2 Thessalonians 3 - Working While Waiting - 7/24/16
Turn with me to the book of 2 Thessalonians, chapter 3. We’ve been looking at the book of 2 Thessalonians, which is a letter from the Apostle Paul to Christians in a town in Greece called Thessalonica. It’s a town that is still in existence today. Paul came to town, preached in the Jewish synagogue, and many Jews and Gentiles believed. A church was started at Thessalonica, but rowdy Jews stirred up a riot, and Paul had to leave quickly. As he travels down to Athens, Paul writes them a letter to encourage them to continue on in their newfound faith.
In his first letter to them, Paul praises these new Christians, because they had a faith that was growing, showing, and echoing.
But shortly after Paul had written them the letter of 1 Thessalonians, he felt a need to write them a second letter, the letter of 2 Thessalonians. Paul wants to straighten out a few misunderstandings that the church had. Here in 2 Thessalonians we have three chapters, and three key ideas.
• In chapter 1, Paul gives Commendation: he writes in Praise for their Perseverance
• In chapter 2, Paul gives Comfort: he writes about the Reality of Christ’s Return
• In chapter 3, Paul gives Correction: he writes about the need to Work while we Wait
We saw last week Paul corrects the wrong views about the Lord’s coming, and reassures them of the truths about God’s love. Today, we move on to chapter 3. And Paul gives a little transition here before he gets into the topic he wants to address.
Some people are “bottom line” people - they just tell you what they think, and you can take it or leave it. But Paul is one who is careful to make the truth as pleasant for people to accept as it can be. So as he enters a “touchy” topic, he smooths his way into it with some transitional words. So here is his
SETUP - Read 3:1-5 - Pray
As Paul transitions, he points out a play on words: When men are faithless, God is faithful! And Paul takes a few verses to talk about the faithfulness of God. First, Paul rejoices that
• The message is spreading - and for that to continue, he asks for prayer. Finally, brothers, pray for us - How much do you need prayer? Sometimes we view prayer like a “spare tire.” It’s nice to know I have it in case I ever need it. After all, when’s the last time you had to put your spare tire on. Chances are, it may have been years! But it’s there when you need it.
Instead, we should look at prayer like our “steering wheel” - we can’t go anywhere without it! We constantly need it, and it determines where and how far we can go. If Paul, this gifted Apostle who was a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for legalistic righteousness, faultless. If this man needed prayer, HOW MUCH MORE do we! And the reason we DO is not just to help us live a good, godly life - but coming back to the key point Paul is addressing in his transition: we need prayer to have an effective witness to the gospel.
Let’s realize that we are on God’s “search & rescue” team. But far too often instead of being the lifeguard who is swimming out to rescue the ones who are drowning, we want to stay back on the beach and polish the chairs! Think about this - and it will be humbling for almost all of us - when is the last time you shared the gospel with someone - not just “God loves you” - but actually talked with someone about their need of salvation and the gracious gift that God supplies. THIS IS OUR JOB! And to do it, we NEED prayer! Do you pray - not for indidual’s salvation - but for God to use YOU to share the gospel so that individual might be saved?!
So Paul asks for prayer for the continued spread of the gospel. And then Paul rejoices that
• Christians are growing - vs 3 - But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen and protect you from the evil one. Paul saw in these “baby” Christians great growth. He starts the letter of 1 Thessalonians commenting on that growth and then here he affirms that God is going to continue to help them grow spiritually by strengthening and protecting them.
So there’s the SETUP, Paul has done a little affirmation - but now he gets right to the heart of the matter - he has to confront them about
SIN - He has affirmed their continued obedience in verse 4, but now he has to point out that NOT ALL of them were obedient. There was a sin that he had to address: Idleness. Let’s continue to read in verse 6. Read 3:6-15 So what is the issue here? Idleness! The idea that people did not WANT to work. Not people who CAN’T work - that’s where Christian charity kicks in - but Paul is addressing people who CHOSE not to work. There are a couple different possibilities as to WHY they were idle. First, the Thessalonian believers knew from Paul’s teaching that the day of the Lord was coming soon. And then they received the erroneous letter that that day had already come. So part of the attitude may have been If the Lord is coming so soon, why bother to work. Why not just wait until He returns.
But Paul quickly corrects that type of wrong thinking here in this passage. St. Francis was once stopped while he was hoeing a row of vegetables in his garden. The inquisitor asked him what he would do if he knew the Lord was returning tomorrow. His reply: I’d hoe my garden! We need to live every day as though Christ were coming back today: so that if Christ came back today we would be ready to meet Him. But we need to live every day as though Christ were NOT coming back today - to go on with all the tasks that need done.
I worked with a man, Carl, who quit his job so he could just go around sharing the gospel. But he found that as his family started to get hungry and not have any food that he needed to rethink his focus and get back to work! Maybe Christ WILL come back for us today - but if He doesn’t, we want to keep on faithfully working.
A second thought on the idleness of the Thessalonian believers was not that they were focused on end times, but they were simply seeking to take advantage of the generosity of the church. Sadly, there are some Christian brothers and sisters who will take all they can get; they will use and abuse the kindheartedness and generosity of believers.
In the young adult group where I met Ronda, there was a man like this: Vernon Donton. Verne was an extra grace required person. Verne couldn’t hold down a job - always had greasy hair - always needed money, a ride, a handout. Verne was a “user.” He would take whatever he could get from others. When you first met Verne you felt sorry for him and wanted to help him; but after you got to know him you no longer felt sorry for him, rather you were fed up with the way he used others.
Some other guys in our young adult group at church let him move in their apartment with them. They said, Verne, there are two daily rules: 1 You’ve got to take a shower, and 2 you have to apply somewhere for work. One day they said, Verne, did you take a shower? He said yes. They said, OK Verne, but do it again and this time use soap!
He would go from rescue mission to rescue mission - leaving after he reached the end of the 30 day limit most missions had - until he found a mission that had no length limit, and he was quite happy to continue living there for free!
So these are the type of individuals Paul is addressing here: users, whose life is characterized by idleness. And notice he points out the
Departure - this is a departure from right teaching. Paul says in verse 6, keep away from every brother who is idle and does not live according to the teaching you received from us. So Paul had given the Thessalonians instructions about working. Look at verse 10: “For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: ‘If a man will not work, he shall not eat.’” Right after starting the church, Paul gave them some guidelines for how to handle those who refuse to work. We could say it this way: No loaf to the loafer and no soup for the slacker. Then, because Paul’s words were not taken seriously, he stepped it up a notch when he writes his first letter to them. In 1 Thessalonians 4:11 he says: Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody. Now, just a matter of weeks after receiving the first letter, Paul writes 2 Thessalonians and once again, for the third time, needs to offer instruction and rebuke for those who would not work. So he is not dealing with someone who just was mistaken in their thinking - he is dealing with someone who adamantly, firmly is set AGAINST the teaching of scripture. They are rebellious and defiant!
They didn’t want to follow Paul’s teaching. A woman went to the doctor with her husband. As the husband was getting dressed after his checkup, the doctor came out to talk with the wife alone. He said, “your husband is suffering from a very serious disease. Combined with stress, it could kill him in six months. So here’s what you need to do. Every morning when he gets up, have breakfast ready for him. Be pleasant and encouraging to him. Don’t burden him with chores. Don’t bring up problems in your conversation. Do things that will make him happy. Then in 8-10 months, your husband will probably be better.” As the husband met caught up with his wife, he said, “What did the doctor say?” The wife said, You have six months to live! The wife didn’t want to follow the doctor’s instructions! Here are some who don’t want to follow Paul’s instructions.
Paul shares that he
• set an example of working. Verse 7 - For you yourselves know how you ought to follow our example. We were not idle when we were with you. When it came time to work, Paul led the way. His lifestyle was one of constant work in ministry. But he also
• set an example of teamwork - he pulled his fair share. He writes in verse 8 - nor did we eat anyone’s food without paying for it. Does that mean that it is wrong to accept a meal? Not at all! Many times the most gracious thing you can do when someone offers to buy your meal is to thankfully accept.
I grew up seeing my mother do something kind for someone - that person wanted to thank my mother and give her a gift - she would refuse, the person would insist - she would take the money and throw it on the ground - and all the while I would wonder, Mom, why can’t you graciously accept the money. If you want to give it away later, do so. You don’t need to throw a fit in refusing to accept the gift.
We see in scripture that others generously provided for Paul. But with the Christians at Thessalonica, Paul wanted to do his share to meet needs. He wanted to “pull his own weight.” When I worked for a company repairing railroad track, one of the jobs we had to do was haul track. We would get six guys and pair up - 2 & 2 & 2 - to pick up and carry these long pieces of iron. I don’t know what they weighed, but they were heavy. However, we had one man on the crew - Slim - and I could tell you stories about Slim - let’s just say he could spot the break truck a mile away - but the last thing you wanted was to be paired up with Slim. He never carried his share of the weight. If you dropped your arm, Slim would go even lower.
Paul also
- set an example of respect - verse 8 - On the contrary, we worked night and day, laboring and toiling so that we would not be a burden to any of you. Why did Paul not want to be a burden? Because he cared so much about them. When you care about someone, you don’t want to be a burden to them. When you could care less about someone, you will be the biggest burden ever and think nothing of it. Paul thought so highly of the Thessalonians, that he worked hard. The ones who were being idle and taking advantage of the graciousness of others showed that they really don’t care about others: they only care about themselves! So these idlers had “departed” from the right teaching that they received from Paul. Then Paul mentions the
• Danger - There is a danger in idleness. When you are idle, you end up becoming a “busybody.” Look at verse 11 - We hear that some among you are idle. They are not busy; they are busybodies. What is a busybody? A person who is “busy” in trifling needless matters, generally sticking their nose into other people’s affairs. Paul says in 1 Timothy 5:13 - Besides, they get into the habit of being idle and going about from house to house. And not only do they become idlers, but also gossips and busybodies, saying things they ought not to. So we see that those who are not working, who have nothing to do, often end up causing problems in the church. They gossip - spreading things about other people - and instead of building up the body, they tear it apart. It is a dangerous thing to meddle in the affairs of others. Proverbs 26:17 says, Like one who seizes a dog by the ears is a passer-by who meddles in a quarrel not his own. If you’ve ever grabbed a dog by the ears, you know it is not a pleasant experience. So there is a danger in idleness . The times of greatest temptation are not normally when we’re focused on working hard for the Lord rather theyre when we’re bored, looking for a distraction. Think about David’s sin with Bathsheba - it happens because he is at home bored when he should have been on the battlefield with his troops. So there is a danger in idleness — that’s why Paul gives
• Directions - Paul gives specific commands to the Thessalonian believers. He starts out the directions by mentioning his
- authority - vs 6 - In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we command you. . . These are not just Paul’s thoughts, but commands from our commander and chief. The word “command” is the same one used for military orders from a superior officer. Our Lord has given us direct commands to follow. What are the commands? . . . to keep away from every brother who is idle and does not live according to the teaching you received from us. The KJV has the term “disorderly” for “not living according to the teaching” - but once again this is a military term. It is used for "those who leave the ranks” or "one who does not hold his post" . Think about the punishment for a soldier who abandons their post. Yet many Christians abandon their post and defy the commands of the Lord.
So what do we do with someone like that? Paul gives commands to the church:
- avoidance - Paul says “avoid someone like that!” Verse 6 again - keep away from every brother who is idle and does not live according to the teaching you received from us. What does it mean to “keep away”? Verse 14 - Do not associate with him, in order that he may feel ashamed. There are times that we have closer association with unbelievers that we do believers. An unbeliever makes no claim to follow Christ - so the way they live their life should not shock us. But if a believer lives like an unbeliever, we need to break off our association with them. And for some of us, that can be a hard thing to do. After all, we say we love them. But love must be tough. Our purpose in not associating with them is so they will be ashamed of their sinful actions. Our goal is always to see them repent.
The tender-hearted will find it hard to break fellowship, and so we need this encouragement from Paul. The hard hearted will have no trouble breaking ties - and they need the admonition of verse 15 - Yet do not regard him as an enemy, but warn him as a brother. Don’t write them off spiritually! Withhold fellowship, but don’t treat them as a pagan. Continue to call them back to obedience.
In the military, there is a difference between a soldier who is AWOL and one who deserts. A deserter has no intention of coming back; someone AWOL has not crossed that line. A brother or sister who is living a disobedient life is to be called back to obedience. But that can wear us down spiritually, emotionally, when we have to take a stand that is uncomfortable for us. That’s why Paul says in verse 13 - And as for you, brothers, never tire of doing what is right.
So to the faithful in the church, Paul encourages us to take a stand for what is right, and call the idle to godly obedience. And to the idle, Paul’s command is in verse 12 - Such people we command and urge in the Lord Jesus Christ to settle down and earn the bread they eat.
We have here specific instructions here about those who are idle. That is the teaching. But the application of the teaching can be much broader. We can take this principle for those who refuse to work, who are disobedient to scriptural commands, and apply it to those who refuse to follow other scriptural commands. The principle is the same: we avoid fellowship to cause the sinning brother to be ashamed of their sin, and to call them back to obedience to Christ.
That is hard for us to do, but our intentional declaration of breaking fellowship may be just the thing that God uses to call them back to obedience.
So Paul has set things straight: he has given comfort in persecution; he has given correction about the day of the Lord; he has given commands to the idle. And now as he closes, he gives one more jewel for the Thessalonians. They had been mistaken, thinking Paul had sent them instructions that he really hadn’t sent. So Paul wants them to know what his letters will look like. So he gives them a way to identify them. Verse 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. I, Paul, write this greeting in my own hand, which is the distinguishing mark in all my letters. This is how I write. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.
Paul normally used a scribe, but he signed he closing greetings himself. So he is done with the letter, he takes the pen, and writes his greeting: a message of grace. Jews often gave messages of peace, shalom, wholeness - but Paul’s greeting was one of grace. And as he says, This is how I write - he’s really saying “this is what my signature looks like” - take note of it so you will know what letters are truly from me.
Today, we have a letter from Paul, which is really a command from our commander in chief: don’t be idle in life, and warn those who are idle. Don’t have fellowship with those living disobediently; instead cause them to be ashamed for disobeying our Lord. And the purpose is always to see them return to obedience. Matthew 18:15 says, “If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over. That is our goal: to see our brothers won over, to see our brothers and sisters return to following the Lord faithfully. May God use us to see that happen. Let’s pray.
