Dear Sméagol

2 Thessalonians 2:1-3a
Dear Sméagol

Video Illustration: Sméagol and Gollum (“The Two Towers,” Part One: Scene 29)

Peter Jackson did a wonderful job in that scene presenting J.R.R. Tolkien’s masterful portrait of the human condition in the pitiful character of Sméagol/Gollum.  In the scene we just viewed from the second installment of “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy, “The Two Towers,” Sméagol tastes the freedom truth can bring to even the most decimated human spirits.  Sadly, Sméagol tastes but never truly dines on truth.  He hears a bit of the truth but never fully appropriates the whole truth.  So, he remains susceptible to the lie, and that eventually leads to his ruin.

I am calling this message: “Dear Sméagol.”  I want us all to keep in mind the warfare launched against each one of us in Gollum-like fashion as we consider God’s Word this morning. 

¹ Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to Him: We ask you, brothers, ² not to be easily upset in mind or troubled, either by a spirit or by a message or by a letter as if from us, alleging that the Day of the Lord has come. ³ Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way. …

Let’s pray.

Father, thank You for always telling us the truth.  Thank You for giving us Your Word – not only this treasure we call the Bible but Your promise, Your pledge that You are who You say you are and You are going to do everything You say You are going to do.  Lord Holy Spirit, illumine our hearts today.  Thank You for the word You have for us today.  Help us see Jesus Christ – the Way, the Truth, and the Life.  We ask this in accordance with the will of our Savior, in Jesus’ name.  Amen. 

What’s the truth?

At one time or another, each of our children has come to us weakened, wearied, or worried because somebody – usually another one of our children – has called them a name or accused them of being someone undesirable.  “Daddy, so-and so called me a such-and such.”  My response has always followed this sequence:

“Well, are you a such-and-such?”

“No.”

“I didn’t think you were either.  So, you know the truth.  Don’t worry about what so-and-so said.”

Occasionally, they may need a wee bit more encouragement than that, so I would seek to remind them of the truth.  I may or may not have always used these exact words, but my aim has always been the same.

“Do you know what the truth is?”

“No, what?”

“The truth is you are amazing, a wonderful gift from God to your mother and me full to the brim with promise and purpose and potential.”

I would that we would all – each and every one of us – hear that word from God this morning.  We have an awful adversary who ever and always wages war against our King and against us.  He presses against us with his lies.  He accuses us with powerful delusion.  He distracts us with the world system and discourages us with appeals to our own fallen nature.  Have you heard him this week, even this morning: “Oh, you’re just a such-and-such.  You’re a failure, a fraud, a freak.  You are forsaken and friendless.”

Oh, that we would hear our Father ask: “Well, are you really a such-and-such?  Is that who I say you are?”  Oh, that we would hear the voice of our Shepherd calling us by name and inviting us to rise above the vile taunts of the accuser.  Our Advocate says we are His glory and joy!  Our Advocate reminds us we are indeed full to the brim with promise and purpose and potential.

Beloved, I need to hear this.  I need to believe this and live my life governed by this truth!  This truth, this tonic to our spirit, is the subject of Paul’s address to a tiny, young, beleaguered and badgered band of believers in 2 Thessalonians 2.

¹ Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to Him: We ask you, brothers, ² not to be easily upset in mind or troubled, …

At the outset, what we do not see in our English translations is the urgency, the passion of Paul’s request.  The word Paul uses to state his request (ἐρωτάω) is the very first word in the Greek sentence.  You may remember, that makes it the most emphatic word in the sentence and in Paul’s mind.  So, Paul begins:

I implore you, do not be upset, do not be troubled, do not be deceived about the return of the Lord Jesus Christ and our reunion (ἐπισυναγωγῆς – “gathering together”).  Be encouraged (vv 16-17) and stand firm (v 15).

Why is “the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to Him,” the παρουσίας and the ἐπισυναγωγῆς, so important?

¹³ We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, concerning those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve like the rest, who have no hope. ¹⁴ Since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, in the same way God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep through Jesus. ¹⁵ For we say this to you by a revelation from the Lord: We who are still alive at the Lord’s coming will certainly have no advantage over those who have fallen asleep. ¹⁶ For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the archangel’s voice, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. ¹⁷ Then we who are still alive will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air and so we will always be with the Lord. ¹⁸ Therefore encourage one another with these words (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18).

·      The return of the Lord Jesus Christ, the παρουσίας, and our eternal reunion with Him and with our loved ones in Christ Jesus, the ἐπισυναγωγῆς, produce in us a powerful and profound hope and joy.

·      The powerful and profound hope and joy produced by the return of the Lord Jesus Christ, the παρουσίας, and our eternal reunion with Him and with our loved ones who are in Christ Jesus, the ἐπισυναγωγῆς, provide us a winsome platform from which to make the power of the Gospel known.

·      The winsome platform of hope and joy produced by the return of the Lord Jesus Christ, the παρουσίας, and our eternal reunion with Him and with our loved ones who are in Christ Jesus, the ἐπισυναγωγῆς, prove we are in full and fulfilling pursuit of our life purpose.

“The chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.”  I believe the whole testimony of Scripture is that we are created to manifest the truth about God.  Our essential life purpose is to know Jesus Christ more intimately and to make Him known more intentionally.  When that happens, as that happens, we experience the most complete fulfillment.  This is what we live to be and to do – to be people of a powerful and profound hope and joy.

aNow, when we understand what the return of the Lord Jesus Christ, the παρουσίας, and our eternal reunion with Him and with our loved ones who are in Christ Jesus, the ἐπισυναγωγῆς, produce, provide, and prove, we may begin to appreciate in a new way why and how our adversary would seek to attack us. 

The “why” should be fairly apparent to us. 

·      Our enemy does not want us experience this hope and joy.

·      Our enemy does not want us to express this hope and joy as a winsome platform for Gospel witness.

·      Our enemy does not want us to exalt the King of Heaven and the Lord of our salvation by the hope and joy He gives us.

What about the “how”?  Notice that Paul specifically implores the Thessalonian band of believers “not to be easily upset in mind or troubled” (v 2a).

easily upset in mind (μὴ ταχέως σαλευθῆναι ὑμᾶς ἀπὸ τοῦ νοός )

σαλεύω = to be shaken or thrown down by wind, storms, or waves; to be shaken from a secure or steady position

·      Matthew 11:7 – a reed shaken in the wind

·      Matthew 24:29 – the powers of heaven shaken in the end times

·      Acts 4:21 – the place shaken where the church assembled and prayed for boldness when the Holy Spirit filled them

·      Acts 16:26 – the Philippian prison shaken by the earthquake

·      Acts 17:13 – the confidence of the believers in the Gospel shaken by the unbelieving and agitating Jews

The enemy wants us to be shaken, insecure, and unsteady.

troubled (μήτε θροεῖσθαι)

θροέω = unsettled, thrown into confusion; troubled, disturbed, wanting to cry aloud because terrified

Matthew 24:6 and Mark 13:7 – alarmed or frightened

The enemy wants us to be confused, unsettled, and fearful.

The Encourager, the Lord Holy Spirit, bids us through Paul’s parental passion for church in Thessalonica: “Don’t be shaken.  Don’t lose your footing or your nerve.  Do not be alarmed.  Focus on the Return and the Reunion and find your footing.”

How would the Thessalonian believers “be easily upset in mind or troubled”?

² … either by a spirit or by a message or by a letter as if from us, alleging that the Day of the Lord has come. ³ Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way.

Consider the lengths the enemy would go to mislead the church:

·      by a spirit (μήτε διὰ πνεύματος) = probably indicates a false prophet

·      by a message (μήτε διὰ λόγου) = suggests “a word,” a teaching

·      by a letter as if from us (μητὲ διʼ ἐπιστολῆς ὡς διʼ ἡμῶν) = a forged or counterfeit epistle alleged to be from Paul, Silas, and Timothy

These three bitter springs are streams that break off of the River Religious. 

·      Where would false prophets, false preachers, ply their trade?  In a religious setting.

·      Where would people hear a false sermon, most effective when a little bit of truth is mixed with a little bit of error?  In the church.

·      Where would a fake letter find a foothold?  Among those who want to hear from the apostle, but who have not learned to discern.

Religious people in religious organizations can be both easily deceived and dangerously deceptive.  Beware of rules without rejoicing.  Beware of ritual without relationship.  Beware of religion without romance.  Ritual and religion without relationship and sacred romance generates a toxic faith.

Are we guided more by faith or by fear?  Do we make choices based more on our feelings or on the facts from God’s Word?  Are we governed more by what so-and-so says about us being a such-and-such or by what our Father in Heaven says about us?

The Thessalonian believers were so easily thrown off balance and moved to fear because they reacted to their situation emotionally.  When they were moved off the solid ground of Truth, they lost any firm footing.  Truth is not discovered or defined by emotions or circumstances.  Truth is discovered and defined by the Word of God.  We must allow God’s message to define our circumstances and inform our emotions.

Why would the deceiver be so intent to see the Thessalonian believers “be easily upset in mind or troubled“ about the παρουσίας and the ἐπισυναγωγῆς?

Jesus Christ warns His disciples that the enemy is like “a thief” who “comes only to steal and to kill and to destroy” (John 10:10).

·      The enemy wants to steal our hope and the joy hope produces.

·      The enemy wants to kill our witness –our influence and our desire to influence.

·      The enemy wants to destroy our lives.

Whoever said: “sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me,” was lying!  Freak.  Fraud.  Failure.  Forsaken.  Friendless.  Those words hurt … a lot.   The enemy, the accuser, knows this full well; so, he goes to crazy lengths to make sure I get daily doses of that message.

³ Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way.

So, how does Paul propose to help the Thessalonian believers not “be easily upset in mind or troubled”?

He reminds them of the Word he had already brought to them.

⁵ Don’t you remember that when I was still with you I told you about this?

We are all Sméagol, and he would make us all Gollum!  We need to know and hear the truth about us.  Yes, we are fallen; but we are loved.  We are valued to such a great extent that God would not leave us fallen and forsaken.  

For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on Him should not perish, but have everlasting life (John 3:16).

Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, received “the wages of our sin … death” so that He could extend to us “the gift of God … eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23).  Now we know the truth:

… that Christ died for our sins
according to the Scriptures,
⁴ that He was buried,
that He was raised on the third day
according to the Scriptures (1 Corinthians 15:3-4).

Moreover, we know the truth: we are so precious to Him that He is coming back for us!

¹⁶ For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the archangel’s voice, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. ¹⁷ Then we who are still alive will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air and so we will always be with the Lord. ¹⁸ Therefore encourage one another with these words (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18).

The truth:

·      We are not freaks.  We are faithful.

·      We are not failures.  We are fruitful.

·      We are not frauds.  We are forgiven.

·      We are not forsaken.  We are for Heaven!

·      We are not friendless.  What a friend we have in Jesus!

So, we come to His Table faced with Sméagol’s dilemma.  What voice will you hear?  What voice will you heed?

Lord, we turn from lifeless idols to faith in the living God and wait now for Your Return and our Reunion.  Set our lives ablaze with this hope today.  We ask these favors in Jesus’ name.  Amen.

Chirbit - Boat - robfreshoursdg@gmail.com - share audio easily

I shared this back in August. Wanted to share it again tonight. My son, Jonathan, wrote this for me on my birthday. I am sure he did not intend it, but this song brings Luke 15 to my mind. The line near the end - "You said, 'Son, I'm glad you're home'" - brings me to tears every time I listen. What can this teach us about Father's love for us? 'OH, HOW HE LOVES US!"

I love you, son.

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What To Do when Fools Rule

Wisdom from Ecclesiastes 10
What To Do when Fools Rule

Wisdom and folly are incompatible.  

·   Wisdom = to see life from God's perspective and adjust our life to His view.

·   Folly = to see life from our own perspective and live as if ours is the right view.

^10:1 Dead flies make a perfumer’s oil ferment and stink;
so a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor.

Beware of the influence of a fool.  Just one fool can spoil the sweetest fellowship.

Sometimes the fool is a co-worker, even our boss.  Sometimes the fool is a church member.  Sometimes the fool is a leader.  Sometimes the fool is a family member - the most painful reality, especially if your child is the one playing the fool.  Remember:

·   A fool lives without regard, respect, commitment, or conformity to wisdom.

·   A fool contaminates and ruins by their folly the pleasing purpose of that which is wise or honorable.

Understand:

·   The overwhelming majority of the world's population are by definition fools.  They do not see life from God's perspective and adjust their lives to His view.

·   Fools prefer to follow fools.

·   So, fools rule the world, as Solomon puts it, "under the sun."

So, what do we do when fools rule?  Here are seven strategies:

1.Stay clear (vv 2-3).

² A wise man’s heart ⌊goes⌋ to the right,
but a fool’s heart to the left. 

If I were a politician, this would be my tagline!  :) 

³ Even when the fool walks along the road, his heart lacks sense,
and he shows everyone he is a fool.

We should be able to discern a fool.  We should be able to see them coming.  Do not get entangled with a fool.  Pray for them.  Love them.  Help them.  But do not get entangled with them and their folly.  A fool cannot help but to stink up their life and the lives of those who do not stay clear.

2.Stay calm (vv 4-7).

⁴ If the ruler’s anger rises against you, don’t leave your place,
for calmness puts great offenses to rest.

Don't panic.  Don't run for the hills.  Keep your wits about you.  Better yet, keep focueed on God's view.

⁵ There is an evil I have seen under the sun,
an error proceeding from the presence of the ruler:
⁶ The fool is appointed to great heights,
but the rich remain in lowly positions.
⁷ I have seen slaves on horses,
but princes walking on the ground like slaves

When fools rule, common sense, to say nothing of godly wisdom, is turned on its ear.  The wise and godly person must fight the urge to run away and determine to stay and to stay calm with the hope of being a constant influence for truth and right.

3.Stay cautious (vv 8-9).

⁸ The one who digs a pit may fall into it,
and the one who breaks through a wall may be bitten by a snake.
⁹ The one who quarries stones may be hurt by them;
the one who splits trees may be endangered by them.

Be careful.  These endeavors can be dangerous.

4.Stay competent (vv 10-11).

¹⁰ If the ax is dull, and one does not sharpen its edge,
then one must exert more strength;
however, the advantage of wisdom is that it brings success.

We need to keep our minds and methods sharpened.

¹¹ If the snake bites before it is charmed,
then there is no advantage for the charmer.

The best medicine is preventative medicine.  If the snake has already bitten, it is too late to seek a charmer.

5.Stay content (vv 12-15).

¹² The words from the mouth of a wise man are gracious,
but the lips of a fool consume him.

To be consumed is to be exhausted.  Such is the impact of foolish talking.  A fool's speech exhausts him, it sucks the marrow out of life.

¹³ The beginning of the words of his mouth is folly,
but the end of his speaking is evil madness.

The road to “evil madness” begins when a fool gives words to his folly, his ignorance of or his rebellion against God's wisdom.  His words represent the first steps onto that proverbial slippery slope.

¹⁴ Yet the fool multiplies words.
No one knows what will happen,
and who can tell anyone what will happen after him?

So many words - so little meaning!  Sounds like all the political speak and spin that dominates our news media these days.  

The wise person does not need more words that turn out to be no more than wind.

¹⁵ The struggles of fools weary them,
for they don’t know how to go to the city.

The constant dedication to live life our own way without regard to God's perspective is fruitless, futile, and fatiguing. Moreover, these struggles do not produce answers - only more questions without answers.

When we employ wisdom it is like using a lantern in a dark forest.  We may not see the entire forest or the whole path through the forest; however, as we take the steps made visible by wisdom's torch, we will discover additional steps being revealed.    

6.Stay controlled (vv 16-17).

¹⁶ Woe to you, land, when your king is a youth
and your princes feast in the morning.

Morning was the time for princes and rulers to govern, to hear the people and judge their cases.  To feast when they should be serving is the height of arrogance and self-indulgence.

¹⁷ Blessed are you, land, when your king is a son of nobles
and your princes feast at the proper time –
for strength and not for drunkenness.

A noble man is a free man, a man free from slavery to self and free from the bondage of handlers.  This nobility leads to propriety, to doing what needs to be done in timely fashion.

7.Stay conscientious (vv 18-20).

¹⁸ Because of laziness the roof caves in,
and because of negligent hands the house leaks.

Industrious and diligent, though demanding, hard work is the foundation that provides solid footing upon which a man, a family, and a nation can stand.

¹⁹ A feast is prepared for laughter,
and wine makes life happy,
and money is the answer for everything.

If we would enjoy good food and goof friends, we must be conscientious in our labor in order to secure the means to secure the stuff for the feast.  The fool wants a handout, they want to enjoy the pleasures of this life but are not willing to work for them.

²⁰ Do not curse the king even in your thoughts,
and do not curse a rich person even in your bedroom,
for a bird of the sky may carry the message,
and a winged creature may report the matter.

Is this the origin of the saying “A little bird told me”?  

I think the point is not beware what we say lest the authorities find out and get us.  Rather, our speech betrays attitudes and thoughts dominated by complaints and gripes.  Don't be that person.  Whiners never win, and winners never whine!

Finally, please note the common imperative in all seven of these strategies - stay, stay the course.  When fools rule, stay the course.  Even when the people playing the fools are people we care very much about, stay course.  Stay the course, that course revealed by seeing life from God's perspective and adjusting our life to His view.

Selah.