Work

We are actually this summer working through just rhythms of life and talking about some disciplines that go with the rhythms of life. And so we're looking at topics all summer dealing with that specifically things such as work which we somehow worked it into two sermons. We're going to look at rest in a couple of weeks. We're going to look at some spiritual disciplines in the active trayer and Gathering as the church in gathering as the Saints even outside the body of Christ and looking at important things like presents and being with one another and commitment and so really what I believe is going to be very Rich Sommer for us here this morning and I'm going to try to finish tackling this thought process on worth and a healthy work Rhythm for our lives. And as we talked about last week, one of the things that we've kind of failed out at large maybe even in the church if we just kind of assumed that everybody has a good Theology of work. But how many sermons have we really heard specifically on work and the rhythm of work and how often is it actually ingrained into our minds is it implanted in our hearts? And the problem is is if we have bad theology surrounding work Ross are going to have them really bad practices surrounding or and so I want to recapture this Theology of work. And if you were here last week, you can answer this pop quiz it is work bad. It's much better last week is work is working neutral. You should know it's not just a neutral entity that we sort of have to get by and get through is work good.

Does that flow with culture today?

every boss in here with no

now it doesn't fluid culture today. God has we look at what God did in Genesis chapter 1 we see that we serve a God who worked he created he made he even there in Genesis says that he got his hands dirty Out of the Dust of the earth either created man, and then he breathed life into him and then got rested on that seventh day and we're going to get into rest in just a couple of weeks is just really so crucial when talking about this mindset of work, but God worked in creation and then God also created work and were created in the image of God ever created in the image of one who works. That's what we're supposed to image. It's not supposed to be that we despise or dismissed or she is a necessary evil to get to what we actually really should be or want to be doing with our lives. But there's a way in which were to work that it allows for. To glorify God. However, in the fall, our orders are desires excuse we have now been disordered. We're all mixed up confusion. And we think that work is all there is to life for work is actually the opposite of what should bring life to us. And we begin to serve the creation rather than the Creator and so it's very important for Christians to understand that as we've been redeemed. We're really redeeming this idea of what it looks like to work and should change our views on how we view work. Who we actually work for and how we do our work and I want to push back a little bit on culture today because essentially we're Talk work is who you are. What's the question you ask every kindergartener when they first go to school? What do you want to be when you grow up? Yes, what do you want? What do you want? And when we ask that question, what is implied? What are you going to do for work? First of all, this is ingrained in us and it's not necessarily A Bad Thing to be processing on what should I be doing with my life? And how should I be using my life to serve others and to glorify God boy taking that to actually become the defining moment. I am my work. This is actually who I am and I want to push back on that a little bit. It's such a big problem that if you remember months and months ago, I read an article from the Atlantic definitely not a Christian resource and in his article in the Atlantic and talked about the idolatry of were specifically that of White Collar work. strangling that culture today that people are sacrificing on the idol of work and they're giving their all to work and they're drowning and what they're And they're having life suck out of them and they're actually disappearing and someone big numbers because they're saying this. I am what I do. It's what I breathe and its cause problems because they said work is not just good work is the ultimate good and life. This is a massive problem. And we need to push back on this a little bit when we need to say is all work is important work is good work is for human flourishing, but it's under God over creation. Under God over creation. That is the actual created order. However in the fall, we now seem to be what under creation we serve it we worship it we get our identity from it as we want to say that this work is important, but work is not everything work is not where you're going to find. Your identity work is not where you're going to place your hope. It's not where you're going to get all your value from. So first thing this morning don't worship work, but work is worship. Don't worship work, but work is worship. So do it diligently now I want to reach you from 1st Corinthians chapter 10. Here's the situation and we're going to unpack this in probably 15 months from now would be my guess is when we get the 1st Corinthians 10, here's the deal Paul is working with this church, and they are dealing with people who are sacrificing meets idols, and it's all sorts of nuances and things happening when they're doing this as acts of pagan Worship in joining in that taken worship yet. You could also go to the marketplace after they had sacrificed me to these items. I need to get me real cheap. And so these Christians were asking Paul if we going to the marketplace or our friends go to the marketplace and they get that meat and they didn't serve it at their table not at the temple. Can we eat that meat and we're going to attack all of that at some later point but Paul goes into this feel in 1st Corinthians 10 verse 23, and I want to read it also a rather some context from it. He says all things are lawful, but all things are not helpful. All things are lawful, but not all things build up. Let no one seek his own good but the good of his neighbor hold on to this premise this thought this idea and I know specifically he's dealing with this mentality can we eat these meat that were sacrificed to Idols? He says eat whatever is sold in the market without raising any question on the ground of conscience for the Earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof he saying, God's it belongs to him have that mentality, but then it goes on and says if one of the unbelievers invites you to dinner and you are disposed to go eat whatever set before you without raising any question on the ground of conscience, but if someone says to you this is been offered in sacrifice, then do not eat it for the sake of the one who informed you and for the sake of conscience bothering you guys. Don't do it. They tell you this I do not mean your conscience, but for his for why should my Liberty be determined by someone else's conscience? That's a fun one if I partake with thankfulness, why am I denounce because of that for which I give thanks. So whether you eat or drink or Whatever else you do work sleep friendship, enjoy children, whatever you do do all to the glory of God. Give no offense to the Jews did the Greeks to the Church of God. Just as I try to please everyone and everything. I do not speaking my own advantage that admitting that they may be saved. Polish telling the church at Corinth whatever you do do it diligently do it with all your heart do it to the glory of God. This idea of diligence is a way that shows care and conscientiousness and ones work of Duties. And while we do not worship work. We are called to work diligently work how to do all things unto God's glory to bring honor to God's name as the ultimate purpose that were to fulfill in our lives. So we aren't to them being careless. Ordered cheaply care about everything we're doing we're too deeply care if he committed to the relationship with one another with our church with our place of work or too deeply care. Even the details that were doing in our lives and sometimes this can get lost on us because I think it's not that big of a deal but God has said do all things unto my glory and here's what I want to share with you when we no longer work diligently. It's not just because the money isn't as good are we lost passion are were disinterested we've lost sight of we were actually working for We lost sight if we were actually working for. Is around a bad job or bad boss if he's in here don't raise your hand. I made burritos on the street corner of bed. When I first moved here. That was a bad job and I was bad at it and I had a bad perspective all about it, but I'll tell you what what happens is is we lose motivation that's gone when we decide if we actually served now. This is motivation and the money is no longer is as good as satisfy me. Might say I really don't want to work there anymore. Are we thought that through this job for this career? We have some sort of power there be some kind of prestige that would come along with it. We're not getting what we thought from it. But what is happening in that moment is return and save the problem is work. Problems work now. The problem is your heart's the problem is your motivation is not just the money. It may be part of the problem is we try to keep our heads above water is not just the fact that I'm not getting the influence and I thought I wanted those those those might be the fruit or the exterior of the problems that might be the manifestation of it's raining in my heart. But the reality is that actually lost sight of the fact that work is good and then actually glorify and honor God through my work whatever it is. I'm doing as long as it's not bringing harm and destruction as we talked about last week work is not the problem of motivation is the problem in his followers of Jesus. I want us to recapture this Theology of who we actually served because we're not always going to get to do what we want to do in this life were not always going to get the dream job or have the dream week and I'll tell you this but the very dream job that you think is amazing still has difficult hard and I can promise you that it is very easy to quickly lose focus because the focus has become work as the priority in the primary think in our life that we so value and when idle doesn't give us what we want. It doesn't tell us actually who we are in the way we thought it wouldn't tell us that we are great and good and kind and lovely but actually it down and disappointed by it. We will begin to hate the very work that God gives us we lost sight of who he is doesn't just work through here who's retired and you thought retirement was going to be the end but it's not slowing down for sure, but I'll tell you what even as you slow down you will still need to desire to work and get not your identity from either work or from retirement. But from God who has claimed as called us.

Broccoli. Monday and difficult weeks and problems in our work the work is an act of worship. How does that change your thought about tomorrow morning when the alarm goes off at 6? Work is an act of worship. glorifying God through this I'm creating I'm making I'm doing something great. Been going on these runs around 3 and 1/2 Mile Loop what the hell and down and just the other day. There's this Hayden development that got put in and they made these trail running by it before this was just a hunk of dirt. I've been running this for a few years and it was ugly and it was disgusting and now I run this Trail and there are these beautiful flowers and I run by and I smelled lavender and I'm not kidding. I thought thank you Lord for the people that put this in here today. Not only might not going to get hit by a car on this road today because of the nice sidewalk. But but on top of that look at the beauty looked at cultivated it created and let me ask you this. How many of you have jobs like that where you think? Small it's just a miniscule. But whoever put that in its interconnected and that's how this world joy in our work and I mean on always feel like that you may not always sense that when you can see that work as an act of worship unto God serving other people can do whatever task it is that you are doing it can change our mind about work problem is we can isolate our religious life and are out of their life. We create the religious secular divide and I do religious on Sunday maybe on Tuesday at a community group. If I gather with some people more than the rest of us just secular is set apart. It's different and what God is saying is this is actually you joined together. So everything we do in life is to bring Glory unto God. So work is worship number two. Work for God's glory, right? That doesn't mean you are learning something from him my language. They're my verbage is not always the best we're working for his glory not for personal motivation money power are same whatever you do work heartily unto the Lord when we lose sight of this we lose sight of the big picture and let me tell you this is applicable to each and every person because everybody in here is working whether it's a nine-to-five or is the dishes at home to the family survives and they don't stock up or not getting diseases. Everything we're doing is facet of work Grable to say I'm doing this for your glory god and that is my motivation is not simply for money power or for fame and when that gets inside our hearts, it can actually create healthy rhythms because of the way in which we view work we can do it and take breaks from it because we know we're not going to get Identity from whether we get the praise and the Adoration and the add a boy that we think we deserve from work. Heelys side of us though we make work out more than it should be. We become identified by it. It's who we are or we skirt the responsibility and the call to work and we make very little of it which means our work rhythms are non-existent.

If you are working for your own Glory you're working for yourself. If you're working just for power are just for money. You won't ever be able to stop that kind of work cuz you going to continue to serve at the altar of what it gives you and I'll tell you what it's going to cost you a lot in this life. We've all seen it was cuz people families and marriages and friendships strange children you miss out on enjoyment and community and feasting with one another you don't take the brakes that are needed in order to enjoy life because it becomes the primary thing that we serve in this life. You have to keep it going work is not our purpose for existence. It won't save us but it's something God has actually created us for so what are we doing for in that place to transform your view of work not a curse. It's a calling it to transform your aim of work. It's a service and stewardship of the gifts that God has actually given you so what do we do? Look up this is my number to Big point. I want to look at Colossians for this and turn over chapter 3 if you would like In chapter 3 Paul is explained to the follower of Jesus as you walked received Christ, Jesus walk with him that's chapter 2 and he's talking about this idea. You're filled with the spirit. You're putting on the new self. You've been raised with Christ seek, the things above that's verse 1 chapter 3 verse 17 then says this 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 then I'll actually get some practicalities and some boundary surrounding is he begins to talk about relationships between husbands and wives between fathers and children even there in that day between slaves and their masters and Masters and the slaves and it against to share these thoughts on what this looks like any wraps it up also and verse 23 when he says whatever you do work heartily as for the Lord and not for men It's real practical. I said you need to look to God in all that you do and he understand that he's even in that day and age writing to a group that are slaves and there's different studies and we can get into this at a different point. We talked about the slavery of that day at some point. I we did it in months and months leave in a couple of years ago, but your job is not as bad as their job. I promise that and he says guys look up. work and work on to the Lord It says a few things it freeze people to do their work.

We look at we may not love our work today. It may not be the most favorite thing and waking up Monday does seem a little bit hard. butter freeze us if we say I'm doing this as unto God. I know this is a reminder even in Ministry that needs to be preached to myself over and over and over again because sometimes we can lose perspective as we come sell focused on what we're doing and when it's not going rights and perfect become incredibly frustrated. We lose sight that we're actually working on to the Lord. Besides your work as unto me whatever the job is if you've heard of brother Lawrence. He was assigned in the monastery that he was serving in to kitchen duty essentially and chores and Lawrence wrote this men invent means and methods of coming at God's love they learn rules and set up devices to remind them of that love and it seemed like a world of trouble to bring oneself into the consciousness of the presence of God in a might be so simple. Is it not quicker and easier just to do our common business. Holy For the Love of him. I love that there's this Monk and he's washing dishes and he heard the story of brother Lawrence. He would then just dedicate his time of cleaning those dishes unto prayer and worship of God skin the most mundane tasks that I can actually think of me says I'm just going to go ahead and do this whole heartily unto the Lord. We all have mundane tasks and just asked him to be the things that we focus on which then begin to depress and bum ass out because life isn't really what we expected and he says I want you to transform your thinking on this do even the mundane unto the glory of God. No matter the job that has a value no matter the work it brings Glory unto God and when you see your work like this you begin to thrive. What happens in our lives? We do our work well. How do we do our work? Well with back in the 90s. They said slap a Jesus fish on your business card. That's how everybody will know. You're a Christian and maybe you do that. Maybe you don't but let me tell you something. Just like we saw last week if you want to do your work well be the best at what you do.

Maybe teach people to be the best. So if you're a carpenter you make the best tables is not what Luther said that's how you show people if you are in landscaping if you are a doctor if you are in any of these professions a businessman the best with integrity and made that shine forth because you have his love for Jesus you work for Jesus you work for God to show them that that's what it means to serve and follow God.

Look remember this your first responder in here with several of those even the strong out even those that you despise are humans created in the image of God treat them that way. Treat them that way when they're in the back of your squad car and you get a million other things you love to say, then let them know that their loved and valued and cared for the people in this service industry anywhere you deal with the most entitled frustrating kind of people serve them well because they're humans to in the created in the image of God to business owner. You all have difficult clients sherbet. Love them treat them well because they too are created in the image of God. Listen to We need to let this slip into our minds. We need to be convicted on this because she quickly returned to complaining and make it been to make it bitter me get mad at the work and they said God why is it like this? We realize and change perspective that we work for God that were serving in our work in the world around us that allows us to see people is no mere mortal. As CS. Lewis says they're important to care and love for them in the moment. Look to your real boss. It was God. This will help you with your work rhythms. It's not the task motivation behind the task. And when this happens your environment won't be able to control you anymore. Sure. You can have bad days at work, but you serve a good God and he can change your perspective around the work that you do. She more things and then we're going to close out earlier than normal here at this morning. How does this get practical we think about serving this master in heaven? Look at what you're doing right now. Did you work? How you been thinking about it? How is that impacting your life? Are you trying to get identity from it? If you are you're going to serve it as your master, and your rhythm is going to be work work work. You're not going to be able to take breaks from it because it'll call you at all hours of the day and it'll demand of you like any kind of Idlewood if that's who you are. Does this call to repent from that mindset or if you look at work and you say works the worse I never want to touch that you will have no work Rhythm and you will feel completely insufficient you will as we are called to work if you just don't want to ditch that all I want nothing to do with it. What are they saying Ecclesiastes under God doing work is satisfying and fulfilling. God has created us for that. This will help us with our rhythms of being able to take breaks and press in as God has created for each and every one of us is going to look different for every single person because in our culture we don't just simply all work Monday through Friday who has just a regular Monday through Friday. There's not a lot of hands going up in this room. All right, we have weird schedules today some of us work swing shift some of us work early in the morning. Some of us work really hard 9 months out of the year. We have three months off and leave all of these different kinds of things coming out of and here's the thing you can't open Bible and it says well, this is how doctors are to be in this is how teachers are to be in this is how those are in the service industry should be but we have this principle in the scriptures called wisdom that God has given to us and there's wisdom principles in the scripture surrounding work and rest working rest and we draw from these wisdom principles, and we apply them to our lives not know. Legalistic framework but in a way which we know that God created us as human beings not human machines. And so we need to adhere and take from this words of wisdom and God in his wisdom has told us you need more than just work in your life. You need to enjoy the re-creation. I've given you the friendships are married your spouse your children your those that are around you and he says take wisdom and apply it to your life. And what does he say is that you cannot go? 24/7? You cannot work Non-Stop.

What are some things in our lives I need to change some of us need to learn the rhythm of chilling out? Let me just tell you that right now. Some of us live Bee Blake Shelton song Work Work Work. It's all I ever. Do. You know, I've been hitting it getting it since he's like 1972. All right, so that's what I am I go to work and then I come home and I work on the house and then I come home and I work on this project and then I will now he's just chill out. Enjoy some laughter. Enjoy a meal with somebody. This is called presents. Enjoying the people before you and Community dependence on God and not self when I can't put my work down what it says is God. I do not trust you. I have to provide for myself. I have to make sure this problem gets resolved in that gets worked out and I can never put it down. So I give you some practical advice on this sit down at the beginning of the week or the month on your schedule and figure out when you going to put the phone away when they're going to have date night. We can hang out with your kids figure it out because we live in a culture that says work is the most important thing that you can do and it consumes everything and should overtake anything soap unless we actually plan A lot of these things out for many people they will never happen cuz work will always creep in it will always be a phone call there always be an email there always be a pressing need the tyranny of the urgency is one of the greatest problems that exist today.

Planet out and do it. What is that mean means shutting it down every once in awhile and learning the art of presents with people before you. But I know some of us have jobs that demand that we aren't responding when the phone rings and there are times that I cannot always be turned off but we got to figure out some rhythms in this before it drains and catch up and robs us of some of the enjoyment in life when we can set aside time to say I will get back to those emails. I will get back to those problems, but it doesn't have to be immediate. How do I get you need to do this, but work with people around you who are doing this and what I mean by that is if you are a boss in here and you send a text that pretty much means you better get back with me pretty soon. I understand emergencies. I'm not here to get anybody fired. But that look even those of us who are working with people don't assume because you sent it that they haven't gotten back with you in 5 minutes that they're failing you somehow and if it's urgent have some way to communicate with them the urgency out of we need to respect people's arrest rhythms as well as needing to take them for ourselves. So establishing that with the people that you work with we can invoke some change in a small little world around us and helping people actually about the principles of scripture and I think it would go a long way for many people finding healthy rhythms in their work-life. But so many of us are letting culture II picked our rhythms and we're being told it's the ultimate Work is really important. God gave it to us always been a plan of Gods. I believe in the Kingdom to come a plan. That'll continue. And we can fall into the Trap of under work are overworked. How do we get out of here? What do we do? How do we get to a place? We have healthy rhythms. It's only come to trust the one who did the work for us in our lives. I mean by this is a nice little gospel time. And here's what I want to camp on. The reason I can say I can shut it down. The reason I can step away from work and say you know what, even though all of culture says this is how it's going to defy me. This is what's going to tell me that I'm a great good kind person by what I do and how much I given these things. What does the gospel say the gospel brings in this good news and says, you know what it's not because of your work is because of his work that is actually finished because he is already spoken his love and mercy and declare that you are his over you you can then have good weeks and bad ways. You can make a lot and you can make a little you can be successful or you can be a complete failure with the gospel says that you are loved and you are gods and you belong to him. The reason I can take breaks from work and then engage strongly in work the reason as a boss that we can chill out and know that people actually do need some rhythms in their lies, and I am not their God. I am their boss day off to respect me. They ought to listen to me. but here's the deal I can take a step back on some of that because because I ultimately know that God loves me just as much as he loves them and he is woven into the Creative Design these areas of both rest and work and breaks her own health and well-being and too many of us are not practicing this these are trying to get our help from a culture has promised us has the good life.

Does your work on you?

The answer if yes is not quit, but the bad answer don't quit your work's important and it's good. Is doing good things. Right, but what does it look like to take your schedule to take your life into him in some healthy rhythms into your life. This is really important for us for your own longevity. I just want to press into you. If you can't do that. If you can't step away from that ask is it my idol or is God truly the one who I love and serve and belief. I'm really important stuff for us redeemers and don't hear any of this wrong and I understand the complexities of relationships and working for somebody and everything else. I just want to speak into our culture a little bit because I see it all over the place. I meet with a lot of you and one of the biggest things we talked about so often is work is killing me. My answer is never quit. It's who you serving? How do you get some healthy rhythms? Make sure that we see ourselves under God over creation not ruled by creation because of what Jesus has done. We're free. Let's pray. Thank you for your word today. What's an issue that I know? It's so. Trussing and hard and we live in a culture that chooses to be overworked that desires to be overworked that Finds Its fulfillment and being overworked or culture that just wants to disregard work and doesn't want to do anything with it and wants to just put it aside. We have been completely and terribly mixed up. Call me when you have a Hearts convicted on what it actually looks like. To see work is something given to us by you to serve your purposes to do it unto your glory but also to take appropriate breaks into Reston to enjoy all that you've given us. At work in the hearts today that been convicted in this way. Midday glorify and worship your clothes are struggling in their work today for those who going to work tomorrow is going to be just miserable and it's a drudge shifter thinking. What made you work in the ministry that they're working on to you and that they get to serve you in this and they get to do whatever it is. They do unto your glory. They get to be a representation of Christ to their co-workers into their bosses into the people around them shifter motivation, and it would be convicted or he tried to get something from work that we shouldn't have been getting from it. Working us. We pray. Have your way in Us in Jesus name? Amen?