16 Feb 2020

COMMANDS AND CONCLUSION (2 Thess 3:6-18)

  1. COMMISSION FROM GOD

WORK WAS GOOD (Genesis 1 & 2)
Design & dignity, stewardship, building society and culture
Based on relationship between God & Man
WORK BECAME CURSED (Genesis 3)
Disintegration, difficulty & disappointment.
Idolatry, identity issues, rebellion; symptoms of a broken relationship
THE GOSPEL REDEEMS WORK (John 6:27, Col 3:22-24, Eph 2:10
1 Thess 1:9b)
Relationship restored, Gospel world view = Gospel work-view, curse
will be lifted
Free to work hard, vital witness in work & through work.

 

  1. COMMANDS TO FOLLOW

         A: IMITATE US
Imitate our example, as we imitated Jesus
Sacrificial giving to win a people
B: GET TO WORK!
v10: “…not willing to work, let him not eat”
Stop being a ‘busybody’! Am I hindering the Word?
C: KEEP AWAY
Church discipline, warning ‘the idle’ in love
Aiming for repentance & restoration (3:5)
     Verses   Command
         6                C
         7-10          A
         11-12        B
         13              A
         14-15        C

 

  1. CONSECRATION TO PRAY

PEACE FROM THE LORD OF PEACE
Despite circumstance, difficulty & confusion
At peace with God because they are at peace in God (John 17:20-23)
PRESENCE OF THE LORD OF THE CHURCH
The Gospel make this possible & guaranteed (Matthew 28:20)
GRACE OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST
Grace in greeting (1:2) & grace at conclusion (3:18)
Grace in past, Grace in present, Grace in future