KEEP AWAY FROM IDLE AND DISRUPTIVE PEOPLE

PROCLAMATION

“In the name of The Lord Jesus Christ, we command you, brothers and sisters, to keep away from every believer who is idle and disruptive and does not live according to the teaching you received from us.”  2 Thessalonians 3:6 (NIV)

 

EXPLANATION

These words were written by the apostle Paul, under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God, to the believers in the church at Thessalonica.  Paul begins this third and final chapter of this second letter by asking them to pray for him and his fellow laborers. (2 Thessalonians 3:1-2)  Then he offers a brief prayer for them. (2 Thessalonians 3:5)  Afterwards, he told them to keep away from every believer who is disorderly and who does not live according to the way that they have been taught.  He repeated this later in the letter and added that they were not to treat the disobedient one as an enemy, but to make them feel ashamed of their behavior and to warn them. (2 Thessalonians 3:14-15)  He also told them that if an idle brother is unwilling to work, then he should not be given food to eat. (2 Thessalonians 3:10)  He ended the letter with a brief prayerful benediction. (2 Thessalonians 3:16-18)

 

APPLICATION

We should be very careful regarding the company that we keep and the friends that we associate with.  “Birds of a feather will flock together.” (Author Unknown)  “Can two walk together, except they be agreed?” (Amos 3:3)  As believers we are to witness to the lost, but we are not to fraternize with them on their level.  If we cannot pull them up with The Word of God, then we should not let them pull us down into their sinful behavior.  If we cannot help them, it is better for us to avoid them.  We should also avoid those who claim to be believers but will not engage in any kingdom building activities.  God is not the author of confusion. (1 Corinthians 14:33)  So, believers should not the source of disruption in the church.  Our actions speak much louder than our words.

 

KEEP SEPARATE FROM THAT WHICH IS UNGODLY

PROCLAMATION

“But now, our God, what can we say after this?  For we have forsaken the commands You gave through Your servants the prophets when You said: ‘The land you are entering to possess is a land polluted by the corruption of its peoples.  By their detestable practices they have filled it with their impurity from one end to the other.  Therefore, do not give your daughters in marriage to their sons or take their daughters for your sons…”  Ezra 10:10-12 (NIV)

EXPLANATION

Several months after the celebration and dedication of the temple, the Israelites celebrated the Passover and the Festival of Unleavened Bread for seven days.  (Ezra 6:19-22)  Chapter seven of the Bible Book of Ezra contains the letter which King Artaxerxes wrote to Ezra, and his decree regarding the Israelites. (Ezra 7:26)  Chapter eight contains the names of the head of each family that was with Ezra. (Ezra 8:1-14)  It also includes the actions which Ezra took after he learned that there were no Levites there with him. (Ezra 8:15-36)  Sometime later on Ezra learned that the people of Israel, including the priests and the Levites, had intermarried with the neighboring people who had once been their enemies.  He was very grieved by this.  He gathered the people together, and after much prayer, (Ezra 9:1-15) the men agreed to separate themselves from their foreign wives and any children from those marriages. (Ezra 10:1-17)  The second half of chapter ten of The Book of Ezra listed all of the men who had married foreign women. (Ezra 10:18-44)

APPLICATION

As believers we are not supposed to do all of the things that non-believers do.  Just because we can do it does not mean that we should do it.  It may not be illegal or immoral, but if it goes against The Word of God, then we should not do it.  Like Christ, we are in this world but not of it. (John 8:23)  We are to function in a Christ-like manner in this sin-sick world without taking on its sinful ways.  We are not to befriend or hang out with those individuals who consciously practice ungodly behavior. (Ephesians 5:11)  Only birds of the same feather will flock together. (Amos 3:3)  Let us fellowship one with another as part of the body of Christ. (1 John 1:7)

KEEP AWAY FROM IDLE AND DISRUPTIVE PEOPLE

Proclamation:

“In the name of The Lord Jesus Christ, we command you, brothers and sisters, to keep away from every believer who is idle and disruptive and does not live according to the teaching you received from us.”  2 Thessalonians 3:6 (NIV)

Explanation:

These words were written by the apostle Paul, under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God, to the believers in the church at Thessalonica.  Paul begins this third and final chapter of this second letter by asking them to pray for him and his fellow laborers. (2 Thessalonians 3:1-2)  Then he offers a brief prayer for them. (2 Thessalonians 3:5)  Afterwards, he told them to keep away from every believers who is disorderly and who does not live according to the way that they have been taught.  He repeated this later in the letter and added that they were not to treat the disobedient one as an enemy, but to make them feel ashamed and to warn them. (2 Thessalonians 3:14-15)  He also told them that if an idle brother is unwilling to work, then he should not be given food to eat. (2 Thessalonians 3:10)  He ended the letter with a benediction. (2 Thessalonians 3:16-18)

Application:

We should be very careful regarding the company that we keep and the friends that we associate with.  “Birds of a feather will flock together.” (Author Unknown)  “Can two walk together, except they be agreed?” (Amos 3:3)  As believers we are to witness to the lost, but we are not to fraternize with them on their level.  If we cannot pull them up with The Word of God, then we should not let them pull us down into their sinful behavior.  If we cannot help them, it is better for us to avoid them.

KEEP ME SAFE FROM THE HANDS OF THE WICKED

Proclamation:

“Keep me safe, Lord, from the hands of the wicked; protect me from the violent, who devise ways to trip my feet.”  Psalm 140:4 (NIV)

Explanation:

The words of this psalm were written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God by King David.  This psalm is a prayer which was sung asking for The Lord God’s protection from evil doers, violent people, and the wicked.  Protection from the people which the devil uses to trip us up, get us off track, and get our minds off of The Lord God and onto something sinful or onto our situation. (Psalm 140:1-4)  This prayer asks for The Lord God to have mercy and be our strong deliverer. (Psalm 140:6-7)  This prayer also asks that He not let the wicked succeed, that their plans would back-fire on them, and that burning coals would fall upon them and that disaster would befall them. (Psalm 11:6 and 140:8-11)

Application:

This is a prayer for deliverance from evil people and situations.  Unfortunately, there a many people in this world that would enjoy seeing a righteous person fall, suffer, and sin.  Some not only enjoy watching it but they will gladly participate in it.  Everyone who smiles in your face is not your friend.  Be very careful of the advice that you get from your “friends”.  We should pray over every decision that we have to make, and we should be sure to ask The Lord God to protect us from those who mean us no good but mean to harm us.  We should also pray for this same protection for our family and friends.  Do not get caught up in revenge, pray for deliverance.

PUT YOUR HOPE AND TRUST IN THE LORD GOD

Proclamation:

“You are my refuge and my shield; I have put my hope in Your word.  Away from me, you evildoers, that I may keep the commands of my God.”  Psalm 119:114-115 (NIV)

Explanation:

The words of this psalm were written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God by King David.  This is the fifteenth part, Samekh, of this twenty-two part psalm.  While David is continuing his conversation with The Lord God, he interjects a comment to the worldly evildoers telling them to leave him alone. (Psalm 119:115)  He did not want anything to hinder him from keeping The Word of God.  Then he asked God to sustain him and help him keep His commands. (Psalm 119:116-117)

Application:

We cannot serve to masters. (Matthew 6:24 and Luke 16:13)  We cannot walk God’s way and walk worldly at the same time. (John 8:12 and Ephesians 2:2)  People who try to do that are referred to as double-minded.  Double-minded people are unstable in their thoughts and their ways. (James 1:8)  They are divided in their thoughts and they are inconsistent in their beliefs.  The Lord God made it very clear that He did not like “wishy-washy” people and referred to them as “lukewarm”, they were not hot or cold. (Revelation 3:15-16)  Believers are not perfect, we occasionally fall into sin.  However, when we give in to our sinful nature, we do not change our belief in God and we know that sinning is wrong.  We pray and ask Him to forgive us, and to help us walk the right straight and narrow path.  Because of our faith and trust in The Lord, we know that if we humble ourselves and ask Him, He will forgive us and help us. (2 Chronicles 7:14 and 1 John 1:9)

DO THE RIGHT THING

Proclamation:

"Do not fret because of those who do evil or be envious of those who do wrong; for like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away.  Trust in The Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.”  Psalm 37:1-3 (NIV)

Explanation:

These words were written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God by King David.  He admonishes the people of God not to be upset because of the prosperity of those who do wrong.  The Good Lord will deal with them.  David encouraged them to trust in The Lord and to do that which is good and right.  For by doing so, they will be blessed.

Application:

It is hard to do the right thing when those around you are doing wrong and seem to be getting ahead.  It is all too easy to go along with the crowd and do what they are doing without realizing that they are going the wrong way.  We must remember that we are in this world but not of it.  We must answer to a higher authority.  We are to do the right thing and not worry about those that do wrong.  They will get what is coming to them.  Let us be careful and watch our steps to make sure that we are on the right path. (Psalm 37:23)  The right way and the right path is usually less traveled. (Matthew 7:13-14)  Let's make sure that we are following The Lord and going His way.