"Don't Be Lazy!"

Paul has encouraged the believers to hang onto the hope they have in Christ because He is going to return, to Rapture His Bride, the Church. However, it would seem that there were some believers who missed the point.

They thought, “If Jesus is going to return soon, then the only thing I have to do is wait. I don’t need to work, because Jesus is coming back soon!” So they became lazy Christians… I believe that phrase “Lazy Christian” is an oxymoron…

Kind of like - jumbo shrimp, pretty ugly, working vacation…

A Christian, that is Ready and Actively Waiting for the Lord to return, cannot be a lazy person. This was an issue that Paul briefly touched on in 1 Thessalonians, and it would seem that some folks didn’t take it to heart… So Paul concludes this second letter with some strong words about the dangers of laziness and the value of good-ole hard work.

Lets look at these verses together… (Read 2 Thess. 3:6-13)

As a general rule, I tend to stick away from the versions of Scripture that are paraphrases... especially when I am doing an in-depth study.

However, I want to read these same verses to you out of “The Message” Bible… and just like my title, these verse are very blunt and to the point…

“Our orders—backed up by the Master, Jesus—are to refuse to have anything to do with those among you who are lazy and refuse to work the way we taught you. Don’t permit them to freeload on the rest. We showed you how to pull your weight when we were with you, so get on with it.

We didn’t sit around on our hands expecting others to take care of us. In fact, we worked our fingers to the bone, up half the night moonlighting so you wouldn’t be burdened with taking care of us. And it wasn’t because we didn’t have a right to your support; we did.

We simply wanted to provide an example of diligence, hoping it would prove contagious. Don’t you remember the rule we had when we lived with you? “If you don’t work, you don’t eat.” And now we’re getting reports that a bunch of lazy good-for-nothings are taking advantage of you. This must not be tolerated. We command them to get to work immediately—no excuses, no arguments—and earn their own keep. Friends, don’t slack off in doing your duty.”

Meat:

The issue that Paul is addressing is fairly simple… The church was doing what it was supposed to do. If someone came to the church with a need (food, clothing, shelter...), the Church would help in whatever way they could.

There were some people in the church that came to the conclusion… “If I quit my job, the church will provide for my needs” and thus, they became an extreme burden to the church and in turn, hindered the church from being able to effectively serve the ones that were truly in need and unable to work to provide for themselves.

To put it bluntly… People were “Playing the System”… They felt they were entitled to a hand out… able bodied people were taking advantage of the generosity of others and because of their laziness, they caused others who truly needed the help to suffer…

Solomon tells us in Ecclesiastes that “There is nothing new under the sun”… We still have people today that feel they are entitled to a hand out… We all agree that there are millions of Americans who NEED some sort of assistance…

I am very thankful for the different programs that are offered. That is where my families medical coverage comes from… and up until about 7 years ago, we were also on the food assistance program. So, yes, I am thankful for the programs that are offered...

But the system lends itself to abuse. There are so many eligible programs, that some Americans have figured out that they can get by on government assistance, so there’s no incentive to work. We have Americans who have a sense of entitlement. They think the government owes them something.

Dr. Adrian Rogers had a way of looking at a complex issue and making it simple. Here’s his take on people who feel that they are entitled to a handout. “Whenever somebody receives something without working for it, somebody else has to work for it without receiving it. The worst thing that can happen to a nation is for half of the people to get the idea they don’t have to work because somebody else will work for them; and the other half get the idea that it does no good to work because they don’t get to enjoy the fruits of their labor.”

The opposite of being lazy, is being active… with that in mind, I want to show you three …

Principles of an Active Christian:

Because, again, we are to be ready and Actively waiting for our Lords return.

First of all… an active Christian...

1. Knows Laziness is Contagious

Paul knew that Laziness is contagious and he didn’t want the faithful, active members to fall into its trap and that is why he says…

vv.6-7 “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. 7 For you yourselves know how you ought to follow us, for we were not disorderly among you;”

Knowing that laziness is contagious, Paul tells his readers…

1.1 Don’t Associate with Lazy People

As I said before, the phrase “Lazy Christian” is an oxymoron… a contradiction…

Lazy Christians freeloading off the working believers in Thessalonica motivated Paul to use some of the strongest language we find in any of his letters. He said, “In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we COMMAND you.” The word “command” was used when a military officer gave orders to his troops.

His command was to keep away from every believer who was disorderly, idle and lazy. Don’t associate with them… “Now Pastor, that seems a bit harsh don’t you think??”… Not Necessarily…

The church was a community, like a big family. But those who refused to work were creating a dysfunctional family… Don’t misunderstand what Paul is saying. He didn’t say to kick them out of the church; he just said to stay away from them. And he had a good reason for his command. If you hang around lazy people, you might catch what they have: Laziness. Laziness is contagious.

There are many verses in Proverbs that speak of the dangers of laziness. For example…

Proverbs 10:4 CSB

4 Idle hands make one poor, but diligent hands bring riches.

It is important to know that laziness is contagious and we need to avoid lazy people… call it, positive peer pressure. Lead by example, encourage one another to get more involved and pray that God changes their mindset about their entitlement.

The second principle that I want you to see is that… an active Christian…

2. Knows God Values Honest Work

Paul used the skills and talents that God had given him to earn money while on his missionary journeys. He didn’t want to be a burden on the churches that were just getting started and so he spent the night hours making tents to sell for income.

vv. 7-9 “7 For you yourselves know how you ought to follow us, for we were not disorderly among you; 8 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, 9 not because we do not have authority, but to make ourselves an example of how you should follow us.”

Most of the people living in the first century thought manual labor was undignified. Their poets and philosophers had a warped view of work. Homer, who was an ancient Greek author and epic poet wrote “the gods hated men and the way they demonstrated their hatred was to invent work and punish men by making them work.” They thought hard work was beneath them. That’s why they had thousands of slaves to do the heavy lifting.

Some uninformed Christians think hard work was part of the curse God put on humanity after Adam and Eve sinned.

Genesis 2:15 ESV

15 The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it.

This is in Genesis chapter 2… the fall into sin didn’t happen until Genesis Chapter 3… that means that God put Adam to work in the Garden of Eden BEFORE he sinned… God didn’t curse Adam and Eve; and He didn’t curse work. But God did curse the ground and from that time on Adam and Eve had to work harder.

Now there were thorns and thistles to clear away before they could plant. There were weeds that grew, and working became a backbreaking, sweat-producing endeavor. Work is good, but the reason work is often hard is because we live in a sinful world.

Even though work can be hard… Paul Says...

2.1 You Don’t Work, You Don’t Eat

v.10 “ For even when we were with you, we commanded you this: If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat.”

Before I get to far into this, I want to make very clear… Paul is talking about people that have the ability to work, but are unwilling to do so. He is not talking about people who are unable to physically work.

Believers who have the opportunity and the ability to work for their own food are to do just that… When Paul is writing his first letter to Timothy, he touches on this same subject and says this…

1 Timothy 5:8 NKJV

8 But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

This is a very important topic and must have been quite a problem back when Paul was writing these letters. He basically says, if you have the ability to work, but instead you choose to take advantage of other people, you are “worse than an unbeliever!”

That is a bold thing to say, but as Paul was directed by the Holy Spirit, that is what he said.

Again, please do not misunderstand me. Yes, we as believers and as a Church are to help those who are in need… And I have to say, that as a Church, I believe that we do very well at helping others… but there is not an individual, a church or even the federal government that owes a living to someone who is capable but unwilling to work.

An active Christian “Knows God Values Honest Work”, because if you don’t work, then you don’t eat… but also, if you are involved in honest work, then you are...

2.2 Not Meddling in Other People’s Affairs

Remember from our study through 1 Thessalonians…

1 Thessalonians 4:11 “11 that you also aspire to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you,”…

Paul is like the Pastor who gave a sermon one Sunday and the following week he gave the exact same sermon. This goes on for 4 weeks straight, all the while people were telling him how great of a sermon it was.

Finally, after his fourth time preaching the same sermon, an older lady of the congregation said “Pastor, that was a great sermon, but we’ve heard 4 times now, when can we here something different?” The Pastor replied “when people start following the instructions of this sermon!”

Paul touched on minding your business and working with your own hands in his first letter and since some didn’t listen the first time, he is mentioning it again. Only this time, he is a little more forceful with the principle.

vv. 11-12 “For we hear that there are some who walk among you in a disorderly manner, not working at all, but are busybodies. 12 Now those who are such we command and exhort through our Lord Jesus Christ that they work in quietness and eat their own bread.”

Paul is showing that lazy Christians are a double threat… not only are they a burden to the financial stability of the church, but because they weren’t working, they seemed to have a lot of time on their hands… and they became “busybodies”.

The Greek word that is translated as busybodies describes people who are always running around sticking their noses in everyone else’s business. A busybody is a meddler, a gossip, a troublemaker… a person who stirs up public outrage toward someone or their actions by spreading rumors or malicious gossip…

Know anyone like that? Chances are they’ve got too much time on their hands. And Paul says to avoid those kinds of people… And his command to lazy Christians was blunt… Again, using the paraphrased version…

“We command them, in the Name of Jesus Christ, to get to work immediately—no excuses, no arguments—and earn their own keep.”

Why???… Because God Values Honest Work…

Finally this morning… An active Christian will…

3. Be an Example to Others

Again, vv. 7-9 “For you yourselves know how you ought to follow us, for we were not disorderly among you; 8 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, 9 not because we do not have authority, but to make ourselves an example of how you should follow us.”

The reason that Paul didn’t take any payment from the Thessalonian Church was to be an example to them and they did not want to be a burden on the church.

It doesn’t matter if you are a student at school, or working a full time job, or retired… As followers of Jesus Christ, we should be living examples of the principles and instructions found in His Word.

Colossians 3:23–24 NASB95

23 Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men, 24 knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve.

A lot of people miss the full meaning behind what these verses are saying… Your classroom at School, Your place of employment, Your life of retirement is the platform God has given you to serve Him. It is your ministry. The way you glorify God in your school, your work, or your retirement… is by working at it with all your heart… and doing it in a way that honors Him.

3. Be an Example to Others

If you are working for the approval of Christ, you’ll always do more than the bare minimum…

In the time of Jesus, the Jews were under the domination of the Roman Empire. A Roman soldier had the legal authority to demand that any Jew carry his equipment for exactly one mile.

The Jews hated to do this, and they bitterly counted each step. At exactly one mile, they dropped the load and said with disgust, “There! I’ve done what is required, now don’t bother me anymore!” But Jesus requires a higher standard for His followers.

Matthew 5:41 NASB95

41 “Whoever forces you to go one mile, go with him two.

A Roman solider would not soon forget the person who cheerfully carried his equipment the second mile. Are you a one-mile worker? Are you a single-mile student? Do you do only the bare minimum expected? Or do you go the second mile and leave the mark of excellence on your work? People will always remember second-mile-work.

The best way to show excellence in your work is to imagine that Jesus is your boss. As Paul wrote in Colossian 3..., it is the Lord Jesus Christ you are serving.

Recap:

An Active Christian:

knows that laziness is contagious

Knows that God Values Honest work

and Knows that we are to be examples for others

and the best way to be an example is by…

3.1 Constantly Serving The Lord

How different would tomorrow look for you, if you woke up and said… “Jesus, today, I’m working for You. I’ll do my work or my studies, I’ll speak all of my words with the sense that you are the One I’m hoping to please.”… ???

Closing:

Folks, I am here to tell you that God cares about every area of your life. He cares about your home and family life, your school life, and your work life, your retired life… All that you do, matters to God. There is great value in honest, hard work. Laziness is a landmine that can destroy a person and anyone around that person… and we need to make sure that we do not fall into it’s trap…

Zig Ziglar, used to tell a story about a young couple lost on a country road. They spotted an old farmer, so they stopped the car to get directions. The man said, “Sir, could you tell us where this road will take us?”

With a twinkle in his eye the wise old farmer smiled and said, “Son, this road will take you anywhere in the world you want to go—you just have to keep moving in the right direction.”

Folks, Life is all about the journey, not just the destination… The question is; Are you heading in the right direction?

I will close with the words of the Apostle Paul in v.13 of our passage…

“But as for you, brethren, do not grow weary in doing good.”

Prayer:

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