WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.080 --> 00:00:02.399 So today we're talking about how Paul says we should 2 00:00:02.480 --> 00:00:04.200 plant our feet and stand firm. 3 00:00:04.559 --> 00:00:06.480 This is going to be a really good close out 4 00:00:06.559 --> 00:00:10.839 to the second Thessalonian's letter that he wrote. So he's Chris, 5 00:00:10.880 --> 00:00:25.039 I'm Jeff, and we're the Bible guys. Okay, Chris. So 6 00:00:25.120 --> 00:00:27.480 here's a big one. This is a story that is 7 00:00:27.719 --> 00:00:29.480 very near and dear to my heart. But first of all, 8 00:00:29.719 --> 00:00:32.399 are you the kind of person who plans ahead and 9 00:00:32.520 --> 00:00:34.960 leaves early so that you arrive at the place early? 10 00:00:35.640 --> 00:00:37.679 In my mind, I am in your mind, you are 11 00:00:37.759 --> 00:00:40.399 in execution. I'm almost never that way. 12 00:00:40.520 --> 00:00:42.840 Why why what holds you back from Well? 13 00:00:44.039 --> 00:00:50.200 I think it's because I always think best at the 14 00:00:50.280 --> 00:00:53.079 last minute. So my wife always tells me she's a 15 00:00:53.119 --> 00:00:56.240 You're better under pressure anyway, So I operate better under pressure. 16 00:00:56.399 --> 00:00:57.359 So if I'm sitting. 17 00:00:57.079 --> 00:01:00.560 There thinking, oh, if I leave myself thirty minutes, I 18 00:01:00.560 --> 00:01:03.119 can get to heritage on time, then I'll get up 19 00:01:03.159 --> 00:01:05.120 and then as soon as I'm getting ready, I'll think. 20 00:01:04.959 --> 00:01:07.120 Oh, I'm going to do these five things? Oh right, 21 00:01:07.200 --> 00:01:08.400 you know, and my brain activates. 22 00:01:08.480 --> 00:01:08.680 Huh. 23 00:01:09.040 --> 00:01:09.959 I think that's what it is. 24 00:01:10.319 --> 00:01:12.519 So you're trying to cram three more things in before 25 00:01:12.519 --> 00:01:13.239 you have to leave. 26 00:01:13.799 --> 00:01:17.719 I really do believe that's the case. But to be 27 00:01:17.799 --> 00:01:20.480 quite honest with you, my wife would probably say, I'm 28 00:01:20.519 --> 00:01:21.519 just a person who's late. 29 00:01:21.560 --> 00:01:23.560 I don't want to be, but I usually am. 30 00:01:23.799 --> 00:01:26.120 You don't intend to be. No, it's not like it's oh, 31 00:01:26.120 --> 00:01:27.560 who cares about being late? Right? 32 00:01:27.680 --> 00:01:28.040 No? 33 00:01:28.040 --> 00:01:30.799 No, No, I'm the opposite. I want to be on time. 34 00:01:30.879 --> 00:01:32.920 I try to build in a buffer so that I 35 00:01:32.959 --> 00:01:36.359 have Okay, if I need to be there in thirty minutes, 36 00:01:36.680 --> 00:01:38.560 I'm going to need to shut everything down in fifteen 37 00:01:38.640 --> 00:01:40.400 so that I can, you know, so I can get 38 00:01:40.400 --> 00:01:41.560 there early. That kind of thing. 39 00:01:43.000 --> 00:01:44.480 This is the better way to be. Let's be clear. 40 00:01:45.079 --> 00:01:47.079 Absolutely in a lot of things. I think in our 41 00:01:47.120 --> 00:01:48.920 life we would discover that that, you know, if you 42 00:01:49.000 --> 00:01:52.439 just do things my way. But so, here's an article, 43 00:01:52.640 --> 00:01:54.959 you know, from one of the most trusted news sources 44 00:01:54.959 --> 00:01:57.439 out there. Right now, people struggle knowing where they can 45 00:01:57.480 --> 00:02:01.319 get the true news from the Babylon b Yes, is 46 00:02:01.359 --> 00:02:04.439 a place that is very widely respected. If you don't know, 47 00:02:04.879 --> 00:02:09.199 Babylon be's all about satire, yes, But anyways, here's one. 48 00:02:09.319 --> 00:02:12.159 An article is says Dad has family arrived at airport 49 00:02:12.240 --> 00:02:13.439 before it's even built. 50 00:02:15.120 --> 00:02:17.240 Well, first of all, the concept is it's hilarious because 51 00:02:17.240 --> 00:02:20.039 it shows a family with their luggage and the dad's 52 00:02:20.039 --> 00:02:22.560 sort of driving this whole thing, and it's at a. 53 00:02:22.520 --> 00:02:23.960 Groundbreaking construction site. 54 00:02:24.000 --> 00:02:25.800 Construction site, right, yep. 55 00:02:26.039 --> 00:02:29.759 So this is Indianapolis, Indiana. Pro dad and savvy world 56 00:02:29.800 --> 00:02:32.759 traveler Chip Dunnings has taking his family on vacation and 57 00:02:32.759 --> 00:02:35.240 to avoid missing the flight, has made sure the family 58 00:02:35.319 --> 00:02:37.639 shows up packed and ready to go before the airport 59 00:02:37.719 --> 00:02:41.319 is even built. Quote. It's important to show up good 60 00:02:41.319 --> 00:02:43.280 and early, just to be safe, said Dunnings as he 61 00:02:43.360 --> 00:02:45.759 zipped up his fanny pack and directed his kids to 62 00:02:45.759 --> 00:02:47.240 bring all your things out to the car. 63 00:02:47.400 --> 00:02:48.800 Impact, honey, hurry up. 64 00:02:48.840 --> 00:02:51.439 Construction on the new I N D West TERMINALSS SLAVE 65 00:02:51.479 --> 00:02:54.039 does start any day now. Why isn't everything packed already? 66 00:02:54.479 --> 00:02:57.120 Mister Dunnings then sped things up using his preferred method 67 00:02:57.120 --> 00:03:00.719 of walking through the house loudly. Well, let's go, let's go. 68 00:03:00.719 --> 00:03:02.759 Let's go, I prefer method. 69 00:03:02.879 --> 00:03:05.159 So obviously this is making fun of people who get 70 00:03:05.159 --> 00:03:06.039 there in credibly early. 71 00:03:06.159 --> 00:03:06.319 Right. 72 00:03:07.120 --> 00:03:10.080 This is me, this is me. My wife said, you 73 00:03:10.120 --> 00:03:11.960 come busting through the house. Let's go let's go, let's go, 74 00:03:12.000 --> 00:03:14.039 let's go, let's go. And she said, I'm the one 75 00:03:14.080 --> 00:03:16.360 that's putting the coat on the kids and making sure 76 00:03:16.360 --> 00:03:19.479 we've got everything ready and everything's by the door. She said, 77 00:03:19.520 --> 00:03:21.400 it's so easy for you to blow and just demand 78 00:03:21.439 --> 00:03:24.719 that we all leave instantly, right And you know, she said, 79 00:03:24.719 --> 00:03:26.199 I'm the one that's trying to put it all together. 80 00:03:26.240 --> 00:03:27.759 So yeah, it's so terrible. Yeah. 81 00:03:27.879 --> 00:03:30.719 Yeah, So when it comes down to it, I used 82 00:03:30.759 --> 00:03:31.319 to be a person. 83 00:03:31.400 --> 00:03:33.680 I will say this. There are certain categories that I'm 84 00:03:33.680 --> 00:03:36.039 never laid for. I shouldn't say never, but almost never 85 00:03:36.120 --> 00:03:40.800 laid for, and airports is definitely one of them. Uh So, yeah, yeah, 86 00:03:40.919 --> 00:03:44.199 I am always extra careful and I am that guy, 87 00:03:44.280 --> 00:03:46.319 hey let's go, let's go, let's go. And people say 88 00:03:46.759 --> 00:03:48.400 get through this amount of time, I'm like, nope, at 89 00:03:48.400 --> 00:03:51.039 a half an hour. So I'm always there super early 90 00:03:51.360 --> 00:03:54.240 because I want to be at the gate saying nothing happened, 91 00:03:54.280 --> 00:03:58.240 no construction happened, nothing happened with a big long line. 92 00:03:58.280 --> 00:04:00.719 I'm always fearful of that. Right. So I've gone, I've 93 00:04:00.759 --> 00:04:02.000 got the TSA checked. 94 00:04:01.800 --> 00:04:04.280 All that stuff, I get all that, but I still 95 00:04:04.280 --> 00:04:05.039 get there super early. 96 00:04:05.120 --> 00:04:07.439 I'm flying out tomorrow. I have a conference I have 97 00:04:07.479 --> 00:04:09.960 to be at and my wife is going with me, 98 00:04:10.280 --> 00:04:12.960 and I always build in enough of a buffer. I've 99 00:04:12.960 --> 00:04:16.879 never missed a plane. I've never had, you know, trouble 100 00:04:16.920 --> 00:04:19.079 at those at TSA or anything that held me up 101 00:04:19.079 --> 00:04:21.360 where I had to go running. The only time one time, 102 00:04:21.360 --> 00:04:25.839 I was in Amsterdam and I miscalculated the time change, 103 00:04:26.279 --> 00:04:28.240 and so I'm just sitting there texting with my wife 104 00:04:28.959 --> 00:04:31.360 and suddenly I realized that they were saying my name 105 00:04:31.399 --> 00:04:33.360 over the speaker. And if you ever been in that 106 00:04:33.399 --> 00:04:36.959 amster in the airport at Amsterdam, it's huge. Yeah, it 107 00:04:37.360 --> 00:04:39.759 feels like miles. So I grabbed my bag and I 108 00:04:39.800 --> 00:04:42.000 take off running, and I am so far away from 109 00:04:42.040 --> 00:04:43.639 where I needed to be. I thought I had three 110 00:04:43.680 --> 00:04:46.160 more hours. I totally missed it. I did the math 111 00:04:46.240 --> 00:04:48.920 backwards instead of forwards, right, That's what happened. Yeah, So 112 00:04:49.879 --> 00:04:53.879 I'm running and they skipped everything and just walked me 113 00:04:53.920 --> 00:04:56.279 on and literally closed the door behind me, and everybody 114 00:04:56.279 --> 00:04:59.160 clapped when I got on the airplane. So apparently i'd 115 00:04:59.160 --> 00:05:01.920 held the plane. The only time ever that I did, 116 00:05:02.120 --> 00:05:03.839 I was there. I just did the math wrong. But 117 00:05:03.879 --> 00:05:07.160 most of the time. I'm an early guy too. I'd 118 00:05:07.199 --> 00:05:08.160 love to be early. 119 00:05:08.120 --> 00:05:09.720 So let me se you real quick. One time I 120 00:05:09.720 --> 00:05:11.720 had to lay over in Baton Rouge because my flight 121 00:05:11.720 --> 00:05:13.360 was late. It wasn't because of me, and I had 122 00:05:13.360 --> 00:05:15.399 to actually spend the night in the airport. So it 123 00:05:15.439 --> 00:05:17.319 was like from midnight to six am, and my plane 124 00:05:17.399 --> 00:05:19.800 left at like six So I was so bored because 125 00:05:19.800 --> 00:05:23.480 it's such a small, you know, airport. I decided to 126 00:05:23.480 --> 00:05:25.639 rent a car and just go out to Denny's at 127 00:05:25.639 --> 00:05:27.120 like two o'clock in the morning. I was by myself, 128 00:05:27.399 --> 00:05:29.600 so I had this rent a car and I'm driving back, 129 00:05:29.639 --> 00:05:31.439 you know, after sort of trying to stay up all night, 130 00:05:31.800 --> 00:05:33.879 and it was like four in the morning. You know, 131 00:05:34.160 --> 00:05:36.399 I'm just thinking this is I can't believe I found 132 00:05:36.439 --> 00:05:39.079 myself in the situation. And then I was so tired 133 00:05:39.160 --> 00:05:40.560 driving back to the airport. I only had like maybe 134 00:05:40.600 --> 00:05:44.240 three miles to go, big long stretch on these service roads, 135 00:05:44.600 --> 00:05:46.399 and I pulled over on the side of the road, 136 00:05:46.680 --> 00:05:48.199 put it in park, and I said, I'll just lay 137 00:05:48.199 --> 00:05:51.040 my head back a second. And I laid back for 138 00:05:51.079 --> 00:05:53.519 a second and I woke up and I realized my 139 00:05:53.560 --> 00:05:55.319 plane left in like seventeen minutes. 140 00:05:55.439 --> 00:05:57.240 Oh no, And so I. 141 00:05:57.199 --> 00:05:58.959 Literally put it in drive. And I'm not going to 142 00:05:58.959 --> 00:06:00.839 tell you the speed in which I I did, but 143 00:06:00.920 --> 00:06:01.680 I pulled. 144 00:06:01.439 --> 00:06:04.480 Underneath probably rate at the appropriate speed. 145 00:06:04.279 --> 00:06:07.560 Yes, appropriate speed limit. And then I pulled underneath the carport. 146 00:06:08.040 --> 00:06:10.160 And as I'm getting out, I grabbed my bag and 147 00:06:10.160 --> 00:06:12.240 the guy goes, you can't leave that there. I'm like, 148 00:06:12.480 --> 00:06:15.079 it's left there. I'd left it literally with the door open. 149 00:06:15.439 --> 00:06:17.399 And then I ran. This is how much I was 150 00:06:17.800 --> 00:06:20.839 running for time. And then I turned the corner to 151 00:06:20.959 --> 00:06:23.959 go right, and I was passing all of the rented 152 00:06:23.959 --> 00:06:27.439 cars like enterprise. I was sprinting as fast as a 153 00:06:27.480 --> 00:06:30.160 twenty five year old could sprint. I didn't even slow down. 154 00:06:30.240 --> 00:06:30.519 Jeff. 155 00:06:30.759 --> 00:06:32.560 I grabbed the keys as I was running by the 156 00:06:32.600 --> 00:06:34.519 desk and threw them as hard as I could, and 157 00:06:34.560 --> 00:06:37.079 I hit the back wall. And the two ladies behind 158 00:06:37.079 --> 00:06:39.360 the desk saw this keys fly by their head and 159 00:06:39.360 --> 00:06:40.720 it hits the back wall and I said. 160 00:06:40.519 --> 00:06:41.120 There's the keys. 161 00:06:41.680 --> 00:06:43.480 I said, it's PERTLYWN. 162 00:06:43.040 --> 00:06:45.199 Kept on running and then I go to the and 163 00:06:45.279 --> 00:06:46.560 I go to the lady and I'm like, get me 164 00:06:46.600 --> 00:06:47.759 on the plane, and she goes, you're not going to 165 00:06:47.839 --> 00:06:50.240 make this flight, and I freaked out because my pastor 166 00:06:50.279 --> 00:06:52.480 actually had threatened me and told another story, you better 167 00:06:52.519 --> 00:06:55.759 be back here on Sunday morning, right and then anyway, 168 00:06:55.800 --> 00:06:58.160 so I started screaming, Oh, I gotta get all this flying, 169 00:06:58.439 --> 00:07:00.399 and I ran as fast as I could made it. 170 00:07:00.680 --> 00:07:02.839 Wow. Yeah, those are back in the old days, before 171 00:07:02.839 --> 00:07:05.839 you had all the other checkpoints and TSA tackling you 172 00:07:05.920 --> 00:07:07.279 for looking sideways and stuff. 173 00:07:07.319 --> 00:07:08.720 Right, yeah, what was after eleven? 174 00:07:08.800 --> 00:07:11.360 But wow, wow, that's something else, man, I. 175 00:07:11.439 --> 00:07:12.079 Know, I know. 176 00:07:12.240 --> 00:07:16.079 Okay, well, actually it wasn't say if you were twenty five, Yeah, 177 00:07:16.240 --> 00:07:18.199 it was before. It was before kind of message you're 178 00:07:18.199 --> 00:07:21.519 trying to send everybody that you weren't twenty five. 179 00:07:21.639 --> 00:07:23.720 Happened when I when I was just two. 180 00:07:23.680 --> 00:07:27.399 Years old, Okay, okay. So we are wrapping up now 181 00:07:27.560 --> 00:07:32.519 on first Thessalonian or second Thessalonians, and he's really going 182 00:07:32.600 --> 00:07:38.319 to lean into uh believing believers, standing firm and closing 183 00:07:38.319 --> 00:07:41.120 out this idea, uh, clarifying all of his statements. So 184 00:07:41.120 --> 00:07:43.360 we're gonna start off in verse thirteen says as for us, 185 00:07:43.560 --> 00:07:46.480 we can't help, but thank God for you, dear brothers 186 00:07:46.480 --> 00:07:49.319 and sisters. Love by the Lord We are always thankful 187 00:07:49.360 --> 00:07:51.120 that God chose you to be among the first to 188 00:07:51.160 --> 00:07:53.959 experience salvation, a salvation that came through the Spirit who 189 00:07:53.959 --> 00:07:56.279 makes you holy, and through your belief in the truth. 190 00:07:56.759 --> 00:07:59.519 He called you to salvation when he when we told 191 00:07:59.560 --> 00:08:01.600 you the good news. But now you can share in 192 00:08:01.639 --> 00:08:04.720 the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. With all these 193 00:08:04.720 --> 00:08:06.959 things in mind, dear brothers and sisters, stand firm and 194 00:08:07.079 --> 00:08:09.759 keep a strong grip on the teaching we passed on 195 00:08:09.800 --> 00:08:12.800 to you, both in person and by letter. Now may 196 00:08:12.800 --> 00:08:15.199 our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God, our Father, who 197 00:08:15.199 --> 00:08:17.920 loved us and by his grace gave us eternal comfort 198 00:08:17.920 --> 00:08:20.680 and a wonderful hope, comfort you and strengthen you and 199 00:08:20.839 --> 00:08:24.360 every good thing that you do. And say, finally, dear 200 00:08:24.399 --> 00:08:26.639 brothers and sisters, we ask you to pray for us. 201 00:08:26.839 --> 00:08:29.120 Pray that the Lord's message will spread rapidly and be 202 00:08:29.160 --> 00:08:32.320 honored wherever it goes, just as when it came to you. 203 00:08:32.799 --> 00:08:35.639 Pray too that we will be rescued from wicked and 204 00:08:35.679 --> 00:08:38.000 evil people. For not everyone is a believer, but the 205 00:08:38.039 --> 00:08:40.480 Lord is faithful. He will strengthen you and guard you 206 00:08:40.519 --> 00:08:42.440 from the evil one. And we are confident in the 207 00:08:42.440 --> 00:08:44.759 Lord that you are doing that you are doing and 208 00:08:44.799 --> 00:08:47.360 will continue to do the things we commanded you. May 209 00:08:47.360 --> 00:08:50.159 the Lord lead your hearts into a full understanding and 210 00:08:50.159 --> 00:08:52.840 expression of the love of God and the patient endurance 211 00:08:52.840 --> 00:08:55.080 that comes from Christ. And Now, dear brothers and sisters, 212 00:08:55.320 --> 00:08:56.879 we give you this command in the name of our 213 00:08:56.919 --> 00:08:59.679 Lord Jesus Christ. Stay away from all believers who live 214 00:09:00.080 --> 00:09:02.639 idle lives and don't follow the tradition they received from us, 215 00:09:02.960 --> 00:09:05.159 For you know that you ought to imitate us. We 216 00:09:05.159 --> 00:09:07.080 were not idle when we were with you. We never 217 00:09:07.120 --> 00:09:10.120 accepted food from anyone without paying for it. We worked 218 00:09:10.159 --> 00:09:12.279 hard day and night so we would not be a 219 00:09:12.279 --> 00:09:14.399 burden to any of you. We certainly had the right 220 00:09:14.480 --> 00:09:16.519 to ask you to feed us, but we wanted to 221 00:09:16.559 --> 00:09:18.840 give you an example to follow even while we were 222 00:09:18.879 --> 00:09:21.639 with you. We gave you this command. Those unwilling to 223 00:09:21.639 --> 00:09:24.639 work will not get to eat. Yet we hear that 224 00:09:24.759 --> 00:09:26.960 some of you are living idle lives, refusing to work 225 00:09:27.000 --> 00:09:30.039 and meddling in other people's business. We command such people 226 00:09:30.120 --> 00:09:31.960 and urge them, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, 227 00:09:31.960 --> 00:09:34.519 to settle down and to work to earn their own living. 228 00:09:34.799 --> 00:09:36.879 As for the rest of you, dear brothers and sisters, 229 00:09:37.120 --> 00:09:40.120 never get tired of doing good. Take note of those 230 00:09:40.120 --> 00:09:42.000 who refuse to obey what we say in this letter. 231 00:09:42.039 --> 00:09:44.159 Stay away from them so that they will be ashamed. 232 00:09:44.320 --> 00:09:46.559 Don't think of them as enemies, but warn them as 233 00:09:46.559 --> 00:09:49.120 you would a brother or sister. Now, May the Lord 234 00:09:49.159 --> 00:09:52.720 of Peace himself give you his peace at all times 235 00:09:52.720 --> 00:09:55.279 and in every situation. The Lord be with you all. 236 00:09:55.679 --> 00:09:58.799 Here is my greeting and my own handwriting, Paul. I 237 00:09:58.919 --> 00:10:00.960 do this in all my life to prove they are 238 00:10:00.960 --> 00:10:03.519 from me. May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ 239 00:10:03.559 --> 00:10:07.120 be with you all. So I love that he ends it. 240 00:10:07.159 --> 00:10:08.799 Here's my greeting of my own handwriting. And then he 241 00:10:08.840 --> 00:10:11.679 signs his name Paul. Right. Yes, he does that a 242 00:10:11.679 --> 00:10:14.039 couple of times. So another time we just read what 243 00:10:14.200 --> 00:10:16.720 was it relations where he says, notice how big the 244 00:10:16.840 --> 00:10:19.120 letters are. I'm signing this so that you know it's mine. 245 00:10:19.360 --> 00:10:22.159 Normally he would probably be dictating the letter to a 246 00:10:22.159 --> 00:10:24.519 secretary or something, but then he would take up the 247 00:10:25.559 --> 00:10:27.600 thing and then write in his own handwriting. And some 248 00:10:27.720 --> 00:10:31.639 people estimate that perhaps he struggled with eyesight. There's a 249 00:10:31.679 --> 00:10:35.039 couple of issues that come up in his writings, and 250 00:10:35.080 --> 00:10:37.120 so that might be why he wrote such big letters 251 00:10:37.159 --> 00:10:38.720 when he would write you know that he didn't see 252 00:10:38.720 --> 00:10:40.360 well or whatever. That might be the thing. But I 253 00:10:40.360 --> 00:10:42.399 always think it's funny, Hey, look at I'm signing this 254 00:10:42.440 --> 00:10:45.039 on my own, my own handwriting. So that's kind of 255 00:10:45.080 --> 00:10:48.200 the certificate of authenticity, is what he's doing there. 256 00:10:48.720 --> 00:10:50.159 His administrator should here sign this. 257 00:10:50.279 --> 00:10:52.120 Yeah, yeah, exactly. 258 00:10:52.200 --> 00:10:52.759 That's great. 259 00:10:53.360 --> 00:10:55.840 So standing firm. And by the way that I just 260 00:10:55.840 --> 00:10:58.240 want to say, I like you. I actually really love 261 00:10:58.360 --> 00:11:01.720 the term standing firm. So I have a life verse 262 00:11:01.919 --> 00:11:07.360 for Corinthians fifteen fifty eight, and it says, stand firm, 263 00:11:07.480 --> 00:11:09.159 always abounding in the work of the Lord, for as 264 00:11:09.240 --> 00:11:11.200 much as you know that your labor in the Lord 265 00:11:11.360 --> 00:11:12.240 is never in vain. 266 00:11:12.559 --> 00:11:14.159 So that's my life verse. 267 00:11:14.639 --> 00:11:17.080 And stand firm is one of those things where it 268 00:11:17.120 --> 00:11:20.879 sort of fits the personality that I gravitate toward. You know, 269 00:11:21.000 --> 00:11:22.639 no matter what you're going to do, come at me, 270 00:11:23.360 --> 00:11:24.720 you're not going to win, You're not going to knock 271 00:11:24.759 --> 00:11:27.879 me down, right, stand firm, And so I think that 272 00:11:27.879 --> 00:11:31.360 that's you know, it's encouraging to know that you can 273 00:11:31.440 --> 00:11:34.879 have that same sort of grit with your faith. And 274 00:11:34.919 --> 00:11:39.360 that's really what Paul's doing. He's encouraging people to have 275 00:11:39.399 --> 00:11:42.720 a grit with their faith because Paul in this whole 276 00:11:42.799 --> 00:11:45.480 chapter talks about, Hey, we were never idle, we worked 277 00:11:45.480 --> 00:11:48.720 our butts off, we never coasted, and you know, just 278 00:11:48.759 --> 00:11:50.919 because of my title, I never asked to do anything. 279 00:11:51.080 --> 00:11:54.039 But he also says, stand firm in your faith because 280 00:11:54.039 --> 00:11:57.200 they've modeled it, they've been persecuted, they've been beaten, they've 281 00:11:57.200 --> 00:12:00.360 been shipwrecked, they've been you know, all sorts of things, 282 00:12:00.679 --> 00:12:04.039 you know, jailed, and so he asks us to stand 283 00:12:04.120 --> 00:12:04.799 firm in our faith. 284 00:12:05.200 --> 00:12:07.759 Yeah, he says, stand firm. And then he also says, 285 00:12:07.879 --> 00:12:11.080 to keep a strong grip on the teaching that we 286 00:12:11.200 --> 00:12:13.399 passed to you, right, so you got to hang on 287 00:12:13.480 --> 00:12:15.279 to it. A lot of the things that we learned, 288 00:12:15.279 --> 00:12:18.720 they slip through our hands. We lose a grip on 289 00:12:18.759 --> 00:12:21.879 them if we don't intentionally hang on. And so one 290 00:12:21.879 --> 00:12:24.120 of the ways is keep refreshing and reminding ourselves of 291 00:12:24.159 --> 00:12:26.399 these words. That's why he had commanded I want these 292 00:12:26.480 --> 00:12:29.399 letters read publicly. I want these things out there where 293 00:12:29.440 --> 00:12:33.240 everybody has access to these words, because otherwise you forget 294 00:12:33.240 --> 00:12:35.080 them and I think a lot of the struggles and 295 00:12:35.120 --> 00:12:38.480 difficulties when we shift back from doing things God's way 296 00:12:38.519 --> 00:12:41.320 to start behaving like the rest of the world acts 297 00:12:41.320 --> 00:12:43.879 like godless people act, is because we've lost our grip 298 00:12:43.919 --> 00:12:46.840 on God's words and we slip back into just our 299 00:12:46.879 --> 00:12:49.799 normal habits, in the normal way humans would do things, 300 00:12:50.000 --> 00:12:52.799 because God's way is so counterintuitive, it's so different from 301 00:12:53.200 --> 00:12:56.519 our way. And so you know, stand firm and hang on, 302 00:12:56.919 --> 00:13:00.000 hang on tight to right these words, right, these teachings. 303 00:13:00.240 --> 00:13:02.000 Yeah, and then he goes on and he talks about 304 00:13:02.039 --> 00:13:04.799 how those are idle. Remember what we said, the reason 305 00:13:04.799 --> 00:13:08.159 why he wrote the second Thessalonians was because people were 306 00:13:08.200 --> 00:13:11.240 being idle and they were misunderstanding what he meant about 307 00:13:11.279 --> 00:13:11.960 the Lord's coming. 308 00:13:12.480 --> 00:13:15.279 And by the way, Paul was a tent maker. 309 00:13:15.519 --> 00:13:18.200 By trade, so he worked day and night, never to 310 00:13:18.240 --> 00:13:19.320 be a burdened with everybody. 311 00:13:19.559 --> 00:13:23.200 And then how are you like this for a policy? 312 00:13:23.600 --> 00:13:25.559 Those unwilling to work will not get to eat. 313 00:13:25.799 --> 00:13:27.639 Yeah, yeah, some political. 314 00:13:27.320 --> 00:13:28.919 There be some political debate about that. 315 00:13:29.279 --> 00:13:32.600 Well, I told you about the domestic dispute. The whole 316 00:13:32.679 --> 00:13:36.360 village was having a domestic dispute. East in West Africa, 317 00:13:37.200 --> 00:13:40.799 northwest Kenya, and we came into this village and all 318 00:13:40.879 --> 00:13:43.759 the women, there's probably seventy five eighty women and probably 319 00:13:43.759 --> 00:13:46.600 one hundred and fifty children are throwing rocks and they 320 00:13:46.639 --> 00:13:49.759 have sticks in their hands, and they're yelling at the 321 00:13:49.799 --> 00:13:51.360 men who are all together on the other side of 322 00:13:51.399 --> 00:13:55.000 the road. And I wanted to know what's happening. And 323 00:13:55.039 --> 00:13:56.840 my translators like, oh, I don't want to get involved. 324 00:13:56.879 --> 00:13:58.120 I said, I don't want to get involved. I just 325 00:13:58.120 --> 00:13:59.799 want to know what's happening. You know, we'd gone for 326 00:14:00.039 --> 00:14:02.039 days and days and days without any television, so now 327 00:14:02.120 --> 00:14:03.840 this is the biggest drama i'd seen it in a while. 328 00:14:04.200 --> 00:14:06.759 And most of our work was done for that day. 329 00:14:06.919 --> 00:14:09.200 Sun was just setting. It was right around dinner time. 330 00:14:09.519 --> 00:14:12.639 And finally he said, well, the women have discovered in 331 00:14:12.679 --> 00:14:15.240 the Bible that it says that if a man doesn't work, 332 00:14:15.240 --> 00:14:18.759 he shouldn't eat. And the women were saying, you are 333 00:14:18.799 --> 00:14:21.799 a bunch of lazy men, and so we cook the 334 00:14:21.840 --> 00:14:23.320 meals and we're not gonna let you eat any more 335 00:14:23.320 --> 00:14:26.759 food unless you work harder. And it is true. In 336 00:14:26.799 --> 00:14:29.480 that village. Alls I ever saw the men do is 337 00:14:29.519 --> 00:14:32.039 they all sit on they have stills, they'd make this 338 00:14:32.679 --> 00:14:36.600 really horrible hoots apparently, I mean it's rock kind of stuff. 339 00:14:36.759 --> 00:14:38.480 They would drink and they played like this. It's like 340 00:14:38.559 --> 00:14:39.879 a dice game. It's kind of like have you ever 341 00:14:39.879 --> 00:14:42.320 seen Mancala where you move the stones and the thing. 342 00:14:42.519 --> 00:14:44.200 It's kind of like that. They would make these grooves 343 00:14:44.200 --> 00:14:46.600 in the dirt and they would play this game kind 344 00:14:46.600 --> 00:14:49.240 of like that's called bao and they're playing it in 345 00:14:49.360 --> 00:14:51.519 the dirt. And that's how they do all day long, 346 00:14:51.600 --> 00:14:55.519 is play. And then on occasion they'd fight battles and 347 00:14:55.559 --> 00:14:58.519 steal other people's cow. So that's basically it. And so 348 00:14:58.600 --> 00:15:01.279 the women were like, we build the we call the water, 349 00:15:01.399 --> 00:15:03.720 we take care of the children, we cook the meals, 350 00:15:03.759 --> 00:15:06.600 we maintain the fires. You guys don't do anything. So 351 00:15:06.639 --> 00:15:08.639 the guys they all stand up and then they go, 352 00:15:08.679 --> 00:15:09.960 we're going to go out and talk about it. We'll 353 00:15:10.000 --> 00:15:12.879 come back later and I will tell you what we're 354 00:15:12.879 --> 00:15:14.879 going to do. So then about an hour later they 355 00:15:14.879 --> 00:15:16.240 all came back. They went out in the bush. They 356 00:15:16.240 --> 00:15:18.360 come back by an hour later and the leader stands up. 357 00:15:18.360 --> 00:15:21.480 He says, you're right. We've decided you're right, and so 358 00:15:21.519 --> 00:15:22.879 what we're going to do is we're going to provide 359 00:15:22.919 --> 00:15:25.080 better security and we're going to make sure that the 360 00:15:25.120 --> 00:15:27.639 boys take better care of the cows, which meant they 361 00:15:27.639 --> 00:15:30.679 weren't changing anything. They didn't. They didn't change one thing, 362 00:15:32.039 --> 00:15:35.039 but it was that's what was happening, is the women 363 00:15:35.080 --> 00:15:38.279 were frustrated because the men were being lazy. That's it. 364 00:15:38.559 --> 00:15:41.919 When we are surrounded by lazy people, it makes it 365 00:15:41.960 --> 00:15:44.639 so much harder for everybody else because everybody else has 366 00:15:44.679 --> 00:15:48.559 to pick up the load that you're leaving, you know, 367 00:15:48.720 --> 00:15:52.039 all this stuff undone and everybody else has to do it. 368 00:15:52.080 --> 00:15:55.320 So it becomes very frustrating and causes a lot of struggle. 369 00:15:55.480 --> 00:15:58.720 But when everybody gets in and helps, then it makes 370 00:15:58.759 --> 00:15:59.559 things so much easier. 371 00:16:00.039 --> 00:16:01.360 Yeah, I agree for sure. 372 00:16:01.480 --> 00:16:04.159 It's fantastic, what a great thing. And he's really going 373 00:16:04.200 --> 00:16:05.519 after him on it. By the way, this is a 374 00:16:05.519 --> 00:16:08.039 big I mean, he takes a bunch of verses. 375 00:16:07.919 --> 00:16:10.639 Right, Yeah, he sure does. And then there's a whole 376 00:16:10.639 --> 00:16:14.440 section in here. He calls for prayer. He asks to pray, 377 00:16:14.639 --> 00:16:18.000 pray that the Lord's message will spread rapidly, you know, 378 00:16:18.080 --> 00:16:20.799 pray for us, Pray that the wicked people will will 379 00:16:20.879 --> 00:16:23.159 leave us alone, and that we'll be rescued from them 380 00:16:23.399 --> 00:16:26.440 because not everyone is a believer. And you know, and 381 00:16:26.480 --> 00:16:28.519 then and by the way, there's a promise in there too, 382 00:16:28.840 --> 00:16:30.279 he says, But the Lord is faithful. 383 00:16:30.440 --> 00:16:33.799 He will strengthen you and guard you from the evil one. Yeah, 384 00:16:33.840 --> 00:16:35.279 and which is a great verse to take. 385 00:16:35.320 --> 00:16:38.840 And just you know, remind ourselves with God will strengthen 386 00:16:38.879 --> 00:16:40.240 us and protect us from the evil one. 387 00:16:40.759 --> 00:16:44.279 So he's his great desire with all the other things 388 00:16:44.320 --> 00:16:47.000 he has to talk about. His great desire is regardless 389 00:16:47.000 --> 00:16:51.679 of the persecution, regardless of the theological confusion, regardless of 390 00:16:51.840 --> 00:16:55.399 the interpersonal struggles that we have. The most important thing 391 00:16:55.440 --> 00:16:58.039 is pray that the Lord's message will spread rapidly. Right. 392 00:16:58.360 --> 00:17:01.039 So sure, there's all these peripherals that we got to 393 00:17:01.120 --> 00:17:02.720 work on. I'm going to write your book to talk 394 00:17:02.720 --> 00:17:06.119 about it. But the most important thing is that nothing 395 00:17:06.200 --> 00:17:10.000 hinders the gospel. We need strength, we need protection, we 396 00:17:10.039 --> 00:17:13.599 need courage. And then pray that you know, people's hearts 397 00:17:13.599 --> 00:17:15.960 will be prepared and ready to hear the good news 398 00:17:15.960 --> 00:17:20.000 of the Gospel, so that the word continues to spread quickly. 399 00:17:20.319 --> 00:17:23.279 And he talks about how it came to you, right, 400 00:17:23.640 --> 00:17:27.200 just like you received it, you know, I'm reminded often 401 00:17:27.240 --> 00:17:29.039