SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 12/7/2014 8:33 AM
My Worship Time Focus: Example
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference:
2Thessalonians 3:7-9
Message of the
verses: “7 For you yourselves know how you ought to
follow our example, because we did not act in an undisciplined manner among
you, 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 would not be a burden to any of you; 9 not because we do not have the right to this,
but in order to offer ourselves as a model for you, so that you would follow
our example.”
We are looking at the second sub-point from John
MacArthur’s commentary on 2 Thessalonians 3:6-15. He has entitled this chapter “Work: A Noble
Christian Duty.”
This morning, Sunday morning, I take time to pray for our
Pastors, and in a portion of my prayer for them I use some of the material that
John MacArthur used in his commentary on the Thessalonian letters that Paul
wrote. MacArthur states that the reason
that Paul was such a good pastor was that he followed that of the Lord Jesus
Christ, he mimicked Him, which is what the Greek verb is translated as “follow
our example.” Paul is telling the
Thessalonian believers to follow his example, and one of the examples that they
should follow is his work ethic, which is something that some of them were not
following. Paul reminds them that they
knew of his work ethic, for they saw it when he was there, and that was not to
long ago from the time he penned this letter.
Paul writes that he “did not act in an undisciplined
manner among” them, and “this is related to the word translated ‘unruly’ in
verse 6 and undisciplined’ in verse 11.”
This type of ministering is the opposite of some of the false teachers
that were around at that time and for a matter of fact are still around
today. All we have to do is look at the
houses some of these health and wealth ministers are living in and the cars and
planes they ride in and it is surely the opposite of the kind of life that Paul
lived when he wrote this letter. Paul
writes that he did not eat anyone’s bread without paying for it. They were able to do this because of the work
that they did while living there. Paul
is speaking of all three of the people that were there including himself,
Timothy, and Silas.
Paul is making sure that they did this to set an example
of how to live the Christian life, for actually they all had the right to
expect food and lodging from these believers because Christian full time
workers like Pastors and missionaries have the right to make their living from
preaching and teaching the Word of God. “The
one who is taught the word is to share all good things with the one who teaches
him Gal. 6:6).” John MacArthur writes
that the most detailed exposition of this principle is in 1 Cor. 9:3-14: “3 My defense to those who examine me is
this: 4 Do we not have a right to eat
and drink? 5 Do we not have a right to take along a believing wife, even as the
rest of the apostles and the brothers of the Lord and Cephas? 6 Or do only
Barnabas and I not have a right to refrain from working? 7 Who at any time
serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat
the fruit of it? Or who tends a flock and does not use the milk of the flock? 8
I am not speaking these things according to human judgment, am I? Or does not
the Law also say these things? 9 For it is written in the Law of Moses,
"YOU SHALL NOT MUZZLE THE OX WHILE HE IS THRESHING." God is not
concerned about oxen, is He? 10 Or is He speaking altogether for our sake? Yes,
for our sake it was written, because the plowman ought to plow in hope, and the
thresher to thresh in hope of sharing the crops. 11 If we sowed spiritual
things in you, is it too much if we reap material things from you? 12 If others
share the right over you, do we not more? Nevertheless, we did not use this
right, but we endure all things so that we will cause no hindrance to the
gospel of Christ. 13 Do you not know that those who perform sacred services eat
the food of the temple, and those who attend regularly to the altar have their
share from the altar? 14 So also the Lord directed those who proclaim the
gospel to get their living from the gospel.”
As we look at this passage we can see that Paul asked a
series of rhetorical questions where the answer “yes” is demanded. MacArthur finishes his commentary on this
section with these words: “Since Paul
humbly labored to meet his needs in addition to his ministry, how could anyone
else justify not doing so? But despite
all of Paul’s hard work to be a godly model for them, some still refused to
work. For them, stern measures were in
order.”
Spiritual meaning
for my life today: I desire to set a
good example to others as I walk with the Lord.
My Steps of Faith for Today: Set a good example for those who are watching
me.
Memory verses for the
week: 2 Peter 1:1-4.
1 Simon Peter, a
bond-servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who have received a faith of
the same kind as ours, by the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus
Christ: 2 Grace and peace be multiplied
to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord; 3 seeing that His divine
power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through
the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. 4 For by these He has granted to us His
precious and magnificent promise, so that by them you may become partakers of
the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust.
Answer to yesterday’s Bible
question: “The Southern.”
Today’s Bible
question: “What symbol of power was
Moses known to carry?”
Answer in our next SD.
12/7/2014 9:15 AM
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