Guidance for Church Life

Book of 2 Thessalonians Chapter 3

In the end Paul knew that the prayers from each church were more important than all other things.

It is the same today. Prayer is the power behind the Church!

Prayer is very different from preaching, and yet a moment’s reflection will show how they work together.
Prayer speaks to God for man; preaching speaks to man for God.
Prayer seeks to bring God to man; preaching aims to bring man to God.
Prayer moves God towards man; preaching persuades man to seek after God.
Prayer makes known unto God man’s request; preaching reveals to man God’s mind and will.
Preaching casts in the seed; prayer brings the rain and the sunshine.
Preaching deposits the leaven; prayer secures the hand which adds to it working.
Preaching utters the good tidings; prayer carries the sound to the ear and makes that all sensitive.
Preaching is doing the practical work which man can do; prayer asks for what God only can do, and for that which is necessary to the success of that which the man can do.

Now the Apostle Paul switches to a subject that we all already know, “work and employment”.

Preacher Sam says it all the time, the Holy Spirit was not just given to us for our enjoyment but was given to us more importantly for our employment!

*2Th 3:5 And the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and into the patient waiting for Christ.
2Th 3:6 Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye “withdraw” yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition which he received of us.

It is extremely hard to be patient in this wicked world we live in, but the Lord Jesus Christ directs each of us to be patient while we wait upon His return.

It helps us to stay away from unbelievers unless we are witnessing to them.

Here we see it is very important to get away from so-called brothers and sisters in Christ who walk against the truth of the Word of God.

We also see in this verse that God commands us to stay away from those who refuse to work and provide for themselves.

As our lesson states, we are to withdraw our fellowship and maybe even remove them from church membership.

If you have worked for any amount of time, you have seen workers who slack off and do as little as possible.

These are the same ones who work only when they see the boss coming.

There are also far too many today who just refuse to work and want someone, even the church to provide for them.

Why are there so many recalls in every industry today? Why? Because the work forces of America do not have pride in their work.

They are just in it for the money.

Now I certainly believe in a fair wage and there are many who are just not paid enough, but there are many who depend on the unions to cause an increase in wages when they maybe taking that company into closing the doors.

The Bible commands us to walk away from such people who walk disorderly, that is who do not work.

In the early days of the church, the Thessalonians became so excited about the return of the Lord Jesus Christ they began to sacrifice all their possessions to meet the needs of the Church people but they went too far.

They ignored the Word of God that only God knows when He will return to this earth.

They even began to project the dates of the Lord’s return.

Some even quit their jobs to have more time to witness for the Lord.

When these things did not take place as they thought, they depended upon the Church to support them.

These things caused many problems for this new church.

The Bible teaches each of us to live our lives as if we will live long lives.

In fact, God promises us long lives!

Eph 6:1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right.
Eph 6:2 Honour thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise;)
Eph 6:3 That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.

Deu 4:40 Thou shalt keep therefore his statutes, and his commandments, which I command thee this day, that it may go well with thee, and with thy children after thee, and that thou mayest prolong thy days upon the earth, which the LORD thy God giveth thee, for ever.

We are to be the example to the world as the very best workmen possible in everything we do but especially in the work the Lord has given us to do.

Not working is disorderly behavior and the church is not to support such people.

Obviously, there will be times when a member in good standing may need the help of the church, this is not what the Word of God is referring to, but we are not to support those outside the Church who refuse to work.

We are to stay away from the idle worker which is the meaning of the word withdraw as used in this passage.

The Apostle Paul was their example of a hard worker to support himself without church support.

The Church is not to be identified with members to come only for church support.

We are not to run the risk of being associated with idle workers. This will give us a bad testimony as we witness for Jesus Christ!

*2Th 3:7 For yourselves know how ye ought to follow us: for we behaved not ourselves disorderly among you;
2Th 3:8 Neither did we eat any man’s bread for nought; but wrought with labour and travail night and day, that we might not be chargeable to any of you:
2Th 3:9 Not because we have not power, but to make ourselves an ensample unto you to follow us.
2Th 3:10 For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat.
2Th 3:11 For we hear that there are some which walk among you disorderly, working not at all, but are busybodies.

According to the Word of God we are to be industrious beings and not lazy Christians.

The Bible commands us to do good for all people, but we are not to support those who refuse to support themselves.

A slothful person will be a slothful Christian!

Laziness can be looked upon as sin!

There is absolutely no excuse for a Christian to be a lazy employee, it is a command of God that we not be lazy!

Even the Lord Jesus Christ had a reputation as a carpenter. This would not have been said of Him if it were not true!

We can believe that Jesus was the best carpenter in Nazareth.

We know the Apostle Paul was a tent maker and we can believe he was a good tent maker making quality tents.

According to the Word of God, when we refuse to work, we lose our right to eat.

In other words we become so useless to society that society would be better off without us.

This message does not go over well today, but it is still the truth of God!

Those who refuse to work tend to get into everybody else business and not their own.

One of the greatest gifts God gave to humans is our minds.

The mind is always active, even in our sleep.

It is either thinking positive thoughts or negative, evil thoughts.

It is true that the idle mind is the Devil’s playground!

This is why so many lazy people are always getting into trouble!

The world has pity upon such people when the world should insist that they work or starve.

Sounds harsh but still the truth of God.

We must not forget that Paul is speaking to the Church, in fact to a church that started out on the right tract.

They just got confused about the return of Jesus Christ.

It is a sin to poke our noses into the affairs of others unless they have asked for our help.
It is a sin to gossip.
It is a sin to spread rumors.
It is a sin to tattle on others when we do not know the whole story.

All we need to do is to look around at nature and we will see that the law of labor is rigidly enforced.

Every animal except domesticated animals have to work for their food.

The Bible speaks of the ant.

Pro 6:6 Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise:

The Bible speaks of other creations.

Pro 30:24 There be four things which are little upon the earth, but they are exceeding wise:
Pro 30:25 The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer;
Pro 30:26 The conies are but a feeble folk, yet make they their houses in the rocks;
Pro 30:27 The locusts have no king, yet go they forth all of them by bands;
Pro 30:28 The spider taketh hold with her hands, and is in kings’ palaces.

The Bible speaks of the birds.

God feeds the birds but they have to go look for it.

We had better get one thing straight!

We are not saved by our own works, but by God’s free and unmerited mercy.

How are the people of God described?

We are called soldiers.
We are called pilgrims.
We are called husbandmen.
We are called fishermen.

All these things imply some form of work.

In fact all these things require demanding work.

2Pe_3:14 Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.

Work was the law in the Garden of Eden.

It only became arduous work after sin entered in!

There is probably no greater feeling than to sit down and partake of those things that come by honest work!

*2Th 3:12 Now them that are such we command and exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ, that with quietness they work, and eat their own bread.
2Th 3:13 But ye, brethren, be not weary in well doing.

There can be no doubt that we are commanded to work to provide for ourselves.

Notice this commands comes directly from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Luk 11:3 Give us day by day our daily bread.

Notice not only is this a command straight from our Lord Jesus, but He also uses this passage as a way to train us in the proper way to act in the Church.

As believers we are prone to make mistakes and we can even make mistakes about how we are to work.

If we have been slack in our work the Lord will forgive us and teach us the proper ways.

We must still confess our wrong and repent.

We are to work with a quiet spirit and mind our own business.

Our brothers and sisters will come to us if they require our help.

We are never to be weary in well doing.

We must not allow idle busybodies to discourage us but stick to the work the Lord had given us to do.

We must not forget we are to be examples of Jesus Christ and not examples of other Church members unless they are wholly following the Lord themselves.

It is obvious that many in this church were doing things right and Paul does not want them to change their effective ways.

There are most always those in the Church that do need some help.

Some who are working and doing the best they can but maybe fell on challenging times.

These are those who we need to help if we are able to do so and continue to help until they are recovered.

Paul also informs these who live and work according to the Word of God that there are things they can do to discourage those that are not following the Word of God.

*2Th 3:14 And if any man obey not our word by this epistle, note that man, and have no company with him, that he may be ashamed.
2Th 3:15 Yet count him not as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.

We must understand that the epistles of the Apostle Paul are to be considered Church Doctrine along with all the Books of the New Testament!

If there are those who reject the truth of the New Testament in the blood of Jesus Christ then we are to make a mental note of that person and refuse to be associated with that person.

The Church is a place we are to be in one accord, one mind, one fellowship one bride of Christ!

Note, this is not an excommunication but simply an avoidance.

This discipline is meant to shame that person.

This goes back to where we began our lesson today.

2Th 3:6 Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition which he received of us.

There should be no excuse for not accepting the truth of the New Testament.

For Paul, it was his intention to read this epistle to read out loud while the entire church was gathered together so there could be no misunderstanding of his intent.

Paul knew that many of them would acknowledge their faults and it would be the end of this matter.

As usual there will be those who still reject the truth and it is these, after they have understood the exact words of the Apostle Paul from whom the Church must withdraw.

2Th 2:15 Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle.

There must not be any unkind feelings towards this person as the intent is to shame that person.

If this shaming does not work then there might have to be other steps taken but these things will work or this would not have been the truth of the Scriptures.

We must never allow a false doctrine into the Church to take holt.

*2Th 3:16 Now the Lord of peace himself give you peace always by all means. The Lord be with you all.

1) We must remember that peace in our lives can come only by the Lord Jesus Christ.

2) The Lord Jesus Christ seeks a close personal relationship with each of us.

3) It is only by the “Grace of God”, the undeserved favor and strength in Jesus Christ, that any of us can be saved.

We are not put into the Church to be the judge of any other person!

We are all to obey the truth of the Gospel and help each other understand it as best we can.

This is why the Lord will not allow any deviation in the Words He has given to us.

We are all judged by the same Word of God!

Amen.