I don’t really know anything about Crew other than there are several people in a long, skinny boat, working together to propel the boat through the water faster than the boat they are racing against.
But this week I learned something—how many of you have ever heard the phrase, “pull your own weight”?
Did you know that phrase originated in Crew?
Originally it meant that a rower must row with effect in proportion to his or her own weight. In other words, no one wants someone in the boat who isn’t contributing enough to compensate for their own body mass.
Everyone in the boat must pull their own weight if the entire team is going to succeed.
What is true in rowing is true in the life of a church.
The verses we’re going to look at this morning were written because there were believers in the church who were not doing what they were supposed to be doing—they were not pulling their own weight.
In other words, there were some who were not following Paul’s teaching or his example. So, Paul wrote to tell the obedient believers—those who listened to and began to practice what they were taught, how to deal with their disobedient brothers in the church.
2 Thessalonians 3:6–12
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. 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. 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. 12 Now such persons we command and encourage in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living.
Paul was simply saying that every member of the church must pull their own weight.
Every member of the church must take responsibility for himself and perform his share of the work in order to provide for himself, and not become a burden to everyone else.
And the reason Paul gave this instruction was to show the importance of church
God takes the church
The church is not an
Did you know that 15 of the 22 letters written in the New Testament are addressed to churches or to men who were serving as pastors of churches?
Did you realize that the only letters written by Jesus recorded in the Scripture were written to seven churches in the book of Revelation?
More than half of the New Testament is written to the church and for the church.
The church is not
The church is “the mystery hidden for ages in God, who created all things, so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known…this was according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Eph. 3:9-11)
God
There is an important principle here that we cannot miss—God never intended for members of a church to let other members do what they want to do.
Paul issued a command to the believers—they were to keep away from any brother who is walking in idleness and not in accord with the tradition they had received from Paul and his team.
This command was for believers to hold one another
What does idleness mean?
Idleness means disorderly, irresponsible, not submitting to the right order of things. In Paul’s day the word was used to refer to an apprentice who did not show up for work.
In verse 11 Paul defined the word as doing no work at all.
So, the problem was there were professing believers in Thessalonica who were capable of working, but they refused to work.
Why was this a problem?
Paul knew and taught that work is good.
God
God
Work is a
Work is good because work comes from God.
But some believers in Thessalonica refused to work. They refused to follow the “tradition” they had received.
You see, when Paul was with them, he passed down instruction that he had received directly from the Lord…
1 Thessalonians 4:11–12
11 and to aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you, 12 so that you may walk properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one.
In verse ten, Paul wrote:
2 Thessalonians 3:10
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.
Clearly, they heard what Paul told them, but they also saw the example he provided to them—Paul was not idle when he was with them, and he did not mooch off of others while he was there.
Paul, Silas and Timothy kept working night and day so they wouldn’t be a burden on any of the believers in the church.
But after hearing the word and seeing Paul’s example, they continued to ignore what they had learned.
Here was the real issue, those who refused to work were living in
Not only were these people refusing to work, but they had also become busybodies
When Paul says they were not busy at work but busy at being busybodies, he was saying that they started interfering in the lives of others in the church. The non-workers had nothing better to do than to stir up trouble. They were meddling in things that did not pertain to them.
Their actions were beginning to affect the unity of the church because they were a burden on those who were working.
So, Paul, based on the authority of Jesus Christ, ordered them to stay away from—to shun every brother who was walking in idleness.
Why?
For the good of the
For the good of the
For the good of
One author put it this way, “For Paul, Christianity was worthless unless it found its way into the fabric of life. How the church lived said much about what the church believed. If we take God’s Word seriously, then we will take it to work with us. That is, how we do our work will reflect on the One we claim to worship.”
But Paul didn’t want the offending believers to experience discipline only. Paul also wanted the working believers to
That’s the point of discipline—it is redemptive in nature.
Church discipline is not punitive, but remedial.
So, this message is a message of warning and encouragement.
Notice what Paul wrote in verse 12…
2 Thessalonians 3:12
12 Now such persons we command and encourage in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living.
No longer were they to be a burden to the church.
No longer were they to be a bad testimony to unbelievers.
No longer were they to neglect the will of God concerning work. They were able to work, so they were commanded and encouraged to work.
What does this passage say to CrossPointe church? How does it apply to each of us? Let me give you four actions to take:
First, never underestimate the
Second, always
Third, don’t be a burden on the church, be a
Fourth, accept and practice church
Life in the church is one of the greatest blessing God has given to His people in this age. But we must understand that every believer must pull their own weight.
Will you be a burden or a blessing?