Feb 24, 2020
2 Thessalonians 3:14-18
13 As for you, brothers, do not grow weary in doing
good. 14 If anyone does not obey what we say in this
letter, take note of that person, and have nothing to do with him,
that he may be ashamed. 15 Do not regard him as an
enemy, but warn him as a brother. 16 Now may the Lord of
peace Himself give you peace at all times in every way. The Lord be
with you all. 17 I, Paul, write this greeting with my
own hand. This is the sign of genuineness in every letter of mine;
it is the way I write. 18 The grace of our Lord Jesus
Christ be with you all.
As we come to the close of our time in Paul’s letters to the
Thessalonians, I have been reflecting on some of the common themes
of the two books. Over and over, Paul gives words of comfort (“may
the Lord of peace Himself give you peace at all times in every
way,” 2 Thessalonians 2:16) and encouragement (“do not grow weary
in doing good,” 2 Thessalonians 2:13; “encourage one another and
build one another up,” 1 Thessalonians 5:11). With those words in
mind, I chose the two hymns which close our service this morning:
Great Is Thy Faithfulness and There’s A Wideness In
God’s Mercy. Great Is Thy Faithfulness, based on the
passage from Lamentations 3 which is used for today's Call to
Worship and Assurance of Pardon, encourages us with the “bright
hope for tomorrow” we have in the promises of God. The line “there
is no place where earth’s sorrows are more felt than up in heaven”
from There’s A Wideness completely captures Paul’s
sentiment towards these new Christians in Thessalonica. Though
sorrows and persecution will come, we can take comfort in our
loving Savior, a gentle shepherd who would have us “come and gather
at His feet.” —Henry C. Haffner
Key Words: Obey, Ashamed, Enemy, Brother, Peace,
Grace
Keystone Verse: Do not regard him as an enemy, but
warn him as a brother. (2 Thessalonians 3:15)