Introduction:
A. Let me begin with this humorous, puny piece about work.
1. All my life I’ve been looking for the perfect job
2. My first job was working in an orange juice factory, but I got canned...just couldn't concentrate.
3. After that I tried to be a tailor, but I just wasn't suited for it...mainly because it was a so-so job.
4. Next I tried working in a muffler factory but that was too exhausting.
5. I managed to get a good job working for a pool maintenance company, but the work was just too draining.
6. I attempted to be a deli worker, but any way I sliced it, I couldn't cut the mustard.
7. Then I worked as a lumberjack, but I just couldn't hack it, so they gave me the ax.
8. So then I got a job in an exercise center, but they said I wasn't fit for the job.
9. I became a professional fisherman, but discovered that I couldn't live on my net income.
10. My last job was working at Starbucks, but I had to quit because it was always the same old grind.
11. So I retired and found I’m perfect for the job!
B. Work is a very big part of our lives.
1. Statistics indicate that the average worker who retires will have worked 90,000 hours of his or her life.
a. That’s 45 years of 40 hour weeks.
b. That statistic doesn’t include volunteer work at the church or chores around the house.
2. The culture we live in has some confusion about work.
a. On the one extreme there is the push to be workaholics.
b. On the other extreme are the “workabhorics” or those who are allergic to work.
3. The way that we view work will significantly affect our spiritual lives, our personal lives, and work lives.
C. Let’s work our way through this final chapter of 2 Thessalonians, and see how Paul addressed this important subject of work.
I. Exploring the Text
A. Paul began the chapter: Finally, brothers, pray for us that the message of the Lord may spread rapidly and be honored, just as it was with you (2 Thess. 3:1).
1. There is something deeply moving in the thought of this spiritual giant asking for the prayers of the Thessalonians, who themselves were rather young and weak in the faith.
a. We all need prayer – no matter how old or young in the faith, and no matter how strong or weak in the faith.
b. And we need the prayers of everyone.
2. Notice the first thing Paul needed prayer for – the spreading of the Gospel.
a. The Thessalonians had been so open to the Gospel and Paul wanted them to pray that others would be equally as open and respecting of God’s word.
B. Next Paul had another prayer request: And pray that we may be delivered from wicked and evil men, for not everyone has faith (2 Thess. 3:2).
1. There is always opposition to the Word and work of God - Paul acknowledged that reality.
2. We know from experience that not everyone has faith, and unfortunately some of those who don’t have faith, don’t want anyone else to have faith, so they do what they can to oppose the work of God.
3. Those who oppose God and His Word are truly wicked and evil men – even though they wouldn’t have that opinion about themselves.
4. So Paul asked for prayers of protection and deliverance.
C. But then right on the heels of asking for prayers, Paul acknowledged God’s faithfulness: But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen and protect you from the evil one (2 Thess. 3:3).
1. Paul trusted that God would not only protect him, but that God would protect the Thessalonians from the evil one.
2. What an encouragement that must have been for the Thessalonians, who had already experienced some persecution, to know that God would give them strength and protection.
D. Paul then acknowledged his confidence in them: We have confidence in the Lord that you are doing and will continue to do the things we command (2 Thess. 3:4).
1. It is hard to be obedient and to stay the course when there is opposition.
2. But Paul encouraged them by declaring his confidence in them.
3. He believed that the Thessalonians would remain faithful to the calling and to obedience to the commandments of God given through Paul.
4. I have the same confidence in you – the Wetzel Road church family.
E. Paul finished this paragraph with a beautiful prayer for them: May the Lord direct your hearts into God’s love and Christ’s perseverance (2 Thess. 3:5).
1. What is it that Paul prayed that God would do for them? He prayed that God would direct their hearts into God’s love and Christ’s perseverance.
2. Is there anything more important for us to keep us on course then God’s love and Christ’s perseverance?
3. I know that I need God’s love and Christ’s perseverance in my heart! How about you?
F. Next Paul moved into the main point of this chapter and letter. He wrote: 6 In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we command you, brothers, to keep away from every brother who is idle and does not live according to the teaching you received from us (2 Thess. 3:6).
1. The tone of Paul’s exhortation in this section is the most bluntly authoritative of anything in either letter.
2. Notice how Paul evokes the authority of Jesus by beginning with “in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.”
3. Paul commanded them to obey specific instructions and he clearly spelled out the penalties for noncompliance.
4. Clearly this situation involved a very serious matter.
5. Generally speaking, they were commanded to keep away from any Christian who was idle and not living in obedience to God’s commands.
G. After giving that command, Paul then held himself up as an example: For you yourselves know how you ought to follow our example. We were not idle when we were with you, 8 nor did we eat anyone’s food without paying for it. On the contrary, we worked night and day, laboring and toiling so that we would not be a burden to any of you. 9 We did this, not because we do not have the right to such help, but in order to make ourselves a model for you to follow. 10 For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: “If a man will not work, he shall not eat” (2 Thess. 3:7-10).
1. As an apostle and minister, Paul had the right to expect financial support, but he deliberately gave up that right so that he might be an example to the young churches he served.
2. This is a subject that Paul addressed in his first letter to them (1Thess. 2:9), and his readers knew that Paul and his associates had not taken any support from them.
3. Paul’s policy of not taking money from the people he was reaching out to not only encouraged new believers, it also silenced his accusers.
4. In that ancient world, just like in ours, there were many itinerant teachers who “peddled their wares” for what they could earn.
5. Paul didn’t want to be classified with them.
6. He didn’t want to be accused of being in the ministry just for the money.
7. He wanted to make the Gospel available “free of charge” to those he was reaching out to.
8. Paul was willing to receive money to support his ministry from Christians in other areas, but when there was no support from them, he employed his trade of tent-making and supported himself and his associates.
9. So Paul knew how to work hard. Do we have a good work ethic, like Paul?
H. Paul continued: 11 We hear that some among you are idle. They are not busy; they are busybodies. 12 Such people we command and urge in the Lord Jesus Christ to settle down and earn the bread they eat. 13 And as for you, brothers, never tire of doing what is right (2 Thess. 3:11-13).
1. Why was this a big problem at Thessalonica that needed to be addressed?
2. Many scholars believe that the reason this was a big problem had to do with their speculations about the 2nd Coming.
3. Scholars theorize that because some of them thought that Christ’s coming was imminent, they quit their jobs, sold their possessions and sat on mountains waiting for the Lord to return, and were living off the generosity of the church.
4. Unfortunately, these people were not only, not working, they were involved in the wrong kinds of activity – they were being busybodies.
5. Paul’s command for them was to get back to work and earn the bread they ate – earlier he had taught them: if a person won’t work, then they should not be given food to eat.
6. Verse 13 suggests that Paul was concerned that others would be influenced to stop working and become dependent on others.
7. They might get frustrated and say, “If everyone is going to get to eat whether they work or not, why should I work?”
8. Paul told them to never tire of doing what is right.
I. Paul then returned to the aspect of correction: 14 If anyone does not obey our instruction in this letter, take special note of him. Do not associate with him, in order that he may feel ashamed. 15 Yet do not regard him as an enemy, but warn him as a brother (2 Thess. 3:14-15).
1. Certainly, Paul hoped the idle and disorderly ones would comply with his commands, but if they would not, then the congregation had to take some steps to enforce the commands.
2. Paul essentially calls upon the congregation to cease having contact with any such people.
3. The goal of the non-association is clear: that they may feel ashamed and repent.
4. Personal reputation and shame were powerful concerns of people in the culture of that time.
5. Being excluded from the community was something the people of that day feared and therefore disfellowship was a powerful tool for correction.
6. To emphasize the redemptive goal of any such action, Paul reminded them not to treat the person being disciplined as an enemy, but as a brother who needs correction.
J. Paul ended this 2nd letter with these words: 16 Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you. 17 I, Paul, write this greeting in my own hand, which is the distinguishing mark in all my letters. This is how I write. 18 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all (2 Thess. 3:16-18).
1. Paul prayed that they might have God’s peace at all times and in every way. We all need God’s peace at all times and in every way!
2. He personalized the letter by writing a sentence in his own hand-writing
a. It was not uncommon for a person dictating a letter to take a pen from the scribe and write the last sentence or two in his or her own hand-writing.
3. Most if not all of Paul’s letters end with grace, and not just grace in general, but the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ – he ended the letter just as he began it, by pointing to Jesus who is Lord and Christ and who makes grace possible.
II. Applying the Text
A. So what lessons can we gather from these verses to apply to our lives?
B. First of all, we learn that there is dignity and duty in work.
1. John Stott captured the essence of work when he wrote: Work is the expenditure of energy (manual or mental or both) in the service of others, which brings fulfillment to the worker, benefit to the community, and glory to God.
2. What do we learn from the Bible about work?
a. For one thing, we learn that work was a part of man’s life from the beginning.
b. God gave Adam the job of caring for the Garden of Eden before sin ever entered the world.
c. God created human beings to work.
d. People need to work for the fulfillment of them as people.
3. A second thing we learn from the Bible about work is that God always calls people for spiritual service who are busy in their secular work.
a. Moses was tending sheep when God called him, as was David.
b. Gideon was threshing wheat when God called him.
c. Before the apostles were called into God’s service, four of them were busy in their fishing business, and another was working at his tax-collecting booth.
4. Jesus taught us that we do not live by bread alone, but neither do we live without bread (Mt. 4:4).
a. Work is the means by which we acquire “bread,” that is, the necessities of life (food, clothing, and shelter).
b. In the Biblical tradition, people who are able to work do so in order to provide for themselves and their families – Paul wrote: If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever (1 Tim. 5:8).
c. They also work in order to provide for those who, for whatever reasons, are unable to work (Eph. 4:28).
5. Unfortunately, this connection between work and sustenance is one that is under attack from a number of directions in contemporary culture.
a. On the one hand, the welfare system, that is designed to provide a necessary “safety net” for those in need, has frequently done so in a way that has severely weakened or severed the connection between assistance and work.
b. On the other hand, the rise of an “entertainment” culture, new forms of financial speculation, and the proliferation of gambling have also contributed to a weakening of the bond between “eating” and “work.”
c. Outrageous sums of money are paid routinely to people engaged in activities that have little to do with any traditional understanding of work (like sports and entertainment).
d. And if someone has not been fortunate enough in the genetic lottery to be able to play professional sports, or have a great voice or beautiful face, then there are other lotteries, often government sponsored ones, in which a person can try one’s luck – a dollar and a dream.
6. We must return to the basic concepts of the dignity and duty of work.
a. Scripture teaches us to work hard in every kind of work, because God is our ultimate boss.
b. Scripture teaches us to do whatever we do to the glory of God.
c. Martin Luther wrote: “The maid who sweeps her kitchen is doing the will of God as much as the monk who prays – not because she may sing a Christian hymn as she sweeps, but because God loves clean floors. The Christian shoemaker does his Christian duty – not by putting little crosses on the shoes, but my making good shoes. God is interested in good craftsmanship.”
d. Theodore Roosevelt said: “Far and away the best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing.”
e. Let me end this point with this quote: “The darkest hour in the history of any young man is when he sits down to study how to get money without honestly earning it.” Horace Greeley
B. A second lesson we learn is that there is danger awaiting those who will not work.
1. We must make the important distinction between those who cannot work and those who will not work.
a. We must be careful not to jump to judgment about people until we know more of their story.
b. There are some very legitimate reasons why some people cannot work to support themselves, and it is our duty to make sure they have what they need.
2. That being said, unfortunately, there are many who could work or should work, who do not.
3. And for those who will not work, there is danger awaiting them.
4. In many ways, work is a protection against temptation and sin.
a. Most of us can’t handle very much idleness without getting ourselves into trouble.
b. The old saying is true: Idle hands are the devil’s workshop.
c. Or as another person put it: idleness is the parent of mischief.
5. Do you remember the story of King David and how he committed adultery with Bathsheba.
a. Do you remember how that story begins?
b. “In the spring, at the time when kings go off to war, David sent Joab out with the king’s men and the whole Israelite army…But David remained in Jerusalem.”
c. Had David been “at work” he might not have ended up in the sin he ended up in.
6. When we won’t work, we have a vacuum of time that usually gets filled in the wrong way.
C. Finally, we learn that there is discipline awaiting those who will not work.
1. Paul commanded the Thessalonians to discipline the brother or sister who refused to work and who did not obey the commands of the Lord.
2. It is important to remember that when Paul said to “keep away from every brother who is idle and does not live according to the teaching” and “do not associate with him, in order that he may feel ashamed” this represents the final step not the first step in holding people accountable.
3. We must keep in mind that church discipline is an action that involves the whole congregation working together, it is not the action of one or a few individuals within it.
4. Also, we must keep in mind that the repentance and restoration of the brother or sister is the goal of any church discipline.
5. Unfortunately, in our culture of individualism, many people are not as tied to their spiritual communities as in years past, and in many ways the concept of shame has been lost, so dis-fellowshipping a person often doesn’t have the positive effect that it otherwise could.
6. Nevertheless, the restoration of the erring member is not the only reason for church discipline, another important purpose is the warning of the congregation and the removal of the corrupting influence.
D. Restate the three lessons again.
Conclusion:
A. I like the cartoon that showed Charlie Brown and his little sister Sally waiting at the bus stop.
1. Sally asked: “Who are all those people driving in those cars and where are they going?”
2. Charlie Brown replied: “Those are people going to work.”
3. “Work?” Sally asked with a puzzled look on her face.
4. Charlie Brown explained: “Those people all used to wait for the school bus the way we’re doing. Not they have to go to work every day for the rest of their lives.”
5. “Good grief!” Sally gasped, “Whose idea was that?”
B. Who’s idea was that? It was and is God’s idea.
1. God wants us to work hard, not just in the secular realm to provide for our daily needs, but He also wants us to work hard in the spiritual realm to build His kingdom and bring Him glory.
2. Many of the parables that Jesus told included the scenario of the owner or master leaving the servant to work in his absence.
3. All of those parables ended with words like: “Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time? It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns.” (Mt. 24:45-46)
C. For a long time the universal custom was to say “good-bye” when people parted.
1. Good-bye was the shortened version of the phrase “God be with you.”
2. Today it is quite common instead to say, “Take it easy.”
3. Next time you are tempted to tell someone to “take it easy,” I want you to think twice before you do so.
4. I don’t think we want to tell people to “take it easy” or “don’t work too hard.”
5. On the contrary, we want to encourage people to work – to do something – to get involved – to serve one another – to witness for Christ.
6. No our parting words should be: “Keep up the great work – don’t let up - keep working until Jesus comes.”
D. I want to encourage us all to keep working (secularly and spiritually) until Jesus comes!
1. It will be good for that servant whose master finds him or her doing so when he returns!
Resources:
The NIV Application Commentary, 1 & 2 Thessalonians, Michael W. Holmes, Zondervan, 1998.
The MacArthur New Testament Commentary, 1 & 2 Thessalonians, John MacArthur, Moody, 2002.
The Bible Exposition Commentary, 1 Thessalonians, Warren W. Wiersbe, Victor Books, 1989.
The Daily Study Bible Series, 1 Thessalonians, William Barclay, Westminster Press, 1975.
Being Busy for Christ, Sermon by Brian Bill, SermonCentral.com
Keep Away From the Brothers, Sermon by Steve Shepherd, SermonCentral.com
Busy or Busybody, Sermon by K. Edward Skidmore, SermonCentral.com
