Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Evening Sermon Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/ev/ev19990117.htm

II THESSALONIANS: EDIFYING NEW CONVERTS WITH CORRECT ESCHATOLOGY
Part I: Explaining Current Persecutions As NOT Being The End Times Judgments
(2 Thessalonians 1:1-12)
  1. Introduction
    1. All views of end time events aside from the Pretribulation Rapture position teach that somehow or in some way, some or all of us Christians will experience some or all of the Great Tribulation events. Whether we speak of the Amillennial Position, the Posttribulation Rapture Position, the Partial Rapture Position or the Midtribulation Rapture Position (otherwise known as the Pre-wrath Rapture view), they all assert the Church will be in at least part of that Great Tribulation.
    2. Adopting the belief that one will experience the Tribulation can produce great error in living as we can see from Paul's 2 Thessalonian Epistle, so we do well to view 2 Thessalonians which corrects this error:
  2. Explaining Current Persecutions As NOT Being The End Time Judgments, 2 Thessalonians 1:1-12.
    1. After Paul had written 1 Thessalonians, he heard that a number of the Thessalonian believers had come to believe that the Day of the Lord was in progress, that the persecutions they were facing from unbelievers around them came because of the Great Tribulation's antichrist, 2 Thess. 2:2.
    2. This had created fear and led some to stop making a living in anticipation of Christ's expected soon coming, cf. 2 Thess. 3:10-11. Such a state of affairs weakened the Church and gave it a bad testimo ny.
    3. Accordingly, Paul began his second epistle to the Thessalonians by stating that the persecutions they were then facing was not God's Tribulation, but came from wicked men whom Christ would yet judge:
      1. Paul's position on the Great Tribulation was that God was permitting it to come as judgment upon those who had REJECTED the Gospel, not on Christians who had received Christ, 2 Thess. 2:9-14.
        1. Later, in the 2 Thessalonian epistle, Paul reported that the antichrist's coming would deceive the world that had not loved the truth, but had rejected it and not been saved by Christ, 2 Thes. 2:9-10.
        2. So, in judgment, God would allow the strong deluding lie of the antichrist in the Great Tribulation so that the world of unbelievers would believe him unto their own damnation, 2 Thes. 2:11-12.
        3. Thus, the Great Tribulation was GOD'S judgment on men for rejecting what the Christian had not rejected, but had RECEIVED! Thus, God would rescue Christians out of this time, 2 Thess. 2:13f.
      2. As such, Paul labored in opening his epistle to state that the persecution the Christians then faced was not from the antichrist's forces, for then the believers would be unjustly punished by GOD! Rather, they were suffering pre-Great Tribulation persecution by those who rejected Christ, 2 Thess. 1:1-12:
        1. After his opening greeting (verses 1-2), Paul stated that he appreciated the growth of faith in God and love toward fellow believers in the Church though they suffered many persecutions, 1:3-4.
        2. Paul then noted that this suffering was an evident token that these believers were counted worthy of the kingdom of God as they suffered for righteousness' sake, 2 Thess. 1:5.
        3. In fact, God was going to judge their persecutors at Christ's Second Coming, 2 Thess. 1:6.
        4. When that judgment of vengeance came, there would be rest for these believers, 2 Thess. 1:7-9.
        5. Also, these believers would glorify the Lord in His glory at His Coming, 2 Thess. 1:10.
        6. Accordingly, Paul reported that he prayed to God that these Thessalonian believers would be counted worthy by God of their calling as saints, and glorify the name of Christ in their lives, 1:11-12
        7. In summary, Paul indicated that these persecutions were not God's punishment on them in the form of the antichrist's persecutions for their having rejected Christ, but unjust, undeserved persecution for the sake of RIGHTEOUSNESS on the part of these Thessalonian Christians.
Lesson: The Thessalonians were NOT to interpret their persecutions as sufferings under the Great Tribulation's antichrist, for THAT suffering would come as judgment for man's REJECTING the Gospel. Rather, these Thessalonians had BELIEVED in Christ , so their sufferings came from UNJUST persecutions, and indicated they were EXEMPT from having to go through the Tribulation.

Application: We must RESIST the error of those who assume that current persecutions mean the Tribulation is upon us! The Tribulation will be sent by God as PUNISHMENT for man's rejecting Christ! Thus, no Christian CAN enter the Tribulation, so all unjust trials mean he is righteous!