The Point: Your work ethic comes from your worship ethic
Source: 2 Thessalonians 3:6-15
There is space between what you should and shouldn’t do, and something will happen in that space:
Worship or Idolatry
Paul is writing to the Christians in Thessalonica to remind them of the importance of worship in light of Christ’s final return.
However…
- They were getting lazy and selfish (this is the opposite of worship)
- They had poor work ethic because they were super focused on themselves… Their worship was making sure they were good enough
- They were relying only on church members to take care of their needs
- Making noise through gossip, slander, and bad noise about God.
Here is a reality we find…
Idle hands find idols
When you’re lazy you will find something to worship, because you were created to worship.
Let's see what Paul says.
6 Now we command you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you keep away from any brother who is walking in idleness and not in accord with the tradition that you received from us.
Paul here is fighting their continued wrong view of Jesus’ return, BUT he is also fighting the Greek culture that put more of the work on the slave rather than themselves.
The first time Paul addressed this, the people could claim ignorance, but this time there is no excuse…
“We command you… In the name of Jesus”
So what is the punishment for not following this order?
“Keep Away from any brother who is walking in idleness and not in accord with the tradition that you received from us”
- Disassociate yourself from them & remove the unhealthy influences
- Keep away from people with poor work ethic
This is church discipline.
- The idea is to isolate the perpetrator so that they may see their sin
- They can recognize the thing that needs to change
Paul is saying, “look around and identify those who are distracting you from worship.” (So let me ask you this….)
Identify the sin and realize who’s fault it is
7 For you yourselves know how you ought to imitate us, because we were not idle when we were with you, 8 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. 9 It was not because we do not have that right, but to give you in ourselves an example to imitate.
One of the biggest distractions from our worship to God is laziness.
If we are not actively seeking to worship God in our life, when we’re lazy, we begin to worship in the wrong way.
- Biggest temptation we face is to worship the creation over the creator
Paul has set the example with his own life. He worked for a living. He didn’t depend on the church to take care of him. The heart ache we feel with our children is the same heart ached Paul has here!
Paul is saying, “If you are worshipping, your are working”
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. 11 For we hear that some among you walk in idleness, not busy at work, but busybodies.
This is where it’s different:
What you are told today is if you don’t blatantly meet the needs of everyone, you aren’t being Jesus.
There are some needs that don’t need to be met
Compassion does not mean enabling someone’s laziness. When someone’s lazy, they feel that time with something else. This is not how God has intended us to be. God is not lazy. Every action of our salvation required work. GOSPEL
12 Now such persons we command and encourage in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living.
He can command them in the Lord Jesus Christ to work because the Lord Jesus Christ worked
We should work quietly and so we don’t have to be a burden to others-
But what happens if we lean into our laziness?
13 As for you, brothers, do not grow weary in doing good. 14 If anyone does not obey what we say in this letter, take note of that person, and have nothing to do with him, that he may be ashamed. 15 Do not regard him
