Well, thank you very much, Johan, and everyone else who's been involved in the service.
Please do have that Bible passage open in front of you, as we'll be diving in and out of it throughout this evening.
In August 2021, the Taliban took control of Afghanistan, and the persecution of Christians absolutely rocketed.
Afghanistan is now the number one country in the world where Christians are persecuted, according to the charity Open Doors.
There were reports early on of Taliban soldiers going door to door, killing Christians and hurting anyone who helped hide them.
Similar stories come out of Iran.
One story I read this week was a couple who had become Christians from a Muslim background,
and they began to attend their underground church network.
But one night, their door was kicked in.
They were arrested, blindfolded, beaten, interrogated, and imprisoned.
Only months later to be released to flee Iran, never to return for fear of their lives.
The persecution in these places is a constant threat.
And those are just the stories we know about.
There are countless, or there will be countless of stories across the world of Christians being persecuted and mistreated for their faith in Jesus.
But it isn't always systematic and physical, is it?
We'll probably all know stories of Christians being rejected for certain jobs and professions in this country for their faith.
Scientists mocked.
Politicians scorned.
Teachers looked at with intrigue to see whether their teaching is right and what conversations they're having with their students.
Or Christians being denied access to venues for a conference because of the message that they will proclaim about Jesus.
Christians being silenced or fired from their jobs for their views that run contrary to the world.
Christians in the West, generally speaking, aren't persecuted physically, but we are certainly not welcomed with open arms.
Whilst our physical well-being might not be in danger, there are plenty of other ways that the world uses to make a stand against Christians and our faith.
With so much going on against Christians, it can be easy to think that God is blind to the persecution and oppression of his people.
But we'll see the truth this evening.
The truth I want us to fix our eyes on is to remember, as we turn to 2 Thessalonians, that God is not blind.
There is not a second of suffering that his people endure for his name that he doesn't see and that doesn't grieve him.
Remember the context of this letter that we looked at last week.
This church in Thessalonica were being persecuted physically.
So how does Paul encourage and build up these Christians who are in a daily battle?
Well, in our passage for tonight, he gives them a signpost.
A signpost of the future that awaits them and awaits those who persecute them.
These Christians were being attacked, attacked from outside and from within.
False teachers inside spreading lies about the return of Jesus.
And so this is a hurting church.
Maybe they thought that God was blind to their suffering.
And so Paul steps in and encourages them by giving them certainty of the future.
The future that awaits the wicked.
Those who are persecuting this church.
Those who reject Jesus.
And the future of Christians.
The future that we await as Jesus returns and the struggles in this life are over.
And my hope is that as we study these two truths together from our passage,
that we'll be encouraged and to stand firm in our faith.
And in the midst of suffering for the name of Jesus,
that we'll be comforted with the knowledge that whatever we face in this life,
God sees it all and he will bring justice.
And if you're here and you're not a Christian this evening,
I hope you see just how important the decision is whether you follow Jesus
or whether you reject him.
So please keep that passage in 2 Thessalonians open in front of you
because we're going to jump about in these verses.
Looking first at the future of the wicked and then the future of the faithful.
So the first thing we see in this passage is the future of the wicked.
In verses 6 and in verses 8 and 9.
The future of the wicked.
Now the world is full of stories of people
who've gotten away with atrocities against others.
You see it on a global level.
Wars being fought out of selfishness of one man or of one nation.
History is full of powerful figures
who were responsible for killing thousands upon thousands of people
and they thought they were untouchable.
It's easy for people to think that they might be above the rules
because they have power,
that they won't suffer any consequences for their actions.
And so they oppress.
They persecute.
They hurt those who don't quite fit with their agenda
or with their goals.
That's the context of the Thessalonian church, isn't it?
These Christians were coming under attack,
suffering at the hands of wicked people.
These Christians were living counter-cultural lives.
They were different.
The people in this church had changed.
They'd started living for Jesus.
And so the community around this church began to hate them.
And they probably thought that they were going to get away with it
because after all,
the church is the minority in this situation.
But look at what Paul says in verse 6.
Read that with me.
God is just.
He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you.
Paul is encouraging these suffering Christians by saying,
don't worry, God is not blind.
He has seen all of your afflictions,
all of your pain,
all of your suffering for his name,
and he will bring justice.
Now the judgment that's predicted here in these verses
is God's ultimate judgment on that final day.
When all of humanity will stand before him.
God is not blind
to the goings-on of this world
and how people treat Christians
and how they respond to God.
And in these verses about God's judgment,
we see three things about God's judgment
that give us a holistic picture
of the future of the wicked
as they will suffer under God's judgment.
The first is that God is just.
Verse 6 says,
God is just.
He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you.
Now God being just isn't a simple characteristic.
of how he acts.
God is the very definition of justice.
It means that he is perfectly righteous
and good in how he responds to his creation.
As human beings, we love justice
and we hate it when injustice rules.
We get angry when we see people
getting away with things they've done wrong.
Committing evil deeds
and yet walking away scot-free.
When we look at atrocities
committed against people,
we rightly cry out for injustice.
We rightly cry out for justice, sorry.
When we think about God being just,
we need to remember that God
is the very standard of what justice is.
Because when we cry out for justice,
it's normally out of a sense
that we've been wronged
and we want revenge.
We were hurt.
And so,
with impatience,
we cry out for justice
and we want it right now.
We don't want it in six months
or a year
or ten years.
We want it now.
Our justice can be a bit like that
of a child
who justifies
punching their brother
because they did it to me first.
But God is not like us.
His punishment
punishment
and judgment
on those who stand against him
isn't revenge.
He doesn't stand in heaven
rubbing his hands
eagerly with joy
waiting for the day
that he can finally get back
at evil people.
But God's judgment
comes out of his desire
for justice.
God has made it clear
how his creation
should and can
live in harmony
with him.
And out of love
throughout history
God has called us
a rebellious humanity
to turn from our sin
and be made right
with him.
But we reject God.
That is our natural
inclination.
The Bible says
in Romans 3.23
that all have sinned
and fall short
of the glory of God.
Elsewhere in Romans
it says
no one is righteous.
No, not one.
God being just
means that something
needed to happen.
There needed
to be judgment.
But God being
perfectly just
made a way
for people to be saved
by putting the judgment
on his son.
So all those
who put their trust
in Jesus
are free
from that judgment.
Because of our sin
all of humanity
is under the sentence
of death
in rebellion
against God
and deserving
of his judgment.
But for the Christian
there is freedom
because Jesus
has paid the price.
Jesus stood
in our place
and we'll come
to celebrate that
later on
in our service
together
but for now
I want us to see
that for God
to be just
all rebellion
and rejection
of him
must be punished.
without justice
sin would run
unchecked
and evil
would reign
but God
being perfectly
just
and perfectly
loving
sets the standard
of what true
justice is.
God's judgment
is just.
And the second
thing
about the future
of the wicked
and God's judgment
is that it's
frightening.
Look at some
of the words
that Paul uses
to describe
God's judgment.
I'll read the words
from the ESV
which is more
of an accurate
translation here.
Verse 6
says that
God will repay
the affliction
with affliction
those who
afflict you.
Verse 8
says that
God will
be revealed
that Jesus
will be revealed
on that final
day in flaming
fire
inflicting
vengeance
on those
who do not
know God.
and verse 9
says that
they will
suffer the
punishment
of eternal
destruction.
Now put
yourself in
the place
of these
Christians
as they
look out
to their
city
and see
people
waiting
to attack
them.
It may
seem
that injustice
has won
but Paul
says that
God will
have the
last word
on that
final day
when he
brings
judgment
on those
who are
afflicting
these
Christians
and those
who do
not know
Jesus.
the words
affliction
vengeance
and destruction
as the
ESV
puts them
they're
frightening
but Paul
doesn't use
them to
scare people
into becoming
Christians.
Paul is
using these
words to
warn those
in the
church
this is a
letter to
a local
church
he's
warning those
in the
church
those
attacking
the church
from inside
that this
is their
future
if they
do not
repent
from their
sin
and follow
Jesus.
Paul is
trying to
encourage
these
hurting
Christians
to remember
that God
is not
blind to
their
suffering
he will
act against
those who
are harming
them
but these
words should
also urge
this church
to go and
tell people
about Jesus
because we
don't want
anyone to
suffer under
the judgment
of God.
God's judgment
is frightening
and the
last thing
about the
future of
the wicked
and God's
judgment
is that it
is final
read verses
8 to 9
with me
he will
punish those
who do
not know
God and
who do
not obey
the gospel
of our
Lord Jesus
they will
be punished
with everlasting
destruction
and shut out
from the
presence of
the Lord
and from
the glory
of his
might
now Paul
is a
straight
talker
as he
explains
the ultimate
future of
every single
person who
does not
respond in
obedience to
the gospel
of Jesus
for those
who reject
Jesus on
that final
day he
will come
as judge
not as
savior
the question
will be
on that
day how
did you
respond to
Jesus in
this life
if you
responded with
faith and
obedience you
will have a
glorious future
that we will
look at in a
second
but if you
reject Jesus
in this life
and do not
respond in
obedience and
follow him
destruction and
judgment awaits
there will be no
second chances
no do-overs
and so there is
no time to
waste
if you want a
Christian if you
do not know
Jesus if you
are not living
for him then
this future of
judgment is what
awaits you at
the end
an eternal
destruction shut
out from the
presence of
God the place
we often call
hell a place
of eternal
conscious
suffering
now approximately
178,000 people
die a day
and for many of
them this is the
future that awaits
please consider the
claims of Jesus
tonight and do
not waste another
day on the road
that leads to
hell but put your
trust in Jesus
the Bible describes
those who reject
Jesus as wicked
because we are
all born in sin
and rebellion
against God we
could never do
enough to be
good enough to
be right with God
on our own
we can only be
right with God
through Jesus
and our creator
knows what is
best he wants
people to be
right with him
put your trust in
Jesus and live
for him and
this future that
awaits the wicked
should challenge us
as Christians to
take the gospel to
this world that is
dying and going to
judgment without the
saving knowledge of
Jesus these are
people in our
homes people in
our workplaces
people in our
neighborhoods in our
streets people that
we rub shoulders with
every day we are
the ones with the
message that can
bring hope the
message that
everyone needs to
hear but we need
to share it with
them the message of
the future of the
wicked should also be
a reminder to the
suffering Christian
that God is not
blind he has not
forgotten about or
overlooked your
suffering God is
just as angered at
our pain at the
pain and suffering
inflicted on his
people as you are
in fact God is more
angered by it and it
will not go unpunished
the future of the
wicked the future of
all those who reject
Jesus is God's
judgment which is
just frightening and
final and the second
thing I want us to
see this evening from
this passage is the
future of the
faithful in verses
6 and 7 and 10 and
12 the future of the
faithful now in these
verses we see
marvelous truths that
are specific to those
who are suffering for
the name of Jesus and
because of their faith
in him but we also
see awe-inspiring
truths of the reality
of eternity that
awaits every single
Christian so if the
first half of our time
together was the hard
news of the gospel the
news of judgment and
hell this is the good
news forgiveness
redemption perfect union
with God and for us to
share the true gospel the
gospel the apostles preached
the gospel that Jesus
proclaimed then we need
both sides of that coin
both the good news and
the hard news to read
verses 6 to 7 with me
God is just he will pay
back those trouble to
those who trouble you and
give relief to you who are
troubled and to us as
well this will happen when
the Lord Jesus is revealed
from heaven in blazing fire
with his powerful angels
do you see that Paul is
promising these Christians
relief relief from their
oppressors relief from
persecution relief from
suffering in the name of
Jesus
looking at their situation
they probably didn't feel
that that was ever going to
happen
they see the pain they feel
the blow from the enemy
they feel the attack that
hits them on the back
they see the physical
dangers that surround them
every day relief was
probably the last thing
they would have thought
but Paul is inviting them
to fix their eyes on
eternal things on things
that are unseen and to be
comforted and notice how
Paul says they aren't in
alone because he includes
himself in this verse by
saying we too long for this
relief it's the idea of rest
eternal rest and relief from
the enemies of God and in
the presence of God forever
now this doesn't mean that
all of our troubles in this
life will go away it doesn't
mean that there won't be any
rest or relief in this life if
you look throughout church
history there were times of
great persecution against
Christians there were also
times of peace and rest
but can you imagine just how
comforting this message of
this promise of relief would be
to this suffering church
it's a bit like those scenes
from the movies where a little
kid is being pushed around on
the playground by a group of
bullies they're physically
bigger than him they're
stronger and they decide to
combine forces and push the
wee guy to the floor now at this
point in the movies it's
normally where the teacher
jumps in or the hero of the
story comes in
but in that moment the main
concern of the little kid on
the floor is the sheer size of
the bullies towering over him
it's natural to look at the
dangers that are right in front
of your face use the things you
can see but Paul is telling
these Christians don't look at
the bullies don't look at those
oppressing you don't look at your
persecutors in verse 7 Paul
says look at your lives look at
your persecutions from an
eternal perspective and
remember the relief and rest is
yours in Christ there is hope
because on that final day Jesus
will come in blazing fire with his
holy powerful angels as the end of
verse 7 says now both of those
images fire and angels are images
that the Bible uses to describe
judgment and the punishment of
evil
through these Christians will find
relief
Paul is pointing them to their
secure future in Jesus which will
make when God will make his
dwelling place with mankind
those wonderful promises that on
that day there will be no more
crying
no more pain
no more death
no more sin
and we will Christians will live in
the eternal glorious presence of
God
Paul says relief is coming
and then he goes on in verses 10 to
12 read those with me
on that day he he comes to be
glorified in his holy people and to
be marveled at among all those who
have believed this includes you
because you believed our testimony to
you with this in mind we constantly
pray for you
that our God may make you worthy of
his calling and that by his power he
may bring to fruition your every
desire for goodness and your every
deed prompted by faith
we pray this so that the name of
Jesus Christ Jesus may be glorified in
you and you in him according to the
grace of our God and the Lord Jesus
Christ
these verses speak of it the day that
Jesus will return and the rewards that
all Christians will receive
there are rewards both for the now in
this life and the not yet as we wait
for the future to be materialized
so let's first look at the rewards for
the not yet let's look at verse 10 where
it says on the day he comes to be
glorified in his holy people and to be
marveled at among all those who have
believed this includes you because you
believed our testimony to you
all the difficulties that we face in
this life for the name of Jesus will
fall into the background when we see the
weight of eternal glory that awaits us
it will make our problems disappear in
this life but it will help us fix our
eyes on Jesus even in the darkest of
days the imagery of is of Jesus the king
coming with crowds and crowds of people
watching him it's a little bit like a
bride walking into a church we had it
here just a few months ago the groom
standing up here with the pastor and
then the music starts the crowd are told
to stand for the bridal party and in
comes the bride every single eye is on
her little conversations in the pews
everyone remarking just how beautiful
she looks how wonderful the dress is and
suddenly the minute the groom sees the
bride all the nerves are gone the stress
of the day the stress of preparations
fall away as he stands and looks at his
beautiful bride and on that day when
Jesus comes all of his people will look
at him with awe and marvel at his
splendor and glory and you see what
Paul says verse 10 this includes you
Paul is saying look to the future return
of Jesus and be encouraged be strengthened
in your faith because you know that you
will be with him for eternity
so if that's the not yet element of these
glorious truths then Paul goes on to
speak about what it means for the lives
of Christians every day in verses 11 to
12 Paul says in light of the truth of
that glorious future from verse 10 that
he constantly prays for the Thessalonian
church for their day to day now what does
he pray verse 11 that our God may make
you worthy of his calling verse 11 that
by his power he may spring to fruition
your every desire for goodness verse 12
that Jesus may be glorified in them
these are things that we can pray for
one another and we should pray for one
another things that we can pray for the
persecuted church and that we can pray
for ourselves as believers now I would
encourage you to take these three things
from verses 11 and 12 and pray for three
Christians this week use the language of
the Bible and pray that God would work in
the lives of those three people who are
close to you and dear to you it will be a
massive encouragement to them text them
when you say you're praying for them as
well
these prayers of Paul show the importance of
how the truth of the Christian faith should
impact our daily lives the future promises of
eternal glory must be met with practical
everyday obedience in the Christian life
as we eagerly long for heaven and look to
the glorious future that awaits every
Christian we need to remember that we still
have work to do here and we must continue to
serve Jesus every day until the day that he
returns or we're called home
now how are we made worthy of our calling as
verse 11 says well we don't live the
Christian life we don't obey God in order
to be saved that's only possible through
Jesus but we live the Christian life the
obedient Christian life out of thankfulness
and praise for what God has already done for
us in Jesus we respond to what God has done
out of thankfulness to him all of the work
that we should be doing as a church and as
individual Christians should be out of a
desire to see God glorified to see Jesus
glorified our faith being worked out as a
declaration of praise to our great God which
in turn will be a witness to the watching world
around us because we're constantly pointing
people to Jesus it's that same attitude of
John the Baptist who in John 3 30 said that
Jesus and his fame must increase and John and
his fame his ministry must decrease because
Jesus is the focus of his life the life of a
Christian is one of humility that points to
Jesus giving him all the glory as we wait for
that wonderful day when we will see him and be
in his presence forever
so brothers and sisters look to the future
that awaits you as a Christian be in awe of
Jesus and how amazing it will be to spend
eternity in his presence and then put that
faith into action every single day
glorify him now as you serve this local
church glorify Jesus as you come alongside one
another and care for each other glorify Jesus as
you take the gospel to the world that needs him
and glorify Jesus by following God's word and
living obedient lives full of growth as we eagerly
await his return and pray these prayers for one
another pray for our persecuted brothers and
sisters across the world live daily for the glory of
God by the power of the spirit and point people to
Christ share the gospel freely because only in
Jesus can hope be found and no one can go too far for
forgiveness no one can out sin God's grace no one is
beyond the love of God but how will they know that if no
one tells them we may not live in Afghanistan with the
Taliban going door-to-door hunting Christians we may
not be in Iran where we need to hide and meet in secret but
we are in a spiritual battle where the world lives and
breathes a hatred for God and for Christians that can and
often does result in persecution and the oppression of
Christians how do we respond to that we need to remember that
God is not blind and we need to remember that there is not a
second of suffering that his people endure for his name that
he doesn't see and that doesn't grieve him we need to remember that
there are two futures the future of the wicked and of judgment and
eternal separation from God in hell and a future of the faithful one of
glorious union with Jesus that will last forever that future should impact how
we live now how we serve one another and how we think about pointing people to
Jesus with every opportunity we have let's pray together
heavenly father we thank you for your word we thank you that you have given us all that we need to
know to obey you all that we need to know to
respond with obedience to the gospel
father this evening we have covered both the hard news and the good news and I pray
that if we need to be unsettled that you would unsettle us
and settle us with the truth of judgment of sin and of a life without you
but father would you also comfort us that there is hope there is life that there is eternal life
in your perfect presence through Jesus Christ
and father would you help us live obediently to the gospel every single day
and point people to Jesus that is what you've created us to do
and help us serve you well by lifting the name of Jesus above every other name
for the upbuilding of your kingdom and for the glory of Christ we pray
amen