Sermon Tone Analysis

“Do Work” - Work That Glorifies God

Turn in your Bibles to and .

Keep your finger there.

Today we are talking about the relationships between the Christ follower and work...

The kind of work that God loves

Scripture -

:22-4:1

3:22 Bondservants, obey in everything those who are your earthly masters, not by way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord.

23 Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, 24 knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward.

You are serving the Lord Christ.

25 For the wrongdoer will be paid back for the wrong he has done, and there is no partiality.

4:1  Masters, treat your bondservants justly and fairly, knowing that you also have a Master in heaven.

A significant and often overlooked way that we serve God is in our everyday tasks.

Martin Luther understood this when he wrote, "The maid who sweeps her kitchen is doing the will of God just as much as the monk who prays; not because she may sing a Christian hymn as she sweeps but because God loves clean floors.

The Christian shoemaker does his Christian duty not by putting little crosses on the shoes, but by making good shoes, because God is interested in good craftsmanship."

Transition - Hook

Transition - Hook

I.

I was made to work.

God gives us an example of work.

He made the universe, world and all of life.

Part of Adam and Eve’s job was to tend to The Garden of Eden.

When Jesus did his ministry He had to escape from the crowds to pray because His work became overwhelming.Part of Adam and Eve’s job was to tend to The Garden of Eden.

II Thes 3:11-12

II Thess 3:-12

I hear retired people tell me all the time, I am more busy now than when I worked.

Why?

You are volunteering more now.

Volunteering to take care of grandchildren.

Volunteering to take a meal to someone who is sick.

Volunteering to visit a shut in.

Many of your are drawn to work.

Why am I drawn to work?

I was made to work.

God created Adam and Eve to work the Garden.

Work did not come about as the result of sin.

Work is a Pre-Sin (Pre-Fall) creation.

When sin entered the world it effected our work.

Work is harder and more complicated now then God created it to be due the the effects of sin.

Students who struggle to work for school or do chores at home - get use to it - you will work the rest of your life.

You say, “Yeah, I’ll get paid then.”

Then something called bills comes and takes all your money and you have to work more.

The point is … We work because God made us to work & sin has taken a lot of the joy out of working.

Transition - Working means that most of us will have a boss.

A lot of work done in N.T. times - was done by a slave - who had a master.

When Jesus did his ministry He had to escape from the crowds to pray because His work became overwhelming.

Why?

You are volunteering more now.

Volunteering to take care of grandchildren.

Volunteering to take a meal to someone who is sick.

Volunteering to visit a shut in.

The curse and sin has made work more difficult

Why?

You are volunteering more now.

Volunteering to take care of grandchildren.

Volunteering to take a meal to someone who is sick.

Volunteering to visit a shut in.

Many times the boss in Bible times was a Master.

Why?

You are volunteering more now.

Volunteering to take care of grandchildren.

Volunteering to take a meal to someone who is sick.

Volunteering to visit a shut in.

In our passage today - slave or bondservant

The slaves that are discussed in would largely be domestic slaves.

Most slaves were the product of Roman conquest of lands where those who lost the war were placed in slavery.

In the case of those in Colossian church most would have been domestic slaves.

In many cases the upper class would own 1 or 2 slaves and worked closely as an assistant to their master.

It is said that in the streets of Athens, Greece slaves were indistinguishable from free men.

Slaves and their Masters had a close relationship.

Many times the work was very specialized.

Some slaves were doctors and teachers.

Much of the slave work required slaves to work independent of their masters and have a specialized skill.

Slaves could own property and many were allowed to mary.

I. Obey Your Employer

Note that this kind of slavery is very different from the abusive slavery we read of from the 17th and 18th century.

While some slaves were abused - they commonly were not.

Let me pause and take a moment to say this.

I am not saying that the owning of another human being is acceptable.

In no way should slavery be encouraged.

Jesus and the Apostles never are spoken of owning a slave.

However, the book of Colossians was written to a Church - some people during that time in the church were slaves and slave owners.

Slavery was how much of the work got done.

Slaves in fact were workers.

Transition - Today in the passage when we speak of slaves and masters it is very fair to apply this to employees.

II.

Obey Your Employer

1A.

Obey everything they tell you to do.

Why?

They are your authority (earthly master)

1B.

Lean you heart into it.

Romans 13:1-

This is a simple truth that gets tangled in the heart.

When you boss tells you to do something you should do it & in a timely manner.

There are exceptions - sinful, illegal, breaking of employment law...

There are exceptions - sinful, illegal, breaking of employment law...

There are exceptions - sinful, illegal, breaking of employment law...

1B.

We are not to fear our employer, but rather fear God.