2 Thess 1:1-12, Get All That You Want and Be Rich.

May 18, 2023

We need to be reminded of the superb nature of Jesus Christ. We need to be reminded of Him and what He did and who He made us to be. We need to be reminded of the stature or value of this world and the kingdom of God. We must be careful not to sleep and let the light of Christ shine upon us every day, being sanctified entirely.

What is valuable? Why is it valuable? For most people it is money. Why is money valuable?

Weimar Republic.

Money became valueless due to hyper-inflation.

Today we’re going to focus on an important word in 2Th 1. “Worthy” is the noun “to be considered worthy,” is the verb.

Originally the Greek word meant weight. A phrase like, “worth its weight in gold,” gets at the idea.

2 Thess opens with a paragraph of encouragement through prayers, thanksgiving, and a conveyance from Paul as to how proud he and his team are of the Thessalonian believers. It’s not hot air. Paul is really proud. Advancing believers need to be encouraged to keep going.

The encouragement of Paul is marked with the virtues that he has heard of them – faith, love, and endurance. If we link endurance to hope, which is easy to do, this triad matches 1 Thess.

1Th 1:2-3

We give thanks to God always for all of you, making mention of you in our prayers; 3 constantly bearing in mind your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the presence of our God and Father,

Faith, love, and steadfastness (endurance) of hope.

Are these things valuable? Why?

2 Thess 1:3-5

We ought always to give thanks to God for you, brethren, as is only fitting, because your faith is greatly enlarged, and the love of each one of you toward one another grows ever greater; 4 therefore, we ourselves speak proudly of you among the churches of God for your perseverance and faith in the midst of all your persecutions and afflictions which you endure. 5 This is a plain indication of God's righteous judgment so that you will be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which indeed you are suffering.

vv. 6-10 are somewhat parenthetical concerning God taking care of all justice – don’t fret the evildoer. [we’ll get to it.]

2Thess 1:11-12

To this end also we pray for you always, that our God will count you worthy of your calling, and fulfill every desire for goodness and the work of faith with power, 12 so that the name of our Lord Jesus will be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

The word we’re going to focus on is in vs. 3, “fitting,” vs. 5 “considered worthy,” and vs. 11 “count you worthy.”

What does it mean? It initially meant to bring up the other beam of the scales.

“worthy” – axios = the proper weight that balances the scales.

[pic of scales]

We can see how it would also mean fitting (vs. 3). And value. And worthy.

It is a word that describes Christ’s quality.

Rev 4:11

"Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created."

In John’s vision he sees a book in the right hand of God and an angel asks who is worthy to open the book. No one is found and John weeps, but he is told to stop because the Lion of Judah has overcome. But when John sees the Lion of Judah, he sees a lamb slain. He takes the book and opens it.

Rev 5:9-10

"Worthy are You to take the book and to break its seals; for You were slain, and purchased for God with Your blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation.

10 "You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God; and they will reign upon the earth."

Millions of angels say:

Rev 5:12

"Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing."

Ironically, both Pilate and the criminal on the cross next to Christ stated that Jesus was not worthy of death. And this helps our understanding of what it is to be worthy.

Pilate – He is not worthy of death.

Heaven – He is worthy by His death.

The world’s idea of what is worthy (valuable) is not God’s.

So the word refers to someone who is qualified for something, and in God’s idea, it a qualification for something great that results in doing things in the same manner. If it is the world’s manner it is according to what the world values. If it is in God’s manner, what He values.

Act 5:41

So they went on their way from the presence of the Council, rejoicing that they had been considered worthy to suffer shame for His name.

So, we should just suffer, is that it?

It is the reason that they suffered that made them worthy.

And so, as in all other important things in life, we find the true idea of worthiness in Jesus.

God plans everything. Christ was born at the proper time for many reasons. Born during the Roman Empire. The republic had become an empire thanks to Gaius Octavius who became emperor Augustus in 27 BC and brought peace to Roman rule after 100 years of civil wars. He reigned until he died in 14 AD. He was an organizational and political genius.

Jesus was born at the time of the world’s first Caesar.

Notice was is written about Augustus: The Priene Calendar Inscription

"Since providence, which has ordered all things and is deeply interested in our life, has set in most perfect order by giving us Augustus, whom she filled with virtue that he might benefit mankind, sending him as a savior, both for us and for our descendants, that he might end war and arrange all things, and since he, Caesar, by his appearance excelled even our anticipations, [slide] surpassing all previous benefactors, and not even leaving to posterity any hope of surpassing what he has done, and since the birthday of the god Augustus was the beginning of the good tidings (gospel) for the world that came by reason of him." [The Priene Calendar Inscription]

But how different these men are. Jesus conquers by His own sacrifice and death while Caesar did so with threats of violence and the sword and shield.

Jesus’ armor is righteousness and salvation. His sword is truth.

What is worthy in the Thessalonians?

2 Thess 1:3-5

vv. 6-10 are somewhat parenthetical concerning God taking care of all justice – don’t fret the evildoer. [we’ll get to it.]

2Thess 1:11-12

Value is faith enlarged and love abounding for all. Value is perseverance and faith in the midst of persecutions. Value is going good and works of faith with power. Value is having a life that glorifies the one true King by being like Him, weak as we are, because He has poured His power into us through the Holy Spirit and the word. And, amazingly, the king will glorify you.