2 Thessalonians 3 (2)
Our Responsibility in the End Times
Years ago, I went out to the dump in Geneva. I believe that is the first place I remember seeing it, though I’ve seen it at several other dumps since the. If you go out there now you will see the same sad sight. You will see 10 or more bald eagles, flying around, or perched somewhere, waiting to eat garbage out of the dump.
That is not what God created them for.
Eagles can fly 10,000 to 15,000 feet high at about 65 mph. They can glide for hours without rest on warm updrafts of air. With their acute vision, they are able to spot prey a mile down below. Eagles swoop down at amazing speeds of 200 mph and lift up the prey with their strong talons.
There are 59 species of eagles, and they are all birds of prey. Eagles are known for power and speed. They perform stunning acrobatics in the air when chasing smaller birds. They are fearless hunters and rarely back away from a fight. Eagles have a wingspan of about 7 feet and stand 3 feet tall. Eagles have a curved, sharp beak with which they tear apart flesh. For centuries, eagles have been considered sacred by many cultures. The Bald Eagle is the national bird and a symbol of the United States of America.
That is what God designed them for. They are strong. They are majestic, and now, sadly, many of them are living like buzzards, living off of the scraps and the rotten.
Sadly, I saw something even worse yesterday. Yesterday, Dale, and Richard came over and hooked up one of our trailers and then we went to Central Baptist Church to pick up a pallet of food. We picked up 60 boxes, and in each box there were vegetables, a gallon of milk, hot dogs, leg quarters, and other food. We took those 60 boxes over to the rescue mission on 13th street. It took us a couple of minutes to get that trailer pulled into the parking lot there. Then we started unloading them. As we pulled into the parking lot, people began to circle the parking lot. Before we had unloaded the trailer, a man on a bicycle and another on a scooter had each taken a box. People with nothing to do, and no where to go, riding around, killing time, looking for a hand out.
That’s not what God intended, us to be. That’s not what He intended us to do. He never intended us to be idle, listless, with nothing to do, waiting on a hand out.
Even there, in the perfect Garden of Eden, there was work for man to do. From the very beginning, man was designed and created to be image bearers.
> Genesis 1:26-28 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.
From the very beginning, men and women were designed to be image bearers of God, and were told to subdue the earth.
> Genesis 2:15 And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.
Man was to be an image bearer, and he was to be a tiller of the soil. From the very beginning. After the fall, the Lord added to their responsibilities.
> Genesis 3:16-19 Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee. And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field; In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.
So, in our passage for today, Paul addresses 3 groups of people. First, He addresses those who are leaders in the church.
I. LEADERS IN THE CHURCH -
- 2 Thessalonians 3:7-9
1. Leaders in the church are not to be idle. They have a job to do. They have responsibilities. Do you remember when there was a dispute in the church because different groups of widows, the jewish widows and the Gentile widows thought they were being treated unequally? What did the disciples say? They said,
- Read Acts 6:1-4
What did the disciples say their most important responsibilities were? They said they were to:
1) Preach the Word of God - v 2 The preaching of God’s word is essentially important. It is vitally important.
> Romans 10:14 How, then, can they call on him they have not believed in? And how can they believe without hearing about him? And how can they hear without a preacher?
Leaders are to preach. They are to share the Gospel, the good news of Jesus Christ.
2) Prayer - Acts 6:4 Leaders are to be people of prayer. Prayer is both a privilege, and a responsibility. In 1 Samuel, Samuel is confronting the people of Israel about their sin. He says, “Turn away from your sin and worship the Lord, and then in verse 23 he says . . .
> 1 Samuel 12:23 “As for me, I vow that I will not sin against the Lord by ceasing to pray for you.
3) Study and teach the word of God
> Acts 6:4 But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.”
Pastors and leaders are to study and to the teach the word.
> Ephesians 4:11-12 And he himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, to build up the body of Christ,
Pastors and leaders are to study and teach the word of God so that they can equip the saints for the work of ministry, and so that they can build up the body of Christ, i.e. build and strengthen the church.
Leaders in the church are not to be idle. That’s why Paul once wrote of himself,
> Acts 20:20 You know that I did not avoid proclaiming to you anything that was profitable or from teaching you publicly and from house to house.
Leaders in the church are not to be idle.
2. Leaders in the church are not to be burdens.
- 1 Thessalonians 3:8
Now, in verse 9 Paul says that laborers are just in being supported by those who are being taught.
- 1 Corinthians 9:3-14
Those who are preaching and teaching the Gospel have the right to earn their living through those they are teaching, at the same time Paul teaches in 1 Thes. 3:8 that ministers are not to be a burden to those they are teaching.
What is the goal of a minister? It should be to share the gospel and to teach and disciple people. It is not to get rich. That’s how the world thinks. That’s the way the world operates.
That’s not the way servants of God operate. We are not building kingdoms for ourselves here. We are servants in the kingdom of God and our reward is in His kingdom, and in the time to come.
Ministers are not to be idle, and ministers are not to be burdens.
Not only does Paul address leaders in the church, but he also addresses members in the church.
II. MEMBERS IN THE CHURCH
- 1 Thessalonians 3:6, 11-15
1. Keep away from idle members.
a. They are ambassadors - Representatives of Jesus Christ. We are to be salt and light, living different lives than the rest of the world.
> 2 Corinthians 6: 14-16 Do not be yoked together with those who do not believe. For what partnership is there between righteousness and lawlessness? Or what fellowship does light have with darkness? What agreement does Christ have with Belial? Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? And what agreement does the temple of God have with idols? For we are the temple of the living God, as God said:I will dwell and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people. Therefore, come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord; do not touch any unclean thing, and I will welcome you.
They are ambassadors, living different lives in front of the world.
b. They are witnesses -
> Acts 1:8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
> Matthew 28:18-20 “All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
We are to representatives of Jesus, and we are to be His witness. We are to share the Gospel with other folks.
c. They are ministers -
> 1 Peter 4:7-11 The end of all things is near; therefore, be alert and sober-minded for prayer. Above all, maintain constant love for one another, since love covers a multitude of sins. Be hospitable to one another without complaining. Just as each one has received a gift, use it to serve others, as good stewards of the varied grace of God. If anyone speaks, let it be as one who speaks God’s words; if anyone serves, let it be from the strength God provides, so that God may be glorified through Jesus Christ in everything. To him be the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen.
Members in the church have been given assignments. They have been given jobs to do. You and I are to serve and help one another.
2. Keep away from busybodies.
- 2 Thes. 3:11-15
We have assignments to do. We are to encourage and help one another and to serve the Lord.
There are those who are tale-bearers. All they want to do its talk about folks. They don’t promote unity in the church, they promote hard feelings and division. The Bible says, “Stay away from them. Don’t treat them as enemies, but don’t hang around with them, so hopefully they will come to their senses.
III. THOSE INSIDE AND OUTSIDE THE CHURCH
- 2 Thes. 3:10
If they are unwilling to work, don’t feed them.
I am not talking about those unable to work. I’m talking about those unwilling to work.
Let’s face it, there are some folks who are physically and mentally unable to work. Some by their own choice, or their unwise decisions.
We have a lady in our 4H club, who is having to take care of her daughter, and is working to adopt her granddaughter. Her daughter got off on drugs an has fried her brain. In her 40’s, she has the on set of dementia. It is impossible to go back and undo what she has done to herself. Sometimes she is able to come out and help her mother clean the 4H eggs, but she is unable to support, or take of herself. And, even though it is by her own decisions and actions, she is helpless. Folks like that, I believe would fall under Christ’s instruction,
> Matthew 25:34 - 40 Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. “‘For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat; I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink; I was a stranger and you took me in; I was naked and you clothed me; I was sick and you took care of me; I was in prison and you visited me.’ “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and take you in, or without clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick, or in prison, and visit you?’ “And the King will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’
Those able, but unwilling, of them Paul says, “Don’t support them. Don’t feed them.
We have a 4-H family right now, who have some relatives staying with them. There is a teenage boy there, 18 years old, who does not have a job and is not looking. He’s not working on getting his drivers’ license. He sits around playing video games, making excuses for why he cannot find a job, while he’s not even trying. Of these, Paul says, “Don’t feed them. Don’t support those who are too lazy to work, through the wages and labor of those who are working.”
Some say, “Brother Gene, I can’t get around any more . . .
Years ago, a prayer partner of mine, used to regularly meet with a retired missionary I knew as Ms. Jennie. Ms. Jennie was never married. She first served as a New Tribes missionary in China. When the communists took over, she had to leave and moved to Japan where she served for many years. When she wa no longer able to serve there, she retired and moved to the New Tribes' retirement village in Sanford. At first she had her own apartment, but eventually her vision got so bad she was unable to live alone any more so she moved into the nursing care facility. My friend, Linda Miller, taught youth and singles for many years. Each week she would meet with Ms. Jennie on Saturday morning, and the 2 of them would pray for the mission needs they knew about, and then they would pray for the needs folks would call and tell Linda about. I was fortunate to have Ms. Jennie praying for me as I began my priest pastorate, and on until several years after we started the church I currently pastor. Miss Jennie couldn't see at the end, but she kept on serving the saints and kept on lifting our name before the Father. - Don't tell me there's nothing you can do.
I have a friend and customer I know as Mr. Richard. Mr. Richard, lives with his wife t the mobile home community, at Meadowlea. Nearly crippled, can barely get around. He takes care of his younger wife, also in bad condition who has a debilitating medical condition. Stuck at home, unable to attend FBC Debary, where he is a member, anymore. Mr. Richard is the person at Meadowlea that everyone tells when someone in the park is sick, or loses a loved one. Mr. Richard is the one who sends cards to those hurting, in the whole park, Christians or not. That is his calling. That is his ministry. - Don't tell me there is nothing you can do.
Let me ask you my friend, “How are you serving? What are you doing for Christ?”
Here in the end times, church leaders are to be busy. Church members are to be busy, and we do not waste our resources on those who can but refuse to do so. They that wait upon the Lord shall soar as an eagle. Don't settle for scraps from a garbage dump. Be what God has called you to be.
