Insight for Living

Bill Meyer: Some Christians talk a good game. They say the right words, and they show up at church. But when it's time to roll up their sleeves, they're nowhere to be found. Today on Insight for Living, Chuck Swindoll asks a harder question. Is that you?

He's teaching from 2 Thessalonians 3, where the Apostle Paul confronts idle believers. In this passage, Paul challenges us to examine whether we've truly bought into Christ's vision for the church or just borrowed a few of the bumper stickers. Chuck titled today's message, "Buying into the Vision."

Chuck Swindoll: Great leaders have powerful vision. They see the way things are, but they also imagine the way things could be. They skillfully communicate their ideas to others, and people follow them, often sacrificially, because they buy into their vision.

During his ministry, Jesus set forth a vision of the kingdom of God. Everywhere he traveled, Jesus proclaimed the gospel of the kingdom. You'll read of that in Matthew 4:23. Through his miracles, he offered sips of the coming kingdom, quenching parched lips and whetting people's appetites for a new world, free from sin and pain and death.

As Jesus' disciples, we have tasted the life he offers, the eternal abundant life, available to those who submit to the King's authority. We believe in Jesus Christ and his vision for us and our world. But what does the Lord expect from us now? What are the practical implications of embracing his vision?

The passage we're looking at today gives us some of the answers to those questions, so we can buy into his vision. Let's read it together: 2 Thessalonians chapter 3, verses 6 through 15. Locate that in your Bible, will you? We'll read 2 Thessalonians 3:6-15.

"Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you keep away from every brother who leads an unruly life and not according to the tradition which you received from us. For you yourselves know how you ought to follow our example because we did not act in an undisciplined manner among you. Nor did we eat anyone's bread without paying for it, but with labor and hardship we kept working night and day so that we would not be a burden to any of you. Not because we do not have the right to do this, but in order to offer ourselves as a model for you so that you would follow our example.

For even when we were with you, we used to give you this order: if anyone is not willing to work, then he is not to eat either. For we hear that some among you are leading an undisciplined life, doing no work at all, but acting like busybodies. Now such persons we command and exhort in the Lord Jesus Christ to work in quiet fashion and eat their own bread. But as for you, brethren, do not grow weary of doing good. 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."

Bill Meyer: You're listening to Insight for Living. To dig deeper into 2 Thessalonians on your own, be sure to purchase our Searching the Scriptures Bible study workbook by going to insight.org/offer. Chuck titled today's message "Buying into the Vision."

Chuck Swindoll: Christianity is an active and involved faith. Those who model the message of Christ are not known as people who are passive and mediocre and uninvolved. Down through the centuries, they have been the people who have changed the direction of life and altered the shape of history. That's the way it was with Christ himself. Those of us who have studied his life know that he was a model of such things as change and diligence and determination.

I looked over his life this past week and was impressed once again with how he never lost sight of the big picture, and yet he was never uninvolved in the little snapshots of life. The big picture for him was to come and seek and save those who were lost. And he did that, and he accomplished that to the point where, at the end of his life, he was able to say with true authenticity, "It is finished. The job is done."

And yet when you look back over his life and you study the little vignettes where he placed himself, he never took his hands off and yawned over people's problems. When he was surrounded by the diseased and the dying, he healed them. When he faced the enemy, Satan himself, and was forced to stand alone, he stood alone and withstood the attacks of Satan.

When he found the Pharisees and scribes involved in heresy and hypocrisy, he rebuked them. When he saw the disciples in a room with dirty feet, he washed their feet. When he realized that it was time to give up and surrender himself to the cross, he yielded without a fight. And when he came back from beyond, he spoke to more than a few people of the hope that there was in him. All the way through his life, you see that he is actively involved in the moment.

Those who walk in his steps, those who follow his examples, those who model his message remain involved and active. Now, the sad part of this is that there are always some who choose not to do that. There are always a few Christians in every church, and our church is not an exception, always a few Christians who choose to remain aloof, safe, and uninvolved. Oh, they know the language, but they choose not to act upon what they know.

Reminds me of a very familiar philosophical event that occurred in the lives of Charlie Brown and Lucy, thanks to Schulz, their originator. The scene is one that you have seen on a number of occasions as Charlie and Lucy are talking about the values of life. And Lucy says to Charlie, "Life, Charlie Brown, is like a deck chair." "Like a what?" asks Charlie Brown.

Lucy continues, "Have you ever been on a cruise ship? Passengers open up their canvas deck chairs so they can sit in the sun. Some people place their chairs facing the rear of the ship so they can see where they've been. Others face their chairs forward so they can see where they're going. On the cruise ship of life, Charlie Brown, which way is your deck chair facing?" Looking up somewhat bewildered, Charlie says, "I've never been able to get my deck chair unfolded."

Oh, there are a lot of Christians that never quite get their deck chair unfolded. They know there's a deck and they know there's a ship and they know there's a sun and they know there is a place to sit in it and enjoy life, but they spend all their lives unfolding their deck chairs. Some people, on the other hand, unfold their chairs quickly and set them up hurriedly and get involved in the life that is temporal, which is about like reshuffling the deck chairs on the Titanic. For what good? For what eternal purpose?

Let me ask you directly, as friend with friend, have you got your chair unfolded? I mean, would anybody know who becomes a bug on the wall of your home, would they know by the way you're living that you truly are marked out as a believer in Christ whose life is counting for eternity? Would that show up?

What if they watched you when you paid your bills and they saw the priority you placed on the part that God gets in the giving of your life? Would they know by the amount that you gave that your life was marked by integrity in the area of finances? Don't dodge those questions.

What about the service of your life, that part which you voluntarily turn over to Christ to use for his glory? Could they tell by watching your service that your life is marked by commitment to Christ? I found when I read through some of the letters of the New Testament that there is a recurring theme that appears again and again through these letters that have to do with active involvement.

You don't find passivity marking the life of the committed believer. Never. Oh, there are times that we may wait on God, but that isn't a passive waiting; that is actively praying, actively trusting, never doubting that God's at work and always being ready to move when he says it's time.

Let me show you several of these passages of active involvement. Let's take the last verse at the end of chapter 15 of 1 Corinthians. If you have a Bible handy, turn to 1 Corinthians 15:58. I want to point out three or four, maybe five passages in the New Testament letters, and one in Revelation that seem to set forth this whole idea of activity.

15:58: "Therefore, my beloved brethren," this is to the believer, you see, the Christian, "be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord." I love that verse of scripture. Notice the words steadfast, immovable, abounding. And how can you live a life like that? Well, you know that your toil is not in vain in the Lord. J.B. Phillips paraphrases, "Let nothing move you as you busy yourselves in the Lord's work."

There's another one in the letter to the Galatians, chapter 6, again, the last chapter of that letter, verse 7 through verse 9. Turn there. Galatians 6:7-9: "Do not be deceived. God is not mocked, for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh shall from the flesh reap corruption. But the one who sows to the Spirit shall from the Spirit reap eternal life."

But he doesn't stop there because when you sow in the Spirit, you will often be involved in exhausting labor. Your enthusiasm will begin to run dry, run low. The next verse says, "And let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we shall reap if we do not grow weary."

There's a word or a term that's come to be known as popular words in our days to describe the tired. They are the words "burn out." You who suffer from burnout need a big dose of Galatians 6:9. Don't lose heart in doing good. You who labor in obscure places, you who serve the cause of Christ without public applause, you who give yourself, you who give of your money, you who give of your energy, your vision, your leadership, your time to the service of the King, don't lose heart. You'll reap. Don't faint.

There's another one in Philippians chapter 3 that you'll be familiar with. We've talked about it earlier, and just a reminder: Philippians 3, verse 12. "Not that I have already obtained it," that is the ultimate goal of life, "not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect. No, not that. But I press on in order that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus.

Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet, but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal." One man renders this, "I go straight for the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus."

Look at this passage I mentioned in Revelation earlier, Revelation chapter 3, way over at the end of your Bible. These are words addressed to a church in the first century known as the church at Laodicea. I think if I had been a member of any first-century church, the one I would least want to be a part of would have been the church at Laodicea.

I'd rather be in one that was ice-cold and frozen over than one that was dripping with hypocrisy, as it was just warm enough to keep the wolf away from the door but just cool enough not to get too excited about spiritual things. Revelation 3, verse 14. Addressed to the angel, some would say to the leader of the church at Laodicea.

"The Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God says this." Those are all descriptive terms of Jesus himself. Jesus Christ says this: "I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I would that you were cold or hot. So because you are lukewarm, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth." Forgive me, but the literal word is vomit. "Because you are lukewarm, you make me sick to my stomach."

I think it's amazing that verse 15 says, "I wish you were either ice-cold or fiery hot." I'd rather you be frozen over than this tepid, lukewarm, talking a good fight and doing none of it. But because you're that, you make me want to vomit.

Years ago, our younger daughter swallowed a large number of aspirin by mistake. She got her little fingers into the top of that bottle and popped it off and dropped them right down, and we found the bottle empty. And we were faced with a very difficult task of getting those aspirin that had just settled into her stomach out of her stomach. Cynthia had found a product called Ipecac. You don't want to mess around with Ipecac in a crowd, believe me. And with lukewarm water and a little Ipecac, up came the aspirin all over the bathtub and part of the bathroom. I mean, we got rid of the aspirin quick.

There's something about that lukewarm, tepid temperature that just makes you sick to your stomach. And that's the way it is with lukewarmness in the church. Face it, some of you are lukewarm. Oh, you don't look like it. Lukewarm people don't look lukewarm. Wonder how a lukewarm person would look, anyway?

But we usually look hot for God. We usually look enthusiastic and excited, and we've got our Bible and we've got our notebook, and we're ready to go. And as soon as it's over, it's "Oh, see me next week. Don't bother me with that." Or "Don't press the issue, Chuck. You're getting a little crotchety on some of these points. Just live and let live." That's what Jesus said? Where did Jesus say that? I'd have to know that.

You see, some of the people in Thessalonica really bought into the idea that if you really look for Christ's coming, you don't have to get involved in life. You can sort of freeload off of people. There are enough active, diligent Christians in the church to support those that have their hearts set on Christ's coming. And so, as one man put it, with excited idleness, they bailed out in the essentials of life.

Let's look at those folks. 2 Thessalonians chapter 3. While you're finding your way there, I'm reminded of a line that came out of the journal of the late Jim Elliot, one of my heroes in life, the martyred missionary who died on the Curaray River in the interior of Ecuador. He had written earlier in his life, "Wherever you are, be all there."

I love that. Ever been with people who aren't all there when they're there? Some dads aren't all there when you're there, right kids? Don't say amen. You've got some folks that are just in another world. They're not all there.

And then he says, "Live to the hilt every situation you believe to be the will of God. Is this your now? Then live it up. You have small children? Give it all you've got. Children have now left the nest? Give it all you've got. You're in your 60s, 70s of life? Give it all you've got. Be all there." Don't let your theology get in the way of your enthusiasm. That's what had happened in Thessalonica.

Indecision regarding ethical and moral issues, remaining neutral on matters that call for action, leaving the workload and responsibilities for others to take care of, keeping a tight selfish wrap on my wants and my comfort and my desire and my profession and my future, looking the other way when God taps me on the shoulder saying, "It's your turn." This is for you.

I notice another thing about indifferent people. They always refer to the church as their church, T-H-E-I-R. It's their church. It's his vision. No. In a family, it's our church. In a church, it's our vision. We're a part of it. Take away those other words and replace them with we and our and even mine. This is my church. This is my family.

Now, what do we do with those who want to dream their way into eternity as they look for the coming of Christ? Paul speaks rather strongly in verse 6; he gives a command, in fact. You're going to be shocked at how strong he is. "We command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you keep aloof from every brother who leads an unruly life, not according to the tradition which you received from us." That says it all in a nutshell, doesn't it?

Notice it's between Christians. "We command you, brethren, to keep aloof from every brother." You will never find a lost person looking forward to the coming of Christ. You will never find a lost person preoccupied with Christ so much so that he or she isn't concerned about life. As a matter of fact, some lost people put Christians to shame when it comes to being active and involved in things that matter, don't they?

But this is a Christian malady. Brothers, take a look at every brother who leads an unruly life and mark that person. See the word unruly? You'll be surprised at what it means in the original. It means to play truant, to skip school. It's the idea of being idle when you ought to be actively engaged in getting an education.

In my lifetime, I was truant on a couple or three occasions. I'm now able to say that, now that I'm in my 90s and no one will catch up with me. But back then, I led my mother to believe that I was in school every day, faithfully committing myself to a great education, when in fact, I was swimming in the creek on a couple or three occasions.

And what I found was that about 10:00 in the morning, I was absolutely bored. Being truant wasn't nearly the fun I thought it was going to be. And if you can believe it, coming from me, I really missed school toward the afternoon. I missed my friends. I missed the involvement of the education.

You see, when you are truant, you think that you're going to be involved in something else, but in fact, you become unruly and, as we will see in a moment, undisciplined, bored, and a busybody. This word unruly has in mind the idea of living an idle life, spending our days watching the skies for Christ's return. And he says that wasn't according to the tradition you received from us, meaning Paul's own life.

And with that in mind, verses 7 through 10 present us with the example. You Thessalonians, you people in America, you folks in Great Britain, you who live in Asia, wherever may be your home, think of the model that we have in scripture, namely the Apostle Paul. Look at his life. "You yourselves know how you ought to mimic," is the word, "mimic our example because we did not act in an undisciplined manner."

Same word as earlier rendered unruly. When we were there, our lives weren't marked by a lack of discipline. This same term, to play truant, is used by Demosthenes, the Greek poet, to describe being in the military and being out of the action because of indiscipline and desertion. That's the term used here.

When you think of the Apostle Paul's life, you don't think of someone who bailed out on his responsibility. You don't think of someone who lacked discipline. You think of someone whose life was marked by hard work and honesty and faithfulness. He says that in verse 8, "Nor did we eat anyone's bread without paying for it, but with labor and hardship we kept working night and day so that we might not be a burden to any of you. We weren't out of order. We weren't absent from you when you needed us. And furthermore, we weren't ministerial sponges."

Bill Meyer: Hard work, honesty, faithfulness. Those were the marks of Paul's life, and Chuck Swindoll says they should mark ours as well. There's nothing passive about authentic Christian living. It's sleeves rolled up, all-in engagement with the work that God has placed before you.

Just a reminder, you can hear today's message again at your own convenience. Insight for Living has the audio files for our study in 2 Thessalonians available today. Chuck titled his eight-part series "Steadfast Christianity." There's also a Searching the Scriptures Bible study workbook for this series. The series will conclude on Friday, so we encourage you to reach out right away. You'll find all the details at insight.org/offer or call 800-772-8888.

One of the threads that runs through Paul's second letter to the Thessalonians is the power of someone who refuses to let you quit. Paul poured his life into that small band of believers, mentoring them, challenging them, calling them back to what they knew was true. That's what great leaders do. They don't abandon you in the fight; they stand with you and say, "Hold fast."

If you sense God calling you to that kind of leadership, at home, at church, in the workplace, or anywhere that he's placed you, we have a book that will inspire and equip you. Few stories in all of scripture illustrate courageous, steady leadership more powerfully than the story of Nehemiah. And Chuck Swindoll's classic book, *Hand Me Another Brick*, draws timeless principles from Nehemiah's remarkable rebuilding of Jerusalem's wall.

Whether you're a pastor, ministry leader, board member, a teacher, or simply someone who influences others, this book will sharpen your vision and strengthen your resolve. And it's yours when you give a donation to support the ministry of Insight for Living. Ask for the book *Hand Me Another Brick* when you write to us at Insight for Living, Post Office Box 5000, Frisco, Texas 75034. Or call us at 800-772-8888. The book is available online as well when you visit us at insight.org/donate.

Ever find yourself yawning through church? I'm Bill Meyer, urging you to hear Chuck Swindoll's wake-up call tomorrow on Insight for Living.

The preceding message, "Buying into the Vision," was copyrighted in 1986, 1991, 2002, and 2024, and the sound recording was copyrighted in 2024 by Charles R. Swindoll, Incorporated. All rights are reserved worldwide. Duplication of copyrighted material for commercial use is strictly prohibited.