Well, may the Lord graciously
instruct us from his holy word. And now, once again, we'll continue
our meditation in the second epistle of Paul to the Thessalonians,
the third chapter, and tonight we'll read verses 14 and 15. So the second of Thessalonians
chapter 3 verses 14 and 15. And if any man obey not our words
by this epistle note that man and have no company with him
that he may be ashamed. Yet count him not as an enemy,
but admonish him as a brother. Well this is really a comprehensive
statement from the Apostle as he comes towards the end of his
letter to the Thessalonians. And he makes this point that
if any man obey not our word by this epistle, note that man
and have no company with him. So the truth is that the Apostle
wrote this letter clearly under the influence of the Holy Spirit
and therefore he expected people to read and listen to what he
had written and to walk in the ways that he set before them
and not to turn away and not to decide that wasn't very relevant
and therefore I can ignore it. Indeed, he was concerned that
they might obey those things which he spoke. And just briefly,
going through some of these points in this chapter, we've already
gone through them, but it's good just to remind ourselves of what
the Apostle was directing the Thessalonians to do and to remember. They were the things which he
classifies really as commands, because he says, if any man obey
not our word. So he recognized that this was
the word of God. And it's very relevant to us
today as we read the Bible and read many great truths it contains
and recognize that they're not just vain words, they're not
just a historical account. They are the very word of God
speaking his word to our soul. And we should, therefore, be
very concerned that we are following the Word of God and not turning
away from it and thinking, well, I needn't worry about that. Well,
just going back to a couple of places, in the second chapter,
the apostle starts by saying, now we beseech you, brethren,
obviously a very great concern. He wanted them to really understand
and listen. Now, we beseech you, and remember
this was him and Silvanus and Timotheus, brethren, by the coming
of our Lord Jesus Christ and by our gathering together unto
him, that ye be not soon shaken in mind or be troubled, neither
by spirit nor by word, nor by letter, as from us, as that the
day of Christ is at hand. This was an important consideration,
it was an important point that the Apostle had brought before
them. And therefore he says, therefore let no man deceive
you by any means, for that day shall not come except the come
of falling away first. And that man of sin be revealed,
the son of perdition. So clearly, as we've already
commented, this, the last day, the great day of judgment was
very important. And the apostle brought this
before them. And now, as he comes to the end,
he reiterates and tells them those things that he'd said he
wanted them to not forget. and not turn away from. And indeed,
he goes on to say that if they were to turn away from them and
not follow them, then he says, note that man and have no company
with him. Again, that's an important thought,
isn't it? As the Apostle brings these points,
very relevant they are. We live in a day where people
don't think very much about the end of their life. They don't
think very much about eternity. And yet the Apostle was very
concerned that these Thessalonians would remember and not be deceived
by any means. We know the devil is a great
deceiver and we need to be very aware of it because he would
try and turn us away from considering these great and important things
Because I'm sure if you and I recognize and realize what eternity is,
it'll influence our lives. But let us ponder it. Think about
it. It's good to ponder it. As I've
told you on many occasions, I cannot but remember Murray McShane and
the church at Dundee where he had that stone placed outside
that everybody walked across as they went in to worship with
that one word, eternity. And we come and we worship for
eternity. It's a great truth. It's a very
solemn truth. It's a very important truth.
And therefore, the Apostle says, if any man obey not our word
by this epistle, note that man and have no company with him.
And he says that, so this man, whoever it may be, may not be
ashamed. Well, it's a good statement.
And as the Apostle goes on further in this second chapter, he says,
these words, because they received not the love of the truth that
they might be saved. Do we receive the word of God?
It is true, every word, and it is revealed to us because of
his great love to his church. Do we receive it in love? Do we desire to really follow
it? and to walk in the precepts and
to meditate upon the great things which are recorded in, not only
in this letter to the Thessalonians, but really throughout the Word
of God. It's a great mine of instruction
and direction and encouragement. May we really be concerned to
be found true followers the Word of God and not just read it and
forget what we read but study it and pour over it and Recognize
the relevance of it to our lives today well that's a great and
wonderful truth and then as we go on in this second chapter
and we come down to the The 11th verse where the Apostle says,
And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion that
they should believe a lie. You see the devil has not changed
really in his skill. And here we have this position,
And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion that
they believe the lies of the devil. that they should believe
a lie, and how tragic that they all might be damned who believed
not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. It's easy to skirt over a verse
like that. And yet the truth is, as the
Apostle says, that they all might be damned. That means cast into
hell. That means eternity without God,
in utter darkness, forever and forever and forever. And then,
but had pleasure in unrighteousness. Not righteousness, unrighteousness. sinful things, which are not
convenient. How good it is that we have such
a statement set before us like that, just to remind us of what
we should think and what we should do. And then verse 15 in the
second chapter, he says, therefore, brethren, stand fast, stand fast,
and hold the traditions which ye have been taught whether by
word or our epistle. Well, the devil would not have
us stand fast. No, but what a mercy it is if
God enables us to stand fast and hold fast. That which is
good and not therefore to move away from it. And then he says,
verse 17, comfort your hearts. and establish you in every good
word and work. You see, we can comfort our hearts
through reading the Word of God and the great truth it contains.
And we see there the mercy of God and the love of God and the
grace of God, they all shine forth. and such truths are wonderful
and as you and I therefore read the word and meditate on it may
it be a comfort to us that's what the Apostle is saying if
any man obey not our word Comfort your hearts. He says we can't
comfort our hearts if we ignore the Word of God But what a blessing
therefore if God gives us his grace so to do that we truly
desire to follow those things Which he has said and then in
the fifth verse of this third chapter and the Lord direct your
hearts Hearts into the love of God and into the patient Waiting
for Christ. I wonder How often we pray for
that, that we may be directed into the love of God, that our
hearts might be moved to meditate. It's a wonderful theme. It's
a glorious theme. God glorifying one. And what a blessing it is to
our souls when we realize God's wonderful love for such unworthy
sinners. And then just as we recently
meditated on, really from verses six to 10, which is a great and
glorious truth. Now we command you, brethren,
in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you withdraw yourselves
from every brother that walketh disorderly, not in accordance
with the word of God, and not after the tradition which ye
have received of us, yourselves know how you ought to follow
us, for we behave not ourselves disorderly among you. Neither
did we eat any man's bread for naught, but wrought with labour
and trouble night and day, that we might not be chargeable to
any of you. not because we have not power,
but to make ourselves an example unto you, to follow us. For even
when we were with you, this we commanded you, And if any man
would not work, neither should he eat. Well, we meditated on
that recently, and it's very important for us to consider. And then just perhaps the last
one. It tells us, as we thought upon
last week, but you brethren be not weary in well doing. Be not weary. You may think,
oh, I've done that before. Have I got to do it again? Be
not weary in well-doing. And if we need any encouragement,
just think of the Saviour. He went about doing good. He was weary. He slept without
any pillows. Yes, what an example we have
from our great and glorious Saviour. So may we recognize the importance
of these things. And then he finally says in verse
15, yet count him not as an enemy. People that we find walking disorderly
and idle and not following the word of God as they should, he
says here, yet count him not as an enemy, but admonish him
as a brother. lovely statement isn't it the
church of god we need to treat as a brother and what a blessing
if if such are a brother beloved and the lord is gracious to us
and gives us grace so to do it's very easy you know to point the
finger of scorn or and sometimes in anger and say you shouldn't
do that you know that's not the right attitude really here it
is we do it in love as a brother what a mercy it is therefore
that God in his goodness has given us his word with clear
directions as to how we should walk and how we should act where
my God instructs us from his word.