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2 Thessalonians 3:1-18 Never Tire of Doing What is Right

Dennis Mock
Sunday, March 7, 2010

There are times when we grow weary in well doing. We get disappointed and wonder if
doing the right thing is even worth it. Sometimes it doesn’t seem to make much of a
difference. We may just lose courage and become faint of heart. What contributes to this
process? What are the factors that get us to this point? As Paul closes 2 Thessalonians he
deals with these issues. The phrase “doing right” is elsewhere translated “well doing”. It
is associated with doing right. First it means conforming to scripture. Secondly it also has
the idea of doing that, which causes good to result. James tells us that the “one who
knows the right thing to do and doesn’t do it, sins”.

Read 2 Thessalonians 3:1-18


– The text suggests several things, which contribute towards “burn out”, and
shrinking back from doing good.
– He doesn’t talk about lack of motivation, or fear.

Contributing Factors to Growing Weary:


1) Failure to pray for one another – (v. 3)
a. Growing Weary because we are prayerless.
b. James 5:16 – The prayer of a righteous man avails much.
c. APP: Don’t commit to pray for someone who is counting on you unless you
really intend to do it!
d. Paul constantly asks for prayer for himself and his ministry.
i. That “the Word of god would be set free to run” is a literal translation
of what he requested at times.
e. Share the message of the Word and pray that it will have its intended effect
in their lives.
f. As you have time this week, flip to Ephesians 6:18-20 –
i. Paul is closing his letter to the Ephesians here.
ii.“Pray in the Spirit at all times on all occasions”
g. We need prayer support from other people!
2) Neglecting to keep being obedient to the truth – (v. 4)
a. We cannot slough off or take a timeout from being holy!
b. Gal. 6:9 – Says, “Don’t grow weary in doing good for at the proper time we
will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”
3) Surrounding yourself with people who are not spiritually minded or
interested in obeying the truth – (v. 6, 14-5)
a. He is talking about believers who are lazy and not living obedient lives.
b. You are to dissociate from people like this.
c. These are people who take all your time and don’t contribute anything;
“Spiritual Deadbeats”
d. This is not to allow them to take up all your time. They can never be satisfied
anyway no matter how much you give.
e. They will drain you and cause you to become weary in doing good.
f. Warn them so that hopefully they will become a contributing member of the
body of Christ.
g. The health of the Body is assumed in scripture to come from every member
of the body doing its part – Ephesians 4
4) Not following good role models and examples – (v. 7)
a.Hitch your wagon to someone worth following.
b.Don’t let bad role models discourage you or lead you astray.
c.Follow someone who is imitating Christ.
d.Was Jesus ever idle in obeying the will of His Father? He had times of rest
and retreat but even those were purposeful.
e. Read the first couple of chapters of 1 Corinthians to see what happens when
you follow bad role models.
5) Being idle and non-productive – (v. 11)
a. This is a matter of majoring on the minor and therefore contributing nothing
of worth.
b. This also means not being involved in a meddling kind of way in everyone
else’s business.
c. This is being a “busybody”.
d. Paul called these kind of men wicked.
6) Not operating in God’s love and enablement – (v. 5)
a. 5* May the Lord direct your hearts into God’s love and Christ’s perseverance.
i. Let the Lord open a channel for His love to flow through you.
ii.Christ persevered in the face of all opposition.
b. Don’t grow wear or give up but instead ask God to cause His love to flow
through you to others.
c. Paul knew he was ultimately just a channel for God’s truth and love to His
people.

There are many other hindrances we could talk about but instead let’s focus on the
challenge in 1 Cor. 15:58 –
58* Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give
yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is
not in vain.

Be patient a harvest of fruit will be there if you don’t give up!

What Mitigates against Growing Weary:


1) Stand Firm –
a. We do this by faith.
b. Remembering God’s call.
c. Remembering who He is.
d. He will give you confidence and courage.
e. Eph. 6 – We must take up the shield of faith. He will never leave or forsake
us!
2) Staying Focused –
a. Let nothing move you. Nothing should get you off track!
b. “Jesus set His face like flint toward Jerusalem.”
c. This is one of our real problems.
i. We can’t stay single minded.
ii.Multi-tasking can be a detriment to this.
d. It is especially difficult to hone in on the things that are really important and
letting the other things fall by the wayside.
3) Striving Fully –
a. Give yourselves fully to the Work of the Lord.
i. Here is the trick: you can’t do it in the flesh!
ii.It must be done in the power of the Spirit: Colossian 1:29
iii.You can’t give up but you can’t do it in your own strength either.
b. Give everything that you have to it.
c. ILL: Think of the long distance races in the Olympics. They give until it hurts
and then they keep on giving until they even collapse past the finish line.
4) Steadfastly know certain things –
a. Know your labor in the Lord is not in vain.
i. This is because God’s work is never in vain.
b. Know that God will produce fruit in time if you don’t give up.
c. Know that God’s Word will never return void.
d. Know that what God starts He finishes. “He who began a good work . . .”

These four things will help us stay on track and keep us from being discouraged.

I really wish there were a third option but there is really only “busy” or “idle”. Engaged in
God’s purposes or disengaged. Following or not following.

What should we just let go of so we can fully engage in God’s work?

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