This is the Truth Network. Forever, thy word is settled in heaven, O Lord. Psalm 119, verse 89. I'm Stu Everson. Welcome to this special Wednesday in the Word.
Leader Podcast, where we prepare and equip our leaders of this special Bible study outreach breakfast. Every week to teach through the scriptures. Thirteen Dario locations. There's a men's group meeting, and several of the Locations host the women on Thursday morning. Stay tuned, be encouraged as we jump into this week's.
Wednesday in the Word. How many times have you wheeled up to the intersection and there's a Young lady, or a young man, or someone standing there with a sign that says, will work for food. Yeah. And then when you offer them work, They run the other way. How about that old adage?
The bumper sticker, I owe, I owe.
So it's off to work we go. This week, we tackle a tough subject. If ever there was an elephant in the room, this one is it. And I've got a special guest host. Dr.
Horn is on a much-needed vacation. Dr. Dwayne, date the word Carson, is with me. Dr. Carson Paul.
Was with us in the heavenlies with this brilliant, beautiful, powerful prayer last time. These first five verses of 2 Thessalonians. Chapter 3 might be my favorite verse. Before that, at the end of chapter 2, an amazing uh prayer And then this amazing prayer, might be my favorite prayer is what I meant to say in the beginning of chapter three. But he One comment theater says he comes right down to earth.
And he comes right down to work. Dr. Carson, you've talked about this in your spiritual life, no doubt. idea of how we've allowed the world to denigrate and to make work as this necessary evil, Instead of a beautiful gift from God. Speak to that, sir, and thank you for jumping in here with us today.
Well, absolutely. Thank you for having me today, Stu, and to be able to talk about this crucial subject. And it is. A subject that has to be addressed because from the very beginning, God has had man. To do work.
And work was taking place in the Garden of Eden before there was sin. There's something beautiful about work. And God himself works. He didn't just work. He works.
He's working now. And um It's not something that is sinful. We see it many times as a four-letter word, something that is a curse. After man's sin, work became more difficult. It became a labor, but it's not something that we should want to get out of.
And because there is the beauty of work, I love Ecclesiastes 9:10. Whatsoever your hand finds to do, do with all your might. We're to be doing something to contribute to society. Satan says, No, you shouldn't go after work. You want to live a life that is lazy and Be a freeloader.
And at Thessalonica, there were some Christians there. That had got caught up in this idea of the second coming.
Well, if there's going to be a rapture, then why should I be working? But more than that, they were literally then this Greek culture They didn't like to work and Paul has to address Real life. And it's real life for us in the 21st century. There are people who just don't want to work. And how do we handle that?
What does the scriptures have to say? But that's what we're looking at today.
So good. Doc, you know, it's interesting for those that just kind of parachuted in. to this wonderful study of 2 Thessalonians. This is very relevant then as it is today. And we're going to see this passage.
We're we're in verses six through twelve. Seven key verses. that really not only established the ethic of work, the God-given gift of work, Imagine that God's given you a platform. by which you are paid to reach people for Christ. Also, let's not neglect to mention in praise The godly housewives and mothers, if there's ever been hard work, that's it.
Okay. And their work starts with a thing called labor, Dr. Carson.
So we don't want to, and the world has even messed that up. And I want to get into that some too here. But Paul gets into it. He he commands them outright to disassociate from anyone who won't work these busy bodies These troublemakers, and then he gives himself in the next few verses of this section, 6 through 12 of 2 Thessalonians, chapter 3. He gives himself an example.
And we'll get into that some. And then he closes by a very difficult challenge. In fact, he. actually invokes church discipline. on those Who won't work because he wants to redeem them, just as God has redeemed work.
And so I love what Dr. MacArthur said in a sermon from 1992. He said, Quote: The dictionary is the only place where success comes before work. He said, Those wry words by newspaper man Arthur Brisbane capture a principle found throughout the Old and New Testaments. work is a worthy and necessary pursuit, if we're to accomplish all that God asks of us.
He goes on to say there are some puzzling workplace questions. that may come up like when does it when it comes to on the job ethics Where does my responsibility to my employer end and my responsibility to God begin? Also, how far should I go in witnessing the co-workers? particularly those I supervise. What about witnessing to my boss.
So Dr. Carson, this will open up a whole lot of conversation about those things and And actually, one of the best ways to be a witness at work is to work beyond time, right? Be a model. You know, the faith is as much taught as it is taught, right? Absolutely.
And I do believe that we're supposed to be witnessing while working. WWW, that's the way to go to work every day with the mindset That I'm going to glorify God and cause others to glorify God by how I conduct myself. And Stu, we believe in what's called the Protestant work ethic, and that we do work, we work hard, we give a good day's labor for a good day's pay. And there's somebody that may be listening to this that is an employer. God expects you to take care of your employees.
As the employee, you are to give to your boss your best effort. And I. Try to live by this as well as teach this. We should always autograph our work with excellence. And whatsoever you're doing, you're doing as unto the Lord.
And I want him to be the one who, more than anyone, says, Hey, that's a job well done. Amen. Before we chop up these verses a little bit for our wonderful leaders who lead each week, a lot of pastors will listen to this to help them with their sermon prep. Dr. Carson, I want to read Warren Weersby.
He says this quote from his commentary, Be Ready on 2 Thessalonians, particularly chapter 3, this section. He says, The Jews honored honest labor and required all their rabbis to have a trade, which is interesting because, you know, Rabbi Paul, who we're going to talk about, had a trade, right? Tint making. Cup making. Yes, sir.
But the Greeks despised manual labor. And left it to their slaves. This Greek influence, plus their wrong ideas about the doctrine of the Lord's return. Led these believers into an unchristian way of life. Paul recognized the fact that some people could not work.
could not work. Perhaps because of physical handicaps or family responsibilities. This is why he phrased the statement as he did: if any man is not willing to work, it wasn't a question of ability, Weirsby says, but willingness. When a believer cannot work and is in need, It is the privilege and duty of the Church to help him. James 2 and 1 John 3.
The exhortation of the word Should have motivated these lazy believers to work. But Paul added, A second motivation, and he goes on to talk about Paul's example.
So, this is a really a prima facie case. in passage, Dr. Carson.
on the God's ultimate priority of work and you know, how this should be mitigated. And we want to make it real clear. Even on the roadside encounter, that there are people. That can't work, that need help.
Now, they're not likely the folks making 15 to 50 bucks an hour. That are panhandling there, okay? Sadly, because I have a friend that did that. He's a believer. He took a year off.
to live homeless as an as a Christian experiment that he could write about later. And I said, man, that must have been hard. He said no, he said I gained about seventy pounds. And I ate like a king. He said, you find the steakhouses, you find the places that have set-asides for this.
You get all kinds of money from people and so on and so forth. And so that's definitely obviously an excess. But we need to be cognizant of folks that are impaired or interned and can't.
So, Dr. Carson, I'm looking at this passage. I'd love you to interact with me briefly. On, you know, he opens up with, I mean, this is Paul with apostolic authority saying, We command you, brethren. And not only does he say that we command, this is a strong military word like a drill sergeant would use.
You know, or we would employ. It's a command. It's not an option. It's not an elective. It's a command.
Brethren, these are fellow brothers in Christ and sisters in Christ. In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, so he invokes the highest authority that there is, the one who commissioned him into ministry, the one who made him an apostle, that you withdraw from every brother. who walks disorderly, And not according to the tradition which he received from us. And that word tradition there is the scriptures, both by what was taught. in word and in epistle, which he re referred to in chapter two.
But which he received from us.
So Paul comes right out. And he's making this command. There's no, it's a black and white deal that if you can work, you got to work for you yourselves know how we. how you ought to follow us. For we were not disorderly among you.
So none of this ever marked Paul, and he gets into that here. And really, the Apostle Paul, what an example, because As he articulates clearly in verses seven, eight, and nine And even Tim, Dr. Carson, he's exhibit A for someone who he actually could have. Taken their resources. He could have eaten their bread.
He could have taken a love offering for his work because he's pouring his heart out. It says earlier in. 1 Thessalonians that He gave them his very heart. He didn't just give them his word. He gave them his very soul.
He took care of them like a mom and he fathered them like a dad. And so, but he he Withdrew that prerogative. He still worked and earned his keep as though he wanted to be. An above reproach example, especially. Had some folks that with this misunderstanding that were kind of running off the rails.
So, Dr. Carson, how important is this Paul's example? in how he lived this out for this young baby church in Thessaloniki. Yeah, um As a leader. Um it you can't be saying.
Do what I say, not what I do. Um you've got to be out in front as the role model. Um, people learn more from your lessons, your life. They learn more from your life lessons than they do from your lip lessons. Paul is out there saying, I know you need to be working by the way.
I am working. He's working to build the church. He's doing double duty. He's also out there as a tent maker. Uh and and I want to go back Stu, for just a moment, on the mother's component.
When you look at the virtuous woman, what is her hands doing? Her hands are busy. And that's what I see here with Paul in these verses. His hands were busy. Uh, he's making things happen, and uh, just to reinforce uh, for our teachers here, verse six: what it says, but we command you.
What you said is spot on. This has got to be understood as of the highest authority that would be spoken in an army. Uh you are not to disobey here. There are severe consequences if you do disobey. This isn't a request.
This isn't a suggestion. Folks, you are to be working. You're not to be laying around and being lazy and living off of others. Yeah. And this verse that we quote a lot of times, it's nice to be able to see it in its context in scripture.
And that is verse 10, if anyone will not work. Neither shall he eat. Doc, I know you've quoted that a lot. This speaks to basic survival, right? This speaks to, you know, at some point, People that are hungry.
they're going to find a way to get something in their stomach, right? Absolutely. And he used that word again in verse 10: we command you this. Um I've been reading a phenomenal book this summer. 100 Bible verses that made America.
And of all the things to write off the bet, the third chapter. September the 10th, 1608, a sermon is preached in Jamestown, and the sermon is If any one will not work, neither shall he Eat and as the people as they were getting set up there in Jamestown. There were people just sitting around doing nothing. and a preacher, Robert Hunt. Uh, he stood up and said, Folks, the Bible says in 2 Thessalonians 3:10, if anyone will not work, neither shall he eat.
And Captain John Smith took that. to be his marching orders. Folks, if you're not up in the morning and helping to build. This Jamestown and do the work so that we'll have food to eat. You will not eat.
while our country was built off of Second Thessalonians 3:10. How about that? That's rich. Yeah, right out of the good book.
So much influence in how we live today. And honestly, that work ethic, you found that. In our, you know, in great men of old, going back to the patriarchs, you know, Wersby also points out that so many men of God were called by God while they were working. You know, Moses is herding sheep. You know, you've got that's right.
You have them in the middle of the job, and God calls them, and you have some pretty aggressive, hard-working fishermen, right, that God Jesus called right from the shores of the Galilee. out of their work to follow him, which would be the greatest work that they could ever engage in. You know, Dr. Carson, it's real interesting, I think it was Dr. MacArthur that said this.
He said before The fall. God. made man gardeners. You know, it was really easy. It was just literally eating the fruit of the land.
After the fall, God made man farmers. I've been there. Yes, sir. So you've been, you grew up on a farm, you know, and my pop and. and and relatives on the dad's side all you know were farmers air out virginia but It's interesting that there is this curse, there is this sweat of the brow, there is this toil.
There is this pain, there are thorns. But there's also a great dignity and a God-given opportunity. You know, when he even gives the law, Exodus 20, he says, hey, for six days you will work. You know, this is not glossed over. This is encouraged.
And then, of course, there's got to be a day of rest, which is to replenish and replenish yourself in the Lord. Dr. Carson, I kind of see three D's in this whole thing. this passage First I see this directive, you know, this this command of Paul's in In verse 6. And then we see, we're really starting in verse 7.
We see this display. you know of Paul's life, you know, where he says, look, I display this, and then we see the discipline. Which is touched on by this call to withdraw from a brother who walks disorderly, and then even more starkly later on. You know, he shouldn't be eating if he's not working. He shouldn't be.
You know, freeloading off of those who are working, which could have been what was going on. You know, they're like, hey, we're too heavenly minded to be earthly good, so we're going to eat the food and the fruits of those who are working because we're going to be sitting on the housetop looking for Jesus to come back, which Paul has already corrected in 1st Thess, and he goes more deeper here in 2nd Thess. to to to not leave any doubt that if you don't work, you shouldn't eat. And he says, verse 11, we hear that there are some who walk among you in a disorderly manner. not working at all.
but are busy bodies. And he says, Now those who are such, we command and exhort through our Lord Jesus Christ that they work in quietness and eat their own bread.
So, you know, church discipline, Matthew 18, it's very serious. Paul hits it in Galatians 6, verse 1. We're going to Galatians next after this rich study in 2 Thess. He talks about it in 1 Corinthians 5, where they actually disciplined A young man living in an adulterous affair with his, of all people, his mother-in-law. Dr.
Carson, it's real, and this is that God has given the. the discipline of church discipline of the church. It's a redemptive way to pursue those who have backslidden. And who were asking to come back, but they must repent.
So he's calling these guys to repent, and he's saying, You do not countenance these folks and do not give them. An open door. But Doc, this discipline, it's serious business, isn't it? In God's church, because God's church is holy. And the moment you do put on Uh yes Um command to say you have to be at work you're going to be viewed as uh not being compassionate But That has to be dealt with.
That's what you're doing is calling a person to do what is right in the sight of God. I am going to be compassionate. I want to help those who can't help themselves. But our responsibility is supposed to be first and foremost to carry our own burden. This They're supposed to get up in the morning.
They're supposed to be looking for a job. You mentioned about them being hungry. Proverbs chapter 16, 26 says, The person who labors labors for himself. For his hungry mouth drives him on. And so the principle of not letting a person eat when they won't work is based off of what Solomon taught in Proverbs 16, 26.
That that this is gonna cause this person. If I don't get up and get to work. How is Jesus going to answer the prayer? Give us this day our daily bread? Man has not fallen down from heaven now.
You go and you kill the land. My study on Proverbs. The lazy man? There's not one time ever something's good is said about the lazy man. Not one time.
Over and over.
Solomon rebukes the lazy man, even saying, go to the ant, you sluggard. But on the other hand, there's tremendous benefits from the man who works, tremendous rewards from that man who works. Those who are idle, those who who just gossip and talk all the time. uh they are going to end up in poverty. And that's where Paul here now is saying, you guys have got to tell them.
Do not allow them to get away with this. You are to be working and carrying your own weight. And to not do so. It is to violate scripture. And this idea of being a busy body, they're so busy about being in everybody else's business.
Uh, Paul says that has to stop, and this isn't the first time. You know, you go back to First Thessalonians chapter four, he addresses a subject. I don't know about you, Stu, but I haven't heard many sermons on this. But Paul seemed to be very concerned that people were busy bodies, they were sticking their nose, they were meddling. That's that, that's really the Greek word.
They were meddling, sticking their nose in other people's business instead of taking care of their own business. Yeah, Peter, Peter addresses this too. And so, I think either in Timothy or maybe it's First Peter, one of them addresses the widows who are going about.
Sowing seeds of discord, a busybody. Yes, sir. Yep. And so it's a real you know, you get i you know, idle you get idle, and it's very important to d to cite to decipher and discern the difference between being a busybody And being busy. They're two different things.
And the word disorderly carries with it a carnal nature to that. Dr. Carson, want to thank everyone for joining us. We're almost done. This is the Wednesday in the Word podcast.
I've got to. Amazing Howard Hendricks story that I know you'll love because you were a fan of his as well. Before I go there, I want to say thank you to our friends at mightymuscanine.com. Speaking of work, They've made a drink that is... Maybe the healthiest drink I've ever, ever consumed.
I drink it every day. It's called Vine Tastic. It's got no sugar, no carbs, no calories. And it has got no artificial sweeteners, but believe it or not. And it's got over 300 parts per million of antioxidant polyphenols in every little bottle.
And it's delicious. They got two flavors anyway. You can learn more about it. These guys partner with us on the Truth Network and on our podcast network, vintastic.com. If you use the promo code TRUTH, Order a case or two, they'll give you a little discount, and it'll also let them know that folks are listening.
But it's extremely healthy from the muscadine grape, the seeds and the skins. They take it and they've made a drink. That will, by the way, will give you a lot of energy and good endurance in your workday.
So, thank you, Fantastic.com and promo code TRUTH. Howard Hendricks was teaching a class, Dr. Carson.
A young man came up to him. in the seminary, Dallas seminary, and was disheveled, was upset. downcast and he said, Doctor Hendricks, Well I got a har I got a tough situation. Dr. Henry said, What is it, young man?
He said, Sir. I said, I work in a plant. It's got to have 500 people there. And I am the only believer in this plan. I got to find a way to quit my job.
got to get a note from you or i got to get transferred or find a different job I got 500 unbelievers, and I don't know. I can't take it anymore. Dr. Hendricks looked at him and said, Young man. Are you kidding me?
You mean God has entrusted you with 500 lost souls to bring to him? Yeah. He said, go back to that job and let your light shine. And so that's a great perspective, Dr. Carson, that You know, in a sense, that's the positive side of this, you know.
But there's also, you know, there's a sense to which, and I think Billy Graham or Franklin, one of those said that the marketplace. is one of the greatest mission fields in the world today. Because believers can go to work and be a witness to people who may never go to church, who may never hear the gospel, who may never hear Christian radio or have a Christian witness, but you are that witness. And so. How I work is a reflection of how I worship.
Am I giving it my 100%? And so, Doc, you've got these. You know, you've got this directive, this command. You've got Paul's display of his own life, what a great example he was. of hard work and then you've got this discipline.
It's a very serious matter. And so we got to kind of break this down and make it practical. Doc, what do you see as a big takeaway for our groups and maybe even some other questions that could come out of this? Like, what do I do with an oppressive boss who is riding me hard just because I'm a Christian? What are some other things like that, Doc, we should be looking at as we get out of here?
Yeah. So I'm going to add another D. Your last one would be diligence. And Proverbs 12, 27 says, a man's precious possession is diligence. And based on what Paul has taught, the words you've used.
We should come out of here with a, I will be determined to be diligent to carry out my daily assignments. I'm going to take care of myself. I'm going to feed myself. I'm gonna also make sure my family is fed. I'm gonna make sure that my children are taken care of.
And I love Ephesians 4:28 that says, Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him work with his hands that which is good, that he may have something good to give to him who is in need.
So instead of being someone who is living off of others, you're working hard. And now you not only take care of yourself, you take care of your family, you are able to help those who really are in need because. There are people in need, and when the Christian doesn't show compassion to those who are in need, we betray the very Christ we serve. Um, but we also betray our Christianity when we are lazy on the job, and here's other workers who are going to give it 110, and yet they're looking. There goes a Christian, he's just trying to do as little as possible.
That is no testimony for a Christian. We should be known. For, again, I'm gonna say the word, autographing at work with excellence. I love that last D, the diligence.
So often the work, like we started this episode, Doc. The work has looked like, oh, it's a necessary evil.
Well, I got to clock in.
Well, you know, two things you got to do. You got to die. You got to pay taxes. I got to pay the man. This is, this is a, I'm going to work just so I can pay off my debts, this and that, this and that.
We complain that we got to work, you know, five days a week just to have two days off and such, but, but, Doc, really. This work is a gift from God, it's a privilege, and the question is. Who am I serving? And then the question is: do I see this through God's eyes? Maybe that's a good point to ask.
How do you view this? Yes, sir. How do you view your work? And that's where Paul wrote in Colossians. That you're to do your work as unto the Lord.
And we've been created for. Was it good works? Is that what was said at Ephesians 2:10? Yes, we are. We are his workmanship.
Yes, sir. We are his workmanship created for good works. Oh my goodness, it's not a negative. And every day, again, if you're in the workplace. You're a light.
In the workplace. Shine bright. Shine bright. Well, we have a God who works. We have a God who worked in creation.
We have God's Son, Jesus, who worked his perfect work in Bringing us as new creations, right? And he said it is finished, a great statement of finishing that work. And then now we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which we Which God has foreordained. It's a beautiful thing.
So not only are we his workmanship, we're also his worker bees. And as we're out there working, we're working under the Lord and also. letting our light shine in that work of being excellent, maybe not complaining. being a positive force. For Christ in everything we do, even in the menial tasks, you know, as servant leaders.
Dr. Carson, a couple things come to mind. I'm going to booger this up, but there's a great. There's a great story of Some guys working on a big project on the site, you know, in the in the in the big city. And they asked one guy, What are you doing?
He says, Oh, I'm just. I'm just, you know, grinding away at my job here, hoping to get through the day and get, you know, get a lunch break. get a breather and then back at it. And then they ask another guy he's like, well We're just building something, you know, and I'm just swinging a hanger, you know, and yanking a ridge. Laying brick.
Yeah, yeah.
Now keep going. You finish this story because you know you're on. This is one of those times I'm glad you're on, that you're ahead of me on this. The third guy, when he got asked, what are you doing? He said, Can you not see?
We're building a great cathedral for our Lord Jesus Christ that his name may be known to the nations. Yes, sir. Wow. He wasn't just showing up to get a paycheck. He wasn't just showing up to lay brick.
He knew he was a part of something that was magnificent for the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. So much bigger than all of us. And it's about. The kingdom of God.
And Dr. Carson, I gotta end with a shout out to all these hardworking moms. I love the story. that was told. I think it was one of the promise keeper guys told this story about.
Yeah, a bunch of husbands and wives were at a big black tie event. And they were going around the table and and, you know, just kind of asking, you know, what do you do? Where do you work? And and they were most of the wives at the table were career wives, and one of the wives was a housewife. and a mom, and had four or five kids.
And she kind of was thinking, oh my. And so one lady says, well, I'm an executive at a bank. And of course, none of that's, there's nothing wrong with any of that. It's just. But but this the perspective of this is so, so cool.
She said, you know, and then the next lady says, well, I'm a high-level attorney in a firm. The next lady says, well, you know, I'm in some, you know, I'm a I'm an accomplished CPA. They got to this lady.
Okay. And they said, so what do you do? Where do you work? And she said, I am a developer of future leaders. And she looked at the other lady and says, Take that to the bank.
And that's really what, you know, we applaud George Washington and we applaud. Great guys like Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
Well, what about their praying moms? What about their moms that, you know, that cleaned their diapers up? What about their moms that stayed home so the dad could go out and earn a living? What about these godly moms of John and Charles Wesley, you know, who these that mom that prayed? For them and built them up in the Word of God.
So there's not just a dignity, but there's a divine appointment in that. And it just is a it's a it's a great picture.
So I really hope this wall, you know, ultimately we want to point people to Jesus Christ, the hardest worker of all time, the greatest worker of all time, the only worker to say it is finished who did the perfect work to save us. And it is through his power and his gospel, his resurrection power. That anything good comes out of us and that we have meaning. He brings meaning. We don't perform at work so he'll like us and love us more.
No. We perform at work because he does love us more, because he has already performed for us. And it is in his mighty power, as Paul prayed before this in chapter 2, that he comforts and he establishes our every word. And work. We see that in verse 17 at the end of chapter 2.
And let's, maybe that should be our prayer for our leaders. Doc, will you close us out of here in prayer and just lift everyone up as they go through this passage this week, wherever they are? Follow the right now Your word has been very clear. We saw a command. Three times we're commanded.
There's things we're supposed to be doing. There's a way that we will be a great witness to a lost world by the way we conduct ourselves when it comes to the word work. And I pray, Father, for our leaders, as they can teach this, that they will teach the dignity and the divine appointment that come with work. And may each one of us... My prayer is that every day we will get up.
autograph and work with excellence. Bringing glory and honor to you. May we find ourselves being recommitted to that. that precious possession that we all should have, and that is being diligent with what you have given us to do. Thank you for this time to study your word.
Thank you for stoop and we pray follow that lives will be different. because of this point of study. Thank you for joining us for this Wednesday in the Word podcast. Learn more at wedintheword.com. Follow us on YouTube, Facebook, and all social media, including in Stu Graham.
and be encouraged, stay in the word. Read it. Share it, study it, memorize it, and Meditate on God's Word. Every word of God is pure. He is a shield to those who put their trust in him.
Proverbs 30 verse 5.
