Ephesians 6:5-10 ESV  Slaves, obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling, with a sincere heart, as you would Christ,  (6)  not by the way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but as servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart,  (7)  rendering service with a good will as to the Lord and not to man,  (8)  knowing that whatever good anyone does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether he is a slave or free.  (9)  Masters, do the same to them, and stop your threatening, knowing that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and that there is no partiality with him.  (10)  Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.

 

Exhortation for May 23, 2010

This morning in the preaching of God's Word we will address the topic of work and the workplace. As disciples of Jesus there is no "place" or "activity" that falls outside the realm of His Lordship. Therefore we must say with sincere commitment - "how do I serve Christ with my work and in my workplace?" This may be our place of employment (career or temporary), this may be the business you started and/or own, the place you volunteer, or your home - especially stay at home moms and homeschool teachers (who most definitely work). When we face these important questions we must be honest about motives and attitudes. Why I do what I do and how I do what I do are important questions because Jesus commands us to love Him with all our hearts. Our hearts always deal with our drive or motives. We must do what we do with a mindset that is right. We must do what we do because we want to please the Lord our God. We must always remember that the job that we have is from God and through God and for God- so we must see our work as something that is bigger than making our boss, customer, husband, children, teacher, or outside observer happy. God is our judge and true Lord and master. However, the Scriptures teach, especially in Ephesians 6:5-9, that we must serve our earthly bosses, with respect, pure motives, conscientiousness, and cheerfulness. Why? Because we are really serving the Lord.  He is always watching, He most certainly cares about our attitude and actions, and He will reward us for that which is done through love for and faith in Him - regardless of any earthly recognition by our superiors. 

 

This reminds us of our need to confess our sins so as you are able please bow your head and close your eyes and confess your sins to God through our Mediator Christ.

 

 

Dear Father, We confess to you now that we are a people who have far too often separated categories that have no right to be separated. We have thought in terms of sacred and secular when we had no right to do this. Our jobs, whether great or small, whether temporary, seasonal or permanent, whether prestigious or plain, whether "fulfilling" or "draining" are all sacred because You are the Lord of the World and of our lives. They are from You and they are means of worshiping you. We confess our steadfast failure to live with this as a reality. We as a church  have differed so little from the world in our attitudes and actions in this regard that it is no wonder that the name of Christ is often despised by many around us.  How can we grieve over the sins that our in this world, including the workplace (and home) when we have not worshiped you faithfully in these arenas. We acknowledge to you that all that we have (including our jobs) are from you and are through you and are for you...so help us to live in this light by the power of your Spirit. Purify us through your grace and through a heart of repentance and make us a people who are energized with the joy of the Lord in our Work! Help us to serve those we are called to serve in our work as if we are truly serving You - because we are. I thank you that you hear our prayers and forgive us from our sins because of Christ Jesus our Lord. I pray this is the merciful Name of Jesus, Amen. 

 

PLEASE RISE FOR THE ASSURANCE OF PARDON AND HEAR THE GOOD NEWS.

 

Psalms 103:8-12 ESV  The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.  (9)  He will not always chide, nor will he keep his anger forever.  (10)  He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities.  (11)  For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him;  (12)  as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us.

 

IN SO FAR AS YOU HAVE CONFESSED YOUR SINS TO GOD THROUGH CHRIST AND ARE TRUSTING IN HIS MERCY ALONE TO FORGIVE YOU AND WORK THROUGH YOU - BY THE AUTHORITY OF GOD'S WORD I DECLARE TO YOU THAT YOUR SINS ARE FORGIVEN IN CHRIST'S NAME. 

 

THANKS BE TO GOD.

 

Slavery in the First Century and Today

Slavery has a long and horrible history. Prior to the time of Paul's writing the slavery in the Roman empire had seen its lows and highs. 100 years prior to Paul's letter slaves (who made up much of the empire) were treated with great disdain. Put during Paul's day slaves were beginning to be treated more fairly (or humanly). Slavery was usually not based on a race but on economics (debt) and foreign wars. You were a slavery because of your father's debt, your own debt, the conquering of your country, or something like that. Usually a slave was not one for life - he would work an average of 7 years and be freed by 30. Slaves were able to marry, own property, earn wages (to buy their freedom), and work what we would call "white collar" jobs.

In many ways what Paul says here relates to the workplace.  

Serve the Lord in Your Job

- Or jobs 

This is what I think is the main point of this passage. Serve the Lord in your serving your earthly Lord.

 

Don't think that just because you now serve a new Lord you can be lazy about serving the earthly master. Instead, you should look at your service as a slave as a means to serving the Lord Jesus Christ. In fact, you must look at your work as worship to God. 

HERE ARE SOME CATEGORIES THAT I THINK OF FOR TODAY THAT THIS PASSAGE CAN RELATE TO:

A. Employee

• No matter what
• Child doing chores
• To the boss and customers 

B. Employer - to his employees and customers and partners

C. Student - to his teacher and classes, and parents, etc.

D. House-wife/mom - to her children, husband

E. Homeschool Teacher - to her children and spouse

F. Volunteer (in all kids of situations) - wherever that might be - church, hospital, clubs, etc.

 

 What Is Our Ultimate Motivation in Our Work?

 

1. Divine Representation 

We serve as a representative of Christ.

We are His slaves.

We are serving Christ.

We are....for Him.

 

Colossians 3:17 ESV  And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

 

Colossians 3:23 ESV  Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men,

 

 

2. Divine Rendering 

"(8)  knowing that whatever good anyone does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether he is a slave or free."
We know that there is a rendering of accounts. The just judge will bring things into account.
Man looks on the outward appearance and God looks on the heart.

Colossians 3:24 ESV  knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.

This requires a life of faith. This is the life that trusts not in the short term, quick results way of life. This requires a type of sight that looks at and believes God's promises in our work.

 

How Are We To Serve the Lord in Our Work? 

 

Obey our authority - by covenant or contract 

If we have a job we are to do it based on the fact that we have signed a contract or a covenant and we need to keep our promises for the Lord's say - we must not bear the Lord's name in vain and bear false witness.

 

Do you job! Do what you are told. Do it! No excuses.

 

A. With Respect - Showing honor

"With fear and trembling"
These two words together have to do with our response when we are before the presence of God. There is a respect awe and honoring.

We are to see the presence of God in our bosses. This cannot be taken to an absolute.

We need to honor and respect our authority in the workplace as an act of serving the Lord. We don't roll our eyes and sarcastically yield we do it with fear and trembling. 

I think of King David (not yet a king) before Saul in the cave.

Romans 13:7 ESV  Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.

 

B. With Authenticity - purity of heart (undivided)

This word "sincerity" means to be "sincere" - withhold ulterior motives.

Truly give your all for him for the lord's sake.

 

This wholeheartedness is for the Lord's sake. I don't just do the minimum I do it with all might might.

 

Ecclesiastes 9:10 ESV  Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might, for there is no work or thought or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol, to which you are going.

 

C. Conscientious - Not Two-Faced 

"not by the way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but as servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart"

The disciple of Jesus works for the Lord will all his heart all the time whether the boss is looking or not. He doesn't work in order to please his boss but to please the Lord and the Lord always sees. 

 

Proverbs 15:3 ESV  The eyes of the LORD are in every place, keeping watch on the evil and the good.

Who are you when you are all alone? When no one is looking?
When there is no human accountability?

D. With Cheerfulness - Pleasant in work

"rendering service with a good will to the Lord"

Working with a zeal, joy, cheerfulness, pleasantness. 

As you would Christ.