November 15, 1998

When I was a young grammar school student, I was - like everyone else in my generation - taught to "duck and cover". Do you remember? In those days, we lived under the constant cold war threat of a possible nuclear attack, so we were taught that little jingle to give us a chance in the event The Bomb went off. The memory of air raid warnings, and tests "of the emergency broadcast system - this is a test, this is only a test!", still produce chilling feelings of a time when my friends and I actually had a plan for commandeering the O'Neil family's underground air raid shelter in our neighborhood in the event of a blast. Those were frightening days.

Today, the immediate threat of worldwide nuclear destruction is somewhat abated, although we have found new fears with which to replace it. Mention the term Y2K and people immediately know that you're talking about the millenium bug that will hit the world's computers on the first day of the year 2000. Billions of dollars are being spent to try to resolve the problem which stems from the fact that databases record years with only the last two digits, and when the year zero-zero comes around again, computers will interpret that as the year 1900, and all sorts of terrible things will happen including the collapse of the world's banking system, mass power outages, and even planes falling out of the sky.

At least, that's what the Y2K doomsdayers are saying.

And along with these millenium bug prophets of doom, there are all sorts of people these days crying out that the turn of the millenium will bring not just a mess with the world's computers, but will in fact see the very end of the world.

You may have heard that God invited Boris Yeltsin, Bill Clinton and Bill Gates to a meeting in heaven. When they arrive, God says, "I'm glad you could make it. I have some very important news and I want the three of you to be my messengers." Then God tells them the world will end tomorrow.

Yeltsin returns to Russia, gathers his top advisors and announces, "I have two very BAD things to report. First, we were wrong. There really IS a God! And second, He's ticked off at us and coming to get us tomorrow!"

Far across the ocean, Bill Clinton gathers his Cabinet. He says, "I have good news and bad news. The good news is there really IS a God! The bad news is, it all depends upon what the word 'is' is! Oops, only kidding! Actually, the bad news is that the world will end tomorrow."

Meanwhile, Bill Gates calls a gigantic meeting of all Microsoft employees. With an incredible multimedia presentation, he proclaims, "I have two extremely GREAT pieces of news to report. First, I am one of the three most important men in the world! And second, there IS a solution to the Y2K problem!"

Is the end of the world near? Will the millenium bug cause worldwide catastrophe? Some people believe so.

Which brings us to our text from second Thessalonians.

The small Christian community in the Greek city of Thessalonica was obsessed with the thought of the end of the world. At one time, they worried that those among them who died before it happened would not get to share in the glory of Christ's return. In his first letter to them, Paul assures the Thessalonian Christians that both those who are dead and those who are alive will get to partake in the triumph of the second coming of Christ.

But not too long after receiving Paul's first letter, the Thessalonians catch wind of a rumor. The word is that Paul now believes the second coming has already taken place. And they are distressed over the thought that they may have missed it. So in a second letter - the one we're studying today - Paul assures them that Christ has not yet returned, and they have by no means missed the eschatological hope.

And then Paul warns them about the problem with all this. And its a problem that finds its way into our lives as well, though often in different forms.

And the problem is this: Sometimes, we get so caught up with the concerns of life, that we stop WORKING at our faith.

A number of years ago, The Los Angeles Times ran a story about a Christian doomsday group in California. They believed that "the rapture" - a moment when some believe that true Christians will be translated into heaven, leaving behind a world controlled by the antichrist and his forces - was imminent. According to this belief system, the antichrist will rule the world during this time and there will be a great tribulation such as never has been seen before. And at the end of the tribulation, Christ - and the believers who were caught up to heaven - will return to the earth in triumph! Now, this is not at all unlike what both Paul and the Thessalonians believed.

Well, some enterprising soul out there in California got to thinking about what the returning Christians will do about practical things - like money - when they return. And sure enough, an insurance agent overheard the question. So they wrote a "rapture insurance policy" which would pay off after the seven years of tribulation, when the saints return! This, you see, would keep the antichrist from being able to appropriate their money.

And the Los Angeles Times reporter who wrote the story ended the article by saying something tongue-in-cheek, like this: "All of which goes to show you that, if you can't take it WITH you, you can at least have it waiting FOR you when you get back!"

Sometimes, we get so caught up THINKING about the future and the many concerns of life that we stop WORKING at our faith.

And that's what was happening in Thessalonica.

Like any of us who come to big moments in our lives - when the forces around us pin us down and make us afraid - the Christians in that city began to obsess about the future. And what they did in response was to essentially stop living! They dropped their other responsibilities. Some of them left their jobs. Like people have done in every generation, some of the Thessalonians sort of went up onto the rooftops, and sat in lawnchairs, looking up to heaven, just waiting for the event to happen.

And while they were taking this free belly-button-staring ride through life, how do you suppose they supported themselves?

Why, they depended upon others to support them!.

And how do you suppose they acted out their Christian mission to the hurting and the helpless and the hopeless?

Well, they didn't.

So here's what Paul says in the letter. This is verse 10 and on:

Now lest you think for a moment that these words apply only to the rooftop dwellers who long for the return of the Lord, let me note that most of us - from time to time - become mere busybodies, no longer working and growing in faith. It may be because an experience of extreme joy comes along - a real triumph - and we get so caught up in the excitement of good times that we become complacent about our faith. Not that long ago, someone mentioned to me how, in moving to the village, the wonderful world of retirement offered so many opportunities that had not been available during the working years. Now, there was golf every day, and boating, and exploring the Great Smoky Mountains. And then he said, "Before I even realized it, a couple of years had passed, and it had been so long since I had even prayed or gotten involved in some kind of Christian service."

Oh, some are idle in the faith because they're waiting for the world to end. Others are idle because we have exciting things to do.

And just the opposite happens as well. Sometimes things go wrong, and life falls apart. I know that, in my own life, when I'm not feeling well - or when my life is full of stress - I lose my discipline of relating to other people as a Christian. Sometimes I lash out in those moments, and say nasty, hurtful things to my wife, my children, and even to some of you. Many of us, when we're going through hard times, stop working at being Christ-like. Right now in our family, there is a tragic divorce going on. Both parties are beautiful Christian people. But you would never know it by how they're living right now.

You see, there are lots of different kinds of rooftops upon which we sit, giving ourselves a free pass and no longer working at our faith. Good times. Bad times. New activities. Serious illnesses. Broken relationships. Tragic losses. Wonderful triumphs.

Life is full of moments that try to pull us away from Christ.

May I ask you today, "Are you WORKING at your faith?"

Paul so often encouraged people to take up four disciplines of Christian work. He challenged people, first of all, to work at prayer. To set aside time every day to be alone with God, to praise God, and to pour out our hearts to God, and to listen. Prayer takes work, and it may be a long time since you worked at prayer, but it is the key to Christian growth and guidance.

Second, Paul prompted believers to work at developing Christian character. He urged people to conscientiously try their best to speak only good to others, to be honest, to not react to troubling situations with outbursts of emotion but rather to respond thoughtfully and faithfully. It takes hard work to catch that critical comment before it leaves your mouth and stabs itself into another's soul. But working at developing Christian character is essential if we are to build healthy relationships with others and be effective representatives of Christ to them.

Third, Paul taught Christians to work at witnessing to the Good News of Jesus. You know, there are lots of Christian people whose idea of witnessing is to tell others all that's wrong with them, and that they - and the world along with them - are headed straight to hell. I'll be honest with you: I don't believe it takes a single ounce of energy for a person to witness that way. We have too many evangelistic busybodies out there. People who want results without working for them. To convince the world's worst sinner that he's lost takes no effort at all! But to convince the world's worst sinner that he's loved by Jesus - takes imagination, and creativity, and discipline, and faith beyond measure! It takes work to lead a person into the love of Jesus Christ.

And finally, Paul urged Christians to work at some form of Christian service to others. Every single member of the Christian church has a job to do out there. And its when we work at serving others that seeds of the kingdom are planted in the world, and we discover the presence and power of God ourselves, and find that the key to joy is not in receiving, but in giving.

Prayer. Character. Witnessing. Serving.

There are many things in life that try to pull us from Christ, and make us believe that faith is sitting on a rooftop somewhere - waiting for the end, or enjoying the view, or mourning a loss.

But Jesus calls you and me to a higher work.

How will you work at faith this week?