-Transcript-
00:02 What does God say about those that don’t want to work? 2 Thessalonians 3 :10. For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work,neither should he eat.
00:22 So here in the scripture, we’re told that if you don’t work personally, this is a personally focused scripture, it shows us that if you don’t work, you shouldn’t eat, as in it’s very important to work.
00:28 It’s fundamental. It’s part of life. It’s part of living is working.
00:34 The scripture also shows God’s point of view on those that want to take and not give. So it doesn’t say, if any would not work, then they should just sit there. It says, they shouldn’t eat, as in you shouldn’t take if you’re not working.
00:52 And in the culture today, we have so many that want to take, take, take, but they don’t want to give. It’s all about what’s in it for me. And this is kind of the lottery culture where if they could just hit the jackpot and take it all, they would.
01:11 But did they work for that? No. They just want it by chance. And unfortunately, it’s crept into our culture pretty good here where people want this things taken care of for them, and they don’t want to work for it.
01:30 They want to take time or money or food or resources and not give time or money or food or resources. And so that’s not good.
01:39 And we are called to go to work for that reason, so that we can earn with our labor what we deserve and what we can have and not get it by another way.
01:53 So that’s personal. But what does the Bible say about family or dependents? 1 Timothy 5:8, but if any provide not for his own, especially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith and is worse than an infidel.
02:10 So this is a family focused scripture, and it gets very specific.
02:18 It says, but if any provide not for his own specifically, just in case you don’t know what it means for his own, it says, especially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith and is worse than an infidel.
02:30 So this is a family focused scripture that shows God’s expectation that we care for our families. So if we work to meet our needs, but we let our family suffer, this is a grave sin.
02:43 And unfortunately, there’s a term for this. I heard this on the news the other day. There’s a term called financial infidelity.
02:53 This idea that we are committing adultery on our spouses by not telling them about money. I joked in the morning service that there have been a few times where maybe I’ve had a couple extra dollars and I didn’t want to run and tell Sue, because I was afraid she would do something responsible with it.
03:17 And of course, there have been times that all relationships would struggle here and there, or there’d be funny stories about somebody that writes their name on the to-go box.
03:31 So no one else will take it, take their food when they come home or hides a snack or whatever. But truly there is a real thing out there called financial infidelity, where couples are completely hiding money from each other.
03:45 And they’re not providing for their family.
03:54 And look, if you earn money and you don’t provide for your family, then what you’re doing is you’re shortchanging yourself because that’s your family and that’s your obligation before God.
04:05 And so that is not a good investment for your own sake and certainly not good for your family’s sake. And it’s a very big deal and the Lord frowns upon that.
04:13 So not working and then trying to eat is not a good idea. If we don’t work, we shouldn’t eat. And then working and not providing for our family is a grave sin as well.
04:27 So we’re called to work in order to gain for what we have, not try to get it in any kind of cheap and unusual way, but to work for it. And then we’re called to care for our families and to treat them as dependents to give them what they need and not look at how we can hide and tuck things away so that they don’t have it.
04:51 Because in the end, we’re only short changing ourselves and it’s a grave sin in front of God.
04:56 Further, God doesn’t like workplace drama. 2 Thessalonians 3:11, for we hear that there are some which walk among you disorderly, working not at all, but are busybodies.
05:09 What is a busybody? It’s a noun meddling or prying person.
05:14 Others consider him an interfering busybody. So we see that here in 2 Thessalonians 3:11, mentioning not working at all, but instead being disorderly and meddling. I mean, gosh, can you imagine the amount of people that would fit this bill at any job where they’re not working, but they’re being disorderly and meddling?
05:39 I can remember many years ago, having jobs in college and unfortunately being disorderly and meddling myself.
05:48 So I certainly am not trying to point the finger necessarily, but there are so many that just are out there to gossip or out there to get involved in the office drama or out there to waste time.
06:02 And that is not good because we don’t want to make work a place where we are taking a break from our responsibilities as a Christian, as a follower of Christ, as one that loves the Lord. We should have a good clean testimony.
06:21 We should be not involved in any of these sinful behaviors. We certainly shouldn’t be meddling. The Bible calls for us not to be evil speaking and not to be, you know, not to judge others.
06:34 There’s a lot in the Bible that calls us to be very, very careful and cautious when it comes to other people’s business. Even when we’re confronting a brother that’s gone astray, all of this stuff, it’s very considerate of those other people.
06:52 And so if you’re a busy body, if you’re meddling or prying, that’s not what the Lord wants to see.
06:59 And we’re called very clearly here in 2 Thessalonians 3:11 that we should not be doing that. And certainly doing that and not working is really a double sin. We don’t want to be doing that at all.
07:13 There are many ways to apply the scripture to today’s workplace, but suffice to say, do your job so you can eat, provide for your family so you aren’t worse than someone that denies the faith, and do your job instead of getting involved in workplace gossip and instigating stuff, milking the clock and so forth.
07:31 You know, just focus on what you’re there to do and do it really well and do it to the Lord and you will be blessed for it. Now, what does the Bible say about work ethic?
07:41 I’ve got a few verses here about what the Bible says about being a sloth.
07:48 Now, in, you know, recent times, sloth, the animal, has gained some notoriety. There’s cute sloths on the internet. There’s video sloths.
07:58 And we took Jenny and CJ to build a bear the other day for CJ’s birthday, and they had a cute sloth teddy bear. Jenny didn’t want to get it, which I was kind of relieved. But either way, it’s kind of been this cute character.
08:16 But often in the Bible, it’s used to refer to someone that is frankly being lazy, that is slothful, that is slow and just being lazy. So here’s some scripture on this. Matthew 25:26.
08:30 His Lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not and gather where I have not strawed.
08:42 So that was the parable from Matthew where the servant had not done anything with the talent, but just buried it and hid it, didn’t do anything, was lazy, didn’t go to work, didn’t try anything, didn’t get out there, was lazy.
08:55 Proverbs 12:24.The hand of the diligent shall bear rule, but the slothful shall be under tribute. Okay, so if you’re diligent, presumably with your work, you will be in some ruling level, and the slothful shall be under tribute, you’ll have to pay taxes, you’ll be under control. That’s not good.
Proverbs 12:27. The slothful man roasteth not that which he took in hunting, but the substance of a diligent man isprecious.
09:21 Proverbs 15:19. The way of the slothful man is as an hedge of thorns, but the way of the righteous is made plain.
09:38 So we know that the slothful man, though their way is the hedge of thorns, it’s complicated, and it’s hurtful, and it’s needling, and it’s problems, but the way of the righteous is made plain. It’s clear.
09:53 It’s not complicated. It’s not some crazy plot that you’ve devised. It’s just an easy, simple, clear plan.
10:00 Proverbs 18:9. He also that is slothful in his work, his brother to him that is a great waster. So being slothful here is associated with waste, with wasting, with ruining things.
10:15 I mean, if you think about it, if you’re lazy, what are you doing? You’re wasting the talents God gave you.
10:20 You’re wasting the abilities God gave you. You’re putting off for tomorrow what could be done today. Proverbs 19:15.
10:28 Slothfulness castethinto a deep sleep, and an idle soul shall suffer hunger. So it shows that when we’re slothful, we’re lazy, we’re going to be hungry, and maybe not just literally physically hungry, but we’re going to be hungry.
10:46 We’re going to have desires come about that are not of God and not of God’s plan because we’re slothful and lazy.
10:54 Proverbs 19:24. A slothful man hideth his hand in his bosomand will not so much as bring it to his mouth again. So here it’s saying if you’re lazy, you won’t even want to feed yourself.
11:10 You’re just so lazy. You’re a bum. Proverbs 21:25.
11:17 The desire of the slothful killeth him, for his hands refuse to labor. This is a great scripture. And man, does it describe so many people today? They are struggling.
11:27 They are dying inside. They have all kinds of problems. And what’s the one thing they won’t do? They won’t go to work.
11:36 They won’t go, they won’t labor, but they’ve got all these problems and they can’t connect those dots. Proverbs 22:13. The slothful man saith, there is a line without, I shall be slain in the streets.
11:40 Proverbs 22:13, basically saying they’re always going to come up with a reason why they can’t go out and do something.
11:52 They’re always going to come up with a reason why they can’t go to work. There’s always going to be an excuse.
12:04 They’re going to let fear dominate their life instead of letting faith dominate their life. Proverbs 24:30. I went by the field of the slothful and by the vineyard of the man void of understanding.
12:08 Proverbs 26:13. The slothful man saith, there is a line in the way. A line is in the streets.
12:17 Proverbs 26:14. As the door turneth upon his hinges, so doth the slothful upon his bed. I always get a kick out of a scripture that relates to something relatively modern.
12:35 You have a door on its hinges and I can clearly go see a door on its hinges right here in my office or in the bedroom. You see the door on its hinges and you think of somebody turning to and fro in the bed. That’s terrible.
12:45 I could take it a step further and say if they’re turning in the bed, maybe they’re just uncomfortable because they’ve been laying there too long.
12:51 If you’ve ever laid in bed too long, you realize that at some point it becomes uncomfortable. It becomes, your body starts to get aches and pains.
12:59 If you’ve ever been sick for a long time, you recognize that. But even if you’re healthy, it’s not good to lay in bed too long. Proverbs 26:15.
13:10 The slothful hideth his hand in his bosom. It grieveth him to bring it again to his mouth. Here we have being grieved.
13:26 You’re just grieved to even feed yourself. It’s just not a good scenario. And again, all from being lazy.
13:32 Ecclesiastes 10:18. By much slothfulness the building decayeth and through idleness of the hands thehouse droppeth through. So basically, if you’re not willing to work, you’re not willing to upkeep things, they’re going to fall apart.
13:47 And that’s part of slothfulness. When you’re lazy and you’re working, things fall apart. And for those that have gone the spell without working, what inevitably happens when you don’t work? All these bills come out of thin air.
14:01 All these problems emerge. And it’s almost like a perfect storm. And you wonder, why now? How on earth? Like this is some kind of evil, wicked thing.
14:08 But in a way, it’s making this scripture true that it’s what it is, is the building is decaying. Through idleness of the hands, the house droppeth through. Things are falling apart because of the fact you’re not working.
14:24 And those little problems, because they would have been little problems if you were working, become massive problems because you’re not working and it’s hard to figure out. And that is not a good thing. That is why we want to be working for our Lord.
14:39 We want to be about our Father’s business. We want to do things that are profitable for our families and not just decide to camp out for the rest of our lives. And there’s a lot of cultural things going on right now.
14:54 The fire movement, which is about retiring early so you can do what you want. Or you’ve got the nomad movement where people are just living here and there and everywhere. It’s real popular right now to buy an RV and travel across the country.
15:10 Look, whatever you do here on earth is going to cost money if there’s going to be a price associated with it. And so the idea that in this day and age, and frankly in this economy right now being quite good,
15:26 that you’ll forego working and just to enrich yourself and to give yourself things and to, you know, just be lazy and hang out. It may be kind of celebrated in the world, but it is an affront to God.
15:40 And, you know, the Lord took enough time to include over 14 verses on this topic, many more really. But, you know, 14 or so I just read.
15:50 It’s obviously very important to the Lord that we have a way about us that is more than just doing the bare minimum or not even doing that.
16:01 And that we’re really motivated and understanding. And I believe with all my heart that God is a good God and that God knows our circumstance and God knows that we get tired. He knows that we need rest.
16:15 That’s why he gave us the Sabbath. That’s why he gave us Sundays to take a day of rest. And I believe he expects us to use that day as rest, to truly rest.
16:25 Not to say you’re resting and spend all day shopping and eating and running around. That’s not resting. Resting is like literally resting, you know.
16:32 But I believe the Lord really gave us that day of rest to also put in context the other days that we are supposed to work.
16:42 And not just working in our jobs, but working for him. And that’s the most important job that we can have is working for him.
16:51 And it all comes from not being slothful, from having an attitude about us, an attitude of gratitude, and a motivation to serve and live for him. For him. For him.