PRAYER MATTERS II Thessalonians

Reflection Questions ■Why do I pray? ■What do I pray for myself? ■What do I pray for others? ■What do I consider most important as it pertains to Prayer? ■To what end do I pray?

Where have we been so far? ■Ephesians 1: “I do not cease to give thanks for you...” –“Because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints.”

Where have we been so far? ■Ephesians 1: “I do not cease to give thanks for you...” –“Because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints.” ■Philippians 1: “I thank my God in all remembrance of you…” –“Because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.”

Where have we been so far? ■Ephesians 1: “I do not cease to give thanks for you...” –“Because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints.” ■Philippians 1: “I thank my God in all remembrance of you…” –“Because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.” ■Colossians 1: “We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ…” –“Since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints.”

II Thessalonians Context

■II Thessalonians was written in order to address two primary concerns.

II Thessalonians Context ■II Thessalonians was written in order to address two primary concerns. –Addresses a premature and unsettling announcement concerning the Day of the Lord. (The Day of the Lord had already come)

II Thessalonians Context ■II Thessalonians was written in order to address two primary concerns. –Addresses a premature and unsettling announcement concerning the Day of the Lord. (The Day of the Lord had already come) –Chronic idleness of some church members.

II Thessalonians 2:13-14

■“But we ought always to give thanks to God for you…”

II Thessalonians 2:13-14 ■“But we ought always to give thanks to God for you…” –Ophelio: refers to being morally obligated (or legally required) to meet an obligation.

II Thessalonians 2:13-14 ■“But we ought always to give thanks to God for you…” –Because God chose you as the first fruits to be saved. (Ephesians 1:3-10)

II Thessalonians 2:13-14 ■“But we ought always to give thanks to God for you…” –Because God chose you as the first fruits to be saved. (Ephesians 1:3-10) –Because God called you through our gospel, so that you may obtain the glory of Christ.

■“Paul is once again conveying his confidence in their salvation by suggesting that he is under obligation to express gratitude to God for His work in them. His thanksgiving, however, was not based on what they were doing for God, but on what God did for them.” –Mark Howell

2 Thessalonians 1:3-4

■“We ought always to give thanks to God for you as is right…”

2 Thessalonians 1:3-4 ■“We ought always to give thanks to God for you as is right…” –Because your faith is growing abundantly.

2 Thessalonians 1:3-4 ■“We ought always to give thanks to God for you as is right…” –Because your faith is growing abundantly. –The love of everyone of you for one another is increasing.

■Thanksgiving is a fundamental component of the mental framework that largely controls Paul’s intercession…The unvarnished truth is that what we most frequently give thanks for betrays what we most highly value. If a large percentage of our thanksgiving is for material prosperity, it is because we value material prosperity proportionately. –D.A. Carson, A Call To Spiritual Reformation

2 Thessalonians 1:11-12

■“To this end we always pray for you…”

2 Thessalonians 1:11-12 ■“To this end we always pray for you…” –That our God may make you worthy of his calling. (Ephesians 4:1-2)

2 Thessalonians 1:11-12 ■“To this end we always pray for you…” –That our God may make you worthy of his calling. (Ephesians 4:1) ■Simply put, “that means these believers must grow in all things that please God so that he is pleased with them, and finally judges them to be living up to the calling that they have received.” -Carson

2 Thessalonians 1:11-12 ■“To this end we always pray for you…” –That our God may make you worthy of his calling. (Ephesians 4:1) –That our God may fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith by His power. (Philippians 2:12-13)

■“What Paul presupposes is that God’s people have been so transformed through their conversion to Jesus Christ and his gospel that they now develop new sets of goals. Prompted and shaped by goodness and faith, they inevitably formulate new purposes, decidedly Christian plans, Christian goals.” -Carson

Why do we pray this way?

■V.12 “So that…”

Why do we pray this way? ■V.12 “So that…” –The name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you.

Why do we pray this way? ■V.12 “So that…” –The name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you. –You may be glorified in him.

Why do we pray this way? ■V.12 “So that…” –The name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you. –You may be glorified in him. ■All “according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.”

■“For when the current is switched on, it becomes incandescent. So when Jesus is revealed in his glory, he will be glorified in His people. We will not only see, but share his glory. We will be more than a filament which glows temporarily….We will be radically and permanently changed, being transformed into his likeness….We will glow forever with the glory of Christ as indeed he glowed with the glory of the Father.” –John Stott, Gospel and the End

■“Christ will not have this glory for himself alone but it will possess all the saints.” –John Calvin, 1 and 2 Thessalonians

So what? What’s the point?

So What? What’s the point? ■Christians are by nature thankful people.

So what? What’s the point? ■Christians are by nature thankful people. –We have much to be thankful for. (Romans 8:28-30)

So what? What’s the point? ■Christians are by nature thankful people. –We have much to be thankful for. (Romans 8:28-30) ■At the root of all Christian desire for him or herself is to walk worthy of the calling of God.

So what? What’s the point? ■Christians are by nature thankful people. –We have much to be thankful for. (Romans 8:28-30) ■At the root of all Christian desire for him or herself is to walk worthy of the calling of God. ■That desire reaches outside him or herself to fellow Christians in the Church.

PRAYER MATTERS II Thessalonians