people my friends! Think about that and the implications for today, 75 years later. Three generations have NOT been born to those who died… how many people would that have been?!!

Here’s that museum link, I think you’ll find it interesting: Click to go to The National WWII Museum.

 And while we celebrate the defeat of the Nazi tyranny; and we celebrate the remarkable rebuilding of Europe; when we look closely at the HEART of Europeans, and every other people in the world… the underlying problem is still unresolved.. .

              Evil reigns in the underbelly of humanity. 

Do you agree with that statement?  In every living person a battle rages between good and evil. Right? 

And friends no war, no atomic bomb, no military, no politics, no human power can change this. Evil deeply permeates the human race. Everyone one of us is stained by it, and if we aren’t careful, we all can become purveyors, or at least enablers, of wickedness. 

… And then came Jesus! One God-man. One incarnation. One sinless life. One atonement death. One victorious resurrection. One ascension back to heaven where HE, Jesus the Christ, REIGNS, as Sovereign over all, in all places, at all times. That’s the power of Romans chapter 5 by the way. 

Now be careful, Sovereign means Jesus has all, and ultimate authority to do anything He wants for His glory, at any time, in any situation. Sovereign does NOT mean that everything that is happening is by His design and at His command. Do you see the difference between those two statements? 

And this is what Paul celebrates as he dictates the final chapter of his second letter to the Christians in Thessalonica, Macedonia, about AD 50 or so. Today, let’s dig into chapter 3 of 2 Thessalonians, against the backdrop of June 7, 1944, the day after D-Day, and the reality today, June 7, 2019 and the truth of the Risen, Reigning Jesus Christ.

By the way, listen to this: I’m quoting an email I received yesterday from a friend who was an eye-witness and personally experienced the liberation of WWII?  She writes. . .

“How well I remember May, 10, 1945 in Ymuiden, the Netherlands when we were finally set free from the German occupation. (It took a few days for the US army to get from France to my hometown in Ymuiden- on the coast of that friendly, beautiful little country)……It was the same year (June) that  I was set free from the bondage of sin!  An unforgettable year in my life- physically and spiritually.”

WOW… are you cheering friends, isn’t that wonderful? All glory to Jesus Christ for His liberating work in the life of this dear woman. How would you write your story of liberation? Her joy is so similar to Paul’s and that’s why he writes his letters as he does. . . 

I love Paul’s opening 5 verses of 2 Thessalonians 3. What a contrast to the opening 12 verses of chapter 2, where Paul described the ‘man of lawlessness’, and all the horrific evil associated with him.

Paul was a man of prayer and had great confidence in the power of direct communication with God. In recent months here in Florida, in the group of Christ followers Dawn and I are walking with, we have seen the mighty power of God unleashed in many ways, in many people. How about where you live and among the Christians you are walking with? 

And do you see what Paul was asking those Thessalonian Christians to pray FOR? Do we pray that way friends? Honestly now… how much of our prayer time is frivolous stuff, and how much of it is really engaging in the significant things, which call for the mighty power of God to make a difference? 

Paul was a man of great faith, confident the power of God, unleashed through Jesus, when He was here, and through the Holy Spirit, alive and at work in our lives, now…is the supreme power in the universe. Do you see Paul’s confident statement in vs. 3: “But the Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen and protect you from the evil one.” Do I hear shouts of AMEN everywhere this is being read or heard? 

How does this happen friends, when all of us live in a 1 John 5:19 world “…the whole world is under the control of the evil one.”? It happens as the life transforming power of God is unleashed into, and through the people who entrust themselves fully to Jesus. This will be a continual theme of our summer study of God’s Word.

in Vs. 6-15 it seems a shame, but Paul is having to confront idleness, laziness among God’s people in Thessalonica. Some of it, as we saw in chapter 1, is spiritually motivated. Some had quit anything they thought would get in the way of helping them be ready for Jesus’ return, including their jobs! For others, it seems it was just plain laziness and their willingness to depend on the kindness or sympathy of others. I can see Paul slamming his fist on the table as he dictates…In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we command you brothers, keep away from every brother who is idle and does not live according to the teaching you received from us.” 

Then I see in vs. 7 a key… “For you yourselves know how you ought to follow our example.” and again in vs. 9 “We did this…in order to make ourselves a model for you to follow.” This is a theme, my friends, of Paul’s letters… that those of us who are followers of Jesus Christ should frequently be looking in the mirror, asking ourselves deep questions about the lifestyle example we are setting for any and all who know us, and are watching our lives. Do you see that as an important and regular habit of spiritual growth and maturity? 

Most of us are of the age that our children now are married and have started their own families. We can now look closely to evaluate the affect we had on them as they grew up under our influence, our mentoring and coaching. My friends, isn’t this… coaching, mentoring, influence… the essence of parenting and grand-parenting? So… what do you see as you look closely at the generations which follow you and have been greatly influenced by your life? Oh it’s never too late my friends, to make a difference, so keep mentoring, keep coaching them, pointing them to Jesus!

Finally Paul closes out his second letter to these Christians in Thessalonica, that he only spent a few weeks with in one visit there, as recorded for us in Acts 17. “Now may the Lord of peace, Himself, give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with you all.”  (vs. 16) Oh my. If you could pass on a blessing to those who are dearest to you, would this be a great one? And what is the secret of deep rooted peace?

Later this summer we’ll read Philippians, do you remember what Paul writes there? Listen closely to these powerful words from Philippians 4:4-7, as we close today. . . Rejoice in the Lord always, I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. and the PEACE of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”  Amen! 

Have a peace filled June 7, my friends,

Doug Anderson


Pastor Doug Anderson 262.441.8785 
Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)