Prepare your heart for the Sermon by looking through these suggestions that will assist you in making the most of our time together hearing God's Word.

You will find suggestions for thinking more critically through the passage, meditating more intently on the text, and prayerfully seeking wisdom to deepen your understanding of the passage to be preached this Sunday.

Carefully Think

• Read 2 Thessalonians 2:3-5
• What is the command in these verses? 
• Why is the warning of these verses being given? What made the Thessalonians susceptible to deception? 
• What is the noun being referred to by “it” in verse three? 
• What two things must precede the coming of Christ according to verse 3? 
• What is “the apostasy?” referring to? What significance does the definite article have attached to apostasy? What other passages might help understand this meaning? 
• Who is the man of lawlessness? What details do we learn about this man based on his tiles in these verses? 
• What other passages of scripture speak about this man of lawlessness? What parallels do you see between Daniel 11 and these verses? 
• What does the man of lawlessness do? 

Prayerfully Meditate

• How should we think about apostasy? Should we fear losing our salvation? What weight does the reality of apostasy place on genuine repentance and faith?
• What is so significant about this man of lawlessness taking a seat in the temple? What passages outside of this text would you use to support your answer? 
• Why would he desire to display himself in this way? 
• Why is it important to protect ourselves from false viewpoints about the end times? 
• What impact would it have on the Thessalonians if they were deceived outside of the viewpoint of this passage? List several possible outcomes to being deceived in this way.
• What is the main point/idea of these verses? How would you summarize it into one sentence?