Jump Start # 1496

2 Thessalonians 3:14-15 “If anyone does not obey our instruction in this letter, take special note of that person and do not associate with him, so that he will be put to shame. Yet do not regard him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.”

  Sometimes it’s hard to figure some people out. I grew up on the tail end of the hippie movement. They were anti-establishment. They were radicals. They grew their hair long, protested the war, smoked dope and  listened to rock ‘n roll songs that fed their rebellious spirits. Did they accomplish much? Not really.

Our verse today describes two sets of attitudes. The first, belongs to someone who does not want to conform to the apostles instructions. He doesn’t want to do what God wants him to do. He doesn’t realize that what the apostles taught were the foundation of the church and were God’s commandments. Instead, he doesn’t obey. That rebellious spirit breaks unity and causes trouble within the church. Unity is about blending together. Unity is doing the same thing. Unity is thinking the same thing. Togetherness is unity. Going the same direction is unity. Teaching and abiding by the same thing is unity. Submission is key to unity. Well, here is someone who is not going to do that. He refuses. He’s the rebel. He’s not going to do what the apostle said. He’s not going to do what everyone else is doing. That very choice has disrupted the unity.

How this guy became a Christian baffles me. Jesus defined discipleship as “denying yourself and taking up your cross daily and following Me.” Denying and following—here is one who doesn’t do that. He’s not denied and he certainly isn’t following. What’s his problem? Why is he like this? Lack of teaching? Chasing wild ideas? Doesn’t like the rest? Wants to be independent? A trouble maker? We are not told why this guy is like this. But we do see that Paul doesn’t mess around with it. He doesn’t ignore what is going on. He doesn’t say, “Give it time, he’ll come around.” Instead, this rebel is to be disciplined. He is to be put to shame. What he is doing is not pleasing God nor helpful to God’s people.

Paul’s words to the church are to “not associate with him.” If he’s going left, you go right. Sorry, not coming to your house. Not now. Not as long as you refuse to follow God. Not going to be a party to your rebellion. Not interested in taking the church in a different and new direction. Not going to be in your plans. Not interested in hearing your new twist on things. Not interested in different. Not interested in outside the box. We want to know what is in the box. Won’t happen. Nope. You are on your own. And more than that, the church knows that you are troublesome. Everyone is avoiding you. You have no platform to voice your complaints. You have no audience to follow you. You are on your own. What you have done is wrong. Be ashamed. Stop it.

Let’s be honest here. Too many congregations are afraid to do what Paul said. In many ways, without realizing it, they are aligning with the radical because the church won’t do what the apostle says. We are afraid of hurting feelings. What do you think “shame” means? We don’t want to upset the rebels family who still go here. We don’t want to send the wrong message. By doing nothing, you have just sent the wrong message. So, in far too many places, the rebels are allowed to roam the isles freely. They spout their unscriptural hatred week after week. The mood darkens. Folks leave. Growth is crippled. And people wonder why. After enough time, the preacher leaves. A new preacher, often young and freshly out of the gates is hired. He walks right into this storm. He finds that he is alone. No one will do anything. Rebels are allowed to say anything and they do. They challenge Biblical authority. They mock the way things are done. They upset families. And nothing is done. The new preacher gets so discouraged that he often quits.

There remains a second attitude in our verse today. Based upon the church following Paul’s instructions and not associating with those who will not submit to Biblical teachings, the church is not to treat the man as an enemy. Enemies are feared. Enemies are watched. Enemies are not trusted. Enemies want to destroy us and that’s the mutual feelings we have toward them. It was Jesus who first told the disciples to pray for the enemy. Here Paul says to remember that the rebel is a brother. Admonish him as a family member. You have a history together. There was a time when things were good. The admonishing is a plea for the rebel to change his ways. The church wants him back, not as a rebel, but as an obedient follower of Christ. They don’t want him to die a radical. They want him to be back in fellowship with God and with the church. So there are prayers offered. When was the last time your congregation prayed for those who have left or been disciplined? Be a good thing to do.

Admonish. That’ not looking the other way. That’s not get him back at any cost. No, it’s pleading by the word of God. It’s getting him to see the dangerous path that he is on. It’s getting him to come back. It’s letting him how that he is wanted back. Admonish is based upon the word of God. His radical ideas are not true. They are not sound. They are not Biblical. Admonishing will show him why. Admonishing is not finding a common ground of compromise. It is standing upon the word of God and showing why God’s way is the right way.

Two attitudes—one of a rebel who chooses not to go along with the Bible and the other attitude is that of a church who wants the rebel to change and come back. Two different directions. Two different spirits.

How these things are presented, handled and manifested go along way in determining whether or not the rebel will come back. The religious community has no concept of these passages. Members are allowed to live as immorally as they want as long as they fill the large arena and give money. Sin isn’t talked about. Fellowship isn’t ever broken. Lie, cheat, steal, get drunk, fornicate—none of that matters in mega churches. Their whole system is not conforming to New Testament teachings. Is it any wonder that the members are not as well.

But those that are serious about the Lord and want to be the church you read about in the Bible, these solemn words are hard but necessary. Fellowship is based upon following Christ.

Attitudes—we all have one. What we do with those attitudes determine whether or not we are pleasing the Lord.

Roger