Faithful LORD Lesson Plan

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Leader Guide Sunday, July 1, 2017

Faithful LORD Sermon Text:​ Psalm 12 Study Texts:​ 2 Thessalonians 3:1-5 Sermon Recap​: Psalm 12 is concerned with highlighting the faithful care and protection of God for His people when they face hardship and persecution, especially from the wicked. As the sermon notes, “​The LORD is faithful to keep and guard his own from the wicked.” One commentator sums up Psalm 12 saying, “This psalm contains no resolution to the problem of evil, but it recognizes that evil is under the full sovereignty of the Lord. He will care for His children, because ‘the words of the Lord are flawless.’”1 And that is the promise for the Christian community: While God does not always provide answers to why evil things happen, He is always faithfully present and will provide for His Own. Sermon Connection:​ We see this same point being made in 2 Thessalonians 3:1-5. The Thessalonian church had been facing persecution from the wicked, and Paul’s letter was to encourage them to stand firm in Christ. This chapter highlights the reality of wickedness and sin in the world but also highlights Christ’s triumph over evil at the cross and the ultimate victory that is to come. In 3:1-5, Paul seeks to remind these Christian brothers and sisters to remember the faithfulness of God. He caused them to know and love the gospel; He has established them against the evil one and continuously guards them against him. And although like Psalm 12, no explanation of evil and wickedness is given, Paul urges this Christian community to remain faithful in the face of evil because God Himself is entirely faithful. Although burdened and suffering, they can have confidence because God will not fail.

Lesson Plan Lesson Goal: ​To understand the doctrine of God’s faithfulness and see it as the foundation for enduring evil and wickedness in faith. Lesson Points: Point 1 - God’s Faithfulness Gives Rise to Faithful Prayer ​(vv. 1-2, 5). Point 2 - God’s Faithfulness Produces Confidence in His People​ (vv. 3-4). 1

Willem VanGemeren, ​The ​ Expositor's Bible Commentary, Psalms, 169.

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God’s Faithfulness defined​: God will always do what He has said and fulfill what He has promised.2 The Context: ​In Paul’s second letter to the Thessalonian church, he takes up the issue of suffering with hope the church has because of Jesus. He’s dealt with the issue throughout the letter, but he brings the point home in 3:3. Why can Christians face suffering and evil with hope and ​ confidence? Because “​...the Lord is faithful.” Opening Question: ​When was a time in your life when you have faced hardship and/or suffering? What was it, and how did you respond? Transition Statement: ​Let’s consider now what the Bible says about our response to hardship and suffering... Point 1 - God’s Faithfulness Gives Rise to Faithful Prayer​ (vv. 1-2, 5). Who is Paul requesting prayer from in verse 1? Why? The request is being made by Paul on behalf of himself, Silvanus and Timothy (1:1), and he is requesting prayer from the Thessalonian church. First, we note that Paul’s request is ​for the sake of the gospel. While Paul and his companions are no longer in Thessalonica, by inviting the church to join with them in prayer, he is inviting the church to join with them in the work of ministry. Furthermore, Paul is once again displaying his love and respect for this church (1 Th. 1:2) by coming to them for prayer. He is not above them; he needs them. What does Paul’s request for prayer reveal about himself? About the church? Paul’s request shows that as much as the church needs Paul’s guidance and shepherding, Paul also needs the love and spiritual care of the church. No one person is ever complete and without the need of others. Especially in the midst of hardship and suffering—such as this church faced, and such as what Paul and his companions faced—Paul’s request for prayer is ultimately hope in God. He knows the prayers of God’s people are powerful; thus he submits himself to this church in humility and asks for their prayers. He is entrusting himself to them. What situation causes Paul to request prayer? What is the substance of his request (What is he asking the church to pray for)? After Paul’s conversion (Acts 9), God tasked Paul with planting churches. He, therefore, spent the remainder of his life carrying out that task. He would move to an area, spend a few years sharing the gospel, teaching the Bible, discipling men and women, and establishing a church. Once the church was established, he would move on and start over. As he went 2

Wayne Grudem, ​Bible Doctrine, 90.

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about this work, he encountered suffering, hardship, and persecution. In this request, he is facing some form of persecution from “​wicked and evil men.” His prayer is twofold: 1.) He prays that God would go before them and be honored (this is his primary concern); 2.) He prays that God would be gracious to deliver them from persecution. In verse 5, Paul returns to prayer, offering a short prayer for the Thessalonians. What does this prayer teach us about suffering, evil, and wickedness? This short prayer has much to teach us about prayer and our understanding of spiritual hardship. Paul writes, “​May the Lord direct your hearts...” In the midst of suffering and hardship, we must always be concerned that we are being humble before the Lord, Who is sovereign over all things. Second, Paul’s prayer is that the church might be directed to the love of God and the steadfastness of Christ. How do we endure hardship suffering, loss and the like? It is by remembering the God Who loves us, by setting our minds on the Christ Who is steadfast for us. We often do not find answers to our sufferings, but we always find His faithful presence. Transition Statement: ​Not only does God’s faithfulness give rise to prayer, it also makes God’s people confident... Point 2 - God’s Faithfulness Produces Confidence in His People​ (vv. 3-4). What is the context in which Paul makes the claim, “​But the Lord is faithful”? What's going on with the Thessalonians? See also 2 Thess. 1:4-7; 2:8, 15 (1 Pt. 4:19) . The Thessalonian church had been under persecution and suffering hardships for the sake of the gospel. Paul writes that, like the church itself, he and his companions were facing wicked and evil men. In 1:4-7, Paul notes the church has faced hardships and persecutions, and that they had suffered afflictions. But in 2:8, Paul notes that the Lord is in control over all of these sufferings and will one day bring evil and wickedness—including the wicked one—to nothing by the breath of His mouth and the appearance of His coming. God’s steadfastness will prevail; His people have eternal hope that far surpasses earthly sufferings. This eternal hope why is Paul can say in 2:15, “...​stand firm and hold to the traditions…” What is the hope for the Christian who suffers evil and wickedness in the world according to verse 3? Our hope is that God is in control. Our hope is that God is using the evil and wicked things of the world for His glory and our good (2 Cor. 4:17). Our hope is in the faithfulness of God, which stands as our bulwark (fortress; protection) against the world. He is faithful; He is establishing us in Christ; He is guarding us against the evil one. 3

How had the Thessalonian church responded to their sufferings? (See verse 4.) Paul gained great joy and encouragement from this church (See also 1 Th. 1:3). Although they had faced suffering and persecution, they had not wavered; his work had not been in vain. This Thessalonian church had been established in the truth of the gospel, and in the gospel of God, they stood firm. Paul’s hope for this church was not in its own ability to stand firm but in God’s ability to keep it and guard it. It was God Who established the church, and it is God Who would keep it and cause it to succeed. Knowing this, the church responded to their sufferings with hope and conviction; they responded with a view of God that extended beyond their immediate sufferings. What connections do we see between 2 Thess. 3:1-5 and Psalm 12? Both of these texts are focused on the steadfast faithfulness of God. God is utterly faithful to all that He has said; He accomplishes all that He promises. His purposes cannot be undone, even by the evil and wicked men of the world. The cross shows that God’s purposes cannot be undone, even when the evil of the world claim victory. His faithfulness is greater. Psalm 12 reminds us that evil is real and present in the world, but the Word of God is pure and right. 2 Thessalonians reminds us that the Church does and will face hardship, but God is faithful; by His grace, she will not be undone.

The Big Picture The purpose of this study has been to understand the doctrine of God’s faithfulness and to see it as the foundation for enduring evil and wickedness in faith. Psalm 12 reminds us of the reality of God’s faithfulness in suffering, and Thessalonians reminds us of the Church’s ability to stand firm in faith because of God’s faithfulness. Even in the midst of suffering, hardship, persecution, despair, depression, defeat, etc.—in the midst of worldly hardship, we can say with Paul, “​...the Lord is faithful. He will establish you and guard you against the evil one.” And so we ask... Application Questions ● How am I daily clinging to the faithfulness of God? ● Where is the cause for praise in my life concerning faithfulness? ● How is my marriage proclaiming God’s faithfulness? How is it not? ● In what ways am I teaching my children about the faithful care of God in their lives?

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