2 Thessalonians 3:6-18 Dealing with the Disorderly

Read 2 Thess 3:6-10

Intro:

Scripture Reading: Beau Wollerton

What a season to be thankful

God is doing a good work in our church and we are on the verge of celebrating his birth

We live in the best country in the world and experience freedoms that no one else on the planets enjoy

God was doing a good work in Thessalonica

The Gospel was spreading thru the region and the church was loving everyone God sent them

That doesn’t mean it wasn’t without its promises

There were a few people who were so convinced the rapture was happening soon that they stopped working

The problems was they were being a burden to the church by expecting welfare

They were becoming idle and disorderly

People were having to take their focus off of helping the lost and hurting by taking care of the lazy

Every generation has a group of people like this that try to skirt responsibility

Y2K had a group that was convinced the world was coming to an end

COVID has a group of people who thought they would never have to work again

Now we have a bunch of communists who think they deserve what we’ve worked for

Paul lays out very clearly how the church is to deal with the disorderly

Dealing with the Disorderly vs. 6-9

The first step in dealing with the disorderly is is to recognize the danger of Idleness

Paul hits the issue head on

He had issued a command while he was there and is reminding them of it

Anyone who is walking in idleness is to be avoided

They are being disobedient

Idleness = Disorderly

Their laziness was causing division in the church

Idleness causes the weight of the church to shift a few

It often leads the person into Gossip & Meddling

There were enough needs for the church to focus on, they didn’t need to take care of people who were capable of taking care of themselves

We can be guilty of being bleeding hearts and people take advantage of that

The problem is that they become a burden to the church or individuals in the church

Romans 16:17 ESV

I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them.

Withdraw from them

The idea here is not to associate

To cease to participate in activities with them

The reason for this is that it removes welfare and enablement

It forces them, if they are a believer to trust only in the Lord

Some think it is mean and unchristian to avoid those who are lazy

Especially if the husband is the lazy one and the wife and kids are loved by people in the church

We do them a disservice when we enable their disobedient behavior

Set the Example

Paul and his guys set an example to follow

They worked as tent makers in the marketplace during the day and taught the Bible at night

They were not idle while they were with them

They didn’t take anything that they didn’t pay for

They didn’t want to be a burden to the burgeoning church

1 Thessalonians 2:9 ESV

For you remember, brothers, our labor and toil: we worked night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you, while we proclaimed to you the gospel of God.

Toil and Labor marked their time

This is bigger than we imagine

Itinerant preachers would come through and fleece the people

vs. 9 Pastor’s Rights

A church is supposed to give a pastor a living wage

1 Timothy 5:18 ESV

For the Scripture says, “You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain,” and, “The laborer deserves his wages.”

Earn What You Eat vs. 10-12

The second step in dealing with the disorderly is to expect people to earn what they eat

As I explained earlier there were people who had quit everything to wait on the rapture

COVID Protests

In 2021, people were protesting and holding marches in SLO

About once a week they were protesting something

Then in the summer they did something different

They took over the Madonna St bridge

The next week all of the protests stopped abruptly

The reason? COVID unemployment benefits stopped

People in Thessalonica were going crazy with conspiracy theories about the rapture

They weren’t working and were becoming a burden on the church

It was more than a money or food issue

1 Timothy 5:13 ESV

Besides that, they learn to be idlers, going about from house to house, and not only idlers, but also gossips and busybodies, saying what they should not.

They were becoming a distraction

They were gossips and busybodies getting involved in everyone’s business

That drains everyone’s energy

Paul gets very direct when dealing with this issue

Earn what you eat

It’s a Command

He reminds them that it was a command that he gave when he was with them and one that he modeled himself

God created us to work

Sin made our work a burden

Yet, we aren’t fulfilling our purpose when we sit idle and don’t work

Idle Busybodies

There were people who weren’t working and instead were stirring up trouble

They were idle busybodies

Idle = avoiding work, having no purpose

Busybody = a meddling person

Idleness is a gateway for Satan to tempt us with sin

How many of you have had a coworker where their special gift is getting out of work?

They have mastered looking busy but are never productive

They always know everyone’s business

Work Quietly

Paul commands and encourages everyone to do their work quietly and earn their own living

Work quietly means to focus on the work you have and be productive

It’s blocking out all distractions

Text & Internet

Coworkers

Workplace drama

Don’t be a loudmouth or distraction

Ephesians 4:28 ESV

Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need.

Don’t Stop Doing Good vs. 13-15

The third step in dealing with the disorderly is to continue doing good

It would be very easy to get frustrated with idle busybodies and stop doing good

Helping out people who take advantage of you is a turn off

Fool me once, shame on you

Fool me twice, shame on me

When we give, when we do good things, as a Christian, it isn’t primarily for the person we are helping, it is an offering unto the Lord

We aren’t to concern ourselves with the outcome, but with the heart with which we come to serve

Paul told this to the Galatians

Galatians 6:9 ESV

And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.

Notice a powerful principle in that verse

In due season you will reap

The principle of sowing and reaping is threaded all through scriptures

You sow the seeds of good works and God makes them grow so you can reap the benefits

Don’t grow weary in doing good works

The reward isn’t the praise and appreciation of those you are serving, but in bearing fruit and pleasing the Lord

Extend Peace & Grace vs. 16-18

The final step in dealing with disorderly is extending peace and grace

People are going to go through phases of laziness

Warn them like a brother

If they don’t react have nothing to do with them

That isolation will bring them shame and make them want to turn things around

When they come back extend grace and peace to the person

Don’t hold their past against them

Don’t make them second class citizens

Give them grace and then forget the past

Give them peace by restoring them

Philippians 4:9 ESV

What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.

Yet you still have those crazies who are upset

They are screaming into their social media, threatening to leave the country, and even some women shaving their heads and threatening not to have sex for four years

The threat was so serious Planned Parenthood issued an urgent warning that they were losing most of their clientele