Turn to the book of 2 Thessalonians, chapter 3.
I'll tell you a little bit about the preaching plan over the coming months,
! Just to kind of give you some bearing on where we are and what we're doing even this morning.
I am taking, starting next Monday, a sabbatical, so beginning on the 15th, and I'll be gone for four weeks.
As such, Caleb is going to come and preach on Sanctity of Human Life Sunday, which is the 21st,
about that very topic, defending the unborn.
And in the following three weeks, Clay Naylor is going to preach out of John 17, three weeks on the high priestly prayer.
So I hope you'll anticipate that, that you'll be praying for them as they're getting ready to do that very thing.
When I come back, I'm going to do 11 weeks in Exodus chapter 20,
which is where the Ten Commandments are first received and recorded for us in the Scripture,
to talk about antinomianism, which means without the law.
So we need to understand as Christians what the place of the law is in our life.
So it'll be 11 weeks of antinomianism, that the law does in fact still have a bearing on who we are,
having been rescued by Christ.
And so it kind of left us with these three in-between weeks.
And we said, hmm, what should we do with three in-between weeks?
And so last week, I decided to do just a sermon on resolutions,
how to make resolves that are God-honoring.
And today, I'm going to preach a sermon on work.
Having asked last week, do you work hard?
What most about you needs to change?
And one of the questions I asked was, do you work hard?
And then I asked a follow-up question to that, which was, do you rest well?
And so this week, we're going to consider together work, work to the glory of God.
And I've provided for you an outline on the back of your bulletin.
If you have that with you, I'll also try to give you the points very carefully
so that you can write them down.
If not, and then next week, so just to give you some balance and maybe ease some anxiety
as we're talking about work, next week, we're going to talk about rest
and how to rest to the glory of God as well.
And I'm eager, I'm looking forward to continuing to prep for that
and then preaching as I'm going to take some time to do some resting.
So that's the game plan.
That's where we're going.
Beyond that, as a church, we have typically done verse-by-verse exposition
and often through larger texts of the Bible.
So if you're new with us or if you're not and you're scratching your head
about why we've not been doing that,
the intention is to get back to that in the summer.
Be praying for us.
You're welcome to suggest a book that you may want for us to preach to.
Right now I'm thinking 1 Corinthians and then possibly 2nd on beyond that,
but we don't know just yet.
So that'll be the plan beginning in the summer.
But for this morning, 2 Thessalonians chapter 3 in our text for this morning
is verses 6 through 15.
Beloved, this is God's Word to us.
It was written for His glory and our good.
And we would all do well to listen to it in order to believe its promises
and obey its commands.
Beginning in verse 6.
Now we command you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,
that you keep away from any brother who is walking in idleness
and not in accord with the tradition that you receive from us.
For you yourselves know how you ought to imitate us,
because we were not idle when we were with you,
nor did we eat anyone's bread without paying for it.
But with toil and labor we work night and day,
that we might not be a burden to any of you.
It was not because we do not have that right,
but to give you in ourselves an example to imitate.
For even when we were with you, we would give you this command,
If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat.
For we hear that some among you walk in idleness,
not busy at work, but busy bodies.
Now such a persons we command and encourage in the Lord Jesus Christ
to do their work quietly and to earn their own living.
As for you, brothers, do not grow weary in doing good.
If anyone does not obey what we say in this letter,
take note of that person and have nothing to do with him,
that he may be ashamed.
Do not regard him as an enemy, but warn him as a brother.
And so in today's text, there are a series of exhortations about work.
And I must say that this morning I couldn't possibly take the time
to give you a complete doctrine of work in the Scripture.
So it's going to be kind of sweeping,
and we're going to pull points specifically from this text,
but hopefully it'll get the pump primed and get you thinking about
and studying and having a clear grasp on the biblical doctrine of work.
But in our text today, we have these exhortations that are stated in the negative,
by which I mean Paul saying,
do not do such and such.
But every negative exhortation has a reflexive, positive implication.
So we will take the two together to better understand what Paul here is saying
to the Thessalonian believers and in turn to us in the following six points.
So number one,
Paul exhort us to not be idle,
but to work diligently.
Do not be idle,
but work diligently.
Paul has a concern
in the closing of a second letter to the Thessalonians
that some of those in the church were being lazy.
Why would this concern him?
Note verse 10.
For even when we were with you,
we would give you this command.
If anyone is not willing to work,
let him not eat.
So a rather serious matter that people not belated.
And it's concerning enough to him
that it has been a repeated teaching, right?
When Paul was with the church,
verse 10 tells us,
the command was given,
if anyone is not willing to work,
let him not eat.
Here in Paul's second letter,
he reminds them of this command that was given to them.
And in Paul's first letter to the church,
he also commands the church to work.
And here we can see why Paul
has such a concern
that they not be idle.
So turn back just a couple pages
to 1 Thessalonians chapter 4,
and I'll show you what I mean.
The last half of verse 11,
Paul exhorts them to work with your hands
as we instructed you.
Why?
So that you may walk properly
before outsiders.
So you see,
Paul is aware
that God created men to work.
So those who make claim
to worship the one true and living God
who revealed himself in Jesus Christ
ought to be the most diligent of workers.
Now, how did Paul know this?
Is Paul grasping this out of the air?
He's not.
Turn with me to Genesis chapter 1,
and I will show you
why Paul believed
this very important doctrine to be true.
Genesis chapter 1.
And I want you to see three things
from the beginning of the book of Genesis.
Number one,
God works.
Genesis 1.1 says,
In the beginning,
God created the heavens and the earth.
Right?
He did so for six days.
He worked.
He is the creator.
He made things out of nothing.
And you may say,
Well, that wasn't work.
He spoke it into existence.
And I agree.
He did speak it into existence.
But Genesis 2.2 tells us,
And on the seventh day,
God finished his work that he had done.
And he rested on the seventh day
from all his work that he had done.
Certainly, he did that work
with mighty, powerful words.
Not great labor of his muscles.
But they were strong words.
Right?
They were powerful, working words
in the creation of the world.
Not only that,
when God finished creating the world,
he did not stop working.
He set for us a model in resting a day.
But then he didn't cease working altogether.
He didn't sit back
and now he's just letting the world
play itself out.
God is still at work.
Jesus said in John 5.17,
My father is working until now
and I am working.
So Jesus, as a representative
of his father on earth,
also is working.
Just as a fun side note for you,
if you like these types of things,
Jonathan Edwards had a theory
about God's creation of the world
that he called progressive creationism.
And he suggested in it
that God was continually
speaking the world into existence.
This morning, for example,
would play out like a movie in scenes
and God is constantly speaking
what's happening into existence.
We see it as a reality
all strung together,
but God sees it as a reality
that has its moments
that he is creating.
There's no way to prove
this kind of thing.
And then if that makes
your head explode, me too.
But just as a fun aside,
Edwards was taking this idea,
right, my father is working
until now that he still
is speaking mighty words
that are progressing creation along
and that if he were to cease to speak,
we would cease to be.
So God works, number one.
Number two, man was created
in God's image to work.
Genesis 2.5.
When no bush of the field
was yet in the land
and no small plant of the field
had yet sprung up,
for the Lord God
had not caused it to rain on the land
and there was no man
to work the ground.
So God intended, right,
from the very beginning
that part of his creation process
would include man.
So man is an integral part
of God's creation work.
We back up to Genesis 1.
Now, Genesis 1 is a stating
of the creation of the world
and Genesis 2 is a restating of it.
So we can kind of come back and forth
between the two
and learn some things
about each of the telling.
Genesis 1.26.
Verse 26 and following,
Then 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 birds of the heavens
and over the livestock
and over all the earth
and over every creeping thing
that creeps on the earth.
So God created man
in his own image.
In the image of God,
he created him male and female.
He created them.
And God blessed them.
And God said to them,
Be fruitful and multiply
and fill the earth
and subdue it
and have dominion
over the fish of the sea
and over the birds of the heavens
and over every living thing
that moves on the earth.
So God intended to give to us
the earth under his reign
to rule over it.
To make it after his likeness.
Genesis 2.15 says,
The Lord God took the man
and put him in the Garden of Eden
to work it and to keep it.
This mandate then in the world
to protect the world
and to progress the world around us.
We're intended to be workers
as bearers of God's image.
And then third from Genesis.
Remember, I'm trying to tie this for you.
Paul knows these things
as he's exhorting
the Thessalonian believers and us.
Thirdly, sin made work into work.
Sin made work into work.
Made it hard.
Brought about great challenge in its doing.
Genesis 3.17 and following.
This is after the fall.
God says to Adam,
Because you have listened
to the voice of your wife
and have eaten of the tree
of which I commanded you,
you shall not eat of it.
Cursed is the ground because of you.
In pain you shall eat of it
all the days of your life.
Thorns and thistles
shall bring forth for you.
And you shall eat the plants
of the field.
By the sweat of your face
you shall eat bread
till you return to the ground.
For out of it you are taken.
For you are dust.
And to dust you shall return.
So we see that work
was intended to happen
but it was this joyful,
this resting in the garden
and working.
And sin made that
immensely difficult.
Right?
Weeds come forth.
If you have ever tried to garden,
it is not an easy thing
to keep weeds out of your garden.
This is a result of sin.
You can curse the ground for sin
when you're trying to garden.
And this work has become work.
Right?
It's become this challenging
and difficult thing
that we undertake.
So we have a God who works
and as image bearers of God
redeemed by the blood of His Son,
we work.
We work under the curse
but we work that our God
would be known.
So it does not matter what you do.
Whether you are a school teacher,
a nurse,
an accountant,
a truck driver,
a construction worker,
a social service provider,
a salesman,
a fast food employee,
a student,
a housewife,
a missionary,
or a pastor,
God intends for you
to bear His image
in the way you do what you do.
Beloved,
we ought to be the very best of workers.
Our employers ought to be so pleased
to have us on their team
and lament the day
that we move on to different work.
In all of our working,
we ought to seek the betterment
of the world in which we live.
Like,
as if,
we are pushing back
the effects of the curse.
And we are to do this
to the glory of God.
Paul wrote in Colossians 3,
verse 23,
whatever you do,
work heartily,
that is to say,
with all of yourself,
with every part of your being.
Work heartily
as for the Lord
and not for men.
You can do the most mundane
of things
to the glory of God.
Verse 24,
Paul goes on to say
in Colossians 3,
knowing
that from the Lord
you will receive
the inheritance
as your reward.
You are serving
the Lord
Christ.
And it doesn't matter
in what thing
you do this.
Martin Luther famously said,
a milkmaid
can milk cows
to the glory
of God.
Your work
is not insignificant
and your work
rightly done
has heavenly
reward.
Richard Baxter,
who was a Puritan
pastor,
and if you want
to read about
work and work ethic,
the Puritans
are wonderful,
wonderful people
to read.
He said,
and this is on the front
of your bulletin,
be laborious
and diligent
in your callings.
He means your work,
wherever God has placed
you to do work.
And if you cheerfully
serve God
in the labor
of your hands
with a heavenly
and obedient mind,
it will be as
acceptable to him
as if you had spent
all that time
in more
spiritual
exercises.
So,
Paul exhorts us
in 2 Thessalonians
chapter 3
to not be idle,
but to work
diligently.
Secondly,
do not reject
apostolic teaching
and example,
but be doers
of the Word.
Now,
you may see
why I gave you notes.
Do not reject
apostolic teaching
and example,
but be doers
of the Word.
The Lord God
has spoken
by the pens
and the lives
of the apostles,
and we ought
to be very careful
not to reject
their teaching.
Some in the Thessalonian
church were doing
this very thing.
Paul says
in verse 6,
we should keep
away from any
brother who
is walking
in idleness
and,
what,
not in accord
with the tradition
that you received
from us.
And then in verse 7,
he says that we
ought to imitate
them.
Paul,
Silvanus,
and Timothy
set an example
for the Thessalonian
believers
and for us.
In verse 9,
Paul says
that they had
a right
to be paid
for their work,
but that they
earned
their own way.
Why?
To give you
in ourselves
an example
to imitate.
Paul,
as an apostle,
was commissioned
by Jesus
himself
to preach
and set
in writing
doctrines
for the church.
We do well
when we take up
and read
and obey.
So,
do not reject
apostolic teaching
and example.
Be doers
of the word.
This is a weighty
thing that's been
given to us.
Third,
do not be
a freeloader,
but pay
your own way.
I can think
of all kinds
of application
in a group
of college students.
Do not be
a freeloader,
but pay
your own way.
Paul exhorts
that anyone
who is able
to work
ought
to work.
Now,
just to be clear,
your schooling
can be work.
You are
in a place
preparing,
working
for the next
thing you're doing.
But,
verse 8 states,
we did not
eat anyone's bread
without paying
for it.
And,
verse 10,
if anyone is not
willing to work,
let him not eat.
And,
in verse 11,
the idle person
is commanded
and encouraged
to do their work
quietly
and to earn
their own
living.
And,
in verse 12,
the one who is
earning their own
living is encouraged
to not grow weary
in doing good.
Not grow weary
of doing this
good thing
of earning
your own
way.
Now,
Paul's concern
at this point
is not for the one
who is unable
to work.
There are many
varied reasons
that a person
may be unable
to work
and we won't
get into those
reasons.
His concern
is not for those
people.
His concern
is for those
who can work
but won't.
In 2 Corinthians
chapter 8
verses 1
through 5,
Paul commends
the generosity
of the Macedonian
churches.
Listen to
verse 1
following
2 Corinthians 8.
We want you
to know,
brothers,
about the grace
of God
that has been
given among
the churches
of Macedonia.
For in a severe
test of affliction,
their abundance
of joy
and their extreme
poverty
have overflowed
in a wealth
of generosity
on their part.
So we have
the Macedonian
churches
who are impoverished
giving generously.
Verse 3,
And this,
not as we expected,
but they gave
themselves first
to the Lord
and then by the
will of God
to us.
And so what
Paul is referring
to is the great
deal of suffering
that was going
on in Jerusalem,
the persecution
that had already
come upon Christians
there.
They were losing
homes.
They were jailed.
people unable
to work
were being provided
for by churches
in the region.
And the Macedonian
churches,
even out of their
poverty,
gave with great
generosity for this.
The point I'm making
is that Paul
is not talking
about those
unable to work.
He's talking
about those
who can
but won't.
There's a general
reality built
into the fabric
of our world
that our provision
comes through
work.
And if we
enable someone
by giving them
a handout
who can work
for themselves,
we're not
helping them.
A couple of
examples.
Proverbs 12.11
says,
whoever works
his land
will have
plenty of bread,
but he who
follows worthless
pursuits
lacks sense.
Proverbs 13.4,
the soul
of the sluggard
craves
and gets
nothing
while the soul
of the diligent
is richly
supplied.
So,
do not be a
freeloader,
but as long
as you can
and you're able
to do so,
pay your own
way.
Number four,
do not be
burdensome,
but be generous.
Do not be
burdensome,
but be generous.
Now,
this point
is closely
related to
the previous
one.
We could say,
do not be
a burdensome
freeloader,
but here I
want to add
the positive
exhortation
to be generous.
Work diligently
to earn a
living for
yourself,
but also
to give
and to give
well to
meet the
needs of
those who
cannot.
Please,
by all
means,
go and
make lots
and lots
of money
and spend
it on
the kingdom
of God.
We need,
in the church,
people who
will do
this work.
The negative
part of
the exhortation
is found
in verse
8.
In their
setting example,
they intended
that we might
not be a
burden
to any
of you,
so do
not be
burdensome.
To establish
the positive
part of the
exhortation,
we need to
step outside
of our
text a
bit and
look at
some of
Paul's
other
teachings.
So,
it's
implied
there.
We don't
want to
be a
burden
to any
of you.
We could
then give
instead,
but let's
look at
some other
places where
Paul teaches
this.
So,
Acts
chapter 20,
verse 34
and 35,
Paul is
saying his
farewell to
the Ephesian
elders and
says,
you
yourselves
know that
these
hands
ministered
to my
necessities
and to
those who
were with
me.
Paul was
a maker
of tents,
so he
did this
along his
missionary
journeying.
Verse 35,
in all
these
things,
I have
shown you
that by
working
hard in
this way,
we must
help the
weak and
remember the
words of
the Lord
Jesus,
how he
himself
said,
it is
more
blessed
to give
than to
receive.
Another
place,
in Ephesians
4,
28,
Paul
exhorts,
let the
thief no
longer
steal,
but rather
let him
labor.
Now,
there's a
lot of
conjecture
about who
is specifically
being referred
to here,
the general
thief,
but many
understand,
believe,
that who
Paul is
addressing
are those
within the
church that
were being
idle and
receiving benefit
from the
church financially,
but they
could work.
They were
getting welfare
checked from
the church,
but they
could offer
something to
God's
society.
So let the
thief no
longer steal,
but rather
let him
labor,
doing honest
work with
his own
hands,
and I
love the
why,
so that
he may
have
something
to share
with anyone
in need.
So Paul
exhorts here,
the Thessalonian
believers and
us,
to not be
burdensome,
but to be
generous.
Fifth,
do not be
a busybody,
but build
up others.
Do not
be a busybody,
but build
up others.
Not
busying
themselves
with work,
some of the
Thessalonians
were becoming
meddlesome.
Verse 11
states,
for we hear
that some
among you
walk in
idleness.
It's a way
of life
for you.
Not busy
at work,
but busy
bodies.
The original
language could be
translated,
not busy,
but busy
bodies.
I think the
ESV translators
are trying to
help us
understand what
they're supposed
to be busy
with, right?
In the context,
they're supposed
to be busy
with work
rather than
with other
things.
But in the
Greek,
not busy,
but busy
bodies,
and it's a
play on words,
and Paul is
clever and likes
to do these
types of things.
So he's
saying,
not ergo
zomenos,
but peri
ergo zomenos.
That's what he's
saying to them.
He's playing
with two words
that are
similar,
but twisted
on them.
So you're
not being
busy.
Rather than
that,
you're being
busy bodies.
These busy
bodies were
becoming
troublesome.
They were
not building
up the
church,
but busying
themselves
in other
people's
business.
In 1
Timothy 5,
Paul instructs
Timothy not
to enroll
young widows
in the
financial care
of the
church.
And I
kind of
love that
it's
anyone
under 60.
So the
young widows
should not
be enrolled
in the
financial care
of the
church
because,
he says
in 1
Timothy 5,
13,
they learn
to be
idlers,
going about
from house
to house,
and not
only idlers,
but also
gossips and
busy bodies,
saying what
they should
not.
He's
saying if
you free
up their
time by
providing for
them,
rather than
them being
remarried,
having a
livelihood in
that way,
you free up
all their
time by
just writing
the checks
for their
bills for
them.
This is what
they're learning
how to do.
We're seeing
this as a
pattern of
a thing
that's happening.
Ladies,
this is not an
indictment on
you particularly.
This is for
all of us.
Don't be
idle because
you're going to
become a
busybody.
So,
work.
make yourself
too busy to
trouble yourself
with the
matters that
are not
yours to
be troubled
with.
I have
seen time
and time
again in
this fellowship
people with
way too
much time
on their
hands causing
so much
trouble.
If you're
having a
difficult time
busying
yourself,
let me
know.
I have
work that
you can
be busy
with.
People will
come to me
with troubles
and I say,
what do you
want me to
do about
that?
And I have
no answer
for that
kind of
thing,
but they
just want
to share
this is
what's
going on.
Okay,
well let's
pray for
this person
and if
you think
you have
a responsibility
you can
act.
I don't
think you
do though.
We need
to be
busier
very often.
We are
meant to
build each
other up,
not tear
each other
down.
So,
do not
be a
busy
body,
but build
up others.
And
sixth,
do not
tolerate
what
dishonors
God,
but
admonish
the
idol.
Do not
tolerate
what
dishonors
God,
but
admonish
the
idol.
And
this is
Paul's
primary
exhortation
in this
text.
It's
really the
big picture
of what
he's
trying to
say
here to
the
Thessalonians
believers.
He is
concerned
that those
who claim
to follow
Christ
are not
living in
a way
that is
honoring
to him
and he
takes
this
matter
very
seriously.
So,
a couple
of verses
kind of
in cap
our text.
Verse 6
and then
verses 14
and 15.
Verse 6
he says,
Now we
command you
brothers
in the
name of
our
Lord
Jesus
Christ
that you
keep
away
from
any
brother
who
is
walking
in
idleness
and not
in
accord
with
the
tradition
that you
received
from us.
So,
here's a
person
not
obeying
the
command.
Keep
away
from
them.
In
verse 14
and 15,
if anyone
does not
obey what
we say
in this
letter,
again,
not
obeying
the
command,
take
note
of
that
person
and
have
nothing
to do
with
him
that
he
may
be
ashamed.
Do
not
regard
him
as
an
enemy,
but
warn
him
as
a
brother.
And
the
church
should
discipline
the
idol
for
the
sake
of the
!
the
church
in the
world.
Out
of
fear
that
someone
here
does
not
know
what
proper
discipline
looks
like.
Maybe
church
discipline
is a
distant
concept
for you.
It's
likely
in our
current
church
culture
that it
is.
Or
possibly
you've
been part
of a
church
that's
really
tried
but
handled
it
so
poorly.
I
want
to
talk
you
through
the
proper
process
of
church
discipline
which is
found in
Matthew
chapter
18
verses
15
through
17
so
please
join
me
there.
Here's
a
Paul's
exhortation
do not
tolerate
what
dishonors
God
but
admonish
the
idol.
This
is
how
we
do
that.
Jesus
instructs
us
how
it
is
that
we're
meant
to
discipline
one
another
in
the
church
for
the
sake
of
holiness
and
it's
a
multi
step
process
it's
a
four
step
process
in
fact.
So
beginning
in
verse
15
Jesus
says
if
your
brother
sins
against
you
now
I
believe
that
he's
referring
to
both
sins
that
are
directly
against
you
right
it
would
be
my
responsibility
to
handle
somebody's
sin
against
me
somebody
gets
angry
with
me
and
yells
at
me
that
I
should
be
the
one
that
goes
to
them
and
is
restorative
and
corrective
but
I
also
think
that
includes
in
a
broader
sense
those
sins
that
are
just
egregious
to
the
Lord
right
that
we
are
we're
brothers
we're
part
of
this
family
fellowship
and
if
there
are
things
that
are
happening
in
somebody's
life
that
are
tearing
at
my
witness
then
that's
a
sin
against
me
you
could
disagree
with
me
on
that
point
but
I
do
think
that
Jesus
means
to
include
those
with
the
particular
situation
so
if
your
brother
sins
against
you
step
one
go
and
tell
him
his
fault
between
you
and
him
alone
if
he
listens
to
you
have
gained
your
brother
right
so
this
step
in
discipline
in a
healthy
church
happens
all
the
time
all
the
time
we're
going
to
one
another
we're
helping
each
other
check
our
own
blind
spots
so
often
we
don't
see
our
own
!
so
in
our
text
today
maybe
you've
found
yourself
being
a bit
lackadaisical
and
maybe
that's
because
somebody
pointed
it
out
somebody
said
hey
man
we're
working
together
and
I
just
think
that
you're
stealing
from
the
company
you're
on
Facebook
all
the
time
when
you're
supposed
to
be
making
sales
calls
and
you're
corrected
in
this
way
and
if
you're
a
follower
of
Jesus
Christ
we
hope
that
you
repent
you're
telling me
about
this
thing
so
you've
gained
your
brother
verse
15
Paul
says
in
our
text
sorry
not
Matthew
18
but
back
in
2
Thessalonians
chapter
3
he says
do not
regard
him
as
an
enemy
but
warn
him
as
a
brother
warn
him
tell
him
that
his
error
may
mean
that
he's
not
in
Christ
so
he
needs
to
repent
he
needs
to
see
this
in
his
life
1
Thessalonians
5
14
Paul
wrote
and we
urge
you
brothers
admonish
the
idle
encourage
the
faint
hearted
help
the
weak
be
patient
with
them
all
so
this
is
a
restorative
thing
right
we
do
it
out
of
love
and
concern
for
one
another
we
come
alongside
people
want
to
get
so
uptight
about
this
kind
of
stuff
don't
judge
unless
you
be
judged
they
take
scripture
out of
context
when
Jesus
goes
on
there
to
say
be
sure
to
remove
the
plank
from
your
own
eyes
so
that
you
see
clearly
you
remove
the
speck
from
your
brothers
right
there's
a
process
by which
we
are
meant
to be
encouraging
each
other
along
in
holiness
so
that's
step
one
if
your
brother
sins
against
you
go
tell
him
his
fault
secondly
!
Jude
says
if
he
refuses
to
listen
to
them
we
come
to
the
third
step
which
is
to
tell
it
to
the
church
and
Paul
is
talking
about
a
local
congregation
covenanted
together
members of
a
fellowship
together
that
take
the
word
of
God
seriously
and
take
sin
seriously
and
want
to
see
people
restored
!
in the process. They may not receive well the things that we say to them, but we want to seek
their restoration. And then if he refuses to listen even to the church, Jesus says,
even this institution that I've created that has authority to do this work, if he refuses to listen
even to the church, this is the fourth and final step, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax
collector. And Jesus there is saying, let him be to you as one outside of the faith. Paul says the same,
right? So this is what Paul means in verse six, when he says, we command you brothers in the name
of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you keep away from any brother who is walking in idleness and not in
accord with the tradition that you receive from us. And in verse 14, if anyone does not obey what
we say in this letter, take note of that person and have nothing to do with him, that he may be
ashamed. And the point is that the church says to this person, we take your sin very seriously. And
as such, we cannot associate with you as the church. We can't allow you to bear the name of Jesus Christ
any longer because we have concern for your soul. And so this process is an extremely healthy thing
for the life of a church, right? I hope I'm speaking to you and you're a member of our church and you can
say, yeah, it is. If you're not, you need to be part of a local fellowship, if not here, someplace else
that practices church discipline. It's an extremely important part of what even defines
a local church. This particular sin that Paul is addressing, this one that needs to be
corrected, it's not to be tolerated, right? It's so dishonoring to God, this form of idleness, right?
This mooching off of others, the burdensome freeloading, this lack of generosity, this
self-serving attitude, that it needs admonishment. He writes in 1 Timothy 5.8, to give you an idea of
the seriousness of this. He says there, if anyone does not provide for his relatives and especially
for members of his household. So here we have a person, he's speaking now of a man who is idle,
not providing for his own household, right? Not providing for his own household or those that
need help. So maybe an aged grandmother that needs his help. He's not providing for them. He says here,
he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever, right? Oh, he's got emotions about an idle man who
doesn't provide for his family. And so it's a serious matter. And so we ought not tolerate what
dishonors God, but admonish the idle. We ought not be idle, but work diligently. We ought not reject
apostolic teaching and example, but be doers of the word. We ought not be freeloaders, but pay our own
ways. We ought not be burdensome, but rather be generous. We ought not be busybodies, but we ought
to build up others. Beloved by God's grace, he is at work in our working, whatever that work may be.
Let us be a people who work diligently to the glory of God. Let's pray together.