Sermon Tone Analysis

Intro:

The title of this morning’s message is very short and to the point… Don’t be Lazy!

Here are a few things said about lazy people:

“He always does an honest day’s work—of course, it usually takes him a week to do it.”

“He’s so lazy they named a shoe after him—the loafer.”

“He’s so lazy, if he woke up with nothing to do today, he’d go to bed with it only half done.”…

As we have studied through 1&2 Thessalonians we’ve seen how we are to “Ready and (Actively) Waiting” for our Lords Return.

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…

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.

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…

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.