No Need to Panic — 2 Thessalonians 2:13-17
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Introduction
Introduction
A couple of years ago, we had the perfect storm on a Wednesday night. We had two volunteers scheduled to work with our preschool, and both of them ended up not being able to come. So, I said, “No big deal. I’ll cover it.” LOL! I think they could actually sense the fear. In my mind, we would just play, tell stories, and hand them over to their parents. In reality, the preschool room actually looked like depictions of the Great Tribulation that I’ve watched in movies and judgment houses.
It all started when the other worker that got roped into helping me let me know that the boys restroom was flooding. One of the kids had filled it with toilet paper, and then flushed it over and over. I’m talking ankle deep all the way into the carpet of the preschool room with less than clean water. So, I run — not really even sure where to run — and I crash into Daniel Hall who suggests a mop. When I make it back down, kids are sloshing through the toilet water in their church shoes. I’m trying to just soak it up. Then, I see one kid hit another kid and that kid is crying. So, I’m leaving the flooded bathroom to console a crying kid, and I look over and another kid is under the table and won’t come out. Well, Daniel came down to help me, and when he saw what appeared to be a Royal Rumble, he knew we needed help.
The next thing I know Cindy Hall comes into the room, brings the kids together, tells them a story, and within 90 seconds has the entire situation under control. And, all I could do was sit there in my wet socks and marvel. Look, I’m man enough to admit that I was out of my depth, and I panicked. But, Cindy came in calm under pressure, and her being calm under pressure allowed her to make a difference in those kids lives and definitely my life too, lol.
God’s Word
God’s Word
Effective lives require living calm under pressure. Panic and frenzy never lead us to the right decisions or in the right direction, do they? The Thessalonians were panicking when Paul wrote his second letter to them. They had misunderstood his first letter, and when they saw how bad things were getting for them and their city, they became convinced that they must’ve missed the return of Jesus. And, they freaked out. So, Paul is writing this letter to let them know that there’s no need to panic. And, I want us to see “What We Need to Avoid Panic: (Headline)” so that we can live the effective lives we’re intended to live.
Two “whys.”
Two “whys.”
2 Thessalonians 2:13–14 “But we ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the firstfruits to be saved, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth. To this he called you through our gospel, so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Ask in an interview: “Why should I trust you?” It shows the position is precious, like a ministry, where character matters most; signals you’re not gullible, not assuming candidates are who they claim; and sets a standard for expected trust, which is everything. Typically, candidates say, “You can trust me because I’ve done this and this,” pointing to their resume, not their inner person.
And, it’s this impulse that fuels insecurity and panic, like the Thessalonians felt. When they saw what was happening to them in persecution and knew how badly they were struggling with sin, when they looked to their performance to see why Jesus couldn’t abandon them, they absolutely panicked. They knew they weren’t exactly high performers.
So, Paul wants them to understand exactly WHY they can be sure they are secure with Jesus and being secured by Jesus, why they can live without panic — even if they aren’t always high performers. First, he says…
You’re people of “privilege.”
Paul’s first move is to have them to stop looking at why Jesus should abandon them and to start looking at all the reasons why they can be sure He will never abandon them. And, he starts by showing them that their position in Jesus’ kingdom wasn’t earned by them. It was given to them. And, this is always the starting place for eternal security, and that makes it the starting place for living without panic.
Think of how Paul draws this out for them. Paul gives thanks to whom? “To God for you!” That is, the reason Paul loves them and is there for them is the same reason that Jesus loves them and is there for them. Because God has done all the work in them himself. “God CHOSE (them).” “The firstfruits” is probably better translated as “from the beginning” which is the more natural translation. “God chose them from the beginning” — before they did anything good or anything bad, before they could earn it or lose it. How? “Through the sanctification of the Spirit.” The Spirit convicted them of their sins. The Spirit opened their eyes. The Spirit changed their hearts. And, “He called (them).” God chose them, sanctified them, and called them. He did it all. (And, I know some of y’all want to know how to reconcile this with our free will and responsibility. But, that’s not the point.) The point is that from our perspective we choose him, and from heaven’s perspective He chooses us. So, if He chose you and He sanctified you and He called you, do you think He will abandon you?
Notice that Paul calls them “brothers BELOVED by the Lord.” “Beloved” is written in the perfect tense. Do you know why that matters? The perfect tense means that it’s a settled condition. And, what’s the settled condition for the church? You’re the privileged, “beloved” people of God. You’re loved by God. Decisively. Unchangingly. And, what does that mean? It means your position is secure. Do you get the privilege of that? Man, this week, if you’re like me, your performance has probably been pretty uneven. You probably did some good, but you probably did some bad, too. You may not be proud of what happened this week. And, do you know what? Those are often the weeks that we’re tempted to lay out of church or to pretend like God isn’t there. Why? Because we’re ashamed and embarrassed. We’re afraid to hear from him because we know we wronged him. BUT, here’s Paul’s point: You aren’t loved by God because you are good, and you won’t be rejected because you said or did something dumb. You are embraced because Jesus is good, and He’s given his goodness to you. He’s already settled it! You’re his beloved! Don’t replay all of your mistakes and low-lights. Stop trying to wallow in your misery because you think you deserve it. Rest in the privileged position that was given to you by Jesus!
You’re people of “purpose.”
And, not only have you had your position given to you, but with that position and privilege, you’ve had a purpose assigned to you. Notice that verse 14 has a “so that.” And, “so that” indicates purpose, doesn’t it? And, what’s the purpose? What’s the purpose of the position they’ve been given? What’s the purpose of God saving them? And now, what’s the purpose of all of the suffering that has come as a result? “so that you may OBTAIN the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
You see, Paul is framing up their suffering with Jesus’ cross. They think they’ve been abandoned by God, left behind by Jesus. But, truthfully, didn’t Jesus appear the same way when He was scourged and crucified? And, how did that end up? He was gloriously raised to his throne in heaven! And, WHY? Because He was God’s “beloved.” So, right now, you feel abandoned, you may even look abandoned, but that’s because that’s how the cross looks. But, there’s a WHY behind your suffering. There’s a purpose behind your suffering. And, that is that you would take up a cross like Jesus’ that you might enjoy a victory like Jesus’ — “so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
How you understand your position and your purpose forms the tone of your life. If you believe like the Thessalonians that it’s based on your performance, then your purpose becomes to perform as well as you can for as long as you can and hope for the best. And, when your performance isn’t good, you’ll panic. But, when you realize that your position was given to you by God and cannot change and your purpose was assigned to you so that it cannot go unfulfilled, well, that changes everything. That’s the difference between the mom who overwhelms herself trying to prove to her family that she’s the savior and the mom whose heart rests knowing that Jesus is the Savior. That’s the difference between the successful businessman/woman who tries to accumulate all that they can as a monument to their success and the successful businessman/woman who aims to use their wealth to have the biggest impact they can. In both cases, One is earning their position and so it forms their purpose, and the other has been given their position and knows their purpose. So, one lives frenzied, and the other lives at peace. Which are you? That’ll determine how panicked you are.
Two “whats.”
Two “whats.”
2 Thessalonians 2:15 “So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the traditions that you were taught by us, either by our spoken word or by our letter.”
2 Thessalonians is written against the context of a great Deceiver that’s coming in the last days, and Paul is acknowledging that the hardships they’re facing in the here and now are the result of those deceptions already taking shape. These deceptions take at least three forms in 2 Thessalonians: persecution, false teaching, and moral temptation. Persecution preys upon us physically and psychologically. False teaching preys upon us intellectually. And, moral temptation preys upon the weakness of our character. So, in verse 15, Paul gives two clear instructions — two what to dos — to guard ourselves against these temptations.
First, he challenges us to…
Stand “firm.”
Between the first letter and the second, the Thessalonians were really beginning to understand how costly following Jesus was. People were being imprisoned and dying. They were being ostracized by their friends and neighbors. And, when you begin to realize that following Jesus requires every Christian to deny themselves and take up their cross, the suffering of the cross can persuade you to alter your course. So, both of these instructions speak to specific ways we’re tempted to alter our courses in light our crosses.
And, the first temptation is to cower down. It’s to back down and quit. At some point, every follower of Jesus wants to back down and quit. I think you need to know that so that you don’t panic when you start feeling that way. I can think of at least two times in my life when that was the case. The first was when I was about 16. I was the only person from my grade that was still coming to youth group. And, I felt like a weirdo. I wasn’t being invited to any of the parties that classmate were going to. I wasn’t at the top of anyone’s list to date. And, I was about to drop out. Then, one day, my youth pastor makes a passing comment about some of the other students that had dropped out, and I just asked him: “What if I dropped out?” And, do you know what he said to me? “I won’t let you.” That sentence changed my life. I felt seen, cared for, accountable, responsible.
The second time was about seven years ago. Our church wasn’t going well back then. I was exhausted. I felt like nothing that I did mattered. I felt like I had failed God, the church, and my family. My health was poor. My morale was even worse. I never believed that pastoring a church would be so painful. And so, I sat down with our elders to quit. I wanted to quit. And, do you know what they told me? No, you’re not quitting. That’s not right.
Now think about those two instances. Both times I wanted to quit were when following Jesus was costing me more than I wanted to pay. And, both times I was told exactly what I needed to hear: “Stand firm! You can’t quit!” And, both times were followed by times of dramatic growth in me.
Listen to Paul, and listen to someone who’s been there. At some point, you’re going to get exhausted by the costs of following Jesus. You’re going to get worn threadbare and want to quit. You won’t know what to do. Here’s what to do: Don’t panic. Just stand firm. Don’t panic and cower down. Just stand there by faith and refuse to back down. Don’t panic. Just Go to the right places. Be with the right people. Continue with the right disciplines. And, just “stand firm” so that you can see how God works in the face of impossibility through ordinary faithfulness.
And…
Stay “true.”
The second instruction addresses a more subtle temptation. Some won’t be tempted to quit when following Jesus is costly, they’ll simply seek to make following Jesus less costly. And, inevitably, they’ll do it by diluting the offensive parts of the message of Jesus. They don’t want to be a quitter, but they don’t want to deal with problems either; so, they just try to make tiny adjustments so that the message isn’t so strong and the obedience isn’t so costly.
It’s interesting here that Paul calls the Scriptures here “the traditions.” He’s not talking about what came to be called later the ecclesiastical traditions or what we think of when we think of church traditions like music style or going to camp at the same place. He’s talking about the Apostolic message — the Scriptures. And, Paul is using that language so that they can feel the weight of it, and their responsibility to it. These doctrines are transcendent. They are bigger than people. They’re weighty. People have died to share them and died to defend them. They aren’t ours to change. We stand in solidarity with thousands of years of Christians who have lived the ways of Jesus.
But, you know, suffering has a way of subtly changing what you believe toward something less costly. For example, you’ve always believed the Bible prioritizes local church involvement, experiencing growth and accountability. But small, good things—like your kid’s extracurricular activities—can erode that. Initially, you prioritize church, saying, “We won’t miss.” Then rainouts, special practices, or recitals shift it to “almost never miss.” As kids grow and competition intensifies, it becomes Bible study at the ballpark or church only after the season. This isn’t just a priority shift—it’s a theological evolution, adjusting beliefs to accommodate life’s costs. Small costs reveal how easily we water down convictions, don’t they? That is, they show us how prone we are to panic, and when we panic, we’re willing to alter everything we’ve ever believed to try to save our lives we have and the lives we want. Paul urges, “Stay true. Hold to the tradition.” Don’t let the cross’s costs obscure the resurrection’s joy.
Lastly, I want you to see..
Two “hows.”
Two “hows.”
2 Thessalonians 2:16–17 “Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace, comfort your hearts and establish them in every good work and word.”
It’s likely that 2000 years ago, Christians were reading verses 16-17 at the close of their worship services as a benediction. It’s a prayer, but it’s more than a prayer, it’s a methodology. It’s a method given by Paul through his prayer by which we can keep our whys and whats at the center of our lives.
So, Paul wants us to give us some practical ways that we can remember the whys and keep the whats. He wants us to see HOW. So, first we have to…
“Realize” something.
First, he prays: “May God comfort your hearts.” Because of what I said earlier, I imagine that you might be feeling uncomfortable already, this morning. It’s hard to think of how close you are to quitting, and it’s not comfortable to think through how willing you are to change your beliefs to accommodate your life. It certainly isn’t comfortable for me to say. You may even be ready to panic. Those are the exact feelings that the Christians in Thessalonica were having.
So, Paul says to us in our discomfort and our suffering and our temptation, “Be comforted.” And, what’s the method of being “comforted?” It’s going back to your why. That’s exactly what he does, isn’t it? Verse 16 is just a restatement of verses 13-14, a regurgitation of our why. He takes us back to the beginning when life punches us in the mouth so that we can remember why we believe what we believe and do what we do. And, he want us to realize it again so that we’ll know it’s worth it — the costs are real, but so is the value.
He wants you to realize again that “God OUR Father…loved us” and proved his love “through grace” on the cross. And, he wants us to realize that “Jesus HIMSELF” is with us to keep us and advocate for us and to protect us and to forgive us. You know, my kids are afraid of the dark. And, if I tell them to go to the basement in the dark to get something, they still struggle to go even though I’ve proven to them that I would never do anything to hurt them. They’re prone to panic and to believe what is true is not true. But, do you know what? We went to a cave this past summer, and it was so dark that you couldn’t see your hand in front of your face. And, my kids loved it! The darkness was an adventure. Do you know what the difference was? I was there with them. They couldn’t see me. But, they knew I was there, and they knew I loved them. And, that’s what you have to realize.
Jesus is with you and so, as hard as life is, and as disappointing as can be, and as impossible as the decisions can be, you can view the dark as an adventure because Jesus is with you and your Father is loving you even if you can’t see him. And, when you realize that, you need to…
“Do” something.
He finishes his prayer: “May God establish your hearts.” The idea of “establishing” your heart is to “establish” it as a pattern. My grandmother used to have this tree that wanted to grow crooked. I remember my grandad backing over it with his truck once when I was a kid, and trust me that’s a mistake you don’t want to make. Trust me. And, I remember wondering why she cared so much about that crooked tree. But, she took that crooked, ran-over tree, and she tied a garden stake to it. And, even though it wanted to grow crooked, she made it grow straight until eventually it WAS straight. Then, she removed the stake. And, it grew into the most gorgeous blooming cherry tree that you’ve ever seen.
That’s the picture here. Your heart wants to grow crooked. Then, it gets ran over by the world. It looks like it ought to just be ripped up out of the ground. You find yourself wanting quit. You find yourself wanting to change what you believe. So, you have to stake it. You have to “establish” the right patterns for your heart to follow. You have to take that heart to church to hear God’s word preached. You have to submit that heart to disciple-making relationships so that others can correct and hold that heart accountable. You have to immerse that heart in all of the good nutrients and deprive it of all the bad. That is, you have to stake your heart by doing what is right, even when it doesn’t feel right, and you have to learn what is right, even when it doesn’t sound right. And, then over time, your heart will straighten out and bloom, and your life will become a testimony to Jesus’ glory.
So, this morning, there’s no need to panic. Realize who you are and who is with you. And then, stake your heart by every, single thing He has said. And, you’ll soon enough discover how good He is.
