Paul’s at the end of his letter to the Thessalonian Christians, but he has two final things to say. One is a warning, the other a wish. But together they reflect Paul’s overriding goal for them: Walk worthy!

Jesus is coming, but we don’t know when. An issue that came up in Thessalonica and still matters today, was ‘What do we do while we wait?’  Some decided to shift their lives into neutral and do nothing. Bad Idea. This is our time… time to work.

The end is near, but difficult days lie ahead. Christians are suffering, and need encouragement. Paul requests prayer for the apostles, then expresses prayerful confidence that God will protect them in trying days. There is much here for us as we face these difficult last days.

In 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12, Paul writes about a time of great evil and terrible judgment that is coming on the earth. All unbelievers who are alive will go through it. How should Christians respond to this truth? We learn this morning that we should stand firm, and take comfort.

Are we living in the last days? The COVID pandemic, advances in technology, threats of war and famine, and a rise in lawlessness all remind us of biblical prophecies. But to keep us from getting ahead of ourselves, Paul ‘fills in the blanks’ on what happens first.

We hear a lot about ‘justice’ today, but the harder we try to achieve it, the more we fail! In a world shrouded in sin, Christians look for Jesus’ return. When He comes, His righteous judgment will render rewards and retribution to every person.

One of the joys of parenthood is pride when our kids achieve great success. Paul’s ‘kids’ – believers in Christ in Thessalonica, were a source of pride to him: They stood strong despite persecution. And as a result, they would be ‘counted worthy of the kingdom of God.’