2 Thessalonians 3:1-5

Jon Beck

My sermon notes for Sunday morning, June 21st. Remember, these are my personal study notes and not a manuscript of the sermon.  They are provided to help you follow the sermon as we walk through the Word each week.

2 Thessalonians 3:1–5

Pray for the Work and Continue Your Walk

From pastoral, to prophecy, to now more practical.  Paul is requesting the church to do two specific things in these five verses. One, to PRAY for the work of the ministry and second, KEEP their daily walk with the Lord where it needs to be.

TO PRAY FOR THE WORK OF THE MINISTRY.

For the message – v. 1

  • That the Word of the Lord
    • May speed ahead.
      • Make progress, Do what it does
    • Be honored (doxazo)
      • To be praised, and exalted
  • As happened among you
    • We too easily forget what the Gospel did for us.

For the messenger – v. 2

  • Delivered from the wicked & evil one (perverse and evil)
    • Not free from hardship, but free from hinderance.
    • SO HE CAN CONTINUE WITH HIS MINISTRY.

TO KEEP WALKING IN GOD’S FAITHFULNESS

But the Lord is faithful – v. 3a

Micah 6:8 – He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? (ESV)

John 15:7 – If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. (ESV)

WE WALK IN HIS FAITHFULNESS AS WE:

Trust in the Lord – v. 3

Remember who He is.  What He has done. What He will continue to do.

  • HE WILL Establish you – inside – internal spiritual strength.
    • Eph 3:16
  • HE WILL Guard you – outside
    • Shields from the external attacks
    • Eph. 6:16  (SHIELD OF FAITH).
  • Against the evil one – the devil cannot do anything to you unless the Lord allows it.  AND IF THE LORD ALLOWS IT…HE WILL BE GLORIFIED IN IT!!!!!!

Keep focus off him and ON HIM!

Obedience to the Lord – v. 4

And you will have confidence in the Lord about you.

  • Paul knew that if they will listen, believe, and act upon the Word’s of the Lord…ALL WILL BE WELL!!!!

Doing and continue to the things we commanded

  • Doing and Continue to Do
  • Ps 19:7-9 and Matt. 28:18-20

Growth in the Lord – v. 5

  • May the Lord direct your hearts – make straight, clear the way
    • To the Love of God – 1 Thess 3:11
    • To the Steadfastness of Christ

CONCLUSION:

Paul’s two request require for us to remain:

  • Focused on who we are and why we are here.
    • The spread of the Gospel and the Glory of the Lord Jesus Christ

And

  • Faithful to continue to Walk closely with the Lord.

YET, It is amazing how soon we become distracted and get off course.

Consider your relationship with Christ today. Consider the focus of your life as you LIVE OUT your relationship with Christ today.

SCRIPTURE REFERENCES:

Thessalonians 3:1-5 – 1 Finally, brothers, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may speed ahead and be honored, as happened among you, 2 and that we may be delivered from wicked and evil men. For not all have faith. 3 But the Lord is faithful. He will establish you and guard you against the evil one.4 And we have confidence in the Lord about you, that you are doing and will do the things that we command.5 May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God and to the steadfastness of Christ.

Ephesians 3:14-19 – 14 For this reason I bow my knees before the Father,15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named,16 that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being,17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith-that you, being rooted and grounded in love,18 may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth,19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. –

Ephesians 6:16 – In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one;

Psalm 19:7-10

7 The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple; 8 the precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes; 9 the fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; the rules of the LORD are true, and righteous altogether.

10 More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb.

Matthew 28:18-20 – 18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.

19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

1 Thessalonians 3:11-13 – 11 Now may our God and Father himself, and our Lord Jesus, direct our way to you, 12 and may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, as we do for you, 13 so that he may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.

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