Second Thessalonians
Second Thessalonians was taught by Dr. James Modlish

Lesson Four
(PRACTICAL ADVICE)

Introduction:

Paul has saturated these two letters with facts about the rapture, tribulation and the Second Coming. But it is not enough to know about His coming, or to believe it; we must practice it in daily life. In Chapter three Paul exhorts them to change their ways so that their lives may demonstrate the coming of Christ.

 

I. Prayer and Patience (3:1-5)

It is interesting that the greatest Christian who ever lived asked for prayer (vs. 1) (See Eph. 6:18, 19). Not only did Paul ask for boldness, but he knew that it was necessary to preach the Word freely to counteract the Devil's lies. The Word did have a free course among the Thessalonians because they received and believed it (I Thess. 2:13; 2 Thess. 2:13).

Satan uses unreasonable and wicked men to oppose us. (Acts 18:1-12) However, God sometimes allows these types of circumstances to enter our lives so we will become patient stewards, waiting for Christ's return like we ought to be. (Matt. 24:41 42-51)
 

II. Working and Eating (3:6-13)

From the Holy Spirits point of view a disorderly Christian is one who doesn't work (vs. 7,8). Paul even goes so far as to admonish true believers to withdraw themselves from these lazy Christians, that the offenders might be ashamed and correct their ways (vs. 14). Paul worked with his own hands because he evidently saw the need for these people to have an example as to the necessity of work (I Thess. 2:9-12; Acts 20:33-35). The church was obligated to help people with honest needs (Acts 6; 1 Tim. 5), but the church is not obligated to help the man who is able to work but will not.

Busy people are people who have too much time on their hands and they interfere with other peoples business (I Tim. 5:13; I Pet, 4:15).
 

III. Hearing and Doing (3:14-18)

The Word of God is to be heard and obeyed. The man who refuses to obey what Paul has to say is to be marked by the believers and treated accordingly. This is not official church discipline, as in (I Cor. 5), but personal corrective action by individual members of the church. We ought not to encourage laziness. If each Christian would obey the Word of God, what a better church we would be!

One of the marks of the Thessalonian church was its attitude toward the Word of God. They heard and received the Word, and believed it (I Thess. 1:5-6, 2:13), and shared it with others. But over the weeks, some of the believers had become hardened to the Word: they heard it but did not obey it. The evidence of their unbelief and disobedience was seen in the way they lived, and their lives were a disgrace to the church.

 

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