Explore the Bible Series for Nov. 25
EXPLORE THE BIBLE:
Church discipline, done correctly, has value
___ 2 Thessalonians 3:6-18
___By Pete Freeman
___First Baptist Church, The Woodlands
___Anyone, who knows my wife,knows she is a Wal-Mart specialist. Prior to the days of cell phones, when our kids were looking for her, they would call the local Wal-Mart store and have "customer Gloria Freeman" paged. When she leaves the house for Wal-Mart, she always says, "I'll only be gone for a few minutes." I smile, knowing all the time that I have plenty of time to watch whatever I want to watch on TV.
___I followed her one day to Wal-Mart. She spent quality time with everything she was looking for and with some things she wasn't lookin
g for. She is such a people person she can't resist talking to everyone she runs into. She gets distracted from the primary purpose of her trip to Wal-Mart. I understand artistic people are that way!
___Sometimes we Christians get distracted from living the lives God intended for us to live. That seemed to be a problem with some of the Christians of Thessalonica. Their unbalanced interest in the Second Coming of Christ was causing them to be unproductive in their Christian walk. Apparently, they had ignored the Apostle Paul's earlier words about "working and minding their own business" (1 Thessalonians 4:11-12; 5:14). Paul deals with "distraction" or "idleness" in our closing study of 2 Thessalonians. As a matter of fact, the second longest section in 2 Thessalonians is about idleness. It is second only to the discussion about the Lord's coming. The two are directly related to each other.
___The word "idleness" is used three times in this section and implied two times with the usage of different words. It is an adverb from the same root word used in 1 Thessalonians 5:14.
___Leon Morris says, "In view of the nearness of the Parousia they were refraining from doing any work." Given the degrading Greek attitude about work, idleness came easier for these believers. But Paul reminded them that a Christian's attitude about work should be different than a non-believer's. They were not living "according to the teaching" he had given them. Christians should not allow anything to distract them from God's purpose for their lives; not even an important doctrinal matter like the Second Coming.
___When there are those who become distracted within the body of Christ, the entire body has the responsibility of helping them to become productive believers again. Paul uses some very strong words in describing how to relate to those who have become idle. "Keep away" and "do not associate" sound harsh at first reading. These words are designed to remind these erring Christians that they are out of line in both spirit and deed. A believer cannot be in full fellowship without being in full harmony.
___Church discipline is almost non-existent today. In our desire to be all things to all people, we do all we can not to offend anyone. Today's church has become "religiously correct." Yet a study of the New Testament will show that church discipline was an important part of the early church. It was designed to preserve the doctrinal integrity and witness of the church. History shows us very few churches understood what church discipline is about. Many mistook it as an opportunity to "judge others." Paul's intent is to make them "feel ashamed" so they will stop and think about what they are doing. As well, he cautions the body not to "regard" them as "an enemy" but as "a brother."
___The attitude of anyone who rebukes should be one of tenderness. There is a fine line between brotherly love and withholding fellowship.
___Jerry Batson puts it this way: "Any act of church discipline takes place in the thin space between too much leniency ... and overly harsh and punitive actions." We should never become censorious and self-righteous in this process. When we do, someone more spiritual needs to administer discipline to us.
___Note that Paul mentions several very important "qualifiers" for those who would rebuke the "disorderly and idle believers." The first of these qualifications relates to performance. Paul and his associates were "examples." They weren't idle. They pulled their own weight. Their work ethic was characterized by tirelessness and a "whatever-it-takes to get the job done" attitude.
___The second relates to biblical balance. They were not distracted by the possibility of the imminent return of Christ. They had a job to do in helping to build up the kingdom of God. People who possess a mature and balanced theology are better qualified to work with people who need discipline.
___Third, they must be people of grace. Their main interest should be the welfare of the fallen brother, not condemnation.
___One of the greatest things I ever experienced as a young pastor was to watch an elderly deacon go to another deacon in our church and lovingly rebuke him. At first, the man reacted in anger. After a few weeks, he came in humble submission, confessing and repenting of his sins. Today, both are very effective witnesses for the Lord. He helped that "distracted deacon" to get his heart back on track.
___Questions for discussion
___ What impact does the impending Second Coming have on your life?
___ Does distraction or apathy play the largest part in church members lacking a fire for evangelism?
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