Good morning my “Walking with Jesus” friends on this 4th of July 2023,
Today is an important day for our world, no matter the country in which you live or your country of citizenship. Why? Because on this date in 1776, a courageous group of 56 men signed a ‘Declaration of Independence” on behalf of the residents of 12 colonies of people. These people were so determined to live free from domination of a faraway king, that they put their lives on the line, by declaring their independence from the King of England.
Of course, it was not enough to simply sign a document. That signature required action, a fight for Independence. That fight became a war and cost the lives of many people, before finally Independence was achieved. The result of these events was the birth of the United States of America. That nation, perhaps more than any other in history, has been the source of huge amounts of help to almost every other nation in the world.
If you’ve never read the American Declaration of Independence, signed that day, or other major documents which form the foundation of America, I’d urge you to look them up on the internet and read them. They are remarkable documents, and you’ll notice frequent references to God and His role in the nation that these founders envisioned as those documents were written and signed. Those documents were a call to action and the framework for a society.
In recent days we’ve been looking at another profound document, which in part formed the framework for a new society, written nearly 2000 years ago. It’s a letter written by the apostle Paul to the Christians in the city of Thessalonica, Macedonia in the year 51ad. This letter is found in our Bible and called 2 Thessalonians.
As we join Paul, Silas and Timothy again today, Paul is dictating and Timothy is scribing the words Paul speaks, starting in chapter 3: “We have confidence in the Lord Jesus that you are doing, and will continue to do, the things we command. May the Lord direct your hearts into God’s love and Christ’s perseverance. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we command you to keep away from every believer who is idle and disruptive and does not live according to the teaching you received from us.” (2 Thess. 3:3-6) Paul is challenging the Thessalonian Christians to live a lifestyle that is God honoring and exemplary for everyone in the city of Thessalonica. Isn’t that God’s design for all Christians everywhere, in every city in the world? What does this look like in your city?
Did you know this was God’s design and intention for the nation of Israel in the Old Testament? Beginning in Exodus 19, when those Hebrew slaves, rescued from Egypt, gathered at Mount Sinai, God instructed them on how to live God honoring lives. Lifestyles which would set the standard for people of all ages, both genders, married and single, in every culture of the world! It starts with what we know as the 10 Commandments found in Exodus 20.
If you follow the story of what God instructed those people at Sinai, you’ll see a complete description of the characteristics and lifestyle of a people who live every aspect of life in honor of Almighty, Holy God. You’ll see it is possible as people live in obedience to and in relationship with Almighty God.
Paul knew the teachings of Exodus, Numbers and Deuteronomy very well and he had attempted to live like that since he was a boy. But rules and regulations became a life changing, dynamic relationship with God when Paul met the resurrected Jesus Christ! Now Paul had dedicated his life to helping people meet Jesus and learn how to live God honoring lives, filled with and led by the Holy Spirit of God, and set free from their sin bondage! That’s what Paul was talking about in this letter to the Thessalonian Christians. It was a challenging invitation to set the standard for their city!
Did you notice Paul cautioning the Thessalonians to keep their distance from those people who claimed to be Christians but did not live God honoring lives? Paul was very specific: “…keep away from every believer who is idle and disruptive and does not live according to the teaching you received from us.” “Believer” was, of course, a word Paul used to describe those who claim to believe in the Gospel truth about Jesus, and also claim to have trusted Jesus to be their Savior. However, Paul points out their behavior, specifically idleness and disruptive living, are evidence that despite their claim, they have not yet been truly ‘born again’ by God. They have not yet been rescued from their sin bondage. The Holy Spirit has not yet birthed a new spiritual nature in them. ‘Idle‘ and ‘Disruptive‘, two powerful words which Paul says deny the claim of the Salvation of Jesus! Now ponder that for a moment. What do you think about that, my friends, as you look across the landscape of your city and the people there who claim to be Christians where you live? Does that seem harsh?
Paul goes on to explain: “You yourselves know how you ought to follow our example. We were not idle when we were with you, nor did we eat anyone’s food without paying for it. On the contrary, we worked day and night laboring and toiling so that we should not be a burden to any of you. We did this… in order to offer ourselves as a model for you to imitate. For when we were with you we gave you this rule: ‘The one who is unwilling to work should not eat.“ (2 Thess. 3:7-10) Now, does that sound punitive or judgmental or discriminatory? What is Paul trying to say here and how does it fit with the reality of your city and mine in 2023?
Timothy had reported to Paul that because some false teachers had come to Thessalonica and distorted some of Paul’s teachings, some people, who claimed to be Christians, had actually quit their jobs and were idle, doing nothing but sitting around and waiting for Jesus to return! Of course as they did so, at least once or twice a day, they got hungry and wanted to eat a meal and caring friends brought them food. But those caring friends were feeling taken advantage of and resentment was building. In addition, those people in Thessalonica who were not Christians looked at this and thought those people had lost their minds, by walking away from their employment and expecting others to care for them.
Now, can you apply that to your city and mine? Do you see anyone who chooses not to work, chooses to be idle and yet expects others to provide for their needs? Paul says that is NOT behavior, or even thinking, that is God honoring or consistent with the teachings of Jesus. In fact Paul was very strong with his condemnation, did you see it? ‘The one who is unwilling to work should not eat.’
Now my friends, this is a great place for us to pause and reflect, especially when we see, in so many parts of our world, a growing unwillingness by some to work, or to be a contributor to society, combined with an expectation that society, or God, or someone will provide them the necessities to live for the idle! Paul makes it clear… that is not the lifestyle an authentic follower of Jesus Christ will choose to live. Rather, an authentic follower of Jesus will work diligently to provide for themselves and have enough to help and serve others! Now I invite us to talk with Jesus about that, my friends and we’ll come right back tomorrow to continue with Paul.
Today’s Scripture is 2 Thess. 3:3-10.
Choose below to read or listen.
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Bible images provided with attribution to www.LumoProject.com.
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Pastor Doug Anderson
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
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