1 Thessalonians 4:9-12
A People of Work

The church as it is supposed to be: A people of Work

It’s funny how circumstances come together to help illustrate the sermons I will be preaching in any given week.  My thoughts go back and forth between life and sermon. As you all know we had my daughter’s wedding yesterday.  And I was thinking about all the preparations that go into a wedding and all the things that a bride does to get herself ready.

And in the middle of all those thoughts, I was also preparing for my sermon today about what the Church is supposed to be.  We know that the Church is called the Bride of Christ in Scripture. We are collectively Christ bride.

Then my thoughts went back to the wedding and marriage.  People search for someone to be their ideal mate; however, they define that.  They want someone with whom they fit like a hand in a glove. But after they find that person, others look at the match, and think, “Boy, he’s outside of his league with her.”  Or “She really traded up.”   

Now my thoughts go back to the Church as the Bride of Christ, and I think, “Boy we sure traded up.”  We, the Church, have the sinless Jesus Christ as our Groom.

And just as a bride spends hours, days, or even years in preparation for her wedding, we, the Church look with anticipation toward the day when we will be united with our Perfect Savior.  And we want to be prepared.  We want to be as close to perfect for Him as we can be.  That’s what this whole letter has been about; the Church aiming to be all that they can be in anticipation of the day when we see our Heavenly Bridegroom.  We want to be…

1) a people of encouragement (1:2–10);

2) a people of self-sacrifice (2:1–12);

3) a people of controversy (2:13–16);

4) a people of joy (2:17–3:13);

5) a people of purity (4:1–8);

6) a people of work (4:9–12);

This is where we are today.

7) a people of clarity (4:13–5:11);

8) a people of unity (5:12–15); 

9) a people of growth (5:16–22).

So, with that goal in mind, let’s read this next passage that describes what the Church is supposed to be.

A people of work (4:9-12)

⁹ But concerning brotherly love you have no need that I should write to you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another; ¹⁰ and indeed you do so toward all the brethren who are in all Macedonia. But we urge you, brethren, that you increase more and more; ¹¹ that you also aspire to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you, ¹² that you may walk properly toward those who are outside, and that you may lack nothing.

I got the goal for these verses, chiefly from verses 11 and 12.  Paul says to the Thessalonians that he wants them to

lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your own hands… that you may lack nothing

A people of work: When we walk into any church, when we encounter anyone who claims to be a Christian, they should be a people of work.  In other words, they are a diligent people, they are not lazy.  They get the job done.  They are quick to pitch in.  They are reliable.  To the best of their abilities, they labor to provide for themselves and their families.  They don’t sit around waiting for someone else’s charity.  They are workers.

That is what we should find, but we don’t always find it.  Someone has said,

There are three kinds of workers. For example, when a piano is to be moved, the first kind gets behind and pushes, the second pulls and guides, and the third grabs the piano stool. 

Source Unknown.

And I would add a fourth- the one who hides until after the piano is moved.  And let me confess, I have been all 4 kinds of people.

But that is not what we should find among Christians.  Scripture is replete with commandments not to be the 4^th kind of person.  For example, the book of Proverbs is full of them.

I was reading in the Proverbs and I came across a good old King James word. “Sluggard.”  It means a person who acts like a slug.  Lays around all day.

Proverbs 6:6 Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise:

Proverbs 6:9 How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? when wilt thou arise out of thy sleep?

Proverbs 10:26 As vinegar to the teeth, and as smoke to the eyes, so is the sluggard to them that send him.

Proverbs 13:4 The soul of the sluggard desireth, and hath nothing: but the soul of the diligent shall be made fat.

Proverbs 20:4 The sluggard will not plow by reason of the cold; therefore shall he beg in harvest, and have nothing.

Proverbs 26:16 The sluggard is wiser in his own conceit than seven men that can render a reason.

The outline for what we are studying today is fairly simple.

First, is the reason for the commandments regarding work.

Second are the commandments regarding work.

Third is the motivation for following those commandments regarding work.

1.    The reason for the commandments regarding work.

Why did Paul even have to write these commandments about work to the church in Thessalonica?  (Lead a quiet life, mind your own business, work with your hands)  I mean, in every other regard, this church seems to be the ideal church.  Paul praises them for turning to God from idols.  He says they are waiting for the return of Christ.  They are suffering persecution patiently.  They are showing love toward each other.  So why does he suddenly have to insert here, lead a quiet life, mind your own business, and work with your hands?

There are some clues as to why Paul had to say anything about this.  For example, if you go back to chapter 1, verse 9 of the letter, it says,

⁹ For they themselves shew of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God;

¹⁰ And to wait for his Son from heaven, 

They were waiting “for his Son from heaven.”  They were living in anticipation of the 2^nd coming of Christ.  So, some posit that some members of the church in Thessalonica took that “waiting” a little to literally.  They decided to stop everything, including their jobs, and just wait for Jesus to come back.

Some, noting that the very next thing Paul writes about is their understanding about the second coming, think that the topic of “work” had something to do with their understanding of the 2^nd coming of Christ.  The thought is that some of the people in Thessalonica thought that “the end is here.”  They thought that Jesus’ return was coming in a very short time, so they quit their jobs, and went to sit out on a hill to wait for it.  And then, since he didn’t come that day, they had a problem.  As Pooh bear put it, they had a little rumbly in their tumbly.  They got hungry, so they went down to Rabbit’s house for some honey.  Some of the people of Thessalonica may have quit working and were living off of the good graces of other believers. 

There is other evidence that this may have been the case in Thessalonica.  In Paul’s second letter to them, he again talks about the second coming, and then warns them again about people who are not working.

2 Thessalonians 3: ⁶ But we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you withdraw from every brother who walks disorderly and not according to the tradition which ^[a]he received from us. ⁷ For you yourselves know how you ought to follow us,

(he is contrasting his work ethic with some people in the church)

for we were not disorderly among you; ⁸ nor did we eat anyone’s bread ^[b]free of charge, but worked with labor and toil night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you, ⁹ not because we do not have authority, but to make ourselves an example of how you should follow us. ¹⁰ For even when we were with you, we commanded you this: If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat. ¹¹ For we hear that there are some who walk among you in a disorderly manner, not working at all, but are busybodies. ¹² Now those who are such we command and ^[c]exhort through our Lord Jesus Christ that they work in quietness and eat their own bread.

So, it may be that the section we are looking at today was written to the church in Thessalonica because some people were not working but sponging off of their brothers and sisters in Christ.  And they may have been justifying their laziness by saying, “Jesus is coming back tomorrow, why should I work today?

Well, that’s point number one; the reason for the commandments to work.  Now…

2.    The commandments regarding work.

These are very simple and straightforward.

¹¹ that you also aspire to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you, 

a.     Lead a quiet life

The word here literally means, “to be quiet.”  Don’t draw attention to yourself by not working.  Do your part.  Go about your own business. It could be that there were people from the church in Thessalonica, who were not working, waiting for the 2^nd coming, going from house to house, whoever would feed them,

I watched a video online about Islamic culture.  In the video, this man and woman were explaining a rule of hospitality in traditional Islamic culture.  They are required by their faith to show hospitality to someone who comes to their house.  If they come, you ask them to come in.  You offer them something to eat and drink.  Now that almost sounds like good old fashioned southern hospitality.  But it goes further.  According to this couple, if this person has come to your house, ultimately you are responsible to give them a bed to sleep in.  And they can stay, and eat and sleep, and eat and sleep, and stay.  And, by the rules of hospitality, you are not allowed to ask them, “Why are you here?” for 30 days.  On the 31^st day you may say, “to what do we owe thanks for this, your extended visit?”

And I think, to a degree, that applied to traditional middle eastern culture.  One of your fellow church members comes over for a visit, you offer them something to eat and drink, you make the offer for them to stay the night. 

And some were choosing not to work.  They were living off of the hospitality of their brothers and sisters in Christ.   

Now everyone in that house is at odds with each other, the visitor thinks, “Yea, if Jesus will be here tomorrow, why should I work today.”  Others are saying, “We’ve got to get the crop in, and I can’t do it all by myself.”

So, Paul says, “Lead a quiet life.”  

But that’s not how we are supposed to respond to the teaching that Jesus is coming back.  Remember Jesus’ parable 

Luke 19: ¹² He said therefore, A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return. ¹³ And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come.

Occupy ‘til I come, do business ‘til I come.  Stay busy.  Work.  Be about an occupation ‘til I come. 

That is a constant admonition in Scripture.  I found this Old Testament passage.

Lamentations 3:26 It is good that one should hope and wait quietly
For the salvation of the Lord. 

1 Timothy 2: 2 Therefore I ^[a]exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, ² for kings and all who are in ^[b]authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and ^[c]reverence. 

Leading a quiet life means that you are not a rabble-rouser.  You go about the business of taking care of yourself and your family in a quiet way.  You do what you need to do to pull your own weight.

Now, the second commandment is…

b.    Mind your own business

The word here means, “to attend to your own.”  We often think of the “mind your own business” as meaning, “stay out of my business.”  But here it means, “attend to your own.”  Your own business is to provide for yourself, and your family.  To do your own chores.  Your yard needs to be mowed, you don’t wait for someone else to do it.  You have a bill to pay, you do what is necessary to pay that bill. 

But in Thessalonica they may have had someone at your house, coming as a guest, eating their food, not working,  They wanted to say to them, “Don’t you have something to do?  Don’t you have somewhere to be?”  Who is taking care of your business?

“attend to your own”  Don’t be slack in the work of your own life.  Don’t live off of others if you are capable of working for yourself.

But some, in Thessalonica, weren’t doing that.

Now, lead a quiet life, attend to your own business.  The third command is…

c.     Work with your own hands

Now why does he say this?  Well, we already mentioned that some may have quit working because they decided to wait for the return of Christ.  Others may have chosen not to work for other reasons.  In the Greek society of that day, among the upper crust, they considered manual labor beneath them.  Now most of the people of the church would have been slaves.  But there may have been some among them who were the masters, or former masters. 

And if they were presently in the upper crust, or had been formerly, they would be accustomed to disdaining manual labor.  Maybe some of them lost their wealth and station by becoming a Christian.  But they didn’t lose their ideas about manual labor.  They may have been living off the backs of others labor. 

This must have been a wide-spread problem in the early church, because Paul addresses this command toward other churches as well.   

Ephesians 4:28 ²⁸ Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need.

So, he says “work with your own hands.”  You know it’s kind of interesting that this is his command to them when they are anticipating the coming judgment, and the 2^nd coming of Christ.  They say that “hindsight is 20/20.”  We know that Jesus hasn’t come back yet.  It has been 2000 years since His ascension and promise to return.  So, of course, we understand that you can’t sit around on a hill your whole life waiting for the end.

But Paul, and the churches he started, were living within just a few years of Jesus’ resurrection and ascension.  So, the prophecies of the Day of the Lord, and His promise to return, felt fresh, and possible at any time. 

Well, you would think that if in Paul’s mind, the end might be at any time, that his command to this church would have been different.  He might have said, “Get out and take the gospel to the world.” “Sell everything and invest in missions.”  “Let’s hit the road with a revival camp meeting.” 

But instead, he says, “In light of the coming Day of the Lord judgment, and the return of Christ, lead a quiet life, mind your own business, work with your hands.”  

Why is that his command? Well, that gets us to our third point.

3.    The motivation for following those commandments regarding work.

¹² that you may walk properly toward those who are outside, and that you may lack nothing.

a.     Those who are outside

The first motivation for being a hard-worker is “those who are outside.”  In other words, we need to be concerned about our witness to the world around us.  We don’t want the unbelieving world to think that the Church, or Christians are lazy, crazy people. 

“Oh, there goes those Christians.  They quit their jobs, their selling everything, because they think Jesus is coming back to swoop them up to His spaceship to heaven.”  You see, our witness is not helped by shirking our day-to-day responsibilities, by living off of charity, when we are capable of working.  Our witness is helped when the world sees you living a stable, quiet, hard-working life.

Paul says it again in his letter to Colossae, and to Timothy.

1 Timothy 3:7 ⁷ Moreover he must have a good testimony among those who are outside, lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.

Well, what is the second motivation for hard-work?

b.    That you may lack nothing

In other words, work so that your needs will be supplied.  Sure, it says in the Word that God will supply all your needs out of His riches in glory, but one of the ways that He wills that our needs be supplied is by our working.

God gives the birds their food, but He doesn't throw it into their nests.

Traditional.

One of the motivations is an old value that used to be common in our country; “I don’t want to be beholden to anyone.”

Now, let me stop a moment and say something.  There’s nothing wrong with receiving help when help is needed.  People get into bad places financially because of crisis, and there should be no shame in asking for and receiving help.

But these verses are about people who choose not to work, and expect others to foot the bill. 

So, the motivation here for leading a quiet life, attending to your business, working with your hands is so you will have the means to provide for yourself, and your own. 

Anybody who has been around for any amount of time knows this.  You need to get a job to pay your bills.  And really, you need to get a job that will provide some cushion for future crisis.  We try to teach our kids this.  My son drives a truck, and he had a flat tire.  The tires for that truck cost over $200 apiece.  I tell him, you can’t live with only $50 in your checking account, because you never know when a tire might blow.

So, our kids might say, “I can’t make ends meet with this job I have.”  you may need to get a second job, or you may need to train or go to school to get a better job. 

The second motivation for hard work is so you will lack nothing.  What’s the third motivation?  Here I go back to verses 9 and 10.

⁹ But concerning brotherly love you have no need that I should write to you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another; ¹⁰ and indeed you do so toward all the brethren who are in all Macedonia. But we urge you, brethren, that you increase more and more; 

c.   For the sake of love

Brotherly love-Philadelphia

⁹ But concerning brotherly love you have no need that I should write to you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another; 

There are 2 different words for love in verse 9.  This is what he is telling the people in Thessalonica.  “I don’t have to tell you to love each other like brothers, because you already are showing a higher love toward each other; God’s agape love, the love of self-sacrifice.

Love is the third motivation for working.  So, you will not be a burden to someone else.  So, they aren’t overburdened with work to supply your need.  If you truly love your brothers and sisters in Christ, you do what you can to carry your own load.

Quiet life, attend to your own business, work with your hands

Well, I’m going to close with a passage of Scripture that shows us Paul as an example of working hard.