Mind your own Business
1 Thessalonians 4:7-11
Wouldn’t it be great if everybody would mind their own business?
Wouldn’t it be great if everybody did what he or she was supposed to do?
Wouldn’t it be great if there weren’t so many busybodies?
People who were more concerned about your affairs than their own.
I believe that more could be accomplished and more would get done if people would learn to mind their own business.
It is amazing how much wisdom people have about other people’s affairs and so little interest in their own.
God actually tells us to mind our own business. Why?
Because there are too many are busybodies meddling in the affairs of others.
I’ve discovered that most Busybodies are critical by nature.
Busybodies have criticized and gossiped and talked about others so much
That to meddle in other folk’s businesses just a way a life for him.
Busybodies are always looking for the splinters (faults) in the lives of others when he has a beam in own life.
Busybodies will neglect their own affairs worrying about yours.
Busybodies have poor time management skills
Too much time on his hands because he’s not committed to the job that he’s been given.
Their attitude is that they can’t do their job any better so they might as well show you how to do yours.
I wish that this was just a secular problem
But unfortunately it’s not the case
Because God didn’t write this text to society
He wrote it to the church
Many churches are struggling to survive
They have lost their vision
They are losing their power
Because they are failing to mind their own business
Churches want to be soul food restaurants
Instead of soul saving churches
They’re serving fish fries and barbecue dinners’
Rather than the word of life
They want to be family life centers
Rather than life changing centers
They want to be hospitality houses
Rather than Temples of the Living God.
God wants you to know tonight church
That you need to stop trying emulate the world’s business
And mind your own business
And I just believe that too many Christians today have forgotten what their business is.
We’re not told much about the early life of Jesus
But the brief moments we do see
Shows us that he never lost sight of his business
Luke 2:49 at the age of 12 he declared that “I must be about my father’s business”
In Luke 19:10 “For the Son of man came to seek and to save that which was lost”
Jesus never had time to dabble in politics
“Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s; and unto God the things that are God’s.”
He never had time to dabble in finances
Mt. 8:20 “The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.”
He didn’t have time to dabble in commerce
He didn’t have time because he was too busy MINDING HIS OWN BUSINESS!!
Story is told about a preacher who went out visiting one night, and the person he went to see was annoyed at the visit. He told the preacher wouldn’t it be nice if everybody would mind their own business. And the preacher replied “ Saving souls and getting people to come to church is my business.
Christians have gotten so involved with worldly affairs that we have forgotten
That we’ve are responsible for God’s business.
Church you need to remember God didn’t leave us here to mind the store
He left us here to set in order the things, which are lacking.
And the question I want to ask tonight is …
How well are we minding our own business
And since this is a revival
A time of renewal, a time of reflection, a time of remembering, and rededication
I want to take time tonight and remind you what this business is all about.
I. The First Thing God Wants You To Know Is That This Business Is Big Business
It’s big business because geographically it’s a world wide service
Matthew. 28:19 “ go therefore into all the world”
When you understand how big this business is
You’ll realize that you don’t have time to waste.
John 9:4 says “4I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can “work.”
Col. 4:5 says, “Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time” (Col. 4:5).
Christians you’ve got a big job with limited time.
That means you don’t have time to be minding my business
You need to be minding your own.
Not only is it big geographically but it’s also big Numerically
Because it includes all people
Rom. 3:23 “ For all have sinned”
Because it’s a business of saving souls
It affects everybody
That means that there’s not a soul out there that doesn’t need the product your offering.
Bible says that every man is born in sin and trespasses
And if you don’t start minding your own business many will die in the same state that they were born
And any time you’re dealing with people
A good businessman must be believable, honest and trustworthy.
That’s why the text says in verse 7 “For God has not called you into uncleanness but unto holiness.”
This business is too big and too vital to left in unclean hands.
When God calls us to salvation, He does not call us to live unclean lives,
God calls us to holiness
He calls us to live lives that are set apart to Him
Lives that bring glory to Him
God calls us to holiness so that we reach out with the saving grace of God to all who are under the bandage of sin.
But we must be sanctified and holy,
It means loving God enough to mind your own business
It’s big geographically, and numerically but also Perpetually
Matthew. 28:20 “ even to the end of the age.”
That means there’s no room for retirement
It’s a business that will never die
It’s a business that will last until the Jesus comes back
Church you need to relight the flame of commitment
Relight the fire of obedience
Stir up the embers of compassion for a lost and dying world
In other words you need to start minding your own business.
Second Thing About This Business Is That It’s An Important Business
You need to remember that the eternal destiny of man is at stake.
The eternal destiny of your family
The eternal destiny of your friends
This business wouldn’t be so important if hell wasn’t real.
If hell wasn’t real we wouldn’t have to worry about the judgment seat of Christ
Where every man will stand before God.
If hell wasn’t real we wouldn’t have to worry about everlasting torment and suffering
But because hell is real
And the judgment to come is real
You need to start minding your own business
Not only important but also It’s an urgent business
1 Thess. 5:2 says “ That the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night”
Mt. 24:36 “ But the day or the hour no man knoweth”
Christians cant afford to be squandering your time away concerned with worldly affairs
Your lost friends cant afford it
Every 60 secs. Hundreds die without Christ
Every day thousands are doomed to an eternity in hell
Too many Christians are like the evil servant in
Matthew. 6:24 “48But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; 49And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken; 50The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of, 51And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
The reason too many in the church have a problem with this business is because they don’t have the heart for it.
Their hearts are tied to the things of this world
Matthew. 6:24 says “ no man can serve two masters”
Luke 6:46 says “ why do you call me Lord and do not the things that I say”
God needs you to realize the urgency of the moment
God needs you to begin redeeming the time.
Why is the business so urgent?
Because 2Tim :3 says “ for the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine.”
The longer we neglect the business the harder it will be for men to come to Jesus.
Too many churches are already getting comfortable with watered down messages
Society is getting comfortable with deviant lifestyles,
Same sex marriages and no fault divorces
They don’t want to hear that sin is always somebody’s fault
Time is a gift of God.
You can’t buy any more, all you can do is use what God’s given you.
What we have to do is to use time—use it wisely—use it to do the best that we can.
We can sit and twiddle away hours and engage in activity and conversation that is of little, value or worth;
Or we can use time wisely, keeping our thoughts and hands busy...
Witnessing and ministering to the lost and needful of our communities
Meeting the needs of a world trapped under the weight of suffering, sin, and death.
We need to be minding our own business now while we have the time.
Because one day the :
Þ The opportunity to witness will pass.
Þ The opportunity to speak up will pass.
Þ The opportunity to love will pass.
Þ The opportunity to minister will pass.
Þ The opportunity to pray will pass.
And we need to redeem the time
We need to work while we can
We need to mind our own business
Our business is a big business, it’s an important business, it’s and urgent business but lastly I
It’s a Rewarding Business
There are many accolades that man may receive
But there is no great honor that can be bestowed on man than they words in Matthew. 25:23
“His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.”
(Matthew 25:34) “Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world”
There’s no retirement plan like the one God has for his faithful servants.
Those who had suffered for him
Those who have wept for him
Those who have sacrificed for him
Those who have listened and learned to seek ye first the kingdom
Those who have diligently and purposefully went about minding their own business
When you mind your own business the Lord will give you a crown of rejoicing
When you mind your own business the lord will give you a crown of righteousness
When you mind your own business there’s crown of eternal life
When you mind your own business souls will be saved and heaven will rejoice.
Somebody here tonight needs to take heed and learn
Somebody tonight needs to understand and believe
Somebody needs to mind their own business
Revival is a time to get back to the basics
It a time to get make to understanding what’s most important in the life of a believer
It’s a time to call the church to remember,
To rededicate our talents to God
It’s time to relight the spiritual fire that the Holy Spirit gave at the inception of the church at Pentecost.
Maybe you’re here and you you’re confused as to what part you have in this business
You need to understand that you have no part in the business
And no part in the eternal rewards
until you become part of the family.
So we invite you to come to the cross
We invite you to come to Jesus
