Waiting Worthily

This sermon is all about trusting in God's justice.

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2 Thessalonians Chapter 1

Here is my transcript of the sermon...

Where is the justice?

There are few things in life that are more upsetting than in experiencing injustice. When wrongs occur against us or those we love we generally find it disconcerting and upsetting. Internet hackers scam the vulnerable, the elderly, take their life savings and we ask rightly where is the justice? Unscrupulous businessmen will take a large deposit from a young family promising a dream home only to run off with the money leaving them empty and we rightly ask where is the justice? Bullies in the workplace scheme, lie and sometimes even get promoted and we rightly ask where is the justice? People and even whole nations perpetuate violence, commit grave crimes and sins against their fellow man and seemingly getaway with it and we rightly ask where is the justice?

The world is not as it should be

I think almost all of us here acknowledged that the world is not as it should be. In our world there is considerable injustice. Whether you've experienced this personally or witnessed from afar, I think we would all vouch for that.

One of the unique things about working and serving here at the cathedral is almost everyday when I leave my office and go out to the Plaza, there are people protesting, be it good or bad, be there cause right or wrong. There are almost always people out there who are saying the world is not as it should be. Regardless of their cause, they're saying we think that there is something better out there that we should achieve. We think the world is not quite right and there is within us a deep urging for the world to be right. For the world to be just. We desire that wrongs be righted. We desire that wickedness would be dealt with. We desire that justice would be served.

How we can wait well in a world where justice is not served?

But what do we do with a world of injustice? As we come to this advent season, where we wait between the first coming of Jesus, celebrated in Bethlehem, to the second coming, or the second advent of Jesus, we live with this tension of living in a world that's not as it should be a world. We live in a world of injustice but there is good news for us is as we come to our passage this morning from the book of 2 Thessalonians and we begin this week a short series reflecting on how we can wait between the first coming and second coming of Jesus. And how we can wait well even in a world where justice is not served.

Encouragement from God's justice

This morning we're going to come to a passage where God indeed reflects truth about justice and he does so in a way that is to provide encouragement.

Injustice is not new

Just by way of background when we come to the book of 2 Thessalonians, we discover there that this issue of suffering, the issue of injustice, is not something new to our day. If we were to go back to the book of Acts Chapter 17 and we were to read about the history of this church, we would find that Paul and Silas went and preached this message of good news:

• That the king had come,
• That the Lord Jesus was worthy of our worship.
• That he provided salvation to everyone who trusted him.

But we would discover if we read the book of Acts that the response, though embraced by a few, was rejected by mainstream culture. In fact they were so angry that there was a group of people there that chased Paul and his friend Silas all the way to a town 45 kilometers away. They took the man Jason, whose house Paul and Silas had been meeting at, and they dragged him in front of the local court and harassed him.

No doubt the Thessalonian believers were saying "If this is a message of good news, why is there so much suffering? Why did the unrighteous prosper? Where is the justice?" As we come to this passage this morning, what does Paul say?

In his opening prayer in 2 Thessalonians Chapter 1, he gives a prayer of blessing and thanksgiving which is fairly traditional in this form of letter writing. But embedded within the letter he is going to give the believers a snapshot of some of the themes that will be developed right through the letter. Not the least of how God will deal with justice.

So here's the structure that we're going to think about today as we walk through these 12 verses.

• First of all we're going to look at the challenge to justice.
• We're going to look at the hope of God's justice and then,
• the implications of that justice to our day-to-day lives

Well if you got your Bible there you'll notice in verses one and two we have a fairly traditional greeting where Paul is writing to these believers. He'd visited this church before. Indeed, he helped found it He'd already written a letter a little bit earlier that focused primarily on the second coming of Jesus. People had lost hope and they said "When is Jesus returning?" They had become discouraged and so Paul addresses that in 1 Thessalonians.

Faith and Love

In  2 Thessalonians, he changes gear a bit because their concern seems to be "Yes we're now waiting for the second advent or the second coming of Jesus, but life is pretty tough." And in verses 3 and 4 in particular, we discover the challenge given to the believers. And it's simply this; we live in a world where justice is not always experienced. You'll notice particularly in verse 3, Paul begins, as he often does, praising the Christians for what they're doing well. He highlights two things in particular. First of all says your faith is growing more and more. So he writes to these believers and says this is one of the reasons why it is appropriate for us to thank God for you. You guys have faith, you walk trusting in the Lord, you're moving forward in a healthy direction. Well done! But then you'll notice there's a second aspect. Their love for one another. He says love for one another is increasing.

The great evidence of the Christian community is that they love one another and Paul writes to the Thessalonians and says well done - you've got faith, you've got love. It's abounding, it's growing, it's directed towards each other. Well done - but then you'll notice it's in the context of their obedience. They're obeying the Lord, they are loving each other and yet in spite of that, verse 4, we see the challenge because it says that they are doing this in the context of persecution and trials.

Followers of Jesus with experience hardship

Friends I want to tell you today you can be following the Lord Jesus, obeying, growing loving, living in faith and yet you can still face hardship sometimes. We have this myth that if you follow Jesus that life will be smooth sailing. A-okay. No problems. No, here Paul lauds these people who are obeying the Lord, that walking in step with God and yet they have troubles. And that's because they are living with that tension between the first coming and the second coming. Living in a world that is not all as it should be. A world where bullies do getaway with things, we live in a world where there is tension and there are people who are ungodly, doing that which they should not do. A world that is not as it will be.

And even in our context as we follow the Lord Jesus Christ, we can be can be influenced and impacted by that sin and injustice pervade our world. We wait for the second advent the return of the Lord Jesus but in our current context here's the challenge. We live in a world where justice is not always experienced. It wasn't for the Thessalonians and it is not for us

The hope Christians need to hang on to

But in verses 5 to 10, here's what Paul does. He now reveals in his Thanksgiving Prayer the hope that Christians need to hold onto. In verses 5 to 10 we look forward to the day when God will execute justice. This is the great hope that Paul puts before believers. That we now look forward to the day when God will execute justice. He is aware that the Thessalonians are going through a hard time and where does he go to do encourage them? He points to the justice of God. This is designed to provide consolation, encouragement to keep on going, keep growing in your faith, keep growing in your love. Why because we'll see God is just and delivers justice.

Our justice isn't as perfect as God's

First of all we've seen this passage that the justice of God is fair. Now I have a good friend who happens to be a pastor and many years ago he was riding his bicycle in a suburb in Sydney and he was riding along on his way home, he saw a car pull up  Two young men jumped out of the car and they pushed a lady over, stealing her bag, jumping into the car in taking off. My friend  pedaled as fast as he could to the ladies aid. He tried to get the number plate of the car but wasn't there in time. He made sure the lady was okay and fortunately she was apart from the missing her bag. And my friend said "Malcolm I was so angry." The injustice had him seething. He went  to the police station and reported it and all afternoon all he could think about was "This is not fair."

That evening he played soccer, helpful to get some frustrations out but when he got back to his car he saw in the front windshield, a traffic infringements notice. You see in his moment of anger and maybe not thinking straight, he had accidentally parked in front of somebody's driveway. I remember him telling me "Malcolm I was seething because what happened to the lady was so unjust. But when justice was applied to me, I didn't want it." You see on the one hand he wanted justice but when justice was applied to him he actually wanted more grace.

God's justice is fair

And that  is the problem with you and I. When we try and make things right and execute justice we don't see clearly.  We aren't always honest. We are often biassed. We are skewed but here is the good news for the Thessalonians and for us. On the last day when Jesus returns, we look forward to the day when God will come and execute justice. And it will be fair. Look at verse five. God's judgement is right. It's not skewed, it's not in the biased. It's right. Why because, verse 6, God is just. The justice of God is fair and that is what we look forward to.

God's justice is certain

We also see the justice of God is certain. Look at verse six. "God will pay back trouble to those who trouble us." And again the implied verb there in verse seven. He will give relief to you who are troubled. Again in verse 7, this will happen when the Lord Jesus Christ is revealed.

We just said in the Creed what we as Christians down through the ages believe about God and his love for us. "We believe that he will come again to judge the living and the dead." The justice of God is a certainty. It will happen. That is what Paul says. That is what Christians down through the ages have believed. And that is what we put our hope in God will do. That which he said he would do.

God's judgment is final

There will be a time my friends when the world will be judged and God will do that which is right. We don't see it now but it will take place. The justice of God is fair but also we see it's final. Verses 8-9 in particular. There is stern language here that is used of God's justice. Twice it says about God that he will punish. The punishment is specifically identified in verse 8, to those who do not obey the gospel of the Lord Jesus. That is to say those who have heard and received this good news message about the Lord Jesus but say "No we don't want a any of it". Like many did in Thessalonica. It is revealed that they will face judgement because they have rejected God's offer of salvation. Those who reject God's way will be punished and this will be right. This will be appropriate. This will be fair. You'll notice the finality of the language. It's everlasting destruction. Shut out from the presence of the Lord.

Friends these are sobering words. Sometimes people think that God is disinterested. Maybe apathetic. Distant, kind of in another universe. Not really concerned about justice. Well this passage says just the opposite. God will come, he will execute justice. It will be fair but it will also be final.

For the believers in Thessalonica this would have perhaps brought great encouragement. It told them that they were not forgotten. And I want to say to you today you might have suffered injustice. It might be through violence perpetuated against you. It might be currently in your workplace. It might be that you were belonging to a particular people who have been oppressed or discriminated against and you feel the weight of injustice. This word of encouragement says you're not forgotten. It's not that the world is just going on endlessly, without a goal. This passage says to the Thessalonians, and to you, God has done something and God will do something about it. He will come to judge the quick in the dead.

Friends we live in a world where justice is not always experienced but the Christian hope is that we look forward to the day when God will execute justice.

Well that sounds great Paul, what do we have to do or how can we apply that to ourselves?

It gives us the application there in verse 11. Look what he says to Thessalonians. God will judge, that God is just, that God knows your persecution and trial with this in mind "With this in mind, we constantly pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling, and that by his power he may bring to fruition your every desire for goodness and your every deed prompted by faith."

Trusting God frees us to thrive

The apostle Paul gives implications for the Thessalonian believers and by extension to us. And that is simply this. Trusting justice to God frees us to thrive. When we entrust justice to God, we are able to thrive now.

You'll notice Paul doesn't pray in this prayer that the Thessalonians depart from the world and be with Jesus. He doesn't pray "There Thessalonians, I'm praying that you will be removed from your hour of trial that you are currently in now. What does pray, he prays in light of what he's just talked about. That God will judge. Execute justice. It will take place in the future, and, because of that, now, by faith, get on with living the Christian life". Trust God to do what God will do and that will free you up to live in the now.

Don't make injustice your prime focus

I think the danger for many of us is that we rightly feel the weight of injustice. But when injustice becomes our prime focus, it can leave us despondent. When you focus on the success of your boss or a work colleague who's a bully and you see them getting away with things and you go to bed at night thinking about the injustice, it will chew you up. When you  or ones you love were hurting, and you meditate on this it will lead, over time, to anger and bitterness. When your mind is fixated on the injustice of poverty, racism, sexism it can leave you to debilitated. Friends I want to say it is natural and it is right to be upset with such things. And, yes, there is an appropriate way that we should as Christians give voice and advocate for those suffering from injustice through ways that are helpful.

We can thrive in the midst of difficulty

But friends if injustice is your sole focus you'll never sleep well. You'll constantly be frustrated ,you'll be angry, you'll live with angst. This passage gives us the liberating truth that God will judge we can trust him with judgments that will occur in the future. And because of that, regardless of our circumstances, we can now live lives of faith. We can now live lives of love and we can still thrive even in the midst of difficulty. Friends this passage liberates us to let go of the injustices that so often are weighty on our hearts. It's not to minimise them but it's to entrust those those injustices to God and that frees us up. Again look at verse 11 "And it brings fruition your every desire for goodness, your every deed prompted by faith".

Friends we live in a world where injustice is experienced everyday. This passage reminds us to look forward to the day when God will justly judge the world. But until then our obligation is to entrust judgement and justice to our good God knowing he will do things right. And because of that truth right now we can live by faith even in the midst of persecution and trial like the Thessalonians.

Assurance

So what should we do with this? Three words. I think first of all for some of us the key idea here is assurance. This passage provides assurance. You might be going through injustice now. It might be a relational breakdown that you've had, it might be something that's happened in work, it might be something where you just feel the world is not as it should be. This passage of scripture provides assurance. It provides God's promises that all things will be made new. God will do that which is right and I would encourage you today take heart. The Lord has it all under control even if we live with that tension of living between the first advent or coming of Jesus and the second.

A Reminder

Second for those of us maybe who are not going through trial per say at the moment, this passage provides a reminder. This passage reminds me that even today, as we are in a lovely cathedral and we have the warmth of a cup of tea and freedom to walk in and out of a building like this. And to talk amongst each other. It reminds me that there are people around today who do not have this privilege. There are brothers and sisters today who are impoverished because they love the Lord Jesus. They cannot get work in their country. There are Christians around the world today who are suffering in jails because they own the name of Christ.

Today my obligation, our obligation, as the people of God is to remember our brothers sisters. To lift them up in prayer and where possible to advocate for them with governments and different agencies to see justice.

A warning

This passage provides assurance, it provides a reminder and lastly it provides a warning. This passage is very clear that God will judge those who reject his son the Lord Jesus. Many people think of God sort of like a grandad who you can steal lollies out of the jar and he say "That's OK kiddos!"

But God takes sin and rebellion seriously. Judgement is a serious thing and in this passage we get another example where God shows us he wants people to trust the Gospel, the good news of his son. And what is that Good news? The good news is that the punishment that I deserve, the punishment that you deserve, has been placed on the Lord Jesus so that we, the guilty, might be given forgiveness and stand in a position where on the last day God can look upon us as acceptable

But friends if you reject Gods way of salvation, there is nothing that awaits you except the stern judgement of God.

There's still time!

But here's the good news! Our master hasn't returned yet and the Bible says "Today is the day of salvation. Whoever calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved."

What will they be saved from? God's judgement and wrath. Today if you've dismissed God's Good News, I would encourage you most strongly to receive the forgiveness that is found in Christ. This passage is a warning to all of us today.

Brothers and sisters this world is full of injustice. You and I know that but also our God does too. On the cross our Lord Jesus Christ unjustly suffered the mocking and the persecution of humanity. God is aware of what we go through in the world in which we live. Writing to the early Christians about Jesus response, Peter said this "When they hurled their insults at him, Jesus he did not retaliate. When he suffered he made no threats." Instead what did he do? Instead he entrusted himself to him who judges justly.

Friends trust justice to God as you wait for the second Advent, the return of the Lord Jesus.  Even so, come Lord Jesus. Amen.