First of all, let us consider in vivid contrast to the terrible days of lawlessness under the manner of sin the blessed portion of all believers in Christ. Paul expresses a notice thanksgiving as we continue in chapter two of second Thessalonians and in verse thirteen through fifteen and declares that we shall not be on the earth during God's judicial visitation of divine retribution upon the wicked. The words are very clear and simple and say, But we are bound to give thanks always for you, brethren, beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth, whereunto he called you by our gospel. to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, brethren, stand fast and hold the traditions or the instructions which he have been taught, whether by word or our epistles. These words are very plain, an unvarnished hesitation to Thessalonians faith as well as to us, that we should hold fast the teaching of God's word. and the Apostles' teachings that present church saints will not be upon the earth during the great and terrible day of the Lord. How blessed and glorious to be redeemed and to be one of the chosen of God, destined for salvation, deliverance, through saving faith in Christ and His finished work. The chapter closes with a prayer of commendation by the Apostle for his beloved converts at Thessalonica. He directs this prayer to our Lord Jesus Christ himself and our Father on their behalf. Note the words. Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God even our Father which hath loved us and hath given us everlasting consolation in good hope through grace. Comfort your heart and establish you in every good work or every good word and work. Verses sixteen and seventeen. The prayer which is energized by the Holy Spirit is addressed to the glorious and the divine persons of the Godhead, whom the Spirit of God upon the earth glorify. Our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God and Father, the two greatest supreme persons in the universe, the Spirit of God, sets our affection toward. The beloved apostle emphasizes their great love for us, their everlasting blessing. They have given to the children of God, and a blessing one of good hope, and the ground of sovereign grace, the basis of it. Surely such a prayer should encourage and establish the people of God to speak, good word and to live, and perform good works. We come now to the closing chapter of the Epistle, the third, and it is now a closing consideration of personal as well as practical exhortation involving both the Apostle and his Thessalonian believers. In verses one and two, first of all, we find the personal desire of the Apostle himself. It is beautifully expressed and indicates that even the greatest apostle deeply needs and desires the prayers of his convict. Finally, brethren, he declares, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have free cause and be glorified, even as it is with you, and that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men, for all men of not faith. What a touching appeal this is from intercessory prayer from the saint on the behalf of the beloved Apostle Paul. He certainly informs them that he depends upon their prayers on his behalf. And then what a joy to realize that it was for the purpose that the word of God may have free cause and be glorified in the earth. and to be delivered from the wickedness of unreasonable and wicked men. There were dangers that even the Apostles faced as he went about preaching the Word of God. But then follows the expression of confidence that he had toward his readers, as in verses three and four we find him saying, But the Lord is faithful, who shall establish you and keep you from evil? And we have confidence in the Lord touching you, that she both do and will do the things which we command you. Now we have corrective instructions in this epistle written by the Apostles. He feels certain they would obey what he is writing. For he had been knowing and taking very great note and with great joy. He had been noting their work of faith. He knew about their labor of love. He knew of their patience of hope and in all their intense persecution. What they endured gave him confidence. They would obey the instructions which he writes. Now he goes on in this early section of chapter three and beginning in verse five. He goes on with a prayer saying, And the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the patient waiting for Christ. A more literal and accurate translation of the verse from the Greek text would be rendered like this. The Lord directs your hearts into the love of God and into the patience of Christ. A twofold petition for careful discrimination and blessing. Let us note it carefully. First, that the believers should be directed into the love of God. There are three possible interpretations to be applied. in consideration of this. First, we should have an increasing affection for God Himself. Is not this needed, a needed exhortation even for us? How much do we love God? It's a needful searching question for our hearts today. But then second, to be directed into the love of God, we should also have an increasing apprehension of God's love for us. Are we learning how much he loves us? Through obedience to his word we can prove and we can increase our love for God in the knowledge of his love for us. But then third, we should also love one another as God's children and increase our appreciation for God's family. Even love for all men. which Paul exhorted in First Thessalonians chapter three and verse twelve. He thus exhorts that. Now let me repeat what we have suggested. We should love God more. We should enjoy his love more. We should love fellow believers more and even manifest God's love toward all men, regardless of what may be their attitude toward us. Now the second part of this verse, in its petitions, is for the heart to be directed into the patience of Christ. Here again could be three possible explanations. Our patience in waiting for Christ. You may recall in First Thessalonians one and verse ten, rather, we were told to wait for God's Son from heaven. Are we patience? Are we patiently waiting for His coming? Perhaps There are times and circumstances when we become impatient. But let us remember that our Lord has waited a much longer time to come for his bride. So may we, in patience, be waiting for Christ. Then second, we need patience in trials and in our sufferings, even as our Lord and Savior was patient in His. Peter the Apostle wrote, If when ye do well and suffer for it, Ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God. For even hereunto will ye call, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example that ye should follow his steps. First Peter two, twenty and twenty-one. And then turn. We should be patient in the hope of Christ's coming triumph, and our ultimate deliverance when he comes. Patient as he is now. He's waiting for his enemies to be made his footstool, according to Hebrews ten, thirteen. And when his triumphant reign of glory commences, that's too going to be our deliverance from all sorrow, from all pain, from all trouble, and from all persecution and difficulty. Now, just to recapitulate and summarize the thoughts from this second Thessalonians chapter three and verse five, Please let me paraphrase the words of the text. The Lord teach and enable you and me to love as God loves and to be patient as Christ is patient. This is a blessed prayer. May you be fulfilled in every one of us who belong to the Lord. Now from verses six through fifteen of our chapter in second Thessalonians, the beloved apostle writes practical exhortations from verse six through fifteen, concerning discipline, because of the misconduct of certain believers in the Thessalonian assembly. No immorality or serious evil seems to be involved, but there were some who very unwisely took unfair advantage of their fellow Christians, possibly in a material way. And in verse six, Paul declares by doing this, they were walking disorderly, not walking after the instructions they had received from the Apostles, and evidently refusing or neglecting to work for their own living. In verses seven through nine, it is a commendable example that the great Apostle Paul gives to them, revealing his own willingness to work with his own hands to provide his expenses while he preached the gospel and taught the Word of God. He writes the same. For yourselves know how ye ought to follow us. For we behaved not ourselves disorderly among you. Neither did we eat any man's bread for naught. We paid for what we ate. But we worked with labor and travail night and day that we might not be chargeable to any of you. Not because we have not power, meaning authority, but to make ourselves an example unto you to follow us. My beloved, let me just raise the question. It's a very searching one. How many so-called servants of God refuse to permit their converts to feed them or to support them? Here were three devoted missionaries, servants of God, Paul, Silas, and Timothy, worthy of being supported, but preferring to work with their own hands for their living expenses while they carried on the work of the Lord in the gospel. They put to shame, do they not? our modern-day ministry, when on every hand we seem to hear, as well as to receive unlimited voluminous requests, to support financially the Christian word. What a vast difference in character and in principle. The work of the Lord was carried on in the days of Paul, in the days of primitive Christianity. May we say, truly, Present advocates of Christianity may claim to reach vast multitudes in the expensive outlays of today's program, but I doubt if we can compare such ministry today, no matter how great it may look, with the early days of Christianity, we may well consider whether the quality of the results are the same in our day as they were in the days of Paul. With all our modern technology and sophisticated equipment, we can wonder, we could even bow our heads and hearts in shame, as we see the results of the power of the Spirit of God in the days of the early apostles when they preached the Gospel and how they did it. Now practical and plain exertations and admonitions continue from the apostle by the Holy Spirit nothing new but evidently needing to be repeated or we read in verses ten through twelve note the words it is in regard to the believers of Thessalonica and their secular occupation their daily work some were evidently very impractical regarding their walk Paul very plainly states in verse ten Even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat. We certainly have to confess the Word of God, together with the testimony of the Apostle and his companions in their ministry, to their young converts, they realize the danger of being lazy and indolent. Verse eleven reveals that Timothy had probably brought back to the apostle the information that some of the converts were refusing to work. And Paul states of such, there are some which walk among you disorderly, not working at all, but they are busybodies. The evils which Paul had sought to guard the church at Thessalonica from in his first epistle, were quoted by him and mentioned by him in chapter four verses eleven and twelve and also in chapter five of that first epistle in verse fourteen he warned them very carefully that they should not be busy bodies and but those conditions that he warned them against had become aggravated when on any pretense we may say the Christians failed to occupy their time properly they can suddenly become mischievous. Idleness is a dangerous thing to a Christian's testimony. And Paul repeats the command that such should work in verse twelve. And he says, we command and we exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ that with quietness they work and they eat their own bread. One can well realize There was no commendation for any Christian being lazy, indolent, and even punding upon the generosity, kindness and love of fellow believers in such a shameful way. To Paul this was walking disorderly. The very commanding substance can be found, and may I quote, and this is very interesting, in some of the rabbinical writings of the Jews, The rabbinical writings of the Jews were not always scriptures, but in some of the rabbinical writings of the Jews this saying has been found. When a man eats his own bread, he is of a quiet and orderly turn of mind. Whereas if he devours the bread of his parents or his children, to say nothing of that of other folks, he is less quietly disposed. Unquote. May I repeat it again. It's worthy of repetition. A rabbinical quotation, when the Jews in their rabbinical writing said, When a man eats his own bread, he is of a quiet and orderly turn of mind. Whereas if he devours the bread of his parents, all of his children to say nothing of that of other folks, he is less quietly disposed. unquote now this was the meaning of Paul's words in first first Thessalonians I think in verse four and verse eleven chapter four rather verse eleven when he said study to be quiet and to do your own business to have a peaceable mind but it must be occupying oneself with what is the true conduct and behavior of life and even the secular working of the day The attitude and conduct of other believers toward the disorderly is now exhorted by the Apostle. He tells the other believers how to thus conduct themselves towards such, with the encouragement first of all to the whole company of faith. To be not weary in well-doing, in verse thirteen. The spirit of perseverance is encouraged upon them not to be weary in doing well, and then followed by the apostolic authority regarding the general conduct of the saint toward the lazy, shifeless believers. Now may I say, it's a sad commentary, isn't it? That even a Christian can be lazy. Beloved, we certainly are not perfect. But oh, that if this characteristic is yours and mine, may God deliver us from it. But please note the Apostles' admonitions. and his advice of the saints towards such. If any man obey not our word by this epistle, know that man. Have no company with him, that he may be ashamed, yet count him not as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother. Verses fourteen and fifteen. There is no question here regarding excommunicating such a person. This is not involved in the disciplinary advice by the apostles. But his counsel is not to be constantly fellowshiping too freely with such a disorderly one. Leave him alone. To the intent he might be ashamed of himself. Wake up to his condition. Correct his own ways. And of course the Apostle very wisely makes it clear that care should be taken, not to treat him as an enemy. But never to forget that if he's a true believer, he's a brother, for unkind treatment, unwise and unscriptural attitudes could drive such a one to despondency. But the course of action should result, and this is the purpose of it, to produce humility in the brother and lead into repentance. He is a brother. This must never be forgotten. And though not able to fulfill and have free fellowship with such, one fact should ever be remembered, and that is, we long to have this brother's restoration to be what he should be for the glory of God. In the closing part of our epistle follows the benediction, wonderful benediction that Paul writes, Now the Lord of Peace himself gives you peace always, by all means, The Lord be with you all. Verse seventeen. Then follows the closing salutation, and the precious word, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen. One can indeed realize in the benediction how the Apostle longed that the peace of the Lord might truly be filling the hearts and minds of the believers. All that the Lord himself would give us that peace. But as a closing reminder, for the purpose that we have studied this epistle, and for the reason that it's been written, it might be appropriate to just review briefly and not lose sight of the occasion for its ministry what we have been studying. We have learned that in this epistle, that the faith of the Thessalonian church, had been led astray by false teachers who were advocating the false premise that the day of the Lord was then present because of the intense trials and persecutions they were enduring. Now let me say once again we should all realize this. It is not an impossibility for saints to go astray from the truth of God. This would remind us of the importance to test the Spirit. And my fellow believer, let you and I be very careful to test all ministry that may be given us, regardless as to who, and what may be the channel written or oral ministry, that we might certainly be careful to test this, is it according to the Spirit of God's truth, as revealed in the Word of God, declaring His will? We are responsible to do that, and it is indeed sad to realize that there are many believers who fail to recognize this responsibility and are not careful regarding what they hear and what they believe. So that we have noted the Apostles certainly have to deal with this danger as it came into the Thessalonian Church. But then we also noted that the main purpose of the letter was to prove, as we have seen, that the Day of the Lord, in other words, the Great Tribulation, was not then present. And that before that day will come, there are certain events which must and will take place, which the Apostle is very carefully and clearly covered for us, in verses one through twelve of chapter two. This is really the central doctrinal section of the Holy Epistle. He has told us that the rapture of the saints, as recorded in first Thessalonians four, fifteen through seventeen, must first take place when the believers of the present age will meet the Lord in the air to be forever with the Lord. Then he told us of the tragic unprecedented events to be associated with the day of the Lord must follow the apostasy the revelation of the man of sin and ultimately they're taking away of the Spirit of God in his present relationship from the earth then the day of the Lord will follow but my beloved fellow believer may we state in our closing exhortation and consideration let us today who are believers not be moved from that blessed hope the coming of the Lord for his sake which will fulfill that great promise our Lord has not forgotten and he will not of John fourteen in verse three when he said if I go away and prepare a place for you I am coming again to receive you unto myself that where I am There ye may be also. And whither I go, he said, ye know, and the way ye know. It is a wonderful sight. And may we, in closing, repeat it. The way is very clear. Jesus said in John fourteen six, I am the way. The truth and the light, no man cometh unto the Father but by me. And my beloved friend, if you're not saved, there's only one way to be delivered out of what we have been studying regarding the great and terrible day of the Lord, and to be a partaker of the wonderful event of the rapture, to be taken out of this world before the Lord comes. You must find the way. What is the way? Better still, may we ask, who is the way? Jesus said, I'm the way. The way is a person. Please, not merely a doctrine, though you must know what to believe. The way is a person. And it is that person in whom is our salvation. For neither is there salvation in any other. For there's none of the name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved. May I raise the question, friend, if you found that person. He is the way. Why is he the way? Because he is the truth. He is the light. All truth centers in him. And he's not merely possessing the truth. He is the truth. And he is also the life-giver, the originator, the origin of life, the giver of life. And if you trust him as your Savior, he that hath the Son hath life. But remember, no man cometh unto the Father, said Jesus, but by me. The way is a person. The way is all-sufficient. But the way is exclusive. Christ alone is the way. Do you have him? Then you'll go to the Father's house. before the events of trouble, cover the earth that are yet to be. Shall we pray? Father, in the name of the Lord Jesus, we want to thank thee deeply and gratefully. Where we have Christ, we are not only saved, but we are saved. I give unto my sheep eternal life, they shall never perish. Neither shall any pluck them out of my hand. My Father who gave them me is greater than all. Neither shall any pluck them out of my father's hand. I am my father-in-one. Give to thy saints not only the comfort of knowing that they are saved, but safe. And safe not only from dangerous presence, but even from the future great trials of tribulation and sorrow and grief and trouble that are going to fill the earth in the day of thy judgment. We ask it in Jesus' name and for its glory. Amen.