Amen. We'll turn into 2 Thessalonians this evening. The book of 2 Thessalonians chapter two. We'll read from the verse 13. We welcome one and all. In the Savior's name, thank you for joining with us. We trust that the Lord will bless your heart. And as we come around the throne of grace, that we'll know great help in the leading of God's spirit as we do that. 2 Thessalonians chapter two, let's begin. As I said at the verse 13, of the chapter, and we'll read to the end of the chapter here. The Apostle Paul says, 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 our gospel to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, brethren, stand fast and hold the traditions which ye 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 and establish you in every good word and work. Amen, and we'll end our reading there, as I've said, at the end of the chapter number two of 2 Thessalonians. As we've noticed from our previous studies, God's servant has already prayed in relation to these Thessalonian believers with regard to their sanctification their preservation, that they would be enabled to walk worthy of the calling wherewith they had been called and also that the work that God had begun in them would find its completion within their hearts and within their lives. Well now Paul takes to prayer again and he prays to other petitions concerning the saints of God here in the city of Thessalonica, he prays for these people who he had come to dearly love in the gospel. And those petitions, they really relate to two matters. They relate first of all to the solace of the saints of God and also to the stability of the saints of God. And that prayer is found in the closing two verses. 2nd Thessalonians chapter 2 now our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God even our father which have loved us and have given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace comfort your hearts and establish you in every good word and work. Now before we consider those petitions or just the first of the two petitions this evening, I want you to notice the structural context in which the Apostle Paul orders and offers this petition. the structural context in which he comes to frame these two petitions at the end of chapter number two. If you look at the verses, first of all, verses 13 and 14, you find that the Apostle Paul deals with some of the great fundamentals of the faith. He deals with the matter of election, predestination, salvation, sanctification, effectual calling and glorification notice there the verse 13 and 14 but we bind to thank God always for you brethren beloved of the Lord because God hath from the beginning there is the thought predestination God pre or for ordaining for ordaining a people to be called unto himself from the beginning way back in the beginning of time way back in eternity past we read there god hath from the beginning chosen you there's election then he goes on to speak to salvation There's our salvation. Then we have sanctification through sanctification of the spirit and belief of the truth. We're on to He called you by our gospel. There's the effectual call coming to the believers or to the sinners there and then eventually brought to be believers being called by our gospel to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. There is our eventual Now these are meaty matters indeed and Paul deals with them very quickly in this and these two particular verses. They are certainly not what we would call the milk of the word when you come to study out these great doctrines of the faith. Predestination, election, salvation, sanctification, glorification, effectual calling. These are the meat of the word. And they should thrill the heart of every child of God. These are doctrines that we should know. These are doctrines that we should believe. And these are doctrines that should comfort the heart of God's children. I have been predestinated onto eternal life. in God's free grace and of his mercy God has set his love upon me and he has elected me in Christ he has chosen me in Christ Jesus and in time he effectually called me on to salvation he is sanctifying me and thank God I shall eventually be glorified and so this is the context or the framework in which Paul will then offer this prayer at the end of the chapter there is this doctrinal framework but then in verse 15 Paul then makes application in light of the truths that he has written about he says therefore in light of these doctrines In light of these key tenets of the faith, therefore, brethren, stand fast, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word or our epistle. Now the word tradition is not as we would think of it, the traditions of man. as it were no biblical warrant to them this word traditions signifies anything delivered by way of teaching anything delivered by way of teaching and Paul informs these believers that there were two ways in which these individuals had been informed by way of teaching it was by the Word of God by our epistle and by word, by the preaching of the Word of God. And so by these two ways, by the preaching of the Word and the written Word of God, the epistles that Paul was writing to these churches throughout Asia Minor, these individuals were being taught the truths of God's precious word and these saints were to hold fast to the truths that they had been taught. And so there's the application. In light of these truths, here's the application. Hold fast. And then, and then, Paul then prays for these saints. in the verse 17. He prays that God and the Father, which has loved us, comfort your hearts and establish you in every good word and work. He prays here that these individuals would then be comforted by that which he has taught them. And so the structural context, and this is what I want you to understand, is as follows. First, there is the presentation of truth, Then there is the personal application of the truth. And then there is prayer offered to God for the outworking of the truth in the lives of those who had heard the truth. Now, for those who do any kind of preaching or who aspire to be a preacher sometime in their life, this is an order that is most certainly worth noting, and is certainly worth following when coming to preach God's word. And even if you find yourself in a Bible class, speaking in a Bible class, or in a children's meeting, or also in a Sunday school class, this is a good structure, a good framework in which to present the truth that you're trying to get across to the children. There must be the presentation of the truth, the doctrine, And then there must be the application of the truth to the hearts and the lives of those who are listening to God's word, but that does not end your presentation or your dealing with the truth, because then it must be backed home by prayer. And so for a Sunday school teacher, you go to your Sunday school class, you teach your children, you present to them the doctrine, and then you make a personal application to their lives. And then at the end of that time together, you then pray that God will apply the word to the hearts and to the lives of the boys and girls. And it's the same with regard to doing open air work, with regard to doing children's work, with regard to preaching in a church service. This is the order the truth, the application of the truth, and then the prayer to God that that truth will then take hold, lays hold of the individual who has heard the truth, who is set under your ministry. And whenever you think about it, this is really how we should receive the word of God. We should listen to the truth being preached, and then we should, allow God to apply that truth in our lives and to hide that truth in our hearts and then we should pray that by God's help that we would live out the truth that we have heard and that we have received. Now don't forget These individuals that Paul is writing here to, and I've said this on numerous occasions, these individuals were undergoing times of great trouble, trials. They were going through a time of tribulation and persecution in their lives, and Paul knew that. He had sent Timothy, we read that on one other occasion, he sent Timothy to ascertain the welfare of God's children in this great city. And as a result of what Paul has heard concerning these Thessalonian believers and the troubles and the trials and the cares of these individuals, Paul then takes himself to pray. He takes himself to prayer, he now makes intercession for them in the full knowledge of their circumstances. And so he doesn't pray generic prayers or general prayers, but having ascertained their particular trials and troubles, Now Paul prays specific prayers that they might be answered on behalf of these individuals. And brethren and sisters, I believe there's a lesson for us to learn. You know, there's many a time that we jump to wrong conclusions. I have, with regard to maybe individuals and maybe they don't find themselves out at church. And then I find maybe a day later that they've been in hospital with one of their children. or maybe they're lying in a bed of sickness. And I come then to realize, maybe I just shouldn't have jumped to the conclusion that I did. And for us to be enabled to pray properly and rightly, we need to be then, be in full light of all of the details in order for us then to pray properly and specifically for these individuals. Paul here doesn't, chastise these individuals, but rather he comes and he intercedes on their behalf. And I believe that we learn from Paul's example that there ought to be a fraternal love among the people of God. There ought to be a love among God's family. A love that moves us then to pray one for another and also highlights to us the need to pray for those who are in distress, and those who do find themselves downcast in their Christian lives. We are to pray for those who are passing through difficult times. This is what Paul is doing here. These individuals were going through a difficult time in their Christian lives, and Paul takes himself to pray. And what were we not to do the same? We'll mention people tonight. and they're going through difficult times in their life with regard to their health, going through difficult times with regard to their families. We ought to pray. This is the response of the family of God. We rejoice with them that rejoice, yes, and we weep with them that weep. There should be a mutual love that exists between the members of God's family, and that love should then lead us off to pray for them As I've already mentioned, Paul prays two prayers, and we'll only do number one this evening. We just want to consider the first prayer that he offers up to God for the saints of God here in Thessalonica. Namely, that God would, look at the words, verse 17, that God would comfort your hearts. There it is. Our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God, even our Father, which has loved us and has given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace, comfort your hearts. Now, there's no doubt that at times we need God's chastening ministry in our lives. No doubt about that. There are times when we sin and we grieve the Lord. There are times whenever we certainly, our disobedience demands the disciplining that is often administered by our Heavenly Father. So we need His chastening ministry. However, alongside His chastening ministry, we need His comforting ministry, the comforting ministry of our God. The Bible speaks of that ministry in many verses. Isaiah 51 verse 3, for the Lord shall comfort Zion. Zion is a picture of the church, God comforting his church. In Isaiah 51 verse 12, we read the words of God, I even I am he that comforteth you. Isaiah 66 verse 13, As one whom his mother comforteth, so will I comfort you, and ye shall be comforted in Jerusalem. Matthew 5 verse 4, Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted. John 14, 18, I will not leave you comfortless, Christ said to his disciples I will come to you in the person of the great comforter himself the Holy Spirit. I believe that great verse in 2nd Corinthians 1 verses 3 and 4 remind us of the comforting ministry of the Lord. Bless me God Even the Father for Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort, who comforted us in all our tribulation, that ye may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. And then again in 2 Corinthians, we read the words in chapter seven, verse six, nevertheless God, that comforted those that are cast down, comforted us by the coming of Christ. Titus, God comforteth those that are cast down. Thank God there is a comforting ministry that comes to us from our heavenly Father. Yes, he chastens us, of course he does. He also comes and he comforts his people. Now when I came to think about this petition of the Apostle Paul, I asked myself the question, how was God going to comfort the hearts of these saints? Because he prays here that God would comfort your hearts And as I pondered that question, I came then to consider the contents of the previous verse, the verse number 16. And it was what I found there that I found then the answer to my question. Because you see, the numerous truths that are alluded to in the verse 16 are most certainly the comfort for every child of God as they make their way through this world, this sin cursed and blighted world. Now we could go back to consider what we have already considered in my introduction with regard to the thought of our predestination, our election, our salvation, our effectual calling, our sanctification, our glorification. These are the comforts of God's people most certainly. But then Paul adds another layer of comfort. It's as if he cannot exhaust the comfort that God gives to his people. And he deals with four comforting truths. And we want to look at them very quickly before we get down to prayer. I want you to notice first of all, in verse 16, that Paul speaks about the love of God. The love of God. What a comfort there is. in the love of God for the Christian, because they are the object of that great love. This isn't some kind of abstract love that a certain band of believers come to enjoy. Rather, this is a love that every Christian enjoys, being the object of God's love, that God sets his love upon us. Why? Because in us, he sees his son, Christ in you, the hope of glory. Note verse 16, now our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God even our Father which hath loved us. We come to find comfort in this fact that God loves us. We marvel at it. We marvel at it. That God loves me, I who am so insignificant, I who am so frail, I who am so foolish, I who am so sinful at times in my life that God loves me. Oh what a wonder the hymn writer said that Jesus loves me. He should abhor us. He should hate us. And yet Paul writes, that we are loved by God. We can understand why he loved or why he would love the apostles, why he would love the martyrs, why he would love eminent Christians, but that he should love us is too wonderful for us to take in at times, but he does. To know that we are loved by God and that with an everlasting love is a tremendous comfort to our hearts. What a comfort there is to be found in the fact that we're loved by God the Father. So love were we by the Father that he chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world, according, Ephesians 1, verse 4 and 5, according that he had chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love, having predestinated us onto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ himself, according to the good pleasure of his will. We're loved because he chose us. Christ so loved were we by the father that he sent his son to be the Savior of his people For God so loved the world that took us in that he gave his only begotten son Paul would say that God loved me And gave himself for me Loved by the Father, yes, loved by the Son. So loved were we by the God, the Son, that He willingly came into the world to be the substitute and the surety of His people. It was because God loved us that He was willing to take to Himself the responsibility of meeting all of the obligations to secure eternal redemption for us. In love, He lived for us. In love He died for us. In love He rose again from the dead for us. In love He ascended into heaven for us. In love He appears in the presence of God for us tonight. We're loved by the Son. Yes, and we're loved by God, the Holy Spirit. So loved are we by the Holy Spirit that He sought us out in our sin. He scoured a horrible pit. And he drew us from the married clay and on to Christ. In love, he illuminated our minds. In love, he quickened our souls. In love, he brought to us the evangelical gifts of faith and repentance. In love, he regenerated our hearts. And now, in love, He has taken up residency in our hearts as the great comforter to teach and to guide and to strengthen and to preserve us. How amazing, how marvelous, how wonderful is my Savior's love to me. God's love for us is most certainly a source of great comfort to any child of God. Not only is the love of God a great source of comfort for the Christian, but so is the consolation of God. Paul speaks again in verse 16 of God giving the Christian everlasting consolation. The word consolation speaks of comfort and of solace. Did you know that the Lord Jesus Christ is called the consolation of Israel? In Luke chapter one or two verse 25, I think the reference is, I may stand corrected there, let me read it anyway. The verse, and behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon. The same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Ghost was upon him. Christ is the consolation of national and of spiritual Israel. And what a consolation, and what consolation he brings to the heart of the child of God. In times of trouble and trial, he comes with comfort and solace and consolation. Reverend Charles Simeon wrote, oh, what consolation he is to us. Well, we view him as the propitiation for our sins. What tongue can utter the feelings of a contrite soul when after many fears of God's wrath is enabled to see the efficacy of Christ's atonement? Oh, the peace, the joy, the exultation that arise from every fresh application of His blood to the conscience. What a consolation to know that our sins are pardoned. and forgiven, and we've been reconciled to God, and we stand justified before God tonight, just as if we never had been a sinner. Oh, what consolation comes to our souls. I don't need to tell you that the consolation that we receive from family members and from earthly friends, I, and even a minister, it's fleeting, is it not? fleeting in its duration, fleeting in its effect, of course it is, a kindly word. We find some comfort in that for a period of time, but ah, whenever God speaks, whenever God gives consolation, ah, we remember it for years. We can go back. We've been interviewing some individuals with regard to church membership, and in recent times, I heard an individual, that individual lacked assurance of faith. Just whenever they came to trust in Jesus Christ and having trust in Christ, and the individual said that they opened their Bible, and there the verse was. And what a consolation, God spoke to that individual's heart. And from that moment, and that's over 40 years ago, and that individual still remembers it as if it happened last night. The consolation that the word brought to the soul. And that's what you need. Ah yes, I can try and console you and comfort and bring solace, and that's what I aim to do. Maybe not very well, for you who are going through difficulty and trials, but you need to hear from the Lord, need His consolation. You need to hear from God and His word, a promise to lay hold off. And as I've said, it can be fleeting, it can be passing, this consolation that we receive from other human beings. But did you notice, did you notice The describing term that's placed before this word consolation, I think it's an adjective, I'm not too sure. English grammar definitely wasn't one of my high points with regard to going to school. But notice the word before the word consolation. It is an everlasting consolation. At last, at last. Consolation of our Lord. I read this quote from James Smith, I trust it'll help you. He said these words, creature love may feel, and creatures who love us today may hate us tomorrow, but as Jesus ever lives, so Jesus ever loves. In the covenant engagements, perfect work, tender sympathy, constant care, prevalent intercession, precious word, and unvarying love of Jesus, there is an ocean of consolation. an ocean of consolation. Yes, the love and the consolation of God are great sources of comfort for the Christian, but notice the next thing, the hope of God. So is the hope of God. Paul speaks here, verse 16, of good hope, good hope. And to what is Paul referring to when he speaks of good hope? Is he talking about the Christian virtue of hope? Now abideth faith, hope, and charity. Is he speaking about this Christian virtue of hope or is he speaking of something else? Well, I would suggest to you that he's speaking about the hope that is set before us in the gospel, the hope of eternal life, the blessed hope of Christ's return, the hope of heaven, Christian hope, biblical hope, is not like the world's hope. No Christian hope is a confident expectation. of something good in the future. It is a future certainty that's grounded on present reality. The hope of the Christian is not simply a mere wish, but rather it is that which lays hold of the certainty of the promises of the future that God has made. One Christian author defined Christian hope in this way. It is a trusting expectation that God is going to keep his word. A good hope is a confident expectation of the possession of some future good. You see, the Christian is possessed with good hope. And they rejoice in the fact that in heaven there is laid up for them an inheritance that is incorruptible, undefiled, and feedeth not away. The hopes of eternal life and the return of Jesus Christ to bring an end to this sin-cursed world, a home in heaven, an enduring inheritance. Are these not sources of comfort? They ought to be. You know, compared to the world's hope of which there is no guarantee that we will ever see the realization of what is hoped for, the Christian's hope is something that is absolutely certain. And that for me is great comfort. To know that all that I hope for in the gospel will someday be realized by me because God has promised such to me in his word. A place prepared. home, heaven, fellowship and communion with him eternally, the hope of God. Then there is a final source of God and source of comfort, sorry, for the child of God that is mentioned in this verse 16, that source of comfort being the grace of God. It's comforting to know that the love of God, the consolation of God, and the hope of God is not experienced by us because of personal merit or by sincere endeavor on our part, but such are experienced by us because of the grace of God. The above comforts, they owe their existence to the free and the sovereign and the unmerited favor of God. Let me explain. You see, the reason why I am loved by God tonight is because of the grace of God. And the reason why I enjoy the consolation of God tonight is because of the grace of God. And the reason why I have a good hope in me tonight is because of the grace of God. God's grace to us comforts us in the knowledge that it is by his grace that we are saved, it is by his grace that we stand, and it will be by his grace that we will find ourselves safely closed into heaven. Grace of God, is it not a comfort to your heart that God in grace saved our souls? Grace underpins all that we are, and all that we have in Christ Jesus. Paul said these words in 1 Corinthians 15 verse 10, but by the grace of God, I am what I am, and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain, but I labored more abundantly than they all, Yet not I, but the grace of God, which was with me. What he was and what he did, Paul ascribed it all to the grace of God. What a comfort the grace of God is. So as I trust, as we have thought a little about the love and the consolation and the hope and the grace of God, that your heart not your head, but that your heart has been comforted. Because Paul prays that God would comfort these peoples, their hearts, and their hearts would be comforted, he believed, by reminding them of God's love, of God's consolation, of God's hope, and of God's grace. May God comfort our hearts with these tremendous comforts. And God willing, next week we'll consider the second petition. And I believe it will be a shorter petition to think about next Wednesday night in the will of God. May God bless the word of God to our hearts for Christ's sake. Amen. Let's briefly pray together. My Lord, we have heard the word The doctrine has been presented. The truth of thy word has been presented. We have tried our best to apply it. Although we believe that the spirit of God also comes and applies in a manner that maybe we would never have thought of, not knowing the circumstances of the congregation, the people that are before us. And therefore we thank thee for the spirits applying of the word our hearts but now we pray that we might live out this word and when we find ourselves in troubles and in trials that this and these comforts would flood our minds that I am loved by God that I can know his consolation that there is a hope within me that my trials are but temporary and soon I shall go to be with Christ and it'll all be because of the grace of God. Lord, apply now thy word to our hearts. Don't allow the devil, the enemy, to snatch away the good seed of the word, but come now and plough it in, Lord, and penetrate it deep in to this heart and soul of mine, to every child of God. We offer prayer in our Savior's precious name. Amen. May the word of God be the rejoicing of your soul this evening.