God has always demonstrated great power through His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus works great miracles now as He did when He walked and ministered from Jerusalem to Galilee. It’s critical that we proclaim the great and powerful works of Jesus but we must always remember the correct priorities in our testimony. Jesus prioritised the Gospel, how He gave His life to pay for our sin, died and was raised to life according to the Scripture, and promises to forgive, restore and raise those who believe in Him. and to empower them for faithful obedience. Whatever else He’s done, we must go and proclaim that He has done this for us.

Does God forget our sin when we believe in Jesus Christ? Does this mean that we can go on sinning without giving it a second thought? Romans 6:1-4 teaches that baptism glorifies God by declaring what He has done to save us through faith in Jesus Christ. It is a visible declaration that we have died to the power of sin and now walk in the newness of life. Walking in the newness of life is far more than rejecting and repenting of sin, it’s taking every opportunity that God gives us to show the world His glorious power working through us.

Jesus commanded us to make disciples and to baptise them. Scripture commands us to be baptised, yet Baptism often suffers neglect or becomes sadly divisive. Much confusion around baptism comes from the false belief that anything other than faith in Christ can save us from sin and it’s consequences. Once we’re clear that baptism cannot save us, even temporarily, it’s easier to understand what it is. Baptism is putting on, or wearing our Lord Jesus Christs. It’s a public declaration that Christ defines is. Christ gives us our true identity, nobody else can.

The Passover reminded Israel of God’s grace and mercy. God rescued them from slavery and saved them from death. They were instructed to pass this on to their children to show them what He was going to do. Jesus became our Passover Lamb to lead us out of slavery to sin and save us from eternal separation from God’s love. The Lord’s table now reminds us what Jesus did and what we should be doing in response as precious sheep in God’s beloved flock. Being sheep means practising 247 faith, so that we can follow Him and teach others to do the same.

The journey through 2 Thessalonians finishes today. Over the last few months, we’ve learnt of the plight of the Thessalonians; Paul was ripped from their midst and they were suffering persecution. Imposters told them that Jesus had already come and they were left behind. They were in a panic and so, Paul has been teaching and encouraging them in the ways of Christ. Now that he has explained everything to them, Paul is wishing them God’s peace and grace. It is God’s peace we crave above all other things as human beings and that is what we focus on in today’s message.

After expounding some very lofty spiritual truths like the rapture, second coming, destruction of the anti-Christ, etc, Paul returns to some practical teaching about work. While we need to be cognizant of the lofty spiritual truths, we still have a big responsibility in the routine of everyday life and work is central to this. Through the scripture this morning, we get a great look into the world of work from a Biblical point of view and through Paul’s teaching, have some practical ways to implement them in our working lives.

Throughout 2 Thessalonians, we see Paul exhorting, teaching and praying for the Thessalonians during their trials. Now, as the letter draws to an end, Paul and his missionary brothers are about to journey further into the heart of the dark ancient Mediterranean. So Paul asks the Thessalonians to pray for him, that the Lord may go ahead of them and deliver them from the evil that they are about to face.

The people of the Church of Thessalonica were shaken after receiving a forged letter with false teaching. Paul contrasted those who know and love the truth with those who don’t, and reminded the people of the truth of God and the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We can learn from this letter, how not to be disturbed or deceived by the lies of the world, especially concerning the Christian faith.

Last week, Pete shared with us the scripture about the fake news and the amazing lives of cleaner ras and their imposters, the combtooth blenny. Highlighting the difference between our Lord Jesus Christ and the antichrist. Today’s sermon is very much a continuation of that sermon as we take a look in more detail at the lawless one and his impact on earth, but even more importantly, Jesus’s response.

Media is awash with fake news. Fake news is propaganda, it’s biased and misleading information designed to promote a cause. Fake news causes fear and and uncertainty, it disturbs and distracts. It opposes God because it’s a lie and God is the truth. The people of Thessalonica were distressed by fake news concerning the return of Jesus. The Holy Spirit directed them, as He directs us, to hold to the truth and not be easily shaken by lies. God is faithful, we can and must trust His Word rather than the fake stuff - how do we do that?

Have you ever wondered if the hardships you face are because you’re not worthy? The people of Thessalonica were distressed about their suffering and confused about what God was doing, especially in light of the immanent return of our Lord Jesus Christ. What if enduring persecution is actually evidence of God’s love and an assurance that He is working out His plans to perfection? What the enemy means for evil God uses for good, He will make us worthy of His eternal Kingdom.

Life’s challenges have a way of sowing doubt and discouragement. The second letter to the Thessalonian Church starts with encouragement, countering the threat caused by suffering and persecution. The people of the Church were suffering, but they were also growing. Paul thanked God for answered prayer, because God was growing their faith, love and hope. As a result, the Church was inspiring and encouraging all those that heard about them. We can also grow through trials, knowing that God will finish everything that He starts.

Imitations are everywhere, but everyone appreciates the real thing. While an imitation may look real, it soon becomes apparent that it’s not. An authentic relationship with God through Jesus Christ is something we live out daily. It’s consistent and constant, not just something we do at specific times during the week. When we have a committed and faithful relationship with God, it’s also catchy. True faith is caught rather than taught because it’s value becomes obvious and doesn’t need to be explained. How do we grow in our faith so that it’s authentic, constant and consistent? We need the Word of God, the Holy Spirit of God and practice.

Labels tell us the value, identity and purpose of what they are attached to. We all get labelled, by others, by our experiences and by our own desires. The gap between who we believe we are, and who God says we are in Christ, can be a measure of our peace, and our capacity to fulfil His purpose for us. Closing this gap is part of our journey to spiritual maturity. It should, by God’s grace, be shrinking continually. There are an increasing number of attacks against us discovering our God determined, Christ enabled identity. How can we close the gap between who we think we are, and who we really are in Christ? How can this give us have greater peace, and make us more effective disciples of Jesus Christ?

Technology, urbanisation, pandemic isolation, crime and societal norms all converge in making us more and more self-aware and self-focused. We even tend to read Scripture through a selfish lens, rather than the God centred and other-centred priorities that Jesus taught. Ironically, self-centred lives lead to loneliness and a struggle for identity and purpose, whereas living out God’s design for the Church (Jesus’ body) grows and strengthens each individual member. We are part of Jesus body and we need to be cared for, and to care for every other member.

When we are faced with a lot of instructions at one time or a lot of tasks at one time, we need to deal with the most pressing, troubling ones first, right? That’s what’s happening when we get to this stage in Thessalonians. The Thessalonians needed to know how to build the Church and needed instruction, but first, they had to deal with the concept of the rapture. Now that Paul has addressed their concerns about the second coming, Paul moves on to give them powerful instructions on how to build the Church in Thessalonica.

God invites us to celebrate with Him, to feast with Him. From Ancient times, He prepares a place for us to gather and celebrate Him and what He’s done for us. We are told to remember Him and look forward to His promises by doing this until we gather in the Wedding Feast of the Lamb. Looking back and forward helps us to celebrate the present.

One of the reasons that Jesus was rejected by the Jewish nation is that they were expecting a military Messiah. The had waited centuries for the Messiah to liberate them from the oppression of the nations and restore the kingdom of Israel. They had expected these prophecies but missed the predictions of Christ’s suffering and humble sacrifice. The opposite can be true for the Church. We see the fulfilled prophecies of the suffering servant but neglect the predictions of the Conquering King. God is faithful, He fulfils all His promises, and that realisation is of immeasurable value to us the Church.

The Rapture is described as a mystery, having been prepared to hear about the return of Jesus Christ and being encouraged to persevere in works of faith, labours of love and steadfastness of hope, we come last to be informed about it’s details. It is wonderfully encouraging to hear that despite how we do and will suffer the effects of evil, Jesus Christ is the One to save us from the wrath to come.