The Importance of Example
Living in the Last Days • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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As we all know today is Father’s Day and I think our text today meshes well with our responsibilities as parents.
Someone said there are three ways to teach a child:
By example
By example
By example
In today’s passage that’s exactly what we are going to talk about. While not everything we will discuss today is directly applicable to fathers or parents, EVERYTHING WE WILL DISCUSS TODAY is directly applicable to BELIEVERS!
It is so important that every Christian is a godly example for the next generation.
Regarding examples we find Paul’s instruction to...
Avoid Corrupting Examples (vv. 6, 14)
Avoid Corrupting Examples (vv. 6, 14)
Notice what Paul says in 2 Thessalonians 3:6
But 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 he received from us.
Also notice 2 Thessalonians 3:14
And if anyone does not obey our word in this epistle, note that person and do not keep company with him, that he may be ashamed.
This is a pretty serious admonition from the Apostle Paul!
First he says to “keep away from” any believer who is doing one of two things:
Keep away from any believer who is “walking in idleness.”
The idea is if a believer is conducting themselves in a DISORDERLY manner, and refuses to repent they need to be withdrawn from until repentance takes place.
As Knute Larson said:
Lazy and meddlesome people do not contribute to the sterling reputation Paul sought for the church
We will find out in just a moment that these idlers were also those within the church who refused to work. They had much time on their hands to cause trouble and to be “busybodies.”
God created us to WORK, and when we do not fulfill what God created us to do, SOMETHING ELSE WILL FILL THAT VACUUM!
By the way that goes for more than work…ANYTIME YOU ARE NOT FULFILLING WHAT GOD DESIGNED YOU TO DO, SOMETHING ELSE, SOMETHING SINFUL, SOMETHING DISTRACTING WILL FILL THAT VOID!
In 1 Thessalonians 5:14 he had told the church to “admonish” those who were “idle.” It seems after the admonishment, there will still some who were causing problems and the next step is to separate yourself from them.
2. The second group of people to avoid were those in the church who had rejected the TRUTH that was passed down from the apostles. We spoke about firmly holding on to that truth last week.
Not everyone who is a part of the local church is someone you should be patterning your life after.
There are some who attend the local church who are not true believers.
There are some who attend the local church who are backslidden and away from God.
There are some who attend the local church who are NEW BELIEVERS and are still learning and growing themselves.
There are some who attend the local church who are spiritually unhealthy, but they are trying to get well.
As Dr. Pic said, Paul was suggesting the church try
“social pressure in the form of a limited segregation,”
Knute Larson calls it:
“Peer pressure at its best…The purpose of this discipline was to make the offending persons feel ashamed… The members of the assembly were to withdraw fellowship so the person would feel the consequences of his action. These consequences would prove the individual’s heart. He would either repent or display prideful indifference
Avoiding a corrupting example should be a result to two important motives:
To hinder the corrupting influence of those who were lazy, disorderly, and those who were rejecting the apostles’ teaching from SPREADING. Just as yeast permeates every part of the dough, a sinful attitude can become contagious within the congregation.
To ultimately HELP the person. Our goal is not to hurt them, but to HELP them. Just as a surgeon may have to hurt a patient in order to help them, sometimes believers need to be “hurt” before they can be HELPED. We are not in the business of ultimately hurting people, but helping them. Even when we have to made hard decisions about what believers we have to avoid, our goal is for it to be TEMPORARY and HELPFUL, not hurtful.
The second instruction we see is found in 2 Thessalonians 3:7-10
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.
But as for you, brethren, do not grow weary in doing good.
Imitate Godly Examples (vv. 7-10, 13)
Imitate Godly Examples (vv. 7-10, 13)
Paul and those that were with him when he went to visit didn’t show up and just decide to live off of the Thessalonians’ generosity, although they could have. He defended the right of Christian ministers to be taken care of in 1 Corinthians 9:6-18. While they were there they worked hard, they paid their way, and they wanted to avoid being a burden to the church. They also wanted to serve as a godly example of hard work to the church.
Notice what he said in 1 Thessalonians 2:9
For you remember our labor and hardship, brothers and sisters. Working night and day so that we would not burden any of you, we preached God’s gospel to you.
As a result, Paul now urges these idlers to follow their example, and he also encourages the church to look to them as an example, rather than looking to the troublemakers.
Paul was teaching by EXAMPLE!
Remember the best way to teach is BY EXAMPLE, EXAMPLE, EXAMPLE!
The word he uses, translated as “FOLLOW” in the NKJV means “to IMITATE.” Paul wanted them to not just follow his words, but also his actions.
Now, this does not mean Paul was perfect, but as he said in another Scripture:
Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ.
So what is the church to do with those who REFUSE to work and have become meddler in the affairs of other and are content to live off the generosity of God’s people?
Look again at the last part of 2 Thessalonians 3:10
For even when we were with you, we would give you this command: If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat.
If a person can work for his own support, stop feeding them!
When we ministered in Erie, Pa we had several people who never darkened the doors of the church and never contacted us, or check on us unless they needed something. While some of these individuals had some struggles of one kind or another, physically they were able to work.
I felt bad for their struggles, and I wanted to help them and their families, and I wanted an opportunity to share the Gospel with them, but I came to the conclusion that just giving them a gas card or a grocery card was only NURTURING THEIR LAZINESS!
So I began to find things around the church for them to do. We had a food pantry and I would have the organize and clean the food pantry. We had a LARGE flower bed in front of our building that CONSTANTLY needed weeding and I would have them week the flower bed. Sometimes we needed help with snow removal and they would help with that.
The solved two problems. #1 It helped our church get some things done that needed to be done, but #2 it also gave these individuals a sense of dignity that they had put in an honest day’s work for what we were able to provide them in way of groceries or gas.
We wanted to help them, BUT WE DID NOT WANT TO NURTURE THEIR LAZINESS AND CONTINUE TO ENCOURAGE THEM TO NEGLECT THEIR RESPONSIBILITIES!
With that context in mind notice again 2 Thessalonians 3:13
As for you, brothers, do not grow weary in doing good.
When you feel like your kindness, and generosity is continually being taken advantage of it’s easy to get discouraged and begin to look at everyone through the same lens.
However, there are people that we can help as individuals and as a church that truly need our support.
There are those who CANNOT work and provide for themselves.
There are the ELDERLY who have physical conditions that prevent them from taking care of themselves and their families.
There are single mothers who have been abandoned who are doing everything they can to make ends meet.
There are elderly parents who may be neglected by their children who need our help.
WE SHOULD NOT LET THE IDLERS AND THE LAZY KEEP US FROM CONTINUE TO DO GOOD TO THOSE WHO TRULY NEED OUR HELP!
I’D RATHER BE GUILTY OF BEING TOO GENEROUS THAN BE GUILTY OF BEING TOO STINGY!
As we finish this morning we want to go back and explore what else Paul has to say about the bad examples.
As we said earlier, the main goal is to prod them to change and surrender to the Lord.
Notice what Paul says in 2 Thessalonians 3:11-12
For we hear that some among you walk in idleness, not busy at work, but busybodies. Now such persons we command and encourage in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living.
Seek to Help Bad Examples (vv. 11-12, 15)
Seek to Help Bad Examples (vv. 11-12, 15)
Before avoiding these individuals, which would be a LAST RESORT, Paul says that those who are idle, disorderly, and busybodies should be COMMANDED and ENCOURAGED to DO THEIR WORK and to EARN THEIR OWN LIVING.
I think we all know what a busy body is, but just in case you don’t it is SOMEONE WHO MINDS EVERYBODY’S BUSINESS BUT THEIR OWN! They meddle in the business and affairs of others.
Now take a look at 2 Thessalonians 3:15
Do not regard him as an enemy, but warn him as a brother.
Even though a separation may have to take place, Paul wants the church to remember these individuals, if they are truly saved, are still part of the body of Christ!
We say in verse 14 that the object of the church discipline is so the individual will be “ashamed”, repent and be RESTORED!
Once the misbehavior has been confessed, forsaken and forgiven the church is to move forward with this individual and help them to be a productive member of the Body of Christ.
The first step in being a godly example for our children and the next generation is to make sure we are
BELIEVERS OURSELVES. Have you have called on the name of Jesus and repented of your sins? Where are you leading those who are following you in eternity?
Secondly, as a believer, WHAT KIND OF EXAMPLE ARE YOU BEING? Ask yourself the question, “IF EVERYONE IN THE CHURCH WERE JUST LIKE ME, WHAT KIND OF CHURCH WOULD OUR CHURCH BE?”
Who are you allowing to influence you, your family, your mind and your thinking? Be careful. Someone said, “You are what your friends are or soon will be.”
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