Get Busy

Context

Next week is Christ the King Sunday. We celebrate that Jesus will return at the end of time.

Lessons right now are focused on this future event.

We are in the Paul’s second letter to the Thessalonians.

As you will recall from last week: the Thessalonians had been upset and confused by some among them who were erroneously claiming that the Day of the Lord was already upon them.

In our lesson today: Paul addresses a practical problem which had emerged among those who thought that the end was at hand — they had stopped being productive members of the community. Since the Day of the Lord had come…why work?

We hear Paul’s response.

Text

2 Thessalonians 3:6–13 NRSV

Now we command you, beloved, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to keep away from believers who are living in idleness and not according to the tradition that they received from us. For you yourselves know how you ought to imitate us; we were not idle when we were with you, and we did not eat anyone’s bread without paying for it; but with toil and labor we worked night and day, so that we might not burden any of you. This was not because we do not have that right, but in order to give you an example to imitate. For even when we were with you, we gave you this command: Anyone unwilling to work should not eat. For we hear that some of you are living in idleness, mere busybodies, not doing any work. Now such persons we command and exhort in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living. Brothers and sisters, do not be weary in doing what is right.

Introduction

Bumper sticker: Jesus is coming, look busy!

Superficial appearance to trick God who just wants outward show of religion.

Exegesis

Paul makes reference to his visit to the Thessalonians. While he and his partners were there, they could have expected to be sheltered, fed, and even paid by the congregation that they were forming.

The apostles generally taught that the teachers of the word, pastors and apostles were to be supported by the communities they led so that they could devote themselves fully to preaching, teaching, prayer and guiding the community.

Paul emphasizes this point in his first letter to the Corinthians, citing the ancient law of Moses: do not muzzle the ox while it is threshing.

Take care of your pastor physically as they take care of you spiritually.

Peter and the other apostles subsisted on this kind of pattern, and most early church leaders did.

But Paul and his associates did not make use of this right. Instead of relying on the Thessalonian congregation to support them, they worked in the economy. Paul was a tentmaker by trade. So he worked, made his own money, and then ministered to the congregation for free.

Partially, this was because the congregation was not wealthy enough to support him or perhaps even struggling to support themselves. That is why he emphasizes, “we did not eat anyone’s bread without paying”; “we did not want to be a burden.”

Paul says they ALSO did this to give an example to support a command they had given to the Thessalonians: “anyone unwilling to work should not eat.” Or, in positive language: Everyone should earn their living.

They offered this command because: There was a emerging problem in the early church of people slipping into laziness, idleness, being busybodies.

The early congregations were distinguished in the ancient world by their communal focus and mutual care of one another. Christians gathered together not just to worship, but to pool their resources.

Acts 2:44 “All who believed were together and had all things in common;” The Christians would combine their resources to take care of the poor, the elderly, the widowed, the orphaned.

It was unusual to offer material support outside of one’s biological family. But Christians saw each other as extended family.

This generosity made a positive impression on around them (eventually gave rise to institutions we may take for granted now: hospitals, orphanages)

BUT the shadow side of this communal arrangement among Christians, was that some members of the congregation would take advantage of the generosity of others (shocking!) Instead of working and contributing, they would…mooch.

When the erroneous teaching that the Day of the Lord was at hand, members (moochers) gave up working entirely. Why work, why save, why generate money or be useful…when it is all about to end.

As a result they became a “burden” on the community. Exactly what Paul and his coworkers avoided.

So, when some members were working and giving, but others were being idle and consuming. Conflict and resentment would emerge…threats to genuine community in Christ.

So, Paul offers a strong corrective. Exhorts the LEADERS:

Do not tolerate those who are being idle.

Do not condone persons avoiding work, being busybodies, and not contributing.

We set you an example to follow. Demand that people work.

Exhorts the IDLE to get busy. Get to work. Support yourself and your community.

2 Thessalonians 3:12 “Now such persons we command and exhort in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living.”

Exhorts ALL: don’t be weary in dong what is right. By this he means, continuing to give , share and promote the common good, for the church and for the larger world.

In short: The Day of the Lord is not yet here, until it gets here: you should be productive, you should be doing good that contributes to others. Not draining, but supporting.

Interpretation

As a modern day congregation, we don’t pool all of our resources together to provide our necessities of life — Most of us rely on retirement funds, social security, hospitals, assisted living, funeral homes and cemeteries. Organizations that have grown up alongside the church. We have an advanced social infrastructure.

Yet, even with these resources in place, Lighthouse church, recognizes that at any give time our memebrs can find themselves in an emergencies situation.

Our Benevolence Team was formed to allocate funds to members to help deal with those situations.

An honor and a credit to us that we can do that. Please keep that in mind when you are in need.

As a congregation we also contribute to local needs beyond the congregation.

We have a food pantry that provides to the needy in our area.

We contribute to local organizations like Halifax Urban Ministry (HUM), to name one.

We collect Christmas Shoe Boxes to send to underprivileged children.

So, we are not really facing the same problem today in our congregation as Paul was addressing in Thessalonica. We aren’t in danger of our members burdening the church. Rather, you all give and you give well and serve, and you serve well.

So, I want to kick Paul’s message up to a broader level.

Remember, the problem of idleness had emerged in the Thessalonian congregation because members believed that the day of the Lord was already at hand = vanity to invest in the church and world.

They had quiet quit.

Quiet quit — showing up for work and doing the bare minimum to not get fired.

How many of us have looked around the world and thought — wow, things are pretty bad. And I don’t think there is anything I can do about it. Maybe I should just give up?

We still go to work. We still go to church (here we are). But we have “quiet quit” the world.

But Paul would warn us against that.

As long as we are in this world we have work to do and we should be busy doing it.

Jesus tells a parable in Luke 12. Saying, “blessed is that servant whom the Lord finds hard at work when he returns. If the servant says, my master is delayed, and begins to mistreat the other servants, to eat and drink, and neglect his duties…he will be punished. Blessed is the servant who is responsible and cares for those in his charge. He will be rewarded. For to whom much is given, much will be required.”

Each of us are servants who have been entrusted with work to do.

work to benefit the church

work to benefit the world.

We don’t get to quiet quit. Instead we do not grow weary in doing good.

Here is the surprise: when we rally to do good…we actually discover a whole new energy.

Scientific research shows that doing good — serving, being generous, assisting someone, actually does energize us and make us healthier: some call it the “helper's high" endorphins, activates the brain's pleasure and reward centers, and can lead to a greater sense of purpose and well-being. This feeling can lead to less stress, improved emotional health, and even physical benefits like better health and a calmer disposition.

It is good for us to be good.

You know this: worked at PACE center, went on the Mission Trip, volunteered time here at the church — and felt better for it!

Everyone wins when we are good. We ourselves win and others win and the world as a whole wins.

As Christians we know it is good for us to be good is true also on a spiritual level. God is good and does good to all. We are created in God’s image. It our God-given nature to do good, that is when we are being our most authentic selves and God’s energy, his spirit pours into us.

Paul says, let us not grow weary of doing good, but rather let us engage in doing good.

As long as we are in this world we have good to do.

Time is valuable we don’t want to waste it.

We don’t want Jesus to come back and find us on the quiet quit, idle, busybodies.

Our desire is that when Jesus comes he would find us hard at work, to doing good, managing our blessings and using them to bless others.

Application

So what is your good to do?

I’m already busy: Not to do more, but to do GOOD.

Main domains. Faith, Family, and Finances

Finances: Work. Be a good employee. Make your money. Provide for your loved ones. Save some of it. Give some of it to church.

Giving, tithing, offerings. Enables our church to be a spiritual home to anyone God calls here. Plus some of the money goes into mission work and denominational support systems.

Having your finances arranged helps you to do good.

Family: Build your relationships

Invest in your family

Make and keep friends.

It is hard to make time, but make the time. Have to schedule it.

Strong relationships keep you doing the good.

Faith: Be engaged in church.

Education

Fellowship

Worship

Strong religious commit keeps you doing the good.

Conclusion

Look busy, Jesus is coming.

Actually, be doing good right up until Jesus comes.