Good morning to everyone. Good to see you all this morning on a cool winter morning. I guess winter's set in officially now. We had 17 below at our house this morning when we left, so that's getting chilly, but that's alright. Nice sunshine today and we'll get used to it quick, and then when it gets up to zero, feels pretty good, right?

We're going to finish the book of 2nd Thessalonians this morning. We're working in these verses in 6 through 15, really on work. Paul talking about work and the problem they were having there in the church in Thessalonica concerning those who wouldn't work. Two weeks ago, we began a study on this doctrine, and we found that the Bible has a lot to say about work. 

We saw that last time in the greatest worker—God—who created all things, who sustains all things, who continues to work, bringing men to salvation, holding all things together. Jesus ever lives to make intercession for us. God is working all things together for our good, creating opportunities for witness and bringing men to Himself through the faith and the preaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ. So God is the greatest worker, our example.

We also saw that the Bible is clear and commanding work. It says six days—we think about the Sabbath and the rest in Exodus 20 there—but it says six days you shall work. We see this even in the context of the church in Thessalonica. Paul said, even when I was with you, he’d come to the region, remember, preaching the gospel, establishing a small group of believers. He was not there long, but he spent time teaching them about work. When I was with you, I told you these things.

This was especially important there because the culture was such that only the slaves did the work. It was below the people of any stature in society to do work. So this cultural rot was endemic to those people and their accepted norms, and this continued to be a problem even in the church. Paul, when he was with them, taught them to work and instructed them concerning the importance of work. And if a man does not work, he should not eat.

Then we see in his first epistle when he wrote back to them, he again has to teach them these things. We see one of the greatest commands in the scriptures concerning work written directly to the church, certainly for us. If you look at 1st Thessalonians 4 at verse 9, Paul said, "But concerning brotherly love, you have no need that I should write to you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another. And indeed you do so toward all the brethren who are in all Macedonia. But we urge you, brethren, that you increase more and more, that you also aspire to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, to work with your hands, as we commanded you, that you may walk properly toward those who are outside, and that you may lack nothing."

It's interesting to notice the context here—brotherly love. And we see the effect this can have in the body later in the second epistle. How is it they could increase more and more in brotherly love toward one another? Well, one way, Paul says, is that you aspire to lead a quiet life, you mind your own business, you work with your hands. In this, that you may walk properly also toward those who are outside and that you may lack nothing.

If we work and mind our own business, aspire, seek, strive to lead a quiet life, then that is an expression of brotherly love within the body, within the church. It's a witness toward those who are outside and it's provision for all of our needs. If we work hard, we will lack nothing. He says in way of food and clothing and shelter. We'll have something to share, and in this way, we won't be a burden to anyone else.

We saw this last time in Ephesians 4 verse 28 also, where he said, "Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need." And this is a transformation, a transformation from thief to philanthropist. When a man is in Adam, when he's an unbeliever, he's a thief. We talked about that last time. But being born again, being recreated, regenerated, we now want to work with our hands what is good that we might have something to share with him who has need.

So work is vital to a fruitful Christian life, to a thriving body of local believers, and also as a witness to the outside. I would say that this issue of work is important for us to understand and all the more as our culture is devolving around us from one of a solid Christian work ethic to one much more similar to what the church in Thessalonica had. 

I just received an email this week from the company in Manacqua who cleaned our carpets here at the church a couple months ago. After 16 years of successful business, they're closing their doors and selling their assets—not because of financial hardship or lack of business, but because they cannot find anyone to work. Why is it that no one will work? Why is our culture crashing so quickly, especially in the area of work ethic? 

I think a major factor is a move away from God. If you do not believe in God, if we've just evolved from some primordial soup, then there's no accountability. There's no real reward, no incentive to work hard. When you couple this with a government that pays you not to work, that gives you all you need and most of your wants for free, then what is the point of working? In short, men are eating but they're not working. The carnal mind will always choose not to work if there's no advantage for him to do so.

The lost man does not see the profit of work apart from personal financial reward, and they will only do as much as they have to to get what they can from their employer, from their government, from their world. If you don't have to work to eat, then all the benefits of work are removed from society, from culture, and you end up with what you're beginning to see all around you now and what we have seen around the world in fairly recent history.

But Paul's message to the church is this: Work is unto the Lord. Work is a gift from God. Work has so many blessings and benefits, and just because you are immersed in an anti-work, anti-God culture does not mean that work is not imperative to your Christian life and witness. On the contrary, this is true all the more as we shine as lights in this world and bring glory to God in one way by our work.

Let's look at our text, 2nd Thessalonians 3:6. He says, "We command you, brethren, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, that you withdraw from every brother who walks disorderly and not according to the tradition which you received from us. For you yourselves know how you ought to follow us, for we were not disorderly among you. Nor did we eat anyone's bread free of charge, but worked with labor and toil night and day that we might not be a burden to any of you. Not because we do not have authority, but to make ourselves an example of how you should follow us. For even when we were with you, we commanded you this: if anyone will not work, neither shall he eat."

For we hear that there are some who walk among you in a disorderly manner, not working at all, but our busy bodies. It's interesting to play on words in that verse. Paul says they're not busy, but they're busy bodies, and this is what happens when people have idle time. 

Now those who are such, we command and exhort through our Lord Jesus Christ that they work in quietness and eat their own bread. But as for you, brethren, do not grow weary in doing good. And if anyone does not obey our word in this epistle, note that person. That means to mark them out and do not keep company with them that he may be ashamed. Yet do not count him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.

Now may the Lord of peace Himself give you peace always in every way. The Lord be with you all. The salutation of Paul with my own hand, which is a sign in every epistle, so I write. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.

Well, we had four points on our outline from last time: the greatest worker, the command of work, and then today we're going to look at the example of work and the value of work. We looked at the first two points last time: God, the greatest worker, and all that He has and is doing, particularly through the person and work of Jesus Christ, and we saw the command of work so consistent throughout the Bible and even in the immediate context for the Thessalonians. Paul taught this when he was with them. He wrote clearly and forcefully in the first epistle commanding them to work. 

Here in this epistle, he moves to discipline for those who were still unwilling to work. We should note that this issue also may have been related to their misunderstandings concerning eschatology. As we've been studying, it seems like a long time ago, but you remember much of these books were about eschatology. They were taught that they were in the day of the Lord and thus the coming of the Lord was upon them in their minds, and I think some were using this as an excuse not to work. They had a great anticipation for the coming of the Lord and were waiting, looking for His coming, to a point where they were forsaking their obligations to themselves, their families, to provide, and to the church to produce and encourage and share, and to the world as a witness.

It's good to be watching, waiting, and anticipating Jesus' coming. Paul commends them for this in the first epistle. But we are to also be living as witnesses in this world, fulfilling our obligations, being faithful today. We are to be the best of the citizens of our culture, as an example of the transforming power of the gospel of Jesus Christ, and a large part of this is faithful working and providing, leading a quiet life, having something to share.

To be so focused on the coming of Christ that we quit our jobs and sit on our rooftops is to miss the point and purpose of the Christian life. It's not a Christian example, but when I was writing these notes, that reminded me of the old Heaven's Gate cult, and some of you are old enough to remember that in the '90s. They were going to hitch a ride on the comet Hale-Bopp, remember, and move to the next level? The tragic situation—39 souls killed themselves in a mansion in San Diego because they believed to be separated from their bodies they were going to be caught up, but they were sitting waiting. I think they had rolls of quarters in their hands, if I remember right—something strange about that. 

But there's no place in biblical teaching on the Christian life for complacency in this life, for idleness, or for indolence. Paul is teaching the believers here that they needed to work. They needed to be faithful. They needed to provide for themselves, for the church, for the work of the gospel, and they needed to be witnesses to the lost of what working under the Lord looks like in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation.

I remember when Sam got the job at the foundry. We were talking about it, and I said, just show up on time and do your job, and you'll be fine. And he did. He excelled. It's a shame. I remember when I was young, if you were late, there was somebody else standing in your place, you know? I mean, it was in high-demand. Jobs were hard, and now it seems like the standard is quite low. But it is an opportunity for us to shine as witnesses, as those who are honest and work hard.

So we've seen in our text the greatest worker, the command of work. Now let's move on to the example of work. Look at verse 6 again in our text: "We command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you withdraw from every brother who walks disorderly and not according to the tradition which you received from us." 

For you yourselves know how you ought to follow us; for we were not disorderly among you, nor did we eat anyone's bread free of charge, but worked with labor and toil night and day that we might not be a burden to any of you. Not because we do not have authority, but to make ourselves an example of how you should follow us.

Well, here we have a serious command from Paul. If a brother will not work, Paul calls this walking disorderly and not according to the tradition which you received from us. Then withdraw from him. Stay aloof. Do not fellowship with him, and tell him why. Admonish him as a brother. This is a serious matter, and this is the third time that Paul has given these commands, and yet some were still disobedient, unwilling to work. This was a real problem in an otherwise thriving church. 

These brothers who would not work were becoming a burden to the rest, causing strife and in danger of destroying the witness of the church. So Paul says, "Stay aloof and admonish them." If they are able and there is work—which was the case with these brothers—then they must work and eat their own bread. And then Paul gives himself and his companions as the example. He says, "You should follow us." 

We were an example to you when we came to you preaching the gospel. We were not disorderly among you, meaning we worked. We provided for our own needs—not because we did not have a right to be provided for by you, he says. This is clear teaching in the scriptures that a man who preaches the gospel should live by the gospel. 

In Corinthians, Paul goes on at length about this, about how he had a right, along with his fellow workers, to be supported for his work in the gospel. And this is the rule, 1st Timothy 5:17—let the elders who rule well be counted worthy of double pay, especially those who labor in the word and doctrine. The context here is financial provision, but Paul had a good policy when he went into a new area preaching the gospel. He did not, as so many itinerant preachers, demand to be paid or cared for or eat others' bread.

This was so the gospel would not be undermined. People could not accuse him of being in it for the money. I remember when I was in India, I preached in a village there, and it's interesting because the Hindu leader went up in a tower across the street and started playing recordings of these little girls chanting and he kept turning it up and trying to drown me out, and I preached louder. We had a big crowd of people there. 

When I got back on our little bus there, someone came to me and asked me to go into one of these little huts there and pray for a newborn baby who was sick. I went into the home, and there was a very young couple who looked like they were like 12 to me. I don't know what they were, but they were little and tiny people. I witnessed to them, I preached the gospel, and I prayed for the baby. 

Then they tried to give me some rupees. I told them no, because they were accustomed to having to pay religious leaders to pray for them. When I got back to the bus, I was telling Guy, and I sent some money back to them—a small amount to us, but nearly a month's wages for them—because we wanted to make sure that they knew that the gospel was not about money. 

Paul, when he came to Thessalonica, was trying to win men to Christ. He was trying to establish a fellowship of believers. He did not want money and carnal goods to become a stumbling block. Once a church was established and elders were set in place and men were preaching and teaching, laboring in the Word, it's clear that they should be cared for by way of provision. 

But Paul, coming to this new place, especially in a culture that despised work, wanted to make himself an example to them of how they should work with their own hands to provide for themselves and those who had a true need. He was preaching and teaching in the day, and he was sowing hides into tents at night. He wrote, "Nor did we eat anyone's bread free of charge, but worked with labor and toil night and day that we might not be a burden to any of you."

This was his example of how to work. We see the example of God, we see the example of Christ, and we see here the example of Paul and his companions who were working as well as preaching and teaching. When I was thinking about this, I think it's healthy for the preacher to work. I love to study myself full. I love to go out and then work with my hands and ruminate, roll over truths in my mind. 

It's good to have that work, to be outside, to become tired, and then sleep at night, all the while considering the truths of the Word of God. I wonder sometimes about the profit of sitting in an office and surfing the internet all day, interacting on social media, looking for illustrations, perhaps studying for hours and hours, but never having any release in the way of physical work to clear the mind and exercise the body. It may work for some pastors, but I find work to be a great asset in my life to study in preparation, to preach and teach. 

I think it's good. So we see Paul's example. Next, I want to look at the remainder of our text and see the value of work. Verse 10: "For even when we were with you, we commanded you this: if anyone will not work, neither shall he eat. For we hear that there are some who walk among you in a disorderly manner, not working at all, but are busy bodies. Now those who are such, we command and exhort through our Lord Jesus Christ, that they work in quietness and eat their own bread. But as for you, brethren, do not grow weary in doing good. And if anyone does not obey our word in this epistle, note that person. Do not keep company with him that he may be ashamed, yet do not count him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother."

Well, the consistent command of Paul, of God, is this: if a man will not work, neither shall he eat. What a simple, but yet profound statement, and what amazing implications this would have for society, a country, even a church. The problem in the church there was that some were eating other people's bread. They were becoming a burden to those who were working. 

And we should qualify again that Paul’s speaking to those who were physically able to work, who had opportunity to work, but were refusing to work. And that's most of the people who do not work even in our world today. If someone has a true need, cannot work or cannot meet his own needs through the work that he can do or find, then most certainly we should help him to meet his needs, as we see so clearly in passages like James 2. 

But this is not what Paul's talking about. These were able-bodied people, and there was ample work to be had. They were refusing to work, but were content to eat other people's bread. And for these, Paul says, quit feeding them. Stay away from them. Admonish them—get a job and eat your own bread. And how this would change our world, you know? Because if a man didn't eat breakfast and he didn't eat lunch, he'd be willing to work for his dinner, I assure you. Man will eat or he will die. And a man will work before he will die or even go really hungry. 

But as long as we keep feeding men who will not work, as long as we give them housing, cars, phones, television, internet, keep sending them checks every month, then guess what? They're not going to work. We understand that this is the way of the world, but this is not how it should be in the church. Unfortunately, this was occurring in the Thessalonian church. 

I'm thankful that here in the Northwoods of Wisconsin, in the UP, at least in our church and in this culture, there's still a good work ethic. We see the value of work. We appreciate working hard in this historically harsh place to live and survive, but the culture is making inroads even into the evangelical church in this area, just as it is in so many other areas. 

And we see a social gospel superseding the true gospel, and an emphasis on a good work ethic for the glory of God is becoming one of the casualties. I had someone ask me after the last message, "What about those of us who are retired? How does that fit into my Christian life and work?" Well, I don't believe that retirement is really a biblical concept, at least not in the worldly sense, in the sense that I'm going to stop all work, or I'm going to get enough money that I don't have to ever do anything that I don't want to do. 

I think this is one of the greatest times of life, the greatest opportunity for work for the Lord. Just because we retire from our 9 to 5, or 6 to 6, or whatever the case may have been, it does not mean that we are to sit around not doing anything we don't want to do. That’s no attitude for Christians to have. 

Besides, those I have known in the world who have had this attitude about retirement tend to not want to do anything and sit around watching TV all day. As believers, this is a time when we have more freedom, when we have lots of time to spend with others, to pray, to invest in others, and to bring encouragement, to speak truth and love, to give of ourselves, our time, our resources, like we never could when we were working and raising a family. 

So in a sense, there is more work to be done in retirement than ever before—the Lord's work. And that's why some of you who are retired are so busy. Work, in whatever form it takes, is a matter of daily faithfulness to God, and it is exercised ultimately for His glory. 

We also do it heartily because we believe that there's great benefit in it. It's a gift as well as a command of God, and it brings abundant fruit for ourselves and for others as we share. We need, as believers in Jesus Christ in our time and our world, to fight the great temptation to live and preach a social gospel. 

It's not our job to fix the world. It's not our job to support the lost of the world or even those in the church who are fully able to support themselves. The best thing for every man, woman, and child is to learn a work ethic and to learn that our work is for the Lord—that the Lord is our boss, that we can bring Him glory through how we work and live and share with Him who has need. 

This is a cursed world. There is profound difficulty, suffering, injustice all around us, and some are dealt a harder hand than others. But the worst thing for a man is to become a victim, to become one of the oppressed in his own mind, regardless of the reality of the difficulty of the circumstances. This is the push in our world and in much of the church today. 

But no matter the struggle, the answer is personal responsibility. It's hard work; it's faith and trust in the Lord, perseverance, and faithfulness—minding my own business, working with my own hands, eating my own bread, sharing with him who has a need. I watched an interview a while back of a prostitute—21 years old, been a prostitute since she was 13, had two little kids. Unbelievable situation, unbelievable hardship, difficulty, bound—no way out in Los Angeles. But the man who interviewed her was wanting to help her, and he got her—she was willing, and she was smart, you know—and he got her to another town and he got her a job, and he got her a place to live, and then she was providing.

I mean, I don't know if I've ever heard anyone who was in a harder place than she was. But she was beginning to see what life could be when you have a job and you work and you take care of your kids. This is what people need. Sometimes people have a real need, and we should meet those needs. We should not continually feed a man who will not work. He will not work; he should not eat. This is a serious matter with tremendous implications in the church.

The value of work is vast. Work brings meaning. Personal responsibility fosters growth. Work provides not only for our needs and the needs of our family, but also for the one who has need—an opportunity to help and to be a witness to someone, to preach the gospel to them. Our work is an amazing testimony in our world—a world where no one’s willing to work. Christians have been known from the beginning for their work ethic, their good citizenship. 

We are not troublemakers but a benefit to our communities and our world. This has been observed even by cultures as hostile to Christianity as Rome in the time of Paul. Christians have been known as those who work hard, care for the outcast, mind their own business, eat their own bread. Even though there’s a tremendous hostility to the message of the gospel, Christians are known to be good citizens, and this is how it should be. 

In Timothy, Paul says, "I exhort you first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth." 

It's fascinating that Paul ties a quiet, peaceable life in all godliness and reverence to the salvation of lost men. It's a great part of our witness. Even though the world is falling apart and it's easy to become discouraged, we must not grow weary in doing good. And this was apparently an issue in this church because of the believers who would not work. 

Look at verse 13 of our text: "But as for you, brethren, do not grow weary in doing good. And if anyone does not obey our word in this epistle, note that person. Do not keep company with him that he may be ashamed, yet do not count him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother." 

The value of work is health and unity in the body. When brothers will not work but become a burden to others in the body, this brings discouragement and disunity. Those in the church who were having to feed these people were in danger of becoming weary of doing good. And if a person with a true need came along, they may be unwilling to help. 

It was a discouraging situation with no apparent resolution for them. And we feel that sometimes in our world, don't we? Why should I work? Why continue to do good when the government takes it all and gives it to those who will not work? We must not let the injustice of the world make us bitter or selfish. We must not grow weary in doing good. 

We are here to foster health in the body—the church—and this is for the purpose of reaching the world with the gospel. Those people were feeding these guys. I mean, Paul had been there, taught them, he'd written them a letter, told them—there were still brothers. I mean, now they're like, "We've got to keep feeding these people?" I mean, are we stuck in this situation? 

Don't grow weary of doing good, he says. We're all to be working together. Ephesians 4 is so clear: "He gave some to the apostles, prophets, some evangelists, some pastors, teachers, for the equipping of the saints—for the work of ministry, for the edifying, the building up of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, that we should no longer be children tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine by the trickery of men, and the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting. But speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ—from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by whatever joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love."

The church is a body, a body of believers, and we work together to help each other, to encourage, to equip through the various roles that God has given us and we do our share. This is a place for building up, equipping, encouraging to then go out into the world to do the work of ministry, which is the furtherance of the gospel and the salvation of the lost. 

I read a quote this week from Randy Nelson, I have no idea who Randy Nelson is, but he said, "Christians get into trouble with the surrounding culture when they begin to condemn rather than to redeem. The Christian message and example may cause tension and problems with the prevalent culture, but this is to be expected. Nevertheless, Christians must continue to do good and to be good citizens, and this includes work."

The early believers in Jesus were persecuted for their beliefs and commitment, yet they continued to be good citizens. Attempting to change people by changing the culture first is counterproductive to the Christian ethic of love and servanthood and doing good. Battle lines are drawn that will take decades to erase when Christians engage the culture in unchristian ways, end quote. 

I think he makes an important point here. We need to see ourselves as redeemers. And by that I mean those who bring the Word, the message of salvation to this world, to the lost. Our first priority is to be witnesses, ambassadors for Christ, bringing the word of reconciliation, of redemption through faith in Jesus Christ. How we live, who we are, how we work—all contribute to our witness, our testimony, but the purpose must be redemption—not fixing the world, not solving the problems of the world. This is not our job. Jesus will take care of that. But saving people out of it. 

That is why we are here— as representatives of Jesus, carrying His saving good news. Do not grow weary of doing this good, the ultimate good, the very purpose for which God left us in this world, that the world may know that Jesus is the Christ.

One last important detail in verse 15: "Yet do not count Him as an enemy, but admonish Him as a brother." We are all working together in this body, growing together. We need each other. And sometimes we need each other to see the things that we are blind to in our own lives—those that inhibit our growth and hurt the body. It may be sin, it may be doctrine, it may be an area of life where I have not understood or brought biblical truth to bear.

For those brothers who would not work, they were not enemies, but they needed to be admonished as brothers. They needed to be taught, encouraged, even rebuked to correct this serious issue in their lives. That's a role that we all have at times, and it's important. And if these brothers would not repent and stubbornly continued in this sin after such a rebuke from Paul and admonition from their brothers, then they may need to be put out. But for now, Paul says, "Admonish Him as a brother." 

Well, in our study of this important text, we've seen the greatest worker. We've seen the command of work. We've seen the example of work. And I hope that as believers, we've seen the value of work. And that brings us to the benediction. 

Now may the Lord of peace Himself give you peace always in every way. The Lord be with you all. The salutation of Paul with my own hand, which is a sign in every epistle, so I write. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.

And it is the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ that we need, my brothers and sisters. Only by His grace, His power, His life in me can I see the fruit that I desire—the fruit of work, of faithfulness, of a life of witness for Him. It is by grace through faith as I look to Him, as I abide in Him, as I trust in Him. 

And in this way, and only this way can I keep myself from the cares and distractions of this world and all of its troubles, and keep my focus on leading a quiet life, working with my own hands, minding my own business, that I might be a witness for Him, that I might be an encouragement to my brothers and sisters, and that in all things, whether I eat or drink, or even in my daily work, that I would do all for the glory of God. 

That's why we're here. That’s what we're to do. Let's close in prayer.

Father, we thank You for Your words. We thank You for these great epistles we've been studying. We thank You that You're so good to us. Thank You that we can trust You, believe You, that You're working—that You're an example to us of good work. We thank You that You work all things together for our good, to accomplish Your purposes, to make us like Christ. In Jesus' name, we pray.