We thank you for our pastor and we ask that you please bless him with your Holy Spirit as he preaches your word tonight
In Jesus name we pray. Amen
Amen
Okay tonight we conclude the book of 2nd Thessalonians
And of course, we're in chapter number 3 and I've titled this sermon basically wicked and unreasonable men because that's what we see in
The beginning of the chapter here. We're gonna explain what that's talking about just a bit
But as I mentioned in times past that the theme up first in 2nd Thessalonians aside from the second coming of Christ
Aside from the rapture is just tribulation the fact that the Thessalonians are going through a lot of tribulation
They're suffering a lot of trials and it's not just tribulation of trials that stems from health problems or financial problems
Those are definitely trials and tribulations of this world
but more specifically it's in regard to the
Persecution that they're getting and we see in 1st Thessalonians that the persecution is actually so hot against them that potentially we could
we can
Speculate that they're being put to death
That's why the the the second coming of Christ is spoken of in 1st Thessalonians chapter 4 and the hope of his coming
so on and so forth and so a lot what Paul the Apostle is doing here is just kind of
Encouraging them exhorting them to continue in the faith in spite of persecution and in chapter 2
We went over the fact that he talks about the Antichrist and apparently aside from the persecution that they're receiving
You know on the other hand they're actually receiving people sending them letters or teaching them false doctrine
Teaching the immanency of Christ right they're talking about that
Jesus Christ can come in any moment and this is why chapter 2 is being written here
He's explained to them that you know that that basically there's some things
There's some events that have to take place prior to the second coming of Christ
And then he goes into a lot of end times Bible prophecy with the Antichrist we went over that last week
But now in chapter 3, it's just his final statements and he's basically telling them
Or explaining to them should I say that you know what they're experiencing is either that which Paul the Apostle has already
Experienced or will again experience in the future. Okay, so as he's praying for the Thessalonians
He's kind of encouraging them to pray for him, you know, and this goes to show us that you know
When we think of maybe trials and tribulations that we've experienced or that we're going through or that we're going to go through
Just remember this you're not the only one
You know and that's important to note because of the fact that sometimes people can have a mentality of oh
I'm the only one who's going through this or only I've suffered this tribulation or you know
I'm the only one who's experienced this type of agony and pain
But the reality is this is that there is no temptation taken you but such as is common to man
So whatever tribulation you're going through just know this is there's someone before you who's either experienced something just as painful or even
More painful than that and the reason that's important to notice because of the fact that misery loves company
Amen
You know
We kind of like knowing that other people have gone through the same things that we've gone through it kind of gives us a little
Bit of comfort and solace to know that people have experienced the same tribulation
Because of the fact that if you see them kind of abounding and pushing forward and still excelling and succeeding
It kind of encourages us to continue to go forward as well
And so let's look at a couple things here first and foremost
We're gonna look at the request of Paul and in verse number one
It says finally brethren pray for us that the word of the Lord may have free course and be glorified
Even as it is with you now you look at the Thessalonians. They're suffering persecution. They're going through trials
I mean, they're just you know
Satan's not letting up on them, right and what is this proof of this is proof that they're serving God
So when you serve God a natural result of that is that you're gonna suffer some form of persecution
I mean not every church in America is gonna get bombed
But you know every church in America who you know preaches righteousness and stands for right?
They're gonna suffer some form of persecution regardless of what level that is because yea all that will live godly in Christ
Jesus shall suffer persecution
So he's basically telling them hey what the Thessalonians the Word of God had free course
It's obviously succeeded in the Thessalonian area, you know people are getting saved. They're serving God
This is proof that the Word of the Lord has been liberated in this particular area because you know
People are not only getting saved. They're actually serving God and we obviously want people to get saved
We want people to to to to believe on Jesus Christ, but you know, we also want them to serve God, right?
We want them to take up their cross daily and follow the Lord and read their Bibles and come to church and
Live a Christian life you understand and so we would consider that as the Word of God having free course
And so the first thing that he requests of them he says that the Word of God would basically be without restrictions
Okay. Now look we obviously understand that the Word of God is not bound right in other words
It will never lose its power
Anywhere you plant the Word of God, it's gonna do something
This is why it's important that when you go sowing that you always plant a seed
Even though the person doesn't get saved, right?
Like for example, you know when I go out and preach the gospel if people are like, no
Thank you, or I'm gonna go grocery shopping or I'm playing video games or whatever lame reason they give
You know cuz any reason is more important than eternal life, right? You know, whatever reason they give I always say
well, can I just leave you with one verse to think about and
I've done that
Scores of times hundreds of times and I guarantee you that seed of God's Word
Germinated in that person's heart
I guarantee you that a lot of those people probably did get saved because of the fact that the Word of God is not bound
It's powerful, right?
You know, it's powerful. It'll it will
Germinate in the heart of the person that has received it and don't think well, you know
I just think it's pointless to just leave a verse with someone
You know, who knows what's gonna happen if if they do that, you know
Maybe they'll forget or they won't give heat to that. But you know at the end of the day we won't really know
Until eternity, right?
but we know by faith that it will do something because God tells us that it will and in fact go to Isaiah 55 if
You would hold your place there is a chapter 55
We're gonna come back to 2nd Thessalonians
chapter 2 in just a bit, you know, we need to have faith in God's Word and
Sometimes it's easier for us to have faith in God's Word when dealing with strangers than with dealing with their own family, right?
You know, we we just don't think we have in my family, you know, you don't know my family
They're Catholic they're whatever and it's just so hard to get them saved
Well, you know God's Word is as effective with your family than it is with a stranger
Because the gospel is the power of God into salvation
Amen, and what we need to pray is that the Word of God would have free course
It'll it would have free rain in that person's life
There'd be no restrictions to what the Word of God can do in that person's heart and in their mind
Look at Isaiah 55 verse number 10. It says for as the rain cometh down
We got we got some rain coming down right now even inside. Good night
I walked in here and I just drip drip drip everywhere, you know showers of blessing. Amen
Hey, it could be worse. We could be meeting outside
and
so
It's as far as the rain cometh down the snow from heaven and returneth not thither
But water at the earth and in our platform and the carpet and the seats as well by the way
You know and maketh it bring forth and bud
That it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater
So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth. It shall not return unto me void the Bible says
But it shall accomplish that which I please and it shall prosper in the thing where to I sent it the Bible says
What is the same, you know, wherever God's Word goes it's gonna accomplish what God intended for it to accomplish
Now look the Word of God can either you know be placed in someone's heart
germinate cause them to think about salvation and get them saved or
it'll push that person further into hating God and
Harden their hearts and it's still accomplishing God's purpose
In other words the Bible will just do anything
It can do it all you understand and it will do something now obviously our desires that
Person was a person will receive the Word of God and and get saved by it or even a Christian who is backslidden
They would hear the Word of God. It would cause them to think cause them to get convicted and change their ways
Amen, but what the Bible is teaching us here is that God's Word is not bound
It's gonna germinate in other words have faith in God's Word when you're dealing with your family have faith in God's Word
You don't think well man, yeah, but my family is different no, yeah, but your family may be different
But the Word of God is not different though
It's still God's Word. It can still accomplish that which God sent it to do now
There's obviously some hindrances to the Word of God being placed in someone's heart and germinating
We have the example in Luke chapter 8 and verse number 11 what the Bible says now
The parable is this the seed is the Word of God those by the wayside are they that hear?
Then cometh the devil and taketh away the word out of their hearts lest they should believe and be saved
So there's obviously times when the Word of God is hindered, but it doesn't minimize its power
the reality is this is that we need to pray that God's Word would have free course and
The implication there is that there can be some sort of hindrance to God's Word getting to someone you understand, you know, whether that's
preconceived ideas
Maybe it's false doctrine that they believe
Maybe it's just some sort of distraction that they have that would cause them not to receive God's Word
It doesn't mean God's Word is not powerful
It just means that the person who's receiving it has a lot to overcome you understand they have to overcome false
ideologies false philosophies whatever it may be and so we need to pray that God's Word would be without restriction that
Whatever soul winning place that we go to that the hearts would be open unto the gospel
You know when you go out and soul win you should before you start soul winning pray
Lord open the hearts of the people we're gonna speak to today
You know lead us to the people who want the truth help us to get someone saved today
Remove any hindrance any restriction may the Word of God have free course that basically means that
The Word of God can just shoot forward without any restrictions or hindrances that it can just accomplish that which God sent it
To do and the Apostle Paul is just basically saying that he's saying pray for us that God's Word would just have free course wherever
We go and you know
We can follow Paul's ministry throughout the book of Acts and see that there are areas where he had free course
like Thessalonica
Bunch of people got saved went to Athens bunch of people got saved went to Philippi bunch of people got saved
I mean he was very fruitful in a lot of areas because the Word of God had free course in those areas
But then we know that there's other areas where it didn't have free course like Jerusalem
You know it was restricted not because God's Word was not powerful
But because there were certain restrictions the only way that the Word of God can be made
Ineffective is by keeping people from hearing it you understand. That's the only way
All right, that's one of the only ways because another way think about this
You know is a way that the Word of God can be restricted is by you not preaching it
right
That's the only way that it could be restricted. You know I remember in the old IFP
they would often pray before like a sermon or something and
Or someone would pray for the preacher and and say something to the extent of like
May he feel the spirit of Liberty or something to say whatever he needs to say or whatever you know
And then pastors would often say like I feel like I didn't have the liberty to say certain things
You know don't blame that on the spirit
Don't blame that on the Bible. That's you
That makes you afraid of speaking God's Word because God has not restricted you from preaching God's Word
Right I've heard that multiple times the pastor was just like yeah
I went to this place, and I just felt like I was restricted
I felt like I just I wasn't given the liberty to say what I needed to say well. That's just called not being bold
That's not God's Word. That's not the spirit of Liberty right as
The Bible literally calls him the spirit of Liberty
Okay, what it is is just pastors who are just kind of basically like cowards who are not willing to just
preach what God already told them to do you understand and so
you know
Sometimes the Word of God can be restricted by people who are just unwilling to preach the gospel
The Bible says that we have this treasure in earth and vessels and it talks about the fact that you know if people aren't getting
Saved is because of us you understand
You know the Bible says that the God of this world had blind of the minds of them which believed not lest the light of
The glorious gospel of Christ which is the who is the image of God should shine unto them
And it says that we have that treasure in earth and vessels and he says later on
He says awake to righteousness and sin not for some have not the knowledge of God. I speak this to your shame
So if some have not the knowledge of God is because it's not because God's Word is
Void it's no it's just you know boring
It's because people are not awaking to righteousness to make known the righteousness of God to others you understand and
So he's praying there
He's saying let you know that the Word of God would have free course and be glorified
And you know what this is one thing that we should think about when when it comes to 2022
You know there's one thing I think about that the Word of God may have free course in our church
You know and if there does arise some sort of hindrance in our church where some false doctrine starts sleeping in we have you know
Reprobates or false prophets or whatever that those hindrances would be completely removed
You know and obviously that stems from me making sure that I'm a good shepherd in the sense of you know
Cut you know just nipping at the bud and making sure that stuff doesn't get in
But you know there's other churches that kind of just it's a free-for-all and
They allow anything in the church
And that's why God's Word is not as powerful there as it should be even though. They got a King James Bible
Even though they believe the right doctrines, but you know they're not necessarily removing the hindrances from the church
You know and so that's important. I mean think about this you know another hindrance to God's Word is just allowing sin into your life
If your heart is as fat as grease and you're not meditating upon God's Word your heart is just filled with sin
You know it's hard for you to pay attention to God's Word, right?
I mean doesn't the Bible say that the cares of this life and the lust of other things entering in choke the word and it
Becometh unfruitful all right you know that can happen to Christians as well
Where Christians are just so filled with the world they're filled with the cares of this life. They're filled with with
Covetousness and and you know the lust of other things entering in and then they're not really getting what God's Word says
Understand now obviously there's times when you're in church, and you just kind of space out, okay?
How many you've ever done that raise you just be honest all right? That's a shame on all of you. I'm just kidding
That happens right you know it happens where you just kind of like especially on a midweek service because the service is in between
You know the work on
Monday Tuesday Wednesday and the work tomorrow
And you're coming from work or you're going to work or whatever it may be and you're just kind of like think about other things
It takes a little bit of discipline to actually pay attention in church and not just pay attention, but actually try to you know
Put your heart into what's being said right so you can actually be a hindrance to yourself
Where God's Word is being preached and maybe something is being said that you need
But because your your mind is preoccupied with other things that things of this world the cares of this life
It can choke the word and it becomes unfruitful in your life understand and so
These are some of the things that we see here, and he says
Pray for us that the word of the Lord may have free course and be glorified
Even as it is with you. We want the word of God to be glorified. How is it glorified when people obey it?
Right when people obey God's Word they're doing God their doers of the word not here is only
They are glorifying God's Word go back to 2nd Thessalonians chapter 3
So
He says pray that the Word of God would have free course
But not only that look at verse 2 and that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men for all
Men have not faith, but the Lord is faithful who shall establish you and keep you from evil
We have confidence in the Lord touching you that ye both do and will do the things which we command you
So he says I got two prayer requests
One is that God's Word will have free course and then number two is that God would deliver us from reprobates
And
You know, it's like Paul. Why are you bringing those up?
why are you bringing people up like that because of the fact that he's living godly and
Because he's living godly he basically attracts a lot of freaks and weirdos who hate God's Word
So he's like we need to be delivered from
Unreasonable and wicked men, you know, I had a friend who used to say this the gospel light attracts some weird bugs
Right, he says the gospel light will attract some strange bugs
That's what he would say and thank God that it attracts people who are looking for the truth
They're looking for the light and they get saved but then it also attracts the worst scum of the earth as well
Especially if you're constantly preaching it you're putting out doctrine you're open your mouth boldly you're living a godly life
You're gonna get some people in your life who are just unreasonable and they're wicked. Okay
Now a couple things about this verse that are very important to note. Okay
First and foremost, we need to note that the people he's referring to is not just the general public
Because the general public is not unreasonable and wicked
Okay, and the general public
For the most part they have faith
Like everyone in this world has faith, right?
We could say generally speaking everyone has faith and what they have to do to be saved is place their faith in
Jesus Christ for salvation
Whereas the Apostle Paul saying that there's certain men in this world that have not faith
Now what is faith used for it's used to believe something right something that's not of substance something that you can't necessarily see
You accept it by faith right you believe something by faith
Well here it's telling us that there's certain people in this world that are incapable of that. They have not faith and
This is what the Bible would describe as reprobates
Now you can categorize this as sodomites you can categorize them as reprobates or as false prophets
They all fall under that category. Okay, or as wicked and unreasonable men and
The reason I say that they the Bible says that they don't have faith it's because God has removed their ability to have faith
God has removed their ability to believe you understand and in fact the Bible tells us that these
These people are ever learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth
So they can learn about the Bible they can read the Word of God
They can know all the the characters of the Bible and all the story
But they will never come to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. Why because God has removed that from their mental compartment
They're incapable of doing that why they have a seared conscience as the Bible puts it
Okay, they're ever learning never able to come to the knowledge of the truth and he says now as Janus and Jambres withstood Moses
So do these also resist the truth men of corrupt minds
reprobate concerning the faith the Bible says
So
You know not everyone in this world is like a Janus and Jambres because who's Janus and Jambres
These are people who make it their agenda. They put a considerable amount of effort in
Withstanding the man of God and the Word of God that's being preached that takes a particular wicked person
You know some people who just don't like Christians for whatever reason they're not gonna spend their life fighting Christians
the guy who slammed the door on your face and
It's just like didn't want to hear about Jesus and didn't really care what you had to say was rude to you
That person is not unreasonable and wicked. He's just he's just a sinner
Okay
The other category that this but the Bible is referring to is the category of people who?
Actually go out of their way to try to stop God's Word from being preached that takes a different level of evilness and wickedness
That means that they hate God they hate the Bible like oh, man, you're just exaggerating there aren't people like that
I mean he's saying it right here
and
They're so dangerous that they would even see to hinder the work of God
This is why Paul says that we would be delivered from unreasonable wicked men and in context
But actually the people who he's referring to is the Jews
The Pharisees the Jews those who are adherence to Judaism
These are the people who sought to hinder the Apostle Paul and in fact in first Thessalonians
We see that he addresses them and he said Satan hath hindered us and it was in context of the Jews
Okay, because Satan was using the Jews to stop the Apostle Paul from preaching the gospel like oh, you're just being racist
You're just racist against Jews well folks
It doesn't take much to see that when you read the New Testament
The greatest adversary humanly speaking of the Christians were the Jews I mean who's gonna argue with me about that
That's that's a common theme
That's an overriding theme of the New Testament is that the persecution of Christians was not coming from the Romans
Okay, I know people try to deter your attention from the Jews and place it on the Romans, but it's not from the Romans
We understand that the Romans executed Jesus Christ by means of the crucifixion, which is a Roman practice, but
The Jews are the ones who said his blood be on us and on our children. They're like we'll take credit for that
Let me just put it in modern terms. We'll take credit for that
Okay, and so will our children take credit for that. I mean think about that
And so that's who he's referring to now today. Obviously, there's a lot of Jews out there that are wicked and unreasonable
But this is just now referring to just in general there are people who are not Jews
Who are unreasonable and wicked who are reprobates who want to stop the Word of God from being preached?
And why is that because they know that the Word of God has power
To change the minds of the masses
I mean think about it if there's some atheists out there who hates God they hate our church. They hate us and
They're really an atheist. Why would they try to stop us?
If
You think what we believe is our fables and it's stupid and it's childish and it has no power behind it
Then why put such a considerable amount of effort to try to stop us if our God doesn't even exist
I'll tell you why because they actually do believe in God
They hate God and one of the me that one of the ways they they can disrespect
Him or or be irreverent towards him or blaspheme him is to say that he doesn't exist
While they try to stop him from carrying out the work of God. I mean, it's stupid
It's foolish, but these are unreasonable people
Okay, and another word for unreasonable in the Bible is implacable
Which is a term that Romans 1 uses when talking about sodomites
People who are given over to a reprobate mind the Bible says that they're filled with all unrighteousness and that they are
Implacable in other words, you can't appease them. You can't placate them. You can't try to reason with them
You know it that's why when it comes to you know fighting against the sodomites
We don't back down because whether you give in or you don't back down. They're still gonna hate you and fight against you
So you might as well go out with in a blaze of glory
You know and so
This is what he's referring to and we need to pray the word delivered from unreasonable and wicked men as well
Why because we fear them no not because we fear them because we fear God
We want to be delivered from them so that the work of God is not hindered because they can make the work of God
slow down a little bit and
Hindered and make things a little stressful in the sense of like, you know
We're just trying to serve God and they put these roadblocks
I mean, it's fun sometimes right to fight against the reprobates, but it can cause some sort of hindrances
Just as it did with Paul. I mean he wanted to have fruit among the Romans, but he was hindered
You know, he was led hitherto by the Holy Spirit at one point
But he was also hindered by Satan, you know through means of the Jews who stopped him from preaching the gospel
That's why he actually had to leave Thessalonica if you know the story
You know because the Jews of the synagogue were persecuting him. They were fighting him and he had to flee into Berea
Okay, and luckily, you know the Jews who were in Berea were more noble than those in Thessalonica
And that they received the Word of God with all readiness of mind and so God worked it out together for good
But you see how he he had to flee from one city to another
Why is it because the the the weather was too hot there or something and he just didn't like the location
He just didn't felt like it wasn't for him
No, he was forced out by unreasonable and wicked men who are trying to stop the work of God
And look folks we got to prepare for this, you know throughout our lifetime
That what happened on January. What is it? 25th?
21st?
That's not the only time that's gonna happen to us
And let me just remind you we're only four years in
This happened after four years
The church has only been around for four years
Yay on the fourth year that took place. I mean, what do you think's gonna happen in the next four years?
I don't know. I can't say I just I'm just gonna keep preaching God's Word and
You know expect that God's people are gonna back up God's Word and not gonna be afraid to get
Persecuted and fought against by the reprobates. That's why I'm preaching this to prepare you for that understand
But we should we should pray that we'd be delivered from that okay
Unreasonable wicked men for all men have not faith and this shows us that you know
Some people are incapable of believing even this side of eternity
Called reprobates, okay
They they can't believe on Jesus Christ
Well, you know what if what if they really just were seeking out God and I know someone who you know
They were involved in that they were a false prophet or they were a sodomite and now they turn their life around
They're just lying
It's called being full of deceit
Don't believe everything you hear
You know, let every man be let God be true every man a liar
They have not faith God has removed their ability to believe to have faith. This is proof of that. Okay, look at verse 5
I'm sorry verse 3 says but the Lord is faithful
Who shall establish you and keep you from evil?
Yeah, you might be hindered you might you know, they might bother you a little bit but God eventually will deliver you from them
Okay
He says we have confidence in the Lord touching you that ye both do and will do the things which we command you
So the Thessalonian Church is a pretty special church
He's like I have confidence that you guys are just gonna obey everything that I told you
You're just gonna take it. So these are pretty hardcore. This is a pretty hardcore Church
Like God said it let's just do it
We're gonna keep it
You know without question look at verse 5 and the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and to the patient waiting for Christ
so this is pretty interesting because he you know, he's going into he went into the subject of persecution and
Unreasonable wicked men all men have not faith and then he says he wants the Lord
To direct their hearts into the love of God
Let me explain what I think this is referring to here, okay
Because when you deal with not not many Christians deal with wicked and unreasonable men
Like not many Christians know the depths of Satan I
Talk to people who don't deal with any persecution at all as Christians and they they think I'm mean-spirited
You know, they think I'm weird. I'm crazy or whatever and and all these things and I'm just thinking myself
It's because you don't know these people
You've never been face-to-face with
Satan's minions
You've never been face-to-face. You've never been in Satan's seat and
and where Satan dwelleth
You've never been persecuted at this level. This is why you feel this way towards them
Because you don't really know them. You don't know the depths of Satan
Because to know them is to hate them
Right to know them is to hate them and when you get up close and personable to wicked and unreasonable man
you know the natural byproduct of a Christian because they love the Lord is to hate evil and
Because we know the depths of Satan
Because we've seen it with our own eyes
Therefore our hatred towards them is increased
And increases more and more. I mean David came in contact with with wicked and unreasonable men
This is why he said I hate them with perfect hatred. I count them mine enemies
understand
But he says that the Lord would direct their hearts into the love of God and I do want to say this is that
You know, obviously we never want to take away from our hatred of evil
But along with that you better make sure that your love is in is growing as well, though
You know coming face-to-face with wicked and unreasonable men should increase our hatred, but it should also increase our love for others
That's that should be the case our we should have more love for the loss
Because we came in contact with people in the depths of Satan say why
Well because of the fact that we don't want others to end up like these dogs
Right, and we don't want others to be affected by these dogs by these reprobates and it's for that reason that there are bowels of
Mercy should should yearn
For people that we should love people more because we hate more
Because we hate evil more. We should also love more
And you need to be very careful especially young guys
You know what would leaning too much to the hatred part and not enough to the love part
Because remember the Bible says be perfect as your father in heaven is perfect. What does that mean? It means be complete
you know
love your enemies and
Love the loss and love those who do you wrong. It's not talking about reprobates. Just talk about people in general
You don't want to weigh in on being such a hateful person that it just you can't even tell do you have the love of
God in you
Because you're just so hateful. We want to be balanced now
there's others who have they they have the superficial love of God where they just have no hatred at all and
That's also wrong
We want to be right there in the middle
Word, you know and obviously it's a balancing act sometimes where it's just like, you know, we're just kind of working on the love
of God but we're also working on hating things that hating those and hating sin and
Hating those who who hate the Lord and whom the Lord hates, but we never want to weigh in too much on one side
Because God wants us to be balanced people
These ought to you have to have done not to leave the others undone. God wants us to be balanced
He wants this to be complete and perfect
You understand and so he says the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God. Don't allow your heart to become hardened
after persecution
I'll be honest. That's that's a good temptation for me. I'll be the first to say it
You know
it's very easy to allow my heart to become hardened because I've known the depths of Satan and
And I've seen that persecution firsthand and so it's easy to just weigh in more on the hatred than on the love
But I have to check myself before I wreck myself. I
Have to make sure that I'm that I'm that I'm abounding in my love for the brethren
That I'm abounding in my love for lost people that you know, that's not being a hindrance to me to loving people you understand
Because God is love. Amen
And so we should be the express image of love here on this earth as Christians as as believers
We need a manifest the love of God in this world to people just as much as we manifest the hatred of God as well
He says the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the patient waiting for Christ
He's saying, you know persecution should cause you to love more and it should also cause you to look forward to the second coming of
Christ more too
You know when you're I don't know about you, but when I go through a trial
I really start thinking about the second coming of Christ more
I'm like man. I almost wish it was pretty trip. I'm just kidding. I almost wish it was imminent like it would come tomorrow. I
Started thinking about the millennial reign more
I think about the new heaven a new like like future events become more real to me
When I go through trials and tribulations because it reminds me that this world is not my home. I don't belong here
I hate it here a lot of the times, you know, you know, obviously we have a little heaven on earth
Amen by being in a church
but you know
sometimes you see all this filth and this garbage and all this nonsense that goes on and it just makes you look forward to something better
In the future and that's what it should do
Into the patient waiting for Christ
That's what God wants us to do seek those things which are above
Where Christ sitteth on the right hand of the Father he tells us to set your affections on things above
To think about heaven think about being with the Lord think about the millennial reign
These are the things that we should be thinking about and meditating upon remember to love and to be patient
These are good instructions. Amen
Look at verse 6
So now he kind of switches gears like he's talking about having free course word of God having free course as it is with you
Talked about these reprobates and how God is gonna deliver us from them and he says, you know
Remember to love and to be patient
For the waiting of Christ and then he's like, alright, let's get down to the nitty-gritty. Let's talk about lazy people in the church. I
Like how he just switches gears like that
Reprimanding for reprimanding believers for not being productive, okay
He says in verse 6 now we command you brethren in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ in other words God
sanctioned this command
He's like tell them this
Now we command you brother in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ that you withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh
Disorderly and not after the tradition which he received of us now. We'll look in just a bit but to say
Disorderly is referring to someone who is lazy
Someone who is slothful and the reason the Bible uses the term
Disorderly is because a man who does not work is out of order
God's order is for a man to work and
God's order more specifically especially if he's married is to provide for his spouse and for his family
That is God's order when he decides not to work and decides to be lazy and slothful
He's he's walking
Disorderly not according to God's order. Okay, and
He says you should withdraw yourself from people like that
Okay, so in general the standard should be I don't want to be friends or buddy buddies with lazy people
Slothful people people who just have no drive
No ambition. They don't want to work. They don't have a good work ethic. They're not hard workers. They're not doing anything with their lives
They're just kind of living disorderly
God says withdraw yourselves from them, especially those who are brothers
Because a brother is a Christian they have the Bible they've read through the book of Proverbs
They know what it is to be a worker because the Bible says it and if
They decide to be lazy and slothful. That means they're living in rebellion to God's Word
Now this would apply also to women
Not to say that, you know women should work on in the work field. Obviously, I don't believe that that's correct
I know there's in a sense exceptions to that rule, especially if a woman does not have a husband
Providing for her or whatever may be but in general the order should be that a woman should stay home and her husband should provide
For her but that's not to say that she's to stay home and just like watch soap operas all day or something like that
And just kind of hang out and go on social media all day
What it's referring to is that she should work at home
In fact, the Bible says be a keeper at home
There's plenty to do at home, especially if she decides to have not decides
But if they decide to have children, which they should you know that keeps you busy
having babies
Keeps a woman very busy
You say like with what though? Well, there's something called diapers
Okay, there's laundry to do there's you know
There is
Laundry to do kids to take care of house to clean clothes to wash and you know
Making sure that her husband is happy
it's a full-time job and
you know what this could also refer to someone who you know a woman who has a business at home and
Not every woman can do that. Obviously, you know, there's sometimes where people men and women they're hand
My wife and I call them handlers
Okay, this is someone who's able to juggle more than five six things at a time
Some people aren't able to juggle a couple things at a time, you know, there's certain people who are just handlers
They can take care of their husband
they can
Take care of the laundry and clean the house and cook the meals and have a home business at the same time and everything is
Just running perfectly or something. That's not for everyone. But sometimes people are like that you understand nothing wrong with that
The point is is that we should be characterized by productivity
Not by slothfulness and only getting on social media and you know
You're just kind of shooting the breeze and eating chips off your chest and just kind of wasting your time
No, you should be productive now if social media is part of your program
That's how you make money then that's you but you know, that's not everyone though
Right, it's not everyone. And so you should learn to be a productive person
Be a productive person learn how to work and if you don't if you're in our church
And you don't know how to work as a young man. Come talk to me or how about this young man?
Go talk to brother Glenn
He'll get you a job like that
He'll whip you into shape
How do you know cuz I've seen him do it for like the last year and a half two years
He often
Takes charge of the young man gets them jobs. He gets them driver's license
I
Mean word on the street is is they he'll even go as far as to like pay more and insurance on his car
Glenn will actually pay more insurance on his car so that the guys he's training to get a job can learn how to drive
To get themselves to work
Crazy
So he'll pay more insurance so that they can drive his car
So they can learn how to drive so they can learn how to take themselves to work to earn a paycheck
I mean you're without excuse at this church
There's no room for lazy young men in our church
There's no there's no lack of opportunity lack of admonishments, or it's like my dad just doesn't look okay
Well, you got yourself a spiritual dad right here that'll help you out quit whining
Shut up go talk to Glenn get a job. Oh, I don't have a car. Hey great. He'll teach you how to drive
Just remove all there's no line in this street
Glenn has poached every line. He's hunted every line in that street of excuses that you got going on there
What is the Bible telling us he's telling us don't associate with with slothful people because slothful people are wicked people to get involved in
sin and
They're not successful people folks the Bible says that the righteous are more excellent than than his neighbor
What does that mean excellent means that they excel
Constantly succeeding they're going forward they're doing something with their life
So he's saying separation from slothful people look at verse 7 for yourselves know how you ought to follow us
For we behave not ourselves disorderly among you
Neither did we eat any man's bread for naught
But wrought with labor and travail night and day that we might not be chargeable to any of you not because we have not power
But because excuse me
but to make ourselves and in sample unto you to follow us so Paul the Apostle had all the authority to come to this church and
Receive offerings from them and kind of live of the gospel there at the church
He did it for the purpose of teaching them how to work
He's like I didn't behave myself disorderly among you so I could be an example to you
So I can show you what it is how to work
And I don't know exactly how that would look because he was a tent maker
I don't know if you just showed him how to make tents or whatever maybe
But maybe he just showed them a good work ethic understand
So what we see here is that he set the standard on working, okay?
Look at verse 10 for even when we were with you this we commanded you that if any would not work
Neither should he eat
We need to give this to the guy who waits off of the 91 freeway
You know I have more respect for the Guatemalan chick that's off the freeway right here selling flowers
and
She's I see her there every day and boy. She has like pep in her step
Like she's walking. I mean she's power walking up and down
She's making it happen
She got a smile on her face. I don't know if she has her papers, but I'm just saying I'm just saying
She's making paper
Regardless if she has her papers or not she's getting her done
But then you go to some like Plaza
and
You have this guy with the mid fade his wife sitting there on a chair with their son, and he's like begging for money
Yeah
Wicked
Shameful have you no dignity
And the Bible says if if any would not work neither should he eat what is he saying here's a good motivation to work is food
if you're hungry
Hunger is a good motivation to get up and do something with your life because if not you're going to fast
For a very long time, okay
He says in verse 11 for we hear there are some which walk among you disorderly working not at all
but our busybodies
Okay, now today's vernacular. We just say like it's just someone who is
When we look at 1st Timothy chapter 5 in context of the women it says that they're busybodies going from house to house
They're tattlers busybodies understand well
You don't really have that today like ladies going from house to house what you got now is like social media to social media
where they just kind of spent all their time on social media, they're not really working and
You know and so they're just kind of behaving disorderly, but here it says that these men are being busybodies
They're just kind of being gossipers. They're not busy working. They're just busy moving their bodies to go find some gossip or do whatever
Now them that are such we command and exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ that with quietness they work and eat their own
Bread and what he's basically saying is just get a job
Learn to have some work ethic and look if you're in our church, you're a young man, and you're like, oh man
He's talking about me. You know, I don't have a job and I'm kind of lazy. Okay. Well, this is your admonishment
To learn how to work and look folks. It should be that when people come to church they learn these virtues
You know, we want to teach you how to be a Christian and how to live a godly life and love the Lord
But we also want to teach you how to like work
How to be a functioning member of society how to be a good husband
How to be a good employee how to be a good wife how to be good children how to just have a good testimony
You know and to just excel in the Christian life and to excel in life period
Where like be in times past you weren't necessarily a hard worker, but now you're like a manager or something
We have guys like that in our church where they moved up. They got two jobs
They're a manager and supervisor in one. They're just working their tails off. They're they're working in church. They're sowing
They're just involved. I mean, that's what a young man should be doing. He should be occupying himself for the things of the Lord
Amen, but these are things that you should be learning in church
Okay
By means of the preaching about means by the example and admonishments of others who are teaching them
Look at verse 13
But ye brethren be not weary in well-doing and if any man obeyed not our word by this epistle
Note that man and have no company with him that he may be ashamed
Yet count him not as an enemy, but I'd admonish him as a brother now
There is a teaching that for example one of my pastor friends has that says
he'll state that you know, he will excommunicate someone from a church if they're unwilling to work and
I'm not against that. You know what I mean? Like I that's great that he does that I personally don't believe that
To his fullest extent and I'm explained to you why but I'm not necessarily against if anybody does believe that or do that because there's different
Administrations in churches and you know what maybe that will motivate some people to get a job if they get kicked out of church
or something, you know and
You know, they bring up some good points as to why they believe that because it says don't keep company with them
You know withdraw yourselves from them and
It seems to use that same terminology that we would see with Church discipline according to 1st Corinthians 5
Now my only problem would be the fact that in verse 15 it says yet count him not as an enemy
Whereas when you look at the those who are being as communicated from 1st Corinthians 15 and Matthew 18
it actually says what to treat them as a
Heathen and as a publican
It's basically saying it's like they're like an enemy
Understand because when someone is excommunicated from the church, we're giving them over unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh
Whereas here it says, you know kind of withdraw ourselves from them that they may be ashamed
You know when we excommunicate someone from the church for the sins of 1st Corinthians 5 for heresy or you know
Because they're not willing to get right with another brother
We do it that Satan would destroy their flesh in hopes that they would repent and get right with God
It would humble them and they would come back and get right you understand
But here it says that they're not an enemy
So they're not as the heathen they're not as the publican
And in fact, he says yet count him not as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother
Now, what does it mean to admonish someone admonish does this just doesn't mean like instruct them
Admonish actually means to like strongly rebuke them to reprimand them
Okay. So what does that sound like? It's just like you're being lazy
Why don't why aren't you getting a job? This is like shameful
You're actually worse than an infidel according to the Bible. Oh, that's rough. Well, that's what it says to admonish them
now
Other churches who practice Church discipline for this might have run into situations
Where someone was unwilling to work unwilling to get a job and then they kept getting reprimanded and reprimanded and they're just like well
I'm not gonna get a job and I'm gonna stay here in church no matter what and at that point
All right, you know throw them out
I haven't personally experienced that in our church. I have experienced though
Where there's been people in our church who have families and they don't have a job. I
Find out that they don't have a job. It's causing strife and and problems in the marriage and in the family and
They reach out to me for help and then I find out he doesn't have a job and then I'm just like hey
The Bible says you're worse than an infidel
So why don't you have a job?
And
Okay, so just get a job this week
so your homework for this week is that you have to get a job this week and
I'm gonna check on you next Sunday to make sure you have it and
Then the next week they came and I was like, did you get the job? I got the job
I'm like great and then the next week, how's the job going? I quit the job
And I'm like, why did you quit the job? Well, this is now well that sounds like laziness to me actually
So are you being lazy?
Cuz now you're walking disorderly
so I admonished them I rebuked them I shamed them and
Here's what they did. They just left church
Just like I don't want to go back cuz if I go back he's gonna shame me more. Yeah
Because look folks any man
Can't live with themselves if they don't have a job
Just like a normal man
Has a hard time not working
Only men who have been just like raised with a silver spoon or something. They've just been handed everything
They just been baby their entire life. They just been you know nurtured in such a way
They just live in a bubble or something like that. You know, they just they they bathe in hand sanitizer and
You know, they're just they're not allowed to eat dirt when they're kids or whatever and
You know, they never got sick and once in their life folks I grew up in the hose drinking generation
where you play football on the street not on the grass on asphalt and
then you go to the hose you turn on the hose and
You know poor guy who takes the first drink because everyone knows that the first drink from the hose is the hottest part
You wait for someone else to drink out of that hose first
And then you drink it and get all that fluoride in or whatever and then you play you scrape your knees you bleed
You stay up all hours of the night. You come home your mama whips you cuz you stayed out too late
That's the generation I grew up in okay, but then you know, there's other generations where it's just like, you know, the consolation prize generation
You know, I understand that some sometimes they can grow up and be that way but you know what it's time for
You to put your culture away
Because it contradicts God's culture and take on God's culture and God's culture for a man is for him to work
Labor to love work to to to provide for others to provide for a wife to provide for children
His family and be a blessing to his church and be an asset to the church and not a liability
Man we should desire to be an asset to our church not a liability not an emotional liability
Not a financial liability not you know any type of liability you should be an asset a blessing to your church
Whether single or married well if I had a wife I'd be able to do more well do what you can not single
Let's see what you got
And
So, you know, that's what I consider to be an admonishment and look if someone hears this and they they just like now
I'm still gonna be lazy
Okay, at that point I you know, I just turn it up seven degrees hotter than I'll be like Nebuchadnezzar
And just tell them so you just want to be a lazy piece of crap for the rest of your life
This is why you're not gonna get married. This is why no woman wants you and
Just just admonish them like that
That's mean. Well, that's what it means to admonish them
And look if at that point they still don't get it. I
Don't know what to tell you like that's this is a hard-hearted person or so or they're just so slothful and lazy
That they just they're so lazy to even listen or something. I don't know
But I've never met anybody who would take a rebuke like that and not change something
And I'm not saying they have to be a CEO the next day or something like that
But hey go get a go go apply to Little Caesars or something
Go
Apply to McDonald's or whatever, you know apply somewhere get a job learn how to work. Hey in this church. This is
To be lazy is frowned upon
We like to hear that the young men in our church have jobs that they work that they're tired
And we like to hear that those same men come to church and they serve in their church
They're just serving others and living for others and they're living a godly life and they're reading their Bibles and they're lifting weights
And they're loving their parents and they're loving the church members and they love God
They love the Bible. They love souls. They're just spending their life serving God
That's what we want to see. That's what it's all about
I'm gonna play video games though. You didn't say anything about video games. Yeah. Yeah, I didn't say anything about video games
I'm glad you caught that
Now look if you are like, you know
You work for the you've got all your responsibilities covered and you want to play
What is dungeons and what are they what games do they have?
Call of Duty or whatever
My oh man
If you want to play some video game, all right, if that's what you want to do then, you know, don't tell me
But I'm just saying you should not be characterized now if you're playing video games, but you're not working
You're not working because you're playing video games then we got a problem
But I can't hate on you if you play video games, but you got all your bases covered I
Wouldn't recommend I don't think it's expedient for you to play video games
I think you could do something better with your life like prepare for marriage like read a book
Like learn a trade or or you know, come here I got work for you if you if you have free time or something like that
you know
Admonish him as a brother so you don't count them as an enemy an enemy is someone who you cast out of a church
I don't think this is what that's referring to. I think it's just basically saying, you know, don't hate the person but you know shame them
note that man and
Let me show you how we know people here when they when it comes to laziness we bring them to Glenn Glenn
This guy doesn't have a job
He hasn't had a job in long like he doesn't know how to work
You know, that's what that's how we note them
Okay, and so you say man, that's kind of rough man, I don't know that seems kind of well
I mean, we don't want people to walk disorderly in our church
want people to work hard and and learn how to be men and learn how to be productive and
And serve God and by the way, you serve God by working
When you're working at your secular job that you're still serving the Lord
Whatsoever thy hand find it to do it do it with thy might
You know whatsoever you do whether you eat or drink or whatsoever you do do all to the glory of God, okay
All right. Let's look at the concluding statements here says the verse 16 now the Lord of peace himself
Give you peace always by all means the Lord be with you all
The salutation of Paul with mine own hand, which is the token in every Epistle
So I write the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all
Amen, he's basically concluding it by saying, you know in all matters make sure that the peace of God rules
In your heart, you know, don't be overly anxious. Don't get stressed out
There's a lot of responsibilities that we have as Christians, but when you begin to get stressful or anxious
You know cast your care upon him for he cares for you. You know, God is in control of everything and
He knows how much you can handle
He knows that you're without a job and you're trying to get a job or he knows that you're struggling financially
He knows the situation you're in he's not gonna leave you high and dry
The peace of God
Needs to rule in your heart
By all means the Bible says and so great book here second Thessalonians dealing with an array of different subjects
But um, let's go ahead and pray will be dismissed father. We thank you so much for second Thessalonians 3. What a great great chapter Lord
Covering different factors there. And of course just walking disorderly. We as a church don't want to walk disorderly in spiritual matters
We want to make sure that we're doing the first works that we're maintaining good works
That we are
Evaluating our own works not necessarily
looking upon the works of others
But looking upon our own selves and proving our own selves and making sure that we're being productive for the kingdom of God
And the winning souls to Christ that we're discipling others
We're investing in others people's lives and then we're laboring in the word and in doctrine that we're studying ourselves
To show ourselves a proven to God a work a workman that needs not to be ashamed
Rightly dividing the word of truth
I pray God that you'd help us to do so
Help us to maintain a good work ethic in our church and in our personal lives
That we would honor and glorify you through it in Jesus name. Amen