Enabler
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· 196 viewsThe work of the Kingdom is still at hand. A lot of times we look at the younger generation to be reaching out but it is our job until our time here is done.
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Laziness brings poverty;
hard work makes one rich.
Common English Bible Chapter 10
Like vinegar to the teeth
and smoke to the eyes,
so are lazy people
to those who authorize them.
Enabler, as I was thinking about this scripture for some reason I began to think about enablers. We all have heard the word. In fact over the years it has become increasingly more popular and typically used in a negative fashion. I mean Dr. Phil has a number of shows regarding Enablers. Here is a clip from one of his shows discussing enabling and its definition. I like how Dr. Phil really breaks down enabling. There are many parents who fall into the category of Enabler when it comes to their children. But it is a very negative impact on the children and the parents. I have seen it personally. Parents who want to help their child but when they are actually allowing them to continue to the bad habits they have. Parents pay for food, house, car, and other essentials afraid their child will go hungry or not have a roof over their head. Then the child turns around and spends their money on their addictions.
Did you know there are others ways to look at being an enabler? There are ways enablers can be helpful and have a good outcome and then there enabling but with a bad outcome. I’m not talking about addictions here. I am talking enablers as Christians being able to get the good out of people but have to be careful that we are not enabling something that is destructive for other Christians. I invite you to turn with me to our scripture reading for today. It is thought to be a letter from Paul to the church in Thessalonica. I say thought to be because there is a lot of debate over who wrote the 2nd book of Thessalonians. But, it does make sense for Paul to be the author. Either way, hear the words from . Read along with me in your bible, pew bible, or on the screen.
Brothers and sisters, we command you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to stay away from every brother or sister who lives an undisciplined life that is not in line with the traditions that you received from us. You yourselves know how you need to imitate us because we were not undisciplined when we were with you. We didn’t eat anyone’s food without paying for it. Instead, we worked night and day with effort and hard work so that we would not impose on you. We did this to give you an example to imitate, not because we didn’t have a right to insist on financial support. Even when we were with you we were giving you this command: “If anyone doesn’t want to work, they shouldn’t eat.” We hear that some of you are living an undisciplined life. They aren’t working, but they are meddling in other people’s business. By the Lord Jesus Christ, we command and encourage such people to work quietly and put their own food on the table. Brothers and sisters, don’t get discouraged in doing what is right.
So, what is happening in our text today? Well, I think to understand the purpose for the letter we must first understand the first letter to Thessalonica church. In the first letter, Paul is telling and encouraging the church of the second coming of Christ. It is a letter with the intent to get the church looking forward to such a day and to rejoice. Paul hears that after the church reads the letter then some in the church believe Christ has already come twice. This causes the believers to begin to act differently.
Followers in Thessalonica begin to question why they should do things since Christ has already returned. They turn away from the directions, teachings, and example that Paul and his companions have set before them. In fact, Paul recognizes this abandonment so well that he reminds them of what he did. He did not take money or food as payment. He did the work out of love for his fellow believers. Paul was a big believer that in order to eat one must work.
Now, I feel like I should pause here and say something. Paul is not referring to work as in the secular work we do in order to provide for our families. He is not refer to those that do not work in secular world do not deserve to eat. He is not speaking out against feeding the hungry and poor. He is not trying to close food pantries and groups like Rise Against Hunger. No, Paul is talking about believers working to grow the Kingdom of God. He is talking about those in the community of faith who do things to undermine the teachings of the gospel.
Paul also reminds us and the Thessalonians to not meddle in other peoples’ business. In another translation he says to not be a busy body. As I was reading regarding this phrasing, it is more in line with gossiping about others. Talking about fellow believers behind their backs. When people do this they are not just distracting themselves from the work in front of them but they are distracting the whole church. They take away from the Kingdom’s work that is before us as we lose sight of what needs to be done.
But, what does enabler have to do with situations that Paul has laid out. Well friends, we can be enablers in these scenarios. We can be both the good and bad enablers within the church. How do you say? First, we can be a bad enabler by allowing the busy bodies to work instead of shutting them down. When we see or hear someone meddling in other people’s business, we must be willing to turn to them and let them know that their actions are unacceptable. We can not do this behind their back but it must be either one on one or with another person.
We also cannot enable people to not work. God has called each of us to be part of the flock and to fulfill the mission. That means we all have a roll and are called to work in the harvest of believers. We cannot sit idly by and watch others work because that is the wrong way to go about doing the work of the Kingdom. No, we must be among those working hard to grow the Kingdom. says “Laziness brings about poverty, hard work makes one rich.” This is true in our personal and spiritual lives. Laziness takes away from the work that God calls us to, while hard work is smiled upon by God. For me, as I hear this, I am reminded that each of us work differently and my hard work will look and be different from the hard work that you do, so I cannot judge what hard work is for each of you.
But, I feel compelled by the Spirit and Paul’s words to ask each of you, do you feel like you are working hard to grow the Kingdom and glorify God? Or are you just going through the motions and checking off you to do list? How many of you are here this morning just to say there I’ve done that. Well, I cannot sit here an enable that to be the case. I have to tell each of you that there is a lot more to be done than just mark worship off your to-do list for the week. Because if I allow it then ya’ll will be like what says “Like vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes, so are lazy people to those who authorize them.” Solomon tells us if we allow are fellow believers to be lazy then we are authorizing them. This means our eyes will be in pain and water from the smoke and our mouth will not feel good from the vinegar that touches our lips.
We must stop being lazy friends. When we are lazy and not hard working then we are like lukewarm Christians. If we turn to , and read, we find God’s thoughts on lukewarm Christians. “16 So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. 17 You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.” Lazy people feel like they have accomplished everything and it is someone’s turn or another generations turn. But, God and Paul assures us the work is not done and we must continue to strive to grow the Kingdom.
I sit here in front of you today to say that we have a lot of work to do. We must not confuse the hard work that is being spoken of with other work. Working around the church is great but we also must be working to grow the Kingdom, feed those in need, provide clothes for the naked, visit the sick, and many other things Christ has called us to do. We have had opportunities to be hard at work these past couple months. We’ve gotten ice breakers to help invite others to church in the invitation cards. How many of you have handed those out? We have had the chance to feed the hungry with Rise Against Hunger. We threw money at it but how many of us showed up to work the event? I know the ladies were here lavishing love on Brianna Wells but outside of Levi and myself, no-one from Concord came to VRFUMC to fill bags of food to help those who have less. We started at 2 p.m. and were done and home by 4 p.m.. Yes these ministries need your funding but they also need your hands and feet too. Without your hands and feet the bags would go unpacked and the food just sit on a shelf. And finally, we have had someone who was attending on a fairly regular basis stop attending. One of your fellow believers reached out to check on them and they said they felt like they could stop attending without being noticed. They have since began to attend another small UMC in our area. Maybe we all have become complacent with who is around us to not notice who is not here each Sunday. What if someone would have called the day after not seeing them for a week. Do you even have their number to make the call?
Friends, I am not trying to shame you but am trying to point out areas each of us need to improve on. Paul, Solomon, and the author of Revelation is warning us against being lazy and getting caught up in other people’s business. They are also telling us that we must be hard at work in the business of the Kingdom and remind fellow believers of this importance. I invite you to pray about this this week. Asking God where you can grow. Asking God to help you stay hard at work. Asking God to help you be an Enabler to others in their spiritual walk and Kingdom work. Asking God to put an Enabler in your life to keep you focused on the work at hand. The altar is always open but today I want to point it out so you can come and kneel asking God these questions. Let us pray.