The Dignity of Work
equipU Principles: As You Work • Sermon • Submitted
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· 525 viewsThis is the second semester of the equipU Principles which is discussing in particular principles "as you work". This is teaching is based on the second chapter of Timothy Keller's book Every Good Endeavor which discusses the dignity that is found in work.
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Intro
Talk about ask.ligonier.org and how in equipU we want to teach our congregation but also teach them how to teach themselves
Thesis
From Scripture we see that there is a dignity inherently found in working good endeavors that is not found elsewhere in creation.
Dignity - the state or quality of being worthy of honor or respect
The Legend of Bagger Vance discussion. Produced in 2000 by director Robert Redford based on the book by Steven Pressfield written in 1996. Will Smith -> Bagger Vance, Matt Damon -> Rannulph Junuh, Charlize Theron -> Adele Invergordon, J. Michael Moncrief -> Hardy Greaves
Rannulph Junuh is the best golfer in Savannah. He's living well and has a girl, Adele Invergordon, who's the daughter of a wealthy landowner. The First World War starts, though, and Junuh goes to Europe to fight. The only survivor of a dangerous mission, Junuh doesn't return to Savannah for 15 years. In 1930, he returns, and Adele's father has already committed suicide during the Depression. Pressured by tax collectors to sell the golf course her father built to pay off debts, Adele, now older, vows to bring to Savannah the greatest match ever played on the greatest golf course, her late father's. She's able to round up the 2 greatest golfers of their time, Bobby Jones and Walter Hagen to play for $10,000. The townspeople insist on having "one of their own" compete also, and Rannulph Junuh is rounded up. Junuh now hangs out with bums and is an alcoholic, as he has lost his authentic swing from 15 years ago. At first he turns down the offer. He gets his old clubs and balls and starts practicing. He has lost his ability. Suddenly, Bagger Vance shows up. He offers to be Junuh's caddy and help him regain his "authentic swing". He does, and Junuh agrees to play in the big match.
Rannulph Junuh is the best golfer in Savannah. He's living well and has a girl, Adele Invergordon, who's the daughter of a wealthy landowner. The First World War starts, though, and Junuh goes to Europe to fight. The only survivor of a dangerous mission, Junuh doesn't return to Savannah for 15 years. In 1930, he returns, and Adele's father has already committed suicide during the Depression. Pressured by tax collectors to sell the golf course her father built to pay off debts, Adele, now older, vows to bring to Savannah the greatest match ever played on the greatest golf course, her late father's. She's able to round up the 2 greatest golfers of their time, Bobby Jones and Walter Hagen to play for $10,000. The townspeople insist on having "one of their own" compete also, and Rannulph Junuh is rounded up. Junuh now hangs out with bums and is an alcoholic, as he has lost his authentic swing from 15 years ago. At first he turns down the offer. He gets his old clubs and balls and starts practicing. He has lost his ability. Suddenly, Bagger Vance shows up. He offers to be Junuh's caddy and help him regain his "authentic swing". He does, and Junuh agrees to play in the big match.
He's sweeping streets, Junuh. In the middle of Savannah, where everybody can see him. Me, my friends and everybody.
You feeling sorry because your daddy sweeps streets?
He ain't the only man who can't get work. Wilbur's dad can't neither. But he says he'd rather do nothing than something beneath his dignity.
Grow up, Hardy.
It ain't time for me to grow up.
Your dad's sweeping because he took every dime he had...and used it to pay every man and woman he owed... instead of declaring bankruptcy like everyone, including Wilbur's dad. Which is why he's able to sit all day on his "dignity". Your daddy stared adversity in the eye and he beat it back with a broom.
Talk about article 100,000 hours
“From Scripture...”
Talk about the first teaching series of equipU Principles where we studied the Will of God
Maybe talk a little bit about religion vs. theology and how it relates to the restored Image of God in Christ. RC Sproul story.
Two most important questions:
“Is there a God?” and if there is, “Has he Spoken?”
Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness:
He was manifested in the flesh,
vindicated by the Spirit,
seen by angels,
proclaimed among the nations,
believed on in the world,
taken up in glory.
All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,
We believe that the Law, the Prophets, the Gospel accounts, and the teachings of the Apostles are in fact the inspired words of God and that is the utmost importance for us.
He has given us his Word for all teaching in righteousness
Not only has he spoken in his Word for us, but he spoke creation into existence. We see this from the creation account outlined in .
“…dignity...”
Dignity - the state or quality of being worthy of honor or respect
Why is there dignity inherently found in work? Because the author of work is the source of dignity. He is the source of honor. The source of worthiness of honor, respect, and holiness.
Bare with me, maybe a sidetrack
Two extremes that can happen from dignity found or not found in work
1.) Those who DO NOT struggle to see dignity in their work are at risk of believing their dignified work is from within
This could come from a stoic sense of “pulling yourself up by your boots”. I did this on my own
Talk about how you’ve seen people treat others in lower roles. Customer service or janitors. Heard someone boast about how they got their way in a certain situation.
2.) Those who DO NOT struggle to see dignity in their work are at risk of believing Aristotle’s lie that “some were meant to be slaves”
The situation outlined above could be a case of both situations. We could look at the janitor or customer service person as they haven’t put forth the effort and therefore it’s their fault for being there. Or we could look at that person and say that they were just meant to serve “us” who have dignity in work. Both are false!
The Greeks saw death as a friend, because it liberated us from the prison of physical life. The Bible sees death not as a friend, but as an enemy
The last enemy to be destroyed is death.
3.) Those who DO struggle to see dignity in their work will miss the delight and joy in participating as an image bearer.
Out of all of creation (all of the creatures) man was the only creature created and given a job description.
So God created man in his own image,
in the image of God he created him;
male and female he created them.
And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”
Genesis 1:27-
Talk about going next week to talk about the Christian job description found in The Great Commission
That is our Christian job description, but here we see in the creation account that we were given a job that no other creature was given. This is one of the many ways that we participate in God’s redemptive history as an “image bearer” of God. We work. God works in building creation and so do we. God the Father spoke creation into existence, the Son is the actor of Creation
For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him.
and the Spirit is the facilitator and sustainer of all creation. God works and so do we! God created the earth in a state of potential so that his image could bring glory and honor to him by work.
It’s harder for me to see this because everything I do is in electrical circuits. Easier for a farmer to see this because you see material moving. Talk about 12 Ways your Phone is Changing you. It modifies creation. Sometimes good, sometimes bad
4.)
Mention Leaf by Niggle, Tolkien
“… inherently found...”
We are the image of God. The Imago Dei.
Maybe talk a little bit about religion vs. theology and how it relates to the restored Image of God in Christ. RC Sproul story.
Grudem defines the Imago Dei as: The fact that man is in the image of God means that man is like God and represents God.
Similiar but not identical
Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”
So God created man in his own image,
in the image of God he created him;
male and female he created them.
From these verses, we understand that our worth is connected to our Creator. If God is of great and inestimable worth, then human beings made in his image must have immense value too.
The image of God in us survives our fall into sin.
In the fall of mankind, something ghastly happened. The image of God was severely tarnished. Our ability to mirror His holiness has been greatly affected so that now the mirror is fogged.
The Fall, however, did not destroy our humanity. Though our ability to reflect God’s holiness was lost in the Fall, we are still human. We still have a mind, a heart, and a will. We still bear the mark of our Creator upon ourselves. The restoration of the fullness of the image of God in human beings is accomplished by Christ. He is, as the author of Hebrews declares, “the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature” (Hebrews 1:3).
God reminds Noah
“Whoever sheds the blood of man,
by man shall his blood be shed,
for God made man in his own image.
“to attack a person is to attack God through his image bearer”
Talk about the Sermon on the Mount that you were reading
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Matthew 5:43-48
We see this again later in the New Testament in James
With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God.
The people we see every day, even the people we give little regard to will exist forever. Either under condemnation or salvation.
How often do we pray for terrorists? How often do we pray for annoying co-workers? How often to we pray non-believing family members?
We are all the Imago Dei.
We cannot talk about
Therefore, the restored image of God looks like Christ.
We believe in a definable God, revealed to us by Scripture. This is where Christianity blows other religions out of the water.
Maybe talk a little bit about religion vs. theology and how it relates to the restored Image of God in Christ.
Walk through Grudem sheets
“…working good endeavors...”
Tell story of applying for a job at MUSC
Two routes in which technology gets its start: porn industry or NASA
Vocations that are not blatantly sinful
“… not found elsewhere in creation.”
We are not just very intelligent animals. We see from the creation account that we were the only creature that was created in the image of God.
We were the only creatures that were given a task ( to subdue creation and multiply)
That includes manual labor (tilling the ground in the garden) and complex thinking (naming all the animals)
Final Thoughts
What brings you the most benefit?
“God is most glorified when we are most satisfied in him” - John Piper
It is extremely important that we see our dignity in our vocation. If we don’t see dignity, we miss an opportunity to glorify God as an image bearer. Yet, if we do see dignity but it doesn’t flow out of the fact that we are image bearers of a holy God, then we fall into self righteousness.
How can you transfer this to your neighbors/coworkers?
See discussion.
How does seeing dignity in our work point us to Christ?
If our dignity is based off of being image bearers of the true and living God, then we see that through Christ our dignity can be restored from the fall since he is the true and perfect Image of God.
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.
What brings the most glory to God?
We glorify God the most when, in all good endeavors, we actively reflect the Image of God by being transformed into the Image of Christ.
Address the fact that all endeavors are used within God’s sovereignty
Talk about captivation vs. obedience