This blog is about winning ways to follow Jesus. Work is indeed a biblical way to follow Jesus. We watched a sermon online yesterday from Tokyo Baptist Church. He did all the research on this topic, and I’m passing it on to you. 
Pastor Takeshi Yozawa ·
He preached 2 Thessalonians 3:1-13. These are the notes I took. If you want to hear the sermon and take your own, then go here https://youtu.be/08DYW1UcC-A
Paul starts by saying to keep away from certain Christians because they don’t live according to tradition. Tradition means what is originally received from someone and passed on to someone else. This would mean a teaching from Jesus to the apostles, and the apostles pass it on to the churches. Paul says when we disobey the teaching of the Apostles, we disobey Jesus.
Paul says there is disorderly conduct and idleness. They are out of order. He commanded the church to work, but some disobeyed. What does our work have to do with the testimony of the church? Our attitudes toward work should change.
Verses 7-9
Paul says he was NOT idle – He labored. He did this for two reasons:
-He did not want to be a burden
-He wanted to be an example so that they would imitate him
In the modern, individualistic world, we tend to think vacation is great and work is a necessary evil.
But work is a God thing. Work is our first calling as humans. Starting in Genesis 2:15, the man was placed in the garden to work and watch over it –
Work is not a punishment. It is a gift – a blessing of God.
Sin has made work harder.
John 5:17 My Father is still working, and I am also working –
Work is in the Ten Commandments – You are to labor six days…
The rest of the command is the part we focus on about resting. Resting is good, but we are no longer under the Sabbath law because it’s been fulfilled in Jesus.
Work is the means for us to serve Jesus and bring glory to God.
Colossians 3:23-24
I Corinthians 10:31b
Our workplace is the one place we will impact more non-Christians than anywhere else.
We can show Christ and bring glory to Him.
The calling of mankind:
To serve God
To show the character of God
To bring glory to God
2 Thessalonians 3:7-9
vs.9 – Paul was working as a gospel worker for the church. He believed he had the right to get support. But Paul didn’t receive support from a church he started. He would not make them pay. He was fine about outside churches supporting him.
Every pastor on staff at TBC was a church member before they were called to their current position – the supporting staff too. They were volunteer workers before they were ever paid by the church. Their hearts are about giving and serving others. 
Vs. 10-13
Those who were not willing to work – this was a particular group. He calls them busybodies, unwilling.
He is not talking about the sick, people who want to work but can’t find work, or the old and retired who can’t work, or homemakers teaming with their spouse to run the home and children, or students working hard on their training and education. This is not who Paul is talking about.
These are people unwilling, and he calls them busybodies.
We use our gifts to glorify God and serve others, especially for the salvation of others. We are a peculiar people. It’s entirely different from others’ lives. We don’t work for ourselves. We rejoice to serve at home, church, and work. This is the Christian life. We live and work and serve. It’s the life of Jesus.
©Valerie Rumfelt
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Valerie Rumfelt 