Trusting God for Money

Matthew 6:9-13, 2 Thessalonians 3:6-15

We’ve been studying the Lord’s Prayer. There are 6 petitions. We’ve already covered the first 3. They’re things that concern God - God’s name, God’s rule, God’s will. The second 3 concern us - our daily bread, our debts, and our temptations. So we’re looking at the fourth petition - our daily bread. Our daily provision. Why do we pray for daily provision? Because God has created us to glorify him. Our bodies were made to praise and serve him. But we can’t glorify him by praise and service, unless we’re given what we need to live. Dead people can’t praise or serve God. Only the living. So we ask God to provide us with necessary things to live to serve him.

Remember, our spiritual needs are important, but not more important than our bodily needs. God cares enough for our bodily needs that he mentions them in Scripture. Jesus said God feeds the birds and clothes the flowers, but we’re far more important than they. Also 1 Timothy 6:8 says, “And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content.” Our physical needs are important. So we pray for daily bread. What’s that? It’s what we need for daily life. Food, drink, clothing, home, etc. In our context, it’s not wrong to identify it with money. Asking God for money is not unspiritual. We need money for basic provisions to maintain and promote God’s kingdom. Our catechism says - “we ask God to provide us with our bodily needs so we may acknowledge he’s the only fountain of good.” Daily provision - so we can acknowledge him. Furthermore, when we pray, we regard money spiritually - to know money can’t be ultimately good without God’s blessing. One can be loaded but not blessed. The rich fool was not rich toward God. If he’d been, he’d have known what to do with his riches. And we pray, so that we’d trust him alone. It’s spiritual to pray for money, for wisdom to use it, to use it to glorify God.

We need this topic because believers struggle with money. Most here have too much. But we don’t always glorify God; we spend it on our lusts. We aren’t spiritually minded about it; we don’t acknowledge him as the fount of all good. So we must learn to pray. But this evening, I want to deal with something different. There are believers who have a hyper-mystical - seemingly godly but actually ungodly approach to money. They seem to downplay the importance of money. They believe that somehow God will take care of everything - just pray! Be spiritually minded! But they don’t work or work hard enough. As such, they neglect to have a truly spiritual or prayerful attitude that shows they acknowledge God. And this doesn’t glorify him. And I want to explore this from 2 Thessalonians in 3 points. Firstly, the squabble in the church about trust and money. Secondly, the rebels who did not trust God for money. Thirdly, the model who trusted God for money.

Firstly, the squabble in the church about trusting God for money. Verse 6 - “Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition which he received of us.” There was a controversy in the church - a fight of sorts, a squabble. Paul warned and commanded the Thessalonians to stay away from certain brethren who were walking disorderly. They hadn’t followed Paul’s instructions. About what? To understand that, we have to understand the context. In 1 Thessalonians, Paul told them to live because Christ could come again any time. He said that Christ could come at any time. And many took it to heart. They lived as if Christ would come soon. They waited for him. In fact, that’s all they did. They waited. Since Christ was coming soon, they’d devote themselves to spiritual things and not to earthly. Sounds spiritual. But it wasn’t. Because in so doing, they became lazy. If Christ is coming back soon, why waste my time with mundane things like work? I will spend my time in exhorting others and encouraging them to prepare for Christ’s coming. In heaven, we will fellowship forever. So I will fellowship as much as I can now. But if they didn’t work, where would they get their money to survive?

We learn this from the text and historical context. Then, in the Roman empire, wealthy citizens would have an arrangement to show generosity to the less fortunate. This was called patronage, an ancient Roman custom where the rich would take the poor under their wing. It was a legal transaction - the less fortunate became clients of these patrons. In exchange for money, the clients show loyalty, and while they didn’t work, they’d do menial tasks. In other words, it was a system that encouraged freeloaders. It’s kind of like welfare or the dole in some countries. But apparently, this pagan cultural mindset was hard to eradicate. It was cultivated in the church. When people heard Christ was coming, they took it to mean that they didn’t need to work, just wait. We’ll survive on handouts! Christ is coming! But this meant they trusted in other creatures daily bread and not God. You see, the text strongly implies they were practicing this pagan idea in church - by getting money from fellow Christians who did work. We know this because in verse 8, Paul described how he worked in Thessalonica, contrary to the others. So he exemplified his teaching - he didn’t eat anyone’s bread by freeloading; but labored among them. He didn’t try to get a free lunch. He wasn’t a freeloader. But some of them were. Verse 11 says they weren’t working at all. Verse 12 says they weren’t eating their own bread.

So secondly, we want to examine these rebels who didn’t trust God for money. You see, we learn several things about them. They were called disorderly. This word is translated in other versions as unruly, undisciplined, or idle. This meant that they were lazy. They walked in an undisciplined way. It’s like those who don’t care enough to show up on time, aren’t dependable, or don’t complete their tasks. There are those who do the best they can, are faithful, but are unable to do the work. They’re not undependable, neither lazy, but they’re just less able. And there’s nothing wrong with that. Inability is different from unwillingness. Inability is not a sin. So there are those who can’t, so they can’t do. But there are some who can, but they won’t. In other words, this disorderliness was disobedience to God. And we see it clearly in the words of Paul.

Verse 6 says they didn’t walk after the tradition they received. What does this mean? Tradition refers to a pattern of teaching and living. When Paul first went to Thessalonica, he taught them the Word of God; the Apostles’ doctrine - like how believers in Acts 4 gathered in the temple over the Apostles’ doctrine. But it’s also a pattern of life - to live out that doctrine was also instructive. Paul said in 1 Corinthians 11:1 - “Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.” Christ was so busy in the work of the Lord. For 30 years, he was busy in his carpentry business. So Paul described how he labored night and day, verse 8. On the contrary, these disorderly believers didn’t walk after this teaching and example they had received. And this was Christ’s pattern of life. Christ worked hard. Therefore, they rejected his teaching; they weren’t looking to him nor obeying him. So three times Paul invokes the name of Christ. In verse 6 - “Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly…” He told Christians there, that by Christ’s authority, keep away from these lazy Christians who are not working. Why? Because in verse 10 - when we were with you the last time, we already said that those who aren’t willing to work, shouldn’t be freeloading off others. And verse 12, so we again command with Christ’s authority that they should work and eat their own bread. So what does this tell us? Not only did they not obey the last time, their actions were evidences that they were not relying on God to provide for them. For if they relied on God, they wouldn’t be eating the bread of others, but working for their own bread. And what does this also tell us? That they were not praying “Give us this day our daily bread.” Or if they were praying it, they meant something else - give us this day their daily bread! Which is not the spirit of this prayer. And because they were freeloading, there was no spirit of humility.

You see, when we pray “Give us this day our daily bread,” we acknowledge that God has already pledged to give us our daily bread. It belongs to us. God intends for us to have it. In the Garden of Eden, God fed Adam and Eve with an orchard of all kinds of fruits - he promised them food, they communed with him, they tended the garden and ate the fruit, so they could glorify him and serve him. But these lazy Christians were different. Instead of praying to God and working to claim his promises to know that he is the fount of all good, they relied on others for handouts. How were they glorifying God and acknowledging him? Meaning, if they had been truly spiritual, and not mystical, they’d have been working. If we were to pray to him, work, he’d give us that daily bread.

But the problem with these Christians is that they were not relying on God. The catechism says that when we pray this way, we are asking God to “grant that we may withdraw our trust from all creatures and place it only in you.” But they were precisely not trusting God because they were relying on others for handouts. Their patrons were other church members who became their fount of good. But they were not grateful. In fact, the Bible tells us that they were busybodies. Verse 11 - “For we hear that there are some which walk among you disorderly, working not at all, but are busybodies.” What does this word mean? The Greek word is interesting. It means literally to go around working. They were not working, but they were going about working themselves into the affairs of others. That became their work. The business of others. So that’s why they were busybodies. But while they were bad examples of trusting God and prayer, we see Paul and his companions as examples who trusted and prayed.

Thirdly, the model who trusted God for money. In fact, he was a model of what it meant to rely on the Lord. What did he do? It’s not specific or explicit from this text that Paul prayed. But we all know he did. But he showed his prayerful attitude by working. And so he rebuked this kind of faithless, godless behavior that wasn’t trusting in God, but trusting in handouts. Let’s flesh this out a bit more. He said in verses 7-8 - “For yourselves know how ye ought to follow us: for we behaved not ourselves disorderly among you; neither did we eat any man's bread for nought; but wrought with labour and travail night and day, that we might not be chargeable to any of you.” Now, to be clear, Paul was not against the mercy ministry of the diaconate. This is not what is in view here. After all, the Old Testament spoke extensively of this mercy in giving to the poor and religious workers like the Levites. Similarly, Christ commanded giving to the poor. James said true religion was compassion seen in giving. Paul even collected money from Thessalonica in Romans 15 for the poor in Jerusalem. So he was an example of that. He was certainly in favor of the church helping those who need help - and there are those who truly need help; but Paul was not in favor of giving to the disorderly. But while the disorderly in the Thessalonians church could work, but wouldn't work, Paul was an example of a disciplined way to walk.

We see what he did. He didn’t eat other people’s bread for nothing. His trust was not in any other creature. He earned his bread. How? By working. He labored and travailed night and day. These two words describe his work. The word “labor” means to work. But “travail” means to toil or to work with hardship. Work is hard. Work because of the curse is hard. Ministry is hard. And what made it hard for Paul was also these folks who were lazy. But he labored hard. And we also see that his labor was night and day. This means that his toiling labor was prolonged. He was not constrained by work hours. Or work life balance. He did this for the sake of the gospel, for his calling in life, so that he might also not be chargeable or not a burden to any of them. Which tells us that these disorderly brethren were becoming a burden to the church. Verse 9 says he wanted to be an example to them. Example of what? Of working, receiving from God, trusting in God - that God was his only fount of good.

And here, knowing that God was the fount of all good, and that these disorderly Christians were being busybodies and freeloaders, not trusting God and working for daily bread as they should, he gave a command to the Christians there to separate themselves from these disobedient Christian, verse 6. And by so doing, these disorderly ones would have to work because they’d have nothing to eat. They’d learn to rely on God. They’d learn to pray - give us this day our daily bread. That they would in quietness, not a busybody, earn their own living - that’s how “eat their own bread” is translated in some other versions. Therefore, give us this day our daily bread can refer to money. And as much as Paul commanded in Christ’s name, he expected the Christians to do the same - to follow his example. Verse 13 - “But ye, brethren, be not weary in well doing.” Notice the delightful comparison. They’re busybodies, disorderly, going around for handouts. Not doing well. But you brethren, do well. How? Verse 14 - “And if any man obey not our word by this epistle, note that man, and have no company with him, that he may be ashamed.” Literally, don’t mix together with him. In Paul’s eyes, this is doing well. It causes that disorderly Christian, in his hunger, to turn back to God to pray - “give us this day our daily bread.”

Dearly beloved, there are believers who struggle with enough - they want more. They need to pray - give us this day our daily bread - enough is good. There are those who work and are self-satisfied with what they have - it comes from them. They need to pray - give us this day our daily bread - to know what they have comes from God. But then there are some people who simply won’t strive to be industrious. This prayer is also relevant to them. They must know it’s their daily bread - not the bread of others.

But how can we practically apply this from this passage? As believers, we need to know God’s provision. He has promised to bless us with daily bread. But how do we obtain it? By praying and by obeying - to work. The one who isn’t willing to work, shouldn’t eat. No working age person who can work, should refuse to work or look for work. If they live at home, they’re freeloading off others. They’re not paying rent, they’re not paying utilities, they’re not contributing. And it’s needless to say that should they be working, they should be contributing to the household expenses. When we pray give us this day our daily bread, we are receiving from God blessings that must be used righteously to glorify him.

This is why we must also pray for our diaconate. They aren’t simply those who would give out money to believers who struggle. There are those who can’t work, who are elderly, who are sick. The widows in Acts, rightfully prayed “Give us this day our daily bread” and they got it through the hands of the deacons. Our deacons must have much wisdom, compassion, and care to urge those who need to receive; to manage the funds well and to help those who receive to be grateful to God for daily provision. At the same time, our deacons have a tough situation to help those who are not working, not truly praying “Give us this day our daily bread” to trust God alone, and like Paul to labor day and perhaps even night. That all may see God as the fount of all good.