Full transcript of “Sunday School Lesson - May 10, 2026 - Work as Christian Duty”. Click a timestamp to open the video at that moment. Need another video? Use the YouTube transcript generator.
0:00 Hello guys. I want to welcome you to this week's Sunday school lesson. The pastor will share this week's review of the mighty Sunday school lesson. Remember to like, share, and subscribe to our channel. Additionally, if you would like to donate to Pastor Lars Jordan's Sunday school lesson ministries, you can make a donation of any amount to 2729 Oakrove Road, Hattisburg, Mississippi. The zip code is 39402. Additionally, the cash app capabilities are detailed in the descriptions and the pastor's Sunday school lesson notes are provided below. God bless you guys and enjoy the lesson. Hi, I'm Brother Lars Jordan, pastor of the New Bethl Baptist Church located at 2729 Oak Grove Road in
0:47 Hattisburg, Mississippi. And today our Sunday school lesson for May the 10th, 2026 is work as Christian duty. And we are our Bible scripture today are taken from Genesis the 2 chapter vers uh verse 15. Exodus the 20th chapter verse 9. The gospel accord to St. John the 5th chapter verse 17. the 9inth chapter verse 4, Acts the 20th chapter verses 33-35 and 2 Thessalonians the 3rd chapter 6-2 and we are still in this quarterly theme
1:32 of social teachings of the church and uh our unit of study is fulfilling our obligation to God and society and we do want Want to thank everyone for what you do to help promote this ministry. And we ask if you are uh blessed by this ministry. If you will subscribe, if you haven't subscribed, if you've already subscribed, if you'll hit that like button, it goes a long way in promoting our ministry. We do appreciate everything you do. And we'd like to say to all the mothers, happy Mother's Day. God bless your hearts. It is a real job to be a mother. uh in nowadays and days gone by uh we we
2:17 really appreciate our mothers and I I lost my mother when I was very young. So I've just grabbed hold to people that love me enough to that and I call a lot of people mother and and so I do uh cherish mothers. So we go into this Genesis the second chapter talking about work as Christian duty and we start at this 15th verse and it as uh as our writers get us set for this. It says, "And the Lord God took the man." Man man, the word man there is Adam in the Hebrew and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it since we
3:03 they want us to understand uh about work as Christian duty. Now, we know that uh this is not the work in order to get saved. And we could go into a lot of scripture about that because it we're not saved by by works. We're saved by grace through faith. The Apostle Paul told us there in Ephesians 2 verse 8. But but but uh here, let's talk about work though. And our best example of work is God himself. As we said in some uh lessons a few weeks ago, some time ago, as we were talking about some of the things that that God had done in in uh in working, the Lord worked six days
3:49 creating the heavens and the earth. And then on the seventh day, he rested. He was given a a an example and a and a guideline to go by in rest and work. Work then rest and and but neither one of them are to be left out. Neither the work nor the rest. And as we get into this lesson, we'll understand the the the real meaning of that. Why it has to be like that. in Genesis the the the second chapter. The first verses of this help us to understand it will help us to understand the rest of this. So so we're just going to read it here in the NLT the beginning at the first verse of the Genesis the 2 chapter on down to the to
4:35 the uh uh to just the eth verse and then we'll go down and and deal with this 15th verse. It says, "So the creation of the heaven and the earth and everything in them was completed. And on the seventh day, God had finished his work of creation. He had finished. He had accomplished what he was his goal in creating the the the earth." So he rested from all of his work. And God blessed the seventh day and declared it holy because it was the day when he rested from all of his work of creation. This is the account of the creation of the heavens and the earth. When the Lord God made the earth and the heavens,
5:21 neither wild plants nor grains were growing on the earth, for the Lord God had not yet sent rain to the earth to water the earth. And there were no people to cultivate the soil. It says till in the King James version. Instead, springs came up from the ground and watered all the land. Then the Lord formed the man from the dust of the ground, and he breathed the breath of life into man's nostril, and man became a living person. Then the Lord planted a garden in the e in in Eden in the east and there he placed the man that he had made. Now I personally am constantly asked because work is is is something
6:08 that that has to be done and and and I I admit I do a lot of it and and people constantly ask me why why do you do so much and and and you you're you're the pastor. Why? Why are you taking care of this and taking care of that? Well, sometimes it's it's it's like this. I personally when they ask me that, my response is always the same. Work doesn't get done unless someone does it. Someone has to do work. Work work it doesn't get done on its own. I've worked in the construction world. I've worked in the offices. I' I've worked in in in in all areas of it. So, I I know both ends of it. And uh I don't know which one I like the best. is because all of it requires using the mind. All of the work that I was into, you use the mind
6:55 because when you pit fit pipe or whatever or build houses or build buildings, you you have have to use the mind as well as sitting at a table and and drawing or doing paperwork. So it's it's work has to be done. If the Lord God had not created heaven and earth, there would be no you and me. So if he had not accomplished what he was he was set out to do. So the work that the Lord set out to do he finished it. So therefore work also carries with it finishing that which you start. So that the Lord God is our best example of all of these things. Now work is exertion or effort directed to
7:42 produce or accomplish something. labor or even toil. Now, this is a secular definition of work that that we just gave. However, it it encapsulates or summarizes all that we're taught by God himself in in God's example of work in his creation story and work being started and work being completed and the completion being that he rested when it it was finished. Now, so God created, he exerted effort and produced something. That's what we we talked about. Even in the secular definition of work, exertion or effort directed to produce or accomplish something that those those things are in what what God did in
8:30 creation and the Lord God finished accomplished something. uh that brought it to its goal or to its conclusion that and he did that in in his creation of what he uh created uh everything was the way he wanted it and he looked at it and he said it is good and that so we know that that that the Lord's creation was up to where he wanted it to be and the uh in verse 15 here this verse and the Lord took man and put him in the garden of Eden it to dress it and to keep it. Well, we just said there in the fifth verse that the one of the things one of the problems there in the earlier part of this was there were no people to till
9:16 the soil or cultivate the the soil or the ground. The the Lord God took man that he had formed from the dust of the earth and and had breathed breath into his his nostrils at this man Adam and placed him in the garden of Eden. this man. Why? Why did he place him there? It the the scripture says it there to dress it and to keep it. To dress there is is aba albad or or uh which is has the root word meaning to serve. It the man was to serve or work or even that word we use cultivate teal uh of the the the ground. God said it was no one there to do it.
10:01 Now he has created man and man can can do this. Moses wrote that that as rather there in that fifth verse. Now it then our lesson goes to keeping in line with the things that we're talking about. The lesson goes to the 20th chapter of Exodus. Now we know there in the 20th chapter of Exodus are the ten commandments. But we going we're going to deal with the fourth commandment. Uh the bottom of it we we don't have the to remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy in our lesson. That's in verse 8. But in the ninth verse, it says here, "Six days shall thou labor and do all thy work." Six days shall you work or labor or toil or teal or serve. Do all of your work is
10:46 what what what was written there in the in this in this commandment. In this fourth commandment, remembering the Sabbath day to keep it holy work was very important. The Lord God gives the Sabbath law to the people of Israel in the eighth verse that that we just read, we just uh spoke on. Then reiterates the importance of work in the ninth verse. How important it is to work. This is applicable to us not because of the Sabbath law, but because of work itself. Labor is the same word uh uh as dressed that we talked about in in the previous verse in the 15th verse of the second chapter of Genesis. Labor is is is that
11:32 that same word a as dressed mean meaning to uh to get it to a pl point where uh to serve to teal and we didn't deal with the keep it. Let me let me let me let me deal with the with the keep it part of that that that 15th verse of the of Genesis the the the second chapter there. We didn't we didn't deal with the keep it. We didn't put that part in there. Let's let's understand we we the two things the Lord put man in the garden for was to dress it and to keep it. Now to keep it in the Hebrew is is shamar and the verb meaning of this is it means to keep to guard to observe give heed
12:17 take care of in this case in in this verse right here is not talking about guarding from Satan. That's not what what this verse is talking about when it when it says to keep it. But it involves tending it. Well, tending is on a on a different level. Or keeping things such as a garden, going out in it to to keep the grass out of the road so that the v the ve vegetables can grow in the right way, tending the flock, keeping them fed and looking after the flock or tending the house and going out and taking care of the living and dwelling place. Let's get back to verse nine of the 20th chapter in the in the ten commandment. I I'm sorry that I skipped that that that last part of that that that 15th verse
13:04 of the tw of the second chapter of Genesis, but we're back in this now. Now, this is applicable to us. This this the the the main part of this Sabbath law or this last part of this to labor and do all thy work. Labor is is the same as dress. We just talked about that. means to serve or till or cultivate means to uh or work is is basically just work. But it says but but the scripture tells us to do all thy work. It and particularly there it was talking about in those six days do everything that needs to be done. But it but in order for it to get done, you have to do it. That's what is being talked about there. And that's what is
13:51 going to be in even on into our lesson as as we go into this. Do all your work. Meaning that work has to be be done in order to provide for you and yours. The crop has to be planted. It has the ground has to be teal. The the seeds have to be planted in order for the the uh the crop to come up. And then our lesson goes to the New Testament scripture there in the Gospel according to St. John the 5th chapter. And the 17th verse of that says, "But Jesus answered them, the Jews, my father workketh hitherto, and I work." Now this what what was happening here was the on the Sabbath
14:36 day Jesus had healed a man at the pool of Bethesa and and the Beastesta it is called the house of mercy. So that that's what the bees bethesa means the house of mercy. So we Jesus heals this man there and there's a problem with this healing for these other Jews because it happened on the Sabbath day. The man that Jesus healed has suffered from his infirmity for 38 years. Well surely somebody was saying well what's one more day? Well, one more day for the Lord. Just leaving a person there is is not what the Lord would want that person to have to go through. For some time now, this man had been trying to get someone to help him get into the pool
15:22 because he heard what just what everyone else had heard. If when the angel come down in trouble the water, you get into the water and and and you would be healed some type of way miraculously. I don't know if he had ever seen anyone heal in that water before, but he said that he couldn't get anyone to put him in the water when the water was troubled and he couldn't be the first to get in there because he was an impotent man. He was he was he wasn't able to get in there on his own. But on this Sabbath day, the actual healer, the actual healer came through and healed him and made it clear that this had been a part of the work that had been happening continuously since sin happened in the Garden of Eden. So, so sin, since sin came in, the Lord God had been busy
16:10 bringing man back to himself, dealing with man's sin, dealing with man on a on a one by oneonone basic, even as a collective group. With this statement, Jesus challenged the notion that God himself was somehow literally subject to the Sabbath rules. Well, we're going to make God be subject to Sabbath rules when he's looking at a person and and and knows that that person is in need today. So, they got to wait until tomorrow. What if they die before tomorrow? So, so today is the day. If uh if don't save them today because today is the Sabbath day, that that's that's not how it works. If God stopped every kind of work on the Sabbath, nature
16:56 would fall into chaos and sin would overrun the world. If if God stopped everything, just shut it all down. Furthermore, Jesus was teaching that when the opportunity to do good presents itself, it should not be ignored even on the Sabbath. And then that we go to the ninth chapter of the Gospel according to St. John and go to the fourth verse of the ninth chapter still talking about work and Jesus says here one of those things that is uh a must in other words it's something that has to be done it's an an urgent need for this I must work the works of him that sent me while it
17:42 is day after the colon the night cometh when no man can work now this chapter starts with Jesus passing by and seeing a man. The entire chapter is about this one incident. How how Jesus healed this man and went through different things even wanting his parents to even identify him and and even confirm the fact that he was actually born blind. So all of those things even came into that this this ninth chapter. But Jesus passed by and see this man that was born blind. And his disciples were asking him him the question asking Jesus the question that uh was it because of sin that his
18:28 parents had done or he had done? Is is it is it something like that? And Jesus gave them a clear and unequivocal answer. He gave them an answer to to satisfy should have satisfied their inquiry. He was born this way. So that the works of God should be made manifest in him is what Jesus told them. Now before healing the man, Jesus spoke of the urgency of healing him now. Now now is is the day of salvation. Now is the time to heal this person because we don't know when when when night is going to come when the end of this physical life is going to stop and I can't do those works anymore like uh on that basis in that same type of way. So Jesus
19:17 goes into this must. He said I must work the works of God my father who sent me, the one that sent me. I must do this work while it is day or I still have time in in my earthly ministry. I must not wait until night when my earthly ministry is over. Is what Jesus is saying here. when he leaves this physical life, when we leave this physical life, our earthly ministry or whatever we was into or whatever we were doing, it has stopped in in this life and it has come to an end. And Jesus was was helping his disciples to know that these are things that you do now while you can. You work the works while it is day. The night comes when no man can
20:05 work. As to the time of the work, there is a limitation. When this physical is over, the work stops. That particular work stops. The work that Jesus spoke of were the miraculous signs and and miracles and and and wonders that he w he would perform. Jesus's main goal and work was completed in the man's life in verse 38. And what happened in in the 38th verse of this same chapter that this man said Lord I believe a after he after Jesus had come to him and asked him did he believe and he wanted to know some things about Jesus and after that the man made the declaration that I believe and that's faith that was the demonstration and illustration of faith
20:51 until that point he hadn't got to the point where he had pleased God without faith it is impossible to please God the Bible tells us so a person that is not saved is not pleasing God. Once they're saved, then they are pleasing God because they have trusted Jesus Christ for their salvation. Now the Jesus said there in the gospel according to St. Luke the 19th chapter the the 10th verse this was his his main goal and his main operation when he came his main work he said for the son of man is come to seek and to save that which is lost. That is the work that he came to do. Seek and save that which is lost. Now in Acts the 20th chapter that going to the acts of the apostle and going to
21:37 the 20th chapter we know that this is going to be a time when the apostle Paul is is is working and the 33rd verse says I have coveted no man's silver or gold or apparel. Now this is Paul. As a result of Paul preaching and teaching ministry is emphas emphasis, many people gave up their cultic practices, those things that they were into. And we know that because in the in the 19th chapter, they burned those books that that were from the occult and from those different types of idol religious uh things that were going
22:24 on. Even the idol gods, the the the things that were made by some that were were were taken away and they didn't want them anymore. Now, there was a man named Demetrius and and he was a silver smmith that was instrumental in making the idol gods for Diana who was the the the Greek goddess wasn't a real person or Artemis. We know that from the spaceship that just went out and came in uh stirred up the people that were making money from this scheme that that that was created there in them. They were making money always in it making money and everything was about making money at at that time and and and Paul had something to say about that to to to young Timothy there in in 1 Timothy the
23:10 the 6th chapter verse 10. It is a popular scripture but I don't know if we always uh understand it when we read it. He said, "For the love of money is the root of all evil, which while some have coveted after, they have desired it with a strong heart and mind and even put everything of themselves into it." That's what he says when that's what he means when he said coveted after. They wanted it more than anything else. They have aired from the faith and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. They're they're sorrowful. didn't they aired from the faith didn't say that they were thrown out or stopped believing Jesus Christ but their mind was focused on something else and they couldn't get their eyes set on Jesus so many sorrows came their way and what
23:56 were coming their way Paul said that I didn't covet that's what he was saying in this meaning that he was content and self-restraint in what what was going on in his life I didn't covet no man's silver or gold or even the way that he wore his suits. I didn't it it just didn't fascinate me when when I saw that person. He he was dressed. He had on clothes. I had on clothes. So, it it didn't bother me. So, so Paul said there that he didn't uh desire anyone's silver, gold, or even their apparel or their clothing. So, this is what he said there to Timothy also in that same sixth chapter of first Timothy. But in the sixth verse before that 10 verse we just read, he said, "But godliness with
24:42 contentment is great gain." Godliness, if you are, if you are content with just being a godly person, you have gained a lot because you're just happy with Jesus alone. And a lot of people can't say that. They used to sing it, but a lot of people can't say that now. It's uh it was easier it's easier said than done. And then the the 34th verse of this 20th chapter of Acts says this. Yay, ye yourselves know that these hands have ministered unto my necessities and to them that were with me. Now Paul says that my own hands have ministered or worked for me or worked to my needs to
25:27 to have my needs ministered to my needs is what he was saying there. which means that there there had to be some semblance of diligence in him. He worked hard with his own hands to support himself to to take care of his bills and and and take care of his needs. It's it's it's nothing like having your own and being able to pay for your own and then so that you can help someone else. And we'll get into that. Not only did he provide for himself, but those that were with him also. He was able to work enough so that he could take care of the the the needs of the people that were with him. Also, they could take the whole family down to everybody that was with him down to Burger King or or McDonald's. And and he he he could take
26:12 care of everyone. They didn't have that then. I'm just joking. But still, he was able to provide for all of them. Paul didn't use his position as an apostle to profit financially, to boost his ego, to get his head swoll up, or to build a name for himself and and put his name all over. I Paul wrote this and and did this and that, winning the following or or accumulate spiritual power, trying to be bigger and better than everyone else. He didn't he didn't do these things. He he didn't he wasn't trying to win a following in in that type of way. His motives were pure. They they were pure and he desired simply to uh in seeing change lives. That's what he desired to
26:58 see. Someone that's hungry for the word of God. Wanted to see lives changed. It and it didn't matter who was who was sharing the word of God long as lives were being changed. Long as the word of God was being put out. The church built up is what was was one of his desires was one of the things that he really wanted. The church built up. Well, what does it mean to build up? It means to edify, to lift up, to raise people up, to lift them up in that type of way. And even to glorify God, giving God the praise, honor, the praise, giving him thanks, thanks for what he has done, for what he's doing and what he's going to do. and and also to just adore him, giving him praise just for being God. So it that's he it was all in glorifying
27:45 God to uh to to to Paul building up the church and glorifying God. This he wanted to see change lives and that that was his desire. He was satisfied with whatever he had godliness with contentment we just said is great gain. Uh first 1 Timothy 6 and six. He was he was satisfied with whatever he had even wherever he was because even when he was in prison, he still wrote letters and let the people know that he was satisfied as long as their joy was full. So he was he was satisfied wherever he was as long as he could do God's work. As long as he had a pencil and a piece of paper, he can still send out a letter and and do God's work. But verse 35 of this same chapter is in it is our main
28:33 thought. It says this, I have showed you all things how that so laboring ye ought to support the weak and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus. How he said it is more blessed to give than to receive. Paul gave the example of selflessness in working and laboring with his hands. He also wanted to support and help the weak. All the words that Jesus spoke are not written in the gospels. Jesus so we didn't see is blessed is more blessed to give than to receive there in the gospels. You can look it up up yourself and you won't find it written out like
29:19 that. You'll see it in his life and the things that he did and examples that he he gave us and and made to us, but you won't see it written out like that. John even told us that many other things that Jesus did wouldn't fit into the book. This is the way John said that in in the Gospel according to St. John the 21st chapter, the 25th verse. I'm reading from the TPT. Jesus did countless things that haven't in haven't that I haven't included here. And if every one of his works were written down and described one by one, I suppose that the world itself wouldn't have enough room to contain the books that would have to be written is what John says. But but inspired to give this Paul was inspired
30:05 to give this and he gave what Jesus did teach. It is more blessed to give than to receive. Paul said that Jesus said this. This is how Jesus said it. So we don't know if Jesus said this when he spoke to Paul directly or Paul knew and it talked to some of the other people that it and it had came down that this was one of the things that Jesus said and it may have even been a proverb at that time that was going around and a lot of people were were were saying some of the same things and but Jesus said it and Paul was passing it down to us. It is more blessed to give than to receive. It was definitely uh put out and and
30:50 illustrated in the life of Jesus. It was inspired uh in and put in the word of God by the apostle Paul. So we know that Jesus had had to have said it. Now Ephesians the 4th chapter the 28th verse says this in the King James version. Now the first part might might trip us up but we'll understand it as we get on into it. said, "Let him that stole steal no more." Well, a person that steals is not always a person that's trying to grab something from somewhere. But look at what what Paul is saying after the colon there. He said, "But rather let him labor. Working with his hands the thing which is good." In other words, a person that don't work is stealing. A person that won't work usually will steal. And and and and if if they're
31:37 able to work is what I'm talking about. A well and able-bodied person. I'm not talking about a person that is disabled or elderly or something that and they've retired already. I'm not talking about people like that. But rather let him labor working with his hand the thing which is good. Why? That he may give, Paul said, to him that needeth. And he'll get deeper into this as we get into this uh that second Thessalonians uh in in this next part. Now, this is what he says in in second Thessalonians because we understand it is more blessed to give than to receive. It is and I know this by experience. It feels better to give someone something to to to just walk up to them and and shake their hand
32:23 because when I was down, it happened to me. I thought I'd never get to that point. I thought at one time I had and nothing would ever be like that. But but what the day came and I was standing there and didn't have a job, didn't have anything coming in and I found out that the Lord is just as good as he said he is when people walked by me and shook my hand and I had enough to pay the bills. I so I I I I I feel like the Lord has blessed me enough to bless someone else and do something else, do something for someone else a as as I go along. And I found out you can't, as the old song writer said, you can't be God-given no matter how you
33:09 try. In 2 Thessalonians 3 chapter, it says this in the sixth verse. Now we command you, uh-oh, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourself from every brother or sister that walks disorderly, and not after the tradition which he received of the of us. Now Paul had already discussed the issue of Christian idleness or laziness in the first Thessalonian in the first letter to the people of Thessalon Thessalonica there in the fifth uh fifth verse fifth chapter the 14th verse uh but apparently the problem had continued now what was
33:55 the problem seems that some would just wouldn't work so he said this is the way it reads in the in the 14th verse of the of First Thessalonians the 5th chapter. Brothers and sisters, we urge you to warn those who are lazy. That they just some some of the translation just come straight out and say what the word orderly there disorderly there is. Is what is actually talking about if you looked it up. That's this is actually what it's talking about the uh in in in the Greek. Encourage those who are timid. Take tender care of those who are weak. Be patient with everyone is what the the the apostle says here. Maybe Paul's
34:42 instruction had not been strong enough. So this passage made it clear that his command regarding idleness, just sitting around doing nothing came with the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ. He said in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ that ye withdraw yourself from every brother that walketh disorderly or is lazy won't work is what he's talking about in this so we don't have to get out there on other things is trying to figure out what he's talking about. He's actually talking about a person being lazy. A person that won't work that is an able-bodied person and can work is is what what the apostle is talking about here. and and and uh that's where he
35:30 what he's getting to. So this passage made it clear that his command regarding the idleness came with the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul goes a step further though. He says to withdraw yourself from every brother that walketh this this in this way that is lazy and not after the tradition which he received of us. He goes a step further in this letter by saying, "Withdraw yourselves or stay away from those that won't work, that will not work." Well, stay away from them. You don't want any of that no working to rub off on you. This refers not to excommunication. It's not talking about that. Not talking about excommunicating them from the church, throwing them out, but withdrawing intimate fellowship from them. By refusing to associate with
36:16 these people, we Christians are rebuking them. in in our actions toward them, hoping to get them to change their conduct. We want them to come back and and and obey and and look at the trai tradition of working. That's what it's talking about. This is not talking about some crazy tradition. This is talking about the tradition of actually getting things done and and and working. Now the seventh verse says this. For ourselves for for yourselves know how we ought how ye ought to follow us. For we behave not ourselves disorderly among you. We don't walk around lazy among you. When Paul says that you ought to follow us, he means that you should
37:03 imitate us in working to provide for your needs or for or as we provide for our needs. Imitate us. Disorderly Greek has three words and they all kind of go on the same they start the the first four letters of that the same the first five letters really. Akatos means the same in in in these three words. Those who who did show did who did not show up to work is what it's talking about. A person that will not show up to work that just won't do what they're supposed to do. They look at the clock that the alarm goes off and they turn over and lay back down and and they're just lazy
37:48 and the and the job is something is lacking today on the job because the piece that they're supposed to play in in the puzzle is not is not there and it it is missing or even a soldier that is walking out of rank is is is an example of that is what the the Greek tells us. uh like a soldier. We were not idle or lazy when we were among you is what Paul is telling them there. For we behaved not ourselves lazily around you. We didn't show you a lazy spirit. We we we worked while we were there. Well, you go on bigger into that in in in the next verses. Verse eight says Paul said neither did we eat any man's bread for not but wrought with labor and travail
38:38 night and day that we might be charge but that we might not be chargeable to any of you. Paul and his companions had worked during their stay there in Thessalonica. They had not been idle. They had not shown themselves to be lazy as the believers were at and had not taken food without paying for it. Some of the believers were were actually doing this. I'm saying believers because some of these people were actual Christians. And we'll we'll get into that in just a second with with labor and travail or toil and struggle is what what that means. Labor and travail. They were toiling and even struggling to get these jobs done, get this work done so that
39:23 they can take care of themselves. We worked hard night and day. Paul, we know was was a tent maker by trade. There in Acts the 18th chapter, the third verse, I'm reading from the NLT. Paul lived and worked with them for they were tent makers just as he was. Talking about uh Priscilla and Aquilla. So, so th those people were were tent makers also. And they were friends of the apostle Paul, brothers and sisters in Christ. They did not want to be a burden to anyone, but wanted to pay their own way. That's what Paul said, that we might not be chargeable to any of you. We don't want you to have to take care of us. We know how to work and we will work to to pay our own way. Now it may come a time when
40:09 we need you to help us in this. But right now we can work because it is good to use our hands to labor so that we will have. And then verse 9 says this, not because we have not power but to make ourselves an insample unto you to follow us. Uh in sample means example. Paul knew that he had the right and authority to receive food and lodging, but he did not want to be a burden. He also did not want to appear to be preaching in order to house or feed himself to be housed or fed. He didn't want to be be doing that. Now, did he have the right? Did he have the authority? Well, Jesus said that to his disciples there as he was sending them
40:57 out and and and to the world to start preaching and teaching and and start sharing the word of God. Jesus said there in the gospel according to St. Luke the 10th chapter the 7th verse in LT I'm reading from don't move around from home to home. Stay in one place eating and drinking what they provide. Don't hesitate to accept hospitality because those who work deserve their pay. That was what Jesus said about that. Now, Paul's desire for spreading the gospel was so strong that he would not allow anything to hinder its progress. He wanted the gospel to flow and and be able to go out. And if people
41:42 were looking at him and say, "That man won't work." He didn't want that to be a hindrance to to this in in any way. If it seems that to accept food and lodging would hinder his effectiveness as a minister of the gospel, he would then gladly wave that his right and work to pay his own way. And that's what he did here in the in the there in Thessalonica when he was there. Those who share the gospel message with others must not only speak the message but live it as well. We should live the the message of the gospel as well. They should be examples as Paul was talking about there. Examples worthy of being imitated
42:29 as the apostle Paul. Now verse 10 says this. For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat. When we were with you, we gave you a strong command concerning laziness, concerning being lazy. This may have been a popular training phrase concerning apprentices at that time. If any wouldn't work, then neither should they eat. It may have been something that was popular at that time, but the Apostle Paul put it put it here. Paul applied it to Christian life to show believers that laziness
43:14 in any form would not be accepted. This is the way Solomon said it in Proverbs the 20th chapter, the fourth verse. I'm reading from the New King James Version. The lazy man will not plow because of winter. It's too cold out there is what he would be saying. He will beg during harvest and have nothing because he was too lazy to go out. It says a slothful man in in the King James version. He was too lazy to go out and do what needed to be done. Put on a extra jacket and get out there and grab the plow. Because Christians are known for their kindness, sharing of their goods with others and willingness to take care of people, some might want to take advantage of them of
44:00 us all the time. Paul sternly rep reprimanded such thinking. it that's that's that shouldn't be those willing to work that is those who uh those unwilling to work rather I'm I'm trying to say that is those who refuse to work when they are able when they're able definitely want to understand that and when there is work to be done if nobody does the work it doesn't get done should not then be given food so they can eat now we we're not going to be mad and not going to not feed someone that we see is is hungry because see that our heart won't even allow us to do that. But this is the way it should be. They shouldn't
44:47 eat. Proverbs the 20 21st chapter the 25th verse new King James version says this. The desire of the lazy man kills him. He wants things so bad. his desire and hunger and desire and even coveting things, but his he but his hands refused to labor. His hands refuse to go out and do what it takes to buy that car, to get that meal, to do that this or that for for their family. If they can earn money or food for food, they should do so without depending on others to care for them. But all the time people come to you and you you wonder and and and it happens all the
45:34 time. People that's on drugs and stuff come and ask the church for stuff all the time and it it just happens and and sometimes we we we we we give it to them and and we pretty much know that they're going to do do drugs, but we've done what we were taught to do. We were taught we uh from the heart we have given it and we've been blessed every time. The Lord continues to bless, for we hear that there are some which walk among you disorderly, working not at all. So po Paul goes on to tell you exactly what he's talking about in this 11th verse, but are busy bodies. Here is the reason Paul's hard-hitting words on the topic of laziness. Here's
46:20 the reason for Paul's hard-hitting words on this topic of laziness. We hear he said he wrote down here words had reached Paul while he was there in Corinth and had come back to him come come to him in Corinth that some of the believers in Thessalonica were disorderly meaning they were idle meaning that they weren't working they wouldn't work mean uh they were refusing even to work now it is possible that these people were being idol for spiritual reasons now we have to understand that when we when we look at what was going on at that time, some of the people at in the Thessalonian church were falsely teaching that because Christ would return any day, people
47:06 should set aside their responsibilities, quit working and do no future planning and just wait for the Lord. I don't know how they're going to eat if that's the that's the way they're doing it, but some were teaching that to them. So, they were depending on others that were working and and getting things for them. Or they may have thought that labor was beneath them and wanted to spend their time being spiritual. I'm just spiritual and and I'll just keep praying and the Lord will just keep providing and if if I rub this towel or put on that that that oil, if I do this or that, then the Lord will just keep providing. But I but I have hands and I have feet and I have legs and I should be working and and
47:53 arms. Why why won't I work? But look what happens. But not being busy only made them busy bodies is what the scripture tells us. This tells us here but are busy bodies when they are not working at all but are busy bodies is is what Paul said here in the in the scripture. Instead of working, they were minding other people's business. That's what you are when you're a busy body. Prying into the private lives of others, interfering with their progress. They're they're but they're working and you are all over what they they're doing. Some were persuading others to adopt the their point of view on the second coming of Christ. They they want they want to sit there and wait and and quit work and and
48:38 no have no future plans and and just depend on others to take care of them. Some were teaching that their lack of activity was leading them into sin because we just saw that he there was a command for them to work and them to command be given a command and Paul's authority saying it came directly from the Lord and he was speaking on behalf of the Lord. It was a sin not to not to actually get out and work. They had become a burden to the church which was supporting them. The church was supporting them. They were they weren't falling through the cracks cuz the church was uh constantly writing them a check doing something for them. They were wasting their time and couldn't have been used and could have been used for helping others. That they were
49:24 wasting time that could have been used to help others. Now verse 12, our last verse says this. Now them that are such we command. Now Paul gets back to them. Now you need to talk to them. Now you need to give them this message. Even though I know you're not t talking to them, just told you to stay away from them. But now they need to be given this message because it has come to us now. And now they need to get this message personally. Now them that are such we command and exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ. Putting that on there again. That with quietness they work and eat their own bread. That Paul made these commands by our
50:11 Lord Jesus Christ reveals his understanding of his authority as an apostle as a person representative of the Lord himself. Paul commanded and exhorted that is he urged these people them that with quietness they work which means that they settle theirelves down. Settle down is what some of the other translations help us to understand. Uh settle down and and stop meddling. Stop meddling other people's business. Get you a job and you won't have time to meddle in other people's business is what Paul was basically saying there. Paul did not mince words. He didn't he didn't try to scramble this up with these people. He didn't didn't because they were all
50:56 brothers and sisters in the faith. They were all responsible for for one another. not to care uh for lazy people, but to work hard, to work hard to get things done. If you're not working, things don't get done, but to work hard so that everyone would be cared for. Not to care for lazy people, but to work hard so that everybody else would be cared for. We have a duty as Christians to work if we're able to do things to help others to to reach out to others to build up is what the church is supposed to do. Father God, we do thank you today for the study of your word. And Father, we do pray that this word will ser on our
51:43 hearts and minds and help us to be better Christians and better believers because you have taught us through your word, through the Apostle Paul, through John, and through your son Jesus Christ. Lord, we thank you so much. We pray that you'll search our hearts, forgive us of sin. In the name of Jesus we pray. Amen. >> Thank you for joining the Sunday school lesson review. Hope to see you next week. God bless you all.
