This Then is the Gospel Way to Live (A Focus on Work)
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Complain, Complain, Complain!
Title: This Then is the Gospel Way to Live (A Focus on Work)
Text:
Introduction
Christ’s Motive for All (vs. 23)
Bosses complain about their employees and employees complain about their bosses...
Introduction
Attention (Why should they listen to you?)
What is the Hearer’s problem?
Everybody thinks they can do a better job...
What is the Biblical Solution?
What do the hearers need to know?
Well, it is interesting that God has a better way...
Main Textual Idea:
Main Idea: Hey Employees and Employers! Do You Follow Christ’s Rules for Your Roles?
There are two more rules that Paul lays out for us. And the first is...
Transition:
Body
1. Christ’s Rules for Servants (vs. 22-23)
Lead in...
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,
Text -
We live in a very different time then the culture of Paul’s day. To have slavery as a normal part of the culture is so far removed from our everyday life and existence. However, that was the order of the day. People, whether we like it or not, were slaves.
The term Paul uses here in the ESV is “Bondservants” which means slaves.
What was a bondservant or slave in Paul’s day?
Define bondervant -
The point is simply, they were to be obedient to their masters.
This is a very hard concept for 21 century Americans to grapple with. Why didn’t Paul recommend a revolution against such a system? Obviously slavery is morally wrong and reprehensible to say the lease. For one person to own another person is apauling, wicked and dehumanizing! So why didn’t Paul start a revolution promoting slaves to rise up and rebell against the establishemnt?
Well that certainly would have been one way to go about it. But as I study the Bible and Christianiaty, that is not the way God opportates. God tends to work from the inside out. He brings change to the heart that ends up bringing change to the culture. And this was no different!
Instead of Paul challenging the slaves to rise up and revolte, he challenged them to humble themselves under the migthy hand of God and in due time He will exalt them.
Paul gets very specific with these servants. He tells them to serve their earthly masters well whether they are looking or not! Whether they are seen by them or not! Paul want the servant to serve from the heart.
Not by way of eye service -
Not being a people pleaser -
put those off!
Instead, put on...
Serving with a sincere heart -
Serving with hard work -
Serving with the correct motive -
Serving not your boss but your King -
Leave your nasty boss in the hands of God -
We do not have slavery today like they did back in Paul’s day. But the closest correlation I could find was that of the relationship between the employee and employer.
Cardboard machine at Meijer’s distribution center
What is your attitude at work? More time than not, I hear people complaining instead of thanking the Lord for the provision they have received by God through this job...
God gave you that job and you, according to the Scriptures are sovereignly placed there for a season to influence people for Christ primarily through your work ethic.
You are a tool in the hand of God in your marriage, in your parenting, in your role as a child and as an employee. You are not there simply to make money, Christian! You are their as an ambassador of Christ...
20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.
You are a tool in the hand of God in your marriage, in your parenting, in your role as a child and as an employee. You are not there simply to make money, Christian! You are their as an ambassador of Christ.
And your work ethic speak loudly to those non believers who, like it or not are watching your every move.
Application -
Be early - Five Minutes before is on time!
God above and beyond (remember who your true boss is!)
Don’t complain about your boss - instead thank him or her for the hard work they do.
Be purposed in making your boss look good! Serve them!
Realize that you will be taken advantage of. It’s simply the result of living in a sin cursed world. You are the light in this dark word. By the way, the Lord knows something about being taken advantage of.
Change your attitude about your job.
Attitude
“The longer I live, the more important I realize the impact of attitude on life.
Attitude, to me , is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than successes, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company… a church… a home.
The remarkable thing is we have a choice everyday regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past… we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude…
I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it.
And so it is with you… we are in charge of our Attitudes.”
– Charles Swindoll
According to Paul, your reward for working for the Lord isn’t a paycheck or financial security. Your inheritance is your reward. You and I have grand a glorious privilege of going to work each and everyday as an act of worship. You and I, whether we are working at McDonald’s or we are the CEO of a major corporation, go to work to serve Jesus Christ. God will take care of those who do not handle themselves correctly. This is the promise in verse 25. It’s none of your business if your coworker is a slacker. God will pay them accordingly. But you be the be you you can be! You put forth the very best effort you can not for your advancement, but as an act of worship. We are not people pleasers! We are God pleasers.
How are you doing with this? Perhaps you need to do some realignment in your thinking this morning. Perhaps your work needs to be an act of worship rather than a means by which you provide for yourself and your family? This, my friend, is most pleasing to God! After all, you are in charge of your attitude! What attitude will you bring with you tomorrow as you go to work?
Review - Do You Follow Christ’s Rules for Your Roles?
Christ’s Rules for Servants
2. Christ’s Rules for Masters (Chp. 4:11)
Lead in...
1 Masters, treat your bondservants justly and fairly, knowing that you also have a Master in heaven.
Text -
It is interesting that Paul also addresses those who are masters. Those who are in a financial and social position to own slaves.
Here again, in Paul’s time and culture, to be a slave owner meant one could treat slaves as property. The could be harsh and rude and altogether awful to the slaves and their family...
Slavery The practice of one person owning another as property, or one person owing a debt to another and repaying that debt via their labor. Found in the ancient Near East, the Graeco-Roman world, and the Old and New Testaments. No single description of slavery fits the various forms it took in the ancient world. However, it was quite different from the slavery practiced in the West during the 18th and 19th centuries.
Etymology
The most common terms for slaves in Hebrew and Greek refer to both slaves and servants. A frequent term for slave in Hebrew is derived from the verb “to work” or “to serve.” This term does not seem to convey the negative and derogatory association that it does in Greek usage outside the Bible.
In Hebrew, no distinction is made between an Israelite and a non-Israelite slave, as the same term is used to describe both of them. The two groups are distinguished in Old Testament regulations of slavery, however.
Slavery in the Ancient World
Slavery existed in most cultures in the ancient world and in all the cultures surrounding the land of Israel during biblical times. A slave could be owned by the state—such as the publicly owned slaves in Athens who served as a police force—or by individuals. The majority of slaves were prisoners of war who were sold into slavery.
Slavery could take the form of debt slavery, in which people sold themselves or their children to clear their debts, punishment for crime, the birth of children to slaves, and the enslavement of victims of piracy or war. Slaves in state-owned mines worked under inhumane conditions and had a short life expectancy. Many household slaves, on the other hand, fared better.
In addition to denoting a person’s legal status or identity, the term “slave” also denotes a power relationship between persons. Patterson defines slavery as “social death,” arguing that an enslaved person was “alienated from all ‘rights’ or claims of birth” and “ceased to belong in his own right to any legitimate social order” (Patterson, Slavery and Social Death, 5). He further states, “Slavery is a permanent, violent domination of natally alienated and generally dishonored persons” (Patterson, Slavery and Social Death, 13). Culbertson criticizes this definition, arguing that it does not account for the variety of experiences of slavery (Culbertson, Slaves and Households, 9). Culbertson instead argues that slavery is better understood in the context of households, which would account for the diverse slave experiences—which in addition to torture, rape, and death could also include protection, participation, and sometimes even influence in institutional affairs (Culbertson, Slaves and Households, 9).
Dan Nässelqvist and Georgina Jardim, “Slavery,” ed. John D. Barry et al., The Lexham Bible Dictionary (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2016).
The point is this. This was not a great experience for the slave. The slave owner was often abusive and unkind.
Here again, however, Paul doesn’t attempt to change the cultural expectation. He doesn’t preach against slavery. What he does do is redefine what slavery should be. He pouts a Christian spin on it, if you will. He turns it on its head. The slave owner is to now treat the slave with dignity and respect. They are to love the slave and treat them as a brother or sister in Christ.
Of course, this kind of radical departure from the cultural norm would have befuddled the non-christian beyond belief and would have caused them to inquire why the change which, of course would have led to a tremendous gospel opportunity.
That we are all slaves to sin and it was only because of God’s great love for us that he, through the shed blood of Christ on the cross, His burial and resurrection could we enjoy true freedom!
The point is this for us today! We do not have slave ownership like we did in the time of Paul, but we do have employers who must be careful to treat their workers with dignity and respect...
The almighty dollar should not be the business owners main concern, rather the Almighty God should.
Unfortunately I have been part of organizations where we are told we are family and that we are the backbone of the organization. And if it weren’t for us the company wouldn’t enjoy the profits they were enjoying. But then when the was an economic downturn, the “family members” who were the back bone of the organization found their backside out on the street.
Argumentation - I understand for the unbelieving business, this is the cost of doing business. But for the believing business owner, Paul and God expects more.
I understand for the unbelieving business, this is the cost of doing business. But for the believing business owner, Paul and God expects more.
Application -
Christian business owner, I am not here to tell you how to run your business. But I do think the golden rule fits nicely in this situation. Treat your employees the way you would want to be treated....
Review - Do You Follow Christ’s Rules for Your Roles?
Lead in...What is the tension here?
Text -
Explanation -
Christ’s Rules for Servants
Illustration -
Argumentation -
Christ’s Rules for Master’s
Application -
Review -
Conclusion (Visualization)
Complain, Complain, Complain!
Action they should take
I wonder, if we followed Paul’s rules for our roles at work if we would actually get more work accomplished and more work for the the Lord accomplished as well. After all, Christians ought to be the best bosses and employees there are!
Land the Plane
Connection Group Reflection Questions
What stands out to you from this passage?
Why is it so easy to complain about our jobs?
What should we replace complaining with?
As a boss, how can you exude Christ?
What difference will this make for the kingdom?
Pray for each other that we would take Paul’s words to heart!