Kingdom Worthiness, 2 Thess 1:1-12

Kingdom Worthiness

2 Thess 1:1-12

There are many ideas in the scriptures that seem highly nuanced. Some really are. There are three tenses in which salvation is discussed: a past completed act--you have been saved; a present reality--you are being saved; and a future expectation--we will be saved. There are also many facets to the doctrine: calling, regeneration, repentance, justification, sanctification, and many more. In the end, comparing scripture with scripture, we see a full-orbed doctrine beautifully painted with the words of scripture. In that doctrine, if we have proper faith, we rest our souls and trust its care to God alone through Jesus Christ, the Lord.

The Kingdom of God is another nuanced idea found throughout the scriptures. Especially as we compare the Old with the New, we see the doctrine of the kingdom of God develop and grow.

This sermon is titled "Kingdom Worthiness." There are two times the word worthy is used in verses 1 through 12. I want to define kingdom and then open up the passage a little to talk about how believers are worthy of the Kingdom.

Back at the creation, God is king of the whole earth, or the entire created universe. God is the only intelligent being. We find him commanding this and that--bringing everything into existence by the power of his word. Gen 1:26-27 we find God creating man in his own image. To man is given by decree a prominent position to assist God in his dominion over all things.

26 Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth." 27 So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. 28 Then God blessed them, and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth." 

Humankind was to be the agent for the earth to be filled and subdued. Only the Sovereign can designate in his realm who has the authority to rule and direct. Adam and then Eve were given this position. So, the broadest nuance is found at the beginning when God was King.  

God never stopped being king in this sense. It is that more specificity is added to the rule and reign of God. At no time does he give up any of his realms even though he shares them with men, especially kings he calls from among his people, even Moses.

Moses was the first to serve as king over the children of Israel: Deut 33:1 Now this is the blessing with which Moses the man of God blessed the children of Israel before his death. 2 And he said: "The Lord came from Sinai, And dawned on them from Seir; He shone forth from Mount Paran, And He came with ten thousands of saints; From His right hand Came a fiery law for them. 3 Yes, He loves the people; All His saints are in Your hand; They sit down at Your feet; Everyone receives Your words. 4 Moses commanded a law for us, A heritage of the congregation of Jacob. 5 And He was King in Jeshurun, When the leaders of the people were gathered, All the tribes of Israel together.

In his blessing Moses tells us he was their king.

Throughout time:

Psalm 47:7 For God is the King of all the earth; [therefore] Sing praises with understanding.

Yet the identity of this king is narrowed for us. It is not just any God, it tells us….

Jer 10:10 But the Lord is the true God; He is the living God and the everlasting King. 

Prov 21:1 king's heart is in the hand of the Lord, Like the rivers of water; He turns it wherever He wishes.

The Lord is behind all kings influencing their decisions to do his will. He is greater than the kings of the earth.

And, Psalm 75:7 But God is the Judge: He puts down one, And exalts another.

He does this as the Judge of the kings. Clearly his power and authority, dominion and might is above that of all human rulers.

God is over all at creation à over all by providence à over all for the purposes of redemption.

What is the big problem with the children of Israel? The keep forsaking God's way. It is God who was to be the king over his people. They were not supposed to have a king like the others found among men. But because of the hardness of their hearts, God finally relented and gave them Saul--just what they deserved. Israel kept breaking the covenant they made with God. Times would get bad, God would have pity on them, grant them repentance and they would return to him and to obedience.

There are many of these cycles of sin and redemption under the judges and then the kings and prophets always called them back.

For the most part, ancient Israel were rebellious and contrary to the ways of God. The exceptions we know about can be counted on our fingers.

Another kind of king was needed. That perfect king needed to be divine--Jesus came as the Son of God, but also the King of Israel, the king of the Jews.

When the wisemen from the East came, they knew exactly who they were looking for. Matt 2:2 saying, "Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him."

Jesus didn't take this as the title for himself. He preferred "the Son of man." Yet, he was born king and would always be king. In John 6 the people want to take and make him king after the feeding of 5,000. When he did not meet their expectations, they all left him except for the disciples who believed only he had the words of life.

At the end of his life, Pilate wanted to know if he was in fact, King of the Jews. The sign they placed over him on the cross said as much: Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews. You might have seen the Letters INRI on a cross in a Catholic Church. That's where they come from.

Then to the church in Philippi we are told he is king of kings and Lord of Lords and in the book of Revelation we find the same exalted name.

IN and among and amid all things is the reign of God as king. In the New Covenant, it is a role uniquely given to the Lord Jesus Christ. But, a unique part of that is as king over the saints in the churches.

Yet, this special kingdom is not the same as the church. It is broader, invisible and spiritual.

Remember when we were looking at the end of Jesus earthly life and we saw him before Pilate? This is what Pilate could not understand--that the spirituality of Christ's kingdom was not a real threat to him and Rome.  But, any talk of another kingdom immediately set off red warning flags.

John 13:36 Jesus answered, "My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, 

And with the multitudes who were left, he could have called down all of the angles of heaven to rout the armies of the earth and to set himself up as king. That's not what his rule is all about. He came to subdue a people in order to rule and reign over them by transforming their hearts. Christianity is not a religion of the sword, but one of a subdued heart: mind, will and emotions.

The otherworldliness of the kingdom can be hard for many to perceive. On the longest day of ministry in Jesus life he mentioned to a group of men that the kingdom was among them or that they were amid it. It was right there next to them, but they couldn't perceive it.

The same thing happens today when a group of Christians get together from some godly reason in the presence of others who can't appreciate why they rejoice in each other's company and enjoy talking about spiritual matters. That is what we are being trained or disciplined to be.

We are soldiers of a heavenly king marching forward as pilgrims in a strange land.

Most of us have never lived under a strong earthly monarch. There are many places where they prefer to call Jesus King Jesus while we call him Lord because they understand what it is to have one chief leader….mono, archon, monarch, ruling over you. We are subjects of an eternal kingdom that has already begun. We are being trained as a militant army that one day we will realize the spiritual triumphs already won for us by Christ.

When we talk about the kingdom of God or heaven in this age, this is the kingdom of  which we speak.

So, when we hear Matt 6:33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

What do we remind ourselves of? That we live in a kingdom that is very different than any kingdom from the world of men. It is a heavenly kingdom wherein righteousness dwells. So, we seek the rule of God to be over us and to live in harmony with His principles of righteousness. Then all the other blessings Jesus has been talking about in the sermon on the mount will be added unto you. It starts with seeking first the kingdom of God. To know how to do this we need to know what God expects--what he really expects, not what we think he wants, but what he really wants.

A lot of us have grown up in forms of Christian pietism that substitutes one set of sine for another. They may be lesser sins, but not what God expects from us. We base our standing with God on the feelings we have after we do certain religious works. Among them are Bible reading, memorization, witnessing, handing out tracts and the like. In their proper place done for the right reasons, these things can be very good. However, they are not the reasons why the Thessalonians are commended and counted worthy of the Kingdom. The hint is this: all of those mundane, but very spiritual realities we saw at the end of 1 Thess 5. They are the ordinary Christian life of love expressed to others.

Let's read our text for today, if you still have a finger in it:

1. Greetings

2 Thess 1 Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: 2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 

2. Reasons for the Prayers

3We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is fitting, because your faith grows exceedingly,

3b and the love of every one of you all abounds toward each other,

All of the items we saw in 1 Thess 5 at the end of the chapter. 

 4 so that we ourselves boast of you among the churches of God

for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that you endure, 

5 which is manifest evidence of the righteous judgment of God,

COUNTED WORTHY OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD

that you may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you also suffer; 

GOD TAKES NOTICE and ACTS

6 since it is a righteous thing with God to repay with tribulation those who trouble you, 

TOWARD YOU

7and to give you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, 

TOWARD THEM

8 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. 9 These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power,

WAIT--God will have the last word and action

 10 when He comes, in that Day, to be glorified in His saints and to be admired among all those who believe,

WHY

because our testimony among you was believed. 

11 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, 12 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.

That last paragraph is the result of kingdom living in the seemingly small mundane, yet very spiritual realities of life in a fallen world. Yet, all the while they define life in the kingdom of God. Those good and godly things should never be thought of as beneath us.

Only Jesus can truly satisfy the fainting heart, the weakly soul, the doubting mind and the restless spirit. When we know our heart is contrary to the principles of his kingdom, we should go to him for mercy and grace--that he might withhold what we deserve and give what we don't. Amen!