And when he ascended and went
back to the Father, the angels appeared to the disciples and
said, Ye men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing into the
heavens? Of course they were, they just
saw their Lord go taken up in the clouds. This same Jesus,
which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like
manner as you see him come. But in verse 2, Paul warns the
church against becoming unsettled, alarmed, and excited by those
people who declare that his return is imminent. I'm talking about
when he wrote this epistle, back there almost Well, over 1900
years ago when this epistle was written. Now listen to verse
2. That you be not soon shaken in
mind, unsettled, be troubled, alarmed, excited, neither by spirit. You know, John told us to try
the spirits who preach. These are men who preach. These
men had come in and declared to the church at Thessalonica
that the coming of the Lord was at hand, imminent, any time now. And the people were troubled
and shaken in mind. And Paul said, neither by spirit,
somebody coming saying he's speaking under the Spirit of God, nor
by word, the preaching, nor by letter as from us. The commentaries
tell us that some people had even forged epistles under the
name of Paul and sent them to the church. That's what he's
talking about, as though by letter, as from us. He didn't say a letter
from me, he said as from me. These people had forged letters
from Paul indicating that Christ's coming was at hand. This was written 1900 years ago. It may be that the coming of
the Lord is at hand, imminent now. But at that time, Paul was
sure that it wasn't. And he's warning them not to
declare something, to be at hand, especially something, one writer
said, one event, such as the return of Christ. When an event such as the end
of the world as we know it, an event such as the beginning of
eternal glory is said to be at hand, said to be imminent, said
to be almost tomorrow, and it does not occur, disappointment
gives way to despair. And then despair gives way to
doubt. In other words, I get up here and
announce that the Lord is coming in the next few days. It's imminent.
And it doesn't take place. Such an awesome, awesome event. That disappoints everybody that
heard the message. And then it leads them to despair. And then it leads them to question
all upon. And everybody talks about it.
So this is what Paul is saying. And usually the motive is wrong.
This is what I discovered out in California five years ago
when that announcement was made and the book written in 1994.
I went out there right in the middle of it. And the motive
is wrong. Here's the two things they're
trying to do. They're trying to motivate believers to be better
witnesses. and better Christians and better
servants by telling them the Lord may come in a month or two
months or a year. But that's not the way believers
are motivated. They're not motivated by the
return of Christ, they're motivated by the death of Christ. He gave himself for us, that's
what motivates us, his love for us. Whether he comes today or
a thousand years from now, we're motivated to to live for him
and to love him and to glorify him because of our relationship
with him. Fear, you don't motivate believers
with fear. And another thing they tried
to do, they went all over the world and other countries giving
out tracts, the laws coming in 1994, trying to scare people
into a profession of faith. Try to get them to make decisions
for Christ. Well, unbelievers are not brought to repentance
and faith by fear of the Lord's coming. They're brought to repentance
and faith by fear of sin, of sin against God, judgment. No matter when it comes, it's
upon those who do not know Christ. And so the motive is all over
the head. Paul said, don't, just don't
be shaken, troubled. Whether somebody claims to have
a revelation or by preaching or by forged letters from us
that that day is at hand. Remember this, that this epistle
here, 1 and 2 Thessalonians were the earliest epistles. The apostles
were all still living. God was calling out the church.
The Lord was farming the church. The Lord was writing the Word.
The Word wasn't even written. Christ's not coming before the
Word's written, before the New Testament. This is what Paul is saying.
This epistle was among the earliest days of the church. The apostles
were still preaching, teaching, and writing the Word. So he says
in verse 3, don't let any man deceive you by any means. Now here's two things that are
going to happen. It's going to take place, Paul's writing then
now. Now these things, I'm going to
try to show you where they've pretty well taken place to this
day. But back here, Paul says now,
for that day the coming of the Lord shall not come, except there
come a falling away first. What is a falling away? Well,
it's a general condition of apostasy. You gotta have something before
you fall away from it. There's got to be a general apostasy
of falling away. Falling away from what? From
the true character of God. The preaching of it, the belief
of it, the trust in the true character of God. The living
God. Omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent. It's a general condition of apostasy
falling away from the authority of the scriptures. Just leaving
the authority of the scriptures and trusting the authority of
a church or a denomination or a church leaders or preachers
or just departing from the word. A general apostasy now. Thirdly,
it's an apostasy or a falling away from the gospel. Just when
the famine of the word of God, when you just can't even hear
any true gospel preached. The gospel of Christ, the gospel
of the glory of God. The gospel of the blood of Christ,
the gospel of covenant mercies, the mercies of a covenant God.
When it's not preached, and not believed, and not heard, and
not practiced, and not even written. A departure, falling away. Now
that's a falling away. It's a falling away from the
person and work of Jesus Christ. His perfect life imputing to
us a perfect holiness. His sacrifice of death, His sin
offering, His atonement, His ascension, His burial and resurrection,
His ascension to glory, His entering into the holiest, His seating
at the right hand of God interceding for us. It's a falling away and
a departure from salvation by grace alone. It's falling into
salvation by works. A man's own righteousness and
doing. Now he said that day is not coming
till this falling away occurs. Till this apostasy, till this
departure from the truth. Alright. Now when this was written,
it was 1900 years ago. Now we had great Ignatius, Polycarp,
Augustine, great preachers. There was a voice even in the
middle ages, in the dark ages. From Paul right on up to 500
years ago. And 500 years ago there was a
revival. There was a reformation. There
was a great return to the scriptures. A return to the preaching of
the character of God. God raised up men. Calvin, Luther,
Zwingli, Huss, these great forces, powerful for whole nations. Germany
followed the ministry of Luther. France followed the ministry
of Calvin. And England, the Church of England
was established under a righteous king, but it was established
anyway. There was, the catechisms were written, the word was translated. The publishing of the word of
God by these great men who printed the word, who translated it into
other languages, who put it in the people's language. This King
James translation, 1620. In every country, the voice of
truth was raised. I mean truth, I'm not talking
about religion. I'm talking about the Heidelberg
Catechism, the Dutch Catechism. If I were to stand here and read
it tonight, you would say amen to every word of it except church
government and baptism. If I were to read to you tonight
the Westminster Confession written back in those days, you'd say
amen to every word of it except baptism and church government.
The thirty-nine articles of the Church of England under which
Whitfield preached and And Watts preached, and John Knox preached,
and all these men. They believed God's sovereignty
and elective grace in particular. This just swept away the truth. God raised up powerful men. Then came along Spurgeon, Gill,
John Gill, John Bunyan. I just keep naming them. Powerful
voices. Not an apostasy, there was no
apostasy general falling away, there was a REFORMATION! We've been profiting by it ever
since. Ever since. Coming this way. And then America was discovered. And this America was raised up. And God raised up some great
preachers here. Edwards. Whitfield came over
here and preached. Other men that God raised up
preach the gospel. But this apostasy, and I'll tell
you what this reformation had three points. The scriptures
alone, nothing but the scriptures. We believe the word of God, nothing
but the scriptures. Christ alone, not of words. Christ
alone, Christ himself, our salvation, wisdom, righteousness, sanctification.
That was the foundation of this reformation. Grace alone. Salvation by grace, not of works.
That was the foundation. And we profited by it. Our freedom
was born of that reformation. This American freedom. People
came here to find a place of freedom. Well, since about a hundred years ago,
we started down here badly. Over there, To find a church
in France, Bill, I depend on the testimony of my friend Bill
Clark, who says they're just not there. There's not a voice
in France. Not one. Not a voice in England. Consistent. There's preachers. There's always been preachers.
I'm talking about a Whitfield. I'm talking about a Gill. I'm
talking about a Bunyan. I'm talking about a voice. There's
people here. saying something, God's using. This country, where's the voice? Where's the voice? Billy Graham? Those men are saying that. I
tell you this, it may be, one of two things is going to happen.
God may raise up another reformation and win for another 500 years. This may be the falling away,
because my friends, there's a falling away from these
things I'm talking about. It's hard, we've got religion
all over the airwaves, the radio, the TV, but nobody is sounding
this note. These catechisms, Heidelberg,
Westminster, London Confession, Philadelphia, 39 articles of
the Church of England. The preachers never even read.
They don't even know what they teach. They know nothing about
it. They have no foundation. It's just a numbers thing, a
social thing. One man came over here from England.
He said, your churches are the answer to our poems. We go to
the pub for socials and food and entertainment, y'all go to
church for that. So he may be right. So we may
be in that, that fallen away. Total apostasy. Sodom. It wouldn't surprise me at all.
I just saw in the paper yesterday, or day before yesterday, in the
high schools in this country, there's 600 gay clubs. high school. It's a sweeping,
that's apostasy. That's a departure from the truth
and a falling into terrible lasciviousness. So that day may be, may be the
falling away is happening. But here's the second thing,
and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition. Let's read
the description of this man of sin. Verse 4, who opposeth and
exalteth himself above all that is called God. All that is worship. He puts
himself above the word of God. Above the old landmarks, the
old paths, the old traditions, the old truths. He puts himself
above that. So that he, as God, sitteth in the temple, he's moved
into the church. The antichrist is not down the
road in the honky-tonk, he's in the church. He moves into
the church. He exalts his word above God's
word, his will above God's will, his way above God's way, his
thoughts above God's thoughts, and moves into the church. He
shows himself that he's God. Now then, this is not one person. This is what our My teachers
back in the few years back went wrong. They got to where they
were looking for a man, a man, one man. This is not one man. This is not an individual person.
This is a succession of religious leaders. This is a spirit of
Antichrist. This is a spirit of Antichrist.
There are gods many, and Antichrist many. This is a spirit of Antichrist. But he's masterminded by one
person. Not a man, but a person. Satan.
This spirit of Antichrist, wherever he is, in local churches, in
local synagogues, in local places, wherever that spirit of Antichrist
is, he's masterminded and controlled. by one person, by Satan. Let
me show you that in 2 Corinthians. In 2 Corinthians chapter 11, this man of sin, this antichrist,
in 2 Corinthians 11, let's look at verse 13. For such are false apostles, deceitful
workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.
And no marvel Because Satan himself is transformed into an angel
of light. Therefore it's no great thing if his ministers also be
transformed as the ministers of righteousness, whose healing
shall be according to their works. So what I'm saying is in this
day the apostasy, the falling away has occurred. It's down,
it's falling away. The truth is compromised in the
churches, the pulpits. in the seminaries, in the colleges,
in religious schools. The spirit of Antichrist has
possessed religion as a whole. The will of man is exalted over
the will of God. Salvation is reduced to a work
of the flesh, to a decision of the mind. God's sovereignty and
God's reign is denied as the Antichrist, the will of man reigns. We worship it, we're well-worshippers
today in this day, not us, but the general population of religion. And that's the man of sin. Now
watch this here, just let me show you something here. Back here in verse 3, let no
man deceive you by any means. That day shall not come till
it come a falling away, a departure, an apostasy, a general apostasy. No turning back, that type of
apostasy. No turning back, a general apostasy,
a falling away, just falling away from the truth, the word
of God, the character of God, the salvation of God, the Christ
of God. And that man's sin be revealed. He's there, but there's coming
a day when Christ comes, he'll be revealed. This spirit will
be revealed. Take over. He'll ask to take
over. Now let's read down here in verse
5. Now, remember that word revealed. Remember, you know, that when
I was yet with you, I told you about these things? I told you. I told you back yonder some time
ago about these things. And now you know what withholds
it. Now, right in the Margin of Your
Bible, restrains instead of withholds. What he's saying here is this.
You know what's restraining the takeover. You know who is restraining
this spirit of antichrist. You know who is restraining?
Satan. Holding him back. That he might
be revealed in his time. In the time when God has determined
to turn it over to the Holy Spirit. Now Satan's always been around.
Let me go back. In the garden. Was he in the
garden? Well, but one man, one woman, but there was Satan. When Cain and Abel came with
the sacrifice. two sons every second. He's there. Job, when the sons of God came
to present themselves before the Lord, there he is. Spirit
of Antichrist. Antichrist is opposed to Christ. See the word Antichrist, opposed
to Christ. He's always opposed Christ. He's
always been present. Look at Israel in the wilderness. He was constantly Using them
to badger Moses. Look at Peter, when the Lord
Jesus Christ, the Son of God was standing here on this earth.
Talking to his disciples by going to the cross. Who's over here
behind him? Satan. Don't do it. Don't do it. We don't need a
cross. We don't need blood. We need
morality. We need righteousness. We don't
need you. It's all from you Lord to go
to the cross. Peter said, Christ said, get
behind me Satan. So he's held, he's been restrained. That's what this is saying, I
told you, verse 5, when I was with you, I told you these things
and now you know who restrains him, who holds him, who keeps
him in check until his time comes. And you might say, until his
time comes. The Lord's time, due time, fullness
of time. But the only thing that keeps
Satan off of this, turning this whole thing upside down, is the
Holy Spirit of God. God is calling out his elect.
God is calling out his church. Verse 7, look at this. The mystery
of iniquity. That's the Antichrist, the mystery
of iniquity. The mystery of lawlessness. You
know, I know some of you say this, just I can't understand. I just can't understand what
possesses people to do what they're doing. It's a mystery to me.
It's a mystery of iniquity. It's a spirit of rebellion against
authority. Rebellion against constituted
authority. That's what riles most of our
population. Don't tell me what to do. Don't fix me in. You know that
sound? Rebellion. The mystery of iniquity,
the mystery of lawlessness. It's already at work. Read it. The mystery of iniquity does
already work. He always has worked. He's called a roaring lion who
goes about seeking who he may devour. He's called our adversary. He's called a spirit that worketh
in the children of disobedience. He's called subtle, crafty, a
deceiver, a minister of righteousness, an angel of light, and a liar. But only, look at this word,
only he, the Holy Spirit, who now allows him restrains him. Only the Holy Spirit, who now
restrains him, will restrain him until he be taken out of
the way. That's what's going to happen.
You want me to tell you what's going to happen before the Lord
comes? The Holy Spirit is just going to turn him loose. That's
what he says, turn him loose. And it sure looks like in this
country, he pretty well is Satan is restrained, and he will
be restrained by God's Spirit until that day comes when the
Spirit of God will be removed and the Spirit of the Antichrist
will take over. And that's when the Lord is coming.
Verse 8. And then shall that wicked one, that wicked spirit,
that Antichrist be revealed. whom the Lord will
consume with the spirit of his mouth, that's the word of his
mouth in Revelation 2.16. He'll consume him and destroy
him with the brightness of his coming. It's like destroying
a bug with a bright light. Destroy him. He'll be coming. He'll be coming. I'll just tell you, Brethren, would you like to see
another reformation? No, I'd like to see the Lord
come. It's honest, I'd just like to
see him come on. It's alright, that's what he
wants to do, but I don't see it going on. I see the slipping,
sliding, falling, departure. I look to hear somewhere, I read
and look and listen to hear somebody that I think is saying something
unique. from God, unusual, true to the
word, convicting, powerful, breathtaking, a testimony from God, a message
from the throne, a light in the darkness, and I don't hear it. I don't see that man or those
men and I don't hear it. God's still calling out his sheep,
he still has teachers and pastor teachers and instructing but
what's happening? What's happening? Nothing. The wheel worshipers are pulling
people down the aisle and getting them to accept Jesus and do all
these things, change their lives and change the church membership
and just keep in and out, in and out, in one door and out
the other, you know. But a revival? messenger sent from God. Well, let's read on here. He
said in verse 9, even him, back in verse 8, then shall that wicked
be revealed, even him, whose coming is after the working of
Satan, with all power and signs and lying wonders. Yes, yes,
they come, the spirit of Antichrist, these These preachers, religion's
in big business. The gospel's almost extant, as
far as hearing it, but religion is prospering. This is the spirit
of Antichrist. The Antichrist, he turns people
to evil ways, but it's through religious ways. You see him,
turn to Matthew 24. Turn to Matthew 24, men. It's a religion you can have
and not worship God, not know God. Matthew 24, let's read this,
verse 4 and 5. Matthew 24, verse 4 and 5. Jesus said, well, verse 3. As he sat upon the Mount of Olives,
the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us now, when shall
these things be? What shall be the sign of our
coming, the end of the world? And Jesus answered and said,
Take heed, no man deceive you. Many shall come in my name, saying,
I am Christ, and shall deceive many. You'll hear of wars, and
rumors of wars. See that you be not troubled.
These things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. Nations
shall rise against nations. You've read this. Now go to verse
24. There shall arise false Christs and false prophets, and show
great signs and wonders, insomuch that if it were possible, They
would deceive the very next. Now, back to my text. Verse 9,
this Antichrist, false preachers, even him, verse 9, whose coming
is after the working of Satan, with what? Power, signs, and
lying wonders. And these ministries today that
have fallen away, apostasy, but they're still accompanied by
crowds, deception, pretended miracles, marvels, success, lying
wonders. And if one of God's elect is
not taught of God, taught of the Spirit, he can get in trouble watching these things, listening
to them. Because verse 10, they'll come, they'll have a huge following.
with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish, because
they receive not the love of the truth that they might be
saved." They'll get a huge following. People who follow apostasy do
so not because they haven't heard the truth, but because they have
no love for the truth. Now think about this. He says,
he didn't say because they never heard of Jesus. Never read a
Bible, never heard heaven and hell, never heard some truth. Even God's sovereignty, even
God's grace, even Christ's death. But they perish because they
don't receive the love of the truth. Satan believes in God
but doesn't love Him. The devil believes and trembles.
He knows Christ died on the cross. He's there when he died. He tried
to keep him from going to that cross. He knows he rose from
the tomb. He knows he ascended to heaven.
But he doesn't know why. He doesn't believe it. He doesn't
love it. He doesn't rejoice in it. He
doesn't see the glory. And so, this is what these folks
do. They follow apostasy, not because
they haven't heard. Because they refuse to receive
the truth. And to love the truth. and to
bow to Christ. And verse 11, for this cause,
God will send them strong delusions during this falling away, that
they'll believe a lie. They love not the truth, they
will not receive that gospel which clarifies God. They'll
not bow to Christ, not give him all the glory, rest in his righteousness. And because of this, God will
send them strong influences and delusions which will actually
confirm their error, which will actually lead them to hold even
stronger to their error, to their morality and self-righteousness
and works and decisions. I know what I believe. There's none so blind as those
who will not see. If that darkness which be in
you, if the only light that's in you
is darkness, how great is the darkness. Those who take pleasure in their
own righteousness will reap the fruits of it. Those who take
pleasure in the righteousness of Christ and the blood of Christ
will reap the fruits of that righteousness of blood. And those
who persist to hold up before God, We preached in your name. We prophesied in your name. We
cast out devils in your name. We did wonderful works in your
name. They persist. And they believe
it. They've been deluded. God sends
them strong. If a man won't bow to the truth,
the truth will break him. That's right. If he won't be
broken by the rock, the rock will break him. The rock of Christ
Jesus, if we won't be broken on that rock, he'll break us.
God will send them strong delusions. Verse 12, that they might be
damned who believe not the truth, but have pleasure in unrighteousness. Pleasure. Pleasure. calling unrighteousness righteousness. That's just terrible. Calling
our duties and deeds and works and religion, calling that righteousness? That's taking pleasure in unrighteousness.
But let me close with this right here. Verse 13, this is not true
of you. Beloved, oh beloved, I'm bound
to give thanks to God for you. And here's six reasons why the
elect won't be deceived. I'll give them to you, and won't
come to you. Number one, they're beloved of
the Lord. They'll never be deceived because
God loves them. Secondly, God chose them to salvation
from the beginning. Thirdly, verse 14, he called
them by the gospel to the obtaining of the glory of the Lord Jesus
Christ. Verse 15, therefore brethren, stand fast and hold the traditions
you've been taught. Taught by whom? by the Holy Spirit. He taught you. You've been taught.
You've been loved. You've been called. You've been
chosen. You've been taught. And now our Lord Jesus Christ
Himself and God, even our Father, not some preacher, but He Himself
who loved us has given us an everlasting consolation and a
good hope through grace. And He'll comfort your heart
and He'll establish you in two things. In every good word and
work. I read the Amplified today and
I was shocked. I like that Amplified version
pretty well, but they turned this around. In the Amplified,
he'll establish you in every good work and word. The work
doesn't come first, the word comes first. He'll establish
you in the word and that'll lead you to the right kind of work.
That'll lead you to a work with which God is well pleased, a
work of faith. I have faith in the word before
you work. Alright, I believe he's coming. Soon. I really do. Alright, let's sing a song. Solid
Rock, 272.