Legacy: 9 to 5

August 29th, 2021/Riverside & Lookout

Passage: 2 Thessalonians 3:6-13 CSB

Now we command you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to keep away from every brother or sister who is idle and does not live according to the tradition received from us. 7 For you yourselves know how you should imitate us: We were not idle among you; 8 we did not eat anyone’s food free of charge; instead, we labored and toiled, working night and day, so that we would not be a burden to any of you. 9 It is not that we don’t have the right to support, but we did it to make ourselves an example to you so that you would imitate us. 10 In fact, when we were with you, this is what we commanded you: “If anyone isn’t willing to work, he should not eat.” 11 For we hear that there are some among you who are idle. They are not busy but busybodies. 12 Now we command and exhort such people by the Lord Jesus Christ to work quietly and provide for themselves. 13 But as for you, brothers and sisters, do not grow weary in doing good.

Pray:

Background:

Paul had already encouraged them in his first letter to not live idle lives. But it appears that he needed to emphasize it one more time. “But we encourage you, brothers and sisters, to do this even more, 11 to seek to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you, 12 so that you may behave properly in the presence of outsiders and not be dependent on anyone.” 1 Thessalonians 4:10-12 CSB

Two possible options going on in this text. Maybe some people thought that Jesus was returning soon, so they stopped working and simply waited for Jesus to return. More likely, the people were engaging in what’s known as Roman ‘Patronage’, which made them clients or personal assistants to wealthy people, these wealthy people would occasionally give to the poor. This would result in the clients having to perform some immoral tasks, engage in a corrupt way of life, and the wages were very unpredictable. People that lived this lifestyle might even find themselves in a position where they would “owe” their benefactors for certain contributions to them. This was not the ideal situation for the church in Thessalonica, Paul was urging them to get to work, provide for themselves, and maintain a good reputation in their community!

Title: 9 to 5

Idle time leads to an idle mind

And an idle mind leads to idol worship

And idol worship leads to an idle life

Idle definition = avoiding work, lazy, without purpose or effect. Another definition I thought was appropriate for the text is “undisciplined slackness.”

Idle example = a running car. It’s on, but it’s not going anywhere.

I’m not talking about a rest day or sabbath. We rest because we’ve worked, not because we’re tired from so much resting. Rest without work is lazy, but work without rest is irresponsible.

The Loss Of An Idle Life:

1. Loss of relationships
   1. to keep away from every brother or sister who is idle

   2. Paul is urging the brothers and sisters to “move with the movers!”

      1. What would happen if they spent all of their time with the people that refused to work? They would become lazy themselves!

      2. Illust: hanging out with people that Netflix all day. If that’s your circle, then I could take a wild guess how you spend your time.

         3. This is a great loss for both the brothers and sisters that are working hard and the people that are idle.

      3. Question: Who in your life do you need to move on from?

      4. God has called you to move! Work! Be responsible! Here's how I'd apply that. There may be people you are thinking of right now that are holding you back from pursuing all God has for you in the future. Paul says “keep away from” the idle. But he also says not to treat them as an enemy, but to warn them as a brother or sister (verse 15).

         4. If you are the idle person, It may be time to make a turn in your life and put it in gear.

      5. Question: What’s one job you could start today that would create progress in your life?

      6. Loss of provision

         1. “If anyone isn’t willing to work, he should not eat.”
         2. I know that there are many in Boulder that have plenty of income and wealth apart from work. So this may not resonate with your story, but I believe that the principle is still true regardless of your circumstance.

      7. Even if you are personally provided for by other means, working to provide for yourself and others around you is beneficial for your life, health, and spiritual walk.

         3. For the rest of us that have to work to eat, this should be pretty straight forward.

      8. I work, I eat. I remember someone asking me why I chose a certain job when I was younger, I responded “Because I’m hungry.”

      9. A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the arms to rest, and your poverty will come like a robber, your need, like a bandit. - Proverbs 6:10-11
      10. The slacker does not plow during planting season; at harvest time he looks, and there is nothing. - Proverbs 20:4
      11. Because of laziness the roof caves in, and because of negligent hands the house leaks. - Ecclesiastes 10:18 CSB
      12. The one who works his land will have plenty of food, but whoever chases fantasies lacks sense. - Proverbs 12:11

      13. Loss of progress

          1. They are not busy but busybodies.
          2. Busybody in Greek literally means “to be working around”

      14. Always a coach, never a player.

      15. The one with the ideas, but little execution.

          3. Not working will not only keep you idle in life, but it opens the door for you to become busy doing the wrong things.

      16. The NLT of this passage says “Yet we hear that some of you are living idle lives, refusing to work and meddling in other people’s business.”

      17. If you aren’t concerned with something in front of you to work on, then you’ll quickly start working on others around you.

          4. Just because you are busy, it does not mean that you are not lazy.

      18. “Laziness is not because you don’t have a desire, it’s that your desire is comfort.” Ps. Jonathan Pokluda. He goes on to say that “Laziness is the worship or idolatry of comfort.” Jonathan Pokluda.

      19. I don’t want to be busy. I don’t want to say “I’m busy”. I don’t want to be known for being “busy”. I want to WORK. I want to be known for “working hard”.

          5. I want to work doing the right things, not a lot of things! I want to make working hard contagious!

      20. The Message version says in verse 9 “We simply wanted to provide an example of diligence, hoping it would prove contagious.”

      21. We have an opportunity as followers of Jesus to show the world around us what hard work and diligence looks like.

The opposite of being idle is not busyness, but discipline. If we are going to achieve any measure of success, it is going to require discipline and hard work. Use your discipline to your benefit, not your detriment. It’s called a Sabbath. Take one, make it a weekly rhythm of your life.

To all of my workaholics in the room, let me speak to you for a minute. There’s a difference between workaholic and work ethic. One is a matter of dependence, the other a matter of discipline.

Workaholic is dependence on work

Work ethic is disciplined in work

The goal is to work hard by living a disciplined life, not by mismanaging priorities and misaligning your identity. YOU ARE NOT WHAT YOU DO! We say this to our kids in our family creed “I am not what I do, but who God says I am, I am a world changer.” Don’t believe the lie that just because you work hard you are valued. You are valued because you are a son and daughter of the King.

The Benefits Of A Disciplined Life:

1. Work is not a curse
   1. God put Adam in the garden and told him to work, and that was before the fall.
   2. “The Lord God took the man and placed him in the garden of Eden to work it and watch over it.” - Genesis 2:15 CSB
   3. Story: Transition from Bass Pro Shops, Walmart, and Handyman to Paint business. Someone told me at a young age “Find something you love and do that, then you’ll never work another day in your life.” How many of you know that’s false! :) If you’re working, while doing something you love, then that’s still work! And that thing that you love, sometimes doesn’t feel as much fun some days.
   4. Just because it’s not fun, or not ideal, or not in your career, it does not mean that it’s cursed. Work is a blessing and a gift.

2. Work glorifies God

   1. Whatever you do, do it from the heart, as something done for the Lord and not for people, - Colossians 3:23

      1. Question: Would you work harder knowing that you were working to glorify God?
      2. Question: Would you stop serving at church if your best friend leaves? Would you stop serving if we left?
      3. Question: Who are you working to honor?
         2. Let the favor of the Lord our God be on us; establish for us the work of our hands— establish the work of our hands! - Psalm 90:17
         3. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me. - 1 Corinthians 15:10
         4. “Whether you make a lot or a little, your work is valuable and meaningful as worship for him, not as validation for you.” - Jamie Munson
      4. Work can be a blessing to you and others
         1. A slacker’s craving will kill him because his hands refuse to work. He is filled with craving all day long, but the righteous give and don’t hold back. - Proverbs 21:25-26 CSB
         2. Let the thief no longer steal. Instead, he is to do honest work with his own hands, so that he has something to share with anyone in need. - Ephesians 4:28 CSB
         3. A slacker’s craving will kill him because his hands refuse to work. He is filled with craving all day long, but the righteous give and don’t hold back. - Proverbs 21:25-26 CSB
         4. There is profit in all hard work, but endless talk leads only to poverty. - Proverbs 14:23
      5. Work can be used to advance the mission of Jesus.

3. “Money is a byproduct of work, not the goal of work.” - Jamie Munson

4. If gaining wealth alone is our means to an end, then we’re missing out on something so much more.
5. For what does it benefit someone to gain the whole world and yet lose his life? - Mark 8:36
6. We’re going to talk more about how to invest in the Kingdom in weeks to come.

Response: Now what?

Why do I keep slacking? Why am I lazy?

1. You could be physically sick.
2. You could be mentally unhealthy.
3. You could have created a habit of laziness.
4. You could have the wrong mindset toward work.
5. You could have recently lost your job and you feel discouraged.

Wherever you are right now, my hope is not to shame or guilt you, but to walk with you and show you that there is a better way. That God is calling us to work hard, live a disciplined life, and leave a legacy for future generations.