1 Thessalonians chapter 2 and we're looking at verses 14 through verse 20. So 1 Thessalonians 2 beginning verse 14 listen now to the reading of God's Holy Word. For you brethren became imitators of the churches of God which are in Judea in Christ Jesus. For you also suffered the same things from your own countrymen, just as they did from the Judeans, who killed both the Lord Jesus and their own prophets, and have persecuted us. And they do not please God, and are contrary to all men, forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles They may be saved, so as always, to fill up the measure of their sins, but wrath has come upon them to the uttermost. But we, brethren, having been taken away from you for a short time in presence, not in heart, endeavored more eagerly to see your face with great desire. Therefore, we wanted to come to you, even I, Paul, time and again, but Satan hindered us. For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Is it not even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming? For you are our glory and joy. Let's seek the Lord's blessing on this, His holy word. O gracious God, in heaven we do. Again, rejoicing of thanks for our opportunity to be able to come before you this morning. We thank you for your word that it is our only infallible rule for faith in life. And as we come to this passage this morning, we pray that your spirit would be active in our midst to give us understanding and that as truly as your spirit accompanies your word, We pray, Father, that it would truly find within each and every one of our hearts that good and rich soil that would receive it and embrace it and bring about a great and abundant fruit, all for your glory and your praise and your honor. We pray, Father, for your blessing upon your word. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen. You're maybe taking on some kind of project or some other endeavor with great anticipation, only then to come to realize that it didn't quite live up to your expectation. I know that such disappointments really happen all the time. And sometimes we can be disappointed in those expectations because we're so filled with maybe hope and excitement that we're actually blind to any kind of flaws and faults. And this unfortunately sometimes happens in marriage. When a couple gets married, they may expect that their spouse will always be as perfect as they are on their wedding day. But then several years or even sadly several months later, they quickly realize, this isn't what I expected when I said I do. Other times you may become disappointed because of some sudden change that's outside of your control. And so you make plans, you move to a new city, you buy a house, you start a new job, and then you get laid off after a few months because the economy tanks. You had great expectations, but now they're dashed because of things outside of your control. And the disappointment even happens sometimes simply because you really didn't know what you were getting yourself into in the first place. And sadly, this situation sometimes happens to those who profess faith in Jesus Christ. You see, they expect that just because they're in now a right relationship with God, that suddenly everything in their life is going to go smoothly. That they're not going to have any problems. This is often made worse by false prosperity preachers who deceitfully promise that God's chief desire for you is that you would be physically healthy and materially wealthy. And that if you suffer, then there's something wrong with you. Well, the faith of such a one is then prone to wither away when the realities of life come and they're suddenly faced with affliction and persecution, and they become like the seed sown among the rocks that ends up getting, that withers away in the heat of persecution and affliction because they have no root. But friends, you don't have to be so misinformed. In our passage this morning, Paul continues to commend the Thessalonians for their faithful endurance amidst persecution, and he also shares some of the struggles that he himself has endured in his ministry, as well as reminding them of the great hope that's to come. And so in this we find revealed for us three things that even we here as followers of Jesus Christ in the 21st century that we can expect as we seek to faithfully serve and follow our Savior as members individually and even as a congregation of God's people. If we faithfully follow Jesus Christ, we can expect to suffer, we can expect opposition, and we can certainly expect the joy of future glory. And so first we consider the faithful follower of Jesus Christ can expect suffering and persecution in this life. And we see this, Paul lays it out in verse 14, when he commends the Thessalonians as being imitators of the churches of God, which are in Judea, in Christ Jesus. Because basically he's saying, just like the churches in Judea, the first Jewish believers in Jesus, the Thessalonians have not only suffered persecution, but they've suffered at the hands even of their own countrymen. And if anyone knew about the persecution of the Judean believers, what we know was the Apostle Paul. Because for a time, it was the Apostle Paul who was, when he was known as Saul, when he was leading that persecution. In Acts chapter 8, after Stephen had been killed and martyred for his faith, we read this. Now Saul was consenting to his death. At that time, a great persecution arose against the church, which was at Jerusalem. And then later, as for Saul, he made havoc of the church, entering every house and dragging off men and women, committing them to prison. So Paul, known as Saul also, was persecuting the church. And then later, when he would be converted to Christ, then he himself would end up being persecuted, enduring the very things that he put the people of God through. And it seems as though the believers in Thessalonica were enduring similar hardships. Again, we remember the ministry of the missionaries when they first arrived in Thessalonica in Acts 17, that most of the Jews were stirred up against them and against the new believers. And then the Jews even stirred up the Greeks and they nearly started a riot that resulted in Jason and those in his household being charged with sedition and brought before the civil authorities. And even after the missionaries had fled, This persecution didn't let up. The believers left behind continued to suffer. The Thessalonian believers were suffering. They were being persecuted even by their own family members, by their friends, and by their neighbors, just like the first believers in Judea. But you see, such suffering and persecution, and even rejection by one's own people, was nothing new. What they were experiencing was nothing new. And this is exactly what happened to the Lord Jesus. And even before Jesus, even the prophets of God. In verse 15, Paul indicates that these prophets were also killed by their own countrymen, even Jesus. Jesus had charged the Jews many times that they had killed the prophets of God. In Luke 13, as Jesus is weeping over Jerusalem, and he says, Oh, Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those sent to her. He was lamenting the fact that many times before when Israel had fallen into a deep idolatry and sin that God graciously sent the prophets to them to call them to repentance. And yet they not only rejected the message, but they sometimes even rejected and killed the messengers. And of course we know Jesus himself. suffered great persecution during his earthly ministry. He was mocked and rejected by his own family members and those of his hometown. Jesus declares in Mark 6, a prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and among his own relatives and in his own household. And this persecution and rejection, of course, by his own people culminated when they ultimately falsely accused him. and turned him over to Pilate and the Roman authorities so that he would be put to death and crucified like a common criminal. But again, this was no surprise. Jesus knew exactly what was coming for him. He knew exactly. He knew that the suffering that he was going to endure, he knew the rejection that he was going to experience. He knew. that even death would come. On three different occasions he warned the disciples of just this very thing. For example, Mark 8, he says, And he began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. Jesus knew this all along. And yet, that displays a great mysteriousness. of Christ's great love for His people, the love that He showed, that He knew all this horrible suffering that He was going to endure unjustly for wicked sinners, and yet He still willingly went to the cross and gave Himself for us. trusting in God's perfect plan of salvation for his people. What a great blessing when we think about that. I mean, it's one thing for him to be caught by surprise and he didn't know that this was happening, but no, he knew all along that this was the plan, and yet he submitted himself to that plan. to glorify the Heavenly Father and to secure the salvation of His people, even us. And so the point that Paul is making here is that if the prophets and even Jesus were persecuted and killed, if the first believers in Judea were persecuted, if Paul and the apostles also suffered, and if the Thessalonian believers suffered, and if generations of faithful believers afterwards have suffered persecution, well then why not us now in the 21st century? Indeed, if we would be faithful followers of Jesus Christ, We can expect to suffer and be persecuted. This is what Jesus again promises. When He laid out the cost of discipleship for His disciples, He says in Mark 8, whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the Gospels will save it. Taking up our cross means that we take up its shame and its suffering. And even it's death that it brings, even as Christ Jesus himself did. It means that we would be willing to endure persecution for his sake and for the sake of the gospel, even to the point of death. Paul puts it very bluntly when he reminds Timothy of these things in 2nd Timothy 3, he says, yes, and all All who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. He doesn't say that you might suffer persecution. He doesn't say that it's a possibility. You will suffer persecution because you follow after Jesus Christ. And so if we seek to live godly lives, truly and sincerely, and I'm not talking about just claiming the name of Jesus and living no different than the world lives. No, by living a true transformed life. If you're committed to living a godly life that's distinct from the way the world lives, living out the gospel, seeking to proclaim it faithfully, as Christ has called us to do, then you can expect persecution. And of course, I'm not talking about just in those places throughout the world today where we know our brothers and sisters in Christ are suffering daily for their faith in Christ. Places like China, North Korea, and many of the Islamic nations across the Middle East and Africa. They're persecuted, they're in prison, they're beaten, and they're put to death because of their faith in Christ. No, it's suffering and persecution, friends, is what we can expect. Even here in the United States, in Bryan and College Station, we can expect suffering and persecution. Now again, generally, the persecution that we might suffer may not be death. And it so may not be quite as violent as our brothers and sisters in other places in the world are enduring even now, even today, at this moment. But it may also come in the form of mocking or ridicule. How often do you find people when they find out you're a Christian and they mock you and they make fun of you? They try to provoke you. That's persecution. But friends, I also want to warn you and remind you, because we see it around us. We see it in our culture. We see it in our nation, even in the midst of the last election and the results of the election, the increasing hostility toward Christ and His gospel. It's continuing to increase. And again, we can be thankful that maybe we have a time of reprieve, but it is increasing. And so it could very well get much worse. And it likely will get much worse. And so the persecution could become more violent. And when it does, we shouldn't be surprised. We shouldn't be surprised at what we see already. We shouldn't be surprised that when someone takes a stand for a biblical marriage, that they're being persecuted in the courts of the church or in the courts of the government. That should not surprise us. When believers take a stand for truth and righteousness, that they endure some kind of persecution. But we have to also remember that when we do endure that suffering and persecution, we're not any different than those who have faithfully gone before us. Even our Lord Jesus Christ suffered and was persecuted because of who he was and because of the message that he came to proclaim. And so don't be misinformed then, beloved of God. you can expect suffering and persecution. Paul gives an indication here that even though there will be suffering and persecution if we faithfully follow after Christ, we also need to acknowledge that according to God's own purpose, plan and appointed time, that he will vindicate his people and he will bring those who persecute his people to justice. This is what he did with the Jews. This is what he did with the apostle Paul, the justice being converting his dead heart into new life and then using him as a minister of the gospel, proclaiming the truth and enduring all kinds of suffering and affliction, even what he brought upon the church when he was unconverted. But God delivered him. That was the carrying out of God's mercy, grace, and justice. But we see that this is what God also did with the Jews. In verse 15 and 16, Paul lists the crimes of which the Jews are guilty. They killed Jesus, they killed the prophets, they drove out the apostles, they displeased God, and they're contrary to all men as evidenced by their hindering of the gospel going forth to the Gentiles. And Paul contends in verse 16 that they have filled up the measure of their sins. And when you fill up the measure of your sins, and we see this in the Old Testament, when you fill up the measure of your sins, it means that God's judgment is sure to follow. And Paul continues when he says, wrath has come upon them to the utmost. And it's likely here that Paul is echoing the prophecy of Jesus. that the wrath of God would visit the Jews because of the rejection of the Messiah. In the Olivet Discourse, Jesus predicted the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans that was going to be 40 years in the future in 70 AD. And Jesus said, Let him who is on the housetops not go down to take anything out of the house. For then there will be great tribulation such as has not been seen since the beginning of the world until this time. No, nor ever shall be. And he was predicting the destruction of Jerusalem. But remember this judgment upon the Jews because of the rejection of Christ, which was still 20 years off from when Paul is writing this letter to the Thessalonians. This is also a picture of the final judgment to come when God brings down his wrath upon those who have persecuted his church throughout all time. As faithful followers of Jesus Christ, we can expect suffering and persecution, but we can also be assured of vindication and justice when Christ returns. So we can expect suffering and persecution. And a second expectation as faithful followers of Christ is that we can endure opposition. Opposition to our efforts to carry out what Christ has called us to do, the ministry, the service, and the spreading of the gospel. And such opposition will come typically from two sources, from man and from Satan. First, the opposition comes from man, verse 16. In referring to the Jews, Paul mentions how they forbid the apostles from speaking to the Gentiles that they might be saved. And so again here, it's bad enough that the Jews themselves rejected Christ and the gospel, and that they persecuted the believers, but they also sought to prevent the good news of the gospel from going to the Gentiles in order to keep them from being saved. No wonder Paul says that this filled up the measure of their sins, as if to say it was the last drop that really put them over the top. Their cup of sin was now overflowing. And this opposition was truly intense. But again, this was nothing new. Remember, Jesus was vigorously opposed by the religious leaders of his day who sought to undermine his authority before the people, and they repeatedly tried to ask these questions in order to entrap him, to discredit him before the people. And so again, we shouldn't be surprised. when we're faced with opposition. People won't like the fact that we're going forth with the gospel and ministering to those in need. Because as Paul has already made clear, and as the Thessalonians themselves have experienced, that when the gospel goes forth, it goes forth in the power of the Holy Spirit, and it then affects real and dramatic change in the hearts and the lives of those who truly believe. Now you may wonder, well, how can those dramatic changes in people's lives, how can that bring about opposition? Wouldn't that be considered a good thing? Well, because such gospel-charged change inevitably is going to shed light not only on the individual who has changed, but also on everyone who is around them. And Jesus tells Nicodemus in John 3, this is the condemnation, that light has come into the world, and men love darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. Those who live in darkness can't stand the light of the gospel shining through, even if it's in someone else's life who's next to them. Because what it's going to do is it's going to expose their own sinfulness. And so instead of humbly confessing their sin and embracing the light that they see in this one that is next to them, their neighbor, their family member, they seek to shut it out and cut it off and hamper it as much as possible. And so they will rise up to oppose the light. because it's shining and exposing their own sin. Because they don't like the new you. They don't like the light of the gospel in you. And they're going to do what they can in order to lead you astray. To bring you back into the darkness. Because the light shining in you through Christ is exposing them and exposing their sin. Exposing their own need for Christ. Unless the Lord turns their hearts. they'll continue to flee the darkness, flee the light and run to the darkness. But they'll also try to squelch that light shining in you. And so we will be opposed. And again, we need to understand that this opposition can also arise not only from those around us, but it can also arise even here in the church. How does that happen? Well, infighting within the church, gossip, or having a lovelessness, basically having a church that is not Christ-like at all. That can all be a hindrance to the gospel mission because it's darkness coming into the church. You think about who wants to be a part of a church where the members are more interested in serving themselves rather than serving one another and serving the community for the cause and the glory of Christ. You see, it doesn't stop there. We also have to be careful, even with ourselves, because the darkness of our own sin can also hinder the going forth of the gospel. Even if our sincere purpose and desire is to see the gospel spread and Christ glorified throughout all the earth, it only takes one brief moment of sinful pleasure to destroy your witness to Christ and His gospel. One quick moment, and it's gone. Now this is not to say that the damage can never be repaired and overcome. Certainly it can be, by God's grace. But you see, the point is, damage is still done. And you'll need to deal with the consequences of that damage. And so when you fall into sin, and people around you see that, and they'll be like, oh, well, okay, Mr. High and Holy is It's just like us. And you've undermined your witness to those around you. But it takes diligence to get up, to turn to Christ, to seek forgiveness of your sins as you confess it before him, and to then work to reestablish a witness. And sometimes, coming back after a failure can be even a greater witness than living that consistent righteous life. But the point is, there's still damage that gets done. And so it becomes a hindrance to the gospel going forth. And so you need to be vigilant against sin and temptation, even in your own lives, because that darkness is going to hinder the light. Well, this then leads to the next source of opposition that we can expect to face, and not just from man in general, whether it's others or ourselves, but from Satan and his demons. Now, certainly in a certain way, Satan has his hand in any opposition to God, even through others or our own sin, that he uses to hinder the going forth of the gospel. But it's important to acknowledge that these aren't the only means which Satan uses. 2 Corinthians 12, Paul speaks of the thorn in the flesh as being a messenger of Satan. Something that plagued him. Now we don't know. There's a lot of speculation about what that thorn was. We don't know whether it, whether it was a physical affliction or emotional suffering or, or some kind of particular struggle, but it was a hindrance. And so Satan can use all these in an attempt to keep us from spreading the gospel. And this reminds us of what Paul says in Ephesians 6, where we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. And so we need to be fully equipped in order to defend against such opposition as we're clothed in the full armor of God, as Paul goes on to describe there in Ephesians. Paul reveals the effect of such a spiritual battle. In verse 17 and 18, here Paul begins his defense of why he and the others left so suddenly, and he assures the Thessalonian believers that it wasn't their desire. He says that they were taken away, or some translations may have that they were separated or bereft. And the original sense of the word means really to make an orphan. And so Paul describes really how even violently They were forced to leave. He also reassures them that ever since that they left, they have so desired to return, but Satan has hindered or stopped them. The word Paul uses here for hindered is very revealing of the tactics that Satan uses to oppose the gospel. It literally means to cut in. And it was a term often used in relation to military campaigns where the defending army would dig trenches in the ground in order to impede the advance of those who were coming against them. And so soldiers might then fall into those trenches, making it more difficult for them to advance quickly, and certainly would impede any kind of wheeled implements of war, like chariots and other things, from being able to moving forward. And that was the whole point, to at least slow the progress. Well, Satan is seeking to dig ditches so that we can fall into them. And so that he can oppose us in spreading the gospel and impede the advance of the gospel. And we can fall into those ditches. We can fall into ditches of pride, envy, strife, lust, greed, selfishness. Whatever sin will tempt us, whatever weakness we may have, we need to be aware that as individuals or as a congregation of God's people, we need to be aware that Satan is going to zero in on that weakness. And he's going to make a huge pit for us to fall into. He may make several of them in order to keep us from doing what Christ has called us to do. But there's something else that we should note about this opposition from Satan, and in particular, Paul's use of this word here, this hindering. And really, when you think about it, It's great reason for us to have hope and rejoice. You see, remember the ditches were dug by the defending army against those who were advancing against their kingdom. Well, faithful beloved of God, keep this in mind. Satan is not advancing against us. We as the church that Jesus Christ is building, we are advancing against Satan and against his kingdom. Satan is on the defense. He's retreating and the further back he's forced to move, the more intense his attacks are going to be. And so if we're truly faithful with the gospel mission that Christ has given to us to accomplish as individuals and as a congregation of God's people, we must know that Satan will not be pleased and he's going to feverishly dig ditches in order to keep us from advancing on his kingdom at all costs. But ultimately, we know His efforts will fail. And our cause, as Jesus promises, will prevail. Satan is fighting a losing battle. And though we should be warned that he still desires to wreak as much havoc as he can, and to pull down as many people as he can, for Satan it's a losing battle. Because Jesus Christ has already secured for us the victory. when he suffered and died on the cross for our sins, and then rose again from the dead on the third day, defeating, once and for all, Satan, sin, and death. And so Satan's defeated, but like a bear or a lion being backed into a corner, he remains relentless in his attacks, and he's going to fight going down. Well, this then leads to the third thing that we're given here, which we can expect as faithful followers of Christ. We can expect suffering and persecution. We can expect opposition as we seek to carry forth the gospel. But we can also expect with sure certainty, eternal joy and glory in God's glorious presence forever. But it isn't just about finishing the race. No, it's about finishing well. Finishing well to reach the crown which Christ has set aside for us. And so Paul asks in verse 19 and 20, he says, for what is our hope or joy or crown of rejoicing? Is it not even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ and his coming? For you are our glory and joy. And the crown that he's speaking of here is the wreath that was given to the winner of the games, right? It's kind of where we get the tradition in the Olympics of giving the gold medal to a winner of the Olympics in a particular event. It used to be just a wreath of greens. But that's the reward that the Lord has in store for those who are truly good and faithful servants. Thessalonians because they had and were continuing to faithfully endure the suffering and the persecution and overcoming the opposition before them. Because despite all this, they remain steadfast in their faith. They'd be the hope and joy and the victory crown of celebration to Paul and the others when Christ returns. because they're going to be there standing with Him in His glorious presence when He comes. Beloved of God, such a crown also awaits those if we're faithful to what He has called us to do. And if we endure, and if we persist through suffering and persecution, and indeed we will, by the grace of God. And those whom God has graciously enabled us to minister to in the name of Christ, those whom we've shared the gospel with and who've received the gospel in faith, they will be our crown. They will be the fruit of our ministry that God has graciously given. And we're going to rejoice with them. because we'll be together with them when Christ returns on the last great day. And this we can be assured of. Again, despite all the suffering and persecution, despite the various forms of opposition that we may face, we know and have the confident hope that truly Christ will come again. and he'll vindicate his people. He's going to destroy the opposition and he's going to receive us to himself with all joy and glory. Surely this is what the faithful can expect. But if you're one who doesn't yet trust in Christ alone for salvation, you too have now been informed. Following Jesus Christ is not going to be easy. It's not going to be smooth. And you can't do it on your own strength, but you must rely totally upon the strength and the grace of God, which He freely offers through the gospel to those who would even now confess the name of Jesus Christ as Lord of their lives and Savior of their souls. So know this, if you truly believe on Jesus Christ, you will endure the persecution and the suffering and you will overcome any opposition that you face and you will most assuredly not be disappointed not now nor at the end of the age when Christ Jesus returns because you'll be with them with him and with all his people in that great joy and joy-filled and glorious presence of our God and Savior, all to the praise and glory of his holy name. Let's pray. O gracious God and heavenly Father, we rejoice and give thanks to you for your word, for your encouragement, for the challenge, for this reminder of what we can expect as we confess and profess to follow you. Lord, it's not easy, and we don't want to be misinformed. But we pray that you'd remind us of these things, because we know it gets hard. Life gets hard. And we see the opposition all around us. We see the suffering. We see the persecution building. And even some of our brothers and sisters in other parts of the world are enduring these things in a very real and intense way. And so we pray for them, that you would sustain them, uphold them, And that even as they stand firm in their faith in the midst of persecution, that your light would continue to shine. That it would shine, even as those tried to bring it back to darkness, but that light would continue to shine and that there were persecutors that they would either be converted by the continuous glowing of the glory of the gospel in your people, even as the apostle Paul was. or that they will be judged and condemned as we know they will be on the last great day. Father, we just pray. We pray for them. We pray for us in our own community, in our own nation. Again, we see the turmoil all around us, but may we never shy away. I'm seeking to be that faithful witness. I'm seeking to live for you and for your glory in our lives, in every area of our lives, in everything that we do, so that your name would be lifted up, so that the gospel would go forth, and that you would be glorified above all things. We pray, Father, that you would especially impress these truths upon each of our own hearts, drawing us all closer to yourself. and that we embrace these challenges as we seek to follow you and glorify your name. We pray all these things in the name of Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.