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…
By your toil you shall be prospered and be happy all your days. —Psalm 128:2, The Psalter 1912 Though today is a day of rest, the Scriptures we read and the hymns we sing this morning have a whole lot to say about work. This morning’s passage from 2 Thessalonians contains an encouragement to “not grow weary in doing good”…
Have you noticed that many of the pieces we are singing this morning deal with the same themes as last Sunday— themes of security, surety, and faithfulness? For example, we have sung the word “steadfast” quite a few times over the last two weeks. But where last week’s hymns were primarily calling us to remain steadfast in the face of…
This morning we will hear the Apostle Paul encourage us to “stand firm” on God’s Word, both in the sermon text from 2 Thessalonians as well as the “whole armor of God” passage from Ephesians (which includes the “sword of spirit which is the Word of God”). Quite a few times, the hymns and psalms we sing this morning mention…
This is my Father’s world: O let me ne’er forget, That though the wrong seem oft so strong, God is the ruler yet. Throughout Christian history, commentators have been puzzled about the meaning of 2 Thessalonians 2. Who is the “man of lawlessness” mentioned in verse three? Intense focus on whether this passage refers to the Emperor Nero, a sixteenth…
Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus, just to take Him at His word, Just to rest upon His promise, just to know “Thus saith the Lord.” The title of Pastor Grant’s sermon for this morning, Justice and Mercy, really captures the duality of this section of 2 Thessalonians. The Apostle Paul writes about Christ’s final judgement of the earth…
After a six week break, we return to our study of Paul’s letters to the Thessalonians this morning. Once again we find Paul commending the fledgling church for their growing faith in the midst of persecution (2 Thessalonians 1:4)— persecution that had apparently not diminished since his first letter. The themes of patience while enduring trials and the hope in…
In his letters to the Ephesians and the Colossians, the Apostle Paul discusses the role of singing in worship, instructing his readers to sing not only to the Lord but also to “one another” (Ephesians 5:19; Colossians 3:16). Well this morning, in several of the hymns we sing, we are actually singing to each other. In O Put Your Trust…
In today’s sermon text, Paul writes to the Thessalonians so that they might not grieve “as others do who have no hope” (1 Thessalonians 4:13). He details the glorious “coming of the Lord” (vs.15), in which Christ returns with the sound of the trumpet (vs. 16), and all His people, living and dead, “will always be with the Lord” (vs.…
The pairing of the three-fold “Holy, Holy, Holy” from Isaiah 6 with “Hosanna in the highest” from Matthew 21 is one of the oldest liturgical formulae in the history of the church. The Sanctus & Benedictus (or just Sanctus), a name derived from the first words of the text in Latin, has been used as part of the communion liturgy…