2 Thessalonians 2:13-17 "Stand Fast"

[Music] today we're in second Thessalonians we're gonna look at verses 13 through 17 in chapter 2 and so let me begin reading at verse 13 I'll read to verse 17 give you an introduction move right into our study so in 2nd Thessalonians chapter 2 verse 13 Paul writes we are bound to give thanks to God always for you brethren beloved by the Lord because God for the beginning chose you for salvation through sanctification by the spirit and belief in the truth to which he called you by our gospel for the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ therefore brethren stand fast and hold the traditions which you were taught whether by word or our epistle now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself and our God and Father who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace comfort your hearts and establish you in every good word and work so as we begin here let me give you a little bit of foundation and reminder of some of the things he had said but Paul is beginning his port this portion of his epistle by saying that he is obligated to give thanks for them now that's the second time he's made that statement in this letter if you remember in chapter 1 verse 3 he said he was obligated to give thanks for them and he gave us three reasons why he was obligated bound to give thanks for them and when we looked at verse three I pointed those things out he had said that he's obligated to give thanks for them first because of their faith that their faith was growing exceedingly and secondly he was obligated to give thanks because their love for one another was abounding and then finally third he said I'm obligated or bound to give thanks for you because you exhibit great patience in the face of your persecution so it's already mentioned that to them at the beginning of the letter but once again he returns to saying that he is obligated or bound to give thanks on their behalf you see he would he had already given thanks on their behalf because when people experience difficulties many believers just basically turn away the difficulties are too much for them to handle their faith runs dry they walk away from the things of the Lord but that is not true for this church in the midst of the trials they were continuing to exhibit faith they were continuing to show love and continuing to have patience that was something that moved him to thank God for them but once again here in verse 13 he says he's obligated to give thanks for them he's prompted to thank God because they believed the truth of the gospel and in believing the truth of the gospel they are not believing the lie you see in verse 10 he had said with all unrighteous deception among those who perish because they did not receive the love of the truth that they might be saved they did not receive the love of the truth that they might be saved and so that speaks of truth being offered to them but then refusing to receive it it was something they had no appetite for they had no desire for it was not desirable to them and the reason they didn't want to receive the truth is because they preferred the system of the world they had no desire for the truth of the gospel so the love of the truth was not something attractive to them you see the love of the truth isn't simply loving truth in general but he said they wouldn't receive the love of the truth he's saying they would not receive Jesus Christ who is the truth it wasn't speaking concerning a general sympathy for ideas he wasn't saying that they didn't have a philosophic desire to know the meaning of life he wasn't saying that what he is saying is that these people will receive Antichrist because they do not love Jesus Christ and that's why they'll receive the Antichrist they're going to receive the Antichrist because of his great swelling words are going to believe the Antichrist because of his works and the wonder that he will he will cause them to experience by the things he's doing insane in he's the reason they're going to accept the Antichrist and again remember he's writing to people who are going through persecution and affliction thinking that they're in the middle of or going through the tribulation so he's saying listen I already shared with you and have shared with you that people will follow after the Antichrist will make us himself known but the reason they will follow him is because they were not lovers of truth and insane they weren't lovers of truth they weren't lovers of the gospel they were rejecting Jesus who is the truth so they refused to listen to what Jesus taught they're going to reject him and they'll reject his words in John chapter 8 verses 42 through 44 Jesus is speaking and it says that he said to them if god were your father you would love me for I came from God and now am here I have not come on my own but he sent me why is my language not clear to you because you are unable to hear what I say you belong to your father the devil and you want to carry out your father's desire he was a murderer from the beginning not holding to the truth for there is no truth in him so there's no desire for truth they had no love for Christ he didn't want to hear his message and he said the reason you don't is because you're rejecting me because you belong to someone else so that reminds me of something that I say I wrote about in the Old Testament the prophet Isaiah was was writing under the prompting of the Spirit of God and during his day people were receiving false teaching and were rejecting his message and and what he had to say in his message was it was not something that they wanted to hear so in light of this the prophet Isaiah spoke a word against these people listen to what he said in Isaiah 30 verses 9 and 10 this is a rebellious people lying children children who will not hear the law of the Lord who say to the seers do not see to the prophets do not prophesy to us right things speak to us smooth things prophesy deceits but he says speak to us smooth things it's another way of saying flatter us say something to us we want to hear and so there was a rebellious 'no sinned the children of Israel in the Old Testament that continues through history in the time of Jeremiah another Old Testament prophet Jeremiah prophesied concerning the people's openness to deception in Jeremiah 23 16 and 17 he said thus saith the Lord of hosts do not listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you they make you worthless they speak a vision of their own heart not from the mouth of the Lord they continually say to those who despise me the Lord has said you shall have peace and to everyone who walks according to the dictates of his own heart they say no evil shall come upon you so he's warning them he's saying like Isaiah had said he's saying they're just asking people to say the things that they want to hear and so that's what's going to take place and that's what Paul has been outlining concerning the last days and the deception he's saying in verse 11 instead of receiving truth they will receive the lie there they're going to embrace a lie deal the lie that the Antichrist is Messiah so instead of embracing Jesus they voluntarily will embrace the false messiah and the result will be the condemnation because they had pleasure he says in unrighteousness in other words they embrace unrighteousness when it says they embrace unrighteousness it speaks of Antichrist teaching and his claims they're gonna embrace that and hold fast to that so God permits strong delusion to occupy their minds so that some will believe the lie in other words they prefer false apostles and the heretical doctrines to the pure truths of the gospel and being always ready to receive any false messiah they systematically reject the true one in John 3:19 this is the condemnation that the light is come into the world men love darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil but the Thessalonians embrace the gospel and Paul is bound to give thanks in giving thanks it's an encouragement that he's giving to them it's interesting that when somebody come and shares with you that if they open up a Bible and they speak with certainty and give their testimony about the truth of what they're saying to you that many young believers are very prone to receive what they're saying and they'll say things that tickle our ears they'll say things that we agree with and so we have a tendency of saying well they opened up the Bible they use the name of Jesus they must be telling the truth but what happens over time is this listen if you get saved you begin reading the Word of God and as you're feeding your spirit as you're going through the word you begin to learn things about God at the same time you're going to church as you go to church you receive Bible studies so you hear the study you go home you make sure it is rightly divided you do the best that you can to to check on these things and holdfast of the things that are true and you begin to grow in as you're growing spiritually you begin to develop discernment and so when somebody says something you start saying things within yourself like that doesn't sound like anything I've read and that doesn't sound like anything I've been taught and so you begin to realize that something's being said don't necessarily line up with what scripture says you're gaining discernment you just aren't aware of it you're growing to understand certain things but you're not aware of how that's taking place when I first got saved for example some people knocked on the door began to share with me I was a brand-new Christian and as they were speaking to me I began to say to them you know I don't think I agree with what you're saying that that doesn't sound familiar to anything that I've been taught because the Lord was already giving me through his word and by his spirit a sense of discernment and sometimes the people that you're speaking to are so you know attractive in so many ways you don't really see through them but as you're growing older in the Lord you start seeing more clearly you see that they're wearing a mask just the other day my grandson who is less than four years old his name's David what a great name David my David was was at the house and his father my son had him some kind of little kit you can get at at toy stores and things and it's just like three or four different false moustaches you guys have seen those so you open it and then you can paste it on your face and he came walking in where I was and he he looks at me and he stands it with his mustache and I looked down at him and I say who are you and then he takes it off and oh it's you it's David then he puts it back up where David go he puts it back on we can we kept going for some time the funny thing is is the Holy Spirit began to minister to me and said you know that's kind of like false teachers they walk in they have a little disguise but a lot of people look at them but with discernment and quite obviously knowing the true Christ and a true prophet and what they would be saying they can put the disguise on all day long but the fact is they're just being disguised they're just disguising themselves and that's what happens you gain discernment you see that that's a phony moustache they're wearing so I scared him I pulled mine off no I did and so what it is is he is saying you didn't give in to the lie you didn't move in that direction you won't give in to the light true believers won't and so as he's speaking concerning this and he's already been speaking concerning those things in verse 13 he continues by saying something to them in this way he says we are bound to give thanks to God always for you brethren beloved by the Lord because God from the beginning chose you for salvation through sanctification by the spirit and belief in the truth so notice he says brethren who are beloved by the Lord out of the abundance of his love God had chosen them for himself whatever God does for the Lost always finds its origin in his love for them salvation is not impersonal God is not some other out there some cosmic energy salvation is personal and gods for mankind is personal in Jeremiah 31 verse 3 the Lord has appeared of old to me saying yes I have loved you with an everlasting love therefore with loving kindness I have drawn you we all know John 3:16 God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life God loved the world in 1st John 4:19 we love Him because He first loved us and God's love is revealed through His grace in His mercy towards sinners God demonstrated his love toward us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us and this grace and this mercy is revealed in the gospel of truth in 1st John 4:9 this is how God showed his love among us he sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him so salvation is not possible for those who refuse the love of the truth and the truth is Jesus and is revealed in the gospel in the New Testament the gospel is referred to as the word of truth Colossians 1:5 speaks of the hope which is laid up for you in heaven of which you heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel and throughout the Bible belief in the truth is the means of salvation that's why in 2nd Timothy 2:15 Paul said be diligent to present yourself approved to God a worker who does not need to be ashamed rightly dividing the word of truth and so it's God's Word the word of truth that they've embraced and so in verse 13 Paul calls them beloved by the Lord and reminds them that God had chosen them now remember they thought they had missed the rapture but Paul reminds them of their salvation in Christ and this is what gives them peace in the midst of their afflictions now some would say how irresponsible it is for this man to give them such a promise to think that that's bringing comfort to them how can you comfort somebody with promises of pie-in-the-sky by by anyway how can you say it's always it'll get better and eventually you dine you go to heaven but the thing is people don't seem to understand that's been the hope of the church all along we realize that we're just passing through we realize that this world is not our own at least we ought to what strengthens me daily what strengthens us daily is that awareness that that truth is found in scripture God Scripture brings me comfort and hope and I am a sojourner I'm a pilgrim I'm passing through first Peter 2:11 said it like that beloved I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul so the Christian is supposed to know the world is not our home the Christian is supposed to know we're traveling we're traveling to heaven again at first Peter in chapter 1 verses 3 through 5 the Apostle said it like this he said praise be to the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ in his great mercy he has given us new birth into a Living Hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead and into an inheritance that can never perish spoil or fade kept in heaven for you who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time kept in heaven for you in Philippians 3:20 our citizenship is in heaven from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior the Lord Jesus Christ so believers are given spiritual security through receiving and loving God's Word the word of truth and that's something Paul made very clear in order to encourage the believer when he was writing for example to the Ephesians he had said in chapter 1 verse 13 in whom you also trusted after that you heard the word of truth the gospel of your salvation in whom also after that you believed you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise so the security we have in Christ is what prompts us to praise God and the surity they have in Christ prompted Paul to thank God they received the truth of the gospel because they did they reject the lie now notice in verse 13 he went on to say God has chosen them from the beginning for salvation the beginning from eternity God determined to save them from all eternity it wasn't it afterthought he intended to save them quoting from Peter again first Peter 1:18 through 20 knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things like silver or gold from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your father's but with the precious blood of Christ as a lamb without blemish without spot he indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world but was manifest in these last times for you so salvation began with God choosing them in the past continues in the president moves on into the future and so in Paul's writing to the Romans in chapter 8 he says in verses 29 through 31 for those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his son that he might be the firstborn among many brothers those he predestined he called those he called he also justified those he justified he also glorified what then shall we say in response to this if God is for us who can be against us so the way of salvation you see the work of the Spirit in combination with the gospel when the message of the gospel is preached it's not a man's message it doesn't originate in man's imagination the gospel is never declared in Scripture to be just something that was compiled by human beings the gospel is a message that God gave to us and the Word of God is true and because the Word of God declares that that that the gospel is the message of salvation and in order for us to be saved we receive it it's important for us to understand that the message goes forth but requires the Holy Spirit to bring conviction you've seen this I've seen this where you speaking to somebody on a one-on-one conversational basis and as you're sharing with them a little bit of what you know perhaps they ask you what did you do this weekend and you say I didn't have much to do so I went to church but as you're talking to them they'll say you go to church yeah I've been going to church for a while really why well because you know I get talking about God what why do you care about God and you begin to share well you know what you knew me you know what I used to do you know how I was the things I did where I used to go you staying around with me you've seen me done do a lot of crazy things yeah yeah I did yeah I do remember that well God has changed my life and you began to share with them the gospel in this church recently I got a letter from somebody in the fellowship Facebook post and I saw the last name and I said I've only known one person by that name that last name how'd they find me no I only I've only known one person by that last actually two and I thought I wonder so I went to the profile and I went to see the information and I see the name and then it says married - and the name that this woman is married to is the name of the person I was associating so I thought what a small world because I haven't seen this person for 50 years yep and so I'm thinking now so I right listen I knew somebody by this name could it happen to be your husband and she writes back yes it is my husband and she tells me we've been in your church for a year but he couldn't believe that was you I'm not kidding because we hung around in high school and she said I can't be David that's not David because he and I if you're here right now my brother you know what I'm saying but it's true the gospel transforms lives it's not just the words it's the power it's the power it's the power that God through his word in conjunction with the Spirit works within you to make you unrecognizable to those who knew you best that's what God's word will do is see so Paul is blessed that they're not receiving the lie but what is protecting them is that they've received the truth they've received Christ they've received the message of the gospel and they have the power of the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit is working within them conforming them into the image of Jesus Christ so when somebody is speaking and sharing if they're just giving their opinion or even their testimony that's one thing but when God's Word is rightly divided and presented for what it is and people will read that scripture as we're going through the word and they see it it applies to them the Holy Spirit brings what is called conviction when the Holy Spirit brings conviction the word conviction speaks of bringing a sense that this applies to you it awakens you to yourself it gives you opportunity to be aware of who you are and it's the work of the Holy Spirit to do that in John 16 verse 8 speaking of the Holy Spirit jesus said when he has come he will convict the world of sin and of righteousness and of judgment it takes a Holy Spirit's conviction to awaken us to our sin because we have excuses I make excuses for my life because I'm going to take care of number one I'm going to take care of myself I'm going to present myself in the best light and I do that all the time we all do but we know what we really are but sometimes won't acknowledge it it the Holy Spirit will awaken us and we'll say this is you this is what you've been doing and when he does that that's called conviction you know wakens me of my sin the sin of rejecting Christ the sin of not wanting to walk and in in accordance to his will and that's what happens and so the Holy Spirit working with the Word of God when that gospel is preached and the Spirit convicts brings salvation that those who receive him in first Peter 1:2 Peter said he'll act according to the foreknowledge of God the Father through sanctification of the Spirit to obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ grace to you and peace be multiplied so through sanctification by the spirit and belief in the truth God transforms us he saves us it's God's purpose to lead us to a life of holiness that comes by the spirit in the word and this sanctification is an inward process produced by the prompting of the Holy Spirit you know I want to be very quick to always recognize the fact that I am a sinner saved by grace and if I ever give the impression anybody here that I don't know that forgive me for that impression because I know what I am and I know what I am without Jesus Christ and anything I ever share with you I share out of a heart that just desires to be honest with you and to be right before him understand that but if you think that I think if any of you ever got the impression that I think I'm better than you God knows I'm not and so do I I'm no better than you I'm a sinner saved by grace you know when I first got saved I went into the military three months after getting saved I didn't have a church to continue attending no excuse I read the Bible I had fellowship but I was maturing very slowly and when I got out of the Army in 1972 early 73 I went to one of my cuz marriage or her wedding and I was there at the reception in the reception was held at her home and my cousin was a born-again believer and I was too but I was only two and a half years old in the Lord and almost two of those years had been spent in the military and now I'm out and now I'm at her reception in and I'm 23 years old and and they're offering champagne and beer and it's free if it's free it's for me and so so I drink one after all I'm over 21 drank another before you know it I was starting to get kind of wobbly we used to say buzzed I don't know if that's were used anymore but or we had our buzz on you know and that's what was happening I got a little dizzy those feelings and I was sitting down on the couch and two guys one sat on one side of me the other on the other and they turned to me and they started speaking to me and they said you know Jesus Christ saved sinners and I said amen because I'm a Christian already amen yeah I know that he said you know he could save you hey said yeah he has and they share with me and share with me and I'm trying to convince them that I'm a believer already and I still remember when they finished talking they had a frustrated look in their face I remember them getting up and walking away and saying oh right man talk to you later because I wouldn't pray with them I said listen man I am a Christian but I was little little drunk and I still remember when they walked away I said there was a saying we used to say at that time that Jesus freaks I said here there or in the air that's what we used to say I'll see you here I'll see over there or in the rapture that's what that meant and it but I slurred my words you know here there are into the air you know and they just looked at me I didn't realize how unholy I was until the Holy Spirit convicted me and said you are living in a way that makes believers think you can't possibly be saved and it was things like that that I began to think about as a young believer how then should I live well getting little high at a wedding probably it's not the best testimony and things like that so if I if it's if there is anybody in this room that is struggling because you fail I'm not giving you permission to continue I know the Lord doesn't give you permission to continue failing but I would say guess what if you repent God will wash you God will cleanse you God will lead you get into his word get serious with Jesus and who knows what God will do with your life but don't make excuses for your sin anymore just say God I am miserable I am going in the wrong direction I want to follow you I'm open to you and that's what happens the conviction of the Holy Spirit and the combination of that with God's Word your desire to pursue him lead you into a holier life and Paul is speaking concerning these kinds of things and he says that in verse 13 says the that God from the beginning shows you for salvation through sanctification by the spirit and belief in the truth so the spirit prompts you to desire holiness God's Word shows you what it is how can a young man keep his way pure by living according to your way your word that's how it works and so he's speaking of the word verse 14 where he says to which he called you believed in the truth to which he called you by our gospel for the obtaining of the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ God has fulfilled his foreordained purpose by calling them through the gospel Paul and Silas and Timothy mentioned in verse one of this book had been used by the Lord to minister salvation to them it was by the preaching and receiving of the message that they had been saved in John 6:63 jesus said it's the spirit who gives life the flesh profits nothing the words that I speak to you our spirit they are life in 1st Corinthians 1:18 the message of the Cross is foolishness to those who are perishing but to us who are being saved it is the power of God and so it's interesting that God intended to save them and us through preaching before they heard the gospel they were walking in spiritual darkness the wisdom of their philosophers and intellectuals did not produce spiritual really relief and so to reach them God sent His Son and the gospel message and it was communicated to them Titus 1:3 Paul says God has in due time manifested his word through preaching which was committed to me according to the commandment of God our Savior again somebody can't be saved because they like your testimony there's they'll see you and they'll say well that's great you used to be an alcoholic used to be a drug you used to be whatever you were and that's nice to hear I had a friend of mine his name was Eddie he said that to me I was with him at his house I was again I was a Christian maybe four years old in the Lord I was visiting with him good friend from high school and I said Eddie I said you knew me in high school you knew the crazy life I lived you knew the way I was he goes yeah I said Eddie I'm not that way anymore you know I'm not out getting high anymore and not running anymore I'm not doing those things anymore and he says Dave I just figured you outgrew that I thought you just grew up cuz Eddie didn't do any of those things he wasn't that way at all and he hit me way back in 74 he hit me my testimonies not enough because people can think that you outgrew certain things or you just got tired of certain things that's not what saved me and that's not what saves others it's a preaching of the Cross it's learning to communicate to people this is our deepest need see see the reason we do things isn't simply because of my education or lack thereof or anything pertaining to that the reason I do what I do is because my nature is sinful and I desire to do the evil for within me there's an evil desire I need that to be obliterated I need that dealt with and that's why God sent Christ not so that I could try hard to be good because I can't I used to have friends of mine who'd say you know David you're not that good what makes you think you're going to heaven you see there I got saved in a time when people actually thought that good people go to heaven at that time they knew that sinners didn't and that that only real good people went to heaven and so I I would say that I still remember saying I'm going to heaven because I was excited man I'm going to heaven and they say you're not good enough to go to heaven I still remember at the age of 20 saying I'm not good enough but he is it wasn't that I kept the commandment says that he did it for me and that's I learned that early it wasn't by works of righteousness that I had done but according to His mercy he say be by the Washington regeneration renewing of the Holy Spirit it was a work of God by grace I've been saved through faith not not of myself but it's a gift of God not of works lest any man should boast I learned that orally and I and it's not a lesson that I didn't have to relearn because there been times in my life like yours where I've thought I have to really try have to really try and I learned that part of the trying is the dying I have to die to certain things so I can live to certain things and that's what happens as the word starts taking home in your heart and you begin to realize that it's the society that we live in is not going to be transformed by our testimonies the society is transformed when they receive truth when they receive the gospel and that's what we give to people good people to some degree do exist in certain levels there's none good no not one in terms of ultimate righteousness this everyone sins I'll fall short of the glory of God we know that by nature we do that which is evil we know that at least we as believers know that but there are certain kinds of good that are relatively good and and for me you know coming from a relatively good society I grew up in a time where good things were kind of the norm to do good things were kind of the norm in the 50s and all growing up as I did they were kind of the norm there were this there were people that you didn't do certain things and you did certain things and that's just because you had a whole community that would look at you and say that's not right and what you're doing is right and that's how I grew up it was a time when I was able I'll give an example not like I'm tripping down memory lane like oh it's good old days but just to give you some context when when I grew up my dad would give me a quarter because the Sunday paper was a quarter at that time that tells you how long ago that was it was a quarter and he'd give me a quarter I would walk to the store we had a corner store and I would walk to the store I'd lift up the papers and there was a pile of quarters there and I would put my quarter amongst the pile and just drop it and then take the first paper the papers were actually left out in front of the store before the store opened up so people were not stealing newspapers they were actually lifting the paper up and putting the quarter in and then they'd take the paper because they were honest because we still lived in a time where where it was that was to be admired and that's the way you should be that was how he grew up I grew up if it was hot we opened up a window we weren't afraid that someone's going to climb in kill us we didn't even think about that I grew up in a time when you'd leave your car keys in the car in the front yard and nobody was going to steal your car that didn't happen I lived in a time when if I had left my bicycle outside that one of the neighbors would come and put it in the back yard to make sure I didn't get in trouble with my father for leaving my bike outside it was a different time and and a lot of people don't understand that we're living in a time of instant everything now and everything is so rapid people don't don't relate to that very well yeah I lived in a time when you used to use something called mail and you'd actually write you had to write and spell correctly and then you would send your letter and it would take a you know three days or four days to get there if it did and then they would write back so guess what if I needed help and I said man I mean I'm in real need help me it would take me two weeks to hear them say I'm on my way I mean that was about it see so we're living in an entirely an entirely different life you know a time where music was entirely different and everything else everything else there wasn't any profanity on the on the airwaves there weren't marches for certain things there none of that I mean the I Love Lucy Show was still perpetually on reruns I mean they had a kid but they slept in different beds and they thought how that happened they don't even sleep together because we didn't have that see so when you grow up you have this idea that certain things ought to say that way but one of the things that I saw when I got safe was why these things were like that why did we have a society like that and it was because the gospel still had that restraining kind of power in the nation I was growing up in where people didn't get mad if you said Merry Christmas that was normal when stores were closed when I grew up in my neighborhood were closed on Sunday because everybody went to church and had Sunday afternoon meals that's the America I grew up in now give you some insight into the tears you'll see coming from me some when I see how far we've drifted from that but the tears aren't just that the tears are because Christians are living like the world and that's what concerns me you know I am more than willing to discuss with people whatever the concern may be but what is new to me is having to speak to Christians to teach them but God's Word doesn't say that this is how we should live and then to hear people say know what grace man grace grace is all grace see when I got saved I learned what grace is because I came from a religious system that you had to work to go to heaven that's why you never knew if you were going to go and when somebody gave me the gospel of grace that God loved me sent his son died on the cross was buried resurrected the 30th he ascended to heaven and for the 40 days later and and all of that I thought that is Grace you mean I to me it was amazing grace but you know what happened from those years ago when I got saved - now people use the word grace to cover their sin to give them permission to stay in it and that's the stuff that you'll hear coming from my heart every every sermon really is for us let's stay in the word let's walk in the spirit let's not get deceived by the flow of the world today let's remain firm with Jesus Christ let's be lights on the hill let's take that that basket off that candle so that the world can see that we really believe what we believe because it's the truth the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ let us live transformed lives and that's something Paul is blessed about he said you will not believe the lie and he's saying in verse 14 God called you by our gospel for the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ God works within you he does it by his Spirit to deliver you from evil and to transform you and so what began in grace will end in glory Jesus spoke of this in his high priestly prayer recorded in John 17 in verse 22 of John 17 he prayed and said the glory which you gave me I have given them that they may be one just as we are in first Peter 1:7 Peter said the genuineness of your faith being much more precious and gold that perishes though it is tested by fire may be found to praise honor and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ so Paul's point would be that those who are in Christ also share the glory of Christ God's purpose is for believers to eternally share in and reflect the glory of Jesus were being transformed and were being conformed into his image and as someone once said for the Christian there can be no other glory so he says in verse 15 therefore brethren stand fast hold the traditions traditions which you were taught whether by word or our epistle now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself in our God and Father who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace comfort your hearts and establish you in every good word and work stand fast brethren stand fast the term stand fast remained firm persist persevere keep standing since we've been saved by the gospel stand fast to the gospel hold tightly to the gospel like he says in first Corinthians 16:13 watch stand fast in the faith be brave be strong Galatians 5:1 stand fast therefore in the Liberty by which Christ has made us free do not be entangled again with the yoke of bondage in light of the fact that the world is in crisis and greater crisis is coming he's saying stand fast in the word he had already said in verse 2 do not be shaken in mind or troubled so hold on remain firm be strong for me part of what helps me to remain strong as I have fellowship with people who are strong also and they encouraged me so I see someone who is strong and I want to be strong too we can actually lift one another up you know going to me if I fall in no is no one there lift me up I have people who can lift me up I have fellow pastors and brothers in the Lord who I can look to it and I'll be honest with you there are times when I say you know this is hard I'm tired yet I'd like to give up I've had it it's easier to flow than it is to fight I just have seen just like any dead fish just flow on with the with the current but there's something inside of me that says but you can't do that it takes a living fish to go against the flow so walk in the spirit and I strengthened my own heart often but I also need people who are examples to me and and and seeing them and and all it encourages me and and even hearing sometimes the the well Dunn's are encouraging words or something can stir my soul and you're the same way it helps me to proceed even when it's hard even when it's tiring even when you want to give up when I was in the military once again I was in the Army I most of you know I I served with the 82nd airborne and the 82nd airborne is a is is known was known in the military as being runners we ran we would run everywhere I mean that's the way it was and after I got out of jump school and after I had permanent party you know I started to get out of shape so I started to run again and I didn't like it because I'm not one who likes to run you know I don't run today if I'm sitting down I don't even run to the refrigerator I'll say Murray can you run on over there she likes to run I don't but I'll tell you I I used to run three to five miles a day every day that's what I did on my own recreationally because I got to love running and so it wasn't easy when it began when I started running I was out of shape I'd been out of jump school as permanent party we weren't running as much anymore and before you know it I'm just getting lazy and puttin on weight and I'm realizing how easy it is to put on weight they give you three squares three three meals a day and that's the way it worked and now I'm gaining weight I'm putting on weight I don't like it I have to work out I start working I start dropping weight and so part of the way to drop weight for me was running so I had a course it was a three mile course I used to run through a forest area is the three-mile course and three of my friends four of my friends and I decided to start running again so there we go running out up this course and as it's in the in the woods I I still remember my first run saying to myself I hate this there's no need in doing this why am i doing this you want to stop I'm telling myself this you want to stop and so we're at the two mile marker and I'm thinking you know if you stop they're gonna they're gonna think you're wimping out then I'd say who cares I'm tired I'll go get a burger I don't you know and I was arguing with myself you gotta stop and now my feet those of you who run know what I mean when your feet feel like Lad your legs are heavy and you're saying to yourself I don't want to do this anymore that I don't need this and and I'm starting to slow down but after my right in this field there's a bunch of young kids who probably were high school age and there was one of the one of our sergeants one of the airborne sergeants and he says and I heard him they were about 50 yards away I heard him when the guy says to the kids you see those men those are airborne men and I'll said Mac and run I I'll never forget that on that I will never forget that it's the truth I'm just like a stallion you know so I learned a long time ago that is encouraging when you got somebody on the sideline he was saying now that's an example follow that I learned that at the age of 23 be an example and be encouraged by others you can do it stand fast don't give up hold on and watch the glory of the Lord hold on works we're with you we're cheering for you we're on your side we want to see you succeed and stand fast and that's what he's telling us to do hold fast and remember there are eternal benefits in first Corinthians 15:58 Paul said my beloved brethren be steadfast immovable always abounding in the work of the Lord knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord don't be apathetic clutch tightly to the truth that you've received he says and he uses the word traditions the word tradition literally is the giving over which is done by word or mouth or in writing tradition by instruction narrative or precept that speaks of the teachings of the Apostles that's been called apostolic doctrine they're to hold fast the teachings that they've received now Paul had received and he's simply giving that which he received in first Corinthians 11:2 he had said to the church in Corinth I praise you brethren that you remember me in all things and keep the traditions just as I delivered them to you these traditions are not religious ideas that's speaking of the gospel verbally delivered later written down so he's saying remain firm in the word this is what gives you freedom and this is what gives you life the great apostasy will impact those who refuse to hold fast to the doctrine so the teachings that the apostles give you instruction and hold fast those things Paul first received them and he gave them to others in Galatians one eleven and twelve he said I certify you brethren that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man I neither received it of man neither was I taught it but by the revelation of Jesus Christ Peter in 2nd Peter 1:16 said we have not followed cunningly devised fables when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ we were eyewitnesses of his majesty so stand fast don't move away grasp firmly to it hold tightly to the word of God stand your ground don't let go plant your feet clutched tightly to God's word is what he's saying and that's applicable to us too and then finally he says in verse 16 may our Lord Jesus Christ himself and our God and Father who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace comfort your hearts and establish you in every good word and work under persecution may God continue to give you encouragement as you obey Him we not only are to stand fast in God's Word and guard it but we're also called to do it so Paul prays that God will encourage you and establish them in every good word and work if our lives contradict our preaching the gospel is compromised we lose credibility so Paul prays that their word and works will be consistent and remember it is God's love that has motivated our works for him it is the good works that are fueled by faith and testify of his saving grace James 1:22 says it like this be doers of the word not hearers only deceiving yourselves Titus 2:14 says who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purifying to himself a peculiar people zealous of good works remember this changed the life isn't going to happen just by our own efforts we are being sanctified by the Spirit as we continue to believe in the truth and remember Philippians 1:6 which says being confident of this very thing that he who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ God will work in you God is working in you and when you feel a sense of conviction the wisest thing to do is repent God be merciful to me I'm a sinner god I'm I'm weak but you are strong god I'm faithless but you are faithful God I need your help because lord I realized that every day I live is one less day on earth and one day closer to be with you help me to live like that help me to number my days that I might walk with wisdom help me to look for things that are still unseen with the expectant hope of one day seeing them with my eyes help me to realize that Jesus when it's all said and done this world is passing away but your word never does and that I have my name written in your book of life and one day I will see you face to face and I will be brought into your image help me to know that Christian faith and help me to be a witness of your glory because you are transforming me from glory to glory and the day will come not that far from now when I will be known I will know even as I am known and I will have the opportunity to lay down at your feet and to simply say for eternity thank you for what you've done for me I love you Jesus but thank you because you first loved me may we stand fast in the truth

Channel: Calvary Chapel Chino Valley

Views: 4,539

Keywords: Calvary Chapel, Calvary Chapel Chino Valley, CCCV, Pastor David Rosales, A Sure Foundation, Bible, cccv, Church, Teaching, Worship, God, Christians, Bible Study, Jesus, A Jesus People Community, Truth, Gods Word, David Rosales, Pastor David, Ministries, Bible Studies, Gospel, Holy Spirit, End Times

Id: vlzEw8WnbLE

Length: 53min 2sec (3182 seconds)

Published: Mon Oct 08 2018