Working, Giving, and Growing in the Word of God
Bob Yandian
The Christian life is not just about what we believe. It is also about how we live. Being a Christian does not excuse us from being decent toward people, working for a living, taking good care of our families, and being honest in our daily lives. God's Word is to be applied to every part of our lives.
In 2 Thessalonians chapter three, Paul addresses believers who had become disorderly in their Christian walk. Some had quit working and were depending on others to support them. Others had become busybodies, spending their time meddling in other people's lives instead of taking care of their own responsibilities.
Paul reminds the Thessalonians that the Christian life is not an excuse for laziness. Being free does not make us lawless. God has given us responsibilities, and fulfilling those responsibilities is part of our Christian service. The same principles apply to us today. God wants us to grow in maturity, become self-responsible, and be an example to believers and unbelievers alike.
"For you yourselves know how you ought to follow us, for we were not disorderly among you; nor did we eat anyone's bread free of charge, but worked with labor and toil night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you." 2 Thessalonians 3:7–8
Paul's manner among the Thessalonians was that of a gentleman. His natural life was an example of how a mature Christian should behave himself. His occupation was ministering the gospel, but he also worked making tents. When he came to Thessalonica, he worked so the people would not think they had to pay to receive the gospel.
After a while, they understood that giving was not paying for what they were receiving. They were giving toward the future so someone else could receive the gospel. This is what giving is today. We are sowing toward the future. When you put a seed into the ground, it does not come up immediately. You are giving toward missions, evangelism, and spreading the gospel into the lives of others.
Paul did not preach one thing and live another. There was not one set of standards for Christians in the congregation and another for preachers in the pulpit. He understood that authority does not give you the right to have your way over other people. When authority is coupled with respect, you make your life an example to others.
Working and Providing for Your Family
"For even when we were with you, we commanded you this: If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat." 2 Thessalonians 3:10
Paul is talking about those who refuse to work, not those who cannot work or who genuinely need help. Some believers in Thessalonica had received wrong teaching concerning the rapture. They had quit their jobs and were sitting around waiting for Jesus to come. When Jesus did not come after many days, they were still not working and had to be supported by others in the church. This became a reproach on the gospel and the Christian way of life.
Paul reminds them that they need to become self-responsible. They need to have a job, provide for their families, and have something to give to others. The purpose of having finances is not simply to accumulate money for ourselves. God wants us to become a blessing to others and to the gospel of Jesus Christ. When you work and receive finances, you can supply your family's needs, give to the church, and sow into the kingdom of God.
There is no place for laziness or mooching off others in the Christian life. God wants us to take care of our responsibilities and become an example of His goodness to those around us.
Work in Quietness and Eat Your Own Bread
Paul says in 2 Thessalonians 3:11–12 that some were walking disorderly, not working at all, but becoming busybodies.
When you are not busy taking care of your own business, you can become busy sticking your nose into someone else's business. These believers were putting effort into not working. They were depending on others to supply their needs and using spiritual language to justify their condition.
Paul commands and encourages them to work quietly and eat their own bread. He wants them to get their noses out of other people's lives and live their own lives as unto the Lord. He wants them to find a job, supply for their families, and stop depending on others to provide what they should be providing for themselves.
This does not mean we should stop helping people who genuinely cannot find work or who need assistance. Christians should continue giving toward good works and helping those in need. But we should not confuse genuine need with a refusal to accept responsibility. Paul is lovingly exhorting these believers to leave a lifestyle that has become a reproach to the gospel and return to the Christian way of life.
Finding God in the Routine of Life
Life needs routine. God has built routine into life, and in that routine, we can insert the Word of God. A job brings routine, and routine demands discipline. Routine is the basis for growth and maturity.
Many people complain about having to go to work every day. They would love to quit, sit down, and do nothing. Others think a more stimulating job would solve their problems, not realizing that even an exciting occupation can eventually become routine.
Everything in life can one day become routine, including the things of God. Going to church, ushering, teaching, greeting, or singing on the praise team can become routine. But God never intended for us to live in boredom and discouragement. He wants us to insert fellowship with Him into the daily routines of life.
You have a lunch hour. You can study God's Word. You can take notes, pray over the Scriptures, and meditate on the promises of God. You can spend time fellowshipping with the Holy Spirit while performing your daily responsibilities. Whatever job you have, that is your full-time Christian service. You are to perform it as a royal priest in the kingdom of God. This lifts an ordinary job into an area of nobility and enjoyment.
Do Not Grow Weary in Well Doing
"But as for you, brethren, do not grow weary in doing good." 2 Thessalonians 3:13
There comes a time in the Christian life when we can become tired of doing the same things every day. We go to work, provide for our families, attend church, and fulfill our responsibilities. These are good works, but if we neglect our fellowship with God, even good works can become wearisome. You need to have a daily life where you study the Word of God. Take notes, pray over it, and meditate on it so the revelation of God can come. God's Word and fellowship with Him bring freshness into the daily routines of life.
You can look forward to your time with God every day. If He reveals half as much to you today as He showed you yesterday, it is going to be a great day! Only the Word of God can make routine enjoyable.
When routine is combined with pressure and there is no foundation in the Word of God, discouragement can come. But when we insert God's Word and the operation of faith into our daily lives, we find strength to continue.
Fellowship With the Holy Spirit Every Day
One thing I appreciate about praying in the Spirit is that you can fellowship with the Holy Spirit on the inside while doing your work on the outside. You can pray in the Spirit while driving your car, working on your job, or performing other daily responsibilities. Praying in the Spirit builds you up and prepares you for future revelations God wants to give you.
Your job may look dull to everybody else. There may be nothing exciting about it in the natural, but it can become a wonderful opportunity to fellowship with God, meditate on His promises, and grow in the things of the Spirit.
The daily Christian life is a life of moving toward maturity. God wants us to be faithful in the ordinary things, not just the exciting moments. When we stand before Him, we want to hear, "Well done, good and faithful servant." That faithfulness does not begin when we get to heaven. It begins right here, in our daily lives, as we continue doing what God has called us to do.
Be an Example to Others
Paul closes this portion of his teaching by instructing believers not to keep close company with those who continually refuse to obey the Word of God. This does not mean we stop being friendly or refuse to speak to them. It means we do not make their lifestyle our example or allow their conduct to influence our own Christian walk.
Our lives affect others. How we work, how we give, how we treat people, and how we fulfill our responsibilities are all part of our witness for Jesus Christ. God wants us to be faithful in the little things, faithful in our daily routines, and faithful in our fellowship with Him.
Keep studying the Word of God. Keep praying in the Spirit. Keep providing for your family and sowing into the kingdom of God. As you combine the Word of God with the routines of life, you will discover that every day is another opportunity to grow closer to Him and become a blessing to others.
The Beatitudes are actually the introduction to the Sermon on the Mount and serve as a table of contents for the sermon. They are divided into two sections: taking in and putting out the Word of God—being both hearers and doers of God’s Word. Bob Yandian explores the Beatitudes found in Matthew chapter 5, verses 3 through 12 and thoroughly describes the progression found in these verses corresponding to our walk with and maturing in the Lord.
Sermon Titles:
The Poor in Spirit
Those Who Mourn
Who Are the Meek?
A Hunger for Righteousness
Seeds of Mercy
Peacemakers
Blessed in Persecution
7 CDs
The Beatitudes are actually the introduction to the Sermon on the Mount and serve as a table of contents for the sermon. They are divided into two sections: taking in and putting out the Word of God—being both hearers and doers of God’s Word. Bob Yandian explores the Beatitudes found in Matthew chapter 5, verses 3 through 12 and thoroughly describes the progression found in these verses corresponding to our walk with and maturing in the Lord.
Sermon Titles:
The Poor in Spirit
Those Who Mourn
Who Are the Meek?
A Hunger for Righteousness
Seeds of Mercy
Peacemakers
Blessed in Persecution
7 MP3s / MBT27
Stand Firm in Truth - Your Victory is Closer Than You Think
Are you feeling the weight of a world spiraling toward chaos? Are you troubled by the rise of deception, the shifting of moral ground, or the uncertainty of end time events? Do you wonder how to live faithfully when fear and confusion seem to dominate the headlines and even creep into the Church?
Through years of in-depth study and ministry, bestselling Bible teacher Bob Yandian uncovers the Apostle Paul’s Spirit-inspired counsel to the Thessalonian church - a blueprint for thriving in the last days without losing hope or spiritual footing. Drawing from two of the clearest New Testament books on the Rapture, Christ’s return, and victorious Christian living, this breakthrough resource reveals how you can stay anchored, fruitful, and fearless in uncertain times.
In Thessalonians, you will discover how to:
Grasp and proclaim the powerful difference between the Rapture and the Second Coming.
Expose and refute false teaching and spiritual deception.
Withstand persecution with unshakable faith, joy, and testimony.
Conquer trials through faith, love, and Spirit-empowered endurance.
Advance the gospel and transform your world for Christ.
You don’t have to be shaken by the enemy’s lies or the darkness of our times. God’s Word offers clarity, comfort, and courage for every believer. This is your call to rise above confusion, walk in daily victory, and hold fast to the hope of His appearing.
“The rapture of the Church should not bring fear into our hearts but comfort.” - Bob Yandian
120 Pages