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.

 

2. 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

 

3. 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