“No Rest in the Waiting”

Scripture: 2 Thessalonians 3:6-15

For the past two weeks, we have been considering how the Lord continues to call on our lives, even as we suffer under the onslaught of “the Lawless One”. Whether it is now, or in those seven years of ordeal after Antichrist is released, a life that is dedicated to Jesus Christ is never an easy one. But by faith, the Holy Spirit will lead and nudge and convict and correct our foolishness, and will get us back on track with Jesus, if we let him.

But the Christian life is one that requires far more than just faith! In Matthew 25:34-46, we discover that faith is only the heart that prepares us for all that the Lord has in store for us. Jesus tells us that we are not to just sit back and revel in the glory – we are to be active in our faith! Serve the hungry and thirsty. Welcome the stranger. Care for the destitute and the sick. Visit the imprisoned. And the Lord makes it very clear that when we do these things in his name, we are doing those very things for him and his glory, and if we don’t, there will never be anything that we can offer to him! We are to heap blessings upon Christ, and not just celebrate the blessings that he brings to us!

Read 2 Thessalonians 3:6-10

Paul and his followers gave the Thessalonians an example. He didn’t just preach to them, he didn’t demand that they support him and his band - he rejected the old saying “Do as I say, not as I do”! He wanted the people to do as he did! And what better way to teach than by example!

We learn when we see, and we learn again when we do. Not too long ago, I heard that it takes a minimum of 21 days for us to learn a new habit, and, presumably, those same 21 days to break an old one. This time, though, isn’t one of contemplation and reflection! It is a time to be energetic and committed to the newness; it is a time to adjust and reestablish our priorities and desires; it’s a time to put the new way into practice!
Think about a time when you decided to break an old habit. The first thing you had to do was to admit to yourself that it wasn’t doing you any good whatsoever, and if you were being completely honest, that it was actually harming you. That put you on the road to “change”, but it wasn’t the end of the process – it was only the beginning. You had to put your desire into practice.

I had smoked a pipe for about 30 years when I finally decided to stop. It required prayerful commitment and dedication on an almost continuous basis. I had always kept my tobacco pouch in my right shirt pocket or right breast pocket in my suit, and every time I got in my truck to go anywhere, my first reaction was to reach for the pouch and light up. I think it was then that I began offering the Lord “breath prayers” – those short, focused prayers that can be said in the length of a breath.

This began my ending of one habit, and the beginning or another – the ending of my pipe smoking, and the beginning of brief and immediate “breath” prayer for all of the small things of life, as well as for the bigger and more important ones. Those prayers usually go something like “Thank you Jesus”, or “Glory to you”, or sometimes simply “Lord!” It didn’t need to be something grand – just an acknowledgement that whatever the issue, I was either giving the Lord Jesus all the credit, or seeking his help in whatever the situation may be.

It really works. Try it! Don’t just decide to do something – begin doing it! You could be an example for someone else!

Read 2 Thessalonians 3:11-13

The full intent of Paul’s letter begins to immerge. Not only hasn’t Christ’s return occurred yet, and not only don’t we know when that day will be, we also can’t sit around twiddling our thumbs, meditating on the fact that the Lord is on his way! In many translations, Paul describes those who aren’t actively serving the Lord as “disruptive”. And you may ask “Disruptive of what?”

I believe that his point is that when we avoid taking our responsibility as a member of Christ’s Church, we are a disruptive influence. Of course, the other side of that coin is that if we don’t allow others to do what they feel called to do, we are also being disruptive. The call on the Church is about everyone working together to further the Kingdom right here and now. If only two or three are doing all the work, whether they like to do it or not, the Church fails in its task of involving every person who calls Jesus “Lord”.

As for the term “busybodies”, these are the gossips, the meddlers, the complainers, the “parking lot committee members”. This is an entirely different kind of disruptive activity, but one that is much more insidious. These “disrupters” work outside of the normal church structure, and by-pass those who should be given the authority and responsibility. They enjoy what they are doing, but stand in direct contrast to what the Church should be about. Paul calls us to do what is right, and not just what is convenient, or expedient, or desirable in our own minds.

Read 2 Thessalonians 14-15

Paul wants us to understand that during this time of waiting for Jesus, we aren’t in some holding pattern. This is a time of activity. It is a time of moving forward! It is a time of doing what is right, not just what is preferable. It is a time of involvement for all who profess Jesus Christ as Savior. This is a time when we begin living that Christ-like life, even though the time of eternal living is still on its way.

What does it mean to live and act like Jesus Christ? In a nutshell, it means that we set ourselves aside, so that we might live for others. The Thessalonians had begun to become too self-absorbed and not enough Christ-absorbed! But putting Christ first in our lives isn’t the easiest thing to do – it takes commitment and practice! And quite honestly, it takes a lot more than 21 days to make Jesus the habit for your life. It takes a lifetime to make him your habit!

We’re all familiar with the Fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22-26. It is a listing of attributes of the person who lives a Spirit-filled life. The following are theologian James Packer’s thoughts and descriptions of each of these fruit. He writes:

“Love is the Christ like reaction to people’s malice.
Joy is the Christ like reaction to depressing circumstances.
Peace is the Christ like reaction to troubles, threats and invitations to anxiety.
Patience is the Christ like reaction to all that is maddening.
Kindness is the Christ like reaction to all that are unkind.
Goodness is the Christ like reaction to bad people and bad behavior.
Faithfulness and gentleness are the Christ like reactions to lies and fury.
Self-control is the Christ like reaction to every situation that goads you to lose your cool and [strike] out.”
—J. I. Packer, Knowing and Doing the Will of God (Ann Arbor, Mich.: Servant, 1995), 293.

When we become complacent to the struggles of others and to the call of Christ, it is then that we enter a very dark place. It is a place where Christ is not welcome. It is a place where the Holy Spirit is ignored. It is a place where earthly standards and behaviors reign. It is a place of great loss.

But there is no completely hopeless situation or condition from which we can never immerge. We can leave those ways behind, if we want to, and if we ask the Lord for his help. That was Paul’s message to the Thessalonians, and it is his message to us today. Set the ways of the world behind, which means that “we” are never the reason or way for doing anything. The reason and way for all that we do must be the Lord.

As we approach Thanksgiving, begin thinking about all that you are truly thankful for. And as we move into Advent next week, consider what the coming of Christ – both the first time 2,000 years ago, as well as the last time at some unknown time in the future – will always mean for you – and how you intend to respond to him.