The Stand to Which We are Called

This sermon was originally delivered over two weeks (July 10/17, 2011). 

Much of Christianity within the West, specifically in the U.S.A. is trying to determine the best way to make a stand for Christ.  It is evident that godlessness is growing and we are seeing our society become more and more against God's laws and more and more for its own will.  So what is the best course forward? Is it a "take our nation back for Jesus" campaign that focuses on politics and politicians. Do we strategically amass our funds and efforts to election believers and reseat the courts and remake the laws?  What is God's call to us as his people?

In 2 Thessalonians chapter 1 Paul speaks to the people of this Greek city and commends them for their  stand in Jesus.  I believe we have much to learn from these commendations.  Paul no where commends believers for "fixing" their countries, laws, governments, or societies.  Instead he commends them for their faith and love- the very two things the Bible says will be in short supply in the end times.  Could it be that America has more need of Christians who are growing in faith and love instead of growing in political power?  I think the answer is obvious.

Standing in Faith

Paul commends them for their faith.  Faith has two sides to it.  There is the thing in which you are trusting and then the other side are the actions we take as a result of it.  Thus the Object of our faith and the objectives of our faith.  What are we trusting in?  I mean the church in America.  What are we trusting in?  The object of our faith is supposed to be Jesus himself.  But not just as an idea, but as he is specifically revealed to us in the Word of God.  Paul had shared with them the life, teachings, and works of Jesus on their behalf.  They were trusting in what he had given them.  Because they were trusting in the life, teachings, and work of Jesus the Thessalonians kept worshipping God in spite of persecutions.  They kept trusting Jesus though their own people turn their back on them.  But they also grew in the objectives of their faith.  They were daily living the life of Christ, laying down their lives for the sake of each other and the lost.  They were not shrinking back from fear, but rather their faith was firm and growing stronger.  They were obeying the direct commands of Jesus to love their enemies and forgive those who sin against them.  They were submitting themselves daily to the obligations of love that go beyond any command, but are the fruit of a heart that cares for others.  In fact I focus on faith first because love is impossible where there is no faith.

Standing in Love

Though we are to love one another, we cannot do that so long as our faith is in ourselves or in each other.  Our faith must firmly be fixed upon Jesus.  Only then can we love each other as the Lord loved us.  Like Peter sinking in the water, we too fail at doing the impossible because we get our eyes off of Jesus and onto everything else around us.  "But, Lord..." is the words of a person who has their eyes on the things of this world instead of on the Risen Lord.  Paul says that they had love in abundance.  That means they had more love than what they knew to do with.  Jesus said that in the last days love would grow cold.  There is nothing like persecution to make our hearts hard and unloving.  But the Thessalonians were not using this as an excuse.  Instead they were overflowing with love.  I doubt it was the kind of love where they were dancing around and singing happy songs everywhere they went.  It was the kind of love that picks up a cross and packs it up the hill where you are going to be crucified for the sake of those who are beating you.  This is the love that God calls us to.  To love those who do not deserve our love.  Why?  Because I didn't deserve His love- none of us did.  We live in a day when the enemy is turning up the heat of persecution.  Will my love grow or snuff out like a candle in the wind?

How can we do this?  You probably noticed Paul's mention of their perseverance.  I could have easily added it to the list- We need to grow in Faith, Love and perseverance.  But I think the perseverance is the point.  Because they were persevering their faith and love were growing.  What is the perseverance here?  It literally means to "remain under."  When continuing in love and faith gets seemingly too heavy to bear, we continue anyways.  Yes we may speak to God in prayer how we feel like we are going to be crushed and can't keep loving, but then we see Jesus who has gone on before us.  He has blazed the trail of love and faith for us.  As we keep our eyes on him we are able to persevere, remain under the load.  We can remain under the load because we are remaining in Jesus.  We have taken up our residence in Christ.  Though we are tempted to move because it is so hard, we keep connected to Jesus.  Why?  Because only he has the words of life.  Those who are full of love and faith are not so because it comes easy.  They only get there through great and difficult inner battles whereby they end by saying, "nevertheless, not my will but yours be done."  They have fought through the temptation that comes in the statement, "but it doesn't work."  They do not love because it works.  They love because it is the way that Jesus has led them.  They do not trust Jesus because, "it works."  But, rather, because they know he is the Way, the Truth and the Life.  Oh, sure trusting Jesus does work.  But we don't see that if we are looking at the things of this world.  The cross "works" but not for those who want to make money, drive nice cars, and travel the world vacationing in exotic places. 

When we patiently hold to faith and love they change us.  Too often we are worried about how others are responding.  But I can't control that.  I cannot quit loving and quit trusting because others don't do such and such.  I can't quit loving and quit trusting simply because others did something to me that hurt.  They can't change Jesus.  Thus they shouldn't be able to change me.  Lord forgive us and help us here in America to grow in faith and love because this world needs it like never before.

Standing by the Power of God's Spirit

In verses 11-12, Paul mentions that his prayer is for God to supply his power for them to continue in faith and love.  God will always bring us to the end of our own power so that we can learn to allow his Spirit to love through us.  We stand not by our own strength but by the power of God's Holy Spirit.  When we are submitted to the Holy Spirit, faith and love become weapons in his hands.  It sets people free from the shackles of the past changes the situation.  The issue is not whether you love someone anymore (a feeling) but whether you will love them anymore (the decisive action).  It is easy to gain a nostalgic love for the lost.  But when you are in the trenches with fellow believers and lost people you will find the limits of your own love.  Pray for God to supply his Spirit in your life that you may go beyond the limits of your own faith and love.  When you see those actions that your heart wants to back away from ask God to give you the power to carry on.  Thus Paul says we will fulfill all the good pleasure of God's goodness and it will bring glory to him.

Standing until the Judgment Day

It is in the fires of persecution that we begin to recognize the hatred that can exist for those who dare to trust God and love others.  God has set a day by which he will judge the world and it's governments.  God's judgment will be a righteous one.  Nobody wants to be judged and held accountable to "God."  It is interesting to me that the more we reject God in our society the more we increase our need for man-made laws and accountability to men.  If you plan to stand by God then plan to be maligned as judgmental and worthy of persecution.   2 Timothy 3:12-14 says, "In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil men and imposters will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.  But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it."  Suffering for doing good is not a sign of God's absence or abandonment.  Rather, it is proof that we are actually standing with God and it is proof that God is righteous for setting a day when all will be held accountable.  It is proof that we are worthy to obtain the kingdom of God.  Not worthy in the sense that Jesus was worthy.  Without Jesus none of us would be worthy.  But our faith in the midst of persecution demonstrates the wisdom of God to save those who have simply believed on him even though it didn't seem to save them from the persecution.  But it did.  The persecution was unable to extinguish their faith.  It only made it burn brighter.

We will not have "rest" in this world until Jesus comes.  Yes, we can rest in Jesus, spiritually.  But outwardly we will find ourselves under the attack of an enemy that despises our faith in Christ and the resultant love that flows out of us.  We may have times of outward rest but they are not guaranteed.  We are only guaranteed that the Holy Spirit can give us an inner rest whereby we can persevere and overcome until the day that he gives all his saints rest at the judgement day.

Paul focuses on the powerful coming of Jesus in verse 7.  He is coming back with mighty angels to assist him in judgment.  He is coming in flaming fire.  This is definitely metaphorical as fire is the ultimate judge of that which is temporary versus permanent.  But it may just as well be literal as the Bible clearly states that the armies of this world will attempt to fight against Christ but will be destroyed.  He comes taking vengeance.  It is not a vindictiveness, but rather a setting to right what is out of whack.  Today when we see the weak taken advantage of by the strong and the poor by the rich we long for it to be righted.  God has set such a day and will right everything in the man Jesus Christ.  Only God can give perfect justice and he need not be blindfolded, because he plays no favorites.  Each one is judged by their actions.  Notice the statement that he will punish those who do not know God nor obey his gospel.  The world has for thousands of years heard the gospel, but more and more it rejects the decree of God and pushes the world into more and more oppression.  We replace God with ourselves and thus enter into the greatest slavery this world has ever known.

We are to stand until the day that he gloriously reveals those who are his saints and we stand in awe and admiration of the Lord our King.  Lord, help us to trust you ever greater and to choose to keep trusting you as the work of representing you grows harder and is resisted greater.  Help us to love one another, but to also lay our lives down that those who are lost may find true love in you.