THEY ARE NOT THE ENEMY. By Pastor Fernando

SCRIPTURE
11 Yet we hear that some of you are living idle lives, refusing to work and meddling in other people’s business. 12 We command such people and urge them in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ to settle down and work to earn their own living. 13 As for the rest of you, dear brothers and sisters, never get tired of doing good. 14 Take note of those who refuse to obey what we say in this letter. Stay away from them so they will be ashamed. 15 Don’t think of them as enemies, but warn them as you would a brother or sister.
2 Thessalonians 3:11-15

OBSERVATION
Paul found out that some people were taking advantage of the generosity of others in the church. They were living idle lives, refusing to work, dedicated to follow their "call," and meddling in other people's business. Paul's rebuke is strong. He tells lazy people like this to get a job and grow up. But also he encourages everyone else to not become disappointed by what these idle people were doing and to continue helping people that are in genuine need. And if the lazy people continue in such lifestyle, they need to be ashamed by our isolation from them. They need to be warned as a brother or sister, not threatened like if they were enemies.

APPLICATION
This morning the Lord answers so many questions and gives me clear instructions of how to deal with people that refuse to work, but have the best arguments to manipulate others into "supporting" them. Sadly to say, a small group of people in our church has been affected by a woman that fits this description. She has a calling in her life but refuses to work to support herself and demanded the church to take care of her needs. When our church did not comply to her requests, she left. She started her own ministry. She wants others to support her and demands that those who follow her give their tithes to her (her vision). She can hear God telling her to buy a luxury car even if she gets into debt, but refuses to follow the biblical principles of submission and accountability.

The best part for me about this passage is about the way I should treat her. I cannot deny that her actions upset me. I despise manipulative tactics to collect money from people, especially when they are done in the name of the Gospel. So I've been tempted to treat this person as an enemy. But in God's Word the Lord instructs us to warn this person as a sister. This is the right way, the biblical way, to approach this situation.

PRAYER
Dear Jesus, please help me to confront this situation and treat this person as a sister, not as an enemy. Even though there is a lot of hurt in my heart for the people that are being deceived, please help me to put my feelings aside and confront in genuine love. And even if things are not resolved for the better, I know that my conscience is clear and that I will act according to your ways. Amen!