The Importance of Attending Church

 Temple Baptist Church - 5-24-2026

2 Thessalonians 2:1-5; Hebrews 10:22-27

 

Introduction: 

 

2 Thessalonians 2:1-5  Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him,  (2)  (Be not shaken) That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.  (3)  (Be not deceived) Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, (Be not except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;  (4)  Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.  (5)  (Let us be reminded)  Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?

 

Hebrews 10:22-27  Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.  (23)  Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)  (24)  And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:  (25)  (Let us be faithful to assemble) Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but (Let us exhort) exhorting one another: and so much the more, (Let us be watchful) as ye see the day approaching.  (26)  (Let us be obedient) For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins,  (27)  But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.

 

1 John 2:28  And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming.

 

1.  Just allow me to preach to us all this morning!  We live at the end of the last days with rampant sinfulness all around us. I am not here to fix that this morning because it will wax worse and worse.  My greatest fear is that we will allow the things of this present world to change us also.

 

2.  I want to tie some phrases together this morning as I begin a series on the Church. “A falling away” in 2 Thessalonians 2:3 and “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together” in Hebrews 10:25.  Both “falling away” and “forsaking the assembling” mean the same thing.  You had to be somewhere to fall away and also to forsake something.

 

3.  Now, for a good biblical example of these phrases, let's go to 2 Timothy 4:

 

2 Timothy 4:10a  For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica…

 

4.  This “present world” that drew Demas away from the Lord first and the Apostle Paul later continues to have an effect on both the pulpit and the pew!  So, hang on for a little while as every one of us needs this message!

 

A.  This November will be the Golden Anniversary of my salvation.  Fifty years!  I was once young (28 when I was saved), and now I am old (78 and counting).  In my years of salvation, bible college, and pastoring, I have witnessed 2 Thessalonians chapter two, verses 1-5, come to fruition.

 

1.  During the early years of salvation, Barbara and I saw the excitement of our home church as it was 1,000+ strong, hundreds coming in on the buses and making professions of faith.  It was all new to us, so we sat and watched with awe.  What we did not see but were quickly introduced to was the church's foundation, which was cracked.  Great preaching and tremendous singing, but a church that was in the process of falling away.  The pastor was soon to resign, and a power struggle raised its ugly head. And the huge crowd dwindled in a couple of years to about 85 people sitting in that massive sanctuary.

 

2.  During those years, God began to groom Barbara and me by allowing us to step up and help the church stabilize.  I was a babe in Christ, and Barbara was not yet saved (which took place in 1982).  Driving a bus, teaching Sunday School, chairman of the board of deacons, school board, radio board, plumber-electrician-grounds keeper, but a soul winner.

 

3.  Less than a year after Barbara was saved, God, in His infinite mercy, called me to preach.  I did not know what He wanted me to do or where He wanted me to go.  I only knew that God knew all the details, and my desire was to follow Him.  I didn’t know where to go, but God led us in the way He wanted us to go. 

 

4.  I spent 4 years in Bible College with app 250 men of God that, like my family, brought their wives and kids in.  Those were the glory days as God was calling and sending families around the world to once again turn the world upside down.  I still did not know what God wanted me to do, but I was “bucking in the traces”.  I wanted to do something for the glory of God because of what He did for Barbara and me!   We owed a debt that we could not pay to the One who paid a debt that He did not owe.

 

5.  God sent me to a faithful handful of people who loved God and loved the church.  God used these few precious saints to stabilize the church and help it grow. 

 

6.  Over this past half-century, I have had many opportunities to quit and go back to the world from which Barbara and I came.

 

7.  I said all that to say this: I have seen a generation that loves God and continually serves Him around the world today.  But, throughout the years, I have also seen the decline in spirituality and faithfulness come to pass.  The “falling away” has taken its toll upon the people of God, from the pulpits to the pews, as spirituality and faithfulness are quickly becoming a thing of the past.

 

B.  There has been a serious decline in church attendance in the past few decades, and this decline is simply a fulfillment of Scripture.  The days of Noah (eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage), Lot’s Day (they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded), and Demas’ Day (having loved this present world … departed unto Thessalonica).  Pastors preach Hebrews 10:22-26 to little or no avail as more and more of God’s people have fallen in love with the world at the expense of the local churches.  Decline in church attendance is a direct result of a decline in spirituality and a love for the world! 

 

1.  It has been prophesied that in the last days there would be a falling away, and we are in the middle of it.  Normally, we classify the “falling away” as the spiritual apostasy that is certainly in full swing.  But I have seen such a fearful change in believers and churches in general over these past 39 years. 

 

2.  I remember the faithfulness of God’s people here at Temple and the loss that we have suffered as we watched them grow older and pass on to heaven through the veil of death.  Years ago, the crowds on Sunday night and Wednesday night, along with Sunday School,  were virtually the same as on Sunday morning. 

 

3.  The older generation treated the Lord’s Day as the Lord’s Day.  Though we still have families like that, across the Bible Belt, we find more and more churches canceling services each week or making them optional.  They love the things of the world more than the things of God!  That bothers this old preacher!

 

C.  The “form of godliness” has permeated the ranks of the professing believers with little or no conviction or holiness of life.  “As the manner of some is” has become the rule instead of the exception, with more and more of the once faithful now either slack in their faithfulness or completely out of church. 

 

D.  The Importance of God’s House.  The phrase “The house of the Lord” is used 213 X  in the Bible.  The phrase “house of God” is used 87 times in the Bible.  That is a total of 300 references.  This does not include other references such as “temple” and “tabernacle.”  God’s house is a place of great importance.

 

E.  In Hebrews 10:25, we find the command of God to assemble.  That in itself should be all that is necessary to get God’s children to be faithful, but faithful attendance will never be accomplished until we see the value of the church, along with having a love for the church.  There is an old saying, “You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink!”

 

F. Hebrews 10:25 shows the importance of the assembly of the local church.

 

1.  The Emphasis of God’s House - Hebrews 10:25  Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.  Why the emphasis?

 

a.  It Is A Place Of Rallying.  (When you are down.)

 

b.  It Is A Place Of Relying.  (When you are devastated.)

 

c.  It Is A Place Of Renewing.  (When you are defiled.)

 

d.  It Is A Place Of Revival.  (When you are defeated.)

 

2.  The Exhortation of God’s House - Hebrews 10:22-25  Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.  (23)  Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)  (24)  And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:  (25)  Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

 

a.  Let us draw near in holiness.

 

b.  Let us draw near in faithfulness.

 

c.  Let us draw near in consideration of others.

 

d.  Let us draw near in exhortation.

 

3.  The Excitement of God’s House - Psalms 122:1  I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the LORD.

 

a.  What a Privilege.

 

b.  What a Pleasure.

 

4.  The Ecstasy of God’s House - Psalms 27:4  One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in his temple.

 

Psalms 55:14  We took sweet counsel together, and walked unto the house of God in company.

 

a.  Ecstasy means an overwhelming feeling of great joy, delight, or intense emotional excitement.

 

b.  The Joy of coming to church and worshipping God!

 

c.  The Joy of coming to church and seeing the brethren.

 

d.  The Joy of coming to church and leaving this old, sinful world behind for a while.

 

e.  The Joy of serving God in obedience to His command.

 

Conclusion:  Don’t let the things of the world draw you away from church.  Let the Love of God draw you to church!  Don’t let “falling away” be a vivid description of you.  The Lord is coming, and we are leaving one way or the other soon. 

End-Time Lawlessness

 Temple Baptist Church - 1-22-2023

Psalm 10; 2 Thessalonians 2:1-10

 

Introduction:

 

A.  Once again, we find King David in “Dutch” because of troublesome times and the supposed silence of God.

 

1.  Troubles are a natural part of life.  We all have them so let us just deal with it.

 

2.  God’s silences are because His ways are not our ways, and His time is not our time.

 

3.  The message: when you cannot track God, just trust Him!

 

B.  This Psalm is also prophetic of the end-time society that we must live in.

 

1.  We cannot change it so we must live in it.

 

2.  We live in lawless days.  Just check the crime statistics and the crime is multiplying. 

 

3.  It is hard not to be appalled a what we see transpiring before our very eyes today.

 

C.  Psalm 10 has been called “The Psalm of the Antichrist” because of its prophetic implications.

 

2 Thessalonians 2:1-10  Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him,  (2)  That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.  (3)  Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;  (4)  Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.  (5)  Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?  (6)  And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time.  (7)  For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.  (8)  And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:  (9)  Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,  (10)  And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 

 

Ephesians 6:10-13  Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.  (11)  Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.  (12)  For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.  (13)  Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

 

2 Corinthians 4:4  In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

 

D.  Let us look at the Psalm and its description of David’s day and the prophetic characteristics that we now live in.

 

 

Verse 1.  Troublesome times.  World conflict everywhere (wars and rumors of wars), skyrocketing prices caused because unscrupulous politicians who care nothing about the people of America.

 

Verse 2.  Persecution of the poor.  While Big Government promises the poor more, they continually cause fuel, grocery, clothing, etc. to skyrocket.  Let me help you with something.  Big Government, little people, Little Government, big people!

 

Verse 3.  Blessing the covetous.  They tax the middle class while the rich just get richer.  “Robinhood Economics” has never and will never work.  Tax the rich and they raise prices on the poor.  Most politicians are millionaires and continue to raise their own salaries.

 

Verse 4.  Rejection of the God of the Bible.  The last of the three steps to a reprobate mind is that “they did not like to retain God in their knowledge”.  The “god of this world” is not the God of heaven and earth!

 

Verse 5.  No change in sight.  Sinful, unrighteous, and puffed at their enemies.  America is no longer revered or feared.

 

Verse 6.  Confident in their plight.  They will neither move or change and they are confident that everything will be alright.

 

Verse 7.  Lies are a way of life.  Cursing on every side, deceit and fraud everywhere.

 

Verse. 8.  Death of the innocents.  The other day, a bill was introduced in Congress concerning the well-being of the baby who survived abortion.  Every Democrat voted to let the surviving child die on the table!  If you are a Democrat and claim to know of God, get out of the party!!! 

 

Verses 9-10.  Sorrow of the poor.  This is a planned thing.  While they promise good, they intentionally produce bad.  These are enemies of the middle- and lower-class people.

 

Verses 11-13.  Spiritual deception.  God does not care; God does not see; God will remain silent.  The greatest of all deception is self-deception.

 

Verses 14-16.  Judgment is imminent.  God does see; God will judge; the heathen will perish.  The Lord is still King.

 

Verse 17-18.  It will be alright.  The Lord is King and will strengthen us for the task ahead; He will bring true judgment and a right finish in His time.

 

Conclusion:  The Lord has His children here for such a time as this as salt and light. Esther 4:14  … and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?

Peace Of Mind In Unstable Days

Temple Baptist Church - 5-14-2017

2 Thessalonians 3:16-18; Mathew 24:1-8

Introduction: 

A.  As we come to the end of 2 Thessalonians, I want to spend a little time with Paul’s salutation as it is important to us who live in the end of the Church Age.  As the possibility of these believers being troubled or shaken in mind 2,000 years ago was a reality, how much more in these last, perilous times.

B.  I want to tie verse 16 with Matthew, verses 1-8.  In these verses, our Lord answers the question of the Apostles concerning the second coming.  We need to understand the interpretation of these verses in light of our days.  I will not go through Matthew 24 in detail but will give a brief overview.

1.  Verses 4-7 give the signs of the times just prior to the Rapture of the Church.

2.  Verse 8 signals the removal of the Church and the beginning of the Tribulation Period.

3.  Verses 9-26 give a vivid description of Jacob’s Trouble.  It is divided into two equal parts with the abomination of desolation in the middle.  (Verse 15)  I do not want to get into that at this time because it is not my message.

4.  Verse 27-31 pictures the second coming of Christ in great power and glory (Revelation 1:7)

C.  Well, here we stand at the end of the Church Age with the entire world in turmoil.  There is:

1.  Apostasy and Spiritual Deception – rejection of scripture and the constant blowing of the winds of false doctrine.

2.  Disobedience to authority – in the home; in the church; in the schools; in society.

3.  Social Disorder throughout the world – wars and rumors of wars are rampant; the overthrowing of established government; unrest here in the USA

4.  Famine and disease – more medicines and more diseases; people starving in a world of plenty.

5.  Sinfulness and perversion – you name it and it is rampant.  Sodomites are taking over our land; drugs and alcohol have become acceptable ways of life and are openly advertised; marriages breaking up in record numbers and being replaced by “common law” unions.

6.  Fear and distress – more people than ever on Paxil, Prozac, sleep aids, etc.  Men’s hearts failing them for fear.  Uncertainty is the rule of our day while the world rocks and rolls.

D.  Many of God’s children are either discouraged in the work or have become casualties and have “fallen through the cracks.”  I want to see our people be “steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord.”

How To Have Spiritual Stability In The Last Days

1.  Understand the times in which we live.  Luke 21:28  And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.

2.  Trust the Lord with your life and livelihood.  Matthew 6:31-33  Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?  (32)  (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.  (33)  But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

3.  Keep yourself in the will of God.  Jude 20-21  But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost,  (21)  Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.

4.  Watch unto prayer.  Philippians 4:6-7  Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.  (7)  And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

5.  Stay in church.  Hebrews 10:25  Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

6.  Keep your hearts and minds stayed upon the Lord.  Isaiah 26:3-4  Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.  (4)  Trust ye in the LORD for ever: for in the LORD JEHOVAH is everlasting strength:

7.  Keep your eyes on the skies.  Titus 2:13  Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;

The Apostle of Grace

Temple Baptist Church - 5-7-2017

2 Thessalonians 3:16-18

Introduction:

A.  As we try to finish this wonderful epistle to the Thessalonicians, I want to look at Paul’s salutation. 

1.  Paul introduced every epistle by stating his name and, in most of them, his positions as both apostle and servant.  There were 12 of these epistles with his name in the first verse.  Paul wanted the churches and individuals he was writing to know who the letter or epistle was from.  As a pastor, I have gotten several letters over the years that were anonymous.  I did not like reading any of them because the very nature of the letter told me more than I wanted to know.

2.  Paul, in three of his epistles, also used the word “salutation:” 1 Corinthians 16:21, Colossians 4:18, and 2 Thessalonians 3:17.  Salutation: A gesture or utterance made as a greeting or acknowledgement of person’s arrival or departure.  A salutation can come either at the first or last part of a letter. 

3.  When Barbara and I were in LaChona, Mexico visiting with Rey and Julie Villarreal, I would sit in their courtyard early in the morning—drinking coffee and reading my Bible.  When people came by, I would practice my limited Spanish. 

4.  When they came bye, I would say, “Buenos Dias.”  (Good morning)  But, they would answer, “Adios.”  (Goodbye)  That struck me as odd until I asked Bro. Rey why they said “Adios” instead of Buenos Dias.  He said, “Because they are leaving!”

4.  A salutation can come in the open part of a letter because it tells you who is coming and the end of the letter because it tells you they are leaving.  It is both a greeting and a farewell!  This is important because of its context of the Book of 2 Thessalonians.

B.  Our text tells us that, though the Apostle Paul signed most of his epistles with his name at the beginning, he always signed his epistles with a proclamation of grace at the end. 

Romans 1:1  Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God,

Romans 16:24  I Tertius, who wrote this epistle, salute you in the Lord.  (23)  Gaius mine host, and of the whole church, saluteth you. Erastus the chamberlain of the city saluteth you, and Quartus a brother.  (24)  The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.

1 Corinthians 1:1  Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother,

1 Corinthians 16:21-24  The salutation of me Paul with mine own hand.  (22)  If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema Maranatha.  (23)  The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.  (24)  My love be with you all in Christ Jesus. Amen.

2 Corinthians 1:1  Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, unto the church of God which is at Corinth, with all the saints which are in all Achaia:

2 Corinthians 13:11-14  Finally, brethren, farewell. Be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace shall be with you.  (12)  Greet one another with an holy kiss.  (13)  All the saints salute you.  (14)  The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen.

Galatians 1:1  Paul, an apostle, (not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead;)

Galatians 6:18  Brethren, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.

Ephesians 1:1  Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus:

Ephesians 6:23-24  Peace be to the brethren, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.  (24)  Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. Amen.

Philippians 1:1  Paul and Timotheus, the servants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus which are at Philippi, with the bishops and deacons:

Philippians 4:21-23  Salute every saint in Christ Jesus. The brethren which are with me greet you.  (22)  All the saints salute you, chiefly they that are of Caesar's household.  (23) The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.

Colossians 1:1  Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timotheus our brother,

Colossians 4:18  The salutation by the hand of me Paul. Remember my bonds. Grace be with you. Amen.

1 Thessalonians 1:1  Paul, and Silvanus, and Timotheus, unto the church of the Thessalonians which is in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.

1 Thessalonians 5:27-28  I charge you by the Lord that this epistle be read unto all the holy brethren.  (28)  The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.

2 Thessalonians 1:1  Paul, and Silvanus, and Timotheus, unto the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:

2 Thessalonians 3:16-18  Now the Lord of peace himself give you peace always by all means. The Lord be with you all.  (17)  The salutation of Paul with mine own hand, which is the token in every epistle: so I write.  (18)  The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.

1 Timothy 1:1  Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the commandment of God our Saviour, and Lord Jesus Christ, which is our hope;

1 Timothy 6:20-21  O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called:  (21)  Which some professing have erred concerning the faith. Grace be with thee. Amen.

2 Timothy 1:1  Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, according to the promise of life which is in Christ Jesus,

2 Timothy 4:22  The Lord Jesus Christ be with thy spirit. Grace be with you. Amen.

Titus 1:1  Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God's elect, and the acknowledging of the truth which is after godliness;

Titus 3:15  All that are with me salute thee. Greet them that love us in the faith. Grace be with you all. Amen.

Philemon 1:1  Paul, a prisoner of Jesus Christ, and Timothy our brother, unto Philemon our dearly beloved, and fellowlabourer,

Philemon 1:25  The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.

Hebrews 13:24-25  Salute all them that have the rule over you, and all the saints. They of Italy salute you.  (25)  Grace be with you all. Amen.  (No greeting, only a farewell!)

1.  I believe that Paul wrote 13 books of the New Testament and not just 112.  There  is the controversy over who wrote the Book of Hebrews.  Though there are some who would disagree, I believe that there is both internal and external evidence that Paul also wrote the Hebrew epistle.  The first 12 of his epistles were written to the Gentiles while Hebrews was written to the saved Jews.

2.  First, because he “signed it with his salutation!”  Secondly, because Paul referenced his imprisonment or “bonds” in Hebrews 10:34.  Thirdly, Peter referenced Paul’s writing to the Jews in Peter 3:15-16.

“And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you;  (16)  As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, asthey do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.”

3.  Paul did not sign the Book of Hebrews in the greeting as he did the other 12 Pauline Epistles because he was distrusted by most Jews and hated by many because he persecuted them!  But, he did sign Hebrews in his farewell to them!

Acts 9:26  And when Saul was come to Jerusalem, he assayed to join himself to the disciples: but they were all afraid of him, and believed not that he was a disciple.

Acts 21:26-28  Then Paul took the men, and the next day purifying himself with them entered into the temple, to signify the accomplishment of the days of purification, until that an offering should be offered for every one of them.  (27)  And when the seven days were almost ended, the Jews which were of Asia, when they saw him in the temple, stirred up all the people, and laid hands on him,  (28)  Crying out, Men of Israel, help: This is the man, that teacheth all men every where against the people, and the law, and this place: and further brought Greeks also into the temple, and hath polluted this holy place.

C.  Now, why the importance of the mention of “The salutation of Paul with mine own hand, which is the token in every epistle: so I write.  (18)  The grace of our Lord Jesus Christbe with you all. Amen.” (2 Thessalonians 3:17-18)

1.  It was and still is important because of the setting in which it was written:

a.  False manuscripts were being circulated!  Satan has always been a counterfeit and his attack upon the veracity of God’s Word is well documented: “Yea, hath God said?”

b.  Because it prophesied of the times preceding the Second Coming!  We have the same problems today.  If the Textus Receptus is an inferior text, and the liberals say that it is, then God did not preserve His Word to every generation.  From 1611-1870 or so, the period of some of the greatest revivals and mission outreach that the world has ever known had an inferior text and, therefore, an inferior Bible!  I sure wish the liberals had been around to help the Lord out in those 200+ years!

2.  It was and still is important because, without the very Word of God, the people have another spirit which is not obedient to the Word of God.  People in both their day and our day do not want an authoritative Bible.  Without a final authority, people can do what they want to do and be justified by a myriad of different “bibles” to choose from.

3.  It was and still is important because, without the very Word of God, the “word” or message can become one of opinion instead of absolute truth.  When I read the Bible, I can rest assured that it is ‘THUS SAITH THE LORD!”  It is not up for either opinion or argument!

4.  It was and still is important because, without the very Word of God, God’s people have no “anchor in the shifting sands of human theology!”  We have a foundation that is neither moving nor cracked.

5.  It was and still is important because, without the very Word of God, God’s people will be troubled and shaking!  Paul referenced two things in the last three verses of 2 Thessalonians:

a.  Peace.  Without the assurance of God’s Word, there can be no real or lasting peace.  My peace with God and of God is anchored in the Bible.  Leave my peace alone!

b.  Grace.  Without the assurance of God’s Word, there can be no grace to endure.  People are doing two things in our day: 1) Falling to the wayside and 2) Following the wrong “shepherds.”

Conclusion:  Paul spoke of his salutation because of the “letters as from us” that were being circulated 2,000 years ago!  He assured the church at Thessalonica that this epistle was genuine!