Paul commands the Thessalonian believers to withdraw from those who walk disorderly and do not adhere to apostolic tradition, specifically those who refuse to work and are busybodies. He emphasizes that this is not a matter of sin but of practical conduct that should reflect Christ and the gospel. The sermon highlights that disobedience to God's word, even in practical matters like work ethic, requires correction through admonishment rather than outright condemnation. Ultimately, the message stresses the importance of maintaining order and diligence within the church community, following the example set by the apostles themselves.
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Shall we turn to the third chapter of the second Thessalonians in the closing section of this book, beginning to read at verse six, if you please, and we'll read to the end of the epistle. Paul writing by the Holy Spirit, I would like you to note one word as we read on, beginning with verse six, the word command. Let us humbly but faithfully realize Paul was writing at the commandment of the head of the house to these Thessalonians. And he uses his apostolic authority by taking this word.
Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you withdraw yourself from every brother that walketh disorderly. and not after the tradition which ye received as of us. For yourselves know how ye 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, meaning authority, but to make ourselves an example unto you, to follow us.
For even when we were with you, and note the word again, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat. For we hear that there are some which walk among you disorderly, working not at all, but our busy bodies. Now them that as such we command and exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ that with quietness they work and eat their own bread. But, ye brethren, be not weary in well-doing, and if any man obey not our word by this epistle, note or mark that man.
have no company with him, that he may be ashamed. Yet count him not as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother. Now the Lord at 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 pistol. So I write, The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen. May God bless the reading and the hearing of this precious portion and closing portion of this epistle.
I'm sure we have enjoyed going over this epistle and learning how the dear apostle comforted, encouraged, instructed the hearts of the believers at Thessalonica. and set them straight in regard to the doctrine that had been falsely taught to them that the day of the Lord was present. And with what joy we recognize more than just the doctrinal instruction that the Apostle gives to them in this corrective letter, he also seeks to minister to their complete spiritual need in relation to their testimony for the Lord.
And in our particular verse that we have begun reading through verse twelve, we would like to look upon this section as a whole, verses six through verse twelve, and recognize that the apostle is dealing not with doctrine on this occasion, but he is dealing with the practice, the walk, of the believers of Thessalonica. One thing you will find, particularly in the pastoral epistles of Paul written to Timothy and Titus, he emphasizes sound doctrine through those epistles very definitely.
But he also accompanies it with practical exhortations to walk accordingly. And here we find even in the Thessalonica testimony from the context of these verses, six through twelve, some of the dear believers were walking disorderly. Now let me be very careful to comment on this fact. The beloved apostle is not accusing them of sin. He's not accusing them of immorality. He's not accusing them as he had to do in the Corinthian church as you read that first epistle of Corinthians whereby drastic steps had to be taken with the sinful brother to excommunicate him until he repent and was restored.
But it's a matter of simplicity in regard to a walk that should manifest the person of Christ the grace of the Lord Jesus and be the example of the gospel in Thessalonica and strange to say Paul had not only here but if you will go back to me with me to the first epistle let me notice with you in the first epistle of this letter this same Thessalonian church the dear apostle had indeed to remind them of the fact that they should indeed be very careful regarding their step of obedience.
Chapter four, verses eleven and twelve, if you please. Notice in verse eleven and twelve, he writes to them, study to be quiet, to do your own business, meaning mind your own business. Now when we come to the second episode, the portion that we touch upon, Paul had to accuse some of them of being busy parties. They were not minding their own business. And here he exhorts them, Be quiet. And do your own business. And, note, to work with your own hands as we commanded you that you may walk honestly toward them that are without and that you may have lack of nothing.
The very thing that he exhorted them to do, some were disobeying. Now may I humbly suggest something. Whatever is disobedient in the walk of a Christian needs to be corrected. And the dear Apostle Paul writes to correct what some of them were doing, walking disorderly. In other words, from the context, they refused to work with their hands. And the beloved Apostle Paul rebukes it. In fact, he sets himself together with his companions, forth as an example, when we were with you.
We did not want you to stop working with your hands, and even we ourselves, to support ourselves, not taking a penny from you. We worked with our own hands to take care of our needs. And he exhorted in the first epistle, Now walk. Don't be busybodies. And undoubtedly that same thing that he feared happened to them, as reported in the second epistle. Now he writes and commands them to have it corrected. Now may I make a statement regarding, and here it is by way of example, regarding the testimony of a an assembly or a church local body of believers to recognize we're under authority to obey the word of God go back maybe with me to the first epistle again I'd like to note with you two verses particularly in chapter five where the beloved apostle certainly gives very sensible advice beginning in chapter five and let me read verses twelve and thirteen and beseech
you brethren to know them which labor among you and are overdue in the Lord and admonish you and to esteem them very highly in love for their work's sake and be at peace among yourselves now in this first episode he emphasizes and may I suggest to you very lovingly but earnestly a remarkable fact as we have well learned I'm sure from the study of these two epistles the Thessalonian church was planted within the space of perhaps two or little more than two weeks and yet the Spirit of God brought them together and they were seeking to function together And here the Spirit of God in the first epistle of the Apostle Paul recognizes some of those brethren in that testimony were using that blessed gift that God had given them in ruling and guiding, overseeing
the assembly. Now note these words if I may repeat them again in what we have in this fourth chapter of the first epistle. Let me read verse twelve again. We beseech you, brethren, to know them which labor among you. And let me give you the thought. The word know means know them by observation. What they're doing for you. There were brethren. Nobody appointed them. Nobody elected them. But when that testimony was established by the Spirit of God, some of them were concerned about all the believers and labored among them.
Let me give you another example. You may read at the end of the book of First Corinthians, chapter sixteen. And you'll find Paul writing to the church at Corinth tells of a brother they ought to listen to. and tells them that he was addicted. He and his family were addicted to the ministry of the saints, caring for them. Now note this twelve verse. They are over you, and please note the next words, in the Lord. In the Lord. Not in natural circumstances, but spiritually.
in the things of God over you in the Lord laboring to help you. And he tells them to respect them and to esteem them highly, which they should. Now as we come to the epistle in the second one, evidently Paul himself had to write and command that this be corrected. Not only that the guilty ones correct themselves, but that even the Elder ones or the older brethren, the ministering brethren, seek to correct them too. And all of them in the testimony recognize it was not spiritual for a man, for a brother, to say, I'm not going to work, but I'm going to look to my brethren to support me without working.
For that's what undoubtedly some of them were doing. They would not work with their hands. Now that was unspiritual, not only unspiritual, it wasn't what the world would even expect. And surely when you look at the walk of the believer in the assembly, how important it is for every believer to walk according to the mind of God and the will of God in the book. And may I give you this suggestion? I really believe that the Apostle Paul was expecting that the elders in the assembly would command his exhortation to be obeyed.
So that he recognized in the Lord these men had authority to deal with fellow believers in relation to spiritual things. Not in relation to carnal. natural, material things, but in relation to spiritual things. My beloved, may I give you this suggestion? Whether it be the leaders, the rulers in the assembly, as well as the individual believers in the assembly, there should be of one mind and one heart to do the will of God.
Recognizing under the Lord, those who are spiritually able, raise up of the Lord. May I give you the thought? Read Romans chapter twelve, I think it's in verse eight. You find a numeration of gifts in that particular section. And one of them is the gifts of ruling. All of the same, caring for them. And only, may I emphasize, in relation to their spiritual condition. So you can understand how the dear beloved apostle was anxious as he wrote them here. Let me begin reading at verse six again and know what he says.
We command you brethren in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ that you withdraw yourself from every brother that walketh disorderly and not after the tradition or the teaching which you received of ours. Now let me re-emphasize This is not a brother that has fallen into sin, with the exception is disobedient to the word of God, in relation to working. And you know, may I give you the thought? It's wonderful to see how God values the workshop. For a believer to be in the midst of the working conditions around him and around her.
in order to glorify Christ. But here with some of them we're not doing it. They refused to. There may have been two reasons. One reason they knew the Lord was coming. That's one reason one may suggest. Not sure if it'd been true. Another reason they'd been afraid that the day of the Lord was present. But whatever reason it may have been, it was unscriptural. And so the apostle writes, withdraw yourself that is don't go along with such a condition like that as don't walk like they walk and then he goes on to say you've been taught that way by us and in verse seven you know how you ought to follow us we behave not ourselves and then he gives the example of himself and his fellow companions 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 authority. As you may find in one of the Corinthians, the second epistle of Corinthians, Paul says that the servant of the Lord is worthy of his meat. But it is not because we have not authority, but to make ourselves, but to make ourselves an example to you to follow us. Or even when we were with you. This we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat. And then we have the conversation going on where the Apostle Paul has to say, For we hear that there are some which walk among you disorderly, working not at all, but our busy body.
It's strange, but it's true. If we deviate from obedience to the word of the Lord, it may lead into other troubles. You have the same thing in First Timothy chapter five. Similar, very similar thing. Paul is speaking in chapter five of First Timothy of worthy widows in the church that should be held. Young widows, he sets aside. Some of them, he said, even when he wrote to Timothy there, some of the young Christian widows, they turned after Satan. And they are busy bodies going about gossiping instead of staying at home and doing the things that they should in the home life.
And so there is a danger, a spiritual danger, if we get away from obedience to the Lord. but now the beloved apostle says as you have it in verse twelve now then that as such we command and exhort by our Lord Jesus that with quietness they work and eat their own bread may I give this outline of a truth that we little practice today I'm going to say it frankly it is the responsibility of discipline in the house of God amongst the saints of God.
And there's no question of doubt looking at the picture of the Thessalonians. What Paul was seeking to do was to get them all to go along peaceably, quietly, all doing their business as they should in obedience to the Word of God. That They may be together rejoicing in their exaltation in their lives of testimony for the Lord. But it needed to be corrected. And I'm sure you know from other scriptures whom the Lord loveth He chastens and scourges every son whom He receiveth. There's one thing believers don't realize.
When we come into the family of God... we're subject to the discipline of the Father but we're also to be subject to the discipline of the assembly has to be executed by those who are the leaders and the rulers in the assembly caring for the needs of the assembly and what it needs it need not only the godly spiritual help of the leaders it needs the submission of the believers to the rulers of the elders when it's according to the will of God.
Submission. And here the beloved Apostle Paul certainly goes on to declare in verse thirteen and fourteen, But ye brethren, be not weary in well-doing, and if any man obey not our word by this epistle, note, mark that man, have no company Meaning, don't go along with him, that he may be ashamed. And yet he admonishes, don't count him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother. It's a delicate matter, but may I say it's a very necessary one.
Go with me to the epistle of Galatians for a moment. Chapter six, if you please. Chapter six. The closing chapter in the Galatian letter, verse one that the apostle has written, saying in that first verse, Note it, Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness, considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted or tested. Now one can recognize from these words the necessity of a time when one may be overtaken as it was in this case in Thessalonica with a fault, not with a grievous sin, with a fault.
He that is spiritual and of course that would declare the responsibility of the spiritual rulers or elders in the assembly. Restore such a one. And how, in the spirit of meekness, considering thyself, they shall also be tested. But the thought is, the spiritual one needs to restore the one who's fallen in the fault. And that is what Paul is admonishing here. But don't go along with him in his fault. Don't go along with him in his fault. My beloved, let's realize this, but admonish him in the Lord and let him see that you're not willing to go to live the way he lives, that he might be ashamed and be restored.
Now, in the house of God, there are three sides to discipline, if I may suggest it. There is what we can call preventive discipline. in the assembly. And that would be the suggestion of who you receive and why you receive them into fellowship. In other words, when it... Now let me say it earnestly. If you know your Bible, I'm sure you should know it enough. When one is received into fellowship, they ought to be saved and know they're saved and why they're saved. and going on for the Lord.
Let me give you an example. I was in Jamaica many years ago. I was in a little assembly at the end of the island. And at the close of the worship meeting that the Lord suffered, a dear brother got up and made the announcement. And I heard something in the announcement that caught my ear and caught my attention. And afterward I went to him. I said, Brother, tell me something. I heard your announcement. You announced that there'd be an instruction class at five o'clock. I said, what's that? Oh, he said, before any believers, and especially our young believers, are received into fellowship.
We have a class every Sunday at five o'clock to teach them the truth of salvation, to make sure they know they are saved. And then to know why they should be baptized. and to know why they should be remembering the Lord if they're worthy to do so. Meet the requirements. I say, good, keep it up. Beloved, look, preventive discipline, that was, making sure that each one's coming, received, baptized, and welcome to the Lord's Supper, new Their salvation and their place and their obedience to the Lord.
Now that's preventive discipline. Then there is a corrective discipline such as we have in our example here. If any man be overtaken with a fault, he that is spiritual, restore such a one. Correct the situation and let it be done by the spiritual leaders to correct the other. And then last of all, as you've got in First Corinthians chapter five, You've got what we could call preservative discipline. Paul then commanded that immoral person must be put out of the assembly until he repents. Put him out. Read it. Then may I give you this thought too? Please, look.
I know it's very delicate, but let me say this. Wherever there is any assembly discipline done that is according to Scripture, Every brother and sister in the meeting should go along with it. Believing what the elders may be doing is the right thing. If it's not, of course, that raises another problem. But here's the thought. Whatever the leadership should be doing should be in happy harmony with the desire of the assembly. And the saints in the assembly be in happy harmony with what the leaders may be seeking to lead them in the things of God.
And don't forget, it's all in the Lord. You know, I'll tell you something. I wouldn't be here tonight if it wasn't for the Lord. I'm meeting with people who are in the Lord. And I often say they're the best people on the earth. And my greatest delight and joy has been to enjoy the people of the Lord and the things of the Lord. God wants them to be in happy harmony. Well, look, go to the end of the epistle. Go to the end of verse sixteen is benediction. Now the Lord of peace himself give you peace always by all means.
The Lord be with you all. What a close of thee to the epistles. the Lord of peace himself give you peace always by all means my beloved please let me say would to God I say in humbly but I say it regretfully that the church at large through the centuries have not obeyed the word of the Lord as we should would to God there was peace amongst all the saints but there ought to be it ought to be followed by the local assembly The responsibility is ours. But over the joy of knowing in the benediction, Paul says, The Lord has peace himself.
Give you peace always by all means. And the Lord be with you all. And he closes the letter with his own hand, which is a token in every epistle that he writes. And closes with the benediction, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Be with you all. Amen. you know that sounds like the close of the Bible doesn't it even the words of the Lord Jesus the Apostle wrote at the end of Revelation the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all shall we pray blessed father oh how we pray for one another oh how we pray at the dear Apostle pleaded that each believer be in harmony with those who are seeking to guide the flock spiritually.
And how we ask the Lord to teach us today. That we might always know the will of the Lord. And seek to glorify him in our testimony here. Lord, we pray particularly for this assembly which we have our fellowship with. And we say, Lord, teach us. Thy way. Write them in our hearts, in our souls, and in our lives as we pray one for the other, the leadership of our meaning and the testimony of each brother and sister in it. Oh, may the Lord of peace.