I wonder if you'll turn with me to
Paul's second letter to the Thessalonians, please.
Paul's second episode to the Thessalonians.
I'm sure that we have to be encouraged
and challenged by the sweetness of the ministry
of Herb.
As Richard has said, young people, perhaps you
have not passed that reading yet.
But there is absolutely no doubt that if
the Lord be your God, sometime, somewhere, you
will have passed that reading.
And just to link with the message, I'm
going to speak in chapter number 2 of
the 2nd Thessalonians.
And I want you just to look, to
see it back down, chapter 1 and verse
number 4.
So that we ourselves glory in you in
the churches of God, for your patience and
faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that
ye endure.
Verse 1 of chapter 2.
Now we beseech you brethren, by the coming
of the Lord Jesus Christ and by our
gathering unto him, that ye be not soon
shaken in mind or troubled, neither by spirit,
nor by word, nor by letter, as from
us, as that the day of Christ is
at hand.
Let no man deceive you by any means,
for that day shall not come except there
come a falling away first.
And that man of sin be revealed, the
son of perdition, who opposed and exalted himself
above all that is called God.
For that is worship, so that he, as
God, sitteth in the temple of God, showing
himself that he is God.
Remember ye not that when I was yet
with you, I told you these things.
And now ye know what withholdeth, that he
might be revealed in his time.
For the mystery of iniquity doth already work,
only he who now letteth or restraineth will
restrain until he be taken out of the
way.
And then shall that wicked be revealed, whom
the Lord shall consume with the spirit of
his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness
of his coming, even him whose coming is
after the working of Satan with all power
and signs and lying wonders.
With all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that
perish, because they received not the love of
the truth, that they might be saved.
And for this cause God shall send strong
delusion that they should believe a lie, that
they all might be damned who believed not
the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
But we are bound to give thanks always
to God 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 your gospel to
the obtaining of the glory of our Lord
Jesus Christ, therefore, brethren, stand fast.
Hold the traditions which you have been taught,
whether by word or our epistle.
Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God,
even our Father, which hath loved us and
hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope
through grace, comfort your hearts in every good
word and word.
Now we are sure that God lies listening
to the public reading of his word this
evening.
The people to whom Paul is writing are
the people who are suffering and suffering much,
are people who are afflicted, are people who
are having to endure.
As you know, as Richard said, it's easy
to pray and to sing every day when
your cup runneth over with joy.
What a different story when your cup is
empty and dry and you feel you can
sit down and cry.
Or if the Lord you would please, then
get down upon your knees for your cup
runneth over with joy.
They were going through such difficult experiences that
they actually believed that the day of the
Lord had come.
Having come, that's the thought.
And they were actually going through the great
tribulation that would come upon this earth.
And the apostle, he's writing, he's writing to
correct that.
And you know, it's a challenge to my
heart that what he writes to correct, according
to verse number 5, he had also written
to prevent in the first place.
You see, ministry ought to be both preventative
and corrective.
Better preventative, of course.
But now that they're in the problem and
they're believing something which is not according to
the word of God, then the apostle will
now write to correct that.
When he writes his second epistle, he tells
them in chapter 1 that that day is
going to come.
And he tells them why it's going to
come.
For God will bring tribulation upon those that
have troubled you.
In verse number, in chapter number 3, he
thinks about the effect of the coming of
the day of the Lord.
What effect it should have in their lives.
You see, it's not just something crooked.
But it should have a purifying effect in
every life.
And in chapter number 2, he tells us
when that day will come.
When that day will come.
And you know, we're living an awful lot
nearer that day than when the apostle Paul
wrote these words.
And I'm sure that you dear young folks,
as you go about your daily business, as
you meet with other Christians, well, they will
tell you that as Christians, we will pass
through the days of tribulation.
Now you would have to read Paul's first
epistle to the Thessalonians, and then this one,
to find that that will not be the
case.
But we're going to look at this chapter
together, and first it will be a challenge
to your heart, an encouragement to your heart.
Even in difficult circumstances.
And there are principles that will be brought
out here that will help you in your
personal circumstances.
I want to talk in verses 1 and
2 about discouragement of the saints.
In verses 1 and 2, the saints are
discouraged.
But then in relation to that day, verses
3 to 5, Paul says, listen, there are
distinctive signs.
There are pointers, there are precursors to that
day.
And unless those things have happened, that day
could not have happened.
And then he tells us a wonderful thing,
and it links up with what our dear
brother mentioned to us at the end of
his ministry.
He says, there is an eternal schedule.
God has a divine plan.
Never taken by surprise.
Whether in your little life circumstances, or whether
in a sembler life circumstances, or whether in
world affairs.
God is never taken by surprise.
But he works all things according to the
counsel of his own will.
He did not have any advisors.
He had to tell Jordan that.
Where was you when I made the foundation
of the world?
He never made mistakes.
And he doesn't in our life, but it
is difficult.
As Jesus has said, it is difficult to
understand.
And we don't know what the future holds,
and glad we are.
But we do know who holds the future.
And know that we can just rest there.
Know that we can just rest there.
Not only an eternal schedule, but in verses
9 to 12, we have those deluded souls.
Which shall go into days of tribulation.
When the awful judgment of God will be
seen in this world as it has never
been seen before.
I quote from the Lord Jesus himself.
A day pass through.
One terrible time of judgment on this world.
When a false holy God pours out his
judgment in this world.
And there will be the opening of the
seals.
By the Lord Jesus.
And there will be the blowing of the
trumpets that always speak to the spirit, the
breath.
And there will be the pouring out of
the vials of judgment.
By God himself.
And a foolish holy God.
Rents his anger and wrath.
Against a godless world.
And the world is turned back against him.
But in verses 13 to 17, we have
a delightful spirit.
A delightful spirit.
A praying spirit.
And a pleading spirit.
In spite of the circumstances that these dear
saints find themselves in.
I want you to turn with me then
to verse number 1.
I said that we have here discouraged saints.
What is the cause of their discouragement?
Well first of all, it's the circumstances that
they find themselves in.
And that's what we've been hearing about.
And we have no control over the circumstances
that befall us.
But God has.
And I'm sure that those three Hebrew servants
in Daniel chapter number 3 had no desire
nor delight to go into a fiery furnace
any more than you and I have.
I want to tell you something.
Now when they went in, it took an
ungodly kind to call them back out again.
Why?
Because they were experiencing the presence of God
in the deepness of their circumstances that they
had never known before.
Never known before.
And isn't it true that many dear saints
who pass through the deep waters have known
that wonderful promise?
I will be with thee when thou passest
through.
But not only was their circumstances causing their
problem but sadly there was also a rebellious
teaching that was not helping their circumstances.
And so I suggest that you see first
of all the foundation for their faith.
And it's for your faith as well.
For your encouragement, the foundation of their faith
is the word of God, is the truth
of God.
And the fabrication that caused fear was the
erroneous teaching at the radio hall in verse
number 2.
Paul says now, we beseech you brethren.
I love that.
And I was taught, and our brother Sandy
here will remember it even better than I
do.
Thou we beseech you brethren.
Don't Mr. Cowdishly teach us as young fellows
that Paul's beseeching are like a lever effect.
The beseeching of Paul is a lever itself.
And the fulcrum here is by the soon
coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
And say to you, the nearer you get
the fulcrum to the problem the easier the
burden is lifted, the weight is removed.
That's true isn't it?
Mind you that's only 1 of 16 that
Paul appeals to the saints.
And you'll beseech in Romans chapter number 12,
a consecrated life.
Young folks, are you listening?
I beseech you by the tender mercies of
God that you present your bodies.
It's not just giving God something.
It's giving God anything.
That's what he's asking for.
No, that's what he's demanding.
Why?
Because that's what he gives.
He gives everything for you and for me.
Not only for a consecrated life, but in
Ephesians chapter 4 he appeals for a consistent
walk.
That he walk worthy of the vocation wherewith
you've been called.
When he comes to Philippians chapter number 4
he's appealing for a Christ like child.
That he be of the same mind in
the Lord.
Here, he's longing that the saints might be
confirmed.
Might have a confirmed mind in their faith.
And so he says to them, they say,
I beseech you brethren by the coming of
our Lord Jesus Christ.
Now, I have to say just the same
as Richard has said.
There are men more able than I here.
So I've got to be extremely careful.
I don't believe for a minute that that
is the manifestation.
And now I'm gathering unto him.
I think that is what I've got.
My dear brother, my dear sister.
That's the hope that we're looking for in
relation to the tribulation.
Because these things must happen first.
And our blessed Lord will come to take
his people home.
We're taught by Paul in 2 Corinthians chapter
number 5 that we are ambassadors of Christ.
You know as well as I do that
the first thing that happens when two countries
go to war, before the battle commences, is
ambassadors are recalled.
That's exactly what's happening.
Before God comes in judgment on this world.
And before the battle begins, he recalls his
ambassadors.
As he takes them home to heaven.
Oh how marvelous.
The apostle is saying, listen, here is the
answer to the problem, to every problem.
By the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ,
I'm now gathering unto him.
You know, when you go through Revelation chapter
2 and chapter 3, you'll read those letters
to seven churches that give us a panoramic
view of the whole church age.
And you know almost in every one of
those churches, almost, in every one of those
churches, there are problems.
There are difficulties.
One dear brother used to teach me, the
answer to the problem in the assembly is
know that door out there.
But in chapter 4 he sees another door,
some heaven.
That's the answer to the problem.
When John hears a voice saying, come up
here.
Come up here.
My dear brother, my sister, listen, the Lord
is coming.
He soon shall appear and he'll call his
waiting people home.
And young folks, you may be out in
the threshold of life, and we were all
there once, it maybe doesn't look like it,
but we were all there once.
And we were just living in the joy
of what was going to happen next.
And it may have been the job, and
it may have been getting married, and all
these things were before us.
And we just longed that the Lord would
wait long enough, you know, to this happen,
then that happen.
But you know, don't look again.
You may just long to hear his voice.
You see, we don't really look at signs.
We're listening for the shout.
And the older you get, the more you
long that the Lord Jesus Christ would come
and call his waiting people home.
And that's what the apostle is appealing to
when he's speaking to these dear saints.
But then in verse number 2, he says
that ye be not soon shaken in mind
or troubled neither by letter nor by word
as from us.
You know, there were those who were teaching
that while they were going, they were already
in those days of tribulation.
And this was just the beginning of sorrows.
And they would get much deeper and much
worse.
And remember, if they knew anything about Matthew
chapter 24, then they would realize just how
much worse these days would be.
But the apostle, like any good minister of
the Word of God, he had the care
of the saints upon his heart.
And when they were worried that he was
looking to put that right, and the only
way he could put it right was by
bringing the Word of God to them.
You believe that, don't you?
I remember a dear man saying to me
one day, I had the work with me.
I had went to visit both of the
bosses, the father-in-law who was ill.
He was a dear old man who was
in the Sovereign Baptist Church somewhere in Glasgow.
And I went up to visit the old
man.
And this friend, I think he was a
bit worried, perhaps I was found to keep
in with the boss, I suppose.
And he says to me, they tell me
you went to visit Andy's father-in-law,
I said, that's right Peter.
He says, and they tell me you read
the Bible to him.
I says, that's exactly right Peter.
The man was dying of cancer.
He only lived about a few months after
that.
And he says, why would you do that
for?
I says, tell me Peter, what would you
read to him?
The sports page.
He's not interested.
He's lynched about the head.
But what would you read to him?
Something about business?
The business world?
He's not the least bit interested.
I says, he is interested in the word
of God.
And that tells him about eternal verities and
exceeding precious promises.
And I says, that's his only hope.
That's where you are missing for eternity.
My dear brother, my dear sister, that's where
you and I are missing.
On the word of God.
And so the apostle says, and I think
it's lovely, that ye be not soon shaken
in mind.
Now when you think, when you think of
that word shaken, it just really is.
It just really is when our whole world
seems to turn upside down.
It just causes us to trouble.
To be troubled in mind.
Perhaps because we don't understand the circumstances or
we're not in control of the circumstances.
I says, Paul, don't be, don't be soon
shaken in mind.
And really he was just following the example
of his Lord.
When in John 14 he says to those
disciples who were wavering because he was about
to rebuild, he says, let not the hands
of God.
He believed in God and he believed also
in me and my father's house and many
mansions.
And there's a blessed prospect before you that
is not before any Christ who's yet dead.
And we're looking for the day when the
Lord Jesus Christ shall come and take us
home to be forever with himself.
I love this though.
It says by our gathering unto him.
Did you notice that?
No, it says our gathering together unto him.
The apostle had a great love for the
togetherness of the saints.
The apostle had a great love for the
unity of the saints.
He'll speak in Ephesians about being questioned together,
about being raised together, about being seated together.
That's what, that's what God has done for
us.
I love what he's saying by our gathering
together unto him.
That's what you all do.
I wonder if you've still got a love
for the saints' togetherness.
If I could use that word.
For the unity of the saints.
You know, we're being divided by all sorts
of things and we'll always have differences of
opinion.
But I hope you love, I hope you
love to see the saints united.
The apostle did.
And the Spirit of God, he made that
unity that we are now in.
And the apostle writes in chapter 4 of
Ephesians, endeavoring to keep, not to make it,
endeavoring to keep the unity of the peace,
the unity of the spirit side and the
bond of peace.
All that we could in that detail.
I'll tell you something that I've noted in
my short experience amongst the saints of God.
It's quite easy to divide them.
It's a much more difficult matter to keep
them together.
But one day we'll all be gathered together.
Thank God for that.
But then notice, says the word of God
that there are prospective signs that are going
to happen in verses 3 to 5.
He says, Let no man deceive you by
any means for except there come a falling
away first and that man of sin be
revealed, the son of perdition.
That man of sin.
Now, sadly, the author writes, the same word
in the Greek is used in three different
ways here.
It's interpreted sin.
It's interpreted iniquity.
And it's interpreted lawlessness.
The word I understand ought to be lawlessness
and I think you'll understand what I mean
just in a moment.
This is the man of lawlessness.
The man of lawlessness.
And as we consider this man, he's going
to come upon this world sin.
And you know, I'm sure young and old,
that the world is crying out for that
man.
Even now.
A man who'll unite the world together in
purpose but without God.
A man who'll take the place of our
blessed Lord Jesus Christ, the Antichrist.
And he'll bring nations together.
And he'll bring everything it would seem just
to work for his favour.
And he says, except that man come.
He says, that day shall not come.
This man's spoken about much in the word
of God.
In Daniel chapter number 7, you'll read about
the man and his conquests.
He's going to subdue three nations unto himself.
I judge it's a bloodless crew.
You may disagree with that.
I judge, according to Revelation chapter number 6,
it will be a bloodless crew.
And you know, it was difficult to appreciate
and understand that ten years ago.
It's no difficult now.
Britain almost took over Iceland in a bloodless
crew.
Because of how much money they owed us.
And Britain was almost taken over by other
countries because of how much we owed them.
And here's a man coming in the scene.
And he'll be the answer to the world's
problems as far as the world is concerned.
And you see the man who's sending these
conquests.
But then in chapter number 9 of the
same book, you'll see the man who's sending
his covenant.
He actually makes a covenant with the people
of Israel.
I ask those eyes there.
It's a covenant with death.
It's an agreement with hell.
And the people that God covenanted with and
God never broke his covenant.
Nor could.
But yet it comes on the cross.
And they make a covenant with the Antichrist.
What a tragedy.
Then if you read again in Revelation chapter
number 13, those first ten verses will tell
you about the man who's sending his covenants
when he's coming to the throne, when he's
coming to power.
That's what the world is waiting for.
By the way, read those verses.
And you'll see a deadly wound that's healed.
He's counterfeiting the death and resurrection of our
blessed Lord Jesus Christ.
Then at the end of the chapter, the
man who's sending his co-workers for the
Roman false prophet.
In fact, there'll be a whole trinity of
evil.
The devil, the Antichrist and the false prophet
and Satan counterfeiting the truth of our faith.
As he gives these men his power, we're
going to see in a moment this man
is as near Satan in cabinet as it's
possible to be.
But when you come here and it's the
man of sin and his character that's in
view.
He's the man of lawlessness.
He's governed by no laws.
He makes the rules.
He bends the rules.
He breaks the rules.
He does what he likes.
Is that no sound like modern politics today?
When did you ever hear a few older
folks about spin doctors?
One day they were way back down there
in the garden.
Satan created the first spin in the garden.
Ha!
God spin.
Ha!
And they both surely died.
And he put a political spin in the
matter.
Now shall we not eat of every tree?
God never said that.
God says you will not eat of every
tree but one.
That's political spin.
And that's what's happening today.
But you know when this man comes, this
is a man who will be governed by
no one in matter.
He just does what pleases him.
That's the kind of man that the world
won't admit to him and they rejected.
The meek and lonely Jesus who humbled himself
and came into this scene.
Notice a bit more about this man.
Notice he is the man of lawlessness.
Now that's in contrast to our blessed Lord
who magnified them all as he made it
wonderful.
But you'll notice too that he is the
author of death according to Hebrews chapter 2.
The Lord Jesus Christ has taken that power
from him at Calvary because he is the
author of life.
And you'll notice too as we think of
this man I've said he's as near Satan
in Calvary as it's possible to be.
I say that because Satan cannot give life.
I hope you'll believe that.
God alone is the life giver and the
Lord Jesus Christ himself is the life giving
spirit.
In complete contrast to this man and it
says about him in chapter number 4 who
opposed himself and exalted himself above all that
is called God all that is worship.
Oh the arrogance of the man.
Oh the audacity of the man.
The sheer audacity that he would defy the
living God and here he is.
And as far as he's concerned not only
will he oppose that is he'll rebel against
God but he'll set himself up as God.
And I judge according to Matthew chapter number
24 that this man will set an image
and says the Lord Jesus when you see
it standing where it ought not standing in
that holy spot the spot that was reserved
for the act of rebelling he sets up
his image in complete arrogance to the power
and authority of God.
He sets himself up as God and then
he calls the people to worship him and
you know the people go after him.
That's quite amazing that the condemnation of our
Lord was thou being a man make thyself
God and they rejected him this man made
himself God.
Oh the tragedy and the world the world
etc.
Says the apostle remember when I was with
you I told you these things that's not
true it's good it's good when the teacher
can see things that are going to happen
and he doesn't just walk the door after
the horse is broken you see he saw
it and he saw there could be problems
and he made clear the teaching to them
but in spite of that he
might be troubled by things that they do
about and they should have known better perhaps
he's going to teach them because he wants
to see those saints that are shaking those
saints that are trembling that are troubled he
wants to see them steadfast and in verse
number six he says now you know what
the strain is you know what the strain
is and we do know what the strain
is the church is still here and when
the church has taken it together thought about
it we are the salt of the earth
that's what everybody talks about now in this
world the salt of the earth and salt
has a preserving influence it holds back corruption
when they're all gone the salt is gone
and corruption rampages through the world and we
think it's bad but how much worse is
yet to be and in verse number seven
he says for the people
of the world the people of the of
the world the people of the the the
world the of the world of the in
the God in the church in that special
way taken up from this world and then
the world oh the spirit will be in
the world not in that peculiar way that
he is to be, in particular sense, indwelling
every single time he went, then the last
on worship of a tide of corruption and
sin and wickedness moves to its fullest extent.
When that happens, then Satan is able to
bring his man, his masterpiece, that's what he
is, his masterpiece, man that Satan can almost
indwell completely and motivate completely.
Notice what it says, and then shall that
wicked, did you notice that, that wicked, whom
is that lawless, now it doesn't even say
that lawless one, but we can understand that.
What the Spirit of God is telling us
is that this man is lawlessness personified, lawlessness
personified.
And he says, then at that time shall
that wicked be revealed who the Lord will
consume with the brightness of his coming.
You see, what falls no seconds before us
is the divine program, the prophetic program, that
he might educate our minds, that he might
build us up, that he is just bringing
out really the main points that could come
to heart, could come to heart.
And so it says, the Lord shall destroy
him with the manifestation of the brightness of
his coming.
It's the purpose of God that's in you,
that's what you encourage your heart and mind.
We can see that God has a particular
time scale to which he's working.
Things seem out of control in the world,
sometimes they seem out of control in our
lives, but they're never out of control.
God is always in control.
And you can see that he's working exactly
to his own schedule, his own time scale.
And Satan can only do what God allows
him to do.
That's all he can do.
Then I notice too, it says, even him,
and I'm thinking now of those people who
will be deluded by that man.
Verse number 9, even him whose coming is
after the working of Satan with all power
and sign and my wonders.
Now you know where my mind is going.
That's chapter 2, verse number 22.
Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved unto God
by miracles, signs and wonders, which God did
by him.
And they knew that, they saw that, they
understood that this was the man who had
the divine approval start on his life.
And Satan brings his man and he puts
his satanic approval upon him.
A man he says whose coming is after
Satan, he says with power, and it will
be with power by the way, and it
will be with great signs and all my
wonders, because he is a deceiver from the
beginning.
But it says too, doesn't it, not only
do we have the approval of Satan, but
the acceptance by men.
It says in verse number 11, and for
this cause, sorry, verse number 10, and with
all deceivableness of unrighteousness, and then that perish.
And he deceives the world into thinking that
he's the answer to the world's problems.
And the answer to the world's problems was
crucified on the cross outside the Jerusalem city
wall.
It says, notice again, in them that perish,
because they receive not the love of the
truth.
My dear brother, my dear sister, listen, every
year so in the Lord's name, who lands
in a crisis hell, will be there, because
they receive not, and because they believe not.
Now don't forget that.
It says they receive not the love of
the truth.
Again my mind is going back to Acts
chapter number 2 and verse 41.
And then it says, they that gladly received
his word were baptized.
Now that's what salvation is.
It's just a receiving gladly of the word
of God.
They heard what Peter had to say to
them about their sin, about the Lord Jesus
Christ, about how they died, not only how
they perished to death, and they were responsible
for it, but it was also in accordance
with the determined counsel and foreknowledge of God.
And they said, what shall we do?
So they repented of their sin and received
the forgiveness of sin.
And they that gladly received that word.
Tell me, are we still gladly receiving the
word?
You know, it shouldn't just be something that
happened in the distant past.
Salvation should not be something past only.
Our past experiences isn't that?
There ought to be a pleasant enjoyment.
Something that we're enjoying every day.
And if we receive his word gladly then,
we should still be receiving his word.
Tell me, do you still want to read
the book?
Do you still want to meditate upon it?
Do you still want to hear it minister
to your soul?
Is it like cold water to your thirsty
soul?
Is it food to sustain you?
Do they gladly receive it?
These folks don't gladly receive it.
They receive not the love of the truth
that they might be saved.
And then it goes a wee bit further
doesn't it?
Verse number 11 says, and for this cause,
God shall send them strong delusion that they
should believe.
I think you know that there will not
be a second chance.
For those who know, now listen to me
carefully, for those who know and have heard
clearly the gospel of the grace of God,
there will never be a second chance.
But God shall send us strong delusion.
And God does that because they have refused
to accept.
They have refused to accept.
And therefore they believe.
And there are many thoughts as to what
the lie is among themselves.
They refuse the one who said I am
the way, the truth, they have accepted the
lie.
They have accepted the lie.
And so he says that they should believe
a lie that they might be damned to
believe not the truth but have pleasure in
unrighteousness.
You may come to Romans chapter number 1,
and where he recreates the apostle who exchanged
the truth of God for a lie, for
a lie.
And here we can see there is a
full blown apostasy.
People who would not accept the Christ of
God but now do accept the Antichrist himself.
I install further, we think of God's anger
at his actions because of this.
Because they refused the truth for a lie,
because they refused God for Satan, because they
refused light for darkness.
So God judges them.
God judges them.
And he proves that his judgment is absolutely
righteous when it befalls upon these people.
Oh, if we could only speak to those
that we know and love about the gospel,
about the judgment of God, because the day
is drawing ever near, ever closer, where the
Lord Jesus Christ shall come and then these
days begin to fall.
But then I want you to look just
lastly, just for a few moments, I of
this delightful spirit that's in the apostle.
This delightful spirit.
He has a love for the saints.
He has a love for the word of
God.
He has a love for God himself.
And in verses 13-15 we see his
praising spirit.
He's always praising the Lord.
And you only have to read through the
epistles of Paul to appreciate that.
And of course you should know that as
well of course.
And then when you come to verses 16
and 17, he's also a praising spirit.
Both these things mark that man and should
mark us.
Notice what he's praising God for.
In verse number 13 he says, we are
bound to give God thanks.
To give God thanks always for you brethren
of the Lord.
You'll notice that he's not circumcised.
He's not circumcised Christ, he should say.
That is he's not just thinking of those
that were Paul's brothers, or those that were
Paul's ministry.
He's thanking God for them all.
When you go to the first epistle, chapter
number 1, you'll see that quite clearly.
Thanking God for them all and praying for
them all.
He's not circumcised.
And he says in verse number 13, we
must give God thanks.
Why?
Because God hath chosen you.
God hath chosen you.
Now that's a wonderful truth.
Never let us forget that truth.
That teaches us that God made a divine
and sovereign choice for each and every one
of us in Sweden.
That did not impinge upon our rights of
human responsibility.
That did not infringe on our liberty.
But God chose us.
You can understand it if you thank God
for it.
Why should you ever choose the likes of
me?
I don't know, but you did.
And I thank God for that.
Not only chosen by God, but sanctified by
the Spirit of God.
Set apart for God's glory, for God's use,
for God's pleasure, all the wonder of the
world.
Ah, but he adds a third point, doesn't
he?
And the re-fit of the truth.
And so as we always, I don't say
always, but many times in the world abroad,
we see divine sovereignty running clearly alongside human
responsibility.
After chapter 11 and 28, we can all
quote it.
Come into me all ye that labour and
are heavily laden, and I will give you
rest.
That's human responsibility.
Read the verse before you.
No man can cry except to have of
God.
You see, that's divine sovereignty.
And both truths are taught in the book,
and we must accept both of them.
We never accept one at the expense of
the other.
And so it says here that we're chosen
by God.
Verse 14, we're called by God.
They say in verse number 14, we're unto
thee called you by your gospel.
I would love to just think about Paul
saying it's our gospel.
You know, is it your gospel?
Is it Paul's gospel?
Of course it is.
It's the gospel of God because he is
the source.
It's the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ
because he is the subject.
It's the gospel of Paul because he's acting
in service to him.
Now obviously, are we still, do we still
love the gospel?
Is it still our gospel?
Is it still in our lips when we
speak to men and women and whatsoever?
It was in the Apostle's face all the
time.
He loved to speak about the gospel.
Why?
Because of what it did to him and
for him and because of what it could
do for us.
The Apostle made it his gospel and he
says he called us by our, he called
you, sorry, by our gospel to the obtaining
of the glory.
Think of what the Lord Jesus says when
he prays in John chapter number 17, Father
I would, that those that thou hast given
me be with me where I am that
they may behold my glory.
Oh it's beyond our comprehension.
Not only beholding his glory but sharing that
glory.
My, that is beyond our comprehension.
Then we'll be free from this world with
every child, with every mother and not only
call those by God, notice the challenge from
the word of God, verse number 15, therefore
brethren stand fast, stand fast.
It really means stand fast and hold firm.
Sorry, stand firm and hold fast.
And your mind and mine goes to 1
Corinthians chapter number 15, the last verse, be
ye steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work
of the Lord, for you know your neighbour
is not in vain in the Lord.
He's not meaning that we've got to be
stubborn and docile like we are now.
I'm sure our dear wives could tell you
that a thousand times over but that's not
what he's teaching us here.
He's teaching us in 1 Corinthians 15 and
here to be steadfast, immovable.
That is don't let wrong doctrine shake your
faith.
They were teaching the resurrection was past in
those days.
Now they're teaching us the Lord's not coming
for his people.
I say don't allow that to shake your
faith.
Stand firm, stand firm, hold fast, hold the
traditions.
Now you would think that traditions are a
novel thing, that you've got to differentiate between
the traditions of God and the traditions of
men surely.
We're a tradition.
We're still doing the things that we did
2000 years ago and there's nothing wrong with
having a prayer meeting, nothing wrong with remembering
the Lord Jesus Christ as we've always done
because these things are right and correct and
proper but what isn't proper is to make
things traditional that are not of the word
of God and not in accordance with the
word of God.
That's what you are and so he says
stand fast still and hold the traditions that
you have been taught whether by word or
by your official and of course you now
see that we've come from a people who
have been troubled, who are shaken in mind
to a people that are standing fast, a
people that are holding fast.
That's what the minister should be about.
That's what the minister said before.
That's what the apostle said and then he
finishes up and praying and you know isn't
it lovely.
He looks back as it were and he
thinks about all that God has done and
he says in verse number 16 he says
God hath loved us and hath given us
everlasting consolation and good hope through grace and
then he says that he may comfort your
hearts and establish you in every good work.
He looks back and he'll pay some for
all of his past and he'll look forward
and he'll trust him for all that he
can.
May God bless his work.