 All right, we're in 2nd Thessalonians chapter one. We're gonna look at verses five through 12 as we continue a study we just began. I'll be looking at these verses and we're gonna spend some time looking at the righteous judgment of God. We'll get there in a few minutes. And as is my normal way of doing things, I'll go over a few of the things we've already seen because last time we were together, we looked at verses one through four. And so I'm gonna touch on those verses and begin to lay up foundation because when we begin our study in verse five, Paul is actually picking up on some of the things he's already been writing. And so in order for us to get the flow of what he's got to say to this church, we need to go over a few of the things that he's already said. And so I'll do that. I'll give you a prolonged introduction. It'll take several minutes and then we'll move into verses five through 12. So let's begin reading together at verse five. I'll read to verse 12. We'll get into our study. Second Thessalonians chapter one, beginning at verse five, reading to verse 12. Paul writes, which is manifest evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God for which you also suffer. Since it is a righteous thing with God to repay with tribulation those who trouble you and to give you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels. In flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power when he comes in that day to be glorified in his saints and to be admired among all those who believe because our testimony among you was believed. Therefore, we also pray always for you that our God would count you worthy of this calling and fulfill all the good pleasure of his goodness and the work of faith with power, that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you and you in him according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ. So Paul has been writing to the church of the Thessalonians and has been speaking to them concerning the suffering that they've endured. And in the previous verses, he had encouraged them by reflecting on the obvious fruit that they were bearing. He even stated that he was obligated to give thanks and to boast on their behalf. And as we've seen, he was obligated to give thanks for at least three reasons. The first reason that we saw was that the afflictions they endured had refined and strengthened their faith. That's something we pointed to last time together. I pointed to you that we can go through pressures and trials, we can go through afflictions, even persecutions, and they're not intended to do anything other than refine us and to strengthen us. That's what happens when God is moving in your life. He allows things to occur that are intended to remove from you those things that are not pleasing to him and that will hinder you. And they've been going through afflictions and they've been going through pressures and he was thanking God on their behalf because the afflictions they were enduring refined them and strengthened them. In Isaiah 48, the Bible tells us at verse 10, behold, I have refined you but not as silver. I have tested you in the furnace of affliction. And we're told by Paul that there's a purpose in all of this in Romans five verses three and four because he says, and not only that, but we also glory in tribulations knowing that tribulation produces perseverance and perseverance, character and character, hope. So we can glory in these things and put up with these things because there's a purpose in these things. So afflictions that they've been enduring is strengthening and purifying them. Secondly, he was obligated to give thanks on their behalf because the afflictions that they had gone through resulted in their love abounding toward one another. Under the pressure that they were going through, through the persecutions and the suffering they were enduring it would have been easy for them to put themselves first and others after them, but that had not taken place. The afflictions resulting in love and a love that abounded towards other people. Instead of exhibiting self-love, they began to care sacrificially for other people and in that he glorified God and was grateful. A third thing he thanked God for was that they had patience and faith during their afflictions, in spite of the intense persecution, in spite of the pressures that they were going through, they were trusting in God. They came to understand that God was working in the midst of all of those things. Once again, the apostle Peter in 1 Peter 4, verses 12 and 13 said it like this. He said, beloved, do not think it's strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you as though some strange thing happened to you, but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ's sufferings, that when his glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy. He said, therefore, what we are to do is not think it's strange, but actually learn that God is gonna work through these things and we'll give him glory. And that's how genuine believers respond to situations like this. That's how we are to learn to respond in the distresses that we go through. We go through and endure these things because there's a purpose. In Romans 8 verses 35 through 37, Paul said this. He said, who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or peril or sword as it is written, for your sake, we are killed all day long. We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. And so there is good that occurs even in the midst of persecution, tribulation, suffering, and affliction. Persecution against Christians is inevitable. It shouldn't come as a surprise to us when we're rejected. What makes us think that we're not going to suffer? If the church has always suffered, why did I think I'd be exempted from that? In 2 Timothy 3, 12, Paul said it like this. He said, yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ, Jesus will suffer persecution. In Philippians 1, 29, Paul said, for to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for his sake. It's been granted your privilege to do this is what he was saying. I was thinking of this as I was preparing this message and I thought how interesting and how revealing it is when Christians get so outraged when they suffer through things. They'll say things like, this is America. I'm not supposed to feel rejected or uncomfortable. But the fact is, Jesus prepared us for this. We shouldn't get caught off guard when we're rejected. We shouldn't get surprised when people are not kind to us. In Matthew 10, 22, Jesus gave us a wonderful promise. He said, you will be hated. Now isn't that a kind thing to say? But you will be hated, he said, by all for my name's sake, but he who endures to the end will be saved. In Luke 6, 22 and 23, he said, blessed are you when men hate you, when they exclude you and reviled you and cast out your name as evil for the son of man's sake. Rejoice in that day. Leap for joy, for indeed your reward is great in heaven. For in like manner, their fathers did to the prophets. Rejoice, leap in joy, for having people speak poorly of me, excluding me. He said, listen, they did it to those who went before you. Why wouldn't they do it to you? So the anger that Christians exhibit when experiencing persecution is troubling. If the world hated Jesus, why are we surprised when they mock and reject him today? So what is the origin of this kind of reaction to the message of the gospel? Well, it's the result from rejecting the Lord and this rejection of God is directed towards us. In John 15, verse 20, Jesus said, remember the word that I said to you, a servant is not greater than his master. If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. But he went on to say in the same verse, if they kept my word, they will keep yours also. So that should give us courage to continue sharing and hope that many will believe the gospel. So as Paul is writing here to the Thessalonians, he's blessed that they're growing through their afflictions, they're remaining strong. It's an evidence to him that they're saved, that they're genuinely converted. They have faith in Christ. Somebody said, men seek an explanation of suffering in cause and effect. They look backward for a connection between prior sin and present suffering. The Bible looks forward in hope and seeks explanations not so much in origins as in goals. The purpose of suffering is seen not in its cause, but in its results. So having understanding of afflictions is essential if we're gonna grow in our faith in Jesus. So Paul rejoiced because they had an eternal perspective, not simply a temporary one. They weren't focusing on present comfort, personal fulfillment, simple happiness. They weren't moaning about injustice, but were settled on bringing glory to God. And that's the heritage we received from the early church, read Hebrews in chapter 10, verses 32 through 35. You'll see it there. It says, recall the former days in which after you were illuminated, you endured a great struggle with sufferings, partly while you were made a spectacle, both by reproaches and tribulations, and partly while you became companions of those who were so treated. You had compassion on me and my chains and joyfully accepted the plundering of your goods, knowing that you have a better and enduring possession for yourselves in heaven. Therefore, do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward. And so Paul has been speaking concerning this, and he's saying that their attitude is manifest evidence of the righteous judgment of God. Notice verse five. He says, which is manifest evidence of the righteous judgment of God. Now he's saying that because he had just said in verse three through four, and I'll read that again, we are bound to thank God always for you, brother, as this fitting, because your faith shows exceedingly, grows exceedingly, and the love of every one of you all abounds toward each other, so that we ourselves boast of you among the churches of God for your patience and faith in your persecutions and tribulations that you endure, which is manifest evidence of the righteous judgment of God. And so the attitude that they display reveals that God is wise as he purchases people through suffering. He said, this is happening with a purpose. Notice in verse five, that you may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God for which you also suffered. Again, somebody said this does not mean that Christians will earn the right and deserve to enter heaven because of their sufferings, but that they may show that they have such a holy character that it is proper that they should be admitted there. And so it's demonstrating the wisdom of God. He's refining you and you're demonstrating that you have been made acceptable to enter into heaven. And so these afflictions and sufferings are how God prepared them to enter in. Suffering made them ready for heaven. It caused them to long to be with the Lord. They were going through things and they're not thinking just how can I get out of this? They're thinking I've got a better place waiting me. They weren't thinking, oh, I just can't take this anymore. They were saying this is working for good in my life so that one day I'll be entering into the kingdom into heaven and I'll be prepared for such an experience. I'm looking forward to it. And they had an eternal perspective. It's like Romans 8, 18, how Paul said, I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. And so I'll go through these things because they are light afflictions. I'll go through these things because they're working for good in my life. Now he says in verse six, it is a righteous thing with God to repay with tribulations those who trouble you. The fact that you are suffering persecution justifies God's judgment on the world. He will bless you for the suffering you endure it but he will repay those who caused you pain. In Romans 2 verse six, it says God will render to each one according to his deeds. In the book of Job in chapter four verse eight, it reads even as I have seen those who plow iniquity and so trouble reap the same. And so God is gonna take care of this on your behalf. And notice how he says it's a righteous thing with God to repay with tribulation. Now I'll notice something with you here. Notice first that God's judgment is declared to be a righteous judgment and a righteous thing. Now the word righteous isn't a word that we use that commonly today. We used to a long time ago in ancient history when I was growing up, that was a word that we use all the time. When we liked something we'd say it was righteous. So we'd say, man, that's righteous. It's really righteous. And it was such a common phrase that there was a group and it wasn't really a group, there was a duo called the righteous brothers. And the righteous brothers got their name because somebody said that when they were singing, they said to him, man, that was righteous brother and they said, ooh. And that's how they got their name. That's not in the Bible, but it's true. Righteous brother. So when you read the word righteous, you know, it's not a word that you necessarily use all the time or when you use it, don't really use it in a biblical sense. The word righteous means correct. It means without error. It's just, it's innocent, it's blameless. God's righteous and his judgment is righteous. Psalm 51 verse four says against you you only have I sinned and done this evil in your sight that you may be found just when you speak and blameless when you judge. And so he speaks concerning the righteous judgment of God and it's a righteous thing with God to repay with tribulation. So Paul is encouraging them to wait on the Lord for a righteous judgment. He's the righteous judge. He'll repay them for the suffering they have caused his people and because of this, they should remain strong and not seek to avenge themselves. You can try and take care of business yourself if you'd like or you can entrust it to the hand of the Lord. The best thing to do is to cast your cares on the Lord and let him take care of this. In Romans 12 19 he says do not take revenge my friends but leave room for God's wrath. For it is written it is mine to avenge I will repay says the Lord. So the promise is those who have been troubled through persecution will receive rest in Christ. What do you do to do? Well Colossians 3 1 says if then you were raised with Christ seek those things which are above where Christ is sitting at the right hand of God. Just look to him and seek those things that are pleasing to him. In 2 Corinthians 4 17 and 18 our light affliction which is but for a moment is working for us far more exceeding in eternal weight of glory while we do not look at the things which are seen but at the things which are not seen for the things which are seen are temporary but the things which are not seen are eternal. When I was teaching at the pastors conference I was teaching on endurance and I was mentioning to them that perhaps I at this point in my life have the ability to speak about enduring and the theme of the conference was enduring and so I shared with them that here this month September it marks my 45th anniversary of teaching my very first Bible study 45 years I've been teaching the Word and I said I got ordained in 1979 I pastor this church that I planted in 1981 I said so almost 48 years of walking with Christ 45 years of teaching perhaps I've learned some things about enduring and so I was sharing with them about that and I said listen if you pick up the book of Second Corinthians I encourage you to do the same and you read through the chapters 13 chapters of Second Corinthians you're gonna discover that Paul in Second Corinthians is actually not simply writing a letter but he's actually answering charges that have been lodged against him by infiltrators who entered into the Corinthian church and were attempting to undermine his ministry by calling into question his credentials no less than 24 times he answers charges that have been lodged against him charges that he's fickle and changes his mind easily charges that he's boring when he's speaking charges that he's simply ugly charges that he shouldn't be listened to he's not worth supporting and I was sharing with the church that he went through a variety of things including these infiltrators who were calling themselves the eminent ones super apostles calling into question this man's ministry and this man is a man who loved the Corinthians because when you read first Corinthians he says though you may have 10,000 instructors yet you have but one father I begot you in the gospel he spoke concerning his jealous love as a father has for a bride his virgin daughter he said that's how I feel about you but in the midst of all that he was going through and he begins to speak of these things 24 different times no less than 24 different times he answers charges he called it a light affliction because the way he looked at what was going on is it was lightweight because the thing does not measure up weight-wise to the glory that I'll be receiving in Jesus Christ and that's how he looked at the afflictions that's how he looked at the pressures that's how he looked at the things he went through because he knew that he needs things who are working together to create an eternal weight of glory a weight of glory that he would be receiving reward for because he was faithful to God so don't give up you know God will repay those who have troubled his children in Mark 942 it says whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to stumble it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea now God is gonna deal with those who persecute the church but God also extends mercy to those who repent even though they've done so we think of a man named Saul a man who was breathing out threatening against believers in Christ who obtained letters of authority to take any that he would encounter who were worshipers of Jesus put them in chains bring them back to Jerusalem, try them for heretics and then see them put to death for their heresies and all we think of this man named Saul in the book of Acts it says in chapter 8 verse 3 as for Saul he made havoc of the church entering every house dragging off men and women committing them to prison but after he was saved we know him now as Paul there he was on the road to Damascus breathing out threatening seeking out those who were followers of Christ that he might put them in jail and have them put to death and all we see him arrested by Christ and he became Paul and when he began to speak concerning his testimony we've read it 1st Timothy 1.13 and 14 he spoke of himself in this way he said I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor and an insolent man but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly and unbelief and the grace of our Lord was exceedingly abundant with faith and love which are in Christ Jesus there are people perhaps even in this room but there are people I've encountered and know who were belligerent, intolerant, angry, violent who would attack people for telling them about Jesus Christ I've heard the testimonies of those who have spit in believers' faces I've heard I had a young man in my church who was working at a dairy in the local area somebody came to buy a six pack of beer and this guy who was working the counter had just gotten saved and he came from a kind of troubled background and he was a tough guy himself and some guys buying some beer and he's wanting to witness to this guy and he doesn't know how he's a brand new Christian so he says to the guy you don't need to drink that you know and he's, I guess he thought that was a smart thing to say but the guy popped him in the head and he came to church with a black eye I said what happened? He said I don't know he's trying to witness Jesus and the guy hit me in the face you know and I've seen that I've been around that so have you probably you know and maybe you or somebody was like maybe you were the angry person that anytime somebody said I'm praying for you maybe you were the one who said keep your prayers to yourself don't tell, you know don't tell I did that to my mom my mom before she was saved I was so troubled my mom said to me I still remember my mom was speaking to me and she said to me I was in high school I was 17 years old she said to me son I'm praying for you my mom wasn't even a Christian yet I was so troubled and I still remember saying God is a crutch and if you want to pray well I recommend you keeping your prayers to yourself because I don't need your God and I don't need your prayers so I know anger I know that anger that resentment that kind of angry response and God does forgive every manner of sin and if you've been guilty of being that angry person because someone loved you enough to say they're praying for you and they love you then you need to be right with God God forgives you too if you ask Paul was that way he was angry he was an angry man taking people to jail and wanting them killed for their faith in Jesus Christ but God forgave him God forgives us if we ask but those who reject mercy and persecute Christians receive judgment in Romans 2 verses 4 and 5 Paul said do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness tolerance and patience not realizing that God's kindness leads you toward repentance but because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of wrath when his righteous judgment will be revealed every day that you live you add to the judgment because every day that you live unrepentant and not a follower of Christ is adding to your account adding to the things that you'll be judged for you're storing up wrath for the day of judgment and as a righteous judge it is proper to repay with tribulation those who cause suffering and those who are troubling the church will receive recompense for doing that God will repay them in Psalm 94, 21 through 23 they gather together against the life of the righteous and condemn innocent blood but the Lord has been my defense and my God the rock of my refuge he has brought on them their own iniquity and shall cut them off in their own wickedness the Lord our God shall cut them off so verse 6 those who reject Christ suffer tribulation the word tribulation is a Greek word it means affliction and again tribulation speaks of distress difficult circumstances suffering trouble he's going to say a little bit more at verse 9 but those who reject Christ will suffer this but it says in verse 7 and to give you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels and so he'll give us who are troubled or those in context who are troubled rest he said rest with us the word rest means relaxation or restoration it speaks of freedom or ease it speaks of relief rest is afforded to those who've been troubled as they follow Jesus now the ultimate rest will be when we're with Jesus Christ one of my favorite scriptures in the Bible it's Revelation 21 in verse 4 he will wipe away every tear from their eyes there will no longer be any death there will no longer be any mourning or crying or pain when I was 4 years old I was playing in the front room at my at home at my home my mom and my younger sister Madeline were in the kitchen and my mom because we didn't have adequate heating in the house my mom would bathe my infant sister in the kitchen she would actually turn on the oven so it would warm up that space and that's where she would bathe Madeline and I still remember I was around 4, a little over almost 5 my brother was 6 years old and we were playing in the front room when we heard the sound of someone falling on the ground and we had one of those pocket doors and so I went up it and I opened the door and it was hard to open but I finally got it open and my mother's body fell into the room and my mom was having an epileptic seizure I was 4, less than 5 and her body fell at my feet so I was standing there watching her as she was having this seizure you've seen it perhaps where the saliva was coming out of the mouth the eyes are rolled back and I'm looking past her at my sister Madeline who's about a year old on a sink precariously seated there a one year old on a sink and I can't get to her because I have to go over the convulsing body of my mother and I still remember placing my back against the wall with my mother at my feet my brother panics and runs in circles for a moment then runs across the street to get the neighbor to come and try and help my mom and my mom from that point on suffered with epileptic seizures for many years and my mom eventually went through one thing after another I saw her from the time I was 4 years old go through nothing but suffering and pain when I was in my 20s she finally got lupus she ultimately had taken so much predisone to try and help her that her hands had become severely arthritic she couldn't hardly walk at the end and finally when she was in her early 80s my mom I was in New Mexico and I had done some ministry because my mom lived in New Mexico and I was on my way to the airport when I got a phone call from my sister Rebecca who told me my mom had fallen and busted her back and my mom spent her last year in a bed unable to really get out of bed and she would only get out for bathroom duties or for bathing and that was it her last year and I have a picture of my mom where she's in bed with the her computer next to her watching me as I'm preaching if their little hand raised because my mom was real in the castle to be honest with you she was kind of like, yeah, oh wow that was my mom and she was my greatest fan and I can still speak to her and still remember speaking to her rather not still speak to where I don't I remember speaking to her and saying to her mama mama there'll be a day when there'll be no more crying there'll be no more suffering there'll be no more sorrow there'll be no more pain God will dry your eyes he will wipe every tear this is a very special verse to me it reminds me forgive me it reminds me that God is good that God is good no matter what you go through no matter what you go through God doesn't leave you he doesn't forsake you he is with you and every tear that you cry he has a bottle a bottle of remembrance and he hasn't forgotten and so when you go through pain and you do and you go through suffering and you will and when you're rejected by people because people do reject us you have one who never will reject you you have one who will never leave you you have one who will never forsake you and his name is Jesus Christ and he will stay with you and you need to remember that because there are times that life becomes difficult let's face it there are times when we feel so rejected and we feel so lost and we can even question whether or not God really cares but the Bible teaches that he does that he loves you he never forsakes you and he never leaves you and so this is a beautiful promise they will receive rest well it says in verse 7 to give you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels he says when the Lord is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels the mighty angels is literally translated the angels of his mighty power the angels of great rank will accompany him in Matthew 16 27 the son of man will come in the glory with his angels and then he will reward each according to his works so the Lord is revealed from heaven with mighty angels and he is bringing his reward but also in verse 8 it says in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ so those who love the Lord and all in his return they are going to be given rest but he is going to take vengeance on those who do not notice who do not know God and those who do not obey the gospel it's interesting that flaming fire is a picture of the wrath of God in scripture quite often God's wrath is expressed by fire in Psalm 50 verse 3 our God comes and will not be silent a fire devours before him and around him a tempest rages Psalm 97 verse 3 a fire goes before him and burns up his enemies round about Hebrews 12 29 our God is a consuming fire so notice that God's judgment falls on those who do not know God and those who do not obey the gospel this is interesting because when it says those who do not know God the scripture in the New Testament the Gentiles, non-Jews are spoken of as those who do not know God why? because God did not give him the covenant he didn't give them the promises he didn't give them the temple he didn't give them all of those things the priesthood, the scriptures they were without God and so when you read your New Testament very often you'll see that's how they're referred to in Galatians 4 verse 8 it says indeed when you did not know God you served those which by nature are not God's in 1 Thessalonians 4 verse 5 Paul refers to the Gentiles as those who do not know God and so what this is is giving to us insight into who's receiving judgment 1 it's Gentiles those who do not know God so he says in flaming fire take inventions on those who do not know God but he also says and on those who do not obey the gospel now when he speaks concerning disobedience that would refer to the Jews that's because God had revealed himself to the Jews and they were disobeying him in Jeremiah 7 28 so you shall say to them this is a nation that does not obey the voice of the Lord their God nor receive correction truth has perished and has been cut off from their mouth so this is a nation that does not obey the point he's making is judgment falls on Jew and Gentile equally the Gentiles and the Jews have rejected the gospel and therefore will come under judgment he says in verse 9 these shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power when he comes in that day to be glorified in his saints and to be admired among all those who believe because our testimony among you was believed so notice what he says here he says these shall be punished with everlasting destruction let me touch on something very briefly perhaps some of you perhaps have heard this in the past some think the phrase here everlasting destruction is speaking of an annihilation that you're alive you die the soul is annihilated that's not what he's speaking about everlasting destruction is a way of speaking of a separation that lasts forever it speaks of a permanent exclusion from the Lord's presence and his glory what this is speaking about when he says they shall be punished with everlasting destruction and this is going to be the cherry part of the study he's speaking of hell he's speaking of hell permanent exclusion from the Lord's presence and glory Matthew 25 verse 46 speaks of those who rejected Christ these will go away into everlasting punishment the righteous into eternal life hell hell is God's punishment for sin and for the rejection of the gospel it has been said it is the final reaction of a holy God to sin it is the final conclusion of his wrath when you read your Bible you see hell mentioned fairly often in the New Testament it's described in a variety of ways it is described in Matthew 25 verse 41 as eternal fire in Matthew 8 verse 12 it is referred to as outer darkness where there is weeping in the nation of teeth in Revelation 14 verses 10 and 11 it is a place of continuous torment I had a guy in this church many years ago now who was speaking to me after a service he was a believer he wasn't a Christian his wife had been coming and he came along with her and he spoke to me after church and he had known my wife Marie through his wife who had been a friend of Marie's for a long time so he knew Marie and thus he felt at freedom to speak to me in the way that he did so I am talking 35 years ago and he is standing there speaking to me and he says to me and he had this attitude like so what? he goes yeah I am going to hell he goes what is the big deal he goes all my friends are going to go and he says well just party and I looked at him and I thought well I told him some things but I felt you don't understand what you are talking about you haven't got a clue what you are talking about to speak of hell eternal separation from God in that way reveals a darkness of heart and ignorance that is unfathomable I read a book a long time ago where somebody tried to describe the torment that one would feel being permanently excluded from light permanently excluded from God because hell is also and I will show you this in a moment it is out of darkness there is no separation of God there is no fellowship presence of God no comfort, no mercy, no love it is all emptiness it is all vast emptiness and he said the best way I could put this to try and explain it to try and develop the idea of how terrible it is he said if you were to think for a moment think that you perhaps were a space capsule and you are circling the earth you are orbiting the earth and something goes wrong with the capsule and you have to exit and you have got the suit on and you are tethered to the capsule and as you go out to try and fix whatever the problem is that your tether breaks and you begin to float away from your capsule and there is no way for you to get back to that safety he says and as you are floating away into darkness you will never die you will stay in existence by yourself with your thoughts in that suit for eternity now when you speak of eternity who can put that into perspective somebody said eternity it would be if you were assigned the job of picking up and counting every grain of sand on every seashore in the world every grain of sand and then when you finish you start over again and when you finish you start over again there is no measurement for eternity it just is continuous so when this guy is telling me oh I'll party with my friends my heart was torn because you haven't got a clue what you're talking about that you are willing to be away from the light and love and compassion and everything of God so that you can still drink and party with your friends are you kidding me that's how cheap you think how cheap life is to you that's how weak that God of this universe is in your mind is that you think that being in hell is a party Jesus spoke more of hell than he ever did of heaven because he doesn't want you to go there he wants you to believe him and be with him that where he is there you may be also but people rejected Jesus because like Jesus said what will a man give in exchange for his soul and the man will say a night with her or some of that alcohol or a little bit more money that nice car better house, better vacation I'll give it all up really that's what you would give in exchange for your soul it's cheap isn't it but in reality it's not all redemption wise cost the blood of Jesus Christ that's how precious it is and so Paul is speaking here about everlasting destruction and we speak about it in various ways it's referred to as hell but it's also called Guiana but that is the final judgment the lake of fire those who die without Christ will spend eternity in this judgment in Revelation 20, 13 through 15 the sea gave up the dead who were in it and death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them they were judged each one according to his works then death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire this is the second death anyone not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire hell the absence of God intense anguish it is final and there are no second chances you know you could have been raised in a system that said that you'll get a second chance the system I was raised in was one with a system of purgatory and you'll eventually get out the bible doesn't teach that it's appointed and demanded I once and after this judgment there are no second chances you die in the state that you lived I will die in faith because I had a relationship with Christ that if I die without Christ I die and enter into eternity without that relationship and so Paul is speaking of this everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power Jesus spoke of it in this way in Mark 9 verse 43 as well as verse 45 and 47 Jesus said if your hand your foot or your eye offends you pluck it out rather than entering into hell into the fire he says that is never quenched well some people say well how could a loving God send people to hell well the actual case is that hell was not created for men it was created for the devil Matthew 25.41 he will say he will also say to those on the left hand depart from me you curse it into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels it isn't for you but you can choose to go there and there are those in the multitudes who choose to go there but he goes on to say in verse 10 and he comes in that day to be glorified in his saints and to be admired among all those who believe because our testimony among you was believed when Jesus comes he will be admired he will bring relief to believers and we will glorify him and we will give him glory for the salvation he gave to us in Philippians 3 21 Jesus by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body and we will worship him and we will praise him and we will sing songs of glory to him and one of these days and it's not that long you will have the opportunity I will have the opportunity to look into the face of my savior there are those who are saying oh I want to speak to Paul when I get to heaven I've got questions and I say yeah please do that gives me a quicker opportunity to be with Jesus go talk to Paul and Peter and Mary whoever you want give me some more time with the Lord one of these days guys and it's not that long we're going to be able to see the Lord not only that we're going to have opportunity to see those who we love preceded us I'm going to see my dad I'm going to see my mom when Marie and I were young and we were having our babies we had our first born my Korean and then we had our second born our David but in between David and our next baby Joseph we have a baby who died in miscarriage I still remember when Marie came out of the bathroom holding in her hand our baby and I still remember some of you have gone through that they say oh what's the big deal you can have another what's the big deal that's my baby that's my baby see so I have a baby in heaven I'm going to be able to see I have a grandfather my mama's daddy who knew Jesus I'm going to finally meet my grandfather I have a grandmother that I never met who was a follower of Jesus I will meet my grandmother and I will have other babies that my children and I won't go into detail about this other than to make the statement that miscarriages do happen in families and I have grandchildren that I will see in heaven and I look forward to it to see them to be with them to be with them and God will wipe away every tear and there will be no mourning no sunshine in the presence of God and I look forward to that very much we will worship him and we will praise him and we will honor him and glorify him because he's so good he says that the name verse 12 of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you and you and him according to the grace of our God Lord Jesus Christ so in verse 11 and 12 he's praying that God will count you worthy fulfill all the good pleasure of his goodness that the name of the Lord Jesus may be glorified and so I want to close he says by praying for these things one that God would count you worthy of this calling in other words that you may remain faithful to him and enter in with him with full good pleasure of his goodness in other words that he will have his way in your life and then third that God would fulfill the work of faith with power through you that God will give to you strength to live for Jesus and be used by him and finally that by God's grace the name of Jesus may be glorified in you this is what we call a pastor's prayer what would a pastor pray for that God would count you worthy of his calling that God would fulfill all the good pleasure of his goodness in you that God will fulfill the work of faith and power through you and that by God's grace the name of Jesus may be glorified in you that's Paul's prayer for their church that's our prayer for this one that God will work in us that God will use us that God will be glorified in us as we go forth with this gospel that we will bring many to the knowledge of sins forgiven through Jesus Christ that we will be bold and courageous that we will be willing to be excluded because in fact I have been included in his family and that I'd be willing to be mocked and rejected because it's all worth it all these things are light afflictions compared to the weight of glory that we receive through Christ may we remember that as we go through our days