Well may it please God to instruct
us from the reading of his holy word. And then once again we'll
turn for our meditation in the second epistle of Paul to the
Thessalonians and the third chapter and this evening we'll read from
verses 6 to 10. That's the third chapter in the
second epistle of Paul to the Thessalonians and reading from
verse 6 to verse 10. Now, we command you, brethren,
in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves
from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the
tradition which he received of us, for yourselves know how ye
ought to follow us, for we behaved not ourselves disorderly among
you, neither did we eat any man's bread for naught, but wrought
with labour and travail night and day, that we might not be
chargeable to any of you, not because we have not power, but
to make ourselves an example unto you to follow us. So the Apostle now draws our
attention really to those things which are necessary and to do
those things which are right for the honour and glory of God
and also that We're not to be burdensome to the churches. And he emphasizes this really
in these verses and tells us that he commands us, brethren. Again, he uses this endearing
term, brethren. And it's good to realize that
such words are always spoken in love and not in hatred. They're in love to the church
Thessalonica and says, now we command you, brethren, in the
name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you withdraw yourselves
from every brother that walketh disorderly and not after the
tradition which he received of us. Well, we can draw many points,
really, on these words. But also he then carries on and
really these four verses that I read tonight, they all form
really one group of verses and they really flow together. And
as we read a statement like this, we might think it's irrelevant
to the other verses, but in fact it's not. It flows together in
the other verses. And so he carries on and he says,
for yourselves know how you ought to follow us. for we behave not
ourselves disorderly among you. And of course we have the example
of the apostle in his life and how he was careful not to be
a burden on the churches but how he labored with his own hands
as a tent maker and that was of course a great help to the
churches that he was preaching amongst and of course he went
to the church at Thessalonica, or commenced the church really
at Thessalonica, and there he obviously initially went there
and didn't receive any remuneration for his labor, but it was all
really in love and to the eternal good of souls and for the honor
and glory of his God. And so he says that we are to
therefore, we ought to follow them, follow us, he says. For
we behave not ourselves this orderly among you. And again,
we have a good example. Don't we in the apostles life,
he testifies so much in the epistles as he wrote to the churches to
instruct them. And because of that, obviously
they are there to instruct us. So, you know, as we look at these
four verses really, it's quite a big statement. It's not a small
statement. It's an important. and to realise
that the Apostle is therefore speaking not only to ministers
but also to all those who are the true Church of God. And when
he was speaking to the Corinthians, he also touched on this when
he said in the first epistle of the Corinthians and the seventh
chapter, and there are two verses there, 20 and 24. This is what
he says. Let every man abide in the same
calling wherein he was called. brethren, let every man wherein
he is called therein abide with God." And obviously he was concerned
that there was that abiding and there wasn't room for people
to wander around and to tittle-tattle, he was concerned about them abiding
in these things and doing that which was good and also not to
be idle. When he wrote to his son Timothy
in the faith he picks up that theme also and he says, and with
all they learn to be idle, wandering about from house to house and
not only idle but tattlers also, and busybodies, speaking things
which they ought not." Well, he was addressing Timothy, as
we know, his son in the faith, and one who was to preach the
everlasting gospel, and therefore he gives them, he gives him these
specific warnings and advice, and likewise he gives us the
same warnings and advice. You realise, therefore, that
we're not to be idle, We're not to be idle, but we are to do
those things which come to our hand to do. We read to you this
evening that 128th Psalm. And the second verse in that
Psalm says, For thou shalt eat the labour of thine hands. Happy shalt thou be, and it shall
be well with thee. Man is born to work, man is born
to labour, and not to sit around idle. And what a blessing it
is if God gives us health and strength so we can do those things
which are for his honor and glory and not be idle. And so he comes
and he tells us then, for yourselves know how you ought to follow
us. The apostles example, he was
not idle. For we behave not ourselves disorderly among you. And then
he goes on, neither did we eat any man's bread for naught. No,
he didn't take people's bread without paying for it. It's interesting,
isn't it, that here is a statement like that. Neither did we eat
any man's bread for naught, but wrought with labour and travail,
night and day, that we might not be chargeable to any of you. And so we see Paul's concern,
therefore, to be able to support himself and advising those who
follow on to also realize the importance of being able to support
themselves and not be chargeable to the churches, which obviously
in those days when they commenced were not wealthy, they were poor,
and it was a statement which was important that they should
observe. And then he says in the ninth
verse, not because we have not power, but to make ourselves
an ensemble unto you to follow us." Again, he's pointing out
how he lived and what he did. And again, it draws our attention
back to the fact that when he had opportunity, he took to his
trade, which was a tent maker. He didn't waste his time and
sit about idly. He did that so that he wasn't
a burden upon the churches. And then he says, For even when
we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any man would not
work, Neither should he eat. And that's a very straightforward
statement, isn't it? And I think it's good that we
have these points pointed out to us. Often we forget, we read
an epistle, a blessed epistle like the Thessalonians and perhaps
pass over the detail of verses like this and to realize that
they are instructive. And he tells us, he set the example,
the example for us. do that which he didn't do himself,
say that which he didn't do himself, but he did those things which
are God-honouring. And so he didn't just work, we're
told he worked night and day, night and day that he might not
be a burden unto the churches and not be chargeable. So we
have in these verses very practical statements really and important
statements that you and I can look upon as being the Word of
God and the Word still applicable to us today. Well may God be
gracious to us