What difference does Bible prophecy really make in the life of the average believer? Does it really matter what you believe about the end times? Imagine what would happen if the angel Gabriel showed up at your bedside tonight and informed you in no uncertain terms that Jesus was going to return by the end of the month. Do you think your life would change?
Prophecy brings encouragement in troubling times. (Chapter 1)
Prophecy brings enlightenment to confused minds. (Chapter 2)
Prophecy brings exhortation to unruly lives. (Chapter 3)
Don’t be Shaken 1
Crazy things are happening in our world.
If you know the Bible, you know where we are going.
1. The Purpose of Persecution 3-4
There is a purpose for persecution and trials.
The purpose of trials is for your “faith to grow exceedingly.
2. The Punishment for Persecution 5-10
Persecution is a sign that judgment is coming on the persecutor.
Persecution is an indication of our reward!
3. The Prayer in Persecution 11-12
Paul’s prayer is that we would be counted worthy of this calling!
Don’t Be Troubled 2
Understanding prophecy brings hope.
Prophecy is God’s blueprint of the future.
1. Be Strong, because God’s got this. 1-2
2. Be Knowledgeable, because God has explained this. 3-12
3. Be Hopeful, because God’s got everything under control! 13-17
Paul set out to correct them prophetic misconceptions.
Some people said that Jesus had already come, not true.
Four major coming prophetic events.
1. The Falling Away, or the Great Apostasy. 2:3 “
2. The Restrainer will be removed. 2:6-7.
3. The Antichrist will be revealed. 2:8.
4. There will be a Worldwide deception. 2:8-12.
“God did not appoint us to wrath.” 1 Thessalonians 5:9
Don’t Be Disorderly 3
Some Christians are not living up to expectations.
Biblical prophecy is meant to correct bad behavior, not encourage it!
1. Reach out. Win them to Christ. 1-2
2. Grow Up. Obey God no matter what happens. 3-4
3. Behave well; live right for Christ. 5-15
Prophecy doesn’t lead to disorderly or unruly lives!
Be ready: for you do not know when your Lord is coming. Matt. 24:42
Let not your hearts be troubled. I will come again. John 14:1-3
The end of all things is at hand; be self-controlled. 1 Peter 4:7
“For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words.” 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
Here’s the thing: you don’t need the angel Gabriel to visit you tonight, you already have been given a message from God to be ready, if you will take it to heart. What do you need to do to get ready for Jesus return?
The Pew Research Center shows that 39% of the people in the United States believe in the second coming of Jesus and that it will occur in their lifetime.[i] But does it really make any difference?
What difference does Bible prophecy really make in the life of the average believer? Does it really matter what you believe about the end times or about the timing of Christ’s return? You’ve heard of Pre-Trib, Post-Trib and Mid-Trib. But have you ever heard of Pan-Trib? You know, it will all pan out in the end!
Maybe you are like the woman who complained to the preacher that she was not a fan of messages on Bible prophecy. Her reason was that she was tired of the speculation, the confusing prophetic models and the sensationalism of modern prophecy teachers. What she wanted was a Bible message that helped her live her Christian life in a more authentic way. She felt that when Jesus returns, He will return and there is nothing that can be done about that. Meanwhile, she had to live her Christian life in the “real” world. Bible prophecy to her lacked substance and was simply out of touch with “real life.”
Imagine what would happen if the angel Gabriel showed up at your bedside tonight and informed you in no uncertain terms that Jesus was going to return by the end of the month. If the Archangel genuinely showed up with that message, do you think some things would change for you? Do you think you’d be a little more enthusiastic or energized about your faith? Would you pray a little more? Read your Bible more faithfully? Do you think you might tell a few of your friends and loved ones about Jesus and the soon coming of Christ? Would you change your behavior? Do you think you would have a problem with sin for the rest of the month?
So what you are saying is that Bible Prophecy does make a difference, if you take it to heart. If you knew for certain that Jesus was coming again soon, and we do, you’d live differently.
C.S.Lewis once noted, “If you read history you will find that the Christians who did the most for the present world were just those who thought most of the next. The Apostles themselves, who set on foot the conversion of the Roman Empire… left their mark on Earth precisely because their minds were occupied with Heaven. It is since Christians have largely ceased to think of the other world that they have become so ineffective in this world. Aim at heaven and you will get earth ‘thrown in’: aim at earth and you will get neither.”[ii]
And the Book of 2 Thessalonians is all about answering the question, should we care about Bible prophecy? The answer is yes. And we want to ask the question this way: What do you need to do to get ready for Jesus return?
According to the Book of 2 Thessalonians, a good understanding of the future brings encouragement in troubling times (chapter 1). It brings enlightenment to confused minds (chapter 2). It brings exhortation to unruly lives. (chapter 3). In other words, How we understand the prophetic future makes a big difference in the way we respond to our present trials our future hopes and our daily lifestyles.
Get Ready! For chapter 1.
Don’t be Shaken 1
If you want some prophetic encouragement for your present troubles, here it is.
Everywhere I go people are talking about the crazy things that are happening in our world. We’ve lived through the pandemic, when churches were empty and freedoms were curtailed. We watched our cities burn to the march of Black Lives Matter and Antifa. We’ve gone through one crazy presidential election and this one looks to be a duezy. Our schools are teaching critical race theory, and allowing males to call themselves women and compete in women’s sports. We live in a time of radical change. This is not your Grandmother’s America.
And people want to know, where is this all going? If you know the Bible, you know where we are going. In times of turmoil, there’s little that is as comforting as the promise of Bible Prophecy that Jesus is coming soon. You don’t have to be afraid of the future if you know the future God has planned for you.
The key verse of chapter one is 2 Thessalonians 1:4; “We ourselves boast of you among the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that you endure.”
And chapter one could be outlined in three points:
1. The Purpose of Persecution 3-4
2. The Punishment for Persecution 5-10
3. The Prayer in Persecution 11-12
Did you know that there is a purpose for persecution and trials? It may seem like your trials are purposeless, but that is not so. Verse 3 tells us that the purpose of trials is for your “faith to grow exceedingly, and for your love to abound towards each other!” If you let God do his perfect work in you, you will grow in faith, love and hope.
And here’s where prophecy becomes encouraging: even though persecution is downright despicable, prophetically, persecution is a sign of things to come! Verse 5 says that persecution is a clear evidence that the righteous judgment is coming on the persecutor. They don’t know it, but they are building a case against themselves that God will use to prosecute and punish them for in the future!
But, that’s not all. Persecution is an indication that you are counted worthy of the kingdom of God! The Devil wouldn’t trouble you, if you weren’t a child of the kingdom.
So Paul’s prayer is that we would be counted worthy of this calling! That the name of Christ would be glorified in us.
Don’t be shaken by persecution. Instead remember that there is a coming day of judgment on the world, and a reward coming for those who believe. Prophecy helps us endure tribulation.
Get Ready! For chapter 2.
Don’t Be Troubled 2
Do you need some enlightenment about prophecy? You’ve come to the right place; Because chapter 2 is meant to enlighten you about the future.
Some Christians shy away from prophecy because they believe it is too confusing. But let me tell you, Understanding prophecy allows us to live in hope regardless of the chaos that may be exploding in our culture. Most of us have questions about the prophetic events found in the Bible. Prophecy can be baffling at times, but it is necessary if we are to understand the events that are to come.
When you study prophecy, you get God’s blueprint of what’s going to happen in the future. It’s like you have a heads up on what’s going on. The news media has no idea that it is just reporting the future as God planned it.
Chapter two could be outlined in three points:
1. Be Strong, because God’s got this. 1-2
2. Be Knowledgeable, because God has explained this. 3-12
3. Be Hopeful, because God’s got everything under control! 13-17
The key verse of 2 Thessalonians chapter 2 is verse 2. “Do not be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the Day of Christ had already come.”
There were serious questions about prophetic events in the early church, and Paul set out to correct them. Some people were reporting that end times events had already happened, and that Jesus had already come, and they said that the church had missed his coming! Paul said, “not a chance!” That’s not the way prophecy works. The day of Christ’s return has not yet come.
That’s why we need to be knowledgeable. The Word of God, interpreted in its normal, literal sense, will lead you to a clear understanding of prophecy. Taking God’s Word in its simplest and plainest sense will keep you from fanciful and fatalistic views of the future.
Chapter 2 is the heart of this book. And it explains four major coming prophetic events that every Christian need to understand.
#1 The Falling Away, or the Great Apostasy. 2:3 “The Day of Christ’s coming will not come unless the falling away comes first. One of the things you should be looking for is the great apostasy. It will happen before Jesus comes.
#2 The Restrainer will be removed. 2:6-7. When the Holy Spirit removes his restraining influence from the earth, that will signal the beginning of the end.
#3 The Antichrist will be revealed. 2:8. Once the restrainer is removed, the Antichrist will be revealed. He may even be alive right now, but we don’t know who he is. When will we know? Once the Holy Spirit’s restraining presence has been removed from this earth.
#4. Worldwide deception. 2:8-12. We have already seen how easy it is to brainwash an entire world. Just have the government and the news media spread their propaganda day and night, and it will be done. There is coming a time when right will be wrong and wrong will be celebrated. Seems like that’s already happening. But that delusion will be even more pronounced once the Antichrist comes.
Despite all the trouble that is coming, we were chosen for salvation in Christ Jesus. That’s how the chapter ends, and that’s why prophecy is so powerful. In fact 1 Thessalonians 5:9 says, “God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Praise God. Are you ready? Prophecy prepares us for the future! If you are not ready, you better Get Ready! For chapter 3.
Don’t Be Disorderly 3
Some Christians are not living up to expectations. In fact, some of us live sloppy or undisciplined lives. We know the Bible. We know the biblical principles that apply, but like the Children of Israel under the judges, everyone did what was right in his own eyes and chaos resulted.
Biblical prophecy is meant to correct bad behavior, not encourage it! If you can just get a hold of the prophetic truth that Jesus is coming back and his reward is with him, if you can just believe it, it will change your behavior. Prophecy exhorts us with some of the most practical applications to live right!
The key verse of chapter 3 is verse 11. “We hear that there are some who walk among you in a disorderly manner, not working at all, but are busybodies.”
Jesus is coming soon, so you better straighten up and fly right.
Chapter three can be outlined in three sections. #1 Reach out. Win them to Christ. Paul asks for prayer that despite persecution, that God’s Word would triumph. #2 Grow Up. That despite persecution that they would obey God rather than man. #3 Behave Well, live right of Christ.
Here’s what you need to understand about this. Many misguided folks have twisted prophetic truth and started their own churches, cults and followings. Some have camped out on hillsides waiting for His return. Others have sold everything that they own, because they thought they knew when Jesus was going to return.
But this book on Prophecy, says don’t do that, instead do this! 12-13, “Now those who are misguided we command and exhort through our Lord Jesus Christ that they work in quietness and eat their own bread. And as for you, brethren, do not grow weary in doing good.”
Prophecy doesn’t lead to disorderly or unruly lives! It leads us to live faithfully and honorably in a Christ like manner. Prophecy is a key ingredient in bringing God’s people into a genuine walk with the Lord.
Let me share a few verses about how prophecy should change the way we live.
“Therefore be ready: for you do not know when your Lord is coming.” (Matt. 24:42–44.)
“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. John 14:1-3
“But watch yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life, and that day come upon you suddenly like a trap. Luke 21:34-36
“Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my reward is with me, to repay each one for what he has done” Revelation 22:12
The end of all things is at hand; therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers. 1 Peter 4:7
Everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure. (1 John 3:3).
And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. Hebrews 10:24-25
For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words. 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
Here’s the thing: you don’t need the angel Gabriel to visit you tonight, you already have been given a message from God to BE READY! If you will take it to heart.
[i] https://www.ihopkc.org/resources/blog/how-understanding-the-end-times-can-change-your-life/
[ii] https://paulbenware.com/biblical-prophecy-an-essential-element-in-living-a-genuine-and-useful-christian-life/