From Comfort to Action (February 28th)

Trey sermon is entitled from Comfort to action and first week. We looked at chapter 1 and Paul was encouraged and it remember there's a righteous judgement coming and so put your faith in the righteous judge the second week. We looked at there was something lacking in their faith and We were reminded that. Jesus Is Our Hope and that he is coming again and that he has the power over the enemy and today we are looking at there was something lacking in their love and you don't really choose to preach 2nd Thessalonians chapter 3, but when password on asked me to do something through a book I said ice to 2nd Thessalonians and then you get to this passage and it's like what am I doing up here, but their love for each other and so I just want to begin by reading a passage of scripture from Ephesians chapter 2. Prayers for 2:10 but God being rich in Mercy because of his great love with which he loved us. Even when we were dead in our trespasses made us alive together with Christ by Grace you have been saved and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the Heavenly places in Christ Jesus so that now in the coming ages so that in the coming ages, he might show the immeasurable Riches of his grace and kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by Grace, you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing it is the gift of God not a result of works. So that no one may boast for we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God has prepared beforehand that we might walk in them.

This is basically a summary of the book of 2nd Thessalonians. We looked at the mystery.

Lawlessness there is a mystery at work in our world of sin that we can't just see Satan doesn't just show up at the mall and say I'm here it's a mystery and yet there is sin in the world and sin in our lives and it is deceptive and is trying to destroy us and Jesus says there's a righteous judgement coming and I have defeated Satan and I will defeat sin. But I'm asking you to put your faith in me and so special young people today this Sin is a mystery. It's it doesn't present as something that will be destructive right away. It looks pleasurable. And then there is a mystery of righteousness. We we don't see Jesus. He's hidden from us. He's in heaven and when he did come the first time he came wrapped up in a baby and nobody really knew who he was and of course he walks through this life and dies. There's a mystery of righteousness. We don't see him today. And so this idea that this would be good for me actually trusting Jesus and walking with him is good for me is not always easy to grasp because we do not see him and yet he's asked us to place our trust in him. And so one of the boys Bible studies we are looking we looked at the word faith last week faith is not just believing. Jesus is real. The demons believe that and have met him they know he's real faith is confidence putting our confidence not in ourselves, but confidence in this person that we can't see but are God's word tells us is true and powerful and will defeat the mysteries of mystery of lawlessness. And so we come to this third chapter of 2nd Thessalonians is broken down into two basic sections. There's Force 125 that Julia read General instructions from Paul to the Believers there and then 6:15. He really gets into some Nitty Gritty issues and he gets very specific. So Let's begin Paul opens with prayer and he's asked them finally Brothers pray for us that the word of the Lord May speed ahead and be honored as happened among you Paul is asking these believers who were a harvest a first fruits of Paul's Ministry when he went on one of his missionary Journeys, he came down the road from Phillipi and he showed up in thessalonica and the word of God had gone ahead. And there was this Harvest of Believers in this town of thessalonica. And Paul says we pray and we ask you to pray that the word of God would go ahead and that it would be honored in our work until Paul was off. He was probably in Corinth when he wrote this letter and he's looking for a harvest of a believer of Believers in this new situation and he's saying join me in Pray that the word of the Lord would speed ahead and have a harvest and so for you, what does your week old? You don't know we don't know past right now. We don't know what's going to happen in half an hour and we just pray that the word of the Lord would go ahead in your life and would produce a harvest of righteousness deeds in this coming week. And we pray that as our church ministers in many different areas supporting missionaries that the word of the Lord would speed ahead and so it is our prayer for you this week that I should have the word of God in you that it will produce a harvest of righteousness in your heart. And in those you come into contact Paul appreciated and valued their into sexually prayers, and so we need to be praying for each other. This is Paul was not above asking these new Believers for their prayer and so we should be busy at prayer and if you hear of anything about prayer An opportunity to pray get involved. It was Paul's desire that they join him in that task. And so Wesley. We need to be doing that. Paul had to then he asked to be delivered from evil men.

Verse to we pray that you would that we may be delivered from Evil and wicked men for not all have faith. He wasn't looking for a comfortable life. In fact, this is just a picture of a prison in Rome. He ended up here. God didn't keep him from Evil and wicked men. We hear the stories. He was beating he was stoned. He was Shipwrecked you as all kinds of things happened to Paul the purpose of his prayer wasn't so give me a comfortable life God it was Not all have faith the word of the Gospel needs to go out and we pray that wicked men won't prevent us from getting this message out. And so he asked them to pray that the word of the Lord would go forth. And and that these wicked men wouldn't stop that from actually happening and that God determined later in his ministry. You're going to have a better Harvest sitting in one of these then walking around free. And so that's where he ended up in jail. Jesus says in Matthew's gospel and this Gospel of the Kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to All Nations and then the end will come and so are the first two chapters. We heard a lot about the end coming but Christ has left us here with a task Paul was on Mission. He was living for the gospel and he's asking us to do the same the end won't come. Until we get the job done. And so Wesley Heights prayer. We need to be about the business of Prayer in order to make sure the business of the Gospel message is fruitful. And so let's be busy about both those things and then This is a passage of scripture tells us our God is faithful. He will guard you and he will strengthen you until we put our trust in him faith is not believing something it is but it doesn't stop their faith is confidence in the object of what we are believing there's three, but the Lord is faithful and he will establish you and guard you against the evil one.

Notice, he doesn't say. He will guard you against evil and wicked men. What about those people are giving me a hard time?

He's promised to guard us against the evil one. And yes, suffering will come into our lives people will treat us unfairly life won't be there. Injustice will happen in Jesus hasn't promised to remove us from all of that. But he has promised to deliver us and guard us against the evil one. Remember the mystery of lawlessness is at work this morning and is trying to deceive and destroy.

Jesus says

God will guard us against that if we stay in his word. 2nd Corinthians 4 so we do not lose heart though. Our outer self is wasting away. Our inner self is being renewed day by day and so wicked man may come a long suffering will show up in our lives. But God has promised to keep us for this light momentary Affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of Glory beyond all comparison. As we look not to the things that are seen. This world but to the things that are unseen the mystery of righteousness the kingdom of God. For the things that are seen or just transient but the things that are unseen are Eternal and so I've encouraged to go back and read the book of 2nd Thessalonians. Jesus is coming again and it's not going to be a mystery the first time it came. It was very mysterious of baby the king of the universe who created a tiny helpless baby that's called disguise that's called mystery when he comes again. He will not be coming. Mysteriously. It says he comes with his Myriad of Angels the shout and a trumpet blast and the whole world will know and so the things that are unseen now will become very real to us one day.

And so in this letter we have confidence in the Lord about you. This is Paul writing to the Believers that you are doing and we'll do the things we come and This word come and we're going to hear a lot about that in the next few verses Paul gets very bossy. In this third chapter and the end so we need to listen.

we have confidence that you will do what we come in and may the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God and to the steadfastness of Christ when I read that I just See Paul opens his letters with faith love and hope it's basically a little snapshot of the Christian Life in chapter 1 Faith. There's a righteous judgement coming put your faith in the righteous judge. It is the way to have the best life possible. chapter 2 hope Steadfast hope of Christ is our hope. Yes, the mystery of lawlessness is at work, but our hope is in the mystery of righteousness because he is going to overcome put our hope in Christ and it's their chapter love. Let us direct our hearts to the love of God.

So we come to this passage and I said Paul gets very bossy. So let's just read it through quickly. Now we come in command you Brothers. We command you Brothers in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ that you keep away from any brother who is walking in idleness not in accord with the tradition that you received from us for you yourselves know how you want to imitate us because we were not idle when we were with you nor did we eat anyone's bread without paying for it, but with toil and labor, we worked night and day that we might not be a burden to any of you it was not because we do not have the right but to give you in ourselves an example. To imitate for even when we were with you we would give you this command. If anyone is not willing to work let him not eat for we hear that some among you walk in idleness not busy at work, but busy bodies. That such persons we come in and encouraged in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly into earn their own living. For as you Brothers pass for you Brothers, do not grow weary of doing good. If anyone does not obey this command we stay in this letter take note of that person and have nothing to do with him that he may be ashamed. Do not regard him as the enemy that warned him as a brother.

I don't know why I'm up here telling you this sermon but I am Paul gets very bossy and he's commanding against idleness. And so before we get into it, I just want to go over some of why who Paul is and what he's doing here commanding us and telling us what to do and getting in our space other where Traditions was used in Chapter 2, and it was used here.

Call says according to the Traditions that I've brought to you and I just somebody said I just wanted to quickly go over that the word tradition describes the existence of biblical material before it reached its biblical form. So it's necessary to talk of tradition given the gap between the occurrence of biblical events and a Biblical recording of the event. So Paul was a well-educated man, Highly Educated man, probably from a wealthy family and he went around. Thought his mission. I'm going to persecute the church. I'm going to persecute Christians because they go against what I have grown up to delete and we all know the story. Jesus comes along and knocks him off his horse blinds him with his radiant Glory that came with Jesus when he comes and Paul is blinded and Jesus says, why are you doing this to me? Because I've got a job for you to do. I want to take your education and put it to good use and and of course Paul believes and he goes off Spence three years. learning meets the apostles and and here's the story of The Life of Christ. And so Paul learns from those who saw and heard. And when he then shows up in thessalonica, there's no New Testament that he's giving to them. He's learnt the Old Testament. He knew the Old Testament, but he was it was revealed to him what it really meant and he hears the stories from the disciples about the life of Jesus and and what Jesus taught and so He's been passing on this tradition that he's heard and he brings it and preacher sermons in the city of thessalonica. And and he calls these this the Traditions I'm bringing you the Traditions that were talk to me now. I don't know whether Paul realized that what he wrote in these letters would then become our new testament?

He knew it was a word from God. Maybe he did maybe didn't but what was tradition in the preaching became written down in a letter sent to the Believers and then through God's holy spirit that process of inspiration become and now we have the New Testament today. And so these Traditions are being taught and this process is beginning of how we get the the New Testament and Paul was chosen by God because of his skill. It was just too he was well-educated when you look at the New Testament. There's the four gospels The Life of Christ and then this history book of Acts on the early church, and then you getting all these letters from Romans to Philemon and they're all these letters from Paul that he wrote to churches into individuals this process of what God was revealing to him. Becomes the majority of the New Testament and they're not in any particular order that just really from the biggest down to the littlest and and his letter writing skill is seeing God is using him and say I've got a good job for you to do I need this written down because guess what I'm not coming again any day now like John and Peter and Paul thought it's going to be two thousand years that I need my message given to the world. And here we are this morning this process of until this written form quickly and Luke and Kings at some of it was actually written down. Before it was compiled into a book of the Bible and so people would write it down. And you know, did you remember what Jesus did and it was written down some of the events in other books that aren't part of the Bible oral form the passing on of Truth through spoken word. Of course in Deuteronomy. It's you know, we didn't have anybody from Genesis who was there when it got written down. It's an oral tradition that was passed on in Jeremiah Jeremiah was a prophet he would preach to the people of Israel and They were sermons and then God said we need to get these written down and so they call this fellow buruku comes and he writes down the sermon and in that then becomes the word of God some scripture has no tradition as part of its development you think of the Book of Revelation that that was just Paul. I got something incredible to show you canceled vision and There you go. That wasn't being passed around people are like what this is amazing and so Acts 2:42, they devoted themselves to the apostles teaching and to Fellowship in Breaking Bread. The early church didn't have the New Testament do we have but they had the eyewitness accounts and 1st Corinthians 15:4. I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received received from Christ receive from the the apostles Christ died for your sins. And then so brother stand firm and hold to the Traditions that you were taught by us when we were there either by our spoken word. or by our letter and so this tradition has now become our Bible and and it is what we seek to study and learn and follow and so he's been told by God to bring a four command chapter to the people of thessalonica. We come and you brothers and so

he's getting very bossy now. Before we actually look at it. This is the second letter of Thessalonians chapter 3 is the third time he's had to teach on this. So when he first came to thessalonica down the road from Phillipi he says, Aspire to live quietly. This is in the first book of Thessalonians chapter 4 aspire to live quietly and to mind your own Affairs and to work with your hands as we instructed you. So hit this is the first letter that goes out. He's reminding remember when we first came to you we instructed you on this issue. So teaching time number one, even when we were with you we would give you this command when we were with you. We taught you this all isn't with them anymore. So Don't be idle. Do your work? Okay, Paul.

No, I don't want to do that. Teaching time number to the first letter. So Paul's like okay, we taught them this and they didn't seem to listen and so he's writing them a letter saying okay. Remember I taught you this. Now I'm writing to remind you of this and in first chapter 5 of the first book, we urge you brothers and admont it to admonish the idle, encourage the faint-hearted. It's always originally he's taught them. Now. This letter has come the first letter. He's teaching them. Did they listen? No, they didn't and so this is the third time Paul's had to and so he's getting very come Indie. He's getting very bossy because they they hadn't listened and they didn't do what he had asked them to do until the second letter is coming and this time he spends this whole chapter on this issue because he's like, you're not listening. You're not listening to the word of God and so in this second letter we command you Brothers in the name of our Lord Jesus that you keep away from any brother who is walking in idleness and not in accord with the tradition. The preaching the letter that I have brought you and so for the Believers here. Is this issue of idleness if it existed when he first showed up? and

its existing when it's first letter came and now it's it's even a greater problem then. It was originally it's growing in problem. It's a it's an issue that needs to be dealt with and so he in first 12 now such persons. We command and encouraged in the Lord. Jesus to do their work quietly. So I don't dance.

I don't know if we haven't issue of idleness in our church.

But what we do know is that when God wants something done when he says it in his word. It's very important that we listen. He's not just saying how I tried that he's saying no, I'm going to keep coming at you and reminding you of what it is. I want you to do and so it we know in the Bible prayer is very important God's Paul invites them to to pray for him to join him in his struggle. What is the issue that God has for you to do that. He keeps telling you in his word and we kind of just go maybe later we see in this in this book. God doesn't let it go. He keeps Dawn at us. Until good work glorifies Christ in our church good work glorifies Christ, and we see in these people the primary issue isn't necessarily idleness. It's disobey deliberate disobedient idleness. They've been taught and they've ignored. Deliberate Disobedience idleness. I read that passage in Ephesians first verses God being rich in Mercy. Hear our heads are in the cloud. We're going to be with Jesus one day. But he brings us back down to earth. You're his workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works prepared beforehand for you to do. And so I look around our church. Who's doing the good works?

Well, it's not my job to determine that but what are you doing? What has God prepared for you to do. In the Assembly of Believers, is it prayer? Is it service?

That's between you and God, but I would encourage you to get on the page the Gods on and get busy doing what he's asking you to do each week. I know this weirdness of covid-19.

Don't ignore him. Because it gets very bossy when you do he will come back and get on your case and start commending. So command number one there. So I said there's four commands First Command is in verse 4.

And he just generally says do what we can and I'm an apostle. I've been chosen by Christ. And he sent me here to tell you something get busy.

Now in verse 6. His command is avoid the person walking in idleness. He's trying to get the people to stop being idle and it hasn't worked problem. I don't have seems to be growing and so he's telling faithful believe it. Okay to avoid the disobedient idler. What is an idler? It's as always in the Bible is not always as straightforward is not just somebody necessarily who's lazy the root word means order and so when we say Idol in its they had a prefix of his Disorder. So it's it's kind of disorderly Idol person in a military context. It's the lazy or idle person whose Rebellion refuses to obey orders somebody who is so kind of bucking the system and so he goes on to say that They are not working for a living. So yes, that is an issue just being out of a job isn't a problem in Paul's eyes if those that don't want to work. So the people who question in fact or they're very active people. It's not just that they're lazy people at the problem is they're doing the wrong kind of activity and so they are getting into places where they shouldn't be getting involved and they are becoming unruly so they're destructively idle people. Part of the the problem with the the reason the letter was written remember in chapter 1 a false letter had gone out or a false message had been given that the day of the Lord Has Come. And so they were extremely disappointed because the day of the Lord's going to be glorious, right? If the day of the Lord, my problems are still here something's not working with this whole Jesus thing and so they were discouraged and distressed. And so one thought is that these idle people were sort of self-appointed spiritual directors. And Paul is now saying avoid these idle people who are getting into your business and telling you things that they shouldn't be giving they're not giving you the Traditions that were passed on to me. This isn't the word of God and so they are disruptive and not doing the things that God wants them to do their starting to do the things that They wanted to and so Paul admonishes then if anyone does not obey what we say in this letter take note of that person. So he's coming and he's really establishing re-establishing his authority. I'm the one chosen by God to bring you the truth of the Gospel. I was chosen and the Traditions were passed to me stop listening to other people who are coming along and giving you something that isn't from me.

Do not regard him as an enemy, but warning has a brother there off track then and so avoid the idle. Person if you're a wanting to be faithful in Christ and doing the work that God wants you to do he says avoid those who are disruptive those who are doing the things they shouldn't be doing stay on your course that God has given to you and then he says don't walk in idleness. So avoid the idlers and now

For even when we were with you, we would commend you if anyone is not willing to work let him not eat do not be idle. He gives himself as an example of somebody who wasn't idle when he was with them and then come in number 3 to your work quietly. So when God is giving you something to do do it quietly in this kind of gives you a hint of The Idler is someone who isn't working quietly now. Don't make a lot of noise. Come here Friday night while we used to we make a lot of noise. That's good. It's not talking about the decibels. That's That's not the issue. The issue is getting into places where we shouldn't be getting no such persons. We come in and encouraged in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly into earn your own living for we hear that some among you walking idleness not busy at work, but busy bodies until we get this another picture what these people it's not just that they're not working. It's that they working at the wrong thing. It's not there. So they're not serving. They're just getting involved where they shouldn't be getting involved. They're becoming Busy Bodies. This word work in the Greek polis was doing a little bit of a play on words do your own work?

And instead of other people's work being busy buddy other work that you shouldn't be doing and so Paul says be about the business that God has called you to do.

I don't know what you're doing in our fellowship today, but God has a task for you to do.

Stay busy and doing what God wants you to do. It's very important Paws getting bossy about it. Make sure you're doing what God wants you to do. My dad is a is 88 now. but when he was about 80, he had been a missionary came back and I think he was teaching in grade for Sunday school when he was a tiki about the Lord's business keep doing what God wants you to do. There's no time to sit back and relax and not serve these God has things for you to do and so do not be a busybody do not be about what other people are serving in. Focus on what God has called you to serve in and so why does he give these commands or he gives three fours in for seven in verse 10 and verse 11 and 12 do this because it's the example we set for you. In verse 6 & 7 you became imitators of us and of the Lord. This was in the first book of Thessalonians be imitators of us and You became an example that others could follow and in the second book for you yourselves know how you are to imitate us. And so he's offering himself as an example. This is why God wants you to be busy about your work and not other people's work. And then it's a command from God. Just straight out. This is what God wants and I am his chosen messenger so listen

when we were with you, we would give you this command and then the consequences are sin.

In 1st Timothy, we get a bit of a broader scope of what this busybody is Stannis looks like besides that they learn to the idols going about from house to house gossip busybody saying what they should not say and so we should follow his example listen to the command and realized that when we get off track of what God wants us to do. We enter into an area where sin will reap a harvest and we will become a distraction from the work of the Lord and not doing the work of the Lord. And so I don't know. What your task is that God has given you it could be serving as a worship leader could be serving it downstairs right now taking care of children. It could be Bible studies prayer meetings witnessing to your friends at the church needs you to be attuned to what God is saying he wants you to do and Why? Why does God want us busy about the task that he's given us while he ends this chapter now may the Lord of Peace himself give you peace at all times in every way the Lord be with you.

peace when we're on track with what God wants us to do then there will be one a harvest of Believers people coming to know Christ. and there will be peace amongst us and so can I challenge you in what way are you contributing to the Peace of the family of God in your work? What are you doing? That is in line with what God wants you to do surveying in a way that God wants you to serve. And you know what day you're on the right track or not? by the penny how your interacting and affecting those around you. Are you bringing peace through your service?

If you're bringing Discord and confusion and distress. then Paul says stop at get back on track to what God has for you to do and don't get into what other people are doing. and then we will have peace in our fellowship and so as we close invite the worship team.

peace in your hearts What is it that God is saying for you to do that is going to bring peace in your heart in your person. Are you struggling with something? He's telling you to do that isn't necessarily going the way he wants it to go. You won't have peace until you deal with what God wants you to do. Peace in your home. young people don't want to pick on you. But are you contributing to the piece of your home? By doing what you're supposed to be doing and stop getting into what other people are doing. Are you at school? Not somebody who is disruptive and detracting from what's going on or you somebody that's contributing and being a peaceful contributor to what's going on with your parents. Are you on track with what God wants you to do? And you'll know that by the piece that exists around you in our church. What are you doing that is contributing to the Peace of our church that we need you we need you to be involved. We need you to be praying. We need you to be serving, but we need you to be doing it in a way that isn't causing distress or confusion or disruption or causing a lack of peace and then in our world in our world Do you have not seen him you love him? So mystery right now? It won't always be that way though. You do not see him now see him you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with Glory. That's who we should be right now filled with the glory of Christ bringing peace to those around us. Obtaining the outcome of your salvation Faith the salvation of your souls. That's beyond Mission Westney. Let's be contributing to the Peace of the World by bringing Christ The Glory of Christ to those around us and let's be contributing to the piece of Wesley Heights so that we may be affected by doing what God wants us to do in a manner that he wants us to do it. Let's not the idlers. Let's be on Mission as Paul was and is inviting us like you did those Thessalonians two thousand years ago.