Gtcotr/ss101721
It’s not over until God says it’s over.
2 Thessalonians 3:1 ¶ Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may run swiftly and be glorified, just as it is with you …
“Just as it is with you …” – What an interesting statement. Perhaps Paul is saying, pray for me that I can be like you. Perhaps Paul was reflecting on:
Psalms 147:15 He sends out His command to the earth; His word runs very swiftly.
Allow
me to further explain this phrase and its meaning from Paul’s particular point
of view.
·
In
about the year AD50, the Apostle Paul was 45 years old, and he went on his
first mission trip to Europe. He came to what is now Greece, specifically to
the port city of Philippi on the Aegean Sea. You can read about his time in
Philippi in Acts 16.
·
Although
Paul was able to lead several people to Christ and birthed a great Church
there, things didn’t go so well for him. He was arrested and beaten and put
into prison and fastened in stocks and chains.
·
God
performed a miracle there and opened the prison doors. Many more people were
saved, including the jailer and his whole family.
·
However,
Paul ended up being forced to leave the city of Philippi. Being led by the Holy
Spirit, he passed through a few towns to get to another large Roman city about
100 miles away called Thessalonica.
·
Acts
17 gives us the account of Paul arriving in Thessalonica.
· The Bible says Paul spent three Sabbaths trying to persuade those who attended services at the local Synagogue in Thessalonica that Jesus of Nazareth was the promised Messiah. We read in:
Acts 17
4 And some of them were
persuaded; and a great multitude of the devout Greeks, and not a few of the
leading women, joined Paul and Silas.
5 But the Jews who were not persuaded, becoming envious, took some of the evil men from the marketplace, and gathering a mob, set all the city in an uproar …
Every indication is that the Apostle Paul spent very little time with the Believers in Thessalonica and yet they became one of the most powerful and influential Churches in Europe. About a year and a half later, about AD 51 or AD 52, the Apostle Paul was in the city of Corinth, where he wrote his first letter to Thessalonica. Then, less than a year later, Paul wrote a second letter to the Thessalonian Church. Praise God, we still have both.
In less than three years, with perhaps only three weeks initial investment, the Apostle Paul saw the Church in Thessalonica grow to maturity. He credits them with keeping those first instructions he gave and commends them for allowing the Word of God to do such a quick work in their lives.
That’s what Paul was referring to when he told them to pray that the word of the Lord would run swiftly and be glorified through him and his team, just as it is with you. So, with those thoughts in mind, let’s continue.
2 Thessalonians 3 NKJV
1 ¶ Finally, brethren, pray
for us, that the word of the Lord may
run swiftly and be glorified, just as it is with you,
2 and that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men; for not
all have faith.
3 But the Lord is faithful,
who will establish you and guard you from the evil one.
4 And we have confidence in
the Lord concerning you, both that you do and will do the things we command
you.
5 Now may the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the patience of Christ.
What things did the Apostle Paul command those Believers in the Thessalonian Church to do? To find these commands we need to look at the first letter he wrote to them. Let’s go to near the end of that letter …
1 Thessalonians 5
14 Now we exhort you,
brethren, warn those who are unruly, comfort the fainthearted, uphold the weak,
be patient with all.
15 See that no one renders
evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good both for yourselves and
for all.
16 Rejoice always,
17 pray without ceasing,
18 in everything give thanks;
for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
19 Do not quench the Spirit.
20 Do not despise prophecies.
21 Test all things; hold fast
what is good.
22 Abstain from every form of evil.
I could write an exhaustive commentary on every admonition in this passage. They are commands from the Apostle Paul inspired by the Holy Spirit and therefore the living Word of God. Please take time to consider if you are following these commands. Life will be filled with people who do not share your faith in God nor appreciate your commitment to Christ.
However, we need to be bigger than the persecutions and threats of unreasonable and wicked men. Paul knew only too well how it felt to be threatened and persecuted when he had done nothing wrong. He understood how taxing it was to be constantly bombarded with unlawful requirements from the evil people who were in charge. Paul had been misunderstood, misquoted, and maligned by those who should have protected him. He knew he needed prayer to face these challenges.
Instead
of allowing other people to get him or the Believers in Thessalonica off track,
he encouraged them to take control of their lives and follow the instructions
given to him by the Holy Spirit which he wrote to them in 2 Thessalonians 3:5. These
words still ring true today: “Direct your hearts”
…
1.
Into the love of God.
2. Into the patience of Christ.
Don’t allow unreasonable and wicked people to draw your focus away from God’s requirements that we love and value others because God loves and values them, and that we don’t lose our patience because things aren’t happening fast enough for us. We need prayer and we need to remember:
Despite
what unreasonable men say, It’s not over until God says it’s over.
