An Example for the Church

2 Thessalonians 3:1–18 CSB

1 In addition, brothers and sisters, pray for us that the word of the Lord may spread rapidly and be honored, just as it was with you, 2 and that we may be delivered from wicked and evil people, for not all have faith. 3 But the Lord is faithful; he will strengthen you and guard you from the evil one. 4 We have confidence in the Lord about you, that you are doing and will continue to do what we command. 5 May the Lord direct your hearts to God’s love and Christ’s endurance. 6 Now we command you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to keep away from every brother or sister who is idle and does not live according to the tradition received from us. 7 For you yourselves know how you should imitate us: We were not idle among you; 8 we did not eat anyone’s food free of charge; instead, we labored and toiled, working night and day, so that we would not be a burden to any of you. 9 It is not that we don’t have the right to support, but we did it to make ourselves an example to you so that you would imitate us. 10 In fact, when we were with you, this is what we commanded you: “If anyone isn’t willing to work, he should not eat.” 11 For we hear that there are some among you who are idle. They are not busy but busybodies. 12 Now we command and exhort such people by the Lord Jesus Christ to work quietly and provide for themselves. 13 But as for you, brothers and sisters, do not grow weary in doing good. 14 If anyone does not obey our instruction in this letter, take note of that person; don’t associate with him, so that he may be ashamed. 15 Yet don’t consider him as an enemy, but warn him as a brother. 16 May the Lord of peace himself give you peace always in every way. The Lord be with all of you. 17 I, Paul, am writing this greeting with my own hand, which is an authenticating mark in every letter; this is how I write. 18 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.

1. An Example of Gospel Centered Prayer

2 Thessalonians 3:1–5 CSB

1 In addition, brothers and sisters, pray for us that the word of the Lord may spread rapidly and be honored, just as it was with you, 2 and that we may be delivered from wicked and evil people, for not all have faith. 3 But the Lord is faithful; he will strengthen you and guard you from the evil one. 4 We have confidence in the Lord about you, that you are doing and will continue to do what we command. 5 May the Lord direct your hearts to God’s love and Christ’s endurance.

Paul asks Thessalonian believers to pray for Silvanus, Timothy, and him in two ways:

“The word of the Lord would spread rapidly and be honored.” Some versions say “may speed ahead and be honored” or “spread rapidly and be glorified.”

“that we may be delivered from wicked and evil people”

Paul was more concerned about the success of the Gospel than about his personal safety. He was in Corinth.

“It is human to desire personal safety; it is divine to prefer the success of the Gospel.” - Broadman Bible Commentary (295)

As he considers the prayer of the Thessalonian believers, he comments that even though the people in Corinth are unfaithful he knows that the Lord is faithful.

How is the Lord faithful?

The Lord with strengthen Thessalonian believers

The Lord will guard Thessalonian believers from the evil one

Finally, Paul has confidence, not in the Thessalonian believers alone, but in the Lord concerning the Thessalonian believers, that they will follow Pauls commands, those he has already given and those he will give them in the following passage.

How does Paul’s request for prayer inform how we should pray?

How does the promise that believers are strengthened and guarded give you boldness to live out your faith?

2.An Example of a Christ Centered Life

2 Thessalonians 3:6–13 CSB

6 Now we command you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to keep away from every brother or sister who is idle and does not live according to the tradition received from us. 7 For you yourselves know how you should imitate us: We were not idle among you; 8 we did not eat anyone’s food free of charge; instead, we labored and toiled, working night and day, so that we would not be a burden to any of you. 9 It is not that we don’t have the right to support, but we did it to make ourselves an example to you so that you would imitate us. 10 In fact, when we were with you, this is what we commanded you: “If anyone isn’t willing to work, he should not eat.” 11 For we hear that there are some among you who are idle. They are not busy but busybodies. 12 Now we command and exhort such people by the Lord Jesus Christ to work quietly and provide for themselves. 13 But as for you, brothers and sisters, do not grow weary in doing good.

Remember why Paul originally wrote this letter to the Thessalonian believers. They were being told that Jesus had already returned a second time.

Some Thessalonian believers, due to the confusion of Jesus return, had stopped working and had become both idle and dependent on others for their daily needs.

Idle - (of a person) avoiding work; lazy | without purpose or effect, pointless

Think about a car engine - when you turn your car on and leave it in park it is idle, it is doing nothing but using gas, it is neither going forward nor reverse, its just sitting there using gas.

In the situation of the Thessalonian believers, being idle shows up in three ways:

not living according to the tradition

eating others food free of charge

busybodies

Not living according to the tradition - The tradition, for the Thessalonian believers would be the teaching Paul had given them while he was there in person as well as the previous letter, and this letter, that He had given them. Likewise, his manner of living before them would be an example for them to follow.

Eating others food free of charge - Paul is telling them that even when he was among them he took great care to not be a drain on anyone but to provide for himself as far as depended on him. This attitude of eating others food free of charge comes from those who have grown idle waiting on Jesus return and instead of being busy with work or busy about Kingdom work they are doing nothing. Therefore they cannot provide for themselves even to pay for their own meals.

Busybodies - The greek here says literally “doing nothing at all but doing around.” One commentary puts it this way “These theological deadbeats were too pious to work, but perfectly willing to eat at the hands of their neighbours while they piddled and frittered away the time in idleness.”

How does Paul respond to their idle behavior?

Paul commands the Thessalonian believers in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ - in other words Paul commands them as though Jesus Christ Himself were commanding him - to keep away, avoid their brothers and sisters who are living idle lives, who are avoiding the life of a believer. This does not mean they are not believers because Paul still addresses them as brothers and sisters, but Paul does tell the believers in Thessalonica to keep away from them.

Why might we need to avoid idle believers?

They can cause us to become idle

They can drag us into idle thinking

Share illustration of Twenty One Pilots puzzle that Tank shared with you.

This does not mean that anything which is not constantly thinking on God is bad, no but are we living lives that are lazy or idle in the eyes of God.

There is a healthy balance of resting in God’s goodness and working hard for God’s glory.

Paul gave them an example to follow: himself

2 Thessalonians 3:7–10 CSB

7 For you yourselves know how you should imitate us: We were not idle among you; 8 we did not eat anyone’s food free of charge; instead, we labored and toiled, working night and day, so that we would not be a burden to any of you. 9 It is not that we don’t have the right to support, but we did it to make ourselves an example to you so that you would imitate us. 10 In fact, when we were with you, this is what we commanded you: “If anyone isn’t willing to work, he should not eat.”

Paul goes on to exhort the believers in two ways

for those believers who are idle - work quietly and provide for yourselves

for those believers who are not idle - do not grow weary in doing good

This second command is likely one we all need to hear, despite what you are facing in life - do not grow weary doing good.

Illustration about not cutting corners when it would be possible to do so with Campus Police.

What are some example of someone who is idle in their walk with Christ today?

How should we respond to believers if they are living an idle life?

3. An Example of Church Discipline

2 Thessalonians 3:14–15 CSB

14 If anyone does not obey our instruction in this letter, take note of that person; don’t associate with him, so that he may be ashamed. 15 Yet don’t consider him as an enemy, but warn him as a brother.

Paul commands believers to take note of those who have heard the command to turn from their idle nature and not associate with them for a specific purpose: That they may turn in repentance of their sin.

We often handle church discipline innapropriately. We either use it as a way of singling someone out and rejecting them from fellowship for good or we do not practice discipline and allow them to continue in their sin.

Jesus tells us the best way to handle church discipline and Jesus is echoed by Paul in 2 Thessalonians.

Matthew 18:15–19 CSB

15 “If your brother sins against you, go tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have won your brother. 16 But if he won’t listen, take one or two others with you, so that by the testimony of two or three witnesses every fact may be established. 17 If he doesn’t pay attention to them, tell the church. If he doesn’t pay attention even to the church, let him be like a Gentile and a tax collector to you. 18 Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will have been loosed in heaven. 19 Again, truly I tell you, if two of you on earth agree about any matter that you pray for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven.

Paul is telling them they need to follow this - Call the brother out in their sin in the gathering of the assembly and if they refuse to repent then do not associate with them - so that he may be ashamed.

Yet, do not consider him as an enemy, but warn him as a brother.

2 Thessalonians 3:16–18 CSB

16 May the Lord of peace himself give you peace always in every way. The Lord be with all of you. 17 I, Paul, am writing this greeting with my own hand, which is an authenticating mark in every letter; this is how I write. 18 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.

How should we respond to a brother or sister who is caught up in sin?

How should we pray for them if they are caught in sin? We should pray together for them without being negative or gossiping about them

Maybe some are dealing with sin they do not want to give up. Maybe some of you are dealing with unforgiveness in your heart toward someone else.